Tazewell County, Virginia, Newspaper Articles: Clinch Valley News--May 14, 1915 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Michelle Burress http://www.cvnotes.com ==================================================================== Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ==================================================================== Clinch Valley News May 14, 1915 COVE CREEK --------------------- Mr. Noah CALDWELL, of Rocky Gap, is visiting his daughter, Mrs. B.P. STOWERS. Mrs. Jake WYNN, of Burkes Garden, is visiting relatives and friends in the community. Mr. M.F. NEEL and family spent last Sunday at Mr. A.S. SHANNON'S. Misses Verna and Reba CRABTREE spent last Thursday at Mr. Andy FOX. Mr. George GREGORY and wife and baby spent last Sunday at Mr. T.E. GREGORY'S. Mrs. Mose SARVER and children spent last Sunday at Mr. Frank STEELE'S. Misses Gertrude and Dora FOX were the guests of Miss Cecil ROBINETT last Sunday. Mr. R.B. ROBINETT spent last Thursday with his daughter, Mrs. R.C. FOX. Misses Hazel and Glennie STOWERS are visiting relatives and friends on Walker's Creek. -------------------- I have appointed Mrs. Lucy Henry WALKER, of Tazewell, as sponsor and Miss Josephine BUCHANAN, of Marion, as Maid of Honor, to represent the 9th district of United Confederate Veterans at the reunion to be held at Richmond on the 1st and 3rd of June, inclusive, and will be recognized accordingly. Jas. P. WHITMAN, Asst. Ispct. Gen. 9th Dist. Miss Bessie CROCKETT gave a recital of her music class in the High School Chapel last Saturday afternoon, to which a number of the patrons and other attended. The following of her pupils took part in the program: Misses Karl BUNDY, Macie PEERY, Virginia PEERY, Betty YOST, Kate PEERY, Katherine MCGUIRE, Bessie EDWARDS, Louise PEERY, Marie BAKER, Grace JOHNSON, Helen BOTTIMORE, Lena GREEVER, Mariam BUCHANAN, Edith CROCKETT, Marie HELDRETH, Georgie EDWARDS, Virginia May PEERY, Annella GREEVER, India HOWELL, Ella BURTON, Annie CROCKETT, Edgar HURT, Elizabeth GILLESPIE and Mr. Robert BOTTIMORE. BENBOW -------------------------- Mrs. John PUCKETT is visiting her friends and relatives in Graham this week. Farmers are rushing corn planting this week. Everything looks fresh and promising since the good rains Sunday night and Monday. Mr. and Mrs. W.E. WALK spent Friday with the family of Mr. Will BOWLING of Poor Valley. Although our Sunday School was late in starting this year, the attendance last Sunday was very encouraging. Mr. and Mrs. C.P. BEAVERS and daughter, of North Tazewell, spent Sunday with the family of Mr. Haynes BUCHANAN. Mrs. Mary MOORE and her two daughters, Misses Annie and Ruth, who have had charge of the school at this place for three years, will leave today for their old home in Henry County. -------------------- Following is the standing in the contest now on at M.J. HANKINS' Store: 1 - Carl GREGORY 2 - Mary YOST 3 - Ruth SPRING 4 - James ALEXANDER 5 - Aubrey PARKS 6 - John HAWKINS, Jr. 7 - Boyd WATSON 8 - Bane VANDYKE 9 - Margaret HAWKINS 10 - Meek Hoge BOWEN 11 - Will H. REPASS 12 - Willie SAUNDERS 13 - Crockett GRAY 14 - George PATTON 15 - Vivian SPARKS 16 - F.G. CROUSE 17 - Walter P. SHAWVER 18 - Robert HELDRETH 19 - Mona LAWSON 20 - George SURFACE, Jr. 21 - John ALEXANDER 22 - Francis WITTEN 23 - Margaret KEISTER 24 - Ed HELDRETH 25 - Hubert PERRY 26 - Lena GREEVER 27 - Garland STEVENSON On last Sunday afternoon, between Mr. J.F. GILLESPIE'S store and Dr. D.R. JOHNSON'S residence, I lost a 15 Jewell, Elgin movement, ladies gold watch with chatelaine pin. Liberal reward if finder will kindly return to Hazel A. WALL. An accident, in which three people - one man and two women, came very near losing their lives, occurred on the mountain road from Burke's Garden last Friday. Mr. and Mrs. J.C. KITTS and a young Miss THOMPSON, were driving over from Burke's Garden in a single buggy. Some distance from the top of the mountains, on this side, the horses took fright - from what cause is not stated, and dashed off down the mountain at a rapid rate. After running some distance the buggy was hurled against a rock and smashed. The occupants were thrown with great violence against the solid rock cliff and bodily injured by shock and cuts. They young lady was most