THE ENTERPRISE
AiTirthm WUI Find Uv Cal
ubuu a Latofcker to Orar l.dM
Horna* mt Martto Cautjr.
VOLUME XXXIX?NUMBER 24 Williamston, Martin County. North Carolina. Tuesday. March 24. 1936 ESTABLISHED 18%
ROANOKE CREST
MAY BE REACHED
BY WEDENSDAY
Stage of 14.2 Feet Expected
Here; Rose Over Foot
Last Night
Ruins more than a foot laat
night the Roanoke River, now on
ita fourth rampage this year, is ex
pected to reach a crest of 14.1 feet
at this point late tomorrow or early
Thursday, Hugh Sprihg reported
from the local weather station this
morning. According to the report,
the stream will rise about 11 or 12
more inches before going on a stand.
Reports received from Weldon
this morning stated the river, had
receded there and the level was a
bout normal. The stream was fall
ing rapidly at Scotland Neck, and
at Hamilton it is expected to reach
a crest this afternoon.
The waters are pouring into the
sound rapidly, and the current is so
strong at this point that all fisher -
men have been forced oft the
stream. All traffic has been can
celled on the river at this point by
regular shippers, it is understood,
and it will be some time next week
before the stream is used by those
carriers. One or two fishermen
braved the stream with their dip
nets, but they soon pulled to the
banks below the Standard Fertiliz
er Company plant, finding it im
posaible to successfully battle the
swift current. Considerable dam
age is expected to fishing machines,
the owners stating it is impossible
to reach them in their small boats.
$450 Salary Limit Is
Voted by Directors
Of Coastal League
Meeting Held in Tarboro
Friday Night; To Meet
Here Next Month
Meeting in Tarboro last Friday
night, officials of the varioui club!
in the Coital Plain Baseball League
agreed to limit players' salaries, in
cluding that of manager, to $490
weekly this coming season. This
figure does not include board and
operating expenses, it is understood.
All the clubs?Goldsboro, New
Bern, Snow 'Hill, Kins ton, Ayden,
Greenville, Tarboro and William
ston?in the league last year are in
cluded in the circuit again. Several
applications to enter the league
were entered by other towns, in
cluding Wilmington, but all berths
were taken and there will be no
change in the line-up.
The club officials frowned upon
a proposal to open the league to
professional players, limiting the
player selections to the various col
leges, for the most part.
Manager Walker of the local club
is lining up his players for the c*m
ing season, early reports being con
sidered very encouraging by club
officials.
A meeting of the league officials
will be held here about the middle
of next month, when final plans for
the season will be formulated.
Aged Citizen of
Bear Grass Dies
Miss Courtney Bowen, one of
Bear Gran Township'* oldest citi
zens, died at the home of her
nephew, Mr. Ben Bowen, there early
Monday morning from a stroke of
apoplexy. Miss Bowen, highly re
spected in her community, was 83
years old. She was the last mem
ber of a large family, leaving a
number of nephews and nieces as
her only near relatives.
Funeral services are being con
ducted this afternoon by Elder B.
8. Cowin. Burial will follow in the
Bowen cemetery, near her late
home.
Cotton Report Shows
Ginnings Below 1934
Cotton production in this county
last yaar was about one-fourth leas
than it was in 1834, reports de
scribed as virtually complete and
just released by the Federal Gov
ernment show. In 1834 there were
4,411 bales of cotton produced in
this county as compared with 3,328
bales produced last year.
Regular Meeting o{ Local
Masonic Lodge Tonight
There will be a regular meeting
of Bkewarkee Lodge, No. 80, A. F.
and A. M, at the lodge hall at 7 JO
tonight. There will be work In the
first degree. All mem ben and vis
iting Masons are urged to attend.
Suggestion Is Made That Car
Peanuts Be Sent Flood Victims
With a surplus on their hands and
a control program being considered,
the suggestion has been made that
Martin farmers donate a carload of
farmer's stock peanuts for distribu
tion among the flood victims The
goobers could be turned over to the
Red Cross for proper distribution,
it was explained.
Farmer Bob Everett, of Palmyra,
stated yesterday that he would start
the movement by donating Ave bags
of peanuts, and it is believed that
200 bags or more would be gladly
given should a system tor collection
be planned.
Harry Biggs, chairman of the
county chapter of the Red Cross,
had not been asked to consider the
proposition, but it is believed that
the undertaking could be handled
if the farmers got behind the move
ment.
