U.li.C. Library .
Serials Dept.
Chapal Hill, K. C.
A .
EDITORIALS
Christ It IUn
Orientation Planning
Viowina the Candidal.
WEATHER
Warmer wilh possibU cloudi
ness in the ailernoon.
VOLUME LVIII .
Associated Press
CHAPEL HILL. N. C. SUNDAY, APRIL 9, 1950
PHONE F-3361, F-3371
NUMBER 133
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Klioto Courtesy The Durham Morning Herald
THE TRAGIC GOOD FRIDAY killing of. George" L. Bennett, and some 100 yards from Raleigh Street. Shown at left removing
Jr., of Wadesboro was apparently sojred yesterday when the body , Bennett's body from the Henderson Street home where the shoot
of Len Broughton Smithey of Chapel Hill and" Arlington, Va.. was ing occurred are Orange County Cproner H. J. Walker (right, with
discovered slumped against a tie just south of the Forest Theater Smithey's body on a stretcher in Battle Park at right are Joe
VanNoppen, Sanders Deliver
New Promises For Campaign
Candidate Don VanNoppen
promised a "positive, construc
tive" program of student govern
merit action and candidate John
Sanders put forward a program
t "iielp students get more out
of their dollar," yesterday.
The two nominees, who face
each other in Tuesday's runoff
election lor presidency of the stu
dent body, released campaign
statements dealing with major
plank.? of their platforms.
VanNoppen, University Party
candidate who led the four-man
presidential field in last Tues
day's voting, asserted that his
program was "aimed at the things
which he felt arc needed, and
which they feel can be accom
plished by student government.'
"During the past weeks," he
said, I have been trying to ascer
tain exactly what the students
want. In this manner, I feel I
have better equipped myself to
serve as their spokesman.
"I feel that my program is rep
resentative of student opinion, and
plaice myself to its fulfillment,"
VanNoppen declared.
Sanders, in releasing a five
point program aimed at aiding
students personal financial prob
lems, said the program would
continue to be one of his major
goals in student government.
The program included a "vigor
ous and well-organized" effort to
get tuition lowered, inauguration
of the purchase card system of
discounts to students, continued
work tn get improvements in
price and quality of food at Lcnior
Hall, fairer pricing of textbooks
at the Book Exchange,' establish
ment of a student consumors
union, and no increase in blocl?
fees without approval of the stu-
Huffman Is President
Robert O. Huffman of Morgan
ton, outstanding industrial and
religious leader in the slate, was
elected president of the North
Carolina Business Foundation at
a meeting of the directors of the
Foundation here today and a
$2,000,000 goal was set to be
raised this year. Half the has al
ready been secured.
Huffman succeeds Robert Ml
Hanes, Winston-Salem banker,
who is now serving wilh the
ECA administration in Europe.
Lulher M. Hodges of Spray, well
known industrialist, has been
serving as acting president since
ihe departure of Hanes last year.
Hodges has recently accepted a
European appointment wilh
ECA.
, ,. r. a . r r . t 11 . v-
t It t . I r -. if..-.. A -
dent body in a "genuine" referen
dum. ' " . , " "
The consumers union would
work to prevent "unfair" businesf
practices, and to improve Uni
versity services.
Both candidates have asserted
t
Legal Snag Bars Recall
Of McCarthy By Badgers
.MADISON, Wis., April 8 (-T)of the Students for Democratic
University of Wisconsin stu-1 Action had voted to seek Mc
'dents planning to petition under Carthy's removal "because of his
state law for the recall of Sen. attacks on the State Department."
McCarthy (R-Wis) ran into a Under Wisconsin statutes, said
legal snag tonight. 'Barbee, a recall petition would
The parliamentarian of the
Senate, Charles I. Watkins, said
in Washington there is no way
a state can recall a United States
senator.
Watkins. added,, that only the
Senate itself can expel a member.
This, he said, would require two
thirds majority of Senators vot
ing, and a quorum of at least 49
members would have to be pre
sent. A Wisconsin law providing
machinery for a recall was cited
by Lloyd A. Barbee of Memphis,
Tcnn., who announced that the
University of Wisconsin chapter
Debaters Praised
.
