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VOL. X VIIL " PLYMOUTH N, C FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2T, 1907. v-KO,20;"j
ClAIMS NOT GUILTY
Letter Said to Mavc Been Left
By Joshua Harrison
FACTS ABOUT THIS SAD AFFAIR
Letter round in Coat Pocket of Josh
ua Harrison, Who Killed Himself
at Norfolk Declaring in God'a
Name His Complete Guiltlessness
of Kidnapping Young Beasley.
Norfolk, Va., Special. Declaring
lie was innocent of the charge of kid
napping Kenneth Beasley and asking
God to bless his family were the last
' words of Joshua Harrison -who blew
out his brains in the Gladstone Hotel,
'in this city, rather than serve a sea
' tence of twenty years in the peniten
tiary., -.,Tbe,foIlowing letter was found
in .the coat, pocket of the dead man
shortly after he breathed bis last at
,St. Vincent's Hospital a few hours
ter he had fired the fatal shot into
is brain. - ' -
Text of Letter.
' "September 6th, '07. This day
I have been notified of an unjust sen
tence of twenty years in the pen.
I am an innocent man; God knows it,
piy family know it. I am-about to
nd my life at my. own hands. No.
one is in any way responsible save
the cruel ones who imposed the awful-
sentence. May God bless my precious
family. T believe the world will be
charitable to them all. To the world
I say, 'Good bye.' Whoever finds
my body notify my daughter Mrs.
G. -A. Gallop, 192 Duke street, Nor
folk, Joshua Harrison."
VOri the back of the note was writ
ten;. "I have in my pocket 55 cents.
I want my effects returned to Maggie
Gallop, 192 Duke street.
With his wife and daughter, Mrs.
Maggie Gallop,, of 192 Duke street;
Norfolk, declaring the dead man was
innocent of any crime and was unjustly-
accused and convicted, and
Senator S. M. Beasley- declaring he
did not believe a word of the letter
left by Harrison, the tragedy will go
down as one of the most horrible and,
perhaps, unique that Norfolk has ever
had happen in its midst. "My hus
band was innocent. God knows he
was," said Mrs. Harrison as she was
helped aboard the train to Jarvisburg,
N. C, to which place the body of
Harrison was sent for burial. "My
father was not guilty of the crime of
kidnapping Kenneth Beasley," said
Mrs. Gallop, who also accompanied
the body of Harrison to Jarvisburg.
"He was asleep at his home the night
the boy disappeared."
. "J don't. believe it," said Senator
Beasley. ' "I am convinced that he
was guilty" and . ninety-nine out of
every hundred persons . in Currituck,
where Harrison was known, are of the
same opinion."
' Carried Secret to Grave. .
Senator Beasley, who is here on a
visit to his wife, at No. 21S Brown
avenue, was apparently very much af
fected by the death of Harrison; .not
that he regretted the end of the aged
man's life, but because he believes he
carried to the grave with him the
secret of his little boy's whereabouts,
if he is alive, or the manner of his
death if he is' dead. "The suicide
has carried the secret to the grave
with him," declared Mr. Beasley, as
he turned away his head to wipe a
tear drop from his eye.. "He has
been tried for murder before," con
tinued Mr. Beasley, ' ' and he should
have ben tried for murder in connec
tion with the disappearance of my
little son, for as true as I stand here
I believe he murdered my boy. The
character of the man and the threat
he made against me leaves no room
for doubt about this in my mind."
Two Corrections Made.
"There ar two things I want is
correct," he said. "It has been stat
ed that I had Harrison arrested for
the illicit sale of whiskey and that he
and I were opposing Jandidates for
the State Legislature. -: I never had
Mr. Harrison arrested for anything
befoie my little boy disappeared, and
Harrison was never a candidate for
the leifciature. ... We were not of the
same political party, as I am a Demo
crat and he was a Republican; and
el though he made threats against me
I never had any feeling against him
until I was convinced that he had kid
napped my boy."
