Vernon Edgar Whitley, Marvin William Scott, William H, Camp, Jr, Robert E .May, B. H. McCommons, James W. Whitby,
Grover Woodruff, Winfield Hasty, Daniel E. Faison, Robert Lee Moore, Curtis E. West, Edgar H. King, Robert Lee Ingrana
Thomas A. Cooper, Marvin F. Matkins, James G. Whitby, Thos. H. Cook, Jr, Elmer E. Chambliss, Randall White, Robert L
_| Harris, Joseph A. Crouch, Davie L. Harper, Brutas W. Rook, Robt. B. Northingtn, Eugene Basil Glover, William O. Moody,
Frank W. Harris, Wayne C. Green, Rufus S."Finch, Lawrence W. Myrick, Walter G. Cooley, Charlie L. Whitby, Melbourne Barry Jones, Robert A. Rogers, Rufus J. T. Wood*
ruff, Clinton P. Deberry, Herbert S. Edwards, H. Charles Leatherwood, Jr, John Wayne Thomas, Alex Bullock, Jr, Frank P. Hunter, Cecil Coburn, Wilbur Anderton, Latt
Harris Shaarin. _
*
; VOLUME XXXI ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 18th, 1946 NUMBER 29
John Clark, Believed Insane,
Released From Hospital; Will
Be Taken To Goldsboro
John Clark, negro, about 35
years of age, suddenly went be
serk last Tuesday morning about
11:30 o’clock, and, arming himself
with a single-barrelled shotgun and
a high-powered rifle, went on m
shooting spree. *
The negro attempted to kill his
wife, shooting at close range with
the Sl.otgun which evidently was'
loaded with a heavily-charged
shell. He missed, but the blast tore
a large hole in the woman’s coat. \
Believing that he had killed her,
the negro then took the rifle, and
according to the opinion of offic
ers, rested the butt oh the ground
leaned over and placed the muzzle
of the rifle on the left side of his
body near the heart and pulled the
trigger. The bullet struck him just
above the heart and came out his
back between the shoulders. Clark
then left the place and was later
found about one-half mile away by
Chief of Police H. E. Dobbins and
Police Officer John W. High after
they were called to the scene.
The officers did not know the
negro had shot himself until they
discovered blood soaking through
his clothing. He was brought to
Roanoke Rapids Hospital for
treatment and was discharged
from medical care here today. Of
ficers will take him to Goldsboro
where he will be placed in a state
institution for negroes.
The shooting took place on the
Edwin Allen farm in South Rose
mary on the Littleton highway and
created much excitement among
many of the people in the neigh
borhood, many of them fearing
that Clark would vent his insane i
wrath on other individuals. I
- 'i ]
FOR CORONER
Halifax County
To the Voters of Halifax County:
I hereby announce my candidacy
for the office of Coroner of Hal
ifax County subject to the Dem
ocratic primary of May 28. Tour
vote and support will be appre
ciated.
RUFUS BRITTON. J
Four Negroes Suffocate
In Scotland Neck Cells
Scotland Neck, April 18— Four
Negroes, jailed Saturday night for
intoxication, died sometime during
the early hours of Sunday morning
' in the Scotland Neck municipal
jail as a result of being suffocat
ed by smoke.
The bodies were discovered about
8 Sunday morning t^hen Major
Benjamin F. Bracy out for an ear
ly morning stroll, dropped by his
office in the municipal building
and•detected thr smell of smoke.
Investigating, he discovered the
four bodies in the cells.
Coroner Howe of Weldon was
immediately called, but being ill
sent Deputy Coroner Mountcastle,
who impaneled a jury at the
scene to investigate. It was de
termined that the men suffocated
from smoke from a burning mat
tress in an upper cell tier, appar
ently ignited by one of the in
mates accidentally.
The jail, only last week inspect
ed by the grand jury and declared
to be the best in Halifax County,
is located in the new municipal
building and is completely fire
proof except for bedding. Night
Officer Coggin jailed the men on
public drunkeness. According to
routine, he checked by the jail
at midnight and found everything
all right. He asserted he searched
the men and removed all weapons
and inflammables but apparently
one of them had a match which he
subsequently lighted during the
night, thus setting the mattress on
fire. The coroner’s jury will re
turn its verdict at a later date
after Coroner Rowe recovers from
his illness. In the meantime, state
ments were obtained from the
night officer and others.
The men were Roosevelt Wilson,
about 40; Henry Hart, 30; James
Dollberry, 26; and R. Jesse Wil
liams, 22. The first three were
married, and the last named sin
gle and a veteran of World War
II. All lived in the rural area near
here.
FOR JUDGE
Of The Recorders Court For
1 Halifax County
1o the Voters of Halifax County:
I hereby announce my candidacy
for the office of Judge of the Hal
ifax County Recorders Court, sub
ject to the Democratic Primary,
May 25, 1046. Your vote and sup
port will be greatly appreciated.
W. O. (Bill) THOMPSON
FOR CORONER
1 To the Voters of Halifax County:
I hereby announce my candidacy
for re-election to the office of
coroner subject to the Democratic
primary May 25. Your vote and
support will be appreciated.
F. N. ROWE.
. ■ ; . ' \\
N. C. Symphony
Will Play Here
Tuesday, May 7
The North Carolina Symphony
will play here on Tuesday, May 7,
it was announced today.
