ELKIN
The Best Little Town In
North Carolina
THE TRIBUNE
Is A Member of the Audit
Bureau of Circulations
The Elkin Tribune
ELKIN
Gateway to Roaring Gap and
The Blue Ridge
THE TRIBUNE
Serves the Tri-Counties of
Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin
1 VOL. No. XXXVII No. 9
PUBLISHED MONDAY AND THURSDAY ELKIN, N. C.f MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1949
$3.00 PER YEAR IN NORTH CAROLINA
12 PAGES—TWO SECTIONS
*
Seen Along...
The Elk Trail
. . Girl in green from City
caie neiping oia man across sireei.
. . . Everyone buzzing about the
murder, and everyone telling a
different version of the story.
. . . Bob Isbell calling City Hall
to clear up a point on a story and
forgetting what he wanted to ask
between the time he picked up
the phone and received his num
bcr.
. . . Daphne Fletcher, at lunch,
busily reading latest copy of the
Farm Bureau News.
. . . Crowd of curious people
standing around in the mud at
the scene w’here murdered man
was found.
. . . Numerous people using
steps of postoffice as ideal spot
to stop and pass the time of day.
. . . Frustrated look on face of
news photographer upon discover
ing he had failed to pull dark
slide from camera before snapping
shutter.
. . . Willie Bell looking very un
happy over the fact that so much
i excitement had occurred in Elkin
Asunday without him getting wind
of it.
. . . Abe Harris telling Bill Cox
to date the next electric light
bulb he puts into use for an ac
curate estimate of how long such
a bulb will give service.
. . . Transposed line in want
ad making it sound like Ed Sny
der's was selling electric refriger
ators of thousands of feet capacity.
. . . "Aloa, the Alligator Boy,”
in town for an exhibition, contact
ing Dixie Graham at City Hall
as to permit and etc.
. . . Pleased look on Ted Grif
fin's face when he found the last
copy of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s
recording of "Silent Night” had
been sold.
. . . Mrs. Grace Pope Brown,
I^Homc Demonstration Agent, get
ting congratulatory letter from
Senator Clyde Hoey for her recent
honor.
Ed’s Note: We don't want the
same names every week for the
Elk Trail. If you readers like
the column and would like to
see your name or your friends'
names here, drop us a line, or
call us, or, better still, come in
to The Tribune office and we’ll
be glad to use your ideas. Re
member however, the name of
the person submitting the article
must be supplied.
4-H WINNERS
ARE RELEASED
Evelyn Waugh, Anna Jean
Holbrook Take Most
Achievement Awards
4 ELKIN GIRLS HONORED
Evelyn Waugh of White Plains
and Anna Jean Holbrook of El
kin took top honors in the 4-H
achievement awards made at the
county courthouse in Dobson this
morning.
Miss Waugh was presented med
als for first place in clothing
achievement and was awarded an
other medal for general achieve
ment. She placed second in the
(Continued On Page Four)
Hi Yo, Silver!
The Lone Ranger
Now Semi-Weekly
Beginning with this issue, the
Lone Ranger serial, which has
been running in The Tribune
Monday only with six days of
releases, will be carried in both
Monday and Thursday issues,
with three strips each date.
This will enable the subscrib
er to enjoy a more continuous
story, and will appear at more
frequent intervals.
The Tribune’s readers have.
^iown much interest, in the
Strip, and we urge those who do
Hot already follow it, to do
Ko each Monday and Thursday.
ALLEGED KILLER ANI) Ml’RDER VICTIM — Tragic aftermath of an investigation which began at
4:00 a. m. Saturday and ended Sunday p. m. about 6:00 o’clock when police obtained a confession
from John Worth Gamble, 18. of Winston-Salem, that he had shot and killed Clary L. Brown, 32, also
of Winston-Salem, is shown in the two photographs above. Top photo shows Gamble as he was taken
from the Elkin police station following 20 hours of grilling which ended in a confession which desig
nated the place where the body had been hidden. With Gamble is State Bureau of Investigation Agent
John Edwards, of Elkin. Chief of Eilkin Police Corbett Wall is shown at rear. Bottom photo shows
the murdered man as he was found sprawled in the woods about 75 feet off highway 268 near Elkin
western city limit. (tribune photo)
JURORS NAMES
ARE RELEASED
Jurors For Coming1 Terms ()l
Surry Superior Court
Are Listed
80 PERSONS ASSIGNED
Names of jurors for the coming
term of the Surry Superior Court
beginning January 9, 1950, were
released last week.
