far re n tontlom . Library X
117 S.Maln St.
Warrenton, N.C. 27589
®h t lamn Itarii
Volume 87 25c Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, October 31, 1984 Number 44
Attorney Geneiai Rufus Edmisten, Democratic
candidate for governor, brought his campaign to
Warrenton on Tuesday, one week before voters will
make their choices known for offices ranging from
the court house to the White House. Edmisten,
speaking in front of the Warren Court House, said he
was ignoring the advice of advisors in not spending
his time in the more populous Peidmont, and wan
ted to come to small counties like Warren which had
given him his victory margins in previous cam
paigns. At Edmisten's left is Herb King, Warrenton
native who now lives in Wake County and who ac
companied him here; and to King's left is Warren
ton Attorney Ai Thompson, who serves as Edmis
ten's county co-manager, along with Sheriff Theo
Williams and former Sheriff Clarence Davis.
(Staff Photo)
Promises lo hght Pipeline
Edmisten Brings Vote Search Here
Gubernatorial Can- campaign time in
dictate Rufus Edmisten Warren County
spent some 11th hour Tuesday, calling on a
court house square
crowd in Warrenton to
give him the same sup
Golf Course Addition Approved
By MARY C. HARRIS
Staff Writer
Warrenton business
man Selby G. Benton
gained final approval
for a nine-hole addition
to his golf course at
Lake Gaston Estates at
the October 25 meeting
of the Warren County
Planning Board. Four
members of the board
were present for the
meeting in the board
room of the Industrial
Development Commis
sion in the Taylor
Building.
Benton, who serves as
chairman of the plan
ning board, also sub
mitted a preliminary
plan for a subdivision
adjoining the addition to
the golf course. No ac
tion was taken in regard
to the subdivision.
Brian D. Hallock of
North Wales, Pa., who is
purchasing a 14-acre
tract of land on Lake
Gaston, requested per
mission to develop the
parcel and to divide it
into 14 individual lots.
The Planning Board
recommended that the
development be allowed
but denied his request
for a variance from the
required 50-foot right-of
way within the develop
ment.
Other action taken by
the board were the
granting of approval for
a three-lot subdivision
for Mary W. Killebrew
and for the division of
property of the Willie M.
Felts estate in Judkins
Township into three lots.
After consideration of
specific requests, mem
bers of the Planning
Board continued to work
on a zoning map for
presentation to the
Warren County Com
missioners.
The North Warrenton Baptist Church building is steadied on a trailer and
braces in preparation for relocation to a site beside the industrial training plant
for Oweus-minois on N. Main Street Weather permitting, the final stage of the
move will begin at 1 p. m Wednesday. In the interim, services of the church
will be conducted at the VFW Hall in Norlina. (Staff Photo)
port that small-county
voters had given him on
several occasions as
candidate for attorney
general and this spring
as candidate for the
Democratic nomination
for governor.
Surrounded by cam
paign aides, Edmisten
spoke from the court
house steps, shortly af
ter noon yesterday,
telling those assembled
that tax cuts recom
mended by his op
ponent, Congressman
Jim Martin, would be
disastrous for small
counties like Warren.
Edmisten said any tax
cut suggested by Martin
could be better used to
improve the quality of
education in North
Carolina.
And he hit on a theme
close to the hearts of his
audience when he said
he would contiue his
strong opposition to ef
forts of Tidewater Vir
ginia cities to draw
water from Lake
Gaston.
"They should clean up
their own dirty waters,"
Edmisten said, noting
that it would not be long
once a pipeline was built
to carry water from
Lake Gaston to Virginia
Beach, that every town
along the way would
want to tap onto the line.
Edmisten, who said he
was reared in Watauga
County, said the small
counties of North
Carolina need par
ticular help.
"The big counties can
take care of them
selves," he told his
audience, but the
smaller counties,
lacking the appeal of
their larger counter
parts, need special help.
In a taped interview
earlier at The Warren
Record, Edmisten, who
served on the staff of U.
S. Senator Sam Ervin,
said he saw Senator Er
vin last week, and
although Ervin suffers
from arthritis, his mind
is clear as a bell, in spite
of his 88 years. Speaking
of the senator's loyalty
to the Democratic Par
ty, Edmisten said that if
he hears of Senator Er
vin endorsing anyone
(Continued on page 3)
10,660 Eligible To Vote Here Tuesday
Candidates Await
Verdict Of Voters
Warren County voters
are expected to go to the
polls in large number
next Tuesday as Ameri
cans take part in the
November 6 General
Election.
A total of 10,660
Warren voters are
eligible to cast ballots
next Tuesday, Mrs.
Ruby W. Jones, super
visor of elections, said
yesterday.
That number is up
significantly from the
presidential election of
four years ago, she
noted. In 1980 a total of
8,159 Warren residents
were eligible to vote.
Just how many voters
are likely to cast ballots
in Warren is open to
speculation, Mrs. Jones
acknowledged, but she
said the number of
requests for absentee
ballots indicates that in
terest in the scores of
elective posts to be
decided is high.
A total of 164 one-stop
and civilian absentee
ballots have been
sought, she said.
Eighteen overseas ab
sentee ballots have been
dispatched, as have 34
military absentee
ballots.
On paper, the election
in Warren County looks
like a Democratic run
away, according to the
registration figures.
