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MOTTO The Missouri Her
ald believing those at the
TOP well able to take care
of themselves, has taken its
stand in the barricades of
the COMMON PEOPLE and
its fight will be made for
the BETTERMENT of those
at the BOTTOM.
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erald
WAXTZD Cormpoafcaii;'
It .shall' be the purpote of
The Missouri Herald to prist
the news from all parts of
the county, and correspoa
dents are wanted from erery
neighborhood. Good writ
era are famished material,
postage and copy of paper.
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VOL. 14
HAYTI, MISSOURI, FRIDAY. MARCH 17, 1922
NO. 10
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Caruthersville Suffers $ 1 50,000.00 Fire Loss
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VI
DEATH RODE THE WHITE MULE
TRAGEDY AT GAME SATURDAY NIGHT
Corbin Alexander Shot Through Head by William Bennett. Instantly
Killed. Bennett Claims Self Defense.
Down the rocked highway west
ward, a rider whose name was Death,
&at on the back of the "pale mule"
and journeyed to Gmnetown Satur
day night.
The next day coroner ami under
taker had their jobs.
So he has journeyed before. So
he will again and again so long as
there is any "white mule" to ride.
Once, some ten years ago, he rode a
"red mule" over the same road, be
tween the same city and village, but
was the same Death, with the same
scythe grasped in the same bony
hands as pale as when he rode the
animal of vhitc descendancy. But
that is a story of the past. ft is
only to bo recalled now because nidi,
women and whiskey,' the three clc
ments that go hand in hand to enact
the darkest tragedies of humankind,
when one or the other or all arc evil
bent. "Jink" Nichols, the victim
has gone back to the' dust. The
Hosiers and the Fishers after a short
stay in the jail and the pen are
where? That need not matter.
Nichols, improperly, it was alleged,
addressed Fisher's sister. The man
was intoxicated. It was just afte-
dark, and all had just arrived at the
little crossroads town on their way
homeward. The victim, stabbed tc
his heart, fell in the doorway of one
of the little stores where he sought
to escape his assailants.
This time it was Corbin Alexander
:'.6 and married that quaffed the cup
of death. William Bennett, young
and single, is quoted as saying that
he 'fired the fatal shot.
On the day and evening of the
tragedy, last Saturday, as stated,
both men were known to have been
in Caruthersville, and one or both
were "drinking." The old, old word
"drinking," drinking death, the
-snme death that was drunk when
hell had twelve wide open doors in
the town, distinguishable by the sign
"Saloon."
The men were neighbors and wen
friends. They had not quarreled
But the rider on the "pale mule" was
not idle, nor was his grin less grew
some than when he rode boldly out
from the wide open doors of King
Alcohol. It was the same Death
that was in the saddle.
Alexander lived on Klnfolks ridge
So did the actors in the other tragedy
enacted long ago. Tho slain man's
wife, perhaps with her babies, war
in Tennessee, from which state she
came with the man she trusted hei
fate. The serpent, it is said, had
entered her home. And in her ab
sence tho husband rode the white
mule more and more, and the climax
is told In one short word 'Death?
It is said that after Alexander hat'
gone to his home, he took the notion
to return to the residence of the
Bennetts at Gmnetown. He was ac
companied by a young man mimed
Richards. Alexander, it is stated
desired one of young Bennett's sis
tors to accompany him back to Ca
ruthersville." His request was do-'
nied and he was refused admission
to the Bennett home, but threatened
in his delirium, that he would have
his way. Advancing toward the
house, he is said to have fired two
shots.
Young Bennett claims ho then shot
his pal of the evening in sslf-defcnse
and in tho protection of his sister
Alexander crumpled and fell In his
tracks, dead, a bullet through hit)
brain. Ho had ridden the "white
mule" his last time.
