N. " ,
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Ol a Ver, In Advanc.
"FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY AND FOR TRUTH."
of ! the
Staff Cpy f C
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VOL. XXv
TAR HEEL CHROMICLES
Happenings And Doings
Of The Old
, tf. C. PRESS CONVENTION.
Itev. J. 0. Atkinson Elected Presi
" dent andJ. B. Sherrill, Secretary
- Treasurer. ' A
' Hendersonville, Special. The, edi
tors of North Carolina were Literally
presented with the key to the city
Tfiifc lesday morning, when, at their
Vting Session, held in the court
house, Col. S. V. Pickens gave them
an ancient, rusty, two-foot-long jail
key, recently uncovered here by
workmen in excavating for a new
building.
At 9:30 the convention was called
to order by Dr. J. 0. Atkinson, third
"vice president, who invoked a divine
"blessing upon the town of Hender
sonville and the members of the ..as
sociation. Mayor Staton then pre
sented Col. S. V. Pickens, who cor
dially welcomed the editors to town.
M. L. Shipman, on behalf of the local
press, spoke a few words of apprecia
tion and Archibald Johnson, editor
of Charity and Children, responded
gracefully on behalf of the associa
tion. Dr. Atkinson then read the
annual address of the president, who,
on account of sickness, was unable to
be present in person. The association
Toted to wire President Thomas its
appreciation and its regrets that he
was unable to be with them. The big
audience in the court house listened
to short talks on timely topics by J.
W.. Atkins, J. J. Farriss, II. B. Var
ner and Archibald Johnson. At 2:30
p. m., J. F. Hurley read the histor
ian's paper. Full of interest and lis
tened to attentively was "Thad R.
Manning's talk on the subscription
priceof the "weekly newspaper. This
was followed by the transaction of
miscellaneous business. At night,
Wfore an audience which completely
filled the big court room, Mr. John M
Julian, of The Salisbury Post, deliv
ered the annual oration. He com
manded the closest attention of his
tu'dience to the end of his extremely
-able address. -
Thursday morning was pleasantly
spent in a drive to Lake Osceola and
to Mount Hebron, the pleasure o
"which was not marred by a slight
hower, which, Mr. J. P. Caldwell re
marked, was but a pleasant diversion
The editors and their families went
in a body and the string of carriages
rwas a long one.
The ball at the Gates at night was
largely attended and thoroughly en
joyed by botb. visitors and home peo
ple and was distinctly a success.
At the afternoon session the fol
lowing officers were elected : Presi
dent, Rev. J. O. Atkinson; first vice
president, M. L. Shipman; second
vice president, J. R. Swann ; third
vice president, W. K. Jacobson; sec
retary and treasurer, J. B. Sherrill;
historian, Archibald Johnson; ora
tors, sW. C. Hammer and Josephus
Daniels; poet, D. F. St. Clair; execu
tive committee, II. A. London, W. C.
Dowd, H. B. Varner, ''Josephus Dan
iels, D. T. Edwards.
A resolution was adopted condemn
ing the United States government for
maintaining a job printing office to
compete with the country 's job print
ers, and a copy of the resolution was
ordered sent to every Representative
and Senator of North Carolina.
Interesting articles were read by
Hev. J. 0. Atkinson, Clarence II. Poe
and R. R. Clark.
The important address of the day
was that of M. V. Richards, land and
industrial agent of the Southern
Railway.
'Resolutionof Thanks.
Tbe following resolutions, offered
Tjy Mr. Josephus Daniels for the com
mittee, were unanimously adopted by
a rising vote:
"Resolved, That the thanks of the
The Wheat Crop is Fine.
Mount Airy, Special. Never in the
history of farming in Surry county
liave the farmers been in a deeper
Tiole with their plowing and harvest
ing. The wheat crop is fine and ripe,
Imt up to Friday heavy rains have
fallen daily, rendering it impossible
"to cut grain and plow corn, etc.
In the Hands of Receiver.
Fayetteville, Special. The Con
solidated Street Railway and Power
Company of this city was placed in
the hands of a receiver by Judge, C.
C Lyon, resident judge of this dis
trict, at Elizabethtown last week.
Mr. W. D. McNeill, president of the
company, being appointed receiver.