When asked why Harrison should
threaten him, Senator Beasley re
plied: "A fight was on in Currituck coun
ty against the illieit sale of liquor,
jrhich Harrison was engaged in. Four
days before the election in, 1904 I
met Harrison in the road. He stop
ped me and, raising his hand to heav
en, he declared that if the sale of his
wines was interfered with that some
body would be sorry for it and that
he Would have his revenge if it wad
thq last act of his life. The church
Fco of my county had petitioned
7
me to have a resolution passed by the
Legislature that would put a stop to
the illicit sale of liquor, and it was
on this account that Harrison had
the feeling against me. While I knew
his -business was contaminating the
young men ol" Currituck county, Har
rison lived more than five miles from
me and he did no harm personally.
-After his threat there is no room
for doubt that he killed my son; and,
though I have followed many clues
and investigated them thoroughly, I
have never felt that I wauld find ibe
little fellow alive. As long as Har
rison lived I hoped that some day I
would hear what disposition had been
made of him ; but now that he has
kiHe'd himself I feel that Jhe secret
is buried.
"I had offered to waive all prose
cution against Harrison if he would
produce my little boy or tell where he
could be found alive; but he was not
the kind of a man to take advantage
of that opportunity and preferred to
fight it out. The testimony was con
elusive against him. The people of
Currituck thought so at the time and
their judgment is confirmed by the
Supreme Court, which refused Har
rison a new trial after going over the
entire evidence."
Will-o '-the-Wisp Clews.
Continuing Mr. Beasley said thai
Harrison had ample opportunity to
get possession of Kenneth. Referring
to some of the clues that he had re
ceived as to the whereabouts of his
son, Senator Beasley recalled a letter
that had come to him in April, 1905.
'The writer told me if I would
place $500 under a trestle on the At
lantic Coast Lino Railway, near
Rocky Mount, N. C, at 5 o'clock o
the evening of April 11th, my soa
would; be" returned to me at whatever
place iMesired him left, but that if
I ma3e any. alarm his body would be
sent to me in a keg of brine. When
I received, the letter I came to Nor
folk. 7
"Edgar White,, of White Bros, on
Commercial Place, went. to the bank
and drew. $500 for me. We went to
the Gladstone Hotel that night and
sat up there until morning, taking
the numbers of the bills and the
banks which issued them, hoping that
we might in this way be able to trace
them. Then we went to the place
designated by the writer of the letter
and there deposited the money. Two
men from Norfolk lay in the bushes
near the spot all night and as nobody
came"lor the money they brought it
back to Norfolk the next day. I have
had several clues since that time and
I have been as far west as Arkansas
looking into one of them."
"Had I wanted Harrison to die, I
could have accomplished this by ex
pressing the desire to my fellow coun
tyrnen in Currituck. - They would
have lynched him without hesitation
if I had siaiply said the word. I
waited for the law to take its course."
1 Kept His Nerve All Right.
Joshua Harrison, Jarvisburg. N. C.
registered at the Gladstone Hotel
about 4 :25 o 'clock Tuesday afternoon.
He walked up to the counter and ask
ed W. C. McDowell, the day clerk, if
he could get a room. Then the clerk
asked him to register. Mr. Harrison
said he did not know whether he could
write or not, as he had left his eye
glasses somewhere. Mr. McDowell
offered his, and Harrison wrote his
name on the register in plain even
hand, with no indication of nervous
ness. He was assigned a room on the
second floor and was shown to it by
a bell boy. "I noticed nothing un
usual in his manner," said Mr. Mc
Dowell, "but in about fifteen. minutes
after he had gone up to his room De
tective Wright, of the Norfolk force,
came in and asked me if Mr. Harri
son was in. I told him yes he show
ed mo a telegram that had been receiv
ed from Williamston, N. C-, in which
the Norfolk police were asked to ar
rest Harrison, as the Supreme Cout
had confirmed the judgment of the
lower court. The telegram asked the
police to disarm Harrison, stating
that TIeTiad threatened suicide, When
the boy went up to Mr. Harrison's
room and told him that somebody
wanted to speak to him, he. replied:
"I'm not coming out." Before the
boy could get in communication with
the officer, a pisfol shot rang out and
when the door of Harrison's room was
opened he was found lying on the
bed with an ugly wound in the side
of his head. Captain Ford, of the
police department, ordered an ambu
lance and the man. was taken to St.
