Woodrukk County INer
VOL. VII.
McCRORY, ARKANSAS, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1909.
NO 9.
TO HANDLE
COTTON CROP
FARMERS' UNION COTTON WARE
HOUSES AND FARMERS’ UNION
COTTON COMPANY TO CON
SOLIDATE.
CAPITAL MAY BE A MILLION
part of a $10,000,000 Scheme .for
Whole South—Little Rock to Han
dle All Arkansas Product.
Little Rock.—At the meeting of the
Warehouse Association and tJae Farm
ers’ Union Company Thursday, ar
rangements were completed whereby
the organization of the farmers of the
stale is made a certainty and 400,000
bales of cotton which have been pre
viously sold outside of the state will
be sold through Little Hock.
The new organization will be capi
talized for $400,000 to $1,000,000.
is for the purpose of retaining in
Arkansas the thousands of bales of
cotton which previously have been
shipped outside of the state. The new
organization is to be called the Ar
kansas Farmers’ Union Cotton Com
pany and is to be the Arkansas or
ganization of a company which em
braces all the cotton raising states
and will represent a capitalization
of something like $10,000,000.
With the completion of the scheme
so far as Arkansas is concerned Thur.
day, the entire number of Southern
states is representated in the organi
zation. Texas has practically the
same sort of company, Tennessee has
had one for some time and simultane
ously with the formation of the Ar
kansas company, the Mississippi com
pany was organized Thursday in
Jackson with a capital equal to that
of the company here.
The organization is made up of the
88 warehouses scattered through the
state. All the cotton raised by the
members of the company is to be con
centrated at these warehouses. Sam
ples will then be taken and sent to
Little Rock and the cotton will be
sold from here to the various buyers.
It is the intention of the company to
sell to Eastern mills as well as to
do an export business.
Little Rock will be the central sales
office of the company in Arkansas. B.
A. Meador will have charge of the
office here and all cotton sold in the
state will be sold through him. Ben
L. Griffin of Conway will also be pro
minent in the organization and has
been elected by the Warehouse Asso
ciation and the Farmers’ Union Cot
ton Company as president of the Ar
kansas Cotton Bureau, which is to be
connected with the present organiza
tion.
Health Board May Object.
The board ot' trustees of the State
Charitable Institutions in its biennial
report recommended to the legislature
that the herd of cows at the State
Hospital for Nervous Diseases be sold
and a new herd be purchased, because
y of the herd being at'flicied with tuber
culosis. The board holds that it can
not itself sell the cattle.
Has Eye on Supreme Bench.
Attorney General W. P. Kirby yield
0d gracefully to his successor, Hal
L. Norwood, Thursday, leaving the
office as free of pending business as
it was pdssible for him to do.
When Mr. Krby left the attorney
general's office late Thursday after
noon he went out to become a citizen
of Little Rock. “I shall take a rest
for a few days,” he said, “rent an
office in the Southern Trust building
and engage at once in the practice
°f law, and two years hence, 1 shall
he a candidate to succeed Associate
Justice B. B. Battle on the supreme
bench. Judge Battle having announced
thai he would not be a candidate
for re-election.”
Mr Kirby stated Thursday that he
had worked hard during his term of
office and so far as the work is con
cerned, he believed that he had earn
ed his salary.
ILLFATER steamer sold.
The Miriam, in Which Twelve People
Were Lost, to Be a Packet.
Helena.—The steamer Miriam, which
"as sunk 20 miles north of Helena
during the tornado of April 26 last,
tn which catastrophe 12 people were
drowned, was sold by Capt. It. J.
Beach of Helena to Mrs. Nettie John
son. who is well known in both Mem
phis and Vicksburg.
Mrs Johnson will raise the boat
®t>d put jn freight and passenger ser
vtce on the ' isissippi as soon as posi
ble.
Of all the gold in the possession of
than 70 per cent is in the shape of
coin.
LEADING CITIZEN INDICTED.
Banker and Insurance Man, Charged
With Being Accessory to Crime
of Arson.
