t
NEARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE
ENTERPRISE &C3NC- INTt> THE
HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY
AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN
THE ENTERPRISE
NEARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE
ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE
HOMES OF MARTIN COUNT*
AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN
*
VOLUME XLVIH—NUMBER 49
William*ton, Martin County. North Carolina. Tuesday. June 10. 1015.
ESTABLISHED 1899
County Young Men
~ —Arr'Comiug Horn?
From European War
1«o Liberated Prisoners Are
41 Among Fen Coming Home
During Past Several Days
While a few led the procession
some time ago, Martin County young
men are now returning from the Eu
ropean war in greater numbers. Ac
curate reports are not to be had, but
at least six young men, most of them
from Wiliiamston, made their ap
pearance during the past few days.
Some are returning with discharges
pending, others are fairly certain
that they are now marking time at
home pending the receipt of orders
to get ready for assignments in the
Pacific area, while still others are
not yet certain of their war status.
T/Sgt. Eli Clayton Rogers, report
ed missing on May 1, 1943, was lib
erated on last May 3 from a German
war prisoner camp. He came in last
Saturday morning about 4 o'clock
with S/Sgt R. J. Hardison, the two
having met in France on their way
home. The young man’s parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Eli Rogers of West Main
Street, Wiliiamston, did not know
their son was even in the States and
it was an exciting time when they
met early last Saturday morning.
Obliged to be weary after two years
in a war prisoner camp, the young
man was not asked for an interview
immediately, but it is hoped the
youth will later relate a few of his
trying experiences for publication.
S/Sgt. R. J. Hardison, a prisoner
of the Germans for just about one
year, is gradually being absorbed by
the ole home-town atmosphere. A bit
shy after months in a prison camp,
the young man, if he lost any weight,
has regained it and more, and looks
real well.
4
4
4
In an air raid over Austria, the
young man was shot down on May
10, 1944. “We pushed our wounded
bombardier out, and just about that (
time the ship went all to pieces,” Sgt. I
Hardison was quoted as saying. “I
do not remember bailing out. I was
sailing toward the earth when I
came to,” he added. Injured in the
jump, Sgt. Hardison was placed in
a hospital for four days and limped j
around for about a month. He de
clared that Red Cross packages kept
them alive, that while he was not
treated “too bad,” the Germans re
turning from the war were better to
the prisoners than the first guards
were. Apparently those Germans
who had been in the war knew who
was winning, and acted according
ly
Seriously wounded by shell frag
ments in Germany on last February
28, Pfc. Ernest Clifton Hollis arriv
ed home unexpectedly last Saturday
night. He had been a patient in a
hospital in Georgia for several weeks
and will return for another opera
tion for the removal of the shell
fragments and further treatment.
(Continued on page six)
Superior Court Will
Hear Cases On Civil
< Calendar This Week
-e
Settlement Reported in 125,
OOO Damage Suit Against
Transportation Firms
-*
Scheduled to complete the trial
of criminal cases today, the Martin
County Superior Court is expected
to hear the first of a few civil ac
— tions tomorrow. No big cases are
" scheduled for trial, but several are
expected to require considerable
time.
One of the big cases on the calen
dar is the $25,000 damage suit
brought by Mrs. Ruth Vivian Whit
aker against the Carolina Coach
Company and the Carolina Delivery
Company. It was unofficially learn
ed that the case had been settled out
of court, that the case would be call
f ed for final judgment. The terms of
the settlement could not be learned
immediately. Mrs. Whitaker was
critically injured in a passenger bus
truck accident near Bethel on April
16 of last year. She spent several
months in hospitals and it is under
stood that she is still undergoing
treatment.
Divorces are again crowding me
civil calendar, the court after sand
^ wiching in two between the trial
of criminal cases Monday, left twelve
for consideration later in the week.
The following divorce cases are now
awaiting the attention of the court:
Selleck against Selleck, Leggett
against Leggett, Mills against Mills,
Bell against Bell, Wooden against
Wooden, Adams against Adams, Cof
field against Coffield, Pippen against
Pippen, Williams against Williams,
4 Bennett against Bennett, Gorham
against Gorham, Rawlings against
Rawlings.
