North Carolina Newspapers

|Roa no k e Ramblings J TO A SEVEN YEAR old boy who has been in bed for five months with rheumatic fever— Kenneth Parrish, of 1023 Wash-1 „ ington Street—a visit by any-| body would be welcome. But When Bob Steele, the famous Western movie star, is the visi tor then you can't blame Ken neth for probably saying “Gee!” Well, says Mrs. Forrest Par rish. Kenneth’s mom. that's just ho walked in to visit the boy who next Tuesday will celebrate his seventh birthday. Somehow the word got t». Bob Steele, who was appearing in person at a local theater last week, that Kenneth would like to see him Graciously, he obliged. Of course ail the kids in the neigh borhood had to get a peek at the cowboy star and. added Mrs. Parrish, "It looked like the £ grown-ups were just as interes ted as the kids. WE HOPE YOU'VE had pa tience with uk while we had our fling at playing amateur detective in the now (probab ly) infamous “Case of the Col ege Students”. Well. “A Friend (who probably wishes we’d shut up about it all) sent us a little post card this week which said Z “The boy who is attending Lou isburg College is Rudolph ‘Cn< - sar' Etheridge, majoring in chem ..I .mninn.ll'inl* you would like* to know. I hanks ore duo to you—for that was the general idea. IT WOULDN'T hr asking too much, though, now would it. if we asked you to liste n to our final tlmg at telling you who's • studying where? We would like ~ to mention that Dr. and Mrs. .J. M. Covington’s 12 year old son. Clayton, is up at Stanton Militrav Acadamy at SI Virginia. They it'll us that Ciay ton reads the Herald. But li you won’t bear with us on that one then we won’t do it. OK. SO W’E'LL change ovei tor awhile. In that embattled * •. ity of Trieste between Italy ‘♦ .mil Yugoslavia, there is at pre sent stal.''m-d PFC Eugene A. Lewis. Eugene %vrote the Her ald a letter on stationery which reads in big bold letters—“Tri este Free State—a Grr,at Ex periment "> .. i ' ',n': i ___ u ieu to come thru the American lines 1 w as one oi the men that was out on the I French* Line* on R-Day. I was located about a quarter oi a mile back of outpost. 5 and t> J was awake the night th' Ju goslavia ns tri 1 to no- '-'V .u‘,.\,. t The w. r.*r t im> shots fired or .•ffhe* • 4<* j the line We we re a eric:, and couldn’t go back to sleep all night but nothing happened. The next night was quiet but we tayed out there 11 day* and then • we came back to the company but one of air companies stay ed out there. Well. 1 want tc thank you lor sending me the paper and I hope to keep on getting it . SOME MORE BOYS— P. F. C Leonard H. Boulderr; of Roanoke Rapids is corning here. He’s being discharged. That'.' what the army informs the Ram £ bier. but. as is oft the case with the army, they forgot to tell us when. They did give a vague hint that he's been in the Mari * anas and Bonin Islands in the Pacific...Now the navy, being specific on the the Pacific tclb us that Lacy M. Clary. Mrs. J C. Clary’s boy. of 103 Madi son Street, has completed re cruit training at the San Diego, Calif. Naval Base and has been } promoted to seaman second ' class. Have to give the “swab bios”. two points on that one. YOU ARE PROBABLY THINK ing that thi°*-whole column is going to be about boys. You are absolutely right. In the in ner folds of this paper there’s a story about Coach Cranford Hoyle’s Junior Varsity football squad. Inadvertantly, the * name of Kenny Vernelson, one of the members, was left out. Kenny has been with the team since lie moved to town recently. NOW SO FAR we’ve covered boys being visited by movie stars, boys coming home from the service, boys being promot ed in the service, and boys play football and studying at milita ry academies and colleges. Fbarlpc F. Mntthews. Jr., who I; formerly a resident of Roa e Rapids when his parents ted Matthews Drug Co., got •ried the 14th of this month Hiss Carolyn Lagle of Mocks And to all the rabid Jays’ eball fans—LeRoy Carlton, chunker, married a Weldon , Mrs. Gerline Harris. TILL MORE BOYS will be pv if you remember that this show next Wednesday nite :he high school isn’t just an Pressley has been offered r $400 a week to take it on stage professionally. Grown s have gotten a big thrill of seeing it too. □ST TO SNEAK ONE last one by you, Thomas Gar 1 Matthews, Mr. and Mrs. . Matthews’ boy, is a stu t at Mercer College at Ma , 'Georgia. (Miss Betsy Vincent of Rich nknd spent the week end with h| parents Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Vincent. Ur. and Mrs. G. S Gregg )[ Burlington attended the fun ral of Raymond Johnson Mon K * * * I nt ROANOKE RAPIDS ★ ★ ★ Wliat Roanoke Rapids Makes Herald Classified Advertising —IMakes Roanoke Rapids Getg Quick Regultg * * * * * + VOLUME XXXII_ __ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C..THURSDAY, OCTOBER Ifffh, 1947 _ T _NUMBER 50 THE SCENE FRIDAY MORNING—Throngs of people crowded around Ihe scene of the collision of an ea-'t-bound freight and switch engine which happened Thursday night about 8:1b one half mile east of Roanoke Junction, bordering the Weldon-Roanoke Rapids highway. The Diesel at ihe left rests in soft mud on the south side of the tracks near ihe highway. A FALLEN MONSTER—The switch engine, badly battered, lies on its side like a sleeping iron mustang as local citizens in spect its dented armor. ONCE AN ENGINEER'S CAB—An unidentified observer takes slock of the tangled mass of the thousand gadgets that were once a part of a switch engine's controls. 