8 PAGES TODAY l—-.— ' ..... i ""JUJJ- "ILL —.."JJlJlll'i-gBBBBBEgBBBB— •» M»»* e«r IMA (U MIUNI _ tut Published Monday, Wednesday aud Friday Afternoons. log* News More Showers. Toaj’s North Carolina Weather Report: Partly cloudy with local thundershowers this afternoon or tonight in west and north. Some what wanner tonight in west. Gen erally fair Tuesday. More For Boose. Washington, May 25.—An esti mate that people :n the United States are spending $2,848,000,000 annually for Intoxicating berera;.*s waa completed Sunday by the As sociation Against the Prohibition Amendment. The research depart ment of the association concluded “the Illicit liquor business has bc eeme one of America's major indus tries,” surpassing the $2,793,165,SI2 wholesale figure for passenger auto mobiles in 19291 and approaching v the gasoline expenditure for that year. P. C. Lavender, Earl Man, Dies Prominent Farmer of Earl Section Passes At Age 78. Buried Sun day At New Hope. At New Hope church, Earl, P. Columbus Lavendar, prominent and well-to-do farmer of the Earl sec tion was burled Sunday afternoon at S o’clock. Mr. Lavendar died at his home within a stone’s throw of the church at 10:30 o’clock Friday night after a decline In health ex tending over several months. He had been sick since March but had Im proved some and was able to wall: to Sunday school a week ago. Mr. Lavendar was born ind rear ed near Gaffney, but moved to Cleveland county about forty years ago. He joined the church in early life and was a member of New Hope for nearly forty years. He was married to Mss Ruthie Hopper who survives with the following Chil dren: Anthony, Roy, Obe and Lee Lavendar and one daughter. Mrs. •John Borders. Deceased was the last member of his family, all brothers and sisters having preced ed him to the grave. A sister-in law and a brother-in-law survive. Mr. Lavendar was a thrifty, ener getic farmer, highly esteemed by his host of friends. He was a kind neighbor, loyal to his community and known for his honesty and In tegrity of character Tire funeral was largely attended and a beautiful floral offering at tested the esteem In which he was held. Rev. John W. Suttle, his pas tor for many years, assisted by Revs. J. L. Jenkins and Rush Padgett con ducted the funeral services. Under $5,000 Bond i For Killing Gamble j McCall Bound To Superior Court For Shooting Shelby Mon At Charlotte. An investigation made in Char lotte over the week-end by Shelby relatives of Stacey Gamble revealed that the slain man did not have a knife clutched in his hand when of ficers arrived as was first reported. A knife, it Is said, was lying on the floor. Gamble, relatives were inform ed, was more than the distance of one room away from McCall when the latter shot him, claiming that Gamble was advancing upon him with a knife. Chariot*, May 25.—At a hearing Saturday morning before Judge Fred C. Hunter in county recorder's court Luke McCall was bound over to su perior court on a charge of having killed his friend, W. Stacey Gamble, of Shelby. Thursday night. Bond was set at $5,000. Taking tire stand in his own de fense McCall described ths events which led to the shooting. He said Gamble had threatened to cut him and had attacked him with a knife. He shot, he said, in self defense. The two .rural police officers, Moseley and Howell, who had been summoned to the East Thirty-Fifth street home by McCall’s wife before the shooting occurred, testified that they were met at the door by Mc Call who said, "Boys, you came Just a little too late, X had to shoot him.” McCall testified Gamble had been drinking and was in a very bad temper. He said he had tried to quiet him and when his efforts had proved unavailing he sent his wife to call police. Mrs. McCall entered the house Just as the shot was fired. Belle Of Barcelona Pleases Large Crowd “The Belle of Barcelona,” a com edy operetta was presented Friday night at the high school auditorium to a large audience under the direc tion of O. B. Lewis, head of the music department of the school. It was adjudged one of the best pre sentations of the school year with the lead voices singing their parts i tike opera stars. The lighting effect.! and costumes were colorful, rivaling in extravagance a first class road show. Hail, Wind Storms Do Heavy Damage In County County School Tax Cut \ To Third Of Rate Now i ; School Tax Levy By New Revenue Bill Will Be Reduced To $57,750 From $171,325. New Rate Only Third Of Present Rate By Reduction Of $113,575. (Special to The Cleveland Star.) Raleigh, May 25.