North Carolina Newspapers

VOL. XXXV, No. 154 TtlE CLEVELAND STAR SHELBY. N. C. FRIDAY, DEC. 28, 1928. 10 PAGES TODAY Published Monday, W«dnesday, and Friday Afternoons By 'mail, per year On advance) *2.50 Carrier, ner vear (in advarve» tanf. LATE NEWS ' , The Merkels. Colfon Seed, per bn. ........ 67Vic Cotton, per lb. ............_19c Fair And Wanner. Today’s North Carolina Weather Report: Fair and slightly warnin' hi west portion tonight. Saturday in creasing cloudiness and somewhat wanner. Or. Bridges Improving. Dr. Dwight T. Bridges, of Lattl more, injured last week In an auto wreck, is reported to be slowly Im proving.’ bt is at tke She|by hospl III SCORE HOMES COOT STMTS ■ COMMUNITY Fill One-Hundred-NInety-Elght Indivi duals Helped. Some Of Fond Remains. V __ Forty-twe families, representing 198 people; were tendered a bit of Christmas cheer in the form, of necessities of life by The Star’s Christmas charity fund, it was.an nounced here this morning by J. B. Smith, county welfare officer who had charge of the committee in vestigating and distributing the fund. According to the committee re port only $341.50, in merchandise and money, was expended in actual Christmas eve woak, which leaves *283 to take care of emergency case* and appeals coming in dur ing the remainder of the cold months, and particularly while the influenza epidemic continues to rage. A part of this will be given out at regular intervals to stricken families already helped during Christmas eve day or a few days before. How Spent. Money or merchandise given out consisted of shoes, clothing,, bed linen, medicine, groceries, coal, and in a few instances children In un fortunate homes were given small Christmas packages. The commit tee handling the distribution states that ih its opinion more actual needs were, fulfilled by this fund than any heretofore. Among the forty-two families aided was one which was practically without cloth ing and shoes with no one able to work so that money migl}t be se cured.* Member* of tfie family able to move about were brought to an uptown store and clothed,-’ while clothing and shoes were taken home to the others. BNl ' Bt W HUE Henry McLellie, aged colored man. held in Jail here charged with fatally cutting his daughter, Mar - tha Megginson, who died last Fri day, waived a preliminary hearing Wednesday and will remain In jail until the next term of Superior court. On the bill McLellie was charged with murder. Tuesday night one week ago Mc Lellie is said to have entered the room of his daughter in the lower part of the county and slashed her throat. She was brought to the hospital Wednesday and lived two nights and one day after ’ being brought In. Stunt Flyer With Parachute Dog To - Come Here Tuesday Aerial Dare-Devil And Famous ~Dof To Visit Airport Here. Aviation fans of Shelby are as sured a big treat, for. New Year s day when Irwin Davis, youngest aerial stunt performer fn the coun try, and , the well known dog parachute'' Jumper, “Dotty Mine,” come for a visit to the Shelby air port at Cleveland Springs. With Davis will be his manager, Gus Kennedy, and his pilot, John Maxwell. The plane will be at the airport all day Tuesday and a part of the day Monday. Between stunts it will be used for commercial avia tion taking up passengers who want to glimpse the city from the air on the first day of 1929. Davis is a wing-walker and gen eral stunt performer while in the air. The dog has •already- made 100 successful drops from planes by parachute and is an unusual canine. Litton Back Mr. F. B. Litton, head o: Dodge Bros, agency, Is back from Detroit, where he contracted a case of flu, and gave the new (1929) Dodge the once over. He says the new model 1$ the best of all—some car. and he will have one on display here the first of the . year. Bridges Dies Of Injuries From Christmas Eve Crash; Many Deaths Over Section Lattimore Citizen Passes In Hospital Collision Takes Second Auto Vic tim Of Holidays in Section. The second auto fatality of the holiday season in this section came Wednesday afternoon when Mr. A. W. Bridges, 45-year-old Lattimore citizen, died in the Shelby hospital from injuries received in an auto collision Monday afternoon on Highway 20 Just west of,the city. The other fatality was Sunday morning