VOL. 34—NO. 38
",
54*
m
6
PRICE—TEN CENTS
I
BEATING THE HEAT this week at the South
ern Pines town lake off the Midland road, these
young folks could afford to laugh at a hot pho
tographer who wished he was in the water, too.
Hanging or sitting on a play log in the water
are, left to right: Jimmy Copeland, son of M|Sgt.
and Mrs. O. R. Copeland; Eddie McKenzie, son
of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. McKenzie; Steve CaldweU,
son^f Mr. and Mrs. James H. Caldwell; and
Gwen and Ralph McKenzie, also children of Mr.
and Mrs. R. E. McKenzie. The older boys in
back are Ike WoodeU, son of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac
Woodell, and his cousin, Larry Kelly, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Lawrence Kelly. The KeUy family has
just returned from four years in Germany. The
lake is a popular spot with all ages during the
current heat wave. (Pilot Staff Photo)
‘On Stage America’ Uses Home Talent
In Minstrel Show Thursday, Friday
Project To Benefit
Building Fund Church
Of V^de Fellowship
“On Stage America,” an old-
fashioned musical minstrel with
a modern patriotic twist, is be
ing presented at Weaver Audi
torium at 8:13 p. m. Thursday and
Friday nights of this week.
Directed by Miss Nyla Anne
Jester of Indianapolis, Ind., who
returned here for the second year
to stage a home talent show, by
I special request, the production is
sponsored by the Fellowship
Forum of the Church of Wide
Fellowship for benefit of the
church’s building fund.
A whirlwind week of casting
and rehearsals was wound up
Thursday with first presentation
of the traditional burnt-cork min
strel—with added talent show,
choruses and music.
The Tiny Tot Popularity con
test, a sideline to the main show,
will be run off at the Friday night
performance with crowning and
robing of king and queen, prince
and princess and duke and duch
ess. Winners are based on penny
votes in boxes in various business
establishments.
Clever costumes of satin and
taffeta in brilliant colors will be
worn by teen-agers in the two
dancing choruses, the Hotsy Tot-
sies and the Dixie Dandies. The
flashy motif of minstrel days is
carried out in the costumes of the
high school girls who add a musi
cal comedy note to the produc
tion.
Members of the Hotsy Totsies
chorus are: Betty Foushee, Jan
ice Holliday, Carolyn Hoskins,
Delores Maready, Joan Harris,
PhyUis Faircloth, Phyllis Garzik,
Arden Fobes and Grace Dupree.
The Dixie Dandies are: Patty
Britt, Linda Thompson, Becky
Traylor, Suzanne Steed, Ann
Vann, Lillian Clark, Catherine
Harris, Frances Harper, Donna
Dawson and Carolyn Smith.
Performing in the talent con
test are vocalists, dancers, baton
twirlers, instrumentalists and
persons with other talents, all
from Southern Pines and this
^ area. A $25 savings bond will be
first prize in this contest, award
ed to the winner chosen by the
audience.
Running throughout the show
will be ftiusic, singing, dancing
and minstrel routines, including
a men’s minstrel circle, the ladies’
(Continued on Page 5)
ON THE JOB
City Manager T. E. Cun-
ningham began his work here
Monday morning and has
been organizing his opera
tions under Southern Pines'
new form of government. De
lay in arrival of the family's
furniture from Richmond,
Va., meant that Mr. and Mrs.
Cunningham and their two
children could not move into
their Knollwood Apartments
home until later in the week,
but they are now settled
there.
New Bridge Over
Railroad At Vass
Sought By Town
Lennon To Address
YDC Rally Sept. 5
Senator Alton A. Lennon has
accepted an invitation to speak
at a Young Democrats county and
district rally in Moore county Sat
urday, September 5, it was na-
nounced today. Time and place of
the rally have not yet been chos-
^en. J. Douglas David of Pine-
bluff is YDC chairman for the
county. A1 Cruce of Aberdeen is
18th District chairman.
