Ten Cents
Louisburg, N. C., Thursday, November 21, 1968
(Twelve Pages Today)
99lh Year-Number 80
It's Been Five Years Since API 09 At 1:42 Hit The Area
By Clint Fuller
Times Managing Editor '
j t i?u_ n n. i i_? erieved that words are inadeauatp to
Five years ago tomorrow was Fri
day, November 22, 1968. It has been
said that those of us alive today
remember where we were on only two
occasions ? December 7, 1941 when
Pearl Harbor was attacked and on
November 22, 1963 when President
John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
This is, perhaps, true.
Five years ago, things here in our
area of the world were relatively quiet.
The autumn had been one of the most
beautiful ever. The leaves, late in
turning colorful, had ushered in a fall
to be remembered. There had been
few if any cold days and that Friday
was almost shirt sleeve weather. The
sun was bright; the earth was warm
an<J we here moved in our usual tempo
our various duties to perform.
The day had passed swiftly and the
afternoon had brought the promise of
good weekend weather for hunters,
campers and a few dedicated fisher
men. Then, suddenly, it was 1:42 P.M.
A call came into the local radio
station. James Shearin, local depart
ment store manager, was calling. He
had heard that the President had been
shot. "Do you know anything about
it?", he asked Mrs. Mollie Evans, Con
tinuity Director. Mrs. Evans rushed to
the Associated Press wire machine:
AP 109
BULLETIN
(Dallas) -PRESIDENT KENNEDY
HAS BEEN SHOT IN DALLAS,
TEXAS. HE WAS SHOT AS HIS
MOTORCADE LEFT DOWNTOWN
DALLAS. MRS. KENNEDY JUMPED
UP AND GRABBED THE PRESI
DENT. SHE CRIED "OH, NO" AS
THE MOTORCADE SPED ON. AN
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
GRAPHER, JAMES ALTGENS, RE
PORTS HE SAW BLOOD ON THE
PRESIDENT'S HEAD.
THE A-P MAN SAID HE HEARD
TWO SHOTS BUT THOUGHT SOME
ONE WAS SHOOTING FIREWORKS
UNTIL HE SAW THE BLOOD ON
THE PRESIDENT, ALTGENS SAID
HE SAW NO ONE WITH A GUN.
KL142PES'
Mrs. Evans rushed back to the
phone. It was true. The President had
been shot. "That's all we know", she
said.
It fell our lot to be there at the
station at the exact moment. And we
took the control room. Mrs. Evans fed i
us the copy as it came off the wire. It
came extremely slow at first. Then it
overwhelmed us. A number of people
came to the station to confirm or to
watch the reports as they came in.
Monitoring other stations in the
area, it was found that the Louisburg
station had the news on the air some
ten minutes before the others. The
phone rang. The reports poured in.
It was 2:34 P.M. however before
the final word was sent over the wire.
TWO PRIESTS SAY KENNED?
DEAD. That's all the FLASH said.
There were no numbers, codes or
dates. Just the five simple words.
This was followed swiftly by
another ? better worded ? report
saying the same thing. The fourth
report confirmed what everyone
hoped would not be so. Coldly and
impersonally it said: PRESIDENT
KENNEDY IS DEAD. It went on to
say that Texas Governor John Con
nally was also shot. NO WORD ON
HIS FATE. Then there was a report
that Vice-President Johnson also had
been wounded. BUT THIS WAS
DENIED BY MRS. JOHNSON.
CONFIRMATION OF THE PRESI
DENT'S DEATH CAME QUICKLY
FROM WASHINGTON.
At 46, John Fitzgerald Kennedy,
35th President of the United States
was dead. And people everywhere
would remember as long as they would
live where they were and what they
were doing when the news came to
them. It matters not whether it was at
1:42 or 2:34. This is the way it is with
history.
The word spread quickly around
the Louisburg area and throughout
Franklin County. People rushed home
in view the, happenings on television.
Many listened to their radios. And
night fell.
By suppertime." Lyndon Johnson
had been sworn in as the 36th Presi
uriu. tiuiui v/uuiicui\ was uuuei guiug
an operation and Air Force 1 was
winging its way back to Washington. It
carried a sad cargo. A newly sworn
President, a new first lady, a widow
and a slain chief executive.
Few can forget the sight of the
coffin as it was unloaded from the
plane. The darkness that covered
Washington covered the country.
In North Carolina. Dr. I. Beverly
Lake, an expected candidate for Gov
ernor and one who opposed many of
Kennedy's policies said it for many
who differed with the young Presi
dent's politics but nevertheless viewed
him with respect. Lake said. "Like
every other North Carolinian, regard
less of political party or opinion. 1 am
shocked and distressed by this horrible
crime. My prayer is that they (Ken
nedy family) may find the comfort
and assurance that only God can give
them."
John Church, now Representative
from the Franklin. Vance. Warren Dis
trict. issued a request to the 90.000
business establishments in North Caro
lina to close their doors for an hour in
honor of the slain President. Church
was President of the N. C. Merchants
Association that November.
Dan K. Moore, then a Judge, said.