50 FEET AWAY—Hurtling through the air, this piecee of rail struck the fleeing switchman, Raymond Johnson, and in jured him fatally. City Provides Cemetary I For W orld War 11 Fallen At a special meeting of the board of City Commissioners last Friday, called by Mayor J. T. Chase, the board provided a special lot in the new cemetery i\ r a final resting place for local men killed in action in World War II. The action was in re sponse to a request by a dele gation from the local post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Sgt. Dick Collins, commander of Post 3702, V. F. W„ today released the following statement of appreciation for the commis sioners’ action: “The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Halifax Post 3702, wish to sincerely thank the Mayor and j City Commissioners of Roanoke I Rapids for the action taken this week in providing a special lot in the most beautiful section of the new cemetery for the boys I of this city who made the su-1 preme sacrifice for our freedom in World War II. Vets To Maintain Plot •The idea of the separate me morial plot is to have all World War II veterans of Roanoke Rap ids killed overseas buried to gether, with uniform markers ;.s furnished by the Quartermast er General. The Veterans of For eign Wars of this city will main tain and preserve this memorial .plot and hold a Memorial Day service each year on 30th of May. When all bodies have been re turned a suitable monument will be erected and dedicated to those who are buried in the memorial plot.” Game Commission Appoints Norton For Law Supervisor 3rd District, Haiifax, Northampton Territory Buggs Island Tour Approximately 50 citizens of Roanoke Rapids, in com pany with several hundred others from various counties in North Carolina and Vir ginia, attended an Army-con ducted tour of the Buggs Is land Dam Project west of South Hill, Virginia, last Fri day. The tour opened in the morning at 10 o'clock when the party gathered at the Ob servation Platform to hear an explanation of the project by Col. George C. Derby and his staff and continued with a tour around the portion un der construction. A luncheon was served to the visitors at the Buggs Is land cafeteria at 12:30 and speeches by various digni taries concluded the day's activities. Mrs. S. E. Perdue has just returned from a month’s study In Richmond at the Elinor Ery School of Dancing. William H. Norton of Smith | field was appointed law enforce ment supervisor of the Third District of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at a recent meeting of the group’ in Asheville. / The Third District includes Halifax and Northampton, Edge combe, Nash, Franklin, Johnstcm Vance. Wake, Warren, Wayne/ and Wilson counties. J The Commission decided to eiri large the enforcement staff s\ that every county will have a resident fish and game protector as soon as possible. Clarifying policy regarding the seizure by protectors of devices usea in illegal hunting, the Com mission adopted a resolution that ‘’the law enforcement officers and protectors be and they are hereby requested and instructed to seize all instruments and de vices used in illegally taking game birds and animals, and hold the same to be disposed of at provided by law." (Thet law provides that disposal of Wh seised devices lies in the discre Uon of the court) Schoolboy Traffic Cops Hope to Get Raincoats An entertainment worthy »>i vaudeville in fad. vaudevilli would like to have it will re turn to Roanoke Rapids next Wednesday night when Ernest F Pressley, <>i' the Charlotte police department, brings his \ t ained dog act back for a seconu I showing > 1 _ In a iditbm to his six dogs. I ; i.ssl( \ has a pigeon named "Oscar" t ii.it imitates a jay-walk or suddenly struck by more than "passing fancy” -in othei words, by an automobile. Although Pressley’s act ha, b'wn used 'under the sponsor , of die -Charlotte police de Littleton Negro Sentenced To 3-5 Years in Hit-Run Case In Superior Court Pleading nolo eontendre to charges ol reckless driving and hit and run driving in Superior Court m Halifax Monday. Me