WoodrukkEounty News( «
VOL. VI.
McCRORY, ARKANSAS, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1907.
NO.
33.
ARKANSAS _
Estate news?
Peonage Charge Against Him.
James Turner, who lives about four
miles out of Wilmot, has been arrest
ed by a deputy United States marshal,
charred with holding a negro by the
name of Roberson in peonage. It is
alleged that Turner held Roberson in
custody to work out a debt Turner is
said to have liquidated for Roberson
in the way of a fine. During the day,
it is alleged, Roberson was chained to
a plow, with the chain around his
neck, so that he would of necessity
be compelled to guide the plow. At
night, it is alleged, Roberson was
chained in a corn crib and the crib
locked. One night he filed the chain
and got away. In a letter to the Uni
ted States attorney Roberson says his
life was in danger, and that though
the neighbors had offered to reimburse
Turner, he refused tho money and said
he would work Roberson to death.
F. O. Butt Pardoned.
Festus Orastus Butt, former state
senator from the Twenty-fourth dis
trict, convicted on the charge of bri
bery and sentenced to two years in
the penitentiary and to pay a fine of
$200, has been pardoned by Acting
Governor Pindall, after serving less
than five months of his sentence. Gov.
Pindall’s reasons for granting the par
don are given in a communication to
Mrs. Butt in which he tells her that
he thinks her husband’s disgrace has
been sufficient, and that he is less
guilty than others who have escaped,
and for him to remain longer in prison
would not increase his disgrace, but
would only add to the suffering of the
family. There are three other indict
ments against him which will be tak
en to Perry county on a change of
venue, and which will come up in the
August term of court.
Swept to His Death.
T. J. Adams, a young man Living
in the northern part of Crawford coun
ty, was drowned in Lee creek recent
ly. He was returning home from
Uniontown with a companion in a
farm, wagon. The two men drove into
the stream and were allowing the
team to drink. A hard rain had fallen
further up the mountain an hour be
foft, and a wall of water, fully four
feet high, swept down qpon them.
Adams’ companion escaped, but
Adams, with his team and wagon,
were swept down stream. The body
of the young man has not been recov
ered.
Survey of Slate Fields.
Professor Perdue of the Arkansas
University, with five assistants se
lected from the engineering depart
ment of the university, have gone to
Slatington to make a survey of the
slate fields as provided by the Le
gate bill passed by the recent legis
lature. The act provides lhat a com
plete survey shall be made of the
slate fields of Arkansas. The two
counties in which slate predominates
are Polk and Montgomery, and the
surveying party will confine its work
to these two counties.
Abandons Search for Ore.
B- De Londe of Duluth, Minn., has
abandoned his search for high-grade
manganese ore, after 19 months pros
pecting in North Arkansas, and re
turned to his home. During the time
mentioned he has prospected the coun
try pretty thoroughly from Batesville
° Mena, and while he found some high
Srade ore, there was not enough of
t. so he says. He shipped six cars of
°re within that time, amounting to
uearly 300,000 pounds, to Chicago.
Robert Dollins Killed.
•I D. Dafran shot and killed Robert
‘ins, near Waldron recently, and
en sent his son to tell Dollins’ peo
the killing. The shooting was
.e. resu't of an old quarrel. Dafran
r aims that he shot In Self-defense as
kn'f ,1S WaS a<*vanc*n8 on him with a
Negro Shoots Uncle.
tle^H Maxwell> a negro living at Lit
kiii r,Ck’ sbot and almost instantly
wh k'S llnc,e. Thomas Busby, with
na-atn ,e res'dpd, because he was not
dUe ^oaey which he claimed was
Alleged Bank Robber Captured.
Wimberly and Bill Vim
bank ^ in robbing ti
bppn * * Springs recently, ha
men !u'e8ted at Mt- Ida. Two oth
cd a a 6 Camden brothers, are wai
Woods ina la'Se B°sse is 8CourinS tl
as ln search of them.
Allen Royal Injured.
I ty KoyaI of Deane, Drew cou:
b«ll reL®!I'l0Usly cm by Price Cam,
shot at c 11 is alle8ed that Royi
ed on V, uPbeU’ and latter jum]
bef0lp nf back' cutting him seriousl
ey could be aoDarated
Injured In Effort to Escape.
