Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / March 21, 1939, edition 1 / Page 1
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Advertiser* Will Find Our Col umn* a Latchkey to over 1,600 Home* ot Martin County. THE ENTERPRISE Watch the Label on Your Paper, A* It Carries the Date Your Subscription Explrts VOLUME XLII?NUMBER 23 . Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, March 21, 1939. ESTABLISHED 1899 Judge Thompson Handles 13 Cases In Superior Court Meat Thieves Draw Long Prison Sentences Monday Opening a two-weeks term ol Martin County Superior Court here yesterday. Judge C. Everett Thomp son, of Elizabeth City, had plenty of time for meat thieves and viola tors of general laws. During the first day, the court handled thirteen cases leaving twelve for consideration to day. The proceedings have been without high spots so far, and the second day crowds are not as large as they were yesterday when spec tators crowded the aisles and win dows during both the morning and afternoon sessions The court will spend a greater part of today if not all of it clear ing the criminal docket. Civil cases will be called for triad tomorrow Battling through two sessions of the coUnty recorder's court, William Baker and Gus Forrest, colored men. Won a decision before Judge Thompson in the case charging them with violating the fish and game laws Alleged to have taken under-sized fish from a county stream, the men were released when the State failed to prove that the law prohibiting the taking of fish under six inches in length had not been properly advertised. Charged with bastardy, Walter Hester was directed to pay into the court $5 a month for the use of the illegitimate child for 12 months, and report to the court next year Charged with forgery, Warren Griffin pleaded guilty of issuing a worthless check, the court suspend ing sentence upon payment of the court and $20 90 to the prosecuting witnesses. Messrs Britton and Per ry. The case charging Homer Glosson with hit and run driving and with assault with a deadly weapon was continued until the June term. The case was continued pending the trial of a civil action against the defendant in the court next week. Glosson is charged with operating a truck that struck and fatally injur ia* Isaiah HarHienn rnlnrerl, near Dardens last year Judge Thompson started bearing down on the subjects before him when alleged meat thieves were brought into the court for trial, the general public endorsing the sen tences. The Jackson boys, T. F. and Solon, faced double charges, and as the prosecution tightened around the two, T. F. Jackson, the younger of the two tried to take the rap for his brother. Pleading not guilty, the defendants through their counsel, J. C. Smith, tried to prove that it was possible that a colored man and wo man parked neat the place?where the stolen meat was concealed in a woods - in Robersonviile Township were looking for the stolen goods. When that alibi failed, T. F. Jack son pleaded guilty, and told the court that his brother knew nothing about the robbery, that he (Solon) knew nothing about the stolen meat. The two sets of tracks, lead ing across the field side by side, cast doubt in the minds of the jurymen as to the innocense of the older Jackson boy and he was adjudged guilty. On the meat stealing count, T. F. Jackson was sentenced to prison for not less than five and not more than seven years. Solon Jackson was sentenced to prison for not less than three and not more than five years. In a second case charging Solon Jackson with drunken driving, the court sentenced him to prison for (Continued on page six) ? Review Plans For 1939 Soil Program A general review of the 1939 soil program will be made by the var ious community committeemen with individual farmers in the county during the next few days, T. B. Slade, special assistant to Agent T. B. Brandon, announced today. Farmers are being asked to report to their committeemen for a study of the program which outlines in detail the maximum payments it is possible for a farmer to earn, the acreages that can be planted tc .various crops, and methods for im proving the soil. Farmers will be notified directly by the agent's office when to see their committeemen. Plans are complete for making the review in Cross Roads Township on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week It is possible that plant will be completed for making the reviews In Bear Grass township the latter peut of the week. Tobacco Plants Are Dying Martin County Farmers Say Turning a pale yellow and rotting around the edges, tobacco plants in numbers of beds over the county arc dying, farmers questioned this week explained "1 am not certain as to the cause." Farmer Herbert L. Roe buck, of Cross Roads Township, said, and added that it looked as if blue mold had attacked the plants. Excessive rains in recent weeks are believed to have damaged the plants and possibly they are dying as a re sult of the heavy rains, and not from blue mold, Mr Roebuck explained. However, he did say that weeds in the plant beds were dying also. Reports from other sections of the county indicate that blue mold has attacked the clover crop, but has nut reached the tobacco plant beds as the plants are yet quite small, as a rule. Fanners