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VOLUME XLV?NUMBER 73 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, September 15, 1942. ESTABLISHED 1899
Harvest Progresses
Rapidly In County
In Past Few Days
Cotton Picking Well Advanc
ed and Some Farmers Are
Digging Peanuts
?
Following a long tobacco season,
Martin County farmers are about to
catch up with the possibility that
they will even get ahead of the reg
ular harvesting season. Reports com
ing from many parts of the county
indicate that cotton picking is well
advanced, that some of the gins have
as much baled cotton on their plat
forms now as they ordinarily have
there in mid-October. Cotton gins
started operations in the county week
before last on a small scale. About
a dozen colored schools suspended
classes last Friday for at least a
month and with the children going
into the patches, it is quite certain
that the harvest work will be rush
ed to completion;?
Reports indicate that the cotton
crop will be short this year in the
county with the quality hardly as
good as it was last season. Approxi
mately 5,000 bales were handled by
the gins in the county last year, ob
servers declaring that the total pro
duction this season will hardly total
half that amount.
Declared to be unusually early
and, in the opinion of many, entire
ly too soon, the peanut digging sea
son is getting underway in some sec
tions of the county this week. One
or two farmers in the Robersonville
section and a few in the upper part
of the county have already started
digging operations. However, as a
whole the peanut crop will be har
vested possibly later than usual in
the county this season. It is quite cer
tain that the work will not get un
derway on any appreciable scale
before sometime next month. In most
cases the dry weather retarded the
crop, and late rains came along to
produce what some describe as a
second crop. Finding the "second"
crop better than the first, many far
mers plan to wait as long as they pos
sibly can before starting digging op
erations. In those few cases where
the crop apparently is well advanc
ed, the farmers have reasoned that
it will be better to dig early and save
the early crop rather than to wait for
the late crop to mature fully. The
crop, as a whole is believed to be
fair, most farmers declaring that it
is next to impossible to predict with
any degree of accuracy the quantity
and quality of the crop until it is in
the bag
A few farmers have started dig
ging sweet potatoes, but in those
cases the harvest was started main
ly to supply home needs. Getting
nineteen bushels from a compara
tively small area, Farmer H. U Peel
stated that the potatoes were unus
ually large and that he was consid
ering digging his entire crop as soon
as possible. \
Farmers, as a whole, are fairly
well pleased with tobacco market re
ports and are optimistic over the
general fjirnjjoutlook, but they admit
that the corn harvest is going to
prove very disappointing.
Mrs. Green Heads
Red Cross Project
Mrs. N. C. Green was named this
week to succeed Mrs. A. R Dunning
as chairman of the Red Cross sewing
room maintained in the Woman's
Club hall by the Martin County chap
ter of the American Red Cross. Ably
handling the work as project chair
man since the project was started,
Mrs. Dunning explained to the chap
ter chairman that pressing duties
made it impossible for her to con
tinue, that she would gladly assist
others in any way she could.
While the project has been handl
ed by a comparatively small number
of willing volunteers, much work
has been accomplished, and reliable
reports would seem to indicate that
some of the garments have found
their way to those lands where many
are facing a hard winter without
much food or ample clothing.
The production unit or sewing
room is independent of the Red
Cross surgical dressing project, but
it is a recognized fact that conditions
demand that both be supported and
that by a wide response both can be
supported.
Rush Continues For
Supplemental Cards
The decrease in the demand for
supplemental gas rations expected
following the release of a special re
port by the Bernard Baruch commit
tee, and urgent appeals and warn
ings by the President and OPA Di
rector Leon Henderson, has not ma
terialized in this county, as yet, ac
cording to Herbert L. Roebuck, a
member of the rationing board in
this county.
It was pointed out this week .that
quite a few motor vehicle owners
are demanding more gas even though
they know thht their tires are abo^t
to give way. The serious rubbe
shortage has been discussed suffh
ciently for everyone to know thai
there'll not be enough tires to meet
even the most urgent needs. And yet,
the call for gas never slackens.
Army Keeping Faith,
Officer Tells Legion
COMMISSIONERS
Scheduled to meet in special
session Friday morning of this
week at 9:30 o'clock, the coun
ty commissioners are expected to
appoint a special or temporary
tax collector to handle the new
1942 collections until the regular
tax collector settles for the 1941
books. State law does not permit
the regular collector to accept
the new books until he has set
tled with the county for the old.
To prevent the overlapping
next year, the commissioners
have already ruled that the tax
sales for the 1942 tax year will
be scheduled in ample time next
year for the collector to settle
for the old taxes and be ready
to take over the new books In the
late summer.
