farrentonllea . Library X
117 S.Kftln St.
Warrenton, N.C. 27589
?lje Harrett Ucciiri
Volume 94 25? Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Caroli Wednesday, April 26, 1989 Number 17
North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper A. M.
Bennett inspects the Yamaha motorcycle which
was involved in a collision with the 1988 Chevrolet
pickup truck shown above. The collision occurred
on HUP 1609 (Powell's Mill Road) near Spring
Green Baptist Church, and two Warren County
youths, Jessie Alston, 14, and Reginald W. Alston,
10, were killed. Chip Fambrough of Warren Coun
ty EMS was also on the scene and is shown near
one of the bodies. Neither of the youths was wear
ing a helmet at the time of the accident.
(Staff Photo by Howard Jones)
Two Warren Youngsters Are Killed
When Motorcycle, Truck Collide
Two Warren County youths lost
their lives last Sunday afternoon,
when the Yamaha motorcycle
they were riding collided head-on
with a pickup truck being driven
by a Warren County man.
According to the report taken
by N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper
A. M. Bennett, Jessie Alston, 14,
and Reginald W. Alston, 10, both
of Rt. 2, Warrenton, had been
traveling east on RUP 1609,
reportedly on the wrong side of
the road.
Harry Malvern Williams, 34, of
Rt. 3, Warrenton, had been
traveling west on RUP 1609 in
heavy dust thrown up by a
number of dirt bikes and four
wheelers, which were also on the
roadway. Trooper Bennett esti
mated that the Williams vehicle
had been traveling at about 40
mph before the accident, but said
his estimated speed at impact
was 30 mph.
The Alston motorcycle collided
head-on with the 1988 Chevrolet
pickup truck being driven by
Williams, flipped over and
landed upside down.
Trooper Bennett estimated that
the Yamaha had been traveling
at about 55 mph.
The accident took place on
Powell's Mill Road (SR 1609).
Both youths were thrown from
the motorcycle. Neither boy was
wearing a helmet, Trooper Ben
nett said. Damages to the motor
cycle have been estimated at
$800.
Following impact, the pickup
truck came to rest in the west
bound lane of SR 1609. Damages
to the Chevrolet truck have been
estimated at $1,200.
No charges were made against
Williams.
I Continued on page 11 )
Murder Probe Is Begun By SBI,
Deputies After Body Disovered
A Norlina man last Saturday
afternoon was found dead of a
shotgun wound at an area apart
ment complex.
According to Sheriff Theodore
Williams, Franklin Joenathan
Alexander, 36, of Kearney Street,
was found shot to death inside his
van, which had been parked in
the lot at the Pines Apartments.
At about 2:30 p.m. Saturday,
Alexander's remains had been
found by his sister, Ms. Mary An
na Skipwith, a resident of the
apartment complex, who re
ported the crime. The Pines
Apartments are located north of
Norlina. on US 1.
Norlina Police Chief Charles
Galantls was the first officer to
arrive, Sheriff Williams said.
Galantis summoned the Warren
County Emergency Medical Ser
vice at 3:13 p.m. Alexander ap
peared to have been dead for
several hours, the sheriff said.
Chief Galantis was assisted by
Warren County Chief Deputy
Bobby D. Bolton and Sgt. Law
rence Harrison.
SBI mobile crime lab operators
Steve Jones and Ms. Pat Johnson
were summoned.
According to Chief Deputy
Bolton, crime scenes must re
main undisturbed until all evi
dence there has been examined
and recorded.
"The SBI crime lab staff will
not allow a body to be moved un
til all physical evidence there can
be recorded," he said. "Meas
urements must be made of the
crime scene and law enforcement
officers must often be able to
reconstruct the exact position in
which the victim was found,"
Bolton added.
"We've got to get all the
evidence (because) that may be
all there is to link a suspect with
the crime," the chief deputy said
Monday.
According to Dennis Paschall,
of the Warrei County Emergen
cy Medical Service, as is re
quired in all homicides, Alex
ander's body was taken at 7:02
p.m. to N. C. Memorial Hospital
to the office of the state medical
examiner.
Alexander was the brother of
Norlina Police Ptl. Willie Alex
ander.
Funeral arrangements are in
complete, but are being handled
by E. H. Greene Funeral Home.
Sheriff Williams asked that any
persons with knowledge of this
crime call his office at 257-3496.
"All information will be kept in
strictest confidence," the sheriff
said.
Spruill Murder Suspect Nabbed
A Franklin County man? reportedly paroled on April 14 from
John Umstead Correctional Center in Butner? has been
arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the April 20
death of a 74-year-old Warren County resident.
Aaron Rondell Powell, 19, of Rt. 4, Louisburg, was arrested
last Friday by Chief Deputy Bobby D. Bolton, and SBI agents
R. G. Sims and M. A. White. The suspect had been found inside
a vehicle in the White Level community of Franklin County.
Following his arrest, Powell was given a 96-hour hearing and
confined without the privilege of bond in the Warren County Jail
to await his court appearance this week. He was scheduled to
appear in Warren County District Court today (Wednesday) for
a probable cause hearing on a charge of first-degree murder.
James A. Spruill had been found dead at his Embro residence
last Thursday by his brother, Willie Norman Spruill, of Rt. 2,
Macon.
According to Sherrif Theodore Williams, Spruill had gone to
the victim's residence because his brother had not been seen
for a couple of days.
