AtlmKys Argniig
Oise B^ore Jury,
JUk First Degree
A. R. Miller's Hogs
704,706,710 Pounds
I
Oue Will Reach Jury Late
Today or Friday Morn
ing In Wilke* Court
Afrguments of connsel and
charge to the Jury by Judge H.
Hoyle Sink today will complete
th* second trial of Claude Ab-
j,rtier fpr the murder of Clyde
Watt* here on April 6.
Witnesses In Wilkes court
Wednesday related to the Jury
their accounts of how Claude
Abaher, of North Wllkesboro,
killad Clyde Watts, with a shot
gun In North Wllkesboro April
6, 1946.
Testimony was completed Wed
nesday afternoon In the case,
which began Tuesday with selec
tion of a Jury ^om a special ve
in
nire.
Summary of the testimony of
fered by Earl Watts, brother of
■Clyde Jack Anderson, Coy Ad
kins and others who witnessed
the shooting, was that on the
lUening of April 6 Clyde Watts,
brother and three other
UBg men were on Main street
North Wllkesboro when they
met Claude Absheir talking to
Mrs. Clyde Watts, with whom
Ahsher had been keeping com
pany over a long period of time.
Including the time Clyde Watts
was In service.
At that time Absher ana Jack
Anderson, an associate of Clyde
Watts, had a mi'd affray. Short
ly after that, .\bsher secured a
taxi, went to his home, returned
downtown with a single barrel
shotgun and shot Clyde Watts as
he walked along the sidewalk on
Ninth street near Main street.
Watts was hit at close range in
Abdomen and died a few
Wiytei_hios^
A. R. Miller, Wtl^M farmer
and marchant of the Vannoy
community and who always pro
duces big hogs, perhaps could
lay claim to the pork producing
record in Wilkes this year.
Recently Mr. Miller butchered
three Ohio Improved Chester
bogs at the age of one year. The
dressed weights were 704, 706
and 710 pounds each.
Spurs SnteMid
15 Moiths To 2
Years PeaHntiary
Entered Plea Manslaughter
For Deadi of Harrison
Jennings In Jail
Classes In Home
Nursing Begun In
2 Communities
Red Cross Chapter Sponsor;
Area Nursing School
Graduate Instructor
Two classes In home nursing
have been started by the WUkes
chapter of the American Red
Cross and several others will get
under way soon In Wilkes coun-, drunk
Claude Leslie Spears young
man of the Parsonvllle com
munity, was sentenced in Wilkes
court Monday afternoon to serve
from 15 months to two years In
the state penitentiary for the
death of Harrison Jennings In
the North Wllkesboro Jail.
Judge H. Hoyle Sink passed
sentence after the state had ac
cepted a manslaughter verdict
during the process of trial.
Evidence disclosed that Jen
nings, 66-year-old citizen of the
FaiPplaJns community, was lodg
ed in North Wllkesboro jail on
charge of being drunk and that
Spears was Jailed on the same
charge that night. While In the
jail together Spears, who was
beat Jennings so severely
Or. snd Mrs. W. L. etsUlngs,
of Forrest City,. visited here Isst
week-end in the home of Mr.
and Mrs. LawfeuMi HlUer.
Attorney MUtos Oooper, of EU-
kln, was in the WUkeaboros
Tufesday looking after profes-
Bldnal ibuslaees matters.
Uttle Miss Sarah Meadows,
small daughter of Mr,' and Mrs.
Earl Meadows, of Pores - KniOh,
has been ill with an infected leg.
Mrs. P. N. Clonti, Mrs. Nell
Hogan, and Mie. Jake XUonti, of
Morganton, spent Tuesday in
Wllkesboro as guests of Mrs.
James Lowe.
Mr. Henry Mack Church, of
Wertmi
SHetyCoiieilTo
Hhet Here Friday
Ltho
h
s
Anggestion of a self defense
plea was contained in the testi
mony of two defense witnesses,
Mrs. Joe Lane and Mrs. Paul
Jenkins, who testified that they
heard Clyde Watts say “I’m jo-
ing to get the son of a bitcii.’’
