VOL 30 SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1911 Number 29 ONE DOLLAR FEB YEAR. EDUCATION GOOD ROADS GOOD HEALTH PROGRESS FIVE CENTS FEE OOFT. hold cotton for FIFTEEN CENTS French-English Syndicate Guarantees $75,000,000 With Cotton As Collat eral.—Estimate Of 12,500,000 Bales Reported By States. Montgomery, Ala., Sept. 13.—Five hundred farmers and as many bank ers, Congressmen, United States Sen ators and business men representing every cotton-growing State in America, declared in convention to day that the farmer’s cotton is worth 15 cents a pound, and resolved that the farmer should hold his cotton for that price. The resolution followed a comSnittee report that the crop in America would be 12,500,000 bales. For financing the crop of this year, a resolution was adopted to the effect that the farmer should deposit his cotton In a warehouse and use his receipt as collateral until he could sell his production at not les3 than 15 cents. There was also a resolu tion that the several State Legisla tures provide for bonded warehouses. The meeting in Montgomery 1b to be followed by a similar convention in every Southern State, to be called by the Commissioner of Agriculture of each State. By these conventions the action of the congress is to be ratified and reinforced by further steps toward securing a better price for cotton. It was Senator Smith who made the speech which decided the con gress in its naming the price of cot ton at 15 cents, for Congressman Heflin wanted to make the price 15 or 14 cents, with 14 cents as the minimum. Congressman Clayton in his speech declared his belief that within ten years the world would be using twenty-five or thirty million bales of American cotton. President C. S. Barrett, of the Farmers’ Educational and Co-Opera tive Union, delivered an address on co-operation. He denounced as base less the reports of a bumper cotton Crop; denied the charge that the Far mers’ Union was a combine to hold up civilization, and asserted that there is a combination for the pur pose of hammering down the price of potton. W- P- G. Harding, president of the First National bank of Birmingham, spoke on “Financing the Cotton Crop.” During his speech he de clared that the present crop could at best be only an average one. He advised agreement fixing a minimum price at which cotton should be Bold but urged farmers to market their cotton slowly and gradually. As to the result of a conference in Montgomery yesterday afternoon, President C. S. Barrett of the Farmers’ Union announced to-day that a French-English syndicate has guaranteed any amount of money up io seventy-five million dollars to finance the South’s cotton crop. The deal w*s made through a personal representative of the syndicate. The money is to be loaned at 6 per cent and the cotton is to be put up as collateral. Details of the plan are to be perfected by a committee to be Composed of one Southern banker and two members of the Farmers ’ Union. * The estimate of this year’s cotton crop, recommended by the committee on statistics, and adopted by the con vention at the morning session, is approximately 12,500,000 bales. MR. COBB TO PETERSBURG. Goes There in Promotion to British American Company. Mr. J. N. Cobb, who has been with the American Tobacco company in this place, has been promoted to the Petersburg and enters the manufac turing end of the British-American. Mr. Cobb, the bright- red-headed, very read-htaded young man, has ■*on a deserved advancement. Con stitutionality blessed with the gift a golden silence, he is making in every phase of the tobacco busi ness that he has worked, a valuable man and everybody expects to see him continue to move up as long as there are steps on the ladder. —Durham Herald. 'Phere were 194 business failures in the United States for the week end September 7 against 164 for the previous week. THE SUPERIOR COURT AT WORK. Judge Peebles Presiding.—Those Sell ing Cigarettes to Minors Receiv ing Heavy Fines.—Three Murder Cases to Be Tried. The September Term of Johnston County Superior Court convened Wed nesday morning, with Hon. Robert B. Peebles, Judge Presiding. The following were chosen as grand jur ors to whom Judge Peebles deliver ed a clear and forcible charge: W. A. Edwards, Foreman, Ashley Boy kin, J. H. Edwards, Ralph Hill, J. E. Wall, W. C. Wilson, E. R. Hines, J. B. Smith, C. H. Hill, L. E. Creech, R. B. Barnes, Robert Johnson, J. D. Jeffreys, J. B. O’Neal, R. K. Daughtery, J. B. Davis, Preston Woodall, J. Daniel Stephenson. T. B. Wall was appointed officer in charge of the grand jury. The following cases were then taken up and disposed of: State vs Jim Ashford, Sci fa. Dismissed up on payment of csots. State vs. Luther Howell. Wrecking train. Nol pros. State vs. Jesse Eason. Cruelty to animals. Not guilty. State vs. George McLamb. Larceny