Thursday, January 28, 1925
RAILROAD NEWS
The morning passenger train from Durbin struck a rock on the track a short distance below Sitlington last Thursday morning. The engine and one coach were put out of commission. The conductor, Captain Cowherd, was thrown across a seat and badly injured. He is in the Clifton Forge Hospital. Traffic on the Division was tied up about half a day.
On last Monday, there was a peculiar accident on the railroad just above Cass. A car in the down freight jumped the track and bumped along the ties for perhaps a quarter of a mile. At a switch frog, the car jumped back on the rail and the men in charge of the train never knew that anything was wrong. When the next freight up struck the damaged track, seven or eight cars were derailed.
PROTECT THE GROWING CHILD
Six of every 100 breast-fed babies and 25 of every 100 bottle fed babies in the United States die during the first year, a total of more than a quarter of a million babies in this great country each year who live less than 12 months.
Five times as many deaths occur as among our soldiers on the battlefields during the great World War. In fact, it was safer to be a soldier in France than a newborn baby in the United States, as a soldier has a better chance of living out a year than a baby
These are startling statements but substantiated by statistics. A large part of these deaths, at least one half, are unnecessary and preventable. About 4,000 of these infant deaths occur in West Virginia. At least 2,000 of these little lives can and ought to be saved. By the law of averages according to the population of the state, there are 7,000 crippled children in West Virginia. Not more than one in 10 of these are receiving anything like proper and adequate treatment and care, if any at all.
Most of the remaining 6,000 will become helpless, hopeless and a burden upon society unless proper and adequate treatment is provided, while the majority of them may become self-supporting, useful and happy citizens under proper care…
REPORT OF DUNMORE
Mack Brooks, principal. Perfect attendance: Beatrice Carpenter, Francis Pritchard, Nadyne Lightner, Lee McLaughlin, Arlie Carpenter. Faithful attendance: Nita Arbogast, Mildred Taylor, Eloise Moore, Ernestine Carpenter, Gladys McLaughlin, Gladys Taylor, Ernest Moore, Corbett Arbogast, Stephen Pritchard, Lawrence Carpenter and Teddy Arbogast.
Primary room teacher, Mrs. Mack Brooks. Perfect attendance: Oather Carpenter, Tempest Hill, Eldon Cambell, Lucille McLaughlin, Virginia McLaughlin, Rachel Noel, Betty Ellen Pritchard. Faithful attendance: Virginia Dare Lightner, Arline Hill, Chad Pritchard and Pershing Arbogast.
MURDER OF YOUNG GIRL IS THE WORST IN YEARS
Bluefield, W. Va. – The lifeless body of Ethel Sullivan, pretty 17-year-old girl, victim of a murderous assault, lies in the morgue.
Walter W. Palmer, 23 years old, alleged jilted lover, rolls restlessly about his bunk in the criminal cell at police headquarters, his character stained with the crimson blood of the young woman, his soul blackened and mental condition weakened and tortured by the re-action of his thoughts of the horrible crime which has marked him as a murderer.
The murder was committed in the kitchen of the home of C. F. Foland, 436 Union Street, where the girl, with a younger sister, Margaret Sullivan, aged 11, had been employed for the last three months as nurse maids.
No one was at the home with the exception of the Sullivan sisters and Mr. and Mrs. Foland’s twin babies.
Palmer was brought from his cell to talk with county authorities, police and newspaper representatives to answer the questions of his interrogators.
“I am not sorry now, but I might be later,” Palmer told the small audience who had gathered in one prison corridor for the purpose of learning the motive behind the crime.
“She has wrecked my life,” he added.
Palmer told of his actions prior to the crime, his escape from the home and other details up to the time of his confinement in the city jail. However, those who heard his story were unable to grasp the slightest cause for the brutal assault.
While a report of the murder came in by telephone to the desk sergeant, a call came from Palmer, who had gone into a home on View Avenue, asked the use of the telephone and called police headquarters. Palmer’s conversation with police headquarters was to this effect:
“Well, I killed that girl and I’m over on View Avenue.’
“Send over a good man. I want to surrender.”
