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THE "'"Sssr TIMES-NEWS
A Combination of
THE ROANOKE-CHOWAN TIMES — Established 1892
☆
THE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY NEWS — Established 1926
Volume LXXVI, No. 16
Rich Square and Jackson, N. C., Thursday, April 13, 1967
Covers AM of Northampton’s
Towns and Communities
10 PAGES
"AND THEY'RE OFF"—"Step-Right-In,"
owned and driven by G. F. Owens of Ches
apeake, takes an early lead in the Classi
fied Trot 1:34-1:41 competition in the
Northompton Saddle Club sponsored pony
harness races, held Sunday neor Conway.
Owens, who rode on to victory in the
event, claimed the $100 purse.
"ROUNDING THE BEND" — Trotting
ponies and determined drivers round one
end of the quarter-mile racing trock
owned by the Northampton Saddle Club
and scene last Sunday of 16 racing heats.
Ponies and drivers take each heat in two
laps for a total of Vi mile per heat. The
Sunday event attracted veteran racers
from North Carolina and Virginia.
Overflow
N'ampton
Crowd Views
Harness Race
CONWAY - An overflow crowd
witnessed the running of 16 heats
and awarding of $700 in purses
to winners in the Northampton
Saddle Club - sponsored Pony
Harness Races, held Sunday on
U.S. 158 near Conway.
Racers from Virginia and all
over the Tar Heel State were on
hand when race time began.
Champion racing stock, in
cluding “Country Boy,” owned
by A. R, Butler of Carrsville,
Va., provided an action-packed
afternoon for the spectators.
Winners of the events were
as follows:
Persian Jewel, owned by H.
Williams of Petersburg, Va.,
(Classified Trot 1:50-1:57); Tin-
kerbell, owned by W. D, Fair-
cloth, Chesapeake, Va., (Classi
fied Trot 1:50-1:57); My Lady,
owned by James Cox, Newport
News, Va., (Classified Trot 2:07-
2:15); Tigerlady, owned by W. D.
Faircloth of Chesapeake^ Va.,
VEPCO Objects To $255,277 Tax Hike
JACKSON - Representatives of
Virginia Electric and Power
Company appeared beforeNorth-
ampton County^s Board of Equal
ization and Review Monday to ob
ject to tax revaluations of VEPCO
property amounting to $255,277,
according to reports.
In a formal appeal, the VEPCO
representatives stated that prop
erty owned by the company with
in the county was appraised by
VEPCO on January 1 at$20,563,-
650.
They added, however, that a
letter from County Tax Auditor
Melvin Holmes dated January 31
increased the total valuation of
the property to $20,818,927. “No
explanation was given as to how
the increase was determined,”
the representatives charged.
VEPCO’s appraisal was based
on exemptions granted by the
State Stream and Sanitation Com
mittee totaling approximately
$287,000.
The company charged that this
exemption was not allowed when
valuation was made by the county
tax office.
VEPCO has estimated proper
ty worth for Its three Northamp- According to the answer, the
ton County holdings as follows: Roanoke Rapids submerged weir
Roanoke Rapids Hydroelectric was “not included” in the ap-
Project- $9,411,054. praised valuation report because
Gaston Hydroelertric Project it was not considered to be of
— $10,754,784. any “market value,” inasmuch
Kirby Township electric lines as it consists “of nothing more
- $397,812. than a pile of crushed rock inthe
The January 31 valuation of the river.”
company's property is as fol
lows:
Roanoke Rapids Hydroelectric
Project-$9,493,553.
Gaston Hydroelectric Project
-$10,855,062.
Kirby Township electric lines
-$470,312.
Company representatives ask
ed that the appraisals of January
1 be declared final and the Jan
uary 31 appraisal be declared
“null and void.”
In an answer to the appeal, the
Northampton County tax super
visor denied the company's
claims.
The answer stated that the ap
praisal was made by a private
firm of appraisal engineers in
accordance with the North Caro
lina “Machinery Act of 1939 as
amended.”
The tax supervisor stated that
he allowed credit for the Gaston
submerged wier.
