97th Year? Number 56
Louisburg. N. C- Thursday. September 1, 1966
(Twelve P49*s Today)
(Ten Cent*)
i' ? 1 v.,__
County Schools Open,
' v "
\ ?
Franklinton Delayed
No Undue
-HI
Problems
The twelve schools In the
Franklin County system open
ed without IncldentWednesday
as nearly 6,000 students re
ported tor orientation day.
Schools operated from 1:30
p.m. to 3 p.m for students
to meet teachers, get assign
ments and find out what ma
terials were needed.
Superintendent Warrej
Smith reported, "Of those
schools heard from, 90 per
cent of the expected enroll*
ment were In attendance Wed
nesday." He reported that he
had heard from several of
the schools.
More detailed reports on
opening Is expected today by
the school office. Smith said,
"There were no undue pro
blems," In referring to the
start of school operations.
Asked about the teacher si
tuation, In light of reports of
a teacher shortage, Smith
said, "We have all positions
filled so we can begin opera
tions without undue hardship."
"Some special areas we ex
pect to fill In the next few
days or some suitable ar
rangements will be made,"
Smith added In reference to
existing vacancies In the
teacher positions.
Franklin County Schools are
operating under an Interim
Court order handed down by
Judge Qgernon Butler In U.
S. Eastern District Court. The I
Judge ordered a new free |
choice period for Negro stu
dents and desegregation of fa
culty. School officials have
declined to release any In
formation on the number of
students, pending a scheduled
report to be filed with the
court.
There has bean, however,
some mixing of the races
In the faculties of somo of
the schools. At leas* one
Negro teacher has jieen em
ployed at Loulgburg and at
Bunn, predominantly Ywhlte
schools, and both have some
desegregated classrooms.
Two white teachers have been |
employed at Riverside (Ne
gro) School in Lcnitsburg.
Troopers
Worn
Motorists
Corporal G. E. Raw Is of
Henderson reports that State
Troopers will patrol the high
ways over the Labor Day
weekend In force, using all
means to cut down on the
accident toll.
In the Troop C District 4,
Raw Is reports there were 25
accidents during the last
Labor Day holiday -resulting
In one fatality. He reminded
local motorists that most ac
cident* occur on U. S. and
N. C. numbered highways be
tween the hours of 2 p.m. and
t p.m. On rural and unpaved
roads, Rawls pointed out, most
accidents take place between
the hours of 4 a.m. and 9 a m
The State Highway Patrol
plana to put all Its manpower
and equipment on the roads
during the Labor Day holiday
period In a traffic law en
forcement campaign to be
known as "Operation Total
Strength."
Major Edwin C. Ouy, Direc
tor of the Patrol's Enforce
ment Division, has ordered
troop and dlitrtct com
manders to assign at least
75 percent of their personnel
See MOTORISTS page 8
15-Year Old Suspect
Arrested In Murder
David Lee Foster
- His Return Will Be A Tragedy-"
David Lee Foster, at 15
year-old, Is charged with
one of the most brutal mur
ders ever to happen here.
Like others accused, he will
have his day In court.
However, there seems to be
more behind this heinous
crimed than at first meets the
eye.
Foster, oldest of four chil
dren, spent three years In the
Local Manager & Candidate
Republican Candidate
For Senate Visits County
Smithfteld manufacturer
John S. Shallcrdss, Republi
can candidate for the U. S.
Senate seat now held by Se
nator B. Everette Jordan, was
In the county Tuesday, visit
ing local Republican leaders
and mMtlng local citizens
Shallcross was accoulpanled
on his whirlwind- visit by hU
daughter, Janet, and son, John.
He called on the local news
paper office and the radio
station while In Loulsburg.
Bill Wagner, tem.Torary
County Manager for Shall*
cross here, reported that the
candidate, "Was appalled by
the local road conditions."
Ha was, according to Wagner,
"Surprised at the lack of
equitable treatment In the dis
tribution of highway funds by
the Highway Commission."
Wagner said Mr Shallcrosa
""Is not at all pleased with
the situation In Washington."
The Smlthfleld leader said,
"The Administration spends
money with little regard for
the housewife who must pay
ever higher prices at the super
market, because of resultant
Inflation."
Shallcross also denounced
the practice of hiring what be
termed "felons, minor of
fenders and drunks"" In the
Poverty Program. Senator
Jordan came under fire with
a reference to his having
whitewashed the BDbby Baker
case
After visiting In the Wagner
home, the candidate mTved on
to a luncheon engagement at
Henderson and a later meet
ing at Oxford
first grade, three In the se
cond grade, and failed to pass
the third grade He has an
I. Q. of 63 One school offi
cial remarked he had been a
problem "every hour of every
day" during his attendance.
