Advertiaen Will Find Our Col
umn! ? Latchkey to over 1,000
Hotnaa of Martin County.
THE ENTERPRISE
Watch the Label on Your
Paper, Aa It Carriea the Date
Your Subacription Expire*.
VOLUME XLII?NUMBER 19 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, March 7, 1939. ESTABLISHED 1899
Convicted In County
Courts, Defendants
Are- Seeking Parole
???
Commissioner of Paroles Is
Now Considering
Appeals
Tried in the courts of this county
and sentenced to the roads arid pris
on, several prisoners are seeking
paroles at the hands of the parol-'
commission in Haleigh. A short time
ago, five former residents of the
county appealed for their freedom,
but as far as it can be learned only
one of that group was granted a pa
role. James Moore, colored man who
waa sent to prison for the killing -of
Robert Coltrain on Williamston's
Main Street a year ago last month,
is said to have been released a
short time ago. Phoebe Moore, col
ored woman sentenced to prison for
a period of twenty years for the
murder of a colored man here in
1934, continues in prison. Old Man
Joe Davenport, who shot and killed
his wife in 1934, continues to work
on his 15-20 year sentence, but the
old fellow is said to be longing to
return to the Roanoke lowgrounds.
Frank Cox, sentenced ten years ago
to prison for the murder of Henry
Jolly, continues in prison. Joe
Wheeler James, colored and anoth
er sentenced in 1934 for murder, is
still serving on a 20-year term
Last week, Harry Davis, colored
man who shot and injured Ben
Biggs, Jr., is asking for a parole
nou(. Davis was sentenced to the
roads for 12 months by Judge Peel
in the county recorder's court last
January.
Mrs. Annie Roberson. sentenced
to prison for five to seven years for
an assault upon her husband, Jesse
Ben Roberson, with intent to kill,
has her application for parole before
Governor Hoey. Her son, George
Ben Roberson, appcalnf to the pa
role commission a week or two ago
for his freedom. No action has been
taken on the appeals, but the com
mission authorities are investigating
their cases.
House Mental Cases
In The County Jail
Denied admission in State institu
tions for the insane, two mental pa
tients continue in the Martin Coun
ty jail with the possibility that one
will rot and die there. The other, t
young colored boy, will possibly get
a transfer when death creates an
opening in one of the several crowd
ed State hospitals for the mentally
weak.
The older patient during the near
ly two months he has been in jail
has almost constantly wiped the
iron bars and talked about farm
work. He "feeds" his livestock reg
ularly and plans his work a day
ahead.
Jailed last Saturday, Clee Godard,
16 years old, has slammed and
banged, whooped and yelled night
and day. Tearing all the clothes
from his body except his socks, the
young Negro has tirelessly paced his
cell night and day, taking little time
to sleep.
Applications for their entrance in
to the hospital at Goldsboro have
been filed, but the authorities at
the institution say, "We can't take
them, for there is no room."
Honor Roll In The
Everetts School
To be eligible for this distinction
a child must have attended for the
past two months without missing a
day and made grades of B or above:
First grade: Bobby Eakes, Sam
my Keel, Jr.
Second grade: Bill Mobley, Tom
Jones.
Third grade: Claton Ray Keel,
Mildred Griffin.
Fourth grade: Dallas Hopkins,
Furney James, Annie Jean Taylor,
Lela Brown Mobley.
Fifth grade: Bruce Stalls, Wren
Bailey, Ellen Clark, Edward Biggs.
Sixth grade: Rachel Edmondson.
Seventh grade: Billy Clark, Geo.
If the permium payer for indus
Cherry, Mary Lou Wynn.
Paul Black and his Carolina Ram
blers aril] appear in the Everetts
school auditorium Thursday night,
March 0th at 7:30. He will feature
Stubby and Bobby, eons of the west;
Suitcase Simpson and his wash
board, and Frank Murder, wizard of
the banjo.
These boys have been on the air
gar several years and have played
in many western pictures. The pro
eaeda will go to the benefit of the
F. T. K
Bill Empowering Districts To
Hold Tax Elections Approved
The second bill proposed in the
General Assembly and affecting lo
cal county legislation was approv
ed by the Martin commissioners in
regular session this week. Boiled
down to a final analysis, the action
of the commissioners makes its first
step in a plan for the people to voice
their sentiments for or against a
special tax for an extra school
month in one or more districts in
the county. Given the blessings of
the commissioners, the bill will like
ly be placed in the legislative hop
per of the House by Representative
H. G. Horton this week.
school local committee, the bill
merely gives the people a right to
appeal to the county commissioners
for an election to determine wheth
er the voters want an added school
mortth. Messrs. R. L. Coburn and R
H. Goodmon, members of the Wil
liamston committee, supported the
bill before the commissioners at the
regular board meeting.
