NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY
SERVICE MEN NOW READING
THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS
OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK.
ff illiamston, Marlin Cuunty, North Carolina, Friday, August 25, 1944.
NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY
SERVICE MEN NOW READING
THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS
OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK.
VOLUME XLVII—NUMBER 67
ESTABLISHED !8^t
Allied Forces Push
Sweeping Drive to
Trap More Nazis
Rumania Leads Withdrawal
Parade fur Balkan States
Wanting To Quit War
Advancing a mighty sweep across
P rance, Allied forces today are cen
tering their main attention along
the Seine River where they are try
ing to trap the remnants of the
enemy’s Seventh Army. Climaxing
a 25-mile drive late yesterday, the
Allies moved to create a Dunkirk
for the Germans, the first stories
of the fighting there telling how the
enemy was using row boats, barges
and rafts in an effort to cross the
river. Some were said to ho/e
thrown away their light arms and
plunged into the river to cross under
their ovn steam.
To the south, the American forces
have moved inland more than 200
miles to block the Swiss border and
move to within 1220 miles of Ger
many.
To the rear of the American drives
French Partisans and three French
Army divisions lead by General De
Gaulle are mopping up. A German
trick armistice caused the Partisans
to announce that Paris had been
liberated day before yesterday. Now
fierce fighting continues in. some
parts of the city. Allied tanks and
other fighting equipment are mov
ing in to help oust the enemy.
Rumania this week led the parade
for the Balkan countries wanting to
quit the war. In the last war, Bul
garia led the parade and forty days
later the Armistice was signed.
Russia anounced that only by ac
tive military aid against the Ger
man army could Rumania obtain the
armistice the Balkan nation reported
Wednesday night she had accepted.
A broadcast statement declared:
“The conclusion of an armistice
between Rumania and a coalition of
the Allies” could be effected only
by Rumania’s military aid in the
liquidation of the German armed
forces.
It said that if Rumanian troops
stopped fighting the Russians and
turned on the Germans, “or against
the Hungarians for the liberation of
Transyivania,” then the Red Army
“will not disarm them, will keep
completely intact for them their en
tire equipment and help them in
this honorable duty.”
The Foreign Commissariat refer
red to the statement made by For
eign Commissar Vyacheslav Molotov
April 2—when the Red Army cross
ed the Prut River into Rumania—
that the thrust was dictated by mili
tary necessity and not by any terri
torial ambitions.
The Moscow broadcast said the
Soviet government “confirms the
declaration given in April, 1944, that
the Soviet Union has no intention
of acquiring any part of Rumanian
territory, or to change the existing
social order of Rumania, or to limit
her independence.”
While the land fighting in France
continues to hold the spotlight, ac
tivities are increasing in the air
over Europe and in the Pacific the
ater. Nineteen hundred bombers
late yesterday struck targets all the
way from the Baltic to the Balkans,
doing great damage to synthetic oil
depots and transportation centers.
Twenty-five American bombers and
five fighters failed to return, but
at least two of the bombers landed
in Sweden.
In the Pacific, American bombers
again attacked Halmahera where a
record bomb load was dropped, and
Yap Island was badly pounded.
While fighting on the fronts, an
estimated four million service men
are making ready to participate in
fCovernoSffBtcuun.
French Return To
Ruins With Smiles
In a brief letter to his mother, Sgt.
Pete Fowden recently said, in part:
“Another beautiful day in France
and I’m doing fine. Really, I’m feel
ing wonderful right now. Just had
a bath in a little stream; shave, too,
and oh, boy, I fee! like a new man.
“I really feel sorry for these
French. We come to a town and have
” it all to pieces to get the in
ternal Germans out. Then they shell
it, trying to get us. The result is a
great mess for the French. They
come straggling in with whatever
they have left with a big smile and
very heppy. I hate to have to do
what we do, but when you see the
happiness in their eyes and smile,
you know it’s for the best. They
have really been through some
thing.”
The young man expressed the wish
that he could be home by Christmas
or New Year’s. “I can’t say that, but
I can say it won’t be too long,” he
told his mother.
