VOL 33
SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, MAY 19, 1914
Number 23
BRITISH INFLUENCE SAVES
POST MAN FROM PERIL.
Sutton Received Daily Threats of
Death—Rescued From Mexicans at
Cordoba by Agents of English Con
sul at Vera Cruz, Who Pledge Word
He Will Leave Country—Valuables
Taken From Him and Paraded
Through Streets Amid Jeers. Secret
Service Intrigues.
Vera Cruz, May 15.—After the most
harrowing experiences imaginable, in
cluding frequent threats of execution,
I arrived at Vera Cruz on a refugee
train from Cordoba at 11 o’clock this
morning, following a ten-day absence,
the greater part of which I spent in
Mexican prisons. My release from
prison at Cordoba yesterday was whol
ly due to the efforts of two agents
of the British consulate at Vera Cruz,
E. T. Bailey and E. C. Cameron. Both
are friends of Gen. Maas, from whom
they obtained an order for my release
on condition that I leave Vera Cruz
for the United States on the first
available vessel.
rne Loruouaus mvai/ ui my
money, treated me like a dog, insisted
that I was a spy, and threatened to
kill me. There was an execution in
the vicinity, under circumstances
which I am not at liberty to disclose
in detail at present, but it was a
grewsome and revolting spectacle.
While it was in progress the Mexican
soldiers took occasion to impress the
fact upon me that I, too, would meet
a similar fate, either by hanging or
shooting, unless I confessed that I was
a spy.
I left Vera Cruz a week ago last
Tuesday, together with several Corres
pondents. I was the only one of the
number who succeeded in reaching
Orizaba, where, on Wednesday, I was
joined by Walter Whiffen, of the As
sociated Press, and Roke and Hueffer,
English correspondents. At Paso del
Macho the federals took the plates
from my camera, but I had others
concealed about me which they were
not able to find.
Photographed Gen. Maas.
I saw Gen. Gustavo Maas and ask
ed his permission to photograph him
and his staff. The leader of the fed
eral forces consented and asked me to
dine with him. Some time later, how
ever, a secret service officer took me
to the telegraph office, searched me
for arms and took from me the pho
tographic plates of Gen. Maas and
his staff.
I spent Tuesday night at Orizaba,
where I learned that artillery prepa
rations were being made to resist any
American advance. That I was known
to possess this information was un
doubtedly the principal reason for my
detention.
Still carrying my camera, I arriv
ed in Mexico City Thursday night
with Whiffen. I was immediately ar
rested and taken to the headquarters
of the inspector general. During this
period of detention soldiers remained
night and day in my room, and I was
forced to sleep as best I could on
chairs. At 8 o'clock Friday night I
was released through the instrumen
tality of the Brazilian legation. The
Mexicans had insisted all along that
I was a certain spy who was reported
to have been making pictures and
military observations along the line
of the Inter-ocean Railway, which
reaches Mexico City by a route en
tirely different from that which I had
_
When released from prison on Fri
day evening I spent the night at the
home of Whiffen. Saturday at noon I
was again arrested on the same
charges and detained in the same
place until 9 o’clock in the evening,
when I was released by Inspector Hu
erta, a nephew of the provisional
president, on condition that I must
leave the capital on the morning train.
While in prison in the capital ’ I
saw a large number of prosperous
looking citizens who were brought in
and placed in cells incommunicado.
Mexico City is filled with secret ser
vice men, whose operations surpass
the wildest fancies of a romantic im
agination.
Protected by Englishmen.
After my second release from the
Mexico City prison I went to the Y.
M. C. A. to spend the night. Six Eng
lishmen, sent by Sir Lionel Carden,
the British Minister, guarded ine
throughout the night, fearing my re
arrest, and escorted me next morning
to the train. The report was gener
al that I was doomed to a third ar
rest in the capital and certain exe
cution.
The ride to Cordoba was unevent
ful, but on my arrival there officers
of Gen. Maas, carrying a written des
cription, took me off the train and con
ducted me to headquarters. In the
kindest and politest terms I was as
sured that I would soon be released
and was directed to go to a hotel until
the proper papers could be made out.
At the hotel six secret service men
under an officer again arrested me,
after which I was subjected to the
most humiliating treatment I had yet
received. I was led through the streets
of the city like a mountebank, two
officers stopping at stores along the
way to boast to their friends that
they had captured an American spy.
Put in Concrete Cell.
