The FraijkHn Times
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday Serving All Of Franklin County
Telephone Gy6-3283 Ten Cents Louisburg, N. C., Thursday , Oc^ber 16, 1969 (Ten Pages Today) 100th Year-Number 70
?? - 1 ?? ?
Locals Prominent
In Education
Names of faculty members, and
administrative staff of Louisburg High
School and Franklin County are
printed in the program notes of the
47th annual convention of the East
Central District of the North Carolina
Education Association, to be -held Fri
day, October 17, in Raleigh. ?
Mrs. Marjorie G. Leonard, LHS
teacher of Home Economics, has
served as NCEA District President dur
ing 1J)68-1969. Mrs. Rena C. Bland of
the high school English department is
District Secretary of the Classroom
Teachers Association for 1969-1970.
* ' Mrs. Carrie C. Goodwin, sixth grade
teacher, is completing a term as Secre
tary of the Elementary Education
Division. Mr. Willis P. Collie heads the
District group of attendance Counse
lors.
At the General Session of the
NCEA ? Convention, LHS Principal
Thomas A. Riggan will deliver the
Invocation. Franklin County School
Superintendent Warren W. Smith will
introduce one of the speakers. Dr.
Craig Phillips, State Superintendent of
Public Instruction.
East Central District includes ten
counties: Durham, Franklin, Granville,
Harnett, Johnston, Orange, Person,
Vance, Wake and Warren.
Measles
Vaccine
Available
The County Health Department has
* received a limited supply of Red
Measles vaccine which will be available
on a first come-first served basis for
children in the 1-10 year age group.
German Measles vaccine is also
available now for the same age group.
Either kind will be given during regular
clinic hours, 8 A.M. ? 4 P. M. on
Tuesdays and Thuisdays at the Health
Center on Bickett Blvd.
Hearing Favors
Public Housing
A public hearing, attended by
about twenty citizens here last Friday
night, resulted in a favorable reaction
to the establishment of a Public Hous
ing Authority in Louisburg. acccording
to reports.
The Louisburg Town Council had
called for the hearing several weeks
ago to air the matter
The Town Council, meeting in ses
sion following the hearing, delayed
action until the next meeting, it was
said.
JAILER FAULKNER AND ESCAPEE (Inset)
Registration Books
Open For Sales Tax Vote
Registration books will be open
again Saturday at the polling places in
Franklin County preparatory to the
November 4 voting on the local option
one-cent sales tax. Books opened last
Saturday for the first time and will be
open Saturday, October 18 and Satur
day October 25. Saturday, November
1 will be Challenge Day.
Only those persons not already
registered to vote will be required to
register. Such persons may register
anytime at the home of the registrar.
Absentee ballots are not being allowed
in this referendum.
Registration is expected to be light
since Franklin citizens were required
to register last year in the first new
registration ,in many years. Over
10.400 registered during the Spring
registration and registrations in Octo
ber for November's Oeneral Election
jumped the total registration to
11,163.
The optional sales tax is to be voted
on in all 100 counties of the state on
November 4. Some counties have
other referendums on the same day.
Franklin will have only the sales tax
question.
Polling places where registration
books will be open the next two
Saturdays are as follows:
Dunn Township - Bunn High
School; Harris - J. 0. Hagwood Store.
Youngsville ? Youngsville Town Hall;
Hayesville - Epsom High School;
Franfclinton - Franklinton Fire House;
Gold Mine ? Centerville Fire House;
Cedar Rock ? Edward Best High
School; Cypress Creek - A. C. Stallings'
Store; Louisburg - Louisburg Armory;
Sandy Creek ? Gold Sand High School;
Pearces Pearres Old School House.
Grand Jury Satisfied With
Missing Air Conditioner Issue
The Grand Jury reported this week
that It Is satisfied that the 15 mining
air conditioners, taken from the court
house when renovations began several
months ago, have not been disposed of
but "are in use by other Franklin
County agencies".
In the report presented to Superior
Court Judge Clarence W. Hall this
week stated: "The Grand Jury talked
with members of the Franklin County
Board of Commissioners and after
talking with these members, the Grand
Jury is satisfied that the air condition
*ers have not been disposed of but are
in uae by other Franklin Oounty
agencier. or sub-agencies. We also learn
ed that the attacked fixtures went to
the contractors".
