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'i,; CHOWAN COUNTY’S HISTORIC JAIL
NOT LUXURIOUS BUT
ADEQUATE One reading
our less favored morning
daily Wednesday would get
the impression being detained
at Chowan County Jail isn’t
like checking into a luxury
hotel. And he would be ab
solutely correct.
However, it isn’t as bad as
Leslie D. Smith, North Caro
lina jail inspector, would lead
you to believe.
.Mr. Smith, who has held
his current position for six
months,, has just completed
his first official swing across
the Tar Heel state. He has
reported to 25 sets of county
commissioners that their jails
should be condemned and
new ones built.
Chowan County Jail is in
cluded in the list Mr. Smith
reported to the press.
> The report states the in
spector took into account the
physical apoearance and fa
cilities at the jails as well
as the manner in which tne
jails are run by the jailers.
On his visit to Chowan
County, Mr. Smith compli
mented Jailer Glpnn Perry
on the cleanliness of the lo
cal facility as well as the
’ food served.
i He. blacklisted the jail be
cause of its age and the fact
tijdt it didn’t have hot water
of 'shower facilities.
Ves, Mr. Smitit was right
at>Out the jail being old. The
ex£ct date it was built is a
topic for debate. However,
it is generally understood
that it was erected prior to
the court house, which came
into being in 1767. An earl
ier court house was built in
1719 and many believe the
jail is of the same...yintage.
The inspector was also cor
rect about the absence of hot
water and showers.
What he did not take into
consideration, however, are
statistics on jail population
ill this county.
Sheriff Earl Goodwin, who
by law is charged with the
responsibility of operating
the jail, reports the average
daily census as being two
{inmates. January’s average
daily occupancy was two;
February, one, and March,
three; This is generally true
throughout the year.
' Because of the low occu
pancy, it is impractical and
economically absurd to have
a jail kitchen. Therefore,
inmates at Chowan County
Jail eat right from Jailer
Perry’s table, so to speak.
When he has ham, so do the
inmates. When he eats soup,
so do they.
Prisoners are fed two
meals per day. Chow time
is 8 A. M., and 4 P. M., and
the menu, while not a gour
met’s delight, is substantial.
Upon entering the jail,
prisoners are issued a clean
sheet and a blanket. They
have ample soap and a big
wash basin. If a person stays
several days he is given
clean linen when needed.
The local jail is of brick,
cement and steel construc
tion and is heated with an
oil circulator. On the lower
fevel are two cell blocks,
each to accommodate eight
inmates. The upper floor is
not used.
The building is treated
monthly for insects and Sher
iff Goodwin said he hasn’t
seen one in the jail in a
long, long time.
Jailer Perry is paid $2 per
day per inmate for his ser
vices, including the food.
Regardless of what Mr.
Smith recommends, no man
could be elected to public
office in Chowan County on
a platform to construct a
fetter Os Intent
Is Authorized
•Chowan County Board of
Education will submit a let
ter to the U. S. Commission
er of Education outlining the
policies and intent of the
board to comply with the
iifcrll Rights Act of 1964.
1 Supt. Hiram J. Mayo was
mMKicted to write the letter
following discussion cm sign
in* a federal compliance
form at the regular board
Monday night,
costly new jail.
There isn’t a need in this
county for such a facility and
the Grand Jury reports over
the past several years reflect
the condition of the jail as
well as how it is being op
erated. Their only recom
mendation since November,
1963, was for the outside to
be painted. This has been
done.
Down in Hoke County,
where a new jail is to be
constructed, the citizens just
voted to float SIOO,OOO in
bonds to pay the bill. They
have a population of 16,360,
about a third more than Cho
wan.
We have no reason to be
lieve a new jail here would
cost any less. It would be
a waste of money.
Chowan County is made up
of good, honest, lawi abiding
people. That accounts for
our small jail population.
Mr. Smith’s contention, as
far as Chowan County is
concerned, is just another
example of sliderule bu
reaucracy. His lormula won’t
work here.
