NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY
SERVICE MEN NOW READING
THE ENTEPRISE LN ALL PARTS
OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK.
THE ENTERPRISE
NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY
SERVICE MEN NOW READING
THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS -
OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK.
VOLUME XLVII—NUMBER 102
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, December 29, 1914.
ESTABLISHED 1399
Germany s Boweifal
Frontal Assault Is
y '?wpr4*v.'
edivrAmeffrraftj, Ca^SKrt- *
ties Are Heavy
Stopping the Germans’ powerful
assault in its tracks and driving into
the enemy’s southern and northern
flanks, American Armies have great
ly relieved their positions in Luxem
bourg and Belgium and materially
changed the war picture on the West
ern Front during the past two days.
While Von Rundstedt’s daring and
powerful offensive started Decem
ber 16 has been broken, fierce fight
ing continues and American casual
ties are admittedly heavy. A re
cent official report estimates Ameri
can casualties at mor ethan 65,000 in
the two weeks preceding the big
German push back into Belgium and
Luxembourg.
In addition to stalling the German
drive, the American counteroffensive
is forcing the enemy to withdraw
his forces back to the Siegfried Line.
The fierceness of the fight, raging
over a 35-mile front is evidenced in
a report stating that in some sectors
half of the enemy was wiped out,
that the Germans were found lying
dead several tier deep.
Late reports state that General
George Patton’s Third Army had
driven between 15 and 20 miles into
the southern flank of the enemy
while the American First was strik
ing a pow-erful blow from the north
to score gains of a mile or two.
Secretary Stimson, though describ
ing the present situation on the Eu
ropean front as “critical,” expressed
confidence that the Germans even
tually will reap “disastrous conse
quences” from their gambling coun
teroffensive.
“War is not an easy game to play
and you can’t always win every bat
tle,” the War Secretary said, “but I
am confident that we are winning
and that time will reveal that this
German throw of the dice will have
disastrous consequences for him."
The Secretary acknowledged that
American efforts to stem the German
drive had cost us “severe” casualties, i
but asserted that the Nazi army, too,
has “taken hard blows” in personnel
and material losses.
Indicating that the Allied high
command is relying heavily on air
superiority to throw back the Ger
man thrust, he said that aside from
the fighting spirit of our troops, “no
other factor in the present situation
means so much to us as flying weath
er."
In the five-day period beginning
Saturday, he reported, Allied air
men destroyed 483 German planes
and 507 armorpd vehicles and de
stroyed or damaged 3,177 motor ve
hicles. In addition, Stimson said, the
enemy’s marshalling yards are “be- :
ing blown to bits.”
He emphasized the continuing ad
vance of Allied flanking troops at
tempting to narrow the German of
fensive corridor in Belgium.
(Continued on page six)
Holiday Observed
Very Quietly Here
♦ —
The Christmas holiday season was
observed after a very quiet fashion
here and throughout the county with
an ocasional flare-up on the crime
front but without tragic accidents to
mar the record. Only one fire call
was sounded locally during the
period. There were no firecracker
accidents; in fact, there were few
firecrackers heard thjs Christmas,
one observer pointing out that the
infernal things had at last gone to
war. There were three or four high
way accidents, but none of them was
serious. One or two homes were
saddened by death, and suspense was ,
indeed evident in those homes where |
sons and brothers were absent, not i
to mention the empty feeling where !
members of the family had been re
ported killed in action and missed
their first Christmas at home. With
very few exceptions, the observance
of the 1944 Christmas was unlike
that of any other one, o-rtainly un
like any in recent years.
Religious services held during the
period were largely attended for the
most part, including vesper services
at the USO Sunday afternoon. While
there were those who were sick, no
great amount of sickness was report
ed.
Traffic in this immediate section
was hardly up to the large volume
recorded a year ago. Bus travel
wa3 fairly heavy and schedules in
many instances were late, but the
old “cattle cars” so well remember
ed by draft inductees, were pressed
into service to handle the increased
number of travelers. Rail traffic
jamed the main lines, it was report
ed.
