North Carolina Newspapers

SHELBY Was Carolina’s Fastest Grow ing Town 1920-1925 By U. S. Census. NORTH CAROLINA’S LEADING NEWSPAPER OUTSIDE OF THE DAILY FIELD lb* THE STAR Is The Leading Paper of Shelby and The State’s Fertile Farm Section. VOL. XXXIV, No. 90 WEDNESDAY, JULY 28. 1926. Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday Afternoons. By mai1, per year (in advance)-$2.60 .. . . .. . 'By carrier, per year (in advance) |3.0C THE CLEVELAND STAR, SHELBY, N. C. Mrs. Francis Again Passes From Limelight- Other Court Woman Of Many Trials And Much Publicity Is Gone Maybe, For Good. Many Defendants Missing. Again— ■h -ic May Francis, center of many Shelby court scenes, is gone again. Tie time with the Superior court uitrmg her to keep moving. And so another finis is written to the county's most sensational court case. Several have been written already. If Jessie comes back, and no one predicts any more on what she will do, more will be written. Tried a good time back in record er' court on three counts, including trespass, vagrancy and other charges, ar appeal was entered to the sentence given by Recorder Mull. The appeal was to have been heard at the la: t term of Superior court, hut the wo man attended the first day and skip ped. brought back a short time ago by officers, at the instigation of her bondsmen, it is understood, she has been in jail. Taken into the court Monday afternoon she was dressed as becomingly as ever and as usurl was the center of gaze for the court room. Or. the appeal she was sub mitted by Horace Kennedy, one of he. attorneys. Judgment in one of the counts was suspended with capias u> issue upon motion of the solicitor, and after informing her that she had been enough worry and cost to Cleve land county, Judge Webb hinted that she should move or. The particular ‘enfence being: “That the defendant be imprisoned in the county jail for 12 months. Capias to issue July 2? if found in the county.” Meaning that if the woman was ill Cleveland enmity Tuesday or nnv day there after, for a time indefinite and not mentioned, that she would he arrested arv» started on her sentence. The verdict apparently cam'' a= a re 1 iff to Mrs. Francis, judging by her smiles as she left the court room and prepared to leave the countv. It is generally understood today that she is gone. Where0 No one teems to ‘know and the affair is regarded as a closed incident—unless she bobs up again. imnrmauon nere is to tup rttoct ♦bat her husband also ha= bo»n work ing in Ashpville for sump tints and i> was stated about the court house Tuesday that Francis also plans to ■-'•11 out and leave the county for pood to make a fresh start somewhere else following the trnp"»dv of his life here. Many Old Charges The court in its opening grind de voted .quite a bit of time to the for mality 'of keeping old counts on the docket, meaning that charges of other years are entered on the new dockets each court and if the defendants'ever show up prosecution will follow. It is interesting in that connection to noie that the first entry on the new docket is the same that has graced the first page of all court dockets for near a decade: “State vs. RusseT Williams, alias Sam Smith, murder." Th? crime was committed years ago and the defendant made his escape, year after year it is shifted to the new docket. Williams ma> return to the county, bent and ag> d in the years to come, but the law never forgets and to his name will be the murder charge. Judging from the number of entries reading, “alias capias,1' many defend ants not here at former terms are till at large. Among the cases disposed of by trial to date are the following: State vs. Wash Harlot, manufac turing liquor; defendant pleads guilty. State vs. Thurman Tesseriear, em bezzlement; called and failed. Scia-fa and capias. State vs. Will Carpenter, operating motor ear tor hire without license; not guilty by jury trial. State vs. J. II. Frady, A. and B, and drunkeness; $20 and the costs. do show good behavior for 18 months under $200 bond. State vs. Hill Boyles, B. it E. and Larceny; pleads guilty. State vs. Chief Craig and Arthur Chambers, A. D. W.; Chambers plead ed guilty and was fined S50 and the costs. Craig was found guilty by the jury and fined $25 and the costs. 