It was explained that considerable
advertising would be given the pea
nuts in the long run, and the cost
to the individual farmer would be
negligible.
Clay Case Mistrial Due
To Jury Disagreement
?TAX PAYMENTS
With approximately (40,MO
being distributed to them In
peanut benefit payments, Mar
tin County farm en are rapidly
settling their 1935 taxes before
the three percent penalty goes
Into effect on Thursday of next
week, according to Sheriff C.
B. Roebuck, the man handling
the big colection job.
Collections are said to be
considerably ahead of those up
to the same time last year, and
with I40.0M now available to
many property owners, it is be
lieved and expected that the
unpaid amount on 1935 taxes
will be greatly reduced during
the next few days.
Nearly 2M peanut benefit
checks are in the process of
distribution and others are ex
pected the latter part of this or
early next week, It Is under
NEW FARM PLANS
TO BE EXPLAINED
AT COUNTY MEET
Extension Workers To Go
Into Every County of
North Carolina
The new farm program will be
explained to North Carolina farm
ers in a series of mass meetings
that will cover the entire State.
The meetings will be conducted
by seven teams from the State Col
lege agricultural extension service
which have been making an ex
haustive study of the rpogram.
Starting in the coastal counties
on March 26, the teams will swing
across the State until they finish
with the mountain counties on
April 18, said Dean I. O. Schaub,
director of the extension service.
Meetings will be held in Martin
County on Saturday, March 28 and
in Plymouth on Friday, March 27.
In most counties, he said, the
farmers will gather in the court
bouses on the day designated.
Where the courthouse will not be
available, the county agents will
select other suitable meeting places.
In arranging for the meeting, the
farm agents have been instructed
to invite vocational teachers, home
agents, other agricultural leaders,
and all farmers.
The new program is more adapt
ed to all the farms in North Caro
lina, the dean pointed out, than
was the old AAA. Therefore it is
urgent that every fanner attend
these meetings.
In the tobacco counties, he con
tinued, th> speakers will also stress
the importance of united action by
the growers to control production
under the voluntary contracts and
the State compact plan if such g
plan be adopted.
County and community commit
tees will play a prominent role in
administering the new program, the
dean pointed out. County agents
have been asked to appoint tem
porary committeement to serve un
til the growers can elect permanent
committeemen.
The committeemen will meet
with the county agents in the morn
ings before each mass meeting, it
Large Crowds Attending
Revival at Local Church
The aeries of revival services start
ing in the local Pentecostal Holiness
church a week a go Sunday are at
tracting large crowds nightly. Rev.
Mr. Ward, of Newport News, is con
ducting the services assisted by the
pastor, Rev. J. Q. Crocker, of Pine
Level.
Services are held each evening at
7:80 o'clock and the public is in
vited to attend.
Judge Lectures Jury
Members for Failing
To Find Clav Guilty
Eight for Acquittal, Three
For Conviction and One
Not Voting
The case carging George R. Clay,
Washington osteopath, with prac
ticing medicine and surgery with
out license, came to a startling end
in the Beaufort County Superior
Court late last Friday afternoon
when the jury locked 8 for acquit
tal, 3 for conviction, and 1 failing
to advance his stand.
Taking the case about 1 o'clock
that afternoon after Judge Vernon
Cowper had plainly instructed them
to find a verdict of guilty if they
believed the testimony of the de
fendant himself or acquit the defend
ant if they did not believe his testi
mony, the jury deliberated or
wrangled until late afternoon, when
Judge Cowper dismised them.
The mistrial automatically post
poned trial in the case until next
September, the state announcing it
would ask the removal of the case
into another county for trial.
Lasting the greater part of three
days, the case reached a climax
when Judge Cowper delivered a
stinging lecture, declaring to the
jurymen that they had utterly failed
to realize their duty under their
oaths and that apparently the case
marked a "breakdown of law en
forcement," temporarily, at least, in
Beaufort County.
With Judge Cowper ruling that
admissions of Dr. Clay constituted
a plain violation of the law, the
jury had only to decide whether
or not they believed the osteopath's
testimony. No other question was
involved, as far as the jury was
concerned.
Dr. Clay admitted frankly on di
rect examination Thuriday that he
had adminiatered ether, aodium
amytal, hydrochloric acid, glucose
and procaine to patients at his Pam
lico osteopathic sanitarium here.
The last three medicines were in
jected with hypodemric needles.
