WttmeXX^— Numbers?”
Two Killed By Bullets Fired By Madman
— ——— ———
Three Charged With
First Degree Murder
On Court Calendar
More Serious Cases on
Docket Than In Re
cent Years
begins Monday
Judge Chester Morris
Scheduled to be Pre
siding Judge
Faced with the heaviest docket, in
cluding -more serious crimes than in
recent years, Chowan County Super
ior Court is scheduled to convene
Monday morning with Judge Chester
Morris of Currituck County presid
ing.
On the criminal docket are three
defendants charged with first degree
murder, one for first degree burglary
and assault with intent to commit
rape, one for manslaughter, and many
for less serious crimes. The criminal
docket has so many cases that, un
less some are postponed, the court is
not expected to reach the civil calen
dar, some of long standing.
On the criminal docket are:
Wesley E. Halsey, charged with two
counts of first degree murder. He
waived a preliminary hearing in Re
corder’s Court Tuesday.
Lillie Ward, charged with abortion
and first degree murder.
James Richardson, accessory before
the fact and first degree murder.
Bruce Hines charged with first de
gree burglary and assault with intent
’ to commit rape.
Richard A. Furia and Aldovia A.
Cusano, charged with breaking and
entering and larceny. They waived a
preliminary hearing in ■ Recorder’s
Court Tuesday.
f H. Kemp Holmes, operating a mo
tor vehicle under the influence of in
toxicants and improper registration
plates.
Matthew Madre, assault with a
deadly weapon with intent to kill.
George Amos Johnson, possession of
non-tax-paid alcoholic beverage and
violation of a suspended sentence.
Joe Nathan Manley, three charges
of manslaughter.
Herman Webb, possession of non
tax-paid alcoholic beverage and trans
porting same.
Walter Wilder, assault with a
deadly weapon resulting in bodily in
jury.
E. Clayton Downing, five charges
(Continued on Page Twelve)
Dr W. I. Hart Presents
Program At Rotary
Dr. W. I. Hart presented the pro
gram at last week’s Rotary meeting
when he read excerpts from the Eden
ton Gazette, printed in 1819. Quite
a few amusing items were read by
r Dr. Hart much to the entertainment
of the Rotarians.
4-H CLUB PICNIC FRIDAY
A county-wide 4-H-Club picnic will
, be held at the Chowan Community
Building Friday afternoon at 5:30
o’clock. Each one attending is re
quested to take a picnic supper.
LIONS MEET WEEKLY
After interrupted meetings during
the summer, the Edenton Lions Club
has resumed their schedule of weekly
meetings. The club will meet next
Monday night at 7 o’clock and Presi
dent Jesse Harrell urges a 100 per
cent attendance.
Commissioners
For Bond Issue
»
BF. , ♦ ■■i»
With the 72 million dollar bond
election scheduled to be held on
Saturday, October 3, Chowan
-County Commissioners at their
meeting Tuesday morning adopt
ed a resolution endorsing the sale
of 50 million dollars for schools
- and 22 million dollars for mental
institutions in the State.
The Commissioners briefly re
hearsed school conditions in Cho
|L wan County, where, despite re
■l cent additions, conditions are al
l|- ready crowded and proper equip
| I ment is still lacking. Already
1 I there are crowded conditions at
H the Edenton white aitd colored 1
IH schools. An auditorium and band j
I
THE CHOWAN HERALBI
,
| Yes tad No J
Chowan County Commissioners
have been informed by the State
Highway and Public Works Com
mission that approval has been
given to the addition to the coun
ty highway system of a road at
the Brown Lumber Company
property.
At the same time the Commis
sion turned down the request to
add to the system a road leading
to the home of H. T. Hobbs.
