Hear Governor A. W. McLean Speak at the Oak City High School Wednesday May 6, 1925
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VOLUME XXVI—NUMBER 23
GRAND JURY SHOWS QUICK ACTION
Charge by Judge Sinclair Is Model for Conciseness
Returns 33 Indictments In >
Record Time; Needleman
Will Stand Trial for Life
Five Alleged Members
of Mob Back in Jail;
Others Out on Bond
The grand jury for
the special term of court,
after a short but pointed
charge from Judge'N.
A. Sinclair, came back
at the court with equal
promptness, turning in
33 true bills in less than
three and a half work
ing hours, which may be
the speed record for the
State.
The grand jury found ■ true bill
against Joseph Needleman, chargiii*
him with a capital felony, rape.
True bills were also returned
against eight of the alleged mob mem
bers, charging them with the crime o
mutilation. They art: F. W. Sparrow,
F. W. Sparrow, jr., and Claro Heath,
of Kinston; Julian Bullock, H. U.
Griffin, and Roy Gray, of Roberson
ville; E. C. Stone and Johnny Gurkln,
of Griffins Township.
Bills charging accessory to jail
breekingftwere found against Edgai
Johnson, •%£ster Edmondson, Ton,
Harrell, L. A Croom, Louis Johnson,
Jaa. H. Gflsy, Grady Smith, E. C.
Stone, JohfGray Corey, James H.
Coltrain, P. Griffin, Johnny
Gurkin, Albert Gurkin, ClaWnee Gur
kin, A. T. Lilley, Allen Griffin, J. 1.
Smithwick, Benny lilley, Roy Gray,
Sherwood RBberson, E C. Stone, John
A. Griffin, A. W. Griffin, Hubei-.
Griffin, and ClaroTleath.
In the cases charging accessory to
Jail breaking Edgar Johnson, Louis
Johnson, James H. Gray, and She»-
wcod Roberson all mode the plea ol
nolo eontedeie.
A. W. Griffin and Hubert ©limn
plead not guilty through their counse.
and Ben Lilley, who had no counsel,
plead not guilty.
All the parties charged with tho
principal offense plead hot guilty.
Cases Consolidated
Solicitor Donnell Gilliam presented
a mc ion to the court asking that all
the eases be consolidated that trial
be commenced Tuesday aftemooiv
S olicitor Gilliam stated that upon con
sideration and investigation he felt
that Martin County WAS the prop*,
p'.nce to try the case for various rea
sons. That fie had every reason to
believe that a fair and proper tna.
could be had here for the State.
Upon this motion Hon. John G.
Dawson, of Kinston, representing
Claro Heath, made an earnest plea
for continuance upon the ground that
he had expected the trial to be con
tinued to the court of some other
county and that he had not Lad proper
Strand Theatre
i -
- • .' ;
DON'T
FORGET
, THE SHOW
AT THE
STRAND
.TONIGHT
THE ENTERPRISE
Will Demonstrate Dusting for
801 l Weevil by Plane in Halifax
Scotland Neck, May I.—Arrange
ments haye been completed with a
commercial aihplaine company to
give a cotton-dusting, demonstra
tion to control the boll weevil on
the farm of J. A. Kitchin, of this
county, on Friday, May 15, accord
ing to County Agent C. E. Little
john, of Halifax County.
Mr. Littlejohn states—Uiat the
demonstration will be held on a
field of young cotton on Mr. Kitch
in's farm about two and one-halt
miles from Scotland Neck on the
Hobgood' road. The company wilt
have two airplanes and will actually
lay a dust Lloud of calcium arsenate
from the air. The cotton will be
too young and the boll weevils too '
few for the dusting to be actually
effective in control, but the idta is
to prove that airplane dusting is a
practical and effective way of com
batting the pest.
The work will be done under the
Spectators Must Pay
Attention to Court
Judge Sinclair called the atten
tion of the people attending court
Monday to the hsbit of nonstten
tion and disrespect tor courts,
and suggested that the fault was
not entirely with the spectators
bet frequently with members of
the bar.