in counties south of here are claiming a heavy damage to plants by the mold, and the indica tions are that the attack this sea son throughout the several belts wilf be far worse than at any tune witn in the past several years. Reasoning that the seasons to date have been inviting to the mold, farmers are understood to be mak ing preparations for combatting the disease. Orders are pending for ship ments of "Kno-Mold" a tested treat ment for the prevention and cure of blue mold. Questioned as to the possibility of a decreased tobacco acreage as a re sult of an expected shortage of plants, farmers stated that they be lieved there would be enough plants for a normal crop and a small in crease. provided, of course, no ser ious damage is caused by blue mold or insects. SUPERVISOR Receiving the appointment of the Tobacco Hoard of Trade, Mr. K. H. Crawford now heads the local tobacco market as supervi sor of WPA Rolls May Be Lowered .">() Percent Jnh % Around 3,000,000 Are Now Listed On the Relief Roster Col. F. C. Harrington, administra tor, told a house appropriations sub committee last week that WPA rolls probably could be cut in half by July 1, 1940. Harrington appeared at secret hearings on legislation to give WPA an additional $150,000,000 requested by President Roosevelt for its oper anons through June 3u this year. The administrator, members said, also declared that he did not consid cr the huge relief agency permanent and thought it could he liquidated eventually Halving of the relief rolls by the middle of 1940, committeemen indi cated, would be predicated upon an increase in private employment There are about 3.000.000 on WPA rosters now The subcommittee decided to re call Harrington for further testi mony and some members said it was possible that the hearings would be finished soon. Other developments: Secretary of Agriculture Wallace I told a senate banking subcommittee that continuance of President Roose- , velt's monetary powers were pre paredness for "armed conflict among currencies of the world." Chairman Walsh, democrat, ol Massachusetts, of the senate naval conference that President Roosevelt committee, said after a White House - -hed~no objection to elimination from the naval air base bill of a $5,000,000 item for harbor development at the island of Guam RECORD With the federal, Beaufort County, Martin County and lo cal officer* cooperating, a new all-time jail record waa estab lished here last Friday. Nine persons, including one or two young white girls, were placed in the jail in less than two hours, running the count up to 36. They were thick as hops in the "bull pens" and while a few of the inmates were In a re morseful mood, most of them whooped and yelled, sang and cursed as the minutes passed slowly. Judge Thompson partly ro ller ed the crowded d tuition yesterday and today whan ha sent quite a few to the Local Man Vi ill Head Market As Sales Su|)ervisor K. B. Crawford Appointed By Tobacco Board of Trade -K:?B-?Crawford, local man and well-known county citizen, was unanimously selected to head the Williamston Tobacco Market this coming season as supervisor of sales and general market statisti cian. Succeeding Henry Johnson who resigned after two years in the position of sales supervisor, Mr. Crawford was chosen from a field of several applicants. Mi Johnson resigned the position to devote his entire time to the supervision of the Williamston Stockyard Meeting in special session last week-end, the Williamston Tobacco Board of Trade in the appointment of Mr. Crawford as supervisor of sales laid the foundation for a suc cessful season for the local tobacco market. With partnerships formed for the operation of the four big warehouses and with the appoint ment of Mr Crawford as supervisor, arrangement are fast taking form for the operation of the market. "We are anticipating a successful season for the market," Mi Craw ford commented today, pledging his every effort to the advtinccnn?nt of the market and for the advantage of its patrons. A ticket marker on the local mar ket for nearly 36 years, Mr. Craw ford is well qualified for his newly assigned duties. During that long period, he has always shown a keen interest in the market patrons, and extended every courtesy possible to them. Mr. Crawford recognizes the problems of the farmers, and in his position he will continue hi.g - efforts to solve those problems in fhr infpr?'Kt nf th<- market p;>trnns ? Contract Let For Filtering Plant Meeting in special session here yesterday afternoon, the local board of town commissioners let the con tract for filters and recirculating equipment for the municipal swim ming pool. Bidding $3,495, the Rob erts Filter Manufacturing Company, of Darby, Pa., was awarded the con tract. The letting was made sub ject to the approval of the town engineer, Henry L. Rivers. Work on the swimming pool con tinues to progress slowly, a work man on the project guessing yester day that the project would be com pleted possibly not later than mid summer Others maintain that the pool will be ready for use by the time the summer sun starts bearing down in earnest. Half of the pool floor has been poured, and the pool proper will possibly be completed within a week or ten days. Forms have been placed for pouring