VOLUME 40
SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1921
NUMBER 98
EXTRA SESSION OF
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Bill Introduced to Abolish
Capital Punishment;
Governor’s Message
With 129 items of legislative, rang
ing in importance from the seining
for caitfish in the Catawba river to
abolition of the death penalty for
crime in North Carolina, three peti
tions praying release from the State
wide stock law, and a brief message
from Governor Morrison indicating
his intention not to offer any sug
gestion other than that contained in
his call for the session covers the
work done in the House and Senate
on the opening day of the special
session which convened yesterday
morning at 11 o’clock.
Statewide legislation included in
the bills introduced in both Houses
include, beside the Spence measure
on capital punishment, a resolution
providing for a State bond issue to
take up the deficit in the State school
fund; repeal of the section of the Fi
nance Act taxing the net income of
insurance companies; repeal of the
section of the Finance Act which tax
es Liberty Bonds held by banks as
part of their surplus, the revised Mu
nicipal Finance act, and the Burgwyn
bill reducing the property tax exemp
tion from $300 to $50.
Though getting away to a flying
start in the matter of new legisla
tion offered, most of it in the nature
of local bond issue measures, the
hopes of early adjournment received
a perceptible jolt in the number of
bills offered. The Senate passed up
a resolution setting Friday, December
16 as the day for the expiration of
the session and Friday of this week
as the final day in which roll call
bills may be introduced. Brevity of
session is clearly emphasized in the
message sent to the House and the
Senate by the Governor. It reads:
“The necessity for my calling your
Honorable Body in Extraordinary
Session is set forth in the call, and I
most respectfully invite your consid
eration of the two matters therein
specifically referred to.
Under the Constitution, you have
the undoubted right to proceed to act
upon any other matter which, in your
opinion, merits your attention.
“I do not deem it my duty to make
any recommendations to you other
than to ask that you take such ac
tion upon the two matters mentioned
in the Proclamation calling you to
gether as you deem wise.
“The great program which you pro
vided for in your Regular session, I
hope, is being administered to your
satisfaction. I am well pleased at the
splendid service being rendered by
the various Board, Commissions and
other Executive Agencies charged
with the duty of working out your
great and patriotic designs.
The following extract from the Ra
leigh letter to the Greensboro News
of Dec. 7, gives some of the work
of the General Assembly since open
ing:
“The Senate voted down Senator
Burgwyn’s measure seeking to lower
the property exemption from $300 to
50. A compromise fixing it at $100
was presented and the amendment ap
pears to have a chance in the higher
house. The $300 exemption is what
the farmers’ union president calls a
“sop.” It indeed appears to be. It
rounded many a fellow up last year
when the unionists were denouncing
revaluation as robbery. The mass of
propertyless men paid far less under
that law than they ever had paid. It
is a popular law and when the senate
persuades the house to fall in line, the
senate will be some- persuader.
By a vote of 25 to 4 the joint sen
ate and house committee on education
reported favorably this afternoon the
department’s bill authorizing a loan
of $710,000 to cover a deficit, one of
the two special measures for which
the general assembly now is in ses
sion. Representative Bowie, of Ashe,
closed the fight against the bill this
afternoon, following three hours’ de
bate on the question. When the vote
was taken and the feebleness of the
opposition was betrayed, the assembly
took heart. Mr. Bowie's speech was
well tempered, was without acromini
ous criticism of the department, and
showed the effects of the powerful de- '
fense that Superintendent Brooks has
made of his showing.”
INCREASED ATTENDANCE
AT SMITHFIELD SCHOOL
Larger Enrollment Also; School
Making Fine Progress; In
terest in Reading Grows
An average daily attendance of 118
more pupfcls in Turlington Graded
school and Ivanhoe school during the
third month of this year than during
the third month of last year was the
rather surprising information given
to the School Board by Superintend
ent Franks Monday night. For the
third month last year the average
daily attendance was 467, while the
third month this year it was 585.
This is an increase of 25 per cent. The
average daily attendance for the first
three months last year was 488, 461,
and 467. This year it was 537, 539,
and 585. The enrollment for the first
three months last year was 541, 540
and 535. This year the enrollment
was 607, 611 and 637. The average
daily enrollment for the entire three
months last year was 539 and the av
erage daily attendance was 472. This
! year the average daily enrollment for
the entire three months was 618 and
the average daily attendance was
554. The average enrollment for the
three months this year was 12.8 per
cent, greater than it was last year
and the average daily attendance was
17.4 per cent, greater. Since the cot
ton picking season Supt. Franks has
insisted upon rigid compliance with
the compulsory attendance law. He
has spent considerable time each week
visiting the homes of those parents
who were not keeping their children
in school. This explains in part the
great increase in attendance during
the third month.
