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The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
i,
THE STATE PORT PILOT
Most of the News
All The Time
Volume 24
No. 14
8-Pages Today
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
SOUTHPORT, N. C WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1964
5c A COPY
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
Gavins Greeted At Longwood
WELCOME—When the Gavin caravan reached Longwood Saturday it was
greeted by a little boy, Donald Hughes, riding his bike and bearing, the sign “Wel
come Gavin To Longwood.” Mr. and Mrs. Gavin got out of the car to respond to
the welcome.: (Staff Photo.by Allen) r :v::' " ' ' ’
Robert Gavin ~ 3
Makes Tour Of
Area Saturday
Republican Gubernatorial can
didate Robert L. Gavin spent all
day Saturday touring Brunswick
county in an automobile caravan,
greeting the people and discus
sing his programs. •
The tour began at Home’s Res
taurant near Leland at 8 a., nu'
and covered all areas of Bruns
wick county before ending at
Freeland at 5 p. m.
During the day Gavin, accom
panied by John C. Clifford, can
didate for Insurance Commission
er, stopped at Winnabow, Bolivia,
Southport, Supply, Holden Beach,
Civictown, Shallotte, Calabash,
Hickman’s Crossroads, Bong
wood, Ash, Waccamaw and
Freeland. He made hand-shaking
stops cf these areas and made
major talhs at Shallotte and
Freeland.
The number of cars in the cara
van which accompanied Gavin
and his wife, Grace, ranged from
35 to about 55 all day long.
Crowds were on hand at most of
the stops and County GOP can
didates made the trip with Gavin.
The Mellodetts of Bolivia, fea
turing Dianne Willetts, Debra
Willetts and Marsha Dale Hick
man, entertained the crowds at
the warious stop. They sang an
original song they composed for
Continued On Page Four
Mi Of
lnewsj
CEMETERY CLEAVING
A cemetery cleaning will be
held at Griffen Cemetary near
Ash Friday. Every c*1? having
loved ones buried there are asked
to come and brings tools, says
Mrs. Julia Gore. , *
RESIGNS POSITION
Marvin Watson has resigned '
his position as professional at
Boiling Spring Lakes Country
Club to accept a position as pro
fessional at Duplin County Club
at Warsaw. He will report for
duty October 17.
BENNEFIT BARBECUE
The Zion Methodist Church
will hold a barbecue supper Sat
urday beginning at 6:30 p. m.
The pit-Cooked barbecue will be
served buffet styled in the fellow
ship hall. The church is located
on Highway 17 at Town Creek.
'V
A Bolivia mail was harried to
replace. A- Lindburg King, GOP
nominee for the State House of:
Representatives, today (Wednes
day) by the Brunswick County
• Executive Committee.
Harold Willett^, 49, was cert
ified by the Board of Elections .to
run for the office of represent-,
ative on the Republican ticket- in
the November 3 General' Elect-'
ion even though his name will
not appear on the ballot. He filed
for the office at 12:27 p. m. to
day.
Willetts is well known in Bruns
wick county, having run unsuc
cesfully for sheriff in the 1902
election. He is a former Bolivia
merchant who now serves as a
farmer and bondsman.
The new Republican candidate
is married to the former Eliza
beth Willetts of Bolivia and they
have three grown children, two
boys and a girl.
Willett's action climaxed a.he
tic week for the Board of Elect
ions. The group, meeting in
special session in Bolivia Monday/
accepted King’s resignation and
gave the Republican party until
5 p. m. today to name a replace
ment. The board refused to have
the ballots reprinted. Thus King’s
name will remain on the ballot
even though Willetts is the can
didate.
At the meeting Monday, the
board received King’s letter of
resignation and unanimously vot
ed to accept it. _____ _
King, 32, faces a charge of'
rape brought by the mother of a
15-year old Freeland girl. The in
cident is alleged to have happen
ed on the night of September 15,
according to the Sheriff’s Depart
ment.
