North Carolina Newspapers

' i ' i i 111 I i MM 1. tx9 a Year, la A4tumi FOR OOD. FOR COUNTRY AND FOR TRUTH." Cc97f Ca. VOL. XXI. PLYMOUTH, N, C. RID AY, JUNE 2, $11 NO. 50. MPORTANT NEWS NOR THE CAPITAL TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD WANT STATE CONVICTS SUB MIT A PROPOSITION. $11,000,000 FRENCH CAPITAL Route From Tennesee Coal Field on Through to Southport and Connec t'ons of Vast Proportions Chicago Man Investing $60,000 in Enterprise. Raleigh. Promoters of the propos ed South Atlantic Transcontinental railroad, from the Tennessee coal fields, through Knoxville, Waynesville, Asheville and 1 Rutherfordton, to Southport and connections of vast proposed proportions had a hearing before the governor and council of state on the question of procuring from the state convicts for the. con struction of the road in this state, compensation to the state for the convicts to be In stock in the road. Gen. Theo. P. Davidson, W. E. Breese and C. J. L. Lantry, the .latter of Chicago, presented the proposition for the Transcontinental, represent ing to the state officials that there are now available $11,000,000 of French capital to go into this enter prise, Mr. Lantry setting out that he is personally investing $60,000 in the enterprise. There is to be another conference when there will be addi tional showings made to the governor and council, after which there will be a definite announcement as to the availability of convicts fbr the work under the proposition of the railroad company. Electricity Stopped Fire-Fighters. The fire that visited St. Agnes hos pital, out at St. Augustine school dur ing the storm, was in many' respects the most remarkable Raleigh has ever known. A crossed circuit in some way turned the entire 6,600 voltage of the Milburne power plant into the build ing after the fire bad been in progress a little while and fire fighters were unable to . throw water on the flames because the water formed a circuit, several fire fighters being severely shocked before the trouble was locat ed and steps taken to cut the circuit. The hospital building which is badly damaged, was recently completed at a cost of '$40,000 and is of stone quar ried cloe by the institution by the negro students. Rate Ruling Expected Soon. Chairman Franklin McNeill and Secretary A. J. Maxwell of the North Carolina ' Corporation commission have returned from Washington, where they were present at the ar- r gument before the new commerce court on the question of a temparary ' restraining order against the applica tion of the order of the Interstate commerce commission for a reduc tion in Norfolk & Western freight rates from Cincinnati and. Virginia cities to Winston-Salem and Durham. The indications are for an early rul ing in the matter. The temporary restraining order is being fought for by the railroad company to allow time for the new commerce court to review the evidence and order of the Interstate Commerce commission. . Columbia, N. C, State Bank Closed. The Merchant's & Farmers' bank at Columbia, North Carolina, a state bank, capitalized at $10,000 has been closed by order of the Corporation commission. Irregularities in its af fairs have been found since the sui cide of R. H. Spruill, the cashier. The president is F. W. Woodley and a receiver will be appointed. Something like a month ago ex aminer Doughton made a thorough examination of the bank and made such a report of unsatisfactory con ditions that the corporation com mission notified the directors that they must improve conditions within 30 days, else the bank must close. Clinton. The town of Roseboro, Sampson county, was visited by a dis astrous fire, entailing a property loss of some $15,000. Mattamuskeet Road Will be Sold. There was a conference of the gov ernor and council of state and offi cers of the Mattamuskeet railroad company with reference to the dis position to be made of this property. While some understanding was reach ed, nothing was given out. The" in dications or that the road will be sold with the stipulation "that it be equipped and operated without delay. President Joe Tayloe and Director G. J. Studdert were present participat ing In the conference. The road will be finished. ASKED FOR MILITARY GUARD Citizens of Dunn Wanted Company to Help Capture John Aiken Who Shot Deputy Sheriff. Raleigh. A request came to state guard headquarters here for the mil itary company at Dunn to be ordered out to help surround and capture John Aiken, a "blind tiger", who had probably fatally shot deputy sheriff Thaddie Jernigan of Harnett, when the latter sought Aiken out to serve a capias for failure to appear at court and show, under terms of a bus pension of judgment, that he was con tinuing of good behavior. Aiken used an automatic gun and successfully defied arrest with it, de claring his purpose to shoot any and all comers. He was heading for a swamp, about a mile from Dunn when the. request for the militia came. ;. Adjutant General Leinster directed that the sheriff order out the Dunn company if he deemed it advisable and the authorities were urged from the governor's office to use every pre caution to prevent a lynching in the event the fugitive was captured. A Dog Tax Question in Rowan. A peculiar and puzzling question confronts the tax listers in Rowan The new dog law for that county which requires that all dogs be kept from running at large from May 1 to