4 Months For Bigamy State vs. John Cothran and Dora Bell, alias Novell Floyd, bigamy, plead guilty. Prayer continued for Dora Bell Floyd, capias to issue. Four months on No. 6 roads for Coth ran. Judgment was suspended on an E. & A. count against hoth. State vs. Horace Barrett, setting fire to woods; not guilty by jury. The verdict was returned within five min utes. Unusual Charge When John Watts and Corn Chap man faced the court Tuesday after noon chnrged with F. & A. those in the court room heard some unusual evidence. Sensing that th<“ evidence^ to he introduced would be none too uplifting Judge Webb ordered that the court room be cleared of all i women and young boys except those in the case. It developed from the evidence that John Watts was charged with being the father of the gill’s four children, she herself b'-ing his stepdaughter. Waits through his attorney plead guilty ai d it was mad" known to the court that V. atts had served a pre vious sentence for being the father of the oldest child. Witnesses testi fied that neither of the defendants were of normal intelligence. The stepdaughter, it seems, made her home with her mother and stepfather and no direct testimony to the charge was introduced to the court. The children cited in the case were in town during the trial, they being by marriage ties the step-grandchildren of the defendant, and, according to the allegations, his children as well. Prayer for judgment w?.s continued as to the woman, while Watts was sentenced to three months on the No. 1) roads. His attorney asked the court following ,he sentence that Watts he examined as it is thought he is suf fering from a dread disease. lake litticers Word In the matter of veracity the word of two county officers was taken Tue3 day afternoon over the statements of four or five negroes. Ham Davis, colored, faced the court charged with the manufacture of li quor. Two officers, Creel Ware ami Bob Kendrick, testified on the stand that in capturing a still back in April in the battle-ground section they saw' Davis who made his get-away. Both office rs testified positively that Davis had a water bucket and was working about the plant when they came up and .hat when he saw them he ran. On cross examination by P. C. Gard ner. counsel for Davis, both officers emphasied the fact that they knew positively that it was Davis At that period the defense introduced some four or five colored folks, all of whom testified to being at the home of Davis on the day the still was captured and that he was there over the period when the booze plant was captured, fwo statements any more contradict- j ing have never been made in the county court room, it is said. Wit- , nesses on both aides were positive i about it. The jury, however, apparently took the word of the two officers and after ; a short retirement brought in a ver-! diet of guilty. Judge Webb then i gave Davis a sentence of six months on the roads of Xo. C township. The case coining during the grind of an uninteresting criminal docket attracted quite a hit >f interest, the court spectators waiting eagerly for the verdict to see if the sworn state ments of the officers were to be taken or if the entirely opposite version of the colored folks was to be believed. Judge Webb Hears Big Greensboro Case Important I.itig. 'ion Between Two Big Firms Heard Here. Brooks Among the Lawyers Judge .T. L. Webb halted the crimin al docket of the Superior court here long enough Tuesday niornir.fr to hear the complaints and answers in a liti gation between the Dixie Fire Insur ance company and YA'stern Union telegraph company, both ef Greens boro. At 5 o’clock in the afternoon following the adjournment of court arguments in the case were heard. The case in brief, ns it became in teresting to Shelby hearers, was that ihe Western Union rents an office in Greensboro in the building owned by the insurance company. Rome months hack the building was damaged by fire, necessitating certain remodel ing. When contractors began this work the telegraph company refused to move from the building and secur ed an injunction restraining contrac tors from carrying on the work. The writ was made returnable before Judge T. J. L. Shaw and later trans ferred to Judge Webb. It is the an swer of the insurance company that it is impossible to repair the building while the telegraph company holds its offices, therefore holding un work on si 100 or more offices. Interesting legal points develop in the several "omplaints and answers. After hear ing argument by counsel of both sides Tuesday evening Judge Webb an nounced that he would render a de cision within a day or so. Sevo-al nrominent attorneys were here for the case, including A. L. Rroot s. O. T . Sann and R. R. King. Mr. Harry R. Rush, president of the Dixie company also attended the hear ing. Messrs. Rrooks and Bush spent the... night Tuesday at Cleveland Springs. 