Consolidated with GRAHAM COUNTY NEWS
Serving Southwestern North Carolina ? Cherokee, Clay, and Graham Counties
VOLUME 56 ? NUMBER 51.
MURPHY, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY. JULY 12, 1943
EIGHT PAGES TODAY
PFC. JOHN E. DICKEY
John E. Dickey
Is With Famous
Division In The
Third Army
PTc. John E. Dickey, son of Mr. I
and Mre. H. E. Dickey, has been:
?:th tfie Third Army, 26th YD, |
Infantry Division since going to I
France last November.
The Yankee division slashing
Wermacht might to smithereens
clashed into Czechoslovakia in
May one of the last American
units engaged in actual combat,
to convince the Nazi Reich to cry
Kamersd Frcrr hatt'WieM*
of Prance. Luxembourg. Belgium,
to the final dash through Germ
any, Austria and Czechoslovakia,
the 26th infantry played a major i
role in tearing down Hitler's ter
ror built empire.
Through much of its fighting,
the YD has been on the flank of
the "nurd army; often it has been
out in the front spearheading.
From each of its operations it has
emerged with commendation from
corps or army for work well done.
It missed some of the headlines
by turning away from some of
Germany's major cities and letting
other units gain the fame of tak
ing them, but where tiie fighting
??as tough and the job important
there the YD was. Prom the first
j offensive through the Maginot
line in Prance to the Siegfried
line in Germany down to the end
in Czechoslovakia, the division
tiavelled more than 1,000 miles on
foot and by motor, saw 210 days
of line combat, took more than
70,000 prisoners and caused un
counted casualties. The first and
last enemy unit to oppose it was
the 11th Panzer division. The
YD's services were requested by
Gen. Patton for his third army.
When Patton started his drive to
crash through the Maginot line
and probe into Germany the YD's
jumped off and on Dec. 8, after
bitter fighting reacl ed its objec
tive, then the outfit moved tack
to Metz for a rest.
Then came the Bulge; before
the rest was four r the di
vision loaded into trucks and set
off to cut the Nazi supply lines in
to the Ardennes and to relieve the
pressure on Bastogne. After a
hectic 80-mile ride the doughs
slogged along on foot for 20 miles
to meet the enemy and drive him
back into Germany in a month of
stiff combat. In the first week
of March the YD moved to the
; Saarburg area and started the
push that ended the war.
Fifty-five-year old Von Buttlar
known to his men as a terrific dis
ciplinarian, and die-hard soldier
kept his upper lip stiff and stood
at iron attention as he paid the
YD's his highest compliment.
"I'm proud to surrender to a di
vision famous in all Germany".
Engineers Survey
Local Airport Site
Civil Aeronautics engineers
*ere here Friday of last week to
??ake a survey of the proposed air
Port, on the property of J. C.
Townson and E. A. Wood, at
Warble, approximately half-way
between Murphy and Andrews.
These engineers are making re
commendations on the size and
location of the airport.
Dr. B. W. Whitfield, chairman
the airport committee, states
thtt acquisition of the land is the
oext step in the process of secur
es an airport, and then it will
** up to people of the county to
** that it is constructed.
CpL J. L. Hall
Is Discharged
Cpl. J. L. Hall, Jr., son of Mr.
ar>d Mrs. J. L. Hall, Murphy,
ftoute 2, With a total of 112 points,
vas discharged July 2, at Port Mc
Phereon. Oa. He served as a mili
Policeman in the 437th M. P.
?M*aKon for 51 months in the
theater. He holds the
following ribbons and awards .
Aa*rtcan Defense Medal, Ameri
^ H**ter Ribbon. Good Oon
Medal and European Tbe
Ribbon with three Bronze
???
t
Carmel C. Hall
Among Returnees
MXAMT, FLA. ? Flown from
overseas in ocean-spanning ATC
planes, North Carolina fighting
men continue to pour into Air
Transport Command's Miami
Army Air Field among the first
50,000 returnees ATC is flying to
the states each month.