As to tho real facts in the case
certain physical features point to v
variation from tho story the young
man told, but nothing can alter but
little the consequences and responsi
bilities. Whether young Dennett fired the
shot or not, little It uvalls, for It vas
fired by some one In or about the
homo whose Interest must have been
pretty much the saroo as his, and if
THE REPUBLICAN
NINE YEARS OLD
Our neighbor on the other side of
the fence the wrong side The Re
publican, Caruthersville, comes to
us this week festicating over its
ninth birthday, a mighty long time
for one so hereditarily afflicted to
live in this formerly Democratic at
mosphere. We believe The Repub
lican was started by a Mr. Frank
Abernathy, and printed It on a job
press, one page at the time, the same
press that printed Hayti's first news
paper. So, some of us have encounter
ed the same trials and trlbulutions
mechanically, if notj spiritually and
politically. Tho Republican waf
purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Smith not
many annals after its Ingress into
this domain of Democratic domina
tion. It was from tho start, with
Mrs. Kathryn Yater Smith, editor,
ml J. S. Smith, the Devil and the
Lord knows what else, greatly im
proved. It has been a good, clean
honest newspaper all the time, ex
cept one respect politics That h
rotton as rotten as it thinks ours
ditto. But at the same time, The
Republican has had an independent
tendency, which has caused certain
streaks and stripes of its clientele
lot to take its epistles as Biblical.
This, in our opinion, has made It
better. Such a practice ought u
improve even a Democratic newspa
per. We have half a notion to tr
it sometimes, when we sec some crook
hanging to the end-gate of our band
wagon. We wish The Republican
continued success, miming, of
course, financially. It's politics, w?
hope will go like an overlnllated to
balloon. The Republicans here are
getting so overpoweringly numerous
that they really need a newspaper or
some organ of publicity to defend
their blinded waywardness, and they
are entitled to have it, provided they
pay their subscriptions in advance
which is more than some of the
vaunting Democrats do for their own
disseminators of truth. Somehow,
someway, the Republicans are got
ting as numerous and firmly set ii
this county as an abandoned field
Johnson grass, and if there can be
no way found to uproot them the
field will soon bo about as worth
less. If that be true, and if out
well-incining1 but misled neighbor
sowed this iniquitous seed in oui
tranquil midst, we withdraw all of
tho good we may have said of it, and
lest by prolongating we might slip
into error, we here abruptly period-ize(.)
GOLDEN WEDDING
ABSENCE OF HARDING
PROVES EMBARRASSING
Washington, March 15. Presi
dent Harding's absence Is embar
rassing the Republican leaders "In
Congress, who are being inundatol
with complaints at the jam of lcgj
islatlou and the apparent inability
to get through any of the measures
that the business interests are de
manding. They know that the pres
ident was worn out and that his
brief vacation can have no effect
one way or another in the How of
congressional action, but they are
afraid the country has not a simi
lar realization, and with an election
coming on and the political skies'
RETAILER IS HARD HIT
BY BUSINESS CHANGES
Our attention was directed to the
the following article by one of
Huyti'b leading merchants, who says
ho knows the statements therein are
true:
If there Is any class of people
"who have been hard hit by the re
cent change in conditions, it is the
retail merchant. Wo hear much of
the distress of the farmer, and the
strain the bankers have been labor
ing under is of knowledge to all.
But have you heard of any general
movement to assist the retail mer
chant in these times of stress? Yet
no line of business has been hit
none too bright, it makes them und harder than that of the local retail
easy. From every part of the Union
demands for action on pending con
structive legislation are pouring In
to the White House and Congress.
A great clamor for speeding up the
tariff bill has set up' within the last
few weeks.
The American Prtocctive Tariff
merchant, the man you meet every
day and the one who supplies your
daily needs.
When the slump in prices came, it
was the retail dealers who carried
the load. The! manufacturers and
jobbers were hit hard, it is true, but
they wore in many cases short on
League has lost patience and start- Supplies and their loss, while heavy,
ed a nation-wide backfire move-was not in proportion to the small
ment to hurry up the Forney bill
"Please burn the wires and bur
den the mails with your petition?
and follow up with personal work,'
Wilbur F. Wakeman, treasurer and
general secretary of tho league bus
urged the members in a letter t
Its members and friends. "Ask
every friend and connection to co
opecrate."
