yllje Smitljficli) lUralk
r?c. On. Dellar P.r V..r ? "TRUE TO OURSELVES, OUR COUNTRY AND OUR COO." ,|y.
VOL. 28. SMITHFIELD. N. C.. FRIDAY. OCTOBER 15, 11M)9. NO. 33
HEAVY LOSS IN KEY WEST.
Hundreds of Homeless Roam the
Streets, Over live Hundred
Homes Having Been Destroy
ed. Financial Losses Incurred
by the Storm is Believed will
be Between Two and Three
Million Dollars.
Key West, Fla., Oct. 12.?Half
the city is practically in ruins,
over five hundred homes having
been destroyed and more than a
hundred ships wrecked as a re
sult of the hurricane which swept
this city yesterday afternoon.
Many churches and nine of the
largest cigar factories in the
South also were destroyed.
Hundreds of men are now at
work cleaning up the streets un
der the direction of .Mayor Fogar
ty.
One death is reported, that of
Frank Gray, a photographer. To
day hundreds of homeless were
roaming the streets. Fortunately
the weather is bright and warm
and there is little physical suf
fering.
A t t I > i O 4i inn r> a nofimof a /ion
niio iiiuu uu icmiuait vau (
be given of the financial losses (
incurred by the storm, but it is
believed it will be between two |
and three million dollars. It will ]
be weeks, and in some instances \
months, before the big tobacco
factories will be able to resume
operations and business generally
will be at a standstill for at least
Several days.
As soon as darkness fell last
night thieves began their raid
on the homes and office buildings
destroyed by the storm. The
police were unable to cope with
the situation and Mayor Fogarty
immediately called for the Key
"West Guards, the local military
organization and the city was
placed under martial law.
Along the water front the
beaches were strewn with the
wreckage of small boats of all
kinds, and here hardly a build
ing was left standing, while piers
and wharves were all swept u
way. At the time the storm
broke yesterday afternoon there
were nearly 100 vessels in the
harbor. The majority of these
were swept to sea or broken up
on the beaches.
The launch Lunette, with the
crew of the dredge Nimke, ar
rived here at 5 o'clock this af- s
ternoon, bringing additional de- ?
tails of the effects of the hurri- ^
cane along the coast. The dredge \
Nimke of the East Coast exten- .
sion fleet, lies disabled in No. 5
trestle fill between Matacumbie )
and Long Key, which is badly i
washed in places. The grade of t
the extension at Jew-Fish bush ,
is washed away, the dock at f
Pigeon Key is wrecked, the fill (
at Knights Key is washed away, (
leaving the trestle firm, the ap- j
proach to the viaduct at Long t
Key is gone, and wreckage is s
piled on the shore everywhere.
Thirteen churches were blown
down, the only ones in the city
remaining standing being one
Catholic, one Methodist and one
Baptist. f
A YOUTHFUL PROGIDY.
Cambridge, Mass., Oct. 9.?All
records at Harvard for the age of
students were broken today when
a boy named Sidis, eleven years
of age, was admitted to stand
ing in the university as a special
Student. Sidis comes to Har
vard after spending one year at
Tufts, and was therefore pdmit
ted without the usual entrance ex
aminations.
For many years Sidis has
been known, not only in Boston,
his native city, but also through
out all New England, as a prodi
gy in mathematics, and it is in
this department that he will spe
cialize at Harvard. Not in the
history of the institution has a
boy of such years been allowed
J.o register as a member of the
university, although a few cases
are on record of students coming
to Cambridge still wearing their
boyhood kilts. Sidis will take
his degree with the class of 1913,
and will probably remain in the
university for the regular period
c time.
GENERAL NEWS.
Seventeen persons were killed
and ten were severely injured in
a collision on the Santa Fe rail
road near Topeka, Kansas, last
Friday.
The attendance at the Seattle
Exposition is expected to reach
3,750,000 by the end of this week
when the show closes.
Fifty thousand disciples of
Christ will attned the one hun
dredth anniversary of the church
it Pittsburg this week.
J. M. Barrie, the great English
novelist, has filed suit to obtain
a, divorce from his wife who was
Mary Ausel, an actress.
Pardoned after serving ten
years of a 25-year sentence for
murder, John W. Neil, of Ilar
risburg, 111., has married his for
mer wife, who obtained a divorce
sifter his conviction, remarried
ind became a widow.
