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- -ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C„ THURSDAY, JULY 23rd, 1931. NUMBER 15.
__UP AND DOWN
THE AVENUE
WITH THE EDITOR
The White Way standards on the
Avenue have been painted a glittering
silver which adds much to their ap
pearance.
\Ve trust the new City Commis
sioners will ask the Power Company
to extend the White Way, at least as
far as Eleventh Street, which will
give us a white Way eleven blocks
0n the Avenue. As the standards and
other euipment must be manufactur
ed, it will take some little time and
the request should be made at an
early date.
There are stretches of the Avenue
which are mighty dark and dreary
at nights after you leave the present
White Way.
Speaking of dark and dreary streets
if you can’t sleep, try reading some
of these true detective stories. Then
you can’t sleep some more. The old
fashioned ghost stories don’t hold a
candle to these .modern hair-raisers.
One of the few house robberies in
the city was reported the other day.
\ quantity of food and some money
was taken. We have been fortunate
here in not having many of these
cases, breaking into a house is a
most serious offense.
Most people know it but a few may
not. To break into a house at night
where persons are sleeping is a capi
tal crime, punishable by death. At
first, seems pretty strong medicine,
but we are in favor of it. Those who
wrote that law knew that a house
breaker, while not actually a mur
derer at heart, is a potential murder
er-will more times kill or maim than
risk discovery and capture.
If you don't believe that Federal
Highway 17-1 helped matters here,
ask the filling stations, garages, res
taurants and drug stores. They can
tell the difference. A few months ago,
we had scores of strange cars thru
hero each day. Many of them stopped
to buy. Now you hardly see a tourist.
They were following 17-1.
Both news and advertising comes
in streaks. Last week we had more
than enough of both. This week,
there was less than enough of both.
But you have to keep the same force
til the time. And the old overhead
goes on just the same. Guess every
body in business has the same prob
lem.
This seems to be a place where all
Ibe high powered promoters like to
hit. Those fellows come in with
nothing at stake and nothing invested
and usually make a pretty good liv
ing off the ones who are in business
bore. Each one has a racket which
sounds good to hear them tell it
The business people here should
have a central committee to pass on
all these schemes and if they do not
approve .f it, every place in town
should pass it by.
One favorite line is that of the ex
rlusive. The promoter says in effect:
^ow 0n this there will be only one of
e*ch business and if you don’t take
your competitor will. Of course,
they tell the other fellow the Bame
thing if the first does’nt bite.
^ Paper Made By
New Mill Here Tuesday
The first paper to be made by the
Southern Paper Board Mills, Inc.,
‘‘ew °wners of the Roanoke Piir*
°ard Co., came through the ma
rines Tuesday of this week. It was
merely a test run and the process i.
*°w being perfected but it fulfilled
e owner’s prediction that they
''°u d be making paper two weeks af
er beginning work of remodeling the
1> ant and overhauling the machinery.
Life Saving School
• ^mer>can Red Cross life saving
asses will he iield at the Rosemary
1 1,001 every day next week at 2:30
■ m. and 6:30 p. m. The age limit of
« junior course is from 12 to 17
*r« and the senior course from 17
. 8 up' 7™ hours of instruction is
assary in order to pass the course,
who are interested are request
, k've their names to the life
in charge of the pool.
kiftS A' B- Sanford and children,
1 kou r*turne<1 to their home in Al
t i • "»■, after spending two weeks
t: ’““‘o* Mrs. E. A. Elmore.
BOARD DENIES PART IN CHANGE
Store Breakers Quickly Caught
MATKINS
ROBBERY
SOLVED
Two In Jail, Officers
Seeking Third
Cigarette
Looter
DOBBINS SHERLOCK
Garland Umphrey and Fred West,
local young men are in the Halifax
County jail in default of $500 bonds,
and a third party, Hunter Coggsdale,
who also hails from these parts, is
being sought as a result of the rob
bery last Friday night of the J. H.
Matkins Grocery Store when some
$30.00 worth of cigarettes were stol
en.
Entrance to the Avenue store was
gained through the back door, by cut
ting a small hole enabling the cul
prits to lift the large latch on the
door. Although apparently unmolest
ed during the robbery, which sup
posedly took place during the early
morning hours, the thieves did not at
tempt to take anything but cigarettes.
The theft of the fags was discover
ed early Saturday morning and
promptly reported to Officer H. E.
Dobbins. In the absence of any tan
gible clues to the store robbery, which I
is the first to take place in recent
months, Mr. Dobbins started an in
vestigation in the hopes of finding
where the robbers had sought to dis
pose of the stolen goods, and was
soon rewarded by finding where Um-;
phrey had sold four cartons of the
• igarettes at little more than half
their value to the proprietor of an
Avenue “pop shop.”
