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VOLUME XLI?NUMBER 50 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, June 24, 1938. ESTABLISHED 1899
No Irregularities
Are Pointed Out In
Grand Jury Report
Court Adjourned Monday
Before Report Was
Completed
Judge Hunt Parker, in his charge!
to the Martin County grand jury on
Monday of this week, offered point
ed instructions for investigating
guardians' accounts and checking
automobile wrecks. Members of the
grand jury, believing the assign
ment carried a great deal of work,
thought they were in for a long ses
sion. Completing their routine duties
early Monday afternoon, they were
making preparations to start their
investigations when they learned
the court was folding its tent for
the term and there would be no
guiding hand ty direct them. Ar
rangements were finally made to
have the jury continue in session
Tuesday, and its findings were to
be mailed to the presiding judge and
others filed in the court records.
Two cases, charging reckless driv
ing, remained onvthe docket not
prosecuted, but no mention of that
was made in the grand jury report.
Judge Parker instructed the jury
to investigate such cases and see
that the defendants were prosecut
ed.
No irregularities were found in
guardians' accounts according to the
report filed Tuesday by the grand
jury. However, certain recommen
dations were made as found in the
report which follows:
"All bills have been disposed of
that came into our hands.
"We find that all Justices of Peace
have filed their reports, and all
fines have been paid to the county,
except J. T.?Wildman is due the
county treasurer $1.00 and Pleny
Peel and H. M. Burras failed to file
their report.
"We. Inspected the officwof the
county treasurer, register of deeds,
sheriff and found all records filed
in good order and general conditions
very good.
"We inspected the county home
and found same to be in a very good
condition, and inmates well cared
for. We also inspected the county
jail and it was found in good condi
tion.
"We have inspected the court
house and find same in good condi
tion.
"We inspected all guardian ac
counts and bonds and found them
in regular order except the follow
ing which we list and offer the fol
lowing recommendations: Bonds to
be renewed for Mrs. Bennie O. Mar
tin, Ralph O. Purvis, 2 bonds, J. C.
Gurkin and B. F. Perry; bond not
perfected V. G. Taylor and a new
guardian be appointed for Irvin
Bennett."
Gold Point Church
Holds Bible School
Beginning next Monday morning
at nine o'clock, the leaders of the
Presbyterian church ' in Martin
County will extend their services to
the boys and girls of the Gold Point
school and community.
The school will be in session each
morning at nine a. m. and continue
through 11:30. The school will be
divided into classes according to
ages and a number of teachers from
Bear Grass, Williamston, and Pop
lar Point will go out each morning
to conduct the school.
A varied program of worship,
story-telling, dramatics, play, mu
sic, bible study, handwork and oth
er activities enjoyed by children will
be presented each day.
This is an invitation to all the par
ents of the Gold Point community
to send their children to the school.
It is being held for the training of
the children and to raise the moral
standard of the community and the
county.
Memorial Organ
Recital Sunday
Ben E. Manning, local young man,
assisted by Mrs. J. H. Smith, so
prana, and Charles Leonard, violin
-.;i
iat, will appear in recital in the lo
cal Baptist church Sunday evening
at fl u'clocfc in memory of Mrs. Let
tie Biggs.
The announced program:
Nearer My God to Thee, Himmel
reich; Finale from First Sonata, A.
Guilmant; The Evening Star from
Tannhauaar, R. Wagner; Third
Choral, C. Franck.
Vocal solo, Mrs. J. H. Smith; How
Beautiful upon the Mountains, F.
Harker.
. Violin solo, Charles Leonard. The
Holy City, Adams and Henley; Med
itation from Thais, J. Massenet; Var
iations De Concert. J. Bonnett.
Jury of Fifteen Members Tries
Case in Martin Superior Court
For the first time as far as it is
known, fifteen men served on the
petit jury in the Martin County
Superior Court this week, the three
extras functioning unobserved by
the court. There was little doubt
about the guilt of the defendants
when the jury of fifteen good and
true men argued the evidence and
unanimously ruled Tim Council,
Jake 'Purvis, Pal Harris and War
ren Worsley guilty o^ robbery.