Two hundred night riders burn
id the tobacco barn of Edward
Johnson at Willow, Ky., Satur
lay. Fifteen thousand pounds
)f tobacco was destroyed. Mr.
Johnson was notified to pool his
;obacco, but failed to do so.
Charged with complicity in
wowing up a dam that protected
lundreds of Louisiana rice farms,
jetween the owners of which and
;attle men there is ill-feeling, six
nen have been bound over by
;he Federal Commissioner at Jen
lings, La.
The cholera epidemic in St.
r'etersburg continues to run its
course. The cases average thirty
i day, but the newspapers no
onger pay any attention to the
natter. Thirty-four of the ser
vants of the Medviel Restaurant,
i fashionable resort of the capi
al, have been stricken with the
lisease.
Fifteen years at hard labor in
i federal prison, came one legal
itage nearer Charles W. Morse,
he former banker and capitalist,
Monday when the United States
Circuit Court of Appeals of New
fork upheld the lower federal
?ourts in sentencing the banker
,o such a penalty for misapplying
he funds of a national bank.
Rear Admiral Winfield Scott
Schley, the hero of the great na
val battle of Santiago, celebrated
lis 70th birthday at his home in
Washington Saturday. lie is in
iplendid health and says he feels
is able to work as he did 30
rears ago. lie attributes his eon
inued good health to his total
ibstinenee from alcoholic liquors.
The Panama Canal Commission
las submitted to the Secretary of
SVaar an estimate of appropria
ions aggregating $48,063,524 for
vork on the canal during the fis
ial year begining July 1, 1910.
jf the amount asked for, $15,504,
)36 is for skilled and unskilled
abor and $20,218,983 is for ma*
crials and supplies used in con
Llriipfinn wnrV
The itinerary of President Taft
viU be made especially notable
his week by his meeting with
'resident Diaz of Mexico on the
jorder line of the two republics,
rhe President's party will arrive
it El Paso, the meeting point, on
Saturday and elaborate prepara
ions have been made for ceremo
lies consistent with the interna
.ional character of the occasion.
Five thousand persons were
present to see Dr. Abbott Lawr
'iiee ? inaugurated President of
lent of Harvard University "Wed
lesday of alst week. lie suc
:eeds Dr. Charles W. Eliot who
?etires after serving forty years
is the head of this great institu
:ion. A number of honorary de
crees were conferred, among the
lumber being President Alder
nan of the University of Virgin
a who was made LL. D.
The Pittsburg team, champions
)f the Nati</n?l League, defeated
he Detroit team, champions of
he American League, Friday in
he opening me of the content
For the world's series by the score
)f 4 to 1. Au enormous crowd
>f 29,577 saw the battle, which
ivas sensational.^ Tommy Leach,
rormerly of Louisville, saved the
lay for the Pirates by making a
wonderful catch of a hard drive
from Ty Cobb's bat. Fred
Llarke's I onic run also helped.
A BIO WHEAT CROP.
Spring Wheat Yield Put at 291,
848,000 Bushels?Whole Crop
724,768,000 Bushels. Corn
Shows Falling Of.
Washington, Oct. 8.?The crop
reporting board of the Depart
ment of Agriculture estimates,
I from the reports of the correspon
I dents and agents of the depart
ment, as follows:
The average condition of corn
I on October 1 was 73.8 as eomper
j ed with 74.6 last month, 77.8 on
October 1, 1908; 78 on October
1, 1907, and 79.2 the ten-year av
erage on October 1.
The preliminary estimate of the
average yield per acre of Spring ,
wheat is 15.9 bushels, which com
pares with 13.2 bushels, the final
estimate, in 1908, and 13.5, the
average oi the past ten years. Th
indicated total production of
Spring wheat is about 291,848,000
bushels, against 226,694,000, the
final estimate, in 1908. The qual- !
ity is 90.5, against 88.2 in 1908, <
and 85.5, the average for the i
past ten years. I
The indicated total production ;
of Spring and Winter wheat com- ]
bined is about 724,768,000 bush- \
els, compared with 664,602,000 |
finally estimated last year. The ]
average quality or all wheat is
90.4, compared with 89.4 last year
An average yield per acre of
oats of about 30.3 bushels is in
dicated as compared with 25
bushels finally estimated in 1908
and 29.4 the average of the past
ten years. The indicated total
yield is about 983,618,000 bushels
against 807,15*5,000 finally estima
ed in 1908. The quality is 91.4,
against 81.3 last year and 85.9
the ten-year average.