The terms of the bill make it pos
sible for 25 or more citizens in any
school district in the county to peti
tion the board for an election. When
this is done, the people will have
their say as to whether they want
to be taxad in support of the ninth
school month. The bill does not
make provisions for a county-wide
vote on the subject, and it is possi
ble for one or all the schools in the
county lu lote un the proposal.
It is possible that no petition will
be entered for a special election, the
bill merely giving the citizens the
right to caH one.
To Condemn Property
For Playground-Well
HEADS FIRM
James D. Taylor, retired audi
tor for the Southern Bell Tele
phone Company, held the formal
opening of his soda shop, Tay
lor's, here yesterday. Large
crowds were present.
Eleven Marriage
Licenses Issued In
Month of February
Issuance?Is Smallest For
Any February Since
The Depression
The number of marriage licenses
issued in the county last month was
considerably below normal, but con
siderably above the issuance for the
depression year of 1933 when only
five marriages' were recorded. At
no time on record has the number
of colored marriages in this county
been limited to one as it was in that
February, six years ago.
Last month marriage licenses
were issued to four white and seven
colored couples in the county, the
issuance of eleven falling consider
ably below the average of* 20 for
the particular month in the past two
or three years.
In January of this year, there
were nineteen licenses issued, four
to white and fifteen to colored cou
ples, and the issuance for that month
was considerably below the aver
age. The trend in the past sixteen
months shows the number of col
ored marriages exceeding those
among the white population.
Licenses were issued to the fol
lowing last month:
White
Joseph Hubbard Saunders, Jr., of
Williamston, and Mary Jane Pendle
ton, of Fincastle, Va.
Roland Ray Saunders, of Manteo,
and Mrs. Lonnie Wynne, of Norfolk,
but formerly of this county.
Winford Mobley and Catherine
Wynne, both of this county.
Joseph R. Whitaker and Virginia
Lilley, both of Williamston, R F. D.
No. 2.
Colored
Richard Ruffin and Lizzie Wil
liams, both of this county.
Paul J. Moore and Irma Mae Ev
erett, both of Martin County.
James Bullock, Jr., and Alice
Rascoe, both of this county.
Walter Rogers and Odessa Nor
fleet, both of Martin County.
Joe Harrell, of Pitt County, and
Lenora Perkins, of this county.
John Everett and Millie Ann Pur
vis, both of Williamston.
Bruce Rogers and Eznehne Lath
am, both of Martin County.
' Town ( loin miss ion
In Regular Session
Here Lis! Evening
H
Water Shortage Discussed
During Unusually
Wet Season
A varied program of business was
placed on the calendar for the local
town commissjoners at their regu
lar meeting last evening, the au-J
thorities leaving most of the prob
lems unsettled
Condemnation' proceedings to an
nex an additional strip of land for
the recreational center on Watts
Street have been started by the
town attorney at the direction of
the town commissioners Clerk of
Court L. B. Wynne is expected With 1
in the next day or two to name the
commission to assess the property
and set a value. The owners have
offered to sell a strip of property |
about 18 feet wide and a small area
between the town and county prop J
erties for around $1,000.
Fearing there'll be an acute wa
ter shortage this summer, the com
missioners are planning to sink a
fourth deep well on part of the
property, and turn the other to the
recreational center.
In connection with providing an I
adequate wutwr supply, tin. cummin
sioners are planning a special meet
ing shortly to see if it will be nos
sible to have a fourth deep well
sunk within the near future on a
90- or 120-day open note. A Virginia
well concern lias offered to sink the
well and guarantee a certain per
minute water flow for $14,000.
A request for a donation to take
the local independent basketball
team out of . financial difficulties
was denied, the commissioners
pledging to help the boys personal
ly
The commissioners asked that the
State fire marshal), Sherwood
Brockwell, pass on a reqliest by Sid
Mobley to alter the old Hand-made
Furniture Company building on the
Washington Road
A permit for the removal of a
small storage house in the fire dis
trict was supported by the board,
j the chief of the fire department ex
plaining that the permit was issued
before the fire district was created.
Chief W. B. Daniel was instruct
-fd-ttr swap the old pulicc eai fur a
better second-hand machine, a re
port for the mayor showing that the
present car had been paid for out
of case costs.
