North Carolina Newspapers

ONE OF THE FUNNIEST STORIES EVER WRITTEN, “ TOO MUCH EFFICIENCY”, IN EACH ISSUEOF THE STAR. A LAUGH IN EVERY LINE. reliable home paper 0f Shelby And The State’s Fertile Farming Section, Modem J^Department, Irtoclani) SHELBY’S POPULATION 1925 Census_8,854 Where Industry Joins With Climate In A Call For You. , VOL. XXXIII, No. 91 “Covers Cleveland Completely.” SHELBY, N. C. FRIDAY, NOV. 0, 1925. Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday Afternoons. $2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE Jones Gets Year Sentence On Roads In Crime Enigma Court And Attorney puzzled At Unusual Nature Of Crime. To Look After Girl. Jin1 Jones, found guilty of an a? mlt on a female—a little eight-ycar j o)fJ phi—was just before noon today sentenced to the No. 6 township con vict gang for a period of one year. The jury returned the verdict of guilty .several days ago in court but decision was withheld by Judge Shaw so that he might consider a just decision for vhat the defendants attorney termed a-crime enigma.” In a plea for mercy to the judge prior to the passing of the sentence the defense counsel, O. Max Gardner, stated that to him the crime of which |,is client was found guilty still re mained a puzzle, one of the few that had failed to clear up in his court experience. His client. Mr. Gardner stated, contends still that he is inno cent of the first charge preferred ar.d the one for which he was declared guilty. Judge Shaw agreed with the statement Regarding the enigma and could see, h£ said, no other explana tion of the crime than “moral de pravity” such as is not shown on the likeable face of Jones. With the sentence Judge Shaw ad vi eel the clerk of court that the wel fare officer be advised to look after the welfare of the little girl, who '.v is prosecuting witness in the case. “She i- the most sensible girl for her ag - I have ever seen in the court room,” the jurist declared, “and it will be a credit to the state to make of her a fine woman and see that she is not led into a life of immorality.” Her chances for the future were discussed and cor. ridered not of the best as to envir onment and instruction. Jones, it will be remembered, was brought into court charged with erim i al assault on the little girl at a soring in Flat Rock near her home on Sunday afternoon about two weeks rgn. From the Aiusual evidence and circumstances the grave charge was supplanted by the charge of assault on.a female and the jury verdict wos guilty. Spectators were barred from the court room while the little girl testified and through the run of evi dence, it seems as if there was some connection between tlje prime and an other woman of bad reputation, who was with Jones at the time. Just what part this woman, who is said to be out of the state r.ow, played the public generally does not know. Pass Other Sentences. At the Friday morning’s session a number of other prisoners already conflicted were sentenced. Solicitor Huffman returned during the morn ing from Newton, where he investigac id a homicide case, and the few re maining criminal cases were disposed ef before the civil docket was resum ed. Carl Blackwood, the young boy charged and convicted of entering sev eral stores, was sentenced to the state prison for six months at hard, labor, the judge considering it better to send a boy to the prison than to tlie road camp. W. B. Owens, pathetic figure to "hum the honor, or dishonor, came of icing the oldest defendant in court— 40 years of age—was given an eight months suspended sentence and to pay the costs for the larceny of a bale of cotton. With a wife and seven chil dren and only a poor crop the judge gave Owens another '-fiance with ca pias to issue on his sentence by order of the court at any time within a three-year period. Dociu Spurlin, white woman, who laced a charge at the last court, but '■ a- not sentenced because of the sud den death of her father, was given six months sentence in jail. A youth found guilty of store br* ak mp and the larceny of cigarettes prov ed to he under 16 years of d(fe and he was turned over to George P. Webb, judge of juvenile court. On Civil Docket. A number of issues were takjBn up ai d disposed of on the civil calendar Wednesday, Thursday and today. Three divorce cases were continued ahd others disposed of. A divorce was granted Erpest Bratton from Miu nie Mozella Bratton at the last term '1 eourt, but through r.n oversight of the counsel in the case the court or der was not signed until this term. The divorce cases, following the pre cedent of the last term of eourt, made UP a big portion of the civil docket. 