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Selma ofifers splen-
id living condi
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The Johnstonian-Sun
The Johnstonian-
Sun is dedicated
to the best interest
of Johnston coun
ty and its sixty
thousand people.
Read the news and'
advertisements in
its columns each
week.
Famous StricUland Case
Not Over Says Hobbs
Upon His Return To Selma E. G.
Hobbs Comments On Famous
Texas Lawsuit Which Took
A Whole Year To Try, And
In Which Millions of Dollars
Were Inviolved.
County Home Getting
Rugs Made In Selma
Upon his return from Conroe, Tex
as, a few days ago, Attorney Edward
G. Hobbs of Selma, who spent a whole
year representing certain claimants
to the Wilson Strickland oil interests
in Texas, has had to answer many
questions with reference to the dis
position of the case. Mr. Hobbs said
he represented 400 of approximately
S,000 persons in the fabulous suit, in
which oil lands valued at from Ten
million to thirty million dollars were
involved.
Hobbs said that the verdict which
the jury brought out last Sunday was
a week ago in the case did not end
it by any means, but rather that he
would be back in Texas the last of
August, and that September 3 the
presiding jurist, Judge E. T. Murphy,
would act on a petition of claimants
to have the verdict set aside.
The lawyer declared further that
if the judge denied the motion to set
the verdict aside, the case would be
appealed successfully, if necessary, to
the Texas Civil Court of Appeals in
Beaumont, the Texas Supreme Court,
and if necessary, the United States
Supreme Court.
The question answered by the jury
was “Is it more reasonably probable
from all the facts and circumstances
in the evidence that Wilson Strickland
transferred the Wilson Strickland
Survey to W. D. Strickland than that
he did not?” Hobbs declared, and said
that the jury answered the issue
“No.”
He said that the case was decided
in favor of the Humble Oil Company
and its associated oil companies by
reason of the fact that the jury held
that the Humble company had obtain
ed a five-year limitation title by rea
son of its getting possession of the
land under the W. D. Strickland title,
but according to Hobbs, the jury held
’further that Wilson Strickland never
did give title to W. D. Strickland, of
Nash County, N. C., who died in 1901
near Nashville.
Hobbs said that Wilson Strickland
was a child of Philip and Catherine
Strickland, of Columbus county. He
said that in 1828, Wilson and Elias
Strickland, along with Susan Strick
land, Startling and Alsie Strickland
left Gayway Swamp section, in Co
lumbus county, and moved to Henry
County, Ala.
Subsequently, Hobbs claims, Wilson
Strickland went to Texas, which at
that time was a part of Mexico, ar-
rmng there in 1829.
It is Hobbs’ contention for his
claimants that Wilson Stridkland nev
er conveyed the title to the land to
William Dorsay Strickland of Nash
county, from whose heirs, Hobbs said,
the Humble Oil and Refining Compa
ny purported to have obtained title to
thHjil*' ■'.d in 1932.
^^Ison Strickland, who left the land
on which oil was discovered many
years after his death, never married,
so he has no direct descendants.
The attorney said that the case
was tried with 11 jurors, one juror
‘ having been dismissed during the
Christmas holidays because of a foot
injury.
The county home will soon have a
rug for every room as a result of ex
pert work done by the WPA weaving
project at Selma.
Up in the welfare office approxi
mately 50 brightly colored rugs and
20 bath mats are now ready for dis
tribution to the county home and the
county tuberculosis sanatorium. The
articles represent the first efforts of
a group of WPA women who knew
nothing about weaving until the pro
ject began recently.
New machines were bought and the
workers carefully instructed in the
art of weaving. In a short time the
Women were turning out rugs and
other ■woven materials wdth profes
sional skill. The vari-colored rugs
which ■will go to brighten up the coun
ty home were made of scraps, many
of which were dyed by the workers
themselves.
Around 20 or 25 women are
ployed in the WPA project under t
supervision of Mrs. Maggie Cham-
blee. Materials are bought by the
Welfare department and supplied to
the project as needed. Articles made
by the workers may be sent to any
tax-paid institution at the discretion
of the welfare department.
Welfare Officer W. T. Woodard, Jr.,
said a large variety of woven prod
ucts would be turned out by the WPA
project as the workers learn more
and more about the work. Sheets, pil
low cases, dresser covers, blankets,
and a number of other items in addi
tion to rugs and bath mats 'rill be
supplied to the welfare department
for distribution.
