FOR SALE—One large, used good
Siegler Heater. See Mrs. J. J,
Parker, MurfreesOoro, or Phone
398-4575. Hap 11-17
Mrs. Parker’s want ad ran in two issues
and was canceled because the heater
was sold. You get fast results when you
use ‘‘Your Home Newspaper” classifieds.
THE County TIMES-NEWS
^ ^ A Combination of
THE ROANOKE-CHOVAW TIMES — Established 1892 iV
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
THE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY NEWS — Established 1926
Volume LXXV, No. 46
Rich Square and Jackson, N. C., Thursday, November 17, 1966
'Negroes Tired Of Life Of Deception’
PROP Chartered As Nonprofit Corp;
Asks N. C. Fund For $50,000 Grant
PILGRIMS are shown in a display by the fifth and sixth
grade class. Mrs. Pearl Jenkins of Milwaukee is the
teacher. Shown are Michael Davis, brother of Joey Davis
of Seaboard (5th), Pete Daughtry of Lasker (6th), Tereso
Doughtry of Lasker (5th), Joni Glover of Margarettsville
(6th), Nancy Crocker of Seaboard (6th), and Barbara Col
lier of Conway. On the right is another visitor, Betty Joe
Collier, a sister of Barbara. All of the classrooms were
decorated with displays related to their class work. Five
hundred visitors visited the site of the refurbished Lasker
school house.
By JAMES WALLACE
RICH SQUARE—The
Rev. C. Melvin Creecy,
president and one of three
incorporators, told the
elected delegates and mem
bers of the People’s Pro
gram on Poverty at the
Willow Oak AME Church
on Sunday afternoon: “For
over 75 years the Negroes
have lived a life of de
ception and the people
thought we were what we
were not. Even the church
has grown up in deception,
but that day is over for the
masses don’t want it any
more. We won’t go on pre
tending we are happy with
things as they are.”
Creecy made the main address
to approximately 150 Negroes
from PEPOP who came from
Northampton, Hertford, Bertie
and Halifax Counties to Install
board members elected from the
election precincts by‘‘represen-
tatives of the poor” under the
provisions of articles of incor
poration issued to the group as
a nonprofit corporation by Sec
retary of State for North Car
olina Thad Eiure.
The other incorporators were
the Rev. John Scott of Ahoskie
and Albert R. Johnson ofEnfleld.
Directors of the organization
were listed as Creecy, Scott and-
Johnson; Mrs. Clara Watford of
Windsor; George Hall Jr. of Win-
ton; the Rev. A. 1. DunlapofWel-
don; Mrs. Elnora Chavis of Win-
ton; the Rev. James A. Felton of
Winton; A. C. Cofield of Weldon;
M. L. Coggins of Windsor; A. J.
Watford of Coleraln; and Mrs.
Lafayette Majette of Rich
St^are.
The purposes of incorporation
were listed as to instruct and
organize people for community
action, to Improve housing, rec
reational facilities, vocational
job training, employment, ed
ucation, citizenship education,
health and general welfare, re
gardless or race, color or creed.
The corporation lists one class
of membership known as general
open to the public at large.
Creecy told the group that
“nothing in the American so
ciety can stop you if you can
produce” and that “we are
entering a new third stage
that goes beyond the protest
movement and the granting of
legal rights through registra
tion and accommodations.”
Creecy continued, “We can
do anything anyone else can
do if we are given a chance.
We don't need and don’t want
a handout.”
He said that PEPOP was not
against anyone or anything In
cluding the Choanoke Area De
velopment Association, but that
PEPOP was going to see that the
poor people of the area got help
from the poverty program
“whether or not the North Caro
lina Fund or CADA helps us.”
. He predicted “the time is
coming when the white and
Negro shall work together —
maybe not today—maybe not
tomorrow — but some time in
the future.”
As an example of discrlmlna-.
tion, Creecy cited “everyone
knows thatNegroesmakethebest
whiskey and yet there Is not one
single Negro distillery in the
United States or even one em
ployee in the Northampton Coun
ty ABC System.”
Creecy said the PEPCP pro
gram might not have the agree
ment of other groups “but they
will respect us brfore we are
done.”