September 1 and also imposes a tax on all male dogs of $1 and female dogs of $2 is heartily supported in western Rowan, where quite a num ber of sheep have been killed, but in southern Rowan the people are up In arms and it is said many of those living close to the Cabarrus line are corralling their dogs across the line and as many as 40 of the mangy tribe are said to have been exiled to Cabarrus by their owners until tax listing days are over. Now what the tax listers want to know is, "Are those exiled dogs taxable under the Rowan dog law." This dog tax goes into the county school fund and tax assessor W. L. Harris figures on a "dog fund" of $2,500 this year. Vigorous Crusade Against Bad Beast Asheville. The seizing of whiskey, the arrest and trial of alleged viola tors of the search and seizure law, the conviction of defendants and the imposing of road sentences by Judge Junius G. Adams continues unabated and with increasing Interest. Not since Asheville went "dry" has there been such a vigorous crusade against the "blind tiger" and with such ap parent results. Colonel Lusk and Judge Adams with the aid of the police department have determined to clean up Asheville and that they are succeeding is evidenced by reference to the police court records. Elkin & Alleghany Will be Sold. At an adjourned, conference of Gov ernor Kitchin, the council of state, the state board of internal improve ments and officers of the Elkin & Alleghany railroad company, consider able progress was made toward the completion of the deal whereby Pres ident John A. Mills of the Raleigh & Southport Railroad company and Northern interests, which he has in terested with the undertaking, will take over the Elkin & Alleghany and complete it from Elkin to Sparta and thence to Jefferson and the Tennes see line, with a view to linking it with the Norfolk & Western. All these details have not been worked out, but this seems to be the goal toward which the project is heading. There are a number of matters to be definitely settled before an of ficial statement of the scope of the undertaking is given out. The deal has progressed thus far satisfactorily. The promoters of the undertaking have provided satisfac tory guarantees to the governor and council of state as to the conserva tion of the state's interest in the road acpired by the convict labor in the grading of the 12 miles of road from Elkin toward Sparta. - Washington. Representative Faison has introduced a bill to establish a weather bureau station at Warsaw, N. C. This is the heart of the truck ing section and Mr. Faison has de manded the station in the interest of the farmers, believing it will frequent ly be the means of saving them from loss by giving them advance informa tion on what to expect in the way of sudden changes in the weather. Chief Marshal Great State Fair. The chief marshal for the Great State Fair of 1911 is Mr. John A. Wilkerson, of Belhaven. This selec tion was announced by Col. Joseph E. Pogue, secretary of the State Fair. This means that the social event? will be brilliant successes. Patents Granted to Tar Heels. Washington attorneys report" the grant to citizens of North Carolina of the following patents: J. S. Cham bers, Rocky Mount, valve; H. Cope land, Hertford, animal trap. PEACE GONPEREHGE MEETS IN ATLANTA THE MASS MEETING IN ATLANTA ADOPTS RESOLUTION FAVOR ING TAFT'S -PEACE POLICY. ; '. - : SENATOR BURTON SPEAKS Ohio Statesman Delivered a Striking Address to the Southern Peace Congress) Atlanta. Universal peace among the nations of the world is only a ques tion of time. " - . War is a relic of barbarism: it is no longer essential either to repel in vasion, to achieve liberty or to fur ther conquests. ... In the- light of a greater and nobler civilisation arbitration is the only ae ceptable method for settling disputes that mav arise In future between the nations of the world. .Such, m brief, was the substance of a striking address delivered in, this city by Senator Theodore Burton -'of Ohio, chairman of the American Peace Society, and one of the most ardent supporters of the world-wide move ment to , secure the abolition of war THEODORE E. BURTON. ! United States Senator from Ohio. and the substitution of arbitration in the settlement of all differences tnat may arise in future between the pow ers of the earth," It was a most unique and signifi cant occasion when over 4,009 citi zens of Atlanta arose with one ac cord, following the speech of Senator Burton, and unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the stand which President Taft has taken in the in terest of arbitration, and thus put the city on record as favoring universal peace as opposed to conflict and blood shed. The peace jubilee was held under the auspices of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Peace Society. It was held primarily to en dorse tho stand taken by. President Taft in promulgating a treaty of peace between the United, States, England and France, and to lend the Influence and moral support of this city to the general movement which has tor its object tne attainment of universal peace. CONEY ISLAND FIRE SWEPT Dreamlanc, New rork's Largest . . Amusement Park, Destroyed. New York. Coney Island, the play ground of New York, suffered -the w-rst fire disaster cf its history. Dreamland, the largest of the amuse, mtnt parks, was wiped out, and about four blocks adjoining covered with I