Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / Sept. 23, 1938, edition 1 / Page 3
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Man Gets Life Sentence For Second Degree Burglary John Small Looks on Bright Side of Fate Defendant Hears Sentence Without Slightest Emotion Small Is Moved to State's Prison Wednesday Afternoon John Small was sentenced to pris on for the remainder of his natural life by Judge Walter Bone in the Martin County Superior Court Wed nesday afternoon for second degree burglary and a brutal assault on Mrs. Lyda Jenkins, aged white wo man, of this county The defendant a small Negro who had worked in a logwoods most of his 30 years of life, heard the sentence without emo tion, apparently little realizing the meaning of Judge Bone's words. 'Small was hastened to State's pris on early that afternoon, his depart ure closing the last chapter to one of the most brutal deeds in the crime annals of this county. A jury was chosen in a very snort time, and the first evioence was of fered when the court reconvened for the afternoon session Tuesday Examined by Solicitor Don Gil-, ham, Mrs. Lyda Jenkins stated em phatically that she knew the voice of John Small and was positive in her identification of the defendant as he came through the window on the night the attack was made Mrs. Jenkins tesified that she had known Small for several weeks, he having visited her home on several missions to buy eggs. Hie witness testified that she was badly beaten about the head and was unconscious for sev eral hours after the assault. This testimony was cdrroborated by Dr. J. E. Ward who stated that from IS to 20 stitches were taken to close the wounds in the victim's head. Seen for the first time since the attack, Mrs. Jenkins personally identified Small when he \Ws presented by Sheriff Roebuck after he was ar rested in Northampton County. The witness was cross examined by Clarence Griffin and Carter Stud dert, attorneys for the defendant. In the examination she substantiated most of the evidence she had already given the court thruugh the solici tor, Don Gilliam On account of hei inability to hear very well, and due tu the fact that she spake hardly above a whisper, the testimony wa hard to grasp except by those with in a few feet of the witness Mrs. Jenkins was followed on the 1 stand by C. Abram Roberson, a j friend and neighbor of Mis. Jenkini.I He testuied that he accompanied Chief Gray to the house and kept visitors away from the room in which the attack was made, until the case was thoroughly investigat ed. Sheriff Roebuck testified that he visited the home of Mrs Jenkins on Sunday morning at 10 30 He met Captain Dorsey, fingerprint expert Of Hie Greenville police force, and together they secured prints from the window glass. After a period oi nearly two months, Small was ap prehended in a logging camp in Northampton county. He was brought to the county for trial and according to the testimony of the Sheriff, he went to various parts of the county with the defendant, that he (the defendant) might establish an alibi which he claimed he could do. Although he confronted several people, whom he knew, he failed to ??tjhii?h a? alihiof even small pre portions, according to the evidence given the court by the sheriff. The sheriff was followed on the stand by William Gray. Roberson ville chief of police and Augustus Williams, prominent farmer of Rob ersonville Township. The examina tion of these two men was very short, they testifying that they had visited the home on Sunday morn ing and assisted in keeping friends and neighbors from visiting in the room in which the attack was made. The State scored when it placed Small at the Jenkins home by his finger prints. Captain Dorsay, finger print expert, was questioned for more than half an hour, but the de fense made no progress in trying to discount the accuracy of finger printing. The expert took finger print^ from glass broken from the window in the Jenkins home and identified them with those of Small's. At 4:20 in the afternoon, the State rested its rase anw Vf11 stand in his own behalf Questioned by his counsel. Small told of a long trail that led to several towns in Virginia, Baltimore. Richmond, Em poria and later to Northampton County where he was arrested on September 12. According to his own story, Small left Hamilton on the afternoon of July 23, went to Rob ersonville and later to the home of his common law wife. He quarreled with her, and then went to a neigh bor's home, later to Dad's, traveling toward Stokes all the while He spent the night at a tobacco barn, and caught a train in Stokes at 11 o'clock Sunday morning and went to Suffolk. After a day there he went to Smithficld, Va. and work ed two or three weeks Leaving there he went to Baltimore on a boat, and caught a truck from there to Richmond and on back into Smithfield. After a day in Smith field, he went to Emporia and after NO WORRY ?'Well, I won't be bothered or have to worry about a social security card on my new Job," John Small, colored man, said as he entered State's Prison in Raleigh Wednesday afternoon to start serving a life sentence for second-degree burglary. Leaving the courthouse after he was sentenced early that aft ernoon, Small talked freely on the trip to Kalelgh. "All 1 want is plenty of work and plenty of chewing tobacco," he told the officials as he entered the pris on for what might be a long time. a stay of two or three weeks he went to Northampton. Small maintained that he planned to leave this section because he did not like a fellow by