Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / Oct. 14, 1938, edition 1 / Page 1
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Advertiser! Will flaf Oar CM- j anus a Latchkey to over 1AM of Martin OsaadJ. THE ENTERPRISE Watch the Label ea Tear Paper, ae It Carries the Dale Yoar Subscription Eipirea VOLUME XLI?NUMBER 82 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, October 14, 1938. ESTABLISHED 1899 Recorders Court In An All-Day Session Trying Big Docket Judge H. O. Peel Handles Seventeen Cases Monday Following a big round-up over the week-end by county and local offi cers, Judge H. O. Peel and Solicitor W. H. Coburn settled down to a big day's work in the Martin County Recorder's Court on Monday. Large crowds were present from nearly every section of the county to hear the proceedings in the seventeen cases. Most of the morning was spent trying the case charging George Barnes with practicing medicine without a license. Judge Peel over ruled motions to non-suit the case, and found the 75-year-old defendant guilty. Barnes was fined $100 and taxed with the cost. Notice of appeal to the higher court was given. Jasper Williams, charged with an assault, was adjudged not guilty. Pleading guilty in the case charg ing him with non-support, David Freeman was sentenced to the roads for five months. Judgment was suspended upon payment of the cost in the case charging Bill Mines with careless and reckless driving. The case charging Joe Bonds with an assault was remanded to the jus tice of the peace court where it orig inated A continuance until the first Mon day in December was granted in the case charging James Walstett with non-support. The case charging Marshall Burns with bastardy was continued until the first Monday in December. The case charging Julia Peel and Alexander James with assignation and prostitution was settled when the two defendants appeared in the marriage license bureau, procured license and married. They denied the charge brought against them. A motion for non-suit was grant ed in the case charging LeRoy Mi zelle with larceny and receiving. Earl Williams, charged with vio lating the liquor laws, was fined $25 and sentenced to the roads for six months, the sentence to begin at the direction of the court. Judgment was suspended upon payment of the cost in the case charging John Robert Bland with an assault with a deadly weapon. Charged with violating the liquor laws, Grover James was fined $25, taxed with the cost and placed un der a six months suspended sen tence. Roland Stevenson was fined $10 and taxed with the cost in the case charging him with an assault. Simon Jenkins was fined $25 and sentenced to the roads for six months for alleged violation of the liquor laws. Sentence is to begin at the di rection of the court, and the defen dant was given two weeks to pay. the fine and costs. The case charging Gather Locak with larceny and receiving was con tinued two weeks. Selector Andrews was sentenced to the roads for 30 days in the case charging him with larceny and re ceiving. Charged with larceny and receiv ing, Jeese James Walston was sen tenced to the roads for three months. Malaria Claiming Number of Victims Reports gathered from various sources indicate that malaria at tacks are numerous in the county at this time. While all are victims of malaria to some extent, quite a few have been very ill with the disease some spending several weeks in bed. The presence of malaria on a fair ly large scale is attracting attention of health authorities, the State board of health just recently issuing the ultimatum that malaria must go. Aside from malaria, health con ditions in the county last monpi were considered not very favorable There was one case of typhoid fever and eleven cases of diphtheria reported to the county health office. A color ed person fell victim of typhoid fev er in Hamilton Township, and mosi of the diphtheria victims were among the colored population it various parts of the county. Then were two cases of scarlet fevei among the white population. For the first time in severe months there were no whoopini cough cases reported in the county but there are still to be seen a fee of the yellow signs adorning door here and there in a few communi N. R. Manning attended the fai in Raleigh this week First District Democrats Will Meet On Tuesday, October 25 With no heated contest to spur them on, Democrats in this immed iate section of the State are holding meetings as a matter of form and tooting their own horns. Battles are well underway in the disputed ter ritory to the west, and as Novem 8 nears, the Democrats in the Pied mont have not yet got their ranks in order. First District Democrats are re porting a smooth-running machine, and more oil will be applied when the loyal party leaders of the area hold a conference in the courthouse at 10:30 o'clock on the morning of October 25 Announcing the meeting Congressman Lindsay Warren stat ed, "It has been called by R Gregg Cherry, democratic state chairman who will attend together with Mrs. W B. Murphy, vice chairman and D. L. Ward, secretary. Representatives of various women's organizations and Young Democrats will be pres ent as will all democratic officials