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FOR 29 YEARS THE OUTSTANDING WEEKLY OF THE CAROLINAS
Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at Durham, North Carolina, under Act of March 3, 1879.
VOLUME 29— NUMBER 46 DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, SATURDAY, NOV. 24th, 1951 PRICE TEN CENTS
Ingram’s Fate Still Undecided; New Trial Set
Two Negro jurors who re
fused to vote for conviction of
Mack Ingram in the cele
brated “assault at 75 feet” case
are Walter Wiley, left, and
Charlie Gunn, right. The re
fusal of these two forced
Judge J. A. Rousseau to de
clare a mistrial and re-sched
ule another trial for the 44
year-old farmer, and father of
nine. Ten other members of
the jury, including two Ne
groes, Voted to convict In
gram.
Two Negro Jurors Hold Out For
Acquittal To Deadlock Panel
YANCEYVILLE—The stead
fastness of two Negro jurors
saved North Carolina from more
of what many have termed un
favorable world publicity when
they refused here last week to
vote for conviction of Mack In
gram, and the case of assault a
gainst the 44-year-old farmer
was declared a mistrial.
Jurors Charlie Gunn and Wal
ter Wiley, according to a poll
requested by the solicitor, held
out for acquittal of Ingram a
gainst the ten other jury mem
bers, and the “assault at 75 feet
case” wound up with a hung
jury.
Judge J. A. RouSseau relutant
ly dismissed the jurymen after
they had diliberated the fate of
Ingram nearly six hours and de
clared the case a mistrial. The
defendant will probably stand
trial again in March term of the
Superior Court for the charge.
Ingram had appealed his con
viction on charges of assault on
a female handed in a lower court
here last July. He was charged
with assaulting 17-year-old
Willa Jean Boswell, recently
married to Eddie Webster. The
girl admitted in the first trial
that Ingram never got closer
than 75 feet to her.
Twice the State reduced its
charge on Ingram, from attempt
ed rape in both cases to assault.
Ingram’s case, unheard of un
til the TIMES broke the story
after his first conviction in July,
drew world-wide attention. The
Communist press exploited the
sore spot in American demo
cracy for all its was worth.
As a result of the world spot
light on the case, the Yaneey
ville courtroom was crowded
with curious spectators and
newsmen from as far as the Lon
don Daily Mirror. Most of the
State’s daily newspapers were
represented as well as the Asso
ciated Press.
The courtroom, constructed
by slave labor years ago, took on
a carnival atmosphere, Hawkers
crowded around outside the
courtroom pressing their wares.
In the end, when the jury
foreman asserted that they were
hopelessly disagreed. Judge
Rousseau dismissed them with
“I guess you did the best you
could. And I can see where you
could disagree . . . maybe.”
The jury, composed of eight
whites and four Negroes, were
divided 10-2 for conviction of
Ingram.
Ingram, father of nine chil
dren, was defended by NAACP
attorneys Martin A. Martin, Con
rad Pearson, Robert Carter, and
M. E. Johnson and E. F. Up
church of Yanceyville.
Representing the state were
solicitor R. J. Scott, Recorder’s
Court Solicitor W. B. Horton
and Clarence Pomeroy, hired by
the Boswell family to assist in
prosecution.
Over ZOO Students Walk Out
In Protest Over Poor Facilities
Special to the TIMES
KINSTON—Students of the
Atkins high school here, tiring
of the disgracefully inadequate
facilities which they have borne
for the past several years, staged
a strike and parade en masse
on the downtown section here
Tuesday.
Seven-hundred and twenty of
them walked out of classes Tues
day morning and paraded
through the downtown section
waving placards and banners in
protest over what has been de
scribed “among the most miser
able” school conditions any
where in the State.
Student Council members,
who met with School Superin
tendent Jean P. Booth during
the strike Tuesday, promised
that the students would return
to classes, Wednesday morning,
however.
The strike was staged after
six students, members of the
Student Council, were dissatis
fied over results of a meeting
held Monday night with school
officials to air their greviances.
