Give Local Merchants First Chance With Your Christmas Shopping?Hundreds of Bargains Await You
SI THE ENTERPRISE
VOLUME XXXIX?NUMBER 101 IVilliamston. Martin County. North Carolina. Friday. December 18. 1936 ESTABLISHED 1899
JURY FOR CASE OK
WATSON CALLED
FROM BEAUFORT
Special Venire of 50 Men
Ordered Summoned by
Judge Barnhill
Armed with an order handed
down by Judge M. V. Barnhill. pre
siding over the December term of
Martin County Superior Court here
this week. Sheriff C B Sheriff raid
ed Washington and parts of Beau
fort County late Wednesday after
noon and signed up 50 good and
true citizens for jury service in the
case of State against Alvin W Wat
son. young Georgia man. charged
with the cold-blooded murder of
Thomas HoUiday. young white man
?n RobersonvOie the 22nd of last
month
Deputy Marsh lander, of Beaufort,
worked late into the night button
holing the special venire of 50 men
and heard all kinds of excuses, but
anything short of death was not ac
ceptable. Tagging two firemen_ the
deputy excused one but pointed out
that the other one would have to
attend court here explaining that
Wiliamooi might have a big lire
and need help
All the men showed up except
Charles Hoyl George Webster mis
understood the order and reported
for service at the courthouse in
Washington, lie came in later, how
ever. and was excused when he said
he did not believe in capital punish
ment on account of his religious be
liefs Incidentally, he was one of
the 5 cut of T8 called Tuesday and :
>,? I. ? ??V Who did not believe in
capital punishmttr.t
Leo than an hour was required
to fill the box. the state and defense
examining 23 of the special venire
of 50 men \ before selecting the
twelfth juror The names of the jur
Cet. I Keys. Washington hotel
man T S. Payne. Wa.-hington fire
agent. J?A?C Alligouel.
fanner of near Bath. S F Alligood
retired ice man: Frank Wynne.
Washington cat n.an. J E Hodges,
farmer of Washington H K Brown,
a native of this county bat now ope
rrator ot a Washington cafe; M. F
McKee. jr, hardware merchant.
Taylor Wallace Washington Daily
News employee C. O. Tankard, pool
rtoen and soda fountain operator;
and B F Whitfurd, drug store op
erator
The Sate did not challenge a sin
gle man. and the defense rejected
only six The names of those who
were examined and excused or re
jected are George Howard. James
Russ George Webster Vernon Free
man. W F Cherry, W. T. Cratch.
George Taylor. H. H. Satterthwaile,
John H Singleton. Jesse Raw Is
Start Vi ork on Radio
Station Near Here
for the
struct* n of a radio station near here
was started yesterday morning. I
when 70 Civilian Conservation!
Corps young men began clearing the
site adjoining the county home just
acruss from Mickey's Inn. The work
wfll ho conleled within the next
fair day*.
Const ruction of a heme for the
broadcasting equipment and the five
station operators will get underway
Jmmabd^jLlttJatnet:
system will be the most modern of
any in the country when completed,
engineers say
$49 Reported Collected
la Christmas Joy Fund
Answers to appeals to make this
Christmas a happy one for the less
fortunate in the community are
craning in fairly rapidly as time for
the thoughtful las rapidly
to a close. Considerably
needed, however, to
reach, in a small way. the hundreds
who face a bleak holiday seas
? At noon today, the fund
Contributions
rere made by
are, as follows:
J & Whitley. *!?: Davis' Phann
cy ?10. A Friend. ?10. U
? Mrs A R Dunning. $1;
Office Employees. >1.
Jury Finds Bullock Is
Not Guilty of Murder
GAINS FREEDOM
Willis Bullock, chaired with
(he murder of Thomas Hollidajr.
was (reed la Superior Court here
Wedaeaday. the deteadaat i
ia? a jovial
two-day trial.