Russians Line Guns
Hub To Hub To Stop
Nazis At Stalingrad
CrrnuiiiH Continuing DrivH
Toward Grozny Oilfirlds
In llie ('.aiiruHiis
Lining their field artillery units
hub to hub before Stalingrad, the
Russians, according to late dispatches
continue to hold the Nazis at bay in
the drive toward the important in
dustrial city. It is a fight to the fin
ish. however, and just how long the
defenders can hold out ugainst the
superior German forces is problema
tical. Tanks, including a new and
superior type, are being driven from
the assembly lines in the Stalin
grad factories to the front a few
miles away. Previous claims made
by the Germans indicated that the
industrial wheels in the city of about
a half million population had been
stopped It is admitted that the city
itself is little more than a shell after
hundreds of Stuka dive bombers had
pounded it for days.
Fighting raged unabated west and
southwest of the menaced city, the
Red army bulletin said, after the of
ficial newspaper Pravda had report
ed that German shocks troops were
"at Stalingrad" but were being re
pulsed by point blank artillery fire
and bayonet charges.
West of Stalingrad, Soviet troops
successfully countered assaults by
massed German tanks and infan
try. In one sector two infantry regi
ments supported by two columns of
tanks attacked Red army positions.
Running into a shattering bom
bardment by the big guns of the Red
Army, the German troops and ma
chines were scattered in disorder,
suffering heavy losses.
Soviet cavalry in action northwest
of Stalingrad wiped out 500 German
soldiers in a stalwart support of Red
army infantry.
Russian defenders of the Grozny
oil fields fell back to a new defense
line in the Mozdok area of the east
Caucasus after stubborn fighting
against German tanks which swarm
ed southward across a water barrier
?evidently the Terek River?and
attacked Soviet positions, the high
command said
Some 2,000 Axis troops were re
ported slain along the upper Don
south of Voronezh, where five fur
ious German attacks were repulsed
during the day. The Russians also
wrecked 20 German tanks and 30
armored vehicles and captured num
>us prisoners.
Late claims coming out of Berlin
lintain that the Germans are con
uing their drive on Stalingrad,
d that the city's main railroad sta
n had fallen into their hands.
The importance of the Stalingrad
ttle is best understood when as
dated with future plans of the
rmans. Should the city fall, a
ive either on Moscow or the mighty
izi striking power would be shift
possibly to the Middle East. The
ive would aggravate greatly the
lied defense.
While the war is still centered in
5 Stalingrad battle, the greatest
all history, there are a few other
erations progressing in various
rts of the world. Little has been
ard from the Far East and the
uthwest Pacific during the past
v days, but bombings over the con
tent are still underway and the
lies are driving toward the capital
Madagascar off the coast of Afri
. The Japs in New Guinea are Te
rming their lines apparently for
continuation of their drive toward
irt Moresby.
In Egypt, while there is little ac
rity in the main war zone, the Al
ts, including American airmen suc
ssfully pounded and raided Tobruk
id Benghazi ( important Axis sup
y bases. Unrest continues in In
a, late reports stating that defense
ark is being seriously retirded
re.
. small town on the West Coast
i bombed this morning by a Jap
*te believed to have been based on
ib. The bombing, doing very little
iage, was the first air attack on
(Continued on page six)
Legionnaires Hear
About New Methods
I
Employed By Army
I Captain Anneberg Saya Be
I lieve in Army ami Army
Will Believe in You
Against a second world war set
ting and with some of its members
preparing to re-enter the armed
forces, the installation of the John
Walton Hassell Post of the American
Legion here last evening was handl
ed after a serious fashion and with
added interest expressed in the event
i and all Legion affairs in general.
Welcomed by Mayor John L. Has
sell, the Legionnaires heard a gen
eral entertainment program offer
ed by the Bear Grass quartet, and i
trios from Camp Davis and the Wil
liamston High School Justice Has
sell, explaining that it was his un
welcomed task as chairman of the
draft board to send young men to
war nearly a quarter of a century
ago, it was always a pleasure to wel
come the Legionnaires back and to
Williamston. In his brief welcoming
address, the mayor declared that it
would be either fetters or freedom,
that he knew the American people
would choose and fight for freedom.