Coiey Hawkins, colored, of Lit tleton, was found guilty and sen tenced to not less than three no. more than live years in State's prison. Hawkins was arrested Septem her first by deputies tin day alter a hit and run driver had siueswiped an automobiK driv er. by W. B. Ormond, of Roanoke Rapids. The accident caused Or niond to lose his arm. Alfred Hawkins, Alexander Hawkins and William A. Martin, charged with aiding and abetting ( the 25-year-old negro in hit and run driving, were each found noi. guilty. James Stegall, Howard Ed wards, J. J. Jones, N. Jl. Mclver. J. C. Beal and Kenneth Sevoras, of Norlina, were fined $500 for malicious destruction of proper ty in connection with the de struction of a fishing pond on property belonging to Tracy Qualls. Lefty A. Downing plead guil ty to iaiceny and was sentence;! this morning to from one to three years. Ottis J. Reynolds rpiesentmg E B. Bowman ana George Lewis, on trial along with Lel'ty on charges growing out ol the disuppearanee ol lour hogs belonging to Lei tv's father, Rod ger 11. Downing, last July 8th moved lor a non-suit as to Bow man at the conclusion of the State’s case and it was granted. Lewis was freed at he conclusion of the Slate’s case against him. In other Superior Court cases this week, Edward Smith, alias Buster Smith, Scotland Neck negro, plead guilty to man slaughter and was sentenced lo from three to Id years. He was charged with stahbing another negro, Nathaniel Smith, causing ins death. Etta Bowers, liobgood ncgre^s charged with the murder of Johnnie Fleetwood, plead guilty to manslaughter and was given fiom seven to 15 years in States Prison. Raymond Francis and Cleve land Francis, white, of Roanoke iiapids, were found guilty of lar ceny and Raymond Francis was given one year on the roads and Cleveland Francis was given lour months roads. | The Local Week... | PAIR SENTENCED / Harry H. Rose and Jessie D. /Pruitt, arrested by city police [week before last on charges of entering parked automobiles in the vicinity of Rosemary Mill and removing property there from, were each sentenced to 90 days on the roads last Thurs day by Judge Charles Daniel in Recorder’s Court here. The trial of Howard Horton, charged in two warrants in the same ease, was continued for one month. ^ 143 BALES GINNED HERE The Department of Com merce. Bureau of Ihe Census, reports that 143 bales of cot ton were ginned in Halifax County from Ihe crop of 1947 prior to October first, as compared with 151 bales for ihe crop of 1946. VOCATIONAL TEACHERS MEET On October 20th, the vocation al Home Economics teachers of Halifax, Bertie, Hertford and Northampton counties held their regular monthly meeting in Roa noke Rapids High School libra ry. After a short business meeting the group met at the Colonial Frozen Foods Locker. There Quentin Gregory discussed inter estingly the processing and stor ing oi frozen foods. Following tins, the group was served ice cream with frozen fruit. The next meeting will be held j in Rich Square in November. ATTEND STATE MEET Margaret Lou George. Lois Taylor. Roy Rawls. Swain Loy. George Pappendick. James Warren. Miss Vernie Eddins and Mrs. J. B. Hun singer attended the 21st North Carolina Student Council Congress which was held in Elizabeth City Mon day. Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. AT THE STATE FAIR The Home Economics and Tex tile Departments of the local high school sponsored a combined ex- j hibit at the State Fail' last week and came off with a third prize. The students from the Home Ec classes showed garments, draperies and napkins made from cloth woven in the Textile De four machines illustrated the partment and sections from the card to the opening frame. I*.i• tmerit and the North Carolina Slate Automobile Association) tv spread the gospel of safety t< school children in the state, or this occasion he will modify hi.* cn.iw somewhat to present to ar adult audience what can only be described as professional enter tvnment- a wlvle hour of it (Ot course, if toe eonscientiou; feilow decides to slyly slip ir a sermon in safety—well?) Adults Express Liking To quote a few of the adult \\i:o have seen the show. I. E lleady. city schools superintend "Officer Pressley presented the shove to all school children while here. It has been widely com mented on and was universally c njoyed. Such a show is well worth seeing.” H. A. House, sheriff: 'I saw I Officer Pressley’s show when he [anti his dogs were here in Roa | roke Rapids about a month ago to perform for the school child ren. I consider the show one of the most entertaining I have ever seen. I’ve seen some vaude ville acts not nearly as good as ias in big time shows." Joe Talley, principal. Roanok'* Rapids High School: "Officer Pressley and his array of talent ed animals are amazingly