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VOLUME X3WT?NUMBER Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday. February 24. 1939. ESTABLISHED 1899
Unusual Case Heard|
In The Recorder's
Court Last Monday
Judge H_ XX Peel CaUsEou:
Cases During Short
Session
Little activity in the crime world
in this section was reflected in the
sue of the Martin County Record
er's court docket last Monday when
only four cases were scheduled for
the attention of Judge H. O. Peel
and Solicitor Elphonsa Johnson. The)
session lasted only a short time al
though a case involving an alleged
violation of the motor vehicle laws
lasted for quite a while. There were
few people in the courtroom for the
proceedings other Than the defen
dants and their attorney representa
tives.
An unusual case was heard dur
ing the session. Tom and William
Taylor and Edgar Whalen, young
white boys of Poplar Point, were
faced with the serious charge of J
placing barricades on a public road
in that district. Tearing down per
sonal property, including several
United States letter boxes, the boys
are said to have placed a number
of barricades across a dirt road in
Poplar Point Township. Several of
the barricades were made of wire
and tobacco cloth ripped from a far
mer's tobacco plant bed. Others were
constructed with stumps, poles re
ports stating that travel was ' im
possible over a two-mile course
Entering pleas of guilty, the three
boys were fined *60 each and taxed
with one-third of the case costs, the
judge ruling that unless the fines
were paid, the defendants were to
go to the roads for a period of three
months. Tom Taylor got out under
bond with a promise to pay in the
fall and barely missed a trip to
the roads. The other two defendants
were carried to Northampton Coun
ty to serve time. Admitting that
"pure meanness" prompted the dan
gerous acts, the boys were quoted as
saying that they had been drinking
just prior to barricading the road
Phillip Swain, the young Wash
ington county man who was book
ed for violating the Slate motor ve
hicle laws, pleaded not guilty, but
he was adjudged guilty by the
court. Judge Peel fined him *50 and
taxed him with the case cost, but
later continued the action under
prayer for judgment. Swain main
tains he was driving out of Kelvin
Grove farmyard, near Williamston.
that he may have driven partly on
the hard surface but turned off and
was struck several feet from the
concrete by a car driven by Simon
Gardner. It was alleged by the pros
ecution that Swain had applied for,
but had not received a license to
operate a motor vehicle. Gardner, a
defendant in the same case, made a
motion at the conclusion of the Slate
evidence that the action against him
be nolprossed. The motion was
granted.
The case charging F. S. Harrell
with selling cotton alleged to have
been mortgaged, was continued un
til March 20.
Local Man Caught
In Windsor Storm
Driving home from Edenton last
Tuesday evening, Rhodes Bunch,
employee of the Roberson Slaughter
House here, was caught in the mid
dle of the storm that swept that sec
tion.
Mr. Bunch saw the lightning flash
and felt a heavy wind blowing
against his car but continued to
drive until the tornado struck in
fuU force. "I soon lost control of the
car, and almost in a second's tune'
my car was picked up and blown in
to the woods," he said. "When the
glass started breaking, I fell to the
floor and opened the door of the
car. Before I could crawl out, the
wind blew me further into the
woods," he added When the wind
subsided, Mr. Bunch said he heard
people groaning and a baby crying.
After rendering what service he
could there, Mr. Bunch continued
to Williamston where he was treat
ed for shock. His car was damaged
to the extent of about $50.
"It was an experience I will nev
er forget, and one that left me ad
dled and dared for several hours,"
he said.
Mercury Climbing Alter
A Nose Dive Wednesday
After a nose dive that reached the
low twenties here Wednesday night
the mercury started climbing here
today. The cold snap was the most
savers fait hare this winter, and
possibly damaged plant life to some
COMBINE PARTNERSHIPS FOR OPERATION OF WAREHOUSES HERE
Piotured above is the operating personnel for the Roanoke-Dixie and New Carolina leaf tobacco warehouses here this
coming season, the combining of the two warehouse groups giving the Williamston Market one of the stroneesi salec nr.
ganization in the country. Reading, left to right, they are Messrs. Jimmie Taylor and S. C. Griffin, operators of the Roanoke-Dixie last season,.and Artie T
Belch, Sylvester B. Lilley and Johnnie Gurkin, operators of the New Carolina and the Planters Warehouses in 1938
Get More Evidence in
Lilley Murder Mystery
f
PNEUMONIA
1
March Is the month for pneu
monia. Most rases of pneumonia
follow "flu." or upper reaptra
tory infections, fatigue and sim
ilar conditions which lower the
body resistance against infec
tious diseases. The health de
partment advises you to guard
against these diseases and their
complications, and to consult
your family physician to pre
vent pneumonia.
