Help Local Charity Work—Attend the Benefit Show Tuesday Night
m*.v . ' ,
Advertisers Will >nd Oar Col
ons a Latchkey to Over Sixteen
Hundred Martin County Homes
VOLUME XXXIV—NUMBER 77
83 DEATHS FROM
AUTO ACCIDENTS
IN PAST MONTH
♦
Nearly Six Hundred Per
sons Are Killed In the
First Ten Months
Raleigh, Nov. 20.—Speed, reckless
net*, and carelessness killed 83 per
sons and injured 496 more during Oc
tober, according to the figures on au
tomobile accidents released today by
L. S. Harris, chief of the theft and
license bureaus of the Department of
Revenue. So far, for the first ten
months of 1931, a total of 599 persons
have been killed and 4,416 injured in
automobile accidents, or twice as many
a* were killed in battle in the entire
Spanish-American war, in 'which 282 |
American soldiers were killed in ac- ]
tlon. In September, 77 were killed I
and 519 injured. In October, 1930,
only 70 were killed and 417 injured in
automobile accidents.
Since July 1, 1927, a total of 3,089 |
have been killed and 20,726 injured in
automobile accidents in North Caro
lina)"* The law requiring the automo
bile license division to keep statistics
on automobile accidents went into ef
fect July 1, 1927, and accurate sta
tistics go back only to tliat date.
"These statistics merely serve to
point out the need for greater care j n
driving automobiles and the need for
more conservative speeds," said Com
missioner A. J. Maxwell, of the De
partment of Revenue. "For the rec
ords show that excessive speed, care
lessness, and a disregard foe the laws
of the road arc ResponsibleVfor most
of these accidents. Drivers \jf auto
mobiles are in too big a hurry these
days. They should remember speed
it always dangerous and that it is
better to get where they arc going
late than to not get there at all or
than to get there it a hearse."
"If 83 persons should die from some
disease epidemic and 496 be iU from
it within a single month, the entire
state would be quarantined, and the
U. S. Public Health Service and the
Red-Cross appealed to," was the com
ment made by Dr. J. M. Parrott, head
of the State Board of Health. "But
speeditis and gaselinitis, accompanied
by a touch of hooch it is, can kill near
ly 100 persons a month and maim
nearly 500 more, and no one pays any
attention to it. Already thit year 599
have been killed and 4,116 injured—
more than were killed in the Spanish-
American war—and no one seemt
much aroused.
"If mad dogs had bitten 579 persons
in October, of which 83 had died, leav
ing the others injured, the people
would be in a state of hysteria. But
they are unconcerned at the thous
ands of heavy-footed motorists suf
fering from gasophobia and recklest
itit who are killing and maiming hun
dredt each month on the highway!."
METHODISTS END
ANNUAL SESSION
»■ •
No Change Made In The
Assignments to Charges
In Martin County
• —~
Closing its 95th session in Green- I
ville last Sunday the Nbfcth >
Carolina Methodist conference made ]
numerous changes in the assignments
of ministers, bat none affected the
pastorate personnel in the county. Rev.
C. T. Rogers returns here for hit sec
ond year, and Rev. A. E. Brown will
continue }iis work at ! Robersonvltle
and Hamilton.
As a result of the elimination of
one or two districts, Robersonville is
now included in the Rocky Mount dis
trict, with Rev. L. B. Jones presiding
elder. Williamston continues in the j
Elizabeth City district, with Rev. O.
W. Dowd at presiding elder.
Rev. B. D. Critcher, a Williamston
native, goes to Red Springs in the
Fayetteville district.
The session, closing the conference
Sunday, was well attended by Meth
odist followers from all over eastern
North Carolina, reports stating that
there were more than 2,500 in attend
ance upon the sermon delivered by
• Bishop Mouzon in the East Carolina
Teachers' College auditorium Sunday
morning.
Tbe 96th session of the conference
will be held in Rocky Mount next
year.
