Carolina’s Only TABloid NEWSpaper
The Roanoke Rapids Herald
VOLUME NINETEEN_ ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C., THURSDAY, MAY 18th, 1933. NUMBER FIVE
aasump out
PETTY CRIME WAVE
LAST ATTEMPT TO
REVIVE 242 FAILS
Spite Bill Dies
Double Death In
Legislative Battle
(Special to THE HERALD)
Rearing its evil head like a
tromped snake, Senate Bill
242, most notorious “local”
bill of the past session, was
voted down again by the
House when its sponsors
sought to revive it Friday in
the dying days of a long ses
sion.
Decisively killed on the third
reading two months ago, the spon
sors of this bill tried to lull op
ponents to sleep with promises
that all was over. The writer was
approached by emissaries with the
olive branch prominently displayed.
The dove of peace was referred to
by those who had been defeated.
But from reliable sources came
rumors and rumblings of future
trouble. It was necessary for a
group of citizens to leave their
homes and business day after day
to hold the interest and attention
of Raleigh legislators who had be
friended us in our hour of trouble.
They had other problems to con
sume their time. It was a most
difficult task, these weeks of
watchful waiting.
The storm broke last Friday.
For a few short hours before and
during the morning session (a
session when our friends were
few in attendance) there was con
ference after conference.
Practically every member of the
House was lobbied. There was a
hurried conference between Sen
ator Long of Halifax, 242’s spon
sor, and Representative Taylor of
Halifax. Robert Grady Johnson of
Pender, arch-supporter of 242 in
the House committee hearing, and
incidentally very desirous of the
Speakership next session, was
smuch in evidence.
The fatal hour for which 242’s
supporters worked two months
after defeat, had arrived. Tool
(Continued on back page)
i ■
High Point Youth
Charged Murderer
Of Boy Playmate
Griffith Welch, 15-year old High
Point boy who is charged with the
first degree murder of little Bobby
Clarence Sechrest, 5%-year old
son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Wade Se
chrest of High Point. The Welch
youth claims little Bobby was fa
tally injured in a bicycle accident,
and that he hid his body in a sew
er manhole, tho he has changed his
story materially several different
times. i
—COMPLETE STORY INSIDE—
There will be no evening services
at the First Presbyterian Church
next Sunday. Rev. S. H. Bradley
will be in Littleton in connection
with the Revival he is conducting
■jthere at that time. Sunday morn
ing services will be at the regular
time.
Two Store Breaks
Last Night Stir
Police To Action
That Roanoke Rapids po
licemen, coupled with the aid
of Mayor Kelly Jenkins are
doing everything within their
power to stop the series of
petty robberies that have oc
curred within the last few
weeks was disclosed in an in
terview with Mayor Jenkins
this afternoon, tho they are
working at a handicap with a lack
of men to cope with the situation.
Only two men are maintained for
night patrol duty, one in the North
and South wards, and as their
beat is rather long, it is humanly
impossible for the men to be every
place at once.
Since the Leggett store robbery
here some few weeks ago, in which
over $200 in merchandise was tak
en, there have been several rob
beries, store breaks and attempted
breaks of smaller nature, and to
date our city police force is not
credited with a single arrest in any
of these cases.
Stirred to activity by the last
two store breaks that occurred
_ I
(Continued on back page)
CHILD IS
INJURED
BY AUTO
Daughter Of World’s
Smallest Mother Is
Injured In Accident
Dottella Buck, 8-year old daugh
ter of Mrs. Dolletta Buck, who is
acclaimed the World’s smallest
mother, while on her way to play
a 3-day engagement in the city
with her mother and brother, was
struck by a car driven by I. B.
Rainey, Roanoke Rapids man, on
the Weldon-Rocky Mount Hiway
.t 3:30 P. M. this afternoon, Thurs
day, May 18th.
The little girl is in Roanoke Rap
(Continued on back page)
DISCUSS SUMMER
CLOSING HOURS
Young Carolina
Marine Honored
By Nicaraguans
For twice leading his patrol into
the bandit-infested jungles of Nic
aragua to recover the bodies of
two dead comrades and to rescue
three other lost aviators, Sergeant
Theodore M. Stephenson, a U. S.
Marine from Pinehurst, N. C., was
awarded the Cross of Valor by
Jose M. Moncada, former Presi
dent of the Central American Coun
try. Sergeant Stephenson was a
sub-lieutenant in the Guardia
Nacional, or native military force,
during the recent Marine Corps
occupation of Nicaragua, and the
medal was for “extraordinary ser
vices rendered the Republic.” It
was presented to him at a special
military ceremony held recently at
Philadelphia, Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Willis an
nounce the birth of a fine, 8-pound
baby son Monday night. The baby
has been christened Larry Coving
ton. Mrs. Willis is the former Miss
Mary Dixon, and Larry is an em
ployee of the Herald composing
room
Would Close Stores
At Noon Wednesday
During Summertime
At a meeting attended by a rep
resentative group of city mer
chants and business men this
afternoon the question of closing
business louses at nooa Wednes
days during the months of June
July and August, was brought up,
and almost unanimously approved
by those in attendance.
For the past five years, thig
system has been in effect in Roa
noke Rapids, and has been very
successful, according to its pro
ponents. For the benefit of those
who did not attend the meeting,
a petition will be presented to
them to sign, and it is hoped that
plans will be completed by next
week, at which time an announce
ment will be made.
A majority of the stores in East
ern Carolina close Wednesday
afternoons as an added holiday
for their employees, and it is said
the experiment has been highly
successful in the towns in which
it has been tried.
It was also brought up at the
meeting the increasing number of
petty robberies and store breaks
that have occurred in the city the
past few weeks and a committee
was appointed to confer with May
or Kelly Jenkins, and to offer their
co-operation to the fullest extent
in an effort to stamp out the rob
beries.
Sixth Division Of
Kiwanis Club Holds
Meeting At Ahoskie
Ahoskie, May 12.—Two hundred
Kiwanians and their ladies gather
ed here tonight for a inter-club
meeting of the clubs in the Sixth
division of the Carolinas Kiwanis
District, with the Ahoskie club as
host, and clubs of Elizabeth City,
Williamston, Roanoke Rapids,
(Continued on back page)
SLAYING OF FIVE YEAR OLD BOY AT
HIGH POINT AROUSES INDIGNATION
" -"PICTURE ABOVE; DETAILS INSIDE