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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF POLK COUNTY.'
INDEPENDENCE ALL THINQS.
.SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $i.oo PERYEAR, IN ADVANCE.
VOL
COLUMBUS, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1903.
NO, 83.
' " " ,! ' - : .
1
fur
,7 T7- T- ! :r-r
I Tl : "" ' -- a.
ritL GOVERNOR 1$ MOVED
Application For a Pardon
Which Should Be
. Granted.
THE MAN WAS INNOCENT
Alleged to Have Committed
Crime, But Did Not Soln.
tend Prominent Men Inter
esting Themselves in Behalf
of U nfortunate Prisoner.
Before Governor Aycock is an applica
tion for a pardou of a conviet made by Mr.
J. P. Kerr. - I ?
Back of this application is a strange sto
ry. It is the ?iory of a man convicted of
which he was not guilty. It is the etory
of a man serviug a term in the penitentiary
for three years "without the knowledge of
his wife, children or relatives. It is a story
of a man's suffering punishment rather thaa
let his family know of his disgrace. , They
suppose he is dead as to them he disappear.
tl from the face ot the earth when circum
stances caused dis-direCtion.r " ,
It tv as this state of affairs "which 'was
learned by Mr. J. P. Kerr, director of ftie
State prison when he was last in Raleigh
attending a board meeting. Mr." Kerr im
mediately set on foot plans to rescue the
roan and it is confidently expected they
will succeed. "r -
It was in 1900 that a drnmmer came to
Waynesville. He had been on a prolonged
spree. He took a horse and .buggy and
drove to Sylva where he was arrested for
stealing the team. He was brought back
to Waynesville and jjut on trial soon after
wauls. He was a stranger without money
or relatives at hand. In his state of mind
resultant from the effects of heavy drinking
and imbued with an idea of keeping his peo
ple from knowing of his disgrace, he went
to trial. He gave the assumed name of W,
B . Smith. The evidence made a prima
facie case against him. It was shown that
wii.ii I r v t ex hri HW J
. uu ueiense. tie was con
victed and sentenced to , five years in the
penitentiary. He has served until' this time
and has. said Director Kerr to The Citizen,
yesterdaymade a model prisoner. He has
inf ormed the authorities ; of the various
plots of prisoners to escape.,
" But absence from home and family un
der a conviction which ;he felt was unjust,
had- its influence on the man. Recently
Governor Aycock visited the prisou and
the man aked to speak to the executive.
The Governor heard his story and was in
fluenced by it, Mr. Kerr on his return
here wrote to W. T. Crawford saying that
he was convinced Smith did not know what
he was doinac when- he took the team and
urged his pardon. The letter was endorsed
toy James Ferguson, licitor at the time of
conviction. This letter, with application
for pardon, Mr. Kerr has sent to Governor
Aycock. - '
"Smith" told Mr. Kerr his family lived
in Jb iorida when he came to Waynesville.
Citizen.
J. P. CALDWELL, JR. SUICIDES
W.M J. BRYAN IN LIVERPOOL
Interested
in English Sociological
Problems. '
Liverpool, Nov. 18. W. J. Bryan ar
rived here tonight from the United
States. He was interviewed by numer
ousnewspaper correspondents and said
that he was intensely interested in En
glish sciologieal problems and that he
wanted to hear and learn as .much as
possible of the fiscal discussion now
going on. He has arranged ' to kear
HerbertHgjff'v- Asquith speak on this
question tomorrow and to listen to the
Speech of Joseph Chamberlain Friday.
: Mr. Bryan said he is merely an on
looker so far as the fiscal discussion is
concerned.
Speaking of the next presidential
election in the United States, Mr. Bryan
said he thought he would not "again be
a candidate, but that nothing had as
yet been decided." V ' ,
Mr. Bryan; will remain for some time
he took the horse and buy and ; made off I inEneland. anCwill thejj OJU3 Fj-ancex1
Was a Prominent Young Man
of Charlotte.
Charlotte, Nov. 19, A tragedy which
shocked the whole community occurred
shortly, after .6 o'clock last : evening,
when Joseph P.' Caldwell, jr-7 son of
the editor of the Observer, ended his
life by shooting himself through the
left breast with a 38 calibre revolver.
He committed the deed at the family
residence on South Main street and
died in a few minutes. .
' Young- Caldwell was up street the
greater part of the afternoon, return! n g
home shortly before 6 o'clock. He jnet
a friend t6 whom j he intimated a pur
pose of pending his; life. 'While , the
young man was 'not 'taken seriously,
a member of the family was notified of
what he had said and he was accom
pamed home by his oldest sister. ' J He
engaged in conversation with his sister
and apparently had dismissed from his
j . . 1 , . i . - ... - - ' :
iiuua any inougnt ot sell destruction
by the time the family residence was
reached. He went immediately to j his
room on the second floor and a moment
later a pistol shot was heard.
