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Deadline: Monday Noon
Harnett County News
Harnet*; Oo* Llbrai-.r
Llllington
1?C 87546
Tublislied Continuously Since 1919
THURSDAY,OCTOBER 25,1979
TWENTY CENTS
State Trooper Indicted in Murder of Wife
State Trooper Hollis H.
Britt of liUios^n was free
under $15,000 bond
awaiting; arraignment on
charges of second degree
murder in the slaying Thur^y
of his pretty young wife, Mrs.
Marian Stewart Britt.
The young trooper was
indicted by a grand jury
Monday after the testimony of
four witnesses.
Superior Court Judge Thom-.
as Lee immediately issued an
arrest order and set bond at
$15,000.
Soon after the indictment
was returned, Sheriff Rosser
and Sgt. J.E. Byrd of the
highway patrol went to the
home and asked Britt to
surrender himself. He did so
promptly.
Sheriff Rosser read the
murder warrant to Britt, who
was held under arrest but not
jailed until bond was secured.
Trooper Biitt appeared later
before Magistrate Claiborne
Holder and posted bond.
around town
by Steve Plummer
Sergeant Byrd immediately
suspended Britt without pay
from the patrol.
District Attorney John Twis-
dale, who sent the bill of
indictment to the^ grand jury
and'has taken personal charge
of the prosecution, said the
officer would be formally
arraigned Monday morning m
Harnett Superior Court. A date
for the trial will be set at that
time.
Indictment of Britt followed
intensive round-the-clock m-
vestigation by agents of the
State Bureau of Investigation
and Harnett deputies.
Newsmen suspected an in
dictment would follow after
three days went by without any
statement or decision absolving
the trooper of blame in his
wife’s death.
According to reports, she
was shot to death with his
pistol as she lay helpless in bcji.
An argument reportediy en
sued ^er the couple had
returned from a barbecue for
highway patrolmen at Buffalo
Lake early in the evening.
Trooper Britt summon^ the
rescue squad shortly after
midnight and told them his wife
had been wounded.
District Attorney Twisdale
decUned comment on the case
today except to say, “The
grand jury action speaks for
itself.”
Testifying before the grand
jury were Harnett Sheriffs
Det^ives John Atkins and
WiUiam Strickland, who repor
tedly secured two statements
from Britt concerning the
shooting, Mr. Atkins and Mr.
Strickland headed the sheriffs
investigation.
Also testifying before the
grand jury were Miss Kaye
Long and Terry Turbeville,
both SBI agents.
little infomaation was learn
ed concerning the probe except
that Sheriff Lewis Rosser said
the most thorough and most
intensive investigation possible
had been conducted firom the
O’QDINN FAMILY REUNION
A fanuly reunion for the O’Quinns will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. at
Antioch Baptist Oiurch in Mamcrs. Family members and friends
are urged to attend and bring a picnic lunch.
AMERICAN LEGION MEET
Post 28 of the American Legion will meet Thursday night at 7:30
p.m. at the American Legion hut. Commander Russell Thomas
urges all members to attend.
HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL
Thert’s lots of activities planned for Halloween in the area, what
with the LUUngton Kiwanis Qub’s haunted house this week, the
haunted bouse by Spring Hill Methodist Church and the carnival at
Angier Middle S^ool next week.
Well, we've gotten word this week of two more festivals planned
for the spook’s holiday,
Llllington Middle School will conduct a carnival Halloween night
(Wednesday, Oct. 31) from 6:30-9 p.m. Admission is 25 cents in
advance and 50 cents at the door. Games, food and fon ate
guaranteed, according td the people tlicte.
Also, Shawtown will also be sponsoring a carnival this week on
Friday from 6-9 p.m. Admission is 75 cents for adults, 50 cents for
students in the fourth grade and older. Shawtown students get In
free. ' ' ■■ " ■ • ■ - ' ....
Games, cakewalks, costume parades, hot dogs and bingo featuring
gifts donated by Lillington merchants will headline the activities
foete.
Now you know of everything going on in the area, so if you are
bored anytime this week or next, it’s your own fault.
SENIOR CITIZENS BAZAAR
The Anna Ferrell Senior Citizens Club of Buies Creek will conduct
a bazaar Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. ■ S p.m. at the Buies
Creek Fire Department.
Gifts, toys, novelties, food and fun will be readily avitilable.