2 Jurors Excused —They Are Dead Among the jurors drawn for the present term of Superior court und excused from “ervice as ju rors were J. It. Clary and J. S. Willis. According to the clerk’s docket these men *vi 11 not serve for a very good reason—they are dead. The jurors are regularly drawn by the county commissioners from a list including the names of all citizens. Some time since the list was last revised, it is presumed, that the two gentlemen mentioned passed away. Legal procedure inquires that nothing be loft to guess work and entry on the docket must be something to explain the absence of all jurors drawn, and so it was entered on the book by Clerk of Court George P. Webb. Mns.liDilcK DIES IT AGE S3 YEARS Sweet Spirited Woman of Shelby Died 1 At Blowing Rock. Buried Here | Tuesday at 4:30 O’clock. Mrs. Cecelia Jane Frick one of Shelby’s sweetest spirited women and perhaps the oldest citizen of the towr, died Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock at Blowing Rock where she and her daughter Miss Emma Frick were ac customed to spending the summer months. Her death was rather sudde i from an acute attack of indigestion. On Sunday she had been in her usual health, feeble because of the weight of years, but up about the house ra diating her accustomed cheerfulness. She was taken with indigestion at 7 o’clock Sunday night and died the fol lowing day. News of her death was learned here with sorrow to her many friends. Those who came in contact with her during her 41 ypars in Shelby became devoted to her. She was a woman of wonderful loyalty and refinement of manner, possessing a remarkable com mon sense. She was devoted to family are friends and was an ardent worker for the Episcopal church here to which place her bodv was brought Tuesday, the funeral being conducted nt 4:30 o'clock by the rector, Rev. Mr. Allen, assisted hv Rev. John \j. Jack son, rector of St. Martins Episcopal church, Charlotte of which her son Clarence is a member. Tier remains were laid to rest at Sunset cemetery ! beside her daughter Mrs. Wray who died ma | years ago. Mrs. Frick was born in Carroll coun ty, Maryland. She was married to E. A. Frick who was a commission mer chant in Baltimore at the time of his death. Her son George was a reporter on the Baltimore Gazette at the time of the husband’s death and he wished to launch in the newspaper business for himself, hence the removal of the family to Shelby where George and Clarence Frick purchased the New Era from Tom Dixon. This they ran for four years. Mr. George Frick is an attorney in Baltimore and mem - ber of the Maryland state senate. Clarence has been living in Charlotte for a number of years, while Miss Em ma the only surviving daughter has been a constant companion of her saintly mother in Shelby. Mrs. Frick was a member of a fam ily noted for longevity of life. There , was a period of sixty years when j there was not a death in her family, j Attending the funeral from out of town were: Mrs. Linusay Ross and Mrs. Julius Fisher of Concord; Sena tor George Frick, of Baltimore; Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Frick and his pas tor, Rev. John L. Jackson, of Char lotte, Mrs. Lucas and Mrs. Platt and other friends of Charlotte Small Child Has Fracture Of Leg An unusual accident developing over the week-end was the fracture of the right leg, sustained by Dicky Palmer, Six-months-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Palmer. Some time during the day the youngster’s older sister fell while carrying him and the small child received an injury, whicn at the time could not be located. Later, noting the agony of the child the injury, not apparent to the eye, was sought. However, it was not until Monday, when an X-ray photo was made, that it was revealed that the right leg was broken just above the knee, and it was then understood why the youngster seemed to be in such agony when he moved his leg. Latest reports from the young fel low indicate that he is getting along fine, his young bones mending rapidly and no 41l%ffectvjs expected to result from the fracture. -- v . No, Sir! Positively Not My Baby —N’EA, Washington Bureau When the Australian rhea, a variety of ostrich, presents! an egg to the zoo at Washington. D C . of Uriah* were at a loss to know how to hatch It* First ’hey tried this hen (the Smaller egg being Iver own), hut she took onf luck aiul