WINSTON-SALEM
Vol. I, No. 25 WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA
-* 20 cents ST
Saturday, February 22, 1975
Suit Filed Against Trustees
Hore Owner Shot And Killed
n Apparent Robbery Attempt
A 72 year-old owner of a
mall store was shot and killed
Tiursday (Feb. 13, 1975)
)0ut 1 p.m. in an apparant
the road in the 1400 block of
North Main Street. He had
been shot once in the chest.
The slain man was
body of 72 year-old Elijah Whitaker Jones is removed from
his small store where he was shot and killed.
obbery attempt.
Shortly after the shooting a
nan police believed to be the
issailant was found lying in
identified as Elijah Whitaker
Jones. Jones’ sister stated
that Jones had operated the
small store for more than 20
NCCU Law School Faces
Loss Of Accreditation
The only predominantly
lack law school in the state is
1 danger of losing its
iccredidation, according to
news reports.
The American Bar Associa-
lon has given warning to
iorth Carolina Central Uni-
ersity (NCCU) in Durham,
hat if its facilities are not
mproved, its law school will
ot be accredited. N.C.
entral will have to submit a
ornprehensive improvement
Ian by June 1. This comes in
he aftermath of repeated
ittempts by the school to
'Pgrade its facilities. Present-
Vi there is only one building
lousing the main classrooms,
library, and administra-
ve offices.
A few months ago there had
been talk among some high
level officials of closing the
law school all together. Many
felt that because of the high
rate of failure of Central’s
students when they take the
N.C. Bar exam. Fewer than
20% of the Black law school
graduates pass the exam each
year. There have been no
whites to flunk and only a few
Indians have attended.
More notably, however, is
the quality of Central’s law
graduates. Some of Central’s
graduate are:
Maynard Jackson, Mayor of
Atlanta; Julius Chambers,
who dealth successfully with
See LAW Paee 2
years at 1493 N. Trade Street.
Jones, who was alone in the
store, had been shot in the
chest with a 20 guage shotgun
and was dead when police
arrived.
A warrant was later issued
for Michael May, 17, of
Greenway Avenue charging
him with murder. May at last
report was still in Baptist
Hospital. He is under police
guard.
Police were not sure at the
time of the shooting if money
had been taken from the store,
but said that it was apparatnly
a robbery attempt.
Investigating officers stated
that a pistol and a spent
cartridge were found near the
feet of the dead man.
A young man who would
not identify himself said that
he was on his way to the store
to get a package of cigarettes
when he heard the shots. He
said a man then ran from the
store and turned the corner on
North Main Street.
A short time later a man
was found lying on North
Main Street. He had been shot
in the chest. It was reported
that after he had been found a
man took a sawed-off shot gun
which was stuffed inside the
wounded man’s pants and left
the scene. The man also took a
spent shell from the chamber
of the gun.
The gun was later recovered
by the police. A 20 guage shot
gun shell was also found near
the man’s right pants pocket.
The investigation continues.
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P.O.Box 3154
Winston-Salem, N.C. 27102
A civil suit has been filed
against the Trustee Board of
the St. James A.M.E. Zion
Church of Winston-Salem
involving misuse of funds. The
details of the suit.were not
attainable at this report (Feb.
18, 1975).
The suit, however, grew out
of dissatisfaction of six people
who were scheduled to take
part in an Hawaiian trip last
July. Mrs. Louise Jones, one
of the dissatisfied partici
pants, told the Chronicle the
story behind the suit.
She said the trip was
scheduled for July 9, 1974 and
cost each person $525. In
June, James Smith who was
the agent, told them the trip
had been cancelled, according
to Mrs. Jones. She said
although they did not find ou(
about the cancellation unti
June, the Rev.J.T. McMillan
had found out from the
airlines that the trip had been
cancelled in February.
“Thepastorof the church,
Rev. J.T.McMillan,found out
that Smith had not sent the
payments in on time and the
airlines cancelled,” she said.
Neitherr Smith nor Rev.
McMillan were available for
comment. The Rev. McMil
lan’s wife said he was out of
town and Smith could not be
reached.
Mrs. Jones said that two
other people were working
with Smith coordinating the
trip and collecting money,
Mrs. Sarah Marsh and Mrs.
Annie B. Farabee. Mrs.
See SUIT Paee 5
Sumler Says Firing
Racially Motivated
■ ■’ ' V i
. ^
Rodney Sumler
‘‘All it takes is an
accusation of a Black official
for him to have to prove
himself innocent, rather than
being proven guilty.”
That is the thinking of
Rodney Sumler who was fired
recently from his city
recreation department job.
Sumler, in an interview
recently, stated that this is the
main reason he is determined
to fight the firing by Pat
Swann, head of the recreation
department.
Sumler, who was in charge
of Cultural and Special
Activities for the W-S
Recreational Dept., said he
plans to take the case to court
in order that his innocense
might be proved to the people.
Sumler feels that his firing
was politically and racially
motivated. ‘‘I am speaking
publically because whites
have taken advantage of
blacks for too long,” he said.
Sumler said he is concerned
that the black community may
suffer because of his firing.
‘‘Many of the programs 1
started in order to aid black
and underprivileged people
will now be discontinued.”
Sumler said he has worked
in recreation for 17 years and
only in the past 1 V2 years has
his record of honesty been
questioned. He credits this
doubt of honesty to the fact
that he changed his political
status from Democrat to
Republican. He said he has
been pressured ever since to
give up his job.
Sumler also stated that he
feels he was fired because
whites do not want competent
blacks in decision making
positions. “The accusations
against me were biasly
concluded and incomplete and
See SUMLER Paee 3