ooths, restaurants, hctelti, moving pic- ttre theaters and resorts of varied tyi.es were destroyed. Thfc loss will amount to between $2,- 000,000 and $3,000,000. In all, about 200 buildings were burned aown and perhaps 2,000 ' per sons concessionaires and employees were turned into the streets home less and penniless. No lives were losL The burned area represents nearly a third of the entire amusement city. Rebels Attack Diaz and Party. Vera Cruz. General Diaz himself took command of the Federal soldiers who repulsed a large force of rebels, whiie the former president of Mex ico was on his way from Mexico Cty to Vera Cruz. General Diaz ordered lib special car to proceeded nearer io the scene of the engagement, and as It drew up he alighted, and with pistol in hand ran forward to aid his defenders. The Federal's quick ac tion with the rapid-flrerst however, had taken the rebels by surprise and they socn were in full retreat. FOUND! iCopyrlght. 19U.) NO PARDON FOR BANKERS .' , IN CAUSTIC OPINION PRESIDENT SAYS MORSE, AND WALSH DESERVE SENTENCES. President Says Rich Men Must Learn - Thai They Cannot Violate' the Law and Escape. Washington. President Taft denied the applications -for the pardon of Charles W. Morse of New York and John R. Walsh of Chicago, tne two most prominent bankers ever convict ed and sent to Federal penitentiaries under the national banking laws. Not only did the president refuse to pardon either Morse or Walsh, but he also declined, at this time, to exercise any other sort of executive clemency in these cases or to shorten the sen tences imposed upon the two men. In denying the pardons, the presi dent took a firm stand that the na tional banking laws or any other laws must be upheld when they affect the rich man, even more than when they affect the poor. The record in the Walsh case, the president said in a long opinion, -'shows moral turpitude of that insidious and dangerous kind, to punish which the national banking laws were especially enacted." In considering the case of Morse, the president . said that "from a con sideration of the facts in each case, l have no doubt thac-Morse should have received a heavier sentence than Walsh. Indeed, the methods taken by Morse tend to show that more keenly than Walsh did he realize the evil; of what he was doing." In his opinion in the Walsh case, the president protested against the failure to discriminate between legiti mate business and improper gain. "The truth is," said he, "that In the mad rush for wealth in the last few decades, the lines between profit from legitimate business and improp er gain from undue use of trust con trol over other people's property and money has some times been dimmed, and the interest of society requires that whenever opportunity offers, those charged with the enforcement of the law should emphasize the dis tinction between the honest business and dishonest breaches of trust." Thepresidenf s denial of the par don applications of Morse and Walsh does not mean that they jpiust stay in prison 'until the end of their terms. Walsh began a sentence of five, years in . the Leavenworth penitentiary in January, 1910, and under the Federal parole law, is eligible for parole next September, ' Cotton Acreage Showi . Increase. Mtmpbis, " Tenn. The first of tho ea.-ou's cotton crop reports from cor respondents of the Commercial-Appeal of date of May 23 and 24, indicate that tlieie is an increase in the area plant- 1 to cotton in 1911 over tnat planted in 1910. of approximately 4.6 per cent.. hU.h is in round figures 35,000,0oo res in all. Over 89 per cent, of this tea the cotton has come up to a ;und. Planting is practically complex 'ted, save in western Oklahoma, be re. if rains fall sooufl oats land will be put in cotton..- Sea Island Planters Form Union. Charleston, S. C The South Caro lina planters of sea island cotton gathered here to take action to se cure a steady and reasonable market for the staple. It was decided to commence the campaign for a better marketing condition by combining ith the National Farmers' Union and attempting to have that body co-operate with the planters in marketing their crop at a profit. President C. 3. Harrett of nion City, Ga., who was presenU assured the planters of the co-operation of the national body.' BROWN SEES COTTON FAMINE Brown Predicts Not Only Famine in Raw Cotton, But Also in Finish ed Cotton Goods. New Orleans. W. P. Brown, the well-known bull leader in cotton, one of the first to predict 16 cents for the summer months of this season, is once more a daily visitor on the cotton ex change, and the gossip of the floor is that he has. an active interest in the market. He seems to have almost completely recovered from his recent illness which was the cause of his return to his houi9 here from New York where, during the winter, he was engaged in large operations in the cotton market there. From his utterances since he left his sick bed, Mr. Brown has not at all changed his attitude toward cot ton. He is as bullish as ever. He said: "Back in harness again and well once more, I cannot see anything ahead to make me feel bearish on the old crop of cotton. There is nothing but famine ahead, and not only fam ine in raw cotton, but also in finished cotton goods. TRUST SECRETS REVEALED John W. Gates Tells How Steel Trust Was Formed. Washingtou. John W. Gates gave to the house "steel trust" investigat ing committees