From this ATC Caribbean Divis
ion hub, the battle-tested North
Carolinians move by rail to Camp
Blandinjr, Fla. From there they
go to reception centers nearer
their homes for separation from
the service or furloughs prior to
reassignment.
Latest North Carolina air re
turnees included: T/4 Carmel C.
Hall, 25, Transportation Corps, 32
months with the Persian Gulf
Command of Murphy, Rt. 1.
SERMON SUBJECTS
"Lost, Strayed, or Stolen!" will
be the subject of the Rev. Ralph
Taylor at First Methodist Church
Sunday morning at 11 o'clock.
Evening worship is at 8 o clock,
and Fellowship hour, Wednesday,
8 P. M
Dr. Ellen Winston Is
Lions Club Speaker
Dr. Ellen Black Winston, slate
commi.-sioner f public welfare,
of Raleigh, was the guest speaker
at the Ladle*' night program of
Murphy Lions club Tuesday eve
ning at Regal hotel. She review
ed the history of welfare work in
North Car lina and discussed the
various services rendered by the
department, through cooperation
cf the county boards of welfare.
Harry Bishop was installed as
new president of the club, suc
ceeding Doyle Burch. Other of
ficers installed were: Secretary,
S. N. Bobo. Sr.: treasurer, R. S.
Bault: lion tamer, W. A. Sherrill;
tailtwister. Rev. Ralph Taylor;
first vice-president, R. W. Easley.
Jr.: second. J. B. Gray, and third,
C. E. Weir; and directors, Doyle
Burch. immediate past president;
Frank Forsyth, Dr. B. W. Whit
field, and H. G. Elkins.
The program opened with a
song, led by Mrs. Imogene Bates,
with Mrs. Duke Whitley as pian
ist. The invocation was by the
Rev. Ralph Taylor, who also serv
ed as toastmaster. Doyle Burch
presided over the business part
of the program. The club and
guests, at the request of Mr. Tay
lor, stood for a moment in silent
tribute to Wade H. Massey, a
member of the club a ho died two
weeks ago *
Set. J'ie Ray and Pvt. H. A.
Mattox, home on furloughs, were
welcomed and presented "five-star
general" pins by the toastmaster.
Their Lionesses were asked to pin
ihe decorations on them.
Secretary S. N. Bob Sr.. an
: ncunced that Dr. W A. Hoover
j has been appointed deputy district
governor of District 31-A of Lions
International.
Prank Forsyth presented a
past-president's pin to H. A. Mat
tox, who in turn presented one to
Doyle Burch.
Mrs. Imogene Bates, ccomp
anied by Mrs. Duke Whitley, sang
a solo.
The welcome was mace by R. S.
Bault. and the response by Mrs.
H. A. Mattox.
The following guests were recog
nized: Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Case,
Miss Mary Porter Pain, Miss Fran
ces Dickson, Mrs. Hugh Putnam.
Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Harshaw. Miss
Betsy Webster, Mrs. Jimmie Ward.
Mrs. J. F. Wood, Miss Victoria
Bell, Mrs. Willard Cooper, Miss
Marvie Walker, Mrs. Laura Free
man, Mi's. John Campbell. Mrs.
Imogene Bates, and Mrs. Minnie
i Erhart.
Fain And Court
Deny Rumors
Mildred Hendrix,
Bruce Garland
Are Winners In
Essay Contest
Miss Mildred Hendrix, daughter
cf Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Hendrix
of Peachtree was winner of the
first prize in the girls' division in
the recent Farmers Federation
essay contest, for 4-H club mem
bers and Future Farmers and
Bruce Garland of Robbinsville,
Route 1, was the winner in the
boys' division.
The prize, given for the best
letter on the subject, "What the
Farmers Federation Cooperative
is Doing to Help the Farmer", was
$50. Miss Mary Cornwell Chero
kee county home agent, presented
. the prize to Miss Hendrix, and D.
W. Bennett, county agent of Gra
ham county, presented the prize
to Bruce Garland, at the Farmers
Federation picnic at Andrews
Saturday.
