Published Every
We Do Job Work the
Linotype Way Let
Us Figure on Your
Work. Phone No. 11
Tuesday and Friday
Oldest and Beat
paper in This Section.
VOL. XXV. NO. 74
THE CLEVELAND STAR, SHELBY, N. C. TUESDAY, SEPT. 11, 1917
$1.50 A YEAR IN ADVANCE
CONCORD DEATH
A SENSATION
rhRONER THINKS RICH WIDOW
KILLED BY SOME OTHER
THN HERSELF HEK ANKLE
u, AS BROKEN. "'
I c.r.fiilerable interest is being at
tache I in Shelby to the death of
yTf, Maude A. King at Concord for
ffift that she was visiting at the
hMw df Miss Kate Means a Concord
.),,., the tragedy occurred and Miss
jj,.ans is well-known in Shelby where
fr,.jucr.tly visited.)
( hiv'ajru, Sept. 7 A post mortem
examination of the body of Mrs.
Maui A. King, widow of James C.
K;r,g. bite Cieafiro millionaire, whose
death n suited from a bullet wound
nca
(iit'j
party stated that there was but . one
i pistol shot.
I Speculation is rife as to the mean
ing of a telephone call received by
L. A. Weddington, undertaker, who
carried the remains to Chicago, just
after he was notified to take charge
of the body at the hospital. Some
one called and not finding him at
home, asked a ,Mm Sims, who ans
,wered the call, to tell Mr. Wedding
ton not to let the body get out of his
sight until a thorough investigation
was made. Later the call came a
gain and Mr. Weddington answered
the telephone and was told the same
thing. The man said he represented
the New York police department.
Chief of Police Robinson said he knew
the detective was in town.
The President's Reply
( o'.oirii, migu::t 'J, in-
,.,1 that Mrs. King was murder-
. .1. . ...ittiititi nf ('rVnru.r- Vtilttt T
Il.)iai:. The body was removed
f r, the mausoleum here and the
examination conducted just before
midnight by order of Judge Kerstcn,
of the criminal branch of the Circuit
court. Dr. William Burmeister, path
ologist, of Northwestern university,
conducted the examination in the pre
sence of representatives of the police
and coroner's office.
"In my opinion, from investigation
and post-mortem examination the
wound was not self-inflicted," said
Coroner Hoffman, in contradiction to
the opinion of the coroner's jury at
Concord.
The verdict of the examining phy
sician concluded: "The entrance of
the wound was about two inches for
ward of the center of the skull, be
hind the left ear. It showed no signs
of hums nor powder marks, indicat
ing that the revolver was a consider
able distance from the head when dis
charged. ''The left ankle showed a dark dis
coloration. The examination reveal
ed it was broken before death. All
other organs were negate, in heal
thy, normal condition."
Mrs. King's death occurred early
in the evening of August 29, about
two miles from Concord, N. C, after
she, with Gaston B. Means, her coun
sel and business adviser; A. S. Bing
ham and Alfred Means, a brother of
Gaston, had started for an automobile
ride. The shot wa3 fired when she
and Gaston Means left the car and
stopped at the roadside spring to get
a drink. Ernestj Eury, negro chauf
feur, testified at the Concord inquest
that he had been ordered to take the
car some distance back on the road
when the party descended at the
spring.
Evidence at Inquest
Concord, Sept. 7. Evidence contin
ues to accumulate contradicting that
offered at the coroner's" inquest, into
the death near here last Wednesday
evening of Mrs. Maude A. King, of
New York, while a member of an au
tomobile party. Three witnesses
have been found that change much
the appearance of matters.
The first of these witnesses, whose
name is withheld, says that immed
iately after the body was taken in
to the hospital Afton Means started
to the various show houses to find
Mrs. Melvin, sister of Mrs. King. In
front of one of the theaters he was
told that the parties for whom he was
searching were inside.