W. C. Beckwith, a prisoner in fhe
jail at Searcy, was seriously injured
while atempt’ng to escape recently.
He tore away the ceiling above his
cell and by means of the scuttle, es
caped to the roof of the building. He
took wirti him the blankets from his
cell, and tearing them into strips and
knotting these strips made a rope, by
means of which he attempted to de
scend to the ground, 30 feet below.
Hardly had he swung himself from the
roof when he discovered that one of
the knots in the improvised rope was
slipping. He endeavored to climb
back abqje the knot, but finding he
could not do it he abandoned the
rope, and placing his hands on a win
dow sill hung there for many minutes.
Finally his strength gave way and he
fell to the ground, breaking both of his
legs. Some time ago Beckwith attempt
ed to starve himself to death in the
j '-*)■ _
Shot City Marshal.
Jim McCrete, a resident of Redfield,
fired at the city marshal three times
with a double-barrel shotgun, hitting
him fn the back, but not seriously in
juring him. It is said that the city
marshal, whose name could not be
learned, put one of McCrete’s friends
in the city lockup for some minor trou
ble, and that McCrete, who wras drunk
at the time, took a shotgun and came
to the calaboose and demanded his
friend’s release. When this was de
nied him he shot at the marshal, send
ing a large number of small shot Into
his back.
Cattle Had Hydrophobia.
Some time since a fatal disease de
veloped among the cattle in and
around Midland, and farmers and vet
erinarians were puzzled and alarmed.
The general opinion was that the dis
ease was hydrophobia, as a rabid dog
had a short time before bitten several
dogs and cows before it had been kill
ed. Recently it was decided that all
dogs should be kept tied, and since
that time there has been a remarkable
falling off in the deaths among the
cattle.
Takes Wife Home.
Because she wanted to make he,
husband jealous, 19-year-old Mrs. Paul
Smith, ran away from her home in
Hinchicliffe, Miss., to Marked Tree
with a handsome young Arkansan. The
husband followed the elopers to Ar
kansas, and, upon catching, up with
his wife, forgave her amid a slower of
kisses and embraces, and took her
back with him to his Mississippi home
on the next train.
Large Mining Output.
With a 50-ton mill and a force of
eight men, the Morning Star mine in
Marion county is turning out three to
three and one-half tons of zinc car
bonates, wrorth $34.25 a ton at the
mine. The Silver Hollow, one of the
best mines in the county, with a'
force of 16 men, is turning out about
the same amount of ore.
Commission To Tour State.
The Arkansas Railroad Commission
proposes to tour the state this summer
and make a thorough investigation of
railroad conditions. The commission
will sit at all towns where complaints
have emanated against the roads and
hear the shippers’ grievances. The
schedule of the tour has not been com
pleted.
Will Establish Excelsior Plant.
A. K. Goodnight has secured three
acres of land at Batesville, on which
to locate an excelsior factory, cost
ing about $6,000, and having a capa
city of seven tons per day of ten
hours. The building will be erected
qf sheet steel. It is proposed to op
erate a box factory later.
Officer Kills Negro,
Deputy Sheriff J. P. Henderson of
Cleveland county, shot and killed Wil
liam Hill, a negro, near Kedron, be
cause the latter objected to his son’s
arrest. Hill is alleged to have at
tacked the officer with the colter of a
plow, and he was compelled to fire
in order to defend himself.
Negro Contractor Injured.
E. P. Calloway, a well-^nown and
well-to-do negro building contractor
of Texarkana, was knocked down with
a heavy wagon spoke in the hands of
another negro recently and is in a
precarious condition.
Jealousy Causes Shooting.
Josh Hampton, a negro, was shot
and killed at Pine Bluff by another ne
gro supposed to be Ed Graham. Hamp
ton discovered the other negro talk
ing to his wife, which so angered him
that he attempted to kill Graham, but
the latter was too quick for him.
Donates High School Site.
Hon. Jesse Turner of Van Buren
has donated a valuable site for a high
school building at that place, and the
new building which will be erected
as soon as the plans are completed,
will bear the donor’s name.
I
State Capital Notes
I
Transcripts Filed.
The transcript in the case of J. R.
