gmithfield Needs:
—Bigger pay roil.
—Modem hospital.
_Renovation of Op
era house.
_More paved streets.
'-Chamber Commerce
J ohnston
Forty-fourth Year
SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRID,
“We
Smithfield—
You will too”'
_}__
Number 74
Newspaper-Established
MORNING, JULY 31, 1925
1882
May Uncover Big
Gang Of Robbers
Arrest Negroes Who Were In
The Four Oaks Robbery;
White Men Also In
the Gang.
OPERATE IN THREE STATES
An article which throws light upon
the robbery which took place not long
ago in Four Oaks was published in
the Williamston Enterprise in the is
sue of July 24. We herewith repro
duce the entire statement concerning
the operations of what appears t»o
be an organized gang:
“What appears to be the breaking in
on one of the largest band of organ
ized thieves that ever operated in this
section occurred last week when Chief
of Police Martin of Bethel arrested
Frank Modica and W. L. Forrest of
House Station.
The arrest was made upon com
plaint of Whitehurst and Aindrews of
Bethel whose store had recently been
broken into and much merchandise
stolen- Information had reached
Whitehurst and Andrews that Mordi
ca had been selling various articles
of -wearing apparel around the camps
of a road construction force and to
the workmen of a contractor nearby.
^§oth Mordica and Forrest were ar
jpEeri and -placed in the Greenville
jail The triaj led to the discovery of
a targe nutfeber of items which had
been stolen; Among the articles be
ing a suit of clothes and a shirt bear
ing the cost mark of Bailey and Barn
hill of Everetts which were identified
by Mr. C. B. Roebuck, the clerk who
marked the goods.
For sometime the negroes refused
to talk but after a time Mordica ad
mitted not only the Whitehurst and
Andrews, and Bailey and Barnhill
robberies but many others.
He stated that he was tihe local
agent of two men and one woman who
generally traveled as salesmen in a
Cadillac and a Hudson automoible and
that they -would drive into the terri
tory by appointment and when the
shadows of night grew deepest, they
would enter some store, generally
good dry goods and clothing houses.
He also stated that he was at the
breaking in of the Bailey and Barn
hill store, that a white man also went
in, that they divided and packed the
goods stolen on the old ball park
when the trail had been followed by
blood hounds.
Mordica further stated that they
were never to take too much, but
were to take a suit, shirt, dress or
pair of shoes from here and there in
such a way that the stolen articles
would not be missed. He stated that
the store of Bailey and Barnhill and
also that of Johnson, Smith Co., of
Robersonville, had been robbed recent
ly. The owners did not even know
their stores had been robbed. The
same occurred at Bethel, where they
had gone in Bunting’s store and
Blounts store.
Mordica said they paid him on a
percentage basis, that is he received
a portion of the stolen goods, which
he took to the pressing club of For
rest and worked them off by degrees.
The territory worked by Mordica was
Pitt and Martin Counties, from
Everetts west. He said he was not in
the robbery of the B. F. Perry store
here, which occurred a few months
ago, though he knew about it and the
white people were the same pople that
he served, but their allies were local
men.
The store of Turnace brothers of
Ayden and stores at Four Oaks had
also been broken into and robbed. A
negro named George Young, who was <
serving as agent for the gang has al
so been arrested with two other ne
groes who were in the Four Oaks rob
bery.
Sheriff Jackson and deputies of Pitt
county, following the statements of
Mordica took him and George Young
to Norfolk to search for the white
people implicated in the stealing and
leaders of the gang. They found that
the parties living at the place alleged
to be the receiving station for the
gang had been abandoned and the oc
cupants in jail for larceny, but no
(Turn to page four, please)
ORGANIZE POST OF
AMERICAN LEGION
Raleigh Men Assist In Organi
zation Meeting Held At
The Armiory.
DR. HOOKS ELECTED CHM.
Mr. Frank Capps 4th District Com
mitteeman, accompanied by Col. John
H. Manning and Messrs. Howell and
W. Oliver Smith of Raleigh came
down Wednesday night and met at
the Armory with several of the ex
service men of this county and as
sisted them in the organization of a
local post of the American Legion.
Mr. Capps made a very interesting
talk explaining the purpose of this
organization, its aims, and their suc
cess in a number of communities
where the ex-service men had com
pleted the organizations and were car
rying on. He acted as chairman and
accepted the nomination of Dr. Thel
Hooks as chairman of this post with
(Turn to page four, please)
ANNUAL MEETING
COTTON WAREHOUSE
Manager Reports a Falling Off
In Number Bales of Cotton
Handled by the Warehouse
Hie total amount of cotton both
from the cooperative association and
independent cotton growers handled
by the Farmers Cotton Warehouse
here last year was less than five
thousand bales. According to the re
port of the warehouse manager, Mr.
