FORTY-THIRD YEAR
SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 23, 1924.
NUMBER 76
SUDDEN DEATH OF
JARVIS EDGERTON
Kenly Business Man Found
Dead IN Bed By His Wife
Saturday Morning
KU KLUX PALL BEARERS
Friends in the county and else
where will regret to learn of the
death of Mr. Jarvis T. Edgerton
which occurred at his home in Ken
ly Saturuay morning at two o’clock.
Mr. Edgerton had been in ill health
for several years, but there were no
alarming symptoms to warn his rel
atives of his sudden death. His wife
found him dead when she went to
him about two o’clock in the morn
ing.
The funeral service was conduct
ed at the home Sunday afternoon
at three o’clock after which inter
ment was made in the Kenly cerae
tery. Dr. W. B. North, pastor of the
Methodist church, of which the de
ceased was a member, conducted
the services. The active pall bear
ers were members of the Ku Klux
Klan and they performed this last
sad rite in their masks.
The deceased was the youngest son
of the late Gabriel Edgerton, of Ken
ly. He was prominent in the busi
ness life of Kenly and the commun
ity has sustained a distinct loss in
his passing. He is survived by his
wife, who was Miss Passie Harris
before her marriage, and by two sons
Griffin and Jarvis, Jr. A more de
railed account will appear in a later
issue.
FINGERPRINT SYSTEM
WILL HAVE BIG TEST
Criminologists, jurists, and police
officials in all parts of the world
have focussed their attention on a
building at Sixth and B streets,
Washington, D. C. From that struc
ture during the next few months will
come the answer, one way or another
to the belief of identification experts
that the fingerprint system is in
fallible and that no two fingerprints
are alike. It is the building where
the fingerprint system will be used
to check-up on the 5,000,000 appli
cations for soldier bonus.
“Since the army adopted the fin
gerprint system in 1906, I never have
found two prints alike,” says Wal
ter S'. Kayne, dirictor of the identifi
cation bureau. “There are no doubt
ful cases, and fingerprints are no
more alike than flowers are alike.
If the fingerprint system shows it
self a failure now I will be the most
surprised man in the world.”
Proof of the ability of the finger
print system was established after
the flood in Galveston, Texas, in
August, 1915, Kaye says:
After the flood subsided, the body
of an unidentified soldier was found.
All efforts to identify the body failed
so one of the man’s fingers was sent
to Washington in alcohol.
Kaye declared that when the bottle
reached the bureau the skin had be
come detached from the finger. He
made a finger of wood, however,
glued the skin in place, took a fin
gerprint, and in a few minutes iden
tified the soldier as Fred Aldrich.
Later, he said, his identification was
proved correct.—Mocksville Enter
New Sport.
Country Youth (to angler): “Fish
ing, mister?”
Angler (after fishing three hours
without getting a bite): “No, I’m j
teaching the worms to swim.”—Ex.
MICRO SCENE OF
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE:
The town of Micro suffered a $10, '
000 fire loss Friday night, according 1
to report received in this office.
About twelve o’clock a blaze was
seen between the J. W. Boykin Ga
rage and a grocery store of Mr. J.
W. Fitzgerald. Before the flames
could be extinguished the garage, the
grocery store and the blacksmith i
shop of Mr. Boykin were burned, j
Three automobiles and one truck:
were burned. It is not known how j
the fire stalled.
Now at Pershing’s Desk
- ---
Gen. John J. Hines is now
Chief of Staff of the U. S.
Army. Photo shows him at
the desk in the War Dept,
building made vacant by the
retirement of Gen. Pershing.
Dr. J. \\ . Peacock, Slayer of
Thomasville Policeman Caught
SYRIANS ATTACK
CLAYTON MAN
Mr. George Romanus, of Clayton,
well know'n Syrian merchant, and
who is also an investigator and re
porter for commercial rating houses
among the Syrian merchants, was as
saultetd last Thursday night by four
Syrians of Goldsboro, who waylaid
him at a point about fifty yards
this side of the Wayne line in John
ston county.
According to the story Mr. Roma
nus told the News man, he was go
ing to Raleigh from Goldsboro with
J. E. Befarah, proprietor of a store
in Raleigh, when he was halted near
the Wayne-Johnston line by four men
who asked for gasoline. These men
had blocked the road with a large
Studebaker car. On the pretense of
asking for gas, and w'hile Mr. Roma
nus was off his guard, one of the
four struck him on the arm with a
large suck, ana tnen all tour jumped
on him, beating and cutting him. Mr.