Officera Wreck Cheap
Liquor Still In County
Raiding in Cross Roads Township
last Tuesday morning, ABC Officer
J. H. Roebuck and Deputy Roy Peel
wrecked a 30-gallon capacity liquor
still along with three fermenters and
other equipment. A gas drum was
being used for a still and no beer
was found at the plant.
fl
REFUGEES BOUND FOR U, S, SHELTER
THESE THREE LITTLE GIRLS from Greece were among the 984 refugees
from Nazi-occupied European countries that arrived on an Army trans
port at Hoboken, N. J Their mother, Anastasia Iconomu, wearing
mourning clothes, is in the background. The girls’ father was killed by a
Nazi bomb The family, along with other refugees, left for the emer
gency refugee shelter at Ft. Ontario, near Osweeo. N. Y. IInternational)
SOLDIERS’ BALLOTS
That every Martin County
man 21 years old or over may
vote in the November election,
an application form for ballots
is being reprinted in this paper
today. Relatives, including par
ents, brothers or sisters or chil
dren, may prepare the applica
tion and mail it to Mr. Sylvester
Peel, Chairman of the Martin
County Board of Elections, RED
1, Williamston, N. C., and the
ballots will be mailed immed
iately to the given address.
Servicemen may use the form
in applying directly for the
general election absentee bal
lots. It is still time to get the bal
lots to the young people in the
service, but to wait will certain
ly mean that their votes will not
get counted.
Story Tells About
Attack Local Boy
Helped Prosecute
—<j>—
Little Pete Fowilen Ih a Mem
ber of Thirtieth Infan
try Division
-*
The following story, while a bit
late, was written by Hal Boyle and
tells about the capture of St. Lo by
the Thirtieth Infantry Division of
which Sgt. Pete Fowden, local boy,
is a member
“The Thirtieth Infantry Division,
‘Old Hickory' of World War I fame
shared in the glory of the capture of
St. Lo, hardest American clash with
the Germans in the battle of France.
“Troops of the -Twenty-ninth Di
vision did the actual storming of the
German stronghold, but men of the
Thirtieth made the attack possible
by a spectacular and smoothly ex
ecuted dciriil. cjuAsWt of- the River
Vire, to anchor the American right
flank and tie up strong German
forces west of St. Lo.
“This predominantly southern out
fit—it originally was drawn from
North and South Carolina, Georgia
and Tennessee, but now numbers
men from every state in the union—
moved from the beach to the battle.
“Splashing ashore from channel
ships on June 14, elements of the
Division which participated in three
Allied drives in the last war and
helped crack the Hindenburg Line,
smashed against the Germans June
15 in the area of Mont Martin en
Graignen, south of Isigny.
"They drove the enemy back, and
on the second day commanded the
Canal de Vire Tanta linking these
two rivers.
“For the next three weeks they
held a static battleline, harassing
the Nazis and probing with patrols
to locate enemy positions.
“Then on July 7, under cover of
the heaviest barrage Yank artillery
had inflicted up to then, they forded
the Vire in small rubber boats at
dawn and bayoneted shell-terrified
enemy in foxholes on the otherside.
It was a difficult operation, per
fectly carried out as the result of
weeks of planning. The doughboys,
after securing the bridgehead, quick
ly took the village of Aire and Pont
du St. Fremond, and by dusk were
reinforced by other divisional troops
who crossed the Vire at Taute Canal
at La Triange to join the offensive.
“Cracking through stiffening re
sistance by the Germans who threw
armored infantry into the battle, the
Thirtieth Division advanced slowly
(Continued on page six) '
Judge Calvin Smith
Handles Five Cases
In County’s Court
Speedster Fined $20 and Tax
ed with Costs During
Session Monday
-$>
With only five cases on the docket
for trial, Judge J. Calvin Smith
held the Martin County Recorder’s
Court in session hardly an hour last
Monday morning. Despite the brev
ity of the session, fines amounted to
more than $200. The judge frown
ed upon speeding and imposed a $20
fine upon one defendant. Prosecut
ing Attorney Elbert Peel was back
at his table, and the wheels of just
tice turned rapidly an deffectively.
Proceedings:
Pleading guilty of drunken driv
ing, W. E. Sitterson received the
usual dosage—a $50 fine plus c ists
and the withdrawal of his opertor’s
license for one year.
