John Gray Charged with Killing "Dad" Watkins and Burning Corpse to Hide Crime, Feb. 13, 1926

Gray Charged with Killing of Watkins. . . Charred Body of Aged Man Found in Ruins of Burned Cabin Near Albemarle

Albemarle, Feb. 12—John Gray of Dillon, S.C., was brought ot Albemarle today from Dillon by Sheriff Farr of Stanly County, and placed in Stanly County’s jail on charge of the murder of “Dad” Watkins on last October 31st.

It will be recalled that the charred form of a man was found in the ashes of a burned barn just a short distance north of Albemarle on the last of October, and I later develop that body was undoubtedly that of “Dad” Watkins, a familiar character about Albemarle, who was known to carry a considerable amount of money on his person and who had not been seen since the burned barn gave up the charred body.

A large reward has been offered to Stanly County, which is supplemented by the State.

It is not given out as to what evidence the State has against John Gray, who is now being held for “Dad” Watkins’ untimely ending. Nor is it given out as to who has worked up the case against Gray. It is said that Gray has not made any statements of importance since taken into custody, but he denied the killing.

The murder of “Dad” Watkins is one of the most gruesome ever perpetrated, and the officers have been diligent to find the guilty party.

Gray is a native South Carolinian, but lived in Albemarle for a short while. He lived here at the time Watkins was murdered, but has since moved to Dillon. He is married and is about 40 years old. It is understood that some of his relatives by marriage have given evidence on which the arrest was made.

From page 4 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Feb. 13, 1926

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Patrolman Victor Holdsbrooks' Extremely Short Ride in the Motorcycle Sidecar, Feb. 13, 1926

Short Dash Proves Long Ride to Police Officer. . . Patrolman Holdbrooks Changes Mind When Motorcycle Does Curb-Jumping Act

The sputter of a motorcycle engine, the clatter of changing gears, the leap of a charging motor, a wild scramble to safety, and it was all over.

Thus is described the longest ride eve taken by Patrolman Victor Holdsbrooks of the Concord police department, over a course not more than 30 feet long.

The rotund officer started Friday afternoon to Corbin street to kill a dog, and desiring to reach his destination as soon as possible commandeered the police department motorcycle, which was standing in front of the city hall. Officer Holdbrooks is an efficient chauffeur but he also is particular about his dress, and being without leggings and knowing the tendency of he motorcycle to throw oil and grease as it bounds along, he sought a driver.

A man standing nearby told the officer he could manage the motorcycle. He assured the officer that he knew all there was to know about such machines.

The trouble lay in the fact that he knew motorcycles in general but not this one in particular. This machine has long done most valiant duty for the city and has so nearly run its course that a new one has been ordered to replace it. The steering apparatus is not all that is should be, the gas intake is peculiar in that it “opens up” with a ban, and the “get away” is a delight to those persons who want to be on the way right now. Holdsbrooks took the seat of honor in the sidecar, and with a gentle “pour it in her” set himself for a pleasant ride.

The motor of the machine sputtered madly as the volunteer chauffeur ramped on the starter, the gears slipped into place with a clatter and the machine made a wild dive for the curbing near the Sanitary Grocery Store.

No mention of worn-out brakes had been made to the impromptu driver, but in the short distance from in front of the city hall to the curbing he learned the fact. He applied every known remedy of machinery and when these failed three both feet to the ground and with the aid of several baskets of vegetables stopped the machine just as it started on a smashing trip through the big plate glass windows of the grocery store.

Patrolman Holdbrooks, in the meantime, was helpless to aid himself or the driver. When the machine hit the curbing with a thud that attracted many persons, he was thrown several feet in the air and though he used every trick known to an acrobat, he could land nowhere except in the seat of the cavorting cycle. When the motor was finally stopped the officer was the first to dismount. One glance at the smashed vegetable baskets, another look at the wild machine and the officer was away on foot to find the dog. He was in fine mood for a murder.

From page 2 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Feb. 13, 1926

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N.Y. Author of "Mr. Togo, Maid of All Work" Recovering in Asheville, Feb. 13, 1926

Wallace Irwin Returns to Home In New York. . . Famous Writer Has Been Recovering from Bronchial Trouble at Asheville

Asheville, Feb. 11—Wallace Irwin, author of “Mr. Togo, Maid of All Work,” and many other popular works, left Grove Park Inn Monday for his home on Long Island, New York, after spending three weeks under southern skies for relief from bronchial trouble.

Mr. Irwin had expected to return home at the end of the first week because of the illness of his son, but a message stating that latter had successfully undergone a surgical operation and was improving made it possible for him to extend his visit sufficiently longer to recover his health.

Mr. Irwin is now launching a new novel, “Mated,” which has already been run as a magazine serial. This story deals with the modern marriage and divorce problem, it is understood, and promulgates some very modern ideas regarding the problem.

