HATIOJrAL BUTE 6F GLBS2&aS6
GEO. A. NORWOOD, President
- -1 M
GEO. C. KOKNEGAT, Cashier, j
ffi.HOXAXi'BlJrK 01
BOKO
Wan, fou bnfnrns ana wd b
Klad to talk or oerwpona with 70a.
CffiO. A. XOSWOOB, Frevileftt.
Hi J. BEST, TJce-PretiicH.
0;.Ati Jdt-rar
''This Argtts o'er the people righti
Doth an eternal rigil keep
5 XT. 11: j 1
iiu nuvuuiig stroma 01 iu.&ia a son.
-.1
f? Can lull its hundred eyea to sleep.
GOI
RGUJS
-- ' " - : -- ; ' . I - - : j--- :l: - . ; ' - - , .- " .'. : - - ' . . - - -- -, :.. : -.' , .-':',... ; ,. ' '
VOL. LXI I i l l QOIiDSBOKO, C , THUESDrf EVENING, JUNE 3, 1915
" i ' ' ' " ! 1 i : T ' ' . i ' ' ' ' i " ' '. ' ' ' '
.-. 1 1
UNVEILING OF JOHN
LAVSON MEMORIAL
An Interesting Ceremony
in this City at Noon
Today
DUTY OF KEEPING
HISTORY STRAIGHT
Presented by The North Carolina So
ciety of the Colonial Dames
of
America to Goldsboro and
Wayne County.
Owing to the indisposition of Mr. D.
H. Dixon, president of the Goldsboro
Chamber of Commerce, who was pro
grammed to preside at today's unveil
ing ceremonies of the John Lawsoii
boulder, Mr. Geo. C. Royall was sub
Btituted by Invitation in the eleventh
hour, and graciously and gracefullv
subserved the duties Incumbent, He
cordially welcomed the. visitors and
conducted the program with ease and
efficiency. I '
The opening, services were held in
the spacious Commissioners Room of
the Court House, where, notwithstand
ing the rain a representative audience
greeted the occasion, and the opening
prayer, as well as the benediction at
the close were by Rev. P. Mclntyre. i
Mr. Royall presented Mr. Matt H.
Allen, f the Goldsboro bar, the his
torical orator of the occasion, and his
address was a gem of literature as
well as history, and most entertaingly
delivered. He spoke in full as follows,
and we are glad to give it place in our
columns for " its original historical
value, for, with Mr. Allen we have the
same opinion of DeGraffenreid, whose
only saving grace was that he por
trayed Eastern North Carolina! as . a
new El Dorado and it is: j
John lawson Gentleman, j
Madam President, of the North (Cro-
llna Society of Colonian Dames o!
America:; Colonial Dames of the
Wayne County committee: Ladies and
Gentlemen: Forceful i3 the figure of
speech, voiced by some writeri who
pays that, "The pyrimids of Egypt
doting with age have forgotten the
names of their founders." Immeasure
ably more mighty than the pyrimid.3
and not doting with age, is the' great
American Contient, whose settlement
was begun by our Colonial progeni
tors; and succeeding generations
should see to it that the names and
deeds of these founders are not for
gotten, but shall be held in grateful
and everlasting remembrance. So it
is but proper that in Eastern North
Carolina there shall be placed an in
destructible, irremovable and eternal
token of remembrance of a man who
came here amid the wilds of a new
continent, lahored, explored, blazed
paths through the wilderness, made
measurements of our sea coast, laid
out -villages promoted colonization,
and wrote the first history of North
Carolina. j
- It is unfortunate that at the time
John Lawson lived in this country
there werg no writers or historians,
and that the only mention of this brave
and daring man was from his ' own
pen, in his reports to the Lords pro
prietors, and by the pen of an averic
tous agent named Baron DeGraffen
reid, who disliked Lawson on account
of his popularity with the Indians, and
the Palatines, and his influence ; with
the Lords Proprietors (and who final
ly deserted both Lawson and the Pal
atines and in attempting his own jus
tification, berated both.) - j ; I
- John Lawson was of Scotch birth,
That he was an educated man and an
acute and intelligent observer, enter
. prising and -circumpsect, no one will
question, if they will read his reports
to the English Government and his
Hlstorv of North Carolina. And as a
surveyor his work has been pronounc
ed excellent. j '
He is represented by Baron Christo
pher DeGraffenreid as a disturbing
element among the colonies and as a
cheat and fraud, and was accused of
settling the. Palatines on the Southern
bank of the Trent at the hottest and
FIGURiriG YOUR ASSETS
Assets are what you think you own
and after your death sometimes the
court decides whether or not you
thought " right. There is no question
about the value of Life Insurance as
' an asset. ' j -
NATIONAL LIFE . INSURANCE CO.,
OF VERMONT . j ;
(Mutual) " ! ':
, it M ' KTJTTPHREY. StatP tirr
OSces 403-4-5. Borden Building.