They said they heard that re
mark about one block from
where absher shot Watts a few
minutes later.
Absher did not go on the stand
, as he did In his first trial In the
■August term of court when he
was convicted and sentenced to
death. At that time he stated that
he was drunk on the evening of
April 6 and knew nothing of
what occured.
At the close of evidence Wed
nesday afternoon, the state in
troduced into evidence the typed
record of Absher’s testimony at
the August term of court, Mrs.
Faye iHuIet, court reporter, was
sworn as a witness to identify
the record.
Aiding Solicitor Avalon E.
Hall in prosecution of the case
are Former Solicitor John R.
Jones, W. H. McElwee. J. V.
Bowers and J. 11. WTiicker, Sr.
Defense counsel is composed of
Eugene Trivette. Kill Mitchell,
Kyle ” and Clyde Hayes, of this
city, and J- E. Holshouser, of
Boone.
o
ty, it was learned today from
Miss Rebecca Moseley, executive
secretary of the Wilkes chapter.
Twelve girls In Mountain View
high school and 12 members of
the home demonstration cluib at
■Mountain View composed Junior
and adult classes which began in
that community this week.
Twelve members of the Mulber
ry Home Demonstration club
compose the Mulberry class
which is also under way.
Other classes are planned for
Fairplains, Ferguson, Pores Knob
Home Clubs and for Wllkesboro
school and If sufflclept interest
is shown a class will he formed
in North Wllkesboro.
Mrs. Estelle Mlkell, from the
Red Cross area office at Colum
bia, S. C., is the Instructor. Mrs.
Mlkell holds a B. S. degree from
ate work at Colnmhla university
and is a graduate of the Red
Cross area school of nursing.
o
Arlie Foster Is To
Resign As Police
that he later died of the Injur
ies Inflicted by Speaxs.
In passing sentence Judge
Sink ordered a physical and men
tal examination of Spears and
stipulated that he be assigned to
such labor as ho Is capable of
performing while in prison.
0
Tbs first mestlng of the re
cently organized Western Pied
mont Safety Council will be held
Moravian Falls, was Injur^ In'^® the Town Hall andltorlpm at
a fall last week at Oak Furniture, North Wllkseboro at seven o'-
company and ie a patient at thei®*°®^ Friday night, January
Wilkes hospital. Friends wish for '^®***- ^ol .H. J. Hatcher, Com- Georgia Bell, both
License to wed wwe Issued
duHng the past week by Regis
ter of Deeds Troy C. Foster to
the following; Cameron H. Mil
ler and June Lorane Donovan,
both of Cricket; LenvU h. WIL
month and Viola K. Money, both'
of Elkin; James H. BleTins,
Crumpler, and Ceara Vounce,
West Jefferson: Guy C. Oolllns,
■Glade Valley, and. Hettie Hig
gins, Ennice; Cam HIU and
of Sparta;
him a rapid ' reooyery.
Mr. Don Culler, son of Mr. and
Mrs. J. E. Culler, who was dis
charged from service last April,
has entered the National Busi
ness College at Roanoke, Va.,
since the holidays.
mander of the State Highway
Patrol will be the speaker. The
theme of the meeting will be
“Highway Safety." Representa
tives of all organizations are cor
dially Invited to attend.
The council will Include as
James Dyson, Boomer, and
tora Qragg, Gragg.
a
Mar
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Quinn and ’ Industrial concerns,
their son, Mr. Mike Quinn, have businesses and Individuals from
returned to their home at Chat
tanooga, Tenu., after a visit he^g
in the home of Mr. and Mrs. A.
F. Kilby, and with other rela
tives.
the eight counties of Avery,
Ashe, Alleghany, Catawiba, Alex
ander, Caldwell, Watauga and
Wilkes. Regular meetings will
jbe held quarterly In the larger
Christmas Seal
Total To Date Is
Listed at $1,370
Meeting W9I Be Held At
North Wllkesboro Town
Hall, Beginning 7:30
Officers Installed
In Junior Conncil
North Wllkesboro council of
the Junior Order this week in
stalled the following officers to
serve until July 1 this year:
Earl Anderson, councilor; Bar
ney Harrold, vice councilor; C.
