The Newark Journal.
Published In The Famous Big bottom Country, where Alfalfa is King.
$1 Per Annum.
Newark, Independence County, Arkansas, Friday, June 7, 1907.
Vol. 7. No. 24.
WOMAN KILLED NEAR CUSHMAM
Mrs. Sarah Helms Killed by Her
Husband, Who is Now in
Jail at Batesville
Mrs. Sarah Helms died at her
home live miles north of Cushman,
on the old Dick Williamson place,
on Friday night, from injuries in
flicted by her husband, Frank
Helms, and Helms is in jail at
Batesville, on a commitment fol
lowing an inquest, and will pro
babl.y have to stand trial for mur
der in the first degree.
There were no witnesses to the
infliction of the injuries from
which Mrs. Helms died, but the
Batesvilles Daily Guard of Mon
day publishes the following ver
sions of the affair.
“Helms and his wife lived to
themselves, with her father and
mother living about 300 yards
away on one side of them, and his
parents about the same distance
on the other. Helms’ story, as
related to a reporter for the
Guard, is that on Thursday after
noon, about 5 o’clock, Mrs. Helms
said she would go down to his
' mother’s and get some pepper
plants. She started and got as far
as the big road when he called to
her and asked her to wait for him
and he would go part of the way
with her, as he \yanted to cut some
poles.
She stopped, and as he got very
nearly to her. with his axe on his
shoulder, he struck his foot on a
snag in the road and stumbled.
This caused him to throw the axe
from him, and it struck his wife,
who'was standing facing him, on
the right side of the head, about
an inch and a half above the
temple, cutting a gash about two
mcnes ana p, nair aoove the temple
and to the skull. She fell, and
Helms says that when he saw the
blood, he went immediately for
his mother. When they returned,
Mrs. Helms was sitting up in the
road. His mother asked her what
was the matter, and she replied
that Frank had accidentally struck
her with the axe. They helped
her up and she walked into the
house. She asked for her mother,
and became'speechless and remain
ed so until she died Friday night.
Dr. Rodman was summoned, and
found the blow had fractured her
skull.
Some suspicious circumstances
connected with the case caused the
local authorities to doubt Helms’
story. It is said, for instance,
that no blood could be found in
the road, where he alleged the ac
cident occnred, and that there was
no blood on the axe. But there
was blood, it is said, on a grubbing
hoe found about the place. It is
further said that Helms and his
wife, who has been married about
fifteen month, did not get along
well. These circumstance led to
Heims’ arrest, and .Justice W. T.
.^Dodson, in the absence of the
coroner, summoned a jury for an
inquest. As a result, Helms was
committed to jail. The verdict of
the jury has not yet been made
public, however, and the commit
ment reveals nothing, except that
Mrs. Helms came to her death
from a blow inflicted by her hus
band with a deadly weapon.
Helms is an epileptic. He is a
son of Wm. Helms, an excellent
citizen of the community, and is
21 years old. His wife was a Miss
Dorkins, and was 23 years old.
The couple had a child about three
months old. Helms was arrested
Friday by Justice John Dobson,,
when the inquest was undertaken.
He declined to go to breakfast
Saturday morning, and while
the others were at the table, he
attempted to take his life, trying
to cut his throat with a pair of
scissors—succeeding only in mak
ing two or three small wounds.
Mrs. Helms was buried Saturday,
the husband declining to attend the
burial.
Helms was brought to Bates
ville Sunday morning by Con
stable Dobson and committed to
jail. He is a young fellow of
simple appearance, and has been
very quiet since his commitment.
DRAW A GUN; GO TO JAIL
New Law Provides Heavy Penalty for
Drawing Gun on Any Person
The past legislature will go
down in history ns the general
assembly which enacted more laws
for the protection of the public
than any other, and perhaps one
of the most important of these
measures is House Bill Xo. 52
signed a few days ago by the gov
ernor. This bill is by Representa
tive Oldham of Lonoke county,
and provides for a heavy fine for
drawing any manner of weapon
upon another, and adds a jail sen
tence also. The bill does notread
as the average statute of this char
acter, but provides that any per
son violating the statute shall be
fined in any sum not less than $500
nor more than $1,000, and “shall
be imprisoned in the county jail
one year.” The bill does not leave
the matter of imprisonment to the
trial justice, but makes it obliga
tory upon him to impose both the
fine and the jail sentence as well.
PRISONERS IN COUNTY JAIL
Sheriff Dunlap has fourteen in
mates in the county jail. Eight of
these are Federal prisoners, five
of whom are serving sentences for
selling whiskey and three for
counterfeiting. Six county prison
ers are awaiting trial in Circuit
Court, two for murder, one for
assault and battery, one for hog
stealing, one for carrying a pistol
and one for selling whiskey. This
is the largest number of prisoners
held in the jail at one time in a
very long while;—Batesville
Guard.
