VOLUME 46—NO. 5
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SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 17, 1927.
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r, .l==r. „■ ——y-:.v~='~
CONSIDER THIS!
The Hearld has the largest circu- i
lation of any newspaper publish
ed in Johnston County. That’s
something to consider, Mr. Ad
vertiser !
$2.00 TER YEAR
Thiskfeek
By Arthur Brisbane
MIGHTY CHEMISTRY
NO ATHEIST GRIP
INDUSTRIAL WAR—
OUR STANDARDS—
-♦
Dr. A. B. Lamb, who teaches
chemistry at Harvard, says chem
ists will solve “humanity’s three
major problems of the future, the
supply of energy, of food, and pre
vention and cure of disease.”
Progress is swift. Twenty-seven
y^ears ago chemists solejmnly
agreed that in chemistry the limit
of knowledge had about been
reached. And since 1900 more has
been learned about chemistry ant
its possibilities, including construc
tion of the atom and the power,
locked up in it than had been
learned in all the previous cen
turies.
The Rev. Frank W. Bible, mis
sionary, says “Atheism is spread
ing in America and in the East
and is literally gripping the world.”
He thinks the coming fight will
be between Christianity and athe
ism, Asia becoming Christian or
atheist. The first step will be a
uniting of all Protestant churches.
It is difficult to understand how
atheism can “grip the world.”
With WHAT does it grip? Athe
ism is mere denial and foolish.
No man can be an atheist who ad
mits that everything of importance
is beyond his comprehension, that
the universe is sustained and di
rected by a power whose exist
ence he feels but cannot define.
Only an idiot would really be
an atheist. Only a fool or bigot
would insist that others accept his
particular definition of God and
his right to interpret omnipotence
and omniscience.
t
All over the world the real war
is industrial war, which has no
armistice and never stops. France
and Germany have combined in a
gigantic dye trust, good for both
countries, because it will make
money, and France and Germany,
having interests in common, may
forget about fighting.
We are developing big units
here. The second and third big
gest chain stores in the United
States, Kresge and Kress, are
planning a $250,000,000 merger.
They do a business of $190,000,000
a year. And Julius Rosenwald, all
by himself, does as much.
This country, urged to recognize
the Russian Government, because
we do business with Russia, says
no; Russia must accept our stand
ards before we recognize Russia.
The next step would be to let
Russia know what our standards
are Are they represented by our
dominating corporations, by our
lynchings, by our bootlegging, by
some of our recent elections to
the Senate for cash, by our in
ability to do anything but talk
when powerful men steal a Gov
ernment’s oil supply?
What arc our standards, exact
ly?
Mrs. Taylor, talented Los An
geles musician, says we sing the
wrong kind of songs, -which ac
counts for our crime wave. Such
songs as “Red Hot Mamma,” says
this lady, “drive youth to crime.”
Young people sing the foolish
songs, and young people fill the
modern prisons.
Saxaphones are harmless. Jazz
properly used is all right, songs
about love are all right, and drive
nobody to crime, if they are mod
est. Mrs. Taylor writes some he?
self. It is “Red Hot Mamma” af
fection that does the harm.
No wonder Stock Exchange
seats go up. Mr. Simmons, presi
dent of Wall Street’s Stock Ex
change, says there is no limit, ex
cept the .%ky, to New York’s fi
nancial future. Securities listed on
the exchange were worth on Sep
tember first eighty-two thousand
six hundred and sixty seven mil
lion dollars, and have gone up
many millions since.
Those millions go back and forth
over the ticker from buyer to sell
er, and the patient broker gets his
little one-ighth. A seat on the ex
change ought to be worth $1,000,
000.
The Canadian Pacific Railroad,
the stock of which went climbing
a few weeks ago, is operated in a
country with population smaller
than that within forty miles of
Would Expedite
Newsome Triai
Bridges Announces Governor
Will Intervene In Supreme
Court In Appeal of Negro
Who Killed Tedder Girl
A move by Governor A. W. Mc
Lean to expedite the hearing: in
the Supreme court of the appeal
of Larry Newsome, Wayne county
negro, now under death sentence,
was announced Friday by Edwin
B. Biidges, the Governor’s Commis
sioner of Pardons.
