* Worst Tragedy’ Leaves Three Dead Sunday
The usual serenity of Chowan County
was abruptly broken Sunday night, re
sulting in the death of two teen-age
brothers and the suicide of their appar
ent assailant. A fourth person’s alert
ness saved him from death.
Sheriff Troy Toppin identified the
dead as Marvin Edward Robey, 17;
Bruce Len Robey, 16, both of Route 3,
Edenton, and Joel Sawyer Scott, Jr., 28,
of Norfolk, Va.
Scott was being sought by authorities
after a Chowan County Grand Jury in
dicted him in November, 1969, on a
morals charge involving the elder Robey.
Sheriff Toppin said if Donnie Lee
Robey, 13, had not played “possum”
after Scott shot at him, he too might
have been killed.
Authorities theorize that Scott shot
the Robey brothers, fired on the third
and thinking he, too, was dead com
mitted suicide.
Scott, who had a lengthy criminal
record and had received psychiatric
treatment, was employed on the Chowan
Hospital construction job as a foreman
until his arrest in November on the
morals charge.
He was released November 10 by
Judge W. S. Privott after a conference
with attorneys on the condition he was
to submit voluntarily to psychiatric con
sultation and such treatment and pro
fessional care as recommended. No dis
position was made in the District Court
case.
Solicitor Herbert Small then sent a
bill to the grand jury and secured an
indictment. Scott was being sought on
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Slafe Jtep. PAi/ Godwin
Speaker Godwin
Banquet Principal
State Rep. Phil Godwin of Gates,
speaker of the House of Representatives,
will be keynote speaker at the annual
DSA banquet sponsored by Edenton
Jaycees.
Bob Wpintraub, Jaycee chairman, said
applications are now being taken and
the deadline is January 19. Anyone be
tween the ages of 21 and 35 are eligible
to receive the Distinguished Service
Award.
The banquet will be held January 22
at 7:30 P. M., in Edenton Jaycee Com
munity Building on Base Road.
Rep. Godwin, a veteran state legisla
tor, is one of two representatives in the
First House District, composed of Cam
den, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Pasquo
tank and Perquimans counties.
He was named speaker of the House
during the closing session of the 1969
General Assembly when Earl Vaughan
was named to the Court of Appeals by
Gov. Bob Scott.
A lawyer, Rep. Godwin has served
contiquously in the State House since
1961.
Staff Expanded
E. N. (Pete) Manning, 216 West Eden
Street, has been added to the staff of
Colonial Funeral Home. A licensed
funeral director, Manning will continue
his duties as mechanical superintendent
at Hie Chowan Herald.
Manning received his funeral director’s
license in April, 1968, from the N. C.
State Board of Embauners and Funeral
Directors.
Marvin Barham, Colonial manager,
said the addition of a licensed funeral
director to the staff will broaden the
services the firm can provide the com-
Manning is active in Edenton^Baptist
this indictment.
Records found in his position indicat
ed he was a S2OO-a-week employee of
Creech Construction Company Nor
folk. Sg „
Here is the account of the 1 6 sly,
described by Sheriff Toppin as th o
he has ever seen: s *
Donnie Robey went to the c iey
home about six miles from i £
about S P. M. Sunday from C v al
Motel and Restaurant, operated | P.iis
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Philip S= y.
Some four hours later Scott arrivt K °'ii
a .12 gauge shotgun. He tied up young
Robey and forced him to search the
house to see if anyone else was home.
As young Robey and Scott descended
the steps the other two brothers drove
into the yard. When they entered the
house Scott tied them also. He and
Marvin Robey began to argue and M.ar
vin was shot in the head.
Scott then forced Bruce and Donnie
Robey into the Robey car and drove
approximately 500 yards to where he
had parked a rental car. Sheriff Top
pin said there was some signs of strug
gle around the spot where the cars were
parked.
Scott drove to Wildcat pit where he
ordered Donnie from the car. He fired
a blast across the car and Donnie fell.
Scott got back into the car and in a few
minutes shot Bruce Robey.
He then turned the single-barrel gun
on himself.
Mrs. Robey arrived home to find her
son dead. The telephone had also been
Continued on Page 4
Volume XXXVII—No. 2.
In The Dead of Night
“Three Slain In Bizarre Murder-Sui
cide Plot; Brothers Are Victims.”
“Two Brothers Slain; Man Takes
Life.”
“Two Os Three Brothers Slain; Killer
Ends Own Life. Youngest Plays Dead
To Survive At Sand Pit”.
“Killer Had History Os Trouble”.
These are all recent headlines in pa
pers of general circulation along the
Public Parade. They are really not too
unusual for those who patronize the
press.
Unfortunately, though, the dateline is
not Detroit, Chicago, New York, Char
lotte or even Norfolk. It is Edenton.
In any such tragedy there is always
the question as to whether or not it
could have been avoided. The same
conjecture abounds here.
The community is saddened by the
happenings of Sunday night. We offer
our deepest sympathy to the families in
volved but their hurt will remain a lot
longer than the memory of those who
have seen this blemish on our communi
ty’s good reputation.
