CLEVELAND:—“A COUNTY THAT LEADS A PROGRESSIVE STATE IN DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE, AND WHERE HOSPITALITY REIGNS”
PAID-UP CIRCULATION
Of This Paper Is Greater
Than The Population Given
Shelby In The 1920 Census
f he
lebclanii
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RELIABLE HOME PAPER
Of Shelby And The State’s
Fertile Farming Section.
Modern Job Department.
VOL. XXXII, No. 99
THE CLEVELAND STAR, SHELBY, N. C.
TUESDAY, DEC. 16, 1924.
$2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE
COUNTY com CHOP MAY CO B
ill BALES FROM STATE ESTIMATE
Department Of Agriculture Says
12 Per Cent Not Ginned lip
To December 1
Somewhat optimistic hut reliable to
tha extent of the accuracy of our ag
ricultural department estimates is the
statement that Cleveland county may
produce almost 40,000 bales of cotton
this year, which would be a record
production. Prior to December 1, 35,
016 were,ginned, according to the of
ficial statistics. Government estimates
have it that 12 per cent of the North
Carolina crop has not been ginned up
to that time, which would run the total
crop here over 39,000 bales and a lit
tle bit above last year’s crop, if the
estimate should run true. Further it
was estimtaed that 5 per cent of the
crop in the state was not picked by
December 1, and considering that both
estimates are based upon expert
knowledge and information the crop
here should not fall much short of the
40,000 mark.
From the Estimate.
If the 35,000 bales ginned up until
December 1 were only 88 per cent of
the crop then the additional 12 per
cent would bring the total county crop,
approximately 40,900 hales to use even
figures, not considering the depart
ment estimate that five per cent of
the crop was not picked and which to
conservative was taken as a part of
the 12 per cent to be ginned after De
cember 1.
It may be that the government esti
mate is too optimistic or that the
Cleveland crop varies from the gen
eral run over the state when it is stat
ed that 12 per cent of the crop is yet
to be ginned. However several Cleve
land farmers well acquainted with the
situation over the county are inclined
to believe that the estimate is not far
wrong and that the county crop will
run between 38 and 40 thousand bales.
W. A. Crowder, who with Senator Sam
Lattimore, lends the procession in the
county in cotton producing, says that j
the gins in his section have been quite ;
busy since December 1. in fact one.
gin having about its busiest week aft
er that time. Mr. Crowder says the,
crop is 20 days late and this is in
keeping with the estimate that 12 per
cent of the crop was yet to be ginned
after December 1.
Unexpected Production.
Early in the season those in touch
with the farming situation here hard-1
ly expect a crop that would total 30-j
(100 bales and the last estimate of 35,-!
000 bales was two or three more than
even the optimistic had counted on.
Government Report.
The cotton ginned in the United
States to December 1st this vearj
amounts to over 2,000,000 bales more
than the crop production last year.
The report shown below was released
by the U. S. department of agriciil- j
ture on December 8th and gives the
final estimates for the 1924 cotton
crop.
The total production in the United
States for the season 1924-25 is esti
mated at 13,153,000 five hundred j
pound bales which is about 130 per
cent compared with last season and
135 per cent compared with the season
of 1922. The average production for
the past five years was 10,889,597
hales and for the five years from 1915
to 1919 the average was 11,481,084
bales.
The abandonment in acreage, uui u,
weather, weevils and other causes was
about 3.1 per cent of the acreage
planted, leaving 40,115,000 acres to be
harvested, with an average yield of
157 pounds of lint per acre.
The average weight per runing bale
this year is estimated at 400.8 pounds
gross, compared with 498.5 actual a\ -
erage in 1923. The price per pound
of lint cotton to producers December
1st was 22.6 cents and 31.0 cents lr.
1923. This gives the 1924 cotton crop
a total value at this price of $1,431,
547,200 as compared with $1,563,34
000 last year. Thus a much smaller
crop produces more money return.
North Carolina.
