?Je ffanklin 9 tm
8%* Jflaconinn
VOL. LXIX? NO. 16
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1954
TWELVE PAGES
Sink Hands Looters
2-3YearsFor.Crimes
Sentences of two to three years each were handed four Tran
sylvania County men In Superior Court here Tuesday morning
for their part In looting 12 summer homes In the Highlands area
as members of a theft ring operating In seven counties in North
and South Carolina
All four entered pleas of guilty through counsel and were
sentenced by Judge H. Hoyle Sink. The men are Herbert Hoover
Volrath, 25, Jimmy Volrath, 21, Ray McCall, 21, and Krnest
Fisher, 18.
Officers of the seven counties broke up the ring In a surprise
raid in the Brevard area m
February. Most of the stolen
property was recovered.
On trial in Brevard two weeks
ago, the Volraths were handed
five to seven years and McCall
three to five years for break
ins in that area. Fisher did not
stand trial there.
Tuesday afternoon, court re
cessed until Monday morning
when the judge will dispose of
several remaining criminal mat
ters and move into trial of civil
matters.
Recommends
Courthouse
Facelifting
A new course of action on
Macon's 73-year-old courthouse
was taken by the Grand Jury
Monday afternoon.
Instead of recommending the
construction of a new building
? a practice followed by almost
countless juries in the past ?
the jurymen urged the modern
ization of the present building
inside and out.
A step already has been tak
en in that direction. FOr the
past several weeks, painters
have been giving the walls in
the hall and some woodwork a
beauty treatment.
Also recommended before
winter was construction of the
proposed county home. Mean
while, the jury suggested that
sufficient hot water be furn
ished at the old home on the
Georgia highway (US 23) until
the new one is ready for occu
pancy. The site of the new
home is in the Bend of the
River section. It was purchased
several months ago by the
county.
.Macon's jail and prison camp
were found in good condition.
Some painting at the jail was
the only recommendation
made.
It's Tee Time
The nine-hole golf course at
the Franklin Lodge Is now open
for the season, according to O.
R. Pattillo, operator of the re
sort.
An estimated $3,000 has been
spent this winter getting the
course in shape, he said. New
tees have been built on most of
the holes and the roughs have
been cleared.
Mr. Pattillo said he plans to
open the lodge early in June.
Extensive repairs have been
made to the lodge and adjoin
ing cabins, he added.
MEETING POSTPONED
Because of the Easter holi
days, the scheduled Monday
evening meeting of the Frank
lin P. T. A. has been postponed
until the regular meeting in
May, it has been announced.
JUDGE BLASTS
JURY SYSTEM
Says Grand Jury
Once Good, But Now
Cumbersome, Costly
The Grand jury system was
lambasted here Monday morn
ing by Judge H. Hoyle Sink as
"cumberson and expensive".
In his charge to the Grand
Jury, the Greensboro judge
pointed to the increasing num
ber of minor cases and traffic
violations and declared the sys
tem has turned into a "rubber
stamp for the solicitor, sheriff,
and highway patrol."
While the system once had
merit. Judge Sink said it has
turned into a cumbersome and
expensive thing.
He said more could be ac
complished with less destruc
tion to the state's business ec
onomy if the system was abol
ished, with the qualification
that a grand jury could be call
ed by a presiding judge if one
was needed.
Judge Sink emphasized that
his criticism was not aimed at
grand jurymen, but at the sys
tem as it now stands.
The 18-man jury was drawn
by five-year-old Gary Palmer,
son of Mr. and Mrs, Bruce
Palmer, of Franklin.
Grover Jamison, Jr., was ap
pointed foreman. Other Jury
men Include R. D. Wells, Clif
ford Dendy, Prince Curtis, M
W. Beck, Beulon Holland, Wood
row Dowdle, Lewis Moses, Rog
er D. Wells, Grady Coffee, R. D.
Carson, S. C. Wiggins, Lee Cook,
Hlllard Solesbee, Frank Stiles,
Norman Blaine, Louln Cabe, and
Orron Holland.
Franklin Hospital
Gets Provisional
Rating By Commission
Angel Hospital, Inc., Franklin,
was one of 36 hospitals In the
state given provisional accredi
tation by the Joint Commission
on Accreditation of Hospitals,
it has been announced.
In its announcement, the
commission explained that pro
visional accreditation means a
hospital fell Just short of meet
ing the required standards of
the commission. Fifty-three hos
pitals In the state received full
accreditation.
Still Destroyed
A small 25-gallon still was
destroyed Friday in the Choga
section by Sheriff J. Harry
Thomas and Chief Deputy New
ell Pendergrass.
Sixty gallons of mash was
confiscated. No arrest was made
the sheriff said.