While some one went inside to tell
them they were wanted Afton stood
at the entrance of the theater and an
acquaintance engaged him in conver
sation as to the accident. Among
other things Means was asked how
badly Mrs. King was hurt. He repli
ed that she was dead. The friend
then inquired "how in the world -did
it happen?" "She was whirling the
Pistol around on her finger like a
fool woman would do and the pistol
"it off accidentally," Afton Means
ls alleged to have replied.
further conversation was cut off
at 'his time by the appearance of
Mrs. Melvin who came out of the
theater and was accompanied to the
h'pital by Mr. Means.
Evidence Contradictory
Startling new evidence that throws
farther light on' the mysterious death
'' Mrs. King developed today, in
"a"-y ways contradicts the evi
' t.co given at the coroner's inquest
' the members of the automobile
rr-rty who were with Mrs.. King. This
''.'''lenep was not pracurable at the
of holding the inquest.
The witnesses are Charles S. Dry
anil his wife, who live near the scene
"' 'he shooting on the public highly-
In an interview with an attor
ney they have given signed state
m('nts of what they saw and heard
0I that evening.
Suspicion Aroused
The essential fact in the signed
statement given by Mr. and Mrs. Dry
, Atlanta attorney, who came,
"fre today, is that they heard two
I? 1 shots- the last one being after
Party had re-entered the car.
'ny saw the flash of the pistol and
fatw that it was in the automobile
'se uo unjer tne t0p Testimony
efore the coroner by members of the
HEADS "RAINBOW" DIVISION
l of iTrll
'J,- (? A
M 'M'" iiiliT 1 '
? p tin -
Charity and Children:
Covering hardly a column in a
c'aily newspaper the reply of Presi
dent Wilson to the Pope's peace nate
is altogether satisfactory. He makes
the issue that has involved us in the
war clearer than it has ever been
made before. The statement is made
with simple force that we are not af
ter the German people but we are af
ter their masters. Mr. Wilson is to
tally opposed to a status quo ante bel-
lum because that would settle noth
ing, and the agony of the war would
have to be gone over again in future
years. The clear and confident tone
of this reply, and the Errim' determina
tion to put the house of Hohenzollern
out of business forever, without any
condition, compromise or palliation,
makes this nam one of the strong
est and most important that has been
issued from the White House since
the war begun. We went into the
war with great reluctance, but Ger
many by her fool policy compelled U3
to enter it, and we are going to etay
in it until Prussianism is cut ud bv
by the roots. We are glad Mr. Wil
son told the plain truth in this letter
to the Vatican, 'and told it with so
much determination. The power of
the letter lies between the lines, and
the German people will ponder well
its tremendous meaning. There is
ground for hope that this candid and
encouraging statement of the attitude
of the allies toward German despot
ism will hasten the time when real
peace can be made.
NEWS IN CONDENSED FORM
Items of Interest Gathered From Ov.
er the State.
An Officer in the Making
A heavy rain and hailstorm visited , By Bynum E. Weathers;
Newton and vicinity Tuesday even-1 A stern old gentleman wearing an
ing, doing much damage to crops. ineffaceable smile shouts through a
J. D. Allen of Star, Montgomery horn thes words, "We are nearing
county, 29 years old, was fatally Fort Oglethorpe" and almost instant
injured while at work on a trestle at ly the sight of Old Glory proudly
Badin, for the Hardawoy company, floating in the air bursts uoon ou-
He was taken to a Salisbury hospital , vision. Here we are to spend the mot
CLEVELAND MAN DRAWN
Was the First From Cliffside in the
Draft Packard Family Returns
Mrs. Shull Home.
MaJ. Gen. W. A. Mann, who Is to
command the Forty-second or "Rain
bow" division, composed Of National
Guardsmenffrom 20 states $nd the Dis
trict of Columbia, soon to be sent
across to France.