when the body of A. B. Darden, of Asheville, was found by his wrecked car In a fill near the highway a few miles west of Shel ! bJ • liead-On Crash. Bridges and his brother were rid ; ing In a stripped down Ford going west when near Everett McDaniels’ service station their car, accord ing to others, seemed to get. out of control and swerved to the left, crashing into the Hupmobilc driven by J. S. Kreinus, Asheville tailor. Mrs. Kreinus, riding with her hus band, was, slightly Injured as was an occupant of the Bridges car, but Mr. Bridges suffered the only serious injuries and was rushed to the hospital where he lived until Wednesday afternoon between 3 and 4 o'clock. Both cars were badly torn up In the fatal crash. The deceased is survived by his wife and six children as follows: Coleman Bridges and Miss Viola Bridges, of Lattimore; Mrs. Gus Taylor, of Winnesboro, S. C.; Mrs. Albert Morgan, of Thomasvllle: Mrs. Frank Hall, of Georgia, and Mrs. Thomas Baker, also of Win nesboro. The funeral services were con ducted at the Double Springs bap tist church this- -afternoon at 2 O'clock. Carl Carpenter Is Dead At Gastonia Carl Carpenter, prominent lawyer of Gastonia died there Wednesday night at 10 o'clock, a victim of in fluenza. The news is learned In Shelby with deep regret for Mr. Carpenter was well known here and was a brother of Mr. R. E. Car penter of this place. He was 40 years of age and a native of Stan ley county. He was a brother of Solicitor John Carpenter, another prominent Gastonia lawyer and candidate for congress in the re cent primary. Funeral services were held today at Gastonia. Aged Woman Dies In Oak Grove Section Mrs. Martha Champion MeSwain died Christmas morning at four o’clock at the home of her son Elam McSwaln in the Oak Grove section. Mrs. MeSwain was 74 years of age and one of the most beloved women of that community. Funeral acrvices were conducted Wednesday ! at 1 o'clock by Rev C. J. Black of Kings Mountain and interment was in the Flint Hill cemetery. Putnam Child Buried At Zoar On Sunday The two year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Decency Putnam of the Ella Mill village, died Saturday at the home of its parents. Interment was held Sunday in the cemetery at Zoar church, after a short funeral service at the home of the parents. Mrs. Elizabeth Wood Passes At Age 82 Mrs. Elizabeth Wood, age 82 years died Wednesday following an at tack of influenza and pneumonia at the home of her grandson D. L. Grant in South Shelby. Funeral services were held from the resid ence of Mr. Grant by Rev. D. F. Putnam and interment was at Sun set cemetery Thursday. Red Men Will Have Oyster Supper Here The local camp of the Red Men will hold an oyster supper here Saturday night at their hall, it is announced by O. C. Smith. Offi cers will be elected for the coming year and all members are urged to be present. Husband And Wife Die A Day Apart i Mr. And Mrs. Wheeler Bnff, For- j merly Of Cleveland, Die In California. Mr. Wheeler Buff and Wife, Mrs. Margaret Buff, died at their home at Potoway, California, December 6 and 7, according to information received by relatives in this coun ty. They were buried the follow ing day pn their farm as was their wish. Both had been sick for a week with influenza and pneu monia. Only one child was able to attend the funeral. Air. and Mrs. Buff were former residents of Cleveland, going from the three County Corner section. Mrs. William Swofford was the daughter of the late Rev. and Mrs. William Bwofford and they lived on the McBrayer farm before go I ing to Texas in 1903. 'Ten years later they moved to California where they have made their home since His age was 82 and that of Mrs. Buff 81. They leave five chil dren and one brother, J M. Swof ford of Hollis and one sister, Mrs. Bail Gales of Lincolnton. Lattimore High Girl Dies Christmas Day Miss Ostlne Wright. » popular student of the Lattimore high i school died Christmas day at the : home of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Wright in the Rehobeth section. Pr.cumpula developed fol lowing an attack of Influenza. Miss Wright was Just 17 years of age. Funeral services were conducted Wednesday afternoon at 2 o’clock at Rehobeth church, the pastor, 1 Rev. Mr. Williams conducting the