Three young men, sworn in for
jury service for the first time, were
not called upon when the robbery
case was called Monday afternoon.
They were holding seats adjoining
the jury box, however, and all dur
lng tne trial the three men, two
from Robersonvile and one from
Williamston. listened attentively to;
the evidence and strained their
heads forward to catch every word
of Judge R. Hunt Parker's charge.
When the jury of twelve men was
directed to repair to the jury room,
the three extras filed in with them,
their presence receiving no atten
tion from the court or from mem
bers of the regular group. The ex
tras are said to have participated in
the argument and voted along with
the other twelve men.
The verdict agreed upon, the fif-'
teen men returned to open court,
spectators being startled as the ov
erflow crowd filed from the little
loom. The verdict was entered in
the records and the defendants were
booked for service in road camps.
Asked ll tne is-man jury system
was legal, court officials admitted
they did not know.
TO GIVE RECITAL I
-a
Ben E. Manning, son of Mr.
and Mr*. John A. Manning, will
appear in an "organ recital
the local Baptist church Sunday
evening at eight o'clock.
Local Boy Scouts
Will Begin Work to
Win Merit Badg es
First Aid to Animals and
Animal Industry Sub
jects to Be Taught
Wheeler Martin, chairman of Mar
tin District Boy Scouts, announces
the first of a series of merit badge
subjects. These instructions, to be
in first aid to animals and animal
industry subjects, will start at two
o'clock p. m., Thursday, June 30th.
Local scouts will receive this in-1
struction in the office of Dr. A. J
Osteen, local veterinarian.
Paul Robcrson, chairman of ad
vancement for the Martin district
will arrange a court of honor session
to advance scouts successfully pass
ing these subjects following the
training.
Safety First and First Aid Merit
badge subjects will be taught in an
other class following the completion
of these two courses, by Patrolman
Bill Hunt. Then comes a class for
the scouts for the Firemanship mer
it badge by Assistant Scoutmaster
J. B. Hopkins.
These classes have been arrang
ed in keeping with the decision re
cently made by members of the
Martin district for a "Vacation Pro
gram" for scouts.
Williamston and Robersonville
scouts received advancement at
Camp Charles. Six boys are at pres
ent at the camp receiving instruc
tion in Seoutcraf? -
On Thursday afternoon the June
session of the Scouters Meeting was
held in the office of the chairman
to further promote the "Vacation
Program". The scout executive, J.
J. Sigwald, was present at this meet
ing and commented favorably on
the fine work of the Martin scouts.
Troop 72 of Robersonville re-reg
istered this week for another year's
work and in July Troop 27 of Wil
liamston will renew its charter.
The scout executive, who serves
as camp director, advises parents of
local scouts to send their boys to
Camp Charles for at least a week
at the new session which opens next
Sunday at four o'clock.
Heavy Rainfall Sends
Roanoke Out Of Banks
Heavy rainfall in the Roanoke ba
sin during recent days is sending the
river" out of its banks at this point,
Hugh Spruill, bridge keeper, re
ported this morning. A second rise
at Weldon is expected to delay a
fall for several days at this point.
Whitehurst Issues
Statement Denying
Any Wrongful Acts
Retires from Public Life
And Asks Peace and
Rest as Citizen
Ousted by a one-man court, and
resigning the nbmination to succeed
himself?as sheriff?of Pitt County,
Sheriff Sam Whitehurst, former
Martin County resident and posses
sor of hundreds of friends in this
county, issued' the following to the
people of Pitt County as he return
ed to private life a.few days ago:
"In fairness to myself and friends
I want to make the following state
ments regarding the consent judg
ment which has been imposed in
the long-drawn-out ouster proceed
ings to remove me from office as
Sheriff of Pitt County.
"In the first place, I want every
one to know that I do not admit any
wilfully wrong act in either my pub
lic or private life. During the years
that I have been sheriff, I have
steadily .fought for high standards
of life and efficiency in my duties.
