Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / Feb. 15, 1924, edition 1 / Page 1
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Max Wonnoke Deut-m VOL. 35 - — . 1■■ PLYMOUTH, N. C., FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15, 1924. NO. 25 TWO KILLED IN PRISON BATTLE DESPERATE CONVICTS DYNAMITE PEN GATE IN ,WILD DASH FOR LIBERTY. ARE SHOT WITH OWN GUNS Blast Shattered Windows and Rocked Entire Woods Run District Caus ing Residents tc Flee. Pittsburgh.—Two prison officers were shot to death and a number of convicts were wounded, more or less seriously in a riot at the Western Pen itentiary. After an hour’s fight, dur ing which riot guns, tear gas bombs, clubs and bricks were used, the pris on guards assisted by the county de tective and Pittsburgh police forces, succeeded in quelling the disturbance, which started when the convicts used explosives in an effort to dynamite their way to freedom. No prisoner escaped. The dead are. William Pieffer, as sistant deputy warden, and J. A. Coax, an overseer. Warden J. M. Eagan reported that the plot was born in the minds of four or five “bad men,’’ recently trans ferred to the prison here from the Eastern Penitentiary to be disciplined. He added that he believed the plot was engineered by a quartet of con victs known as “the four hosemen.” They had help from the outside, the warden declared. Prisoners numbering more than 1,000 had just breakfasted and were about, to go to their tasks in the work shops when the blast ripped the main gates and a section of the wall, rock ed the entire Woods Run district, shattered windows and caused resi dents to flee from their homes. Pieffer and Coax were near by. They started on a run for the holt in the wall but were intercepted by 15 convicts who disarmed them, beat them and then shot the officers with their own guns. The prison yard be came a battleground as other prison , ers and other guards joined in the fight. The guards concentrated near the gates and threatening the prison ers with the sawed off shotguns, or dered them to their cells. But the explosion had signalized an attempt to escape, and with liberty in sight they were stubborn and showed fight. Even the prisoners in their cells added their voice to the confusion, shouting and j beating upon the walls and bars, and crying defiantly to the guards in the I tiers. A few of the convicts got loose | but the guards met them had to hand and threw them back into the cells. Senate Asks For Denby’s Resignation. Washington.—A request made of j President Coolidge by the senate to j ask immediately for the resignatTon of Edwin Denby as secretary of the navy j was refused by the chief executive. \ The senate’s request was embodied in a resolution which was adopted, 47 to 34, and sent at once to the White House by special messenger. The President’s refusal was given in a statement issued four hours later In which he asserted that no official • recognition could be given to the senate resolution. "The dismissal of an officer of the ; government such as is involved in this case, other than by impeachment, is exclusively an executive function," the President said. Gastonia Fife Loss $100,"00. Gastonia..—A loss of hetween $75, 000 and $100,000 was sustained here when the SpeDcer Lumber company, a large plant in the heart of the city owned principally by S. Elmer Spen cer, was totally destroyed by fire which was discovered near the boiler room of the plant at 10:15 o'clock. The machinery in the plant was totally ruined, and the large stock of lumber practically all burned. The insurance on the plant was stated to be very small. Six Burned to Death. Rockville Center, N. Y.—Before po licemen on the scene had cglled the village volunteer fire department, six persons, including four children, had been burned to death in a fire, believ ed of incendiary origin, which destroy ed a three story tenement house re cently converted from an inn. Honduras Seems Quiet. Washington.—The situation in Hon duras remains in doubt, but State De partment advices indicate that the revolutionary movement has not yet j—.Mooed into serious fighting. FORD SPECIAL^ TRAIN KILLS THREE BROTHERS. Glencliff, N. H.—A special train on the Boston and Maine railroad, bearing Henry Ford homeward from Boston to Detroit, struck four sportsmen who were walk in the track on their way to an outing club. Three of the party, brothers, were killed instantly and the fourth was seriously injured. The train crew did not know of the accident, and continued on their way. A southbound express picked up the injured man, Ralph D. Reed, of Manchester, N. H., and took him to that city. BETWEEN QUEBECK AND LEVIS ARE CAUGHT WHEN ICE BRIDGE BREAKS UP IN ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. Rescue Parties Set Out For Quebeck Bridge to Rescue People With Ropes. Quebeck.