12 PAGES
TODAY
VOL. XXXV, No. 41
THE CLEVELAND ST A11
SHELLY, N. C. FRIDAY, APRIL 1'2, 192D. Published Monday, Wednesday, ami Friday Al'U-rnootid
Uu tnni 1 nor vaqp (In nrtvanri*) 42 Sfl
LA TE NEWS
The Markets.
Cotton, spot .... 20e
Cotton Seed, per bu._55'ic
Fair And Colder.
Today's North Carolina Weather
Report: Fair tonight, light frost in
the Interior. Slightly cooler in ex
treme west portion and on the
coast tonight. Saturday fair with
rising temperature in east portion.
REGISTRATION BOOKS
OPEN HERE ON MONDAY
The registration books for the
biennial Shelby city election win
open on Monday at the court house
here with Mr. Mike II. Austell as
registrar.
Local Soldiers'.
Back Yesterday
From Gastonia
Company K Returns From Strike
Patrol Duty. Served Nine
Days.
The Shelby unit of the national
guard, company K of the 120th in
fantry, returned yesterday from
Gastonia where the militia boys
have been on strike patrol duty for
nine days at the Loray textile mill.
The order for the dismissal of
company K came late Wednesday,
the guardsmen returning home by
motor trucks yesterday morning.
The Llncolnton cavalry troop de
parted Gastonia Wednesday night,
and since the departure of the
Shelby company, three companies,
two from Charlotte and the Gas
tonia outfit, are on patrol duty.
Two Enlist.
Fifty-five men and three officers
—Capt. McSwatn and Lieuts. M. H.
Austell and H. C. Lang—were on
duty for the major portion of the
nine days, but Just a day or so be
fore the company returned home
two local youths journey to Gas
tonia and enlisted.
The local outfit received consid
erable praise for their appearance
and training, and except for the
first day when the strikers were
forced out of street about the mill
the soldier boys say that they ex
perienced very little trouble while
on patrol duty.
Jenkins Funeral
Attended By Many
Prominent Man Of Lattimore Sec
tion Burled Wednesday At
Rehobeth.
A large crowd of people attended
the funeral services of Mr. John A.
Jenkins Wednesday afternoon at
Kehobeth church.
The services at Rehobeth, where
he had been a member, were con
ducted by Rev. Mr. Williams, the
pastor, assisted by Rev. E. L. Mc
Daniel and Rev. W. S. Jones.
Surviving are six children and
his widow, who was Miss Laura
Walker prior to her marriage 43
years ago. The surviving children
arence, Martin, Lee, Micha, War
ren and Wesely, Two brother, Wil
liam and Miller, also survive, along
with one sister, Mrs. P. J. Kendrick.
—
Coolidge Is Given
An Insurance Job
Former President And Former
Candidate Both Named For
Different Directorates.
New York, April 10.—A former
president of the United States and
ci former candidate for that office
today partly solved the problem of
what their work shall be in private
life.
Calvin Coolidge was nominated
for the post of director of the New
York Life Insurance company and
will be elected at the May meeting
of the board. Darwin P. Kingsley,
president of the company, made
public a letter in which the former
president accepted the nomination,
•‘believing that life insurance is the
most effective instrumentality for
the promotion of industry, saving,
and character ever devised.”
An announcement from the Con
solidated Indemnity and Insurance
company said Alfred E. Smith, for
mer governor of New York and
Democratic nominee for president
last November, had been elected a
director. The former governor re
cently was made a director of the
Metropolitan Life Insurance com
pany.
Planning For Meeting
Of Postmasters Here
At the request of Postmaster ,J.
H, Quinn last night at the Kiwanis
club, the public relations commit
tee of the club and representatives
of the Rotary club will meet Satur
day afternoon in the office of the
postmaster, to make plans for the
entertainment of the postmasters of
North Carolina who will meet here
in convention June 13 and 14. It Is
expected that 500 postmasters wili
attend the summer convention in
Shelby.
Auto For Every
Six People In
Cleveland Now
County Has 6.725 Autos, Not In
cluding Trucks. Near Four
Million Investment.
