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Price On* Dollar Par Year "TRUE TO OURSELVES. OUR COUNTRY AND OUR GOD." Sln8le Copiaa Civa Canta.
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VOL. 28 SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 1910 Number 48
MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD.
Frank Langley, a Young White Man,
Killed a Princeton Saturday Night
And Hit Body Then Placed on Rail
road Track. To Cover up Horrible
Deed, Five Men Arrested And
Jailed. Albert Pearce Charged with
The Killing.
I
One of the most, horrible murders
ever committed In this county came
to light last Sunday wheu the body
of Frank Langley, of Princeton, was
found on Saturday night lying along
tide the railroad track about three
quarters of a mile from Princeton
with his head and left arm complete
ly severed from his body, it having
just been run over by the train.
The facts surrounding the horrible
crime and the circumstances attend
ing it are as follows: Saturday night
on their way home George Davis and
Charlie Braswel had just reached
a long cut on the railroad when the
eight-thirty train passed going to
Goldsboro. As soon as the train had
passed they continued, their walk
down the railroad and having ?one
only a short way they came across
the body of a man lying by the
track and knew from his condition
that the train that had just passed
had run over him. They then went
back to Princeton and told what
they had seen. A crowd immediate
ly went to the scene. A gun shot
having been heard earlier in the
night in the direction of John E.
Pearce's home, which lies between
the main business part of the town
and the place where the body was
found, a suspicion of foul play was
at once created, and Mr. Ledbetter
. Tl- 1} l> tho
ICIV J/UVUVU IV/ M-r I ? ' V. a. , I V...
county coroner, to come down and
hold an inquest. Dr. Noble gave in
structions for the care of the body
until he could arrive the next morn
ing. On reaching Princeton the next
morning he summoned a jury who
looked into the matter and succeed
ed in bringing out the following facts.
About three-quarters of an hour by
sun so stated Mr. W. F. Young, a
"uear-beer" dealer of Princeton, Fran
Langley was at his store, and
left to go after some whiskey for
Bithan Willoughby. About one half
an hour later he heard a shot in
the direction of John E. Pearce's. A
negro by the name of Guilford Cog
dell told of being at the Pearce home
on Saturday night. That he was at
the back door knocking at the door,
when Troy Pearce came around the
corner of the house, turned and
started back, then stooped down and
picked up something from under the
corner of the house. He therf went
around in front of the house and a
Boment later he heard some one say.
'"There you have killed Frank". He
said that he then left and went to
Melvina Smith's. That soon Albert
and Troy Pearce and Len Sauls came
by and asked him to go with them
to help carry Frank Langley away
but he told them he could not go.
This testimony of Cogdell was cor
roborated by Jule Richardson who
stated that he saw Albert and Troy
P?a?ce going in the direction of
John E. Pearce's and that soon
thereafter he heard a gun fire in
that direction. That Cogdell came
to him and told him about being at
the house at the time of the shot
?was fired and of what took place. An
other witness was Andrew Pearce
who stated that he was at the back
door with Cogdeil when the gun was
tired. That he did not know who
fired the gun, but that immediately
skfter the gun was fired he heard
Mrs. Pearce say, "Albert has killed
yrank Langley." He also stated that
Albert Pearce had asked him to help
take Frank away, and that Len Sauls
bad told him that if he ever men
tioned the killing he would kill him.
Dr. Noble with the assistance of
Dr. Woodard, of Princeton, perform
ed an autopsy upon the body and
found a gun shot wound in the breast
w which had severed the aorta from
which death resulted instantly. They
picked 12 No. 4 shot from the
wound.
The jury returned the following
verdict:
We the Jury in the inquest over
the dead body of Frank Langlev have
thoroughly examined the body, and
the place of the killing, and after
hearing the evidence in the case
do givo as our verdict that the de
ceased Frank Langley came to his
tfeath from a wound In the left
breast, severing the left aorta, said
wound being made by a gun shot
fired from the haads of one Albert
A. Pearce; that Troy Pearce and
Len J. Sauls are accessories to the
crime. We recomend that John E.
Pearce and Andrew Pearce, alias
Walker be held under a $500.00 Jus
tified bond each for their appearan
ces at the next term of the Super
ior Court.?Signed.W. M. Rose, John
H. Edwards, Ed A. Holt, E. G. Ed
wards, H. Langley, L. D. Grantham.
When the coroner visited the
Pearce home he noticed that there
ha^ been scouring on the porch
where the witnesses said the killing
took place, and a few splotches of
blood on the posts which had failed
to scour off. Dr. Noble asked Mrs.