He was released from the Bruns
wick County Jail in Southport
Friday morning after posting a
$25,000 bond. The bond was set
at a habeas corpus hearing on
the rape charge before Judge
. W. A. Johnson who was presiding
' over Brunswick County Superior
court at the time. King is sched
uled to appear at the January 18
term of Superior court. He is
represented by Southport Attor
ney S. Bunn Frink.
The board accepted the resign
ation after receiving a letter from
King requesting the action, a
certified copy of a court warrant
against him and a copy of an
executed bond.
The board then voted unan
iously to allow the Republican
party an opportunity to name a
Continued On Page Four
HAROLD WILLETTS
Principal Talks
At P.T.A. Meet
The Parent - Teacher Assoc
iation of the Southport High
School got off to a good start
in its initial meeting of the year.
The program featured the install
ation of officers; introduction cf
the faculty: an adrdessbythe
new principal, L. R. Biggerstaff,
and a get-acquainted social hour.
Rev. Edward B. Jordan gave
the devotional and installed PTA
officers for the year. They are
Mrs. E. C. Harrelson, president;
Mrs. Phillip King, vice-president;
Mrs. Frank Lennon, secretary,
and Mrs. Niels Jorgensen, trea
. surer.
Mrs. Harrelson introduced
Principal Biggerstaff who in turn
introduced this year’s faculty
members to the parents present.
In a talk to the group Bigger
staff discussed his philosophy of
education, which includes mental,
moral, social and physical' deve
lopment of the student. He stres
sed the need for this school to of
fer courses in the skilled trades
as well as pre-college courses.
Biggerstaff laid great emphasis
on development of reading skills
as basic to all education. Some
problems encountered in the
Southport High School at pre
sent are lack of classroom space,
inadequate lunchroom s p a ce
and the gymnasium being too
small. He requested assistance in
Continued On Page Four
Announce Plans
For Important
Historic Meet
Plans have been completed for
the annual meeting of the N. C.
Division of the UDC to be held
at Brunswick Ibwn State Historic
Site on October 13. There will be
a presentation of the three new
bridges on the mounds at Con
federate Fort Anderson located
at Brunswick Town. Most of the
funds were provided by the U. D.
C. the labor was furnished by the
crew at Brunswick Town, several
Brunswick county business firms
contributed materials and the fil
ings were donated by the Carolina
Light and Power Go. in Wilming
ton.
Two of the bridges are over 60
feet long and the longest of the
three Is slightly under 100 feet.
The flooring of the bridges is Just
under twenty five feet from the
ground level at this particular
elevation the constuction 'of
these bridges will allow visitors
to the site to walk the entire len
gth of Battery "A" and “B” op
top of the mounds. There have
been over 30,000 persons, repre
senting almost every state and
several foreign countries, to visit
the site since January of this
yegr. Visitation to the site is in
creasing each year and should
increase even more after the con
struction of the visitor-center
museum next year.
Following is the program which
has been prepared for this occa
sion : Invocation by Rev. Robert
Childs, pastor of Southport and
New Hope Presbyterian churches;
Welcome by Mrs. Henry L. Step
hens, Jr., past president of the
NCUDC: introduction of speak
er by Mrs. Robert G. Johonspn,
past president of the NCUDC:
address, Stanley A., South, ar
chaeologist, who will speak on
“Fort Anderson — 1861-1866”;
presentation of the bridges by
Mrs. Pansy B. Fetzer, president
of the NCUDC; acceptance of .the
... Continued Oil Page Four ....
Ohanes If, Swan, ,91, died Sun
day morning in Dosher Memorial
Hospital. ' i ■■■
Capt. Swan was retired from
the old U. S. Lighthouse Service
and was the keeper of the Cape
Pear light on Bald Head Island
for many years. He figured in the
ceremonies marking the activat
ion of the Oak Island Lighthouse
several years ago, an.honor stem
ming from his. long period of
faithful service.
Pinal rites were held Monday
at 3:30 p. m. at Trinity Metho
dist Church by the Revs. Charles
H. Lancaster, L. D. Hayman and
Edward B. Jordan, with burial in
Old Southport Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs.