Twenty Cent Cotton Says Carr
"Twenty cent cotton will be the
ruling market figure this winter, in
my judgment," declared Gen. Julian
S. Carr, of Durham. "I do rfbt be
lieve that the price of cotton will go
below that figure nor, as a manufac
turer of cotton goods, do I desire it
to. Those persons who are declaring
that the cotton spinners want an em
bargo on cotton, that they may profit
by a decrease price of the raw ma
terial and sell their manufactured
goods at a price basis on high priced
cotton are imputing unpatriotic mo
tives to the manufacturers. I favor
an embargo on foodstuffs, and per
haps on cotton and I so telegraphed
the President but it is because I be
lieve we have supplied the European
nations long enough and that it is
time we should be looking after our
own needs. The outlook for a good
cotton crop this year is excellent, I
believe we shall make more than an
average crop, and I reiterate that in
my judgment the price will not go be
low 20 cents a pound and I do not
want it to go below that figure."
Cliffside Special to The Sun:
Mr. Cone Eliott, the first Cliffside
man to be called into service under
the draft law, left this morning for
his home in Waco, where he will
spend a few days with his parents be
fore reporting for service. Mr. El
liott is succeeded in the Cliffside Mills
store by Mr. Palmer Harrill.
We are very; glad to have Supt. W.
L. Packard's family which has been
spending the summer at their home
in Shelby, back with us.
Mrs. J. Rush Shull, who has been
spending some weeks with her hus
band, Lieut. Dr. J. Rush Shull, at
Chickamauga, has returned and re
ports a splendid trip.
Rutherfordton Service Intact
Prisoners in Russia
Pnntain Oliver of the American
tank steamer Campana, and the four
naval gunners, Delaney, lioop, ruine
and Jacobs, who were taken prison
ers when their ship was sunk re
cently by a German submarine, are
in a prison camp at Brandenburg,
Prussia. The news comes to Wash
ington by cable to the American Red
Cross from Geneva.
A French cruiser which rescued
the other member of the Cam-
pana's' crew, reported that a
submarine had been sunk soon after
the tanker was sent down, and it had
been feared that the destroyed U
.boat was the one with the live Amen
'cans aboard. The Red Cross d.s
1 patch did not mention William
bert Miller, a fifth member of the
'trun crew announced by the Navy
Department as having been captur-
ed.
Premonition
om. Tff"M fodder knew a
'month before his death when he
wouia oie.
Jim"Who told him?
Spike Tuff-"The Judge. -Lamb.
I.anev returned
1 Sunday from a wek's visit to friends
at Shelby. traswma
Charlotte Observer:
As we understand the matter, there
was a satisfactory adjustment of the
curtailment of train service on the
Seaboard Air Line at the hearing be
fore the Corporation -Commission at
Raleigh. The service between Ham
let and Rutherfordton is not to be in
terrupted. The matter in controver
sy was to the discontinuance of what
is known as the "shoofly" train be
tween Hamlet and Raleigh, and this
was adjusted by a shift in schedules,
by which a service is to be establish
ed . with Norlina the northern termi
nus and the usual connection at Ham
let. Chairman Travis is given credit
for having advanced , a satisfactory
solution of the trouble. The Obser
ver had never been able to conceive
the discontinuance of so important a
service as that between this city and
Rutherfordton in one direction and
Hamlet in the other.
Girl Shot by Negro
At Henderson Tuesday afternoon
Jessie Roth, an 11-year-old white
girl, was shot and seriously wound
ed by Geo. Green, a negro. The girl
may recover.
The reason for the shooting is a
mystery, unless the negro was un
der the influence of drugs. The girl
was walking on the street when the
negro shot at her. She began run
ningtand he, continued to fire, shoot
ing her twice in the back.
The negro was arrested at once
and escaped lynching by a narrow
margin. He was taken through the
country to Raleigh for safe-keeping.
New York's Bread Wail
Charlotte Observer:
Bread continues to sell in Charlotte
at 15 cents a loaf and all is going a
long serenely. In New York bread is
10 cents a loaf and the papers and
the people are raising a howl. They
say their 10-cent loaf is made in such
n wav that it will be light and the
consumer is lucky if it weighs 12
ounces. The Wall Street Journal con
tends that "if the same loaf were now
sold for five cents, the American con
sumer would still be receiving less
than seventy-five per cent of the qu
nlitv of bread which the British
consumer gets for the same money."