Residents on ?ast Academy street
will have to continue to grope
around in the dark, the superinten
dent of streets explaining that rules
and regulations of the utilities com
mission prohibited expenditures in
(Continued on Page Four)
County Has Twenty-Two
Cases Whooping Cough
Whooping cough, spreading in
three sections of the county during
late January and early February,
has been checked after twenty-two
cases were reported to the county
department of health during the
past month. Most of the cases were
centered in the communities of
Jamesville, Farm Life and Bear
Grass.
communi
cable disease was reported. There
of chicken pox in
the county last month.
Isaac Ampey In Thc
County Courts For
Thirty -set ?oiu] Time
Colored Man Now Known
As Regular Knight in
County's Court
Isaac Ampey, middle-aged color
ed man, is again in tlie courts. Kail
ing victim of strong drink. Ampey
was booked Monday for trial in the
county courts on a charge of drunk
enness
Ampey. well-mannered and jov
ial with or without his freedom, has
established somewhat of a record
in the courts of the county during
the past twenty yeuis. Liquor, wo7
men, guns and stealing constitute
his weaknesses, and he has been call
ed to answer for one or more of
them thirty-two times since 1921
Ampey has been in the county jail
so many times and for such long
periods that he has been dubbed, "A
knight of the county court."
He holds no horror for confine
ment in the county jail, but he is not
so keen about road sentences. In
quite a fVw of his cuses, he has
worked a unique system Ordinarily
admitting his guilt, as the cases were
called, Ampey would invariably ap
peal to the higher courts Unable to
furnish the required appeal bond,
lie would be placed in the county
jail to await the convenience of the
superior court. Appearing before the
high tribunal, Ampey would again
plead guilty and point out to th,
court his long stay in jail awaiting
trial Often times, the court would
recognize the stay in jail as suffi
ciont punishment and Ampey would
go, free His system failed to fun
lion properly in later years, and tin
man enjoyed his freedom since An
I gust, 1937 ?until this week when h ?
was booked for drunkenness.
Ampey has been in the county re
corder's court twenty times and
made a dozen visits in tin- superior
court as a defendant.
Hack in April, 1921, he was found
not guilty in a case Charging him
with carrying a concealed weapon
Probable cause of guilt w??.- fnimij in
a second case that same month and
he was sent to the superior court for
trial for alleged larceny. His appeal
ance in the court satisfied him for
five years, but in March. 192(i, he
started out to build up a record. In,
that month he was found not guilty
in two cases charging him with an
assault with a deadly weapon and
fornication and adultery. Two
months later he was booked for car
lying a concealed weapon and an
assault and was sentenced to the
roads for six months. In the same
Court he was found guilty of lar
(Continued on page four)
isoner Almost
Killed At Camp
-<*
Struck on the head with a pop
tottle, Linwood Speight, deaf mute
serving time in the Martin County
prUqn camp, was nearly killed then
Sunday afternoon. His skull was
fiactured, the wound extending al
most a third of the way around his
head.
Speight, sentenced to the roads
hast December for a term of eight
months by Judge Waller Rone for
rpirbing-thc Williamaton Cafe, was
playing, ball with a fellow inmate,
Silas Green, sentenced from Pas
quotank to serve five years. Green
got mad because Speight played so
rough, and slipped up from behind
and dealt the heavy blow. The bot
tle was shattered, reports stating
that even the bottom part of the
container was broken imo several
pieces.
Given first-aid treatment here,
Speight was iater sent to the prison
hospital in Raleigh Green, who i.s
no relaUve of the old showman, had
his sentenced "flattened" and now
faces trial in the courts for an as
sault.
Dental Clinics In
County's Schools
The State Department of Health
in cooperation with the Martin
County Health Department is con
ducting a series of dental clinics in
the white schools of the county.
Holding the first clinics yesterday-in
the Robersonville district. Drs. A
D. Underwood and M. R. Evans will
continue their work in the county
until the close of the school term.
The tentative clinic schedule is
Point, Hasaell, Everetts, Bear Grass,
"WUliamfton, Farm Lire, Jamesville
Oak City and Hamilton.
R. C. Holland Witl Address
Farm Bureau Meet Friday
R. C. Holland, Edenton attorney,1
farmer, president of the North Car
tive and an able speaker, will ad
dress a meeting of Martin County
Farm Bureau members in the court
house here Friday evening of this
week following a big picnic supper
in the New Carolina tobacco ware
house. Several hundred farm bur
eau members are expected here for
the supper and address.
Offered free w> the Faun Bureau
members, the supper is being fi I
nanced by leaders in the farm V?r-|
ganization, some givinc nigs, v??gp- |
tables and others making cash dona- I
turns. Supper will be served prompt- i
j ly at <>:30 Friday evening, reports |
I from the county agent's office slat
I mg that eight pigs had already been
given by members interested In the
advancement of the farm bureau
movement in this county. Brunswick
stevN and slaw and cornbread are
included in the menu.