Umphrey, who is married and has
a family is regularly employed by the
iiosemary Supply Co., and had sold
the cigarettes to the hot dog mer
chant, allegedly under the pretense
that they had come from his firm.
Soon evidence was introduced that
led to the arrest of young West, who
also has a family, after a thrilling
chase of West in which he was fired
upon by Officer Dobbins.
After West was arrested he impli
cated Coggsdale, whom it seems had
taken a great interest in the chase
of the criminals and who had appear
ed to be abnormally nervous throgh
out Saturday to both associates and
officers, but bv that time the third
young man had fled and has not been
heard of since.
Coggsdale, as well as his eo-part
ners in crime are all well known lo
cally, he being employed on a part
t;me basis for the- R. I. Starke Gro
cery, it seems, while West is said to
have loafed around the uptown gro
cery much of his time.
West and Umphrey waived preli
minary hearing and were automati
cally placed in the county jail at Ha
lifax in default of bond in the
amount of $500.00 each to await the
action of the Superior court in Au
gust.
A total of 25 cartons of cigarettes
were stolen, and all but four cartons
were recovered by local police thru
the ingenuity of Officer Dobbins, who
led the investigation.
Dinks Beat Boykins
The Rinky Dinks journeyed down
to Boykins last Saturday and handed
the Boykins-Severn outfit a 2-1 de
feat behind the 2-hit pitching o f
Lewis (Jutland. Hobgood’s running
catch in left field featured while the
whole Rinky Dink team played error
less ball. Boykins-Severn ploys the
Rinky Dinks on their own ground this
Saturday.
Pajama Girls Win
The Pajama Girls baseball club
played the Bloomer GirlB at the High
School last Friday night. The score
was 6 to 9 in favor of the Pajamas.
I.ois Stansbury pitched and Annie
Maud Jones caught for the Pajamas
while Edna Stainback pitched and 01
lie Keeter caught for the Bloomers.
F M. Coburn has returned from
• market trip to Baltimore.
| PICTURE OF LEGGETT-BELK DEPT. STORE TO OPEN HERE SOON
Photo by Vries Studio
This will be the home of the Leggett’s Department Store, which will open here for business in the near future. The huge building is being re
modeled thruout. The new fixtures will be installed next week. The location is at the corner of Roanoke Avenue and 11th Street.
$200 LOOT
OF STORE
UNSOLVED
No Clue to Robbery of
South Rosemary
Store Last
Week
GLASS CRASHED
A total of about $200.00 in mer
chandise was taken from the South
Rosemary Store of Max Franks last
Thursday night in a daring burglary,
in which entrance was made through
breaking in the glass of the front
door of the store. Officers working
on the case are absolutely in the dark
as to clues.
Although no evidence has been un
earthed in this case, either as to the
stealing or disposal of the merchan
dise, the robbery was undoubtedly ac
complished by more than one man.
The glass in the front door of the
store was smashed with an old auto
mobile bumper, and judging from ac
counts of nearby neighbors residing
less than 100’yards, was timed most
perfectly.
One resident of a house across the
street said he heard the noise of a
car turning the corner at a terriffic
rate of speed sometime during the
night of the robbery, and it seemed
to him that a crash of shattered glass
followed. Upon looking out of his
window however, he could not see
where an automobile had ran into
anything, and thinking he was mis
taken went back to sleep.
It is thought that the glass in the
front door of the ransacked store was
shattered at this time as the noise of
the crash would have surely awaken
ed nearby residents at any other time
Only the merchandise, and no cash,
was obtained by the burglars.
Mrs. R. T. Edmondson
Given Surprise Party
On 85th Birthday
On Thursday, July 16, the children
of Mrs. R. T. Edmondson of this city,
gave her a surprise birthday party
at the home of heF daughter, Mrs.
Sam Young. besides a delightful
dinner there was a huge birthday
cake. The spirit of youth prevailed
at this gathering of mother and chil
dren, so instead of the cake bearing
85 candles, one for each year of her
I well-spent life, it bore only 16. Mrs.
Edmondson has lived for many years
in this community and has a host of
friends to congratulate her*and wish
her many more birthdays. Those
present were Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Tay
lor, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Young, Mrs.
Hal Ross, T. M. Edmondson, Mrs.
t letcher Dickens, Miss Blonnie Tay
lor, Miss Ella Lee Taylor, T. B.
Browning, Mrs. Nannie Peele, Vir
ginia and Mary Frances .Taylor, and
Mrs. G. W. Stinson of Rocky Mount.
