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VOLUME 07 10c Per Copy Subscription Price $3.00 a Year WARRENTON, COUNTY OF WARREN, N. C. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1963 NUMBER 44
Jury Upholds Validity
Of Mattie Tucker Will
Four Issues
Are Decided
Efforts to break the will
of the late Mrs. Mattie L.
Tucker failed on last Friday
when a Warren County jury
in a civil term of Superior
Court ruled in favor of the
propounders.
Four issues were submitted
tn the iurv- They ruled that
the purported writing dated
the 18th of February, 1963.
was the last will and testa
ment of Mrs. Tucker; that
Mrs. Tucker had the mental
capacity to make a will; that i
the will was produced by no |
undue influence; and that
'the paper writing and every
part and clause thereof," is
the "last will and testament
of Mattie L. Tucker.
The case In which five j
cousins of the 81-year-old Mrs. j
Tucker were seeking to have
the court set aside the pro
visions of the contested will
was docketed for trial 15st
Wednesday.
Mrs. Tucker's cousins, none
residents of Warren County,
filed a protest on March 28,
1968. contending that the
Tucker estate, of considerable
value, was bequeathed two >
Warren County women by rea-1
son of Mrs. Tuckers' "old age,;
disease, and both mental and |
physical weakness and infirm-1
ity." Mrs. Tucker's will was;
signed on . eDr.iary 18, 1963. i
two weeks before her death.
In her will Mrs. Tucker
said, "After the payment of
my just debts, funeral ex
penses, costs of administra-;
tion and inheritance tax, Ij
give, devise and bequeath one-1
half (ti) of my net estate, j
real and personal, to my j
friend, Mrs. Sadie Bolton i
Thompson, and the other one- j
half (Vi) to her daughter,
Grace Thompson Young."
Following the jury verdict.
Judge Hamilton Hobgood, pre
siding judge, ordered that:
"Now, therefore, on motion!
of Howard E. Manning and|
Banzet and Banzet, attorneys,
for the propounders, it is de
creed by the court that the j
said paper writing and every
part thereof is the last will,
and testament of the said
Mattie L. Tucker, and it is,
therefore, ordered that the
original will be remitted to
the Clerk of Superior Court
of Warren County, with the
transcript of the proceedings
bad in this court, to the end
that the said will may be duly
recorded and filed in said
court, that further proceed
ings may be had thereon ac
cording to law.
"It is further ordered
that the costs of this trial be
taxed against the estate of
Mattie L. Tucker to be paid
by the personal representa
tive."
Judge Hobgood further or
dered that Howard E. Man
ning and Banzet and Banxet, i
attorneys for the propounders,
be paid the sum of $12,000
for their services; and that
John Kerr, Jr. William W.
Taylor, Jr., and Charles T.
Johnson, attorneys for the
caveators, be paid the sum of
$6,000 for their services. The
attorney fees were ordered
paid from the funds of the
estate.
Contesting the will wer
John Morris Tucker of Dui
h.? Mary. Scott Cravar. jfl
Yadkin County, and Jol
Pryor Tucker, Betty Jet
Tucker Morris, and Barbai
Tucker Knight, all of Nt
folk, Va.
Third In A Series: Norlina High School
Money Best Cure
For Norlina Ailments
Norlina High School has
undergone a thorough check
up by Warren County school
officials in an effort to spot
deficiencies which could mean
a loss in accreditation for the
Norlina school two years from
now.
The report, released this
week by Assistant School
Supt. J. Comer Griffin, boiled
down to a diagnosis common
to both white and Negro high
schools throughout the coun
ty. Norlina High School has
few ailments which money
couldn't cure.
Norlina is one of five
schools being studied in an
effort.,to leant where money
must be spent, where im
provements must be made, in
order that the county's school
system will suffer no loss of
acceditation when the State
Department of Public Instruc
tion puts into effect higher
accreditation standards in two
years.
To date, school administra
tion and organization in the
county's schools have received
a clean bill of health. How
ever, in other areas, primari
ly physical ? facilifTes, various
deficiences have been uncov
ered. A glaring shortcoming
in all schools has been the
lack of a central library
which would meet revised
standards.