seriously injured, her skull sustaining a fracture, and Mrs. KITTS was seriously bruised and cut. All three were unconscious when found by a man passing in a wagon. Help was summoned as quickly as possible from the town and Burke's Garden, and the suffering women were taken home in an automobile. Latest report is favorable to the recovery of Miss THOMPSON, whose life was despaired of for sometime. The fool horse went over the bank on the lower side, through a wire fence, and on down the cliffs, and through the woods and mountains, and would perhaps have been running yet if some one had not caught him down about Captain GILDERSLEEVE'S, on Clear Fork road. The horse was uninjured. Many of the citizens of this community will recall another tragedy which occurred at just about the same spot where the above accident occurred, of the murder of an unknown man, whose name was never ascertained, or any trace of his people. On Saturday evening, February 1, 1896, a little more then 19 years ago, the body of a man, about 60 years of age, was discovered by Mr. Joseph MEEK, who was returning to his home in Burke's Garden from Tazewell. The man was not yet dead, as Mr. MEEK heard him groan. He also heard the shots which were fired into the head and body of the man. A Mr. HONAKER, coming out of the Garden, met two men - one a young man about 25 years of age, and the other about 60, just a few moments before meeting Mr. MEEK. The men were walking. That same night a horse was stolen from Mr. MEEK's stable, presumably by the young man who committed the murder. The horse was found near Marion and the thief traced into North Carolina. After a coroner's inquest, held at Mt. Olivet church on Sunday morning, February 2, the body of the unknown murdered man was buried at the expense of the county, and the authorities and detectives went on the trail of the young man last seen with the dead man. To make a long story short, a young man named DOUGLAS, was finally arrested in Statesville, North Carolina and brought to Tazewell, and lodged in jail charged with being the murderer. The trail was held in July. Barns & Barns and Chapman & Gillespie, for the Commonwealth; May and May, of Tazewell and B.F. LONG, of Stateville, North Carolina, defended DOUGLAS. There were a large number of witnesses from Stateville, including a Presbyterian minister, a lady of prominence, the Sheriff, a merchant and a number of others. When the witnesses for the prosecution were put on the stand they swore that Douglas was the man whom they saw in company with the murdered man, as the two passed along the road from Pocahontas to the foot of the mountains. All these witnesses, some of whom talked with the two men, one had sold them apples, another, a colored woman, had let them have something to eat. All of them were positive that Douglas, the prisoner at the bar, was the right man, and when the prosecution rested, there was no doubt in the minds of the jurors and the people, but that the verdict was bound to be murder in the first degree. And now, here comes the strange part, of this remarkable case. Every North Carolina witness put on by the defense, including the Presbyterian minister, swore positively that Douglas, the prisoner, was in Statesville, on Saturday, February 1st, the day on which the old man was killed. The Sheriff saw him at the depot. The merchant, sold him a plug of tobacco, the lady, whose name has been forgotten, swore that he was at her house, others saw and talked with him, on that day. The minister swore that Douglas hitched his horse to the buggy - all on Saturday, February 1st, and of course, if these witnesses, all of them highly reputable, were not mistaken, Douglas could not have been in Tazewell on that day. The Tazewell witnesses, all equally reputable, were absolutely certain that Douglas and the old man were in Tazewell on that day. The jury gave the prisoner the benefit of the doubt and rendered a verdict of "not guilty." The slayer of the old man is unknown to this day, except to the trees and rocks on the lonely mountain and they won't tell. Pocahontas, Va. - Joseph MILLER, formerly an honorable citizen of Pocahontas, died at his home at 112 Whitlock Street, Baltimore, Monday afternoon. Mr. MILLER was for many years engaged in the