Among the other civil cases on the
docket are the following: Laughing
house against Carter, James against
James, Gaylord against Griffin,
Furnituie Company against Runk.
Most of the cases, it is believed,
will be handled or continued to
morrow with the possibility that the
court will quit for the term late in
the day or early Thursday.
The grand jury completed its work
Monday, but its report was not re
leased immediately.
Bond Sales 8109.332
{Short of County'Goal
INJURED ~ I
Pfc. Newbrie Benjamin Rog
erson, a native of this county
and a paratrooper, was injured
recently in a practice jump in
France and is in an Army hospi
tal in that country undergoing
treatment, his sister, Mrs. John
R. Williams, of near Everetts,
was advised a short time age.
The message stated that both of
his feet were hurt, but it could
not be learned how badly.
To Make Insecticide
Available on Larger
Scale in This County
—«—
Health Service Will Spray
Homes W here Victims of
Malaria Are Living
-®
After spraying fifty-five homes
in the Poplar Point area a short time
ago with the powerful DDT, the
health services are proposing to
make the spray available on a larger
scale but under a control plan.
Dr. John W. Williams, county
health officer, after discussing the
enlarged malaria control program
with Mr. White of the U. S.-State
Public Health Services, prepared
the following article:
Malaria is going to leave this
county.
Here is the program: If you call
your physician and he makes a diag
nosis of malaria and before he gives
you quinine or atabrine he takes a
thick blood smear and sends it to
the health department. We will mail
it to the state laboratory for exam
ination by experts. If they find ma
laria parasites in that sample, the
U. S. Public Health Service will
spray that house with DDT, a chem
ical which will kill any insect in the
house, masquiloes, flies, bed bugs,
fleas, lice, most forms of roaches, and
moths.
If you have no physician, come to
us with a history of one or two chills
and have taken no drug, either chill
tonics, quinine or atabrine since you
had the chills, we will take a blood
smear and send it to the laboratory.
If malaria parasites are found the
house will be sprayed with the chem
ical. Of course, the treatment of the
disease is your responsibility.
What is it and what does it do: It
will not cure your malaria but any
mosquito which gets into your room
and bites you and lights on the wall
or ceiling will never live to bite any
one else and transmit the malaria
he got from your blood. It is a chem
ical mixed with zyline and when
sprayed on walls has no odor (after
two hours), does not discolor walls,
does not stain cloth but will kill the
insects mentioned when they con
tact the chemical.
There are two things we have to
consider in this program: First, ma
laria parasites have to be found in
the blood of an occupant of the house
to be sprayed. You may just think
you have malaria but no parasites
show up in sample. Second, you and
your physician may be sure from all
symptoms that you do really have
malaria and yet no parasites are
found. We must remember they are
hard to find in many cases and al
most impossible to find after you
have started malaria treatment.
Shots for malaria (unless it is qui
nine administered in the vein) will
not keep the parasites from showing
up.
As stated the spraying of your
house is not going to cure you of
malaria. You will still have to take
your quinine every six hours by
the clock for 7 days or the atabrine
as your doctor prescribes it. It may
not ev> keep you from contracting
malaria oven in your home because
an infected mosquito may get in, fly
direct to you and infect you before
she goes to rest on wall, but when
once she does, she dies, never lives
t<-> infect anyone else, and if she has
just bitten a person with malaria she
never lives to develop it in her body
and transmit it.
They know the chemical will re
tain its power to kill the insects that
contact it for four to six months.
(Continued on page six)
I Purchases Reported
|Last Week Slightly
More Than $23,400.