Such is the case at Norlina,
Warrenton Firms To
Obsorve Holiday
A majority of Warrenton'a
stores will close in observ
ance of Vetfrans* Day, No
vember 11.
A. A. Wood,
and a member of
a warn
where 497 high school and
elementary children share 540
square feet of reading room
floor space, where the num
ber of books falls far short
of new" requirements and
where there is a lack of rec
[ ommended library personnel.
Among the new standards
causing concern to school of
ficials who must move to up
date Norlina High School are:
?The school organization
provides for a non-teaching
principal in schools employing
15 or more teachers.
Mr. Reed, the Norlina prin
cipal, teaches two classes per
day.
?The school organization
provides for a full-time libra
I rian when the enrollment is
1351 to 1000, and a part-time
librarian devoting at least
one-third of the school day to
library services is employed
when the enrollment is 350
or less.
Norlina has a teacher libra
rian, with 10 semester hours
of library science, devoting
one hour per day to library
services; however, the library
serves both the high school
and the .elementary .school
with a combined enrollment
I of 497.
?The curriculum and in
structional programs are in
accord with the applicable
State laws, State Board of
Education regulations. State
Department of Public Instruc
tion recommendations, and
the written policies of the
county board of education.
The curriculum at Norlina
does not provide instruction
in Musk, Industrial Arts or a
four-year sequence of a for
eign language. Norlina offers
French I and n.
?The school has developed
for each subject in its curric
ulum written course outlines
in which objectives are stat
ed; in which scope and se
quence are clearly delineated;
and in which available in
structional equpiment, mater
ials and supporting services
are listed.
Norlina does not have such
a course outline for any sub
ject at present; however. It
(See SCHOOLS, page 4)
NIXON
College Speakers To
Be Here Today For
World Community Day
Observance of World Com
munity Day here this after
noon will be featured by the
appearance of two speakers
from Louisburg Colle
are DemetriosF. Ml
feasor of history, and. Alicia
Suarez, a student at the jun
ior college.
Sponsored by the United
Church women of the town,
the service will be held at
Wesley Memorial Church this
afternoon at 3 p. m.
Prof. Nixon, a graduate of
Charlotte junior College, and
the University of North Caro
lina, where he received his
A.B. degree in Political
Science, History and French,
Ms fLA. in Potttieel
? 11 1 Imm
'i - uvea *o?
IS years in Greece and at
Lions Are Praised
For Help With RIM
Ml. Margarette Stockey of
Arlington, field representa
tive of the North Carolina
Association, was guest
speaker at a meeting of the
Warren ton Lions Club held at
Hotel Warren Friday night
Employed' to aid the blind
in the manufacture and ado
of various items, Mrs. Stockey
expressed appreciation to
members of the local club for
their air in maintaining a dis
play at Mind-anode articles
during the Warren Countv
Fair. :,-S
Mrs. Stockey
ed by Lion
tar
In
by Lion
?ss??
Of Grads In
College Dips
Warren County's percentage
of white high school grad
uates entering college?listed
as the third highest in the
state in 1962?dropped slight
ly this year, a report issued
this week by Superintendent
of Schools J. R. Peeler has
revealed.
While school officials re
ported a drop from 46.3 per
cent to 42.8 per cent, they
pointed out that more than
half of the county's white
1963 graduates continued
their education beyond the
high school level.
Included in the latter
grouping are those who enter
ed college, business and trade
schools, nursing and military
service. Last year the per
centage of Warren white
graduates in this category was
68.4. This year the figure
dipped to 64.8 per cent.
Eleven per cent of the 1963
graduates were reported em
ployed in non-farm related
jobs, while 3.3 per cent were
[employed either on. the farm
| or in farm related jobs.
| Some 20.9 per cent?all "
girls?were reported not work
I ing. A total of 8.8 per cent
of these were married and
were listed as housewives.
The remainder were reported
living at home.
