Most Of The News
All The Time
THE STATE PORT PILOT
VOL. NO. SIXTEEN
No. 19
6-PAGES TODAY
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
Southport, N. C.,
The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
Wednesday, September 3, 1952
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
*1.50 rER YEAH
Catch Quintet
Wanted Here On
Robbery Count
Men Wanted For Robbery
Of Safe At Brunswick
Navigation Co. Plant Be
ing Detained For Bruns
wick Authorities
ONE MAN RETURNED
TO LEPER COLONY
One Man Identified As Per
son Who Secured Payroll
For Menhaden Boat On
False Pretense
Arrested in Meridian, Connect
icut!, and found to have bur
glary tools in their possession,
four recent sojourners in South
port are now in the New Haven,
Con., jail awaiting trial in Su
perior Court. Sheriff E. V. Leon
ard has filed a detainer against
all four men and when the au
thorities in the eastern state
gets through with them they will
be brought back here to answer
charges of obtaining money un
der false pretense and breaking
and entering the office of the
Brunswick Navigation Company,
where they wrecked the company
safe.
A fifth man in the party tak
en in Connecticutt was the kind
of prisoner they did not want.
Neither did Brunswick County.
He was Wm. Demerett, an es
cape from the Leper Colony in
Louisiana. He has already been
returned there.
The four being held at New
Haven are Donald Thomas, Jack
Pappy, Joseph Cook and Howard
Sapp. All are residents of Ce
dar Keys, Fla. They are said
to have made their way to South
port with the local shrimping
fleets when the boats returned
from Key West.
They worked for a while on
Borne of the shrimp boats. Sapp,
said to have been the head man
of the bunch, and one or two
others, then secured employment
with the Brunswick Navigation
Corporation on their menhaden I
boats. Sapp is said to have been'
detected one night going toward
the corporation’s office with a
blow torch. He made some plau
sible explanation and the inci
dent was not reported.
About a week later he is al
leged to have gone to the office
of the company and stated he
would like to have the payroll of
the boat upon which he worked.
The week had not been a very
high one with catches and the
payroll for that boat was just
a little short of seven hundred
dollars. Assuming that the man
had been sent by the Captain of
the boat the money was handed
over without question. He had
disappeared a short time later
When it was discovered he had
obtained the money without au
thorization and appropriated it
Continued on Page Five
Brief Newt
Flasket
FT A MEETING
The first meeting of the year
of the Southport Parent-Teacher
Association will be held tomor
row (Thursday) evening at 7:30
o’fclock.
ATTENDED CONVENTION
Ed Oliver and Crawford Rourk
have returned home from attend
ing the National Convention of
the American Legion in New
York.
CHANGE CHURCH HOUR
The hour for evening worship
at all Southport churches will
change this week from 8 o’clock
to 7:30. o’clock. Due to the ab
sence of the pastor, the Rev. N.
L. Jones, there will be no even
ing service at Trinity Methodist
Church.
OPENS SAWDUST TRAIL
The Sawdust Trail Cafe at the
intersection of 303 with 130 will
reopen next Wednesday, Septem
ber 10. The place has been leas
ed by T. L. Tolar, an experienc
ed cook who has been with
Mack’s Cafe for several years.
Mr. Tolar also had several years
of experience as a cook with the
Navy during the war.
UHALLOTTE PTA
The first meeting of the year
for the Shallotte Parent-Teachers
Association will be held Monday
night at 8 o’clock in the high
school auditorium. T. L. Ballard
is president, Miss Mayce Weeks
is vice president; Mrs. Robert F.
Rogers is secretary; and Mis.
John F. Holden is treasurer of
this oiganization. A large at
tendance of parents and friends
of the school is urged by Presi
dent Ballard.
Favorite Spot
WHITTLIN’—The Whittlers Bench at the foot of Howe street is a favorite haunt
for visitors during- the summer months, for in addition to all of the chips and shav
ings that fall, so do a lot of salty stories that make good listening.
Whiteville Leaf
Market Exceeds
Million Pounds
First Million - Pound Day
Was Experienced Friday
When Leaf Auctioned For
$54.10 Average
The Whiteville tobacco market
came up with its first million
pound day Friday, leading Sales
Supervisor Dave S. Neilson to pre
dict full days every day for the
next two or three weeks.
