Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / April 24, 1945, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
County Bond Quota Is $745,000—Save Today and Buy a Bond in May NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY SERVICE MEN NOW READING THE ENTFPRISE IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK. THE ENTERPRISE £ NEARLY iO<M> MARTIN COUNTY SERVICE MEN NOW READING THE ENTEPRISE IN AIX PARTS OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK. VOLUME XLVIII—NUMBER 33 W'illiamston, Martin County, Worth Carolina. Tuesday, April 24, 1945. ESTABLISHED 1899 Mayor And Old Board Opposition Did Not Materialize at Town Convention Friday _»•, I ► f 4 r 4 f 4 4 Politics Virtually Settled for Two More Years at 15 Minute Meeting -® Local politics was settled for an other two years at a crowded con vention in the courthouse last Fri day evening when an organization was perfected, ruies and regulations formulated and the incumbent may or and five members of the board of commissioners were renominated in less than eighteen minutes the re nominated mayor finding time to crowd in a brief acceptance speech without delaying the proceedings. The action, virtually endorsing the program of the local administration, was handled in such a short time that quite a few hardly realized what had happened, and several stragglers met the convention on its way out.. The convention ticket will be placed before the electorate next Tuesday, May 1, the election, judging from the record, being recognized as a routine step in Democracy's sim ple program. Mayor John L. Hassell opened the convention and after briefly an nouncing the schedule of business he named Hugh G. Horton perma nent chairman. The organization for handling the business was perfected in short order, and when the conven tion was made ready for the business at hand. Elbert Peel was recognized and he offered the name of John L. Hassell. Mr. Peel explained that the incumbent had served consecutive ly in the office since 1933, and went on to say that he was on the job from early morning until late at night. The nomination, in keeping with a fast moving schedule, received a second from F. J. Margolis and nominations were closed seconds later. Nomina tion' was unanimous, the nominee in a brief address expressing his ap preciation for it and pledging his best efforts, if elected next Tues day, in handling the affairs of the office. Before calling for nominations for commissioner, Chairman Horton ask ed the convention what rules it would adopt. Citizen Chas. Godwin, Sr., made a motion to declare the five highest candidates the conven tion nominees. The motion was sec onded by E. S. Peel and by the time it was carried, R. L. Coburn was rec ognized. “I am not saying the present com missioners are the best to be had, but I do say they have done a good job,” he said in offering G. H .Harrison, N C. Green, L. P. Lindsley, V. D. Godwin and R. T. Griffin for renom ination. A second was offered by El bert Peel and Chairman Horton ask ed if there were other nominations. The pause was brief at that point, and the question before the house was put to a vote, and if there was an opposition vote it was too weak to be heard. Adjournment was proposed and ordered after Chairman Horton ask ed if there was other business before the house. The fifteen-minute convention was attended by an estimated 300 citizens, including a goodly num ber of women and several cripples. It was fairly apparent that there was some disappointment because no contests developed, but there were no outward attacks directed against the administration. -w———— Young Man Returns To Naval Hospital Stationed on the Oklahoma in the South Pacific where he was serious ly wounded on January 6th, George " Griffin, recently returned to a Naval hospital in Norfolk after spending several days near here with his par ents, Mr. and Mrs. William R Grif fin. RFD 1, Williamston. In the Navy for approximately two years, Griffin was serious burn ed on the right arm and shoulder when the battleship was bombed. In addition to the burns he sustained a ^ shrapnel wound in the back. ^ According to the seaman the Okla homa was hit three times by Jap pianes and one of the hits seriously damaged the battleship. In this raid 240 men were killed. Mr. and Mrs. Griffin have four sons in the service. A seaman and stationed on a destroyer which nas been doing convoy duty since the invasion of Italy, William Griffin is % here now visiting his parents. He left today for a new assignment. Archie Griffin is