THE ROANOKE RAPIDS
N. C.’s TABloid More News — More
Picture NEWSpaper Advertising — More
— All Home-Print — Paid Subscribers
\_r
VOLUME TWENTY-SIX ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C. " THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1941 NUMBER 39
DRESSED TO MEET A BLITZ
f
Above are pictured two of Roanoke Rapids’ soldiers, dressed in tin
hat and wearing a gas mask—looking very much like they would
should they have to go into a burning city or into a gas covered battle
field for wounded, a duty which the members of Company B, 105th
Medical Regiment, will have to perform if worst comes to the worst.
The above two are Corporal Troy Merritt and Staff-Sergeant E. L.
Goodfellow.
%
CONDITION
OF 2 MEN
IS GRAVE
“Very little change” was the
opinion of hospital officials late
today in regard to the condition of
Sheriff Gaddy and Detective Ba
ker, who were injured in an
automobile wreck near Jackson
Monday morning. R. C. Craven,
driver of the other machine in
the wreck, was reported resting
well.
All the others in the wreck have
been allowed to leave the hos
pital.
Mr. Baker is believed to have
suffered a head injury. He was
still unconscious late today. Mr.
Gaddy, who was not believed
seriously injured at first, has been
very ill from possible internal.
injuries. I
The two prisoners, who were
handcuffed together in the rear
seat of the Baker machine, were
hurt only slightly. Charlotte de
tectives came for them on Tues
day.
In accident, the handcuffs were
torn from one boy’s hand, bruis-1
ing it badly.
The boys were being taken back
to Charlotte on a charge of break
ing and entering and forgery.
Sheriff Gaddy was making the
trip with Detective Baker because
he was a friend of the detective.
When Mr. Baker started to Nor
folk for the two boys, he had
planned driving one of the boy’s
father’s car, but the plans were
changed at the last minute. In
order to have someone with him
on the trip, Barker went to
Wadesboro and picked up Sheriff
Gaddy for company.
Patrolmen have stated that the
Craven machine was apparently
going around the curve at a
high rate of speed, probably slip
ping sideways into the other ma
chine as it rounded the curve. The
HERE'S WHERE IT ALL STARTED
Above, seen under a litter of charred timbers, is the blackened
asphalt kettle from which the fire started here on April 1, resulting in
tens of thousands of dollars damage to the armory. It contained about
40 gallons of the boiling liquid when it boiled over and caught on fire.
I
KIWANIS KITE CONTESTANTS
Above are a few of the contestants who reached the finals in the
Kiwanis Kite Contest held here last Saturday. In all 109 boys entered
the contest from the five schools in the city. (NewsKuts by Brigman)
Craven car received the- impact
about the left center, while the
Baker car was struck about the
left front wheel.
No Figures Yet
Figures for the damages re
sulting from the armory fire
here last week were not yet
ready this afternoon, a county
official said. A final estimate
is expected to be reached Fri
day or Saturday of this week.
Three checks on the damages
are being made. Lee Wheeden
is making one for the County;
another is being made for the
insurance company which car
ried the insurance; and another
is being made by the YVPA for
the official files of the WPA.
Unofficial estimates by persons
who have inspected the building
remain at between $25,000 and
$35,000.
Polling Place In
North Ward
Changed To Ave.
Polling place for the coming City
Election has been changed from *
the Boy Scout Hut on Second St.,
to the old Boston Chain Store build
ing at 200 Roanoke Avenue, in the
north ward, according to the an
nouncement by Mrs. Ruby Wood
Mincher, City Clerk, this week.
Defer Judgment
Evidence in the case of the State
Versus Grover Tripp was heard
at Recorder’s Court Tuesday, but
judgement was deferred until the
court convenes next Tuesday.
Judge C. R. Daniel told the de
fendent that he was to remain
under a $500 bond until next week.
By that time he said he would have
made up his mind in regard to
a sentence.
SEEK PAY
FOR CALL
OUTSIDE
Favorable Reaction
Seen Among County
Commissioners
Representatives from all the ac
tive Fire Departments in Halifax
County appeared before the Coun
ty Board of Commissioners at a
meeting in Halifax Monday to re
quest funds for equipment and
payment of firemen for fighting
fires outside the corporate limits
of the cities and towns in which
the departments are located.
The board members expressed
themselves as in favor of such a
movement, but deferred any action
in the matter, after a discussion,
until the county attorney could be
consulted in regard to the legality
of such procedure. Further dis
cussion of the matter is expected
to come up at the next regular
meeting of the board on the first
Monday in May.
The firemen had records of the
fires that they had attended and
fought outside corporate limits for
which they received no compen
sation whatsoever. It has been
true of all the fire departments in
the county that they have gone
beyond their boundaries time and
again to assist in putting out
fires.
The members of the fire de
partments in this city and in oth
er municipalities are paid to fight
fires only in their own city’s lim
its. When they leave their jobs
and go outside the limits they are
doing it on their own hook and
good will.
ic is crue oi cne rcoanoae rcapius
department, and all the others as
far as is known, that it has never
been known to turn a call down,
refusing flatly to go and attempt
to put the fire out.
In addition to the firemen’s part
in the fighting outside limits, the
city that maintains the fire-fight
ing equipment does not, in a great
majority of cases, get any com
pensation for the use of its trucks,
hose, and chemicals.
The local department reports
(Continued on Page 8, Sec. C)
TO CLOSE
The Roanoke Rapids Schools
closed this afternoon and will
remain closed through Monday,
April 14. Banks in the city will
close on Easter Monday. Beauty
shops in the city are expecting
to be closed for the day Monday.
So far as could be learned to
day, few, if any, of the stores
will be closed. The post office
will be open. The ABC stores
will remain open.