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VOLUME XLVn—NUMBER 40
Williamslon, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, May 19, 1911.
ESTABLISHED 1899
Allies Advancing In
Tlieir Drive Toward
—wkmk
High Army Officials Declare
Reached Peak
-»
Carrying their latest Italian offen
sive into its eighth day, Allied forces
today were tearing into Adolf Hit
lers line and are now within aDOUi
thirty miles of the Anzio beachhead.
The drive is a hard one, but the Al
lies are making splendid progress,
Cassino and Formia, main anchor
points in the G *rman defense line,
having been cleared of the enemy
defenders.
British and Polish troops stormed
the shattered town of Cassino and
dominating Monastery Hi) behind it
early yesterday, capturing l.oOO pris
ones and wiping out the cream of the
“Green Devils” First Parachute Di
vision which had defended the
stronghold fanatically since January.
American troops that captured
Formia—believed to be the coastal
anchor of the Adolph Hitler line—
plunged westward and seized other
important objectives whose identity
was concealed by censors. Masses of
abandoned Nazi equipment were
falling to Lt. General Mark W.
Clark’s forces.
“The Gustav line now has ceased
to exist," declared an Allied an
nouncement. “The enemy has been
completely outmaneuvered by the
Allied armies in Italy. Troops of
the Eighth Army have fought their
way forward in the Liri valiey and
during the last 36 hours developed
a decisive pincers movement which
cut Highway 6 (leading from Cas
sino to Rome) and so prevented the
withdrawal of the enemy.”
The bag of German prisoners
mounted to more than 6,000 since
the drive to destroy the enemy’s
forces in Italy began. Mountains of
Nazi equipment were strewn across
the battlefields in the wake of the
swiftly advancing Allied armies.
Clark’s Fifth Army alone had cap
tured materiel equivalent to two
artillery divisions—much of it in
perfect condition—in advancing up
to 15 miles from its starting points.
French colonials in the center of
the 25-mile battle line captured Es
peria, a fortified outpost of the Hit
ler line, and seized Monte Lago, a
mile to the west. Just north of Es
jjeria they were engaged in a bitter
fight for 2,800-foot Monte D’Oro,
and from heights their artillery was
shelling the lateral highway be
tween Pico and Itri.
In a broadcast perhaps designed
to soften the impact of further re
treat, the German radio Thursday
declared that the Hitler line was the
“mere invention of Anglo-American
propaganda—there does not exist
any systm of positions with this
name.”
The same enemy broadcast said
the Allies “launched constant attacks
bringing up many fresh formations
and heavy armor in the entire sector
between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the
area northwest of Cassino.”
The noose of steel which fighting
men of nearly a dozen nationalities
forged around Cassino after painful
months of adversity was drawn
tight around the beleaguered town
(Continued on page four)
-*
Four Cases Heard
By Justice Hassell
Four cases were called by Justice
J. L. Hassell in his court this week,
two of the four going to the county
court for trial.
Will Purvis, charged with being
drunk and disorderly, was sentenc
ed to the roads for thirty days, the
justice suspending the sentence upon
the payment of $8.50 costs.
Sim Bell, charged with operating
a log truck and trailer with im
proper brakes on the trailer, was
fined $10 and taxed with the costs.
Charged with assaulting each
other with deadly weapons, Willie
Thompson and Bennie Reeves were
bound over to the county court for
trial next Monday.
Charged with assaulting a female,
Eddie Price was bound over to the
county court under bond in the
Two County Youths
Together Overseas
—♦—
Writing in to have the mailing
address changed, Pvt. Mack H. Leg
gett, Martin County man serving
somewhere overseas, said in part:
“Maybe the folks at home think
I have stopped writing them, but
I haven’t. There are times when
it can’t be done. Anyway, tell them
all hello for Luther Harris and me.
“So far Luther and I see each
other pretty often. It’s nice to be
together. Some times we are out
and all over the country, we have
often said that when we were home
the thought never came to our minds
of coming to a place like this side
by side. All the same, we are en
joying the trip, and when we get
together we talk about Williamston
before we part. Until cur return
we will continue thinking of the
good ok U. S. A."