in the Army, and the fourth son, Berlin, is in the Navy, f "\ J V. BOND QUOTA Martin County people are be ing asked to invest $745,000 in war bonds during the seventh war loan drive opening May 14 and continuing through June 30. The quota is $45,000 larger than *the one assigned the county dur ing the sixth drive last Novem ber-December. Of the $745,000 quota, the people are asked to invest $371, 000 in Series “E” bonds. The “E” bond quota is $126,000 larger than the one assigned the coun ty a few months ago. The quotas were announced last week-end hy II. A. Bowen, the county’s permanent bond chairman, and D. V. Clayton, chairman of the drive. Save today and be prepared to buy a bond In May. Battle For Berlin Continues; Expert Link-up Very Soon -<?> Congressmen To Investigate Atrocities; Conference Opens Tomorrow -- Although the enemy’s last battle line in the West has crumbled, fierce fighting and stiffening resistance are being reported in several sectors as the Allied Forces scramble for Ber lin and to throw a ring of steel around Hitler’s dying empire. Even though the Russians hold 190 square miles of the famous city, the battle for Berlin this morning was said ta be marked by stiffening resistance. There’ll be no more fighting for one half of the city because the Russians have laid it to waste, the Red flag now waving over the spot of ruins where Hitler and his gang plotted a return of the dark ages. Officially, the Americans and Rus sians have not linked-up, but an un confirmed report from Russia stated that the forces had met sixty miles south of Berlin. United announce ment of the historic meeting of the Americans and Russians is expected momentarily. In Italy, the American Fifth and British Eighth Armies continue to chase the fleeing Germans, late re ports placing them at the Po. The Allied attack on Germany’s southern “redoubt”—where the Na zis hope to make their death stand— is underway from three directions and there is mounting evidence that the enemy is close to the end of its organized resistance on the present European battlefields. In the West, the French 1st and U. S 7th armies have swept across the Danube, and the French have reach ed the Swiss border with the Rus sians already closing in westward from Vienna. In the south, Allied forces in Italy are moving toward a junction which will draw a continuous line against the enemy from France to Yugo slavia. The Russians are in Berlin and, for all practical purposes, the Red Army and the Allies in the West have merged their lines into one, splitting Germany in two, North and South. And while these climactic blows fell, the British 2nd Army turned up a Hitler order of the ddy which says in substance that the situation in the West has degenerated for the Wehrmacht to the point where it must rely on guerilla warfare. This is how it was: Up and down the American front west of Berlin, Signal Corps inter preters and tankmen glued their ears to radio sets, listening to the run ning conversation of Soviet tankmen closing eastwaid below Berlin for the historic junction. Radio Berlin was the first to report a meeting, in (Continued on page six) -- Local Man Buys The j Planters Warehouse Mr. J. Edward Corey, local man land large-scale county farm opera tor, recently purchased the Planters ] (Brick) Warehouse here. The pur chase price was not officially reveal ed, hut one report stated that it was around $36,000. Mr. Corey entered into an agree ment with the sellers, the Williams ton Peanut Company, to grant them i storage rights for peanuts during the next twenty years. The house was sold subject to a 1945 lease to a tobacco firm, but it is understood that Mr. Corey will operate the house for the sale of leaf ; tobacco in 1946. Youth of County Is Liberated Officially reported missing on Feb ruary 6, Pvt. William J. Etheridge, young Martin County man, was lib erated from a prisoner of war camp in Germany by advancing American armies on April 1, his father, Mi. Dave W. Etheridge, of Near Hassell, learned last week-end. In a letter written April 5, Pvt. Etheridge said, . . I am getting along fine at the present and am very happy. We were liberated about 10 o’clock Easter Sunday night. The G. I.'s came into the camp Monday morning about 8:00 o’clock, and gee, that was indeed a happy moment for all of us. It’s wonderful to be writing home again; in fact, it’s wonderful to be in G. I. hands again. "We started eating Army chow Tuesday night and once again we have full stomachs.” Pvt. Etheridge had very little to say about his condition or