Gaston Roberts in Jail For Brutal Beating That Leaves Wife in Hospital, Aug. 17,1926

Husband Beats Wife Brutally. . . Cider Bar-room Responsible for Woman Being in Hospital and Gaston Roberts Under Arrest

A wife bruised and beaten is in the Johnston County Hospital and the husband, Gaston Roberts, is under arrest charged with unmercifully beating his wife as the result of cider drinking on Sunday afternoon.

Late Sunday evening after beating his wife black and blue, Roberts got her, with their three little children, into his automobile and went back to the place where he had secured the cider to get more of the vile stuff. He had made threats against her life, according to reports, and when he got to the cider barroom ad got out, Mrs. Roberts slipped from the auto and made her way to the home of Mr. Barney Hamilton on the Goldsboro road not far from where the affair took place, for help. Mr. Hamlton at once communicated with officer sin Smithfield and C. Q. Stephenson and J. O. Hinton hastened to the scene. They went to the home of Roberts where they found him and the three little children. One is only five months old and was taken to the mother. The other two, about 2 and 5 years old were brought to Smithfield and placed in the care of Mrs. Thurston, the county welfare superintendent. Mrs. Roberts spent the night at the home of Mr. Barney Hamilton and yesterday a physician was called. She was then removed to the Johnston County Hospital.

After placing the family of Roberts in a place of safety the officers went back to the scene of the brutal affair and Roberts was placed under arrest. The Grand Jury in Superior Court yesterday found a true bill against him and the solicitor put him under a $1,000 bond. He will be tried Thursday.

The officers while attending to Roberts did not neglect to pay their respects to the place where Roberts secured his cider. They found at the home of Sam Penny, colored, a veritable grog shop. In his barn which was fitted up with every convenience for selling including all sorts of measures and his dwelling, 200 gallons of hard cider was found and poured out. They broke all the vessels that had been used as containers and made short work of the whole outfit. Two hundred gallons was what was left after what appeared to have been a busy day of retailing all day Sunday. According to the officers it looked like an association from the signs of vehicles that had been there during the day Sunday. This raid took place around 2 o’clock yesterday morning, and by that time things were quiet. Penny was arrested, however, and is now under $250 bond for his appearance in Recorder’s Court.

From the front page of the Smithfield Herald, Tuesday morning, Aug. 17, 1926

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