University -Debate Council Proves
To Whole School' As Well As The
By Wink Locklair
Anyone who keeps an on ac
tivities in Chapel Hill might
guess that the most traveled and
victorious representatives of the
University are to be found, de
pending on the season, in Kenan
Stadium, Woollen Gymnasium,
the Bownian Gray Pool, or on the
campus' numerous tennis courts
and playing fields;
Although the Athletic Depart
ment could cite impressive wins
and numerous trips to New York,
New Orleans, Texas, and other
far-away places during recerrt
years, the most widely-traveled
group with the greatest number
of consistant wins over the big
outfits Harvard, Yale, Army,
;-; X'XX'- h -.r
in recent statements that they are
sticking by previously-made cam-
paign v platforms. VanNoppeo..JarIer:not.. beCatlse -,of . the ,: eter
garnered 1,120 votes in Tuesday's . citliat: Kllt Wailcn
election. Sanders received 1,030
Two independent candidates were
eliminated.'
have to bear at least 316,535 sig
natures. This would represent 25
per cent of the total vote in the
1948 election for Governor.
Such a petition would require
the Secretary of State to call a
special election for McCarthy's
Senate seat within 45 days. Mc
Carthy's name would go on the
ballot automatically. Other can
didates would have to be nomi
nated at special primaries before
the recall election.
State officials refused to com
ment on the apparent conflict
between the Senate rules and the
Wisconsin statutes on recall.
Northwestern and - even Tennes
see has never" found it necessary
in competition to don a uniform
more radical than a good Sunday
suit.
As a matter of fact, they talk
their way into a winning score.
This small but exceedingly val
uable asset to the University and
and to the state bears the rather
staid and formal title of Uni
versity Debate Council. ThrougTi
its president, Dave Pittman, a
graduate student from Rocky
Mount, the debaters accept -bids
to tournaments, inter-scholastic
meets, and reprsent Carolina in
other forensic activites through
out the United States at various
times during the college year.
Fewer Jobs,
Coeds Hear
Campbell Say
There will be less jobs for
vounff men and women next
there are more and more coilegt
graduates, Miss Mary E. Cam
pbell, job editor of Glamoc ;
Magazine and personnel director
and secretary of the Conde Nast
Publications, told coeds here
yesterday.
"There will be an 18 percent
increase in the number of grad
uates this June over last year's,"
she declared, "so the going will
be tougher naturally. 'As far as
business conditions go, except for
some individual industries, indi
cations are that there will be no
appreciable change before 1951
anyway."
Miss Campbell was the prin
cipal speaker at a Job Confer
ence ior Women, which opened
last night with a sesion in the
Morehead Faculty Lounge and
continued through this morning.
The Conference is sponsored by
the Coed Senate, the YWCA and
the Placement Service.
Following Miss Campbell's talk
the "Little Jack Puppet Show"
was presented by Hannah Mar
tin Davis and Maude tBaynor Foy
of the State Health Department,
after which there was a social
hour. .
Right now the group, which
numbers some 30 students, is en
joying the busiest and most suc
cessful year, in its history. In
tournaments they have : entered
during 1949-50, Carolina has
placed high among the ten best
colleges competing this when as
many as 44 universities wera
registered at a meet. .
In addition to touranment com
petition, there have been numer
ous individual debates with
Southern team Georgia Tech,
Florida, South Carolina, Virginia,
as well as teams frpm Wake
Forest, Duke, and other North
Carolina . institutions.
Debating has been a vital and
important part of the University 1
m ill ji pn uniilla II. n i.a.njni wn m ilnil inn In n.
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Staff photo by Mills
Walker (center, with hat), Thomas Berry (far right and Allen
Walker (between them). The Coroner said yesterday he considered
the case "closed."
Smithey's
Perplexed
By Don Maynard v
Len Broughton Smithey, accused killer of George L. Ben
net, Jr., University student murdered in his room on Hender
son" street Friday afternoon was jtst "the "type of person
children would love," according to acquaintances of the 30
year old University graduate.
: Kmit.hev': lifp was nnr nf rnn-
Jury Decides
On Hair Trial
Today-Easter
RALEIGH, April 8 (P) --Superior
Court Judge Clawson L.