1 ourt was not in session for a part, ef the afternoon Thursday and Coun tv Solicitor Chas. A. Burrus acted as solicitor in the few criminal cases up Friday morning before the P-'uiu ot Solicitor Huffman, Is He Another? ( Robert Drown, captain and center Cor Michigan this sedson, may bring All-America honors again to Mich igan. Vick and I Mott have < iado the All team during the last three Jeafs, and sport writers are picJrtng Brown to retreat. He is a protege of Blott and already is recognized as probably the best center in the U'g Tea. McBrayer Sells Clothing Store Evans E. McBrayer has soli" his men’s clothing and furnishing store on S. LaFayette street to Sam Blan ton and \V. L. Wright who have moved to Shelby from Raleigh where they have been connected with Gilmer’s Raleigh department store for a num ber of years. McBrayer has been in the mercantile business for himself 20 years and including his clerkship be fore he entered for himself, has be hind him an experience of 33 years except for three years rest. In order to take a much needed rest he has clos 'd out his stock here to Blanton and Wright who take charge the early part of next week. Mr. Blanton is a native Shelby boy. son of J. H. Blan ton, S. DeKalb street. He has been in the mercantile business 18 years. Mr. Wright has had 10 years experience in the mercantile business. Both are hustling young men who will no doubt make a splendid success here. The new company will be incorpor ated under a name to be selected soon and continue the business at the same stand on S. LaFayette street. Mrs. Roxana Wilkie Buried Wednesday Mrs. Roxana Wilkie, wife of T. B. Wilkie died at the Ella mill Tuesday following an illness of about two weeks and the funeral was conducted at the Second Baptist church Wednes day afternoon at 2 o'clock by her pas tor, Rev. Rush Padgett, assisted by Rev. A. C. Irvin. The interment was at the Hawkins cemetery near Mocr esboro Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Wilkie before marriage being Rox ana Hawkins and a native of that section. Mrs. Wilkie kept a boarding house in South Shelby for a number of years and was an energetic and 1 eloved woman. She was 49 years of age and leaves surviving her hue band and five children, Mrs. A. V. Rippy, Billing apd Maude Wilkie, a son Guardie Wilkie and another mar ried daughter of Gastonia. Mrs. Wilkie will be greatly missed by her host of friends and neighbors. ADDED NEWS FEATURES. With the advance to tri-weekly publication The Star offers its read ers an added news attraction m a weekly letter from Raieigh by M. L. Shipman veteran observer and statesman. In Shipman’s week.y letters readers will find much of general interest covering events ot state importance that occur at the capital. Another feature that from new subscriptions coming in must be pleasing Star readers is the in creased amount of community cor respondence. Recent issues of The Star carry items of interest from practically every section of the county with more correspondents starting in .next week. Little by little the added news features are enabling The Star to “Cover Cleve land Completely.’’ Chicken Thieves Working At Night In County Again •>0 Chickens Stolen from Dargan Grigg and 15 From Alonzo Hamrick. Looks to be Gang. Thieves, who several months ago made many raids on Cleveland county hen houses are at work again according to reports coming in from the county. Wednesday night sometime, 50 chickens were stolen from the chicken house of Mr. Dargan Grigg, well known farmer of the Beaver Dam section and 15 fowls from the chicken house Of Mr. Alonzo Hamrick, his neighbor. The chickens taken from Mr. Grigg were Rhode Island Reds and those from Mr. Hamrick were Wyandottes. Twoj-ars formed the maraud ing party, it is thought, and on leaving headed towards Newhouse. That it was the work of a chicken gang was seen in the feathers shaken out of the sacks. These feathers were Plymouth Rock and perhaps were shed bv chickens stolen on some previous night. At Mr. Hamrick's some corn was poured out of a sack so that the sack might be used in storing the chickens. Both chicken houses are only a short distance away from the resi dences, but it is not known at what time of night the thieves carried out their work. Just how so many chickens were sacked without waking anyone up is not known, but there is some conjec ture along the chloroform idea used in preceding raids, it beirg thought by some that the chick ens were doped in some manner and tossed into sacks while in a stupor. Officers are on the lookout in neighboring towns watching for the sale of the chickens and there is some hope that the thieves may be caught. However, future ma rauders face a dangerous task as the farmers are now on the watch out and determined to protect their flocks against the chicken gang. Highs In Gastonia For Title Contest! “Casey” Morris Takes Shelby Eleven to Gastonia for Game This Aft ernoon. Gastonia Favorite. Coach “Casey” Morris and his lit tle Shelby High eleven are in Gasto nia this afternoon for Shelby’s Is* Con tc.'t in the state elimination series. The game is being played at Loray park there and several Shelby fans accompanied the eleven. Every indication is that Pat Craw ford’s experienced machine should de feat the practically first year outfit of Morris and only a big upset could give Shelby a victory, according to the “dope.” “However,” says a Gas tonia dispatch, “no one seems to he; overconfident as Shelby always puts up a hard fight". Playing here last Friday Gastonia tramped Shelby 21 to 0, and several of the local