Moonshiner Arrested for Killing Evangelist, Choir Singer at Beginning of Service, Aug. 4, 1926

Evangelist and Singer Are Killed in Pulpit. . . Lay Murder to Moonshiner Whose Ire Preacher Had Aroused by Whiskey Fight. . . Assassin Fired Through Window Just as Services Started in School

Morganton, Ky., Aug. 3 (AP)—An evangelist and a choir singer are dead, slain as they sang the opening hymn at revival services by an unidentified assassin who fired through the window of a country schoolhouse where the meeting was in progress.

The Rev. W. A. Moss, 32, toppled from his pulpit, dead, and Mrs. Jerome Robinson, 30, died two hours after the shooting last night at the Eary School, 12 miles from here.

J. D. Young, 70, suffered a slight scalp wound, and others in the meeting narrowly escaped. Mrs. Robinson’s four children saw their mother fall.

One man was under arrest early tonight and Sheriff Luther Turk of Butler County was at the head of a posse searching for another.

Clifford Wilson, 30, a fugitive since his escape from jail here a year ago, was arrested at his home on the statement of a 14-year-old girl that he had fired the shots. The girl fainted when the firing began and was unable to give additional details. Wilson, who was wanted on a bootlegging charge, denied the shooting.

The slaying created such excitement among the audience that none was able to say how many shots were fired.

County officials said the trouble to moonshiners whose ire the evangelist had aroused by his campaign against illicit whiskey and his activity in aiding enforcement officers.

It was learned today that the meeting was disturbed Sunday night by rowdyism on the outside. Two men disbursed the trouble makers, some of whom were said to have threatened to “come back and clean out the whole crowd.”

Mr. Moss came to this section about a week ago. Leitchfield, Kentucky, said that Mr. Moss came there from Pennsylvania in the spring of 1924 and preached for several months. His whereabouts since then are not known at this point.

From the front page of the Goldsboro News, Wednesday morning, Aug. 4, 1926

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Posse Finds Body of Man Who Killed Bertha Asell, 17, William Tatem, 25, Aug. 3,1926

Find Body of Currituck Man. . . Near Spot Where He Killed Girl and Escort

Norfolk, Aug. 3 (AP)—The body of George Waterfield, guide at a ducking club on Knott’s Island in Currituck Sound, North Carolina, was found today in a half-submerged boat in a cove off Furny’s Island, eight miles from the spot where he shot 17-year-old Bertha Asell to death and fired two loads of buckshot into William M. Tatem, aged 25, on July 13.

The coroner’s jury pronounced death to have been caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Indications were that Waterfield killed himself a few hours after firing upon Tatem and the Ansell girl. The girl and her escort were shot down when she accused Waterfield of having circulated false reports about her.

The discovery of the body today ended a widespread man hunt that had been waged by the authorities of Currituck County since the tragedy which stirred Eastern North Carolina. A reward had been offered for his capture.

From page 5 of the Goldsboro News, Wednesday morning, Aug. 4, 1926

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George Bass Fractures 5-Year-Old Son's Skull with Bottle; Meant to Hit Wife, Aug. 4, 1926

5-Year-Old Child Hit by Father. . . George Bass Slightly Fractures Son’s Skull

James Bass, 5-year-old son of George Bass who operates a store on North Williams St. in the Cotton Mill section, was struck on the head by a bottle in the hands of his father and badly hurt yesterday afternoon. Bass, said to have been drunk, was lodged in jail by Sheriff Grant who answered a hurry call for aid.

The bottle laid the (words obscured) and the left eye of the child for about an inch, and caused a slight fracture, according to Dr. D. J. Rose, who attended the injury. Dr. Rose carried the child to a local hospital where an operation was performed.

According to the story told by Mrs. Bass, her husband—a one-legged man who formerly operated a store in Goldsboro—was violently drunk and in a frenzy. The blow which struck the child had been aimed at Mrs. Bass, she said.

The affair created considerable commotion in the section. Two neighbors of Bass’s had to exert main strength to quiet him pending the arrest by the sheriff.

From the front page of the Goldsboro News, Wednesday morning, Aug. 4, 1926

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Ben Rollins Talks the Fire Out of Burns, Aug. 4, 1926

Say Ben Rollins Can “Talk the Fire Out of Any Burn”

Nancy, France, had its Emile Coue, but Wayne County has its Ben Rollins.

