Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / April 15, 1941, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Watch The Label On Your Paper. As It Carries The Date Your Subscription Expire*. THE ENTERPRISE Advertisers Will Find Our Col umns A Latchkey To Over 1.M0 Homes Of M s r t i n County. VOLUME XLIV?NUMBER 30 William it on, Martin County, \orth Carolina, Tuenlay, April 15, 1941. ESTABLISHED 1899 Negro Man And Wife Mysteriously Shot In Everetts Sunday Alfred Williams Arrested in Connection with Attack On Couple Jeremia Wallace and his young wife, Sarah Ruth, were painfully bUt not seriously shot while walk ing on the main street in Everetts last Sunday night about 9:30 o'clock. Alfred Williams, young colored man and a neighbor of the Wallaces, was arrested about an hour later by Sheriff C. B. Roebuck and jailed in connection with the attack. Up un til today no motive for the attack has been advanced, officers stating that mystery surrounds the affair It is believed that Williams mistook the couple for someone else with whom he was apparently mad. Returning home from church serv ices, the Wallaces had just crossed the railroad on the town's main street when someone, presumably Williams, stepped from behind Tay lor's store and fired a load of No. 7 shot into Wallace's back. Wallace made a dash for the highway, his wife trailing along behind at mod erate speed until a second load of shot was fired. Struck fairly in the back by the bird shot, the wife was reported to have overtaken and passed her husband in a few seconds. The shot, piercing their clothing, were picked out of the backs of the Wallaces in numbers. After receiv ing treatment in a Robersonville doctor's office, they were returned home where they are recovering fap idly. Investigating the case, Sheriff Roe buck learned that some one had borrowed a gun from Weldon Ford, respected colored citizen of Ever etts. Ford told the officer that after he had retired some one came to his home and called him. "What do you want?" Ford asked. "I want to see you on some business," was the re ply. Ford invited the man in, and the visitor entered the home but stopped before he reached9 Ford's bedroom. Ford, recognizing the voice as that of William*', heard someone scratch ing over the living room door where the gun lay in its rack. The visitor then left without further words. Ford got up and saw the gun missing and told other members of the family that the gun had been stolen. A few minutes later two shots were heard. Monday morning the sheriff found the gun buried in a privy on the premises where Williams lived. It was identified by Ford as his own. As far as it could be learned the Wallaces have had no trouble with Williams. Officers are now working to establish some motive for the at tack. Wiliiams has been in the courts several times before, one for alleg edly breaking into Taylor's store and the Paul Bailey home in Ever w etts ? News Bureau Head Addresses Meeting Robert W Madry, head of the University of North Carolina News Bureau, addressed the monthly meeting of the Northeastern North Carolina Press Association in its meeting here last Saturday evening in the Woman's Club building. Recalling his experiences as a newspaper man in Paris shortly af ter the close of the World War, Mr. Madry reviewed the work being handled by him and his assistants at Chapel Hill. "Recognising the University as an institution owned and supported by the public, we try to keep the peo ple informed about its work," Mr. Madry said, explaining that as a promoter of free speech, the insti tution makes no attempt to suppress any news, good or bad. He cited sev eral news releases that brought forth comment, "but if we are to print the good and leave out the bad we are not properly handling our job," he said, adding that all newspaper men should take a firm stand and treat news as news regardless of class or social standing. Thirty-two members of the press group and invited guests were pres ent for the session. Max Campbell, Hertford editor, presided over the meeting. ? High School Band Parades Tomorrow Williamston's fast-developing high school band will make its first pub lic street appearance tomorrow eve ning at 7 o'clock when the youngs ters (32 of them) parade from the town hall to the Central Service Sta tion Six or seven promising major ettes will lead the group. A series of drills will be executed at the station and the parade will return to the town hall, the entire program to last approximately thirty minutes. This evening, the band will appear before a meeting of the Junior Wo man's Club. Tomorrow the young musicians will participate in a county-wide high school program at Robersonville. and on FYiday they will'"form a part of a big parade in the tuHp festival at Washington Several Changes in Teaching Personnel in County Schools Although several resignations have been tendered, no appreciable change jjh the teaching personnel