Newspapers / Daily Herald (Roanoke Rapids, … / Dec. 31, 1931, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of Daily Herald (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
- p_. “ALL FOR one and one FOR ALL ” Offering a Thorough Coverage 'T* ___ ^~d|HE Roanoke Rapids Herald E^l; volume: 17. -—---:---^-1 --- ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31st. 1931. -- -----—---- NUMBER 37. UP AND DOWN 'Che Avenue WITH THE EDITOR The Womans Club will hold its re gular meeting on Monday afternoon, January 4th, at 3 o’clock at the home of Mrs. T. R. Manning. All mem bers and prospective members are urged to start the New Year right by attending this meeting. Perhaps it is because The Herald is a Democratic newspaper, its editor raised and educated amid the tradi tions of Southern Democracy; his later life taking him into the Repub lican North from which he returned a stauncher and more devoted Demo crat than ever before; proud of the fact that he has aligned himself in maturer years with the Party which has been sneeringly called the Poor Man’s Party by the Grand Old Re publicans; that is the only reason we can figure why The Herald is thrown on the floor of the local Republican postoffice and allowed to remain there hour after hour while simple Christ mas Cards, Sears-Roebuck Catalogues and other similar mail is given pre ference. This matter of poor postoffice ser vice for The Herald has been in evi dence for a long time; but we have suffered in silence, with the know ledge that wordful prayers to our Republican bretflern would go un heeded. Complain to Washington, say our good friends and supporters. As well complain to the Rock of Gi braltar. Washington under Post master General Brown, is as Repub lic! . »s Maine (where we had to live for three years). Our complaint would bring a sweet letter and then that long silence which spells—N.A. (Nothing Accomplished). We’ve got something to do besides writing love letters to Republican Washington. We bring our complaint to those who can do something about it. To the Democrats of Roanoke Rapids, do to this Postmaster and tell him you want your Heralds when they are put in the postoffice. You can demand service. You paid for your subscrip tion; we pay the postage and you are the customer who is entitled to service. This is Tuesday night. One of our subscribers just called us over the phone to tell us he received his Her ald today; exactly six days after The Herald went in the Roanoke Rapids postoffice. The issue of Dec. 24 was in the postoffice on Wednesday night Dec. 23. This man got his on the af ternoon of the 29th. We know some people got theirs Christmas Day. We went in the post office on the night of the 24th and demanded the boxes be put up when we found Tl^? Herald undelivered. Those who had boxes got theirs be cause an under employee (we bet. a Democrat) agreed to stay over and put them up. We have done all we can. If you want The Herald on time, you must complain to the postoffice officials yourself. The regular Herald has been in the postoffice every Friday morning at opening time. Not a person in this city should have to wait later than Friday afternoon for his Herald any week. Now we can say a lot of nasty things about the Presidential cam paign of 1932 and what will happen to our postoffice officials then. We wont. If the service improves, you wont hear another word out of us. If it doesn't, then look out for Dyna mite. We know they hate to see The Her ald come in that door. We have so many subscribers, the postmaster ad mits it takes his crew two or three hours to put them up; wc can’t h*lo it if Roanoke Rapids likes our paper. All the more reason why it should be given preference. We are proud of the fact we have the largest paid up circulation of any newspaper in this section of the State. And we are go ing to see that our subscribers get the service they deserve. Even if we have to fight every Republican post master from Maine to Mexico. To the 8,000 readers of The Herald "® simply say, ‘Forgive us for taking so much space for our own troubles. *11. you are the ones we strive to please and the ones to whom we •hould, therefore, come with oar trou bles. ORDER FEDERAL BUILDING SURVEY State Engineers Survey Avenue MAY GET STATE AID ONLOAD City Council and Kiwan is Club Gets Action From State Department OFFER 3 PLANS State Highway Engineers were busy Tuesday and Wednesday of this week making a complete survey of Roanoke Avenue from the bridge to the railroad, as promised the City Council last week by Highway En gineer Waldrop and District Engin eer Gardner. A committee from the Council and the Kiwanis Club appeared befoPe the State Highway Commission a month ago and asked that the Ave nue, a portion of Route 40-A be re worked by the State. The same com mittee had previously gotten the i-oute number changed from County Highway 481 to the alternate State Highway designation. N. L. Stedman, at that time a mem x»r of the State Highway Commission approved the plan and made the mo ion which called for the survey and estimates of cost of repairing the Avenue. He has since resigned, but ais place has been filled with Leland Kitchin of Scotland Neck, and those who know Mr. Kitehin here say he will do all in his power to make this the first job for completion on his list. The Mayor, City Council and a Ki ivanis Club Committee met with Messrs Waldrop and Gardner here last week and three plans were dis cussed for the Avenue improvement. 