and receiving. Nol pros. State vs. Preston Blackman. R. W. L. Nol pros. State vs. Joe Clark. R. W. L. Not guilty, and prosecutor taxed with the costs. State vs. Lon Pool. Selling cigar ettes to minors. Guilty. Judgment re served. State vs. Appas David. Selling cig arettes to minors. Defendant pleads guilty. Fined $250.00 and costs, j State vs. Selma Drug Company, [selling cigarettes to minors. Guilty. Fined $500.00 and costs. State vs. H. M. Hodges and Co. I Selling cigarettes to minors. Fined I $250.00 and costs. j State vs G. C. Deer. Obtaining I marriage license fraudulently. Fin 1 ed $10.00 and costs. State vs. Willie Ricba-rlson. L. and R. Guilty. Prayer for judgment. State vs. William Henry Todd. | House breaking. Guilty. Judge or dered that he be whipped by his ! grandmother, and upon this being | done judgment was suspended. True bills for murder were return ed against Lonnie Blalock for the killing of Walter Watson; Joe W. Whitley for killing Preston Black man; Jesse T. Jones for killing Jas. Hull; and Alex Jernigan for killing Albert Todd. The first of these cas es to be tried is the Jernigan case which is set for Saturday morning. The Jones trial is set for Mon day morning of next week, and that of Blalock for Tuesday morning. NEGROES START THEIR SCHOOL ON SUNDAY. Sometimes when a church lot is deeded to trustees certain people in terested in the building of the church will offer prayers to God to bless the work. When a church is completed and paid for it is usual ly dedicated and prayer enters as ! a part of the ceremonies. Sometimes when a dwelling is erected the first thing done is an acknowledgment of he family’s dependence upon God. All this seems fitting, but the first meeting held at the colored academy, near the depot, in Smithfield, seems to us like a bad start for a school. I On a Sunday evening recently since !the building has been framed sever ! al negroes met there and did some high class gambling. We forget now whether it was crap shooting or cards that were being played, but in one of the games Lewis Holden was successful over Robert Futrell and took the money. This so angered Robert Futrell that he drew a revol ver and shot at Lewis Holden. He j missed his mark, but was so frighten' ed at the thought of having shot at a man that he departed for parts unknown. This was the first ser vice held in the new building and it took place on Sunday. Child Badly Hurt. Last Saturday little Ila Lee, the two year old daughter of Mr. R. E. Lee, of Bentonsville township, found a bottle of carbolic acid, which was thought to he out of reach of all the children, and taking the stopper from the bottle, spilled the acid all over the front part of her body. This has caused her much pain and at last accounts she was not doing well. THE NEWS IN BENSON Benson, Sept. 14.—Mr. L. H. John-j son spent Sunday in Goldsboro. Miss Mary Barber, of Four Oaks, is spending the week with her aunt, Mrs. Reaves, who lives near town. Mr. Eli Cavenaugh and family, of Wilmington, have been visiting rela tives near town for the last sev eral days. Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Boon and hisses Jim and Herman Boon went to Raleigh Tuesday in Mr. Boon’s touring car. Mrs. Martha Dixon, who has been visiting her son, Mr. J. G. Dixon, for a few days, returned to her home in Elevation Sunday. Miss Mildred Harrington, of Aber deen, after spending a few days with Miss Emily Canaday, left Wednes day for the State Normal of Greens boro. Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Darden, of Clinton, have been spending several days with Mr. and Mrs. M. T. Britt, of our city. Quite a number of our citizens have been attending court at Smith field this week, as witnesses, spec tators, etc. Mrs. L. E. Stevens, who has been visiting relatives at Lucama for | several days, returned home Wednes 1 day. | Mr. Stonewall Stewart, of Dunn, spent Sunday in town with his bro ther, Mr. Z. B. Stewart. Miss Elsie McNabb, of Baltimore, visited Miss Leola Smith this week. She left Wednesday for Selma. Messrs. Jas. and Herman Boon, who have splendid positions with j drug companies at Wilmington and New Berne, respectively, spent a ' few days in town with their father, Mr. J. H. Boon, this week. | Mr. .Toe Allen, who is in the Un ited States Army, and has been sta tioned at Washington, D. C., has been spending some time in the city recently. i Mr. and Mrs. Syke Campbell, of : Madison, and Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Campbell, of Pittsburgh, Penn., spent ; Sunday with their sister, Mrs. Zeb Stewart. Rev. Mr. King, of Raleigh, assist I ed by the pastor, Rev. E. J. Rodgers, ■ is conducting a series of meetings at ! the Baptist church this week. Great interest is manifested and quite a | number have decided to give their j lives to God. j Of those who have left this w