WEATHER
Considerable cloudiness and
warm today with showers or
thundershowers this afternoon
and tonight. Wednesday, show
ers ending and turning cooler.
Low today, 62; high, upper 70's
The Franklin Times
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday ' Serving All Of- Franklin County
Your Award Winning County Newspaper
NO. 1
IN THE NATION
IN
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Gy 6-3283
Ten Cents
Louisburg, N. C., Tuesday, April 9, 1968
(Eight Pages Today)
99th Year-Number 15
' ? 1 ' I ? " " ' ?
Franklin Board Loses Appeal To Circuit Court
A telegram was received here Monday by school board attorney Edward F.
Yar borough disclosing that the U.S. Fourth Circuit of Appeals In Richmond has
affirmed the ruling last August of the Eastern District Court In Raleigh. The
text of the ruling has not arrived here, but wire service reports out of Richmond
say that the Appeals Court referred to the violence In the county as a reason for
Its decision.
In lieu of the full seven-page text of the ruling, local school officials were
withholding comment on the ruling, which was not totally unexpected.
The denial of the school board's plea for continued freedom of choice, no#
places greater emphasis on the plan for total desegregation of the system, presented
to the District Court last month. Judge Algernon Butler of Clinton Is expected to
rule soon on the plan, which calls for a $3.5 million bond Issue to consolidate
the schools and seeks to operate this fall much as was done for the present school
year.
The appellate court upheld the 1967 decision ordering "pupil assignments based
on a unitary system of geographic attendance zones or upon the consolidation of
grades or schools or both." ?
The school board contended that it had been desegregating its public schools
under the freedom of choice plan where Negro pupils, if they wished, could trans
fer to all-white schools.
The appellate decision, however, said that "acts of violence and threats against
Negroes requesting transfers of their children into formerly all-white schools"
rendered the plan unworkable.
The seven-judge appellate panel, headed by U.S. Appeals Judge Clement F.
Haynsworth, Jr., ruled the lower court was "well within tfte range of the dis
cretion vested In It" In ordering the school board to abandon its freedom of
choice plan.
The panel also took note that the board "took no steps to desegregate Its schools
until 1965 when it acted under a court order." It was then that the freedom of
choice plan was implemented. t x
"On the record before it," the opinion stated, "the court quite naturally and
properly concluded that the situation called for drastic measures." ?/
The county school board also was scored for its attempts at faculty desegrega
tion, which the court called "woqden, and little calculated to provide the result
the court envisioned."
Quiet Returns To Louisburg, Franklinton Following
Weekend Of Vandalism, Arson And Hiah Tension
A ra.sh of broken windows and at least two cases of suspected arson
look plaec in l.ouishurg during the weekend as violence struck a number of
North Carolina communities in the wake of last Thursday's slaying of Ne
gro leader. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tenn.
Sometime late Kriday night or early Saturday morning vandals broke two
large plate glass windows in the front of ISunn Super Grocery on South Main
Street and broke a large window and a small one in James Moore's Service
Station a couple of blocks away.
Sunday night, thieves broke the glass door of the Alif Store on liickctt
Hlvd, entered the. place and stole what was described as a small amount
of whiskey. All ABC stores were order
ed closed last Friday by Governor Dan
Moore following the outbreak of viol
ence In the state.
Around midnight Sunday, fire hit the
lumber storage building at the rear
of Wilson Building Supply Co. on the ...
West Klver Road causing damaged
estimated at $5,000. Loutsburg Fire
Chief R. G. Person said arson is
definitely suspected In this case. Early
Monday morning fire struck again,
this time at an unoccupied house on
Perry's Street where considerable
damage was done. The dwelling Is
owned by the King estate here.
A window in the C & P Music Co.
building, operated by Louisburg Mayor
V. A. Peoples, was broken Sunday
night, but no other damage was re
ported.
Mayor Peoples called out all avail
able police and auxiliary police as
well as requesting aid from the Sheriffs
department last Friday night in an
effort to cope with expected disorder.
Patrols were doubled In the Louisburg
area and a curfew was being con- /
sidered for most of the weekend, al
though One never came.
In other unrelated incidents, two Ne
gro men escaped injury when their
car overturned on the River Road
after a high-speed chase by lpcal
officers Saturday night. Albert B.
Smith, n/m/24, was arrested and
charged with a number of violations
Including failing to stop for a siren,
speeding and careless and reckless
driving. James Goode, a passenger,
See LOUISBURG Page 8
Negro Youths
Charged At
Franklinton
Seven young Negro men are free* to
day on $1,000 bond each In the Satur
day night breaking of plate glass win
dows In the Western Auto Store on
Main Street In Franklinton.
The seven are charged with mall
clous damage to real property where
damages were estimated to exceed
$1,000. Six windows were broken when
crates of empty soft drink bottles
were thrown through them. Franklin
ton's acting Assistant Police Chief
Tom Allen arrived on the scene In
time to see the group run away.
With the aid of State Troopers and
a Sheriff's deputy, most of the group
were captured shortly thereafter.
Others were arrested Sunday and Mon
day.
Haywood Lawrence, 17, and Lester
Wider, 18, are also charged with
breaking windows at Jack's Grill near
Franklinton. Others charged In the
Main Street Incident are: Norman Lee
Bass, 16, Joe Teasley, 24, Leon Mills,
22, Thomas J. Bailey, 19, and Harold
Taylor.
The driver of the car, not identified,
was also 0... ged with drunken driving.
He reportedly took no part In the win
See YOUTHS Page 8
Nelson Arnold, Attendent at Moore's Service
Station removes debris Saturday morning.
