'4
•it
FIGHT POLIO
GIVE TO
MARCH OF DIMES
FIGHT POLIO
GIVE TO
MARCH OF DIMES
SIXTEEN PAGES
SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY. JANUARY 16. 1953
SIXTEEN PAGES
PRICE—TEN CENTS
May Street Recreation Center Will Be
Opened For Public Use About Feb. 1
Lewis McNeills Are
Selected To Be
Resident Supervisors
Things are moving right along
toward getting the town’s new
recreational facilities in full use—
the May street recreation center
next month, and the municipal
lake and park area as soon as
needed, it was learned this week
ifrom their respective chairmen
on the Municipal Recreation
Commission.
It is expected that the May
Street center will be opened for
community use on or about Feb
ruary 1, said the Rev. C. K. Ligon,
chaurmam. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis
McNeill have been selected from
among several applicant couples
to have their apartment rent-free
in the building, and supervise the
activities there. Regular hours are
to be arranged lor use of the
rooms by the teen-age group.
Church and civic groups, also pri
vate citizens of the town, may
hold meetings and social events
at the center by making advance
arrangements with Mrs. McNeill.
This applies also to the outdoor
cooking .facilities. A nominal
charge will be made for utilities
and cleaning-up.
Furnishings Wanted
An appeal is being issued for
any and all types of furnishings
which people may want to give
for use at the center. It has some
furnishings already, but card ta
bles, straight and folding chairs,
settees and sofas and upholstered
pieces will be needed.
The grounds and outdoor cook
ing area have been cleaned off by
the Town, and minor repairs are
now b«ng made to the building,
with some renovation. No large
redecoration job is being planned
as yet.
Road Circles Lake
At the municipal lake on the
Midland road, the Town has built
a road completely around the
lake, which is expected to open
up much of the woods for public
use, and provide one of the pret
tiest of summertime drives.
Jack S. Younts, chairman of the
committee in charge, said that the
plans call for the building of an
outdoor cooking shelter, more
sanding of the swimming area, ex
tension of the swimming beach,
and the opening up of parking
areas before the swimming season
begins.
The lake has recently been
stocked with fish supplied by the
State imder the program of the
N. C. Wildlife Service.
ART EXHIBIT
An exhibit of paintings by
Jane Carter will be shown at
the Library art gallery
starting Monday.
The paintings have been
chosen to show the artist's
progress from high school
days through various influ
ences to present experiments
in the abstract.
Mrs. Carter has a studio at
the Foxhole.
George Leonard
Elected President
By Library Group
At th eannual meeting of the
Southern Pines Library associa
tion held Monday at the library,
George Leonard was elected pres
ident of the association for the
coming year.
Mr. Leonard, a leader in Cub
Scout work, came here from Au
burn, N. Y., several years ago and
now heads the firm of Pinedene,
Inc.
Other officers elected at Mon
day’s meeting were: first vice
president, Miss Laura Kelsey;
second vice president, Mrs. James
Boyd; secretary, Mrs. C. A. Smith,
and treasurer, Mr. C. A. Bowman.
Mrs. R. E. Rhodes was elected
a trustee to serve for three years
on the board which includes:
Clyde Council, the retiring presi
dent, Mrs. Reid Healy, retiring
first vice president. Arch Cole
man, A. C. Dawson, Miss Birdilia
Bair, Mrs. Wallace Irwin, Mrs. L.
T. Avery, Lament Brown, the
Rev. Charles Ccvell, Dr. Lee
House, retiring vice-president,
and J. A. Phillips, former treasur
er.
The thanks of the board was un
animously tendered to the retiring
secretary, Mrs. James B. Swett,
for her long and faithful service
to the library association. Also
honored in a rising vote of thanks
was the out-going president, Clyde
Council, for his many extra-offi
cial good deeds tendered the li
brary during his twO’ terms of of
fice. Mr. Phillips was thanked for
his work as treasurer during the
past year.
Highlight of the librarian’s re
port, read by the secretary pro
tern. Arch Coleman, was the gain
in circulation during Miss Church
ill’s time in office. Submitted by
(Continued on page 8)
9
One Killed, Many Injured In 24-Hour
Period Of Fog And Rain On Highways
Four accidents on foggy, rainy I in a 24-hour period last weekend;
highways in Moore county, with- snuffed out one life and caused
injuries ranging from serious to
LITTLE INQUEST
A coroner’s jury sitting at
Aberdeen Monday night freed
Marvin L. Moore, 22, of Fort
Bragg on failing to find culpable
negligence on his part in the
■ death of Johnny Little of West
Southern Pines.
