Stanford L v/arren
Public Idbrary
Fayetteville St
$70^000 Bujldinfl Total Loss
Church Destroyed By
Early Mornmg Fire
This view of the charred re-1 church wm taken from fhe front) Inset shows church as it stood
■n«in« of the St. John’s Baptist| of what ii*as once the sanctuary.) on completion in 1952.
Durham fironen were still
oonductlnc InveatiKatiions latc|
Wednfesday to discover the
cause of a fire which swept
through St. John’s Baptist
church In the pre-dawn hours of
Wednesday, leaving the build
ing a shambles of charred rub
ble.
The building, erected some
five years ago, was declared a
total loss. Ttie interior was com
pletely gutted and only the
brick walls were left standing.
Rev. L. M. Gooch, pastor of
the church, told the TIMES that
insurance coverage on the buil
ding amounted to approximate
ly $39,000. A recent appraisal of
the building valued It at $70,000
Luckily, some $15,000 worth
of new furniture Igr the church,
including carpets, pews and pul
pit furniture, which had been
recently purchased had not ar-
rived and was not in the build
ing at the time of the blaze.
Assistant fire chief C. H.
Lawson told the TIMES that
every possible angle was being
checked to determine cause of
the fire, but at mid day Wednes
day, no cause had been di>
covered.
Deputy Chief C. A. Woods
said, however, that the possi
bility of foul play had not been
discounted.
(Please turn to Page SiSht)
GETS HELP
Attorney James R. Walker of
Weldon, currently facing a $500
fine for conviction of assault on
a female, may be in the path of
a financial windfall from indi
cations this week. A TIMES
reader in Bolivia, Ifamlng of
the crusading lawyer’s plight,
mailed a check to the TIMES
for Walker. Reports also Indl
cate that a grass roots move'
ment to send the young lawyer
money for the fine may be de
veioping. Walker’s conviction
grew ont of his militant efforta
in registering Negroes In eas
tern North Carolina. See de
tails, this page.
Three Stayed
Preachers Snub
Segregation At
Movie Preview
A majority of Negro ministers
of Durham turned thumbs down
on an invitation to attend a
segregated special showing of
the new Hollywood movie,
"The Ten Commandments,” at
the Center theater Tuesday
morning.
However, the TIMES learned
that some ten persons, including
three prominent ministers, stay-
ed.to see the movie and sat in
the traditionally ]im crow bal
cony, reserved for Negroes.
liie three were identified as
Rev. J. W. Smith, pastor of
Covenant Presbyterian church,
Rev. Louis Wade, pastor of
Orange Grove Baptist church of
Durham, and Piney Grove Bap
tist church of Creedmoor, and
Rev. C. G. Johnson.
The three could not be con
tacted at press time to confirm
or deny the reports.
The special preview was held
at the theater at 9:30 Tuesday
morning, and ministers and per
sons interested in religious edu
cation in the Durham area, wura
invited to attend.
Invitations were reportedly
issued by Lawrence Terrell, a
branch manager of a film dis
tributor out of Charlotte. '•
Center theater manager C. H.
Lewis was reluctant to discuss
the issue with the TIMES this
week, but he did state that two
Negro ministers who came to
the theater and talked with him
and Terrell, left without going
in to the showing.
However, Rev. D. A. John
ston, pastor of St. Joseph’s
AME church, told the TIMES
that he, Rev. C. E. McLester,
pastor of Morehead avenue
Baptist, and Rev. M. F. Ward,
pastor of Chestnut AME Zion in
Broadway, stayed outside the
theater for several minutes and
explained the segregated ar'
rangement to two other mlniS'
ters who arrived during their
stay and who subsequently
turned away and left after hear
ing of the arrangement.
Several ministers told the
TIME]S that they did not make
the trip to the theater because
they felt the film distributor
wanted to use them to endorse
the picture for commercial rea
sons and that they would be
segregated once there.
Rev. Miles Mark Fisher, pas
tor of White Rock Baptist
church, told the TIMES that h«
didn’t pay any attention to th»
invitation because he feared he
would be subjected to segrega
tion at the theater.
