NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY
SERVICE MEN NOW READING
THE ENTERPRISE IN ALL PARTS
OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK.
THE ENTERPRISE
NEARLY '000 MARTIN COUNTY
SERVICE MEN NOW READING
THE EVrEPKfSE IN ALL P ARTS
OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK.
Willi artist oil, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, December 12, 1 944.
VOLUME XLVII—NUMBER 98
ESTABLISHED 1899
Court Nearing End
— O^rhdri CnmhiaT
Term jThis Morning
. Juijgr -Carr .Makw
'•*' Talk Co Irintud .lafynien
Mondav Morning
-$
Clearing its criminal docket Mon
day afternoon a few hours after it
was convened, the Martin County
Superior Court this morning is near
ing the end of its regular term call
ed for the trial of both criminal and
civil cases, A recess was ordered yes
terday afternoon shortly before 4
o’clock after the few criminal cases
had been tried and a divorce was
granted. This morning, the tribun
al is hearing a few civil cases and
six divorce actions.
Opening the court yesterday morn
ing, Judge Leo Carr of Burlington
briefly addressed the grand jury,
mentioning two subjects only. He
expressed much interest in the little
children riding the school busses,
and said, “While the weather is bad,
the busses must be inspected,” he
instructed the jurymen, suggesting
that the body be divided into groups
for the task. He also instructed the
jurymen to inquire about the per
sonal habits of the drivers, to make
careful that they are careful and de
pendable. “We can't be too diligent
about the safety of the children,” he
said, adding that North Carolina has
a good record in transporting its
school children, and that the jury
men should do all in their power to
help maintain that record.
Judge Carr also instructed the
jury to check and see if recommen
dations made by the previous body
had been complied with.
The court attracted a fairly large
group of white spectators, but when
the session was opened yesterday
morning there were hardly more
than a dozen colored citizens in the
court room. Briefly stated, it was a
“white man’s court,’ the criminals,
spectators, witnesses and attendants
coming for the most part from the
white race. The Griffin manslaugh
ter—cold-blooded murder would pos
sibly be a better name for it—case,
and the Cherry murder case attract
ed considerable attention. Had it
not been for them, the court possi
bly would have been without spec
tators.
Proceedings other than the man
slaughter and murder case follow:
The case charging Leamon James
with vagrancy was nol prossed with
leave.
Gadys Peel, charged with knock
ing his wife's eye out and under a
six months’ road sentence imposed
in the county court, failed to appear
on appeal for the second time, and
his $200 bond was ordered forfeit
ed.
The case charging Harry Land
with non-support was nol prossed,
the litigants having “kissed and
made up,” to use the words of Solici
tor Donnel Gilliam.
A verdict of not guilty was direct
ed by the court in the case charging
Harvey Perkins with robbing $100
from Albert Coffield.
Pleading guilty in the case charg
ing her with false pretense, Mrs Ma
bel Lynch Taylor, a very attractive
war bride and young mother, was
directed to pay the cost and pay $25
to Gus Rigas, cafe proprietor, who
cashed a worthless check in that
amount for the defendant.
Based on two years’ separation, a
divorce was granted Herman F. Far
mer in his case against Louise Far
mer.
Six other divorce cases, live ui j
them based on two years’ separation, i
are before the court today. Those |
based on two years’ separation fol
low: Daisy Thompson against Phil
lip Thompson, Alexander Hodges
against Gladys Hodges, Jasper Weav
er against Myrtle Weaver, George
Mooring against Oilie Mooring, and
Martha Whitley against Noble Whu
ley. Tire divorce case brought by
L. E. Hyman against Ada Hyman is
based on adultery.
The Standard Fertilizer Co. is su
ing to recover a large amount of use
tax from Ed Gill, commissioner of
the State Revenue Department. In
the $500 damage suit brought by J.
