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VOLUME TWENTY-TWO ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C._THURSDAY, DEC. 10, 1936 NUMBER 23
DRIVER IS CLEARED BY
JURY; FATHER INDICTS
'-X
UP AND DOWN WITH THE
Ghe Avenue
• • Roanoke Avenue looks prettier this Christ
mas than ever before. The Community Christmas
Tree was located today in the front of the Hospital
by a Power Co. crew and Mr. Ethridge’s city crew.
It was lighted tonight for the first time. Across
the street, the Municipal Building is decorated
with lights and candle? ^r ? t- morrow a big Holi
day Greeting illuminated sign will be swung across
the Avenue at this point. In the two business sec
tions, the street lights are aglow for four blocks
and White Way standards are wrapped with laurel.
The store windows are beautifully decorated and
kept alight until late every night. We especially
invite all persons from out of town to make a trip
to Roanoke Rapids after dark and travel the
whole length of the Avenue.
• • At each end of the Avenue is a sign across
the street put up by the Merchant Association call
ing attention of all who enter and leave Roanoke
Rapids that the Trade Days are now on and will be
thru Dec. 24th. $600 in cash and merchandise
prizes are to be given to Roanoke Rapids shoppers.
Merchants participating have big cards to that
effect in their windows.
• • The Joyner Motor (Jo. building, now occupied
by Thompson Motor Co., is being remodeled so that
a filling station will be built on the corner. The
showroom is being moved back and the Avenue-9th
St. corner will give a two way filling station.
• • Halifax, one of the largest in the State, has
about the least amount of paved roads and still less
a percentage of concrete roads, according to
Health Officer McGeachey. We have 35 miles of
concrete road and 70 miles of hard surface of all
kinds in the entire county. He is interested be
cause six cars from the Health Department must
cover every acre of Halifax County at some time
or another. Like all of us, he wants Halifax Coun
ty to have more hard surface roads. We are en
titled to it.
• • Crowds are growing every week at the Sat
urday night frolic of Rosemary Textile Workers at
the band hall, 10th and Henry. This Saturday
night, besides square dancing and other entertain
ment, a floor show will be presented. The public
is invited.
• • And in this same hall on Friday nights,
crowds are increasing for the Firemen’s Bingo
Party. Last Friday night the place was packed
with players and this Friday night additional ta
bles have been made to take care of the crowd.
Take A Needy Family (See Page 17)
HARLOW
HELD AS
RAPIST
Melvin Harlow, city restaurant
employee, was bound over to Su
perior Court on a charge of rape
following preliminary hearing be
fore Magistrate \V. O. Thompson,
here tonight. He will be held in
the Halifax Cou./v Jail without
bond until court colt es in Jan
uary. The crime is a capital of
fense in this state.
Esther Waters, wife of J. H.
“Jack” Waters, Patterson Mills
Co. employee, was principal witness
for the state, and the one against
whom the alleged crime of rape
was committed. Charges grew out
of Harlow forcing her to accom
pany him to the Rosemary Graded
(Continued on Back Page)
—
Santa Claus
Will Arrive
By Airplane
“Santa Claus” will visit Roanoke
Rapids, and eight selected business
houses tomorrow afternoon, Fri
day, December 11th, shortly after
3 P. M. Old “Santa” himself is
scheduled to arrive at the airport
landing field, on the Littleton high
way at 3 o’clock, and will be es
corted to the'two business sections
in a private automobile, for his ap
pearance at several city stores.
It is all a part of a feature by
Radio Station W-E-E-D, Rocky
Mount, to start off the official
Christmas shopping season with a
“bang.” Santa Claus will person
ally visit the following eight stores:
Leggett’s Department Store, Rose
mary Drug Co., Rosemary branch
of the Roanoke Bank & Trust Co.,
Roanoke Hardware Co., J. C. Wells
10th Street Grocery Store, Newsom
Oil Co., Wellworth’s 5c to $1.00
Stores, and H. G. Hodges.
In the meantime, Christmas
shopping is well under way in Roa
noke Rapids. The special Christ
mas lighting season was turned
on officially for the first time
Monday night, and is going full
blast from twilight on in both bus
iness sections. Tuesday night, city
stores started observing their spe
cial holiday hours, and will remain
open each evening until 8 P. M.
from now ’til Christmas Eve. The
stores will observe regular closing
hours on Friday and Saturday.
Verdict Of Coroner's Jury
in the matter of Raymond and Walter Williams.
Be it remembered that on the 8th day of Dec., 1936,
I, T. M. Cooper, Coroner of said county attended
by a jury of good and lawful men: H. G. Hodges, J.
H. King, H. E. Lee, P. E. Greene, George Lampley
and J. V. Womble by me summoned for the pur
pose, according to law—did hold an inquest over
the dead bodies of Raymond and Walter Williams
and after inquiring into the facts and circum
stances of the death of the deceased and a con
sideration of all testimony to be procured, the jury
finds as follows, to wit: That Raymond and Walter
Williams were accidentally killed by an automobile
driven by W. H. Daughtry. We further find, ac
cording to the evidence, that the accident was un
avoidable, therefore no probable cause.
Inquest held and record signed in the presence
of T. M. Cooper, Coroner of Halifax County.
Shortly after he had been absolved from blame
in the death of two boys on Roanoke Avenue by
the Coroner’s jury, a verdict which termed the kill
ing “accidental” and in which the jury found “no
probable cause” for holding him, a warrant was is
sued for W. H. Daughtry late Tuesday night
charging him with manslaughter, of having un
lawfully, wilfully and feloniously killed the two
children.
The warrant was sworn out by Henry Wil
liams, the father of the dead boys, at the instance
of Solicitor W. H. S. Burgwyn, who had prosecuted
the case before the Coroner’s jury. Daughtry was
represented by Attorney J. R. Allsbrook.
xne nearing on me mansiaugnter:
charge will be heard by Mayor
Kelly Jenkins before whom the
warrant was sworn out.
Daughtry filed bond for $1,000
for his appearance at the hearing,
the bond being signed by his busi
ness partner, Howard I- Fahey.
Fahey and Daughtry are plumbers
here.
The boys, Raymond, age 8, and
Walter, age 13, were almost in
stantly killed when struck by
Daughtry’s car just past 4th Street
on Roanoke Avenue a few minutes
past 10 o’clock Saturday night. The
two boys were riding on a bicycle,
the older boy evidently pumping
and the younger brother sitting on
the cross bar. They were pro
nounced dead shortly after they
reached the hospital a few minutes
after the accident.
Funeral services for the two
brothers were held at 4:30 Monday
afternoon at the First Baptist
Church by Rev. Gordon L. Price.
Interment was in Roanoke Rapids
Cemetery. Surviving are the par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Williams,
a sister, Frances, 16, and a brother,
Alton, 10. They live on the South
Rosemary highway just South of
K—
Dr. Long
Undergoes
Operation
Dr. T. W. M. Long is in the
Roanoke Rapids Hospital recover
ing from an appendicitis operation.
Stricken Monday morning, he was
operated on at 8:30 Monday night
by Doctors Jarman and Weathers.
His condition today was reported
as uncomfortable but nothing se
rious. There are no complications.
Dr. Long, as State Senator from
Halifax County, will be unable to
attend the special session of the
legislature which started today,
called to pass social security legis
lation. He will be able to attend
the regular session which starts in
January.
Chockoyotte Creek. Mr. Williams
is an employee of Roanoke Mills
Co.
(Details of Inquest on Page S)