United War Fund Drive Extended - - Make A Contribution Today NEARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN THE ENTERPRISE NEAR Li 4,MM COPIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN VOLUME XLYljt—NUMBER 87. Wilhamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday November 2, 1945 ESTABLISHED 1899 judge Calvin Smith Calls Twenty Cases In County’s Court Tribunal In Session Until Late Afternoon Clearing The Docket Judge J. Calvin Smith called twen ty cases for trial in the Martin Coun ty Recorder's Court last Monday and worked until late in the afternoon be fore clearing the docket. The session attracted an unusually large crowd, and while the proceedings were little more than ordinary ones they were followed attentively. Assaults and knife attacks were aired in the court, indicating that while the war is over over there, the fight is still going on here at home. Willie Beard, young colored man, ex hibited his $40 worth of stitches tak en to close ugly gashes made in his head and both arms by a scout knife in the John Small. Proceeding? Booked for trial in three cases. Ben Long Stevenson pleaded guilty of be ing drunk and disorderly, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest. Judgment was suspended in one case, and in the other two he was sentenced to serve six months on the roads, the second to begin at the expiration of the first. The defend ant appealed and bond was required in the sum of $400. Charged with non-support, Clar ence Purvis pleaded guilty and the case was continued until the first Monday in January, the defendant during the meantime, to pay the cost and $4 a week for the support of his child. Willie Beard and John Small, charged with an assault, both plead ed guilty. Small was sentenced to the roads for six months, the court suspending all but the first five days of the term upon the condition that the defendant pay the cost and a $20 fine and $75 to Beard for medical treatment. Beard was sentenced to the roads for four months, all but the first five days of which being sus pended upon the payment of a $25 fine and costs. Pleading not guilty in the case charging her with an assault, Mary Rhodes was adjudged guilty of sim ple assault. She was sentenced to jail for thirty days, the court sus pending the sentence upon the pay ment of the costs and $20 to Frank Little for damage done to his daugh ter’s glasses. The defendant was also ordered to stay away from the Ev eretts school grounds unless she was attending school. The case charging B. Moore with an assault with a deadly weapon and Cole Cowan with an affray, were continued until next Monday. Mary Parker was adjudged guilty of an assault with a deadly weapon and drew a four months jail sen tence. The jail term was suspend ed on condition that the defendant report to the county home and work under the supervision of the super intendent and abide by the rules and regulations of the institution. The case charging Reda Powell with an assault with a deadly weap on was nol prossed with leave. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the cost ir. the case charg ing Estella Andrews with an assault with a deadly weapon. Adjudged guilty of assaulting an other with a deadly weapon, Elsie Moore was directed to pay the case costs and $25 doctor’s bill for the osecuting witness. Charged with speeding and operat g a motor vehicle with improper akes, Raymond Lewis Phelps eaded guilty of operating a truck ith improper brakes and was fined 0 and taxed with the cost. Dennis Jones was sentenced to jail r a day and fined $10 and taxed ith the cost in the case charging m with violating the health laws. Judgment was suspended upon lyment of the cost in the case larging King Latham with passing school bus illegally. Charged with violating the liquor ws Josh Rascoe was fined $50 and xed with the cost. The defendant ipealed and bond was fixed in the im of $150. Lafayette Pearsall, charged with vaulting a female, was sentenced to ,e roads for ninety days. All but ,e first ten days of the sentence was ispnded upon the payment of a $25 ne and costs. The defendant is not , be publicly intoxicated for one »ar and not to go around with any omen other than his wife. Clyde Best was sentenced to -he ,ads for thirty days for allegedly olating the health laws. All but ie first three days of the sentence as suspended. Charged with drunken driving, eslie Evans Pritchard pleaded gull , and was fined $50, taxed with the ist and had his license revoked