NCPA Award
Winning New»paper
VOL. 87 NO. 88
KIMGS MOUMTWh
MIRROR-HGRhLD
15'
HNOS MOUNTAIN, NOBTH OABOUN A M8M XHUBS0AT, AIUT M, 1»N
Police Criticized
Li H€indling Of
Burned Victim
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Stii« Writer
•Mn. Mable Marie Hughea of
Klnga Mountain remain! In critical
condition In a Chariotte hoipltal
where ihe underwent treatment for
bums received In an apartment fire
here early Sunday morning.
Delane Davis, Cleveland County
Fire Marshal, said the fire started In
Mrs. Hughes' bedroom from a
dropcord connected to a fan. Faulty
wiring Is the listed cause of the fire.
Mrs. Hughes, 46, resided with her
mother, 66, at 804 Ellis St., a dig>lex
apartment The mother was unin
jured In the fire.
Since the Incident shortly after
midnight Saturday some bitterness
has surfaced. Todd Rhodes of 817
EUls St., a neighbor, told The
Mirror-Herald that he was the first
to arrive on the scene and that he
had kicked the apartment door open
and had tried to rescue Mrs. Hughes
prior to the arrival of the police.
“I smelled smoke and went to see
what was burning,” Rhodes said. "I
saw Mrs. Hughes’ mother standing
on their porch yelling for help. She
was calling to her daughter who was
Inside the burning apartment. I
kicked open the door and went In and
the smoke hit me. I started coughing
and yelling for help."
Rhodes said he spotted. a police
car cruising down Cansler St. and
called to the officers for help. With
thb arrtviof 'Ptl. Mlks Morn anu
reserve officer Jimmy Dickey,
Rhodes said, everything started
going wrong.
‘"Ihey (officers) acted so stunned
at what was happening,” Rhodes
said. “I wasn't trying to be no hero,
but Instead of the officers going
Inside after the woman, they gave
me a flashlight and sent me Inside.”
Rhodes said he was ig>set arid
critical of the officers because they
kept telling him to keep low and
when he found the wonuui and
started bringing her out, one of the
otflcers began pulling her by her
feet.
"I got mad because the womsui
was badly burned,” Rhodes sstld.
“Both of us together could have
picked her up and carried her out.”
Rhodes said after Mrs. Hughes
was (HI the porch he ran down the
street to call an ambulance. When he
returned he said the woman was still
on the porch and one officer said,
"Sarge, think we should move her
off the porch?”
By that time Sgt. L. D. Beattie and
Ptl. David Bridges had arrived at
the scene. Rhodes said they carried
her out and placed her on die grass.
Rhodes admitted he was upset
with the conduct of the officers and
was afraid In dragging her from the
apartment he and the officers might
have caused her more harm than
good. He said he was further upset
because the officers acted toward
him as If he was an entirely different
man coming to the scene for the first
time. He repeated that the officers
"Just didn’t seem to know what to
do.”
Rh(xles said, "I’m not trying to be
a hero and I know this was a bad
situation, but I’m Just glad the
woman la still alive. I’m not looking
for brownie points, either. I
would’ve done the same for
anybody.”
The Kings Mountain Rescue
Squad su-rived and carried Mrs.
Hughes to KM Hospital, then
removed her to Clharlotte for
trs^tmcr k ACiur the fin* depar'.hiont
had brought the fire rnder control,
Davis arrived to Investigate.
”I found that the power and water
had been shut off In the apartment
«nd that power was being drawn
from smother source, through
several drop cords,” Davis said.
’The origin of the fire appears to me
to have started In the cord connected
to the fan, which was near the bed”
Damage to the bedroom was
extensive and not too great In the
rest of the cq>artment. Smoke and
water accounted for most of this
damage, Davis said.
GENE WHITE
oaNB wam PBBPABn pob balb...
Law Firm Planning
To Build Downtown
The downtown site popularly
Icnown as Centennial Square will be
sold to a law firm Thursday.
Qene White, executive director of
the Kings Mcxintsdn Redevelopment
Commission, requested and
received city board approval of the
sale at M<Hiday night’s meeting.
White said the law firm of Harris
and Bumgardner will close a pur
chase deal Thursday tor the 4,100
square feet at the comer of W.
Mountain St and S. Battleground
Ave.
The purchase price Is $7,080.
Tim Harris and Don Bumgardner,
along with partner Mike Randall,
now have offices on B. King St.
Harris and Bumgardner opened the
branch office In Kings Mountain
several months ago. Their main
tegal offices are In Gastonia.