For the convenience of those ap
pealed to in reaching congressmen,
a special "roster of the Sixty-sev-.J jy-js antrMnisfncss reviews of week
Mr. and Mrs. Jus. T. Jackson went
over to Humboldt, Tenn., last Sun
day where; on Monday, they attend
ed tho golden wedding of Mr. and
Mrs. Geo. T. Jackson, parents of our
Mr. Jackson. This couple wore
blessed with ton children, all of whom
wero present except one, and sur
rounded by these and ISO frionds,
the marriage ceremony was ugain
performed.
Fifty years! A long, long roud
and yet wo doubt that this couple,
with a happy family will look .back
and think tho time was ovor-long.
Happiness and contentment go a
great way in making us forget the
ills of life.
oiith" Congress"" IB. -presented t('
them. Frank D. Wlckham, presi
dent of the league, has come t
Washington to organize a lobby to
influence members of the House
and Senate. He is here to serve nl'
who are interested in a protective
tariff. Mr. Wakeman frankly as
sorts that he is here to wake the
"administration.
"Please personally canvass mem
bers of Congress, especially members
of the finance committee of the Sen
ate, In "favor of an early and effect
ive oneeasure."
Before tills alarm call to action
was sent out from every quarter pro
tests were coming in. Senator
Simmons, ranking Democrat of tho
finance committee, said today thai
never before since he entered Con
gress more thun 20 years ago had
be seen such a deluge of communi
cations on a tariff issue. He de
clared that the Republicans are
afraid to move one way or another.
The Republicans admit they are
between the devil and the sea. Their
supporters arc divided into hostile
camps over the proposed American
valuation and every fellow Is look
ing out for himself. The farmer has
indicated that he will hold the G.
O. P. to strict responsibility for any
tariff legislation- that is detriment
al to him and his. But in the face
of this, those seeking protection
would leave the tiller ol the soil
out.
Masonic, Odd Follow, Elk, and
other fraternal emblems, or rings,
pins, lapel buttons, charms, etc, at
Turnbaugh's Jewelry Store, Caruth
ersville, Mo. 19-20
he tells tho truth, it appears there
was little else that he could do, us
regrettablo as that was.
In preliminary trial hold yester
day boforo Esquiro Watklns atCa
ruthoruvlllo Bennett was reld under
$5000 bond, which he probably gave.
retail dealers. In spite of this
well-known fact, the retail mer
chant has not only not come in for
Miy special consideration, but has
been heaped with a lot of unmerit
ed abuse.
How many times one has run
across such statements as "whole
Silc priu;s have vomo down, but
the retail dealers do not seem to
have ?o(ind it out?" We have met
with this statement in trade jour-
GETS NEW FIRE ENGINE.
Blytheville, Ark., March 15.
Tho Blytheville fire department Is
tho proud possessor of :t brand
new $13,000 engine with an auto
matic pumper and all necessary
equipment for lire fighting. The
bluze quencher has arrived and tho
city will fittingly celebrate the red
monster's debut.
The new engine has a capacity of
6,000 gallons. It Is a six-cylinder,
75-horse-power nrachiue with triple
combination pumper. Thirteen
men will be in the brigade which
will operate the now apparatus.
Chief L. G. Thompson announces
that the old flro engine will bo re
tained and used in emergency runs.
Fires In Blytheville should now be
conquered In short order.
Are you' going to get a now
bonnet for EaBter? Buckleys have
some nice spring hats.
Mrs. Maggie Balrd of Troy, a niece
of Mrs, Elizabeth Gibson, came to
attond the funeral.
ly and dail papers. It lias appeared
10 often that many lr.ive accepted
't as true. Yet if any purch isers of
miily supplies will compare the
prices paid today and those paid
wo years ago, they will know that it
3 far from the truth.
During the past year the invoice
price of goods on the shelves of the
retail merchant has been reduced
from 20 -to 10 per cent. On a ?20,
000 stock this means a loss of
from $4000 to $8000. It me-uis that
the merchant has taken a loss
of that much on his goods. Is it
any wonder that many merchants
have been forced to the wall?