Mr. Woodard pointed out the at
tractiveness and durability of the
rugs and mats now oh hand as indi
cating the high quality of work the
women are doing. The sheets ■w'hich
they are to make ■will be of a type
that will outlast ten or twelve ordi
nary sheets, he said.
DR LASSITER INDICTS
20 IN SYPHILIS CASES
Twenty indictments for failure to
continue the treatments for syphilis
were made by Dr. Will H. Lassiter,
County Health Officer. Two of the in
dicted are white men, the others are
Negro men and women.
This is the second time in the past
few months that Dr. Lassiter has pre
ferred charges against persons delin
quent in taking syphilis treatment.
Approximately 200 are being treat
ed in two clinics conducted in Smith-
field; one is being held each Thurs
day afternoon in the health office and
one Wednesday afternoons at Oppor
tunity Hall in Belmont, a Negro sec
tion. This number, says Dr. Lassiter,
is about one third of those who should
be taking the treatment.
Dr. Lassiter states that housewives
in Johnston County are not comply
ing with the law which requires that
domestic servants have a health cer
tificate or show that they are taking
treatment. Violation of this law. Dr.
Lassiter points out, makes the house
wife liable and not the servant.
Johnston Farmers To
Meet Next Tuesday
County Agent M. A. Morgan an
nounces that a meeting of the AAA
committee in. Johnston County will be
held at the Legion Hut in Smithfield
August 19 at 10 o’clock for the pur
pose of stimulating and expanding
farmer compliance with the 1941
AAA program.
The meeting will be open to the
public, and it is expected that a num
ber of farmers -will sit with the com
mitteemen and hear the discussions.
The farm leaders, headed by Mr.
Morgan, will go over the government
program, checking off what needs to
bedone to clear the year’s records,
and laying plans for securing county
wide farmers’ cooperation in soil
building practices. The program for
next year will be outlined.
Methodist Revival
To Begin Sept. 3rd
Negro Is Sentenced
For Fatal Shooting
Johnston County
Man Sent To
State Hospital
“That is another whiskey case. Sev
enty-five per cent of the murder cases
I’ve ever tried, whiskey was at the
bottom,” declared Judge John J. Bur
ney of Wilmington, who is holding
court in Smithfield this week, as he
sentenced John H. Newkirk, Prince
ton Negro, Wednesday afternoon, for
the fatal shooting of Herbert Davis,
Negro, on July 26.
Newkirk, 22, who was without
counsel, entered a plea of second-de
gree murder, and after hearing the
evidence, the Judge sentenced him to
25 years at State prison at hard la
bor.
The Negro claimed that Davis call
ed his girl, Newkirk’s, to the car and
that he forbade her going. Whereup
on Davis, claimed the defendant,
made some remark about shooting,
and “I saw him coming out of his
pocket,” continued Newkirk, who ad
mitted shooting twice, but not mean
ing to kill. He said he had never been
in any trouble before, but admitted
that he had had a drink of -w'hiskey
before the shooting.
When the judge tried to find out
where he got his gun the Negro made
such unconvincing explanation that
Judge Burney stopped him, saying,
“You have started to lying, come
down.”
The Revival Meeting for the Meth
odist Church in Selma has been plan
ned for September 3-12. The Board
of Stewards, under the leadership of
A. K. Eason, have completed the ar
rangements for the services, which
will begin on Wednesday evening,
September 3rd, at 8 o’clock. Services
will be held daily at 9 a. m., and at
8 p. m., through September 12th.
The Rev. O. L. Hathaway, pastor of
the Edgerton Memorial Methodist
church, has secured the Rev. F. B.
Joyner, pastor of the Fairmont Meth
odist church, as the evangelist for
the occasion. Mr. Joyner is an out
standing preacher of the North Caro
lina Conference and has been success
ful as a teacher and director of youth
work in the field of Religious Educa
tion.
The pastor will use ior his sermon
subject Sunday morning, “The Soli
darity of the Family.” Church School
at 9:45 a. m.
HUNTING DATES
ARE ANNOUNCED
Johnston county game -warden. Bill
Norton, has released the following
hunting regulations as adopted by the
Board of Conservation and Develop
ment in a recent meeting:
It shall be unlawful to hunt or take
any of the following species of birds
and animals except during the periods
specified, both dates inclusive:
Bear—Oct. 1 through January 1.
