Warrentonaam.Library X
117 S.llaln St.
tfarranton, N.C. 27589
Sttfe Uarren iRecorii
Volume 84 15* Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Thursday, October 29, 1981 Number 44
Telephone Trace Brings Help From Half A State Away
By HELEN HOWARD
It is amazing that a phone call and a deck of cards could
have anything in common. It is even phenomenal when
the link between the two spans over 175 miles and
involves more than a dozen people. Sound like a
Halloween tale? It is more heartwarming than a
Halloween tale.
The phone call came about 11 a.m. on Monday, October
19. Mrs. Marie Martin, a resident of Rt. 2, Warrenton,
answered what she thought was the usual call in her
beauty shop in Henderson. It was not the usual phone call.
Upon answering, Mrs. Martin believed she heard
someone or something but was not sure.
"I don't know why I didn't hang up," she said last week.
"I listened again and I thought I heard a noise," she
continued. She asked some of her customers to listen and
they all agreed someone was on the phone and must need
help.
Mrs. Martin summoned George Newhouse, an
insurance agent in the adjoining offices. Mr. Newhouse
agreed with the women that the garbled noise on the
other end of the phone was trying to get help.
"That is when I called Carolina Telephone and asked
them if they could trace the call," Mrs. Martin pointed
out. "I was getting real excited then," she added.
Carolina Telephone and Telegraph informed Mrs.
Martin that the other party must be kept on the line in
order for the trace to be completed. Calmly, Mr.
Newhouse agreed to continue talking to the party holding
at the other end and reassured the person that help was
coming.
Meanwhile, at the local office of Carolina Telephone
the trace began. According to Richard Barnes,
supervisor for Henderson's telephone office, one man
was assigned to conduct the trace in the Henderson
office. A check of the area lines turned up nothing so the
next step began. Without prior taps for tracing, phone
calls such as the one at this time must be "traced one step
at a time," Mr. Barnes pointed out, noting the time
consuming operation.
The trace further revealed that the call was not from
within this general area so Southern Bell Telephone was
notified.
"Southern Bell probably used one or two of their people
on the area level," Mr. Barnes noted. He also explained
that the exact circuit must be traced. Since the call was
long distance, many more circuits had to be explored. If,
for instance, a call from Raleigh to Warrenton is made
and the circuits are full, the call may be routed to
Chicago to Philadelphia and back. The task continued,
however.
The trace pointed to the Charlotte area where Southern
Bell appointed another employee to pinpoint the call.
During the tracing procedure, Mr. Newhouse was still
talking to the person on the other end. "I could hear
breathing," he commented. Mr. Newhouse did not know
what was wrong with the other person but "I learned that
when he tried to talk to me his breathing got erratic," he
pointed out. "So I did everything to keep him from
talking," he added.
"Mr. Newhouse was wonderful," Mrs. Martin quickly
pointed out. "He deserves all the credit," she noted.
The waiting continued. "I was only really nervous
once," Mr. Newhouse said. Carolina Telephone
interrupted the line. "Then I couldn't hear anything," he
noted. At this point Mr. Newhouse thought his efforts had
been in vain and the trace had been broken. "But then the
line went dead and I knew someone had found whoever it
was," he said with a slight inflection in his voice.
The time was 1:30 p.m. For over two hours the trace
had gone on and Mr. Newhouse had stayed on the phone
in Marie's Beauty Shop trying to help someone
somewhere.
"I had the best feeling I have ever had in my life when
it was over," Mr. Newhouse commented. "I'll never
forget it," he added.
Around 2 p.m. Carolina Telephone and Telegraph
notified Mrs. Martin that the call had come from
Charlotte but company regulations prohibited revealing
the name of the person.
The call had traveled over 175 miles, through several
telephone networks, taken over two hours, involved Mrs.
Martin, Mr. Newhouse, the employees of Carolina
Telephone, Southern Bell and a rescue squad in Charlotte
but someone in Charlotte was in the hospital getting the
help all the time and energy had evolved.