Williams indicated tonight that
the Ravmond P. Hair murder
case will go to the jury tomor-
row Easter Sunday. i
The four-day old trial neared
the jury stage today as both sides
presented lenghty arguments to
the jury. Judge Williams ord
ered a recess until 7:30 P.M. to
night, when the arguments will
be continued.
' In ordering the recess, the
Judge announced he will charge
the jury tomorrow, probably
starting at -9:30 A.M. After a
charge is made, a jury custo
marily, goes out to consider the
case.
Great Asset
Entire State
almost from the day its doors
were opened in 1795. On June 3
of that year, about a month after
the first organized classes, began,
31 students organized a group
called "The Debating Society."
Later on it ; split into . two
groups. The Dialectic Society
now bears the name Dialectic
Senate, and the Concord Society,
which later became known by
the name it bears ' today: The
Philanthropic Assembly.
These two Societies took the
place of social fraternities in the
early part of the 19th and 20th
centuries, and since travel to
other colleges was limited, Phi
and Di debates were quite com-
(See DEBATERS, page 4)
r a
....... '-v.,' v, .'
1 t'-l
Frien
By Act
tinual struggle for an education.
He held a thorough education
above all else, and worked hard
at the job, his closest friends de
clared. When Smithey's parents moved
out of Chapel Hill, he chose to
remain here and finish his edu
cation, lie was in his third year
of high school then.
During his last few years ofj
high school, he lived in base
ments, firing furnaces and accep
ting odd jobs in order to finance
his way. Just before he joined
the Army in 1940, Smithey came
o live at the hole of Mr. and
Mrs. J. E. Pullen, of Ransom
Street.
From 1938 until he left the Pul
len' household in 1946, Smithey
was considered as "one of the
family," Mrs. Pullen said.
"He ate here once in awhile,
helped out scrubbing floors and
called this his home," she related.
"He was so gentle and kind, I
can't understand how he could
do the- thing he did.
"Len Smithey wasn't respon
sible for anything he did," she
declared.
In 1940, Smithey was one of
the first from Chapel Hill to en
list in the Army. He felt so
close to the Pullens. that he named
Mr. Pullen as his next-of-kin.
He first went to the Panama
Canal Zone, according to Mrs.
Pullen. Smithey returned to
Chapel Hill fur a furlough, then
returned to action, assigned to
the South Pacific theater.
Smithey saw action down there,
among it the struggle for Guadal
canal. When he returned, Mrs.
Pullen said, . he was a changed
man.'
Before his hitch in the Army,
Smithey had been known as a
quiet, unassuming and , intensive
student. On his return, Mrs.
Pullen said, he had changed to
an irritable, moody and "a ner
vous wreck."
"It was' two years ago that he
turned against us," Mrs. Pullen
told. "He thought we were work
ing against him, while all the
time we were trying to help him."
In 1946, not long after he had
returned from the service, Smith
ey stopped speaking to Mrs. Pul
len's daughter and son-in-law
(See SMITHEY, page 4)
S,- A.
4 J $,
ds
Body Is Discovered
In Woods; Shot Self
FridayAH
Forest Theater Area Scene Of Tragic End
To Rooming House Killing Of G. L. Bennett
By Chuck Hauser
Carolina's Good Friday murder case turned into a murder
suicide yesterday morning when the body of Len Broughton
Smithey, 30-year-old ex-graduate student, was found leaning
against a tree in Battle Park just south of the Forest Theater.
Coroner H. J. Walker of Hillsboro said Smithey had com
mitted suicide sometime late Friday afternoon shortly after
Top Officials
'Regretful'
Of Tragedy'
William D. Carmichael, Jr., and
Chancellor Robert B. House yes
terday afternoon in an official
statement on the Smithcy-Ben-nett,
suicide-murder considered
the question whether : the Uni
versity is doing everything pos
sible to prevent such things.
"All Chapel Hill is shocked and
grieved by the tragedy of the
past ,24 hours. This tragedy
prompts us to ask ourselves if the
University is doing everything
possible to prevent such things,"
they said.