Campbell against the St. Louis, Iron
Mountain and Southern Railway Com
pany, on appeal from the Jefferson
Circuit Court. Plaintiff was injured
while coupling cars at Bergman and
brought suit for $5,000 for alleged
damrges. In the lower court the
plaintiff obtained a judgment for ST
OOD and all costs irf the. case. The
transcript in the case of S. L. Snead
against the Missouri and North Ar
kansas Railroad Company, on appeal
from the Carroll Circuit Court. The
suit was brought to recover $789 dam
ages alleged on account of the loss
of a number of hogs. Plaintiff alleges
that he made a contract with the de
fendant railroad company by which
the latter was to furnish a car for the
transportation of a number of hog3
from Afjpena Pass to St. Louis. By
reason cl the delay in furnishing the
car the hogs contracted cholera in
the company’s pen, from the effects
of which 28 died before shipment, 10
while in transit and five took sick And
were condemned at the stock yards
in St. Louis. The lower court gave
the plaintiff a judgment for $789, the
amount of damages asked for, and
the company took an appeal. The
transcript of the proceedings of the
case of Charles Tobin and others
against J. C. Spain, on appeal from
the Mississippi Chancery Court. The
action was brought to set aside con
veyances of certain lands in Missis
sippi county and a decree was ren
j dered in favor of the defendant,
whereupon plaintiffs took -an appeal.
The transcript in the case of W. T.
Young against the Rock Island, Arkan
sas and Louisiana Railway Company
and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pa
cific Railway Company, on appeal from
the Union Circuit Court. The action
is for damages on account of the kill
ing of stock. The transcript in the
case of Jacobs & Garrett against
Will Bentley and others; on appeal
from Monroe Circuit Court, being a
suit on replevin. The transcript in the
case of H. V. Ames against S. D. Hig
ginbotham; appeal from ^Craighead
Circuit Court, being a suit for $3,000
damages. The transcript in the case
of John S. Kelley ond others against
J. E. Wooten and others; appeal from
Polk Chancery Court. The action was
brought to cancel the sale of Mena
Hendrix Academy property. The tran
script in the case of R. F. Forest
against Jennie Sparks; appeal from
Benton Circuit Court, being a suit for
legal services. The transcript in the
case of R. P. Powell and S. M. Powell
against A. S. Fowler; appeal from Pul
aski Circuit Court, being a su^t on ac
count of alleged advances on insur
ance contracts. The transcript in the
case of Sarah M. Swafford against the
Pine Bluff and Western Railroad Com
pany, on appeal from the Grant Circuit
Court. The case is one in which plain
tiff sues for $2,000 damages alleged
to have been sustained on account of
being carried beyond her destination.
The lower court rendered a judgment
in favor of the praintiff and the defend
ant railroad company appealed.
1*0 Make Cloth of Raipie Plant.
J. H. Hamrick of Ola was in Little
Rock recently, negotiating for the
building of a machine to speed the
process of degumming the ramie plant.
The ramie is commonly caller the
grass plant. It has a fine fiber that
is exceedingly strong, and in many re
spects is said to be equal to cotton for
cloth weaving purposes. What the
cotton gin did for cotton, Mr. Ham
rick expects his new machine to do
for ramie. Ramie is not generally
known in this part of the country, but
it is said will thrive here. Nations,
corporations and individuals have
spent vast sums in attempting to de
vise a method whereby the fiber could
be extracted. If the new process is
as satisfactory and as simple as the
inventor claims, it is believed by Mr.
Hamrick and his friends that a for
tune Is In his grasp.
Large Tank Teated.
The large steel tank, which is to
supply the Blind School with water,
was tested recently, and found to be
free from leaks. Nearly one entire
day was consumed in filling the tank,
which holds 100,000 gallons. It is
constructed of sttel and is over 100
feet in height, and cost $8,000. There
is still $2,000 due the contractors,
which will be paid as soon as Super
intendent Futrall becomes satisfied
with the test. During the first week in
July connections will be made with
the Home Water Company’s mains,
which will give all the buildings of
the blind institution a direct flow of
water from the reservoirs west of Lit
tle Rock. The cost of the plumbing
work incident to making the connec
tions with the several buildings will"
bo about $5,000.
Pardons Granted.
