VOiTUNUMBER 42
"Tabor City — The Town With A City Future"
TABOR CITY, N. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1952;
5c A COPY; $2:00 A YEAR
Federal Court Convicts Klansmen In Flogging Case
State Passes Sentence On 11
Night Riders In Johnson Case
Eleven of the 13 men charged
with the flogging of Woodrow
Johnson in the first of many Ku
K!lx K!an cases were found guilty
and received road sentences or
heavy fires at the conclusion of
the trial in Whiteville Saturday
evening.
Ail defendants in tne Johnson
flogging were charged with con
spiracy kidnapping and assault.
Judge Clauson L. Williams of
Sanford ordered a maximum two
year road term in an assault con
viction for Henry Edwards of
Whiteville, Harvey Barfield of
near Mullins. S. C. and Ernest
Ward.
They were not found guilty of
kidnapping charges, but Judge
Williams told the defendants,"You
are very fortunate the jury didn't
find you guilty of kidnapping. I
doa't <ee how you escaped that."
Two other defendants, Lawrence
Xivens, 28. of Hallsboro, and
Brook Xorris of Whiteville were
acquitted of all charges.
After disposition was made in
tne cases of these five, Judge
Williams proceeded to pass sen
tence on the eight who pleaded no
contest: Early Brooks of Fair
Bluff. John Honeycutt, Jr., and
Leroy Honeycutt, both of Chad
bourn: Ray Kelly of Whiteville;
Frank Lewis of Fair Bluff; George
White and Steve Edmund, both of
Columbus County, and Red Con
nor of near Cerro Gordo.
Lewis, Edmunds and Connor re
ceived two-year road terms, sus
pended upon payment of $100 fine
each, placed on probation three
years. They had testified for the
State.
Brooks, leader of the Fair Bluff
klavern. received a two-year road
term.
Leroy Honeycutt and John Hon
eycutt. Jr., brothers, drew two
year terms, suspended upon pay
ment of $1,500 each and one
fourth the court costs.
Kelly received a two-year road
term, suspended upon payment of
S1.000 fine and one-fourth of court
costs.
White got a two-year sentence,
suspended upon payment of $1,000
fine and one-fourth of costs.
An outbreak by Hay Kelly's fam
ily began as soon as Judge Wil
liams first pronounced his sentence
without suspending it, as the
pudgy, timid pulp wood worker
stood in the courtroom. A grey
haired man several rows back in
the courtroom started convulsive
movements of his arms and jerk
ing movements of his head. At the
same time, he chanted a weird
and unintelligible language.
Two highway patrolmen moved
to his side and tried to calm him
by gently holding his arms. He
struggled briefly, then suddenly
stopped with an audible, "halle
luiah."
tucctiiuuie, iura, xvajr nsuj
out in sobs, as did other members
of the family. Then she arose from
her seat, sobbing, and with a danc
ing step she made her way inside
the bar waving a handkerchief
over her head. As she reached her
husband, wringing her hands over
his head, he, too, began sobbing.
After the sobbing subsided some
what, Judge Williams ordered ev
eryone to resume their seats.
The jury, composed of New
Hanover County citizens who
were finally selected after special
venires of 150-50 and 50 had been
summoned from that county, got
the case at 4:45 p. m., and return
ed their verdict at 8:15 p. m.
Even as this case neared a con
clusion, Solicitor Clifton Moore
said he expected to issue warrants
"within the next few days" gainst
several persons of Columbus Co
unty. These persons have not been
named in any of the flogging
charges now in the courts. He de
scribes them as 'fairly promin
ent."
Judge Williams recessed court
for the noon hour immediately af
ter Solicitor Moore concluded his
argument to the jury at 1:30 p. m.
The arguments began Friday aft
ernoon and continued into the
night.
(Continued on Page 4)
GUILFORD COLLEGE PRESIDENT
TO SPEAK AT COMMENCEMENT
reaierea speaKers Of the 1952
Tabor City High School com
mencement exercises will be Dr.