A. Canter, recording secretary;
B. F. Bentley, assistant reoord-
Arlie Foster, Wllkesboro po
lice chief for the past several
years, will offer his resignation
at the next town council meet
ing, It was learned today.
Mr. Foster recently accepted
the position of forest warden in
Wilkes county.
0
Support the Y. M. C. A.
■Hnancial Ifee'
ern Bank, treasurer; Allen Bhll-
Hps, conductor; A. G. Anderson,
warden; Woodruff Wallace, In
side sentinel; Richard Byrd, out
side sentinel; R. C. Goodwin,
Junior past councilor; Wade
Wallace, J. M. Eller and Clay
Pardue, trusteee; R. B. Church,
B. F. Bentley and Charles Leck-
ie, representatives to state coun
cil; H. L. Mechem, chaplain;
Clap Pardue, assistant chaplain.
o
Mr. and Mrs. Homer Wellborn
returned Saturday to Cincinnati,
uhio, after spending the holidays
with their parents, Mr. G. Q.
Wellborn, of Wllkesboro, and Mr.
and Mrs. H. G. Nichols, of North
Wilkesburo.
communities in the eight coun
ties. Every Individual or concern
in the area interested in the pro
motion of safety Is urged to be
come a member of the council
and to aaslst In this yery Import
ant work. Memibershlp dues are
very nominal and are only to de-
Joe Mac and Gwyn McCutchen,,
of WythevlUe. Va„ have been|f’‘®y incidental operating expen
spending a few days here with
their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
E. G. hinley, while their parents.
Rev. and Mrs. Chalmers Mc-
Cutcheu, are on a trip to San
ford.
Mrs. Dexter Chadwick, o f
oliariotte, and a former resident
of ims city, is spending the week
uere in the homes of Mr. and
i>irs. Presley Myers, and Mr. and
iurs. James fiarvel at Oak woods.
iMi's. cnaawicit is. a sister of Mrs.
narvel.
ses of the conncil.
F. D. Meserve is on the mem
bership committee as a represen
tative from this Immediate area
and will appreciate anything to
aid In the work of the Western
Piedmont Safety Council and es
pecially attendance at this first
meeting In North Wllkesboro.
Mrs. Rhoades Dies
Funeral service will he held
Friday, 11 a. m., at Bethel
ureh for Mrs. Ssm* HkttUls
ttjifred in’' an Mitomo-
.iio n 1 ecjr ; several weeas vago,
Mr. Jay Anderson has returned
to Westminster Choir College at
Princeton, N. J., after spending
the holiday season here with his
mother, Mrs. Annie Anderson.
uas leiurued to tue. home of his
^.■aieui.s, iur. and Mrs. A. E.
wilkeaooro, after un-
uei gumg treaiment at T n e
nuspiiai.
iviiss jac&re r'razler has re-
.lufueu Her sluates at juilliard
.ueiuuie of MUSIC in l\ew lorK
,„ity auer speuuing ine hoiiaays
ufcie wun. uer paxenus sir. ana
iurs. X. J. rrazier. miss rirazier,
a, aecouu year student at me in-
.amute, IS uiaaing an excellent
Wednesday at i&er home.
record and has appeared on a
num'ber of widely publicized pro
grams in New York City.
Mr. Bill Gardner has returned
to the McCallie School at Chat-
tan'OOga, Tenn., to resume his
studies there after spending the
holidays here with his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Edd F. Gardner.
He spent the weke-end In Greens
boro on his way to Chattanooga
with one of his roommates, Mr.
"Freddy Stafford, who visited
here In the Gardner home dur
ing the holidays. Mr. Noel Har
dy, of Nashville, Tenn., also a
roommate of. the younger Mr.
