Now You See It?
(See More Pictures Papr ft)
-?Now You Don't
Blast Busts Buzzing Backwoods Booze Business
The business was buzzing as seen
above in left photo, when local and
federal law enforcement officers spot
ted the going enterprise last Thursday
morning in the backwoods of what
was described as the Seven Paths area
of Franklin County. Without a com
pass, it was hard to tell just where-in
relation to other parts of the county
it was located. The buzzing, as well as
tjie business came to a scurrilous halt a
short time later as those same officers
blasted the booze, mash, stock and
barrels to smithereens. Scratch one
local business venture.
Two local officers had spotted the
operation early Thursday morning.
Just how they happened to be strolling
through that particular part of the
forest remains a trade secret. But they
were there and there went back. With
reinforcements in place, the raid was
begun. One white man was stopped on
Mrs. 0 Neal To Seek Re-Election
Mrs. Breattie C. O'Neal, lone wo
man on the Louisburg Town Council
and leading vote getter in 1967, has
announced she will seek ? third term
on the board.
Mrs. O'Neal,
owner-operator
of O'Neal Phar
macy here, has
been a member
of the Council
since 1965.
In announc
ing that she has
filed. Mrs.
O'Neal said. "I
have enjoyed
this phase of
public service
and will attempt
another term on
the Council if
this is the
wishes of the
voters. I feel
that city govern
ment is a slow
but continuing MRS O'NEAL
process and I would like to continue
to help programs for the future that
will be of value to our townspeople
and the county." of
Negro Held On
Murder Charge
Joe Perry, 29, a Rt. 3, Louisburg
nightspot owner, was charged with
murder and jailed without privilege of
bond in the shooting death Saturday
of Otha Lee Gupton, 23, also of Rt. 3,
Louisburg.
Franklin Deputy Lloyd Gupton
said-Gupton was shot five times with a
.32 caliber pistol.
Gupton reportedly returned with a
shotgun to Perry's one-room combina
tion bedroom and dance floor after an
argument according to Deputy Gup
ton.
Gupton's father. Zollle, was shot to
death one year ago while allegedly
assaulting a female.
Mrs. O'Neal is a native of Johnston
County but has been a. resident of
Louisburg for many years. She is the
widow of the late F. L. (Simie)
O'Neal, who was a prominent druggist
here for many years. She has been
active in the civic and social life of
Louisburg, having held a number of
responsible positions in clubs and
other organizations.
Mrs. O'Neal is the fourth to file for
the Council and fifth to file for the
May 6 elections. Mayor V. A. Peoples
announced last week that he will seek
a third term. Incumbent Council mem
bers Grover C. Harris, Jr., George T.
Bunn and Jonah C. Taylor have also
filed. The other two incumbents, W. J.
Shearin and H. D. Jeffreys have not
announced their plans.
There have been reports that at
least two newcomers will announce for
the Council In the next few days.
Cancer Crusade
Has Kick-Off
(Ser fu ture Pater 2)
A Kick-Off meeting for the annual
Franklin County Cancer Crusade was
held in Louisburg Saturday morning at
Radio Station WYRN under the lead
ership of Crusade Chairman Mr.
George Champion, Jr.
Rev. W. P. Childen. President of
the Franklin County Unit of the
American Cancer Society, met with
the group which included volunteers
from around the county who are
serving as Crusade Chairmen In their
respective areas. Expressing confidence
for a successful crusade, Mr. Childen
commended chairmen for their in
terest in combating cancer.
Mr. Champion talked with he lead
ers in regard to County Crusade plans
and goals, and thanked workers for
their cooperation and willingness to
serve in (he continuing battle against
cancer.
According to Mr. Champion. April
13, 1969 Is designated Cancer Sunday
in Franklin County. Thta marks the
beginning of the annual crusade which
continues throughout the remainder of
April. f
Speed To Remain
At Duke For Several Days
Sixteenth District Representative
Jamet D. Speed remains in Duke Hos
pital recovering from a bout with
pneumonia. His wife reported to The
Times Monday, 'The pneumonia .is
clearing and they (doctors) are real
pleaaed with its clearing. He needs rest
and auiet."
Nlrs. Speed Mid that the Legislator
will "remain it Duke for aeveral more
day*" and that no visitor*, except
number* of the family are being allow
ed.
She uld her husband'* condition
"I* good", that he hi "retting comfort
ably" and i* "thinking of the people
back home."
By Clint Fuller
Times Managing Editor
his way from work and one Negro
helper managed to beat the quitting
time traffic and made good his get
away. .
A third plant employee was away at
the time having a pump -necessary to
the successful operation-repaired.
Probably aware that quitting time had
come while he was away, he did not
choose to return to the plant. It was
just as well. By that time, the plant
was gone.
With it went five 480-gallon capa
city submarine type stills, one 280-gal
lon capacity job, 1600 gallons of
mash, 204-plastic milk-carton con
tainers of non-tax paid liquor and eight
l'OO-gallon propane gas tanks. To say
FLAG AT HALF-STAFF
For Ike
(Srr hdltorial ('itmmrnt Pagr 4f ,
Franklin citizens joined otheis across the world this week in mourning the
King of the General of the Armlet and former President Dwlfht David
nhower Flagi flew at half-maat and many watched the funeral procesalona on
televlaton. The former Commander of Allied Force* in World War II was perhapa
the moat popular Republican President In this traditional Democratic counfy.
nothing of assorted other goodies.
