The NEW BERN
PUBLI8HID WIIKLY
IN THI MARt Of
BA8TIRN NORTH
VOLUME 15
NEW BERN, N. C. 28560, FRIDAY, JANUARY 5,1973
NUMBER 42
Yesterday was when, mi a
January dav in 1969, two little
boys played roles in a mur^r
trial we covered for the state
press at Craven County Court
House. Fortunately, neither
knew the gravity of the
situation.
That’s one of the many
blessings of early childhood.
The grief and worry ex
perienced by adults in so many
instances doesn’t get a grip on
those of tender years. More
than enough heartaches come
later.
One of the little boys, just
three years old, was seated with
his Mother and Daddy. His
father had blasted a hole in the
back of another man, as the
unsuspecting victim walked
toward a nearby automobile he
would never reach.
As for the other little boy, four
years old, he was busy drawing
the typewritten names of
prospective jurors from a hat.
Some of those jurors would
determine life or death for the
first child’s father.
That’s the way a murder trial
is handled. Selection of the list
was very carefulty and very
fairly arrived at. The four year
old boy couldn’t read, or course,
but, even so, the hat was
coyv^ jrite a ^ top^erchirf^
We’ve lievOT 8^ wo kids
anywhere who were better
behaved. They sat quietly for
hours, as dignified as a deacon
presidingover the Amen pew on
Sunday morning. No sign of
restlessness, no trace of
mischief.
Getting 12 qualified jurors
wasn’t easy. Time and again,
either the prosecuting Sdicitor,
or attorneys for the defendant,
exercised their perogative and
declined to approve a man or
woman whose name had been
drawn.
The list of prospective jurors
was exhausted, and eptueis took
to the streets and shops of
downtown New Bern to summon
more citizens for possible
serving. The two little boys and
others awaited their arrival.
In the end, none of the jurors
had to pass jud^ent. The
accused man pleads guilty to
manslaughter, and was sen-
talced. Then the two little boys
no longer had reason to be in
court. Never having met, they
went home.
Yesterday was when Peston
RfMnson dropped out of public
school. Not because he thought
he knew more than the teacher,
but to support his invalid father
and his mother.
New Bern lost, when Pres
died the other day, a
remarkaUy well read man.
Years before, through outside
study, he had earned the
quivMent of a High school
diploma, and foUowed this with
courses in law enforcement.
His religious faith was deep
and abidiiv, and his quest for
knowle^e extended to all
creeds. There are, we daresay,
numy local members of other
denominations who know less
about their own church than
RoUnson knew.
He grew up in our neigh
borhood, but we can’t
remember a time when he
(Continued on page I)
Becky Wayne and Mary lib Gardner In an early
Yidetide Revue.