The Newark Journal
? $1.50 PER ANNUM
NEWARK, INDEPENDENCE COUNTY, ARKANSAS, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1921
VOL. 21 NO. 29
TWO KILLED IN BLOODY
WITH BANK ROBBER
Well Known Minister and a Farmer Killed and
Bank Robber Fatally Wounded in Daring
Attempt to Rob Alicia Bank
€
One of the most sensational
bank robberies ever staged in
North Arkansas was attempt-1
ed at Alicia Wednesday morn-1
ing about 9:30, and resulted
in two men being killed, a
third probably fatally wound
ed and a fourth slightly in
jured.
The dead are Rev. W. F.
Franks, a prominent Metho
dist minister who is a brother
in-law to our fellow-townsman,
W. C. Martin, local manager |
of the Yeatman-Gray Grocer
Co.
F. M. Light, aged 55, a
farmer residing near Alicia,
was shot twice through the
lungs by the bank robbers,
and died instantly.
W. J. Davis, aged 23, one of
the robbers, was shot through
the abdomen and probably
fatally wounded. He was tak
en to the penitentiary at Little
Rock and operated upon, but
there is little hope for his re
covery. j n
A man named Logan, a res
ident of Alicia, received a
flesh wound during the battle
in the bank.
Rev. Franks was well known
in Newark, having preached
here on several occasions. He
was in the bank closing a deal
for some church property
when the bandits entered the
bank. He was placed On a
train to be taken to a hospit
al in Little Rock for an opera
tion, but died just before the
train reached Little Rock.
According to best reports
obtainable, the robbery was
planned in Little Rock by Da
vis, the man who was shot
during the attempted robbery,
and two other men, one of
whom he said was known to
him only as Rill and the other
as Watkins.
The bandits hired Will Up
ton, a Little Rock taxi driver,
to drive them to Alicia Tues
day night.
Upton is held in jail at Wal
nut Ridge but is believed to
have had no connection with
the robbery.
Davis was captured soon af
ter the battle in the bank at
Alicia. Severely wounded, he
staggered to the home of a
farmer from which the mem
bers of the family were ab
sent, and lay down on a bed.
He was taken in custody by
Deputy Sheriff Elam Hall of
Portia, who took him to Little
Rock. Deputy Sheriff Hall said
that feeling ran high in Alicia
against the wounded bandit
and that there were threats of
a lynching.
Just before the bandit car
reached Alicia, according to
the stories told by both Davis
and Upton, the three robbers
overpowered Upton and tied
him to a tree. They then
/*
Young man! If you will start RIGHT NOW and
put a part of your earnings in the bank every pay day
there is nothing can stop you from becoming influen
tial and RICH.
Money _breeds .money. _ The man .with money
knows that the young man who can and does take
care of his own money will take care of his money
too. He TRUSTS him. The young man gets oppor
tunities for making more money and a partnership.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Newark, Arkansas
CAPITAL AND SURPLUS $75,000.00
:'iMf
O/tfL 'Yusoj
jure
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BATTLE
S AT AUCIA
HAMBONE’S MEDITATIONS
--
Talk bout lockin' Folks
UP IN JAIL FUH WORKIN'
ON ERrSUNPAY--EF PEY
EVUM KETCH ME AT PAT
KIN' o' foolshness PEY
BETTUH LOCK ME IN
PE C*AZY- HOUSE !!!•' •'
i
drove into town and entered
the bank with drawn revolv
ers. Several persons were in i
the bank at the time and they :
were ordered to throw up !
their hands.
F. S. Beavers, a farmer, was 1
standing near the door of the
|vault when the bandits enter
ed. He saw that a robbery was
planned and stepped inside
the vault, from where he fired
on the three robbers. His
first shot went wild and Davis
returned the fire. Beavers’
second shot struck Davis in
the abdomen, but it was not
known at the time that the
robber was wounded.
When the robbers were fir
ed upon they began shooting
at everyone in sight. Mr. Light
was shot twice and died in
stantly. The Rev. Mr. Franks
was shot once just below the
heart;
The three bandits, still fir
ing, retreated to the car and
drove rapidly out of town
along the east road.
Three miles east of Alicia
the two uninjured robbers
abandoned the car, a Buick
six, and fled to the woods,
leaving Davis in the car. They
took Davis’ pistol, a .32 auto
matic. All three were armed
with automatic pistols.
Deserted, Davis walked to
the home of C. W. Fraley, a
farmer, whose home was
nearby. The Fraleys returned
soon afterward and notified
the officers of the presence of
the wounded bandit.
Meanwhile, the other two
bandits on foot fled eastward
through the woods and fields
in the direction of Jonesboro.
It is said that in all probabil
ity they have reached a sparse
ly settled woodland country,
where it may be possible for
them to escape through the
lines of possemen thrown out.
by the sheriffs of Lawrence;
Jackson and Craighead coun
ties.
An hour after the robbery,
Upton appeared in Alicia on
foot and reported that the
bandits had taken him from
the car and bound him to a
tree beside the road with
ropes.
According to a statement by
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(Continued on last page) t
NEW P.M. WILL BE
APPOINTED SOON
List of Eligibles For Appoint
ment as Postmaster at
Newark Office
The Journal hag received
:hrough Congressman W. A.
Oldfield the official list of
;hose eligible for appointment
»s postmaster at Newark, and
he list indicates 4he original
Dlans of the local Republican
erganization have been turned
;opsy-turvy as a result of the
Oivil Service examination.