for onr vear. »■ Strait Pile And Potatoes^ Burned In Griffins District Believed to have been fired by per sons acting thoughtlessly, a st’’a^ pile and about $50 worth of feed sweet potatoes were burned in Grif fins Township last Wednesday even ing about 9 o’clock. Arthur Revels the owner, sew the fire and kept ii from spreading. Freezer-Locker Plant Purchase Two Lots On North Haughton Street This Week G. H. Harrison Named Presi dent And Johnny Gurkin Vice President —■ t *4.775 88 Sr far the following have re ported: Willismston $2,647.13; Bear Grass, $307.70; Poplar Point, $107.05; Cross Roads, $280; Jamesville, $314, and Dardens, $120. It is quite apparent that some of the canvassers appointed have been delayed, and they are being asked to complete the urgent task as soon as possible. Native Of County Dies At His Home In Wilson Tuesday —®— Funeral Services Wednesday For Waller A. Brown; Bur ial In Cemetery Here -• Walter Archibald Brown, a native if this county, died at his home in Wilson at 1:55 o'clock last Tuesday norning following several years of leclining health. His condition had >een critical for weeks and the end vas not unexpected. The son of the late John Thomas 3rown and Martha Coburn Brown, le was born near Robersonville on October 27, 1870, and spent his >arly life on the farm there. Coming o this community when a youth he ocated with his family at the Jackie 3rown Springs place, and was mar ked to Miss Augusta Mizelle when a -suKg-man. The family later located n Williamston, and after a number >f years here moved to Smithfield. >f years here, moved to Smithfield, Petersburg and Baltimore, locating n Wilson about seventeen years ago. de was a retired farmer, and except or an occasional visit in the county vilh relatives and old friends he ipent his declining years at home. Besides his wife he leaves three rhildren, one daughter, Mrs. Mar >aret de Chasseloup Laubat of Wil lon, Ernest Brown of Atlanta, Geor gia, Clarence Brown of Wilson; a sis ,er, Mrs. W. A. Osborne of Roberson rille. A son, Captain Walter Brown of he U. S. Army Medical Corps has see nmissing in the Pacific theater or three years, and is presumed i&id. Funeral services were conducted 'rom the home Wednesday afternoon it 2:00 o’clock by Elder S. B Denny, Primitive Baptist minister. Inter nent was in Woodlawn Cemetery lere. Fund Drive Among The Negro Citizens Other than the ^>ne report from Dardens, nothing had been heard from the United War Fund Drive among the Negro citizens until today when a member of the Central Com mittee for the five lower townships stated that there is a strong deter mination among the canvassers to meet the $1,000 goal challenge. Dar dens exceeded its goal, and is the only district—-white or colored—to meet the challenge and exceed the quota. “As yet. however, we do not have the full assurance that all the Negro citizens have been reached in the worthy drive for suffering humanity, so we are asking each one who has not responded to his utmost to take part in the whirl-wind move by con tributing as liberally when solicited," a member of the colored citizens’ committee said. The leaders are planning to carry the appeal to others on Saturday when public booths will be maintain ed at three centers. “And please don’t pass us by,” the committee spokesman pleaded. Pfc. Delbert Leggett Home From Long Slay In Europe ■111 - — ~ After thirty-four months in the Army, Pfc. Delbert Leggett recently returned from Europe and is at home with his paernts, Mr. and Mrs. John Leggett, in the county. Overseas eighteen months, the young man had quite a few close calls but came back without a scratch and wearing five battle stars. He has received his honorable dis charge. Mrs. Dave Matthews asses In Hospital Here Last Tuesday Funeral For Well - Known Hamilton Citizen Is Held Wednesday -■ ■ # Mrs. Minnie Ransom Matthews, well-known and highly respected Hamilton citizen, died in a local hos pital last Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock following a long period of de clining health. Despite her advanc ed age and feeble health she was un usually active up until just a short time ago. She had undergone hos pital treatment several times during the past year or more and was thought to be getting along very well until last Friday when she became suddenly worse and her condition was considered critical. A member of a family for genera tions well known in the affairs of Tyn. il County and especially in the Episcopal church whirl, was largely