—Fourteen persons were adrift on cakes of ice in the swelling waters of the St. Lawrence river and efforts to reach them were futile. The 14 were members of a party of 17 who were standing on an ice bridge be tween Quebec and Levis when it snap ped and broke away. Hurriedly formed rescue parties set out for Quebec bridge, toward which the ice floes were drifting in the hope tha,t they could rescue the victims with ropes as they passed beneath them. From points along the shore it was reported as many as nine or 10 persons had been seen on one cake of the floating ice. The ice bridge, the first formed here in 25 years, was an unusual sight and hundreds of persons flocked to wit ness it. The persons who were car ried away when it broke were stand ing at about the middle of the stream, making efforts at rescue all the more difficult. Woman Candidate For Mayor Killed. New Orleans.—Mrs. Roland Clark, candidate for mayor of Palmetto, in the recent primary, is dead, her son and daughter wounded, and Louis Meyer is in a hospital here probably mortally wounded as a result of a gun battle in which all of the parties concerned participated, according to information received here. Mrs. Clark was opposed for election by a man named Isaacson and they polled a tie vote. According to a version of the shooting received from Opelousas, near Palmetto, Mrs. Clark accompanied by her daughter, met Meyer on the street and accused him of having brought a brother-in-law from Texas to vote for Isaacson and break a tie. After some words Mrs. Clark drew a pistol and shot down Meyers. Meyer, after being wounded, drew his own pistol and shot Mrs. Clark to death. Mrs. Clark's daughter took possession of her mother’s weapon and fired at Meyer, who shot and wounded her. At this juncture Mrs. Clark's son took up the battle and also was wounded by Meyer. Tokio Alarmed by Policy of America. Tokio.—Viewing with apparent anx iety the “increasing restrictions upon Japanese residents in the United States and the proposals now before Congress for further exclusion of Jap anese,’’ Foreign Minister K. Matsut, in an exclusive statement to The As sociated Press, appealed to the Unit- j ed States to heed Japan’s cherished | desire "to be treated on the same footing with other independent na tions.” Defending Japan's attitude toward the question as “conciliatory and well meaning’’ the statement expressed readiness to discuss anew the prob lem of restrictions and exclusion. London Holds Memorial Service. London.—The memorial service for WoodrovV Wilson in St. Margaret's Westminster, was attended by a large delegation of British and American notables, including the entire staff of the American Ebmassy and Consulate and three members of the British Cab inet, J. Thomas, Lord Haldane, and Lord Parmoor. The eulogy was deliv ered by Canon Carnegie. The King and Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the Dowager Queen Alex andra were represented at the service, as was Prime Minister MacDonald. “Flu” Strikes England. London.—There is no sign as yet of an abatement of the epidemic of in fluenza which is sweeping over the United Kingdom. The deaths reported from influenza last week numbered 3«7. FEDERAL FORCES MANY COMMANDING GENERALS ARE KILLED CROSSING LERMA RIVER. BATTLE LASTED 11 HOURS Says Estimate of Losses Impossible Because Battle Did Not End Until N ightfall. Mexico City.—The federal forces have achieved an overwhelming vic tory over the rebels after 11 hours of furious fighting on the banks of the Lerma river at Ocotlan, according to a report made by General Amaro to President Obregon. Heavy casualties were suffered by both sides. A number of the commanding gen erals were killed during the crossing of the river subsequent to the storm ing of “Death's Balcony,” as the sol diers call the rebel trenches, accord ing to special dispatches from Ocotton. After crossing the river the fedwal forces successfully attacked the rebel positions at Cuitzeo, forcing the main rebel column to hoist the white flag and sound bugles, calling for a parley, the dispatches say. The following dispatch was sent early to General Arnolfo Gomez, mili tary commandant in Mexico City, by President Obregon. “I am pleased to report that our loyal soldiers have given the highest example that can be demanded in bravery and loyalty while crossing the Lerma river, where the rebels have organized defenses, aided by the nat ural advantages .offered in that region. “The battle lasted 11 hours with out any truce, beginning at 7 o'clock (Saturday) in the morning ?md eiffc ing at 6 o'clock in the evening. It is impossible to give an estimate of the losses suffered by the enemy, because the fighting ende dat nightfall over a very extensive area. “Our troops suffered 300 casual ties, more or less, in dead or wound ed, because the crossing of the river over an improvished bridge and t?Te subsequent assault had to be done under rebel fire. “I feel highly proud of the manner in which our soldiers scorned death in the action, which was an honor to the national army." Jpanese Loan Will Be Offered. New York.