J. V. Ogburn, made to the annual
meeting of the directors and stock
holders held in the commissioners
room here Wednesday afternoon,
4097 bales were received during the
year which closed on July 1, 1925,
and 4401 bales turned out at) a labor
cost of $2170.50 including the salary
Ui tne manager.
Two hundred thirty-one shares of
capital stock was represented at the
meeting Wednesday, 132 in person and
99 by proxies. Mr. J. W. Stephenson,
president of the organization pre
sided over the meeting and after hear
ing the secretary, Mr. R. P. Holding,
read the minutes of the last annual
meeting, the manager of the ware
house, Mr. J. V. Ogburn, gave his
report for the year.
Mr. Ogburn reported 28 bales of
coop cotton in storage on July 1,
1924. During the year up to July 1,
1925, coop cotton in the amount of
1667 bales had been stored, and the
entire amount of 1695 bales had been
turned out. This cotton was kept on
an average of only two months and
six days making the amount of stor
age per bale received 87 cents, thus
costing the warehouse as much to
handle it this short period as it would
to have kept it six months.
The showing for independent cotton
was very little better. Three hundred
sixty-nine bales of cotton were on
hand on July 1, 1924 and during the
year which has just closed only 2430
bales were stored- The number of
bales turned out was 2706 leaving in
storage on July 1, 1925, ninety-three
bales. This cotton was held an aver
age of three months and ten days,
making the amount of storage per
bale received $1-33
Comparative figures show that near
ly a thousand bales of cotton less
were handled last year by the ware
house than the year before and the
cotton that was stored was held only
about half as long as the previous
year. In the discussion that follow
ed it was brought out that if the
stockholders and farmers of the
county would take the proper inter
est the warehouse could be operated
to quite an advantage. The president
stated that the cotton mills were ask
ing for Johnston county cotton, the
(Turn to page four, please)
TENTATIVE PLANS
BRYAN’S FUNERAL
Arlington Will Be Last Resting
Place; Body May Lie In State
in Historic Church.
CEREMONIES TO BE BRIEF
Washington, July 29.—Tentative ar
rangements for the funeral of Wil
liam Jennings Bryan here Friday, all
subject to the approval of his wodow,
were made today as the Commoner
was being brought to Washington
from Dayton, Tenn.
There will be services both at the
New York Avenue Presbyterian
church, where Mr. Bryan worshipped
when Secretary of State, and at the
grave at Arlington national cemetery,
but the whole ceremony will be as
simple as might be that of the hum
blest citizen.
Simple Rites
Save possibly for the artillery
caisson on which the body will be
conveyed from the church to the Po
tomac hills and the sounding of taps,
the soldier’s requiem, at the grave,
there will be no hint of military hon
ors. That will be as Mr. Bryan had
wished.
Immediately upon the arrival of the
funeral train at Union Station early
tomorrow, the bronze casket will be
taken to an undertaking establish
ment, but if Mrs. Bryan approves, it
will be moved a few hours later to
the New York Avenue Presbyterian
church, to lie in state during the af
ternoon and the early hours of Fri
day.
Funeral services at the church will
begin at 3 p. m. Friday, and will
be conducted by the Rev. Doctor Jo
seph R. Sizoo, the pastor ,who is re
turning here from his vacation in
New York state. At the conclusion
of these services the funeral proces
sion will move across the Mall and
Potomac Park to the Virginia hille
beyond the river, where the body will
be interred on the side of a hill dom
inated by the Dewey mausoleum.
Historic Church
The edifice in which the services
will be held is a red brick structure
three quarters of a century old,
tucked in among buildings in the heart
of the city’s business district. It is
known as “The Church of the Pres
idents.”
Here it was that the martyred Lin
coln, whose life Bryan so much ad
mired, worshipped. The pew which
he and his family occupied is still
preserved.
Andrew Jackson, Franklin Pierce,
James K. Polk, James Buchanan and
Andrew Johnson were other Presi
dents whose names have been en
rolled as members of the church eith
er since the construction of the pres
ent building or between tihat period
and the year 1803, when the congre
gation was first organized
The building can accommodate about
1000 persons in the main auditor
ium and in the old-fashioned balcony
above, but most) of the seats will be
reserved for government officials di
plomats and friends of the Commoner
Because of the usual congestion of
traffic in the vicinity, the police have
made elaborate arrangements to han
dle the thousands who are expected
to visit the church if the body lies in
state tomorrow and Friday. With exit
doors on each side, as well as the
main entrance, the quick passage of
those who would pay a last tribute to
Mr. Bryan would be facilitated-—As
sociated Press.
