The Franklin Times
? C? 1 0 I / A J I
Published Every Tuesday A Thursday ^ Serving All Of Franklin County
Telephone Gy6-3283 Ten CenU Louisburg, N. C., ThuwUy, September 11, 1969 (Twelve Pages Today) XyHh Year-Number 60
NC 561 Getting New Coat
Resurfacing of NC-561 from Louisburg to Centerville is underway this week and by Wednesday afternoon over two miles of
the project had been completed on both sides of the highway. The S. T. Wooten Construction Co. is doing the way. The
highway, built in 1951, was resurfaced from the Halifax-Nash line to Centenrille last year. When completed, this latest project
will make NC-561 one of the best primary highways in this section of the state. Staff photo by Clint Fuller.
Man Loses
$555 In
Holdup Here
Police Chief Earl Tharrington said it
wasnt exactly a flim-flam act, but that
the holdup of a Negro man here
Wednesday afternoon was close to it.
Tharrington and Police Officer Ned
Lloyd told of the robbery this morn
ing. Fred Evans, c/m/35, of Rt. 2,
Louis burg was stopped on the street
corner here Wednesday by an unidenti
fied Negro man described as being in
his sixties. Evans was holding a tobac
co warehouse check in his hand at the
time. The man asked Evans directions
to a lawyer's office and they had a
short conversation, according to Qiief
Tharrington.
A short time later as Evans was
walking in the alley at the rear of Dr.
B. L. Patterson's office on North Main
Street, Evans says two Negro men
came up behind him and stuck what
felt like a gun in his back and told him
not to turn around, but to hand over
his money.
Lloyd says that Evans told him one
of the men ran his hand in his, Evans'
pocket and pulled out $555.00 and
both the men made their getaway
down the alley leading to Spring
Street, which runs behind, the stores
facing East Nash Street.
Thamngton reports that Evans says
he got a look at the men and could
identify the older of the two if he sees
tiim again. The second robber was
1 escribed as being about 45 years old.
Dne of the men, Evans told ThaiTing
on, has a scar across his face.
A similar robbery reportedly took
)lace in Franklinion last week. This
ime the victim had cashed his check
ind placed the money in the glove
?ompariihent of his car, which he
ocked. Someone broke open the com
wrtment and made off with someover
>100, according to the report.
ASCS Ballots
Go Out
Ballots for the voting on the coun
ty's ASCS elections were mailed this
week. John R. Davis, Agricultural
Stabilization Conservation Service of
fice manager said eligible voters are
encouraged to vote for the nominees
they think will represent them.
Ballots must be postmarked or re
turned to the county ASC office by
September 16, 1969, Davis said.
A voter may vote for five nominees,
he explained and listed the nominees
for each community as follows:
1 Willie Conn, 0. T. Fisher, John
nie Floyd, Copland House, Ashley
Jenkins, WiUie F. Jones, G. D. Long,
R. S. May, Hubert Wilder.
2. Charles Bass, J. S. Collie, Thomas
Gay, Jr.. Bonnie Harris, Jr., George
Murray, A. C. Stallings, Durward Wil
kins.
3. Harold Alford, Henry K. Baker,
McKinley High, William Festus Jones,
E. Reginald Lewis, O'Deyns Mullen,
Lawrence D. Perry, Melton White,
Bennie B. Williams, B. A. Yeargin.
4. Roy Allen, Clifton Conyers, N.
G. Gales, R. J. Journigan, Carl Kear
ney, Jr., Howard Pearce, Raymond L.
(See BALLOTS Pkge 8)
New Plant To Locate
Ten Miles From Centerville
W. i. (Bill) Benton, former Indus
trial Development Director here and
now ssrving as Dbector far Halifax
County, Informed The Timet today
that he has been successful in locating
a new plant In Halifax which will be
within ten miles of Centenrille and
closer to other parts of Franklin Coun
ty
The prepared statement, rdeaaed
today by Benton's office folows:
The HoDleter Eaex Garment Cor
poration, an affllate of Shartyn Fas
hions. Inc. of New York City, an
nounced Wednesday It will open a
plant here to manufacture children's
drawls. The announcement was made
by Bob Wallace, pisridsnt of the local
garment corporation. Wallace aid he
hoped to be In operation by November
and that his Company would employ
up to 160 workers within the fin
year.
The building for the new plant will
be constructed on a seven acre sKe
between Hollster and Essex by the
HoD Wsr Essex Development Corpora
tion according to James H. Quails,
pr ad dent of the local non-profit deve
lopment corporation. He said flnanc
Ing for the building will come from tlx
sale of local bond*, the Small Business
Administration and The Citizen* Bank
of Warrenton. He said' the garment
company would acquire the building
over a period of yean through a
leaae-purchase arrangement. Other of
ficers in the Hollister-Easex Develop
ment Corporation, in addition to
Quails, are: W. R. Richardson, vice
president; Mrs. Ann L. Arlington, se
cretary; Mrs. J. J. Williams, treasurer,
and the following Directors: Amos L.
