THE ENTERPRISE
WU1 Find Ov Cto
7 to OnrMN
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VOLUME XXXIX?NUMBER 18 Williamston, Martin County. North Carolina. Tuesday. March 3,1936 ESTABLISHED 1899
town board in
regular meet
HERE LAST NICHT
Joui Use of County Jai]
Discussed with Board
Representative
An interesting question was ad
,V"XTd_*t raffular meeting of
^c*' town commissioners last
when County Commission,
Z '"presenting the coun
ty board, asked about the joint use
of the county jail by the several
town in the county The inquiry
was not proposed to create a fr^
hon between the several towns and
the county, but the matter was
brOU*t" "P "> an effort to effecl
a solution, a was said. Mr pope
?pUined tha, the county paid fo,
thT "Tl5 ?f pruonm placed in
the laU by the several towns, but
he did not know how much the ex
pense amounted to over a period of
? month.
discuss**, it was estimat
*hat WiUiamston would prob
ably have about a K bill each
month on an average after separat
ing the violations of town ordinan
ces from those of a county or state
nature. It was ,1*, p?lnU!d ou,
*hat property owners inside the cor
porate limits of the towns pay coun
ty taxes in addition to town taxes
that the services of the county of
the use of the county j.,1
should be made available to them
when necessary. It was also polnt.
?l out that the town officers ar
rest violators of state laws within
thetown limits, that these prison
.?I" are turned over to the county
without charge to the county, and
. county gets its costs and the
school, all over the county share
the fines. In the past few years, it
has been the general custom for all
he political subdivisions to center
their anti-crime activities and
prosecutions at the county seat.
Prisoners are delivered to the coun
ty Jail by some of the towns, while
the county officers even go for the
violators in other instances
at the call of town officers.
Forgetting these f.cU advanced
in the discussion, the local commis
sioners suggested to Mr Pope that
a definite cost be determined, and
thkt after the farts were given them
they would take any action deem
ed ?
While no definite or final decis
lZL.LTmched- ?uthorUie,
(leaded off. temporarily at leaat. the
installation of traffic signals on the
mam street by ordering stop signs
purchased for installation at the
mterestcions on Mam and Church
Streets
A resolution was ordered drawn
?nd directed to the Robersonville
commissioners in appreciation for
? use of their fire-fighting equip
ment and volunteers here early last
month
?*reet marking project was
partially solved last night when
the board directed a test The
names of a few streets will be paint
ed on the concrete curbs, and if the
Ptan prove, feasible, the system will
be folowed as far as possible In
other places wooden posts will be
used to carry the street names.
Permision to hold a ?social'1 in
tha recently completed dance hall
Q^WndungUm Street was given
William Huff, colored.
Local Woman Plans To
Open Old Coin Exchange
J- S. Rhode! is opening an
old com exchange here and plans
?o gather and sell rare coins on a
commission laais Mrs Rhodes ex
Ptoined that some coins have a high
market value pn account of their
rarity, that she plans to list any and
?U corns turned over to her for sale
subjest to a wnall commission.
Mr- Wen. father of John Weir
continues in bed in a local hotel
following his return from a Wash
ington hospital where he under
went an operation several days
Members of his family are at
barm Problems Discussed at
Meet Held Friday Afternoon
and Chaa. Daniel, the Martin Coun
ty Farm Bureau; T. B Brandon,
present farm legislation; M. L.
Barnes, farm adjustment program.
Similar meetings will be held in
various sections of the county dur
ing the nert few days as follows:
Roliersonville, Tuesday evening
at 7:30 o'clock in the grammar
school building; Oak City, March 4
at 7:10 p. m. In the school building;
I?weills. March ?, school budd
ing at 7:30 o'clock; Bear Gram
March 10 in school building and the
same hour, and Farm Life, March
11 in the school house at 7:30 p. m.
Joshua L. Coltrain Is Named
1936 County Tax Supervisor
Preliminary arrangements lor
handling Uie huge tax-listing task
in this county for the current year
were made by the Martin County
commissioners in regular meeting
Monday when they named Commis
sioner Joshua L. Col train supervis
or of the work. Mr. Coltrain held
that position last year.
Appointments of tax list-takers
in the ten townships were approv
ed. the authorities making their se
lections from thirteen applications.
All the list-takers serving last year
were reappointed. Their names and
districts in which they will accept
listings are:
Jamesvitle, F C. Stailings; Wil
liams, L. J. Hardison, Griffins, Roy
Coltrmin: Bear Grass, A. B. Ayers;
Williamston, H. M. Burras; Cross
Roads. G. G. Bailey; Robersonville,
H. S. Everett; Poplar Point, L. G.
Taylor; Hamilton. L. R. Everett, and
Goose Nest, J. A Raw Is.