Vincent's Hospital, after he had been
attended by Dr. Schenck-
Harrison, it is said, had declared
that he would kill -himself before he
would serve the sentence of the court,
pretesting that he was innocent of,the
crime. lie had hoped that the Su
preme Court to which he had appeal
ed, would act favorably. When the
news came Monday morning that
judgment of the ' lower court had
been confirmed by the Supreme Court,
he gave up in despair and determined
to end his life.
Everyday' goodness in living is the
best commentary oa the law and the
Gospel.
HARRISON A SUICIDE
Convicted Kidnapper Wouldn't
Pay Penalty
BLEW CUT HIS OWN BRAINS
Preferred Death to a Sentence of
Twenty Years in the North Caro
lina Penitentiary, Joshua Harrison,
Who Was Convicted of the Kidnap
ping of Young Kenneth Beasley,
Shoots Himself in Norfolk Hotel.
Norfolk, Va., Special. Rather than
serve 20 years in tho penitentiary
for kidnapping Kenneth Beasley, the
9-year-old son of State Senator S. M.
Beasley, of Currituck county, N. C,
Joshua Harrison placed a pistol to
his temple and blew out his brains
Wednesday afternoon in his room at
the Gladstone Hotel, while officers
were waiting in the lobby to arrest
him for the North Carolina authori
ties, for being a fugitive from justice.
The Supreme Court of North Caro
lina denied, Harrison a new trial. He
was out on $3,000 bail. The chief of
police of Norfolk received a telegram
from Solicitor Ward, of , Elizabeth
City, authorizing the arrest of Harri
son as a fugitive from justice. Five
minutes after the chief received the
message he sent a detective to the
Gladstone Hotel. The telegram stat
ed that Harrison had threatened to
kill himself and. that the officers had
best be careful and'disara. him if pos
sible. A bell boy was sent to Harri
son's room to tell him that he was
wanted at the telephone. He refused
to come.
Before the bell boy reached the
stairway to tell the officer, a pistol
shot rang out. The officer and hotel
employer rushed into the room where
they found the. man lying across the
bed with a bullet wound in his head.
His brains were oozing out on the bed
clothing. A physician was called and
the injured man rushed to St. Vin
cent's Hospital, where it was declar
ed he could not survive.
When told of the shooting, a daugh
ter of Harrison, Maggie Gallop, broke
down and became almost hysterical.
She declared that she had been ex
pecting that something would happen.
Harrison's wife was also in the city
with her daughter, Mrs. Gallop. She
said that her husband was innocent
of the crime. "My husband was at
home asleep the night Kenneth Beas
ley was kidnapped. He knew nothing
8bout the crime," declared Mis. Har
rison. Harrison died from the self-inflicted
wound, at 2 o'clock Thursday
morning.
Story of the Crime.
The crime for which Harrison was
convicted was the kidnapping of the
9-year-old son of State Senator S. M.
Beasley, of Poplar Branch, Currituck
county. On the afternoon of March
13th, 1905, during retsss of the school
he was attending near his home, the
boy mysteriously disappeared. The
woods and swamps near by were
searched systematically many weeks
after the boy disappeared, but not the
least trace of the boy was ever found.
Skilled detectives were employed by
Mr. Beasley, - bat, they met with no
more success than the faithful friends
and neighbors of the Currituck Sena
tor. Streams w-ere even dragged with
a hope of finding in them the body of
the dead boy, but the efforts were
fruitless. To this day not the least
trace of Kenneth has been found.
Mrs. Beasley W'as prostrated by the
tragedy and has been in a critical
state of health ever since.
- Harrison Suspected.
Suspicion was at once centered on
Joshua Harrison, he having been sceo
in a buggy that afternoon driving
rapidly with a child covered up with
blankets, which was recognized by its
voice as the missing Kenneth. The
mule &nd buggy were -also recognized
as Harrison's. The child Was crying
and Harrison was talking to him in a
soothing manner. Harrison was seen
in Norfolk at 2 o'clock the following
Tuesday morning.
Harrison was arrested charged with
the crime of kidnapping the Beasley
boy. The case was called in Pasquo
tank Superior Court, Judge W. II. Al
len presiding, March 14th, last, it be
ing alleged that -he defendant could
not get, a fair trial in Currituck coun
ty. The trial was attended by thous
ands of people of the' two counties,
Currituck and Pasquotank, the court
room being packed each day during
the trial. The defendant was repres
ented by E. F. Aydlette and I. M.
