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VOL. LXIX ? NO. 43
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, OCT. 21, 1954
TWELVE PAGES
Patton Questioned
In Death Of Wife
Former State Senator
Finds Invalid Spouse
In Gas-Filled Room
Robert A. (Bob) Patton, for
mer state senator and Macon
legislator, is being questioned
In the death of his invalid wife,
who was found dead Saturday
in a gas-filled room In their
home in the swank Bayshore
Blvd. section of Tampa, Fla.
Mrs. Louise A. Patton, about
65, who had had both legs am
putated because of cancer with
in the last three years and was
a helpless Invalid, was found in
her room by her husband, who
told police she had attempted
suicide in the past.
However, police have said it
was "improbable" that Mrs. Pat
ton turned on the gas jet In
her room with the leg of a bed
side table. Mr. Patton Is said to
have told the officers she at
tempted to take her life in this
manner previously.
In a telephone interview with
The Press yesterday (Wednes
day), Sgt. Pete Franks, of the
Tampa detective bureau, em
phasized Mr. Patton has not
been charged, "only brought in
for questioning".
The sergeant said he was
questioned, given a lie detector
test, and then released Monday
morning prior to the funeral of
his wife, a former head of the
State Federation of Garden
Clubs, and prominent in Tampa
social circles.
Results of the lie detector test
"are incomplete", Sgt. Franks
said, "and we have nothing def
inite."
Mr. Patton, state senator from
this (33rd) district in 1935 and
a legislator for two terms (1935
and 1937), told officers he left
his wife's room about 9:30 in
the morning. At 11 o'clock, he
went back up stairs, smelled
gas, cut off the jet, and opened
all the windows. He said he
then tried to contact her phy
sician, but was unable to reach
him. He is reported to have
then called a funeral home.
Tuneral home attendants, upon
arriving at the Patton home
and learning of the means of
the woman's death, called po
lice.
Officers said It was Improb
able that Mrs. Patton opened
the gas jet with the leg of the
bedside table because the Jet
was more than arm's length
from her bed.
In a statement to police, the
invalid woman's nurse Is re
ported to have said Mrs. Pat
ton appeared to have been
"heavily doped" during her last
hours and when she came on
-duty about 6 Friday night she
could not arouse the sleeping
woman for at least four hours.
The couple was married in
1947.
Late News
and
Briefs
BUCHANAN COMING
Harry E. Buchanan, 14th divi
sion highway commissioner, is
scheduled to be in Franklin at
the county courthouse tomorrow
(Friday i at 2 p. m. for a road
meeting. It is open to the pub
lic.
* * ?
EDITOR SPEAKS ITERE
Dr. Amos Abrams, of Raleigh,
editor .of N. C. Education, ad
dressed a meeting of the local
unit of the North Carolina Ed
ucation Association last (Wed
nesday) night at the Franklin
Hii?h cafeteria.
Special guests of the teach
ers and principals included
businessmen and civic organiza
tions.
? ? ?
SNOW IN HIGHLANDS
It blew a little snow Satur
day in Highlands and there was
general shivering .over most of
the county as the mercury FIN
ALLY dipped down to a winter
like level. It was down to 23
Sunday in Highlands and Co
weeta recorded a 22 degree tem
perature yesterday (Wednes
day).
* ? ?
APPROVES CAMPAIGN
Franklin Mayor W. 6. Burrell
SEJf NO 2, PAGE 12
HIGDON DEATH
BEING PROBED
Macon Native Dies
In Cabin In Tenn.;
Is Buried Here ,
!
George Hamilton Hlgdon, 52
year-old native of this county,
was buried here Saturday after
noon while officers continued
an investigation into the mys
terious circumstances surround
ing his death last Thursday ia ?
a cabin near Knoxville, Tenn.
Yesterday (Wednesday) an of
ficial of the district attorney's ;
office in Knoxville told The
Press by telephone they are j
marking time in the investiga- 1
tion until an autopsy report is
received. ?
But Ralph Longmire, general .
secretary to District Attorney .
