North Carolina Newspapers

AJvtrtiMre WBI Pad Our Col am* i Latcfck«r to Over Sixteen H—drsd Martin Cs—ty Hones VOLUME XXXIV—NUMBER 59 2 MEN ARRESTED FOR ROBBERY OF FILLING STATION Will Be Given Hearing In Windsor Next Friday Morning Mack Cameron and J. D. Ward, white men, were arrested in Bertie County Iste last night in connection with the two filling station hold-ups in that county the night of September 10. The two men, riding the late Norfolk to Raleigh bus. left Norfolk at 9 o'clock and stopped at a filling sta tion near Windsor. Officer Locke Smallwood happened to be around, and the two men were immediately arrest ed, it was learned here this morning. Several arrests were reported in Virginia cities in connection with the robberies, but in each case the wrong nisn was picked up. A hearing for the accused men was scheduled to be held in Windsor this morning at 10:00 o'clock, but at the request of Cameron and Ward, no ac tion will be taken before Friday of this week when they plan to intro duce witnesses. In a story published last Friday, the Bertie Ledger-Advance states: "Be sides a reported suspect held in Nor folk, J. D. Ward, of Williamston, but formerly a resident of Bertie and hus band of Mary Ward, keeper of the Well known institution of 'Blue Heav en,' a bawdy house which was broken up some time ago, is suspected. Al though Dempsey and Harrellhave not been positive in their identification of Ward, he is believed to have been one of the men and is being sought by Sheriff Cooper. The robbers did not wear nt^sks. "An automobile of the same descrip tion as that used by the highwaymen earlier Thursday bought gasoline from Todd'a filling station at Connaritsa and drove away without paying while the owner had gone inside to make change for drinks the men had. ordered. The license number, a North Carolina tag, was taken down by the owner of the station as the car drove away. The car was occupied by three men an swering the description of the filling station stick-up men. The information Cis turned over to Sheriff Cooper and s been used by him in his efforts to apprehend the criminals." OLD BELT MARTS TO OPEN TODAY Price Paid There La»t Year Nearly 2 Cents Lower Than This Belt Seventeen North Carolina tobacco market* in the oh) bright belt are opening the season today, and, accord ing to report* coming from the town* where the market* are located, better price* are expected. Apparently the better price* are bated mainly on hope, lor the fact* are against them.' Laat year the price* paid on the old bright belt markets averaged $11.99, aa com pared with $13.41, average price paid latt year on bright belt markets. Price* on the bright belt market* thia year are averaging from 10 to 60 per cent below thoae paid laat *ea*on. Report* on the activitiea on thoae market* will be hardly more than of passing interest to farmer* in thi* *ec tion, for our grower* are "fed up" on the old tobacco buiine**. n ii* PLANS SPECIAL SERIES SERMONS Baptist Church Prepares for Constructive Work During Pall By R». C. H. DICKEY An autumn series of Sunday evening »ermon subjects of unuaual interest mi announced at the Baptist church «t the Sunday aervjcM....... Realizing that the churches do their Constructive work during the cooler months of the yaar, this church opens wit the enlarement of its B. Y. P. U. program, the election of a new set Of Sunday school officers; entertains, in three week*, the sessions of the Ro anoke association; and launches a se ries of Sunday night special discourses. The subjects to be featured for the next five Sunday nighta are these: What We Owe the Methodist Church; What We Owe the Roman Catholic Church; What We Owe the Episcopal Church; What We Owe the Presbyterian Church; and What We Owe the Christian Church. i It ia felt that these subjects, fairly bandied, will prove interesting to the •pmmunity at large; throw much light on the wof* of the several denomina tions; and promote further a feeling appreciation among the several com panions in and about Williams ton. £The first sermon m the series will fie delivered next Sunday night at f;JO o'clock, and wUI be a discussion the contributions of the Methodist THE ENTERPRISE Largest Sale of Season Held On Local Market Yesterday The local tobacco market had its largest break of the Mason yester day when last of the offerings were sold. With Urge quantities of tips and the inferior gradea on the floors, the average waa report ed at 97.96 a hundred pounds, a price slightly higher than that received a few days before. Sales yestenfcy morning were Not To Try Church Case in November MEET OF COTTON GROWERS TO BE HELD THURSDAY Similar Meetings Will Be Held Throughout The State That Day I There will he a meeting of cotton ifarmers of Martin County at the City Hall in Williamston Thursday, Sep tember 24, at II o'clock a. m. | Similar meetings have been called for every town in the cotton-growing sections of the State at the same time. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the cotton reduction question, especially in relation to legislation regulating the acreage in the cotton States. Some counties in thi* State have al ready held meetings. Smithfield, in Johnston County, passed resolutions at a mass meeting held Wednesday of last week. , Kvery farmer and business man in the county who feels an interest in the profitable growing of cotton is ur gently requested to attend the meet j ing on Thursday, which will be held in the town hall, on account of the session of the superior court at the courthouse. Resolutions passed by the growers at Smithfield last week follow: "Whereas there is an indicated pro duction of cotton in the United States for 1931 of nearly 16,000,000 bales; and whereas this added to the 9,000,000 bales surplus now on hand, according to government reports, has already reduced the price of cotton below aix cents a pound, which is far below the cost of production; and whereas it is the belief of thia meeting that if this Cotton crop sells for around 6 cents a pound throughout the South, it means financial disaster for the entire cotton growing belt; and "Whereas there is a movement on foot among tlie cotton-growing state* of the South to curtail the production of cotton in 193«2 by legislative act*: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, that this meeting does hereby endor*e thia movement to cur tail the acreage by legislation for 1932, and that we petition our Gover nor of North Carolina, the Hon. O. Max Gardner, to call a speciall session of. the North Carolina Legislature im mediately following action by Texas, and that thi* session he restricted to discussion and passage of cotton re lief measures only and use hi* influ ence to enact similar legislation to that passed by Texas and other cot ton growing states." MRS. HARRELL RESIGNS POST - • Poor Health Forces Her To Give Up Work In the Local High School ♦ After serving well the public for a long number of years, Mrs. W. H. Harrell resigned a* a member of the local high ichool faculty yeiterday on account of poor health. Her reiigna tion wa* received with much regret by local ichool authorities and old and new pupils were sorry to learn that physicians advised against her con tinued school duties. I a her long and faithful service to the public, Mrs. Harrell untiringly di rected thousands of youth in their, edu cational pursuits, and they, now grown and citizens of various states, will be sorry to learn that ill health forced her to give up her school duties. Several changes in the local teaching staff were made necessary by Mra. Harrell'* resignation, but a reorgani zation was perfected yesterday, and today the schools were operating on regular Miss Esther Get ting, teacher of the sixth grade, ia now n member of the high school faculty- Miss Martha Anderson will teach the sixth grade, and Miss Mary Benson, substituting for Miss Anderson as teacher of the second grade, will con tinue at that post, Principal William R. Watson stated yesterday. Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, September 22,1931 brisk, but in the afternoon a slight drop in prices was reported. Prices continue Jp| tn all mar kets, and, with the exception of yesterday, sales hava been only of a fair sise on many of the mar kets. Approximately 75,000 pounds of the leaf are on the floors here to day, with prices rsnging about the same as they d)f| yesterday. IS CALLED OFF AT REQUEST OF THE PLAINTIFFS Attorneys Have Little To Say In Connection with Church Controversy The Smithwick Creek Primitive Baptist Church case will not be tried at the November term as was schedul ed some time ago, it was learned at the courthouse here today. At the re quest of the plaintiffs, the case was called off, there being some doubt as to whether it will be called at a later term Attorney in the case had very little to say when questioned as to the status of the caae other than to say it would not be heard during the No vember term. Possible agreement among the plaintiffs, it was rumored, might result in the calling off of the case altogether. The case was set for trial by plain tiff attorneys