Registration Books Open Extra Hours
Registration books in Louisburg and
Frankllnton will be open extra hours
this week to give all eligible citizens
more time In which to register. Lee
Bell, Louisburg Registrar announced
that the books will be open upstairs
Sen. Ervin Urges No Party Bolting
United States Senator Sam J. Ervln,
Jr. urged Democrats to stick together
In these times and not to yield to the
temptation to bolt the party, In an
address here Friday night before some
over 200 party faithful. Speaking at the
annual Democratic Dinner, held in the
Loulsburg College cafeteria. North
Carolina's senior Senator, said the
Democratic party should dedicate It
self to the maintenance of law and order
and added, "Law and order ire the
first obligation Oftgovernment".
Senator Ervin was introduced by
Loulsburg attorney Nell Jennings,
President of the YDC, following brief
Jennings, Mrs. Pernell, Senator Ervin
statements from a number of candi
dates (or state office.
Second District Congressman L.H.
Fountain told the group, In an obvious
reference to the assassination of Dr.
Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tenn.
Thursday night, "Apathy, complacency
and indifference are the most dan
gerous things 1 know". He called on
all to seek God's guidance ln^hese
times. He Is opposed In the Dem
ocratic primary by Mrs. Eva M. Clay
ton, a Negro housewife from War
renton.
Congressman Fountain was followed
to the rostrum by Raleigh attorney
John Jordan, candidate for Lt. Gov
ernor In 1964, who was acting as stand
in for gubernatorial candidate Bob
Scott and Eugene Boyce, also a Ral
eigh attorney who represented gub
ernatorial candidate J. Melville
Broughton. Both men urged support
for their candidate.
Attorney General T. Wake Bruton
and his opponent, State Senator Rob
ert Morgan spoke briefly. Dr. Ray
mond Stone, a Franklin native and
candidate for Superintendent of Public
Instruction, told the group, "It's
good to be back home" as he related
the number of plaees he had visited
during the week on the campaign trail.
He announced he would return here
for a rally on April 19. Former House
Speaker Pat Taylor stole the show
with his dry wit as he said he was
happy to be in Franklin County. Ex
plaining that he Is from Anson Coun
ty, he said, "You know about Anson
county, that's the only place that has
received more publicity related to
See ERVIN Page 8
In the Loulsburg armory Wednesday
through Saturday, all day.
George Champion, Jr. Secretary to
the Board of Elections, announced that
books at Frankllnton will be open at
the Town Hall from 7 to 9 P.M. Wednes -
day, Thursday and Friday nights and
all day Saturday.
All other precincts will be open as
usual on Saturday and citizens may
register at other times at the home
or business of the registrars.
A degree of norma ley relumed Monday night to Louishurg and Frank
linton following a weekend of tension. Franklinlon Police Chief Leo
Kdwards reported this morning that everything was quiet there and Grey
Moon, Louishurg fireman and radio operator, reported the same early this
morning here in Louisbiirg.
Franklinton went through its second night of curfew Monday and anoth
er curfew has been ordered for tonight. However, the time has ehanged
and tonight curfew will start at 9 p.m. and end at 5 a.m. Wednesday morn
ing. Louishurg has had no curfew.
Both communities doubled their police patrol efforts -since last Thurs
day night's slaying of Negro leader, l)r. Martin' Luther King, Jr. in Memp
his, Tenn. Violence has broken out throughout the nation as Negrycs have
Negroes
Halt
School Bus
According to a reliable report a
Negro man and woman boarded a Frank
linton school bus this morning and
removed eight Negro children, saying
they would not attend school today.
The bus, headed for the predominantly
white Franklinton High School was re
portedly stopped about a mile and a
half north of Franklinton.
Authorities know the identify of the
two, according to the report, and are
presently looking for the man and de
ciding what charges to file against
them.
A telephone call to Franklinton Su
perintendent R. B. Gordon was not
returned this morning and the reports
were not confirmed by school officials.
Mr. Gordon's secretary declined com
ment when asked about the incident,
saying that any comment would have
to come from the Superintendent.
It was reported that Mr. Gordon,
following the incident, took the eight
Negro children home to their parents
and that the twenty or more white
children were "extremely scared" f
although all are in school today. The
Negro pair, reportedly took the keys
to the bus with them, leaving the
vehicle stranded.
A request by two Negro ministers,
See BUS Page 5
gone to trie streets in protest of the
killing. Windows have been broken
In both Louisburg and Franklinton and
at least two fires are believed de
liberately set in Louisburg. A white
man was "beaten and robbed and the ABC
Store was broken into in Louisburg over
the weekend.
At Franklinton the huge plate glass
windows in Western Auto Store on
Main Street were broken Saturday night,
and seven young Negroes are -free on
bond, charged with the crime.
Youngsville and Louisburg national
guardsmen have been in Raleigh since
early last Friday morning. Ordered
there by Governor Dan Moore, the
locals have had no opportunity to re-*
turn home as they have been pressed
Into service to keep the peace in riot
torn Raleigh.
Concerned mounted, especially In
Franklinton, that private citizens might
get into the act of protection. Reports
say that a number of Franklinton citi
zens were armed during the weekend.
Chief Edwards issued a plea Monday
for all citizens to refrairtfrom hauling
firearms and cited a recent ruling by
the state Attorney General that it Is
unlawful to go "dangerously armed"
during time of crisis. Edwards said
arrests would be made in such cases.
Auxiliary police have been on duty
In both communities throughout the
night-time hours since last Friday.
Officers of the Sheriffs department
have also seen extra duty hours
throughout the period. Louisburg fire
men spent much of Sunday night fight
ing a blaze at Wilson Building Supply
Company here and were at It again
early Monday morning as fire was
discovered in an unoccupied home on
See ARSON Page 8
Fire Destroys Lumber Building