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Your Safeacriptlaa
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tueslay, May 31, 1938.
VOLUME XLI?NUMBER 43
ESTABLISHED 1899
Mrs. Sadie Peel Is
Hurt In Auto Wreck
Near Robersonville
Suffers a Broken Rib and|
Ankle Bones Early
Monday Evening
Mrs. Sadie Peel, former cleric of
the Martin County Superior Court,
was painfully but not seriously hurt
and Mrs. Sadie Davis, of Jamesville,
was slightly bruised when their car
was struck by another driven by
Q. R. Bateman a short distance out
of Hoberaonvllle on U. S. Highway
No. 84 early last evening. Mrs. Peel,
suffering a broken rib and frac
tures of two ankle bones, was re
ported in right much pain today,
but her condition was said to be im
proving. Mrs Davis, riding with
Mrs. Peel, was only slightly bruised.
Bateman escaped uninjured.
Driving toward Everetts from
Robersonville, Mrs. Peel saw the
Bateman car swerving from one side
of the road to the other and she
brought her car to a stop on the
right side of the road. Bateman ran
off the road on his left and as he
turned back his car went into a
head-on collision with the Peel ma
chine. Both cars were wrecked be
yond repair, according to reports
reaching here, and the occupants
were fortunate to escape with their
lives, eye witnesses to the crash said.
Bateman, an Elizabeth City man,
was said to have been driving rap
idly, reports maintaining that he
passed two or three cars that were
traveling between 45 and SO miles
an hour just before he crashed into
Mrs. Peel's car.
Mrs. Peel was removed to her
home on Haughton Street here
where she is now confined to her
bed.
Bateman, about 43 years old, was
arrested and placed in jail for al
leged drunken driving. At popn to
lay he had not raised bond, but his
release is expected momentarily.
His case will likely be-stated forj
Irial in the county court here next
Monday.
Sentenced To Prison
For Killing Officer
Pleading guilty to the murder of
IV. J. Jackson, Jr., Plymouth native
ind Federal Alcohol Tax Unit offi
cer, near South Mills on March 8,
Bernard Royals and Joe Thomas
Vest were sentenced to life impris
onment by Judge I. M. Meekins in
Federal court at Elizabeth City yes-j
erday.
The plea of murder in the second
legree was accepted by District At-,
tohney John Hail Manning. Royals
ind West, alleged rum runners, were
ndicted for first-degree murder by,
i grand jury.
Nearly 100 witnesses were called
jy the government in anticipation
)f a hard-fought case, but few were
beard when the district attorney ac
cepted the plea. Coroner S. R. Biggs
who handled Jackson's body, was
called as a witness from here, but he
was net questioned.
Only a few witnesses were heard,
ind Judge Meekins did most of the
juestioning. Royals' aged mother
took the stand, and told the court
that she had tried to direct her son
in the better ways of life.
Royals, 25, rested his hopes for
clemency on grounds that his mind
was deranged in a 22-foot fall
through the hatch of his ship. His
attorney citea tus mgnluge lu a 80
year old widow with 13 children in
lupport of the contention.
Royals, his face torn with anguish,
naif-rose as Judge I. ML Meekins
pronounced sentence, then sank back
in tears as his mother put her arms
aroifnd him and sought to comfort
him. West took the life sentence
with less show of emotion.
Jackson, who has worked for the
government in this county, was
kilkd,. when he and other officers
attempted to arrest Royals and West
who were transporting a large quan
tity of liquor on the nigrfl of March
eighth.
>
Continues Quite III In
A Washington Hospital]
Taken critically ill last Thursday!
following an operation for appendi
citis the Saturday before, George
Harrison, Jr., was said to be holding
his own in a Washington hospital
ai noon today. His condition, report
ed slightly worse early last night,
was reported unchanged at noon
today, releases from the hospital at
critical condition.
The young man was operated on
last-Friday afternoon after perito
nitis had set in. He was on the
operating table more than two
hours, but stood the ordeal very
^ " I :
Early Reports Point To No
Material Change in Listings
Early reports coming (ram Croat
Roads and Goose Nest Townships
indicate there will be no material
change in county tax values this!
year. One of the two townships sub
mitting their tax books complete
shows an increase of slightly more
than $7,000 over and above the loss
incurred when the State law remov
ed from the county lists solvent
credits. The other township reports
a decrease of about $8,000,leavtng
the county a net gain of about $1,000
over and above the reduction caus
ed by the removal of solvent credit
items from the county tax books in
the two districts.
