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VOLUME XL?NUMBER 14 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, February 16, 1937 ESTABLISHED 1899
NUMBER ARRESTS
MADE IN COUNTY
OVER WEEK-END
Twenty-two People Placed]
In Jail Local and County
Officers Dining Period
Local and county officer* shat
tered all previous tetania at activi
ty during last week-end when they
mad* 22 arrests. The uffkeis made
a clean sweep Saturday evening and
night when they lodged in jail more
than a dozen white and colored m
lor minor alleged violations at the
laws. Twelve of those jailed were
charged with public drunkenness,
the other cases either a
saults, disorderly conduct, non-sup
port, and drunken auto driving
Three of those jailed?two colored
women and one colored man?were
held for investigation in an alleg
flim-flam case. No charges we
brought against the trio in this coun
ty, and they were turned over to
Pitt County authorities. They were
Mabel Hudson. Willie Johnson, and
James Redmond.
The cases, booked for hearings in
the county and justice of the peace
courts, are being handled from day
to day. Mayor Hasaell explaining
that the trial ra lender was so crowd
ed that it wil require the greater I
part of the week to dear the docket |
in his court.
The large number of arrests lo
cally followed a period at little ac
tivity in the courts here; Justice
Hsssell stating that up to last week
end actions in his court were few
and far between.
Mrs. Abernathy Is
Freed in Hopewell
?Catherine Phelps Abernathy.
young woman whoae marriage in
Williamiton last month was founded
on a Hopewell jail romance, was
found not guilty in the Virginia
City last week in the ease charging
her with the killing of her brother
in-law there last August.
Her husband. C. P. Abernathy,
was turned over to Blackstone, Va.
authorities following his arrest in
Oak City the early part of this
month. He was found guilty of pass
ing bad checks and is now serving
a two-year sentence, his wife ex
plaining that she would not have
married him had she known he gave
worthless checks to finance their
wedding trip. Abernathy is also
wanted in Halifax County, where he
is alleged to have passed worthless
checks just before his marriage to
the Mim Phelps, daughter of Mrs.
J. A. Johnson, of Goose Nest Town
llMg
Auto Tag Sale Here Leads
Records Established in 1936
The local Carolina Motor Club
license bureau located in the Wil
liamiton Mortor Company building
has sold 4,585 automobile, truck and
trailer tages to date. Mias Huldah
Roberson, bureau secretary, stated
this afternoon. A large majority or
3,810 of the ags were sold to Ford
and Chevrolet owners.
Approximately $S8?15J0 has been
collected by the bureau, the tag
aale and receipts running consider
ably ahead of the 18M lecord up to
the same date, it was pointed out by
Mia Roberson.
Plan Operation Poultry
Car in County Next Week
Arrangements were announced al
most complete tor the operation at a |
cooperative poultry car in the coun
ty next week. County Agent T. B.I
Brandon mid this """
market has slightly
the hem i iMi[.islie
made, it is
Members oi the Methodist
Church Meet Tomorrow|
An important
Methodist church
be held in the cha
ning at 7:38 o'clock.
Grant announced
recondition th
discussed and nil
ed to ba present.
Lumber Mitt Operating
Clean Sweep Is Made by Bear
Grass in Basketball Tourney
The Beer Grass basketball teams
successfully turned back all oppo
sition last week to gain double hon
ors in the Martin County basketball
tournament, the boys winning, 26 to
IT over Jamesville, and the girls de
feating Robersonville, 23 to 10, in
thf Amis.
S tuck in knae-deep mud. Farm
Life was unable to appear and as
sert its rights to championship
cla ms. and the Bear Grass girls
oiW right the final* with Rub
ers in ville. Rogerson took charge of
the goal for Bear Grass and scored
nearly half of the winning team's
points to turn the victory. Rober
sonville, supported strongly by M.
