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t ■f. % S' & n % ■■ /a'-- V.' .' - L'etsAIIBackThe Attack VOLUME 24. NO. 9 ■ ^ fid^E roo BOIIEHryOUR ^BONDS Southern Pines, North Carolina. Friday, January 28, 1944. TEN CENTS Struthers Burt’s Telephone Call Baffles Rotarians, Who’ll Pay You to Solve It Fake Accident Call May Mean War Savings Stamps to Readers of THE PILOT BASKETBALL Southern Pines High School basketball teams will play the Pinehurst girls' and boys' teams here this evening, Friday, Jan uary 28. The first game is sche duled for 7:30 o'clock. Pinebluff Welfare Group Gives Report Outstanding Program of Work Is Accomplished; Funds Show an Increase That 1943 was a successful year for the Pinebluff Maternity and Wel fare Committee is shown by the treasurer’s report for the period end ing December 31 ... a success both from the standpoint of service ren dered and financially. Available cash January 1, 1942, was $270.54; net receipts from Gol- ‘den Rule Shop Sales, $836.40; cash donations, $165.22; candy sales, $7.00; interest-reserve account, $10.53; cash loaned in 1942 and paid in 1943, $45.20; cash advanced for repairs to Clinic absorbed by rent less electric bills, $13.99; paid by landlord at termination of lease, $110.64, making a total of $1,459.52. Disbursements: Maternal health including transportation, medical and surgical aid, layettes, maternity and infant clinic, sundries, $146.83; general health, including transpor tation, medical and surgical aid, ven ereal disease clinic (taken over by county April 30), eyes and glasses, sundries, $257.18; economic welfare, including transportation, food and milk, clothes and shoes, old age as sistance, accident relief, sundries, $84.42; community betterment, $4.37; management, including stationery, postage and telephone, $46.69; cash loaned in 1943—^not paid, $21.55; cash reserved, deposited in savings accourit, $410^53; total, $971.57. Available cash December 31, 1943, $487.95. Couple Arrested In Struthers Burt, famed novelist and Southern Pines resident, was guest speaker at Friday’s Rotary luncheon meeting at the Highland Pines Inn. The Rev. Tucker G. Hum phries said, in introducing Mr. Burt', “I offer no apologies for the brev ity of my introduction of the speak er. The radio networks announcers when introducing an eminent person of national reputation say, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Blank.’ So I have excellent precedent and author ity, knowing our speaker’s reputa tion, to follow suit and say, ‘Mem bers of the Rotary Club, Mr. Burt.’” Mr. Burt related a story that has all the trimmings of a detective thriller, except there is no Holmes to offer an answer or a solution. A mysterious telephone call starts it off, a probable kidnapping injected, a trip to the West Indies, a rendez vous with the FBI. Here in part is Mr. Burt’s story: “In midwinter of 1938, I had to go to the West Indies, and Mrs. Burt was going with me. We were to leave on a Monday from New York, and Mrs. Burt left here on Friday to vis it our son and daughter, who were in school in New York, over the weekend. I had an engagement here but planned to join her Sunday night. “Around 7;00 o’clock Saturday night the telephone rang. It was a collect call from New York. Think ing it was Mrs. Burt, I accepted the charges. I remember it was snowing heavily. '(Something wrong with Mr. Burt’s memory. He must have meant when he got to New York.) But it Was a matt’s voice, cultured, and of a pleasing tone, and a noticeable foreign accent. “‘Mr. Burt, this is Dr. Blank of the Cornell Medical Center. We have a young man in here that was hit by a truck late this afternoon. There’s nothing to identify him ex cept a piece of paper with the name written on it, Struthers Burt, Sou thern Pines, N. C. I believe, too, he is a Southerner.’ “Naturally, I just knew it was my son. But when he described the Uoval IVTllSP' youth as being short, and rather stout and dark, I was tremendously relieved. It wasn’t my son. “I told him that I would be in New York Monday, gave him the names of some friends of mine there, and offered anything I could do-to help identify the youth. He thanked me. and hung up, but not before I heard a curious chuckle as the re ceiver clicked. “In New York, I could find no Cor nell Medical Center, and was referr ed to the Cornell Hospital. They told me no one there had been hit by an automobile or truck. And the doc tor’s name I tried to pronounce didn’t fit any on their staff “At lunch with a friend, I told him what had happened. He was excited as my story ended. Two weeks before he had received a telephone call, and it was his niece who had been hit by a car, and the s^me conditions applied, but she was visiting in a middle Western city and that day they had received a tele gram from her, so they knew she was all right. He turned it over to the FBI faS his niece was wealthy enough for a kidnapper to think about. “My friend suggested that with my children in New York alone, a kid napping plot might be in the making and I should call the FBI. “Well, I discounted the kidnapping theory, as did the FBI. They told me to finish my trip, they would investi gate, and I iieedn’t worry about the kids. “ When we returned from the West Indies, my first stop was. at the FBI. If they had discovered anything they were disconcertingly polite about not revealing it. I didn’t bother to tell them that