services. Eix of the Lattimore school boys served as pell bearers while her cousins carried the beautiful floral displays that covered her new made-mound. She was ,the daughter of Mrs. Pearl V/right Cog dell. Prof. Lawton Blanton, principal of the school stated at the funeral that she was undoubtedly one of the brightest pupils he had ever taught. Mrs. Price Suddenly Dies Here Wednesday —» The many friends of Mrs. L. B. Price regret tp learn of her sudden death at 1:20 o’clock Thursday morning at the Shelby hospital. Mrs. Price lived at 511 S. LaFayette street. She had been sick with in fluenza which developed into a heart attack and Was removed to the hospital on Wednesday. Mrs. Price is survived by her husband, L. B. Price and her father, John Bow man, of Morganton. Before mar riage she! Was Miss Jane Bowman and was bom and reared in this county. Mrs. Price was a member of the Second Baptist church and a devoted worker, both in church and Sunday school. Interment was at 11 o'clock today at Shoupe Grove church. Mrs. Mary Blanton Dies At Age Of 72 Mrs. Mary Blanton, wife of Hoyle Blanton of the Pleasant pidge sec- j tion, died Christmas morning at the age of 72. Mrs. Blanton had been sick for about two weeks and is survived by her husband and seven children: Mrs. Will Whisnant, Mrs. Claudius McSwain, Bert Blanton. John Blanton, Monroe Blanton, Posey Blanton. William Blanton, also 45 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. She Joined Beaver Dam church when very young, but later transferred her membership to the Methodist church where she continued her faithful membership until death. Interment was held at Sharon Methodist church Wednes day, Rev. R. L. Forbis conducting the services. Child I» Found Dead, Was Two Months Old The two months old daughter. Ruby Bright Hoppes, of Mr. and Mrs, Melvin Hoppes was found dead in her little bed Thursday morning at the home of its parents in East Shelby. The little body was buried Friday morning in the ceme tery at. Oak Grove. ■ ! Twenty-Six Couplet Marry In \ Gaffney, While Nine Wed At Home. Thirty-live couples living in or j near Cleveland county were mar ried during the holiday period, twenty-seven at Gaffney, South \ Carolina, and nine in the county. ; ; The fact that three couples jouv cieyed to the "easy marrying stattt. of South Carolina for every coup® married in the home county bganl out the-ratio shown throughout the entire year. The nine couples securing license here from last Friday through Wednesday were: L. V. Martin and Lizzie Wesson, both of the county; L. W. Davis and Beatrice Hord, of this county; Detv ey Wiggins and Lillian Moore, Cleveland county; James Curtis Chapman and Bessie Smith, Cleve-' land county; Marvin D. Dixon and Mary Casque, Cleveland county; Q. G. McCombS and Blanche Dud ley, Cleveland county; Elvin Mull, Burke county, and Ruth Gray, Cleveland county; Carl McSwain and Martha Rodgers, Cleveland county Theran K. Capps and Eu genia Tillman, both of Alamance county. in south Carolina. Yesterday’s Gaffney Ledger listed the following couples from this sec tion securing marriage license there during the holiday period: Ansel Burchfield and Josie Palm er, both of Shelby; Doctor C. Jones and Alice Huffman, Lawndale; Buford Smith and Edith White, Shelby; Obe Henson, Mooresboro, and Zezzie Hines, of Harris; Wil liam Henry Turner and Emma Har ris, of Shelby: Chancey Brackett, of Hollis, and Nora Harrison, of Bos tic; Howard Carpenter and Artie Pruett, of Kings Mountain; Ci%i$d, Bland and Mary Lawson, of Ellen boro; Roy Miller and Onie John son, of Shelby; Wade Fullenwider and Carry Gaston, of Shelby; Co lumbus Daniel and Mazel Grigg, of Kings Mountain: James Monroe Eledge, of Greer, and Cora Bum gardner of Shelby; Prank Daven port and Viola Webb, of Shelby; Cecil Humphries and Margaret Bell, of Shelby; Grady McMurry and Selva Johnson, of Lawndale; Dewey Walker and Eva Parker, of Casar; Max Broom and Geneva Blalock, of Shelby; Clayton Shu ford and Gladys Lee, of Lawndale; Joe Whisnant, of Lawndale, and Isabel Gilfillin, of Hickory Grove; Clarence Davis and Bethel Robin son, of Ellenboro; Ambrose Daves, of Ellenboro, and Dovie Owens, of Shelby; Dewey Kiser and Willie Earnest, of Shelby; Willie B. Mc Murry and Annie Holllfield, of Shelby; Clarence