Upon his recommendation •
motion was msde, seconded, and
carried recommending that the
court, officers, tiie bar, all people
interested, and spectators in at
tendance should rise while ( th*
sheriff convenes and adjourns
court.
Upon Ihe passsge of such mo
tion (he court ordered Ihst such
procedure be followed st each ses
sion of the court during this term.
time to prepare his case. He stated
that the defense of his client would
be an alibi. Judge Sinclair with
the solicitor, declaring it appurent
that sufficient notice had been given
all defendants, since they Had been
arres'.ed more than three weeks ago.
Attorney Fred I. Sutton represent
ing the Sparrows, also asked for more
time, but failed to impress the court
with the idea that the defendants had
not had plenty of time to sel up their
defense.
Cheeo Postponed to Wednesday
However, upon request of counsel
for the defense the case was postponed
until Wednesday morning ai 9 o'clock,
to give time for getting thair wit
nesses in court. —=-« i
The State asked that a special ve
nire be ordered to appear in the case,
whereupon the court ordered that by
consent of counsel for the State and
all defendants a venire of 2W Then
were ordered to be summ&ned by the
sheriff to appear in court on Wed
nesday, May 6, at 9a. m. 1
No plans have so far been an
nounced as to the trial of Josepi.
Needleman for the capital offense
charged.
Court will possibly have a rest day
today (Tuesday) while the sheriff Is
summoning the jury and the attorney*
are laying their plans for the big
fight Wednesday.
five Men Remanded to Jail
Just before the adjournment of
court Indie Sinclair called F. V
Sparrow, sr., and F. W. Sparrow, Jr.,
of Kineton, H. D. Griffin, Julian But
lock, and Roy Gray, at Robersonville,
to stand and placed them in the cus
tody of the sheriff, with Instructions
that they be UM to ftfl. AIT tho
other defendants wan permitted to
leave npder their «eptfß*e UHSs.
Mr. Tan Dsmopoet, ef Oak City,
Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, May 5,1925
Huperviboin of Mr. Littlejohn and
Extension Entomologist W Hruce
Ma bee, of State College. Mr. Little
john already has about 1,500 acres
of cotton signed up which the plant
ers will dust with airplanes if fhe>
are convinced by the demonstration.
"Last year," says Mr. Little
john, "Scotland Neck and the neigh
boring communities in lower Hali
fax had more cotton under "protec
tion "by the use of calcium arsenate
dust during the first season of dam
age than any other community in
the South. Five thousand acres
were protected during the season.
There were 80 of these big three-row
"dusters ready for operation and a
majority of theim were used. This
is one reason why the Scotland
Neck community was selected foi
the demonstration. We want cotv
ton farmers from every cotton
growing county of the Stale to at
tend this demonstration on May
16."
TWO PLAYS PUT ON -
IN ROBERSONVILLE
High School Publicly Tlurta HhoM
Who Auiitcd in Two Musical
Comedies There
(Special to The Knterprise)
Robersonville, May 6.—The Rober
sonville 11 iRh School wishes to use this
means in expressing it h gratitude to
all who had a part in staging and
producing the two musical comedies
recently _ rendered in the auditorium.
We owe a debt of gratitude to e&ch
and every person who participated.
With a feeling of intense thankfulness
we delight in giving you the honor foj
all success of the plays. We eoneede
the fact that without your untiring
effort, your willingness, your goo»
humor, your gratuitous service, ami
your delightful personalities, success
could not have come.
We beg to acknowledge with pleas
ure the several abilities of each mem
ber of the troupe.