Last-Minute Interest in
JkLuLEQw'aUiiuui
Cam Morrison Hold
Edge In This County
No Greal Activity Reported
On Home Front in Sever
al Ollier Contests
-—
While it is admitted that politics
are holding a secondary place in the
world of events, interest in the ap
proaching primary on May 27 is in
creasing and fairly hot contests are
fairly certain. On the nome front,
some of the candidates have done
very little politicing, while others
have been fairly busy. For the most
part, if not altogether, the local
campaigns have been free of mud
slinging, and possibly on account of
the nature of the tolerable methods,
the strictly county contests have not
attracted any great attention to date.
The figures in the county contests
are well known, generally liked and
without enemies, making it difficult
to predict a trend in the progress
of the individual’s campaign.
The three county contests will at
tract the friends of the several can
didates, and interest in. the outcome
of the races is possibly greater than
many will admit.
In the State Senatorial contest,
many of the electorate are still un
decided which two candidates they
will support.
The Republican activities will be
quite limited, few of the three can
didates for the lieutenant gover
nor's nomination and the two men
for State Treasurer on that ticket
being known to the general public
in this section.
On the Democratic State ticket,
the race for the gubernatorial nomi
nation possibly holds the spotlight.
Reports from neutral observers in
dicate that Cherry after showing a
flurry of strength just a short time
ago over the State, is now losing
ground rapidly. The masses are get
ting stirred up and McDonald stock
is said to be going up day by day
in the State, as a whole. In this
county, the Cherry forces, paced by
foreigners sent here by the so-called
machine group, have toured the
county, scouring the by-ways and
hedges. The activity has brought
forth a response from the McDon. Id
followers, and although there is no
organized leadership, a wave of sup
port is believed certain for Mc
Donald. These reports come from
farmers and others who ordinarily
take little or no interest in politics
other than to exercise the right of
the ballot. The name of the third
candidate for governor is hardly
known, and it isn't likely that many
votes will be cast for him in this
county.
In the United States Senatorial
race, Cameron Morrison is believed
to hold the edge by a wide margin.
Clyde R Hoey will share the re
maining votes with Giles Yeoman
Newton, Marvin Lee Ritch and Ar
thur Simmons. Candidate Pitch was
in the county Wednesday in the in
terest of the campaign, and he is
predicting that he will be in the
second primary. So, one can never
tell about politics.
W. I. Halstead and L. Y. Ballen
tine have been mentioned for lieu
tenant governor on the Democratic
ticket, but the name of Jamie T.
Lydu, a third candidate, has not
been mentioned as far as it could be
learned. And the general public has
taken little interest or rather it has
not expressed much interest in the
contests for secretary of state, state
auditor and state treasurer on the
Democratic ticket.
Handling 1.488 app’ieations,
the Agricultural Adjustment
Administration has paid to 3,
464 ’tartin County farmers a
total of $125,609.30 for soil con
servation and soil building
practices, to date, according to
a report released this week by
the county agent's office.
The payments are being made
slowly at this time, a few checks
having come in just a short
time ago. The delay is partly
traceable to the farmers who
were, in quite a number of cas
es, slow in filing their applica
tions.
There are about 112 applica
tions pending in the Triple A
offices at this time from this
county.
Last year, the payments ap
proximated $206,004, it is under
stood.
Former Draft Board
Clerk Writes Home
— ♦—
Writing to Mrs. Edwin W. Hold
ing, Martin County War Board clerk,
Monk Cobb, former draft board clerk
in this county and who is expected
home soon from his “boot” training
at Camp Peary, Va., said, in part:
“.I intended writing the War
Board and request an investigation
of my farming activities. They have
really been working us hard. This
was a Seabee camp and while they
were completing the switchover, the
Scabees started training us. I'm
not misrepresenting the truth when
I tell you they had us chopping down
trees about eight to ten inches in
diameter with bush axes. The first
day of duty at this I could have
sworn the war had been lost, but
I finally got toughened a little and
have been making the grade O. K.
