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_____ 1 1 *“ ™ lAVAW^WW.W/.'.W.’.W.V '.■■
VOLUME 17. ------
- - —j __ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5th, 1931. NUMBER 30.
UP AND DOWN
Che Avenue
WITH THE EDITOR
To call a policeman or fire depart
ment Dial 668-1.
J. H. Moss and son have opened a
grocery store in the Daughtrey store
building at the corner of Second and
Hamilton Streets.
Here’s a good one from the Atlantic
Sportsman: “The people are asking
why Mr. Hoover, who fed the Belgians
during the War, cannot feed the
Americans in 1931. Well, you see,
during the war he was working under
a Democratic administration.” And
ii that isn’t strong enough foi you,
Jim Thomason, who has returned
from contracting in Maryland, has
some new ones on Hoover. You bet
ter get him to tell them to you.
Why can’t carnivals and circuses
leave us alone at times like these?
With the Red Cross Drive coming
text week, with Associated Charities
needing money badly, with relief
work necessary in many cases here at
home, these sort of things come in
and take away thousands of dollars.
For entertainment we can well enter
tain ourselves with local shows and
amusements. That money stays at
home. It looks like with picture shows
Legion boxing shows, football games,
church and school plays, we have
enough varied entertainment to satis
fy anybody.
The Garden department of the Wo- 1
mans Club meets next Monday after- 1
r.oon with Mrs. C. A. Wyche at 3:00
o'clock, at her home on the Weldon ’
Road. All members are asked to at- 1
tend and any one interested in this '
department will always be welcome, 1
even if they are not club members. 1
- \
The Ninth Grade Junior Girl’s Re
serve Club is helping the Associated
Charities to put on a drive to get
money for milk which will be given
to the undernourished children of Roa
noke Rapids. They have planned to
put milk bottles in several stores by
permission of the owners, in which
people may drop their money to help.
The bottles may be found at the fol
lowing stores: Rosemary Drug Co.;
Taylor Drug Co.; Duncan Pool Room;
Coburn’s. Shoe. Store; Taylor-Mat
thews; Roanoke Pharmacy; M Sys
tem; Star Barber Shop, and City Bar
ber Shop.
Two particularly important results
•re fortncoming when attendance is
good at tne local schools. It means
more State and county money for the
local district, appropriations being
based on attendance. It menns better
riudents, for those attending regular
ly keep up in theri studies and do not
lose interest in their work.
Last week, we printed the record
Attendance in the local graded school
when 15 out of 39 rooms had perfect
Attendance on one day and only 37
out of an enrollment of 1,512 were
•bsent. Now comes a report from the
local High School which has an ac
tive enrollment of 653. On Monday
week there were only 8 absent in the
•ntire High School and 11 of the 17
High School rooms had perfect at
tendance. That is a wonderful re
cord and congratulations are in order
to the Jr-Sr High School students,
teachers, the school officials and the
parents of those children.
E. W. Liles of Aurelian Springs
was in our office yesterday and this
progressive farmer has a few things
to be proud of. He has one pet acre
on which he alternated cotton and
Irish potatoes. He first dug up and
sold two rows of green potatoes; then
be harvested 38 fertilizer sacks of po
tatoes; then he picked 1,890 pounds
of seed cotton. All from one acre. On
the next acre he planted three foot
rows of cotton from which he has al
ready picked 1,960 pounds. Come on,
farmers, tell us about your special
crops.
Keeping constantly after the Sea
hoard Air Line officials for the past
fow months, the local Kiwanis Club
h»s at last succeeded in getting action
on the railroad crossing at the depot.
This crossing is now being repaired
*od will be finished this week. Those
*ho have bounced over the rough
mossing for the past few years will I
hank the Kiwanis Club for the im
Woyement. The delay has been caus
hy the fact the Seaboard is in the
■hods of receivers and a court order
k^jocenaary before the work could
ONE KILLED
WHEN SIX
MAKE DASH
From Halifax Prison
Farm; 2 Captured and
Three Said to Be Lo
cated Today
TWO GUARDS FIRE
At noon today Halifax reported
that officials had the three escaped
prisoners form Caledonia State Farm
hemmed up in a swamp and officers
were closing in on them. They have
been at large since Tuesday when six
escaped from a cotton lield where 33
prisoners were picking cotton.