They were as follows:
Mrs. J. W. Beasley, Clinton
Snow, Ralph Creed, W. F. Bcam
er, D. C. Cockerham, Elsevan
Atkins. J. C. Snow, Merlin At
kins, Bert Flinchum, E. S. Combs,
Ernest Hanes, J. W. Cook, Herman
G. Simpson, Charlie Gentry,
Robah George, Cecil Stone, A. R.
(Continued On Page Four) .
Three Charged After
Automobile Overturns
Three negroes of War, W. Va„
were arrested here Friday after
tire automobile in which they were
traveling turned over several miles
north of Elkin on Highway 21.
Sylvester Ferguson, 32, the driv
er, Charles Thompson, 39, and A.
F. Ferguson, 22, weue charged with
possessing illegal whiskey. The
driver was charged with operating
a vehicle while under the influence
of an intoxicant.
Cpl. R. I. Barr, highway pa
trolman who investigated the ac
cident, said that the driver ap
parently lost control of the ve
hicle. The car was badly damaged.
All three were taken by ambu
lance to the Hugh Chatham Mem
orial Hospital where attendants
released them after finding no
appreciable injuries.
The trio will be tried at the
next term of Elkin Recorder’s
Court.
Charily Drive Shows
$238 On $1,000 Coal
The goal of $1,000 still seems
far off in the Community Christ
ian Charity fund drive.
Less than two weeks are remain
ing until Christmas and only $238
have been turned in at the receiv
ing station at The Tribune office |
up to now. The amount showed
an encouraging rise of $107 last
week, however.
The Rev. George Farah, chair
man of the fund, hopes for a res
ponsive answer to the drive Sun
day when offerings will be collect
ed at the various churches in the
community for the drive.
Members of the Elkin Minister
ial Association agreed to set aside
this coming Sunday, December 18,
for the special offering.
This fund is in operation
throughout the year, The Rev. Mr.
Farah reminded today, and helps
those families in need to get “over
the hump.’’ Contributions of food,
clothing, or money are welcomed.
A room has been provided by
Hugh Royall for storage of articles
in the fund for the entire year.
Fund committeemen were very
pleased over this addition to the
drive, since a storage place is need
ed for food and other articles,
which will be distributed through
out the coming year.
Making gifts last week were:
Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Smith, Jr.,
£50.
Jacquelyn and Phyllis Brown,
clothing.
Miss Lois Johnson, $5.
M' s Mittie Johnson, $5.
Claude Farrell, $5.
Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Leary, $10.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dillon, $10.
Mrs. Linville Norman, clothing.
Dr. J. S. Hiatt, $5.
Betty Ann and Linda Parker, $5.
Friends, $15.
Names of 30 needy families
have already been accumulated,
according to the fund chairman,
as compared to the 22 helped last
year.
JAYCEE AWARD
POINTS GIVEN
Nominations For Distinguish
ed Service Award Com
ing In Slowly
PROCEDURE IS OUTLINED
Nominations for the Elkin Jun
ior Chamber of Commerce Dis
tinguished Service Award are com
ing in slowly, Joe Gwyn Bivins
chairman of the awards commit
tee, reported today.
"We are urging, however, that
every possible nomination be plac
ed before the judges by Christ
mas,” Mr. Bivins explained.
The procedure is simple, he de
clared. listing these points foi
those wishing to submit a candi
date for the award.
1—.The person submitted foi
consideration for the award musl
be between the ages of 21-35, bul
need not be a member of the Jay
cees.
