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UNITED STATU WAB
BONDS-STAMPS
VOLUME XLV?NUMBER 69 . WUliamtton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, September I, 1912. ESTABLISHED 1899
Three Positions In
Local Faculty Are
Yet To Be Supplied
?
Schools To Open New Session
Thursday Morning at
9:00 o'Clock
?
Local school authorities yesterday
appointed two teachers to the faculty
of the local schools, leaving three
important positions yet to be filled.
All teachers for the elementary
school are now employed and plans
are complete for the operation of
that department. The commercial,
science, and shop departments in
the high school are without heads
seriously affecting preparations for
the program in the upper grades.
It is hoped that commercial and
science teachers may be secured
within a few days.
Teachers employed yesterday were
Mrs. Elizabeth Matlock Eagles and
Mrs. Evelyn Hinnant Manning, of
Williams ton.
Mrs. Eagles is a graduate of Wo
man's College, U. N. C., and has
taught for seven years in Cabarrus
and Edgecombe counties. She will
teach sixth grade work.
Mrs. Manning taught three years
in Pitt county after receiving her
degree from Atlantic Christian Col
lege. She will be employed in. the
new eighth grade.
Faculty members will assemble
at the high school tomorrow morn
ing to discuss plans and objectives
for the year's work.
The local schools will open for the
new term next Thursday morning
at 9:00 o'clock While no formal ex
ercises are planned, parents are
urged to accompany their children
to the classrooms. Parents of begin
ning children should accompany
them to the primary department.
Except for the nine o'clock open
ing on Thursday, the Williamston
schools will begin the day at 8:30,
with the tardy bell ringing at 8:40
This opening time will be in force
during the fall months.
The lunchrooms at the schools will
be in operation beginning next Mon
day.
All high school students including
twelfth grade students and others
interested in commercial subjects
are expected to report Thursday
morning. Textbooks will be distrib
uted that day, and regular classes
will begun Friday for high school
students.
High school fees are as follows:
$2.40, State textbook rental; 60c,
library fee; 50c, students enrolled
in home economics classes; $1.00
monthly for those students enrolled
in commercial classes.
New teachers for the 1942-43 term,
in addition to those elected yester
day, follow:
High School: Gay la Christine
White, Birmingham, Ala; Mrs. Jes
sie H. White, Williamston
Elementary: Edith Bradley, Sea
board; Margaret Jordan Elliott,
Eden ton.
Eleven Colored
Schools To Open
Thursday of this week tfeill mark
the end of vacation days for all
school children in this county, the
office of superintendent announcing
that jn addition to the ten white
schools, the eleven colored units
now idle will start the new term.
Thirteen colored schools started the
term several weeks ago, but one,
Poplar Point, suspended classes when
attendance figures reached a low
point. It is likely that many of the
twelve schools and possibly others
will suspend operations during cot
ton-picking time.
The schools opening the new term
on Thursday are, Dardens, James
ville, Corey's, Smithwick, Bear
Grass, Williamston, Williams, Biggs,
Woolard's, and Burroughs-Spring
Hill.
Reports from the other schools
now operating state that attend
ance figures are below expectations,
but that they have been, very favor
able at Jones and Everetts.
There have been very few changes
in the colored school faculty per
sonnel from last year, the superin
tendent explaining that less than
half-dozen positions had to be fill
ed. A new principal goes to Everetts
to succeed the one who was trans
ferred to Oak City where a resig
nation effected an opening.
Three Charged With
T ransportingLiquor
Tire and gas rationing are appar
ently meaningless when it comes to
the illicit liquor traffic, for the trade
still continues. Working on another
case down in Free Union last Sunday
morning about three o'clock. Patrol
man W. E. Saunders and Constable
Chas. R. Moore stopped a car and
found about two gallons of liquor.
Alonza Dempsey. driver of the old
model Plymouth, John Manning,
owner, and William Manning, a pas
senger, and all colored, were arrest
ed and charged with transporting li
quor. Dempsey and the car owner
pleaded guilty and were fined in the
county court. The passenger was re
leased. The car was confiscated and
ordered sold subject to a lien held
by Washington motor company.