Capps, D. D. Thome, Thomas H edge
pet h, Murzie Mills and Arthur Lee
Wotlett
William J. Benton, executive direc
tor of the Halifax Development Com
mission. Mid one of the main reasons
for the garment company choosing
Hollister for the location of its plant
was due to the enthusiasm and co
operation of the local people In the
HoMater and Easex area. Benton Mid
that when the plant was In full opera
tion that It would have a. payroll
approximating 9600,000 and would
have a tremendous effect on the
economy In the Hollister and Essex
area of Halifax County. >
Child Had Franklin Background
Accused Slayer Of Jackie Stone
Goes On Trial At Wallace
Jury selection was expected to be
completed by today for the trial of
Vernon Miller, 23, of Rose HID, N. C.
accused in the kidnap-slaying of Jackie
Stone, 13, of Wallace. N. C. The girl's
father, Leon Stone, a Wallace radio
announcer. Is a former resident of
Franklin County. Her grandmother,
Mrs. Irene Nelms Stone, now live* on
Route 1, Henderson. Her father and
grandparents lived near Sandy Creek
Church along NC-561 for many years,
moving there in 1946.
"Hie child was abducted while on
her way home from school last March
25 by "a stranger in a black and white
car". The man reportedly told Jackie
her mother wanted her to accompany
him to the hospital. He told the child
her mother had been injured and
wanted her.
Jackie's body was found the follow
ing night in a small creek off a rural
paved road 16 miles from Wallace
following an all out search of the area
by authorities. A dog found her poc
ketbook and its owner flagged a high
way patrolman. Around 400 people
converged on the scene to search for
the missing child. Two state troopers
found the body.
Miller was picked up for question
ing the day following the kidnapping
and was later charged with the crime.
Seven jurors were seated Tutaday
and the panel was expected to be
completed by today. When Judge
George M. Fountain recessed court
Tuesday 97 prospective jurors had
been excused. Twenty-dx, according
to reports, said they had formed an
opinion in the case, 43 were opposed
to capital punishment and others were
excused for age and hearing defects.
Seventy-five additional jurors were
summoned from Wayne County to
report Wednesday morning. Wallace is
in Duplin County.
Solicitor Walter Britt of Clinton
exercised three of his six pre-emptory
challenges by Tuesday. Miller's court
appointed defense attorney Hubert
Phillips of Kenansville, used twelve of
his fourteen.
Prosecution witnesses, including
FBI and SBI agents, were told to
report Wednesday afternoon.
Miller wearing a blue sport shirt and
dark trousers, chewed a fingernail dur
ing most of Tueedsy's proceedings. His
wife, Faye, held his other hand.
The defendant's mother, Mrs.
Roger Miller, seated beside her daugh
ter-in-law, wept as Britt questioned
potential jurors about the death pen
alty.
Mr. and Mrs. Leon Stone of Wal
lace, parents of the victim, conferred
with Britt at the prosecution table
before the state accepted a juror.
Miller, a textile worker, is charged
with slaying the girl after she was
abducted while walking home from
school with two younger sisters. Her
body was found the next day in a
creek 16 miles north of Wallace fol
lowing a county wide search.
Robin Stone told the court Wednes
day that a man stopped a (roup
Including herself, Jackie and a six
year-old sister and told them their
mother had been injured in an auto
wreck and he was to carry Jackie to
the hospital.
The nine-year -old witness said all of
the (roup attempted to get into the
1964 white and black car and the man.
whom she identified as Miller in court,
stopped her and, told her to go home
with her younger sister.
Mrs. Stone testified In court that
the children were very surprised to
find her at home and told her of the
Incident. Mrs. Stone said she called the
police.
Thirteen other witnesses testified
during the afternoon session, including
two school friends who said they saw
Jakde and a man whom they identi
fled In court as Miller riding from the
school.
A school lunchroom employe testi
fied that die saw the man she identi
Enrollment
(FYk. B.W.) Mr. R. B. Gordon,
juperintendent of the Franklinton
CRy Schools, snnounced today that
1,894 students had been enroDed. At
the Franklinton Elementary School,
there are 676 students snd at the
Franklinton High School, there are'
818.
fled In court as Miller sitting in the
white and black car waiting near the
achooi. The witneaa, Mrs. Effle Mob
ley, aaid (he also saw the same car in
the town about & p.m. on the same
day.
