Don't Miss The Wayne Avenue School Barbecue Thursday
❖ WEATHER *
Mostly cloudy and cool with oc
casional light rain or drizzle this
afternoon, tonight and early Thurs
day, fog again tonight and Thurs
day.
THE RECORD
IS FIRST
VERY SMOKY — "Smoky” Smith, left, and
“Smoky” Eggers, center—professional scout work
ers who came by the same nickname in very dif
ferent places—chat with Mary Foster, wife of
the manager of the Cotton dale Hotel. Smith was
checked out to move into his own home on North
McKay as he takes over as Harnett’s^tcout Exec
utive. (Record Photo by Ted Craii.)
Cf»
JmAS
finto
JhinqA
By HOOVES ADAME
LITTLE NOTES ABOUT
PEOPLE AND THINGS
Campbell College has an ardent
booster in County Commissioner
Joe Currin of Angier_One of the
first things the popular new of
ficial did after taking the oath of
office Monday was to instruct
County Auditor Herbert D. Car
son, Jr. to send his commissioner’s
pay of $35 a month to Campbell
College_Mr. Currin said he does
n’t want even a thin dime for his
services to the county but wants
the money to go to Campbell to
help finance the good work the
college is doing... .Postmaster Thad
Pope of Dunn reported after re
turning from Ike’s inauguration
that the President looks better and
even healthier than he did when
Thad saw him take the oath the
first time four years ago.Post
master Pope became a brandpa for
the first time last Thursday and
on Saturday Assistant Postmaster
Cleon Wilson became a grandpa
for the second time_A pretty
baby daughter was born to the
Rev. and Mrs. Thomas G. Wilson
in Lynn, Mass, on Saturday _
Father Francis Stokes reports that
he had a fine time during his va
cation in Florida.“When are
you going to get married?’’ we ask
ed pretty Miss Mildred Jackson of
Erwin the other day_“I'm rea
dy,” she replied with a sweet smile
_“Well, what are you waiting
for?” we asked .. "Waiting for
him to ask me,” she replied.
Npw there’s a very frank and hon
est young lady-Leon Keltner's
recording of “By The River Seine”
is a smooth piece of music_He
plays it almost every night during
(Contimed On Pag* Six)
New Scout Chief
Here From Florida
Francis ‘Smokey’ Smith1, who became a tenderfoot scout
on his 12th birthday in De Land, Florida, came to Harnett
this week as the new district scout executive._
Arriving: nere irom or. r-eusiis
burg, Florida, he replaces Homei
Eggers, an energetic young mar
who shares both his passion foi
scouting and the nickname ol
Smokey. Eggers has been appointed
the district executive for the Ra
leigh area.
Smith and his wife, the former
Margaret Francis of Waynesboro
N. C., will" live at 1000 1/2 North
McKay Ave. in Dunn. This is nol
the new executive’s first assign
ment in the Tarheel state. Foi
three years, he worked out of Ashe
ville. j
His predecessor was showing
Smith around the county today
ana jciuroaucuig nun uu aey pwpie
1 in the scout movement. After a
I first look. Smith admitted that
Eggers.will be "a hard man to fol
low.”
In the past year, scouting in
Harnett has jumped some 70 per
cent and the movement is crack
ling along for both white and
colored divisions. Adults have been
brought into the administration
and teaching for the very exper
ienced have both been very suc
cessful.
“We’ll try to stay as good as we
are and go on from there,” said
Smith.
(Continued On Page Sevan)
Defense Mobilizer
Job Goes To Gray
• WASHINGTON (IP) — President Eisenhower today an
nounced the resignation of Defense Mobilizer Arthur S.
Flemming.
anAAC nritVi Vin/r Cnn/4 /v#
The President announced at his
news conference that he would
nominate Gordon Gray, now as
sistant- secretary of defense and
former president of the University
of North Carolina, to succed Flem
ming.
Othe highlights of the news con
ference:
1. He predicted that Israel will
withdraw her forces from the Ga
za Strip and the area of tre Gulf
of Aqaba lying in Egyptian teri
tory in accordance with the reso
lction of the United Nations.
2. He believes that his confer
Arabia have produced progress to
ward a peaceful and, eventually
united Middle East.