—Public offering of a Japanese government loan totaling be tween $250,000,000 and $300,000,000 will be made by an international bank ing syndicate headed by J. P. Morgan and Company, it was announced here. The bonds, which will yield about seven per cent, will be offered simul taneously in New York, London and on the continent. The major part of the loan will be offered in this country and the American syndicate will be composed of leading bankers of the United States. It is understood.that the pro ceeds will be used for reconstruction purposes and also for refunding opera tions. The British share of the issue will be offered in pounds sterling and the continental quota in dollars. So far as is known, bankers said, this is the first time a large international loan has been offered on the continent in American currency. Put to Death By Lethal Gas. Carson City.—Lethal gas as a form of capital punishment wras used for the first time when Gee Jon, Chinese, convicted of killing a rival Tong man, was put to death. Physicians and scientists who at tended the execution were unanimous in pronouncing a swift, painless meth od. Several of them said they con sidered it the most merciful form yet devised, less gruesome than hang ing, entailing less suffering than shooting or beheading or any of the other traditional ways of execution. Capital Church Pays Tribute to Wilson. Washington.—Tribute was paid to the memory of Woodrow Wilson in the Central Presbyterian church here, where he had worshipped in his vig orous days. President and Mrs. Coolidge and many high government officials were present to hear the Rev. Dr. James H. Taylor deliver his sermon. “A Great Man Has Fallen," and to listen to those hymns the dead President loved. They sat near Mr. Wilson’s flag draped pew, which is to be in mourning for 30 days. Intimate glimpses into the life of the war President were given by Dr. Taylor. ATLANTA AUTOMOBILE MAN AND WIFE BURNED ALIVE. Atlanta, Ga.—C. W. Dupree, an automobile dealer and his wife were burned to death and Mrs. Du pree’s mother, Mrs. H. M. Cotting ham, of Marietta, Ga., was severely injured when she jumped from a second story window to escape flames which destroyed the Dupree residence here. The charred bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Dupree were found byfiremen. According to Mrs. W. A. Dupree, also a guest in the home, when the fire was discovered the entire in erior of the residence was ablaze. She said she jumped from the sec ond story window and was followed by Mrs. Cottingham. Just as Mr. and Mrs. Dupree reached the window, she said, the roof of the house caved in. Hospital authorities say Mrs. Cot tingham will recover. Mr. Dupree was a widely known Atlantian, being president of a large automobile sales company. Mrs. Dupree was active in Red Cross work during the war, being in charge of recreation and hos pital work for the American Red Cross at Brest. PRESIDENT COOLIDGE PRESENT OFFICIAL WASHINGTON AND NA TION PAY TRIBUTE TO EX PRESIDENT. Thousands Line the Way From Home to Cathedral to View Simple Fu neral Cortage Pass. Washington.—Woodrow Wilson has passed forever from the world stage where once he towered, a command ing figure. In the sacred privacy of the home, last rites were said—as simple as the faith of the man himself in the goodness of God. Only the presence of the President and a few who were his colleagues in days of greatness, [ and the quiet thousands waiting out side under Wintry skies for a humble share in the last leave-taking, mark ed this as the funeral of a great j man. There was more formal tone to the cathedral service which followed. There in the chapel that gives en trance to the vault of entombment were gathered the dignitaries of gov ernments and many men of place and power in America. Organ notes and the peaking voices of the choir added a touch of ceremony to the brief re ligious exercises. But, at the very last, the dead passed again into the keeping of his nearest and dearest, who alone might watch over the en tombment and hear the resigned faith of the committal service uttered. The Nation’s share in that last moment was only to stand in silent reverence outside while the tomb received the keeping of an honored American. During the funeral service, the busy life of the Nation’s capital stood at pause as elsewhere over America men did last honor to the dead. The drum ming guns of sorrow echoed dully from the distant hills, where Fort Meyer lies, guns that had heralded the dark, cloud-wrapped coming of day with the somber clamor of salute to a dead commander. Wherever the flag flew above ship or fort, half-masted in token of the Nation’s loss .the guns proclaimed the sorrow of a people. About the stricken home