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Although Judge Albert Wallace
Cowper of Kinston has been wear
ing the judicial robes of his high
office for just a few short weeks,
there is nothing awkward or ama
teurish about the 49=year-old ex-
FBI agent.
He brought to Craveh Superior
Court, for the two-week criminal
term ending todayi_natural dignity,
keen insight, and the patience and
tolerance that a good jurist must
'have. Without these qualities, and
of course others, no occupant of
the bench can hope to render dis
tinguished service.
As the son of a Superior Court
judge, Cowper bids fair to follow
ably In his father’s footsteps. Even
gt this very early stage of his ca
reer, it is our candi^ opinion that
the native Kinstonian is consider
ably more capable than some other
Judges who have held court here in
our generation.
He is a worthy successor to
Judge J. Paul Frizelle of Snow Hill,
and that’s as big a, compliment as
you could possibly pay the rookie
jurist. In some respects, Cowper
reminds you vaguely of Frizelle,
Judge Walter Bone of Nashville,
and the late Judge Don Gilliam of
Tarboro. Like these three, he has
the mark ot a gentleman, and you
don’t have to be in his presence
very long to find it out.
He graduated in 4aw from the
University of North Carolina, and
hne of classmates, if we have
'dur:'fa(#^iiht,^ 'ivas;'i
tSrhey, John Beamafii J^' nag had
ecune tried during the
said tw6-wse£ term, but you may
l«st assured that he hasn’t received
any favored treatment from Judge
Cowper.
“I joined the Federal Bureau of
Investigation in 1941,” the youthful
jurist told us this week during the
course of a Mirror interview. “I
worked in Washington, Newark,
Boston, Portland, Me., and Jackson,
Miss.”
For four years, he recalls, his du
ties were primarily concerned with
espionage and sabotage. “It was a
killing grind,” says Cowper. “Those
were war years, and you never had
a chance to let up. One of the sub
jects I was assigned to keep un
der surveillance in Newark loved
double feature movies. I never at
tended so many movies in my life.”
Everywhere the man went he
was tailed by Cowper or other FBI
agents. Yet, so adept were the
agents at remaining inconspicious
that the party admitted, when ar
rested nine months later, that he
never knew he was being followed.
Speaking of arrests, the FBI nev
er expects an agent to attempt an
arrest singlehandedly. Judge Cow
per told The Mirror. For their own
protection, agents are expected to
keep armed.
“Once a subject is arrested,”
-says the Kinston, jurist, “he should
never be let out of your right.
Agents who have been IdUed usual
ly made this mistake. They permit
ted the arrested person to leave
their presence on the pretext of
getting a coat or a shirt, or some
other items before leaving with
the agent.
“I once made a foolish mistake
at Lewiston, Me.,” Cowper told us.
“I stopped at a man’s house, and
didn’t have my pistol with me.
When I informed him that I would
have to take him in, he fled into
another room.”
Cowper pursued him. “As 1 en
tered the room,” the judge remem
bers, “the man already had his
hand in a bureau drawer. He pull
ed something out of the drawer,
and wheeled around. It was a bot
tle of whiskey.”
Cowper declined ^hen offered a
swig, but the arrested man made
away with a hefiy drink, then
cheerfully turned to Cowper and
(Contihued ok Page 8)
The NEW BERN
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
IN THE HEART OF
NORTH
R. c.
VOLUME 3
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 1961
NUMBER 41
Miss Harriet Marks was kitld 6Bougli to lend us.- The
youngsters, dressed irt their Sundav best for the camera,
were pupils of lieah Jones Stevens in hei^class of approxi-
as an administration building kt Central Sdhbol. Itis located
adjacent to the campus.;
is Honored as
Our Young Man of the Year
New Bern’s Young Man of the
Year couldn’t be present Thursday
night to receive his Distinguished
Service Award from the local Jun
ior Chamber of Commerce, but his
deeds of community service spoke
for him.
Eltdn H. (Charlie) Byrum, Jr., of
2209 Woodland Avenue is the re
cipient, and well deserved tribute
was paid him at the annual Key
Award banquet held in the Hotel
Governor Tryon.
A native of Greenville—born in
1934—he graduated from high
school in the Pitt town. He attend
ed East Carolina college, following
which he spent three years in the
United States Air Force.
Married, he has two daughters,
Karen and'Kim, and one son, Gary.
Manager of Larry’s Shoe Store on
Middle street, he became actively
identified- with civic and religious
causes as soon as he moved to this
city.
He is a past president of the New
Bern Junior ; Chamber of Com
merce; a fcorner state chairman
and a former district chairman for
the North Carolina Junior Chamber
of Commerce; a former member of
the board of directors of the New
Bern Chamber of Commerce; and a
former member of the board of
directors of the United Fimd here.
Recently elected president of the
New Bern Merchants Association,
he found it necessary to resign be
cause of serious iliness. He is cred
ited with having much to do with
acquiring a credit bimeau for the
Merchants Association.
Charlie’s religious life has been
of great importance to him. He has
taught the Pioneer Sunday school
class at the West New Bern Presby
terian church, is past chairman of
the Christian education committee,
a deacon, and is chairman of the
Stewardship committee.
His Distinguished Service Award
is the sixteenth to be presented by
the New Bern Junior Chamber of
Commerce sinfce 1941. Such awards
were originated in 1938 by the
United States Junior Chamber- of
Commerce, and incidentally. Presi
dent John F. Kennedy was a na-
DESERVED RECOGNITION
tional winner several years ago.
Any New Bern young man be
tween the ages of 21 and 35 is eli
gible for a Key Award. Selection is
made by a secret panel of five lo
cal citizens. A point system is used
to evaluate the jnerits of those in
dividuals who are under considera
tion. *
Points are divided into three cat
egories: (1) Contributions to the
general community welfare diming
the year—50 points; (2) Evidence '
of leadership ability—^25 points; (3)
Evidence of personal or business
progress—25 points.
The Distinguish^ Service Award
has a two-fold purpose. It publicly
honors young men between the
ages of 21 and 35 for outstanding
service to their community, and it
calls attention to the vital and im
portant role of all young men in
improving their communities.
Dr. Lewis Bratton was last year’s
recipient. Others honored with the
award have been Hubert A. Terry,
Rev. John Murray, James^ Stutts,
James O. Simpkins, Ralph't. Mor
ris, Alfred Ward, James C. Ridoutt,
Dr. Roy Miller, T. K. (Gus) Mann,
Donald Smith, Raymond Pollock,
T. R. Shapou, George Smith and
J. Gaskin McDaniel.
Selection of Charlie Bynun, Jr.,
as this year’s winner will meet
hearty approval from many New
Bernians who are familiar with a
wide range of community services
that he deserves credit for.
After silence that which comes
nearest to expressing the inexpres
sible is music.—^Aldous Huxley.