Bessie Swan; five sons, A. N
Swan of Danville, Va., J. G., C.
H., Henry L., and Rees E. Swan,
all of Southport; and five daugh
ters, Mrs. Margaret Hood, Mrs.
J- I. Davis, Miss Ethel swan and
Mrs. Jaanes E. Smith, all of
Southport and Mrs. Marie Harris
of Marshalburg.
Pallbearers were members of
the Men’s Bible Class at Trinity
Methodist Church and included
Ray Walton. W. P. Harris, J. M.
Harper, E. C. Blake, James
Fraser and Preston Bryant.
Lunchroom W eek
To Be Observed
President- Lyndon B. Johnson
and Governor Terry Sanford have
both called upon the people of
North Carolina to observe Nat
ional Lunchroom week beginning
October 11, says Mrs. Ruth
White, county elementary super
visor.
In . compliance with National
Lunchroom Week, the schools are
planning special programs.
"Many schools will display post
ers and clases will stress the im
portance of a well-balanced hot
lunch program in the schools,”
Mrs. .White?, said..;
Grand Jury In
Criticism Of
School Plants
Many needed areas of correct
ion were found toy the grand
jury during an investigation of
the schools of Brunswick county
last week.
‘‘Ail schools have a great many
electrical hazards and are woe
fully inadequate in fire protect
ion,” the report read. “When ex
tinguishers are evident, they are
usually the wrong kind.”
the report recommended act
ion On the problems. “These items
require immediate attention”, it
said. . 'Vv' ' .; A
The grand jury found problems
at 10. of the 11 schools in the
county, Only Waccamaw received
a; clean bill of health.
.- Bolivia school was found to be
good except for broken windows.
Leland needs a fire-exit up
stairs to the gym.
Southport school needs to have
many windows repaired and ad
justments made on some of the
drinking fountains;
. The library and labs at Shal
lotte school are insufficiently
heated and the roof leaks. In
sufficient water is available at
the school.. ' '
.;v4Jhye.r*I brbken- .window* wwr ,
found s*, ’the -old buildiag mi ’'
' Con tinued Oh Page
Southport Lady
Passes Tuesday
Mrs. Vienna O'Quinn Leggett
died Tuesday morning at a nurs
ing home in Wilmington follow
ing an extended illness. She was
73 years of agei
The wife of a former Southport
druggist, P. O. Leggett, she was
a prominent resident of South
port for many years and was
identified with the operation of
' the drug store following the
death of her husband.
She is survived by one son, Or
mond Leggett, of Southport.
Funeral services will be cocn
ducted Thursday afternoon at
2:30 o’clock at Trinity Method
ist Church with the Rev. Charles
Lancaster in charge. Assisting
will be the Rev. E. B. Jordan,
rector of St. Phillips Episcopal
Church.
Burial will be in the old South
port Cemetery with members of
the Southport Volunteer Fire De
partment, of which Ormond Leg
gett is the chief, serving as act
ive pallbearers.
TIME and TIDE
It was September 30, 1958, and Lonnie Evans, Edgar Holden
and Lay Long were reelected to membership of the ASCS County
Committee. A new lawyer came to Southport, A. H. Gainey Jr
of Leland who was practicing with James C. Bowman. ’ ’
Harry L. Mintz, Jr., of Shallotte was appointed Patroles
- Supervisor for Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties The
Bolivia Lion's Club was making plans to hold their fourth annual
Youth Livestock Day. Charlie Taylor was elected president of
the Town Creek Grange.
- _
It was September 29, 1954, and Hugh D. Vance of Ash was
appointed electrical inspector for the Brunswick Membership
Corporation. Sam J., Ervin headed a list, of Democratic digni
taries planning to attend a rally in Southport Saturday.
Clarence Danford retired after 25-years of service in the
United States Coast Guard. The Southport menhaden fleet made
their first catches of hairybacks Monday. Captain Hulan Watts
landed three sailfish Monday. Southport defeated Bolivia 45 to 0
in a football game Friday.