The acreage that was planted to
cotton in North Carolina had 4.5 p< i
cent abandoned, leaving 1,901.0
acres to be -harvested at an average
of 192 pounds of lint per acre. Tins
gives an estimate from the state s pro
duction of 766,000 bales of 500 pounds
the value of which, at the December
price of 22.6 cents would be $82,488,
192 as compared with $157,080,000
last year. This is some decline.
Thic rop is only 75 per cent of that
produced last year. North Carolina,
South Carolina and Virginia are the
only cotton states in the Union that
produced a smaller crop this year than
last, in spite of the acreage showing
a substantial increase this year m a
three states. ,
The cotton crop of the state lacked
about 12 per cent of being ginned on
December 1st and had probably o pe»'
cent still unpicked. That now m the
field is becoming bluish and stained.
The set-back by the very wet Septem
ber conditions is reported to be ie
sponKil>lc* for the late harvest of all
crops. Farm labor was largely limited
to farm families an dto the few town
negroes who condescended to pick at
high prices if they were transported
from their homes in closed cars.
Malcom Putnam Has
Back Broken When
Log Falls On Him
Young Man Injured at Saw Mill on
Monroe \\ ilson Plantation Suf
fering at Shelby Hospital
Malcom Putnam, young ma nabout
oO years old and son of Will Putnam
is suffering with a broken back at
the Shelby Public Hospital as a result
of an injury he received last Thursday
at a saw mill operated by Flay Whit
wroth on the plantation of Squire
Monroe \\ ilson in the Zion church
community north of Shelby. The X-ray
picture taken at the Hospital shows
a broken hack and his condition is
serious, although he was resting bet
ter yesterday than during the first
two da.vs lie was a patient.
Several men working at the saw
mill were loading a heavy oak log
on a wagon. Mr. Putnam who was
helping in the work had stooped
down for something when the skids
slipped and the large log fell across
his back. The log was large enough
to square twelve inches. Mr. Putnam
was brought to the hospital immed
iately by Coleman Blanton and there
he is receiving the best of treatment
hut the final outcome of his case can
not be determined at this time.
Mr. Putnam is married and has two
children. He lives with Grady Wilson
in the Zion community and worked
for Flay Whitworth, saw mill man.
LADIES WILL SELL
CHRISTMAS SEALS
Members of the Twentieth Century
club will this week start the sale of
Christmas seals in Shelby. A house
to house canvass, including: the busi
ness houses, will be made and it is
hoped that everyone asked will pur
chase seals. Mrs. A. W. McMurry is
head of the canvassing committee with
Mrs. Reuben McBrayer as vice-chair
man.
Last year some $a00 was raised by
the sale of these seals, the majority
of which has been used in a benefic
ial and worthy way here in Shelby
and Cleveland county. There was at
that time a young man in Shelby of
poor family and in dire need of med
ical assistance in fighting the dread
ed tuberculosis. $100 of the amount
raised was used in sending him to
the State, sanatorium, where he re
sponded to treatment and is now show
ing improvement. The young fellow
suffered a breakdown while away
working his way through school and
owing to a lack of funds was in a
critical condition when first noticed.
His case still calls for more treat- j
ment and nourishment— and con
sequently more money—in fact his j
life depends on the care he is given
during- the coming months. The Christ
mas seal way to him is life and all
that goes with living for a fine am
bitious young man. $225 of the amount
went to the school health fund and
is being used in work among im
poverished school children and the
needy and suffering.
Buy a Christmas seal—Help those
to whom Christmas will mean noth
ing but the nearing of the end unless
a kind world, remembering what
Christmas really means, ponders a bit
in the Yuletide and extends a helping
hand as was done to the world by the
Son of God, whose birth the glorious
season celebrates..
Cotton Burns On
Depot Platform
Some 20 or 25 bales of cotton be
longing to the cotton firm of J. .T.
MeMurry & Sons were partially de
stroyed by fire Friday afternoon on
the freight depot platform at the
Southern station here. The fire is said
to have originated from sparks emit
ting from a locomotive shifting on the
yards. The loss is estimated between
$1,000 and $1,500, it being hard to es
timate exactly as portions of the
bales are burned and the extent of the
damage cannot be told until the cotton
is torn open.