Moore was the driver of the car
which struck and fatally injured
Little as he was helping to push
a car off US Highway 1 after it
had given out of gas, early last
Saturday morning.
Little was one of a party of sev
en Negroes who had been riding
about during the evening. Three
were pushing the car off the high
way, and four were inside, when
the accident occurred.
Two eye-witnesses, drivers of
cars which had passed about that
time, testified to the jury that the
Negroes’ car had had no lights,
and was entirely on the highw.ay.
Evidence from some of the Ne
groes themselves was "so con
fused and conflicting that it was
impossible to find out just what
had occurred,” said Coroner
Ralph Gi Steed. At least two of
the party, it came out, including
the man who was killed,, had
been drinking.
Testimony also varied concern
ing weather conditions, though
the general agreement was that
fog and rain had made visibility
poor. Evidence of the State High
way Patrol indicated excessive
speed, in view of these conditions,
on the part of the ear which struck
minor to a total of 18 persons.
The fatality was Johnny Little,
Negro of Southern Pines. The ac
cident occurred as Little and twe
other men, Richard Freeman and
his son Robert, of Cameron Rt.
2, were pushing a car off US
Highway 1 after it gave out of
gas a short distance beyond the
Dunrovin Motel, shortly past mid
night Saturday morning.
A car coming along the straight
way, some distance past a curve,
struck the rear of the car and
fatally crushed Little. He died at
Moore County hospital at 9 a. m.
Saturday.
Little was one of a party of sev
en Negroes who had been driving
about in the car, which was own
ed by Richard Freeman, driven by
his son Robert. Inside the car
when it was stri^ck and knocked
180 feet up the highway were
three women and one man, all
of West Southern Pines. All were
shaken up, cut and bruised, but
not seriously hurt.
Marvin L. Moore, of Fort Bragg,
driver cf the second car, was
booked for careless and reckless
driving pending an inquest set
for Monday night. He was unhurt,
as was Cameron L. Cagle, another
Army man, who was in the car
with him, while a third occupant.
Sfd. Arnold L. Eddins, received
cuts and bruises.
Six Are Injured
A collision which occurred at
12:15 a.m. Sunday at the intersec
tion of the Pinehurst and Car
thage roads in Knollwood sent six
Little. This, too, was inconclusive' persons to St. Joseph of the Pines
and Moore claimed not to have! hospital. Worst hurt appeared, by
been exceeding the speed liniit. * (Continued on page 5)
Seven Murders On
Weighty Calendar
For Criminal Term
Melvin Morrison
One Of Three Held
For Grand Jury
Seven murder cases are calen
dared for trial in Moore superior
court opening Monday at Car
thage, the largest number on any
calendar in a good many years, or
ever.
One case has already been con
tinued twice, two more have been
continued once. The chances of
getting to many or all of them in
the coming term are considered
slim, as 123 cases, some of them
quite old, are listed for trial or
grand jury action.
In view of the unusually heavy
docket. District Solicitor M. G.
Boyette has said he may have to
ask for a special term to be held
in the spring, in an attempt to re
lieve the load.
Three of the murder ■ defend
ants are in jail and these will have
priority over the others for trisl
Of the whole list, probably the
greatest interest attaches to the
case involving the murder of Lou
ise Dowd McLaughlin, of South
ern Pines. Melvin Morrison is be
ing held in jail for grand jury ac
tion on the murder charge, but
has steadfastly denied knowledge
of the crime, and court attaches
say he has shown no signs of
changing this attitude. If an in
dictment is reached, as expected,
the case will have to be based on
circumstantial evidence. Pains
takingly gathered by the Southern
Pines police department, this is
expected to weave a tight web
about Morrison in connection with
what is described as one of the
most brutal crimes ever perpe
trated in Moore county.
Mo.rrison, 31, lover of the wid
owed Louise McLaughlin, 25,
had threatened her life on num
erous occasions and she was
know to be fearful of him. Suspi
cion fastened on him when the
young woman disappeared from
her home November 7, and
mounted as evidence was gath
ered against him. Her brutally
beaten body was found buried in
a makeshift grave in the woods
near Aberdeen November 18.
