Published In The Famous White River Country. Where Alfalfa Is kino
$1 Per Annum
Newark, Independence County, Arkansas, Friday, June 9, 1911
Vol. II, No. 9
BOY DROWNED IN RIVER
Mystery Surrounds Death of Boy
Whose Body Was found
in White River
Tommy Baker, the fourteen
year-old son of W. J. Baker, who
farms with Gene House over in
the bottoms, was found dead in
White River Monday afternoon.
It is supposed that the boy was
drowned, but there is a veil of
mystery surrounding the case and
the exact cause of his death will
probably never be known.
The boy was last seen alive Sun
day morning about 10 or 11 o’clock,
by Mary Bagwell, who, with her
two boys, lives in a tent near
the river. She and her boy and
the Baker boy were going across
the pasture, together, when she
claims they heard some boys hollo
ing. The Baker boy left her and
her boy and went to the other
boys. She could not see the boys
who were holloing and did not
know who they were. She and her
boy went their way and later re
turned to their tent.
The failure of the Baker boy to
return home naturally caused un
easiness and searching parties be
gan scouring the community Mon
day morning in an effort to locate
him. About 3:30 in the afternoon
the body was discovered in the
river.
1 he boy s pants were on the
body when found, but the shirt
was missing, and neither the shirt
nor hat have been located. The
disappearance of the hat fnight be
more easily accounted for, but why
the boy would pull off hisshirtand
keep on his pants to go in bathing
cannot be accounted for. The the
ory is advanced that the boy met
with foul play at the hands of some
one and the body was thrown in
the river to hide the crime. This
is somewhat strengthened by the
fact that certain parties who testi
fied before the coroner’s jury claim
to have seen where something had
been dragged down the river bank
not far from where the body was
found. Ashes were found where
doth of some kind had been burn
ed, and some shirt buttons were
picked up from among the ashes,
but these could not be identified as
buttons from the boy’s shirt.
The Bagwell woman, with whom
the boy was last seen, is said to
have had trouble with Baker, and
Baker and her had not been on
good terms for some time. She and
the boy were on the best of terms,
however, and the Baker boy and
the Bagwell boys were good friends.
In the absence of the coroner,
Squire K. M. Wilson empaneled a
jury and held an inquest. Dr. V.
L. Pascoe was called before the
jury to make an examination of
the body, but was unable to find
any marks of violence. It was sug
gested that an autopsy be held to
ascertain if death was caused by
drowning, but the jury decided
this was unnecessary. The jury
was unable to ascertain the man
ner or the cause of death, but was
inclined to the belief that it was
not an accident, and returned the
following verdict: “We, the jury,
find that Tommy Baker came to
his death at the hands of unknown
parties.”
WOMAN CHARGED WITH CRIME
Mrs. Mary Bagwell and her son,
Sylvester, a boy about twelve years:
old, have been arrested charged j
with murdering Tommy Baker.
The evidence against them is
wholly circumstantial, but is of j
such a nature as to warrant their j
arrest, and they were taKen into
custody Wednesday.
When the Baker lad left home j
he wore a union suit, a shirt, pants,
belt and straw hat. When the
body was taken from the river
there was nothing on it but the
pants and .belt, and the other
clothing has never been found.
Near where the body was found
the river bank showed evidences
of something having been dragged
down to the water’s edge, and a
woman’s track leading down to
the water. Not far away, the
ashes were found where cloth had
been burned. In the ashes were
found two metal eyelets similar to
the ventilators in the straw hat
worn by the boy. Two kinds of
buttons were found in the ashes,
some shirt buttons and some but
tons similar to the ones on the
union suit worn by the lad who
was drowned.
Upon returning to her tent
after being last seen with the
Baker lad, Mrs. Bagwell is alleged
to have changed clothes and to
have burned the clothes she took
off.
Mrs. Bagwell and her boy were
to have been given a preliminary
trial here yesterday before Squire
Wilson, but the case was continu
ed until Monday.
In the meantime the body of the
Baker lad will be exhunned and an
autopsy held, Drs. Pascoe & Poe
having been designated by the
court to perform the autopsy.
Mrs. Bagwell and her son are in
the custody of ('unstable W. L
McAhron and will be kept hen
under guard until Monday, when
they will be given a preliminary
trial.
Of all the unhappy homes, not one in a
hundred has a bank account; and not one
home in a hundred who has a bank ac
count is unhappy. Why jeopardize your
happiness, when it is such an easy and
simple matter to start an account with the
FIRST NATIONAL BANK/
OF NEWARK )
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Livery
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BARN PHONII .54
KbSIDliNCE 85
MAG NESS nUSINGS
Ask Miss Emma Mayhan who
took her to Oak Grove Sunday
night.