when tliey appeared be fore Judge Clayton Moore here last June. | The case directly or indirectly, in volving a greater part of the popula tion in Griffins township, was tried here in March of last year. During an [entire week, the proceedings were heard by a Pitt County jury and a [packed auditorium. Sunday morning, I just five minutes after midnight, and 'after a deliberation lasting more than [eight hours, the jury returned a ver dict favoring the plaintiffs in the case. | Following a few short talks, in which | the defense counsel argued that the verdict be set aside and plaintiff coun sel argued that the verdict be allowed ito stand, Judge U. A. Sinclair, trial [judge, set the verdict aside. In a brief introduction to hii action, the 'judge stated that in all his years on ■ the bench, he had reverted juries but three times, that he respected the Jury system and regretted it neces sary to alter the decision. Then he *tated that the verdict was contrary to the evidence offered and that l\e would be forced to set it aside. BRIEF CHARGE TO GRAND JURY Judge Grady Instructs The Jury In Handling Bills - Of Indictment In a brief charge to the grand jury here yesterday morning, Judge Henry A. Grady, of Clinton, inatructed the jurymen in regard to bills of indict ment and their duty and obligations in performing their work as representa tives of the people. The charge was to the point, a* the judge was arriving. A warrant running in the name of the State and charging an individual with one or more crin\es should be thoroughly investigated, the jurist stated. The jurymen should examine every witness that they might be rea sonably sure that the defendant was involved to some extent before return ing a true bill. However, no witness should be examined in the presence of another witnes*, or any other perion except the jury, he added. Judge Grady initructed the mem bers of the jury to investigate all county offices and officers, including justices of the peace, the law requir ing them to make reports of all casea disposed of and how to the clerk of tfie court, at well as the fines collect ed therefrom. Misunderstanding Cause Of Late Court Opening Due to a misunderstanding between Judge Henry A. Grady and Solicitor Don Gillam, the judge arrived here more than an hour late to convene the regular term of Martin County Super ior Court. It was the jurist'* understanding 4bat the solicitor would pick him up at Bethel.' Upon arriving here from his home in Tarboro, Solicitor Gil lam failed to find Judge Grady, and be went back to Bethel for bin. » * 100 ARRESTED IN PROHIBITION RAIDS REGULAR TERM SUPERIOR COURT BEGAN MONDAY —. * ■ Manslaughter Charge Pre ferred Against Ernest Vick by Grand jury After a delay of more than an hour, Judge Henry A. Grady, of Clinton, convened the regular term of superior court here yesterday morning, the court calling »even cases during the first day. Very few cases had been called today, the court spending much time on a rape charge preferred against Claudia Witks. Reviewing the work of the last term, Judge Grady found many- bills of cost unpaid. Six arrests resulted immedi ately thereafter and three of the de fendants, unable to pay, continued in jail this afternoon. Yesterday the grandjury returned six bills, Officer James stating at noon today that the body would hard ly complete its work before tomor row. Cases disposed of yesterday and up until noon today, include the follow ing: The case, charging Jeff Ausbon with driving an automobile while un der the influence of liquor, was con tinued until December. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the costs in the case charging John Jasper Black with dis orderly conduct. Defendant Teddy Jackson, charged with being drunk and disorderly, was discharged. Primus Sherrod, charged with house breaking and larceny, was found not guilty. Buck Outterbridge -was sentenced to the roads for a period of eight months for carrying a concealed wea pon. In the case charging James Bullock with larceny, the defendant entered a plea of guilty of forcible trespass. The plea was accepted by the court and judgment was suspended upon payment of the costs of the action. The case of Sam Raynor, charging him with larceny and receiving, was called Monday, but the case was not heard until today. He was found guilty, but sentence had not been im posed at noon today. Shortly before noon, the court was hearing a long, drawn-out case charg ing Claudia Wilks with raping two colored girls. True bills returned Monday by the grandjury, include the following: Primus Cherry, assault;' Prim Sher rod, house breaking and larceny; Jeff Little, having carnal knowledge;.. Ernest Vick, manslaughter; Fletcher Bryant, seduction; and Henry Nichols larceny and receiving. DECLINE SEEN IN TOBACCO TAXES 1 Cigarettes Show Decided Decline During 2 Months Of New Fiscal Year Washington, Sept. 19.