Democrats registered in
the county number
10,211, while Republi
cans number only 390.
There are two regis
tered Libertarians and
57 unaffiliated voters.
Of Warren's 10,660
eligible voters, 5,949 are
black, 4,369 are white,
341 are Indian and one is
Oriental.
Voters, whether
voting by machine or
paper ballots, will face a
host of contested and
non-contested races,
plus a state constitution
al amendment.
The polls are
scheduled to open at
6:30 a. m. and close at
7:30 p. m. Mrs. Jones
predicted that the
precincts with voting
machines —Hawtree,
Nutbush, West Warren
ton, East Warrenton and
Norlina—could have
vote tabulations as early
as 8:30 p. m. Tuesday.
Topping the ballot for
Warren voters will be
that for President, a
battle between Presi
dent Ronald Reagan and
Vice President George
Bush, Republicans, and
Walter Mondale and
Geraldine Ferraro,
Democrats. On the
Presidential ballot are
Libertarian Presiden
tial hopeful David Berg
land and Socialist
Workers candidate Mel
Mason, and their
respective running
mates.
Tuesday's vote will
mark the culmination of
a hotly contested sena
torial race between in
cumbent Sen. Jesse
Helms and Gov. James
B. (Jim) Hunt, Jr. Also
on that ballot are Bobby
Yates Emory of the
Libertarian Party and
Socialist Workers can
didate Kate Daher.
Seeking voter support
(Continued on page 12)
Four Flee As Fire Discovered
Two Warren Children Die
When Flames Sweep Home
ByHOWARDJONES
Two children spend
ing the weekend to
gether at their grand
mother's rural Warren
County home were
killed when flames gut
ted the house early Sun
day morning.
Killed in the blaze
were Walter F. Miller,
Jr., an eight-year-old
Ridgeway boy, and his
first cousin, six-year-old
Jonathan Jiggetts of Rt.
2, Norlina.
The two died when fire
swept through the
modern four-bedroom
brick home located a
stone's throw from
White's Grove Christian
Church, situated on a
paved road leading from
west of Norlina to Oine.
The scene of the tragedy
is about two miles west
of Norlina.
Norlina Deputy Fire
Chief A1 Bennett said
Monday that authorities
believe the blaze was
caused by faulty wiring
in an attic near the two
bedrooms in which the
victims were found.
One of the victims,
found unburned but
overcome by smoke and
heat, was given artifi
cial respiration for
about 30 minutes by
Warren Deputy Sheriff
T. H. McCaffity and
Norlina fireman Cole
man Mustian, Bennett
said, but attempts to
revive the youngster
were futile.
The youngster had
been found lying be
tween a closet and a
chest-of-drawers by
Norlina fireman Butch
Meek, who arrived early
on the scene but who had
to wait for arrival of fire
apparatus to get an air
pack before he could en
ter the smoke and flame
filled house.
Units from Norlina,
Hawtree and Ridgeway
responded to the call,
which was received by
Norlina firemen at 12:20
a. m. Sunday.
Damage to the home,
believed to be six or
seven years old, was
estimated at $40,000,
and to its contents,
$10,000.
Deputy Chief Bennett,
himself a state trooper,
said there was no sign of
fire when firemen
arrived. When entry
was attempted, oxygen
fed the flames, which
created an intense heat
estimated to be as high
as 1,500 degrees.
During the effort to
recover the victims and
contain the fire, two
firemen, Meek and
fellow firefighter Bobby
Wilkinson, were over
come by smoke and had
to be administered
oxygen at the scene,
(Continued on page 3)
Plans Are Outlined
For Fall Festival
The Warren Academy
Fall Festival on Satur
day, Nov. 3, will offer
entertainment for per
sons of all ages. Mrs.
Cal White, president of
the sponsoring parent
teacher organization,
has announced the day's
schedule of activities to
take place at the
Warrenton Lions Den.
Chairpersons for the
festival are Mrs. Harry
Jackson Carter, Mrs.
Frank Killian, and Mrs.
Luther Perkinson. They
will be assisted by
parents and friends of
the school in conducting
the events which will
begin with student field
day activities at 10 a. m.
and continue throughout
the day, ending with an
auction at 8:30 p. m. Hot
dogs and brunswick
stew will be available at
11 a. m.; booths and
games will operate from
12 noon until 6:30 p. m.;
a ham and turkey buffet
will be served from 5:00
until 7:30 p. m.; student
contests and raffle win
ners will be announced
at 8 p. m.; and the 8:30
p. m. auction will close
the festival.
Booths will offer an
assortment of goods for
sale, including crafts,
Christmas items, baked
goods, home-canned
goods, and peanuts. En
tertainment will consist
of bingo, various
children's games, cake
walk, face painting,
horror house, and a
MASH tent.
Tickets are available
for the ham and turkey
buffet. They may be
purchased from any
student at a cost of |400.
Mrs. White en*
courages residents of
the area to take advan
tage of the opportunity
to enjoy good food and
entertainment and to
shop for out-of-the
ordinary items.
Two Warm youngsters died in the flames which
gutted a large portion of this house early Sonday
morning. The brick home, some six years old, is
located on a highway Uaktaf U. 8.1 with to Ote
Road. Two adults aad two other childrea —Ttrtfl
the fatal taferno. (Staff Pfcala)