3. He said the United States
should ship oil to Europe to the
fullest capacity of available trans
portation facilities. He held out
the possibility that if this does not
take place the federal government
may rave to step into the situa
tion.
4. He renewed his soupport of
the four-point administration civ
il rights program before Congress.
He said there is nothing in it ini
lOnttawl h Pta T*»l
Harnett County Commissioners
Seek Soil Bank Changes
By LOIS BYRD
Record Staff Writer
The Harnett County Board
of Commissioners joined
with Dee County commis
sioners this week in calling
on Congress for changes in
the soil bank program as it
affects flue-cured tobacco
farmers.
Chief contention of the resolu
tion is that the tobacco farmer,
already forced to take * OT per
cent reduction to acreage, wants
the rate of payment on tobacco
lands placed In the soil bank rais
ed so that it will be comparable
with the percentage now paid for
other farm commodities.
Commissioners voted to approve
the resolution after hearing Coun
ty Agent C. R. Ammons explain
the proposed changes. Acting
Chairman Jarvis Pleasants also
said the recommendations agreed
with those endorsed by the Farm
Bureau. The motion to approve the
resolution came from Alex Cam
eron and was saoonded by J. E.
Wamble.
Text of the resolution was iden
tical to that adopted by the Lee
County commissioners at a special
called meeting held in Sanford on
Jan. 30.
The resolution was as follows:
"Whereas, one of the pifiposes of
the Acreage Reserve phase of the
Soil Bank Program is to reduce
sirpluses. and father ctft pro
duction of certain crops, and
.Whereas, the extent at partici
pation by farmers in the Soil Bank
Is determined by the rate of pay
per unit, (of acreage) and the li
(Con tinned On Page >'«•)
Legislature
Begins Its
Duties Today
RALEIGH (IP) —The 122nd
session of the North Carolina
General Assembly convened
today and both houses or
ganized swiftly to prepare
for the inauguration of Gov.
Luther H. Hodges.
cted
Hodges and nine other elect
state officials, *11 Democrats, will
take oath of office in ceremonies
at noon Thursday at Raleigh'S
Memorial Auditorium. The Gen
eral Assembly will convene in
joint session for the inauguration.
The Senate took only 31 minutes
to complete its organization today,
choosing Sen. Claude Currie of
Durhaw as its president pro-tem,
Lt. Gov. Luther E. Barnrardt of
Concord will assume his role as
presiding officer of the Senate af
ter his inauguration Thursday.
The House followed, convening
an hour later, and also organized
quickly. Choosing of legislative of
ficers was a formality.
Tuesday night s caucus by the De
mocratic majority.
Unanimous Vote
Secretary of State Thad Eure
called * the Senate to order at It
a.m., And after a roll call opened
the floor tor the nomination of %
president pro tern. Currie was*
nominated by Sen. Calvin Graves
of Forsyth and was elected by a
48-0 vote.
Missing were Sen. F. J. Blythe
of Mecklenburg, who resigned un
expectedly Tuesday on the advice
of his physician, and Sen. James
M. Poyner of Wake County, cralr
man of the inaugural committee.
Poyner, however, WEtX-^present for
the initial roll call,
named to the formal
committee in the joint resolution
setting the stage for the inaugura
tion.
The bald Currie, described by
Sen. N. Elton Aydlett of Pasquo
tank as the “Yul Bryrmer of the
Senate,” received the oath of of
fice as president pro tern from
chief Justice J. Wallace Winbome
of the State Supreme Court.
Currie was escorted to the dias
by Sens. Paul E. Jones of Pitt,
J. G. Stikeleather Jr. of Bunn
combe and J. C. Eagles Jr. of
Wilson.
He then opened the floor . for
nomination of a principal clerk,
(Continued On Page Seven)
KING SAUD
King's Tips
More Than
$750 Meal
WASHINGTON M — When King
Baud likes the service at a res
taurant, he lets ’em know it.
In fact, sometimes the tips cost
him as much as the bill.
For example, the Saudi Arabian
monarch and a party of about 50
dropped by the Normandy Farms
Restaurant in nearby Maryland for
ja bit of lunch. V
The check ran to nearly $7S&.
