Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1925-04-23
WILKES MAN GETS
4OYEARSENTENCE
Paul M. Crouch Convicted of Com
munism by Court Martial in Hon.
olulu-Was Organizing to Over
throw the Government.
(Wilkes Journal.)

Paul M. Crouch, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. |. NJ. Crouch, of Hayes, this
county, who was sentenced to pri-
son by court martial for alleged COM
munistic activities in the army in
Honolulu for a period of 40 years,
! is considered an unusual parsonage
by those who knew him here. He is
said by those who are intimately ac-
quainted with him to possess a pecu-
liar intellect, and that he is an odd
nature. He is about 21 years of age.
Young Crouch was born near Mo-
ravian Falls, six miles southeast of
this city. A few years following his
birth his parents moved to Delaware.
Here Paul attended school, but with
the exception of year or two of
training in high school, his educa-
ton has been limited to home train
ing. He has read much and whatever
communist ideas he has gathered have
been acquired by reading books on
this subject. He has a wonderful
mentality, it is learned, and is capa-
bic of discussing almost any subject,
local, national or international.
After spending few years in Del
aware young Crouch's father pur-
chased a farm in Florida, and they
removed to that state. Not satisfied
in the extreme south, they came back
to their native state and county and
settled near Hays postoffice, where
today the aged parents reside in a
little humble cottage in the foothills
of the Blue Ridge mountains of north
western North Carolina.
While in this state young Crouch
became interested in the newspaper
business. For several months he
worked in country newspaper office
Later he did some newspaper work
in Statesville on the Sentinel. His
duties were of a reportorial nature,
and he contributed to some extent to
the editorial columns of the States
vile paper. He was seen here on
several occasions while doing news
paper work, having come back to
Wilkes to visit his aged parents. He
seemed to be a home loving boy, fond
of his aged father and mother, and
the last boy in the world to try to
overthrow his own government.
While working in a local newspaper
office it is learned that he quite fire.
quently talked of communism. He
was greatly interested in the affairs
of Russia, especially that countrys
late form of government. He always
seemed to be more interested in far
away matters than those nearer home
International questions would attract
so much of his time and attention
that often he would become quite car
ried away with them and lose a por
tion of his right-thinking and com
mon sense. While some of his dis
cussions were along Communist line:
his attitude was not taken seriously
| Often his peculiar ideas were discoul
aged by those with him and man!
! times his close friends pleaded will
: him to put aside his peculiar views
! He is considered poor, innocen
mountain boy, who has let his pecu
liar ideas get him into trouble.
While at his mountain home young
Crouch was greatly interested in 'Es
perante," an international language
He can speak, English, Spanisl
French, German and knows some
thing of Russia. Since he has beer
stationed at Honolulu friends hav'
received letters in which he stated
that he and other young men wer,
making efforts to publish maga
zine or paper in Honolulu in the in
terest of the international language
| Several years ago the North Caro-
lima youth made an attempt to joil
the army in this state, but later de
cided not to enlist, as he considered
his constitution not strong enough fo
army life. He is frail youth, aroun
six feet in heighth. Those who ar
keeping up with his activities stat
that he enlisted in some non-combat
ant section of the army.
| While he is young man who talk
intelligently, one cannot help but Sc
that he has an odd way of expressin
himself, and that his ideas and view
might be at times considered not or
ly peculiar and odd, but possibl
cranky. Young Crouch has the fight
ing spirit of the cold North State
and the blood of the Anglo-Saxon
, who inhabit this section of the cour
/ try. He is known to be boy of goo
! character and to have religious incl
:.