I had run into the same incident in the West Indies, and be fore we left New York I bumped into people who had had the same tele phone call, the identical fake acci dent story. I was hopeful as we ar rived here at home that I could get the matter off my mind. But I didn’t for at a luncheon party, there was one there who had had the fake fc- (Continued on Page 8) ■ The PILOT Wins 2n(l Award for General Excellence at Meet Gov. Broughton Pre sents Awards Made By N. C. Press Association At the Friday luncheon session of the North Carolina Press Associa tion’s annual meeting, held at the University in Chapel Hill last week, THE PILOT was a'warded second place for general excellence among weekly newspapers in its classifica tion in the State. The awards, made Escaped Prisoners From Camp Mackall Stage Bold Hold-Up Draw, Sub-Machinegun Pvt. Willie McNeill Goes On Trial For First Degree Murder of Oscar Michael, Prominent Southern Pines Taxi Operator on Vass Lumberman and Post War Planning Take Bookkeeper s Car - . t? Three escaped Army prisoners from Camp Mackgll, armed with cf sub-machinegun, held up B. S. Fut- rell and his bookkeeper. Miss Blanche Sturdivant, in the office of Futrell Brothers Lumber Com pany on Highway 1 in Vass around 7 o’clock Thursday night of last week, took the keys to their auto- Is Kiwanis Subject Bur:^ Suggests Units to Work for Needs of Each Individual Community by the Association, were presented i mobiles and left in Miss Sturdi- by Governor Broughton. In this group, the first award, a twenty-five dollar war bond, went to the Sylva Herald. THE PILOT’S award, which was accepted by the editor, is a handsome certificate that is now being framed to be hung in the office. Honorable mention in this group was given the Sandhill Citizen of Aberdeen and the Spindale Sun. James Boyd, publisher of THE PILOT, Bessie Cameron Smith, edi tor, and Pvt. Daniel Boyd attended the luncheon. QM 3jc James Boyd, Jr., an alumnus of the University, spent the time visiting friends in the college community. Officers have arrested the soldier and young woman wanted in con nection with an investigation' into the robbery of Royal P. Muse, prom inent merchant • of Carthage, who was found dead in his car near the Carolina Hotel in Sanford Sunday morning, January 16. The woman, booked as Ruby Min or, 24, of High Point, is being held in Moore County jail. The soldier, whose name was given as Pvt. John W. Lyle, was still at Mackall yester day, but it is understood that he, too, will be lodged in the county jail. Highlights of the woman’s story, ac cording Ito information given out by Sheriff C. J. McDonald, are that she and the soldier got up with Muse be tween 9:30 and 10 o’clock Saturday night and he agreed to take them to Southern Pines. A few miles out of town the soldier searched and robbed him then put the pocketbook back in his pocket. 'With Muse on the back seat asleep, they drove to Sanford, where the soldier put Muse, still alive, on the front seat and they went to a hotel and spent the night. From there they went to Southern Pines and Aberdeen, spending Sun day and Monday nights in the lat ter place. An autopsy was performed on Mr. Muse and death was attributed to a heart attack. Gregg Cherry WjH Speak at Bond Rally American Legion to Stage Big Event at Aberdeen School Thursday Night A big Fourth War Loan Bond Rally, sponsored by the American Legion, will be held in the Aber deen High School auditorium next Thursday night, February 3, at 8 o’clock with Gregg Cherry of Gas- tonia, past department commander of the American Legion, as' special guest speaker. There will be other speakers from Camp Mackall and E. C. Stevens of Southern Pines, county War Loan chairman, will be on hand to give a lift to proceedings. A 13th Infantry Band from Camp Mackall will play. There will be an auction sale of bonds in connection with which around $100 worth of bonds will be given away. If the Legion Auxiliary of the State raises funds sufficient to pay for five hospital transport planes, a goal which it is trying to accomplish, the women will have the privilege of naming the planes. Anyone buy ing a bond may request that the sale be credited to the Auxilairy. RETqRNS TO HOSPITAL Mrs. L. V. O’Callaghan, who has been ill for some time, returned to Duke Hospital the first of the week for further treatment. vant’s car. Futrell gave this account ox the occurrence: He had been away from his office for a while and upon his return, saw three soldiers walking toward the rear of the grounds. He asked what they were doing and was told that they were on maneu vers. Thinking nothing more about it, he went into the officS. Present ly an automobile motor started up and Miss Sturdivant recognized it as hers. .Futrell went out and found the trio in the young woman’s car with the engine running. He asked what they meant and one of the boys replied that they were cold and had started up the car to warm by the heater. Futrell told them that they might go into the office and warm if they were cold, so they got out of the car, Futrell removed the keys, and the four went into the office. Presently, as two of the men stood near the heater, the third drew a gun on Futrell with the remark: You can see we mean business.” The spokesman demanded the keys, saying they wanted to get to San ford. Futrell’s offer to drive them to Sanford was refused and he was forced to hand over the