Gen. Griffin
Scott Finance
Chairman
Major General Edwaig, F. Griffin
has been named finance chairman for
the Bob Scott for Governor Com
mittee here in Franklin County.
General Griffin, Democratic nominee
for the State Senate, told The Times
this morning that he has accepted the
position to "do all I can". Griffin is a
lifetime Democrat and has been active
in politics for a number of years.
A Franklin native, Gen. Griffin
served as commanding officer of the
113th Field Artillery Battalion
throughout World War II. He rose in
the ranks from private to his post as a
Major General. He has served in the
State Senate for two terms from
Franklin County and has been county
attorney, a member of the State
Democratic Executive Committee and
for ten years was chairman of the
County Executive Committee.
He retired in June, 1967 after
serving over 13 years as Director of
North Carolina Civil Defense. He is
married to the former Mildred Scott of
Louisburg. They have one daughter,
Mrs. Glenn H. Person of Greensboro.
General Griffin has not yet named
his committee to assist in the finances
of the Scott campaign, but regular
party officials and members of the
Bob Scott, County Campaign Com
mittee are assisting.
Resident,
Two Sons
Found Dead
The bodies of an Army warrant
officer and his two small sons were
found Monday in a car in a wooded
area in Cumberland County and
authorities ruled It a double murder
and suicide.
They were identlfled as Ronald
Collins, 34, formerly of Louisburg,
and his sons Rocky, 8, and Terry, 5.
Collins was attached to the military
intelligence branch at Ft. Bragg.
Cumberland County Coroner Alph
Clark, who ruled in the deaths, said
the bodies were discovered on a dirt
road just off 1-85 in Pope Park by a
brother, Bob Collins, who had been
searching for them.
Clark said the father and two sons
had been missing since Saturday, and
that the brother suspected they had
gone to the park.
The coroner said a garden hose had
been run from the exhaust of Collins'
car to a vent window at the driver's
side. Collins and the older boy were
dead in the front seat, the younger
boy in the rear seat.
Controversial Road
Speed issues Reply To Road Article
Editor's Note: The following is the
complete text of a statement by Rep.
James D. Speed in answer to an article
appearing i\ the Friday issue of The
flews and Observer. The statement
issued Monday arrived this morning.
The Times is happy to contribute
space in order that Mr. Speed may
have his reply placed before the
people.
This statement is in response to the
article by Jack Childs appearing in the
Friday, September 13, 1968, issue of
The News and Observer concerning
1.86 miles of connector seconary road
in Franklin and Warren Counties
which will link a large area of these
counties between highways 401 and
58.
I cannot understand the purpose of
such an article nor the manner in
which it was written and published in
such detail and prominence except
possibly as an attempt to smear me or
the State Highway Commission.
The addition of this formerly aban
doned rural highway link is very val
uable to the people traveling back and
forth between Warrenton and areas of
Franklin County and will shorten the
distance by from at least six to 15
miles. It also will cut the distance
between the forest ranger stations and
fire towers in the two counties by
perhaps 10 miles. This is a heavily
forested area and the personnel of
these stations work in close coopera
tion in times of need.
This road has very little significance
to me personally. I own no land on the
road, and the road will be of no more
benefit to me than to the others who
travel in the area. It will be a con
venience to many people.
It is true that I have rented Mrs.
Egerton's land in Warren County. I
have never planted any crops on this
land but have sub-rented to others. I
have done this to help an 83 year old
relative. Mrs. Egerton, who has no sons
and whose two daughters live a con
siderable distance away. Many people
have expressed regret or surprise that
the old road connecting these lands,
which was within a few feet of the
present road, was ever abandoned. It
waa abandoned after the bridge across
Shocco Creek washed away during the
early 1930s, depression years, at which
time the counties were attempting to
maintain our rural roads and before
the state assumed this responsibility.
As a representative in the General
Assembly from this district, Franklin,
Vance and Warren Counties, and as a
member of the House Roads commit
tee, I have had occasion to assist my
constituents on a number of occasions.
