anil taf 4 O'clock EXTRA Published Monday, WVdnseday and Friday Afternoons. By Mtii, Mr ye»i. e brought to Shelby by, 1:30 in the afternoon. P. S. Gettys Home Burned Thursday; Save Some Contents The residence of P. S. Gettys, well known citizen of the upper section of the county, was completely de stroyed by fire yesterday, Thursday, morning about 10 o’clock. , Neighbors who first noticed the blaze about the chimney aided in saving some of the household con tents, but a big portion of the fur nishings was also destroyed and •some of that renoved was damaged by the rain and mud when carried out. Mr. Gettys was sick in bed at the time and his wife and one daughter were in the house when they were called and told of the fire by a neighbor, R. M. Floyd, and a colored man who noticed the fire from a road some distance away The fire, it is thought, caught in ome manner from the chimney where the roof blaze was first notic ed. Mr. Gettys, who is now in bed j at the home of Mr. Floyd, had two si 000 insurance policies on the! house and *300 on the contents, it ts said. Rain Damaging To County Grain Crops C.ixid Stands In All Spring Grains. However Reported Through out the County. The continued rains of January and December are doing some dam age to the grain crops in Cleveland county, it was said today by R. W Shoffner, county agent. Despite the rains Cleveland farm-j ci-s have good stands of wheat, oats, barley and rye, and with a good season should produce one of the best grain crops in years. The rain coming at this time is holding back the spread of the grains, all of which are up and appeared to be doing well until the rainy season set In. Warm Winter Likely To Cut Down Fruit The warm winter weather, If fol lowed by a late winter or early spring freeze, may do much damage to the 1932 fruit crop In Cleveland county, according to numerous farm ers who express their fears about the crop. Sap is already evident in the fruit frepl as it would ordinarily be in parly spring, and if the sap has risen enough by the time of the next freeze, the crop would be con -iderably cut down. Several farm ers say, that judging by experience of the past, the bumper crop of 1 fruit in 1931 offered an ill omen for f 1932. “It Is a good thing " one farmer said, "that a large quantity of fruit was put up last year, for there may not be much crop. thls vear.” 1. -■ J. E. Ledbetter Kills Himself Near Buffalo § Shot Son Accidentally In September Father Brooding Over Trag edy Shot Self Today Jason Ledbeter, 55 years old, who accidentally shot his son Odus Ledbetter Friday, Sept. 25, took his own life this afternoon at 3:30 o’clock in the back room of his home n,ear the Buffalo cotton mill village, or Stubbs, in the east ern section o f Cleveland county. The details of the death ot Mr. Ledbetter, a highly re jected farmer and citizen, could not be secured in full at the time this was written. I'sed Shot Gun. A shotgun w^s found by his side in the back room and all indications were that it was a suicide. It is known that the acci dental killing of his son bt>re heavily upon him. He was 55 years of age and is sur vived by his widow and several children, another son being serious ly injured Just a few week ago in an auto accident on the Cleveland Springs road, just within the Shelby city limits. * On Friday evening, Sept. 25, s neighbor to the Ledbetter’s and his sons visited the Ledbetter home it was alleged with the view of re questing or making young Odus Ledbetter marry a girl in the fam ily. An argument developed and Mr. Ledbetter it was brought out at the hearing ran in the house for his shotgun. Returning he said he thought the visitors were trying to take his son off and he fired. Some of the shot struck one or two of th* other fried but a portitm of the load tore into the body of his own son and killed him within a few min utes. The death was one of the most tragic in the history of the county and particularly upset the Ledbet ter family. At a hearing* here the father was acquitted in a case, in which there were charges against the others, that was termed by the county judge as very deplorable, and one that every one -hon'd for get. It is presumed that Mr. Ledbetter had been brooding over the death and other worries since that time Just after the news of his death reached The Star a call was made to Mrs. Spencer, wife of the mil! superintendent at Buffalo. She in formed that Mr. Ledbetter was dead and Jhat members of the family were in hysterics. She then made an effort to get in communication with a physician and have him visit the home. RITCHIE GETS IN Baltimore, Janv 8.