Thursday, October 6, 1921
The season has been marked by a general widespread epidemic of sore throats. The town of Marlinton has had a large number of cases during the past few months. Vaccination against the disease is being generally practiced on the school children and it is not thought at this time that it will be necessary to suspend the schools. A number of cases of scarlet fever have been reported in the West Union neighborhood, but, as yet, no cases have appeared in Marlinton.
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The Stansberrys closed at Minnehaha October 2, and took the train on Tuesday for Sarasota, Florida, where they will open their hotel October 15. They were accompanied by Julian Lockridge. The Stansberrys are experienced hotel people and though they arrived late at the Springs, they built up a good custom and enjoyed a profitable season. May 7th will see them back at Minnehaha Springs for a really good season.
BIG FIRE IN MARLINTON
About one o’clock this morning, the big warehouse of the Marlinton Supply Company, T. D. Moore, proprietor, with a big stock of feed, flour, groceries and dry goods, was destroyed by fire. Mr. Moore’s dwelling was also greatly damaged. The loss is between $12- and $15,000. Insurance, $2,000. The dwelling of J. Luther McNeill was also damaged by fire and water.
The cause of the fire is unknown, but there is suspicion that it might have been set to cover a robbery.
A little before one o’clock, Mr. Moore was aroused by the light of his burning store. The alarm was given promptly and the town awakened by the big whistle at the power plant. The hose companies from the Tannery, uptown and downtown came immediately. There was a big water supply from the tanks and the pumps with the big Tannery pumps held in reserve. Three big streams of water soon got the fire under control and saved the big store and warehouses of the People Store and Supply Company and the nearby dwellings. Fire Chief D. W. Williams and his experienced fire fighters are being highly commended for the effective way in which they handled the situation. Had it not been for a good water supply all the buildings at the west end of the bridge would have been destroyed.
CIRCUIT COURT
October Term of the Circuit Court convened on Tuesday morning with Judge Summers H. Sharp on the bench. Tuesday and Wednesday were taken up in hearing criminal cases.
Asa Ryder, aged about 19 years, confessed to stealing an automobile and was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary. One August night at Chautauqua in Marlinton, Anderson Barlow found his car missing. The next morning, it was found at Dunmore with young Ryder in it.
Granville Madison confessed to breaking and entering R. J. Auldridge’s store at Millpoint one night last summer and stealing some store goods. He was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary.
In his confession Madison implicated Jim Astin. Astin pleaded not guilty, stood trial, was found guilty and he also was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary.
On Wednesday, the case of State against Granville Madison, Ben Syms and Forrest Syms was tried. They were charged with robbing the warehouse of the Clifton Forge Grocery Company at Marlinton. Madison confessed, but the Syms boys stood trial.
As we go to press, we hear the jury returned a verdict of guilty against them.
State v Warwick Scott, whiskey case, $50 and three months in jail.
State v Phil Flenner, pistol case, $50 and six months.
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Thumbnail sketches of the men who were summoned from Pocahontas county to serve on the Mingo jury, continued…
Fred Wade, 42, is a farmer, living at Seebert. He is married. Said he had no connection with the United Mine Workers, any coal company or the Baldwin Felts detectives. Felt he could weigh the evidence submitted and give a fair and impartial verdict. Owns his own farm. Formerly worked at a sawmill. Had read his county newspaper, but it had carried no account of the shooting or the trial in January. Had no positive convictions on the subject of unionism, but believed any man should have the right to join a union if he so desired.
U. S. Gilmore lives near Woodrow. He is 40 years old, married and a farmer and logging contractor. Said he had no feelings of bias in connection with the case, was not connected with any of the interests involved in the industrial trouble in Mingo county, and was not related to either Furgerson or Chambers or Burgraff. Had never belonged to a union. Was not opposed to capital punishment. Was “opposed to unionism as he heard of it in Pocahontas county,” where he said a union had been formed by the woodcutters, but it had fallen through.
Egbert W. LaRue, of Hillsboro, is in the life insurance business. He is 24 years old and married. Said he is opposed to capital punishment, knew nothing except what he had read of the Matewan shooting in the newspapers and had formed no undue opinion. Had read the headlines of the daily newspapers, but in doing so had become sensible of no bias or prejudice. Had formerly been a clerk in the employ of the Warn Lumber Co. at Hillsboro.
A.W. Lightner, of Buckeye, is a blacksmith and married. Knew nothing about the United Mine Workers or the Baldwin Felts detectives except what he read in the newspapers. Had lived all his life in Pocahontas county and never belonged to a labor union. Said he owned his shop. Had not changed his mind with any of the facts in the case at bar or of the indictments which followed it early in the year.
W. A. Brill, of Cass, is 51, married, and a merchant. Had formed a strong opinion with regard to the Matewan shooting, and felt that it would take strong evidence to overcome that opinion. He would take that opinion into the jury box, he told the court, and hold to it until sufficient evidence had accumulated to outweigh it. His opinion had been formed from a reading of the newspapers and from what he had heard concerning the affair. He was excused.
To be continued…