"I am so profoundly shocked and
express my feelings". ! I
But. Friday was not all. Saturday; |
followed with its live coverage of the . .
long lines of people waiting to view J '
the coffin. Millions stay glued to their; ;
television screens throughout the day . ?
and on into the night. Sunday brought; !
the second shock, kee .Harvey Oswald; ;
was shot while TV viewers watched in. .
horror. Jack Rubv was whisked away] |
under arrest. It seemed the horror ; ;
would never end. . >
Then came the day of the drums) \
and tFTp riderless horse. And finally,;;
the eternal flame. John Kennedy had! !
said on a visit to the spot where he; ;
came to final rest. "It's beautiful here. 1 ?
1 could stay here forever". < .
He had become the seventh Presi-; \
dent in the past 100 years to be' ;
elec ted in a year divisible by 20 and to. ,
die in office. He followed Harrison. ; |
1810: Lincoln. 1860: Garfield. 1880;;;
McKinley. 1900; Harding. 1920 and!!
Roosevelt. 1910. Kennedy was elected! !
in I960. ;;
He had once said. "I will not live in. .
fear. What will be. must be". ! !
His death and the following three; ;
days were perhaps the most monumen-. .
tal in the history of this country/ j
People here will not soon forget. To - ?
morrow the memory will be five years! !
old.
Over 750 Murray
Petitions Are In Circulation
Over 750 copies of a petition ad
dressed to Superior Court Judge Leo
Carr asking that he change an active 3
to 5 year sentence in the case of Lee
Murray to one of probation, are now
in circulation in Franklin and Wake
counties. The drive for signatures was
launched Tuesday following a meeting
here Monday night of around fifty
friends of Murray's.
A spokesman for the group report
ed today that "the response has been
simply overwhelming. People are call
ing and asking where they can sign and
still others are asking for copies to
distribute themselves." The Zebulon
group has requested additional copies
twice since receiving their first supply
Tuesday.
Murray was convicted on five
counts of embezzling here in October
and given an active sentence. His case
Hal Humphrey
Praised
By Lions
The Louisburg Lions Club met at
The Murphy House last Tuesday even
ing for the purpose of eating and then
visiting Dean Farms.
Several announcements were made.
Lion Dean Moon announced the
Ladies' night Christmas Party to be
held at the Murphy House December
10 at 7:00 p.m. Also, Lion Grady
Snyder announced that the White
Cane Drive grossed $209.74. This
money will be sent to the North
Carolina Association for the Blind.
Last. Lion Ed Yarborough praised
Lion Hal Humphrey for his dedicated
service in Lions, boy scouts, and the
church. Lion Humphrey, Sergeant
Major of the regular army, is being
transferred soon.
There were three visiting Lions
from Oxford: Howard Stallings, Presi
dent Leonard Creech, and Tom Carver.
is now under appeal to the higher
court.
The popular former County Ac
countant. now living in Zebulon and
working in Louisburg. resigned his
local post to accept the job of Treas
urer of Wake County in 1966.
The group, meeting here Monday,
expressed its desire to help "a friend"
and said that the movement does not
concern itself with "the guilt or inno
cence. correctness or incorrectness of
the verdict" but rather is a move to aid
"a friend in need." ?
A committee of around six persons
are slated to confer with Judge Carr
when he arrives here Monday for a
week of civil court. However. Judge
Carr is ill this week and has been
unable to hold his scheduled session of
court in Granville County. A spokes
man for the "friends of Lee Murray"
said today that the petition would be
taken to Judge Carr wherever he might
be and whenever he is able to meet
with the Committee.
The group also indicated Monday
night that if the petition fails to bring
some relief, other measures will be
taken.
Businesses
Set Holiday
Store Hours
The Franklin County Business As
sociation has announced several of the
downtown merchants will observe new
store hours for the Christmas Season.
Beginning November 22, they will
remain open on Friday nights until
8:30 P.M. Then beginning, December
16 through December 23, stores will
remain open week nights until 8:30
P.M. They are offering these additional
night hours for the convenience of
their customers.
Santa Claus will make his ap
pearance in the stores beginning De
cember 10. The merchants will soon
sor Santa and all children are invited
to visit with him in their favorite store.
Local Shriners Aid Crippled Children
Representatives of the Franklin County Shrine Club are shown above as the local organization presented its annual check to
officials of the Shrine for the benefit of the crippled children projects. Pictured left to right are: N. C. Mullen, Treasurer and H.
D. Jeffreys, President of the Franklin group; Frank Jones, Member of the Divan, and Robert L. Sides, Pontentate. The
presentation was made at the annual banquet here this week. _ , Photo by Ross Shuping.
Louisburg College
Combines Homecoming,
Alumni Day This Weekend
Louisburg College will mark Home
coming and Alumni Day here Friday
and Saturday with a full schedule of
events. The busy weekend gets under
way Friday night with the Winter
Dance, sponsored by the Sophomore
The large billboard sign on Bickett
Blvd. urging local citizens to Trade in
Raleigh is coming down. The sign,
subject of an editorial in Tuesday's
issue of The Franklin Times, is to be
re-located, according to a report from
the Franklin County Business Associa
tion.
