"Air Mail" Note to Wellons in Smithfield, May 18, 1926

Plane Drops Greetings to Smithfield Citizens

Quite a number of persons here were interested Saturday morning to know why an airplane circled over the city for several times and then flew on its way. Later in the day this was explained when Mr. Sam Hogwood picked up a scrap of paper on which was the following writing:

“Please deliver to Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Wellons, Smithfield, N.C.: Greetings to you both from Earl Hoag. Just discovered I will soon be over Smithfield. Hope you get this.

--“EARL HOAG”

Mr. Hoag was in the air service during the World War with Robert A. Wellons, and has since visited here several times. When they were stationed at Scottsfield, Ill., they performed a very difficult stunt when they threated in and out five bridges over the Mississippi Rover near Cincinnati, in an airplane. Mr. Hoag is now from Washington, D.C. He was headed sout in his plane as he passed over Smithfield Saturday.

From the front page of The Smithfield Herald, Tuesday, May 18, 1926

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Moses Green Arrested in Murder of David Peele, May 16, 1926

One Arrest Made on Murder Charge

Wilson, May 16—One arrest has been made in the murder of David F. Peele, Aycock’s Crossing merchant, who was shot and killed in cold blood late last night while working in his store near Kenly. Moses Green, negro, was arrested early this morning by the police at Kenly, and turned over to Sheriff O.A. Glover. He answered the description given last night by J.D. Aycock, who saw the shooting, and after a grueling examination by the county authorities admitted he was at the store at the time of the murder, but denied being the one who fired the shot that killed Mr. Peele.

Green is now in the Wilson county jail, where he is suffering from wounds about the head, face and shoulders, inflicted by the officers making the arrest this morning, the negro having opened fire on them, they returned the fire and dropped him in his tracks. Several hundred pellets from a shot gun pierced the skin of his face, head and shoulders.

Admitted Being at Store

The negro confessed to the officers that he was at the store last night at the time of the shooting, but claimed he stood in the door of the store while a light-colored negro went in to make a purchase, and shot and killed the merchant.

Robbery is thought to have been the motive of the crime, as it was committed without any provocation. Mr. Peele was about to wrap up a shirt the negro had purchased and walked around the end of a counter, meeting the black face to face. The negro pulled gun and fired point blank into Mr. Peele’s chest. Death resulted instantly. Both negroes fled without making any effort to rifle the cash register.

From the front page of The Smithfield Herald, Tuesday, May 18, 1926

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Prisoner Who Escaped from Road Camp Turns Himself In, May 18, 1926

Voluntarily Goes Back to Complete Prison Term. . . Wesley Johnson Escapes from Road Camp but Returned to Serve His Term

Raleigh, May 18—Freedom was in his grasp but conscience triumphed over instinctive desire, so Wesley Johnson came back and asked to be taken back to prison to complete his term of three years for larceny. Wesley, in company with two other prisoners, escaped from a road camp near Waynesville just nine days ago, on May 9th.

But instead of going to the warden’s office at the prison, he went to the governor’s office in the State capitol, because he had been told that H. Hoyle Sink, commissioner of pardons, was in the governor’s office and he wanted to surrender to him. Wesley didn’t want to take a chance of not getting in “according to Hoyle” although he left somewhat abruptly and without official leave. Mr. Sink was standing in the governor’s office shortly past noon, when the door opened and someone called him into the corridor. There stood Wesley Johnson, accompanied by his father, and Wesley told his story.

Wesley lives in Guilford county near High Point, but was sentenced from Davidson county to a term of three years for larceny. He is still a young chap, hardly out of his teens. His father did most of the talking, explaining that Wesley thought he had better come first to see Mr. Sink, evidently under the impression that he had some connection with the state prison.

It had so happened that when Wesley had first entered the prison Mr. Sink had heard of it, as his home county is Guilford, and had sone and talked to the boy, advising him to abide by all the prison rules and regulations. The boy had remembered this, he said, and that was why he sought him out in order to surrender to him.

