O
&jm Year, la Adraoc.
FOR OOD, FOR COUNTRY AND FOR TRUTH. 1
VOL. X-X.
PLYMOUTH, N, 0.. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1909.
NO. 20.
r
Death List 37, With Possibilities of- Increase
Sweeps Southeast Through Tennessee,
Alabama and South Carolina.
' Memphis, Tenn., Special. With
the known death list already reach
ing a total of . thirty-seven human
lives and with thirteen others report
ed dead, with scores seriously injur
ed and many others painfully bruised,
and with the property damage run
ning to a million or. more dollars, the
toll of the havoc and destruction of
the storm which swept middle and
West Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia,
and portions of Arkansas, and South
Carolina, late Thursday afternoon
and Thursday night, grows hourly as
reports are receive f orm remote dis
tricts' and as wire -communication is
-gradually restored to a normal con
dition. The storm was the. worst that has
visited this section of the South in
years, being intense in its destroying
fury and widespread in its area.
Whole sections of counties were laid
in waste, towns destroyed and plan
tations greatly damaged.
The list of dead reported is: Den
mark, Tenn., Albert Barnes; Mul
berry, Tenn, Thomas Helm; Stanton
ville, Tenn, Thirteen people reported
killed (unconfirmed) ; Pittsburg
Landing, Tenn., Mrs. West McDaniel,
Otis Littlefield, Luther LittlfieM,
Marshall Jordan, Ruby Jordan, I. W.
Lemons; Near Stantonville, Tenn.,
Charles, wife and infant, Terry Wil
bank, Mrs. Wilbank and their two
children, Mrs. Sissom; Near Carters
ville,". Ga., Miss Pritchard; Scotts
boro, Ala., Miss Houston Skelton,
Milas M. Suder, a child of Jim Gal;
Wyeth Cove, Ala., Eight people kill
ed; Near Scottsboro, Ala., Mrs. S.
H. Skelton; Stanton, Tenn., Andy
Johnson, a negro; Nixon, Tenn., five
people killed; Near Marmaduke,
Ark., Arthur Liggett.
- Apparently the storm broke in all
its fufy over middle and West Ten
nessee and proceeded in a southeast
erly direction across the State into
Alabama and Georgia, assuming the
proportions of a hurricane.
It came practically without warn
ing and in some places the wind at
PRESIDENT TAFT ACCEPTS
Washington, Special. All doubts
as to what action the President would
take with respect to the resignation
of Charles R. Crane, minister desig
nate to China, was dispelled by the
receipt of a dispatch from President
Taft addressed to his secretary, ,Mr.
Carpenter directing him to convey to
Mr. Crane announcement of the fact
that the resignation had been accept
ed. The telegram was dated Prescott,
Ariz., Octobor 13, and reads as fol
lows :
"Convey to Mr. Crane following
communication: 'I concur in the let
ter under date of October 12, which
the Secretary of State has addressed
to you and I greatly regret that the
circumstances found to exist by him
make it necessary for me to accept
your resignation. ' ' ' TAFT. ' '
Later Mr. Crane issued this state
ment: v J
"I am greatly relieved by theres
ident's decision. There has been no
minute since I learned the attitude of
the Department of State when I have
KILLS FATHER-IN-LAW AND
Lincolnton, N. C, Special. About
3 o'clock Thursday morning, near
Bethpage church, 6 miles west of Lin
colnton, Mr. W. S. Wise killed his
father-in-law, Joe Hallman,' with an
axe, then ran in his own home, bar
red the door, undressed himself, fir
ed his home and was incinerated. Mr.
Hallman 's head was entirely severed
FATHER. IS KILLED TRYING TO KILL HIS OWN SON
; Gastonia, N. Cpe'cial. Col. Rob
ert L.Abernetbtsiw" of Open
View farm in River Bend township,
Gaston 'county, eccentric stockman,
farmer and politician, was shot and
almost instantly killed at his home
near Mount Holly at 7 o'clock Thurs
day morning after having fired three
wild shots at his son, Reuben, aged
18, and in the course of a firece hand-to-hand
struggle with the latter who
was endeavoring to disarm him. One
bullet entered the right temple and
the other struck him full in the fore-
tained a velocity of 90 miles an hour.