Clyde A. Miller, president of Guil
ford College, and Dr. B. Frank
Hall, pastor of Pearsall Memorial
Presbyterian Church in Wilming
ton.
Plans for the finals at the local
school were announced here
Thursday by C. H. Pinner, prin
cipal of Tabor City Schools.
Dr. Miller will be heard in the
baccalaureate sermon to the grad
uates here qg the night of Sunday,
JACK FIPPS
STRICKEN
IN TRUCK
Jack Fipps is a patient in the
Columbus County hospital, White
ville, following a convulsion re
sulting from a diabetic condition
Monday morning.
Fipps was driving the Yam
City Oil company service truck
on the Whiteville-Tabor City
highway at the time he was
stricken.
He apparently was uninjured.
The truck was ditched and
slightly damaged.
Ghadbourn Slates
Strawberry Fete ι
A strawberry Festival and Fes- !
tival Dance will be held in Chad- j
bouTn this year under the spon-:
sorship of the Chadbourn Civitaii
club officials announced.
The affair, which will be an
afternoon and night feature of
events, will be held on Tuesday,
May 27, and will include a dance
and floor show by the Bruce Bub
bles Becker orchestra and revue.
Present plans for -the festival
other than the dance, schedule a
parade, string band, noted speaker
and the awarding of numerous
prizes with a television set as a
grand prize by the Merchants As
sociation.
Finklea Student
Has Three Year
Atendance Record
Margaret Tompkins, nine-year
old daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Liston Tompkins, has a perfect
attendance record for three years
in the Finklea School. She is a
fourth grade student and has not
missed a day of school during
the past three years.
Each year she has received a
certificate and a silver dollar and
has attended the annual picnic
given at Myrtle Beach honoring
the students with perfect attend
ance records.
Margaret says "she is going to
try to make it again next year."
MRS. Η. GARKELL
AND DAUGHTER
IN ENGLAND
Mrs. Howard C. Garrell and
daughter, Tonia Sue, have arrived
safely in England to be with Cpl.
Garrell who is stationed with tfle
Army there.
Mrs. Garrell wrote her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. C. O. Fowler, of
route 3, Tabor City that she is
getting along fine in England, but
is having a little difficulty in
counting money as the value there
varies from American money. She
also said things are cheaper there.
Cigarettes are only one dollar per
cartoon and that she had bought
her little daughter a swim suit
for 57c in American money.
The Garrell's will receive mail
addressed to CpL Howard C. Gar
rell, 14248426; 123 Med. Gp.; 123
It Bm. Ug.; A. P. O. 122 Care
Post Master, New York, Ν. Y.
ATTEND CONVENTION
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Inman of
the Inman Funeral Home attend
ed the Funeral directors Conven
tion in Charlotte Wednesday and
Thursday. J
May 18th, while Dr. Hall will de
liver the address at the graduation
exercises on Tuesday evening,
May 20th.
The Sunday, May 18, and Thurs
day, May 20th, evenings, featur
ing the baccalaureate sermon and
presentation of diplomas to the
seniors, will bring the Tabor City
commencement exercises to a
close.
Special music will be rendered
by the seniors and High School
Chorus both evenings with the
programs getting underway at 8
o'clock.
Seniors to receive diplomas in
clude Gene Burroughs, James
Cooper, Charles Cox, Odell Fowl
er, Billy Gore, Clifford Gore Dick
Garrell, Ray Harrelson, Robert
Dale Inman, Harold Jordan, Jun
ior Jordan, Royce Norris, Avery
Piver, Joseph Ray, M. J. Reynolds,
Maitland Smith, Earl Soles, R. C.