Lewisville.—J. O. Smith, a promi
nent Mason, elder in the Presbyter
ian church and cashier of the Mer
chants’ and Farmers’ bank of Lewis
ville, is under indictment returned
by the Grand Jury, which has just ad
journed, on a charge of accessory to
arson with Ben Marshall and Ruube
Gray, two negroes. Mr. Smith is al
leged 10 have hired the negroes to
fire his house, which burned June
22 last, to obtain the insurance on it.
He is out on bond and the case has
gone over to the May term of court.
Mr. Smith is a member of the firm
of Smith & Hamiter, which holds the
Lewisville insurance agencies. A. H.
Hamiter, his partner, was speaker of
the last House of Representatives.
June 22 the Smith residence was
destroyed by fire. It was insured for
$4,000, $2,500 on the house and $1,500
on the furniture. Late in December
Rube Gray, a negro, formerly in I he
employ of Mr. Smith, was arrested on
suspicion and later, it is charged,
made a sworn statement before Jus
tice W. H. Wilson in which he al
leged that he paid $25 by Mr. Smith
to fire the residence; that he secured
Ben Marshall to help him and togetiler
they poured coal oil in the dining
room and set fire to it. The evidence
was taken before the Grand Jury and
and Marshall with arson and Smith
with accesory before the fact. A
second indictment was returned
againt Gray charging him with set
ting fire lo the Kalker Bros.’ general
merchandise siore at Old Lewisville,
which was burned December 2.
Marshall fled after the alleged arson
with Myrtle Garrett, formerly cook
at the Smith home, arid was not cap
tured until last Saturday, when Mar
shall Neely Black at Hope caught
hint.
Lewisville is stirred deeply over the
arrest of Smith. His friends claim
lie is being "jobbed.”
HORSEWHIP WEAPON USED.
Neal Arrested After Inquest, but Re
leased on Bail—Great Indignation
by Both Whites and Blacks.
Hope.—A negro boy, Luther Bass,
aged 14 years, died Sunday night
near Bell’s Mill from injuries which
necessitated an inquest. A coroner’s
jury held that (the boy came lo his
death from injuries inflicted by Riley
N'eal, a prosperous negro farmer,
owner of TOO acres of land near Bell's
Mill.
From the testimony at the investi
gation held by Coroner Gosnell it de
veloped that Neal tied Bass to a tree
and whipped him viciously with a
horsewhip and the limb of a tree, the
boy afterward dying from his inju
ries.
After the inquest Coroner Gosnell
arrested Neal and brought him to
Hope, where he was released on bail
of $1,000. Great indignation is felt
by both whites and blacks.
PATTERSCN AND BELL HELD.
Men Charged With Postoffice Robbery
Bound to Grand Jury.
Hot Springs.—John Patterson and
Jas. C. Bell, whom secret service offi
cers identified here as being men the
postofiice authorities have long been
searching for in connection with safe
robberies were bound over to await
a final trial in the federal court for
the robbery of the safe at the Arden
postoffice in Little River county, De
cember 13.
DIAMONDS FOUND AT DELIGHT.
Believed a “Pipe” Has Been Found
Three Miles From Town.
Delight.—A diamond pipe, it is be
lieved, has been found on the farm
of John Henderson, a farmer living
three miles west of here. Peridcdite
dirt was found on the farm some
time ago, and investigations of the
crater indicate that a genuine diamond
pipe has been found.
J. T. Blakely of Delight has pur
chased an enterest in the property, and
some development work has been
done. Twelve stones found have been
examined by experts and are declar
ed to be of good quality.
Trieber is Non-committal.
Judge Jacob Trieber of Little Rock,
who is in St. Louis this week, when
asked whether he would serve as
suggested by Governor Donaghey in
his inaugural message, on an arbi
tration board to settle the question
of financial settlement between the
state and Caldwell & Drake, in ease
the state capitol job should be taken
from them, was noncommittal. He
said he would not undertake such a
commission without a consultation
with Federal Judge Rogers of Fort
Smith and Chief Justice Hill of Lit
tle Rock, the other two arbitrators
proposed by Governor Donaghey.
