AMERICA
First, La$t and
Always
The Sylva Herald
The Herald is dedicated to
progressive service to Jack
son ... A progressive, well
balanced county.
VOL. XXI, NO. 46
Sylva, N. C. Thursday, April 24, 1947
$2.00 A Year?5c Copy
OFFER REWARD OF
HALL KILLERS
111 City Primary Election
~"v, ?iiniyr-? i '
World War II Veterans Are
Unopposed In May Election
*
i
Mayor Gibson And
Present Board Did
Not Seek Reelection
Sylva voters nominated a full
Veteran's ticket for Mayor and
Board of Aldermen in Saturday's
municipal Democratic primary.
This was the first Municipal pri
mary to be held in the town irv
many years.
Jack C. Allison, heading the
Young Democratic or G. I. ticket,
was nominated for mayor with a
vote of 203 to 164 for his opponent,
W. J. Fisher.
Nominated for board of alder
men were Joseph F. Wilson with
218 votes, Edward H. Baldridge,
218; Lloyd W. Cowan, 193; R. R.
Nicholson, Jr., 193, and Dr. Harold
McGuire, 176.
Unsuccessful candidates for the
board seats were Paul Kirk, 160
votes; James E. Crawford, 171;
James T. Bales, 161; H. E. Fergu
son, 156, and Roscoe Poteet, 154.
Dr. Harold McGuir?, veteran of
42 months with the Army, was
one of the candidates on the licket
headed by Mr. Fisher. James E.
Crawford, also a veteran, was on
the ticket headed by Mr. Allison.
This was the only switch the voters
made in their balloting.
The successful candidates will
be unopposed in the general elec
tion on May 6.
Tne retiring mayor, Herbert
Gibson, and board members, W. T.
Wise, Chester Scott, Walter Alli
son, and S. A. Carden, did not seek
re-election. Mayor Gibson, agent
for the Southern Railway here,
has been in office for eight years.
A brief service of the new nom
inees 1s as follows:
? Edward H. Baldridge entered
service August 10, 1943. and was
discharged November 5, 1945. He
was engaged in three major cam
paigns, the Rome-Arno, Southern
France and Rhineland. He was
taken prisoner by the Germans on
the Moselle River crossing Septem
ber 21, 1944, and remained in the
t
hands of the Germans until libera
tion by. Allied forces April 26,
1945. Mr. and Mrs. Baldridge and
son, Eddie, make their home in
Sylva. Mr. Baldridge holds a po
sition with XJie Herald as-licptyae
operator.
Joseph F. ? Wilson, son of Mrs.
T. O. Wilson and the late Mr. Wil
son, served with the 8tn air force
as a gunner on a B-24. He and his
crew made 31 missions over Euro
pean territory. They all came
through alive but were forced- to
bail out of their ship as they were
over England returning from their
last bombing mission. He held the
rank of Staff Sergeant and was in
?Continuing on page 7
SYLVA SENIORS TO
PRESENT COMEDY
PLAY MAY SECOND i
i
"A Million Dollar Joke," a
comedy in three acts by Pauline
Phelps, will be presented by mem
bers of the sehiof class of Sylva
High School at 8:00 Friday nite,
Miy 2, in the Elementary School
Auditorium.
Rehearsals for the play have
been in progress for several weeks
under the direction of Mrs. Luce
and Mrs. Reed, sponsors of the
senior class. .
The plot involves a modern
youth who is really a worm, Per
cival Smith, and his million dol
lars in a terrific joke. The worm
is made to squirm by a young lady,
Peggy Eustis, who Shows him his
fault. He reforms and it not
trampled on by his room mates any
more. Percival receives a million
dollars *bnd the money gives him
the confidence to run for mayor.
He has many funny experiences
.which will be worth' a million dol
lars to the audience.
Combined with the experience
of the** directors and artistic skill
of the stage .director are the varied
talents and acting abilities of the
senior class. Such a combination
indicates a successful performance
o<" "A pillion poJlar .Toke."
iwo performances will be given;
The mating foV the elementary
children will be presented in the
afternoon, and admission will be
15 cents. At the Friday night per
formance, admission will be 25
cents and 50 cents.