Hal H. Clements, Jr., also com- ?
men ted: i
"There is very little, if any, j
indications of foul play. It ap- ,
pears that he smothered to
death ... he had been drink- <
ing some." I
However, a taxicab driver and ,
a woman, who is a former rest- ;
dent of this county, are being ?
held in connection with the .
case, Mr. Longmire reported.
The body of Mr. Higdon was ,
found about l p. m. last Thurs
day in one of Jim's Cabins, on ,
the Clinton highway outside
Knoxville, by the manager of
the cabins. The manager is re
parted to have told officers that
a woman came to the cabins .
about 2 a. m. in a taxicab, rent- '
ed the cabin, stayed about 10
minutes, and then left in the
same taxicab.
The woman who rented the ,
room has been identified as ;
Betty Jean Welch Moore, 24, ]
formerly of this county. Howard .
L. Miller, 38, the taxicab driver, ]
also is In custody, according to
?Mr. Longmire. ]
He also said Mrs. Moore has ,
admitted she met Mr. Hlgdon
and drank beer and whiskey
with him. i
Mr. Hlgdon was here the Sun- J
day before his death. i
An autopsy report on the I
body is expected by Knoxvllle i
officers at any time, Mr. Long- J
mire said.
"We should know what hap
pened then," he added.
Funeral services for Mr. Hlg- i
don were conducted at the i
Sugarfork Baptist Church Sat- <
urday at 3:30 by the Rev. Jar- 1
vis Underwood. Burial was in <
the church cemetery.
He is survived by five broth- <
ers, Fred, of Sacramento, Calif., '
Frank and Lyman, of Franklin, >
Joseph, of Asheville, and Wil- :
11am, of Honolulu, Hawaii, and .
four sisters, Mrs. Maude Strain, 1
of Sacramento, Mrs. Margie 1
Ramsey, of Franklin, Route 2, 1
?Mrs. Kate Hoyt, of Phoenix, <
Ariz., and Miss Hazel Hlgdon, of
Sacramento. '
Pallbearers were Clayton and i
Albert Ramsey, Joe Hlgdon, Jr., <
Sam Hlgdon, Blllle Higdon, Jr., 1
and William Ramsey. <
Bryant Funeral Home was in
charge. (
burning Permits
Cancelled Here
Until Rain Com2s
Issuing of all burning permits
has been cancelled until a gen
eral rain wets the forests
enough t6 eliminate the haz
ardous fire conditions now pre
vailing, J. Fred Rryson, county
forest ranger, announced this
week.
County-Wide Rally
Of Democrats Slated
A county-wide Democratic ral
ly is planned next Thursday
night, October 28, at the coun
ty courthouse, it has been an
nounced.
Meanwhile, the party Is hold
ing precinct meetings over the
county. A meeting of the
Smithbrldge Township is set
tonight (Thursday) at 7:30 at
the Otto School and Tuesday
night at the same hour one
will be held at the Nantahala
School for party members of
the NantahaUi 1 and 2 pre
cincts.
The rally also Is set for 7:30.
t . ?Starr rnoto t>y J. r. ifrody
A SMILING John Whitelock, New Zealand dairyman, watches
Mrs. Dan Reynolds (right), president of the county home dem
onstration council, present The Gavel, top club award, to .Mrs.
Emma R. West, president of the Cowee club.
I _____
Cowee Wins
Club Award
The Gavel, top home demon- ?
stration club award, was pre
sented to the Cowee club for its
accomplishments over the past
year at the annual home dem
jnstration "Achievement Day"
Friday at the Franklin Metho
dist Church.
In winning the award, Co
svee collected a total of 2,482
points during the year. In sec
ond place was Oak Grove with
2,040 points, and Franklin was
third with 1,477. Small cash
awards also were presented the
winning clubs by the county
council.
The presentation of The Gavel
came as the closing feature of
the all-day meeting, which drew
more than 200 women from the
county's 24 active clubs.
Highlighting the morning ses
sion was an address by Mrs. C.
Tom Bryson, of the Cullasaja
club, who has just returned
from a tour of the United Na
tions in New York City with
ather club women of the state.
Mrs. Bryson spoke on "Toward
Better World understanding."
and touched on some of the
high spots of her tour.