Rotary President
Favors Swimming
Pool For Edenton
John Kramer Presents
Idea at Meeting Last
Week
/
John Kramer, president of the
Edenton Rotary Club, at last week’s
meeting once again presented the idea
of a swimming pool for Edenton. He,
together with members of other civic
clubs, recently visited a number of
swimming pools and stated he thought
the cost would not be too great to
construct a pool in Edentom
Mr. Kramer urged the Rotary Club
to cooperate with other groups in
Edenton in an effort to secure a pool
for the benefit of children as well as
adults. He will name a committee
from the club at this week’s meeting
to work with committees from other
clubs in order to stimulate interest in
this project which has bobbed up sev
eral times during recent years.
BPW Club Scheduled
To Meet September 17
The Edenton Business & Profession
al Women’s Club will resume activi
ties, after disbanding during the sum
mer months, with a dinner meeting to
be held at the Barker Community
House, Thursday night, September 17.
beginning at 7 o’clock.
The club’s annual selection of the
“Woman of the Year” will be an
nounced at this meeting and an in
teresting program has been prepared
for the occasion. Mrs. Evelyn Jack
son, president of the club, urges all
members to be present.
Committee chairman are asked to
contact those on their committee and
let Mrs. W. J. Daniels know as soon
as possible in order that arrange
ments may be made for plates.
Third Polio Victim
In Health District
Dr. B. B. McGuire, district health of
ficer, early this week reported the
third case of infantile paralysis in the
four-county district. The case was re
ported from Perquimans County on
September 1 when William Wayne
Brown, 20-year-old white man in
Hertford became ill on August 25. He
was taken to Chowan Hospital and
later to the Naval Hospital, in Ports
mouth, where it was learned he was
a polio victim. Little, if any, jfer
manent damage is expected, however.
room is needed at the white
school and an auditorium is need
ed at the colored school. At Cho
wan High School more classrooms
are needed, as well as a larger
auditorium.
The Commissioners advanced
the opinion that if the bond issue
passes Chowan County might pos
sibly ge( enough funds to make
the necessary additions, while on
- the other hand, if the State’s
voters turn down the bond issue,
any school additions or improve
ments will have to be borne by
the county’s taxpayers, which, of
necessity, would have to come
through a local bond Issue. -
"Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, September 10,1953.
Police Thwart Early I
Morning Robbery I
At Chub’s Place I
Two Marines Had Quan- 1
tity of Loot Ready to
Haul Away
Timely appearance on the scene
prevented a costly robbery of Chub’s ,
Barbecue Place on North Broad Street |
between 4:46 and 5 o’clock Monday ,
morning. While patroling, Patrolmen 1
E. R. Tolley and H. J. Lupton spied ■
a car in the driveway between Chub’s ,
Place and the J. L. Batton Construc
tion Company office and parked their
car in front of Chub’s Place.
Presently the officers saw two men
coming from the direction of the Cho
wan Farmers’ Exchange building and ;
subsequently arrested Private Rich
ard A. Furia and Pfc. Aldovia A. Cu
sano, two Marines stationed at the
Edenton Marine Corps Auxiliary
Landing Field.
Upon investigation, according to the
police, the two men had gained en
trance into Chub’s Place by breaking
a rear window, where they had bro-
Iken the cigarette machine and had
33 cartons of cigarettes piled on the
floor, three or four hams had been
taken out of the ice box and placed on
> the work bench, as well as several
5 boxes of cigars.
The police believe the two men saw
the police car park in front of the
building and left with the intention of
coming back and load their loot in a
i late model Chevrolet.
s After their arrest a large quantity
1 of stolen articles were found in the
’ trunk of the car which were valued at
" about S6OO. It was later learned that
this loot was stolen from Davenport’s
1 store in Plymouth earlier in the night.
