Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / May 3, 1956, edition 1 / Page 1
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People You Know Jean Riven' woman'* pas* review* the mcUI icene. Bwide* penonal wedding*. partie*. dub meeting! are n ported on page five. VOLUME LXVIIL? NO. 44 An Independent Weekly Newspaper-? Established In the ? I jHf ? :? '.-V if . *f" - 'ClKI xttSUF* & BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, MAY S, 1956 Sp m ww ? ? ? m ? j 76 ' flfl '^7 ? 75 H ? S3 Kth ? !# rOVKTEEN PAGES TWO SECTIONS THE OLDEST LOG HOUSE . . Built around 1780, the log house owned by Mr. and lira. Charles Wil kinson of Zionville is no doubt the oldest structure of its kind in the county. The logs from which the house is built were hand hewn with a broad axe, and there** a double chimney built of rocks, with five-foot fireplaces in each end. The main structure consists of four rooms, each 17xU feet, with two rooms up and two down, with in outside stairway. Additional rooms have been added four different times. More than 20 different families are known to have inhabited the house, Mrs. Wilkinson says, but it has remained in the hands of some member of the original family down through the years. Traditional May Day Fete Is Planned For Saturday Traditional May Day, with the crowning of the queen, the danc ing and tinging and the crowds who come each year to ?ee it, will be held at Appalachian State Teacher* College on Saturday, May 9. The program will take place in the auditorium of th? Health and Fhyiical Education building at three o'clock in the afternoon. The theme of the festival will be Spring Fantasy. Mrs. Joy Kirch ner is in charge of the dances, and Mrs. Daisy Eggers is advisor to the May Court The four .groups parti cipating will fca The Appatones (dane p band), the callage choir, the modern dance group, and the Varsouvianna (folk dance) club. All the numbers on the program will be popular songs, which will be interpreted by the dance band, and the dance groups, in their own styles. Included are Love Is A Many Splendored Thing; Shake, Rattle, and Roll; Begin the Be guine; In The Still Of The Night; N6 Other Love; Laura; Falling In Love With Love. The choreography for each of the dance* was done by members of the dance groups and Mrs. Kirchner, except that of "Laura" which was coreographed by Miss Janie Matthews of the physical education faculty. Carolyn Harmon of Lincolnton is May Queen; Teresa Hulon of Dillon, S. C., is Maid of - Honor. The court consists of the follow ing: Senior attendants ? Barbara Proctor of Lincoln ton; Irma Thompson of Wadesville; Joan Waters of Lincolnton; Nancy Cald well Of Charlotte. Junior attend ants ? Martha Christopher of New-, ton; Dottie Adams Hasty of Laur inburg; Maxine Joyner of Kernera ville. Sophomore attendants ? Carolyn Wall of Winston-Salem; Peggy Lowery of Valdese. Fresh man attendants? Becky Bingham of Boone, and Joan Cotten of Bluefield, W. Va. The public is invited to attend the program. This year, inasmuch as there is seating space in the auditorium, and the program can be held inside, it 'is expected that it will be more comfortable for the spectators than in some previous years. Travel Tour Here Tuesday Morning The first (top in a week-long tour of travel burea personnel wai made here Tuesday morning. Hie travel counselors were greeted by members of the Boone Chamber of Commerce and the Souther* Appalachian Historical Association, and the group was taken for a visit to the Daniel Boone Theatre, home of Horn in the West, during their 30-mihute stopover. Coffee was served on the theatre grounds. The motorcade proceeded U Grandfather Mountain for lunch. The tour, arranged by the Caro lina Motor Club, is scheduled ta visit similar points of interest this week Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Mistrial Is Ordered In Rape Indictments A mistrial was ordered last Fri day in the hearing of charges against five men in an alleged at tack on a 16-year-old Caldwell County girl in November, 1993, near here. Judge Dan K. Moore of Sylva issued the order after the jury failed to agree on a verdict fol lowing three hours of delibera tion. The trials were rescheduled for the September term of Watauga Superior Court. Betty Joydc Turnmeyer of Whitnel, who was 18 at the time, said she was forced into a car at ber home after she refused to go with the men, and that three of thei| held her while another had sexual relations with her. Originally, Perry Greer, about 40, was charged with rape, and charge* of being acceuories had been filed againat Ben Andrewi, 20, Clark Rominger, 22, Letter Bradshaw, 24, and Bobby Day, 20. Day is from Whitnel and the oth ers live in Watauga County. Friday morning the state chanc ed the charges to assault on a fe male with intent to commit rape, against the five. All pleaded not guilty again following tfie change in the charges. Greer was returned to Watauga County jail in default of his angin al $7,900 bond. The others are free under $3,000 bond each. The hearing had