Miss Clara Pate of Newport is
visiting her sister, Mrs. Herbert
Snapp.
Mrs. Lizzy Waldrip spent Tues
day with her son, Will Waldrip of
Holly Grove.
Allie Edgar of Newark spent
Sunday with her cousin, Miss Hes
ter McPherson.
Mrs. Myrtle Magness and Miss
Kate Penny were shopping at
Newark Monday.
Will Waldrip of Holly Grove
spent Monday with his mother,
Mrs. Lizzy Waldrip.
Mrs. Bert Walker and children,
Blanche and Tube, visited friends
at Paroquet Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Miller spent
Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. J. D.
Martin of Moorefield.
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Bevens spent
Sunday with the gentleman’s fath
er, Dr. Bevens, of Sulphur Rock.
Theo. Crownover of Batesville
spent Saturday night and Sunday
visiting Mr. Pritchard and family.
Tommy Waldrip and Enos Tom
linson attended the closing of the
school at Sulphur Rock Friday
night.
Norman Snapp, a traveling sales
man of Little Rock, spent Monday j
and Tuesday here visiting his 1
brother and sister, Herbert Snapp
and Mrs. Ben Smith.
Geo. Boilette of Batesville came
down Monday to work on the gin
putting in new boilers and repair
ing in general. There will be no
more grinding until some time in
July.
CHARLOTTE CIPHERS
A. P. Yates made a business trip
to Batesville Friday.
B. B. Holcomb made a business
trip to Batesville Friday.
Born—To Mr. and Mrs. Ethan
Polston, last Wednesday, a fine boy.
Mrs. E. J. Palmer left Saturday
for Biggers to visit her son, Rob
ert Palmer.
Mrs. Florence Holcomb and little
son, Alburn, of Pleasant Hill, spent
Monday here with the former’s
daughter, Mrs. Chas. Moore.
Dr. J. M. Byrum left Tuesday
for his home at Shawnee, Okla.,
after spending a few days here
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Pe
ter Byrum.
Several from here went to Pleas
ant Hill Sunday to attended the
W. 0. W. unveiling but on account
of the rain the unveiling was post
poned untill the fourth Sunday.
EIRE AT BATESVILLE
A tire, which started in the paint
and oil room in the rear of McAd
ams’ drug store at Batesville .Sat
urday ^afternoon, caused a good
deal of excitement fora short time
but was extinguished before any
: material damage was done.
HRS. RODflAN ENTERTAINS
The young people of Sulphur
Rock had a delightful time at the
entertainment Saturday evening
at the home of I)r. and Mrs. T. N.
Rodman. There were a number of
out of town visitors present, among
them being Mr. McGee and sister
of Cave City, Misses Roe and Mat
thews of Calico Rock, Miss Beard
of Yellville; Messrs Grover Ashley
and Ben Jernigan of Batesville,
and Omcr Albright of Cushman.
There were also a number of
home boys and girls just out of
school who were gladly welcomed
home. One Who Was Present.
LONGS FOR FAMILIAR SCENES'
Hot and dry! This is the sixth
week since we had anything like a
good season. Gardens are suffer
ing, and would dry out and die,
if we did not sprinkle them about
every other evening. The farmers
are getting a little blue; much cot
ton failed to come to a stand and
it is now to late to come, even if it
rains in a few days, and the blue
June sky looks as if it would nev
er rain again. It is a good time for
the modern scientist who are try
ing to put the Almighty out of
touch with natural and supernat
ural things, to try his hand making
it rain. Hut I suspect that his god
is like the god of the prophets of
Baal,—asleep, or on a journey, or
engaged in talking and can’t give
attention to such trifles- The good
old book tells of a man who prayed
and the heavens gave rain, and the
earth brought forth her increase.
The same old Book says, “God is
the same today, yesterday, and
forever.” And the same good book
says “Ask and ye shall receive,
seek and ye shall find.” The ask
ing is not limited to this, that, or
the other, but is general, and com
mon sense would say it can be
specialized for anything God can do
for man that he cannot do for him
self, and is in accord with His di
vine will and purpose. If wicked
ness, high-handed and high-head
edness is sufficent cause for God to
withhold “the early and the latter
rain,” it seems the hour is here,
and “the cup of iniquity is full.”
Hut, we hope for showers e’re
long.
We are now in our neat, nice,
parsonage — that is three new
rooms added, making six, with
large front porch and bay window
in dining room. Our church and
parsonage are on the same block,
150 feet square, the gift of one of
our wealthy men, Mr. E. Ritter.