players who performed then will be unable to play this afternoon which should give Gas tonia a still better advantage. Morris with all of his experienced players pone this year could not hope to fig ure much in the championship race and has been devoting his time to building an eleven that should he dangerous by another season should all the present boys remain in school. Npxt year *he present little eleven will have “filled out” considerable and with one season’s experience will make a winning combination, it is believe#. Several of the new boys on the squad, young and small now, look to be fu ture stars equal to any over turned out by the school. Play Clover Next. It is practically certain, according to Coach Morris, that the Highs will play the Clover, S. C.. Highs here next Friday afternoon. The Clover eleven was ruled out of the South Carolina race and as it peappears Shelby will be eliminated the game skeins likely. I Clover has a strong outfit and fans predict a good game. Although the Highs lose in the state race the inten tion is to have them finish the season and gain as much experience as pos sible for the benefit of another year's play. OYSTER Sl'PPF.R AND RA7 V AR AT LAFAYETTE ST. CHI RC H The ladies of LaFayette Street AT. E. church. South, will serve oysters at the church basement Saturday even ing November 7th. Beginning at 5:30 n. m. The stewards of the church will be served in a body at 7 p. m.. Rev. A. S. Raper host. A Bazaar will be held the same evening at the same Place and same hours. The public cor dially invited. Ala«! the “natural state” idealists gush about would mean unrestricted whiskers. ._ STATE TAXES PASS General News of Interest In Week At Rcleii;h As Seen By Shipman Bankruptcies In State. (By M. L, Shipman) Raleigh, N. November 5.—An unusually quiet week was* passed at the Capital last week for th's time of year. Usually the fall months find business of all kinds picking up and the governmental business picks up in corresponding degree. Speculation Continued r;fe over the report of the Salary and Wage Commission. The report is in but the employes are wonderng i-" the commission is going to cut the annual vacation from two weeks to one week. The Commission has indicated that it will do this un ices the number of legal holidays observed is cut to six. The Attorney General has ruled that ti e Commis ■ion has no right to eliminate any of the 12 days set aside by the Gen eral Assembly as legal holidays. The death Mrs. Martha Jenkins at the Methodist Orphanage where for 24 years she was matron caused a wave of sorrow to sweep over the city in the last days of the week. Mrs. Jenkins was called "Mother’’ by hundreds of those who passed through the Orphanage in the past 24 years and was beloved by many. She died after ten days illness with puneumonia. The state taxes, exclusive of the auto license taxes have passed the j million dollar mark for any one month. This record was set up bv the Oatobcr taxes stated Commissioner | Doughton and was the first time the ! stale has ever collected such an a mount in one month. The fight is ori for what the next Legislature will consider. Speaker Pharr of the house has come out in opposition to an eight months! school term so long as the present. school equalisation fund law is in operation. He believes it unfair to a number of the counties and say:, it imposes an unjust tax burden on some. On the other hand Superintendent .of Public Instruction Allen while admitting the defects of the equalization law, says that the eight months school term should be approved by the legis- j lature and an amendent to the con stitution submitted to the people. The matter is destined to come up be fore the 1927 general assembly. Considerable interest is displayed locally in the forthcoming trial of two negroes at Asheville charged wfth attacks on white women. At the same time 44 members of a mob which stormed the Buncombe county jail also will go on trial for this of fense. They were after one of the negroes. Governor McLean has order ed troop.; to be ready at Asheville at the trial in case anything takes place. Feeling in Asheville, where there have been four attacks on white wo men by negroes in recent weeks is reported at high tension and Mr. Mc Lean does not want to have any mob violence. lie believes presence of troops will prevent any. Governor McLean spoke at Dur ham last week before the State Fed eration of Women’s Clubs Council and lauded the part of women an | public life. He also reviewed for the women the things which he has ac complished, or set out to accomplish, in his administration. He was favor- i ably received by the ladies and made an excellent impression. He also ad dressed thp Durham Kiwanians and lauded James B. Duke and the great opportunity he had given Durham by establishing the Duke Foundation and giving so much money for Duke University and for a modern hospital and medical school. He predicted a great service to the State .because of Duke’s benefactions. Farmers are advised by Commis sioner of Agriculture Graham to bor row from the Federal Reserve Bank through the