Rev. Johnston said that h«
and Rev. McLester, who went to
(Please turn to Page Eight)
JIM CROW TO GO IN GREENSBORO
Judge h Kile
On Golf Case
amXNSBORO
Segregation was expected to
be given a shove on its way out
in Greensboro Thursday as a
Federal Judge was to rule
against enforced segregation on
the city-owied Gillespie Park
goU course.
Judge Johnson J. Hayes, pre
siding in Middle District Fede
ral court here, was scheduled to
lumd down a~ruling in favor Of
Negro plaintiffs contending the
right to use the golf course.
He is expected to issue an ta-
junction restraining course ope
rators from excluding persons
by reason of race.
Judge Hayes made known the
intent of the decision about
three weeks ago when the case
was originally scheduled for an
opinion. It was put off, however,
and re-scheduled for ’Thursday,
April 4.
Judge Hayes told attorneys
for both sides at that time that
although several persons would
not like his forthcoming de
cision, he had no choice but to
follow the direction as set out
by higher federal courts in the
issue.
Previously, federal courts
have ruled in favor oi Negro
plaintiffs in the matter of using(
municipally owned facilities.
The Supreme Court recently up"
held the right of a group of Ne
groes in Norfolk, Va., to use the
Seashore Park facilities.
Judge Hayes’ expected de
cision will have far reaching
implications. It would in effect
open all city-owned facilities In
Greensboro to Negroes.
Already, attorney* for the
city have indicated they will
appeal the decision to the next
federal court level, which is the
Fourth Chrcuit presided over by
Judge John J. Parker.
The city contended that since
the property on which the golf
course is located had been.
leased to a i»lvate organization,
the private Aperatora hsi^ ' a
right to decide who could use it.
However, attorneys for the
plaintiffs are contending that
it is nevertheless city property
and that the city could not do
by indirection what it could not
do directly.
The decision expected is seen
as opening the way for the ob
taining of iHjunctlDiiB Ijy Ne-‘
groes in any city in which they
are denied the use of the city
owned facilities.
Already, reports were to the
effect that citizens in Durham
intend to test the expected rul
ing public facilities, including
the library and parks.
The case stemmed from an
(Please turn to Page Eight)
H. M. Holmes, principal of
Hillside High School and a gnt'
duate of Lincoln University in
Pennsylvania, will head the
1957 United Negro College
Fund Drive which is ichednled
to be iannched in Doriiam soon.
Hie Fond Is made np of 31 pri
vately mipported Negro Irifbtn
tions. n
Embattled
Lawyer Gets
What could blouom iatb ar
state-wide grass roots drive to
raise money for embattled civil
rights lawyer James R. Walker
of Weldon appeared tiiis week
as a check for $5 made to Wal-i
ker was received this week by
the TIMES from a reader in,
Bolivia concerned with the at
torney’s plight.
Walker currently faces a
$500 court fine for c4hvlction
of assault against a female. He
lost his appeal from the fine
and a suspended sentence re
cently when the State Supreme
Court refused to hear his plea.
The check for Walker came
this week along with a letter
from Herbert J. Bryant of Bo
livia. It was made out to Attor
ney Walker with instructions
that it be delivered to him.
The letter read as follows;
“Dear Sirs, In response to
your editorial of March 30, en
titled ‘The Fight for Civil
Rights in Eastern North Caro
lina,’ you will please find en
closed my personal check for
five dollars ($5.00) payable to
Atty. James R. Walker.
“Not knowing his exact ad
dress, I am forwarding thiil
check to you to lie delivered to
him. May I commend you for
your very fme editorial in sup'
port of Atty. James R. Walker,
and that this small contribution
will encourage him to continue
the fight for justice in eastern
North Carolina.”
Last week’s issue of the
TIMES carried a lead editorial
commenting on Walker’s plight
and suggesting that an appeal
be made to solicit fimds to help
him pay off the fine.