in the state administration from the first district." Mr. Warren expressed the hope that there would be a large attend ance from each county in the dis trict as the first district has always held the largest meeting in the state. The meeting will be followed by a barbecue or luncheon given by the Democratic Executive Committee of Martin County headed by Elbert Peel, county chairman. The conference in 1936 was held in Ahoskie and was rated as the best meeting in the state that year. An invitation is extended to all Democratic candidates in the first district, county organizations and party workers. Plans will be made for bringing out a large vote ?n the November election Delinquent Tax List Shows Slight Increase GYMNASIUMS v After collecting dust in WPA offices somewhere in this State for months, a proposal to con struct two gymnasiums in this county?one at Oak City and one at Jamesville ? has been sent to Washington with the ap proval of the State office In Ral eigh, it was learned here this week. "Approval in Washing ton is expected soon." WPA of ficials here state. The county has appropriated $3,000 for the buildings. Citi xens of the two communities will furnish much of the timber and the WPA will furnish oth er materials and labor. W. Alexander White Dies Near Hamilton Early This Morning Funeral For Weil-Known Farmer Tomorrow Afternoon ? W. Alexander White, well-known county citizen, died at his home in Hamilton Township at one o'clock this morning following a long per iod of declining health Nearly three years ago he suffered an attack of angina, but regained his health suf ficiently to be up and attend to mi nor duties until about six weeks ago when he suffered a stroke of para lysis. Since that time he was confin ed to His bed ana nis condition was considered critical. ' ^ The son of the late Calvin and Mary Latham White, he was born in Bear Grass Township about 65 years ago. About 40 years ago he located in Hamilton Township where he suc ceeded as a farmer. He was married to Mrs. Nephie Roebuck House who, survives with four children. Miss Selma White, Alton and Norman White, of Hamilton, and Cecil White of Greensboro. He also leaves two brothers, Messrs. J. E. White, of Poplar Point, and Albert White, of Williamston, and three sisters, Mrs. |L. A. Taylor, of Washington; Mrs. Joe Powell, of Robersonville. and Mrs. Lena Comer, of Florida. Mr. White joined the Primitive Baptist church at Spring Green several years ago and was well known in his county, possessing a large circle of friends. He was rec ognized as an able farmer and a substantial citizen of the county. Funeral sei vices will be conduct ed from the late home tomorrow af ternoon at two o'clock by Elders B. S. Cowin and A. B. Ayers. Inter ment will follow near the home. Peanut Digging Well Advanced in County Peanut digging in the county waa reported three-fourths completed in the county today, farmers claiming that the production will not exceed from 50 to 60 percent of a normal yield. A few farmers point wit, however, that they will have aver age yields with quality equally as good as it was last year. While the production will fall far below normal in this county and possibly in most of this section, re ports indicate that the national yield will be considerably in excess of the 1937 production. About $14,000 Out Of $193,869.00 Levy Now Uncollected Total of 674 Out of Nearly 8,000 Accounts Kemain On Tax Books ? A review of Martin County's de linquent tax list for the year 1937 shows that collections have been un usually successful and far better than the most optimistic expected. The delinquent list, appearing today for the first time, carried 674 ac counts and .an unpaid balance of $13,848 69. A year ago there were 655 delinquent accounts and an un paid balance of $12,978.70. Sheriff C. B. Roebuck, the collec tor, was a bit disheartened during [ the latter part of August and most! of September, but when the final call was issued, the properly owners came to life and worked the sheriff's office force night and day paying) the 1937 tax accounts. Today, the collector apparently has a new lease on life, and believes that conditions are not so bad after all. To support that belief, the collector has with in the past two weeks collected more than $30,000 on the 1938 tax ac counts. A glance back at the collection records shows that conditions sur rounding the tax office are far bet ter than they were for the year, 1935, when there were 733 delin quent accounts and nearly $15,000 unpaid. Eight of the ten townships report ed no material change in the amounts uncollected for 1937 as compared with the previous year. Jamesville about held its own. Wil liams showed a slight increase, but Griffins reduced its amount by more than 35 per cent and cut its number of unpaid accounts fifty per cent. Bear Grass shows a small reduction, while Williamston has a slight increase in accounts and amounts. Robersonville, while re ducing its accounts, shows aiL in crease of nearly $200 in its unpaid amount. Poplar Point has almost twicfe as many delinquent accounts, but the total, 7, is quite small. The unpaid amount there, while small, is several times greater than it was I last year. The number of