Everett, turned back Williamston's
sextet in the semi-finals Friday
night to gain a place in the last
round-up with Bear Grass Satur
day evening
The Bear Grass boys turned back
Robersonville. 17 to 11. Friday night
to earn the right to contend for
county honors in the finals. James
ville defeated Williamston. 23 to 15,
in the semi-finals, and the two strong
teams were set for action the fol
lowing night. E. Raw Is registered
8 points to figure in the 26-17 win
for Bear Grass.
It was the second successive year
that the Bear Grass girls annexed
the loving cup, the Robersonville
quint yielding ownership of the boys
cup after holding it one year.
Aftermath of Flood
Is Vividly Described
LEAF COMPACTS
The future for a state tobacco
is far frees a certainty,
as struck a bi*
la Georgia.
Georgia Is yelling for the earn
pact to include the State of Flor
ida, where a million or so pounds
of the weed are harvested an
nually. Briefly stated. Georgia
age and is net so strong for
blacking Its tobacco program,
bat u is now trying to shift the
blame far the almost apparent
failure of the compact legisla
tion an the shoulders of Florida.
January Narrative
Summary of Work
By Home Agent
Program During Period Is
Interrupted by Roads
And Bad Weather
By L. E. Sleeper, Agent
Home Demonstration club wo
men contributed to the happiness I
of the county home inmates during'
last month by making each member |
at the home a stocking and filling,
it with fruit, candy and nuts. Ap
proximately SO bags were carried to
the home on January 3. A short
worship service was conducted by
Rev. H_ R. Grant and members of
four home demonstration clubs with
inmates joining in the devotional
par kid.
The home agent travelled 833
miles during the month, spent 21 1-2
days in the field, and 3 1-2 days in
the office, visited 36 different homes,
held 10 meetings with girls and 9
with women, and assisted by being
on the program at four other meet
The regular planned program for
the adult women was upset during
the month by bad weather. The
subject of demonstration was Trans
planting of shrubs." This was pos
sible at only two meetings. Methods
of transplanting were given these
two communities. In all other club
meetings pictures and bulletins had
I to take the place of the real dn
onstration
Regular work for the girls' clubs J
as carried in all groups.
Approximately 33 garments were
made during the month and girls
|reported making and giving of gifts]
suggested by the home agent
]Girls in all clubs are required to
mathree of clothing,
piece of handwork, 1 piece of knit
ting and 1 piece crocheting during
the year besides their wdrk in can
The home agent spent one day in|
the poultry project, securing ti
demonstrators. This will make!
a total of nine farms where poultry [
records are kept under the hoi
agent and State college; lor from six |
months to one year. Plans for
colony laying house were given out
from the office during the month
for a brick brooder. |
One home constructed such a brood
er during the month.
Jfina a unit aalhng through the]
curb eearket received $92.72 during
the month. Cakes were the leading!
eras en the liat of products sold.
Tha home agent attended thel
held in the itnerast of rural |
at the arhonl house ln|
a arts
Williamston Native
Says 'The Beautiful
Ohio*" Now Mockery
Savings of Life Time Willj
Not Be Recovered by
Many Thousands
Recently flooded by the Ohio,
towns and cities in the Ohio Valley
are now taking an inventory of
their losses, reports stating that pos
sibly thousands of people will never
be able to recover the things ac
cumulated in a lifetime. Writing
about the flood toll and the rehabili
tation task in Ripley, Ohio, Mrs. Cal
no Loudon, formerly Miss Carrie
Dell White, of WiRiamston, says:
"You have heard and read of our
'Beautiful Ohio' River, but I'm hero
to state that adjectives are inade
quate to describe the catastrophe
The Beautiful Ohio' has left in our
community, neighboring towns and
cities. Of course, 1 shall mention
only the existing conditions of our
town, Ripley, Ohio.