Last yeay. Cross Roads listed to
tal values in the sum of $577,048
compared with $584,118 this year,
the resulting gain being $7,070. If
the law had not shifted solvent cred
i from the county to the State and
those credits had remained about
the same. Cross Roads would have
shown an increase of nearly $17,
900 tn Its vales over those of 1937:
The report released by List-taker
G. G. Bailey places the value of per
sonal property at 3139,694 and real
property at $444,424.
Goose Nest lists a total of $1,238,
194 this year as compared with a
total of $1,244,149 a year ago, a de
crease of $9,991. Solvent credits list
ed in that township last year total
ed $19,609, and when this item is
taken into consideration, it is seen
that the district actually showed a
gain of nearly $13,000 in its tax
\ alues this year over those of a year
BftO.
Other tax books are due in next
Monday.
Committee Announces
Faculty Appointments
87 TOMORROW
Mrs. Fannie S. Biggs. Williams
ton's oldest resident, celebrates her
eighty-seventh birth anniversary to
morrow. She plans a quiet day at
her home on Biggs Street here.
Mrs. Biggs was born at Astoria
Place, three miles from Columbia,
Tyrrell County, the daughter of Jo
seph and Carolina Spruill Alexan
der. Her parents died at an early
age, and she was reared in Wil
liamston by her sister, the late Mrs.
Dennis Simmons and Mr. Simmons.
She was married in her nineteenth
year to John Dawson Biggs, of Wil
liamston, and there were five chil
dren: the late Dennis Simmons Biggs
and Patlie Biggs Crawford; John
Dawson Biggs, now of High Point;
Mrs. Carrie Biggs Morrison, of Vir
ginia Beach, and Harry Alexander
Biggs, of Williamston. Mrs. Biggs
has only one grandchild, Mrs. Fran
ce* Biggs Williams Herriott, of Wil
liamston.
Stores Observing
Cotton Week Here
Quite a few local stores? Ann's
Variety Store, Israel's, Darden's De
partment Store, Barn hill Brothers,
Harrison Brothers, Belk-Tyler and
Margolis Brothers? are observing
National Cotton Week which runs
through Saturday of this week.
Tliese stores, believing that an in.
creased sale of cotton goods will
boost the price of the staple and
give the farmer a greater return,
are offering special bargains all
this week.
fhe entire nation is observing
cotton week, and it is certain that
hundreds of thousands of extra bale
of the staple will be moved Depen
dent upon the degrqp of success cot-1
ton week attains, mills can start,
operating again shortly, giving add
ed employment and boosting the
economic situation to a great ex
tent. Anticipate your needs today,
and supply your needs in cotton
goods at the stores mentioned.
"Think cotton, talk cotton, and buy
cotton," is the slogan throughout
thia entire nation this week. Do
your part.
Series oi Chicken Thefts
Reported in the County
The chicken-stealing wave that
struck this section several wee
ago continues unabated but on a
smaller scale in this county. Two
minor thefts were reported over the
week-end when two coop* were lo
cated in and sear Williamston. Sev
eral arrests have bean made, but the
chicken thefts continue.
A man, arrested in a nearly coun
ty yesterday, was alleged to have
stolen chickens valued at fMO.
Local High School
To Have An Extra
Teacher Next Term
Committee to Name Teach
er for Home Economics
Department
The Williamston school hoard in
lession last week-end discussed
plans for the coming school term
and appointed teachers to all facul
ty vacancies except home econom
ics. Plans were made to enlarge the
( iniiculum by offering-Latin, and
a is advanced course in English and
Chemistry. The additional subjects,
together with the offering in the
commercial department will give
-tudents unable to go to college an
opportunity for further study in the
local high school. The additional of
fering of subjects is made possible
by an increase in average daily at
tendance during the past term which
earned another teacher for the high
school department.
New faculty appointments are as
follows:
Mathematics, Edward Stirewalt,
High Point, N. C. Mr Stirewalt, a
graduate of High Point College, has
had eight years experience in band
and orchestra work and will direct
music activities including the glee
club.
English and Latin, Lillian Ald
rtdge. Ta Grange, N. C. Miss Ald
ridge, a Meredith graduate, has sev
en years teaching experience in the
La Grange schools.
Social Sciences, Frank Neely, Hen
dersonville, N. C. Mr. Neely is a
graduate of the state university, had
his teacher training in Chapel Hill
high school, and is recommended as
an outstanding teacher by univer
sity authorities.
Building principal and teacher at
the grammar school, Lewis H. En
loe, Cullowhee, N. C: Mr. Enloe, a
graduate of Western Carolina Teach
ers College, a grammar grade teach
er and an able musician, is highly
recommended by John S. Seymour,
former principal of the Williams
ton schools under whose supervision
Mr. Enloe worked.