-(ft
Only Three of the Districts
In Comity Have Met
Their Quotas
-®
With some very few exceptions,
Martin County citizens gave nothing
for the war effort last week and in
vested very little more. According
to the latest report on the Seventh
War Loan Drive, actually less than
$1 per capita was invested in war
bonds during the period. “E” bond
sales last week amounted to $23,
400.25, leaving the county $109,332
short of its quota. The people of the
coun'y will have to invest right at
$55,000 during the remainder of this
week ana the same , amount next
week if the challenge coming from
Okinawa is to lie met
The bond picture, while still
mighty dark in spots, especially in
Williamston, showed much improve
ment in some areas during the past
week. Only three townships, James
ville, Cross Roads and Poplar Point,
are over with some to spare, but
others made marked progress dur
ing the period. Oak City led last
week with the largest percentage
gain, jumping from $3,225 to $8,
831.25. Hamilton is pushing right on
toward its quota and surely will go
over the top this week. Roberson
ville, adding more than $8,DUO or
about one-third of the purchases re
ported for the entire county last
week, is pushing on toward its goal.
Jamesville added about $2,500 extra
to its goal excess. Griffins boosted
its sales by almost $1,000. The pic
ture in Williams, Griffins, Poplar
Point and Hassell remains just about
the same, if not the same. And in
Williamston, well, the drive is lag
ging by over $72,000.
Little has been done locally to
boost the drive and only ten days
are left to keep the faith with the
49 Martin County boys who sleep
the eternal sleep as a result of this
war and with those who are still in
the fight. Representatives of the
Woman’s Club started a canvass a
few days ago and they accounted for
much of the gain reported locally last
week. The appeal is yet to be heard
in most of the industrial plants here,
but the mad pleasure rush continues.
From somewhere out in the Pa
cific came an account of a Martin
County boy. Before anyone says he
is tired of hearing about investing
in war bonds or doing anything for
the war effort, let him remember
James Staton Whitehurst, aviation
machinist’s mate, third class, of RFD
3, Williamston. The report from the
Fleet Distribution Center, reads, in
part: “The young man is back at the
business of f ighting Japs after a re
cent THREE-HOUR rest period on
one of the Navy’s ‘recreation islands’ ;
in the war zone.” Stationed on an
aircraft carrier, the young man and {
a few others visited the “recreation i
island” set up on a tiny atoll to put
their feet, on solid ground for just
a few hours.
County Chairman D. V. Clayton |
still maintains that the goal can be
met by every township in the coun
ty. Renewed appeals are being made,
urging the people of this county not
to let the boys down, but push on
tow ard the goal with the determina
tion that the goal will be reached be
fore the drive ends on June 30.
The figures below give the “E”
bond picture in the several districts
as of last Saturday:
Quota Sales
Jamesville $ 11,200 $ 15,450.00
Williams
Griffins
Bear Grass
Williamston
Cross Roads
Roberson ville
Poplar Point
Hamilton
Hassell
Goose Nest
$371,000 $261,667.25
7,300 3,281.25
18,500 4,668.75
13,000 11,062.50
157,500 84,900.00
11,300 12,300.00
111,300 96,442.25
7,300 8,212.50
14,750 14,231.25
7,500 2,287.50
11,300 8,831.25
Hail Storm Strikes
Poplar Point Area
...—*.—
Striking a small area late last
Sunday afternoon, a wind and hail
storm did considerable damage to
tobacco and other field crops and
blew down a few trees.
No estimate of the damage could
be had immediately, but losses to to
bacco crops in the small streak
struck by hail ranged up to 85 per
cent or more.
The storm was centered in a streak
starting near Gold Point and con
tinuing well across Poplar Point. On
the LeRoy Taylor farm in Poplar
Po; it trees were biown down on
buildings, damaging the structures.
Hail damage was reported immed
iately on the F. J. Roebuck. Mayo
Hardison, Mack Wynn, Slade White
and Taylor farms a„d possibly oth
er farms were struck.
The storm was heard here, but no
rain fell and there was little or no
change in the thermometer read
ings, and news of the damage came
as a surprise later in the afternoon.
! JOINT MEETING
v
y ■ iM-nfiiMrit — * -
TbP f“tp vna o\ -STUvk
activities will be largely deter
mined at a joint meeting of
m-mbers from the Senior ana
Junior organizations in the club
room this evening at 8:30 o’clock.
A merger of the two clubs is be
ing proposed and the meeting
this evening will discuss plans
tOv.ard that end. The club pres
idency is said to be the main
problem before the membership,
but certainly a leader can be
found among the combined
groups.