BLIZZaRD in the west.
Snow in Giiicago?Low Temper
ature Prevails in Most States.
Chicago, Oct. 12.?The Middle
West, especially the northern par
thereof, was hit by a near-bliz
zard today. Chicago experienc
ed its first snow fall of the sea
son. The sharp, biting cold north
west wind and snow flurries con
tinued intermittently throughout
last night and most of today.
The poor in all parts of the city
suffered, being unprepared for
the s ;dden change.
Blizzards are reported raging in
the Northwest. Duluth reports
that Monday's blizzard was main
tained today, causing great delay
to Lake shipping, and transpor
tation generally. Southeastern
Minnesota is also suffering, as
Winona reparts a heavy snow
fall, accompanied by a fifty-mile
gale.
Low temperature is reported ?
throughout Kansas, Missouri, Ok
lahoma, the Panhandle of Texas,
and Nebraska.
l
LIVED THREE YEARS AS BOY
Girl's Sex Discovered After Ar
rest For Small Offense. '
?
Cleveland, Oct. 8.?After mas
querading as a boy for three 1
years, playing boys' games, work- <
ing in a livery stable, driving a 1
grocer's team and hustling boxes ?
and express packages heavy e- >
nough for a strong young man, t
"Harry" Roberts confessed to the 1
police yesterday that "he" is Lil- <
lian Hoffman, stepdaughter of I
Gottlieb Meier, 2644 East Seven- I
ty-third street. i
Three years ago the girl then i
17 years old, tired of her home, t
ran away, donned boys' clothing i
and went -out into the world to 1
make a living as a man. She se- i
cured work. <
In the time that has elapsed i
she has worked in a livery stable '
cleaning horses, driven grocers' <
carts and even toiled as a helper >
to a carpenter and delivered ice. i
Iler identity became known a i
short 4ime ago when she was ar
rested while in the employ of a 1
grocer on a small charge. Sen
tence was suspended, but the po
lice looked further into "Rob- i
erts' " career, which led to the 1
discovery of her sex.
The parents attribute the girl's
strr.r.33 ben' to love for horses.
STORE ROBBED AT MICRO.
Atfer Desperate Struggle The
Two Negro Robbers Were Ar
rested by Onicer Stanley at
Four Oaks and Lodged in Jail.
Last Sunday ni^ht sonic rub
ers entered bthe new brick stor ?
of II. Fitzgerald oc Son at Mici*?
and stole a lot <>!' jfoods of dif
ferent kinds. Telephone mes
sages were sent to several places
to look out for the robbers. Al< 11
dflfy two negroes passed through
Four Oaks about noon, etch hav
ing a gun on his shot.'dei.
Mr. \V. D. Stanley, child' <?!'
police, decided they were the
robbers of the store at Micro and
arranged to pursue and capture
them. They stopped just below
town and sat down to e.'t tii'i
uer.
Mr. Stanley laid off his police
man's coat and hat to avoid sus
picion and went near where the
men were sitting, havitg gi\en
his pistol to Mr. Stroup at the
sotton gin, who was asked to go
around and come up to the ne
groes from the rear. Before Mr.
Stroup could come to Mr. Stan
ley's assistance he (Stanley) saw
the negroes were getting rest
less, one of them showing it by
putting o^his shoes. Mr. Stanle.
jtcpj/cu up IU uiriii aiiu iriuai &*
>d to one of them that he had
i nice gun, taking it up as he
spoke. The negro sprang to his
feet and catching hold of Mr.
Stanley they had a hard struggle
?or some little time. "With the
jnife used about his dinner the
legro made several strokes at Mr
Stanley's body but was held off
ind did not cut him. Then posi
tions were changed and several
strokes were made at his legs one
)f which cut his pants and under
wear but did no damage besides.
The other negro had gone a
lew steps away and it seemed
.vas trying to arrange to shoot
VIr. Stanley without killing his
partner. About this time Mr.