WITHDRAWS
ALL CONVICTS
NEW BOARD ORDERS SUPERIN
TENDENT TO WITHDRAW MEN
WORKING UNDER CONTRACT.
INJUNCTION SUIT FOLLOWS
Brick Company Will Mandamus Peni
tentiary Board to Return All
Convicts.
Little Rock.—The new Penitentiary
Board, composed of three new state
officers, Governor Donaghey, Slate
Auditor Jobe and Attorney General
Norwood, and two old ones, State Com
missioner of Agriculture Tucker and
Secretary of State Ludwig, met Thurs
day afternoon, recalled the convicts
leased to the Arkansas Brick and
Manufacturing Company by the state
and re-elected John Pitcock superin
tendent and John H. Page secretary.
Following the action of the board
in recalling the convicts and just as
the board adjourned, it was learned
that the Arkansas Brick and .Manu
facturing Company had applied for an
injunction against the Penitentiary
Board, restraining it from recalling
the convicts. Chancellor Martineau
granted a tempory injunction.
in spue oi tne tempory injunction
it was stated lhat tile convicts would
not be worked at the brickyard of
the Arkansas Brick and Manufacturing
Company at the rock crusher near
the city, or on the construction work
near Hazen, or near El Dorado, at
which places convicts worked under
contract Thursday. It is argued by
supporters of the Penitentiary Board
that the convicts are at all times
under control of the state because the
state feeds, guards and clothes tnem.
The convicts at work at the brickyard
are housed in the new penitentiary
each night and unless there is
some change in the board’s plan,
they will remain in the prison,
instead of being taken to the brick
yard to labor. The prisoners em
ployed on railroad work will remain
in the prison cars of they are not
brought io the city and the prisoners
at the rock crusher will probably be
transferred from the stockade there
to the new penitentiary.
It is argued thai this procedure will
not be in violation of the injunction
and that the brick company will lie
forced to make the next move, which
will be in the nature of mandamus
proceedings to compel the Penitentiary
Board to order the convicts worked
on the various contracts.
KEYS ARRIVE TOO LATE.
George Lacey and Jesse Collis Vic
tims of Efforts to Escape at Tillar.
Tillar.—A desperate attempt to es
cape from jail made by two prisoners
resulted in their being burned to
death. The men were George Lacey
and Jesse Collins. They had been
confined in the city jail on minor
charges and planned to escape by
means of a fire alarm, it is thought.
The prisoners set fire to the struc
ture and then cried for help, which
was not answered as promptly as
they had expected.
Their cries gradually turned iuto
frenzied screams of terror as they
saw the flames getting beyond their
control outside the bars where they
were confined. Before the jailer ar
rived with the keys the building was
a mass of flames and nothing could
be done by the horror stricken per
sons who had heard the alarm until
the keys arrived. Then it was too
late and the biulding was soon con
sumed, together with the bodies of
the prisoners.
J. H. STEVENSON APPOINTED.
Acting Governor Martin Names Attor
ney to Position Vacated by Judge
Winfield's Death.
Little Itock.—James H. Stevenson '
of the law firm of Campbell & Ste
venson was appointed judge of the
Second Division of the Pulaski Cir
cuit Court by Acting Governor Mar
tin to succeed E. W. Winfield, whose
death occurred Wednesday.
The appointee is a native of Ar
kansas and is a graduate of the Pea
body High School and of the law de
partment of the University of Arkan
sas. Since his admission to the bar
he has been the attorney in many im
portant cases, prominent among which
wa.s that of E. H. i.ake, which wms
recently disposed of in the United
States Circuit Court. Mr. Stevenson
appeared about a year ago in several
anti-trust suits in which he secured
a compromise settlement in favor ot
the state.
The man who has learned enough to
attend to his own business has a pret
ty good education.
With The
Legislators
Prohibition Bill Introduced.
House Bill No. 30, to prohibit the
licensing of the sale of intoxicating
liquors in Arkansas, introduced Thurs
day by Mr. Brown of Cleveland coun
ty is a state-wide prohibition bill,
if is claimed by its author, and he
says he will not only work for it with
the view of seeing it passed, but has
invited the anti-liquor forces of the
state to join forces with him. The
bill was discussed at a meeting at
the Masonic Temple, where Mr. Brown
said he is for the bill “to the finish.”