savings and loan asso ciations organized under the state law. Mr. Graham fears that many farmers will be unable to get through the winter because of drought losses and makes this sug gestion whereby groups of farmers may obtain co-operative credit by or ganizing together for the common good. The year 1925 is a bad one for North Carolina business, there have been 159 bankruptcies up to Octo ber which is 23 more than the en tire year 1924. Attorney General Brunnnitt represented the state in the action at Charlotte to prevent the Southern from getting control of the Atlantic and Yadkin Railwuy. Judge Webb reserved decision until this week. Heart disease is the lead ing cause of death in the State, with pneumonia second. The first took 3, 6<)1 lives in 1924 while pneumonia (Continued on page six.) Pride of Scotch Mountains black-faced Scotch mountain sh<-irUr. • rants were kings f • a day at the Yorkshire Agriculture Society's "Mir annual snow at Bradford. An entire day was given over to judging tl',3 rains. Mans?I Found Guilty of Criminal At tack. Preston Neeley. Another Attack Negro, on Trial. Asheville, Nov. 5.—Alvin Mansel, 17-year-old negro youth, was found guilty of a charge of criminal attack on a white woman by a jury in Su perior court here this morning, and was sentenced by Judge A M. Stack '.o be electrocuted at the State prison ir Raleigh on January 13, I92C. “I hope to meet you all ;n Heaven,’ said the negro when asked by the court if he had anything to say before sen tence was pronounced. “If the ury have said I am guilty. I have no more tc say." The verdict was read in open court at 9:40 o'clock this morning. The case was given the jury at 8:20 o’clock last night. Upon completing his charge to the jury, Judge Stack sain he did not want to receive a verdict before morning as he deemed it more expeditious not to take the verdict at night. The local guard troop was reinforc ed in court today by a detachment from Company B, 105th engineers of Morganton. There are now over 80 guardsmen on duty. Mansel was accused of criminal at tack on the woman, a flower peddler, on Sunset Mountain, on September 19. An attempted alibi was the basis of defense. Motion for new trial was overruled by Judge Stack and notice of appeal to the Supreme court was given. Preston Neely, second negro to be arrested for alleged criminal attack on a white woman, went on trial’ this morning. Mansel was the object of a mob attack on the county jail on the night cf September 19 when a crowd forced entrance to the gates and building teeking the negro, who had been spir ited away an hour previously. He was held in jail at Charlotte preceding the trial and state guard troops have formed a body guard during the court procedure. Preston Neely, another negro who is charged with an offense similar to that for which Mansel was this morn ing convicted was placed on trial to day. The prosecuting witness, a marrb tl woman of West Asheville, had com pleted her evidence when court ad journed for the afternoon. She posi tively identified Neely as the negro who assaulted her in West Asheville three weeks ago and told of how she herself had caused his arrest when a few days after the attack she saw him in a five and ten cents store and point ed him out to a police officer. Bessemer City Woman Killed By Fast Train Mrs. Dave Watts, aged Bessemer City woman, was instantly killed ear ly Thursday in that ?>lace while crossing the Southern Railway tracks. She was hit bv northbound passenger train No. 36, her head being crushed. It is understood that the woman was not all the way on the (racks, her both esc‘ping haini, __ Old Indian Peace Pipe Is Found A relic of early America was found in the county this week an Indian peace pipe, known to pn ent Americans through the history of the warring Indian t. ibes of by-gone centuries. The big stone pipe, a valuable relic front point of interest, was found on a creek bank in this county, it is understood, by Morris Ham rick. The broken bowl of the pipe all that remains is shaped out of hardened soapstone and resem bles one of the clay pipes of our grandfather's time. When a treaty was made between warring Indian tribes the chiefs of the tribes took puffs off the pipe as a solemn pact that they would go no more upon the warpath against ea<*h other. Just how the relic came to he washed up or dug up has not been learned, but the major por tion of the pipe bowl is intact and in good s&ape and it being possible to “draw” through it. Apod and Respected Citizen of Lat timore Community Dios at Age of 78. Burial Today. Mr. Benjamin Franklin Gold, one of the most respected citizens of No. 7 township, passed away Wednesday evening at 5 o’clock following a pro tracted illness with high blood pres sure and paralysis. For two years he was in declining health and confined t > hi bed for the past two weeks in t. critical condition with the end ex pected any day. Mrs. Gold who before her marriage was Miss Cynthia Pan r>el has been seriously ill and for a few days the condition of both was such it was not known which would die first. Mrs. Gold cannot hold out much