VOLUME 37.
SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1918.
Number 51.
FORTY THOUSAND
AUSTRIANS PRISONERS
Dispatches From Europe indicate
That The Austrians Suffer Dad De
feat at The Hands of The Italians.
Enemy Fleeing In Disorder From
Banks of Piave River. Italians Fol
lowing Close no Their Heels. Amer
ican Aviators Helping in The Great
Victory. Cavalry Does Fine Work.
This morning’s’ News and Observer
carries more news of the great Italian
victory as given by the Associated
Press War Summary.
The defeat of the Austrian armies
on the western bank of the Piave is
complete. Admission is made by
the Ausrian war office that the
troops of Emperor Charles have
been' forced to evacuate the Mont
ello plateau, over which they had hop
ed to press their way and gain the
Venetian plains, and “some sectors”
of the positions they attained last
week on the bank of the river between
the plateau and the point where the
stream empties into the Adriatic.
Bad weather, and the rising of the
Piave under the heavy rainfalls are
essigncd as the reasons for the with
drawal of the Austrians. But the
Rome war office asserts that it was
the impetuous attacks of the Italians
that brough about the failure of an
operation which was started with the
intention of crushing the armies of
General Diaz and forcing the Italians
like the Russians, to accept a Teutonic
allied peace.
All along the river the Italians have
pressed back the invaders of their ter
ritory until only small units remain on
the western bank, and across the
stream King Victor Emmanuel’s men
are keeping well on the heels of the
retreating enemy who is fleeing in dis
order. Again the calvary has been
thrown into the fighting and is sorely
harrassing the enemy, while machine
guns from the ground and from air
craft, some of the latter operated by
American aviators, are working havoc
among the fleeing Austi’ian columns.
The losses to the enemy are describ
ed as enormous, both in men killed,
wounded and made prisoner. An of
ficial statement from Rome to the Ital
ian embassy in Washington asserts
that the Austrians have lost 40,000
men m prisoners alone.
THE OVERSEAS CASUALTY LIST.
Total List, Including That Made Pub
lic Sunday, Carries Name sof 8,634
Marine Casualties More Than 1,000.
Washington, June 23.—Casualties in
the American army overseas thus far
reported by General Pershing, includ
ing the list made public today, total
8,634 as compared with 8,085 a week
ago. They were divided in the war
department’s weekly summary today
as follows:
Killed in action (including 291 lost
at sea) 1,312.
Died of wounds, 432.
‘Died of disease, 1,268.
Died of accident and other causes,
446.
Wounded in action, 4,811.
Missing in action, including prison
ers, 365.
Casualties among the marines with
the expeditionary forces are not in
cluded in this list. No official tabula
tion of these casualties reported to
date was available today, but unofficial
figures show that they total slightly
more thatn 1,000.
The 549 names reported by General
Pershing since last Sunday included
140 killed in action, 68 died of wounds,
34 died of disease, 244 died of acci
dents and other causes, 264 wounded
irt action and 19 missing in action, in
cluding prisoners.
With some 900,000 men now in
France, the small number of deaths
from diseasei reported is considered
remarkable.
TWO-THIRDS OF GERMAN
U-BOATS ALREADY SUNK.
Paris, June 22.—Two-thirds of the
German submarines launched are al
ready at the bottom of the sea, accord
ing to a statement made to the depu
ties by the Under-Secretary of the
Navy.
“And,” continued the Under Secre
tary, “we are destroying them twice
as fast as they are building them.”
CROWDER OPPOSES
DRAFTING OF BOYS
And Congressman Pou Says He Will
Fight Taking 18-Year Old Youths.
He Says We Should Fight The War
With Men and Not Children.
Washington, June 20.—While Sec
retary of War Newton D. Baker is
credited as being favorable to an ex
tension of the age limit from eight
een to forty-five years in the select
ive draft law, present developments
indicate that there will be some op
position to the propsal to draft eight
een year old boys. Provost Marshal
General Enoch M. Crowder, it is un
derstood, looks with disfavor upon the
proposal to enlist youths for service
in the trenches.