The meeting Friday climaxes a
successful membership drive con
ducted in the county by Team Lead
ers Van Taylor and Charlie Daniel.
There are approximately 500 mem
bers in this county at the present
time, and others are expected te
join by Friday and attend the sup
per and speaking.
Prominent figures in the State
Farm Bureau, including President
.1 1 Winslow, Secretary E. F. Ar
noU1 and Field Representative- Coop
cr arc t-'Xpertcd lu attend and pal -
tieipate in w hat bureau officials pre
dict will he the larg? >t meeting of
its kind ever held in the county.
Special invitations have been ex
tended to farm bureau officials and
farm agents in adjoining counties
to attend the meeting.
Grimes Appointed Tax'
Supervisor for County
Appointment of Ten
TownshipListtakers
Is Kxpeeted Shortly
Citizens in Isolated Areas!
Appeal to Board For
Better Roads
MceVjfig*. in' regular session hero
yesterday, ttie Martin County Com
missioners took the first step in I
handling that old routine task of |
listing taxes when they unanimous
ly selected S tlarcum Grimes to su
pervise the work again this year.
Grimes formally accepted the posi
tion, and he is already making pre
liminary arrangements for making
IMe list taker appointments and
holding a meeting with the taxing
authorities in the courthouse Mon
day after next
Twelve applications for the list
taking positions were filed with the
hoard and they were turned ovei I
to tax supervisor for consideration |
and without specific recommenda
tions by the hoard. Three of the ap
plicants are new, one former list
taker, Mr. Gordon G. Bailey with
holding his application on account
of ill health. Three citizens in Wf!?:
ilamp Township applied for the po
sition, and in that district will the
tax supervisor find a selection dif
ficult. ApDlicati'm.S phieeH before-]
the board meeting: O. W Hamilton, |
Jamesville: Lucian J Hardison.
Vernon W. Griffin and Joshua L,
Coltrain, Williams Township; Geo.
C Griffin, Griffins, A. B. Ayers, |
Bear Grass; H. M. Bunas, William
stun Township; W. F Crawford,
Cross Roads; H S. Everett. Ruber
sonville Township; L. G. Taylor, |
Poplar Point; L. R Kverett, Hamil
ton, and James A. Iiawls, Goose]
Nest.
Schedules for listing personal |
property will be determined and in
struetions given for handling the |
1939 lists at a meeting of tin list
takers and supervisor and possibly
representatives from the county
board of commissioners to be held
on the third Monday in this month
The session was a long one, the
commissioners entertaining during
most of the morning delegations in
terested in more roads' and better
roads. The visits stirred the county
i lithoiHies Pt action,-and they "anP
in Raleigh today to plead with high
way authorities.
A petition, carrying 22 names,
was placed before the board urging
the State commission to odd to its
system and maintain a road in
Jamesville Township known as the
Ward or Glade road, leading from
Jordan Thick road, near residence
of Blount Ange and extending in a
southerly direction via the farms of
Levin and Romulus Ange, Leo
Gardner and others to farm now
owned by Luther Hardison, a dis
tance of about two miles. The road,
(Continued on Page Four)
F. C. X. Meeting Is
Postponed One Month
The annual meeting of the F. C.
X. (Formers' Cooperative Ex
change) will not be held on Friday
of this week on account of a con
flict with the t^arm Bureau meet
(mg, it was announced today by
Manager Stepheruon. Plana are be
ing made for holding the meeting
on April 7 at 7:30 p. m.
SAFETY ENGINEER
/
Ilarry Pontious. safely engi
neer of Ohio, will address the
high school here next Friday
morning at 10:45 o'clock and
give a safety demonstration on
Smithwiek Street immediately
afterwards.
Claude Perry Dies
At Sister s Home In
Williams Township
Funeral Services Conducted
Yesterday Afternoon ?
At 2 O'Clock
Claude Perry, retired farmer,
(.led at the home 01 his sister, Mis
Dennis Barber, in Williams Town
ship Sunday afternoon at 1,30
o'clock following u long period o!
declining h^ulth. lie was forced to
retire from liis duties ori the faimj
several years ago. hut was able tol
he up until ahout the middle of lust
month. Suffering a complication of
ailments, he experienced a serious,
relapse Saturday noon, the end com
ing gradually.
The Soli <?r the late >uis Perry
and wife, he was horn 111 this conn
.pL 51) years ago, and lived, most ul
his life in the Islands section of Wil
hams Township During the past
several years he had made his home
with his sister.