delinquent accounts in Hamilton jumped from 44 last year to 57 this year, and the unpaid taxes are $1,848.09 compar ed with $493.88 unpaid a year ago. No material change is noted in {Continued on page four) Registration Books To Open In Martin County Books for the registration of vot ers will open in the twelve Martin County precincts tomorrow, remain ing open for three successive Satur days. The fourth Saturday will be challenge day. Very little interest is being shown by Martin County electors, and a comparatively small vote is predict ed in all twelve of the Martin pre cincta when the general election is held on November 8. Theft are no local conteata, but the contest for U. S. Senate and the proposed amendments to the State constitution may attract a fair-sized number to the polls In this county. O. S. Anderson, local registrar, will have the books open each day in one of the tobacco warehouses and on Saturdays at the agricultural building. Addition To School Building Approved By Education Board Transportation Problem Is Before the Board in Two-day Meet Finding nearly 700 children crowded into eleven rooms, the! Martin County Board o( Education in a two-day meeting here this week approved a three-room addi tion to the Williamston colored I school. The addition, estimated to cost $2,500, will be built largely by Professor Frizelle Walker and his class of twenty-four vocational pu pils, it was learned. Crowded conditions in the school have been experienced for some time, but no action to remedy the situation was taken until after high school pupils in the lower part of the county were brought here in the county's second consolidation movement for colored high schools. A transportation problem in the] upper part of the county was before the board during much of the two day meeting, the authorities finally refusing to take action in the mat ter. The problem is dumped back into the lap of the State school Commission as another hot potato. "After reviewing the situation, we decided it advisable not to recom mend the free transportation of pu pils living along the Martin-Halifax border to the school at Oak City, and the problem is left with the State commission to solve," a mem ber of the education board explain ed the details surrounding the transportation prob lem were withheld by the board members, but it was learned from j other sources that Hobgood citizens, anxious in adding another teacher and building up their own school, had made a drive for additional pu pils, that the hunting ground was in Martin County in the Oak City school district. At the present time, approximately 23 Martin County children are crossing the border in to Halifax and attending school at Hobgood, but they are furnishing their own transportation, or rather Representatives were before the board this week urging that the change be approved and that free transportation be furnished. There is some doubt if the State commis sion would accept the transportation cost there even upon recommenda tion of the county board. Unofficial reports coming from the "Sudeten" territory also main tain that a drive has been made to get pupils, now served by Oak City busses, to attend the Halifax Coun ty school. I It is said that two cars are haul-] ing most of the 23 pupils, that the! others are walking to Hobgood. The board, once assured of its le gal authority, granted a permit to Robersonville to build a commun ity house on property just across the street from the grammar school there. Details for the construction of a community house there have not been completed, but interested citizens are considering the construc tion of a $10,000 building there, it i is understood. Quietness Marks the County Liquor Front Following extensive raiding ac tivities in the county during the past two months, apparent quiet ness reigns on the Martin County illicit liquor front these days, Spec ial Enforcement Officer Joe H 1 Roebuck of the Alcoholic Beverages Control Board, stating today that only two illegal manufacturing plants had been wrecked in the county since last month. While the manufacturing business is rated at a virtual standstill, there is some evidence of continued activi ties in the retail end. Several alleg ed violators of the liquor laws were in the county courts recently. The officers say that the manufacturing business is on a standstill as a result of intensive raids recently and not because the operators anticipated trouble under the wage-and-hour bill. This week, the officers wrecked a plant in Griffins Township. The plant with a 30-gallon copper kettle apparently had not been operated in several weeks. The other plant was wrecked in Poplar Point Township. ? ? ; Mr. C. O. Moore Is Quite 111 At His Home C. O. Moore, prominent local mer chant, continues quite ill at his home here, but reports from his bedside at noon today stated that he was resting better and that possibly his condition was slightly improved. $100,000 Decrease In Property Values For Current Year In Martin County Tobacco Sales Continue To Hold Up On Local Market While hundreds of Martin County farmers have already finished the marketing of their tobacco crops, sales on the Williamston market continue unusually large, the