Svitut Vamparee
To Be Heftl 31ay
tU At M^umpkin
The regular monthly meeting of
the District Committee of the
Smoky Mountain District, Boy
Scouts of America, was held at
Jarrett's Springs Hotel, Friday
evening at 7 o'clock April 18th.
Reports of scouting activities
were heard from practically all sec
tions of the District. Mr. Hugh
Monteith, Chairman of Advance
ment, of the Smoky Mountain Dis
trict who attended the Regional
Scouters Convention, held in At
lanta, March 30th, gave a very in
teresting report of this meeting.
Camporee for the Smoky Moun
tain District will be held at Camp
Lumpkin, ten miles west of Frank
lin on the Wayah Road, May 16th
and 17th. It is hoped this meeting
will be well attended by Scouts
and Scouters of this section.
Those present at the meeting
First Secretary of the British
Embassy Speaks WCTC 29th
Mr. Frank Darvall^First Secre
tary of the British Embassy, will
speak at ttoey auditorium, Cullo
whee, Tuesday, April 29, at 11 a. m.
instead of at 1:30 p. m. as previous
ly announced.
Mr. Darvall's talk, on "The
British Commonwealth and Em
pire," will be the regular chapel
program for that day. The time has
been moved ahead to fit in with
Mr. Darvall's schedule. He has an
urgent appointment in Washington
on Wednesday, which will necessi
tate his leaving on the 3:45 p. m.
train from Asheville Tuesday.
The First secretary's address
will be primarily for the students
and faculty members of Western
Carolina Teachers College and the
Cullowhee High school, but there
will be about 200 scats available
to the public. Admission is free and
the fix it *1-00' persons' win
get the seats.
It had- originally been planned
to have Lord Iverchapel, British
ambassador, give a talk, but be
cause of pressing official business,
he was unable to come and desig
nated his First secretary, Mr. Dar
vall, to speak in his place.
Mr. Darvall will arrive in Ashe
ville Monday, April 28, where he
will be the guest of Mr. John F. A.
Cecil at Biltmore House.
Mr. Darvall has had wide ex
perience in the United States. He
attended Columbia University and
was formerly British Consul for
Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. He
is considered an entertaining and
effective speaker.
BETTER BABIES IS
PART OF COUNTY
HEALTH PROGRAM
By MRS. LINA PADGETT
Jackson County Nurse
To the parents of the young in
fant belongs the care that insures
the physical and mental growth
of that child into happy, useful
citizen.
The Jackson County Health, de
partment carries out the following
p:v,r.v.m to help the parents of
these infants and pre-school chil
dren:
Clinics for mothers and babies
are held as given below for exam
ination in order to'discover any'
deviation from good development
and health. Conditions needing
corrections are pointed out and
referral made to the family phys
ician, or if needed to available
clinics.
Clinics are held in the spring at
the various schools for inspection
of the child who is to enter school
for the first time in the fall so
that parents may take the child
to the health department or the
family physician for further ex
amination if found necessary.
Immunization clinics are held
where advice is given as to what
should be done and when to pro
tect the child from communicable
diseases and immunizations are
offered. Those required by sUite
law during the first year are
stressed, and later those required
for school enrollment.
! The nurse goes into the home
* ??, . ^
' as muoa a*. sue can to help the
mother with suggestions and to
demonstrate the home care of the
child.
The Sanitarian carries on his
program that sale living conditions
may prevail at home, school or in
the cafe; and that sale milk, clean
drinking water and food are pro
vided.
WNC Groups Go To
Washington About
Park Development
Representatives of Western
North Carolina Associated Com
munities will meet in Washington
next Tuesday with A. E. D^maray,
associate park director, to discuss
ways and means of insuring con
tinuing development of Great
Smoky Mountains National Park
despite the prospects of a sharp
cut in federal funds Of this pur
pose.
Mrs. Grover Wilkes
Will Have Recital
On Thursday afternoon at 1:00
o'clock in the Sylva Elementary
school auditorium Mrs. Daisy
Franklin Wilkes will present her
music pupils in the annual spring
recital. Twenty pupils will pre
sent a varied program of musical
selections. The public is invited to
attend this recital.