In his ruling Judge Cowper held
that these were drugs as defined by
the 1935 statute relating to pure
food and drugs.
Dr. Clay also said that he had per
formed numerous operations for ton
silitis, tumors, ruptures and other
such conditions. On motion of the
state the warrant against him was
amended to charge the practice of
surgery without a license, as well
as practice of medicines.
In view of these admissions, Judge
Cowper told the jury they should
return a verdict of guilty, if will
ing to accept them at face value.
'A situation like this always sad
dens me,'' the judge told the jury
in announcing its discharge. "You
should have understood that you
were to take the law from the court.
You failed to realize that this was
a part of your oath. I'm not im
pugning your motives, I' believe
you simply think that the law
should not be as It is written.
"This case was of vital import
ance to the entire state. I was es
pecially anxious that it go up to
your higher court for a Anal deter
mination of the issues."
The charges against the osteopath,
growing directly out of the sudden
death of Mrs. Kathleen Lilley in
the Pamlico Sanitorium last Janu
ary, caused Martin County people
to take considerable interest in the
case, and large numbers from this
section, as well as many from other
counties crowded into the Beaufort
courthouse during the three-day
trial. .
rt Is possible that the osteopath
will face trial on two charges?prac
ticing medicine and surgery with
out license, and murder?next Sep
tember or October.
SUPERIOR COURT
IS WORKING ON
CIVIL CALENDAR
Leavister-Andrews Case Is
Continued Account of
Counsel's Absence
>
Entering its second week yester
day, the Martin County Superior
Court continued its work on the
civil docket, but reports indicated
the tribunal was making little prog
ress. The Leavister-Andrews cases
Against Lloyd Corey were continued
for Attorney Douglass, Leavister
counsel, on account of a death in
his family. The continuation of
these cases brought a recess in the
court early yesterday morning after
a lone divorce case had been han
dled. The postponement of the
Leavister-Andrews cases virtually
reduced public interest in the docket
to a minimum.
The criminal docket was finally
completed last Friday afternoon,
when Judge Moore suspended sen
tence upon payment of cost in the
case charging Wiley Phelps with an
assault with a deadly weapon. So
licitor Gilliam had previously ac
cepted a plea of guilty to simple as
sault.
Two divorces have been granted
by the court so far. Pleading two
year separation, J. P. Bland was
granted a divorce against Bessie
Bland. The same grounds were
used by Rome Little to procure u
divorce against Mary Little.
The lengthy fase of Joe Everett,
Robersonville man, against J. H.
James and others was completed
late Friday afternoon whgn the jury
awarded the plaintiff a $50(1 judg
ment.
The cases of A. D. Griffin, jr.,
against Mary Griffin and Luther
Taylor against Ed Burns were non
suited. The plaintiff in the first
case wanted a mortgage set aside.
In the second case, Taylor asked
$500 actual and $1,000 punitive
damages because Burns threw a
firecracker against or in the car of
the plaintiff.
Fund Grows for
, Flood Sufferers
The appeal for donations to allev
iate human suffering in Hood sec
tions of the country is meeting with
a ready response locally, Harry A.
Biggs, chairman of the Martin
County Chapter of the Red Cross,
said today. More than $25 has al
ready been contributed by William
ston people and the appeal is hard
ly two days old.
Do nations are not being person
ally solicited, Mr. Biggs explaining
that any amount anyone desiring to
give would be immediately forward
ed to national headquarters of the
American Red Cross.
Nearly 200 lives have been lost
and property losses run into the
hundreds of millions of dollars, and
the need for aid is described as
great.
Murphy Barnes To Speak
At Junior Meet Thursday
Murphy L. Barnes, assistant coun
ty agent, will explain the agricul
tural situation at the regular meet
ing of the local council, Junior Or
der of United American Mechanics,
here Thursday evening of this week
at 7:30 o'clock, it was announced
today.
Last Thursday evening, the mem
bers of the council enjoyed an oy
ster roast arranged by Member John
A. Ward.
Only One Driver Caught
Without License Sunday
In an extensive check of drivers'
licenses in this section, Patrolman
Billie Hunt Sunday found the first
car operator without the required
permit. Walter Rogers, Martin col
ored man, was stopped on the Roan
oke River All and admitted he had
failed to apply for a license. He
was booked for trial in the Bertie
court tomorrow.
NO FISHING YET
Seine flahinf el Jameevllle
continuee el a *tandatill, Mr. C.