Miss Hendrix, a Murphy high
school girl of 15, has been a 4-H
club member for five years, and is
outstanding in the work of food
preparation projects, room im
provement, clothing, poultry and
diary projects. She has always
been a leader and has held offices
in the club. She plays the piano
and sings and is an all-around girl.
Judges in the essay contest
?were: Donald Shoemaker, associate
* Reports have been circulated
in Murphy in recent weeks that
Mayor W. M. Pain had teen ar
rested for blackmarket ing sugar
and that his trucks had been at
tached in Georgia and he himself
was under a heavy bond for ap
pearance in Federal Cr.jrt. Mayor
Fain denies that these rumors are
true and offers a reward of $500
to any person giving him evidence
sufficient to convict the person
or persons starting such rumors.
J. Ellis Mundy, United States
district attorney, Atlanta, Ga? and
the deputy clerk of the court both
verified to the Cherokee Scout
the fact that no such charges
against Mayor Fain were on the
records of the Federal Court in
the Northern District of Georgia.
It has been said that a few
weeks ago Mayor Fain was arrest
ed on these charges, in Decatur,
Ga., and he states that he has not
been in Decatur in 10 years. With
reference to the purchase of large
quantities of sugar, he states that
he has not bought sugar from
Georgia in many years and that
in recent months practically the
only product transported by him
to and from the capital of Georgia
has been scrap metal.
Dr. B. W. Whitfield visited his
sister-in-law, Mrs. J. E. Whitfield
in Harlan, Ky? who is ill, a few
days last week.
editor of the Asheville Citizen
Dr. Hoyt Blackwell, president ol
Mars Hill college, and; Dean Col
vard, supervisor of the state test
farm at Waynesville.
CPL. LESARD RADFORD
Radford Writes
Of German Prison
Cpl. Lesard Radford, son of Mr.
and Mrs. P. W. Radford of Grand
view, has been in service for two
years and has served with the 15th
aimy in Germany for eight mon
ths. His wife, Mrs. Rada Rad
ford, and two year-old daughter,
Virginia Lee, live at Grandview.
He has two brothers. John Thomas
Radford and Howard Radford in
the South Pacific.
Cpl. Radford sent his parents
a description of the Buchenwald
prison atout five miles from Weim
ar as he saw it and had it ex
plained to him by a Yougoslav.
The prison was wired in with elec
tric wire. It held 60.000 prison
ers. French, Russians, Poles, Dutch
and Yougoslavs, some Americans
and British soldiers. An average
o 60 or 70. sometimes more, died
each day. They were hanged, for
speaking while on duty to some
one outside the prison, six at a
time on a kind of A frame. By
the time the 6th man was hung
the first one would be dead, then
they would start all over again.
"I was shown where they gass
ed 40 old men because they were
too old to work, inviting them in
to the shower room for a hot
shower which proved to be gas in
stead of water", he wrote. "The
torture room was a small room in
the basement of the crematory,
where the bodies were burned.
They would hang the ones to be
tortured up by the arms, hands,
or thumbs, and sometimes by the
neck. They were teaten with a
whip or club or anything that
might be handy after they told
their story, killed and sent up
stairs on an elevator where their
bodies were burned. They even
turned dogs loose on them if they
didn't talk. Once a prisoner was
taken irtside the fence where the
crematory was he never came out
alive, or, as the guide said, 'he
would enter by the gate and leave
by the chimney.' There were ten
to twelve furnaces where they
were burned, which held from
three to five bodies each. If coal
was scarce, from 1500 to 2,000
bodies were buried in a hole that
couldn't be called a grave.
"Two toys who were prisoners
gave me most of this story. One
was 18, 'the other 16. They had
been in prison since they were ten
years old and had done as much
work as any man. Both their
fathers were killed there; their
mothers were prisoners some
where, they didn't know where."
Record Number Fish
On Hiwassee This Year
Year-round fishing in TVA's
western North Carolina lakes,
permitted this year for the first
time, has met with enthusiastic
response from sportsmen as well
as farm folk in the area, Depart
ment of Conservation and Develop
ment officials report.
