THE REVIEW COVERS ROCKINGHAM LIKE THE MORNING DEW AND
SURROUNDING COUNTIES LIKE THE SUNSHINE ON A CLEAR DAY
OUK) V r ' If 11
It
REIDSVILLE, N. C FRIDAY, MARCH 23, .1917
ISSUED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAY
DECLARATION OF WAR FORECAST BY
EXTRA SESSION CALL OF CONGRESS
HETH SHOT ESCAPING
MILES' RACKET STORE
HOT AFTER GERMANS
xrnT.TTTVrii! TYY Nn. 2
1 I '
1 1 in riiii i
AND
BRITISH
rKwun
RDM
VAWTER
HOME
PRESIDENT WILSON CALLS
LAW MAKERS EXPECTED - TO
PASS A RESOLUTION DECLAR
ING THAT A STATE OF WAR
HAS EXISTED BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES AND GERMANY.
President Wilson, recognizing that
German is making war on the United
States on the seas, has called Con
gress to ensemble In extraordinary ses
tion on April 2, to deal with the situ
ation. The purpose of the session now
called ttwo weeks, earlier than the date
first set as announced In the Pres
ident's proclamation is to receive a
communication from the chief exe
cutive "concerning grave matters of
national policy, which should be ta
ken immdiatly under consideration."
The President in his address tio Con
gress will detail how Germany prac
tically has been making war on the
t nited States by the ruthless destruc
tion of American, lives and ships on
the high seas in contravention of all
. the laws of nations and humanity.
Congress then is expected to pass
H resolution declaring that a state of
war has exLsted between the United
States and Germany for some time.
Such a resolution, in Itself, will not
be a declaration of war in a technical
sense, although practically it will
amount to the same thing.
As a consequence, the United. Suites
will take further steps to protect Its
interests on the high seas and else
where against the warlike acta of
Germany and whether an actual state
of war will come to exist in Its full
Fense will depend on the future acts
o the imperial German government.
Since last Sunday when three Amer
ican ships were sunk in quick succes
sion with lose of Ameroan lives
bringing the total number of Ameri
cans lct through German submarine
operations to more than 200 the
President and all his advisers have
recognized that a state of war exist
ed. From ell parts of 1 the country
have come calls for Immediate sum
moning of Congress In extra session.
Although, the President by the pro-
isions of the constitution roust leave
it to Congress to make the practical
declaration of war -such advices as
fcave come to the White House from
members of Congress, governors of
states, public officiate and many hun
rirmta of ciliaens have contained state
ments of support of such a policy in
its fullest sense. .
Navy department speeds plans for
fleet of "submarine chasers".
Defense council organizes board to
take shipping of entire nation ammu
nition output of nation to provide Im
mediate and continuous suply.
Army board recommends comblna-
WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS
VICINITY 18 YEARS AGO
From The Weekly Review, 1899.
A large force of hands con
structing the long distance tele
phone line between New York and
New Orleans are at work in and
near Reidsville.
Revival services are being con
ducted at the Presbyterian church
this week. Rev. C. W. Robinson
f Wilkesboro is assisting the pas
tor, Rev. D. I. Craig. ,
Mr. C. N. Evans, cashier of the
Bank of Reilsville, has received
an inquiry from a wealthy Phlla
delphian rowing inquiries with a
vew of buyng a tract of land near
Redsville. His object is to erect
a club house and make head
quarters for his sporting friends
during the hunting season.
The rainstorm Saturday night
-was the most terrific ot any which
we have had in ten years. Sev
eral of the small bridges in the
county were swept away and the'
other end of the Settle's bridge
has been carried a great distance
down the streacm It is said at
BODY TO MEET APRIL 2
O O O O 0 0 o o.o oooooooo
o
0
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
0
KAISER MAY DECLARE
WAR WITHIN 24 HOURS
0
O
0
O
O
O
O
O
O
0
0
O
O
0
The possibility that Germany
may antlcipste any move by
the United States In this direc
tion by a declaration of war
on the United States Is fore
casted In Berlin advices reach
ing Holland. These are to the
effect that In Berlin the belief
that a rtate of war with the
United States will be an ac
complished fact ' within 24
hours.
o
O
O
o
QOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
tion of army and navy air service a
once.
Civil service commission takes
steps to recruit skilled labor for army
and navy plants.
War risk insurance bureau puts
rates on basis and plans to handle all
rani war risks.
Congressional leaders plan non-par
tisan compromise organization
house to handle defense measures on
"American" basis.