Special mention is herewith made of
Miss Margaret Stevenson as pianist;
Mrs. Mayo Lit le as "Itose"; Miss
Elizabeth Hunt as "Jacqueline Deaux
vill' '; Miss Helen Rober. on as "Babe
fiuinette"; Mr. Clyde, Cverette as
"Jerry"; Mr. Warrington as "Fa Per
kins"; Mis r Varina Smith as "Ma Per
kins"; Mr. Robert Arikin:. as "J. Dil
lingham Jones"; Mr. Sherwood Rob
erson as "Props O'Reilly"; Mr. Edgar
Johnson as "Percy Peabody"; Miss
Helen Gurganus as "French Maid";
the high school girls and toys as chor
us girls and soldiers. We also thank
the public for the generous patronage.
R. I. LLAKE.
Secret Marriage in
March Announced
' Mrs. Maud Mizelle announces the
marriage of her daughter, Mart&a
Simmons, to Mr. Roy Lindell Ward, on
Saturday,„the seventh of March, nine
teen hundred and twenty-Ave. De
troit, Michigan.
The above announcement was mailed
to friends of the contracting parties
in several States last Saturday.
Mrs. Ward is the attractive daugh
ter of Mrs. James H. Micelle and the
late Mr. Miselle, of this city, and ha*
always been very popular with tht.
younger set. Far the past few years
she has made her home "hT Detroit,
where she waa employed by the Rl)m*
Real Estats Co.
Mr. Ward is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. J. W. Ward; jf BoAy Mount.
He has also made his home in Detroit
for ceveral years.
Mrs. Ward, who has been spending
some time with bar mother, will «•
turn to bar home at an early date.
, / j£
John L Hassell Not a
Candidate for Mayor
Very little interest is btini; man
ifested in the town election today,
an there is but one ticket to be
voted on. . l. f
It had been rumored that there
would be an independent candi
date in the Held, but in an inter
view yesterday Mr John L. Has
sell, the present mayor, who was
beißg mentioned aw the "independ
ent" candidate, stated that he
would under no circums.ancea be
a candidate, and that he knew ot
no other candidate.
Therefore, the field in left open
for Robert L. Coburn, for mayo*,
and C. O. Moore, W. T. STeadows,
(ieo. H. Harrison, (', it. llaHsell,
and E. P. Cunningham, for com
missionera.
MARCH AND APRIL
REPORTS OF AGENT
Farmers Buy Two Cars Tile; Also
Helps l/oad Two Cars Poultry;
Car Explosives Delivered
•a" 1
The following is the report of the
County Farm Demonstration Agent,
Mr. T. B. Brandon, for the month of
March;
21 days spent in field work.
6 days spent in office work.
161 conferences with farmers in re
gard to farming.
204 letters written.
67 farm visits made.
Traveled 867 miles on official duties.
7 articles written for newspapers.
15 orqtiards inspected.
201 hogs treated.
Aided farmers in buying two cars
of farm tile with u saving to them ot
slß4|oo.
Loaded, with Mr. Kisher, county
agent at Washington;, one car of poul
try, We secured 22 cents per pound
for hens, and 10 cents pound for old
roosters, cash at the car door. The
price paid the farmers was about 4
cents above the local market. This
county furnished about half of the car
which was XW)O pounds of poultry.
The report for April follows:
L 23 days spent in field work.
4 days spent in office worV
181 conferences with , farmers in re
gard ,to farming.
~ 166 le'.ters written.
874 miles traveled in regard to iny
work. '
201 hogs treated to prevent cholera
7 articles written for local papers.
J6 orchards inspected.
Delivered one car of explosives, with
a saving to the farmers of about sl,
800, Which will get up 10,000 stumps
in the county. At present I have re
quests for 11,000 pounds to be ordereo
in September or October.
A second car of poultry was loaded
With the county agent at Washington,
N. 1 C. We secured for the farmers,
cash at the car door, 23 cents a pound
for hens, and 10 cents a pound for
roosters. This price paid was abou>
6 cents above the local market,
Have arranged for a cotton-variety
teat on Mr. L. B. Harrison's farm on
the road to Washington. We are us
ing 10 different varieties o see which
will yield the beat. There will be
hoarti»*laced in front of eacn variety
so that the people can tell which va
riety they will like the best. From
this we hope to get gome valuable in
formation. .