Q. Andrews against Guy Whitfield,
judgment has been given by default
and the jury is being asked today to
fix the actual amount. The Capps
' (Continued on page four)
I --•-J
, Missing Four Days,'
Boy Back in Action
Pfc. Paul c. Vanlandingham, lo
cal boy, is having quite a time of it
over in Germany. The young man,
son of Mrs. Emily D. Vanlanding
ham, was slightly wounded over in
France last July when he was struck
in the side by shrapnel. He recov
ered and returned to action Last
week the young soldier was report
ed missing as of November 16 some
where in Germany ,and four days
later he was back in the thick of the
fight somewhere along the muddy
bloody Western Front, it was learn
lr ed here this week.
Just where the young man was
during those four days could not
be learned here, but it is thought
that he was a prisoner and later es
caped or was cut off from bis bat
talion.
County Qveg The-Top
.. ■ m ■— • . ...—— JL
In Current Bond Drive
COW BELL
J
Just what happened to tiie
eow, he didn't say, but Vernon
Griffin made certain that the
bell would be preserved so he
sent it to his father, Mr. W. W.
Griffin, of Williams Township,
all the way from the China
Burma-India Theater.
About the bell, it is one of the
most unusual ever seen in these
parts. Using a kind of wood un
known to this part of the world,
the manufacturer made it by
hand. The bell, made without
aov metal, is about twelve inches
wide with holes in the end for
rope attachments. The bell itself
was “dug' out and two clappers,
made from wood, were fastened
to a wooden pin. While it makes
no ringing sound, it makes a
noise that can be heard quite a
distance. The bell is really a rare
item and highly prized by Mr.
Griffin.
Howard Herrick, Sr.
Former IiOcal Man,
Dies In Washington
—«.—
Married Miss Dellia Lamb of
Williamston ami Edited
Newspaper Here
-.—
Howard J. Herrick, Sr., a resident
of Williamston back in the eighties
and nineties, died last Thursday
morning at the Willard Hotel in
Washington, I) C., while on tour
with Eva La Gallienne and Joseph
Schildkraut, who were appearing in
“The Cherry Orchard.”
Born in Elmira, New York, he
came to Williamston at the age of
16 to study under the late Sylvester
Hassell. Completing his education in
the old Williamston Academy he en
tered the University of North Caro
lina where he was graduated in Law.
Returning to Williamston a few years
later, he practiced law and estab
lished and edited “The Martin Coun
ty Sun," a newspaper published in
a small yellow building where the
town hall now stands. He was mar
ried on December 22, 1897, to Miss
Delha Lamb. She died here on Octo
ber 19, 1906. Two children, Miss
Virginia Herrick and Mr. Howard
Herrick, Jr., of Valley Stream, L. L,
survive the union. Mr. Herrick was
later married to Mrs. Carmen S. Her
rick, and one son, Francis Herrick,
of Elmira, N. Y., survive that union.
His third wife, the former Miss Dor
othy de Dahlberg, died in 1931.
Following his marriage to Miss
Lamb here, he located in Richmond
where lie was dramatic critic on “The
Richmond Times” for two years,
i Moving to New York in 1902 he be
l came Broadway reporter on “The
! New York Telegram” and soon start
ed a long and brilliant theater ca
reer. He represented a number of
the great starts on both stage and
screen, including Weber and Fields,
Marie Dressier, Maude Adams, Otis
Skinner, Ethel Barrymore, and oth
ers. He also did promotion work for
such film classics as “Birth of a Na
tion," "Orphans of the Storm,” “The
Covered Wagon,” “The Ten Com
mandments," “The Big Parade.” and
“Ben Hur.” During the World War
he was appointed by President Wil
son to be publicity manager of the
division of films of the Committee
on Public Information, handling all
war films. He was a member of the
(Continued on page four)
vm
The County Exceed
Their "E" Bond Goal
-#
Total Sales. Including Bofh E
And Negotiable Bonds,
Nearly Million Dollars
Boosted by $53,885.25 over the
week-end, the sale of war bonds in
the current campaign went over the
original quota and is now pushing
on toward a million dollars in this
county, according to an incomplete
report released late yesterday by
Chairman Herman A. Bowen, it was
explained that a late report could
not be had from Robersonville, but
it is understood that sales there have
been progressing and that both the
"E” and negotiable bond quotas
there have been more than subscrib
ed.
f.i announcing the county over the
top with both “E" and negotiable i
bond purchases, Chairman Bowen j
hastened to explain that the job
isn’t complete until every possible
penny is invested in bonds. He re
minds the citizens of Martin County
that the war isn’t over, that the bond
buying job can’t be over until after
the war ends. During the meantime,
it is apparent that at least three
townships have not met their “E”
bond quotas. Sizable sales were re
ported in several of the districts, Wil
liamston accounting for more than
$21,000 invested in the “E” bond is
sue However, the sales in this dis
trict are stil about one-third short
of the goal.
