davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-09-14
SYNOPSIS

Taylor Chaplin comes to and finds
himself aboard strange yacht. The
last he can remember he was at a
night club. There had been raid and
he was struck on the head. TO add
to the mystery, he finds suitcase
i'm his cabin filled with clothes his size
and bearing his initials. Chaplin ques-
tiOns the crew but none of them speaks
English. Just as he is about to APP
prOach a man bending over the rail
violently i'll, the man goes into his
staterOOm and locks the door. A moan
and a voice droning, ''Pts murder
murder-I tell yOu." issues from the
lounge. Chaplin rushes in just as Sid
ney Hart, millionaire publisher, top
pies to the flOOr-dead! Hart was
Chapin's employer. AS Chaplin leans
over the body, Dick Hampton, adver-
Using manager of Harris magazine,
Gay Fiction" appears. He, too, is
puzzled by his own presence on the
yacht. Chaplin and Hampton look up
to see a white-haired woman standing
in the doorway. "What are you doing
aboard my yacht?" she demands: then
seeing the body, exclaims Daddy"
Chaplin wonders about her relationship
to the publisher for, as far as he
knew, Harris only child-a bOy-had
been dead twenty years. The mystery
deepens with the appearance of Grace
Devin, Harris secretary, and Phil Ry-
der, his jockey, who also claim they
were shanghaied. Chaplin goes to
question the man who was seasick.
Getting no response to his knock,
Chaplin fears the man may be dead.
Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-09-14

been shanghaied. By the same rea-
killed Hart. He hadn't been dressed
like Hampton and Ryder and Miss
Devin. He was in pajamas. Hart
was wearing nightshirt. There was
some significance in the fact that
these two were dressed in sleeping
garments, as though prepared for a
cruise-an indication, perhaps, that
neither Hart nor the stranger had
been shanghaied. BY the same reas-
soning, they might both have been
poisoned. He was certain that some
one had poisoned Sidney Hart. The
old man had cried murder" in his
last gasp. The man on the bridge
who looked like an American and talk
ed gibberish-might be the murderer.
For that matter.
The door of the lounge was hook
ed open. Voices were clearly audible,
as the four approached. A mans
voice was predominant.
Chaplin entered first, and recognized
the stout man of Room I whom he
had visualized just now as dead.
The man was dressed in dark gray
business suit. He looked alert, we'll
groomed. He was conversing with the
woman with the white hair. She was
standing with her back toward the
dead man. The man was facing the
doorway, and as he caught sight of
the four, he said: 81 thought you said
that there were two strange men on
board? This looks like three and q
woman"
Il am one of Mr.. Harris secretaries
Grace Devin began in shrill voice,
which she intended to sound calm, and
averted her eyes from the figure on
Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-09-14

ment. Another wild howl, and a SER
les of jumbled noises, forced them into
action. Dupont darted toward the
door at the port side. The others
crowded each other in their haste to
keep up with him-and were met in
the doorway by gesticulating, brown
skinned man, who in his panic, crash
ed into them, and fell on his knees,
frothing at the mouth, muttering in
articulately, hideous expression con-
torting his features.
Dupont seized him by both arms,
and jerled him roughly to his feet.
Dupont began to talk in the Ian
guage that sounded like the lingo used
by the men on the forecastle, and the
white man on the bridge, Chaplin
thought. He seemed to speak fluent
ly. 1t was obvious that the brown
skinned man understood, but whatever
had terrorized him had bereft him of
the power of coherent speech. Du-
pont shook him, and numbered phrases
that sounded like threats.
Mrs. Montgomery-Glass kept say
ing, impatiently: whats the matter
with the darn fool?"
Finally, Dupont dismissed the man,
after he had managed a few words.
And, hopping his forehead, and with
gesture of nervousness, he said:
"This is terrible! The captain is
dead! That black was so frightened,
he couldn't talk. From what could
make out, he found the captain on the
bridge suffering with pains in his
stomach, and ran to get the mate.
When he returned, the captain was
dead. These Maoris always scream
and carry on at the sight of death.
Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-09-14

ey closed in-ready, and Chaplin ad-
vanced to one side. Grace picked up
heavy glass ash tray and held it
aloft.
Four brown-skinned huskies stood
in the doorway, cycling the scene with
bewilderment. Grace let the ash tray
fly. The heavy glass hit one of them
on the chest and instantly, there was
Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-09-14

bedlam.
Dupont gave frantic orders in the
strange lingo. The men seemed to
sense fight, whether or not the or
ders were heard. Hampton threw
off his overcoat and punched reckless
ly. Chaplin tripped one of the men
and sent him sprawling. Ryder hit
wherever he could squeeze in and
Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-09-14

