Watch The Label On Your Paper, As It Carries The Date J Your Subscription Expires. THE ENTERPRISE Advertisers Will Find Our Col umns A Latchkey To Over 1,600 Homes Of Martin County. VOLUME XUV?NUMBER 48 Williamtton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuetday, Jnnfi 17, 1941. ESTABLISHED 1899 Criminal Docket Is Cleared By Superior Court In Single Day Jury Dismissed Yesterday Af ter Granting 3 Divorces And Hearing 2 Cases Starting promptly at 10 o'clock yesterday morning, Judge W. C. Harris virtually completed the work of the one-week term of Martin County Superior Court before night fall. All criminal cases were clear ed from the docket, three divorces were granted to white couples who apparently could not get along to gether, and one or two motions were heard before the court took a recess shortly after six o'clock. Adjourn ment came shortly before noon to day when the grand jury completed its work and submitted its report for the term. In addition to granting three di vorces, the petit jury acted in only two criminal cases, and the defend ant in one of those cases was ad judged guilty on "smelly" evidence, according to the defense attorney, the Hon. J. Calvin Smith. Hardly before the judgment was entered in the records, the success ful plaintiff in one of the divorce ac tions was knocking at the license bureau door. He is the father of two little tots, one now in the custody of its mother and the other in his care. Times have changed since he was first married, and there was disap pointment when he learned that he would have to have an health cer tificate. Said to have favored no de lay, the not-as-yet cooled divorcee took his South Carolina bride-elect and left for unannounced points pos sibly to a clinic where the health tests could be effected without de lay and where a ceremony could be arranged before nightfall. Proceedings of the court: Showing great patience the court decided to wait until Roosevelt Pa gan completed a sentence on the roads before calling him to answer in the case charging him with lar ceny and receiving. Pleading guilty in the case charg ing him with an assault with intent to kill, Garland Bailey was sentenc ed to the roads for eighteen months. Watchful parole board representa tive, Steve Kenney, took the victim in tow and the court placed him (Bailey) on probation for three years with the understanding that the $300 doctors' and hospital bills be paid along with the costs of the case. Ernest Johnston, charged with forgery on four counts, pleaded guil ty in all cases, and was sentenced to the roads for a term of 12 months in each case, the sentences to run con currently. He was placed on proba tion for three years. Albert Williams was sentenced to the roads lor a period of from two to five years in the case charging him with an assault with a deadly wea pon with intent to kill. Onnte Hopkins drew from two to eight years In State's prison for breaking and entering and larceny. James Curtis Nicholson, charged with drunken driving and larceny and receiving, was sentenced to the roads for a period of 13 months on the first county In the second in stance, he was sentenced to the roads for a period of three years, the sentence to begin at the expira tion of the first. The three-year term was suspended on condition that the defendant reimburse Mrs. J A. Eason $600 damage done to the car when be wrecked it. Nicholson is to remain of good behavior for "three years and make stipulated pay-1 ments the first of each month in ac cordance with the terms of the judgment. Capias is to be issued upon failure to meet judgment terms. Willie Purvis was sentenced to prison for a term of not less than two and not more than live years in the case charging him with an assault with intent to kill. Willie B. Jackson drew six months on the roads in the case charging him with an assault and theft. ? Charged with an assault with a deadly weapon, Jasper Roebuck guilty of an assault on a female and was sentenced to the roads, for tWo years. Judge Harris suspending the sentence on condi tion that the defendant be law abid ing for four years and refrain from (Continued on page six) Road Commissioner On Inspection Trip Carroll Wilaon, district highway commissioner, is rapidly completing a detailed study of the highways in the fourteen counties under his sup ervision. Coming here last Friday af ternoon, the Roanoke Rapids editor reviewed road conditions over the county, reports stating that he was! much interested in the secondary roads. Meeting with several county citi zens, Mr. Wilson explained the lim itations for secondary road construc tion, and would make no promises. Possibly more secondary road build ing would have been possible were it not for greater demand for im proved main highways in connec tion with the defense program. During his stay In the county he gained a complete picture of the road problems, and he was said to have in needed im United Service Organization Drive Just About Completed Although two townships