MINOR REPAIRS SUGGESTED BY GRAND JURORS ? Continued From ri|? One the following report: v "Committee No. 1, composed or Tom Rollan, Mr. Keener, and Tom Allen, inspected the Jail and found the following: "Windows need to be replaced, Including sashes. General re pairs to plastering and complete Interior paint Job. Install grates and draft control door on one stove. Replace screen door on back porch and repair other screens. Replace bricks in back of fireplace. Furnish five pad locks for cells. Wire kltchefi for electric range. Level up kitchen sink and provide min lnum of kitchen cabinets. Re place lock on front door. Re place lock on storeroom door. Good sanitary conditions. Suf ficient bedding and food. Gen eral, plumbing overhaul. "Committee No. 2, composed of Don Early, Lee Cook, Dan R. Reynolds, and John Cunning ham, inspected the prison camp and found it In excellent con dition. "(jommiuee wo. a, composcu of Mrs. Hall, R. L. Holland, Les er Norton, Vernon Cunning ham, and C. D. Hopper, inspect ed the county home and found the 1 olio wing: "Three window lights on side of door upstairs on front porch. Banister on front porch badly in need of repair. Bed clothes in bad shape, need bed clothes. Wooden swi ch box is danger ous. Need paint inside and out side. Need a general clean-up job all on the inside. Have two beds in dining room with sick inmate in one. Need three win dow lights in front bedroom downstairs. We recommend that this work be done immediately. "Committee No. 4, composed of Carey Cabe, Henry Tippett, R. A. Batey, Doyl Painter, and E. J. Ayers, inspected the court house and found the following: "Register of deeds office needs paint in ofiiee and vault, plast er needs repairing in spots in vault, need more book room, more book racks needed, needs one window light replaced, re place one pane in cabinet door. Clerk of courts office needs new rug on floor, new pane in window, new paint job, repair cabinet doors, repair glass over door. Veterans' service office needs glass replaced over door. Men's reSt room is in very good condition. Sheriff's office needs two window panes replaced. Schoo' superintendent's office is in fair condition, paper on wall in bad shape. Ladies' rest room is in fair condi ion. Downstairs hall U in fair condition. Up stairs of courthouse is in fair condition; need light on rear stairway. We recommend this work be done immediately. "We find that all guardian re ports are in order." Will Elect Committeemen For PMA This Week Community and county com mitteemen to serve on the Pro duction Management Adminis tration program here in 1951 will be elected by Macon coun tv farmers December 14 and 15, the local P. M. A. office an nounced this week. All farmers who participated in the 1950 program are elig ible to vote in the election. Five men and one county del egate wi'l be elected by each community. The county, it was explained, is divided by the P. M. A. into 13 communities. The 13 county delegated are scheduled to^lfieet in Franklin Dec~.A>er '15 to choose a coun tvP. M. A. committee, compos ed of three members and two alternates. By employing the committee method, farmers help to direct the P. M. A. program, designed to conserve the soil and increase soil fertility, local P. M. A. of ficial* said. . Rides Are Sought For Band Members To Optimist Bowl WANTED? Rides to AshevUle Sa urdav morning for members of the Franklin school band. The Franklin band was one of the first Invited to play at the OP' imlst Bowl game in A'herille Siturday, and 8. F. ? Sammy > Beck, the director, this week appealed for cooper ation from persons who plan to a tend the game. Anyone driving to AshevUle Saturday morning who has room in his automobile is asked to get in touch with Mr. Beck a the school or at his home, or arrange with individual band members who naad transporta tion to AshsvlUs. BUSINESS Making NEWS Continued From Editorial Pace Canners $14.50 to $15.50 I Heifers: Medium $17.00 to $18.00 1 Calves: Fat $30.00 to $32.50 Medium $28.00 to $30.00 Cull* .' $25.00 to $27 .00 8 toe Iter, good $23.00 to $24.00 Stocker, fair $18.00 to $20.00 Steers: Good $22.00 to $24.00 Medium $3000 to $21.50 Fair $18.00 to $19.00 Stocker, good $18.00 to $17.00 Bulls: Fair $15.00 to $18.00 I Hogs; Top $18.50 1 Voters Ballot For Soil CoiMenration Body Supervisor