Will Chavis Being Held in Murder of Denks McMillan, Sept. 20, 1926

Denks McMillan Murdered Last Night. . . Julian Pope Oxendine, Only Eye Witness, Charges Will Chavis with Killing—Chavis Now Under Arrest. . . Inquest Not Completed

Denks McMillan, Indian, was murdered in the Back Swamp section a half mile from the home of Mr. Walter Townsend, last night about 11 o’clock, and Will Chavis, Indian, also of Back Swamp township, is being held in the sheriff’s office charged with the crime. The coroner’s inquest begun at the court house this morning is not yet complete, and up until 2 o’clock this afternoon no evidence has been offered at the hearing against Chavis, although but one witness has been examined.

Julian Pope Oxendine, Indian, the only eye witness to the shooting, claims that Chavis went off and left him and McMillan and later returned and shot at him and then at McMillan, killing McMillan.

When found, the body of McMillan had the appearance of having been taken from a car and put on the ground. The bullet entered his head just above the right ear.

The body was brought to Lumberton by Coroner Biggs this morning and is now being prepared for burial at the Lumberton Furniture store.

From the front page of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N. C., Monday, September 20, 1926

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Howard Nye Out on Bond After Shooting His Wife, Sept. 20, 1926

Howard Nye Released Under $1,000 Bond on Several Grave Charges. . . Alleged He Beat Wife and Shot at Mr. Alonzo Thompson and Man by Name of Barnes—Mrs. Nye Now in Local Hospital

Robeson county officers yesterday received a hurried call to go to Fairmont to bring back to jail Howard Nye, who had raised considerable disturbance at that place. He was charged with being drunk, driving a car while under the influence of whiskey, assault with a deadly weapon upon Mr. Alonzo Thompson and a man by the name of Barnes working with A. C. L. railway at Fairmont, assault on his wife, carrying a concealed weapon and resisting an officer. Mr. Thompson was shot through the shirt and coat while Nye was shooting at Barnes.

Nye was arrested by Chief of Police Forest Hamilton of Fairmont and kept there by the Lumberton officers, Chief of Police D. M. Barker and rural Policeman B. F. Bullard, reached there and brought him back to Lumberton. He was released under $1,000 bond last night for his appearance in Fairmont recorder’s court.

Mrs. Nye was brought to the Thompson Memorial hospital by Chief of Police Hamilton yesterday afternoon. She is suffering with internal injuries said to have been given her when her husband kicked and beat her. Her condition is reported as favorable.

From the front page of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N. C., Monday, September 20, 1926

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Hard-Working Newspaper Boy Turns Out to be Girl, Sept. 20, 1926

Newspaper Carrier “Boy” Turns Out to be a Girl. . . Miss Rubye Lee McCormick of Columbia, S.C., Spends Five Days intown Posing as Boy But Is Finally Discovered—Put to Strenuous Work Delivering Papers Here and Stands Up Under it Like Man—Occupied Room with Local Tobacco Buyer and Fooled Him Completely. . . Played Role of Boy to Secure Work

Miss Rubye Lee McCormick, alias George McCormick, departed on the Wilmington bus Friday evening for Whiteville, where she said that she was going to visit her aunt, Mrs. William Todd. Her stay in Lumberton had been short, lasting only since Sunday afternoon, but it was full of thrills from the beginning.

Reaching Lumberton on the Fayetteville bus Sunday afternoon, Miss McCormick, who was dressed in long trousers and went without hat, went to the Lumberton hotel and registered for room and board. She gave her name as George McCormick, residence Columbia, S.C. On account of the crowded condition of the hotel she was placed in a room with a tobacco buyer from Greenville, who is pretty well advanced in years. Still playing the role of a man, she went out Monday morning in search of work. Her efforts to secure anything to do were fruitless that day, and so Tuesday morning, Mr. J. W. Sellers, proprietor of the hotel and the Lumberton Bicycle shop and local news dealer, employed her to deliver papers. She was given a bicycle and sent out over town with the papers and later went with Mr. Sellers, riding on the running board of the car and throwing out papers. And all the while the voice of the new news boy had the tone of a girl. Mr. Sellers put her under strenuous tests in the work—tests under which he did not think any woman could stand up in order to test her out; but she made no complaint. People at the hotel suspected that girl-like voice, however, and also made comments about the kind of shoes she wore when she arrived at the hotel. She later discarded her long trousers for knickers bought at a local store. Until Friday morning Miss McCormick succeeded in her role.At that time Policeman Vance McGill approached her and ask if she were not a girl, and she confessed the truth to him. She was taken back to the hotel and told to wait there until the afternoon train for Hamlet, when she was to be sent to Columbia, S.C. to Mr. L. H. Wilson, a cousin with whom she said that she lived. Her mind changed during the afternoon, though, and she wanted to go to Whiteville.