“I eat more for breakfast at this
place than I ate in a whole day
when home; so you can see I’m not
loafing. You ordinarily would think
by eating that much that you would
be bound to gain weight, but after
eating they work it all out of me,
leaving nothing for my personal
use at all. And another thing, they
have given me so many shots that
I'd rather a man point a gun at me
than a needle. They line you up
about five hundred at the time and
you march by the man with the
needle. If you are slow he'll stick
you twice, sure. You guess right—
I was a fast man. I got all the way
out the door one time before I was
caught. You may think I’m just
sitting here trying to make up things
to tell, but this is the gospel truth.
“How is that big husband of
yours? I would like to have him here
with me for a while anyhow. I
know he would simply love it. You
know he’s the out-door type.
“Tell the others at the office that
I won't be surprised if I don’t win
the war right here at Camp Peary.
Tell Mac he better go back on the
blood pressure pill diet. We haven’t
enough men yet."
In conclusion, Seaman Cobb asked
to be kept informed of the board
activities, and added the postscript:
“Hitler has his concentration camp.
The U. S. has Camp Peary. There
ain’t no difference.”
Wants Papers Sent
To New Guinea Post
Pvt. Thomas Hawkins wrote in
from New Guinea a few days ago
asking that his papers be sent to him
at the far-removed post. He wrote
a very nice letter, blit, between 'the
lines, it could be told that he is quite
lonely. He said, in part:
“When I was stationed in North
Carolina I got the Enterprise twice
a week. I miss getting it now and
I do wish you would fix it so the
paper will reach me here. It makes
me feel good to read it and know
what’s going on back home when I
am jwch a long way from there.
“I am getting along fine. Noi/ting
to worry about and plenty to eat.
The only thing bad is that it is hot
here. I surely would like to be home
with the other people. I am doing
what I can to help get it over with.
Every three months I get a $50 war
bond to help win victory. I hope all
the people back home will do all
they can, for if they do it won’t be
long before the war will come to an
end.”
—..—A —
Services Sunday In
Gold Point Church
The regular monthly services will
be held in the Gold Point Christian
Church, both, morning and even
ing, at the usual hours by the pastor,
Rev. A. E. Purvis.
Louise Brown will sing “In The
Temple” at the evening service.
Bible School meets every Sunday.
All members are urged to attend.
The public is cordially invited to
attend all services.
(»irl Painfully Hurt
In Fall From Truck
Mildred Wobbleton, young daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Wobbleton,
was dangerously hurt last Wednes
day afternoon when she fell from
a Woolard Furniture Company truck
on North Haughton Street. It could
hot be learned just bow the acci
dent happened, one report stating
thrt the 14-year-old girl fell from
the truck, her head striking the con
crete. In addition to a skull fracture
she received an injury of the hip.
The truck was being driven by
Kelly Davenport and the child was
on her way home from school.
Given first aid treatment here, she
was removed to a Washington hos
pital. She was said to be suffering
right much, but this morning she
was conscious and talked to mem
bers of her family.
Big Percentage Of Men
Accepted For Service
-•-.
According to unofficial reports
reaching hc-e, between fifty and
seventy-five percent of the county
colored men reporting to an Army
center last week passed the pre
inductic.i examinations. No official
audit has been received, but pre
liminary reports indicated that pos
sibly 70 or more of the approximate
ly 105 men making the trip were ac
\ oepted. -
Fewer Pupils Are
Finishing School
White School* To End Tern?
mr.40ki - id»«ii m
Of Next Week
A marked reduction, in the number
of white pupils being graduated in
the several high schools was report
ed today by the office of the county
board of education. The reduction
is traceable to some extent to war
calls and Others quit to enter war
industries or work «.n the farms.
The reduction is possibly more pro
nounced in the local schools because
it follows a record-size graduating
class last year.
While the number of graduates
was being reduced from 161 in the
white schools last year to 129 this
year, the two colored high schools
arc sending out ten more graduates
than they graduated in 1943.
The number of graduates in 1943
and 1944 follows, with the 1943
figure appearing first: Jamesville, 16
and 16; Farm Life, 7 and 9; Bear
Grass, 7 and 9; Williamston, 46 and
26; Robersonvillc, 52 and 41, and
Oak City, 33 and 28. Williamston
colored school, 16 and 20, and
P umele, 26 and 32.
