10 FACES
TODAY
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday Afternoons,
(IT Mail, oer year, Ha ilniHi _ »i.M,
Carrier. oer year, (la adeaneei _ yi.wi
| LA TE NEWC
'A Fair Saturday?
1 oday's North Carolina Weather
Keport: Fair tonight and Saturday
except possibly showers in extreme
vest portion Saturday afternoon.
>ilghtly warmer in west portion to
tight.
Heavy Rains Here.
Cleveland county and suurrounc
Ing section were struck yesterday by
a heavy rain accompanied by slight
ball and wind which covered the
two Carolinas. Slight damage was
done, it is said, by the hail in one
or two sections of the comity, but
nowhere was there enough hail to
do murh damage. The rain was for
several hours one of the heaviest te
fall here In years.
Heavy Traffic
Between Shelby
And Mooresboro
* Auto Per Minute
On Highway
Total Of 1.327 Vehicles Pass Point
On Highway In One Oay. Sec
ond In District.
In 24 ’ honrs time 1,327 ve
hicles passed a given point on
Highway 20 between Shelby
and Mooresboro, according to
a traffic count made one day
last month. The majority of
the vehicles were motor cars.
That count means that almost
one vehicle per minute passed along
the highway during the 24 hours.
Second Heaviest.
The Sheiby-Mooresboro point was
the second heaviest traffic spot in
the eighth highway district, the
heaviest be!n| between Valdese and
Connelly Springs, on Highway TO,
where 2.093 vehicles passed in one
day; The third heaviest traffic point
in the district was on Highway 20
between Shelby and Kings Moun
tain with 1,109 vehicles passing in
one day.
Traffic decreases from Charlotte
west it is shown by the count made.
Between Charlotte and Gastonia
3.129 vehicles passed in one day,
while the traffic between Bessemer
City and Kings Mountain was 2,
764, or more than twice that be
tween Kings Mountain and Shelby.
The heaviest traffic point in the
State was on the highway between
Thomasville and High Point where
6,419 vehicles passed during the
day, which was nearly five per min
ute. The second heaviest traffic
point in'the State was between Ra
leigh and Carey.
Tax Listers To
Begin Monday
Appointments Made In Various
Townships For List Takers.
Farm Census Also.
Eleven township tax listers will
begin on Mtsiday listing all prop
erty and poll in Cleveland county
for 1931, according to an announce
ment made today by It. L. Weath
ers, county tax supervisor who had
the list takers here to receive their
supply of blanks and instructions as
to values.
In this issue of The Star will be
found the appointments of the list
takers In the various townships for
the month of May. Those who fail
to list their property and poll will
be penalized by law.
Names Of Listers.
Listers for the various townships
are J. A. McCraw, No. 1 township;
W, C. Hamrick No. 2 township; A.
A. Bettis No. 3 township; H. B.
Stowe No. 4 township; M. P. Har
relson No. 5 township; T. P. Jenks
NO. 6 township; R. W. McBrayer
No, 7 township; B. P. Jenkins No. 8
township; C. S. Beam No. 9 town
ship; M. N. Gantt No. 10 township
and A. A. Horton No. 11 township.
In addition to the listing of prop
erty and poll, there will be a farm
census taken. All property owners
will be required to report the acre
age of each crop, amount of land ly
ing out, number of bearing fruit
trees and tons of fertilizer used.
This farm census is required by
state law, but is not for taxation
purposes.
County Club To Meet
Tuesday At Grover
On Tuesday evening. May 12, at
8 o'clock the Cleveland County club
will hold its monthly meeting at
the Grover high school. J. Lester
Herndon has charge of the program
and says he has an interesting of
fering for the members.
- 11 v
Poultrymen To Meet
Saturday Afternoon
R. W. Shoffner, county farm agent
has called a meeting of poultrymen
to be held in the court house here
Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock. All
poultry raisers in the county are ur
gently invited to attend as business
<»f Importance is to come up.
Rafe King Given Life Term In Prison This Morning At 9:05
Bill Combining
County Offices
Here Is Passed
i Consolidated Office
Goes To Cline
Hereafter No Commissioner Can Be
County Auditor. Salary
Same.