This, I believe, is one of my responsi
bilities, to see that my district receives
its entitled share of highway improve
ments. For example, I have exerted
whatever persuasive powers I had
toward getting funds to resurface
Highways 56 and 39 and several other
badly-needed projects in my legislative
district, and 1 believe I was instrumen
tal in getting these projects approved.
As for this particular road project,
the boards of county commissioners of
Warren and Franklin Counties cer
tainly thought re-opening of the con
nector was needed since both recom
mended the project before it was
brought to my attention.
My files of correspondence and all
pertinent data on this road project and
other matters in which I have been
interested as an elected public official
seeking to serve the best interests of
my constituents and the state of North
Carolina are now and have always been
open and available to anyone interest
ed in the facts.
Unfortunately, the reporter for The
News and Observer appears to have
gone to great lengths to investigate the
matter of this rural connector road
and my interest in it before contacting
me, and then merely interviewed me
by telephone. He did not ask to see
nor read these files. I gave him verbally
all of the information he asked. How
ever, I do not believe he obtained an
accurate picture or purposely did not
present the facts he did obtain in an
objective manner.
Understandably, I do not appreci
ate any attempt by a newsp^r or
anyone else to smear me by dinning
the facts nor to question my motives
by slanting the truth.
Water Restrictions
Back At Franklinton
Franklinton Water Commissioner
Charlie Hight announced this morning
that "regretfully" water restrictions
must go into effect Thursday morning
at Franklinton.
Hight said that Cedar Creek, the
source of Franklinton's water supply
was about dry and pumping there was
almost impossible. He said there is still
a good flow of water, but it is neces
sary to pump an hour and wait several.
He also said the shallow water makes
pumping extremely difficult. -
There is an adequate supply of
water at present in the town storage
lake, but Hight said precautions were
taken following a special session of the
Town Council, because with the creek
dry once the lake water is used there
will be none.
He asked the cooperation of Frank
linton users in curtailing water con
sumption. Under the restrictions, no
water can be used for washing cars or
watering lawns and any other waste
water is prohibited.
He said old-timers in the area have
said they have never seen Cedar Creek
as low as it is now. There was no
estimate as to when the restrictions
might be lifted, however, Hight said he
is hoping for rain soon.
White Named Prosecutor
Charles M. White III, 42, Wairenton
attorney, has been appointed prosecu
tor for the new ninth judicial district
court, it was announced today by
resident Judge Hamilton H. Hobgood
of Louisburg. It is the judge's preroga
tive to make the appointment under
the new State judicial system.
The ninth district comprises the
counties of Vance, Franklin, Warren,
Granville, and Person.
White is an attorney and is current
ly serving both as solicitor of Warren
County Recorder's Court and assistant
solicitor of Warren County Superior
Court. He is a native of the Drewry
community of Vance county. He at
tended high school in Middle burg and
later graduated with an A. B. degree
and subsequently a law degree from
the University of North Carolina in
Chapel Hill.
As prosecutor, White will assume
his duties Dec. 2 for a term of two
years and one month. Commencing
Jan. 1, 1971, the position of prosecu
tor will be eliminated under the new
court system and the ninth judicial
district will elect a new superior court
solicitor for the five counties.
White is a Presbyterian, currently
serving as a deacon and Sunday school
teacher in his church. He is married to
the former Sally Alston Tarry of
Mecklenburg county, Virginia. They
have three children, Charles M. White
IV, Mary Tarry White and Alice Bo
-weh White.
Raleigh Times Issues
Correction, Apology
The Raleigh Times, in its Saturday
issue apologized for an error in its
Tuesday edition which made an article
on Franklin County school opening
read as if it was accompanied* by
violence. Franklin Sheriff William T.
Dement said Thursday that he was
"demanding that the Associated Press
retract certain totally false statements
that apparently moved on the AP wire
Wednesday.