the treat ment he received while he was held by the Germans for almost two months. He did tell his father, "I know that God has been with me; in fact, all the fellows, because with out His help we probably could not have lived through it.” The young soldier, going overseas the early part of this year after en tering the service last August, did not state where he had been held prisoner, and lie had no address when he wrote to his father a little over two weeks ago. For an address, he PVT. WM. J. ETHERIDGE gave his name and army serial num ber. Shortly after Pvt. Etheridge was reported missing, a companion, Dew ey Stalls, also of the Hassell section, wrote home and intimated that the missing youth had been taken pris oner. Nothing was heard from Pvt. Etheridge until his father and friends received the letter from him last week. County Native Dies In Virginia Friday Mrs. Nellie Roebuck McGee, a na tive of this county, died in a Peters burg hospital last Friday night fol lowing an extended illness. The daughter uf Mis. Nellie Roe buck of RFD 3, Williamston, and the late Fred Roebuck, Mrs. McGee was born in Poplar Point Township 45 years ago, and spent her early life at the country home of her parents there. When a young woman she was married to Benjamin Daniel and made her home in Rocky Mount. One son, Benjamin, who is now serving in the Navy in the South Pa cific, survives. Her second marriage was to W. S. McGee of Petersburg. Besides her husband and son she leaves her mother, four brothers, j Dr. C. T. Roebuck of Colerain, C. L. Roebuck of Norfolk, Alphonso Roe buck of Smithfield, and F. J. Roe buck of Newcastle, Pa., and four sis j ters, Mrs. W. E. Grimes* of Green ville, Mrs. Hal Bridgers and Mrs. Stewart Sprague of Williamston and Mrs. George Marlin of Raleigh. Funeral services were conducted at the family country home near here Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock by Rev. B. T. Hurley, pastor of the local Methodist church, and Elder W E. Grimes, Primitive Baptist min ister of this county. Interment was in the Spring Green Cemetery. Eulogizes President At Kiwanis Meetin -V At the regular meeting of the Ki wanis Club here last Thursday eve ning, Mayor John L. Hassell eulo gized the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt. “The death of President Roosevelt shocked the people of this country and of the world as no other man has done. We were all shocked and grieved when the sad news announc ing his passing reached us,” Mr. Has sell said. In rare form the mayor made an excellent tribute to the late president and the Kiwanians present said the eulogy was one of the best they had heard since the death of the Democratic leader. “With Mr. Roosevelt in the White House, the affairs of the country, do mestic and international, ware in the hands of an intelligent, courageous sfnd experienced leader. He was fear less and labored in an unselfish and long suffering devotion for the causes that he believed to be right,” the speaker said. “In 1933 when hope and confidence were almost gone, Roosevelt came along and restored that which was lost. He fought for and sponsored legislation that directly affected and assisted the poor people of this coun try. He dedicated his life to making this a better country and a better world to live in.” Officers Wreck Still In Cross Ronds Township -1 Raiding in the Gus Lane section of Cross Roads Township last Sat urday, ABC Office, J. H. Roebuck and his assistant, Roy Peel, wrecked a 100-gallon capacity tin still and confiscated an expensive copper worm. They poured out 200 gallons of beer and confiscated twenty gal lons of fine molasses. FAT STOCK SHOW Eighteen Martin County 4-II Club members are anxiously, even nervously, awaiting the time to place their baby beef calves in the second annual Mar tin County Fat Stock show here the latter part of this week. And it's going to be a corking good show,* according to Assistant Agent Claude Goodman, who maintains the young boys and several girls will offer exhibits that will eclipse most anything seen in the State this year. In addition to the club en tries, several individual farmers will compete for some of the show prizes. The stock will be placed in the Planters Warehouse Thursday and made /eady for judging Fri day morning. The sale will be held Friday afternoon, and it is hoped that the sponsors and oth ers interested in advancing a real livestock program in the county will take an active part in the bidding. County housewives are inter ested in the sale to the extent that they hope it