The MeSwain bill, as amend
ed in the house by Representa
tive Henry B, Edwards, to eon
solldate three Cleveland county
offices passed the senate In Ra
leigh yesterday and became a
law.
The consolidation combines into
one office the offices of county ac
countant, county auditor and coun
ty tax supervisor, the consolidated
office to be known as county audi
tor and the present county auditor
manager, Mr. A. E. Cline, is named
in the law to fill the office until
the next election. The salary, $3,
000, is the same that he how draws.
Appointive.
A feature of the consolidation is
that after the present term no mem
ber of the county board of commis
sioners may hold the office as the
auditor is to be appointed by the
board. Mr. Cline, who is named to
the office is now a member of the
board and chairman, but after the
present term no commissioner can
be named to tile post.
The bill was introduced early in
assembly session by Senator Peyton
McSwain. The original bill named
Mr. Cline to the office but required
that he resign from the board to
accept the consolidated office. There
Was some sentiment against this
measure as it was contended that
he had been elected by the people
to the board and should therefore
complete the term. When the bill
reached the house it was amended
by Representative Edwards to per
mit Mr. Cline to complete the re
mainder of the term as commission
er. Another amendment made the
office appointive Instead of elective.
The reason advanced for this
change was that the office of audi
tor, or fnanager, is one in which
the holder of the office must cut
expenses and save on every possible
purchase, a task that might not be
popular as interests which might
not relish an economical manage
ment would fight at election time.
With this in view, to keep the of
fice out of politics and on a busi
ness basis, the office was made ap
pointive.
Comes Back Up.
With State measures taking up
the major attention of the Senate
the bill did not come back up until
yesterday when Senator McSwain
accepted the bill as amended and
had'it passed in the Senate to fin
al ratification.
Harris Opens New
Insurance Office
Mr Will C. Harris has opened a
new real estate and insurance of
fice in the second floor of the
Whisnant building. North LaFayette
street, over the McKinney market.
Mr. Harris, formerly associated with
Oliver Anthony in the realty busi
ness in the Linebeger building, now
has the general agency for the Con
tiental isurance company in addi
tion to his real estate business.
New City Board To Take Office On
June 1; No Changes Until That Date
Shelby’s new city board* in which there will be only
one change from the present board, will take office on Mon
day, June 1, and changes in city employes and policies, if any,
will not be made until that time. ».
As a result of the biennial elec
tion Monday of this week there will
be only one new face and the meet
ing of the city officials Monday
evening. June 1. The new officer
will be Alderman D. W. Royster,
representing ward two, now rep
resented by Alderman Ab Jackson
who did not seek reelection. The
others, Mayor S. A. McMurry and
Aldermen P. M. Washburn, John
Schenck, jr., and Z. J, Thompson,
were all reelected.
“I presume the board will hold si
meeting on the night of June 1, aft
er the new member of the board i£
sworn in.” Mayor McMurry stated
today. "Ii any changes of any type
are made, they will not be made oi
announced until that time.”
The mayor had nothing more tc
say when asked if any changes ir
city employes are likely, preferring
to wait until a regular session of
the newly elected board is held. He
did not even intimate that there
are possibilities of changes, although
general rumor about town has had
it that there might be one or two
changes in some of the city depart
ments.
Hold Meeting.
A called meeting of the present
city board, attended by the mayor
and Aldermen Washburn, Schenck
and Thompson, was held Wednes
day night. At this meeting a rep
resentative of a special gas stove
concern, appeared and asked that
he be given permission to demon
strate his stoves here. This per
mission was granted, but the board
did not express itself further about
the matter.
18 Gallons Booze, Five Gallons
Home Brew Nabbed In Raid Today
Eighteen gallons of corn whis
key and five gallons of home
brew were captured about 10:30
this morning by county and city
officers at the home of Jim Por
ter, white, three and a half
miles cast of Shelby on the
C’herryville highway.
The whiskey, stored In 36
lialf-gallon fruit jars, was found
in a shed near the Porter home,
and the five gallons of home
brew in the house.