Last year, according to a
survey of 1962 high school
graduates prepared by the
State Department of Public
Instruction. Warren County
ihad 46.3 per cent of its white
[students entering college. The
I state average for the same
j year was 39.6 per cent. Last
I year the state average for
i graduates continuing their ed-|
I ucation stood at 56.2 per cent. |
County-Wide Farm
Adult Classes Will
Begin At Norlina
The first in a county-wide
series of adult classes in agri
cultural education is slated to
begin Monday night in the
Norlina Agriculture Building.
Clint Hege, vocational agri
culture teacher at Norlina
High School, said a class in
farm records and income tax
would lead off the series. The
first course ? totalling 18
hours?will be taught each
Monday night from Nov. 4
through Dec. 16.
Teaching the course in farm
records and income tax will
be Erich Hecht of Norlina,
an agricultural economics
graduate of N. C. State Col
lege. Classes will be two
hours long.
Adult education courses for
1963-64 have been set up on
a countywide basis and War
ren residents may take
courses at any of the three
white high schools participat
ing in the program.
"The Warren Board of Ed
ucation and I feel that this
program meets a real need of
our patrons. It is our wish
that all of our farmers in the
county will avail themselves
of the opportunity to partici
pate," Supt. J. R. Peeler said.
In addition to the farm re
cords and income tax course,
three welding courses wilt he
offered at Norlina early In
1963. At Littleton High
School a farm records and in
come tax course and a tractor
care and maintenance course
will be given. A tobacco pro
duction course will be offered
at Warrenton's John Graham
High, and a beef eattlepe?
duction course will be offer
ed?beginning Nov. 13?at the
Ines Community Building.
Training Meet Set
For Scout Leaders
Boy Scout leaden from
throu about the Occoneecheo j
Council h*re been invited to
attend the annual
Attorney's Wife Held;
Hearing Slated Today
Questioning Continues
In Gilliland Slaying
BARBARA S. GILLILAND
SffcfiftSRlfr- ? ...
Annual Christmas
Parade To Be Held
Here On Nov. 27
JAMES D. GILLILAND
Warrenton's annual Christ
mas parr.de will be staged
along the town's Main Street ?
on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
W. K. Lanier, president of
the Warrenton Merchants As-j
sociation, said yesterday thatj
the parade, ushering in the
Christmas season here, would i
begin at 4' p. m.
Merchants have said that
the parade, while reflecting
the Yuletide motif, would be
held to express appreciation
of local merchants to their
customers. Merchants also
said they wished to avoid un
due . commercialization of the
Christmas season and have
labeled the parade an "Ap
preciation Parade."
In addition to floats prepar
ed by some business firms,
the Association has agreed to
jrent 10 professionally built
floats. Negotiations to secure
marching bands for the event
were underway Thursday, La
nier said.
Santa Claus, as in years
past, will be a center of at
traction in this year's parade,!
and is expected to take his
place in the line of floats
aboard the town's fire truck.
The parade also will kick
off Friday night store open
ings, beginning Nov. 29, and:
continuing until Christmas.
Law enforcement officers j
probing the slaying of War-,
renton attorney James D. Gil- j
liland questioned twq uniden-1
searchingCrforE a 'third "late!
Thursday on the eve of a
hearing for Gilliland's Ger
man-born wife, held here on
a charge of first-degree mur
der.
Sheriff Jim H. Hundley said
that he had questioned two j
persons Thursday morning in
an effort to gain additional
information concerning the
death of Gilliland, a 43-year-.j
old Warrenton lawyer who]
was shot to death Monday j
night in a weathered, frame I
shack seven- miles?northeast j
| of here. Names of those j
questioned were withheld. No i
details of the interrogations |
were given.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Barbara S. j
Gilliland has remained silent!
in the Warren County jail |
here as she faces a prelimi
~nary nearing Friday, Nov. 1, i
before Judge Julius E. Banzet
in Warren County Recorder's
Court. She was charged
Tuesday afternoon with the
murder of her husband, a
controversal lawyer and busi
nessman, who was pronounced
dead on arrival at Warren
General Hospital at 9:20 p.
m. Monday. Gilliland had
! been brought to the hospital
minutes before by his wife.
