North Carolina Newspapers

VOLUME 39 SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1920. Number 4. CHURCHILL GODLEY MUST DIE FRIDAY Governor Bicket Finally Announces Refusal to Interfere With Judgment —Makes Personal Visit to See Girl Victim—Can Not Accept Protesta tions of Prisoner’s Innocence In the Face of His Own Silence When Case Was Originally Before Gov ernor and Counsel’s Former Repu diation. (News and Observer, 13th.) “After giving to this case every possible consideration I can find no reason that would justify executive interference with the judgment of the court,” concludes Governor Bickett’s final statement in the case of Chur chill Godley, young white man sen tenced in Johnston county in June to be electrocuted for an attack upon a nine year old girl of Smithfield. God ley, for whose life heroic efforts have been made by his wife and friends, will be strapped in the electric chair at 10:30 o’clock on the morning of January 16, and Warden S. J. Bus bee will let loose the deadly current. On December 8, Governor Bickett declined to interfere with the process of the law. At that time, Godley’s guilt was not denied by his counsel but it was urged that he was mentally irresponsible. Ia order to permit an examination of the prisoner by a dis tinguished alienist who had just settl * ed in North Carolina, the Governor gave the prisoner a respite of thirty days from the time originally set for his execution, December 15. The * alienist, Dr. Louis E. Bisch, of Ashe ville, pronounced him sane. Governor Bickett then made a per sonal visit to Smithfield, where he in terviewed the little girl, the victim of Godley’s attack. That interview and that test of the little girl’s hon esty in her story of the crime, con firmed the Governor’s conviction of his gilt. The Governor s final statement, made public yesterday, reads as fol lows: “On the 8th day of December, 1919 I declined to interfere with the judg ment of the court in the case of * Churchill Godley, and his execution was set for December 15th, 1919. In the statement given out at that time I said that Godley’s guilt was not contested by his counsel, and that the evidence against him was clear, con vincing and overwhelming. Indeed, the petitions that came to me from Johnston county all conceded the pris oner’s guilt, but asked me to careful ly investigate his mental responsibili ty. I did so, and decided the issue against hint on December the 8th. Thereafter his counsel earnestly re quested me to grant a respite in order that a very eminent alienist who had j'ust located in North Carolina might have an opportunity to examine God ley and make a report on his mental responsibility. I granted this request and respited the prisoner until Janu ary 16th, 1920. The eminent alienist, Dr. Louis E. Bisch, made a most care ful examination of the prisoner, and his report is that he is not a mental defective, that he is entirely respon sible for his conduct. After this re port came in, his counsel then, for the first time, insisted that the prisoner did not commit the offense, and asked me to accept as the truth a certain statement filed with me by the pris oner on the 9th day of December. In this statement Godley confesses that he was guilty of gross misconduct * with the little girl but that his con duct did not amount to or approach the crime of rape. The details are not printable. “I find that I cannot accept as the truth this statement of the prisoner, and for several reasons. The crime was committed on the 20th day of May, and Godley was tried in June. Never, at any time from the 20th day of May until December 8th, did he intimate to his counsel, to his wife or to any other person any of the facts contained in the written confes sion made on December 9th. While his counsel was preparing his case for . trial, and his life was at stake, he did not say one word about the facts sec forth in his written confession. Five months in prison awaiting exe cution, while his wife and his counsel * were exerting themselves to the ut most to find any fact upon which to base a plea for commutation, the pris oner did not mention the things set out in his statement of December 9th. On the other hand, on the 25th day of July the prisoner filed with me a written statement, thirty-five pages long. In making this statement he * says that he does it with one hand on the Bible and looking death in the face, and, after quoting sundry pas sages of Scripture, he says he is tell ing me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and yet in that statement he makes no reference in the remotest manner to the circum stances that he now asks me to ac CONGRESSMAN HOEYS ELECTION EXPENSES Cost Shelby Man $3,000 To Defeat John M. Morehead In the Ninth District. Washington, Jan. 10.