Porter was not at home when
the raid was staged bat his two
sons, Eddleman, 18, and Jesse,
15, were brought to the city by
the officers and held in custody
at the court house. About 30 or
40 minutes later officers found
Porter and brought him In. All
three were still in custody at
noon.
Officers in the raid were I
Sheriff Irvin M. Allen, Police
Chief McBride Poston, City Of- j
fleer B. O. Hamrick, and Depu
ties Bob Kendrick and Buren
Dcthnon.
To Collect Ballot Boxes In County
And State If Expenses Are Assumed;
Boxes Now At Precincts, Mull Says
Name Solicitor
At Meet Today ;
Decide On Taxes
A new solicitor of the
Cleveland county recorder's
court will be named some
time this afternoon by the
called meeting: of the county
commissioners. Chairman A.
E. Cline stated at noon. Un
confirmed rumors have it
that Attorney W. Speight
Beam will get the appoint
ment, but today reports were
that a surprise appointment
might be made.
It could not be foretold at
noon whether the commis
sioners would reach a final
decision on the tax advertis
ing and sale matter. It is
probable, however, that be
fore adjourning this afternoon
they will decide whether to go
ahead now and advertise and
sell property for unpaid taxes
or postpone the sale until
fall.
This morning's session was
given over to instruction of
tax listers for the listing of
personal property.
■
| Postpone May Day
At Boiling Springs
The May day festival at Boiling
Springs college scheduled to be held
yesterday afternoon has been post
poned, because of inclement weath
er, until Monday afternoon, May
11. Jane Irvin will be crowned May
queen and Hubert Huggins May
king. There will be folk dances and
other features.
Four Shelby Men
Succeeded Selves
In Wednesday's Star it was er
roneously stated that Mayor S. A.
McMurry was the second mayor to
hold office for two consecutive
terms. Three other mayors held of
fice for two or more consecutive
terms. They were Mr. Joe L. Suttle
and the late Col. J. T. Gadner and
the late Mr W. H. Jennings
Edwards Introduces BUI To Assem
ble Bailey-Pritchard BaUot
Boxes.
If the United States senate In
vestigating committee will give as
surance that the boxes will be safe
guarded and returned and all ex
penses borne, the ballot boxes In
the Bailey-Prltchard senatorial
election in Cleveland county will
be assembled at the office of the
superior court clerk, sealed and
turned over to the committee.
This was decided Wednesday
when the general assembly passed
a resolution, introduced by Repres
entative Henry Edwards, of Cleve
land county, authorizing Governor
Gardner to make the move when
the requirements are met.
It is presumed, however, that
such a move will be postponed, un
(CONTINUED ON PAGE TEN.)
Veteran McCall
Joins Gen. Johnson
Was a Member of Capt. Wells Com
pany. Burled At Lucas
Cemetery.
David J. McCall, known to many
as “Uncle Dave,” a veteran of the
Civil war, died May 1 at the home
of a nephew, Will Fortenberry, near
Kings Mountain and was buried on
the following day at the Lucas
cemetery. Funeral services were con
ducted by. Prof. Devenny and Rev.
C. E. Ridge.
Mr. McCall would have been 84
years of age had he lived until May
16th. He Jived most of his life in
upper Cleveland and was the last
member of a well known family. He
was a good natured character and
always ready to talk about the war
and his comrade Capt. Wells. He
would grow enthusiastic about the
South and the old Southern sol
diers as he related with color, the
story about the Yankees closing in
them near Raleigh and Gen. Wane
Hampton riding across a bridge that
had been dynamited by the Yan
kees.
Leland F. Crowder has an inter
esting letter which Mr. McCall wrote
home during the Civil war showing
sgme of the hardships that he en
countered.
Young Girls Given
Orders To Depart
Three young girls, facing disorder
ly conduct charges of varying types,
were among the defendants in the
county court here this morning.
Two of the girls, dressed in over
alls, were picked up last night in
the Lovers’ Lane section on disor
derly conduct charges. The third,
neatly dressed, came from the Gro
ver section and was charged with
drunkenness. She was taxed with
the costs and given a suspended
sentence. The t others were taxed
the costs and ordered to leave the
county.