th?' concrete dugout for the filtering, plant, and it is possible the structure will be ready for the installation of the circulating equipment some time in April. ? To Attend Rivers Harbors Congress ? a Appointed a delegate by Governor Clyde R Hocy last February, Mr. G. H. Harrison leaves tomorrow for Washington City where he will at tend the 34th annual convention of the National Rivers inH Harhr Congress Sessions will be held in the Mayflower Hotel on Thursday and Friday. Mr. Harrison is one of eleven delegates appointed by the governor to represent North Caro lina at the congress. p To Let Contract For I^rge Rural Eiectric Project Fifty-One Martin Farmers Tu Get Power Anil Light Service A contract for the construction of a 225-mile rural electric line is scheduled to be let by the Martin llalifax corporation through the Federal Rural Electrification Ad ministration next week, according to information released yesterday by Mr. E. V. Smith, director of the local association. L)esigned to serve nearly seven hundred farm homes, the line will hi' centered in a portion of the up per part of this county and in a greater part of Halifax. The line in thus county will center in the Pal myraterritory, but will extend within about one mile of Oak City cn the Oak City-Hobgood road. The association has signed con tracts with about 51 Martin County farmers at the present time, and a Martin County young man, T. 11 Slade, III, is superintendent of the joint project About 15 of the pro posed 225-inile project will be locat ed in this county. According to reliable reports, the association has borrowed approxi inately $225,000 from the govern ment to finance the construction of -t+rr?hues and make available?thr servico to the large number of cus tomers. The completion of the project in { the Oak City-Palmyra area will make a total of 5H miles of rural electric lines and 240 customers in the county Dental Clinics Arc Being Conducted In County Schools Free Treatment Will Be Given Those Unable To Pay By l)K I'. K. WII.SON County Health Officer Hun ti r i' el h?of?underprivileged school children in this county will have dental treatment provided for them without cost until the close of school. Treatment will be administered at clinics to be conducted in as many schools as possible in this county by Dr. M. It. Evans, of the division of oral hygiene of the North Carolina Hoard of Health. The first clinic opened March ti at the Hobersonville school. The ser vices of these clinics arc available during school hours. Insofar as time permits, all school children who so wish, will he exam ined. Free treatment will he given bear the expense Children deemed able to pay will he refeiied to their family dentist. Like others being conducted throughout the State this work has the hearty endorsement of tin- local board of health, school authorities program supplements but does n.ot compete with the work of the local members of the profession. Dr. Evans comes here highly rec ommended. A native of Winston Salem, he took his undergraduate work at Rutherford College and the University of Maryland, he also re ceived his degree in dentistry at the University of Maryland Ho did pri vate practice for three years follow ing his graduation and has been con nected with the division of oral hy (Continued on page six) * Large Number Cases Are Docket Unofficial reports state that ap proximately 70 cases are scheduled for trial when Judge I M Meek ins convenes the spring term of federal court in Washington week after next. Most of the cases, it was learn ed, charge violation of the liquor laws. Only one of the approximately seventy cases originated in this county, "Red" Taylor having been bound over to the court under a $300 bond. Last week-end four men were bound over to the court for trial by U. S. Commissioner Walter Halber stadt here. Charged with removing and concealing non-tax-peid li quors, Latham Wilkins and Willie Darden, colored, and Arthur and f.nvpmt.r V Lurfltt, white men, . were arrested in Bertie and bound over to the Washington court for trial on April 3. Unable to arrange bond, the men were carried to Ral eigh and placed in the Wake jail to await trial Make Plans for Vaccinating All Dogs in Martin County Under instructions of "the board <>f commissioners and in accordance *rth State taw. Sheriff C. B. Roe 4""'1' r' t -irrttm-i menu for the annual vaccination of ail dogs in Martin County during ' April and the early part of May Announcing the schedule for the vaccinations, the sheriff said to day that prosecutions could well be expected by those owners who fail ! or refuse to have their dogs vacci nated. A J. Osteon, licensed voteri narian, has been employed to han die the vaccinations, and stations I will be established throughout the county for the convenience of the 1 owners in getting their dogs vac- I ciliated. Since the drive to eradicate ra- ! bu s in the county was started four j (r lytic Silverthorne Has Long Record In County Courts Now in Jail Awaiting Trial In Superior Court Today 1 ijJ' Hih'nrlhiuim,?w,..