have not yet reported and three others have not yet reached their quota, the United Service Organizations drive in this county was announced vir tually completed by County Chair man R. H. Goodmon last night. De layed reports and other contribu tions will be received direct by Rev. John W. Hardy, treasurer of the county unit. The quota for this county has been more lhan subscribed, but the ex cess contributions and all other do nations will be used in promoting the work in this county. The gener al public knows little about it, but individuals and rooming houses hav ing been caring for "stranded" serv ice men, and other considerations have been shown the young men in uniform. It is good to know that someone has been looking after the young men, but the meeting in the legion Hut last night frankly stated that it was hardly fair to expect any one individual to carry the whole load. Plans are still going forward for housing the young travelers in a special center, possibly in rooms to be built under the legion hut. ' To date, the county has raised $745.15, Elder P. E. Getsinger re porting last night that Griffins had gone over the top and could be de pended upon for more if and when needed. Only two townships. Bear Grass and Hamilton, have not yet reported. The following table shows the quotas and amounts reported: District Quota Raised Jamesville $ 50 $ 63.40 Williams 20 8.35 Griffins 40 46.50 Bear Grass 40 Williamston 300 388.20 Cross Roads 40 34.85 Robersonville 120 120.00 Poplar Point 20 20.00 Hamilton 40 Goose Nest 50 32.30 Totals $720 $713.40 Offering 31.55 $745.15 Judge Harris Calls for School Bus Inspection PERMANENT Martin County'* last tempor ary or one-time (rand Jury U windinc up lta affair* today, the old syctem having nerved the cauae of juatiee in this county for around 187 years. Next September and under a special act paaard in the last session of the North Carolina General Assembly, a more-or less permanent grand Jury srtlt be chosen. Nine of the eighteen men will be chosen to serve for one year, the other nine to serve for six months. The group serving six months will be succeeded by a group who will serve It months beginning next March. Expect Show-Down Between Russia And Hitler Before Long World Is Giirssiiig Outcome I of Peiitliug Developments Between Countries -t The world today is patiently wait ing the outcome of a strained situa tion existing between Russia and Hitler, observers claiming that it calls either for closer collaboration between the two countries or actual warfare. Needing oil and other sup plies badly. Hitler is making new and greater demands on Russia with his eyes on the territory annexed by Russia since the war started and al so on the Baku oil fields and the Uk raine bread basket. The Russia^ people are fast be coming suspicious of Hitler's tactics, and Stalin is apparently worried ov er the powerful might he will have to battle if Germany's demands are not met. It Is a ticklish situation as it exists today with at least one mil lion German soldiers either on or marching toward the German-Rus sian border to enforce Nazi de mands. Reports that Russia had ordered a complete mobilization of her troops could not be verified, but reliable in formation indicated that the Red Army was ready for any eventual ity. No startling news has come from the war front during the past few days, but heavy fighting has been reported in Africa and in Syria. The Royal Air Force is continuing heavy assaults on industrial Germany and successful raids were made on in vasion points along the French coast |last night In Africa the British forces took the Nazis by surprise in a spirited at tack, and the drive is pushing on toward Tobruk. In Syria, the Vichy (yellow) government forces are of fering a stubborn defense and Da mascus has not been taken. One re port stated that the Vichy French had counter-attacked, but the suc cesses were limited. Irritated by action of the United States government In "freezing" all German and Italian funds and clos ing all German consulates in this country, Hitler has already sent out orders of retaliation. All American property in Germany has been or dered confiscated, and some see the (Continued on page six) Mill Whittle Hangt And Exhausts Itself Monday Activity on Williamston's indus trial front was proclaimed loud and long at 8: JO yesterday morning when a steam whistle at the Farmville Woodward Lumber Company plant hung and blew itself out For more than ten minutes, the whistle pour ed out its screams which lasted until the steam in the boiler had i Pleads For Greater Safety 011 Highway In Charge To Jury Define* I -aw Ah II Relate* To (lar Wreek* un?l Drunken Driving On Highway* After outlining their regular dut ies, Judge W C. Harris in a quar terly address to members of the Martin County grand jury here yes terday centered his charge on great er safety for those children who ride the school busses and stressed the need for increased safety for all on the highways of the State. "There