Stroup came up and the negro
eveled his gun on him. Mr.
?Stanley hollowed to Mr. St roup
0 shoot the other necrro but be
fore anything else happened Ro<j
?r Stanley came to their help
ind the negroes surrendered. The
vere kept in the guard house
Monday night carefully watch
?d. A member of the Fitzgerald
'irm went there and identified
he stolen goods and took charge
>f them. They had other goods
)esides those stolen from Micro.
The negroes wore each two
suits of underwear, two shirts
ind two pair pants. Besides what
hey wore they had files, knives,
?azors, brass knueks and almost
1 gallon of cartridges. They were
wrought to jail Tuesday morning
>y Mr. Stanley.
BITTEN BY RABID DOG.
Nine Persons Have Been Sent
to Pasteur Institute.
The following Raleigh dispatch
>f the 9th to the Charlotte Ob
server tells a sad story:
Today there was a regular in
'lux of people bitten by mad
logs. Air. J. C. Page came in
.vith his six children, Kathleen,
May, Annie, Jane, John and Hen
ry, from Pender county. All of
hese were bitten by a little pup
>y, a shepherd (log. The same
log bit a yearling heifer and a
ittle calf, both of which were
tilled today. Another patient
s a 3-year-old daughter of Sid
ney \V. Burton of Rcidsville, and
mother James Womack of Roek
nghain county, 3-year-old, bit
ten by a pug dog. Yet another
is M. B. Baldwin of Scotland
?ounty, who was in his yard, a
neighbor and a little child being
with him. While loading his wag
jn with cotton, a dog ran in,
ipenmoutlied. at the. child,"whose
Father kicked the dog away, the
Finimal immediately biting Bald
win on the leg. lie seized the
dog and choked it to death. The
people now under treatment, as
well as those who haw been un
der it, arc crying death to the
dogs, and one man said he intend
ed to use poison freely on his
premises. There arc now 15 per
sons here for treatment.
NOTES OF INTEREST.
The biweekly payroll of the
Carnegie Steel ( ompany is now
j $300,000, tlie largest since the fi
j nancial depression of two years
! "go
Trespassing on railroad prop
erty has been responsible for the
deaths of 47,41 ?> people in the
United States in the last ten
years.
I'upils in Chicago's public
schools are to be made familiar
with the details of the city's gov
ernment bv a new course of
study.
Rev. Dr. A. S. Simpson's ap-,
peal in New York last Sunday
for funds for missionary work in
the Orient yielded $50,000 in cash
ami pledges.
Jas. Fagan, an aged switchman,
living in San Antonio, Tex., has
been informed that a Carnegie
pension of $40,000 was awaiting
his disposition.
The police of Springfield, Mass.
have been unable to catch a
masked robber who has been do
ing a lively business in that
town for six months.
A decrease of llj per cent, in
the total value of brick and tile
products in the United States in
1908 is shown by the report of
I tie ueoiogicat survey.
Official figures given out iu
Washington show that there has
been an increase of 40,000 in the
Indian population of the country
iu the last two decades.
While working on his wood lot
in the Pigeon hills, in Pennsyl
vania, Abraham Iloke, of Spring
Grove, found a land turtle with
"J. B., 1855," cut upon its shell.
One of the largest religious
celebrations and conventions ever
held in this country began Mon
day in Pittsburg with the Inter
national centennial celebration
and convention of the Disciples of
Christ Christian churches.
.Miss Helen Gould has given
$150,000 to the American College
for girls at Constantinople. The
college is about to move from
Scutari to tlie European side of
the Bosporus. Dr. Alary Mills
Patrick, a native of Canterbury,
N. 11., is the Presiident.
The second game of baseball
between Detroit and Pittsburg,
resulted in a score of 7 to 2 in
favor of Detroit, was played Sat
urday. Tickets for game sold, 31,
114. Attendance shown by turn
stiles, 30,915. Total receipts,
$41,884.50. National Commission's
share, $4,188.45. Players' share,
$22,617.31. Club owners' share,
$15,078.52.
William Randolph Hearst has
decided to head the Republican
Fusion ticket for Mayor of New
York. Hearst's friends predict
he stands ready to make another
whirlwind campaign. such as be
made in 1905, and was only de
feated by a small plurality. (Jhas.