>
Local Masons To Hold
Regular Meat Tonight
» '■■■-
There will be a regular meeting of
the local masonic lodge, Sltewsrkee,
No. 90, tonight (Tuesday) at 7:30 p.
m., it waa announced yesterday. In
gtljilhin to the regular business, there
will be work in the third degree. AH
members art urged to attend, and
members of the degtoe team are par
ticularly asked to be on time.
THE ENTERPRISE
j—
> j*.'
A proclamation
To the People oj Williamston:
Whereas, our early forefathers of this nation in the midst
of privations and hardships were exceedingly grateful for a
bountiful harvest, and out of the gratitude of their hearts
set apart a day for thanksgiving in order that they might
more appropriately offer up their devotions to a kind provi
dence for their many blessings; and
Whereas, that manner of offering thanks has become a
national custom approved and requested by our President
j and Governor: Now, therefore,
I, Robert L. Coburn, Mayor of Williamston, happy to fol
low this custom, do hereby proclaim and set aside Thursday,
November 26th, as Thanksgiving Day, and call upon the
people of the town to honor and observe it by suspending
all unnecessary activities and by giving expression to the
gratitude that is in their hearts for all the blessings enjoyed
touring the past year.
While a survey of our town reveals the fact that our busi
ness, educational and religious institutions hav gone for
ward and made great progress in the midst of a general eco
nomic depression and that our general business conditions
are much better than thousands of other communities about
us, it is nevertheless true that there are some of our towns
people whq are in want and need. I therefore earnestly urge
the people of the town to contribute liberally to the funds
for charity; that our people make real sacrifices for the re
lief of suffering humanity everywhere. Let us ever remem
ber that our greatest contribution to life is the bringing of
cheer, happiness and good will to those who suffer. Then
when we have made sure that all of our people will be able
to enjoy the blessings of food and raiment, let us on this
.. _ Thanksgiving Day take time to offer up our devotions to
Deity for our many blessings, and petition divine relief for
suffering huhianity of all nations.
ROBERT L. COBURN,
Mayor of Williamston.
d
——————————■
I
—
Copy of First
Proclamation;
Washington While President
ON NOVEMBER 26
1789, DATE FIRST
OFFICIALLY SET
Proclamation Issued Over
Protest of Several
Representatives
■* ■ ♦
The custom of the President of
the United State* issuing annually a
Thanksgiving proclamation can be
traced back to the time when George
Washington was at the helm of the
nation's affair*. On November 2h.
(the same day on which Thanksgiv
-1 ing falls thi« year) 1789, President
i Washington proclaimed for the first
i time a national day of thanksgiving,
thereby setting a precedent for all
future President!.
Celebration of. Thanksgiving Day in
America, we are informed by the
United States Gefoge Washington
Bicentennial Commission, can be
traced back to the earlie»t day* of
the Maeaachusetta Bay Colony. From
I there the custom spread to all |>art*
)of the United State*,
i Washington'* first national Thanks
giving Proclamation met with some
objection*. When Elia* Boudinot, on
September 25, 1789, introduced a res
olution in the House of Representa
tive*, "That a joint committee of both
House* be directed to wait upon the
President of the United State*, to
request that he would recommend to
the people of the United State* a day
of public Thanksgiving and prayer,
to be observed by acknowledging and
grateful hearts, the many signal fa
vor* 0 Almighty God, especially by
affording them an opportunity to
establish a Constitution of' govern
ment for their safety and happiness,"
it met with protest from some of the
members.
.Representative Tbos. Tudor Tucker,
of South Caiftlina, argued that U was!
not the busines* of Congress to ask
for a national day of Thanksgiving, i
Representative Aedanus Burke, of
the same state, thought we should not
mimjc Europe "where they made a
mere moclsery of thanksgiving."
The objection* were foou over-rul
ed and a joint committee, made up of
(Continued on the back page)
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, November 24, 1931
|
THANKSGIVING
.———_———— —
A quiet day i* in atore for the
conununity next Thuraday, when
all busiiwa house* close and indi
viduals suspend their usual activi
ties to obuerve Thanksgiving Day.