Babbitt and Edna Blanton, of Kings Mountain; Bur gin Taft Lazenby and Effie Leola Dayberry, of Shelby; Ruby Green, of Lattimore, and Bessie Hoo paugh, of Earl. SUIT TUBE AGAINST SEABOARD $50,000 Damages Asked For Death Of Itoad Worker Here February 25, A damage suit complaint filed against the Seaboard Air Line this week asks for $50,000 for the death of Neil A. Devault, highway con struction worker, an the Seaboard tracks in eastern Shelby on Febru ary 25, this year. It will be remembered that De vault was instantly killed while crossing between two cars just at the time when a switch engine is said to have coupled against the cars. His body was badly mangled. Devault, a native of Greenville, Tenn., was working for the Fen nell & Harley construction firm engaged in building highway 18 between Morganton and Shelby Auto Plates Must Be On January 1st New automobile license plates must be on all motor vehicles on the morning of January 1, says Ex Sheriff D. D. Wilkins of the state auto license bureau who says he has instructions to arrest any driver who operates with old license plates on that day. No grace will be al lowed this year, Mr. Wilkins says. In Limelight Again Our Mary’s little sister. Lottie, Just can’t seem to keep out of the limelight even if it’s shed around the police station. Miss Pickford, after recent kidnap tale, is center of a probe to find out what happened at Christ mas eve party in her Holly wood home, in which Dan Jaeger, retired millionaire, an% Jack Daugherty, western star engaged in fisticuffs before as sembled guests. tl <«r> *» 1 hree Liovernors. Likely To Attend GardnerFarewell McLean And Morrison Inrited. Legislators And Judges Will Attend. -— It may be that three governors will attend the Kiwanis club’s farewell banquet to its first presi dent. Governor-elect O. Max Gard ner, at the Cleveland Springs ho tel tomorrow night. Mr. Gardner will be present as the honor guest, while Invitations have been for warded to Governor Angus W. Mc Lean and Former Governor Cam eron Morrison, the latter the only living ex-governor of the state. It was announced yesterday by the committee in charge o* the pro gram that more than 75 members, many of them Republicans, of the next general assembly, legislators and senators, have already wired in their acceptance of the invita tion to attend. Several Supreme and Superior court judges as well i as newly elected state officers have also notified the committee that ■they will be present. | Among the legislators, judges and other notables who will attend will i be men from counties in the ex treme eastern and western portions j of the state. In fact, it is esti I mated that it will be the most rep I resentative assemblage of state notables ever in the state outside j of Raleigh. P,0. S. A GATHERING AT FALLSI01SOOH The district meeting of the Cleve land County Association of the P. O. S. of A. will be held Saturday night, January 5, at Fallston, this county it is announced by officials of the association. This association includes five counties and the Fallston meeting is executed to be one of the big gest gatherings of the order ever held in the section. Several state officials plan to be preesnt as guests of the Fallston damp No. 71. and since the tiew officers of the asso ciation will be elected practicajiy every camp in the district is expect ed to have a delegation in attend ance Mason!; Meeting. Cleveland Lodge 202 A, F. & A, M. will meet- in regular monthly rommumcaiion r icluy i 'i' Masonic temple, it is announce by Russell Laughridge. secretary. SCHOOL CHILDREN HERE TO FEATURE IN INAUGURATION Letters Published In Star To Be Presented In Book Form. Shelby and Cleveland county j people will have a three-fold in-1 terest in the inaugural ceremonies j of Governor-elect O. flax Gard ner in Raleigh on Friday, January XI. First of all the next governor is a native of Shelby; the invocation opening the ceremonies will be by Dr. Zeno Wall, Shelby First Bap tist pastor and a close personal friend of the next governor, while as a third feature the letters pub lished in The Star during the cam paign and written by Cleveland county school children in interest of Mr. Gardner will be presented to him bound in book form. The Ceremonies. A dispatch from