Evening star., 1915-02-21
HE[DFOR TRIAL ON
SEVERAL CHARGES
Rockingham Man Put in Irons.
Virginia Land for For
est Reserve.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

WINCHESTER, Va. February 90
George Spellman, a farmer of the west
ern section of Rockingham county, has
been held for trial at Harrisonburg
on number of charges, all of which
were preferred against him in one
night by the authorities. who, in re-
sponse to telephone messages. rushed
to his home, found the house burning
down, while Spellman stood by, with
revolver in each hand, driving his
wife and three children away and
ordering every one off the premises. He
was "rusher" by the sheriff and
deputies, who. after a desperate en-
counter. overpowered Spellman, placed
him in irons and hurried him off to jail
1t happened that he was placed in the
same cell with his brother, Samuel
Spellman. who is held on a charge of
stealing wheat recently from a South
ern railway car at Harrisonburg.
The committee of the national forest
reserve has approved the purchase of
$3.50 acres of land, much of which is
in the Shenandoah area, and situated
in the Blue Ridge and Massanutten
mountains of Page, Shenandoah and
Warren counties. 1t is stated that the
owners sold at very reasonable prices.
nearly every one accepting what was
offered by the government, for the land
was not regarded suitable for farming
purposes The government is getting
more options on land of the water
shed of the MaSsanutten mountains in
the three counties referred to.
According to message received here
yesterday from Bristol. the government
has also bought tract of 10000 acres
about ten miles from that city from
\. T. Smalling. who acquired the land
some years ago from the Norton
LewiS-W elley Lumber Company, cor
poration, which was at that time
operating a lumber mill in Bristol. The
electric line of the Bristol Traction
Company extends to Bib Creek Park,
Al the base of the mountain, where
these lands are located.
Berkeley Hotel Planned.
1t is learned at Berkeley Springs that
Alexander NcNeill of Washington and
Eugene Van Rensselaer, of New York
have positively arranged to begin the
erection of a new observation-disclosures
and-dollar hotel at that resort, and
that no further extension of time will
he asked of the board of control of
West Virginia. Plans and specifica-
tions are to be ready for bidders on
or about June l, and it is stated that
the contract will be awarded shortly
present site of the Van Rensselaer,
HON The matter has been deferred
from time to time, but it Is now stat
ed that the promoters have all the
financial backing they need. 1t has
been reported repeatedly. and never
denied, that the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad is financially interested in the
development of Berkeley Springs. and
that ii will make some important i'm
provements to that branch.
Among those sailing today from New
York for Europe was Miss Mary
Fletcher of Charlottesville. who went
in company with a number of Red
Cross nurses, who will do hospital serv-
ice in France. Miss Fletcher Is presi-
dent of the nurses examining board
of the state of Virginia, and superin-
tendent of the cadet hospital at the
Virginia Military Institute in Lex1ng-
ton. She expects to return to the
United States in September.
Scottish Rite Masons to Meet.
Scottish Rite Masons of the Southern
Jurisdiction of the United States to the
number of 100 or more, will be in Har-
risonburg March 10 for the purpose of
comforting the Scottish Rite degree
upon a large number of candidates
from many sections of the state. The
ceremonies will be under the auspices
of Alexandria Consistory, No. 2, of
Alexandria, Va, and many prominent
thirty-second degree Masons of Wash
ington and Virginia will attend.
number of thirty-third degree Masons
from Washington are also expected.
The ceremonies will be concluded with
q banquet.
The district chairnen throughout the
state have received word from State
Commissioner Henry VI. Boykin of the
Virginia Belgian relief commission OF
Richmond that this state will continue
TO send supplies to the people of Bel
sium in accordance with a request re-
ceived earlier in the week by GOV.
stuart from the American society's
headquarters in New York 1t is stated
that large quantities of donations have
been received in Norfolk and Richmond
since the first shipload went from this
state, and many plans of raising addl-
tional funds and supplies are being
worked out 1t is possible that Nir-
ginia will contribute another shipload
for the BelgianS.