But the tips ran as high if not
higher.
First the king tipped his wait
ress with a gold wrist watch.
Then he presented another gold
wrist wlatc^i to the restaurant’s
manager.
And then he left $500 to be scat
tered about among the rest of the
restaurant’s employes.
Nor does the king confine his
generosity to restaurants.
He was reported to have passed
out four gold watches to medical
personnel at Walter Reed Army
Hospital where his plartly-para
lyaed three-year old son has been
treated.
He also was reported to have
sent replicas of his royal robes to
all member of the cabinet.
However, apparently all this is
only a beginning.
When he arrived, the king was
reported to have 15 trunks filled
with gifts. And how much room
can a few watches take up?
Lacking Fine Money,
Drunks Go To Roads
Four speeders, and a handful of
ctHer offenders wtere tried and
fined in Dunn Recorder’s Monday
morning by Judge H. Paul Strick
land. A Fort' Bragg soldier, Robert
Earl Harrell, was given 30 days on
the roads suspended on payment of
$5 fine ancU costs for possession
of taxpaid whisky.
Two colored men charged with
public drunkenness were sent to
the roads by Judge Strickland. Both
landed in court with new charges
of drunkenness before they had
paid off the fines levied on them
the last time they were in court.
The two remanded to the roads
were Johnny Clegg, 37, of Dunn.
Route 5, and Dick Ray, 41, of
North Fayetteville Avenue in Dunn.
Each was given two thirty-day
sentences, but the sentences run
concurrently so they will be out In
a month.
Alan N. Fullford of Fort Bragg,
charged with disorderly conduct on
South Wilson, pled guilty and was
fined with costs.
Brought in for “no mufflers," Jim
Henry Adams, 53, of Route 2, Ben
son, pled guilty and was fined with
costs and ordered too have his car
j equipped properly.
Speeders fined were Harry Gerald
1 Allen, 20, of Erwin, Route 1, *5 and
costs; Joseph Sherrill Coats, 30,
| Dunn, Route 3, costs; Wilson Free
Con tinned mi rm« Hix>
Officials Endorse
Flood Control Dam
Harnett County commissioners went on record Monday
as favoring the construction of the proposed flood control
dam on New Hope Creek, near Moncure at the earliest
possible date.
At tbe stune time tbe Harnett <
officials named County Afent C i
R, Armpona and County Attorney
\ J
"• a. Jonnson to represent this
county «t the public meeting sche
duled to be held In Fayetteville on
(CsaUsssd Os Page Tee)
Rev. McNeill's
Death Blamed
On Souse Supper
By TED CRAIL
Record Staff Writer
An apparently poisonous
helping of that odd Southern
dish known as souse meat
led to the death Sunday
morning of Rev. G. D. Mc
Neill, Sr., negro pastor of
four churches.
No official confirmation that this
was the cause of death Is available
since an Inquest has not been sche
duled yet, and laboratry findings
have not been received.
Two young grandchildren were
hospitalized following the death of
Rev. McNeill, They also became
violently sick on Sunday morning,
several hours after they had eaten
the souse at an evening meal.
The grandchildren were Carol
Elaine Thompson, 6. and Iris Faye
McNeill, 9, Rev. McNeill’s wife had
barely touched the souse, was re
ported as faintly ill, tout not com
mitted to the hospital.
Why did one die while three oth
ers lived?
The doctor who treated the two
childrta suggested that their grand
father'had probably eaten more of
the tfdxture of odd parts from a
pig than did the grandchildren or
his wife.
Information on the fatal supper
was scarce today, and it was not
known whether an inquest is to
be held. Coroner R. L. Pate, Sr.,
could not be reached for comment.
The Dunn physician who arrived
at McNeill’s home just after his
sudden death, and ordered the
grandchildren Into the hospital for
Immediate treatment, said that a
specimen of the pork eaten at the
meal has been sent to stae labor
atories for analysis.
Fifty-six years old, Rev. McNeill
was a member of Pleasant Grove
■dftrrch and pastor of four others
in this general area. Three of the
se were identified as Willow Spring
Church in Johnston County, San
dy Grove and Union Hill Baptist
Churches in Harnett County.