Raleigh says: “According to the tentative plans. Governor-elect Gardner will be met at the hotel at 11 o'clock in the morning by members of the inaug ural committee, and'escorted to the governor's mansion where he will be met by Governor McLean, state of ficials, and the justices of the Su preme court. The entire party will then go to the city auditorium, where they will arrive at 12 o’clock. “The general assembly will con vene in a special session presided over by Lieutenant Governor Long, of Durham, to witness the inaugu ration at the auditorium. “Dr. Zeno Wall, pastor of the Shelby church of which Mr. Gard ner Is a member, will pronounce the invocation, “After the oath of office has been administered to all the otiier elec tive state officials, Govcrtjer Mc LCagWfrfWjWH Ml'.'UMUBfr'tTlU will be sworn In 15y <WeT "Justice Stacy of the Supreme court; Theii Governor Gardner will deliver his inaugural address, W’hich will be broadcast by the local Durham Life Insurance station WPTF. “Following Governor Gardner’s address, a testimonial from the school children of) Cleveland county will be presented to him by Lee B. Weathers, editor of the Cleveland Star, acting an beholf of the school children. “At the conclusion cf the cere monies in the auditorium, the new ly inaugurated officials, with Gov ernor McLean and members of the inaugural committee, will go to a reviewing stand on Fayetteville street, w here they will witness a pa rade of the military units of the state, which will be directed by General Mettc. “The next public event on the program will be a reception at the mansion at 8 o'clock. The commit tee in charge cf the arrangement for the reception if composed of Mrs. Josephus Daniels, Mrs. Albert L. Cox and Mrs. J. M. Broughton. “The inaugural committee is com posed of J. M. Broughton, of Ra leigh: Guy Weaver, Asheville; W. G. Clark, Tarboro, from the state senate; R. M. Hanes. Winston Salem; E. G. Flannagan. Green ville, and O. M. Mull. Shelby, rep resenting the house of representa tives; General Albert L. Cox. rep resenting the Raleigh chamber of commerce, and Adutant General Metts. “A local dance chid is making, plains for an unofficial dance for the entertainment of visitors at the inauguration but these plans are | not under the supervision of the inaugural committee, Mr. Brough ton stated today. In addition, the inaugural com mittee will give a private luncheon for Mr. Gardner and family, and a few personal friends at the mansion after the inauguration.” Hoey’s To Keep Open House New Year Day Mr. and Mrs. Clyde R. Hoey will keep open house on New Years Day. afternoon and night, in honor of Governor-elect O. Max Gardner and Mrs. Gardner. The afternoon 1 hours will be from 3:30 to 4:30 and at night from 7 to 10 o'clock. The public is invited. The ladies who cannot conven iently go at night are especially in vited to come in the afternoon. It is expected that the men and wo j men generally, old and young, will ■j call during the night hours. No in ■ vitations have been issued since it ' is a public reception, but all friends are invited. * Father, Mother And 3 Children Found In Ashes; Son Held J- W. Vanderburg And Family Appaf£fitly Murdered Then House Burned On TKlin This Morning. , _ _o _ Family, Jacob, 17-Year-Old *Son was Found By Roadside. LATE BULLETIN (Special to The Star.) . Gastonia, Dec. 28.—At 2 o’clock this afternoon nothing new had developed in the Vanderburg affair, and thd coro ner’s inquest will not be held until 10 o’clock Saturday morn ing. However, recent investigations still point to the517 year-old Vanderburg son, Jacob, who is in jail charged the crime. ' 1 *"!T**^ (Special To The Star.) Gastonia, Dec. 28.