Under the act any person who grow's
or raises grain, fuit, grapes or berries
may make wine, brandy, alcohol or
whiskey and may sell the same in
original packages to any registered
pharmacist, conducting a drug store
in Arkansas, provided the package
contains not less than five gallons
and is labeled properly.
Mr. Brown says he intends to push
the passage of the bill because the
bill Is favored by his constituents.
He says its passage will prevent an
influx to Arkansas of liquor dealers
from states in which alcoholic ue\ei
ages cannot be legally sold.
The bill provides that it shall be
unlawful for any person to pretend
that he is a minister and thereby
induce any person to sell wine. It
shall also be unlawful for any person
to prescribe the use of alcohol, etc.,
without first subscribing to an oath
that he is a registered physician. A
club or a club member is prohibited
from keeping liquors at the club’s
quarters, to be used as a beverage.
It is also unlawful to sell wine to
which alcohol has been added and the
governor shall appoint an inspector
to examine liquors and report viola
tions of the act to the prosecuting
attorney.
The Anti-Saloon League of Arkan
sas favors the submission of a state
wide prohibition bill to the voters of
Arkansas in accordance with the plan
adopted in the platform of the last
Democratic state convention, but oth
er prohibitionists in the state favor
a state-wide legislative enactment.
He declared that he is not working
for any1 anti-liquor organization or
any church, and that he does not pro
pose to fight the liquor traffic on
moral grounds, but from a viewpoint
of what he says he knows his con
stituents demand and what he declares
to be for the best interests of Ar
knasas.
IN THE HOUSE.
The introduction of bills providing
for depositories for state funds, cre
ating a banking law in Arkansas
identical to the one in Oklahoma,
annulling the convict lease contract
and ratifying the action of (he Peni
tentiary Board in recalling the sate’s
convicts from the contractors, for the
submission of the question of state
wide prohibition to the vote of the
people at a special election July 19,
1909, and for the appropriation of
$50,000 to be used by the Arkansas
Railroad Commission and Governor
Donaghey in defending the state's in
terests in the present railroad rate
controversy, were the features of
Friday’s’ session of the House.
A special message from Governor
Donaghey requesting the legislature
to officially annul the convict contract
and ratify the action of the Peniten
tiary Board in recalling the convicts
was also read at the morning session.
Idr. Heigh of Pulaski also intro
duced a bill which provides that im
provement districts in cities and
towns shall not cease to exist upon
the completion of improvements con
templated and which makes provis
ions for further life of the districts.
Mr. Martin of Yell introduced a
privileged resolution fulfilling the
governor’s request, to which about
20 representatives shouted a second.
Mr. DuBaney of Kittle River suggest
ed, however, that the House not go
too fast in the matter and first ascer
tain the legal phase of the situation.
“If this is being done as an expres
sion of feeling, it is all right,’ de
clared Mr. DuLaney, “but if it is to
go as law or will have legal status
I think we ought to have some legal
opinion on the correct mode of pro
cedure.” The speaker stated that the
attorney general had investigated the
matter and that "doubtless, if the
matter of procedure outlined was not
correct he would have so informed
the House.” On motion the resolu
tion was adopted.
Mr. Martin then introduced a bill
the substance of which was identical
with that of the resolution. By unan
imous vote the bill was read twice
and made a special order of busi
ness for Saturday morning.
On motion of Mr. Granger of Car
roll. House 3ill No. 41 was read twice.
IN THE HOUSE.
. Bills Passed.
House Bill No. 1 (Miller,), provid
ing for the appropriation of $100,000
for mileage, per diam and contingent
expenses of legislature.
Bills Considered.
House Bill No. 2 (Bellamy), pro
viding for the establishment of four
agriculture schools at a cost of $i6a,
000, to be controlled by boards ap
pointed by the governor, and to utrn
ish courses of study in the nature of
practical experiments in agriculture,
horticulture and textile industry.