George D. Cashwell, 22, white, was
instantly killed during the escape as
he lied from the field. He was prob
ably shot by either Guard M. H. By
i urn or Guard S. S. Hunninger, both
jt whom fired. The guards were ex
onerated by Coroner Williams.
f he report here is that two of the
■onvicts were captured by a Negro
vliu was out hunting and who held I
he two at bay until officers came
Tom the prison camp.
Cashwell, sent to prison from Ala
nance county, twice previously made
ns escape from State’s prison but his
bird effort cost him his life.
The six men, members of a squad
.orking a field, had evidently planned
heir break for freedom well. Three
-ent in one direction and three in an
ther. Guards overseeing the work
ired and Cashwell fell mortally
ounded.
v^. craniiem, r orsym man wnoj
hud been in prison only two months,]
to serve a 22 1-2 year sentence for
murder, W. D. Weaver of Durham
county and Jack Stearns of Guilford
county are still free.
Captain N. E. Raines, supervisor of
the prison farm reported to State’s
prison that he believed the three men
were surrounded and would be caught.
Another long term murderer, Var
nell Gates, of Haywood County, serv
ing 22 1-2 years, and Robert Jones,
Wake County man serving a two year
sentence joined in the escape but they
v- ere caught yesterday afternoon.
In reporting their recapture Cap
Lain Raines did not give any details.
Me merely reported that they had
been taken and were not wounded.
Prison records showed Cashwell to
be 22 years old.
His record listed an escape Decem
er 5, 1930, and his recapture April
sO, 1931 and another escape and re
apture on July 14, 1931. During his
period of freedom after his first es
cape he was arrested in Guilford
[’ounty and convicted of highway rob
bery under the name of Dick Knight
ind had a three year sentence to
serve.
His father, Robert Cashwell, was
(Continued on page seven)
SICKMAN
SHOT GUN
SUICIDE
Saying he had a better remedy than
a doctor’s prescription to make him
well, Roland Hill, 24 year old Negro,
living near Enfield, locked himself in
bis sickroom and blew his head off
yesterday afternoon.
He had been sick for several days
end was being treated by an Enfield
doctor. When his wife came to his
room to give him regular medicine
yesterday he refused to take it, tell
ing he knew a better remedy.
She was in the kitchen when she
heard a loud noise and thought a tire
on their ear had blown out. Failing to
find a flat tire, she returned to the
house and went to Hill’s room to find
the door locked. Peering in an out
side window she could see her husband
lying on the floor, a single barrel
shotgun by his side.
The room was forced open and Hill
was found dead. He had placed the
gun at his throat and pulled the trig
ger with a stick.
His father recalled that in 1928
Hill had been sick- and subject to
spells when his temperature was high.
During recurrent spells he was closely
watched. His last illness was similar.
The Coroner deemed an inquest un
necessary.
RED CROSS
DRIVE ON
NEXT V/EEK
Red Cross Must Further
National Relief Plans
Local Chairman
States
The American Red Cross has been
assigned a definite place in the na
tional plan of winter relief. Red Cross
Drive Chairman, J. W. Crewe, Jr„
declared today in explaining necessity
for greatly increased enrollment in
the Red Cross locally this fall.
He called attention to the fact that
Walter Gifford, as chairman of the
President’s Committee, has empha
sized that the Red Cross Roll Call,
which begins November 11, to enroll
members for the coming year, falls
within the period set aside by the
committee for raising relief funds in
all communities.
Mr. Crewe also pointed out that Mr.
Gifford has said that appeals for
from various relief sources are not to
iaise a national fund, but are “for
maximum local funds.”
In this connection he also cited a
statement from James L. Feiser, act
ing chairman of the National Red
Cross organization, who said:
‘In considering plans for the emer
gencies of the coming year, the Presi
dent and members of his special com
mittee realize that the American Red
Cross has a definite part to play in
meeting the country's needs through
the carrying forward of its regular
service program—local, national and
international. This is in addition to
the special unemployment relief work
being undertaken by a large number
of our chapters in deference to speci
fic community requests. Therefore,
normal Red Cross operations must
continue without interruption.”
“The Red Cross has a vital part to
play in your community and in the
nation.”
Mr. Crewe made public a statement
by Mr. Gifford in which he said:
“The American Red Cross, through
its local chapters and the national or
ganization, has its usual and import
ant task to perform in meeting the
country’s needs during the coming
year. We must keep this great na
tional organization at full strength.
