davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The farmer and mechanic., 1915-03-16
DOOM OF THE FEATHER
BED STRIKES MISSOURI
Great LcvathanS Are No Longer to
BE Found in the Homes of that

Uncle Sam has condemned the
feather bed. A recent report Of the
United States Public Health Service
denounces it as insanitary, with
great capacity for evil" This will not
meet. with much favor in certain rural
districts of Missouri, Arkansas and
Tennessee where it is yet the Gus
mother to give her a feather bed,
says The Kansas City STAR
There are communities within one
hundred miles of Kansas City where
the best bed in the house, in the
spare bedroom is built Of two ticks,
the one beneath stuffed with oat or
wheat straw and the one above filled
with feathers. If you happen to be
an overnight guest at one Of those
homes you will be shown at bedtime
into the room where this leviathan of
beds stands ~ a cOrne. 1t is almost
as high as an elephants back, and
one needs to use a chair to climb
| into it. But once mounted upon it
| you sink into its tWO-feet thickness
| what Uncle Sans health board may
say, there is something in = good
feather bed that induces sound and
| reStful sleep. In the old days in
Missouri every one slept in feather
beds except the very poorest, and
| they had mattresses Of straw or corn
husks.
| There were as many different
grades Of feather beds as there We're
classes Of people. At the top of the
| social ladder in the country districts
were the real folks" the prosperous
ones who owned broad prairie farms
and had many slaves. The heads OF
those families were colonels and
| majors. The beds n those homes
were stuffed with the softest and
fleeciest feathers from geese and
ducks. No chicken feathers went into
one Of those beds.
Next in order in the social scale
came the "overseer stock" the fam
lilies of white men hired upon the
large farms. Their beds We're o!
chicken feathers.
Next came the :'Bluffites." poor
families whose unproductive farm!
were along the rought and stoney
river and creek bluffs. Fine feather:
brought too good a price in the mar
ket for them to use to sleep upon
and their bedticks were stuffed with
wing and tail feathers stripped from
bed, with sharp prOtuberances tt
,, annoy the sleeper. In those days, i
person slept badly, 1t was common
/ to say: 81 slept on wing feathers las
night"
!. The lowest social caste was com
posed of Swamp angels" those VIII
, lived in the ''bottom' lands along ht
! creeks and rivers. They spent S
much money for quinine and othe
chills and fever medicines that ther
: was nothing left for feather beds
and they slept upon cOrnhusk mat
, tresSes.
In the cities today feather beds ar
, rare. They are so scarce in Kansa
City that the chief distinction OF
, rich woman of the South Side is tha
, she has feather beds in her home.
This is the age Of cotton nlattres
! and steel springs, and it will be onl
+ q few years until the feather bed, tha
p almost swallows it's sleepers in it
+ soft grasp, will be a thing of the pas
: even in remote rural districts.
The farmer and mechanic., 1915-03-16

The shrapnel is really a flying can
non. which shoots its charge while in
flight or explodes on contact. us
speed OF 100000 feet a second IS pro
duced by pressure Of from 10000
to $4,000 pounds a square inch rom
the powder that expels it from the
gun
The farmer and mechanic., 1915-03-16

With an annual output or 3o:oVV,-
coo barrels, California now leads all
other States in the prod uction OF pc
1roleum. Next IL the order named
come Oklahoma. Illinois. Texas,
e-nsylvania. Louisiana. west Nlr-
ginia, Ohio. Wyoming, Kansas and
Indiana.
The farmer and mechanic., 1915-03-16

In giving advice TO the theological
Students the evangelist cautioned
against getting Everything into their
3eSmons except the Bible" He re-
peated the story Of the man who was
willing to contribute $40 to the fund
Tor the heather at the beginning Of
sermon. The preacher became SO
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15

A lot of discussion then occurred,
when w. G. Howard, who visited a
small building near the scene Of the
tragedy. in which one of the states
witness testified that he was located
during the shooting, was placed on the
stand He had been sent there to
make observations Of any from the
building. He gave some figures and
made some statements to the effect
that it would have been impossible
for any che in the building at the time
he was there, to have seen accurately
the movements of two men stationed
where the killing occurred.
Mr.. Tally objected to the testimony,
saying that the building had been
damaged during the September storm,
and had been repaired since then
Consequently it's condition was not the
same as it was on the morning of the
Killing
The jury, was sent from the court
room. while the attorneys discussed
the case. Mr.. Cassidy told the court
that Mr.. Rose, at a former hearing,
had made certain statements regard
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15
NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTED TRUS.
TEES GALE OF LAND.

