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THE ROANOKE RAPIDS
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VOLUME XXIX ROANOKE RAPIDS, N.' C. THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1944 NUMBER52
COOPER AND MATKINS KILLED
★ ★★★★★★★★★★ ★★ ★★★★★★★
Negro Boys Ransack Homes Here
TWO MORE SOLDIERS FROM
This section give lives
ON FOREIGN BATTLEFIELDS
Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Cooper of
Weldon have received a message
from the War Department that
their son, Thomas A. Cooper, .was
killed in action in Italy on July
6.J^Young Cooper attended the
Weldon High School and has been
overseas about two years. Mr. and
Mrs. Cooper have two ether sons,
Willis Cooper, Seamon 2/c, in the
Coast Guard, and Private James
C'Sfper in the regular army. Both
boys are believed to be somewhere
in the Central Pacific area and
all three of the brothers recently
met in January of this year.
Thomas was inducted into the
Ajmy at Port Bragg on October
6, 1944, and received his basic
training at Fort Knox, Ky., bein^
sent overseas in May, 1942. He re
ceived training in Ireland and
England before , being sent to
Tw-th Africa on November 8,
*W42. He served with his com
pany through the African cam
paign. It is known that he was
with troops on the Anzio beach
head for about four months.
Besides his parents he is sur
vived by five sisters, Miss Lillie
Cooper of Franklin, Va., Mrs. C.
B. Nance, Mrs. E. T. Dickens,
Mrs. J. D. Frevlar and Mrs. Claude
Warren, all of Weldon; also two
(Continued on page 12—Sect. A)
*
Killed In Action /
Private Edgar H. King, shown
above, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vester
King of Bolling Road, was killed
in action, according to information
received last week from the War
Department.
CASUALTY LIST
IS INCREASING
The casualty list ol local boys
being wounded in action, con
tinues to grow. Among those listed
are: Wade Clinton Holmes, son
oA Mr. and Mrs. T. R. Holmes of
, tms city, and a grandson of C. L.
Tillerson of Franklinton, has been
reported as being wounded in act
ion in the European zone.
Corp. James Monroe Simmons,
son of the late Mr. and MFrs.
Weuben Simmons, has been report
ed wounded on June 8 while serv
ing as a paratrooper in the recent
invasion of the Normandy penin
sula, Corp. Simmons entered the
service in 1940 and went overseas
i® 1943.
■*Pfc. M. C. Moseley, 23-year-old
son of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Mose
ley, 1035 Hamilton street, is re
ported to have been wounded in
action “somewhere” in Italy. The
®essage was received by the par
ents Tuesday morning from the
War Department. There were no
details. Young Moseley, a gradu
(Continucd on page 12—Sect. A)
t
WELDON FLIER
SAID MISSING
Second Lt. Harry Freid of Wel
don has been officially reported
missing in action over Yugoslavia
3ince July 15, his family has been
advised. He is the only son of
Mrs. M. Freid of Weldon.
^Lieutenant Freid entered the
Army March 10, 1942, and was
sent overseas early in July. Be
fore entering the service, Lieuten
ant Freid was in the mercantile
business with his father.
Are On Vacatiofi
I'he following Roanoke Rapids
nurses are taking a vacation this
week: Mrs. Edward Davis, Miss
Myrtle Wooten, Miss Ethel Par
son. They are at Roanoke, Va.
Halifax County
Behind The War
Halifax County people are solid
ly behind the war effort, accord
ing to complete figures released
today on the Fifth War Loan
campaign.
Halifax County citizens shelled
out $2,177,264.50, exceeding the
county’s quota of $1,670,000 by 40
per cent.
This is the largest amount ever
given the county in previous war
loans and is the largest amount
of bonds ever bought by the peo
ple of the county in any one cam
paign.
CHAMBLISS
DIES FROM
HIS WOUNDS
Pvt. Elmer E. Chambliss, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Chambliss of
Gaston, who was wounded in act
ion May 31, died June 1, it was
revealed today by his parents.
Chambliss was drafted in August
of last year. Before entering the
Army he was employed by Roa
noke Mill No. 1. Surviving are his
parents, three sisters, Mrs. Louise
Moore, Mrs. Virgie Threnn and
Miss Willa Chambliss; five broth
ers, Pvt. James A. Chambliss,
who is also in the service, sta
tioned somewhere in the Hawaiian
Islands, Kenneth, Roscoe, Roland
ind Leslie Chambliss.
-1-t/
Now In France
Word has been received that
Pvt. R. A. Williams, Jr., above,
has arrived safely in France.
Prior to his induction into the
service December 11, 1943, Wil
liams was employed by the Djr.
Pepper Bottling Company. His
address is: Pvt. R. A. Williams,
Jr., 34854131, APO 15330, care
Postmaster, New York, N. Y.
"GANG" ARRESTED MONDAY;
HELD IN JAIL PENDING ACTION
BY HALIFAX SUPERIOR COURT
Killed In Action
Above is pictured Seaman 1/c
Vernon Edgar Whitley, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Walter C. Whitley, Roa
noke Rapids Route 1, who died in
action, a message last week from
the Navy Department revealed.
- a- gang or thieves,” estimated
number more than 15 Negro
boys, which has been operating
in the city for the past several
days, has been discovered. Five of
them were arrestbd Monday by
Chief of Police H. E. Dobbins and
his officers, and charged with
entering the homes of Mrs. T. T.
Shell and Mrs. L. W. Clements. At
the Shell residence it is alleged
the Negroes stole $46 in cash, and
at the Clements home it is said
the loot consisted of $12 in money.
The method of operation of the
"gang” is said to have been rather
bold. Taking one side of the
street, some of the Negroes would
approach a house and ring the
door bell. If no one answered they
would enter and ransack it, look
ing particularly for money.
Chief Dobbins said today that
he had heard of several houses be
ing entered in this manner, and
in one instance, it is said, the
Negroes got upstairs in one home
before discovering someone was
in the house.
The boys, on finding people at
home would ask for work as a
cover-up for ringing the bell.
The two robberies were report
ed to officers and a good descrip
(Continued on page 12—Sect. A)
HOSPITAL BANS
CHILD VISITORS
SERGT. MOORE
SAID MISSING
Mrs. Zelda B. Moore, 759 Char
lotte street, Roanoke Rapids, has
received a message from the Sec
retary of War stating that her
husband. Staff Sergeant Warren
G. Moore, has been “missing in
action since June 25 over France.”
Sgt. Moore, a native of Con
way, S. C., and a resident of this
city about two years before he
entered the service January 22,
1942, was employed by the Pat
terson Mills. He was a tail gun
ner on a B-17 bomber and is said
to have made 15 bombing missions
over enemy territory prior to be
ing reported as missing.
Moore received his basic train
ing as a member of the Army Air
(Continued on page 12—Sect. A)
Following the advice of Dr. R.
M. Bardin, health officer, for the
city of Roanoke Rapids, the Roa
noke Rapids Hospital, has placed
a ban on visiting of children in
the institution. The order became
effective this week.
Banning of children’s visits to
the hospital is no cause for alarm,
said a spokesman today. It is be
ing done as a protection due to
the epidemic of whooping cough
and poliomyelitis in other sections
of the state.
Larger hospitals have had this
policy in effect for years, it was
pointed out. It has been found
that children who are patients In
hospitals frequently contract from
visiting children contagious dis
eases which, added to their con
dition, might prove fatal.
The public is urged by officials
of the local hospital to cooperate
with them and are requested not
to bring children to the insti
:ution as visitors.