orth Wilkesboro ,toaa a
ading radius of 50 milee,
srving 100,000 people tn
brthwesteru Carolina.
The Journal-Patriot Hos Blozed the^Troil^LPr^gs^n^he^St^e of Wilkes"
• Published Mondays and Thursdays jilORTH WILKESBORO, W. CT Monday. April 10.1950
Your Shopping Center
FORMER RESIDENT
OF WILKES KILLS
STUDENT ANDSELF
M. ,i .
Leon B. Smithey
Shoots Self After
Staying Of Bennett
CHAPEL HULL, April 8.—Al
most 18 hoars to the minute af
ter allegedly firing fire ballets
Into the body of a student friend,
Leon Broughton Smithey, 30
year-old" ex-student and war vet
eran, -was found dead, propped up
against a tree near the Forest
Theater here about 9 a. m. today,
a bullet hole through his head.
Coroner ». y. Walker, Hillsboro
and Chapel Hill undertaker, ruled
It a suicide following the murct
er Friday afternoon of George
Lemuel Bennett, Jr., 22. Walker
said there would be no need for
autopsy in either case.
Smithey, sought since 2:50 p. m.
Friday, when he was seen walk
ing away from his rooming house,
apparently gone directly to
the Battle Park woods after kill
ing Bennett, officers stated. The
coroner Bald he had been dead
msince 4:30 or 5 p. m. Friday.
Found By Student
Ira Castles, a Monroe, l^a.,
graduate student and part-time
instructor in economics at the uni
versity was on his way to a dental
• appointment this morning, tak
ing a short cut through the woods
from his residence near Gimhoul
Castle, when he passed by the
body of Smithey. He said he called
to him several times. He then
went rapidly to Raleigh Street,
approximately 100 yards away,
flagged a neighbor, a Mr. Wade,
and Immediately notified police.
Capt. Bill Blake of the Chapel
Hill Police Department formally
identified the body of Smithey at
the scene.
Smithey had shot himself in
the right temple with a .38-caliber
revolver, the same gun used in the
■laying of Bennett, according to
"^orSiier WalESf! The buTMr 5*aser
through the head and out the left
side. The revolver was found
clasped in his hand across his
lap.
Village Tense
Discovery of SmKhey's body
ended a period of high tension in
this Easter-quiet village. Police
Chief W. T. Sloan, said he
could not recall a student murder
at the university since he joined
the force in 1924. The police de
partment, the state highway pa
trol, and SBI agents under Lee
Phillips of Raleigh, did not sleep
Friday night, continuing their ef
forts to locate Smithey. Not until
the verdict of suicide came from
the coroner did the officers leave
their poets.
Smithey, described by his mo
Smithey was a son of the late
Sherman Smithey, of Wllkes
boro, and Mrs. Naomi Hendren,
who resides in Arlington, Va.
»**###*###»»»»»•#*•»»»*»»*»*#»»<
ther, Mra. Naomi Smithey of Ar
lington, Va., as in need of treat
ment at a mental institution, had
voluntarily entered Veterans Hos
pital at Fayetteville last year for
treatment, police said. It was in
dicated by a psychiatrist at the
hospital last night that Smithey
was released "under protest" and
that a university professor had
"assumed responsibility" for the
man.
Report Confirmed
In a brief telephone interview
early this morning, Dr. Harry W.
Crane of the psychology depart
ment confirmed the link for the
Daily News. He said, however,
that ft was not a personal matter
but one for the university and he
would confer with school authorl
ites before releasing a statement
concerning Smithey.
Smithey was last seen by V. A.
Hill, a former university professor
and currently of the university ex
ension division, owner of the fash
ionable house at 210 Henderson
Street in whicb Smithey and Ben
nett roomed.
n ——————
Flashers Begin .
Training Today
IS Men In First Workout
This Morning With
Others Expected Soon
Manager Bernie Loman started
spring training for the North
Wilkesboro Flashers her« this
morning with a squad of 15 play
ers and more are expected late to
day and tomorrow. By the end of
the week a squad of 30 players
may be in uniform.
A' number of Jastr year's vete
rans have not reported but are
expected momentarily. Veterans
in the first workout were Pitchers
Lee Bentley and Leslie Rhoades
and First Baseman Tom Daddino.
New candidates include two
catchers, four infielders, three
outfielders and three pitchers.
^Work will reach a faster pace
by middle of the week and the
Flashers will open the exhibition
slate at Morganton Saturday
night. The first home game of
exhibitions will be against Shelby
here Sunday and the season will
open May 1.