Governor Johnston
Tells Of Marriages
And Cold Weather
0
Thomas Hunter, Owner of
Town Site, Married
In Year 1796
Writing under date of December
25, 1796, Former Governor Sam
Johnston who made his home here
from 1793 to about 1800, tells about
the cold weather and recalls the
marriage of Thomas Hunter, the
man who once owned the land upon
which Wilhamston Is now located,
to Miss Betsey House. The letter,
addressed to his brother-in-law,
United State Supreme Court Jus
tice James Iredell, also deals with
a-critical time in the history uf the.,
young Republic.
The following letter by Johnston
to Iredell is another in the series re
leased by Mr. W H. Biggs, local
man, for publication:
My Dear Sir? Nothing can be
more insolent than Adet's Appeal to
the people of the United States
against their Government, in Ilia
note to the Secretary of the State;
and nothing more extraordinary
than the conclusion, where he in
forms them that, through the Di
rectory have determined to act in
direct violation of an express arti
cle of the Treaty,, that no "rupture"
is contemplated with the United
States. If Congress does not exert
melt with spirit in support of the
honor and authority of Government,
1 shall tremble for the event, and I
am not without very painful appre
hensions in that respect. ? ? ? Since
the commencement of this severe
season, several weddings have been
eonsummatd in this neighborhood,
Mr. Keyes of Washington to Miss
Sally Bryan, Dr. Picott of Plymouth
to Miss Hannah Bogg, and last night
Thomas Hunter, Esq., to the ami
able Miss Betsey House; and it is
thought that if the mercury con
tinue! below the fleering point a few
days longer, there will be several
others."
Mrs. Hattie Knox
Dies Near Hassell
Mrs. Hattie Knox, 43 years old,
died at her home near Hassell yes
terday afternoon following an ill
ness of short duration. She suffered
a stroke of paralysis just a short
time ago.
Funeral services are being con
ducted this afternoon from the late
home by Rev. James Purvis. Inter
ment will follow in the Knox family
plot in Robersonvtlle Township.
?
Injury
L. L McClees, Goldsboro man, es
caped uninjured when his car turn
ed over near Robersonvtlle yesterday
Warrant Charging
Joe Johnson With
Murder Is Pending
???
Recent Facts Uncovered By
Sheriff Connect Man
With Case
?
Uncovering damaging evidence
bit by bit, Martin County officers
are said to be about ready to for
mally charge Joe Johnson, local col
ored man, with the brutal murder
of Paul Lilley, white filling station
operator, near here on Christmas
Eve morning No warrant has been
procured in the case, however, of
ficers withholding certain informa
tion until Johnson?recovers suffi:
ciently from a rifle ball wound to
permit his transfer from a Washing
ton hospital to the county jail]
here within the next day or two.
Johnson, about thirty years old,
now stands charged with breaking
into and robbing the filling station
of C. B. Allen on the Hamilton road
in Poplar Point Township early last
Saturday morning. After offering
numerous versions and strongly de
nying time and again the actual rob
bery of the station, Johnson is said
to have finally admitted the robbery
of the Hamilton road filling station.
Stories told by him and his indi
rect questioning of officers in con
nect lonwittrthc Liilcy-castricavc
little doubt in the rpintis of Sheriff
C. B Roebuck and others as to the
man's connection with the Lilley
murder.