Newsome had the unusual dis
tinction of being indicted, tried,
convicted and sentenced to death
within three days after the mur- j
der of Beulah Tedder, a 15-year- j
old white girl. The crime of mur- |
der was committed on Thursday j
night, December 8, and on Sunday j
afternoon Judge Henry A. Grady
pronounced judgment after sup-'
pressing threats of violence in the
court room.
1 he Governor 5? intention as an
nounced by Mr. Bridges to expe
dite the hearing by placing the J
case “at the head of the calendar’’ ,
is regarded as extraordinary, as j
the state usually permits cases to '
take their regular course.
Mr. Bridges announced that the ;
Governor would lodge his motion
through Attorney General Dennis j
G. Brummitt, who stated yester-|
day that no direction has yet been '
given him by he Chief Executive. |
As a practical matter the an- i
nounced intention of the executive j
department, if the Attorney Gen- .
eral makes the motion and it is!
granted by the court can at the
most mean only two weeks, as the
appeal would regularly be called,
for argument during the week of
February 20, the third week that
appeals will be heard during the
Spring term.
Wayne county is in the Fourth
District, which is heard during the
same week as the third, and not:
even two weeks would necessarily
be gained in a decision unless the
extraordinary action announced by ,
Mr. Bridges should1 include a re
quest that the decision be handed
down out of turn.
Ordinarily no opinions are hand
ed down until the third week of
the term, and it would be possible ;
to hear the appeal in regular (
course and render a decision on j
the first regular opinion day of the
term.
Announcement of executive in
tervention in the final determina
tion of the case by the courts was
rendered more interesting by the
fact that the action of the Su
preme court will rpobably be fol
lowed by an appeal to Governor
McLean and Mr. Bridges for ex
ecutive clemency.—News and Ob
Truck Kills Son Zeb j
Thompson Instantly
A distressing accident oc
curred yesterday afternoon
about 4:30 o’clock when a
truck driven by Dallas Buffa
lo, colored, struck the four
year-old son of Zeb Thomp
son and killed him instantly.
The accident took place in
front of the child’s home be
tween Pine Level and Prince
ton. The child attempted to
cross the road in front of the
j truck. The truck driver made
' an effort to keep from striking
him by pulling to one side, but
the side of the truck evidently
hit the child’s head.
The negro was arrested by
Deputy Daniel Thomas Oliver
and has been placed in jail
pending a coroner’s hearing.
The truck belonged to the
Wood Grocery company.
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The Guide: Look at that half
ruined castle. It might be at least
eight hundred years old. Believe
me, lady, they don’t build such
ancient castles nowadays!
New York City Hall. What makes
Wall Street pay such high prices |
for a Canadian railroad?
How do you explain the Cana- !
dian Government’s ability to op-1
(era to Canada’s national railroads, j
I national telegraph and telephone i
systems, well with a profit? j
TOTAL PROPERTY TAXES LEVIED IN JOHNSTON COUNTY BY YEARS
1920)26 AND INCREASE FROM 1920 TO 1926
Per Cent Per Cent
Increase Increase State Incr.
Purpose of Levy1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1935 1926 1920-26 1920-26' 1920-26
Six Months School Term-194.829 253,633 208,446 284,788 303,627 298,885 3.30,427 135,598 69.6 pc 83.0 pc
District and Special Chartered Schools 104,137 177,322 159,194 174,977 196,809 220,566 183,954 79,817 76.6 pc 115!9 pc
Total Levies for Schools - 289,966 430,955 367,640 459,7,65 600,436 519,451 514,381 215,415 72.0 pc 93.5 pc
County-wide levies other than School.. . 38,236 92,999 95,885
Township levies other than School. 91,610 116,635 112,521
City and Town other than School _101,238 x x
Total Other Than School_ 231,084 x X
Total levies all purposes .530,050 x X
x—Figures not given in report of Commissioner of Revenue.