Secretory Daniels hastens bids for
construc'jion of destroyers.
General board of the navy and gen
eral staff of the army take up plans
for impending hostilities.
Pacifist organization rebuked by
Secretary of Commerce Redfleld.
War and navy department heads
call conference tomorrow of aeroplane
manufacturers to speed up building
of aerial fleet.
New Firm Will OpenvHere
Messrs. S- Helner & Co.,x the well
known merchants of Martinsville Va
have leased the Felix Miles store on
Scales street and will xpen up a gen
eral merchandise store in April. The
store room will be remodeled and both
floors will be used for the display of
goods. This is a progressive firm and
is well known to many of our readers.
They will carry a complete line of dry
goods, clothing, shoes, dress goods,
haberdashery, etc. This firm has been
in the business in Martinsville about
.thirty years and has built up an enor
mous trade. They enjoy the fullest
confidence of the people of Henry
county. The Review bespeaks for the
new firm a liberal patronage and we
tare sure they will build up a large
trade here. Formal announcement
of the date of the opening will appear
soon. Mr. C. J. Petuske of the new
frm was in town Wednesday making
necessary arrangements for the open
ing of the new store.
Laier-sfhce the above was put in
type the fire in Miles Racket Store,
(the building to be occupied by Messrs
Helner & 'Co.) occurred which may de
lay the opening of ' the new store a
few days. The building will have to
be repaired throughout and this will
doubtfless require aj couple of weeks.
least ten inches of rain fell dur
ing the night.
Mr. D. L. Blackburn, superin
tendent of the county roads, has
photographed all of his force, so
that if one escapes he will be bet
ter prepared to have him captur
ed He did the work himself and
shows that he Is a pretty good ar
tist. Mr. William Giles has sold his
place down town to Mr, Sam Bar
ber and will build up town on the
lot next to Dr. J. C. Mills.
Mrs. L. Beannan and Mr. Ja
cob Bear man have returned from
the north.
Mr. Charlie Jackson is arrang
ing to erect a buildng on the cor
ner of West Market and Gilmer
streets.
Members of the Baptist church
here will furnish a room in the
Baptist Female College at Raleigh
Mr. J. C. Huffines was sick
last week, but is now out again.
ANNUAL MEETING OF REIDS-
VILLE B. & L. ASSOCIATION
The eighth annual meeting of the
stockholders of the Reidsville Build
ing & Loan Association was held in
le Rest Room of the Commercial &
Agricultural Association laet Tuesday
evening. There was a large attend
ance of stockholders and officers, and
a large majority of the stock was re
presented. A very s&il.sfactory state
ment was submitted by the Secretary
and Treasurer, with the announce
ment that the seventh series would
mature March 31st, next, and a new
series would be opened for subscrip
tion on the 14th of April following,
'lhis association, owing to the flour
ishing condition in which it finds it
self is in ai position to mature stock,
two weeks earlier than is the case
with similar organizations. This flact
cf itself denoted caroful management
on the part of the officers and proved
a gratifying piece of news to the stock
holders. The association closes its eighth
year of operation with aa asset sheet
totaling 117,913.04, and with a record
of construction buildings, and one
church edifice, at a total of J38.228.00.
fts average roll of subscribers is 50.
The books of the organization have
recently been audited by the insurance
department-of-the State, and pro
nounced absolutely correct, the state
ment being supplemented by a lauda
tory comment bearing upon the effi
cient bookkeeping done by Miss Laura
Powell, who looks after the account
ing end of the association. The ex
amining committee for the stockhold
ers, consisting of Messrs. C. L. Fire
sheets, W. S. Somers and F. S. Miles
corroborated the report of the exam
iner for the State, and the accounts
and report of the Secretary and
Treasurer, Mr. John D, Huffines, be
ing found to be most satisfactory, the
election of directors was taken up,
with the result that... Messrs, , Rv B,
Chance, Scott Fillmah, Chas T. Som
ers Jas . T , Smith, W . S . Windsor,
J. H. Smith, John D, Huffines and
Dr. J. R. Meador, were re-elected,
with the addition of Mr. A. W. Way,
to fill the vacancy caused by the re
tirement of matured stock. A subse
quent executive session resulted in
the election of Mr. R. B. Chance,
President: Scott Fillman, Vice - Presl -
dent; P. W. Glidewell, Attorney, and lnat Heth, who died in Bittoanoke hos
John D. Huffines, Secretary & Treas- 'p,tal Thursday, might recover and de
urer. Mr. Huffines had been granted qijne to prosecute actuated Professor
a rising vote of thanks at the stock
holders meeting for the neat and ac
curate condition of the records, and
his reappolnUment, as well as the re
election of the other officers, was unan
imous, showing a good hearty co-operative
spirit in the internal manage
ment of the affairs of the association.