Soles, Jr., Horace Spivey, Glen
Stevens, Jiggs Waddell, Robert
Jenerette, Willis Duncan, Billie
Pearl Anderson, Mary Andrews,
Carolyn Cox, Muriel Cox, Carol
Dutton, IIa V. Fipps, Vivian Fowl
er, Joyce. Gore, Frances Hinson,
Also Roberta Jenerette, Anne
Jernigan, Margaret Jo Jernigan,
Maggie Larrimore, Gervais Long,
Levonia Mills, Nellie Mills, Edna
Norris, Mary Jo Pinner, Esther
Porter, Betty Jean Reece, Annie
Lee Reeves, Mary Elizabeth Rich- ι
ardson, Elsie Soles, Doris Spivey,
IIa Pearl Spivey, Edna Stroud,
Z.OX Floy*. Sugg«·, Frames, Grey
Ward, Vera Ward, and -Hilda Rae
Wright.
ATTENDING BAPTIST
CONVENTION
Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Leggette and
sons left Saturday for Miami, Pia.
where they are attending the
Southern Baptist convention.
Rev. and Mrs. P. C. Gantt and
sons left Monday for the conven
tion. i,
DEATH CLAIMS
CRANDALL PRINCE
William Crandall Prince, 69,
Tabor City farmer, died in the
Butner hospital Wednesday night
following several, years of declin
ing health. Funeral services were
held from the home of his neice,
Mrs. Rudolph Todd, Friday after
noon at 3 o'clock with the Rev. P.
C. Gantt, pastor of the Mount
Tabor Baptist church officiating.
Burial followed in the Norris cem
etery.
He was the son of. the late W.
F. Prince and the late Mrs. Cath
erine C. Stephens of Columbus
County.
Surviving other than Mrs. Todd
is a nephew, Kern Prince of Tabor
City. .
FINAL CANCER
TAG DAT SET
SATURDAY
Final Tag Day for the local fund,
American Cancer Society, will be
held in the business district Sat
urday, officials announced. A
number of local girls will partici
pate in the tag sales with the
girl turning in the most money
receiving an honor award.
Solicitation is expected to come
to a close this week and anyone
who has.not had the opportunity
to contribute should contact Mrs.
Mae S. Young or Mrs. Evelyn
Leonard, or mail a check to J. A.
Hufham, Jr. at the Waccamaw
Bank and Trust company.
To date Tabor City is short of
the $800 quota, officials said.
Mrs. Κ. C. Soles
Circle Hostess
The Dula McGougan circle of
the Mount Tabor Baptist W.M.U.
met with Mrs; B. C. Soles at her
home Thursday afternoon with
Mrs. A. P. Boger? presiding. Mrs.
Rosa Garrell gave the devotional.
Definite community commiss
ion service was planned by the
circle at which time members de
cided to supply a sick patient
with fruit juice.
Refreshments were served by
the hostess to eleven members
and one visitor.
Justice-As Prescribed By Law
When the ex-Ku Klux Klansmen who heard their sen
tences pronounced in Whiteville Saturday night used their
leather strap on handpicked citizens, they administered
their outlaw justice as they saw fit. But there was nothing
illegal about the justice as doled out by Judge Clawson
Williams in Superior Court—the floggers got their justice
in a manner prescribed by law. That's the only kind that
we believe in.
We find no room for sympathy for these night riders
who are now saddled with two year road sentences or
lieavy fines. They committed these criminal acts with
kheir eyes open and deserve no more consideration than a
chicken thief or a bank robber.
- - « *
In Judge Williams' court, these refugees irom nooas anu
robes put their case before 12 good men, they had the bene
fit of an array of legal talent and could tell their story in
its most favorable light. Yet they could not escape the
gravity of their deeds, and now must pay the penalty. In
applying, their Klan interpretation of justice, Woodrow
Johnson had no such opportunity to hear his case tried.
He had no opportunity to secure legal aid, nor did he have
the opportunity to select a jury from 250 men who were
.«κίοββΛ and without prejudice in the case.
Many of the men who now face stiff sentences in tne
Johnson case, are also charged in several others, including
the Federal case now in progress. Some of them are going
to spend a great part of their remaining lives looking
through bars at the outside. Like criminals of all descrip
tions, most of them are repentant now. But it took a
jourt of law to unseat them from their pedestal from which
they administered arrogant justice with a grudge.