—Congress man Clyde R. Hoey spent $3,033.36 in the election campaign in the Ninth district running against John M. Morehead, the Republican candidate. Mr. Hoey’s statement was filed with the clerk of the House today. Added to the $1,094.36 which he spent in the primary, Mr. Hoey’s cam paign cost him just $2.28 less than the election campaign cost Mr. More head, whose statement showed ex penditures of $4,130. The bulk of the Hoey expenses was the cost of maintaining headquarters in Charlotte and Shelby. The Char*, lotte headquarters cost $1,450 and the Shelby headquarters $450. Other items include payments to the news papers for advertising and such things. He received $10 toward his cam paign fund in the primary and $25 toward the election expenses, $100 coming from National Committeeman McLean, $20 from ex-Govemor R. B. Glenn and $5 from Joe Patton, of The Charlotte Observer.—R. E. Pow ell, in News and Observer. Sends Leg to Hospital. Pottsville, Jan. 9.—George Stickler, a juror, of Butler township, fell down the courthouse steps today and broke his leg. While the leg was sent to the Pottsville Hospital for repairing. Mr. Stickler calmly sat in the jury box, because it was a wooden leg. Mr. Stickler is minus both natural legs. William Boyle, another juror, of Schuylkill Haven, has no arms. Water Scarce. The water situation in Norfolk has become serious. It is reported that unless rainfall quickly relieves the situation, every family in the city will be rationed five gallons for drink ing purposes. cept as true, and upon them grant him a commutation. “This statement is so unreliable that when it was first made known to the counsel for the prisoner his own counsel utterly repudiated it, and said it was simply another evi dence of his mental irresponsibility. And yet when his mental responsibili ty is clearly established, I am now asked to accept this statement. After the alienist made his report finding that the prisoner is entirely responsi ble for his conduct^ made a personal visit to Smithfield and talked to the little girl. I did this because his counsel suggested that the story she told was probably suggested to her by older people. The little girl was told about the confession that Godley had made, and she insisted that it did not occur that way at all. I tested her intelligence and her appreciation of the grave importance of what she was saying. Neither her mother nor her father was present, but I talked to the little girl in the presence of two physicians and a lawyer. She told me that she went to Sunday School. That there she was taught about Jesus and Abraham. That she knew that it was wrong to tell stories, and that little girl who did so would go to the bad place. I then asked her to tell me about what happened, and in a simple, straight forward way she told the story just as she had told on the witness stand. I questioned her very closely about the essential parts of her story. She had a little sister who had died, and I asked her where her little sister was, and she said, ‘In Heaven.’ I then had her to stand up and look right straight at me, and I put to her this question, ‘Mamie, if you knew that you were going to die tomorrow and go to Heaven where your little sister is, and where Jesus is, would you tell Jesus just exactly what you are telling me now?’ With out a moment’s hesitation she told me she would. “A great many good men have be sought me to commute his sentence, and I want these men to put to their own conscience this question; if a negro had been accused of committing this identical crime, and had been con victed upon the identical testimony offered against Godley, would these men ask for executive interference in behalf of the negro. It is my opinion that they would not. Justice and mercy know no color line, and when the Governor is called upon to exer cise the highest and most solemn du ties of his office he must measure out justice and mercy with an even hand, to white and black alike. After giv ing to this case every possible consid eration I can find no reason that would justify executive interference with the judgment of the court, and the execution must take place upon the 16th day of January, 1920, as heretofore ordered.” SIXTH DISTRICT CLUBS TO CLAYTON Will Be Entertained Thursday By Halcyon Club at Clayton—Mrs. B. A. Hocutt to Welcome Ladies— Mrs. T. W. Bickett to Respond. The club women of Clayton are planning for the entertainment of the clubs of the sixth district, of which Mrs. E. C. Brooks, of the Raleigh Woman’s Club, is president. The meeting will be held on Thursday, January 15, the morning session to open at 11:30. At 2 o’clock the Clay ton club women will serve a luncheon to the visiting delegation at the home of Mrs. Saunders, where the meet ings will also be held. There will be an afternoon session lasting about two hours. Mrs. Brooks, district president, will preside over the morn ing and afternoon sessions. She has planned a program with big “drawing cards” to bring the club women out to the meeting and is expecting a strong representation from each of the ten clubs in the district. The train schedule from Raleigh to Clay ton and return is quite convenient, the traia leaving at 10:45 a. m. and returning to Raleigh about 7 o’clock in the evening. Many of the Raleigh women are planning to go in cars, Mrs. T. W. Bickett and Mrs. John A. Park having offered to take some of the club women over. Smithfield plans to send a delegation of six from the splendid Woman’s Club of that town. Mrs. H. W. Chase, of the Com munity Club of Chapel Hill, who