Representative E. W. Pou, of North
Carolina, chairman of the Rules Com
mittee in the House of Representa
tives it} a statement issued today
made it emphatic that not only did
he not favor drafting boys for the
army but would antagonize and such
proposed legislation.
“It may be necessary to enlarge
the army by increasing the age limit
by several years beyond the present
age limit of thirty years,” said Rep
resentative Pou, “but I will never con
sent to draft boys under twenty-one.
We should fight this war with men
and not with children. The sugges
tion to draft boys down to eighteen
years and send them to France, to my
mind, is utterly wrong. It not only
would not vote for such a proposal,
but will do in my power to defeat it.”
A bill being fathered by Senator
Joseph Irwin France, a Republican,
from Maryland, proposes to extend
the selective draft to include men be
tween the ages of eighteen and forty
five. This proposed legislation is now
before the Senate Military Com
mittee.—S. R. Winters in News and
Observer.
STATE ASK ED rUK 5,000 MOKE.
Additional Registrants Called Out by
Government, 3,000 Whites and 2,000
Negroes.
Raleigh, June 22.—Orders came to
day to North Carolina military head
quarters here for 5,000 additional men
to be called into the service, 3,000
white and 2,000 colored. The white
men are to be entrained for Camp
Hancock, Augusta, July 22-27 and the
negroes for Camp Greene, Charlotte.
July 29, Aug. 1.
This call is in addition to the call
Friday for 4,000 men to be brought in
to the service in this state July 1-16,
of which 3,000 are to be negro regis
trants. The adjutant general figures
that North Carolina has in service, un
der training and being called in the
orders just issued about 80,000. There
will be left in the state about 1,000 of
the Class 1 men when the present or
ders for induction into service are
completed, not including the regis
trants June 5 of those just attaining
registration.
CALL SIX MEN FROM JOHNSTON.
Two From Hoard No. 1, and Four
From Board No. 2, To Be Sent To
Clemson College.
A call has been made for two men
from Local Board No. 1 and four from
Local Board No. 2, to be sent to Clem
son College, South Carolina, to report
July 15, for special training.
These young men must have com
pleted a grammar school education
and had some experience along me
chanical lines and some aptitude for
mechanical work. These men will be
given a course of training at Govern
ment expense, fitting them to serve
in Army Positions both at the front
and behind the lines.
Qualified registrants are allowed to
volunteer for these positions up to
July 1st.
In One Store Thirty Years.
Mr. Willie R. Thompson, who was
born and reared in Johnston County,
has been running a grocery business
in a brick store in Goldsboro for thirty
years, lacking just a few months. He
is fifty-four years old and was super
intendent of one Sunday School for
more than a quarter of a century.
Formerly his father owned the farm
on the Smithfield and Clayton road
now owned by Mr. J. M. Beaty.
ROUND UP IDLERS
AFTER JULY FIRST
All Men of Draft Age Must Either
Engage in Useful Occupations or
Fight. Instructions to Boards.
Crowder Explains the Work or fight
Order Which Becomes Effective
Monday M eek—Chauffeurs Regard
ed Essential.
Washington, June 21.—Instructions
to draft boards were issued today by
Provost Marshal General Crowder ex
plaining and amplifying the work or
fight order under which after July 1
all men of draft age, regardless of
their present classification, must en
gage in employment held to be pro
ductive or join the army.
“When it has been determined that
a person in deferred classification is
an idler or is engaged innon -produc
tive service,” say the instructions,
“the classification and order number
of such person will be withdrawn and
he will be immediately inducted into
the military service”
Several specific rulings are made as
to the effect of the order upon certain
classes named as non-productive. In
the case of sports and amusements the
language of the order is repeated with
emphasis but without mentioning pro
fessional baseball, an expected an
nouncement concerning which had
been awaited with keen and wide
spread interest. In making public the
instructions, hovcever, officials of Gen
Crowder’s office said baseball playing
“at present” is regarded as non-pro
ductive though there will be no ruling
until an individual case has been ap
pealed from a local board.
Chauffeurs “public and private” are
eliminated from the non-productive
class unless they engage in work
held to be non-productive in addition
to their mechanical duties. This fea
ture of the instructions attracted at
tention because it would class as use
ful a family chauffeur who performed
no other service and would send him
into the army if he also acted as but
ler or handy man around the house.