Superintendent Franks reported to
the School Board, that the increase
in the efficiency of the work of the
High School was even more pro
nounced than the increased attend
ance. Almost every pupil in the
high school is doing passing work.
Quite a number of pupils who have
usually made grades below the pass
ing mark heretofore are making good
grades this year. This increase in
the efficiency of the work is due, it is
thought, to the fact that there is
more time for study at school this
year, that study at school is more
carefully supervised, and that pa
rents are keeping their children at
home through the school week.
The School Board was also told
how efforts are being made to pro
vide more interesting and wholesome
books for the students and to stimu
late an interest in reading, and how
these efforts are meeting with suc
cess. The School Board showed its
interest by appointing a committee
from the Board to assist Superin
tendent Franks in building up a first
class school library.
Willis Calvin Lassiter Dead.
The people of Johnston County will
learn with regret of the death of Mr.
Willis Calvin Lassiter, of Elevation
township, who died at his home about
one o’clock Wednesday afternoon. He
bad been in declining health for sev
eral years but wTas confined to his bed
only five weeks prior to his death.
The deceased was 67 years of age
and has lived a life of usefulness in
his community. He was one of the
best farmers in Johnston County and
by his thrift and industry had ac
cumulated considerable property. He
was a good man and will be missed
in his community. He was a member
of Clement Primitive Baptist church,
and funeral services were held there
yesterday afternoon. Elder Leonard
Stephenson preached the sermon after
which interment was made in Clement
cemetery.
He leaves to mourn his loss besides
his widow, nine children as follows:
Mr. Everett Lassiter, of Weldon; Mr.
Archie Lassiter, of Rosemary; Mr.
William Lassiter, Mr. Zeb Lassiter,
Mrs. Julian Coats, Mrs. W. L. Lang
don, Mrs. W. J. Lassiter, Mrs. E. C.
Barbour and Mrs. Ruth Hannah.
Fire Near Four Oaks.
The l.. use of Mrs. W. H. Lassiter
on Route four, Four Oaks, was tot
ally destroyed by fire Sunday morn
ing about 4 o’clock. The origin of the
fire is not known. Mrs. Lassiter was
spending the night away from home
and the fire was not discovered in
time to save much of the furniture.
Practically everything was lost. The
house was insured for $3,000.
MARSHAL FOCH IS
GUEST OF N. C. TODAY
Stops at Monroe Where H«
Was Greeted by Great
Crowds of People
Monroe, Dee. 6.—The state at large
will be handsomely represented at the
Foch reception in Monroe at 8 o’clock
Friday evening. The reception com
mittee, headed by Maj. W. C. Heath
is arranging for a banquet to be giv
en the invited guests at 6 o’clock at
the Hotel J off re. These guests will
come from all sections of the state,
and will become the reception com
mittee to meet the marshal’s train and
escort him to the public square, where
the address of welcome will be deliv
ered by Governor Morrison and
Marshal Foch will decorate the colors
of the fifth and 17th regiment.
Senator Simmons and Senator Ov
erman have wired that the secretary
of war has directed General Bowley,
at Camp Bragg, to be present with
the colors and as many of the two
regiments as possible. The governor
will be introduced by Tom Bird, com
mander of the North Carolina divis
ion of the American legion.
The legion will have a special guard
of honor in uniform. Gen. J. S. Carr
and Gen. J. Van Metts, representing
the Confederate veterans and nation
al guar'd will be present, also many
prominent citizens from all sections
of the state. Mayors of many towns,
including Charlotte, Salisburg, Ra
leigh, Albemarle, Rockingham, Wades
boro and Hickory, have accepted in
vitations to be in the official recep
tion. Charlotte is assisting Monroe
in every way, Mayor Walker having
tendered the city’s resources. Ex
pert decorators are preparing the
town for the occasion.
The Seaboard railroad announces
that extra coaches will be run on the
afternoon trains and return at night
and possibly a special train will be
run from Raleigh and Wilmington.—
Greensboro News.
Colored Mass Meetisg.
The colored people are preparing
for a big mass meeting at the colored
Baptist church in Smithfield on Fri
day night, December 9th. Among
the speakers are Mr. Charles S. Mor
ris, Jr., colored. Judge F. H. Brooks,
of Smithfield, and Prof. W. H. Hipps,
the county superintendent of schools.
The colored people are planning for
a important meeting and ask that as
many white people as possible at
tend this meeting.