Such fault as (here may be is the
result of a faulty system, and I have
at no time, even on the witness
stand, attempted to becloud any is
sue. I have at all times said that if
there was any actual shortage in my
office that I .was ready and willing
to pay it. I did refuse to assume re-'
sponsibility for bills of court costs.
No fair person with average intel-'
ligence would say that this respon
sibility was mine.
"I agreed to the consent judgment
for the simple reason that I could
not longer cope with the treasury
of Pitt County and because I had
spent the last dollar I had to spend
without throwing my wife and chil
dren into the streets and upon the
mercy of the world It had been
made clear to me that the court in
tended taxing me with the costs of
the case. It had also been made
clear that the court intended in
voking Article Six of the State Con
stitution to the end that I would be
declared disqualified for further of
fice-holding. To have appealed to
the Supreme Court would have
meant spending the last dollar I had
or my wife had. I had to think of
my duties as a husband to a good
and loyal wife, and of further duties
as a father to a family of five chil
dren. The salary of sheriff for eight
years to come would not have paid
the expense to which I would have
been put. I am not a man of lareg
financial means. I never have been.
"I have had no jury trial before
I my fellow man. I have been reduced
j to this end by a court of one man. I
j have been persecuted more than
prosecuted. The one and only end
ever sought?that of getting me out
of office?has been accomplished. It
has been accomplished at a cost of
thousands of dollars of Pitt County's
1 money. The people of Pitt County
will forever judge between me and
my accusers. They will forever
judge the type of men who produced
-and?the?type who gave evidence
that I had criminally taken bribes.
They will forever judge the motives
that caused the petitioners to spend
thousands in the claim that they
wanted to clean up my office.
'The petitioners will never recov
er even the tenth part of what they
have spent, ami H la upen knuwledge
that 1 stood ready and willing to
{ abide by any fair, impartial audit,
and to make restitution if anything
was due the county. I have laid no
claim to being a perfect man. I have
maintained -end always shall main
tain that I have not knowingly vio
lated any duty or obligation of my
office.
"I have made the foregoing state
ments that my friends might know
that I have not lain down on them.
j|ow
(Continued on page six)
Employment Office
Here Sets A Record
For State Last Month
Report Shows There's Very
Little Unemployment
In This Area
, The Williamston unit of the State
Employment Service, makinti 133
job placements during the past
month, led the State for the month,
in third place in the group of IS of
fices of its size. Morganton, Roan
oke Rapids and Williamston' offices
were the front-ranking three in j
placement work in the group. The j
Edenton district, of which Williams-1
ton office is a part, led the entire
State in the month of May. Elizabeth
City led the State at large, making
a large number of farm lalwir plafn.
ments, for truck harvest work, as
well as regular private jobs in many j
occupations. '
Williamston serves the five coun-!
ties of Martin, Beaufort, Washing-]
ton, Tyrrell and Hyde. Manager C
W. Bazemore of the local office stat
| ed this' week that the jobs located
land filed by this office with appli
cants of these counties, included
many various occupations, and a
good proportion of the placements
were in employment of regular ori
Ipermanent duration Building con
struction, highway work, farm la
bor, clerical work, cafe and hotel
work, and/ domestic service, were
among the occupations offering em
ployment for applicants.
Over the State as a whole, May]
was the best month In placement ac
tivity since last October, 1937, In-j
dicating much employment service
activity and also reflecting upon in
creased employment opportunities,
as located by workers in the var
ious offices over the State North
Carolina's status as to unemptoy-j
menf is better than the country as
a whole, and much better than the
South Atlantic States in particular.