Gardner, was a guest of the
Gardners while Mr. Stafford was
here.
Since the official close of the
1946 Christmas Seal Sale De-
cenrher 26, contributions of
191.67 have been received, ac
cording to an announcement
made last night by Mre. O. E.
Triplett, campaign chairman.
These late returns, she said,
bring the total received to date
to $1,370.99.
“The late returns are from
persons who forgot to send in
their checks when they received
their Seals In the mall a month
ago," t.he said. “We are grateful
to them for acknowledging the
Seals now and we hope that any
other residents who may not
have yet faade their returns will
do so promptly.
“A new year is upon us and
the Wilkes .County Tuberculosis
Asaociation, which depends en
tirely' upon Seal Sale receipts to
support Its health program, Is
ready id la^unph Its 1^7 earn-
Officials of the Wilkes Cham-
ker of Commerce announced bo-'
day that the annual meeting of
the chansber would he held on
Friday, January 17, 1947, at the
North Wllkeoboro City HalL Mr.
Harry Krusz, General Manager
of the Winston-Salem Chamber
of Commerce will be the speak
er for the evening. President J.
B. Williams and Secretary For
rest E. Jones will make reports
of their year’s terms of office,
and the election Judges V. E.
Elledge, P. D. Meserve, and Lor
ry Moore will announce the re
sults of the balloting for the
members of the chamber Board
of Directors.
The annual meeting will be
open to the public, an^ will start
promptly at 7:30 o’clock. All
memibers of the chamber of com
merce and others interested in
the progress of Wilkes County
are cordially invited to attend.
Refreshments will he served fol
lowing the meeting.
With two more days remain
ing in the alloted time for bal
loting of Wilkes Chamber of
Commerce directors, a total of
185 ballots has been returned to
the election Judges out of the
326 iballota mailed from the
chamber. Secretary Jones has
asked The Journal-Patriot to re
mind those members of the
chamber who have not yet
ed their ballots to do
Ml
kills'nuhte yooirgr
people between 16 and 35 than
any other disease. With the back
ing of the people of this county,
the association expects to make
great progress in the coming i
celve them by noon on Saturday,
January 11.
The theme of the annual meet
ing will be the progress made
during the first year of the
year. It Is grateful to the people c>>®“ber s operation with empha-
who have responded to Its appeal Program of Work for
and hopes that those who, for I Wilkes Chamber of
one reason or another, have neg-1 merce for the coming year,
lected to make their returns, will I
Oom-
try to do so Immediately.”
Mrs. Rachel Triplett
Is Claimed By Death
AUSSIE WAR BRIDE WILL TAKE LEND-LEASE HUBBY BACK HOME
use Campaign
Continued Here
Ckaimum Dickson Urges
: All To Send In Contribu-
I tions at Early Date
Mrs. Olive Hampton Nichols,
.Australian wai bride now on an
extended honeymoon in the D.
S. A., is well pleased with almost
everything about America, In
cluding her ’’lend-lease’’ hus
band, Wm. Arthur Nichols, for
mer marine corps sergeant.
That “lend-lease” expression
was a carryover from war times,
when the former Miss Hampton
said that Australia was getting so
many things by lend-lease from
America that she might as well
get a husband.
The marriage of Miss Hamp
ton to Sgt. Nichols at King
.George hotel chapel in San Fran-
I cisco. Calif., on November 15 ■was
^ the climax of a story-book ro
mance and engagement made
necessarily long by the long arm
'of Uncle Sam.
, Sgt. Nichols, son of the late
I Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Nichols,
I of Purlear, entered the marine
I corps In 1940. Assigned to the
Wilkes first division, he fought through
Into the memorable Guadalcanal cam
paign, after which his division
I'
MR. AND MRS. WM. ARTHUR NICHOLS
OSO campaign In
county Is being extended
Jnsnary, Zah Dickson, campaign
chairman, said today. j had a well earned rest in Ans-
Xh* quota of $3,500 for Wilkes ^trails. It was while there that he
eounty has not been raised, Mr. met, loved and became en^ged half of his requests was granted, been disappointed a number
'Dtekson said, and cards have to Miss Hampton, who, with her
■ keen mailed to a large number father and mother, Mr. and Mrs.