1. The reworking of the present ! 18 foot road with a small concrete slab on each side, similar to the road between Warrenton and Norlina. The entire width not to exceed the regu- 1 lation 18 foot highway. 2. Reworking of present road with ! an extension in width of one foot on each side; the extra two feet to be of concrete; total width of road 20 feet. 3. The reworking of present maca dam road and the extension of that road to the curb on each side, making a practically new road double the width of the present road; the same width as that portion in the business section of the North end; at an ap-1 proximate cost to the city of $10,-1 000, and an approximate total cost of $40,000. The purpose of the survey by en gineers this week was to figure costs of these various plans to be submit ted to the State Highway Depart ment. Future action depends partly on what those estimates show to the Department; partly on what the City of Roanoke Rapids is willing to do. Proposition number one is better than nothing, much better than what we now have. Plan number 2 is bet ter still, but, according to Messrs Waldrop and Gardner, it is doubtful, as the policy of the State is to build roads as wide, no wider, as adjoining roads. Highways leading into Roa noke Avenue are 18 footers. We like Proposition Number Three better than any of the others and so do the engineers who were here. If there is any possible way for the city to raise that $10,000, it should be cone. Here is an opportunity which will not come our way again. The engineers figure an approximate cost of Plan 3—a full size road from curb to curb, nearly two miles in length— extending from railroad to bridge— at $40,000. Of this amount, the State would agree to pay approxi mately $30,000. Think what it would mean to our city and especially to “the main drag” to have it paved for a width of forty feet. It would be one of the finest stretches of road in the State, and with the extended White Way, would present as pretty a picture of city development as could be found in the entire country. Traffic congestion would be relieved on this main ar tery which must bear the brunt of (Continued on back page) Judge Moore Here Raleigh, Dec, 31.—Judge Henry A. Grady will preside over the four weeks of court in Mecklenburg county, beginning January 8, taking the place of Judge Clayton Moore, who will spend the first two weeks holding court in Warren and the second two in Halifax County, according to an exchange of courts made in Gover nor Gardner’s office. C H RISTMAS CELEBRANTS IN COURT Recorder Has Busy Day Tuesday With Liquor and Assault Cases Christmas celebrations were re sponsible for most of the cases tried in Recorder’s court this Tuesday. Li quor and assault cases predominated the docket. William Smith plead guilty of un lawful possesion of liquor. He was given 8 months on the roads suspend ed on payment of $10 fine and costs. Defendant is to appear the first Tues day in March and the first Tuesday in every month for two years to show he has been of good behavior. Branston Patterson was called on charge of assault and failed to appear. A judgment of Nisi Sci Fa, capias and continued was issued. Defendant was given ten days to show why he does not appear and pay his bond. Jdugement absoulte on bond to be discharged upon payment of $50. J. T. Harrison plead guilty t odriv ing while drunk. He was fined $50 and costs nad license to drive revoked for 5 months. M. S. DeBerry plead guilty to driv_ ing while drunk. He was also fined $50 and costs nad license revoked for five months. John Newsome plead guilty to driv ing while drunk. Fined $50 and costs and licens erevoked for five months. E, F. Thomas charged with driving while drunk. Defendant called and failed. Judgment absolute on bond. Capias nad continued. James Lindsey and Hattie Vinson plead not guilty to charge of assault. A verdict of not guilty was given Hattie Vinson. James Lindsey was given 2 years on the roads. Louis Vick plead guilty to injury to personal property. He was given five months on the roads suspended on condition the defendant pays costs and that he pay $50 for the use of V. C. Vick, whose car was damaged. Defendant could not