Year: 1888
The Landmark, Statesville North Carolina
Newspaper articles contributed by Twylla Teer and abstracted by Elsie Arcuri.
Some of these articles were almost impossible to read. PLEASE view microfilm before accepting it as fact.
Definitions:
ult. = last month
inst. = present month
Periods intentionally omitted after abbreviations, initials, etc.
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Jan 5, 1888
DIED
At his home in Sharpe’s township, Alexander co, on the 27th of Dec, of pneumonia, Mr Phineas Lackey, aged about 69 years.
At the residence of the parents in Bethany township on the 3d of Dec, of consumption, Johnny, son of Mr and Mrs W H Summers.
In Fallstown township, on the 28th of December, of paralysis, Mrs Barbara Rimer, aged about 69 years.
At the residence of his father in Cool Spring township on the 29th of Dec, of pneumonia, Rowland, son of Mr L W Knox, 21 years.
At Winston on the 30th of December after a sickness of two days, Frank, son of Mr and Mrs O B Watson, aged 4 years.
In Fallstown township, December 24th of paralysis, Mr Wm Swann, aged about 75 years.
Jan 5, 1888
Fancy Hill postoffice, seven miles west of this place, on the Taylorsville road, has been abolished.
T A Hudson, Esq of Miller’s township, Alexander county, made last year, without guano, 3 bales of cotton on 5 1/2 acres, 60 bushels of wheat, and 200 bushels of corn on 8 acres, all with the aid only of one little mule.
Ordered that J M Douglas be paid $4 for repairing the stock law fence on the Alexander county line.
A Serious Accident
The Alexander County Journal states that on Monday, December 19th, while a son of Mr W G Gaither, of Iredell, (who is running a saw-mill in Alexander) and a son of Frank Sharpe, were cutting a tree for saw logs, near Liberty, the former met with a very serious accident. The tree had lodged among some saplings and young Sharpe began cutting them away with Gaither standing near. The tree suddenly gave way and knocked Sharpe’s ace against Gaither’s side, cutting through to the cavity. Dr Carson was called and rendered the necessary surgical attendance. At last accounts the patient was doing well.
Jan 19, 1888
Caught on a Requisition.
Esley Staley, formerly of Wilkes county, but at the time of this occurrence a citizen of Iredell, was charged, last summer, with stealing butter, etc from W M Dulin, Esq of the eastern part of this township, and was bound over to the last August Term of the Superior Court. He jumped his bond, but some time ago his bondsman, Mr S L Parks, heard of him as being in Grayson county, Va, and got a requisition for him from the Governor of North Carolina upon the Governor of Virginia. Accompanied by a Virginia officer, Mr Parks raided him in his Virginia home, week before last, and effected his capture. Bringing him across the country by easy stages, he had the satisfaction of arriving here safely with him a week ago, and landing him in triumph in Iredell jail.
January 28, 1888
MARRIED
At the residence of Mr Wash Malcom in Fallstown township, on the 24th of January by E L Cloninger Esq, Mr David Beam and Miss Lula Young. All of Iredell.
At the residence of the bride’s father at Little River, Alexander county, on the 25th of January, by Rev J B Pool, Mr Robert Winkler of Burke county and Miss Kate, daughter of Geo W Long, Esq of Alexander.
Feb 2, 1888
Letter from Concord Township
Correspondence of The Landmark
Since the burning of our school house most of the boys have been engaged in rabbit chasing.
Mr G W Harris closed his school yesterday at Beckham school house, Sharpe’s township, Alexander county.
We have a debating society every Friday night and a singing school every Saturday at Amity church. Mr Sammy Johnston, Jr of Sharpesburg township is the teacher of the latter. The greater part of his class are new beginners. Mr Johnston is interested in showing the keys of music as goes.
I am very much gratified that Statesville will soon be a plow and cotton manufacturing city. We have the raw material; what is the use of sending it away to be manufactured? May the projectors have success.
The old church at Stony Point has been torn down and a new frame, 40 x 60 feet, is on the same spot, which will be near enough complete for preaching by March or April.
I notice reports of the epidemic at Asheville in this week’s LANDMARK. The writer of this has a private letter of the 26th of January, from his brother who lives four miles from there. Had one about three weeks before, stating that he was very unwell. Please give me space and I will copy from his last:
“Have got able to go to town, but there have been a great many cases of sickness there. It works in the head and back so as to draw the head back. There have been over 30 deaths in town since new year’s. One day 7 died, another 10. It is said the people are leaving by car loads and are not allowed to stop at Hendersonville. Newton is said to have some cases. As to what it is, that is unknown. Two families from England were the first cases in Asheville. I intended to go to town tomorrow but the wood haulers and people have most quit town. Think the disease to be epidemic at present. The doctors of Buncombe county, met at Asheville one day last week but made but little decision anyway.”
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Feb 9, 1888
The Journal says that Mr Henry White of Alexander was going home from court last week, he was kicked on the leg by a mule. Both bones of the leg were broken below the knee.
Feb 23, 1888
Mad Dog Scare
The dog of T J Sharpe, of Sharpe’s township, Alexander county got “mad” yesterday and suddenly attacked everything in it’s reach. Mr Sharpe was putting up his horse and on coming out of the stable door the dog grabbed him by the calf of the leg, inflicting a slight wound. He kicked it down and jumping on it with both feet crushed its skull. This morning Mr Sharpe came to town and Mr W B Lewis’s madstone was applied to the wound and “stuck”.