The boards are directed to apply
common sense in considering with
drawals of deferred classification pri
iileges and to aid registrants in mak
ing necessary changes in employment
by furnishing lists of those summoned
for examination to the United States
employment service.
BIG FOURTH OF JULY MEETING.
Colored Folks to Have Big Time At
Selma. To Lay Corner Stone Of
A. M. E. Zion Church. Judge
Brooks to Make Address.
On Thursday, July 4, at Selma, the
colored folks are to have a big time.
The occasion is the laying of the cor
ner stone of A. M. E. Zion Church.
The speakers on the program are
among the most noted of the colored
race in the State. All the colored peo
ple of the county are invited to attend.
It is to be a county wide affair and
the occasion is to be a most notable
one.
In addition to the exercises connect
ed with the laying of the corner stone,
Judge Brooks, Food Administrator
for Johnston County, will be present
and deliver an address at 2:30 o’clock.
STAMBOUL SEA OF FIRE
Blaze in Old Part of Constantinople
Left 200,000 Homeless. Flames
Caused by Lighted Cigarette.
The Hague, June 20.—The Balkan
correspondent of the Nieuwe Rotter
damsche Courant, describing the re
cent fire in Constantinople, says it was
more terrible than any other within
human memory. One must go back
more than eighty years to find such
a fire as raged over 27 hours, from
midnight on May 31. The fire covered
the distance of over 2 1-2 miles right
across old Stamboul, from northeast
to southwest, ourning its way through
a strip from a third to five-eighths of
a mile broad, while half way on its
course it branched out in a southerly
direction.
Ten districts of the city were seri
ously ravaged, and more than 5,000
houses, 20 baths, a dozen bazaars and
10 mosques were destroyed, and over
200,000 persons were left homeless.
The fire was caused by the end of a
lighted cigarette being thrown into a
corner of a room.
AUSTRIANS MEET
DEFEAT ON PIAVE
Their Big Army Fails to Inflict The
Heavy Blow Intended On The Ital
ians And Suffer llout. The
River Took a Hand By Staging a
Big Flood. Elements .On Side Of
Vliied Army.
The news from the Italian front for
the past three days has made good
reading for the American people. The
big drive of the Austrians has met
with failure and defeat. They were
blocked in their advance across the
Piave river Saturday by the Italians
and British. Then the elements seem
ed to take a hand by flooding the river
anil throating their communications.
The news in Monday’s daily papers
of the Sunday operations brought
much encouragement to everybody
unless he is a German sympathizer
The story of the day is thus told in
Associated Press War Summary:
The first phase of the Austrian of
fensive has ended in failure—in de
feat. The culmination of what was
intended to be the crushing of Italy
between the jaws of the Austrian pin
cers, is the rout of the invaders them
selves.
With their backs to the swollen
Piave river, the Austrians for several
days past had been trying to ward off
the vicious counter-attacks of the
Italians, and save the situation. Now
they are endeavoring, still under great
pressure, to ford the stream and reach
safety on its eastern bank.
From the Montello plateau to the
Adriatic sea the enemy is in retreat.
Already his losses are estimated at
180,000 men and the chances of his es
cape without additional heavy casual
ties and men made prisoner seem re
note.
Monster preparations had been made
by the Austrians for what was to be
the death blow to King Victor Em
manuel’s men. Thousands upon thou
sands of men, many of them brought
from the Russians and Rumanian
fronts and guns and stores in tremen
dous quantities had been parceled
among the various commanders for
the drive over a battle area of vir
tually one hundred miles, running
from the Asiago plateau to the Piave
river and then following that stream
to the sea.
Undoubhtedly the Austrian high
command had built largely for success
on the belief that the Italian morale
had been shattered when last year
their great pincers closed upon the
Italian front and forced back the line
in a great semi-circle from the Julian
Alps to the Piave and from the moun
tains in the north almost to the plains
of Venetia.
Such a belief, however was entirely
erroneous. From the first onslaught
the enemy met a rejuvenated army
which ft ught him with the greatest
gallantry, never ceding an inch of
e”"Oand unless it was dearly paid for.