While only one death occurred at
Denmark, Tenn., the horrors of the
storm were greatly heightened by the
fire which followed the wrecking of
that town. The fierce flames rapidly
consumed what few dwellings and
store houses were left standing and
at night a scene of utter desolation
is presented. Two hundred people
were rendered homeless and have ap
pealed to neighboring towns and cit
ies for immediate aid.
Reports of five deaths and heavy
damage come from McNairy county.
Homes and stores were leveled .to the
ground and great trees uprooted.
Many handsome and imposing
State monuments in the Shiloh nat
ional park were torn from their pe
destals and the superintendent's
lodge and other buildings were de
stroyed. The property damage in
this section is estimated at $100,000.
Wire communication with Stanton
ville, where thirteen lives are report
ed to have been lost, has not yet been
re-established.
At Russellville, Ala., twenty-seven
people were seriously, several fatally
injured.
A property damage of at least $10,
000 is estimated at Cartersville, Ga.,
while that at Atlanta will run be
tween $30,000 and $100,000. One' life
was lost at the former place.
Rome, Ga., Gadsden, Ala., Hunts
ville, Ala., Decatur, Ala., and other
smaller towns in the path of the
storm ropert heavy property damages.
At Gadsden, Alabama, hail the size
of hen's eggs did much damage, loss
es about $25,000.
At Atlanta one woman was proba
bly fatally hurt and two children
were also injured.
At Cartersville, Ga., one woman is
dead, another reported beneath the
wreck of her home, and $50,000 dan
age to property.
At Aiken, S. C, report say the path
of the storm was several miles wide
and probably 50 miles long. Great
damage was done to the cotton crop.
CRANE'S RESIGNATION
not contemplated the possibility of a
continuance of my official relations
with the deepest repugnance. Never
theless, I have felt that my obliga
tion to the President was to permit
him to decide the issue.
"I accepted the Chinense mission
at his request and solely because of
assurance that I could be and would
be permitted to be of service to the
country in- constructive work of the
greatest importance to it and of the
greatest interest to me. It has been
made perfectly clear that conditions
here were not and are not such as to
make this possible. To demonstrate
this has involved a personal humilia
tion such as no self-respecting man
who is drafted into the public service
should be called on to endure, but I
am grateful indeed that, I have had
the test of official confidence and sup
port here rather than in China and
now rather than at some real crisis
involving the honor of the interest of
the nation."
Mr. Crane left here Wednesday at
3 o'clock for New York.
BURNS SELF AND HOUSE
by axe. Wise appeared rational up to
a few moments before he enacted th
shocking tragedy. He awakened at
an early hour and his strange re
marks caused his wife to become
alarmed, so she sent one of her chil
dren to her father's home, a half
mile away, and asked for some of her
people to come to her aid.
head. He never regained conscious
ness and died an hour later.
At the inquest held Thursday after
noon by jury empaneled by Magis
trate W. B. Rutledge of Mount Holly
a verdict was rendered at 5 o'clock
to the effect that Abernethy came to
his death from wounds inflicted by a
pistol in his own hands. His son,
who was placed under arrest soon
alter the tragedy by Deputy Sheriff
J. S. Rogers pending an investigation,
wa.s released from custody and the
matter is doubtless at an end so far
as any legal proceedings are concern
ed
BLACK HAND AT CANTON
Mr. W. T. Sharp Receives Demand
For "$1,000 to Be Placed at the
Corner of Locust Field Church,"
Accompanied by the Usual Threats
A Trap is Set For the Hold-Up
Man, But He Refuses to Put His
Foot Into It.