supported by it for many yearr, Mrs. Matthews was born on December 1, 1863, the daughter of the late Dr. Ed ward and Josephine Alexander Ran smo. She was born in Greensboro where her mother had taken refuge when the Federal forces were oper ating in this section of the State dur ing the War Between the States, At the close of the war she went to the old family plantation in Tyrrell County and lived there several years or until after the death of her par ents. When about nine years of age she came to Williamston to live with her aunt, Mrs. Fannie Alexander Biggs, and her husband, Dawson Biggs. She was married to Mr. Dav id Matthews on October 23, 1882, and located in Hamilton where she lived until her death. Although reared as a child in the Episcopal church, Mrs. Matthews joined the Baptist church and was the oldest member in Hamilton, at tending services regularly up until just a short time ago. Mrs. Matthews was the last of three children, Mrs. Wheeler Martin and Mrs. Chas. Davis, sisters, preced ing her in death. Mr. Matthews died in March, 1944. She is survived by three children, Mrs. Edward Council of Morehead City, and Messrs. Ed ward Matthews of Tampa, Florida, and Don G. Matthews of Hamilton, and two grandchildren, Lt. Edward Council, Jr., U. S. Naval Reserve, and Don Matthews, Jr., U. S. Army, now stationed at Camp Pickett, Va. Funeral services were conducted in I the* Hamilton'Baptist Church WetH nesday afternoon at 4 o’clock by Rev. J. P. Harris, Baptist pastor of Bethel, and Rev. J. M. Perry, Robersonville minister. Interment was in the fam ily plot in the Hamilton cemetery. Fractures Skull In Auto Accident —<*,— Driving an old model Ford toward Williamston on Highway 17 last Sat urday night about 11 o’clock, Charlie Watts Fagan, colored man, lost con trol of the machine and it turned over, fracturing his skull and cutting one of his ears. It was first reported that the man escaped with minor injuries, but he was later removed to the hospital where it was learned he had suffer ed a fracture of the skull Several companions escaped unhurt, accord ing to information reaching here. Fagan was quoted as saying that the wheels on the car locked and caused him to lose control of the machine. Damage to the car was es timated at $200 by Patrolman W. E. Saunders who made an investigation. --<&> ■ County Couaina Met Over In France Few Day a Affo -<*> Writing to relatives back home, Pfc. John B Leggett said it was the happiest day of his life when he un expectedly met his cousin, Pfc. Gil bert Whitaker, on the streets in Reims, France. “I grabbed him by the arm, and for a minute he did not recognize me. He was glad to see me, too, and we walked and talked and had pictures made. I’ll never forget that day,” he concluded. He told his mother, Mrs. Minnie Leggett, and his wife and children, all of Williamston, that he hoped to be back in the States soon. THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . For the first time this year, the number of accidents on Martin County highways and streets ex ceeds those reported for the first 43 weeks in 1944, the figures out stripping those in every category except one and a tie is seen there. The following tabulations of fer a comparison oi the accident trend: first, by corresponding weeks in this year and iast and for each year to the present time. Forty-Third Week Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam’ge 1945 3 1 0 $ 525 1944 0 0 0 000 Comparisons To Date 1945 59 36 6 11,875 1944 57 36 5 10,000 [[licit Liquor Business Flares Upin This County In October f -1 After being held to possibly the lowest point for any period in re cent years, activities on the illicit li quor front in this county broke out of the summer slump to set up what some call a normal record for Oc tober. The business is far from any activity peak, and the operators are still experiencing shortages, but de spite the handicaps they are trying to turn out spirits of one kind or an other. Reporting his enforcement activi ties for October, ABC Officer Joe H. Roebuck stated that fourteen liquor manufacturing plants were wrecked during the period. Most of the plants were of crude manufacture and poor ly equipped. However, a 50-gallon capacity copper kettle was found the latter part of the month Very few plants are equipped with copper stills these days, the officer declared. As !