Chamber Of Commerce
Membership Drive
Felix Picklesimer, president of
the Jackson county chamber of
"commerce, has announced^that the
annual membership drive will start
Thursday, May 1. The membership
drive committee will begin can
vassing the businesses of the town
for their membership at this time.
It is hoped, Mr. Picklesimer stated,
to complete the work within a few
days.
were: Bill Wall, Assistant Scout
Executive; Gaston Means, Field
Executive; John Archer, Everett
Harris, Dr. Harold McGuire, Paul
Kirk, O. E. Brookhyser, Sam Gil
lim, A. F. Neely, T. A. Willets, Rev. j
A. Rufus Morgan, John Allsup, E.!
W. Reneshaw, Hugh Monteith and i
W. C. Hennessee, District Chair
man. ? '
Will Represent El Salvador At Lions Meet
MISS BRYSON
? *
MISS POTfcET
Miss Thelma Poteet, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Poteet, aiM
Miss Jenneane Bryson, a* daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jennings A. B. VMin.
will represent the county of El Salvador at the Lions Silver Jubilee
Convention in Asheville May 25, 26, and 27. Miss Poteet'> father is
president of the Syiva club, and Mr. Bryson is a p; st pre>ident :?:?<i
past district governor.
I ;
Frank Crawford Surrvrdn
.1 ? Mosrs . ft * Sit pet 'in 1 rn clrtt 1
Of * Jar it son i'ounttj Srftooix
W.G.T.G. MONOGRAM
CLUB SPONSORING'
AMATEUR NIGHT
The annual Amateur Nigh?,|
sponsored by the W.U.T.C. Mono
gram club, will be held in Hoey
Auditorium Saturday night. Apiil
26. at 8 o'clock.
Amateur musicians, dancers and
comedians w.ll compete lor cash,
prizes which will be awarded at
the end of the show. Winners will
be judged by the amount of a|f
plauie received and by judges se
lected lrom ire audience.
The field is-still open to contest
ants. Anyone w.shing to enter may
do so by contacting any member
of the Monogram club before Sat
urday n:ght. No entry fee is
charged.
Admission prices are .50 for
adults and .35 for students and
children.
CHILDREN'S WORK IN
CULLOWHEE BAPTIST
CHURCH IS GROWING
The beginner-primary depart
ment of the Sunday School of the
Cullowhee Baptist Church is un
der the direction of Miss Annie
Knotts, first grade teacher in the
local training school and a genuine
servant to children wherever she
goes. She is assisted in the work
by Mrs. Ed Crawford, who devotes
most of her attention to the little
folks of a pre-.-chool age.
During the worship hour on
Sunday mornings Miss Knotts can
almost always be found in her
place in tJhf'
ment of the church building with
anywhere, from twenty to thirty
children between the ages of six
and nine going through a carefully
planned program which is. suitable
to this age group. On special oc
cas^pns they are to be observed in
a body in the auditorium in Wor
ship along with the adul{ congre
gation; in this way practice
under able and consecrated guid
ance the art of congregational wor
ship. This group of children and
their leader have recently made
a number of improvements in the
appearance of their large class
room, the most obvious of which
is the hanging of attractive drap
eries.
?Continued on page 6
Board Made Selection
Thursday, Also Named
District Committeemen
i Hinty'iic'.v l'o. v<\
Education, conipu o.i >? !t. 1.. A;
. il (Vi.:ir..v J ?>.:! H. * i . J\
K. En I ;o. Fr. n!< H. I>r *...'. .1 .
%
and Edward Fowler. nn ; in .. ;
.??es-iui on Tiiur.-ii. y. An.'.] I V < :
elected Fran'; M. ( '? ..j?*. : -
ir/endi nt <.f n '/mimy
.-chools 1 <?.* ;i tc; ill oi two yuiu>.