and at the cathedral were massed the flowers and wreaths that came pouring in from every nearby city and town. There were formal pieces and many simple clusters of the fragrant blossoms. A story of the greatness of the man whose late earthly moment they mark ed was written on the cards. There were great names among them, those of Kings and Presidents and of others in whose keeping today is the destiny of civilization. , Among the offerings were some from comrades who served in the great war under the fallen chieftian, served in the fighting ranks of the Nation. They bore such legends as “To Our Comrade," "To Our Chief,” and “From His Comrades.” The love liness of the blooms will not fade un noted, for the grief-bowed widow has willed that these tributes to Woodrow Wilson shall go out to Walter Reed Hospital after the ceremony to carry their message of hope and cheer to j the wounded men there, as a last tok en of remembrance from the chieftian who has passed on into eternity. An hour before the service, at the home was to begin, several thousand persons were gathered in the street which was Pned on either side by ma- i rines and infantrymen. They had , come to get a fleeting glimpse of the start of the funeral procession to Mount St. Albans. 1 FIRE DESTROYS FILM EXCHANGE 4,300 REELS OF MOTION PICTURE CONSUMED IN CHARLOTTE FIRE. ESTIMATE LOSS AT $400,000 Fire Was Difficult to Extinguish; Ex plosion Heard as Film Became Ignited. Charlotte, N. C.—Total loss in films, furnishings and building destroyed or damaged in the spectacular fire which completely gutted the film exchange of the Famous Players-Lasky corpora tion, at the intersection of Church and Fourth street, is estimated at approx imately $400,000. The damage sus tained by the building, a two-story structure owned by the Robertson estate, was placed by Fire Chief Mack Wallace at about $10,000, while offi cials of the Famous Players-Lasky corporation said that the loss to the film company in films, office fixtures, projecting machines, advertising mat ter, etc., probably will amount to nearly $400,000. The very lowest esti mate of the loss of the film company was more than $300,000, with the probability that it would total nearer $400,000. The fire, which started about 12:30 o’clock, burned fiercely for about three hours, and firemen fought the flames steadily for about four hours. The origin of the fire is said to have been in a pile of old advertising post ers lying behind a radiator which ignited them. The fire started in the shipping room of the film exchange, on the first floor, and spread quickly to the reels of film. The film ignited instantly, so quickly, in fact, that the combustion amounted to an explo sion, or several of them. Several persons narrowly escaped death in the burning building, and two or three of the employes suf fered signed hair and eyebrows, while one of them, a small negro boy, was forced to jump from the second story. The blaze was the most spectacular in the history of Charlotte, firemen ■ and onlookers agreed. It was next to impossible to extinguish the burning celluloid film, and firemen were forc ed to fight hard to keep the flames j and building “cool” with the streams I of water until the fire burned itself out. The highly inflammable film ignited with such rapidity that three explosions were distinctly heard, and several lesser ones probably occurred. Warships Ordered to Honduras. Washington.—The cruiser Roches ter, of the special service squadron, now at Colon, has been ordered to La Ceiba, Honduras, in response to an ap- j peal to the State Department from American residents, who fear that revolutionary developments will jeop* ardize their interests. No actual outbreak has been re ported, but Americans in Honduras believe the prospects for an' amica ble adjustment of the Honduran elec tion tangle are not good and that fighting may break out at any time Average Weight of Cotton Lower. New Orleans.—The statement of Weights of 6,093,265 bales of cotton handled at outports and across the Mississippi, Ohio and Potomac Rivers overland to American manufacturers outside of the cotton belt during the period from August to January, inclu sive, issued by H. G. Hester, secre tary of the New Orleans Cotton Ex change, shows an average per bale of 526.89 pounds, against 518.S9 for the same period the year before. De tailed averages are: Texas ports 529.04; against 532.64 last year; Louis iana ports, 507.19, against 513.19; Ala bama, 497.67. against 522.94; Georgia ports, 498.26, against 49S.70; South Carolina ports, 490, against 492; North Carolina ports, 487, against 494; Vir ginia ports, 490, against 490; Tennes- j 3ee, etc., 510.19. against 500.88. Hull Plans to Lease Shoals. Washington—A bill providing for the lease of Muscle Shoals to a $15,- ! 