longer. Mr. Gold was an honest, energetic and thrifty citizen, holding the high est esteem of all his neighbors. His death is the first in his family al though he is the father of ten chil dren the oldest of whom is 58, the >oungest 33. All his life he lived at the home place two miles northwest of Lattimore. The funeral will be conducted at 2 o'clock this afternoon by Rev. D. G. Washburn and the interment will take place at Double Springs Baptist church. Surviving besides his wife are the following children al} of whom were present at the funeral: Mrs. J. R. Crawley, of Lattimore: Mrs. .1. C. Bridges of R-2, Shelby: Rev. W. \I. Gold, of Ellenboro: R. C. Gpld of R-l, Kings Mountain; Mrs. W. E. Coving ton. of Lakeview this state; Mrs. Hart •lustice, of Lattimore; T. P. Gold, of l Dunellen, Fla.: L. V. Gold, of West i Palm Beach, Fla.: Mrs. S. C. Cooper, of Hamlet, and Miss Ida Gold who lives at home. Methodist Protestant Church. Sunday school only will he held next Sunday, beginning: at 10 o’clock. Tha newly elected superintendent, Mr. S. I Clyde Tate, "ill ptemde. Nro pieuihlntr [ trvtu .15*21 Court Order To Clean Up Convict Camp Grand Jury After Recommendation to Judge Will With Solicitor's Aid Make General Investigation. The grand jury of the present term of Superior court, which was excused by the judge after the re port to the court, will be called back one day next week for a full investigation of the No. 6 town ship convict camp, according to an order by the court just be fore noon today. The outstanding item of the grand jury’s report to Judge Shaw was the recommendation of a general clean up at the convict camp. The grand jury, according td the report, found by general information that whiskey and lewd women are permitted at the camp. With this information the grand jury in one terse sentence recommend* ed the clean-up. In reviewing the report this morn ing Judge Shaw referred the matter to Solicitor Huffman with the state ment that something should be done about the investigation. Solicitor Huff man stated that he would look into the matter and it was decided that the grand jury be brought back to look further in the reports spoken of. An order was left by the court to have the grand jury brought back on the day next week selected by the solici tor for the investigation and until that time Mr. Huffman will go over the matter. Just wfcat mfornration the grand jury had about the convict camp is not known, but the result of the investiga tion is awaited with much interest by those who heard the court order. Jail Conditions Good. The report other than the portion touching on the gang camp was com plimentary to county charges and af tairs. The jail was found to be in practically ideal condition and the court house in good condition as was the county home and farm. It was re commended that the keeper of the home be allowed another helper to assist in work there. Gang Kitchen Insanitary. The committee of seven that visited the gang camp found that the kitchen was not sanitary and recommended more room in the kitchen department, it also being recommended that cantp quarters be made more comfortable and the bedding be washed more often. The full report of the grand jury as signed by Mr. J. A. McBrayer, fore man, follows: To His Honor, Judge Shaw, presiding: We the grand jury for Novem ber term of court 1925 beg to sub mit the following report, to-wit: ’ We visited the jail and 'find it in good sanitary condition, and the prisoners reported conditions ideal. We as a committee have visit ed the county home and find the buildings sanitary, grounds and farm in good conditon. We find the inmates both white and col ored well cared for. We recom mend that the keeper be allowed one more helper to assist in doing work at the place. The crops on ’ the farm are practically gather- ’ ed. The stock and the cattle in good condition. Good supply of 1 feed in tbe barn. ‘We visited the convict eamp in a committee of seven and find the kitchen not sanitary. Building two small. We recommend more room In the kitchen department. We recommend that the camp quarters be made more comfor table and the bedding be washed more often. Find the barn needs repair. ? j We find by general reports that whiskey and lewd women are permitted there. We recommend a general clean up. J Ellis Will Case Is Compromised. A compromise judgment was reach ed this week in the Mrs. Ellen Fitz gerald Ellis will by which the contest ants of the will and Dr. R. C. Ellis will divide half and half a 45-acre tract of land on the edge of the town of WaynesvTlle, Mrs. Ellis’ old home. When Mr. Ellis died she left a will, leaving this estate to her husband. Witnesses to the will who were rela tives of Mrs. Ellis claimed that she was forced to sign the same and there fore tried to break it. The will was made 37 years ago and no contest was started until last year. Local witness es identified the hand writing of Mrs. Ellis, the entire will having been writ ten by her, but in order to avoid fur ther litigation Dr. Ellis allowed the contestants to take half of the prop erty in controversy. ___J *