ChamDers Farm Where Evidence Found 1
Arrow points to where midget films of se cret State Department papers were found in hol
low pumpkin on Whitakers Chambers' farm at Westminister, Md. According to his wife.
Chambers, a Time Magasine editor, led two investigators from the House Un-American Acti
vities Committee to the small pumpkin patch, reached down and picked up a pumpkin where
the microfilms were cached and handing it to one of the men said, "Is this what you want?"
Chief Investigator Robert E. Striplin said evidence is available singling out the persons who
passed on the government secrets which were found on the farm. The evidence will be pre
sented when investigation is reopened today. (AP Wirephoto).
Old Father
Roanoke
Says:
As promised yesterday, this is
Old Father Roanoke IV. Jiggs,
disappointed in not being able
to rescue his secret passion,
either one of the Ingram twins,
is today trudging his way down
to Langford’s. His fateful pack
age, (which contains some high
explosive, I’d say,) won’t be
known til tomorrow’s column. If
nothing happens before.
Gramp, held prisoner by the
She-Dragon, his mother-in-law,
in a house on Jackson St,,
wants his readers to appreciate
the terrible odds against contin
uation of his col mn and his
private income. As an example,
I was in the Herald office yes
terday -\yhen a messenger from
Weldon handed a petition to
Louise Burke, the Herald’s Gla
mor Girl.
“This petition contains 7,000
signatures from Weldon. We de
mand the stopping of Old Fath
er Roanoke,” pompously declar
ed the messenger.
After examining the petition,
Louise said. “Why, there are
only 6 names here and 6,994 x’s.
What are these crosses—kisses?”
“No, of course not,” said the
messenger, “when people can’t
read and write, you are allowed
to put down x’s for them. The
x’s are the 6,994 persons in the
Weldon cemetery.”
Now you know the kind of
opposition Gramp is up against.
Now I want you to listen to
a letter from Weldon that’s more
of the same.
“Dear Father Roanoke: The
other night, grandfather and four
pals got together in my living
room. They are all between 75
to 85 years old. Naturally, the
conversation got around to Old
Father Roanoke. Two of those
present were accused by the
others of being him. The police
finally had to be called to quiet
the shouting. The two suspects
finally calmed the other three,
convincing them they were in
nocent of “The Crime of Being
Old Father Roanoke.” The win
ning argument was: “Why should
anyone from Weldon do all that
writing about Roanoke Rapids,
especially when Weldon is the
older and better town. In fact,
the Halifax County Aristocracy
lives in Weldon and Halifax. The
old families in Halifax speak to
the old families in Weldon; the
latter speak only to God. Hali
faxers and Weldonites sniff at
mention of Roanoke Rapids.
Where was Roanoke Rapids
when George Washington was
attending Masonic meetings
down Halifax way. There are no
old families in Roanoke Rapids.”
Well, that’s how it went. After
the five old men had finished
accusing one another, they went
to work on your Old Father
Roanoke. They are mighty sus
picious of his historical know
ledge. They will admit he gets
lots of things straight, but on
the other hand, he tells about a
lot of things they don’t remem
ber at all. ,
After three hours talking a
bout various tests to put to Old
Father Roanoke, they came to
this agreement: Remand that the
Old Man tell the details of the
Great Weldon Earthquake of
1893. If he tells it right, they
will admit he knows his stuff.
But if he can’t, the five of them
will tar and feather him and
drive him out of the county.
He can go to Tarboro which is
their idea of a fate worse than
death.
Yours very truly,
Mrs. T. Y. O’Twilliger.”
Commissioners Appoint Three
As Armory Governing Board Members
Halifax.—The question of who
is running the Roanoke Rapids'
Armory came to the fore again
here yesterday, as the Halifax
County Board of Commissioners
met for their first time since
the November election.
A delegation of Veterans of
Foreign War- Post members ap
peared before the Board and re
quested that they be allowed to
start thgir dances again in the
Armory/ as they had done before
the Aufrory was turned back to
the National Guard unit.
A ^okesman for the delega
tion pointed out that the VFW
post had turned over one-third
of their receipts from the dances
to the support of the Army, a
total of $15,131.94, and said any
damage done to the building had
been incurred after the dances
wcie no xuiigex ixciu.