In addition to Williamston, the dis
tricts of Jamesville, Williams, Grif
fins, Bear Grass, Cross Roads, Pop
lar Point, and Goose Nest report ad
ditional “E" bond sales. Jamesville
added $500 to its negoliables; Grif
fins, $6,000; Bear Grass doubled its
purchases; Cross Roads added $740;
Hamilton jumped its purchases from
$4,000 to more than $16,000, and
Goose Nest more than doubled its
purchases since the last report.
To date, $251,466.75, or $6,466.75
in excess of the quota, has been in
vested in “E” bonds, and $579,420 00,
or $134,420 in excess of the original
goal, has been invested in negotiable
securities, making a grand total of
$830,886.75.
The picture of “E” and negotiable
bond purchases by townships is
shown in the following tables of fig
ures:
Jamesville
Williams
Griffins
Bear Grass
Williamston
Cross Roads
Robersonville
Poplar Point
Hamilton
Goose Nest
Bond Kales
Quota
$ 8,250
3,300
12.500
10,000
101,000
8,750
73.500
3,900
14,300
8,500
Sales
17.625.00
7.393.75
37.537.75
20,693.50
64.750.00
17.368.75
69.350.00
1,406.25
6.391.75
8,950.00
$245,000 $224,266 75
Negotiable Bond
Quota
Jamesville
Williams
Griffins
Bear Grass
Williamston
Cross Roads
Robersonville
Poplar Point
Hamilton
Goose Nest
$ 13,000
9,100
22.500
15.500
196.500
13,000
136.500
9,200
26,700
13,000
Sales
Sales
$ 2,000.00
8,000.00
6,000.00
357.000. 00
16.740.00
120.000. 00
15.000.00
46.200.00
8,480.00
$455,000 $579,420.00
Plans Complete For
Farm Security Fair
The Martin County Farm Secur
ity Administration has completed
plans for its second annual fair, Sup
ervisor James C. Eubanks announc
ed today.
Planned and arranged by Super
visors Eubanks and Ida O. Roberts,
the fair will feature exhibits of home
canned food, home made American
cheese, butter, eggs, seed varieties,
home cured hams and shoulders, and
home made clothing.
The event is planned for two
days. The first day, Thursday, De
cember 14th, includes all white ten
ant purchase clients and their fam
ilies, and the second day, Friday, De
cember 15th, the colored clients from
Martin County, with five colored
clients from Edgecombe County, will
| have their fair.
The fair' exhibits will fce on dis
play at the courthouse. The public is
invited to see the exhibits.
This fair comes as a year’s end pro
auction survey of food for freedom
in connection with the War Food Ad
ministration. The families of the
FSA program have produced food
abundantly this year and cooperated
splendidly in the food production,
and now for their recognition in do
ing a good job they are being given
| an opportunity to show what they
have accomplished.
Columbus Col train
Dies Last Saturday
A. Columbus (Lum) Coltrain, re
tired farmer-trapper, died at the
home of Arthur Williams in Wil
j liams Township last Saturday morn
ing about 5:30 o’clock. He had been
! in feeble health for several years,
i but his condition became critical on
i ly a few days before his death which
! was attributable to pneumonia,
i The son of the late Ed C. and Ann
I Corey Coltrain, he was born 71 years
! ago in Griffins Township where he
: spent most of his life farming. He
was a great hunter and trapper when
not occupied on the farm. After vir
tually retiring from the farm, he
made his home with a son in Lenoir
County near LaGrange.