Justifying another increase,
the tax supervisor’s office stated
that a substation, valuedat$145,-
000, had never been listed by the
company.
The answer stated that the ap
praisal firm listed by name each
substation, itemizing each item
of equipment plus the reproduc
tion cost new and the depreciat
ed value of each substation.
However, since the AMPAC
substation is on property owned
by AMPAC Manufacturing Com
pany which was appraised by a
different appraisal company, this
substation was omitted from their
report.
The county’s appraisal value
was made by comparison of the
substation with the Woodland sub
station which was appraised at
$145,000, the answer stated.
In other action, representa
tives of several cotton ginning
companies in the county appear
ed before the board asking that
gin machinery and gin buildings
be separated and that gin opera
tors be allowed depreciation on
machinery.
Appearing for the ginners were
(See VEPCO, Page 4)
Man, Wife Charged In Deaths
Of Their Two Infant Children
Rich Square Water, Sewer
Bond Elections Postponed
RICH SQUARE - Rich Square
residents will not be able to
vote on the proposed water and
sewer extension and improve
ment bonds in the May 2 elec
tions, according to Mayor-
Charles E. Myers.
Mayor Myers stated that word
was received this week from the
Local Government Commission
stating that it would be impos
sible to hold the elections at
the same time.
The commission explained that
there would not be enough time
to advertise sale of the bonds
as prescribed by law.
The vote has been rescheduled
for some time in June, accord
ing to Myers.
Voters will, however, go to the
polls to elect a mayor and five
town commissioners.
GdSaC'iT Muy'Oii"
Files For Third
Term In Office
GASTON - Only one person
has filed for the May 2 mu
nicipal elections in Gaston ac
cording to reports received
Thursday.
Incumbent Mayor Firman C.
Myrick filed recently for his
third term as mayor of the North
ampton community.
Filing deadline for the Gaston
election is 5 p.m. April 18.
In that race. Mayor Myers lost
an opponent this week with the
announcement by V. E. Taylor,
who had been nominated as a
candidate, that he was withdraw
ing from the race because it
would involve too many extra
duties.
Three men at the office were
discussing what most people
wanted to get out of a new car.
“Dependability,” said one fel
low. “Styling,” declared anoth
er. “Economy,” said the third.
Just then a fourth man, who
recently had bought a new car,
entered the room. They decided
to pose the question to him,
“What is the thing you’d like
most to get out of your new
car?”' they asked.
“My teen-age son,” he replied.
JACKSON - A Negro man, ar
rested in the Seaboard area Tues
day by Northampton County Dep
uties Grover Parker and Otis
Wheeler, is being held in cus
tody with his young wife in Vir
ginia, on charges they murdered
their two infant children about
seven months ago.
The deputies reported that
Johnny Davis, 21, and his wife,
Dorothea, about 20, are being
held in jail in Sussex County,
Va., for the double murders,
Davis was arrested by the
Northampton officers inSeaboard
where the couple had been liv
ing in a friend’s home for about
two weeks.
Acting Sheriff E, P. Lane of
Sussex County statedthemanwas
turned over to him by the Greens
ville County Sheriff’s Depart
ment and the woman was arrest
ed later.
Sheriff Lane visited Northamp
ton County Wednesday to pick up
a .22 calibre rifle, reportedly
used in the slayings.
Lane said skeletons of the two
children, whose ages were ap
proximately one and two years,
were found in a wooded area in
the Henry District of the county.
He said neighbors first re
ported missing the children and
said they had not been seen since
October 1966.
“They hadn’t bothered to bury
them,” Lane said.
Pax'ker diid Wheeler said they
(See CHILDREN, Page 4)
BELONGED TO SUSPECT — Acting Sussex County, Va.,
Sheriff E. P. Lone examines a .22 caliber automatic rifle
near the Northampton County Courthouse, believed to
hove been used in the slaying of two infant children in
Virginia seven months ago. Skeletons of the two infants
were found by officers in a wooded area in the county.
Lone suid the killers had not "bothered to bury" the tiny
bodies.