Deer (Male)—October 1 through
January 1; except in that portion of
Cumberland, Moore and Hoke coun
ties. East, south and west of the Fort
Bragg area the season shall be Sep
tember 1 through September 30 and
November 1 through January. All of
Hoke and Cumberland north and ad
jacent to the Fort Bragg area shall
remain as formerly, October 1
through January 1.
Opossum and Raccoon (with gun or
dogs)—October 1 through February
15.
Mink, muskrat, opossum and rac-
c o o n (trapping) — November 1
through February 15.
Quail—November 20 (Thanksgiving
Day) through January 31.
Rabbit—November 20 through Jan
uary 31.
Squirrel—October 1 through Jan
uary 15.
Ruffed Grouse — November 20th
through January 1.
Russian Boar—October 20 through
January 1.
Turkey—November 20 through Jan
uary 31.
All previous regulations not speci
fically changed at the latest board
meeting shall remain in effect. The
trapping season in Johnston county
shall, until further notice, conform
with the uniform trapping season of
the state.
The game warden announced that
prospective hunters may secure li
censes at any one of the following
places in the county:
Johnston County Hardware Com
pany, Smithfield; Jordan and Holt
Hardware, Smithfield; Everett C.
Jones, justice of peace, Smithfield;
W. M. Smith Hardware, Benson, W.
M. Sanders & Sons, Smithfield, Eve
rett Lee, Blackman’s Crossroads; Jul
ius Lee, Cox’s Pond; M. J. Oliver,
Brogden; Floyd C. Price, Selma; W.
B. Oliver & Son Pine Level; J. P.
Rains, Princeton; Charles Fitzgerald,
Micro; Watson and Alford, Kenly;
Little Hardware, Clayton; Bill Creech
Highway 210; Holt Lake; Jasper
Langdon Service Station; W. L.
Snipes, O’Neals, Selma, R. F. D.
E. 0. Wilder, Emit.
Local Man Institutes
Civil Action Against
Frigidaire Company
Major
Gurkin Writes
From San Juan^ P. R.
“It is awfully hot here, but we have
a nice breeze most of the time,”
■writes M. M. Gurkin, who is in San
Juan, P. R. In a letter to H. H. Lowry,
Mr.*Gurkin continues: “This is a
beautiful place. The people are very
nice. I started to work here five
months ago with four carpenters.
Now I have four continentals under
me and I am rated a field superin
tendent at $84 per week. I think I
will stay here another six months.
Each continental has about 30 car
penters and about five labor gangs of
20 men to each gang.”
Mr. Gurkin says he is on the elec
trical underground construction in
the air base at San Juan. “I have
all of it under my supervision. I have
had a chance to do things here and I
have made good,” he continued. “I
have lost quite a lot of weight but I
feel good. I now weigh 185 pounds,”
he writes. The letter was mailed in
San Juan August 12, at 8:30 p. m.,
reaching Selma on the morning of
the 14th, less than two days from
the time it was mailed.
G. C. Hinton Begins Action Fo?
$7,000.00 Damages Against
Corporation Following The
Cancellation of Contract Witl\
Them Without Cause.
Wiley Preston
Crocker Died
Tuesday Afternoon
Thadeus W. Allen, son of Mrs. Rid
ley Allen-.of Elevation Township, who
was in court Wednesday bn a charge
of attempted criniinal assault upon a
little- girl, granddaughter 6f Mack
Dupree, ■with whom Allen was stay
ing, was ordered by Judge Burney to
be committed to the State Hospital at
Raleigh to be treated and cared for
until “discharged according to law.”
\ After hearing testimony by Mrs.
\ Allen and Mr. Dupree, also state
ments by Solicitor C. C. 'Canaday, the
Judge empaneled a jury to pass upon
?^die sanity of the man, and it found
. (that he -«las of insufficient mental ca-
pacitajJa^ndertake his defense or
®bd it was deemed
vn good as well as for
fthat he be confined. He
court pleading guilty
Former Selma Man
Dies In Charlotte
Albert Norkett, 24, native of Selma,
died at the Memorial Hospital in
Charlotte, his death resulting from
injuries received while employed by
the Mercury Cotton Mills of Char
lotte.
Funeral services were held from the
home in Charlotte and from the Pres
byterian church at Wade. Burial took
place in the family cemetery near
Wade.