Our town is growing. New res
idences are going up all over town.
Twenty-one town lots sold not long
ago, and a thirty acre tract has
just been laid off into lots. Our
artesian well guarantees good
water, and when piped over the
town will furnish water for all.
It is 20(X> feet deep and throws a
[six-inch stream twenty-six feet
high. This has been one great
drawback to this bottom country,
a lack of good, pure water. Hut
with all this, I somehow long for
a drink from the old Eaves
spring or the Aunt Betsy Moore
spring at Charlotte. My! those
large, spreading elms, and the
clear, running brook, with the sil
very-sided minnow in its aquatic
paradise! It almost makes my
mouth water to think of it.
The man w ith a shade near, and
a fine cold spring of water, and
w ith a small stock of this, that and
the other, with a few pigs to
grunt, a cow to low, a horse to
neigh, and chickens to crow, is a
king, without the responsibility of
ruling, or the uneasiness about his
crown. Boys, if you have such a
place, stay with it. Its a good
place to live, and a good place to
die. Jas. F. Jkrniuan.
Marked Tree, Ark., June 3.
OIL TROUGH TINKLINGS
Mrs. hi. C. Lamburton left Mon
day for Little Rock.
Rev. Griffin preached a fine ser
mon for us Sunday.
W. I). Gray was in Newark
Tuesday, having some blacksmith
ing done.
Mark Owens’ father came up
from Judsonia Friday to visit for
a few’ days.
J. D. Aydelott and daughter,
Miss Dollie, have returned to their
home at Searcy.
L. L. Ellison transacted business
in Batesville Tuesday, making the
trip with Mr. Martin in his auto.
B. F. Pridmore’s little daughter
fell from the top of his barn a fewr
days ago and broke her arm just
above the waist.
J. M. Stephens happened to a
painful accident Saturday. A grain
of corn from a sheller flew out and
struck him in the eye.
The berry pickers have about all
done like the Prodigal Son-re
turned. They had a good time,
but made very little money.
Mrs. W. 0. Moore left Monday
for points in Ohio, Indiana and
Virginia to visit relatives. She w ill
return about the first of Septem
ber.
Mrs. W. I). Gray was called to
Batesville last week by the illness
of her son, Clint. He was getting
along nicely and she returned
Thursday.
J. R. Morris was on our streets
Saturday and posted a mule he had
taken up. He has a young wolf,
which he captured in the Major
Harris settlement.
Our neighbors above us are try
ing to get an R. F. 1). Route from
Oil Trough by way of Hutson,
across Goodie creek to Rosie, down
through the Wyatt settlement to
Departee, and back to Oil Trough.
RAPS OUR LAW MAKERS
And Inkes a 5hot at Politicians
That Have to he Choked
off by the People
Mr. Editor. I have never taken
a very active part in poli
tics, as I am busy preaching the
Gospel, but have always tried to
take enough interest to vote in
telligently as a citizen of our com
monwealth.
1 notice what Hon. T. J. Raney
has to say in a recent issue of The
Journal about what he has done
in the legislature, so I suppose
Representative Little’s charges do
not in any way apply to him.
Hut I have not noticed what the
representatives from our county
have done. Well, yes, believe I
did notice, too, that one of them
had written a bill to starve the
buzzards, and the two of them
passed a very important bill rais
ing the salaries of our county of
ficers. 1 suppose this is because
our taxes are so low?
We have at least one man in of
fice now who solicited my vote
bofore I had reached my majority,
32 years ago, and that man has
had his head in the public crib a
good portion of the time since; and
still he is not satisfied.
1 do not believe this govern
ment was made for one, or a few
men. Hut some office-seekers act
as though they thought no one
but them could till an office.
Was there ever a mass meeting
called in Independence county to
beg some one to run for office? If
there ever was, 1 have no recollec
tion of it. Then why raise the
salaries? Havn’t our officers been
efficient, and havn’t they render
ed the people good service?
Two years ago an effort was
made to have the salaries raised,
but it failed. 1 have been told
that a certain official made his
brags that when he went to see *
our representative and told him to
hop he would hop. Hut this self
flatterer found our representative
had a head of his own and would
not dance when he piped. Anoth
er took umbrage because he could
not get his salary raised and vow
ed vengeance on that same rep
resentative.
I will never support any man
for any office, big or little, who
wants to be a dictator. And 1 am
opposed to piling up taxes on an
already tax-burdened people.
See what the present legislature
has done in spending the peoples’
money. They make fair prom
ises to the people when they want
the pie, but after they get the pie
they seem to forget the promises.
J. I. Martin.
Cord, Arkansas.
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