Yank Downed in East -
Grinning at you is Lieut. \V. W. O'Neill, an Ok I a human, who is the
first U. S. Army Air Force fighter pilot to be shot down on the-14gyptian
fropt. On his second operational flight in North Africa, O'Neill's plane
was hit. He fell into the sea and swam 21i miles to shore. lie suffered
injuries to arm and head. This photo was radioed dir ct from Cairo.
Classify Youth in Fil th
Registration For Draft
DEFIES LAW
"I haven't written to I'ncle
Sam, and llncle Sam has no bus
iness writing to me," John Wil
liams. 43-year-old colored man
of Goose Nest Township, was
quoted as saying following his
arrest by Officer J. H. Roebuck
Sunday for allegedly refusing to
register for possible military
service.
In Jail Monday afternoon, Wil
liams. married and the father of
several children, offered to de
fend his bull-headed stand by
quoting the Scriptures, but he
declared he had never heard
that portion of the Holy Writ
that told how the Master by
force chased the money changers
from the temple.
It is understood that prosecu
tion of the case is possible in the
state courts, or it may be turned
over to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
Church Benefit Is
Turned into Hough
House In Griffins]
Shooting. Stubbing ami Jack
ing Order of lh?* INiglit
Last Saturday
Planned to raise money for a col
ored church, an ice cream supper or I
a benefit of that type turned out to ]
be a rough affair in Griffins Town
ship late last Saturday night. Scat
tering after quail fashon before a
gun, all of the Ittle band has not been I
rounded up and a detailed account |
of the trouble could not be had im
mediately, and officers have not yet
been able to piece together much
evidence even after a search lasting
from about midnight until day the
next morning Warrants have been I
drawn in the case, but no arrests |
have been made so far.
A merry party was progressing I
peacefully at the home of Will Rome |
when Geo. Peterson, Nathan Cran
dell and one or two other Beaufort
County colored men ventured across
the boundary line and apparently
tried to take charge. James High
smith, respected Negro, was order
ed to leave immediately. Highsmith
was said to have turned and started
to go, but just as he did someone
drove a knife in his back. He crawl
ed to safety, but his old model car,
unprotected, was attacked, the Beau
fort visitors slashing four tires and
tubes on it beyond repair. The visi
tors then started trampling on Gran
ville C. Moore's toes. An argument
followed and Moore whipped out his
pistol. Crandell went into action
with a jack and cracked Moore's
head The man went down shooting
One ball struck Peterson, plowing
through one lung and possibly both
and lodging in his side. Others es
caped with only inches to spare, one
bystander showing Sheriff C. B.
Roebuck where a bullet had almost |
pinned his hat to the door facing.
Moore, a county Negro now em-1
ployed in Virginia, got in his car and |
left. Highsmith had issued a war
rant against Crandell ,and Peterson, I
(Continued on page six)
\Counly Youth Recovering
From Injury In Hotpital
Injured while in the performance
of his duty with the United States
Navy some time ago. Mack Gilbert
Rogerson, young son of Mr and Mrs.
Gilbert Rogerson of this county, is
reported improving in the Marine
hospital at New Orleans. No details
have been received and it could not
be learned definitely how he was
injured or how badly. Young Roger
son was a fireman, first class, in the
Navy.
| Big Percentage Of
Men in Fifth Group
Given J-A Ratings
Some of Tlieac Boy* Are Al
most Certain To Be Culled
Out in OeInker
Completing the classification of
the third registration group in this
county, the Martin County Draft
Board recently dipped into the fifth
and gave a large percentage of the
20-year-olds 1-A ratings. Single and
without dependents, for the most
part .one hundred and fourteen of
the one hundred and twenty-eight
youths classified in that group or
registration were given high ratings,
making them subject to call almost
certainly in October.
1 he names of those men placed in
1-A appear below. Those men whose
names do not appear and who were
classified in the group of 128 were:
placed in the 3-A classification for
the most part or had their ratings
delayed pending future investiga
tions The 1-A classification follows:
Berley Alexander Mason, c, RFD 2.