1 Th° two men were charged with
breaking and entering and larceny
1 and waived a preliminary hearing in
Recorder’s Court Tuesday morning
1 and will be tried in Superior Court,
s
1 Town Counci Held
i
In Lengthy Session
j Street Paving and Sal
ary Increases Use Up
Much Time
j Edenton’s Town Council held its i
■f September meeting Tuesday night
which resulted in another long ses
sion. While not so many matters
e came up for consideration consider
- able time was spent on several prob
. lems.
i Guy Hobbs appeared at the meet
- ing in the interest of Hobbs Imple
-1 ment Company. Mr. Hobbs stated
that because a city sewerage line does
5 not service his establishment, he re
-1 quested reimbursement for a septic
\ tank which his concern was obliged
- to install when the present building
was built on East Church Street ex
tended, within the city limits. He
presented figures showing how much
his concern pays in city taxes and
[ privilege taxes and at the same time
_ is deprived of city sewerage facili
e ties.
e Calvin Wright, speaking for resi
_ dents on Jackson Street, requested a
1 hard surface treatment on the street,
g a distance of about 800 feet. He stat
-1 ed that M. W. Jackson was willing to
e deed a 50-foot right of way to the
j town if the street is hard surfaced on
_ through to Freemason Street or any
5 other convenient connection providing
another outlet to his property.
Dr. A. F. Downum-, on behalf of
, (Continued on Page 3even)
Rocky Hock Will Play
Series With Colerain
Palmer Tynch, manager of the
Rocky Hock baseball team, winners of
the Tidewater Carolina League cham
pionship, announced Wednesday of
this week that his team will play a
five-game series with Colerain, win
ners of the Bertie County League.
The first two games of the series
are scheduled to be played on Hicks
Field Friday night at 8 o’clock and
Saturday night at 8:30.
DAR MEETS FRIDAY
A meeting of the Edenton Tea Par
ty Chapter, DAR, will be. held in the
James Iredell house Friday afternoon
at 3:30 o’clock. All members are ur
ged to attend.
HEALTH OFFICE CLOSED FRI.
Due to the meeting of the N. C.
Health Association at Nags Head to
day (Thursday), Friday and Satur
day, the Edenton office of the District
Health Department will be closed all
day Friday. - I
Chowan’s Jail Draws
Commendation From
Inspector T. A. Early
Writes Letter to Jailer
White After An Un
announced Inspection
Chowan County Commissioners and
Jailer Herman White in particular
had reason to feel proud Tuesday
morning when a letter was read from
T. A. Early, inspector of correctional
institutions, to Mr. White praising
conditions at the Chowan County
jail.
In his letter Mr. Early said:
“As a matter of record I should like
to report on my check of your jail on
August 10th while enroute to Manteo
dnd Nags Head to attend the Sher
iffs’ Convention.
“This inspection was of a rather
unusual nature in that I had with me
my wife, my secretary, and her cou
sin. I followed my usual procedure in
dropping in unannounced and feel that
I should make special comment. Cer
tainly, I want to thank you and Mrs.
White for the courteous treatment af
forded all of us and to assure you that
I am grateful to you for not letting
me down. If the jail had not been
found in good shape I would most
assuredly have taken a sound ribbing
from the ladies.
“It is true that in many ways there
is much to be desired from your view
point since yours is probably one of,
if not the oldest jail in North Carolina
still in use. However, beyond any
doubt, you are doing the best you can
with what you have and I wish to
thank you. The improvement work
which was completed about a year
ago has enabled you to make a much
better showing than was possible be
fore. It is to your credit that you
have taken advantage of these im
provements to do the best you could
under ths circumstances.
“Some of the ladies heard some
very complimentary remarks from
some of the inmates regarding the
very fine treatment they had receiv
ed while in your jail. I think that is
the greatest commendation you could
get.”
School Enrollment
Ahead Os Last Year
Fewer Students in White
and Colored High
Schools
Though the over-all enrollment in
both white and colored schools in the
Edenton Administrative Unit is above
last year, there is a noticeable de
crease in both the white and colored
high schools.
According to figures on the open
ing day of school, Wednesday of last
week, 564 pupils enrolled in the Eden
ton Elementary School and 353 in the
Edenton Junior-Senior High School.
In the colored schools 642 enrolled
in the elementary school and 246 in
the high school. At the St. John
School 70 enrolled.
