The Newark Journal.
Let's Raise What We Eat and Keep Our Money at Home.
Diversified Farming Means Permanent Prosperity For AH
$1 Per Annum
Newark, Independence County, Arkansas, Friday, February 26, 1915
Vol. 14, No. 47
THREE YOUNG MEN
DRAW HEAVY FINES
leld to Grand Jury on Night Rider
Charges and Fined For the
Alleged Theft of Geese
Charlie Stephen?, Tom Weaver,
ind Jack Weaver, alleged “night
:iders,” all of the Magness section,
were given preliminary trials be
fore Squire Holmes at Batesviiie
' ist Friday and were bound over
o await the action of the grand
tiry. Bond for each was fixed at!
r-1,000, which they failed to make 1
nd they were returned to jail
vhere they have been since their i
irrest some time ago.
On the same day Charlie Steph
ns, Tom and Jack Weaver were
riven trial, charged with having
tfilen thrf»p Irppsp from -a farmpr
tamed Webster, living near Sul
>hur Rock.
The case was tried before a ju
y and was stubbornly fought.
The geese and some chickens al
leged to have been stolen by the
defendants were sold to a mer
chant in Newark, who was ur.
aware of the fact that they had
been stolen, and a number of par
ties from here were summoned to
appear as witnesses in the case.
The jury returned a verdict of
guilty, and each of the three de
fendants was fined $50 and 30
< ays in jail.
On Tuesday the same parties
'/ere given another trial on the
i /large of stealing chickens Tom
Veaver and Charlie Stephens were
ound guilty and fined $25 each
; nd 10 days in jail.
Attorney S. M. Knight of this
place assisted Deputy Prosecuting
Attorney S. M. Bone in the prose
cution of these cases. The de
fendants were represented by At
torney 1. J. Matheny of Batesville.
KILL BOOK BILL
The house of representatives
(defeated by an overwhelming
majority a bill introduced early
in the session, providing for £
state printing board to publish
school text books. Opposition
was based on the statement thal
the project is not practical anc
similar plans have not been suc
cessful in other states.
LOCAL ATTORNEY
WINS BIG LAWSUIT
Col. J. R. Alexander of Newark
Gains Important Case Over
Five Other Lawyers
Col. J. R. Alexander of thi
place, as attorney for C. L. and
13. Shoffner of Jackson county, in
the circuit court at Newport last
Saturday, gained a verdict by jury
for the possession of land sued for
and for three years back rent
from the defendant, W. H. Shoff
ner.
The defendant had quite an
array of legal talent, being ably
represented by Siayton & Stayton,
Stuckey & Stuckey, and Judge 0.
W. Scarborough, five as able law
yers as can be found in this part
of the state.
The land sued for lies in Jack
son county, about 15 miles south
of Newport and a mile and a halt
east of Shoffner station, on the
Rock Island railroad. It is en
closed by a good fence and has
three tenant houses and some
other improvements on it. The
defendant pled limitation of 25
years possession but was unable tc
convince the jury of the fact.
Our home lawyer, Col. Alex
ander, is attracting considerable
attention as a lawyer in adjoining
counties, as well as at home, when
people from Jackson county pass
through Newport and people ot
Izard county leave Melbourne and
pass through llatesville and come
to Newark to get an attorney te
do their lawing. Mr. Alexander
is now employed to prosecute four
land cases in Izard county.
Uncle Sam Permits No
More Overdrafts
■nun&«
This Bank is in receipt of instructions
from the Comptroller of the Currency at
Washington instructing our Board of Di
rectors to pass a resolution directing that
no ofliicer or employe of tiiis Bank be per
mitted to cash or pay any check drawn on
us by any depositor unless snch depositor
has the money to his credit to meet such
check.
The Arkansas State Banking Department
has taken similar drastic action with re
gard to all State Banks, so that hereafter
no National Bank or State Bank will be
permitted to allow overdrafts.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Newark Arkansas
i
BRIEF SKETCH OF
HON. A. G. GRAY
Gazette Says Our Senior Represen
tative Goes to the Legislature
From Force of Habit
The Arkansas Gazette, which u
publishing brief sketches of th.
members of the legislature, haf
the following to say of Hon, A. C.
Gray of this county:
“With some men a sketch of If
lines will tell more than the pub
lic cares to know; with others u
wrhole column would be interest
ing. Representative Aurelius G
Gray of Independence county be
: longs to the latter class. lie is
i one of the real characters of th
the lower house of the legislature
j intensely individual in his person
: ality and at no time a dull person
I age either to the house or to his
j friends.