Williamston
Leonard Harold Ange, w, RFD I,
Jamesville
James Julian Jackson, w. Williams
ton
Noah Brown, c. Williamston
Levi Savage, c, RFD I Palmyra
Arthur Lee Jones, c, Williamston
John Henry Sheperd, c, Oak City
Elbert Alphonso Heath, w, RFD 1,
Williamston
James H. Williams, c, RFD 1. Wil
liamston
Joseph Dennis Smallwood, c, RFD 1
Williamston
Jesse Franklin Roberson w RFD 3
Williamston
Edward Williams, c, RFD 1. Palmyra
Jesse James, c, RFD 1, Robersonvillr
Willam Augusta Reed, c, RFD 3,
Williamston
Rupert Turner, w. RFD 1 Palmyra
John Willie Harrell, c, RobersonvilJe
Rudolph Elliott Taylor, w, Roberson
ville
Leroy Lawrence, c, RFD 1, Oak City
Baker Jethro Burnett, c, RFD 1 Oal
City
Peter Washington Burnett, c Oak
City
Melvin Dudley Bennett, w, RFD 3
Williamston
James Morris Stalls, w Everetts
Edwin Earl Lilley, w, RFD 1, James
vllle
Ervin Clyde Cullipher, w, RFD 3,
Williamston
Jimmie Augustus Keel, c, RFD 1
Robersonville
James Andrew Wynn, c, RFD 2
Robersonville
Irving Daniel Gurganus, w, William
ston
I Clifton Perkins, c, Robersonville
I (Continued on page *ix)
Former Resident
Dies In Suffolk
Mrs. Emma Gardner, mother o
Mrs. John W. Williams, of William
ston, and the widow of Fred Gard
ner, died in a Suffolk hospital las
night at 10 o'clock following a criti
cal illness of about one week. Sh
was 71 years of age and had been ii
declining health for some time .
Moving to this county from Beth
el, the family located in Everetts la
ter moving to Williamston when
Mr. Gardner managed the old bricl
kiln for a number of years. Follow
ing his death, Mrs. Gardner madi
her home with her son, Mr. Samue
Gardner in Norfolk. She was mover
to the hospital about a week ag<
W'ifn 'ler TOn<lition became worse.
Funeral services will be conduct
ed in the Virginia city tomorrow anc
interment will follow in the Bethe
cemetery.
Decrease Expected
In County School
Figures This Year
Number* of Youngsters To
Stay Home, Others In
Defense Factories
That the shortage of teachers will
he extended over into _ the Student [
bodies in the several Martin County
schools was predicted here yester
day morning when county school
men met to discuss plans for open
ing the new term on Thursday morn
ing of this week. No definite fig
ures were mentioned, but several of
the school men declared they would
be pleased if their attendance fig
ures did not shrink more than ten
per cent under the stress of the i
times.
Quite a few youngsters have al
ready entered war factories and
they are not expected to report when
the term opens. Others, possibly a
goodly number, will choose or even
be forced to remain at home and
help with the crops or carry on the
work left by those young men who
have entered the armed services. It i
is reasonable to believe, however.'
that the parents and school patrons
will do all in their power to get their.
charges into the schools.
Just recently recognized by offi
cialdom. the twelfth grade is cer
tain to experience a struggle for its
existence, for many of those who
planned to return for the extra
courses of study will hardly find it
"convenient" to continue their edu
cation at this time.
While a small decrease is to be
[expected in the elementary and even
in the primary grades, the main
loss is predicted in the high school.
On the basis of preliminary estimates
offered by the school men, the high
[school enrollment will drop to about
800 this term with the expectation I
that the elementary enrollment will
stand right around 2,300
A review of the opening-day en- i
rollment figures in the white schools. ;
elementary and high, follows for last '
year:
Kir.
IIS.
Tot.
Jumcsvillt'
338
ill
447
Furni Lift'
155
67
222
Bear Grass
236
68
304
Williamstnn
562
107
759
F.vuvtts
208
208
Robvrsonvill.