Goldsboro, N, O.
most unhealthy place and selling them
lands which he did not own. The
scant records of the times do not bear
out the charges against Lawson, j but
on the contrary they furnish poaitive
proof that DeGraffenreid was himself
a cheat and swindler, and circumstan
tantial proof that he conspired j and
connived with the Indians to procure
the arrest and murder of John Law
son. '. ' ' i
; Not unlike the young men of .j this
generation he was determined to trav
el and he tells us in his narrative how
he reached the purpose of coming to
America in these words: "In the year
1700, when people flocked from all
parts of the Christian world, to see
the solemnity of the grand jubilee at
Rome, my intention at that time being
to travel, I accidentally met with a
gentleman, who had been abroad, and
was very well acquainted with the
ways of living in both Indies, of whom
having made inquiry concerning them,
he assured me that Carolina wasj the
best country I could go to. And that
there then lay a ship in the river
Thames in which I might have my
passage, and I laid hold of thi3 op
portunity." It was in the latter part
of July when the boat landed at Sandy
Hook in the colony of New York. Af
ter remaining two weeks in New York,
the journey by sea was resumed and
14 days later they reached Charleston
(or Charles Town as it was then call
ed.) It was on the 2Sth day of De- j
cember 1700, that Lawson left Charles-1
ton and began his journey through ;
the wilderness to North Carolina, In j
his party were six Englishmen, three :
male Indians and a squaw the lasti
mentioned being the wife of one or
the three Indians. To tell how jthis
band of explorers beat swamps, forded
creeks, went by canoe up and down
rivers, camped in the forest by moun
tain and stream, held intercourses
with the natives, were alarmed by
wild beasts, and feasted on by mos-j cattle, hogs, ets. to be paid for after
quitoes, would make a narrativej buteven years,; and that they Bhall re
little shorter than the journalj in j celve necessary impliments for agri
which Lawson recorded his "thousand ' culture free.
miles traveled through several na
tions of Indians." f j j
1 From the time of his first arrival
on American soil in 1700. Lawson re
mained eight years, returning to Eu
rope late in- the summer of 1708.
During this period he was engaged,
in surveying "and promoting coloniza
tion. He platted the first town, Bath,
and was one of its first Commission
ers, serving with Col. Joel Martinj and
Nicholos "Daw (this was in 1705), thus
showing that he was an esteemed, and
trusted citizen. In this first town of
Bath, both Major Christopher Gale! and
Lionel Reading lived and owned prop
erty. Reading was a captain in the
-Indian wars, a Justice of the Peace, a
Trustee of Bath Library, a Justice of
the Court of Bath county and Commis
sioner of Land Titles. That Lawson
was a close friend of Lionel Reading
is evidenced by the records of hisjwill,
the power of attorney in Beaufort
county, to both of which John Law-
son is the subscribing witness.
