Carolina’s Only TABloid NEWSpaper
The Roanoke Rapids Herald
VOLUME NINETEEN ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30th, 1933 NUMBER THIRTY-THREE
Pill I TV manslaughter
UUILII GETS 15 YEARS
UP AND DOWN
Ghe Avenue
WITH THE EDITOR
THANKSGIVING DAY
The first Thanksgiving Da?; ob
served in America was that pro
claimed by Governor Bradford of
Plymouth colony in 1621, the year
following the landing of the Pil
grims. During colonial days simi
lar observances were held on vari
ous occasions.
President Washington by procla
mation set November 26, 1789, as
a day of general thanksgiving, but
during the early history of the Re
public such observances were ir
regular, and the several states gen
erally set their own dates for hold
ing them.
It was not until 1864, under
President Lincoln, that the last
Thursday was settled upon as
Thanksgiving Day throughout the
United States.
The fixing of this date is said
to have been largely due to the
efforts of Mrs. Sarah J. Hale, an
American author, who began agi
tating for a uniform annual date
about 1840. Each year she wrote
to all state governors asking that
they name the last Thursday in
November, and gradually they fell
in with her idea.
On the Pilgrims’ first Thanks
' giving Day wild turkey formed
the chief constituent of the feast,
and ever since turkey has been
inseparably associated with the
day’s observance.
A boy baby was born on
November 26th, to Mr. and
Mrs. Jack DeVane. The new
comer was christened “Piink
ey" by his young brother,
Jack Jr. Mother and son are
doing nicely.
There will be a Miusical Tea
Thursday, December 7th, from
4:30 to 5:30 P. M., at the Woman’s
Club House, benefit of the Wo
man’s Auxiliary of the Episcopal
Chureh.
A special program of Indian
music will be given, and there will
be an exhibit of Indian relics.
Also, articles will be on sale which
were made on an Oklahoma In
dian Reservation. Admission will
be 25a.
Mrs. R. H. Tanner was mov
ed to Dnke Hospital from the
local hospital Friday.
A car owned by a traveling man
from Greenville left the road at the
fill between the Roanoke Rapids
bridges Monday night and was
badly damaged. The four occu
pants were not injured. The car
was “borrowed” by the brother of
(Continued from page one)
CLEARS COURT
ON CHARGE
CRIMINAL
ASSAULT
Magistrate Thompson Clears
Courtroom While Girl
Tells Gruesome Tale
William Alligood, Weldon mar
ried man, was bound over to Su
perior Court without bond on a
charge of kidnapping and crim
inal assault on a female, at the
completion of preliminary hearing
before Magistrate W. O. Thomp
son at 6:30 Wednesday night. Alli
good made quite a demonstration
in the court-room, which was ex
cluded to the press and witnesses,
and cried when the verdict was
announced.
Sarah Taylor-Harris, local wo
man, and Glenn Melwood must al
so face the Superior Court on a
charge of aiding and abetting in
this same action, but were admit
ted bond in the amount of $250.
The charges grew out of the al
leged kidnapping of Aliese Pear
son, 17-year-old girl whose father
is dead, on the night of November
11th by the trio, and the alleged
criminal attack by Alligood.
Miss Pearson, who lives in the
country near Valentine, Va., just
across the N. C. line, was visiting
Luther Pearson, half-brother, who
lives in the “Hornertown” resi
(Continued on back page)
10 FREE
TICKETS
TO SHOW
Do you want a free ticket to the
Minstrel on December 8th? There
is a chance to get one.
A picture of a prominent
Kiwanis Club member, all blacked
up and ready for the stage, ar
rived too late from the engraver
to be printed in this issue.
However, if you will watch for
handbills Friday, you will see this
picture. Free 75 cent tickets will
be given to the ten adults who
identify this man.