Wants Farmers to
List Their Crops
Mr. D. • Matthew*, the county at*-,
sasKor, in anxious to get a complete'
list of the farm products from eacn
farm in the county.
The law requires that each farm
shall give to the tax lister, when Mul
ing his property tax, a complete state
ment of all crops, fruits, and. o'he»
income from farm crojis for the pre
vious year.
This is in no way intended to be a
base for taxation but to enable the
farmer to know whether or not he Is
making a profit on the farm.
it is very necessary that Tmrrflffw
should know as much about their busi
ness income as any other class of bus
iness' people. , ■.J
if—every farmer in the 6ount»-yib
make an accurate j&femerit of all
farm expense and income for the year
not, they wfll greatly kelp the local
talfctm.
; a j
TAKES SIDE WITH
COUNTV ATTORNEY
John W. liret'n Anuwern Attack Mailt'
By Mr. Hui(h M. Hurras Through - "
Knlerpritte Last Friday
To the Editor:
Mr. Burras said that he listened
very at.eiuively to v ttie highly -flavored
speech of Hon. Clayton Moore. This
is'- true, as Mr. Moore dots not nutke |
use of any speech anywhere other
than the highly flavored variety, even J
in u social conversation.
Mr'. Moore is full of the mentioned
"thunderstorms that come from a
clear sky";'clear and fair storms thai
always hit the spots where they aim
If some of our oilu-r officers of Mar
tin County were such men as Clayton
Moore, there would "probably 'be n
knols to untie.
There are some people who can sit
\and listen at a gentleman's speech f« i
!a whole day and then not know whttli
er he is pleading a* case at laW or
preaching the gospel.
As to goiwjj to'M f. Moore's home to
see him as county attorney, as stated '
by M.r. Burtas, I would judge that Hie
county commissioner's business was to
get advice and not to give advice.
As to rumors about STJ rtU Kobef*- I
son, I wish to say that have reason I
to believe that he did not have the j
slightest idea of any mob violence. I j
have found him to be a >higTi type of {
gentleman iii every respect, who cat
ries out the law, if possibly.
Mr. Moore earns every dollar pam
to him by Martin County as county
attorney. The tim?"~may have been,
prior to the present time, when the
county commissioners could have got
by without a fawyer, but our present
commissioners, or at least some ot
them, are badly in neelT of advice. As
a matter of fact, we have some coun
ty officers who get smaller salaries
than Mr. Moore, that we get less re
suits from than we do from Mr.
Moore, and we regret to have to pay
our money to them.
Mr. Moore is a full-bloodeiT "Smejl
can, a native of Martin County, North
Carolina, anil a Martin County attor
ney.' He performs Tifs duty. He Is
even as much or more known in the
capital city as he is' here at home
Tie is hot responsible for our hlirli
taxef whatsoever. I am sure Mr.
Moore pays his proportional pari of
'the taxes and has them paid up to
jlate.
I further wish to say. in conclusion,
that Mr. Moore went out in the fielft
and uskeil for his office like a man, at
he knew the people of old Martin
would support him. He did not slip
around and find if hole and secretly
slip into office at the eleventh hour
and ninety-ninth minute.
Mr. Moore has a perfect right to
appear for the defense in the Needle
man matter, as the whole affair on
both sides is a State case and not a
county one. It is tried in the State
courts and not in the recorder's court
of Martin County.
JNO. W. GKEENJ
• A Martin County Taxpayer.
Jamesville to Vlay
Wednesday
(Special to The Enterprise)
Jamesville May 4.—Everyone is co»-
dially invited to attend the ball game
I Wednesday here when the Jamesville
j High School meets Everetts. The
J game is expected to be a good as
i the teams are about e\enly matched.
Come out and see the pitcher work
| that has a record of 20 strike out*
during one game. Jamesville is boaat-
I ing of having won every first place In
athletics that it has took any part in
thja year, namely: Won every first
place in tracl; ST! basketball games;
all baseball games, so far.