Every citizen of Cleveland
county may ride in an automo
bile these days with only six
people to the car. according to
automobile ownership figures
for the county Just Issued by
the state motor vehicle bureau.
The county has 6,725 automo
biles, not including trucks, and
ties with Pitt county for tenth
place in the state. The nine
counties having more autos
than Cleveland are: Guilford,
20,725; Mecklenburg 19,250; For
syth, 15.500; Wake. 13,625;
Buncombe, 13,125; Gaston, 8,
935; Rowan, 7,750; Durham, 7,
600; Davidson, 6,950.
A Big Investment.
Cleveland county's population
is estimated as around 40,000
people, and if there are 40,250
people In the county they all
could go riding in county autos
with six per car.
Estimating the autos of the
county at the conservative fig
ure of $500 each Cleveland
county's automobile investment
would be *3,362,500. At 5750 per
car the investment would be
$5,043,750.
Clay county with 750 has the
least number of autos of any
county In the state.
Gardiner Believes
In Law Stopping
“Red” Agitation
Thinks North Carolina Should
Have Criminal Syndicalism
As Does Oklahoma.
Attorney P. Cleveland Gardner,
Cleveland county solicitor and a
close observer of recent labor trou
bles in the textile mills of the Caro
linas, is of the opinion that this
and other Southern states should
have laws covering socialistic pro
paganda, criminal syndicalism, and
I. W. W. movements.
In view of the fact that the South
has never been troubled with labor
unrest or I. W. movements Solici
tor Gardner finds that none of the
southeastern states have laws cov
ering socialistic agitators. In Okla
homa, Oregon, Minnesota and oth
er Western and Mid-Western states,
where there was considerable I. W.
W. trouble a few years back there
are laws covering "criminal syndi
calism and sabotage," and similar
laws here he believes would re
strain some of the communistic,
“red” propaganda and teachings of
such as Beal, Pershing and Weis
bord at Gastonia.
Report Missing
Papers To Star
Subscribers to The Star will
please make any complaint to
Star telephone No. 11 about
missing copies or paper being
thrown in the yard by carrier
boys for the wind to blow away.
We serve the bulk of our sub
scribers tn Shelby and suburbs
through 14 carrier boys. They
are boys, like ail other boys,
and are apt to overlook a sub
scriber or a service which we
wish to render, so make any
complaint to as and we will
endeavor to get your paper to
you promptly and in good con
dition.
Unless you report any fault in
your carrier service, the office
will not know it. We will ap
preciate your cooperation In
making our subscription service
perfect.
Mrs. Forrest Ellis and Mrs.
Gates, were Charlotte shoppers on
Thursday.
Recognized Labor Union To
Aid Textile Strikers Soon
New York —The executive coun
cil of the United Textile Workers
of America Wednesday pledged the
organization's support to striking
textile workers in the south.
They notified union textile work
ers in the south that a defense
would be raised for their assistance.
The couneii outlined a policy in
cluding a 48-hour week, standard
ization ot wages, and abolition of
night work for women and chil
dren.
The council adopted a resolution
stating:
‘‘We are not opposed to the in
troduction of the modern method
of reducing costs that are proven io
be unnecessarily high, as a result of j
waste or inefficiency on the part of'
management or labor, but we are I
opposed to the imposition of any i
plan applying only to labor and
without consultation with the work
ers or their representatives and be
lieve (hat any plan tending to re
duce easts should also be applied j
to the management end of indus
try.’
The council announced that the
U. T. W. of A. president. Thomas
F. MacMahon, next Sunday will
meet officials of the state federa
tion of labor in Greensboro, N. C..
to stimulate further a campaign oi
organisation
OH Magnate Must Serve Jail Sentence
Harry F. Sinclair, right, millionaire oil man,
will start a three-month “vacation” at the
expense of Uncle Sam in the nice quiet jail
of the District of Columbia, shown above.