Mrs. Juanita Pleasants. Executive
Secretary of the organization, said she
has talked with Wesley Williams. Ex
ecutive Secretary of the Raleigh Mer
chants Association, and that he has
assured her organization that the sign
will be moved. She reports that Wil
liams stated it is not the policy of the
Raleigh group to have their signs lo
cated within the city limits of neigh
boring towns.
The sign, however, is still in tact
today, but Mrs. Pleasants said Williams
told her he would contact the bill
board company and have it removed.
To
Be Moved
Class. The dance is open to alumni.
Saturday morning the Alumni Golf
Tournament gets underway at Green
Hill Country Club beginning at 10:00
A.M. Lunch will be served in the B. N.
Duke Cafeteria at noon and registra
tion gets underway in the Main Build
ing lobby at 1 P.M. The Bridge Tour
nament starts at 2 P.M. followed by a
tea from 3 to 5 P.M. in the Main
parlor.
At 5 P.M. Saturday, the Second
Marine Division Band will give a con
cert in the Auditorium - Classroom
Building, to which the public is in
vited.
The annual banquet takes place in
the cafeteria at 6:15 P.M. and the
College basketball squad takes on
Southwood at 7:30 P.M. The jame
pits two Franklin County basketball
stars against each other as Louisburg's
Larry Paschall goes against South
wood's E. J. Wilder. Both are leading
their teams in scoring this year and
were teammates on the Youngsville
Class A State championship team last
season.
At 9 P.M. the Esquires will appear
in concert in the auditorium to close
out the weekend.
The 2d Marine Division Band, in
carrying on an old and time honored
tradition of military music, performs
regularly in parades and concerts fol
lowing in the tradition of the very first
Marine Corps Band: drummers and
fifers of 1798.
In a long history of public perfor
mances at civic and festive affairs, the
2d Marine Division Band has perform
ed for the President of the United
States; Her Majesty, the Queen of
England: governors; and countless dig
nitaries and high government officials
from countries all over the world.
During the past year the Band has
made numerous appearances in North
and South Carolina, entertaining thou
sands of Carolinians at parades, con
certs. and public functions, including
an annual performance at the Azalea
Festival in Wilmington. North Caro
lina. the Illinois State Fair, and the
Armed Forces Day parade down Fifth
Avenue, New York City.
During a seven-month period, the
Band made more than 400 concert and
parade appearances. These per
formances have taken the Band mem
bers throughout the eastern United
States as they have logged nearly
12,000 air and bus miles while adding
an estimated 1,200 marching miles.
The Band has traveled extensively
for appearances at the Cotton Bowl,
Dallas. Texas; the Orange Bowl,
Miami. Florida; the opening of the St.
Lawrence Seaway; the New York
Worlds Fair; and cruises of the Carib
bean and Mediterranean. This year will
mark the fourth consecutive appear
ance of the 2d Marine Division Band at
the world famous Mardi Gras in New
Orleans.
But ill is not pomp and ceremony,
big cities and bright lights for the 50
man-plus 2d Marine Division Band. In
See COLLEGE Page 6
Homecoming Contestants
Louisburg College Homecoming Queen contestants are pictured above. From top
to bottom, left to right, are shown: Sue Ann Hardwick, Becky Payne, Diane
Benton, Linda Rhew, Carol Myrick, Mary Lee Hill. Mary Bess Jones, Judy Hill,
Ellen Mustian, Peggy Copeland, Dianne Bobbitt. Diane Schultz and Tony Gupton.
Homecoming at the College is slated Friday and Saturday. Photo by Ross Shuping.
Airport Project Under Study
Kenneth Schubart. Industrial Deve
lopment Director, disclosed today that
his office is studying plans for an
airport for the area and epressed in
terest in its being located somewhere
between Louisburg and Franklinton.
Schubart emphasized that nothing
concrete has yet been done in the
matter, but that there is interest in the
project and his officers looking into
the various possibilities. It Was also
disclosed that some thought was pre
viously given to a joint venture with
Warren County and even Vance
County. Since Vance has a project
already underway and Warren's loca
tion would not be convenient to the
Franklinton-Louisburg area, these pos
sibilities are expected to be abandon
ed.
A news release out of Washington
discloses today that Louisburg is
among the towns listed for approval of
new airports in North Carolina. Sub
ject to Congressional appropriation,
North Carolina is slated to received
S24.6 million for new and improved
airports. The money would come on a
matching fund basis with state and
local participation.
Schubart joined Joe Shearin. local
Civil Air Patrol official, in stressing the
need for airport facilities in the area.
Shearin estimated it would take be
tween $120,000 and $150,000 to
build an adequate air field here. The
federal government would supply fifty
percent of the funds used for land
purchase, safety features and runway
construction.
Franklin has an Airport Commis
sion. which made some inquiries into
an airport project some time ago. No
report of the Commission's activities
have been made in recent months,
however, and the current study of the
possibility of such a project is being
made as a routine matter by the
Development Commission office.