fled. The egg in in an incubator now Convict Released Saturday Gets Car Within Few Hours I lummci Thrasher. Released From Gang Here Saturday, Now Held In Greenville. Got Two Autos Over Week-End. The record of Plummer Thrasher, World War veteran, outdistances chat of the romantic story of Jesse James. The different distance is that between horses and automobiles. Jesse coral led the horses rapidly and in great numbers, and Thrasher loses little time getting his automobiles. Saturday afternoon—-about mid afternoon—Thrasher completed his year sentence on the No. G road gang here and was released. A few hours later, according to Chief B. O. Ham rick, he drove a Ford coupe, belong ing to another man, away from the Kastside section of town. Apparently he headed for Souih Carolina, for Monday morning Chief Hamrick received a wire from W. T. Asbury, auto inspector there, stating that Thrasher had been arrested and in addition to the Ford had picked up a Buick automobile there. His freedom was short and prom ises to be over. Local officers have the idea that South Carolina authori ties will prosecute Thrasher there on the charge of stealing the Buick. Whether or not he wilt be returned here remains to be seen. Cot Several Before Thrasher is charged with having; stolen several cars on another oeca-j sion. At that time he had not been ' released from the gang hut was a trusty, and took enough freedom to i take several cars and a long journey,' only to be nabbed later and returned here to complete his sentence. Thrasher’s original sentence here | had to do with several liquor charg'S, it is said. About one year ago while 1 serving his term he was made a trusty. Shortly after receiving this , nrivilege he left the gang and made his way to the home of Walter Henry, j There he took the Hour; ’s auto and headed for Virginia. Ri aching Mar tinsville, Va., according to officers, ho abandoned the Henry tar and took up with a Ford coupe. He came to Charlotte in this car, 'eft it there and got another, officers say. The car taken in Charlotte abandoned near Atlanta, and at Gainesville, Ga., Thrasher is said to have hired a L Drive-lt car and headed back to Car olina. He was caught at Greensboro with the last car and returned to Shelby to complete his original sen tence. His latest escapade adds to one of the most unusual criminal chapters in the history of the county. It will be remembered that Thrasher played an important role in the Lee Cody trial in connection with the holding tip of the convict camp by robed men, Thrasher going on the stand as a witness for the state. Officers and others here state that Thrasher is an ex-service man and served -during the World War. Many are of the opinion ihat he is off men tally. considering the futility of his many escapades. I)R. DORTON, HORSEBACK RIDER HAS BROKEN ARM The best horseback riders fall sometimes. Dr. J. S. Dorton, popular secretary of the Cleveland County Fair association and member of the Shelby Riding club, is carrying a broken arm in a sling. A few days ago one of the reins to his horse bridle broke and ihe spirited mount tossed the doctor to the ground. Doc says that while he sustained a broken arm, he saved his neck in his scramble to hit the ground in the most advantag eous manner. Should Cleveland Have New County Home? Yes, Seems To Be Sentiment Of Citizens Should the aged ar.d infirm of Cleveland county, one of the state’.* most progressive counties, be housed in a new building? Such is the query now being dis cussed generally over the county fol lowing the bringing of it into the public limelighi Monday by Judge James L. Webb in his charge to the grand jury. The matter has been muchly talked heretofore over the county, but not in a general way with public comment. Sentiftient generally seems to sup port the idea of Judge Webb that in no distant time such a building should be erected. Covering North Carolina from Mantoo to Murphy, to take Judge Webb's words, there are pos sibly only two counties that do not have belter county homes. Cleveland county folks like to think of the county in terms of ranking among the first ten counties in the state in prac tically everything, but unless a new county home is constructed soon the county will tail the list when that item is recorded. Robeson and Iredell counties per haps have the two outstanding coun ty homes in the state, while numerous other counties nenrbv to Cleveland have buildings that are a credit to any county in show'ng the fine manner in which the aged and