Here is what you do: Take a
sheet of paper and write down the
name of the man you think this
is, also his business or profession,
then write a sentence or two about
what you thought of any of the
past Kiwanis Club minstrels you
have seen, or if you did not see
(Continued on back page)
75 IN MINSTREL DECEMBER 8th.
Scenes from “Minstrel Fashion Plates”, which will be staged
at the High School auditorium here Friday night, December 8th. The
curtain will rise promptly at 8:15. A cast of 75 will appear. This is
the 4th Kiwanis Minstrel and will be the largest and best show they
have yet staged. There ar'e 13 trunks of costumes, props and scenery
with the show. Admission is adults 75 cts. and children 35 cts. The
proceeds go to the Kiwanis Fund for work with the Boy Scouts, un
derpriviledged children and other work of like nature carried on every
year by the club. Last year’s Minstrel money went for Boy Scout work,
milk fof undernourished school children, etc.
The regular Minstrel Parade will be held on the day of the
show, the exact time of day to be announced later.
MATTHEWS
BOND IS
RAISED
The bond of E. A. Matthews
has been raised from $5,000 to
$15,000 by Judge R. Hunt Parker.
Matthews was brought into
juperior Court this week but Judge
Parker continued his case until
the January term of Superior
Court.
The Judge explained that he
did not believe he should try Mat
thews because he was Solicitor of
the district when the embezzle
ment charges were brought and
the indictment against Matthews
is in the Judge’s own handwriting
as Solicitor.
He gave no reason for raising
the bond from $5,000 to $15,000,
but it is assumed there was a pos
sibility of Matthews’ filling the
lower amount.
MYSTERY
NOT YET
CLEARED
Charlie Fayed, 45-year-old city
grocery employee who was found
mysteriously injured in his truck
last Wednesday afternoon, Novem
ber 22nd, with the car in a ditch
on a lone country road in North
ampton county stubbornly main
tains his silence as to what happen
ed, or how he was injured.
No explanation as to whether
he had an accident, or was the
victim of foul play has been made,
even to local relatives, and a bro
ther who visited him from Nor
folk, they say, and the episode
still remains much of a mystery.
Fayed is being treated for his
injuries by local doctors, and it
is thought he may lose his right
eye entirely. There were other
(Continued on back page)
GURGANUS
SENTENCED
15-18YEARS
Jury Out Four Hours Before
Arriving At Manslaugh
ter Verdict.
Wilmer Gurganus, charged
with killing Joseph R. Jones in
Roanoke Rapids on the night of
November 16th, was found
guilty of manslaughter Tuesday
and was sentenced to from 15 to
18 years in prison by Judge R.
Hunt Parker, Wednesday morn
ing.
Justice moved swiftly in this
case. It was less than 2 weeks ago
that Gurganus slashed the throat
of Jones in the latter’s home.
He was guarded at the hospital
where he was taken for treatment
of a cut in his arm, his examining
trial held, a grand jury indict
ment returned, the trial, conviction
and sentencing—all in the space
cf less than a couple of weeks.
In pronouncing sentence and in
his instructions to the jury, Judge
Parker said that a c-ime wave was
prevalent in Roanoite Rapids and
this accounted for the speedy act
ion of his court.
Chief witnesses for the prose
cution were Mrs. Jones, widow of
the 59 year old Roanoke Rapids
man, and LeRoy, his 13 year old
son.
Their story in substance was that
after supper, Gurganus, who haa
been drinking, became violent
when he was refused a loan of 25
cents, abused the elder man, who
hit him, and then procured a
straight razor and slashed Jones’
throat and cut him several other
times on the face and body.
Mrs. Jones said Gurganus went
upstairs and got the fazor. Others
say he got it from a dresser on
(Continued on back page)
SUNDAY
MOVIES
The Parent-Teachers Associa
tion has endorsed a benefit pic
ture show for underprivileged
children of Roanoke Rapids to be
given some Sunday afternoon at a
local theatre.
They have asked Manager Lyle
Wilson to donate one of the thea
tres and he agreed to do this and
also donate the cost of any film
they might choose.
The idea is not to charge admis
sion but let each attendant make
an offering as he enters the show.
This will be something new for
Roanoke Rapids as there has never
been a show open here on Sun
day. The nearest approach has.
been Sunday midnight shows start
ing just after midnight.