“Mr. Gray comes to the Arkan
| sas legislature from force of hab
it. He started away back in 1893,
when some of the present mem
bers were still in short dresses.
, He tried out the house first. That
was uie btrsbiuii ui loyo. ivu
years later he came to the Senate
and was back in that body as a
hold-over in 1897. Then he climb
ed to the house again, being a
member of the session of 1899.
After four strait terms he took a
rest of a few' years,but his constit
uents routed him out again and
returned him to the house in 1905.
His sixth session as an Arkansas
solon was in 1913, and the session
of 1915 makes his seventh term.
“When not in the legislature he
is engaged in looking after his In
dependence county farm, where
he does real farm work and raises
everything from clover to politi
cal ambitions. He makes no
secret of the fact that he has an
eye on the congressional seat of
one William Oldfield, and his
present intention is to enter the
next race for Congress from his
district.
“Mr. Gray is strong for local
self-governmennt, and on more
than one occasion has told the
house so. Once a member offered
a resolution to put some mateiial
restrictions on the introduction of
local bills. Mr. Gray was on his
feet instantly and asked the au
thor of the resolution “by what
authority he presumed to regu
! late the affairs of all the counties
in Arkansas.” The offending
member said he really didn’t in
tend anything so rash and grace
fully subsided. Mr. Gray believes
that when his constituents send
him here to do a specific thing it’s
his business to keep the faith,
even if he has to shatter a few
resolutions to do so. He usually
gets what he wants. One of the
things he was interested in this
session was the repeal of the State
Board of Health act, and the fact
that the house dosen’t agree with
him on this proposition hasn’t
changed his mind about the mat
ter.
“He is a member of the Metho
dist church, is 59 years of age and
gets his mail at Hickory Valley.”
THE SPLIT LOG DRAG
The split log drag has contrib
uted more toward the economic
maintenance of public highways
than any implement of modern
usage. It (foes not require special
acts of the legislature, bond is
sues nor expensive educational
campaigds to make it available a^
usually preceds construction work
A drag can be built or purchased
for a few dollars and is easily oper
ated by any one who can drive a
. team. YVe need more drags ir
jthis state.
WOULD IMPROVE
SUNDAY SCHOOLS
Secretary of the County Association
Urges Systematic Work by all
Interested in the Cause
To the Sunday school workers
of Independence county:
I want to make this a very per
i sonal letter te each of you. I con
gratulate you on every achieve
ment of the past. I pray that
your hearts may be tilled with
the divine love of our Redeemer,
and that with the approach of
spring the opening of the season
of activity in our Interdenomina
tional wrok you may go forward
in llis name to the work of the
new year.
The individual school is the ob
jective in all our work, and it is
for its development that state,
county and township associations
are formed, convetions held. etc.
We can make our county and
the individual school* what we
will. If we want our schools to be
more efficient; if we want our
teachers trained; if we want those
who are out of Sunday school
brought in touch with it; organi
zation, co-operation, consecration
and head work will bring these
about. Let us not be satisfied un
til these conditions are reached.
Surely the best we can do is not
too good for the Master we serve
and the cause we represent.
This year we are to have two
state conventions, one at Warren
April 13-15, and one at Harrison
April 17-19. Dr. W. A. Brown of
the International Association, Dr.
Philips and others of national rep
utation will attend each of these
| conventions. I am hoping that
our county may be well represent
ed. Are you planning to attend?
A complete statistical report
and a liberal offering from each
school should be in my hands by
April 1, in order that I may prop
erly report our county at the state
convention. Will you not see to
it that these matters are attended
to in yonr school at once? If you
have no suitable blanks, write me
for same, or write me the name
and location of school, name and
address of pastor, superintendent
and secretary, total enrollment,
average attendance and such
other information as you think de
sirable, such as home department,
. cradle roll, and don’t forget the
nrr
I
1 am anxious to get a complete
list of the county. If you know
a school anywhere that is not
in touch with our organized work
will you not write me giving such
i information as you have concern
ing it.
As you go forth into this work
you have my best wishes and my
prayer that God will graciously
guide you as you labor to interest
young and old in the study of His
word which is abie to make us
wise unto salvation through faith
n Christ Jesus. J. A. Page.
Sec. Ind. Co. S. S. Assn.
Dota, Ark., Feb. 23, 1915.