The white schools at Roberson
ville, Oak City, Hassell, Hamilton,
Everetts and Gold Point close the
term on Thursday of next week.
Williamston, Farm Life, Bear Grass
and Jamesville are closing the term
next Friday.
Closed last fall during cotton pick
ing time and the session further in
terrupted by bad weather, some of
the colored schools in the county
have not yet completed the eighth
month, and it is possible that they
will not operate the full nine mon
ths. No official announcement has
been released in this connection,
however, and while the board will
provide for the completion of the
term, it is quite likely that attend
ance figures will drop to such a low
point that operation could not be
justified. Attendance figures are
beginning to drop in some schools,
while in others they are holding up
unusually well.
No elaborate finals programs are
being planned by the schools this
year. In most of the plants, the
pupils are planning and preparing
their own exercises. Commence
ment sermons are being preached in
several of the schools this Sunday,
followed by public programs next
week and the distribution of
diplomas and certificates on Thurs
day unu Friday evenings.
Finals Program In
The Local Schools
The final exercises of the William
ston High School will get underway
next Sunday morning when Rev.
Gower Crosswell of the William
ston Presbyterian Church delivers
the annual commencement sermon
in the local high school auditorium.
As in past years, the special program
will take the place of morning wor
ship in the local churches, and will
begin at 11:00.
Special music will be rendered by
the high school mixed chorus and
combined sextets from the junior
chorus.
On Tuesday evening, May 23 at
8:30, the elementary school will pre
sent Berta El Smith’s adaptation of
Humperdinck’s operetta, ‘Hansel
and Gretel.” Pupils from grades one
through eight will take part in the
production of the famous operetta.
Graduation exercises will be held
Friday evening, May 26th at 8:30.
As has been the custom for the past
several years, tiie final exercises will
be heir) by the seniors without the
aid of a visiting speaker. The student
program will feature speeches by
four class leaders, and special music
by high school groups.
Presentation of diplomas and
special awards will conclude the
program.
-9
Many Farmers Complete
Tobacco Transplanting
Borrowing from their neighbors,
hauling fi’or.i the border and draw
ing from their own beds, many far
mers in this county have completed
their tobacco transplanting. Howev
er, the task, as a whole, will hardly
be completed before some time next
week.
APPROVED
An appropriation for condi
tioning the Legion Hut and its
maintenance as a United Service
Organizations center has been
approved by national headquar
ters, it was announced this
morning by Rev. John L. Goff,
local chairman of the project.
Supervisors are expected here
within the next few days to
handle the conversion work and
make the hut ready for use as
a USO center. Furniture is to be
shipped within the next few
days, and the center is expected
to meet a growing need amont,
servicemen, especially those sta
tioned in this eemnvmfty.
Candidates for Commissioner
In one of the three strictly county political contests, Messrs.
Joshua L. Coltrain, left, and C G. Gurkin, are candidates for
county commissioner for the Jamesville-WiUiams district. The
nomination is subject to the wishes of the Democratic primary
on May 27 when their candidacies are passed upon by the vot
ers in all thirteen precincts Mr. Coltrain, seeking renomina
tion, is from Williams Township, and Mr. Gurkin is from
Jamesville.
More Men Report For
Pre - Induction Exams
Thirty-Four Drawn
From Among Young
Farmers In County
Thirty-seven of Ahont Fifty
Are Married and Leave
Thirty Children
-•
Approximately fifty-three white
men left this county this morning
for an Army induction center where
they will undergo pre-induction ex
aminations, possibly tomorrow or
Sunday.
Thirty four of the group were
drawn from among young farm reg
istarnts, the others coming from
istrants, the others coming from
school teachers and war workers.
All but two of the group are under
26 years of age. One young man
missed being 26 years old only by a
few days. Although he had a de
ferment rating signed by the Dela
ware Selective Service Director, Jas.
Curtis Nicholson, of RFD 3, Wil
liamston, but who more recently has
been in Delaware, waived the de
ferment claim and volunteered.
Volunteers have been few and far
between in this county during recent
months
One man answering the call was
said to have been in the Army at
one time, but was discharged on ac
count of dependency. That is no
longer a basis for deferment, and
the registrant is being recalled. One
of the two men over 26 was said
net to be in “essential” employment.