Grace Devin unlocked chair from
the floor, and battered one man over
the head from behind. He fell for
ward. Dupont sprang into the fray,
and seized the jockey and pummelled
him. Hampton went to Ryder's aid,
with an oath-"You miserable cow
ard!" he Kissed at Dupont
(To Be Continued)
Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-09-14
CHAPTER II

CHAPTER ii
81 don't know. The last thing l
remember was that l was standing on
the corner of Lexington Avenue and
Forty-Second Street, waiting for
street car. 1t was a little after ten
in the evening. I'd had to stay late,
at the office. I saw the car coming
and stepped into the street and some
thing hit me. 1t may have been
truck that was making turn behind
me. Anyway, 1 woke up on this boat
lying on bed in quite nice room.
1t was daylight. l got up and walked
around. l found my way downstairs,
and there was a negro standing in a
doorway. He looked like chef. 1
asked him a couple of questions and
he began to jibber at me in Chinese,
or something. l went back upstairs,
and l bumped into white man in uni
form. He looked like an American.
I asked him questions and all he did
was jibber like a heather and make
signs.'' She halted a moment, and
looked from one to the other, and
seemed to take on more aggressive
attitude.
''Now, look here! If you two didn't
kidnap me, for Heavens sake, who
did? And why? And for the love of
Saint Peter, have these jibbering min
MES put me back into New York. Old
man Hart will slay me, if my work is
not up-to-date, by the time he gets
around to the office"
"Who did you say" Hampton cried.
Hart. Sidney Hart, the publisher.
Pm secretary in his uptown office.
What about it? have to be at work
today she snapped, peevishly.
whats your name?" Hampton
pursued.
"Grace Devin. Why don't you tell
me your names"
"I'm Dick Hampton, advertising
manager of Gay Fiction. And this is
Mr.. Taylor Chaplin, art editor on Giant
Weekly. Am 1 right?" He turned to
Chaplin for confirmation.
Chaplin nodded.
"But how-but what" Grace Dew
in suffered in confusion.
81 can't tell you how Chaplin came to
be aboard-but I was shanghaied,"
Hampton said. 81 was having a nice
quiet drink in Joe's speakeasy, after a
hard day at the office. l swear it
was my first. The darned thing
must have been doped. I woke up on
board this yacht. was in bed, and
still wearing my overcoat. When I
got to strolling around, I met cou-
pie of negroes who jibbered. went
up on the bridge and found captain,
guess it was. He jibbered, too.
Then l discovered Chaplin"
Chaplin started in at this point with
his story, beginning at the Romaine
Plaza. Was telling of his experience
with the men atop the forecastle, when
the sound of running feet caught their
attention.
81 say" yelled voice, 81 say
you folks just gotta talk English"
the runner was slim, understood
youth, whose diversified cap hung
slantingly over one ear.
81 say" he painted, breathlessly, as
he came abreast of them. "No fool
in, you guys gotta put me ashore.
gotta get out to the race track this
morning. Rancoon's being shipped
South, today. The boss expects me
ter"
"Bet you are Sidney Harris jockey
Phil Ryder?" Hampton interposed.
"Looks like some wise guy had gath
cred bunch of Harris employees to-
gether for some sinister purpose"
"Sure, I'm Ryder" the little fellow
declared holly, ignoring Hampton's
last sentence. "Whatja wanta' take
me off on this schooner fer?"
"Did ever see you before?" Hamp-
Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1934-11-16