Major Peake, left, will play the role of host
whether the guest likes it or no, since the
Supreme Court upheld the ninety-day sen
tence for contempt imposed on the magnate
for refusing to answer the Senate'* Teapot
Dome Committee's questions, ^
Meeting Approves Hoey Plan
Keeping Shelby Schools Open
Attempt Is Made
To Blow Up Plant
At Gaston Strike
Guardsmen Gets Man AVith Two
Sticks Of Dynamite. Gets
Away By Trick.
Gastonia, April 11.—An evid
ently wrll planned attempt to
blast the Loray mill to bits
with a quantity of dynamite
failed tonight by a shaky mar
gin, and the desperadoes behind
the project escaped as the re
sult of a clever ruse.
About 7:30 o’clock this evening a
man, presumed by guards and dep
uties to be a mill worker, presented
his mill pass to one of the guards
at the Franklin avenue entrance to
the Loray grounds He was admit
ted, but a military guard, station
ed about half-way between Frank
lin avenue and the mill, stopped the
fellow a second time and asked for
his credentials. The man showed
his mill pass, but noticing a bulge
in his pocket of the supposed
worker the soldier asked him what
It was.
“Nothing." said the stranger,
[Seeking admittance.
But it was dynamite—two sticks
of it—the soldier found upon inves
tigation.
Just at this juncture another
strange man stepped up and said.
"I'll take him to the police sta
tion. I'm one of the new deputies
stationed here yesterday after the
two national guard companies were
ordered away.” The military guard
questioned the authority of the in
truder, but the latter showed a
shiny badge and a pistol, upon
which the soldier consented to
turn the would-bc-dynamiter over
to him. The deputy took charge of
the prisoner, placed him in a Fcrd
car, and said that he would take
him directly to the city hall to be
locked up.
That was about 7:30. A: 8:15 the
pair had not reported to police
headquarters, which is only about
eight blocks from the point where
the arrest was made, nor could
(Continued on page ten.)
Citizens At Meeting Endorse $58,000 Bond
Issue To Pay Debts And Also $4,000 Loan
To Keep School Open Nine Months This
Year. Hoey Praises School Officials.
In a clear, comprehensible man
ner, Attorney Clyde R. Hoey pre
sented the school situation last
night at a mass meeting of the
patrons In the school hpuse and
suggested a way to meet the situa
tion, said plan being approved un
animously by the lawyers of the
city who took a hand in the mat
ter purely through thetr Interest in
the school children and the school's
high standing. Attorney B. T. Falls,
presiding, declared the present
crisis to be the most critical that j
has confronted Shelby since the j
city’ school building was destroyed
by fire 20 years ago.”
Mr. Griffin Witt Quit.
Before proceeding with the dis
cussion. Mr. Hoey react a com
munication by Supt. I. C. Griffin
addressed to the citizens in mass;
meeting, announcing that he would
not be a candidate to succeed him
self as superintendent. Mr. Griffin ;
has served in this capacity for 13
years and was spoken of in high
praise for his faithful services. He j
assured the board of his continued i
efforts to cooperate in every way
for the success of the schools.
SjS.OOO Bond Issue Proposed.
The plan to meet the present
situation proposed by Mr. Hoey
and approved by all of the attor
neys of Shelby is that the voters
pledge themselves to support a
bond isue of $58,000 which will be
submitted at an election to be call
ed as soon as possible and when a
i majority of the voters sign their
| names to a petition pledging their
support, the city and srhool offi
| cials would borrow not exceeding
$4,000 necessary to carry the school
| nine months as planned.
Cause Of Deficit.
I In substance, the city schools
I owe approximately $48,000 for
! money borrowed. This is an honest
! obligation to the bank and was
brought about by a series of unex
pected things such as the cost of
adding fire escapes to the school
building, repair to the high school
auditorium floor; replacing the roof
to the Marion street building blown
off in a storm Furthermore, the
school tax rate was forced down
from 33c to 30c when the city limits !
were extended three years ago and
the south Shelby district with a 30c 1
rate was absorbed. In the building
of ward buildings a few years ago.
some of the above deficit was con
tracted in finishing up the build
ing program. Today there are about
3.000 children enrolled in the pub
lic schools, a gain of 1,000 since
city extension and this has added
to the expense, while last year w ith
a view of economy, the county com
missioners reduced the school bud
get, causing the city schools disap
pointment. These things account
for the indebtedness of $48,000
hanging against the district.