303
201
504
Gold Point
62
62
Hass.ll
60
60
Hamilton
178
178
Oak Cily
225
185
410
Totals
2325
919
3244
Nazis Launch Drive
Aimed At Important
Suez Canal in Egypt
<*?
Ficrcp Fifililin^ Ht-in^ Contin
ued on Stalingrad and
'lilt' K/.li<-\ I'roiil
Possibly signaling the beginning
of an'-alt-out attempt to drive to Al
exandria and thence to the import
ant Suez Canal, the Germans yestor-1
day launched an attack against the
Allies in Egypt, the action divert
ing public attention from the criti
cal front around Stalingrad where,
nevertheless, the most fierce fight
ing of the war to date, continues un
abated.
The drive in the Egyptian desert
had advanced eight miles, according
to last reports, but the Allied lines
had not been broken, American air
men were said to be doing an ef
fective work with their bombs di
rected against General Rommel's
supply lines. It is not definitely
known yet whether the drive is
test or the beginning of a full-scale
attack. Apparently Rommel must
strike now or else accept a disad
vantage of a balance of power later.
An attack by an Italian force was re
pulsed on the main front in the Qat
tara area near El Alamein.
[ On the other side of the African
continent, Dakar is claiming atten
tion. One report says Laval is about
to turn it over to the Germans, and
another report indicates that the Al
lies may be moving in on the port.
Good and bad reports come from
the Russian front. Northwest of
Stalingrad, the Russians have re
pulsed the Italians but the defend
ers were forced to withdraw to the
southwest of the city, but the with
drawals were effected only after
heavy losses, estimated at 48 tanks
(Continued on page six)
" ALL-TIME RECORD |
An all-time sales record was
established by the county liquor
store here last Saturday when
possibly 1.200 pints of the spir
its were exchanged for an
amount slightly in excess of (1,
300. or f1.325.70 to be exact. The
sales have often exceeded (1,000
in a single day at the store here,
and once or twice they had pass
ed the (1.200 mark, but last Sat
urday was the first time they
had Jumped to the thirteen hun
dred-plus mark.
No comparison is available at
this time, but there is some doubt
if bond sales totaled half that
much.
Price Trend Some Stronger On
Tobacco Market Alter Ceiling Is
Announced By The Government
,4 r rests Reach Ail-Time High
Figure In County Last Month
Crime reached an all-time high
point in this county last month when
the number of arrests soared almost
to the 100 mark. Very few of the
crimes were considered serious, but
the trend of the times reflected in
the increased number of men going
into the hoosegow is making Sher
iff C. B Roebuck scratch his head
and pull the little remaining hair on
his crown.
Of the ninety-five persons locked
in the county jail during the month
[of August, sixty-five were placed
there for being publicly drunk. Five
were arrested and jailed for drunk
en driving. Six were charged with
assaulting their fellowman with
deadly weapon. Officers, after
studying the records, are convinced,
that eighty-one of the cases had
their origin in the use.of intoxicants.
Other cases included, larceny and re
ceiving, three; bastardy, two; reck
less driving, one; no driver's license,
one; non-support, one; draft dodging,
one; liquor law violations, three, and
others, two.
Nearly three big sheets in the jail
record book were filled, the names
of 46 white persons being inscribed
there with indelible carbon. While
most of those jailed during the per
iod were between 21 and 31 years
of age. there were those who were
only m their teens and others who
had passed the three-score mark.
In addition to the number arrest
ed and jailed, there were others, a
good number, who fell into the
hands of the law and who escaped
jail by posting bonds immediately j
And too. there were those violations
that wont undetected, or where ar
rests were impossible.