2 -The name of the person bj
letter or in person, submitted tc
Mr. Bivins is sufficient.
3— The name of the-person sub
mitting the nomination is option
al. It is desirable but not nec
essary.
4— List, if desired, whatevei
reason you wish for submittinj
the nomination, but this too i;
not necessary.
The Distinguished Servici
Award is an annual project of th<
Elkin chapter of Jaycees.- Similai
projects arc conducted by manj
other Jaycee groups over NortI
Carolina and the nation.
County Seal Sale
Reaches $2,835.3C
Total receipts from Christmas
Seal sales in Surry County hac
climbed to $2,835.30 through Sat
urday, it was reported today b:
Miss Louise G. Bailey, chairmar
of the drive.
The campaign goal is $6,000.
Canned apricots are deliciou:
served with rice pudding.
Boy Confesses He Shot,
Killed C. L. Brown Here
Continuous
Search Made
By Officers
A tense atmosphere settled with
the bleakness of the week-end
over Elkin’s Town Hall as officers
worked furiously and deftly over
the case of Clary L. Brown, driver
of a pie truck, who had been
missing from his Winston-Salem
home since Friday.
Inside, John Worth Gamble, 18,
underwent intense questioning by
officers of the law. Outside, a
curious throng crowded the win
dow and waited with equal tense
ness for a confession to break
through.
Until the confession came late
yesterday afternoon, the case had
progressed to this point:
1— Clary L. Brown had failed
to return home following a rou
tine trip from Winston-Salem to
Mount 1 Airy, Elkin and Wilkes
County.
2— Unofficial search had been
begun by a representative of
Brown’s firm, the Piedmont Pie
Company of Greensboro.
3— It was known that John
Worth Gamble, 18, was the last
person seen with Brown. He had
left Winston-Salem with him as
he had on other o c c a s i o.n s .
Wilkes County restaurant opera
tors and store operators had seen
the two together on the morning
of the day Brown went missing.
4— Brown’s truck had been sit
ting by a parking meter almost in
front of the Town Hall since some
time within an hour of 2:20 p. m.,
Friday. It was at this time that
LEAF MARKET
NEARS CLOSE
Only Four Markets Operate
In Old Belt Section
For Past Week
LOW QUALITY PREVAILS
The marketing season on __ the
i Old Belt flue-cured tobacco mar
| kets was almost completed last
week. The United States, North
Carolina and Virginia Depart
ments of Agriculture report that
lower quality marketings and a
large percentage of damaged and
unsound tobacco pulled the week
ly average $3.30 per hundred un
der the previous low average of
$40.34 the week before.
The thirteenth week began with
* only four markets operating.
Reidsville, North Carolina held
final sales Friday, December 9.
Danville, and South Boston, Vir
ginia and Winston-Salem, North
Carolina are scheduled to close
their season next Friday, Decem
ber 16.
Gross sales during the week
amounted to only 4,264,434 pounds
at an average of $37.04 per hun
dred. Season sales were raised to
241,167,129 pounds averaging
$45.74.
Although several average prices
(Continued On Page Four)
Gamble’s Father
Helped Obtain
Confession
Police Chief Corbett Wall said
today that the father of John
Worth Gamble was responsible
for the confession of his son.
“He helped us immeasurably,"
the chief said, declaring that
the confession might have been
much longer in coming had the
officers not secured the father’s
help.
As reports go in the excite
ment of things, W'all pointed
out, it was interpreted by some
that Mr. Gamble did not coop
erate in helping obtain the
confession. “This is absolutely
false," he declared. “Without
Mr. Gamble we would have
been handicapped.”
BAND CONCERT
HEARD BY CLUB
Kiwanians Also Hear Inter'
esting Accounts Of 4-H
C'luh Congress
ARE TO HOED AUCTIOIS
Brief talks by Mrs. Grace Pope
Brown, Surry home demonstratior
agent; Miss Anna Jean Holbrook
Surry 4-H Club member, and i
concert by the Elkin High schoo
band featuring last Thursday';
meeting of the Elkin Kiwani:
Club.