Miss Natalie Gould, Red Cross
worker in the Mediterranean and
European war theaters for more
than two years, will address the
meeting, and it is hoped that all
club members and others inter
ested in maintaining an active
organization will make every ef
fort to attend.
MacArthur Opening
New Base for Great
Drive Against Japan
—-—®
Americans Mopping Up Last
Remnants of Enemy
On Okinawa
--
While there is much bitter fighting
in progress in the Faeiflc theater,
the spotlight just now is being turn
ed cm the preparations for a great
drive against the Japs. Few details
are being released, but it has been
announced that General MacArthur
is establishing new bases for handl
ing worlds of ammunition, supplies
and men, meaning that within the
next few months the Japs will begin
feeling the full weight of Allied
might from every side. Tokyo has
already told about the transfer of
strong air force units from the
European theater to the Philip
pines.
During the meantime, American
forces are mopping up the Jap
remnants on Okinawa, late reports
stating that the approximately 3,000
remaining enemy soldiers are being
pushed back to the island’s suicide
cliffs, that the U. S. troops are fight
ing furiously to end the battle and
avenge the death of their leader, Lt.
Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner, who
was killed by a Japanese shell in the
front lines, on Okinawa early yes
terday afternoon.
Fleet. Adm. Chester W. Nimitz an
nounced that Japanese resistance
was "crumbling and diminishing”
by last night after 79 days of the
bloodiest fighting of the Pacific war.
Nimitz disclosed that two units
of the Second Marine Division, com
manded by Brig. Gen. I.. P. Hunt,
had gone into action on the western
side of the Okinawa front alongside
the First and Sixth Marine Divi
sions. The men of the Second are
veterans of Guadalcanal, Tarawa
and the Solomons.
Dispatches said that elements of
five American divisions were crack
ing through the Japanese defenses
at will, chopping up the enemy into
isolated units and pushing toward
the 100-foot cliffs at the southern
tip of the island on the doorstep to
the Japanese mainland.
Reports said that the end of all
Japanese resistance was expected at
any time as the Americans slugged
through the last few thousand yards
leading to the end of the island.
On Luzon, American columns are
sweeping northward, scoring gains
up to eight miles, reports stating that
Japanese and Formosan troops were
quitting the fight in unprecedented
numbers.
At the same time, American
bombers are still hacking away at
industrial targets, leaving those in
(Continued on page six)
-4
Wounded Soldier Visiting
Relatives In the County
-a
Wounded in France last March,
Sgt. Macon D. Barber is spending a
thirty-day furlough with his wife,
Mrs. Elaine Barber, here, and his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. C. Barber
near Jamesville He just recently
returned to the States and after his
furlough he will leave for a hospi
tal at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for con
tinued treatment.
I MEASUREMENTS ||
i -/
A large majority of farmers in
this county reported tobacco
acreages to their respective com
munity committeemen last Fri
day and Saturday, but no accur
ate check on the project was to
be had immediately.
A preliminary review of the
initial reports indicates that
quite a few farmers overplanted
their quotas.
Those farmers who did not
get their measurements to the
committeemen are directed to
call at the county agent’s office
for a card form, fill in the re
quired information, submit it to
their respective community
committeeman and then return
the card properly prepared to
the agent’s office. No marketing
cards will be issued unless meas
urements are properly reported,
and the reports should be in by
the first of July,
Nfijy. County la xB ate T eniativfIv..
Fixed ai'$‘I,D5Per flWAssessed
Valuation By Board Last Friday
WINS THE HEART OF MARYLAND
- 111
IT'S MARYLAND, HIS MARYLAND, for S/Sgt. Paul J. Wicdorler, No. 1 hero
of that state, as he receives a jubilant reception in Baltimore after win
ning the Congressional Medal of Honor Here Gen of the Army George
Marshall personally greets the returned hero while at left of the wound
ed Sergeant are Sen George RadclifTe and Gov Herbert It O’Connor.