' jf people asking that their con-
tribations he forwarded imme
diately to W. Blair Gwyn, treas-
lUV of tke fund, at North Wil-
kesboro. *
Mr. Dickson said that no per-
jioasl. eollcltatlon has been car-
sled Invitation
to kelp zaise the quota has been
sataoded to everybody.
'"i ■_/ . O ■ M -
Auxillory ta Meet
Wilkes unit of the American
-jtggiaa Auxiliary will meet Mou-
d*y ^«afht.- eight o’clock, at the
smo et N. B. Church with
R. G: Fiuley and Mrs.-Carl !la and permission to get married.
Ss oo-kostesses. j In due time, Ironically enough,
James Hampton, operated shops
selling ladies accessories, milli
nery and notions ln_ Melbourne.
After nine months In Australia,
Sgt. Nichols took sorrowful leave
of Melbourne and his lady love,
because the first division was or
dered to New Guinea on Septem
ber 26, 1943. After a ^stay in
New Guinea whs the Cape Glou-
chester campaign.
Following the Cape Glonches-
ter fireworks, Sgt. Nichols had
become Impatient to see his fi
ancee again and he put in to his
commanding officer two major
requests—for a leave to Austral-
They O. K.’d his request to get
married, .but turned down his
plea for a furlough. He didn’t
want a native bride from the
Russel islands.
The Peleliu campaign was the
last action for Sgt. Nlchqto, •#$«>
was sent home on 30-day Im'Ib'
In January, 1946, and assigned
to the postofflce at Parris Is
land, S. C. Tke war ended hut
that didn’t mean a thing'$6 the
eager fiance, ibecause his two-'
year, extension iperlod in the regu
lar marine corps did not run out
until November 21 this year.
However, he did get out on ter
minal leave several weeks earlier
and had planned to go Immedi
ately to Australia. ^
But Miss Hampton, who had
la, where Nichols will enter bus
iness with. the Hampton family,
or they may set up their own
enterprise.
Taking a cue from America,
the war bride wants to set up
a drug store like the American
drug store. Drug stores fascinate
her, with the great variety of
things offered for sale. In Aus
tralia they have chemists shops,
drab .places which sell only medi
cine. but Mrs. Nichols wants to
run one, American style.
Mrs. Nichols says "America Is
Beaut”, which Is the Australian
way of saying o. k., fine, swell,
splendid, or any other favorable
superlative, but she “hasn’t had
a decent spot of tea” since she
left Sydney, and she thinks some
of the dishes Americans like so
mufh are several degrees worse
than awful.
What she can’t understand la
what Americans have to gripe
about so much in the midst of
plenty ^f everything. The infla
tionary prices are not to her lik
ing, especially when she remem
bers that a good steak and two
eggs in Australia costa only a-
of bout 36 cents American money.
Mrs. Rachel Adelaide Triplett,
85, member of one of Wilkes
county’s best known families,
died Wednesday night, eight o’
clock, at her home In Le'wls Fork
township.
Mrs. Triplett was a daughter
of the late Jonathan and Rachel
Eller Stout, and was the wife
of late A. M. Triplett, of Pur
lear. She Is, survived by the fol
lowing sons and daughters: Dr.
W. R. Triplett and A. L. Triplett,
Purlear; B. iBL Triplett, North
Wllkesboro; A. E. and S. W.
Triplett, Purlear; Mrs. S. J. Ad
ams, North Wllkesboro; Mrs. W.
E. Johnson, Misses Rachel and
Norahelle Triplett, Purlear.
