\ Trio Sentenced To 5-10 Years In ABC Robbery Atlempjt Made To Implicate Clerk As Accomplice Three young Fort Bragg para- itroopers were convicted and sen tenced in Superior Court Tues day to Central Prison for not less than five nor more than ten years for the robbery of $4,447 from a Pinehurst ABC store clerk in March. The three—Theodore Wuschke, of Mansfield, Mass., and Michael G. Yasso and Anthony Le!Ji, both of New York City— pleaded guilty to charges of taking the money from C. R. “Tom” Black, Jr., store clerk, as he was on his way to the bank to deposit it. A surprising tnm of events came when Wuschke, on taking the stand to relate the back ground of the planned holdup, tried to implicate Black as a con federate. Wuschke, who admitted the robbery was his brainchild, said that he had talked to Black in November of 1954 about the possibilities of taking the money and that Black had agreed it would be possible. Black,. Wuschke testified, was (Continued on Page 8) UNDEFEATED TO DATE, the Southern Pines Blue Knights are entering district playoffs tomorrow (Friday) in early elimina tion rounds of District 4—Class A competition. The team has gone through 13 straight games this year without a defeat. Pic tured, first row, left to right, are David McCallum, scorekeeper, Eddie McKenzie, co-manager, Dickie Mclnnis, George Reams Phillip Morgan, Charles Weatherspoon, Thomas Whatley, and Scout Camporee Set For Week-End; Visitors Invited Some 2,000 scouts, members of troops throughout the 12 counties that make up Occoneechee Coun cil, and their scoutmasters will at tend the annual camporee at Mc Arthur Lake near Southern Pines beginning tomorrow (Friday). This is the first time that a camporee has ever been held at the lake, located on the Southern Pines-Pope AFB road and owned by the Army. In addition to the various camp ing demonstrations that are plan ned, the 82nd Airborne Division of Fort Bragg will demonstrate the technique of building a pon toon bridge across the lake. The Airborne band will also perform. Brig. Gen. Pearson Menoher, Moojre District Boy Scout chair man, and camporee chief, said this week that all scouts and explor ers in the Occoneechee Council have been invited to the three-day camporee. Highlight of the camporee will be a campfire ceremony Saturday night featuring the Order of the Arrow dance team conducting an OA Tap-Out. Members of the or (Continued on Page 8) 0 Registration Is Continuing Registration for the Democratic primary, which will be held May 26, continues this Saturday and next Saturday. Sam Riddle of Carthage, chair man of the Board of Elections, said this week that the various registrars have the books at the voting places in each precinct on the two Saturdays left, but that prospective voters may, if neces sary, go to the homes or business es of the registrars during the week to register. A person seeking to register must have lived in North Carolina one year, or will have done so by the date of the general election in November, and in the precinct for at least 30 days prior to the elec- IN PLAYOFFS Southern Pines will play Mt. Gilead at Memorial Field at 3:30 Friday in the District 4-Eastern Division baseball playoffs. Coach Irie Leonard said today. Whether or not the Blue Knights, undefeated to date in 13 games, compete in the county baseball tournament depends on the otrtcome of the district playoffs. If Southern Pines is still in the playoffs by May 14, they will be considered champions and the winner of the annual county tournament will be considered runner-up, so far as county competition is con cerned. If the Blue’Knights defeat Mt. Gilead, also undefeated to date, they will meet the winner of the Chatham County-Lee County game which is being played Friday also Mt. Gilead, Montgomery County champions, defeated Badin, Stanly County cham pions, earlier in the distsict pairings. Distict 4 is composed of 14 counties. Young Musicians Of County Will Join In Concert tion. Precinct Meets Slated Saturday Democratic committee precinct meetings will be held throughout the county Satoday at 2 p. m. W. Lamont Brown, chairman of the Moore County Democratic Execu tive Committee, reminded pre cinct officials today. At the meetings, which will be held at precinct voting places, new committee chairmen and other of ficers for the coming year will be elected. ^ A complete list of committee chairmen and officers was printed in last week’s issue of The Pilot. Nineteen Moore County young people will appear in the seventh annual Young Musicians Concert, to be presented by the Sandhills Music Association at the Pine hurst Country Club Friday, May 12, at 8 p. m. The concert, traditionally the concluding program of the Music Association each season, will feature performances by pupils of 16 Moore County music teach ers, along with one student in a Moore County school who has an out-of-county teacher and two Moore County young people who are outstanding music students in colleges they are now attending. Dr. Charles Phillips of South ern Pines wiU be master of cere monies. Serving on the program committee are Miss Mary Logan, supervisor of Moore County schools; Mrs. Norris Hodgkins, Jr., and Mrs. Ralph Chandler, Jr. Nearly every music teacher in the county—some of whom are associated with the public schools and some of whom teach private ly—will each present one or more pupils in the concert. Insurance Women To Meet At Mid