“I thought he was a real good
preacher,” commented a young wo
man who had known him. “He sub
stituted at our church sometimes,
and he always said what he meant,
and didn’t make it too long.”
Said an older man, "That souse
meat is mighty good but mighty
peculiar. If you don’t have respect
for it, you wight come up dead.”
The doctor who had treated Rev.
McNeill's grandchildren said the
meat was eaten about seven o’clock
on Saturday evening. Rev. McNeill,
he said, ate more of It than the
others and became 111 that same
night, dying about three a.m. be
fore the doctor reached his bed
side.
Whether souse meat become poi
sonous or not, the doctor said, “de
pends on the primary handling.”
“Next thing after handling is to
keep it cold. If handled properly
and kept under refrigeration and if
certain utensils are not placed with
it — those that Cause the rapid
growth of bacteria — why, it will
be all right.” -
Funeral service* are to be held
tomorrow. Rev. Will Cox of Dur
ham and Rev. Connie Smith, local
(Continued on Pag* Eight!
MAINSTAY —- Ann Britton, though she may not look too athletic in
this photo, is a top player on the girls’ team of Dunn High. This
weekend she rested up for contests against Lumberton and Benson.
Stricken with pneumonia earlier this year, she recovered to become
a squad mainstay and big point maker. (Record Photo by Brent
Adams.) j
Sheriff And Aids
CanBrightenCorners
To paraphase the words of a gospel song, cheerful Sher
iff Claude Moore and his smiling rural policemen now
have all the equipment necessary “to brighten the corner”
where they are.
County commissioners this week
approved the purchase of seven
battery-operated searchlights for
the officers. Sheriff Moore demon
strated the handy headlights which
resemble nothing more than an ev
eryday pressing iron, with a power
ful searchlight on one end of the
handle and a red blinker at the
other. Batteries are at the base.
The combined blinker and search
light operates on dry cell batter
ies which may be replaced at no
minal cost, and are guaranteed to
burn 185 hours. '
Will'"Help Find Lost
._ _ tat
Sheriff Moore told the board
such lights would be a great help
in searching the woods for a lost
child. And the red blinker could
be utilied instantly if an officer
came upon a wreck before the ar
rival of a patrol car with a search
light.
And it goes without saying, the
Sheriff reminded the board, that
while no officers car can be taken
safely near a still, the light-weight
light is another matter. In the fu
ture, bootleggers flushed from the
woods may unluckily find them -
selves in the spotlight!
(Continned On Page Seven)
Local Moonshine
Is Scarcer Now
The systematic battle being waged against the sale of
illegal whiskey by the county sheriff’s department was
reflected this week in the small number of illegal stills
reported seized during January.
"It’s setting a bit hard to find
a liquor still in Harnett County”
commented one officer.
Rural policemen, according to
a report filed by Sheriff Claude
Moore with the county commis -
sioneds, confiscated four stills, 3
condensers, 25 gallons of ‘'white'*
whiskey and 300 gallons of beer,
rwo men were arrested and charg
ed with illegal mencfacture. They
were Gib Jackson and Jessie Jam
es Stewart.
(Continued On Page Seven)
Crippled Youth Charged With
Transporting Liquor On Bike
ir-yctti -uiu v i i p | V u
youth, Billy Franklin * Pope,
has been arrested here and
charged with transporting
whisky on a bicycle. His
mother was also arrested
and charged with possession
following a raid on his home.
Both have been
giving bond and
on nnursaay, January 14. police; a
said that neither has any record | v
for liquor dealings. ■!
Pope was stopped yesterday at' *
12:15 p.m. by a rookie policeman,! r
Earl Allen. Police had received in- j
formation that whisky was being j
transported by bike, 1 and Allen ,
checked a box in the bicycle baa- a
tot. \ "V - . ( k
Finding whisky there, he put the
9-year-old boy under arrest. A
earch of the lot where he lives
ith his mother Geneva Pope, an
rwin Mills employe, disclosed ten
alf-gallon Jars of whisky, said
olice.
They were found behind the liv
lg quarters in a coal shed. A can
as had been draped over them
nd the door of the shed was loc
ed. iMrs. Pope, said police, ab- ■
Mutely denied any knowledge of