Weather
Sunny weather Thursday will end the
rainy spell which brought 2.64 inches of
rain to the Sandhills in the past week.
Tonight’s low of around 53 will be
followed by temperatnres in the
mid-60s Thursday.
LOT
Index
Books, 2-B; Church Calendar, 3-B;
Classified Ads, 7-11-C; Editorials, 1-B;
Entertainment, 15-B; Obituaries, 7-A;
Pinehurst News, 1-3-C; Social News,
2-6-A; Sports, 8-9-A.
PRIZED DEER HERD — Howard Mclnnis of Lakeview is shown with his prized
fallow deer herd-two does, a buck (black) and two fawns. He started the pet herd
last summer, buying the does and buck from Texas. The highly bred fallow deer,
once the pride of European royalty, has attracted much attention to the Mclnnis
place.—(Photo by Glenn M. Sides).
Poole Is Sent To Hospital
Following Week of Terror
BY VALERIE NICHOLSON
Following the blazing of a trail
mystery and terror last week
across the Sandhills, Harold
David Poole, 29, of Carthage, an
ex-convict facing rape and
kidnap charges, is at last having
his wish-psychiatric evaluation
and care at a state hospital.
He was transported Saturday
night from Moore County Jail to
Dorothea Dix Hospital at
Raleigh, committed by District
Attorney C.M. Lowder of Monroe
on order of Judge Robert L.
Gavin of Pinehurst, in ac
cordance with special surrender
terms arranged atop a fire tower
Hearing On Rescue Squad
■r-
Scheduled Here Tuesday
The Southern Pines Fire
Department Committee on
Emergency Rescue said a public
hearing on the organization of a
rescue squad to be based in
Southern Pines will be held in the
Southern Pines Council cham-
tters at 7:30 I p.m., Tuesday
March 25.
The hearing will focus on in
formation regarding personnel
requirements, tcaiaing of per
sonnel, procurement of a vehicle,
and the response area.
Committee chairman Peter C.
(Continued on Page 10-A)
Commuter Air Service
Has First Flight Here
Resort Commuter Airlines got
off the ground Sunday at 12:30
yith its first flight from the
Pinehurst-Southern Pines Air
port.
The new airline provides
Sandhills residents and tourists
with two flights daily to and from
Raleigh-Durham.
Resort Commuter Airlines
used an eight passenger prop jet
for the first flight that took
approximately 20 minutes.
The flights leave Southern
Pines-Pinehurst Airport daily at
12:30 and 3:40 with return ser
vice from Raleigh-Durham Air
port at 2:55 and 6:15 p.m.
Resort Commuter Airlines
joins four other commuter air
services in the state offering
local community links to major
hub airports with connections
(Continued on Page 10-A)
HOUSE BURNS — Firemen arrived in three minutes
to put out this fire in the residence of Mrs. Ellen Dunn
on Midlothian Drive Saturday. Chief Pete Rapatas
and the Fire Department worked only about five
minutes before they had it under control around 10:15
a.m. Mrs. Dunn and the Dunn children were away
watching the Girl Scout Parade, and no one was
injured, although the entire downstairs was badly
damaged by heat and smoke. Chief Rapatas said the
fire started in the kitchen. Young Madonna Dunn was
out of town at the time.—(Photo by Glenn M. Sides).
Notice Sent
On Fire Zone
Hearing Here
in Montgomery County.
On the 100-foot tower near the
rural Pekin community, where
Poole was born, west of Candor,
he held three hostages at pistol
point for some 12 hours, from
about 12:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,
negotiating his surrender via the
tower telephone.
The eyes of the state were fixed
on the strange drama being
played out at the fire tower, at
the foot of which were grouped
the sheriffs and numerous of
ficers of both Moore and Mon
tgomery counties, state troopers,
some relatives of Poole’s who
lived nearby and his minister,
the Rev. Billy Sullivan of Car
thage.
They took turns trying to talk
Poole into releasing the hostages
and coming down, and tried to
meet his demands, including one
for a helicopter. While it was
doubtful it could fly him “to the
jungles of Brazil” as he
requested, through cooperation
of the Army a helicopter was
actually brought in at 4 a.m. and
kept on standby for about four
hours.
Finally, Poole demanded the
promise of “some authority
higher than a sheriff” that he
would be sent to a state hospital,
rather, than returned to prison.
Judge Gavin agreed to make the
promise, reluctantly at first.
He said he wasn’t sure of the
(Continued on Page 10-A)
Sunday Mail
Postmaster Robert Peele says
there has been no elimination of
Sunday mail service but there is
a slight curtailment of “boxing
service.”
All essential mail will be
boxed, he said, and newspapers,
magazines, packages.and special
delivery service is continuing.
All customers who must have
mail boxed on Sundays will be
served, he said.
Peele said the curtailment was
simply a reduction in the
postoffice clerk staff from three
to two on Sunday.
Chamber
Seeking
Members
The Sandhills Area Chamber of
Commerce mounted a con
centrated membership drive this
week in which 30 Chamber
members are contacting various
businesses in Moore County.