A supervisor for the Macon County Soil Conservation dis trict will be elected in ballot ing which started Monday and will end Saturday. Any person registered for a general elec tion in the county is eligible to vote for the district supervisor, it was explained. The norn nees for the part, olaced in nomination by peti tions signed by 25 or more reg istered voters, are Herman Talley and MUUm Fouts. The association Is controlled by three supervisors. Sllar Bigg ie. one of the three chosen when the association was set up a year ago, has another year to serve, and Owen Ammons has two more years. Charles C. Sut on, the third man chosen last year, was named for a one-year term, which is expiring. Balloting places are the Agri "u'tural building, the Farmers Federation, Downs Feed and Room Packed When Court Term Opens ? Continued From Page 'One ningham, Radford Holland, R. A. Baty, Wendell P. Keener, Lee Cook, Dan R. Reynolds, Doyle Painter, James I. Rowland, and Dewey Hopper. Dan R. Reynolds was ap pointed by Judge Pless to serve is foreman of the Jury. The grand jury system, Judge Pless said in his charge to the jury, is one of many guaran tees, made by the forefathers of this country, that a person wl'l receive a fair and lust trial. "It Is the duty of the grand jury," he said, "not to try a case, but to consider the evi dence against a person and de termine whether or not it is sufficient to warrant a trial." To illustrate the need for ?uch a system, he pointed out that Americans are descendants of an oppressed people. The forefathers of this country, he told them, came to America from England to escape oppres sion. In England, in those days, Judge Pless said, there were 28 charges for which a person could be put to death. "And," he continued, "more men died In English prisons awaiting trial than were tried and sentenced to die." If a grand jury returns a true bill against an individual, he said, it does not mean that the person has been convicted ? ! it only shows that there is cause for trial. "Many persons have been ac quitted," the judge told the "after a true bill was return eu. He pointed out the grand jury's responsibility In Inspect ing county institutions, empha sizing the inspection of the county home. Not one person would be at the county home, Judge Pless declared, if they had anywhere else to go. Most of them are at the home, he said, because they can not help themselves ? old folks are there because of diseases, or no family to turn to; some are there because of deformities and are unable to make a living ? nearly all, he said, have to call on their fel low citizens for help. "As our 'Brother's keepers'," he emphasized, "we owe it to them ... to see that they have good, nourishing food, heat, clothes, kindness, affection, and consideration." Judge Pless urged the grand Jurors to report what they saw, and to make their report on the situation, regardless of any political Implications that might be Involved In the Inspection and the subsequent report. As honored jurors, he urged them to do their duty in all , fairness to themselves and to lotbera. CURTIS SHEDD BASKETBALLERS START TUESDAY ? Continued From Face One Tournament Qf Champions, and the team's chances this year or basketball honors are more than bright. Reserve strength for the Franklin boys is shaping up well in practice and more than 20 basketballers have been show ing up at afternoon practice sessions. Included are Guards L. A. Moore and Char'es Shields, Forwards Prelo Crawford and Mack Lewis, and Center Dale Klser, who played for Slagle school last year. , The female basketballers have 11 returnees from last year. Jean and Grace Setser, Caro lyn Bryson, Betty Henry, and Clara Jane Taylor, fill in guard positions, and Birdie .Sue Car penter, Conparee Nolen, Betty Lee Moore, Shirley Dean, Jean Duvall, and Laura Lyle roiyid out at forward. Ga'e Abercro.rn.ble, Evelyn 'Dean, Annette Dalrymple, Mary Nell Parker, Marie Lenoir, Luet ta Browning, and Winona Buch hanan make up the reserves. Following is the tentative Franklin schedule for the sea- 1 son: v. Dec. 12 ? Franklin vs. Nanta hala, there. Dec. 15 ? Open date. ' Dec. 19 ? Franklin vs. Hayes- j ville, there. Dec. 22 ? Open date. Jan. 5 ? Open date. Jan. 9? Franklin vs. Cherokee, here. Jan. 12? Franklin ys. Andrews, | there, Jan. 