are two things I want done," Judge Harris told the Jury men after straightening them out on the rules of procedure. "I want you to examine every school bus in Mar tin County, and see that they are properly repaired and made ready for operation next fall," the jurist said, adding that by taking precau tions now a life might be saved la ter. "If the busses cannot be made safer then they should not be ullow ed on the road," the jurist contin ued, adding that he had rather see a child held at home than permit him to ride a bus not in good mech anical condition. Judge Harris urged the jurors to take a keen interest in the safety of the several thousand little tots who will be riding the busses again be fore king. < Branching off from the school bus topic. Judge Harris continued his plea for greater safety on the high ways when he defined the laws re lating to accidents and drunken driving. "When two motorists have an accident and they settle it among themselves without reporting it to the representatives of the law, they are violating the law," he declared. Such cases should be prosecuted As for the drunken driving law, Judge Harris declared that a man does wot have to be drunk to violate the law. According to the jurist, a driver is guilty of drunken driving when he is under the influence of intoxicat ing liquors and does not have com plete control of his mental facul ties, "I urge you to investigate any such cases and indict the offenders," he directed the Jury in pleading for increased safety work. "If you gen tlemen will see that the law is not to be treated lightly and that crime is no trivial matter, and when peo ple know that the law is going to be enforced, violations will not be so numerous. "You are violating the oath you have subscribed to when you find no true bill in a manslaugh ter case because the defendant is the son of a prominent man, or pays off in cash," the judge said. Apparently the judge had been impressed with insanitary conditions in some schools in other counties, (Continued on page six) Rain Delays Work On The River Fill Heavy rain* falling here last Sat urday evening bogged down traffic and stopped work on the damaged river fill here. Numbers of cars were -stuck on the road that night and Sun day, but travel, after a fashion, was resumed yesterday and is moving along without much delay today. Work on the route was partially resumed about the middle of the morning today. Unofficial reports state that the contractors have been planning to place pans or special mechanical equipment for moving dirt in opera tion on the fill, but the work is be ing continued with equipment re garded as a bunch of Junk for the most part and almost obsolete. No definite date for completing the project has been mentioned. Estranged Husband Narrowly Misses A Stay In the Jail Here W. R. Copeland Placed in the Cuatwly of Sheriff Until Alimony In Paid W Robert Copeland, formerly of Williamston, narrowly missed a stay in the county jail here yesterday when he was called before Judge W. Harris in superior court to show cause why he had not complied with a judgment and later an order of the court directing the payment of ali mony to his former wife. Explaining that he had a $200 gas bill and claiming that he must pay that bill, the defendant declared that he could not pay the alimony. Judge Harris, in turn, explained that the alimony was to come first, and if it could not be paid the defendant was to be tuken into custody by the sheriff. The court completed its business and the judge and others left. Asked if he could pay the amount past due, Copeland said, "No." Sheriff C. B. Roebuck and Jailer Roy Peel were taking their new charge to the jail when the de fendant turned to the court clerk and effected settlement satisfactory to the court officer. {? The exact amounts due were not immediately disclosed, but the plain tiffs' attorney explained that the defendant was behind about $312.50 according to an old judgment of the court, and $92.50 behind under a more recent order of the court. Brought into court some time ago, the defendant was ordered to pay $50 a month alimony. When he fell behind with his payments, he was ordered to pay $37.50 twice each month until the payments were brought up to date. Whether a new judgment will be entered in the case today could not l>e learned immediately. The defendant, traveling with his second wife in a big Chrysler auto mobile, returned to his home in North Wilkesboro lute yesterday af ternoon. This Week In Defense President Roosevelt, declaring a strike at the North American Avia tion plant in Inglewood, Calif., was impeding the defense program, or dered the Army to operate the plant after workers rejected Mediation Board terms for settlement. Two duys after taking over, the Army reported "100 per cent efficiency" with all employees returned to work. The President said plants which he might be forced to place under Federal control will he re-" turned to private management as soon as possible. The House