The News-Journal
The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
Volume LXXVI Number 6 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $10 PER YEAR 25 CENTS Thursday, May 31, 1984
' Legislative funds
eyed again
for courthouse
An attempt will be made to obtain funds for the restoration of the
Hoke County Courthouse during the State Legislature's short ses
sion which began on Wednesday, state Rep. Daniel H. DeVane
said.
If a bill that has been proposed by state Senator David Parnell
passes, the county could get $82,500 to begin the repairs on the
72-year-old courthouse.
According to Devane, for a bill to be considered by the
Legislature in the short session, it must first be unanimously backed
by the local delegation.
Although the Hoke County representative said he could not
speak for other members of the delegation, Devane did say that he
will be supporting that bill for the courthouse.
"From what I understand, this bill is being held over from the
last long session," said Hoke County Manager James Martin.
The bill was introduced during last year's regular session but was
not funded. The short session bill should be similar, Martin said.
That bill failed to reach a vote, and other funds from the "pork
barrel" bill, which had been expected to come to the courthouse
went to another Hoke County historical site.
During the last session, Mill Prong, a 181-year-old Hoke County
landmark, received $25,000 from the pork barrel funds.
Currently the county is taking bids for work to be done to the
courthouse, but actual construction will depend on state funding,
the county manager said.
"We are now taking bids for (contractors to make repairs to) the
metal area of the roof, the water carry-off system and outside
masonry," Martin said.
Alternate bids are being taken for window repair and some inside
plaster repair, he added.
According to Martin, the alternate bids will be considered by the
the County Board of Commissioners only if there is money left over
after contracts are awarded for the outside repairs.
The next step in the process of making the repairs will be the
awarding of contracts to construction companies on the basis of the
amount of money on hand, Martin said.
If any contracts are to be awarded at all, the stale must come
through with the funds, he added.
County officials hope to couple the Legislative grant with other
federal monies to make the needed repairs on the historic structure.
County employees and officials have complained about a lack of
space in the facility and the poor condition of the courthouse.
In addition to exterior problems with the building, the courthouse
has been sighted as having inadequate bathroom facilities and poor
heating, air conditioning and ventilation.
Repairs also need to be made to correct peeling paint and plaster.
The roof of the building around metal flashing is leaking and
needs repairing, and exterior bricks need to be rechinked and sealed
to prevent leaking.
In order to complete the repairs, county officials hope to garner
about $189,000 in federal and state grants.
Some of those funds will have to be matched with local money.
United Way behind
in reaching' 84 goal
Around Town
By Sam Morris
The weather for the past few
days has been hot. We have had an
occasional rain, but not enough to
make the folks with a garden hap
py. We are thankful for what we
get, but as usual we want more.
The forecast calls for the
weather to continue as it has been,
so we can expect a thundershower
every so often.
t % *
The following letter was received
last week and we will comment on
it at the end:
Dear "Mr. Morris,
You said to write if I ever had
any news. 1 don't know that this
qualifies as "news," but it was in
teresting.
Today I fixed some flowers from
my yard to take down to the Viet
Nam Memorial in Washington to
put beneath Sam Warlick's name.
Sam and my brother Harold
(Gatlin) were born the same month
and were best boy-hood friends. I
always take flowers down in May
to remember Sam's birthday and
again on November 30, the an
niversary of his death.
Today as 1 was placing the bou
quet a lady asked if she could take
my picture placing the flowers. She
was from a newspaper in Carbon
County, Pennsylvania and planned
to use the picture on Memorial
Day.
1 asked if she would please send
a copy of the paper to the Warlicks
and a print to The News-Journal.
She said she would. I know it pro
bably won't get there by Memorial
Day, but maybe The News-Journal
can use it when, and if it comes.
Please ask someone to be on the
lookout for it.
We are proud of all our Hoke
County veterans and especially
those who gave their lives for our
country.
If there are other Hoke County
mothers who would like for me to
put a flower by their son's name,
I'd be happy to do so.
Sincerely,
Lilmar Taylor
Williams
Lilmar Taylor-Williams is the
daughter of Marion Gatlin and the
late Mrs. Gatlin and lives near
Washington. We think that her
placing of flowers on the Vietnam
Memorial was very thoughtful.
But her offer to do so for any
Hoke Countian is what you would
say, "beyond the call of duty." It
is so good to have someone that
loves her native county so much.
The picture she writes about in
her letter is appearing elsewhere in
The News-Journal. She must have
made an impression on the lady
from Pennsylvania, as a nice letter
accompanied the photo.
We appreciate your letter,
Lilmar Sue, and we hate we didn't
get to speak to you last weekend.
You are a credit to Hoke County.
Maybe the letter brought
Memorial Day to my attention, but
it seems more has been written and
more has been on TV this year
than in recent years. It could have
been the return of the Vietnam
soldier to be placed in the tomb of
the Unknown Soldier that has
brought forth the publicity.
Anyway we think it is wonderful.
We think that the giving of one's
(See AROUND, page 14)
Remembering Raeford dead
Mrs. Lilmar Taylor-Williams, who is the daughter D. Warlick, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey U'arlick
of Marion Gatlin of Raeford, takes a moment to of Raeford. Lt. Warlick was killed in action in
place flowers at the Vietnam Memorial in 1967. (Photo by Andy Mihalik)
W ashington, D.C. in memory of Marine Lt. Sam
History teacher only suspect
in commerce of pornography
By Ed Miller
Former Hoke High history
teacher Robert Taylor was ap
parently the only adult involved in
the illegal commerce of "obscene"
photographs taken of local
minors, the probe into the matter
revealed.
