VOL. XI., NO. 30
"REMINISCENCES."
Biographical and Historical Sketch
by Dr. P. s. Hicks, Treating of
Local Persons and Scenes.
She came and stayed about two
months and all went well.
Wasn't that good luck and grand for
a poor soldier? And all was accom
plshed Without money, simply done
by my being gifted wittr wit and ven
triloquism from tne blessed Lord.
As to Mr. Weldon Hunter or Nash
Hunter as he is called, I reckon he got
a disci" arge, he has since died, as he
had already served in the Mexican war
and his record showed that he had been a
good soldier. He has two brothers living
near Rocky Mount, Henry D. Hunter,
and John H. Hunter. After my wife left I
was ordered back tc my company. About
the time I got to Richmond there came
a big snow, so I reported to Winder
Hospital to wait for better weather.
That is very easy to do if you know
how. A doctors commission in the army
impowers him to locate, send on or re
tain a returning soldier from a hospital
to his command. So the weather being
unfavorable, a big snow on the ground
and I just out of comfortable quarters
thought it best to report to a doctor at
a hospital. I did so, was examined and
accepted and remained there a few
weeks. I wrote home, Thomas Bras
well, my wife's nephew was living
there, he wanted to come to meet me
in Richmond, go on with me to my
company and join the army if he was
accepted. That would make the third
time he had tried to get in the army.
The first time he went with Capt. Ham
mond from Rocky Mount, the second
time was when he went with me merely
becausa he wanted to be with me and
be in the army, but was not sworn in;
he got hurt by tailing from the forge
and my captain sent him back home.
We now come to the third time when
he met me in Richmond. My wife got
him a pass-pert and transportation
from Tarboro to Gordensville where my
company was at that time. She wrote
me when to look for him at the hospital.
He was not there on time. I knew
something was wrong, that perhaps he
had got in Richmond and been taken up
by the provost-guard, so I got a pass and
started to look for him. I passed along
by a large building known as the Sol
diers Home, but was more like a jail.
I heard Tom hollow out "Uncle Phes,"
I looked up, his head was out the win
dow of the third story of the building I
think. I then asked him what he was
doing up there. He answered back,
"They have got me, I was taken up
when I got off the train and have been
here two nights and one day, they have
also takcen my pass-port and try trans
portation." I told him to jUst be quiet
I would look after him. I applied
at the door, the guard was ordered to
let me in. I went to the office and
asked who was the commander, "Lieut.
Bates," was the reply. "What do you
want," he said. I told him I wanted
T. W. Braswell out of there. "What
have you to do with him," he asked.
"He was on his way to join my company
at Gordensville, you have destroyed his
pass-port and transportation. Now
you give him up or you will find out
what I have to do with him. *1 will re
. port you to the higher authority.'' H e
released him at once. It seemed that
this Soldiers Home, as it was called,
was a kind of lie over place for soldiers
returning to their command and to put
captured stragglers in that were not
disposed to go to their command, and
sent off afterwards under guards.
While in Richmond I found out that
even a conscript was entitled to SSO
bounty as much as a volunteer. I ap
plied for it so I managed to draw my
bounty while in Richmond, and every
man in the company drew theirs. In a
few days the snow had all melted, the
weather was favorable and I asked for
a discharge from the hospital and re
turned to my company, taking Tom
with me as a recruit. It happened that
a few days before then orders had come
saying every person furnishing a re
cruit under 18 years of age should have
a thirty days furlough. I had not heard
of it until I got in camp, when I did
everybody yelled out, "Hicks has
brought him a furlough!" Yes, when
I got back it seemed that the whole
company gathered around me and
•cheered and expressed their gladness
at my return, and at the same time
continuing their "how-do-you do" to T.
W. Braswell who had come to join their
company as my recruit. He entered as
a recruit furnished by P. S. Hick*, so
that entitled me to a 30 days furlough.
My readers, if you ever were a sol
dier or ever are one, you know or will
know that a 30 days furlough is worth
«lot of "bread cast upon the waters."