Mrs. Brown, who was honorec
at the National 4-H Club Con
press in Chicago, and Miss Hoi
brook, who won the right to at
tend the meeting due to an out
standing record, both gave an ac
count of their trip, pointing ou
the various interesting highlights
The school band, under the di
rection of Joe Austell, played i
number of band selections. Th
program also included a trombon
solo by Jerry James and trumpe
solo by David Myers. Each wa
accompanied at the piano by Mis
Margaret Cole.
The school band, which is spoil
sored by the Kiwanis club, made i
decidedly good impression upoi
club members, and the announce
ment was made that proceeds o
the Kiwanis Christmas Auction
which will be held Thursday even
ing of this week, will go to th
band.
Kiwanian Hubert Willis intro
duced Mrs. Brown and Miss Hoi
brook. Mr. Austell, in presentin
the band, gave a brief history o
its organization.
President C. H. Leary preside;
during the meeting.
House Catches Afire
Twice Friday Morning
The Elkin Fire Department wa
called twice to the house occupie;
by Howard Seagraves and famil;
in Jonesville Friday morning.
A faulty flue was blamed for th
blaze which came in the earl;
morning and again about 11 a. rr
Fire Chief Ted Brown said tha
damage to the house, which i
owned by Odell Harpe, has bee;
estimated at about $2,000.
20 Hours Of Grilling
Ends At 6:30 Last Night
John Worth Gamble, 18, of Winston-Salem, last night
signed a confession that he shot and killed Clary L. Brown,
32, Friday afternoon by the side of Highway 268 on the out
skirts of Elkin.
Gamble yielded the confession after nearly 20 hours of
grilling by law officers, including State patrolmen, Elkin
police and Surry County officers. He also admitted rifling
the dead man’s pockets of less than $200.
Sgt. H. C. Johnson of the highway patrol, said that
Gamble was arrested at his girl friend’s house near Hays,
Wilkes County after Elkin police began investigation when a
BOOKMOBILE’S
ROUTE LISTED
Schedule For County Visits
For December Released
By Librarian
WEEK’S SLATE LISTED
A schedule for Surry County's
Bookmobile has been released for
the month of December. Mrs. Lil
lian P. Freeman, librarian, re
ported today.
The Bookmobile will not make
its schedule runs if there is rain,
snow or sleet or other adverse
weather during this time, she said.
The schedule for this week is as
1 follows:
; Tuesday—Level Cross (Harbour's
Store) 10 a.m.; Ring’s Store, 10:30
I a. m.; Tucker's Service Station,
| 11 a. in.: Campbell's Service Sta
tion, 11:30 a. m.; Pilot Mountain
(Community Center), 12 noon;
(Pilot Inn), 1 p. m.; Cook's School,
1:30 p. m.: Pilot View (Needham’s
i Store), 2 p. m.; and Simmons'
Store, 2:30 p. m.
Wednesday — Low Gap Run.
Wesley Blanche’s Store, 10 a. m.;
Sparger’s Store, 10:30 a. m.; Skull
Camp Store, 10:45 a. m.; Lowe’s
Store (beyond Low Gap), 11:15
a. m.; Low Gap (Club House Res
taurant), 11:45 a. m.; Snow's
Service Station, 1 p. m.; Holder’s
Grocery, 1:30 p. m.; Toast (Odell’s
Grocery), 2 p. m.; and William
son’s Filling Station, 2:30 p. m.
Thursday — Rockford run. Me
haffey’s Store, 10 a. m.; Tommie
White’s Store, 10:15 a. m.; Fair
view (Gillespie’s Store), 10:30 a.
m.; Crutchfield (Chaney’s Cafe),
10:45 a. m. (Stanley’s Store), 11
a. m.; Venable’s Store, 11:30 a. m.;
Cecil Ring's Store at Copeland,
12 noon: Stony Knoll (Early
Stanley’s Store), 1 p. m.; and
Rockford, Rob Clark's Store, 1:30
p. m.