Compulsory School Age Hike
Requested By Judge Gwyn
(Classified Trot 2:07-2:15); Cool
Breeze, owned by Kelly Davis
of Conway (Classified Trot 1:42-
1:49); Holly Run Belle, owned
by W. M. Camp of Franklin,
Va., (Classified Trot 1:58-2:06);
Step-Right-In, owned by G. F.
Owens of Chesapeake, Va.,
(Classified Trot 1:34-1:41);
Flash, owned by Wilson Butler,
Carrsville, Va., (Classified Trot
’1:34-1:41); Holly Run Kid, owned
by W. M. Camp, Franklin, Va.,
(Classified Trot 2:25-2:16);
(See OVERFLOW, Page 4)
REIDSVILLE - Judge Allen H,
Gwyn, who recently presided
over a two-week term of North
ampton County Superior Court,
requested introduction of a bill
in the N.C. General Assembly
recently raising from 16 to 18,
the age limit for compulsory
school attendance.
In a letter to members of the
Assembly, Judge Gwyn stated,
“The necessity to do something
, about illiteracy, poverty and
ROANOKE RAPIDS — The has reached such propor-
Northampton County Multi-Serv- yons throughout the land that the
ices Center sponsored an outing federal government deems It
for several women of the Occo- necessary to take a hand in the
Northampton’s
Multi-Service
Sponsors Outing
neechee Township to Glover’s
Fabric Center, located in Roa
noke Rapids.
According to reports, Mrs.
Glover and her staff demonstrat
ed use of patterns, discussed se
lection of pattern size and gave
the group tips in selection of ma
terial for making clothing.
The group has scheduledasew-
ing class on April 25 at 2 p.m.
New Measures To Boost Cost Of
Operator’s Licenses In Future
CIVIL RIGHTS SPEAKER—
John R. Salter Jr. of Raleigh
will speak at an NAACP
sponsored rally to be held in
Murfreesboro Sundoy, April
16, at the First Baptist
Church. Salter ossisted in
planning the "massiye non
violent demonstrotions" in
Mississippi during 1963. He
also hos done investigatory
work in Mississippi concern
ing economic and physical
reprisals levied against Ne
groes in thot state.
By RANDOLPH THOMAS
RALEIGH - State Representa
tive Emmett W. Burden of Au-
lander, chairman of a special
House committee to study the
feasibility of using photographs
on N. C. operator’s licenses,
says approval of the measure and
hikes to be requested by the De
partment of Motor Vehicles may
boost the cost of a driver’s li
cense to $4.
Burden says he will confer
with officials of the Department
of Motor Vehicles Tuesday to
see if a bill cannot be drawn
which will include both proposals
and not raise the cost of the
operator’s license needlessly.
Burden says use of pictures
on an operator’s license will
cost approximately 75 cents.
A bill to be introduced by the
department would ask an ad
ditional $1 per operator’s li
cense to cover costs of hiring
additional personnel last year,
he added.
This would make the cost of
each license $4.25, Burden says.
He added all concerned were
skeptical of raising the cost
“more than $1 per year.”
The joint meeting will be held
to determine whether or not the
two measures can be combined
into one bill and cut back some
on the total cost.
Burden said he felt the use
of photographs on operator’s
licenses would eliminate the
•problem of persons obtaining li
censes fraudulently.
Burden had planned to visit
Georgia last week to talk with
law enforcement and Motor Ve
hicles Department personnel in
that state to get their feelings
on the use of photographs on
operator’s licenses, a practice
which has been in operation in
that state for several years.
He canceled the trip when the
joint meeting was requested.
BROWN-BAGGING
Burden and other Roanoke-
Chowan legislators hailed the
House-passed version of the con
troversial “brown-bagging” bill
as one of the best bills for ABC
control they had ever read.
The bill, introduced in the
House by Rep. Sam Johnson of
Wake, was approved in a 72-
39 vote in the House and sent
to the Senate where favorable
action is predicted by the R-C
delegation.
State Senator J, J. (Monk)
Harrington says he likes the
House bill better than the meas
ure proposed in the Senate.