White said the nsw owners had
BEP. JAMBS BBOTanX
DB. BUCniNE POSTON
Stwnpin^
BlLLOeBBULE
COMM. JOHN DTOBAM
BroyhiU For Congress
Cbngress, rather them thinking up
new ways to spend money, should be
seeking to reduce taxes, U. S.
Ocngressman James BroyhiU, lOth
District RepubUcan, said In an
address before Kings Mountain
Rotarians Thursday.
By a reducti(Hi In the growth rate
of Federal spending, BroyhUl said
Congress could lower personal in
come tax rates u weU as raise the
Individual tsuc exemption from $760
to $1,000.
He said he advocates sm across-
the-board s tax cut to Individuals and
small businesses, elaborating on this
statement by noting that he remains
"committed to putting all
Americaiis who want to work back
on the Job that are productive and
long-term Jobs supported by a
healthy private eccuiomy rather than
make-work Jobs paid for through
burdensome taxes or inflation
causing deficit spending.
(Please'Tura To PagefA)
Ingram, Ins. Commissioner
John Ingram, North Carolina
Oommlssicner of Insursuice, was In
Kings Mountain Tuesday cam-
pedgnlng for re-election.
The highlight of his visit was a
chicken and dumpling lunch with the
local firefighters and a tour of the
historical fire museum.
Motoring through Gaston, Cleve
land and Catawba coimtles Tuesday,
Ingram winds up his area visit with
a dinner talk In Hickory. Monday
night he spoke In Mecklenburg
County.
”AU I can teU the people,” Ingram
said, "is that I am running on my
record.”
TTiat record Includes several firsts
In Insurance retoms In the United
States, according to the candidate.
“And all of the changes we’ve been
able to make have been against
almost total Insurance Industry
opposition,” he said.
North Carolina was the first state
to ab<dlsh the assigned risk "with a
reinsurance facility that lets the free
enterprise system work,”
Ingram said. “Now, we have the
freedom to buy Insurance with any
agent and company we choose.”
(Please Turn To Page4A)
Poston For Congress
”I’m Gene Poston and I’m
walking to Congress...”
This was the familiar greeting
offered lOth 0>ngressl(xial District
voters by Dr. Eugene Poston during
his 300-mlle hike recently.
The former Gardner-Webb
Ocdlege president spent six weeks of
his campaign walking and talking
an over the seven-county district.
"I felt this was the best way to
meet the people and find out what
they are thinking,” Dr. Poston said.
"I let them know I am seeking the
Democrat nomination In August to
run against Rep. BroyhiU for
Congress.’’
The candl(<ate said he gave the
voters ”a straight forward ap
proach. I told them I have never held
an elective public office and I felt I
could represent this district and
would appreciate their support.”
Dr. Poston said of sill the people he
met during his hike there were only
three who were abusive. Two, he
said, told me I was a member of the
wrong party "and the third taught
me some new curse words,” he
grinned.
(Please Tam To Page4A)
DeBmle For N. C. House
In answer to the first question, no,
BUI DeBrule Is not an attorney.
A Forest City Industrialist and
businessman, DeBrule Is a candi
date In the Democrat prinutry Aug.
17 for the North Carolina House of
Representatives In the 40th District.
"Am I a lawyer usually Is the first
question I am asked as I campaign,”
DeBrule told The Mirror-Herald. “It
seems to be Impiurtant to voters that
candidates not be In the law pro
fession. I think It Is Important to
have some businessmen seated In
Raleigh, Just as the voters indicate
they feel.”
A Rutherford County native, a
graduate of N. C. State with a degree
In textUes, DeBrule said, ”I think
the men in the legislature should
ccsitrol bureaucracy Instead of being
ccntroUed by it. The only way the
legislature has to do this Is through
ju(Uclous budgeting. Most of the
representatives have no business
training at all. They csui’t read a
balance sheet and so cannot be very
effective in this Job, In my opinion.”
This Is the candidate’s first effort
at presenting himself for elective
office. Fbllowlng his graduation
(Please Tura To Page 4A)
For Central Buginem District
Amenfhnents Approved
stated they would be ready to begin
construction on a one-story building
to house their law offices within two
weeks after the deal is closed. The
building will be of contemporary
design, similar to Dellinger’s
Jewelry half a block away. The front
facing W. Mountain St. will be set
back 10 feet from the street and on
the FUNBank side, 12 feet back.
There will be entrances on both
Mowtaln arid Battleground.
White said Harris and Bumgard-
ner’s plans have been approved by
HUD.
"Tlila la the fifth or sixth parcel to
be disposed of In the downtown
area,” White said, "and plans call
for replacement businesses to add
about $600,000 to the city tax base,
replacing businesses that were
listed at about $100,000 on the tax
roUs.”
