Newspaper Page Text
Amagon Citizen Was Given 21 Years For Killing John Barton—Attor neys Will Appeal. The jury in the case against Will Davis, charged with first degree mur der for the killing of John Barton, re turned a verdict of guilty Friday night at 8:30, the defendant being given 21 years in the penitentiary. Attorneys for Davis, who are C. M. Erwin and G. A. Hillhouse, have an nounced their intention to apply for an appeal of the case to the supreme court, and were given by Judge Cole man until next Thursday to file their motion in due form. Davis will re main at liberty on his present bond until then. The case went to the jury shortly after four o’clock Friday afternoon. Barton and Davis with their fami lies moved to Jackson county from Oklahoma several months before the killing, and were neighbors near Amagon, Barton being employed by Davis on the farm. In March, 1918, it is stated, the men engaged in a dis pute, but the matter was settled. In November Barton, it is said, sold his possessions at Amagon to Davis, pre paring to move away. A few days before the killing both men came to Newport, and irom an accounts were in a friendly humor. On the 8th of November the men met in the road way near their homes, with the re sult that a short time later Barton’s body was found, Davis surrendering to the officers late that afternoon. There was no witness to the killing. Davis claims that Barton shot at him first, there being no explanation of the trouble which led to the killing. Witnesses for the defense claim that a gun was found in the wagon in which Barton was riding when he met Davis. MR. HENRY WILL GIVE LOVING CUP AND MED ALS TO BOYS AND GIRLS — In one of the display windows of Wolff-Goldman .Mercantile Co. are one loving cup and three medals which will be given to the boys and girls of £ Jackson county who raise the largest nupiber of chickens or exhibit the best pens and breeds of poultry. The loving cup and medals will serve to stijnulate an interest among the boys and girls of the county engaged in poultry raising and egg production, which the government recommends ' highly as an aid to food production. These gifts, a handsome silver lov ing cup, fourteen inches higrh, and three medals, gold, silver and bronze, arfe presented by Charles G. #Henry, president of the Arkansas Bank & Trust Company. Mrs. Mary Austin, home demon strator for Jackson county, is very appreciative of Mr. Henry’s interest, and has already formed a number of poultry clubs in the county and re ports a great amount of enthusiasm among the .members. Mrs. Austin has also been very busy this winter arranging for her canning club work. ' ' ——---* Subscribe for the Independent. 4444444 444 44444 |y| AD ALINE THEATRE 4 ♦ ^ Pathe Presents. 4 X ♦ HENRY KRAUSS 4 ♦ ♦ 4 The distinguished French 4 • ^ 4 actor and the creator of 4 4 Jean Valjean in the classic 4 4 screen presentation of “Les 4 4 Miserables” does some of his 4 4 most finished and appealing 4 4 work in 4 X ♦ X — t 4 A VAGABOND OF 4 ▲ FRANCE 4 X 4 4 An artistic feature. 4 4, PATHE 4 X - ♦ ▲ PATHE WEEKLY NEWS. 4 4 4 4 Admission 10 and 15 Cents. 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ELKS’ MINSTREL WILL BE PULLED OFF MARCH TENTH AND ELEVENTH. i It was definitely decided Saturday morning to stage the Elks’ minstrel ' in Newport on Monday and Tuesday, I March 10 and 11, Jas. Q. Blackwood, chairman of the committee on ar rangements, having received a tele gram from the well known minstrel man, Joe Brenn, that he will be able to give the lodge those dates. The con tract has been signed, and the com mittee will continue to make all ar rangements. Talent for the perform ance will be selected soon and the real work of preparing the program and rehearsing is to follow. Local Elks are enthusiastic over prospects for a successful perform ance on both dates. THE SOUTHERN COTTON OIL COMPANY HERE IN SURES ITS EMPLOYES. The Southern Cotton Oil Company, with numerous plants throughout the >uth, one of which is located here at Newport, has presented to each of its regular employes who has been six months or longer in its service, a life insurance policy for $500.00 or $1,000.00, according to salary paid, which policies are kept in force by the company without cost to the employ PS. R. H. Scruggs, manager of the Newport plant, states that‘this is but an indication of the interest this com pany has always taken in the welfare of its employes and that it has prov en a blessing to a number of families where the bread winner has been tak en away during the present epidemic of influenza. Miss Lochie Graham arrived home this morning from a six weeks’ stay ! in the east, a month of that time be ing in New York City, where sh» studied all the new styles in millinery. She will have charge of the trimming department at Mrs. H. Clay Sanders’, which is quite an honor for her, and ! where she is capable of doing her | work. On her return home she ! stopped off in Philadelphia where she I enjoyed a visit with the Crossland family, formerly of Newport, whom ! she reports well and getting