clothing business in Pocahontas, first with his brother in law, Charles BAER, under the firm name of Miller and Baer, later on engaging in business for himself. He enjoyed a good reputation as a business man and citizen, and could have had positions of honor, but always declined same, preferring to live quietly and peaceably among his fellow citizens. He had been in bad health for several months, and realized that the end was approaching. His son, Saul MILLER, left Sunday night to visit his father, not realizing that his death was so near. Mr. MILLER leaves a widow, two sons, Mose MILLER, of Frostburg, Md. and Saul MILLER of Pocahontas, and two daughters, Mrs. Nathan MARKS and Mrs. Charles MARGOLIS, both of Pocahontas. Mr. MILLER was a member of the Masonic order, Knights of Pythias and Ancient order of the United Workmen. Mr. and Mrs. MARKS and Mr. and Mrs. MARGOLIS left last night for Baltimore to attend the funeral. ------ We are inaugurating a contest. The highest number of votes wins the prize. Any lady in Tazewell or within the circulation of this paper, is eligible. The prizes consist of - One first class fare, including sleeper, or steamship berth, from Tazewell to San Francisco and return. Five admission tickets to amusement attractions within the Exposition grounds. Steamship trip to San Francisco Bay, including trip to Vallejo and Mare Island navy yard. Trip to Tamaipair, Muir Woods, with ride on the crookedest railroad in the world. One first class round trip fare to Sacramento, the State Capitol, etc. Or, if you do not care for this magnificent trip, the winner will be presented with a $350.00 piano. The contest is being conducted in connection with Dr. John E. JACKSON'S Rexall Store, and votes in the contest will be given for purchases at his store in the same proportion as those given for newspaper subscriptions, job work, etc. In addition to this capital prize, there are eighteen other handsome prizes that will be awarded. Get busy and nominate your candidate. Full details of the contest will be published in the next issue of the NEWS. Already several candidates have been named, and numbers of others are expected. Watch for the ad or call at Jackson's or this office and have the matter outlined for you. A telegram last Saturday announced the marriage at noon on that day of Miss Nell GEORGE, daughter of Mrs. T.E. GEORGE, of Tazewell and Mr. George c. APPLETON, of Warrenton. Miss GEORGE left Tazewell last Thursday for a visit east. Many of her closest friends here were not apprised of her intentions. Mr. APPLETON is well known is Tazewell, where he has a large number of friends. He was located here a few years ago as engineer for the State Highway Commission. Mr. and Mrs. APPLETON will make their home at Warrenton. The Tazewell High School baseball team, notwithstanding their ability to administer defeat to the other teams of this section, (Princeton, of course, excepted), met their Waterloo here Wednesday, when they went up against the all-star aggregation of Tazewell known as the "Ex-Professionals" or the "has beens." The game had been looked forward to for several months by the fans, and the boys of the High School (in their minds) saw a score of 25 or 30 in their favor. But, gee whiz! when those "ex-profs" lined up and got busy the High School bunch began to walk the plank. After the game it was discovered that the score stood 6 to 4 in favor of the "has beens." Here are the professionals who turned the trick: Peery GREEVER, c., Robert HARMAN and Henry KISER, alternated between 1st b. and p. Harry SPRATT, formerly of the Boston Nationals, ss.; Garland LOWDER, 2b; Jug MAY, a former star on the University of Virginia team, took care of the third b.; Robert MORGAN, took all of em that came over to rf.; R.K. HAWKINS dove for those that reached c.f. and Ernest LEWIS put a quiet as on the horse hide that reached it. Dr. J.G. KELLY, another former "has been," umpired for em, both sides, of course and showed that the was familiar with all the new tricks, and that they could put nothing over without being caught at it. It is reported that numerous scouts from the Giants, White Sox, Fillies, Pirates, Robbers, et ala, were witnesses of the game, and that numerous efforts have already been made to land some