Aiding the Italians in the mountains
were British and French armies who
also fought nobly and everywhere de
feated the enemy. Territory taken in
the mountains was almost as quickly
regained and the enemy held in check.
Along the Piave, especially on the
Montello plateau, the gateway to the
Venetian plains from the northeast
and at several points farther south
where the Austrians succeeded in
crossing the river, the Italians every
where opposed such strength against
the enemy that he was unable to en
large his gains, and then with redou
bled efforts, forced him to commence
the retrograde movement which has
developed into disordered flight.
AIRPOST FLIER BEATS RECORD.
Lieut. Culver Reaches Height of 21,
000 Feet With Two Passengers.
New York, June 22.—Carrying two
passengers, Lieut. Culver broke the
altitude record for airplane mail flyers
today when he rose to a height of 21,
000 feet on his flight to this city from
Philadelphia.
His previous mark was 20,000 feet.
His time from Philadelphia was 56
minutes.
Next Friday is War Savings Day in
the United States. On that day every
family—every man, woman and child
—who has not already bought War
Savings Stamp s,is expected to do
their full duty. Our duty is plain.
Let us do it.
CITIZENS’ DUTY TO
FURNISH WAR SINEWS
Ministers Declare War Righteous
Cause. Indifferent to Government's
Call, Indifferent to God’s Call. God’s
Son in The Trenches.
Winston-Salem, June 22.—The
preachers of North Carolina see the
War Savings Campaign a righteous
cause which Christian citizens aro
called on to defend. They declare it
the duty of all Christian people to
furnish the sinews of war, and he who
is indifferent to the Governments call
is indifferent to God’s call.
Dr. R. F. Campbell, pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church, of Ashe
ville, in a telegram to Col. F. H.
Fries, in which he pledges him his
co-operation in the War Savings
Drive, says:
“Romans, Chapter thirteen, teaches
that Government is ordained of God,
that it is armed for war against evil
doers, that it is the duty of citizens
to furnish the sinews of war, and that
he who is indifferent to the Govern
ment’s call is indifferent .to God’s
call.”
Dr. Livingston Johnson, Editor of
the Bibical Recorded, in pledging his
support to the campaign, says: “We
are engaged in a righteous cause and
no citizen can evade responsibility
We must win this war if it takes all
our resources. If it were sacrificial
service we should gladly render it, but
as it is a good investment how can we
refuse in the forthcoming Drive. Let
there be no slackers.”
Rev. W'. A. Lambeth, of Salisbury
says: “Who can say that the new
star in the East is not God’s Service
Flag hanging in the sky? God’s Son
is in the trenches. War Savings
Stamps will protect him and his
brethern over there. Christians, in
vest; the Christian ministry with per
fect self respect could even ask yoi
to give.”
Rev. A. D. Wilcox, of Goldsboro
says: “The W’ar Savings Stamps i:
the best system by which the smal
investor can aid the Government. Tin
per cent of interest is good, the tern
of maturity short and the Stamps ar<
as sound as the soundest Government
on earth. I urge all Christian people
to buy to their financial limit.”
SUPT. MATTHEWS A SUICIDE
Beloved Educator of Sampson in II
Takes His Life. Man of Statewide
Reputation in Educational Circles
Victim of Mental Condition Broughl
on By Too Much Work.
Clinton, June zj.—i^emon L. ftlat
thews for many years superintended
of public schools of Sampson county
was found dead at an early hour this
morning in the bathtub at his home ir
Clinton. Evidently he took his owr
life, as the doors were locked inside
and had to be forced and a razor with
which he severed the jugular vein was
found on a shelf beside the bathtub
For some months he had been in poos
health, having suffered a nervous
breakdown from overwork and had re
cently been in a hospital where he re
ceived temporary treatment. It hat
been recently noticeable to his friends
that he was not himself mentally.
The tragic end of this good man’s
life has cast a gloom over the countj
and country where he was known tc
and loved by everyone. There was
perhaps no more efficient county sup
erintendent of education in the stats
who was so fully regonized that al
of his spare time was taken up ir
institute work in other counties anc
at summer normal schools. No mors
amiable, courteous and universallj
esteemed man has lived in this counts
in his generation, and no public ser
vant ever rendered more faithful anc
efficient service.
