Wednesday, April 22, 2026

After Haunting House Near Elm Grove, "Ghost" is Freed, April 23, 1926

Haunted House Ghost Proves to be Wandering Goat

Kinston, April 22—The ghost that haunted an abandoned two-story dwelling near Elm Grove has been captured. For three or four nights the spook paraded past windows in the second story and made unearthly noises. It was evidently in distress.

Neighboring negroes and a few whites saw the haunt, all from a respectful distance. The thing was beginning to attract crowds after sunset. Several stories were concocted to account for the ghost’s presence. They involved murders that never happened and other tragic happenings.

A person who had not heard of the apparition passed the house in daytime and rescued a bleating goat from imprisonment. The animal apparently had entered from an open door which was closed by a gust of wind.

From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Friday, April 23, 1926

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4 Stores, Warehouses Burn in Nashville, N.C., April 23, 1926

Several Buildings in Nashville, N.C., Burned. . . Four Stores and Several Small Frame Warehouses Destroyed in Fire of Undetermined Origin

Nashville, N.C., April 23 (AP)—Fire of undetermined origin early today destroyed four stores and several small frame warehouses here. The loss was unofficially estimated at in excess of $40,000.

A half block of the business district was wiped out by the flames which for a time appeared to threaten the entire business section. The Rocky Mountain [Rocky Mount] fire department responded to a call for aid and succeeded in getting the flames under control.

From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Friday, April 23, 1926

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Family Wants $20,000 in Damages from Railroad for Death of 9-Year-Old, April 23, 1926

Estate of Child Sues for $20,000 Damages

Charlotte, April 22—The estate of Rufus Edwards, 9-year-old boy, filed suit Wednesday for $20,000 against the Southern Railway Company in Mecklenburg Superior court, alleging that the company’s negligence caused the boy’s death last November.

W.D. Turner, engineer, was made a party to the defense. Preston and Rose represent the plaintiff.

The complaint alleged that the lad was at the intersection of the railroad tracks and Second street, playing at a place generally known as a playground for children. The railroad company had interposed no object and had provided no safeguards to prevent its trains doing injury to the playing children, it was alleged. The lad is said to have been struck by an engine driven by Mr. Turner.

From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Friday, April 23, 1926

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Ollie Spruill Can't Pay $5 to Support Wife, Child, Put on Roads for 12 Months, April 23, 1926

Recorder’s Court

The following cases were disposed of by Recorder Zeb Bance Norman on Tuesday:

Ollie Spruill, abandonment, defendant required to pay to support of wife and child $5 per week, and enter into bond for this purpose, in default of which he is to serve 12 months on the roads. Ollie is on the roads.

F.E. Allen, worthless check; guilty. Judgement suspended upon payment of check and cost.

Henry Sherrod, V.P.L., guilty, fined $5 and cost.

James Pittman, a.d.w., guilty, fined $10 and cost.

Nathan Webb, a.d.w., not guilty.

Robert Webb, a.d.w., guilty, judgement suspended upon payment of cost.

From the front page of The Roanoke Beacon, Plymouth, N.C., April 23, 1926

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Police Looking for Ham Thief, Also Ellis Brooks Who Stole Fabric, April 23, 1926

Makes Away with Hams

Persons unknown forced an entrance in the butchery establishment of Mr. W.R. White Tuesday night and made away with about 100 pounds of hams and a small quantity of bacon.

Efforts to learn the identity of the robber or robbers have met with no success.

Ellis Brooks, young colored man here, lifted a bold of crepe de chine from the store of Mr. W.C. Harrison Tuesday afternoon and has not been found by the officers. It is generally thought that he is in Norfolk.

From the front page of The Roanoke Beacon, Plymouth, N.C., April 23, 1926

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John Darden Lays Out Plan to Give Students Access to High Schools, April 23, 1926

A County Wide School Plan

I wish to discuss with the people of the county the great need of standard types of schools before going into the plan of organization.

Our conception of the high school has changed. Not only do we hope to prepare boys and girls for college, but we hope to prepare them for life. We should not only give them reading, writing and arithmetic, but should offer them vocational training in all lines of work. Agriculture, home economics, shop work, commercial courses and various other lines of training are frequently asked for in the high schools. These, together with academic subjects, cannot be given in small high schools.

Not only does the large type high school offer these advantages, but it is much more economical to maintain. I believe that the per capital cost is from 15 to 20 per cent less in the large schools than in smaller non-standard high schools. In order to give these high school advantages, it will be necessary to bring at least 100 high school pupils together in one center.

The plan calls for three standard high schools which offers these advantages in the county. They are at Plymouth, Roper and Creswell. In addition to the high school courses offered, these schools maintain standard elementary schools for grades one to seven.

The schools proposed by the plan are as follows:

--Plymouth, this school will embrace all of Plymouth township;

--Roper, the elementary school will cover about the same territory and remain practically the same as it is at the present time;

--Mackeys, this school will remain about the same as it is now, covering about the same territory, and the plan is to make this a strong standard elementary school;

--Albemarle, it will be necessary under the plan to build up and maintain a standard elementary school in Skinnersville township at or near the point where the state highway leaves the old Columbia road, and this school would take care of the entire Skinnersville township;

--Creswell, this school will cover its present territory, together with Mt. Tabor school;

--Cherry, this will be a standard elementary school covering its present territory;

--Wenona, it will be necessary under this plan to maintain a small type school at Wenona.

All high school students in the county will be transported or in reach of one of the three standard high schools.

--JOHN W. DARDEN

From the front page of The Roanoke Beacon, Plymouth, N.C., April 23, 1926

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Miss Mary Ward Davis, Other Students of Mrs. Leon Lewis, Recital at Roper, April 23, 1926

Recital at Roper

Miss Mary Ward Davis, a pupil of Mrs. Leon Lewis, will give a piano recital in the auditorium of the Roper High School Monday evening, April 26th, at 8 o’clock. The following is the program:

Cascade of the Chauolron by Franz Bendel—Mary Ward Davis

Dearie Me, O! by Danel Protheroe—Mildred Swain, Mildred Lewis, Mary Hassell, Louise Chesson

Minuet a l’Antique, Opus 14 no 1 by I.J. Paderewski—Mary Ward Davis

Cecelia—Harmonica Band

Hope March, Violin Trio—Mrs. Louise Hassell, Mrs. Roy Stillman, Mrs. Leon Lewis

Witches Dance, Op. 17 by E.A. McDowell—Mary Ward Davis

A Toi by Leon Rinquet—Genevieve Williams, Louise Chesson

Prelude by Chapin—Mary Ward Davis

I Want You Cherie—Harmonica Band

Humoresque, Violin Trio—Mrs. Louis Hassell, Mrs. Roy Stillman, Mrs. Leon Lewis

Triumphal March by Jacob Kunkrel—Mary Ward Davis

From the front page of The Roanoke Beacon, Plymouth, N.C., April 23, 1926

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