No mail deliveries will be made
over the village or rural routea
and no window service will be of
fered at the local post office dur
ing that day. Mails will be dia
patchod as usual, and lock boxea
will he serviced.
A co-rununity service haa been
planned, and many local people
are expected to attend. Others are
planning to witness the Virginia-
Carolina annual football game in
Chapel Hill.
MRS LOUISA PATE
BURIED MONDAY
*
Died In a Washington Hos
pital Early Sunday
t Morning
——•
Mrs. Louisa Cherry Pate, of Wil
liam* township, died in a Washington
hotpital early Sunday morning from
a complication of diseaie* including
a tumor which was thought to have
been the main cause for her death. ,
She had been in feeble health for
some time, but up until ten days ago
she was able to be out. During thei
past few days she was in the hos
pital for treatment.
Mrs. Pate was 60 years old, the
widow of the late Samuel S. Pate who
' died about five month* ago of the
I same caute.
I Ten children survive the union.
They are, Mrs. Noah R. Roberson,
I Mrs, Julius Andrews, Mr*. Williford
' Hardi*on, Miss Louallie Pate, James
j E., Charles, Haywood, Sam, jr., John
I and Linwood Pate. Three brothers,
j Messrs. Jesse, N. S. and John D.
Cherry, also survive. =
About three years ago, Mrs. Pate
joined the Baptist church at RMdick**
Grove, her pa*tor, the Rev. 8,.
Harrington, conducting the last rite*
lerday afternoon. Interment
, in the family cemetery on the home i
| farm. 11
FORMER MARTIN
MAN NOT GUILTY
BERTIE HOLD UP
1 ♦ —
J. D. Warii Is Freed In the
Case Charging Him
With Robbery
•
Windsor, Nov. 20. J. D. Ward,
former Martin County man, and Mack
Campbell were found not guilty of the
h6ld-up and robbery of two Bertie
County filling stations by the jury
which deliberated over their verdict
for nine hours Thursday morning be
fore they reached an agreement.
The case was given to the jury
Wednesday afternoon at S o'clock
after consuming a day and half for the
presentation of evidence and argu
ment of counsel. Remaining in their
rooms until 10 o'clock Wednesday
night, the jury was unable to reach
a verdict. After sleeping over the case
Wednesday night, the 12 jurymen
were still unable to agree until the
verdict of not guilty was finally reach
ed at 11:30 o'clock Thursday morn
ing.
Ward and Campbell were charged
with having held-up at the point of a
pistol and robbed Alpheus Dempsey
of over S4OO in his filling station near
Windsor several weeks ago. On the
same night and shortly after the hold
up of Dempsey, they were charged
with robbing Will Harrell at his fill
ing station on the other side of town,
taking $27 from liini. Ward and
Campbell were sought by officers for
several days after the robberies, but
returned to Windsor and voluntarily
submitted to arrest.
Dempsey and Harrell both posi
tively identified Ward and Campbell
as the men perpetrating the robbery,
but the acquitted men set up an alibi
fehowing their presence in Norfolk on
the night of the robbery. A hotel
register showing them registered in
the Union Mission Hotel and the testi
mony of an acquaintance" of their
presence in Norfolk at the time the
robbery was committed sustained the
alibi in the trial.
Reverberations of the famous "Blue
Heaven," a house of prostitution
which was operated near Windsor for
several year* until the proprietress was
haled into court last spring and forc
ed to leave the county, were heard in
the trial. Ward, one of the accused
men, was the husband of the no
torious proprietress of the place.
Campbell was a friend of Ward's and
a habitue of the resort. Ward and
Campbell were accompanied by Mabel
Godley, woman of ill-fame, on the
night prior to the robbery of the fill
ing stations, when they testified they
'stopped at Han-ell's filling station,
one of those robbed, on their way
to Norfolk.