Main Street Store
Robbed Last Night
The store of the Norfolk Under -
sellers on Main Street here was rob
bed last night the rnhhw Raining
an entrance from the roof through
a skylight. Charlie Frank discov
ered the robbery this morning when
he opened the store at the usual
lime for business
Piecing together several old bar
rel hoops, the robber attached the
crude rope to a brace and lowered
himself into the store. Finding both
doors padlocked, the man had to
nimD a w ire to get out, and it is be
lieved he was unable to carry many
articles with him. The robber, un
able to climb the bare wire, opened
a bolt of cloth and wrapped the
An old pair of slippers was left
in the store and several suits of
clothes and a number of pairs of
shoes were found on the floor
Roy Davis. 27-year-old colored
man. was arrested this afternoon by
local police in connection with the
robbery, reports coming from police
headquarters indicating that others
including a woman, would likely be
implicated.
Several blankets, a number of
shirts and other articles were miss
ed from the store, it was revealed
followihg a hurried inventory by
the store owners.
^ oman Fatally Hurt
In Bertie Accident
Mrs John White. 36, of ?ectie
County, was fatally injured and Iter
3-year-old son. Thomas White, was
critically hurt in a three-truck wreck
about two miles this side of the
Chowan River bridge early last eve
ning. The child, removed to a Wind
sor hospital, was lepurted not ex
pected to li ve.
Roy E Littleton and Lee Jones^
of New Bern, operating a fish truck,
and Jim Hendricks and Els berry, of
WHW. ml Unlit HkmU. o? ikx
folk. riding in an egg truck, were
hurt but not badly, reports received
here stated
The fish truck was said to have
been stopped on the highway while
the operators repaired a fiat tire
Mrs White, driving a pick-up truck,
approached from the rear and did
not see the truck until too late to
stop She turned to the left and
crashed into the egg truck driven by
Hendricks, it an
5 SHOPPING DAYS
Jury Out Less Than
Hour; First Degree
Verdict Was Asked
Trial Attended by Largest
Crowds in Years; Ended
Wednesday
Willis Bullock. 26-year-old Rob
ersonville man, charged with the
murder of Ibomas Holliday. young
white man, at a filling station in
RobersonviUe on the morning of
September 22, was found not guilty
by a Martin County jury in court
here Wednesday evening, marking
the close of a case that attracted the
largest crowds to the old hall of jus
tice in 11 years The jury had the
cast- a little less than an hour.
A first-degree verdict was urged
by the Male, and Judge M V Barn
hill charged the jury that it should
find the defendant guilty on that
carge or not guilty In other words,
the man was guilty of first-degree
murder or he was not guilty, the
jury refuting the testimony offered
by the state's star witness. Alvin W
Watson^ co-defendant, and freeing
Bullock. Under the conditions, it j
was agreed by court observers and
others who had kept up with the
trial in one way or another that the
' I
evidence offered by the prosecution (
was not sufficient to send amanlo
his death.
The case, the first tried in this
county in i*ecent years carrying the
death penalty h%d conviction result
ed, required two days. Three hours
were spent selecting a jury, and the
proceedings were handled carefully
and slowly. Evidence for the Mate
was completed at 11:30 Wednesday,
and a recoas was called at 1 oYl.nk.
after fiu llock took the stand in his
own defense. Three witnesses were
called that afternoon, the lawyers
con pi ,ing their speeches shortly
a^ei 4 o'clock. Judge Barnhill com
pleted his charge in about 40 min
utes, and the jury took the case at
5 o'clock. Numbers of spectators,
expecting the deliberations lo last
for several hours, left the courtroom
and only a comparatively small
crowd was on hand to hear the ver
dict returned just before 0 o'clock j
The case was Defense Attorney
Paul D Boberson's first case to go
to a jury since the young man start
ed practicing law here a short while,
ago I
PROCEEDINGS IN
martLnCOUNTY
SUPERIOR COURT
Expected To Adjourn This
Afternoon; Working on
Pinal Case
The December term of Martin
County Superior court is expected
to adjourn by mid-afternoon today
following the completion of the
trial of the case charging Thomas
A. Spencer with reckless and hit
and-run driving The court has
been in session all week handling
a docket that was not so long as
far as case numbers are concerned
but which attracted attention from
all parts of the county. Interest in
the proceedings abated considerably
following the completion of the
murder trials of Willis Bullock and
Alvin W Watson Today there were
very small crowds in attendance up
on the court.
Completing iHe case against A.