A committee consisting of
Commissioners Meade H. Mitch
ell, D. G. Dickens and J. K.
Wrenn was appointed to act
along with a similar committee
to be appointed by the City
Commissioners of Roanoke Rap
ids to serve as governing board
for the building, subject to the
approval of Adjutant-General J.
Van B. Metts.
The Board was formally sworn
in to take over its duties at
the beginning of the meeting by
Clerk of Court George A. Hux
R. Hunter Pope of Enfield, who
suceeds John B. Davis, was the
only new member of the Board.
D. G. Dickens v as unanimous
ly elected by Board members to
succeed himself as Chairman,
and Irwin Clark of Scotland
Neck was re-elected as County
Attorney for another term.
The Commissioners appointed
list tafcsra for county taxes and
decided: to meet at 9:30 next
Monday morning to give the lost
takers their instructions.
List takers appointed by the
Board are the following: I. A.
Crawley, Brinkleyville; Mrs. Ro
bert Clark, Butterwood; J. R.
Edmondson, Connac'anara; T. W.
Gray of Enfield; H. O. Hux,
Faucetts; J. G. Butts, Halifax;
H. C. Morris, Littleton; Robert
Ausbon, Palymyra; A. E. Akers,
Roanoke Rapids; H. C. Bass, Ro
semead; B. F. Bracey, Scotland
Nekc; and Mrs. J. T. Maddrey,
Weldon.
Miss Florence Cox, Home
Agent, appeared before the
Board and reported on her re
cent trip to the National Home
Agents’ Association in Chicago
at which she was one of 45 Home
Agents in the United States hon
ored with the presentation of a
Distinguished Service award.
Following this Judge Charles
T» ttrVin Innlr tiio natVi
as judge of recorder’s court be
fore Clerk of Court Hux, report
ed his qualification and reports
were heard from the Clerk of
Court and the county Tax Col
lector. ,
Most of the afternoon was de
voted to the hearing of com
plaints and requests for tax ad
roads were recommended for
state maintenance.
Commissioner C. S. Alexander
was appointed to suceed former
Commissioner Davis as Commis
sioner in charge of the County
Home.
Weather
Norih Carolina — Partly
cloudy wtaihar. mild today
and Wednesday and not so
cool tonight; likely occasional
showers Wednesday.
Cafe Operator
Pays Costs In
Beer-Sale Case
Charles Thanos, proprietor of
the Rosemary Cafe, was charged
with costs of court and warned
against any further offenses af
ter he had entered a plea of
guilty to a charge of selling beer
on Sunday in Mayor’s court be
fore Mayor W. Bernard Alls
brook here yesterday.
Mayor Allsbrook suspended
judgment, including a fine of
$50 and revocation of beer li
cense, on Thanos, and warned
him that if city policemen heard
of any more cases where beer
was sold in the cafe the sentence
would be imposed.
Policemen T. J. Glosson and
P. C. Luter testified they had
seen one of the waitresses in the
restaurant serve beer to two cus
tomers, and Thanos admitted
the beer had been served, saying
it was an “accident”. The mayor
asked several police officers pre
sent in the courtroom if they
had received any complaints
about beer being sold in Thanos’
establishment on Sundays and a
number of them answered they
had.
Mayor Allsbrook pointed o u t
to the defendant a city ordinance
Which prohibits the sale of beer
inside the city limits any time
between 11:30 on Saturday nighl
until seven o’clock on Monday
mornings.
In the brief session of the
Mayor’s court there were sev
eral fines levied in which de
fendants entered pleas of guilty
to being intoxicated. Several cas
es were continued.
Flack Answers
Kerr Scott, Says
He Will Stay Put
Raleigh, N. C., —<#)—Gover
nor-Elect Kerr Scott’s request
for the resignations of two state
officials drew fire from one of
them yesterday.
Charles Z. Flack, chief clerfc
of the State Utilities Commis
sion, indicated he intends to stay
in his post and criticized Scott
for asking him to step down.
W. Vance Baise, chief engi
neer of the State Highway Com
mission and the other official
who got a letter from the gover
nor-elect asking that he resign,
said he hadn’t decided whether
to quit by Jan. 6, the day Scott
will take office.
In a statement, Flack said
Scott told him “purely on his
own volition that if he were
elected Governor that it would
not affect my position in state
government.”