Mrs. Selma V. Majette read
a proposal adopted by the
board of directors of PEPOP
that asked the CADA Board
and the North Carolina Fund
to approve SSO.OOO for the op
eration for one year of PE-
POP’s program to help the
poor to organize.
Excerpts of the proposal read
as follows;
Background
“We believe that no similar
area of North Carolina has a
larger share of problems, and
less hope of solving them, than
seeking to find honest answers
to the problems of people.
“The central purpose of the
People’s Program on Poverty
can be outlined as follows:
“1. Developing a viable or
ganization that effectively rep
resents the interests of the
poor and disadvantaged.
“2. Providing a channel for
active participation in the
community decision - making
process.
“Establishing citizenship ed
ucation projects to overcome
the inexperience and lack of
previous opportunities for
community wide leadership.
“4. Mobilizing job develop
ment, health, welfare and ed
ucational services.”
Structure
'People's Program on Pover-
the counties of Halifax, North- ty (PPOP) is an independent,
ampton, Bertie and Hertford, nonprofit organization made up
Here poverty, the common lot of of residents of the four counties
so many, seems rooted in the the Choanoke area. The pres-
systems of tenant farming, poor' ent 12-man Board of Directors,
schools, lack of industrialdevel- three from each county, will
opment and job opportunities, eventually become the executive
and the many segregated insti- committee. Pl^s are now being
tutions which deny to many of us made to expand tae full board to
the opportunity to better our- include representation from each
selves. We believe that our area community or precinct in the four
has resources which can be used counties.
to find solutions to some of the “Each county has a local corn-
basic problems. Primary among mittee which focuses attention
the area’s assets are the poor primarily on matters of interest
people - their desire for change particular county, while
and ability to work together for no* overlooking the general needs
community betterment. of the entire area. Neighborhood
“Historically, we have been organization has already begun
excluded from meanlngfulpartic- 3-t ttie neighborhood level. Mem-
ipatlon and adequate representa- bershlp is open to any resident
tion in the decisions that affect of the area who subscribes to
our own destiny. To us it has the objectives of the organiza-
seemed that the traditional de- .tion.”
cision-makers are more inter- Description of the Area
ested in preserving their own “The fourcountlesoftheChoa-
rights and privileges than in (See PEPOP, Page 4)
RECEPTION LINE—The Kelly Edwards family of Jack-
son passes through the refreshment line at the open
house for the Northeast Academy at Lasker on Sunday
afternoon. With Mr. and Mrs. Edwards are their daugh
ters, Wanda and Betty. Serving are Mrs. Charles W. Venn
of Conway, president of the PTO; Mrs. R. 0. Glover of
Margarettsville, vice president of the PTO; and Mrs. An
derson M. Davis of Seaboard, chairman of the hostess
committee. At the head of the receiving line were chair
man of the board of trustees, Tom Flyfhe of Seaboard,
ond his wife and G. W, Davis, headmaster, and his wife.
At Academy
500 Attend Open House
LASKER — Five hundred per
sons, including patrons and
friends, attended the open house
at Northeast Academy here on
Sunday afternoon from 2 until
5 o’clock.
The guests were given a tour
of the building and visited each
of the classrooms where various
displays and works of the stu
dents were on exhibit. Patrons of
the private school, in the class
rooms to explain work the stu-
Veterans Day
Observed
JACKSON - Parents, teach
ers and students of Eastside
School observed Veteran’s Day
on Friday, November 11.
Each grade presented an ap
propriate number. Patriotic
songs, choral readings, playlets
and folk dances were skillfully
executed.
The highlight of the program
was a one minute silent prayer
at 11 a.m. commemorating the
courage and patriotism of all men
and women who have served in the
United States Armed Services.
Larry Ramsey, an eighth grade
student was master of cere
monies.
Patriotic colors decorated the
auditorium with a miniature re
production of Arlington National
Cemetery in the background.
Rabbit, Turkey,
Quail Legal Sat.
ahoskie - Quail, rabbit and
turkey season opens Satur day and
an “army ofhunters” is expected
in the fields early Henry Baze-
more, Hertford County wildlife
protector, commented Tuesday.