Complete 'report on players on
the squad will be published in this
newspaper Thursday.
o ■
Support The Red Cross
^iMjHWH»%%tWWHWmWWWHW»WWWWWHHWHMHW
60TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY APRIL 13
Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Hubbard were married April 13,
1890. Mrs. Hubbard ii a daughter of the late James
. Owens and Diana Wesley Chatham, of Elkin. Mr.
■^lubbaid Is a son of the late Saner Hubbard, of Mora
* vian Falls. At the time of their marriage, Mr. Hubbard
was employed at Chatham Manufacturing Co. They
jpred to Morairian Falls shortly after their marriage
tad have lived in that community since. They are the
parents of ten children, six lhring, as follows: H. C.
Hubbard, of Salisbury; Miss Ruth Hubbard, Mrs. E. G.
Critcher and Rafeh Hubbard, of Moravian Falls, P.
M. Hubbard, ofK. Sterling, Ky.; and J. a Hubbard
of Texas.
—wVikk mountain streams stocked with trout
ni' i - i M i <i < iiiwiw mill I ■' i iiii i ■! I. in. ■■<■«*
This scene show* Game Protector Joel Bentley and members of the Wilkes Wild
life club placing legal size trout in a Wilkes stream. The above picture was on
Pike's creek near Springfield. Left to right are: representative of the Roaring Gap
fish hatchery from which the fish were obtained; Game Protector Joal Bentley; L.
G. Watkins, of Hayes; Troy Perry, president of the Wilkes Wildlife club; and Joe
Hamby, of Hays. Trout placed in Pike's creek, two prongs of Roaring River, Little
Dugger, Bullhead and RicSh Mountain creeks totaled 1,900. (Photo by S. Lane Atkin
son, Jr.).
Dairying Subject
Kiwanis Address
Here Friday Noon
Club Votes To Sponsor
Wilkes Agricultural Fair
Again This Year
North Wilkesboro Kiwanis club
neia cm onjoyoiHB thwuiij rnaty
noon at Hotel Wilkes.
One important matter of busi
ness was (the club's decision to
sponsor the Wilkes Agricultural
Fair again this year. The club
for the past serreral years has
sponsored the fair to promote
agricultural progress in Wilkes
county.
Robert Morehouse announced
that the Millers Creek Key Club
had received its charter and that
it is to be presented to the Club
on Friday, April 21, at 2:00 p. m.
He urged that a large number of
the Kiwanians go out for the pre
sentation.
Program Chairman Frank Blair
asked Richard Johnston to intro
duce his speaker, L. L. Ray, chair
man of the N. C. Dairy Products
Association. Mr. Ray, after relat
ing a number of stories, made
a, very suggestive talk on the
dairy business in N. C. as a part
af a great scheme of diversified
levelopment in the state. He sta
ted that in Wisconsin there are
more cows than there are people,
lut in North Carolina there is
>ne cow for each ten people. The
slimination of this margin of dif-.
'erence is being made. He says
tforth Carolina is fast becoming
i green state because of the rapid
levelopment of pasture lands. This
s pointing to a finer state, he
utid.
Guests Friday were as follows:
lohn B. Justice, III, with John B.
Justice, Jr.; Bob Hubbard with
Dr. F. C. Hubbard; Richard John
ston and L. L. Ray with Frank
Blair. E. W. Smith, of Lenoir, was
i visiting Kiwanian.
Mitch Reeves Rites
Conducted Sunday
Mitch Reeves, 60,' died Friday
jvening at the home of his dau
ghter, Mrs. Ray Church, in the
Ronda community.
Mr. Reeves was born Septem
ber 6, 1889, a son of the iate
Prank and Candis Eller Reeves.
For many years Mr. Reeves op
erated a store and service station
tour miies west of this city on
highway 421, and was well known
In the county.
Surviving Mr. Revees are his
wife, Mrs. Jennie Reeves; one
son, R. H. Reeves, of Lenoir, and
one daughter, Mrs. Ray Church,
of Ronda.
w_i—o
Schoolmasters Meet
Wilkes Schoolmasters Club will
meet this evening, 6:80, at Ho
tel Wllkee. Speaker will be Na
than R. Tel ton, executive secre
tary of the Teachers Retirement
Mrs. Jane Lowe
Funeral Saturday
At Walnut Grove
Mrs. Jane Lowe, 79-year-old
resident of the Pores Knob com
munity, died Thursday.
Funeral service was held Sat
urday morning: at Walnut Grove
Baptist church, ot which she was
a member. Rev. C. C. Holland
conducted the last rite*.
death by
Lowe. Surviving are. the follow
ing sonrf and duaghters: 8pur
geon, J. A. and Trfed Lowe, of
Pores Knob; Dave Lowe, of North
Wilkesboro; Mrs. D. S. Tread
way, Mrs. James Earp and Mrs.