Meekins, of Elizabeth City: and ex
Governors T. J. Jarvis and Charles B.
Aycock. The State was represented
by Solicitor II. S. Ward, J. Heyward
Sawyer, W. D. Pruden and W. L. Co
hoon. The case was given to the jurv,
at noon Wednesday, March 20th, arid
at 10 o'clock that night the verdict
of guilty was returned. .
MUST HOLD ISLANDS
Admiral Dewey Speaks About
Our Foreign Possessions
OUR DUTY TO THE INHABITANTS
Should the United State3 Give Them
Up, He Says Japan Would Acquire
Them to the Disadvantage of This
Country
Washington, Special. Admiral
Dewey strongly resents the propostion
that has been discussed in a more or
less academic manner to surrender the
Philippines, which of all men he was
a leading factor in bringing under the
American flag. In an interview the
admiral set out clearly the reason.1
which impel him to insist upon the
retention of the islands. Singularly
enough, in view of the fact, that the
admiral is a man of war by trade, the
strong point of his argument is not
based upon the military or naval im;
portance of the archipelago, but al
most altogether upon the great value
present and prospective of the Philiu
pines to America in the extension of
our trade with the Orient, which he
regards as holding out the, best prom
ise of commerical expansion. The ad
miral says:
"Abandon the Philippines! I don't
believe our country will ever do that.
Certainly it should not because it has
altogether too much at stake. It is
only our control over the Philippines
that makes it possible for us to insist
upon the open door in the East, to
ward which our diplomacy has been
directed for a number of years. We
want our share of the enormous com
merce of the East and we can not
keep the door open for it, unless we
hold the islands.
Why Did Spain Hold Them.
" Why did Spain for 200 years dom
inate the commerce of the Orient?
J ust because she had the bay. and har
bor of Manila as a great commercial
and naval base. That base can be just
as useful to us commercially as it was
to Spain. For TITe past 10 years every
strong European nation has been t ly
ing to get a foothold for commercial
and naval purposes in Eastern Ava-
ters Germany, England, France and
Russin. Through the forces of war
the Lnited States obtained rightfully
and without chicanery the best and
most stragetic position possible giv
ing us superior naval and commercial
advantages over the other nations.
What sort of common sense would ic
be for us to give up sueh a position f
" Suppose we should dispose of the
Philippines and Japan should acquire
them? See how the islands stretch
alon gthe coast. Here are the Jap
anese islands, here is Formosa which
Japan owns, and then come the Phil
ippines. If Japan had them, she would
command every gateway to the Orient
and the United States would be com
peltely shut out. .
wiic cuiireuts niui l lie
Orient is the future great field for the
principal commercial nations of the
world. We ought to be the leaders
but we must at least have a share iu
the enterprise and in order, to do so
we must maintain the positions we
have occupied through force of cir
cumstances in that region.
Commercial Phase. "
"I am talking now of the purely
commercial phase of the question airl
I think it is plain that we must have
a commercial base of operation such
as Manilla furnishes. And then in or
der to protect our commerce we must
have a naval base, and at Subig bay,
such a base is now being developed.
Congress has recognized our needs in
the Philippines and has anDronriatcd
liberally for fortifying the islands.
Modern guns are being mounted a
large dry dock has been located ia
Subig bay, troops are stationed in the
island of Luzon and in every way con
press has shown its desire to protect
the islands from foi-eign aggression
and also to establish a base for possi
ble military operations.
"It has been frequently said that
the United States has assumed respon
sibilities in the Philippines which it
can not pass over to other hands. I
do not care to discuss this phase of
the situation, except to say that I be
lieve the American people will never
shrink from such responsibilities as
were assumed for them 5 when the
United States, took over the Philip
pines. "I want to emphasize ray belief
that the United States as a world pow
er will always have commercial and I
diplomatic interests in the Far East
and can not maintain itself properly
without a base of operations. The
United States can not withdraw from
its present enterprise in the East but
must go forward seeking its share of
the advantages and sustaining its
share of the responsibilities."
NORTH CAROLINA MIKES
The State '8 Exhibit of Minerals at
Jamestown Declared Tirst-Class
A Few Specimens Mentioned.