Pearce what was the cause of the
blood being there, and she told him
that she had fish for supper the
night before, and that the blood
spattered there when she was clean-1
ing them. When he asked Mr.
Pearce the cause of the scouring he
was told by Pearce that he (Pearce)
had been sick the night before and '
had vomited there, and that he had |
scoured it up.
There can be no doubt but that
the horrible crime was committed
just as told by the witnessees and
that the body was placed on the
track in hopes of covering the crime
and concealing the guilty parties.
! Hut murder will out. The position 1
in which the body was placed caused
the train when it struck to cut off
only the head and left arm instead
; of mangling the body all over, and
as soon as the clothing was removed
the gun shot wound in the breast was
fully revealed.
| __
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
Princeton, N. C., Jan. 22.?A most
brutal murder was committed here on
the 22nd between five and six
o'clock P. M.
John E. Pearce, a noted moon
shiner, blockader, and of late, a blind
tiger proprietor, lives near the cor
poate limits of the town, less than
150 feet of the Free Will Baptist
church. His family, consisting of
himself, wife and two boys, Albert
an'3 Troy, both grown. Not one
of the family knows a letter, all il
literate. That is the place where
Frank Langley met his doom in broad
open daylight, by a gun in the hands
of Albert Pearce.
Frank Langley was about 22 years
old and was a smart fellow to work;
his greatest failing was whiskey; no
barm in him and he was well thought
of. We all regret the sad occur
rence.
From what we can learn, it ap
pears that Frank went there at the
above time and bought a pint of
whiskey and started to leave with
out paying for same, when Albert
snatcheed up a gun and got in front
of him and fired, the whole load en
tering his body just above the heart.
They then hid the body until near
time for the eight o'clock train
Then taking it on a one-horse wagon
they carried it to Big Hill Cut, one
mile from town. There they placed
the body with head on one side of
track and body on the other, being
careful to place same on fireman's
side. The train passed in a few
; minutes, severing head from body.
Mr. George Davis and Charley Bras
well, passing by right after the train,
saw the body, and coming on to
Princeton, notified the Coroner, Dr.
R. P. Noble, who came down Sunday
morning and empanelled the follow
ing jury of inquest: Wm. Iifose, J.
H. Edwards, Ed. A. Holt, Z. G. Ed
| wards, L. D. Grantham Henry Lang
j ley. After they had fully Investi
gated the matter they committed the
following parties to jail without/ bond:
Albert Pearce, Troy Pearce, John E.
Pearce, Len J. Sauls and Andrew
Pearce, alias Walker.
Policeman Shot From Ambush.
Wilson, Jan. 24.?Last night about j
nine o'clock Cornell Pearson, a po
liceman of Black Creek, this county
while returning from visit to friends
in the country, was allot fom am
bush while passing through some
woods, and was seriously injured.
| Nearly 100 shots took effect In his
body. Parties hearing the gunshot
I came up and carried Mr. Peason to
town, where he was given medical
attention. Pearson thinks ho knows
. the identity of his would bee murder
er, as threats have been made against
him. Arrests are expected.
The Methodists at Morven are to
have a new $10,000 church building
In the near future.
HORRIBLE RAILROAD DISASTER.
Train Leaps Into Stream, Carrying
Death and Dismay to many. The
Bitter Cold Weather Added to the
Horror of The Scene. Fifty May be
Dead While Hospitals Are Filled
With The Injured.
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Jan. 21.?
Though it is impossible to secure
names of the dead and injured and
details of the Canadian Pacific wreck
reported on tho "Soo" branch of
that line near Espanola this after
noon, it is asserted here that forty
eight lives were lost and ninety-two
passengers injured.
According to reports the rear por
tion of a westbound train was de
railed by a broken rail on the bridge
over the Spanish river. A first class
coach and dining car were submer
ged, it is said, in the stream. All
of the killed are thought to have
been in these cars.
A special relief train with a sub
marine diver aboard left the Soo
at 9 o'clock tonight for the scene
of the wreck. "Until the diver reach
es the submerged cars, none of the
bodies of the dead can be rescued,
nor the names of the victims secured.
A portion of the injured weere trans
ferred on a special train to Sudbury,
where they are being cared for. Es
panola, the scene of the accident, is,
140 miles east of Soo.
