The Franklin Times
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday <UrwiM All HI ImlilU r?i?k<
Serving All Of Franklin County
99th Year-Number 70
Ten Cents
Louisburg, N. C., Thursday, October 17, 1968
(Ten Pages Today)
' 1
Bids On N.C. 39 - U.S. 401 Project To Be Let
Only a hand-full of local citizens
attended a public hearing here Tues
day on the N. C. 39-U. S. 401 project.
Fifth Division Highway Commissioner
J. B. Bra me of Durham addressed the
group and gave an explanation of the
proposed project. Brame pointed out
that improvement to the highway is
part of the Fifth's allocation of state
bond funds and that the improvement
would not reach to the Vance County
line as he had earlier hoped.
The hearing was called by the High
way Commission to give the public an
opportunity to express opinions and
to ask questions about the route of the
highway and other aspects of the
project. Obtaining rights-of-way has
been underway for some time along
the stretch.
Brame said that $750,000 had been
alloted to Franklin for this project and
$600,000 had been alloted Vance for
work on N. C. 39 leading to the
Franklin line. However, Division En
gineer Merle T. Adkins explained that
approximately two miles on the Vance
side of the line is not included in the
project there and approximately three
miles in Franklin County will not be
improved in this letting. The exact
mileage left unimproved will depend
on the amount of the bids received, he
explained.
BUI Garrett of the State Design
staff explained in detail the straighten
ing and grading as well as the widening
of certain portions of the road which
is to start north of State Rural Road
1249 and connect with the Louisburg
town limits on Bickett Blvd and on
North Main Street.
Garrett said the "right-of-way ac
quisition is progressing real well", and
he added that the project is expected
to let for bids on "the last Tuesday in
Board Acts On Bus Controversy
The Franklin County Board of Ed
ucation, meeting in special session here
Wednesday night, approved a plumb
ing bid for the Methods and Material
Center clearing the way for the start of
the federally financed education facili
ty and, after a lengthy discussion,
acted on a controversial question per
taining to activity buses.
The bus matter has been debated to
some degree in several of the recent
Board meetings. The question arose
when the District Court order neces
sitated the elimination of the former
Perry's Riverside and Gethaemane
Schools. The buildings at these schools
are now used for primary grades under
the total integration order.
As equipment from the former high
schools was being moved to accomo
date the increase in students at the
former white schools, the Board or
dered the three activity buses formerly
used by the Negro high schools moved
to the new consolidated schools.
The action brought a protest from
the Perry school community. A delega
tion, several weeks ago, appeared be
fore the Board asking that the bus be
returned to the community. Similar
requests have been made by former
patrons of Rhrentde and Gethaemane
schools, although these have not been
formal.
The three buaes were purchased by
the various P.T-A.'s over the years and
titled In the name of the Board of
Education.
Wednesday night, after listening to
a plea from Gold Sand Elementary
School Principal J. E. Wilson that the
bus be returned to the community, the
Board, after obtaining a legal ruling
from Its attorney, voted on a split
count to retain the buses for school
activities.
E. F. Yarborough, Board attorney
said in his opinion, the Board could
not give the bus back; that it was
county property and if the Board
decided to dispose of the one or all
buses, it would have to be done at
public auction.
Board member Clint Fuller moved
to retain all three buses for use of
students at the three district schools
involved and that each be repainted.
Jones Winston seconded the motion.
On the vote, Fuller and Winston voted
for the motion, Lloyd West voted
against it and William Boone ab
stained. On a subsequent motion to
letter each bus, "School Activity Bus,
Franklin County, N. C." the vote was
unanimous.
In other action the Board set the
school calander with Christmas holi
days beginning December 23 and going
through December 27. New Year's
Day will be a school holiday and April
2 through 7 Is set for Easter holidays.
The last day of school is set for
Tuesday, June 3, 1969.
Receives
Merit Award
Miss Anne Parrish, daughter of Mrs.
Annie F. Parrish and the late J. F.
Parrish of Route 3, Louisburg, was
presented the "Citation of Merit
Award of the North Carolina Public
Health Association" Thursday night in
Charlotte, N. C.
The citation reads:
Miss Anne Parrish, a dedicat
ed, professional health worker,
See AWARD Page 4
s
' November, whatever date that is."
State Senator-elect E. F. Griffin
asked if the project had been request
ed by the County Commissioners.
Brame answered that his memory was
not the best on the matters but that he
believed that the Commissioners and a
"group of leaders" in the county had
voiced approval of the project. Later
newsmen A. F. Johnson and Clint
Fuller verified Brame's statement that
both were present when the Board of
Commissioners approved the project.