As predicted by TVA, the bass
fishing was excellent during the
spring period ordinarily closed for
spawning, and a record number
of fishermen were on the lakes in
April and May. TVA had argued,
after studies at Norris Lake, that
bass fishing during the spawn
ing season would not deplete fish
population, and pointed out that
the closed season deprived sports
men of their best chances, since the
small fry have not yet developed
to compete with artificial bait
Boatmen have ben kept busy
at both Hmaisff and Chatuge
lakes, and bass weighing up to
eight pounds have been taken
from both. Heavy fishing con
tinues, particularly on week-ends,
but with the beginning of the
downdraw on the reservoirs, coin
cident with hot weather, the luck
fell off, though good to moderate
catches of bass, brim, perch, jacks,
pike and carp are still being taken.
Carp have been especially preval
ent in Htwassee Lake. TV A offi
cials say bass respond acutely to
downdraw, with a pull-down of <?s
little as an inch sending the big
bass sulking from lures.
At the same time, J. H. Long
shore, chief refuge supervisor of
Pugal] National Ptare?t, Mud that
the 1945 legion of trout fisheimen
has been much larger than in 1944.
Service men being processed at
the Asheville redistribution center,
'many of them liberated prison
ers of war) are fishing in large
numbers.
Sportsmen visiting the Pisgah
area have averaged four trout
each trip, and anglers in the Sher
wood area have brought out an
average of six. Pisgah stream
catches consist mostly of rain
bow and brook All fish planted
In the areas are of legal size.
Open dates for fishing in the
cooperative wild life areas continue
through August. Schedules may
be obtained from the N. C Game
and Inland Fisheries office, Ashe
ville, N. C.
Bond Sales Mount
Near Double Quota
Cherokee county practically doubled its
Seventh War Loan goal of $226,000 with the
, latest figures available, which are not final.
1 he latest report gave the county credit for
the purchase of $1 58,347.50 in E bonds, which
exceeded the goal for E bonds of $ I 26,000 by
$32,347.50.
The over-all sales amounted to $4 1 8,5 1 3.50,
or $ I 92,5 I 3.50 over the quota.
Graduates With
High Average
Rosco L. Crawford, photograph
er' s mate third class, son of Mr.
and Mrs. W. L. Crawford of An
arews, graduated with a high av
erage on June 30 from the Naval
Training School (Photography),
Naval Air Station. Fensacola, Fla.
Crawford has been in the ser
vice almost, four years and was
overseas thirty-two months. He
was first at Balboa, Canal Zone,
and in May 1944 went aboard a
ship which was part of an am
phibious force landing troops at
Peleliu and the Philippines.
In balboa Crawford was in pub
lic relations, but was put into
combat photography on the Mc
KINLEY. He attended the An
drews high school and played
football.
Helpers Wanted
To Make Kit Bags
Mrs. R. W. Easley. Jr., is ap
pealing to women of Murphy to
assist her in completing the kit
bags which the Cherokee county
chapter of the American Red Cross
accepted as a Quota recently.
Those who are willing to help
make the kit bagi. ait lequested
to contact Mrs. Easley.
Awarded Combat
Infantry Badge
With The 32nd Division in
Nortliern Luzon. P. I. ? Private
First Class Ben G. Cram-ford, son
of Mr. and Mrs. B. P. Crawford,
who live in Andrews, North Caro
lina. has been awarded the Com
bat Infantry Badge for exemplary
conduct under fire.
Entering the army in March, "
1943, he has been with the 126th
Infantry of the famed 32nd 'Red
Arrow? Division in the SWPA for
19 months. He is a veteran of
the Saidor. Aitape. Morotai, and
Leyte operations, and saw action
in the Villa Verde-Santa Fe area
in northern luzon. where the 32nd
killed more than 9,000 Japanese
during its 119-day drive up the
tortuous Villa Verde Trail in the
Caraballo Mountains.
