ALLEGED KU KLUXS DRAG
JOHNSTON MAN FROM CAR
AND SEyERELY WHIP HIM
k
IS WARNED TO LEAVE
COUNTV WITHIN 10 DAYS
D. H. Durham Taken From
Ford Roadster by Mask
ed Men, Blindfolded,
Gagged and Beaten.
OCCURRED NEAR HIS HOME
Ku Klux Klan operations in John
ston county have not been numerous
but they have perhaps made up in
severity what was lacking in num
bers, if the instance which occured
in Elevation township last Friday
night is a fair sample. E. B. Dur
ham who lives on Four Oaks, Route
three, was in the city yesterday and
told us of a severe beating which
his brother, D. H. Durham of Ele
vation township, suffered Friday
night at the hands of around a dozen
masked men claiming to be Klu Klux
from Tennesee, as he was enroute to
his home from Four Oaks. Accord
ing to the report, Mr. Durham was
on his way home about 11 o’clock, in
Ford roadster and had got within
about 350 yards of his home, when
the men referred to above wearing
dark masks, held him up at the point
of pistols. They blind folded him,
gagged him and carried him about a
mile away on the old Evans place.
There they severely beat him up and
warned him to leave the country in
ten days, ten hours ten minutes and
ten seconds, or they would kill him.
They also warned him not tell of
the occurence.
They then left him and he was
later found by one of his brothers,
L. B.Durham and a neighbor, who
had been cat-fishing in Black Creek.
They carried him home and summon
ed medical aid.
Rurmors assigns reasons for the
unusual occurence, but we are not
in possession of the facts.
A. B. Grocery Co. Moves
The A. B. Grocery Company, which
has been located near the depot, is
moving into the building formerly oc
cupied by the Parish Market.* This
building was damaged by fire some
time ogo but has recently been remod
eled and is in first class condition.
SMITHFIELD WINS GROUP
CHAMPIONSHIP IN BASEBALL
Smithfield defeated Hillsboro in
Hillsboro Friday by score of 4-0,
thereby winning the champion
ship of their group.
Miss Myrtle Parker
Is Selma's May Queen
The weather was perfect, the set
ting ideal for the May Day Festival
presented by the Selma Graded
School last Friday afternoon on the
school campus. Several hundred chil
dren dressed to represent frogs, flow
ers, butterflies, fairies, bees and oth
er characters, took part in the pro
gram. The Queen of the May Day
was Miss Myrtle May Parker who
was attended by a Maid of Honor a
crown bearer and other attendants.
Frank Broadwell was Master of Cere
emonies. The “Jester” impersonated
by Simmie Grant and Jack O’ the
Green, by Keatheley Reynolds, kept
the spectators in a gale of laughter
by their antics throughout the perfor
mance.
A number of dances, pantomimes
and drills were given, the May pole
dance, which closed the program, be
ing especially well done. “The Frolic
of the Brownies” also deserves spe
cial mention.
Miss Clell Branham, assisted by
Misses Coe, Cook, Moore and Stone
who had charge of getting up the
program are to be congratulated up
on the success of the occasion.
jr
Other Prizes Awarded
In Biscuit Contest
The prize winners in the biscuit
making contest were announced last
week, but the schools making the
highest average had not been decided
upon at that time.
The school making the highest av
erage, including written work ns well
as biscuit making, was Kenly high
school, which was awarded first prize
(Continued on Page Five)
CHURCHES IN COUNTY
CALL REUR. WOODS
The Presbyterian Church Here
and at Oakland Call Former
Pastor To Serve Again
The many friends throughout the
county of Rev. J. R. Woods, of Rich
mond, Va., will be delighted to know
that at congregational meetings held
Sunday he was called as pastor of
the Presbyterian church here and al
so of Oakland church.
After graduating from Union The
ological Seminary, Richmond, Va.,
last spring he accepted work in this
county for the summer but in the
fall he returned to Richmond for a
post graduate course, expecting to go
to China as a missionary soon after
finishing his course. At a meeting of
the General Assembly, however, it
was found that on account of insuffi
! cient funds his going would be de
: ferred until next year. As soon as the
' churches here learned that he would
] be ope nfor work in this county for
j the coming year steps were taken to
; get him to return to this county. It
is not known definitely whether or
not he will acept the work here, but
it is expected that he will. If he ac
cepts the call he will take up the
duties as pastor within the next few
weeks.
These churches will feel particu
larly fortunate in securing Rev. Mr.