will ease the meat shortage locally for a time, at least. Post Office Income Greatly Increased Receipts at the local post office continue to climb, Postmaster W. E Dunn announcing that the $9,421.25 income for the first quarter this year was $1,771.37 greater than it was in the corresponding period, a year ago. Most of the gain was re ported in the first two months of the year. Based on the three-cent sales for the most pait, the income repre sents the sale of some over 300 thousand stamps. While the revenue from stamp sales was materially increased, there was also a fairly sizable increase in the money order business handled by the office last quarter. Money orders were issued in the amount of $46,409.25, a figure slightly more than $6,300 greater than the one recorded for the first three months in 1944. However, the business last March was smaller by more than $1,000 than the total handled in March, 1944. -1, hew Removing Old Motor Vehicle License Plates -% Advised recently that it was ille gal to display old license tags on their motor vehicles, quite a few owners have removed the old plates. Others have not and they are warn ed that the highway patrol is just before starting a drive to enforce the law. ROUND-UP I j Activities on the local police front were at a low point last week-end, the jail records show ing that only two persons were detained in the county’s board ing house during the period. One was arrested and jailed for dre nh.cn driving and a second was detained for allegedly pos sessing illegal liquor. One was a young white man, the other a middle-aged colored man. Having Great Time In The Philippines Recalls Few Experiences As First Auler, and Amateur Entertainer Pfc. Bennie Weaver, the daring young son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Frank Weaver of Williamston, and who has the knack of being happy wher ever he may be, is having a great time over in the Philippines, ac cording to a letter received a few days ago by The Enterprise. Need less to say, his letters, just as letters from any of the young Martin Coun ty men, are graciously received and carefully noted. Officially, Bennie is listed as a “doctor” and some have gotten around to calling him “duck” after the great character Donald in the cartoons. His letter follows: “It hasn’t been very long since you heard from me, but so many things have happened since that time, I just can’t tell all. And, of course, some are military secrets. “Today, I received some letters from a few friends and it seems as though everyone saw my last article in The Enterprise. “To begin with—I’ve moved again and am very well satisfied with our new location. The Filipinos here really treat us fine and life isn’t bad at all. I’m just afraid something will happen so that this ‘set-up’ of mine will be done away with. “Here's what I’m doing: Another fellow and I are running a dispen sary for this company, doing first aid work, but sending serious cases to our captain not far from here. Anyway, we handle anything from bruises. Seriously, I like the work, although we have to have someone here 24 hours a day. Tonight hap pens to be Bill's (that’s my friend’s name) night of! and I’m hoping I won't be interrupted by some Cl’s with a cut or something. Men, I have learned, can be such ‘babies’ at times, but over here you have to be mighty careful about cuts and things. “We treat, I think, at least fifty Filipinos for one thing or another, but mostly ‘tropical ulcers’. “I know, last year this time if someone had showed me a tropical ulcer like I see each day, I would have easily gotten sick on my stom ach. Some of the fellows in the company have to leave the dispen sary while I’m dressing some, but I’m used to them now. “These ulcers are caused by mal nutrition and lack of medical care. These Filipinos are always bring ing us things such as vegetables, fruits and souvenirs, and we even have a radio in our tent Now they have even offered Bill and me a re frigerator which I think we are go ing to get some time soon. They just won't take 'no' for an answer Everywhere you go, children run out hollering at you, ‘Hello, Joe, Vic tory’, and hold up two fingers. “I thought, after a while, they would get tiled of doing it, but so far they haven’t. “The thing that gets me the most is that all the Filipinos that we treat, have spread the word that (Continued on page six) Fifty-three Tires Allotted By Board J Fifty-three tires—ten for trucks, forty-two for cars and one for a tractor—were issued by the Mar*in County War Price and Rationing Board last