A delegation of town officials
from Vass presented to the coun
ty commissioners Monday a peti
tion asking that the commission
ers recommend to the State High
way and Public Works commis
sion that a ‘‘new, fireproof, mod
ern and, safe overhead bridge” be
built in Vass to replace the old
wooden overhead bridge now
spanning the tracks of the Sea
board Air Line railroad.
The petition was signed by A.
G. Edwards, Jr., mayor of Vass,
and the five town commissioners,
R. B. Gunn, Leon Keith, D. H.
McGill, Sr., W. J. Morgan and
D. Harold Williams.
Mr. Edwards, Mr. Gunn and
Mr. Morgan were present at the
meeting to present the petition
and discuss the matter with the
county board.
It was the opinion of these offi
cials that the proposed new bridge
would be a matter for joint action
by the State Highway commission
and the Seaboard, probably on a
fifty-fifty cost basis.
The county commissioners look
ed favorably on the petition and
were to pass it along with their
approval to the Sixth Division
highway office and Division Com
missioner Forest Lockey of Aber
deen.
The Vass officials pointed out
that the old wooden bridge over
the railroad has been there for
many years and is now “inade
quate and unsafe.” Timbers are
rotted, they said, and nails in the
driveway of the bridge will not
stay down, with the result that
tires are snagged.
They said that the bridge is a
main artery of town traffic and
also carries much traffic from
Fort Bragg to No. 1 highway.
Members of the delegation said
they hoped a modem concrete
bridge could be built by the High
way Commission and the railroad.
GUEST MINISTER
Rev. David A. McLean, who
has recently completed his second
tour of duty as missionary to the
Congo, will be guest minister at
the Brownson Memorial Presbyte
rian church Sunday, August
Virginia Trio
Charged With
Buie Abduction
Three Virginia men in their
early twenties were getting a rest
in a Kentucky jail this week after
a South-wide rampage that is be
lieved to have included kidnap
ing and robbing Murphy Buie, a
resident of Vass who is an auto
salesman for the Southern Pines
Motor Co., July 21.
Police Chief C. E. Newton of
Southern Pines, who has cooper
ated with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation in comiection with
Buie s case, said he was inform
ed by the FBI last week that three
men apprehended last Thursday
by the Kentucky State Highway
Patrol are thought to be the trio
who blindfolded Buie as he nap
ped in his car along No. 1 high
way, a few miles below Pinebluff
and released him 140 miles away,
25 miles south of Columbia, S. C
Warrants filed at Rockingham
in Federal court chaise Gordon
L. Maitland, 22, Milton Hudson
Ford, 22, and Jay Mendenhall,
24, all from Virginia, with two
counts of auto larceny and one of
kidnaping, all involving transpor
tation across state lines.
The men are reported to have
denied the kidnaping while ad
mitting the car thefts.
According to FBI reports, the
car stolen from Buie and belong
ing to the Southern Pines Motor j
Co., was found at Tupelo, Miss.'
From there the FBI traced the
three men to Memphis, Tenn.,
where they stole a car, drove it
into Arkansas and committed an
armed robbery.
Another armed robbery in Ken
tucky, said the report received
here, led to their capture.
■ On his return from South Car
olina by train after his wild ride,
Buie spent some time with FBI
representatives who came here to
check on the case.
Buie’s experience began Tues
day morning, July 21, when he
set off on a vacation trip to South
Carolina and stopped by the side
of the road a few miles south of
Pinebluff to take a nap.
Three men in a taxi that was
later found abandoned nearby,—
and which had been stolen in Vir
ginia—jumped into Buie’s 1949
black Chevrolet four-door sedan
(Continued on page 5)
No Change
As Budget
Is Adopted
Controversial
School Fund
Not Opposed
At their regular meeting in
Carthage Monday, the county
commissioners formally adopted
a 1953-’54 budget that sets the
county-wide tax rate at $1.35 per
$100 of property valuation.
The budget has been lying open
for inspection during the past
three weeks, during which time
it could have been questioned or
changes could have been asked.