The Reidsville Building & Loan As
sociation has grown steadily from
small beginnings until it has become
a byword in the homes of our people.
It has been a strong stimulus to the
best kind of thrift, and we predict for
it a prosperous future, in keeping with
the growing requirements ot our mu
nicipality. The announcement in an
other column of the opening ot a new
series of its stock will, no doubt, be
read with the interest! by our citizens,
and we recommend the association as
the means of acquiring habits ot thrift
tnd the realizlation of what every
tnoughtful head of the family should
aspire to tihe possesion of a home.
DIRECTORS OF FIRMS
SENT TO GRAND JURY
U. S. Commissioner Meade R. Flynn
announced this morning that the dl-
TBntnra nf flip firm of Hndnptt. Ad-
kins and Mobley would be served with
subpoenas and required to give testl-
mony before the Federal grand Jury
in regard to the alleged making ot
stills In the locale of the concern with
out a license. The list of names giv
en by W. P. Hodnett to the Com
missioner is as follows: Pat H. Ter
ry, C. M. McLaughlin, D.J. Holcombe
Pen L. Belcher, R. R. Mobley and
W. P. Hodnett.
It was also learned this morning
that the Government has five witness
es In the case, the two weakest being
placed on the stand yesterday. It was
said today that the Government has
by no means shown all of its hand.
Part of the testimony will be alleged
statement made by a member of the
firm that "still-making by the com
pany was so common that little was
thought of It."
That the Government worked up a
case against another hardware con
cern in Danville not many weeks ago
in that it failed to result in a coup
because of alleged treachery was an
o'her point gleaned today. Danville
Register.
Patronize our advertisers.
ALLEGED STORY WHICH, IT IS DE
CLARED, WILL BE TOLD MONT
GOMERY COUNTY JURY IS OUT
LINEDPROFESSOR'S EARLY
MORNING DISCOVERY.
MRS. VAWTER'S CONFESSION
A dispatch from Blacksburg, Va.,
says: When Proofessor Charles B.
iawter awoke early Tuesday morning
ant) found his wife missing from the
bedroom he quietly slipped downstairs
and took his revolver from the desk
drawer. Going back to the upper floor
ne was suddenly confronted by Stock
ton Heth, Jr., attempting to escape
from the house in his night clothes.
Heth was at the top of the stairs.
Without a moment's hesitation Vaw
ter put three bullets through the
young man's body. That, In brief, is
the Btory which, it is declared here
todray, will be toldon the witness
stand by Professor Vawter when he
faces the charge of murder before
a Montgomery county Jury. It will
be shown, it Is declared, that Mrs.
Vawter had left her bedroom. Heth
was ooccupying a room across the ball
When Mrs. Vawter left her husband
f he closed the door. Professor Vaw
ter made a slight noise In opening it.
His wife was not in Heth's room when
Heth was killed. She is declared to
have fled into her son's room. She has
made a full confession to her husband
of her relations with Heth. They are
said to have been of considerable du
ration. When the trial of Professor Vaw
ter begins the unwritten law will be
invoked to acquit him. That the sanc
tity of the Vawter home had been de
stroyed, that he had been betrayed
by his supposed friend in his own
home,, that the .name of the, family
had been besmirched, the evidence
will unquestionably disclose. Under
the unwritten law Heth forfeited his
life to the wronged husband.
Silence on the part of Professor
Vawter, the prominence of the two
families, their standing In the com
munity, the horror of the whole aflalr,
has prevented heretofore any positive
, statment on either side. The belief
Vawter, it is said, in his silence until
after the ante-mortem statement of
Heth.
Until evidence in the affair at the
home of Professor Vawter is adduced
in the Circuit Court all the facts and
happenings in that home on' the night
of the homicide will not be known to
iheDublic. There are two bullet holes
in the wall ot the Vawter hallway at
the head of the stairway. One of
these is six and one-half feet above
the floor, the other five feet Three
Dullets were fired, one of which was
found in the body of the dead man.
The other two went entirely through
Heth's body and lodged in the wall.
Mrs. Vawter has disclosed to her
husband her full relations with Heth.