The white high school faculty was
completed on the opening day of
school, when Mrs. Charles H. Wood.
Jr., accepted the position as teacher
of the commercial course.
Since the opening of school, how
ever, more have enrolled in both the
white and colored schools.
Back Taxes Trickling
Into County Treasury
J. N. Pruden, special tax attorney
for Chowan County, reported to the
County Commissioners Tuesday that
he had collected $655.25 in back tax
es. The amount represents tax pay
ments from as far back as 1933 to
1951 in amounts ranging from $2.70
to $132.74.
The Commissioners have authorized
Mr. Pruden to carry out the law to
the full extent in order to collect tax
es long past due.
St. PauPs Auxiliary Will
Conduct Meeting Today
Women’s Auxiliary of St. Paul’s
Episcopal Church will meet this
(Thursday) afternoon at 4 o’clock in
the Parish House. A feature of the
meeting will be an address by Mrs. R.
P. Badham, who will tell about her
recent tour in Europe. All members
are especially urged to attend.
JAYCEES MEET TONIGHT
Edenton’s Junior Chamber of Com
merce will meet tonight (Thursday)
at 7 o’clock in the Triangle Restau
. rant. President Thomas Shepard ur-
Iges every member to be present.
» ■ ■
Wesley Halsey Kills
Wife, L. T. Dunbar
In Fit Os Rage Friday
Civic Calendar
Junior Chamber of Commerce
meets tonight (Thursday) at 7
o’clock in the Triangle Restaur
ant.
Edenton Lions Club meets
Monday night at 7 o’clock.
Edenton’s Teen Age Club will
open in the Elementary School
Friday night at 7:30 o’clock.
American Legion Auxiliary will
meet Tuesday night, September
15 at the home of Mrs. Paul Hol
oman.
Edenton Business and Profes
sional Women’s Club meets
(Continued on Page Twelve)
Edenton Teen Age
Club Ops Friday
Members Will Be Pro
vided Tickets For Ad
mission This Year
The Edenton Teen Age Club will
open Friday night at 7:30 o’clock in
the club Toom at the Elementary
School.
All teen-agers between 12 and 18,
years old are cordially invited to be
on hand for the gala opening, and
mothers and fathers are also especial
ly urged to attend and help get the
club off to a pleasant start for the
[ year.
Membershio tickets will be sold for
. the year beginning September, 1953,
! to September, 1954. These cards will
, certify that the holder is a member
. of the Edenton Teen Age Club and will
• cost 25 cents per member. These cards
[ will be purchased at the club on open
ing night. The cards will permit ad
mission to the club during the school
year.
Members will be requested to de
posit card upon entering and not take'
up the card until they are ready to go
i home.
Local Jaycees Join In
“Operation Warmth”
Edenton’s Junior Chamber of Com
merce is cooperating in “Operation
: Warmth”, in an effort to aid unfor
tunate Greek victims of recent earth
quakes.
The purpose of “O peration
1 Warmth” is to provide blankets for
the needy Greeks. Anyone who will
contribute a blanket, old or used, so
long as they are clean, is asked to
contact Paul Partin. Another way to
: help is to donate $3.00 which, through
the generosity of an anonymous man
-1 ufacturer, a $7.00 blanket will be sent
and the same manufacturer will match
■ it with another blanket. Each Jaycee
! is responsible for one or more blan
kets and the cooperation of the public
is urged.
Legion Auxiliary Will
Meet Tuesday Night
The American Legion Auxiliary will
meet Tuesday night, September 15, at
8 o’clock at the home of Mrs. J. Paul
Holoman. A feature of the meeting
will be a musical program, so that
Mrs. R. E. Leary, the president, urges
all members to make a special effort j
to attend. I
State Treasurer Gill
Endorses Bond Issue
The proposed bond issues for North
Carolina public schools and mental
hospitals is a sound and justified pro
posal, says State Treasurer Edwin
Gill.