While every jail should be
safe and clean, with the in
mates getting decent food,
they need not be too attrac
tive. No, those who want
to live in comfort should be
made to pay the fare of lux
ury establishments.
ON MOVING—WeII, we’ve
accomplished two things in
the last week which were
a long time coming. We
now believe things will be
back to normal because these
hurdles have been cleared.
First, we were beginning to
think it would be next to
impossible to locate the right
permanent home along 1 ' The
Public Parade. The day one
realtor informed us “the per
fect place’’ to adequately ac
commodate our family could
not be found, we closed the
deal on 104 West Gale Street.
Secondly, our seven-year
old had become quite dis
turbed that she was the only
student at Edenton Element
ary School who hadn’t lost a
tooth. Just before making
an appointment with a child
psychiatrist, out came a low
er tooth. A fairy then ap
peared with a dime and this
was solved.
We found moving is mov
ing whether it be 275 miles
or just around the corner.
It is a little easier on the
pocketbook but has the same
affect on the back and
nerves.
This time, however, we had
Pete Manning, Donnie Thom
as, Clyde Slade and William
Reeves from The Herald crew
to assist. About 10:30 P. M.
Friday they vetoed a sug
gestion to form a moving
company.
Now that we have bought
a home and Melissa has lost
a tooth maybe we can get
back to our prime purpose in
Edenton—getting out the sort
of newspaper this community
deserves.
DUAL PURPOSE The
ladies out at Rocky Hock
have earned a reputation as
being among the best cooks
in the country. They leave
the barbecuing of chickens
to the menfolk and spend
their time in the bake shop.
These women put so much
fire under their pastries they
are credited with con
tributing greatly to starting
the blaze which last year
consumed the mortgage on
the community building.
But they haven’t stopped.
They are now preparing
cakes, pies, cookies and can
dy for a sale here Saturday.
The ladies will display their
handiwork in front of Belk-
Tyler’s beginning at 9:30
A. M.
For those who have some
thing special in mind for
Easter holiday goodies, they
can place an order by call
ing Mrs. Sherlon Layton,
482-4037, or Mrs. Marvin
Smith, 482-3026.
. . This community project has
a dual purpose. It helps
Rocky Hock -and keeps your
chef from getting up to her
elbows in dough when she
could be at the hairdresser
getting ready for that special
Easter hat.
Local Recreation
Plans Are Made
By Committee
The local summer recrea
tion program will be admin
istered by Edenton City
Schools and will be operat
ed on a “totally integrated”
basis, it was announced this
week.
Jim Kinion, coach at John
A. Holmes High School, has
been named director of the
12-week program. It is fi
nanced by the Town of Eden
ton.
Kinion explained the pro
posed program at a meeting
Monday of the Edenton-
Chowan Good Neighbor
Council. He will have three
full-time assistants Robert
Shields, Tom Bass and Earl
Jones and Miss Sally
Lytch will be employed part
time.
The gymnasium at John
A. Holmes High School will
be the focal point of all ac
tivities. Playground areas on
Oakum Street and at Holmes
High will be utilized.
Under the proposal, the
program will begin June 6
and end August 26.
H. G. Quinn, town coun
cilman, heads the newly
formed recreation committee
of the Town Council with
Kinion and Shields as mem
bers.
Integration of the recrea
tion program as one of the
15 points requested by local
civil rights leaders and pre
sented to the Good Neigh
bor Council.
Rev. Robert Harrell, coun
cil chairman, said he was ex
tremely pleased with com
mittee reports given at Mon
day’s meeting.
In addition to the recrea
tion plan, Mr. Harrell lauded
the work of the job oppor
tunities committee, headed
by George Alma Byrum. By
rum reported 23 local mer
chants and business estab
lishments have agreed to a
non - discriminatory employ
ment and advancement poli
cy.
Byrum stated he has not
experienced any hostility
among Edenton merchants
when approaching them
about the employment poli
cy. “The merchants who
have signed statements have
done so without any press
ure being brought to bear,"
he said.