New York is claiming thfft-10 cents a
loaf is extortionate. It 'apparently
believes that Ml1. Hoover js more
concerned about checking waste than
he is in bringing down prices.
and died next day.
Miss Ella Edwards of Goldsboro,
aged 15, handled a shot gun and
"didn't know it was loaded." The!
victim was a 3-year-old boy and the
side of his face was torn off. May
recover, but forever disfigured.
Rev. William M. Shaw, pastor of
the Presbyterian church at South
port and of other churches in Bruns
wick county, dropped dead Wednes
day while feeding his chickens. He
was apparently in good health.
The Lumberton Robesonian deposes
and says that a Robeson coun.' man
pulled 20 watermelons from one vine
and left two on the vine; that he sold
the 20 melons for 25 cents each, re
ceiving $5 for the products of one
vine.
Preacher Wolf, who wa3 put under
bond of $500 to answer in the Fed
eral court at Raleigh for seditious
utterances in a sermon, has been dis
missed without trial. Wolfe wanted
to go to his former home in Ohio and
was allowed to go.
Rowan county commissioners have
under consideration a proposition to
expend $10,000 on the central high
way, from Salisbury to the Iredell
line, with the hope of securing a like
amount from the Federal govern
ment. A burglar entered the home of Mr.
Bod Iceman, superintendent of the
Icemorelee cotton mill at Monroe,
one night recently, and got away
with $900 in cash.Mr. Iceman thinks
he was chloroformed, as he didn't
wake up until long past his usual
time.
The consolidated school district of
Oriental Pamlico county, has bought
a home-made auto bus to convey the
children to and from school who live
outside the 2 1-2 mile limit. The bus
cost $1,397. The woman, Mrs. E. G.
Aldridge, is chairman of the school
board in this progressive district.
A second death has occurred as the
result of an automobile collision in
Wake county. Jim .Manning, colored,
driver of one of the cars, was the
victim, and the condition of others of
the injured remains serious. A young
lady passenger in one of the cars was
instantly killed at the time of the col
lision. Frederick L. Horton, an Asheville
tailor, disappeared Saturday night.
Monday his dead body was found on a
mountain side in the vicinity of Ashe
ville. The body was in a reclining
positon, leaning against a tree. It
was decided that death resulted from
heart failure, caused by exertion in
climbing the mountain.
It is reported that J. W. Haynes,
chairman of the Buncombe county
Democratic committee, will be a can
didate for the Democratic nomination
for Superior Court judge to succeed
Judge Carter, who will not be a
candidate. The district is composed
of Buncombe and Madison counties.
S. G. Bernard and others of Asheville
are mentioned as possible candidates.
In Northampton county Edward
Harris went to the home of a negro
named Jordan to recover chickens
which he alleged the Jordans had
stolen. Harris was shot by Richard
Jordan, a young negro, and died from
his wounds. After he was shot Har
ris killed the elder Jordan, Richard's
father. A posse was searching for
the young negro at last account.
MONEY TO BUY SPRINGS
Shelby Board of Trade Has Money
Raised to Purchase and Develop
Fine Property.
Through the activity of Shelby
Board of Trade, plans have been com
pleted for the purchase of the famous
Cleveland Springs property under an
option given to the board by the own
er, John A. Darwin. Matter of de
velopments only awaits transfer of
title as agreed upon in the option.
Sufficient capital is in sight to build a
splendid and suitable hotel at this
well known resort where a hotel was
burned some 10 years ago. The
property consists of 220 acres of land
on which are located four springs of
valuable mineral water.
Yesterday's Shelby Market
Eggs 38
Hens !
Fryers
Table Butter .30 to .35
Corn - - -$2.20
Cotton - 20
Sweet Totatoes 1-15
For men's
see Hull Bros.
and boys'
clothing,
adv.