There were about 35 bales on the
platform when the blaze started, 10
being pushed olf before the flames
spread. The fire was first noticed, it
is said, by a passerby who gave the
alarm and the work of the fire depart
ment in responding checked the flames
in rapid order.
School Superintendents Favorites Of
( luh. Hush Hamrick Elected
District Trustee.
J. Clint Newton, superintendent of
the Cleveland county schools and one
of the youngest men to he so honored
in tlie international organization, was
elected president of the Shcdhy Ki
wanis club for 1925 at the annual elec
tion held at the banquet Thursday
evening at Cleveland Springs. (Plus
M. Mull, retiring president, was «|ec
ed vice-president, as is the custom
with the club, and Rush Hamrick was
elected district trustee. The directors
will be elected at the meeting this
week.
Many Names I p.
That many of the members are
popular with their fellow business
men and that the club has really
proved worthwhile in creating the
Kiwanis spirit was shown in the elec
tion. On the nominating ballot quite
a number were placed before the
club for each office. Mr. Newton and
City School Superintendent I. C.
Griffin led for president, O. M. Mull
and Mr. Newton for vice-president
and Rush Hamrick and Dr. J. S. Dor
ton for district trustee. The final arid
deciding ballot was between the two
leaders for each office. Mr. Griffin
and Mr. Newton disputed floor lights
for several minutes in an attempt to
withdraw their names, altho neither
was allowed to do so. Mr. Griffin, who
is the capable retiring program chair
man, explained that his duties in the
summer school at the university would
prevent his attendance, but neverthe
less the members demanded that his
name remain on the ballot.
The new president succeeds O. M.
Mull, who in a brief way expressed
his pleasure in heading the group and
spoke of the work done by the club.
O. Max Gardner is the retiring vice
president and J. t. Newton retiring
trustee. The secretary treasurer is ap
pointed by the directors. At the con
clusion of the talks made by Messrs.
Mull and Griffin both were given a
round of applause and for Mr. Mull
the dub sang “He’s A Jolly Good
Fellow.”
Entertain Football Eleven.
Another feature of tne meeting
was thnt the club entertained the
Shelby High football eleven and
Coach "Casey” Morris and his assist- j
ant, Prof. Cheek. This is an annual '■
aftair w:th the Kiwanians, who spon
sor school athletics, and as usual the
Western Champions were royally en
tertained. The squad was recognized
as a whole and given a hearty cheer
by the members. Rev. W. A. Murray,
in his day a gridiron performer at j
Davidson, spoke briefly to the high j
school boys for the club, congratulat- !
ing them on their excellent season \
record, but especially for the spirit ;
with which they met defeat. In con- j
elusion he urged every boy, many of t
whom make their start next year, to I
go out and fight the battle of life in j
the same manner—hard, but fair and
square. “It takes a lot bigger man to
be a good loser than it does to be a !
winner,” he declared, “and you boys
have revealed the ability to do both
like men.”
Congratulates Coach.
President Mull in a brief talk took
occasion to congratulate the coach and !
cumm mm iui im* ciuu ior me excel
lent manner in which he has hendled
the boys—building character as well
as championship elevens. In address
ing the boys he informed them that
any member of the club at any time !
was willing and ready to help any
boy with his problems and that the
“We Build” motto of the club means
more than business and includes the
making of boys into men
“When I get so old a boy will not
come, talk and confide with me 4hen
I am ready to die,” he said in asking
the boys to bring their problems to
club members.
Want Town Cleaner.
During a lull in the balloting the
matter of keeping the town a little
more clean and sanitary was brought
up and apparently met with the ap
proval of the membership. One phase
was that of garbage cans and rub
bish, a member suggesting that more
attractive garbage receptacles be
used and referring to the display
sign cans. Another matter was that
of circulars thrown at random—
“mos’ anywhere”—on the street, and
the appearance it gave the town, es
pecially on Sunday mornings. Broken
down automobiles remaining parked
on the streets for a considerable
length of time were also criticised in
the urge that the town be made more
presentable. No criticisms, however,
was directed against city officials, it
apparently being the intention to aid
city officials in improving the ap
pearance of the city. The committee
on civic relations will handle the mat
ter according to their policy.