After the most rigid and searching
examination I was placed in a con
crete cell. There was not so much as
a chair in the room. The floor was pol
ished by the footsteps of previous
prisoners who had walked up and
down in its limited length and
breadth while waiting for their fate.
The mountain air at this altitude was
bitterly cold.
The next morning officers and sol
diers bullied, threatened, and pleaded
with me to confess that I was a spy,
and to reveal to them all that I had
learned. My meals were brought to me
from a hotel and paid for with my
money at an exorbitant price.
After two days and nights in this
chamber of horrors, I was permitted
to move to a hotel, but was not per
i mitted to leave town.
It was at this hotel that the Brit
j ish consul’s agents found me on Wed
! nesday, telling me that they had come
I from Vera Cruz in order to secure my
release. On Thursday I was in fact re
! leased into the custody of the British
agents on condition of their pledge
that I would leave Vera Cruz imme
1 diately.
The trip to Vera Cruz was unevent
The Mexican officials are bitterest
against the President of the United
States, and are anxious to learn
whether the Americans intend to ad
vance into the interior.—A. J. Sutton,
Staff Photographer and Special Cor
respondent of Washington Post.
Passing of (he Circus.
The great property, known for
many years as Barnum’s Circus, then
as Barnum & Bailey’s, and for re
cent years as Ringling, Barnum &
Bailey’s and Sells & Forepaugh’s is to
j be sold.
It embraces one of the largest men
ageries and probably the greatest
troupe of performers in the world.
The reason announced for the sale,
is that the Ringlings are getting
along in years. That is true. It also
is true that the circ,us is no longer
the great American attraction it used
to be. The motion picture has rob
, bed it of its glory. Every town, vil
! lage and city of America now is as
familiar with the lion, the tiger, the
rhino and wild animals generally as
it is with the features of Abraham
Lincoln. The “movies” has brought
, the whole animal world forward and
robbed it of its strangeness.
People no longer find the circus
ably interesting. The Wild West acts
used to stir the blood of the people,
! but now the movie has done the -ow
boy and the cowgirl so much that
the public is tired of them.—Com
merce and Finance.
NEAR DEATH IN QUICKSAND.
Chicago Lawyer, Mired to Armpits,
Dragged to Safety by Rope.
Chicago, May 17.—Mired for five
hours in quicksand in a swamp waste
near East Chicago, C. J. Kelinski, an
attorney, was dragged with ropes to
safety after he had gone down to his
armpits.
Belinski shouted for hours for help.
HHe was utterly powerless to save
himself. Had it not been for em
ployes of the Indiana Harbor Canal,
who finally saw and heard him, the
victim of the treacherous sand
would soon have disappeared entirely.
They lassoed him with a rope, and
pulled him 200 feet to solid groupd.
jjg hurried, slmost unconscious
from exposure and exhaustion, to St.
Margaret’s Hospital, where he quick
ly recovered.
Mrs. Thomas J. Preston, formerly
Mrs. Grover Cleveland, who has been
living for some time abroad, arrived
in New York Friday on the Lusita
nia. She said that she had come only
for a short stay in this country.
FIVE OF MEN RESCUED ALIVE.
Third Boat From the Ill-Fated Col
umbian Picked Up Sunday.
Eleven Buried at Sea.
Halifax, N. S., May 17.—The Unit
ed States revenue cutter Seneca re
ported today by wireless that she had
picked up the third and missing boat
boat from the ill fated Ley land
steamer Columbian and that she was
bringing survivobs found in the boat
to Halifax.
Washington, May 17.—Five of 16
who left the burning steamer Colum
bian in the third and missing boat
were rescued off the coast of Nova
Scotia today by the United States rev
enue cutter Seneca. The other elev
en had died from exposure and their
bodies had been cast into the sea.
In the boat were Robert Tiece, Os
car Kendall and Peter Bellanger, sea
I men, and Michael Ludwigsen, fireman,
and the first officer, whose name was
not given. All of the survivors were
in a state of complete mental and
physical exhaustion as the result of
their terrible experiences in the open
boat at sea.
This was reported to the revenue
cutter service here tonight in a relay
ed wireless dispatch from the captain
of the Seneca. The report stated that
the Columbian’s boat had been picked
up at 10 o’clock this morning in lati
tude 43.26 and logitude 59.30. The
Seneca is due to arrive at Halifax to
morrow morning.
I
LATE NEWS NOTES.
