The Fran'kMn Times
- . .......
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday
Serving All Of Franklin County
Telephone Gy 6-3283
Ten Cents
Louisburg, N. C., Tuesday, July 29, 1969
(Six Pages Today)
100th Year-Number 47
After 27 Years
Sam Pernell Retires
Clerk of Court Ralph S. Knott is shown above, left, displaying the plaque
presented to Sam T. Pernell, seated, upon Pernetl's retirement as custodian of the
county courthouse here last Friday. Courthouse personnel gave Pernell a surprise
retirement party in the Commissioners' Room and Knott made the plaque
presentation. Pernell has served in the capacity of custodian far the past 27 years
and courthouse personnel often referred to their offices as ihe cleanest In the state.
It was common knowledge that Pernell. despite his age, often worked 12 to 14
hours a day keeping the county facility almost spotless. The Board of Commission
ers met in special session here Monday to hire Louisburg Street Superintendent Roy
Holmes as replacement in the $4,435 position . suff photo by ain, Fu|ler
That Time Again
School Openings Announced
Franklin County Schools will open ?
September 2 this year and Franklinton
City Schools will open on August 28,
according to announcements this
week.
County schools will actually begin
the fall term when teachers report for
work on Wednesday, August 27. Stu
dents will attend Teacher Pupil Orien
tation for half a day on Thursday.
August 28. The first full day of study
will be Tuesday, September 1 in the
county system.
Franklinton students will attend
from 8:30 A.M. until noon on August
27, with the first full day following on
Thursday. August 28. Franklinton will
observe Labor Day and resiftne classes
on Tuesday. September 2. Teachers
report for work at Franklinton on
August 25, according to the announce
ment.
The county system lists the follow
ing holidays: Labor Day, Friday,
August 29 and Monday. September 1;
Thanksgiving, Thursday and Friday,
November 27 and 28; Christmas, Mon
day, December 22 through Monday,
December 29 (six school days); New
Year's Day; and Easter. Wednesday,
March 25 through Monday, March 30,
1970. County schools are scheduled to
close on Friday, May 29, 1970.
Franklinton City system holidays
were not announced. PraiTklin County
schools are under a federal court order
with a hearing in the case expected
soon. Court rulings resulted in a delay
in opening last fall and it is possible a
similar situation could arise this year
although school officials discount the
possibility of any delay in the fall
start.
Account Under
Consideration
Clerk of Court Ralph S. Kno(t
reports that Kranklinton Mayor Joe W.
Pearce met the Friday deadline set for
filing an account as guardian of
Pearce's minor daughter. Knott said
the court has the account, as filed,
under consideration. It has not as yet
been accepted, he explained.
Pearce was jailed on June 24, charg
ed in an order filed by Knott, for
contempt of court for failing to fiie an
acceptable account of his daughter's
estate. He was freed several hours Inter
on a writ of habeas corpus, signed by
Superior Court Judge William Y.
Bickett of Raleigh.
In a hearing before Judge Clarence
Hall in Oxford on July 14, Pearce was
returned to jail. Two days later, Pearce
was released by Knott in order to give
Pearce time to prepare an accounting
of his daughter's estate. The order set
Friday as the deadline.
Pearce filed an account and a per
sonal check for $5,613.97 with the
Clerk's office prior to the deadline.
Hawkins'
Held In
Slaying
Percy Hawking, auxiliary policeman
of Franklinton, wax bound over to
Franklin Superior Court without pri
vilege of bond Monday when he waiv
ed preliminary hearing in Dlitrict
Court on a murder charge.
Hawkins, 50, is charged In the
(hooting death of Maureen Davis Can
nady, 32, of Route 2, Franklinton, on
July IS.
Hawkins, described by Franklinton
Police Chief Leo Edwards as "a very
good police officer," reportedly pick
ed the Cannady woman up in Frank
linton and took her to the Sour Wood
Mountain section of Franklin County.