A few while men, passing their
pre-induction examinations several
weeks ago, have been notified to re
port for actual induction on Thurs
day of next week, and it is believed
that those colored men who passed
their pre-induction tests last month
can expect to be called during the
first two or three days of June.
The names of the men reporting
today for the pre-induction exams,
their registration addresses and
last-known address, follow:
George Washington Wynne, RFD
3, Williamston.
Lee Burton Jenkins. RFD 3, Wil
liamston.
Ernest Hyman Johnson RFD 1,
Palmyra.
Charlie Edward Flanagan, RFD 1,
Hobgood.
(Continued on page four)
Native Of County
Dies In Hospital
Mrs. Emma Roberson Stubbs, a
native of tiiis county, died in the
Harnett County Hospital, Dunn, last
Tuesday afternoon, following a
short illness.
The daughter of the late James
Roberson and wife, Harriett Ann
Roberson, she was born in James
ville Township 70 years ago. When
a young woman she was married to
W. Ed. Stubbs and later located in
Bclhaven where they lived for a long
number of years. During the past
ten or twelve years she had lived
in Dunn.
Besides her husband she leaves
two daughters, Mrs. J. W. Odell of
Dunn and Mrs. Lewis Omer of Rich
mond, a son, Lt. W. E. Stubbs, Jr.,
of Richmond; two sisters, Mrs. C. A
Bailey of Washington and Mrs. Dare
Brown of Jamesville, and three
grandchildren.
Funeral services were held in the
Hood Memorial Christian Church in
Dunn Wednesday afternoon by her
pastor, Rev. F. W. Wiegmann. In
terment was in Greenwood Ceme
tery there. .
BOARD TO MEET
Members of the Martin Coun
ty Board of Education will meet
in called session here next Mon
day morning, it was announced
today. Very little business is
on the special calendar other
than the sale of a small piece of
land in Bear Grass Township
and a study of the 1944-45
budget.
No advanced information
could be had relative to the
budget figures, but it is believ
ed that at least a small reduc
tion in the school tax rate will
be possible.
Servicemen To Get
Smokes From Lions
—<®—
The local Lions Club is giving the
citizens of Williamston and Martin
County an apportunity to aid and
comfort the American servicemen
serving overseas by sending them
free cigarettes. The club is placing
coin collectors in various business
establishments throughout the coun
ty, where patriotic and public
spirited people may contribute to a
very worthy cause.
The leading cigarett manufactur
ers will supply and ship to service
men anywhere in the world, outside
of the United States, all the popular
brands, at only five cents per pack.
According to information here at
home, our servicemen have to pay
anywhere from two to three dollars
per pack for cigarettes in some areas,
so the average fighter in those places
can hardly afford more than two or
three packs per month.
General Douglas McArthur has
been quoted as saying—“American
cigarettes—of all personal comforts,
are the most difficult to obtain.’’
Every package of cigarettes that
the local club sends will bear a lable
reading “Good Luck” from Williams
ton Lions Club and Citizens of Mar
tin County, N. C.
Whenever you see one of these
collection jars, drop in some money,
because in this way you can furnish
a comfort to our iighteia on the front
lines, where a good smoke is really
appreciated. All of us have rela
tival, and ft lends serving thousands
of miles away from home who will
certainly thank us in a big way for
something we all can do in such a
small way, by contributing regular
ly.
County Boys Meet
Somewhere in Italy
—«<—
Writing to his father, Mr. W. D.
Gurganus, of Williams Township,
a short time ago, Pfe. Julius E. Gur
ganus said, “I had quite a surprise
today. I was eating dinner at a cer
tain place and a hunch of guys were
speaking about where they lived in
the States, and, of course, I got in
to the gang. And who was there but
Jule Carr Wynn. He has been in the
Army 21 years. He said tell his
friends hello. He still looks young
and plenty healthy.”
Still writing from somewhere in
Italy, the young man said in a later
letter to his mother, that he saw
Wynn nearly every day, that he
(Wynn) was a master sergeant now,
“and a pretty good fella ”
Continuing, Young Gurganus said,
“Guess the boys are working pret
ty hard now. Well, the war will be
over soon and then they can take
it easy. I hope to be back next year
this time myself.”