—A sharp de cline in tobacco tax receipts in the first tWo months of this fiscal year was shown today by the internal revenue bureau. In August the taxes totaled $35,783,- 777, a drop of $3,394,467 as compared with August, 1930. The taxes for the flrst two months of the fiscal year a mounted to $75,002,748, a decline of $7,157,341. Cigarettes led the way in the de crease with a drop of $6,649,409 in taxes in the two months. Large cig ars dropped off $569,520, while chew ing and smoking tobacco produced $24,974 less income. Woman's Club To Hold Meeting Here Thursday Meeting next Thursday afternoon at 4 o'clock (or the first time in the 1931- 32 club year, the local Woman's Club will make plans for an extensive civic work in the community during the coming fall and winter, it is under stood. The matters scheduled for dis cussion are of great importance, and the officers of the club are soliciting a loyal support upon the part of all peo ple in the community. Every mem ber and any one else interested in the welfare of the community are urgently requested to attend the meeting. Mr. and Mrs. A. McKenzie To Make Their Home Here Mr. and lira. A. McKenzie, located in Windsor for several yeara, have moved here and are making their home with Mrs. Fannie Crawford, on Haughton Street. Mr, McKenzie is connected with the ■State motor vehicle license bureau,' and will continue that work frotn his new location here. ' Corporation Values Certified to County ATLANTIC COAST LINE VALUE DROP ABOUT4PERCENT Value of Five Corporations Reporting Given At $2,883,611.32 The I'M! valuation of property owned by five corporations in the county was listed at $2,883,611.32 by the State Hoard of Assessment, ac cording to a report received from that body*- by Register of Deeds J. Sam (ietsinger here yesterday. Peculiari ties surround the values given this year, and it is not known just how the values compare with those listed by corporations operating in this county last year. | Values for the Western Union Tel egraph Company, listed at $12,770 last year, and those of the Southern Hell Telephone Company, listed at $3,5-19 last year, were not reported, but, it is the values will be announced within the next few days. A substan tial increase in the value of the Sou thern Bell's pro|>erty is looked fur, as ,it is declared to be worth five times [the value listed last year. While there is a slight increase in Carolina iTclephone and Telegraph Company lvalues in this county, it is generally believed that the property'" is listed shamefully low. ' ' •> The valuation of the Virginia Klec tric and Power Company's properties jwere listed this year at $79,921132 by | the State Hoard of Assessment. The property was listed ' differently last I year. It is understood that the com jpany had- virtually agreed to list its property in Martin County at $113,055, 'making it difficult for one to under-! stand the hoard's action. The matter w ill be investigated along with several | other variations in an elTort to gain' the true facts in the case, even if no increase in values is gained. Only tour corporations reported' tlu'ir corporate excess for taxation. 1 Taxes arc levied on corporations aside J from llieir real and. personal proper ties when the capital stock is listed for more than the property itself. In other words, if a corporation's stock is listed at $l5O, and its real and personal property is listed at SIOO, then a tax is levied against SSO, known as corporate excess. The Atlantic Coast Line, probably suffering as much, if not a great deal more, from truck competition and gen eral depression, continues as the county's largest taxpayer. Its values dropped from $2,866,744 laM year to $2,746,510 this year, the decrease be ing much smaller than was anticipated by the county authorities. The corporation values, in this coun ty, as determined by the State Hoard of Assessment for 1931, arc as fol lows: A. C. L. Railroad $2,746,510.00 | Railway Express Agency 1,477.00 Kastern Telephone Co. 3,938.00 Carolina T. & T. Co. 51,716.00 V. E. «t P. Co, .... 