Levi P. Morton, former Vice-Pres
ident of the United States and former
Governor of New York State, celebra
ted his ninetieth birthday anniversary
Saturday at his country home, Ellers
lie, at Rhinebeck, N. Y. Mr. Morton
is in good health.
Irwin G. Baker arrived in New York
City Friday, having traveled 3,362
miles from San Diego, California
on a motor cycle in eleven days,
eleven hours, and ten minutes. His
longest day's run was from Greens
boro, Pa., to New York, a distance of
418 miles.
Owing to the state of Col. Theodore
Roosevelt’s health, members of his
family have requested that no public
reception, similar to the greeting ex
tended to him on his return from his
African trip, be arranged on his ar
rival in New York from Brazil this
week. Any reception for the former
President will be arranged after his
arrival.
The $1,000,000 estate of Gen. Hi
ram Duryea, who was killed on May
5 by his son, Chester Duryea, will be
divided among his three children, the
parricide sharing equally with his
brother, * Harry H. Duryea, and his
sister, Mrs. Henry O. Anderson. If
Chester Duryea, who was indicted in
Brooklyn for first-degree murder, is
declared insane, the Supreme Court
will be asked to appoint a committee
to administer his share of the estate.
Miss Ida Hayes, of Waco, Tex., a
Baptist missionary, will be in the city
of Saltillo when the constitutionalists’
attack is begun, according to word re
ceived at Juarez. Miss Hayes is a
director of the Madero institute, a
sahool for girls, at Saltillo, and has
refused to leave, although warned by
the American consul. She fears that
if she abandons the institute it will
be used by the federals as a barracks
and probably be destroyed in the
fighting.
Miss Laura Temple, a missionary
of the Methodist Church in Mexico,
who has refused to leave her post in
in industrial school near Mexico City,
gives as her reason wishing to remain
that the school property would be
looted should the news of her de
parture reach bandits in the vicinity.
Miss Temple wrote that so long as
she stayed at the school the native
employes would continue to cultivate
the fields, and under her leadership
protect the property, but would be
come panic-stricken and flee if she
departed. Miss Temple has been in
Mexico for several years. She was
born in Hazen,Pa., and her parents
now live at Allen’s Mill, Pennsylva
nia.
Good Substitutes.
“Isn’t it kind of lonely for you in
the house since Mrs. Gabb went
away?” asked the neighbor woman.
“Not a bit,” replied Mr. Gabb. “We
have a phonograph and a parrot in
the house.”—Boston Advertiser.
GAVE $250,000 TO MISSIONS.
Spend Less on Tobacco, Reformed
Church Pastors Are Told When
They Proteat.
Lancaster, Pa., May 16.—The rais
' ing of $250,000 for foreign missions
was voted today by the delegates to
' the general synod of the Reformed
Church in the United States, in sess
’ ion here. This sum represents in
: crease of $100,000 over that of last
year.
' The objections of the delegates who
opposed the increase aroused the ire
’ of the Rev. Dr. Rufus C. Zartman, of
■ Philadelphia, who stringingly rebuk
ed them in words to the effect that if
they would spend a little less for their
tobacco, which they are continually
smoking in social rooms of the con
vention church, they would probably
be able to donate an extra five dollar
1 note to the fund.
CHICK HAS 3 LEGS. 13 TOES
Five Claws on Extra Limb Enable
Freak to Dig Extra Rations.
Tarrytown, N. Y., May 16.—Fred
E. Blunden, a boss painter, and treas
urer of the local building and loan
association, is proudly exhibiting a
freak chick, which was bom with
three legs, the third leg having toes,
while the other two have four toes
each.
Blunden set a hen with 15 eggs, nine
of which hatched. The freak chick is
the healthiest of the lot With its
third leg it is able to scratch up more
food and worms than the other chicks,
and it is growing much faster.
ETNA’S ACTIVITY GROWING.
Homes Deserted by 17,000 Residents
of Town on Mountainside.
Catania, Sicily, May 16.—Sharp
earthquake shocks were felt at sever
al points on the eastern coast of Sic
ily today in the district which suffer
ed heavily just one week ago.
Mount Etna’s activity is increasing.
The volume of smoke and fumes issu
ing from the crater became so great
today that the residents of Giarre, a
town of 17,000 persons on the slope of
the mountain, fled from their homes
and feared to return.
A DAY OF THE MEXICAN SIT
UATION.
Those close to President Wilson say
the question to be mediated is not the
failure of Huerta to salute but the
broad Question of pacifying Mex
i ico.