Romanus finally succeeded in freeing
himself from his assailants and ran
to the home of a negro about a half
mile away. After some time he got
an automobile to carry him to
Smithfield. In the fight that fol
lowed the stopping of the car his
friend left him and went to Raleigh.
At Smithfield Mr. Romanus swore
out warrants for his assailants. They
were later arrested and placed under
two thousand dollar bond each for
their appearance at court.
According to Mr. Romanus the
men who attacked him were Charlie
Kannan, George Rabin, Ernest He
den, and John Kanan, all of Golds
boro. Romanus alleges that the four
men are relatives and that they har
bor a grudge against him because of
his investigation of Kanan Depart
ment Store of Goldsboro, which is
said to have had a $200,000 failure
six months ago.—Clayton News.
CIVIL COURT OPENS
WITH FULL DOCKET
The September term of Civil
Court began here yesterday with
Judge M. V. Barnhill, of Rocky
Mount, presiding. This is a two
weeks’ term and a full docket is be
fore the court. The morning wras
spent incontinuing cases or otherwise
disposing of cases without trial and
it was not until the afternoon that
the first case was called. The first
case was in re the will of W. M. San
ders. A caveat had been filed by
members of the family which ne
cesitated the matter coming beforea
jury and a judge. The will in ques
tion was declared to be the last will
and testament of W. M. Sanders, de
ceased.
“Willie,” asked the teacher of the
pupil, “do you know your alphabet?”.
“Yes’m,” answered Willie.
“Well, then,” continued the teach
er, “What letter comes after A ? ”
“All the rest of them,” was the
triumphant reply.—Selected.
Have Kept On The Trail of This
Notorious Fugitive Until
Found In California
A CASE OF WIDE INTEREST
Dr. J. W. Peacock, who escaped
from the Criminal Insane Ward of
the State prison August 30, 1922,
while serving a life sentence for the
murder of Chief of Police J. E. Tay
lor in Thomasville in April, 1921, was
captured in El Cajon, California,
| yesterday by Warden S. J. Busbee,
who left Raleigh a week ago for Cal
ifornia upon information that Pea
cock was practicing medicine in a
little town near Los Angeles. His
: family was living with him.
Extradition papers signed by Gov
ernor Morrison a week ago yester
day accompanied Warden Busbee.
Peacock is being held in the jail in
Cajon, and has given notice that he
will fight extradition. Governor Mor
rison gave Warden Busbee full au
tnority to employ necessary counsel
to represent the State in any action
that Peacock might bring to resist
his return to the prison here. The
court records in the case have been
forwarded to California.
The trail of the fugitive has led
agents of the state prison all over
America, to Cuba and to Mexico in
the two years since Peacock swung
himself to freedom from the third
story of the prison here, with five
bed sheets strung together after he
had cut the bars of his cell with a
small hack saw. The saw is believed
to have been sneaked into his cell
in the covers of a heavy volume sent
to him from his library in Thomas
ville.
Six months after he escaped he
was located in Florida and extradi
tion proceedings started against him,
but pending the action he disap
peared. The trail was next picked up
in New York City, then in New Mex
ico, then in Mexico, again in Arizona,
and then in Los Angeles. .
Last May, when the State prima
ry campaign was at its height, and
J. W. Bailey, then a candidate for
Governor, was attacking the prison
administration in his speeches for
alleged failure to recapture escaped
prisoners and naming the Peacock
case as an example, officials of the
prison were momentarily expecting
to announce his capture, but he again j
eluded them. A little more than a j
month ago he was located in El Ca
jon, where, the prison officials were j
informed, he had opened an office j
and had been joined by his family.
This time greater precautions were
taken to prevent another disappear
ance. Superintendent George Ross
Pou said last night that he was not
at liberty to divulge the means or the
fugitive, but that agents of the
prison had never left the trail since
the prisoner escaped on the morning
of August 30, 1922, a little more than
two years ago. He was kept under
constant surveillance in El Cajon un- i
til Warden Busbee arrived Saturday
morning and arrested him.
News and Observer, &jpt. 22.
FOUR OAKS ITEMS
FULL OF INTEREST
Capt. and Mrs. Stanley Leave
For Philippine Islands;
Child of Mrs. Barefoot
Eats Lye
_
'concert given by class
—
Four Oaks, Sept. 20.—Mr. Daniel
Adams, of Richmond, Va., visited
relatives here last week.
Messrs. Gilbert Grady and Ronald
Keene left last Tuesday for Chapel
Hill at which place they will enter
j school. They were accompanied by
! Mr. W R. Keene, who .returned
I Tuesday afternoon.