But the bread did not stop there. I
she yioeku Mount 9teecrd.
got my furlough, went homr and while
here got two more recruits and took
them back with me, making in all 90
days in furloughs that I got providen
tially through the agency of T. W.
Braswell, at the same time not pur
posely on his part, not that he would
not have willingly contributed to me all
the aid he could, but in this case it was
a help or reward from the blessed Lord
through this boy as an agent to me for
the relief and .aid I gave him and his
helpless brothers and sisters, when left
dependent by the death of their father.
So it turned out after many days that I
was amply paid for all the bread that I
cast upon the waters along that line.
As I said before, I got two recruits
while at home, Eddie Harredand James
Boseman, and they went through the
war without a scratch. «"
When I returned to my company I
sent in for a 60 days furlough but only
got 30 days. I remained with my com
pany about two weeks and off for home
again. A few days before this|the fall
of Plymouth had taken place, and a
number of federals taken prisoners.
They were brought to Tarboro for
transportation but were detained two
or three days. While there they were
encamped under guard just across the
river from Tarboro. Rations were
rather scarce with them and they were
very anxious to buy something to eat,
those who had money. There were
several who sold them something to
eat, with the consent of the guards.
My wife was among the number, who
took with her a lot of nice things, and
old aunt Liza Dancy, the cook, to carry
the basket. She sold the prisoners
$13.00 worth that day. There were
two prisoners who had no money, and
they were very hungry. She gave
them something to eat for which they
seemed very thankful, and told her
they hoped the Lord would reward her
if they never saw her again. But they
did see her agairf. A few months after
wards they were paroled and back in
the army, and Wete in the raid that
visited Tarboro, which is remembered
I,7'dt. It w.-iif'fche same raid vbai c«.m.
to Rocky Mount and destroyed the cot
ton and grist mills belonging to W. S.
Battle, and played havoc and destruc
tion with a lot of other things. The
raid I think came by the way of
Washington and Greenville. It was re
ported ahead ' that the Yankees were
coming, and they came sure enough.
Everybody was in terrible confusion,
some left ho-ne and others hid in dif
ferent places.
wife told me she was standing in
the door when she saw the Yankees
coming. There were several men in
front of the regiment, on horses, there
was one lieutenant in charge. They
rode up to the house, my wife yet
standing in the door, and the lieutenant
said, "how do you do?" She told him
that she was so much excited that she
didn't do well. He told her not to be
alarmed that they would not hurt her,
then he continued "Is this your place?"
"No, it belongs to a Mr. Dancy, I only
live here." "Where is your husband?"
"He is in Lee's army in Virginia."
"How long has he been there?" "I
don't remember exactly, ever since the
'conscript."
(To be continued.)
Getting on in The World
is a matter of vast personal interest
to each and every one of us. There is
a wholesome joy in making headway in
the world of dollars; in feeling one's
horizon of poverty being pushed back,
pushed father and farther away. Get
ting on in the world means growth,
material growth; a broader grasp of af
fairs and a larger confidence in one's
ability to do the things which count;
the things which make for the upbuild
ing of our community certainly is a mat
ter of personal interest to every prop
erty owner, every tax payer, every
young man and every young woman in
our town and the surrounding country.
Do you \ssh to join the ranks of those
who are getting on in the world? Its
not so hard as you may imagine; just a
little practical application of the virtue
of thrift, a cutting out of your unnec
essary expenses, the saving of your
expenses, the saving of your money
and the starting of an account with
The Bank of Rocky mount.
Dr. J. M. Baker operated upon a five
months old colored child at the Pittman
hospital Tuesday for hydrocephalus.
The case is peculiar in that the child's
head was thrice its normal size and
since the operation, the bones of the
skull have shrunk to such an axtent
that the child is not-expected to Kve.
A Newspaper For The Home. Published Every Thursday Morning.
A Peculiar Case.
(Tarboro Southerner.)
ROCKY MOUNT, M«C., IHUBS'DAY, MARCH-26, 1908.