Following the devotional by
Mrs. E. G. Altland, of the Iotla
club, greeting? were extended to
SEE NO. 3. AGE 12
Flying Preacher
Recovering From
Fall From Tree
The Rev. R. D. Burnette, who
was featured In last week's Press
is "Macon's Plying Preacher", is
recovering at Angel Hospital from
serious injuries received Satur
day afternoon In a fall from a
tree.
Officials of the hospital report
;d the field representative of the
\merican Sunday School Union
received a brain concussion, a
fractured hip, and Internal fai
lures when he fell from a large
poplar tree at his home in the.
Bethel community while install
ing a TV aerial. Mrs. Burnette
said he fell about 30 feet.
The accident occurred about
2:30 and Mr. Burnette remained
,n a critical condition for some I
;ime. However, yesterday <Wed-|
lesday) the hospital reported his
:ondition as "improved".
Last week's newspaper article
lealt with the preacher's debut ,
is a pilot in order to better (
serve his Sunday Schools in this
itate and Georgia.
NEW AGENT
IS HIRED
McNeil To Report
November 1 For
Extension Program
Robert McNeil, a native of
Ashe County, has been hired as
the third and last extension
worker for the new personaliz
ed farm-home program slated
to get under way in Macon in
November.
County Agent T. H. Fagg said
the new agent will report for
work here November 1.
John Wrinn and Mrs. Marga
ret D. Smith have previously
been hired for the new pro
gram, which was offered the
county earlier in the year on
a county-federal financing ar
rangement.
Details of the program and
how it will operate are now
being mapped, according to Mr.
Fagg. He expects to see the
program under way early in
November.
The third agent, Mr. McNeil,
is a graduate of Berea College,
Berea, Ky. A veteran of World
War II, he is now operating a
dairy farm in Ashe and is a
G. I. instructor.
Macon was one of two coun
ties in the western area to be
offered the new program, which
is designed to put extension
work on a more personal basis
with individual farm families.
Madison was the other county.
Will Judge
Contest Here
Out-of-county judges for the
1954 Macon County Rural Com
munity Development Contest,
which closes October 25, have
been selected.
The difficult job of picking
13 winners from among the 21
communities entered will fall to
W. H. Flake, county agent in
Graham, and Miss Anne Ben
son Priest, home agent in
Transylvania.
In disclosing the names of
the judges. County Agent T. H.
Fagg said they will tour to com
munities October 27-28-29 to
select the winners.
A schedule for judiciary is
now being worked out, he add
ed, and will be announced later.
Prize money this year comes
to $1,100. w_ith first place re
ceiving $300; ppcond, $200;
third, $100; and the next 10
bet $50 each.
19 Advanced
At Boy Scout
Court Here
Nineteen Macon County Boy
Scouts received advancements
In rank and merit badges last
Thursday night at a Smoky
Mountain District Court of Hon
or In Highlands:
First Class rank- went to Rob
ert Carpenter, William Calloway,
Robert Edwards, Bobby Norton,
James L. Lowe, and William J.
Lowe, all of Highlands, Troop 7.
Bert Rodgers, of Highlands,
and Kenneth Don Wallace, Rob
ert Wallace, and Doyle Mc
Cracken, all of Franklin, Troop
6, received Second Class rank.
Awarded Tenderfoot rank were
Bill Hyde, William D. Simpson,
J. E. Emory, and Clifford Chil
ders, all of Franklin, Troop 1,
and Arthur Rodgers, Jack A.
Calloway, and Jack Wilson, all
of Highlands.
In the presentation of merit
badges, Patrick Henry, of
Franklin, Troop 1, received
Firemanship, and H. C. Stoude
mire, of Franklin, Troop 6, Corn
Farming.
Tom Speed, of Sylva, Scout
field executive, was in charge
of thte honor court, which was
held at the Highlands Baptist
Church.
Registering
About Same
(Editor's Note: A com
plete run-down on local,
district, and state politics
will appear In next week's
issue of The Press.) 1
Politics is beginning to
dominate the Macon scene as
the November 2 election
nears.