Bible School
To Close Friday
Commencement exercises for
the Vacation Bible School of the
First Baptist Church will be held
at the church Friday nighty at 8
oclock. "Hie public is invited to
attend. Almost 150 boys and girls
have been enrolled in the school,
and a picnic en for them
at its close.
Federation Picnic
Draws Big Crowd
Winners in the Farmers Feder- 1
ation's hundred dollar essay eon
test were announced Saturday at |
the annual picnic of the coopera
tive, which was held at the high
school in Andrews. The winners.
Bruce Garland, of Robbinsville,
and Mildred Hendrix, of Murphy,
each received $50.
Subject of the essays was "The
Benefits of the Farmers Federa
tion to the Farmers of Western
North Carolina", and the contest
was open to members of all Future
Farmers organizations and 4-H
cluts. D. W. Bennett, county
agent of Graham county, present
ed the prize to Bruce, and Miss
Mary Coinwell, Cherokee home
agent, presented Miss Hendrix
with her prize
The picnic drew capacity crowds
all day. James G. K. McClure,
president of the Farmers Federa
tion, explained that the aims of
the cooperative are three-fold:
work, worship, and play, and "this
was the one day set aside each
year for play."
Many leaders of the Western
counties were present. Some of
those who took part on the pro
gram were the Rev. Paul Lovin
good, who opened the meeting
with prayer: Roger Amnions, man
ager of the Murphy warehouse,
who welcomed the people: Guy
M Sales, general manager of the
Federation: Frank Reed, Fairview
manager, who led singing and
gave the tobacco auctioneer's
chant: A. W. Padgett, a veteran
of the last war: Ed R. Bowers, a
cowboy of Andrews, who enter
tained with rope tricks: the Rev.
Dumont Clarke, head of the Farm
ers Federation Religious depart
ment. who spoke on the Lord's
Acre movement; and Mrs. Giles
Cover, member of the house of
representatives from Cherokee
county.
Alex Houston, Hendersonville
ventriloquist, and Neil Ann Allen,
Canton acrobatic dancer, were fea
tured entertainers. Jean Ken
nickel of Fairview, played her ac
cordion. and Betty Huntley. Parr
view, sang to her own guitar ac
companiment.
Many other singers and musi
cians entertained including the
Harmony Trio, consisting of Mrs.
Ruth Nations. Evelyn Breedlove,
and Hoyt Breedlove: the Leather
wood Sisters, Dorothy and Lora;
the Dixie Ramblers: Russell Hall,
Prank Nanney. Hansel Lyda,
George Sprouse. and Earl Hol
land; the aMrtin Sisters, Myrtle,
Iva Lou, Arlene. and Ottus; the
L. E. Burger Trio: Mrs. Burger,
Dorotha, and Genevieve, of Isa
bella. Tenn.: Rosalind Amnions;
the Mosteller band: A. V., Gar,
and Carroll; Trumpeters, Whit
Davis and I B Hudson. Jr.; the
Cherokee String band: Harold
West. Ward Derberry, Austin Der
berry and Edward Derberry; Mary
Nell McConnell; a trio consisting
of Bill Barker. Bill Leatherwood,
and Vernon Thomasson; and the
Moore trio: William Lee. W. Q?
and Talmadge Moore.
Two choirs and two quartets
took part in competition at the
end of the picnic: the Upper
Peachtree choir and Upper Peach
tree quartet, both led by Bill
Leatherwood, and the Valley Town
choir and Valley Town quartet,
both led by Lawrence Anderson.
Prize for the biggest family
present went to L. L. Martin and
family of Blairsville, Ga. Prize
for the most newly-married couple
was won by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas
R. Moore, of Andrews; prize for
the longest married couple went
to Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Rich, of
Murphy; largest truck load of
people brought to the picnic was
brought by A. N. Kephftrt, of
Hanging Dog; and prize for the
baldest head went to Verne Thooi
flfflmn
A surprise feature in the enter
tainment was the sinking of two
original songs by Cal Murray, of
Detroit, one of the Gold Dmrt
Twins of the radio. The usual
watermelons and lemonade vat
served by the Federation.