voted for an amend ment to the 1042 Army appropria tion bill to prohibit the payment of funds to any individual or com pany falling' within 10 days tb abide by Mediation Board recommenda tions for settlement of disputes. The Senate approved a declaration that strikes or lockouts in defense in dustries are "contrary to sound pub lic policy." The Mediation "Board announced settlement of three labor disputes, including the dispute of the soft n?iil inrfimlry Th.. IT S Piinrilialinn Service announced settlement of 34 additional disputes SELECTIVE SERVICE?Selective Service Headquarters ordered re classification of all registrants "im peding the defense program." The order said "the citizen who has been deferred because of the job he is per forming in the national defense pro gram cannot expect to retain the status of deferment when he ceases to work on the job for which he was deferred." The Senate approved a bill to de fer men who reach their 28th birth day by July 1 of this year, except Those aTready in The isrvtce. FOREIGN AFFAIR8? The State Department announced sinking of the American freighter Robin Moor in the south Atlantic by a German submarine. Announcing the rescue of only 11 of 46 persons forced to abandon the ship, Under Secretary Welles told the press that interna tional law requires precautions must be taken for the safety of passengers and crew before a ship is sunk. SHIPS? The OPM granted full priority for materials necessary in the building of 289 merchant ships for U. S. and Great Britain and the 312 special lease-lend vessels. OPM Production Director Biggers, speaking at Quebec, said "almost ev ery ship now building in our rapid ly expanding yards is ahead of sched ule." Tha Maritime fummiMii.. di rected the Southern Pacific Com pany to deliver for national defense purposes its entire fleet of 10 ves sels (80,600 tons), formerly used in coastwise trade. LEASE-LEND AID ? President Roosevelt reported to Congress that 175,232,425 of war materials have been transferred to the democracies since enactment of the lease-lend law and $4,277,41X879 has been al located for further aid out of the $7,000,000,000 provided by Con gress. He said that work has start (Continued on page six) Prosecution of Delinquent Listers Placed In Lap Of County Court; Period Of Grace Recommended Expecting Big Boll Weevil Infestation In State This Year Entinitttnl Farmers Will Lose One Or Two Bales Out of Ten If Not Careful ? Are there any cotton farmers who can afford to lose, unnecessarily, one or two of every ten bales, and from 10 to 20 per cent of their cotton seed? Can North Carolina's cotton farmers as a whole afford to lose, unneces sarily, five or ten or fifteen million dollars? The answers are so obvious they need not be given. But cotton farmers in Martin County will lose one or two or more bates in every ten, and the coiton farmers as a group will lose many millions of dollars if they are not careful. Boll weevils, if farmers are not diligent in fighting them, will cost as much as we have suggested, and perhaps much more. The time to make that fight is now. Boll weevil damage in North Car olina has been as high as 26 per cent of the lint and seed crop; and in 1939 the damage was 23 per cent. Such losses would be disastrous now, more disastrous than they were in the years they occurred, because taxes and the cost of living in gen eral are higher now. It will be trag ic, and also inexcusable, if we let weevils thrive this year. We know how to kill them, and we know something else ? the emergence of boll weevils this spring is seriously alarming in Some states. At the Pee Dee, South Carolina, Experiment Station the boll weevil emergence in early May of this year was more than 200 times us great us in the same period last year. The winter of 1940-41 was perfect for weevil preservation. Therefore the cotton farmers face the possibil ity of weevil damage such us they have not suffered in several years. The hot, dry May has not killed the old weevils. Last year the weevil damage was only one per cent. In 1939 it was 23 per cent. In 1938 it was 26 per cent. Over a period of ten years, the av erage has been more than 10 per cent. But there is no reason why it should be that high, and certainly reason why it should rise to 20. per cent, or higher, it can be held to j a much smaller figure. How? By a proper and diligent i use of the 1-1-1 mixture. Every far ) mer may get full tlirections from his county agent, or directly from North Carolina State College, or j from his nearest cottonseed oil mill Also he can learn from any of these sources how to obtain the molasses Und calcium arsenate necessary for the mixture. The third ingredient is water. At a cost of about 75 cents in out of-hand money (for 3 applications), an acre of cotton may be protected from excessive weevil damage. And that investment of 75 cents, plus a few hours labor, easily may be worth from five to ten dollars in additional income from cotton lint and cotton seed. Last year the