The Caldwell Watch an
VOL. 28 COLUMBIA, LOUISIANA, FRIDAy, APRIL 7, 1914 NO 17
TRANSCONTINENTAL HIGHWAY IS ASSURED
MODEL ROAD TO BE FROM ATLANTA TO THE PACIFIC COAST
Its Construction Will Be the Biggest Boost ."Good Roads" Has
Received in the South-Will Prove So Beneficial Hundreds
of Interesting Model Roads Will Be Built.
The all-Southern Highway Con
vention met in Lake Charles last
week, the opening session being
held Tuesday night with Govern
or Hall presiding and about 150
delegates in attendance. Five
hundred were in the convention
hall to listen to the opening ad
dress by the governor.
He spoke briefly, heartily in
dorsing the highway movement
and pledging his support as an
individual. He emphasized the
opinion that the inauguration of
the highway movement in Lou
isiana is the dawn of a new era
that will mean greater develop
ment to the state and bring
many here.
W. E. Atkinson,state highway
engineer, spoke at the Wednes
day morning session. He stated
that the state highways depart
ment has on file from parishes
applications for aid in construc
tion of about 250 miles of high
ways, and that at least 200 miles
will be undertaken in 1914,show
ing that Louisiana is awake to
the need of good roads.
His address explained the
workings of the highway depart
ment, organized Feb. 1, 1911,
under an act of the Legislature
of 1910. Louisiana, he said, has
457 miles of good roads costing
approximately $950,000.
At the coming session of the
Legislature he said, bills will be
vote a state motor tax, licensing
vehicles and chauffers.
"If these measures are taken,
the department will not only be
able to construct more highways
but set aside a substantial sum
t maintain the highway al
ready constructed," Mr. Atkin
son added.
"Interest in general highway
improvement has become a real
live issue. Nearly every parish
has voted a special tax,but it re
mained for Calcasieu Parish to
vote the largest bond issue in
the history of the state (one
million dollars)."
The project for an All-South
ern Transcontipp tal highway
was given a b~j and commit
tees appointed to set the ball
rolling properly. This under
taking is to build a model road
from Atlanta, Ga., to the Paci
fic coast. The route has already
been tentatively laid out by
Pathfinder Ferguson. He has
made the entire trip.in an auto
mobile and reports that the sev
eral roads that would be used
are already passable and with
but comparatively little expense
can be made into model ones.
The funds for the construe
tion of this highway will be
furnished by the federal govern
ment, the several states through
which it passes and by the par
ishes most directly interested.
Gov. Hall stated at the conven
tion that at this time the state
would be unable to give much
aid, but if the parishes especial
ly interested would appropriate
such moneys as they could, the
state would in good time appro
priate an equal amount. The
federal government will require
to be "shown", but because of
Sthe resultant benefits to the pos
tal service, for possible military
movements and for other advan
ctages it undoubtedly would make
a generous appropriation.
The road will be built in as di
rect a line from Atlanta to the
Pacific as is practical, making,of
course, such minor deviations as
would enable it to strike the
principal cities near a straight
line. The construction of this
highway, according to the dele
gates who attended the conven
tion, will act as a great stimulus
to model road building along its
entire stretch, hundreds of main
tap lines being built to intersect
it, and these in turn causing the
building of a veritable network
of better roads to intersect these
contribuary lines.
Winter Weather Again
The cold snap that swept the
entire southern states last week
established new low records for
this time of the year. Frosts
extended as far South as North
ern Florida. Temperatures rang
ed from 25 to 40 degree§. It is
thought that the peach crop in
the Ozark mountains was killed,
involving a loss of about $250,
000. Many places in Northern
Texas had sleet and snow storms.
Much fruit was killed in Florida
and the truck farmers were
Leavy losers.