They declared American troops
; would not be withdrawn from Vera
; Cruz until a stable government is
established or is in sight in Mexico
i City.
; The three Mexican delegates are
; said to be decidedly optimistic con
! cerning the chances for mediation.
They are said to realize that the
present administration in Mexico
’ City is fast crumbling and that the
, chance of some one to succeed Huer
ta is inevitable.
The Huerta delegates probably will
insist that no man who has gained
military prominence or is obtaining
’ power “by arbitrary force” should
be permitted to take the reins of gov
I ernment.
ihc advance guard in tne memaiion
proeedings left Washington for Ni
agara Falls for the conference to op
en there next Wednesday.
General Navarrete, the Huerta com
mander, is in the vicinity of Vera
Cruz with 3,000 soldiers.
General Funston reported the de
struction by Mexicans of the San
Francisco bridge on the Interoceanic
Railway, 28 miles from Vera Cnz.
It is admitted by all Mexican fac
tions that hostilities may at any time
be provoked by the Huerta troops
near Vera Cruz, which may generally
entangle the situation and force an
other crisis.
Huerta's whimsical moods are point
ed to by even some of his friends as
a dangerous aspect of the situation.
Secretaries Garrison and Daniels
announced that no new orders had
been issued affecting military ar naval
operations in Mexico.—Baltimore Sun,
18th.
$500,000 Loss to Moscow Theater.
Moscow, Russia, May 16.—The Im
! perial Theater was partially destroy
ed by fire today, with $500,000 loss
Much costly scenery was burned.
THEY WILL CHEER PRESIDENT.
Name of Woodrow Wilson Will Be
Greeted With Applause by Mexi
cans, Says Nv'w Orleans Speaker.
New Orleans, May 17.—“The time
will come when the name of Presi
dent Wilson will be cheered in the
streets of Mexico City,” declared the
Rev. William Wallace, president of
the Presbyterian Theological seminary
at the Mexican capital, in a sermon
on Mexican conditions delivered here
to-day at the First Presbyterian
cjhurch.
According to Dr. Wallace the fac
ulties and students of many Mexican
schools welcomed revolution, and
also the landing of American troops
at Vera Cruz. Without an American
demonstration, he said, there could, in
his opinion, have been no lasting
peace in Mexico, whether the consti
tutionalists or the federals are in
control. Property owners favor a set
tled form of government in the south
ern republic, he declared.
“I am not one of those who pro
claim the landing of American ma
rines at Vera Cruz an act of peace,”
the speaker asserted.
The rebel leader Zapata was pic
tured as a “stubborn old Indian who
wants only local control,” and the
minister expressed the opinion that
Zapata’s troops would not enter
Mexico City, and that the Zapatistas
would demand no further reward
than the right to rule their own sec
tion of the country in the event of a
constitutionalist triumph of arms.
CLAYTON NEWS.
Clayton, May 18.—Mr. Charles W.
Horne, President of Clayton Banking
Company, and Mr. C. M. Thomas,
Cashier, attended the Bankers' meet-,
ing at Raleigh last week.
Mrs. Sam L. Fort, of Gaffney, S. C.,
is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
David W. Barbour.
Rev. A. C. Hamby went to Raleigh
Sunday afternoon to conduct the fu
neral services of the little daughter
of Dr. and Mrs. Freeman.
On Tuesday of last week Mr. N. R.
Pool took charge of the Post Office.
He is assisted by Mr. Charley Turley
and Mr. Zack Stephenson.
Those attending the house party of
Miss Kitty Poole are Misses Mildred
McIntyre, Kate Johnson, Louise Fu
trell, Maragret Higgs and Messrs.
Ray Marsh, Owen Herring, and Mack
Johnson.
Invitations are out for St. Mary’s
Commencement. We notice the name
of Miss Melba McCullers among the
graduates of the class of 1914. Miss
McCullers is the daughter of Dr. Her
bert McCullers, of this place, and
grand-daughter of the late Mr. Ash
ley Home.
The Sunday school class of Mrs.
George L. Bearden gave an ice-cream
supper Friday night. About nine dol
lars were realized and the funds will
go for the benefit of the class.
Rev. C. W. Blanchard, formerly
pastor of the Baptist church here,
was in Clatyon Wednesday to see his
daughter, Mrs. Harry L. Baucom who
is very ill at her home near this
place.
Rev. Geo. L. Bearden preached on
the “Origin of Sin” on Sunday morn
ing and on “Heaven” in the evening.