Reports that Scott had writ
ten Flack and Baise asking their
resignations were confirmed by
the Governor-Elect Sunday
night after his return from a
two-week “disappearance” on
vacation. Until yesterday, neith
er Flack nor Baise would com
ment on the reports.
Flack’s statement said there
were two reasons—one “correct”
and one “baseless”—for Scott’s
action.
The “baseless” reason, he con
tinued, was that Scott linked
him to an advertisement in
Rutherford County papers” at
tacking the military record, or
lack of same, of one of Mr.
Scott’s sons, as well as that of
one of his county managers,
and the son or sons of his coun
ty manager.”
Dr. Young Buys
Leedy Home Tod?’
Dr. Robert F. Young, fa>
county health officer, ghl
the home (formerly owi.. u bj
Carroll Wilson) -of Guy Leedy
situated at the comer of 4th St
and Roanoke Ave. (No. 401) foi
$14,000 .Dr. and Mrs. Young anc
their three children expect tc
move in about the first of th«
year.
Mrs. Don Hall and Vernor
Daughtry proved to be real es
tate experts, guessing correctlj
the price the house would bring
They flipped to see who woulc
get the turkey; Mrs. Hall won.
The auction was conducted bj
the Rochelle Realty Co.
34th Year—No. 73 Roanoke Rapids, N. C., Tuesday, December 7, 1948 5e Daily; 10c Sunday
Marshall Has
Major Surgery
This Morning
Washington, Dec. 7—(IP)—Sec
retary of State Marshall under
went a kidney operation today
at WalterReed Hospital.
The State Dep attment issued
the following announcement:
“Genera Marshall underwent
a kidney operation at Walter
Reed Hospital this morning fol
lowing a physical checkup last
summer.
“Surgeons wished to operate
then but because of the Paris
Conference the operation was
delayed until today.”
Marshall’s condition after the
operation was not immediately
made known either by the Ar
my hospital or by the State De
partment When it is known it
may determine whether he re
mains as Secretary of State.
President Truman told a news
conference last Wednesday he
had asked Marshall to stay in
the cabinet and Marshall had
agreed. At the same time, the
President said he had received
no information on the condition
of Marshall’- health.
The former Army Chief of
Staff, who will b~ 68 years old
Dec. 31, has been living in the
hospital since his return from
the Paris United Nations meet
ing Nov. 22. He held several
conferences with President Tru
man immediately upon his arri
val here. Later, he ceased to ap
pear at his office and spent all
his time at the hospital.
In Marshall’s absence from his
office, Undersecretary of State
Robert A. Lovett runs the State
Department.
Hiss-Chambers
Spy Hunt Probe
Still Under Way
New York, Dec. 7—(AP)— An
other day of questioning before
a spy-hunting Federal Grand
Jury today confronted Whittak
er Chambers, confessed courier
for a pre-war Communist espio
nage ring.
Chambers testified before the
Grand Jury at length yesterday
and was closeted until early this
morning with members of the
Committe, who hastened here
to talk with him.
Chambers’ appearance before
the Grand Jury coincided with
the committee’s disclosure that
the excommunist previously had
accused Alger Hiss, former State
Department official, of slipping
him “restricted” documents for
delivery to a Russian agent.
He and Hiss went before the
Grand Jury yesterday in a follow
up to committee reports of new
apd startling evidence of a pre
war communist underground.
Neither Chambers nor Hiss would
disclose the nature of their testi
mony.
This same evidence, uncovered
in a hollowed-out pumpkin on
Chambers’ Maryland farm, is the
object of today’s House committ
‘session, to which Chambers was
summoned.
While Chambers and Hiss were
testifying in secret before the
Grand Jury, the House group in
Washington was publishing sworn
testimony by Chambers that Hiss
got government documents for a
Russian agent.
Hiss countered immediately by
saying “I deny without qualifi
cation that accusations made in
that testimony.”
As this new chapter in the
long HissChambers case unfold
ed, Rep. John Rankin (D-Miss),
a member of the House commit
tee, said today he is “convinc
ed” the Russians fed purloined
U. S. secrets to the Japanese
before and during the war.
This, he added, in a state
men$ at Washington, “contribut
ed to bringing on Pearl Harbor.”