OVER HALF MILLION SERVED
BY NEAR EAST RELIEF IN 1924
According to report to Congress by
the Near East Relief for 1924 which
has just been issued, 554,978 persons
which number included mostly women
and children, were served during last
year.
Summarized, the work is sub-divid
ed as follows: Those furnished with
clothing supplies were 424,353; gen
eral adults, 56,773; children 73,852, of
which 41,062 were being maintained
in the orphanage on Jonuary 1, 1924
More than 12,000 were being fed in
families where the parents were un
able to give them support, 10,000 in
General Clinics in refugee camps
where free medical treatment was
administered and the remainder in
special schools for the purpose of
Revival to Begin at Wilson’s Mills
n
Rev. A. F, DeGafferelly, a distinguished Evangelist, of
Danville, 111., will begin a series of meetings at the Christian
Church at Wilson’s Mills, beginning Sunday, August 2. All
are cordially invited to attend these services.
schedule second
Typhoid Campaign
The second county-wide typhoid
vaccination campaign begins August
ith and will continue through the
•ponth. The vaccine is given in the
*8ifm ‘in three doses at weekly inter
vals, and is given to both white and
colored. Every person who has not
taken this treatment within the past
four years should avail themselves
of this opportunity to be protected
against typhoid fever- Diphtheria
vaccine (toxin-anti toxin) will also be
available for children from six months
old to four yeras. This treatment is
given in a similar manner as in the
typhoid vaccine and affords protec
tion against diphtheria for a period
about aqual to that of the former,
which just about covers those years
at which age children are most sus
ceptible to diphtheria.
Please note the following schedule
and meet me promptly on the days
mentioned and at the place most con
venient:
Tuesday, August 4, 11, 18, Selma
City Hall, 2 p. m. Pine Level 4 p. m.
Wednesday, August 5, 12, 19,
Brogden school, 2 p. m. Princeton at
4 p. m.
Thursday, August 6, 13, 20, Benson
City School, 2 p. m. Four Oaks 4 p.
m.
Friday, August 7, 14, 21, Wilson’s
Mills 2 p. m. Clayton 4 p. m.
Each Saturday, Smithfield, Court
House, 3 p. m.
C. C. MASSEY,
THIRTY-EIGHT FARMERS IN
N. C. LEGISLATURE
More than one-fourth of all the
members of the North Carolina state
legislature are farmers, according to
the Sears-Roebuck Agricultural Fbun
dation, which has been compiling fig
ures of farmer representation in the
state legislatures and in Congress.
Of the 50 Senators in the state leg
islautre, 7 are farmers, states the
Foundation, and 31 out of the 120
members of the lower house list them
selves as agriculturists. A few divide
their time between farming and bank
ing, farming and insurance, or some
other profession or occupation in ad
dition to their farm interests.
Iowa with a farm population of 46
per cent has 99 farmers in its legis
lature membership of 158, the high
est proportion of any of the states
studied, the Foundation states- Penn
sylvania with its 11 per cent farm
population, has only 15 farmers in its
legislature out of a total of 258 mem
bers. Mrs. Mabel A. Gillespie of
Gretna, a member of the Nebraska
lower house, is the only farmer’s
wife on record holding a legislative
I job.
i-•
teaching them trades and means of
becoming self-supporting.
f
IHJKTYUnt JOIN
FOUR OAKS CHURCH
Daily Vacation Bible School In
Four Oaks Enrolls 104 Pup
ils For a Month.
Four Oaks, July 29.—The splendid
revival at the Baptist church closed
Friday night with thirty-one addi
tions to the church. The campaign
from the beginning to the close was
refreshing and uplifting to the soul.
The church was revived, the commun
ity was made better and the town as
a whole felt its power. The gifted,
Rev. T- F. Callaway, of Macon, Ga-,
did most of the preaching. The lay
men’s Federation of Smithfield show
ed their cooperation as much as pos
sible. The music of the meeting was
directed by the talented Rev. T. E.
Bush, of Florida. Mr. Bush’s organi
zation and work with the young peo
ple was marvelous- No Four Oaks
congregation ever witnessed before
such a service as was offered by the
“Booster Choir” during the revival.
Approximately one hundred children
were trained by Mr. Bush—giving
thirty minutes each day. Their mes
sage in song and service thrilled the
town.
otuuiuu) nielli ac ciguc u tiuv.iv cue
Daily Vacation Bible School, which
has been in progress here for a month
at the Baptist church, gave their com
mencement exercises. Quite a num
ber of the parents and friends at
tended. Miss Margaret Rich, who was
a student at Louisburg College last
year, directed the music- The pro
cessional was a scene of much beauty.