Since then, Mrs. Gilliland,
the former Barbara Brigette
Striecks of Schildberg, Ger
many, has remained silent,
many, has conferred only
with attorneys Frank Banzet
of Warrenton and Robert
Cahoon of Greensboro.
Tuesday night, three per
sons, whose identities have not
been revealed, were question
ed at the Warren County
Courthouse. Also present that
night were Hundley, District
Solicitor W. H. S. Burgwyn,
Jr., of Woodland, Assistant
District Solicitor Charles M.
White, III, and counsel for
Mrs. Gilliland.
Gilliland died from a sin
gle pistol bullet which lodged
in his throat. An autopsy
was performed in Chapel Hill
on the day following his
death and the ttllet was re
moved. Hundley said that the
bullet, fired from a .22 cali
ber weapon, had been turned
over to the SBI for ballistic
tests. No report on the but
let had been received by
Hundley Thursday.
Shortly before midnight
Monday Warren Deputy B. G.
Stevenson located Gilliland's
station-wagon in a densely
wooded area near the com
munity of Macon. Inside
were a pair of gold-colored
lady's slippers, and a quan
tity of whiskey.
A few feet away, in the
three - room weather - beaten
house owned by Gilliland, of
ficers found a .22 caliber pis
Sheriff Jim H. Hundley, left, and Deputy B. G.
Stevenson inspect the frame shack in which Warrenton
attorney James' D, Gilliland was slain Monday night.
(Staff Photo)
lol believed to be the murder
weapon. Stevenson said the
gun had been fired three I
times.
In the once-abandoned j
house, located a half-mile I
from a paved road, officers I
found a trail of blood leading
to a bedroom door where Gil
liland was believed shot Two
gas heaters were in operation
inside the house, and a kero
sene lantern was burning in j
one room. Stevenson said a j
loaded .38 caliber revolver, j
owned by Gilliland, wTs found j
on a chest-of-drawers in the I
bedroom. Linwood Harton, j
an SBI agent assigned to the i
case Tuesday, said neither |
weapon bore fingerprints.
Sheriff Hundley said Gilli
land was last seen alive j
shortly after 8 p. m. Monday j
at a service station which hej
owned here. In addition to
the service station, Gilliland
owned several local firms and
had farming interests. His
wife operated a drive-in ice!
cream stand and grill on the j
edge of Warrenton.
Gilliland also was a stock
holder in three corporations.
The oldest of these was the
Green Land Company, of
which Gilliland had been sole
stockholder and which had
been in existence for several
years. The other two corpo
rations were the Dagel Supply
Company and the Mobile Feed
Services.
Both of the latter were in
corporated in October., 1080.
Both were permitted.by their
charters to "carry on and con
duct a general farm business;
?
to buy, sell and generally deal
in any commercial, industrial
or manufacturing enterprise
incidental to or in aid of its
business." Both listed as its
incorporators James Daniel
Gilliland and Alpheus O.
Kearney and Wilhelmina W.
Kearney, both of Rt. 2, Nor
lina.
The last recorded transac
tion of the Dagel Supply Co.
was in July, 1963, when the
corporation deeded a small
tract of land from Dagel Sup
ply Co. to Barbara S. Gilli
land. The recorded deed lists
Gilliland as secretary of the
corporation, and Sam Dale as
president. The president of
the Green Land Company was
listed as Dan Segal.'
The frame house in which
Gilliland was killed, along
with "five or six a\res" of
land was owned by the Dagel
Supply Co.
Hundley said that authori
ties had not learned whether
or not Gilliland left a will.
Gilliland, a divorcee, mar
ried his second wife in Aug
ust, 1958. She had been a
nurse here from November,
1954, until February, 1956, but
was living in Winston-Saleaa
at the time of their marriage.
The couple were living in a
mobile home near the War
renton Country Club at the
time of Gilliland's death.
Gilliland stirred protest in
his hometown during the sum
mer of 1956 when he defend
ed alleged Communists in a
Charlotte trial. Later that
year he was charged with un
ethical oractice by the Nerth
<8e
e GILLILAND, |