"As the entire business district
was completely submerged and three
fourths of the residential section un
der water, we are stumped in figur
ing a comeback from a half million
dollars' damage wrought by the flood
here. There is nothing left?noth
ing but a thickly deposited coat of
mud with its terribly offensive odor
?not only on our streets, trees and
buildings?from top to bottom, in
side and out?but also on people and
their rlnlhes Every window, door,
wall, floor and fixture in business
houses, as well as residences, includ
ing furniture, are wrecked beyond
repair. House after house off foun
dations, some swept miles down the
river, others upside down. Porches
and kitchens shattered; then, again,
the entire brick walls of homes
raved in, while others are complete
ly demolished. There isn't an out
side building, such as garage, barn,
or chickenhouse, left. One, the to
bacco warehouse, was totally
wrecked. In fact, a tornado could
not have made a cleaner sweep of
things Our streets are blocked with
debris.
"Oh, the horror of it all before
the crest was reached. There was a
constant downpour night and day
for over a week and family after
family, drenching wet, moved out
by boat loads and were sheltered by
us few who were left on the higher
part of town; some were forced tu
take refuge in near-by towns. The
suffocating fumes of gas and oil on
the water, due to floating tanks of
gasoline and fuel oil, added to our
discomfort. Shrieking cries deafen
us with, 'Don't dare strike a match;
no smoking or fires allowed; other
wise the town will go up in flames."
"Oh, no one will ever know the
ghastly suspense we lived through
for days. Just another 24 hours'
rain would have reached my house.
As it was, it had only a couple of
feet to go before it would have
flooded my garden. In fact, there
are a couple of houses and a garage
lodged against my garden. They
landed boats just below my front'
"Now the problem that confronts
ua, "What will these unfortunate peo
ple do?' It is impoosihle for them
10 islym to their polluted homes
for sometime, and living conditions
in all our homes are none too con
venient, as we have no water, lights
or telephone service just now. How
ever, we?the Ripley citizens?are
most fortunate, as not one life was,
lost and so far God has spared an!
[epidemic, though everyone is bemgj
MRS. SALLIE W.
RICHARDS DIES
AT HAMILTON
Served as Postmistress In
Hamilton for More Than
Quarter of a Century
Mrs. Sallie Watts Richards, high
ly respected Hamilton woman and
a member of one of this county's
oldest families, died at her home
early Saturday morning following
an illness of long duration.
Mrs. Richards, daughter of the
ls'.e Dr. and Mrs. William Watts,
was born in Hamilton about 70 years
ago. She was the last member of
the family, and lived in Hamilton all
tier life. For more than a quarter
of a century she served as postmis
tress in Hamilton. In early wo
manhood she was married to Steph
en Ewell, who died some years ago.
One son, Stephen Ewell, survives
that union. She later married C. S.
Richards, who survives. She was a
member of the Methodist church
and was active in the affairs of her
community until her health began
to fail nearly two years ago.
Mrs. Richard's forebears located
in this county prior to the Revolu
tionary period, and many of them
were prominent in the political af
fairs of the county and section for a
lung number of years. She was a
half-sister of the late Wigg Watts,
of WiUiamston.
Funeral services were conducted
at the late home Sunday afternoon
at 2 o'clock by Rev. R. N. Fills,
Methodist minister of Rubersonville.
Interment was in the Methodist
cemetery, Hamilton.
Colored Child Is
Seriously Burned
Minnie Christine Moore, 2-year
old colored child, was critically
burned at the home of her parents,
John and Sudie Moore, on Haughton
and Warren Streets yesterday noon.
In the care of her 7-year-old sister
while the parents were away at
work, the baby fell against a heat-'
er and caught her clothes on fire. A
greater part of the skin on one leg
and on the stomach was burned off
Her sister, Idetl, stopped the fire
as it was eating its way toward the
girl's neck by throwing water on
her.
It was reported Jhat the older sis
ter poured kerosene into the stove,
causing the fire to flare out the draft
and catch the child's clothing on fire
Although painfully and critically
burned, the child is expected to re
cover, doctors stating she will be
several months getting well.