From page 4 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Feb. 13, 1926

Did the title of this book pique your curiosity like it did mine? Fortunately, the internet has Project Gutenberg, which will allow you to read Mr. Togo: Maind of All Work by Wallace Irwin for free. And it you would then like to possess the book, search by title and author and you’ll find people who are selling the volume. Book summary from Project Gutenberg:

"Mr. Togo: Maid of all Work" by Wallace Irwin is a humorous fictional work written in the early 20th century. The story is narrated by Hashimura Togo, a Japanese servant employed in various American households, where he shares his comical experiences and observations about the peculiarities of domestic life. The book explores themes of culture clash, the eccentricities of the American middle class, and the quirks of household management through Togo's unique perspective.

The opening portion introduces readers to Togo's first job with Mrs. Hirem B. Bellus, a rather demanding woman who is particularly obsessed with cleanliness and her new vacuum cleaner. After being hired at a low wage, Togo reflects on his understanding of housekeeping and his eagerness to learn how to use this unfamiliar technology. However, a comedic mishap occurs when he accidentally vacuums a $20 bill that Mrs. Bellus left unguarded, leading to his resignation and the start of another misadventure. This sets the tone for the ongoing humorous escapades Togo will experience throughout the book as he navigates various jobs and the quirks of the families he works for.

The Project Gutenberg version of the book is online as an ebook at Mr. Togo: Maid of all Work by Wallace Irwin | Project Gutenberg

A scanned version of the original newspaper page containing the original article transcribed here is at:

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People Asking for Money, 100 Years Ago and Today, Feb. 13, 1926

Beggars and Their Schemes

Monroe Enquirer

I am getting up a list of beggars who come to town and some day I shall publish the various plans and schemes these persons have for making an easy living off of a gullible public.

Only recently a fat young woman, stranger in these parts, came in and asked for the boss. I told her I was bossed, but go ahead. She opened up her cardboard valise and took therefrom a handful of unartistic artificial roses. “Please buy these,” she said, “to help my poor sick husband.” The woman may have been worthing of assistance but I had no way of knowing whether or not she was an imposter.

Another beggar was an old paralytic, scarcely able to be about. His own county should take care of him.

Pretty girl, who said her home was in Charlotte, breezed in, inquiring:

“Mister, are you the manager?”

I told her I was the managed. Whereupon she confidingly told me that she was working for a prize—had 800 subscribers to a magazine and needed 2,000 by Saturday night when the contest closed. She gave me the glassy eye when I told her I didn’t need any more magazines and those I am taking were paid for another year in advance.

Another asker of alms was a committee of ladies seeking donations for the erection of a church building. “We just know you’ll put down for $50,” said the spokeswoman.

“Ladies,” was my reply, “this ain’t Duke’s Foundation headquarters, nor yet is it one of the Rockefeller’s filling stations.” But they insisted that I give at least $10, and I out-talked ‘em and got out by paying $0.

Afterward though I did go to the trouble to find out why another church? It appears in the community in which these good ladies live there are already two churches of different denominations, and serving in a good way. Five families of the neighborhood will not affiliate with these organizations because they are of “another faith and order,” which means the difference between tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum. And it is possible the devil himself is behind the new church scheme to keep the people of a good community at variance because of denominationalism.

But the biggest humbug Monroe has to contend with are the fellows, strangers, who have questionable advertising schemes to sell the merchants. Often it’s easier to pay a few dollars than to say no.

From page 3 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Feb. 13, 1926

Some things never change. I've had young people knocking on my door saying they are selling magazine subscriptions and need so many points to win. And if you haven't, it's because you don't open your door to strangers. Today solicitations for donations tend to come through e-mail and the regular mail. And of course, people come to your door to invite you to their churches. It never occurred to me to challenge them with this editor's thought that "it is possible the devil himself is behind the new church scheme to keep the people of a good community at variance because of denominationalism."

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"Flinders" and Other Words Rarely Used These Days

"The car was smashed to into flinders" is an expression my mother, who was born in 1925, used. Merriam-Webster's online dictionary says "flinders" means splinters or fragments, but when I was a child I asked my mother what “flinders” were, and her explanation was more involved. She said they were the larger fragments or chunks of wood left in the fireplace ashes after the wood had burned out. It meant something had been destroyed to the point where the remaining fragments still distinct (not the ash in the fireplace) but were no longer anything usable.

So I asked my AI Copilot if there was another meaning for "flinders" beyond Merriam-Webster. Here’s his response.

You’re remembering something real, Joan — and your mother’s explanation fits beautifully into the deeper history of the word.

Here’s what the broader record shows, drawing on what we just pulled up:

What “flinders” originally meant

Most dictionaries today give the simple definition: splinters, fragments. But the older, regional meanings are richer.