In his letters, the county boy said
he was getting along as fine as possi
ble.
Judge Calvin Smith
Calls Eight Cases in
Small OovkI lilpini* Short
^ot'm’e'TnWJmKiT**
Monday Morning
Before a small crowd, Judge J,
Calvin Smith called eight cases in
the Martin County Recorder’s Court
last Monday, the session lasting
hardly an hour. It was first thought
that a quarrel following the court
adjournment would create some
excitement in the courtroom, but one
of the parti?I to the argument was
dragged away, and peace reigned.
No satisfactory division of personal
property was effected, however, and
that was apparently causing more
concern than broken family ties,
around which the argument center
ed.
Proceedings:
The case charging H. Jake Terry
with speeding was nol proved with
leave, meaning that the case might
bo reopened.
Pleading guilty in the case charg
mg him with drunken driving, Lollie
Williams was sentenced to the roads
for six months, Judge Smith sus
pending the term upon the payment
of a $50 fine and the case cost. His
license to operate a motor vehicle
was revoked for one year. The de
fendant was required to execute
bond in the sum of $100 for his ap
pearance before the court on the
first Monday in November of this
year when he is to show that the
fine and cost were paid.
Judge Bunch, charged with as
saulting another with a deadly
weapon, was sentenced to the roads
for thirty days. The term was sus
pended upon the payment of the
case costs and $13 to Dr. E. E. Pitt
man for medical services. The de
fendant is to remain regularly em
ployed during the one-year sus4
pension period.
Charged with operating a motor
vehicle without driver’s license.
Bubber Jackson was fined $10 and
taxed with the cost. The court re
commended that no license be issued
the defendant within the next six
months.
Grover Peel was sentenced to the
roads for sixty days for alleged op
eration of a motor vehicle without
a driver's license. The sentence was
suspended upon the payment of a
$10 fine, and on the further con
dition that the defendant refrain
from driving a motor vehicle on the
highways for one year.
Pleading guilty of operating a
motor vehicle without a driver’s
license, Wheeler Smith was fined
$15 and taxed with the case costs.
Pleading not guilty in the case
charging him with assaulting a fe
male, William Dempsey was adjudg
ed guilty, and a continuance under
prayer for judgment until the first
Monday in August upon the condi
tion that the defendant pay the
costs.
In the case of Maude Joyner Ward
against Turner Ward, it appeared to
the court that the controversy had
been settled by agreement and the
case was ordered off the docket, the
judge taxing the defendant with the
costs.
Town Plans Sale Of
i
Delinquent Taxes
—♦—
Preparatory to sale at public auc
tion in front of the courthouse door
on Monday, June 12, the town tax
collector, Mrs. L. U. James, today
is advertising the delinquent tax list.
Considerably smaller than it was
last year, the list carries sixty-nine
parcels of real estate, eighteen own
ed by white and fifty-one by colored
citizens.
Taxes due and unpaid amount to
$1,676.29, about three-fourths or
$1,208.13 being owed by white pro
perly owners, l.a.st year there were
104 delinquent accounts—31 white
and 73 colored. The unpaid amount
at advertising time a year ago was
$3,390.00 or which amount $2,733.32
was owed by white property owners.
No report could be had immedi
ately on the amount of unpaid per
sonal property taxes, but. the collec
tions wcri> said to be considerably
• head oT tbo.-a
The 1943-44 levy amounted to
$53,064.51 and was based on a $2.20
rate on a valuation of $2,439,308.
Brown Farm Bought
By Principal Heir
•
The approximately 100-acre Brown
estate farm in Hamilton Township
near Hassell was purchased a few
days ago by P. H. Brown, the prin
cipal heir, it was learned here.
Offered for sale under a deed of
trust some time ago, the farm
brought $9,500. James Purvis,
former county Negro, came down
from Norfolk with about $20,000
in cash and raised the bid. When
the farm was offered for resale, the
principal heir bought it for $10,000.
Purvis, the man who got drunk and
was later convicted on a drunken
driving charge, declared he would
pay $10,000 but not one cent more
for the farm, and it isn't likely that
the h'd will be raised agate.