THE ENTERPRISE
VOLUME XXXIX?NUMBER 15 Williamston, Martin County. North Carolina. Friday. February 21.1936 ESTABLISHED 1899
THREE ARRESTS
MADE RESULT OF
KILLING MONDAY
Dave Melton and Son and
Ben Scott Are Held for
Questioning
Daye Helton and his 15-year-old
son, Willie, and Ben Scott, all col
ored. were arrested here yesterday
afternoon in connection with the
murder of Henry Lanier, 80-year
old colored man, at his home on
lower Church Street early last Mon
day night. All three of the suspects
vigorously denied any knowledge of
the killing, but the officers are of
the opinion the case is virtually
solved.
Officers, working extra time on
the case ever since the killing,
found their first lead yesterday
morning when Sam Baker, colored
man, was questioned. Baker was at
the Helton home on the night of the
killing, and told a preacher that he
saw young Melton leave the room
with a gun, explaining that the boy's
mother advised against the removal
of the gun. However, the boy re
turned to the room and without the
gun before the killing. Baker de
nied the statements to officers, but
when Sheriff C. B Roebuck carried
him all the way to Greenville to
face the preacher, he admitted all
the facts. Young Melton was taken
into custody immediately upon the
return of the offiter, and the older
Melton explained that he was at the
home of a neighbor, and had wit
nesses to prove the claim.
Questioned at length, young Mel
ton Anally said that he lent the gun
to Ben Scott about 5 or 10 minutes
before the murder, that the gun was
returned and left in the back hall
of the Melton home, on Dinah HiU,
just a short distance from Lanier's,
a few minutes after the shooting.
While no direct motive has been
advanced that would implicate
Scott, officers stated they had learn
ed that Scott's wife and Lanier had
been reported seen together, and
that the woman and her husband
had quareled a day or two before
the killing, supposedly over Lanier.
The woman left her home Sunday
but returned the next day. She
maintains her husband was at home
at the time of the killing.
The murder of Lanier, described
as being cold-blooded in every par
ticular, took place while the man
was preparing his supper alone
in his humble home in the Church
Street hollow just to the west of
Dinah's HilL
The senior Melton is at liberty,
but his son and Scott are in jail. No
date for a preliminary hearing in
the case has been set.
Rate Reduction by
V. E. P. Company Ls
Likely This Spring
'Advices Prom Raleigh In
dicate Further Savings
Are in Prospect
9
Another reduction in light and
power rates by the Virginia Electric
A Power Company, the utility Arm
furnishing power and light for Wil
liamston and other towns in north
eastern Carolina, as well as in Vir
ginia, is likely, it was learned from
unofficial sources in Raleigh this
week, the reduction to become ef
fective within the next six or seven
weeks or about the Arst of April.
The reduction has been under
consideration for several months, it
is understood, but official announce
ment has apparently been delayed
pending notice of approval by the
State Utilities Commission. A sched
ule of the new rates is not avsilsble,
but the change will probably leave
the top figure at 6 instead of ? 1-2
cents a kilowatt hour, the present
top rate.
At the present time, and before
t new rate goes into effect, the V.
E. ft P. Co. schedule is among the
lowest in the state, the company
having been a leader in decreasing
electric costs for its customers.
Episcopalians Announce
Services at All Churches
af the Advent
Rev. E. f Moseley, rector.
Qqinquagesima Sunday.
Church school, f ifi a. m.
Holy communion, sermon and con
Aimation, 11 a. m.
Preaching service at 2:10 p. m
Church school, 10 a. m.
Evening prayer and sermon, 7:20
p. m
This to the Sunday for the Bish
op's annual visit Every member
to expected to be present; visitors
arc cordially invited.
Organization of County Unit
Of Farm Bureau Is Planned
Definite plans for the organization
of the American Farm Bureau Fed
eration in this county will be con
sidered at a meeting of farmers in
the county courthouse here next
Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock, when
Mr. Holstun, of the Alabama feder
ation, will address the group While
all farmers are at liberty to attend
the meeting, it is believed that the
acreage control and county plan
ning committees and a few others
will be able to handle the prelimi
nary organization duties, it is un
derstood.
Similar meetings are being held
all over this section of the State,
and a sweeping victory for the Farm
Bureau is almost certain in its drive
for members, reports reaching here
clearly indicate.
The meeting here next Monday is
the outgrowth of a mass meeting in
Greenville last week and an execu
tive meeting held at the same place
this week.
More definite plans for organizing
the farmers in this county will be
available following the session here
next Monday.