keys of his and Miss Sturdivant’s cars. Before leaving the office they pulled the telephone wire loose, then locked Futrell’s car and drove away in that of Miss Sturdivant. The soldiers did not see the tel ephone in an adjoining office, so as soon as they were gone Futrell notified officers and an all-night search was begun which ended Fri day morning when the three were caught in Raleigh after they had asked a Raleigh officer the way to the airport. They had abandoned the car about five miles from the city. The three were returned to Camp Mackall in an Army truck with arm ed guards. The-prisoners are said to have forced two rides before taking the Vass car and to have ordered their last benefactor to remain in his car at the rear of the Vass office until they got transportation. They were listed at police head quarters in Raleigh as Staff Sgt. Zack B. Martin, Pvt. Thomas G. Malcolm, and Pvt. RusseU J. Chaney. A REMINDER This is a reminder that the Sou thern Pines High School Athletic Association -is sponsoring a scrap paper drive and that on next Mon day, Janua(ry 31, school children will canvas the entire town to make collections. Everyone is asked to save just as much paper as possible and to place it, tied in bundles, on their front porch or other conven ient place. No scrap paper will be collected after Monday, but donors may deposit it at the old Southern Pines Garage office. Southern Pines Building and Loan Plays Prominent Part in Development of Town Institution Organized in February, 1922, Has Two Hundred Fifty Members By Charles Macauley The Southern Pines Building and Loan Association is approaching its twenty second birthday <it having first seen the light of Carolina sun shine in February 1922, and enter ing into business the following month. The lusty infant soon out grew its swaddling clothes, attain ing its majority last year showing every promise of reaching an hon ored and prosperous old age. Started in our booming years of the early twenties the institution gained such a firm foothold under the careful guidance of its (Officers that it successfully stood as a rock through the continued stresses of the depression years from which it emerged stronger than ever. As a purely local institution fin anced by the money of its share holders, it has played a prominent part in town development by en abling many of these shareholders to erect comfortable dwellings or to modernize older houses and in fin ancing contractors to the same end. With the impressive totals of these loans, $800,372 in all, $670,422 has been repaid leaving outstanding loans of $118,625 secured by first mortgages on property located in or near Southern Pines. Of the very few foreclosures instituted by the Asso.ciation no loss has ever been made on the properties they have been obliged to take over. Starting this year, another pro gressive step forward has been made by the Association, which has chang ed from the customary serial loans to the direct reduction loan plan, a feature which has become popu lar with loaning institutions dur ing the past few years. R. E. Wiley, the first president, died shortly after the start of the Association and was followed by 'J. N. Mills, who held the office until his death in 1932. A. S. Ruggles has been the presiding officer for the past eleven years. F. H. Wilson has served as vice president since 1935. Ralph Chandler, the secretary- treasurer, has been the wheel horse of the Association since its incep tion, carrying on his duties faithfully and cheerfully. Two hundred and fifty persons are members of and investors in the As sociation. Directors representing the members are A. S. Ruggles, F. H. Wilson, J. D. Arey, H. J. Betterley, P. F: Buchan, H. F. Burns, H. S. Knowles, L. V. O’Callaghan, L. L. Woolley. By Howard F. Burtib Struthers Burt, author, in an ad dress to the SandhiHs Kiwanis Club at its weekly meeting Wednesday at the Pinehurst Country Club stressed the importance of the club’s appoint ing a post war planning committee to represent Moore Couhty in or der to prepare for the economic change that is most certain to come after the war. The speaker explained that we will have various problems to solve in this county and each community should be divided into units; first, a Moore County Unit and second, a Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aber deen Unit to work toward a common end to fit the needs of each indivi dual community. Pinehurst is an es tablished winter playgroundl?*he said, while Southern Pines is more ofja year round town. _ He recommended for the latter a number of well run apartment houses and small furnish ed homes. Aberdeen, on the other hand, is the business and industrial center of the Sandhills. It should go after certain specialized types Of in dustry so as not to affect the resort industry of Pinehurst and South ern Pines. Mr. Burt recalled his lis teners’ attention to the fact that the Sandhills is one of the finest vine yard growing countries in the world and one of the few sections that can grow scuppernong grapes; that at one time grape culture was one of the principal industries of this county. Mr. Burt stressed the inportance of giving our men jobs when they return frorn the fighting fronts, pointing out that it would be a sad state of affairs to lose our men to other communities because of* the lack of employment. In conclusion, he said, “There are two sides to a