Two Cars Wrecked By
Fire Tn County Monday
Two automobiles were wrecked by
fire in Williams Township, near
Holly Springs, yesterday* one burn
ing that morning and the other go-;
tng up in flames last evening.
His car catching fire as he was
| riding along the road yesterday
morning, Haywood Cherry was al
most trapped in the burning ma
chine, reports reaching here stated.'
People along the road tried to warnj
Cherry of the danger as the fire
burned toward him, but their warn-!
ings were accepted as friendly greet!
ings and he returned with a mere,
wave of the hand As the fire gain
ed headway. Cherry felt the heat,'
stopped the Model A Ford and jump I
ed out without injury
The Ford V-8 of Lindwnod Pate's
caught fire while he was duvin on
a aide road, near Holly Springs, but1:
he soon discovered it and got out
safely but not in time to put the fire
out.
Auto Supply Store Opens
Here Next Friday Morning
Arrangements were announced
virtually complete for the grand
opening ot the Economy Auto Sup*
ply Store in the Staton building,
next to Clark's Drug Store, on Fri
day and Saturday of this week, Mr.
Curtis Leggett, manager, said this
morning.
A detailed opening announcement,
carrying special bargains for the oc
easion, wiD be mad* on Friday, it
Establish Distribution
Center Here lor Beers
The Griffin A Coppersmith Com
pany, of Elizabeth City, are estab
lishing a beer distribution ware
house here, it was unofficially learn
ed this morning. Clarence Jones, of
Elizabeth City, will have charged of
the operations here, it was stab
Mr. and Mrs. Jones are moving into
the Tar Heal apartments today.
STATE SEN ATE TO
CONSIDER MAJOR
BILLS THIS WEEK
House Rushes Through Bill
Calling for $79,000,000
In State Taxes
Ending the sixth week of the ses
sion last Saturday. North Carolina's
General Assembly is now rushing
toward adjournment, the house hav
ing just about handled the major
portion of its cut-and-dried legisla
tive program The senate goes into
action today on the liquor bill, and.
once that is handled, the upper
house will begin consideration of
the $79,000,000 revenue bill which
sailed through the house in less than
5 minutes late last Friday night. f
The social security bill and labor
proposals are yetjto be acted upon,
but, if they are handled after the
pattern followed in executing such
measures as revenue and liquor by
the house, they can be disposed of at
one of those Saturday sessions.
Opposition to features of the reve
nue bill fell by the wayside, and
those who would have had the sales
tax lifted, altered, or radically
changed, threw up their hands in
surrender and watched the machin
ery wheels turn at full speed ahead. I
Just what the revenue bill calls for
as passed by the house will prob
ably come to light in the senate.
The liquor bill, up for considera
tion in the senate today, is not ex
pected to pass by as large a major
ity as some first believed. The lat
est estimate is that the wet forces
will carry the county option plan
by at least three votes. The bill
now before the senate members
would set up a state board of con
trol for county-operated stores and
would allow any county to hold a
referendum on whether it wanted
the stores.
Reports from Raleigh indicate that
the revenue bill will" come up for
consideration in the senate' tomor
row. In the meantime the house
is marking time with an eye on ear
ly adjournment.
Negro Is Arrested
For Store Robbery
George Blount, colored man, ar
rested in Rocky Mount last week
for drunkenness, was formally
charged Saturday with the robbery
of J. S. Ayers store in Everetts the
26th of last ^ftionth. Blount, a na
ti\?- of Creswell, Washington Coun
ty, will be brought to the county for
trial just as soon as he completes a
30 day road sentence in Nash Coun
ty, Sheriff C. B. Roebuck said.
Thr~ctothcs worn?by "Blount" at
the time of his arrest in Rocky Mt
were identineil as tnose belonging
to Mr. Ayers.