—The revenue bill to be adopted this week by the North Carolina general assembly will save the taxpayers of Cleveland county $113,575 in school taxes per year. A 15-cent land tax will supplant the present levy of 14.o cents on the $100. Tax reduction of nearly $10,000, 000, or, to be exact $9,667,186, will result to the property owners of North Carolina for each of the next two years under the revenue bill, according to a table of figures prepared by the state tax commis sion. This table shows that on the as sessed "valuation of $2,978,710,220 for the year 1930 In the whole state, the 100 counties had a total tax levy of $14,135,244 for current expenses of the six months school term. On the same assessed Valuation at tire pro posed 15-cent tax rate the total levy will be $4,469,058, by which it is seen that the levy for the next two years will be $9,667,106 less than In i 1930. Cleveland county, the report shows, had an assessed valuation In 1930 of $38,500,014, on which the tax rate was 44.5 cents for current ex penses of the six months school term, which makes the total school tax levy for this county $171,325. The proposed 15-eent levy on the same valuation basis will mean $57,750 In. taxes In 1931 and 1932, or a reduction in the county of $1131175. * Will Be Felt. This amount, it ts pointed out, will be felt appreciably In the tax bill of the individual taxpayer in every county In the state. LirtebergerNew Masonic Leader Succeeds Ca.pt. J. Frank Roberta A* Master of Lodge Here. Other Officers. Mr. J. D. Lineberger was on Fri day night elected worshipful mas ter of Cleveland lodge 202 A. F. and A. M. He succeeds Capt. J. Frjjik Roberts who has served as master of the local Masonic lodge for a number of terms. Mr. Lineberger has been active In Masonic work for years and has served as deputy grand master in the state lodge. Other officers elected were George D. Washburn senior warden, B. A. Lefler, junior warden, George P. Webb, treasurer, and Russell G. Laughridge, secretary. The remaining officers will be ap pointed by the master and wardens. Lattimore Clan In Annual Gathering The annual reunion of the Lat timore clan, one of the largest and most prominent families in this sec tion of North Carolina, was held Sunday afternoon at the old John Lattimore burial ground In upper Cleveland. Several, hundred mem bers of the family were In attend ance, coming from all sections of Cleveland and adjoining counties. Whites Outnumber Negroes In County Over 3 To 1, Shelby Rate 4 To 1 12,067 Negroes In County, 2,125 In! Shelby, Census Figures Reveal. There are 3.3 white people in Cleveland county for each negro, and four white people In Shelby for each negro, according to statistics just issued by the cen sus bureau giving facts as to color and nativity. In Cleveland county there are 39,812 white people and 12,067 ne groes. Twenty-nine North Carolina counties have, a larger negro popu lation but only nine counties have a larger wiiite population. In Shelby there are 8,C35 white people and 2,125 negroes, a ratio of four to one. Gaston Is the only neighboring county which has a larger white and negro population than Cleveland. The population of neighboring coun ties by races Is as follows: County Whites Negroes Burl£e.-— 26,595 2,606 Catawba -- 38,996 4,938 Gaston -- 63,489 12,392 Lincoln. 19,542 3,321 Rutherford -- 35,063 5,362 Six of the one hundred counties and one of the twenty-one leading cities have more negroes than white people. Hie counties are: Edge combe, Halifax, Hertford, Hoke, Northampton and Scotland, and the city, New Bern. The negro population of the state increased from 1920 to 1930 but not at the rate the white did. To Start Paving Here This Week On Ten Projects Grading Practically Completed By Chain Gang. Pot Down Sur face Thursday. Mike L. Borden, chairman of the No. S township road com missioners, said today that the Blltmore Concrete company would be about ready to start putting down the tar and gravel surface on the ten road projects in and near Shelby on Thurs day of this week. Practically all of the grading on the 10 road Jobs was completed last week or will be completed early this week by the No. 6 chain gang force. This will be the last road work under the old highway system as the new state highway commissioners take over all county road work on July 1. Hie ten stretches of road* will be surfaced with tar and gravel as Is highway 10 South of Blielby. The 