He was married to Miss Annie
Williams 53 years ago and she sur
vives with ten children, Mrs. Claude
Mendenhall, Mrs. Sudie Beacham,
Frank Coltrain, Archie Coltrain and
i Herbert Coltrain, all of this county,
‘ Mrs. Lillian Coltrain of Newport
: News, Arthur and Perlie Coltrain of
Lenoir County, Henry Coltrain of
Wayne County, and Bruce Coltrain,
i U. S. Army, who just recently sail
ed for overseas duty.
i Mr. Coltrain was a likeable char
1 acter and had many friends.
I! Funeral services were conducted
. Sunday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock al
■ his late home by Rev. W. B. Harring
i ton, Baptist minister, and interment
t followed in the Hardison Mill Cem
etery.
Hunter Loses Life
j In Roanoke River
! Early Last Sunday
E*>»?vr a ? TJi s .** If 3*ir*
’ - - «i i inMte
Oianr^»Hr‘i i
itmVu'Tof
In Williams Township
--
Hardy E. Gardner, farmer and
hunter, was accidentally drowned in
Lower Dead Water Creek close to
the Roanoke River about two miles
above Jamesville late last Saturday
night or early Sunday morning. No
evidence of foul play was found and
it is believed that the 62-year-old
man suffered a heart attack, causing
him to drown.
He was last seen alive walking
toward the river in Jamesville short
ly before six o’clock Saturday after
noon. Sunday afternoon Phillip
Blount and John Williams were rid
ing the river and they saw his boat
lodged in some vines about twenty
foot from the bank. They investigated
and found the body right at the
bank, the back of his head and shoul
ders above and the mouth just un
der the water. Apparently Mr. Gard
ner started to clear the vines from
around his outboard motor and ac
cidentally fell overboard. He kicked
off one boot and almost reached
shore where the body was found
caught in some vines.
Coroner S. R. Biggs ruled that no
inquest was necessary.
The son of the late Tom Hardy
Gardner and Emma Hardison Gard
ner, ho was born in Williams Town
ship on February 10, 16S2. He lived
and farmed there all his life, spend
ing much of his spare time hunting.
In early manhood he was married
to Miss Glendora Coltrain and she
survives with four children. Mrs.
Robert Ange of Plymouth, Chester,
Garland and Roger Gardner, all of
the home. He also leaves a sister,
Mrs. Robert Parrisher of Williams
Township, and two brothers, Messrs.
John Gardner of Jamesville Town
ship, and Wheeler Gardner, of near
Williamston.
Funeral services are being con
ducted at the home this afternoon at
3:30 o'clock by Rev. I). C. Wood, pas
tor of Siloam Methodist Church. In
terment will follow in the Gardner
Cemetery on the old Roberson farm
in Williams Township.
Bear Grass Stores
And Local Garage
Robbed Last Week
-<§>
Very Lillie Properly Mistoiifi
From JenkiiiH Garage
Ami Stores
-$
A series of robberies, constituting
a little crime wave, was reported in
this county duiing the past few days,
but officers declared that other than
the theft of an automobile which
was recovered, the total loot was
comparatively small.
The first of the robberies was re
ported in Bear Grass about ten days
ago when a thief, using a dangerous
ladder, climbed to and through a
second-story window in Terry Broth
ers' store at Bear Grass. Mr. Terry,
managing the store in the absence of
his brother, Seaman Irving Terry,
who is now somewhere in the South
Pacific, stated that the robber stole
about $25 in silver and possibly a few
other minor items.
Before officers could establish a
lead in that case, the stores of Henry
Harrison and Rossell and Urbin Rog
ers at Rear Grass and the garage of
Chas. H. Jenkins and Company here
were entered and robbed some time
during last Thursday night or early
Friday morning. A few dollars were
stolen from the Harrison store and
a cai ton of cigarettes and one or two
other items were missed from the
Rog< rs Brothers’ store. It could not
be learned how the robbers got into
the two stores, one report Stating
that possibly the thieves were lock
ed inside the stores.
Breaking a window pane in the
garage here, the robbers, apparently
small-scale operators, entered Un
building and tackled the iron safe.