in the county schools is expected for the 1M1-42 term, according to advance reports coming indirectly from sev eral of the local committees. Begin ning this week the local committees jvill hold their teacher elections, one report stating that only two resigna tions have been officially filed and that less than a dozen changes will follow in the entire faculty person nel for the coming term. Elections this year are being held under the continuing contract, an apparently meaningless statute just recently entered in the North Caro lina laws by the General Assembly No new contract is necessary if a teacher wishes to continue in the system and. too. if the board wishes to retain the teacher. The local com- i mittee is still all powerful when it comes to "hiring" and "firing." All teachers must be notified within one week of the 30th of this month of their re-election or rejection, and teachers, under the law, must give thirty days notice before tendering a resignation. Two changes in the Jamesville school faculty are being entered in the records. M M. Peacock, after a short time as agriculture teacher in the schools there, resigned and quit his post yesterday to join the Oxford faculty. The school will make no ef fort to replace him for the remain ing few days of the current term Professor Suggs also tendered his resignation there, but he will com plete the term. If rumors are found ed. several other resignations in the school are likely to follow. Political Front Is Quid i On Eve of Convention WEATHER Held back and down by a late ?prin?. the mercury asserted It self in these parts yesterday when it formed a partnership with summer to boost a top of reading of g? thf shade. It was the warmest April recorded here in several years. Following general rains last week, the warm spell is add in* a deep *reen to plant life and causin* tobacco plants to literally sprin* up. Straw hats began to make their appearance, and if there was any doubt about sprin* bein* here, it has been dispelled by a mercury rradln* Of 92 degree* today. There'll be more cold spells, however, and the removal of stoves is advised a*alnst until on or about the middle of May. Results Of Cotton Demonstrations in County Announced 1 wo Colton Variety Tex I* Are Not in Aeroril, Recent Report Shown The results obtained in two cotton variety tests conducted by Farmers C. Abram. Roberson, of Roberson wlle, and Bob Everett, of Goose Nest, Were recently announced the demonstrations, while not bein* in accord, proving that it pays to use good seed No definite conclusion can hardly be reached for the coun y, as a whole, but it is apparent that the two farmers now have a very good idea as to what variety seed is auited far their Planting si* varieties of seed. Far mer Roberson harvested 2 340 pounds of seed cotton per acre to'top ihl J * f"1,owln8 table shows the poundage by varieties* ~ ? Per Acre Yield Coker 4 in 1, Strain 3 2340 Coker 4 in 1, Strain 4 Coker 200, Strain 2 Coker 100, Strain 4 X Coker 100, Strain 3 X 40 Coker 200, Strain 1 ?,80 Farmer Bob Everett announced the following results _ . Per Acre Yield Coker 200, Strain 1 2120 Coker 100, Strain 4 2nnn Coker 100, Strain 3 Tagn Coker 200, Strain 2 192q (Continued on page six) Respected Citizen Dies Near Oak City u # J Mrs Annie Taylor Bellflower, highly respected county citizen, died at her home, near Oak City, yester day morning at 8 30 o'clock follow ing an illness of short duration De spite her advanced age of 84 years, she was active until just a few days before her death, pneumonia being given as the immediate cause of her death. Mrs Bellflower was a native of Goose Nest Township and lived there all her life. A faithful member of the Conoho Primitive Baptist Church for a long number of years she was a regular attendant upon its sen-ices, showing a great interest in religious work. Humble in her walk through life, she was held in high esteem by all who knew her. When a young wompn she married Frank Bellflower who died about ten years ago. She is survived by four children, one son, J. W. Bell flower wtih whom she made her home, and three daughters. Mrs Martha Piland, Mrs. Lester Harrell and Mrs. Herbert Brown, all of thii county. Funeral services are being con ducted from the Conoho church thii afternoon at 3 o'clock by Elders W E. Grimes and A. B Ayers Inter ment will follow in the church yard To Nominate Mavor And Commissioners! At Public Meeting! ??? r J. L. Only (iumlidale To Make Formal An nouncement Williamston citizens Thursday eve ning of. this week at 8 o'clock in the county courthouse will virtually set tle their politics for another two years when they nominate a mayor and five aldermen or members of the hoard of town commissioners. To date and on the eve of the. nom inating convention, the political front is all ouiet. Mayor John I. Hassell has announced his candidacy for re nomination. hut no official announce ment has been made by the five