Registration books close Sat
urday and the following Sat
urday, October 30, will be
challenge day.
J. Lee Barnard, chairman
of the elections board, yes
terday (Wednesday) said reg
istration for the past two
Saturdays has been about
average". County-wide fig
ures were not available. How
ever, the chairman said ab
sentee voting is "way off
from the election two years
ago, because of the marked
decrease in the number of
men now serving in the arm
ed forces.
TEAM DOWNS
ROBBINSV1LLE
Meets Swain High
Here Friday Night
For Second Game
True to advance predictions,
the Franklin Panthers bowled
over the underdog Robbinsvllle
eleven 29 to 12 in Robbinsvllle
Friday night.
After three consecutive games
away, the Panthers return to
their home stadium tomorrow
(Friday i night for their second
game of the year with Swain
High School. Earlier in the sea
son, the Swain Maroons handed
the locals the short end of a 31
to 13 score in a non-conference
scrap. So, tomorrow night, the
Panthers will be shooting to win
the game for conference stand
ing. Kickoff will be at 8 o'clock.
In the Robbinsville game,
SEE NO. 4, PAGE 12
? Staff f'hoto by J. /'. Brady
CORN FIF.LD TO HOSIERY PLANT ? The new Franklin plant of Burlington Mills Is going up
in the corn field in which the men above are standing. Two engineers of the corporation were
here Monday for a final survey of the site on US 23-441 (south) just outside FranklLn. (L to R)
W. J. Evans, construction engineer, Baxter Scott, architectural draftsman, W. W. Reeves, president
of the Franklin Chajnber of Commerce, Frank B. Duncan, chairman of the Macon Industrial Com
mittee, and John M. Archer, Jr., president of Nantahala Power and Light Company and a kfey
figure in arranging for the plant to come here. Grading should begin on the site next week. Two
houses on the site are being torn down and two are being moved to new locations.
'Roughed-In' Gym
Approved By Board
PHONE VALUE
IS REDUCED
County, Franklin
Losing Money Over
Cut In Valuation
Macon County and Franklin
are losing close to a thousand
dollars in taxes this year
through a cut in valuation by
Western Carolina Telephone
Company.
Item: In the county, the tele
phone company has cut its ex
cess (taxable) valuation from
5134.129 in 1953 to $88,588 this
year ? a cut which means, on
the basis of the new $1.40 tax
rate, the county is losing $637.58.
Item: Franklin is out $329.78
on a reduction from $74,109 val
uation in 1953 to $44,129 this
year. In 1953, the town received
$815.20 in taxes, but this year,
on the new valuation, will get
only $485.42.
Item: The telephone company
this year has reduced its value
per mile figure within the coun
ty and the town from $69.2916
per mile to $45.7029.
Figures from Highlands were
not immediately available, but
it is reported a similar reduc
tion has been noted there.
The above listed valuation
and mileage figures were sworn
through the State Board of As
sessment, which forwards them
officially to the counties and
towns served by the telephone
company.
The 1954 figures listed above
are "revised". Last month, the
governing bodies of the county
and the town met Jointly to dis
cuss Irregularities in telephone
line mileage figures here. At
that time, the State Board of
Assessment J had sent figures
showing 68827 miles of line less
in Franklin in 1954 than in
1953 and 966.65 miles less for
the entire county. Franklin
mileage dropped from 1,069.53
miles in 1953 to 381.26 miles.
The county figure dropped from
1,935.72 miles to 969.17. On the
basis of these figures Franklin
stood to lose better than $400
and the county' more than $350
in taxes on the basis of 1953
tax rates.
With the situation called to
their attention, following this
meeting of the two govern
ments' officials of the telephone
company termed the figures as
"mistakes" and said immediate
steps were being made to cor
rect them and submit new fig
ures to the State Board of As
sessment.
These new figures ? marked
by a correction of the mileage
figure and the reduction in ex
cess valuation ? were received
last week by the two govern
ments.
Nickels Vote
Carries Here
Macon Countv ioined the rest
of the state Friday in voting
overwhelming approval of the
"Nickels for Know-How" agri
cultural research program for an
other three years.