109,534 108,438 109,884 110,114 71,878 188.0 pc 97.4 pc
124,989 127,982 141,433 165,214 73,604 80.3 pc xx
x x 135,552 155,373 54,135 53.4 pc 170.0 pc
x x 386,869 430,701 199,617 86.3 pc 117.1 pc
xx 906,320 945,082 415,032 78.3 pc 104.4 pc
xx—Not available.
The accompanying table throws light upon the increase of taxes which is at this time the concern of many Johnston county taxpay
ers. The schools is the biggest item of expense of any county. There has necessarily been an increase in school taxes of this county be
cause of the fact teachers are raising their certilicates and are demanding better salaries, and beca use of the school building pro
gram that has given Johnston county value received in the splendid semi-fireprenf, brick structures that dot its area. However the rate
of increase in school taxes in Johnston county covering a period of seven years is only 72 per cent ai compared with the rate of in
crease in the state of 93.5 per cent.
At the same time that school taxes have been mounting, other county expenses have been going up too, at an even higher rate.
County-wide levies in Johnston county have increased during the seven year period at the rate of 188 per cent, compared with 97.4
per cent in the state.
County Democrats
Hold Meeting Here
Face Tax Situation With
Heads Up and Expect To
Find A Way Out
The Democratic executive com
mittee of Johnston county, in pur
suance with a call from the chair
man, J. B. Benton, of Benson, met
here yesterday with a fair repre
sentation from the various parts
of the county. The meeting had
been opened to any and all demo
crats of the county, and about a
hundred were present.
The chairman stated in his open
ing remarks that the meeting had
been called in the interest of the
tax situation which, as always, is
a subject of considerale comment
when tax paying time arrived. The
chairman called the roll of town
ships, and asked for a report on
bow the people feel concerning this
important matter. Without excep
tion, those giving expression to
heir opinion, were certain that
axes are too high. They feel that
he climax has been reached, and
hat the tide must be stemmed. At
he same time, those present seem
ed to understand that one big
?ause of the increase in taxes is
;he accumulation of deficits during
3ast years when there has been
i failure to levy enough tax to
:ake care of the expense, and which
;he County Finance Act now has
made it mandatory to fund. The
lemocrats here yesterday seemed
:o accept this inevitable debt with
characteristic courage, and there
was no other thought in the minds
)f the majority but that the dem
Dcratic party would find a way out
:>f the woods.
Among those speaking or the
sentiment in their home communi
ties were: John H. Watson, of Beu
lah; Alex Wiggs, of Pine Level;
Dr. I. W. Mayerberg, of Selma;
Henry Stephenson, of Wilson's
Mills; E. H. Gulley, of Clayton;
W. H. Royall, of Banner; J. E.
Gilbert, of Pleasant Grove; Har
vey Marshburn, of Bentonville; C.
W. Pender, of Cleveland, and C. A.
Creech, of Smithfield.
Only one of these men offered
a remedy for the tax problem and
that was Dr. Mayerberg, who after
quoting figures which he had ob
tained from the Commissioner of
Revenue in Raleigh showing that
the increase is not due entirely to
the schools as many believe, sug
gested the managerial form of
county government for Johnston.
The schools, according to Dr. May
erberg’s figures, have shown an in
crease of 72 per cent since 1920,
whereas, county government has
shown an increase of 188 per cent.
After these speakers represent
ing ten of the seventeen town
ships had. spoken, the chairman
called upon County Attorney Paul
D. Grady to have a few words to
say. Mr. Grady started out by say
ing that we cannot have things
without paing for them. He then
recounted items that have contrib
uted to swell the expenditures of
the county, and placed the respon
sibility upon the people themselves.
Taxes have increased because the
number of public officials has in
creased, because the cost of schools
has increased, because the cost of
roads has increased. But, said Mr.
(Turn to page eight, please)
Johnston Co.
Bonds Sell At
Good Figure
! Yesterday at noon, $65,000 worth
of Johnston county highway bonds
were sold at auction at the court
house door, Weil, Roth, Irving
company, of Cincinnati being the
successful bidder. The bonds
brought $65,006.50 at a rate of in
terest of 4Vt per cent. There were
twenty-one bidders.