The Christmas season witnessed
possibly the greatest buying spree in
history. Goods were scarce, but ap
parently unmindful of the cost md
the value of most any article, custo- i
mers could not be checked. Liquor,
sales set new high records along
with general stores sales, and sellers
and buyers alike were completely
tired out when finally they began
the holiday observance.
rFm^Srothers-ti nd'Gfrmi n A re
i Wounded On Western Fronts
h-r'-bTr
^ :■ ••••• tt»
%«wt>i*iPS' and ••'•« -coosnr --frad-Stmi
wounded on the Western Front. Just
a short time ago, two brothers in
another family in this county, were
reported wounded, one of them for
a second time.
Last Wednesday, Mr. and Mrs.
Noah T. Daniel of the Farm Life sec
- ■ ■ .w ^__
•. h6 warliy
■ kMhvklua! homes is further
, t,
fit:
tion in Griffins Township, were ad
vised that their son, Thomas Daniel
had been wounded. No details were
offered by the message sent by the
War Department other than that he
was wounded in action on Decem
ber Gth.
Some time back the young man’s
brother, Benjamin Danigl, was
wounded in action in about the same
theater of operations. Later reports
been received from the young man,
but he stated in his last letter that
he was getting along very well.
The two brothers have been over
seas since the early part of this year.
The two young men’s cousin, Jos.
Daniel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Nick R.
Daniel, was also wounded some time
ago. His wound was described as
slight and it was stated that he had
fully recovered and returned to ac
tion at the front. The young man had
been overseas since the first of this
year, it was learned here.
Acording to the best information
available, at least 51 Martin Coun
ty men have been wounded in the
war to date, some of them twice.
j\ew Tax Values Fixed
By County List-Takers
RECOVERING
Wounded In the head by a
bursting shell, Sgt. Joseph El
mer Griffin continues to improve
in a hospital in England, hia fa
ther, Mr. Jos. S. Griffin, of Bear
Grass Township, was recently
notified.
Jeweler Is Assaulted
Here Last Saturday
—«—
While no definite motive was es
tablished, a crime approaching one
nf serious proportions was reported
on Washington Street here last Sat
urday night when Charles A. Peel,
local jeweler, was assaulted by way
layers and threats.
At a preliminary hearing before
Justice ■/. L, Hassell that night, John
F Norfleet, 22; Jesse Beach and Neal
Davis, each about 17 years of age,
were bound over to the county court
for trial under bonds in the sum of
1500 each. Norfleet and Davis were
later released under $300 cash bonds.
Beach continues in jail.
Reports state that the jeweler was
walking along the sidewalk in front
of the Williamston Hardware Com
pany store on Washington Street
when one of the three knocked him
off the sidewalk and later cursed
him. The three defendants, mem
bers of a fairly large group appar
?ntly looking for trouble, were said
to have followed the jeweler to the
warehouse section where police in
tervened.
-.
Paralysis Victim Returns
From Hickory Hospital
A victim of infantile paralysis,
Otis Edmondson, two years old, re
turned home from the emergency
poliomyelitis hospital near Hickory
to the home of his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Dean Edmondson in Ogk City
las week.
Although able to be up for only
about twenty minutes each day, the
little fellow is said to be getting
along very well.
I SCHOOLS TO REOPEN
After a ten-day holiday, all
the Martin County schools will
reopen at the usual time next
Monday morning. Few changes
have been made in the faculty
personnel, and other than the
holiday interruption, activities
are to be resumed on a regular
schedule and after a normal
fashion immediately.
Only two faculty resignations
were reported during the holi
day period. Principal D. F. Giles
resigned at Bear Grass and Mrs.
Wilma O. McCracken tendered
her resignation as sixth grade
teacher here. Neither position,
made vacant by the resignations,
had been filled up until late
yesterday, but applications are
being considered.
» -»
Very Little Change
Made In Schedules
For Next Tax Year
—»—
Properly Listing Will Get Un
derway in County
Next Week
-<s>
Meeting in the courthouse on Fri
day, December 22, Martin County
tax authorities, headed by Luther
Peel, fixed a schedule of values for
listing personal properties for the
1945 lax year. For the most part, the
schedule of values remains about the
same for the new year with a slight
increase in a few items over the 1944
listings. No marked variation in to
tal values is anticipated from those
recorded in January, 1944, Tax Sup
ervisor Peel explaining that he be
lieved the listings in 1945 would hold
pretty close to the 1944 level since
there would be slight reductions to
offset any increases resulting from
certain items.