\EW CAM vJ The Stylemaster, Chevrolet’s first creation in the 1946 models, is being displayed in the show room of the Roanoke Chevrolet Company here, an advance re lease pointing out quite a few changes in style and general mechanical make-up. Attending a meeting in Char lotte yesterday, Mr. John Henry Edwards, manager of the local company, pointed out that the front end had received complete ly new treatment with a larger bumper, guards, radiator grille, parking lamps, hood ornament and name emblem all presenting a new appearance. He went on to point out other improvements in the mechanical features of the car which were brought about as a result of engineering devel opments during the war and ap plied to automobile manufacture. The body is of unisteel construc tion, meaning that the floor, pan els, cowl and turret top roof are welded to form a single all-steel unit of great strength. Increase In Number Of Tires Allotted In Countv Recently -$> Drains Are Slill Unable lo Meet Deniaml; Storks Are Depleted -$, Although dealers’ stocks are just about non-existent for the popular sizes, more tires were rationed by the Martin County War Price and Ra tioning Board last Friday than at any other time in recent months. The board allotted 161 tires- 140 for ears and 21 for trucks—at the meeting. Truck tires were issued to the fol lowing: Eastern Telephone Co., John Gui kin, American Fork and Hoe Co., R. C. Davis Mule Co., J. L. Holliday Es tate. Vance L. Peel, E. E. Brown, II L. Roberson, W. I. Skinner and Co., G. and H. Builders’ Supply Co., Wil liamston Lumber Co., Williamston Package Manufacturing Co. Passenger car tires were rationed to the following: F. S. Scott. Archie W. Griffin, L. R. Long, N. B. Thomas, Jr., Palmer Taylor, C. D. Taylor, P. C. Edmondson, T. T. Adams, Claude Keel, Elbert McGowan, N W Slade, Lester House, S. R Biggs, Penrose (Continued on page four) Call Nine Men For Final Induction —*— Nine colored county men were called for final induction into the armed services on November 1, but two of them, Zeb Gaynor, Parmele and Raleigh, and Charlie Hardison, RFD 3, Williamston and Portsmouth, failed to report. Gaynor had been called twice and his name has been turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for action. The case of Hardison is being held in abeyance pending a search by the county draft board. Five of the men called are fann ers, but none is married. Seven of the nine men are just eighteen years of age, the ages of th< two being 24 and 25 years. Names, registration and last known addresses of the men called: Zeb Gaynor, Jr., Parmele and Ral eigh. Charlie Hardison, RFD 3, Wil liamston and Portsmouth, j James Edward Williams, William.: i ton. Jesse Lawrence Brown, RFD 2, V^iliiamston. James Dennis Williams. RFD 1, Oak City. Arthur Hudgins, RFD 3, Williams ton. John Daniel Shaw, RFD 2. Rober sonville. James Whit Clemmons, Williams ton. Earl Rogers, RFD 3, Williamston. sisted mainly by Deputy Roy Peel, the officer poured out 750 gallons of cheap molasses beer, confiscated five and one-naif gallons of white light ning and arrested one alleged viola tor. Two defendants, charged with violating the liquor laws, were tried in the courts during the period, fines amounting to $100 and road sen tences aggregating 21 months. Last Tuesday, the officers raided in the Poplar Point section and wrecked a plant equipped with a copper still. The officers poured out three barrels of molasses beer and confiscated two gallons of molasses and two gallons of illicit liquor. The officers went to the Free Un ion section of Jamesville Township Wednesday morning and found busi ness idle on the illicit manufacturing front. It was one of the few times the officers raided in that section and rehirned amply-handed County Colored Man To Die For Murder < iouiily Mini To <»o I )u Trial About Tin* Mobile Of This Month Adjudged guilty m a Norfolk court last Tuesday, Ernest Edward Fagan, 30-year-old Martin County colored man, is to die in the electric chair for the first-degree murder of Hor ace H. Cox, 42-year-old automobile dealer, in Norfolk last September 4 Fagan—a lithe, debonair man who attended his trial in patent leather shoes—was said to have heard the verdict with the same unperturbed calm he had displayed earlier in the day while reciting to the jury details of what the prosecution described as "one of the most atrocious, most shocking crimes ever perpetrated in Norfolk." In the audience which packed the courtroom and heard the verdict without demonstration were Cox’s widow and mother and the defend ant’s parents from near Williamston. The verdict climaxed a