Mayor Theodore McKcldin (right) awaits his turn. (International)
Sentence Is Invoked in
Illegal Operation Case
Defendants Almost
Certain To Carry
Case To Governor
-$
Superior Tribunal I'lxpeeled
To Complete Criminal
Doeket Trial* Today
-«
Opening a one-week term for the
trial of both criminal and civil cases,
the Martin County Superior Court
yesterday cleared very few cases
from the docket and will hardly com
plete the trial of the few criminal
cases before late today. Much time
was spent on the trial of a drunken
driving case and the charge again: 1
Lucile Bowen Brown was aired dur
ing a greater part of the afternoon
before Judge Q. K. Nimocks, presid
ing, granted a motion of non-suit and
threw the case out of court after it
had traveled through two courts in
the county and the State Supreme
Court in Raleigh. A third defendant
pleaded guilty and accounted for
one-third of the judgment records
for the day outside of two divorce
actions which were run through the
mill after a sandwich fashion.
The Monday morning session was
opened shortly after 10 o’clock by
the Fayetteville jurist, and since no
charge to the permanent grand jury
was considered necessary, Judge
Nimocks handled the preliminaries
quickly and the second judicial dis
trict’s new and promising solicitor,
George Fountain, went into action.
The young man made a very favor
able impression and the record of
two losses and no victories does not
reflect his earnestness, sincerity,
work and ability. At the same time
it was apparent that he is a prosecu
tor and not a persecutor. The young
man had studied the docket before
he went into the court room, and it
was the nature of the cases rather
than the way in which they were
handled that limited the number to
two.
Tried and convicted in superior
court last September for aiding and
abetting in an illegal operation re
sulting in the death of Beulah Brown,
(Continued on page six)
-s,
Painfully Hurt In
Automobile Wreck
—*—
W. A. Bailey, Jr., was painfully
but not seriously hurt in an auto
mobile accident south of Bear Grass
near the Martin-Pitt-Beaufort boun
dary last Sunday afternr^n about
3:30 o’clock. His shoulder was hurt
and he suffered about a fifteen
stitch cut on his arm. Damage to his
car was estimated at about $50 by
Patrolman W. E. Saunders who in
vestigated the accident.
It could not be learned just how
the accident happened. According to
one report the young man lost con
trol of his car and it plunged into a
ditch and against an embankment.
The young man was given medi
cal attention in the local hospital.
Well into its second week, the
union daily vacation Itiblc
school here is making marked
progress, the superintendent an
nounced today. With nearly 200
enrolled, the school last week
reported an average daily at
tendance of 174 pupils.
On Friday evening of this
week at K o'clock, the school will
present a special program in the I
Baptist church. Arrangements
are being made to seat a capacity i
audience and the public is in
vited to attend.
County Colored Men
Report For Tests At
Fort Bragg Monday
Drnfl (un^lil Srv«*nil Men
Who Allegedly “Jiiiii|m*jI”
Their Johh
Twenty colored men were called
Monday to report for their pre-in
duction examinations at Fort Bragg,
the group including several who
were reported to have quit their
jobs without permission of the draft
hoard. Most of the men are single
and several are over thirty years of
age. Only three are in the teen age,
and only three were called from the
farm. Fight of the men had been re
jected previously hut were called
back when they were said to have
quit their jobs.
The names of the men called, their
registration and last-given addresses
follow:
Columbus James, Robersonville
and Baltimore.
Leo Bell, Robersonville and Suf
folk.
Normal Earl Sherrod, Oak City
arid West Palm Beach.
Samuel Ellis Smallwood, RFD 1,
WiUiamston and Baltimore.
Charlie Hardison, RFD li, William
ston and Norfolk.
Ben Junior Everett, WiUiamston.
Theron Lynch, RFD 1, Oak City.
Elsworth Andrews, Parmele.
Richard Winfred Hoffler, Wil
liamston and Portsmouth, Va.
Leo Ward, RFD 2, Robersonville.
Elijah Keys, RFD 1, Jamesville.
Grover Cleve Lyons, RFD 1, Wil
liamston.
William Clifton Lawrence, RFD 1,
Oak City.
Joseph Edward Purvis, Williams
i ton and Baltimore.
! Benjamin White Marshall, RFD 3,
.WiUiamston and Portsmouth,
j James Gray Eason, Robersonville
1 and Brooklyn.