Mr Milas Cline of Shiloh township, was attacked suddenly and without provocation while he was dressing, last Thursday or Friday morning, by the family cat and bitten on the arm and foot. His child was also attacked by the cat but not much hurt. Mr Cline went to Newton on the hunt of the Weedon madstone, but not finding it came to Statesville Saturday, where Mr Geo Lanier’s madstone was applied but would not adhere. The Lanier madstone was applied, Monday to the arm of Mr W H Stockton’s boy, who was dog bitten Sunday, and stuck to the wound.
Rev A Walker White and family, late of Taylorsville, left Tuesday for Corpus Christi, Texas, which will be their home. We are sorry to see them leave North Carolina. Mr White preached a good sermon Sunday night at the Presbyterian church.
March 1, 1888
The mail carrier on the route between Taylorsville and Rock Cut has been failed three times since Christmas to make the trip. As this is a weekly mail only, his failures have resulted in great inconvenience and worry to the people on his route. They have rights in the matter which deserve to be respected and we call attention to the fact that they have just cause for complaint.
Miss J E M Hudson, has resigned as postmaster at Stony Point, Alexander county, and W R Sloan, Esq, has been appointed in her stead. The office has been moved from Miss Hudson’s house to Sloan’s store without change of name. Miss Hudson has been postmaster at Stony Point many years and there never was a better one anywhere. We extend our thanks to her upon her retirement for the care she always exercised in handling THE LANDMARK. There is no postoffice at which there has been less complaint about the delivery of the paper.
March 15, 1888
Mrs Col Cowles, while on her way over from Wilkesboro to Taylorsville to take the train, last week, was thrown out of the buggy, on the mountain, with her baby in her arms. She was scarred about the head but the infant was not hurt. When the colored boy who had driven her to Taylorsville, got back to Wilkesboro the next night, he allowed Col Cowles’ fine horse, Bob, to drink all the water he wanted and that night the animal died.
DIED
At her home in Taylorsville on the 11th inst, of consumption, Mrs Laura Hedrick Carmon, wife of Dr J M Carson, aged about 25 years.
At his home in Concord on the 9th of paralysis, Col John M Long, aged about 75 years. He was a lawyer by profession but had devoted his later years to farming.
March 15, 1888
Homicide in South Iredell
Monday evening Patton Beckham, a colored blacksmith, of Mr Mourne, being under bond to appear before J B Cornelius, Esq. of Davidson township, the next morning in the matter of the recent robbery of the store of E C Miller, of Miller postoffice, went over to Eck. White’s on the way to Squire Cornelius’s as it is understood to stay all night. He and Eck. went to the distillery of S S Caldwell and got a jug of liquor and left the distillery about night, taking the jug with them. About two hours after nightfall they turned up at the old Moses White place, where Vinc. Nantz and his family, late of western Iredell or eastern Alexander are now living and went in. They ate supper and afterwards sat down around the fire. It appears that by this time Eck. White was helplessly drunk. He remembers nothing about what happened. The Nantzs say that Beckham drew a knife and made a general assault upon the company and that they with difficulty saved themselves from being cut to pieces. He is described as having been in a furious rage. They admit that one of them struck him once on the head with his fist but say that no other violence was done him and that finally they got him to the door, shoved him out and closed the door. The next morning early Beckham was heard groaning and was found lying about 100 yards from the house. He died in about two hours.
Coroner Anderson was summoned by telegraph, Tuesday and held an inquest yesterday. A number of witnesses were examined and the investigation covered seven hours. The ground about where Beckham lay was trampled and there were evidences of a severe struggle. Drs Stevenson & McLelland made a post mortem exa and found the negro’s body covered with wounds and bruises and two of his ribs broken. The jury found that death had resulted from violence and their verdict implicated Vinc. Nantz and his sons, William and John. Deputy Sheriff White took charge of the two young men and lodged them in jail here last night. Shortly before the arrival of the coroner on the grounds Deputy Marshal Swanson arrested Vinc. Nantz on a warrant issued by Commissioner Bogle, and took him to Taylorsville for a revenue offence. He is in jail there now and Sheriff Allison will go up for him tonight.
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June 7, 1888
Rev Dr W A Wood of this place, held a communion meeting at the Presbyterian church at Taylorsville, last Sunday, and Rev E B McGilvary, who is supplying the churches of Taylorsville and Wilkesboro during the summer. filled Dr Wood’s pulpit, morning and evening.
June 21, 1888
James Byers who is in jail under sentence of death for a murder committed in Wilkes county, and who is to be hanged at Wilkesboro July 13th, is taking a very serious view of his situation. He contemplates his approaching end with manifest fear and has called on several of the ministers to visit him. No effort is making to secure a commutation of sentence or respite for him and there appears to be no hope of his escape.
Deaths In Alexander – Rev T B Greene
Rev T B Greene, an aged and beloved minister of the Baptist church who has for some years been retired by physical disability from the active duties of the ministry died of heart disease Tuesday afternoon at his home in Gwaltney’s township Alexander county aged 82 years. He was the father of Dr Greene of Wilkesboro and of Mrs W F Sharpe of Concord township, this county. He died with the respect of all who knew him.