.. His two sisters, - Misses Lottie and
Mary Oates Caldwell, and the the young
est brother, Frank Caldwell, were in
the house at theitime. .When the un
fortunate young- ban's room was reacTI thl8 rning. The time for the burial
ed his body was found lyihg across the
bed, the smoking revolver by his side.
The body was carried to Statesvllle
this morning accompanied by the grief
stricken father and j oldest sister, Miss
Caldwell, and a . number of
- ! J
Lottie
friends. 'The funeral took place thifc
afternoon, the service being conducted
from the residence! of
Caldwell.
Mrs. Amanda
This morningfs j Charlotte Observer
in its narration of this tragedy saysii L
"No cause for the act is known. -le-
cently the young ban has be.en depres
sed, and as far back as six weeks fago
he had said that he intended to Tcill
hi msel f viut bis; remarks were . hot
taken seriously; hbr did he seem to in
tend that they should be taka sedr
ously.w
Continuing, after telling of the young
man's going to his room, the Observer
says:
- 4He closed the door. A second later
a pistol shot was -fired. A sister, who
hurriedly ran' to the room, found it in
darkness. She made a light and found
her brother lying on his back on his
bed with the revolver lying by his side.
Physicians wer summoned; ; but the
young man died before they arrived.
He had either sat on the side of the
bed or thrown himself across it, -and
had placed the pistol against his breast
and fired, the bullet penetrating the
heart and causing almost instant death.
'J. P. Caldwell, jr., was the - older
son of Mr. J. P. Caldwell, and : was 19
years of age last March. He had spent
about two years in the navy, , but was
honorably discharged from the service
about a year ago. since then he had
beerrin Charlotte most" of the time. Ee
had had several attacks of illness, and
had suffered-a good deal from melan
cholia
''It is needless to speak of how this
tragedy-has shocked the family of the
boy and th e entire . com munity . Joe
Caldwell had become a familiar- figurp
here, and had made many friends." He
was warm hearted and brave, with
many fine and likable qualities; and
the pitiful manner of his passing evokes
general regret and sympathy.' s;.:rl
-"The bodv was taken to Statesville
feervices K cannot be announced now.
Among" those who will accompany the
body to Statesville will be: Mr. J. P'
Caldwell and Misses Lottie and Mary
Oates Caldwell, the father and "sisters
of the deceased; Mrs. R. L. Gibbon,
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Chambers, Mrs. W.
R. Taliaferro, Mr. Julian Tiliaferro
Mr. H. E. .C. -Bryant and Mr. I. E.
Avery.. Frank Caldwell, a younger
b rather of the young man, left for
Statesville last evening to convey the
sad inteligence to his grandmother.
Mrs. Amanda Caldwell, and hid aunt,
Miss Jennie Caldwell. Mrs. Theo. F.
Kluttz of Salisbury,-a sister of Mr. J.
P. Caldwell, jand members of her f am-
ilywill join the burial party at States-
ville."'-- - C T ' 'z
STING OF LYING TONGUES
Besmirch the Reputation
Of An Innocent Youngr
Girl.
WHO SHALL AIlWSEn FOR THE
Self-Destruction of Miss Cul
bertson ? "Those Who Were
My -Enimies Wore the Mask
of Friendship Were the
Lines She Left. X
That the old proverb, "Satan finds
some mischief still for idle toneues to
do' stilLholds good, is " evidenced 'by
the distressing circumstances reayealed
in a letter recently received in this city
from Michigan. 3 " - Vr""';.'--:'v-j
QA young lady, of highly respectable
parentage iended her life by Mslf-admln-
istered poison, bcause , the slanderous
tongues of j idle gossips had connected
her name with that of a well known
man, about town." It is the story of
the serpent destroying the happiness of
a pure young life.
Miss Adelaide Culbertson as previous
ly stated, was a young woman of re
spectable . parentage and refinement.
Her life from childhood to young wo
manhood had been Irreproachable. "So
marked was the uprightness of her life
that, as is frequently thecasef in small
owns, the sting of jealously entered in
to the hearts of those who confessed to
be Miss Culberton's friends. In an un
happy moment the young lady was seen
talking to a young man who wore no
saintly halo about his head as he walk
ed the city streets. ;
The hearts of the scandal mongers
were glad for here was a chance to be
gin ; their' dUtardly work. -, They did
not overlook! their opportunity, and the
cowardly insinuation dropped here . and
there spread with contagious rapidity.
Those who wore the smile of; friend
ship in the presence of Miss Culbert
soiawere the busiest diff users !brf the
HR. , CRAWFORD OBJECTEii
To Burial of "Petrified Han' '
On His Place.