Asheville, N. C, Special. A dar
ing attempt to blackmail W. T. Sharp
of Canton, one of the wealthiest men
of the town and a very prominent
merchant, came to light Saturday
night, and along with it an attempt
to blackmail certain other citizens of
the town and officials of the Cham
pion Fiber Company, and although a
trap was well laid to catch the perpe
trators no one came to claim the mon
ey. Mailed at the Canton postoffice
September 27, W. T. Sharp received a
letter reading as follows:
"On October 15 before 11 p. m.
you place under S. E. corner of Lo
cust Feld church $1,000 in large bills.
Failure to do so means cetrain death
to yourself .and perhaps to your f am
ity. Dynamite is cheap. Spies mean
same thing.
(Signed) "BLACK HAND."
When received it Mr. Sharp at
once became frightened and laid the
matter before certain of his friends
and after a consultation it was
agreed to place the letter in the
hands of postoffice inspectors. It
was arranged that Mr. Sharp should
deposit the money there and a num
ber of officers would watch the spot
to see if any one appeared. No one
appeared.
After Dr. Cook's Scalp.
New York, Special. Four more
affidavits were made public here Sat
urday in connection with the inevsti
gation of Dr. Frederick A. Cook's
expedition to Mount McKinley. Three
f them are by members of the Cook
party Fred Printz, a guide; Walter
P. Miller, photographer and Samuel
Beecher. Their testimony relates in
detail the movements of the party ex
plaining that Cook and Barrill were
alone together the period in which Dr.
Cook claims to have reached the sum
mit of Mount McKinley. All three
say that Barrill assured them after
that Dr. Cook's story was false.
The fourth affidavit is that of far.
John E. Shore, a physician of Leaven
worth, Washington, who tells of a
conversation with Oscar F. Blanken
ship of the United States forestry
service in which Blankenship said
that Dr. Cook's claims to have climb
ed Mount McKinley were false inas
much as the feat was impossible in
the short time which Cook and Bar
rill were absent. Blankenship was
located near Mount McKinley at the
time Cook's expedition was there.
A New York dispatch of the 16th
says, "Having failed in his effort to
get Professor Herchel C. Parker and
Anthony Fiala to conduct an expe
dition "to ascend Mount McKinley,
Dr. Frederick A. Cook announced
here that he would abandon his lec
ture tour as soon as possible and
himself head an expedition to ascend
Mount McKinley and recover if pos
sible the records which he says he
left there in 1000.
Former U. S. Minister Found Dying.
London, By Cable. William I. Bu
chanan of Buffalo, N. Y., former Am
erican minister to the Argentine Re
public and Panama, who had been
closely identified with several import
ant American diplomatic missions,
met a tragic death Saturday night on
a London street. He was discovered
lying on a sidewalk in Park LaDe,
near the American embassy, in a dy
ing condition, a few minutes before
12 o'clock and was carried to St.
George 's hospital, a short distance
away. Life was extinct when the am
bulance reached the hospital. The
cause of death is not known positive
ly, but physicians who examined the
body state that it resulted apparently
from heart disease or apoplexy and
that there was no indication of foul
play which was suggested.
Western Express Wrecked.
Poughkeepsie, N. Y., Special. One
passenger was killed and 15 others
were injured when the rear section of
train No. 28, the Western Express
on the New York Central Railroad,
was wrecked at Rlm.baek early Sun
day. President Brow:; of the New
York Central was on board the train,
but was not injured. President
Brown himself directed the remo-al
of the injured passengers.
Greatest Balloon Flight Yet.
Charleston, S. C, Special. Break
ing all speed records for long distance
flights, the balloon St. Louis No. 3
landed' near Ridgeville, 31 miles west
of Charleston, at 9 o'clock Saturday
morning, after having left St. Louis,
Mo., Friday at 5:30 o'clock. The
balloon carried A. B. Lambert and S.