Although the county board of
education has been quoted as dis
satisfied with distribution of
school capital outlay funds in the
proposed budget, no formal ac
tion to change the budget was
taken during the period when this
could legally have been done.
The budget is based on an esti
mated property valuation of $40,-
000,000. Total budget require
ments are listed as $1,072,367.
All members of the county
board attended the Monday meet
ing—Chairman G. M. Cameron of
Pinehurst; John M. Currie of Car
thage, Tom Monroe of Robbins,
J. M. Pleasants of Southern Pines
and L. R. Reynolds of Leaman.
The board approved four road
petitions and a petition for a new
bridge over the railroad at Vass,
as reported in detail elsewhere in
today’s Pilot.
As part of their formal action
on the budget, the commissioners
adopted resolutions approving the
budget’s appropriations to the va
rious funds and setting the rate
of tax levy for each fund.
A large number of the county’s
taxpayers will actually pay a rate
higher than the county-wide $1.35,
because of special school and
bond levies.
Southern Pines rate tops the
county with $1.83—the regular
$1.35 levy plus a special school
levy of 34 cents and a levy of 14
cents to pay interest and redemp
tion on bonds issued for construc
tion of Weaver auditorium and
a portion of the school gymnasi
um.
Aberdeen and Pinehurst school
districts each has a special school
levy of 30 cents to pay supplemen
tary teachers and provide extra
services in the schools, not provi
ded by the state, making the tax
rate in those communities $1.65.
Pinebluff is included in the Aber
deen school district.
(Continued on Page 5)
Harden Will Speak Here
John Harden, of Greensboro,
a vice-president of Burlington
Mills and one of the state’s most
sought-after speakers, has accept
ed the invitation of the Southern
Pines Chamber of Commerce to
be the principal speaker at the
membership banquet to be held
in September.
Mr. Harden^ a former newspa
perman in Charlotte, Salisbury
and Greensboro, is well known
also in state political circles and
is a longtime friend and close ad
viser to Governor Umstead. This
week he was appointed by the
Governor to head the publicity
for the state bond issue for
schools and mental institutions,
to be held October 3. He was also
sworn in Monday as a member of
the N. C. Library Commission.
His talk here will be non-polit- community.
ical in nature, on the
theme of what makes
general
a good
Survey Shows Optimistic Outlook For
Fall Golf Tourney At Country Club
C. of C. Directors
May Decide Monday
On Definite Plans
•
First reports on the Chamber of
Commerce golf tournament sur
vey, which got under way this
week, are ‘‘extremely encourag
ing,” it was learned from Joe
Montesanti, Jr., who is heading
the project as special events
chairman.
While no large pledges have
been reported as yet, with most
of the amounts ranging from $5
to $25, hardly anyone approached
has refused to indicate coopera
tion, he said.
The directors are visiting busi
ness firms in town to ascertain the
extent to which each is willing
to participate financially, if the
New Pastor Called
By Baptist Church
Little Leaguers
Will Opener In
Baseball Series
The Southern Pines Little
League Lions scored 11 runs in
the first inning, behind a good
pitching performance by Jimmy
Caldwell, to set a solid founda
tion for a 17-9 victory over the
Pinehurst Little Leaguers in the
Opening game of the post-season
series at Pinehurst Monday.
Triples by Van Benschoten and
Woodell led Southern Pines’ 13-
hit attack.
The two teams were to meet
Chamber goes ahead with its
sponsorship of the November
event. No money is being collect
ed at this time but “we have to
have $3,000 in sight before we can
underwrite the tournament,” de
clared Chairman Montesanti.
A special meeting of the direct
ors will be held at the Chamber
office Monday at 8 p. m. to report
on the progress of the survey, and
it is likely that a decision can be
reached at that time as to whether
to go ahead with the plans.