The rifle with which Johnson ac
cidentally shot himself after robbing
the filling station has been definite
ly identified as the one stolen from
the Lilley filling station about fif
teen days before the murder. It has
not been divulged how Johnson
came in possession of the weapon,
and officers have not reported on
the progress made in matching the
bullet found in the iqurdered man's
head with one fired from the rifle
Surgeons at the hospital state that
it ia not advisable tu attempt?rfrr
j removal of the bullet now in John
| son's shoulder, but since the jacket
of the bullet was left in the rifle
| barrel, officers state they are able
' to get another for comparison.
Johnson is said to be getting along
| very well, and is expected home
; from the hospital shortly.
Past Masters Get
Masonic Emblems
Past Masters of the Skewarkey
lodge were recognized at a special
program featuring ladies' night and
climaxing an attendance contest in
the Woman's Club hall here last
Tuesday evening. Past Masters' jew
els were presented by Mr. R. A. Lu
cas, of Plymouth, to Past Masters
Luther M Peel, N C. Green. W H
Booker and V. J. Spivey. Messrs N.
K Harrison, J. C. Anderson and
Milton J. Moye, past masters, were
unable to attend the meeting and
the jewels will be awarded them at
a future meeting.
Bad weather and sickness limited
the attendance which was smaller,
than at previous similar events.
During the past several years, the
Skewarkey Masons have conducted
attendance contests, tbe winners en
joying a supper at the expense of
the contest losers.
Freak Stories Told
By Storm Victims
Pathetic and almost unbelievable
stories survived the tragic storm
that struck near Windsor last Tues
day evening. Told by the victims
themselves, the stories are not with
out foundation, for, after one views
the storm path and learns that liv
ing things came out of it alive, he
can well believe anything
Ignoring a slight leg injury?c+n4
while his wife lay injured in the
hospital, S. J Sanderlin raked the
ruins of his home shortly after the
break of day Wednesday, and lie
paused long enough to tell two or
three freak stories he personally
knew about
"I had $3.60 in my wateh pocket.
The storm blew alt of it out of my
pocket except $1." he said "Cross
the road a short distance, there was
a woman who had been confined
with paralysis for nearly twelve
months. The tornado picked her
and the bed up and carried them al
most 100 yards without injury to
her."??? ? ?
One family went out the back
door to see what was making so 1
much noise When they turned a
lound, their home was gone.
A Williamston boy, courting in
the stricken area, went to visit his
girl, walked up the steps and found
no other sign of the house.
Sites were swept clean*in most of
the sixteen cases where the homes
were demolished, and in one case it
was impossible to tell that a home
had ever bden there, the tornado
having carried away all timbers and
bricks.
Farm animals were coated in mud
from head to foot, one old mult* pos
?araaiTtg--tr- ghostly- a ppca ra nttr - as~hr
wandered in a dazed- condition on
the highway that night Very few
farm animals were killed, but every
now and then an old hen would
warble around the debris with most
of her feathers picked out on one
siMe and those on the other side left
unruffled.
E. J. Whitmire Joins
Faculty At Jamesville
?
E. J. Whitmire, young man of
Transylvania County, has succeed
ed J. C Eubanka> a? professor of vo
catttmal agriculture m t+ir Jamrs
ville school. Offered a place a few
days ago, Professor Prudon declin
ed to accept a position as assistant
agent in another county.
Mr. Whitmire, a student at State
College for the past several years,
has just completed j*.course in pracL
tical teaching in the school at Sea
board, Northampton County.
I CONFLICT
V
Judge N. A. Sinclair, the jurist
who gained public attention in
the trial of notorious cases in
thhr county lit ?ytmr "gone hy~
and who was slated to return
and conduct the county's April
term of Superior court, will not
be here; Clerk of Court L. B.
Wynne was advised yesterday.
On the emergency list now,
Judge Sinclair was assigned the
court when the regular jurist.
Judge Everett C. Thompson,
was scheduled to preside over
a court session in another coun
ty. Now, according to a letter
from the governor's office, there
is a conflict in Judge Sinclair's
duties and Judge Henry Grady,
| another emergency judge, is
slated to hold the April court
here.