Blount, serving time on the roads
in this county, escaped just 12 days
before his term expired. Taking his
leave without permission while the
road force was working in the
Spring Green section of the county,
he went by Everetts, broke the $42
plate glass front of the Ayers store
and stole a pair of trousers, pair of
shoes and a few other articles. Ar
rested in Rocky Mount he was fin
gerprinted and the prints showed he
had escaped from the road gang
Oliver Grimes Waives
Hearing in Killing Case
1 Oliver Grimes, arrested in I'lnla
delphia last month for killing Rich
ard Smith, colored man, in Ihi;
county 14 years ago, waived prtl.ni
inary hearing yesterday. He was
returned to the county jail to await
trial in the superior court next
month.
Grimes was returned to this coun
ty by Sherifl C. B. Roebuck from
Philadelphia last week.
Parent-Teacher Group To
Mfft fomorrow
v '
The local parent-teacher associa
tion will hold its regular monthly
meeting in the high school build
ing tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 o'
clock, Mrs. J. F. Thigpen, president,
announced today. The high school
band will appear in concert before
the meeting, and a Urge attendance
is urged. K
Son of Mr. and Mrs. T. M.
v Whitaker Died Saturday
Linwood Mayo Whitaker, two
months old, died at the home of his
parents, Thomas M. and Elizabeth
Bowen Whitaker, near Jamesville.
Saturday evening at ? o'clock. Fu
neral services were held at the home
Saturday afternoon anl interment
was in the Bowen cemetery, near
Tveratta.
Figures on Homestead
Exemption Prepared
SCHOOL CLOSED
Unfavorable weather and bad
roads continue to interrupt op
eration of schools in this coun
ty, the office of the county sup
erintendent announcing this
morning that the plant at Farm
Life was still closed. Heavy**
rains early today made it nec
essary to postpone the reopen
ing planned there this morning.
As far as it could be learned, all
other schools in the county had
their doors open this morning,
the unofficial reports stating
that attendance flgures were
very low.
It could not be learned when
Farm Life planned to reopen,
action depending upon the road
and weather conditions.
Auditor Says
Exemption To Raise
County Tax Rate 11c
Proposed Exemption Will
Reduce Valuation By
About $750,000
The $250 homestead exemption
now being considered by the North
Carolina legislature will lower th*
valuation now assessed against
homes owned and occupied by citi
zens in this county by approximate
ly $750,000, it was estimated this
week following a hurried and pre
liminary survey of the tax books by
Auditor J. Sam Getsinger. An ac
curate report will not be available
until the present system of listing
property for taxation is changed.
Using the $750,000 estimate as a
working basis, the accountant fig
ures that light of $250 from each
homestead in the county will neces
sitate an increase of about 11 cents
in the county tax rate, provided, of
course, there is no variation in val
ues on other property, Mr. Getsinger
explained.
No estimate was made as to the
value that wil actually be lost from
taxation. Mr. Getsinger said that he
found very few homes valued at less
than $250 in the one township used
as a basis for making the survey,
which was asked for by Senator R.
L. Cpburn and Representative H. G.
Horton for use in the legislature
possibly when the homestead, consti
tutional amendment is brought to
the attention of that body shortly.
The homestead amendment is al
most certain to prove disappointing
to many home owners, for, while it
is destined to relieve the home own
er, it is expected to provide little re
lief unless the exemption is in
creased to the $1,00 maximum al
lowed by the constitutional amend
ment passed last November. The
citizen who owns a home valued at
$250 or less will get complete ex
emption, but the person who owns
his own home with a value of more
than $250 will?get a reduction in
valuation and at the same time be
I faced with an increase in the tax
rate. The amendment does provide
a shifting of taxation away from
a man's home to other types of
propei tyy-but the $250 proposed ex
emption will do very little other
than to lower the valuation and
raise the rate.
Car. Stolen Monday
Recovered in New
Bern in Few Hours
Two Runaway Youths from
Pennsylvania Arrested
And Jailed Here
The Ford sedan stolen from James
E. GrifYin on the streets here yes
terday morning was recovered in |
New Bern a few hours later, the
Craven officers arresting Eber Kurtz
and Raymond McKay, two young
boys traveling from Pennsylvania
south. Sheriff C. B. Roebuck and
Officer J. H. Allsbrooki' went to
New Bern late yesterday afternoon
and returned the youths here for
trial.