been delayed because Greer was not arrested un til last fall. MILLER ' HOUGH Women's Debate Team Wins Superior Rating The Appalachian State Teacher* College women's debate team, com posed of Julia Hough and Doris Miller, won Superior rating in the Southeastern Phi Kappa Del Members Of Tax Board Resign Major J. II. Thomas, chairman, A. C. Moretx and Ed S. Williams resigned from the Watauga County Tax Board of Appeals on April 30th. In the letter the Board of Com miss loners bo reason was giv en for the resignations. The Board W Appeals, appoint ed Jointly by the Commissioners, the towns of Boom, Blowing Rock, and the Board of Education, hears appeals on tax cases, made from the County Board of Equalisation. No information is available as to whom win be appointed to fill the vacancies. ta Province Tournament which ?was held at TeUhessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee, on April 19-21. The women's team won six out of seven debates am} was the only women's team there to have such a rating. The men's team, consisting of Johnny Christy and George Moose, with less experience than the wo men, did not make an impressive record although some of the de bates were close. This is the year for the Phi Kappa Delta, which Is the National Forensic Fraternity, to have ita providence touranments. In the Southeastern providence are thirteen colleges from four states. These Include: from North Carolina. Appalachian State Teach ers College and Lenoir Rhyne: from Tennessee, Carson-Newman, Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State, Maryville, David Lipscomb, and Tennessee Tech; from Ken (Continued on page six) Pair Plead Guill Brutal Blowing Carl Fidler Is Named President Watauga NCEA Mr. Carl Fidler was elected pres ident of the WaUuga Cotlnty NCEA unit at a meeting held at the Green Valley School la*t Fri day evening. Other officers named are: John Marsh, vice-president; Mrs. Mar garet Gragg, secretary; Mrs. Maxie Edmisten, treasurer. The session, last of the current school year, took the form of a dinner session. All the teachers and school personnel of the coun ty with their wives and husbands were present. Miss Helen Wells, NCEA Field Representative from Raleigh, was also present. Mr. Earl Petry, president, had charge of the meeting and pre sented Miss Wells, who spoke on "A Professional Trip on a Pro fessional Train." Mr. Fidler spoke briefly. He recognized Mr. George Hagaman for his long term of teaching ser vice. He commended Mr. Petry for the excellent Job he has done this year and presented him with a gift. Mr. Petry thanked the group for their cooperation, thank ed Miss Wells for her visit, and closed the business for the NCEA this year. Ancient Bell To Feature Concert The original bell that wis hous ed in the steeple of the Watauga Academy built in 1899 will be used in the concert given by the Appa lachian State Teachers College Band next Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock, in the Fine Arts Build ing. Probably the only object left from the original building which marked the beginning of ASTC, the bell- has been stored since the fire which destroyed the Academy in 1948, which at that time was being used for music classes. The bell has been restored and mount ed on a frame for display. It will be used for the "bell" in the march "Liberty Bell" by John Phil lip Sousa. Many people in the surrounding area will no doubt recall the sound of this bell as its tone echoed throughout the valley. Dave Ragan Heads V.F.W. At a special meeting of Watauga Mountaineer Post 7031 V. F. W., Dave Ragan was installed as Post Commander. R. A. Miskelly, Sr. Vice Com mander Dept. of N. 0. V. F. W. was installing officer. District Commander M. J. Lynch of Lenoir made a short talk. Other officers include Guy Shirley, Sr. Vice Comminder; Ed Worley, Jr. Vice Commander; Cloyd Bolick, Quartermaster; Ray Osborne, Adjutant; John Davis, Surgeon; Fred Holman, Chaplain; Ed Harrison, Sgt at Arms; Custer Wallace, trustee. Commander Ragan takes office immediately and expects a boom year for V. F. W. in the county. Variety Show Lions Project A Variety Show sponsored by the Boone Lions Club and the Ele mentary School cafeteria will be staged Friday night. May 11, at the new elementary school auditorium, beginning at 7:90. There will be a variety of enter tainment, such as string music, quartet singing, solo numbers, dance, comedy, and magic acts, and many others. Among the many performers featured will be Grady Lewis, The Rhythmaires, A1 Boyles, and Tom Winkler. The admission fee of 90 ceata and $1.00 will go to the Lion* Club Blind Fund and the school' cafe teria. Graduation Program Begins At Appalachian Sunday May 13 By EARLEEN G. PRITCHETT The commencement program at Appalachian State Teachers Col May 13, at two o'clock in the after lege will get under way on Sunday, noon, when the baccalaureate ser mon will be preached in the audi torium of the health and phyiical education building on the college campus. The baccalaureate sermon will be preached by the Reverened