The posecution in r the celebrated
"Petrified-man" case is hot on the trail
of 'Squire Sitton who was- bound to ;
court a week ago by Justice Waddell i
on the charge that he knowingly plart-
ed "it" on his land and then resurectcd
itand then sold it for $3,500 to ; Ashe-j
ville men as a genuine petrified man.
At the preliminary; trial , evidence !(
was introduced to show that the thin I '
was hauled across country in a .box and if
buried on Squire Sitton's land and that j!
it was the same thing that was dug" . up !
and exhibited in South Carolina;and
shown in Charlotte. - -''i h
join; Hb uus utjannij mere was no -DOS- i
itive evidence, only circumstances; to
show that the 'Squire consented to -the
placing of the body on his land or that
it was a fake. "
But now more evidence has been pro
duced before the grand jury. Mr. Craw
ford, a prominent citizen of Henderson
county, told that Torn ; Edney wanted to
plant the petrified man on his land but
he declined to go into the scheme. Tom
Edney was one of the four men, ' John tf
Long, Tom Ednev, Geo. McKinney jind
"Litton," whom-Will Carter told 'the; '
magistrate were named by John . Long
as the men who buried the petrified
man where it was found.
- No indictment has yet been returned
in theNcase. Citizen. " ,
poison when out of her sight. When
malicious utterances finally 'reached
the young lady's ears, her pure , young ..
heart could not survive the shock and
in a fit of despondency she passed out of
the range of the. venomous shafts of :
the "scandal mongers.. In the note'
which she left behind .Miss iDulbertson
gave expre8siontoa sententence which
should burn into the hearts of her cow
ardly murderers. She wrote:;;. "Those
who were my bitterest 4 enemies wore A
thraaskirieiidship.itizen :':
WE SEND GRBET1NGS
Autumn with: it's whistling winds and frosty mornings tells us that winter is near. The Eall Clothing question is now anail ,
important matter for consideration, and we take great pleasure in oordiatllj inviting every Man, Boy, or Parent who will haye j
clothing to buy during the season, to call on us for the purpose of looking at, and examining the new Clothing, Hats, Furnish
inff Goods we are now showing. To show our new styles affords usgreat satisfaction. ALL THINGS ARE RE AD Y COME -
v There are a dozen
Yoirig
-MenV
; Suits
The young man whoinsists
upon Fashion's latest whims,
naturally comes to Fashion's
Headquarters for them. As
you know, that means he
comes here. '
As soon as he lands he puts
on a Suit, and the Suit gener
ally lands him at once. -
The smartest and newest
double breasted Sack Suits areN
he -e, as well as the new, firm,
hiiVh s'loulder, narrow lapel,
single breasted Sack Suit.
Worsteds, Fancy Cheviots
and Scotch Suitings are the favorite fabrics. -This
way, young man, if you want a Suit
of clothes that's strictly "It.1
TOtt NEW3AC
The good feature i of
our Overcoats proclaim
themselves.
There are a dozen
kinds and styles.'What's
your particular prefer
ence: longr short or
medium ? - We have; it. '
Yoi Make the
Decision.
By the time we have -.
show n you - what O v e r
coat styles are worn,
you will be able to de1
cide which one becomes
von and what cloth you want.
All cloths, all colors, an styies, tnac aeserve to uc
herei are here. - . -
Overco'ats at $5.oo, $7.50, $15 00, and away up to $30.00.
Money ; back if you want it. I .
The weather is rather Overcoatish now don't you, think so t
CARDrTZ
The clothes question for the"
growing Boy is a perplexing
proposition at best.- ,
; Parents, who have raised an
assortment of boys, know all
about it. The boy must be
-pleased as well as . the parent. ;
" We have Boy's Suits, that will satisfy all hands
and promote contentment in the. family circle. '
Our handsome Short Pmt Suits for Boys, from 5 ,
to 16 years, m two or three piece styles, , wm .s . 5
FILL THE BILL EX&CTLYJ
$1.00. $2.p0 or $4.00: are sdniof; the :
prices. The Suits are handsome and have-style.1
encash to please both the boy and his mother, awll J
as that substantial wear his father will" insist upon-
having. - , ?-.'.' r- . ti
Bring the boys here for all: round clothes; satis-;
faction. 1 , ; :
1
Wurrnr TT A TrMTTT 5 Some of you Who read this, nay not Know mat we aiso sen iaoies i'T
TP TMl-lljy?'rSWfo.-"Cape Wraps and Jackets. in fact, in our Ladies Department you can come, and -be fitted
- - 211 waa irHU iic. fl-iat It Is the best wav. - - : - ,
ness andwe trimK you wm . : s 7 "
FLOYD L. :LILES. r-
62-64 MOR.GAN SQUAR.E,
A S