By TOM McIntyre
Editor, Mirror-Herald
The Central Business District
redevelopment project has 34
months to run, according to David
Holmes of Eric Hill and Associates.
Holmes, along with Gene White,
executive director of Kings
Mountain Redevelopment Com
mission, told the city conrunlssloners
Monday night that several changes
In plans In the CBD needed board
approval for the work to c(»ttnue.
Holmes said because of the city’s
In-klnd contributtons In the project
that a $87,876 cash paymmt due
from the city has been eliminated.
Holmes (pioted several figures
Involved In the project, but In
essence the city will not spend a
dime since the community
development funding Is paying one
hundred percent Into the prefect.
The In-Und contributions made by
the city Include water and sewer.
electrical and street work.
"What we are asking for,” Holmes
said, "Is that the city basically In
crease Its c<Hnmltment In the CBD
project without stretching the
budget."
In amendments to the CBD project
Holmes salo the redevelopment
ccmmlsslon proposes to eliminate
several planned acquisitions. One Is
the F. W. Pl(Hik warehouse on S.
Battleground Ave. (behind Falls
Esso), the building that now houses
Hoke Electric on Cherokee St., the
Able Weir residence and Walker
Sandwich Shop.
Holmes said the commission was
asking the bosud to approve the
acquisition of a small piece of
property behind First Union
National Bank and to commit the
city to purchasing the property later
for public parking.
The commission also gained
approval Monday night to enter Into
negotiation for the Nation Chevrolet
building rather thsm the prior plan
for updating the building. Holmes
said the cost of updating would
exceed the worth of the stnicture.
"The commission feels owning the
entire tract of property would make
a better offering to resstle for
locating future business,” Holmes
said. "That entire property could be
a key site In the downtown area.”
Holmes said that, however. If the
situation becomes a court case, then
the commission will buk off and
delete acquisition plans.
Commissioner James Childers
brought up a point of relocation
payment to Jerry Nation should he
be forced to move his business
elsewhere.
"If by purchaslrg the land around
the Chevrolet idace forces this man
to move his business, la he entitled to
relocation payment?” he asked.
Gene White said that If the
business Is forced to move, then
relocatl(»i money must be paid
Bob Felier
To Sign
Autographs
Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller
will be In two Kings Mountain
l(x»tlons today to sign autographs
and talk to hXMl baseball fans.
The former Cleveland Indian ace
will be In front of Winn Dixie at the
KM Plaza from ll;80 a. m. until
13:80 p. m. and Will be In front of
Belk’s downtown store from 3-8 p. m.
Feller will be the guest speaker at
the Babe Ruth state tournament
kickoff banquet tonight at 7 p. m. at
the community center.
Firemen Set
Hot Dog Sale
The Klnga Mountain Fire
Department has about 2,600 hot dogs
to sell on Sat., July 81.
The dogs will go on sale at 8 a. m.
July 81 and Charles (Pete) Peterson,
one of the firemen In charge, said
delivery orders will be filled. The
number to call la 789-3662.
Firemen and vedunteers ore trying
to raise about $600 to finish paying
to the antique fire engine pur
chased for display In the historical
fire museum.
West KM Demos
To Meet Tonight
The West Kings Mountain
Precinct Democrats executive
committee will meet tonight at 7:80
in the Mountaineer Room at the
community center.
Mrs. Joyce Oashlon of Kings
Mountain, the Cleveland County
Democrat Party chairman, will
attend. Committee members and
Democrats In West KM precinct are
urged to attend.
Roy Pearson, city recreation
director and manager of the com
munity center, said those attending
tonight’s preclncet meeting are
asked to park on the paved lot to the
south of the building.
Rummage And
Bake Sale Set
The Kings Mountain Rescue
Squad Is planning a rummage and
bake sale at the community center
on Sat, Aug. 14 from 8 a. m. until....
The sale will be held rain or shine
In the gynuiaslum.
Rescuers are requesting donatlims
of household Items to be sold at the
sale. Cltlzena who have odds and
ends of Items they wish to donate to
the squad may do so by calling 789-
3077 or 789-6071. Rescuers will
pickup the donations.
The bake goods will be made by
members of the ladles rescue
auxiliary. Cupcakes, pastiy, coffee
and soft drinks will be sold.
Proceeds will go toward the new
ambulance fund.
NO STORY HOUR
Because of remodeling at Mauney
Memorial Library, Story Hour
scheduled for July 37 and Aug. has
been postponed, according to Mrs.
Hasel Fryer, librarian.