Upon receiving from Lawson cer
tain maps of the Carolinas and reports
of the country and its resources,! and
in recognition of his valuable ser
vices, he was appointed (Surveyor-
General of the Colony by the Lords
Proprietors. The first edition of his
history made its appearance In 1709,
being published in London. ;
At a meeting held in London by the
Lord3 Proprietors in August 1709,! John
Lawson "was allowed the sum of 201
pounds for several maps made by him
of the Carolinas; and during the same
year and as further j evidence of the
esteem in which he was held by the
Lords Proprietors, they appointed him
a Commissioner to represent the Lords
Proprietors in settling the -uncertain
boundry between North Carolina and
Virginia. . - ' j
It s impossible to form a proper es
timate and appreciation of John Law-
son, without a knowledge of Baron De
Graffenreid. History tells U3 that De
Graffenreid was descended from the
Swiss nobility and having met wth
financial reverses as mayor of one of
the Swiss towns and seeing no chance
of recuperation at home, left his pri
vate affairs in confusion and went to
England with the design of building
up his fortune in America. I He is de
scribed as a mere adventurer, ready
for any money making scheme. With
himself he associated Lewis Mitche'l
and in a history of the Germans, by
Prof. Loher, he descrbes - them both
as "bold and shrewd men", and says
that "they regarded the Germans as
objects of speculation." They are
pictured as enthusiasts, who repre
sented that North Carolina was a real
El Dorado. This speculating phllan
thropist was made a Baron of Eng
land and Landgrave of Carolina In
consideration of the purchase' of
large body of land In Carolina. After
receiving the title, he and his frien-l
Mitchell travelled Europe and offered
the poor people fascinating -Inducements-to
emigrate. The Journal of
the House of tCommons, says that
they ''dispersed books and papers with
the Queen's picture and with the title
pages In letters of gold." DeGraffen
reid Is described by Mr. Lamed in his
history, as a member of a SwIsb Land
company,1 wheh had bought ten thoua
and acres of land from the Lords Pro
prietors; and his every act and utter
ance' Indicates that he wag a typical
canvasser and promoting agent.
It was about this time. Immediately
after; the death of Frederick 3rd, that
the Electoral Dignity of the Palatinate
went to the House of Newberg, a bigo
ted f opish family, under - whose rule
Heldleberg was taken and desolated
by the Mohammedans, in consequence
of which, the Palatines, who were
mainly Lutherlans and Calvlnlsts, fled
td England, being encouraged by a
proclamation of Queen Ann, (this was
in the summer of 1709.) Great efforts
were made to provide for these sub
jects who were lodged In warehouses,
empty dwellings, bams, and In a
thousand: tents, pitched for them back
of Greenwich In Balckheath, whero
they j were piteable objects of English
Charity, j : ;
At) thi9 time DeGraffenreid and
Mitchell, j who were looking for profit
able specuLationsv proposed to the
Lords Proprietors, that in considera
tion of the sum of SlS.OOO.tfO, they
would transport these unfortunate
people to the Carolinas and settle
them comfortably; and acontract was
accordingly entered Into between the
English Government and those two
n0bles, in which liberal provision was
made for the comfort of these people
on their voyage and for their support
for one year in their new homes. The
agreement may be seen in Hawks
History. It jvrovides among other
things, that the Palatines shall re
ceive 250 acres of land each for five
years, without 'compensation, after
which they shall pay two pence per
acre; they shall receive a supply of
The repords of this period are very
scant but it is certain that about this
time j danger was threatening the Col "
onista ; on. account or the conflict be
tween Col. Carey and President Glov
er, and that about this time, John
Lawson, Major Christopher Gale and
Lionel Reading went to England. It
is very probable that they went to En
gland to lay before the Proprietors
the unhappy division and to attempt
to straighten out the tangle.
At' the time this contract between
the I English Government and De
Graffenreid was entered into, Mr.
Lawson, jMaj. Gale: and Reading were
in London preparing to return to the
Colonies and DeGraffenreid engaged
ihem to accompany the Palatines on
their voyage and settle them in North
Carolina, stating that he himself would
follow immediately. They sailed in
January,- 1710 but were overtaken on
their voyage by such terrible storms
that! thej voyage lasted thirteen weeks.
About one half of the 700 Palatines
died at J sea. After they landed in
Virginia, they traveled by land to
North Carolina and were, located by
Surveyor-General Lawson on the ton
gue j of land between the Neuse and
Trent rivers, called Chattawka, where
was -founded the City of New Bern.
It will be noted that after shipping
these unfortunate Palatines who had
entrusted DeGraffenreid with . their
money and land titles, he remained in
Europe several months, leaving these
people penniless and without shelter.
thereby j forcing them to sell their
clothes in order to sustain their lives;
and j when he finally came, he found
them in a state of starvation. The
only account of the honesty and good
character ; of DeGraffenreid ta found
in his own letters, while the Baron
hurls about very liberally in his writ
ings his denunciation of the ignor
ance, cowardice. Incapacity and ras
cality among the Colonists.
Lawson on the other hand spoke of
them as cultured, Industrious, honest
and religious people, and,' of the In
dians as kind and unselfish.