James Thomas, Jr., young white
man who allegedly went on a ram
page on the Mary Cherry farm, near
Williamston, a few days before, was
sentenced to the roads for ninety
days. The road term was suspend
ed upon the payment of a $40 fine
and costs and on the further condi
tion that he be regularly employed
and use no intoxicating beverages
for one year. Thomas was said to
have visited a tobacco barn on the
farm where his wife was working.
He took their seven- or eight-months
old baby and carried it away, re
turning a short time later with the
baby under one arm and a shot gun
under the other, defying anyone to
stop him. Some one finally got the
gun away from him and the young
man was turned over to officers.
Thomas, pleading not guilty, main
tained that he was only going to kill
a squirrel or two. He admitted he
knew it was unlawful to kill squir
rels at this season.
Charged with drunken driving
and operating a motor vehicle with
out a driver’s license, Ernest Stal
lings pleaded not guilty. Adjudg
ed guilty, he was sentenced to the
roads for four months, the court
suspending the road sentence upon
the payment of a $60 fine and ‘ j
costs.
Charlie Speller was fined $50 and
taxed with the costs and had his
opertor’s license revoked for one
yea rfor drunken driving.
Ramsey Toler, charged with
speeding, was fined $20 and taxed
with the court costs, the cotr<i rec
ommending that his chai>Si*aa» u
ense be revoked for a period of
.hilly day.;. " Tidv.v «
man, was said to have driven a
(Continued on page six)
-$
County Man Loses
His Auto At Beach
—f.—
While eating supper last Sunday
night at Virginia Beach, Hassell
Worsley, Oak City man, lost his car,
the thieves finding the tank full of
gas and two handbags with the
clothes of Mrs. Myrtle Bunting and
Miss Mildred Everett, of Hamilton,
in the trunk. No trace of the car
has been found.
Mr. Worsley and his sister. Miss
Nancy Worsley, with Mrs. Bunting
and Miss Everett were spending the
week-end at the beach and were
getting ready to return home that
evennig They stopped the car and
went only a short distance to a
cafe. When they returned after
supper, the car was gone.
MARTIN COUNTY
In WORLD WAR I
(Reviewed from old-Enterprise
fifes twenty-seven years ago)
November 30, 1917.
The Martin County Board of Ex
emption met here Monday and issued
orders to six white men to report
here yesterday at 4 o’clock p m. They
left today on the train for Camp
Jackson, Columbia, S. C. The men
who left were: Howard Horton
Weeks, William Thomas Crisp, John
Arnold Ward, Jesse C. Hyman, Hir
am A. Ange, Joseph E. Harper.
December 7,1917.
Monday, Col. W. G. laimb appear
ed before the Board of County Com
missioners to ask for an appropria
tion to equip the members of the
Home Guards which was recently or
ganized. The amount to be appropri
ated will be about $600.00, which will
furnish uniforms for fifty men.
December 21, 1917
Wednesday W. C. Manning, Kader
B. Crawford and Henry A. Gray
were commissioned Captain, First
Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant,
respectively in the Martin County
Guards.
January 11, 1918.
A Recruiting Officer arrived here
yesterday and will remain several
days.
Almost the full complement of the
Martin County Home Guards was
here Tuesday ,and assembled at the
Brick Warehouse for a drill. The
band was here also and enlivened
the occasion with inspiring music.
Captain Manning will go to Raleigh
in the near future to secure full
equipment for the company.
Hunter Price, of Norfolk, is spend
ing his furlough with his wife here
at the Atlantic Hotel.
January 18, 1918.
Captain W. C. Manning, Chair
man of the Martin County Council
of National Defense, left Monday
for Raleigh where he will attend a
patriotic mass meeting.
January 25, 1918.
That Williamston perfectly obeyed
the order of Find Administrator
Garfield goes without question, for
Monday was a “tight” day here. Fri
day, the business men met in the
rooms of the Lotus Club and agreed
to close everything in the town.
The grocers were permitted to stay
open until noon, but those in town
patriotically closed so that there
would be no contention with the
other firms which keep a stock of
heavy groceries in connection with
dry goods, etc. Tuesday morning
everybody went to work as usual.