The greviances discussed dur
ing Monday night were listed as
follows:
1. School classes are held in a
poorly heated gymnasium which
was built by students; 2. Need
for more classrooms; 3. Holding
of classes in the lunchroom
while other students are ating
there; 4. The auditorium is too
small to accommodate the stu
dent body; 5. The school grounds
are not large enough and are
flooded each time it rains; 6.
Home Economics facilities are
not adequate; 7. The football
team is not allowed to use the
municipal stadium and is forced
to use a run-down athletic field
outside the city limits; 8. And
the lack of a vocational building.
Students meeting with the
school officials Monday night
said that they were not satisfied
with the excuses offered and
promises made them . . . “so the
only thing left for us to do was
to walk out.”
The six students of the Stu
dent Council meeting with the
Board of Trustees of the Kin
ston Graded Schools were Caro
lyn Cofield, Frederick Thomp
son, Calvin Thompson, Levon
Cofield, John Dudley and Edna
Jones.
The strike got underway at
9:10 when the pupils, 720 strong,
left the school building and
marched on the downtown sec
tion.
Superintendent Booth remind
ed the students that “Kinston
and Lenoir County have prided
themselves in the past on the
steps they have made toward
equalizing white and Negro
schools.”
All Negro schools in the coun
ty are accredited, he told the
striking student leaders.
C. B. Stewart is principal of
Atkin High School.
Four Killed In
Auto Wreck
REIDSVILLE—Death, riding
the State’s highways as big as
ever, claimed four this week.
Two others were seriously hurt
in the automobile-tractor-trailer
collision. Two others escaped
with slight injuries.
Dead are Amos Alverson, 25;
George Henry Gaithwright, 22;
Estelle White, 17; and Willie
Wilson, 23, all of this city.
Two other occupants of the
automobile, were seriously in
jured and hospitalized here.
Willard Seymour, 35, of Lex
ington, Ky., and his wife, who
were in the tractor-trailer were
only slightly hurt in the collision
which occured near here Friday.
State highway patrolman J.
H. Harrelson of Reidsville, said
that the accident took place at
about ten o’clock Friday morn
ing on highway 158, leading to
Winston-Salem.
W. D. Bryant, driver of a
truck which followed behind the
truck which figured in the
crash, said that the automobile
ran into a ditch, out of control,
and whipped across the road,
sideswiping the heavy truck.
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For Better Schools
Kinston Students Strike
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Co-eds Stage Riot
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Scenes from the concluding
event in the Durham Business
and Professional Chain’s eigh
th Trade Week here are
shown above. The annual ban
quet, held at the James A.
Whitted School Monday night,
culminated a week of avtivi
ties sponsored by the local
Chain as Trade Week.
In photo at top, the winning
contestant in the “Miss Trade
Week” contest is shown with
a group of contestants.
Standing, left to right are
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Louise Brown, Gladys Mit
chell, Dollie Johnson, Sadie
Moore, Shirley Ceasar, Sylvia
Carter, Mrs. Laura Kollock
and Janice Randolph.
Seated, left to right are Nola
Lewis, Juanita Crow, Helen
Hargrove, Barbara Adams,
Alethea Rease, and Mrs.
Magdalene Daye.
Center photo shows a scene
from the banquet, and photo
at bottom shows J. J. Hender
son, president of the Chain’s
Board of Directors and toast
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master for the affair, (stand
ing, center) addressing the
group.
Seated around the table in
clockwise fashion are Dr. J.
N. Mills, C. C. Spaulding, W.
G. Rhodes, T. D. Speight,
president of the Chain; Rev.
Wm. H. Fuller and Reverend
Harold Roland who delivered
the principal address for the
banquet. Not shown is Mrs.
Ethel Speight Bounsell, one of
the contestants.
Chain Closes Successful Trade Week Nov. 19th
Durham’s Business and Pro
fessional Chain concluded one
of its most successful in a series
of Trade Week programs with a
banquet here Monday night at
the James A. Whitted School.