The report did not disclose which
county agencies or sub-agencies receiv
ed the ah conditioners and made no
reference to a number of other Items
reportedly missing.
The Grand Jury Investlption was
prompted by articles In The Fran klip
Times. An article on the missing sir
conditioners, published on July 29,
Weather
Cloudy and cool today becoming
partly cloudy In the afternoon. Partly
cloudy and ? little, warmer Friday.
Low, 46; high. 60-65.
was followed on August 7 with a
report on other missing items includ
ing desks, electric fans, electric water
coolers and chairs and tables. It was
reported that courthouse light fixtures
had been given to a county church.
The Grand Jury also reported both
the Louisburg and Frankllnton jails in
"satisfactory condition" and called on
the State Highway Patrol to "exert
efforts to reduce racing" on county
highways.
Grand Jury Indicts Nineteen
The Franklin County Grand Jury
has issued indictments against 19 per
sons in the present term of Superior
Court here. All nineteen are men.
Housebreaking, larceny and receiv
ing charges have been lodged against
William Horton. Bruce Patton, Jr., and
Adrian Craig Whisnant and forgery
charges have been issued against Qiar
lle Howard, alias James Cott.
Michael Evans, n/m/16, bound over
from District Court on charges grow
ing out of an affray at Edward Best
High School last June was charged
with assault with a deadly weapon
with intent to kill. The attack was on
Warren Boone, a 15-year-old whit*
youth on the last day of school. Evans
is charged with cutting Boone with a
knife and causing a wound that re
quired 58 stitches.
Ruasell M. Thome Is charged with
hit and run and personal injury and
William Lee Stallings is charged with
manslaughter as a mult of an accident
near Frankllnton In which Darrdl L.
Smith was killed.
Five Negro youths are charged with
# housebreaking, larceny and receiving
in the Bunn area. They are lilted as
Larry George Davit. Anthony Tony
High, Henry Davis, Michael Davis and
Oyde Neal.
Louis Harris is charged with house
breaking, laroeny and receiving. Tha
dius Clemons is charged with assault
on his wife and Franklinton Mayor Joe
Pearce was indicted on seven counts of
embezzling from the estate of his
minor daughter.
Percy Hawkins, former Franklinton
auxilliary policeman, was Indicted on a
murder charge. He is charged with
killing Mrs. Maurine Cannady. whose
body rfas discovered in the Sourwood
Mountain section of the county last
July 20. Hawkins was arrested on July
28.
James Lancaster, free on bond after
probable cause was found in two
assault case* ? last September 22 In
District Court, was indicted on charges
of a assault with intent to kill on two
charges. The charges grew out of the
much publicized Centerville incident
involving several youths.
Dangerous Convict
Free After Daring
Jail Break Here
A 27-year-old white prisoner, des
cribed by Sheriff William T. Dement as
?"dangerous", escaped from the county
jail here this morning around 8 A.M.
taking Jailer W. L Faulkner's gun,
money and car.
Larry Keith Sommersett, convicted
here in February, 1967 to from 30 to
40 years for armed robbery, grabbed
Faulkner this morning as the jailer
carried water to the prisoners upstairs
kj the jail. Sheriff Dement- indicated
(hat Sommersett might have been re
leased by some visitors in the jail
Wednesday afternoon and that he
waited unttk this morning to escape.
Also, the possibility that he was aided
by another prisoner is being investigat
\
Faulkner was not injured in the
escape as Sommersett took his gun,
cash amounting to $115\from his
billfold and Faulkner's 1 968 blue
Plymouth Valiant parked outside, the
jail complex. \
Witnesses said that the prisoner
appeared to be in no hurry as he
carefully pullett the car into the alley
beside the jail and turned it around.
He reportedly headed east on Nash
Street but it is not known where he
headed when he hit Bickett Blvd.
One report said a car answering the
description was seen by Faulkner's son
several miles north of Louisburg on
US-401 a few minutes after the escape.
Sommersett ?'?? -"rented in
Charlotte in December, 1966 on a
safecracking charge and identified a*
one of three men who robbed Thomp
son's Hardware and Feed Store in
Franklinton on the night of November
21, 1966. Sommersett and George
Rudolph Glass, 40, were caught by
Charlotte police in the act of breaking
into a safe in an undisclosed Charlotte
business. A third man, James Thomas
Knight was apprehended later and all
three plead guilty to safecracking in
the Thompson robbery. Judge William
Y. Bickett sentenced Knight and Glass
to 25 to 35 years in prison and
Sommersett received 30 to 40 years
which was added to a 19-year sentence
already in effect in Charlotte.