His grades were very poor
Foster was charged with
breaking and entering Hick's
Happy Landing establishment
In Loulsburg on February 12,
1964. In a hearing before Ju
venile Judge .Ralph Knott, he
was placed In custody of the
Franklin County Welfare De
partment for one year.
Mrs. Jane York, Director
of Welfai-e here, reported that
the youtir was given a psy
chological examination on
April 9, 1963 by Mr. Harry
Dorsett, State Psychologist,
and found eligible for The
O Berry Center, state op
erated mental Institution in
Goldsboro. On August 31,
1964, he was* taken to O' Berry
by his mother, Sophia Foster
Kearney, and a local Welfare
Department caseworker,
Nine months later, arounu
the first of June, 1965, he was
returned here. Local Welfare
officials requested that the boy
be kept at O* Berry. The Golds
boro Institution authorities
wrote, "The boy Is not a pro
blem In the community and
must be returned."
Veteran Negro Principal
Carl Harris, administrator of
Riverside School which Foster
had attended, wrote Vernon
Mangum, Superintendent of
O Berry, on May 21, 196S:
"I do believe that his return
will be a tragedy rather than
a success."
"The situation Is causing me
quite a bit of concern because
we have no facilities here
with which we might seek to
provide training for a men
tally retarded child In this
school system," Harris'
letter said.
Mrs. ftaufort Harris, Case
worker with the Welfare De
partment, wrote Mangum on
April 30, 1965: "We sincerely
hope that you will consider
readmitting him (Foster)
after the summer vacation It
Is our feeling that to remain
at home permanently will only
undo all that your training
has done ..." '
In September of 1965, Foster
reentered Riverside School
and was placed In a special
class. Later he was removed
to a regular class because of
his advanced age. He was ex
pelled for drawing a knife on
a teacher.
On February 14, 1966, Fos
ter was charged with breaking
See TRAGEDY page 6
A 15-year-old Loulsburg
. Negro youth was arrested
Tuesday night by Loulsburg
' Police andS.B I. officers and
charged with premediated
murder In the brutal slaying
of a local white storekeeper
Monday afternoon.
Loulsburg Police Chief Wil
liam Dement reported that
David Lee Foster was picked
[I uf> at the home of his grand
mother around 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday night. The suspect
was Immediately taken to an
undisclosed Jail for safekeep
ing. Chief Dement saK| he
had three witnesses to the
crime, all Negro youths, ages
10, 12, and IS years old. The
names of the young witnesses
were withheld.
The Foster boy had been
picked upforquestlonlngwlth
ln two hours of the discovery
of the mutilated body of W. G.
Shearon In the rear of his
store on South Main Street
here by a Negro dellveryman
for a Henderson wholesale
firm. Chief De/nent, working
on a tip that a Negro man
had been seen contlng out of
a wooded area near the scene
of the crime, went to the only
house In the Immediate area,
acco?K?nled by Loulsburg
1 by/lnehfirnan Mar Jo*o<t and
Ttmea' Editor Clint Fuller.
Police officer Larry Gilliam
later Joined Dement at the
scene. The Chief entered the
house and found the Foster
boy changing clothes. The
trousers were confiscated and
the youth taken In custody for
questioning.
Foster told Chief Dement
he had purchased a bag of
candy he had with him at a
downtown store arufthat stains
on his hands were from cho
colate* He also explained that
minute blood spots on his
forearmi were from his hav
ing scratched some bumps,
which were apparent on the
youth's arm He explained he
DAVID LEE FOSTER
--Accused
Picture above was taken dur
ing the 1943-84 school year
-*ben Davt4 J.?# Fc?ter, ac
cused killer of Loulsburg
storekeeper W. O. Shearon,
was between 12 and IS years
old. The Negro youth was
arrested Tuesday night and
taken to a Raleigh ]all (or
safekeeping He waa 15 years
and 12 days old when he al
ledgedly murdered (he 63
year-old grocerman following
an argument earlier In the day.
A Game Of Checkers
Everyone admires effi
ciency. Efficiency Is the word
for work done by local police
and S. B. L officers In con
nection with the recent mur
der here \
Tuesday night when an arrest
was Im nlnent, Yrw.autlOns
were taken to maktkthe arrest
and to move the suspect out of
town without drawltt any undue
attention. It was successful
Late In the day Tuesday, of
ficers had reached the point
'where they felt they were
nearlng the end of the two
day search. A few loose ends
stUl remained to be gathered.
Most were optimistic that the
case would break before mid
night.
Loulsburg was quiet. Oily
sign of interest waa a few
more In attendance at the
nightly fire house bull session.