According to one spokesperson, “if you need it, we have it; if you
want it, we can supply h.’’ ‘Nuffsaid.
RED CROSS BLOODMOBUE
The Red Cross bloodmobile enjoyed a productive visit last week at
Harnett Central High School in a visit sponsored by the school’s
Health Occupations dass.
The group had 93 prospective donors appear with 16 deferred for
various reasons, making a total of 77 productive donors. This more
than matches most appearances made by the Red Cross In
Lillington. That’s something to think about, when one school can
out-produce an entire town.
Of the donors at Central, 49 were first-time donors. A one-gallon
pin was presented to head football coach Phil Ferrell and a
three-gallon pin was presented to Earl Gray. These two men
deserve to be commended for their long-time support of this
organization.
The bloodmobile appeared at Western Harnett Tuesday In a visit
sponsored by the bkAmed class there. Reports on that visit will
appear in next week’s edition.
GOING TO WASHINGXON
We’ve gotten wind of a few political notes that should be of interest
to the folks in the area.
One of the roost faithful Democrats in Lillington, attorney Neill
Mck. Ross, accompanied his friend, Fred Byerly of Dunn, to
Washington Wednesday for a White House briefing on the SALT n
treaty. The men will be guests of President Carter at a reception.
About 100 North Carolinians are invited to the series of briefings
being held by the president.
Senator Robert Morgan will entertain them at a noon luncheon at
the Capitol. The men will be briefed by National Security Advisor
Zblgnew Btenzinskl and then by the president.
In some other news, North Carolina's two senators recently
celebrated birthdays in D.C. In fine, down-home style, with some
good, down-home sausage.
Our sister paper. The Dally Record, reports that Morgan who
turned 54 Oct. 5, was honored by hU staff with a breakfast in the
elegant Senate dining room. Carroll Leggett of Buies Creek, top
side to the senator, bought some sausage from Robert Johnson of
llllington and had the dining room dief prepare It for the occasion.
Senator Jesse Helms, who turned 58 Ort. 18, had been invited, but
was tied up elsewhere. Clint Fuller, top aide to Helms, was also a
special guest and he reported that the sausage was "just great.’’
By the way, Helms was also honored with a party and Morgan and
some of his staff members attended.
SUMMER MIGRANT TEACHERS recognized
at a recent North Carolina Association of
Educators |NCAE] meeting at Harnett Central
High School are, front row, 1-r; Frances
GDchrist, Maiy Tew, Cindy McLamb, Pam
Godwin, Terry Jones, Susan Byetiy and
Jeulse Knight. Back row, 1-r; MUdred
Lanier, Judy Campbell, Joan Taylor, Reuben
McNeUl and Harriett McCarreU. The Harnett
County migrant program won the Orst award
of exceOence in the education of migrant
children. The award was presented to Mn.
Harriet McCarreU, director of the program for
Harnett County, by Gov. James B. Hunt
during a recent ceremony In Raleigh. (Photo
by Lorraine Mize].
Baptist Convention Set
The Rev. Troy C.Bennett,
Southern Baptist Missionary to
Zambia, vritl be the featured
inspirational speaker Monday in
the first session of the 104th
annual meeting of little River
Baptist Association, beginning
at 7 p.m. with the Hillmon
Grove Baptist Church on Rt. 2,
Cameron.
Following reports by
association leaders and a
message by Charles Hodges of
Thomasville, editor of Charity
and Children, the program will
feature "Bold Missions and the
Local Cliurch,'’ at which time
local church leaders will share
their personal involvement in
outreach ministries in New
York, to migrants, to
Guadeloupe, to campers, to
refugees and to world hunger.
The closing session’s message
will be brought by the Rev.
Bennett.
The sessions will continue with
the Dunn First Baptist .Church
on Tuesday at 9:30 'a.m.
Following reports of agencies
and institutions by assodatkmal
leaders, special music will be
presented by the Campbell
University choir.
The annual sermon will be
preached by Rev. Colie Rock,
Erwin First Baptist Church
pastor. Lunch will be served by
the host church at 11:55 a.m.
The afternoon session ai 1 p.m.
Tuesday will feature additional
reports and the closing keynote
me»age by Dr. Jerry Wallace,
chairman of the Religion
Department at Campbell
University. The session will
adjourn at2.‘40p.m.