Miss McCormick told tales that were a bit inconsistent at times about her people. She said that she had been to visit Mrs. Lilly Scott and Miss Geneva Marlow at Fayetteville. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. McCormick of Columbia, were dead, she stated, but she had a sister, Miss Lula Mae McCormick who lived in Columbia. She had a cousin, Mr. Arthur McCormick, living in Conway, S.C., she said. These were all her people. The aunt at Whiteville was not mentioned when interviewed but came into being later in the afternoon. Efforts to locate anyone in Columbia who knew anything about her proved of no avail, as did efforts to find Mr. Arthur McCormick at Conway.

Miss McCormick conducted herself splendidly while in Lumberton, and no complaint whatever has been registered against her conduct. Her personal appearance was neat, and she played the part of a boy well except for her voice. Black hair cut like a man’s and parted on the side and a full face sprinkled with a few freckles looked very boyish. She was 16 years old and weighed 125 pounds. When interviewed at the hotel Friday afternoon, she became a bit nervous and cried not like a boy but as a girl.

Tobacco Man Shocked

The tobacco buyer who occupied the same room with Miss McCormick cannot yet believe that the person who spent five nights in the room with him was a girl. He was fooled completely and was very much shocked when greeted with the news Friday at noon.

Seeking Work

Miss McCormick told a Robesonian reporter that she left Columbia to get work somewhere and she later assumed the role of a man because she had been told a man could have a better chance to get work than a woman. She ha no particular reason for coming to Lumberton except that she wanted something to do and she thought she could find it here.

Mother Comes for Her

Since the above was put into type, the girl’s mother, a Mrs. Hardy of Conway, S.C., came to Lumberton for the girl. She was accompanied by Mr. Arthur McCormick of Conway, who said that he was no relation whatever of the girl. The name George McCormick, adopted by the girl, was the name of his son, he said. Mr. McCormick stated that he thought the girl became angry with her mother and took what money there was in the house, approximately $30, and left home.

From the front page of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N. C., Monday, September 20, 1926

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Pate Garage Expanding to Include Car Showroom, Sept. 20, 1926

Local Ford Garage Will be Enlarged. . . 30x108 Addition to Shop Will Give Garage of H. A. Pate Jr. Largest Floor Space of Any Garage Between Charlotte and Wilmington—Show Room Will also be Built, All Construction Costing $7,000

Material has been ordered and work is expected to begin within the next few days, on a 30 by 108 ft. addition to the shop part of the garage of H. A. Page Jr., local Ford dealers. This addition will give the garage more floor space than any other garage between Charlotte and Wilmington. The cost of the construction will be approximately $7,000.

The front entrance to the building as now occupied with be closed under the new plan of construction, and a large show room will be provided in the front of the garage. A plate glass front will be installed. Entrance will be made from the side.

A large increase in business necessitates larger quarters. As stated in an advertisement in Monday’s Robesonian, 57 Ford automobiles were sold by the garage during the first 10 days of September.

From the front page of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N. C., Monday, September 20, 1926

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Ethel Bolton, 4, Burned to Death at Home, Sept. 20, 1926

Child Burned to Death

Charlotte, Sept. 17 (AP)—Ethel Bolton, 4-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B.B. Bolton, was burned to death at her home here this afternoon when some loose cotton on which she was sitting became ignited.

The child is said to have been striking matches and watching them burn when one of them dropped to the cotton.

From page 7 of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N. C., Monday, September 20, 1926

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In Civil Court, Robesonian County, Sept. 20, 1926

Many Cases Tried and Judgments Signed. . . Large Number of Cases Disposed of at Two Weeks Civil Term Presided Over by Judge Garland E. Midyette

Superior Court for the trial of civil cases adjourned Wednesday afternoon after trying a number of cases and Judge Garland E. Midyette’s signing a vast number of judgments. It was the second term of court presided over in this county Judge Midyette, the first being the last term of criminal court. This was a two-weeks’ term.

--In the case of Sandy Brooks and Susanna Brooks against Almena Jones, Matilda Locklear, Ralph Lowrie and wife and Katie Lowrie, P. A. Rogers and J. B. Humphrey and A. A. Thaggard were appointed commissioners to divide lands in question into six equal shares and toi allot to each of the plaintiffs and defendants one share in severalty.

--Malcolm S. McConihe, receiver of the First National Bank of Lumberton, recovered $350 and costs in an action against E. T. Taylor, R. F. Kinlaw and Alex Kinlaw.