Her body was found five days later,
hidden upder bushes off a dirt, path,
by Unwood Davis, 47, and Sol Perry,
56. both of Franklinton.
Hawjdns was arrested July 23 fol
lowing an extensive investigation of
the case.
Hawkins was not on the city pay
roll. He policed ball games and dances
?t night spots. (
The bullet from a 38-caHber police
special pistol hit the woman In the
heart.
Weather Rainy
G. 0. Kennedy. I.ouitbur/t weather
man, reported today that the area hat
received 3.18 inrhei of rainfall in the.
pott tix day*, lie tayt from July 2
through July 21. an additional .71
im hei fell.
The precipitation hat come mottly
from late afternoon and evening
thunder thowert and while heavy, fall t
ihort of the eiftht day period in June
when 6.59 inches fell.
Kennedy my the Tar Ritier it up
two feet today and that heavy rain
activity in the Oxford area yetterday it
expected to caute more rite within the
next few dayi.
Courthouse Air Conditioners
Did The Chickens Really Get Them?
By Clint Fuller
Times Managing Kditor
>
On May 23, 1968, workmen began
moving office furniture and fixtures
out of, the county courthouse pre
paratory to the massive renovation and
enlargement of the ancient structure.
Among the items out and not moved
back in when the job was completed
were 15 window air conditioners.
Asked recently what ever became
of these air conditioning units, a high
county official replied: "The chickens
got them."
This may be as good an answer as
the taxpayer is going to get. Locating
all these taxpayer-owned air condition
ers is comparable to paddling down
Tar River with a fly swatter. There is a
lot of treading water and very little
forward motion.
Louisburg Fire Department Engi
neer Gray Moon and Veteran Service
Officer George Champion, who were
in charge of removing the units, both
agree that they placed 12 units in
storage in the old Griffin Motor Co.
building near the Louisburg Fire Sta
tion when the courthouse was being
emptied last year.
Clerk of Court Ralph Knott, who
says he finally got around to buying an
air conditioning unit last week from a
local dealer, figures there were 15
units removed from the courthouse.
He says he believes there were six in
the old courtroom upstairs, two each
in his office and the office of the
Register of Deeds and one each in the
following: Sheriff's office, Veteran
Service office, Accountant's office, the
law library and the Commissioner's
room. This adds to 15.
On July 10 this year the County of
Franklin advertised for sale three used
window air conditioners. They could
be seen, the ad said, in the old Griffin
Motor Co. building along with some
other items to be sold. The sale was set
for July 11 at noon.
This sale was postponed when no
county official showed up to point out
what in the old building actually be
longed to the county and what was to
be sold. The postponement came on
actions by County Attorney W. H.
Taylor, according to reports.
Six days later, shortly before sale
time, the postponed sale was canceled.
Taylor and County Commissioner Nor
wood Faulkner were present at the
time, according to reports. A reliable
source says that the cancelation was
brought about because the sale had
not been properly advertised. No addi
tional date has been set for the sale.
This weekend, apparently the
"chickens" got back into the act and
Informed sources report that now there
is only one used air conditioner re
maining in the old Griffin building.
A limited investigation by this im
porter reveals that the Family Coun
celing and Education Center purchased
four of the units at a price of $300 in
a private sale. Two more units are
located in the upstairs meeting hall of
the Louisburg Rescue Service and a
seventh is installed in the office of the
county ambulance service, located in
the old Griffin building.
Kenneth Braswell, County Accoun
tant and Secretary to the Board of
County Commissioners, verified that
he had received $300 for the four
units. He says other than that, he has
no record of what happened to the
others.
Talmadge Edwards, Counceting
Director, said his agency purchased
two GE units last year and paid $100
each for them. He says the agency
bought two Philco units from the
Sheriff's office and Clerk's office
about "three to four months ago" and
paid $50 a piece for them. The GE
units, he said are 11,000 BTU capacity
and he believes the Philcos are be
tween 8,000 and 11,000 BTLTs. He
said he talked with Richard Cash,
former chairman of the Board and
present Commissioner E. M. Sykesand
that they had the deal approved by the
Board. '
David Minnich, Chief of the Louis
burg Rescue Service, reports that
"they" let us have two units. He said
"they" have the serial numbers and
that the units still belong to the
county. Bryant Best, operator of the
ambulance service, says he just asked
Moon to "stick one in here" when
they were being removed.