infirm are taken care of. The suggestion of a new county home as brought forth by Judge Webb and discussed by citizens is in no way a criticism of the present home control or management. It is noted that the jurist spoke very com plimentary of how the home is oper ated under present conditions. However, other progressive coun- i ties house their aged inmates in i large and comfortable structures—the last word in such buddings. Furth-, ormore many of the state’s leading counties, including adjoining coun ties to Cleveland, have their own county buildings at the Stonewall Jackson school for boys-and at the State sanatorium for tubercular par ents. In some instances counties in the state maintain tubercular hos pitals in their own- counties. 1 It was suggested by Judge WeSb that the present county home site, which is very valuable might be sold, and as the land is very valuable a sufficient sum might be secured to to build a modern and up-to-date structure. This suggestion seems to be favorable to many citizens. Once was the county home was known as the “poor house." This name was In ter changed to Home for the aged and infier. With the present one-story building i* will not be many years be fore the first title would well apply to Cleveland’s county home. Citizens of the county who would like to publicly discuss the proposal of a new countv hour* are invited to make use of The Star’s open forum columns. Plato Durham Will Attend Homecoming During Big Fair i Lattimore Picnic | Aug. 6th, Not Aug. 5th The Lullimore farm picnic and home-coming will be held August Oth instead of August f>th. The Star was in error as to the date published in Monday's issue, and makes haste to correct the same. On Friday August 6th, the big in-gathering of farmers and their wives will take place, with the home-coming of former citizens of that section who have gone elsewhere to live. Speakers for the occasion are J. C. Newton secretary of the Shelby Chamber J o{ commerce, W. F. Pate, member j of the Soils improvement com. i mittee of the National Fertilizer association and I)r. It. V. Winters dean of agriculture of the North Carolina State college. From Living Skeleton To Fat Lady, Result Of The Star’s Serial Live Longer by Reading the Side splitting Serial Story "They Never Knew" in The Star. It's a sure cure for all the ills hu manity is heir to. If you want to enjoy life, get y’our appetite whetted up for the cracking serial by Tom Sims entitled “They Never Knew" which begins next Monday in The Cleveland Star. A dose will appear each issue. If you don’t believe it will do you good read the following testimonials show ing what it has done for others then ycu’ll shoot the mail man or The Star carrier boy if he doesn’t give you prompt deprompt delivery of every issue of The Star. Others have tried it. Here is what they report: "I just want to say a word or two about the wonderful novel “I’hty Never Knew.” Before reading it I was so weak I was unable to slide down the steps. Now I can slide up'them." —Sing Sang Sung, Canton, China. “My husband is a brick layer. He suffered from insomnia. Every day he would awake minutes and minutes be fore the whistle blew to quit work. A friend suggested he try reading "They Never Knew." John is so much better. He sleeps from pay day until pay day.” —Mrs. Sal Hepatica, Shrdlu, Egypt. ♦ • * * "I wish you could know what your wonderful novel ‘They Never Knew’ has done for me. It has done for me entirely.’ —Iva Bunion, Fob, Detroit. « • * * , “My husband is a senator by trade. For the past few years he has had steady employment in Washington But he was only able to fool part of the people part of the time. One day he decided to read ‘They Never Knew’ Thanks to this remarkable novel, he is i fooling all the people all the time." —Name Upon Request, Washington, D. C. * * * "I was the living skeleton in a sida show. One day I was going through the garbage can and found a copy of your powerful novel ‘They Never Knew’. Thanks to it, I lort my job as the living skeleton. But now I am em ployed as the fat lady with an in. crease in pay.” —Avoir DuPois, Greece. mnm SUE NOVEMBER 11 Cleveland Farmers Attend Meeting: of State Jersey Breeders Associa tion at Hickory. Cleveland county farmers interested in Jersey cattle attended a meeting Tuesday in Hickory at Shuford’s dairy farm of the North Carolina Jersey Breeders association when it was decided to hold the annual sale of Jersey cattle on November Utu at a place to be designated later. Those going from