Judge Sinclair's last visit in
the county was made several
years ago when he presided over
the Smlthwlcka Creek Church
Four Lose Lives and
Many Hurt in Tornado
Property Damage In
Windsor Area Viill
Approximate 865.IHM)
Storm, Early Tuesday Eve
ning, Described As Sec
tion's Worst
Sweeping out of the west, a tor
nado. swooped down upon the thriv-j
ing little community of Green's
Cross, near. Windsor, at 6.40 o'clock
last Tuesday evening, claimed four
lives, injured or stunned four score
persons and exacted a property
damage estimated at $65,000 to $70^
000. Today, individuals comprising
leali/e that the savings of a life
time had been swept away in a
scant few minutes as they searched
the ruins to recover a remanantj
here and another there
Coining out of a black cloud that
formed in the west, the tornado i
struck about two miles north of the
town of Windsor, and with the ex
ception of a church community
center it mowed down and reduced
to kindling sixteen homes, and
wrecked five others almost beyond
repair. Thousands of trees, some of
them measuring possibly eighteen
inches or more in diameter, were
twisted and bent as if they were no
of people visited Hie stricken area
that night, ail day Wednesday and
Thursday and today and they de
elared that the word accounts fi ll
short in describing the extent of
the storm damage.
Awe stricken, those first reaching
i be tragic scenes that stretched a
long the highway for a distance of
nearly three miles, bent their first
i (Torts toward pulling the victims
from the scattered wreckage, and
it was almost an hour later before
the N. C Highway Radio station
here received and broadcasted ani
emergency call; Alt patrolmen in
the eastern section of the State were
oidered to the stricken area for
duty. Local doctors and nurses went
there to lend what assistance they j
could to Windsor's hospital staff in
caring for the injured that were
brought there in school busses, cars
1 (Continued on Page Four)
Truck Hits School
Bus In The County
No one was hurt and very little
Lumber Company truck crashed in
to a school bus on-U. S. Highway No,
t?4 near Jamcsville early yesterday
morning A rear corner of the school
bus body was smashed, but there
were not many children on the bus
at the time and none at the point
where the truck hit the school ve
hicle.
Stopping on the highway to pick
up children, the bus was not in mo
tion when the lumber truck rounded
a curve and the driver, Bryant Rea
son, could not stop. Meeting the
bus, Oscar Davenport had stopped
for the children to get on, but when
he saw the truck coming he turned
to the dirt shoulder Reason then
turned to his left but he was so
close on the bus that only the front
part of his truck cleared it.
* Patrolman W. S. Hunt is investi
gating the crash.
FIRST HERRINGS I
The first herrings of the sea
son at this point were dipped
from the KoamAie this week
when Fisherman Billie Keel
and Francis Leg gelt kick led the
swift current in the stream.
"We fished only a short time,
and after catching four fish the
strong current broke our equip
ment and we were forced to
quit.
Fishing activities were aban
doned Wednesday and Thurs
day when the mercury dropped
to a low point, but preparations
are underway for opening the
season in a big way soon.
Illiteracy Is lli^h In
Employment Office
Registrations Here
Recent Survey Shows That
Around 500 Have Very
Little Education
Approximately 500 adults ml
Mai tin County are m the illiterate
group either of no education 01
U s.# than thud grade, who are reg I
istercd with the N. C. State Em
l-loyrncnt service Over 100 of these
are while people adults, men and
women. jA considerable number
Lmore exist in thus county who are,
| not registered with the employment
rservice. ? -
A special survey was recently
completed by the state employment
service, cooperating with designated
workers of the WPA adult educa
tion program, to find .out more
about the extent and distribution of
illiteracy in this county and sec
tion. A surprising number of grown
people in this locality cannot read
and write. The survey included only
those people whtr had limp
or other registered with the employ
ment service. Tyrrell County, the
report shows, had .nightly less man
200 illiterates, including both races,
While Washington county had 280
In Hyde County 186 adults are reg
istered with sub-standard or no edu
cation.
ugui-vs represent employ
able adults, citizens who have reg
istered for work and who either
have no education or practically
none The figures for Beaufort
County are not yet available, but
will be within a few days.