Appointment to the home econom
ics vacancy created by the resigna
tion of Miss Josephine Grant will be
made within a few days.
The school board upon the motion
of Ray Goodmon unanimously
adpted a resolution endorsing a nine
months' school term for the Wil
liamston district and will make
plans with our representative in the
next General Assembly for the pas
sage of legislation necessary for an
expression of the will of the people
on the issue during 1939
Present for the meeting were R.
L. Coburn, chairman; C. B. Clark,
secretary and Ray Goodmon, mem
ber.
H^if-Holiday Schedule
In Effect Tomorrow
Agreeing last Friday to close tin
stores each Wednesday at 1 p m., 1
cal business operators will obser
the first half holiday on the schc
ule tomorrow. The schedule sppli
to all county and town offices, a
the business activities will be lit
ited to those ordinarily canted
each Sunday.
Patrons are urged to cooperate
the ha If -holiday schedule, the n*
chants and especially the clerks i
suring them that everything done
make the plan successful will
greatly appreciated.
| Reports Maintain
Irish Potato Crop
Damaged by Rains
| Prices Drop to New Low
Level of $2.25 ?
Barrel
Interrupting digging operation*
during the past several days, heavy
rains are said to have damaged the
Irish potato crop in a few sections,
unofficial reports reaching here
stating that the potatoes are begin
ning to rot. Whether the conditions
would limit the harvest in this sec
tion, the reports did not disclose,
but it is likely that at least a por
tion of the crop would be kept off
the market.
Harvesting activities, while car
ried on despite heavy rains in some
sections, were halted by the heavy
rains. A return to the task is getting
underway in this community this
afternoon, a few farmers stating |
that they thought they would be
able to dig a few potatoes on high
land st>ots.
Potato movements getting under
way last week on a fairly large
scale were interrupted, and fewt
carloads were enroute from this1
area to the northern markets yes- J
terday and today. Unofficial reports
from the Aurora section, center of
the potato belt in this section of the
j State, indicated slowed harvesting
1 in flie fare of nine days of rain, ex-,
perts pointing out that the interrup-|
! tion in harvesting had propped the(
| market that might otherwise have
been flooded by heavy shipments. '
Despite the interruption in har
vesting activities, prices were unof
ficially reported to have sagged to
$2.25 a barrel this morning. The
northern markets were closed yes
terday, Memorial Day, and no price
quotations were available, but the
few sales in the field .were made at
$2 25 a barrel, indirect reports stat
ed. - - j? . . -
Digging operations were being re
newed on a fairly large scale in the
Vandemere section this morning.
and~large shipments are expected to
move out of there during the t;e
mainder of this week, if additional
' rains do not halt the harvesting ac
' tivities again.
No definite reports have been re
leased on the control marketing
plan but farmers are said not to be
interested in bagging or placing in
barrels the inferior grades on the
pres'ent market.
Forest Fire Wardens
Are 'Cracking Down
?
An increasing number of arrests
by forest fire wardens is being re
ported, indicating that wardens are
determined to prevent as many fires
as possible by prosecuting those re
sponsible for them, according to As
sistant State Forester W. C. McCor
mick, in charge of forest fire pre
vention for the Department of Con
servation and Development
From March 1 through April 14,
forest fire wardens made 131 ar
rests and secured 122 convictions?
| approximately 93 per cent of the ar
rests. In addition, $1,195.27 was col
lected in fines, costs and lire sup
pression costs. One fine of $120 was
imposed upon the operator of a
moonshine whiskey still whose 'still'
fire got away from him and caused
a forest fire.
Increased enforcement activity by
forest fire wardens is helping great
ly in educating the public to be
more careful in the prevention of
fuiesi flies anil is also ieducing the'
number of fires, McCormick said.
Owners of extensive timber hold
ings, also sawmill operators, agree
that the cooperative protection of
forest areas by the forestry division
of the Department of Conservation
and Development, the U. S. Forest
Service and the counties has greatly
improved the .outlook for more and
better timber In North.Carolina, ac
cording to Assistant State Forester
F. H. Claridge and W. K. Beichler.
[ VOTING HOURS
The approximately 6,900 eligi
ble voters in Martin County will
havs exactly twelve hours in
which to cast their ballots for
the csndldatee of their choice
next Saturday, the polls open
ing in the twelve precincts at
- 7:00 o'clock a. m and closing at
7.-99 p. m. en the dot.