Pines Members of the North Carolina Association of Insurance Women will gather from over the State at the Mid Pines Club for a three- day convention to open Friday. The meeting will be the 13th annual convention of the organi zation wl^ich has met in Southern Pines on several former occa sions. Tommy Reams, co-manager. Second row, left to right. Coach Irie Leonard, Peter Winkelman, John McConnell, Hill Boswell, Kenneth Creech, BiUy Hamel, Bobby Cline, and Bobby Parker! Third row, same order, Tony Parker, John van Benschoten! Johnny Watkins, Bill Marley, Roger Verhoeff, Steve Smith, Lynn van Benschoten, and assistant coach W. A. Leonard. (Photo by Humphrey) MRS. NICHOLSON CHARGES CONSPIRACY Daly, 2 Women Employees Sued For $50,000, But Can’t Be Found Here Mrs. Valerie Nicholson, com plaining witness in the criminal libel trial of Vincent J. Daly in (larthage last week, has filed no tice that a $50,000 damage suit for conspiracy is to be instituted against Daly and his.two employ ees, Miss Edwina Hallman and Mrs. Martha Dixon Underwood. In Southern Pines to serve sum monses on the three defendants Saturday, Deputy Sheriff A. F. Dees was unable to locate any of them. All are believed to have left town. Daly, who practiced here as a psychologist for about three years. Cancer Campaign Progress Noted Collections in the annual can cer fund drive in Moore County reached $1,348 this week, accord ing to Dr. William Nicol of Car thage, county chairman. The county goal is $3,100, less than had been previously an nounced. Dr. Nicol said that, because of the lateness in starting this year, the drive will be carried over throughout the month of May. Mrs. J. S. Milliken, Southern Pines chairman, said today that $621 of a goal of $700 has been reached to date. Since it is not possible to reach all prospective donors with letters, Mrs. MiUiken suggested that any one desiring to make a contribu tion to mail it to her at Box 55, Southern Pines. was convicted on the libel charge last week and was sentenced to a year in prison, suspended on pay ment of a $500 fine and the court costs. P. H. Wilson of Carthage, attor ney for l\Jrs. Nicholson, said that C. C. Kennedy, clerk of court, had granted a 20-day extension from Monday, April 30, in filing the complaint. While not specifically revealing the allegations that will be in the damage suit complaint, the attorney said it would detail a series of alleged offenses cover ing a period of weeks. Daly was convicted of circular izing four North Carolina newspa pers with defamatory matter about Mrs. Nicholson, including the assertion that she had threat ened to write a newspaper story that would “ruin” him if he did not give her $1,500. Miss Hallman and Mrs. Under- (Continued on Page 8) Police Crack Down On Noisy Mufflers A concerted campaign to rid Southern Pines of loud mufflers on automobiles has resulted in at least 15 arrests to date. Chief C. E. Newton reported this morning. ) Mufflers ^hich produce a loud and disturbing noise are consid ered improper equipment for au tomobiles, Chief Newton said, and automobile owners who insist on using them will be arrested and subject to a fine. Chief Newton said car owners will also be forced to remove so- caUed “gutted” mufflers. Clinton Sercy Is Moore’s 9tli Road Fatality of Year Roger Clinton Sercy, 36-year- old farmer of Route 1, Carthage, became Moore County’s ninth highway fatality of the year when he died in Moore County Hospital Wednesday afternoon of injuries sustained whn his truck turned over Tuesday. The last death was that of a three-year-old boy, Bobby Has kins Coe, on April 4, when he darted in front of a truck on a highway near Carthage and was killed instantly. Sercy, who was to ha\«e been in Superior Court Tuesday on charges of violation of the pro hibition laws and a second of fense of driving drunk, ran his car off the Union Church Road near Union Church. The car side- swiped q bridge and turned over S|everal times before landing up right about 500 feet away. Sercy was thrown clear of the wreckage. According to State Highway Patrolman E. G. Shomaker, who investigated the accident, Sercy was probably driving at a high speed. He said that Willie Pack, (Continued on Page 8) Gas Agreement Sij^ned With Engineering Firm COUNCIL TO MEET Regular monthly meeting of the Southern Pines town council will be held at town hall at 8 p. m., Tuesday, May 8. Council is expected to discuss, among other business, appointment of an ar chitect for the new municipal center to be built with bond issue funds. ■ Survey To Be Made of Local Requirements In a special meeting Wednesday, the town council authorized City Manager Tom E. Cunningham to enter into an agreement with Por ter Barry and Associates, of Ba ton Rouge, La., natural gas engi neering specialists, in anticipation of possible future natural gas ser vice to this area. Under the proposed agreement, the Porter Barry firm will make an engineering report on construc tion of a natural gas distribution system in Southern Pines—at no cost to the town. This will pro vide information that must be presented to the Federal Power Commission and the North Caro lina Utilities Commission. Under such an agreement, if a municipality does not build a gas distribution system, the report will cost it nothing. If a town does build a system, however, the agreement gives Porter Parry an engineering contract at a standard fee of six per