Today’s Boost
(Charity and Children.)
Cleveland county farmers
are making their plans on liv
ing at home and boarding at
the same place this year.
While Cleveland Is a great
cotton county they are de
termined to raise plenty to
eat this year for man and
beast. They are going tor
com and wheat, and if they
do, want and hunger will give
them little trouble. Hoorah
for Cleveland:
Autos, Clothing
Stolen In Raid
Here Wednesday
Rob Eskridge Garage,
Cohen’s Store
Get Six Suits, Shoes, Brand New
Car. Another Car Stolen
Tuesday.
Another robbery wave swooped
down upon Shelby this week and
two automobiles, one stolen from
the storage room of an auto agency,
and a quantity of clothing are miss
ing.
One of the cars and the clothing
were stolen some time Wednesday
night. The other automobile was
stolen Tuesday night.
The thieves on Wednesday night
entered the Cohen department store
on LaFayette street, from the rear
and made away with six suits of,
clothing and five pairs of shoes. j
In Eskridge Garage.
On tne same night the same
thieves presumably broke into the
Eskridge garage by a side door and
stole a new sport model Ford coupe.
The dealer's tags were taken from
the coupe and left in the building.
May Know Them.
City officers were today positive
that they knew the Identity of one
or two of the thieves. Their names,
however, were not made public so
that the thieves might not learn
that officers were seeking them.
Get Kendall Car.
Some time Tuesday night thieves
made away with Whitelaw Ken
dall’s Ford coupe from Its parking
place at the home of his mother,
Mrs. Henry Kendall, on North La
Fayette street. The doors and motor
of the car were locked.
Morrison Gets
No. 3 Contract
Contracts For New Consolidated
High School Building
Let Here.
The general building contract for
the new consolidated high school In
No. 3 township was let here yester
day by the county board of educa
tion to C. A. Morrison and Son,
Shelby builders. The acoepted bid
was $20,348.
The Piedmont Plumbing and
Heating company, of Gastonia, got
the heating contract on a bid of
$2,282. The plumbing contract went
to J. G. Dudley, Jr., of Shelby, for
$699.
| The contract specifies that the
j new school structure must be com
pleted within three months time,
so that it may be used when school
opens there in August.
There were 20 bidders in all be
fore the beard.
Invite Methodist
Choir To Festival
Central Church Group Highly Hon
ored By Westminster Choir
Leader.
The choir of the Central Meth
odist church here, of which Mr.
Dale Kalter Is director, has been
highly honored by being Invited to
participate in the annual music
festival of the Westminister choir at
Ithaca, New York, this year.
About 10,000 voices will take part
in the outstanding national event.
Only former members of the fa
mous Westminster choir or alumni
of the Westminster school who now
have choirs of their own are Invit
ed. The Invitation was forwarded by
Dr. Williams, Westminster director.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Kalter are for
mer members of the Westminster
group,
According to plans now a portion
of the Shelby choir will attend the
festival which takes place June 16
17-18.
Rev. L. B. Hayes Is
Kiwanis Speaker
Rev. L. B. Hayes, pastor of Cen
tral Methodist church and newly
elected president of the Rotary
club, was the speaker last night at
the weekly luncheon of the Kiwanis1
club. Mr. Hayes Is one of the most
entertaining after dinner speakers it
has been the pleasure of the club
to hear for some time. After a series
of witty flashes, Mr. Hayes spoke
on “Work and Play, Love and Wor
ship.” Max Washburn was in charge
of the program. ,
j Fails To Show
j| Any Emotion j
id —i
Rafe Kin? (above) listened calmly
this morning aa he stood on his
feet In the court room at Lancaster,
S. C., and was sentenced to life Im
prisonment b? Judge Featherstone
after a jury, for the second time, de
clared him guilty of killing his wife,
Faye Wilson King, former Shelby
school teacher.