C. Flemlnf, operator, explain
t Inf thin moraine that hifh wa
ter* were Boodlaf the battery
and that operation* could hard
ly get underway before the lat
ter part of next week.
Arranfemeata were complet
ed laat week to make a teat of
the lohf not, bat a Midden wind
?tartod blow inf and halted the
operationa.
Mr. Flemlnf mid today that
ho waa ready to (tart the Bakery
water went off the battery.
Agricultural Storage and Market
Facility Warehouse Here May Be
Erected by Federal WPA Agency
President Roosevelt Issues
A ppeal for Flood Sufferers
?i?
Following is the text of President Roosevelt's appeal In behalf
of flood sufferers:
"To the People of the United States:
"Flood waters raging throughout eleven states have driven 300.
II00 people from their homes, with every indication that this num
ber may be materially increased within the next twenty-four hours.
In this grave emergency, the homeless are turning to our great na
tional relief agency, the American Red Cross, for food, clothing,
shelter and medical care.
"To enable the Red Cross to meet this immediate obligation and
to continue to carry the burden of caring lor these unfortunate men.
women and children until their homes are restored and they ran
return to normal living conditions, it is necessary thai a minimum
relief fund of three million dollars be raised as promptly as possible.
"As President of the United States and as President of the Amer
ican Red Cross,' I am. therefore, urging our people to contribute
promptly and most generously so that sufficient funds may be avail
able for the relief of these thousands of your homeless fellow cltl
xens. 1 am confident that in the face of this great need your re
sponse will be as immediate and as generous as has always been
the case when the Red Cross has acted as your agent in the relief
of human shffering.
"FRANKLIN U. ROOSEVELT."
Contributions may be forwarded to Harry A. Biggs, Chairman
of the Martin County Chapter of the American Red Cross, William
ston, N. C., and such contributions will be forwarded promptly to
Washington. O. C.
Farm Bureau Officials
Plan Continuing Drive
Representatives of
Seven Townships
At Meet Saturday
Many Farmers Misunder
stand Objectives of
Organization
??
Plans for continuing the Martin
County Farm Bureau membership
campaign were discussed by the
township directors here last Satur
day afternoon at a meeting attend
ed by representatives from seven
of the ten districts in the county.
A complete membership report up
to that time carried the names of
137 farmers, Hobersonville leading
the list with the largest number of
farmers and closely followed by the
Cross Roads and Williamston town
ships.
One of the main discussions had
to do with the misconception many
farmers had of the byreau and its
work. Probably Director C. Abram
Roberson advanced the clearest con
ception of the bureau when he said
that it was an organization perfect
ed to protect and promote the gen
eral welfare of the farmer. He ex
plained that the organization was
created to aid agriculture just as
associations of bankers, merchants,
and doctors are organized to pro
tect and promote their interests.
The membership drive in this
county has been hindered because
some farmert thought they were
joining something akin to the old
co-op association, it was pointed out.
Others were of the opinion that by
joining they were agreeing to cur
tail acreage and production of crops.
The farm bureau does none of this,
but ,as Mr. Roberson points out, it
promotes and protects the general
welfare of its members. It gatherk
the voices of the many and concen
trates them into one that equal
rights may be demanded of legisla
tures, congress, and the middlemen.
In short, the farm bureau, support
ed by a large and responsible mem
bership, can accomplish things that
no individual acting alone could
even hopfet to bring about.
At the meeting last Saturday pre
liminary plans were discussed to
form township units that certain ac
complishments might be effected to
the advantage of the members. For
an example, the member* could
launch a movement among them
selves to better their cottonseed by
joining together and having the
ginners make special arrangements
to gin their cotton. Other move
ments are possible; in fact, there
are many benefits possible through
and by membership in the bureau.
To say the least, the membership
drive, costing the individual farmer
only $2, has proved a bit disappoint
ing in this county, but the cam
paign is not over, and there is still
hope for a thousand joiners. Other
counties are making progress, and
Martin is not expected to fall down
SELLING SCRAP
With control bars down, and
regardless of the consequences,
some farmers in near-by coun
ties are said to be marketing
scrap tobacco in fair-sized quan
tities. Several loads of the in
ferior quality tobacco have
passed through here recently en
route to an unannounced mar
ket.
The movement of the tobacco
brought condemnation from a
few farmers who happened to
be on the local streets and saw
the tobacco, but their personal
protests were considered far
from the point of positive ac
tion against the practice.