opera tors explaining that new customers are coming in from other counties to carry on the activities. Tobacco was here yesterday and today from more than a dozen counties, some coming from as far away as Pamli co County. Sales today will continue well into the afternoon, and a near block is expected here next Mon day. Prices continue to hold firm, but there is very litlle of the su perior types being offered and no 70- and 70-cent sales have been seen during the past few days. The price trend for the medium and poorer quality grades continues firm, some stating that it is equally as strong if not a little stronger than at any time this season. Apparenly the prices are holding their own. for comparatively few complaints are heard here. It is estimated that nearly 95 per cent of the crop has been sold by Martin farmers, but in the sur rounding territory the marketing activities are not as far advanced. Including the day's sale, the mar ket has sold right at five and one half million pounds with the price average ranging around 22 cents Observers maintain that the Wil liamston market lias already made a splendid record so far this sea son considering the limited produc tion and the quality of the crop Arthur L. Jeffries Loses Life In Road Wreek Last Ni^ht -in state Highway Employee] Found Dead Near Hamilton His neck and right leg broken, Arthur Leslie Jeffries, 22-year-old j employee of the State Highway and Public Works Commission, was| found dead on the highway two, miles north of Hamilton late last night, the victim of an automobile accident. Jeffries, stationed in Wil-, liamston temporarily, was found by a group of yoting men who were re-| turning to their homes in Hamilton between 11 and 12 o'clock Completing his work for the day, Jeffries left here early last evening and went to Robersonville, later go ing to Oak City. He left the latter town about 11 o'clock and was with in two miles of Hamilton when the car ran off the right side of the road. Apparently driving at a rapid speed, Jeffries lost control of the car, Cor oner S. R. Biggs, Patrolman Roth rock and Sheriff C. B. Roebuck, in vestigating the death, stating that the machine traveled down the road | for quite a distance and then turned to the left and swerved back, turn ing over several times in the middle! of the road The man was thrown from the car and death was instan-J taneous. He was the fourth victim of a highway accident in the county so far this year. The son of the late A L. Jeffries and Mrs. Louvenia NoweTl Jeffries,! he'was born in Coffield, Hertford County. During the past several years he was employed by the high way commission in the construction department. He made his headquar ters in Tarboro, where a brother, B. A. Jeffries, survives The body was removed to Tar boro early this morning, and ser vices will be conducted Sunday af ternoon. Interment will follow at Fremont. ? -A- " "Blackout* Proves Disappointing Here All cocked and primed for an ex citing time, local people were a bit disappointed when ( no army air bombers came in sight or hearing distance last evening as a part of I the extensive army maneuvers un derway in eastern Carolina this week. Weather conditions altered, the flying plans, and the attacking planes instead of taking off at Lang ley Field were ordered to Fort Bragg early where the operating base was set up for the evening program. Planes were ordered from the field there at 6:40 with instructions to pierce the defense boundaries and return. As a result few towns in this section saw the death-dealing machines. Williamston store and home own ers cooperated splendidly in putting the town in darkness, but the auto ists made it possible for one to read a newspaper on the main street without much interruption. Unable to determine the routes the planes would take, army officials asked for "blackouts" all over east ern Carolina at 7 o'clock. All was in darkness until almost eight. Quite a large number of planes passed over this section during the week, most of them going just south of here over Griffins Township. LOW BID Jones Brothers and Company, Wilson contractors, were an nounced low bidders yesterday for the construction of a new post office here. Other than the dmotllti ikf Ut* Kill Ci? "1 I rl nil Nlttlrtltll WI til* UIU| V ? sip I ? *, till details have been released by the Treasury Department In connection with the project. A total of $78,000 was appro priated for the building, approx imately $6,000 having been paid for the main street site from that amount. County Will Not Withdraw Claims To Road Refunds Martin Authorities Declare Claims Are Just and Should Be Paid ? Unofficially advised that quite a few counties will waive their claims to a $53,000,000 road refund, John E. Pope, chairman of the Martin board of commissioners, stated to day that unless more facts and fig ures could be shown this county would not withdraw its claim to ap proximately $400,000. It is estimat ed that this county spent that much and possibly more for the construc tion of main highways. "We consid er our claim a just one, and we are not in favor of withdrawing that claim," Mr Pope said. possibly some of those counties advancing claims that are not meri torious are