Officers of the association arc
'George C. Mitchell, Dunn,
Continued on page 9
REV. TROY BENNETT
CU Missionary
\Speaking Here
The Rev. Troy Bennett,
missionary in residence at
Campbell University, will speak
at the Lillington Baptist Church
Sunday at 11 a.m.
The service will also be
broadcast on local radio station
WLLN.
The Rev. Mr. Bennett is
cunectly assigned to the Baptist
Theological Seminary in Lusaka,
Zambia, where he is principal.
Since his appointment as a
missionary, he has served in
Magura, Bangladesh; the
Arabian Peninsula and Beirut,
Lebanon; Dacca, Comilla and
Faridpur, Bangladesh.
He has been treasurer and
chairman of the Bangladesh
Mission, an orgainzation of
Southern Baptist missionaries.
He has also served as pastor of
Immanuel Baptist Church in
Fayetteville and Chatham Road
Baptist Church in Winston-
Salem, as well as interim
positions in several other North
Carolina churches.
A graduate of Wake Forest
University and the Southeastern
Continued on page 9
Frightening House Set
A genuinely frightening
experience is in store for all
visitors to the Llllington Kiwanis
Gub’s haunted house this week
and a suitable warning is being
considered by the dub.
"We thought about putting a
PG rating on the tour to warn
parents that it might be a little
100 intense for pre-teenagers,”
said co-chairman Ron Howell,
Educational
Scholarship
Fund Set
An educational scholar
ship for Melissa Diane
Pleasant la being set up at
the Lillington United
Methodist Church In
response to the request of
friends of the Nell Stewart
family.
A check can be made out
to the Llllington United
Methodikt church and
indicate on the check for
MELISSA DIANE
PLEASANT SCHOLAR’
SHIP FUND. The donor
will receive a letter from
the church acknowledging
receipt of the donation. A
letter will also be sent to
the Stewart family
informing them of the
memorial gift.
The fund wil be deposited
at Southern National Bank.
Nicky Stewart, uncle of
Melissa, has been
appointed administrator of
the Fund.
only half-kiddingly. "Seriously,
we have put a lot of effort into
this thing and it is guaranteed to
be scary.”
The house will be open
Thursday through Saturday
nights. Ibursday Is Group
Night, with recognized groups
of 10 or more from church and
civic clubs eligible for half-price
on the one dollar admission.
The house will be open from
7:30-9:30 Thursday and will
open at 7 p.m. the other nights,
remaining open until the crowds
are gone. The house Is located
at the Intersection of Harnett
and Ninth streets, "next to the
DEAD end sign,^' said co-
chaiman Dan Cook, rather
ominously.
Howell, who has had several
years of experience in
organizing haunted houses with
the Jaycees prior to moving to
moment his staff was called into
the case.
“We haven't left any stone
untur>..‘d," he said.
It was learned that various
tests included the parrafin test
to determine whether Britt or
the victim had sulfered powder
bums. Scores of photographs
were taken at the scene.
Mrs. Britt was the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Neill Alex
(Speedy) Stewart, - popular
residents of Lillington and
members of a family long
prominent in Harnett politics
and other affairs.
Even after the grand jury
indictment today, authorities
were still reluctant to give out
'much information regarding
their investigation.
David Watkins signed
Britt’s bond yesterday so he
could be relea^, but came off
the bond this morning. The
bond was taken over by Robert
Sutton of near Lumberton,
from the community in which
Trooper Britt originally lived.
Charlie^s Angels Arrested
, Harnett County deputies
Monday night swooped down
on three massage parlors south
ol lillington and arrested five
people on various charges of
violating the county’s massage
parlor ordinances.
The raids by Sheriff Lewis
Rosser’s staff followed several
weeks of investigation.
SherriU Rosser sent under
cover agents to the massage
parlors where they observed
the girls massaging members of
the opposite sex.
The raid on Charlie's Angels
massage parlor, about 20 miles
south of lillington on Highway
87, netted the operator and two
other women.
Mrs. Ruby D. Parker, 55, was
named as owner and operator
of Charlie's Angels. She also
owns a trailer park in the area.
Mrs. Parker was also charged
with the^illicit sale of whiskey.
Arrested with Mrs. Parkei
were Miss Maritza Kent, a 28-
year-old Spanish girl who listed
her address as Fayetteville,
and Miss May Hondle, 26, of
Spring Lake.
At The Aqurias, 32-yearo’d
Betty Gilboy of Fayetteville
was arrested.
