The News
MADISON
SERVING THE PEOPt
COUNTY LIBRARY
GtNLRAL DLL. 1 VERY
MARSHALL NO
Y SINCE 1901
20/3 J
m-i
-
Vol. 84 No. 49
W*
?WEDNESDAY, December 5, 19*4
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Story
Commumt
Cctieiidtar
Marshall Pageant Set For Dec. 14
MARSHALL PAGEANT PLAYERS Peggy Bartlett, Sherry
Fender, Sheila Fender, Darren Chandler, Sherry Blankenship
and Carmen McDarijs are preparing for the return of the
pageant on Dec. 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. The pageant will be held
in front of the county court house in Marshall.
Spring Creek VFD Auction
The Spring Creek Volunteer Fire Dept. will hold an auction
on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. Plenty of good tools, toys and small ap
pliances and other items will be offered. Everyone is urged to
attend.
Financial Aid Workshop Set
Madison High School will hold a financial aid workshop on
Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. in the school library. Representatives from
area colleges and technical schools will be present to explain
financial aid programs available to Madison County students
All interested students and parents are invited to attend.
Optimists Meet Thursday Night
The Madison Central Optimists Club will meet Thursday
night at 7 p.m. at Mary's Restaurant in Marshall. All
members are asked to attend to help with Christmas Cheer
planning
Marshall Legion Post Meets
The American Legion Post No. 317 will hold their monthly
meeting on Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Legion Hall on Back
Street in Marshall. All members are invited to attend.
Optimists Plan Holiday Tourney
The annual Madison County Optimist Club invitational
Basketball Post-Christmas tournament will be held December
26th-31st at Madison High School Gym beginning at 5 p.m. for
boys and girls, grades 3-8. The Club is now accepting team
enteries. Call Ralph Baldwin, tournament chairman jkat
649-2968 or Bryce Hall, secretary-treasurer at 649-3515 or
255-7356 for more information.
Laurel VFD Bingo Party
The ladies auxiliary of the Laurel Volunteer Fire Dept. will
sponsor a bingo game Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. at the fire station.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Town Board To Meet
The Marshall Board of Aldermen will meet on Dec. 10 at 7: 30
p.m. in Town Hall.
Burley Prices
Hold Steady
Bur ley tobacco prices held steady
as the third week of sales opened
Mooday The leaf continued to com
mand an average price near $l.8S a
pound in North Carolina and Ten
nessee markets.
Aaheville markets reported sales
totalling 956,408 pounds Monday for
an average price of (1.8478. Day's
Tobacco Warehouse reported sales of
323,890 pounds at an average price of
$1.8404 Dixie Big Burley reports
sales of 408,388 pounds at an average
price of $1 8524 on Monday. Farmers'
Tobacco Warehouse reported sales of
109,148 pounds at an average price of
$1.8601.
In Tennessee, Big Burley
Warehouse in Johnson City, Tenn.
reported sales of 258,576 pounds at an
average sale price of >1.8298.
Growers and Star Warehouses in
Greeneville, Tenn. did not conduct
sales on Monday.
Auctions continue throughout this
week.
County Jobless Rate
Hits 11.1 Pet.
rate increased
lOwt percent during the month due t
the layoffs
Neighboring counties also saw
in ease during
a at^vide trend that am
creaae in 71 fl
ing he
Testimony Begins In
Johnson Murder Trial
by ELIZABETH D. SQUIRE
Evidence of a "horrendous crime" in which a father used a
five-year-old girl to "get back" at his wife ? this is what Tom
Rusher, Madison Coufity District Attorney, told a jury Monday
he would show during the first-degree-murder trial of Richard
Johnson, 36, of Hot Springs.
At the trial, in Madison County courthouse, Rusher said he
would show evidence that the death of Johnson's daughter,
Joyce Johnson, was the father's "ultimate triumph" and that it
was no coincidence her death happened on Father's Day.
Defense attorney A. E. Leake asked the jury to remember
that, although the D.A.'s witnesses would testify that, the de
fense expected to show evidence "contrary to what the District
Attorney expects to prove," and that his client does not know
how the child's death happened, nor bears responsibility for it.
Christopher Lewis Johnson, 12-year-old son of Richard John
son, testified that on the night of June 16 his sister was in good
health and playing and "roughhousing." And another witness,
15-year-old Todd Snelson, told of seeing the two at their Johnson
grandparents' house that night.
Next morning, Christopher said, his father gave his sister
"medicine" from a white bottle. She protested, saying "No, it
tastes awful." Christopher said the medicine smelled like bug
poison, a smell he knew because he was sick after breathing
some earlier.
He said his father left him to look after lhis sister and went to
town, and two minutes after his father left, white foam began to
come out of the girl's mouth. He said her stomach growled "like
somebody whispering". He pushed her chest and more "white
stuff" came out of her mouth. She staggered around and then
lay down and said "Brother, I'm mad at you," and then "I want
to go to sleep." Christopher said she then stopped moving.
Defense attorney William Patton asked him why he did not call
hi? grandpa qents jn^Kt door; Christopher said he though they
were asleep.
He said his father came back and they took Joyce to the
ambulance.