John Terrill Wayland, professor of religious education at Southeast ern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Wayland is a Hissourian by birth, of Virginia and Kentucky ancestry. After graduating from the public schools of Moberly, he entered William Jewell College at Liberty and subsequently received degrees also from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Yale Divinity School, and Yale Univer sity. While in college, he was pres ident of the Baptist Student Union of Missouri, and also of the North east Baptist Training Union Con vention. Mrs. Wayland (nee Eun ice Fowler) is a native of New Haven, Connecticut, and they have three children; two sons and a daughter. Dr. Wayland has served in the1 pastorate in North Carolina as fol low*: The First Baptist Church of Monroe, The Temple Baptist Church of Durham, and The First Baptist Chureh of North WUkc* boro. Between the pastorates in Durham and North Wilkesboro, be was in the United States Navy as a Chaplain and also served in Balti more, Maryland, as a pastor for a short period. He has been a speaker or a forum leader at several Baptist Student Union Conventions or Re treats, and was President of the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Homes for the Aging at its inception. While in North Wil kesboro, he was a teacher in the Seminary Extension Center which was designed to add to the Biblical and theological knowledge of .the pastors in Wilkes County. He was called to his present position at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in December, 1953. On Friday, May 18, at ten o'clock in the morning, the final com mencement exercises of the col lege will also be held in the audi torium of the health and physical education building. The speaker will be Dr. D. Hiden Ramsey of Asheville. Dr. Ramsey holds the B. A. arid the M. A. degrees from the Uni versity of Virginia, the LL.D. from the University of North Carolina, and the Litt. D. from Western Carolina College. He is known well in every section of North Carolina, for he served for more than thirty years with The Asheville Citizen and Asheville Times, serving In varying capacities including editor and general manager. He was a member of the State Board of Edu cation from IMS to 1BS3, and served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Western Carolina College from 1937 to 1046. Dr. Ramsey is at present the chairman of the State Board of Higher Education of North Caro lina. Dr. W. H. Plemmons, president of Appalachian State Teachers College, will present diplomas to IBS candidates for the bachelor of science degree, and to 28 candi dates for the master of arts de gree. The music for the commence ment program will be furnished by the college orchestra 'and the college chorus, under the direc tion, respectively, of Nicholas Erneaton and Mrs. Virginia Wary Linney, both on the collage's music faculty. Not The Same Man The AJoroo Moreti who ?ub mitted to a speeding charge ih Superior Court last week b not 1. Alonzo (Rabbit) Morett of Boom. Given Arion Award Miss Ann Cottrell was awarded the Arion Award, the highest award given to the member of the senior class in the Appalachian High School Band, last Wednes day evening at the annual spring concert. The award was donated by the Boone Lion* Club and was presented by Dr. Joha Workman, first vice president of the local club. Miss Cottrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raleigh Cottrell, has been an active member of the high school band for the past six years. She is a member of the chorus, girls' glee club, girls' "A" club, annual staff, girls' basket ball team and the National Honor Society. She has played solo chair clarinet for three yean and ha* been a member of the band coun cil for two year*. The Arion Award is awarded to the perion who, in the opinion of the memberf of the band, the high school faculty and the director of the band, has demonstrated out standing qualities in musicianship, scholarship, and leadership. Miss Cottrell's name will be sent to the National Foundation of the Arion Award in Chicago, and will also be inscribed on a beautiful plaque in the band room. 40 Scouts Recognized At Honor Court Event More than forty boys were recognized Sunday for their ad vancement in Scouting at a special Court of Honor held in the Perk inaville Baptiat Church. These advancements included ranks all the way from Tenderfoot to Life. Sixty merit badges were also awarded Scouts In attendance. Frank Payne, Jr., of Troop 100, Boone Methodist Church, received his certification of being a Life Scout, the rank just under Eagle. Tad Buckland and Linneaus Der rick of the same troop, and Rufus Edmisten of Troop 59, Perkins villt Baptist Church, were given their star badges. Perry and Hoyle Coffey and Benny Robinson, of the Explorer Post at Blowing Rock were given | the Bronze award for their achieve ments in Scouting. The Perklnsvile Baptist Church troop, headed by Buck Robinaon, presented Cecil Miller a certifi j cat* of appreciation for the work | be has done