"It was just a miracle," Mrs. Martin said about the
call. "But I still do not know who it was. I'm just praying
he is alright," she added.
THE DECK OF CARDS
Think the story is incredible? Then came the cards.
All week Mrs. Martin had pondered about the call. She
was expecting her granddaughter for a visit during the
weekend so she decided to get a deck of cards for a gift.
On Friday she called Alford's Printers to place the
order. As she dialed the number she noticed that the last
digit was only one number different from hers. She
commented on that fact to the employee at Alford's.
"I don't know why I did this either," Mrs. Martin
explained Friday night. "For some strange reason, I
asked the lady if the Alford's had relatives in Charlotte,"
she said.
The employee verified that Mr. Alford had a brother in
Charlotte, "so I asked how he was doing," Mrs. Martin
pointed out with a chuckle.
She was amazed at the response. He had a stroke on
Monday and was in the hospital. The link between
Charlotte and the Warren County woman was made
known.
In talking with Mrs. Alford, Mrs. Martin learned that
neighbors of Dr. Alford, a dentist in Charlotte, did not
know anything was wrong until the rescue squad arrived.
They did not know how the rescue squad had been
summoned. "It was a real mystery to the Alfords, too,"
Mrs. Martin noted. Dr. Alford could not speak and tell
them how he had reached help. He had tried to call his
brother.
Dr. Alford remains in Charlotte hospital suffering
from a stroke. He is paralyzed on one side and is unable to
talk at present.
Since his retirement he has spent time in the area
while restoring the old Alford home in Louisburg.
Perhaps as soon as he is better he will come to the area
and meet Mr. George Newhouse and Mrs. Marie Martin
and thank them for their help.
Halloween tales usually end in horror. This tale ends on
the note that people DO still care and help their
neighbors, even if the neighbor is almost two hundred
miles away.
Accidents
Reported
Charlie Murphy Aycock,
19, of Rt 2, Warrenton, was
taken to Warren General
Hospital for treatment of
minor injuries following a
wreck Saturday in Warren
County, according to
Trooper C. E. Lockley.
Aycock waff northbound
on U. S. 401 five miles south
of Warrenton. He lost
control of is car while
attempting to avoid a
collision with another
vehicle that had passed
him. The second unidenti
fied vehicle was not past
Aycock's car before it
attempted to return to the
right lane, reports show.
The Aycock car ran off
the road to the right, struck
a ditch and overturned.
The vehicle came back up
right only to overturn
again and finally come to
rest on its top in a field.
No charges were placed.
Damage was estimated at
$4,000 to the Aycock car.
No injuries were
sustained in a two-vehicle
accident Friday on State
Road 1825 six miles south
of Warrenton in Warren
County, Trooper Lockley
said.
Irvin Duval Smith, 37, of
Route 3, Warrenton, was
northbound on the roadway
and Mary Frances Turner
Gilchrest, 22, of Macon,
was southbound when their
vehicles collided on a
curve, the trooper said.
No charges were placed.
Lockley said be was unable
to determine who was left
of center because each
driver blamed the accident
on the other.
Damages were
estimated at $300 to the
Smith truck and $300 to the
Oikhrestcar.
A tractor-trailer rig
owned fay E. La. Murphy
Trucking Inc. of St Paul,
Minn., was northbound on
I-K Friday whim the load
on the back struck the
bridge at the Oine Road
intersection in Warren
County. Trooper W. C.