An average of $54.10 per hun
dred pounds was chalked up Fri
day as 1,022,322 pounds were auc
tioned.
Last week’s total of 4,454,122
pounds was high for any week
this season.
Pounds and averages by days
were:
Monday —- 988,290 pounds; av
erage, $53.61.
Tuesday — 906,584 pounds; av
erage, $52.68.
Wednesday — 712,010 pounds;
average, $52.47.
Thursday — 826,916 pounds;
average, $53.15.
Friday — 1,022,322 pounds, av
erage, $54.10.
Through Friday the Whiteville
market had auctioned 13,987,860
pounds for $7,498,891.37. The to
date average is $53.14
Warehousemen and buyers were
observing today as a holiday, but
floor managers and their assist
ants are on the job receiving to
bacco for tomorrow’s sales. There
was every indication that White
ville’s limit of 6,000 baskets will
be sold Tuesday.
While sales are running behind
last year at this point in the mar
ket season, Supervisor Neilson
predicts a gradual closing of the
gap during the next two to three
weeks. Ultimately, he estimates
that the seanon will end with
close to 35 million pounds.
George r. Golev
Resident Of Shallotte Died
Friday Afternoon; Body
Returned To Mt. Holly, j
N. J., For Burial
George F. Goley, native of Mt.
Holly, N. J., and resident of Shal
lotte for the past 12 years, died
at his. residence there Friday af
ternoon. Mr. Goley was a broth
er of the late Dr. William R. Go
ley.
The body was taken to the old
home at Mt. Holly Sunday af
ternoon and was buried there
Monday.
Surviving Mr. Goley is his wid
ow, Mrs. Mary E. Goley; two
daughters, Mrs. John Armstrong
of Mt. Holly, N. J., and Mrs.
George Gore of Wilmington; three
sons, George F. Goley, Jr., of
Mt. Holly N. J., Algernon Goley
of Burlington, N. J., and Capt.
Byron H. Goley who is stationed
in Germany. One sister, Mrs.
John Oliver of Raeford, also sur
vives.
News Magazine Has
Rappleyea Story
Kills Bushel
Of Rattlesnakes
Striking his axe against a big
gum log in some new ground
that had recently been cleared
by a bulldozer, Kendall Bellamy
of the Hickman’s Cross Roads
community, thought he would
find out how rotten the log was.
It appeared to be very much
alive. A big singing started up
inside and Bellamy investigated
further by chopping a hole in
the soft wood. A big rattlesnake
promptly emerged through the
hole and got his head chopped
off.
The first snake was followed
by another and another until
the surprised farmer found him
self with 31 dead rattlers on his
hands. Three of them were large,
all about 54 inches in length.
The rest were 18 inches and up.
Henry Hickman says that the
collection formed a mass suffi
cient to fill a peck bucket.
Elderly Citizen
Dies At Home
William Thomas Medlin
Died At Home In North
West Township Friday;
Funeral Services Conduc
ted Monday
Williarr\, Thomas Medlin, 83
year old resident of Northwest
township, died at his home Friday
night. He had been in failing
health for a long period.
Mr. Medlin is survived by his
widow, by five daughters, Mrs.
A. M. Turbyville, Virginia Beach,
Va., Mrs. E. D. Page, Acme; Mrs.
Paul Gallup, Acme; Mrs. Wilbur
Martin, Aynor, S. C.; Mrs. Forest
Williams, Leland; five sons, F.
L. Medlin, Leo F. Medlin, North
west; E. E. Medlin, Northwest;
W. T. Medlin, Jr., Virginia
Beach, Va.; and John ,R. Medlin
of Virginia Beach. One sister,
(Continued on Page 5)
Freeland Man
Passes Monday
Funeral Services For Wil
liam Memory Ward Con
ducted Tuesday Afternoon
At Freeland
Following a long period of ill
health Memory William Ward
died at his home in the Freeland
community of Waccamavv town
ship Monday. Mr. Ward was 56
years of age.
Funeral services were held yes
terday at 10 o’clock from the
Continued on Page Five
National Publkati%iw4Haa
Report On P las-Mb-Fait
As Road Building And
Construction Material
REPORTS INTEREST
IN THIS PRODUCT
Quotes Guarded Statement
Given By Representatives
Of Marine Corps Re
garding Material
The September 1 issue of News
week had an interesting story
relative to a Southport man,
George W, Rapplyea and his
plasmofalt invention. As a mat
ter of local interest, some ex
cerpts from this story are print
ed below:
“The day when the streets
would be paved with gold appear
ed as remote as ever last week,
but there now appears to be a
possibility that some of them
at least would be paved with mo
lasses.