W Watson yesterday afternoon, the
court started the trial of T. J. Jack '
son, young Robersonville man.
charged with robbery. He was
found guilty and sentenced to the
roads this morning for 18 months,
the judge stating that the defendant
would be required to finish 15
months of a previous sentence im
posed for the alleged robbery of
| James* store in Robersonville How
j ard Roberson, a customer of Gray's
Cafe in Robersonville when Jack
son attempted the robbery, was a
star witness in the case. He pomt
' ed out that Jackson lost his nerve
when he (Roberson) told him to
cither shoot or take that gun out of
I his face.
Kader Brown pleaded guilty of
! unlawful removal of crops, the
court suspending judgment upon
payment of costs.
Grover Bland was sentenced to
the roads for 12 months, and hll
wife was given a six months sus-1
pended jail sentence in the case
tharging them with the theft of to
bacco from a Hober. <mvdie ware
house floor
Henry Thomas, charged with
forgery, was found guilty, and
was sentenced to the roads for 12
months. Robert Edmondson, co
defendant in the case, was ordered
held that his case might be re-sub
mitted to the grand jury
Local Man Escapes
Injury in Auto Wreck
George Harrison, jr . escaped with
minor bruises and scratches about
11 o'clock last night when his car. j
a sport roadster, turned over about
two miles this side of Windsor. T^ie'
machine was wrecked.
The Final Appeal
(.In Editorial)
Appeals, pitiful as can be and de-quieting in this section of plenty an I
self-daimed humanity, are coming in rapidly daily, the appealers plead
ing their cases before the Christmas Joy Campaign workers, ami express
ing earnest hope that their little children will be rememliered this Christ
mas time. Pathetic falls short in describing the pleading heard by the sp?n
sors of the joy movement At the present time, cash contributions are far
from adequate to meet, even in a small way. the actual needs existing in
this community.
Near crop failures, adversity in one form or another are cited by
those who hesitate to beg hut who realize there will not be a single article
in their homes this Christmas time indicative of the holiday season unless
a thoughtful people remember them.
"My husband failed farming this year, lie is now working for $5 a
week, an amount too small to even feed our several children,' one report
reads. "If you have anything left over, well be mighty glad and thankful
if you will let us have it,' the mother pleaded.
There are nearly 100 people living in this county who receive %l or $3
a month, and they live on that amount, plus what a gracious people may
be inclined to give them. For them the fast ap|>roarhing Chri-tmas season
is just another period of the year, a period devoid of all hopr and happiness
There are many fatherless homes with many children entirely depend
ent upon others. There are those who are mentally deficient, and who are
a place in institution- There are those who are afflicted and who
bear their suffering without complaint, hoping against a hope long gone
that they may enjoy the blessings that you and I efljoy.
A growing list of appeals is taking form day by day, the list carrying
the names of nearly 200 little children, not to mention older people who are
Sufficient toys have been received, it is believed, to go around, but the
people of this community have not responded even half-heartedly with cash
contributions, and the last appeal is being made today. If you have not
already made a contribution, and if you think it humanly possible to par
ticipate, won't you leave a small donation for the cause at The Enterprise
today?
Fleas for old clothes are also bring heard, and while the Joy Cam
paign sponsors did not plan to include the collection and distribution of
any wearing apparel, the need is so great that the original task has been
t. If you have any old clothes that can be spared and you wish to
spare them, just call The Enterpriw and a messenger will be sent lor the
Watson Found Guilty of Murder
And Sentenced To Death in Gas
Chamber on Friday, March 5th
Resume Hearing on Disputed
Boundary Line Next Monday
The dispute over 4he yboundary
line location between Beaufort and
Martin Counties will again be up
for consideration next Monday morn
ing at 9 o'clock, when the special
committee and representatives of
the two political divisions meet in
the courthouse here
Oral evidence will be received
during most of the day probably,
there being some doubt as to wheth
er the committee and representatives
will venture into the woods to find
a certain cypress tree.
The dispute, pending for more
than a year, is due for quick settle
eral hearings have been scheduled,
but only one or two of them were
held, the committee continuing the
work first on account of snakes in
the woods and then on account of
weather conditions . or for other
causes.
Beaufort County has offered all its
oral evidence, sod it IS almost cer
tain that a settlement can be ex
pected after Martin offers all its
oral testimony.