In the main, personal properties
will be listed at about two-thirds of
their cost value with the possible
exception of motor vehicles which
will be listed in accordance with a
schedule of values set up by the Au
tomotive Association and the Office
of Price Administration. Values for
a few types of motor vehicles will
hold to about the same figures as
were in effect in 1944, but a decline
ranging up to 10 per cent will be ef
fected in most cases, it was explain
ed.
The schedule of values determined
by the meeting of list-takers and tax
supervisor follows: Peanuts, out of
farmers’ hands, $6 a bag; meat, 15 j
cents a pound; live hogs, 8 to 10
cent- a pound; horses, $150 down;
mules, $300 down; farm machinery,
two-thirds of original cost, less 10
per cent depreciation annually; man
ufactured lumber $30 per 1,000 feet;
tobacco sticks, $5 per 1,000; tobacco
curers, $100 and down; merchandise
stocks, two-thirds of inventory value.
There’ll be no change in real prop
erty values except in those cases
where losses have been incurred or
where improvements have been
made or new units added.
Listing is scheduled to get under
way on Monday, January 1, in sever
al of the townships and is to be com
pleted not later than January 31
Late listing is subject to penalty, and
it was announced that no extension
is to be expected.
Very few changes in the listing
personnel is being made, Tax Super
visor Peel announcing the following
list-takers:
Wendell Hamilton, Jamesville
Township; Chas. L. Daniel, Williams
Township; Tom Roberson, Griffins
Township; Noah R. Rogerson, Bear
Grass Township; O. S. Anderson,
Williamston Township; Buck Ayers,
Cross Roads Township; H. S, Ever
ett, Robersonville Township; L. G.
Taylor, Poplar Point Township; L.
R Everett, Hamilton Township, and
R. R. Rawls, Goose Nest Township.
Tax Supervisor Peel explained that
all owners are to list their dogs, but
that the canines would not be sub
ject to direct taxation. The indirect
dog tax will be collected when the
dogs are vaccinated against rabies, it
was explained.
-#
Local Youth In Hospital
At Paris With Trench Feet
-«
Slightly wounded some time ago
when a piece of shrapnel tore into
his knee, Pfc. Jimmy Manning, son
of Supt. and Mrs. Jas. C. Manning,
of Williamston, is back in the hospi
tal. The young man had returned
to duty and was in actual combat in
the drive from Luxembourg into
Germany as late as December 8th
when his feeC froze and he was re
moved to a hospital in the Paris
area.
The seriousness of his ailment
could not be learned.
NEW-YEAR’S
GREETINGS!
As Old Father Time looks to
the future we hope he deter
mines on 1945 as the year which
will see an end to world strife
and the beginning: of a peaceful
life spent in true harmony by
all mankind.
May the New Year be rich in
all the things (hat are good for
our patrons and friends here and
everywhere.
THE ENTERPRISE.
Several Minor Auto
Accidents Reported
In County Recently
—<$—
No One Hurt But Consider
able Property Damage Is
Caused, Patrolman Sava
-«
No one was badly hurt but consid
erable property damage resulted in
a series of automobile accidents in .
this county during the Christmas
week-end period, according to a re
view of the accident record by Pa- 1
trolman Whit Saunders yesterday.
Tlie first in the series of accidents
was reported on Thursday afternoon
of last week when Lewis Auentely,
Bertie County colored man, drove
out of the Slaughter House Road in
to Farmer Oscar Ayers’ car on High
way 64. No one was hurt and damage |
to both cars was hardly more than i
$50. Auentely, charged with operat- i
ing a motor vehicle with improper ;
brakes, accepted the repair charge.