Among the pardons granted the p&st
week by Acting Governor Pindall are:
Sterling Stovall, convicted on the
charge of manslaughter in the Arkan
sas Circuit Court in November, 190G,
and sentenced to two years in the pen
itentiary. The following is the en
dorsement on the petition by Governor
Pindall: "This: is a case in which
the minority of the jury were correct,
and inasmuch as they base their com
promise on the ground of saving coun
ty expenses and not to shirk a respon
sibility, I think their plan should be
carried ouc and therefore I grant the
pardon.” V. H. Rogers, convicted in
the Lincoln County Circuit Court, Sep
tember 8, 1903, on the charge of grand
larceny and sentenced to one year in
the penitentiary. “In this case,” says
the governor, ‘‘I hesitated a long time.
I think, however, if the case had been
reviewed in the Supreme Court it is
doubtful if the element of criminal
intent would have been found to have
been freely established. However, as
the three helpless children of the de
fendant are now waifs on the commun
ity they need their father more than
the state, and I will send him back to
them.” Sando Walker, convicted of
petit larceny in a justice court of Fay
etteville, December 9, 1904, and fined
$10, was granted a pardon in order
to restore his citizenship.
Will Pay Clerks.
One thousand dollars has been
raised by the business men of Little
Rock to pay for the preparation of the
journals of both houses of the re
cent legislature. A day or two ago
there was some talk of the committee
members and clerks filing a petition
for mandamus in the Pulaski Circuit
Court to compel the auditor of state
to issue warrants for their per diem.
This plan has been abandoned, but
not until the legislative force was
informed that the Business Men’s
League of Little Rock had made pro
vision for the payment of the work of
verifying the journals. The compari
son of the manuscripts of the journal
clerks with the transcriptions on the
journals is now proceeding and will
be completed, it is expected, within
the next ten days. When the journals
are completed the copy of the pro
ceedings for the printer will be pre
pared and delivered to the secretary
of state, who will have them publish
ed in book form as the law directs.
Fees of County Treasurers.
In reply to a request for a construc
tion of the law regarding the fees
which county treasurers are entitled
to, asked by T. B. Cook, treasurer of
Little River county, Attorney Gener
al Kirby gives it as his opinion that,
"In all cases where the amount re
ceived does not exceed $1,000 tp any
one year, 4 per cent, on all sums over
$1,000, not exceeding 2 per cent, to
be paid out of the respective funds.”
From the language of section 3508 of
Kirby’s Digest it is evident that the
legislature did not intend the different
funds should be taxed so much per
cent, but that the amount of revenue
collected should be tolled 4 per cent
on the first thousand and 2 per cent
on the remainder as treasurer’s fees,
and the treasurer Is not entitled to
a commission of 4 per cent on the first
$1,000 on the particular funds and 2
per cent on the remainder of them,
but only to his different per cent up
on the whole amount of the revenue,
and 2 per cent on all but $1,000 and
4 per cent upon that
Corporation Affairs.
Th^ Strong Union Farmers’ Cotton
Warehouse Company, capital stock.
|3,000; the Arkadelphia Farmers’ Un
ion Warehouse Company, of Arkadel
phia, capital stock $25,000, of which
$1,000 has been subscribed and paid.
The Southern Compress Company of
I-.Ionticello. The capital stock of this
concern is $24,525, all of which has
been subscribed and paid. The Set
tlement bank of Settlement. Capital
stock $20,000. of Which $10,000 has
been subscribed. The Melbourine Min
ing Company of Melbourne, Izard coun
ty, filed a certificate announcing the
surrender of its charter. The Citizens’
Building and Loan Association of Lit
tle Rock filed a certificate showing
that at a recent meeting of its stock
holders the capital stock of the com
pany was reduced from $5,000,000 to
$500,000.
Little Rock Day at Exposition.
The advertising manager of the
Jamestown exposition hhs written a
letter to Mayor Lenon of Little Rock,
in which he asks this city to agree to
a day to be set at the exposition and
known as Little Rock day. If the in
vitation is accepted the Board of Gov
ernors agree to obtain special railroad
rates and to send a representative o<
the board to Little Rock to make ar
rangements.
DO NOT FAVOR NEW BULLET
The Hague Peace Conference Contem
plates Abolishing New Shell.