: Mr. A. R. Ford spent last Sunday
| in La Grange with friends.
Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Keene and
Mesdames J. W. Stanley and J. ri.
! Austin spent Friday in Raleigh shop
« ping.
Messrs. Richard Lewis and Gilbert
Grady visited in Chapel Hill last
Sunday.
Captain J. W. Stanley, who has
been a physical instructor at the
University of Maryland for several
years, recently visited here. He now
holds a government position in the
Fhillipine Islands, for which place
he and his family left this week.
They will sail from New York the
twenty-sixth. On their trip they
will stop at Panama to see Mrs.
Stanley’s brother, Mr. Rupert Keene.
Another one of her brothers, Mr.
j Roy Keene, will be visited at San
Francisco. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley
and family have numbers of friends
here who regret to see them leave.
However, they wish for them a suc
cesful voyage and a pleasant two
years stay.
Mrs. J. W. Hollowell, of Rocky
Mount, recently spent a few days
here with her sister, Mrs. C. H. Wel
lons.
Carmen Austin and brother Aub
rey visited their grandmother, Mrs.
M. E. Gattis, in Clayton during the j
last wreek end.
Mr. James Kandy, wno noras a po
sition with a telephone company, was
visiting relatives here during the
past week.
Mr. Rudolph Stanley, son of Mr.
and Mrs. J. W. Stanley, recently
spent some time in Washington, D.
C. He expects to enter a prepara
tory school in Washington or Mary
land before entering West Point. He
will attend school there while his ■
parents are in the Phillipines Island
Misses Clyde Sanders and Ruby
Stanley left last Tuesday for Harts
ville, S. C., at which place they will
enter Coker College for the coming
school term.
Mr. Booker Barbour, of Richmond,
Va., recently spent a few days here
with relatives.
During the past week, Mrs. S. M.
Boyette was called to Beard on ac
count of the illness of her brother.
Mr. Lexie Barefoot was a visitor
at La Grange last Sunday.
The singing Class from the Metho
dist Orphanage at Raleigh will give
a sacred concert at the Methodist
church the fourth Sunday of this
month. This service will be held at
eleven o’clock. The public is cor
dially invited to attend this concert.
Those who miss it will miss a rare
treat. They give splendid concerts
that are very inspiring as well as en
joyable.
Mr. R. A. Keene was m Liayton
last Saturday on busines.
On Friday morning Mr. and Mrs.
Bert Barefoot’s baby, Roland,, found
a can of lye with which he saturated
his mouth. Medical aid was rendered
at once, and at the present time the
baby is better. It is generally be
lieved that he failed to swallow any
of the lye, thus making his condition
less serious.
Mr. D. C. Lassiter, of Raleigh, was
here for the week end.
A Child’s Opinion.
Some humorist has discovered
what the parson’s baby said about;
her dad:
“Up in the study,—high, high, high
Writing the sermon,—dry, dry, dry
Makes all the old folks weep, weep,
weep,
And the little children sleep, sleep,
sleep.”
I
1 Must He Die ?
Bernard Grant, nineteen, a Chi
cago boy without money, has been
sentenced to hang for a murder to
which he denies all guilt. His case
as compared to the recent Loeb
Leopold life imprisonment for con
fessed murder has aroused public
sentiment and a great effort is be
ing made to save him from the
gallows._
MRS. T. GEORGE
DIES SUDDENLY
Seldom has it been our duty to re
cord so sudden or so sad a death as
that of Mrs. Telpher George which
occurred at her home in Bentonville
township Saturday evening about
eight o’clock. A gloom spread over
the community when it became known
that she had passed away and friends
and relatives could hardly believe that
it was true. Mrs. George had been
in her usual health and she with her
husband and little baby had attended
the Primitive Baptist Association at
Corinth near her home the day of her
death. Being tired when they reach
ed home, the family retired early.
They did not fall asleep, however, for
the little ten-months-old daughter,
Edna Earl, was in a playful mood and
the parents were frolicking with the
child when the sudden summons came
to the mother. Without a moment’s
warning she gave a gasp and passed
inio the Great Beyond. Possessed
with a charming disposition, with
bright, winning ways, her passing
was characteristic. The heart-brok
en husband could hardly believe what
had happened. Relatives who lived
near by were hastily summoned but
it was found to be all too true.
She was buried Sunday afternoon
about five o’clock at Antioch Method
ist church. Rev. Mr. Connell, pastor
of Pauline Baptist church, of which
the deceased was a member, conduct
ed the funeral services. A large
crowd was present to pay a last trib
ute of loving respect.