Sudbury, Ont., Jan. 22.?With three
big drayloads of rough boxes waiting
to receive the bodies of upwards of
two score victims, the scene of yes
terday's Canadian Pacific wreck at
Spanish river presented today almost
a nopeiess neia or labor for the hun
dred or more men sent to clear away
the wreck and recover the victims'
bodies. A blizzard rased all day
down the valley of the Spanish rive}
with a blinding snow and bitter cold.
Two of the wrecked cars, the col- >
onist car and the first-class coach.]
whose ventilators were visible above
the water this morning drifted under
the bridge during the day and fin
ally were completely submerged. The
dining car remained partly on the
river bank and partly submerged in
the river. Little remains of the sec
ond-class coach which was split in
two when it struck the bridge gird
ers and took fire. Ice that will bear
a man's weight has closed over the
first-class coach and the colonist car
and it is impossible to determine
their exact location.
More than thirty injured were
taken to the general hospital and the
hotels of Sudbury.
The numbers of bodies lying in the
submerged cars may not be known
for many days. Among the passen
ger unaccounted for are Hev. Mr.
Childerhouse, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.,j
and Auditor Robertson of the Cana
dian Pacific railroad.
The wreck occurred on a 200-foot
steel bridge with overhead girders
and a thirty-foot embankment slop
ing down to Spanish river nder
neath. The engine, combination mail
and baggage car and express car had
passed safely upon the bridge when
the forward trucks of the second
class coach jumped the track. The
car struck an immense steel girder
with such terrific force as to snap the
girder in two and split the car as
though it had been divideed with a
cleaver. The rear of the second
class coach swerved far out to one
side, pulling the colonist car, first
class coach and diner off the bridge
into the river and tipping over the
Pullman beside the track. Fire that
broke out at once in that portion of
the second-class which remained on
the right of way added to the horror
of the accident.
QUADRUPLETS MAKE UP DOZEN.
Two Sets of Triplets and One of
Twins Preceded Them.
Los Angeles, Jan. 22.?A mixed
quartette of babies, two girls and
two boys, arrived early to-day at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Wil
son In this city, making 12 children
to this couple In nine years.
The Wilsons were married 25 years
ago. Two sets of triplets and of
twins have previously been born to
the couple.
Last week the entire ginnery arid
fifteen bales of cotton and a large
quantity of cotton seed belonging to
Nell Alford at Floral Colege was de
stroyed by fire, which started from
a hot box on an engine. There was
do insurance. The loss Is 15,000.
BIGGEST YEAR FOR CATTLE
Increase in Value Over half A Billion
During 1909.
Chicago. Jan. 22.?In connection
with tbe high prices (or beef, the
Orange Judd Farmer makes the
statement that 1909 was the most
prosperous year ever known in the
live stock industry, as shown by the
annual census review of farm stock.
"The total value of all classes of
live stock in the country of January
1. 1910. was $4,880,068,000." says the
periodical. "The increase during
1909 was the greatest ever recorded
in 12 months, amounting to $560,000,
000.
"There is an increase in the num
bers of all classes of animals except
beef cattle and hogs, showing an in
crease in numbers and a heavy ad
vance in average values per head
at the same time. Cattle, other than
milch cows, total 48,780,000, head
worth on an average $20.76 each.
The number of sheep is increasing
rapidly, and now stands 54,726.000,
worth $4.07 each. Hogs showed a
marked decline in numbers, reaching
only 44,966,000, but the price per
head, $9.15, is the highest on record.
"With the exception of beef cat
tle, every class of animals showed
the highest average price ever re
corded."
HALLEY'S COMET OUTRIVALED.
Drake's Which is Visible by Day,
Excites Intense Interest.
London, Jan. 22.?Many European
astronomers have had an opportunity
of observing the new daylight comet
whose appearance was first reported
from South Africa as an object vis
ible to the naked eye.
It easily outrivals Halley's comet
in popular interest, and since Sir
Robert Ball announced that it had
been seen from the Cambridge Con
servatory in the neighborhood of Ve
nus, it has been eagerly scanned each
evening by thousands of British, eyes.
No comet of the magnitude of
Drake's comet, as *he new arrival
is called, has been since 1872, and
as it was observed at Cambridge the
brightness of its nucleus was equal
to that of the planet Mercury, and
the tail, estimated to be two de
grees long, is equivalent in sky mea
sure to four times the breadth of
the moon.
Drake's comet has no connection
with Halley's, nor is it, like the
great comet of 1872, a member of
that family of comets which almost
graze the sun's surface at the time
of their nearest approach to it.
FOREIGN MISSIONS, $400,000.
Pittsburg Pledges So Much for 1910
At Layman's Missionary Rally.