$10,000 From Bonds.
The last legislature provided for
an election on a bond issue of $58,
000 to meet this deficit. At that
time it was not known Just what
the deficit was. but it has since
been calculated at $*8,000, so to
vote the maximum amount of *58,
000 wottld meet the deficit of *48,
ooe- atid leave *10,000 to be applied
to schools this year.
It costs approxlamtely *14,000 a
month to operate the city's schools
so with the *10,000 left from
the bond issue, *4,000 more would
be necessary. Mr. Hoey suggested
that *1.200 might be due and avail
able from the county school fund
and that the remaining *2.800
could be given by the city out of
the city treasury and the same
handled as a city liability.
Education A Public Duty.
Thus the money to extend the
term would be available and no
burden placed on any individual
for Mr. Hoey says "Shelby is not a
pauper town and it is too much to
pass the liat around and ask the
patrons to run a subscription
school. The purpose of government
is to educate the children of the
land and certainly Shelby will not
let It be said that its schools are
not standard and that its citizens
won’t fill their contracts with the
teachers.”
leacliers Contracts Binding.
Speaking of the contracts, it is
the unanimous opinion of the at
torneys of Shelby that the con
tracts signed between the teachers
and school officiais for a nine
months term are legal and binding
and that the teachers. If they are
so minded, can sue the district and
recover. Mr. Hoey feels, however,
that the district does not wish to
evade its solemn contract.
This year the senior class Is the
largest in the history of the school
and to k^ep them from graduating
after years of hard work and to
handicap the children in the lower
grades because a month shorter
term would be a great injustice to
them and a reflection on the fair
name of Shelby.
Officials Praised.
In the course of his remarks. Mr
Hoey had words of praise for B. H.
Kendall, R. T. LeGrand. D. W.
Royster. John McKnight and John
McClurd who constitute the school
board, for their business-like and
economical management. Hand
dapping showed that the audience
endorsed the board's excellent
nanagement and again applause
■ante when Mr Hoey had a tri
bute to Mr. Griffin who had “ren
dered the finest type and charac
ter of service during these 13 years
is school head, a service that is
not equalled in local school annals.
Signing Petitions.
Before closing Mr. Hoey went
over statistics furnished by the
state board of education, showing
that Blielby's tax rate is lower than
the 20 other towns of similar size
in the state except one: that the
cost per pupil is $5 below the state
average. that the average pay of
these 20 city superintendents is
tContinued on paq~ ten
Griffin Not To
Ask For School
Job Next Year
Veteran Superintendent Makes An
nouneement At Mass Meeting.
Will Cooperate.
Siipt, l C. Grtffm. who became
head of the Shelby school system
more than 13 years ago when there
were only a few hundred students
In the city schools ns compared
with the more than 3.000 now, an
nounced at the mass meeting here
last night In interest of the schools
that he would not be a candidate
for the position of superintendent
for the coming year
The action, he declared was tak
en so that the meeting, which be
fore It closed determined to run the
city schools for the full year, would
not be hampered by any personal
references in advancing the welfare
of the schools His formal state
ment. however, continued to say
that he pledged his heartiest sup
port to the city school system until
the end of his term and beyond If
necessary.
During Ins many years of service
here Supt. Griffin has built up the
local schools from a small town
system into one of the best known
city school units in the state, his
reputation as an educational lead
er so spreading that for several
years he has been supervisor of the
summer school at the University of
North Carolina in addition to his
winter duties here.
His Statement.
Mr. Griffin's statement to the
mass meeting follows:
| "To the Citizens of Shelby in Mass
meeting Assembled:
| “Blnce the present board of edu
cation has publicly stated that the
several members will not be candi
dates for membership in the board
of education in the coming munici
pal campaign. I deem it wise to In
form this meeting as I have alrendy
informed the present board of edu
cation that I shall not be a candi
date for the position of superin
tendent of the Shelby schools for
the coming year. This statement is
made in order that any action
taken by this group may be free
from any personal references. Un
til the expiration of my term of of
fice (and beyond, if necessary* I
pledge you my heartiest support
and cooperation in carrying out any
plan you may adopt for the wel
fare of the schools.