An almost incredible series of mis
haps attended everything DeGraffen
reid and Mitchell attempted, while on
the other hand the efforts of Lawson,
the trusted representative of the Lord3
Proprietors, were attended with suc
cess. -. r ; - . - '-
7 An almost conclusive proof to mv
mind of the treachery and unfaithful
ness of DeGraffenreid, Is a letter writ
ten; to the Bishop of London In 1711
requesting that he, "accept me and my
people and receive us into your church
under your Lordship's patronage and
we shall esteem ourselves happy sons
of a better stock." He writes as ' if
he had the consciences of men of mar
tyr stuff In his pockets as he had their
money and the titles to their lands,
No one, believes that these immigrants
authorized that letter .. and recanted
the religious principle for which they
were so lately willing, to die. -
It was in September, 1711, DeGraf
fenreid with' two negroes, two well
known Indians and the Surveyor-Gen
eral started up the NeuBe river for
general exploration, where they were
taken prisoners at Corethna and where
later the Surveyor-General was mur
dered. And here again DeGraffenreid
puts all blame upon Lawson.
He says that he ."bitterly reproach
ed Lawson as the cause of their mis
fortune, and with great real set about
making his peace with God."
At the time of their capture they
had completed two days of their voy
age up Neuse river, having started
out upon a fifteen days trip. They
went In a canoe, but for some reason,
known alone to DeGraffenreid, he sent
either a negro or an Indian ahead on
a horse to wait for them at the Indian
town of Contentneaj It is a little re
markable that DeGraffenreid, starting
out on an exploring expedition of
Neuse river with his Indian guides
along, should send another Indian
ahead on a horse to wait for the party
at an Indian village. ,
DeGraffenreid says that on their
way they met numbers of Indians,
many of them armed, and that he did
not like the looks" of things and sug
gested going back but that the Surveyor-General
laughed at him.
Another remarkable circumstance
in this connection was the great fear
of DeGraffenreid of some harm f rom ;
rte Indians, when these colonists hal;
never had iiv
trouble with the
dian inhabitants. He further
.,
says ;
that they ad ha-dly turned their ;
Lacks . when .a -..large : number -of In-j
d-ans came out frcm the bvshes and j
overtook them. j
It will te ttofeJ. here that these-
Indians live I a wnole night s- journey :
lt'S iOUmeV :
the party aid it is; certain that they
were 'waiting on the river banks for
tli :3 very canoe and they h? d received, gance And finally comes the con-j together with his friend, Baron De
re, vs from somebody that this explor-; eluding pious reflection of this tried g raff enreid, carried immediately be-
ing party was proceeding up the
euse.
DeGrafienreil says further that dur-
ng the trial the Indians complaine J;
)f their treatment by the inhatitants 1
and especially complained of he Sur-;
veyor-General for taking their lands
It will be note! here that tftis-Isthe
only suggestion in history that John j
Lawscn ever took any lands from the ,
Indians or anyone else. ! that John Lawson was engaged in i cruel form of execution, filling the
DeG raff en void's own description of iand Bpeculation, but on the contrary j skin with lightwood splinters and set
iheir capture, trial and escape fur-j Ui3 works prove conclusively that he! ting them afire.
r.ishes evidence of his treachery ana ; was not engaged In trading with or
cf Lawson's bravery. ; j speculating upon the Colonists.
He says that when the grewsomej There Is no history of North Caro
ceremonies for ' the execution were j ima more interesting than the first
drawing to an end, and the Indians history by the Surveyor-General. It
seemed ready to proceed with, their j ;3 dedicated to the Lords Proprietors
butchery, "I gained the ear of one
of the savages who understood Eng
lish and gave him to understand that
the great and powerful Queen of Ens
land, by whose orders I brought tho
Swiss colonists to America, would be
sure to avenge my blood. I further
more made promises of advantages to
the Indians, should I. be liberated."
Another account says he represented
himself as a King, after which he tells
us that it was decided that his ilfe
and also the life of his negro should
be spared. It will thus be seen that
he gained his freedom through false
pretense and fraud; and in his state
ment I do not think the Baron doe3
himself credit. If he had been a man
and friend of Lawson's, he would
have made the same plea for Law3on
ajid his negro as he did for himself,
and his failure to make this plea
convinces me that he desired Law
son's execution hoping thereby to es
cape exposure by Lawson for his land
stealing, and secure his (Lawson's)
commissions from the Lords Proprie
tors to better enable him to carry out
his fraudulent land schemes.
