Attempt Made to Frame Policeman Archie Nobles, Aug. 23, 1922

‘Worm’ Found in Yard of Officer Said Have Been Result of ‘Frame-Up’

And it wasn’t the right worm after all. Alleged frame-up against Policeman Archie Nobles didn’t work out so as to impress the arresting officer or others in authority that he had been guilty of any misconduct and no charges were preferred against him following the finding of the worm to a whiskey still in a sack in his cabbage patch early Sunday morning.

According to a story given The Free Press by Chief GA. Everington of the Police Department, who has perfect confidence in Officer Nobles and declares him to be one of the most faithful officers ever on the force, Policeman Nobles and Deputy Sheriff Leathers raided a still in Vance Township abut a week ago and brought in the paraphernalia, consisting of kettle, worm, etc. The kettle was cut up, but the worm was not destroyed. All the stuff was thrown over in the dump back of the calaboose. The next day the worm had disappeared, and the officers had been on a hunt for it since. Sunday morning about 2 o’clock Deputy Leathers was aroused by a person or persons whose identity he claims to have agreed not to divulge, and was told that if he would get a search warrant for Nobles’ premises, he would find the missing worm. Accordingly, Leathers got the warrant and proceeded to Nobles’ home on Heritage Street. He called Nobles from his bed and told him the occasion or his visit.

Nobles is said to have told him, “Well if it is here, let’s go and get it. You don’t need a search warrant.” The officers found a worm in the cabbage patch. A significant circumstance and one which the alleged planters failed to take into account was that while the officers found themselves soaked from the dew on the cabbage plants, and the sack in which the worm was found was “dry as a bone.” Officer Leaders did not make any charge against the officer and is said to agree with the other officials that the whole affair looked like a frame-up. The worm happened not to be the one that was stolen from the scrap heap. The difference was easily detected according to Chief Everington, because the missing one was new and the one “recovered” was patched in several places.

From the front page of The Kinston Free Press, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 1922