cent of the cost. Cooperating With Aberdeen Councilmen and Mr. Cunning ham conferred last night with members of the Aberdeen board of commissioners who signed a similar agreement with Porter Barry. Efforts are being made, said the manager, to coordinate planning for natural gas distribu tion in Southern Pines and Aber deen. Other Eastern North Carolina towns that have signed agree ments with the Louisiana engi neering firm, said Mr. Cunning ham, include Albemarle, Dunn, Farmville, Laurinburg, Lumber- ton, Raeford, Roseboro and Wil son. Companies Competing The North Carolina Natural Gas Corporation has obtained a cer tificate from the State Utilities Commission authorizing it to serve approximately 25 commun ities in the eastern half of the state, including Southern Pines and Aberdeen. A competitor company, Trans- Carolina Pipe Line Corporation, has applied to the Federal Power Commission, for authority to serve the same towns and a group of towns in South Carolina. Since it organized itself as an interstate operator, Trans-Carolina does not need a State Utilities Commission certificate, and North, Carolina Natural does not need an FPC cer tificate. (Continued on page 8) AIR MAIL ENDS With discontinuance of seasonal service by Piedmont Airlines at the Southern Pines-Pinehurst (Knollvrood) airport Monday, direct air mail service in and out of Southern Pines has ceased until fall, it was pointed out this week by Postmaster Garland Pierce. Plans For Howard Johnson Strficture Received Locally Plans for the motor lodge por tion of the Howard Johnson pro ject on No. 1 highway, between Southern Pines and Aberdeen, were delivered here this week by Rufus Nims.of Miami, Fla., archi tect for Howard Johnson develop ments. Voit Gilmore, an officer in each ■of the three corporations that have been formed in connection with the motor lodge and restau rant project, said that bids will be taken as soon as possible with the expectation that work may get started in June. The half-million dollar project was announced in January. Offi cers" of the corporations are Mr. Gilmore, Charles P. Cole and A. L. Folley. Orie corporation will own the property and buildings, one will operate the restaurant and one will operate the motor lodge. The site, opposite the Starview Drive-in Theatre on the west side of the highway at the former sand pit location, was purchased from the Esso Standard Oil Co. Esso is expected to construct a service station adjacent to the Howard Johnson facilities. Fishing Access Area Now Open PINE N^DLES SENIORS WINNER—Benja- Kraffert, Jr., of Southern Pines, beams as he is presented the Pine Needles Seniors Invita tional Tournament championship trophy by Warren and Peggy Kirk BeU, owners and oper ators of Pine Needles Country Club. Kraffert, who also won the Norfh-South Seniors earlier this year, won the tournament, which will be held annually in the future, by nine strokes over his nearest competitor. See story, page 11. (Photo by Humphrey) District Meeting Of Rotarians To Be Here May II Incoming presidents, secre taries, treasurers and directors of 33 Rotary clubs in the 281st dis trict of Rotary International are expected in Southern Pines for an all-day meeting Friday of next week. May 11. With the Southern Pines Ro tary Club as host, the gathering will feature a morning workshop- lecture session, a luncheon and a golf tournament in the afternoon. Garland Pierce of the local club is chairman of a committee on arrangements. Chief purpose of the meeting will be to give instruction to the incoming officers from over the district. Registration will take place at Weaver Auditorium, where the morning session will be held, with E. W. Freeze, Jr., of, Randleman conducting the workshop-lecture. The address of welcome will be given by J. B. Perkinson, presi dent^ of the Southern Pines club. Presiding will be Arnold Schiff- man of Greensboro, district gov ernor. The incoming district gov ernor, who is expected to attend, is Dr. Mark Lindsey of Hamlet. All delegates will have lunch eon at the Southern Pines Coun try Club at 12:15, the place and hour of the regular meeting of the local club. Principal speaker at that time will be Dr. Clyde Milner of Giiilford College. The 281st district includes Ro tary Clubs from' Southern Pines westward to the foot of the mountains. A boat ramp and parking lot, at the Deep River fishing access* area was opened to the public yesterday. Constructed by the State Wild life Resources Commission at a cost of $2,500, the facility is lo cated about 400 yards upstream, from Carbonton, on the Moore County side of the river. There is no charge for the use of the ramp and parking lot which were built by the State as a service to fishermen. EARL SEA WELL New Policeman Goes On Duty , Earl Seawell, a vetefan of both World War 2 and the Korean ac tion, has joined the Southern Pines police force, effective May 1. The new officer, a native of Rockingham, replaces Leslie Horne, who resigned recently to accept a similar position in Wake Forest. Seawell saw action in the South Pacific during World War 2 when he was in the Army. When the Korean conflict broke out, he reenlisted in the Navy. He is presently living in Aber deen with his wife and daughter, where he has been assistant man ager of the Western Auto store, but plans to move to Southern Pines as soon as he can obtain a house.

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