Rev. James A. Ivey then read the
honor rolls for the different depart
ments. The students on the honor roll
for the intermediate department were:
Lucile Stanley, Pauline Rich, Eliza
beth Lewis and Bessie Massengill. In
the Junior department: Levondus
Baker, E. B. Johnson, Ruth Barbour,
Hazel Parker. There were 104 stu
dent® enrolled with an . average at
tendance of 57. Mrs- J. A. Ivey had
charge of the primary department.
Their exercises were very interesting.
Mrs- J. W. Sanders taught the Jun
ior department. Tlheir memory work
is wonderful. They had learned many
things about the Bible that the older
people do not know. Mrs. Ivey
had charge of the Intermediates. That
department dramatized * the story oi
Ruth. Miss Marvel Sanders played
the part of Ruth. Misses Annie Belle
Thornton, Bessie Massengill, Cather
ine Barbour, took part in the play.
The boys that took part were: Shel
ton Lewis, B. I. Tart, Clifton Grant
Richard Thornton, Obed Keene. The
people then looked at the work these
pupils had done. The sewing, building
of little houses, tables, etc-, were
veryr, very good.
LUDICROUS CASE
AMUSES THE COURT
Street Preacher Shorn of His
Locks and Beard Without
His Consent Sues Ben
son Barbers.
CASE OF HUBERT GAINEY
Ben Parker, Hubert Norris, Parlia
Raynor and Joe Dunn, all white men
of the town of Benson, faced the Re
corder’s Court here Tuesday under a
charge of assault upon A. G. Man
ning, also of the town of Benson, the
case furnishing quite a bit of amuse
ment for those who heard it. A. G
Manning is well known here and in
other parts of the State. Twenty
years ago he was a beardless youth
riding a bicycle about the southern
sections of the county selling pills
and plasters. He was then known as
j Dr. Manning. Manhood brought to
him a growth of whiskers and an am
jbition to preach. About eighteen
'months ago he turned out the whis
kers and his hair to grow, and him
self to preach. The whiskers and hair
made fine progress and being justly
proud of them, he frequented the de
fendants’ barber shops and made free
use of their combs and brushes in
grooming his luxuriant beard and
hair. The defendants, disliking to
operate a free beauty parlor for the
preacher, warned him that unless he
should desist from making such free
use of their implements that they
would certainly shear his hair and
shave his beard. He seemingly forgot
their warnings and on last April 25,
the defendants in broad daylight and
unmasked went to the field where
Manning was plowing and asked him
to taice a nttie riae wrm mem. mu
ing about a mile out of town they
found a forest near a spring. Display
ing their implements they informed
Manning that the promised shave and
haircut were now at hand, and they
proceeded with the operation. Man
ning stated on trial that the boys
forced him on and off a car thereby
injuring his arm and side. He also
stated that by depriving him of his
locks and beard that they had ren
dered him less attractive to the pub
lic and he could not, therefore, preach
with the same far-reaching power as
he could before the assault. He alleg
ed no other harm. The State was rep
resented by L. L. Levinson and the
defendants were represented .by James
Raynor. While the court sharply cen
sured the defendants for their action
in forcibly taking Manning into their
own hands, the court also had a word
or two to speak to Manning. The
court expressed the fact that Manning
was at liberty to wear a beard in any
style he may choose but unless he
should keep it in a more sanitary con
dition than he had formerly done that
he was liable for action for maintain
ing a public nuisance about his face
The defendants were taxed with the
costs and discharged.
Manning is well known in Smith
field. For the past year or two he has
been in Smithfield during court weeks
preaching on the court house green
and selling cabbage plants. If he has
been missed here since April, the
probability is that he has been here
but those who knew him as the street
pre'acher and plant salesman have
failed to recognize him since he ha?
been shorn of his magic locks. He has
been inoffensive here. He has sold
thousands of his cabbage plants here
and no complaint has ever been made
ae-ainst his reliability.
The case of State vs Marvin and
Man Thornton, in which these two
white men are charged with the
burning of Hubert Gainey on the
night of March 26, came to a hearing
at this session of court- This case had
been set for two previous hearings
but owing to the seriousness of the
young man’s condition he has not
been able to attend trial on the prior
dates set for the hearings- The State
at this hearing produced the testi
mony of only one witness, that of
Hubert Gainey The court found prob
able cause and the two defendants
were bound over to the August term
of the superior court, which is set to
open here on August 17th. The de
fendants were released under a $2000
bond. Owing to the singular charge of
i burning and the extreme punishment
(Turn to page four, please)