willing to withdraw them, and m those eases the claims should be withdrawn, the board chairman in this county added: "We could have entered a claim for a considerably larger sum had we added those bonds floated in build ing secondary roads, but We are only asking the state authorities to remember us to the extent that they accept the debt incurred in the con stru< tion of the Roanoke River bridge, the Washington and Hamil ton Roads," Mr. Pope concluded. The announcement advising that some counties had^or would under certain conditions withdraw their claims and appearing under a Wil son date line this week, follows; It was indicated here today that when the State Highway and Pub lic Works Commission meets in Ral eigh on October 27 to discuss coun ty claims of $53,000,000 the commis soiners will learn that most of the 81 counties which have filed claims will have waived those claims. Individual county claims range from Warren County's $25,000 to "Buncombe County's $3,018,643 Though he would not say much for direct quotation, T. B. Ward. State highway commissioner of this dis trict, indicated that all of the coun-i ties in this division in all probabili-| ty will waive claims and that it was his opinion that all of the other coup ties having claims will follow suit. "These counties realize," Ward said, "that it is a costly proposition and tKat the longer the thing drags (Continued on page (our) Miss Hattie Thrower Continues Very III Miss Hattie Thrower, one of Wil liamiton'a oldest citizens, continues serious)? ill at her home on Watts Street. Decrease Slightly Upsets Balance Of County Tax Books Other Properties in This County Show Slight Increase The approximately $395,000 gain reported in real estate values in this county for 1938 over the 1937 list ings was considerably reduced this week when the belated returns from the corporations were certified to county authorities. More than $100, 000 in property values was lopped from the valuation, meaning a loss in actual taxes of approximately $1, 500. A decrease of more than $100,000 1 was reported by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company, the 1938 valuation standing at $1,871,532 as compared with $1,975,631 for 1937. the trackage, 52.71 miles owned by the company in this county, remains the same creating some doubt as to ownership of additional tracks laid around the pulp mill in the lower part of the county. A valuation of $35,506.20 is placed on each mile of ation, it is still an established fact that the Coast Line continues the "big" property owner and taxpayer in the county. While showing a slight increase in its total valuation, the Carolina Tel ephone and Telegraph Company squeezed in a reduction in its per mile listings. For taxation, it lists its lines at $40.95 per mile this year as compared with $41.15 a year ago. The Carolina corporation values to tal $45,745 this year as compared with $44,691 in 1937. The Western Union Telegraph a thousand dollars in its listings, there being very little change in the values of other corporations as cer : tified by the State tax commission I this week. Instructed by state commissions and agencies to have the tax books ready for the collector weeks ago, county tax authorities worked with the belief that corporation listings would not show any material change. The values were figured on the 1937 basis, the tax rate was fix id at $1 41 per $100 assessed valua tion. and at this late date, the state agencies certify the corporation list ings with a $100,000 reduction to up set, probably only to a small extent, the tax balance in this county. The gain of $364 767 reported when all +eal etrttrte? and personal property in the county had been listed with the ten township list takers is now reduced to approxi mately $291,568 Corporation listings in this coun ty for 1937 and 1938 are as follows: 1937 1938 A. C. L. $1,975,631 $1,871,532 Western Union 9,226 8,162 Car. Tel Co 44,691 45,845 Express Co. 1,131 1,150 East Tel. Co. 3,161 3,161 Branch Bank 00t) '402 Guaranty Barik 4,880 5,369 Bank R'ville 25.700 25.700 Total $2,064,420 $1,961,221 combined listings of all prop erties in the county for 1938 total approximately $12,196,275 as com pared with $11,929,236 last year. Geneva Lewis Dies From Rifle Wounds Geneva Lewis, colored, was shot by her husband at their home near Spring Green Church Sunday night, October 2. She was rushed to a Rocky Mount hospital where she died the following Wednesday night. The Lewis home, married only a few days before, is said to have told relatives and friends that the shoot ing was accidental, that she was playing with her husband while he held a small rifle. Sheriff C. B. Roebuck, after In vestigating the shooting, declared It accidental and considered no in quest was necessary.. The shot victim was a native of Edgecombe and had lived in this county a short time only. The office rwas told that the wo man's husband started out to kill si chicken, that she started to em brace him and the rifle ftred, the bullet etnering her chest.
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
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Oct. 14, 1938, edition 1
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