skill ful at entertaining and at the same time making the audience safety conscious.” | Thelma Garris, principal Vance Street School: "Officer Pressley I and his educated dogs offer a most delightful hour of enter tainment while at the same time making the audience safety con scious.” Imogene Booker, Central School: "1 was very much im pressed with the safety lessons presented by Officer Pressley and his well-trained dogs. Im portant rules of safety were brought out by the difficult per formances of the dogs. These performances were not only edu cational but entertaining and I held the attention of the child ren from beginning to end." Proceeds lo Safety Palrol All proceeds of the show, being sponsored by the Safety Com mittee of the Roanoke Rapids Lions Club of which Houston Puller is chairman, will go to purchase uniform raincoats and he avy jackets for school student members of the School Safety Patrol. Many times, in rain or ex treme cold weather, these ! youngsters cannot man their posts. Officer Pressley and the Lions Club feel that, to be effec tive. the Patrol must always be on the job. For that reason they are bringing this show here once again and will turn over all profits ‘o school officials for pur chase of these needed items of equipment. $1,785 IN FINES Sixty - eight cases were tried in Recorder's Court of Halifax County during the week, of which 16 were for violation of the state's liqu or laws. Nineteen of the cases were tried in Roanoke Rapids last Thursday and the other 48 were tried in Halifax Tues day, October 16. Nine were charged with driving while drunk; 16 with speeding, and eight with driving without license. A total of $1,785 in fines was imposed on the defend ants in the two sessions of court by Judge Charles Dan iel. Building Permits Hit $600,000 Figure Here $11,000 more was added to th'4 cny’s building permit figure this week, sending the year’s total .■ this department up to $604 - 300 worth. The two permits issued this week (both for new homes) were to Crew Realty Co., for a one story residence with five rooms and bath in Chaloner Park, esti • mated cost $7,500, and to James E. Dclbridge. for a one story c-nder block residence on Wash ington Street between Second rna Third Streets, six rooms and bath, $3,500. Lawrence Appointment to Forestry Post In Halifax County Confirmed; To Promote Fire-Control Campaign Manfotd M. Lawrence, former Scotland Neck Fire Towerman, has been appointed County For est Warden by State Forester W. K. Beichler. with the joint ap proval of the Halifax Board of County Commissioners, it was an nounced today by David J. Martz. District Forester of Rocky Mount. As an employee of the N. C. Department of Conservation and Development, Division of Forest ry and Parks, Lawrence will reorganize and supervise Hali fax’s forest fire fighting organi zation, as well as promote the over-all Intensive fire control program sponsored by the N C. Forest Service, This program is to be promot ed primarily thru public schools, (Continued on page 4—Sect, A) Rufus Allison Rogers, Father of 2 Killed In Late War, Dies Rufus Allison Rogers. 73, whose two sons, George and Robert, were both killed in action during World War II, died of a heart attack in the Roanoke Rapids Hospital Monday night. Mr. Rogers, who lived on Route 2 near Halifax, was a prosperous farmer. He was the Bon of the late Calvin and Virginia Brown* ing Rogers. Funaral sarvicas ware held from the graveside at Tabor Church. Xurolian Springs. Wednesday afternoon at 9tM. (Continued on page 4—Sect. K\ investigation Continues into Train Smash-up Here; Switchman Dies of Injuries Seaborad Air Line railroad of ficials today were continuing their investigation of the collis ion last Thursday night about 8:15 between an eastbound Die- ; sel-powered freight and a steam switch locomotive at a point one half mile east of Roanoke Junc tion in which switchman Ray mond Johnson of Roanoke Rap id.' was fatally injured. CREWMEN LISTED R. M. Stone. SAL Superinten dent with offices in Raleigh, told the Herald that the fol lowing men comprised the crews of the two trains: On the Diesel: H. L. Rob inson, Conductor; N. C. How- | ell, engineer; G. A. Bor I deaux. flagman; D. D. Flem- i ing, brakeman and R. L. Brown, fireman. On the switch: J. M. Stan ley, conductor; Raymond Johnson, switchman; R. H. Wood, switchman; L. S. Griggs, engineer and Sidney I.ewis, fireman. "NOT 40 M. P. H." I hope nothing more is said about train’s traveling 40 miles po. hour ” Stone told a re porter. If it had been going 40 it would have torn up half of Roanoke Rapids!” Stone said he could not. at the present time, place any cs t mate on the amount of money tiie tragedy cost the railroad as investigating officials had not finished their work. Evidence uncovered to date