The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-11-11
AM ASCENDING PRINTER.
The South Mississippian's New Publisher
Takes Sudden Leave.

The South Mississippian's New Publisher
Takes Sudden Leave.
| Persons who receive the South
Mississippian, published in this
city, doubtless noticed the shabby,
non-descript appearance of its last
weeks issue, and that it carried no
ones name either as editor, pub
fisher or proprietor; and thereby
hangs short story which will in
terest many of our readers. It will
probably be remembered that it
was published in The Leader of
Oct. 31st that the South Mississip-
pan had just been sold by Prof. w.
H. Weathersby, its proprietor and
one of the original owners, to Mr..
Leroy DeArmond, practical print
er, who would at once assume
charge.
1t appears that when the deal
was closed, DeArmond, not having
the money to pay cash for the
property or make any considerable
payment on it, gave Weathersby
$500 as earnest money and agreed
to pay for the property on the
monthly installment plan, giving
his notes for the purchase price on
that basis.
Having thus disposed of the mat
ter, Prof. Weathersby turned the
Office and newspaper outfit over to
DeArmond and returned to his col
lege duties at Clinton. Certain
unsettled claims and business of
the paper, due under the terms of
the sale to the old management,
were left in Diamonds hands to
be collected and accounted for.
1t further appears that Dear
mond, on taking charge, proceeded
to do some job printing and make
ready for getting out the next is
sue of the Mississippian, as though
he intended to act in good faith !;
but the day before the date for the
paper to appear, he suddenly disap.
peared and his whereabouts are
still unknown. A printer who had
been employed by him, not know
ing what to do, under the circum-
stances, finally decided to issue the
paper late next day in the run
down-at-the-heel style it appeared
to its readers.
Having been notified of the sit
luation, Prof. Weathersby was here
Monday trying to find where he
was a" and discovered that De-
Almond had collected about $75. 90
on the good accounts he left in his
hands and carried the money off
with him. It was also learned that
he had borrowed between one and
two hundred dollars in cash from
one of his wife's relatives, under
pretense of investing that in his
business, and that was also missing.
The printer he had employed in
forms The Leader that he also bor~
rowed from him the day he disap-
peared all the loose change he had
in his pockets, under the pretense
of wanting to pay freight bill at
the depot, and he left without ac-
counting for it.
DeArmond made his first appear
ance in Brookhaven about a
year ago, when he came, an entire
stranger, to work for The Leader.
He promptly set about winning the
affections of beautiful and at
tractive young lady of this city.
Miss Ada Bayliss, and a. hasty and
what has since proved an iIl-ad
vised marriage soon. followed over
the protest of some of her nearest
relatives, because so little was
known or could be learned of his
antecedents. Soon after his mar
riage his employment in The Lead
er office ceased by mutual consent
and since that date he has never re-
manned at any place very long at
time, having divided his time be-
tween Mississippi, Tennessee,
Louisiana, Texas, and possibly
other States. So far as we know,
he has never given any satisfactory
proof of the rectitude of his past
life, and it is not improbable that
this last chapter we have given of
his history is like others which pre-
ceeded it. He left his distressed
young wife and baby in arms in
Brookhaven with her mother.
Mr.. D. E. Drury, latel of Me-
Comb City, the printer who was in
DeArmond's employ when the lat
ter disappeared. informs The Lead
er that he has now bargained for
the purchase of the South Missis-
sippian, and that it will appear
again this week.