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VOL.—44 No. 2
TWENTY PAGES
SOUTHERN PINES, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1963
TWENTY PAGES
PRICE; 10 CENTS
Area Joins In Mourning Slain President
Community's Churches
Hold Special Services
stricken by the assassination of
President Kennedy, the people of
Southern Pines and this area
turned to their churches for guid
ance and comfort.
Some went to churches to pray
alone or with friends, after the
news was heard Friday after
noon.
Notice was taken of the tragic
event in all churches Sunday.
On Monday, there were several
TO VIEW SAD EVENTS
Local Man Makes
Spur-Of-Moment
Washington Trip
Countless persons, watching the
sad events of the past weekend in
Washington, D. C., on television,
must have wished they were
there in person—but one young
Southern Pines man, Samuel C.
Harrison, assistant vice president
of the Citizens Bank and Trust
Company, did something about it.
With relatives and a friend, he
left a TV set, late Saturday night,
on a spur-of-the-moment deci
sion, drove all night to Washing
ton, spent Sunday there and was
back in North Carolina before
midnight Sunday. He was back
at work here Monday morning.
The trip originated in Chapel
Hill, where Mr. Harrison was vis
iting his mother, Mrs. Hallie Har
rison, for the weekend. Also go
ing ivere a friend, oMiss. Burba’-a
Newton; and an aunt, Mrs. Annie
Bell Wheeler, and cousin, Barry
Wheeler, both of Durham.
Here is Mr. Harrison’s own ac
count of what happened:
By SAM HARRISON
While watching TV scenes of
the President’s life and death last
Saturday night in Chapel Hill we
decided to go to Washington.
We felt a need to see personal
ly some of the things that were
happening and thought that by
joining the crowd we could better
understand and appreciate the
situation. Within a very short
time after making our decision
to go, we were on the highway,
in the dead of night, headed for
Washington.
We arrived just at dawn. My
first impression of the city was
one of gloom. Usually, upon ap
proaching Washington from the
South, you get a wonderful view
of brightly lighted buildings, the
Washington Monument or the
Capitol. That night (or early
morning) they were dark and the
(Ciontinued on page 19)
special services, in Southern Pines
and elsewhere.
Some churches remained open
and heated Friday night for bene
fit of worshippers who might wish
to enter them for meditation and
prayer.
Opening his sermon at the
United Church of Christ Sunday
morning, the Rev. Carl Wallace,
pastor, said:
“Of all the statements and com
ments on television in regard to
the tragic death of our President,
John F. Kennedy, the one by
Mr. Richard Nixon stands out
most vividly. In essence it sound
ed like this—the highest tribute
we can pay to our late President
is to live daily in such a way as
to rid the world of the hate and
malice that has caused this terri
ble deed. The church is in busi
ness to do just this so one way
we may memorialize President
John F. Kennedy is to actively
support our church and its pro
gram of peace and good will.”
At the Southern Pines Metho
dist Church on Sunday morning,
the Rev. A. L. Thompson, pastor,
linked comment on the President’s
death with a Thanksgiving ser
mon he had prepared.
“This Thanksgiving Season has
been made sad by the tragic
death of our President,” he said,
“But we recall today the words
of the great Apostle Paul, who
had learned the true meaning of
praise and thanksgiving and could
therefore, in times of stress, trial,
and sorrow, remember God and
give thanks for his presence and
leadership. Let up give thanks
flow thkt the God of Jarfob, the
God of our fathers, and the God
(Continued on Page 8)
Trooper’s Car
Wrecks, Burns
state Highway Patrolman F. R.
Wicker, pursuing a speeder on
N C 22, Carthage Highway Sun
day night, lost control of his car
on a curve near the town limit,
and it wr-ecked and burst into
flames.
The Southern Pines volunteer
fire department quickly extin
guished the flames, but the ve
hicle, a radar car assigned to the
Patrol in this county, was rated a
total loss.
The trooper, escaping without
serious injury, was taken to St.
Joseph’s Hospital nearby. Suffer
ing bruises and abrasions, he was
released from the hospital Mon
day.
The wreck occurred a little way
past the entrance to the hospital
grounds, on the winding road
from Southern Pines to Carthage.
THE WEATHER
Maximum and minimum tem
peratures for each day of the past
week were recorded as follows at
the U. S. Weather Bureau obser
vation station at the W E E B
studios on Midland Road.
Miiu Ave.
November 21 70 42
November 22 73 47..
November 23 68 57
November 24 65 40
November 25 —
November 26 61 31..
Cushman, Other
Firm Officers To
Leave Sandhills
Four Amerotron Company ex
ecutives, including Robert M.
Cushman of Southern Pines, pres
ident, will move shortly after the
first of the new year to the offices
of Deering-Milliken, Inc., in Spar
tanburg, S. C., it was announced
this week.