This is the first time that the
polls will bo apansd at 7 a. as.
and close 1$ boors later far a
primary election la this county.
were spaaed at sua rise and clos
ed at sunset. The 1117 law
changed the voting hours far
the primary, but the hours far
the general
Martin County Voters Have Only
15 Candidates To Ballot on for
State and County Offices June 4
Are You Good at Guessing?
Another primary election is at hand and there is much doubt as
to the sire of the vote that will be cast on Saturday. The Enterprise
is calling on its subscribers for help, and is offering free a one year's
subscription to the person guessing nearest the actual vote cast.
Guesses must be in by six o'clock Thursday evening of Hil? week.
As an aid to those taking part in the contest. The Enterprise lists
by precincts the new registration, the total registration, the vote cast
in the June 6. 1936. primary, and leaves spare for your guesses as
follows:
Precinct New Reg. Tot. Keg. 1936 Vote Your Guess
lamesville
tVUliaau
Griffins
Hear Grass
Williamson
Kobersonvllle
Gold Point
Poplar Point
llassell
Hamilton
Goose Nest
34
731
363
10
291
108
34
551
243
17
458
238
90
1574
814
3
333
224
12
1121
426
*10
132
90
6
189
132
13
230
109
20
348
153
23
538
232
272
6521
3132
Totals
As an additional aid, the total number of votes cast in other pri
maries are given as follows: 3.524 votes cast in July 4, 1936, primary;
4,474 votes cast In the November, 1936, general election. The regis
tration just recently held was 180 less than it was two years ago.
Mrs. R. L Whitfield,
Local Resident, Dies
01 Blood Poisoning
f P
Funeral Services Conducted
in Greenville Lasr
Saturday
Mrs. K. L. Whitfield, a resident of)
Williamson 'or Jhe past nine
months, died in a Washington hos
pital last Friday afternoon as a re
sult of blood poisoning with which
she had suffered only a few days
Apparently in good health the early
part of last week, Mrs. Whitfield is
(aid to have suffered a small scratch
>n her face and an infection start
ed a shprt time later. She was re
moved to the hospital about the
middle of the week, doctors holding
little hope for her recovery at that
imc. She was said to have suffered
nuch during the two days before
The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F
> Taylor, Mrs. Whitfield was born
n Greenville 29 years ago. She
nade her home there .until about
nine months ago when she moved
'ere with her family and lived in
in apartment in the Cowen home on
Vest Main Street Later they moved
o a new home on North Haughton
Street. After supervising the con
itruction of the VanDyke Furniture
Company building here her husband
iccepted employment with the Wil
iamston Supply Company.
Mrs. Whitfield was a member of
Parkers Chapel Free Will Baptist
ihurch, near Greenville, and had
nade many friends during her resi
lence here. Besides her husband and
larents she leaves a stepson, Robrt
"?ewis, Jr.. and a stepdaughter. Clara
Ulae, three Slmeis, Mis. Willie Uiax- -
;on "id Misses Dorothy and Jane
Taylor, and three brothers, Roy C '
Jasper and Rufus Taylor, all of
Pitt County.
Funeral services were Conducted
it the home of her parents in Green
'ille at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon
>y Rev. J. C. Spivey. Interment was
n Greenwood cemetery.
*
Peanut Farmers Gel
$1,608,000 Last Year
*?
North Carolina peanut growers
received approximately 81,608,000
Tor 49,861,000 pounds of nuts grad
ed by inspectors of the State De
partment of Agriculture this sea
?OB. "
A B. Harless, department's super
vising inspector, commending Tar
Heel farmers on the quality nuts
produced, reported that 44,000,000
?f the 49,000,000 pounds Inspected
were graded "A".
Ed en ton, Windsor, Plymouth?Au'
lander, Ahoskie, Colerain, Jackson,
Seaboard, Weldon, hoanoke Rapids,
Tarboro, Whitakers, Rocky Mount!
Greenville, Robersonville, Everetts
Williamston and Wilmington,
LOCATES HERE
Miss Myrtle Daniel, daughter
of Mr*. Hattle Daniel, of Grif
fins Township, and the late Jas.
Daniel, has accepted a position
with Drs. J. H. Saunders and V.
E. Brown in their offices here
on Smithwick Street.
Miss Daniel was graduated
Irom the Tayloe Hospital Nurs
ing school about a year ago, and
until coming here recently she
was supervisor in the Washing
ton institution.
Predicting Heavy
Vote In Districts
The second judicial and senator
ial districts are expected to cast a
fairly heavy vote on Saturday of
thug week, some estimates indicat
ing that as many as 27,000 ballots
wili be boxed in the race for super
ior court judge and around 15,000
for state senator from this district.