The hinges were torn from the door
and when the robbers were unable to
open it they moved the safe to anoth
er part of the garage and apparently
(Continued on page four)
War Board Denies
Farmers Releases
--
Meeting in the county agricultur
al building last Friday afternoon, the
Martin War Board granted three
temporary releases to farmers and
rejected three other claims.
Temporary releases, making it
possible for the applicants to leave
the farm for short periods, were
granted to Douglas D. Taylor, Clif
ton Gainoi and Remus Everett.
Applications for release filed by
Lonnie Whitfield, Charlie Dixon and
William Cortez Hopkins were re
jected.
The War Board will meet or
Thursday afternoon of this week al
1:30 o’clock in the agricultura
building to consider other claims foi
releases.
LonffiJ-wg-on Termo Moted-Out In
Murder-Manslaughter Cases Here
> . "nirnipf^rft
Jesse Griff in Gets
Fifteen Years For
Highway Murder
Case DescrihtMl by Jud^e as
“Tlu* Most Aggravated”
He llad Ever Heard
——^
Jesse Griffin, 34-year-old Beaufort
County white man with a crime pedi
gree “ a yard long," was sentenced
to State’s Prison for not less than
fifteen and for not more than twen
ty years by Judge Leo Carr in super
ior court here yesterday. The sen
tence, it is believed will bring to an
nd a long crime career which was
climaxed about dark on the evening
>f September 26 when he ran down
and killed two young girls, Minnie
Pearl and Mary Alice Mendenhall,
and painfully injured their mother,
Mrs. S. Walter Mendenhall, near
their home on the Williamston Wash
ington Highway.
Pleading guilty of manslaughter
through his attorney, Griffin had
nothing to say for himself, and his
only defense was that he was so
dog walloping drunk that he did not
know what he was doing when he
went on his wild ride and snuffed out
the lives of the two young girls and
almost killed their mother.
Mrs. Mendenhall, the first witness
called by the State, told how she and
her two daughters were walking side
by side on the left shoulder of the
highway, two feet from the hard
surface, that the older daughter was
nearest the concrete, the younger
daughter was next and she was on
the inside near the ditch when the
car, admittedly running as fast as
it would, bore down upon them from
behind and dealt out sudden death
for the older girl, fatal injuries for
the other and injured her severely
It was thirty minutes, Mrs. Menden
hall said, before she was picked up
and later removed to a hospital, a
passing motorist carrying the fatal
ly injured victim b> the hospital, and
a funeral car picked up the body ol
her older daughter.
Taking the stand, Patrolman W. K
Saunders who reached the scene ol
the killing, pieced together evidence
he gathered immediately after the
tragedy. He told how two boys hac
refused to ride with Griffin because
he was so drunk. He quoted Griffir
as saying that he (Griffin) started
home, driving just as fust as his cai
would run, that he ran off the roac
on the right, swerved to the left ant
ran over something he thought wa;
a stick. Later Griffin told the pa
trolman that he remembered seeing
some girls on the shoulder of the
i oad.
“I found Mrs. Mendenhall lyint
beside the road, and 10(1 feet farthei
down the road I found the body ol
one of the girls and beside her tin
dying sister. Giiffin told me that hi
wished it had been his wife," the
patrolman said, adding that he die
not kbow what Griffin meant b>
the statement. The patrolman statec
that Griffin hud to be lifted bodilj
from the car at “Uncle Tom’s” filling
station and had to get help to pu
him in jail. Gi iffin, possessing a full
fledged case of the “monkeys” the
following day, had been drinkinj
wine and taking headache powders
(Continued on page four)
Escapes Injury In
Oil Transport Fire
L. k. Ford, 28-year-old white man
of Wilmington, escaped serious in
jury after a miraculous fashion, just
before midnight lust Sunday when
the big o*il transport truck he was
driving clipped off seven posts and
plunged through the Hoanoke River
bridge into the swamp. The truck
and tanker, just unloaded of its fuel
oil a short time before, caught fire
and burned, the young driver escap
ing ahead of the flames.