Attorneys William B Rodman q!
Washington; 11. G. Horton. of Wil
liamston; and Tobe Connor, of Wil
son., are on the committee named to
ment following the hearing here on jr.ntlo the dispute?E. S. ifroel is rep
next Monday, u is understood. Scv-' it renting Bus county.
n-Sr-lfeel-j
'? J'
Release Two oi Two
Arrested Last Week
Jaileujaml Berham
French Hold
For Federal Ollieers
Federal Agents Expect To
Complete Investigation
Within Few Days
I Arrested in Robersonville a week
ire.. Albert bucks. nalne Austrian
.who w inters in Miami. continues 111
the county tail awaiting his trans
ler to Florida, where he is reported
wanted for alleged violations of
Federal laws His two companions.
Louis Jailer and Henry Bcrnham.
of New York, arrested with bucks,
were released yesterday following
Ian investigation by FBI agents The
nature of the charges bucks is to
face in Florida was not revealed by
officers, who stated that the man
would be transferred from the Mai
tin jail to Miami, probably Hie early
part of next week
Luck's wife, taken into custodv
tast Friday, is being drtamed in the
jail here pending the rompletion "f
an investigation now thought to be
rearing a close, the investigators
...ting that her release could be ex
pected within the next day or two
officers also explainer! that bucks
Wile, a Miss Whichard before mar
i lage and formerly of Robersonville,
. nd Other girls from this county,
were not wanted in the case that is
tw ing developed against bucks An
investigation proved them jnnocent.
and those now detained are merely i
t.cing held while the Federal Bureau
of Investigation agents complete
their work in the case Reports,
founded on investigations, were very
favorable to Lucks' wife and others
directly or indirectly implicated by
family connections, officers pointed
"It's my first trip South and my
last." Jailer said yesterday after
noon following his release from the
county I*? JMW& ? HIT ??=
ter in New York, and during the
past few weeks he explained sweat
shops recently opened in small cen
ters had reduced work for him and
others in the trade in New York
City He met bucks through his
iriend Bernhain only a few days
ago. and when invited gladly accept
ed a ride down to see North Caro
lina "We reached Robersonville
Wednesday .noon, and I wrote my
wife I'd be home Saturday buckily.
I did not say which Saturday." He
was last seen uw yesterday wilt
ing money by wire from his wife to
buy a ticket home
Hedum while enjoying his own
freedom here, could not get his car
released because he had it registered
and licensed under an alias Mem
bers of the highway patrol explained
to him that he would have to get hU
identity rtrttghtened out b< fore he
could get the car
Car of M. L. Barnes Is H|
Recovered in Windsor
The Ford coupe stolen from
County Agent M L Barnes from in
front ol his home on Haughton
Street here last Sunday night, was
recovered in Windsor this wae!
TO DIE MARCH 5
Adjudged guilty in superior
court here yesterday of the
murder of Thomas llolliday in
Rohersonville on November ZZ.
Alvin W. Watson 21, was sen
tenced to die in the gas cham
ber, Raleigh, on .March 5. 1937.
by Judge .M. V. Karnhill here
this afternoon.
Movie Queen" To
Arrive Tomorrow
Arrange ments are complete for
receiving Wiiliaiinston's "Movie
Queen" when she arrives here to*
morrow afternoon at 2 30 p m at
the bus station on Maint Street.
The public is invited to participate
in the welcome
Firms who will be represented
for the welcome ceremony and pa
rade are: Peele. Jewelry Company.
Kader Crawford. Insurance. Clarks'
Drug Store, Davis' Drug Store, Van
Dyke Furniture Co.# B. S Courtney
Furniture Co., Williamston Hard*
war<*> Co.. Ford Motor Cq? Chevro
let Motor Co, Harrison Wholesale
C... Colonial Oil Co, V. E P Co..
Fowden and Simpson, Insurance,
Sinclair Service' Station, Home Se
curity Insurance, "Hawk" Peel, Cul
pepper Hardware Cp, (lood and Bad
Furniture Co., W. D. Ambers Press
ing Club, J E Pope Insurance, Mar
golis Bros. Edgew??od Dairy. Im
perial! Life Insurance, Metropolitan
Cife Insurance Co Harrison and
Car.tai phen Insurance, Barnhill
Bios., Dr. W. C. Mercer, Texaco
Service Station. Cap York - -
OPEN NIGHTS
Startin next Monday.