Pittsburg, Jan. 23.?At the closing
rally to-day of the Layman'^ Mission
ary campaign a resolution was adopt
ed increasing Pittsburg to foreign
session work from the $194,000 c'
last year to $400,000 for 1910, and
it was announced that $350,000 of the
desired amount had already been
pledged by the various denominations.
The United Presbyterians guarantee
$107,000 of the amount.
George Sherwood Eddy, a mission
ary from India, the principal speaker
to-day, said that $3,000,000 more was
spent last year for chewing gum in
America than for foreign missionary
work. A. E. Marling of New York
brought out the fact that Pittsburg
laymen were 10 cents behind New
Yorkers in last year's per capita
contribution for foreign missions. Ne
York men gave $1.23 each, while in
Pittsburg the rate was $1.13.
Died At Age of 116 Years.
Patagolna, Ariz., Jan. 24.?Mrs.
.1 nana Corona, said to be the oldest
person in Arizona, died here yester
(day at the age of 116 years. Her
youngest surviving child is 60 years
old. Mrs. Corona was born in Sono
ra, Mex., October 21, 1794. She had
' been married three times.
Within less than 15 minutes of
, each other, James medlln and his
wife, Mrs. Sarah Medlln, of Meck
lenburg, died last week. The hus
band was 70 years old and the wife
| about flv/i years his junior. They
i were apparently In perfect health
last Wednesday, the sudden death
of the man being followed on 1U an
I nouncement by that of the wife.
STATE NEWS.
The progreessive town of Wilson is
to have street cars in the near future.
It is stated that the last State
F*air at Raleigh made a profit of
$5,000.
The Methodists of Weldon are
planning to build in the near future
a $13,000 church.
Halifax county is having a new
court house built. When finished It
will be a work of art.
The township of Randleman, Ran
dolph county, has voted $50,000 of
bonds for good roads.
A woman blind tiger, of Albemarle,
was given a sentence of twelve
months in Jail last week.
E. M. Beery, a wellknown Insurance
man of Wilmington, was accidentally,
but not seriously, shot while gunning
on the Wrightsvllle turnpike last
week.
S. S. Dunlop, of Wadesboro, became
critically ill one day last week from
taking a tablet fcf blclorlde of mer
cury, which he did not know was
poison.
Fire of an unknown origiu destroy
ed several business houses in Ashe
boro, last Friday. The loss was es
timated at $10,000 with only $3,000
insurance.
The enrollment of the Slate Uni
versity for the present session is
the largest in the history of the In
stitution, there being 8^0 students
registered.
The enrollment of the Agricultural
and Mechanical College at Raleigh
now reaches 530. This is the largest
number of students ever admitted in
one year.
Rev. Braxton Craig, pastor of the
Baptist churches at Mount Olive and
Warsaw, has been called to the pas
torate of the church at Monroe, N.
C., and has accepted the call.
Bernice Mangum, a boy of 11 years,
died at Durham Monday morning ut
hydrophobia, the result of a dog bite
two months ago. He was taken to
Che hospital for treatment Saturday.
Rev. J. W. Ham, pastor of the Bap
tist Tabernacle of New Berne, has
accepted a call to become assistant
pastor of the Tabernacle of Atlanta,
of which Rev. Dr. Broughton is pas
tor.
The Southeastern Division of the
Association of County Superinten
dents, which comprises 20 counties
with 31 public high schools, will meet
in annual session at Goldsboro Feb
ruary 3rd.
As a result of the laymen's con- j
vention last week in Greensboro, Mrs.
A. C. McAlister, of Ashboro, it is
said, will support a missionary as
a memorial to her son, John Worth
McAlister, who died last year. i
The bodies of Mrs. J. A. Mullis
and her three weeks old infant, were!
roasted to a crisp, last Friday at
their home near Lincolnton. Being
subject to fainting spells, It is I
thought Mrs. Mullis fainted and fell
into the fire.
The architect's plans for the Trin
ity College building, known as the
West Wing of the new administration
building, which is to cost $50,000 or
more, are out. As soon as the suit
able bid has been made on the work,
thft p.ontrm't will 1ft
Trains are now being run over
the bridge which has been complet
ed across Albemarle Sound, on the
Norfolk and Southern railway. The
bridge is about five and one-third
miles long, cost nearly $1,000,000
and was a year in building.
A very desirable site in Statuary
Hall in the Capitol at Washington
has been secured for the statue of
Zeb Vance which North Carolina will
place there next January. It will
have a place by the images of Robt.