10 projects are as follows: From highway No. 20 at the coun ty fair ground to the county home. Sumter street from N. Washing ton street to Buttle street, a dis tance of about two blocks. N. LaFayette street by the Wash ington street school to the steel bridge at Hopper’s park, a distance of about four blocks. Thompson street from highway No, 20 west to the Graham street school. Gardner street from the Shelby mill to Martin street, a distance of two tenths of a mile, then Martlu street from Gardner to Warren, two tenths* of a mile. The circle drive in front of the Shelby hospital. The road from highway No. 20 at the Blanton farm west of Shelby through the Dover mill village to highway No. 190 at the Moser store. Morton street from No. 18 at the home of Mrs. W. E. Morton to the Lily mill. Road from Ella mill at South La Fayette street to the Lily mill. Cemetery drive from W. Marlon street through the cemetery. Second Saturday In 14 Without Showers Brings In Shoppers Last Saturday was the second In 14 Saturdays that there was no rain In Shelby and surrounding section. As a result of tire clear weather | on this section's favorite shopping day, Shelby street were crowded all day, particularly In the afternoon, with hundreds of shoppers from all sections of the county and adjoin ing counties. Uses Ice Pick To Kill Hubby; In Jail Here Kings Mountain Negress Drives Pick In His Heart As He Chokes Her. (Special to The Star.) Kings Mountain, May 25.—June Bratcher, 28-year-old negro, who lived two miles south oT Kings Mountain on the battleground road, was almost Instantly killed by his wife, Ruth Cassells Bratcher, at their home about 7:30 Sunday night. In a family fight, while she was being choked by her husband, the negress seised an ice'pick, made one stab and the sharp-pointed pick found its way to his heart. She was arrested soon thereafter and placed in the county jail at Shelby. Bratcher, who was said to be drinking, and his wife had a row earlier hi the evening but neighbors intervened. Around 7:30 George Crosby, colored, who lived a 100 yards away, heard the woman screaming. He rushed to the house, looked in the window and saw Bratcher choking his wife. 'The doors were locked and Crosby" threw his weight against one door to break it down. JUst as he entered Bratch er fell to the floor. He was placed on a bed but lived only a few min utes after being stabbed. The dead man had been employ ed in the picker room of the Park yarn mill. Shelby Man On Farm Board CHAS. S. TOUNG (Specisl to The SUr.i Raleigh, May 25.—Governor Gard ner announce* the appointment of the five .members of the board of agriculture, as provided in the act of the present general assembly, by farming divisions, as follows: D. Reeve* Noland, Haywood county, general farmer; J. C. Staton, Mar tin county, tobacco; Charles S. Young, Cleveland county, cotton; George Watts Hill, Durham, live stock; D. H. Brtdgcrs, Duplin, truck grower. They take the place of the 18 members of the old board, named by congressional districts. 1SOO Htar Baccalaureate Sermon Sunday Opening School Finals Services Held At First Baptist With Sermon By Dr. Wall. Branunitt To Speak. A crowd estimated at 1,500 on Sunday heard the baccalaureate ser mon preached for the Shelby High school commencement by Dr. Zeno Wall at the First Baptist church. Congregations of the Central Meth odist and Presbyterian church Join ed in the service. The members of the senior class, numbering 78, marched in single file and occupied reserved seats. They were dressed in regulation cap and gown and presented an impres sive scene with proud parents and friends looking on. Little Beth Swaf ford, the class mascot, was uable to attend. The mascot is the attractive daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Swofford. Occupying the rostrum were Supt. B .L. Smith, superintendent of the city schools, who had charge of the program; Rev. L. B. Hayes, Central Methodist church pastor who offer ed prayer, and Rev. H. N. McDiar mid, Presbyterian church pastor, who read the the scripture. Dr. Wall preached a strong sermon on “Ths Risen Life,” giving examples of graduates who had mounted the rungs of life’s ladder to a higher life and holding them up as an ex ample for members of the senior class to emulate. A choir of combined voices from the three up-town church furnished beautiful music with Mrs. Dale Kalt er, Mrs. Grady Lovelace, Misses Minnie Ed dins Roberts and Mary Adelaide Roberts and Mrs. B. M. (CONTINUED ON -AGS EIGHT I Widow Of Dr. Trent Buried At New Hope Mrs. Jane Trent, widow of Dr. D. J. Trent, who practised medi cine for many years at Earl, was buried Sunday afternoon at New Hope Baptist church, Earl. She died Saturday at the home of her step daughter at Cliffside with whom -,he had been living. Mrs. Trent was 09 years old and the second wife of the late Dr. Trent. Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Mr. Honeycutt. New Members Join Shelby Rotary Club Three new members were taken in the Shelby Rotary club at the regular luncheon meeting last week. They were Messrs. Joe Nash, Robert D. Crowder and J. Draper Wood. The latter was formerly a member of the Rotary club at High Point. r\ Driver Of Shelby .Truck In Narrow Escape In Wreck 'Soeclal to Tba Star. I Jonesville, May 25.—A cotton truck with trailer carrying twenty live bales of cotton overturned on Pacolet River hill near this place Saturday afternoon and the driver of the truck, Cecil Baber, of Shelby, miraculously escaped death. It Is said a road scrape was coming up the hill and a Ford car was at tempting to pass on a sharp curve, the truck driver In his attempt to avoid striking the Ford, drove too near the edge of the narrow road and turned over. Cotton was strewn over the hillside and the tnAbad ly damaged. Mr. Baber crawled from under the overturned truck without a scratch, but those who saw the accident say that his escape from death was miraculous. The truck was the property of Shelby Trans portation company and the cotton was being delivered to Whitmire. Motor Left Going, Car Runt All Night Friday evening just as a rain storm broke over Shelby Mr, Bill Blanton, of the Blanton electric firm, ran his Bulck automobile In the garage of his home in west \ Shelby, in a hurry to get In the house ahead of the storm Mr. Blan ton forgot and left his motor run ning. And now comes the feature portion of the story for many men have often let their motor run on: On Saturday morning Mr. Blanton returned to the garage and found his motor still running. Hold Two Negros Over Store Theft Ralph Toms and “Fish" Carpen ter, both colored, were arrested by local officers and placed in Jail late last week on suspicion In connection with the robbery last Thursday night of the A, Blanton wholesale grocery house. A fingerprint expert was brought here from Charlotte to check on the fingerprints found on the broken window at the store. It was unof ficially reported today that the fin gerprints compare with those of one of the negroes being held. They are to be given a hearing in county court this afternoon. Mrs. Everett McDaniel suffered a stroke of paralysis Friday night at her home on West Warren street and continues la a critical condi tion. Blanton, Wall Ask That Helping Hand Be Given Stricken Cleveland farmers hard hit by the storms of Thursday and Friday can get back on their feet and come again with a re-planted crop If they are extended aid by those not dam aged by the storms. The following appeals for all to aid were Issued today by Dr. Zeno Wall, First Baptist pastor, and Mr. Chas. C. Blanton, prominent Shelby bankef: “The courage of our Cleveland county farmers will not allow them to become disappointed over the re oent heavy rains and hall which damaged crops severely In several sections of the county. It always looks the worst Just after the dam age. Let every farmer determine to make the best of a bad situation and things will come out all right. “It would be a fine thing for all of the farmers who were unhurt by the hall and heavy rains, to lend their aid to the unfortunate ones. Such neighborly help as the lend ing of plows, stock, seed and labor to replant just as quickly as pos sible would show a fine spirit in time of distress and re-establish our fine citizenship. “C. C. BLANTON.” "Cleveland county has become known far and wide because our people have been thrifty and have co-operated. We have stood togeth er, worked together, advanced to gether! Our strength—our success— therefore, has* been in our oneness, our solidarity, our unity. "The destructive rains and hall stormy of the past week offer a fine opportunity to those of us who are on the outside of the affected areas to show our sympathy and unity by offering our services, our teams, our seed and our money, thus we can help “bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.’ “I*t’s all do something and do it this week. teno WALL." I Joe Runyans, Age 68 | Died Here Sunday lather of Boy Who Wa» Killed In France. Fire Son, Three I>aufhter> Sorvlve. Joe Runyans, well and favorably known Shelby resident living at M6 8. LaFayette street, died Sunday afternoon at 5 o’clock In the Shelby hospital where he had been a pa tlent for two days suffering with heart and kidney troubles. Mr. Run yans had been In declining health for some time. He was 68 years of age. \ Mr. Runyans had one son. Job Runyans, Jr., who was killed in ac tion In France In the World war and his name is Inscribed on the bronze marker at the court house. Surviv ing are the following children: B. H. Runyans of Slmsonville, s. c., O. L. Runyans of Indianapolis, F. F. Runyans of Patterson, N. J., Craig and Lawrence Runyans of Shelby, three daughters, Mrs. J. r. Johnson! Mrs. Sam Smith and Mrs. Dath Pearson of Shelby. Funeral arrangements had not been made today pending the arrival of his children from distant points He was a member of LaFayette Street Methodist church, but will be burled at Beaver Dam beside his wife. Finals Marshak J. M. (Milky) Gold, former Shelby High student and star athlete, is a member of the graduating class and also one of the commencement mar shals at Oak Ridge military school this year. County Board Of Health Reorganized; Dentist Added, Moore Physician Group Nunes Officers. Hope To Hare Clinic In County This Year. At a meeting held Saturday at the court house here the Cleveland County Board of Health was organ* lzed for this year. Automatically, by law, the chair man of the county commissioners, the mayor of the county’s largest town, and the county superintend ent of schools become members of the board with the commission chairman, A. E. Cline, as head of the board. The ether members who take office by law arc Mayor B. A. McMurry, of Shelby, and Supt. J Horace Grlgg. These men at their meeting elected two physicians and « dentist to complete the board of a i six. These were Dr. P. B. Stokes, of Kings Mountain, and Dr. D. F. Mitchell, of Shelby, phj clans, and Dr. A. Pitt Beam, dentist. A law passed by the general assembly this year ruled that there must be a dentist on the State board and one on all county boards. Drs, Mitchell and Beam and Mr. Cline were named as a committee to outline the county health pro gram for the year. Name Physician. Dr. D, F. Moore, of Shelby, was reelected county physician by the board to serve for a term of two years. At the meeting Saturday It was also stated that efforts would be made to hold a tonsil and dental clinic In the county before the end of the year, Two Sections Hit By Storms; Plan Relief • ■ f. . _ , * ■ Thousands Of Dollars Damage Done By Worst Storms In Years. Field And Garden Crops Riddled, Land Washed Away In Lower And Upper Cleveland. Neighbors To Aid Stricken Farmers In Re-Planting. Swift on the heels of the storm which Thursday evening visited the lower section of the county, cutting a swath a mile or more wide from Boiling Springs to Earl and Grover, came another doumpour of rain and hail with heavy wind on Friday evening which practically duplicated the damage in the upper part of the county from the Sunshine section of Rutherford through New House, Polkville, Lawndale, Fall ston, Beams Mill and the St. Paul community in No. 5 Neighbors Help Storm-Stricken Help Your Neighbor Week." To Lend Labor, Stock And Seed To Stricken Sections, This week has been set aside in Cleveland county as "Help Y'our Neighbor Week”—your farm neighbor who suffered crop losses Thursday and Friday nights in two large areas of the county as a result of sudden and severe wind, hall and rain storms which wrought havoc and ruin. Help Wanted To Replant. A survey made by The Star re veals -one of the most destructive storms this county has experienced, a storm which caused untold dam age. but a damage which can be re. paired to a great extent If those who live In the territory not visited by the storms, will lend labor, stock, and seed to those In the stricken areas In an effort to pitch crop before the season advances too far. It has been suggested In pul pit and press that If those who were spared from the derastlng effects of the stornk will render their time and services this week, practically all of the field crops necessary to be replanted In two wide sections of the county, will have their crops re planted by next Sunday—or certain ly within ten days. Announcement of this “Help Your Neigh Week”. was mado in a score or more pulpits of the county yes terday at the suggestion of The Star