commissioners However, it is rum ored that while they will make no active campaign, all of the present commissioners N C Green, Luth er Peel, Lawrence P. Lindsley, V. D. Godwin and George H. Harrison ?will accept the re-nomination. While the present inactivity on th political front may he the quiet be fore the storm, there has befen no inkling that ,the citizenry will seek a change* in the town government. Very few people have discussed the convention and no issues have been advanced. As far as it can he learn ed there has been no direct or in direct comment offered in connec tion with the approaching conven tion, and if there is any politicmg at all it will likely be reserved un til the convention gets underway. No rules have been advanced in connection with voting qualifications at the convention, and it is generally ! understood that any citizen living within the town limits will be eligi- j "bte to participate Registration ts not r required of one who would take pavb in the convention, but he must have j his name on the registration books to .qualify for participation in the election to be held on May 6 Nomi nation is tantamount to election in this Democratic stronghold, the old time residents hardly recalling a time when an opposition party plac ed a ticket in the field. Recognized as a formal event without very much meaning few people go to the trou ble to register, a report from Regis trar John Pope stating that no one urday, the first day the books wen open. The books will remain open each Saturday during the remainder of this month for the registration of the citizenry. Those who have par ticipated in previous elections will find it unnecessary to register again to vote in the May election. On Saturday, May 3, the books will be open for challenge which also ranks as a mere formality. The terms of office for the mcum (Continued on page six) Production Quotas Offering Only Hoj>e For Peanut Farmers Plan* Go Forward For Hold ini: Kefercmliiiii Satur day, April 26tli Peanut production in recent years has expanded much more than has 1 the market demand for peanuts for! cleaning and shelling, with the re- j suit that farmers are now growing more peanuts than they can sell on | the open market at fair prices. The 1940 acreage, the largest on record, was nearly 30 per cent larger than that of five years ago. The government has financed a diversion program since 1934 to dis pose of the surplus and stabilize prices. This program has diverted to I oil that part of the crop in excess of j the amount needed for the edible trade. Under this arrangement, peanut farmers were able to obtain a better price for then entire crop, either by selling on the market or by deliver ing to poanut cooperative associa tion. Thuse cooperatives paid farm- | ers anoxftablished price for the pea-! nuts, ami then sold the surplus for | crushing int* oil at the current price The difference between the price | paid to producers and the price re ceived from the oil mills, together j with handling costs for thc--peanuts ; diverted, was borne by the govern ment. This program had the effect of increasing income for all peanut growers. For the 1940 crop, it appears that about 275.000 tons, or nearly one thud of the. peanut crop, will be di verted to oil. For this heavy diver sion. it is estimated that the eost to the government may exceed 10 mil lion dollars or from 20 to 25 per cent of the value of the crop. This is about three times the cost of diversion in any.previous year. In order to have a sound basis for a diversion program in the future, it will be necessary for growers to adjust supply more near ly in line with market demand for the edible trade. This can In- done with marketing quotas!" Marketing quotas provide the means by which each farmer may receive his fair share of the avail able market that is. the amount of peanuts which can be sold for clean ing and shelling at reasonable prices. Quotas will be in effect only if ap proved by two-thirds or more of the farmers voting in the referendum on April 2(3. 1941. If quotas are approved, either pea nut loans or a diversion program, or both, will he available tn.farmers in 1941, 1942 and 1943. If quotas are re jected by farmers, the law provides that no loan or diversion program can be offered during 1941 Without some means of support, farmers have no assurance that pea nut prices will remain high enough to give them a fair return for their crop Weather Ideal For Faster Schedules Weather conditions, described as the most favorable in a decade, were ideal-foy?the Faster schedules m this section and throughout most of the country. Brightened by a gentle sun, this spot of tin- world, free of turmoil and want, offered an ideal setting for the Easter events, and while the drive for the maximum pleasure was advanced in the ma terial phases of life, the call to wor ship attracted capacity crowds in the various houses of religious wor ship Record attendance