Supervisor Coltrain and the list
takers will meet in the county
courthouse the third Monday in this
month to determine the listing pro
cedure and to effect as near as pos
sible a uniform scale of values for
various types of property. No
changes in real values are in order
this year, but this type of proper
ty should reflect an increase in val
ues due to new buildings and im
provements, it is believed
Norfolk Man Seriously
Hurt in Wreck Sunday
ATTENDANCE IS
FAIR AS SCHOOLS
REOPEN MONDAY
Farm Life, Now Closed, Is
Expected To Re-open
Tomorrow Morning
After a holiday of almost four
weeks' duration caused by bad
weather and impassable roads. Mar
tin County schools, with one excep
tion, Farm Life, reopened yesterday
with fair attendance records for the
most part Busses, still handicapped
in their operation by bad places in
the roads, made their trips without
great interruption. Schedules and
routes were considerably altered,
but there was a marked cooperation
on the part of pupils and patrons,
and the reopening was described as
very successful. However, normal
operation of the schools is not ex
pected before the latter part of this
or early next week, the authorities
explaining that there is much sick
ness in town, as well as in the rural
sections, and that many absences
were the result of altered bus sched
ules and routes Farm* Life is ex
pected to reopen Wednesday, while
Bear Grass started last week.
Several of the larger schools re
ported attendances 80 per cent of
the enrollment yesterday, and indi
cations were that the figure would
rapidly return to normal. William
ston reported all busses in by 9:30
yesterday morning, that 623 of the
781 children enrolled were present
In the high school hete there were
175 of the 186 members present.
It is not likely that the schools
will close down again before the
end of the term
The six-day schedule goes into ef
fect this week in most, if not all, the
white schools in the county, accord
ing to reports coming from local
committees from the office of the
superintendent.
More Than Nine Inches of
Rain Fallen So Far In 1936
More rain and snow fell in this
section during January and Febru
ary than in any simiiat period in a
number of years, according to rec
ords furnished by the Williamston
weather station this week. During
January 4.95 inches of snow and
rain fell, followed by 4.35 inches last
month. The nearest recent approach
to the record for the past two |
months, as compared to January J
and February, was in 1934, when
6.74 inches of rainfall was recorded
However, the last July record of
11.41 inches still standi undisputed.
Despite the heavy rainfall last July
it is believed that there is more wa
ter in the ground now than at that
time or any other time in the past
several years.
Local Negro Truck
Driver Arrested 011
Hit-aiid-Run Charge
O
I Howard Stone In Hospital
With Eye Torn Out;
Walter Fisher Held
Howard Stone. 30-year-old em
ployee of the Ford Motor Company,
Norfolk, was seriously hurt, and M
L. Lemmond was cut on the ear
when their car, a new Ford sedan,
was sideswiped by a large truck and
trailer driven by Walter Fisher, col
ored man. at Roquist Creek, be
tween here and Windsor last Sun
day evening about 8:30 o'clock Oth
er passengers. Mr. and Mrs Perry
Hood, I. O. Fitzgerald and Charles
Hill, in the car, owned and driven
by Lemmond, were not injured.
Fisher, Jack Knight and a woman,
all colored, riding in the truck, were
not hurt
Stone, his condition described as
critical in a Washington hospital
where he was carried after first aid
had been rendered by local doctors,
had his right eye knocked out of its
socket and a part of his head torn
away, it was said Several splin
ters, measuring from 1 to almost
2 1-2 inches long, were driven into
his head near the right eye. He was
brought here by E. W. Dorsey, a
man traveling out of Massachusetts
Fisher, joyriding with two friends
and using the truck without per
mission of the owner, the W. I.
Skinner Company here, was travel
ing toward Williamston. Mr Lem
mond, driving toward Windsor, saw
how close he was to him and turned
to the right. The front part of the
truck cleared the car, but the trail
er body struck the machine between
the front and back seats. A board,
ripped from the truck body, tore
through the side of the car, glanced
from Stone's head and continued
through the back window, tearing
sizeable holes in the side and rear
glasses.
Fisher did not stop to render as
sistance, but continued on here and
parked in a back lot unnoticed. He
then walked to a Ailing station, pur
chased two gallons of gasoline and,
after pouring it into the truck tank,
drove back to Main Street and start
ed toward Everetts. The wreck had
been reported to patrolmen, and all
trucks were being stopped on the
highways. Fisher had hardly reach
ed the fair grounds before Patrol
man Billie Hunt stopped and ar
rested him. The woman in the truck
ran and Fisher denied the charge.