F. Murphy, Tammany leader,
branded the entrance of Hearst
into the mayoralty contest as
a "deal." Judge Gaynor, the
Democratic nominee, declined to
accept any campaign contribu
tions, and declared lie was.willing
to stand on his record of life
work for good government.
Another Still Cut Up.
We learn that Deputy Marshals
J. II. P. Aadms and A. F. Surles
destroyed a blockade distillery in
Boon Hill township Thursday of
last week. It was located in the
thickets down Moccasin swamp,
swamp. Some men were at the
still when the revenue officers ar
rived but made their escape.
Thieves Enter Widow's House.
Some thieves entered recently
the house of Mrs. Martha Mas
sengill who lives on the land of 1
Mr. Daniel E. Massengill near
Four Oaks and stole from her i
two lamps and a lot of gun shells.,
They searched the house for uion-.
ey as coidd be seen by their tear
ing up everything. It happened j
they overlooked the place where ;
she kept her money and did not
get it.
Recently a swallow made a
flight of 150 miles at a rate of
134 mile3 aa hour.
AT COURT HOUSE TONIGHT.
The Business Men are Asked to
Help to Organize a t/aam
ber of Commerce.
Several of our business men
met here last Friday night and
effected a priliminary organiza
tion for a Chamber of Commerce.
Those present saw the importance
of such an organization and en
tered heartily into the project.
The object of such an organiza
tion is to further the best inter
ests of the town and community
in every way possible.
? Another meeting has been call
ed for tonight (Friday) in the
Court House and every citizen of
the town and community who is
interested in ttie upbuilding of
this section* is earnestly requested
to be there. The meeting is set
for eight o'clock and it is hop
ed that a large percent of our
business and professional men
will be on hand at that hour. Sev
eral short talks will be made and
it is hoped that the most earnest
and heartiest co-operation of all
our people will be enlisted in the
enterprise.
New Hardware Firm at Benson.
Messrs. Wade II. Royal and D.
P. Armfield have purchased the
stock of hardware belonging to
Mr. J. E. Wall, which was known
as the Wall Hardware & Furni
ture Co. and will continue the
business at the same stairf The
style of the firm will be Royal
& Armfield and tl'ey will do a
general hardware business. Mr.
J. E. Wall, formerly proprietor
of the business, who is an experi
enced hardware man, will be as
sociated with the new firm and
will be found in the sales depart
ment.
Mr. Armfield is from Fay
etteville and is an experienced
and practieaFvoung business man.
Mr. Royal, the senior member of
the firm, is of our town, being
connected with various business
firms here at the present, and
needs no introduction to the pub
lic of this section.
They have taken charge al
ready, and will be pleased to have
the people call on them when in
the city.?Benson Spokesman.
A Boiler Explosion Kills a Man.
Below we give an account clip
ped from the Goldsboro Argus of
a terrible accident in Wayne ocun
ty near Princeton:
The tragic death of Mr. Bal
lard Hastings, which occurred at
his gin on Monday afternoon,
caused by the explosion of the
boiler, was learned ivun regret
by his numerous friends in this
community. lie was in the gin
house at the time, talking to Mr.
Tobe Crocker, who had just driv
en up with a load of cotton. The
boiler seemed to rise from its
position, and shot forward, going
through the gin house, and across
the road, killing ...r, Hastings in
stantly, and terribly mangling
Mr. Tobe Crocker and Mr. Rufe
Gurley, the latter being covered
in cotton and broken timbers, and
with difficulty was released from
his perilous position. Mr. Crock
er's wagon was reduced to kind
ling wood, and Mr. Ward was
blown out the top of the building,
but escaped unhurt, being pro
tected by a sheet of cotton.
Mr. Crocker's condition is very
critical, and little hope is enter
tained for his recovery.
Meeting at new Church.
Arrangements have been made
for Rev. A. A. Pippin of Wake
field, N. C., to hold a meeting
at Benson's Grove Baptist church
in Elevation township beginning
the fifth Sunday in October at
11 o'clock. Services will be held
Sunday night also and during the
following week.
Prince Edward Island's annu
al catch of lobsters amounts to
twenty millions.
A man's wife may be his better
half, but. it is the cook who it
. nearly the whole thing.?Dallas
Newt. . ,