’The editorial said, in part:
“Let it never be said of At
torney James R. Walker of Wel>
don that be was too Indolent to
(Please turn to Page Eight)
NAACP Concedes,
Pays $500 N. C Levy
RALEIGH
'The NAACP has apparentty
conceded to the State of North
Carolina in the running fight
between the two over the quies-
tion of the NAACP*! status.
The organization submitted
l>y mail Monday a check for
j$500 to the State in accord witti
the Attorney General’s conten
tion that it was subject to a pan-*
altjr fine for not having regiitar-
ed with the secretary of ttete as
foreign corporation doing
business in the state.
The NAACP had argued In
court action it brou^t thaf the
interpretation of the law r^
garding foreign coivoratlona
doing busineas in tlie state did
not apply to It
’The case reached the State
Supreme Court which returned
It to a lower court on a techni-
cal matter. Subsequently, the
NAACP dropped tli« action and
complied with Atty. Gen.
C^rge Patton’s ruling that it
must register,
Patton revealed that he had
received the check after notify'-
ing the NAACP that he would
file suit unless it paid tiie $900
penalty fine.
He said payment of the fine
was an admission by tiie organ!'
zation that it was doing businesi
in the state, as the state had
maintained earlier,
J. L. WHEELER
J. L. Wlieeler
Succumbs; Burial
Rites In Durham
The body of John Leonadas
Wheeler was returned to -Dur
ham Wednesday for burial ser
vices at Beechwood cemetery.
Rev. D. A. Johnston, pastor of
St. Joseph’s AME church, offici
ated at the graveside rites at
3:00 pjaa, ..
tm CKsra
dtfCan
VOLUME 38 — NUMBEB 14 . DURHAM, N. C., SATURDAY, APRIL «, 1M7
Farm Agent
Waxes Hot,
Heavy
OXFORD I tighter in the battle now being i the Carolina Times that be-
Charges and counter charges waged between supporters of | cause of Mrs. Puwell’s general
flew fast and furious here this! Mrs. Willie W. Lewis, former
week as lines were drawn | assistant Home Agent and sup
porters of Mrs. Irene P. Powell,
Home Agent, both of Granville
County;
During a meeting of the
Granville County Commission
ers here Monday, April I, a
delegation of Negro citizens
again appeared before the
Board to request that the Com
missioners request State Exten
sion Service authorities to “dis
miss or transfer” Mrs, Powell.
Apparently irked at the for
ced resignation of MrA. Lewis
the delegation, headed by H. M.
Bullock, insisted that Mrs. Po
well could not get the coopera-
tion of farm families in the
county. Other person^ informed
Clevelsnd, Ohio City Ooiin
cilwoman fean Capers will be
among participants in the an-
aoal North Carolina State Tea
chers Asseeiation in Charlotte
dn Friday, April 12. Mis. Cai^rs
wUl talk at 11 aon. Friday,
April 12, for the Department of
Element^ EdaeatiMi. Her
speech Is slated for Northwest
Junior High School Aadltorinm.
Hie program is nnder the saper-
vision of Mrs. Oeneva Cheek of
Durham. Her associates are
Mrs. M. B. Perkins of Salisbnry
and Mrs. Buth Lawrence of
Baleigh.
NCC SPEAKER
Bev. Douglas E. Bloore, pas
tor of Asbury Temple Methodist
church of Durham, will speak at
North Carolina College’s ves
pers service Stmday afternoon
at S:1S p.m.
"Who’s in your gallery," will
be the subject of Rev. Moore's
address.
Rev. Moore is a 1949 gradu
ate of North Carolina College.
He received the Bachelor’s de
gree in 'Hieology tram Boston
University and has done
tional work toward a higher de
gree at. the same InstKttUon.
unpopularity with the farm
families, numbering about 3500,
meetings which she held with
them were poorly attended and
u general lack of coopc'rution
existed. Said one informant who
requested that her name not be
used, “she is just hard to get
alung with.”
Mrs. Lewis’ resignation^
which was requested in a letter
sent to her by Mrs. Minnie Mill
cr, assistant State Home Agent,
on November 6, last year, char
ged the assistant Home Agent of
Granville County with "irregu
larities.”