S?tt PhMQ by J. P. Brmdy
Beta Club members at Franklin High School have elected
new officers for the year and are now looking forward to at
tending the state convention In Asherille tomorrow (Friday)
and Saturday. New officers are (L to R) Miss Mary Evelyn Cabe,
treasurer, Miss Caroline Reece, secretary, Leonard .Long, presi
dent, and Herbert McKelvey, vice-president.
Political Scene Still Hazy
With Deadline On Saturday
Republicans Set
County Convention
A slate of candidates for the
general election in November
will be selected tomorrow (Fri
day) night by members of the
local Republican Party.
The party convention is plan
ned for the county courthouse
at 8 o'clock, according to Calvin
Henson, local GOP secretary
treasurer.
As a rule, the party here does
not conduct a primary to select
its candidates.
Women Win
H.D. Gavel
A turnout of 65 home demon
stration club women at the Dis
trict 2 H. D. Federation last
Thursday In Cullowhee was
ample to clinch The Gavel at
tendance award for Macon
County.
Mrs. Donald Smith was elect
ed district secretary-treasurer
and Mrs. Carl Slagle, historian,
at the meeting.
Mrs. E. M. McNish, of Wayah
Valley, is the outgoing district
chairman.
Ae a special feature of the
meeting, the Macon County
Chorus sang. The chorus, com
posed of home demonstration
women, Is directed by 8. F.
Beck.
Several of the local delega
tion appeared on the program.
Mrs. McNish participated In a
panel discussion on the United
Nations; the response was giv
en by Mrs. Eugene Couch; Mrs.
C. T. Bryson gave a resolutions
commltt^ report; Alice Lee
Bradley a report on 4-H activ
ities; and Mrs. Slagle a report
In her capacity as district his
torian.
District 2 Is composed of Ma
con, Jackson, and Swain coun
ties. The annual federation was
held at the Cullowhee Baptist
Church with the theme, "Bet
ter World Tomorrow Through
Our Youth Today".
ROAD WORK BEGINS
Grading on the last stretch
of the Franklln-Cowee Gap
highway project (US 23) got
under way within the city limits
of Franklin, this week. The .rest
of the project Is virtually com
plete and is scheduled for pay
ing soon, highway officials say.
Scouts - And A Ray Of Easter Sunshine
?Stmfl Pkof by I P. Brad
Brownies ud intermediate Girl Scouts of Franklin worked diligently last Thursday after
noon to brine a ray of Easter sunshine Into the lives. of elderly women in the county, making
Easter bonnet pin cushions and bunnies. Pictured at work with needles and thread are (L to R)
Brownie Kit Gnnse, Frances Whtttington and Launa Baker, Intermediates of Troop 29, and Linda
Morrow, of intermediate Troop 4. Adult leaders will help the (iris distribute their works of art
by Easter.
Although the filing deadline
for the May 29 Democratic
primary is Saturday, a thick!
haze still hangs over the po
litical scene.
Since last week's issue of
The Press hit the streets, only
one man has filed, leaving, at
the present time, wide open
races. '
Frank Plyler, local business
man, filed for the five-mem
ber Board of Education. In
cumbent Claude Cabe is the
only member of the present
board to file.
Sheriff J. Harry Thomas,
Register of Deeds Lake V.
Shope, and Miss Kate Mc
Gee, clerk of court, filed last
week. C. Banks Finger, local
attorney, is the lone candi
date for nomination to thei
House of Representatives, and
C. Jack Ragan, local morti
cian, is unopposed for county
coroner.
PASTOR-DEACON
REVIVAL SLATED
Baptist Event
Opens Monday
At Franklin
A five-day preacher-deacon
revival will open Monday under
the sponsorship of the Macon
Baptist Association.
Sessions for preachers are
slated dally at the First Bap
tist Church, while the deacons
will meet at different churches
each night during the week,
according to the Rev. C. T.
Taylor, assoclatlonal missionary.
Scheduled as speakers each
morning at the First Baptist
Church are the Rev. J. C. Pipes,
the Rev. J. L. Jenkins, and the
Rev. J. G. Miller. The revival
will run daily frotn 9:30 a. m.
to 12:30 p. m.
Hours for the deacons' revival
are listed as 7:30 to 9 p. m.,
each night at the following
churches: Monday, Mount Hope;
Tuesday, Oak Grove; Wednes
day, First Baptist; Thursday,
Wells Grove; and Friday, Ridge
crest. Mr. Pipes and Mr. Jen
kins will be the speakers.
The theme of the entire re
vival will be "Magnifying
Christ".
V. F. W. Groups
Hold Ceremony
For Officers
C. Jack Ragan and Mrs. Eliz
abeth McCollum were installed
as commander and president,
respectively, of the local V.F.W.
post and auxiliary at a joint
installation last (Wednesday'
night.
The ceremony was held at the
oost home on Palmer Street.