Personnel from the prisoner of
war camp heard the crash and equip
ping themselves with first-aid ma
terial and an ambulance they rushed
there and picked Ford up and placed
him in the local hospital. Treated for
shock and a few bruises, the patient
was discharged from the institution
yesterday morning.
Thought to have fallen asleep,
Ford ran into the bridge abutment
-a jonah for southbound traffic —
and the transport swerved to the '.eft
and plunged through the concrete
bridge, fifteen or more feet to the
ground.
The truck and tank, owned by A.
C. Widenhouse of Concord and val
ued at possibly $4,000, was almost a
total less.
Special wrecking equipment is
being moved to tire scene of the
accident to remove tile damaged
truck and transport tank, and rt is
likely that the road will be blocked
during short intervals.
ROUND-UP
s
v.
j
Law violations are running
into big numbers, a review of
the jail record showing that
more people were arrested and
jailed in the county during the
first ten days of this month than
were jailed during all of No
vember. Nine were detained last
week-end, the number including
Josef Sohelnoba, inmates of the
local prisoner of war camp, who
went on a rampage and was
booked for an assault, lie was
placed in jail by military police.
There were six drunks in the
group. One was booked for
drunken driving and one for in
decent exposure. Five of the 9
were white, and for once youth
did not figure in the law viola
tions. The ages of the group
ranged from 111) to 58 years.
John William Capps
Died Suddenly Here
Early l^ast Friday
J J
Funorul Service* Are Held on
Saturday Afternoon For
Retired Farmer
John William Capps, retired farm
er, died in his sleep at his apartment
m the Mobley house on West Main
Street here some time during the
early morning of last Friday, He had
been in declining health for several
years, but was getting along about
as well as usual until Monday of last
week when he was forced to his bed.
He seemed to bo resting very well
during Thursday night but apparent
ly suffered a heart attack and died
about six o’clock.
Mr. Capps, the son of the late Rob
ert and Mary Goodrich Capps, would
have been t>2 years old had he lived
until tomorrow. He was born m 111(12
near Nashville in Nash County and
spent his early life on the farm there.
About 1902 he moved to this county
with his parents and located in tin
Oak City community, later moving
to a farm near Gold Point. He was
married to Miss Lucy Grimes 32
years ago, and continued to farm
in this county with the exception of
a short time spent in Halifax until
he was forced to retire about two
years ago, moving to Williamston
about a year ago Despite a heart
ailment, he continued very active,
but confined his work to light task
anil at the time of his death lie was
connected witii the office of Dr. A J
Osteen here. He was a hard-working
and conscientious citizen and madi
many friends in this county. When a
youth he joined the Baptist church
near his native home, later moving
his membership to Hamilton.
Besides his widow, he is survived
| by five children, three daughters
Mrs. Clayton Bailey, Mrs. Georgi
Peel and Mrs. Reuben Rogers, all ol
near Williamston, and two sons in
the Army, Pfc. William Marcum
Capps who is now stationed at Myr
tie Beach, S C., after being wound
ed and returning from the Italian
war theater, and Pvt Ernest Cappi
| who was just recently transferred
to Fort Meade, Md.
Funeral services were conducted
by Elder B. R. Cowin in the Biggr
Funeral Home here last Saturday af
ternoon at 3:30 o”clock, and burial
was in Woodlawn Cemetery here
War Board Reverses
Itself Last Week-end
—«—
An unusual case in the history of
Selective Service in this county was
unofficially reported last week end
when the Martin County War Board,
working in good faith, no doubt, was
said to have reversed itself to de
clare a registrant, Hoke Smith Rob
erson, of Robersonvilie, an essential
farmer. The official records were
placed in the registrant's “covet
sheet” in the draft board office and
could not be had, but it was claimed
that Roberson, about 27 years old,
directed a strong appeal in person
to the Wai Board last Friday after
noon, claiming that conditions had
materially changed, that he was en
titled to deferment.
The registrant’s brother, Kenneth
Hudson Roberson, was inducted int<
the -armed forces the latter part ol
last September. The registrant was
given a release from the farm tc
work in a garage stock room the
early part of October until the lat
ter part of the year. He was latei
ruled non-essential. The county draf
board machinery automatically pick
ed him up and ordered him to repor
for pre-induction examination on 01
about November 2U. He passed th<
i examination, and last Friday he wa:
I ruled essential, the action automati
'rally staying his final induction.