Two other murder defendants
in Moore county face open-and-
shut cases as both gave them
selves up to the sheriff, admitting
the killings, and the only thing to
be determined is the degree of the
murder charge. One is Clyde
Black, 25, who put two bullets
through the head of his wife, Ma
rie Wooten Black, ^4, as she was
preparing breakfast at their home
on Carthage Rt. 3 August 25. The
shooting occurred before the eyes
of the woman’s nine-year-old son.
The other jail case is Harvey
McNeill, who blasted Eugene Ai-
kens through the stomach at a
cafe on the outskirts of Carthage
November 27. McNeill claimed
Aikens had threatened him. Wit
nesses said, however, that not a
word passed between the two men
in advance of the firing.
Only woman defendant on the
murder list is Martha Jane
Snuggs, 29, who killed her mother
with a shotgun as she was at
tempting to shoot her brother in
a family quarrel in front of the
home at Adder. The mother, Sally
Covington, 48, rushed between the
two just as Martha Jane pulled
the trigger. The brother, Eleo
Covington, was not hurt.
Another case of a bullet reach
ing the wrong victim is that of the
murder of James E. Clharles, of
Vass, rated by all a fine young
man and a promising student at
Livingstone college, Salisbury. He
was shot at Oakland Park, a Ne
gro amusement center near Lake-
view, by a bullet from a German
Luger automatic in the hands of
Robert L. Alston of Southern
Pines, to whom young Charles
was a complete stranger. Alston
was engaged in a scuffle with a
soldier, who he claimed had in
sulted his wife, when the pistol
went off.
Also out on bond, now in Lee
County hospital as the result of
another shooting, is William Mc
Gregor, who killed Shelton Blue
with a shotgun last July 4 near
Cameron as the result of a run
ning feud. The feud has contin
ued as a family affair and Mc
Gregor was recently critically
wounded by a pistol shot by Shel
ton Blue’s brother James.
(Continued on page 5)
Unique Building Soon To Go
Town Places Order
For New Fire Truck
M^ith F^o^ Equipment
Little Old Building B ows To Progress;
Western Union Hunting New Home
Old timers in Southern Pines, | Brown railroad from Southern
resigned to the fact that the little • Pines to Fayetteville (only it nev
oid building next to Patch’s must er got to Fayetteville, and in fact
make way for progress, were this no trains ever ran)
week'recalling the history of the 1 The crossties are set up and
quaint and unique structure. down on the exterior of the build-
The building has been condemn- ing, their ends sawed to give a
ed as a firetrap, and will be de- shingled effect,
molished to make way for an ad- i t-, i j
dition to Patch’s Department
store, under an expansion and ^ v^mns smaU inerchan-
™?S''weS''
City Limits
People who are for the propos
ed extension of the city limits in
a southerly direction, as well as
those who are e gainst it, are ask
ed to attend the public meeting
cn the matter at 8 o’clock tonight
(Friday) at Weaver auditorium,
Its present occupant, Western
Union, reported this week that its
search for a new home has so far
been in vain. Several possibili
ties are being explored for the
move to take place by February 1
Items sold there included hats
top price $3.75, recalls Mrs. Hayes
today, “except for one special
model we had once, priced at $18.
“It had a trailing plume, and
people came from miles around to
I admire it—but nobody ever
,, ^ at—‘uuL noDoav evpr
or sooner, accoraing to E. C. Me-,bought it. We finaUy had to take
Broom, district suoervisor. 1;+ anart anri ^
The building was constructed ' ^^ys” different
about l!o C:r^ - ClarV. Mrs. C. T. Patch bought the
using crossties from the old
Local Police And
SherifPs Office
Linked By Radio
building in 1907 and opened her
millinery shop there. This was
the year her husband’s business,
then Patch and Richardson, mov
ed to its new brick building next
door. Both Mrs. Hayes and Mrs.
Patch gave up their work as their
husbands’ businesses grew and
became solidly established iri
Southern Pines’ economic life.
Mrs. Patch sold her millinery
A useful addition to the radio
network now covering Moore
county for law enforcement is the i
two-way connection installed this u Jinixmery
week between the Southern Pines i Miss Betty Crane, now
police headquarters and the sher-|^'\®' Cameren, but the
iff’s office at Carthage. building has remained in owner-
Financed with law enforcement Patch family to this
funds from the Moore County
ABC board, it brings Moore up on '
Miss Crane, a former employee
at Patch’s, operated the millinery
shop for a number of years. In
1919 Western Union went there as
a par with some of the best-
equipped counties of the state.