Louis Von Puhl, who arrived here
Saturday night, after a thrilllrg
cross-country flight. They had ex
hausted their ballast and, seeing in
the distance the waters of the Atlan
tic, which they were ast approach
ing, they were forced to descend. J
PEARY'S CHARGES
Peary Arctic Club Gives Out
Statement.
ESKIMOS TRACE LINE ON MAP
Did Not Need Much Supplies
Stayed Within Game Region Cook
Smiles Undisturbed Expected as
Much.
The Peaiy Artie Club has again
published a statement accompanied
with a map indicating the route trav
eled by Dr. Cook and the principal
events of the explorations as Peary
and his party got them from the Es
kimos, especially the two young mow
Itookashoo and Ahpelah. He says
that he questioned them sep
arately and their statements and
tracings on the map shown them har
monized. Most of the testimony,
however, Commander Peary says was
taken not in his presence, Jn order
that the idea of his overawing them
might not be claimed. He says the
Eskimo laughed at Dr. Cook's story.
The story as published says Cook
and his party did not cross the open
water encountered but turned west
and southwest for some distance and
then retraced their way not going be
yond the game regions.
The story credits the Eskimo with
the ability to trace the entire route
on a rude map and even with the skill
to draw a map which produced some
difference between the two but which
was harmonized. It does not seem
from the story, however that the
young Eskimo had the instruments
and the records that would be neces
sary to make an intelligible map.
The statement as to the testimony
of the Eskimos is signed by Com
mander Peary, Capt Bartlett, of the
Roosevelt, D. B. McMillan, George
Borup and Matthew A. Henson.
Dr. Cook Not Disturbed.
Dr. Cook at Cleveland, Ohio, Tues
day evening was shown the state
ment. He said:
"I have replied to the points rais
ed a dozen times," he continued.
"The map published by Commander
Peary in itself indicates that the Es
kimos have respected their promise
made to me that they would not give
any information to Peary or his men.
"The Eskimos were instructed not
to tell Mr. Peary or any of his party
of our trip over the Polar sea. They
were told to say that we had been
far north. They have kept their
word.
"Mr. Whitney has said that during
the cross-examination conducted by
Commander Peary and others of his
expedition the Eskimos did not
understand the questions put to them
or the map which was laid before
them. Their replies to the questions
put have been twisted to suit a per
verted interest.
"I will not enter into any argu
ment about the matter, but I will
bring the Eskimos to New York at
my own expense, and they will prove
as did Mr. Whitney, all that I have
claimed. 7
Dr. Cook would not consent to go
over the details contained in Mr.
Peary 's statement any further than
this:
"The Eskimos," he said, "are only
too willing to say something that
they think will please their ques
tioners. ' '
The explorer was not at all per
turbed by the accusations. A con
fident smile flickered over his bronzed
face when they were shown to him.
"I fully expected to see something
of the kind," he said. "The docu
ment looks formidable over so many
signatures, and will probably appear
so to the public. There is, however,
nothing in it, as it is based upon the
distorted and evasive replies of per
sons who were told not to give any
details."
The doctor continued:
"Rasmussen, who will be here
shortly, has seen the Eskimos and
knows the real story. They did not
try to deceive him. lie was with
them for fourteen days. They know
him and told him everything. He
speaks the Eskimo language for he
is a semi-Eskimo himself and the
people have the most complete con
fidence in him."
He concluded: "That is all I have
to say now."
He then proceeded to the lecture
hall in the utmost good humor and
confidence to deliver his lecture.
WASHINGTON NOTES
A substantial increase is shown iu
the gross income of the Southern
Railway Company during the year
ending June 30 last, according to the
fifteenth annual report of President
W. W. Finley. The report says the
return of business from the low level
of panic conditions of 1907 was slow
but substantial during the past year.
The total gross income for the year
was $17,737,0.99, an increase over
1908 ol- $3,890,733. While the operat
ing expenses show a decrease of
$753,610, compared with the year
1908, it is stated that this is due to
the fact that the Tennessee Central
Railroad and the Southern Railway
of Mississippi were operated separ
ately this year. However, comparing
like for like, this year shows an in
crease in the operating revenues of
$006,760.