Not guilty was the verdict in
the case of E. W. Floyd, charg
ed with killing Arthur Williams
at Vicksbuig. Floyd's wife tes
tified that Williams hugged and
kissed her. Floyd -and . Wil
jamns `ad been intimate reiedsi
Early Monday morning the fa
mous case of the murder of
Gambler Rosenthal received its
final touches when four convict
ed men met death in the electric
chair in the state prison at Os
sining, N. Y. The real names
of the men who have been
known as "Gyp the Blood,"
"Lefty Louie," "Dago Frank,"
and "Whitey Lewis" were Har
ry Korowitz, Louis Rosenberg,
Frank Cirofici and Frank Seid
enshue. The youngest, Lefty
Louie, was 21, the oldest, Dago
Frank, 27. All were Jews ex
cept Dago Frank. As the nick
name implies, he was an Italian.
New Freight Engines
The Iron Mountain railroad
has just received 253 new freight
locomotives. They are the Mi
kado type and are among the
largest and most powerful of
that class in service on any rail
road in the country. Each
weighs 400,000 pounds when
equipped for service, and imeas
78 feet 4 12 inches in length
and 15 feet 5 1-2 inches in height.
They are equipped with electric
headlights, electric cab lights
and Schmidt superheaters.
Another effort will be made at
the coming session of the Legis
lature to secure for certain Lou
isiana towns and parishes a com
pulsory school attendance law.
On the Other Foot
Wife-What would you do,
George, if you were left a wid
ower?
Husband-Oh, I suppose the
same as if you were left a
widow. *
Wife-You horrid wretch! And
you told me you could never
care for anybody else.
Shreveport is waging a lively
war on the gamblers.
No matter what Salome may
have done, she never danced the
tango.
AGED COUPLE MIRDERED IN WINN FARISH
Calvin, La., and vicinity are
much stirred up over the tibitoni
killing of Sam Chandler and his
wife, aged respectively 75 and
70 years. They were killed
with some blunt instrumentheheb
having been struck on the left
side of the head, indicating that
their assailant had approached
from behind. Chandler had
been killed instantly, as is aid'
tion to his head being ctUs d
by the blow his neck was bro .
Mrs. Chandler had died i 4ie
slowly, as a trail of blood shtm
ed she had dragged herself :
short distance from where, she
fell.
The bodies were discovered `y
Baxter E. Wilson, a son-in4
He first found the body of
Chandler lying face down
in the hallway of her home..
notified W. M. Tyler and ii
1him and a party of neighbor'
turned to the home. TylerfM
Chandler's body lying face do
ward under a shed by . the
barn. Only the mark of
blow was found on him, but
NO SIGNS OFt jSBACKISM HERE
The Terrebonne police jury
provided an appropriation
$750 to assist the Terrebo
Parish Fair in October.
Natchitoches parish is
gressive. Four school *ist
are petitioning for an election
a special school tax. Ward
few days ago voted as
school tax, and citizens
Ward 9, which oasI
heldon levying a ta mw
mills for twenty years to p
vide funds for a gravel road
long the main thoroughfare f
the ward.
St. Landry parish police j
has closed a contract for 30,
yards of gravel to be used in e
MASKED BANDITS TRY TO HOLD UP TRAIN
Two masked bandits boarded a
fast New Orleans-St. Louis trai"
on the Illinois Central at Fluker
Saturday morning, shot Ison Al
len, a negro porter, who grappled
with them, and escaped without
having secured any money' by
leaping from the flying train.
Lude Anderson, a negro pas
senger, who worked for the tiil
road, became so frightened when
confronted by the masked figures
with their cocked revolvers, that
he jumped from the train and
was ground to death beneath the
wheels. '
Allen was struck by a bullet in
the stomach. At last reports he
was said to be dying.
The train left New Orleans at
6:30 o'clock for St. Louis. Fluke
ers is about 75 miles from the
Crescent City, and it was shortly
after 9 o'clock when two men
with only their eyes showing be.
neath their pulled-do'wn hat
brims and the red bandana hand
kerchiefs that covered the lower
part of their faces, appeared in
the door of the negro coach. Af
ter shooting the porter, the ban
dits gave up their attempt and
jumped to the ground while the
flyer was speeding 40 miles an
hour.
From the manner in which the
attempt was made it is thought
that the hold-up was the work of
novices. Posses were qqickly
formed in neighboring tows and
began scouring the woods for the
bandits on information furished
by telegrams.