Major Roy Wood, scheduled to de
liver the main address and feature |
the installation exercises, was unable
to attend and Captain F. K. Anne
berg, of Camp Davis, addressed the
group. Centering his speech around
the topic of "Our Army," the officer
based his theme on the poem, "In
Flanders Field . . and declared
that the standing army of this na
tion is keeping faith with those who
had sacrificed their lives, not only
in this and the last war but also in
other wars. The captain urged the ci
vilian population to believe in the
Army, that by doing that "the Army
will believe in you."
| Discussing a few of the problems
that are not any too well understood
, by the general public, Captain Anne
I berg stressed the importance of mil
itary secrets. "The boys don't suy
I much in their letters, because they
I have been told how vital and how
I important it is to guard secrets. "Hie
Army," the officer continued, is not
I working exactly as it did in the last
i war. Instead of calling for so many
| men without regard for qualifica
tions, the Army now calls for them
by code and according to their fit
ness to do specific things. The young
soldier may be out of place during
I the first few days he is in the service,
j but a place is soon found for him
where he can do his best. Men are
trained and they are not being
' "shoved" after a few weeks of train
i ing. Preparation is everything in the
Army, and schools are held day and
i night for the men. If they understand
'why' and the 'how' of doing any
thing they can do it quicker and
better."
There's little jealousy or friction
between the various branches of the
Armed forces, the officer declared,
adding that the Army was proud of
the Navy and the Navy was proud
'of the Army He also declared that
there aren't many "gold bricks" in
the Army any more "Every man
must think for himself."
Concluding his talk, the Army man
urged his listeners to evaluate what
they read, see and hear, and casual
ly intimated that much of what one
reads, hears and sees is there be
cause it makes good heading, or is
good to hear or see. As for winning
the war, Captain Anneberg said, "Re
member we did it once, and we will
do it again."
Tells Of Attaek
On Pearl Harbor
With a 48-hour leave of absence
and anxious to get out Of Norfolk for
the week-end, Sailor Jackson bought
ticket for Bethel last Saturday.
Upon reaching Williamston he de
cided to go no farther. Sunday morn
ing found him waiting for the doors
of the Baptist Church to open for
the 11 o'clock service. He met Mr.
V. D. Godwin and received an in
vitation to dinner.
Reviewing his travels but guard
ing against divulging any secrets,
the young sailor said he was in Pearl
Harbor on the eventful morning of
December 7th. Strangely enough his
ship was right beside another on
which Mr Godwin's brother was sta
tioned. "I saw it hit and several men
were killed," he told Mr. Godwin.
There was plenty of action, accord
ing to the young man.
A native of Texas, the trip was the
first to the east for the youngster
who is rounding Out nearly two years
of service and who is barely 20 years
of age. He wanted to know if there
were any ranches" around here. Ad
vised th.ere_.waa none, the youngster
showed much interest in raw tobac
co on the warehouse floors. Express
ing his appreciation for the dinner
invitation, Sailor Jackson bade his
host goodbye and boarded a late af
ternoon bus for Norfolk. _
War As It Relates
To Home Front Is
Reviewed for Week
'We Are Not Doing Enough,
In This War It Is Kill
Or Be Killed
e
"Wo are not doing enough," said
the President, and he added, "in
this war it is kill or be killed." In
this "toughest war of all time" we
are going to have to get down to
brass tasks?and turn the brass tacks
into bombs and bullets.
To an extent we have been doing
this, but now the need is terribly
urgent and materials scarce. Now wi
must have war goods in greater vol
ume than ever?and in a shorter
time. Our enemies don't wait
Steel mills, eating up almost five
million tons of scrap metal a month,
are running on almost a day-to-day
basis. We are dangerously short of
copper, tin, and other non-ferrous
metals. ??
That's why our school children?
30 million of them?are being en
listed to comb our homes, back
yards. and farmyards for scrap to
feed the steel giants. That's why our
kitcluuis must shower down old tin
cans bv the million so that we can
reach our goal of 3,000 tons of house
hold tin a year recovered in 17 new
"detinning"<vplants. That's why we
must save waste fats and greases,
turn in the half billion pounds we
have been asked to salvage These
fats would help make enough bombs
to cripple the German war machine,
or enough explosives to fire 1.250,
000 anti-aircraft shells
Last year our production of all
wire coat hangers, if made into mil
itary barber wire, would have girdl
ed the earth six and one-half times.
We shall not be making wire
hangers this year.
Labor Problem Still Paramount
To do all that we must do to stop
the Axis hordes, merely to get en
ough skilled workers ami. fighting
men for this gigantic job, "is going
to be a tough business for all of us.
