Woodruff County news. [volume] (McCrory, Ark.) 1901-1910, 1906-08-30
ARKANSAS BRIEFS

| ages 1Or Iue puDuCdIlOn Oh dlloSSQ
libelous statements. The statements
upon which the suit is based are al
legged to have been published in the
Arkansas Democrat August 80, 1905.
1t is alleged that in a special dispatch
dated "Pocahontas,' it was stated
that John Spain, who had been de-
mented for several months, had died
and on his deathbed had confessed
to having murdered his brother-in-law,
Pay McKiou, two years before, by put
ting poison in some whiskey which
McKiou drank. The complaint alleges
that these statements amounted to a
charge against the plaintiff of insan-
ity and murder, to his damage in the
sum of $4,000. The Arkansas Dem.
ocrat has been sold since the publ
cation of these statements and is now
published by the Little Rocl Publish
ing Company, an entirely different
company.
At the recent meeting of the Young
Peoples Missionary Conference for
the Southwest, held at Sloan Springs,
there were nine denominations repre-
sented, with total representation
of 127, of which SO were men and SO
women, as follows: Southern Presby-
terrain, rs; Presbyterian, U. S. A, 16;
United Presbyterian, rs; Presbyterian,
l; Methodists, 26; Baptists, s. Chris
tians, 2; Episcopalian, l; Congrega-
tionalists, 1. Ten states were repre-
scented, as follows: Arkansas, So;
Texas, 81 Missouri, 20; Louisiana,
Is; Indian Territory, 5; Tennessee, 4;
Virginia, 1. Kentucky, /; Alabama, 1;
Georgia, 1. There were 20 volunteers
for foreign missionaries; mission
aries; from Japan /, China q Korea l,
Cuba 1; so pastors, IA Sunday school
superintendent, q Sunday school
teachers. There were present sc
persons who promised to teach mission
study classes at home.
J. E. McCook, warden of the state
convict farm in Lincoln county, was
in Little Rock recently in conference
with Superintendent ]. A. Pitcock.
He said the outlook for a large yield
on the farm is good and that from
present indications the state farm
will produce 1900 bales of cotton.
More corn has been raised than at
any one time before, and cribs are
being erected to house during the
winter and next spring 1t will be
used to feed the stock on the farm.
Throughout, he says, the present crop
will be the banner crop for the farm.
At present, little labor is needed on
the farm and about 700 of the con-
victs are now working under contract
in the railroad camps over the state.
The Commercial Club of Fort
Smith has decided to extend an in
vitation to William ]. Bryan to speak
there this fall at the statehood cele-
bration, which will take place one
day during the stock show in October
Mr.. Bryan will be met in st, Louis
by committee of five from the Com
mercial Club while On his way from
his reception in New York and pre-.
scented the invitation. In addition to
Mr.. Bryan, there will be invited prom
inent citizens OF Indian Territory and
Oklahoma. The mayor of every city
in the new state will be invited.
A great many improvements are
being made at the Blind School, pre-
paratory for the opening in October.
Two new porches have been built,
and another is now in course of con
struction on the front of the main
building, which will add much to the
comfort of the pupils, and the appear
ance of the school. In addition to
these, new floors are being put in and
| the interior is being generally put in
to better condition. water tank
is being erected at cost of $4,000,
that will provide a force sufficient to
throw a stream of water to the top
of the building, which cannot be done
with the present service.
There has been a considerable let
up in the building being done in Little
| Rock. For some time there were
large numbers of houses being erect
ed, but for some reason there were
| few new contracts closed during Aug
ust. A prominent contractor has
made the statement that the cause
for the let up is the high price of
lumber. All grades of lumber have
been advanced materially this year,
and now the average five-room house
costs, roughly speaking, $3.50 more to
erect than this time last year.
| ]. A. Beckham, who was sheriff of
Miller county from 1898 to 1902, was
shot and killed by man named Brock,
near Gillian, La, SO miles south OF
here, on the Texarkana, Shreveport
and Natchez Railroad, on August IS.
| Beckham was for many years one of
! the most influential citizens of Miller
county. He is said to have been in
toxicated at the time of the fatal diff
Guilty, which otherwise would have
| been ayerted Ordinarily he was one