A farmer, James T. White, said he
saw a car of the same make, model and
color outside of Wallace on March 2 5
traveling in the direction where the
body was found the following day. He
was unable to identify the driver.
Another witness, Mrs. Elizabeth
Varker. testified she passed an auto
mobile on March 2& matching the
daacription of the Miller car. She said
she was going to visit a friend who
lives several hundred yards from the
creek where the body was found and
saw the car stopped on the bridge.
Mrs. Varker was unable to identify
Miller but did describe the clothing the
man on the bridge near the car was
wearing.
Miller sat in the courtroom wearing
sport clothes Wednesday and was bit
ing his nails, according to witnesses.
Bunn Opens Water
Project Bids Today
Bids were due to be opened today
at the Bunn Fire House at 2:30 P.M.
on the long awaited water project
there. Franklin Industrial Develop
ment Director Ken Schubart said that
"everything has been done so that
after the bids are received, they can be
awarded if that be the case." He
explained that all necessary papers,
including those filed with -the federal
government have be^n completed.
Bunn received a federal grant of
$135,000 last June and a loan of an
equal amount. Bunn voters approved a
$160,000 bond issue several months
ago to aid in the financing of the
project.
Schubart said last June that if there
were no unforeseen circumstances, the
new water facility would be in opera
tion by next February or March.
The project will consist of one or
more wells located northwest of Bunn
and a 200,000 gallon water tower, to
be located to the southwest in the
vicinity of the church on NC-39 at
Bunn. Water lines will be run the'
distance of NC-39 through the town
limits to Old Bunn and will consist of
a ten-inch pipe. Six-inch pipes will be
laid to serve connecting streets and
lines will be laid to the industrial park
near the Bunn High School and Bunn
Elementary Schools.
"It has been established", Schubart
said last June, "That no tax increase
will be required this year." He further
explained that the $160,000 bond
approval by Bunn voters will cover the
project's final payment. "In the event
the federal government withholds the
Locals Attend
CD Director
Swearing
Franklin Civil Defense Director
George Champion, Jr. and Louisburg
Mayor V. A. Peoples attended the
swearing in ceremonies for the new
State Civil Defense Director in Raleigh
Wednesday.
James Denning was swom to the
new position at 11:30 A.M. in the old
House chambers. About 200 Civil De
fense Directors were present, accord
ing to reports. Former State CD chief
Gen. Edward K. Griffin and Mrs. Grif
fin of Louisburg were also present for
the ceremonies, it was reported. Gen
eral Griffin retired from the post
about two years ago.
Following the ceremonies the group
had lunch in the Emergency Prepared
ness Room in the new Administration
building in Raleigh.
final payment for any length of time,
the remainder of the bonds could be
sold in order to satisfy the con
tractors," he said. He pointed out that
the government does not make final
payment until the project meets Iti
requirements and that this is some
times delayed.
The effect the water project might
have on future industrial development
at Bunn was commented on by Schu
bart. "There has been a renitency
among industrial developers-state and
utilities-because we did not have ap
proval of this loan. Now that the loan
is approved and funds 9et aside, we
will be able to talk from a slightly
different point of view. I am sending
the necessary information and' listings
are being submitted to appropriate
agencies.''
Food Stamp
Numbers Drop
In Franklin
The number of families participat
ing in the federal food stamp program
declined again during the month of
July the U. S. Department of Agricul
ture reported today. In June of this
year, 2.778 families received food
stamps but the July number dipped to
2,696. The county also showed a
decline in June over the month of
May.
Food programs aided 196,113
needy persons in North Carolina dur
ing July, 17,684 persons leas than the
number that received food assistance
in June but 48,314 persons more than
the number that took part in the
programs a year ago.
USDA's Food and Nutrition Service
said that 67,838 persons in 38 coun
ties took part in its food stamp pro
gram and received $453,066 in bonus
coupons.
FNS' family food distribution pro
gram aided 128,275 persons in 59
counties. The foods distributed had an
estimated retail value of $1.4 million
and Included dairy products, canned
and dried fruits and vegetables, canned
meat or poultry, grain and cereal
products, as well as other items such as
peanut butter and scrambled egg mix.
In North Carolina, the food distri
bution program is administered by the
North Carolina Department of Agricul
ture, and the food stamp program is
administered by the North Carolina
Board of Public Welfare, both in co
operation with the Food and Nutrition
Service.
Serving Hospital Patients
Mr* Neva Fuller, ? Hospital Guild Volunteer, It shown above preparing to rialt patlenta at Franklin Memorial Hospital with
the Quild't hospitality cart. The Guild held Its regular meeting this weak and Mrs. Connie Med dare announced that mora
volunteers are needed to help with this project. She asked any interested persona to contact h?r or Mrs. Fred Lohmudtor.
' Staff photo by CVnt