, New shipment of silk dresses and
waists. Hull Bros. adv.
iiiiMimiwus .pmi ui our nves in an
Army Barrack quarters. The auto
mobile with its patriotic load of hu
man freight halts and we tremblim?-
ly alight to find ourselves completely
bewildered. Which way shall we go?
What shall we do? Where are the
"bosses?" In silence we wonder
while a jolly, good-natured officer all
clad in flaming apparel sits securely
by enjoying some good humor at our
expense. Talk about going to col
lege and the experiences of a Fresh
man, they dwindle away into insigni
ance in comparison with scenes and
sights of an army training camp.
With faltering steps we approach the
officers and make known our reasons
for being there and the fun begins.
We are assigned to a company and
the officers there issue to us queer
looking equipment and leave it to us
to find out all whys and wherefores.
The whistle blows right while we
are carefully scrutinizing our new
gifts. "Fall out" is the command
given by an angry-looking man and
it is needless to say we fell out;
tripping over each other to see who
will be the first to fall in line, in or
der to "boot" the officer. "ATTEN
TION!" We throw our chests out in
an abnormal manner and feel we
have made an excellent beginning for
a Major's or Captam's place. In our
minds, we realize that we must look
good-fresh-hearted, buoyant spirited
ready to serve our old Uncle Samuel.
This may all be true, but somehow
by the look in one of the superior's
eyes, one is led to believe he is of an
opposite opinion.
Ti me speeds. There is no ceasing
of work -drills, exercises, marches
and occasionally a fellow says, "Well
after all, if we had stayed behind per
haps we wouldn't have been conscrip
ted." The vacation trip we had plan
ned is viewed in a more serious light.
We wake up to the full realization of
the gravity of the situation. Three
months in which to prepare, fully
equip, and commission a man who
has never had previous military ex
perience into the new national army.
Slowly the timid, backward lads as
sume a similar bearing and one who
chances to pass by instinctly salutes
the Cadet Student for he sees in him
an officer in the making.
Discipline and Leadership
In the process of making an officer
to have command over conscripted
men several factors enter, the first of
which I would say, training a man
to cultivate, the trait of leadership.
What experience has he had in
handling men? This is not only use
ful in military affairs but it is a qual
ity necessary for the attainment of
success in civil life. The second pre
requisite to be a good officer I would
specify as, a knowledge of the value
of discipline; for on this point main
ly hangs the success or failure of an
officer. He must train his men to
unconsciously submit to all orders and
commands. Theoretically at least,
they must regard him as their sup
erior in military authority is to mean
anything. Anything short of this
leads to an endless amount of confus
ion. The third essential that is to be
found in the good officer is confidence
inspired by his men. An officer who
bullies and threatens never wins the
regard and confidence of the men un
der his command; whereas a good
officer, possessing the tender quali
ties of Lee and Jackson, can march
anywhere with the full assurance of
a united support, even though it be
into the jaws of death. Soldiers, like
other people are human and deserve
such treatment. Serious criticism
has been made upon some of Regular
Officers but all hold the Reserve Offi
cers in resrject and esteem, and these
are mainly to look after our con
scripted friends.
Neatness, Manners- and Health
Leadership, discipline, and confi
dence are not all of the essentials need
ed to whiD a man into a U. S. ofticver.
There are other things to be observed
among which we notice personal hy
giene. The officer sets a precedent
for the whole army and it is very es
sential, therefore, that he observe
such simple laws as: .Neatness
strict attention to his personal ap
pearance, daily shaves, daily baths,
keeping hair properly trimmed, daily
manicuring, etc. Manners always
learn to exchange military saluta
tions, courtesy to ladies on all occas
sions, and table manners receive clos
est attention. To eat with a knife is
a serious offense for an. officer, or to
make a grinding noise with the mo
lars. Health-Disease germs are
spread, it is taught, by playing cards,
sick erson. washing m
public places, eating and drinking in
improper places. They teach an offi
cer that his worst enemy is not a man
with a rifle 200 yards off but his sick
friend near by. Therefore regard him
as unclean. Drink only pure or wa
ter boilad until pronounced whole
some, and, always wash hands before
eating. There is danger in man's ex
creta, nasal objections, saliva and
flies and other insects carry conta
gious disease germs.