Others moving from the Aber
deen headquarters of Amerotron,
now a division of the large Deer
ing-Milliken textile operations,
are:
Frank R. Gramelsbach of Pine-
hurst, director of industrial rela
tions; W. M. Mitchell of Southern
Pines, technical and quality con
trol director; and Robert Over
man, of Southern Pines, controll
er, who has been with the Aber
deen headquarters since Septem
ber, replacing J. E. Sandlin, but
who has not moved his family to
this area.
Also making the move to Spar
tanburg will be Miss Margaret
Thomasson of Southern Pines, ex
ecutive secretary to the presi
dent.
His own office, Mr. Cushman
said, will be the only one to be
moved entirely to Spartanburg.
Some of the functions of the other
offices will continue to he car
ried on at Aberdeen, with local
personnel remaining to staff
them.
Marvin Cornell of Southern
Pines, director of manufacturing
services, will supervise the con
tinuing Amerotron facilities at
Aberdeen—the offices, warehouse
and trucking terminal, all of
(Continued on Page 5)
OPENING HUNT
The Opening Meet of the
Moore County Hounds is set
for Thanksgiving Day morn
ing. The time is 10 a.m. and
the meeting place: the Icurge
field on the north side (left
going out) of Young's Road,
beyond the Harley Walsh
place.
Those following in cars, it
is aimounced, should have
good views of the run, as it
parallels Young's Road at sev
eral points.
All onlookers are cautioned
to keep well back so as not
to interfere with the hounds.
■
MW
■4^
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John Fitzgerald Kennedy
35th President of the United States of America
Assassinated, November 22, 1963
School Programs
Pay Tribute To
Dead President
Schools of the town and area
were deeply involved in the
tragedy of President Kennedy’s
death.
Reports came in of children
breaking into tears when the news
was given to students in their
classrooms early Friday afternoon.
At St. Anthony’s Catholic
School here, children of President
Kennedy’s faith went to the
nearby St. Anthony’s Church to
recite the rosary, as soon at the
attack on him was known, before
his death was certain.
They returned again for anoth
er recitation of the rosary after
the President’s death.
Young people, with their
parents, followed the TV, rad'io
and press coverage of the sad,
violent and majestic events that
were taking place over the week
end.
Moore County system schools
were all closed Monday, day of
Mr. Kennedy’s funeral and burial,
(Continued on Page 8)
Kiwanis Auction Reset
For Wednesday, Dec. 4
The auction sale scheduled for
last Saturday morning by the
Sandhills Kiwanis Club, to bene
fit its civic service projects, was
not held and is now set for Wed
nesday, December 4, at 1 p.m., in
the National Guard Armory on
Morganton Road.
The sale was to have included
a wide variety of items, all in
good’ condition, including an
automobile. Many more are ex
pected before the auction Wed
nesday, a club spokesman said.
TOWN HALL FLAG at
half staff symbolizes honor
paid by this community to the
memory of President John F.
Kennedy.
Grief, Shock Are
Voiced By Both
Party Chairmen
Grief and shock at the assassin
ation of President Kennedy have
been universally non-p2U‘tisan in
this area, as borne out by state
ments from the Democratic and
Republican executive committee
chairman—W. Lament Brown of
Southern Pines, Democrat, and C.
Coolidge Thompson of Pinebluff,
Republican. Each called for pray
er.
Mr. Brown said:
“The tragedy of this hour rests
in the simple fact that a young
and valiant leader in the cause
of freedom has been struck down
by an assassin’s bullet when he
was barely across the threshold
of a career that could have led
our nation and the world to an
unprecedented state of peace and
good will. The opportunity of this
disturbing hour should be, that
from the grief and dismay thrust
upon us by the tragic events of
the last few days all of us in
America, of both high and low
estate, reexamine our course as
individuals and as a nation, and
determine to what extent we will
continue to allow extremist
groups to trample upon and ul-
(Continued on Page 8)
NO SCOUTING DINNER
The annual Sandhills District
Pot Luck and Recognition dinner
to honor Boy Scouting leadters
was not held in Aberdeen Mon
day night, in recognition of Presi
dent Kennedy’s death and funeral
services. Ted Taws, district chair
man, said the event probably
would not be rescheduled until
January, 1964.
Stunned Town, County
Honor Leader^s Memory
Heart-rending disbelief was the
predominant reaction in Southern
Pines and the Moore County area
last Friday afternoon when radio
and television reported an at
tempt on President John F. Ken
nedy’s life at Dallas, Texas—to
be followed in 35 minutes by the
tragic news that he was dead.
This county and community
joined the nation in undergoing
the shock and grief of the assas-
KINDLINESS NOTED
New President’s
First Hour Told
By Texas Friend
Accounts of the assassination of
President Kennedy Friday under
standably concentrated on the
dreadful crime and its violent af
termath.
Information received by The
Pilot from William P. Hobby,
managing editor of the Houston
Post, Houston, Texas, casts light
on other events, not hitherto de
scribed, which this newspaper is
glad to carry. Chiefly concerning
the new president’s first hour in
office, they supply an indication
of a kindly aspect of his character
as well as giving welcome news
of coverage and efficiency on the
part of the Secret Service. Mr.
Hobby is a long-time friend of
President Johnson.