"The investigation indicates that
there was one adult male involved
in taking and selling pictures. That
was Taylor," Hoke County Sheriff
Dave Barrington said.
There were other adults, in
cluding a female, involved in pos
ing for the photographs; however,
all are legal aged adults and all ap
parently willingly participated,
Barrington said.
After a consultation with
District Attorney Ed Grannis and
Assistant District Attorney Jean
Powell, Barrington said he did not
plan to file further charges.
Any violations which may have
occurred would apparently fall
under the obsolete laws covering
"crimes against nature," and
charges would be difficult to pro
secute.
During the investigation, which
ended after Taylor apparently took
his own life, officers discovered
that photographs of a Hoke Coun
ty youth had been sold by Taylor
and published in "Skin"
magazine, Barrington said.
Taylor had been in contact with
this magazine and others like it via
a post office box registered under
the fictitious name of Alex Lowry,
the Sheriff said.
An investigation into Taylor's
operation was about to culminate
last week when the Hoke High
school teacher shot and killed
himself.
According to Barrington, Taylor
had promised 10 meet with the
sheriff on Thursday and deliver a
key to a locked metal box found in
the trunk of Taylor's 1981 Datsun
sedan.
The Hoke High teacher shot
himself prior to the meeting.
Barrington was searching
Taylor's residence under a warrant
that had been issued because the
teacher was suspected of submit
ting pictures of a minor male child
to a California film developing
company.
Contained in the metal box were
about 900 photographs and slides
of a pornographic nature, as well
as some magazines and letters
from different publishing com
panies discussing the sale of
photographs.
Hoke man being held without bond
for shotgun slaying of his wife
By Ed Miller
A Racford man was in the Hoke
County Jail Tuesday awaiting trial
on charges that he shot and killed
his wife.
No bond had been set for Larry
Donald McCain, 32, who has been
charged with the May 23 slaying of
Sarah Ann McCain, 33, according
to a spokesman for the Hoke
County Sheriffs department.
Mrs. McCain was hit in the neck
by a blast from a shotgun as she
lay in her bed, reports show.
Deputy A.R. Odom reported
that upon arrival at the house
trailor where the incident occur
red, the victim was leaning against
a chest of drawers, already dead,
with a shot gun wound on the right
side of her neck.
The investigation showed that a
shotgun had apparently been fired
twice through a bedroom window,
the report says.
Detective Ed Harris reported
finding three holes in the curtains
over the windows, a hole going
through a pillow and into the mat
tress. and a lead pellet in the bed.
Both deputies reported finding a
spent shotgun shell outside of the
window.
The suspect and the victim were
said to be husband and wife, but
were separated at the time of the
incident, sources said.
According to the sheriff's
reports, witnesses claim to have
heard McCain make threatening
remarks against the victim to
friends.
The case is under investigation,
reports say.
By Ed Miller
As the campaign nears an end,
the Hoke County United Fund is
well behind the 1984 goal of
$26,230 and may not be able to
meet the expected needs of local
agencies for the coming year.
As of Tuesday, the Fund had
collected almost $21,000, accord
ing to Campaign Chairman Ken
Witherspoon.
"I'm not sure whether we'll
meet our goal or not," said
Witherspoon, adding that pledges
had not been collected from local
banks or from some local
businesses who usually contribute
substantial amounts.
The drive is scheduled to end
May 31, said Witherspoon.
According to the chairman,
Burlington Industries has done its
usual outstanding job by raising
$12,931 from employees as well as
$3,000 from the Burlington Foun
dation.
As to the reasons why the goal
may fall short this year. Wither
spoon said that there has not been
a campaign conducted within state
agencies yet.
"We are going to do that in
September or October," he said.
According to Witherspoon,
there are some identifiable areas
where the contributions have not
been as strong as usual this year.
"The Century Club (a group
whose members contribute $100
per person) has been off tremen
dously this year." he said.
If the fund is unable to raise
beyond the 80ro of goal now on
hand, it could mean that some
county organizations such as the
Rescue Squad, the Boy Scouts and
Girl ScvHits, the 4-H Council, the
Lion's Club, the county chapter of
the American Red Cross, the Hoke
Literacy Council, the Children's
Center and the Hoke County
Association for the Developmen
tally Disabled could have request^
for funds cut.
Fowler remembered
at Chamber dinner
The memory of the late Director
Earl N. Fowler was honored dur
ing the annual members' banquet
of the Raeford-Hoke Chamber of
Commerce held Tuesday evening.
Fowler's widow, Marilyn
Fowler, was presented a plaque by
Chamber Board member Clyde
Upchurch, who noted that, "Earl
was sensitive to the needs of the
community and made Raeford a
better place to live."
Mrs. Fowler also received a copy
of a resolution praising her late
husband, which had been passed
by the Hoke County Commission
on May 14.
"Earl Fowler served well and
put the county ahead of his own
goals," Commission Chairman
John Balfour read from the resolu
tion.
In other business. City Coun
cilman Benny McLeod was named
president of the Chamber for the
coming year.
McLeod replaces Ste\e Parker,
who remains on the job in an e\
officio capacity until a new direc
tor can be found.
Tom Howell, Julian Butler, Jim
my McPhaul, Julian Johnson and
James Wood were also named to
terms on the Board of Directors.
Out-going members Terr>
Houston and Ruth Parrish will re
main temporarily on the board to
help with the selection of a new
director.
Blooming spring
These wild flowers seem to be flourishing because of the recent wet
and warm spring weather. The county was expected to hmw rmin for
the balance of the week, which should aid locml farmers with young
crops.