At two orientation sessions on
Monday, one at 4 p.m. and one at
(Continued on Page 10-A)
Break-Ins
Break-ins over the weekend at
Union Pines High School and the
Southern Pines Country Club
halfway house are under investi
gation by the Moore County
sheriff’s office.
At Union Pines an electric
typewriter and woodworking
tools and materials valued at
$1,000 were taken. Entry was
gained by prying open a back
door.
Loss at the halfway house was
estimated at $100. It included
candy, frankfurters, gum, cook
ies and an electric heater. The
door to the building was pried
open to gain entry.
Property owners in the
proposed Southern Pines Fire
District have been mailed a
letter by Chairman W.S. Taylor
of the Moore County Com
missioners and a notice of a
public hearing to be held at
Carthage at 2 p.m. on April 17.
Chairman Taylor said he
hoped property owners in the
district would attend the hearing
and let their feelings on the mat
ter be heard.
“Please notice,” he said in his
letter, “that a tax will be levied
to pay for fire protection and will
be considered at this public
hearing. This tax will be used
only for the purpose of fire
protection to the property owners
in the service district and
thereby protecting lives and
property and getting an im
proved insurance rating by
virtue of having the service
available.”
The hearing will be held in the
Commissioners room at the
courthouse.
A map of the proposed
Southern Pines Service District,
a report indicating the service to
be provided and a statement of
financial feasibility including tax
to be levied for the service will be
available at the public hearing.
The map, report and financial
statement will be made available
for inspection in the office of the
Clerk of County Conunissioners
in the courthouse in Carthage
and in the Town Hall of Southern
Pines from March 20 to April 17,
between th6 hours of 8:30 a.m.
and 5 p.m.
Each property owner known to
be affected in the Service
District was mailed a copy of this
notice.
Sentences in Bank Cases
Given In Federal Court
Billy G. McKenzie of Pinehurst
pleaded guilty to one charge of
embezzlement of funds from The
Carolina Bank in West End when
he was tried before Judge Wilson
Warlick in U.S. District Court
last week.
He was fined $5,000 with
sentence suspended on payment
of the fine. He had already made
restitution of some $6,829.88 to
the Bank, the court found. He
was Vice President of the bank.
McKenzie recently resigned
his position at the bank and also
as chairman of the Pinehurst
Village Council.
James Lewis Buie of Carthage
was tried in the same court on
charges of bank fraud and
embezzlement, and Judge War-
lick sentenced him to three years
in prison. He was a part-time
janitor at The Carolina Bank in
Carthage.
Patricia Ann Jackson, former
employe of The Carolina Bank in
Vass was CMivicted of em
bezzling $900 and was fined $1000.
Marjorie McMillan Blue of
Southern Pines was fined $500 on
charges of mailing a threatening
letter through the U.S. mails.
Federal warrants were made
by the FBI.
Four Capital Cases Set
For Special Court Terra
Four cases involving capital
offenses, one with a 15-year-old
girl as a murder defendant, are
among those expected to be
called during a special catch-up
term of Moore Superior Court to
be held at Carthage next week.
Special Judge Dennis J.
Winner of Asheville will preside
over the term, at which the grand
jury will not be convened. No
new warrants will be presented
for bills, as the object is to clear
off the backlog of cases, as far as
possible.
Three of the four capital cases
are holdovers from last year,
including that in which Rosa Mae
Taylor of Vass, Rt. 2, 15 years
old, is accused in the rifle slaying
of a 21-year-old soldier, Angelo
Lassiter, last November.
The young girl, after having
first been given a hearing in
juvenile court, was placed in
(Continued on Page 10-A)
25,000 Expected Apr. 12
For Stoneybrook Events
BY BETSY LINDAU
Saturday, April 12, some 25,000
people from all over the East will
come to Stoneybrook Farm at
Southern Pines to see the 28th
running of the Stoneybrook
Steeplechase Races.
The fifth race meet on the
six-meet Dixie Circuit (which
includes races at Atlanta, Cam
den, Aiken, Tryon and Tangle-
wood) Stoneybrook ranks as one
of the four top sports events in
North Carolina in the spring and-
one of the biggest and best race
meets in America.
But Stoneybrook is morp than
colorful sports event, it is also a
colorful social occasion. There is
much socializing and picnicking
at the tracks between races, and
there is a traditional rivalry
among spectators who try to
outdo each other in attention-
getting costumes-the more out-
(Continued on Page 10-A)
THE
PILOT LIGHT
•WELL — In the months
since the announcement by Dr.
John T. Caldwell that he is
stepping down at the end of this
school year as Chancellor of
North Carolina State University
there has been speculation in
various parts of the state that he
might run for a high state office
in 1976.
The talk about Caldwell is that
he has been getting some urging
to run for Governor or Lieu
tenant Governor.
Chancellor Caldwell has given
no indication, however, that he
wants to get into politics.
At one time he and Mrs.
Caldwell had given some thought
to moving to Southern Pines, but
their decision now is to continue
living in Raleigh when he moves
out of the Chancellor’s home
adjoining the State campus.