^T-?. C';*:iv."<>i\i w.ll take officc July
1 l a' the h*ming of the now
'ic;11 yc;u , Ho succeeds i;.m i
Mots, wliu resigned sonit''i;r.c ;'g ?'
in become tlloctive ? t on.'; o1 :
his present term June 3 t:\ M
Moses has ni>t announce t his pi. n-> ;
for the future alter lt.:\iiig office.
Mr. Crawford is well known,
throughout the county and t
ern North Carolina, t
school circles. Ho h: - i>?.??. n in :iio
tci.coing pro.e.^ion t.-r^ine pa.-l 20
years, teaching in J.ick>on county
schools all of this time except one
year in Buncombe county. He was
principal of the Sy.va Elementary
school for 10 years and is now in
his third year as district principal
of the Webster high school. Mr.
Crawford is chairman of the D.s
trict Legislative committee of the
North Carolina Education Associa
tion. He is immediate past pres
ident of the Sylva Lions Club. He
is a native of Jack.-on county, the
son of Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Craw
ford of Sylva Route 1. He receive*;
I his college twining at Wes'ern
i Carolina Teachers College and the
j University of North Carolina.
DISTRICT COM M ITTE EM EN
At the meeting la.-t Thursday'the
'board named the following dis'rict
committeemen:
Sylva District?O. J. Beck, R. U.
Sutton, Lawrence Reed, Ira Jones,
Kenyon Moody.
Co n odft-DrHr i 1t? "M ay.
Luther Owens, James Daves.
Cullowhee District?Ralph Sut
ton, Blaine Nicholson, Victor
Brown, Clinton Hooper, and Tom
H. Simpson.
Glenville District ? Lawrence
Cooper, Dallas Mills, Tom Holden,
L. L. Allen, and Lynch Dillard.
Qualla District?Thad Patton,
Jode Hoicombe, and Alton Ed
wards.
Webster District ? Ernest Le .vis,
Joel Wetmore, D. D. Davis, Hd.ley
Buchanan, and Dan Cowan.
A slow-acting nitrogen fertilizer
[that feeds crops over a long grow
ing period has been developed by
[soil scientists of .the U. S. Depart
ment of Agriculture.
The Murder of Jack Hall And
Wife W as Most Brutal Crime
Ever Committed In County
Tin- Sylva Lions Club plans to
?-..At' KM) jut cent registration at
'.he State oiiivciitt'in wnich meets j
in Ashes ille May 2a, 2(5 and 27.
Tni> i.nr.ua! convention will be
known as the 25th, or Silver Jubi- 1
lei', in celebration ol the 25th year
<)i tite organization.
North Carolina js divided into
three districts kncwn as .'51 A. B.
& C. and all three districts will be
represented at the .Jubilee meet
ing. Wolev W. Brown, ol Ashe
ville, i< chairman of the consen
.an. He and hi.- committee has
.rranged a lull thr<^e day program
.or the occasion, with plenty en
tertainment Ioj* t.ie ladies who at
tend.
The prineipaf speaker \wll be
Hon. Dr. liamini Colhrtrzo, ol'
Havana, Cuba, ss i o is immediate
P .>t presideut ?j 1 Lions Interna
*.i ia I. He will make his talk at
' e la>t .e.-.si?n <>l the la>t day. ot
; c ns enti< >n.
F ;vinn c.' inti ?? having- Lions
?' >a -. ss .T i e !a ;u red with 1 lag
.?? . eiroi.'es. Tie Ss Is a Club has
? i .v ,s ado.-, with Miss Thelm
?v tee!, daughter ol I.ioji Pro ident
'!< re l'ftiet, 11*,;resen11ng. Mi-.
.!? a-u ,i'ir ,rry>ui.. daughter ? ol
A. Hi ss mi. pa>t pre.-iden?
i\i p. st uMrict pivcrnor, will 1a
v.i. alternates
/(if/iNoii Farmvrn
t.OOO Avrvn
To Xvtr l*attiurv
'...gloved pastures is where the
basis is being placed this year
;.y the Jackson County AAA com
n .ttee. Good pastures conserve soil
results in larger yields.