In Wayne County today 50 people or more will not only tell you that he can “talk the fire out of a burn” but they will give names and information concerning people on whom he has practiced the art.

“I guess I have cured hundreds of folks,” Mr. Rollins, aged 77, told The News reporter who called upon him at his home near Ham Springs yesterday afternoon.

“It ain’t been more’n four weeks since a (line obscured) Wilson to git me to talk fire out of a burn he hal. He had fell not some hot stuff—was workin’ with the Velvet Ice Cream Company in Wilson—and it looked like he was done for. Then one of the boys who used to know me told him to come here. Well, I cured him and he is all right now.

Mr. Rollins is not the only one who testifies to the efficiency of his treatments.

“Did you ever hear of a Ben Rollins who is said to be able to talk the fire out of a burn?” I asked J. Floyd Barden, stopping first to ask the way to the Rollins’ home.

“Sure, I have heard about him. Now I don’t believe in haints and I am not superstitious, but I will tell you this. One of my children got a hand badly burned—the skin peeled off when some hot Mentholatum got on it—and was in sure enough agony when Ben came and talked to it. Pretty soon the baby was asleep and the hand got all right.”

Mr. Barden also said that his brother, Howard Barden of New Bern, once had a badly burned leg and that Mr. Rollins talked the fire out of the burn.

“And you can see the scar o his leg still yet,” said Mr. Barden.

Mr. Rollins explained that he was able to take the fire out through faith. “If I didn’t believe that I could (next line obscured) to try.” He insists, however—and here is where his formula differs from Coue’s formula—that it is not necessary for the patient to believe in what he is doing.

As The News understands the formula Mr. Rollins bends very close to the affected part and goes through a series of mystical movements and incantations. “But you couldn’t understand the words I use even if the burn was on your face,” he told the reporter.

“Where did you learn to do this mystery,” I asked the old man, grizzle-haired and bent with the weight of age.

“I was learned to do it,” he replied. “When I was about 16 years old. I was at a fish camp on the river when the straw where people was sleepin’ caught fire and badly burned me before I could git out. Then my brother threw me into the river or I would have been burned up completely.

“Well, my right arm was terrible. It looked like I was going to lose it,” and here Mr. Rollins pulled up his sleeve and displayed an old shriveled scar very near the shoulder and on the under side.

“Then I met a feller, Matthew Casey, who asked me to let him look at the place. He said he could take the fire out, but I didn’t pay much ‘tention to him. He did somethin’ and said somethin’ and sure enuf in a few days the fire was gone and the arm was all right.

“Then I says to myself as how there was virtue in that thing and I wanted to learn it. So I looked him up one Sunday and just before preachin’ time, and he was in a hurry to git away to services. I had told him before that I wanted to learn it, and this time he says to me ‘Well, just step over and see Aunt Phebe Capps. She will learn you.”

Mr. Rollins says that he at once sought out the woman—he described her as being about 90 years old at the time—and declares that for a piece of silver she taught him how to do the mystery.

“And I could teach you to do it if you wanted to learn, but you would have to give me a piece of silver. If you paid in greenback, it wouldn’t be no good, and I wouldn’t learn you how to for all the greenbacks in the world. It must be silver.”

It was some 60 years ago that Aunt Pheobe [Phoebe?] Capps, according to his story, gave Mr. Rollins the secret, and he says that he has been “talking the fire out of burns” ever since.

From the front page of the Goldsboro News, Wednesday morning, Aug. 4, 1926

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Dr. W.L. Poteat Retiring from Wake Forest College June, 1927, On His Own Terms

Doctor Billy Wins

“Bloody but unbowed,” Dr. W.L. Poteat will next June retire from the presidency of Wake Forest College “on the sole consideration of my age, and no other.” Thus it is that Doctor Billy—as his boys affectionately call him—wins his 20-year fight for enlightened thinking, for truth. Almost single-handed he has fought a fight against the forces of narrowness and prejudice, and when he steps back from the front to a quieter spot he steps back the outstanding educator of the South and man who is responsible for—as Walter Lippman said—making the name of Wake Forest College nationally known.

Doctor Billy will be past 70 when he retired, but he has raised up a valiant army of our disciples who will carry on his fight with a thrilling joy.

The defeat of the Poole Bill, the collapse of the movement started by the Committee of One Hundred, the failure of Dr. Martin and his followers—all this may be directly attributed to those years of heroic fighting which President Poteat has done.