—Governor Al bert C. Ritchie, for many years spoken of as a possible Democratic Presidential nominee, last night for the first time openly spoke of him self as a candidate. Delivering de nunciation of what he called the “Republican evasion, inaction and blundering in Washington,” he de clared he “would be proud’’ to carry the banner of Democracy to victory in the elections next November Says Cotton Will Reach Ten Cents About Mid March “■ ^fi' WUl cotton be telling for nine and ten rents by the * middle of March? That's the prediction made by George Magnets, well known Cleveland farmer and barber, as he Is being quoted on the streets here. Mr. Magnets has quite a reputation as a prophet on cotton prices and in his many 1 predictions of the. past has often hit the price two nr three months ahead to the j identical cent. I -----| County Farmers Organize Unit Exchange Group _____ i Officers And Directors Of Farm Marketing Group Named At j Meeting Here. Around 50 Cleveland county farmers meeting at the court house here yesterday, Thursday afternoon organized and Incorp orated the Cleveland Farmers Mutual Exchange for the pur pose of marketing Cleveland county farm products In a co operative manner. Sixteen members were signed up1 at the initial meeting and it is hop-, ed that the membership wil! be greatly increased by sprirtg. All farmers who wish to join the ex change, which will handle the mar keting of farm products in whole sale lots to secure better prices, should get in touch with some offi cer or director or with R. W Shoff jner, county farm agent. Slater Speaks L- C. Slater, associated State marketing specialist, attended the meeting, made a talk on the work and incorporated the group. Officers named were: B. Austell, president; O. P. Hamrick, vice presi dent; R. W. Wilson, secretary and treasurer. Directors are Messrs. Austell. Hamrick and Wilson and G. F. Wolfe, G. L. Hamrick, and jJ. P. McSwain. Eskridges Buy Sinclair Station ; — l Herman and Chas. Eskridge have bought from R. Hope Brison the wholesale distributing plant of the Sinclair Oil Co. and for the present maintain headquarters in the Beam building on N. Washington street. In the meantime the Eskridge boys have given up The automobile license bureau argi have turned the same over to Hopper Bras, who are selling license plates at the Caro lina Motor Inn on East Warren | street. j Fifteen Months Old Hoi? Weighs 650 Lbs. A fifteen month old hog was kill ed by P. P, Heafner on Route 1, Shelby a few days ago that netted 550 pounds after being dressed. It was a Poland-Chlna. Bailey To Wage War On Alleged Sale Of Federal Jobs In N. C. ! Charges That G. O. P. k "Selling Postmasterships. May Bring Battle. Washington, Jan. 8. — Charging republican organization leaders ol the state with levying a toll on fed eral patronage appointees, Senator Josiah W. Bailey of North Carolina this week announced his purpose to maintain a close scrutiny of all North Carolina postmastership nominations sent to the senate bv the White House. As a member of the senate past offtce committee, having jurisdic tion over all postmaster appoint ments, he will carefully'examine all nominations coming up from the state before recommending confor mation Aroused by the recent indictment of W. H, Foster, secretary of the republican state committee, and the statement of a party leader that the republican'organization of the state has been soliciting funds from ! federal office holders for year* Senator Bailey said he might ar'r for a congressional inquiry into stale patronage affairs. Conditions Denounced. Such an inquiry was undertaken a few years back by Senator Smith W. Brookhart, republican, of Iowa, and resulted in a scathing denuncia tion of conditions found in some ot the southern states. “The indictment of Secretary Pos ter," said Senator Bailey, “indicates that the republicans have beets jnaking a business of selling officer and I intend to put an end to it. Such practice is a violation of the moral law and amounts to a public scandal.'