Palmer said the load was
15 feet, two inches talL
Hie y-M—* ^
at 11 a. m. three miles
north of Nor Una. The
driver of the truck, Gary
Lee Carlson, 33, of Win
nebago, Minn., escaped
■ There were no i
to the truck. Damages
were estimated at HOO to
The
to Philip Morris at
The Rodgers Holtzmann family has been selected as
Conservation Farm Family of the Year by the Warren
Soil and Water Conservation District. The Holtzmann
family was cited as using the services of the Soil Conser
vation Service, ASCS and Extension Service in their
farming operation at Ridgeway. They have implemented
many good conservation practices such as grassed
waterways, field borders, terraces, contour farming,
conservation cropping systems, minimum tillage,
pasture management, farm pond construction and fish
pond management. Rodgers and his wife, Barbara, are
assisted in their farm operation by their three sons, Gary,
Steve and Randy. Shown during presentation of the
award are, left to right, Jim Huey, Gary Holtimann,
Leonard Kiiian, Barbara Holtzmann, Rodgers
Holtzmann, Nat White, John Kiiian, Melvin Shearin,
Travis Pulley and Cecil Pope. (Staff Photo)
Appeal Is Taken By Vance Woman
By KAY HORNER
Mrs. Louise B. Parham
of Henderson has appealed
the decision by the Division
of Facility Services of the
N. C. Department of
Human Resources to
award a Certificate of
Need for a 100-bed nursing
home in Warren County to
N.L. Williams.
The full board of the
Capital Health Systems
Agency, Inc. (CSHA)
endorsed the Williams
proposal last August and
the Certificate of Need
Section ruled in favor of
the proposal on Sept 21.
Proponents of the proposal
had considered the ruling
the last hurdle to be clear
ed in establishment of a
nursing home in Warren
County.
Mrs. Parham, of Pine
haven Convalescent Cen
ter of Warrenton, Inc.
whose proposal ranked
second among four
evaluated by a committee
of CHSA, appealed the
ruling Oct. 20, just one day
before the 304ay appeal
period was up.
Earlier, Mrs. Parham
requested a reconsidera
tion hearing on the
decision. However, the
hearing request was
denied for lack of good
cause, which would have
iiwdtvUti thit "[M iiintstlo
of significant relevant in
formation not previously
conskkred by the agency
in reaching its decision, or
significant changes in
rallad hv Hw state in
r,inMni Ita iWilaltMi 99
to the following: "(1)
Whether the new
institutional health service
is consistent with the ap
plicable criteria, plans and
standards as defined by G.
S. Chapter 131 and the
regulations in this
subchapter; and (2)
whether the state agency
acted in an arbitrary or
capricious manner or
otherwise abused its
discretion in deciding
between competing
applications."
It is expected that a
hearing officer will be
appointed and a hearing
date set by mid-November.
Joe Lennon, health
director for Warren
County, expressed disap
pointment in the
"unwarranted delay which
denied citizens of Warren
County the urgently-need
ed service that would be
provided by such a nursing
home."
In discussions with the
CHSA committee, Wil
liams agreed to three basic
considerations in estab
lishing a nursing home: He
would locate the home
within one mile of Warren
General Hospital; he
would have a 90-day
termination clause with
MGR, Inc., a Spartanburg,
S. C. firm that has agreed
to manage Williams'
facility; and he would
make every effort to
employ Warren County
residents in the operation
and management of the
home.
Director of Social
Services for the county,
Julian Farrar, said, "This
unnecessary delay will
continue to deny the
patients from Warren
County the comfort and
support of family members
who are unable to travel
great distances to the
locations across the state
where our patients are
residing in the various
nursing homes. And it will
also continue the expense
of communication and the
extra effort of our staff
members to locate
placements for new
patients outside the county
at distances that are
determined by the location
of placements that are
eventually found by our
staff."
Candidates
Eye Tuesday
Polls will open at
Warrenton, Norlina and
Macon, the three incorpor
ated towns of Warren
County, at 6:90 a. m. on
Tuesday, November 3 and
close at 7 p.m.
At Warrenton, the polls
will be held at the
Warrenton Fire House with
Anna Bullock serving as
registrar, and A. H. Bryson
serving as assistant
registrar. Judges of
election will be Lynne
Grabill and L. B. Hender
son, Sr.