Since the two departments are;'— ’ ’ mcic as
on different frequencies, speakers the first time, moving
on each one’s frequency have been 1928. In February 1931,
set up in the other office. Mes- j McBrayer building, to which
sages come ■ in on one frequency | kad moved, was burned, and
and are answered via a telephone ^®®tem Union returned to its old
Ai_- _j.i mi stand-
aid ^-ayor C. N. Page
He said the town board is
hoping that enough people will
appear to constitute a representa
tive group, large enough to ex
press the will of the people. “A
handful cf people” will hardly be
able to do this, he said, especially
if aU represent just one side.
Rep. H. Clifton Blue will be
present to hear the discussion. He
has been asked to introduce a bill
in the General Assembly permit
ting the extension.
Mayor Page said all persons in
terested are urged to come, and
may ask any questions they de
sire at that time.
A description of the proposed
area, as drawn up by the town
attorneys was published in last
week’s Pilot. In the news story,
an error was inadvertently made
in defining part of the boundary
as US Highway 1 instead of as the
railroad right of way.
The description, with correction,
follows:
The area includes the section
south of Indiana Avenue exten
sion to Bethesda road; along
Bethesda road to Hill road, thence
west toward, and cutting across,
the Country Club section to the
west boundary of the railroad
right of way; thence along the
west boundary of the railroad
right of way south for a half mile,
or to a point one mile south of
the city limits; thence west along
Pinehurst road, thence to High
land road and north to Morganton
road, thence to the beginning
point.
Included are the Golfcrest sub
division, the Southern Pines
“♦ Southern Pines voters, who last
November voted for a bond issue
of $20,000 for a new fire truck,
have a pleasant surprise coming
—a fine new American LaFrance
truck, most modern of its kind,
with high-pressure fog equip
ment, striqtly according to speci
fications of the volunteer fire de
partment.
What’s more, it will cost about
esti-
$2,700 less than had been
mated.
The town board in regular ses
sion Wednesday night contracted
with a representative of the La
France company at Elmira, N. Y.,
for the truck selected by the fire
department after a considerable
survey.
Assistant Fire Chief Harold
Fowler gave details of the vehicle
and equipment. Resident Fireman.
Frank H. Kaylor was present to
back him up.
I The truck is one with a 750-
gaUon pumper, 40-foot three-sec
tion extension, 300-gallon water
tank, 215-hp engine, 220-foot
wheel base, with high pressure
pump capable of pumping 60 gal
lons a minute, high pressure hose
and fog nozzle.
This truck differs from the
“quad ctembination” truck rec
ommended by state authorities for
this pize town. However, the dif
ferences will not affect the fire
rating.
The “quad,” it seems, is distin
guished mainly by an assortment
of ladder types to reach into
buildings higher than any South-
I ern Pines has. The 40-foot exten
sion ladder, and others already
owned, will do the work here,
they said. Other features of the
truck make it better adapted to
service in this community thdn
the “quad,” they declared.
The truck they chose has a cab,
for a better ladder mounting, and
better protection of the driver in
cold weather. It is, of course, a
handsome bright red.
The cost is $17,254.80, including
course, and Pinedene.
No part of Knollwood, Manly or
Weymouth Heights north of Indi
ana avenue is included.
set tuned in on the other.. They
cannot go directly to the radio-
equipped cars via this outlet, but,
as each headquarters can transmit
to its own cars, communication
can be very quickly made.
Southern Pines has one radio-
equipped car, while, under
Carthage controls, the cars
stand.
Back with it to the little old
building moved Mrs. Nellie W.
Mann, office manager for more
than 30 years, who is right there
today.
In the interval, while »Western
the was at Patch’s, it was a
Qf 1 candy store.
Four Injured In
Accident Near
Sheriff C. J. McDonald and his
deputies, also the ABC cars, are
covered.
Installation of facilities has also
teen started at the sheriff’s of
fice for direct communication with
S wSsbo"fPinehurst Monday
Besides being useful in county
law enforcement and the appre
hension of law violators of all
vital
types, the radio set-up is a
link in the civil defense program
of the State.
Citizens Bank
Board Reelected
Directors of the Citizens Bank
and Trust company of Southern
Pines were reelected at the an
nual stockholders meeting, held at
the bank Tuesday. They are John
C. Barron, A. L. Burney, Howard
F. Burns, N. L. Hodgkins, John
M. Howarth and George 'W. Pot
tle.