Sommersett, serving his time in
Central Prison in Raleigh, was returned
here for a post-conviction hearing
scheduled for this week in criminal
court. He claimed he was improperly
tried in the 1967 case.
Lewis Thompson, Sr., owner of the
hardware and feed store, returned to
his place of business on Monday night,
November 21, 1966 after closing his
store, to cut off a motor. Unknown to
Thompson at the time was the fact
that the three robbers had entered his
store by breaking through an unused
door at the rear of the store and
' crawling through the basement. As
Thompson entered, the robbers were
working on- his safe, but they stopped
and remained quiet.
Clement Weston, Thompson's son
in-law. happened by about that time,
and seeing his father-in-law inside the1
store, entered. At this point the ban
dits came forward flashing a pistol and
demanding that Thompson open the
safe.
One of the trio then went outside
to start Thompson's new pickup truck,
purchased that day. Thompson jump
ed his man at this point and Weston
jumped the second man. Before the
twosome could overpower the robbers.
Ibe third man returned, picked up the
gun which Thompson had knocked to
the. fl<ior and stopped the attack.
Thompson and Weston were then
bound and gagged as the trio made the
getaway with $2,000 in cash and
Thompson's pickup. Thompson and
Weston broke loose about five minutes
later and alerted police.
Franklinton Police Chief Leo Kd
wards said at the time that Thompson
and Weston could have handled the
situation had the third man not return
ed. Details of the tie-in with the
Franklinton crime when the two men
were arrested in Charlotte have never
been revealed. Thompson and Weston
traveled to Charlotte and identified
the two and Knight was picked up
later. The mooey was never recovered
and at last reports at the time, the
pickup truck was also still missing.
Following the receipt of the 30 to
40 year sentence, Sommersett, report
edly, threatened Thompson, who is in
his sixties. Sommersett is reported to
have told Thompson, "Old man. 111
see you in thirty years".
A check with the Sheriff's office
this morning revealed that Thompson
was being called and would be inform
ed of the escape by Sommersett.
Ix?cal authorities were alerted to
the break-out by workers in a nearby
office who heard the yells for help by
jailer Faulkner. Merman Spencer, who
operates a barber shop across the
street from the jail, also spotted the
escapee and alerted officers. In
minutes law enforcement agencies in
the area were alerted to be on the look
out for the 1968 blue Plymouth.
Sommersett was wearing a short sleeve
shirt and tan trousers, according to
reports.
Me is facing 59 years in prison, is
armed and is considered dangerous.
Hawkins" Gets 8-10 Years
Percy Hawkins, 52, a former Krank
linton auxiliary policeman, plead
guilty to involuntary maaslaughter
here in Criminal Court Wednesday and
received a sentence of from eight to
ten years. Hawkins was charged with
the murder in the death of 30-year-old
Maurene Canrtady, whose decomposed
body was found last July 20 in a
wooded area in the Sourwood Moun
tain section of Franklin County. Haw
kins, reportedly, confessed to the slay
ing claiming it was accidental.
The woman, missing for five days,
had left home saying she was going to
visit a friend. Her body was found by
?two Negro men late Sunday afternoon.
Hawkins was arrested three days
later and charged with the crime after
Liking a lie detector test and blood
stains taken from his car were tested.
Presiding Judge Clarence W. Hall of
Durham reportedly rommented that if
this were manslaughter, it was the
worse case he'd ever seen. The plea of
guilty of involuntary manslaughter was
accepted upon the recommendation of
Solicitor W. G. (Buck) Ransdell.
Hawkins claimed he picked the
woman up and drove her to the scene
of her death. He said he attempted to
frighten her into paying back some
money she owed him when his police
pistol fired accidentally. Hawkins had
been held in Franklin jail without
bond since his arrest.
Moratorium Flat Flop Here
The much publicized national Moratorium (ailed to make any showing hare Wednesday. Local businesses and private citizens
instead choat to show their support of the war effort by flying the flag at full staff. A few Louisburg College students wort black
arm bands In sympathy with the Moratorium, but other than these isolated few, the event was a colossal flop in this area.