his onions, we beg leave to doubt
the possibility, as yet, of telling
this week what the weather will be
next week, beyond the ordinary
seasonal variations.
The value of that sort of predic-
ton is that it gives people some
thing interesting to talk about, as
the weather has always done from
the beginning of time. And, I'M
like many other interesting things
that people are talking about in
these days, discussion of the wealth
er seldom stirs up serious controv-
ersy. Nobody tries to organize a
movement to make the weather
different from what it may happen
Ito be. We never heard of a candi-
date for office who promised that,
if he were elected, the weather
would be adjusted to suit every
body. We have heard candidates
promise almost everything else, but
weather is one-perhaps the only
important matter which almost
Everybody recognizes as beyond
Human control.
Considering some of the foolish
promises and predictions that were
made in various parts of the coun-
try in the Congressional campaign
just ended, however, we wonder
why the weather was so generally
overlooked. If people are foolish
enough to believe in the possibility
of carrying out some Of the wild
projects which some candidates ad-
violated, why shouldn't they be
foolish enough to believe hat a
particular man or party can do
something about the weather? At
least, somebody might promise
THAT if elected he would arrange to
have a glass roof put over his home
state, or at least his election dis
trict.
We commend that idea to politi-
clans looking for an issue.
Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1934-11-16
LEGAL NOTICES
SALE OF REAL
ESTATE

By virtue of authority contained
in a certain mortgage deed of trust.
dated November ;, 1927, and re-
gistered in the Registers office OF
Rowan County in Book of Mort
cages, No. 1o4, page POI, from
John ]. Kluttz and wife, Jennie Z
|Kluttz, to ]. E. Fisher, Trustee, de-
fault having been made in the pay
ment of the note secured thereby:
and request of foreclosure having
been made by the holder of sale
note, the undersigned Trustee will
sell at public auction, to the high
est bidder, for cash, at the Cour,
House door in Salisbury, N. c., or
Saturday, December IS, 1884, a,
II o'clock, Noon, the following de-
scribed real estate, to-wit:
A NO. l: Situated l mile
Northwest of Granite Quarry, N
c., and bounded as follows:
Beginning at a stake in the creek
a new corner; thence S. SO E. 3.25
chains to a stone, the old corner
thence N. 20 E. 8 chains to a stake
in the center of the railroad; thence
with the railroad N. a. w. 3.42
chains to the center of the creek
thence up the creek 1850 chains tc
the beginning, containing 3 acres.
be the same more or less.
The above tract being a part of
the tract conveyed from W. S
Brown and wife to R. M. Brown.
registered in Book No. 172, page
149, Registers Office of Rowan
County.
TRACT NO. 2: Beginning at a
stake in center of railroad on line
of the Kinks heirs, and runs thence
S. 28 W. IT'S chains to a stone on
old corner; thence E. S.65 chains
to a stake in the center of railroad
corner of Lot No. 3; thence with
the railroad to the beginning, con-
tanning two and one-half acres more
or less.
The above described land being
a part of the W. S. Brown home
Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1934-11-16

Farmer" Bob Doughton, as he
is known, is again the Servant Of
the people," 1t has been said and is
probably true, that Mr.. Doughton
has the job of being Congressman
until he drops in the traces like the
good wheel horse that he is. He
has a certain air of finality and de-
termination about him that con-
vinces a person. almost against that
PERSONS will. Some have said that
he will run for governor sometime.
Well, all the Rounder has to say is
anytime he gets ready to toss bis
Stetson into the ring, his (The
Rounder's) vote is already mark
ed up i'll his (Mr. Doughton's)
.favor.-(The Rounder) Statesville
Record.
Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1934-11-16
SALE OF REAL ROPERTY