Wire Mr. Duke.
Early in the meeting Program
Chairman Griffin in speaking of the
great Duke Donation to education and
benevolence in the stats suggested
I
Grovrr Negro With (Jon Shot Wound
In Breast Found Dead on
Lonely Country Hoad.
( milly officers are locking for Will
Camp, colored, following the verdict
of Coroner T. C. Eskridge's jury that
the negro may know quite a bit about
the murder of John Sawyer, 28-year
old negro of the Grover section, whose
dead body was found early Sunday
morning not far from the Camp home.
Dies on Lonely Hoad.
Early Sunday morning a negro
trudged down a lonely, unused farm
road on the plantation of Herndon
Brothers about four miles from Gro
ver. Unexpectedly he came upon the
dead body of Sawyer lying by the road
side and in the left chest a gaping
hole torn out by the discharge of a
shotgun. The news of the gruesome
finding soon spread arid within a short
time officers and the coroner were on
the scene, but as yet no one knows
what happened on the lonely road or
just how Sawyer met his fate, How
beit, there are reports and rumors
that closely connected Camp with the
slaying and to add to the rumor is the
fact that Camp—and his shotgun—
are missing from his home, and have
been since a short time Irefore Sawyer
is thought to have been killed.
Gets His Gun.
Sawyer, who is married and lives on
the Dover plantation, was last seen
Saturday evening about 7 o'clock by
Ed Rainey. Along about the same
time Saturday evening, according to
evidence at the inquest, Camp came
into his home from a trip to Grover
and after putting up his purchases,
reached up and got down his shot gun
and left the house. Shortly thereatter
those in the house heard a shot, they
told the coroner. Camp has not been
seen since he left the house with his
gun and as the road where Sawyer’^
body was found hf only a short dis
tance front the home circumstances
have woven a web nround the missing
negro that will be hard to evade once
he is apprehended.
Woman in Case
Deputy Sheriff M. H. Austell and
Coroner Eskridge state that while at
the scene of the killing they heard
rumors discussed that connected a
negro woman with the case—the wife
of another negro. The two it seems
had been “at outs” previously over
some matter regarding the woman,
it was said.
The killing was some four miles
this side of Grover and near the Shel
bv-Grover road. According to those
who attended the inquest the shot
must have been fired at close range
ns the hole torn in the left breast w^as
only about the size of a quarter. The
verdict of the coroner's jury was that
“Death resulted from a gun-shot
wound’’ and further implied that the
gun was in the hands of Camp. On
the coroner’s jury were: C. H. Shep
hard, J. L. Herndon, Basil Borders,
M. Fortune, John Caveny and Lee
Beam.
Six-Year-Old Daughter of J. C. Byars
Seriously Injured on Highway
Monday Morning.
Hattie Ruth Byars, six-year-old
daughter of Deputy Sheriff J. Chiv
Byers, of Ellenboro, was seriously in
injured at Ellenboro Monday morn
ing about 10 o’clock when she was
struck by a passing a'l'cnu bile while
crossing Highway 20 in front of her
home. She was rushed to the Ruther
ford hospital and according to infor
mation received at Ellenboro it is
thought that her skull was fractured
by the impact and that her condition
is dangerous.
Leading another child the little By
ars girl was crossing the road when
struck by a Ford car driven by Mr.
dim Bridges, of near Rutherfordton,
who was coming in the direction of
Shelby. A message from Ellenboro
stated that the accident was appar
ently unavoidable and that Mr. Bridg
es, who was driving at a moderate
rate of speed, was not blamed for the
mishap. The child was unconscious
when removed to the hospital. Mr.
Byars, father of the child, is a cousin
of Bert Byars of near Shelby.
that the club, an organization inter
ested in the welfare of the county,
wire the power and tobacco magnate
expressing both appreciation for the
gift and congratulations in the man
ner selected for its use. The suggest
ion met with unanimous approval and
the president ordered Secretary Bur
rus to wire Mr. Duke at ouce.