Under the provisions of and By vir-
tue of the authority conferred upon
me as substituted trustee in. a deed Of
trust made by VIII jackson and Sadie
Jackson to R. +. Carmichael on the
21st day Of April, 1915. to secure a
certain Indebtedness to the said r. E.
Carmichael, and which said deed Of
trust is recorded in Book y, at PAGE
All of the Records Of Mortgages and
Deeds of Trusts on Land in the Chan
Gerry Clerks office of Forrest County,
Mississippi and which deed of trust
has been assigned as per article OF
Of assignment dated November 18th,
1915, and duly recorded at page 80, in
Book Is of the above mentioned mort
gage records, and the assignee there
under having duly made substitution
of trustee as per article of substitu-
ton dated November 18th. 1915, and
of record at pages 95 and 9G, in book
Is of the above mentioned mortgage
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15

W court opened at $50 o'clock
this morn :. Mr. Tally and Mr.. Hall
announced Judge Johnson that the
state woulG rest for the time being.
The defensc then began making ready
for introdl ing its witnesses.
There W re numerous and continu-
Gus delay, however, and up to 1920
o'clock, at three witnesses for the
state had appeared on the stand. The
court en- Favored to speed the work,
hut it was to no avail Finally at
1920 o'clock, he announced that he
would adjourn court till II o'clock. or
until the arrival of two witnesses
which Mr.. Cassidy and Mr.. Currie
said were necessary.
E. C. Elson, the official senog
rapher of the circuit court, was the
first witness 70 be examined. He
stated that he was at New Augusta
during the first trial of Leverett, and
that he had taken the stenographic
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15
State Rests; Defense Then Begins
Introducing Witnesses; Many Delays

notes of the trial. He took the testi-
mony of Mr.. Newell, who testified on
Saturday as to the manner Bradley
carried a package and his lunch bas-
ket on the ni.fning he was Eilled.
Mr. Elson stated that he had COM
pared his stenographic notes of Mr..
Newelrs testimony, with the tran
scribed notes, and found that they
agreed to the letter. Newell, at the
Perry county trial, Elson said that
records showed, testified that Bradley
carried the lunch box and the package
in his right hand. At this term of the
court, he testified that his left arm
was engaged in this.
Bradley, it has been proved, was a
left handed ilan.
Would you swear that your tran
scribed account Of the testimony is
perfect, accurate, and complete?" Mr.
Tally asked Ellison.
mo, ! could hot do that. Rut will
say that none Of my records ever has
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15

the picture if it were here. When
he produced this, he said: This is
what caused the trouble
q found the shot gun of Leverett's
in his room in The hotel, under the
bed.
'Leverett made no attempt to es-
cape while being carried from Rich
ton to New Augusta"
On cross examination, Mr. Cassidy
asked Ezell to repeat Leverett's an
swer to the question did you know
Bradley was in Richton?"
Gle said to me: 4 came over here
to kill the - and | am now the
happiest man in the world, are his
exact words"
Mr. Cassidy asked if EzelI. at the
prelimipary hearing, did not quote
Leyerett as having said, Il came over
here to kill him and | am now the
happiest man in the world"
Ezell said that he had not quoted
the man that way.
Cassidy read from the stenographic
report Of the hearing in question, but
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15
and Court Clash For
the First Time During the Trial

ing the building. Mr. Tally said that
Mr.. Cassidy was somewhat in error
and gave his version of the Rose tes
timony. Judge Johnson then said
that he remembered the testimony o.
Rose, and started to give his version
of it, when Mr.. Cassidy objected.
4 object to the court giving testi-
mony as to what occurred at a previ-
Gus trial, as it would be preiudicial to
the defense"
Judge Johnson the7 announced that
Mr.. Cassidy had wrcngfully stated
the facts Of the case; that he had not
quoted the court in the way the court
had made his assertions"
Howard explained that he did not
know the condition of the building in
question on August &c.
Cam Watkins. who made the inspec-
ton of the house with Howard was
then called, but was absent. An at
tachment was issued for him., and
Judge Johnson then announced that
he would reverse his former decision,
and allow the court to take a recess
until the arrival of Rose and Watkins.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15
I'm the Happiesf Man In II 0rId
Ezou SQus LeUeret Told Him