After securing his freedom he left
the Colonists, mortgaged their lands
and embezzeled their money, as ap
pears from the petition of the Pala
tines in 1714 addressed to the King of
England, which recites among other
things the followin
"That In the year 1709 your peti
tioners arrived in America and in tht
year 1711 Indians ! broke out against
us and in the enterprise our Trustee
(DeGraffenreid) was taken by the In
dians whilst he waa yet amongst them.
We expected him killed. Then came
one Thomas Pollock who ruled both
Governor and Country and acted In
behalf as a General and sent to his
Captain Wm. Brice to take all the
Dutch that were able to bear arms
and .meet him at an Indian village
which was about six leagues from our
inhabitants, accordingly we did but
he never met but left us to sit two
days and one night with the Indians
Soon after DeGraffenreid was brought
in, but did not stay olng with-us and
carried off from . our settlement all
he could conveniently come at, promis
ing to return with provisions and nec-
essarys for the war but he never re
turned nor made the least satisfaction
for these things nor the money allow
ed us by her most Gracious Majesty
or the Gentlemen of Engalnd (Lord
Proprietors) : with , two hundre
pounds which we put Into Interest at
our departure from England. That at
expiration of war then came said Pol
lock (to whom DeGraffenreid had
mortgaged the lands) and took our
lands from us that we had by virtue
of her majesty'a proclamation laid out
to us. We, your distressed petitioners
being in an unknown part of the
world and quite destitute of any as
sistance were obliged to submit to
him, said Pollock, who under color
of a lapsed patent holds the land to
this day."
-It will thus be seen that this pious,
feigning Christian Baron, who eays
Lawson was a cheat, himself etole
from these poor people 175,000 acres
of land, 200 pounds deposited with
him at interest before sailing and the
money given him under the contract
for agricultural implements and cat
tle, hogs, etc.
There ought to be little doubt as
to the truth of the allegations set
forth In this petition, for it was sign
ed by 42 representatives of the Pala
tines, who were according to Dr.
Bernheim in his "History of German
Settlers In N. C." and many others,
from the best blood In Europe. It
was signed by the Simmons, Islers,
Rouses, Moores, Wallaces, Kornegays-
Kinseys, Walkers, Teacheys, Amans,
Ormonds and othera whose descand-.
ants are Btill among us. - . j
- And It la on account of this whole-
In-,saie larcenv that I assert DeGraffen-
9 - I
reid desired Lawson put out of the;
way that he himself
might escape '
exposure and conviction.
He slipped off to New York and
sailed thence to Europe. He dared not
;take passport In London from fear of
arrest by American creditors. The i
nri-oot h,rr A Tn olHpo rt .rnllMra Tho
friends and he says he found "many select the route for the highway lead
people bloated up with pride or aro-jing to the Virginia colony, was seized.
Bernese-Palatint
Jknglisn JNODle in
these words; "Since fate will not
or me any more In this world, there .
i3 no better remedy than to leave it!
and seek the treasure from above, !
where moth and rust doth not con-!
sume, and where thieves do not break
through nor.steal" ... - i
There Is no suggestion from any
writer, except Baron DeGraffenreid,
in the following words: "My lords, as;proper treatment and welfare and
debts of gratitude ought most punc
tually to be paid, so, where the debtor
is incapable of payment, acknowledg
ments ought, at least to be made; I
cannot, in the least, pretend to retali
ate your lordships favors to me but
must further intrude on that goodness
of which I have already had so good
experience, by laying these sheets at
your Lordships feet, where they beg
protection as having nothing to recT
ommend them but truth a gift which
every author may be master of, if he
will." :-;-T: !
The History of North Carolina by
Lawson is simply a report to the
English Government of his exploits
in the Carolinas; and he is the first
person we have an account of, who
gave permanent form to a History of
the Natural Resources of Carolina,
of birds, animals, fish rivers etc. In
the accomplishment of this work, he
sacrificed his life and may be proper
ly called a martyr, and deserves more
notice than he has received.