These bonds w’hich are already
included ir\ this year’s budget, were
sold for county road and bridge
construction. The county authori
ties are very much pleased with
the sale. It is a matter worth
noting that Johnston has a repu
tation in the bond market, and only
two other counties in the state
sell bonds at a rate of interest as
low as 4 % per cent. These coun
ties are Guilford and Durham.
Mrs. Berger Buried
Here Sunday Morn
Body Brought Here From
New Jersey and Funeral
Held At 8:30 O’clock At
Oakland Cemetery
The funeral service of Mrs.
Florence M. Berger, who died at
her home in Pennsgrove, N. J.,
fast week was held here Sunday
morning at eight-thirty o’clock at
Oakland cemetery, conducted by
ltev. L>. H. Tuttle. She was ill for
about two weeks w'ith pneumonia.
Mrs. Berger was twice married,
her first husband being Mr. Jim
Eldridge, a native of this city who
preceded' her to the grave several
years ago. Her second marriage
took place only about two months
ago.
The body which was brought to
this city on an early train and laid
to rest by the side of her first
husband, was accompanied by the
daughter of the deceased, Mrs.
Thomas Sanderson, and Mr. Sand
erson, of Roanoke, Va., and by j
sistre-in-law, Mrs. John Eldridge,
of Boston, Mass. Miss Ellen Eld
ridge, who lives here but who
teaches at Pomona school, and
Mrs. J. H. Tomlinson, of Clayton,
also sisters-in-law, were here for
the funeral.
The pallbearers were W. L. Ful
ler, D. H. Jones, George Thornton,
H. A. Crumpler, W .H. Lassiter,
and W. M. Gaskin.
Tantalizer
There are exactly enough let
ters in the line below to spell
the name of a person in Smith
s field, and if the right one de
ciphers his name and will pre
sent it to The Herald office,
we will present him with a
complimentary ticket to the
Victory Theatre. Tickets must
be called for before the fol
lowing is?u«
Frances Jones recognize*! her
name last issue.
Tooay-B -Tantalizer:
neeabrbk
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Marine Leader
Photo shows Brigadier General
Logan Feland, an experienced
campaigner, in command of the
marines in Nicaragua a year ago,
who has been ordered to take
Charge again.
County Health Officer
Urges Vaccination
Negro In Town Saturday
Broken Out With Smallpox
—Three Cases Developed
In County Last Week
Three cases of smallpox devel
oped in three different sections of
Johnston county last week. This
obviously exposed a great number
of people.
A negro man with a fresh erup
tion came to Smithfield Saturday
to have a local physician diagnose
his case. As he made his way
along the streets, unrecognized,
perhaps, by everyone numerous
contacts were made.
Contact with a case is the man
ner in which it is spread, and the
extent of its spread is governed
largely by the size of the non-im
mune population
Quarantining smallpox, as a
control measure, used to bet a
“time honor” procedure, but this
procedure has been abandoned as
ineffective by public health author
ities everywhere Today the public
recognizes the fact that successful
vaccinaiton affords the only sure
means of protection People having
been successfully vaccinated in re
cent years needs have no fear of
smallpox. All others should! be
vaccinated.
C. C. MASSEY,
Health Officer.
Miss Melissa Lee Dead.
Addison Lee of Ingrams town
ship was in the city yesterday and
told us of the death of his sis
ter-in-law, Miss Melissa Lee, which
occurred Sunday night about nine
o’clock at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Kemple Lee. The deceased had
been sick for some time suffering
with cancer of the stomach. She
had been confined to her bed for
about a month and a half. She
was about fifty years old. Fun
eral arrangements have not been
made at this writing.
Miss Lee leaves four sisters as
follows: Mrs. D. V. Blackman, Mrs.
Willie Eldridge, Mrs. Robert John
son and Mrs. J. V. Barefoot.
Proceedings Of
Recorder’s Court
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One Defendant Answers
Charges In Three Cases On
Total of Five Counts; Is
Found Guilty But Takes
Appeal
One defendant in Recorder’s
court last week, Daniel Young,
was indicted and tried in three
cases, two of which carried two
counts each. He was found gujjty
in each instance and drew a total
road sentence of fourteen months.