000,000 corporation to be formed by the Tennessee Electric Power Com pany and other Southern power com panies, was introduced by Represen tative Hull. Republican, of Iowa. The bill differs in but one respect from a measure introduced earlier in the session by Mr. Hull. The old Hull bill provides for two companies, one to be capitalized at $10,000,000 for the production of pow er, the other to be capitalized at $5, 000,000 for fertilizer production. The present bill creates o is company for both. PLAN SUNDAY SCHOOL MEET North Carolina Conference of Metho dists to Meet at Wilson in April. Durham.—A conference-wide Sunday school Conference, under the auspices of the North Carolina Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, South, will be held at Wilson, N. C., April 1-2-3, according to information com ing from the office of L. L. Gobble, conference superintendent of Sunday school work, and it is expected that approximately 500 representatives from the 227 pastoral charges of the conference will attend this big gath ering of Sunday school work rs. Outstanding Sunday school leaders of the Southern Methodist church will take part in the program. Among those who will take part are M. W. Brabham, head of the Department of Sunday School Administration, Gen eral Sunday School Board, Nashville. Tenn., Miss Minnie E. Kennedy, gen eral elementary superintendent of the General Sunday School Board, Nash ville. Tenn ; Miss Lucy Foreman, head of the Department of Intermediate Senior and Young People's Work of the General Sunday School Board. Nashville, Tenn ; Prof. H. E. Spence, head of the Department of Religious Training of Trinity College and chair man of the Conference Sunday School Board; Miss Georgia S. Keene, confer ence elementary superintendent and L. L. Gobbel, conference superinten dent of Sunday school work, Durham. In addition, negotioians are under way for a platform speaker to International reputations for a series of inspiriaion al addresses. Plan to Mine Gold. Troy.—Ore from the old Covington property in Montgomery county, ad joining the famous Iola mine, owned by W. L. Stamey. of High Point, assayed $12 to the ton, it is reported in that city and favorably impressed by the showing, operations may be undertaken on an extensive scale, it was announced. An assay of $4 to the ton is con sidered “paying dirt,” and the much higher panning of gold, Mr. Stamey said, was more than his most opti mistic anticipations. He has already been offered $50,000 for the property, but said it was his intention to either mine it independently or through a syndicate. , The property adjoins the Iola mine, which was successfully operated for a number of years by the late Milt Jones, a picturesque character well known throughout this section. In all, it is estimated, that he extracted $1, 500,000 wrorth of gold. Expects Big Berry Crop. Wilmington.—“Present good weath er continuing, I confidently believe that the strawberries produced the coming weeks by the truckers operat ing along the W. & W. branch of the Atlantic Coast Line, between Rocky Point and Magnolia, will bring to the growers more than two million dol lars,'' declared R. H. Melvin, secre tary of the Wallace Chamber of Com merce. Secretary Melvin is much elated over the present outlook for the berry crop and beleives that they will begin moving to northern markets from this section within a very few weeks. Few Forest Fires to Report. Whiteville.-—With respect to the ab sence of forest fires Columbus county has had a most favorable fall and winter season, reports District Forest Wardens K. E. Kimball and F. B. Mer ril, who were recent visitors here and In various sections of the county. Ac cording to these gentlemen, most of the local wardens have not had a single fire to report. Investigations of the few fires that have been seen have led to the dis covery that all of them were caused by the people burning new grounds and tobacco beds, or protecting their homes by burning around them. In all cases those who started the fires took the precaution to render every thing safe. First Presbyterian Church Opened. Albemarle.—The congregation of the First Presbyterian church of Albe marle celebrated the opening of the new church edifice here in splendid style with a program of special inter est and to which all the leading churches of the city offered their In terest and their assistance. Rev. C. M. Pickens, pastor of Cen tral Methodist church; Rev. Q. C. Davis, First Baptist church, and Rev. E C. Cooper, First Lutheran church, held no services in their respective churches and each of these ministers delivered short addresses as a part of the Presbyterian program which con sisted of specially selected music the addresses of cooperating ministers and the sermon the pastor, Rev. Dl B. Green. —bi
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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Feb. 15, 1924, edition 1
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