This action will not affect the operat
ing value of the property nor the
progress of Fayetteville. Cars are
now running and will be able to
handle the great erowd6 that are ex
pected here Monday.
Gleaned From All Parts
North State.
association be and are hafl&y tender
ed the Western Union Telegraph
Company and the railroad companies
for courtesies in the matter of rail
road transportation ,and particular
ly to the Southern Railway Company,
for the courtesy of an excursion to
Lake Toxaway; to W. A. Smith, for
a car ride to Laurel Park and an en
joyable" afternoon at that beautiful
resort; to Capt. M. C. Toms and John
L. Orr and their associates for ex
tending the courtesies of Mount Heb
ron; to the management of the Gates
Hotel for excellent service and .for
tke courtesy of a ball tendered tin
association; to Mayor R. H. Staton
and the reception committee and nil
the public spirited citizens who ten
dered many delightful courtesies,
including the mountain drives and to
Lake Osceola, and for more pleasures
than can be enumerated ; to Mr. M.
L. Shipman, editor of The Hender
sonville Hustler, and -to Mr. T. R.
Barrows, associate editor, for their
brotherly welcome which made all
the editors feel at home.
The association left on a
special car Saturday for Lake Toxo
way, returning to their homes from
there.
The following accessions to the
association were enrolled at the ses
sion: 18 new members were admit
ted as follows: J. V. Sims, Raleigh
Times; W. I. Underwood, Greens
boro Patriot; J. A. Parham, Fayette
ville Index; Owen G. Dunn, Newbern
Sun; R. A. Deal, Wilkesboro Chron
icle ; W. E. Pharr, North "Wilkesboro
Hustler; M. L. Yeages, Southern
Publisher; ' R. E. Ranson, Spring
Hope Leader j v Andrew ; Joyner,
Greensboro News Bureau; C. A.
Eury, King's Mountain Herald; Clint
N. Brown, Salisbury Post; T. II.
Gosorn, Bakersville Kroniele; H. H.
Hamlin, Beaufort Lookout; D. L. St.
Clair, Sanford Express; E. P. Pepper,
Danbury Reporter; . T. R. Barrows,
Hendersonville Hustler; J. R. Round
tree, Kinston Free Press rChas. 11.
"Williams, Polk County News.
Ashe County Fair.
Jefferson, Special. Ashe county is
to have an agricultural fair on Sep
tember 15-17th. The following offi
cers were elected: President, W. H.
Worth ; secretary and treasurer, P.
E. Fogle; executive committee, John
Dent, T. E. Reeves, E. J:. Johnson, R.
A. Hamilton, "W. E. Johnson; pre
mium committee, Jas. P. J'erkins,
Geo. J. Hamilton, W. T. . Colvard;
music committee, P. E. Fogle, Joe
Worth, W. E. Gentry; committee to
arrange premiums for the Ladies'
Department, Miss Jennie Worth,
Mrs. W. P. Hamilton, Mrs. B. W.
Tugman, Mrs. A. E. Graybeal, Miss
Eula Todd; advertisement committee,
"W. E. Johnson, G. L. Park, Chas. S.
Neal.
Ministers Wife Skips.
Newbern, .Special. The congrega
tion of Centenary Methodist Episco
pal church was greatly startled Sun
day morning when the pastor, Rev.
R. C. Beaman, D. D., announced to
them that his wife had disappeared
and could not be located. The pas
tor's words were pronounced in as
fine oratory as has ever been heard
in that pulpit and no word of cen
sure or bitter feeling escaped his
lips. It was a very pathetic scene.
.Notes found in different places indi
cate that she has left with a man
named Grant. The Methodist church
is the largest and most influential in
the city and one of the largest in the
State and Dr. Beaman 's charge over
it has been marked with a period of
prosperity.
Killed by Live Wire.
Greensboro, Special. Bryan Ben
ton, the 12-year-old brother of James
M. Benton, city editor of the Morn
ing Telegram, was instantly killed by
a live wire late Tuesday afternoon.
The boy was at a lawn party at the
Christian church, and, with a play
mate climbed a tree. His fingers
touched an uninsulated electric wire,
his leg another, the short-circuit
causing him to drop.
Death of Miss Sallie Underwood.