" Voters going to the polls
at Warrenton will only vote
for Mayor as they choose
between Beverly G. White,
incumbent, and W. A.
Miles, former mayor
seeking to regain his
former seat.
There will be no contest
for commissioners as only
seven candidates have
filed for the seven-man
board. ■ Incumbent A. C.
Fair is not seeking re-elec
tion, and seeking his seat is
newcomer Mehrin (Butch)
Scott, an employee of
Branch Bank and Trust
Company. Other
incumbents seeking re
election are commission
ers Billy Lanier, Charles
White, Gordon Haithcock,
A. A. Wood, Richard Hunt
er and Eddie Clayton.
At Norlina, where voters
will cast their ballots in the
new fire house, incumbent
Mayor E. L. "Bill" Perry
is being challenged by
Kenneth Davis.
Incumbent commission
ers Ben Lloyd, W. S. Hicks,
Jr., John Dore, Wallace
Stallings and Jimmie
Overby, are being
challenged by newcomers
Butch Bolton, Wayne
Aycock, William Leonard
and James Vaughan.
Election officers at
Norlina will be Mrs. Eva
Ayscue, registrar; and
Mrs. Nita Fuller and O. R.
Baker, judges of election.
At Macon, where the
polls will be held in the
municipal building. Mayor
Bill Reid decided to give up
the town's top poat, and his
seat is being sought
without by M. C.
Clary, a member of the
Filing for the board at
Macon are Lucille
Haithcock, W.L. Edwards,
W. R. Shaw, Glenn Riggan
and newcomer Carroll
Harris.
Election officials are
Mrs. Essie Grissom,
registrar; and Mrs. Lena
Lloyd and Mrs. Myrtle
Reid, judges of election.
Norlina Drowning
Ruled Accidental
Accidental drowning has
been ruled in the death of a
29-year-old Norlina man
whose body was found in a
farm pond on Wednesday
of last week.
A search party led by
Norlina Police Chief
Romey Williams found the
body of Moses Lee
Hendrick of Heaven Street,
Norlina following two days
of searching.
Hie victim's body was
found in a pond on the Pete
Rose farm, approximate
ly three-quarters of a mile
from where Hendrick
lived.
Chief Williams said he
received a call on Tuesday
morning at 8:35 o'clock
from Ms. Penny Watkins,
the victim's mother. She
told the police chief that
Hendrick had left home
about 10 p. m. Monday and
had not been seal since.
Chief Williams said he
put out a call for help and
was assisted by Deputy
Harold Seaman and Chief
Freddie Robinson and
Officer Eugene Mustian of
the Warrenton Police
Department
Williams said the search
began around a pond
located on the Rose farm.
He said information
received from Watkins led
him to suspect Hendrick
may have wandered to the
pond and fallen in.
The officers spent
Tuesday searching the
area and located a cap that
was identified as belonging
to Hendrick. The search
was then called off for the
day, Williams said.
Around 90 people helped
in the search Wednesday,
and at 5:06 p. m., following
(Continued on page 12)
Governor's Awards
Given Two Towns
Eighteen persons (ran
Warren County attended
the Governor's Conference
on Economic Development
in Raleigh on Tuesday
afternoon and the Awards
Banquet, scheduled (or 7 p.
m. at the McKennon
Building at State College in
Raleigh, which was
attended by more than
1,000 persona. Governor
ft... ff. „f fl, L .„ind«
jun Hunt was ok Keynote
speaker, speaking on
Industrial development,
and presented awards to
mayors and repreaenta
tives of various
manager, industrial
of Warren
af
Norlina and
Mid on Wednesday
morning that 112 coin
inanities received
Communities of
Excellence awards, with 8
new communities, which
included Warren too and
Norilna. Governor Bant
presented Narlina's award
to Mayor E. L. "Bill"
Perry and Warrantee's
award to Mayor BereriyG.
White.
Representing Warren
County at the economic