Johnson asked when the project
would be started. This drew Garrett's
statement and Fuller asked, "What, if
anything, is planned for that portion
of N. C. 39 in Franklin County not
scheduled for improvement in' this
project?"
Garrett said he did not know and
Bra me stated that he "considers this
gap important." "Whether we can do
anything about it, other than a recom
mendation to the next administration,
1 do not know," Brame added.
Brame told the group that N. C. 56,
a project long-scheduled and which has
been a point of controversy over the
years, is "still set up as a federal aid
project."
The project consists of massive im
provements over a 6.5 mile route and
two-tenths of a mile of the Henderson
Road to the Town limits which is to
be widened and receive curb and gut
ter. Estimated construction cost of the
overall project was given by Adkins as
$633,000. This does not included
some $67,000 engineering costs or the
cost of acquiring rights-of-way.
The strip of N. C. 39-U. S. 401 that
passes the cemetery, will receive curb
and gutter on the east side, accoring to
Garrett and the highway will get some
relocation at the junction of Stab
Rural Road 1474.
Accompanying Commissioner
Brame to the hearing were: M. T
Adkins, F. W. Atkins, District Engi
neer, two right-of-way division people
identified only as Mr. Phillips and Mr
Chappell, James Alford, Franklir
County engineer, and Garrett.
Following the hearing, Brame met
briefly with Industrial Development
Director Kenneth Schubart to discust
a proposed interstate connector link
with Raleigh, which would run
through Franklin County.
Iwo Lounty
Women
Injured
Two Franklin County women em
ployees of ITT Telecommunications
Transmission Company plant in Ral
eigh were injured in an unexplained
explosion at the plant early Wednes
day morning. The women were identi
fied as Voncilla B. Strickland, 36, of
Youngsville and Nancy B. Alford, 29,
of Louisburg. The first woman suffer
ed a broken arm according to reports
and the latter suffered a back injury.
A machine, which issued in the
manufacture of printed electronic cir
cuits, blew apart, the report said, after
it popped a few times, and sent out
clouds of yellow smoke. The machine
normally operates with an inside tem
perature of 450 degrees. Four other
employees were also injured.
Two partition waUs were blown
loose where the walls joined the ceil
ing, doors were blf>wn off and win
dows were smashed and all of the
ceiling was blown out of the machine
room where the explosion occurred
and a large area of the cafeteria ceiling
was torn down by the blast, Keeter
said.
The blast knocked off ceiling
boards some 250 feet from the explod
ed machine, the fire chief said.
T. W. Williams, comptroller for the
firm, said the blast forced the firm to
close down a portion of the plant.
However, he said he expected the
plant to be back in full operation this
morning.
Williams said the machine that ex
ploded was a solder leveling machine
containing hot salts used to remove
excess solder from printed electronic
circuits.
Gardner
Speaks At
Opening
Congressman Jim Gardner, GOP
candidate for Governor, spoke briefly
here Wednesday at ribbon-cutting cere
monies marking the official opening of
his campaign trailer on Bickett Blvd.
Gardner told the crowd of approxi
mately 100 persons attending the
noon affair that "Dan Moore has
shown us we can do without a Gover
nor for four years" as he hit the
"Democratic political machine in Ral
eigh". Saying he has "nothing against
Bob Scott personally", he added the
difference between him and his Dem
ocratic opponent is their "political
philosophy".
"I didn't vote for Hubert Hum
phrey in 1964 and he did", Gardner
said. "There's not a dime's worth of
difference between Hubert Humphrey
and Bob Scott," be added.
"If I can sell hamburgers for 15
cents ? now 19 cents", Gardner said,
"I can certainly solve the fanner's
problems". He said farmers are not
getting their share in the market place.
"We're going to win by a land
slide", the Congressman said, "We'll
win by over 100,000 votes. You just
ought to see the hundreds of people in
Charlotte and Greensboro standing in
line to register. They are tired and
want a change and they're lining up to
register."
Jesse , Austin, former Democratic
State Senator, spoke following Gard
ner and urged everyone present to
register. "We may never get another
chance to honor our responsibility",
Austin said.
Prior to the address, Gardner joined
Archie Bunn, Franklin campaign man
ager, In cutting the ribbon. Following
the speech, Gardner was presented a
check for $1200 by Bunn and Crowell
Strickland, county finance chairman
for Gardner.