So in view of all these fine lessons
which are taught in Uncle Sam's ar
my it is not a bad thing after all as
most people are prone to believe. In
fact, military training adds to the
health and efficiency of civilians which
can hardly be otherwise obtained.
Those who miss the opportunity of
hearing the call of Reveilee as played
by an expert band just as the sun i3
about to rise summoning thousands
of men to a day of thrilling action,
those who miss the brilliant oppor
tunity of witnessing the daily, mount
ing of the guard with all its pomp
and magnificence, indeed lose a rare
occasion of seeing with the naked
eyes of God the pure souls of men.
JAPAN READY TO HELP
She Says So, But the Allies Have Not
Indicated They Want the Help of
The Jap.
By Parker Andersonr
Washington, Sept. 7. Japanese
troops will be hurled into the Eu
ropean ,war if the allies desire them.
But the allies thus far have not ex
pressed need for these forces.
With the opening of the Japanese
American conferences here the mat
ter of sending such troops took on a
fresh importance today, particularly
in the light of Germany's menace a
gainst Russia.
The government let it be known
that from the standpoint of interna
tional politics it has no objection to
throwing the oriential fighters into
the accidental malestrom. Diplomatic
officals, however, "passed the buck"
to the war department on the ques
tion of whether the military situation
is such that the allied nations should
take advantage of Japan's willingness
to fight. The war department kept its
own counsel.
Japan wants certain concessions in
return for her aid, and her aid could
be available only with much transpor
tation. This appears to be the per-
plexinsr difficulty, whether to sacrifice
badly needed shipping facilities for
transportation of men and supplies
and whether to pay the price Japan
demands. Thus far the allies have
not felt that the Japanese were so
badly needed as to require these sac
rifice. That the military portion of
the Japanese mission will confer with
Secretary of War Baker is likely.
Then this question can be more care
fully considered.
In so far as the conferences be
tween, the Ishii mission and the state
department are concerned shipping
and steel problems probably will be
discussed for the time being. Secre
tary Lansing has washed his hands of
any decision as to troops and will
leave that for determination by the
war department authorities. Thus
far the government has no program
to present to the Japanese.preferring
to wait upon their suggestions before
making any outlines of the best ways
in which Japan and America can co
operate in a common cause.
10,000 People Killed by Railroads
'Washington, Sept. 7. Ten thousand
and one persons were killed in rail
road accidents during 1916 and 196,
722 were injured, according to a com
pilation of figures covering the year
just made public by the Interstate
commerce commission. As usual the
greater number were trespassers on
railroad property.
Passengers killed numbered 291;
injured, 8008; employes killed, 2941;
injured, 176,923. Other persons, in
cluding trespassers killed and injur
ed numbered 6,769 and 11,781 respec
tively. These figures show an increase ov
er 1915 of 1371 persons killed and
34,835 injured.
Say Little Children Worked at Still
Morganton, Sept. 6. Joe Smith
and Lige Rector, alleged moonshin
ers, were brought here yesterday by
Officers Boyer and Milholland, who
reported that they caught the men
operating a liquor still. Two little
children aged four and six years,were
at the still getting up wood and as
sisting their father, the officers say.
The little fellows, who had never been
to town, had never seen an automo
bile, a train or a negro, cried to come
along with their father, and the offi
cers allowed them to come along.
dinners to Meet
Ginners of Cleveland and Gaston .
nr reouested to meet in the court
house at Shelby, N. C, next Saturday
afternoon at three o'clock, ah are
urged to be present.
By W. CHORD,
adv.-2t-ll. Chairman.
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