Reports released by the employ
merit reivice in this disdict for last
week maintain that with the excep
tion of a small group of white-col
| lar workers there is no unemploy
' ment problem here. The report con
tinues, "Furthermore, they are find
ing themselves hard-pressed to sup
ply local employers with all the
unskilled labor normally required."i
1 The work of the Williamston of
j fice, like others, consists inuinly in
registering applicants for work] lo- j
eating jobs and work opportunities
for them, gathering much data and
statistics over this area as to labor
conditions, occupations, work oppor
tunities, and thu nature and extent'
of unemployment, and in sharing
the duties of administering the Un
employment compensation., to work/
eis who have been covered by the
act, and who have been laid oft
Exposition Closes
Tomorrow Evening
-The Merchants exposition and in-!
door circus, recognized as* one of
the highest types of entertainments
planned here in a long number of
j years, comes to a close tomorrow
| night in the Planters Warehouse
| with an elaborate program for col-'
| >red patrons, the last night event
| being featured by the presence of
Zack Green and his colored orches
' tra.
Tonight's program will be featur
ed by the Queen's Ball, Paul Jones
and his orchestra to furnish the mu-i
sic. . |
The display of merchants' booths,
is the most elaborate ever seen here,
and the entertainment program,
featuring the Flying Howards, Lip
pincott, the LaRue Brothers and
fhe Crese troupe, has measured and
passed the expectations o! every
one. The Cress group has offered
one of the best acts ever seen here,!
numbers of people returning for the
performance as many as three times.
The management has offered ev
erything as promised, and as far as
the general program is concerned,
the exposition has been ""a marked
success.
Adverse weather conditions have
affected the attendance, but It la
thought that with a liberal patron
age tonight and tomorrow, the event
I will show a small profit for its spon
| sors, the WiUiamston Lions club.
Tobacco curine, getting; un
derway in this lection last week,
is now fairly general, many far
men harvesting their first
"pollings" well In advance of a
normal season la an effort to
save the leaves that have boon
damaged by excessive rains. Re
ports state that the quality of
the curings already completed
Is better than many first ex
pected, but that the weights
were possibly the lightest on
TOBACCO CURING J
Railroad Officials Push Proposal
To Discontinue Two Passenger
Trains on Plymouth Branch Line
Report Blue Mold in Tobacco
Fields in County This Week
Unofficial reports received here
this week maintain the damage done
to tobacco crops has been aggravat
ed by the presence of blue mold in
fields of Robersonville Township
Reports could nut He verified here
today, but a number of pedple stat
ed they saw where some disease had
attacked sizeable stalks of tobacco
and parched the leaves to a crisp.
"Flopped" tobacco has been re
ported by a large lu mber of farm
ers in this county during the past
few days, but the 1 eports coming
out of Rubers nvil'e this week were
the first to maintain that the crop
had hoc i . : ii( k"d by blue mold
Dar*a:.^to the crop by the blue mold
or aid to hav 1 been confined to a
lew stalks in a small number of
fields, was described as very similar
to that resulting from an attack by
the mold on young plants prior to
the transplanting season. The re-1
ported presence of the disease has
not been called to the attention of
the county farm agent's office by
the growers, it was learned.
Reports from the western part of
the State maintain that blue muld
has attacked plants in the fields
there, but the extent of the result
ing damage could not be definitely
determined.
As a result of excessive rains, cur
tailed tobacco production lias been
forecasted throughout the State,
some estimates maintaining that the
loss will run as much as 200 pounds
to the acre, on an average, with the
damage running far in excess of
that figure on light, sandy lands.
Wilson county, offering money fig
rrgs, estimated Wednesday that the
damage to its tobacco crop as a re
sult of excessive rains, will approx
imate $100,000.
Mrs. Montord Eagan
Dies At Her Home In
County Early Today
Funeral Services to Be Con
ducted at 4 o'clock Sun
day Afternoon
Mrs. Montford Fagan, highly re- j
spectecl county,citizen, died at her;
home near hardens this morning-ati
four o'clock following a lung period'
of declining health. She had suffer-'
ed with heart trouble for some time!
but her condition was considered as
well as usual until a few days ago!
when phlebitis developed and caus
ed death.