"Pentagon officials in Wash
ington confirmed wThat had long
been, an open secret in the qui
et fishing village of Southport,
N. C.; that Dr. George W. Rapp
lyea, who has had a high fence
around his backyard, a cement
mixer, and a sign, RESTRICT
ED, had developed an asphalt
like material composed of chem
ically treated molasses, concrete
and fuel oil. Experimental stret
ches of highway made out of the
stuff are already undergoing
tests.
“The Marine Corps, which is
( Continued On Page Five )
Attack On Frink
Comes From Man
Of Bad Record
Edward James Smythe,
Washington Man Who
Wrote Scathing Letter To
Local Man, Has Danger
ous Background
HAS BEEN FRIEND
OF KU» KLUX KLAN
Record Of Indictments And
Identification With Sub
versive Groups Points
Out Character
From the September issue of !
TheThe Catholic Digest comes an
insight into the record of Ed
ward James Smythe, Who re
cently wrote a letter to S. B.
Frink, taking him to task for
the manner, in whicTi -he defend
ed Thomas L. "Hamilton, Imperial
Wizzard of the Ku Klux Klan.
Following is a report of the in
vestigation into his past activi
ties, branding hi as a trouble
maker of long and varied activi
ty:
“Edward James Smythe uses
equal parts of alcoholism and ir
rationality to keep up his cam
paign of religious hatred. He is
a burly, unkempt figure with a
rambunctious air who peddles an
ti-Catholic books and leaflets and
conducts direct-mail campaigns
for money. In 1941 he was de
nounced in Congress.
Later on, he was indicted and
tried for sedition. Public docu
ments link him with the German
American Bund and the Ku Klux
Klan. He once distributed in this
country large numbers of Ger
man-printed nazi propaganda
pamphlets. He has offices at
1211 Connecticut Ave., N. W.,
Washington, D. C., and writes ir
responsible letters on many dif
ferent letterheads. The Dies com
mittee listed Smythe’s Protes
tant War Veterans of the U. S.
as a fascist organization similar
to Pelley’s Silver Shirts. The New
York Protestant council declared
that Smythe’s organization ‘has
no connection with the establish
ed Protestant life and organiza
tions of the nation.'
“In 1922 Smythe was commit
ted to Johns Hopkins hospital,
Baltimore, for observation. He
was discharged, although the di
agnosis of one staff physician was
that he was suffering from psy
choneurosis. By 1926 he had head
quarters in New York, and blos
( Continued On Page Five )
Columbus Man
Returns Watch
Deputy Drew Long Over
takes Man Who Had Lift
ed Watch From Stock At
Russ Jewel Shop Thurs
day
The Russ Jewelry Store at
Shallotte was out a $50 ladies’
wrist watch for a short time last
Thursday. The watch and its
case, undamaged, was found in
the possession of Thomas Leon
ard of Nakina about an hour
later.
Leonard is alleged to have en
tered the store, owned by Billy
Russ, accompanied by another
Columbus County man who ap
pears not to have been impli
cated in the theft. This com
panion wanted his watch fixed
and while Mr. Russ was giving
the watch his attention Leonard
is said to have slipped the wrist
watch and its case into his pock
( Continued on page Five )
W. B. KBMAH
Our
ROVING
Reporter
I
Colonel Roland C. Brown, Corps'
of Army Engineers, Wilmington
District, of which Southport is
a part, spent Saturday afternoon
here with us. It was not an of
ficial visit. The Colonel was just
getting better acquainted with
the Southport folks. He was ac
companied by his son, Peter
Brown, a student in Wilmington
College. Devoted to his duties as
Chief of the Wilmington District
Col. Brown feels an especial in
terest in the Sunny Point pro
ject and he is proud of the fact
that his district and Brunswick
County could provide what high
officials have said is the best lo
cation on the Atlantic Coast for
one of the big needs of the Uni
ted States.