Since the days of John Lawson, no
writer has ever attempted to treat
the History of North Carolina without
building In some measure - upon the
literacy labors of others or upon the
records of former generations. The
book of Nature was the only volume
to which Lawson could turn for in
formation. Amid the wilds of a jiei
continent, he lived and promoted col-!
onization. To wrest the soil from 1
fierce and warlike race of savages,
required men of supreme courage,
(men who could be killed but never
cowed), and who would fearlessly
bear privations and face death, when
so doing would advance the great pur
pose they sought to accomplish. Such
a 'man was John Lawson Gentleman
Surveyor-General of North Caro
lina. As he ilved he died, and he has
left us the memory of a brave, kind,
honest man who bowed alone to death.
Following Mr. Allen's splendid his
torical address,-Miss Sue Collier, chair
man of the local committee, presented
Mrs. E. P. Bailey, toC Wilmington
president of, the North Carolina So
city of Colonial Dames of America,
who was greeted with applause, and
who spoke as follows :
Mr. Chairman; Members of the Co
lonial Dame3; Ladies and Gentlemen:
Mr. Burke, the ; great orator' and
scholar, said: "The man who .cared
not for hi3 ancestry cared nothing for
his posterity." The Colonial Dames of
America, following the object for
which thn nrcmrif ?af tin ttrart I
are preserving the manuscripts, tra
ditions and relics of the olden days;
are restoring the buildings connected
with the early history of the country;
and today, are honoring the memory
of a man whose ability, valor, suffer
ing and achievements in the early
days of the colonies should be per
petuated and kept in lively remem
brance. John Lawson, the flr3t historian of
North Carolina, Is a name that should
not perish from the earth. His works
are filled with interest to those even
of this day, and his hearty sympathy
with everything that pertained to
North Carolina, her flowere, her soil,
, her animals and reptiles her bays and
rivers her swamps and marches, are
described by him with the sincerity of
a lover and with the devotion that
comes only with the enthusiasm of the
devotee.
, His Journey down from South Caro
lina through the western and central
portions of the State to the settle
ments of the Neuse River section,
looking for a highway to connect the
southern settelments of South Carj-
ilna .with the colonies in Virginia, i
ja iong marcn filled with many excit
ing episodes and interesting incidents,
many hardshiDs and difficulties, and
with stories of the habits and customs
of the Indians with whom he lived
,-,ii ,
" U11C VJLl. JUU111 C V
ln Sentember. 1711. on account of
jealousies aroused in the hearts of tha
Indians by men who persuaded them
that Lawson and his friends were
making encroachments on their do-
"main and conspiring to evict them
f mm their himt;ni mn icnn
while on a trip up the Neuse river to
f0re the Indian chiefs, and a council
fav-heing called, they were condemned to
death. "
De Graffenreid freed himself by
renresenting himself to be a King in
his own country and an especial friend
0f the Queen of England who would
avenge- his death should they kill him.
but Lawson was held and put td death
by fire-torture, a most inhuman and
Thus perished the colonial surveyor
general and the historian by a sa'v
age mode of execution, in strange and
unhappy contrast with the friendly
and humane sentiments he had ex
pressed in his history in regard to the
happiness of these original inhabi
tants of the Carolinas.
And now, Mr. Chairman, iu behalf
of the Colonial Dames of North Caro
ilna, I present to the City of Goldsboro
and county of Wayne this monument
to John Lawson, the surveyor-general,
the w riter and historian of North Car
olina. It is the earnest wish that it may
aid posterity to learn aright the his
tory of the stirring times in which ne
lived, and inspire in the hearts of all
a more abiding affection for the State
where he wrought so well, and whose
waters and shores and lands and
swamps filled him with an enthusias
tic devotion and everlasting love.
At the conclusion of Mrs. Bailey's
beautiful prestation, the audience
joined in singing "The Old North
State," after which they adjourned in
a body to the court, yard, where the
massive granite boudler stands, which
was. then formally unveiled by little
T. R. Robinson, Jr., a lineal descend
ant of Lawson, son of Mr. and Mrs.
T. R. Robinson of this city.
Following the unveiling Mr.i. F.
Ormond, chairman of the Board of
County Commissioners, and himself a
lineal descendant of the Palatine Or
mond, accepted the boulder for the
county, speaking as follows:
Madam President and Colonial
Dames, Ladies and Gentlemen: As
Chairman of the Board of Commission
ers, and on behalf of Wayne county,
I accept this boulder, In honor to the
memory of Surveyor-General John
Lawson with thanks and sincere ap
preciation.