the history of the Unit- trt States Steel Corporation. Present at the birth of the greatest steel manufacturing- concern in . the world,' he described how it was the natural outcome of what he described as the refusal of Andrew Carnegie to be bound by the "gentleman's agree ments" that marked the early days of open competition In the steel busi ness. He told also of millions lost and created almost in a "breath, how the Carnegie mills .appraised at $160,000, 00O were recognized as worth $320, 000,000 almost within the time requir ed to make the transfer to the corpo ration; the grim clash in the forma tive days when John D. Rockefeller was dissauded from . joining in the creation of the corporation, and the manner. in which others were prevent ed from engaging in the steel trade. Relating how Carnegie had been forced to abandon plans for extending hit steel ;busiajes$, Mr. Gates frankly admitted that the gigantic industrial combination ,1-was formed to throttle competition, and he surprised the com mittee with the further information that when'sjohn- D. Rockefeller had sought to enter the steel business a deal had been put through by which the Standard Oil magnate was forced io sell out for W cents on the dollar. . Mr. Gates also, told ' the committee of. the taking ov'er of the Tennessee Coal and Iron company by the Unit ed States Steel corporation, during the panic of 1907, a deal in which he was interested a stockholder of the Ten nessee company. This, he declared, wa a forced transaction carried out by Mr. Mot gab and other financial lcadf-rs to save from ruin the Trust Comp-'iny of America, threatened in tho financial upheaval because It had 'oanoa too much money on stock or the Tennessee Coal and Iron com pany. Postal Deficit Has Vanished. Washington. For the first time in fee history of the service, it is said, the deficit in the potsofiioe department his beeD entirely wiped out and $7, OO0.0JO surplus for the current fiscal year ending June 30 next in the treas uiy to the department's credit. Post master General Hitchcock signed a warrant returning to the secretary of the treasury $3,000,000, the fund to assist in defraying expenses of the p stal service. Reforqu in the finan cial system have made the refund possible. DELABAM'I RULER OF MEXICO f I BOWING TO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, CEN. PORFERIO DIAZ RESIGNS PRESIDENCY. . DIAZ LEAVES THE COUNTRY Passing of the Aged Mexican States man Was a Very Dramatic - Event. .1 City of Mexico. Francisco Leon !" la Barra, the Mexican foreign minis ., ter and former ambassador at Wash Jngton, took the oath of office as. pro visional president of the republic, i He will act as the chief executive in succession to Porferio Diat, who re signed, until a general election can be . held. Order prevailed throughout the can ital. v ' ' . y . Senor de la Barra was escorted from the national palace to the . chamber of deputies,, where the oath of ofuca wa3 administered Dy the members ol s the staff of former President Diaz. V' NEW PRESIDENT OF MEXICO. DON FRANCISCO LEON DE LA BARRA, ' ' r Porferio Diaz, for whom during 30 years all Mexico has stood to one side, hat ' in hand, stole from the capital with great secrecy. Only a few de voted friends who he dared to trust followed him to the station. He was bound for Vera Cruz to, take shipf or Spain. In the distance could be heard the voices of a few of the more en thusiastic celebrants i whol were still. acclaiming the new president, Fran cisco Leon de la Barra, and shouting "Viva Maderc!" General Diaz undoubtedly will make his home in Spain, probably in Ma drid. During the recent centennial King Alfonso conferred upon him a title and made him an honorary gen eral of the Spanish army. Senora Diaz was made a lady-in-waiting to the Spanish queen. General Diaa speaks no language other than Spaa ish, and outside of Mexico he would find the most congenial surroundings in the country of the dons. LEASE SYSTEM ABOLISHED The Leasing ot prisoners Will 'Be : Stopped in Florida. Tallahassee, Fla. The Florida sen ate passed the Angle bill, abolishing' the convict lease flystem by 'the vote of 21 to 7. The bill was recently pass ed by the house, and now it only re mains for Governor Gilchrist to sign the measure to sound the death-knew of the lease system in this state. " ' The bill was passed ty the senate . only after a long and hard fight. Only , . one change was madejn the bill as it ' passed the house, and this in nowise " affects the sense of the measure as it was originally drafted. The bill has been placed in the ' luiuus ui wei uui uiitunoi, buu u u expected that he will take some action , in regard to it within the next few days. Speculation is rife as to wheta. . er the governor, will sigh the measure, although there are enough vetes In. . favor of the bill to carry it over the governor's veto. "". . , ' " Vedrine Wins Paris-Hadrid Race. Madrid, Spain. Pierre Vedrine, the French aviator, arrived at the Span ish capital, being the first contestant to complete the third stage of the Pari3-to-Madrid aviation race. The Paris-to-Madrid race was begun on May 21 under the auspices of the Petit-Parisian, which offered a prize of $20,000. Jin addition the Spanlsa Aero Club gave prizes amounting to $10,000 and King Alfonso offered a special prize fcr the fastest speed over the Spanish section. Twenty ma chines were entered.