Charlotte, Special. Miss Sallie
Underwood, the young lady struck by
lightning near her home in Gaston
county last Thursday afternoon, died
Sunday morning at 3:30 o'clock
without regaining consciousness. Tho
funeral took place at the home Sun
day afternoon at 3 o'clock, the ser
vice being in1 charge of Rev. J. B.
Tabor, of Mount Holly. The inter
ment was made at Castania church.
The funeral procession is said to
have been one of the longest that
ever followed a funeral in Gaston
county.
PLYMOUTH, N, C
DIGGERS SET FREE
Jury Holds That He Was Insane at
the Time of Killing Hood.
Charlotte, Special. The jury of
twelve freemen, the select body chos
en to pass "upon the merits of the
case of State against W. S. Biggers,
charged with tho murder on the
morning of Tuesday, "February 9,' of
J. Green Hood, reached a verdict Sat
urday afternoon at 4:45 o'elock,
their decision being that the defen
dant was "not guilty" of the crime
as charged. ' t
As noted by every one who follow'
ed the trend of this great legal bat
tle whose results held within it the
freedom if not the life of Biggers,
the plea of insanity was the entire
issue. It was not that insanity for
which the asykims are . built and
maintained, but that termed various
ly emotional insanity, brain storm,
and the like, but in this case termed
"confusional" insanity. " '
The case was fought before the
bar with the utmost tact and unlimit
ed talent and legal force. No stone,
as it were, was left unturned. It wa3
plead that the man had suffered a
wrong and that his -financial straits
had preyed upon his mind till men
tal confusion had brought him to the
stage of not being conscious of the
enormity of the deed which he con
templated and actually committed.
At the first vote of the lurr 10
stood for- acquittal, one for murder
in the first and one for murder in the
second degree.
.The jury had the case just four
hours . when it became unanimous.
The case had taken 11 days in its
course. '
Shepard the Slayer of Holt;'
Durham, N. C, Special. Solomon
Shepard, the negro . of mysterious
action, has confessed that he killed
Engineer Holt near. Durham last De
cember and that he had no assistant.
This startling turn in the dreadful
affair came Saturday night when Dr.
N. M. Johnson went into the jail to
attend a sick prisoner. Shepard had
spent the d?,y reading the Bible and
getting religion. Why he took a
notion to unburden himself to the
doctor, is not known, but he did and
said that he slew the engineer that
night without the aid of anyone.
The negro tells a reasonable story.
There never has been any large num
ber of people who did not believe that
Engineer Holt met death meant for
another man. The wanton use of a
shotgun was commonly called a Reu
ben Barbee characteristic, but nobody
ever found the motive' whereby Reu
ben Barbee became the assassin of
Fred Holt. The brothers of the dead
man believed that their kinsman had
been murdered by mistake and the
negro says so.
Suspicion for this crime has been
resting on Reuben Barbee who is now
in jail awaiting trial.
It seems that Shepard had been
put off the train. In his rage he
secured a shot gun and "went to kill
the brakeman who put him off. Not
finding his man he fired a random
shot, as he says, to scare somebody.
This shot put out the life of a popu
lar and most? valuable engineer.
Joe Brown is Governor.
Atlanta, Ga., Special. Joseph M.
Brown, sou of "Joe" Brown, one of
Georgia's war-time Governors, took
office Saturday amid ceremonies of
Jeffersonian simplicity.
Governor Brown's address was
brief. At its conclusion Governor
Smith handed Governor Brown the
seal of the State of Georgia and the
ceremony was complete. ' y
Governor Smith's last official act
Saturday was the signing of 15 par
dons. Those set free included six
murderers and three persons convict
ed of violationg the prohibition laws.
Firemen Lose Case.
Atlanta, Ga., . Special. The Geor
gia Railroad strike arbitration board
Saturday night decided against the
seniority of white firemen over ne
groes. The arbitrators, however,
placed a premium on intelligence
among firemen, which it is believed
will ultimately result in the gradual
elimination of all except the most ex
pert negro firemen.
From Chicago to Charleston.
Winston-Salem, Special. The . of
ficial announcement Saturday by the
Atlantic Coast Line and Norfolk and
"Western that the Winston-Salem
Southbound Railroad would be push
ed to completion within the next 18
months is received with great satis
faction here. The movement for this
through line from Chicago to Charles
ton, with the Twin City as a prom
inent junction point, was begun about
three years .ago. Cel. F. H. Fries and
Mr. Henry E. Fries, of this city, be
ing among the leaders in the enter
prise." Henry E. Fries is now president.