-i,| w,n veteran, is again in the courts, his appearances before "Your Honor" in the past twenty years establish-1 ing a record second only to that of I Isaac Ampey, colored man, who has been in the courts 112 times in! the past twenty years Silverthorne has bcco in Uic cuurla on sixteen counts, and ,s dubbed a second knight in Martin County's court. Confronted with the ixissibility at Silverthorne was mentally de ranged while in the army service during ihe World's War, the courts "'ujod the role of helpfulness rather than meting out due punish nient The repeated cases have eum d to offer the courts, both coun and superior, one big problem, a problem that has not been solved Road seiitenctsi~tiave been meted" out with fair regularity, and the man has been ordered nhi.o.i slate and veterans' hospitals Once *us se"1 "> a West Virginia hos ptlal for veterans and he was said to have returned before Officer Allsbrooks, wl|o carried him there, could got hem, Appearing before Judge Harris, Silverthorne was or 'b r. ,! sent to the State hospital fo, examination Apparently given a clean bill of health there, Silver tborne returned and happened to be dileeling traffic on a main street intersection here when Judge liar ?a. saw him Silverthorne was bun died up and sent to the roads the eoxl d-iy for , Clyde's record dates hack to March, HHH. when he wak hailed to. to the courts and adjudged not guil 'V in a case charging him with car lying a concealed weapon and an assault With a deadly weapon. About nine years later, Ik- started building up lus unusual court rec "id Charged with disorderly con djicljte was released p??? pay?R.?i "f Hie ease cost AI,out three years later in June, 1 HBO, he was sentenc cd to the roads for 30 days, the court suspending judgment in the ? ase charging bin, with being drunk and disorderly. Three months latci I a ease charging him with a similar1 offense was nol prossed. When he (Continued on page six) Making Religious n r Survey 01 Town At a recent session of the town ministerial?association?the pastois all voted to make a religious survey as a feature of a simultaneous evan gelistic movement in all of the churches Sunday afternoon all of the rmmsters met with a large in^ terdenominational committee who will make the census this week. The object of the survey is to dis cover the possible constituency for each church in the town and espe cially to learn the denominational j preference of all who are not mem j bers of any church. The census will' also disclose many church people in our midst whose membership is held elsewhere than in Williamston. This group will be urged to trans fer their membership and become a vital and effective part of the lo cal church life. It is definitely ex pected that the survey will mater lally increase the? number nf people attending*Sunday school. The ministers are asking for co operation with those taking the cen sus in order that the survey may be taken rapidly yet accurately this week. years ago, there have been few mad dogs. Several dogs, falling vic tims pf fits, have -been killed, but the official records show that only "in mad dog hat. been neon m? county during that time and that one came m from a neighboring county. The number of children and others who were advised to lake the painful Pasteur treatment fol lowing attacks by dogs has been ma terially decreased. As a rule, dog owners in this county have cooperated splendidly in the eradication drive. The few who have evaded the responsibility of complying with the law will be subjected to prosecution in the courts, the sheriff pointed' out The first of the clinics will be held on April 10. and those who have their dogs varrinati'd n ill hn give* C! credit on the tax books. I MORE CHECKS . A temporary lull in the re ceipt of soil conservation pay ment checks has been experienc ed in this county during the past few days, the office of the coun ty agent stating that only 25 vouchers amounting to $1,642.01 had been received since last Thursday. More are expected daily, however. T.. Sit* 742 lnv. >Wfn rf ceived for distribution to 741 farmers complying with the terms* of the soil conservation program. As a rule, the size of the pay ments is larger than the farmers anticipated. Indications Point To A Ten Per (lent Lea! drop Increase ? Size of Increase Dependent However Upon Weather Conditions ?Flue-cured toliaccu growers of North Carolina indicate they will increase their acreage 11 per cent above last year, the State Depart moot of Agriculture reported in its March state federal intentions to plant survey. "Ability of Tar Heel farmers to carry out their intentions will de pend upon weather conditions dur ing April and May and upon the adequate supply of plants," W II Rhodes, chief Of the department's statistics division, said "The in ( roast' in the numbers and size of plant beds indicate that farmers' in tentions are for a considerable in crease. "Prices of tobacco hay* been com elusive to larger plantings and the withdrawal of control measures will permit growers to plant whatever acreage they may desire. The affect ol low prices m .'practically, all othei money crops also will have its in I luence." The report reveals: 1 Farmers intend to plant 603,000 acres of flue-cured tobacco in North Uil'ullliii. ail II 1HT cOlil TTTcTea^ over last year and six per cent more than the state's past 10-year aver age 2 Eastern New Bright Belt-328, 000 acres. 