Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--AUBREY ASBURY TAKES HIS OWN LIFE--The people of the Mt. Airy community were greatly shocked on last Saturday morning when it became known that Aubry Asbury, a young man 19 years of age had committed suicide by shooting himself through the heart with a shotgun. Young Asbury is a son of Mrs. E. D. Jarman, residing near Mt. Airy and he was employed by Charley Mayo a well known farmer of the community. Friday evening he went home and that night Mr. and Mrs. Jarman went to a party at the home of a neighbor. They were accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Charley Mayo and upon returning home about one o'clock Mr. Jarman upon opening the door saw your Jarman sitting in a chair in an upright posture just as if he was asleep, the head being inclined. He didn' t know that he had shot himself, but seeing the gun grabbed it, and not knowing possibly what the intentions of the young man were, but discovered he had shot himself. He called to his neighbor, Mr. Mayo who was still in the conveyance in front of the home; and upon further investigation they found that young Asbury had tied a strap to the trigger of the gun and pulled it with his foot; the charge of the gun piercing his heart and resulting in instant death. A coroner's inquest was held Saturday and the verdict of the jury was suicide. The young man left no note or word with anyone explaining his rash act. He was a cripple. The funeral was preached at the Roanoke Baptist church Sunday afternoon, by Rev. C. W. Smith of this city. Burial at the Roanoke cemetery.--Armstrong Herald. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--A LETTER FROM DAVID SHARP--Dear Scott:--I have not written to you since the St. Mehiel drive, but you may be assured it was not because I have not thought of you, for I think of you and all of my Higbee friends continuously. I receive the paper regularly now and sure appreciate it. Well, so far as I know, all of the Higbee boys are OK, thanks to Him above. During the last drive we sure had a sample of what Sherman called war. But, leave it to me, I think he expressed it in a very ill form. I know the boys went through every bit Sherman said war was when they crossed the Meuse, for I crossed with them. I will say, for one thing, the 89th did not receive full credit for what they did, that was because we did not have a press agent. The marines had one. But what I know to be a fact, does not speak any better for the marines than for the doughboys of this division. On the night we crossed the Meuse, the 2nd Division--Marine--was on our left. There was one regiment that did not have enough men left to make a full company. What few that were left fell in behind the Third Battalion of the 356th Inf., afraid to face the music of the Dutch. The commanding officer of the regiment threw a slang expression at them and said: "Get out from that bunch of fighting farmers or there will not be a one of you left to tell the tale." This I heard with my own ears. Then, one of their wounded men who came into our aid station the following day told me the same words. At the time he did not know that our 3rd was to support their regiment across the river. Now, that is all over I have nothing more to say. I see where there is some talk of running Pershing for president. I am sorry to sat that it is one sad mistake the people of the US will make if they do nominate him. I know nothing of his ability for the presidency, but I do know his ability as a military man. When you have a man with Pershing's ability for the military, keep him in the military where he best can serve. There is no question as to his ability as a general, so why ruin him by pushing him in as a president as we did Grant. I have seen quite a bit of Germany and will say I like it much better than I do France. It has a much better climate and on the whole it is a better country. The scenery is very pretty I have seen the Rhine from a distance and like the country fine. But give the US first, last and all the time. I cannot say too much for the hospitality of the German people as they show it here to us. They have treated us swell. I am billeted in one of their homes and they sure try to make it home for me. Every night before going to bed I have to go into their room and partake of hot milk; cake and coffee. If we refuse they seem to be highly insulted. Of course we rarely refuse for we like to keep them in good spirits. We have hiked all through the occupied territory and anywhere we stopped the people showed us a great time. We are now located near the city of Frier and I get a pass quite often to visit the city. There are several old roman ruins there which are a curiosity to see. This city is one of the oldest in Germany and I have been told by some of the English speaking people that they have a great many tourists to see the city. I didn't know there were so many German people who could speak English. The number is surprising. I was taken by surprise today when I walked into a store and asked for some postal cards in their language and a pretty girl who was running the establishment asked my why I spoke German and how much of it I spoke, in as plain and correct English as I ever heard. I told her I did not speak very much. By questioning hard I found she had been educated in Metz and could speak four languages. It is near retreat time so I will have to close. Hoping to see all of you soon, I remain. David Sharp, San. Div. 356 Inf. Your Friend. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--RETURNED SOLDIERS, TAKE NOTICE--The YMCA at Moberly is endeavoring to secure a list of returned soldiers of Randolph County purpose of which will be made known later. If you are a returned soldier and residing in the county will you kindly send your name to Mr. Jamie Butterly, Cadet Flyer, Moberly. The association will be glad to receive and list it with the other soldiers. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--A LETTER FROM FRANCE--Lawrence Welch, one of Higbee's most reliable colored citizens and who got no further than Camp Funston in his experience as a soldier, on account of the armistice, hands us the following letter, received this week from his cousin, Leslie Foster, of Gilliam, where he saw some hard service as a machine gunner in France: "This leaves me well and I hope it will find you well. I thought I would drop you a line as I heard you had returned home. Victor Creson and I are both getting along all right. We are now at Lassay in western France, not far from the sea coast. My company, with the other machine gun companies of the 92nd Division received its preliminary training of about six weeks in the village of Fesnes Sur Apance in eastern France. We entered the line in the Vosges Mountains in the latter part of August, near the city of St. Die. There was a town, Frapelle near our position which, prior to our coming to the line neither the allies nor the Germans could hold for any length of time. One night we, with our machine guns and the French artillery, put a barrage over the town, and under that went our boys of the 317th Engineers and took the town. Not during our entire stay in this section was Frapelle again in German hands. While in this section I was sent to the gas school of the 1st corps, and under British and American instructors learned the art of gas warfare. When I was returned to my company it was in the Argonne Forest. There our division took some towns from the Germans. Then we went to Pout-a-Moussour. It is quite a large city and nearly every house there had been struck by a shell. Once in an airplane raid on the city a bomb missed our dugout by about 20 feet. On the morning of Nov. 10 we started a drive on the German lines opposite our positions. We took their first line of trenches and then went beyond that and cleared a large wood of them, making them depart in such haste that they left much ammunition and other supplies, which we captured. They tried to stop our advance, using a desperate artillery and machine gun fire. The fighting was stopped at 11 o'clock on the morning of Nov. 11. We had a detachment of Germans almost surrounded at that time. Picture the sudden cessation of innumerable artillery batteries, rifle and machine gun fire by the notes of a bugle and the hush that came over the world after a sudden cessation of hostilities. We talked to quite a few of the Germans after it was over. That night "No Man' s Land" was illuminated by rockets, star shells and bonfires, where the night before the faintest glow of a match would have drawn the most intense barrage of shot and shell. We don't know how long it will be before we are coming back, but are pretty anxious for it to come around." Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--A SURPRISE PARTY--In honor of a returned soldier boy, E. Blakely, there was a big surprise party given at the home of N. Blakely, near Yates, last Sunday. The young soldier had been prevailed upon to attend morning services at the church and upon his return was greeted by 81 guests who had come to give him welcome home. The pleasure of the day was not all of the young man's, for the guest were entertained by the soldier's recital of the many hardships through which he had passed in a foreign land. Refreshments were served and a dandy good time in general was had by all. Those present: Rev. White, Cooper Dennis and family, Seymour Andrews and family, Thos. Robb and family, Wm. Swetnam and family, Thos. Banning and family, Mr. and Mrs. N. Magruder, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Swetnam, Estill Robb and family, Stephen Pitney and family, John Blakely and family, Mrs. Travis Magruder and daughter, Mrs. Walker Magruder and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Phillips, Frank Pitney and family, W. t. Williams and family, John Sartin and family, Thaney Blakely and family, Wm. Creson and family, Miss Venira Blakely, Miss Bertha Jones, Mrs. Edna Sunderland, Mrs. Elizabeth Patterson, Miss Mary Durnil, Mrs. Pearl Yates, and Mary Goon, Messrs. Roy Ware, Wilton Ware, John Duncan, Robt. Yates, Bryan Woods, Robt. Tribble, Ray Bartie, L. O. Green. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--Mrs. Clarence Feland was called to Columbia yesterday by the serious illness of her mother, Mrs. J. P. Goldsberry. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--Cards were received here this week announcing the birth of a son to Mr. and Mrs. Chas. W. Burgess of Kansas City, who has been named Richard Nelson. Mrs. Burgess will be best remembered as Miss Naomi Robb. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--Hampton Perkins, who is still suffering from the after effects of the flu, and which he seems to be unable to shake off, was in town Tuesday for the first time in several weeks. He informed us that if he made no further improvement he might take a short trip to the south following his sale on the 24th. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--D. M. Sunderland Jr., last week sold his farm of 90 acres, better known as the Fred Robb farm, to Mrs. Silas Proctor, and will give possession at once. We did not learn the price paid. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--Born, on the 8th, to Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes Burckhartt, a daughter. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--Mrs. Virgil Phillips and daughter, Miss Alberta, of near Burton, were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. David Magruder during the week. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Richards received a letter last week from their son, Roy, advising them of his safe arrival in this country. Soon after reaching France, Roy was operated on for appendicitis and has never fully recovered his strength. He hopes to soon be at home after a short stay at the hospital at Camp Dodge, Ia. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--Miss Cora Buckley, who recently passed a civil service examination, received notification this week of her appointment to a position in the treasury department at Washington. She will leave about the 25th, and assume her duties March 1. Her sister, Miss Ruth, has been holding a similar position in Washington for several months. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--The name of George Hughes, whose address was given as Higbee, RFD No. 1, appeared in the casualty list this week, he being reported as slightly wounded. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--The Luther Warford sale last Saturday drew a big crowd and everything brought top prices, the sale totaling much more than had been expected. Mr. Warford and family left Tuesday for Glendale, Arizona, with the view of making it their home. They are given up with a great deal of regret by a wide circle of friends, and all join the NEWS in the hope that health and prosperity may ever attend them. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--BETTER PICTURES AT THE GEM--Manager C. H. Cleeton of the Gem informs us that, beginning March 5, the Gem will show the best pictures that money can buy, he having this week closed a contract with the producers for the Paramount Artcraft Star Service, which features such stars as Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Marguerite Clark, Chas. Ray, Geraldine Farrar, Billie Burke, Wm. S. Hart, D. W. Griffin productions and "Fatty" Arbuckle. Friday, 14 Feb 1919, Vol 32. No 43--Mrs. Ernest Short of Madison Mo returned to her home today after several days visit with the family of Wm. Short. Kathy Bowlin, Additions, corrections, comments welcome.