Luxury Tax Not
ToPass,McSwain
Loral Senator Says Senate Will Not
Pass It. Anti-Sentiment
Growing,
“In my opinion the senate
wlU never paaa the so-called
luxury tax method of support
ing State schools,’* Senator
Peyton McSWain, home from
Raleigh for the week-end, told
The Star this morning.
"In the senate the opposition to
the tax is stronger now than ever
before. There are two reasons for
it: First, the sentiment over the
State among the citizens since It
has been learned just what articles
would be taxed has been gradually
Increasing against it. In the second
place, the attitude of the MacLean
forces in attempting to ram the
measure down our throats without
giving an inch but wanting us to do
all the giving has made those of us
against the measure even stronger
against It.”
The senate,, which voted down the
luxury tax for the fifth time, offer
ed a substitute plan, and others,
Senator McSwatn said, offered the
view of raising so much by a luxury
tax and the remainder by a low land
tax. The MacLean forces refused
such a compromise and have de
clared that they will have ad valor
em tax or nothing at all.
Scout Committee Meets.
| A meeting of the executive com
[mltte for Shelby Boy Scouts will be
held Monday night at 8 o'clock at
'the Hotel Charles at the call of
Capt. B. L. Smith, county chairman.
All scoutmasters of the city, as well
as members of the committee are
are requested to attend the meet
ing.
Hoey And “Farmer Bob” Doughton
May Oppose Sen. Morrison In 1932
Washington Observer Hears That
Congressman Doughton Is
Popular.
(H. E. C. Bryant.)
Washington. May 8.—North Car
olinians fresh from the state re
port strong Indications of a con
test for Senator Morrison in the
primaries next year. Tills sort of
talk has been going the rounds here
since Mr. Morrison took the oath Of
office. It starts up and dies down
and then starts all over again. Early
speculation named Governor Gard
ner and Clyde R. Hoey as probable
Opponents. The discussion of these
two waned when it was stated by
friends of Mr. Gardner that he
would not enter the race, and that
Mr. Hoey was making too much
money practicing his profession to
devote any more time to public of
ficer
T. C. Bowie is said to be a candi
date.
Within the last week the question
of an opponent for Mr.' Morrison has
arisen again. Now, It Is said, that, in
the state, Mr, Hoey and Rep, Rob
ert L. Doughton are being boomed
by admirers for the race, and that
they are thinking seriously of toss
ing their hats in the ring.
Soon after Mr. Morrison arrived
in Washington and the Frank R.
McNinch nomination was confirm
ed people back home commenced to
write Mr. Doughton, urging him to
become a candidate for the senate
"Farmer Bob" was silent; he would
not even divulge the names of his
enthusiastic friends who were back
ing the movement for his nomina
tion.
A very close observer of political
trends at Raleigh has written a
friend in Washington as follows:
"Events have shaped themselves up
to make Rep. Doughton the logical
Candidate to oppose Senator Mor
rison and Clyde Hoey, in the event
the latter decides to run. I do not
know the plans of Mr. Doughton,
but I do know that the political sit
uation has turned in his favor. I
have a detached attitude toward the
matter so far. Mr. Hoey is undecid
ed, and will await events, yet I have
the impression that ho is running."
Shelby Man Calm As
I He Listens To Judge
Counsel For King Fail To Make Motion For
Mental Examination To Determine Sanity*
To Seek Examination Later By Permission
Of Governor. No Demonstration.
(Special to The Cleveland Star.)
County Court House, Lancaster, S. C., May 8.—Contrary
to their announced intention last night, counsel for Rafe
King made no motion this morning asking for a court order
directing a mental examination of the defendant, and at
i) :05 o’clock the prisoner was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Defense Offers
No Evidence In
Rafe King Trial j
Hoey, Fall* And Others Make
Strong Plea* For Life Ol
Shelby Man.
Lancaster, S C.. May 8—Judge
3 3. Featherstone completed his
charge to the jury trying Bate King
for the murder of his wife, Faye
Wilson King, at their home at
Sharon, January 25. 1929, at 10:24
o’clock last night.