Surviving are his wife, his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Norkett, of Wade;
four brothers, William Norkett, of
Selma; Grover, Carl Lee Norkett, of
Charlotte, and Ernest Norkett, of
Panama; two sisters, Mrs. Matt Yan-
dal, of Charlotte, and Mrs. Jack Tay
lor, of Charlotte.
Wiley Preston Crocker, 36, of Ken
ly, Route 2, died Tuesday afternoon
at 2 o’clock, following a long illness.
Funeral services were held Wed
nesday afternoon at 4 o’clock daylight
saving time, from Bethany church,
conducted by the Rev. J. T. Green of
Four Oaks Methodist church, assisted
by the Rev. S. C. Creech, pastor of
Bethany church, Kenly, Route 2. In
terment was in the church cemetery.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Lillie
Daughtry Crocker; one son, William
Kenneth Crocker; one daughter, Ret-
ta Ann Crocker; his mother, Mrs.
Cherry Crocker, all of Kenly, Route
2; t-wo brothers, Ivey C. Crocker, of
Selma, R. F. D., and John P. Crocker,
Kenly, Route 2; two sisters, Mrs.
Ronnie Narron and Miss Ruby Crock
er, both of Kenly, Route 2.
Zeke Creech Captures
Operators And Still
Constable Zeke Creech of Smith-
field made one of the biggest hauls of
the season when he single-handedly
raided a large 80-gallon liquor still in
Meadow tovmship and captured the
still’s operators—Malton and Luther
B. Knowles—at the plant.
The still, an oil-burning type, was
located in Mingo Swamp near Par
ker’s Pond, and was in operation at
the time of the raid. Seized were 15
gallons of corn ■whiskey, 300 gallons
of mash, 100 pounds of sugar, 100
pounds of shipstuff, a quantity of oil,
and an assortment of buckets.
The Knowles men were arrested,
and placed under $200 bonds, pend
ing a hearing Tuesday. The men were
taken without much , trouble, said
Creech. The men had gotten ■wind of
the raid, and started running from
the plant when Creech met them in
a path. He threw a pistol on them. In
a few minutes they were handcuffed
and on their way to Smithfield.
BENSON WOMAN
FOUND DEAD IN BED
Mrs. Isaac Johnson, 48, well known
resident of the Benson community,
died during sleep some time Sunday
night and was discovered by her
small son and husband early Monday
morning. She had been in declining
health for several months, but was
apparently cheerful and as well and
active as usual upon retiring Sunday
night.
Funeral services were held from
the home at 3 o’clock Tuesday after
noon, with Elder Frank Nordan,
Primitive Baptist minister of near
Benson, officiating. Interment was in
the Morgan family cemetery near
Benson.
Surviving are her husband and
eight children: Daniel, Dewey, Ralph,
Kirby, James, Mrs. Sarah Putnam,
Miss Flonnie Johnson, and Miss Lois
Johnson.
The deceased was a daughter of the
late Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Barbour of
Johnston county.
G. C. Hinton, local merchant
Selma, has instituted a civil action
against R. F. Trant, Inc., Norfolk,
Va., distributor for Frigidaire prod
ucts throughout North Carolina and,
Virginia, alleging that the Trant
Company violated his contract or
franchise for the handling of Frigi
daire products in this vicinity without
cause, thereby doing him irreparable^
damage.
Mr. Hinton was the original Frigi
daire dealer in this community and
spent a number of years building up
the good will of this product and this
company and is considered one of tha
leading electrical appliance dealers
and salesmen in this community. Mr.
Hinton says that the action of the
Trant Company was a willful, delib
erate scheme to replace him with a,
larger dealer, and that he is advised
that other violations exist over North
Carolina.
This suit was instituted in the
Johnston County Superior Court and
later transferred to the United States
District Court, Raleigh, by the Trant
Company and is expected to be tried
during the month of September, this
year. Mr. Hinton is asking for $7,0001
damages.
Virginians Say Pipe
Line Is Not Necessary
Over around Norfolk and Newport
News, Va., where so many North
Carolinians are working, the Virgin
ians tell them that all the Govern
ment needs to do to get the oil from
Greensboro to Norfolk is to form a
bucket brigade and pass the oil along.
Seen and Heard Along
THE MAINDRAG
—~TBy H. H.
L.
Touring Western
Section Carolina
Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Woodard, and
Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Woodard left
Tuesday for a trip -through Western
North Carolina, and by Columbia, S.