He called attention to the daily
bag limits which “are the same
as last year’s, quail, eight per
day, rabbit, five per day and
turkey, one per day.”
I Weather WuzJ
dents are engaged in, were Mr.
and Mrs, J. M. Ramsey, Mr. and
Mrs. J. T. Knowles, Mr. and Mrs,
Horace Davis, the Rev. and Mrs.
J. C. Justice, Mr. and Mrs. Van
T. Wood and Mr. and Mrs. Claude
Lassiter.
Greeting the guests were Mr,
and Mrs. J, c. Pruden Sr. The
faculty, Headmaster G.W. Davis,
Mrs. Davis, Miss Olivia Brid-
gers, Mrs. Pearl Jenkins, Mrs.
Doris Flythe and the Rev. Art
Bartley, were presented by Mr.
and Mrs, Thomas Flythe.
Presiding at the guest regis
ter were Mr. and Mrs, J. D.
Carver and Mr. and Mrs. Harold
Wray.
Mr. and Mrs. John Millard
Glover invited the visitors into
the auditorium for refreshments.
Mrs. Janice Vann presided at the
punch bowl. Cookies, mints,
cheese straws and nuts were
Seek Early Start For
Mental Health Clinic
JACKSON - January 1, 1967,
is expected to be selected as the
tentative date for launching the
Tri-County Mental Health pro
gram in Hertford, Gates and
Northampton Counties, accord
ing to Dr. W. Raleigh Parker
of Jackson, health director of the
Northampton County Health De
partment.
A letter suggesting this date
has been sent out to the Mental
Health Advisory Committees who
have been named in the three
counties, and to Dr. Dan Rader
of the N.C. Department of Men
tal Health who has been asked
to attend an organization meet
ing of the advisory committees.
They include Dr. E. T. Viser,
Ray McClees, Ahoskie, and Dr.
Ed Barnhill, Murfreesboro, for
Hertford County; Dr. J. A. Fleet-
wood Jr., Conway, Mrs. Janet
Brown, Jackson, J. H. Liver-
man Jr., Woodland, for North
ampton County; and Dr. John
Payne HI, Sunbury, W, J. Sawyer,
Gates, and Mrs. Roy Riddick,
Hobbsville, for Gates County.
Some $8,000 budgeted by the
three counties for 1966-67 is
available for the clinic.
The organizational meeting -
a necessary prelude to further
plans - awaits answer of Dr.
Rader, according to Dr. Parker.
The latter wrote Dr. Rader
that Northampton County sent 16
persons to N.C. state mental in
stitutions for diagnosis and treat
ment during October.
He added that many were “old
cases, people who had returned
home and without proper guid
ance had stopped seeing their
family physicians and of course
had stopped their medical treat
ment.”
The number sent from Gates
and Hertford is not available at
this time.
Organization of the Tri-Coun
ty Mental Health Advisory Com
mittee would be followed by em
ployment of a mental health di
rector, a psychiatric nurse aid
a clerk, if approved and they are
available.
Shorthand
At NCHS
CONWAY-Under the adult ed
ucation program at Northampton
County High School a class in
shorthand is being conducted on
Monday and Thursday nights.
Principal P. T. Jones states
that there is still room for ad
ditional students in the class
and that they can enroll by con
tacting the school by phone or
throu^ a message to any high
school student.
.served by Mrs. R. o. Glover,
Mrs. Anderson Davis, Mrs. Stan
ley Crocker and Mrs. Sam Tur
ner.
The academy begsin operation
in September with grades one
through 10. The open house was
held to provide an opportunity
for the many persons in the
area who have contributed to the
academy, to see the renovated
plant, formerly the old Lasker
School building,
Fisher Heads
Foundation
RALEIGH - The North Caro
lina Agricultural Foundation,
Inc., has elected G. E. Fisher of
Pendleton as its president for the
coming year succeeding Hassell
Thigpen of Tarboro.
Other officers and 25 new di
rectors were named at a busi
ness session of the foundation
held recently during All-Foun
dations Day at North Carolina
State University.