Approximately 100 persons in
cluding Chain officials heard
Reverend Harold Roland, pastor
of Mount Gilead Baptist Church,
deliver the main adddress.
Trade week was launched
here Monday, November 12. It
featured a talent night contest,
a parade and special bargains at
members stores. A television set
was given to Tommy Tucker,
holder of a lucky admission
ticket, at the talent night con
test.
Miss Barbara Adams, sponsor
ed by Bannekef Radio Institute,
was crowned “Miss Trade
Week” at the banquet by Mrs.
Callie Daye, president of the
auxiliary Housewives’ League.
J. J. Henderson, president of
the board of directors of the
(Please turn to Page Eight)
Two of the principals in the
24th Annual Convention of
the North Carolina Congress
of Colored Parents and
Teachers, Inc slated here at
Hillside High School Friday
and Saturday, November 23
24 are shown above. Left is
Mrs. H. S. Davis, president of
the state organization, and
right is Dr. C. E. Boulware,
president of the host Durham
P. T. A. Council.
Alabama State
Students Protest
Dean's Rules
MONTGOMERY, ALA.—Wo
men students at Alabama State
College for Negroes here staged
a small riot in protest to certain
rules of the dean of women last
Thursday.
Dormitory halls were littered
with broken bottles and several
rooms were flooded with water
early this morning, but no one
was reported injured and police,
called to the scene, made no ar
rests.
Dr. H. C. Trenholm, president
of the college, withheld an of
ficial report pending an in
vestigation.
Dean of Women Miss E. L.
Gipson was quoted by in
vestigating detectives R. C.
Houlton and W. T. Sheriff as
saying that the demonstration
was caused by “resentment of
certain rules and regulations.”
President Trenholm confirm
ed reports that a woman stu
dent living in the dormitory was
taken out of school by her father
after what the president describ
ed as an unexplained overnight
absence from her room.
.Under routine procedure,
Dr. Trenholm stated, the father
was notified and she went back
to her home at Meridian, Miss.
Dr. Trenholm said that he
didn’t know whether this incid
ent had anything to do with the
rioting. No reports of dismissals
following the riot had been
made late this week.
Hanes Indicted
For Murder Of
Negro Farmer
NEW BERN — Gentleman
farmer Newton Hanes was in
dicted for murdering one of his
Negro enants and remained in
Craven County Jail here with
out bond this week.
The 36-year-old relative of
wealthy Winston-Salem banking
and textile families of the same
name, was arrested in the Nov- j
ember 4 gunshot slaying of
Isham Simmons, 40-year-old
tenant farmer.
A grand jury returned a true
bill charging him with murder
last Wednesday.
Several articles of clothing
belonging to Simmons, the slain
man, were found in Hanes’ sta
tion wagon, a trail of blood was
discovered leading from Hanes’
back porch here, and witnesses
reported that he was seen near
the abandoned car in which the
victim’s body was found on the
day of the murder.
Sheriff Charles Berry stated,
however, that no motive had
been discovered for the killing.
Coroner Frank Ballard, who
ordered Hanes’ held, indicated
that he had other evidence con
necting Hanes’ with the death
of Simmons. Simmons was one
of the two Negro teants who
worked on Hanes’ palatial 500
acre Trent river farm. The oth
er worker was unidentified.
There had been reports that
lawyers from the wealthy Win
ston-Salem relatives would seek
to have Hanes released on bond
last week. But Sheriff Berry
said that as far as he knew there
I had been no hearing of a bond.
Dr. W. R. Strassner was in
stalled as sixth president of
Shaw University in ceremon
ies honoring the late founder
of the Baptist Institution, Dr.
Martin Tupper, last week at
Raleigh. Shown in the above
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photo are Dr. Strassner, Dr.
Edwin McNeil Poteat, pastor
of the Pullen Memorial Bap
tist Church, and Dr. L. E.
McAuley, secretary of the
school’s trustee board.
