Frank Henderson Confesses to Murdering His Wife, August 1920

From the front page of the Hickory Daily Record, Aug. 30, 1920.

Henderson of Madison Confesses to Murder

Asheville, Aug. 30--Surrounded by two sheriffs in his call in the Buncombe county jail, where he was brought for safe keeping, Frank Henderson of Madison county broke down under the constant torment of his conscience and confessed to the murder of his wife in the little village of Runion on the night of August 24, according to Sheriff Mitchell of this county, and Sheriff Bailey of Madison county, who visited him late yesterday afternoon. In his statement Henderson exonerated Susie Sams from any blame for the death of his wife.

Sheriff Mitchell stated that the Madison county sheriff made no effort to put Henderson through the third degree, but that when he was asked to tell all he knew of the case he broke down and confessed, stating that the murder followed the alleged infidelity of his wife.

Margaret Benner New Head of Department of Instrumental Music at Lenoir, August 1920

From the front page of the Hickory Daily Record, Aug. 30, 1920. Russian violinist's name spelled Skibonsky and Skibinsky in this article.

Miss Benner to Head Department at Lenoir

Lenoir College is fortunate in having secured the servicers of Miss Margaret L. Benner as the new head of the department of instrumental music. Miss Benner recieved her musical education at the Susquehanna University and the Peabody Conservatory. As a teacher she has been eminently successful. One of her testimonials contains the following:

"Miss Benner possesses not only acquired skill to an unusual degree as a pianist, but also the natural endowments of a real musician. She is a zealous, tactful, patient teacher with marked ability to instruct, and the gift of inspiring her pupils with a love for their work. 

Aside from her qualities as a teacher she is in every respect a most excellent woman of Christian character, having an attractive personality, with a winning way that makes friends readily."

Having appeared on the same program with A.N.Skibonsky, Russian violinist of international reputation, Mr. Skibinsky praises Miss Benner's work as follows:

"I am particularly impressed with her splendid technical ability and expert in musicianship as well as with her remarkable skill as an accompanist."

Baby Girl Left on McLemore Front Porch, August 1920

From the front page of the Hickory Daily Record, Monday evening, Aug. 30, 1920

Infant Is Left With West Hickory Couple

Mr. and Mrs. John McLemore of West Hickory are the proud possessors of a baby girl a week old and they would not take anything in the world for her.

The infant was left on their front porch Saturday night, together with a bottle of milk, $25 in money and plenty of infant clothing.

Who left the little girl there Mr. and Mrs. McLemore have not the remotest idea, but they expect to adopt her and provide for her as if she were their very own. No happier parents live in West Hickory than they. the little girl came almost in answer to their prayers for a child to bless their home.

Mr. McLemore, who is employed at the Southern Desk Company, was formerly mayor of West Hickory and he and his wife are fine people. Childless themselves, they adopted an infant some time ago, but the little one died. Among their friends, the love for children was generally known and many regard the leaving of the little child on their porch as a special blessing.

The little girl is well formed, in good healthy and was reported as getting along well in her new home today.

Large Paper Mill Coming to Asheville, Wilmington or Raleigh, Aug. 30, 1920

From the front page of the Hickory Daily Record, Aug. 30, 1920

Giant Paper Mill For North Carolina

Cincinnati, Aug. 30--Announcement was made here yesterday that the Champion Coated Paper Co. of which Peter G. Thompson of College Hill is president, will erect a large paper mill at Asheville, Wilmington or Raleigh, N.C. The pulp will be taken directly from the fiber plant at Asheville to the new paper mill and there converted into finished book paper. The paper making  machines in the new plant will be the largest in the world.

The new plant will employ 3,000 men with an annual pay roll of $3 million. The exceptional advantages of the state of North Carolina both in raw material for paper making and labor courted with constantly increasing activities of Southeastern states' seaports are given as cause of the state of North Carolina being favored by big corporations now having many of the largest contracts in the world for furnishing national magazines and transacting large business with the United States government in postal cards. It is calculated that the proposed plant will be started before the close of the present year. The concern now controls the fiber business of the nation, and the new move adds another giant industry to the Southeastern states.