February 8, 1918
Samuel Gardner, Ihe young son
of Mr .and Mrs. Fred Gardner, is at
home on leave. Young Gardner en
listed in the Navy and was placed
(Continued on page six)
-(»>—- - ■ ■
County Young Man
Writes from France
-<$>
A member of an artillery unit and
Rationed somewhere in France, Hay
wood Crisp, Oak City young man
wrote to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.
F. Crisp, under recent date, in part,
as follows:
“. . . I will be some glad when I
can get back home to see all of you.
I do hope you are not worrying over
me for I am getting along all right.
“This is a beautiful country with
all the old houses They are built of
oure clay, and, like the English, they
build the cow sheds and stables ad
joining their homes. The farmers are
very saving, too. For wood they trim
<p their trees without cutting the
trees down. They save every little
'imb even if it’s no larger than your
finger. They bundle them up and
tie them. They never cut the tree
down, for in that way they always
have plenty of wood to burn. It does
X'i- queer ^yy^Mhetrees standing
with only n limbs on
them. Many of the homes have tops
>n them made of wheat straw. I have
my first fence to see over here.”
The young man asked if every
thing was rationed over here and ex
iressed the hope that it wmid soon,
be lifted. He asked h; > pk,-, Ros toY
ubseribe to a farm nv.-.cazinc fur
irn, explaining that he hud always
t>'ked farm work. He added, “I am
getting The Enterprise now, and en
joy reading it, too.” He inquired
about the health of all members of
the family, and it was quite evident
that he missed being on the farm to
help out with all the tobacco har
vesting work.
! WARNING I
k,/
While no record poundage
will be offered for sale, the to
bacco markets are expected to
attract sizable throngs next Mon
day, causing officers to warn
against flim-flammers and oth
ers seeking easy money.
Several hundred dollars have
been lost by the unsuspecting
here in years gone by, and the
supply of “suckers” has been
about exhausted, but it is quite
possible that attempts will be
made at one time or another to
“pull” the old pocketbook swin
dle.
First Tobacco from New Crop
Placed On Market Yesterday
Need Is Urgent For
O
More Volunteers in
The first..tobacco from the new
'crop started moving to the William
>tor. market yesterday for the open
ing sale next Monday morning. Sev
eral loads were received during the
afternoon and today the golden leaf
started moving in fairly large quan
tities, indicating th't at least a
fair-sized break will be on hand for
the buyers next Monday morning.
It is hard to guess the size of the
break, but it is fairly certain now
that the belt will have one of its
smallest openings in recent years.
Farmers are still harvesting the crop
and the sale next Monday will be
supported by farmers over a scat
tered territory who have taken time
fo prepare a little for market. Some
few farmers are finishing the har
vest this week, but many will be
curing well after the first of Septem
ber, the season, as a whole, being
the latest in many years if not the
latest on record.
| While a fairly large sale is in pros
! poet for next Monday, it is certain
that sales will be comparatively light
during the remainder of August and
for a few days in September.
7j H Bell. Williams Township far
mer, was the first to deliver a load
from the new crop to the market
here yesterday. He was followed by
Farmer Jesse Harrell of Goose Nest,
and other loads were seen moving in
from Bertie.
The color of the first offerings
with the exception of small green
ish grades, had the golden appear
ance, but the weight was a bit dis
appointing. The tobacco was recog
nized as being of the smoking type,
and it is expected that the price will
range around the ceiling figure. Re
ports from the border state that
prices are slightly above ceiling, that
there is no marked variation in the
price range which is from the thir
1 ties to the middle or high forties.
I he Bandage Hoorn
—$—_
Inly 32 Persons Have Found
Time to V isit the Room
Since Last Monday
"" .■<$“
Out of a population of several
housand people in this immediate
■ommunity, only thirty-two found
‘ime between Monday and last night
to visit the Red Cross Bandage Room
ere and help fold a few surgical
dressings. It has been a busy per
id for many, no doubt, but there
las been no marked decrease noted
in attendance upon amusement pro
Tams and as far as it could be
'arned no bridge clubs have been
’isbanded or games called off. The
egular schedule of events is being
aaintained and it is strikingly ap
arent that so many of those who
>uld conveniently find time to lend
\ helping hand are simply not doing
\ Local Youth Killed In
Action on August 18 th
1 ! -A- *... . .
Oinley S. Cowan. Jr.