The chief difference in the two
bills is in the treatment of the
practice of brown-bagging in dry
counties.
“The Senate bill would throw
brown-bagging in on the dry coun
ties just as it would in the wet
areas of the State,” he said.
The bill would permit brown-
bagging in private clubs in dry
counties, thus giving it the
nickname, “The Rich Man’s
Bill.”
Harrington said the bill may
be amended in the Senate, but
added he felt “this is the bill
that will finally be passed.”
BUILDING LOANS
Rep. Roberts Jernigan Jr. of
Ahoskie was co-signer of a bill
(See MEASURES, Page 4)
correction of these degenerating
conditions.
“We grumble when the federal
government steps in,” he con
tinued, “but the fault is with us
who fail to face up to our respon
sibilities.”
Judge Gwyn stated there is no
use to consider illiteracy, pover
ty and crime in separate cate
gories. “There is a definite and
unmistakable correlation be
tween the three,” he asserted,
“Illiteracy and poverty go hand
in hand,” the judge said, “and
Woodland Board
Sets Election,
Register Dates
WOODLAND - The regular
meeting of the Board of Com
missioners of the town of Wood
land was highlighted by approval
of a resolution calling a general
election for mayor and commis
sioners.
Election date was set for May
2. Registration bookswillbeopen
for the purpose of registering
qualified voters from Friday,
April 14, to Friday, April 21.
Hours for registration are
from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Challenge Day will be on April
22 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The
registration book will be at the
town hall.
In other action, street light
ing and street surfacing prob
lems in certain areas of the town
were discussed. The matters
were left open for study.
The town clerk was instructed
to post notices reminding prop
erty owners that if taxes are not
paid by May 12, advertising will
begin on May 19.
crime is the culmination” of the
two.
Judge Gwyn said that the first
step in the elimination of the
problem is to repeal the statuto
ry invitation to drop out of school
at the age of 16,
He stated that it finally dawns
on the dropout that he is a left-
out and a misfit, “They see oth
ers move ahead enjoying the more
affluent life,” he said, “and a
deep-seated envy sets in.
“They are ready to buck the
prevailing social order, he add
ed.
Judge Gwyn stated that during
the last session of Northampton
Superior Court, 19 defendants
came before him and not one
was a high school graduate,
“Every single one was a school
drop-out except one,” the judge
commented. “This one had not
been to any school,” he said.
Gwyn said that raising the age
limit will not solve all problems
of illiteracy, poverty and crime,
but it is the first essential step.
The compulsory age limit
should be reasonably commen
surate with the 12 grades of high
school, he said. The statutory in
vitation to walk out of the school
room on the eve of the 16th birth
day should be converted into a
statutory mandate to remain and
reap the benefits of our invest
ments in schools and teachers
Judge Gwyn concluded, “We can
no longer afford our tremendous
deficit spending on account of
school drop-outs. There is a
more economical way to fight
poverty and crime.”
Mayor Outland Unopposed
In Woodland Nominations
WOODLAND - Mayor J. G.
Outland of Woodland was the
unanimous nominee for the office
of mayor in the Friday town con
vention, according to reports re
ceived by “Your Home Newspa
per.”
For the four town council seats
available, the following persons
were nominated: A. P, Griffin,
Perry Lee Collier, George Jen
kins, Roy Parrish, Patrick
Barnes, Mrs. John Vick, James
Brittle (who later withdrew),
Lloyd Bowen, Hazel Griffin, W,
R. Reinhardt, Paul Sykes,
Charles Bailey, and E. R, Pow
ell.
Outland, who first was elected
mayor two years ago, and com
pleted the unexpired term of for
mer Mayor John Stanley, who
resigned, was unopposed.
'•'■''kiJsS-M
li
OPEN HOUSE—Approximately 300 per
sons attended an open house at Ashley
Grove Community Building Sunday, ac
cording to President James Vinson. The
clubhouse, completed in December, is the
■;„5
site of many community affairs in the
Conway-Ashley Grove area. The open
house was held to show oppreciation to the
persons who had contributed to the con
struction of the building.