At a meeting of the Southern Com
mercial congress Tuesday, plans for
building to be erected in this city
were accepted. The structure will be
built from contributions made by the
various commercial organizations
throughout1 the South, and John M.
Parker, President of the congress,
will leave soon on a speaking
tour in that section. He goes first
to Greenville, S. C, then to Atlanta,
Ga., and Brimingham, Ala. The com
plete itinerary has not been complet
ed yet. The work of organizing and
canvassing the 16 states which will
be called upon to contribute to the
congress will, it is figured, ocupy
more than a year.
Record target practice scores of
the vessels of the American navy for
1909 made public at the Navy Depart
ment Thursday, show that the Wash
ington is a trophy winner in the bat
tleship class, the Charleston a trophy
winner in the gunboat class, the
Tingey the trophy winner in vessels
competing for the torpedo trophy.
The Pacific fleet, under Admiral Swin
burne, leads the fleet in target prac
tice with a record of 42.
A trip to various coast points on
the Atlantic ocean to participate in
local celebrations has been arranged
for the torpedo boats Stringham, Du
pont, Biddle and Shubrick of the At
lantic torpedo flotilla. From Char
leston, S.- C, they are to go to Sa
vannah, from November 1 to 7, to
take part in a carnival. The next
day they go to Wilmington, N. C,
to be there during the President's
visit. Later in the month, from No
vember 22 to 27, the boats are to be
at Jacksonville, where a carnival is
to be held. After these boats get
back to Charleston, they will be plac
ed in reserve. The other boats of
the Atlantic flotilla, eight in all, are
to be placed in reserve at Charleston
upon their arrival there, which is ex
pected to be early in November.
The Supreme Court Tuesday fixed
December 13 for hearing arguments
in the case of the government against
the American Tobacco Company. The
cases were instituted by the govern
ment to obtain the dissolution of the
alleged trust. Their hearing was
originally lixed for Tuesday, but the
postponement was made to allow Attorney-General
Wickersham to par
ticipate in the arguments.
Oorders were issued at the Navy
Department Monday for a division of
the Atlantic torpedo flotilla to be
present at Yorktown to participate in
the celebration in commemoration of
the anniversary of the surrender cf
Lord Cornwallis. The vessels, which
have been cruising up th Hudson
river as far as Albany and Troy in
conection with the recent Hudson
Fulton celebration, will sail from
New York within the next two or
three days for Hampton Roads and
thence to Yorktown.
After a recess of more than four
months, and with only Chief Justice
Fuller and Justices Harlan, Brewer,
White, Holmes, McKenna and Day
present, the Supreme Court of the
United States Monday began the reg
ular term for the next twelve months.
Justices Pcckham and Moody were
absent on account of illness, reduc
ing the court to unusually small pro
portions. The question whether the ordinary
insurance policy insures a man
against death by legal hanging is
raised in the case of t he Mutual Life
Insurance Company, vs. J. William
McCue and others, which was pre
sented Monday to the Supreme Court
of the United States. McCue is one
of the children of the late J. Samuel
McCue, who while serving a term as
mayor of the city of Charlottesville,
Va., was found guilty of murdering
his wife and hanged for the offense
in 1905. About a year previous to
the crime McCue took out an in
surance policy of $15,000 in the
Mutual Life.
CRIMINALS FOUND
Slayers of Mayer Newberry in
Limbo.
SHOT HIM IN HIS OWN DOOR
Little Daughter Stood Beside ' Him
and His Sick Wife, in Bed.
Beaufort, N. C, Special. The
grand jury Monday brought in a bilJ,
of murder against S. J. Sanders, who
had been arrested for the death of
H. Z. Newberry of Newport, who was
shet to death Saturday night at the
door of his home there. Judge Guion
ordered the sheriff to summon 200
talesmen in order to get a jury. The
case is set for Friday at 10 a. m.