• : X
MURDERER CAPTURED DY POLICE.
William Alford, Desperate Segro
Wanted for Killing an Officer at
Dillon, S. C., Taken by Police lere.
Chief Davis and other membeife of
the Rocky Mount police force made an
important capture Sunday night
in a negro house on Washington street,
they arrested William Alford, a colored
man of about 22 years of age, wno is
wanted for killing an officer who .wts
trying to arrest him near Dillon, S\ C ,
some four or five weeks ago.
Chief Davis and Officer A. L. Dickens
went into the room where AlforcH and
three others were sitting and
pointed out Alford to Mr. Dicktoii,
recognizing him from a description he
had received, Alford attempted to shod
Officer Dickens but found himself .fac
ing the muzzle of the chief's pistol, arl
surrendered. After being locked »in t
cell Alford confessed to the killing an!
talked freely to The Record man whet
seen later.
Alford's story is to the effect that hi
went from his home at Rowland, N,'C
to Dillon, S. C., on a visit to his brothe.
and when he had left Dillon on his wa,
back home he was overtaken by
men in a buggy and one, an
ordered him to throw up his hands
This, he said, he did, and asked th
officer what he wanted to arrest hin
for. About this time Alford's nui'i
started off and the officer began to btv, ■
Alford over the head with a pistol whti
the latter shot him, according to tb (
prisoner's story. The officer's conip&v j
ion picked him up and put him in (la
buggy and went back to Dillon, A! for
and the girl with him in the j
driving to his home, where he stayed
that night and then come to Roc*;.
Mount. Since he has been here he has
been at work at Mr. Groom,s mill, and
the police have been quietly working en
tile case, with the result recorded.
Alford is Jield pending the arrival
officers from Dillon. He is k!1
up over his' plignt and moans
incessantly, facing certain death for his
crime, as he does. There are several
tales of what he was wanted for by the
Dillon officer, and upon this subject
Alford throws no light, professing ig
norance.
The Weather is "Versatile."
"Bo yOu know, I think this is the
finest climate in the world," said a
friend to The Record Friday. It was
snowing to beat the band. "Thursday
night when I went to bed I raised the
window, lay down on the top of the
cover and began to woo the god Mor-j
pheus as lam wont to do in the 'good
old summer time,' and lo! before day
I was glad to get my discarded cover
and lower the window. Today it snowed.
There's the beauty of the climate; nc
monotony, but some kind of weather tc
suit everybody, and I always did ad
mire versatility in anybody or any
thing.''
The gentleman spoke but a truth,
The weather is indeed "versatile." Oi
Thursday one said "winter is gonej
spring has come," when on Friday w«
had about the heaviest snow of th;
season.
A Chained Potato.
The Record received this week f:on
Mr. J. M. Cutchin, of Whitakers, i
curiosity in the shape of a potato
grown by Noah Pridgeon. The potitq,
which is well matured, is chained, lav
ing three links of a plow trace attached
to it. When the root was small it evi
dently pushed its way through a link; of
the chain and as it grew the potatc di
vided itself on either side of the link
and continued growing until two well
formed potatoes are there, connected
like Siamese twins by a stem vhich
passes through the link.
Mrs. James Wiggins Dead.
Mrs. James Wiggins died a { her
home on Franklin street, this city Sun
day morning, after an illness of some
time. The funeral was preach»d at
the home Monday morning by Ref. D.
H. Tuttle, and the remains were taken
to Wilson for interment in Mapbwood
cemetery. Mrs. Wiggins is survived
by her husband and two children, i
Tbe Personal Interest
you take in building up and t&ring
for it will have much to do with your
individual success and success oi any
enterprise with which you idaitify
yourself. It is all under your owr con
trol —come in and let us tell you how
easy it is to start an account wit) The
Bank of Rocky Mount.
7 _
HON. W. W. KITCHIN SPEAKS.
Candidate for Governor Greeted by
Large and Enthusiastic Audience
in the Opera House Tuesday Night.