—Gaston county awoke this morning, to find what apparently was one of the most horrible .crimes in the history of the county—the find being that c$ thf bjunj ed bodies of five members of the family of J. W./ wealthy Gaston county farmer, and as the result .o^,ihe \ covery Jacob, 17-year-old son of J. W. Vanderburg and i only surviving member of the family, is now in the Gaston county jail charged with murder. The bodies, at least three of w’hich were headless, were found in the ashes of the Vanderburg home about four miles northwest of Gastonia. ’ Those making the gruesome dis covery say that the five bodies were found in a heap in the spot which was the kitchen prior to the fire. Those Dead. The identified dead were: J. W. Vanderburg, aged 68. " Mrs.'Yanderborg, aged ii. Mfes teufte Vanderburg, aged 20. Miss Pauline Vanderburg, fresh man at N. C, C. W., Greenboro, aged 18. Robert Vanderburg, 12-year-old Gastonia high school student. Son Sits By Road. When Gastcnia policemen, call ed to the scene, arrived about 2 o’clock this morning they found Jacob, the remaining son, sitting by the roadside near the ashes of the home. He had with him a shot gun and shells, and his college sister’s hat bag in which was found his fath er’s best suit of clothing, and other articles including a small Men tholatum jar containing |39 in money-. He Tells Story. The story related by the boy to the officers was that he was sleeping upstairs and other mem bers of the family were sleeping downstairs. i. House On Fire. Some time early in the morning, he* continued, lie awokp upstairs to find his room filled with smoke and the house apparently on fire. He jerked on his clothes hurriedly and dashed down the stairs through the smokn, he said to his mother’s room, where most of them tvere sleeping, to try to get them out. Mother's Head Bloody. Ho one answered his calls, he continued, and feeling his way into the room he declared that when he felt for his mother in the bed .is hand came across her head and face and that she seemed to be cov ered with blood. Near suffocation, the story continued, he decided all were dead and tried to get out lumself. He called a neighbor, according to his story, and then attempted to get the family auto away from the house as it finished burning down. Story's Discrepancy. When the ashes were searched however, they seemed to reveal a discrepancy tn the 17-year-old youth's story, for the bodies of aU | members of the family were not ! found where the bedrooms had been but in one heap where the kitchen was. Hard To Recognise. The charred bodies were burned beyond immediate recognition and could only be identified by size and ! res by neighbors closely acquaint ed with the family, i One explanation advanced to suPport #fW. jgfci bodies Vm^SSS^M 3&«s m»K have crawled from their rooms to the kitchen about the same time and suffocated, or died there from the wounds, other than the fact red. • In the ashes of what had been the kitchen, and near where the remains of the bodies were found, an axe was located. Whether the heads of the dead people had been chopped off with the a^ pf. Wheth er they had been^pmtit-oft'-had not been? determtnednjP^h 'aAtdpa: at the funeral here shortly after 11 o’clock. . Asked about the axe , the youth declared that it was fhe custom of , the family to take the axe in the J Officers; it is# house every night, said, were dubious of this explana tlon. I Theories Adramied. -' V- J With no lufther. 3artf3pnents b/ img made by the toy ^held la W charged with the ertrtWf and wf officers still Investigating the’at# the bodies and questioning pel# bors, several theories of whatra have happened during the hart. night are being advanced? / Over ‘ 7 One theory, based upon of a neighbor who is have said that the elder V burg on Thursday night ga girl go''13 back to college ’$1 pay her expenses and that the boy held, had a q the family about that’ apparently has it, from that the quarrel developed gruesome crime later in-4 But the’boy when by the road did not have no money except the check-up is being made the elder Vanderourg any sum of cash on.the Under this theory one ret is that the youth, if he.c< the crime, must have ha complice. * Jr ffl Other suppositions blng § the story of the boy. Had 11 a quarrel about the money s be that some passer-by ha it and killed the family and the home before burniaf I Vet the boy’s story of ftml, mother, “all bloody," in b- »'* her body was found. created some doubt: Still Working. More complete revelatj©’, of crime may come during the with the investigation be inf < on rapidiy and tt may bethaj, 1 mysterious portions of and just wbat. happei home of the thrifty Dv may be known in It hours. So far as could be morning the Vanderbu never been insane, was a student at the high school, but li$d , 4 school this year cue. it a sore foot. ; ;S