Have Your Old Broken, Discarded Toys Ready When Boy Scouts Call at Your Home Next Wednesday
Advertiser? Will Find Omr Col
umns a Latchkey to over 1.M0
Homes of Martin Oonady.
THE ENTERPRISE
Watch the Label on Ten
Paper, as It Carries the Data
Your Subscription Expiree
VOLUME XLI?NUMBER 96 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, December 2. 1938. ESTABLISHED 1899
County Officers To
Start New Terms
Here Next Monday
Elphonsa Johnson Starts
First Term; Others
Re-elected
Re-elected without opposition,
Martin County's officers will start
their new terms next Monday, the
installation coming as a mere for
mality for the group. There'll be a
lot of swearing during the early
morning when the various officers
subscribe to the required oaths. Jus
tice J. L. Ilasseli will administer the j
oath of office for L. B. Wynne, clerk
of court, and the clerk wiU then
swear in the others of the official
family.
Some fast work will be in order
for several of the officers when
they make final arrangements for
starting the new terms. Elphonsa
Johnson, starting his new term, will
have to await his appointment by
the commissioners. The commission
ers will, if the technical order is fol
lowed, have to be sworn in and make
the appointment Johnson will then
subscribe to the oath of office and
enter upon his new duties as solici
tor. The commissioners and the coun
ty court are due to meet at the same
hour, 9:30. A biref delay in opening
the court session will take care of
the time element. However, it is
possible for the commissioners Iff
meet as an old group, make the ap
pointment, handle old business and
subscribe to the oath of office later
in the day.
Register J. Sam Getsinger, elected
for four years in November, 1936,
will be on the sidelines watching the
inaugural exercises.
Sheriff C. B. Roebuck, re-elected
last month for the time, enters upon
the first four-year term. Just how
the sheriffs of the State can start a
four-year term when they were
nominated and elected for one half
that long is not quite clear But
that's the style and Charlie Roebuck
goes in for a four-year period. L B.
Wynne is starting his second four
year term Monday as clerk of court.
Treasurer C. A. Harrison begins his
fifth term which runs only for two
years. Judge 11. O. Peel continues as
a member of the county's official
family, the term beginning Monday
being his fourth. Coroner S R. Biggs
begins his sixth term.
County Commissioner J E. Pope,
the oldest county official in point of
service, begins his seventh term. It
is the third term for Commission
ers C. C. Fleming and R L. Perry
and second for Commissioners R. A.
Haislip and C. Abram Roberson.
1
Hospital Partially
Destroyed By Fire
???
Three Persons Reported To
To Have Lost Lives In
Fire Early Today
?
Fire of undertermined origin de
stroyed a portion of the Tayloe Hos
pital in Washington and burned to
death Sue Gorham, middle-aged
colored patient, this morning at 6:50
o'clock. Other patients in the old
wooden structure were moved to
safety, but walls checked the blaze
and patients remained in the new
part of the building.
Later reports coming from an un
official source stated that three per
sons, two of them white, were eith
er burned to death or lost their lives
jumping from second-story win
dows. One patient la said to have
suffered fractures of both legs in a
jump from the second floor.
?"It was a hurrlblg rtght,~-one Mar-"
tin County man who was with a pa
tient in the hospital raid following
his return home at nomi today.
No estimate of the loss has been
advanced, unofficial reports stating
that costly X-ray equipment was
destroyed but that most of the op
erating room equipment was saved.
Washington firemen, finding the
fire well advanced by the time they
reached the scene, brought the blaze
under control three hours after it
was discovered.
The Gorham woman was said to
have been in a dying condition sev
eral hours before the fire started.
a
Stolen Car Recovered
Near Here This Week
Stolen from a local street early
last Monday morning, the Ford au
tomobile belonging to Mr. C. A. Har
rison was recovered last Tuesday
It was found parked in the woods
just off the Hamilton Road a short
distance from town.
Will Urge Board To
Push Road Complaint
CHEER DRIVE
V
Christmas cheer in as Urge
portion as possible will be car
ried to the less (ortunate tots
of this community this year, the
local Kiwanis club at its meet
inf last night formulating plans
for sponsoring the movement.
A drive for old toys, clothing
and other articles will be ex
tended throughout the town
next Wednesday, the sponsors
directing an earnest appeal to
everyone to liberally support
the Christmas joy movement.
Secretary Wallace
Speaks In Raleigh
To 2,000 Farmers
???