The North Caroilna Society of Co
onial Dames deserves great credit, aitd
the people of this county and section
of the State, especially, owe you a
lasting debt of gratitude for this evi
dence of your patriotic devotion in
perpetuating such important history
and tradition which is so closely con
nected with the pimeer days of our
Republic.
In her presentation address the
speaker has indeed given U3 an Inter
esting sketch of that unusual English
man, whose exploits were terminated
so cruelly and abruptly, at almost our
very threshold.
Could that brave and determined
Lawson be here today, I've no doubt
he would tell us that this very spot
j was his objective point when captured
and slain by those Inhuman Indians.
j We are glad to recall his services.
VOICE OF DEAD HEARD
PLEADING FOR FRANK
Letter From Judge Roan
May Cheat the Gal
lows HE WANTED
COMMUTATION
Had He Lived He Would Have Asked
Governor to Change the Sen
tence Never .Quite
Convinced.
Atlanta, Ga., May 31. The hearing
of Leo M. Frank's application for com
mutation of sentence from death to
life imprisonment, which began before
the state prison commission was com
pleted late today. It is expected that
the commission's recommendation ta
the governor will be transmitted bv
the last of this week, or within 10
days at the latest, and the governor
then will take final action in the case.
No one appeared to argue in opposi
tion to Frank's application.
The principal features of today's
proceedings were a letter written a
few months before his death by Judge
L. S. Roan, who presided at Frank's
trial, In which he sought clemency
for the prisoner, and a statement by
Mrs. Frank describing her husband's
actions" on the night following Mary
Phagan's murder, and denying rumors
of estrangement between herself and
Frank.
Judge Roan's letter wa3 addressed
to the chief counsel for Frank in his
trial. It is stated that at the proper
time-he would ask-the governor to
commute Frank's sentence to life im
prisonment; that after many months
of deliberation he still was uncertain
of the prisoner's guilt, and that "it is
possible I showed undue deference to
the opinion of the jury when I allowed
their verdict to stand."
The production of Judge Roan's let
ter, Frank's counsel stated, obviated
the necessity of extended argument
ard permitted a quicker termination
of the hearing.
Frank did not attend the proceed
ings, but his wife wa3 present through
out the sessions. There were only
about a dozen women present among
the spectators who crowded the cham
ber.; ....
Former Congressman Howard who
conducted Frank's case before tho
commission, submitted a mass of
court records, petitions from legisla
tures and societies and letters from
prominent lawyers and jurists and in
dividuals. His oral argument was
brief. At the early session a number
of well known Georgia lawyers and
jurists made oral pleas in behalf of
Frank and at the concluding session
arguments were presented by former
Governor Eugene N. Foss, of Massa
chusetts, representing citizens of that
state; John M. O'Conner, chief justice
of the criminal court of Cook county,
Illinois, representing the Chicago
Frank committee; Mrs. Mary Delaney
Fisher of Chicago, representing 200,
000 women from all over the country.
whose petition she presented; Dr. J.
W. Coughlin, of Boston, and others.
Mr. Howard, during argument for
Frank, offered In evidence an analysis
(Continued on page four.)
his character and the spirit of hla
deeds, and to do honor to his memory.
So to you, Colonial Dames, I can
but again express the profound
thanks, appreciation and esteem of
Wayne county and its people, each
and every one.
After Mr. Ormond's finely expressed
acceptance the benediction was pro
nounced and the assembalge dispers
ed. - -.
The boulder is massive and holds
the following inscription:
"In Commemoration of John Law
son, Surveyor-General of the Province
of Carolina and its First Historian,
Brutally murederd by the Tuscarora
Indians Sept. 22, 1711. Erected by the
North Carolina Society of the Colonial
Dames of America June 1915."
Among the distinguished visiting
Colonial Dames in attendance were
Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. E. L. Prince, of
wumingion; mrs. Marshall Williams
and Miss Georgia Hicks, of Faison;;
Mrs. Frank Spruill, of Rocky Mount;
Mrs. John Weddell and daughter. Miss
Weddell, of Tarboro; and Mra. Torn
G. Hyman, of New Bern.
The visitors and local Colonial
Dames and a number of Invited guests
were royally entertained Immediately
ofter the ceremonies at an old fash
ioned DarDecue dinner by Mr. and Mrs.
Jas Kyle, served on the beautiful lawH
of their home on Walnut street east. .
v