pay judgment and went to the roads, Dec. 29, 1931. Both defendant and V. C. Vick were from Roanoke Rapids. waiter Hawkins, charged with re moving mortgaged property. He was given nol pros with leave. The case was discharged with the State re serving the privilege of reinstating the act. J. C. Garner plead guilty to driv ing while drunk. He was fined $50 and costs with license revoked for 5 months. Valentine Daniel was found guilty of assault. Judgment suspended up on payment of costs in the amount of $37.50. Horace Pittman was found guilty of assault and sentenced to 7 months on the roads. Robert Larry and Mannie Dickens were charged with asault. Larry pleading guilty and Dickens not guil ty. Dickens was found not guilty and Larry given 10 months on the roads. B. C. Jenkins and Jim Goins on li quor charge. Jenkins called and fail ed, judgment Nisi Sci Pa capias and continued. Continued as to Goins. Lincoln Beale was found guilty of I liquor offense. He was given five months on the roads suspended so long as defendant does not in any way violate prohibition law. Johnnie Clark on larceny charge was transferred to Superior Court. Jessie Austin was found not guilty of non-support. George Bobbitt, Sr. on liquor charge was continued. (Continued on buck page) MAN DIES WHEN HIT BY^AUTO Driver of Car Speeds On After Hitting G. T. Rucker Monday Night NECK BROKEN A hit and run driver killed a man here Monday night and, if he had just stopped and investigated, he would have discovered that the acci dent was unavoidable and he was not blamed by friends of the man who witnessed the death. (5. T. ltucker, age 4'i, a foreman at the Caledonia State F^fm, met almost instant death when he ran in front of the car just a few hundred yards front the depot here on the highway to Weldon at 9:30 Monday night. With Rucker at t h e time were Messrs L. G. Langley and overseers Bobbitt, Poole and Willard, all connect od with the State Farm near Scotland Neck. They were in Rucker’s car and ahd been shopping in Roanoke Ra pids. They started home and parked the car on the right side of the high way and crossed the road. As they started back across the road toward their car, two of the men saw a car coming at a high rate of speed, traveling toward Weldon. They say they called to Ruci-^r and told him to Wait, hut he started running across the road and was struck by the speed ing car. His body was flung some twenty feet. His friends put him in the car and rushed him to the Roa noke Rapids hospital but he died en route. His neck was broken. The only other mark on the body was a bruise on his hip where the car struck him. Those with him say the driver of the car which struck him appeared to slow up as he struck the man but then stepped on the accelerator and disap peared quickly. Mr. and Mrs. Thomsa Whitten of this city, who were traveling toward Weldon, say the death car passed them at the old skating rink. It was traveling ta a high rate of speed and appeared to be a new Chevrolet se dan (they could not tell whether 2 or 4 door) with light colored, either green or yellow, wire wheels and a 111.12 license tag. The accident took place just a few seconds after the car passed them and they were the first to the scene. W. G. Bunch, who owns the Lone Eagle Filling Station, between here ond Weldon, states he heard a car, about this time, coming at terrific speed down the highway. It was the apparent speed which attracted his at_ tention and he stepped to the door to see the Chevrolet with light color ed wheels speeding past his place. The driver or owner of the car has not yet been located. The body of the deceased was taken to St. Matthews, S. C., for burial on Tuesday. A wife and one child sur vive. Mr. Rucker has been employed by the State at Caledonia for many years and was well known and liked in the county. Those with him absolved the car driver from blame, altho questioning the speed at which he was traveling at the time of the accident. Circle No. 1 of the Ladies Aid So ciety of the Christian Church was en tertained by Mrs. J. A. Pridgen at her home on Jackson Street last Tuesday evening. There were 20 members present and several visitors. Later in the evening refreshments were ser ved. Messrs Perry and Julius Jones and Wadleigh Pierce of Burlington spent the holidays with Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Jones. m Norwood Hyman, U. N. C., and Waverly Hyman of Whitakers are visiting Mrs. L. J. Meade. Mr. and Mrs. S. E. Wilson have re turned from Winston-Salem, where they spent the Christmas holidays. DEAD MAN FOUND IS STABBED Knife Wielder Claims Self Defense In Kill ing Near Halifax Last Week AUSBY IS HELD The searchlight of a truck spotted the body of a dead man on Route 40 last Wednesday night, six miles South of Halifax, and investigation showed it to be Willie Rattle, colored, dead