Woods and it is being hoped that he
will decide to come.
Royal Ambassador Camp
All over the South summer camps
for the Royal Ambassador boys are
now giving vogue and are growing
in favor, as is true also of camps for
the Y. W. A. girls. In North Caro
lina the first camp for the girls will
be held this summer at Ridgecrest,
and it is hoped that the local society
tend. The aim of thes camps is to
will have one of its number to at
line up the young people actively
with the church, and to provide whole
some out-of door recreation under
church auspices. These being mis
sionary societies, the aim is also to
furnish a favorable atmosphere for
mission study, which is always made
a definite feature of the camp life.
As to the Royal Ambassador camp
now under consideration in the local
society we wish to assure parents that
they may feel safe about their boys
who may go. The camp will not be
held unless two men are secured
as directors of the camp, one of
them an excellent swimmer. Military
obedience will be required, no one be
ing permitted to join the party who
does not in advance pledg tsrict
strict obedience. A regular schedule
for each day will be adopted, » hich
will include a coure in mission study
in the form of stories of mission life
round the council camp fire. Plans
when matured will be announced.
Holt Lake is under consideration, or
White Lake if it is found practicable.
Mrs. S. L. MORGAN,
Sup’t of Missions
Mrs. Henry JOHNSON,
Sunbeam Leader.
Cold Spring, May 3.—Mrs. Bes
sie Grecoe, of Beacon is dead at her
home following the birth of twins
which were joined together and dead
at the time of birth last week. Mrs.
Grecoe was forty-two years old.
J. C. KEEK PUSSES
TO GREAT BEYOND
Succumbs After Lingering
Illness; Was a Former
Member Board of Coun
ty Commissioners.
I
FATHER COUNTY AUDITOR
News of the death of Mr. J. C.
Keen, father of our townsman, Mr.
I J. A. Keen, county auditor, which oc
i cured Wednesday at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. Martha S. Lassiter
near Four Oaks, will be received with
! sadness by all who knew him. Mr.
j Keen who was seventy-one years old,
| had been sick for three or four weeks
infection from a burn on his leg sus
j tained a number of years ago, caus
ing his death.
Mr. Keen was born and reared in
! Ingrams township and lived there all
his life. He married Miss Mary Lee,
also of Ingrams, who preceded him to
the grave in 1915. To this uunion were
born ten children, eight of whom sur
vive. One child died in childhood and
another Mrs. R. A. Bain, passed
away in 1918. Other sons and daugh
ters living are: Messrs J.A. Keen, of
this city; L. C. Keen, and N. H.
Keen of Four Oaks; and Jessie M.
Keen, lineman for the Western Un
ion Telephone Co., Mrs. N. A. Mas
sengill, Mrs. D. C| Lassiter, Mrs.
Martha S. Lassiter, and Mrs. Jeffer
son Lassiter of Four Oaks. Mr. Keen
also leaves one sister, Mrs. H. B.
Williams of Four Oaks and two bro
jthers, Mr. A. R. Keen, who leves
near Four Oaks and Mr. J. P. Keen
of Alabama.
The deceased was a fine citizen al
ways interested in the upbuilding of
his community. He was a member of
the board of county commissioners
from 1908 to 1912 serving his county
well in that capacity.
He wras a member of the Primitive
Baptist church of Four Oaks having
been a member for a number of
years.
The funeral was preached at the
home Thursday afternoon, the service
being conucted by Elder Doll Jones
of Coats assisted by Rev. D. H. Tut
tle, pastor of the M. E. church of this
city. Interment was made in the fam
ily hurrying ground, there being a
large crowd of relatives and friends
present to pay a last tribute of res
I pect.
Mrs. W. H. Green Dead
News has been reached here of the
j death of Mrs. W. H. Green, the mo
ther of Mr. W. A. Green, which oc
cured at her home in Washington,
D. C., Thursday afternoon. The bur
ial took place in Richmond, Va., last
Friday. We hope to have a full ac
count of her death in our next is
sue.
CALLS WOMAN TO DOOR
AND THEN SHOOTS HER
Raleigh, May 3.—At 3 o’clock Sat
urday afternoon the condition of Doris
Long, who was shot earlier in the
day, was critical with little hope fox
her recovery, according to reports
from Rex hospital. Dr. A. C. Camp
bell is the physician in charge of her
case and he told Solicitor Evans dur
ing the morning that the chances
of living were against the girl.