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
In spite of floods, freezes, ghosts
and shadows, kicks and cuffs, the
Merchants and Planters Bank is
still growing in business and get
ting stronger every day. Our de
posits and general business in
creases daily. This Bank shall
bk safe and soi nd for our de
positors. We invite the closest
scrunity as to our business, and
respectfully solicit a share of your
patronage.
A. A. Hendfson, Cashier.
THE INDUSTRIOUS HEN
_ I
A billion, two hundred and fifty
million dozen eggs were produced
in this country last year. That
means that the hen, the greatest1
trust-buster of the age, took fif
teen million whacks at the octopus
in 1906. So, when you wax elo
quent about the splendidness and
permancy of American institutions
tions, don’t forget one of the
mightiest of them all—the indus
trious hen.—Bristol Courier.
WEEKS DOINGS AT SULPHUR ROCK
Short Items of Interest Picked Up
at the Hetropolisof White
River Township.
Sulphur Rock, June 5.—W. R.
Rice and Prof. Sidney Pickens
left Tuesday night for Fort Smith
where they will attend the State
Sunday School Convention.'*’"
J. TI. Rodgers, W. W. Northern
and others of Sharp passed
through town Monday going to
Egypt to buy corn.
Rev. Mr. Hivel.y who has been
visiting his son, Rev. C. F. Hive
ly, left for his home in Izard
county Monday.
Newell Gossett came in from
Thayer, Mo., last week to visit his
grand parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Allen Gogsett.
J. K. Rawlings and family spent
Sunday and Monday at Charlotte,
the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Yates.
Just received a car load of the
famous Bowman Hour, also meal,
chops, bran, etc. J. H. Jimerson.
John Wood came in form St.
Louis Tuesday, where he has been
several days attending business.
Roy Gibsop, who has been at
Newport for some time, is spend
ing a few days with home folks.
Lucy and George Beven, Jr., of
Batesville are visiting their cousin,
Miss Rena Cunningham.
Mrs. Ella Pascoe went to Bates
ville Monday to visit her 'sons L.
H. and E. B. Pascoe.
If you want photos made at
your home write Gibson at Sul
phur Rock.
Mesdaines Ben. Adams and Ed
Wilson were up from Newark
Tuesday.
Miss Arkie Dean of Newport is
visiting Mrs. Harvison of this
city.
Born—To Mr. and Mrs. Joe
Caldwell, on the first, a fine boy.
John Sims was up from the
Magness neighborhood Monday.
Miss Sue Braden spent a few
days at Springfield last week.
Wiley Huddleston of Sharp
spent Monday night in town.
Isaac Crafton has bought the
barber shop at this place.
W. T. Kinman of Newark, was
in our town Tuesday.
A. Hurst went to Judsonsia
Tuesday on business.
Ask John Rawlings why he likes
drum fish best of all.
Charley Wright was over from
Oil Trough Sunday.
Mrs. J. S. Griffin is still con
fined to her bed.
Rev. J. S. Best of Dota was in
town Tuesday.
J. C. Huddleston went to Bates
vile Monday.
FARHERS UNION NOTICE
The regular quarterly meeting
of the Independence County Union
F. E. & C. U. of A., will he held
with Liberty Hill Union No. 787,
five miles south of Oil Trough, on
Thursday and Friday, June 27th
and 28t.h, 1!>07. The election of
delegates to the State Union will
be held at this meeting and all
local unions are requested to send
full delegation.
W. D. Bullingtox, Sec.-Treas.
PLEASANT HILL PICK-UPS
G. L. Fink has been awarded
the contract for building the
school building and W. O. W.
Hall, and the work will begin
immediately.
Ken Sandifer is very sick at the
present writing1.
The Sunday school at Pleasant
Hill is a grand success.
Milburn Fink of Newark visited
home folks here last Sunday.
Mrs. Ken Adams of Newark
visited with relatives and friends
here Sunday.
Nice weather again after the
long continued rain and the farm
ers are busy plowing.
Last Sunday was a good day at
Pleasant Hill. Rev. Fink preach
ed to large congregations morning
and night with good interest.
RAIDED THE LIQUOR JOINT
So-Called Wholesale House Nipped in
the Bud by Mayor Ratton
_
T. V. Scott of Sulphur Rock
opened what he claimed to be a
wholesale liquor house in a build
ing belonging to Geo. F. Grosser
on the south side of Front street
Monday, but to the officers it
seemed to look too much like
wholesaling by retail, and Mayor
Ratton issued a warrant and had
the marshal to raid the place.