Albert Lepinsky, 55, of
Spring Lake, was arrested at
the massqge parior which he
operates under the name of
East Rest.
The defendants were releas
ed under $500 bond each, Mrs.
Ruby Parker, one of the
codefendants, signed the
bonds.
Harnett Detectives Donald
McLamb and John Atkins led
the raids. They brought the
defendants to Lillington for a
bond hearing before Magistrate
A.J. Stephenson.
Magistrate Stephenson or
dered them to appear for trial
in Lillington District Court on
November 6.
The massage parlors are
located in an area of Harnett
that is near and convenient for
Fort Bragg soldiers.
This is one in a series of
massage parlor raids made by
Sheriff Rosser's force in recent
months. One or two massage
parlors have already been pul
out of business.
It is expected that the
District Attorney's office will
move to have the licenses of
these three parlors cancelled.
Fuel Funds Needed
The Harnett County Depart
ment of Social Services (DSS)
and Community Development
Office are busy trying to secure
funds to help the county’s aged,
sick and ne^y heat their homes
this winter.
The DSS is working to apply for
a fuel fund grant from the state
Department of Natural
Resources and Community
Development, but offidals say
the money may not arrive in
significant amounts until well
into the winter.
Emma Lee West, assistant
director of DSS, said county
officials have discussed alterna
tive '‘source’ of fuel such as
chopping firewood from trees on
county property.
But there are no specific plans
yet, she said. “People are just
starting to recognize that it
might be a problem.’’
Continued OB page 9
Airport Ceremony Set
After years of waiting and
planning, the Harnett County
Board of Comnussioners wUl
break ground on the new
comty airport Monday, Nov
ember S.
United States Senator Rob
ert Morgan will be a special
guest speaker at the 9 a.m.
ceremony and Congressman
Charlie Whitley will also make
remarks.
Plans for the ground-breaking
were announced today by
Harnett County manager-com
missioner Jack Brock and by
board chairman Jesse Alphin.
Both men are hoping for a
large crowd at the event. “This
is one of the biggest things to
ever happen here," reported
Brock. “We want everyone to
be part of it.”
^nator Morgan was asked to
speak at the ground-breaking
because he played a large role
in bringing the airport to the
Buies Creek-Erwin area. Mor
gan helped the county cut
through red tape, apply for and
receive federal fun^.
Earlier this year, land for the
Area Rimtans
Meet in Dunn
The annual Cape Fear Distrirt
Rurittn Convention will be held
Nov. 3 at Dunn High School.
Registration for the 37 dobs will
start at 12:30 p.m. and the
convention will be called to
order at 1:30 p.m.
District officers are asHng each
club to send delegates, club
members and their wives. The
ladies will be entertained
separtely during the afternoon
session.
Past National President Charlis
Allen from Sinks Grove, W. Va.
will be there representing the
National office.
new facility was purchased,
surveyors hired, and the
planning begun.
The airport site is located one
mUe east of Buies Creek on
state road 1769 off of highway
421.
Bd Bain is chairman of the
Harnett County Airport Com
mittee and joins Brock and
Alphin in extending an invita
tion to the ground-breaking to
the public.
The new airport is expected
to give a boost to industrial
development in the county by
attracting new industry and
businesses.
Special guests at the ground
breaking will include aU county
officials, representatives from
the FAA and North Carolina
Department of Transportation.
State dignitaries and local
offidals are also expected to
attend.
Lillington last year, said the
local effort is one of the best he
has ever seen.
"These guys In our club have a
lot of imagination when it comes
to this type of thing,” he said.
"Makes me wonder about the
type of nightmares they have
after eating a plateful of pinto
beans and onions.”
The house will feature several
rooms of special interest,
including the Ghouls Dining
Room, the Witches' Retreat, the
Chamber of Horrori and more.
Other specials effects and
surprises will also be available.
Proceeds from the house will go
to the Cystic Fibrosis Founda
tion and the club’s youth
activities.
"We want to encourage
everyone to come see us,"
Howell said, "But we want
them to know that they are in for
a'stary evening."
JUST PLAIN FOLKS • Welcoming tibo paUk
with open ama to the Ullingtoa Klwania
Gub haunted house this week are
Frankenatein’i moaiter (Bob Womblel and
tho gorilla [Bob Gairett). Tho houeo, located
at the Intersection of Harnett tad Nhth
tlreeta, will be open Thursday, Friday and
Saturday. [Photo by Steve Plummer)