We were advised this week by
a visitor from up State that the
Department of Conservation and
Development has been making
recent trips to Washington, rel
ative to something that will be
of material aid to industry in
Brunswick County. With or
without the attaining of the ob
ject of the efforts, the Depart
ment appears to feel that Brun
swick county is a very potential
area for various industries, some
of which may require rail and
water transportation, and some
of which can do well without
either. The year-round fine cli
mate, living conditions, etc.,
plays an outstanding part. The
matter of the moment is a defi
nite knowledge of the labor sup
ply that will be available.
(Continued on page four)
Mayor To Speak
THINK
SPEAKER—Mayor Lee Braxton of Whiteville is to
be the speaker at the Southport Lions Club meeting here
tomorrow. He has just returned from a 10-day trip to
Minneapolis and Seattle where he filled speaking engage
ments.
Storms Do Little
Damage In County
Storm Makes Folks
Do Strange Things
When a warning came Sat
urday to evacuate the beach, Or
mond and Betty Leggett were
faced with the problem of what
to do with their 10 guests
who were staying at their
Long Beach cottage.
By careful planning and the
use of a roll-away bed and. an
army cot the persons were ac
counted for, all that is except
the host and hostess. Then it
was that they remembered the
bed with the foam rubber mat
tress they have on display ov
er at the store next to the
Amuzu. Scheduling their bed
time for an hour after the
crowd had disappeared from
the second show, Ormond and
Betty became a part of a win
dow display on a night when
the weather was much too for
bidding for the public to have
an opportunity to observe the
demonstration.
Charleston Man
Interested Here
E. F. Middleton Reports
Charleston Interests Are
Ready To Cooperate With
Plans For Industrial De
velopment
Busy much of the time in his
office with one of the shipping
companies at Charleston, E. F.
Middleton, founder of Long Beach
and still owning much property
there, stated this week that he
expects to spend more time at
the beach from now on.
With the interest that is now
centering on Southport and Long
Beach, Mr. Middleton believes
that his presence at the beach
will enable him to keep in per
sonal contact with all situations
that develop. As a matter of
fact, he hopes to take a hand in
helping to bring along various
things that will aid in the devel
opment of the area and of Brun
( Continued on page Five )
Selling Stolen
Goods Is Costly
Two Men Captured In This
County While Attempting
To Sell Fruits Of Robbery
In New Hanover
Peddling the loot that they are
alleged to have taken from the
Rose Garden Service Station at
Castle Hayne Sunday night, Wil
bert Norris of Whiteville, Route
2, and William Clewis of Maffett
Village, Wilmington, were arrest
ed Monday morning at Thomas
boro.
They have been turned over to
New Hanover County officers for
trial.
Among the loot taken from
the station were 60 cartons of
cigarettes, two cases of beer,
canned goods, etc. They were
trying to peddle this to merch
( Continued On Page Five )
The Greatest Danger Came
From High Winds Of
Last Wednesday Night
And Not From Hurricane
Of Week-End
ROOFS SUFFER
SLIGHT DAMAGE
Reported That Season’s Sec
ond Hurricane Is Now
Heading Northward
From Carribean
Sea
An unheralded storm which hit
this area Wednesday night blew
harder and did more damage
than the more widely publicized
“Hurricane Able” which headed
inland before reaching this far
north during the week-end.
At Southport there was no
major damage from either blow.
On Wednesday night there was
a power interruption caused by
falling branches and the windows
were broken at Mack’s Cafe. A
small cabin cruiser owned by
Monroe Butler swamped at the
dock.
A Coast Guard craft tied up
at the dock that night clocked
the wind velocity at 83 miles per
hour during the more severe
gusts. This storm appeared to
reach its peak about S^O’o'clock.
The greatest effect of the storm
was the damage it did to the
holiday week-end vacation bus
iness. There were reports on Sat
urday that all persons had been
warned to evacuate the beaches,
but about 9 o'clock that night
word came that the storm had
headed inland between Charles
ton and Beaufort, S. C.. Many
of the persons who had headed
away from the beaches to escape
the storm ran into its path on
their way to their homes inland.
Over on the ocean front at
i Caswell Beach, Long Beach and
Holden Beach the greatest dam
age was to several roofs. Stran
gely enough, it appeared to be
the flat-top roofs that suffered
Continued on Page Five
Sheriff Officers
Get Big Still
Sheriff E. V. Leonard And
Deputies Locate Large
Unit' While In Operation
But Men Make Escape
Sheriff E. V. Leonard and Dep
uties Charles Skipper and Drew
Long eaptured a 150 gallon
steam, submarine type whiskey
still, 18 gallons of whiskey and
3000 gallons of mash in North
west township Friday.