Friday night. Certificates for the purchase of truck tires were issued to the fol lowing: J. E. Andrews, Williamston Sup ply Co., W. I. Skinner and Co., Car olina Telephone Co. Passenger tire certificates were is sued as follows: N R. Rogers, Wil liam H. Tyre, Marion Evans, Seth Bailey, S. O. Peel, Arthur Revels, C. A. Hough, G W. Avers, Walter Keel, Bennie Bryant, Andrew C. Kirby, Viola P. Leggett, W. C. Chance, H. If Roberson, J. Dawson Roberson, Fannie Cowin Shelton, Perlie Hardi son, J. W Grimes, J. T. Powell, Gar land D. Jones, Hardy Whitford, J. N. Chance, G. E. Jenkins, H. D. Har rison, Jr., Mrs. If. L. Meador, John L. Goff, H. H. Holliday, Bernice Ward, Mrs Annie Mae I.illey, John F. Thigpen, B. K. Taylor, D. V. Clay ton, E. T. Smith, Palmer Taylor, Jake Purvis, W. J. Johnson, W. L. Aus bon, A. Corey, B. H. James, Mrs. Levi Harrison, W. H. Peel, J. Carl Griffin. A tractor tire was issued to Vanct. L. Roberson. Correction In Jomesville Red Cress Contributions -<$,——— In listing the contributions to the recent Red Cross War Fund, two errors were made. Donations were made as follows: Mrs. Watson Waters $2, and Mrs. Sam Godard $2. Wreck Early Saturday •/ • Young Girl Injured When Struck by Car J Saturday Afternoon Jolm Rigijjs., FolorrH, Fares Reckless and Manslaugh ter Charges in Court Louis Sheppard, 25-year-old color ed man, was killed and William Godard, about 29. was fatally injur ed when the car in which they were riding went out of control, rinped away a bridge railing at Bear Grass Swamp not far from the Martin Beuufort boundary shortly of’ r midnight last Friday. John Riggs, colored, owner and driver of the 1941 Plymouth, escaped with minor bruises and some shock. Sheppard, the top of his face and head riped away by the bridge tim bers, died instantly. Godard, his low er part of his face almost torn away and part of his tongue ripoed out, died in the local hospital Saturday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock without re gaining consciousness. The three colored men were last seen between 11:30 and midnight Friday in Bear Grass where they went to buy a gallon of kerosene. W S. Hunt and W E. Saunders of the State Highway Patrol, were called about 1:30 o’clock and they reached there a short time later to find one of the worst wrecks they had seen in months. Driving in the direction of the Beaufort line, the car, apparently traveling at a rapid speed, skidded and tore into the railing on the left side of tin' bride, knocking the corner railing post down the road 93 feet and tearing the rail timber away for a distance of thirty feet. The cat looked as if it had been struck by a buzz bomb loaded with timber and splinters. The boards from the bridge railing struck Sheppard and Godard. Biggs, also known as John Kespass, was either thrown out of the car or tie jumped out. The car continued its wild run into the swamp, landing on its nose and turn ing a somesault to land on its left side. The machine cleared the stream of water and landed in the mud and bushes. Higgs, partially recovered from the shock, went for help, hut it was not until the patrolmen reached there that the dead man and God ard were recovered from the wreck age. Godard and Sheppard both lived in this county and Biggs lived just across the line in Beaufort. Biggs, said to have had a small portion of wine, has been formally charged with reckless driving and manslaughter and will be given a hearing before Justice J. L. Hassell here some time next week. Damage to the bridge was estimat ed at $100 and that to the car at $100. Saturday afternoon, Nellie Fay Brown, 13-year-old daughter of An drew and Olivia Brown, was badly but believed not critically hurt when she was struck by a car driven by At ton P. Campbell, young Rocky Mount man who with his parents was on Ins way to attend tjie funeral of a relative in Elizabeth City. Campbell carried the child to the hospital, suf feimg with a broken right arm at * the elbow, a head injury and lacera tions and bruises. The family re moved the child from the hospital la ter in the day According to reports, the child was playing beside East Main Street and started to run across it, She saw the car, stopped and then backed into its path. BARBECUE r 1 A big day in the Martin Coun ty Farm Bureau’s annual pro gram will be observed here next Friday when approximately 1, 500 farmers are expected for the annual barbecue supper and speaking. The speaking will be held in the high school auditor ium at 6 o'clock, and the supper will be served in the gymnasium immediately