figures were reported by nearly every church Special sermons were heard, and the religious program including the mus ic seemed to hold a truer, greater meaning for increased numbers. No one was turned away, but the seat ing capacity was taxed in many Sun day schools and churches here. Ranglpg in the seventies during most of the day, the mercury was in viting to the Easter parade, reports describing the finery as the most gorgeous seen in many a year. The ideal weather over the week end compared with near-freezing temperatures and a regular snow blizzard a year ago. Teeming With Millions of Fish, Roanoke River Is Bearing Heavy Fishing Traffic Draining a large section of north ern North Carolina and a sizable portion of Virginia and running through great timber lands, the mighty and treacherous old Roanoke is now attracting wide attention for its fishing Teeming with millions of herring and other types of fish com ing from places unknown to spawn, the stream is bearing possibly the heaviest fishing traffic in recent years. Sports fishermen are now ap pearing on the stream after leaving it all to those who went there for what they caught all these years The throngs, numbering as many as several hundred In a single day, are still made up mostly of small-scale (armers who enjoy the fishing and who catch a supply to supplement their meat ration. Those who live along the banks of the muddy stream little realize the value of the ole Roanoke, but people hundreds of miles removed know about it and come here to fish. The industrialists have long recog nized the value of the stream as of fering a cheap and favorable means of transportation for logs, lumber and numerous other products. But getting back to the fishing, it is estimated that several million her ring and many hundreds of rock fish will have been taken from the stream between now and about the middle of May. The successful fish ing season will mean the difference in want and hunger for quite a large number, a greater number, in fact, than many even stop to realize. The herring, accepted on many tables along the stream more or less out of convenience, is recognized as a delicacy in the interior. Large ship ments are made into distant areas from established fisheries, and her ring roe is packed for wholesale dis tributors and placed on local store shrives for sale at a figure far above the prices paid the fisherman. Machines, operated by the cur rent, have picked up the fish this season in record numbers, requiring almost constant service. The dip and staff nets have not stopped for night or Sunday, and it is an actual fact that fishing operations were carried on near the spot where a fellow fish erman was drowned Saturday night Reports from seine operations at Jamesvilie state that record catches have been made there since last Fri day. Yesterday, high water interferred with the work and comparatively small catches were reported. This morning, the seine was taking from ten to fifteen thousand fish from the stream at a dip. Between 750 and 1,000 persons visited the Jamesville fishery. Mayor J. L Hassell and Jesse T Price officially represent ing Williamston. County Farmers Say Tobacco Plants Are Growing Rapidly The tobacco plant situation, con- | side red serious during the past few weeks, is much improved in the county this week, farmers stating that the young plants have grown very rapidly in recent days. Jump ing to a new high of 87 degrees for , the season, the temperature yester day was perfect for hasty growth Willie Lassiter, local farmer, stated that his plants grew from the size of a dime to that of a dollar in four days. The plants have shown a marked improvement over the coun- ' ty. as a whole, and an apparent j shortage predicted just ten days ago seems to have disappeared. Blue mold is yet to be reckoned ; with, and the talk about cold weath Vr and plant scarcities last week is now centering on possible mold at tacks. Quite a few farmers in this county have advanced the belief i that blue mold ^ras already present in their plant beds, but the appear ance of the mold has not been def initely determined It has been offi cially reported in other counties in the eastern belt Preparations are being made to combat the mold, and at least four farmers?W R and J A. Everett, J. E King and Hober Jenkins are planning demonstra tions for its control The seriousness of the blue mold attack in other counties has not been learned, but plant shortages are feared ill some sections Down in Georgia a general shortage of plants was reporUxl a short time ago. but transplanting is progressing there fairly rapidly this week Barring severe damage by blue mold and with favorable weather conditions it is likely that a few Mar tin farmers^will be able to start transplanting the latter part of this month or in early May. The trans planting season will hardly reach a climax until after May III Fisherman Loses Life In the Roanoke River Body