16? Franklin vs. Sylva, j here. Jan. 23? Franklin vs. Murphy, ] there. Jan. 26? Franklin vs, High- 1 lands, here. Jan. 30? Franklin vs. Glen- 1 ville, here. Feb. 2 ? Franklin vs. Cullo- 1 whee, there. Feb. 6? Franklin vs. Bryson City, here. Feb. 9 ? Franklin vs. Webster, there. Feb. 13? Franklin vs. Stecoah, here. Feb. 15 ? Franklin vs. Andrews, here. COUNTY'S LOT SOLD JO FIRM ? Continued From Pace One er company's lease on Its pres ent quarters, at the northwest corner of the public square, ex pires In eSptenvber, 1952. The commissioners have had the possible sale of the lot to the power company informally under consideration since last summer. When a formal offer was made by the power com pany in September, it was taken under advisement, with final action coming Monday. The question of the advisability of selling the property has been the subject of considerable pub lic discussion. Meanwhile, Bryson City has been seeking to have the Nan tahala company move its head quarters to that town. The firm moved here from Bryson City a number of years ago. A delegation from Bryson City conferred with Mr. Archer a fortnight ago, and Monday E. B. Whitaker came here to Grocery store, Parrish's store, at Oito, and the Otter Creek school, in the Nantahala sec tion. CURTIS SHEDD IS SENTENCED TO GAS DEATH ? CQnt nwed From P??e One Judge P'ess commended Solicit or Bryson for his "excellent work" and expressed apprecia tion and congratulations to Gilmer A. and R. S. Jones, court-appointed attorneys for the de:ense. "You have done all for the defendant that any at torney could do", he told l he defense lawyers. .Introduction of a signed con fession, and identification of Curtis Shedd, on trial for the August 3 slaying of two young Walhalla, S. C., girls, climaxed the s ate's case against the con fessed slayer Wednesday morn ing in Macon superior court. When the December term of superior court convened here Monday morning Judge J. WIU Pless, Jr., presiding, ordered a special venire from Jackson county to report Tuesday morn ing, and a jury was selected ear'y Tuesday afternoon to try the case. Six-year-old Bobby Jean Bry ant, 0f walhalla, took the stand Tuesday and pointed Shedd out in the courtroom as the man she saw drive off with ihe two girls, who were later found st-angled near Highlands. The confession was introduc ed in evidence Wednesday morn ing by Solicitor Bryson, who ex plained it was made by Shedd in the presence of law officials in Waynesvi'le August 16. In the confession, Shedd said that John Boyter, father of the girls, wanted him to have sex. ual Intercourse with Mrs. Boy ter, so he (Boyter) would have grounds for a divorce. During an all-night ride the day prior prior to the slaying of both Boyter and his daughters, John nie Mae and Jo Ann, shedd said the act took place, but Boyter was not present t o wit- | ness it. Boyter suggested .that : It be done again, so he cou'd | witness it. Shedd said that he decided it was "time to get rid ; of htm." m or Killing ugyuer, oneaa s confession said he returned to I ; Walhalla, got the girls, and drove them to a point about rlvfe miles out of Highlands, near the town dump. He said that he and the old est, Johnnie Mae, went into the woods, "she put her arms around my neck," and ihey en gaged In Intercourse twice be fore he strangled her and threw her over a small cliff. Shedd then said in the con fession that he went back for the younger girl, had inter course with her, and then kill ed her by choking her with a sash from her dress. 8hedd's confession was read to the court from the witness stand by P. R. Kitchen, North Carolina 8. B. I. agent-. who was one of the principal investiga tors in the triple slaying. 'Dr. Herman Jones, of At lanta, Ga., direc'or of the Fu' ton county crime laboratory, took the stand and told the court the details of the autop osy performed on the bodies of the girls. The younger had been attacked, he said, but the body make a ...formal offer. Bryson City, he said, would donate a lot to the power company, and agree to have a score of homes for employes built within a year, if the Nantahala firm would move its headquarters back to Bryson City. of the older gtrl ?Aa led deo6? poaed to determine whether or not she had been. The con* -appointed defenae attorneys, Gilmer A. and R. 8. Jones, cro?8-<Jtie?kmed the wit nesses is to whe her they were positive the alayings occurred In Mo th Carolina. The crime occurred near the N.C.