The bandits are said ,be a
negro and a white man as .are
C4
Chandler showed evidences of
having been struck several times.
Robbery is believed to have
been the motive for the crime as
it was known that the Chand
lers kept a considerable amount
of ready money in the house. It
is thought that the murderers
secured about $400, 1iit they over
looked more than that which had
been secreted in different places
about the house.
A coroner's jury failed to fix
the responsibility for the mur
der. Five negroes have been
arrested on suspicion. They
were arrested at a logging camp
about a mile from Chandler
home. A large force of negroes
is employed there, and they have
been in the habit of purchasing
eggs, potatoes and milk from
the Chandlers. The five ne
groes arrested did not return to
camp the night of the murder,
and seem unable to give an ac
count of their whereabouts.
The funeral of the Chandlers,
who were well thought of by
their neighbors, was held Satur
day, and was largely attended.
construction of good roads.
Concordia parish police jury
as ordered an election on a 10
11, 8 year tax in School Dis
ct No. 1.
The police jury of Livingston
ish issued ia call for a special
tion for a parish-wide spec
school tax of five mills for
years. The proceeds of
tx o 1e rYschool
90of good roads in te
Th >Ward, comprising the sec
out good roads district of East
Beton Rouge, was practically
unhnimously carried.
AAake up good people of Cald
ell, and let's get on the band
yagon.
said to have been seen about five
miles from tangipahoa about
noon. Bloodhounds were secured
from Crystal Springs but heavy i
rains within a few hours of the
holdup obliterated all trails. No
arrests have yet been made.
Some self-made men evidently
did the job in the dark.
Do not be afraid to learn
through experience.
1 "Keep her rolling, boys; keep
her rolling."
"How do you feel this morn
ing?" asked Barnwell, meeting a
well-known Kentucky colonel.
"Rotten, sah. How would yo'
expect a gentleman to feel in the
mornin', sah?" was the reply,
Tudie Arnold of Blytheville,
Ark., accused of having sixteen
waves, was sentenced to 10 years
imprisonment on 'a technical
charge of violating the Mann
white slave act. Seven of his al
leged wives testified against him
at his trial at Fort Worth.
Fifteen million dollars alone
will be necessary for a survey of
the Mississippi valley preliminary
to complying to the provisions of
the Newlands flood control bill,
according to'an interdepartment
al cabinet committee report made
to Secretary of War Garrison. It
is rumored that a part of the
committee, probably a majority,
has estimated that it will cost the
government $1,000,000,000 to
construct reservoirs as provided
in the bill.
FIGHTING FOR LIFE ON KIDNAPING CARLGE
W. C. WALTERS ON TRIAL IN OPELOUSAS IN CLLECRATED CASE
Bobby Dunbar in Role Similar to One in Case Solomon'Decided.
Is Bobby Bobby or Bruce?--Two Women Claim Boy to Be
Her Own--Man's Life Probably Hangs on Decision
A problem in psychology, a
parallel one with that recorded
in the bible which Solomon cut
the knot of by ordering the child
to be cut in two, is now being
tried in the District court at Ope
lousas. It is that of the State vs.
W. C. Walters, charged with hav
ing kidnaped little Bobbie Dun
bar. All readers of The Watch
man are familiar with the news
paper reports of this case, but
we give a brief resume and shall
endeavor to give our readers the
latest particulars of the trial un
til a verdict is reached.
This is probably the most fa
mous case that has ever been in
a Louisiana court, and but few in
other states can equal it in the
apparently impenetrableness of
its mystery and of the intensity
of interest manifested in its out
come. The history of the case,
in brief, is:
Bobbie Dunbar disappeared on
Aug. 23, 1912. He had left the
camping party of his parents, C.
P. Dunbar and wife, in company
with a negro boy of his own age.
Bobby was then nearly 5 years
old. When he was missed a'
search traced him to the banks of
Lake Swayze, not far from the
Dunbar home. At first it was
feared that he.had been drowned
but the lake failed to give up the
body and the little boy's hat waa
ed and the a r oer
ward of $1,000, the.town of Ope
lousas adding one of $5,000.