total value of North Carolina's lint and seed was close to $44,000,000. Last year the yield per acre was the highest ever known in this State?427 pounds. The use by thousands of farmers of the 1-1-1 mixture is part of the explanation of that value and of that yield. What will the figures be for 1941? No one knows. We cannot control weather. But we can control weevils if we begin fighting them now; and unless we do, we can be certain that cotton figures for 1941 will be dis couragingly if not disastrously low. North Carolina is a cotton produc ing State, and must remain a cot ton producing State if our economic picture continues. It can do that, and become more and more prosperous But, to do so, it must win the annual battles with boll weevils, those fifth columnists of the cotton fields. Few Have Signed In Cotton Stamp Plan Leu than a dozen Martin County mrechanta to date have made plana to participate in the aurplua cotton marketing plan, according to a re the port coming from the office of the county agent. That there will be oth era to cooperate ia certain, but ar rangement# ahould be made 4# aoon aa possible. The first of the cotton trade stamps will be distributed among the approximately 490 coop crating farmers in' the county during early July. c The stamps to be issued the farm ers will be accepted by cooperating merchants in exchange for strictly cotton goods. The stamps are turned over to cooperating banks by the merchants for collection. Any merchant handling cotton goods may participate in the pro gram by contacting the office of the county agent. /BR OkEN This section's lone dry sp^ll has been definitely broken! While plows continued to run in some communities, others re ported the land too wet (or plow ing, all agreeing that they have had a good season to date. The week-end rains dealt the backbone of the drought a stag gering blow. At this point the largest rain?2.09 inches?since last August 14th was recorded. It was followed by a heavy show er Sunday night. Nearly all of the 2.09 inches last Saturday night fell in about 40 minutes, Hugh Spruill at the river stat ing that much hall fell in that neighborhood. Little hail was reported elsewhere, and no gen eral damage was reported. So far this month, 4.29 inches of rain have fallen at this point. iwo Motor Vehicle Wrecks In County Over the Week-end Several Pernon Badly lliirt; Merry-go-round Burn* Near Here Sunday Two persons were badly injured and two others were slightly hurt | i in two motor vehicle accidents on | the highways in this county last week-end. Resulting property, dam-3 age skyrocketed to a new high rec ord, Patrolman Whit Saunders es timi*ting the loss In excess -of $10, 000 for the two-day period. H. U. Peel, Bear Grass Township farmer, and his 10-year-old daugh ter, Polly, were hurt when their car struck a Virginia Electric and Pow er Company service car on the Wash ington Highway near the Paul Lil ley filling station last Saturday night about 10 o'clock, lie suffered a severe chest injury and a broken rib. His mouth was also bruised and cut. His daughter suffered a broken nose and a dangerous cut just over one of her eyes. Mrs. Peel was slightly bruised. C H. Clark, sitting in the parked service truck holding a spotlight on W. S. Gurus who was i repairing a damaged transformer on a pole, was slightly bruised wtd ttrr^l ribly frightened. Parked several feet i off the hard surface, the light serv- | tcr truck-was knocked about 55 feet down the highway and almost across the road. Peel stated to Patrolman Saunders that he was blinded by lights Damage to the car and small truck was estimated at $100. 1 ?oa(led -with the-CreHeent Amttst*~ ment Company's merry-go-round, a truck and trailer turned over on U. S. Highway 04 at Peter Swamp be tween here and Jamesville Sunday morning about 9:30 o'clock. Started bvf leaking gas, fire burned the triick and the merry-go-round, un official estimates placing the loss at $10,000. James H. Elliott, of East Lake and driver of the truck, was only slightly htrrt?em?the leg. Thu property was partially covered by insurance, it was learned. Investigating the accident, Patrol majLi Saunders stated that the steer ing apparatus apparently locked, causing the driver to lose control.. The truck went off a small embank ment and turned over. The local fire department1 received a call which slated that a truck was burning just below Jack Daniel's filling station on the Jamesville road. The firemen carried the truck beyond the .creek, and thinking the fire had been put out and the truck had moved on they turned around. The location was later determined and the ap paratus was carried out a second time, but nothing could be done to save the truck and merry-go-round. Two large tires were removed from Ifie rear wheels of the trailer. The amusement company was moving its equipment to Hertford after making a one-week stand here Local little tots were greatly dis turbed when they learned the mer ry-go-round had burned down. It was a busy