She has not yet told a word, however,
ro any one except her husband since
the affair.
Vawter and his wife occupied the
front room on the upper floor. Over
the hallway and front entrance is a
room which was occupied by their
young daughter, with a door to the
room of her parents and another to
the halL The hall extends the length
of the house. On the sarnTp side, and
adjoining, there is a bath, and next
to that Is a room In which the son of
.the Vawters slept Back of this room
there is a nau leaning w mo
portion of the bottom floor of the res
wence. immeuiaiy ,
the room occupied Dy rjerasj.ru
liams, the lodger, a student at tne
institute. Leading from the room oc
cupied by Mr. Williams there is a
bath on the right and this connects
with the guest chamber, which Heth
occupied last Tuesday . night The
stairway comes up to the left of the
guest chamber.
When Professor Vawter awoke at
an early hour Mrs. Vawter was miss
ing from his bed. He is said to have
started to locate her, and when he
opened the door leading to the hall
the noise was sufficient to attract at
tention. Heth hearing the door creak
thought that Professor Vawter was
coming down the hall. It is apparent
that, instead the husband went down
to the lower floor to arm himself, and
on returning met Heth at the head
of the steps.
Professor Vawter was on the land
ing coming up. The shooting follow
ed. As to where Mrs. Vawter was
immediately preceding the shooting,
ond how long she may have been away
"HINDENBURG LINE" IS NOW BE
ING APPROACHED BY FRENCH
WEST FRONT RETREAT OF
TEUTON'S NEARS END IS THE
GENERAL BELIEF.
French troops, pushing hard on the
heels of the retreating Germans, are
today within striking distance of the
supposed goal of their retiring foe.
The milstones on this line are the
historic towns of Lille, Cambrai, St.
Quentin, Daon and La Fere.
The troops of General Nevelle were
pushing foward,' St. Quentin yes
terday at a rate almost unprecedented
in the present world war, and had
leached a point within five miles of
iae city. Unless some unhealded fac
tor has entered into, the situation the
French have by this time' either en
tered St. Quentin or the German re
treat has halted.
In the meantime to the north the
British are doggedly pushing forward
toward Cambrai and are apparently
within striking distance of that town,
the heart of the Lille-La Fere line
and since the days of the Romans.
The British are advancing more slow
ly than the French but nothing elth
r in the official reports from Paris
or London, or in the unofficial stories
of newspaper correspondents at the
front indicates that either army has
yet to come in contact with the Ger
man forces.
The theory that 'the Germans pro
pose to halt their retreat on the Hin
uenburg line has been put forward by
military critics in the allied capitals
but there has been no ldnlcation from
Berlin of the plans ot the German
gneral staff and the purpose ,. and
meaning of the dramatic retreat ot the
invaders of France xemain clone " ).
considerably u- try J
French military observes estimate
that the German retirement has al
ready relased 150,000 to 200,000 troops
who are available for a long pradi Jiea
counter-offensive to be launched
against the allied lines at Borne specu
lative point. The Paris newspapers
regard some such move on part I
von Hlndenburg as almost certain aid
discuss the possibility of another tre
mendous effort to smash a vay
through to Calais.
In the meantime the only" indicv
tion of a German attempt assume
the initiative is an apparently spo
radic flghtng n the Chaanpagno district
and on the Verdun front. Nothing has
developed in either of these directions
to indicate an offensive on n scan
great enough to offset the sensational
evacuation of a thousand or more
square miles in Picardy.
trom her bed are secrets which only
she, Professor Vawter and his array
of counsel know. Vawter id his
wife are the only living witnesses to
what the husband may have seen
when he left his room to get the pis
tol with which he did his deadly work.
Following the Issuance of the state
ment made by counsel for Professor
Vawter, application was made for ball
for the accused man before Ball Com
mlsisioner Pierce. This was made in
chambers by consent ot the defense
and the prosecution. The statments
were taken stenagraphically, but law
yers on both sides decline to make
kr.own a thing touching the proceed
ings. ""' Washing Window,
A spoonful of kerosene added to a
kettle of very hot water will make
windows, looking glasses and picture
glasses bright and clear. Use a small
clean cloth, wring It dry and rub It
over the glas9 after wiping down the
framework with an old oiled cloth.
Then proceed to the next window and
treat It similarly on both side. After
that go back to the first one and wipe
it dry with a large, clean cloth. No
real polishing is required, and the win
dows or glass will look clear ans
shiny. '.
High Brow Stuff.