Sanders is locked in the Carteret
county jail here, while his' brother B.
F. Sanders, also is -tnder arrest, ITehJ
as an acessory. The prisoners were ,
brought bere Sunday night by3her-
iff Hancock, after a coroner's jury"?rfr
Newport had returned a verdictjtiiat
Mayor Newberry's death resulted
from gunshot wounds inflicted b'yTS.
J. Sanders and that his brother also
was implicated in the shooting.
The assassination of Mayor New
berry was the direct cuteome, it is v
said,' of the prosecution of "blind-s
tiger" cases. The mayor recently
had several persons arrested for il- '
legally selling whiskey, and four of
the men, including the two Sanders
brothers, were bound over for court "
at Beaufort next Monday. It is al
leged threats have been made against
the mayor's life and after his assas-;
sination Saturday night, , suspicijja I;
was directed to the Sanders brothers.
Great excitement prevailed in New
port after the tragedy occurred Sat
urday night. The dead man's wife -was
ill in bed at the time of the mur
der, and his little, daughter -stood by
his side when be-tras -shot:'" -
Word of the shooting was. sent, to
Beaufort and Sunday afternoon -County
Solicitor Abernethy, acciifta-
panied by Sheriff Hancock 'ajida. "Cor
oner's jury, went to Newport oti-ji
special train. Upon arrival i of the
train at Newport the Sanders broth- 1
ers were arrested and later the cor-
oner's jury ordered the hearing.
S. A. L. Heceivership Ends "
Asheville, N. C, SpeciatJudge
Pritchard Monday afterjooonisigaedL
a decree to the effect t'JuSea- '
board Air Line receiversTyprli.en(l '
November 4, when it w1f bjp tVrhjjd
over to the railway company' iriNxc
cordance with the plan oT reorganiza- .
tion which has been approved by the
stockholders. Leigh R. Watts,"-jgen-eral
counsel for the'-rbtwiAir
Line, and James F. Wrij&siafcmt
general counsel of PCrtsiiatiia.,
appeared before JudglSVirchard
Monday afternoon for the ''-railway
company and Innes Brown of the firm
of Burnett & Cutchinsof New York,
appeared for the Con tinentat" Trust.'
Company, of New York. : ' x
It was upon the complaint of the
Continental Trust Company that the
Seaboard Air Line on January ,3.
1908, was placed bv Judge . Pritchard
in the hands of S. Da vies Warfieldi .
R. Lancaster Williams and E. C; Dun
can as receivers. The' receivership
will have lasted 22 months when it
ends. This action1" means much for
the development of tQijppertyiind
that section of the ctountry through
which it operates. fU.. tnv
It is said to be a fijtet that the Sea
board receivership was onelfoLfhe
most successful in the countr. The
debt was reduced, the bonddvcr-
reduced and also the- roa'.ti'inado
money under the reeeiversbi
Whitney Dam .Property ApSSAo Ea --Sold.
i. , "v
Asheville, N..-Cr-Sp. The
Bankers' Trust Gempatfyyjf ". .New
York Monday in' flJt atesT- cir
cuit court filed a -bilL Vainst the "
Whif.ntv Company, m S. Hender
son and Charles r.SUh;irecei"HS,
and more than a doieusiAsuliarv
companies to foreclose an - issu !
$'5,00(1.000 in first mortgage bonds, is
sued in November, 1904. '
President Taft On His Brother's
: Ranch.
Gregory, Tex., Special. President
Taft arrived here Monday night
shortly 'after 9 o'clock to spend four
days on the ranch of Charles P. Taft,
las brother. Reports as to the size
of this ranch vary from 100,009 in
200,000 acres. In either event, it ap
proaches the proportions of princi
pality and during the time here th
President will be secluded from local
committees, from the givers of ban
quets and from the onerous duties of
constant speech-makinsr. Wheh ask
ed how he intended to spend the time
he said in doin as he pleasJ. c
if
V1