peace. We are citizens of the world. We are no longer iso lated. The people of this country must ithink in world . terms. The other side of the peace is the domes tic issue in which the people of this nation should give more serious .thought do the important issue mow facing the Congress suet as the mat ter of subsidies, the soldier’s vote and the tax issue.” Mr. Burt declar ed that he did not approve of sub sidies any more than Senator Bail ey, but that we must have it to avoid inflation whether we want it or not. He further pointed out there is a definite lack of interest in these matters by the American public. We must have peace if we-expect to pre serve civilization, he said; we may not like the English and the Rus sians, but we must have intelligence and live in agreement with other nations as this country can no long- (Continued on Page 5) Special Venire of 75 . Summoned from Moore County; Other Cases WARTIME PHYSICAL FITNESS INSTITUTE A Demonstration Institute on War time Physical Fitness for North Car olina High Schools will be held in the Aberdeen school auditorium on February 2, beginning at 10:30 a. m. and closing at 2:30 p. m.. Coun ty Superintendent H. Lee Thomas announced this tveek. Small groups of students and physical education teachers from each high school in the county are expected to attend. The Institute will be under the direction of Charles E. Spencer and or Ralph J. Andrews of the State Department of Education, Raleigh, assisted by a woman physical ed ucation teacher from one or more of the following colleges: Meredith, Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina, the University of North Carolina and Eastern Caro lina Teachers College. Demonstrations will include the teaching of rhythmics, class organ ization, calisthenics, teaching of oombatives, tumbling, games !and sports. The trial of Pvt Willie McNeill, 23-year-old Negro soldier of Camp Mackall whose home is in Sanford, on a first degree murder charge in connection with the brutal stabbing of Oscar Michael, prominent taxi operator of Southern Pines, around 2:00 a. m. on the morning of Novem ber 2, eclipses in interest all other cases on this week’s docket in Car thage. Judge Allen H. Gwynn is the presiding judge and Earl H. Gibson is solicitor. McNeill was arraigned early in" the week and entered a plea of not guilty. The Court appointed Attor neys U. L. Spence of Carthage and J. Talbot Johnson of Aberdeen as counsel for the defendant and or dered the Sheriff to summon a spec ial venire of 75 men to report at 9:30 Wednesday morning. Two jurors were selected Wednes day from the regular panel and ten from the special group. The Judge ordered a thirteenth juror and he was chosen from the special venire. Hearing of testimony began Thurs day and the trial will probably con sume the remainder of the term. McNeill was arrested at Camp Mackall on Saturday of the same week that the murder was commit ted. The murder weapon, a para trooper’s knife, was found buried in the garden of his home in Sanford. After his arrest the Negro was con fined under guard in the prison stockade at Camp Mackall until re moved to State’s Prison the follow ing week. John Howard, charged with burn ing a tobacco barn, was found guil ty, with a recommendation of mer cy, but sentence had not been pass ed Thursday morning. Other Cases Divorces were granted, effective upon payment of the costs, in the following cases: B. B. Thompjson versus Gertrude Thompson, the plaintiff being awarded sole custody of the three minor children; Wil liam B. Zadorozny versus Catherine A. Zadorozny; Alphonso * Joseph Symansky versus Rita Symansky, alias Rita Hansen. Hugh Walker, Fred Perkins and >iack Perkins faced an old charge of breaking and entering the Stutt's- Taylor Store in 'Vass and Walker was charged with larceny of a truck. A nol pros with leave was taken as to Fred Perkins. The other two pleaded nolo contendere. It appear ing to the Court that the defendants had completed service of a three- year term each in a case tried in Hoke County, the causes occurring about the same time as those in the cases at hand, it was ordered upon recommendation of the Solicitor that any sentence be suspended. Each of the two was given 12 months in jail to work under the supervision of the State Highway and Public Works Commission, sus pended for four years upon good be havior, abiding by the law, and ap plying himself to some gainful oc cupation. FOURTH WAR LOAN The latest report through Rich mond credits Moore County with $180,000 on the Fourth War Loan, which is approximately one-third of the county’s quota. However, this report runs around two days be hind the actual sales. Southern Pines has raised about 40 per cent; Pinehurst, 75 per cent, and Robbins has reported $15,000 on its quota of 79,800. Figures from otlTer towns are not available. Chairman Stevens states that sales of the large bonds seem to be lag- ging, but that “E” Bond sales are better. In Southern Pines there is keen competition between the Women’s Division and the Stevens Office,. Each day the sales of each are post ed in Mr. Stevens’ window on West Broad Street and many passersby stop to see how the race is going. So far, the women are $7,000 ahead.
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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Jan. 28, 1944, edition 1
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