Mr. William H. Stone, special cor
respondent of The Manufacturer's
Record at the JamestiMvn Exposition,
had the following to s&y of the North
Carolina exhibit of minerals in last
week's issue:
"The exhibit of Maryland's min
eral deposits is confined to relief and
wall maps showing the geological for
mations of the land in the various
counties, with the different mineral
deposits indicated on them. Nortii
Carolina has an exceptionally fine
exhibit in the Mines and Metallurgy
Building, and the collection and ia
stallation of these specimens wa?
made under the direct supervision of
Dr. Joseph Hyde Pratt, the State
geologist, who has aranged and classi
fied them in a particularly pleasing
and effective manner. The exhibit is
surrounded by a wall made of Mount
Airy, Whitney and Balfour granites,
with arches antt columns of these and
bther grades of granites anil marbles
of the State, all of which gives a very
clear idea as to the beauty and quali
ty of the North Carolina building
stones. Another feature of this ex
hibit is the samples of talc shown,
most of which is from Swain county
and in addition to the crude talc
shown, there are samples of products
made from it, such as pensile pow
ders, gas tips, acetylene burners and
electric insulators. . Mica is also weil
exploited, and one large specimen in
dicates the high quality ofthe de
posit, which is the largest in the coun
try and produces more than all other
States combined. Here too, are shown
specimens of monazite, principally
used in the manufacture of Welsbach
mantles, and this mineral is shown in
the crude by-product and manufac
tured form. The kaolin exhibit is also
a very interesting one, and include.-,
in addition to samples of several vari
eties or deposits, numerous pieces ot
high-grade chinaware made from
them. There is arranged in this ex
hibit a magnificent and general dis
play of the various gems and precious
stones found in various parts of the
State. The exhibit was made up
jointly by Dr. Pratt, tho State Mu
seum and the American Goa & Pearl
Co., and includes specimens of rho
dolite, hiddenite, rubies, garnets,
amethysts, emeralds, beryls including
golden blue and apuamarine, corun
dum gems, rutilated, rose and opa
lescent quartz, carnelians, etc. Other
minerals of importance found in the
State, and which are on exhibit here,
are copper, gold, silver, lead, zinc
bauxite, tin, barytes, coal, iron ore,
chromite, feldspar, standstone, etc.
The various' mineral and medicimd
springs in the State are also repres
ented here by bottled samples of their
waters."
Asheville Fireman Killed. .
Fulton, Ky., Special. New Or
leans, Louisville, Illinois Central pas
senger train No. 104 bound for Louis
ville jumped the track on a" sharp
surve one mile south of Fulton-Saturday
morning. Two men were ' killed
and one fatally hurt. The" dead:
Patrick Grogan, engineer, Paducali.
Robert A. Robertson, fireman, Ashe
ville, x. c ; .
Injured :
James T. Johnson, mail clerk, Nash
ville, Tenn., who will die; two maii
clerks seriously hurt, removed to hos
pital at Paducah; (Engineer Grog
gan and Fireman Robertson were
crushed under the engine. Three Pull
man coaches and buffet car remained
on the track.
Warehouse For Maiden.
Uewton, Special. The committee
on cotton warehouses in Catawba
county has decided to erect a ware
house in Madison large enough to
hold 500 bales. If it is found that
larger storage capacity is needed,, an
other section will be added later on.
Kicked to Death by Horse.
Reidsville, Special. Len Wrenu
was kicked and killed by a Western
horse here. He was attending a pub
lic sale of a number of horses which
were recently brought here from the
West. He was drinking and slapped
one of the animals on the rump. Both
hoofs of the horse landed in his
breast and he died ten minutes later
without speaking. The heart was par
alyzed as a result of the blow.
Secretary Roct at His Post.
Washington, Special. Secretary
Root who with Mrs. Root and Miss
Root, jeturned to Washington last
week from New YorS was at his desk
at the State department early and
resumed Lis work with a zest that in
dicated complete recovery from the
exhaustied condition in which he left
I Washington at the beginning of the
bright; his complexion was goou and
there was a strength in the clasp ol
his hands which showed that the sec
retary was in fine physical condition
7
Late jNcists
In 'Brief ;
MINOR MATTERS OF INTEREST
Joshua Harrison, who was aente
ed to 20 years imprisonment for 1
little Kenneth Beasley, s
mr.A l-nizi Kimeolf in ft hntfil at N
folk. Va,. on learning: that the No.