From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Tuesday, May 18, 1926

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Hotel Rooms Robbed While Guests Slept, May 17, 1926

Durham Hotel Guests Robbed While Asleep. . . Strange Thieves Enter Rooms, Take Money but Leave No Clues

Durham, May 17—Two rooms on different floors of the Washington Duke Hotel were entered Saturday night while guests slept and robbed of $50, the guests reported this morning.

C.P. Means, registered from Richmond, Va., reported $16 taken from his room and P.c. Jenkins, Huntington, W. Va., $34, all in bills. No clues were left.

Several hundred dollars is reported to have been taken from several rooms in Hotel Charlotte, Charlotte, last week after the races. The first such burglary reported was at the Charlotte hotel last year, when half a dozen rooms were robbed of more than $200, a similar robbery following at George Vanderbilt Hotel, Asheville, a few days later.

From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Tuesday, May 18, 1926

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Sylva Collegiate Institute Presents Diplomas to 25 Graduates, May 18, 1926

Sylva Collegiate Institute Closes

The Sylva Collegiate Institute commencement was a great success from start to finish and concluded Wednesday evening with the commencement play.

Sunday morning Dr. V.I. Masters of Louisville preached the baccalaureate sermon at the Baptist church to a crowded house. Monday morning at 10:30 was the recitation and declamation contest. The medal for the best recitation was to Miss Ruby Solesbee and the winner of the declamation contest was Mr. Robert Sisk of Bryson City. At 8 Monday night the class day exercises were presented. Tuesday morning at 20 was the debate, the decision going to the negative, it being represented by Mr. Boyd Sherrill and Miss Mary Sue Gribble, but Mr. Everett White was declared the best debater, winning the medal.

Tuesday evening [was] the annual address and awarding of diplomas. The address was delivered by Dr. B.F. Bray of Lynchburg, Va. Then Wednesday the climax came with the presentation of the play, which was the final exercise. “The Wren” was the title of the play, and it was well presented to a large audience.

This institution of learning has enjoyed a very successful year, and the graduating class numbered 25 with three post-graduates. Prof. J.C. Hough has resigned, and Prof. W.C. Reed has been elected as the head of the school for the coming year, which is predicted by many to be one of the biggest yet in the history of the school The entire faculty has not yet been selected, but will be in the near future.

From the front page of the Ruralite, Sylva, N.C., Tuesday, May 18, 1926

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Institutes provided an education comparable to a modern high school, bridging the gap between public schools and the colleges. In 1900, the Baptist Home Mission Society launched its program of aid to mountain schools in North Carolina, and Sylva Collegiate Institute was one of eight schools supported by the Baptists. To read more about the history of these collegiate institutes, go to

smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/39554-the-brief-history-of-the-sylva-collegiate-institute

D.C. Committee Recommends Not Impeaching Judge Isaac Meekins, May 18, 1926

Committee Favorable to Judge Meekins. . . Recommends That No Action to Impeach Him be Taken by the House

Washington, May 18 (AP)—Recommendation that no action be taken on a petition to impeach Judge Isaac Meekins of North Carolina was made today by a House judiciary sub-committee.

No impeachment offenses were alleged in affidavits filed by Daniel F. Hickey, former revenue bureau employee, the report to the judiciary committee said. These charges, Made last year and repeated recently in a letter addressed to the House, included collusion with federal officials for “tax fixing” while Meekins was counsel for the alien property custodian when that office was held by Thomas W. Miller, now under indictment in New York.

Without touching on these matters, the sub-committee report says they have no bearing on Meekins’ later judgeship, and therefore do not call for impeachment proceedings.

From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Tuesday, May 18, 1926

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Klan Women Discuss Issues at Called Meeting, May 18, 1926

P.D.K. Have Business Meeting

On Thursday evening a very important call meeting was called. The Klan met at the usual meeting place. The president presided and various questions of importance were discussed by Misses Alma Fisher, Wilma Allison, Ruth Oliver and Irene Cathey.

Several applications to join the Klan have been received and are being considered.

Receiving of new members will take place Tuesday evening in the K.K.K. Hall.

From page 4 of the Ruralite, Sylva, N.C., Tuesday, May 18, 1926

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