The tournament, to center
around the Southern Pines Coun
try club, is being planned for the
interval between the wind-up of
the northern pro circuit and the
opening of the Florida tour at
Miami. Word from Dugan Aycock
of Lexington, Carolines PGA
president, is that most of the pros
can be expected to stop over for
several days on their way south,
with a (minimum) purse of $2,500
as the attraction. A large entry
list of amateurs would also be
anticipated.
Aberdeen Scouts
Win Swim Meet,
Receive Awards
Day, Night Events
Held At Pinebluff;
Parents Join Boys
Boy Scouts from throughout
here Thursday afternoon for the 1 Moore county gathered at Pine-
The Rev. D. Hoke Coon, assist
ant pastor of the First Baptist
church, Salisbury, has been called
as pastor of the First Baptist
church. Southern Pines, it was
announced this week. I
The new pastor, who is 26
years old and married, will as
sume his duties here September
1. Rev. Mr. Coon preached here
about a month ago and was for
mally called to the church here
within the past few days.
In the absence of a regular pas
tor, the Rev. James Oppert is
serving as supply pastor until the
arrival of Rev. Mr. Coon. David
W. Gamble is chairman of the
pulpit committee of the First Bap
tist church.
second contest in the two out of
three series
Meanwhile the other two teams
in the league, Carthage and Rob
bins tangled Monday in their first
game of a two out of three series,
with Robbins winning 13-9 at
Carthage Monday. The second
game was to be played at Robbins
Thursday afternoon.
If third games are necessary in
either of the two out of three
series, they will be played Sat
urday. All games start at 5.30 p.
m.
Winners in each of the two
out of three series will meet for
the MoOre County Little League
championship, with games start
ing Monday. Play for consolation
between the losers also will start
Monday.
Southern Pines boys led the
‘league for the regular season.
Their Farnmes Wait And Hope
Two Moore County Men Among Red Prisoners
Rev.^Mr. a brother of j men are the only Moore County
They are only two of the num
bered human units in Korea’s
“Operation Big Switch”—the ex
change of United Nations and Red
prisoners now going on—^but to
eager waiting families and friends
in Moore county they are all-
important.
They are: Cpl. Henry Bradford,
husband of Mrs. Cleecy Renegar
Bradford of Southern Pines, and
Sergeant First Class Gentry T.
Frye, son Of Mr. and Mrs. Theo
dore Frye of Carthage, Route 1.
These two United States Army
Iwar prisoners in Korea of which
The Pilot has record. Both have
spent many months in Communist
prison camps. Communications
from both have reached their fam
ilies. There is good reason to be
lieve both are alive.
As the exchange of prisoners
began Tuesday (Wednesday in
Korea), families of the Moore
Clounty men could do little but
fight down their anxiety, control
their soaring joy and watch the
daily lists of released men now
being published in the press.
Both the Moore men were on
the list of prisoners of war re
leased by the Reds December 18,
1951. Not long thereafter, their
families received letters. Once
Sgt. 1-c Frye sent a snapshot of
himself with some other Ameri
can prisoners. CpL Bradford’s
most recent letters, received a
few weeks ago, indicated that the
U. N. prisoners knew of the truce
talks and were hoping for an
armistice.
The names of Cpl. Bradford
and Sgt. 1-c Frye were not on the
first two lists of exchanged pris
oners appearing in the Wednes
day and Thursday daily papers.
Meanwhile their families wait and
hope.
bluff lake Wednesday for a swim
ming mieet, a picnic supper with
their leaders and parents and an
after-dark court of honor and en
tertainment program held around
a huge blazing campfire.
In the daytime “swim-all”
events, Aberdeen Troop 68, with
46 points, nosed out Pinebluff 206
with 44 points, to capture top
honors. Other troops competing
were Carthage, 30 points and
Pinehurst, 8 points. Points were
given for placing hi 15 separate
swimming events.
In the Cub Scout swimming
meet, Pinehurst Pack 7 led with
36 points, to 20 for Pack 206 Pine
bluff, and 11 for Pack 74 Robbins.