Damage estimated at $200 was ;
done to two cars when they crashed i
at the intersection of Haughton and
Main Streets here about 11:30 o’clock ,
Christmas Eve night. Ernest Wynne
was driving north on Haughton
Street and Louise Payne of Hertford
was driving toward the business sec- ;
tion when their cars crashed. No (
one was hurt. 1
The most serious of the accidents ;
reported during the period happen- (
ed about 11:30 a. m. Christmas morn- |
ing during the fog. Russell Callier |
was driving toward Robersonville |
on the Gold Point highway, met and (
crashed into Williard A. Everett’s (
1939 Plymouth. The left fronts and ]
sides of both cars were badly dam- (
aged, Patrolman Saunders stating |
that it is possible the repair bill to (
both cars will approximate $1,000. t
Mr. Everett was cut by flying glass <
and he was bruised about the chest. [
About 9 o’clock Christmas night, f
Paul Jones was returning to Wil- t
liamston from a visit with relatives t
when a car driven by an unknown x
colored man, sideswiped him at r
Conoho Creek near Oak City, ripping j.
in two a fender and damaging a tire. b
The colored man drove his car into a
the swamp, got out and ran. As far f
as it could be learned no one was j
hurt. I
Only one person was hurt in the \
four accidents which cost approxi
mately $1,300 in property loss alone. v
Youth Is Awarded l
Coveted Air Medal1
c
*— p
Lt. Robert A. Haislip, Jr., young t
son of Commissioner and Mrs. R. A. r
Haislip of Oak City, was recently C
awarded the highly coveted Distin- c
guished Flying Cross for “outstand- 1
ing achievement in action against the t
enemy." a
Announcing the award, Major 1
John K. Cannon, of the Twelfth Air g
Force Headquarters, said: “Only a s
few of our men who fly In battle c
against the enemy have been so
honored. The high qualities the y
young man developed during his c
formative years, had no small part a
in making this achievement possi- .
ble. c
“Lt. Haislip, by his courage and i
devotion to duty, has set an exam- c
pie which has made his comrades t
proud to serve with him in this war i
for high ideals. As the Commander i
of the Air Force in which he serves,
I also tali'* pride in his acomplish
ments. It is a genuine pleasure to
have had with me, in the Twelfth Air i
Force, such an outstanding airman.”
HOLIDAY FOR FEW <
v-1-^ l
Next Monday — New Year’s 1
Day—will be observed by only a ]
few people and business firms \
in this section. The county court (
will not hold a session, and the
post office, banks and one or two t
other business establishments t
will be closed that day. <
The county commissioners will i
meet as usual and all county of- c
fices will be open along with 1
the continuation of business as i
usual by other firms. i
Brothers H To mrdrdmfiT'AriimT
sus msm
Sons of Mrs. J. T. Bland, of
Williamston, Sgt. Robert Hu
bert Bland, right, and S/Sgt.
John D. Bland, left, were re
cently reported wounded, Sgt.
J. T. for the second time in Italy.
The other brother was wound
ed in Germany on December 4.
Officers Solve Several
In Series of Robberies
West Colored Men
[n Connection With
Little Crime Wave
--
Henry Bonds und Harry Land
Admit Laundry, Jenkins
And Oil Firm Thefts
a>
Combining their efforts and aided
>y agents of State and Federal Bu
eaus of Investigation, local anc
■ounty officers and members of th<
Rate Highway Patrol are believec
o have checked if not wiped out t
ittle crime wave that swept this
community during recent weeks
Diligent work marked the handling
>f the case, many of the officers de
/oting much time day and night try
ng to establish and develop “leads”
The case ‘broke” last week wher
ienry “Pinky” Bonds, 25-year-olc
olored man, was arrested on a Nor
olk-bound bus after he had evaded
in all-night search conducted b>
fficers in three countit's. A meager
cad had been developed prior to
hat time, but Bonds could not be
ound. His trail was picked up late
in Tuesday nigiit of last week and
ifficers started an all-night hunt.
Driving a Virginia car bearing a Vir
;inia license issued to a woman wlic
lad been murdered just a short time1
icfore in Norfolk, Bonds abandoned
he car in Bear Grass Township near
Iweet Home church after a several
lours’ ride. Blood hounds were used
nd they ran him through the woods
ntil the ground began to freeze and
he chase was ended there. A trap
/as later set for him and early next
rorning, he stopped and boarded a
us on the Washington Highway, his
rrest following a few minutes later
t the local bus station where an of
icer was waiting for him. Harry
,and, an accomplice in several rob
eries, was arrested a short time
iter.