Pursuant to the provisions con-
tanned in a certain deed of trust
dated June 9th, 1929, executed BY
Glenn Choate and wife, Donna
'Chcate, to Wachovia Bank and
Trust Company, Trustee, which
deed of trust was properly recorded
in the office of the Register of
Deeds for Rowan County, in book
of mortgages No. 81, page 222,
securing note payable to the Metro
'politan Life Insurance Company,
default having been made in the
payment of the said deed of trust
as therein provided, and by authori-
ty and power of sale conferred BY
said deed of trust, and by law pro-
lvided, the undersigned Trustee, at
the request of the holder of the
note, will offer for sale at public
auction to the highest bidder, or
bidders, for cash, at the Courthouse
door in Salisbury, N. c., on SAT-
DECEMBER 22nd, 1891,
AT r. O'CLOCK, NOON, the
following described real property.
to-wit:
at a stake at the
West corner of the intersection Of
Crosby Street and Mitchell Avenue,
and runs thence with the West side
of Crosby Street, South 81 degrees
As minutes West Us feet to a stake
in the edge of an alley; thence with
the North side of said alley, North
|5S degrees IS minutes West 100
feet to a stake, Peeler's corner
thence with Peeler's line, North 81
degrees As minutes East Us feet TO
a stake in the South edge of Mitchell
Avenue; thence with the South side
of Mitchell Avenue, South SO de-
'grees IS minutes East 100 feet to
the BEGINNING, and being Lots
Nos. l and 2 in Block 16, as shown
upon the map of the property Of
the Southern Development Com
pany, known as Fulton Heights, Sal
isbury, North Carolina, and being
the same as conveyed to G. w.
.Choate by T. ]. Maupin and wife,
Grace c., Maupin, by deed dated
May IS, 1919, and registered in
Book of Deeds 155, page 234, in the
Office of the Register of Deeds Of
Rowan County, and being better
known as Number 203 Mitchell
Avenue, Salisbury, North Carolina.
This the 18th day of November,
1894.
Wachovia Bank and Trust Com
|pany, Trustee.
Metropolitan Life Insurance Com
|pany, Holder of Note.
Hudson & Hudson, Attorneys.
Nov. 16-Dec. l..
Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1934-11-16

tract and assigned to him in the
division of the William Brown, de-
ceased, lands. For back title, SEE
decd from L. L. Walton and wife
to Eli Kerns, registered in Book No.
l72, page 139, Registers Office Of
Rowan County.
TRACT NO. ;: In Salisbury
Township, between the Yadklln
Railroad and Gold Hill Road; Be-
ginning at a stake OF the Yadkin
Railroad, Eli Kerns' corner; thence
lW. 5.66 chains to an ash, Kerns'
corner; thence S. IS deg. W. 800
chains to a stake in the Gold Hit
Road; thence. with said Road
Northeast 1925 chains to a stake
lin said Road, corner to l~-66J1oo
Iacre tract; thence with the line o.:
said tract N. "a deg. E. 1000
chains to a stake, Eli Kerns' corner,
|E. 500 chains to a stake in center
|of railroad; thence with the rail
road 24.75 to the beginning, on
tanning "a IL acres, nor or less.
A NO.. 4: Also another
tract, beginning at a stake in the
Gold Hill Road, corner to the above
described tract; thence N. "a deg.
|E. 5.35 chains to a stake, Eli Kerns'
corner; thence N. "a deg. W. $50
chains to a stake in the Gold Hill
Road; thence with said Road S. -
IL. 6.64 chains to the beginning,
containing 1-66/100 acres, more or
less.
For back title to the above two
tracts, see deed from ]. L. Graham
and wife to John ]. Kluttz, regis
tered in Book of Deeds No. 10,
page 149, in the Registers Office
:,of Rowan County.
! TRACT NO. s: Lying about II
mile from Granite Quarry, N. c.,
and lying on the East side of the
Gold Hill road: Beginning at 4
stake on the Yadkin Railroad, John
]. Kluttz's corner; thence with
|Kluttz's line West 373 feet to :,
stake, Kluttz's corner; thence South
2-5/s deg. West 1876 feet to a stake
in the center of the Gold Hill road:
thence N. 80 E. 3s9 feet to a stake
in the center of the Yadkin Rail
road; thence with the ENTER of the
said railroad North 4 deg. East ll2
feet to the beginning, containing
1-32/100 acres.
See deed from Ross Kerns and
wife to John ]. Kluttz, registered
in Book of Deeds No. 173, page
I32, in the Registers Office of
Rowan County.
The above property is being sold
subject to ali taxes and other liens
which might be against the same.
Terms of sale: Cash.
This 18th day of November,
1884.
J. E. Fisher, Trustee.
T. K. Carlton, Attorney.
Nov. 16-Dec. IA.
Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1934-11-16
TODAY AND
TONG
g. 49,
FRANK PARKER STocKBRIpcE
Adv