along splendidly. \ ! - : A FAITHFUL WORKER FOR THE RED CROSS. For nearly two years past, since thousands of women all over the land have been steadily working under di : rection of the Red Cross, no really I earnest woman has worked for self aggrandizement or has sought praise for what she took to be her duty and her privilege to do. But, to those who have given so loyally and unselfishly ' of their time and labors, it is only right and proper that just recogni tion be made of their services, and in Jackson county the worn oi wrs, w. A. Billingsley is truly worthy of hon orable mention and a service badge. I In May, 1917, shortly after our government declared war, Mrs. Bil lingsley began correspondence lead ing up to the organization of a Red Cross Chapter, which was done in i June following. Because the entire organization of the American Red Cross, by reason of the war, had to , be enlarged and reformed, there were -many delays, and it was December be fore the sewing rooms were opened and ready for work, with Mrs. Bil lingsley as chairman of this depart ment. But during all this interval, She had been very busy, corresponding and securing authentic instructions, patterns and materials for the work. Mrs. Billingsley also organized the Surgical Dressings class and the Nursing Service, which today enables us to have the valued services of a county nurse, and during the influen za epidemic last fall when the work rooms were closed, devoted her time to making pneumonia jackets and otherwise assisting in getting out the emergency supplies incident to that call upon the chapter. For more than a year, Mrs. Bil lingsley has devoted practically every day from nine to six o’clock to Red Cross work, and attended to a vol ume of correspondence regarding it, in the evenings. This service has been rendered cheerfully and gladly and with no thought of praise, but it is a pleasure to render “honor to whom honor is due.” People of East Side Want Sidewalk Across Causeway The people of East Newport are up in arms, and not without cause. They are complaining about the present condition of the causeway, over whidh many persons pass every day and night to and from school and work. Following inclement weather the causeway is made almost impassable by reason of mud which accumulates in vast and slippery gobs, and the standing water in the roadway is thrown to one side by passing vehi cles, splashing against persons who happen to be in close proximity. The people of East Newport are asking that a board walk be built across the viaduct. About fifteen j high school children pass over the . place every day and a great majority of persons of the East Side come to j Newport regularly to and from work or on various business or missions. At this time these trips can be made with no degree of comfort, and espec- ( ially at nights, we are told, is the trip j not only disagreeable and difficult j but precarious. Another condition which confronts the people of East Newport is the matter of free mail delivery service, j We are told by Postmaster George R. Hays that should he report the con dition of the causeway, undoubtedly his office would be ordered by the government to discontinue the ser vice until repairs are made or an ad equate walkway built. He says he believes the only reason why the gov ernment has not stopped the service is because the government has not been notified of the condition. The causeway is represented in the Bridge Improvement District No. 1. The commissioners are W. D. Mc Lain, Junius Cox and James Grubbs. The Independent was unable to get in touch with either of these gentlemen today to learn if there is any contem plation of an early remedy for the sit uation. Residents who are complaining say they would be content even with a board walk across the viaduct, in order to avoid the mud. During high water the causeway was cut at two places to allow a water passage and its former state has never been restored. I BANK GUARANTY BILL. Special to Independent. Little Rock, Feb. 22.—House Bill No. 2, Representative Beard’s bank guaranty bill, which is virtually iden tical with the Greathouse Senate bill which suffered an ignominious death two weeks ago in the senate, reached the upper branch of the General As sembly yesterday and was read twice and referred to the Committee on Fi nance and Banking. It is not expected that the Beard , bill will meet with a better fate than the Greathouse measure, as the senate has not changed its complexion since the decisive vote against the bank guaranty principle. Advocates of the plan are preparing to initiate such a law by popular vote, it is said. ——. , Mrs. Allen Babcock, Mrs. G. E. Yeatman and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Gray ] of Batesville were guests at the Col- ] umbia hotel last night on their re- i turn from a two or three days’ stay ; at Hot Springs. 