©
They, Need Your
Blood In Korea
GIVE!
They Need Your
Blood In Korea
GIVE!
VOL. 34—NO. 10
SIXTEEN PAGES
SOUTHERN PINES. NORTH CAROLINA. FRIDAY. JANUARY 23, 1953
SIXTEEN PAGES
PRICE—TEN CENTS
These Are The Boys We Really Count On
Here are the new officers of the organization
most of us would vote the most important in
town—the Southern Pines vounteer fire depart
ment.
Harold B. Fowler, seated, center, is the new.
Fire Chief. He has been assistant chief for the
past two years; Mr. Fowler is also vice president
of the Sandhills Firemen’s association, composed
of 45 volunteer departments.
Also seated, at left, is Joe O’Callaghan; the
new assistant chief, and, at right, C. T. Dunn, Jr.,
company captain.
Standing, from left—S. T. Dunn, truck cap
tain; Frank H. Kay lor, secretary-treasurer, and
G. R. Currie, trustee. The other trustees, absent
when the picture was made, are L. S. Rowell and
Frank Viall. (Pilot Staff Photo)
Charlotte Opera
Co. Will Appear
In ‘‘Desert Song”
One of the nation’s favorite mu
sicals, “The Desert Song,” filled
with glamorous melodies by Sig
mund Romberg, will be sung here
next Saturday evening, January
31, as the next presentation of the
Sandhills Music association.
The Charlotte Opera association
has won wide attention in the past
two years for its production of
famous operas and operettas in
skilled professional style. Its
troupe consists of highly trained
performers, mostly young people,
of dramatic as well as musical
gifts.
Tickets are on sale at the Bar-
num Realty office. The show will
start at 8:30, at Weaver auditori
um.
It will be a special day for one
of the performers, W. Kenneth
Dooley, baritone, starred as “Pi
erre, the Red Shadow.” Mr. Doo
ley, who is minister of music at
St. John’s Baptist church in Char
lotte, was a victim of polio as a
child. His favorite charity, is the
March of Dimes and January 31
is his favorite date as the birth
day of the late Franklin Roose
velt, for a long time the date of
the Birthday Balls.
The role of the heroine, Margot
Bonvalet, will be taken by Doro
thy Harwell, lyric, soprano, a na
tive of Iredell county who started
her voice training at Mitchell col
lege in Statesville.
The tenor role of Capt. Paul
Fontaine will be played by Robert
L. Clement, Jr., a graduate of The
Citadel and of the Duke Univer
sity law school. He is a practic
ing attorney in Charlotte.
. Banigan Sentenced To Prison;
Sentences Postponed, $4,000 Bond Set
BREAK-IN
Sheriff C. J. McDonald and
school officials this week were
investigating a break-in at the
Highfalls school Monday
night, in which doors and
locks were damaged, but
nothing was stolen.
H. Lee Thomas, county su
perintendent of schools, said
that entrance was obtained
by breaking a window in the
school office. From there, the
intruders broke into locked
classrooms and the lunch-
roomi. In the office, desk and
files were ransacked, appar
ently in a search for money.
Invostigation is continuing.
Mrs. Julie D. Banigan of Provi-
^nce, R. I., was sentenced to pris
on Monday afternoon in Moore
superior ccurt at Carthage on two
counts of embezzlement. Both in
volved transactions which took
place last winter and spring while
she was in the real estate busi
ness here.
On the first count, that of em
bezzling $1,200 from Brownson
Memorial Presbyterian church,
she was sentenced to- not less than
four nor more than six years in
prison. On the second, that of em
bezzling $6,375 from Wayne D.
Boring, of New York, creator of
“Superman,” she drew not less
han two nor more than five years.
The sentences were to run con
secutively, No. 2 beginning at the
expiration of No. 1.
Both of the cases from which
the criminal charges arose are also
the subjects of civil suits filed
seme months ago, and now pend-
Many Donors Still
Needed For Visit
Of Bloodmobile
More appointments are needed
to fill up the schedule of the Red
■ 'Rioc dmobile on its visit here
next Wednesday, according to
Moore County Red Cross head
quarters ^ere.
The Bloodmobile staff, working
hard to fill a great and immedi
ate need, is locking for 400 to 500
’nod f’-om Moore for Ko
rea. That means even more
donors will, be required, as some
are always screened out for age,
health or other reasons.
Tlie Bloodmobile will be at the
Southern Pines school gym from
11 a._m. to 4:30 p. m.
Appointments made at the Red
Cross chapter office had reached
160 Thursday morning, and the
Red Cross asks that all of these
show up as promised. The last
time, a good m&ny made appoint
ments and did not come, causing
schedule difficulties.
Three local doctors will be on
duty, and the regular Bloodmo
bile nurses. Sixty women volun
teers will help iwth arrangements
and with expediting matters dur
ing the day. They will serve light
refreshments to the donors after
blood has been given.
ing.