Naomi Lee George was the daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lee, of
Bentonville township. She was born
on April 29, 1903, making her stay
on earth a few months over twenty
one years. In February of last year
she was married to Mr. Telpher
George who with their ten-months-old
baby survive. She also leaves a sis
ter, Miss Thelma Lee, and a brother,
Robert Lee.
Bentonville township sustains a loss
in her passing. Here she played as
a child, developed into beautiful girl
hood; here she married and helped to
establish a home of her own; here
her busy life was spent and her faith
ful service rendered to the world.
About four years ago she united with
Pauline Baptist church and became
an active worker. Up until her mar
riage she was superintendent of the
Sunday school and she was always in
her place at the church services. She
kept her membership as long as she
lived, at Pauline church because she
felt that her work was needed in that
field.
Gone from our sight! But life and
love are stronger than death. She is
still the mother of her little babe and
the companion still of him who
mourns earth’s greatest loss.
Among those who attended the fun
eral from this city were: Mrs. J. M.
Beaty, aunt of the deceased;, Mr,
Jerry George, brother of the bereaved
husband; Mr. and Mrs. George Langs
ton, Mrs. Alice Hood, Miss Lucy
Rhodes, Mr. H. V. Rose and Mr. W. T.
Holland. ,
DAVIS BACK FROM
WESTERN STATES
Democratic Nominee Is Con
fident of Victory; Great
Interest Is Shown
VOTE WILL TELL STORY
New York, Sept. 21.—Returning
here tonight from a 5,000-mile cam
paign through the west, John W.
I Davis, the Democratic presiden
tial nominee, declared that “all signs
point, to a sweeping Democratic vic
tory in the coming election.’’
“I return to the east, confidnet of
-uccess,” he said. “Privilege has won
ots last battle. We are laying our
cause before the American people
i and they are responding nobly.”
Mr. Davis said everywhere he went
in the west all those with whm he
j talked brought the same message- -
j “that the great silent vote, that vote
which has turned every election in
the past when the American people
came to a cross-road, has made up
its mind this year to turn to the
Democratic party as the only possi
ble avenue of relief.
“The people fully realize,” he -aid
“that the choice lies only between
continuing the present discredited
Republican regime or installing the
Democratic administration in its
stead.”
Asserting that in all the states he
had visited—West Virginia, Illinois,
Indiana. Wyoming, Nebraska. Colo
rado, Kansas and Missouri—he had
found the Democratic party intact
and undivided, Mr. Davis said its
members were working tagether in
an “absolute unity of purpose and
with an interest I have never seen
surpassed in any campaign.”
“Everywhere that I have been, I
have heard the same story,” he add
ed, “and it has come to me from men
regardless of previous party affilia
tion—it is that of dissatisfaction
with the service rendered—or lather
denied by the government, during the
. last three and a half years.
I “The farmer resents the deception
i that was attempted by the Repub
■ lican party in placing an utterly en
j effectivetariff duty on his produets;
, he resents the artificial increase in
the price of all things he buys; and
1 he is convinced that there is no sin
I cere purpose on the part of the Re
publican party to take any steps in
his interest
“The laboring man is no larger de
ceived by the cry of Republican pros
perity and feels keenly the rising
cost of living.
“The exposure of corruption in
Washington made a far dcepe rim
pression on the public mind and the
moral sense of the country than the
leaders of the Republican party are
willing to admit. They have not been
forgotten ad wil not be forgiven.
“I found moreover, that in the mid
dle west—contrary to the impression
which prevails in some quarters—the
people were deeply interested in the
foreign policy of the government and
entirel y out of sympathy with the
timid and evasive course which the
present administration has pursued.”
GLENDALE SCHOOL
TO BE DEDICATED
| Mr. E T. Boyette, of Princeton,
was in the city last week. Mr. Boy
' ett will be principal of the Glendale
high school in Beulah township for
the coming year. This is one of the
new high schools just completed in
the county, and one of the schools
that will have a teacherage in con
nection with the school. Thi school
will open on October 8 anu on Octo
i ber 10 special dedication exercises
will be held. Some speaker of note
will be on the program, announce
ment of which will be made later.
Junior Order Picnic
Rev. D. H. Tuttle went to Bethel
Baptist church Thursday and ad
dressed the Junior Order of Amer
ican Mechanics in union Sunday
school and Jr. Order picnic. A large
crowd attended and a splendh’ !in
ner was served.