From the first, we have had no compliments for the
people who the floggers whipped. There's no doubt that
3ome were involved in affairs bordering on the illegal.
Yet, we still maintain that the courts, and the law alone
has the American right to punish its citizenry. Our only
compliments to most of these flogged persons is on their
courage to tell their story to the law. In that respect, they
have not failed us, and in doing so have made our county
a better place in which to live. The virtual eradication of
the night-riding Klan is an accomplishment for Columbus
County and North Carolina and it is our belief that it will
never rise again.
BASEEALLERS CLOSE SEASON
with omsTJummt becobo
Tabor City high school's base
ball team closed but its 16 game
schedule last Friday night against
Chadboum with an 8-2 victory
and ended the 1952 season with
a recerd oi 13 wins against only
three defeats. This is one of the
best records ever compiled by the
local high schoolers and brought
a highly successful seeason to
Coach Bill Ratteree in his first
tenure as diamond coach here.
Tabor City dropped only three
games and no team beat them
more than once. Whiteville lick
ed the locals in a single contest
and Chadbourn and Fair Bluff
also won single games. AU three
teams were beaten by Tabor City
in other engagements.
Jimmy Jernigan, who pitched
and played outfield for the locals,
was perhaps the team's most out
standing individual star. Jernigan
had the best hurling record as he
racked up seven wins against one
defeat. He also set the hitting
pace with a hefty .480 average.
Jimmy Tompkins had a 3-1
hurling record. Sam Waiden had
two wins against no defeats and
Junior Jordan, the regular short
stop, had one win and one loss.
Beans Coming
To Local Market
The first beans of the season,
16 hampers, were sold on the
Tabor City market Monday for
$3.00 per hamper, C. E. Waiden,
Marketing company secretary, re
ported.
At the close of Tuesday's sales
4,957 crates of strawberries had
been sold on the market aver
aging $8.72 per crate. Total
money paid to growers amounts
to $43,233.38.
IN HOSPITAL'
Herbert Fowler, Tabor City
Is a patient in the Veterans hospi
tal, Fayetteville where he is re
ceiving treatment for a broken
leg and other injuries sustained in
an accident Sunday night.
The jeep Fowler was driving
overturned on a curve between
Tabor City and Loris when lights
from an approaching car blurred
his vision. ;
Business Women Meet
With Miss McGougan
The Business Woman's circle of
the Mount Tabor Baptist W.M.U.
met with Miss Anne Brooks Mc
Gougan at her home Thursday
evening. Miss Kate Jones, chair
man, presided and Mrs. W. A.
Williams gave the program en
titled "The Christian Home."
The circle decided to mail
cards to the shut-in's for com
munity service.
Punch and crackers were ser
ved by the hostess to nine mem
bers.
Porter Supply Co,
Opening Here
E. A. Porter, Tabor City resi
dent, . announced this week that
a new business, Porter Supply
Company, was opening here this
week in the building formerly oc
cupied by the Tabor City Bus Sta
tion.
With headquarters in Tabor
City, the new business will be
distributors for feed, flour and
self-rising corn meal for the Mt.
Ulla Flour Mills.
Mr. Porter will continue to be
associated with the Tabor City
Exchange here.
Assistant Pastor I
Of Catholic Church
Is Transferred
The Rev. James Randolph
Jones, who has served as assistant
pastor of St. Frances Xavier Cath
olic Church here since January,
has been appointed by Bishop
Waters of Raleigh to join the staff
of the Diocesan Missionary Fath
ers at North Wilksboro, N. C. Their
work is to conduct outdoor preach
ing services through the use of
a trailer chapel car in remote sec
tions of the State.