--The LaFayette Bank and Trust Co., receiver of the Bank of Parkton, recovered from the following defendants the amounts set opposite their names fo rth enonpayment of the stock assessment of 100 per cent on the shares of stock owned by them in the bankd: Neill Alford, $100; J. I. Barlow, $100; Collier Cobb, $200; A. J. Garris, $100; Mrs. Nancy McMillan, $300; Mary H. McNatt, administratrix of the estate of J. C. D. McNatt, $300; Mary H McNatt, administratrix of the estate of J. C. D. McNatt, $300; J. T. Odom, $100; Lcayton Ross, $200; and D. P. Spell, $500.

--Fletcher Long recovered $450 from the Jennings Cotton Mill Co. for personal injuries.

--A writ was issued by the court to K. M. Biggs to put the latter into possession of lands formerly owned by Giles Hunt.

--L. H. Caldwell recovered of Mary C. Inman, administratrix of the estate of A. P. Inman, deceased, the sum of $796.20 with interest on $527.69 from March 4, 1919, until paid and interest on $268.50 from October 15, 1919, until paid. Lands belonging to the estate were condemned to be sold, and the proceeds were ordered applied toward the satisfaction of this judgement.

--Junius J. Goodwin was appointed a referee in a case instituted by Mrs. L. J. Buck against the Murchison National Bank of Wilmington for the recovery of collateral on which her son, W. L. Buck, deceased, of Rowland, formerly president of the Merchants and Farmers Bank there, borrowed money from the Murchison National.

--In the case of Malcolm S. McConihe, receiver for the First National Bank of Lumberton, against J. W. Currie et al the verdict of the jury that the defendant owes the plaintiff nothing was set aside by Judge Midyette, and the cause was continued.

--A property execution was executed against J. W. Brown by the john J. Thrower Co. for $156.61.

--In default of the payment of $400 ordered paid to C. B. Skipper, clerk of court, to East Carlina Realty Co., Inc., Mrs. Jerusha Pittman et al were barred and foreclosed from the redemption of certain lands in this county.

--In the case of Mrs. Mary Stephens and J. G. Stephens against French Williamson, matters of dispute between them having been compromised, it was ordered that tobacco and personal property described in claim and delivery papers in the action was the property of the plaintiffs and that the defendants must pay the costs of the action.

--The Farmers Trading Co. recovered $675 with interest from Peter Chason, and it was ordered that the plaintiff was entitled to immediate possession of the property seized by the sheriff under the claim and delivery in the action.

--The defendant John Trawick recovered $2,243.46 with interest form the plaintiffs D. E. McLean and Lillie McLean. It was ordered that a deed of trust executed by the plaintiffs to James D. Proctor, trustee, was executed for the purpose of securing the payment of this indebtedness and that Mr. Proctor at the request of his codefendant, John Trawick, has full power and authority to sell the lands for the purpose of applying the proceeds to the indebtedness and that the injunction restraining him from doing this is dissolved. John Trawick was also allowed to recover from John W. Ward Jr., and the plaintiffs all the costs and expenses incurred. The plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court. Notice of appeal was waived, the plaintiffs allowed 60 days to make out and serve the case on appeal and 30 days thereafter to serve counter case or exceptions. The appeal bond was fixed at $75 and the bond to stay execution at $3,000.

--C. W. Pridgen Jr. was appointed a referee to find the facts and pass upon questions of law and fact in the case of Agnes Edmund against Tank Pope.

--The Parkton Mercantile Co. recovered the sum of $1,000 from Mrs. Sallie Davis, administratrix of the state of W. M. Davis.

--Johnson and Roberts recovered $306.25 with interest from Moye and Moran Inc.

--E. M. Johnson, receiver for the Bank of Lumber Bridge, recovered 50 per cent of a note for $850 executed by J. S. Stanton and endorsed by J. S. Hodges.

--R. B. Bennett was awarded a judgment for $325 against Alex Paul.

From page 6 of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N. C., Monday, September 20, 1926

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Miss McGill, Mr. Memory Wed Sept. 17, 1926

Memory-McGill

Miss Eulalia McGill and Mr. Harry Hall Memory were married Friday, September 17, at 5 p.m. at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. R. McGill, East Second Street.

Immediately after the marriage Mr. and Mrs. Memory left for Myrtle Beach, S.C. They will be at home here after September 21st.

Mrs. Memory is a member of the faculty of the St. Pauls graded and high schools. Mr. Memory is manager of the Clover Tire Mfg. Co. of Lumberton.

From page 5 of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N. C., Monday, September 20, 1926

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