Washington, July.—The report from
The Hague conference that a dis
position exists in certain quarters to
raise the question of prohibiting the
rifle bullet adopted by Germany, Great
Britain, France and America, has
served to perplex the experts of the
arm yand navy ordinance bureaus
here. Even the medical officers in
both services are at a loss to conjec
ture what reasonable ground of ob
jection can be found against the use
of the new cupro-niekel sharp-point
ed 1906 model bullet. It was reported
from The Hague that this bullet was
more dangerous than the “dum dum”
bullet, but the experts here are a un
it in declaring that the new bullet
is, if anything, more humane than
the old bullet, so far as concerns the
nature of the wound inflicted by it.
But according to the ordinance offi
cers in one way at least, the new bul
let is apt to be more dangerous than
the old, and that is in killing or wound
ing more soldiers. It was designed ex
pressly for that purpose, too. This
is not because the bullet deforms upon
striking an object, but from the rea
son that owing to its high velocity,
the bullet has a remarkable flat tre
jectory. The consequence is that, trav
eling in an almost horizontal plane,
the new bullet would be certain to
strike an object within the 1,000-yard
range, which the old bullet would pass
clean over. Thus, the list of fatalities
would be probably largely increased,
but as no nation has heretofore made
any objection on that score, and when
the absolute necessity of war was dem
onstrated, it cannot now be regarded
as a valid objection.
The new bullet known in Europe as
the “spitz” bullet, was originally de
signed by the French, and was soon
adopted by the Germans. Our own ord
uance department last year made an
exhaustive set of experiments to test
its worth and decided in its favor.
None are in use in our military ser
vice at present, because it is not deem
ed well to issue them until a sufficient
supply is ou hand for the entire army.
The manufacture is going on as rapid
ly as the cartridge makers of the coun
try can meet the demands of the War
Department, and it is estimated that
within six months the new shell will
be ready for issue.
The Grand Auto Rac-s.
Dieppe, France, July.— Preparations
have been completed for the Grand
Prix contest of the Automobile Club
of France, which promises to be the
hardest fought and fastest race yet
run. The Madrid-Paris competition
last year, when the cars were driven
half the time through a surging sea
of people, was the death blow to
straightaway speed racing in France.
This year a beautiful, closed triang
ular course, the angles being at Diep
pe, Eu and Londinelres, one of which
skirts the sea, has been selected. It
measures seventy kilometers and must
be circuited ten times. The roadway
is in perfect condition, but has a few
dangerous turnings and many rapid
curves. The most elaborate arrange
ments will be made to prevent mobs
from invading the track. Eight thous
and soldiers will be stationed at 40
foot intervals along the course and
no person within the enclosure will
be allowed to cross till the race is fin
ished.
Must Work.
San Antonio, Tex., July.—A report
from Sa'ltillo, Mex., says: A plan to
rid the sidewalks and public gardens
of the street beggars is under advise
ment by the federal authorities of
Mexico. A commission is to be appoint
ed to investigate the matter. It Is the
intention to compel all able bodied men
who are found begging to learn some
trade by which they can make a liv
ing without being a burden on the pub
lic. Already there is a law in force
throughout Mexico restricting begging
to certain days, but in view of the ever
increasing number of street mendi
cants which annoy the public some
plan will be adopted to compel them
to support themselves.
Loses 28 Pounds.
Belleville, 111., July.—After fasting
since May 10, during which time he
tasted nothing but water, Dr. I. J.
Eales broke his fast Monday by par
taking of a small quantity of malted
milk. Beginning his fast at 192 pounds
he lost in w'eight 28 pounds. His chest
measurement has been reduced from
43 to 40 inches and his waist from
44 to 34 inches.
Will Close Plants.,
Havana, July..—The cigarmakers who
are on strike not having replied to
the ultimatum of the manufacturers
to submit their differences to arbitra
tlon, which expired Monday night, the
manufacturers announce fheir inten
tion to close all their plants Indefinite
ly.
SIGHS FOR PAST SHOWS.
Mark Twain Regrets Vanished Joya of
Other Days.