It was September 28, 1949, and Shallotte school had an
enrollment of 1,040 students. Sergeant C. S. Mann,, custodian at
Fort Caswell, gave up his duties as the Baptist prepared to take
over the establishment at the end of the month.
Johnnie,Vereen, .Jr,, of Boltpn reported he was stopped, on.
the Bolton-Makatoka road and searched without any explanation
offered. Mrs. Frances Baker Stone, who recently received her
master’s degree, had taught all grades at Shallotte High School
except the fourth, seventh and eighth.
(Continued On Page 4)
In Superior Court
Sentenced To 25-30 Years
For Second Degree Murder
Dan K, Moore Corning Saturday.
Judge Dan. K. Moore, Democratic nominee for
Governor, will be in Brunswick County on Saturday,
it was announced today. Judge Moore’s itinerary calls
for appearances at Leland Post Office at 10:45 a. m.,
Winnabow Post Office at 11:10 a. m., Kirby’s Shop
ping Center at Supply at 11:35 a. m., the Red & White
Shopping Center at Shallotte at 12 noon, and the
courthouse in Southport at 12 ;45 p. m.
In addition, Judge Moore will make a major tele
vision address at 8 o’clock that night over the facilities
of television station WBCT, Wilmington.
A motorcade composed of Brunswick County of-*
ficials and other Democrats will meet Judge Moore at
the junction of U. S. Highways No. 17-74-76 at ap
proximately 10:40 a. m„ and will fpllow him though
out the schedule stops. Ernest Parker, Jr., Chairman
of the County Democratic Executive Committee, stated
that as many as possible of Judge Moore’s supporters
are urged to join the motorcade.
The candidate will be accompanied by Mrs.
Moore, a reporter, Parker and A. H. Gainey, Jr.
EDWARD T. BERRY III
District Lions
Governor Here
The Lions Club of Southport
will welcome Edward T. Berry III,
District Governor, District 31-H,
Lions International, which includ
es 36 clubs in Eastern North Car -
lina, as a guest Thursday night.
Lion Berry, a native of New
Bern, has been a member of the
New Bern dub since 1965, and a
Key Member since 1959. He has
held all club offices and also
served District 31-H as Zone
Chairman, and as Deputy District
Governor for two terms prior to
being elected to his present of
fice.
Lion Berry is active in church
and civic affairs. He is a mem
ber of Trinity Methodist Church
where he has served as Superin
tendent of Church School, mem
ber of Official Board, Chairman
of Trustees, Chairman of Building
Committee, and as Treasurer of
Building Fund. Lion Berry is also
an active choir member, a teach
Continued On Page Four
i A North Carolina educator call
ed on the few remaining farmers
to ''band together for their com
mon ‘benefit at the seventh an
nual meeting of the Atlantic Tele
phone Membership Corporation
at Shallotte Thursday night.
“Farmers produce the one pro
duct we can not do without—
food’’, said David S. Weaver, spe
cial assistant to the dean of agri
culture at North Carolina State
College and retired director of
the state extension service. “But
the farmer is constantly losing
his influence in the affairs of the
nation’’.
Because of the success of the
farmer, more and more people
are leaving the land. “Today, sev
en percent of our population pro
duces more food than we can use
on just six percent of our land,”
he pointed. “And the average
family spends les s than 18 per
cent of their income on food”.
The success of the American
farmer has made possible most
of the material improvements in
•the world today. Because we need
so few people on the land, most
of our labor force can engage in
•the production of material bene
fits,” he added.
America must move forward or
decline will set in, as has hap
pened in England. “We must be
on the lookout for complacency
and decay”, Weaver warned, “we
must maintain our prosperty or
we will fall as other great na
tions ‘have.
“Work not leisure is the ans
wer”. Weaver said in conclusion.
“But I predict that recreation will
be our biggest industry in 10
years”.
. Weaver was introduced by
County Agent A. S. Knowles, a
former student of the professor at
State College.
President Harry L. Mints, Jr.,
said it was just 10 years ago
that interested county citizens met
to form a 'committee to secure
telephone service in the county.