14 per cent above last year 4 Border or South Carolina Belt 68,000 acres, or 12 per cent more than last year. "For the total flue-cured belt ex tending from Virginia to Florida, the indicated increase in acreage is 11 per cent, or 000,400 acres com pared with 803,000 planted in 1938," Rhodes said Growers in other flue-cured states icport intentions to increase their crop, above last year, as follows: Virginia, 10 per cent increase; South Carolina. 10 per cent; Georgia eight per cent, and Florida, 15 per cent last year, North Carolina tobacco growers harvested an average of 861 pounds of tobacco per acre and yields during the past ten years have averaged 783 pounds, which is approximately the same as the 10 year average for the entire flue-cur ed belt " DELAYED Inofficial reports received here today indicate that seine fishing on the Roanoke will hardly ?et underway at James vllle before the latter pert of fore the week followlnf. Hlfh water* still cover the battery at Jameevllle, It was stated. laud year this time, the seines were operating, but the catches were comparative! y,amall. Grand Jury Hears Instructive Charge Judge Thompson Reviews Origin of Jury and Pnt,irl*r niitien nf?? J urymen Coming l" Martin County for his first visit as a member of the North Carolina Superior Court bench, Judge C. Everett Thompson deliv ered an instructive and interesting address to the March grand jury here yesterday morning. Holding up the grand jury system as one of the basic fundamentals to freedom. Judge Thompson reviewed its origin "Some claim the jury sys tem had its origin with the Athen ians, and some claim for it an An glo-Saxon origin Others' contend that U came mtii existence with the enactment of the great document known as the Magna Charta in 1215 when King John was compelled to abolish a great many abuses which had theretofore been countenanced by the power rn control." Judge Thompson said. "But whatsoever the origin of the grand jury may have been," the jurist continued, "we find in those struggles the grand jury standing as a barrier against persecution In the natiie of the King ? ? * "In every quarter of the globe in which the Anglo-Saxon race has 1 ,i,nu d n 111 ii " h*s_ carried with it tins time-honored in stitution. ever regarding it with the deepest veneration. Upon the form ation of our government its found ers determined that not one advan tage obtained in the system should j be abandoned The first clause ol the third article ?TTKe~Conslftution of the United States provides that the trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment,- shall be by jury " The jurist pointed out thai sever al states in their constitutional con ventions strengthened the system by extending its application and the adoption of "heavier sanctions^!. Pointing out to the jurymen that they had been selected in the man ner provided by law, the jurist said, "You ale a shield to pruteet the weak and innocent from false and nnjie l ""d ?' 1'iiieei also In accuse the guilly be they ever so great or popular." The real meaning and the untold value of the grand jury in the pro tection of human liberty and rights was again pointed out when Judge Thompson said, "Were the impor tant function of accusation placed in the hands of an individual offl ine, however elevated, it would be difficult to avoid the suspicion of partiality or favoritism, a disposition to screen the guilty or persecute the innocent But your, body, by the mode of its selection, by its number ami s h.11.11 ti'1. and III'1 Luiupuiaty exerc ise of its powers, is placed be ?itnnl thr ri'iirh "r, of? I,ring over-awed by power or se dut od by persuasion." Outlining the duties of the grand jury, the Elizabeth City jurist said to the jurymen, "You are neither appointed for the prosecutor, the solicitor or the court, you are ap pointed for the government and the people , and both the government and the people are surely concern ed, on the one hand, that all crimes, (Continued oil page six) Defendant Skips In Peanut Case Court machinery, oiled up and made ready for handling the case charging Herbert Brown, Jeff Whitehurst and Johnny Jones with operating a two-county peanut theft ring, was held still here last Friday evening when it was learned that Jones, the Bertie partner in the ling, failed to appear for a prelim inary hearing before Justice J. L. Ilassell Jones was not to be found and Eleanor WarA- his ninther-in law, paid the $100 bond in cash. An all-day search Saturday was fruitlcsd'and the court gave the oth er defendants a preliminary hear ing Brown admitted the charges, hut Whitehurst maintained a stub born deniel. They were placed un der $1,000 bond each. Brown and Whitehurst are alleged to have stolen around 130 bags of peanuts from a storage house here and delivered them to Jones at $1 a bag Whitehurst is charged with stealing Farmer Johnny Gurkins' truck and delivering 30 bags to Jones last Wednesday night. He em phatically denied the charge, and was said to have told Brown in con fidence, "You certainly hurt my feelings when you told them I used that truck last Wednesday night The case will not be tried at this term of court
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
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March 21, 1939, edition 1
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