Other post officers include
Winton Perry, senior vice-com
mander; John G. (Speck i Mur
ray, junior vice-cofnmander;
Robert Pearl, quartermaster: the
Rev. R. D. Burnette, chaplain;
Dr. G. R. McSween, surgeon; G.
Br.nks Finger, advocate; and J.
E. Jennings, three-year trustee.
Auxiliary officers serving with
Mrs. McCollum are Mrs. {Cath
erine Perry, senior vice-presl
dent; Mrs. Mildred Perry, Jun
ior vice-president; Mrs. Annie
Laura Welch, treasurer; Mrs.
Anne Murray, historian; Mrs.
Edith Reeves, guard; Mrs. Marie
Pearl, chaplain; and Mrs. Ruth
Willi* ma. condnctrMS.
Suicide Closes Bomb Death
Of Local Man In Mount Airy
MACON READY
TO MARK DAY
Easter Sunrise Rites
Slated At Way ah Bald,
Whiteside, Coweeta
It's nearly Easter, 1954, and
Maconians are planning their
traditional observance of the
sacred day with special sunrise
and church services.
Highspots of the day's cele
bration will be two sunrise
services at opposite points In
the county? Wayah Bald and
Whiteside Mountain. Both an
nually attract hundreds of
worshippers from over Western
North Carolina.
Still another sunrise service
is planned atop Raven Rock, in
the Coweeta section. This rite
will be conducted by the Rev.
R. L. Poindexter, Methodist pas
tor, and is set for 5 o'clock.
Persons planning to attend are
asked to meet at the gate of
the Coweeta Hydrologlc Labora
tory at 4:30.
The Wayah service, held at
the camp of Mr. and Mrs. Gil
mer A. Jones, will begin at 5:55.
It will be preceded by special
recorded music obtained by
Frank Martin. A public address
system Is planned to carry the
service to worshippers who wish
to remain In their cars. The
Rev. P. Doyle Freeman, Metho
dist pastor, will open the serv
ice with a call to worship and
invocation; Miss Margaret Jones
will give a reading, "The Empty
Tomb", followed by a scripture
and prayer by the Rev. C. T.
Taylor, Baptist pastor. The
Easter message will be deliver
ed by the Rev. Bryan Hatchett,
pastor of the Franklin Presby
terian Church. The Rev. C. E.
Murray, Methodist pastor, will
give the benediction.
Atop Whiteside Mountain,
near Highlands, the Rev. John
Buell, pastor of the Highlands
Baptist Church, will deliver the
Easter message, assisted by oth
er pastors In the area. This
service is set for 5:24, and also
will be preceded by special re
corded music over a public ad
dress system. The toll road to
the crest of the mountain ? be
lieved to be one of the oldest
In the world ? will be open free
of charge for the service.
An Easter cantata, "The Lord
is Risen", will be presented at
2:30 in the afternoon at the
Iotla School by the P. T. A. Miss
Nora Moody and Paul Swafford
are the directors and Lowell
McKee Is In charge of music.
Mrs. Houghton Williams will be
the pianist.
Four services will be conduct
ed over the county Easter by
Dr. A. Rufus Morgan, Episcopal
rector. At 6:30 a. m., a celebra
tion of Holy Communion and
an Easter sermon is planned at
the St. Agnes church in Frank
lin. Dr. Morgan will then be at
the Macon Prison Camp for a
special service at 8 a. m., going
from there to St. Cyprians for
a celebration of Holy Commun
ion and an Easter sermon. At
11 a. m. he will be at the
Church of the Incarnation in
Highlands for a similar service.
Highlands
Hall Open
Highlands town officials Fri
day moved into the city hall at
the intersection of Oak and
Fourth.
Designed by Architect Upton
Ewing. of Coral Gables. Fla., |
and Highlands, th? new city '
building was built by local day |
labor, according to Mayor W. H.
Cobb.
The upper story of the struc
ture has been "roughed in", the
mayor said, and will be com
pleted as soon as funds are
available. He estimated the
total cost at $15,000.
Housed in the building are
the town office, fire depart
ment, police department, and
jail. The upper story will con
tain an apartment.
The architect drew the plans
free of charge. Mayor Cobb
said, expressing his appreciation
for this service. Mr. Evlng also
designed the Highlands Com
munity Hospital at no charge.
The two-year -old mystery hanging over the booby-trap slaying
of William Homer Cochran, Jr., in Mount Airy and last week's
bombing attempt on the Franklin man's widow in Edenton was
cleared with the suicide Friday of a 38-year-old Pittsboiro me
chanic and neighbor of Mrs. Cochran's parents.
With the suicide of George Henry Smith, whose body was
found in a patch of woods near his home ? a .22 rifle wound
through the heart ? S B. I. agents marked "closed" the baffling
case of young Cochran's slaying, according to local officers.