"^he daughter of the late J. C. and
Susan Clemmons Smith, Mrs. Fa
gan was born in this county about
72 years ago, living in the Gardens!
section all her life. She was before
her marriage in early womanhood!
to Mr. Fagan, Miss Inez Smith. A
gentle and understanding character
marked her life. She was a devot
ed follower of that faith, one who'
never tired in the service of the
church. Her Christian-like charac
ter offered a worthy example in
righteous living for others.
Besides her husband she leaves
the following sjjas and daughters,
Mr J. R. Fagan, of Hamlet; Mrs.
Mattie Martin, of Jacksonville, Fla.;
Mr. Harry Fagan, of Fort Myers,~
Mr. Bruce Fagan, of Columbia, S.
C ; Mrs. W. Elbert Gardner, of Suf
folk; Messrs. Julian and Dan Fagan,
both of Dardens, and Mrs. Mary Col
ey, of Washington, D. C. She is also
survived by .one sister, Mrs. Minnie
Smith of Plymouth, two brothers,
Messrs Joe Smith, of Norfolk and
Jacob Smith, of Dardens, and one
half-brother, Professor LeRoy Smith
of the University of North Carolina
faculty, Chapel Hill
Funeral services will be conduct
ed from the late home Sunday gf
lernoon at four o'clock by Rev. Clar
ence Bowen, Free Will Baptist min
ister. Interment will follow at Dar
dens.
Mrs. Roberson Dies
Near Robersonville
Mrs. Biggs Roberson, native ol
Bear Grass and a highly respected
county citizen, died at her home
near Rohersonville last Monday,
following a long period of declining
hnalth :
Miss Willie Rawls before her
marriage, she was the daughter of
the late Urar and Mary Peele Rawls.
She was born near Bear Grass 67
years ago, and lived there all her
life until last year she moved with
her sons to Robersonville Town
chip tn mutt hi.r hnmp Mr Rnher.
son died just a few years ago.
Mrs. Roberson was bald in high
esteem by all who knew her, and
she had many friends in her old
home community. She never joined
any church, but her religious he
liefs were with the Primitive Bap
tist church which she attended reg
ularly for many years.
Funeral services were conducted
Tuesday afternoon by Rev. J. M.
Perry, Robersonville minister, and
interment was in the family plot in
the Biggs cemetery, nCar here.
HEARING I
j
A public hearing on the ap
plication of the Atlantic Coast
Line Kallroad company to dis
continue Trains Nos. 36 and If,
operating between Plymouth
and Tarboro, will be held In the
office of the Utilities Commis
sioner in Kalelgh on Wednesday,
July 6, at 2:30 o'clock, 'Mayor
John I.. Hassell was Informed
here this morning.^
Delegations from nearly ev
ery town along the route served
by the trains are expected to
attend the hearing. Mayor Has
sell stating that several local
people were planning to be pres
ent.
Colored Man looses
Life at Jamesville
In Roanoke River
Body of Johnny Miller, 28,
Has Not Yet Been
Recovered
Johnny Miller, 28-year-old color
ed man. was drowned in the Roan
oke River at Jamesville yesterday,
unofficial reports maintaining that
there was no foul play but that no
plausible reason could be advanced
for the action that resulted in the
man's death.
Unable Trr swim, Miller was said
to have gone to a wharf just off
Jamesville's business section where
-a-g+?ut>-of-boys -were in swimming.
"I believe I'll jump in," Miller told
them. The group, knowing the man
could not swim, warned him the wa
ter was over his head and advised
him not to jump in. Miller, bisec
tions suggesting suicide, ignored the
warning and jumped into the treach
erous stream, reports stating that he
was not seen after he made the fa
tal plunge. A number of people
started dragging the stream for the
body, but late reports reaching here
stated that it had not been recover
ed.
The group of swimmers were
reasonably certain that Miller did
not strike a submerged log when he
jumped'from the wharf with his
clothes on, and they can't under
stand why he never appeared on the
surface of the water.
Reliable reports state that the
man was not drunk, that as far as
could be learned, he had not taken
a drink of intoxicating liquors that
day, making his action more myster
ious.