Hon. W. W. Kitchin, prominent can
didate for governor of North Carolina,
spoke in the Masonic Opera House
Tuesday night to a large and enthusias
tic audience, composed of both ladies
and gentlemen. Mr. Kitchin came in
|on the evening txain from Nashville,
I where he spoke to a large crowd in the
j court house at noon, and though only
short notice was given of his speaking
in Rocky Mount at night the crowd to
greet him was flatteringly large. He
was introduced by Mr. J. B. Ramsey,
who paid the distinguished congressman
from the fifth district a high tribute in
an eloquent short speech.
Though somewhat fatigued from the
strain of a strenuous campaign Mr.
Kitchin was in good form and presented
his side of the case in a forceful, plain
way that appealed to his audience. He
devoted a portion of his speech, at the
beginning, to a discussion of the issues
and declaring his position on them,
and then paid h ; s respects to the criti- j
cisms and cnarges made against him by 1
those opposing his candidacy. In dis
cussing rate legislation and the panic
Mr. Kitchin made mince meat of the
argument that the latter was due to
the former. The prohibition question,
he declared, was not a political one,
but moral, and said that he claimed no
credit for having always been for pro
hibition and would vote for it on May
jp6ih.
; He discussed monopolies, natural and
unnatural, and explained why natura
jnonopolies, such as railroads, toll mills,
treet car lines etc, could and should be
egulated, while unnatural monopolies,
uch as the American Tobacco Company
' nd other trusts could not be regulattd
Ind should be dissolved. No question
raised, said the speaker, when the
-jy o. i/T? e.g-*. / |K» jjortorc.^
but when the rich and
•ailroads came in for their Share of
angulation some people wdufcjlftirow up
tseir hands in holy horror and say, you
a*e against property. No one, said Mr.
titchin, was against railroads and
ai.er corporations n the honest con
dict of their business, but when they
ppressed the people it was the duty of
hose in au f h r >rity t9 fearlessly safe
guard the rights of the people.
The greater part of Mr. Kitchin's
speech was devoted to answering per
sonal attacks on him by those opposing
his candidacy, and, while dispassionate,
this part of the speech was delivered
with all the force of which he is capa
ble. He said the American Tobaco
Company, the Southern Railway and
their allied interests and powerful
newspapers in sympathy with them
were opposing his candidacy, because,
said the speaker, they know from his
record that that he cannot be controller 1 .
He appealed to his friends
to be ready at all times to answer un
just and unfair charges brought against
him by his enemies, and to point to his
record an all public questions during
his twelve years in congress as a re
futation of the charge that he is a dan
gerous man.
Mr. Kitchin's speech was warmly
received and frequently punctuated by
applause. He has many strong sup
porters in this section and they were
glad of the opportunity to hear him
Tuesday night.
Novel Grounds Eor Divorce.
Asheville, N. C., March 20.—Novel
grounds for the annullment of marriage
vows are advanced by James W. Brook
shire, in a suit for divorce against his
wife, Ellen Brookshire, instituted here.
The plaintiff alleges that in January,
1903, he, the defendant, and others
were a£ a dance and frolic; that he got
drunk; that it was proposed as a joke
to draw lots as to who should marry
and that the lots fell to him and the
defendant, that a marriage license was
secured and the eeremony performed.
He alleges that when he sobered and
learned what had happened he immedi
ately repudiated the marriage and that
he and his "bride" never lived together.
Tbe Bank of Rocky Mount
is incorporated under the North
Carolina banking laws, and is regularly
examined by The State Bank Examiner.
It confines itself to a straight, legiti
mate and conservative banking busi
ness, no speculation, no "high-finance"
It respectfully solicits the account of
the people of this community who ap
preciate safety for their money and as
liberal treatment as is consistent with
absolute safety. -&£t
For Municipal Election.
The annual municipal election is
coming on apace, but as yet there has
been little talk about it on the streets.
Six members of the board of aldermen
are to be elected, one from each ward,
to succeed the following members
whose terms expire this year: Mr.