Shaw Installs Sixth President In
86th Founder's Day Ceremonies
RALEIGH-—Shaw University
observed its 86th Founday’s Day
here Friday and inaugurated its
sixth president.
Dr. William R. Strassner, a
native Arkansan who became
dean of the School of Religion
at the Baptist institution in
1944, was formally installed in
ceremonies witnessed by several
State officials, Baptist and lay
leaders and representatives from
the leading institutions of the
country.
Dr. Strassner succeeds Dr. R.
P. Daniel who resigned last year
to assume presidency of Virginia
State College.
Exercises for the two cere
monies began at ten o’clock
when Shirley Shannon, Eliza
beth City co-ed who was elected
“Miss Shaw,” placed a wreath
on the grave of the school’s late
founder, Dr. Henry Martin Tup
per.
The latest in a line of six
presidents for the institution rec
ognized the historical position
which he occupies in the schools
annals. “As sixth president of
Shaw University, I am conscious
of the fact that I enter a stream
of rich heritage and a great
tradition inherent in the history
of the institution.”
Three of the school’s five
presidents witnessed the cere
monies and spoke briefly during
the exercises. They are Dr.
Daniel, Dr. Joseph L. Peacock
and Dr. William S. Nelson.
Setting forth a type of policy
for the school, President Stras
sner indicated that Shaw would
not attempt to compete with the
State Universities, but asserted
“the small college is free from
the restraints” which bind state
supported schools. He cast aside
all speculation of more addition
to the school plant, and declared
“our immediate task is one of
internal development.”
President Strassner was pre
sented the University charter by
Dr. Edwin McNeil Poteat of the
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church
who presided during the cere
monies. The new president re
ceived the seal from Dr. L. E.
McAuley, secretary of the board
of trustees. Dr. C. C. Spaulding,
chairman of the trustee board,
introduced the new president.
Also present at the ceremonies
were Dr. Clyde Erwin, State
Superintendent of Public In
struction; N. C. Newbold of the
National Education Association;
Rev. W. D. Varney, American
Baptist Convention; Rev. W. L.
Wilson, State Vice-President of
the National Baptist Convention
and Dr. Alfonso Elder, president
of North Carolina College.
Dr. H. L. Trigg, president of
Saint Augustine’s College, lead
the invocation and Dr. M. C. Al
len, president of Virginia Sem
inary and College, offered pray
er.
Representatives from forty
American Universities and Col
leges, 20 learned societies and
ten miscellaneous organizations
were present.
Third Man In Two Weeks Dies
From Poison Liquor In Statesville
STATESVILLE — Poison li
quor continued to prey on dis
dainful victims throughout the
South as a man was found dead
here from causes attributed to
consuming lethal liquor.
Leon Turner, 40-year-old re
sident of the Sunnyside com
munity here, was the third man
in a month to die here from
drinking a deadly concoction.
Turner was found dead Sun
day morning in the yard of Joy
land, a local night club. His pre
sence was reported by Myrtle
Minor of the Joyland commun
ity.
When found, the victim was
lying face down with a green
ish-red fluid emitting from his
mouth, Coroner Marvin Raymer
said.
About a week ago, Buford
Vanderburg of Route 3 was
found dead in bed at the home
of a foster brother. He, like Tur
ner, had visited the Joyland
night club just before his death.
George Edwards, 50-year-old,
was found dead in a rooming
house on November 2. His death
was also attributed to poison
alcohol.
WTIK To Air
NCC-A.&T. Tilt
GREENSBORO — The most
extensive radio coverage in
history will be given the NCC
A. and T. College football
game here Thanksgiving Day.
In addition to three local
stations, two Durham stations
are covering the tilt. They are
Stations WTIK and WSSB.
At the WTIK microphones
will be Charles Cash, Charles
Ray, Clathan Ross, and Leroy
T. Walker.
WTIK’s program is being
sponsored by the Mechanics
and Farmers’ Bank. The Ser
vice Printing Company is pre
senting a fifteen minutes pre
game interlude.