However, he took an appeal in
each case to the Superior court.
The record of the cases is as fol
low’s:
State vs. Daniel Young, charged
with assault with deadly weapon
and trespass. The defendant was
found guilty on both counts. On
the charge of assault with deadly
weapon, the defendant was sen
tenced to jail for a term of seven
months to be worked on the roads
of Johnston county and pay cost.
On charge of trespass, he was sen
tenced to jail for a term of thirty
days to be worked on the roads of
Johnston county and pay cost. This
road sentence begins at the expi
ration of the seven months sen
tence. The defendant took an ap
peal to the Superior court.
State vs. Daniel Young, chai’ged
with cursing on the public high
way. Defendant was found guilty
and was sentenced to jail for
term of thirty days to be worked
on the roads of Johnston county
and pay cost. This sentence is to
begin at the expiration of the
two sentences previously pronounc
ed. An appeal wras taken to Su
perior court.
State vs. Daniel Young, charged
with assault with deadly weapon
and trespass. Defendant was found
guilty on both counts. On charge
of assault with deadly weapon, he
was sentenced to jail for term of
four months to be worked on the
roads of Johnston county and pay
cost. On the charge of trespass,
he was senenced to jail for term
of thirty days to be worked on
the roads of Johnston county and
pay cost. This sentence is to be
gin at the expiration of the four
months sentence just mentioned.
The four months sentence is to be
gin at expiration of sentences pre
viously imposed. Appeal was tak
en to Superior court.
Recorder’s court was in session
Tuesday and Wednesday of last
week, a number of other cases be
ing disposed of during that time
as follows:
State vs. G. E. Jones charged
with obtaining marriage license by
false representation. The defendant
was found guilty and prayer for
judgment was continued upon pay
ment of cost.
State vs. Odell Lewis, charged
with operating motor vehicle whik
intoxicated. The defendant was
found guilty and sentenced to ja5'
for the term of 60 days to b(
worked on the roads of Johnstor
county and pay cost. The roat
sentence is to be suspended upor
condition that the defendant doe.'
not operate a motor vehicle agair
in North Carolina during the nexi
ninety days and on further condi
tion that the defendant does *no1
J (Turn to page el^ht, please)
jj Wants Elderly Husband
! Helena Schroder, eighteen-ycar
j "ild New York girl who is looking
for a husband, elderly preferred.
Her mother is ill and her father
is out of work, so Helena will
marry the man who will give her
parents a good home. She is an
excellent housekeeper and a good
':00k.
Dr. W. J. B. Orr Now
Heads Kiwanis Club
Other Officers Elected; Ladies
Night Observed Thursday
Night With Raleigh Man
As Speaker
Last Thursday night the local
Kiwanis club was host to the wives
and sweethearts of its members.
About forty were present to en
joy the program which consisted
of several musical numbers by
jTheron Johnson and Marvin Wood
all who were accompanied on 'thte
piano by Miss Ruth Brooks.
The new president of Kiwanis,
Dr. W. J. B. Orr, acted as toast
master and kept up a lively round
of activities during the hour and
a half of entertainment. B. J.
Holleman put on a paper bag race
and Adam Whitley's side won the
prize, it is said, because of the
ability of Norman Shepard to fur
•nish hot air for a paper bag in
two seconds. Adam’s prize was a
big red apple and when someone
warned him that an apple was a
bad thing for a man named Adam,
j he immediately gave it to one
of the charming young ladies who
was helping with the dinner,
j John McDonald, of Raleigh, was
the speaker of the evening and he
'made a local reputation for him
self asa a humorist. Numerous
'jokes were pulled on the members
of the club. John’s sea of oratory
■ was a little bit rough, but Willie
|Gaskin said he enjoyed it fine.
Willie is an old sailor.
All who attended theg meetin
extolled it as ont of the best that
Kiwanis has given. At an early
meeting the new officers will be
•installed. They are, president, Dr.