“As director of the President’s or
ganization on unemployment relief, I
earnestly urge every community to
give the greatest possible support to
the Annual Red Cross Membership
Roll Call. Every American should be
glad of the opportunity to participate
in the humanitarian work of the Red
Cross through individual member
ship.”
EPISCOPAL
PAGEANT
S U N D A Y
Sixty Persons To Take
Part in Beautiful Pa
geant At Local
Church
CHICAGO DIRECTOR
On Sunday evening, November 8th,
at 7:.‘>0, a pageant entitled “Go Ye,”
will he presented in All Saint’s Epis
copal Church. This pageant is spon
sored by the Katherine Webster
Hranch of the Womans Auxiliary and
v ill be under the direction and in
spiration of its author, Mrs. Luna E.
Finch of St. Peters’ Church, Chicago,
who brings with her appropriate cos
tumes and scenery. This pageant has
been successfully gi<#en i n Rocky
.Mount, Warrenton, Oxford and South
Hill, as well as at St. Peters’, one
of the largest churches in Chicago.
Many other churches are planning to
give it in the near future.
mis pageant snows 1 n piciuriui
form the work of the church in its
various phases of activity. About 60
people will be used in the cast.
The presentation opens with the
entrance of the Mother Church, the
ventral figure of the pageant, repre
sented by Miss Nora Oates, proceeded
by the Crucifier, Robert Vick, and the
martyrs, Mr. Frank Joyner and Mr.
James Lyerly. The Church proclaims
her great commission and asks for
help in its fulfillment. The first re
sponse comes from Womans Auxili
ary, represented by Mrs. J. N. By
rum, accompanied by Prayer a n d
Praise, Margaret Long and Maria
Long. In succession appear some of
the Laboreres in t h e Vineyard, a
college chaplain, represented by Mr.
William Al^good, a nurse, Mrs. W. F.
Joyner, a teacher, Miss Elmyra Jen
kins, a deaconess, Mrs. A. N. Martin.
Mr. T. M. Mullen and Mr. W. J. Long
as business men represent the Bud
get and Quota and show how import
ant they are to the spiritual work of
the church. Mr. Hunt Parker presents
the cause of the Churchs’ Advance
work. Rev. Francis Joyner and Aco
lytes, Graham Jarman and Lunsford
Long, appear in the Vision. Mr. Win
field Crewe as Young Manhood and
Miss Phala Vick as Young Woman
hood, acompanied by youth, pledge
their allegiance to the Cross. Young
people dressed in costumes of foreign
lands represent the Sheaves of the
churchs’ harvest. Miss Mabel Regan
bf Education, accompanied by Light
and Knowledge, Mr. Roger Cullom |
(Continued on page seven)
LEGION
PROGRAM
i —
j Next Wednesday, Nov. 11, Armis
jtice Day, will be celebrated by the
Damask Post of the American Legion.
10:80 a. m.—Armistice Day pro
gram at the Roanoke Rapids High
School auditorium. Speeches will be
made by Rev. S. II. Bradley and Le
gion members.. The public is urged to
i ttend the brief services. All Legion
members requested to meet in front
of the school.
8:00 p. m—Legion Boxing Show
and Celebration at Simmons Gym.
Mutt Gordon, Portsmouth, vs. Shelby
Rice, Hopewell. Joe Tejera, Hopewell
vs. Glenn Morgan, Norfolk. Jimmy
Gilbert, Rocky Mount, vs. Roy Briley,
Danville. Freddie Mills, Roanoke Ra
pids, vs. Perry Giegory, Weldon. But
tle Royal.
MAN HIT
BY ROCK
IS DEAD
Autopsy Shows White
Man Dies After Hit by
Thrown Rock Near
Darlington
SEEKING NEGRO
An autopsy performed this morn
ing by physicians on the body of
Ceorge E. Hedgepeth, 38 year old
Darlington man, led to the discovery
that he died Tuesday from an injury
sustained when struck on the head by
a stone thrown by a Negro man. ,
Due to the peculiar way in which
Mr. Hedgepeth died, his physician re
quested Coroner Williams to order an
autopsy. The examination was made
by Doctors Suiter, Mitchell and Jar
man.
Lifting the skull they discovered an
inflamation on the brain directly un
der the wound and expressed the be
lief that the blow received by Hedge
peth on the head was directly respon
sible for his death.