Plans Made To Reopen
Schools Next Monday
I TO AID TAXPAYERS
E. R. Froneberger, deputy
state revenue collector, will be
in Robersonville March 10 and
at the county courthouse March
11, It, 13 and 14 to assist income
tax payers in tiling their returns
for the year 1935, he announced
today. The collector will be lo
cated in the old Worthington
store in Robersonville, and in
the land bank office in the court
house. No charge for the serv
ice will be made.
IMPROVED ROADS
BRING INCREASE
IN COURT CASES
Seven Cases Cleared From
Recorder's Docket at
Tuesday Session
The lqpt Tuesday session of the I
county recorder's court took on add
ed life, the increased number of
cases disposed of reflecting an im-!
provement in road conditions rather
than indicating an increase in crime.
Seven cases were cleared from the
docket by Judge Peel as compared
with three handled the Tuesday be
fore. However, five cases were con
tinued this week on account of the
luct that witnesses and even some
defendants were unable to get to
town over the bad roads.
Robert L. Barbour was adjudged
guilty of driving an automobile
while under the influence of liquor
and the court fined him $50, adding
the cost and revoking his license
for one year.
Papers were issued for the arrest
of Thomas Goodrich, charged with
operating a motor vehicle without
lights. His case was called, but he
failed to answer.
, Robert Lee Jones, charged with
temporary larceny of an automo
bile and operating a motor vehicle
without license, was sentenced to
the roads for 60 days on each count,
the sentences to run consecutively,
the court directed.
The case charging William A
Braden with false pretense was nol
prossed, the defendant having been
turned over to Federal authorities
for prosecution.
Ruth Davis, adjudged guilty of an
assault with a deadly weapon, was
sentenced to jail for 90 days.
Charged with non-support, John
Andrews was directed to pay $1.60
each week during the next six
manths for the support of his wife
and child. The court required bond
in the sum of $75.
Robert Coburn, colored, was sen
tenced to the roads for four months
for drunken automobile driving. His
license to operate a car was revok
ed for one year.
Tanker Makes Trip Here
After Being Frozen in Ice
Badly scarred and considerably
damaged when caught in an ice jam
that choked the Richmond harbor
tor several weeks, the Haven Belle,
oil boat, Anally made another trip
to the Colonial oil docks here ye
terday. Held in an ice Aoe all one
night, the boat almost sank at one
time when its afterdeck was covered
by water. Drifting helplessly down
the James River, the boat was bad
ly battered by trees, it was said.
Local Highs Get Win
Over Washington Here
In a rough and tumble contest,
Williamston's Green Wave defeat
ed Washington's fast-stepping bas
ketball boys here last Tuesday eve
ning, 20 to 14. The visitors offered
a tough opposition, but the locals,
lad by Clayton Moore, broke sever
al ties to hold a margin at the end.
Will Be Necessary
To Continue Term
Well Up Into June
Bear Grass Reopened Yes
terday With Many
Pupils Absent
Despite unfavorable weather yes
terday and the continued bad con
dition of the roads, several, if not
all, the school committees in this
county are planning to open their
respective schools next Monday, ac
cording to official information com
ing from the office of the county sup
etintendent late yesterday.
That all of the will county schools
open is not certain, however, the
superintendent explaining that it
might be next to impossible to op
erate the trucks in some districts.
If conditions get no worse than they
are now, it is expected that most of
the schools will open next Monday.
The school at Bear Grass reopened
yesterday, the principal reporting
that all the trucks reached the
school by altering their routes slight
ly to miss impassable places in the
roads. The attendance was describ
ed as comparatively small, however.
So far this year, the schools, with
the exception of the one at Bear
Grass, have operated only 16 days,
and the several delays will cause
them to continue well into the
month of June. It is feared that
many of the children in the rural
sections will be held at home dur
ing the latter part of the term to
aid in general farm work, and for
that reason the authorities are anx
ious to reopen the schools next Mon
day.
Teachers in the Williamston and
several other schools have already
been notified to return to their
posts next Monday, and if the weath
er is favorable tomorrow those in
the remainder of the schools will
likely be advised to report for work
the same day. v
Comparison of Winters
Is Made by Guardsman
While admitting this winter has
been a severe one, Captain John G.
Midgett, for 30 years in the coast
guard service along the Carolina
coast, said yesterday afternoon that
he had seen worse weather during
that time; in fact, he said he had
witnessed all kinds of weather and
storms. The captain, host to thous
ands of visitors, including a num
ber from here during his long and
efficient record in the service, re
tired only a few months ago.