With due appreciation of your
support and cooperation in the
past, and with unlimited confidence
in your willingness and ability to
support, the schools in future. I am
“Very sincerely yours,
“I. C. GRIFFIN. Supt
College Team To
Play Highs Here
In Game Saturday j
One of the most interesting base- |
ball games of the season is billed .
for the city park here Saturday aft
ernoon when Casey Morris' Shelby
high club stacks up against the
heavy hitting Boiling Springs col
legians.
Several former Shelby stars are
in the college line-up and will at
tract Interest as well as the fact
that local fans will be anxious to
see how local lads perform against
the college brand of baseball Addi
tional color, of course, will be In the
air about the city park dun to the
attendance of a large part of the
Bolling Springs college student
body, boys and girls.
The highs arc today playing
Kings Mountain in Kings Moun
tain.
Public Meeting In
I . W. O. W. Hall
There will be a public meeting m
the W. O. W. hall next Monday
night at 7:30 o'clock for the pur
pose of reorganizing the local
grove of Woodmen circle, this bc
j ing the ladies auxiliary of the
! W. O. W. All ladies interested in
this are cordially Invited to attend
Woodmen come and bring their
wives and daughters.
Griffin Resigns
As School Head
Sl'PT. I. t\ GRIFFIN
Best Farmers To
Get Reward In j
Cotton Contest
( Irveland Farmer Making Best
Production On F'ivr Acres To
Receive 530.
Cleveland county cotton farmers,
who last year produced more cot
ton than any county in the state
and established a pcr-acre produc
tion record for the south, are going
to vie with each other this year In
raising cotton, according to an an
nouncement made to The Star to
day by County Farm Agent Alvin
Hardin.
I By plans worked out l>y tne Cleve
land county board of agriculture
every cotton farmer is urged to en
ter a live-acre contest thl* year,
and the farmer who makes the
best five-acre record will receive
*300 cash and a silver loving: cup
as the champion cotton farmer of
North Carolina's champion cotton
county. The farmer with the second
best record will get *200 cash, and
the third man will receive $100,
with numerous smaller prizes for
others ranking high.
All of which should mean that
Cleveland county farmers will bo
strutting themselves this year,
Regulation*.
According to the agricultural
board farmers entering the contest
may prepare their soil any way they
wish and may use any type or
amount of fertilizer and seed, pro
vided that the seed will produce
staple of fifteen-sixteenths of an
I inch as shorter staple will be
automatically eliminate-! m the
contest
The live acres must be in one
body, or tract of land. The prizes to
be awarded at the end of the sea
son are being contributed In the in
j tercst of better farming by the
bankers, merchants and mill own
ers of Shelby and the county, a list
of donors to be published later tn
The Star.
Notify Agent.
Any county farmer may enter
without cost, but all those who de
sire to enter should notify the
county agent as early as possible,
so that he may get their names and
instruct them as to how they Shall
keep a record of the five-acre
contests plots, listing the cost of
production and other it Tins. The
contest will be judged on the basis
of 10 percent as to yield and 30 per
cent as to record, which will in
clude the cost, grade, etc.
Mull Resigs His
Place On Hospital
Board Morganton
Governor Gardner has appointed
Dr J. T. Burrus. of High Point, as
a member of the Morganton state
hospital board to succeed Mr. O M.
Mull, of Shelby, who has resigned.
Other members of the board are:
J. H Beall, Lenoir: R. R. Clark,
Statesville: J. R Boyd. Waynesville
and John M Scott. Charlotte.
Cow Kneels At Nashville After
Hearing Negro Girl Singers \
Nashville.—A large number of
colored girls from all parts of Nash
county gathered In the office of
Superlntenednt L. S. Inscoe here
this week for the purpose of stand
ing the seventh grade examination.