A woman giving her name as Doris
Long, of Fayetteville, is ina serious
condition at Rex Hospital with three
bullet holes in her intestines and
Clyde Jordan, a young automobile
mechanic and adopted son of Jailor
J. R. Jordan, is in jail without prive
lege of giving bail as a result of
Raleigh’s second shooting episode
within the past two nights.
Jordans shot the woman through
the stomach about 2:30 Saturday
morning at the home of Mrs. Ed
Jackson, just beyond the baseball
park, after he called her to the door,
according to the police, but no direct
motive for the shooting had been dis
closed in the early investigation. The
young man had been keeping com
pany with teh woman for several
days, and itis thought a quarrel had
led to the shooting.
Johnston’s New $40,000 County Home
The New Johnston County
Home Is a Modern Structure
±
171
BID COTTON FARMER
SIGNS WITH CO OPS
: Mr. J. H. B. Tomlinson, After
Two Years Deliberation
Signs Contract.
Members of the Cotton Growers’
Co-operation Association of Johnston
and adjoining counties will read with
a great deal of interest that after
two years of deliberation, Mr. J. H
B. Tomlinson, who resides five miles
west of Smithfield, and who is easily
one of the biggest cotton producers
in the State, has signed up with the
co-operative association.
In taking membership with the as
sociation, Mr. Tomlinson feels that ■
co-operation in marketing is the only
safe Tnedium through which the far
merh will ever be able to receive fair
play in the stabilizing of the price
and cost of production of this great
Southern commodity. He is willing to
assume his part of the responsibility
in bringing these conditions to bear,
and the great number of cotton grow
ers in this and adjoining counties,
who have already been struggling
against opposition to this movement,
will feel the force of his member
ship.
Mr. Tomilson has been for two
years a member of the tobacco grow
ers’ association. He produces some
thing over 250 bales of cotton annu
ally. In 1923 he produced 235 bales
on 175 acres of land. He specializes
in Mexican big boll cotton. H eis al
so conducting from year to year cot
ton experiments in plant breeding un
der the instructions of Dr. W. Y.
Winters, Breeding Specialist of the
State College at Raleigh.
There is here and there evidence
of a feeling that the existence of a
permanent co-operative association
cannot endure, and many no doubt
have lost heart and have departed
from faith. But thinking men all
over the Southland have come to see
no other way out except through the
co-operative route. Mr. Tomilson’s
newly acquired relationship with the
association is only an instance of
thousands of other producers who
have signed up since January 1, 1924.
In the state of Texas alone five
members are being added to the
ranks each hour. Since March 1st,
North Carolina has added over four
hundred to her list.
SPECIAL MEETING
OF TEACHERS COUNCIL
Th Teachers Council of the M. E.
Sunday school has been changed to
meet on Wednesday evening after the
first Sunday of each month. Tomor
row evening being the regular time
for the May meting. The program
for this month is in the nature of
a Parent-Teachers meeting, and all
parents are given a special invita
tion to be present. The meting wiM
be conducted by Miss Lorene Leon
ard, the leader appointed by Supt. T.
R. Hood, for this occasion. Rev. D.
H. Tuttle, pastor of the church, has
given over his prayer meeting service
once a month for the Teachers C un
cil.
At Smith’s Chapel
Rev. G. B. Perry of Princeton will
preach at Smith’s Chapel next Sun
day afternoon at four o'clock. The
public is cordially invited.
Value of Farm Purchased
at $1 Per Acre Has In
creased to $60,000 Includ
ing Buildings Thereon.
For a long time citizens of John
ston could not point with pride to its
county home but rather with asense
of humiliation. But last October the
twenty or more inmates the keep
er, Mr. J. O. Stephenson and his fam
ily moved into a splendid new brick
building, modern in every respect,
that is in keeping with the progress
which has been hade in Johnston
County. Thirty-three rooms, steam
heated, with electric lights, and water
works, now make it possible to care
for these old people easily and ade
quately.
The history of the Aome has per- |
haps included more of “downs” than i
“ups” as was the rule, more or |
less, of such institutions in earlier
days, and there are yet improvements
which may be made among which
might well be cows on the farm to
provide plenty of milk and butter in
the diet. Looking back to the begin
ning of the Home, a long .vay has
been travelled on the path of prog
ress.. According to the best informa
tion The Herald is able to get from •
some of the older citizens of the
county, the first county home was
located about a half mile from the j
present site, now owned by Albert
Youngblood. At this time Hilliard
Strickland was the keeper, followed
later by Joshua Johnson. This place
was finally disposed of, and the
county home was moved to the place
now owned by John Allford. The
Hrnoe was located here until after
the Civil War. it being Kept during
the War by Calvin Lassiter, later
succeeded by John ^oole.