In 116 of 160 critical war production
areas there are serious labor short
ages, and in all these areas there are
shortages of some kinds of skilled
workers. Employment in the auto
motive industry, now making weap
ons, has passed the 800,000 mark
000 workers will the industry have
reached peak production. There'll be
almost five million women in war
industries by the end of this year.
More millions of them will be need
ed by 1943, not only in war plants
but in the fields. Small towns and
larger cities lacking war industries
are losing their young men to the
armed forces, the boys, women and
older men to war work in nearby or
distant industrial areas. These towns
are short-handed, and yet it is just
(Continued on page six)
Indictment Pending
In Case Charging
I)raft Law Violation
Federal Bureau of luveHtigu
tiou Said to Be Prepar
ing Indietiuent
Refusing to register for military
service, John Williams, 43-year-old
Goose Nest Township colored man,
is said to be facing indictment in the
federal courts. If tried and adjudg
ed guilty, Williams faces a possible
five-year prison term or a $10,000
fine or both. Williams was arrested
on Sunday, August 30, by Officer J.
H. Roebuck and has been held in the
county jail since that time.
An agent of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation reviewed the case here
yesterday and according to reliable
information preliminary plans were
made to indict Williams and throw
his case into the courts as soon as
possible.
Going into the jail, the FBI agent
and representatives of the County
Draft Board were said to have ask
ed Williams to register. A registra
tion card was prepared, and Wil
liams said he could not write. It was
learned that he had written a letter,
but "leaning over backwards," the
agent asked the man to make his
mark. Williams was said to have re
fused to do that, and after confer
ring with his superiors, the agent
intimated that charged would be
brought against the man.
Williams is married and has chil
dren, and it is quite possible that he
will not be called, certainly not any
time in the immediate future, for
service. Apparently he chose to de
fy the draft law for one reason 01
another, and now he is facing trou
ble in the courts. When he was ar
rested, Williams was quoted as say
ing that he did not answer the draft
board letters because he had not
written to the government and the
government had no business writing
to him.
No statement could be had from
the agent, but it is understood that
several other cases having . to do
with delinquency were reviewed,
that possibly some action will follow
in due time.
It has been pointed out that there
were draft law violators in the last,
war, that while all of them were not
caught before the war ended, they
were arrested and prosecuted after
the war. .
Prices Reach New High Peak On
Local Market As Sales Pass The
Three Million-Pound Mark Today
Draft Board To Reclassify All
1-BMen Beginning This Week
Mooting hero next Thursday eve-1
ning, the Martin County Draft
Board will start reclassifying all 1
county registrants in the 1-B classi-1
fication. Draft Board Chairman H
H Goodmon explaining that the I B
ratings would bo eliminated and that
the men would be placed in either
1-A or 4-F classifications. It is esti
mated that there are between three
and four hundred Martin men in the
1-B classification, and that a large
majority of them will be placed in
the 1-A group Classifications will j
be determined according to rules and <
regulations established by the Se
lective Service System, meaning that
a 1-B registrant with remedial or
minor physical defects will be placed
in 1-A and those with bad defects
will go into the 4-F group.
The reclassification of the 1-B
group registrants means that the Se
lective Service is digging the bottom
of the barrel before calling married
men The board has from now until
the latter part of December to re
classify ih. 1-B men, but it is likely
that most of them will be regrouped
before that time.
In addition to its reclassification
work this week, the draft board will
consider about 25 or 30 claims for
defeiinrn Most of the claims come
ftvm it a i m operators.
That the draft trend is toward
maii' d men is further evidenced
b> the nveip this week of a special
I quest onnaiie 'or married men. The
questionnaire will In- used, only in
'doubtful or borderline eases, and
will be used to determine the status
II ;t the n in led registrant.
Very Tew Cases On
Civil Calendar In
The Superior Court
Only 2(> (Wi> Scliitlult'il for
Trial INrxl Vlcck Otlirr
'Than Divorce VcliotiH
Other than the eighteen divofce f
cases, a comparatively small number j
of civil actions has been scheduled j
for trial in the Martin County .Su
perior Court during the two weeks
term opening next Monday. The
criminal docket has not been pre |
pared, but it is understood that only
a small number of cases of that type
will be on the docket Preparing the
civil calendar a few days ago, mem
bers of the county bar association
expressed the belief that the crim
inal docket could be bundled the
first day and went ahead aod calen
dared the eighteen divorce cases for
trial the following day.