W. J. B. Orr; vice-president, Dr.
J. W. Whitehead; secretary and
treasurer, B. J. Holleman; district
trustee, Geo. Y. Ragsdale; direc
tors, W. M. Gaskin, J. P. Rogers,
Adam Whitley, Jr., C. C. Massey
'J. F. SPEAR PASSES AWAY
I AT HOME IN GREENVILLE
The many friends of Mr. and
Mrs. J. F. Spear of Greenville
heard with much sadness of the
death of Mr. Spear in Greenville
'Sunday morning. Mr. Spear had
jbeen ill with pneumonia for two
weeks. He leaves his wife and two
children, Louise and Finley, Jr.
Mrs. Spear lived here for several
years and moved from here to
Greenville about three years ago.
He was a good citizen and has
many friends here and in Green
ville.
The funeral was conducted in
.Chapel Hill yesterday afternoon
I at 3 o’cock. Mrs. W*. H. Byrd, Mrs.
T. W. LeMay, Mrs. A. W. Francis
;and Mr. and Mrs. A. V. Gulley
!attended from here.
.HAS READ EVERY COPY
OF HERALD SINCE BEGUN
I J. W. Hamilton, of Smithfield,
'route 2, says he read the first
Herald published and the last,
j Furthermore, he has read every
jOne between the first and last. He
,says he likes the stat papers but
if he could not get both the state
and county papers he would choose
the Smithfield Herald for he wrants
the county news.
Local Teams Lose
Basketball Games
—♦—
Boys Lose to Fremont and
Girls to Fayetteville; i"n
usually Large Crowd At
tends Games at Banner
Warehouse
• The Purple and Gold quintet find
sextette of Smithfield high bowed
>o its opponents on the Banner
warehouse court here Friday night
before one of the largest crowds
ever to attend a basketball •
test in Smithfield. In the major
event Coach Blankenship’s boys
aggregation went down in defeat
before the strong Fremont ba.1 k*»
teers by a 28-18 score after the
local girls’ team had fallen at the
hands of Fayetteville’s high team
of the fairer sex, the final count
of this latter affray being 1 -
12.
ihe rremont game climaxed a
week of hard preparation and
training by the locals, and v. d
the pass work of the team sh<
up well the ability to land g..;/
from the floor and from the *'•■>»
line was decidedly bad. On Mu
other hand the visitors made ir■ ».*!
of their shots good.
Fremont first broke into the
scoring column late in the fir*t
period by caging two foul shots
and a moment later a field goal
making the count 4-0 at the end
of the quarter. Smithfield came
back in the second quarter and.
after another field goal was cage !
by Fremont, landed two goals in
the net. It gave hope to both tin
local team and local cheering
tion. But Fremont was not con
tent with a two-point margin an i
soon ran their score to eleven
points. The score stood 11 to 4 when
the two teams walked off the
court at the half.
That long hoped for second half
comeback that characterize 1
Smithfield’s play all last season
failed to come until the last fen
minutes of the last quarter when
it was too late to overcome the
pace set by the Fremont osser?.
In this comeback, if it could i-a
termed as one, Ed Uzzle, gu n-;!,
and Ed Parrish, forward, figi red.
Both made several spectac i!n?*
shots just before time was ca *
There were no outstanding stars
of the game although Hooks a -
Captain J. Peacock played well for
the visitors.
The occasion was a peppy one*
Smithfield’s cheering section aid
ed by the high school band backed
their team to the utmost. Fre
mont was not lacking in suppov%
Its cheerios, led by a cheerleader
who had plenty of pep, yelled a:,
the top of their voices as tin
wonder team rung up a vieto- v.
The same evening, Princeton
Erwin high school boys stag< -i
game at the armory, Princeton,
winning the contest by a score 1
23 to 15.
A STRANGE INCIDENT
J. G. Flowers, of Kenly, \va
town yesterday and told of a \
strange incident that occurred r
his home. He said that an acqua
ance of his whose wife has 1
dead about three years, wen
her grave last Saturday, op- *
the coffin, and then called his
daughters to come and see
mother. It is not known
prompted the opening of
grave.
The cute little girl these
'doesn’t have to bother reading
stories—she has them told tt
Aunt Roxie Opine
]?v Mi —
1 i'\
“Bobbed hair wus fojlered hy
bobbed hats,’* . i