The most difficult of all edu
cational work deals with the ad
justment problems. Under post
war conditions these problems
have increased; but we have been
gratified with the results achieved
by our staff."
The officials pointed out "we
have reviewed, all of our prac
tices and procedures in this area.
We believe them to be sound."
They pledged themselves "tc
continue our policy of employ
ing, the best available method?
for doing this complex job."
Weizsacker
Will Speak
Tomorrow
Dr. Carl. F. Von Weizscaker,
professor of theoretical physics
in the University of Gottingen,
Germany, and member of -the
Max Planck Institute in Gotten
gen, who this spring is the
Alexander White Visiting Pro
fessor at the University of Chica
go, will speak here tomorrow day
night in Gerrard Hall at 8 o'clock.
Dr. Weizsacker, who will visit
Chapel Hill for three days and
address various classes on the
campus, was invited here by Dr
Arnold Nash, head of the Depart
ment of Religion, who was a fel
low member of the Commission
on the reform of German uni
versities set up by the Allied
Military Government.
The address Monday night will
be open to the public. Dr.
Weizsacker will take "The 'Be
ginning' and the 'End' of the
World" as his subject. ,
Tomorrow afternoon he will
address a philosophy seminar on
"The Philosophy of Science" and
Wednesday afternoon he will
speak at a mathematics seminar
on "The Role of the Pythagorean
Theorem in the Conceptual
Structure of Physics."
Wednesday night he will dis
cuss "The Evqlution of Stars arid
Galaxies" at a Carolina-Duke
Physics Colloquim at Duke University.
erSlaying
police discovered the bullet
riddled corpse of undergraduate
George Lemuel Bennett, Jr., in. a
private home at 2 1 0 Henderson
Street.
. Smithey was seen leaving the
house, owned by V. A. Hill of the
Extension Division, just after tha
killing. A state-wide manhunt
was immediately instigated, but
police believed Smithey was
somewhere in Chapel Hill. He
was charged with murder.
The body of Smithey was just
olf a Battle Park path approxi
mately 100 yards from Raleigh
Street. A single slug had ripped
into his right temple and emerged
on the left ide of his head.
A .38 caliber Smith and Wesson
revolver l?y in his lap. Except
for the one round he had used
on himself, the weapon was load-,
ed with the same type of "dum
dum" wadcutter target ammuni
tion used to kill Benrielt shortly
before 3 o'clock Friday afternoon.
The body was found by Ira
Castles of 108 Ridge Lane, grad
uate student in commerce and
part-time instructor from Mon
roe, La. Castles came across the
gruesome scene at approximately
8: 50' in the morning, as he took
a short-cut through Battle Park
on his way to a 9 o'clock dentist
appointment uptown.
Coroner Walker said he con
sidered the case "closed" with the
discovery of Smithey's body.
Here is the way the crime hap
pened, as closely as it can be
reconstructed from the evidence
at face value:
Bennett was lying, on his bed
in the basement room of the
white frame house on Hillsboro
Street. The killer came in a pri
vate entrance unseen and aimed
for the crown of his victim's
head. ,
The first shot grazed Bennett's
forehead and plunged into his
arm. The Wadesboro student
screamed, jumped off the bed and
ran to the end of the room. The
murderer deliberately pumped
four shells into his body. A fifth
missed and went into the wall.
The killer then calmly reloaded
all six chambers of the death
weapon and left the house. It
was a few minutes after the shots
were fired that Hill saw Smithey
walking up the street toward the
post office. t
Hill said Smithey and Bennett,
who lived in separate rooms on
the same basement floor of the
house, had quarrelled several
days ago about a missing rifle.
Smithey accused Bennett of steal
ing it, Hill said.
The rifle had been in Bennett's
(See MURDER, page 4)
Flying Saucer?
HORSEHEADS, N. Y., April
3 (A) "Tiring (?) saucer" wat
found on a farm near this South
ern New York village today.
It was silver-colored, four feet
in diameter, saucer-shaped and
made of heavy cardboard.
' It had a radio rube, a couple
of condensers, some wire and a
charred "fuse."
But it obviously didn't corns
from other planet or from Rus.
sia.
In fact, it was extremely
doubtful thai the device evec
flew.