Thomas. H. Battle. Ist ward; Mr. Geo.
L. Edwards, 2nd ward; Mr. J. E. Hum
phries, 3rd ward; Mr. H. E. Brewer,
4th ward; Mr. R. R. Gay, sth ward;
Mr. T. C. Gorham, 6th ward. So far as
known now all of the the present mem
bers will stand for reelection.
At a meeting of the board of mayor
and aldermen held in the Mayor's office
on March 19, 1908, the following regis
trars and poll-holders were appointed to
hold the city election on the first Mon
day in May, 1908:
First Ward. A. W. Arrington, regis
trar. J. P. Daughtry, R. C. Burton,
poll-holders.
Second Ward. George Thomas, reg
istrar. E. J. Bennett, J. H. Thorp,
poll-holders.
Third Ward. R. W. Rawls, regis
trar. J. Q. Robinson, Luther D.
Daughtridge, poll-holders^
Fourth Ward. O. R. Sadler, regis
trar. C. W. Smithson, John Winters,
poll-holders.
Fifth Ward. J. P. Bulluck, regis
trar. John T. Richardson, R. D. Tre
vathau, poll-holders.
Sixth Ward. C. A. CamD, registrar.
W. D. Rice, J. C. Stewart, poll-holders.
Secures Verdict for $6,000.
At Nash superior court in the case of
Mrs. Charity Strickland vs the A. C. L.
railroad the jury awardad a verdict for
the plaintiff in the sum of $6,000, from
which the company's counsel appealed.
The suit was brought against the rail
road for $25,000 damages for the killing
about 18 months ago of Mr. Geo. W.
Strickland at the Tar River bridge,
near Rocky Mount. Mr. Strickland had
tfiu
day of election, and started to .cross
the bridge at night when a train knocked
him in the river, where his dead body
was found the next morning.
The case was ably contested by At
torneys Austin & Grantham and Battle
& Cooley, representing the plaintiff,
■ and Spruill & Bunn, representing the
company.
Caught Aged Distiller.
N. C., March 19.—For three
years revenue officers have been on the
lookout for Gideon B. Vick, an aged
white man, wanted for illicit distilling
near Mount Pleasant in Nash county.
By some means or other he always
caught on to the fact when the officers
were in his neighborhood, and for three
years he has succeeded in keeping out
of their way. Yesterday, however, U.
S. Deputy Marshal John D. Meares
went on a "still hunt" and before the
aged moonshiner knew it Mr. Meares
tapped him on the shoulder —in the of
fice of the clerk of the court of Nash
county—and said "I want you." The
old man saw that the jig was up and
quietly submitted to arrest.
He was brought to Wilson last night,
and in default of a heavy bond he wa
lodged in jail. His case will be heard
before Commissioner A. B. Boykin to
morrow.
The Man Who Succeeds
in getting things to come his way
generally, makes sure by going out
to meet and invite them in. He
has a checking account at the bank
because of its real value in limiting
wasteful expenses, its conveniences,
its safety and he knows it is an invita
tion to success to meet him half way, an
invitation she is in of accept
ing. Why don't you have a bank ac
count?
A Flay By Home Talent.
Plans are being perfected for an ama
teur performance "Fad and Fancies,"
to be given by the young ladies and
young men of Rocky Mount for the
benefit of the Masonic Temple. "Fad
and Fancies" will be the chief social
event of the Easter season. The names
of the participants will be published
later.
George Stewart Coming.
Rev. Geo. Stewart, the great gospel
evangelist and temperance orator, will
speak in the Opera House on next Fri
day evening March 27th, at 8 o'clock.
His equal has never spoken in Rocky
Mount. He makes only two speeches
in the State, Durham and Rocky Mount.
Everybody come. free.
PRICE 5 CENTS
HAPPENINGS IN POLICE COURT.
Comedy and Tragedy of a Week as
Enacted In Calamity Hall Before
Mayor Thorp.