LOCAL POLICE ARE STILL
PUZZLED BY THIS CASE
Whether it was the intensive heat;
the result of robbers—or a practical
joker, or merely a strong desire to
“get back to nature" prompted and
aided by alcoholic spirits, that result
ed in a local couple being picked up
on a nearby country road early last
Sunday morning minus several im
portant items of wearing apparel it
will perhaps long remain a mystery
in local police circles.
At any rate Officer Dobbins was
informed at 4 a. m. last Sunday by a
party who had seen the couple,, that
a man and woman were driving
around in a Ford roadster on the road
leading from Tillman’s Cross Roads
to Hornertown clothed in little more
FIGHTERS
TO CLASH
FRIDAY
Outland - Creedle Will
Headline; Good Card
Arranged For Lo
cal Fans
MILLS-SHAW AGAIN
The three local fighters who will go
in the ring Friday flight at the Sim
mons gymnasium are in fine trim and
will give their local backers some
thing to talk about when action starts.
Fans are still talking about the last
fights that were staged at Simmons
gym by the local Boy Scout Troops
and this coming Friday night they
will see a better program.
Wilmer “Scrapper” Outland, who is
to fight the main bout is in perfect
trim. In a fast workout last night,
he showed perfect condition and was
lightning fast on his feet. In Kiki
Creedle, Outland will go up against
one of the best fighters to ever in
vade Roanoke Rapids. Creedle is well
known in Norfolk, where he is rated
one of the best in his class. Fight
fans of this section will get their
money’s worth when thse two fast
boys stage their six round act.
In the semi-final, Freddie Mills,
local High School leather pusher, will
fight a return bout with Battling
Shaw of Suffolk. It will be remem
bered that Mills and Shaw fought a
fast and furious slugging draw on the
last program. Both of these boys are
rearing to get at each other. In the
preliminary Lester Edmondson and
Young Bryan of Suffolk will go four
rounds. Lester is well known among
the local fight fans and they can reft
assured that when he steps in the
ring the fur will fly- Edmondson has
recently returned to the ring after a
long lay-off. Bryan will be remem
bered as the man who dusted off
(Continued on back page)
4
than Mother Nature had provided
them.
Investigation led to the arrest of
the two, who it is understood are 16
'•al lesidcnts. Th« man and woman
claimed to be at'a less to understand
where their clothing had disappeared,
and an intensive search of the near
by country by officers failed to re*
veal anything more
When arr»srod. officers say% the
man was clad only in his underclothes
a shirt and his shoes, while his girl
friend had lost her shoes, hose—and
lingerie. Ti e couple were remande 1
to the local jail and booked on a
charge of using an autmobile for im
moral purposes, but were found not
guilty by Judge Daniel in Recorder s
Court.
MAN SUING
POWER CO.
FOUNDDEAD
Mabry Hart, Tarboro
Mill President, Dies of
Asphyxiation -at
Raleigh
FIRE IN HOTEL
B. Mabry Hart, textile manufactur
er of Tarboro, principal witness in a
case of the Hart & Fountain Mills
\ersus the Virginia Electric & Pow
er Co., before the Corporation' Com
mission, was found dead in the bath
room of his room in a Raleigh hotel
early Friday morning of last week.
The coroners jury returned a ver
dict of death by asphyxiation. This
was after testimony relating to a
party held in Hart's room until about
two o’clock after which Hart was
left alone. It is thought he went to
sleep with a lighted cigarette, set
ting fire to the bed or carpet, and
awoke to find the room full of smoke.
Dazed and frightened, he is thought
to have tried to escape and ran into
the bathroom where he stumbled and
fell into the tub, his head striking a
faucet. Doctors testified to finding
smoke in his lungs.
The fire was discovered by a bell
boy who notified the night clerk. They
sent for the fire department and
fought the fire until the department
•Arrived. The body was in the bath
room and the door was closed at the
time and the gruesome find was made
by the fire chief after the fire had
been put out.
' Friends of the dead man from Tar
boro and Raleigh, at the party, were
questioned at the inquest.
The case before the Corporation
Commission was concerning power
rates charged the Hart mills by the
Power Co. J. T. Chase, Carolina
manager of the Power Co., was the
| (Continued on back page)
ABOLISH
3 COUNTY
SCHOOLS
State Consolidation
Does Away With Til
lery, Hawkins,
Heaths ville
TEACHERS LOADED
“All economies consistent with ef
ficiency” have been made effective by
the State Board of Equalization in
its allotment of teachers in the public
schools of the State for the next year,
according to a statement issued by
LeRoy Martin, secretary.
Halifax County, the records show,
was alloted a total of 307 teachers,
48 in high and 259 i n elementary
schools. Of these 153 are for white
schools, 39 high and 114 elementary,
and 154 are for colored schools, nine
high and 145 elementary. Notices are
being sent as rapidly as possible to
county officials notifying them of
the number of teachers allotted to
the individual schools in their res
pective counties, Mr. Martin said.