Entertain for Dndor - ,
And Mrs. Pendleton
Dr. and Mrs. J. H. Saunders enter
tained*tsst night with two tables o.
bridge for Doctor and Mrs. Pendleton,
of Elizabeth City, who are visitim*
their niece, Mrs. C. H. Godwin, and
Mr. Godwin. _ Tu?
A salad course was aervoiT afte
cards had been played for "lwo"*tioura
Those present besides the guSSts of
honor were: Mr. and Mrs? Godwin,
Dr. and Mrs. J. S. Rhodes, Mr. an.
Mrs- S. R- Biggs, and Mr*. F. W
Heyt.
; .. ■•-. 'j m •_
Special Term for Trial of
Joe Needleman and Mob
~ ™?" *' • * •
Members Began Monday
| Co-op Head Sues ~| |
H H
%
9f- \p"
i jK, j,.-(\. • . S /
yVLi ii
Aaron Sapiro, originator of the
Farmers' Co-operative Marketing
plan, hah filed nuit for $1,000,000 '
against Henry Ford's Dearborn In
dependent denying that he is in "h
oonKpiracy of bankers who seek tu
control the food -markets of the
world "
Order Your Extra
Enterprises Now
All regular subscribers and
others wishing to receive
editions of the Enterprise con
tainin k news relative to the trial
now ill progress here are rvi|iiesl- '
ed to send 25 cents in coin to this, ,
ollice.
An edition will be pah
lished Wednesday night, and il is
probable that other extras will lie
printed this week, depending en
lirely upon developments .at t he
courthouse.
1 II we fall to publish more ifiaiY
one extra issue, we will itdwme
your- Tegular subscription one
k month ahead of lis present.siafid
ing.
Thin small sum Is asked to meet
the natural expense ol publishing
ihis paper, and a prompt remit '
lance will be appreciated, as we
would like i« iinow h"w man.\
copies ol'the extra tu-pi int.
Stamps will not fie accepted.
VfFTY YEARS Ol
RIDINO THE KAIL
Captain Haywood Clark, Veteran A.
(V 1.. Conductor, Retires After
Fifty Y ears of Service .
Captain; Haywood Clttrk retireu.
fun the service of the Atlantic Coast
l ine Railroad Company May the lsi r
after a continuous .service of titty
years. For many year Ca|».Hiii Clark
has been conductor on (Tie Norfolk
Wilmington run, making regular tinis
He first served on the,('oust Line on
the road running from Uncle y 'Mount
to Tarboro. I.ater, when ilie line was
extended to Wllliamston under the oln
Albemarle & Kuleigh charter, he] canto
jon this lint for some' time.
It woulil be interesting to know
many passengers Captain Clark ha;-
hauled, as well as the number of miles
he has traveled Doubtless fthe dis
tance travelq/l would hav • carried him
around the earth a hundred times or I
£ ■> '
more.
Cap"»in ' Clark has always been!
faithful to hn trust ait it a friend t »
the traveling public,
Mr. T. A. ilrinkley, who for a nun»
■far ■ of yeainf Txtw bocir conductor oil
the Kocky Mount-Plymouth train,
hpen transferred to the Norfolk-Wil
mingto.h train, the*position being maut
vacant hy the retirement of Captain;
Clark.
Mr. S. C. Snead, of Shawsvilse, Va.,j
arrived Wednesday night to uccom '
party Mr. I. G. White, who has bieenj
suffering from an attack of appendi- ;
citis for the past few days at the home
of Mr. and Mrs, A. K. Dunning, where
he W{M • guest, to his home in Shawn
ville.
« ' *.
■J ■ 1 ' ■* s
AUVKRTISKRS WILL FIND OUR -
•ill.l MNS A LATCHKEY TO 1600
ttOMKS OF MARTIN COUNTS
ESTABLISHED 1898
Crowd Fills Courthouse;.