In the next eight months doz
ens of clues were followed, but
to no result. April 13, 1913, a
suspect was arrested near Colum
bia, Miss., and a group of women
Sin the case telegraphed Mr. Dun
bar that W. C. Walters, a travel
ing tinker, was there with a child
who, from newspaper photo
graphs, they believed to be Bob
bie. The father went there with
out delay, saw the boy and par
tially identified him. To make
sure, he telegraphed for his wife.
She saw the lad and partially
identified him. The 'next day,
examining him, she made the
identification positive. April 22
the boy was brought to New Or
leans, where he was identified by
relatives and a little girl play
mate.
The homecoming the following
day was an event in the history
of Opelousas. The Dunbars were
met at the station by a brass band
and almost the entire population.
In the meantime Walters, in
jail at Columbia, developed his
side of the case. He said the
child is the illegitimate son of his I
brother and Julia Anderson of
Barnesville, N. C., and that he
had carried the child about with
him for months, long prior to the
kidnaping. He said he had left
'the child at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Jeptha Bilbo in Poplarville,
Miss., some weeks before the
kidnaping.
The statements of Walters
were investigated. The Bilbos
came forward and identified the
boy as the child they' kept for
Walters prior to the Dunbar boy's
disappearance. Other witnesses
were developed substantiating
Walters' claims of having been
elsewhere at the time of the dis
appearance of Bobbie.
Julia Anderson was brought to
New Orleans and then taken to
Opelousas. When lirst shown the
child she said: " ')eed. folks, I
can't swear it." But the next
day she said, 'In my heart I
know it's Bruce."
Walters was indicted at Ope
lousas and formal application for
requisition was made. In doubt.
in the face of conflicting testimo
ny, Gov. Brewer, before grant
ing the requisition, asked John
M. Parker of New Orleans to
hear the witnesses and decide
the issue. The test took place
and he decided the boy is Bobbie
Dunbar. Brewer then granted
the requisition.
Walters' attorneys .succeeded
in keeping Walters in Mississip
pi more than six months. He was
taken to Opelousas Feb. 2.
Since then attorneys for both
sides have been actively scouring
two states for evidence. Both
sides claim to have developed
much new and convincing evi
dence. From all indications it
seems probable that two com
plete and, in themselves, con
vincing cases will be presented,
each absolutely contradictory of
the other.
Every indication is that the
state will adduce evidence to
prove
1. That W. C. Walters, itiner
ant tinker, was in Opelousas at
the time of the disappearance of
Bobbie.
2. That Walters had no child
with him when he came to Ope..
louses, but baea lidl
yeaa
bie. The father, mother, a dos
en or more relatives, the family
physician and possibly a score or
more of other witnesses will
swear to this identification.
On the other hand, the testi
mony of the defense will be to
exactly the contrary, about as
follows:
1. That Walters was not in
Opelousas 'at the time of Bobbie's
disappearance, but many miles
away.
2. That the little boy recovered
by the Dunbars and identified as
their child is Bruce Anderson, il
legitimate son of Julia Anderson
and a brother of Walters.
3. That this boy was given to
Walters by Julia Anderson long
before the disappearance of Bob
bie and was carried around by
him in his wanderings.
4. Thjat, by Bertillon experts,
the defense will attempt to prove
that dissimilarities between the
photographs of Bobbie Dunbar
and the little boy of mystery, now
claimed to be Bobbie, are such as
to preclude the possibility of the
child found with Walters being
the Dunbar baby.
The array of witnesses promis
es to be bewildering. Men and
women of good repute, with ex
cellent reputations for veracity,
will take the stand and testify to
absolutely contradictory evidence
if the statements made by them
at previous hearings can be taken
as a guide. Not less than twenty
witnesses for each side is the ad
vance estimate.
The Trial
The courtroom was crowded
Monday morning when the case
was called for trial, but they
went away disappointed as the
5 judge set the case over until
Tuesday to allow the array of
- lawyers on both sides to confer
over the case.
SContinued on page four.