The Atlantic Telephone Member
ship Corporation opened in 1957
with 530 members. "They said
Continued On Page Four
A Thomasville man was con
victed of killing 'his wife and
shooting his granddaughter at a
Varnumtown cottage this sum
mer during the criminal term of
Brunswick County Superior court
in Southport last week.
Walter Wyatt, 57, was found
guilty of the second degree mur
der of his wife, Mrs. Lon a Patri
cia Wyatt, 67, and was sentenced
to not less than 25 years nor more
than 30 years. He also was found
guilty of a charge of assault with
a deadly weapon with the intent
to kill in connection with the !
shooting of his granddaughter, "•
Deloris Adams, 15. ’
The Jury deliberated less than •
20 minutes in finding both ver- *
diets after the trial took up all!
day Thursday.
The fatal shooting occurred *
about 9:45 a. m. on June 21, at *
a cottage where the couple and *
■their two grandchildren were I
staying during a trip to Holden •
Beach. Wyatt was charged with '
shooting his wife twice while she
was in bed.
While on the stand, Wyatt ad- *
mitted 'both shootings "It couldn’t •
have been anyone else, that’s why *
I say it was me”, he said under I
cross examination from Solicitor *
James C. Bowman of Southport. *
But Wyatt said he had no rec- .
oBection of what happened. He *
said he had hit his head on the I
wall shortly 'before the shooting *
while playing with his grand- ”
daughter and had 'been forced to .
rest. He also admitted he had *
had five drinks that morning. ‘
Wyatt said he woke up when he •
heard an explosion and had a rifle '
in his hands. “Deloris said I shot 1
grandmother and I said ‘I will •
shoot you’ and pulled the tigger,” !'
he said. “I remember shooting
Deloris, but I don’t know why I
shot the child.”
. f Af ter the shootings, he had his
younger granddaughter, Luna, .. ..
Adams, 12, go next door and callr
the sheriff and ambulance. When
she returned, the two sat down
on the bed with the rifle at his
side and waited.
Several law enforcement of- J;
ficers testified that Wyatt told
them he killed his wife. Patrol
man Billy Day of Shallotte said
Wyatt told him: “I Just shot the * v
. . . out of my wife. Hell, she
wasn’t any damn good.”
Long Beach Police Chief Aub*
Continued On Page Four
Ninth Traffic I
Death Saturday 1
A Bolivia pulpwood worker was
killed instantly when he walked
in front of an on-coming auto
moblie on Highway 17 near Sup
ply Saturday night, according to
the State Highway Patrol.
Rosevelt Clarda, 23, died in- :
stantly after being hit by an
automobile driven by Columbus i '
Elliott of Wilmington. The ac
cident occured about 7:10 p. m.
Saturday a half mile north of •
Supply.
According to reports, Clarda
stepped off a bus, walked around
to the rear of the vehicle and into i
the path of the on-coming auto- ;
moble. i
Coroner Lowell Bennett ruled ,
the death an accident, the ninth ?
on the highways of Brunswick
county this year.
Tide Table
Following la the tide
table for Southport during
the week. These hours are
approximately correct and
were furnished The State
Port Pilot through the
courtesy of the Cape Fear
Pilot’s Association.
HIGH LOW
Thursday, October 1,
3:59 A. M. 10:19 A. M.
4:30 P. M. 11:05 P. M.
Friday, October 2,
5:00 A. M. 11:18 A. M.
5:26 P. M. 11:55 p. m.
Saturday, October 3,
5:54 A. M. 12:12 A. M.
6:17 P. M.
Sunday, October 4
6:44 A. M. 0:41 A. M.
7:04 P. M. i:oi p,
Monday: October 5
7:30 A. M. 1:24 A.
7:47 P. M. 1:46 P. M.
Tuesday, October 6
8:13 A. M. 2:04 A. M.
8:27 P. M. 2:31 P. M.
Wednesday, October 7
8:54 A. M. 2:43 A. M.
905 P. M. 3:13 P. M.
M.
M.
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