Cleveland county were Tom Cornwell, Frank Cornwell, Charlie Yarboro, A. I). Spangler, T. C. Wilson and Grady Wilson. Mr. Tom Cornwell is secretary-treasurer of the Cleveland County Jersey Breed ers association and also a director of the state association. lie urges all Cleveland county farmers who are in terested in Jersey cattle to attend this sale if they wish to buy pure bred cattle and at the same time if they have surplus cattle which they wish to sell, notify Mr. Cornwell right away. The sale list will’be made up August (Continued on page five.) Noted Son of Cleveland Will Make Address During Home-Coming At County Fair. Ra*ly indications are that the home coming week during the county fair this fall will he Cleveland’s greatest event. Invitutions have gone out to practically all the famous sons of the county urging them to attend the event ami messages received from several indicate that they will be on hand. Dr. J. S. Dorton, secretary of the fair, is in receipt of a letter from Dr. Plato T. Durham, dean of Emory university, Atlanta, (Ja., stating that he will be glad to attend the occasion. Dr. Durham is one of Cleveland county's most distinguished sons,, a thinker of great renown and a speak er of wide repute. It was his great address at the unveiling of the Stone Mountain memorial that attracted in ternational attention. Few addresses in history have exceeded it from num erous view points. Dr. Durham writes' That it will be' a pleasure for him to come back and mingle with home folks of his boy hood days and he further indicates that he may make an address during the home coming week for the bene fit of thousands of Cleveland county fol^s and hundreds of others who will return from other states for the oc casion. Many Notables Coming. 1 hat Shelby anti the county during the week of the homo coming at the fair will entertain the largest list of notables ever is a certainty. Governor McLean will likely attend, while among the county’s famous sons re turning in addition to Dr. Durham will likely be Tom Dixon, Hatcher Hughes, and numerous others. Dr. Dorton, other fair officials and members of women’s organizations of the county are making every effort to bring hundreds of former Cleveland county folks back for the occasion. Sons and daughters of the county who have attained success along various lines in other sections of the world have been sent special invitations and will likely participate in the week’s program, while in ail sections of the county citizens are being urged to write relatives and friends now living elsewhere to attend the florae coming week. Numerous replies already received indicate that many will attend, coni ing from distant and nearby states. Indo Perry Roberts, in Employ of Lineberger Family for Three Generations Dies Suddenly. “Uncle” Perry Roberts, a servant in the Lineberger families for three generations died suddenly Monday night at his home on Lineberger street from an attack of heart trouble. Uncle Perry was well known about town and during his 75 years of life, set an example for his race in hon esty, loyalty, thoroughness, thrift and industry. Wm. Lineberger, presidents of the Cleveland Bank and Trust Co., for whom he had worked for the past 14 years, says Uncle Perry embodies a deep sense of honesty and he would not have felt a bit uneasiness to leave the bank in his care. For many years Uncle Perry worked on the section force of the Southern rail road. His first connection with the Lineberger family was farm hand for John \V. Lineberger grandfather of Wm., J. D. Lineberger and Mrs. Ju lius Sutile. Later he farmed for J. D. Lineberger, sr„ and remained in his employ until death took away his beloved master. Then he contin ued in the employ of Wm. Lineber- ' ger, not that he was needed so badly but because Mr. Lineberger felt a de votion to and a responsibility for tho old darkey. In recent years he has tended the garden and worked about the house on the outside, always caring for his employer’s possessions as scrupulously as he would care for ms own. Uncle Perry was a stickler for work. Rarely was he seen on the streets but could always be found about his daily chores. He was thor ough, dependable and faithful all his life, exercising thrift and economy, the result of which he owned his own home and leaves an estate worth over $5,000. Uncle Perry was twice mar ried, the second time to Mary Pratt who survives, also fifive daughters’ two of whom live in Reading, Pa. b uneral will be held pending their arrival. _4