Scott was arrested and placed
under §200 bond, with Geo. F.
Grosser on the bond. Two ten
gallon kegs of whiskey were seized,
together with two one gallon jugs,
four or five half gallon jugs, a
gallon measure and funnel. One
of the kegs was full, but some of
the contents, presumably a gallon
or two, had been drawn from the
other keg.
The case was set for trial yester
day at 10 o’clock, but when the
case was called, Scott asked for a
continuance, and the case was re
set for tomorrow (Saturday) at 10
o’clock.
BETTER THAN COTTON
W. L. Stuckey has a 20-acre
piece of land at .Johnson that will
be a record breaker this year. The
land is planted in strawberries and
apple trees. Mr. Stuckey has
gathered $500 worth of straw
berries and says that the. crop is
not yet half picked. He estimates
the apple crop on the land at 000
barrels. From the present out
look apples will be worth at least
$2 a barrel. At this estimate the
revenue from this tract of land
will be $2,400, or $120 an acre.
This is only a sample of the heavy
realizing in Washington county
this year.—Fayetteville Democrat.
FATHER AND SON KILLED
Green Forest, June 1.—As a re
sult of a family quarrel, A. H.
Short shot and killed Isaac Wright
and his son Marcus Wright, with
a shotgun, near Cisco station, four j
miles west of Green Forest, this:
afterpoon.
It seems there had been a feud j
between the members of the Short!
and Wright families some time!
ago, and it was renewed today, j
when Wright and his son went to
the home of Short. They were j
fired upon at Short’s gate, and1
both Wright and his son were
instantly killed.
KILLED IN SAWMILL
Dock Bright, a young man em
ployed in the sawmill near Pratts
ville, was crushed to death Satur
day by a log which rolled over
him.
CAPITOL CONTRACTOR ARRESTED
Geo. W. Caldwell Arrested on
Boodle Charge and is Placed
Under $10,000 Bond
Little Rock, June 3.— Geo. W.
Caldwell of the firm of Caldwell &
Drake, contractors in charge of
the work of building the new state
capitol, appeared at the office of
Sheriff Kavanaugh this morning
and was served with a bench war
rent charging him with being an
accessory to bribery and accessory
to offering a bribe.
His appearance at the office of
the sheriff was voluntary and the
service of the warrant on him was
simply a matter of form. Bond
was immediately fixed at $10,000
and was furnished at once with
Oscar Davis, cashier of the Ger
man National bank, and J. J. Ma
honey as bondsmen.
He refused to talk about the
matter and his attorney, T. M„
Mehaffy, also stated that it was
not best to talk at this time. It is
understood that the indictment
against Mr. Caldwell was returned
by the grand jury several weeks
ago, but was not served until this
morning, as Mr. Caldwell has
been out of the state. Its i furth
er understood that the indictment
was returned because of testimony
given in connection with the trial
of ex-Senator Webb Covington on
the charge of bribery, it being
alleged Caldwell put up $21,000 to
secure the passage of the bill ap
propriating $800,000 for the com
pletion of the new state capitol
building by the legislature of 1005.
NOTICE TO TEACHERS
Notice is hereby given that the
Teachers’ Annual County Institute
for Independence county will be
held at Batesville, Arkansas, be
ginning Monday, June 10, and
continuing one week. All teachers
are required by law to attend.
The attention of teachers is* called
to the fact that renewals of certi
ficates can be made only at close
of June Institues. It is hoped
that every teacher in the county
will be in attendance.
On Thursday and Friday, June
20 and 21, the regular quarterly
examination will be held.
Sidney Pickens,
County Examiner.
A JEALOUS LOVER
Bald Knob, dune 3.—Grover
Frazier, 21 years old, shot him
self through the temple because a
young lady with whom he was in
love accompanied another younjr
man to a prayer meeting. He is
in a dangerous condition, but is so
much better today that the doctors
are confident of his recovery. Fra
zier was in love with Elsie Edens,
a prominent young lady of this
place. It is said that he asked her
to marry him, and that she refus- •
^d. Since the reported refusal
young Frazier has shown intense
jealousy.
SUBSTITUTES FOR BOOZE
Anything that bites or scratches
is accepted as a beverage in dry
territory. Lemon extract, deo
dorized alchohol, collodion, apple
vinegar, pepper sauce, ammonia,
bay rum, embalming fluid, tannic
acid, horse liniment, copal varnish,
and spirits of turpentine are used
as substitutes in the matter of
splicing the main brace by those
whose appetites have no conscience
and whose thirst burns like punk.
—Helena World.