Carolina Supreme Court had refuj
. i i i
to grant a new tnai in ms case.
Commutation of the . sentence ot,
Paris murderer from death to imp
onment-gave rise to large street
monstrations.
A plea for guarding milk at !
source was made by Dr. Henry L. O
of Newark at the milk ' congress
Brussels. . .
Four fresh cases of cholera occ'
red in St. Petersburg three, provl
fatal. !
The Social Democratic ' Congr
opened at Essen, Germany.
A new telephone line of GO insfc
ments will soon be in operation in t
orthern Neck and will axtend in
Oak Grove and Colonial Beach
Fredericksburg, Va. .The new servi
will include points on both the Rf
pahannock and Potomac rivers.'.
The tomato crop in the section sx
roundinsr Fredericksbur?.- Va., is t
largest and best for many years. , T
canning factory, of . Robert Bros.,
Baltimore located here is being woi
ed to its full capacity. , ; ;
Capt. Henry Fitzhugh a conduct
of the Richmond, Fredericksburg ai
Potomaa railroad will, move to Fre
ericksburg, Va.
Thomas D. Dix.who was injured 1
falling beneath a :ar at the Potom
yards having his right leg mangl
died at the Alexandria Hospital
the. result of his injuries.. He w
60 years old and had resided in A
exandria all his life.
A coal mine, on Paint creek ne.
Charleston, W. Va., has been burnii
for 45 years. 1
The (Loop and Lookout Railroi
was incorporated with $100,000 cap
tal stock. -7 '
Calvin Barties was found beatt
and unconscious in his buggy sever
hours after having "received h
month's salary. .?
A colored woman died "after b.eii
overcome by gas and remaining u
conscious Lou nours. -; ,
Separate movements have bee
launched to purchase and preserve tl
"Jeff" Davis and Lee homes;
Twenty-four lives were lostv'in '
wrpct nn thfi Hosron and Maine . nei t
Cannaan, N. IL, due to; a mistake' n
a train dispatcher's office. -.f
The Chicago Tribune'svNew:' En:
land straw ballot among Republicaif
shows Taf t and Hughes overwhelm
ingly in the lead.
Dr. Harry Friedenwald at a race
ing of Zionists scored a man suppose
to be Jacob II. Schiff for his ah CagY
nistic attitude toward Zionists.
Ex-President Cleveland is reports
to be taking daily drives accompanie
by a nurso whenever the weather pei
mits. .. .. , -;'t
TT1! YTvin n T Cfrnt TsrVin rnsp frrn
brakeman to general manager of 'tht
Lake Shore Electric road in Toled
is dead. , " .
The National Association of Marj
ufacturers has given out a statemei '
denying that its $o00,000 luncl is if .
tended to crusn laoor unions.
Local option is to be the chief isguf
in the Deleware election. ,:!!
A movement is on foot in Nort
Carolina to overthrow the Democrati
party- ;J .
Mrs. Cassie L. Chadwick the woma:
who obtained a million ortmore b.
fraud and is serving a term in prisoi
became blind during a nervousi attack
Mrs. Mary M. Flagler widow o:
Gen. D.' W." Flagler is dead. -
The home of the Philadelphi:
Eagles was destroyed by fire. "
Serious difficulties are splitting th
Inland Waterways Commission.
! According to a decision in the Bosf
ton Supreme Court, H. II. Rogers o$
the Standard Oil Company is too il
to appear in the $50,000,000 sui
brought against him.
On her next westward triD the Lus-F
itania is likely to be piried against
the French liner La Provence. I
PViilnddnhifl Bantists have raised
more than $100,000 for church exten-'t
sion and missionary wort. t
Italians fatally wounded a mine
boss and his sister in an attack in-
spared by a grudge and two of the as-t
sailants were shot dead by tho dyingj
man.
Encouraging reports of the growth
of Odd, Fellowship are made by tho
Gran' Sire and Grand Secretary.
Jtfe Odessa outrages have been re-j
soaed two Jews being killed ar.Ji
many wounded. . .