“The need is great, the cause is
worthy, and the sound financial con
dition of North Carolina amply justi
fies such action”, the State Treasur
er said in an address before one of the
few county-wide civic clubs in Ameri
ca,. embracing a membership from
throughout Moore county. !
Speaking as one familiar with the
fiscal history of North Carolina for
the past 25 years, Mr. Gill, who ser
ved as North Carolina Commissioner
of Revenue and as North Carolina
Collector of Internal Revenue for the
government of the United States be
S2J)O Per Year.
Killer Accused Edenton
Man of Dating His
Pretty Wife
chargeTdenied
Couple Reportedly Re
conciliated After Do
mestic Troubles
Edenton was shocked to the core
shortly before noon Friday as the re
sult of the most gruesome calamity
to occur in many years when a mad
man with a .25 calibre automatic pis
tol went berserk and snuffed out the
lives of two people by pumping bul
lets into them in a fit of jealous rage
at the colored high school op Oakum
Street.
The dead are Lawrence Thurston
Dunbar, 34, owner of the local West
ern Auto Associate Store and the
Western Gas Service, and Mrs. Iva
, Beatrice Halsey, 30, of the Roper
community, a former checker at the
local P & Q Super Market.
The slayer is Wesley E. Halsey, 37,
husband of the dead woman, who was
arrested and placed in jail shortly af
ter the shooting. He waived a pre
liminary hearing in Recorder’s Court
Tuesday and bound over for Superior
Court without bond on a charge of
murder.
According to police Mr. and Mrs.
Halsey had some domestic troubles,
brought about by Halsey’s accusation
that the couple had separated but had
effected a reconciliation and that he
• was bringing her home from Falls’
. Church, Va., when she told her hus
[ band she had dated Dunbar.
Halsey, with his wife in his car,
I searched for Dunbar and learned that
1 he was at the colored school doing
some work on appliances in the lunch
' room. The couple drove to the school,
where Halsey contacted Dunbar and
an employee, J. B. Lee. The trio rode
to the front of the school where Hal
sey’s car was parked and his wife
1 sitting on the front seat, ,
Police say Halsey accused Dunbar
of going out with his wife which Dun
bar strenuously denied. It was then
• that. Halsey shot his wife, who fell
from the car to the street. Dunbar
. ran toward the school, but was in the
i path of several bullets fired by Hal
. sey. Wounded, Dunbar entered the
. gymnasium and then sought shelter
in the girls’ toilet. But Halsey was
1 on his heels and when Dunbar fell
• Halsey pumped several more bullets
into his body. Mrs. Halsey was shot
i in the face and under the arm, while
, it was believed seven bullets entered
i Dunbar’s body.
Both of the victims were rushed to
. the Chowan Hospital. Dunbar died
; shortly after reaching the hospital
i and Mrs. Halsey died before reaching
! the hospital.
Policeman John Wood rushed to the
: colored school in response to a tele
phone call made by John A. Holmes,
who happened to be at the colored
school at the time and had talked to
Dunbar about the work he was doing
just seconds before the shooting oc
; curred. Wood said Halsey offered no
; resistance and said he “didn’t mean
i to kill his wife, but shot her to learn
■ her some sense.” However, Wood said,
; ■ Halsey said he shot to kill Dunbar,
i, Mr. Dunbar was a native of Allen
; dale, S. C., coming to Edenton about
■ (Continued on Page Twelve)
i sere becoming State Treasurer, said:
1 “I do not hesitate to endorse the is
■ suance of these bonds.”
i North Carolina will vote October 3
on the issuance of bonds totalling 50
; million for public schools and 22 mil
lion for mental hospitals.
“On October 3 North Carolina has
• a date with destiny,” Mr. Gill said.
i “On this day, we will decide a great
■ issue which involves not only the wel
i: fare of hundreds upon hundreds of
J the mentally ill, but also the future
: of many thousands of children in the
• public schools.
“Are we to continue the march of
■ progress which began with Aycock in
: 1900? Surely there can be but one
i answer.- We will not turn back the
(Continued on Page Twelve)