It was brought out in evidence that
Dempsey and Harrell were habitues
of "Blue Heaven" and acquaintances
of the Godley woman. The defense
used this evidence to discredit the
testimony of Dempsey and Harrell,
and use jealousy as a possible motive
for accusing the - defendants of the
crime.
12-YEAR OLD BOY
PAINFULLY SHOT
>
Ear of Haywood Holliday
Accidentally Shot Off
Early Sunday
Haywood Holliday, 12-year-old son
of Mr. and Mrs. Perlie Holliday, of
near Williamston, had a narrow es
cape from death last Sunday morn
ing when his ear was partly torn off
by a load of shot accidentally fired
from a gun in the hands of his broth
er, Rowland Holliday, 15 years old.
Several shot struck the boy in the
face, nearly closing one of his eyes.
The victim, deaf and dumb, was un
able to describe the shooting, but
his brother stated that they were go
ing out to kill a chicken and that the
gun fired as Haywood handed it to
him, stock first. A' variation in the
range of the gun would have either
i resulted in the boy's death or caused
the shot to misp him altogether.
•
Cotton Ginnings In This
County 288 Bales Short
Up to and including November M,
Martin County farmers had ginned
2,504 bales of cotton, or 288 fewer
units, than were ginned during the
same period last year.
The report, the latest made public
by the United States Department of
Commerce, M. W. Steuart, director
indicates that the production this year
will not be to very much smaller than
it was last season. Previous reports
I showed a difference of as many as
600 bales in the 1930 and 1931 pro
j duction, but this difference is becom-
I ing less, according to the reports
j filed.
Union Thanksgiving Service '
In Baptist Church Thursday
Following a custom of many
years standing, the cooperating
churches in Williamston will hold ,
their annual Thanksgiving service
in the Baptist church Thursday
morning at 10 o'clock, with the
Rev. Z. T. Piephoff, Presbyterian
pastor, preaching die sermon.
This follows a yearly rotation
which is worked out from time to
time by the local ministerial as
sociation. Heretofore, some of
these services have been held the
evening preceding the Thanksgiv
ing Day. However, it was de
cided this year that it would be
more in keeping with the season to
Plymouth Man, Native Russia,
Tells of Many Changes Noted
During Visit to That Country
1
5c FOR PEANUTS
During the next several week*,
The Enterprise will allow 5 cents
or more a pound for farmers' pea
nuts, applicable on subscriptions
to the paper. No broken bags are
I solicited, the publishing company
offering • three-year subscription
to the paper for each whole bag
delievered to its office on Main
Street. The offer is not limited
to new subscriptions but also ap
plies to renewals.
The Enterprise earnestly solicits
the patronage of its subscribers
i during this special arrangements,
believing it will be advantageous
i to all concerned.
WILL NOT CALL
SPECIAL SESSION
•
State Will Have No Part
In Acreage Reduction
V Legislation
Raleigh,. Nov. 21—North Carolina,
so long as it is guided by Governor
O. Max Gardner, will have no part in
movements designed to curtail crop
planting by legislation, according to
a statement in which the Governor an
nounced this state would not be
represented at a conference of South
ern Governors at Jackson, Miss., look
ing toward cotton reduction.
The Governor said his invitation
said "the "conference is being called
to make plans for uniform legislation
reduce cotton acreage in 1932"
and "insofar as North Carolina is
concerned, legislation does not offer
the most promising .remedy or re
lief."
He also said he was "unwilling to
ditch this state's 'live at home* pro
gram and substitute experimehtation
in legislation for acreage reduction."
CHARITY SHOW
HERE TONIGHT
i
Proceeds Will Be Used In
Helping Community's
Unfortunates
Those who would offer a helping
hand to their less fortunate brothers
are asked to remember the benefit
picture at the Watts Theatre here
Tuesday night, November 24, when
the management turns over to local
charity workers one-half the gross
proceeds for use in this community.