Hard Work; Clean Paths
Even the doubting thomases of the
anti-poverty program in Chowan County
would have been impressed Monday
with a report made to county commis
sioners.
The report showed that Community
Action is working here and is headed by
a spirited leader who intends to use the
past accomplishments as a challenge for
other communities.
Earl Jones, job developer for the Eco
nomic Improvement Council, reports
eight community buildings completed
during the year one to be dedicated
later in the month.
He also said there are 346 active
4-H’ers in the communities and adults
are working on various self-help pro
jects. The county took 11 certificates
Continued on Pag# 4
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A Macks Start Similar To This Coming To Northside Shopping Canter
THE CHOWAN HERALD
WEAPON WHICH CACSEI> THREE DEATHS IN CHOWAN—Sheriff Troy Toppin hold a .12 gauge shotgun believed to have been
used in the murder of two teen-age local youths and the suicide of a third person as he and Coroner Marvin Barham discuss investi
gation of the Sunday night tragedy. The shootings occurred in rural Chowan County and have been described by Sheriff Toppin as
the worst he has seen in 14 years in law enforcement. Joel Scott, Jr., Is shown in inset.
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday. January 8, 1970
Bioodmobile Visit Witness Fails To Appear
The Red Cross Bioodmobile will be
in Edenton Monday under sponsorship
of Edenton Jaycees. The bioodmobile
will be at National Guard Armory from
from 11 A. M., to 5 P. M.
Pete Ward, chairman, said the local
T’.ota is 185 pints for the next two visits
n::d i‘ i; hoped a big portion of the quo
ta can be reached next week.
v Hw r t tKTi;
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HEADED FOR TAR HEEL TERRITORY—EarI Chesson, seated center, Monday signed
an athletic grant-in-aid with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The quar
terback of the Edenton Aces was sought after by many colleges but chose Carolina. On
hand for the activities at a luncheon were, left to right, Head Coach Bill Dooley, Ches
son and his mother, Mrs. Wesley Chesson. Standing, in the same order: Assistant Coach
Sandy Kinney; Holmes High Athletic Director and Coach Marion Kirby and Wesley
Chesson. The Chessons have another son in the ACC—Wesley—who last year set grid
records at Duke University.
Macks Stores Leases Space In New Shopping Center
Construction is now under way on
another unit at Northside Shopping Cen
ter, being developed by W. D. Townson,
Jr-
It was announced by V. C. Mclver,
senior vice president of Macks Stores,
Authorities are looking for a 15-year
old girl designated as a key prosecuting
witness in the trial of three men on perj
ury counts.
The cases against Jerry Wallace Wells
and Judson Curtis Wells, both of Snow
Hill, and Jack Williams of Edenton,
were continued until February 3 in Cho-
Inc., the signing of a lease with Townson
to open a variety-department type store
in Edenton in early Spring. The store
will contain 15,600 square feet of space.
Macks will join Sears, Winn-Dixie and
Koretizing Dry Cleaners in the complex.
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Single Copy 10 Cents
wan County District Court Tuesday
morning when the witness failed to re
spond to a subpoena.
Judge W. S. Privott ordered a capias
for Debbie Jernigan, a student at D. F.
Walker Junior High School, after So
licitor Wilton Walker said she is needed
as state’s witness. She allegedly was
one of two female occupants of a car
with three men when Judson Wells was
arrested for drunk driving.
Wells was convicted last week by
Judge Fentress Horner. Judge Horner
ordered bench warrants charging perjury
for the three men after one of the fe
male occupants testified Wells was driv
ing the car, switching with someone else
when State Trooper R. H. Allen at
tempted to stop the car.
All have been released from custody
under $5,000 bond.
In other cases called, the following ac
tion was taken:
Edward Leroy Watson, drunk driving,
30 days, suspended upon payment of
Continued on Page 4
Area Event Slated
Dr. J. W. (Pete) Patterson, extension
animal husbandry specialist will be guest
speaker at the quarterly meeting of the
Ten-County Albemarle Area Beef Cattle
Association. Dr. Patterson will discuss
the new bull feeding station at Rocky
Mount.
The meeting will be held at Snug Har
bor on January 13 and will start at 6:30
P. M.
All members of the association and
other interested cattlemen in the area
are invited to attend.
A fifth unit is expected to be added at
a later date.
Macks’ new Edenton store will be
modern throughout and will be fixtured
with Store Kraft fixtures, manufactured
in Beatrice, Neb. The store will feature
regular variety lines with special empha
sis placed on ladies’ and children’s ready
to-wear at popular prices. The store
will offer sporting goods such as fishing,
camping and golf lines.
A complete pet department will feature
gold and tropical fish and accessories.
The most complete millinery department
in Chowan County will be a highlight of
the store. Other lines to be offered are
small appliances as radios, stereos, TV’s
and lesser appliances as hair dryers, per
colators, mixers, record players, vacuum
cleaners, tape recorders, etc.
A complete record bar along with
stereo tapes will be a feature of the
store. An expanded shoe department
along with infants’ wear will be offered.
In fact, the company will bring a com-