Before beginning on the examina
tion they joined in singing "Swing
Low. Sweet Chariot." As they were
singing. Gray Whitley, an old col
ored man of this city, was leading
his cow a Ion? beside the budding j
Just as the singing ceased, the cow.
stopped suddenly, knelt down its I
knees for almost, a minute, seem- [
ingly praying. Evidently the cow
thought Judgment day w as at j
hand. P. W. Batchelor, E. L. Man
ning and L. F. Barbee ol this city
were witnesses to this unusual oc
currence. and will vouch for the
truthluln"ss of this story.
Attorneys For
King Silent As
To Trial Plans
Three Shrewd! Defense Lawyer*
Apparently flare Some Sur
prise* I'p Their Sleeves.
Just what will Rafe King's
lawyer have to say, or what
kind of defense more will they
open np with nest week when
King is scheduled to go on trial
at York, S. C_ In connection
with the mysterious death last
January of his wife, Faye Wil
son King, former Shelby school
teacher And a teacher at Sha
ron. S. C., at the time of her
death?
That question has the people of
three counties In .the two Caro
lina® guessing, and due to the
mysterious elements in the case,
which has attracted national atten
tion, and to the unusual silence be
ing maintained by King's lawyers
the hearing Is expected to draw one
of the largest court crowds in sev
eral years In the two states.
Confer Often.
The three defense attorneys,
Clyde R. Hoey and B. T. Falla, of
Shelby, and Thos. F. McDow, of
York -are considered three of the
shrewdest criminal barristers in the
two states. McDow Is famed as an
orator in South Carolina just like
Hoey is in North Carolina, and
Falls, a fellow townsman of Hoey.
ranks with him among the leading
lawyers of this state.
But so far, and with the court
term to open Monday, the three at
torneys have kept their plans en
tirely to themselves. All this week
they have been meeting In frequent
conferences, but following their ses
sions together the statements made
public by them are confined to
something like this: "Yes, we’ve
been in conference about the case.
Getting ready, you know.” And no
more. To those inclined to pro
pnesy me iaea is mat mcdow.
Falls and Hoey have several sur
prises up their legal sleeve to spring
at the opportune moment next
week, or tveek after next In the
court room at York, or whatever
South Carolina town the trial may
be held in.
And the silence maintained is a
real sphinx-like silence, They're not
even saying whether they will In
sist on Hie hearing being moved to
a county other than York due to
the evident antagonism there
against the Shelby man. Neither do
they intimate what line of defense
will be followed if a true bill is
rendered against King. Their silence
might be explained by their desire
to keep their plans secret so that
the prosecution may not be pre
pared for counter attacks, but there
is a composed calmness evident as
the attorneys confer that would in
dicate that may have a surprise to
spring at the proper time, and
when they do refer to the approach
ing court term it Is always in terms
of "If the grand Jury returns a true
bill,” and Indication that they be
lieve that the grand Jury might not
do so.
Anyway, the King case, myster
ious all the way through, seems a
bit’ more perplexing in the final
week before the showdown in the
court room.
Crossings Here To
Be Improved Soon
Three stret crossings over the
Southern railway tracks in Shel
by—the Marion street, Warrer.
street, and Graham street crossings
—are to be Unproved at an early
date, it was announced today by
Mayor W. N. Dorsey after a con
ference with Southern officials.
Heavier rails are now being in
stalled at the three street crossings
and just as soon as the material
arrives the crossing will be Unprov
ed similar to the South Shelby
Shelby crossing, which is practically
as rrnooth as the paved street
through a build-up of gravel and
tar. Several citizens have asked
that steel rail crossings be made,
but the Southern, as a preventive
measure against wrecks, docs not
use steel rails, and the gravel-tar.
crossing bed is considered Just as
smooth for street traffic.
Boy In Lincolnton
Gets Electrocuted
Lincolnton. April 11.—When Wil
liam Thompson, 1*. known to his
schoolmates as “Bill.” failed to re
turn from feeding the chickens this
morning, his parents investigated.
His body was found under the
house beside an electric brooder.
He had been electrocuted by con*
tact with the device.
Thompson was a son of Hous
ton Thompson, and in addition to
his parents is survived by several
brothers and sisters. No funeral
arrangements had been made this
morning.