In a brief organization meeting
after the main meeting, the di
rectors reelected their officers as
follows: N. L. Hodgkins, presi
dent; C. H. Bowman, vice presi
dent and cashier; Norris L. Hodg
kins, Jr., vice president; Ethel S.
Jones, assistant cashier and secre
tary.
Four more persons were added
to the weekend toll of injured in
an accident which occurred Mon
day about 4 p.m. on NC 211 be
tween Pinehurst and Aberdeen, at
the point where it is intersected
by the Pinehurst race track road,
the State Highway Patrol report
ed.
Patrolman Shomaker said a car
driven by Mrs. Agnes Carlson
Thomas, of Raeford, entered the
intersection directly in front of
one operated by George Washing
ton Layton, of Aberdeen, and hav
ing Mrs. Layton, Miss Myrtle Lay-
ton and Mrs. J. D. Peele of Pine-
bluff as passengers.
All were taken to Moore Coun
ty hospital with painful cuts and
abrasions except Miss Layton,
who was not hurt. The cars each
sustained damage estimated at be
tween $200 and $300. An indict
ment will be issued against Mrs.
Thomas for failing to yield right
of way, the patrolman said follow
ing his investigation.
Phillips Bonded
For Grand Jury
In Child’s Death
Joe Atlas Phillips, young Vass
married man, whose car struck
and fatally injured an eight-year-
old girl December 30, was ordered
held for grand jury action by a
coroner’s jury sitting at Carth
age Wednesday night. Bond was
set at $2,500.
Patrolman C. G. Wimberly was
the only witness to testify con
cerning the accident, which oc
curred on US Highway 1 at Lake-
view near the child’s home as she
and her sister were waiting for a
school bus.
Evidence given by the patrol
man indicated that Phillips had
been driving at a speed in ex
cess of that allowed by law, and
thus was unable to stop his car
in time when he saw the child run
out into the highway.
Coroner Ralph G. Steed presi
ded at the inquest, his third with
in one week, during which ver
dicts were rendered in two high
way fatalities and one case of
murder.
„ J ..certain extra items cf equipment
Country club and part of the golf firemen thought im^tant for
efficiency. It is deliverable within
150 days.
If the new fire station is not
ready by then, it can go into the
old one—just barely, the firemen
ascertained after a trip back to
the station to measure the exit
doors. It will have a clearance all
round of only about five to seven
inches. Or, if the Town is ready
ing the new station by then, the
truck can be held until wanted.
Town May Cede
Millen Park In
Swap For Lots
Mrs. Janet Millen Moody made
a formal proposition to the town
board Wednesday night in regard
to the disposition of Millen Park.
Mrs; Moody’s parents, the late
Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Millen,
gave the five-and-ahalf-acre
wooded tract to the Town in No
vember 1929, on certain condi
tions. One of the conditions was
that if the others were not ful
filled, it would be given back.
None of the conditions have
been fulfilled, Mrs. Moody pointed
out through her counsel, Leland
McKeithen, and now she wants it
back.
To expedite the delivery, she
said she is willing to make a swap,
deeding to the town lots which
she owns on the west side of the
park area, beginning at Hale
street, and following along the
Course of a proposed road as
shown on official maps of the sec
tion.
This ^ea, she said, she hoped
would riot be put to commercial
uses but kept as a natural boun
dary, especially if fl!e proposed
road is opened.
The conditions on which Mr.
and Mrs. Millen gave the park,
the original grounds of the old
Piney Woods hotel, were that (1)
the old Stratford road should be
kept open and maintained as a
public road; (2) the Town main
tain surface drainage and keep
the stream in proper condition;
(3) the Town maintain the prop
erty as a public park for the ex
clusive benefit of members of the
white race; and (4) in the event
(Continued on Page 5)
Mrs, Sugg To Be
New Librarian
Mrs. Richard L. Sugg has ac
cepted the Position cf Southern
Pines librarian, it was announc
ed this week by Mrs. Dorothy
Avery, head of the Moore County
library service.
Mrs. Sugg will replace Miss
Amy Churchill, librarian for the
past four years, who resigned
from her position last month.
Mrs Sugg is a trained librarian,
having majored in this service
during her college years at Wil
liam and Mary, ^rom which she
graduated in 1937. At that time
she came to Southern Pines as
librarian in the public school, a
position she held until her mar
riage in 1939. She plans to start
her new job February 1 and will
spend some time in the interve
ning weeks familiarizing herself
with the library.