Pleasant Hill, colored, accomplished
the feat of stealing and carrying away
a 200-lb sack of guano, according to
strong evidence against him in the re
corder's court Thursday morning, and
he was sent up to superior court under
SIOO bond. Robert Jennings paid $5
for shooting a pistol in the city, and a
young white fellow from New Jersey,
who was stranded here, was discharged
on a charge of vagrancy. It was when
Alice Faison was tried on a charge of
disorderly, in smashing a chicken coop
belonging to a neighbor, that the
hangers on at the session got a run for
their money. By one of those peculiar
circumstances of fate Alice's brother,
rheumatic cripple, was the most damag
ing witness against her, and this loosed
the phials of Alice's wrath and she said
some tnings, which in effect was that
the aforesaid brother, Archie Dekayser,
is now, was and has been for a long*
time conducting a blind tiger at his
home. Forthwith Arcnie's transgress
ing self was enmeshed in the toils of
the law, a warrant being issued against
him for selling liquor without license,
and the case continued to get other
witnesses.
Friday morninor Thomas Reed, a
colored vagrant, was given 30 days,
and a sanitary law offender was fined
$2.
Saturday morning Mamie Johnson
was given 30 days on the roads and
John Battle was fined $7.50 for indulg
ing in disorderly conduct in Soden Bot
tom Friday night. Efird Barnes, a
colored vagrant was given 30 days on
the roads to acquaint him with good
honest labor.
The improvement in the financial con
ditions exerted its influence-on the eul
lud sports and many-of tbf to
wJras, where crap snooting and -he
game of "skin" was tne main bill of
fare, with harbecUe on the side. Things
went smoothly until the afternoon
when the police got wind of it, and, it
being in their jurisdiction, began to in
vestigate. There were about 40 of the
sports assembled near the rock quarry
and when the police put in their appear
ance a third of them heard the "call of
the wild" and with almost indecent
haste began to take their departure.
Eye witnesses testify to the fact that
they were running some, in fact, one
bunch outran a dog that had been un
wisely keeping company with them;
but 11 were rounded up and landed in
the lockup until Monday morning when
they told, or at least didn't tell, Re
corder Thorp all about it. Among the
number were Walter Bizzell, Henry
Battle, Marion Battle, George Mayo,
Curtis Bunn, Ben Ricks, Jim-
Mallory and Dave Jones. Nary a crap
did any of 'em shoot, said they, but jess
simply 'joying the fresh air and a little
barbecue, until it comes Dave Jones''
time to talk. Dave intimated that he
had given the matter due and careful
thought, and inasmuch as he had con-
cluded that they couldn't hang him fer
it, he would not black his family scutch"
eon nor dishonor his name by telling a
lie, but would the tale unfold as it
really was, so help him. His story was
interesting and elicited the applause rt
deserved from the spectators, which,
however, was suppressed by the, court.
To give Dave's version in his own
words were impossible, but in substance
he said, after he had carefully donned
his best hand-me-downs Sunday after
noon he sauntered forth for a stroll and
as luck would have it struck this bunch
of sports celebrating. Not having any
conscientious scuples against it he de
cided to "investicate" the proverbial
30 cents he had "with him" in the
game—and lost. Dave was advised by
the court that thiS'Was not unusual in
games of chance, in which he equiesced
and added that lie had had such experi
ence before. Dave then threw further
light on the matter by naming some
others who played. Henry Battle,
George Mayo, Curtis Bunn and Ben
Ricks were convicted and fined sls
each, while Dave's candor got him off
with ass fine. A raid on Dora Winters'
house, Saturday night, where gambling
was going or, resulted Monday morning
in the discharge of the two men,,
captured, for lack of evidence. Other
cases disposed of were Caleb Battle,
disorderly, $7.50; Matthew Davis,
drunk and disorderly, -$7.50; Charley
Freeman, committing a nuisance, $7.50.
For good board and comfortable
rooms aply to Mrs. L. F. Wright half
block from depot former residence of
Mr. Bob Arrington 415 Church St.—
Mar. 26.