Of Falkland Carjienter Has Mot Been Recovered Droit iie<l Jn?t Belon I'liuit of Sliindnrd Fertilizer (loin puny Saturday Willie Adams, 38-year old Pitt County man, was drowned in the Roanoke River just below the Stan dard Fertilizer Company plant here last Saturday night at 9:30 o'clock | At nopn today the muddy, waters yf : the stream had not yielded up the ' body, river men agreeing with au- ! thorities that there is little chance of i recovery. Dragging operations were j almost useless in the strong current, | but county officers worked them selves and employed others to search j for the body. Anxious relatives, including the victim's wife and their two children, : and an aged father, maintained a: watch from the river J>ank during long hours Sunday night, the group finally going to their home near Falkland broken-hearted and enter taining little hope for the recovery of the body. The father returned yes- ) terday and left instructions for hu'n dling the body if it was found. Coming here with Alfred Smith, a brother-in-law of Rocky Mount, Adams after fishing in the river that afternoon visited the county liquor store! made a purchase and return ed hi the river that night declaring , he was ready to catch every herring J in the river. A boat was rented at, the bridge, but the brother-in-law stated that he walked down the bank j to a spot where they had planned to fish. Adams started paddling down ing him along rapidly Aaron and j Robert D. Harris and a colored man, Kd Mercer, all of Pinetop, were fish ling just below the fertilizer plant, j Coming down the middle of the j stream Adams stood up and lunged | forward into the water. He called for help and struggled in the water but before the fishermen could pad idle to the middle of the stream he I had disappeared. The boat, measur I ing about three feet in width and about 16 feet in length, was recov i-red. A staff net was lost, some be jlieving that the man got tangled up j in it and could noF"free himself. ~ Smith, questioned by Coroner S. R. Biggs and other county officers, admitted that Adams had been-drink ing, but maintained that he was not j drunk. Fishermen along the bank could not explainJiow the man fell. | One stated that he thought the net j staff broke and caused the man to j lose his equilibrum and fall into the river. Several fishermen, coming here (Continued on page six) dynamitk Dynamiting the Roanoke in several places yesterday about noon In an effort to locate the body Of Willie Adams, Pitt Coun ty man who was drowned last Saturday night, officers stated that fish were blown from the stream by the thousands "You could hardly see through them, they were so numerous," Cor oner S. R. Biggs said Several (Wrsons, thinking the dynamite would kill quantities u.t tt4giii'"iLyygr" ? of fish, nfaintained stands near the dynamited areas. But, strangely as it may he, hardly a dozen fish were killed, the dyna miters explaining that possibly a large number of fish were stunned, but that they would al most immediately show signs of life and literally spin away. Number 01 Workers Returning To Jobs In Basket Factory Plentiful Supply of I alitor Is ,\yiiilnlili' As I'lunl H? suture \\ oris Miuuliiy Worker in ,i rcpinlcd ratio of two for every Job reported ill the Wil liamslon Puekuge Manufacturing Company's plant early yesterday morning when operations were ic sullied under new management and after a lojig period of idleness. Ap proximately 100 workers men and women were plaeed m employ -ment.?liUVing possibly -that marry more to return to then homes That the number of workers will be in i leased al the .plant is expected, but foi tbe present no material change in tbe employee rolls will lake plate Skilled workers al the plant were few in number yesterday, and im mediately the management decided to train its help almost entirely from local ranks It was planned to recruit a few skilled workers from other sections, and arrangements bad been effected in several eases to have tin in report here yesterday morning The draff is taking more and more llieh li'Om the induslly, anil a gi n eral speed-up in business of all types is rapidly exhausting tbe avail able supply of skilled workers, inak (Continued on page six) Jumps Into River To Recover Fish That ttie herring is valued by I sonie people was well demonstrated here last Saturday by Aaron Har ris, young Pitt County farmer Harris was standing on an oil dock observing fishing operations all around him A fisherman landed a nice, big herring on the doek and the fish jumped off A pile of pine bark and sawdust had wedged against the dock, and there was a bit of yel low foam on top to give it the ap pearance of a small sand bar. The fisil landed on the pile of bark Har ris, thinking it safe, jumjied lo re cover the herring and lie went into water up to ills neck That evening his friends still had a big fire burn ing In dry his clothes out. A colored man, whose name could not be