Mr. Harrell said local
merchants should be com
mended for the manner in
which they are cooperating
with the council.
Town employees have al
ready started cleaning Vine
Oak Cemetery on North
Granville Street and the
town is expected to take it
over as soon as minor details
are worked out.
Easter Monday
Holiday Slated
Easter Monday will be
observed in Edenton as a
holiday with most busi
ness establishments closed.
Peoples Bank & Trust
Company’s main office and
Consumer Credit Branch
will be closed Monday.
Postmaster James Bond
said the post office will
be open and rural and
home deliveries will be
made as usual.
All county and town of
fices will be closed.
Chowan County schools
will be closed Friday and
Monday, while Edenton
City schools will be closed
only on Monday.
Johnson, Culpepper Are Running
Six Albemarle area men
are seeking the two seats al
loted in the new House of
Representatives district form
ed by reapportionment.
The latest two men to en
ter the race are W. T. Cul
pepper, Jr., of Elizabeth City,
M. J. JOHNSON
New County Policy On Utilities
Culled Aid To Industrialization
e r. ....
Ase £ d water exten
sion pc £ - tside the Town
of Ede; ■s ui s been adopted
by Che £ ? ounty commis
sioners. H -j"
The f. isioners said
Monday ' ! will consider
extendii. 0 utilities to in
dustrial sites and study each
request as an individual case.
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vV.,T A- H &
CHOWAN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS All five members of the board of county commissioners in
Chowan County are seeking re-election in the May 28 Demacratic Primary. Pictured at their meeting Monday are:
Dallas Jethro, Jr., Fourth Township; Chairman W. E. Bond, First Township; Vice Chairman J. Clarence Leary, First
Township; C. J. Hollowell, Third Township; and C. M. Evans, Second Township. The commissioners are the only
candidates to file this week with West W. Byrum of the board of elections. Filing deadline is noon April 15.
Vol. XXXIII.—No. 14
National Bank
Requested Here
Application has been made
to the Comptroller of Cur
rency in Washington, D. C.,
to organize a national bank
in Edenton.
J. Meredith Jones, 108
North Granville Street, is
agent for the persons mak
ing application.
Signators of the applica
tion to organize a national
bank, with headquarters on
South Broad Street, are:
Frank E. Elliott, Ralph E.
Parrish and Jones, all of
Edenton; J. J. Harrington of
Lewiston; Lindsay C. Wins
low of Hertford, and also
Leo O. Wynns of Colerain.
The application requests
one of the following titles:
Albemarle National Bank,
National Bank of the Albe
marle or Tri-County Na
tional Bank.
It is requested that the
bank be authorized to issue
100,000 shares of capital
stock for a total considera
tion upon organization of
$1,200,000.
and M. J. Johnson of South
Mills.
Incumbents Phil Godwin,
Archie Lane and Milton
Sawyer are running along
with R. O. Givens.
Culpepper is president of
Culpepper Hardware Com
pany, Inc., and is a lifelong
BF
MF IHB
l|||
W. T. CULPEPPER, JR.
The request for such a
policy was made by the
Edenton Chamber of Com
merce.
J. Gilliam Wood, chairman
of the chamber’s industrial
committee, said such a policy
is needed to aid in the con
tinued industrialization of the
county.
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Edenton, Chowan County, N'orth Carolina 27932 Thursday. April 7, 1966
March Total $11,790
Food Stamp Program Is Helpful Here
Chowan County Welfare
Department authorized the
purchase of food stamps
valued at $11,790 during the
month of March.
In a report to Chowan
County commissioners, Mrs.
J. H. McMullan, director, said
Phelps To Face Count
For Sale Os Marijuana
John Isaac Phelps, 41-year
old Negro, Route 2, Edenton.
has been charged with sell
ing 153 grams of marijuana
on March 29.
Phelps entered a plea of
not guilty to the county in
Chowan County Recorder's
Court Tuesday and waived
preliminary hearing.