The AP story stated that Franklin
County's school opening was attended
by rock throwing, with resultant
broken glass in patrol cars as the cars
moved from place to place breaking up
gatherings of young people*
Sheriff Dement stated: "Contrary
to the AP story, our school opening
for the first time under a totally
integrated policy dictated by Federal
Court was entirely orderly." The
Sheriff continued: 'There has not
been a single incident of rock throwing
or disorder of any type connected
with, or in the neighborhood of a
single one of our schools. Nor has
there been an incident of rock throw
ing anywhere in Franklin County to
my knowledge."
A misplacement of type was made
in the AP story when set for publica
tion in The Raleigh Times last Tues
day. After referring to the Franklin
School opening and mentioning that
15 percent of the 5800 students ex
pected Monday were absent, the next
paragraph read:
"Throughout the evening and into
early morning, patrol cars- A particu
lar target of thrown rocks-rushed
from area to area at each report of a
gathering of youths. As police arrived,
youths dispersed. Several automobiles,
including a number of police cars,
were damaged mostly by rocks thrown
through windshields. Police said they
could not pinpoint a cause for the
violence."
The Raleigh Times retraction, pub
lished Saturday follows:
"Franklin County schools opened
quietly this week under a new integra
tion policy.
There were no incidents of rock
throwing or other disorder, contrary
to a story published in Tuesday's
editions of The Raleigh Times.
The error resulted from misplace
ment of type in the page and the
report of rock-throwing should have
been a part of a story from Syracuse,
N. Y., which was adjacent to the story
concerning Franklin and Warren coun
ty schools.
Franklin Sheriff William T. Dement
reported: 'There has not been a single
incident of rock throwing or disorder
of any type connected with, or in the
neighborhood of a single one of our
schools. Nor has there been an inci
dent of rock throwing anywhere in
Franklin County to my knowledge."
The Times regrets the error and any
embarrassment it may have caused law
enforcement officials or other citizens
of Franklin County."
Raleigh Newspaper Hits
Speed's Road Interest
Franklin Rep. James D. Speed was
taken to task in a by-lined front page
article in last Friday's issue of the
Raleigh News and Observer for his
participation in securing a connecting
dirt road in northeastern Franklin and
southeastern Warren counties. The
article, written by staff writer Jack
Childs, implies that only Speed will
benefit from the 1.86 mile gravel base
road. ?
Childs quotes Mrs. Anna Bell Eger
ton of Warren County, an 83-year-old
cousin of Speed's as saying, 'To tell
the truth he's (Speed) the cause of us
getting this road." The road in Warren
County, according to the Child write
up, leads only to the Egerton resi
dence.
It is also pointed out in the article
that Speed leases the Egerton land for
his farm uses and that the land lies
some 11 miles from Speed's home in
the Gold Sand School area. The new
road, according to Childs, will cut
Speed's driving distance about Ave
miles, in going to and from the two
farms.
Childs says that Highway Com
mission files reveals that Speed con
tacted Fifth Division Chief Engineer
M. T. Adkins by letter which "indicat
ed that the legislator was pressing for
action on the road." Speed, contacted
by the Raleigh newspaper, is quoted as
saying his only interest in the Egerton
land is in "trying to get her (Mrs.
Egerton) enough money to pay her
taxes."
Childs stated, "But Speed was
armed with all sorts of answers when
queried as to whether his own interests
spawned his enthusiam for the road".
"That is absolutely incorrect", the
article quotes Speed in reply.
A check into the matter by The
Franklin Times reveals that on June
21, 1967, Fifth Highway Commission
er J. B. Brame and three district
highway officials met here in an after
noon session with the County Com
missioners. At that meeting highway
officials made recommendations on
secondary road priorities for the coun
ty and these were approved by the
Board. The Commissioners were told,
in open meeting, that Warren County
Commissioners had approved an exten
sion of the Egerton Road, then called
the Rob Alston road to the Franklin
line.
The officials and the Commission
ers were aware that Rep. Speed held
an interest in this particular project
and expressed the belief that the road
would "open up" that area of both
counties.
At that meeting following the high
way officials explanation and without 7
any dissent from the Commissioners, a
resolution was duly made and approv
ed for this road work.
