* 4
Times
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday ^ SerJKg All Of Franklin County
Telephone Gy6-3283 L " .. Ten Cents
^ Louisburg, N. C.. Tuesday, December 30, 1969 . (Eight Pages Today) 100th Year- Number 91
FIREMEN FIGHT TO SAVE COTTON GIN
The Spectacular , Spiraling
Sometime Sneaky Sixties
If the sixties simmered, it was,
perhaps, during the 1964-66 period
that was hottest here in Franklin
County. During these years, trouble
seemed to slip up on the area. But, aa
Franklin people had been doing since
the Tuscaroras were driven from the
banks of the Tar, they survived and
prospered.' -4
1964 began, as most years did in
the sad sixties, with a highway fatality.
W. 3 Benton was named Industrial
Development Director signaling a re.
markable period of' development and
at the end of January, Southside Ware
house burned with several other busi
nesses with a loss of $150,000. Before
the decade ended, several other dis
astrous fire* would be experienced.
Louisburg switched over from a
2400 volt Delta system to the new,
.4160 WYE system of electric poval
and then, as now, there was a rash M
breaking and robberies. The County
Commissioners began the free fbod
plan in March but voted the plan put
in in April. OvJr-tB.OOO JCunklin
citizens lined up on a SundaM after
noon to receive"their polio /tacrine
sugar cube and a number M unex
plained fires struck the rural ireas
By Clint Fuller
Times Managing Editor
_ Third In A Series
In May, the Central Alarm System
was instilled -proving to be one of the
finest moves of the decade as time
after time, it was used to muster fire
' fighters across the county. Also in
'May, Alex Wood-ho. hum- led the
ticket as Richard Cash and E. M. Sykes
gained seats on the County Board and
Lloyd West was elected to the Board
of Education. The hot race was be
tween Youngsville't James T. Moss and
incumbent Rap. James D. Speed for
the House of Representatives. Speed
won in a June runoff. *v
As June, warmed, eight Negroes
applied for admission to the Louisburg
High School, The Board of Education
denied the request after several wlth-^1
drew. The action seemed harmless ?
enough at the time, but it marked the
beginning of years of litigation in
federal court over school desegrega
tk>n.
Franklin supported Dan Moore for
Governor in the June runoff and
favored Clifton Blue over Bob Scott,
?8212 to 2663 for Lt. Governor. Before
OEO Group To Meet
Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportuni
ty, Inc., the local anti-poverty agency,
will hold Its second meeting with
representatives of the low-income re
sidents of Franklin County, Monday,
January 6, at 7:30 p.m., at the Court
house in Louisburg The meeting is
opfti to the public.
Members of the board of directors
will continue to deal with issues raised
by poor residents In the Franklin
County area. Wages for domestic help
were singled out as a dominant ex
ample. being quoted as from <3 to (6
per day
A second major concern to be
considered at the suggestion of poor
residents Is the existence of a large
number of rowdy night clubs or "pic
colo" joffits. Poor residents felt these
to be > destructive influence Ip the
community. . /
Other need* to be considered are
the need of job trtlninf for ichooi
dropout*, a general lack of jobs, and
problem* relating to public welfare,
inflationary price* and (table wage*,
inadequate recreational facilities, im
proper garbage disposal, and a wide
variMy of other problem*.
At the January meeting the Frank
lln County director*, In conjunction
with the reiident*, will *eek to formu
late elans Jqt operation of
FVanklln Varfce**rren component* in
Franklin County between July 1,
1970, and June 30. 1971. Indication*
are that the *nti- poverty agenc? will
have an additional $18,000 to inveat In
Franklin County opMioni.
the cftcade ended ,s however. Franklin
voters gave Scott a margin of over
1,000 votei in his race Tor Governor.
July brought hope with the an
nouncement that Gay Products would
locate a plant here with an expected
annual payroll of $1 mttiion. Louis
burg had a brief tear over selection of
its fire chief and a local couple found
$20,000-;in confederate money and
woefuUy hoped that" the South will
See SIXT1KS Page 8
Arson Ruled Out
In War eh ouse Fire
Friendly Four Warehouse, Mullen's
Department Store, Shoe Shop Destroyed
A fire of undetermined origin hit
Louisburg's South Main Street again
last Tuesday night, destroying the
Friendly Four Tobacco Warehouse,
Mullen's Department Store and Mul
len's Shoe Shop. The blaze, the second
in the vicinity in the past six weeks,
threatened for awhile to burn Several
nearby buildings.
Louisburg Volunteer firemen, as
sisted by several rural departments and
a City of Henderson unit, brought the
blaze under control around 2 A.M.
Wednesday. Louisburg Fireman Gerald Z
Eury discovered the fire around 11
P M Tuesday when he went outside '
the fire station. Fire Chiet R. G.
Person. Jr. happened to be at the
station at the time and ordered all
rural units alerted. A short time later,
after conferring with Louisburg Mayor
V. A. Peoples. Person decided to re
quest help from the Henderson De
partment.
The rural units answering the call
included Franklinton, Youngsviile,
Runn, Justice, Centervi|le and Kpsom.
Person was high in his praise of all the
departments and expressed his depart
ment's appreciation for the assistance.
Mayor Peoples issued a statement
here Monday in which he also praised
the rural units and the Henderson
department along with the Louisburg
Department. Peoples said, "They all
. did an outstanding job. On behalf of
the people of Louisburg, I want to
extend my sincere appreciation to
every department and every fireman. 1
hope the people will remember the
kind of job these units are doing when
any of them seek financial assistance
from the public". Peoples, himself a
member of the Louisburg Department,
was on the scene minutes after the
blaze was reported.