As the officers were getting
near the outfit someone describ
ed as a watchman fired three
shots from a shotgun as a warn
ing. Several men engaged in the
operating, said to be New Han
over County Negroes, fled before
they could be caught. One of
them was recognized, however,
and a warrant has been issued
and sent to New Hanover Coun
ty for his apprehension.
It is believed that with the ar
rest of this man, who is a known
offender, the entire party can
be apprehended and brought here
for trial.
Railroad Should
Provide Service
For Industries
Man In Position To Know
Declares That He Sees No
Conflict In Government
Interest If Extension Is
Built
MAY OPEN UP NEW
POSSIBILITIES HERE
Considerable Interest Has
Been Exhibited In Possi
bility Of Locating Busi
ness Interest Here
By W. B. KEZIAH
"If private industry or enter
prise needs and wants it, there
is no reason why the railroad to • '
be built by the government to
Sunny Point should not be ex
tended to Southport or other
nearby points. But such inter
ests will have to build the exten
sion themselves. The government
has no money for railroad con
struction beyond that which is
to serve Sunny Point.”
The above remarks were made
by an official source this past
week and came as a result of
questioning as to the possible av
ailability of the railroad for pri
vate industry.
ine oeaDoaro rtauroaa will
build one and nine-tenth miles
from Eastbrook to and across the
Atlantic Coast Line at Leland.
This railroad building by the S.
A. L. involves an overpass of
the tracks of the Coast Line and
Highways 74 and 76 at Leland
and to a short distance this side
of the Coast Line tracks.
The Atlantic Coast Line will
likewise build one and nine-tenths
miles along its tracks and out
to the point where the S. A. L.
trackage ends. From where these
two privately built lines end the
government will take over and
build the line some 20 miles to
Sunny Point and some 50 miles
of line and sidings doton in the
reservation.
It is understood that from
where the government road turns
to fan down into the reservation
yards and three huge docks pri
vate interests can build and use
a spur for the three and a half
or four miles to Southport or
points on the river between
Southport and Sunny Point. The
three miles between Southport
and the river part of the reser
vation will have deep water. In
fact, it will have the deepest
water Of any accessable from
land North Carolina coastal area.
One of the two railroads that
will handle the government ship
ping to and from the govern
ment-built and owned railroad is
said by reliable sources to have
indicated an interest in building
the short line to the river south
of Sunny Point. Fuel oil people
have also indicated interest in
seeing rail access to the river at
a point outside of the Sunny
Point reservation.
It has been pointed out that
there will be much need of fuel
ing for ships 'in the area. This
fueling will be done by private
industry. It is understood that
before the huge facility is com
pleted contracts will be let for
supplying fuel and the successful
bidder will construct his own
storage and servicing facilities.
One of the largest oil interest^
in the country is said to be keep- *
ing a man in Washington con
stantly alert to the development
here. As a matter of fact, all
of the big oil companies are
watching the local undertaking.
It was pointed out this week
that both the Seaboard and the
Coast Line would not confine
themselves to just hauling am
(Continued on Page Two)
Tide Table
Following is the tide iable
for Southport during the next
week. These hours are approxi
mately correct and were furn
ished The State Fort Pilot
through the courtesy of the
Cape Fear Pilot’s Association.
High Tide Low Tide
Thursday, September 4
7:49 a. m. 1:41 a. m.
8:19 p. m. 2:02 p. m.
Friday, September 5
8:40 a. m. 2:28 a. m.
9:07 p. m. 2:52 p. m.
Saturday, September 6
9:29 a. m. 3:13 a. m.
9:54 p. m. 3:40 p. m.
Sunday, September 7
10:19 a. m. 3:59 a. m.
10:41 p. m. 4:30 p. m.
Monday, September 8
11:10 a. m. 4:44 a. m.
11:28 p. m. 5:20 p. m.
Tuesday, September 9
12:01 a. m. 5:31 a. nt.
0:00 p. m. 6:14 p. m.
Wednesday, September 10
0:19 a. m. 6:21 a. m.
12:55 p. m. 7:12 p. m.