Mrs. Flowers Saves 5-Year-Old from Drowning, but Dies Trying to Save 10-Year-Old Who Also Drowned, Aug. 17, 1926

Double Tragedy at Little River. . . A Young Woman and 10-Year-Old Boy Drown. . . Girl Saved After Sinking Twice

A double tragedy occurred Saturday morning near Kenly when Mrs. Nathaniel Flowers and a little 10-year-old boy were drowned in Little River. According to our information, a lady from Kenly with two Watson children, a little boy age 10 years, the son of James Hardy Watson, and a little 5-year-old girl, also from Kenly, went by the home of Mrs. Flowers about a mile south of Kenly, and asked her to go to the river with them to go in swimming. It was about 11:30 in the morning and the Flowers’ had just finished barning tobacco. Mrs. Flowers decided to go to the river with them to go and for a time all enjoyed being in the river. Mrs. Flowers was said to have been an expert swimmer. Slhe had come out of the river when she heard the little girl crying, and the children were discovered to be in water beyond their depth. Mrs. Flowers went back in to rescue the little girl who had gone under twice. She succeeded in bringing her to safety and then made an effort to save the boy. The boy is said to have secured a grip about the woman’s neck, and being unable to free herself, both went under and were drowned.

Mrs. Flowers was a young woman, only 22 years old. She was married about two years ago to Mr. Nathaniel Flowers, and she is survived by him and a 1-year-old child. Before her marriage she was Miss Ida Mitchell, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Henry Mitchell.

The funerals of the deceased were held Sunday, that of the little boy taking place Sunday morning in Kenly, and that of Mrs. Flowers in the afternoon at the Flowers graveyard. An unusually large crowd was present at the burial of Mrs. Flowers, some estimating the number of cars at 1,000. Rev. Mr. Wiggs of the Free Will Baptist church conducted the funeral. Lovely floral offerings attested the esteem in which the deceased was held.

From the front page of the Smithfield Herald, Tuesday morning, Aug. 17, 1926

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Missing 14-Year-Old Girl Found, Illegally Married to 35-Year-Old Man Who Already Has a Wife, Aug. 17,1926

Find Missing Girl with Show Man. . . Benson Girl Who Disappeared 10 Days Ago Is Located at Dillon, S.C., in Company with Walter Byrd

Dunn, Aug. 12—Alice Coats, 14-year-old Benson girl, who disappeared mysteriously 10 days ago, has been found and is now back at home with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Coats. She was found Sunday by her father in Dillon, S.C., in company with Walter Byrd, showman, and Byrd is now in the Harnett County jail in Lillington charged with bigamy.

The father learned that his daughter had been married in Dillon to Byrd, who is a native of Harnett County and also who has a child living in Greensboro. Byrd has been connected with various tent shows for the past several years. He is about 35 years old.

From the front page of the Smithfield Herald, Tuesday morning, Aug. 17, 1926

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Mr. Bernice Johnson Dead, Two Daughters in Hospital After Car Accident, Aug. 17, 1926

One Dead Result of Auto Tragedy. . . Mr. Bernice Johnson Dies from Injuries and Two Daughters in Hospital. . . Issue Warrant for Driver of Car

Mr. Bernice Johnson of Willow Springs is dead and two of his daughters are in Rex hospital, Raleigh, as the result of an automobile accident which occurred on the Old Stage Road, 10 miles south of Raleigh between 11 and 12 o’clock Thursday night. W.M. Lawson, who was also in the car, sustained injuries but Jeff Hunt and William Maylock, who was driving the ill-fated car, escaped without hurt.

According to the report in the News and Observer, “The Hudson car, which contained the part of six, was headed toward Raleigh and was traveling around 45 miles an hour when it sidespread a Ford containing Jackson Willis, Jack Cotton and Delia Whaley, all negroes, at a curve near Myatt Smith’s store. It was reported that Blaylock veered his car to the wrong side of the road, causing it to hit the negro’s car.

“Blalock is reported to have lost control of the car and it struck a telephone post, breaking the post into three pieces. Johnson was hurled out of the car. When picked up, his chest was crushed, his left shoulder broken, and several ribs were broken. He died as preparations were being made to rush him to a hospital.

“According to reports, the Ford was also traveling at a high rate of speed, but Coroner Waring absolved the negro of any blame in connection with the accident.

“The Hudson car, which belongs to Snow Blalock, a brother of William Blalock, carried a Michigan license plate, said Coroner Waring. Both Blalocks, he added, however, live in Panther Branch township, not a great distance from the scene of the wreck.

“Coroner Waring was called to the scene of the wreck shortly after it occurred. He stated that he made a preliminary investigation. He had a warrant issued on Friday for Blalock, charging him with murder.”

Funeral services were held for Mr. Johnson Saturday afternoon at 4 o’clock from Mount Zion church, and interment was made in the adjacent cemetery.

