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| People of Brunswick County Compiled by Natasha Miles Brunswick County, North Carolina  |
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State Port Pilot 10 July 1935 Boy Confesses To His Part In Attempt To Burn Cheers Home The young man who, under the name of Joe Cheers Jr, was convicted at the spring term of Brunswick County Superior Court as an accessory in the attempt to burn the Cheers home in Southport, told the editor of The State Port Pilot Monday afternoon that his real name is Joseph Kendall Fryer. The boy confessed that he purchased the gasoline used by Mrs Minnie Cheers in her attempt to set fire to the house, that he brought her to Southport and that he later purchased a quantity of wrapping paper for her in Wilmington in order that she might have it to use to shade the windows. Fryer said that he is the son of Mrs Fannie Fryer, formerly of Columbus county, now a case worker in the relief office at Clintwood, Va. His mother taught school for a number of years in Columbus county, according to his story, and his brothers and sisters are highly respected, most of them being college graduates. The boy said that he was making this voluntary statement in order that the people of the county might better understand his position. He declared this to be the first trouble of any kind in which he has ever been involved and he says that, when he has completed his sentence of from three to five years in the state penitentiary, he is going to stick to the straight and narrow path. His story, which he told in a frank, straight forward manner, was one of a young boy Who has been betrayed by circumstances. Having entered the army at the age of 15, he was discharged three years later. He was without a job, he said, and began at once to look for employment of some kind. He visited his brothers and his sister and they did all they could to help him. After visiting them all for a time, Fryer said that he came to Whiteville, his old home, in search of a job. That is where he met Joe Cheers. He began to talk to Cheers, he said, and told him that he was hungry, out of work and had no place to stay. He declares that Cheers told him that he was a well-to-do farmer of this county and that he had no children. He proposed, according to Fryer's story, that the boy come home with him and take the place of his son. To make the matter more logical, Fryer said that Cheers told him he did have a son by a former wife and that he, the boy, could easily pass as Joe Cheers, Jr. The offer was tempting, he said, but he did not come to Southport with Cheers that day. He said that Cheers came back to Whiteville a few days later and that he returned home with him. He assumed the name of Joe Cheers, Jr, according to his agreement, and, during the entire time that he lived with Mr and Mrs Cheers, they both treated him just as though he were their son. Fryer said that his mother and his brothers learned that hes was living in Southport and posing as the son of another man. They objected to this arrangement, he said, and he and Cheers made three trips to Clintwood to see his mother, largely to make her satisfied that he was getting along all right. Cheers told her that he owned considerable property and declared his intention to leave all his property to the boy. It was several months after he came to Southport that Cheers first proposed that he set fire to the house here in Southport for the purpose of collecting the insurance, Fryer said. He said that Cheers offered him $100 to set the fire and that later he raised the offer as high as $500. He declared that he turned down every proposal made by this man with whom he made his home. It was after they moved to Delco that Cheers succeeded in persuading Mrs Cheers to burn the house, according to Fryer. He declared that Cheers gave him money and told him to buy some gasoline for his wife to bring with her to Southport. Cheers overruled his protests, Fryer stated, and so he purchased the gasoline and later brought Mrs Cheers to Southport. He said that he also purchased wrapping paper in Wilmington and sent it Mrs Cheers by the mail man, the paper to be used to cover the windows in the house. This was his only part in the attempt to burn the house, the boy declared. He stated definitely that he never received one cent for his part and that his only interest in helping was to aid Cheers in collecting insurance money. Fryer defended Cheers' reputation and said that he was never mixed up in any further trouble that he had any knowledge of. He denied that Cheers tried to get him to take part in any other unlawful acts. The boy said this was absolutely the only trouble of any kind that he had ever been mixed up in and he declared that he will never allow himself to be misled again. State Port Pilot 17 July 1935 Cheers Declares Story Is Untrue Denies Any Part In Plot To Burn House And Says That Statement Made By Joseph Fryer Implicating Him Is False Joe Cheers flatly denied that he had any part in the scheme to burn his home in Southport in a statement made Thursday to the editor of The State Port Piot. In the confession of Joseph Fryer last week, he implicated Cheers as the one who persuaded his wife, Mrs Minnie Cheers, to set fire to the house after he was unable to bribe him to do it. All three were convicted at the spring term of Brunswick county Superior court. Cheers was given from six to seven years, Fryer, who was tried under the name of Joe Cheers, Jr from three to five years, and Mrs Cheers one year. The men left Friday morning for the state penitentiary in Raleigh to begin their sentences. Mrs Cheers is in jail here. Although Cheers denied the boy's story that he was the one back of the scheme to burn the home, he said Fryer's statements concerning his name and family are true. He said that it was he boy's idea, not his, that he come to Southport and live as Joe Cheers Jr. Cheers said that he knew absolutely nothing about any plan to burn the house and that he first knowledge he had of the affair was when he received a letter from the insurance company. On the eve of his departure for the state prison, the man seemed particularly concerned for the safety of his five year old child. He seemed anxious for Mrs Cheers to be liberated in order that she might care for their baby. He expressed his appreciation for the kindnesses shown him by Jailor Jimmie Russ. State Port Pilot 31 July 1935 Liked Treatment In Local Jail J A Russ, local jailor, received a post card last week from Joe Fryer, alias Joe Cheers Jr, thanking him for the kind treatment given him while he was in the Brunswick county jail. The boy said that he missed the good things to eat that Mr Russ furnished. The boy and Joe Cheers were recently removed to the North Carolina State prison in Raleigh to begin serving their sentences following their conviction or charges of attempting to burn the Cheers home in Southport. |
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