DEMOCRACY -. and us
! l hear people saying everywhere
that democracy is on trial" The
implication is, of course, hat the
democratic system of giving every
citizen an equal voice in public
affairs is still an unfinished expert
ment,. that isn't working out any
too we'll.
Well, we have been running on
that system for considerably more
than $50 years, here in the United
States. We've had plenty of
trouble, but as l look back over my
own lifetime, and read what hap
pened before that began, it seems
to me that democracy as practised
in this country has worked bette.
than any of the systems that have
been tried anywhere else in the
world.
don't think it is perfect, by any
means. But neither is anything
else that involves human nature and
relations. But any system
that in a comparatively short period
!of time can raise the poorest ma
ton in the world into the richest,
spread the benefits of civilization
and comfort among a much higher
proportion of its people han any
other system, anywhere, has ever
done, can't be altogether bad.
IMPATIENCE . trouble
Most of the worlds troubles
come from trying to do things in
too much of a hurry. That is true
in the case of individuals; it is par
ticularly true in the case of those
groups of individuals which we call
nations.
| know hat about all the real
trouble I have ever had in my life
has come about because l was toe
impatient to wait for results but
tried to force events to happen be
fore the time was ripe for them
And l am certain that nine-tenths
of the worlds troubles today root
back to the same sort of impatien-
&c.
If it were not for impotence we
would not see Russia today under
the domination of a ruthless and
ldespotic handful of Bolsheviks,
Italy controlled by a dictator, Ger
many under the iron heel of a
tyrant. Grant that the purposes
of all of these and other d~ictators
is the noble one of making their
countries better places to live in
in the future. l prefer a system
which gives the living present first
consideration.
| have seen too many predictions
|go wrong to believe that any kind
|of large-scale planning for the fu-
ture Of a whole people can ever
work out according to plan. Even
single individuals responsible TO
nobody but themselves, seldom find
that their plans for themselves will
work.
Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1934-11-16
A NEGLECTED ISSUE

Now that the long-range wealth
er prophets have got into the
movies, we may look for all the
other kinds of soothsayers and
clairvoyants to get their turn on
the screen, as some Of them are al
ready doing on the radio.
We have no desire to disparage
the scientific attainments of the
professor whose explanation of why
we may look forward to- an even
more severe winter than last has
lately been featured in the news
reels. But granting that he knows
Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1934-11-16
N. E.. Gets Eastern
Park Entrance

Washington.-North Carolina
gets the eastern entrance to the
IGreat Smoky Mountain National
park, according to announcement
|by Secretary Ickes, and the south
ern section of the great Is million
dollar scenic highway will i'll the
main traverse North Carolina soil.
Secretary Ickes' decision is at
variance with the findings of a
board of three appointed to make
recommendation for the southern
lend of the route.
The selected route runs from,
Blowing Rock, N. C., south of
|Linville City along the Blue Ridg>
land the Mt. Mitchell and Craggy
ranges near Asheville, N. c., thence
Into the MI. Pisgah range, bending
sharply northwest on a line along
that range west of Waynesville,
with an entrance into the park at
Ia point where it will connect with
the Newfound Gap highway near
Cherokee, N. c.
The secretary said there was lit
i+Ie to ehoose herween the North
Carolina and Tennessee routes from
the scenic standpoint and that.
other things being equal it seemed
unfair" that Tennessee should
have the sole entrances to the park
from both the west and east.
The Ickes committee which rec
Commended the Tennessee route
consisted Of George L. Radcliffe
]of Baltimore, former regional pub
|lic works administrator, now sena.
tor-elect of Maryland; Thomas H
MacD Donald, federal road chief, ane
Arno P. Cammerer, national park
director.
When their decision was an.
nounced North Carolina appealed
to Secretary Ickes who held a hear.
ing on the matter September Il
in Washington.
Ickes, in his letter to the COVER.
!nors said despite the fact the North
carolina location was chosen "Ten-
nessee would still have a gateway
Unto the park equally, if not more,
Important than that which North
carolina will have at Cherokee"
Through Gatlinburg will flow
the tourist traffic from the great
WEST and northwest" his letter
|said. ."Some $4,000, 600 people al
ready dwell in the area west of the
Alleghany mountains, which is
tributary to the Gatlinburg
trance, while the area east of the
Allegheny mountains from which
access to the park will be through
Cherokee gateway, contains ap-
.proximately 5o,oo0,ooo people.
Here is a present disproportion
in favor of the Gatlinburg en-
trance of some 100000 people
beside which it is reasonable to ex-
pect that the powerful growth in
population in the country tribu-
tary to the Gatlinburg entrance
will be much greater than in that
section which will naturally seek
the Cherokee entrance"