Urges A Planned Program
And Not Control By
Low Prices
Speaking in Raleigh yesterday
morning, Henry A. Wallace, Secre
tary of Agriculture, urged more
man z.uuu farmers to support a
planned economic program and not
depend on low prices to bring about
control.
Pointing out that cash income
from flue-cured tobacco during five
years of control averaged $167,000,
000 a year, or $34,000,000 more than
the best average for any preceding
five years, the Secretary attributed
the higher return to increased con
sumption of cigarettes and to AAA
programs.
Declaring that even when prices
are high, the farmer gets only a cent
and a half for the tobacco in a 15
cent package of cigarettes, Wallace
said. "Price has very little effect on
demand, but supply has a very great
effect on price In the past, tobacco
manufacturers were able to lower
prices to force production control
"It is within your power to con
tribute maintaining good prices by
stabilizing production and market
ing The question is: Will you do it
or will you let the market do it for
you, by means of low prices."
That question, he said, will be de
cided December 10, when cotton and
flue-cured tobacco growers vote on
marketing quotas for 1939.
Dancer of Increase
"If quotas fail to carry," Wallace
predicted, "the percentage increase
in flue-cured tobacco acreage is
likely to be much greater than for
cotton, probably five times as great.
The price of cotton is so low that
some growers would stay within
their acreage allotments regardless
of quotas But the price of flue-cur
ed tobacco has been so favorable
that, even with the program, the
pressure for increased acreage and
poundage allotments has been very
strong. It is this pressure for in
creased allotments, resulting from
favorable price that is responsible
for criticism of the tobacco program.
"The tobacco program is criticiz
ed because prices are good. The cot
ton program is criticized because
prices are bad."
In the face of desire by cotton,
peanut and other growers to go in
to tobacco production, he said. North
Carolina should protect its share of
the national tobacco crop by enforc
ing control
Consequently, he added, "the flue
cured producers have a direct and
vital interest in the sneeess nf the
cotton program, the peanut program
and other farm programs."
Any subsidy to increase exports,
the secretary said, would be "firing
the first shot in an unprofitable
trade war" to see which nation could
out-dump the other.
Native Gains Ranking
Promotion In The Navy
?
Donald Clark Godwin, son of the
late Mr. and Mrs. Ben Frank God
win, of Williamston, gained a high
ranking promotion in the navy this
week when he was elevated from
commander to captain, one of the
highest places ever attained in the
navy by a Martin County man.
Captain Godwin was graduated
from Annapolis in 1911 and has
served various stations throughout
the world. Completing his duties as
commander in the Academy last
June he went on the U. S. S. Missis
sippi as executive officer with head
quarters on the West Coast.
Start Survey On
Secondary Road in
Griffins Township i
Reply to First Complaint!
Is Said To Have Been
Unsatisfactory
Receiving two weeks &go wh?t|
they considered a very unsatisfac
tory reply to appeals tor improved
roads in the outlying districts of
the county, delegations from the
Hassell and Bear Grass communi
ties are planning to appear before
the Martin County Board of Com
missioners here next Monday and
urge the authorities to appeal again
direct to the highway commission
in Raleigh Plans to urge the Mar
tin officials to follow up the com
plaint filed with Chairman Dun
lap, of the State Commission, the
middle of last month were advanc
ed about the time a survey of nine
miles qI secondary road was started
by highway forces in Bear Grass
and Griffins Townships this week.
In his letter to Chairman Dun
lap last month, J E Pope," chalr
man of the Martin Board of Com
missioners. asked that a representa
tive be sent to the county for a dis
cussion of the road problems that
have been placed before the local
authorities by citizens from all sec
tions of the county for month after
month since the State took over the
secondary roads. No assurance was
given in a letter to Mr Pope from
Division Engineer J. G. Gardner I
that a representative would come'
here for a frank discussion of the
road problems. Mr. Gardner, to
whom Mr. Pope's letter was directed
by Chairman Dunlap for attention,
did point out that Martin County
"has received its pro rata share of
all maintenance and betterment
funds." Continuing, Mr. Gardner
said in his letter, "I do not like to
mention unpleasant things but to il
lustrate the point I am making I
would call your attention to the
fact that at least one Township and
possibly more, in Martin County
stopped all road work as soon as
the road act was passed in 1931 and
no road work was done on these
roads until the State took them over
on July 1." Mr. Gardner added, "You
can imagine what condition they
were in "
Highway authorities have assur
ed the county board chairman that
they will do everything they possi
bly can to widen the " 'tateP' ridges
and cut back the bushes that al
Jnost overlap along the pathsTn some |
parts of the county.