Det. R. A. Coleman was the first officer to arrive at the crime
site on Thursday. Chief Deputy Bobby D. Bolton was the second
officer to join the investigation.
(Continued on page 10)
JAMES A. SPRUII.L.
Murder Victim
Injunction Filed Against
Lake Property Developers
By DIANE DAVIS
Staff Writer
An injunction was filed Mon
day against a Lake Gaston de
velopment company, its repre
sentatives and a marketing firm
after lake property buyers took
their complaints to the State At
torney General's Office.
The injunction was filed
against Kerr Lake Development
Corporation; Paul Carrithers and
Jarrell Brock, corporate officiate
with the firm; and Tri-City Cor
poration. It prohibits the
marketing, offering for sale or
the sale of unimproved real
estate in Section 2-A of Eaton's
Ferry Estates.
According to Barbara Shaw, a
state attorney who is handling the
case, a number of complaints had
been received by the attorney
general's office from persons
who had purchased real estate
from Kerr Lake Development
Corporation.
Shaw said her order alleges
that:
?Kerr Lake Development Cor
poration was selling lots to
customers without the transfer of
a deed.
Shaw said only three of the 25
purchasers had received deeds to
their land. Sixty-eight lots were
available for sale beginning in
September of 1987.
?Kerr I-ake Development Cor
poration told its customers that
there was a central water
system.
Shaw said there is no water
system in place, and the com
pany was in violation of Warren
County Subdivision regulations.
Those regulations require that
a water system be in place and
meet health department stan
dards before a permit to build
can be issued.
Butch Meek, chairman of the
Warren County Planning Board,
said Tuesday afternoon that
there previously was a road
problem which the company cor
rected before the injunction was
filed.
Shaw also has asked that all of
the money paid for the lots be
Drive For Funds
Said Successful
By THURLETTA M. BROWN
News Editor
"Yesterday was a good day for
Warren County Schools!" Dr.
Harry S. Howard, interim super
intendent told board of education
members Tuesday night.
And it was. Over 80 volunteers,
fortified with breakfast at War
ren County High School, visited
individuals and businesses to
raise funds for the Warren
Education Fund.
(Continued on page 11)
returned to the purchasers, all
down payments or monthly in
stallments be returned, all deeds
be voided and all promissory notes
be voided.
Shaw said the three purchasers
who have received deeds have
the option to stay or request their
money be returned.
A1 Thompson, the attorney for
Kerr Lake Development Cor
poration, could not be reached
Tuesday afternoon for comment.
A hearing has been set for May
4 in Wake County Superior Court.
If the judge rules in the state at
torney general office's favor, the
restraining order would remain
in effect.
Jack Harris Elected
Democratic Chairman
Warren County's Democrats
turned out last Saturday for their
annual convention held in the
county courthouse and, after
turning down three slates of
nominees, voted "thumbs up" on
a new set of officers.
Jack Harris was elected War
ren County chairman. He suc
ceeds T. T. Clayton, a local at
torney who held the position for
the past two terms. Harris will
also be the Warren County
member on the State Democratic
executive committee.
Other county executive com
mittee members to be elected
were: Mrs. Ogletree Richardson
(first vice-chairman), Mrs. Di
ana Ross Moody (second vice
chairman), Leonard C. Cooper
(third vice-chairman), Mrs. Con
nie Lue (secretary) ami Joseph
O'Brien (treasurer).
According to Harris, no -esolu
tions were passed.
In other business, the chairmen
of the county's 14 precincts were
chosen as delegates to represent
Warren County at the Congres
sional District Convention to be
held May 20. They are: Brown
Jeff Hawkins (Sixpound), Ever
lyna Norwood (Smith Creek),
Sam Padgett, III ( East Warren
ton), Herbert J. Moseley (Haw
tree), Nathan Davis (Sandy
Creek), Norman Hill (Norlina),
Rex F. Lue, Jr. (Nutbush), Jesse
Overby (Fork), Eugene Exum
(West Warrenton), the Rev.
Tecumseh Brayboy (Fishing
Creek), William T. Skinnrr, IV
(Judkins) and Yarborough Wil
liams (Shocco).
At press time, the names of the
delegates for River and Roanoke
precincts were unavailable.
"There was a certain degree of
unity at the end of the meeting on
Saturday and we hope things will
stay that way," Harris said
Tuesday.
Distinguished Service
Award Is Given Gardner
David Scott Gardner of War
renton was awarded the
Distinguished Service Award at
last Thursday night's Warren
County Jaycees D.S.A. Banquet.
Gardner, 38, of Rt. 3, Warren
ton, serves as president and
manager of Warrenton Furniture
Exchange and is responsible for
daily operations, buying, adver
tising, promotion, sales, inven
tory and expense control there.
He is also involved in many
civic and church organizations.
Offices he holds include the War
renton Lions Club, first vice
president; director of the War
renton Merchants Association;
director of the Warren Commit
tee of 100, Inc.; director of the
Warrenton City Board of BB&T;
president of Baptist Men of War
renton Baptist Church; chairman
of deacons, Warrenton Baptist
Church.
The Distinguished Service
Award is presented to a peraon of
Jaycee age (11-39) who exhibits
most meritorious service to
their family, community and na
tion. The D.S.A. is the highest
award the Warren County Jay
cees annually present.
Gardner and his wife, Nell,
have two children, Angela, 11,
and Matthew, 6.
GARDNER