The foundation received $1,-
228,769.34 in income during 1966
to support the NCSU School of
Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Officers named to serve with
Fisher were J. Atwell Alexander,
Stony Point, first vice president;
T. Clyde Auman, West End, sec
ond vice president; R. w. Shoff-
ner, Raleigh, secretary; and John
D. Wright, Raleigh, treasurer.
Named as directors for a four-
year term were;
The North Carolina Agricul
tural Foundation was founded in
1944 to provide private financial
support for teaching, research
and extension activities in the
School of Agriculture and Life
Sciences at N. C. State. Since
then over $4,7 million has been
raised.
j Cbttcfete I
Man at the gate; Is your moth
er home?
Little boy: Say, you don’t sup
pose I’m mowing this lawn be
cause the grass is long do you?
JACKSON — Testimony for the
plaintiff and the defense came to
an end on Thursday morning in the
case of Manning P. Cooke of Rich
Square against the Bank of Rich
Square in a suit to force the dis
closure of bank records to Cooke,
a stockholder.
Both sides told Judge Albert
Cowper that they would need about
two hours apiece for their sum
mations.
Attorneys Perry Martin and
Felton Turner started their clos
ing remarks to the jury before the
mid-day recess. It was expected
that Eugene Boyce, attorney for
Cooke, would issue his summa
tion after the recess and that the
judge would issue a short charge
to the jury and send them out for
deliberations before the after
noon was out.
The special session of the
Northampton County Superior
Court ran from Monday throu^
Thursday. Judge Albert W. Cow
per of Kinston heard the case.
He explained to the jury that this
was a civil action by Manning P.
Cooke of Rich Square to see the
books and records of the Bank of
Rich Square.
Attorneys for the bank, Perry
Martin and Felton Turner, told
the jury that they would try to show
that the attempt to see the rec
ords was improper and that
Cooke had a ulterior motive.
Cooke was represented by
Boyce, Lake and Burns of Ra
leigh through Eugene Boyce who
told the jury in his opening state
ment, “It is the demand of the
plaintiff (Cooke) to see and ex
amine the books and that the re
quest is made In good faith and
for a proper purpose. Cooke has
a right as a part owner under the
laws of North Carolina unless
the defendant can show bad faith,
Cooke has not asked to see all
of the records and not the records
of individual depositors.”
In a previous trial the jury
decided against Cooke, but the
North Carolina Supreme Court
upheld his right as a stockholder
and set the stage for this second
trial unless “bad faith or im
proper purpose were shown.”
Both attorneys rejected many
of the jury panel and most jurors
admitted to having read details
of the first trial in the “Times-
News” although no one admitted
to having formed an opinion based
on the information available.
Boyce claimed that the plaintiff
had established a prima facie
case and that the bank had re
peatedly rejected his lawful re
quests that Cooke had presented
in an orderly and businesslike
manner. Cooke claimed that he
wanted to determine the value of
his stock and to check on the ad
ministration of the bank. In later
testimony, Cooke said that state
law made bank stock “assess-
ible” if the banking commission
er should decide that the capital
account of the bank needed re
plenishment.
Attorney Martin, in his open
ing statement, said Cooke had
long been engaged in a vindictive
campaign against the bank and
that he had constantly harassed
them and attempted to damage
the bank. He claimed Cooke was
an inactive stockholder and that
the bank had furnished him with
the stock register and a state
ment of earnings as well as the
statement of condition which Is
published by law in the "Times-
News.” Martin said these rec
ords were sufficient for his pur
poses. He claimed Cooke was a
disgruntled former employee who
was in business competition with
the family operating the bank.
Testifying for the bank, R. W.
Outland, 85, said he was presi
dent and had been since 1946.
Prior to that he had been vice
president and a director since
1930. He said he had drawn no
salary until 1946.
Outland said the capital worth
of the bank had been $57,919.43
in 1946 and had risen to $214,-
039.30 in 1966. Outland said
Cooke left his position as cashier
of the bank because of ageneral-
ly disagreeable attitude and be
cause he disagreed with the pol
icies of the bank.
Cooke’s testimony claimed that
he had entered into an agreement
with Outland concerning the han
dling of their two cotton gins and
that he had resigned when they
were unable to agree upon the
apportionment of the proceeds
of the gins after one year’s op
eration while he was still cashier
of the bank.