News Briefs From Watauga, August 26, 1920

 From The Watauga Democrat, August 26, 1920

Local Affairs

The Appalachian Training School opened its fall term last Tuesday, with flattering prospects for a successful session.

Miss Arkie Ragan returned from the hospital at Gastonia last Saturday and is rapidly recovering from an operation for appendicitis.

B.A. Foster of Sands has sold his farm to Nathan Green of Meat Camp for $4,400, and will, we are told invest his money in Ohio property.

Rev. John Norris, residing one mile west of the village, has sold his farm to Mr. Chas. Greer of Cove Creek, the consideration being $6,500. A few years ago the same farm sold for $1,000.

Mr. Melvin Holler, who for a few months has been living in Avery county, died there on last Friday morning and the remains were brought back to Watauga for interment Saturday evening. Milk sick, we are told, was the cause of his death.

Mr. Thomas Elrod, son of the late John Elrod, died at the home of his nephew, Mr. Lloyd Cottrell, on Route 1, early Monday morning. Mr. Elrod was a quiet, unassuming citizen; was never married, and was more than 65 years of age. Interment Tuesday evening in the Critcher burying ground in the Mt. Vernon section.

It seems that the road work in Watauga is over, for the present, however, the matter will be taken up by the board of county commissioners, at its September meeting, at which time it is hoped that money sufficient for the completion of the eight mile kink of the Boone Trail Highway, will be provided. Should this fail, better it would have been if we had never begun road construction in the county.

At the meeting of the Boone Commercial Club on last Monday night funds were raised with which to buy ice cream, oranges and other dainties for the children who come here for the clinic on Aug. 31 to Sept. 3 inclusive.

George H. Hayes of Sands raised 176 bushels of rye on 9 1/2 acres of land, and in other field his son raised something over 100 bushels, and the grain was threshed and housed before the wet weather began.

Our representative in the lower house of the General Assembly, Dr. McD. Little, has been a very sick man in a Raleigh hospital for the past few days, but the latest advices from his physician to the family are that the Doctor is very much better.

Atty. E.S. Coffey left last Friday for Elizabethton, Tenn., where he joined his uncle, Mr. F.P. Curtis, and son Fred, on a motor trip to Spencer, Indiana, to visit his aged uncle, Mr. Judson Curtis. Mr. Coffey expected to be absent for 10 days or two weeks.

Dr. McG. Anders is at his former home in Gastonia this week, having his house put in order for his family, who will follow him in the next few days, where they will remain during the winter. The doctor was loath to leave his practice here, but important business matters in his home town made it imperative that he be in Gastonia this fall and winter. He expects to return to his home and practice in Boone in the early spring.

Prohibition Agent D.W. Wooten, Deputy Sheriff N.C. Green, N.N. Colvard and W.R. Greene went into the Potter Town section of the counbty in quest of a moonshine distillery. the search proved futile, although they found different furnaces which, to all appearances, had been recently used. Giving up the search and leaving the woods, they went into an old house near a home and snugly hidden away 'neath the floor, was a cask, containing 20 gallons of as good "mountain dew," so far as the boys could tell by smelling (?) it, as ever ran from a still. The barrel was cut down and the fluid was soon absorbed by the thirsty earth.

Mr. Lawrence of Statesville is in the county putting up silos for the farmers. Just now he is in town waiting for material with which to erect one on the farm of F.A. Linney near the village.

Mrs. J.W. McGhee, whose illness we have mentioned from time to time, died of perontinitis in a Johnson City hospital last Friday. The body was brought home the following evening and intermnet wa smade in the Brown cemetery, near her girlhood home on Sunday in hte presence of a large concourse of sorrowing relatives and friends. A tribute to the memory of the good lady, whose death has brought sadness to so many hearts will appear next week.