afterwards. The best cooks in the county have been engaged to prepare the meal. Between 25 and 28 pigs have been engaged and they will be prepared Martin County style, Corn bread will be prepar ed by the bushels and gallons of slaw will be served along with other trimmings. Alonza Edwards of Hookerton will address the meeting. Mr. Edwards, a recognized leader in the State Farm Bureau, is a member of the legislature and he will have a timely message for Farm Bureau members. Superior Court In Second of Special Two Weeks’ Term -<s> Jury Allows Judgment in Sum of SI85 After Working All Day on Muir ('.asc* -<s> Opening the second of a two weeks' term of superior court for the trial of civil cases only, Judge K. I) Dixon of Edenton calleil the case of Mrs. Ada Brown against Dan Smith, Washington mule dealer Nearly all day was spent in taking evidence in the case and hearing the litigants' counsel in their addresses and Judge Dixon’s charge to the jury. The is sues were placed in the hands of the jury about 5:31) o’clock and a decision was reached after an argument last ing the greater part of an hour. The plaintiff was given a judgment in the sum of $185. The plaintiff maintained that the defendant sold her a pair of mules in February of last year, that they did not come up to his guarantee, and damages in the sum of $450 were asked. Apparently the jury had lit tie difficulty in reaching a decision to the guarantee, but found it dif ficult to fix the amount of damages claimed by the plaintiff. A shortage of jurors faced the court yesterday morning, several far mers, explaining to the judge that they had planned to transplant to bacco, asked to be excused Deputy J II Roebuck scoured the town and finally rounded up enough jurymen for tlie court to proceed with its business. Very few spectators were in the court during the day, and little in terest was shown in the proceedings. This morning the court was sched uled to start work on the $18,000 suit brought by O. S. Anderson against J 11. Cherry. The plaintiff maintains that he started negotiations for the purchase of the Anderson farms re eently sold near Williamston, that the defendant was to put up $2,000 and receive 10 per cent. The plain tiff also maintains that it was agreed that the defendant was to operate the farm, pay off the debt for the consideration stipulated and deed it one-half to the plaintiff and one-half to the J. W. Anderson heirs. The plaintiff further maintains that per sonal property valued at about $3, 000 was on the farm at the time, that he left his half of the property there. Later it was learned that a deed had been prepared in the name of the de fendant and Mrs J W. Anderson, the plaintiff pointing out that the do fendant explained at that time that he did that so there would not be so many papers to be signed in bor rowing money. The $25,000 damage suit brought by Mrs. Chas. Whitaker against the Carolina Delivery Company has been continued, Judge Dixon setting it for trial in June. Local Firm Buys Purol Bulk Plant The Harrison Oil Company recent ly purchased the large hulk Oil plant of the ^urol Oil Company on Roan oke River here. The purchase price was not disclosed. The property having a storage ca pacity of approximately 400,000 gal lons, will boost the company's stor age to almost one million gallons in this section. New pipe lines have been laid for unloading oil irorr rail cars, trans port trucks and boats. County Young Man Dies Over in France Floyd Conglt ton, 211-year-old col ored man, died in France on April 7, presumably from wounds received several months ago, according to a message received by his parents, James and Cyndia Highsmith Con gleton, last Sunday. No details were offered, and little could be learned about the soldier during the past six or seven months spent in France. One report received by a relative a short time ago said that Congleton, a private first class, was in a hospi tal somewhere in France and was getting along very well. He express ed the hope that he would soon be able to return home. A native of Pitt County, Congle ton moved to this county with his parents when he was a baby, and lived in the Robersonville commun ity most of hi slife. About lf)40 he went to Philadelphia and entered the service a short time later. He had been overseas about thirteen months. His parents, now making their home in Parmele, said Sunday that tney had not heard from him in several months.
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 24, 1945, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75