Knight stated that Fisher did hit the
car and that he tried to get him to
stop In jail. Fisher is said to have
admitted he hit the car Pending
the outcome of Stone's injuries,
Fisher is being held in the Martin
jail without privilege of bond. He
will be transferred to Bertie for
trial.
All patrolmen that could be
reached in this section by the hap
hazard communication system now
existing were pressed into service,
and many trucks were stopped on
the highways leading to Washing
ton, Bethel and Scotland Neck be
fore Patrolman Hunt made the ar
The occupants of the car are na
tives of Charlotte and vicinity and
were returning to Norfolk after vis
iting relatives during the week-end.
Legion Auxiliary Meets
With Mrs. Ward Saturday
TTie regular monthly meeting of
the American Legion Auxiliary of
the John Walton Hassell post will
be held Saturday afternoon, Marcl
T, at 2 o'clock, in the home of Mrs
Vernon Want, Robersonville, N. C
COUNTY BOARD
HOLDSREGULAR
MEET MONDAY
Agree On Plan To Settle
Martin-Beaufort Boun
dary Line Dispute
Meeting in an all-day session
Monday, the Martin County com
missioners discussed a dozen or
more matters and took action in
those having to do with tax listing,
the Martin-Beaufort boundary line
dispute, finances, the poor, and the
claim for refunds from the State
Highway commission. Routine du
ties were also handled, including
the drawing of a jury for the spe
cial term of Martin Superior court
convening in April.
The appointment of Mr. Sylvester
Peel, prominent county citizen and
one of the leading surveyors in the
country, as a member of an arbi
tration committee to settle the
boundary line dispute, was not ac
ceptable to the Beaufort authori
ties, it was learned. Mr. G. H
Harrison was named, but his ap
pointment did not meet with the
approval of the Beaufort commis
sioners. A third man, Attorney H.
G Horton, was appointed, and he
with Attorney Rodman, of Beau
fort. and a third man to be chosen
from some other county will handle
the dispute. The boards of the two
counties are said to have agreed
that the decision of the committee
be accepted as final and binding
upon both counties.
Just when the committee will
take the mutter under consideration
could not be learned, Attorney H
'G. Horton explaining this morning
that he had not been officially noti
fied of the appointment, but that he
would be glad to represent this
county He was of the opinion that
the dispute be given immediate at
tention. The two attorneys are to
select the third man to aid in the
settlement.
Increased allowances from the
poor fund were made available to
W. D. Mizelle, Jamesville; Jim Col
train, Williamston, and A. L. Purvis
of Hassell
County Attorney E. S. Peel was
appointed to act on a steering com
mittee to work with a commission
to be appointed by the Governor
to investigate claims of a number
of counties to refunds of money ad
vanced the highway commission a
number of years ago for the con
struction of roads. The Governor,
for some reason, has not named the
commission, it is understood.
The commissioners ordered the
treasurer to pay $15,000 on a $35,
000 note outstanding, and float a
new one for the diffefence.
Learning that the construction of
ail agricultural building in this
county was being delayed by a
shortage of skilled and semi-skilled
labor, the commissioners passed a
resolution at their meeting agree
ing to furnish that type of labor.
It is estimated that this type of la
bor will amount to about 30 percent
of the cost or around $1,780. Ap
proximately $5,479 25 has been al
loted for the structure construction
by the Works Progress Adminis
tration. If the arrangements, now
pending, meet with approval, it is
likely that work on the building
will be started within the next few
weeks.
Fire Company Called To
Home on Haughton Street
Considerable damage was done to
adjoining walls when soot burned
in a chimney tor an hour in the
home of Mrs. W E. Warren on
Ha'ughton Street yesterday morning.
The walls were badly cracked by
the extreme heat, but no other dam
age was done at the home, it was
stated. An estimate of the damage
could not be had today.
Delegation Appeals For
Road To Bear Grass
m
A delegation of county Citizens
are appearing before Campus Way
nick, chairman of the State High
way and Public Works Commis
sion, in Raleigh today, appealing
for an improved road from High
way No. 17 to Bear Grass. Several
leaders from the Bear Grass com
munity and Rev Z. T. PiephofT and
Urbin Rogers, local men, form the
delegation.
Several Hundred See Free
Movie Here Last Saturday
An audience of several hundred
people were present at the Watts
Theatre here Saturday morning tg
view the showing of "Hidden Har
vest," a two hour talking Aim drama
of farm life, sponsored by the Linds
ley Ice Co , local dealers in Check
erboard feeds for livestock and poul
try. The picture was found to be
rich in farm activities, with a ro
mantic background, interesting plot
and informative scenes.