What is more, the overhead cost
ot doing business is greilcr than It
was before the war. Wages of
help have not fallen to that of the
pre-war period. Rents in many
cases are higher, and fuel and lights
are higher. All thee' thlnge com
bine to make the retail merchant's
path anything but a rose strewn
highway.
If help conies to the farmer, indi
rectly it will come to the merchant
but in the meantime .he is struggling
to keep the business world afloat by
making sacrifice sales and taking
his loss without any hue and cry.
So just remember the local mer
chant bus his troubles and is still
your friend that he is doing his
share to bring about bettor condi
tions and help the old world back
onto its feet.
It will take time, but we believe
things are slightly on the upgrade,
and if every one will do his part and
go to work all will be well. Pros
perlty will not conic to a few. It
must como to all. and the man who
insists on excessive wages whilo
condemning,, the merchant who .is
trying to save his business life, is
not going to profit by his stand.
Muusou(Io.) Journal.
Two Brick Buildings Destroyed in Heart of Business District.
Famous Bridgewood Building No More. Loss Greater Be.
cause of Lack of Waterworks Efficiency.
COURTHOUSE CONTEST
TO BE TRIED SOON
After a long sleep in the pigeon
holes of the Federal Court of the
eastern district of Missouri, the Pem
iscot county courthouse contest case
is to be tried soon, as is indicated
by the appointment of Judge "Pat"'
Dyer, a retired member of the bench,
to hear the case, Judge C. B. Faris,
on account of his retained citizen
ship and property interest in Caruth
ersville, having disqualified himself
for this purpose something like a
year ago.
The case has been filed at Cape
Girardeau, but so far no date has
been fixed for its hearing.
The title of the case is Harriet C.
Brittin vs. S. E. Juden, presiding
justice, of the county court of this
county, and T. R. Cole and E. W.
Shade, associate judges, and Frank
Baird, county court clerk. But the
real suit is the people of Pemiscot
county vs. Caruthersville, of whom
Mrs. Brittin, while a non-resident,
is a large taxpayer, and since not re
siding here could only take action
through the Federal courts, and for
that purpose instituted suit more
than a year ago.
It will be remembered the people
of the county brought suit in the cir
cuit court, and failing to get a hear
ing, appealed to the Missouri Supreme
The heart ot tho business district
of Caruthersville is in ashes.
'The Bridgwood corner building,
around which the tide of daily traf
fic turned, is no more.
Fire. of unknown origin early
Wednesday morning was discovered
in the rear part of the Comet store,
occupying the Bridgwood building,
and soon developed into the mo3t
disastrous conflagration that over
befell our sister city.
Two two-story buildings were
burned, besides the great damage
done adjacent property. And the
tongue of fire, awayed by a stiff
breeze lapped across the streets do
ing considerable damage to the front
of several buildings that adds-great-ly
to the loss.
Among the heaviest losers "were:
The Comet Store, $10,000; Bridg
wood heirs, $25,000; Philip Ham
ra, ?60,000; Ellis Barbershop, $2,
500; T. F. Ford, confectionery, $2,
500. These figures are not authen
tic, and only approximate the total
and do not include the losses of
damage to adjoining property which
will run very high. Nor does tho
above list contain the estimated loss
of a tailorshop and several other
small businesses that wc have no ac
count of. ,
The buildings suffering the great-,
est damage across the streets were
the Cunningham Store Company, the
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Court, and by T that court the cage I New York Store, the CitizenB ;Trust , ....
was -thrown fluft of, trial, iTcaaUsefc-u? I Company v and' theTirist'-atlonal,:"1'- - J'--f
it found, "a special election could I
not be contested," a most remark
able conclusion in a state whose peo
pie supposed they had the protection
of the law in casting their ballots.
So the case has never been tried
and never will be if the defendent's
attorneys can find any technicality,
or other means to supress the evidence
as they arc now claiming that Mrs.
Brittin is not paying taxes in the
amount as to qualify her to bring
suit that and other things, will
constitute the Hrst round of the bat
tle, as, if losing, the people of tin
county are determined to appeal to
tho tribunal of last resort before
yielding their rights to the result of
that shameful election.