SUCCESSOR — In the mean
time, further interviews were
being conducted this week by a
special committee to select a
successor to Chancellor Cald
well.
More than 190 names were
advanced for the Chancellor’s
position and that list was pared
down to about 20. Among those
still in the running is Former
Governor Robert Scott.
■The Chancellor will be ap
pointed by President William
Friday on the recommendation
of the special committee and
with the approval of the Board of
Governors.
HARRINGTON - Secretary of
Natural and Economic Re
sources James Harrington said
this past week that the major
thrust of his department in the
(Continued on Page 10-A)
WHERE TWO DIED — Shown above is the rubble of a mobile home near Eagle
Springs where two small children died in a fire which destroyed the
home.—(Photo by Valerie Nicholson).
Two Children Die In Fire
As Mobile Horne Destroyed
Two young children died
Saturday in flames which
completely destroyed their
mobile home in the Zion Grove
Church community off NC 705,
about five miles east of Eagle
Springs.
Dead are Mary DeVon Cole,
aged three, and her sister
DeGail, two, while another
sister, Helen Diane, four, was
saved from the flames which, it
was learned later, were started
by the children playing with
matches.
Unable to reach the two
children in their burning
bedroom, the parents, Larry
Cooper, 24, and Ollie Mae Cole,
22, barely escaped in their
nightclothes, unable to save
anything else.
Their five-year-old son, Tracy,
was staying with his grand
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Cole, in
their home about 150 feet away.
A teen-age cousin, Harriet
Richardson, also staying with the
Coles, saw smoke coming from
the trailer about 8 a.m., ran and
pounded on the door and shouted,
to awaken the occupants.
When they opened the door,
Harriet saw Helen Diane stan
ding in the living-room, grabbed
her and ran, while the parents
vainly tried to get into the
children’s bedroom to save the
other two.
“It was all full of smoke and
fire and they couldn’t get in,”
Harriet told Coroner A.B. Parker
and Fire Marshal Joe W. Adams,
who were on the scene within a
short time.
The Eagle Springs volunteer
fire department had also arrived
quickly, but found the trailer
engulfed in flames, making
rescue efforts hopeless. The
Robbins rescue squad was also
(Continued on Page 10-A)
Social Services Holds
Hearing On Expansion
There are 20,000 persons with
$8,900 income or less for four or
under in Moore.. County, and
many of them are in need of
services from the Social Services
Department.
This was brought out at public
hearing held in Carthage Friday
afternoon, at which Secretary
David Flaherty of the State
Department of Human Resour
ces was among the speakers.
A large crowd of interested
citizens and representatives of
organizations attended the brief
ing session in the Moore County
Library Conference Room, j
Mrs. Walter B. Cole, director
of the Social Services Dejiart-
ment, opened the meeting and
welcomed guests to the meeting.
(Continued on Page 10-A)
Bicentennial Winners
Given In Moore Contest
A photographic essay on the
Union Pines Museum Project by
Sten Wallin, a senior at Union
Pines High School, proved to be
the most unusual entry in the
1975 Bicentennial Literary
Contest for Moore County
Schools students.
A poem entitled “The Hor
seshoe House” by Bryan Cagle, a
second grade student at West
End Elementary, was voted top
honors in the kindergarten
through third grade division of
the contest.
More than 200 entries of
poetry, essays and research
projects were judged last week
by Mrs. Juanita Dawson, Miss
Martha McLeod, Mrs. S.C.
Cureton, Mrs. Joyce Brown,
(Continued on Page 10-A)
$23,000 Raised In Walkathon
As 1,400 Walk For 20 Miles
The cerebral palsy walkathon
sponsored by the Elks (Hub
received $23,000 in pledges
Saturday, as some 1400 persons
made the 20-mile trip and only 20
fell by the wayside.
It was truly a “Happiness
Walk” as it was designated by
Southern Pines Elks Lodge No.
1692, with girls and adults joining
the boys who were in the
majority.
First back to the clubhouse,
where the walk started at 8:30
a.m., was long-distance runner
William Bass, who made the 20
miles toward Fort Bragg and
back in 214 hours.
Also making the whole
distance was Fred Morgan in a
wheelchair.
Latest stragglers were in by
4:30 p.m. All walkers were
served a fried chicken dinner.
Following their parade that
day. Girl Scouts were picked up
and taken to join the marchers
and made the rest of the trip.
Exalted Ruler Jack Barron of
the Elks Lodge called the
walkathon a big success, and
gave his thanks to the Citizens
Band Radio Club, the local
Cerebral Palsy organization, the
Sheriff’s department, the local
law enforcement officers, the
Fort Bragg Military Police, and
the Par Seekers and BPO Does,
women members of the Southern
Pines Elks Country Club.
MAKES 20 MILES — Fred Morgan in a wheel chair was among those walking the
entire 10 miles and back in Saturday’s Elks-sponsored Walkathon. The walk
received $23,000 in pledges.—(Photo by Glenn M. Sides).