The appointment is suppos
ed to be made from one of the
hree applicants making the
lighest grade. Those making
:he highest grades, and the
•atings made by them, are as
follows:
Miss Acta Welborn, 81.UO.
Claude Jackson, 75.30.
Rev. G. L. Fink, 73.80.
Miss Welborn who made the
lighest grade, has been em
ployed in the postoffice as as
iistant postmaster for the past
rear, and under the old ruling
vould be given the appoint
nent. However, Harding’s
'amous “modification” order
permits the appointment to be
nade from any of the three
lighest, and under this ruling
he appointment will be given
:o the one who secures the
indorsement of the local Re
publican organization.
Either of those on the eli
gible list will make a good
postmaster, Miss Welborn
peingthoroughly familiar with
he duties of the office 'by
•eason of her service in the
pffice. Mr. Jackson has had
ionsiderable experience in the
postal service, having served
icme time as clerk in the
postoffice at Newport and hav
ng served as substitute carrier
•n the local mail route. While
lev. Fink has had no experi
nce in the postal service, he
aught in the public schools
or a number of years and has
ieen active in the ministry for
number of years and has had
onsiderable experience in
ealing with the public.
The appointment will be
lade as soon as the local Re
ublican organization for
wards their endorsement to
Washington, which will prob*
bly be within the next few
ays.
When this is done, the nom
pation will be sent to the
enate by President Harding
or confirmation. It usually
equires about four to six
reeks to get through with this
roceeding and get the com
lission to the new appointee.
So, along about the holiday
eason, tJncle Sam will act
anta Claus and give us a new
ostmaster as a Christmas
resent.
PULASKI CLERK DEAD
Little Rock, Oct. 29.—J. E.
Ihrisp, circuit clerk of Pulas
i County, died this afternoon
fter a few days illness of
ouble pneumonia. Mr. Chrisp
t^ho was 48 years old, had
erved 10 months of his sec
nd term as circuit clerk and
vaa prominently mentioned as
i candidate for sheriff in the
922 primaries. He is sur-^
ived by his widow, his father,
udge R. W. Chrisp of Searcy j
wo brothers and one sister.
PATHETIC SCENE WHEN
WIFE VISITS DAVIS
Wife of Wounded Bandit
Thought he Had Gone to
Join Carnival
Little Rock, Nov. 3.—There
was a pathetic scene at the
penitentiary last night when
Mrs. Margaret Davis was tak
en to the bedside of her hus
band who was probably fatal
ly wounded while attempting
to rob the bank of Alicia.
Mrs. Davis was arrested at
her rooming house, 810 West
Markham street. She stated
that when Davis left home he
told he was going to the Sou
thern part of the State to join
a carnival company.
When Warden Dempsey
met her at the gate, she said:
“Only lastSunday some friends
and I were here looking over
the penitentiary. Little did I
think that within three days
from then I would return to
find my husband at the point
of death and a prisoner here.”
Mrs. Davis upon intering
the inner grounds of the peni
tentiary wast taken to the hos
pital ward, where her hus
band was lying, scarcely
breathing.
She tiptoed over to the bed
side of the wounded man and
sat down in a chair close to
his bed. After burying her
face in her hands and sobbing
for a few minutes, she put her
arms around his neck. Davis
with eyes still closed, realized
the presence of his wife, and
with an effort that caused ex
cruciating pain,put his head on
his wife’s breast. Not a word
was spoken. Mrs. Davis very
tenderly patted her husband’s
head and kissed him.
r
$2,000,000 WILL BE
AVIALABLE FOR ROADS
Arkansas to Get Government
Funds for Construction of
Highways
Washington, Oct. 28.—An
allotment of approximately
$2,000,000 for highway con
struction in Arkansas is ex
pected to be available within
the next 30 clays as a result of
unanimous agreement by the
House authorizing its confer
ees on the Dowell highway bill
to accept a provision carrying
an appropriation.
This action, taken late yes
terday afternoon, clears away
the parlimentary objections
which has blocked agreement
between House and Sesate
conferees on the highway bill.
The House conferees will
accept the appropriation of
75,000,000, provided in the
Senate bill, and funds will thus
be provided for continuation
of the policy of federal aid in
highway construction.
The bill, as agreed to in
conference, will be reported
back to both houses at an ear
ly date, and those interested
in the measure hope to have
it on President Harding’s desk
for his approval within a
week
Those sections in the bill as
it passed the House, and which
it was feared, would bar par
ticipation by those states
where funds are provided by
counties or improvement dis
tricts, have been eliminated.
MOTHER GOOSE SAYS
“Needles and pins, needles and
pins
When a man marries, his
trouble begins.”
For additional information
see “Don’t Ever Marry” at the
Royal, Friday, Nov, 4c
--
A MATRIMONIAL MIRTHQUAKE!
Don’t Ever
Marry!
A Landslide of Mirth Guaran
teed to Cure Any Grouch
The Famous Freckle Faced Kick Wesley
Barry, Greatest Kid on the Scree ,
Will Make You Roar.
an All-Star Cast
A First National P,ct“reM^n who Made “In Old
By Marshall Neilan, ,ee •• “Th»e River’s
Kentucky,” Da * “Dinty” and Other
End,” “Go and Get T’
Famous Pictures.
FRIDAY, NOV. 4
SHOW STARTS 7:30
royal theatre
ADMISSION 15 AND 30 CENTS
*