iiiiii iiihiiI^———^—————
■■■ II II ROBERT E. MAY, Navy, May 8, 1942 JAMES W. WHITBY, Navy, Oct. 26, 1942
III |> 11I R. H. McCOMMONS, Merchant Mar., July 6, 1942 WILLIAM H. CAMP, JR., Navy, Nov., 1942
Hill
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VOLUME XXvm ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C. THURSDAY, MAY 20,1943 NUMBER 42
NEGRO GUILTY MURDER
ALL HALIFAX
COUNTY JURY
ON THE CASE
Sentenced To Die In
,Gas Chamber July 9;
^iles Appeal Notice
A special venire composed of
Halifax County men sitting as a
jury in Superior Court in War
re^iton today found Willie Smith,
Negro, guilty of the murder of
Vernon Powell, white Warrenton
storekeeper, on December 31st.
Judge R. Hunt Parker of this city,
presiding judge at the May term
of, court in Warren County, sen
hSieed him to die in the lethal
gas chamber on July 9th.
Julius Banzett, Warrenton at
torney who had been appointed
by the court to defend the color
ed man, served notice of appeal,
ajd was given 45-days in which
to perfect his plea. The solicitor
was given an additional 45-days
in which to answer, thus the
Negro’s execution is automatically
stayed. His case will probably
l^f reviewed by the September
term of the Supreme Court.
The trial of the colored man,
who had confessed to robbing
a city jewelry store here last year,
was scheduled to get under way
lyrnday. It was claimed that sen
timent against him was strong in
Warren County, and a special ve
nire from Halifax County was
summoned. The jury was selected
by noon Tuesday, and actual tes
tjjbhony started that afternoon,
requiring until late yesterday af
ternoon to finish. Lawyers ad
dressed the jury last night, and
Judge Parker consumed one-hour
and 45-minutes in making his
rjjarge this morning. The jury was
out only 30 minutes.
Additional details of the crime
will be found on page 5—Sec
tion B, this issue.
City Officer In
Hospital Here;
$5 Better Today
W. M. Erwin, city policeman
since 1936, was stricken with a
heart attack about 10 o’clock Tues
day morning, and was taken to
lAanoke Rapids Hospital where his
condition was reported as improv
ed today. Attending physicians
stated tha^ although he was ser
iously ill, he has a good chance
for recovery unless unforseen com
A’cations occur. He worked as
usual Monday night, before the
attack Tuesday morning. During
his absence the North ward night
beat is being policed by Troy
Holloman, regular officer for that
sjption.
Ray Rightmyer Is
2nd Lieutenant
In Marine Corps.
LT. RAY J. RIGHT MY ER
Raymond Jones Rightmyer, Jr.,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Jones
Rightmyer, Sn, 1023 Roanoke Ave
nue, graduated recently from the
Naval Air Training Center, Cor
pus Christi, and was commissioned
a Second Lieutenant in the U. S.
Marine Corps Reserve.
Lt. Rightmyer, former student of
North Carolina State College vol
unteered for flight instruction at
the Olathe, Kansas, Naval Air
Station.
F. C. Williams
Appointed To
WPB Committee
Frank C. Williams, Vice Presi
dent and General Manager of
Roanoke Mills Co. and Patterson
Mills Co., of this city has been
appointed a member of the Tex
tile Industry Advisory Committee
of the War Production Board.
Mr. Williams attended a meeting
of the Committee in Washington
last week and is expected to be
called to Washington about once
a month.
k
OLD CLOTHES
DRIVE HERE
IS SUCCESS
The Business and Professional
Women’s Club sponsored a drive
for the past week to collect old
jlothes for Russian War Relief.
A special committee from the club
ivas formed, and representatives
sent to call for the clothes in
:ity homes Monday.
Miss Minnie Johnson, club pres
ident and chairman of the drive,
reports that the club had great
success in reaching it’s goal. A
;otal of about 600 lbs. were col
iected.
140 AWARDED
JR. FIRST AID
CERTIFICATES
8th Graders Complete
Course Of Instruction
Offered By Red Cross
Shearod H. Crumpler, Chairman
of First Aid, Water Safety and Ac
cident Prevention of the Roanoke
Rapids Chapter of the American
Red Cross, presented Junior First
Aid Certificates to 140 eighth grade
students in Junior High School As
sembly Tuesday afternoon. A spec
ial First Aid program was conduct
ed by the students as a culmina
tion of their work to earn their
certificates. The classes were held
in all the eighth grades as part of
the regular course of study in his
tory. They were taught by Miss
Cornelia Clark, First Aid Instructor.