the name of "Henry," and he held to that story on cross examination. "I knew noth ing about the attack on Mrs. Jen | kins until I was arrested," Small told the court. Facing Solicitor Gilliam s cross examination. Small reviewed his i travels for a long periud of years and made himself a good witness ex cept for the story describing the train trip from Stokes to Suffolk.. The defendant said he changed trains only once, that he changed at Parmele and went straight into Suffolk without changing again, j When told that he would have gone into Scotland Neck had he not changed at Hubgood, Small still maintained that he changed trains only once, that it may have been at Hobgood instead of Parmele Small claimed he was not drunk on the evening of July 23, but he| did admit that he took several drinks. He was with a man named "Willie" when he took a swallow. He later drank twice from a quart bottle, and went down the road to a man's house and bought a 15-eent drink. Stating to the solicitor that he left the community where the at tack took place and started toward Stokes between 8:30 and 9 o'clock, Milk Production In N. C. Shows Increase In 1937 Although the number of milk rows in North Carolina decreased 1 per cent in the past year, the aver age daily milk production jumped from 12 9 pounds per cow in 1937 to 13.2 pounds in 1938. says John Arey, extension dairyman at State Col lege. the route being the same described to the defense counsel. It was brought out in Small's tes timony that he could not find the tobacco barn where he claimed to have spent the night when Sheriff C B. Roebuck carried him there to check the alibi.? Small said he had never been in court before in his life, and denied any connection with the brutal at tack The defense rested, and Judge Bone ordered a recess at 5:05 p. m. until Wednesday. Solicitor Gil liam asking the right to offer evi dence in rebuttal if he deemed it necessary when court reconvened. Reopening the case Wednesday. Solicitor Gilliam called two wit nesses for the State. Roosevelt Rives and Will Evans. Their evidence plac ed Small in the vicinity on the night of the crime. Recalled to the stand Sheriff Roebuck testified to the splendid character of Mrs Jenkins, the attack victim Attorney Clarence Griffin, ad dressing his first jury, made a mas terful ten-minute talk in behalf of Small Attorney Carter Studdert, making his first address before a Martin County jury, directed an eloquent appeal for the defendant during thirty minutes Solicitor Gil liam, in a forty -minute address, ask ed the jury to convict Small. Judge Bone charged the jury for forty min utes and turned the case over to the twelve men at 12:20. After deliber ating the case 45 minutes, the jury returned a verdict-of guilty. FOR SACK?AT A BARGAIN, ONK used Krigiuaire, in good condition. See J. D. Taylor, Bear Grass, or Garland Woolard, Williamston. 1 S20-23 Domestic Crude Oil Shows A Reduction Daily average supply of domestic crude oil to meet the market demand in October is 3,366.800 barrels, 77, 500 barrels less than the estimate for September, the Federal Bureau of Mines estimated this week. The October estimate is 7 per cent less than actual demand for domestic crude in October. 1937. the Bureau said. The decline from a year ago is dye chiefly to a substan tial reduction in gasoline stocks esti mated for October, 1938. In October, iwr/, excess crude runs resulted in an increase of about 3, 000,000 barrels in finished gasoline stocks. Stocks of domestic and foreign re OAKrUt... I DISHWASHING HANDS [SUPER SUDS (IN INC BID ??!) uli ificlily '?* WASHING OISHES to kMB SOFT AND LOVELV Palmolive 3 (or 20c Larger Super Suds 2 (or 35c (Ked Box) Small Super Suds' 3 (or 25c (Blue Box) Large Super Suds (blueI 2 (or 43c (Gets clothes "Hospital Clean") Octagon Soap (giant) <i (or 25c Octagon Soap (small) It (or 23c Octagon Powder (large) i (or 25c Oct'on Powder (small) It (or 23c Octagon Toilet t (or 25c Octagon Cleanser 2 (or 9c Octagon Chips 2 (or ltc Octagon Granulated 2 (or 18c Crystal White Soap 3 (or lie Holly'd Beauty Soap 3 (or 14c Creme Oil Soap 3 (or ltc Klex (Pumice) Soap 3 (or ltc Cni'sal tiardwater Soap 3 (or ltc Triple Cake Soap 3 (or ltc FARMERS Supply Co, finable crude petroleum at the close of the week ending September 10, totaled 2U2.4S7.000 barrels, repre senting a decrease of 2,482,000 bar rels over the previous week. Hare from Carbon Mr J. C. Gardner, of Tarboro, was a business visitor here yester day. N. C. Hay Crops Show Six Per Cent Increase The production of cultivated hay :rops in North Carolina in 1938 es timated at 874.000 tons is six per :ent greater than the record crop produced in 1937, reports the State department of Agriculture. Sort. WITH C1M s* ~' cs PALMOLIVE H Falmolive 3 for Me Latter. Super Suds 2 for 35c (Red Box) Small Super Suds 3 for 25c (Blue Box) Larfe Super Suds (blue) 2 for 42e (Qeia clothes "Hospital Clean") Oetapeu Soap (giant) 6 for Z5e Octapon Soap (email) It for Z3e Octapon Powder (larpe) < for 25c Oet'eu Powder (small) It for 23c Octagon Toilet I for 25c Octapon Cleanser 2 for tc Oetapon Chips 2 for 18c Oetapeu Granulated 2 for ISs Crystal White Soap 3 for 14c Holly'd Beauty Soap 3 far 14e Create Oil Soap 3 for 14c (Pumice) Soap 3 for 14c >ater Soap 3 far 14e Oai'aal Hardwater Triple Oake Soup 3 for lte C. 0. 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The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
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Sept. 23, 1938, edition 1
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