Kurtz, 16, and McKay, 17, said
they ran away from their homes in
Coatsville, Pa., Sunday morning.
Reaching Williamston they stopped
thumbing and looked around for pri
vate conveyance. Finding the Grif
fln car parked in frbnt of the tele
phone office on Smith wick Street,
the two boys increased their speed
south. A parked bakery truck in
New Bern attracted their attention,
and they were arrested by officers
there for the theft of bread and oth
er bakery products. Kurtz and Mc
Kay admitted they stole the car in
Williamston and local officers were
notified. It is believed the boya
would have sailed on into Florida i
had they held their appetites in
check.
Roanoke Warehouse Co.
Issues 2 Percent Dividemt
Molding their ^hnual TrrrptiTip iir
the county courthouse last Friday
afternoon, Roanoke Tobacco Ware
house Company stockholders de
clared a 2 per cent dividend and re
elected its officers, as follows: Henry
D. Peel, president; S. Claude Grif
fin, vice president; and John R. Peel,
secretary-treasurer. The dividend
is the fifteenth declared by the com
pany, the total dividends amounting
to aroun dl32 per cent.
Open bids for renting the ware
house will be received on Friday of
next week.
Attorney Coburn Returns
To Richmond Hospital
Attorney W. H. Coburn returned
this afternoon to a Richmond hos
pital for treatment. He was dis
charged from the hospital there
last week and had been at his home
on Haughton Street here only a few
days when his return to Richmond
was considered advisable.
? ?
Condition of Mrs. Moore
Continues About the Same
The condition of Mrs. C .O. Moore.
at her home on Williams Street here
last Thursday night was little
changed today, Mr. Moore stating
that she wad. just about holding her
own. Mrs. Moore is able to speak
a few words, but has no use of her
right side, it was stated.
Helpful Hints on Wiring
To Be Offered at Meting
A school on wiring of the farm
home will be held at Macedonia
tomorrow evening, February 17, at
7:30 p. rp , >t was announced today
by Home Agent Lora E. Sleeper.
The school has been arranged by
the extension agents in the county
to assist farmers in the problems
involving wiring. Specialists have
notified the agent# they wiU attend
the meeting. Men and women in
terested should be present.
Rttl (Iross Donations
A few late contributions received
over the week-end adsanced the
flood relief fund raised by the Mar
tin County Red Cross chapter to
$011.78, Chairman Harry A. Biggs
said today. Every penny of the
$61178 raised has been forwarded
to the Red Cross headquarters in
Washington City.
Mr Biggs had no definite idea how
much money had been contributed
for the relief of flood victims in
Ohio by Martin people, but he be
lieves the total will exceed $1,000
including the amount raised by the
Robersonville chapter and donations
made by individuals to other chap
ters.
Approximately $18,200,000 has
been raised in the nation by the Red
Cross for the relief of flood sufferers.
Group I Bankers To Hold
Meet Here Next Monday
One hundred or more eastern Car
olina bankers are expected here for
the annual meeting of Group I of
the N. C. Bankers' Association here
next Monday, C. D. Carstarphen,
cashier of the Branch Banking 8i
Trust Company here, said today.
The bankers will hold a business
meeting in the school auditorium in
the afternoon and a banquet in the
Woman's Club hall that evening.
Several prominent speakers have
been invited to take parts in the
program.
Visiting Minister of Church
Of- the Advent -Tomorrow _
The Rev. C. A. Ashby, rector of
St. Paul's Episcopal church, Eden
ton, will speak at the Church of the
Advent Wednesday night at 7:S0.
This is the first of a series of Wed
nesday night Lenten services, at
which visiting ministers will be the
speakers. Dr. Ashby is an Inter
esting and able speaker, and a good
congregation is expected to attend
this service.