with a knife blade thrust just below the heart. Coroner Billy Williams and Jailer Hux were notified and trailed a run ning man by his tracks from the scene of the killing. They arrested jiOn Ausby, colored, at his home a i d charged him with murder. He was taken before Magistrate W. J. Mohorn at Halifax and pled guilty, claiming self defense. He made a full statement after the usual warning from the magistrate. The case will be tried in Superior Court. Ausby says he and Battle left the former’s house and were quarreling i and cursing. He claims Battle threat. eneo to kill him and also Henry Thomas. They continued walking down the highway cursing and finally Ausby claims Battle grabbed him and took out his knife and tried to open it with his teeth. Ausby says he then got his own knife and stabbed Battle once Then j he ran because he thought Battle was ^ following him. i It was apparent, however, that his ' run was unnecessary as the man must have died almost in his tracks. Mrs. Kate Jordan, near whose home the heme the killing occurred, said she heard the two cursing and quarrel ing as they passed her house. Tom Ellen testified the death knife be longed to Ausby, as he traded it to him. An unopened knife was found near the body. Kling-Holt Wedding A wedding of unusual interest to friends here occurred on Dec. 23 at York, Pa., where Miss Mary Nellye Holt became the bride of Mr. Joseph A. Kling. Miss Holt is the attractive daugh ter of Mr. Wm. B. Holt, who formerly lived here, and the sister of Mrs. Pen dleton Grizzard and Miss Florine Holt of this city. She has for the last few years been making her home up north. She has been a visitor here quite of ten since leaving and has always been r popular favorite amo g the younger set. Mr. Kling is from Pennsylvnia ana a young man of splendid business ability. He holds a responsible po sition with the Pennsylvania High way Commission. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Kling will make their home in York. COMMUNION SERVICE Rev. S. H. Bradley has returned from South Carolina and regular ser vices will be held at the Presbyteri an Church on Sunday. Communion service will be held at the morning service. WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT Mr. and Mrs. Edward E. Bell of Shelltown, Md., announce the marri age of their daughter, Anna Mildred, to Zeb Bennett Wall of Jackson, N. C., at Emporia, Va., on December 30. The young couple will be at home in Jackson. MRS. W. S. PEPPER Mrs. W. S. Pepper, age 38. died De cember 26th at the Roanoke Rapids Hospital. Her husband and three sons survive. Funeral services were held at Mr. Pepper’s old home on the Halifax Road with burial in the fami ly cemetery. Rev. D. M. Sharpe offi ciated. Fire Destroys Two Houses Wednesday Two houses in South Rosemary, owned by J. E. Tickel, burned yes terday afternoon. Two Clary famililes lived in the houses and most of their house hold effects were saved. Fire started in the flue of one of the hous es which burned to the ground. The next house caught from this one and was practically destroyed. No water made it impossible for the fire de partment to do any good. Neither house was insured. SPECIAL ELECTION JAN^ 12TH Special Sanitary District Registration Books Close This Satur day, Jan. 2 500 ON BOOKS The special registration for the Sanitary District Rond eleceiton on January 12 will close this Saturday, Jan. 2. All voters must have their names on the books before Saturday in order to vote for the bonds, which, when sold, will mean available funds for the actual installation of water and sewerage in this city. mere has been some question in he minds of the people about the need for this special registration. It is necessary because the Sanitary Dis trict, formed by law to effect the in stallation of this work, is different from the city lines. Just as it was necessary for a different registration for the School District, which extends as far as Tilghman’s Cross Roads and Belmont, so it is necessary for a third registration for this Sanitary District. In other words, the voters of Roa noke Rapids will be on three different registration books: ( City and State;, this is the old registration; 2. School District; 3. Sanitary District. It is rather confusing right now. For ex ample, the School district registra tion was never needed in the past. The last legislature gave the people of that district the right to vote for school trustees, so a new registration was necessary. The same is true of the Sanitary District. We never had one of these until this year. And the boundaries of none of the three are the same. 1 ohceman Jeff Welch is the regis trar for this Sanitary District elec tion. Five hundred voters have re gistered to date. On Saturday, he will be at the High School building. The other days of this week he will have