Observer Thinks
Shelby Is After
P. & N. Extension
Mr. Duke May Soon Ilcgin Drawing
Extension Iron From Fire. “Mill
a Milo” Road.
Tliat the people of* Shelby are look
ing forward to the extension some day
of the Piedmont ami Northern from
Gastonia to Shelby is the idea present
ed in an editorial appearing in Sun
day's Charlotte Observer. The editorial
which follows, is of two-fold interest
because of the financial resume:
“The Cleveland Star make report
that Mr. Duke’s great yrift “is appre
ciated" in Shelby. The Shelby Public
hospital is going t" come into the ben
efits of the dollar-a-day donation for
the free bed. The visit of Mr. Duke
to Shelby two years ago is recalled
and The Star tells of the donation of
a h»dl to Kade-h church, an incident
which Mr. Duke refused to be made
public, lint the hit; thought under the
hat of The Star is extension, some of
these days, of the interurban line from
Gastonia to its town. Shelby is (treat
a. a manufacturing town and is the
center of one of the biggest agrieul
turnl markets in the state. The Pied
mont and Northern is bound to be ex
tended to Spartanburg from Gastonia
eventually, and it is reasonable to ex
pect that the Piedmont and Northern
will reach out for the business up that
way. For, development of its territory
and the transportation of the business
thus developed, is one of the chief ob
jects of this electrified line of which
Charlotte is the northern terminal.
And it has been petting the business.
It may lie not so long until Mr. Duke
begins drawing the extension irons
from the fire—and then Shelby may
begin pricking up its ears.
“All of which is leading up to an
interesting disclosure of the Piedmont
and Northern finances and tIre stand
ing of its securities on the market. De
velopment has followed fast upon op
eration of it> lines. Its bonds now
bring over six per cent, and although
its stock is not “listed,” the financial
public is turning to Piedmont and
Northern ns one of the most attractive
investment' of the day. Piedmont and
Northern stock i- gaining prestige in
the financial world through three out
standing reasons. One is its ‘‘close
ness to the rails,” a second, and an im
portant one is “the margin of safety in
its earnings;” thp third,.“the general
prosperous condition of the territory
in which the road operates.’
‘The coming forward of Piedmont
and Northern stocks as an attractive
form of investment is the occasion
for quite an extended story in The
Wall Street Juornal, from which au
thority we are drawing for our facts.
Briefly, the Piedmont and Northern
Co., owns and operates 129 miles of el
ectrically operated standard gauge
road in the highly developed piedmont
section of North Carolina and South
Carolina, with its southern terminus
at Greenwood, and its northern ter
minus at Charlotte. It also serves tj^e
cities'of Gastonia and Belmont, and
Anderson, Belton and Spartanburg.
“The railroad is commonly spoken
of as having n ‘mill a mile’ of road,
although the number of industrial es
tablishments served exceeds this pro
portion. One hundred and thirty-five
cotton mills alone with 2,979,428
spindles and 53,887 looms, represent
intr an estimated investee! capital of
$77,823,2-10 are served. Nevertheless,
the road does not depend solely upon
the textile industry, as indicated by
the fact that less than eight per cent
of its total freight tonnage consists
of cotton and textile products.
“Piedmont and Northern first mort
gage 5s are secured by a first mort
gage on the entire property, including
equipment, of the company now own
ed or hereafter acquired. The out
standing amount of the issue, on De
cember 31. 1923, was $6,271,f>00, but
additional bonds can be issued to re
imburse the company for 85 per cent
of the actual cost and reasonable val
ue of permanent extensions and im
provements, acquisitions by purchase,
or by merger or consolidation, or oth
erwise, of aditional lines of raihvay
or for purchase of new rolling stock
and equipment. The mortgage pro
vides, however, that the company
shall pay in cash to the trustee, semi
annually on each of the 34 succeeding
interest dates as a special amortiza
tion fund, a sum equal to two and one
half per cent of the cost to the com
pany of the new equipment for the
purchase of which additional bonds
are issued.