of these "experts" to offset the effective work of Ty Cobb and Hans Wagner, Home Run Baker and others. The funeral and burial of I.C. DODD took place here yesterday at 10:30 o'clock am, from the Methodist church. Interment of the remains was made in Maple Shade Cemetery. The remains were brought here from Bluefield, escorted by a number of friends and the family. The exercises were conducted by Presiding Elder Jack WARD, Rev. Dr. E.E. WILEY, of Bluefield; Rev. Frank JACKSON, formerly pastor in Bluefield, now at Marion, an intimate friend of the deceased, delivered the funeral address. Deceased was in the 58th year of his age. He leaves a widow and three children, W.R. DODD, Misses Nina and Janie DODD. Three sisters and three brothers survive - George, of Graham; Herbert and Edward DODD, of Galax; Mrs. J.W. SHIRLEY, of Bluefield; Mrs. Ora MCCORMICK, of Charleston, and Mrs. Ida LYNCH. He was for years a citizen of this town and highly esteemed by all who knew him. Mr. DODD met with a violent death at Bluestone Junction on Tuesday afternoon. He was time keeper for the N and W at the works there, and in the discharge of his duties chose to ride up an incline on a coal bucket instead of walking up the stairway. The coal buckets pass through a small opening at the top where the coal is delivered. Instead of getting off the bucket at the top, he attempted by ducking, to pass through thhis opening, only about eight inches of clearance, when he was caught and crushed to death. News of his death reached Tazewell a short time after its occurrence, and greatly shocked the entire community. Few men, who have lived here were better known or more highly regarded. Floral tributes from friends in Bluefield and Graham and other manifestations here on yesterday, forcefully indicated the esteem in which he was held in that community. His bereaved wife and family have the universal sympathy of all Tazewell. POUNDING MILL ---------------------- An elegant dinner of spring chicken, etc, was served at the quarry boarding house yesterday by Mr. C.M. HUNTER to Messrs. BOXLEY, R. DAWSON, J.H. WILLIAMSON, Dr. G.L. ZIMMERMAN and others. Mrs. H.W. CHRISTIAN and daughter, Miss Gussie, left Sunday to spend several days with her daughter, Mrs. WRIGHT at Athens, West Virginia. Rex STEELE has been confined to his bed since last Wednesday night with a mild attack of typhoid fever, his highest temperature being almost 104. Dr. ZIMMERMAN is the attending physician. Rev. J.N HARMAN preached two interesting sermons here Sunday at 11 am and 3:30 pm, and was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. GREER, of Maxwell, filled his usual appointment here Sunday night to an appreciative audience. A handsome piano was installed in the home of H.W. CHRISTIAN yesterday for his daughter, Miss Gussie. Mr. and Mrs. R.K. GILLESPIE had as their guests to dinner Sunday Mr. and Mrs. C.M. HUNTER, Miss Lee and Miss Margaret HURT. Mr. and Mrs. W.B. STEELE has as their guests to dinner Thursday, the latter's brother, F.G. MCGUIRE and Mr. GREGORY, a life insurance man. Miss Lettie RINGSTAFF, who has been suffering from a severe cold the past week, is reported better. G.C. SHAMBLIN is quite ill at his home. Indications are that he has a case of typhoid fever. James E. MCGUIRE was up yesterday to see his nephew, Rex STEELE, who is ill. The convict camp is being moved from the Cove to the sugar grove on R.K. GILLESPIE's place, opposite the new residence of Mr. and Mrs. G.R. THOMAS, which is almost completed. Mr. James ALTIZER bought a lot at the big sale at Richlands last week. Mrs. Rosa Ward HUTTON, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George R. THOMAS, has returned from Kentucky, where she has been teaching for the past two years. Rev. W.S. BULLARD, of Tazewell has an appointment here for next Sunday at 11 am. Tom FARMER is home from visiting his aunt near Coeburn. He expects a job there soon, as thinks he is now able to resume work, having lost a limb serveral months ago. Henry ROBINETT left Sunday to attend the Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows in Richmond, as a representative of the lodge here. Mrs. Jane A. MCGUIRE came up from Cedar Bluff Monday and spent the day with her daughter, Mrs. W.B. STEELE. She is much in health.