A full text of the letter Is as
follows:
Dear Mrs. Lewis:
(Please turn to Page Eight)
Outstanding Alumnus To Be
Selected By N. C. Hamptonians
PRICE;
Durhamites
Have Lrad Roles
In AKA Session
Dr. Rosl B. Brown, General
Chairman of the Mid-Atlantic
Regional Conferenci; of the Al-
piia Kappu Alpha Sorority, to
meet at North Carolina Colleii‘
April 5 to 7 this week, an
nounced tlie names of the Dur
ham women who will participate
in the three-day program. The
work sessions, business niect-
iftgii. public gatherings, and so
cial affairs are expected to at
tract some 200 delegates and
friends from 40 ch^ipters in the
three-state area of eastern West
Virginia, Vlrginja, Euid North
Carolina.
Mrs. Elizabeth Young, Physi
cal Education Professor at St.
Augustine's College,'* will pre
side at the Saturday luncheon
meeting where Mrs. Elna Spaul
ding will speak on “Culture in
India." Mrs. Barbara Cooke and
Mrs. Lavinia Parker, prominent
local artists, will render piano
duos, Malaguena and London
derry Air, at the morning and
ulUtrnoon sessions on April 6..
Chairman iBroWne said that
Mrs. Frances Eagleson will pre-
(Please turn to Page Eight)
Memorial
Ga„ Saturday night, March'tO,
after a brief illness.
Scores of dignitaries from the
business and educational world,
AME church officials and civle
leaders of Atlanta attended his
funeral services Tuesday at Big
"Bfetliet AWE uliuich, where he
had been a long time active
niember. Rev. H. I. Bearden,
pastor of Big Bethel, delivered
the eulogy.
Wheeler had been in retire
ment since 1950, when he Quit
his post as vice-president-essls-
tant agency director of the
North Carolina Mutual life in
surance company. He abandon
ed an educational career which
had taken him to the Presidency
of Klttrell College to join the
insurance firm.
Born in Nlcholasville, Ken
tucky on July 8, 1869, he was
trained at. Wllberforoe (A.B.,
1897) and the University of
Chicago.
He entered the teaching ranks
in 1898 at Klttrell College and
remained there for ten years,
ultimately being ' selected to
head the instttution.
Wheeler resigned from his
post as President of the AM£-
supported college at the-etMfohk»
1908 general conference and
began his career with the North
Carolina Mutual.
He started what was to be a
43 year stay with the firm with
an assignment as an agent on
the Raleigh district, in 1908.
(Please turn to Page Eight)
BRICKS
Hampton alumni from North
Carolina will gather here Satur
day at the Frankllnton center
for the annual meeting of the
regional alumni association.
Key items on the agenda are
expected to be the selection of
the alumnus of the year in the
state, addresses by L. E. Austin,
publisher of the (Carolina Times,
Doswell Brooks, president of
the national Hampton alumni
association, and Dr. William
Martin, dean of the Hampton
Institute Faculty.
Theme of this year’s meeting
the 17th, will be "Meeting the
Challenges of Today J’ Mrs. Fan
nie Newsome, president of the
organization, will conduct the
sessions.
The meeting opens Saturday
afternoon at 1:30 p.m. and the
afternoon sessions will be con
cerned largely with business
matters pertaining to the opera
tion of the organization.
Speeches by Brooks and Dr.
Martin will be hewd at the con
clusion of. the aftOTiMMfp-session,
which will also see t^ appoint-
(Please turn to Page Eight)
Photo shows program parti-1 Carolina College, April S to 1.
cipants in Alpha Kappa Alpha I Standing, from left to right:
Sorority Mid-Atlantic Regional I Miss Gwendolyn MeCallvns,
te convene In Durham’s NerttaiMrs. Lavinia Parker, BIrs. Bar
bara Cooke, and Mrs. Batk Eas^
ley. Seated. Mrs. Bllntslfc
Tonng.