is on the program and three or four others will represent their club, of which Mrs. Collier Cobb is president. Mrs. T. W. Bickett will make the re sponse to the address of welcome, which will be made by Mrs. B. A. Ho cutt, president of Halcyon Club, of Clayton, hostess to the district. The clubs of the Sixth district are as fol lows: Community Club, of Chapel Hill; Halcyon Club, of Clayton; Civic Association, of Durham; Book Club, of Elon College; Woman’s Club, of Graham; Woman’s Club, of Raleigh; Raleigh Branch Southern Association College Women; Thursday Afternoon Club, of Raleigh; Research Club, of Roxboro; Woman’s Club, of Smith field. Mrs. Charles Hooks of Charlotte, president of the federation, feels that the success of the federation depends largely upon the work of the districts for that, she considers, is the very backbone of the State organization. Mrs. Brooks has worked up a great deal of interest in the approaching meeting of the Sixth district and of fers the following program for the meeting on Thursday: Invocation. Address of Welcome—Mrs. B. A. Hocutt, president of Halcyon Club of Clayton. Response—Mrs. T. W. Bickett, Ral eigh Woman’s Club. Roll Call of Clubs—Three minute reports by club representatives. Music. Address—Civics and Citizenship, by Mrs. H. W. Chase, of the Community Club, of Chapel Hill, and chairman of the civics department of the State Federation. Luncheon—2 o’clock. Talk on health by Dr. Delia Dixon Carroll, of the Raleigh Woman’s Club and chairman of the health depart ment of the State Federation. Woman’s part in fire prevention, by Mrs. S. L. Alderman, of Henderson, representative of the State Fire In surance Department. Address—What the District Meet ing Means to the Federation, by Mrs. Sidney P. Cooper, of Henderson, sec ond vice-president of the federation and chairman of districts.—Mrs. W. T. Bost, in News and Observer. STEWART BROS. PLANT BURNED Printing Establishment In Twin City Completely Destroyed—Loss Is About $50,000. Winston-Salem, Jan. 11.—The job printing plant of Stewart Bros., West Fourth street, was destroyed by fire Saturday morning, entailing an esti mated loss of fifty thousand dollars. Newman’s Correct Clothes shop, lo cated on the first floor of the building, also suffered considerable damage from water. The management states that the damage is covered by insur ance. Stewart Bros., however, did not have a dollar of insurance. Their loss includes a large stock of paper and machinery—printing presses, an Intertype machine, type, etc. Origin of the fire is not known. Two nice gifts were made to the Winston-Salem foundation this week through wills made by citizens. One is for $10,000, the same to be used for educational purposes. The other gift is for $250 and is to be used for general purposes. Mrs. Louisa Harp died here today at the age of 81 years. She is surviv ed by six children. The funeral ser vice will be held Sunday afternoon. COUNTY Y. M. C. A. TO HOLD MEETING Banquet and County Convention Fri day Night in Smithfield—Busy Week Out in the County—Attrac tive Speaker. The leaders of the organizing forc es for the Johnston County Young Men’s Christian Association will have a busy schedule on this week. Mr. Hugh Maydqle, of New York, County Work specialist, will reach Smith field today. In group meetings throughout the entire county during this week Mr. Maydole will explain in an interesting way the practical work ing of the County Y. M. C. A. for boys. He comes to us highly recom mended, not as a man of theory but one who has devoted many years to the actual work out in the counties of his section of the country. He will tell of the physical and recreational work now being dome in more than 200 counties among growing boys, also of the Training for Christian leadership for places of responsibili ty in the business and Christian fields of life. The schedule for the week follows: Smithfield Tuesday evening—Group meeting with business and profession al men. Selma Wednesday evening at 8 o’ clock—Business Men’s Conference. Kenly, Wednesday evening—Citi zens of the town in Mass Meeting. Clayton, Thursday evening—Group meeting of professional and business men. Friday evening beginning at seven o’clock, Banquet and County Conven tion at Smithfield. Throughout the county considerable interest has been manifested and the group conferences promise toy be instructive and very helpful in ’considering in a definite way, the solution of the boy problems of the county. Many representative citizens from the county have been invited to attend the Banquet Friday evening and present indications point to a large attendance of enthusiastic Johnston County citizens. INTERCHURCH MOVEMENT. To Expend $1,330,000,000 In Five Years For World Evangelization Atlantic City, N. J., Jan. 9.