79,070.32 Total $2,HH3,611.32 The Coast Line listed 52.71 lyiles of load in the county, the board assess ing each mile at $52,106.05. Corporate excess was listed as fol lows: Corporate Excefa Standard Pert. Co. $24,342.00 Hank of Hamilton 14,151.00 Hank of Rol>cr*onville 24,800.00 Branch Bank 2,240.00 SCOUT OFFICIAL TAKES UP WORK O. Jack Cordray Is Now at Head of Scout Work In This Area O. Jack Cordray, Scout Executive of the Wilson Area Council, successor to Mr. Herbert Stuckey, has officially as sumed his duties in the district, whiclj embraces this county. Already Mr. Cordray has made contacts with the chairmen of many of the district com mittees in the area and expect*, to viait the remaining districts at an early date. Mr. Cordray comes to the Wilson Area Council with many successful years as Scout Executive to his credit, having served Scout Councils in Flor ida, Georgia, and South Carolina. It is the expressed wish of the new ex | ecutive that every one having a part in the building of the" Scout council to which he has been elected, continue their support and splendid cooperation, as in the past. GOLD STANDARD ABANDONED BY GREAT BRITAIN Drastic Steps Are Taken by British Cabinet To Avert Financial Catastrophe In an effort tn check the outflow of gold from its hanks. Great Britain went off the gold standard Sunday, creating for that country one of the most serious financial crises in a num ber of years. Stock exchanges in the country and in sections of other coun tries have been closed, but hanks will operate as usual. Reports released in connection with (Irea Britain's action read: —Great Britain's tumble from the gold standard, in the suspension of the gold redemption act, is expected by financial authorities in New York to cause a degree of inflation in England, and, at least temporarily, some stim ulation of business activity. "Leading bankers were reluctant to discuss the matter formally, because of the political controversies raging in England, but made it clear that they were in sympathy with the emergency measures adopted. ''They also explained that the effects upon the United States would be lim ited, owing to amount of American money now in England, much smaller, indeed, that the Ameri can funds in Germanv. "It is dear that the action proposed that the British pdund sterling will temporarily find a much lower level thatr the s4.K> 5-8, in terms of the dol lar, to which it was restored in 1M25, after falling far below parity during the war and the post-war deflation. The pound sterling fell as low as $.1.20 in 1920. , "It is clear front the announcement, however, that the • $650,(KM),000 Franco- American credits extended to the Brit ish Government and the Hank of Eng land during August will not he affeet ed, since these are payable in gold dol lars and francs, and will not he paid in the depreciated sterling. Also the American dollar bonds of Great Brit ain, offered in this market, are payable in gold dollars. " I be suspension of the gold redemp tion act'merely means that the Bank of England will cease to sell gold at the fixed parity bjr which the pound sterling has been maintained in'* the fixed ratio to other currencies. In effect, it will presumably stop selling gold altogether. In the foreign ex change market, when there has been such offerings of the pound sterling | that it was available below its gold parity, in relation to other currencies, it has been profitable for banks*fo ac quire sterling pounds in the market, convert them inu*- Kold —a"t parity, and then convert the gold into other cur rencies by exporting the gold." The British situation summarized: To meet the worst financial crisis since the , world war, Great Britain Sunday night took the following dras tic steps: Abandoned the gold standard tem porarily. Closed the Condon Stork Exchange and other exchange* throughout the country. Kaised the Bank of England dis count rale from 4 1-2 to 6 per cent. Prepared to rush through Parlia ment Monday legislation confirming the Cabinet's action. Warned the country that further re strictions will be authorized if they are made necessary. Banks, however, will operate as usu al today, and the Government has ad vised a policy of "business, as usual" throughout the country. In New York, it was stated the S6SO,(MX),(KM) Franco-American credits extended to the British Government, and the Bank"of England recently will not be affected. Americans with sterling balances in British hanks will suffer a considerable depreciation, fyut such balancesr.are small. Conversely, Americans who have their funds in dollars and owe money in England or contemplate purchases in England will benefit. Wall Street was in sympathy with | the emergency measures adopted. It was indicated