Court of Honor
A highlight of the court of hon
or program was a report given
by Charles Swaringen of Pine
hurst, one of the six Moore Coun
ty Explorer Scouts who recently
attended the National Jamboree
at Santa Ana, Calif. The other
Moore County Explorers making
the trip on a chartered bus with
boys from the 12-county Occon-
eechee Council were Bobby Bar
rett and Charles Garrison of Pine
hurst, Jimmy McDonald and John
Chappell of Southern Pines and
Garland Key of Robbins.
Later in the program recogni
tion was given to Bill McLaurin
of Robbins, adult leader who ac
companied the Moore County
boys on their transcontinental trip.
He is Moore District chairman of
camping and activities. He de
scribed the trip as ’’‘a wonderful
experience for me and all the
boys.”
Mr. McLamin said that Garland
(Ctmtinued on page S)
Police Aid
Man Dazed
By Beating
Motorist From
Florida Injured
By Hitch-Hikers
Mystery today surrounds a bru
tal attack made Tuesday by two
young hitchhikers on a 47-year-
old Florida man, Eugene Contino
of Jacksonville, who is a patient
at St. Joseph of the Pines hospi
tal.
Dazed and bleeding, Contino
was stopped by Police Officers
Ray Backlund and Kieth Marks,
driving his black 1950 Mercury
fast and weaving on the road”
about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, while
the officers were patrolling No. 1
highway for speeders.
It required over 50 stitches to
close the jagged wounds that cov
ered the man’s head after the of
ficers took him to the hospital.
His left eye and right hand were
also injured.
While Contino had left his
home to drive north to visit a
nephew at Camp Pickett, Va., he
was headed south on No. 1 when
he was stopped.
From the confused accounts
given by the man, police officers
here gathered that he had been
attacked somewhere north of
Southern Pines by hitchhikers he
had picked up earlier Tuesday—
but whether the two young men
had entered his car before or af
ter he had passed through South
ern Pines could not be determin
ed. He said he had spent Monday
night at Columbia, S. C., after
leaving Jacksonville, where he op
erates a shoe repair shop, Mon
day.
Contino said he had no family
at Jacksonville. The nephew at
Camp Pickett was notified by po
lice.
Police Chief C. E. Newton quot
ed Contino as giving the following
description of the two men he had
picked up and who later forced
him into a side road at an un
known location, had beaten him
into unconsciousness and robbed
him of a wallet containing be
tween $80 and $90.
One was tall, slim and fair,
about 25 years old, weighing from
160 to 170 pounds, neatly dressed
in gray clothing and wearing a
short-sleeved shirt.
The other was short, stockily
built and dark, about five feet,
six inches in height, neatly dress
ed in dark clothing, with brown
hair and about 25.
Contino told police the men had
been riding with him about 25 or
30 minutes when one of them said,
‘Turn off on this side road; we
got some business with you.” Al
though protesting, Contino turn
ed and was slugged into uncon
sciousness as soon as the car had
stopped.
When he came to, he told offi
cers, he was lying on the ground,
bleeding. He washed as best he
could with water from a thermos
jug he had in the car.
Robbed and hurt, Contino eith
er decided that he would head to
ward home or did not know which
direction he was going when he
turned south as he left the side
road. He could not recall how
far north of Southern Pines the
attack took place or how long he
had been driving when he was
stopped by Officers Backlund and
Marks.
Police described his condition
as “addled” when he was picked
up here.
KENNEDY WOUNDED
NEAR WAR'S END
Pfc Mack Kennedy, son of
Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Kennedy
of Aberdeen. Route I, was
'wounded in action on July 27,
the last day before the cease
fire order went into effect in
Korea, according to notifica
tion received by the parents
this week.
The Moore County young
man, who entered service in
the Marine Corps in Febru
ary 1952, is the youngest son
in the Kennedy family. He
has two brothers and ifour sis
ters.
Notification to the family
did not reveal the extent of
yoimg Kennedy's injuries.
The KennedyS live in the
McDonald Chapel community
about Rve miles west of
Pinehurst, but their mail ad
dress is Aberdeen, Route 1.