Garysburg Baby
Born With Teeth
Garysburg.—A tiny baby
girl was born hara aarly this
morning with two lowar front
taath at birth, it was raportad
from tha Roanoka Rapids Hos
pital whoro tha chijd waa tak
an.
Tha parants of tha unusual
infant ara Charlia and Julia
Cham bars. Garysburg Nagroas.
Hospital authoriiias said tha
liitla girl, who waighod only
two pounds and tan and a
half ouncas. was a twin, but
.sportad that tha othar twin
d uirth.
Tha lilila girl ras said to bo
normal in ovary way sxcapt
for har two taath.
Sha was born about 1:40
this morning, and was brought
to tha Roanoka Rapids Hos
pital about 1:40 by Dr. W. G.
Suitor o Woldon. Nursas at
tha hospital a aid tha infant
saamad to bo is good bsalth.
Dr. D. W. Colvard, head of |
the Department of Animal !
Husbandry at N. C. State Col
lege, who will speak to mem
bers of the Upper Halifax
County State College Club
Thursday evening at the Roa
noke Rapids Country Club.
State College
Club Will Meet
Here Thursday
Dr. D. W. Colvard, head of the
Department of Animal Husband
ry at North Carolina State Col
lege, will be the principal speak
er at a meeting of the Upper
Halifax County State College Club
on Thursday evening.
The meeting has been called
fpr 6:30 p.m. at the Roanoke
Rapids Country Club, according
to J. W. Johnson of Weldon, club
president, and will feature in ad
dition to Dr. Colvard’s talk a
number of movies of State Col
lege football games, which will
be shown by W. H. “Pop” Tay
lor, N. C. State College alumni
secretary.
All State College alumni in the
area have been invited to attend
the meeting, and President John
son will have charge of the
gathering.
Dr. Colvard, a native of Ashe
County, was educated at Berea
College, the University of Mis
souri and Purdue University
Prior to joining the State Col
lege staff in 1947, he held a
wide range of positions as an
educator, livestock farmer and
research scientist in the field of
agriculture.
To jo, Others
To Get Stay
Of Execution
Tokyo, Dec. 7—(JP)—Gen.
Douglas MacArthur reiterated
today that former Premier Hide
ki Tojo and six other condemn
ed Japanese warlords will live
until the Supreme Court of the
United States acts on appeals be
fore it.
That gave Japan’s top war
leaders at least nine more days
of life. The U. S. Corn-t set Dec.
16 to hear appeals submitted by
two men in the death house and
five others sentenced to prison
terms.
The supreme commander told
the Associated Press his original
Nov. 30 statement covered the
situation today. His original
comment was the condemned
war criminals would “certainly
“not” be executed while action
was pending on their petitions.
While MacArthur answered
the question about the imme
diate fate of the war criminals,
he declined to answer other
questions regarding the court’s
decision to listen to arguments.
Aides said he felt remarks from
him under the circumstances
would be unseemly.
Two Men Appeal
Fines Imposed
In Deer Case
Two men who were fined for
shooting deer whose antlers
were not plainly visible have en
tered appeals to recorder’s
court, county Game Protector C.
M. Pettitt said today.
Pettitt said Raymond Bottom
of Elm City and Arthur Joyner
of Sharpsburg were arrested
near Scotland Neck in the Flat
field section and were charged
with killing two small buck deer
whose antlers were not plainly
visible, a violation of the state
game laws, Pettitt said. He said
he, along with other game pro
tectors Floyd Lupton, W. H. Nor
ton, Charlie Woolard, Harold
King and deputy Monroe Whit
tington, took the men into cus
tody.
They were tried before justice
of the peace Ben Bragg of Scot
land Neck and were found guil
ty and each was fined $25 and
costs. They appealed the judg
ment to the Halifax County re
corder’s court.
Pettitt said the deer found with
the men are being kept in a
freezer plant as evidence await
ing tha court’s decision.
Roanoke Reaches 40.1 Crest
At Weldon; High Water Of
Year Predicted By DeMots
Two Youths Sentenced, Third
On Probation In Auto Larceny
Halifax — Two Roanoke Rap-<
ids youths drew prison sentenc
es in Superior Court here yes
terday after they had pleaded
guilty to a charge of the lar
ceny of an automobile, and a
third youth implicated on the
same charge was placed on pro
bation.