It is apparent that Martin County
people are disappointed with the
present secondary road program and
that they will stick in the fight for
the improvement program.
Survey Underway
Headed by Engineer Cooke, a sur
vey of the Farm Life ro;. I project
was started this week, and while the
completion of the proposed program
will greatly relieve one of the black
spots on the highway map, it will
not remedy in its entirety the sec
ondary road problem in Griffins I
Township. Citizens of that territory, |
while they want their roads widen
ed and improved, are more interest
ed in getting an all-weather outlet |
first.
Engineer Cook and his assistants,
Messrs. L. M. Phelps, of Mebane; A.
B.. Hailey, Rex Stephenson and R.
W. Saundert, all of Raleigh, plan to
complete the survey within two or
three weeks, and it is understood
that the project will be included in
the list to be let to contract within
he next several weeks.
Carry Control Drive
Into Williams District
The campaign for the passage of
a crop control program continues in
full swing in this county. Wednes
day evening, the campaigners were
greeted by a packed house in Wil
liams Township. Mr. Charles Dan
iel, championing the program, said
that control is the farmers' only sal
vation and if the farmers want to
go back down the hill just kill the
program.
Agent T. B Brandon explained
the changes in the program and re
viewed the allotments.
This evening a meeting is being
held in Jamesville, and next Mon
day meetings will be held in Bear
Grass and Farm Life at 7:30 o'clock
Markets Continue
Strong For Two
Crops In County
Peanuts and Sweet Potatoes
Moving in Large
Quantities
Considerable activity was seen on
the peanut and sweet potato mar
kets here yesterday and today us
shipments moved in fairly large
volume to the cleaners and northern
markets.
Peanut deliveries are keeping buy-,
ers going as many us eighteen hours
high peak for this season of the
least" 75 per cent of the crop has
movod out of the farmer's hands, and
it is expected that 90 or 95 per cent
of the current year production will
have moved to market by the end of
this month.
Prices for the goobers continue
strong with the better grades show
ing a gradual gain. At the present
time, the main bulk of the sales are
being made at three and one-half
cents, but offers of four cents a
pound for fancy jumbos have been
reliably reported At least one grow
er is said to have refused four cents
a pound for his entire crop. Quota
tions for the inferior grades remain
about the same.
With prices on the open market
running ahead of government quo
tations, very few peanuts are. being
offered to the North Carolina Pea
nut Stabilization Cooperative at
this point. It has been pointed out
that the cooperative is more inter
ested in seeing the grower receive
the highest possible price than it is
in storing peanuts.
While it is possible the rush of
deliveries now underway is likely
to cause a lull in the market quota
tions, the outlook for a continued
strong market is encouraging, ac
cording to unofficial but reliable
reports heard here late yesterday.
While the peanut market is report
ing heavy deliveries, the sweet po
tato market opened with a bang
here yesterday when nearly 2,000
bushels were delivered to one pack
ing firm. The first shipment of the
sweets moved out of here yesterday
for the New York market The ship
ment was made by an individual
grower and price quotations were
not available. On the local market,
farmers' potatoes are selling for 75
cents a bushel Local packers are
moving their first car today.
Last year only 28 carloads of
sweet potatoes were moved from this
point. Present indications are that
more than 100 cars will be shipped
from this point before the season
ends next March or April. *
The quality of the crop is good,
and unless heavy deliveries congest
the markets, it is believed the price
will not fall below the present quo
tations with a possibility of an in
crease.
Firemen Get Early Call
Wednesday Morning
Numbers of guests, attired in their
night clothes, fled from their rooms
in the Hotel George Reynolds here
at 1:30 o'clock Wednesday morning
when a unit in an electrical refrig
erator caught fire and sent smoke
throughout a greater part of the
building. Unable to find the source
of the smoke and thinking the fire
would spread, the hotel operators
called in the alarm. Members of the
volunteer fire company located the
fire in the refrigerator box and put
it out with a handful of sand.
The smoke was not of sufficient
volume to blacken the-walls,.-and.
damage was confined to the refrig
erator.
Raiders Wreck Two Big
Stills In The County
Raiding in Bear Grass Township
his week, Enforcement Officer Jos
eph H. Roebuck, assisted by Deputy
Bill Haislip and Federal Agents
Smith and Harshaw, of Elizabeth
City, wrecked two large distillers.
At the first plant the officers seiz
ed a 100-gallon capacity copper ket-.
tie and poured out five gallons' i?f
liquor and 1,800 gallons of beer Sig
nals were fired just as the officers
entered the woods and the operators
escaped leaving the plant running
full blast.