The Counceling agency, the Rescue
Service and the Ambulance service are
all county associated agencies and it is
within the jurisdiction of the County
Commissioners to move such items as
air conditioners from one place to
another as apparently was done in
these cases. The law also allows private
sale as was apparently done in the case
of the Counseling agency deal.
Rumors have run wild as a number
of locals attempt to identify .^the
"chickens" who have evidently walked
off with the remaining five or eight
depending on whose count you like.
Sheriff William Dement and Clerk
of Court Ralph Knott have both em
phatically denied that cither have had
anything at all to do with the condi
tioners. Knott says he installed a unit
last week purchased from a local deal
er at his home. Both men say they do
not know what happened to the milt
ing units.
Meanwhile the whereabouts of the
units -however many there are-re
mains a mystery. Nobody seema to
have been responsible for these and
perhaps some other items of value
taken from the courthouse and never
returned There may be some consola
tion in the knowledge that then la
only one more unit left and then the
"chickens" can take a rest.
"County Government in North
Carolina." published by the Institute
of Government says of surplus county
property: "Such property may be sold
at public auction, on sealed bids, or at
private sale, or it may be traded."
But then, it also says: "Good busi
ness practices ought to suggest which
of these approaches should be employ
ed in particular cases."
While sweltering here in the July
sun, taxpayers might wish to look
around for a cool "chicken". He might
be getting that way at their expense.
Border Belt Prices Hit $70 Mark
North Carolina's eight Border Belt
Tobacco markets succeeded Monday
in opening with a full turnout of
buyers and good prices.
Warehousemen and sales supervisors
estimated the general average price at
$70 to $71 per hundred pounds.
At Fairmont, the largest market in
the belt, a total of 1,256,724 pounds
was sold at an average of $71.25 per
hundred pounds. Last year's opening
day average at Fiirmont was $68.45.
John H. Cyrus, tobacco marketing
specialist for the North Carolina De
partment of Agriculture, had predicted
a record price of more than $70 per
hundred pounds would be reached.
On opening day last year the mar
kets sold 4.6 million pounds of to
bacco for a $67.92 average
Cyrus said this year's cKp was of
higher quality than It was on opening
day last year.
North Carolina's border markets
t
had tried to stage their formal opening -
Wednesday, but several halted sales
after about 30 minute* because of a
scarcity of buyers.
A total of 1,260,000 pounds was
?old at an average of $66.79 per
hundred pounds.
Border markets are at Fairmont.
Chadbourn, Clarkton, Fair Bluff,
Fayetteville, Lumberton, Tabor City
and Whitevtile.
Cyrus said at least 80 per cent of
the crop In the border area has been
harvested.
He said It generally is a medium to
thin bodied crop.
"I look for the tobacco to run a
little lower in nicotine because of the
excessive rains which caused the crop
to grow fast," Cyrus said.
"When It grows fast it always comes
off the stalks fast," he said. 'The
longer it stays on the stalk, the more
nicotine there is." ,
Negro Sets Fire To Home
Injures Police Chief
A 25-year-old Louisburg Negro
parolee was returned to Williamston,
N. C. to complete hii term over the
weekehd following a wild spree at his
home here Friday afternoon
According to reports, William Yar
borough, angered over the fact his
- mother had failed to prepare his food,
set fire to his home at the corner of
South Main Street and River Road last
Friday afternoon. When firtmen arriv
ed, Yarborough would not allow them
to enter the house to fight the blaze.