L. E. Draper, Jr., who was
sentenced to five-to-seven years
in the State penitentiary on two
charges of breaking and enter
ing and larceny and was placed
on five years’ probation b y
Judge Chester Morris in the Oct
ober term of Superior Court
here, was given a two-to-three
year sentence on the automobile
larceny charge here yesterday
by Judge R. Hunt Parker. The
sentence imposed in the other
case was invoked, however the
two terms were ordered to be
served concurrently.
Eldred Strickland, who drew a
two to three year sentence
suspended under five years’ pro
bation in the October term, was
also sentenced to a similar pri
son term under the other case.
In both cases Strickland had
pleaded guilty to the larceny of
an automobile. Strickland’ sen
tences were also ordered to run
concurrently.
Richard Gilliland, charged with
the theft of the car belonging to
Cleveland Harris of Emporia,
Va., was given a two-to-three
year sentence, but judgment
was suspended on condition that
Gillila» l remain of good behav
ior under a three-year probation
period. Gilliland was also order
ed to pay the sum of $100 to
Harris plus one-third of court
costs in the action.
In another sentence in which
a guilty plea had been entered
last week, Doris Burwell, Little
ton Negro girl, was sentenced to
one to two years on a charge
of the illegal concealment of the
birth of a child. She was placed
on five years’ probation.
As the Superior Court term
started into its second week,
Judge Parker imposed the sen
tences pending before him from
last week’s criminal term of the
two weeks’ court and started
hearing a number of divorce ac
tions brought before him.
A calendar was also arranged
for the trial of civil actions
I W'hich will start here today.
Reds Encircle
Suchow Troops
In Tight Trap
Nanking, China. Dec. 7—(/P)—
Government sources admitted to
day that Communist armies have
encircled 110,000 Nationalist
combat troops on the central
China front southwest of Su
chow.
These sources said the three
trapped army groups have been
compressed on a front eight
miles long and five miles in
depth. They were trapped by the
Communists as they marched
south from Suchow to rescue
other encircled Government
forces.
Eight or nine Red columns,
commanded by General Chen Yi,
were said to have completed the
encirclement of this former Su
chow garrison. The trap was
sprung about 50 miles southwest
of their former base.
Civil officials, evacuated from
Suchow with the troops, were
reported hampering operations
of the encircle armies.
The government sources’ con
firmation of Communist reports
came shortly after Nationalist
forces announced they had aban
doned two towns on the north
ern front to Reds marching to
ward Peiping.
The bulk of Chen Yi’s forces
were reported concentrated
south of the government pocket
to prevent an attempted break
through in an effort to contact
the encircled Twelfth Army
group.
Last night the Communist ra
dio claimed 20,000 casualties al
ready have been inflicted on the
2nd, 13th and 16th Army
groups caught in “air tight en
circlement.” Another commun
ist broadcast said Nationalist
troops attempting to march
south were “stampeded” when
they came under attack.
A Nationalist military press
spokesman described the report
ed communist encirclement as
“not probable.” He said he had
“not received such reports.”
Government communiques are
usually late in reporting re
verses.
ROANOKE RAMBLINGS
By PAT NANTZ
The many friends of Mrs. Tom
Joyner will be interested to know
that she gave birth to a baby
boy on Saturday, December 4 at
the Roanoke Rapids Hospital .. .
Mrs. Joyner is the former Miss
Gwendolyn Butts of Monroe
street and was a member of the
class which will graduate from
the local high school this spring.
You should have seen the ex
pressions on the faces of the peo
ple, when they passed some of
the high school students yester
day who were on their way to
school . . . they couldn’t be
lieve their eyes when they saw
the boys with white shirts and
ties .. and the girls with simple
blouses, skirts and sweaters.