indicates that the switch engine pulled out in front of the main line freight from a siding lead ing to Patterson Mill Co. John son, who had apparently been stationed at the switch, was hit , by a flying piece of rail after i unning about 50 feet out into u field north of the tracks. He died in Roanoke Rapids hospital early Sunday morning. LEATHERS FIRST THERE W. H. Leathers, of 425 Sunset Road, told the Herald "I was sitting at home listing to the Funeral Rites Funeral services for Raymond Johnson. Seaboard railroad em ployee, who succumber to in juries received last Thursday night when hit by a piece of fix ing rail near the scene of the freight - switch engine collision, were held Monday afternoon at -t 30 from the Rosemary Baptist Church, with the Rev. B. Mar shall White-Hurst, pastor, offi ciating. ‘Johnson died early Sunday canning at Roanoke Rapids Hos pital to which he had been re moved following the- accident. Survivors include his wife, the f irnier Rebecca King, one dau ghter. Jacquelyn; one son. Hor ace Raymond; one sister, Mrs Paul Overton: and one brother. Lewis Johnson. Interment was in Roanoke Rapids cemetery. iadio about 8:15 Thursday eve ning when I heard the collision. 1 got my flashlight, went over ihe fence and across the high way to the place where the Diesel and the switch were over turned. “There was nobody there at all—not even any firemen. About two or three minutes later some of the trainmen came up and one of them (1 think it was the engineer of the switch engine) heard somebody groan out in the field. We fqund Johnson over there lying face up with a piece of the rail under his shoulders. "I flagged down a taxi and told the drivei- to call an am bulance and the police. The am bulances got there within about five minutes. I'd like to say tnai they really answered that call in a hurry. Buster Seay ami Dr. Kroncke came up next ; uu then after that more and more people starting coming up. ’ HUNDREDS VIEW SCENE From Thursday night, shortly after the wreck, until Sunday afternoon when the Diesel was f-nally replaced on the mam line, hundreds of motorists slop ped their cars along the higr. way and watched hastily-sum - moned railroad emergency crewmen (some from the ACu in Rocky Mount) get the main 1 ne open (they had it open for ihi first train Friday morning) and replaced the derailed cars on the track. A platform of cross ties was I Jaced under the Diesel and the two wreckers lifted alternately until it was placed on a special ly constructed siding. From then on, it was just plain "sweatin work" for section gangs as they built the rails in front of the giai.t engine so it could be mov ed onto the main road-bed. The switch engine was badly smashed up by the impact, with the cab suffering most of the damage. Soft mud on the south side of the tracks where the Diesel came to a stop probably averted more damage to the larg er engine. First Returned Body Arrives For Reburial Funeral services for Halifax: [ County’s first soldier killed in action overseas in World War II to be returned to this country for reburial. Private First Class John Wayne Thomas, will be held Fri day afternoon from the W. C. Williams Funeral Home Chapel at 4:0l), the Rev. Gordon L. Price, officiating. Private First Class Thomas was kdied in action on Saipan Island al the age of 20. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Thomas 01^1005 Cedar Street. 'I he Veterans of Foreign Wars, of Roanoke Rapids, will hav ' charge of military ceremonies at the grave, Sgt. Dick Collins, commander of the local post, an nounced this morning. Navy Men Held In Slashing Two sailors off the USS Spo kane. a cruiser stationed in Nor folk. Va.. were in Halifax Coun ty jail without privilege of bond tins week as a result of a switch blade knifing late Saturday night of Harold W. Fields, 26 year old Atlantic Coast Line railroad em ployee. in Weldon. Fields, who was with the ACL wrecker crew engaged* in clear ing up the wreckage of the Sea board freight and switch colli sion, was in McGuire Hospital in Richmond with a severe gash in his left thigh. Weldon police arrested C. P. Johnson. 22, of Mississippi, and C. C. Lunsford. 20, of Tennessee, on charges that Johnson hit Fields with a bottle and Luns ford cut him with a knife in an 11:40 p. m. street altercation on First Street in Weldon Sat urday. Jackets Journey To Elizabeth City For Fifth Battle By WILEY WARREN The Roanoke Rapids Yellow Jackets will attempt to break back into the win column to morrow night at Elizabeth City when they’ll meet Coach Honey Johnson’s outfit in a homecom ing affair. It’ll be a clash between Yel low Jackets and all indication., point to It as the week's confer ence headliner. The coastal city’s Jackets de feated the locals 14-0 In last sea (Contlnuad on one 4-Sect. Ai