Princess Anne County, Va., about a
year ago. Since that time he has
worked with Jerry Johnspn and son
Godard, in the logwoods, but had
been unemployed recently
Construction work was started
this week on an addition to the Far
mers Warehouse here, the builderi
stating the house wilh be made
ready in ample time (or the opening
some time during the latter part of
August. No contract was let for the
construction of the addition, the
owners directing the work them
selves.
Begin Construction
Warehouse Addition
Trains 0|>erated At
$20,000 Loss In 19H7
On Line to Plymouth
Local People Take No Ac
tion For or Against
Curtailment
Traveling by automobile. Messrs.
O. H. Page, general superintendent
of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
| and C. M. Cobb, superintendent of
.the Norfolk division, met in the
! mayor's office here yesterday after
I noon with a number of merchants
and other business men to discuss
, the proposed discontinuance of pas
| blanch of the Atlantic Coast Line.
I Appealing for permission to re
jmove the trains, Mr Page reviewed
the railroad situation nationally,
I pointing out that more than one
I third of the railroads operating in
the southeastern section of the Unit
ed States were doing so under re
ceiverships. He asked the business
men to hear the evidence and be
governed by it. With this evidence he
showed that the Atlantic Coast Line
lost, over a perioti of three years,
$9,669,000. This period covered the
years of 1935, 1936 and 1937, and
Mr Page pointed out that the loss
would be even greater this year un
less their expenses were reduced.
After reviewing the condition of
the Coast Line from a state and na
tional ^standpoint, Mr. Page confin
ed the rest of his remarks to the
branch line running from Tarboro
to??Plymouth.?He showed?that?the?
total operating expenses of the pas
senger trains running from Plym
outh to Taibum amounted to
I 156 for the year 1937 The total
' icvenue from the passenger trains
for mail and passengers, for the
same period only amounted "to $9,
635.00. Mr. Page further pointed out
that after the other expenses were
added to the operating costs of the
two trains, the total cost would ap
proximate $35,000. In other figures,
Mr. Page said, the cost Of operating
trains No. 36 and No. 37 would av
erage $1.17 per mile and the reve
nue over a period of a year would
amount to only 25 cents per mile, a
resulting loss of 92 cents a mile.
When questioned relative to the
revenue received by the Coast Line
for hauling express, Mr Page could
not give any definite figures, stating ?
that he did not have access to the
records of the American Express
Company, but that he was certainly
sure the revenue received by the
railroad from this source would not
be as much as that paid by the rail
j ioad in taxes to the county,
j Mr. Page asked that the body of
I men go oh record favoring the dis
! continuance of the two drains but
no action was taken, the citizens
stating that & they desired to study
the situation further before asking
Stanley Winborne to authorize the
withdrawal of the trains. When ask
ed whether the withdrawal of the
trains would affect the property tax
valuation of the Coast Line in this
County, Mr. Page said it would not.
1 The railroad has been notified
that its mail contract for the Tar
boro-Plymouth line will be cancelled
in the near future, but no plans for
handling the mails have been an
nounced.
I
Lions Name Officers
For The New Year
Meeting in regular session last
evening, the Williamston Lions club
elected officers for the coming year
and completed plans for a White
Cane Drive here tomorrow.
Judge Herbert O. Peel is the new
president, nueeeeding Banker D, V.
Clayton who is completing a suc
cessful year as head of the local
organization. Other officers are: J.
H. Edwards, first vice president; K.
P Lindsley, second vice president;
K. D. Worrell, third vice president;
' D. V. Clayton, Fred Taylor and Irv
mg?Margoln,?directors;?E Ross
F r o n eberger, secretary-treasurer;
Bill Howell, assistant secrefafy
treasurer; Dewey Hayman. Lion
Tamer, and Eugene Rice, tail twist
er.
The White Cane Drive, planned to
raise funds to promote blind pre
vention work, is to be carried on
throughout the country. Canvassers
will be on the streets here, and the
public is urged to aid the movement
by buying one of the white cenes,
the price ranging from five cents to
five dollars.