learned, almost lost his life in the river near here last Saturday. He fell out of the boat and was going down for a recond lime when he caught hold of the boat and saved himself. Farmers and others coming from long distances tn fish here are un usually careless, and it is a wonder that more people, aren't drowned than there are Quite a few^if the visitors get a plentiful supply of li quor and play, fish and camp along the river day and night. British Experience Reverses In Africa And In the Balkans ConfiiM'd Report* Heard Here An Hitler'* Horde* Mareli Ever Oiinnrd I A dark and gloomy picture is be ing painted in the African and Bal I kan War arenas today for the Allies las tiiey tight stubbornly to check the onward muivh of Hitler's hordes. Re poits heard heii' are so confusing that it is impossible to get a true pic j lure or the real status of the situa tion in the Balkans. About the only | bright spot and that may be wiped out in time is along the line where the Greeks are preferring death to relurrender. The British in Greece | have admitted the withdrawal of I their troops to a secondary line of I defense, and the sweep by "magic" German forces in Africa has been extended into Kg> pt raising the fear thai the invaders have the Sue/ Canal as their objective London Apiil 14 British troops have withdrawn to new positions on the eastern sector of the Greek front the war office acknowledged tonight but have repulsed with heavy losses an Axis infantry and tank attack on the outer defenses of beseiged To bruk, Libya "Severe casualties," the commun ique said, were inflicted bv British covering troops during the Balkan withdrawal (apparently west of Sa lonika). but in the center of that front, the British asserted "persist em German attacks" failed in the face of heavy British fuv. Heavy bombing by the British Mid die Fast Air Force were reported to have caused severe ??damage to the Axis air machines in both Africa and the Balkans. Threat To Nazis London. Tuesday. April 15. Yu goslav Serbian troops, in two at tacks south of Belgrade, are threat niing to cut the Belgrade to-Sulon ika railroad., chief line oL>upply for German assaults on the eastern wing of life British Greek front, an An kara radio report said early today ) The-'-Serbs .were said, by tile CBS correspondent in Ankara to have launched ".successful" pnicer attacks in the Topolo area about 38 miles south of Belgrade and at Rarberiu m the Morava valley Farther west, the Ankara report said, the Germans appear to be mass ing strong forces for a mass drive (Continued on page six) Superior Court In Special Term Mere Opening a special session hei e tins morning for the trial Ui?f-,civil cases, the Martin County Superior Court attracted very little attention from the general public. Other than the litigants, lawyers, judge and wit nesses -there, were less than half a "do/en persons in the court room. After studying the calendar of 3(5 leases for about an hour, the court | continued several cases, and nou suits were recorded in a few others row against Barrow cast1 Following the trial of tin* Barrow cast*, the court is expected to reces.. until to morrow . Few cases of interest were on the calendar for trial today, but several others scheduled for trial later this week and next are almost certain to attract a number of spec tators Seventy-one witnesses have been summoned to appear in court this week. Non-suits were taken in the case of J 11 Manning and others against I,( la Williams and Co.burn, and Mrs Brothers Manning was suing tor pe titioning of certain property, and Mi s Coltrain was suing Haigwood for $15,000 damages alleged to have resulted when she was critically hurt and her husband killed in an auto mobile truck wreck near Washing ton on September 25, 193(1. Judge A Hall Johnston, of Ashe ville, is presiding over the two-weeks term The plaintiff in the Barrow suit i t srokmg payment for certain tim ber cut from his lands. Knowledge Barrow, the plaintiff, disappeared from his-home in Williams Township about 30 years ago. During that time his son, Nicodemus, sold timber to the Farmville Woodward Lumber Company and received payment. The father has returned and is now su ing for the price of the timber, the lumber company being a second de fendant in the suit. Schools Will Hold Field Day Program ??? Hundreds of Martin County high school students arc meeting in Rob ersonville tomorrow to participate in nil extensive program of field-day and literary events Williamston will lie represented hy alxiut 200 youths. Principal D N Hix said this morn ing. A formal program was not avail able for publication at noon today, but a series of interesting contests hnve been planned. No classes will be held In the high schools tomorrow, but regular ached - ules in the elementary departments will be maintained.
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 15, 1941, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75