with Scouting, not i only in PerkinavttJe, but in the I county and council. The certifi j ctte contained the names of all the Scout leaders in the troop, I the troop committee, and the i Scouts themselves. Mr. Miller was J taken by surprise with this eertl I ficate, but promised to do "some | thing to earn, it" now. I Tenderfoots recognized included Bill Bingham, Jr., Dean Greer, Steve Hamilton, Johnny Payne, Harold Richardson, Tommy Tay lor, Joe Todd, Jr, Arden Wilcox, Jr. i Second Class: Billy Eubanks. Bobby Johnson, Tommy Cole, Johnny Henson, Teddy Mist, James Henson, Charles Greene, Tommy Lawrence, Thomas Bush, (Continued on page six.) Polio Vaccine Now Available The Health Department states that a larger supply of polio vac cine has been received, and that beginning Wednesday, Hay 2, be tween the hours of 8 and 11 a. m , first and second doses of the ser um will be given to those . six months through nineteen years of age, and to pregnant women. No third shots will be given for some time, it is said. Gty Officials And C Of C To Talk Of Water Mayor Winkler and the mem bers of the town council will meet with the Chamber of Commerce next Tuesday noon, to discuss the municipal water system and the improvements which .are being planned. The officials will answer any questions on the water supply situation. Everyone is asked to at tend the meeting. Chicago Chemist Victim Of Two He Befriended By V. G. ROLLINS Two young hitchhiker* from Milwaukee were sentenced to lift imprisonment in Watauga Superior Court last Wednesday (of stabbing to death a slightly-built, 72-year old Chicago chemist who had be friended them. Jo Ann Severson, 19, and Leo nard La Fond, 21, pleaded guilty to first degree murder after hear ing the state produce overwhelm ing testimony at the day-long ses sion. Tuesday waa consumed in selection a 13-man jury. The guilty pleas, tendered through their attorney*. Wade E. Brown and Louis H. Smith, car ried a mandatory *entence el life Imprisonment. Separate written confeasion* to the brutal murder by both defend ants, freely given to FBI agents late last summer at Las Cruces, New Uexico, and San Antonio, Tex., both stated that the two stabbed Lewis A. Finn to death in a tent pitched on the Cone Mem orial Park picnic grounds near Blowing Rock last July. The statements, together with testimony by Richard Finn, the murdered man's brother, Elmer T. Glabe, his employer in Chicago, Lowell Cook, attendant at the Cone picnic grounds, FBI and SBI agents, unfolded the following chain of events: Jo Ann and Leonard left Mil | waukee, Wis., last July 8 and | hitchhiked to Miami, Fla., where they remained about a week living as m'an and wife. TV**.. kit Ik. kit^kklk. | 4 llC-jr llll NIC 1IUVIIUIAC Ulll north again and on the second day were given a ride while (till in Florida by Mr. Finn, who had been viiiting his brother at West Palm Beach and was on his way to visit another brother in Arizona. He carried camping equipment in his 1994 Chevrolet. The three spent the next sev eral days together, sleeping in his tent or in motels and hotela. On the third day, according to the confessions, Mr. Finn asked them about his having sexual relations with Jo Ann. Next day he apolo gized but later repeated his re quest. They "kept putting him off." They stopped at Cherokee, Where La Fond bought a knife with a six-inch blade and Jo Abb stole a similar oae. I Proceeding northward, they (top ped late one rainy afternoon at/ the picnic grounds near Blowing Rock and pitched the tent for the night. During the night, while Finn - was sleeping, Jo Ann said, accord ing to La Fond, "Let's bump him off." And La Fond told her she would have to strike the first blow and he would "finish him off." He told her if she didn't attack Finn first, "there might be two murders instead of one," aaid Jo Ann. She said he had threatened her before and that she feared for her life. Jo Ann awoke Finn and told him fhe was, "ready to go through with the deal." (He had given them |40 that day to buy clothes.) When Finn began to "make love" to her, Jo Ann (tabbed him in the back. Then La Fond slugged him in the jaw, hit him on the head with a flashlight, and plunged a knife into his chest. Jo Ann *1*> stabbed him again. Then the two placed a pillow on his head and sat on it until he was still. They stripped the body of cloth ing, wrapped it in a blanket and a piece of canvas, and put it in the trunk ofl the car. Then they pack ed up the equipment and headed west In the car, throwing the mur der weapons away somewhere in Tennessee. They proceeded to Mammoth Cave Park in Kentucky and hid the body in a clump of bushes. La Fond was arrested iq Truth or Consequences, New Hex., Au gust 29, while trying to eaak a ?3;, check he had received from the sale of a Pontiac which he had previously acquired in a trade for (Continued on page six) S"#SMI
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
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May 3, 1956, edition 1
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