Very few of the civil cases carry
little more than passing interest as
far as the general public is concern
ed. Several of them were placed on
the calendar subject to rulings and
will hardly reach the jury
The civil calendar carries the fol
lowing cases with the exception of
the eighteen applications for divorce:
Wednesday, Sept 2.T Lumber Co.
versus Cowen, Fertilizer Co. vs. Car
ter, Griffin against Barber, Fertiliz
er Co against McMillan, Bunting
vs. Salsbury, Whitaker versus Rob
erson, Winborne against Jenkins, Lil
ley versus Miller.
Thursday, Sept. 24 Bryant versus
Bryant, Fertilizer Co. against Hop
kins, Close vs. Hyman, Thompson
vs. Sawyer, Mizelle against Roger
son.
Monday, Sept. 2H Bailey against
Insurance' Co., Dixie Motors against
Barber, Dixie Motors vs. Critcher,
Griffin versus Ross, Wiggins against
Roberson, Bell vs. Coburn, Bryan
versus Stevenson, Hyman against
Porter.
Tuesday, Sept 21) Everett versus
Smith Douglass, Griffin vs. Ross,
Roberson against Perkins, Mobley
against Mobley, Woolard vs. Wool
ard.
Judge- J. Clawson Williams, of San
ford, is scheduled to preside over the'
two weeks term of the court which
is being called for the trial of both
criminal and civil cases.
fv
More Martin Men
Entering1 Service
In addition to the larffc number of
mon being called into the armed
services from this county, quite
few are volunteering, especially in
the Army and Navy Air Corps and
the Navy.
According to an announcement
just received from the Naval Avia
tion Cadet Selection Board, Atlanta,
Burras Allen Critcher, Jr , and Ed
ward Philo Cunningham, Jr., both
of Williamston, enlisted for flight
training in the U. S. Naval Reserve
last week. They were preceded by
a number of other county boys.
Dallas R. Taylor, formerly of Rob
ersonville but for sixteen years asso
ciated with the Roxboro Courier, has
enlisted in the Navy and reports for
duty on Saturday
Dick Mallory, formerly of Oak
City and more recently stationed
with the State Highway Patrol at
Rocky Mount, has entered the Coast
Guard and is to report soon for duty
in Hawaii.
Clayton Crofton, son of Mr and
Mrs. G. A. Crofton, of Williamston,
18 TKrarattciiding an Ainiy pie flight
school at Maxwell Field, Montgom
ery, Ala., and is getting along very
well there, according to a report just
received from the public relations
office of the pre-flight school.
KOl'NIMJP
Some improvement on the
ciime front in this community
was detected last week end when
the regular round up of alleged
law violators netted only an
even dozen as compared with
seventeen arrested and placed in
the county jug the previous
week-end.
Nine of the dozen were arrest
ed and jailed for being drunk.
One was jailed for alleged viola
tion of the health laws, another
was detained for investigation,
and no specific charge was lodg
ed against a third man arrested.
Only two of the twelve persons
arrested and jailed during the
period were white.
County Legion Post
Installs Off icers at
Meeting Last Might
r n
???
l>r. John It. Ili^H Succeed-.
J. It. \\ inflow \I'onl
( oiiuiiamlcr
Installing their new officers, here
last evening, members of the John
Walton Hassell Post of the Ami's* '
can Legion started a new period in
their organization with renewed in
terest and with the expressed deter
rnination to build their membership
to 200 and to take a more active part
in home front duties. Dr. John D.
Biggs was installed to succeed Mr. (
J. K. Wmslow as post commander,
the installation exercises being held
under the direction of Department
Vice Commander H. W. Alston. Dr.
Biggs accepted the challenge his new
position offer;e-i?nd pledged his best
efforts toward fulfilling its duties.
*Mcn on the fighting line are doing
and will continue to do their part,
but they can't fight without home
support, and we must see that they
get it," the new commander de
clared.
The complete list of.officers fol
lows:
John D. Biggs, commander; W C.
| Wallace, Joe Ayers and W H Gray,
vice commanders; W K. Dunn, ad
jutant and finance officer; H. G.
Morton, service officer, national de
I fense officer, Boy Scout Officer and
iihairman, sons of Legion; Arthur
Hoberson, Sergeant-at-arms; Dr. W
|K. Burrell, chaplain; P. M Holliday,
historian; W H Gray, athletic offi
cer, Bob Taylor, child welfare of
ficer; M. L. Swain, Americanism of
ficer, boys' state officer and publicity
chairman; Sam Getsinger, graves
registration officer; J. A Ward, em
ployment and membership officer.