Expect 1,000 County Farmers To
Attend Gathering in Courthouse
Here Saturday Afternoon at 3:00
Two Mail Delivery Routes at
Jamesville Are Consolidated
Jamesville's two rural mail routes
were consolidated yesterday, when
the entire territory was turned over
to Carrier Walter Brown and Car
rier Mayo Mizelle was transferred
to the Columbia office.
Postmaster E. H Ange said yes
terday that the consolidated pro
gram would not materially affect
the service at the Jamesville office,
since the combined routes were but
54 miles long Prior to the change,
the carriers left Jamesville at 10:30
a. m? the carriers ordinarily com
pleting their work about 12:30 p m.
Under the new program Mr. Brown
will leave at 8:30 a. m., travel the
old No. 2 route first and return to
Jamesville in time to start on the
other part of the route about 10:30
o'clock. This schedule will hardly
be possible for some time yet, or
until the condition of the roads is
greatly improved. At the present
time, the carrier will find it diffi
cult to complete the trip before late
afternoon.
The territory served by the two
carriers will be held intact; that is,
no carriers from other offices will
serve any of the patrons formerly
served by Messrs. Mizelle or Brown.
Mr. Mizelle has been serving the
No. 2 route out of Jamesville for
around 14 years.
2 8-Year-Old Farmer Is
Found Dead at Home
i
Accident or Suicide
Thought Cause; No
Signs of Foul Plav
Fernanda Andrews Just Off
Fox Hunt Short While
When Found Dead
Richard Fernanda Andrews, 28
year-old farmer of tfie Hassell-Gold
Point section of this county, was
found dead at his home there last
Saturday noon with a bullet hole
through his forehead. Andrews, in
his bedroom and alone at home, was
believed to have died almost in
stantly^
Coroher S. R Biggs and officers
investigating the sudden death had
filed no official report today, creat
ing doubt as to whether it was ac
cidental or suicide Questioned at
length, officers declined to officially
commit themselves, explaining that
it was difficult for them to believe
or understand that the young man
had taken his life intentionally. The!
murder motive was dismissed.
Andrews had just completed a
fox hunt with a large number of
friends and had conversed freely
with several of them, including
Sheriff C. B. Roebuck, but the con
versations did not disclose the slight
est intention of self-destruction, it
was stated. He had just carried
home a toy for one of his two small
children, and reliable reports clearly
indicated there had been no domes
tic trouble. Sheriff Roebuck said |
the man had not been drinking
Leaving the hunt, Andrews went
directly home. Mrs. Andrews and
the Children were at the home of a
neighbor a short distance away
When they returned to their home,
they found the body on the floor in
the bedroom, a pistol lying several
feet away. There were no powder
burns on the man's forehead.
The young man was the son of |
the late Robert Andrews and wife
Besides his wife and- two children, |
he leaves one brother and five sis
ters.
Funeral services were conducted 1
Sunday afternoon, and interment |
was in the family cemetery.
The tragedy followed the W F.
Byrum suicide near Hardens by on
ly two days.
Native of County
Dies in Greenville
Payton Tunstall Anthony, a na
tive of Hamilton, died at his home
in Greenville last Saturday night
following an illness of about three
years. Mr. Anthony, a retired
wholesale merchant, was 63 years
old.
Thirty-two years ago Mr. Antho
ny moved from this county to
Greenville where he met with suc
cess in the mercantile business> He
was an ardent member of the Epis
copate church fAr a number of
years. Rev. Worth Wicker, rector
of St. Paul's church, conducted the
funeral services at the late home
Monday afternoon Burial was in
the Cherry Hill Cemetery, Green
ville.
Besides hit wife, Mrs. Julia
Anthony, he leaves two sons, P. T.,
Jr., and Charles Edward Anthony,
all of Greenville.
Decision Reversed
By Supreme Court
In Case From Here
Preston Rogers Gets New
Trial in Case Against
W. B. Bailey
Judge E. H. Cranmer, granting a
non-suit in the ease of Preston Rog
ers against W B. Bailey in the Mar
tin County Superior court a few
months ago, had his decision revers
ed by the State Supreme Court last
week, and the case again goes on
the calendar for trial in this county.
As the case is understood here,
Rogers purchased a certain piece of
land from Defendant Bailey. He is
alleged to have fallen behind in his
payments, leaving around $300 due
Bailey. The plaintitl alleges he
turned the property over to Bailey
at so much rent, that Bailey was to
continue in possession of the land
until the plaintiff paid off all en
cumbrances. The defendant denied
any such agreement existed, and
sold the land under deed of trust
just before expiration date. Rogers
entered suit for around $1,500, and
Judge Cranmer non-suited the case.