Archie Eel, town marshal OF Rich
ton, who made The arrest of Leverett,
and who carried him in an automobile
from Richton to New Augusta, where
he turned him over to the deputy
sheriff there, made an excellent wit
ness for the state. The defense tried
Ezell at this trial varied, so far as the
wording is concerned from that given
at the preliminary hearing Mr.. Cas-
sedy stated that the stenographer at
the original preliminary hearing, who
took the record of the testimony
would testify later, and would swear
that the testimony of Ezel as con-
tanned in the transcripts of the first
hearing was literally true.
The story of Ezell is substantially
as follows:
Il saw Leverett at the hotel on the
morning of August &c He was eating
breakfast | went into the dining room
where he sat, and placed him under
arrest. He readily consented. | had
gone to the hotel in answer to a tel
ephone call received a few moments
before. This message said that a man
had been killed near the n. O., M. &
c. tracks. and that the man response
bic for the killing then was at the
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15

Ezell said that the court reporter had
made an error in taking down the
wording.
The attorney said that he would
later introduce the stenographer who
made the notes.
Manager Smith, of the Richton Lum-
Der Company, was not a witness to
the killing. but he gave testimony con-
corning Bradley's efforts to protect
himself.
Bradley came to my office in the
mill one day, and told me that he was
expecting to have some trouble"
Smith said "He said that he had a
pistol, and that he wanted to leave it
with me in the Office during the hours
he was on dutys the plant told
him I had rathE,that he would not
do this. as ! had no desire in the
world to become Implicated in any
possible trouble.
Bradley took the negative reply
good naturally, and went away
THE dead man owned a pistol, and
cOnSpOlpntIv carried If -
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15
Pick Up That Gun, Ven Shoot
1t Out, LeUeref Cried" ---EUoreH

II. Everett gave some rather dra-
matte evidence not brought out before
during this trial. Everetts story is
one of the strongest bits of testimony
which the state has produced al
and by Leverett before the latter fired
OF other witnesses.
He was the closest man TO the trag-
edy, it is believed. He was only 10
yards away, and was near enough TO
hear the last words spoken by Bradley
and by Levereu before the latu fred
upon the former.
Leyerttt, heAsmd, drew two h
Folyers from his pockets He tossed
ere these toward Bradley Il fell
al MS feet He held the remaining
pistol down by the right side Of his
leg for considerable time.
"'Get that gun, and we'll shoot
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15
Testimony of Witnesses Varies;
COnSei for Defense are 'GLeeUL

John Newell, a Richton resident,
swore that he was standing about no
from the two men on the morning Of
the tragedy and that he had wines
sed it all
Newel's testimony. however, varied
considerably with that of other eye
witnesses, and the defense, it is I'M
derstocd, viii endeavor to shake the
testimony Of all Of the eye Witnesses
on this account.
Newelrs story told the court was
that Leyerett DROPPED one Of the
two pistols which he mad hurriedly
drawn from his pockets, and began
firing with the other
Other Witnesses said that Leverett
tossed one of the pistols at the feet o.
the slain man, and told him to pick it
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15

up and that the two would settle their
differences by shooting it out.
NewelPs testimony in brief was:
q was approximately 10 feet from
the point where the firing began.
saw Leyerett hurriedly put his hands
in his two pockets, and tug away at
the two pistols which he was after
1t took but moment to bring the
pistols into action. He dropped one
or the pistols 10 the ground in some
way. and before it had struck the
earth began firing at Bradley with
the remaining one. simultaneously,
and on the self same instant that the
first shot was fircd, Bradley wheeled
and started to run The turning and
the firing occurred at the same in
slant. Bradley continued to run until
three other shot had been fred
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15