-Oeor gla-S C. stae line Intersections. Sheriff Eddie Weathers, of Oc onee countT, 8. C., and Sheriff Lehman Queen, of Rabun coun ty, Oa? admitted that they were not familiar with the territory where the girls were found, when Shedd led them there. Bu . Deputy Sheriff Walter Dean, of this county, took the stand and tes l!led the point where the bodies were found Is in this state and couny. Shedd, of Waihalla, S. C., was tried for the August 3 slay ing of Johnnie Mae Boyter, 14, and Jo Ann Boyter, 8, and was Indicted for murder during the August term of superior court. His trial was continued at that time because of the death of 3ollc:tor Thad D. Bryson's fath sr, and since that time the youthful confessed slayer has ^"n held In the Waynesville I all. He was nicked up by Georgia ird South Caro'lna officers ifter the shotgun-riddled body if John Boyter, 39, father of th?* {iris was found In a wooded section close to he North Car 3lina line. Shedd Is not being tried in this county for the slaying of Boyter, since the :rlme presumably took place In 3eorgia. . - - ? Alter conressmg to tne triple slaying, Shedd led officers to a srxjt near the Highlands gar bage dump where the bodies of the girls were hidden. Since the bodies were found in Macon county, the trial was moved Here. in a number of conflicting confessions, following his arrest, Shedd first said he strangled both of the girls. However, autopsy reports showed that the younger, Jo Ann, was chok ed with a sash from her dress. When confronted with the re port, Shedd said he may have choked her with the sash, but did not admit that he did. The actual trial got under way Tuesday afternoon, since most of the morning was spent in picking a 12-man Jury from a special venire of Jackson county citizens. Seven witnesses for the prose cution were called to testify during the Tuesday afternoon session by Solid' or Bryson. They were Mrs, - Christine Boyter, widow of the slain roan and mother of the two girls; Mrs. Ida Pace, Mrs. Boyter's mother who cared for the chil dren most of the time; Bobby Jean Bryant, a six-year-old who saw the girls get into Shedd 's automobile on the day of the triple slaying; Rosa Lee Oakley, a 13-year-old friend of Johnnie Mae Boyter, who said she saw Shedd talking to Johnnie Mae an the day of the murders; Lambert Talley, the man who found the body of John Boyter; Woody Wilson, special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, who was one of the chief investigators in the triple slaying; and Thad Wood, a rural po' Iceman who answer ed a call from Boyter on the night prior to the crime. During the testimony of the witnesses, Shedd sat motion* less; his wife Dollte, was at hid side, her head buried In her arms most of the time. When Mrs. Christine Boyter, wife of the slain man and mother of the girls, took the stand Tuesday af ernoon as the p osecution'8 first witness, she appeared to be remarkably i:omposea. tier young son, aam my, about five years old, sat at her feet as she testified. As she continued, the child found a vacant chair, carried it to the witness stand, placed it beside his mother, and took a seat. Mrs. Boyter related the de tails of an all-night ride Aug ust 2, the night prior to the slaying, in Shedd'i car. Accord ing to Mrs. Boyter, she, her husband, and the oldest daugh ter, Jlmmie Mae, were riding with Shedd. Her husband, she said, had been drinking and she was "soared because Shedd said he would take us to Sen eca to a carnival and then didn't." Shedd, she recalled, drove to the Hunnlcutt bridge (outside Walhalla) and there attacked her. When asked where her husband was, she said he was in the woods "somewhere." She did not re port the attack, she said, be cause she was afraid of Shedd. Her husband called "the law", she continued, because Shedd had a knife. Thad Wood, a rural policeman from Salem, 8. C., w&i the man who an swered Boyter's caH. Mr. Wood told the court that he met the Shedd cat about 3 a. m. (August 3) returning from the Hunnlcutt bridge sec tion, as he was on his way to Investigate the call. Boyter was drunk, Mr. Wood told the court, and when searching the car he (Mr. Wood) found a knife be tween