Bazaar.
On Tuesday December 13th, a ba
zaar will be conducted at the store
used by Mr. F. H. Parrish as a buggy
house. Barbecue and slaw and chick
en salad will be served. There will
be fancy work for sale. This Bazaar
will be conducted by a Sunday school
class known as the T. E. L. class of
the Smithfie'd Baptist church.
Battleship Obsolete, Says Sims __
Admiral Sims, probably America’s
foremost student of naval warfare,
says the battleship is now where the
war club was after the rifle came in.
Perhaps you have noticed that nobody
at the Disarmament Conference has
objected very much to scrapping bat
tleshps. A battleship has become
harder to defend than a city.—Cap
per’s Weekly.
Improvements in Selma.
Mr. L. D. Debnam was here yes
terday and talked to us of =.'>me im
pr-vements which are being made in
Selma. Ihe long store former’y oc
cupied by F. B. Whitley and C-., is
being made into two buildings. This
buildings was on the corner of Rai
ford and Anderson streets. On the
rear end of this building lot is now
a new two story brick store into
which a merchant has already moved.
Over this store room is the home of
the Selma chamber of commerce
which now has an all time secretary.
Yesterday the contractors commenced
tearing down the front half of the old
building to erect an up-to-date bank
building for the Peoples Bank,
of which Mr. Debnam is Pres. The
bank building will be made of press
ed brick trimmed with limestone.
When completed this will be one of
the finests building in the town.
IRISH AND BRITISH
QUARREL IS ENDED
Under Terms of the Treaty
Ireland Is Given Same
Status as Canada
London, Dec. 6.—The centuries-old
quarrel between England and Ireland
was ended, as had been fervently hop
ed, in the small hours of Tuesday
morning by the signature in the
prime minister’s cabinet room of “a
treaty between Great Britain and
, Ireland,” consisting of 18 articles,
| giving Ireland the title of the Irish
j free state and the same constitutional
status as Canda, Australia and other
overseas dominions.
The question of allegiance, which
up to the last moment threatened to
i wreck the negotiations, was surmount
| ed by permitting the members of the
Irish parliament to swear allegiance
to the constitution of the Irish free
state and “be faithful to his majesty
the king.”
The treaty has yet to run the gaunt
let of the Ulster government, and of
the imperial parliament. The imperial
parliament has been summoned to
meet on December 14, and will be op
ened in state by the king, who has
j taken the c\sest personal interest 'n
the Irish negotiations since he prac
tically instigated them when he open
ed the Ulster parliament.
Approval by the imperial parli
ament is a foregone conclusion, as
the government has an overwhelming
majority in the house of commons
favoring its Irish policy and the ac
tion of the British representatives in
reaching the agreement has already
been unanimously indorsed by the
cabinet. The position of Ulster is
less certain. Evidence comes from
Belfast tonight that the treaty will
be subjected to the most searching
examination before receiving assent,
and doubtless many modifications will
be proposed.
The king hastened to send the prime
minister a telegram congratulating
him on the success of the negotiations
and declaring “I am overjoyed to hear
the splendid news.” The king will
come to London purposely tomorrow
to ureside over the privy council to
approve the proclamation summoning
parliament, as the constitution re
quires a six days’ notice by the royal
proclamation.
The treaty was signed by all the
members of the British and Irish dele
gations participating in the negotia
tions, the Irish delegates, signing
their Gaelic names.
Ireland is treated as a single en
tity in the provisions of the treaty,
with special clauses providing against
the possibility that Ulster should re
fused acquiescence in the settlement,
in which case the government of Ire
land act of 1920 will remain in force
so far as the northern parliament is
concerned, but with the stipulation
that a special commission shall de
termine new boundaries for northern
' Ireland.
Provisions also are made for the co
; operation of the two parliaments in
! providing certain safeguards in the
event of Ulster remaining out of the
new free state. Neither parliament,
however, will be permitted under the
treaty to make laws endowing any
particular religion or to impose any
religious disability. The treaty looks
to Ireland in the future undertaking
its own coastal defense and provides
that Ireland shall in time of war give
the British forces necessary harbor
and other facilities. It further, by
providing against international limi
tation of armaments, recognizes the
Irish free state’s right to maintain its
own military defense force.—Asso
ciated Press.
Still Captured in Wilders.