come back to me from the supreme
court for any corrections"
R. E. Robinson, a stenogranher, now
4 employed at the Komp Machine
! Works in this city, was the next wit
ness introduced, and before he had
left the stand, it was easily seen that
the states counsel are going to make
hard fight to have Leverett con-
victed.
Robinson said that he took the ties
timony at the preliminary hearing.
! having been engaged and paid by J.
w. Cassidy, Leyerett's chief counsel
He was regularly employed at THAI
time by Currie & Currie, the Hat
burg law firm. He said that he took
stenographically, the testimony of
( Archie Ezell the town marshall of
RichtOn, who arrested Leyerett after
the killing.
Mr.. Cassidy read the following ques-
ton and answer, said to have been
given by Ezell at the preliminary hear
ing, and asked Robinson if he had
taken them down accurately:
Q-"What did he Oeverett) say
to you about being in RichtOn?
A. He said that he had come
there to kill him and that he was the
happiest man in the world"
Mr.. Tally on cross examination ask
ed Robinson if he were an expert set
nOgrapher. He replied that he was.
He then asked him if he was positive
his transcription of the testimony of
Ezell and of the other witnesses. was
accurate in detail. He said that he
was.
During that trial" Mr.. Tally then
asked, did you not find it difficult
to take down the questions and an
swers? Did you not repeatedly ask
me, and ask the court to have the
witnesses wait, or talk more slowly,
in order to give you a chance to get all
the statements dCwn?"
Robinson said yes, but that he had
made this request in order to be sure
that his notes were accurate
you say that you are an expert
stenographer" Mr.. Tally continued
Are you willing to give q domonstra
ton of your eXpertness here, before
this court? Are you willing to take
down a statement from me, and ther
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15

Several times, Lcyerett held his
right hand upwards, and declared that
he would swear to God that those
statements were lies"
Mr.. Tally asked: You were in
Richton from Tuesday afternoon till
Thursday morning. Did you see any
sawmill men, to ask for job?"
He replied that he had not seen a
sawmill man.
Q. You say you found this I'M
signed letter in Bradley's pocket?"
a. Yes
Q. After you got that letter on
June 5, how many days did you spend
with your wife,"
A. Several days
@. When did you leave home for
Richton?7
4 sunday preceding the killing.
Q. "On your direct examination,
you said that you told Bradley that
YOU wouldn't believe any thing any
woman would say about your wife,
A. q did"
@. why did you walk away after
shooting Bradley, leaving the small
pistol on the ground?'
A. Did you ever 90 through such
..,ro~;oDroo ,,o,-ar tbpuUbt Of
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15

it OUT LeVerett said to Bradley.
But Bradley made no move to
reach the weapon. He still car
ried his lunch box and a package.
He let it lie on the ground, but
slowly began raising his right
hand upwards. When it had got
ten as far as his waist band,
Leverett opened fire. could not
see what followed this first shot.
A railroad man named Moore ties
tilted that he saw Leverett fire the
first shot at Bradley The layer was
facing tho former at ,theesFne hc
said.
when the first shot was fired,
Bradley turned, and Leverett fired
again." Moore said. THE embank
ment at that point INSTRUCTED my
range OF vision, and l saw no more
after that"
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15
One Of LeUereffS Counsel Absent;
CQSsody Asks For Recess; Refused

J. L. Wright, testified as TO inspect
ing Bradley's body after the shooting.
q went to the scene, he said. and
when | reached there the body was on
the ground, face downward There
were five Or six other persons there.
assisted in tuning the body over.
Bradley's shirt was unbuttoned, and
there was a pistol on the ground. un-
der the stomach. Both arms we're out
from the body the right crooked, and
the other at angles.
Il saw the wound in the chest.
which was a large one, and the skin
protruded. The one in the back was
small, and was inclined to carry the
skin inward"
Following this testimony, Mr. Cas-
sedy asked that the court take a re-
cess, owing to the absence of E. E.
Rose. one OF Leverett's counsel. He
said that he had depended largely on
Roses information concerning what
the witnesses knew. in conducting the
case; that he was due to have arrived
this morning, but for some reason had
not shown up
The court explained that on Satur-
day he had declined to take a recess,
when District Attorney Hall was fore
ed to leave on account of a severe
case OF tOothache and that he would
decline to recess today.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15