Hubert Haun, of- Pores Knob;
Mrs. Mary Lou Brookshlre, of
Taylorsville.
Cancer Society
Plans To Raise
$2,000 la Drive
Capter Holds Meeting Here
And Reviews Work of
The Past Year
Wilkes chapter of the American
dancer Society in meeting here
reviewed work of the past year
and made plans for increased edu
cational work in the county.
W. C. Grier, chairman of the
chapter, reported on the Cancer
Center, which is operated every
Tuesday morning qt Wilkesboor
for the people of northwestern
North Carolina. The cancer center
is operated by the State Health
Department, with physicians vol
unteering their services. However,
he cancer society does much
work in encouraging people to
attend the center and obtain can
cer examinations.
The fund raising campaign was
also discussed. The goal for the
cancer campaign in Wilkes this
year is $2,000.
Forty per cent of the funds
will be used to fight cancer in
Wilkes county. Twenty per cent
will go to the state chapter for
use in counties which do not
have an active organization. Hie
remaining forty per cent goes to
the American Cancer Society to
finance research work in efforts
to find cancer cures and prevent
atives and to finance cancer edu
cation on the national level. ^
The plan of organization calls
for raising the cancer funds dux-'
ing the month of April. Mr. Grier
stated, and efforts will be made
to. launch a full scale campaign
here next week.
During the coming year the
Wilkes chapter plans to show a
number of films in Wilkes coun
ty, which will show the desperate
need of early diagnosis and treat
ment of cancer to cut down the
apalling death toll from the dis
ease.
o
Mr. and Mrs. I. B. Helms spent
the wsak-snd with relatives la
CharknUt. ......
Dave Hall Files
As Candidate For
OfficeOfSheriff
Prominent Farmer And Busi
ness Man Seeks Demo
cratic Nomination
Davs Hall, prominent business
■msa and tygjfliy.ban announced
Ms candidacy and has filed with
the Wilkes county board of elec
tions as candidate for the Demo
cratic nomination for sheriff of
Wilkes county in the primary to
be held May 27.
Born and reared in Wllkes
boro, Mr. Hall is a son of the
late Mr. and Mre. J. B. Hall. For
23 years Mr. Hall was with R. J.
Reynolds Tobacco company in the
sales division and was division
manager with headquarters in
Cleveland, Ohio. After retiring
from that posliton Mr. Hall spent
three years in Florida.
After returning to Wilkes he
bought from Mack Moore one of
the largest farms in Wilkes
county, located near Wllkesboro.
In addition to operating his large
farm very successfully, Mr. Hall
has been active in civic and pub
lic life. He has been very active
in work of the Wilkes Chamber
of Commerce, of which he is a
member. He is a Baptist, a mem
ber of the North Wilkeboro Op
timist club and is a member of
the Masonic lodge.
Mr. Hall is a veteran of World
War I.
o
Debtors Will Hear
Dr. Mulherin Here
Chapel Hill — Three special
ist, Dr. Philip A. Mulherin of the
University of Georgia School of
Medicine, Augusta; Dr. Robert D.
Dripps, University of Pennsyl
vania Hospital, and Dr. Reno R.
Porter, Medical College of Vir
ginia, Richmond, will be the
speakers this week at four Post
graduate Courses in Medicine be
ing held in various parts of the
State this and next month.
The courses are being held in
North Wilkesboro, Salisbury, Ral
eigh and Edenton under the spon
sorship of the University of North
Carolina Medical School and Ex
tension Division.
Dr. Mulherin will give addresses
in North Wilkesboro on pediatrics
at a clinic at the Hotel Wilkes at
3 p. m. Tuesday, April 11, and
at a dinner at the Hotel that
night at 6:30.
o
Mr. and Mrs. Rom H. Pearson
went to Linoolntor Friday morn
ing to attend a cake-cutting party
given in the evening by their dau
ghter, and her husband, Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Killian, at their home
honoring Miss Virginia Yount and
Tom Wellborn, who were married
Saturday evening, 7: St o'clock, in
Dante's Lutheran church. The
Pearson's other daughter, Mias
Beatrice Pearson, who teaches in
Hickory, attended the party and
remained over for the wedding.
The groom is a son of Mr. Guy
Wellborn, of Wilkesboro, and the
[late Mrs. Wellborn.