Shedd's feet. The police man said he first took Boyter into otatody but later releal at hinj. Mr?. Boyter said ihe and her husband and the girl returned to her mother*! home In Wa' ha&a early Wednesday morn ing. August 3, and a ayed there until about 11 a. m. She and Mr. Boyter left about that time, she recalled, leaving both of the girls with their grandmother. That was the last time she saw either of the girls, she said. The grandmo her, Mrs. Ida Pace, took the stand and con firmed the parts of Mrs. Boy ter's story involving the arrival and denarture times from her home. However, Mrs. Pace told the court that when she learn ed the girls were missing that af e< noon, she was "scared that John (Boyter) might have klll ad the children." 8he explain ed that he was "mean" when he drank. The older girl, Johnnie Mae, she said, lived with her all of the time, and the younger, Jo Ann, spent part of the tm with her and part with her '"mts. Peace told the court tha' when she returned home from work Wednesday afternoon, una learned from some neighbor hood girls that her gronridaugh ers were seen leaving with Shedd. she tried to locate John Boyter to see If he Knew where *hnv were. UnaWe to loea e the father, she recalled that she and Mrs. Boyter dro"? ? Shedd's home to see If he knew the whereabouts of the girls. Shedd told them he did not shp ""'d. On Friday, August 5, Mrs. Pace said she notified the sher iff the girls were missing. Miss Rosa Lee Oakley, a seventh-grader and close neigh bor of Mrs. Pace, took the stand and related how she saw Shedd talking to Jonnnle Mae "sometime after lunch on the steps of the Pace home. A cute little tlx-year-old, and the brightest witness during the Tuesday afternoon sesston, Bobbie Jean Bryant also a close neighbor of Mrs. Pace, emphat ically answered 8oUctt^r Bry son's questions about what she saw the afternoon ofAugustS Yes, she knew Curtis Shedd, and pointed him out in the courtroom. Yes, shesaw hlm drive off in a car with Mae and Jo Ann Boyter that ^The'body of John Boyter was found August # by^L^^er!rt Talley, who tookthe ^dand told the court the facts leading up to the finding of the body about 500 feet from his house, the arrival of law enforcement officials; and the subsequent removal of the body. He iden tified pictures of the body tak en at the scene of the slaying Woody Wilson, O. B. I. special agent, who aided in the inves tigation, said that Boyter was Identified by a power company receipt which bore his n?me There was no other ldentlf! Ica tion, h? said. He then related how he and ? her . '?lwok ?j forcement officers pickedShedd ud at his home after learning that he had been seen with the girls. When they went to Shedd's house. Mr. Wilson ^ ^ they asked Shedd If he had a shotgun, and when he answer ed yes, they asked to see it. Shedd showed them a .12 guage shotgun, covered with cobwebs and dust, he said. This was on August 9, the special agent said, and nothing was said to Shedd about find ing Boyter's body. Shedd agreed, he said, to go along with of ficials to check identification of his (Shedd's) automobile. Mr. Wilson said they asked Shedd to drive up to a certain spot, (actually near where the body of Boy*er was found) so Mr Talley could identify the Sar. Then he said, Shedd was asked to stop the car and he p look for a lost billfold. Mr. Wilson explained that the move was an excuse to get Shedd to the spot where Boyter's body was found. ne men iota me court aDout confessions made by Shedd in his presence, and he said that during one concession Sh?dd demonstrated on him (Mr. Wil son) how he killed the girls by choking them. "He said he squeezed down with his thumbs," Mr. Wilson told the court. When asked how many times the youthful defendant made confessions, Mr. Wilson declar ed "toe made at least a half dozen variations of his story." Judge Pless ordered a special venire, numbering #0 men, sum moned from Jackson county. A special court order was rad ioed by highway patrolmen to Sherrlff Middle ton, of Jackson county, ordering him to sum mon SO Jackson county citizens and have them assemble at the Jackson county courthouse Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock, at which time they would be transported to this county. Judge Pleas arranged with Guy L Honk, Macon county school superintendent, to