"What are you giving your cows now
In the way of galactagogues?" asked
the professor of the milkman.
"Ob." said the milkman, who bad
Just been graduated from the state ag
ricultural college and was not to be
stumped, "their sustenance is wholly
of vegetable origin, rich in chlorophyll
and opulent in butyraceous qualities."
"A plot if yoa please," said the pro
fessor. "Git up," said the milkman. Country
Gentleman.
MUCH TERRITORY WAS REGAINED
DESTROYED BY BLAZE
BUILDING, STOCK OF GOODS, AND
ALSO PRESSING CLUB ESTAB
LISHMENT SUFFERED HEAVY
LOSSES. PARTIAL INSURANCE
ON BUILDING AND GOODS.
ORIGIN CF THE RRE UNKNOWN
Fire broke out in the rear, parti of
one of the upper floors of Miles Rack
et Store yesterday morning about 3:30
o'clock. An alajiu was sounded and
the fire department answered prompt
ly. Owing to the inflamable material
whlchh the flames fed on and . the
headway lt had gained before dis
covery it required hard and persistent
work to confine the flames to the store
room and prevent its spreading to ad
joining buildngs. The store was gut
ted and the entire stock ot goods was
destroyed.
The building is owned by Mrs. Ed
Walker (formerly Mrs. Ora Siddle)
end was partliaily insured.
Messrs. S. Helner & Company ot
Martinsville, Va., had recently leased
the building to open up a department
etore and expected to move In early
next montth: The fire will doubtless
delay their opening a copule of weeks.
The building was occupied by the
Miles Racket Store, Mr. Felix Miles,
proprietor. A pressing club on the
bocond floor was run by Mr, Numa
VVinstead. Everything in the building
Is a total loss. Mr. Wlnstead had
no insurance and his loss Is several
hundred dollars. Mr. Miles had only
2,000 insurance on his stock of goods
pnd his losses probably double this
amount). He had dropped two poli
cies of $500 each within the last few
days. ....
Slight damage was sustained by the
Whlttemore-Mobley Hardware' Co. ad
joining on the South trom smoke and
water. Their elevator rope was burn
ed considerably. No other property
was damaged. . .
The fire department! did effective
work in confining the flamesto the one
building. Several times it looked very
threatening to adjoining buildings but
the heavy fire walls and continuous
streams of water kept on the flames
prevented the fire from spreading.
Work of remodeling the store room
will begin at once. It is thought the
brick walls are practically uninjured.
Cemetery Caves In
A special from Scrantoa Pa. says:'
As a result of a cave-in of the work
ings of the Diamond mine of the Lack-
awana Company underneath a -portion
of the Cathedral Cemetery, in West
Scnanton, several bodies were precipi
tated nto the mines, and coffins and
rough boxes were torn apart, while
the ends ot other boxes and caskets
were left protruding from the Jagged
edges of the cave.
Cathedral is the big Catholic ceme
tery of the city, and Bishop M. J.
Hoban expressed himself in unmeas
ured terma in regard to the desecra
tion of the graves of those who had
cteDarted this life through the ruthless
mining methods being pursued. He
annuonced that next Sunday - In all
Catholic churches of the city the mat
ter would be taken up, and all Catho
lics will be asked to attend a mass
tueeting to protest.
According to residents near ceme
tery, a rumbling noise preceded the
cave-in: but whether it was the deto
nation of a blast or not, they would
not be sure. Investigation revealed a
bole about 75 feet by 40 feet, and 40
feet deep, Just inside the cemetery
fence. A glimpse into the yawning
chasm revealed broken coffins thrown
about in disordered fashion, their con
tents exposed, and in many instances
loose bone half buried in the earth.
One coffin of a woman recently buried
bad broken in halves, and the body,
clothed in white, lay half buried in
dirt and rock.
On both sides ot the cave-in the
ends ot coffins protruded and the end
pieces of some of them had been bro
ken, leavVig exposed bones and other
grewsome reminders that the home ot
the dead had been desecrated.
The Mikado's Title.
The ruler of Japan really should be
called ten-o, not mikado. The latter
means "royal gate" and is a title some
what similar to sublime porte, which
is used Indifferently to mean the Turk
ish sultan, hU government or the coun
try itself. Ten-p means "heaven's high
est" a title surpassing all the most
grandiloquent European efforts. The
original Japanese equivalent for ten-o
Is soumelamikoto, but the former is
universally used, perhaps on account
ef its brevity.
(