The 24-year-old agricultural teacher, son of Policeman and
'Not Satisfied'
Suicide Closes
Son's Slaying
"If be (Smith) I a the guilty
one, suicide na a too easy for
him", the father of Williant
Homer Cochran, Jr., feels.
In an interview with a Press
reporter, Policeman Homer
Cochran said he Is not satis
fied with the SAX report
that the booby-trap slaying of
his son is closed.
The officer said he is plan-/
ning a trip to the Moont Airy
Edenton-Pittsboro area "to
satisfy my mind a little more."
SCHOOLME
CHECK COMES
$105,000 Settlement
In Full; Deposited
To Special Account
A check for $105,000 ? full In
surance settlement on the old
Franklin high school building ?
was received here Saturday and
has been deposited to a special
banking account to replace the
building, which buxned last
month.
County School Supt. Holland
McSwaln said yesterday (Wed
nesday) preliminary plans for
a new building are b?ing pre
pared by Lindsay Gudger, Ashe
ville architect.
The new building should be
ready for occupancy some time
in the fall, he said. However,
there is little hope it will be
ready at the outset of the 1954
55 school year, the superinten
dent added.
The Insurance on the 34-year
old building was carried with
the division of insurance of the
State Board of Education. The
structure was completely gut
ted in an early morning fire
March 16.
Commenting on the arrival of
the check, Mr. McSwain said
"we appreciate the cooperation
of the division for the prompt
ness In which this matter was
handled", adding that the
speedy settlement will enable
the county to start to work Im
mediately on a new building.
At Its April meeting, the
Board of Education earmarked
the Insurance money solely for
replacing the loss.
Shops Opening
Several persons from this
county plan to attend the open
ing of the new 14th highway
division shops In Sylva tomor
row (Friday) from 4 to 8 p. m.
Close to 1,000 are expected to
show up, according to Commis
sioner Harry E. Buchanan. A
barbecue supper is planned at
5:30 o'clock, he said
IOTLA BENEFIT SUPPER
The Iotla P. T. A. will spon
sor a benefit supper at the
Iotla School Saturday night be
ginning at 6:30 o'clock, it has
been announced.
Mrs. Homer Cochran, of Frank
lin, died December 31, 1952, In
a Mount Airy hospital, several
hours after he climbed Into his
pick-up truck to leave for work
at White Plains
High School
and touched
off an explos
ion which
nearly blew
him to bits.
A bombing
attempt on the
young teach
er's widow
Wednesday of
Mrs. Cochran
last week gave S. B. I. agents
the break they had been an
ticipating for more than two
years.
Mrs. Cochran, home agent in
Chowan County, found a crude
ly-made bomb under the front
seat of her car as she left for
work. Edenton Police Chief
George I. Dail was painfully
burned when the bomb explod
ed as he carried it into the
police station.
Certain that jealousy was the
motive behind young Cochran's
death and the attempt to kill
his widow, who planned to re
marry, officers pinpointed their
investigation on Smith, who had
been a principal suspect since
the Franklin man's slaying. It
is understood agents were un
able to uncover enough evidence
to warrant his arrest, but had
kept close watch on his move
ments at intervals.
Smith disappeared from his
parent's home soon after of
ficers arrived and asked per
mission to vacuum clean his
automobile. It is reported this
was the first indication Smith
had he was under suspicion.
His body was found the fol
lowing morning by members of
his family.
Mrs. Cochran recently an
nounced plans to marry George
Alam Byrum, Edenton City
councilman an! businessman,
on April 24.
The crude bomb put in Mrs.
Cochran's car probably would
not have killed her. Officers
said Smith probably just want
ed to scare her out of marry
ing again. Smith is reported to
have tried to date the young
widow and it was definitely
established he was in the Mount
Airy area when the truck ex
plosion Tipped the young agri
cultural teacher's truck.
BAKE SALE SLATED
The American Legion Auxi
liary will sponsor a bake sale
tomorrow (Friday) at the Nan
tahala Power and Light Com
pany building, it has been an
nounced.
EASTER PROGRAM
An Easter program. "Crown
of Thorns", will be presented
tomorrow ( Friday i night at the
Carson Chapel Methodist Church
by members of the M.Y.F., Miss
Carolyn Waldroop, president,
has announced. The youth choir
will present special music under
the direction of Mrs. Robert D.
Burnette. The event is set for
7:30 o'clock.
?Staff Ckoln by J P. Brady
NEW FRANKLIN GARDEN CLUB OFFICERS are shown ?Bs
cussing pla.ns for the new year at the club's annual luncheon
last week at Kelly's Inn. They are (L to R) Mrs. Ous Leach, sec
retary, Mrs. R. G. Llchtensteln, president, Mrs. J.' H. Stock tea
(standing) , treasurer, and Mrs. GUmst A. Jeaee, rtee-prsold?t.