Several motions were passed, one)
of them embracing an amendment
calling for the appointment of W. K
Parker to the special committee to
investigate the possibility of estab
lishing a home guard unit in the
county. Legionnaire Chas. R. Mob
ley, holder of the Distinguished
Service Cross awarded by four
countries, United States, England,
Belgium and France, was recogniz
ed before the group at the direction
of the commander, and Legionnaire I
Mayo Peel, the Yirst World War I|
veteran to be called for service again,'
was also recognized.
Commander Biggs urged the coop
eration of Legionnaires in supporting
the legions' annual fair opening the
latter part of this month, and Rev.
Z T. Piephoff; speaking for the min
isterial association, expressed appre
ciation for the definite stand the of
ficers had taken to eliminate the sale
of beer and use of intoxicants at the
Dinner was served under the di
rection of Comrade John A. Ward,
and special pictures of plane factor
ies and the Merchant Marine were
shown by Rev. Z. T. Piephoff.
Record Poundage Is
Offered On Market
Here In Recent Days
Ijirpit- Portion of C.rop Alrea
dy Been Sold iu This
I*11 rt of Briplit Belt
Reports coming from farmers and
supported by reliable figures state
that tobacco prices are red hot and
sky high" on the Wilhamston mar
ket this week. Farmers declared
they were certain mat all grades
were bringing more money yester
j day and today than at any time this
I season, including opening day How
ever. the green types had few friends,
j hut in those cases the prices were
said to be holding their own. Pos
sibly at no other time during the cur
rent season have farmers express
ed greater satisfaction with their
sales than they did yesterday and
i this morning.
The better grades, while holding
I to a common average in the high
forties, are breaking over fairly of
| ten into the fifties and averages of
4(3. 47 arid 48 cents are fairly numer
ous. But the center of attention is not
necessarily on those better types of
tobacco, it is on those medium and
inferior quality grades or on the kind
that most of the farmers in this im
mediate territory have for sale.
The poundage on the local market
is climbing by leaps and bounds. Su
pervisor C. U. Rogers stating this
morning that sales were well over
the three million pound mark and
were climbing just as fast as order
ly and even selling periods would
permit. With block sales in effect
nearly evey where, the current crop
is rapidly disappearing from the
farms, and it is estimated that a
large portion had already moved to
market during the past fourteen sell
ing days.
The sales on the market are al
ready about half as large as they
were last season, and if the record is
maintained the total will exceed that
6T last year. Every indication points
to an increase in sales despite a gen
eral decrease in production reported
by farmers in this immediate terri
tory.
Despite block sales, farmers are
finding it more convenient and
Iequally as advantageous to sell on
the Wilhamston market than on the
larger ones. As a result new patrons
are being seen on the market here
day after day. More Martin farmers
are selling on the home market than
heretofore, and they voluntarily de
(Continued on page six)
?
Wcll-Known Farmer
Attempts Suicide
? -
Firing a .22 calibre bullet into his
head this morning about 9:30 o'clock,
Jimmie Harris, well-known Poplar
Point Township farmer, was report
ed in a critical condition at a Wash
ington hospital early this afternoon.
No direct statement could be had,
but reports coming from the hospi
tal shortly before 2 o'clock this af
ternoon indicated that there was lit-,
tie chance of recovery.
Complete details of the suicide at
tempt could not be had immediately
but it was learned that Mr Harris,
xperiencing ill health for several
years ,had talked in recent days
ibout ending his life.
After three of his children had left
for school this morning, he took his
rifle, went to his bed room and plac
ed the stock of the gun on the floor
and fired the bullet into his ear. The
rifle was found between his feet on
the floor.
A native of Bear Grass Township
and an able and respected farmer,
Mr. Harris had made his home in the
Spring Green community of Poplar
Point Township for about seven
years. He is 44 years old and other
than his health, the condition of
which had showed some improve
ment in recent months, was thought
to be getting along very well.
Parents - Teachers
To Meet Tomorrow
All parents arc urged to be present
at the high school auditorium to
morrow afternoon at 3:30 when the
Williamston Parent-Teacher Associa
tion meets for the first time this
school year. Mrs B. W. Nash, pres
ident, is urging all patrons of the lo
cal schools to join teachers in asso
ciation activities during the 1943-43
term.
Dr. W R Burrell will conduct the
devotional. Principal D. N. Hix will
discuss the redistribution of children
made~fn the vaflous grades af the
beginning of school and comment
upon other school problems.
A brief social period will be held
in the home economics rooms at the
close of the business