—The budget of the Interchurch World movement, to be used in coordinating the energies of the Protestant de nominations for the evangelization of the world, was approved today at the conference of 1,400 church leaders here. The budget calls for the ex penditure of $1,330,000,000 in the next five years. It provides for evengelistic work in America and the foreign fields, proper financing of hospitals and homes, liberal awards to struggling colleges, for the fighting of social and industrial unrest, and tetter wag es to both ministers and missionaries. It is specified that no part of the budget shall be changed by a board of review to be appointed with equal representation of all denominations, without the consent of the denomina tional board directly affected. Three hundred and twenty millions are to be expended in 1920. Agriculture in Brazil. Brazil is making strong efforts to develop the agricultural resources of the Republic, and is looking to the United States to furnish agricultural experts to instruct the people. Re cently an expert in the production of cotton, two experts in fruit culture, three in cultivation and production of grain, one in tobacco culture and others in dairying and veterinary work were asked for by the Govern ment of the State of Minas Geraes. The American experts employed are to travel through the rural districts much in the same way that our dem onstration agents instruct farmers in this country. This is a good sign for Brazil. The country has untold nat ural resources, and they offer riches to those who develop them. A great forward move in agriculture in the commodious southern Republic may be looked for from the new educa tional policy for the farmers.—The Houston Post. Big Still Captured in Cumberland. Fayetteville, Jan. 10.—Two forty gallon stills and 200 gallons of mon key rum were seized by Sheriff N. H. McGeachy in Flea Hill township. The raid was carried out in a section which seems to be given over to moonshin ing. A still over 50-gallon capacity was captured by the sheriff and his deputies last week within two or three hundred yards of the location of the one taken yesterday. The stills secured in yesterday’s raid were taken intact, including the worms, but were not in operation, though the officers had visited several days for an opportunity to take the outfit in full operation with the ope rators on the ground. DEMOCRATS TO MEET IN SAN FRANCISCO Pacific Coast City Selected Over Kan sas City and Chicago—June 28 Fixed as Date for Meeting—Vote Unanimous. Washington, Jan. 8.—San Francis co is the place, and Monday, June 28, at noon, is the time for the democratic national convention. The selections were made here to day by the democratic national com mittee at its quadrennial meeting. The committee at the same time un animously adopted resolutions en dorsing the treaty of Versailles, and denouncing the “arrogant” republican leadership of the senate as having earned the “contempt of the world” by throttling the treaty for seven months. After the committee weat into ex ecutive session to select the conven tion city, A. F. Mullen, national com mitteeman from Nebraska, submitted a resolution proposing that the rule requiring a two-thirds vote of the convention for the nomination of a presidential candidate be abolished, but it was tabled after some discus sion. Kansas City and Chicago were ac tive candidates as the convention city, but after the former had received seventeen votes and the latter seven, against twenty-seven for San Fran cisco, Robert S. Hudspeth, national committeeman from New Jersey, changed the vote of his state from Kansas City to San Francisco, and a stampede in favor of the Pacific coast city ensued, the vote finally being made unanimous. Miners Loyal, Lewis Says. Columbus, 0., Jan., 8.—Comment ing on the action of the miners’ con vention which approved the course taken by the international officers in bringing the strike to an ead and sub mitting to arbitration, Acting Presi dent Lewis said tonight: “It means that the United Mine Workers of America is an American institution that believes in and up holds American ideals. “While the strike was on, we were branded as un-American and as brutal men seeking to freeze women and children. The public mind was in flamed by such false charges and the coal miners were discredited by pub lic sentiment. I believe that the American public now understands the coal miner better than it did a few weeks ago. I believe the American public is willing we should have square deal. “It shall be our purpose to lay be fore the President’s commission the facts upon which we based our de mand for better conditions and we have a right to demand that the pledge of the President that full justice be done the coal miners be carried out. We, could not and do not ask for more than justice.” THIRTY-FIVE SEAMEN DROWNED IN CHANNEL Only Seven of Crew of 42 Escape When Big Steamer Treveal Is Wrecked on Channel Rocks. _ Weymouth, Eng., Jan. 11.