“In 1923, Piedmont and Northern
railway reported earnings of $910,207
applicable to bond interest. Latter
item was $314,145, leaving a balance
of $596,062. Interest charges were
eearned 2.9 times last year, and in
1922 were earned 2.2 times.”
The worst thing about the itch for
alfice is that election may make it set
tle in the palms.—Macon News.
8
More Shopping
Days Till Christ
mas. Shop early
FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HOLD CURTIS
M ALLEGED WHITE SLAVER! COOUT
Sam’s Freedom Is
Of Short Order As
He Falls Agai^
Bark in October Sam Davis, colored
wax the recipient of n si', months road
sentence as the result of a “moon
shine" charge. Saturday evening with
| several months to serve Sam skipped
I the road camp. Today, however, he is
1 hack' with .four additional months to
! serve.
Breaks Jail Too.
| His personal furlough carried him to
Kings Mountain where he used a
“dope" bottle in a fight and came
again into the clutches of the law.
i Placed, in the lock-up at Kings Moun
tain the breaks seemed against him,
hut sometime in the night he made
another break and escaped jail—hiR
second escape in 12 hours. But ngnin
Monday the officers apprehended him
and Monday morning Judge Mull add
ed four months—the price of a few
hours liberty and two escap-ades.
Johnnie Lewis, a colored woman,
was fined $10 and the costs for an
assault, with a deadly weapon.
Will Putnam, with whom Sam Davis
mixed at Kings Mountain, was fined
$25 and the costs.
Emery Thompson, colored, assault
and battery, $10 and the costs.
Ola Webb, colored, profanity and a
nuisance; to serve .'50 days on a
“break-over to be judged by the soli
citor.”
C. L. Dellinger, retailing; six months
An appeal was entered and bond fix
ed at $1,000.
John Dixon, assault and battery; to
serve 00 days on cupais issued by so
licitor.
DECLINE OFFER ON
WESTMINSTER PUNT
Committee Declines to Accept $15,
OOO From J. F Alexander. Other
Offers Are Also Received.
The offer of $15,000 which came
from Jake F. Alexander of Forest
City and Florida for the purchase of
j the Westminister school property near
! Logan in Rutherford county was de
j dined yesterday at noon at a meet
ing of a special committee of the
Kiwunis Presbytery held! at Kings
Mountain, the committee chairman be
ing Rev. W, A. Murray of the Pres
byterian church, Shelby, who is also
a trustee of the institution which was
closed down 18 months ago. The spe
cial committe of six men appointed at
a called meeting of the Presbytery
here last Wednesday found a number
of other offers, action on which they
are holding in abeyance for the time
being. The Brittain church offer was
for the church to assume the indeb
tedness of the school which is $5,0WV !
Mr. Horace Carpenter of Rutherford ,
ton made a bid of over $15,000, the
amount of which was not announced
but which he agrees to hold open for
six months. If accepted, the Carpenter
orrer would mean that the school
property would be converted into an
orphanage. The Rutherford church of
fered to give $1,000 annually for a
number of years if the Presbytery or
a number of churches would buy the
property and operate it as an orphan
age.
Rev. W. A. Murray as chairman of
the special committee which has pow
er to act was authorized to advertise
the property for sale. It embraces
about 15 acres of land on which are
located about 7 buildings, equipped
complete from the kitchen to the dor
mitory rooms also including large li
brary.
Confederate Vets
Pension Checks Are
$5 More This Time
Pension checks for Confederate
veterans and their widows who are on
the pension roll were received yester
day by Clerk of Court George P.
Webb and are ready for distribution,
but the pensioners must call in person,
or if unable to do so, must send some
one who is prepared to make an affi
davit that such pensioner is sick and
unable to come. This is done in order
to make suer that no dead ones are
onthe roll and applies all over North
Carolina.
The pension checks this year amount
to nearly $0,500 for Cleveland, the
fourth class receiving $5 each more
than last year. There are 67 soldiers
and 84 widow's in fourth class and
they receive $60 each, while three
are in third class drawing $75. One
widow in a special class draws $67.50.