Charge of Judge Short
l»ut to the Point
Hit' courthouse was tiWfd and stand
ing room was at a premium. Faces
not I'iioiiliar to our folks were dotted
Tfvfr the room and cars from towns
over this section of the State were
linud up mar the building.
Two men, C. C. Fleming and 9. h.
Jolly, wer« the only ones th'at had
been drawn as jurors who were not
present when the. list was read* out.
They hail been properly excused.
Tile following were drawn to serve
"oil'tHi* grand' jury: —: — *~§
tleorge 11. Harrison, foreman; J. F.
i nsp. I. F r Stokes, S. S. Hailey, vV'.
i 1 teach"; \V„ A Casper, F. S. Purvis,'
'1 \\ Davenport, VV. L. Tfiylor, J. S.
John "Hi, 1.. I. Ivlmohdson, L. H. Hux, •
K A Kilmoiuisoii, J. Ti Bennett, J. M. ~™
~iuhiiMiii, 11. I! Koberson, •( . J./tlriflln,
(i"o. W Martin. t '
Judge Sinclair's Charge
Judge Sinclair, who is conswered IB
be niie of the .-.trongest judges of th«.
State, made his charge when the jury- "
men had taken their seats in the box.
Hi: began by impressing upon" them .
that they Wi re a part of the courr,
but independent in that justice was
en 1 irely in their hands and should they
I tail to administer*it it was lost.
The best type of government can
| mil. be maintained', he said, unless
> courage and character are found ni
' the jury box, nut only of the grano
jury hut of the trial jury as well. He
called attention to tjie fact that tfte
commissioners could discard an entire
- body of jurors and replace it with an
otl.er, it' the members lacked intelli-
Jj
gence und moral character.
ThesStnt"'.- criminal procedure form J
was upheld, hut the judge -said the
j t>renter proportion of the weakness bf
I the procedure of the criminal, courts
j lies in th- juries.
The ci iiiimal laws of 'he State dfe
) vide the violators of the law into three
| general'classes. The third class em
braces such crimes as atfect society at
i hug", ahd the individual is not ex
pec'ed to prosecute, but the State
r uul, .therefore, the charges go _
1 before a grand jury.
I'eoplt* Should Learn Constitution
Our people should be taught the con
i itu ion, lit: said, and they would have
more respect for the law. The law
that pro'ects our property and our
lives is the greatest blessing that we
have and therefore our juries should
be careful to see that the law is car
ried The Fdniond Burke theory,
which says the king in his palace has
no right to enter the home of the most
humble peasant without the propel
j process of law, is the foundation for
all the law '.hat exists in our country
today. _ " r*
—"With the grand jury rflsts tne
|K>wer of the preservation of the good
nanw> of yotir county," concluded thfc
| judge. '
His charge was .short, but teeming
with reason, fairness, and firmness.
Henry D. Taylor was made offlce>
1 of the grand jury and the solicitor
placed all bills .in the ttamfs of the
jury, after which the court recesses
| shortly before 11 o'clock until 2.30.
Press Representatives Here
The foliowifig newspaper men are
in attendance upen the epeelal term oi
ci urt here tlu,s week: 4
Mr. William Richardson, of Raleigh,
representing the Associated Press,
j Carl (Joerch, of Washington, reprv
scnilng the Washington .Progrese.
lien Dixon MacNtil, of Raleigh, rep
resenting the 'News and Observer.
R. K. Powell, (if Rnleigh, represent*
| lnf> various newrapapers over the State,
The special term of the 1 superior
j court of Martin County called by Gerf-
J ernor an fop- the trial of th* :
i criminal assault against Jo» J
I Needleman, Kinston tobacco >alesman, j
! and the mob violence cases against, ■
j twenty-nine men of Martin and Lenou iJ
counties, convene*! here J
I morning at 10.45, with
' Sinclair, of Fayetteville, presiding,'-!
untl Solicitor Donnel Gilliam, who ha» 1
"done such efficient work in roundinglß
up the members of the mob, prose.