The second plant had been partly
dismantled before the officers reach
it, the operators moving away the
kettle Approximately 1.200 gallons
of beer and about five gallons of li
quor were destroyed. Both plants
^were dynamited by the officers.
$50,000.00 Damage Suit Against
Bus Corporation Is Expected To
Reach Jury Tonight or Tomorrow
PWA Considering Purchase
Of $72,000 Town Bond Issue
Facing an indifferent market,
town officials are now rapidly com
pleting arrangements for floating a
$72,000 bond issue through the Pub
lic Works Administration. Atlanta.
Local authorities stated yesterday
that they believed the application
for the loan would receive favorable
consideration, that it would likely
be possible to launch a proposed
$124,200 improvement program here
during the early part of this year
Procuring a $52,200 grant from
the PWA several weeks ago. the
town authorities were directed to
launch the improvement program
before this time, but a misunder
standing resulted in offering the
bonds for sale, and the town asked
for an extension of time in which to
raise its share of the project cost.
j No direct answer has been received
that the extension would be allowed
but local authorities believe the re
quest will receive tavorabie consia
eration.
being forwarded to the PWA office
in Atlanta today, and the commis
sioners are hopeful an official report
on the status of the proposed proj
ect will be available during the early
part of next week
A review of the activitise leading
up to the application for the loan
will be reviewed at the regular
meeting of the commissioners next
Monday evening There'll be little
other business to come before the j
meeting other than routine matters,
Mayor J. L. Hassell said in announc
ing that the commissioners would be
called into session at 7:30 o'clock.
County Liquor Sales
Show Slight Increase
Total of $419,695.98
Ls Spent In County I
Since Stores Open
???
Sales For Third Quarter]
Reach New High Point
For Period
After experiencing in the second
quarter of this year their first slump
in sales, the four Martin County le
gal liquor stores reported that lost
ground regained and increased sales
last quarter over those for the cor
responding period in 1937 Regular
business may be experiencing a
slight recession, but the Martin
County Alcoholic Beverages Control
Board audit for the three months of
July, August and September shows
that the liquor trade is more than
holding its own.
During the period under discus
sion, the four stores?Williamston,
RobersonviUe, Oak City and James
ville?reported total sales of $32,
(J02.15 as compared .-With $30,259.05
for the third quarter in 1937, bring
ing the total sales from the time the
stores were opened in July, 1935, to
the first of last month up to $419,
695.98 Profits jumped from $2,
854 43 for the third quarter, 1937, to
$7,739 45 for the corresponding quar
ter this year, increasing the grand
total from July, 1935, to October 1,
to $89,512.54.
The legal liquor business in the
county, growing from a debt-ridden
unit in July, 1935, to one with $21,
121.15 assets, holds a high rank in
the commercial field The control
board reported inventories valued
at $13,265 50 and cash in banks in
the amount of $6,279.54 at the close
of the third quarter this year.
Gross sales increased last quarter
in three stores?Williamston, Rob
ersonviUe and Oak City, the unit at
|-Wtili*mston reporting a jump in
sales from $14,231.00 for the second
quarter to $16,960 60 last quarter.
Bales at?RobersonviUe?inrreused
from $6,925.60 for the months of
April, May, and June to $9,588 90 for
the quarter recently ended Oak
City reparted an increase of about
$325, while Jamesville reported a
decrease of about $200.
The apportionment of profits af
forded several political units with
(Continued on page six)
Large Quantities Of
Birds In This County
Opening yesterday, the quail sea
ers to the fields in this county. Pre
liminary reports state that the
choice game is numerous this year,
but still hard to kill. One hunter re
ported finding three covies of quail
in less than an hour.
No official report on the number
of hunting licenses is available just
now, but the sale is believed to be
about the same or slightly more than
it was last season.
LICENSE TAGS
Opening yesterday, tlie local
State automobile license bureau
in the William.ston Motor Com
pany did a record first day bus
iness. Fifty-nine licenses were
sold for a total of $471.40 The
first tag, No. 359,701, was issued
to Patrolman II. W. Kothrock,
the second going to Mrs. T.
Koberson, both local people.
The law permits the display of
the new tags on cars and quite
a few of. the red aluminum col
ored plates were seen riding
around yesterday and today.
Busy Day Monday
For Commissioners
With a heavy schedule of routine
business before them and with visits
expected from citizens interested in
t>euer secondary roads, the Warlirf
commissioners are slated to be in
The commissioners are to close
their work for the term, and make
ready to begin anew immediately.