Scouts Entertain
At Banquet Here
Hoy Scouts from Jamesvillc, Rub
ersonvillo and Williamston and
their fathers and a few special
friends had a rip-roaring good time
at a father-son banquet held in the
Woman's Club hall here last eve
ning
Delivering the main address of the
evening, Dr. Thorne, of Rocky
Mount, reviewed scouting and
stressed the importance of the or
ganization's activities among all
youths John Sigwald, eastern Car
olina Scout executive, and his as
sistant, George Thomason, of Wil
son, were present for the program.
The Scouts and their fathers en
joyed several games during the eve
ning.
Plans Go Forward
For The Relief Of
Bertie Homeless.
Several OrKa m^auuns?and
Individuals Anxious To
Aid Sufferers
j Witnessing human misery and
j untold hardships visited upon their
neighbors and friends across the
river, Martin County people have
and are hastily forming campaigns
to carry aid to the victims of a tor
nado that tendered nearly~~IQO pjcr
sons homeless, claimed the lives of
at least three and injured large
numbers, several seriously. near
Windsor last Tuesday evening
A united appeal in behalf of the
victims \a bring issued by heads of?
various organizations, and while the
response here and throughout the
county will not offset the loss, it is
expected to lighten the burden of
those who, in a few minutes time,
saw the savings of a lifetime van
ish.
"There was a balance due of near
ly $1,000 on our home before the
storm This amount has to be paid
before we can start even again,"
one of the tornado victims said, add
ing that he held little hope of ever
repairing the loss in his lifetime.
"But I want to do all I can to aid
my children that they might com
plete the task," the father added,
point t ng to several little tots who
yet do not realize the material loss
that they, no doubt, will be called
upon to help repair in years to
come.
in direct!rig appeals f*?r aid that
the victims might be rehabilitated,
the heads of the various agencies
explain that the need ls great, that
just a few miles from here can be
found startling facts to support a
generous response on the part of
our people.
Rehabilitation work by the Red
Cross will likely be handled from
that organization's headquarters,
and to supplement that work var
ious organizations .in this county are
busy soliciting clothing and funds.
Legion Auxiliary Drive
The first district Legion Auxiliary
has set up :i *tt;ilnm Ln_
Clark's Drug Store here for cloth
ing and funds The auxiliary will be
glad to handle donations from any
one, and the officers have made ar
rangements to effect the distribution
of money arid clothes and any other
articles the early part of next week.
Mrs. J 1) Thrower and Miss Clyde
Ifassell will handle the task
Church Takes Action
The official board of the Sweet
Home Church of Christ, in a spec
ial meeting Wednesday evening, or
ganized a drive for funds and cloth
ing. The drive got underway yes
terday under the direction of Mr.
Herbert Williams and the supplies
are hoine ? delivered today
victims in the Green's Cross Roads
section of Bertie.
Hoy Scouts Active
The local Boy Scouts started a
canvass of the town yesterday.
Ked Cross Call
A call for contributions was b?
sued this morning by Harry Biggs,
chairman of the Martin County unit
of the American Red Cross.
Individuals Offer Aid
Numerous individuals have al
ready advanced personal sums to
support the relief movement that is
i so badly needed, and others are
c lothes, money and other useful ar
ticles either to the Red Cross chap
ters in this county, the legion aux
iliary, the Sweet Home group or di
icct to the Red Cross or Mayor J. A.
Pritchett, Windsor.
?
Thousands Visit
Storm Swept Area
?*?
Motivated by curosity in most
cases, thousands of people from the
? astern section of this state and
near-by Virginia districts have visit
cd the storm-swept area near
Windsor since last Tuesday evening.
As many as 48 cars, their bumpers
only inches apart, were counted at
one time as the drivers drove aim
lessly and slowly by the ruins scat
tered on both sides of the road for
a distance bf three miles.
Movie camermen were on the Job
early Wednesday morning, and
amateur photographers nearly ex
hausted the supply of films in a
number of counties.
Newspapermen from the big dail
ies in this State and Virginia, as
well as those representing the news
gathering agencies visited the strick
en area in fairly large numbers.
Radio station operators installed
temporary broadcasting apparatus
in front of the Windsor hospital, and
in stark tragedy Bertie's capital
came to life in a big way over night.