Funeral service will
Friday, two p. m., at Lewis Fork
Baptist church. Rev. A. W. Eller
and Rev. Levi Greene will con
duct the service.
o
Mr. J. B. Henderson, Jr., of
List Tax Listing
Appointments Are
In This Newspaper
Wilmington, is here this week
visiting his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. J. B. Henderson, of Wll
kesboro, and other relalivee in
the county. Mrs. Henderson, who
has been visiting with her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Jarvis',
in Antioch township, -will return
to Wilmington with him in a
few days
Tax listing will get under way
in Wilkes county on Monday,
January 13.
J. C. Grayson, Wilkes county
tax supervisor,) lists In an an
nouncement elsewhere In this
newspaper the tax listing ap
pointments to be filled by the
tax listers for the various town
ships In the county.
Tax listers are urged to read
the announcement and to meet
their respective listers at the
earliest and most convnleut ap
pointments listed. Attention Is
called to the fact that the law
requires that property be listed
he« held for taxes as of January 1 In the
period prescribed for listing and
that penalties can be taxed a-
gainet those who fall to list as
provided.
Tax listing for the town of
North Wllkesboro will also begin
on Monday with W. P. Kelly as
tax lister. He, with the county
list taker for North Wllkesboro
township, will be at tke North
Wllkesboro town hall.
W. P. Kelly, North Wilkes-
boro list taker and city clerk,
said today that the office of the
clerk will be closed each day ib*>
tween 12 and . one o’clock.
fo^
times after booking passage
America, finally had better luck
and obtained passage on the good
ship Monterey. Sgt. Nichols met
her in San Francisco on Novem
ber 14 and on the following day
Ikey were married In the service
Chapel of the hotel with Rev. A.
B. Swan officiating. They were
witnesses to the marriage of Miss
Meredith Bedford, of Sydney,
Australia, to, Mr. Pat Bryant;- ^
Midfldd, Mass., and vice verse.
Then followed a honeymoon in
Hollywood and the trip to North
Carolina via the southern route.
Contrary to the nsnal proce
dure, In this war marriage the
ihrlde le taking the groom^—hack
t^ her home. On March 20 they
will'sail for 'MeVhoume, Aostral-
Here, Mrs. Nichols says, the
cars not only run on the wrong
side of the street, hut they “Just
tear about everywhere" and
everybody le in a harry. She
finds the three meals a day qpite
different from the four and five
they eat. •;•!).
- She poinU out that. Australia,
almost 'as big InJerrlhRy as the
United gtstes. ha*.. On^ seven
mlinon people, about as many as
are In New York City, which she
U. F. W. To Spoisor Baby Cbitest
And Local Talent Play Here
Veterans of Foreign Wars will those attending the play will b«
present the three act all local
talent comedy ‘‘Comsuwppln"
at . the North WOkSSboro
School Andltorinm on Friday and
Saturday nights, January IT-ltj
Th* proceeds from this presell
tlon will go toward the erection
of a Memorial dubhouseIn
rntends to see before going back [memory of those who failed
home, and that Australia is a [ return. from World. War 1 sad
land ot opportunity. Maybe that .0. ~ " ..v.
sales talk had somethluf to do The play Is under the’ jerro^
wUh her husband’s ^dedalon,j.to
ui^"his lot In Aas»«iilii'r7«hd
she’s a mdst heauttfiil
too., ..
direction of-Mias Margaret Met
calfe of Kansas City, Mo. - 'i;
“7'“Oom**poppIn’’ JS .d:^rlot at
comedy and, antirtattnment and
‘ -'.-rf?:
amply repaid with two hours of
good entertainment In sdditloa
to' helping a worthwhile eanse.
Wkjteh- this pnper^ for further
neeir'-fUld saadOTeameats'ahotit
“Conrnsapoppitt.1* v
In ooBjanetkm ‘with the piny,
“Cornsapoppln," there will be.n
popularity contest for baUs*
under six years of age, IRiis eo»r';£
test irill .start on Friday, 7s|l. •
letk,. snd close on Fridsy, Jsn.
nott For furthw lafiiRBiKlnz
esB^. Mias / MstsaUe at Boiel;^ ,
ft, -H. - .