He accompanied Sheriff Victor
Meekins, of Dare, on a short visit
here yesterday.
Large Crowds Attend
Opening of Fire Sale
Despite unfavorable weather and
bad roads, large crowds attended
the Are sale openingy esterday at
Barnhill Brothers here. The buy
ers found the bargains all right, but
there are hundreds yet awaiting the
public. Today large crowds were
in the store of the Culpepper Hard
ware Company, where another big
Are, smoke and water sale is in prog
ress. The sales were tuned for quick
disposal and will last only a few
morfe days, it is understood
Program of Services
A t Methodist Church
Sunday school, 0:48 a. m.
Regular preaching service, llo'
clock.
Young peoples' hour, 8:48 p. m.
Evening service, 7:30 p. m.
Thinning pines rather than clear
ing "new ground'' is rapidly be
coming an approved practice in the
handling of farm forest through
out North Carolina.
BASEBALL MEET
TO BE HELD HERE
AGAIN TONIGHT
Twenty-Two Directors Are
Called To Elect Other
Club Officials
?
Preliminary arrangements for
baseball here this coming season
were made last Tuesday evening,
when a number of local fans met
and named Charles Augustus Har
rison temporary chairman and se
lected 22 directors. Reports from
the Tuesday night meeting indicate
that the town will be represented
again in the Coastal Plain League
if and when the league is reorgan
ized. No information has been re
ceived from other towns in the lea
gue last year, but it is understood
that most of those, if not all, hold
ing membership last season would
be in the league again this season.
The eight towns in the league last
year were Tarboro, Ayden, Green
ville, Kinston, New Bern, Snow Hill
Goldsboro and Williamston.
Directors of the club for the com
ing season are: N. C. Green, G. H.
Harrison, Iverson Skinner, W. E.
Dunn, R. H. Goodmon, V. J. Spivey,
Jim Staton, T S. Cdteher, Clayton
Moore, L. T Fowden, T. B. Bran
cion, Garland Barnhill, E. S. Peel,
C. B. Roebuck, J. D. Woolard, L. B.
Wynne, W. C. Manning, jr., C A.
Harrison, S. C. Griffin, J. R. Ever
ett, E. P. Cunningham, and L. P.
Lindsley.
It was stated at the meeting Tues
day that the local club was ready to
start the season with no encum
brances whatever and that nearly
all the equipment necessary was al
ready on hand.
The directors are slated to meet
tonight when a steering or execu
tive committee will be named. Pre
liminary steps will be taken to se
cure a manager at the meeting to
night, it is understood.
Last year it cost approximately
$12,000 to finance the local club, the
officials believing that the figure
can be considerably reduced this
rnminff
FARMERS AWAIT
DELIVERY FINAL
BENEFIT CHECKS
Understood Last Payment
Will Be Hade Not Later
Than March 31
While approximately 1,000 Martin
farmers continue their patient wait
ing, employees in the office of the
county farm agent are oiling the
machinery for the delivery of the
last benefit checks under the old
Agricultural Adjustment Adminis
tration. No; the checks have not
yet been received, but it is the guess
of the assistant agent that the last
single payment will be made not
later than March 31 with the pos
sibility that 539 peanut benefit
checks will reach the county almost
any day now.
Arrangements were completed in
Washington last week for the pay
ment of the money due the farmers
under the AAA, and the checks are
being prepared there at the present
time, it is understood.
According to fairly accurate esti
mates, 1,037 farmers in this county
are due $59,603.80 for participating
in the control movement. . The rec
ords show that 600 peanut growers
are entitled to $42,212.45 in benefit
payments. Just about the time the
AAA was declared unconstitutional,
539 of the peanut contracts, calling
for the distribution of $38,639.33,
had been approved, and ordinarily
the checks would have been in the
county 10 days later for distribution
to the owners. The remaining 61
contracts will have been approved
v/ithin the next day or two.
Thirty-four farmers are entitled
to $1,496 25 in 1935 tobacco rental
payments, and nine are due $630 in
1934 parity payments.
The 11 corn-hog contract signers
are due $2,065.10.
Eighty-three farmers are yet to
teceive their 1935 cotton rental
checks, amounting to approximately
$1,200.
No accurate figures are available,
but it is estimated that 300 tobacco
farmers will be in line to receive
around $12,000 in 1935 tobacco par
ity payments on th el935 crop. Last
year the approximately 1,500 tobac
co contract signers received about
$170,000 in parity payments on the
1934 crop. In selling the 1935 crop,
many farmers sold to their allot
ment limit, thereby eliminating any
claim to parity payments. Others
had their contracts adjusted, auto
matically surrendering claims to
parity payments.