Both services were good. Mrs. Chas.
Gulley, who has charge of the Meth
odist choir, was again in her place
in the morning. On account of sick
ness in the family, she has been kept
away lately.
Rev. A. C. Hamby preached to a
large crowd Sunday morning. The
choir was composed largely of “Mere
dith” girls. Miss Kate Johnson, who
has a lovely contralto voice, delighted
the audience with a song- Her style
is so simple and unaffected, and she
sang with so much feeling, that it
greatly added to the spirituality of
the service. Miss Louise Futrell
showed herself the master of the vio
lin. Hers was verily a song without
words and her well known selection
inspired to better things.
Hero worship may go far, but ev
er the fact that it is Senator Sim
mons who has the measles can never
make measles popular in his State.
—Washington Star.
For unmittigated nerve give us the
man that will send you a long article
for publication, free, and then request
a free copy of the paper. Oh, yes,
there’s plenty of that kind of people
in the world.—Abberville Medium.
I
PEACE CONDITIONED ON
ELIMINATION OF HUERTA.
President Outlines His Ideas to Peace
Delegates. Mexican Problem Moat
be Definitely Settled Before Troop*
Are Withdrawn. Huerta Givea
His Representatives at the Media
tion Conference Permit to Eliminate
Him Should It Become Absolutely
Necessary.
Washington, May 18.—President
Wilson today told the American com
missioners who left for the mediation
conference at Niagara Falls, Ont.,
that the United States government
regards the settlement of the Mexi
1 can problem in a definite form as a
prerequisite to the withdrawal of the
American forces from Vera Cruz.
The President gave the American
commissioners—Justice Lamar, of the
Supreme court of the United States;
Frederick W. Lehmann, former solic
itor general and diplomatic secretary;
H. Perceval Dodge—no specific in
structions. He told them to place
themselves in a receptive mood and
await proposals from the three South
American mediators.
But at the same time he outlined
to his representatives that peace in
Mexico seemed to him to be condi
tioned on the elimination of the Hu
erta administration and the estab
lishment in its place of a strong pro
visional government which would con
duct an election giving fair treatment
to all factions and parties, and guar
anteeing, moreover, a solution of the
agrarian problem and other internal
difficulties which have bred revolution
in the southern republic during the
last three years.
Settle on Comprehensive Lines.
The President wishes the Mexican
question settled on comprehensive •
lines that will take into account the
economic principles for which Zapata
in the south, as well as Carranza in
the north, have been fighting, and at
the same time will conserve the right
ful interests of the people in the ter
ritory now controlled by the Huerta
government.
During the day a dispatch came to
one of the foreign diplomats here
from a diplomatic source in Mexico
City stating that General Huerta was
ready to resign and would permit his
representatives at the mediation con
ference to eliminate him if it should
become absolutely necessary. Intima
tions that have come from the three
Huerta delegates since their visit to
this country showed that they had
realized Huerta’s elimination was re
garded as essential to a settlement
and knew from the outset that unless
they came prepared to deal with this
phase of the problem their efforts
would be fruitless.
The Huerta delegates, too, it is
learned from persons who have talk
ed with them, understand thoroughly
that the scope of mediation now com
prises the entire Mexican problem.
They are said to be ready to recom
mend Huerta’s retirement, but only on
the condition that a definite under
standing is reached on the kind of gov
ernment that is to follow.
Vice-President Marshall’s Tribute to
His Mother.
“I think back through the years,
the lean and the fat, the good and
the bad ones, to my earliest recollec
tions. I see a woman with an eye
that flashes swift as an archangel’s
wing and mouth that breaks with
laughter and hardens at sight of
wrong, singing lullabies; a woman
who, with hand grasping the Unseen
Hand, walks the briar-bordered patch
of life unashamed, unafraid, un
harmed. She is clad in garments of
beauty for me, and age does not soil
them, nor years make them cheap
and tawdry. Her tongue is without
guile, having never been the messen
ger of a lie. It is seventeen years
since her soul went home to God and
her fingers became for me the fin
gers of an angel, but I have not for
gotten all she said. She told me there
was a Santa Claus, and I believed
her. He brings me no longer drums
and fifes. But he still brings me vis
ions of my mother and the music of
that angelic chorus which sang at
creation’s dawn and at the hour of
man’s redemption.”
Two Reasons.
There are two reasons why some
people don’t mind their own business.
One is that they haven’t any mind,
the other that they haven’t any busi
ness.—Harvard Lampoon.