The two were combined for the
trial this week, which took prac
tically all Monday afternoon, be
ing called soon after the grand
Postponement of the execu
tion of the prison sentences
against Mrs. Banigan until the
May term was ordered Wed
nesday by Judge Rousseau. In
the interval, he said, she could
be freed from jail if she could
post a guaranteed bond of $4,-
000.
Robert Gavin, Sanford
attorney, has undertaken Mrs.
Banigan's case. He told the
judge that she wished to ap
peal, but that he ilavored the
postponement and setting of a
bond.
Mr. Gavin protested the size
of the bond but the judge
would not reduce it.
Strong Opposition
Displayed Toward
City Limits Bill
Blue Meets With
Group. Decides He
Can't Support It
A gathering which included
some 80 persons from the outside
areas last Friday night demon
strated positively to Rep. H. Clif-
ten Blue that they did not want
to be, taken into the town.
While he did not promise not
to introduce a bill to extend the
city limits. Representative Blue
said that, in the face of the de
termined opposition he saw evi
denced, he felt he could not “sup
port” such a bill in the General
Assembly.
Without support, he said, it
could not receive a favorable com
mittee report and “there seems
little point in introducing a bill
which doesn’t stand a chance.”
His statement followed a de
mand from the floor, repeated in
an inquiry t>y Hoke Pollock, town
attorney, at the close of the meet
ing, as to what he planned to do.
It followed almost two hours of
discussion of a problem which, to
this community as to many others
in the state, presents a blank wall
to normal expansion.
Problem Explained
Mayor C. N. Page opened the
meeting with a greeting in which,
speaking mildly, he made assur
ance of his friendly feelings, and
explained t’ne problem of increas
ing dem.ands for city services,
largely occasioned by the growth
of the fringe areas.
He referred to services now be
ing rendered to those outside, for
some of which they pay, for some
of which they do- not—water, fire
protection and sewage disposal.
If the Country Club and Pinedene
areas^ should be taken in, he said,
garbage collection and police pro
tection would be immediately af- j
forded, while water and sewer
lines would be extended as rapid
ly as possible. No bond issue for
these, he said, can legally be held
to serve the outside areas, until
they are no longer outside.
Tax Consideration
Leland McKeithen, Pinehurst
attorney, employed by the outside
groups as their spokesman, pre
sented a petition which, he said,
contained 114 names cf persons
opposed. Others, he reported, had
phoned or wired him, and the to
tal represented a decisive major
ity.
“The objection,” he said, “is
Principally a tax consideration
It is acknowledged that we are
indebted to the town for water,
but it is paid for at a rate 50 per
cent greater than in town. We
pay also for fire protection—$25
(Continued on Page 8>
BLUE APPOINTED
Moore's Representative H.
Clifton Blue was appointed
Monday by House Speaker
Eugene T* Bost to the chair
manship of the important
public welfare committee,
and to membership on nine
other standing committees.
These are the agriculture,
banks and banking, congres
sional districts, elections and
election laws, finance, mental
institutions, local government,
j}rinling and wildlife re
sources.
Announcement of the ap
pointments to all 47 standing
committees by Speaker Bost
completed organization of the
lower chamber. The Senate
appointments were completed
last week. This signified the
General Assembly was ready
to get down to brass tacks,
and work on major legisla
tion, particularly the budget,
was expected to begin this
week.
Pinebluff Wins
“Finer Carolina”
Contest Award
Annc-uncement' of' the winners
of the Carolina Power and Light
company’s “Finer Carolina” con
test showed just one Moore Coun
ty town on the list—Pinebluff,
which won honorable mention and
$100 in its population bracket of
1,000 or less.
Pride in the accomplishment of
its pint-sized neighbor to the
south far overrode any disap
pointment Southern Pines might
have felt in net placing in the
corrprehensive 2,500 - and - up
group.
Announcement was made Wed
nesday by the sponsor company.
Mayor E. H. Mills of Pinebluff
was, naturally, happy at the news.
When asked who did the jwork he
said, “We all did. This was a real
community undertaking.” Dispo
sition of the prize money will
await a meeting of the steering
cemmittee. It will most likely go
toward one of the-town’s continu
ing improvement projects.
Mayor Mills himself, however.
The Pilot has found out, was
mainly responsible for the very
excellent presentation which
went to the CP&L. The Pilot is
also proud to have been included
in the form of a feature story on
the town, clipped and mounted
on the final page.
An eight-by 11-inch booklet
with transparent plastic envelope
pages, backed in black, set off the
neatly typewritten text and 19
photographs.
Projects were listed as follows.
No. 1—General Improvement of
Streets, Highways and Sidewalks.
E. H. Mills, chairman, committee
(Continued on Page 8)
Morrison Tenders Plea,
Gets Life Sentence In
McLaughlin Death Case
♦ Melvin Morrison, of Richmond
county, accused of the murder
November 7, of Louise McLaugh
lin of West Southern Pines, was
sentenced to life imprisonment
Wednesday at the Carthage court
house.
Th^e case did not go to the jury.