Is Thirtieth County
Man To Die In War
i —<$>—
Message Received Here By
Parents Wednesday from
Navv Department
'-|
Oinley Shepard Cowan, Jr., Wil
liamston youth, was killed in action
last Friday, August 18. his parents
were notified here last Wednesday
morning by the Navy Department.
No details were given in (he mes
sage. A member of a destroyer crew,
the young seaman, a metalsmith sec
ond class, was believed to have been
in the Mediterranean Area and pos
sibly was participating in the sec
ond French invasion then just a few
days old.
He was the thirtieth Martin Coun
ty man to make the supreme sacri
fice in the current war.
The son of Mr. Oinley S. and Mary
Weaver Cowan, he was born on the
Kelvin Grove farm near Williams
ton on June 7, 1924. He attended the
local schools and was graduated at
the age of sixteen. Following his
graduation he accepted a job in the
Norfolk Navy Yard and was soon
rated as expert welder. In January
of last year he gave up his work and
volunteered for service in the Navy,
receiving his basic training at Rain
bridge, Maryland, Philadelphia and
Atlantic City. Assigned to a destroy
er the latter part of last year, he
made several trips across the Atlan
tic and came home last March for a
few hours’ visit with his parents.
In a last letter to relatives, he
dated that he liked the Navy but
hat he would be extremely glad
when it was all over and he could
visit home once more. An industrious
lad, he worked at various jobs, in
cluding farm tasks when he was in
school. He never shirked a duty and
his life had much promise. He was i
thoughtful of his parents and had
many friends, both old and young.
The young man, during his short
stay in combat areas, had several
narrow calls, but he explained to his
parents that he faced the experiences
without evading duty to his country.
Fesides his parents, he is survived
by three sisters, Pfc. Lucille Cowan
who is home from duty at Fort Sill,
Oklahoma, spending an eight-day
furlough with her parents, and
! Misses Shirley and Joyce Anne Cow
an of the home. He is the grandson
of Mr. and M.-. Ben Weaver who
have a son l:., several other grand
f ’ ildren ir. the service, most of whom
are in foreign service at the present
time.
-«
.Youth Is Recovering
From Raide Woam]
-—^—
Seriously wounded in France on
last June 11, Pfc. Lewis T. Taylor
continues to improve, according to
a message just recently received
from the Adjutant General’s office
of the War Department by his moth
er, Mrs. Maniza Taylor Whitaker.
A brother, Sgt. William L. Taylor,
iust recently returned home from
two years of service overseas. At the
end of his 21-day furlough he will
report to an Army station in Florida
for reassignment. Another brother,
Pharmacist’s Mate 1-c Charlie V.
Taylor is in the Pacific war theater.
A brother-in-law, Pfc. Wilbur P.
Smith, is also in the war zone, and
his wife and two sons are making
their home in Gold Point.
-®
H assail All-Stars Will Play
Marlin Hera This Sunday
■ ■ -
The Hassell All -Stars will play the
Williamston Martins on the high
school diamond here Sunday after-i
'noon at 3:3Q o’clock. I
Foxhole Pillow
A STEEL HELMET may not be the ioft>
est pillow in the world, but to thle
U S Marine It'e practically made
of down feather* He had ]u*t
fought his way through the cam*
paign on Tinian and he found good
old Mother Earth pretty appealing.
U. S. M. C. photo, (international)
Coniilv Farmer Died
j
After Operation In
Hospital Yesterday
Funeral Services Are Being
Cmulitelefl Today for
Jesse Bailey
Jesse Bailey, well-known Martin
County farmer, died in a Washington
hospital at (i o’clock yesterday morn
ing of complications following an op
eration fur appendicitis on August
13th. He had suffered with asthma
for many years, but he was getting
along very well until he had the ap
pendicitis attack the eai ly part of
last week.
The son of Mrs. I.yndia Mizelle
Bailey and the late A. W. Bailey of
this county, he was born in Bear
Grass Township an October 30, 1897
He spent his early life on the farm
quitting as a young man to form a
business partnership in Bear Grass
with his brother, Dennis Bailey. In
the late twenties he quit the business
firm and returned to the farm, lo
cating in Beaufort County where he
spent several years. Returning to
this county, he lived in the Rober
sonville community until the early
part of this year when he located
on the Mizelle farm at Brown’s
Springs, near Williamston.