FBI Back In Franklin County
Investigating School Operation
Reliable reports have disclosed that
at least five agents of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation are in Franklin
County investigating complaints of
segregation on school buses and in the
classrooms. According to the reports,
teachers of both races as well as
student bus drivers are being question
ed at their homes, bus drivers.
On September 19, 1968, J. Le
Vonne Chambers of Charlotte, at
torney for the NAACP, a plaintiff in
the Franklin County school suit, wrote
Board of Education attorneys E. F.
Yarborough and Charles Davis request
ing that "immediate steps be taken to
desegregate the classes within the var
ious schools and to eliminate the
racially discriminatory practices in the
transportation of students to the var
ious schools". A copy of the letter was
sent to District Court Judge Algernon
Butler, who had ordered the schools
totally desegregated last August 5.
School officials have contended
that there is no segregation on buses or
in classrooms except where parents
have chosen to transport their children
privately instead of placing them on
school buses and in classrooms, only
where ability or chosen subjects place
a child in a particular class.
It was not learned what prompted
the FBI to again enter Franklin
County on a school matter, however,
an unconfirmed report indicates that
the Civil Rights Division of the U. S.
- Department of Justice ordered the
agents here.
School Board attorney E. F. Yar
borough told the Board in a special
meeting here Wednesday night that the
plaintiffs in the case could have taken
advantage of procedures open to them
under the courts by filing interro
gatories seeking information on the
two complaints. This, said Yar
borough, has been done several times
before in the case.
On September 11, 1968, U. S.
Senator Sam Ervin filed a protest with
Attorney General Ramsey Clark over
the fact that fifteen FBI agents and
two Justice Department attorneys
were in the county on the opening day
of school to "observe". Sen. Ervin
wrote, "I would expect such conduct
in a police state but not in a society
which is supposed to be free".
"For all practical purposes, the use
of such a large number of men
amounts to the deployment of a nat
ional police force on your part....,"
Ervin's letter to Clark continued'.
He also said he felt the FBI could
be better used elsewhere in the
country "fighting organized crime".
The most intensive investigation
this week has taken place in the
Epsom and Gold Sand School areas,
according to reports.
Place On Stand Third
Day In Murray Trial
The trial of former Franklin Ac
countant E. Lee Murray is continuing
today with Raleigh CPA William Place
on the stand for the third straight day.
Murray is charged with embezzling
funds amounting to $6,360.48 during
the period September 30, 1962 to
September 30, 1966. The Wake
County Treasurer, now on leave, has
refunded the loss to the county main
taining his innocense but saying that
he felt he was responsible for the
office during that period. [
Place, a witness for the State, has
been quizzed by Solicitor W. G. Rans
dell since taking the stand shortly after
3 p.m. Tuesday. Monday and most of
Tuesday were taken in the selection of
12 jurors and two alternates, all from a
venire from Granville County.
The larger portion of Place's testi
mony deals with introduction of evi
dence by way of forms, checks and
vouchers. The process is slow as de
fense attorneys find much of these
objectionable. A number of sessions
between attorneys and Superior Court
Judge Leo Carr have been held in the
Judge's chambers.
A main point of contention in
Tuesday's questioning bordered on the
use by Place and Ransdell of the word
"shortage". It began when Ransdell
asked Place, "Did you determine
whether or not there was a shortage".
Place answered "yes" and attorney
Hill Yarborough offered the first ob
jection, contending that this was a
point the state was required to prove.
Following a closed door session in
the Judge's chambers, the questioning
was continued. Ransdell asked Place
what he meant by the term "un
explained disbursements" and Placa
replied, "From my point of view,
there was not sufficient competent
supporting matter". Then Ransdell
asked, "In your opinion, what does
this represent?" Place replied, "I think
it's a shortage". Place also told of
reporting the "unexplained dis
bursements" to the Chairman of the
Board of County Commissioners and
the entire Board. He testified that he
was employed to "extend the audit
back two years" from the 1966-67
fiscal year.
At one point in his testimony, Place
said, "I did not perform an entire
audit of the books as such. We
examined transactions such as these".
This was in reference to earlier testi
mony of his audit of Social Security
contributions.
On Wednesday, the State began
introducing various documents which
were passed around to the jurors.
These were identified by Place Quart
erly Social Security forms. The intro
duction of these and other forms
continued throughout the day Wednes
day and were still going on this morn
ing.
The trial is expected to last well
into next week and is being conducted
in the Louisburg Armory due to the
renovations going on in the county
courthouse.
Granville County residents selected
See TRIAL Page 4
COUNTY MANAGER ARCHIE BUNN AND CANDIDATE JIM GARDNER