“You have fought our battles long enough,” said President Chase of the University of North Carolina to President Poteat when the Poole bill was up “and now we are going to do the fighting.” And right there is, we believe, where the tide turned toward enlightenment in North Carolina.

Time after time certain forces in the Baptist denomination have thought that they had President Poteat where they wanted him, that they were going to put him and Wake Forest to looking through a tiny gimlet hole of intelligence, that they were going to force him to adopt creeds and dogmas, to sign his soul away or step down from his position. And each time, great soul that he is, he has been able to evade their snares and to plant himself and his college more firmly on the mountain of truth. The spectacle of the personality of the man meeting his tormentors with a declaration that left the least intelligent of them realizing that they were in the presence of a divine inspiration—the spectacle of the Winston-Salem Salem convention of several years ago—is one which men will tell to their children for generations.

President Poteat has been an inspiring figure when compared with some penurious-soulled leaders who rush to the innermost rooms and hide for fear they will be called upon to make some open declaration. When compared with some of these leaders who first find out what the Brothers and Sisters at Zion’s crossroads are going to say about the matter. When compared with some of the leaders who leap agilely from one side of the fence to the other or balance perfectly on its top.

How he has been able to preserve that beautiful equanimity of character in the face of some of the blackguard tactics which have been employed against him is a mystery we have never been able to understand. We have seen him receive the most scurrilous letter, one damning him to hell, and condemning him in all matter of bitter terms, and we have seen him straightaway send the gentlest answer and one in which he would attempt to explain to the disturbed soul the facts as he saw them.

Yes, Doctor Billy, you win. God bless you.

From the editorial page of the Goldsboro News, Wednesday morning, Aug. 4, 1926

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Possum Caught in S.A. Boney Home--for Second Time, Aug. 4, 1926

‘Possum Caught in Boney Home. . . Second Time in Two Months This Has Occurred

For the second time in less than two months, an opossum has been captured in the home of S. A. Boney of 114 North George street. The second catch was made Monday night by Howard Bush of the Wayne National Bank, a roomer in Mr. Boney’s home. The first catch was made about seven weeks ago by Mr. Boney himself.

Monday night, like Abou Ben Adhem, Mr. Bush woke from a sweet dream of peace, but unlike Ben Adhem he did not see an angel writing in a book of gold.

There on the foot of the bed were two yellow eyes staring fixedly in his direction. A cold chill shot down his spine, and in the fashion of a drowning man clutching at a straw, Mr. bush hurled his pillow at the twin balls of yellow fire on the foot of his bed.

The aim was true and the intruder proved flesh, for there was a thud as something struck the floor. Leaping out of bed, Mr. Bush switched on the light and discovered a nice, fat ‘possum. The animal made a dive for the open door and Mr. Bush pursued it with one of his shoes which he had picked from the floor.

The animal was overtaken in the hall and Mr. Bush was pommeling its life away with Mr. Boney arrived in time to be in the kill.

“For the love of heaven,” said Mr. Boney, “What’s all this racket out here.” Then he recognized what had happened.

For Mr. Boney had been the captor when the first ‘possum visited the home several weeks ago.

The men are at a loss to explain why all the ‘possums that stray into Goldsboro call at 114 North George street.

Editor's Note: Abou Ben Admen is a reference to the poem "Abou Ben Adhem" by Leigh Hunt, published in 1834. It begins like this:

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)

Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,

And saw, within the moonlight in his room,

Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,

An angel writing in a book of gold.

We memorized it in school and recited it for a school assembly although all I remember now is the first line, "Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)

From the front page of the Goldsboro News, Wednesday morning, Aug. 4, 1926

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Koon-White Wedding Held Aug. 3, 1926 in Virginia

Koon-White

People will be interested to know of the marriage of Miss Cleo B. White, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John O. White Sr., to Aaron Brownig Kean on Tuesday, Aug. 3rd, 1926 in Suffolk, Va.

Miss White is a very popular young lady of Perquimans County and Mr. Kean, formerly of Goldsboro, is now with the Eastern Cotton Oil Company, Hertford, N.C.

The bride was neatly attired in grey georgette with accessories to match, carrying a corsage of bride’s roses and lily of the valley.

Immediately after the ceremony, they left on a car for his home and other sections of the State.

From the Women’s News and Views page of the Goldsboro News, Wednesday morning, Aug. 4, 1926

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