When office?! arrived, Yarborough re
portedly assaulted them. Chief Earl
Tharrington is aaid to have received a
cracked rib in ,the scuffle. Officer
Larry Gilliam was uninjured and final
ly subdued the parolee and took him
to Jail. i
Yarborough, according to court re- *
cords, wis sentenced here last April on
a public drunkeneaa charge to "not leas
than two nor more than six months."
In addition to the revocation of hb
parole, the man now faces charges of
arson and obstructing firemen In the
performance of their duty.
Doused By
Spray Starch
What might have been a disastrous
fire was averted here early Monday
morning by-of all things- canned
spray starch. Lou&burg Fire Chief R.
G. Person, Jr.. reports that an air '
conditioning motor caught fire at the
local IGA Supermarket in Ford Village
her* and set fire to a nearby case of
apray starch.
Person reports that the starch ex
ploded and smothered the fire. The
blue was reported by a Louisburg
policeman on routine patrol around
1:30 A.M. Damage was limited to the
motor, the starch and a store filled
with smoke.
Three Members Of
White Level Family
Die In Plane Crash
Tragedy struck the White Level
Community family of Mrs. Henry Jack
House Sunday afternoon when a plane
crash in Pennsylvania killed her son, a
son-in-law, and a grandson. The three
men had been on a visit to the home
of Mrs. House prior to taking off from
the Rocky Mount Airport, headed
north.
Killed m the crash of the twin-en
gine Beechcraft, seven-passenger pri
vately owned plane were: the pilot,
Bert Brooks. 47, formerly of Rocky
Mount and husband of Gladys House,
formerly of the White Level Com
munity; Thurman House, 40, brother
to Brooks' wife and formerly of White
Level and his son, .Tommy, 18, who
had recently won a four-year scholar
ship to New York University where he
planned to enter this fall.
The Houses lived in Jamestown, N.
Y. and the Brooks resided in Willows
by, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Ac
cording to reports Brooks was return
ing the Houses back to Jamestown at
the time of the crash. The plane
reportedly took off from Rocky
Mount at 4:05 P M. Sunday afternoon.
The crash occurred about two hours
later in an open field at Jersey Shores,
Pa., near Williamsport. Authorities said
their investigation of the crash would
be completed Monday night around 10
P.M. No report has been received here
as lo the cause of the accident. It was
reported, however, that there waa a
severe storm in the area at the time of
the crash.
It was also reported that Brooki
and the House youth were thrown
from the aircraft while the elder Houae
was trapped inside. The plane caught
fire and was destroyed. All three were
believed killed instantly.
Funeral services and burial for the
father and son will be conducted from
the Lynd Funeral Home in Jamestown
Thursday afternoon at 1:30 P.M. and
funeral and burial for Brooks will take
place at 2:30 P.M. Friday in Wil
lowsby, Ohio.
In addition to his wife. Brooks is
survived by a daughter, Wilma Jean,
who lives with her serviceman husband
in Korea and a son, Reginald, 28, of
Cleveland, Ohio.
Thurman House is survived by his
wife, Barbara, a son, Jeffrey, 4, both
of Jamestown. N. Y , his mother, Mrs.
Katie Leonard House, Rt. 2, Louts
burg, three brothers, Julius and Nel
son, both of Rt. 2, Louisburg and
Cleacy of Raleigh; two sisters, Mrs.
Ruby Gupton of Rocky Mount and
Mrs. Bert Brooks of Cleveland, Ohio.
Tommy House is survived by his
mother, one brother. Jeffrey and his
paternal grandmother. Mrs. Katie
Leonard House, Rt. 2. Louisburg.
Splashdown ,
The almost indistinguishable picture of the apiaahdown of Apollo 11, ihowa
above, was taken from television locally. The picture was first taken from aboard
the USS Hornet when It was aome nine miles from the scene by uae at a telephoto
lens The Image was sent via aaterlite from the Pacific to the U. S. mainland and
thense via television into milllow of homes The photo completes The Tlmea record
of the blastoff, the moon walk and the apiaahdown. with all pictures being taken
from the television screen here.