~ 1
County Schools Open
Term Next Thursday
readier Personnel
Not Quite ( Complete
In All The Schools
A1iin\ I\eu IShh Drivern Hut
Hiih lloiiles Remain
About the Same
Pep, vm and vigor, usually pros
rut on the rvr of tlic opening -of a
now school form, trailed along hero
yesterday morning when the sever
al principals nut in the office .of the
county superintendent and discussed
final plans for the rjew session be
ginning Thursday morning of this
week. There was a marked sense of
responsibility present, alt right, but
troubled by teacher appointments
and the uncertainty of many things,
the school men simply did not appear
as optimistic as they generally are at
this season of the year. The very
fact that many of them arc contin
uing in the school profession proves
that they are still interested in the
youth of the land, and it is reason
able lo expect that they will do all
in their power to maintain the high
scholastic work and do all they can
for the youths in their charge
All of the schools wjll open the i
new session at 8:30 o'clock that
morning except Hear Grass and Wil
liamston, these two stating thai
the school there will open promptly
at 9 o'clock. Informal programs will
he held in several of the schools,
hut in most of tftem the pupils will
report directly to their- respective
rooms, get their books and assign
ments and make ready for honesr-to
goodness work without fan fare or
incident. Principal H. M Ainslcy of
the Oak City schools, explains that
time can lie saved if the pupils lii
the high school, from the eighth
through the eleventh grades, will
submit the $2.4(1 book rental fee the
very first day. This fee is uniform
throughout all the high schools, but
does not include library and other
minor fees.
There have been quite a few
changes in the bus driving person
nel, but the routes remain virtually
the same with no great variation in
the schedules.
The mad scramble for teachers is
about over in most of the schools, a
review showing that all teacher po
(Continued on page six)
Test Blackout Is
Quite Successful
The third test blackout in this dis
trict last Friday night was describ
ed as very successful by civilian de
fense officials who were assigned to
observe the response. The district
was in darkness within'less than nine
minutes, while in Williamston, the
lights were out within less than a
minute. Wardens and others charged
with handling the blackout reported
splendid cooperation on the part of
the general public, but two service
men insisted on driving through
without lights. Officers were called
to extinguish one or two lights care
lessly left burning. The warning was
sounded at 9 20 here and the all-clear
was heard thirty minutes later.
No advanced warning will be is
sued for blackouts in the future, and
as far as the people know it could
be a real alarm or just another test
It is no use to gamble, and local peo
ple are warned to keep in mind the
meaning of five blasts on the fire
siren.
CRITICAL TIMKS
I V
Many do not recognize them,
but these are critical times we
are now plunging through, ac
cording to reports coming from
several of the rural schools. To
aggravate the gas, tire, fuel
shortage, some of the rural
schools are now unable to get
wood for firing their cook stoves.
'I have begged and begged
farmers in our school district to
sell and deliver wood needed for
the school, hut up until yester
day not a single stick had been
delivered," one school principal
said.
Jos. (lowen Dies
Suddenly at Home
Friday Afternoon
? ?
Fiim-rnl SrrvierH Coniliiclcil
For l.oral Iti -idi iil Sun
day Afternoon
Joseph Walter Cowen, well-known |
local resident, died suddenly at his j
home on East Main Street here late
last Friday afternoon, the victim of |
a heart attack. Working in the kitch
en at the time, Mr. Cowen fell to
the floor. Members of the family,
hearing him fall, rushed from an
| other part of the house and found
him dead. He had had an attack the
jday before, hut was feeding much
Iletter Friday and. was unusually
active around the home. Just a few
minutes before he died he talked
with his brother and said then that
he didn't believe it possible for him
to live through another attack. Mr.
Cowen had been in declining health
for possibly twenty years, but dur
ing that time he was able to be up
most of the time and handle light
duties around the home.
Tin son of the late Henry and
Hoxanna Boyette Cowen, he was
horn m Poplar Township 67 years
ago last February. When a small
child he moved*with his parents to
the Whitaker farm where he spent
a few years before coming to Wil
liamston. Later he returned to the
farm and spent about ten years, com
ing back to Wiiliamston to take a
job as rural free delivery carrier
about 1910. He retired some ten or
twelve years later on account of
failing health.
When a young man he was mar
ried to Miss Delia Gurganus who
survives with One daughter, Mrs.