__ I
Where now is Billy Rice? He was
a joy to me, and so were the other
stars of the nigger-show—Billy Birch,
David Wambold, Backus and a de
lightful dozen of their brethren who
made life a pleasure to me 40 years
ago and later. Birth, Wambold and
Backus are gone years ago; and with
them departed to return no more for
ever, I suppose, the real nigger-show
—the genuine nigger-show, the ex
travagant nigger-show—the show
which to me had no peer and whoso
peer has not yet arrived, in my ex
perience. We have the grand opera;
and I have witnessed, and greatly en
joyed, the first act of everything
which Wagner created, but the effect
on me has alw'ays been so powerful
that one act was quite sufficient;
whenever I have witnessed two acta
I have gone awray physically exhaust
ed, and whenever I have ventured an
entire opera the result has been the
next thing to suicide. But if I could
have the nigger-show back again, in
its pristine purity and perfection, I
should have but little further use for
opera. It seems to me that to the
elevated mind and the sensitive spirit
the hand-organ and the nigger-show
are a standard and a summit to whose
rarefied altitude the other forms of
musical art may not hope to reach.—
Mark Twain, in North American Re
view.
INSURANCE INVESTMENTS.
How One Company’s Assets Are Dis
tributed in the South and West.
In connection with its withdrawal
from Texas, along with many other
companies, rather thdn to submit to
the new law which requires that 75%
of the reserves on Texas policies shall
be invested in securities of that state,
wiiich securities shall be deposited in
the state and subjected to heavy taxa
tion, in addition to the large tax now
imposed on life insurance premiums,
the Equitable Life Assurance Society
has made public the distribution of its
assets, at the end of the second year
of the new management. The Equit
able now has $10,958,000 Invested la
Texas, which is twice as much as the
new law requires, but the manage
ment decided that to submit to the
additional taxation would be an injus
tice to its policyholders in other
states, which impose no such penalty
on the thrift of their citizens.
The Equitable’s report shows that
more than 37% of its total reserves
are now invested in the southern and
western states, while only 35% of its
total insurance is carried in these
i-rtates. Its investments are distributed
as follows: Ala., $3,099,000; Arlz.,
$974,000; Ark., $4,038,000; Cal., $5,
142,000; Col., $5,222,000; Fla., $4,924,
000; Ga„ $4,048,000; Idaho, $5,197,000;
111., $12,617,000; Ind. Ter., $443,000;
Ind., $6,836,000; Iowa, $3,690,000; Kan
sas, $11,637,000; Ky„ $2,631,000; La.,
$3,054,000; Md., $2,207,000; Mich., $6,
009,000; Minn., $2,065,000; Miss., $767,
000; Mo., $8,197,000; Mont., $1,890,000;
Neb., $7,526,000; Nev., $640,000; New
Mex., $1,376,000; N. C., $1,649,000; N.
D„ $677,000; Ohio, $11,634,000; Okla.,
$1,006,000; Ore., $1,158,000; S. C.,
$975,000; S. D., $1,305,000; Tenn., $1,
909.000; Utah, $2,134,000; Va., $6,592,
000; Wash., $1,202,000; W. Va., $5,523.
000; Wis., $2,342,000; Wyo„ $3,367,000.
Targets for Anglers.
Not long ago several wood disks,
one foot in diameter, painted whit*,
and each provided with a line and a
lead weight, were placed in the pool
In Central park, this city, by
the Anglers’ club, for targets for fly
and bait-casting. As a granitoid walk
adjoins the eastern end of the pool,
and the targets furthest from the
casting platform are near this walk,
thousands of park visitors worry the
lives out of the policemen and park
employes with questions relative to
the purpose of the white disks. They
have been asked if the strange things
are early lllypads and—everything un
der the sun an idle lounger can im
agine. One of the patrolmen told me
the other day that his naturally sweet
temper had been ruined since the ap
pearance of ‘‘them things.” But the
most curious questions of all was
fired at me one day as I watched the
anglers practicing.
“Are those tin cans used in fish
breeding?” asked the visitor.
“What cans?” I queried, not grasp
ing his meaning.
“Why, those tin cans in the lake?”
“Oh! No, those are targets.”—For
est and Stream._
Sardine Sandwiches.
Skin and bone one can of sardines;
mash to a paste, adding oil from can,
the yolks of two or three hard boil
ed eggs, a dash of lemon juice, olive
oil enough to make a smooth paste,
and a sprinkle of cayenne; spread on
thin slices br«ad, one side buttered.
Hamburg Steak.
Seasou the meat with salt and pep
per and a very little finely minced
onion. Add one-third the quantity
of bread crumbs and one or two
beaten eggs. Roll into balls, cover on
each side with flour, and brown well
on each side in hot butter