These estimates are recognized as
being on the high side when the
size of the vote for governor in
1936 is considered. In the contest for
governor, July 4, 1936, the counties
in the second judicial district poll
ed around 25,400 votes as follows by
counties: Nash. 7,500. Wilson, 7,000;
Edgecombe, 5,400; Martin, 3,500; and
Washington, 2,000. The senatorial
district polled around 14,820 votes,
by counties, as follows: Beaufort,
4,600; Dare. 1,^50; Hyde, 1,250; Mar
tin, 3,500; Pamlico, 1,470; Tyrrell,
600; Washington, 2,000.
Some heated contests overlap tht
two districts and they are expected
to affect the size of the vote in some
counties, but in others, the vote will
be considerably under that cast ir
the July 4, 1936 primary, it is be
lieved.
'Majority of Contests
For County Officers;
Look For Small Vote
No One Contest Holds Spot
light in Current '
Primary
e
Thirteen candidates ? four for
State, five for district and six for
I county offices?will face the politi
cal firing squad in this county on
Saturday of this week from seven
o'clock a. m. to 7 o'clock p. m. But
unlike many previous elections,
nearly everybody is for somebody,
the old custom of voting "against"
somebody being marked by its ab
sence this year. Some maintain there
w ill be a large vote cast in the coun
ty on Saturday, but they admit that
weather conditions will enter in as
a factor determining the size of the
vote total. Others believe that with
hatred generally .out of the cam
paign. the vote will fall below nor
mal.
It is apparent that nearly every
one of the seven contests is stand
ing an its own feet with possibly the
strictly county ones holding an edge
in vote-attracting power and the
contest for superior court judge oc
cupying a close second.
If the size of the recent registra
tion can be used as a basis for esti
mating the size of the vote, it is ap
parent that the southern part of the
county will show more interest in
all the contests than the northern
part Jamesville and Griffins are
the only two precincts to report a
registration greater than two years
ago. Williaitis, registering ten, held
its own. Bear Grass registered 17
against 35 two years ago. Williams
ton dropped from 150 to 90. Cross
Roads reported three this year as
against 30 two years ago. Roberson
vtlle, with 12 new names, reported
only one-fourth as many as it did in
1936. Gold Point showed a decrease
of only two, but the registration of
10 is considered small. Poplar Point
dropped from 13 to 6. Hassell re- -
ported 13 against 24. Hamilton 20
against 42 and Goose Nest 23 against
37, the total for this year being 180
under the registration figures of two
years ago
While Prank Hancock is certain
to poll quite a few votes in the coun
ty" Reynolds, recent reports indi
cate, continues to nolo his own In
the race for the United States Sen
ate. Paul Grady, candidate for utili
ties commissioner, is said to be gain
ing ground, reports indicating that
nearly all the other contests are
running nip-and-tuck just now.
The line-up for consideration by
the Voters on Saturday is, as fol
lows, the names being taken in or
der from sample ballots at hand:
For United States Senator: Robert
R. Reynolds and Prank Hancock.
For Utilities Commissioner: Stan
ley Winborne and Paul Grady.
For Judge Superior Court, Sec
ond Judicial District: Itimous T.
Valentine and Walter J. Bone.
For State Senator, Second Sena
torial District: William B. Rodman,
Mrs. J. J. Purdy and D. B. Fe
For Member State House of
ri'iii i itotives:?Clarence?Yf~.?Qliffiu
and Hugh G. Horton.
For Judge Martin County Record
er's Court Herbert O Peel and Hen
ry D. Hardison
For Solicitor Martin County Re
corder's Courtr W H. Coburn and
Don Elphonsa Johnson.
Experiencing no opposition, the
following have been declared the
party nominees, and their names
will not appear on the ballot: L. B
Wynne, clerk of court; C. B. Roe
buck, sheriff; C. A. Harrison, treas
urer; S. Rome Biggs, coroner; John
E. Pope, R. L. Perry, C. C. Fleming,
R. A. Haislip, and C. A. Roberaon,
county commissioners; H. C. Nor
man, member board of education; J.
P. Holliday, Jame/^ille Township
constable.
?
Dancing School Presents
"Land Of Rhythm" Han
The Hardison School of Dancing
will present the "Land of Rhythm"
in the high school auditorium on
Thursday and Friday evenings of
this week at eight o'clock.
The school with XI pupils snrallad
in its classes is bringing the term to
a successful close under the diree
I tton of Mines Mary Davis and Ca
therine Hardison. The exercises are
being sponsored by the local Junior
Woman's club.