Mr Perry was a member oi the
Baptist church, holding his member
ship at Kiddicks Grove for around
fifhrn yr-"?ll? wan nmrned??
number of years ago, but was di
vorced. He leaves no children
Four brothers and two sisters sur
vive. Their names are Tom Perry, ef
Griffins Township. Henry Perry, of
RobersonviHe; Will Perry, of Pop
lar Point, and Colon Perry, of Wd
hums Towrjship; and Mrs Ade Dav
enport, of Williamston and Mr.->
Dennis Barber, of Williams Town
ship.
Funerul services were conducted
Monday afternoon at two o'clock
from the late home by his pastor,
Rev W. B Harrington, county Bap
tist minister. Interment was in the
Harris burial ground near Wilts Sid
ing in Williams Township.
Plan Series Of Services
In Baptist Church Here
Baptist ministers from the sever
al counties of northeastern North
Carolina will hold their quarterly
retreat in the local church next
week, Rev. J. H. Smith, local pas
tor, announcing that services will be
held for the public each evening
with Rev. Henry B. Anderson, of
Durham in the pulpit
County Council Of
Social Work Holds
Meet Here Tonight
p
???
State Welfare Leaders Will
Address in Agricultural
Building at 8 P. M.
-???
Hev. K. C. Shoe, chairman of the ?
Martin County Welfare board, will
preside over the first meeting of
the Martin County Council of So
cial Work which will be held in the
auditorium of the agriculture build
ing at eight o'clock tonight
Mrs W B Aycock, who is direc
tor of county organizations for the
Stati- Board of ChantiiM and Pub-?
lie Welfare, and who was at one
time state "president of the parents
teachers association will explain the
purpose and function of organized
councils of social work, and the ben
efits derived therefrom to the entire
public.
Mr. Nathan H Yelton. who is
head of the division of public as
sistance, which includes old age
assistance and aid to dependent
children, will talk to the group on
North Carolina and Martin County's
part in this program.
Five minute talks on their partic
ular work will he given by Mrs.
Dorothea B. Tucker, of the state
commission for the blind, Mr. John
Lang or Mr. Hugh Evans, from the
National Youth Administration, and
Miss Emma A. Maurer, area social
worker of the W. P. A.
A brief open forum will be had
following these five minute speeches
after which the meeting will be ad
journed.
Packs of Foxhounds
Exempt From laxes
Under Hie provisions of n special
net passed by the State legislature
lust week, fox bounds in Martin
County will not be subjected to tax
ation in the future However, com
paratively few bounds will escape
llie tax eiiHi'CUil 'S eye, because the
law specifies that the dons must be
kept in packs of twelve and bunted
exclusively for foxes
The law was given ' foundation
when it w as pointed out that the
number of foxes in the county is in
creasing rapidly, and that the am
in,ils are doing considerable damage
to farmers' property. It was also
pointed out that the tax exemption
would encourage a greater drive
against the animal.
Ileports state that since increased
protect ion has been provided for
woodlands, the number of foxes is
increasing One group of hunters
accoiftited for almost a hundred of
rttn minimis last ye.u ill the county.
The actual exemption of dogs
liuiu taxation is duaretworary with
the county commissioners.
.v
Former Native Dies
In Sparta Friday
Miss Dora Cherry, native of this
county, died at the home of her
niece at Old Sparta in Edgecombe
County last Friday Miss Cherry, 76
years old. was the daughter of the
late Maek and I.ydia Cherry. About
411 years ago she moved with her
parents tu Edgecombe County where
she made her home. Enjoying fair
ly good health and unusually active
foe one. of such advanced age, Miss
Cherry suffered a stroke of paralysis
about two weeks ago, and never ral
lied.
! Funeral services were conducted
Saturday?afternoon?and?mid nieiit
[was in the family plot In the Ham
I jlton cemetery.
To (Jive Road Safety
Demonstration Here
Mr Harry M Pontious, cooperat
ing with the N. C. Highway Patrol,
will give a demonstration on high
way safety Friday. March 10, at
10:45 a m. in the local high school
and on Smithwick Street
Mr. Pontious will make a talk in
the school, and then he will take
his auto, especially equipped, to
show how far it will travel while
the driver is applying the brakes,
how far it will travel before it will
come to a stop. - ^
The automobile la equipped with
guns loaded with paint that will
shoot paint when he starts to apply
the brakes, it shoot* paint when he
I applies the brakes, and it alio shoots
I paint when the car comes to a sx p.
Everybody Is urged to attend this
I demonstration which should bs ol
interest to everyone.