House Bill No. 3 (Brawner), pro
viding that physicians and surgeons
from other states may be granted
licenses without examination if they
are graduates from reputable schools
or have practiced in good standing
elsewhere for five years.
House Bill No. 9 (Hamilton of
Polk), requiring all children between
8 and 14 years to attend school, with
certain exceptions, and for the es
tablishment of “truant” schools in
cities.
House Bill No. 14 (Jones), providing
that road overseers may be elected
in townships. Placed on calendar.
House Bill No. 21 (Owens), separat
ing the school funds of white and
negro people, and requiring tax as
sesors to designate two funds in re
ports. Placed on calender.
House Bill No. 29 (Witt), providing
for the creation of a state text book
commission; to be made up to a man
from each congressional district, ap
pointed by the governor, who will se
lect uniform series of text books and
make contracts for six years. Identi
cal to Senate Bill No. S6 oi last ses
sion. Placed on calendar.
IN THE SENATE.
Bills Introduced.
Senate Bill No. 13 (Henderson),
to enlarge the powers and duties of
the Railroad Pomniission of Arkansas;
gives commission power to inspect
tracks, order re>&irs and limit speed
of trains on defective tracks or struc
tures; failure to repair tracks, after
ordered, made a misdeameanor; if
loss of life result, front failure to
obey orders of commission, trainmen
responsible ntay be charged with a
felony, a conviction carrying two to
ten years imprisonment.
Senate Bill No. 19 (Patterson), to
segregate the school taxes according
to race. The bill is similar to segre
gation bills introduced at ptevious
sessions of the Assembly that failed
to pass. In substance the tax paid
by white persons is io go to the sup
port of white schools aril the negro
tax to the negro schools.
The “grandfather clause” was also
introduced in the shape of a resolu
tion calling for an amendment to the
constitution. It was introduced by
Mr. Davis of Desha and if made a
law will mean a reduction in the ne
gro vote in Arkansas.
At the afternoon session the gover
nor notified the House that he had
signed his first bill, House Bill No. 1,
which appropriates $100,000 for the
expense incurred by the legislature.
The announcement was greeted by
hearty applause.
Resolution Considered.
Joint Resolution No. 1 (Cartwrght),
providing for the increasing of school
tax in Arkansas from one to tnree
mills on the state tax, and five to
seven on district tax, and the levy
ing of a school tax on railroads.
Held Brief Session.
For the first time since his election
President Martin presided over the
Senate Friday, the body convening at
9:30 o'clock and adjourning at 10:30
o’clock until Monday morning at 9:30
o'clock. The principal business of
the session was the consideration of
the newspaper and stamp bill. The
vote was 17 to 8 for the bill.
President Martin, apparently con
trary to the expectation of the Sen
ate, declared the bill lost. He held
the bill to be an appropriation bill,
and that therefore a two-thirds ma
jority, or 24 members, would have to
vote for the bill.
Senator Wingo's Concurrent Reso
lution Xo. 4, to provide for a joint
committee to which all banking bills
shall be referred, was passed.
Having learned that his resolution
providing for a joint committee on
levees and drains had been defeated
in the House, Senator Robertson -Mf
Lee introduced Concurrent Resolu
tion Xo. 5, providing for a special
Senate committee on levees.
Just prior to adjournment Presi
dent Martin announced the Senate
committee on rules, on which he
named Senators Yopp of Prairie,
Rasco of Arkansas, Toney of Jeffer
son, Pindall of Desha and Turner of
Craighead.
It was also pointed out that Presi
dent. Martin has not had time to ar
range the list of Senate committees
The president did not state definitely,
but indicated his committee list will
be ready Monday.
Legislative Gossip
Senator Wingo of Sevier is an ad
mirer of flowers. He usually wears a
single bloom in the lapel of his over
coat.
T. P. Parks, representative from
Lafayette, is considered to be one of
the leading authorities on parliamin
ary law in the House.
Ed Lucas of Ola, chief clerk of the
House two years, has returned home.
He has been here this week assisting
in the clerk’s work at the opening
of the House.