Mr. Bailey was a member of the
Free Will Baptist Church for near
ly a quarter of a century. He was a
good neighbor and friend, and was
thoughtful in his home and in his
daily walk through life.
He was married to Miss Lula
Whitehurst of Beaufort County in
1923 and she survives with four
children, J. B,, James Harrell and
Buck Saunders Bailey and Miss Ru
by Gray Bailey, all of the home. He
is also survived by his mother, five
brothers, Messrs. Dennis Bailey of
Greenville, Seth, Opheus, Lester and
(Continued on page six)
t. While all this is going on a letter
as received a short time ago from
Martin County lad from the Nor
andy battlefield stating that only
greasy shirt was available to cov
r a wound. The lad did net say
vhether there was a shortage of
ressings or whether it was impos
i1'It* to get them to him at the time.
It is up to the home front to see that
here is no shortage.
Up until last night 7,400 bandages
ad been prepared out of a combin
'd total of 50,400. The Martin Coun
ty Chapter of the Red Cross had
been asked to run the work and try
*o return the dressings by the first
>f September. No report has been re
ceived from the room at Jamesville,
hut Bear Grass explains that its vol
tnteers, while willing and anxious
‘o help, have been rushed day in
md day out with farm work, but
‘hat they hoped to open the room
here at least two afternoons, Tues
lay and Thursday .each week begin
ning next week. Three volunteers,
Mrs. G. A. Peel, Mrs. Irving Terry
nnd Mrs. E P Harris, worked this
week.
Four packages or enough material
to make about 4,500 dressings were
farmed out to the Hamilton com
munity late yesterday, and it is be
lieved that the people there will find
time to handle the job and in a very
short time.
Everetts is said to be planning to
open a room in the school building.
During the meantime it is hoped
•hat more volunteers will report to
the room over the Firestone store
next to the Guaranty Bank and help
rush the work to completion.
The names of those volunteers
finding time to help with the work
ince last Monday follow:
Tuesday afternoon: Mesdames W.
F. Warren, Dean Speight, D. R.
avis, W C. Manning, Frank Weav
r, G. P. Hall and G. W. Lewis.
Tuesday night: Misses Bolton
'owen, Mamie Clyde Taylor, Doro
hy Simpson, Addie Lee Meador and
Mesdames H. H. Cowen, Anna Har
ison, Bill Howell and Mrs. Carroll.
Wednesday afternoon: Mesdames
■I. R Froneberger, Samuel Zemon,
'en Courtney, Luther Peel, R. E.
Kimball and Herbert Taylor.
Wednesday night: Misses Dorothy
Manning, Julia Everett, Alma God
win, Mary Charles Godwin and
Mary Elizabeth Keel and Mrs. A. R.
<Vhite.
Thursday afternoon: Mrs. Frank
Weaver, Mrs. George A. Harris,
Mrs. J ,B Taylor and Mrs. J. H. Ed
wards.
It is estimated that if twenty-five
volunteers would report to the room
each day during the next two weeks,
he project could be easily complet
1 within the allotted time. The
oom will be open again Saturday
ud Sunday as well as each after
oon and evening on the other days.
bounty Young Man
ceriously Wounded
Lt. John Goodman Getsir.ger, for
mer Martin County young man and
’ on of the late Mr. and Mrs. John
V Getsinger of Dardens, was ser
ously wounded in France on August
1. according to a letter dictated by
im and received by relatives this
week. « --^|_
Written by a hospital attendant in
i hospital somewhere in France, the
'otter stated that the young man had
ost his right arm and that his right
eg was seriously injured. However,
he was reported to be getting along
is well as could be expected.
The young man was wounded on
>r about July 11 of last year In the
icilian campaign. He was hurt in
he foot and is believed to have (pent
several weeks in the hospital at
that time.
Lt. Getsinger is a nephew of Mr.
T Sam Getsinger of Williamston and
f Elder P. E. Getsinger, of Vann
Life.
-»
Justice Hassell Has One
Case In Court This Week
-9——
Carried before Justice J. L. Has
sell this week, Alexander Rogers,
charged with reckless and hit-and
run driving, was bound over to the
county court for trial next Monday.
A case charging Linwood Speight,
deaf mute, with larceny is pending
in the justice’s court.