First National Bank (Morrilton, AR)

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Mountain Feud In Kentucky And Three Disappear Sheriff Ball and Two Deputies Respond to a Call and Two Dead Bodies Found (By The Associated Press) Harlan, Ky., July 7.—Floyd Ball, sheriff, and John Hensley, a deputy, were killed and Tom Holes, another deputy, is missing as result of a mountain feud here. Sheriff Ball received an anonymous telephone message last night reporting to him that a man was terrorizing passersby on Mayo Trail, near Harlan, and Deputies Hensley and Holes joined him in an investigation of the complaint. Persons residing near the scene of the tragedy heard a fusillade of shots and found the dead bodies of Sheriff Ball and Deputy Hensley. It is believed that Deputy Holes, the other deputy, was slain. Notwithstanding officers had been active of late against the operation of moonshiners, no definite motive has been advanced for the killings. Quick Service In Court Action For Bank Bandits In Less Than Forty-Eight Hours After Robbery, Three Negroes Are Sent Up ALL GET 26 YEARS Pleaded Guilty to Robbing Morrilton Institution of $8,500 (By The Associated Press) Morrilton, Ark., July 7.—In less than forty-eight hours after they had robbed the First National Bank of this city of $8,500, three negroes today have been indicted, pleaded guilty and received prison sentences. Lee Franklin, janitor of the bank, was given 26 years for robbery and an additional five years in the pen, to run concurrently, for a previous theft from the bank, and John Williams and Alfred Rosser each received 26 years from Circuit Judge J. T. Bullock at a special term of Circuit court. Negroes Confess Morrilton, Ark., July 7.—Following the holdup and robbery of the First National Bank of Morrilton on a total of $8,410 about 5 o'clock Thursday afternoon three local negroes were arrested by members of the sheriff's office and detectives representing the Arkansas Bankers' Association and $8,155 of the loot recovered Friday afternoon. Lee Franklin, janitor of the First National Bank Building, who planned the robbery, made a signed confession to officers about 11 o'clock Friday morning, in which he implicated Albert Rosser and John D. Williams. Rosser confessed to his part in the holdup about 1 o'clock Friday afternoon, a few minutes after Williams hearing that officers were looking for him went to the sheriff's office and surrendered. Williams, the third man to be questioned, did not confess to his part in the robbery until 6 o'clock Friday afternoon. Took Money From Cages. Another signed confession was made by Franklin to Herman Bennett of Little Rock, detective for the Arkansas Bankers' Association, that he stole $1,200 out of one of the cages of the First National Bank March 12, this year, when depositors made a run on the institution. Nothing was known of this robbery until the confession except by officers and employes of the bank and the detectives for the Bankers' Association, although Franklin was under suspicion. A total of $6,500 of the loot was concealed by Franklin in a hole in the asbestos lining of a furnace in the basement of the First National Bank. This, together with two or three pairs of overalls, hats, gloves and handkerchiefs used by the negroes in the holdup were found in the furnace following Franklin's confession. About 3 o'clock Friday afternoon Rosser admitted that he had buried some of the stolen money in a cotton patch near his home here. He accompanied the officers to the scene and dug up two fruit jars containing a total of $1,365 in currency. A total of $440 was hidden by Williams, third man, in his room at the home of Sol Smith, negro. There was still $260 of the money that had not been recovered Friday night. Leader of Gang. Franklin confessed that he was the leader of the gang, and that he planned the robbery two weeks ago. He said that the clothes and revolvers used by the men were hidden in the furnace Monday of this week. The robbery was carried out as they had planned. Thursday was a half-holiday and they realized that all of the banks and business houses would be closed during the afternoon. Rosser and Williams, with their faces concealed behind worn bandanna handkerchiefs and carrying two revolvers, entered the bank by climbing the stairs from the basement. Rosser ordered Garrett to "put 'em up" and to enter the vault. Taking money lying in the vault and the cashier's keys they closed the door on him and made their escape through the directors' room. Franklin met them with the elevator and carried them to the basement, where they discarded their clothes and hid them with most of the money. According to local officers and the two members of the Little Rock detective force, the bank robbery was the first holdup in their experience to be committed by negroes. An adjourned term of circuit court is expected to be called here to try the three men on the charges. Southern Cotton Council Is Formed Organized Effort to Stabilize and Enhance Price Will Be Made (By The Associated Press) New Orleans, July 7.—The South's cotton industry is to be promoted and advertised for the direct benefit of the producer through a fund of approximately $750,000 which will be raised annually for the next five years by the South-wide Cotton Council, an organization planned last year by Gov. Dan Moody of Texas and made permanent by vote of its members here. The council will raise the fund by an assessment of five cents on every bale of cotton produced in the South, including last year's crop assessments on which the members plan to collect within the next 90 days. The council recognized the deplorable financial status of many of the cotton producers by agreeing that what portion of the money could not be secured direct from the producer would be made up in contributions from bankers, merchants, cotton mill owners and allied industries, all of which are represented in the council's membership. The meeting here was the result of conferences at Jackson, Miss., and Memphis, Tenn., and was for making the organization permanent. Judge C. E. Thomas of Montgomery, superintendent of Alabama, banks was elected president of the council and T. W. Davidson of Dallas, former lieutenant governor of Texas, vice president. Governor Moody was elected president emeritus. Each will serve three years. A secretary, manager and city in which to locate headquarters of the council is to be selected by the Executive Committee. Incorporation papers will be filed in the state in which the headquarters' city is located. S. Odenheimer, of New Orleans, president of the International Trade Exposition here, offered $10,000 to the council to bring the headquarters to New Orleans. No action was taken on his offer pending receipt of information from other cities in the cotton belt. Four Objectives. Mr. Davidson, in submitting his report as chairman of the committee on constitution and by-laws, set forth four objectives of the council: stabilization of price and production of cotton; co-ordination of activities of all agencies and societies functioning with that objective in view and to bring in accord the cotton states in the way of uniform state and national legislation to conduct a study of the cotton situation from the standpoint of supply and demand and to disseminate information that will enable farmers to produce their crop at a profit; encourage economic production on restricted acreage; increase the food and feed supply, conserve fertility of the soil and generally improve conditions. Vice presidents were elected from every state represented at the meeting. They were N. H. Crenshaw, Jackson, Miss.; Dr. Bradford Knapp, of Auburn, president of Alabama Polytechnic Institute; M. L. Amorous, Marietta, Ga.; Frank Dimmick, Baton Rouge, La.; J. W. Fitzgerald, Tyler, Tex.; Harvey Jordan, Greenville, S. C.; Judge Xenophone Caverno, New Madrid, Mo.; and T. W. Davidson, Dallas, Tex.