The first board of county comnv.s- ;
sioners after tne i' il War sold this
property and passed an ordinance
that each tovuhip should take cere
its poor. The next board of com
missioners, however, rescinded this
ordinance, and purchased 240 acres
of land the present county home
property, at about one dollar per
acre.” The buildings, two or three in
number formerly used for the county
home, were brought and moved to
the new site, John Alford being the
first keeper at the new place. In the
days following and perhaps earlier,
the county poor were let to the low- !
est bidder, a system which did not ,
always mean for the welfare of the ]
inmates of the Home, but a fact
that did not keep the homeless from
seking shelter there. At times, the
number would be forty or fifty,
double the average of present times.
The first three cottages were fin
ally supplemented by another cottage
and during the administration of G.
M. Hinton, a good two-story dwell
ing was erected. The cottages be
came quite dilapidated as time to
went on, and the couny commission
ers were importuned from time to
time for a new building. When the
new court house was built, it was
found that enough money was left in
the treasury to erect a suitable
huilding and the contract was let. The
new structure cost approximately
$40,000 which together with the
240 acres of land increases the value
of the county home property to
around $60,000.
Among those who served as keep
ers were: By than Wallace, Haywood
Capps, Jim Poole, Ashley Wallace, G.
M. Wilson G. M. Hinton and Israel
Stephenson. Mr. J. O. Stephenson is
the present keeper.
T
SPECIAL TERM OE
COURT TO BE RELD
Board of County Commis
sioners Ask Governor To
Call A Special Three
Weeks Term.
WILL BEGIN 9TH OF JUNE
Johnston County is to have a spe
cial term of Civil Superior Court be
ginning June 9 and which will last
1 three weeks, in order to clear up a
much congested docket. At the April
meeting of the County Commission
ers, a resolution was presented to the
Board by the Johnston County Bar
Association, asking the Commission
ers to call upon the Governor to grant
i special term for this county. The
committee acting for the association
vas Robt. A. Wellons, president, and
3. A. Martin, secretary.
The Board of Commissioners ac
cepted the resolution and petioned
Governor Morrison to grant their re
quest, asking that Hon. George W.
Connor be sent to hold the special
term.
Yesterday jurors were drawn
for each of the three weeks, a list
of which will be published in an
early issue of The Herald.
Revival Services
Services at Community Grove Mis
sion (the former Methodist church
at old mill) every night this week
at 7:30 o’clock, also every after af
ternoon at 3 o’clock. Preaching by
Rev| J. L. Davis, of Gospel Tabernacle
church, Dunn and Rev, T. H. Tormoh
leu, of the Cleveland Bible Institute,
Ohio.
Everybody is welcome at these
services.
Would Do For State Capitol
The empire of Johnston boasts of
one of the finest and best appointed
court houses in any Southern county.
It is hariflfcome, commodious, fire
proof, well-kept and were it in some
capital city a stranger would probab
ly take it for the capitol of the state.
And the beauty of the thing, even
now after months of service, it looks
so much like a brand-new thing
The commissioners see to it that the
janitor janitors, a service very much
neglected in some counties where the
court houses are treated like rtep
children.
Wonderful old Johnston—it can af
for a half million dollar court house
she is in herself an empire.—The Up
An English duchess, it is reported,
ha'- sold her pearls to enable some
London working girl to keep up their
club. ,
Pageant Presented
At Sanders Chapel
The young people of Sanders Chap
el, M. E. Church presented a pageant
entitled “Forty . Years.” A large
crowd was present and the occasion
was quite a success. The pageant,
which was directed by Mrs. Percy
Barnes, depicted the life of the hus
band and father. It showed the hard
ships which were undergone and pre
sented a fine plea for the Superan
nuate Fund. Those playing were:
Misses Nellie Hill, Mabel Creech,
Myra Hill and Margaret Hill and
Messrs James Hill, Percy Barnes and
LaFayette Barnes. Twenty little
girls also took part. Recitations were
i given by Lola Hill and Elizabeth
Hill and an alternative recitation,
“The Superannuate” was given by
twelve little girls. These young peo
ple have been asked to present their
program for the Epworth League
here at an early date.
Those from this city who attended
the service Sunday evening were:
Mrs. Clifton Beasley, Misses Annie
Lassiter, Bettie Le Sanders and Min
nie Lee Garrison.