Williamston stores will
open nights for the conve
of shoppers in this section, and
will remain open evenings until
Christmas.
There has been same talk a
bont rlosing the stares here an
next week, giving emptor ce* a
Uiree-day holiday ? Christmas
day, Saturday and Sunday. Na
jury rrom tseautort
County Delil>erates
LessThan Half Hour
? ? C,
Mercy Recommended Due
To Youth of Defendant;
No Appeal Indicated
A special jury of Beaufort Coun
ty citizens found Alvin W Watson,
young Georgia white man. guilty of
murder in the first degree here yes
terday afternoon in superior court.
Judge M V Bamhill this afternoon
sentencing the youth to die in th
gas chamber at Kaleigh for Killing
Thomas Holiiday. young white man
at a nping station in Robersonville_
on Sunday morning, November 2T
Friday. March 5, was the date se*
for execution And thus cm* of the
most dastardly killings ever report
ed in this section- was brought to a
close today, as far as this county and
its courts are concerned, the doomed
man's atloriu'y indicating that no ap
peal would be taken for a new trial.
In rendering its verdict, after hold
infi the man's life in balance for only
25 minutes, the special jury recom
mended mercy. While evidence in
tl.e case made imperative a verdict
of guilty-, the jury, of sympathy
for the defendant's youth, addressed
its sympathetic appeal to the court.
Powerless to act in behalf of Wat
son. Judge Barnhill pronounced the
deatcli sentence this afternoon, after
he explained yesterday that any ap
peals could only be addressed to
JEdwin Gill, commissioner of par
dons. Raleigh.
with tears in his eyes, still main
tained that Willis Bullock, co-de
fendant in the case, did the actual
killing. Public sentiment, pointed at
fii si to the guilt of both Watson and
llullock. switched to some extent
after Bullock gained his freedom in
tlie court just 22 hours earlier. The
final outcome of the case, as it has
to do with Watson's Jife, rests large
ly in the hands of the public, the
trial jury, and the prosecution, the
general opinion being, however, that
little can be done in the man's be
half wlieri the evidence is remem
bt red
The trial of the case was hardly
,?m?? e than mere formality, and did
I not attract as large crowds as were
present for Bullock's plea for free
dom during Tuesday and Wednes
day Fight witnesses, J. B. White
hurst. Leslie Riddick, Dr. J. E Ward
G D Carraway, Chief W. H. Gray,
of Robersonville; Sheriff C. B. Roe
buck. Patrolman W. S. Hunt and
Linwood Bland were used by the
*tate in presenting its case. The
fu *1 evidence was heard Uy aft
cr 10.30 yesterday morning^ the
court recessing for lunch at 12:50.
The state called one new witness
that afternoon and rested its case
about 2 30. Not a single word was
spoke in defense of Watson, who had
no witnesses and who exercised the
right not to take the stand in his
own bchslf.
, The state did not use its expert
witness, J J McCarthy, of the Fed
. .-.I Hiire.,11 ..r Ineasligalla. labor
atones, Washington, indicating the
I lood found on Watson's clothes
was found not to match that found
on Holliday's shirt.
In less than an hour, Pros-ctj'O'
Dunnell Gilliam and Defense Attor
ney Henry D. Hardison made their
addresses, which were very brief,
and Judge Barnhid completed his
charge. Attorney J. C. Smith, of
the private prosecution, did not ad
dress the jury.
Taking the case at 3:30, the jury
was out 10 minutes before it re
turned. and some misunderstanding
resulted. The jury said the defend
ant was guilty of being at the *'"-f
station, the spokesman first failing
to add. "and therefore we find him
guilty of murder in the first degree,
but recommend mercy." It was quite
apparent that the jury had just
found the man guilty of being at
the filling station where Holbday
was killed, and Judge Barnhill re
viewed and offered additional k,
struct ions The jurist explained
that it made no difference who dM
the actual killing, that if Holbday
was killed while Watson was rob
bing the station, than a verdict ml
(l