It was first announced that the
Woman's Club welfare committee
would sell tickets for the show to
night, and while that procedure was
considered, the benefit picture tonight
is one of the many that are being
sponsored throughout the country by
the theatre managers themselves. Mr.
Watts is voluntarily donating gnc-half
of his theatre receipts tonight to as
sist the charity workers in this sec
tion.
" ' ♦
Young Man Nearly Loses
Two Fingers in Pea Picker
♦ -
Sammie Clark, young white boy of
the Jamesville section ,had two of his
fingers pftrtly chewed off last Fri
day when his hand was caught be
tween two peanut picker cog wheeU.
Young Tlark was wearing an over
sized g|ove and it was caught be
tween the wheels, pulling his hand in
to the cogs. His fingers stalled the
mechanism of the picker, tearing out
the spokes of the main wheel and
throwing the driving belt from the
pulleys. 
hold the service on the day on
which Thanksgiving comes.
It is always the custom that at
these services the offering go to
the various orphan homes sup
ported by the several contributing
churches. It will be well fpr the
worshipers to mark their envelopes
and sign their names to avoid con
fusion, as the loose change offer
ing is divided equally among the
participating churches.
The general public is invited to
this Thanksgiving service, and it
ought to be a representative serv
ice for the several congregations
in the town.
T •
CONDITIONS ARE
JUST REVERSE OF
THOSE IN STATES !
Plenty of Work, But Little'
Food and Clothing
There
(The following story, carried 'in a
recent issue of the Roanoke Beacon, 1
Plymouth, carries first-hand tnforma- !
tion on conditions in Russia, and will, 1
we believe, be of interest our readers. 1
-Ed.) j
The Soviet government has brought
about a renaissance in Russia in the 1
last 18 years that has resulted in the |
people having plenty of work with a
scarcity of food and clothes, that
nuke conditions there opposite from
America, where there is an abundance
of food and clothes, but little work,
according to Ivan Pyshny, operating
engineer of the Chicago Mill and
Lumber Corporation here, who is back
today after a two months visit to the
land of his nativity.
The lack of fine clothes and the
scarcity of high-class food for the na
tives is blamed on a government that
is developing the idea of a five-year
plan of life for the Russian people
with the ambitious idea that more and
better machinery should be brought
into the country. The peasants have
their overalls and enough clothes to
keep them warm and ,a plenty of
coarse food with their seven-hours
work every day except for their rest
on the fifth day.
The government is grasped in a
craze of machinery. And these, ma
chines are being used to provide other
mechanical devices. Along with the
farming that is done in a collective
way, manufacturing plants are being
erected. Streets are being repaired
and builded anew. Bridges, railroads,
and dams are being constructed. Each
city and hamlet has its own building
program and employs numbers of per
sons under the supervision of the So
viet government.
Government Versus Free People
Most of the people in Russia have
long since been subdued by the gov
ernment. They work for the govern- (
ment, and in turn the government fur- ;
nishes them the necessities of life. All j
I the profit made from the crops and !
I other business enterprises is used by
the government to dump into machin
ery. Wheat and barley, the chief crops
(Continued on the back page)
Miss Lizzie Mizelle Died
Saturday Near Jamesville
Miss Lizzie Mizelle died at her j
home,) near Jamesville, last Saturday
of pneumonia, following an illness of
only a few days' duration.
Miss Mizelle was 61 years old, the
daughter of the lat Mark VV. and!
wife, Nancy Mizelle. She is survived i
by one brother, Dempsey R. Mi
zelle.
The funeral was held at the honie
Sunday afternoon by Rev. VV. B.
Harrington, Baptist minister. Burial
was in the family grave yard ou the
home farm.
Gets Good Average for
Tobacco Here Yesterday
Selling another load of his tobac
.co here yesterday, Mr. George R.
Boyd, of Pinetown, stated that he got
another good price average for his
offerings. "' During the past several
years, Mr, Boyd said he had sold
practically all his tobacco on the
local market, his sales made in some
other places proving to him that he
gqt his best averages here.