The mandatory sentence, pro
nounced by presiding judge J. W.
Rousseau of North Wilkesboro,
followed automatically a plea of
guilty of accessory before the
fact of the crime of first degree
murder, as presented for his client
by defense attorney H. F. Sea-
well, Jr.
Queried at the close of the case,
Mr. Seawell stated that -Morrison
had never admitted the crime but
had heeded the advice of his coun
sel that the weight of circumstan
tial evidence against him was too
great to risk another course.
The defendant, who has remain
ed stoically calm during the en
tire course of the case, received
without change of expression the
sentence pronounced by Judge
Rousseau committing him to State
Central prison “for the rest of
your natural life.”
Thus, with dramatic brevity,
ended the lurid case that horrified
the people of this section when it
broke in late November, and drew
t^ Carthage one, of the biggest
crowds that has ever packed the
courtroom. The sudden change of
plea deprived those who had
blocked windows and aisles and
the galaxy of officials, behind the
rail, of the opportunity to hear
the elaborately prepared Circum
stantial evidence, documentary
proof of which reposed in Chief
C. E. Newton’s bulging briefcase,
or the testimony of the ma!ny wit
nesses unearthed by the prosecu
tion and ready to take the stand.
Newton Only Witness Called
Only witness called to substan
tiate the validity of the plea was
Southern Pines’ chief of police,
upon whom has fallen the major
burden of untangling details of
the crime.
Newton, called to the stand by
prosecuting attorney, M. G. Boy
ette, gave a resume of the case,
telling how the victim, Louise
McLaughlin, widowed mother of
two young children, had been go
ing with the accused until the
time when, his attentions becom
ing excessive, she swore out a
warrant for his arrest, agreeing,
however, to withdraw her accusa
tion when Morrison promised to
leave her alone.
He told of receiving, on Novem
ber 10, the news from her family
that she was missing since No
vember 7. He described the
search for the body and finally its
(Continued on page 8)
Dr. R. L. House,
Local Pastor, Is
Fatally Stricken
Funeral services were held
Thursday afternoon at the Church
of Wide Fellowship for Dr. Robert
Lee House, its pastor since No
vember 1949, who died suddenly
Thursday aboht noon.
Dr. W. T. Scott of Elon college
officiate^, assisted by Dr. L. E.
Smith and Dr. John G. Truitt, also
of Elon college.
, Pallbearers were E. J. Austin,
J. D. Hobbs, Dr. J. I. Neal, A. C.
Dawson, Earl Parker and Dr. R.
M. McMillan.
A second funeral service will be
held today (Friday) at 2 p.m. at
the First Congregational church
of Newport News, Va., with the
Rev. Lansing Granger officiating.
Burial will follow in Peninsula
Memorial Park cemetery there.
Dr. House had a severe heart at
tack in the fall and was in the
hospital for several weeks. He
had “taken it easy” since that
time, under doctor’s orders, but
was ,l»8lieved to be well on the
way back to health and strength.
Tuesday, he was watching the in
auguration ceremony over televis
ion at Mr. Parker’s home when he
I quietly slumped forward and was
dead.
The news shocked and distress
ed this community where the
(Continued on page 8)
Watch ’Em Tussle It Out At SP School Gym Tonight At 7:30
jury returned true bills in the
morning.
The calling of the trial was
something of a surprise as Mrs.
Banigan had had no proper hear
ing, with setting of bond, until
Saturday morning in Moore re
corders court. Through a mix-up,
.=he had had an earlier hearing
before a justice of the peace, and
the $5,000 bond set at that time
served effectively to keep her in
jail. So did the $1,500 to which
this was reduced by Recorder J
Vance Rowe.
Without Counsel
She appeared in Judge Rous
seau’s court looking trim and well
,dressed as if she had not been in
jail for the past few weeks. She
was without counsel, nor did she
call any witnesses in her behalf
However, she conducted her own
cross-examination with spirit and
eloquence. The end result, how
ever, was little more than an es
tablishment of the fact that she
did receive the money, and that
no return of the money or equiv
alent has been made.
Witnesses for the prosecution
included W. E. Blue and J. W.
Causey of the church trustees, and
Mr. Boring. Also called to the.,
stand was W. Lament Brown, of
Southern Pines, who had served
as her attorney throughout the
various stages of the transaction
with the church, up until the
money was paid and the sale con-
(Continued on page 5)
axMMY CRUMP
Aberdeen Guard
JIM MATTHEWS
SP Forward
PEACHES CAMERON
SP Guard I
DORIS TROUTMAN
Aberdeen Guard
These are some of the young folks starring tonight in the bat
tle of the century. The Blue & White boys and Aberdeen Dev
ils, old foes, are both undefeated in the Moore County conference.
The county trophy may be at stake.
The Blue & White girls have lost three games. Southern Pines
folks think, though, they have the best team in years. The Aber
deen Devilettes ain’t lost no games—yet. See stories on pages
7, 12. (Photos by H. H. Turner)