Local officers,.* State Troop
er, the County Solicitor and
the Mayor might have drawn
some attention that something
was going on, but apparently
did not. Very few questions
were even asked when a
steady stream of stats offi
cers and local policemen kept
entering and leaving the lo
cal police station 7
Several people were taken
Inside for varying times arid
later hauled away In police
vehicles. Occasionally, the
' Solicitor would leave and re
turn. Qice the Mayor was
called from a local drive-In
to return to the pol Ice station.
Later, It was learned he went
to write the warrant.
Throughout the five hours
Tuesday night, nothing was
done to draw attentlon to the
movements of local officers.
Even newsmen were on the
verge of retiring for the
night
Around midnight came the
word. The suspect had been
arrested and was safely tucked
away In an undisclosed Jail.
The developments, to one
watching, took on the appear
ance of a game of checkers,
with each move apparently
well thought out. Shortly after
midnight, officers m.ide the
last move They finally went
home to bed.
was changing his clothing In
order to ride his bicycle.
Further questioning failed
to break down an alibi and
the youth was released for
lack of evidence later Mon
day.
A search of the area behind
the Shearon store Tuesday by
Rescue Service members and
others disclosed some clues
which sent officers back to
the area for further Investi
gation and Interrogation of
people in the neighborhood,
Including some youths with
whom Foster had claimed to
have been at the tlmn of the
murder.
One by one, witnesses and
their parents were rounded
up Tuesday night and ques
tioned. Officers finally mide
the arreit at the home of
Foster's grandmother Just off
South Main Street on a dirt
path, a few hundred yards
from the scene of the crime.
Dement reported, In recon
structing the crime, that Foe
ter and some other Negro
boys had entered the Shearon
See SUSPECT page 6
Officials
Confer Today
In Washington
The Frankllnton City School
Board ordered a postpone
ment In the opening of the two
schooli at Frankllnton this
week. The action came at a
curtailed meeting held at 1
p. m Tuesday afternoon at U)e
school office.
The delay Is expected to ex
tend at least until next Wed
nesday and came as a result
of a controversy over com
pliance to new Office of Edu
cation desecration require
ments. Reports of the meet
ing show the reason as being
"In order to complete nego
tiations for compliance with
the Civil Rights Act of 1M4."
A reliable source reported
that Frankllnton School of
ficials are In Washington to
day seeking to reach some
agreement with federal au
thorities on the requirements.
The source said that Chair
man John Moore, Superinten
dent Fred Rogers, a Board
attorney BUI Pearce and some
Board members made the trip.
It was also reported that Ed
ward F. Yarborough, Louls
burg attorney and attorney
for the Franklin County Board
of Education accompanied the
group as a private elttren
and observer.
Over 300 Frankllnton citi
zens attended the meeting of
the Board In the Frankllnton
High School auditorium last
Saturday to protest the
Board's announced Intentions
to m jve the seventh grades j
from the B. F. Person-Albion
Negro School to the Frank
llnton Negro School to the
Frankllnton High School. The
meeting ended without the
Board coming to a decision
on the matter Having voted
earlier Saturday 4 to 2 with
the chalrmin not voting and
three members absent, the
See FRANKLINTON page ?
Franklinton Water
Shortage Grows Acute
Frankllnton s water problem
continues and seems to ba
growing mora acute, accord
In* to reports from town of
ficial! The long drought this
summer has about depleted not
only the regular supply but
some emergency sources as
well.
Water Commissioner C. G.
Hlght reports that tpWn
employees traveled to Pltta
boro to pick up a Civil De
fense pump Tuesday. Plans
call for pumping water from
Cedar Creak, about one and
a half miles from the fil
tering plant.
Local citizens, concerned
over the water situation, have
Joined in the efforts. Ralph
Moore, who owns a private
pond fed from a small stream
coming from Cedar Creek, la
Meters To
Be Checked
Loulsburg Police Chief Wil
liam T. Dement announced
today that starting Sep
tember 7 parking meters will
be checked In Loulsburg on
Wednesday afternoons.
It has been local policy that
meters are not checked on
Wednesday afternoons during
the summer months, when
some stores are closed for
the half day.
planning to drain his pond Into
the stream In an effort to gain
more water for the town. Sev
eral farmers In the area have
offered use of their Irrigation
pipes to move the water frtJm
Cedar Creek to the filtering
plant.
Needed repairs to the pump
are expected to be completed
and the operation Is slated to
get underway sometime today,
according to reports.
Frank] lnton citizens have
been on water rationing for
some time and have cut beck
125,000 per day In usuage
Even this has failed to relieve
the shortage.
See Today's
Road Editorial
On Page 4.
Businesses To
Close Monday
Mrs. Juanlta Pleasants, Ex
ecutive Secretary of the
Loulsburg Business Associa
tion announced today that most -
businesses In Loulsburg will
be closed Monday, Septem
ber 5, for Labor Day. /
Teachers At Bunn School Join Others Throughout County In Preparations For Today's School Start