Mr. Boyd was accompanied by hit
wife on the trip here yesterday.
Watch the Label On Your
Paper As It Carries the Date
When Your Subscription Expires
ESTABLISHED 1898
COLORED MAN IS
SERIOUSLY HURT
ON HIGHWAY 30
Believed Walter Hassell, jr.
Was Robbed and Left
To Die On Highway
Walter Hassel, Jr., 21-year*ojj3 col-"
ored man of near here, was seriously
hurt late last Saturday night when
he was •'PTllier ran down by an auto
mobile or assaulted on Highway No.
30, a mile and one-half south of W'il
liamston, He ,was found lying un
conscious on the concrete about 1 o'-
clock Sunday morning by Roy Ward
and a young man named Griffin.
Brought here in a truck owned and
driven by I lyde Hardison, the man
was given first aid treatment and
later removed to a Washington hos
pital where his recovery was report
ed very doubtful by attending doc
tors.
Officers, making a preliminary in
vestigation of the case, were of the
opinion at first that he had been
struck by a hit-and-rtfitN4river, Fol
lowing an examination made by doc
j tors at the hospital, it was rumored
• that he had Ix-en assaulted as no other
parts of the body were bruised or in
jured. II assert I had not regained full
late Monday, and his
I story of the case could not be had.
Hassell was last seen here about j
midnight, an)l was walking toward
his home when he was hurt. It was
said he had around SSO on his person
{when he left, here, and wlieij found
Ihe only had a small coin aiifl a poc
ket knife on liis person, advancing
■ the belief that he was robbed, hurt
and then left to die along the higlr
-1 way.
I The case is in the hands of officers,
but no developments had been made
'public late Monday.
I • *
PATROLMEN OF
GROUP A MEET
HERE MONDAY
Rigid Enforcement of The
Motor Vehicle Laws Is
Stressed at Meeting
The stricter enforcement of motor
vehicle laws on the highways of
North Carolina was stressed by Lieu
tenant Lester 15. Jones before a meet
ing of Group held in the
courthouse bete yesterday. .While no
direct order was. given as. to speeding
on the highways, it was gathered
from the meeting that speeders will
be held striftly accountable for the
dangerous practice.
The dozen »r niorc highway officers
were instructed to enforce the law re
quiring all vehicles to stop while
school trucks are being loaded or un
loaded on the highways.- The law re
quiring trucks without trailers to op
erate at or under 35 miles an hour
and trucks with trailers to operate at
or under 30 utiles an hour, was called
to the attention of the men for en
forcement.
The l'> 32 license sale was .discussed,
the lieutenant informing his men that
the plates would be sold- this year at
the rate of 55 cents for every 100
pounds a car weighs. The rate for
trucks has not been given out.
Following the business meeting, the
patrolmen dined at the Sunny Side
' Inn. . ■ ,'
SUPERIOR COURT
BEGAN MONDAY
♦
Court Making Little Prog
ress; Will Have Holiday
Thanksgiving Day
The .November- term of the Martin
| County Superior- Court, created for
the trial of civil cases only, was con
[ vened Monday morning by Judge M.
V. Barnhill, of Rocky Mount, presid
ing. Very few ■ spectators, and no
great number of litigants were present
for the opening session.
After a brief review of the calen
dar, Judge Barnhill called the first
case, Ayero against Cratt, at 11:15,
after continuing 15 or 20 of the 72
cases appearing on the docket. A
goodly number of other cases was
cleared frirfn the docket, the defense
anM - plaintiff attorneys pointing out
that several of the issues had been
settled out of court.
Proceedings in the tribunal were
progressing slowly yesterday, indicat
ing that many of.Jhe caaes on the
docket for the two week# term would
remain untouched during the period.
Thanksgiving will be observed as a
holiday by the court.
Announce Birth
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond McKeniie
announce the birth of a daughter,
Martha, here Sunday, November 22,
1931,
K;.. * -r 'V