1
Girls’ Game Added
To YMCA-Elon Card
r
* A girls’ basketball game will pre
cede the YMCA Varsity clash with
* Elon College Thursday night, it
1 was announced today.
An all-star team from Chatham
„ Manufacturing Co., and Elkin will
' play the Hanes Hosiery girls “B”
team in the opener of a double
i header on the Y court, beginning
s at 7 o’clock.
i The Varsity’s game is slated
for 8.
ADDED TO VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURAL TEACHER STAFF — The three young men pictured
above have been added to the vocational agricultural teacher staff of Surry county. They are, left to
right: William H. Cochrane, Jr., a native of Macon county. Twenty-two years old and unmarried,
he attended the University of California and graduated from N. C. State College with a degree in ag
riculture; James M. Wilburn, of Person county, a graduate of N. C. State College. He is married and
has one child. Teaching experience includes six months in Davie county and six years in Person coun
ty. He served three months in the armed service; Clarence L. Warren, a native of Sampson county.
Mr. Warren attended Wake Forest College three years and N. C. State two years. A veteran of the
Marine Corps, he served two of four years in the South Pacific. Last year he taught at Green Hope
school in Wake county.
riilClilJJCl
xji uwiia
III 111-tliu
Ui
Piedmont Pie Company of Greens
boro—-came to Elkin in search of
the driver. Elkin police imme
diately began a search from
scene of the truck which had been
overparked on Market Street since
2:30 p. m„ Friday, when Robert
Thompson, patrolman, had placed
a ticket on it.
Gamble had ridden with Brown
on occasions and Brown had
been trying to secure em
ployment for the youth. They
l left Winston-Salem Friday morn
ing and drove to Mount Airy,
Elkin, into Wilkes County and
back to Surry where Gamble said
he shot the driver. Gamble said
that Brown complained of being
sleepy as the truck neared the
| city limits. He stopped the truck
at a graded area near a clump of
woods where Gamble said he shot
; and dragged the victim to a spot
about 75 feet from the road.
Dr. Seth Beale, acting coroner,
said today that the bullet entered
Brown’s body on the right side of
his chest and emerged near the
spine. The bullet was found in
the backtest of the driver’s seat.
The official search which began
: following the discovery of the
abandoned truck Saturday grew
to great proportions when offi
cers of a wide area joined in.
Questions were asked over the
route which Brown usually took
and store and restaurant opera
tors in the Wilkes area reported
| visits Friday of the pair on their
| rounds.
Following the confession, offi
j cers went immediately to the ap
proximate spot where Gamble said
he shot and left the driver. He
was found lying beneath a tree in
a brushy area, his clothes nearly
torn from him by the brush over
which he had been dragged.
Officers report that Gamble has
been charged with murder and is
| being held without bond.
PUPIL’S PLAY
TO BE GIVEN
Elementary P.-T. A. To Pres
ident “Everywhere, Every
where Christmas Tonight”
THURSDAY, 7:30 P. M.
'“Everywhere, Everywhere
Christmas Tonight,” a Christmas
play, will be presented by the
Primary grades of the Elkin Ele
mentary School, Thursday at
7:30 p. m. in the school auditor
ium.
The production, staged for the
benefit of the Elkin Elementary
Parent-Teachers Association, de
picts the Christmas customs of
various countries of the world.
Countries to be represented are
America, Holland, Germany, Eng
land. Italy and Mexico.
Ellen Cooke will play the part
of the Christmas Spirit with
Bunny Jane Thompson and Jane
Redmon in the roles of two little
American girls.
Each of the primary grades will
be in charge of representing a
country. The first grades will be
responsible for America: the sec
ond grades, Germany and Eng
land; the third grades, Mexico
and Italy, and the fourth grades,
Holland.
Schools Begin
Yule Holiday
Period Friday
Elkin City Schools will close
for the Christmas holidays Fri
day, re-opening January 2, it
has been announced by N. H.
Carpenter, superintendent.
The long holiday, Mr. Car
penter explained, will enable
out-of-town teachers to go to
their homes for the holiday
period.
I