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The NEW BERN
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IN THE HEART u.
EASTERN NORTH
CAROLINA
5^ Per Copy
VOLUME 5
NEW BERN, N. C„ FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1962
NUMBERS
Signing something wihout first
reading it is risky business, and
signing a paper to be filled in later
by somebody else is equally haz
ardous.
That’s what a number of persons
involved in the “shell home” case
tried here this week did. Included
among signers were a school teach
er and a minister. Thanks to this
recklessness, and confidence ob
viously misplaced, it was possible
for a smooth-talking operator to
perpetrate acts not in keeping with
the laws of the land.
The rich and the poor, the social
ly elite and the spurned, the wise
and the stupid have at least one
thing in common. They yearn to
own a home of their own. Because
the desire is so prevalent, it wasn’t
surprising when the shell-home
idea expanded into a boom of gi
gantic proportions.
Right from the start it was
apparent that some of the get-
rich-quick characters attracted to
the bonanza were less than lily
pure. They swarmed like flies, and
soon the field was so saturated
by salesmen that all sorts of prom
ises and approaches were used in
an effort to corner the market.
Misrepresentation isn’t some
thing that was unheard of before
the shell-home boom came along.
Slickers have been victimizing the
gullible since the beginning of
time, and there is reason to be
lieve that these shady dealings will
. coqjintia ipin& as man inhabits
ber of the shell operators was their
improper handling of deeds of
trust. These mortgages, in many in
stances, were drawn up by the op
erators themselves, rather than by
attorneys, and signatures were not
witnessed by a Notary, Public.
When names were signed before
the paper had been completed,
which was improper, the signer
was at the mercy of the party to
v/hom the deed of trust was made
out to.
Shenanigans like this prompted
a wholesale probe by the State
Bureau of Investigation, at the re
quest of North Carolina’s Attorney
General.
Over at Elizabeth City, theree
men have been charged with viola
tions of the law in their shell-home
activities, and indictments have
been returned by the Pasquotank
County grand jury. One defendant
is charged with forgery — all
three are charged with illegal
law practice.
In fact, one of the accused was
already facing trial on 27 counts of
illegal law practice when he was
indicted on additional counts this
week. Even before this column can
get into print, there’s a strong
possibility that the long arm of
the law will reach out and appre
hend others.
At Graham, the shell-home pic
ture is dominated at the present by
civil actions. Suits already exceed
ing $150,000 have been filed in
Alamance Superior Court, and still
more are anticipated. In this in
stance, the operators are from Me-
bane, and the kingpin of the lot
was, before his downfall, associat
ed with four corporations.
Here in New Bern, the shell-
home case that ended up in Crav
en Superior Court this week was
centered around a stranger in our
midst. It is true the world over
that human beings will place their
faith in an unknown without hesi
tation, while casting suspicious
glances at their neighbors.
There’s a verse in the Bible that
says something about a prophet
not being without honor, save in
his own land. Like many another
verse from the Scriptures, the
words still apply. Some of the
newcomers embraced here on
short notice, through the years,
have been as phoney as a plugged
(Continued on Page 8)
WE POINT WITH PRIDE—New Bern has good reason to
be proud of Catherine Latta, seen here with a Bur
lington composer, Helen Eaton. Her beautiful voice has
meant much to music lovers of the community, who not
only admire her talent but her gracious manner.—Photo \
by Florence Hanff.
READY TO ROLL—It was a proud day at the Norfolk
Southern shops several decades ago, when the complete
rebuilding of this iron horse became a reality. In this rare
photo you’ll find Ceph Gaskins, Jim Brooks, W. P. Edwards,
Phil Thomas, Walter Sandlin, Duff Mallard, Claude Allen,
Fernie Gaskill, John Battle, Lee Conaway, Tom Gaskins,
W. W. Miller, and Harrison Batts.