Mr. J. M. Oneal was here Wednes
day and brought a whiskey still out
fit which he captured Monday night
near the Barham Mill on Buffaloe
Creek not far from Wendell. He de
stroyed about 450 gallons of beer. A
gasoline drum was used as a part of
the still outfit. Mr. Oneal found at
the still an axe, a shovel, a funnel,
a faucet, a grub hoe, and a pipe
| wrench. There were two white men
j at the still but they ran as soon as
! they heard Mr. Oneal. When he reach
ed the place near enough to see he
found they were putting down the
still and getting ready to run it.
TWENTY-FIVE PERSONS
LOSE LIVES IN WRECK
Two Trains Run Together Near
Philadelphia; Death Lists
Soars; Many Cremated.
Twenty-five persons lost their lives
and 31 were injured Monday morn
ing when two trains ran together in
a head-on collision, the accident oc
curring about 16 miles north of Phila
delphia, on the Newtown Branch of
the P. & R. Railway. Most of the
victims perished in the flames which
broke out soon after the wreck. Sev
eral of the bodies were so badly burn
ed that it was impossible to identify
them, some having to be taken up in
baskets. All the injured were taken
to the Abington Memorial Hospital as
soon as they could be removed from
the debris.
A rigid investigation of the wreck
is being made by railroad officials.
Their first statement lays the blame
on the engineer of the out-going train
who had over-run orders, and crash
ed into the incoming train a few
miles from the city. The outbound
train usually waits on a siding for
the southbound train to pass. The
engineer is said to have waited ten
minutes and when a local, which was
late passed, assumed it to be the
other and proceeded.
The Newtown road is a single track
I line, through a rural and wooded sec
tion in which there are several deep
cuts. The steep walls hid the trains
from each other and they ran togeth
er in the middle of a cut. Many were
instantly killed and others were pin
ioned in the wreck, with no escape
from the oncoming flames. Phone
calls brough ambulances from Abing
ton Hospital and fire companies from
several towns. All the physicians
from the vicinity went to the rescue.
It is thought that more bodies will
be found when the wreckage is re
moved.
Meeting at Presbyterian Church
Beginning Monday night, Decem
ber 12th, there will be protracted ser
vices at the Presbyterian church here.
Services will be held throughout the
week, including Sunday morning and
neght.
The preaching will be done by Rev.
J. J. Murray, formerly of Smithfield,
but now of Wilmington. Mr. Murray
needs no introduction to a Smithfield
audience. While pastor here he made
numerous friends who will be glad to
hear him through this series of meet
ings.
Donations for F. W. B. Orphanage.
The Ladies Aid Society of Pleasant
Plain Free Will Baptist church ap
pointed a committee before Thanks
giving to give Wednesday before that
day to canvassing their neighborhoods
in behalf of the orphanage at Middle
sex.
On Thanksgiving at 9 o’clock the
committee assembled at the church
with the various donations. Below is
printed the collection of each com
mittee. It would be too lengthy to
publish each name, so it is published
by sections.
Miss Dollie Ward and Mrs. Walter
Batten, committee at Micro: 13 bu.
sweet potatoes; 15 chickens; 19 cans
fruit; 1 pk. Irish potatoes; 1 bushel
com; 1-4 sack flour; 2 lbs. dried ap
ples; 1 box butter.
J. J. Sullivan, committee at Kenly:
4 chickens; 1 lot collards; 1 lot turn
ips; 3 pks. peanuts; 2 1-2 bu. pota
toes; $1 in money.
Aruthur Batten, committee at Sel
ma; 6 chickens; 7 jars fruit ; 3 pks.
meal; 8 bu. 1 pk. meal; 62 cents in
money.
Berry Vause, committee, Selma:
$7.65 in money; 23 chickens; 2 blocks
of chocolate; 17 cans of fruit; 1 bu.
meal; 1 bu. com; 10 bu. 3 pk. potatoes.
Mrs. Sam Easom, committee, Sel
ma: 12 chickens; $2.25 in money; 3
lots collards; 1 pk. peas; 7 bu. po
tatoes; 1 gal. 1 qt. syrup; 4 cans of
fruit; 1 pk. meal; 1-2 lb. butter; 16
eggs.
Negro Falls With Scaffold.
On Tuesday of this week Lisley
Atkinson, colored, fell about 18 to 20
feet with a scaffold which collapsed
at a building in Selma. There were
about three hundred brick which fell
with the scaffold. At first it was
thought that Atkinson would die but
it turned out he was not seriously
hurt.
ANNOUNCES SCHOOL
GROUP MEETINGS
Five Group Centers Arrang
ed; Meetings Take Place
Before January 13
The following is a list of the group
meetings which have been planned
for the teachers of Johnston coun
ty, also the dates on which these
meetings will be held. Each school
has been placed in the group which
seemed to us most convenient. If any
school finds it to their advantage to
attend another group from the ona
to which they have been assigned,
they can arrange to be transferred
from the group in which they are now
located. If there is any good reason
why you desire to change from ono
group to another, please write Mr.