the registration books with him and anyone can register by seeing him any afternoon. He hopes to have nearly n thousand registered by the close of the books on January 2. A vote “yes” for the bonds means a vote for steady work for 300 men for a year in Roanoke Rapids. It is vote for water and sewerage because it is necessary to vote and sell bonds in order to have the money to do this work with. This temporary work going on now I is but a drop in the bucket compared i with the work that will be done af-1 ter these bonds are voted and sold. Be sure and register and vote. But remember this: do not register un less you intend to vote. Because an absentee voter counts against the bond issue. It sounds like a whole lot of bonds but the corporations, the mills, plants and all, the power company, every thing from the river to the railroad is included. The corporations will pay back more than 75 per cent of the bonds in the next 30 years. That’s the proposition agreed on when the Greater Roanoke Rapids was voted in months ago. Register before Saturday. Vote :<Yes” on January 12. Larry Meade visited relatives in Whitakers this week. Miss Joy Swain is spending a few days with Miss Hilda Hines. FIRST STEP FOR POST OFFICE BLDG Judge Kerr Gets Order From Department for General Survey Local Conditions NOTHING DEFINITE A survey for a Federal Postoffice Building in Roanoke Rapids has been ordered by the Postoffice Department, according to information received on December 21 by Representative John H. Kerr, which information was re layed to the local postmaster, J. L. Vest and to this newspaper, by the Congressman. The stipulations in the letter from the Postoffice Department are (1) that the two postoffices be consoli dated and (2) that the gross business per year exceed $20,000. The first part has been carried out with the linking of the two office! here under one postmaster. However, the second stipulation still falls some short of the required amount. The two offices, and also the consolidated office, will not do a gross business of $20,000 annually; at least not, in a de_ pression year. i»eiow we print the correspondence in the matter. Warrenton, N. C. Dec. 24, 1931. Roanoke Rapids Herald, Roanoke Rapids, N. C. Dear Mr. Wilson: I am enclosing you copies of cor respondence between the Government and myself, and the Postmaster at Roanoke Rapids, N. C. After making such use as you see proper please re turn to my file at Washington. With the Season’s greetings, I am, Sincerely yours, JOHN H. KERR, M. C. JHK-J Warrenton, N. C., Dec. 24, 1931. Postmaster, Roanoke Rapids, N. C. Dear Mr. Postmaster: The enclosed letter from Mr. Nichcol, Acting Fourth Assistant P. M. Gen eral, is a real Christmas greeting to the citizens of your community. Will you be good enough to post this let ter of Mr. Nicol’s in a conspicious place in your postoffice building. With the assurance that I will press this matter until we have a real creditable building at Roanoke Rapids, I am, with the season’s greetings, Sincerely yours, JOHN H. KERR, M. C. JHK-J. December 21, 1931. Hon. John H. Kerr, House of Representatives. My Dear Mr. Kerr: With reference to your recent per sonal call at this office, I am pleased to advise that we have today asked the Chief Inspector to have a Federal building survey madfe at Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. It is understood that the postoffices at Roanoke Rapids and Rosemary are to be consolidated and that the re ceipts of the combined office will ex ceed $20,000 a year. Sincerely yours, (Signed) H. R. NICHOL, Acting Fourth Assistant Postmaster General. By the time a postoffice building is ready to be built here, some observers point out, the business will reach the required amount. They base this pre diction on the length it usually takes to get actual work started on a Fed eral building. There are those who say, however, that with Congressman Kerr on that committee, there is no reason why Roanoke Rapids should have to wait, as most other towns do. It will be a race against time as next year is election year, and even Judge Kerr’s bitterest enemy will admit that if work on a Federal building started in Roanoke Rapids prior to election time, the Judge would have little trouble in rallying to his sup port, the majority of the biggest vot ing precincts in his district. Roanoke Rapids has a potential voting strength of almost 3,000, as proved in the city consolidation election when 2,800 bal lots were cast in a onesided race. Another “fly in the ointment” which might prove a useful alibi to the Con gressman, is the fact that there are those here in the city who will split hairs over the location of a possible (Continued on back page)
Daily Herald (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 31, 1931, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75