The explanation however, is very
simple . . . Miss Jesse Helen Bel
che, faculty advisor for the an
nual staff, sent out word Friday
that pictures would be taken
Monday and Tuesday for the an
nual, and for the students to
please look half civilized. So,
they all spent the weekend look
ing for ties, sweaters, suits and
skirts to fit the occasion .. some,
however, required more time to
find than others, and yesterday
when the fateful moment arrived,
they desperately confessed to
Miss Belch that they had no luck
in finding suitable wearing ap
parel in which to make a picture
for a high school annual... So
if, when you see one of th. 1949
Ro-Raps, you notice that the tie
that Jesse Harrell, Jr., has on
looks like the one tha Wal
ter Hargrove is wearing,
and Edelyn Hubbard’s resemble
it slightly too, it is because it
first belonged to Jesse, who loan
ed it to Walter, and he in turn
loaned it to Edelyn • .. and that
isn’t the half of it . . . Mrs. Moore
if you recall when the annuals
come out, that Lewis (or Bug, as
we know him) wore dungarees
and a sweat shirt that day, don’t
be alarmed when you see him
dressed as well as could be ex
pected of Adolph Menjou ... it
just happens that he has a friend,
name of Herbert “Bootsie” Moore
who was willing to let Bug bor
row his shirt and tie for the
striking of his beauty. . . the
photographer finally had to re
mark to the boys % that their
clothes sure got around; he had
photographed different boys, but
the same clothes . . .
Jack Erwin, who has been in
McQuire General Hospital, Rich
mond, Virginia, • since last Mon
day is reported to be in better
condition now after having under
gone an operation on Wednesday
of last week .... he is expected
to be at his home on Hamilton
street by this weekend ....
Friends of Gilbert Draper will
be interested to know tha* he is
in the local hospital with malaria
fever.
A Negro preacher walked into
the office of a newspaper in
North Carolina, and said: “Mistc
Edito”, this is forty-three of my
congregation which subscribe fc
yo’ Sadday issue?” “Sit down
and write,” said the editor. “3
thank you”. And this is the no
tice the minister wrote: “Mounl
Memorial Baptist Church, the
reverend John Davis, pastor.
Preaching morning and evening.
In the promulgation of the gos
pel, three books is necessary:
The Bible, the hymn book, and
the pocketbook. Come tomorrow
and bring all thraa % 4 • *
Weldon — The rain-swollen
Roanoke River this morning had
risen again to a peak of 40.1 feet,
it was reported by Weather Ob
server Luke M. Shearin today,
and the water was said to be
still rising.
The peak this morning was
on two-tenths of a foot under the
40.3 peak reached last week, and
it seemed certain that the high
water mark might exceed last
week’s high along the river bank,
possibly flooding some property.
From Raleigh Garrett DeMots,
head of the State Weather Bureau
forecast a crest of 44 feet at Wel
don — some 13 feet in flood. He
said after a depth of 42 feet is
passed here the water begins
backing up into several industrial
plants.
There were no reports of any
water damage in the Weldon-Roa
noke Rapids area today available
from any of the owners of in
dustrial property. Last week
when the river reached its high
mark for the year there was
some farm property covered by
the water, but damage was re
ported to be minor.
Observer Shearin said unless
there were more rain in the head
waters of the rivers there was
little likelihood that the crest this
week would be much higher than
that reported last week, when
a 42-foot crest was expected
from Raleigh.
DeMots said the Roanoke is ex
pected to reach a depth of 35
feet at Scotland Neck on Thurs
day, seven feet over its flood
stage, and 15 feet at Williamston
next Monday, five feet in flood.
Heavy weekend rains contri
buted to the rising river again,
and heavy drainage of the Vir
ginia watershed where the head
waters of the Roanoke River are
located was given as the contri
buting factor for the river’s rise
again here this week.
Services Held
For Weldon Man
Weldon—Funeral services were
conducted this afternoon in More
head City for Robert Craig
Friends Cornwall, 59, of Weldon,
who died at his home on Sun
day afternoon after a long ill
ness.
Mr. Cornwall was formerly
superintendent of the Weldon wa
ter works, having served in that
position for 25 years. He re
signed in 1941 and had been re
tired since that time. '
It was erroneously stated in
yesterday’s Herald that he was
still employed as superintendent
of the local water works at the
time of his death, however he
had not held the post since his
retirement. c
A native of Henrico, Va., he is
i -rvived by his wife, Mrs. Kath
leen Herbert Cornwall.
He was a veteran of World
War I, and attended Randolph
Macon College, Duke University
and the University of North Caro
lina. He was a member of
Grace Episcopal Church in Wel
don.
I 5 Shopping
■ v Days
Until Christmas
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