In answer to a question from the District Attorney, Chris
topher said his sister put nothing in her mouth that morning
except the medicine. Defense lawyer William Patton asked
Christopher if the medicine bottle was the same one his sister
had been taking medicine from for two or three days. Young
Johnson said he was not sure but he thought so.
"To your knowledge, would your father ever hurt you or
Joyce?" Patton asked. The boy said "no."
Arthur Fowler, Hot Springs emergency medical technician,
told of seeing Richard Johnson after he left home the morning
of June 17 . About 7 : 20 or 7 : 30, Fowler said, as he started to leave
a restaurant where they were both eating, Johnson asked
FoWler where the ambulance was.
The ambulance was not in its usual place because it was
being partly repainted, Fowler said. He said an ambulance
would be available if needed .
Fowler and Alma Stills, who worked in the restaurant, both
testified to a conversation in which Johnson told Fowler he
might need an ambulance later. Alma Stills said Johnson was
in the restaurant about half an hour because he had to wait for
here to make an egg sandwich and she was busy.
Fowler testified that at about 8:20 or 8:25 Richard Johnson
brought his daughter to the ambulance. Fowler said she was
unconscious, having trouble breathing with white foam
"roping" out of her mouth and nose. He said Johnson was calm
and unexcited. Fowler said he and Boyd Norton attended the
girl' on the ambulance while Johnson and Christopher rode
behind in a truck.
Norton said he saw the foam "like coca cola when you shake it
? a steady flow," and called to get EMS Unit 8 from Weaver
?, t\ " : Cwrtieeed-e* P*#e S
Hot Springs Broke
By ROBERT KOEN1G
The town of Hot Springs is facing
municipal bancruptcy as a result of
administrative errors made during a
housing rehabilitation project during
the 1970's.
Hot Springs owes the North
Carolina Employment Security Com
mission approximately )34,000 for
unemployment benefits paid to
workers on a Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) project in the
town in 1979-79. The bill from ESC is
over a year overdue, according to Hot
Springs Mayor Debbie Baker.
The town received notice of the
debt, which was originally $44,000, in
April, 1983. The ESC notice asked for
payment by November of last year.
Since that time. Baker said, the town
has paid the ESC $15,000.
Alderman Waylon Puryear,
delivering a report on the situation,
said Hot Springs currently owes
"about $34,000" when penalties and
interest are included. Puryear warn
ed that the town could face bancrupt
cy and that the state Local Govern
ment Commission could come in and
set taxes and water and sewer rates
to retire the debt.
Mayor Baker had no solution to the
problem at Monday night's meeting.
She said the town is currently
negotiating with the ESC to work out
a payment schedule
Hot Springs' financial troubles are
similar to those recently faced by
Marshall. Both towns have been forc
ed to make substantial payments to
ESC for benefits paid to workers on
HUD rehabilitation projects. Mar
Continued on Page It
Dayco
Promises
Assistance
By ROBERT KOENIG
Hot Springs and county officiate
met with representatives of Dayeo
Corp. and industrial recruiters Fri
day afternoon in Weaverville to
discuss plans for the vacant plant
formerly occupied by the Melville
Shoe Co.
Dayco Corporation holds a 17-year
lease on the vacant plant. The com
pany cancelled plans to operate a
auto radiator hose manufacturing
operation in Hot Springs last week
after reaching accord with the United
Rubber Workers at Davco's
members Dob Anderson and Jerry
Plemons, Charles Erwin of the North
Carolina Employment Security Com
mission, Tim Richards of the Land of
the Sky Regional Council and In
dustrial recruiters Becky Williams
ad Mike Gouge. Dayco Corp. was
represented by industrial relation
manager Arnold Robinson and Sam
Wiggins, diretor of manufacturing at
the Wajmesville plant.
Robinson tdb) the county officials
that the riaeMun to cancel plans far
the Hoi Springs facility were 'hi
res ult of Dayco - agreement with the
union The union demanded that a
Jury Hears
Medical Evidence
By ELIZABETH SQUIRE
On the morning of the second day of the Richard Johnson
murder trial, the jury of seven women and five men heard
more medical testimony from doctors and nurses at Memorial
Mission Hospital. The jury watched the state begin to trace the
progress of two vials of the contents of Joyce Johnson's
stomach from the emergency room at Memorial Mission
Hospital to W.A. Williams. Mr. Williams is the pesticide
epidemiologist with the Division of Health Services. Dept. of
Human Resources in Raleigh.
Dr. David Carl Biggers, who performed an autopsy on Joyce .
on June 29, said death was due to an enlargement and soften
ing of the brain and perfectly consistent with orga no
phosphate poisoning. cmtM m p age ?
4 : ; 4 ? ci ? ?
Ledford Elected
By ROBERT KOENIG
The Madison County Commis
sioners opened their monthly meeting
Monday night by adjourning to ex
ecutive session to reorganise
themselves. When they returned
some 30 minutes later, they elected
James Ledford to serve as chairman
of the hoard. Ledford succeeds Ervin
Adams, who replaced Ledford as
chairman last year.
The commissioners also voted for
Adams as vice chairman of the three
member board and renamed Larry
Leake to serve as board attorney and
David Caldwell to serve as the
board's clerk.
In other appointment made Mon
day night, the commissioners renam
ed Maynard Cody to the county Hous
ing Board and hired Bobbie T.