Mr. and Mrs. S. G. Sarvis, Jr. of
Burlington, Mr. and Mrs. Carrol
Hooks and daughter of Whiteville
and Mrs. Emma Roberts of Ra
leigh spent the weekend with Mr.
and· Mrs. S. G. Sarvis, Sr. and
Mrs. Frances Cox.
Mrs. G. W, Crutchfield
Installed President
Of Woman's Club
Mrs. G. W. Crutchfield was in
stalled as president of the Tabor
City Woman's club at the general
meeting held at the clubhouse this
month. Mrs. R. B. Mallard was
installed as vice president; Miss
Kate Jones, secretary; Mrs. Evelyn
Leonard, treasurer, and Mrs. Fred
M. Jernigan, assistant treasurer..
Mrs. Crutchfield named the fol
lowing committees to serve the
1952-1953 year: Ways and Means,
Mrs. Evelyn Leonard, Mrs. Fred
M. Jernigan, and Mrs. Ralph W.
Spivey; Program, Mrs. Horace
Roberts, Mrs. J. C. Singletary, and
Mrs. Η. B. Bell; Hostess, Mrs.
David Kelley; Scrap Book* Miss
Anne Brooks McGougan; Govern
mend Bonds, Miss Flora Bell Gore;
Building and Grounds, Mrs. Eve
lyn Leonard; Kitchen, Mrs. S. T.
Rogers and Mrs. Doc Bruton.
Mrs. J. C. Singletary made the
official report of the North Caro
lina convention of Woman's clubs
held in Winston Salem earlier in
the month.
Prior to turning the gavel over
to Mrs. Crutchfield Miss Anne
Brooks McGougan, retiring presi
dent told of the club's accomplish
ments during the year.
The district 10 president and
the woman of the year and county
cancer heads are members of the
local club.
The club sponsored the emer
gency flood Red Cross drive last
summer and the Yam Festival ball,
queen contest and entered a float
in the festival parade.
The club won the attendance
gavel at the District 10 meeting
and a scrap book ribbon at the
North Carolina State convention.
A Care for Korea package was
sent and the Oscar Merit World
Peace contest war sponsored by
the club.
Many improvements were made
to the clubhouse and grounds and
the club served the Rotary club
suppers for nine weeks.
Classes in parlimentary proced
ure we.e held.
A plus rating was awarded the
club by the North Carolina Feder
ation of Women's club with the
club chalking up 112 points for
the years work.
Hostesses for the installation
meeting were Mrs. Horace Roberts,
Mrs. Fred M. Jernigan, Mrs. W.
H. Shelley, Jr., and Mts. Bob
White.
New members accepted were
were Mrs. Walter Leonard and
Mrs. Claude Huggins.
Death Claims
Good Hope Farmer
Jim D. Graham 58 year old
farmer of the Good Hope section
of Horry county, died Monday
night following a heart attack. He
suffered the attack at his home
and was rushed to the hospital
where he died almost suddenly.
He had been in declining health
for some time.
Funeral rites will be held from
'the Good Hope Baptist church this
afternoon (Wednesday) at 2
o'clock with the Rev. Deene of
Conway officiating with Rev. C.
D. Brearley assisting. Burial will
Follow in the Wood Lawn ceme
tery.
He is survived by his wife the
former Lula Hucks, and a son
Jack Graham of the home. Two
brothers, Bennie Graham of Myr
tle Beach and Seif Graham of
Conway; two half sisters, Mrs.
Tillman Smith of Cool Springs,:
and Mrs. Glen Ward of Chad
bourn.
BULLETIN
Robert 7*rincef 23, hu been ar
rested and charred with secret
assault with a deadly weapon in
the shooting of Ernest Strickland,
of Tabor City, on the morning of
February 1·, it was learned to
day. Strickland was shot about
3:00 a. m. as he lay in bed. Also
arrested and charged with aid
ing and abetting in the assault
were Gladys Prince Strickland,
wife of the victim, and her son,
Earl Prince, 17.
Mrs. Grant Stewart of Canton
arrived Wednesday to spend a
month with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. J. Leon Mills. Mr. Stewart
will join them June 1 for a vaca
tion here during the fishing
season.