Coroner Williams immediately issued
a warrant for the Negro’s arrest and
officers are in the Darlington section
searching for him this afternoon. His
name is not known here.
Hedgepeth had an argument with
the Negro near his home on the 18th
' f last month. The latter threw a
rock at the white man, the rock strik
ing him on the head. On Oct. 23, Mr.
Hedgepeth, who had been in bed for
a few days after the fracas, complain
ed of violent headaches. On October
• ■Oth, Dr. Suiter of Weldon was called
to the house. He grew steadily worse
and died on November 3rd.
Dr. Suiter, being unable to deter
mine the exact cause of death, with
I ne condition of the patient resemb
ling meningitis, called for the autop
sy.
Funeral services were held this af
ternoon at the family cemetery near
Darlington. The deceased was single
and is survived by his mother, Mrs.
7, Hie Hedgepeth, 85 years old, one
brother, G. F. Hedgepeth, and several
sisters. He was a cousin of M. H.
Hedgepeth, local grocer.
City Committee
At a meeting of the City Board of
Commissioners on Monday a commit
tee of Mayor Jenkins and Commis
sioners F. C. Williams, and M. D.
Collier were appointed to work with
the Sanitary Board in connection with
drainage and storm sewers for the
city. It is hoped some plan may be
worked out to install these type sew
ers at the same time the sanitary sew
ot s are being put in.
Thursday afternoon of last week,
little Miss Margaret Martin enter
tained a few of her friends at her i
fifth birthday. Many games were en- !
joyed during the afternn after which
ice cream and cake were served by
her mother, Mrs. Alfred Martin.
Those invited were: Nellie Stewart
Taylor, Sara Elizabeth Pope, Aiidry
May Parrish, Emily Dunning, Eliza
beth Beckwith, Mary Norfleet Vick,
Harvey Taylor, Daniel Kirk, George
Crizzard, Billy and Hurley King, John
llaywood Cullom.
John Vincent, of Quantico, Va., is j
a visitor here this week.
■ /
UNREPORTED ITEMS AMOUNT
TO $43,306.83 SAYS AUDIT
OF FORMER SUPERIOR CLERK
Poor Records Make It Impossible For Auditors To
Make Proper and Complete Tabulation;
Items In Doubt Are Not
Included
ONLY AUDIT LAST 14-YEAR PERIOD
The special audit of S. M- Gary, Clerk of the Superior Court
of Halifax County, shows a net shortage of $22,013.50 over a pe
riod of the past fourteen years in the late Clerk's records, with
auditors admitting that it was impossible to get ail the figures
and that many items chargeable to JVlr. Gary’s accounts were
omitteu irom the audit.
Total items winch nad not been reported by Mr. Gary amount
ed to $43,306.83, the audit shows, but credit was allowed of items
that had not been applied to the amount of $20,693.33. The audit
also states thai inadequate records in the Clerk’s office irom 1917
to 1926 made it impossible to get any true facts for that period.
For the many years prior to 1917
which Mr. Gary held the office, no
audit was made. Due to the type of
records kept in those days, coupled
with the fact that those in existence
were totally inadequate, it would have
been a foolish waste of county money
to seek shortages for those years.
The statute of limitations also made
this a useless task.
This fact is borne out by a study
of the following list of unreported
items uncovered by the auditors by
years. Readers will note the steadily
decreasing amount found as the years
recede. They will also note the jump
in 1920 and the following years. It
w as in 1926 that the first
real county audit was made and a
new bookkeeping system installed
which made it possible for auditors to
ascertain some of the facts in this
latest audit.
Unreported Items By Years
1917, $258.79; 1918, $722.50; 1919,
$1,594.07; 1920, $1,355.00; 1921, $1,
525.05; 1922, $913.27; 1923, $1,375.70;
1924, 1,942,59; 1925, $1,480.01; 1926,
$4,597.97; 1927, $8,683.16; 1928, $3,
138.96; 1929. $4,678.08; 1930, $9,955.
72; from Jan. 1931 to the time the
audit started, $1,085.90. Total, $43,
506.83.
It will be seen that the bulk of un
lvported items, totaling some $32,000
el the total $42,000, was discovered
in the last five years. This was due
to the new style of bookkeeping in
stalled in 1926, which made it easier
for the auditors to discover discrep
ancies.