Leave N.C. Mountains for Ohio, August 1920

 From the front page of The Watauga Democrat, August 26, 1920

Central Ohio Farms

We have sold several farms within the last few months to North Carolina people, and we desire to announce that we will send to any one interested, our catalogue free of charge, upon request for same.

This section of very fertile land, is a natural grass and clover soil, in fact in the limestone and heavy clay districts, blue grass and clover become self seeded, and just naturally grow well, all through this section are fine flowing springs and creeks, plentiful supply of pure water the year around. The wonderful hay, corn and forage crops, the silo, the climatic advantages, the ready markets for farm products wthin easy reach, these things mean profit for stockmen and dairymen.

There are few sections of the United States where a greater variety of crops can be grown and where the danger from failure is less.

A total crop failure in this country has never been known. In this land of primise, with our remarkable variety of crops, WE ARE SAFE.

Write us for the free illustrated and descriptive catalogue with free list of farm bargains. Address: E.A. STROUT FARM AGENCY, Blake V. Mizer, Mgr., Shelby Building, Coshocton, Ohio.

Boone Involves Local Leaders in Commercial Club, August 1920

From the front page of The Watauga Democrat, August 26, 1920

Commercial Club Organized in Boone

Feeling that Boone needed some kind of an organization to act in an official capacity in promoting the many and various interests of the town, several of Boone's business men met int he parlors of the Critcher Hotel on last Thursday afternoon to talk the matter. As considerable enthusiasm was apparent from the start, it was thought advisable to go at the subject in a business way, and Mayor T.B. Moore was requested to preside and Mr. C.A. Ellis to act as secretary. Various matters were discussed, and it was decided to have the chairman appoint a committee of five to look into the most vital needs of the town and report at a meeting to be held Saturday afternoon H.W. Horton, W.R. Gragg, C.A. Ellis, T.B. Moore and Roy M. Brown, not only made the following suggestions but nominated the following officers and board of governors to serve for one year: the name of the organization to be "Boone Commercial Club" and W.R. Gragg, J.F. Moore, G.M. Sudderth, Roy M. Brown, and also Dr. J.W. Jones to act at the board of governors whose duty it would be to elect and dismiss officers and committees,hear and act on all complaints and to take action on all matters pertaining to th eclub. Those gentlemen, with the following officers and committees, were unanimously elected at the meeting held Saturday afternoon, their terms of office to be one year.

OFFICERS:

President, H.W. Horton

vice President, J.L. Qualls

Secretary, C.A. Ellis

Asst. Sec. Russell G. Hodges

Treasurer, W.D. Farthing

COMMITTEES

Advertising: H.W. Horton, T.B. Moore, R.C. Rivers, J.K. Moose and I.G. Greer.

Financial: D.J. Cottrell, A.Y. Howell, C.M. Yates and J.F. Hardin.

Civic: Mrs. McG. Anders, Mrs. F.A. Linney, Mrs. M.P. Critcher, W.G. Hartzog and John E. Brown.

New Enterprises: R,.M. Green, J.L, Qualls, E.F. Lovill, R.R. Johnson, J.W. Hodges and M. B. Blackburn.

Social and Tourists: Bob Campbell, Hardy Lyons, D.B. Bingham, R.D. Hodges, Frank Simonds, O.L. Coffey and Miss Carrie L. Coffey, Mrs. A.E. South and Mrs. J.L. Sproles.

Educational: J.F. Robbins, Jobh Cook, A.E. South, J.W. Farting and Mrs. I.G. Greer.

Special Committee on Street Improvements: B.B. Doughterty, A.Y. Howell, G.P. Hagaman, G.M.Sudderth and Dr. McG. Anders.

Legal and Legislative: Frank A. Linney, J.C. Fletcher, John E. Brown, E.S. Coffey and E.F. Lovill.

The initiation fee will be $1, Annual dues $6, payable $1.50 quarterly, in advance. Capt. E.F. Lovill and all ladies, life membership free.

Time of meeting, every second and fourth Monday night at 8 o'clock. Place, the court house.