■ As all who have followed the
news media, know, at the time of
the assassination the then Vice
President followed closely behind
the Kennedy car on its race to
Parkland Hospital. To judge by
later statements of the attending
physicians, it was soon apparent
that death was expected momen
tarily and, after a short wait, the
vice president was persuaded to
leave and was rushed by Secret
Service men to the airport. On
arrival he recieved the news of
(Continued on Page 8)
sination.
Activity slowed to a standstill
during four stunned days in which
the history-making story was
unfolded.
In an unprecedented and monu
mental job of reporting, television,
radio and' newspapers brought to
the people chapter after chapter
of the dramatic and unpredict
able tragedy. National TV and
radio networks presented no pro
grams but the assassination story
and related items from his death
until Tuesday.
There was an intense reaction
of horror and indignation at the
cruel act and of sympathy for
the widow and two small children
of the nation’s youngest Presi
dent, cut down in his prime.
From the first bulletin of the
fatal shot, broadcast at 1:40 p.m.
Friday, followed by the Presi
dent’s death; the pursuit and
capture of Lee Harvey Oswald,
subsequently charged with the as
sassination; the murder of a
Dallas policeman as he sought to
question the fleeing suspect, and
Oswald’s own death 48 hours
later at the hands of a Dallas
citizen; the swearing-in of the
new President, Lyndon Bhines
Johnson, aboard the plane which
was then to carry him back to
Washington, with the body of
Mr. Kennedy and' the grieving
and gallant widow; the fuU pano
ply of the nation’s capital in
mourning; the high state funeral,
requiem mass and burial at Arl
ington attended by the heads of
state or official representatives
(Continued on Page 8)
THANKSGIVING
As The Pilot goes to press
Wednesday, residents of this
area, still numb with shock
from the momentous events
of the past five or six days,
are preparing to mark quietly
on Thursday one of the sad
dest Thanksgiving Days ever
to be observed over the na
tion.
A union church service,
with several pastors partici
pating, is being held Wednes
day night at the United
Church of Christ. On Thurs
day, there will be a com
munion service at Emmanuel
Episcopal Church at 10 a.m.:
a special Thanksgiving Day
mass at 9:15 a.m. at St. An
thony's Catholic Church and
ait 11 a.m. service at the
Christian Science church
edifice.
All public offices, banks,
post offices and ABC stores
in the area are to be closed
Thursday as well as most
stores and private offices.
Full College
Trustee List
Announced
All of the 12 trustees of the
Moore County Community Col
lege to be built near Pinehurst
with recently voted county bond
funds have been officially named.
The four appointed by the
three boards of education in the
county—Southern Pines, Pine
hurst and the Moore County
Schools—^were named Tuesday
night at a joint meeting of the
boards. They are Robert S. Ewing
and N. L. Hodgkins, of Southern.
Pines; John Taylor of Pinehurst
and Dr. A. A. Vanore of Robbins.
The four appointed by the
board of county commissioners
have been announced as State
Sen. W. P. Saunders of Southern
Pines; J. C. Robbins of Aberdeen;
Luke Marion, Jr., of Carthage;
and Dr. W. E. Alexander of Rob
bins.
Today (Wednesday), Gov. Ter
ry Sanford announced his foim
appointments to the trustee board
as: Rep. H. Clifton Blue of Aber
deen, Speaker of the House in the
1963 Generdal Assembly; Paul
Dickson of Raeford; Rep. Tom
Hunter of Rockingham; and Dr.
Charles Highsmith of 'Troy.
The (jovernor’s appointments
recognize that the college will be
serving an area that includes por
tions of the other counties from
which three of the trustees were
named—Hoke, Richmond and
Montgomery.
Soldier, 19, Killed On S-Curve Where
3 Others Met Death In Recent Years
A 19-year-old soldier, William
Otto Bailey, was killed at 1:45
a. m. Tuesday when the car he
was driving went out of control
and overturned on the winding
Fort Bragg road (Connecticut
Ave. extension), two miles east
of town.
A companion, Wesley Daniel
Welch, 18, who was injured, was
taken - to St. Joseph’s Hospital,
where it was expected he would
shortly be transferred to Womack
Army hospital. Fort Bragg. De
tails of. his condition were not
known:
Trooper J. F. Cardwell, invest
igating, identified both men as
members of Co. B, 82nd Airborne
Signal Battalion at Fort Bragg.
The dead youth’s wife was listed
as living in California and his
parents at Killeen, Texas.
Cardwell said the car was trav
eling east toward the reservation
at high speed when it wrecked,
throwing Bailey out. The 1955
four-door Ford was demolished.
Scene of the wreck was an S-
curve about a half-mile from the
Fort Bragg entrance. The location
has been the scene of several
wrecks in the past few years, in
two of which three young men,
all military personnel, have been
killed. Following the last wreck
about a year ago, the State High
way Depeirtment placed many ad
ditional warning signs along the
approach, with reflector posts
along both sides of the curving
road, both at this curve and at
others toward Southern Pines.