week-end for Pa* trolman Saunders who in addition to investigating the accidents, ar rested three drunken drivers, three drunks on the highways, and u driv er for operating an automobile without an operator's license. Man Arretted Twice On 'Drunken Driving Charger Arrested early Sunday night tor alleged drunken driving, Howard Cherry, young Martin County man after being released under bond was back in the jail yesterday on a sim ilar charge. Cherry was arrested on Sunday night when he ran Patrol man Whit Saunders off the high way near Sweet Water Creek. He was arrested by Corporal Long of the highway patrol yesterday noon In Williamston. Placed under a $300 bond, Cherry had not been released early this afternoon. (Fraud Jury Returns 1.225 Names To The Courts For Vet ion I'roMTiilioii VI ill B?- in Onler \l I'.ikI of 30 Day* in County Court The final round-up of approxi mately 1.225 Martin County citizens who for one reason or another did not list their holdings or poll for taxation as of January 1. 1941, is scheduled to get underway on or about the middle of July as a result of an order handed down by Judge W C Harris in the Martin County Superior Court here late yesterday afternoon. r THr*rrcrnt action toy the court ad- ^ vances the round up several months the former schedule calling for the issuance, of warrants following ac tion by the grand jury with the pros ecutions to follow at the next term of the superior court in September. Judge Harris in a special order of fered the opinion that any prosecu tion of delinquent listers could be handled more advantageously in the county recorder's court, and order ed the list turned over to the prose cuting attorney of the county record er's court with the recommendation that thirty days noti<& be given the delinquents, and that upon failure of any one of the parties to list and pay his taxes, a warrant be issued Im mediately. Prepared by county tax authori ties, .ut the direction uf the March grand jury, the list was placed be fore the court for action. Judge W. C Harris, presiding over the short term of the superior tribunal issued tin' following Order: "The Grand Jury having return ed into court the attached list of de linquent taxpayers of Martin Coun ty. the courU being of the opinion that it would be more expedient that any prosecution of these delinquent taxpayers be handled through the * recorder's court of Martin County, "It is hereby ordered that said list be delivered by the sheriff of the ? county to the prosecuting attorney of the recorder's court with recom mendation that thirty days notice be given^Ju each of 8aid delinquent tax payers by mailing each of them a notice and publish in Hie county pa -per-and-4hat upon failuie^tPrany-one of said parties to list and pay taxes ^jp to and including 1941 a warrant cw^d?iti?the?recorder's court?of ' Marfcn County against such delin quent taxpayers." Unable t<> determine a list with absolute accuracy because nick names, initials, part names were sub stituted for full napies and because listings were Home times effected in the wife's name, the tax authorities finally submitted a list of 1,225 names which, according to the ch ords checked against the draft reg istration, the election poll books and the 1941 automobile registration, did not appear on the books for general taxation. It is reasonably certain that there are duplicates in the three lists that some of those whose names could not be found on the Uut buukl are actually listed. The county officials and the tax authorities have done everything possible to limit the list of names to those who did not list their proper ties, but it is possible that there are some names there that should not be there. However;* in the interest of those taxpayers who are carrying the tax load they are anxious to round up those who for one reason or an other dodge their fair share of the burden. It is a fairly well establish ed fact that about one out of every nine citizens in the county is not ac knowle his debt to society (Continued on page six) ? \'gro Bible School Has Large Opening I The Daily Vacation Bible School opened at Shiloh Baptiat Church on Monday morning with an enrollment of 218 students and 18 workers The school was opened by Rev. J. H. Smith, of the Memorial Baptists Church, with a very inspiring wor ship service. The students entered into the service wholeheartedly. The memory lesson for the week is the 100th Psalm. The students were divided into various sections for enrollment and study groups The enrollment was so large that the Junior and Inter mediate groups were transferred to the A.M E. Zion Church. Edith Evans of Kelfoid, was sent by the State board to assist the Bi ble school workers in Mtoj or ganised. A larger enrollment is ex within the next few days. The money collected during the two weeks will go toward the Red Croat fund for Refugee Children, but no tuition fee is asked and only free will offerings ere taken4*?T*^^?

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