—Thirty five members of the crew of 42 of the British steamer Treveal were drown ed when the big vessel was wrecked on Kimmer Edge rock near St. Al bans Head during a violent storm in the channel Saturday. The Treveal, bound from Calcutta to Dundee with cargo, struck the rock late Friday night. The vessel immediately wired for assistance, but owing to the severity of the storm and the dense darkness the tug which put out from Weymouth was unable to find her. Later her position was established by wireless, and early Saturday a tug and a Weymouth life boat went to the assistance of the steamer. The Treveal was tight on the rock and unable to get clear because both wind and sea were against her. The lifeboat tried several times to reach the doomed steamer but was beaten back by the storm. It was impossi ble for the eoast guard to shoot a line to the ship because of her distance from land. Finally the captain signaled to the tug that he was going to abandon the ship. The crew put off in two boats, which were immediately swamped in the raging sea. While the coast guard watched, powerless to lend aid, the sailors fought for their lives, but only seven reached shore. The captain was among those drown ed. Shortly after the crew abandon ed the Treveal the vessel broke in two. Hot Water Bottles Hold Liquor. Nettie Moore, a colored woman in Wilson, was before the court Monday for selling liquor. There were evi dences that hot water bottles had been used to transport the liquor. ANOTHER LIBERTY LOAN POSSIBLE Secretary Glass Issues Warning to Congress to Avoid New Expendi tures—If Taxes Are Reduced and Large New Expenses Incurred, Must Resort to Bondfe. Washington, Jan. 11.—Another lib erty loan will be necessary if Con gress embarks on “new fields of large expenditure or reduces the aggregate volume of taxes,” Secretary Glass de clared in a statement tonight setting forth detail the government’s financi al condition. If the present tax level is maintained and new expenditures are kept down, the turn has come in the tide of government financing, the secretary asserted. Barring the congressional action mentioned, Mr. Glass believed the treasury would be able to pay its own way from tax and war salvage re ceipts. Although further issues of treasury certificates of indebtedness may be expected, they will be redeem ed from cash on hand rather than through the sale of new issues of cer tificates for the first time since late in 1917. The treasury secretary di rected attention to statements made early in September in which he ex pressed the opinion that the strain had lessened and that after January 1, the government's financial prob lems would more easily be solved. As indicative of the progress made by the treasury in solution of these problems, Mr. Glass pointed to reduc tions between September 1 and Jan uary 1 in the nation’s gross debt and in the two classes of certificates of indebtedness outstanding. The gross debt, which September 1 was $26, 596,701,648, was $25,837,078,807 Jan uary 1. Reduction in the floating debt, unmaturcd treasury certificates of indebtedness, of $622,653,250 has been made since September 1, leav ing the total outstanding obligations of this nature at $3,578,485,800 on January 1. A reduction of $685,726,500 was re ported for the same period in the out standing so-called loan certificates, leaving $1,326,661,000 ef these yet to be funded. The loan certificates outstanding January 1 were of issues maturing January 2, January 15, February 2 and February 16. All of these, the secretary said, have been or will be paid out of cash on hand January 1, or from the proceeds of sales of tax certificates issued in anticipation of any one of four tax installments due during the present year. Mr. Glass believed this indicates success for the treasury’s plan to avoid further large funding operations and for financing the unfunded portions of the war debt. Turn on the Light. Politicians seeking votes, and socie ty women who regard themselves as highly advanced, who are entertain ing Communist meetings in their houses, should be exposed. Perhaps no severer penalty is necessary at present. Let there be published a list of persons who have been con tributing to the Communist propa ganda and whose idea of the uplift is a Soviet regime. The community wishes to know who they are. In some cases it has a pretty shrewd suspicion. Let us have the whole red list, or black list.—The Philadelphia Record. An Excellent Selection. In selecting Miss Beatrice Cobb, editor of The Morganton News-Her ald, as secretary and treasurer, the North Carolina Press Association did itself honor. The Observer had re garded Miss Cobb as being in line for presidency of the association and her availability as secretary had not occurred to us, but the perception of the Association was the keener and more accurate. Miss Cobb has mani fested an unusual degree of ability not only as editor but as manager of a newspaper business and has es tablished qualifications through the the success she has scored for herself. We feel quite sure that the affairs of the Association will flourish under her administration as secretary and treasurer.—Charlotte Observer. Rev. A. C. Dixon at Greensboro. Rev. A. C. Dixon, D. D., of Los An geles, Cal., will preach the baccalau reate sermon to the graduating class of Greensboro College for Women on; Sunday morning, May 23. Dr. Dixon is a native of the Old North State, for several years was pastor of the Spurgeon Tabernacle congregation of London, and is now associated with the Bible institute of Los Angeles. Dr. Dixon is regarded as one of the great pulpit orators of the times and the local college regards itself fortu nate to have him as one of the com mencement speakers.