Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1905-05-05
THE OLD DOMINION
Latest News Cleaned From All Over
The State.


Bethel on June 10 has been completed
Addresses will be delivered by Governor,
Montague and Major E. J. Hale and
Gov. R. B. Glenn, of North Carolina.
and by Rev. DR.. E. Pendleton Jones, OF
Hampton, son of Rev. DR.. J. William
Jones, Stonewall Jackson's old chaplain.
The monument will be unveiled by Mis-;
Maggie Tabb, of York county, repre-.
senting the Confederate organizations OF
this section, assisted by Miss Fannie
Kyle, of Fayetteville, N. c., representing
The organizations of that State. Tie
church is about seven miles from this
city.
A force of shipyard mechanics is still
working on the cruiser Maryland at New
port News putting on the finishing touch
cs. The ship is taking on 'Juppies from
the Norfolk Navy Yard, but it will be
several weeks before she will be ready
to go to sea.
By a water main breaking the town of
Berryville, Clark county, is threatened
with water famine The town has
been without water for over a week.
The cistern and wells are low.
A popular subscription has been
started in Richmond for the erection in
that city of monument to Joseph Jeffer
son. 1t bids fair 10 be successful. The
city is expected to provide site.
The famous Harper case was brought
to close at Big Stone Gap, by the
failure of the attorneys for the creditors
holding claims against Edward l.. Har-
per to appear at the trial. Referee in
Bankruptcy D. F. Bailey, of Bristol,
formally refused TO appoint a trustee
to take charge of the Harper assets, and
will refer the case back 10 the United
States Circuit Court with the recommen-
dation that the applicant be discharged
as bankrupt. The action of Referee
Bailey virtually relieves Mr.. Harper Of
all liability for debts aggrcgating many
millions of dollars incurred chiefly
through speculations on the Chicago
wheat market many years ago
Rev. William d. Smith, of Fredericks-
burg, has been called to Christ Episcopal
Church, of Winchester. ft
Little Ralph Smith, six years old,
beatensto death by his mother, were the
main facts in the revolving details be-
fore a coroner's jury in Manchester
Mrs. Mary Smith, the child's mother,
was arrested when the neighbors dis
covered the crime, and she spent the
night in jail. The coroner's jury declared
the mother guilty of the boys murder,
and the father, Shepherd K. Smith ac-
cessory to the crime. Mrs. Smith de-
clares she committed 10 wrong, but was
obliged to correct the child. The woman
is intelligent, but is said TO have bad
temper. Mrs. Crostic, ncighbor, stated
that she heard someone was dying at the
Smiths, and, going there, found Ralph
dead upon the floor, without any cloth
ing upon his body, which was cut and
bruised from head to foot. Asked why
the child was cut and bruised, the mother
said she had whipped it with razor
strop. Lynwood Turner, 10 years old,
playmate of Ralph, also told tale Of
many beatings and constant cruelty, and
sobbed through his testimony The evil
dence went to show that the child was
punished to death by degrees, and that
he expired after day of carnival with
the whip, sticks, fists and razor strop. The
razor strop had a steel catch and hook
on one end, and it was this that made the
serious cuts on the head and body.
When found the child's hair was mat
ted with blood, gashes cut in his face
and breast and nearly every part OF his
body was bruised Lynwood Turner
said that Ralph made no fuss when his
mother beat him, because if he had she
would beat him a great deal more. he
said he had seen the father beat him
with broken ak handle, tying the boys
hands behind him while he whipped him,
and threw him against the floor. He
said he saw Ralph hiding behind the
back fence, so weak that he could hardly
stand. and then saw his mother pull
him into the house, choking him. Later
he heard something like rocks being
thrown against the floor, and supposed
it was Ralph. The jury and officers
turned pale and sick from these awful
details.
AT Bristol, Rober! Pile, a magistrate
and wealthy citizen of the place, filed
suit for divorce from his wife tho grounds
being desertion. Mrs Pile left Bristol
two years ago, taking her two sons and
two daughters to Winchester, Va. They
afterwards removed to Charlottesville,
where the oldest son in now student
at the University of Virginia. 1t is UNI
derstood that Mrs. Pile will not resist
the suit, and Pile will not ask for any
of her property, which is valued at
$4,000.
John Mccarthy, an aged and wealthy
citizen of Roanoke, was thrown IRON his
carriage in a runaway and received ILL
juries that may prove fatal.
Considerable losses from theft and
robbery have compelled the officers OF
the navy yard to begin the practice OF
examining the packages and the lunch
baskets of the employees as they leave
the navy yard. The new order OF the
commandment, Admiral Harrington. to
search every man as he leaves the yard,
became operative Saturday night. 1t
caused a great sensation and some re-
sentiment among the $500 employees.
Thirty or forty men were held for carry
ing tools and small articles OF govern
ment property away. This order, follow
ing the recent search of the pawnshops
of Norfolk, in which many thousands
of dollars worth of clothing and equip
ments were found and seized, indicates
that the officers are concerned at the
extensive robberies which have been per-
petrated.
Sayed Amecn, of the firm OF Ameen
Bros, of Petersburg, in company with
a companion, left Petersburg in a boat
and went down the Appomattox River
to fish. Ameen left his companion and
went off, it is said, TO a branch TO hsii
for minnows. His companion later found