Of the 312 votes cast through
out the county. 283 approved
continuation of the program, wh '
only 28 disapproved. One ballot
was improperly marked.
The program. a North Carnlir i
Hain-child. assesses five cents p<
ton on feed and- fertilizer to <
Mince advanced research and el-i
ucation for farm folk
Youn^ People
Hurt In Wreck
/ Four young people were in
jured early Tuesday morning
when the early model automo
bile in which they were riding
smashed into the west end of
Phillips Bridge near Franklin.
The injured:
Miss Ellen Ruth Franks, 17?
daughter of Mack Franks, /'of
Franklin, and Mrs. Ellen Franks,
of Franklin and Hendersonville,
received a concussion and cuts
and bruises. Angel Hospital re
ported yesterday (Wednesday*
she was "Improving nicely".
Airman 3/c Lester Cecil Hin
8EE NO. t>, PAGE 12
Lunchroom Action
Postponed; Bradley
Gets Committee Job
A "roughed-in" gymnasium to
fit the $105,000 now on hand
was authorized for Franklin
High School by the Macon
County Board of Education in
session Monday night.
Action on construction of
lunchrooms at the Otto and
Cowee schools was postponed
until October 30 at 9:30 a. m.
Decision to "rough-in'' the
gymnasium fell in line with a
proposal advanced by the low
bidding general contractor, Ma
i con Construction Company, to
put up the structure in two
j phases of construction, since
| the county is more than $50,000
short of having enough to fi
nance the building according to
J the architect's plans.
! The board accepted Part 1 of
jthe contractor's offer: to erect
t the main walls, roof, doors and
I
SCHOOLS TO CLOSE
All schools in District 1
(Franklin) will close Novem
ber 2 ? election day.
In making this public Mon
day night, the Ma^un County
Board of Education said the
decision to close at Highlands
and Nantahala will be left up
to the committees of the two
districts.
The lost day will be made
up Saturday, October 30.
windows of the bymnasium for
$83,000, plus $25 per cubic yard
to pour the concrete main floor.
This latter item will cost an
addition $2,500 to $3,000, ac
cording to School Supt. Holland
McSwain.
The electrical and plumbing
systems also will be "roughed
in" with the remainder of the
$105,000 insurance money, which
the county received after the
old gymnasium burned in
March of this year. The archi
tect's fee also will come out
of this amount.
Part 2 of the contractor's of
fer calls for the completion of
the building.
"It's at least a step forward,"
Board Chairman J. C. Sorrells
commented after the action was
taken. "After It Is built the
people should see the needs and
move to provide funds to com
plete It."
Dover Plumbing and HeatlnS
Company was low bidder for
the plumbing and heating and
J. P. Wurst was low for elec
trical work.
Action on the Otto and Cowee
lunchrooms was postponed at
the suggestion of Chairman
Sorrells, who commented he
had "another idea or two"
about raising enough money to
start at least one of the build
ings.
"I believe something will hap
pen by then (October 30) to
enable us to build at least one,"
he said.
However, Chairman Sorrells
did not disclose his ideas.
No funds are available for
construction of the two lunch
rooms at the present time. At
its last meeting, the board in
dicated it would build them
SEE NO. 6. PAGE 7
The Weather
I , 's 11.' rain fa'!, as
recorded in Franklin by Manson Sti'.es,
I '. v i' trr ob-i' ve . .nvl at the Coweeta
i-! \ ' r . '..??c'-.c l-av' ' .1 1 ? > V v '
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed. i Oct. 13i 85 54
Thursday 82 55
Friday 68 48
Saturday 51 33
Sunday 67 23
Monday 74 23
Tuesday 66 28
HIGHLANDS
. ' Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed. (Oct. 13i 74 52 .06
Thursday 68 53
Friday 62 47 .12
Saturday 44 28 .04
Sunday 59 29
Monday 70 30
Tuesday 58 30
COWEETA
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed. (Oct. 13).... 80 59 .04
Thursday 76 55 .01
Friday 58 56
Saturday 48 29
Sunday 64 24
Monday 72. 27
Tuesday 63 31 ?
Wednesday 22