Detained in the county jail for in
estigation, Bonds and Land admil
id breaking into the local laundry
s far back as October 8 and steal
pair of pants and a few other ar
icles. They also admitted break
lg into the Harrison Oil Company
ffices on Elm Street and stealing a
istol and a carton of cigarettes on
ic nigiit of November 27. Bonds ad
littcd the Chas. H. Jenkins and
lompany garage robbery on De
ember 7 and implicated Land, but
.and vigorously denies any eonnec
ion with that job. A few cartridges
nd shells and an Oldsmobile be
inging to Harvey Roberson were
tolen after an attempt to force the
afe door failed. The car was re
overed two days later.
While it is believed Bonds is im
licated in other robberies and
rimes, officers have not yet been
ble to connect him with them. Gas
line ration coupons, stolen from Lil
ian Peel’s and W. A. Brown’s fill
ig stations in Bear Grass Township
n the night of December 14, were
raced to him. Bonds, denying the
Sear Grass robberies, declared that
e got the coupons from parties un
(Continued on page six)
■..1*
a,cal Boys Home From
Two Theaters Of War
-—<$,.
Two local boys, Ensign Burras A
jritcher, Jr., and Lt. S. W. Manning
re just recently back, from the wa;
ireas, Critcher from the Pacific and
banning from the European fronts
Cach of them will spend about three
zeeks at home before reporting to
enters for reassignment.
Critcher, stationed on the Lexing
en for almost a year, is an ace in
he Navy Air Corps, seeing consid
rable action in the recent battles
n the Philippine area. Lt. Manning,
if the Arm; Air Corps, flew thirty
ive missions over enemy territory
n big bombers. Both of the young
nen had some great experiences.
HOLIDAY ROUND-UP
The Christmas holiday round
up in this community landed
quite a few alleged violators of
the peace in the jail here during
the period, some of the defend
ants going there for alleged
crimes of a serious nature. There
were no arrests ou Christmas
day, or if there were, no one was
jailed.
Nineteen persons were placed
behind the bars, two for drunk
en driving, one for non-support,
three for being drunk and disor
derly, two for being drunk, two
for disorderly conduct, five for
assault, one for larceny of gas,
and one for larceny and receiv
ing and carrying a concealed
weapon.
Eight of the nineteen were
white and the ages of the com
bined group ranged from 17 to
56 years.
Up until yesterday, 5D persons
had been jailed here during De
cember, or about three times the
number jailed in November.
Brother Of Local
Resident Passes
—<$
Tom W. Adams, brother of Mrs.
W. C. Manning, and well-known far
mer of Johnston County, died sud
denly of a heart attack at Four Oaks
about 8 o’clock last Saturday morn
ing. Forty-five years of age, he had
been in ill health for several years.
He was a son of Mrs. Bettie Adams
and the late David W. Adams.
Funeral services were conducted
at his late home Sunday afternoon by
Rev. J. T. Green of Whitaker and
interment was in the Four Oaks
Cemetery.
Besides his sister here and mother
he is survived by a sister, Mrs. Al
bert Farmer, of Smithfield; three
half-brothers, Carson and Emmitt
Adams, of Four Oaks, and Sidney
Adams, of Clayton, and four half
sisters, Mrs. Mary Honeycutt, of
Fayetteville; Mrs. Bettie Jordon, of
Smithfield; Mrs. Henry Smith, of
Rocky Mount, uud Mrs. Fred Ken
dell of Johns.
Kay Lindsey Sluder Died
In Hospital Christmas Day
-«•
Kay Lindsey Sluder, 14-days-old
daughter of Sgt. Calvin Sluder and |
Mrs. Katherine Hardison Sluder,
died in a Durham hospital Christ
mas morning about 11 o’clock. She
had not been well since birth.
Funeral services were conducted
at the graveside in Woodlawn Cem
etery here last Tuesday afternoon at
3 o’clock by the family's pastor, Dr.
W. R. But tell, Baptist minister.
Sgt. Sluder, formerly of Asheville,
was just recently transferred over
seas
TRUCK GAS !
vs
Gasoline allotments for the
first quarter are being issued to
truck owners and operators in
this county by the War Price
and Rationing Board. Owners
are notified to file their applica- |
lions as early as possible, that (
if the applications are not receiv- j
ed by January 15, the allotments 1
will be reduced. Applicants are
asked to present their 1945 truck
registration cards.