“I have always found joy in hard
work,” says a steel manufacturer, who
also receives an annual salary of
$150,000.—Detroit Newrs.
Serious Charges Preferred
Against Contractor Follow
ing State Court Trial
Ben F. Curtis, wll known local con
tractor and builder, is under bonds to
talling $5,000 awaiting an appeal hear
ing in the next, term of Superior court
and a preliminary hearing on a white
slavery charge next Friday before Un
ited States Commissioner John P.
Mull.
Given Year Sentence.
Curtis was given a hearing in re
corder's court Saturday morning
charged with forcible trespass, driv
ing a car while intoxicated and for
carrying a concealed weapon. The
charges arose around a visit to the
home of a neighbor, Joe Pearson, fol
lowing a two weeks tour made by
Curtis his adopted daughter, Lillian,
aged 15, and Vadn Pearson, 21-year
old daughter of Pearson. Curtis al
leged io have been drinking was
charged with having cri ated a scene
and made threutenii i se of a gun
after he had been ordered off the Pear
son premises. Following the hearing
he was given a 12 months road sen
tence, which was appealed by Curtis’
counsel, B. T. Falls and Clyde R. Hoey
and bond was set at $2,000. Assisting
the prosecution was Max Gardner,
employed by the Pearsons.
Another Charge Follows.
Shortly after the hearing in the
county court Curtis was taken in
charge by Federal Marshal Coin and a
Federal secret service agent, the
charge, according to information be
ing that of white slavery. Late Satur
day afternoon he was released under
a $.'1,000 bond for the preliminary
hearing Friday morning at 11 o’clock.
Some time back Curtis, his adopted
daughter, Lillian, 15 years of age and
Vada Pearson, 21-yar-old daughter
of a neighbor, left Shelby on a tour
that lasted for two weeks, visiting, it
is said, Detroit, Canada, Florida and
New Orleans. It was said upon their
return that the Pearson girl was taken
against her will, or without knowledge
as to the length or nature of the trip.
It is understood that, the Federal
charge was made upon information se
cured from the adopted daughter con
cerning this trip. An affidavit made by
Lillian Curtis is said to be in the
hands of the Federal officers and
makes a serious charge against Cur
tis. The affidavit is reported to state
that Curtis spent nights with Pear
son girl while the three were on the
two weeks trip that carried then
back and forth across the continent.
Leaves With Girl.
The original charges in recorder’;
court were to have come up some tinu
ago but the case was continued sev
eral times by request of Curtis. Last
Friday local officers were notified
that Curtis was being held at Green
wood, S. C., following an episode there
According to information from that
place Curtis and his adopted daugh
r arrived there Thursday and fol
lowing their arrival the girl left him
and walked some nine miles to get
away, later returning to Greenwood
where she told a story that brought
about the arrest of Curtis. According
to the girl, Curtis intended or attempt
ed. registering with her as man and
wife. Local officers left for Green
wood Friday and returned with Curtis
Friday night, assuring his presence
for the recorder’s court hearing Satur
day morning. The girl was brought
back Saturday morning after she was
assured she would not have to return
to the Curtis home. She is now in the
custody of Mr. J. B. Smith, county
welfare officer, who will decide as to
her future home and environment. It
is not known whether the Federal
charges will or will not include tho
Soui Carolina trip.
Lyceum Program On
Wednesday Night
The third number of the Lyceum
season will be at the Central School
auditorium Wednesday evening at 8
o’clock. The program will be by the
five-piece Metropolitan Novelty Or
chestra and admission prices are 50
and 75 cents.
The program to be rendered was
arranged by Meyer Witepskie, of Chi
cago, builder of “Master Attractions”
and has been termed his greatest
success. The selection of the members
of the orchestra was a careful piece
of work and those who attend the per
formance Wednesday evening are as
sured the best >n high class music.
Box Supper.
There will be a box supper at Pat
terson Grove school house Friday
night December 19th. Proceeds for the
benefit of the school.
Common sense is undefinable. The
only thing that may be said of it with
certainty is that it is not common.—«
Little Rod* Gazette.