Reorganization of the board is not
expected to require much time as it
is virtually agreed that J. E. Pope
will succeed himself as chairman of
the group.
The board is to appoint a county
solicitor and attorney. Elphonsa
Johnson is certain to get the solici
tor appointment, following W. II.
Coburn who is completing his third
term in that position It is expected
the commissioners will re-appoint E.
S. Peel county attorney.
Bonds for the various officers are
due, and they will be inspected by
the commissioners. The honds range
as high as $50,000 for the sheriff and
$35,000 for the treasurer.
Students And Teachers
?Contribute To Red Cross
Local students and teachers con
tributed a total of $20.00 to the Jun
ior Red Cross during the drive con
ducted recently in the elementary
and high schools. Each of the twen
ty-two grade and home rooms in
cluding the commercial department
is now a member of the Junior Red
Cross and will receive the monthly
publication of the organization.
Approximately $115 00 has been
reported collected in this chapter
to date
Board Of Education To
Meet Here Next Monday
The Martin County Board of Edu
cation will hold a meeting here next
Monday when the members are ex
pected to effect a contract for a re
duction in the light and power rate
for schools It is possible that the
proposed construction of an addi
tion to the colored school will be'
discussed.
Sordid Allegations
Aired In Open Court
By Defense Counsel
Big Suit Crowds
Off Docket Since
Thrown into the hopper early last
Wednesday afternoon for an airing
of sordid testimony and contradic
tory evidence, the $50,000 damage
suit brought by Miss Edna Lee Mi
zelle, 15 year-old Jamesville Town
ship girls against the Norfolk South
ern Bus Corporation and J, P White
is expected to reach the jury in the
Martin County Superior Court here
lale this evening or tomorrow.
As the case draws to a close, it
leaves a mass of evidence that would
rock a Singapore dive. But large
crowds, many of the number having
been called as witnesses, have lis
tened intent l> as trained lawyers
-biought out alleged facts that weie
startling in their nature.
Alleging in the complaint that she
was doped while a passenger on a
bus going to Jamesville last Decem
ber and carried on to Columbia
where she further alleges she was
raped at the point of a pistol by J.
IV White, bus driver, the star wit
ness, Edna Leo Mizelle, took the
stand at two o'clock Wednesday af
ternoon The facts alleged in the
complaint were reviewed as the
- plaintiff counseL-E. S. Peel and H.
S Ward, carefully set up the case
before the court.
Turned over to the--defense, the
witness underwent a rapid fire of
j questioning by ^Defense Counsel W.
B Hodman, Jr , W. L Whitley and 11
(* llorton, State senator from this
district Until five o'clock, the attor
ney bombarded the witness with
made a splendid appearance in her
behalf and. calmly left the stand af
ter the three hour long ordeal
The evidence offered during the
afternoon brought out the alleged
attack in minute detail, the defense
missing no chance to bare the glar
ing facts. A bold question brought a
bold answer, and there wasn't any
thing left unsaid oi done that the
jurymen will have to guess about.
Possibly never before weie bolder
bits of evidence bared in the court
bouse of this county for a mixed au
dii'iice to bear,
? Yesterday morning, -the plaintiff
was subjected to another barrage of
questions during the greater part of
an hour. She held lo .her -story duF*
nig the several hours of cross fir
ing
^Her foster father, Mr. Leonard P
[Tfolliday, former member of the
Martin County board of commission
ers, followed" the girl to the stand,
and he corroborated much of the ev
idence offered by the girl. He told
how the ease was brought to light,
after she had tried to hide it by
saying she got left in Williamston
on that eventful night
Then a parade of witnesses was
started, the plaintiff counsel offer
ing a number to prove the young
girl of good character, and others
were placed on the stand to prove
her age. The defense, gathering in
detail a life history of the young
girl, contended she was born in
1021, but evidence offered in re
buttal today by the plaintiff uppor
ently estiblashing the date of her
birth as in September, 1022.
The plaintiff rested its case short
ly before 11 o'clock, and the parade
of witnesses lengthened, unofficial
reports stating that a large portion
of Columbia's population appeared
as witnesses for the defense.
Contradictory Evidence
Questioned during a greater part
of an hour. Defendant J. T. While
strongly denied the allegations and
told the jury that he did not know
the girl. He maintained that the pas
senger surrendered a ticket to
(Continued on page six)
President Roosevelt To
Speak In State Monday
?
Thousands of people from all over
North Carolina will hear President
Roosevelt when he speaks in Cha
pel Hill next Monday, a number of
local people stating that they are
maknig plans to attend.