With American armies facing
an Increasing danger on the
Wesinj, FTont, government au
thorities are humbly asking all
gasoline consumers and vehicle
operators to be as reasonable
in their demands as possible and
conserve their allotments along
with their equipment.
[Scrams WoodJiTwl*1—
Coal Shortage Is
An acute wood and coal shortage
predicted several months ago is
now upon this immediate section
and the prospects for relief are next
to dismal. The shortage is to be rec
ognized as dangerous, according ta
one report, and the winter itself is
only a few days old.
Possibly quite a few homes and
businesses have adequate supplies
of coal and wood, but the big major
ity is already feeling the cold pinch.
Commenting on the situation yes
terday, a local dealer said that a cus
tomer had just called for wood, ex
plaining in a tearful voice that there
was no wood in the yard and no fire
in the house. Another potential cus
tomer called and in a croupy voice
that was hard to understand, pleaded
for wood.
At one yard, workers were seen
scratching in the dirt for an occa
sional lump of coal. At the other yard
the dealer had opened the gates and
little children with battered buck
ets and broken-down wheelbarrows
were picking up pine bark and a
chip here and there.
Commenting on the outlook, one
of the two local dealers said that he
had already received and delivered
his coal allotment for the year end
ing next June. The second dealer
had been promised no more than one
car of coal for each of the months
of January, February and March and
delivery is uncertain. A few indus
trial users are said to be running
low, and the neighborly practice of
borrowing from one another is just
about deserted out of necessity.
The wood shortage is just about as
bad. Individual sales by farmers are
apparently a thing of the past, re
ports stating that quite a few farm
ers have hauled coal and wood from
town for use in their homes while
some others were now burning oil
with a big supply of wood on their
farms.
Lumber mills in this section have
been idle for some days, removing
a source of supply of evergreen
wood. One mill, overselling before
the holidays, was looking for enough
wood this week to raise : '.cam in its
boilers. Another mill operated yes
terday for the first time in weeks.
About the only bright spot in the
fuel situation as it exists here centers
around the supply of fuel oil and
kerosene. While stocks are far from
normal, they are larger than they
were a short time ago. This type of
fuel, however, will hardly relieve
tin' seriousness of the shortage where
it is almost certain to be felt the
(Continued on page six)
Hear Several Cases
In Justice’s Court
Fifteen defendants were carried
before Justice John L. Hassell in his
'ourt here during the Christmas hoi
day period for alleged violation of
aw and common decency.
Charlie Frank Gray, charged with
iisorderly conduct, was fined $5 and
axed with the costs.
Thurman James was bound over
jnder $200 bond in the case charg
ng him with assaulting a female.
Charged with an affray, Mervin
Williams was required to pay $5
'OStS.
lA'wis Auentley was fined $5 and
•equired to pay $5 costs in the case
charging him with operating an au
,o with improper brakes.
Charged with disorderly conduct,
filbert Hardison was fined $1.50 and
equired to pay $0.50 costs.
Rufus Taylor was taxed $8.50 costs
or disorderly conduct.
Willie Hassell wus fined $10 and
•equired to pay $7 costs for operat
ng a motor vehicle with improper
arakes.
Drunk and down, Ernest Lanier
was taxed with $6.50 costs.
Leroy Clark, charged with being
irunk on highway, was fined $1.50
ind taxed with $8.50 costs.
Probable cause appearing in the
:ase charging them with an assault
with a deadly weapon, Romulus
Moore and Raymond Moore were
bound over to the county court in
bonds of $100 each.
E. F. Lynch was fined $1.50 and
required to pay $8.50 costs in the
rase charging him with disorderly
ronduct.
---®
Joseph B. Bullock
Passes In Everetts
————
Taken ill less *han a week ago,
Jos. B. Bullock, retired farmer, died
at his home in Everetts this morning
at 1 o’clock. He would have been 70
years old next March.
Funeral services will be conduct
ed at the late home Saturday after
noon at 3 o’clock by Elders B. S.
Cowin and A. B. Ayers and inter
ment will follow in the Clark Ceme
tery at Everetts.
Mr. Bullock is survived by three
sons and three daughters.