In hla charge to the Jury, Judge
Featherstone declared that the case
was being tried by 13 Judges and
that 12 of these Judges faced him
In the Jury box. He charged them
to decide first, whether Faye Wil
son King came to her death by
choking, suffocation and strangu
lation at the hands of Rafe King
by the means charged in the Indict
ment. beyond a reasonable doubt:
If not, then King should be freed.
If he Is found guilty they should
next decide whether he Is guilty of
murder or manslaughter.
4 Possible Vrrdlrts.
Judge FVatherstone then defined
circumstantial evidence, declaring
it to be as convincing under the law
as eye-witness testimony.
After defining the difference be
tween murder and manslaughter,
the Judge told the jury of the four
verdicts as follows:
1—Guilty; 3—Guilty with recom
(corrrrrmcD on page nine.)
Evans Given Nine
Months; May Pay
Out Of Charges
In county court yesterday J. J.
Evans of the Buffalo section, was
given sentences totalling ntne j
months, six months for writing a
$400 worthless check to D. H. Cline,
automobile dealer, and three months
for driving drunk.
If he can raise around $125, how
ever, which he Is attempting to do
he may not have to serve the sen
tence. The provisions is that he re
turn the car purchased, pay for the
damage done, and pay a fine and
the costs on the driving drunk
charge.
Judge Featherstone, in Imposing
sentence, said:
"Raie King, yon have been
convicted by » Jury. I shall not
attempt to lecture you. The sen*
tence of this court U that you
be confined for the period of
your natural life in the peni
tentiary. Be seated.”
Hands In Pockets.
King apparently was calm as sen
tence was pronounced. He stood
erect, with his hands in his trous
er pockets.
Defense counsel told the judge it
was their purpose at a later date ta
seek a mental examination of the
defendant and Judge Featherstone
Informed them that the governor of
the state has the authority to or
der such examination at any time
counsel may see fit to ask It Ha
held that no court order is neces
sary.
Court Room Filled.
The court room was well filled
with spectators. Friends of the King
and Wilson families, and witnesses
when the sentence was pronounced,
but there was no comment and no
demonstration.
Jury’s Verdict.
The verdict of guilty of first de
gree murder with a recommendation
of mercy was returned by the Jury
last night at 11:28, only 53 minutes
after being given the case.
Counsel for the defense obtained
delay in sentencing until 9 o’clock
this morning when they were ex
pected to ask for further delay un
til King may be examined by ex
perts as to his sanity. The move was
thought to be made in an attempt
to get him sent to an asylum In*
stead of prison, it is believed.
This is the second time King had
been convicted for the murder, »
Chester county general sessions Jury
finding him guilty in July, 1929. At
that time he was sentenced to die
in the electric chair, but was saved
when the supereme court granted
him a new trial. The case was mov
ed to Lancaster when a change of
venue was made.
Rerains Composure:
King took the verdict calmly. Hd
was sitting down when it was ren
dered. For a moment, he turned
pale, but quickly regained his com
posure. At the first trial, he laugh
ed when the verdict was received.
No Evidence.
Early yesterday defense counsel
said they would introduce no evid
ence and the sensational case drew
rapidly to a close.
Doctor To Get $500
For.Testifying In
Trial Of Rafe King
Better Examination Could Hard
Been Made To Find
Poison.
Lancaster, May 8.—Nine of twelve
specimens taken from the homo
where the state charges Rafe King
with murdering his wife. Faye Wil
son King, contained human blood.
Dr. John A. Kolmer of Philadelphia,
professor of bacteriology at the Uni
versity testified here ' Wednesday
afternoon during King’s second
trial.
Dr. Kolmer, previously described
by surgeons testifying here as prob
ably the most eminent authority In
the United States on blood stains,
identified 12 specimens from the
King home. Including chips of wood
from the floor, parts of a suit of
clothing found In the fttic of the
King home, a part of a shirt found
in the attic end a part of the dress
shown by Mrs. King the day she
died. One specimen showed no blood
he said, and the other two were *o
small he was not willing to make
a report on them.
On cross-examination he said he
received $500 from the state for hift
services prior to and his tmttauony
icontinusd ow paoj* nintu