authoritatively the Berlin Bourse would be closed today as a repercussion of the British situa tion and there were reports that other Continental exchanges would also be closed. Leading New York bankers met last night to discuss the developments and to determine what steps they would take in connection with probably re actions in this country. Watch the Labal On Your Paper As It. CarriM the Date When Your Subscription Expire* -ESTABLISHED 1898 ■f ♦ — 22 MEN FROM THIS COUNTY AMONG . THOSE ARRESTED All Defendants Give Bond For Appearance at Next Federal Court One of the most complete round-ups ever reported in the Washington Di vision was staged last week by Fed eral Prohibition enforcement officers when they arrested more than 100 li quor law violators in this part of the State. Twenty-two- Martin County men were caught in the raid started in this crtunty several weeks ago. Charges have been preferred against several o'tHer men in this county, but their arrests have riot been effected at this time, i 1 lea rings were held for the Martin County defendants last Friday after noon by a local I'nited States Com missioner, and bonds were arranged in alt the 22 cases, the defendants to appear before Judge Meekins in Wash ington next month. 'i. Manufacturers were just abottf ig nored in the raids, the officers direct ing their drive against the possessors and sellers. \\ orking under cover, Agent Andrew picked up violator after violator, the number being so many that identity was hard to establish in one or two of tile cases at the hearings hebl in the courthouse here last Fri day afternoon, l ifteen officers, headed by Director I'. M. Caudle, of Wilson, here last I hursday and started making their arrests on the changes establish ed by Agent Andrews. All of Thursday night the officers combed the country side and early Friday morning, when, looking toward the courthouse, one was led to believe that an extra term of superior court was in session. A similar scene was enacted over at Koxobel, in Bertie County Friday morning, • when 17 alleged violators, three women and fourteen men, were given hearings and required to fur i nish bond for their appearance before Judge I. M. Meekins in Federal court to be hebl at Washington next month. Bonds hinging from S2OO up to SI,OOO, were furnished in all cases, and the 3 l > Martin and Bertie defendants are now at liberty awaiting the Federal term of crmrt to convene. Wild rumors traveled lasthen the series of wholesale arrests \\4fs learned in this and Bertie' Counties last Fri day morning. Coming to the court house here early that morning, more than 100 citizens began to seek the identity of the unfortunate ones. At times; the conversations became rath er personal, friend asking of friend if the other was caught. Twti v automobiles,- a Ford and a Chevrolet, were confiscated in the raids and are now being held in gov ernment storage here, Those arrested in this and Bertie County and bound over to the Federal court, with the amount of their bonds, were : Martin County Horace Mendenhall, $500; Spence Meudetihall, $500; Louis Taylor, $300; Robert Price, jr., $300; John.James, s(>( M); Dave Biggs,,s4lXl; Mack Fierce, $5M); Ira Price,' s.itKl; Carry Bailey, s(>K); Mack Bullock, S.UKI; James Harrison, $5(Mh T. 1.. Robcrson, $750; Stauril! ,Will Evlans, $500; Staton Gurgamis, SS(M); Buck Nicholson, $200; Arthur Peel, $400; James Boston, SS(M); l.eroy Harrison, SS(K); Toby Rogers, SJK); Toby Bow en, s.oo; divert Whjtaker r S2(M). Bertie County |W. I! Phelps, $1 ,(KK); W. H. Jenkin*. 'jr., $250; Clyde Tarkenton, $500; I Raymond Parker, SI,(KM); Norman iWynu, $750; Hoy Hoggard, $250; C, 1,. Hoggard, $250; Mrs. Maggie Hog 'gard, $250; W. J. llarrell, SI,(HK); F. W. i'hillips, $250; Raleigh Doughty, $251); Mrs. Raleigh Doughty, $250; Lloyd Williford, $250; Mrs. I.loyil VVilliford, $250; Haywood Wynn, $375; Alton Raynor, $250; Tom Lassiter, $.500. Auto Belonging to Titus Critcher Stolen Saturday The Ford sedan belonging to Mr. Titus Critcher was stolen late last Sat urday night from in front of his home. Up until no >n today the machine had not been recovered, i'artiftlly covered by insurance, the car had been driven about .VUKX) miles. The following day, Mr. Critcher suf fered a second loss when one of his kfarm mules died. Revival Meet in Progress At Holiness Church Here Rev. M. Lee Oakley, of Greenville, began a revival meeting at Bethany Pentecostal Holiness chnrch hire Sunday. Large crowds arc attest ing the services, which continue throughout this week and probably longer.