W. B. RODMAN, JR.,
OF WASHINGTON,
IN SENATE RACE
Three-Cornered Contest for
Two Places Assured; No
Other Developments
The political situation in this sec
tion took on added interest over the
week-end when Attorney William
B. Rodman, jr., of Washington, an
nounced his candidacy for the state
senate from this district, subject to
the June democratic primary. "Mr
Rodman's announcement brings
three candidates into the field for
the two positions, Messrs. R. L Co
burn, of Williamston, and T. B. Att
more, of Washington, have pdem
more, of Washington, having previ
ously announced their candidacies
Mr. Rodman graduated from the
University of North Carolina in
1910, studied law there and obtained
his license to practice in 1911. He
has since that time practiced in
Washington and generally through
out this district as a member of the
law Arm of MacUean and Rodman
During the World War he served in
the U. S Navy with the rank ol
lieutenant and prior to the war serv
ed as commanding officer of the
Washington division of the Naval
Militia. He has served as mayor ol
Washington and as president of the
Washington Rotary Club.
So far the contest for the state
senate is the first to develop In thii
county or district. However, added
interest is expected ere long, as the
primary is hardly more than twc
months off. Attorney Carl Bailey
Senator from this district, has nol
made public his intentions in con
nection with entering the race te
succeed himself In that position
With the exception of Martin's one
and Beaufort's two, no other coun
ties have advanced candidates foi
the state senate.
Project Is Approved
By County Board at
J J
Meet Here Monday
Action Taken Preliminary
And Building Not Yet
Definitely Assured
The proposed construction of an
agricultural storage and market fa
cility warehouse here by the Works
Progress Administration was con
sidered at a special meeting of the
Martin County commissioners here
yesterday, when Joe Hanson, rep
lesenting the government, appeared
before the body and explained the
details. The commissioners approv
ed the proposed project, agreeing to
provide a site. It was quite evident
that the commissioners will not par
ticipate in the project cost other
than supplying the site.
According to the plans the build
ing will be 100 by 150 feet and of
fire-proof construction. It is esti
mated the cost will be around $18,
000.
The action taken at the Monday
meeting is only of a preliminary
nature and does not mean that the
Federal authorities will approve the
proposed project.
The cocsti .let.ion < f an agricul
tural office building l? r this county
1 us been unproved, but it could not
oe learned just when work on the
pioject will gel underway. At a
recent meeting, the Martin commis
sioners agreed to meet the cos of
the skilled labor whiclj, will amount
to ubou* 30 per <ent of the total
expense. .\'n such agreement was
considered for 1 h.? proposed con
struction of the Wf'A maiKul (o
c-lity lai liters' warehouse.
It is understood the propos ed new
building would house the Farmers'
Cooperative Exchange, curb market
and provide storage lor farm crops
with the possibility that it> uses
could be expanded in the future.
Attended by Commissioners H.
Perry, Joshua \.. C< Itraiir, V. (J
Taylor and John K. Pope, chairman,
the meeting yesterday discussed no
other business.
Farmers Arc Hitting
High Spots Only in
Plowing Activities
???
Land Still Too Wet in Most
Places; Roads Greatly
Improved
Although the land is mighty wot,
numbers of farmers in this county
started running their plows yester
day. The plowing activities were
confined to the high spots for the
most part, however.
Reports given by a number of
farmers this week indicated the to
bacco transplanting activities could
go forward in this section about the
usual time, provided no handicaps
are experienced between now and
the early part of May. Apparently
there are plenty of plants, some of
them having the size larger than a
dime.
With the roads greatly improved,
fertilizer materials are moving in
fairly large quantities now, and if
the weather is not too bad all farm
ing activities will be underway on
a large scale within the next 10 or
12 days.
Several Plan To Attend
Hearing in Plymouth 25th
e
A hearing on the proposal to in
crease the depth of the Roanoke
from 5 to 10 feet from Hamilton to
Weldon will be held in Plymouth
tomorrow afternoon at 1 o'clock.
Representatives of the government
and army engineers will be present
to hear the proposals, and several
people from here and others in the
towns located on and near the river
are planning to attend. The meet
ing is open to all interested per
sons.
?
Play To Be Given at Oak
City School Friday Night
?
The senior class of the Oak City
High School will present "Aaron
Slick From Punkln Crick," a rural
comedy in thrae acta, in the school
auditorium there Friday evening of
this week at 7:30 o'clock. The play
shows an old fanner getting ahead
of the city slickers and offers plenty
of fun.