In presenting the certificates
Crumpler expressed appreciation of
the Chapter for the splendid work
(Continued On Back Patge)
BABY "LOST"
ON STREETS;
FIND PARENTS
3-Year Old Disappears
From His Home; Gone
For About lV2-H<mrs
The three year old son of Mr.
and Mrs. W. S. Stokes, 739-B Jef
ferson Street, strolled from his
home shortly before noon today,
creating quite a sensation in his
household when he was missed,
and in the city police department
when he was found by city of
ficer Jack Brigman.
The boy was picked up by Of
ficer Brigman at an uptown ser
vice station about noon-time, after
he had fallen and hurt his knee
slightly. The officer took the boy
to his home, and started searching
for his parents.
A q o-rAAorv cfArP
clerk led to the youth’s identity.
Brigman called at the home of
the boy, and in the meantime
the frantic mother had heard city
police had picked up an unidenti
fied child and had gone to the
municipal building to claim her
baby.
The little boy frequently wan
dered away from his home, she
said, oftentimes getting on the
city bus, which she declared he
thoroughly enjoyed riding. This
is the first time he has been mis
sing for this length of time,
though, she said.
E. L. DANIEL
PRISONER
OF ITALY
Private Edward L. Daniel of
Roanoke Rapids, reported miss
ing in action in North Africa on
March 5, has been located and is
a prisoner of the Italian govern
PVT. EDW. L. DANIEL
ment according to information re
ceived this week from the War
Department by his wife, Mrs. Helen
V. Daniel, 403 Madison St.
The Adjutant General’s office
was unable to tell Mrs. Daniel in
what prison camp her husband
was located. He was reported miss
ing after action on Feb. 14th and
word was first received here on
March 5th. His last letter was re
ceived by his wife on Jan. 26th.
Private Daniel was an employee
of Roanoke Mills Co. No. 2 until
he entered thd army in December
1941. His wife, the former Miss
Helen Messer, lives with her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. P. L. Messer.
His mother, Mrs. Peter Daniel,
resides at 758 Charlotte St. Mrs.
Luther Clary of Roanoke Rapids
and Mrs. D. C. Clark of Durham
are sisters and Clyde, Rufus and
Arthur Lee of Roanoke Rapids
and Sanford of Lawrenceville are
brothers.
Rufus Britton Is New
Night Desk Sergeant,
Police Station Here
Rufus Britton, former city fire
man, has been appointed new night
desk sergeant at the municipal
building here to handle incoming
police and fire calls. He succeeds
A. E. Stowe, who resigned the
position last week to go to work
for Hugh Camp, former city resi
dent, at Franklin, Va. t
HOUSEWIVES
ARE URGED
TO ATTEND
Specialists Instruct
City Housewives; No
Charge For Service
Roanoke Rapids house
wives are going “all-out for
canning” this year, if the
crowds of ladies attending the
free course of instruction of
fered at the Roanoke Mills
cannery today may he taken
as a fair indication.
Approximately 125 house
wives, representing a fair
“cross-section” of the popula
tion of Roanoke Rapids, at
tended the course of instruc
tion at the mill cannery today.
An even larger attendance is
looked for tomorrow at the
Armory, where the demon
[rations will continue through
out the day Friday.
Friday’s canning demonstration
will be the last to be conducted
in the city under the present pro
gram, and all housewives who may
be able to can or preserve some
fruits and vegetables this year
are urged to attend the meet
ing. The program starts at 10
o’clock, and lasts until four p. m.
There is no charge, or obligation
for attending the meeting, and it
is open to the general public,
regardless of where they live.
Actual demonstrations at the
classes are conducted by Mrs.
Myra Scull, district supervisor of
the Farm Security Administration,
with headquarters in Windsor, as
sisted by Mrs. Irene Clark, home
supervisor of the Farm Security
Adminstration, whose headquarters
are in Weldon.
On this morning's program at
the mill cannery, Gordon Berk
stresser, chairman of the Citizens
Service Corps of Civilian Defense,
opened the meeting with a few in
troductory remarks. He was fol
lowed by Frank C. Williams, Vice
president and general manager of
Roanoke Mills Company, who wel
comed the ladies to the cannery.
Then Alfred Terrell of New
York City, president of Roanoke
Mills Company, spoke to the ladies,
complimenting them on their past
efforts, and for their interest
shown in attending the canning
classes today.
Mrs. Evelyn Sandlin, head of the
home economics department of the
high school here then introduced
Mrs. Scull and Mrs. Clark, who
proceeded with the demonstra
tions.
The same programs of demon
strations will be conducted at the
Armory tomorrow, and it is re
ported many constructive sug
gestions and helpful hints on can
ning are being passed along to
he ladies at these meetings.