Bryant Cherry Cets
2nd Degree Murder
Kvpresses Doubt After
Vi it nesses Offer Feeble
Defense l*lea
Bryant Cherry, young Martin
County white man, was sentenced to
State's Prison for not less than twen
ty and for not more than twenty-five
years in superior court here yester
day when he, through his attorney,
H. G. Horton, pleaded guilty of mur
der in the second degree. Consider
able evidence was offered by both
the State and the defense, and it was
whispered m the courtroom that the
case bordered on first degree mur
der. Cherry was charged with fatal
ly shooting John Dave Davenpo't,
his white neighbor, in Williams
Township early in the evening of Oc
tober 2nd.
Stanley Ward, a neighbor and
friend to both Cherry and Oaven
port, gave a clear and acceptable ac
count of the tragedy even though
his safety had been threatened di
rectly or indirectly. The witness,
first called by the State, recalled
how he, Sam Pate, Davenport and
Cherry started home late that Octo
ber afternoon, explaining that they
drank about two quarts of cheap
wine. “When we got to Pate’s home,
lie (Pate) asked me to get out of the
car, and we talked about plans for
attending the fair the following
week. When I opened the door to get
back in my car, I heard Chi: ry say,
N<> one is going to call my mother
so and so and get by with it.' Cher
ry assured me I was not concerned
in the argument and I drove on to
Cherry’s home and he got out. Cher
ry asked me to wait a minute, but
I saw they were mad and I drove
away. We had gone only a short dis
tanco when Davenport explained
that Cherry had misunderstood him,
j that he wanted to go back 1 told
Davenport that to go back would
Cause trouble. Davenport added that
j he wanted to go back and explain
and avoid any future trouble. I turn
ed around and started driving back
and 1 saw Cherry coming down the
road with a gun. 1 stopped the car,
told Davenport to wait and I walk
ed to meet Cherry. I tried to reason
with Cherry, but he warned me to
get out of the way and 1 did.”
Ward also stated that he heard
Mrs. Cherry tell her husband to
give him the gun. After the shoot
ing, Ward stated that Cherry went
to his home and said, “1 told you I
was going to do it.” The witness add
ed, “! told Cherry that 1 would not
be in his shoes for anything, that he
ought to know he could not get away
with it. Cherry went out the back
door."
The witness stated that possibly no
one other than Pate drank enough
wine to feel high, that Cherry and
Davenport did not appear to be
drunk. On cross examination, Ward
stated that he knew nothing bad
about Davenport.
Mrs. Ward, the next witness, said
that Mrs. Cherry called her and said
that they were having trouble. “I
went out and heard Stanley (her hus
band) trying to get the gun away
from Cherry. Davenport was leaning
on the car fender when I passed. I
returned and advised Davenport he
had better go on home He started
walking down the highway away
from Cherry when Cherry followed
him. They had gone down the high
way about 125 feet or more when I
heard a gun fire. 1 did not see any
friction between the two men and
heard neither of them talking."
Patrolman Whit Saunders, who
helped investigate the killed, stated
that Cherry explained that he was
taking the, gun to his mother’s, that
he had arrested Cherry previously
j for being drunk, and that Cherry
(Continued on page four)
20 To 25 Years
Quite 111 Following
Hunting Accident
--
Cutting his knee badly while hunt
| mg along the banks of the Roanoke
i about 2 o’clock one morning recent
I ly, Leland Roberson, of Williams
I Township, continues quite ill at his
home near Gardner’s Creek. It was
stated yesterday that infection had
! developed and that the man was
I “right bad off.”
According to reports reaching here
Roberson, about 42 years of age, was
I using a hatchet to cut wood for a
I fire and accidentally cut his knee.
He managed to drag himself back to
j his boat, but could not start his mo
tor and drifted down the stream for
8 or 10 hours before he was found.
It was also stated that he had almost
bled to death before he was found.
Treated in a doctor’s office here, he
1 was returned to hi* home.