James Godard, RFD 1, Williams
I ton.
Lonza Lee Rogers, WiUiamston.
I Frank Baker, RFD, WiUiamston,
and Lansing, Mich.
| Clarence Purvis, RFD 1. Oak City.
The following men were transfer
red, Columbus James to Baltimore,
Leo Bell to Suffolk, No-man Earl
(Continued on page six) I
Reduction Of Five
Cents Effected In
Rate lor New Year
Proposed Budget Calls for
Just Ahoul Same Amount
of Revenue As in 1944
Aftoi tussling with figures and
budget requests just about all day,
Hie Martin County Commissioners
late last Friday afternoon tentative
ly fixed the county’s tax rate for
the 1945-46 fiscal year at $1.05 per
$100 assessed property valuation
While the newly proposed rate is
five cents below the one tor 1944
45, the budget calls for almost the
same amount of money taised a year
ago. Last year, the $1.10 rate raised
$162,845.93 front general taxation.
This year, the $1.05 rate, it is esti
mated, will raise $162,724.00. It
was possible to drop the rate for
two reasons, first because there was
a marked reduction in general coun
tv bond requirements, and, second
ly. because of about a half million
dollar gain in property values.
With the exception of one or two
departments, budget requirements
remain virtually the same for the
new physical year ,<.i they were last
year. The schools with a rate of 50.7
cents are calling for an increase of
7.7 cents, the general county fund
is being increased from 9 to 13.5
cents, and about one-half cent is be
ing added to welfare administration
while the amounts for aid to the
aged and dependent children are ac
tually being reduced, along with a
one and one-quarter cent reduction
in the health fund. The main reduc
tion is traceable to county debt serv
ice. Some years ago, C. A. Harrison,
late treasurer of the county, bought
in bonds at a great saving. This sav
ing is reflected in the approximate
ly 9-rent reduction in the debt serv
ice rate this year. However, it
should be pointed out that the debt
service requirements will go hack
to about a normal figure next year,
meaning that the rate for that item
will jump front 26.5 cents for the
1945-48 year to around 35 cents for
the 1946-47 fiscal year.
It, is estimated that the general
(Continued on page six)
Capt. Tom Crockett
Tells of Horrors In
Concentration Camp
Locnl Young Mail In Auartlot!
Hronxe Star Meilal for
Anoniiilislinionls
Writing to his parents just before
V K day, Captain Thomas W. Crock
ett, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Crock -
i'tt of Williamston, described a few
of the horrors he found as a mem
ber of a liberating force in Germany
last May (itb
Captain Crockett was recently
awarded the Bronze Star Medal for
meritorious service, his command
ing officer commenting, “Captain
Crockett's outstanding accomplish
ments and performance of duties are
in the highest traditions of the mili
tary service.”
Moving into the Gt rman concen
tration camp, Captain Crockett
wrote:
"Today, I saw with my own two
eyes the greatest sight of horror that
it is possible to view. I’m not tell
ing you what someone told me, but
what I actually saw for myself by
visiting one of the German concen
tration camps. The sights are unbe
lievable and one must see them for
himself to actually realize the hor
ror of it all. I would probably have
gotten sick at the stomach if I hadn’t
already seen so much that I just sup
pose I had become hardened to it.
Believe me when 1 say it is impossi
ble for me to exaggerate the condi
“The camp had two wire fences
around it and was located in a piney
woods which was, in itself, a scene
of desolation. I did no. go into the
women’s section, but in the men's
section there were brick buildings
with holes for windows, but no win
dows. There were no floors—just
dirt, no heat, no lights, no beds, no
furniture, no water, no toilet facili
ties; in other words, ‘no nothing.’ I
walked into the first building and
lying on the floor were four or five
dead men. They wouldn't weigh 80
pounds They didn’t smell because
bones don’t smell. They had com
pletely starved to death and there
wan-just a thin layer of skin over
their bones. Some had just leaned up
against the side of the building and
gone to sleep for the last time. Some
hud a filthy blanket wrapped around
them and died in that position. The
living, if you could call them liv
(Continued on page six)