Hipps or Miss Wells as soon as pos
sible and the transfer will be made.
Otherwise, all the teachers will be ex
pected to attend the groups as listed
below. These meetings have proved
very helpful to the teachers in the
past and we are counting on a 100
per cent, attendance.
GROUP CENTER SCHOOLS OF
JOHNSTON COUNTY
“Spilona” Wednesday, Dec. 21st.
Elevation No. t5.
Pine Grove Pleasant Grove No. 0;
Barbour-Elevation No. 8; Pleasant
Grove-Pleasant f.icve No. l;Ogburn
Pleasant Grove Nc. 2; Hightower
Pleasant Grove No. 3; Sunny Nook
Pleasant Grove No. 4; Wildwood-Pleas
ant Grove No. 5; Mt. Zion-Cleveland
No. 1; Shiloh-Cleveland No. 2; Smith
Elevation No. 6; Thornton-Pleasant
Grove No. 8; Woodrow-Banner No. 10;
Royall-Elevation No. 3; Pleasant Hill
Elevation No. 1; Elevation-Elevation
No. 2; Sandy Ridge-Clayton No. 6;
Johnson-Smithfield No. 6; Polenta
Cleveland No. 3; Zebulon Heights
Clayton No. 4; Baptist Center-Clay
ton No. 3; Hopewell-Smithfield No. 4;
Rehobeth-Elevation No. 7.
“Glendale” January 13th, 1922.
Beulah No. 6.
Plainview-Selma, No. 6; Boyette
Beulah No. 5; Pearce-Micro No. 4;
Hickory Cross-Beulah No. 1; Pitt
man-Beulah No. 2; Niagara-Beulah
No. 4; Watson-Beulah No. 12; Car
ter’s -Boon Hill No. 1; Price-Oneals
No. 3; Moore’s-Oneals No. 4; Stilley’s
Oneals No. 6; Brown-Selma No. 1;
Silverdale-Micro No. 2; Fitzgerald
Pine Level No. 2; Corbitt-Oneals No.
2; Hatcher-Micro No. 1.
“Brogden” December 14th 1921.
Boon Hill No. 6.
Progress-Boon Hill No. 8; Massey
Boon Hill No. 11; Massey-Pine Level
No. 8; Plainfield-Bentonville No. 1;
Pomona-Smithfield No. 3; Creech
Smithfield No. 8; Yelverton’s Grove
Smithfield No. 2; Royall-Boon Hill No.
4; Jones-Selma No. 7.
“Archer Lodge” Dec. 16th 1921.
Wilders No. 1.
Tranksgiving-Oneals No. 1; Emit
Oneals No. 8; Sandy Springs-Oneals
No. 5; Live Oak-Selma No. 5; Poplar
Springs-Oneals No.10; Corinth-Oneals
No. 9; Holders-Wilders No. 3; Hales
Oneals No. 7; Batten-Wilders No. 2:
Barnes-Wilders No. 2; Powhatan
Clayton No. 2.
“Meadow” December 19th.
Meadow No. 2.
Jernigan-Banner No. 6; Beasley’s
Grove-Banner No. 7; New Beulah
Banner No. 9; Holly Grove-Meadow
No. 3; Poplar Grove-Meadow No. 4;
Glenwood-Meadow No. 5; Sandy
Grove-Meadow No. 6; Long Pine
Meadow No. 1; Stewart-Ingram No. 2;
Parker-Ingram No. 7; Stanley-In
gram No. 6; Allen-Banner No. 5;
Blackman-Ingram No. 10; Poplar
Springs-Banner No. 4; New Hope-In
gram No. 3; Rock Hill-Ingram No. 4;
Mill Creek-Bentonville No. 4; Oak
Grove-Bentonville No. 2; Corinth-In
gram No. 1; Massey-Bentonville No. 5.
MARY E. WELLS,
Assistant County Supt.
Dinner For Teachers.
Monday evening, at their home on
Second Street, Miss Mattie McGuire
Lassiter and Master Will H. Lassiter,
Jr., entertained their teachers at a
six o’clock dinner. It was very much g.
regretted that one of Miss Mattie’s \
teachers, Miss Laura Weddell, who
was in a hospital, could not be pres
ent. Those enjoying this delightful
dinner were: Misses Ora Cansler,
Lucy Lawley, Margaret Newell, Sal
lie May Tutt.e and Ethel Barbour.