He will be hard to replace and his
death is a public calamity. He leaves
a widow and several children, one sor
being in the army.
The funeral will be conducted hers
Monday afternoon at five o’clock undei
Masonic auspices.—Wilmington Star
Supt. Matthews was well known ir
Johnston County where he once taughi
in the public schools. His wife is
the daughter of the late Sheriff Pow
ell.
A national lottery to determine tht
order numbers of the new registrants
will be held in Washington this
week
BERNICE SMITH
CAPTURED SUNDAY
Sheriff Grimes with Posseof men Gets
Man Who Has Been Declared An
Outlaw. He Was Fixing to Shoot
Deputy Johnson With Winchester
Rifle, But Mr. Johnson Got The
Drop On Him.
Sheriff W F. Grimes has held a
warrant for Bernice Smith since Oc
tober 31st, 11)17. Smith has been liv
ing at Mount Olive, and has been wan
ted at several places. He has been in
hiding much of the time. Sunday
morning Sheriff Grimes got word that
he was a few miles west of Smithfield.
lie at once got together the following
posse and went after Smith: Deputy
(’. II. Johnson, Emmitt Johnson, Nel
son Johnson, Capt. O. P. Dickerson,
Chief John Stroup, of Selma, Henry
Graves, Chief Henry, of Benson, W.
D. Tomlinson, Deputy Will Moore, of
Banner, and Capt. Eudy and Dalton
Lee, of Four Oaks.
They found Smith in the home of
one of his relatives, Mr. Bill Smith,
who lives near Mr. Walter Myatt.
They got news before arriving there
that he was in that house.
On their arrival the dwelling was
at once surrounded and he was asked
through Mr. Bill Smith to surrender.
Instead he sought a chance to shoot
with his Winchester rifle. He was
soon taking aim at Deputy C. H. John
son when Mr. Johnson with the quick
ness of a bird hunter, shot him in the
face and his arms which were raised
for the shooting. This stopped Smith
for the moment and he returned
bleeding from the hallway to the
room he had left and a little later
went into the chimney.
After about two hours and the pass
ing of messages several times through
Mr. Bill Smith and threats to dyna
mite the house if he did not surrender,
he came out and surrendered. He was
, bloody and very smutty.
; He was brought here later Sunday
I afternoon and lodged in jail.
Arthur Peedin, of Selma, who killed
Elisha Grice, recently, did not give
Bernice Smith a very cordial welcome
to the jail as he asked at once that
he and Smith should not occupy the
same cell. It is said that Smith car
ries in his body two pistol balls which
were shot into him by Arthur Peedin.
Smith was outlawed last December
by the Johnston County Recorder’s
Court. He is wanted in Wayne
County for the alleged murder of Ola
Smith some weeks ago. He is a^so
wanted here for an assault on Mr.
Ben Coats, and for holding up and
robbing a negro of his clothes several
months ago. He is also wanted in
Harnett and other places.
SIXTY-TWO LOST THEIR LIVES.
A Circus Train Was Wrecked Neaf
Gary, Indiana, Early Saturday,
With Fearful Results.
One of the worst railroad disasters
of recent years occurred near Gary,
Indiana, early Saturday morning wheii
a train of empty troop cars dashed
into the Wallace-Hagenbeck Circus
train. Soon after the collision fire
broke out and burned some of the cars
and roasted the victims.
Up to Sunday night 62 members and
employees of t^ie circus were known
to be dead and 20 more missing. The
bodies were many of them so badly
charred that they were unrecognizable.
Only 24 of the 62 dead have been in
dentified. It is reported that more
than a hundred other persons were
injured in the wreck.
On Sugar Rations Now.
After July first the people of tho
United States are asked to save and
conserve all the sugar they can. It ia
suggested by the National Food Ad
ministration that every person volun
tarily limit himseif to the use of a
maximum of three pounds monthly.
Unless the people do all they can to
conserve sugar the day may coma
when the Government will make an af
; lowance per person and compel tho
people to obey the rule.
The individual who uses more su
gar than is necessary is just as much
of a slacker as the perfectly sound
young man who should be in the army
and is still attempting to evade the
draft.