Judge W. S. Privott set
his bond at $2,000.
Phelps was in court several
months ago on a liquor law
violation after officers dis
covered illicit liquor in his
resident of Elizabeth City.
He is 49. He is married to
the former Shirley Bright
Perry of Perquimans County
and they have four children.
He attended State College
in Raleigh and Stayer Busi
ness College. He is presi
dent of Avon Fishing Pier,
Inc., at Hatteras Island, and
secretary-treasurer of Wright
and Culpepper, Inc.
Culpepper is active in civic
and religious activities in the
Elizabeth City area.
Johnson, owner and opera
tor of an oil company in
South Mills that bears his
name, is also 49. He is mar
ried to the former Doris Eve
lyn Burnham and they have
two children.
The candidate is a member
of Trinity Methodist Church
and participates in various
community activities.
Johnson said in announcing
his plans to run that he is
interested in people and good
government. “I will be able
to recognize and understand
the needs and wishes of all
the people of the First Dis
trict/’ he said.
Wood said most of the in
dustries interested in locating
in this area have given con
sideration to sites outside the
town limits. However, he
said they would require wa
ter and sewer.
Wood said many plans
could be worked out for fi
nancing these services but
180 cases were certified for
food stamps.
Those receiving the stamps
paid $4,834 and were given
bonus stamps in the amount
of $6,956,
Total cases receiving finan
cial assistance, other than in
house while searching for
marijuana.
Phelps lived near a mari
juana patch in the Yeopim
section of the county and was
a state’s witness against
Banjo Matthews of Elizabeth
City who was charged with
growing the weed.
He is scheduled for trial in
the September term of Cho
wan County Superior Court
on the new count.
Judge Privott found prob
able cause following a hear
ing for T . W. Compton, who
is charged with assault with
a deadly weapon and auto
larceny.
Compton and two other
AWOL sailors were charged
with stealing a car driven by
Philip Gibbs on the night of
March 2 and driving it to
Tennessee after stabbing
Gibbs five times.
Bond for Compton was set
at SI,OOO.
The other two defendants
requested attorneys and are
being held in jail in lieu of
$2,000 bond each pending a
hearing next Tuesday.
Other cases heard Tues
day, with Solicitor Thomas
Continued on Page Seven
Lillie Theater
Plans Tryouts
J
Tryouts for Edenton Little
Theater’s next production
will be held April 13 and 15,
according to Miss Catherine
Aman, who will direct the
play.
The tryouts will be hehi
in the John A. Holmes High
School auditorium.
“Never Too Late” has been
selected for presentation ear
ly in May by the local ama
teur group. J. H. Conger,
Jr., will produce the play.
the town has agreed to main
tain and operate the lines
once they are installed.
“Industries are a substan
tial source of revenue for
the county and this is one
endeavor which won’t cost
the county a penny,” Wood
said. He added a coopera
tive policy would make Cho-
the food stamp program,
amounted to 242 and they
shared in $14,115.98.
The department had 67 ser
vice'cases,'for a total case
load during the month of 500.
There wqre 120 pehplc re
ceiving old' age assistance.
'They sTlgred in a grant of
$5,927 for aii average check
of $49,39. '
The 50 receiving aid to
dependent children received
average grants of $15.78.
There' were 52 receiving
aid to the permanently and
totally disabled and they
shared in $2,628, for average
grants of $50.53.
Eight received aid to blind
payments of $274. for aver
age grants of $34.25. One
general assistance case
amounted to $19.25.
Five persons were hospi
talized in the county at a
total cost of $887.14. The
county's share of this was
SBB with the remainder com
ing from joint funds.
Joint funds paid for two
out-patient services at a to
tal cost of $37.12.
Chief Opposes
Fire Districts
Twelve area fire alarms
were answered during March
by Edenton Fire Department,
six of the calls coming from
rural Chowan County and the
remainder coming from with
in the Edenton town limits.
Fire Chief W. J. Yates re
ported damages were held to
SIOO.