1. Scots and Northern English origin

Etymology sources trace flinders to 15th century Scots flendris, meaning pieces of something split apart, especially wood. It’s likely related to Norwegian flindra (“chip, splinter”) and Dutch flenter (“fragment”).

That Scandinavian/Germanic family of words is strongly tied to wood splitting, chips, and larger shards, not fine ash.

2. Not just tiny splinters

Because the original sense was “things split off,” the size could vary. It didn’t necessarily mean dust fine splinters — it could include larger chunks, especially in dialect use.

That’s exactly the nuance your mother gave you.

3. A fireplace-specific meaning?

There’s no formal dictionary entry that restricts flinders to “the larger chunks of wood left in the ashes,” but:

• The word’s Scots/Northern English roots

• Its association with wood fragments

• The way dialect words often survive in families

• And the fact that many American families carried Scots/Irish/English dialect terms forward

…all make your mother’s usage completely plausible as a family or regional extension of the older meaning.

It’s the kind of semantic drift that happens in kitchens, barns, and fireplaces — not in dictionaries.

So is there “another meaning”?

Not an official one. But there is a dialectal, lived meaning: wood fragments of any size, especially the leftover pieces after burning or splitting.

Your mother’s definition is perfectly aligned with the historical sense — just more specific and domestic.

If anything, she preserved a shade of meaning that the dictionaries have flattened out. Thank you, Copilot. And if your family has passed down seemingly unique words like this, you might consider using an AI to tease out the definition. It can be a satisfying addition to your understanding of your family’s history and the history of our language.

Lee Barbee, One of Tom Smith Girls Not Expected to Survive Car Crash, Feb. 13, 1926

Locust

This is fine hog weather.

Mrs. Temple Jenkins and two children, of Baltimore, are visiting relatives here.

Mr. and Mrs. Artie Smith of Concord spent Sunday in the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.S. Smith.

Mrs. C.C. Honeycutt spent several days of last week in a Charlotte hospital undergoing x-ray examinations.

Mrs. Herbert Lipe and four children, of Albemarle, were week-end visitors at Mrs. C.L. Smith.

Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Turner are the happy parents of a son born on February 3rd. Mother and babe are doing well. They are at the home of Mrs. Turner’s parents near Louisburg.

Rev. A.A. Hathcock will preach next Sunday afternoon at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jno. W. Hartwick.

Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Hartsell and sister, Mrs. J.N. Hartsell of Kannapolis spent Sunday here with their father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Hartsell.

One of the most horrible wrecks—a head-on collision, occurred Sunday evening about dark on the Charlotte Highway near the residence of J.W. Starnes, when a truck headed east was run into by a Ford car going west. The car struck the loaded truck with such force that it was knocked clear across the road and jammed into the opposite bank. The car was smashed into flinders. It was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Bradly Simpson and brother, Lee Barbee, and two daughters of Mr. Tom Smith of Brattain school section. At first it was thought all were killed and so much blood was on the ground that persons remarked later “it looked like two or three hogs have been killed there.” A car going to Albemarle chanced to pass and took the girls at once to the hospital there, then one going in the other direction picked up the men when it was found they were still alive, and was taking them to the hospital in Charlotte, but when out a few miles they remonstrated so much that the man brought them back to the place of the wreck. The next morning, they were taken to the Albemarle Hospital. The latest report was to the effect that it was feared Simpson and one of the girls would not live. We are informed that liquor was the cause of the trouble—that Simpson was drinking and his wife had her brother go and drive the car and just where the wreck occurred someone caught Barbee’s arms and caused the car to swerve.

No blame is attached to the truck driver as he was on his own side of the road, although he offered himself to the sheriff.

From page 3 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Feb. 13, 1926

"The car was smashed to into flinders" is an expression I've not heard since my mother died. The Merriam Webster's online dictionary says "flinders" means splinters or fragments.

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Local News from Area Around Fink School, Feb. 13, 1926

Fink School

Fink School is progressing nicely with Mr. T.F. Rowland as principal and Miss Josephine Barnhardt as assistant.

Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Cox and Miss Lillie Cox spent awhile Tuesday with Mr. N.S. Stowe.

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Plott and family spent Sunday evening with Mr. J.M.(?) Hudson.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Furr and family and Mr. Martin Furr spent last Sunday with Mr. Frank Furr, of Georgeville.

Mr. R.L. Barrier’s family is on the sick list at this writing.

Mr. and Mrs. Cletus Lefler and family spent Sunday evening with Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Plott.

J.T. Hudson and D.O. Plott made a business trip to Harrisonburg Tuesday.

Mr. Charlie Layton and family spent Sunday with Mr. Arthur Baugh.

Venus, we know of a man who has a cedar water bucket that has been in use for 45 years. If you can beat that, trot out your water bucket.

Sunday school is progressing nicely at Friendship.

--Blue-Eyed Girl

From page 3 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Feb. 13, 1926

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