Just as soon as the checks reach
the county, farmers will be notified
direct to call for them.
Outlook for Agriculture Grows
Brighter With Indications That
Federal Government Will Help
River Again Rising Rapidly
With Crest Expected Sunday
The Roanoke River, continuing its
second rampage in as many months,
was reported rising rapidly late yes
terday. the observers forecasting a
crest of 14 feet early Sunday. Dur
ing the last 24 hours the stream rose
nearly 11-2 feet, but it was report
ed rising more slowly today. If the
prediction of the weather observers
is correct, the stream will rise about
another foot during the remainder
of today, Saturday and part of Sun
day.
Highway forces are not worrying
over the situation, since the river
will fall short by about 9 inches of
the high point reached four weeks
age
Shipping on the stream continues
at a low point, and activities along
the water front continue to pro
gies slowly. The big mill of Saun
ders and Cox continues closed, and
will hardly start operating within
the next two weeks.
State Contract Let lor
Widening Main Street
F. D. Cline, Raleigh,
Successful Bidder;
Amount Near
Possible Work May Wait
On Completion of Two
Other Projects
F. D. Cline, Raleigh contractor,
was low bidder on the proposed
project calling for the widening of
Williamston's main street at both
ends. The bid calls for an expendi
ture of $17,975.80, the amount in
cluding grading, much of which will
be necessary in widening lower
Main Street to a width of 30 feet.
The eastern end of the street will
be widened from a point almost in
front of the G. P. Hall home to the
Harris filling station, just this side
of the river bridge^
The western end of the street will
be widened four feet on each side,
making it 24 feet wide and the same
width as the road going under the
railroad. The project starts almost
in front of the H. H. Cowen home
and goes to the town limits, both
projects being slightly over one
mile in length.
It is not known just when work
will be started on the projects, as it
is understood u greater part of the
labor must come from relief rolls.
While there is sufficient common la
bor available, there are very few
skilled workers, especially those of
experience in road building, on the
relief list.
Labor has been assigned the proj
ect calling for the surfacing of the
road from Robersonville to High
way 125, near Spring Green, and the
project calling for widening High
way 64, or Academy Street, in the
town of Robersonville. It is possi
ble that those projects will be com
pleted before work is started on the
one here. Preliminary surveys have
been made on the Robersonville
projects by the contractors, but ac
tual construction has been delayed
by weather conditions.
County Officers
Get Two Stills
County officer! raiding in Rober
aonville and Williams Townships
Wednesday wrecked two liquor
plants, but made no arrests.
Sheriff C. B. Roebuck and Deputy
J. H_ Roebuck with Chief Gray, of
Robersonville, wrecked the first
plant near Robersonville that
morning. The operators had just
moved part of the plant to the site,
it was stated, and no one was seen
there.
That afternoon Deputy Roebuck
end Roy Peel found a 50-gallon cop
per still red hot over in Williams
Township, but the operators were
missing when the officers reached
the plant. Several hundred gallons
of beer were poured out.
Condition of Mr. James R.
Harrison Is Not So Good
Mr. James R. Harrison, who near
ly cut off his foot with an axe last
Monday a week ago, Is not getting
slong so well, reports received from
the hospital last night stated. He
was said to be running a high tem
perature, and his general condition
had grown considerably weaker
during the past two days. He is to
receive a blood transfusion today,
it was stated.
LEGAL HOLIDAY
J.ocal banks, the post office,
A. B. C. store, and one or two
other business establishments
will close all day Saturday, ob
serving Washington birthday as
a holiday.
No rural or village mail deliv
eries will be made, and serv
ice at the post office will be re
duced to dispatching and plac
ing mail in boxes.
(ieneral business will not ob
serve the day as a holiday here.
STATE FARMERS
GET $17,580,400 In
AAA PAYMENTS
Tobacco Farmers Received
$9,359,220.81 In 1935 In
Benefit Payments
A final tabulation of AAA bene
fit payments shows that North Car
olina farmers received u total of
$17,589,400.46 in 1935 for cooper
ting in the crop adjustment pro
grams.
The money was disbursed as ren
tals on land retired from the culti
vation of basic crops and as ad
justment payments to the farmers
who limited the production of these
crops. *
Th payments in this State for
1935, according to figures announc
ed by Dean I. O. Schaub, of State
College, were divided among the
growers of various crops, as fol
lows:
Tobacco growers, $9,359,220.81;
cotton growers, $6,717,981.05; pea
nut growers, $813,904.11; corn-hog
producers, $634,489.68, and wheat
growers, $63,804.81.