The first commission issued by Gov
ernor Douaghey was one making Paul
Little, the retiring secretary to the
governor, captain of inspection of
small arms in the First Regiment.
Senator Bush of White left Little
Rock on an early train Friday morn
ing. On motion of Senator Rasco a
leave of absence was granted Sena
tor Bush, as his wife is ill.
Just before retiring from the office
of acting governor, Jess M. Martin,
president of the Senate, granted an
additional pardon, making 24 during
the three full days he acted as the
governor.
The legislative committees of the va
rious labor organizations of the State
are in Little Rock and the majority
of them has opened headquarters and
announce the intention of remaining
as long as the legislature is in session.
Senator Patterson of Woodruff will
probably not bring his entire family
to Little Rock to live during the ses
sion. .Mrs. Patterson and daughter,
Eloise, arrived Friday and will spend
several days in the city. Eloise was
a mere baby two years ago and was
called the ’'Bab}7 of the Senate.”
While many of the senators call
upon various stenographers to get up
their clerical work, Senator Logan of
Polk is his own stenographer. He
has a typewriter on his desk. With
ihis he attends 10 his correspondence
and prepares the bills or resolutions
he submits from time to time,
of the legislature Friday resulted in
a general exodus of senators and rep
resentatives last night. It is prob
able the House will hold seven ses
sions a week during the remainder of
the General Assembly, and it is also
probable the Senate will adjourn for
the week every Friday at noon.
On account of the infirmity of deaf
ness, Senator Simms of Chicot has to
pay close attention to all proceedings.
He has called the attemion of his fel
low senators to his deafness and has
asked them to speak as distinctly as
possible when talking on any measure
in which he may be particularly in
terested.
Attorney General Hal L. Norwood
Saturday rendered his opinion in re
gard to the authority of each house of
the General Assembly to provide for a
committee clerkship by resolution, the
clerk to receive his pay out of the
contingent fund, holding that each
house had that right and that the
auditor should issue the warrant for
the pay of such clerk when a certifi
cate properly signed is presented to
him.
T t in 1 Kmi itIi t 1\ n K1 i lint c* n ni n n t_
tention will be paid during the pres
ent session of the legislature to the
divorce laws of Arkansas. Governor
Donaghey in his inaugural address de
clared that he believed the laws on
this subject now in force in this state
are too lax. He recommended that
the legislature make a careful inves
tigation of the matter and pass such
laws as will make it more difficult
to secure a divorce.
Senator Montgomery has prepared ?
State banking bill modeled after the
Oklahoma law, which he expects to
submit to the Senate soon. The law
is regarded in Senate circles as a
good one, but the members expect the
bill to be seriously opposed by lead
ing bankers of the State. The princi
pal objection lies in the fact that
every bank guaranteeing depositors’
money places all on practically the
same footing, making weak banks as
safe for depositors as the strong ones.
The youngest page in the Senate
is Bennett, Burton Patterson son of
Senator Patterson. Burr, as his fath
er speaks of him, w-as named after
Aaron Burr, a man whom Senator
Patterson thinks was illy used. The
lad will be 10 years old his next
birthday, but he has reasoning pow
ers not to be expected in one of his
age.
Senator Keel of .Tackson is one of
(he apt story tellers of the Senate. In
defending his newspaper and stamp
bill be told a story in substance as
follows: When he was a member of
the lower house, one of his constitu
ents wrote and told him that in the
distribution of garden seed he had
been missed. Thinking the voter had
been overlooked by his congressman,
Mr. Keel informed him that the seed
would probably arrive in due course
of the mail. The seed did not arrive
and Mr. Keel was taken personally
to task for it, with the result that
the present senator bought 50 cents
worth of cabbage seed and gave the
package to his constituent. During
i he last campaign, Senator Keel rode
up to the house of the man to whom
he had given the seed. "You don’t
need to get down from your horse.
Senator.’' said the man, heartily. "I
am for you and so are the boys.” I
have been for you ever since I got
the cabbage seed. I reckon I have
raised the best cabbages in this sec
tion of the state.”