Rap James D. Speed said Monday
that he and his associates in the
warehouse buaness "will probably
build back". He did not say if the
warehouse will be rebuilt on the same
site. He indicated that this decision nis
not yet been madll Speed was re
luctant to estimate the loss but had
been quoted earlier as saying the two
leased store buildings and the ware
house itself would "exceed
$150,000.00. Chief Person also said he
could not make an assessment of the
losses but he was satisfied it was in the ?
thousands. The warehouse was a block
long reaching the full length of West
Nash Street although It fronted by
way .of a vacant lot onjy a portion of
West Nash
Chief Person disclosed that Al
Pearce. a special fire investigator with
the N. C. Department of Insurance,
was rilled to Riok into the possibility
.of arson. Person said no evidence was
found Vindicate the blaze was set. He
did say however the fire was started
about middle way the 50-year-old
structure and he did not believe it
came from faulty wiring. He gave
several ideas as to how it might have
started indicating that he is still some
what puzzled as to the origin of the
blaze.
On November 6, a fire also of
undetermined origin struck the old
ABC Store building across th?_^treet
from the warehouse. The entire build
ing was gutted and' all contehts were
lost. The damage was estimated at
around $50,000.00. Two pool rooms
and a grill Were totally destroyed in
the blaze. Firemen contained the fire
Inside the block long building and
prevented damage to the fire and
police, station housed in an Adjoining
.building. The November fire was also
discovered by Fireman Gerald Kury
t around 2 A.M. and the county alarm
system was knocked out in the blaze
necessitating- local firemen having to
alert rural departments in person.
Person said his strategy in the latest
disaster was to hold the fire within the
warehouse and save all nearby build
ings if at all possible. In this he was
most successful as McKinne's Seaboard
Stores a few feet north of the ware
house was undamaged. All buildings
and businesses fronting West Nash
Stwet were also saved although Ihrea
tened for awhile. These included
d'Neal Drug Store, Karris Cash and
Carry Grocery, City Lunch, Economy
Auto Supply, the Louisburg Theater,
Plus- Value. Williamson's Cotton Gin,
Franklin Booking Service, Strickland's
Watch Shop and the Hobby Shop.
Medlin's garage was saved on Church
Street.
Rowe's Men's Shop and several
business offices were also threatened
along South Main Street. Debris from
the blaze set fire to an awning in front
of the Fashion Sboppe on East Nash
Street and Rosfs Dime Store on
North Main Street.
Mrs^N. C. Mullen said Monday that
she and Mr. Mullen will retire and will
not reopen their department store
business. She said her son, Crateman,
operator of the shoe shop, had not yet
made a decision on whether to re
establish his shop.
Speed said the area will be cleaned
up within a few days and any walls
posing a threat will be torn down.
Speed, A. M. (Gus) McGhee and H. C.
Pearce are co-owners of the building
and the-warehouse business.
Henderson Fire Chief Ranger Wilk
erson accompanied a pumper truck,
fire regular department members and
six volunteers to the. Louisburg blaze
The Henderson unit, called around
11:30 p.m., returned home around
3:30 A.M., according to reports.
In Wake Of Breakins, Robberies:
Dement Issues Call For
Protection Of Property
In the wake of a rash of breakins
and robberies in Franklin County,
Sheriff William T. Dement today
called on property owners to exercise
cafe in protecting their own property.
Dement said it "is physically impos
sible for my department to patrol the
entire county." The Sheriff and his
four deputies have had "very little
Christmas." according to Dement as
the entire force has been busy investi
gating breakins and robberies.
Dement asked citizens to report
Immediately any suspicious actions,
particularly from strangers, and to get
license numbers of strange cars in their
vicinity. He urged citizens to lock their
doors and take whatever precautions
necessary to protect their own proper
CROWDS VIEW COSTLY BLAZE
I - '
ty while assuring the people, "We are
doing all we can."
In recent weeks, a man was held up
at gun point and robbed of $1,500 at
Youngsville. Strickland Electric in
Louisburg -was entered and several
televisions were taken and at least two
homes In Louisburg were entered and
antique furniture and silverware was
stolen. While these crimes fall under
the jurisdiction of Youngsville and
Louisburg Police Departments, De
ment's department is assisting in these .
investigations.
Donald Hagwood, a New Hope
storekeeper, was serjously wounded by
one blndit while attempting to appre
hend two others sighted inside his
store last week. Hagwood and his
brother, J. O., and their families have
posted a $500 reward for information
leading to the arrest and conviction of
the robbers. Dement said today he will
ask Governor Bob Scott to increase
the reward with state money. Hag
wood is recovering from a facial
wound and a side injury.
The T. H. Dickens Store in White
Level was entered sometimes during
the Christmas holidays. The robbery
was discovered by a delivery man last
Saturday morning. Thirty pairs of
pants, threl watches and around $18
in cash is reported misaing. A large pile
of shoes were discovered at a store
window but officers believe the thugs
were frightened off before they could
load up the footwear.
,m The Fred Cash Store between
Louisburg and Youngsville was robbed
of around $300 in ? cash, an adding
machine and other Items earlier this
week and thieves entered the home of
Mrs. Lottie Weldon of Epsom taking a
pistol and a dress.
A few days ago. a private garage at
Royal was entered and around $500
worth of tools were taken and a few
nights ago, the Bunn School was bro
ken In to.
Louisburg Police Chief Earl Thar
ringtpn said earlier that he it still
working on breakins at the home of
Mrs. L. V. Parker and the late A. W.
Person on North Main Street. Antique
furniture was taken from both places.
The Person house la unoccupied and
Mrs. Parker was not at home when
thieves entered her house
Dement, obviously disturbed over
the rash 61 breakins and robberies, said
he felt nightime deputies were needed
See DEMENT Pate 8
<i ?