Ellen Twiddy. He also leaves a
granddaughter and an adopted
daughter, Elizabeth Davenport Cow
en. His walk through life was hum
ble in the sight of his Maker, his
love for the homeless and needy re
(Continued on page six)
Firemen Get Two Gall*
In An Many Dayn Here
Local volunteer firemen were call
ed out Sunday afternoon id 12:30
I o'clock and again this morning at
'2:10 o'clock to fires of little or no
consequence.
Tlie first call was to a small ten
lant house on Jamesville road where
smoke, filtering through a flue, fill
ed the attic but did no damage. This
morning a short circuit fired a large
truck at the plant of the Williams
ton Package Manufacturing Com
pany, near the river, doing very lit
tle damage.
Farmers Dubious As
To Real Meaning Of
Price - Fixing Plans
??
I riling Certainly lias Not Yet
Cuu*e<l Decrease in the
I'riees Here
Unless they had learned it from
the papers, farmers and others, too,
in this section never would have
known that a ceiling had been es*
tablished for the control of inflation
ary tobacco prices over the week
end .reliable reports coming from the
local market yesterday and today
clearly indicating that the price
trend was equally as strong as it
was the latter part of last wreek, if
not some stronger. The price ceiling
announcement came as a surprise,
however, and farmers . freely ex
pressed their displeasure, but to
day there is a belief in some quar
ters that the action will possibly
help the growers in this county,
i The workings of the plan are not
definitely know, but it is generally
believed that no move will be made
to lower tobacco prices from the
levels reached last week, that the
plan wax-designed to check an un
reasonable advance in prices sim
ilar to those received back in 1919.
While it may be made permanent,
the ceiling now in effect is subject
to be altered to eliminate any equal
ities it may have caused. Discussions
are being held by warehousemen,
farm representatives and others, and
it is generally thought that every
effort, will be made to give the far
mer a fair price for his tobacco.
Just how the new order will affect
prices now or later no one seems to
know definitely. Apparently the
ceiling will permit an over-all av
erage of about 35 cents a pound.
Some farmers are of the opinion that
it will have a tendency to hold down
the prices for the better quality
grades and possibly boost the infer
ior types. In that case, Martin Coun
ty farmers, who admittedly have an
inferior quality crop, will possibly
benefit.
The order, issued over the week
end after four days of selling on the
Bright Belt markets, provides that
the "weighed average price per
pound paid by any person for flue
cured tobacco shall not exceed the
average price per pound paid by
such person for flue-cured tobacco
during the period from August 24.
1912 to August 28, 1942."
Reports from the belt, as a whole,
(Continued on page six)
Marked Reduction
hi Tire Allotments
There is still an urgent demand
for gasoline, but all indications point
to a time when there'll be more gas
than there are tires and the gas will
la* worthless. The change, little no
ticed from day to day, is taking
place,. however, and steadily, too.
Trre quotas for the county have been
materially reduced for September
from the August allotments, mean
ing that more vehicles will go off
the highways and with gas rations
left over
The September allotment of new
car tires is compared with the Au
gust quota as follows:
New Recaps Tubes
September 5 25 19
August 8 35 -26
The truck tire quotas for Septem
ber and August are, as follows:
New Recaps Tubes
September 34 38 38
August 50 67 63
In the State, as a whole, new car
tires have been decreased from 1,455
to 900, and the number of truck
tires was decreased from 8,798 to 7,
027.
It is pointed out that cooler wea
ther will helpVreli'eve the tire situa
tion, but it muslTbe remembered that
thousands of motorists are entering
the winter season with weak tires.
About the only relief offered will
be found in the rationing of ten bi
cycles during the current month.
?
Prowler Dashes To
Safety Saturday
???1
? Caught peeping into windows of
a home on Haughton Street here late
last Saturday night a prowler dash
ed to safety when he was detected
and chased by residents in the com
munity. A fair description of the
man was gained, but no arrest has
been made.
Thinking some kind of game was
in progress as the prowler led the
chase by his home on Church Street,
Banker Herman A. Bowen soon
learned differently and joined the
race. The prowler fell down in the
Episcopal churchyard, but soon gain
ed his feet and used them to marked
advantage to escape in the dark of
Academy Street.