Approximately 4.000 acres of
pasture have been seeded this
spring in Jackson County, accord
ing to good pasture practices. This
include.*! reseeding of depleted land
nrd planting new pastures. Also
the application of lime and phos
pnate and a season-long system
lor preventing overgrazing. The
\AA t;iis year h.is furnished pas
ture .-eeds to farmers through the
local dealers by issuing a purcha.-:
order slip which the farmer take
to ti.e dealer of his choice and pays
?Continued on page 6
...UA
COUNTY, STATE AND
FEDERAL OFFICERS
PROBING SLAYING
Sheriff Griffin Middleton an
nounced Wednesday that a reward
of $600 has been posted for any
information leading to the arrest
and conviction of party or parties
connected with the brutal killing
of Jack Hall and his wife, Margie
Maples Hall.
funeral rites were held at 11
o'clock yesterday morning at East
Fol k Baptist church for Mr. Hull,
while services for Mrs. Hall were
held at the same hour at Pigeon
Forge Baptist church at Sevier
ville, Term.
As The Herald goes to press
county, state, nnd federal officers
are pushing t ho probe into the
slaying of the Sylva taxi operator
and his wife, winch took place
?bmetime around o'clock Mon
day morning at a .secluded spot on
t&Pe Id Dilisboro road, just outside
the city limits. The body of Hall
and his wife were discovered about
six o'clock Monday morning by
Homer Green, Jud Robinson, and
James Clonyz when en route to
woi k at Mead Corporation. Sheriff
Middleton was immediately noti
ir d ar^J ni rived on the secene a
, .v moments lt#teriV-Mi^- Hall vvas
1 i'otind lying .on - the floor, of the
Iront seat ol his taxi and Mrs. Hall
was sprawled across the front seat.
li..ll was already dead l'pfn brutal
blow* about the head, which left
pails of his skull and brain <>n the
roadside and running bo.ml of the
car. Mrs. Hall was still al.ve but
died at 3 o'clock Mond <y after
noon Irom several blow- on the
head in Harris hospital. Inquests
held by county coroner C \V. Dills
stated that 11.ill and his wi:'e came
to the.i death at the han<i ,?f per
son, or persons unknown, ng a
blunt instrument.
| The Hal Is were last seen alive
in Sylva at about 10:i'0 Sunday
night. She usually aecuiin/.awed her
husband on his night trips, rela
tive.^ of the couple stated.
Mr. Hall, 30, Sylva taxi opera
tor and holder of large property
investments, and ,his 20 year old
wife had been married about a
year.
Mr. Hall was said to have been
in the habit of carrying large sums
of money on his person, which was
generally known. However, $387
was found in his pockets after he
i was murdered. But relatives be
j ':eve he had a nvich larger sum
I; t the time.
-?Continued on page 7
Jackson Welfare Department
Provides Care For Babies
The following i.rticle was writ
ten by the County Wfifiir" T)"
partment for The Herald Baby
Week issue and states the type of
services rendered the babies of the
county.
The welfare staff of the county
[ is c omposed of Mr. T. C. Henson,
Superintendent; Miss Helen D'An
na, and Miss Hena Cathey, case
workers.
' Baby Week is of particular in
terest to the Jackson County Wel
fare Department because its serv
ices center around the protective
rights due every child. The pro
gram of "Aid to Dependent Chil
dren" offers financial assistance
when one parent is physically or
mentally incapable of supporting
the family, but can give parental
care. This enables a child to re
main with its own parents or par
ent. Whpn it f"r thr> hnit in tow.
: e. t of a baby, to oe placed in a
I
I I osier home, it is the responsibility
| of the Welfare Department to lo
cate and supervise these place
ments. Quite oiten tins service is
needed for a child born out of
wed-lock. The protective rights lor
the child, the mother, and foster
family are carefully guarded. Su
pervision of children in their own
home is often requested and we
are interested in giving advice that
wiil be helpful to a parent and a
child. We hela families ir learn
ing of resources which are pro-,
vided for good health and mental
welfare. Baby Week emphasizes
the good care and protection that
every child needs and' that is our
interest for every Jackson countf
baby."
Remember Babies - - National Baby Week, April 27- May S-- Better Babies