Although this includes all the
checks distributed during the year,
Dean Schaub stated, it does not in
clude all the money due the grow
ers for their part in the 1935 AAA
programs, as some of the payments
are still due.
Henry A. Wallace, Secretary of
Agriculture, nd other high govern
ment officials announced shortly aft
er the Supreme Court voided the
AAA, that some way would be
found to complete all payments due
farmers under crop adjustment con
tracts.
The total payments for all crops
last year, divided by counties,
shows that farmers in Washington
County received $76,264.18, includ
ing all payments.
Young Man Hurt in
Wreck Wednesday
Hildreth Mobley, young local man.l
wan cut about the aide of his face |
end on the forehead late Wednes
day afternoon when his car crashed
into a ligh pole and the porch of
Mrs R. A. Glenn on Watts and Hat
ton Streets. Mrs. Mobley and their
child were shocked but not badly
hurt, it was said. Considerable
damage was done to the car, and
half the porch of the home was torn
down.
Mobley was traveling down Watts I
from Main and reached the inter-1
section just as another car was en
tering Watts Street. He swerved |
to his left to avoid striking the oth
er car, dHven by M. D. Wilson, and |
clashed Into the pole and porch.
Farm Leaders Are
Studying Measure
As Passed hv Senate
Should House Pass Bill,
Special Session Assembly
Of State Expected
After a period of gloom and with
little encouragement for the future,
things in the agricultural industry
are beginning to look up again with
brighter prospects for legislation as
good, if not better, than that creat
ing the old Agricultural Adjustment
Administration. Of course, no defi
nite program has been advanced to
assure the farmer fair prices and
equality along with industry, but
the outlook now is considered much
brighter than it was a few weeks
and even a few days ago.
While Congress is striving to en
act legislation that will rescue the
agricultural business, leaders in the
tobacco states of North and South
Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and
Virginia are considering legislation
to supplement that recently passed
by the United States Senate and
now being considered by the House
of Representatives.
The proposed program embodied
in the national legislation will make
possible the benefits to farmers,
while the legislation proposed by
the several states would effect a con
trol program equally if not more
stringent than that of the old Kerr
Smith act. The control feature calls
for a tax varying from one-third to
one-half the sale price on all tobac
co marketed over and above indi
vidual alotment, the money so raised
to be distributed to those farmers
whose production falls short of the
allotment. The Federal act, cen
tering around a soil conservation
program, would give the tobacco
grower as much as 7 cents a pound
on that portion of his base taken out
of production. The cotton grower
would receive as much as 5 cents a
pound, it is understood
The next step necessary in ad
vancing the control program rests
with the legislatures of the tobacco
growing states. Three of the state
legislatures are, already in session,
and action by them in the near fu
ture is certain It is believed Gov
ernor Ehringhaus will not delay the
calling of the North Carolina legis
lature into session to consider the
measure, and unofficial reports in
dicate that the governor of Tennes
see will act favorably.
nuucri ij. uoDurn, slate senator
from this district, said this week
that he believed a special session of
the North Carolina legislature
should be called to consider the pro
posed legislation.
The plan as worked out with J.
B. Ilutson, head of all tobacco activ
ities in the department is two-fold
in its nature. It calls for a com
pact among cooperating states by
the passage by the legislatures of
identical statutes which would be
administered by a commission from
| each state, the commission to in
elude the same personnel in each
I instance Each Governor would
I suggest three members from his
j state to include the farm extension
' director and each of the other gov
j ernors would also appoint those 3
men upon his own oemmission. The
proposed law to be passed by each
cf the state legislatures calls for the
fixing of a national quota for each
type of tobacco on the basis of world
consumption added to normal stocks
of that type of tobacco, less actual
stocks on hand at the tima the quota
ir fixed, that time to be December
1 in any year except 1936, when the
quota would be fixed within 30 days
after action by the necessary num
bei of states. The state quotas
would be divided among individual
growers in much the same way as
was done under the old AAA.
I The other part of the plan is a
proposed act of Congress authoriz
| ing the compact among the states
and protecting that compact by re
| striding interstate shipments of to
bacco by states not parties to the
I compact over and beyond quantities
fixed in the same way. The excess
of those states, if shipped beyond
the borders of the states would be
subject to the same penalty as the
excess tobacco within the quota
1 states.
Sunday Services for
Baptists Announced
Bible school, 9:45 a. m.
Morning worihip, 11 a. m,
ial music.
B. T U., 8:90 p. m.
Evening worship, 7:30 p. m.