Inadequate Records
That the auditing firm, Hollowell,
Gorham & Co., of Greensboro, labor
ed under terrific handicaps in making
the audit is best seen in their own
uords. ‘The inadequacy of the re
cords prior to the year 1926 made the
cud it both tedious and difficult, es
pecially subsequent t o Mr. Gary’s
death, he having died during the
course of the audit. It was necessary
in many cases to trace transactions
to their origin, which proceedure
caused delays that would have been
eliminated in the presence of Mr.
Garv.”
It is also possible that the larger
amounts of the last five years were
found because the auditors started at
the last two year period (1929-1930)
and worked backwards, getting many
of tike necessary facts before Mr.
Gary’s death.
In an exhibit of the audit showing
the allocation of unreported money
to various funds, the audit has the
following to say: “The inadequacy of
the records in Mr. Gary’s office pre
dude the possibility of making a
satisfactory detailed audit of each of
the accounts described above. There
fore, in accordance with the instruc
tions of the Board of Commissioners
the audit was commenced with the
last two years of the adminisration
i nd then each of the next preceding
two years in their order to Dec. 1,
1916.”
Many Items Omitted
That the final totals arrived at are
not true totals of shortages or dis
crepancies and that the amounts
would probably be larger than the
audit shows is also evidenced in the
statements of the auditors concern
ing omissions which they were forced
to make because of lack of proper in
formation.
As regards the audit of unreported
items, the auditors state, ‘Therefore,
in the absence of satisfactory expla
nations, many items which appeared
chargeable to Mr. Gary’s account are
omitted from the deficiency account.”
And concerning the item of fees, the
audit says, “In addition to the items
iiiat are charged to Mr. Gary’s account
as having been collected and not re
mitted to the county, there were nu
merous entries indicating lees charged
out their collection could not be estab
lished, therefore, these items are not
included in the deficiency account.”
It is thought the reason why the
above are not included was that it
would be impossible to substantiate
them in case of suit against the es
tate or bondsmen of Mr. Gary on the
part of the county to recover. It was
stated at Halifax yesterday that such
;■ suit was now in process of being
started, it is assumed that, in addi
tion to the alleged shortage, the coun
ty would also sue for the amount of
me special audit which cost $5,200.00.
Lowering ihe Total
While a detailed study of the audit
figures have not been made to date
by this newspaper, in order to be able
to explain the credits which brought
the totals down from $43,306.83 to
$22,613.50, those which are listed un
der “Unapplied Credits” are:
Cash, $14,824.88.
Liberty Loan Bonds, $1,200.00.
Cashier’s Checks, $221.90.
Certificates of Deposit, $184.20.
Remitted to Treasurer During Au
dit, $4,262.35.
The above make a total of $20,693.
>. Ihe circumstances surrounding
the last named item paid to the Treas
urer during the course of the audit
is not known at this time nor are
the details of the first named large
■ash item which had been “unapplied”
ii: the Clerk’s accounts.
ihe Liberty Loan item of $1,200
. ay shed some light on the way these
.arious itmes were discovered and
•''edited for the audit says, “The Li
e' Lv Bonds were found among Mr.
-m-y’s effects in his office and de
i o ited with the Bank of Halifax for
safe keeping.”
School Fund Hit
ine unreported items were found in
■ the following accounts: Trust Funds,
$13,394.27; Cash Bonds, $12,742.90;
I Criminal Court Cases, $11,561.78;
Civil Court Cases, $1,219.58; Fees,
$588.07; Partial Payments on Court
Costs, $413.90; Monthly R, ports, $3,
1386.33. Total, $43,800.83.
The auditiirs allocated this amount
If the following funds: Trust Fund.
$12,453.20; C mmis: n on Trust
Funds, $941 : F . $2,030.35; Court
Costs, $7,518.75; School Fund, $19,
082.47; Witnesses, $080.99.
Last Thursday afternoon at the
home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Clarence Grimmer, "Miss Beverly
Grimmer celebrated her tenth birth
day. The guests were all dressed in
Halloween costumes. Halloween deco
rations were used throughout the
house. Games appropriate to the oc
casion were played. The refreshments
also carried out the idea of Halloween
orange ice and cake being served.
Those invited were Katherine West,
Beatrice Kemp, Lillian Lee, Virginia
Kirby, Katherine Kirby, Sara Craw
ford Towe, Margaret Towe, Ann
Campbell Taylor, Edith Bugg, Kath
j erine Traynham, Mary Taylor and
I Lucy Bynum.