* The president on Monday of this week sent to the senate a batch of 25 North Carolina postmaster ap pointments. Whether the state ment of Senator Bafley means the* any of these will be held up re mains to be seen. He is known to have had brought to his attention omlegging, larceny, etc. < Superior • Court Session To Open Here Monday Judge McElroy Will Preside Onr Week's Criminal Docket In Puli ly Urht. Auto Death Ca* t'P A week's term of Superior court for tire disposal df the crlmlm! docket will convene In Shelby Mon-: day morning with Judge P. A. Me- i Elroy presiding and Solicitor Spur- j geon Spurllng prosecuting the doc ket. A total of 65 case- are listed for ] trial, which is a fairly light docket j and quite a number of thr 65 «• 11 good behavior cases and other mtr or violations which can be disposed, of rapidly. Set For Thursday The killing charge agaiast Paul Wilkinson, young South Carolina white man, in connection with an automobile fatality several year; ■ ago is expected to come up during | the week after having been contlnu -1 ed for around a half down term; The charge against Wilkinson fol-' lowed the fatal injuries received by Tom Wright, well known and aged Mooresboro citizen The case Ls tentatively placed on the docket fpr trial Thursday, Another killing case is that in which Wilkes Osborne, colored, i? charged with manslaughter In con ] nection with the death of another colored boy In the Double Springs | sect Ion some months ago. The col ored youths had been out hunting land were playing cowboy, accort^ng to Osborne, when the other negro was fatally shot. There are quite • number of breaking and entering and larcenv cases on the docket and one charge of an attempted rape against a negro over an alleged assault on a white woman. Clark Buys Oat Hardware Store Mount Holly Man Takes Over Management Of Farmers And Planters Store. H. G. Clark of Mount Holly has purchased the Farmers and Plant ers Hardware Store which operates in the Royster building on 8. La Fayette street. Mr. Clark bought the stock from Mr. Charles Nuc kols of Charlotte who bought the stock from Mr. Henry Massey and associates about ten days ago. Mr. Clark was formerly with the Massey-Clark Hardware Co. at Mtfunt Holly and has had consider able experience In this line of busi ness. He is a very enthusiastic and aggressive man who will quickly identify himself with the business life of the tow-n and county. Mr Clark will continue to operate the store In Shelby and it is under stood he has secured a lease on th » building now occupied In the Roy ster building. Mrs. Susan Jones Of Lattimore Dead Widow Of J. H. Jones Passes At Age 74—Funeral At Lath more Today. Mrs. Susan Jones, age 74, died yesterday at the home of her son Joe Jones at Lattimore and the funeral service1 was held this after noon at 2 o'clock by Revs. Rush Padgett and I. D. Harrill. Mrs. Jones before in a triage wits Susan F. Green and she was born Sept. 21st, 1876. Her husband died Feb. 11th, 1930 and stnee then she has been making her home with her son. Mrs. Jones was a kind and affectionate mother and was highly esteemed by all who knew her Surviving are the following children, F. J. and Joe H Jones of near Lattimgje, one daughter Mrs J. M. Heafner of Crouse. Four sis ters also survive Mrs. C. G. Lee of Ellenboro, Mrs. W. B. Wells of Hen dersonville, Misses Ira and Bettie Green of Ellenboro. Twenty two grand-children also survive KANSAS CITY OFFER Kansas City, Jan 8.—An offer of $100,000 in cash to the demo cratic national committee and $50,- j 000 to be used for expenses of the 1932 national convention, was am homed by chamber of commerce officials late today, after they were Informed sueh an offer probably. would assure (Vic meeting for Kan sas C'iiv, I .." As Gandhi Came Home; lo Jail Absorbed In spinning threads for homespun garments, Mahatma Gandhi, famous Indian leader, is shown on the deck of the S/S. Pilsna as the ship neared Bombay. The frail prophet of Mother India waa i greeted by a riot between his supporters and opponents, in which 26 people were injured. Shortly after his arrival Gandhi was imprisoned I onco more in Poona Jail, from which place he is directing a new ! campaign of civil disobedience, which the British are putting down i with stringent methods. John Stedman Named Treasurer Of State To Succeed Nathan O’Berry; Is Vet Of World War And Only37 Young Raleigh Banker Gets Post. O’Berry Funeral Is Held At Goldsboro. Raieigh, Jan. 8.—John P. 3ted tnan. 37-year-old Raleigh' banker and American Legion member, yes terday «u named state treasurer of North Carolina to succeed Capf Nathan O'Berry, of Goldsboro, who died Wednesday, Mr. Stedman is believed to be the youngest, man ever to become treas urer of the state, and he succeed;, a man who was more than twice as old as himself. Captain O'Berry was 73 years old when he became r. coming to them, «re dead.