Outland testified hehadreceiv-
ed yearly letters from Cooke
that were critical of the bank and
Costs Of Living Rises In
Northampton County
Your Home Newspapers
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, D. C .^n North
ampton County, as in most other
parts of the country, the cost of
living is several per cent high
er today than it was a year ago.
On the basis of the latest Labor
Department findings, the average
local family needs approximately
$124 more per year than it did
in 1965 to buy the same amount
of goods and services.
That is the size of the increase
for a family that has a net, after
tax income of $4,754 (Goverment
figure including do-it-yourself
service and home grown produce)
which is the local average.
For families in the$10,000-a-
year category, an additional $260
is needed and, for those at the
$4,000 level, $104.
All told, to purchase the same
amount of goods and services as
in 1965 will cost residents of the
local area some $741,000 more
this year at present price levels.
Creeping inflation is the past
12 months has boosted the cost
of food, housing, transportation,
medical care and other necessi
ties by over 2.8 per cent, ac
cording to the government’s com
posite findings.
It was the biggest rise in many
years. By way of comparison,
the increase in the cost of liv
ing from 1963 to 1964 was only
1.4 per cent and, in the following
year, 1.8 per cent.
The sudden surge upward has
the experts worried. Once real
inflation gets under way it tends
to spiral upward, past experience
shows.
As to the inflationary forces
that have created the present sit
uation, they point to heavy gov
ernment spending, union pres
sure for big wage hikes, shortage
of labor, factories runningatnear
maximum capacity and the huge
consumer demand for all kinds
of commodities.
Although many people think
that higher food prices were
chiefly responsible for the rise
in the cost of living, they were
not, a breakdown shows. They
accounted for only a fourth of it.
The cost of services increased
nearly twice as much.
Fortunately for most North
ampton County families, their in
comes have been going up at a
faster pace than comsumer
prices, so that they have been
able to maintain their standard
of living.
Those on pensions or other
set income, however, have had
to tighten their belts somewhat.
himself and that he believed
Cooke’s actions weremeanttoin
jure the bank.
Outland said Cooke voted
against renewing the charter of
the bank in 1955 at a stockhold
ers’ meeting.
Cooke countered with the
statement that he had abstained
because he had not had a prior
chance to examine the new char
ter and that he had had a state
ment of his position entered in
the minutes of the meeting at the
time. Portions of the letter were
shown to be in the bank’s minute
book.
Cooke contended that Outland
had made him pay $1,000 as the
condition for employment as
cashier at the bank, but Outland
claimed that the payment con
cerned their agreement concern
ing the gins.
Outland testified that the divi
dend on the par value share of
bank stock based on $50 had been
$3 per share for 20 years. He
said that the book value would be
over $400 per share based on the
accounts of the bank but claimed
that a true value could not be
established unless the bank were
liquidated.
Testimony by Cashier Ralph
Thompson concerned the amounts
and frequency of Cooke’s and his
family’s accounts in the bank.
Cooke claimed other accounts
that were not offered in evidence.
Outland testified that Cooke
had run for the state legislature
and Involved the question of the
operation of the bank in the cam
paign through an ad in the local
paper and handbills which he
claims “he was told” were dis
tributed by Cooke.
Thompson said Cooke held 30
shares of the 500 shares out
standing and that he had received
requests for information and ac
cess to the records from 1955
on. Complaints in letters charged
that the bank did not serve the
community and that members of
the bank used it to help their
business interests.
Martin introduced county rec
ords that showed Cooke had exe
cuted a deed of trust for $100,-
000 with the Farmers Bank of
Woodland but Cooke explained
that his analysis of the state
ments of the Bank of Rich Square
showed that they could not lend
over $20,000 to one individual
at that time.
Outland charged that he had
seen Cooke enacting a deed of
trust on bank premises for his
father but admitted that he had
not spoken to Cooke about it at the
time.
Cooke later testified that he
worked for the bank for three-
years and had received a $12.50
raise after the incident referred
to by Outland. He denied knowing
(See JURY, Page 8)
Joiy To Consider Manning Cooke Case ^