In discussing the establish
ment of fire districts in Cho
wan County with commis
sioners Monday, Chief Yates
said the existing system was
working so well he would
oppose it at this time.
He said, however, the town
should get more compensa
tion from the county for an
swering calls outside the cor
porate limits.
Chief Yates said during
the first eight months of this
fiscal year $4,285.21 had been
spent by the department.
The county allows the city
$4,000 annually for fire pro
tection in the rural area.
At the conclusion of the
discussion, the commissioners
agreed to ppy an additional
SI,OOO this year and give
luxtier study to the matter.
wan County more attractive
to industry.
He explained that an ex
tension policy would not
commit the county to any
specific program and each
case would be submitted and
acted upon on its own merits.
He also pointed out that
50 per cent federal grants
are available for such con
struction.
W. B. Gardner, town ad
ministrator and chamber vice
president, and Robert Moore,
chamber executive, were al
so at the meeting.
The commissioners were
unanimous in their approval
of the policy. However, they
did indicate it would be
limited to extending utilities
to industrial sites.
The commissioners reap
pointed Graham White, J. G.
Perry and B. F. Bateman to
three-year terms on the Cho
wan Hospital board.
Chairman W. E. Bond said
developers of Arrowhead
Beach have met with district
health officials and have
worked out a solution to the
septic tank problem in the
resort area.
The board is still working
on plans for a county plan
ning commission.
Approval was given Im
manual Baptist Church to
hold an Easter sunrise ser
vice on the Court House
Green.
No action was taken on a
request to integrate the coun
ty tax books.
Chairman Bond said W. P.
Jones, tax supervisor, said
such action would complicate
the procedure in his office
as well as cost the county
more than SI,OOO.
Sheriff Earl Goodwin was
Continued from Page 4
WBSt
Single Copy 10 Cents
Library Friends
Seek Members
Mrs. L. F. Amburn, Jr.,
president of Friends of the
Library of the Shepard-
Pruden Memorial Library,
announces today the begin
ning of the yearly campaign
for membership.
“The new library is due. -to
open within the month and
there will be many items,
such as curtains, certain
furniture and supplies, that
are not covered in the funds
supplied by the county, state
and federal government.'’
Mrs. Amburn said. “That
makes it doubly important,
this year for everyone in
the town and county to join
the Friends of the Library
because this money will be
used to initiate such pur
chases.”
Mrs. Amburn announces
the following committees ap
pointed to cover the drive
throughout the town and
county:
Mrs. J. Cameron Boyce,
chairman for Rvland, Center
Hill. Cross Roads and Bal
lard's Bridge; Mrs. C. A.
Phillips. Cape Colony; Mrs.
Joe Webb and Mrs. Benburv
Wood, Yeopim; Mrs. Wallace
Goodwin, Jr., Macedonia;
Mrs. O. C. Long, Jr., Rocky
Hock; Mrs. Thomas Francis.
Mexico Road; Mrs. Leslie
Morgan, Queen Street ex
tended and Windsor High
way; Mrs. Bruce Jones, Mrs.
A. F. Downum, Jr., Miss
Elizabeth Moore. Mrs. Brit
ton Byrum, Mrs. Meredith
Jones, Mrs. W. P. Jones,
Mrs. Nelson Crandall, Mrs.
Kathleen Skiles, Mrs. J. P.
Bass. Mrs. R. W. Rawls,
Mrs. J. H. Griffin. Mrs. F.
A. Jordan, Jr., and Mrs. M
J. Parham will canvass
throughout the town.
“Friends of the Library,”
Mrs. Amburn stated, “is con
cerned with the library's ac
tive expansion and with its
participation in community
life. The membership fee is
nominal, only SI.OO per year.
Friends of the Library act
in cooperation with the li
brarian and with the trus
tees. They serve as liaison
between the community' and
the trustees and library
staff. Added memberships
are one important means of
quickly expanding interest
in the library and its ac
tivities. Our membership
co-chairman. Mrs. Thomas
Continued os Ptf* Soros 4