FRIDAY, JULY 2, 1909.
WASHINGTON NOTES
Much voting and little talking
iharacterized the work in the Senate
Wednesday. The lumber schedule
vas disposed of and the duty on pine
ipples was increased, the finance
iommittee suffering a defeat in the
atter case. An attempt reduce
he finance committee's rate of $1.50
er ..thousand on sawed lumber to $i,
he. House rate, was lost. The entire
vood schedule making reductions of
ibout 25 per cent from the present
'ates was agreed to. A new aniend
nent to the coal schedule, offered by
llr. Aldrich, reducing the duty on
dtuminous coal from 67 to CO cents
i-ton and. eliminating the reciprocity
dause from the House bill, vas
idopted. The two Senators from
florida, a pineapple- producing State
n upholding the amendment to ia
irease the duty. on pineapples from
7 t $8 per thousand, were opposed
y the two Senators from Maryland,
n which State there are a number of
arge pineapple canning factories.
The Wright brothers, whose time
n which to complete their official
ests with their, areoplane would have
ixpired next Monday, were granted
tn extension of thirty days.
The question of the eight hour law
vas. submitted to President Taft in
he form of a request by Thomas
Dolan, . president of the Steam Sho -ders'
Union, that the President ob
ain from the Attorney General ' an
pinion as to whether the law pro
libiting payment for overtime is not
eing violated on the Panama canal.
Just before the Senate adjourned
ibout 7 o,elock Friday night, Senator
Udrich, chairman of the finance coin
nittee, introduced the corporation
ax amendment to the tariff bill, rec
mmended by President Taft.
. To encourage American shipping,
Senator Elkins introduced an amend
nent which would allow to American
vessels a reduction of five per cent
h tariff duties.
Petroleum, linoleum and scrap iron
;ariff schedules were the principal
Hies discussed in the Senate. Sen
itor Penrose's amendment fixing a
luty of . half cent a gallon on crude
)il was lost. Increases over the
House rates were made as follows:
On harness from 35 per cent ad val-
rem to 40 per cent ; on scrap iron
from 50 cents to $2.50 per ton; and
in wire nails from 1-4 to l-LJ cent,
md from 1-2 to 3-4 cent per pound,
:he former 'for those less, the latter
for those an inch or more in length.
.
Although it devoted almost eight
aours to strenuous effort in that di
rection, the Senate Saturday afiled to
jonclude its consideration, of the
schedules of the tariff bill, and at
3:12 o'clock, an adjournment was
reached, there were stil la number of
important rates to be determined,
rhe day, however, was full of achieve
ment' and a number of provisions
jvere disposed of.
Probably the most exciting mci-
3ent of the day was the vote on Sen
ator Beveridge's amendment reducing
from 30 per cent ad valorem to 15
per cent ad valorem, the duty on
sash registers. The Indiana Senator
oegan his fight for this reduction
some days ago and was enabled to
force a vote on it Saturday after
compratively little discussion. The
vote resulted 31 ayes and 33 noes.
Stating that after the vote was an
aounced several Senators had inform
ed him that they had voted against
his motion under misrepresentation,
Mr. Beveridge said he would renew
the motion at a later date.
The wood pulp provision also again
received attention, . and it was sup
posed that it had been finally acted
upon-until Senator Clapp, taking ex
ception to the retaliatory provision of
the schedule as amended, stated 'that !
he would make an effort to have the
provision entirely eliminated before
final action should be taken upon the
bill.
sion of the schedules of the tariff
bill Monday and is now ready for the
corporation and income tax ques
tions. Senator Aldrich introduced a
resolution proposing an amendment to
collect the taxes on incomes from
whatever source derived and without
apportionment among the several
States.
An increase in the duty on struc
tural iron and steel valued at more
than 9-10 of a cent per pound was
made by the Senate, the increase be
ing from 3-10 to 4-10 of a cent per
pound. Cotton bagging was placed
on the free list.
Ineffectual efforts were made to
place cotton ties, school books, bind
ing twine and-salt on the free list
and Egvptian cotton on the dutiable
list.
Both' houses adopted the conference
report on the census bill.