The Resolution reads as follows:
"RESOLVED; that Franklin County
Board of County Commissioners rea
lize the need for the extension of State
Road No. 1444 from its present north
ern-most point to the Warren County
line connecting a road leading South
from Lickskillet in Warren County, to
the Warren-Franklin line; and be it
further RESOLVED that the people in
Warren and Franklin Counties living in
the general area served by said road
will benefit if said road is added to the
State of North Carolina Secondary
Road System for grading and stabiliza
tion. Done this 21st day of June,
1967."
The Times also found that from the
Speed home near Gold Sand School
there were 45 residences before reach
ing the controversial piece of new
road. The distance is 6.8 miles and the
breakdown of homes along the route
shows that 20 families live on the Gold
Sand road; 18 live on the paved
portipn of State Road 1407 and seven
familiesjive on the unpaved portion of
No. 1407 to where it meets the new
State Road No. 1444. Also along the
way there are at least three major
paved connecting highways and several
connecting dirt roads.
The News and Observer article
claims that Speed will save about five
miles by traveling the new road instead
of riding N. C. 58 or U. S. 401.
Conditions of the unpaved portion of
highway and the heavy gravel on the
new portion make the choice of this
road over the paved thoroughfares
most dubious. In its present condition,
one could likely make better time on
the longer route, although the new
road is not completed.
The project is said by Childs to cost
$32,000 including a $12,000 bridge
not yet under construction. The funds
for the major part of the road are
deducted from Franklin's secondary
road program, according to reports.
Speed is quoted by Childs as saying,
"Sure, 1 was interested in it ... I
wouldn't deny that, but I would have
done the same for any road project in
my district. Speed represents the
three-county Sixteenth District with
Henderson businessman Rep. John
Church. The District consists of Frank
lin, Warren and Vance Counties.
Bob Morgan To Open
Democratic Party Headquarters
Harnett State Senator Robert B.
Morgan, Democratic candidate for At
torney General, will officiate here at
the opening of the Democratic Party
Headquarters trailer on East Nash
Street Friday afternoon, according to
an announcement by Mrs. Betsy Per
nell, Party Chairman.
Morgan will speak briefly at the
ribbon cutting, which will be attended
by Mrs. Pernell and1 Louisburg Mayor
V. A. Peoples. He will be escorted
while here by Clint Fuller, Chairman
of the Second Congressional District
Campaign Committee. Preparations for
Morgan's appearance are being handled
by Party officials and members of the
Bob Scott Committee.
Morgan, state manager of the cam
paigns for Dr. I. Beverly Lake, is a
popular figure among Franklin citizens
where Dr. Lake gained a wide victory
margin in both his races. Morgan is
attorney for the Harnett County
Board of Education and is currently
experiencing some of the problems
similar to those here. He is Chairman
of the Board of Trustees of East
Carolina University and a Lt. Com
mander in the Naval Reserve.
He is a graduate of Wake Forest
Law School and is a former Clerk of
Court in Harnett County. He has
served in the State Senate since 1955
and was president pro-tem in 1965. He
defeated incumbent Wade Bruton in
the Democratic primary last May.
The ceremonies here Friday will
begin at 5 P.M. at the trailer head
quarters across from Murphy's Super
Market on East Nash Street. Following
the ceremonies Morgan will meet with
supporters at a local restaurant and if
time allows is expected to attend the
Franklinton-Louisburg football game
here at 8 P.M.
BOB MORGAN
Franklinton
Chamber Meets
(Frk. B.W.) The Franklinton Cham
ber of Commerce met Thursday even
ing at the Town Hall with Mr. "Red"
Johnson presiding.
A steering committee was set up to
make plans for the Christmas Parade
which is to be the first week of
December.
Anyone who desires to have an
entry in the parade should contact
either Mr. Everett Moore, Mr. Ralph
McGhee or Mr. A. J. Perkinson.
Complete plans for the parade will
be published at a later date.
The local group discussed the park
ing situation in Franklinton. It was
announced that a parking lot had been
opened where a former cotton gin hid
operated.