Surviving the deceased are his widowed mother, his widow, nine children, Violet, Pearl, Vivian, Mary, Annie Belle, Francis, Ivy, Hubert, and Lynn; three brothers, Rev. Neal Johnson and Derwood Johnson, both of Willow Springs section, and E. M. Johnson of Morehead City; and three sisters, Mrs. Frank Britt of Ralegh, Mrs. Snow Blaylock and Mrs. Sallie Coats, both of Johnston county.

Editor’s note: Last name was spelled Blaylock and Blalock in newspaper account.

From the front page of the Smithfield Herald, Tuesday morning, Aug. 17, 1926

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Gaston Roberts in Jail For Brutal Beating That Leaves Wife in Hospital, Aug. 17,1926

Husband Beats Wife Brutally. . . Cider Bar-room Responsible for Woman Being in Hospital and Gaston Roberts Under Arrest

A wife bruised and beaten is in the Johnston County Hospital and the husband, Gaston Roberts, is under arrest charged with unmercifully beating his wife as the result of cider drinking on Sunday afternoon.

Late Sunday evening after beating his wife black and blue, Roberts got her, with their three little children, into his automobile and went back to the place where he had secured the cider to get more of the vile stuff. He had made threats against her life, according to reports, and when he got to the cider barroom ad got out, Mrs. Roberts slipped from the auto and made her way to the home of Mr. Barney Hamilton on the Goldsboro road not far from where the affair took place, for help. Mr. Hamlton at once communicated with officer sin Smithfield and C. Q. Stephenson and J. O. Hinton hastened to the scene. They went to the home of Roberts where they found him and the three little children. One is only five months old and was taken to the mother. The other two, about 2 and 5 years old were brought to Smithfield and placed in the care of Mrs. Thurston, the county welfare superintendent. Mrs. Roberts spent the night at the home of Mr. Barney Hamilton and yesterday a physician was called. She was then removed to the Johnston County Hospital.

After placing the family of Roberts in a place of safety the officers went back to the scene of the brutal affair and Roberts was placed under arrest. The Grand Jury in Superior Court yesterday found a true bill against him and the solicitor put him under a $1,000 bond. He will be tried Thursday.

The officers while attending to Roberts did not neglect to pay their respects to the place where Roberts secured his cider. They found at the home of Sam Penny, colored, a veritable grog shop. In his barn which was fitted up with every convenience for selling including all sorts of measures and his dwelling, 200 gallons of hard cider was found and poured out. They broke all the vessels that had been used as containers and made short work of the whole outfit. Two hundred gallons was what was left after what appeared to have been a busy day of retailing all day Sunday. According to the officers it looked like an association from the signs of vehicles that had been there during the day Sunday. This raid took place around 2 o’clock yesterday morning, and by that time things were quiet. Penny was arrested, however, and is now under $250 bond for his appearance in Recorder’s Court.

From the front page of the Smithfield Herald, Tuesday morning, Aug. 17, 1926

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Three Convicts Escape from Ridge Camp Near Melvin, Aug. 18, 1926

Three Convicts Escape. . . Overpower Guard and Escape after Beating Him

Greensboro, N.C., Aug. 18 (AP)—Meagre reports reaching this city state that three convicts, names unknown, escape from Ridge convict camp near Melvin, east of here this morning. The men are reported to have overpowered Guard Coble and escaped after severely beating him. Bloodhounds were put on the trail.

From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Wednesday morning, Aug. 18, 1926

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Mother of 7 in Jail for Throwing Rock at Police Arresting Husband for Liquor Violation, Aug. 18, 1926

Uses Rock to Break Flask in Man’s Pocket

Asheville, Aug. 17—Mrs. Ben Towe, mother of seven small children, who stepped into the limelight here recently when she hurled a rock with such deadly accuracy at a raiding officer that it struck his hip pocket and broke a flask of “evidence” that he had just taken from her husband, was sentenced to 10 days in the county jail by Judge A. M. Stack.

“The penalty falls more heavily on the innocent than the guilty,” Judge Stack commented in passing the sentence. Towe, the husband, got six months on a charge of handling whiskey, with an additional eight months suspended.

From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Wednesday morning, Aug. 18, 1926

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"Silk Shirt Jimmy" in Padded Cell at Guilford County Jail, Aug. 18, 1926

Alleged White Slaver Goes Insane in Jail

Greensboro, August 17—James Hackett, known as “silk shirt Jimmy,” arrested here on June 19 on charges of violating the White Slave Act, and since then confined in Guilford county jail while awaiting trial in United States Court, became insane today and had to be confined in the padded cell at the jail.

Editor’s Note: The Mann Act (White Slave Act of 1910) made it a federal crime to transport a woman or girl across state lines for prostitution, debauchery, or any other immoral purpose.

From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Wednesday morning, Aug. 18, 1926

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