and of ministers and business men, and today hundreds of kind hearted friends will go to thn relief of their distressed neighbors. Neighbors Already Helping. Thirty-five or forty men are ex pected to be In the fields of Dovte Moore and L. E. Dixon, two miles east of Bolling Springs, whera the damage Thursday night was cen tered, to help replant the crops. But this Is Just a sample of what will no doubt bo going on in the two storm stricken sections, the terri tory from Bolling Springs through Sharon, Patterson Springs and Earl visited by wind, hall and rain on Ihursday night as noted In Friday’s Star and another section across the county north from Hollis, New House, Polkville, Lawndale. Fall ston, Beams Mill and the St Paul community In No. S township. Both storms cut a wide path across the southern and northern sections of the county, the extent of which can not be fully realized without a per (CONTINUED ON PAOS SIX.) Farmers In the upper Cleveland section hall Is reported to have fallen to a depth of 13 inches In one section. Vegetable gardens coming Into fruition were beaten to the ground, grain such as wheat and oats was | whipped, lashed and cut In shreds, i fields of cotton and corn were smoothed down so that the rows of | the plants Just coming up were not | to be seen, terraces were broken and I gulleys formed, orchards were strip ped of their fruit and foliage, bot tom lands became the beds of new made lakes, and cm hillsides the soft plant beds were washed away, leaving the clay exposed. Fields Swept Clean. Some trees were uprooted, more particularly in the Sharon section on Thursday evening and in both ar«as, auto tops Were puncturedand window glass shattered by the heavy hall stones. At Polkvilie, L. Cv Palmer found hall stones in his yard 48 hours after the storm. In many level fields no trace ot the row* are left, neither can one tell Just what kind of a crop was planted, Two Damaged Paths. Visiting the upper Cleveland sec tion Sunday afternoon, a represen tative of The Star found the storm entered Cleveland from Rutherford about the home of Dob Lattimoce. It seems to have Increased In Intens ity near Delight on the farms of In O. Palmer. Marvin Eaker, Cohn Qet tys, Wes Covington and others, pro ceeding through the Oak Orova church section and on to Lawndale where hundreds of window glass were broken in the cotton factory building and dwellings, its lury seems to have gradually spent Itself as it moved on eastward, bearing a little to the south but wide enouglr to Include Pallston, Beams ann and ' the St. Paul section in Mo. 4 town ship. Compelled Ta Replant. i ne worst damage, however, seems to have been done in the Delight Oak Grove communities where most of the crops will have to be re planted. Hundreds of farmers, large and small, were damaged more or less in the path of the storm as It bore down in fury across the county. No individual cases are cited in the upper Cleveland region for the reason It Is difficult to determine lust who suffered most. Names axe Ch en for the purpose of marking course of the storm. However, the upper Cleveland area seems to have been hit hardest in the Paliner Eaker territory between Delight and Polkville, while the Thursday night storm in the lower section broke with most fury at the Ora Bowen farm owned by John Hamrick and tended by T. E. Dixon and on the adjoining farm of Do vie Moore, Marshal Moore, Joe Anthony, Otho Hamrick and others. . Neighbors Helping Today. In the Dlxon-Moore neighborhood f scores of trees are seen uprooted and some fields are literally washed in gulleys. The front porch of the Moore home was Mown off and the main part of the dwelling partly un roofed. To the rear of the DJxon home a negro tenant house was com pletely blown oveg, but the occu pants, John Harr 111, his wife and two children were unhurt. Neighbors quickly repaired the Moore home and planned to report this morning to help Messrs. Moore and Dixon re plant their crops. Mr. Dixon had $600 worth of fertiliser under his crops, but now you can hardly ten where the rows were. Window glass were broken and the boarded sides i of the houses show the maria of the peppering hail stones. On across the farms of John Ham rick and sons, through the Sharon section and eastward through the farms of J. R, DeLoatch, Byron Da vis and others, the Thursday night storm cut its way, lessening in in tensity however as it proceeded to South Carolina >

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