Halifax had only three schools
abolished by consolidation, Tilery,
with Halifax and Hawkins Chapel
and Heathsvilty with Aurelian
Springs.
The board alloted a total of 21,894
teachers for next year, or 1,933 less
rthan the 23,827 employed by all units
last year, or 684 less than those em
ployed and allowed by the State for
participation in the equalizing fund.
Local authorities employed 1,249
teachers last year, the record shows.
The decrease in teachers was made
possible through the increased teach
er load provided in the new law, the
consolidations brought about by the
board, and by the fact that the in
crease in average daily attendance
for the past year was not equal to
the increase of recent years.
The board found that there were
152 high schools operated last year
with a daily average attendance of
less than 50 pupils, most of them
with three teachers and many with
four, and found 651 elementary
schools operating with less than 22
pupils,o the law requiring their elimi
nation and consolidation unless such
schools can be more economically ope
lated. The board eliminated 52 high
schools by consolidation, and 143 ele
mentary schools by the same method,
although all were not under the 50
and 22 pupil class. Consolidation was
provided only in schools where room
and equipment were already avail
able, so as not to require erection of
new buildings at this time.
Misses Nita Turner and Ophelia
Daniel, Mrs. W. A. Daniel and Mrs.
Carson Mills and children, spent
Thursday in Goldsboro and Rocky
Mount.
John L. Guest of Richmond, Va.,
was a recent Roanoke Rapida visitor.
ACTING
UNDER
ORDERS
From Washington In
Changing Federal
Highway 17-1
They Say
BLAME SHIFTED
The North Carolina State High
way Department sheds any and all
responsibility in the changing of Fed
eral Highway 17-1 from this city to
the new Garysburg Road. The new
j department states that'.the change
was made effective prior to the date
it took charge.
In a telegram sent yesterday to
ritate Highway Engineer L. R. Ames,
the city officials, the Merchant’s
Association and the Kiwanis Club ask
ior a hearing at the August meet
ing of the State Highway Commis
sion.
In the meantime, those local bodies
will be busy seeing those whom the
new Highway Department claim are
responsible for the change: namely
and foremost, the United States As
sociation of State Highway Depart
ments. It appears that on the recom
mendation of that association sev
eral months ago, the change was
ordered.
It is also apparent that the N .C.
Commission, recently ousted, must
have had something to say about it.
Surely the national association would
do nothing against the will of the de
partment in whose state such a
change was contemplated.
The bureau of roads, the Depart
ment of Agriculture at Washington,
and the War Department each has
something to say about the Federal
roads, to say nothing of those i n
whose charge is the spending of Fed
eral money on Federal Highways in
the various states. Each of these will
be seen prior to the next meeting of
the State Highway Department.
It will also be determined how
much Federal money has been spent
on Federal Highway 17-1 in the area
in question. It is possible, several as
sert, that Federal money was spent on
highways which were not Federal
I Highways.
It is also clearly recalled here that
the former State Highway Commis
sioner from this district promised
j that the road from Camps Store to
Pleasant Hill would be surfaced ex
actly as the new road from Weldon to
Pleasant Hill. That is concrete. This
road should be concrete, unless the
new commission has no idea of ful
filling contracts made by the old com
mission.
Since the changing of the Federal
route, our prediction of more changes
to be demanded, with such a prece
dent set, seems likely. Several citiqp
having what they consider a shorter
and better road, are planning to have
Federal Highways changed if they
can work up the necessary pressure.
The city authorities received a let
ter day before yesterday from State
Engineer Ames, stating the Commis
sion, in session yesterday, would see
a delegation from here. Lacking all
the information desired, and in view
of letters from Chairman Jeffress and
district engineer Gardner several days
before, shifting the blame to t h e
Washington authorities, it was
thought best to delay appearing be
fore the State authorities until the
meeting next month.
A delegation to Washington is
planning to leave here at an early
date to take up the 17-1 matter with
the proper authorities.
Moonlite Jubilee
Will Not Be Held
The moonlight jubilee, which was
to be held here by Strong Man Al
bert Ritchie, on the last of this month,
has been called off. At a meeting
held the latter part of last week, it
was decided by a group of merchants,
all of whom were possible, contribu
tors to the event, that the time of the
year was bad for the occasipn.
Not enough interest has been
shown by enough contributors to de
fray the exDenses of the jubilee, and
there was much divided opinion on
the possible success of the entertain
ment.
Mrs. Ida Whidby is a patient la the
Roanoke Rapida HoapUaL }