C., where they will visit Fred Wood
ard and expect to bring him home
with them Saturday for a furlough.
Truck Now Carrying
Mail From Raleigh
To Goldsboro
Since the suspension, of two of the
Southern’s passenger mail trains be
tween Raleigh and Goldsboro, Selma’s
mail which was formerly handled by
these twoi trains, is now being handled
by truck, and Postmaster R. H. Ed
wards of Goldsboro is quoted as say
ing that postoffice officials at Golds
boro like the new service.
The truck arrives at Goldsboro at
11:15 a. m. and leaves at 4 p. m., and
is covered by a pickup truck operat
ed by W. F. Smith, of Raleigh.
Selma Representatives
At 4-H Short Course
The Selma' 4-H Club was well re
presented at the State 4-H Short
Course at State College during the
week of July 28-August 2.
The regular delegates from the
Selma were M. C. Pittman and Elea
nor Thorne, both of Selma Route one.
M. C. has been active in poultry
projects and Eleanor was last year s
room improvement champion for the
county.
Selma sent a dairy foods demon
stration team to the Short Course.
They were Mabel Parker and Frances
Kirby. Their demonstration, “Prac
tical Milk Supper Dishes,” was placed
in the red ribbon group.
Nona Belle Creech represented
Selma at the Short Course as the
Health Queen of Johnston County for
1941 and took part in the crowning
exercises of the State King and Queen
of Health.
The other two representatives were
Margahette Ricks, who served as a
Councellor during the week and Doro
thy Wilkins, Sec. and Treas. of the
Johnston County Council.
The week was thoroughly enjoyed
by the Selma 4-H club members.
Mistrial Is Ordered
For Clarence Overby
The Associated Press s^ys. Brazil
now is using wood gas and alcohol
as fuel because transportation facil
ities for imports of petroleum have
[been reduced.
Clarence Overby of Elevation
Township, who was charged with car
nal knowledge, and tried before Judge
Burney this week, will have to stand
second trial as the jury after de
liberating several hours on two suc
cessive days, declared that they could
not reach a verdict. The judge order
ed a mistrial. Overby was represented
by Attorney W. B. Wellons and prose
cuted by Solicitor C. C. Canaday and
i,L. L. Levinson, both of Benson.
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Selma is soon to have a new drug
store—BILL CREECH some time ago
took CLYDE JONES over to Golds
boro and showed him the fixtures in
one of that city’s handsomest drug
stores—he told CLYDE that he want
ed the fixtures in the new store he is
soon to open here exactly like those
in the Goldsboro store—and believe
it or not CLYDE is doing that very
thing—he only had to take a good
look and came home and went to
■work—BILL will have one of the nift
iest drug stores in Johnston county
when completed—he plans to get op
ened around the first of September—
DAVID BALL and this scribe visited
Camp Davis and the new Marine Base
near Jacksonville Sunday — while
there we ran across our old friend
CHARLES RHODES, formerly con
nected with the First Citizens Bank
& Trust Company in Smithfield—■
CHARLES is cashier of the bank at
Camp Davis—^the handsome new
home of DR. E. N. BOOKER is rap
idly going up—this will be one of the
city’s most attractive homes when
completed—EDITOR STANCIL, his
better-half, and son, BILL, and little
daughter, BETTY JO, left the Main-
drag Saturday, motoring to Suffolk,
Va., where they spent Sunday with
MR. and MRS. STANCIL’S daughter,
MRS. J. A. MARTIN—they report a
very enjoyable trij)—ERNEST WOM
ACK was seen sporting a new style
straw hat, with a loud band around it
—getting young again, eh! ERNEST)
—ROBERT YOUNGBLOOD, popular
clerk at the SELMA DRUG STORE,
is back from a vacation spent at the
Beach—ROBERT says he had a most
delightful vacation — and talking
about good-looking girls, they are
there, he says—the boys have started
calling BLAKE (FARMALL) PRICE
“uncle”—makes me feel like an old
man, says BLAKE—the new resi
dence of ED CREECH over on Ter
rapin Hill is nearing completion-^
FLOYD C. PRICE, SR. ■was exhibit
ing two bolls of newly opened cotton
Monday which one of his tenants
had just plucked froin his field—this
is the first new cotton brought to the
I Johnstonian-Sun offiV,e^ this summer^ '
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