Ringleader Early Brooks Fair
Bluff constable and the Sevengali
of the Klan mob which terrorized
Columbus County for two years,
caught a five-year penitentiary
rap in Federal court in Wilming
ton Tuesday for the kidnap-flog
ging of a Columbus County couple'
in Horry County, S. C., last Octo
ber..
Actually, Brooks was given
five year terms on two counts, the
sentences to run concurrently. He
faces the Federal sentence after
he completes a two-year stretch
on the roads, handed down in
Whiteville district court last week
on another flogging charge.
Brooks was one of ten penitent
Klansmen found guilty by Judge
Don Gilliam after a two-day trial.
Five others received shorter sen
tences and were placed on proba
tion. The eleventh, 18-year-old
Grand Dragon Thomas I*
Hamilton once denied in a letter
to The Tabor City Tribune that
the Fair Bluff Klavern had had
anything to do with the Colum
bus county floggings but his tale
was disproved in no uncertain
terms this week as both State and
Federal courts found memben of
that infamous group guilty of law
violations.
George Miller, was found innocent
and discharged. He explained to
the court that he had been mis
taken by the other floggers for his
brother, and after the mistake was
discovered he was forced to join
the Klan because he "knew too
much."
The other sentences were:.
Three years on each charge,
sentences to run concurrently —
Horace Strickland, 29-year - old
former fee deputy sheriff; James
Robert Hayes, 38, whose car was
used to carry the victims to the
flogging site; Ross Enzor, 48% and
Pittman Strickland, 29.
Two years on each count, sen
tences to run concurrently — Carl
Richardeon, 60, oldest of the de
fendants.
L. C. Worley. 25, former Klav
ern secretary who turned state's
evidence, two yeärs on each count,
suspended and placed on proba
tion.
Sherwood Miller, 26 and Bobby
Brooks, 19-year-old son of the
kingpin, 12 months suspended on
each* count and placed on proba
tion for three years.
Steve Edmunds, 26, two years
on each count suspended, placed
on probation for two years.
The men, most of them in shirt
sleeves and open collars, received
their sentences without motion,
but later several broke down and
wept. -*i
In passing sentences, Judge Gil
liam bore down severely. Conced
ing that the floggers had beeen
"misguided," he declared that
they, nevertheless, must pay for
their mistakes.
The Klan, he said, "is a com
bination of a lot of people who
take the law into their own hands
. . . a condition that would under
mine our society if left uncheck
ed."
their sentences without emotion,
barpoon at Tom Hamilton, the
South Carolina "Grand Dragon"
of the Klan. He said that Hamil
ton had sold the guillible clay
road farmers of Columbus County
a "bill of goods," and was interest
ed in the Fair Bluff Klavern only
for the money he could extroct
from it
The witnesses, ranging all he
way from sheriff Hugh Nance
down to gaunt tobacco farmers,
gave monosyllabic testimony to
the good character of the masked
goons who carted Ben Grainger
and Dorothy Dillard Martin across
the state line last October. The
blood flowed. Miss Martin had
testified earlier that each blow of
the strap had knowcked her to
the ground. »
In the aftermath of the sentenc
ing, seven of the convicted flog
gers filed notice of appeal. They
were Brooks and his son, the'
Strickland brothers, Hayes and
Enzor, and Richardson. Bond was
set at $3,500 for Brooks; $2,500 for
the others.
Meeanwhile the U. S. Dist. Atty.
Charles P. Green of Raleigh, who
had led the prosecution, served
notice that he may draw a Fed
eral indictment against Hamilton,
the Imperial Wizzard. He would
not disclose the nature of the
charge which he is contemplating
levelling against Hamilton.
In the course of the two trials,
in Wilmington and at Whiteville,
it was brought out in the evidence
that Hamilton had pocketed a sub
stantial sum from the sale of mem
berships and robes to Columbus
Klansmen.