In on the raid were federal officers
Mike Zetts and Don Devaney and
Franklin Sheriff William T. Dement
and Deputies Dave Batten. Leroy Ter
rell and Uoyd Gupton -on his day off.
Arrested at he site was Charles
Orlando Collie, 34, of Rocky Mount.
Zetts and Dement placed the dyna
mite, ran up the hill like a couple of
sprinters and waited for the boom.
Some booms came. Some did not.
Then Zetts returned -after a respectful
wait plared more of the blasters, again
manuevered up the hill, breathing har
der this trip, stood behind a large tree
and waited. This time, the boom
boomed and the business busted.
There's a moral to the story some
where. It may be that one should
never bury a busy booze business in
the backwoods. Especially where law
officers take a walk.
Morgans Appeal Fine
to Assault On Lawings
Two Washington, D. C. Negroes
appealed a conviction and fine handed
down here Monday by District Court
Judge Julius Banzet in charges of
assault against a white couple on
March 14 near Franklinton. Jesse Mor
gan, 46, and his son, Jesse Morgan. Jr.,
20, were fined $50 and cost of court
in the charges growing out of an
alleged attempt to run James W. Law
ing and his wife off the highway and
allegedly pointing a pistol at the
couple.
The incident reportedly occurred as
Lawing and his wife were enroute to
Henderson from Raleigh. Lawing had
been acquitted on March 13 in federal
court in Raleigh on charges of in
timidating a Negro professor who had
moved into the Lawing all-white neigh
borhood.
An all-white jury had brought in a
verdict of not guilty in the federal
case, the first of Its kind under the
new fair-housing law.
The Morgans, according to reports,
recognized the Lawings and tried to
run their 1968 Oldsmobile off US-1
near Franklinton. The younger Morgan
allegedly pointed a pistol at the Law
ings as the car passed. Lawing took the
license number of the Morgan car and
Bids Awarded
Industrial Development Director
Kenneth Schubart announced last
week that bids for the water tank and
the water line to be erected for the J.
K. Rishel Furniture Company plant
have been let.
Schubart said letters went out last
Friday to the R. D. Cole Manufactur
ing Company of Newman, Ga. ins f
tructlng the firm to go ahead with
construction of the water tank. A
similar letter was sent to the T. A.
Lovln Company of Goldaboro to put
into effect its plans for construction of
the water line to run from the Dean
Farms plant to the new plant site. J
Time for both constructions began
Monday and each have 180 days In
which to comply with their contracts.
Lovln Is supposed to have the line
completed within sixty days and the
pumping station operational in 120 to
180 days. The base for the tank and
the line from the tank to the site la
expected to take the 180 days, Schu
bart said.
Rishel officials awarded contracta
for construction of the plant last
week. Qround work has already begun
at the site on NC-56 west of Louta
burg.
reported the incident to Kranklinton
Police Chief Leo Edwards. The Mor
gans were picked up a short time later
by two Henderson police officers and
brought back to Louisbutg where tltey
were charged in a warrant by Lawing
of assault with intent to kill with an
automobile.
The two Washington residents were
free on $1,000 bonds each awaiting
trial here. Their trial was postponed
for two weeks by Judge Banzet.
Judge Banzet found both men.
guilty on both counts of assault with
the car and with pointing the pistol.
The Morgans, represented by Kaleigh
attorneys Robert McMillan and Koger
Smith and Louisburg attorney Charles
Davis pleaded innocent to the charges.
Following the verdict, McMillan gave
notice of immediate appeal
Mrs. Lawing testified that she and
her husband were traveling north on
US-1 around 11:30 A.M. when thi
Morgan car pulled alongside her. She
said the younger Morgan had a gun.
When questioned by Davis, Mrs. Law
ing said the younger man had the gun
in his hand. "I said, oh my God,
they're trying to kill us", she told the
attorney.
She said her husband was driving at
about sixty miles per hour and the
incident took place about three miles
south of Franklinton.
"They passed us, but stayed in
front of us, keeping to the middle of
the road", she testified. Her husband
related the same story and told that he
speeded up in order to get the license
number. He said, "I was in fear". Davis
asked Lawing if he talked with the
Morgans after their arrest. He said he
refused to talk to them.
Morgan is a native of Clayton and
moved to Washington about eight
years ago. He told Solicitor Char lea
White that he and his son had spent
' the night in Raleigh and had driven to
Clayton earlier on March 13 to obtain
four trees which they were taking back
to Washington. McMillan pointed out
that no weapon was found in the
Morgan car when it was stopped some
forty five minute* after the Incident at
Franklinton.
"It doesn't make sense to me that
two men would pull a weapon at a
passing motorist like that. There was
no hot pursuit, and they were easily
flagged down miles away from where
the incident occurred. He also told the
Court that the Morgans gave arresting
officers no argument.
Morgan denied pointed a weapon at
Lawing. "I glanced aC him and he
glanced back at TO. There was nothing
more", he said.