None deny that the county needs a
courthouse, but the county does not,
and naver will, need one that cannot
he had honestly.
Even if the people of the countv
should lose, and the courthouse bt
built, this suit has been of great fin
ancial benefit, for at least $50,000
could be saved on the price of build
ing material over what could have
been saved at the very peak of high
prices, when the election was "car
rled."
LEARNING FAST
BAPTIST CHURCH.
Mr. Godsoy, the St. Louis Stur'e
feature writer, who has been in our
city (Caruthorsvllle) and vicinity
for the pust several weeks, left yes
torday for Charleston to be away
beverul duys boosting Mississippi
county territory including ALL sur
rounding towns and hamlets thle
time. Domocrnt-Argus,
Mr. and Mrs, R. L. Certain, who
have been living at Blythovllle, Ark.,
for several months, aro soon to re
turn hero to reside.
.
Turnips, sound, sweet and juioy;
just out of the hill, at Buckleys,
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Miss Aretta Beswick, Field Secro
tiiry of the Baptist Women's mission
ary work of Missouri, presented the
interests of the work and the general
work in the State at the morning
service last Sunday. Her message
was much enjoyed and appreciated.
Rev. O. L. Wood, state secretary of
the Missouri Baptist General Asso
ciation, accompanied by Dr. Foster,
pnstos of the Caruthersville church,
and others from that city mot In
council with the members of tho Hay
ti Baptist church Sunday afternoon.
Steps wero taken for a forward move
ment in tho building and church life.
All cordially invited to attond all tho
services.
W. C. SCOTT, Pastor.
Bank. These were damaged main
ly by injury to plate glass fronts,
some of which were broken entirely
out.
All the property destroyed and
damaged was protected to a cortain
tain extent by insurance, and when
adjustments are made, it is safe to-,
predict that out of the ashes of the v
old will rise larger and finer ....
buildings, as is almost the unbrok
en history of cities that have
reached the size and progress that
Caruthersville has.
MAN'S LEG BROKEN
Have a good two-mantle gaso
line desk or hanging lamp for sale.
Costs llttlo to operate, and Just the
thing for farm use whore electricity
Is not available. For sale cheap.
Apply at this ofllco.
Mrs, Clara Stanfleld of Chaffee at
tended tho. funeral of Mrs. Gibson ill
this city last Sunday.
Babo Ruth wears Royal Tailor
ed suits and base ball uniforms; why
not you? Measures taken at Duck-leys,
..-a.!.,)..
Dell Stephens, brother of Joe Stev
phens, Foust Route mall carrier, hapj t
pened to a very serious accident
Tuesday evening when tho team' he "
was driving became frightened, ran
away and throwing him out of 'the 4
wagon broke his left leg Just aboVa
the ankle. "
Mr. Stephens is a married man and
with his wife and children are mov
ing to the Sparks farm near Pascola. -He
was driving a team of mules and
when near tho northeast corner of the '
Grammar School tho mules took
fright and ran away. Mr. Stop
hens was thrown out and the wagon
ran over his leg with tho above re
sult. He also suffered other' minor
bruises.
He was carried in a nearby' resi
dence and Drs. Rhodes and Linibaugh
sent for, who gave prompt surgical
attention, but at best it will be some
time before the unfortunate man is
able to return to his labors.
THE RIVER
Tho river is rapidly rising, with
no mark set for its final stage, due
to the recont heavy rains that have
fallen over tho watersheds of Its
headwaters. Both tho Missouri and
tho Ohio arc rising, and there uppcars
enough water in sight to give this
territory a flood stage, it now be
ing running over tho banks in all the
Jow places. The levee is in good
shape except a section near Stewart
which Is being newly built, and with
careful watching there should be no
danger there. The erosion of the
bank in tho vicinity of the Bain)
farm is still as serious as ever, but
tho leveo, for tho present, is a safe
distance from that point, so we are
informed.
Monthly duos of the Haytl
Building & Loan Association uro due
upon the 20th of each month. The
secretary can bo found fu the Key
stone building IStb toilet inclusive,
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