A matinee for . children will be
given at 2 o’clock in the after
noon with no admission Charge.
At 8 o’clock the main performance
will be given. Both concerts will
be in the Roanoke Rapids High
School auditorium.
State Licenses
For Beer-Wine
Due On May 1st
State beer and wine licenses
will be due May 1, according to
George C. Green, Jr., State Reve
nue Department collector, who
was in Roanoke Rapids this week.
Mr. Green urges thajt every ap
plication be properly signed when
license is applied for. This is very
important and will save consid
erable time, Mr. Green pointed
out.
_I_
Two Candidates
For City Board
Only two candidates filed for
the office of City Commissioner.
Howerd Pruden from the South
Ward to succeed Alfred Martin,
who did not seek re-election, and
W. P. Taylor from the North
Ward, a present member of the
board. Piling date closed last
Tuesday night.
Graham Butler Is
In San Francisco
Seaman First Class Graham O.
Butler, son *f Mr. and Mrs. B.
C. Butler, 655-B Charlotte street,
has arrived in San Francisco, ac
cording to a message received by
the family. He expects to be dis
charged from the service in June.
Butler went into the Navy May 10,
1943, and spent 20 months over
se^s.
Banks Will Close
All Day Monday
All banks in the city will be
closed all day next Monday in
observance of the Easter holiday,
it was announced today.
Martin Calls
Meetings In
Co. Precincts
Democratic y recinct meetings
have been calle.l for next Sat
urday afternoon a' 3 o’clock by Dr.
John W. Martin, chairman of the
Halifax County Deriiocratic Exe
cutive Committee. Purpose of these
meetings will be to4'elect commit
tees to serve for the coming year
and immediately following the ap
pointment of these committees a
chairan and vice-chairman from
each precinct will be elected- to
head the precinct organizations.
The vice-chairman, according to
party plan, ‘will be a woman. The
chairman from each precinfct will
be a member of the county execu
tive committee. ,
Another important- business to
be attended to at each precinct
meeting will be the naming of
delegates to the county Democra
tic convention which will be held
at Halifax County court house on
Saturday, April 27. Hour for this
meeting will be announced later.
Challenge
Accepted
The Seaboard passenger train
pulled into Roanoke Rapids last
Wednesday morning at 10:08,
right on time, drawn by two
powerful locomotives.
From a Pullman car stepped a
“young” man. He glanced from
each end of the walk to the
other. Finally he saw me, and,
walking agile and sprightly, he
came toward me with a grin.
We shook hands and slapped
each other ■ on the back.
“Well, what the heck are you
doing coming to Roanoke Rap
ids?” I asked.
“Dang it, I came up here to
beat you fishing,” he replied.
“Now, you know darn well you
can’t do that,” I'told him.
And with a twinkle in his eye
he 'looked at me and said:
“Dog-gone ycur time, since
you were a little shaver you’ve
been following me fishing trying
your best to beat me, and when
you were in Atlanta last Christ
mas you told me if I came up
here you’d take me rock fish
ing and show me how it was
done. Well, you got to do it,
now. I’m here. You haven’t ever
beat me fishiag and never will.”
And you know, somehow or
other I feel like he means what
he said. But we’re gonna take
that young fellow fishing, and I
hope a six-pound rock grabs his
hook just to see what he’ll do.
(Continued on page 8—Sect. A)
C. A. P. Plans
To Buy Plane
At its weekly Tuesday night
meeting this week, the local unit
of the Civil Air Patrol discussed
plans to buy a plane for the pur
pose of training and teaching the
enlisted cadets to fly. If, and when
the plane is bought, lessons will be
given at the local airport which is
located about three miles out on
the Littleton highway. Lt. A. C.
Culbreth, commanding officer of
this unit, urges all pilots, plane
owners, and any other interested
person* to join the local unit, as
it promises to be one of the most
outstanding units of the North
Carolina wing. "
Outland, Tippens
Go Back in Army
George S. < Outland and Norman
Tippens have ie-enlisted in the
regular Army. Tippens intends to
study radar. Outland, a skilled ra
dar technician, plans to continue
in this work. Under new War .De
partment regulations both men re
tained theif rating when they were
discharged. Lieue. J. M. Pate, com
manding the Roanoke Rapids sub
station in the Army, announces
the Army has openings in practi
cally every field of Army work.
FDR JUDGE
Recorder’s Court Halifax
County
To the Democratic Voters of Hali
fax County:
I hereby announce my candidacy
for the nomination of Judge of the
Recorder^ Court of Halifax Coun
ty, subject to the Democratic pri
mary to be held on Saturday,
May 25, 1946. Your support and
vote will be deeply appreciated.
CHAS. R. DANIEL.
caster Sunrise Service A|:
High School Athletic Field J
An Easter sunrise service will be
held next Sunday morning at 5:30
On the athletic field of the Roa
noke Rapids High School, it was
announced today.
The choirs of the various
churches in the city will provide
the singing for the occasion, ac
companied by the High School or
chestra. Rev. Willis Stevens, pas
tor of the Rosemary Methodist
Church, will be the speaker, and
other ministers of the city will
have parts on the program.
At 8:30 a. m. there wilf be a
community choir service at the
First Methodist Church with all
choirs singing Easter anthems.
This service will be broadcast
over WCBT. The public is cordially
I invited to join in both services