send two busses to Sylva, the Jackson county seat, to bring the ven iremen here. During the Monday session. Judge Pless also ordered Sher rlff J. Harry Thomas to post Girls Quint ? Continued From Pafe Oa4 ladles, the "Travelers" play strictly by the men's rules, with no holds barred. The faculty team roster car ries the names the following who will take the floor to pity the ladles:; Sammy Beck, R. O. Sutton, Ml! bum Atkins, Harry Corbln, Jack Angel, Ed Williams, Wayne Proffltt, Richard Stot., and Clarence Lowe. Miss Walker Is known as a record-breaker in basketball cir cles. She was selected on the All-American team 10 timet, a record that still stands; played on five national championship teams, and runner-up three years;' won the national free throw championship six years; International championship for two years, with a record of 49 out of 50 tries; and las never been beaten In national tourna ment history. OATH OF OFFICE GIVEN OFFICIALS Continued From P*l? One all this is not the sheriff's or the county commissioners coun ty. it belongs to the people. Every person in it has on . share of common stocky and that goes for each persons re sponsibility". . Judge Pless gave the oath of office, in order, to Mr^ Miss McGee, Lake V. Shope, register of deeds, George Henson, the new coroner, La*e R. Ledford, the new surveyor and the three reelected coun y commissioners: W. E. Baldwin, chairman, John A. Roane, and W. W. Edwards. In administering the oath to the commissioners, Judge Pless commented: "I am proud of the fac wn** in any county there are men who are willing to give their time, talent, and ability to he office of county commissioner, one of the most important of fices I know of." Pota Ing out that the office often Is thank less, he said "X consider a man who will serve as a county com missioner a pa riot, pure ana ^After the elected officials had been sworn in. Judge P eas i ad ministered the oath to Newell Pendergrass, appointed by Sher iff Thomas as his aepuiy MeanwhUe, Calvin Roland, of Franklin, Route 3. took over Monday as jailer, moving into the Jail from which the retir ing sheriff, J. P. Bradley, and! his family had moved earlier to their home in East Frww ""mIss McGee reappointed Mre. Elizabeth McCoilum as deputy clerk, and the oath was admin istered to her by Miss McOoe. Mr. Shope has not yet appoint ed a successor to Miss Mcoee as his assistant In the register of deeds office, but Miss Jo Ann Hopkins Is assisting him tem porarily. . . . Mr. Brookshire, the re lrlng clerk of court, plans to leave shortly for Western Caroto* Teachers college, Cullowhee, where he will continue his edu ca ion. -Sheriff Bradley and Deputy 'Dean will continue to their present office until tl? 1950 taxes have been collected, since Mr. Bradley's term as t? collector continues until thai time. Meanwhi'e, Mr. Thomas has his desk in the office of in? clerk of court. The county commissioners, following their oath-taking for the new term, approved bonds of the other officials as rol lows Mr. Thomas, as sheriff, $6, 000, and as treasurer, *3,000. Miss McGee, as clerk, $10,000. Mr. Shope, as county accoun tant, $5,000, and as register or deeds, S5,000. Mr. Henson, as coroner, ROW. Mr. Ledford, as surveyor, $3, 000. special guards on the court room doors, to keep spectators from over-crowding the court room after all seats were filled Tuesday morning. More than three hours Were consumed Tuesday morning and afternoon, after the arrival of the special venire, as members of the venire were examined by the defense and prosecution to determine whether or not they were qualified to serve as jurors. Of the 60 men, 31 wots examined, and from that num ber 12 Jurors and one alternate were chosen. The defense re jected IS members and three were dismissed by the prose cution The names were drawn from a hat by Sandra Henson, five-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Henson, of Franklin . Jurovs selected were Brttton Moore, David Cagle, Tyre M. Davis, Walter Middleton, WU1 Buchanan, R. L. Higdon, T. T. Varner, W. E. Haskett, James F. Patton, Clifford Beck, Wal ter H. Allman, and John O. Farley. The alternate, to sit with the Jury, and act In the event that one of the reenters became Ul, was Will Nations.

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