"What is whiskey f" was discuss
ed in the Cabinet room of the White
House. President Taft listening to
attorneys for rectifying ctyftilleries
and blenders, who oppose the recent
decision of Solicitor General Bowers
as to what should be labeled 'imita
tion whiskey." The hearing will be
continued. " '
Late Tuesday the Senate reached
the voting stage on the hide schedule,
and after several amendments had
been defeated, the amendment of the
finance committee fixing a duty of 15
per cent ad valorem on hides was
agreed to, 46 to 30. This is the rate
Of the present law, tut , under the
rulings of the Treasury Department
is applicable only to hides weighing
more than 25 pounds. The House
placed all hides on the free list, but
the committee restored the Dingley
policy. (
Senator McLaurin undertook to
have the provision amended so as to
make the- duty applicable to hides
weighing less than 25 pounds, but
failed, his amendment being voted
down 31 to 48. An amendment by
Mr. Stone, placing no only hides but
many of their products on the free
list, was also lost.
Alleged Members Black Hand Band
Bound Over.
Toledo, O., Special. At the con
clusion of the preliminary hearing
here Monday Salvatore and Sebas
tine Lima and Salvatore Rizao, three
members of the alleged Black Hand
band, recently arrested, were bound
over to the Federal grand jury. The
bond of Salvatore Lima was increas
ed to $6,000 and that of the others
to $5,000 each. They will probably
have to remain in the county jail.
Fight on Bucketskops.
Cincinnati, -O., ' Special. County
Prosecutor Hunt 's spectacular cam
paign against bucketshops was con
tinued Monday when he and ten dep
uties over-powered two armed watch
men and raided the offices of the
Consolidiated Stock and Grain Com
pany. L. A. Aoton and u. B. ox
were arrested, all the books of the
concern were taken and the wires cut.
The men were held to the grand jury.
Ten days ago this same company was
raided by Hunt and his deputies.
Exonerates Man Convicted of Murder
Palatka, Fla., Special. When
James Kelly and D. M. Davidson
were setenced to life imprisonment
for murder, Kelly said: "I accept
the verdict of the jury, but as for
D. M. Davidson, he is as innocent of
this crime as any man in the hearing
of my voice." The men were con
victed of the murder of W. C. Sel
Iars, a night watchman of the Atlan
tic Coast Line Railroad three yean
ago at High Springs, Fla.
Perished in Pack Ice.
Tromsoe, Norway, Special. The
steamer Arctic, of Walter Welhnan's
North Pole expedition, returned here
Sunday from Spitzbergen with her
flags at half mast, bringing the news
that Knul Johnson, one of the two
men who remained at the Welhan
camp this winter, had perished in the
pack ice when his airship had been
destroyed by a heavy storm.
On May 19 Johnson went with his
fellow watchman, Paul Bjorvig, on a
hunting expedition over the pack ice.
NEWSY GLEANINGS.
Frederick De Martens, a famous
Russian statesman, died suddenly in
a railway station.
A bomb wrecked the house .. of
Father James Zuccarelli, in Newark,
but harmed no one.
A Wall Street rumor that E. H.
Harriman was dead in. Vienna caused
a big slump in stocks.
George Kraus, of Pittsburg, eighty-three
and despondent, committed
suicide by taking poison.
Colombia has decided to present
the tripartite treaty to the National
Assembly, which will be elected on
July 2 0.
A committee oi the trustees of
Brown University formally recom
mended that the institution become
non-denominational.
The Rev. Dr. Leon Harrison said
in his sermon in the Free Synagogue,
New York City, that Christians
shouldn't marry Jews.
Philip Lamb dived into the East
River, New York City, to show his
uncle how well he could swim and
never came to the surface.
General George B. Loud protested
to the War Department against the
"desecration" of Memorial Day at
West Point by "a baseball game.
Edwin Hawley's railroad system
obtained an outlet on the Pacific by a
traffic agreement with the Kansas
City, Mexico and Orient Railway.
The State Department is satisfied
that American capitalists will be al
lowed to share in the profits of the
loan to enable China to build a rail
way. Frederick Cudmore, a young clerk,
illustrated in a boat on a pier, in New
York City, "how a fool rocks a boat."
He fell off the pier and had a narrow,
escape.