1 NEGRO WHO MURDERED HIS WIFE AND ANOTHER WOMAN REPORTED DYING. Dr. G. K. Stephens has received a telegram from the hospital for the insane stating that Frank Johnson, a negro sent to the asylum a year ago, is in a critical condition, the out come being uncertain. Johnson, it will be remembered, was a tenant on the Stephens farm near Newport, where about a year ago he shot and killed his wife and another negro woman named Bernice Suttop, and seriously wounded a ne gro man named Crump Sutton one Sunday afternoon. After a search of several days Johnson was found and brought to the county jail, where it was determined that he was insane, being sent to the state hospital. Johnson was one of the most inter sst'ing figures ever confined in the :ounty jail. He claimed that he was under the spell of a “hoodoo man,” who directed him to commit the mur iers with which he was charged, and uis case attracted a great amount of attention. EFFORTS DEFEATED. Special to Independent. Little Rock, Feb. 22.—Efforts to amend 22 counties out of Senator Bob Dollins’ bill for a uniform system of auditing of county books by the State Auditorial Department, led by Sena ;or Johnson of Carroll county, were lefeated yesterday in the senate. Senator Collins answered the only serious objection to his bill by submit ;ing an amendment reducing the :harges made on the counties for the work. The schedule of charges is aroportionate to the volume of county ausiness. The bill will come up for inal passage next week, in the sen ate, after which it will go to the louse. I .. ._______________—j » Announcing First-Showing - of Shirts For Spring 1919 * 4 V ' ' . ' *' ■ I'] yVjAacntjSnxi MANHATTAN AND WILSON BROS. -• . . $2-50 and up I ■ ’ p ■ . / i THE STAR CLOTHING COMPANY “THE APPAREL STORE FOR MENS i ! P. H. Van Dyke, Chairman, Suggests Citizens For Roads Department of Chamber of Comniccre. P. If. Van Dyke, chairman of the Good Roads Committee of the Cham ber of Commerce, has presented the |g| names of the following men to the Chamber as suggested members of the committee: C. G. Henry, W. D, McLain, Judge John Melville, J. R. Holden, Will Run- . yan, Sidney Mack and S. M. Bains of Newport, M B. Hare of Auvergne, Mike Denton of Grubbs, Nimrod Gra ham of Tuckerman, R. D. Wilmans of Diaz, Roy Moon of Swifton, W. D. Williams of Newport Route 1, W. N. Nance of Eight Mile, W. A. McCart ney of Remmel, J. R. Carter of Pen nington, Dr. Wm. Thomason, of Grand Glaise, I/. B. Mason of Bradford. The duties of the committee are to encourage the building of good roads in Jackson county and lend every aid possible to the development of senti ment for better highways. INDUSTRIAL COMMIS SIONER SEEKS LOCA TION FOR FACTORY. J. IT. Mara, industrial commissioner of the railroad administration, with headquarters at St. Louis, is seeking a location for a dimension mill to be operated by a big chair company. Mr. Mara would help locate the mill in Newport if a sufficient amount of timber can be assured for a ten years’ run at five million feet per year. The company would buy timber from land owners or purchase timber land wherever possible. In yesterday’s paper it was Sta*q4-'»afcs* that James Buchanan, who conducts a lumber mill on Black river, would positively erect a mill in Newport. • We wish to correct the statement and 1*1 say that Mr. Buchanan will move his mill to Newport if a suitable location i can be secured, freight rates adjusted ' | and a switch built to the site of his proposed mill. Mr. Buchanan is one of the best mill men in this section, * and it is hoped that he will be sue- . ; | cessful in his efforts here.' ■ ; • ■ $ *. -/f W. J. Robertson was down from ' Swifton yesterday and made this of- ; fice a pleasant visit. He has been a * subscriber to the Independent since;; its establishment eighteen years ago : l and says he never tires of reading it. ‘i Mr. Robertson comes to Newport to ! | . do much of his trading and says many persons from his section of the coun- ■ v" ty would visit our city more frequent- i| ly if the roads were in better condi- Jj * tion. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ NEWPORT BUSINESS + | FIRMS ARE LOSING A I MONEY. £ fi'J — V As remarkable as it may ^ seem, there are still a few ^ firms in Newport whose bus- ^ iness managers do not be- ^ lieve in advertising. Such ^ firms are losing money for ^ that reason. They probably ^ are making expenses, and ^ even earning some profits, ^ but they are not reaping the benefits which a well direct- ^ ^ ed advertising campaign ^ 4 would give them. We are ^ ^ glad to say, however, that ^ ^ Newport business men are ^ r ^ advertising more than ever ^ ^ before. That is explained 4 ^ by the fact that they have ^ ^ come to realize that it pays ^ ^ to advertise—the Independ- ^ ^ ent has proven that it pays. ^ ^ A year from now more ^ 4b business firms will be adver- ^ J ^ tising, because it takes time 4b to bring men to realize their ^ short-comings. And; a year ^ ^ from now the Independent ^ 4b expects to be printing eight ^ ^ pages—all home print—ev- 4)f 4b ery day, because Newport 4^ 4b will be bigger then and the ^ 4b merchants will have learned 4^ 4b more about advertising. ^4t ♦ ♦ ; ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ * ' • -;r . . .. - A-' -• h