I E. Lee and George Washington.
W. S. Dunn, of Roberdel, while
sawing wood with a saw run by a
gasoline engine, one day last week,
met with a fatal accident. The saw,
having become loosened, hit Mr.
Dunn, tearing one side open. He
had recently moved to Roberdel from
I Duke.
Seemingly in good health with the
exception of a bad cold of which he
complained, Capt. Henry Wood Clark
; dropped dead In the cotton exchange
of Charlotte Sunday morning about
j 10:15 o'clock. He had entered the
exchange and Just sat down when
suddenly his head was seen to drop
forward. Friends carrieri him into
a roar room and placed him on a
bed. but he expired within a few
minutes.
BANKER WALSH IN PRISON.
Begins A Five-Year Term at Leaven
worth. He Meets 29 Bankers Who
Arrived Ahead of Him. Ha is
The Oldest Man in the Prison.
The following from Leavenworth,
Kansas, tells of the beginning of the
prison life of Chicago ex-banker and
millionaire, who arrived at ths
United States Penitentiary last week
to serve a five-year sentence:
John K. Walsh the ex-Chicago
banker, was brought to the federal
penitentiary at noon today to serve
his five-year term. He was accom
panied by his son, two sons-in-law
and an attorney, aside from govern
ment officials.
Walsh seemed feeble and was as
sisted up the steps to the peniten
tiary sally porte by Dr. L. B. Bald
win, his son-in-law, whose request to
be allowed to remain with Walsh
two days was granted. Walsh's pri
son number Is 6861. He will be dress
ed in a prison gray suit. Only es
capers and bad actors wear stripes
here.
Walsh is the oldest prisoner In
the penitentiary and he is to have
an Indoor position as reading clerk
In the bureau of criminal records and
identification. It will be his duty
to read the newspapers from all
parts of the country and cut out
everything relating to crime and
criminals and paste the clippings in
a book. This is an easy assignment,
always given to an old prisoner of
Intelligence.
r\oiwiinsiandlng there are twenty
nine bankers in the colony ahead of
Walsh, his arrival set the penitenti
ary on edge. He arrived exactly at
12 as the officers had to Rive sharp
commands of "eyes front" to pre
vent the convicts from staring at
the old man. Talking is permitted
at this penitentiary and Walsh can
exchange reminiscences with Bigelow,
Broderl'k, Montgommery and other
noted banker prisoners next Sunday,
if he so desires.
WERE MARRIED 60 YEARS AGO.
English Preacher, Age 93, and His
Wife, Age 83, Married in 1850.
London, Jan. 22.?Not often does
a diamond wedding anniversary find
a couple with so firm a grip on life's
pleasures and activities as the Rev.
Charles and Mrs. Holland of Shotter
mill, Surrey, possess. Mr. Holland,
who is aged ninety-three, was for
nearly forty years rector of Petworth,
Sussex, and is a former prebendary
of Chichester Cathedral. Mrs. Hol
land is eighty-three years of age.
I It was 1850 that Mr. Holland, then
rector of St. Stephen's, Ipswich, mar
ried Miss Emily Torless, daughter
of the Rev. C. M. Torless.
The old clergyman, who has had
nine children and thirty-nine grand
children, besides a host of friends in
many parishes made during his seven
j ty years in holy ordes, always at
tends to his voluminous correspond
ence himself. When he found with
increasing years that writing became
laborious hee learned typewriting, and
now clicks off his letters on the
kpvhnnrd
Mrs. Holland, a virile old woman.
Is an ardent motorist, and, octogen
arian though she is, enjoys nothing
better than a brisk spin along the
Surrey and Hampshire roads. Not
long ago she motored to Yorkshire,
an<1 she thinks nothing of a run up
to town in her car.
The management of her poultry
farm at the Watchers, however, oc
cupies most of her time. Last year
she raised 13,000 eggs. The grain
used for the feeding of the chickens
is grown on the farm.
Has Had 27 Children.
London, Jan. 22.?Mrs. Cross, who
won the prize given at a Bristol gath
ering for the largest family, said
that it was true that she had had
twenty-seven children, but that only
seven were living.
"I was married when I was only
fifteen," said Mrs. Cross. "My hus
band six years my senior. _ At that
time he was In the engineers at Chat
ham. My first babies were twins, a
boy and a girl, but tha boy died when
young. I have had twins on thrn?
other occasions.
"We had a hard struggle, as the
children came so rapidly. One of
my boys served fourteen yeani In; the
royal navy." Mrs. Cross la sixty.