YOUNG GETS CONTRACT
Contractor Thos. I. Young, who
has done a good deal of work in
Newark, has recently been award
, ed the contract for rebuilding the
Rhea hotel which was recently
destroyed by fire at Walnut
Ridge. Considerable changes
.have beep made in the plans and
it is understood that the building
will not be used for a hotel, as
formerly, but will be used entire
ly for business purposes and offi
ces.
OFFICERS INSTALLED
The Masonic and Eastern Stai
I Lodges held a joint installation
Saturday night, when new offi
cers for the ensuing year were in
stalled by both lodges.
Refreshments were served after
the installation. A large number
of the members of both lodges
were present and the occasion
was a most enjoyable one.
FARMER KILLS WIFE
DAUGHTER AND SELF
''rominent Craighead Citizen, Men
tally Deranged, Uses Shot
gun on Family
Jonesboro, Feb. 20.—One of the
lost shocking tragedies ever
known in this community was
enacted this morning, when J. H
Darr, a well known farmer, resid
>ng seven miles south of Jones
boro shot and instantly killed his
eight-year-old daughter, Hettie,
and his wife, and then turned the
weapon on himself, all dying al
most instantly.
Owing to the fact that Mr. Darr
had been in ill health for some
| time, it is thought the triple trag
, edy was due to a mental derange
ment, his family having been for
some time anxious about his con
dition, fearing he would do him
self or members of his family
harm.
There was no eye-witness, but
from all physical facts surround
ing the shooting, it is evident he
shot the daughter first; that she
was sitting in a chair when shot,
and that when the mother, who
was in the kitchen preparing
breakfast, rushed in to see what
was the matter he shot her, she
falling in the door. He then sat
down on the bed, it appears, and,
placing the shotgun to his heart,
used a poker with a hook on it to
pull the triger, and ended his
life. The three were dead when
his two grown sons, who were at
the barn feeding the horses, reach
the house. Two smaller children
were in another room, but had
not gotten up, and it is thought
lack of shells prevented his killing
all members of the family.
Darr was about 65 years of age,
had resided here ail of his life and
had accumulated considerable
property, having a good stock
farm, and had been prominently
connected with the Craighead
Fair Association since its organi
zation.
NEGROES RUN OUT
BY NIGHT RIDER ;
Threats of Violence Causes Exodn
of Blacks From Many River
Bottom Counties
Negroes by hundreds are leav
ing the lowlands of the Mississipp
bottoms in Tennessee, Missout
and Kentucky. The blacks ar
panic stricken following threa
of violence against themselves ar
their employers from night ride,
who threaten with death both the
negroes and the levee contractors
employing negro labor.
At Princeton, Ky., a negro’s
home has been dynamited but no
one hurt. At Hickman, Ky., 18
white men were bound over to
the Grand Jury accused of par
ticipating in night riding raids, i"
which the negro cabins were ric
died by bullets. Similar conoi
tions are said to exist at Linda,
Mo., as at Hickman.
New Madrid, Mo., has called for
state troops to prevent further
violence. No bodily harm has
been done to any of the blacks, •
but more than 700 have fled from
thp Mput MaHrirl CApfinn mnrp
are preparing to leave. Sheriff
Kimes asked for the state troop;,
fearing that the situation would
get beyond his control, but it ap
pears now that the situation
would be cleared by the blacks
leaving in fear.
The trouble seems to have orig
inated over land rentals an<:
wages paid by contracting firrm.
The negroes agreed to reductions
in wages and rentals while whit*
workmen resented the reductio:
and vented their wrath both oi
the blacks and the contractors.
FIRE AT NEWPORT
A small residence at Newport
belonging to Judge W. D. McLain
was burned Sunday morning
about 3 o’clock. The residence
was on a lot adjoining the McLaii
building, now used as an anne.\
to the Hazel Hotel. A stronj
wind carried* the flames into tha
building and it was feared for .
time that it would be destroye*
also, but the heroic work of th
fire department saved it, although
several rooms were badly daraag
ed by the (lames breaking througl
the windows.
It is said that the loss is full
covered by insurance.
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REMEMBER!
The old reliable when you are go
ing to buy furnishing for the home
or farm. We have everything you
need and at the right price too.
Look over this list and see what
you want then come in and let us
figure with you:
FURNITURE, SEWING HACHINES,
BUCK STOVES, CARTS, BUGGIES,
SURRIES, WAGONS and AUTOS,
TENTS and AWNINGS, WAGON
and BUGGY HARNESS.
*. *9*- > * « , v » *
C. W. MAXFIELD CO.
Batesville, Ark.
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