County Board Of
Fdueation Meets
In session Monday-, the Martin
County Board of Education, in ad
dition to handling routine duties,
outlined a repair program for sev
eral school buildings in the county.
New roofs are needed on several
old structures, the board deciding
to use a felt-like shingle.
Now that the schools are plan
ning a six-day schedule each week,
it was unofficially reported that a
discussion was centered around the
possibiliay that the six-hour day
program might be abused No of
ficial report could be had on the
meeting, but it is understood no
definite action was taken in the
matter.
Accidentally Shot, Colored
Man Recovers In Hospital
?
His intestines punctured in nine
teen places by a bullet accidentally
fired from a rifle in the hands of
Iver Griffin, colored, Ed Griffin,
young colored man of Griffins
Township, is reported recovering
in a Washingto nhospital. The man,
said to have been in ill health for
more than a year, was shot more
thafi a week ago.
Hope to Organize
County Unit of Farm
Bureau Federation
Chas. J. Broadway, Acting
State Secretary, Will
Address Meeting
Close to 1,000 farmers are expect
ed at a county-wide mass meeting
in the county courthouse Saturday
afternoon of this week at 3 o'clock,
when concerted efforts will be made
to form a permanent unit of the
State Farm Bureau That many
Martin farmers and more are ex
pected to take membership in the
American Farm Bureau Federation
before the drive is completed, and
start building a program that will
guarantee agriculture recognition in
the future. Complete reports are
not available from the various com
mitteemen, named at a meeting, a
week ago yesterday, but all indica
tions are that the farmers of this
county plan to support the move
ment with a membership well close
to 100 per cent.
"The time is ripe, and we are
ready to push forward," one farmer
said this week. And that is the gen
eral feeling prevailing in every
nook and corner over the county.
While the committees are continu
ing their work, the next centralised
move to advance the permanent or
ganizationfpf a county farm bureau
unit will be the mass meeting Mr.
Charles J. Broadway, aciing secre
tary of the Stale Farm Bureau, will
make the principal address of the
afternoon, and a complete review of
the bureau, its activities and its
plans for the future will be made,
it was announced today by Mr. M
L. Barnes, assistant county agent,
who is acting as temporary secre
tary for the county unit. Mr. Broad
way is from Alabama and is in po
sition to outline the bureau work.
In addition to being instructive, Mr.
Broadway's address will prove very
interesting to the farmers of the
county, no doubt.
Mr II S. Everett, temporary pres
?dent of the county organization,
expressed himself as being more
than pleased with the progress of
the movement and even more so
with the prospects.
Reports from other counties are
very encouraging, Nash County al
ready reporting approximately 1,0011
members, and the drive is hardly
gotten under way there. Nearly
every county in the tobacco belt is
pushing toward the formation of a
powerful organization that can and
will mean much to the section and
to the whole state. Those in charge
of the movement in this county are
expecting Martin farmers to carry
the program over the top, and with
some to spare Farmers, no matter
how small the scale they operate on,
are urged to be present for the
meeting Saturday afternoon of this
week.
Plans are being formulated for
carrying the program before colored
farmers at an early date, and a large
number of those farmers aer expect
ed to join the federation.
Rev. Mr. Abrams to Preach
In Courthouse Next Sunday
Rev E. L Abrams, Free Will Bap
tist minister, of Rocky Mount, will
preach in the county courthouse
next Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o?
clock and that evening at 7:30, it
was announced this week. Rev. C.
H. Denton will conduct the song
services. The radio broadcasters,
the Moseley sisters, will appear on
the song program, it was announced
by Mrf L. W. Mizelle, leader in the
denomination.
A cordial invitation is extended
the public, and large crowds are
expected to attend both services.
County Game Warden Will
Put on Radio Program Friday
County Game Warden Bill Abbltt
will sponsor a department of con
servation and development program
over station WEED, Rocky Mount,
Friday afternoon of this week at 4:15
o'clock, it was announced today.
Two Martin County boys, Thoa.
Blount, of Jamesville, and Ben Man
ning, of Williamston, will take part
in the program.
Information of wild life game and
Ashing as a sport and from a com
mercial standpoint, Mr. Abbltt ex
plained The program should prove
very interesting.
In making the announcement.
Warden Abbitt ekpresesd his appre
ciation of the cooperation on the
part of Martin people in advancing
the work of the department, and
asked that the cooperation be con
tinued during the closed hunting sea
son. He also issued a warning a
gainst net Ashing in violation of the
law, explaining that the practice
would soon destroy all Bah.