Mr.. asCsedy then took exceptions to
the ruling, explaining that it was nee
essary to have Mr.. Rose present that
1eyerett was given constitutional
right TO select his attorneys. and that
Mr. Rose had been selected. He was
absent. and to continue The case with
out him, was depriying the witness of
his constitutional privileges.
This exception was taken down by
the stenosrarher. and viii be included
in the court record
Judge Johnson then asked the ste
nographer to take This statement:
Last Saturday night. Mr.. Rose ask
ed me what time today court would
convene, and told him at $50 o'clock.
and he said that he would be here
at that time
y. W. Cassidy and Neil T. Currie
have been conducting the case for
Leverett since it was transferred to
Forrest z. E. Rose, II. d. Young,
and other lawyers supposed to be con
nected with the case, have occupied
seats opposite the jury, and. so far
as / have been able to observe, never
have taken part in it. This court
has not seen Mr.. Rose open his mouth
to either Mr. Cassidy OF. Mr.. Currie
since the trial began Mr. Cassidy
and Mr.. Currie have been conducting
(COntinued on Page Eighty
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15

records. and having been requested so
to do by the assignee, will on the
9Th Gay of December, 1915,
the same being the first Monday in
December. 1915. offer for sale and will
sell at public auction for cash to the
highest and best bidder. at the frorf
or Main Street door of the Court House
OF the said Forrest County. during
legal hours the following described
real estate, Wing and situate in the
City Of Hattiesburg, County of Forrest.
and State of Mississippi, to-wit: Lot
one, in block thirtysix, according to
the Hicks subdivision of the Hardy e.
Scott survey and addition to the City
Of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, as per
recorded plat of said subdivision on
file with the Chancery Clerk of said
County and State, together with the
thereon.
Witness my signature this the 18th
day of November, A.. D.. 1915.
r. j. Bishop,
153mons Substituted Trustee.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15
Il Came Here TO Kill Him, and
Did; Please Call the Officers

photograph OF woman and two
children. ."'That is why / kind
him." Vicks said LeveTett ex-
planned.
He also testified that Bradley did
not own a pistol, so far as he knew
until about two weeks before he met
his death.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-15
HERE is WHAT THE STATE AND
THE DEFENSE ARE TRYING TO
PROVE IN THE LEVERETT CASE
WHAT THE STATE is TRYING TO STOW.

That Ed Bradley shot down blood at Rchton
Miss, by Tom Leverett some fam
cied grievance him; the killing
planned premeditated; that vere Bradley
about the country repeatedly, with killing him.
that Bradley always had left avoid trouble
came Richon SO hours before finally Bradley:
the preceding "a hours before the killing spent
trying to locate his man; that he mill
peatediy day and night taking travelled by
Bradley in going to and from home that morning
the trouble the prisoner appeared friendly
the dead man, until point beyond &
reached, when he reyovers throwing
at Bradleys feet said: Come on out that
Bradley shrewd pistol fearing that he
would be fired while STOPPING over; Levere
that Bradley would place himself this position fired
him. and that he trying to run
from danger; that he made to defend himself
after Leyerett had drawn his gun.
WHAT THE DEFENSE TRY TO SHOW:
That Leverett did follow Bradley to Richton with
view of killing him. that given such an oppor
tunty in the past had done So but had
passed that despite the alleged improper
Leveret said had existed Bradley wife
still loved the that the morning tragedy
accidentally Bradley, walked the railroad
him, and that the conversation trner
erences of the that Bradley, speaking
Gets wife called her vile name that the hus
band would only listen prove to his
satisfaction that she the type described
eret took exceptions these names quarrel
lowed that Levere made afrort Bradley
latter reached into his shirt pistol fired upon
him. that he did shoot until necessary to do so
his life.