Seniors To Give >
Stage Production
Of Beloved Clotsic
Louisa May Alcott's classic no
vel, '^Little Women.", was written
in the mid-1800'a and sold 80,000
the first year of publication. For
eighty years this book has been
read and loved by children and
adults throughout the world. It
has been adapted for stage, screen
and radio, never losing its popu
larity.
On Friday, April 21, the senior
class of North Wilkesboro High
Schol will present a three act dra
matization of "Little Women'' in
the school auditorium. The annual
Senior Play is one of the biggest
Events in the school and the cast
has been working diligently for
weeks to make this an outstand
ing production of "Uttle Women."
Tickets are 60 cents for adults
and 30 cents for students. Matinee
performance for elementary stu
dents on Thursday April 20, will
be 25 cents per student.
Don't miss "Little Women." It
is a heartwarming story the whole
family will enjoy.
r>
LOCALS
Mrs. J. E. Duncan spent the
week-end at Pageland, S. C„ with
her son and his family, Mr. and
Mrs. Owen E. Duncan and two
sons, Danny and Gary.
Mrs. Don Coffey and Miss Eliza
beth Pinley spent the Eatser week
end in Chapel- Hill and Durham.
They also visited various North
Carolina gardens which are open
for spring tours.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Day and young
son, James Timothy, viBlted with
Mrs. Day's parents, Mr. and Mrs.
J. J. Saunders, at Bedford, Va.,
during the week-end.
Mrs. W. H. McElwee and "two
children, Martan aml Billy, spent
the day Wednesday at Kings
Mountain with Mrs. McElwee's
parents, Bir. and Mrs. J. O. Plonk.
Mrs. McElwee was , accompanied
home by her mother, Mrs. Plonk,
who is visiting here in the McEl
wee home.
Mesdames N. B. Smithey, Kyle
Hayes, Lee Hemphill, Charles
Younce, Louise Alexander, and G.
M. N. Parker, and Misses Ghita
Tuttle and Joyce Younce went to
Taylorsville Wednesday evening
for a birthday dinner given by
Mr. and Mrs. M. G. Kirkpatrick
at their home honoring Mrs.
Smithey, mother of Mrs. Kirpa
trick.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Blatt, of
Milford, Va., were here for the
Easter holidays with Mr. Blatt's
parents, Mr. and Mrs.. Gordon
Finley. Mr. Gordon Finley, Jr., a
student at Lees-McRae College
at Banner Elk, and who had spent
the spring holidays with the
Blabts at Milford, reutrned home
with them and was here also for
the week-end with his parents.
More Money From
City And County
Needed For Yeor
Trustees and librarians of the
Wilkes Public Library, faced with
an embarassing books and hour
shortage, this month appealed to
the Wilkes County Commission
ers and the North Wilkesboro city
council for Increased appropria
tions for the fiscal year beginning
July 1. 1950.
With a total Income of $5,606
for the current year, the library
authorities stated that their min
imum needs for the coming year
will be $8,040 if the library is to
render the type of serviee the
people of the county want and are
entitled to.
Fdr the current year the lib
rary receives from the city of
North Wilkesboro $1,120. The
request for the coming year is
$2,500. For this year the county
appropriates $600 and the . re
quest for the coming year is $3,
000. This year the state furnishes
$3,586, which will be reduced to
$3,240 for next year. Miscellen
eous income is estimated at $300
yearly.
That the library is growing in
popularity and usefulness is shown
by circulation figures, the trus
tees pointed out in their summary
presented with the requests fer
increased appropriations. Circu
lation of books in 1949 totaled
46,632, compared to 21,750 in
1945, an increase o; more than
100 per cent in five years.
Last year the library added 814
volumes to bring the total to 6,
212, which is far short of the
amount needed for the popula
tion of the county, now estimated
at about 50,000 people. The Am
erican Library Association sets
as a standard two books per capi
ta.
Last year the per capita in
come of the Wilkes library was
IS cents, which is much lower than
45 for Randolph, 75 for Alle
ghany, 29 for Watauga, 33 for
Caldwell, 28 for Catawba, 35 for
Rutherford, and many other coun
ties cited in the report.
<y
Optimist dub j
Meets Tuesday
• ft i'' -
■
The Optimist club of North
Wilkesboro will meet Tuesday at
noon at Hotel Wilkes. District
Governor Pete Rogers, of Hick
ory, will be present to install of
ficers for the coming year.
■o —
Miss Jewel Howard, who teach
es in the Leaksville Public school,
and Mr. Jack Howard, a member
of the Walnut Core public school
faculty, were here for the Easter
holidays with their parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Charlie Howard. Mr.
Theodore B. Lupton, Jr., of
Greenville, also visited in the
Howard home.
STUDENT ACQUITTED OF MURDER