The Oregon legislature lias pro
hibited the use of a hatpin more than
ten inches long. There,. is 'a point,
explains the Washington Strv,. at
which a hatpin becomes ; a rapier.
NO. '4c"ity De-
Notions,
COTTON CONDITIO-
.i .,
An Acreage Abandonment &
Seven Per Cent.
THE NATIONAL GINNERS' REPORT
The Average Condition Up to June
24 Was 75.6, the Condtiion ,ia
North Carolina Being 77 The
Acreage Abandoned in ,t North
Carolina is 4 Per Cent. v
Memphis,. Tenn., Special. The re-
port of the National Ginners' Asso
ciation gives the average conditibn
of cotton up to June 24, as 75.6.
There has been an abandonment of
acreage of 7 per cent according to
the report, making the total acreage
9.8 less than last year. p
Detailed report by States: ,. -
Alabama, condtiion 70; acreage
abandoned 14 per cent; crop very
grassy in nearly all sections; plant
small and from two to four weeks
late. . . ' &
Arkasas, condition 76; acreage
abandoned 4 per cent ; crop very
good in. west and north; very grassy
and small elsewhere; boll weevil in
24 counties worse than last season,
some of the fields being abandoned on
account of them. ,
Florida, condition 90; very little
loss in acreage; most sections good.
Georgia, condition 79 ; acreage
abandoned 5 per cent; crop grassy j
most sections not all chopped yet J
plant generally small and from one
to three weeks late; some complaints
of lice and black rot. .
Louisiana, condition 56; acreage
abandoned 13 per cent; some sections
in very good shape but so many wee
vils they are destroying all the
squares as fast as they form;. much
cotton being abandoned or planted in
sage only on this account; many re-'
port nothing will be made in their '
sections.
Mississippi, conditions 61; acreage
abandoned 14 per cent; plant genera
ally small; poor stands and grassy.
Missouri, condition 58; very little
loss in acreage ; crops late but good.
North Carolina, condition 77; acre
age abandoned 4 per - cent ; erops
grassy in most sections and from 2
to 3 weeks late.
Oklahoma, condition 90; acreage
abandoned' 1 per cent; reports from,
nearly all sections very good.
South Carolina, condition 78; acre
age abandoned 4 per cent; some few
sections report good conditions but
most of them report fields grassy and
not all chopped yet, plant small and
from two to three weeks late.
Tennessee, condition 77; acreage
abandoned 7 per cent; plant small
and grass'.
Texas, condition 80 ; acreage aban
doned 5 per cent; principally in the
dry section where rains came too
late; condition north and east Texas
best in years but weevils are report- .
ed more numerous than usual and
this fine prospect may be changed in
a very short time.
South Texas had plenty of rain.
plant generally small and from four
to six weeks late. Weevils reported
in large numbers doing damage al
ready. West Texas still very dry ex
cept four counties, some places have
had no rain in six months. With
plenty of rain this section will pro
duce from 50 to 00 per cent of a
crop.
Mr. R. L. Royster Drowned.
Columbia, S. C, Special. Mr. Ar
thur L. Royster, chief clerk for Su
perintendent II. A." Williams of the
Southern, and one of the most cap
able and promising young railroad
men in this section, met a tragic and
extremely sad death while out swim
ming and boating in the Columbia ca
nal about 10 o'clock Monday morn
ing by drowning. His body has not
yet been recovered.
Mr. Royster was a popular club
man and was very popular through
out the city generally, being of quiet
and retifing disposition ahd of many
manly characteristics. His fellow
workmen at the union station, from
heads of departments on down to the
youngest clerks, are grieved and
shocked over his death, as if they had
lost a brother, for Mr. Royster was
most popular with those closest to
him.
Dies Under His Auto.
Columbia, S. C. Special. William
G. Rudd, a traveling salesman for
the Durst-Andrews ' Company, was
killed Monday in an automobile
which was struck by the Seaboard
vestibuled .train at Salak, four miles
west of Greenwood. One of the eye
witnesses, Mrs. Malone, saw Mr.
Rudd stop the automobile on the
crossing. He jumped out, but on the
wrong side and in front of the mov
ing train, which struck the automo
bile and threw it on him. He was
picked up and' carried to Abbeville,
but died on the way. Mr. Rudd leaves
a widow. No children survive bini