two-day trial which saw the Commonwealth send witness after witness to the stand to build up by both circum stantial and direct evidence an over whelming proof—-of- guilt When the defendant himself went on the stand his story coincided in all essential particulars with that out lined by Commonwealth’s Attorney J. Sydney Smith, Jr. Fagan and his accomplice, Frank Peterson, 24-year-old Negro, who is to be tried November lit on the same charge, did not intend to kill the used car dealer, Fagan told the jury. They intended to rob him; but j when Cox reached for his own re i volver Fagan grabbed it, he testified "I was so excited 1 didn’t know whether to run or shoot,” the de fendant said. "So I shot after I was in it that far." While Peterson shot twice with his automatic Fagan wrested the revolv er from Cox and shot him. Search ing the dealer further for valuables, they took his wrist watch and car, drove to a friend’s house on Cumber land Street and there divided the spoils $1,31)0 in cash and the watch. (Continued on page four) Plan Armistice Day Supper For Veterans Plans or an Armistice Day cele bration in the county have not been made, but arrangements are going forward for a big free dinner for all white veterans of both wars, with a special invitation being extended to men still in the service at that time who may be home on leave. Committees have been named It) prepare the meal which will be serv ed in the Legion Hut in Williamston at 7 o’clock on Monday, November 12. Jl. U. Peel, George H. Moore, Hubert Roberson and John Hadley are to get squirrels and chickens in large numbers and prepare the meal, it was learned. SLOW START | ; The Victory Loan Drive, launched in the nation last Mon day, is making only fair progress in this county at the present time, Drive Chairman D. V. Clay ton said yesterday. Several of tile township and district chair men have called for material and applications, pledging their best efforts and support in helping carry the campaign over the top by tlie end of this month. No detailed report on sales to date could be had, but only a few thousand dollars have been in vested so far by county people, it was learned. Martin County has an over-all quota of $544,000—$243,000 in “E” and $301,000 in negotiable bonds. About One Hundred Ylurthi County Men Released Recently —<*■— Number of Discharges Steadi ly Increasing Month I?v Month -> Nearly 100 Martin County young men were discharged by the armed services during recent weeks, all of them severing their connections after periods of honorable service. The ninety-five men—70 white and 25 colored—whose names are listed be low, were discharged from the latter part of August through about the middle of October, according to in formation gained from the Draft Board a few days ago. Other dis charge papers have been filed, but they have not been officially entered in the records at this time. The number of discharges is mounting fairly i.ipidly month after month, the draft u,receiving about a dozen in a single day re cently Two men, Harvey Lee Stalls, white of RFD 1. Oak City, and Louis T. Alston, colored of RFD 1, Roberson ville, were discharged last August. Stalls had been in the service since October, 11)40, and Alston went in last July and came out the follow ing month. The men whose names follow were discharged in September, the figures after the names indicating dates of enlistment: White Mack Gilbert Wynn, 2-41, RFD 3. Williamston; Joseph Carl Williams, 3-41, RFD 1, Jamesville; James Elmer Stalls, 3-41, RFD 1, Jamesville; Leslie Thurston Fowden, !l 40, Williamston; Jimmie Lindsey Dickens, 4-41, Williamston; Nathan Hedrick Mobley, 1-41, Oak City; Earl Clifton Manning, 11-42, RFD 1, Wit liamston; Harry Livingston Martin, 3 42, Jamesville; Dallas Murry Har den, 8-41, RFD 1, Jamesville; James William Bedwell, 4-43, Jamesville; Aaron Brown, 2-41. RFD 1, Oak City; Howard Russell Taylor, 9-40, Robersonville; Grady Elmer Harden, (i 42. RFD 1, Jamesville; Lacy Daniel Ward, 12 40, RFD 2, Robersonville; Howard Lee Karps, 4-42, Williams ton; Thad Leach Hodges, 9-40, RFD 2, Williamston; Junior Manning, 9-40, Parmele. Robert Franklin Edmond son, RF’D 1, Hobgood, served two years and eleven months in conti nental service and two years and eleven days in foreign service, but the month he entered the service was not given. C W«ii#»--j4KUGr- Spruill, 8-41, Everetts; James Patrice Keys, 4-42, RFD 1, Jamesville; Richard Hy man, 10-41, RFD 1, Robersonville; James Curtis Roberson, 11-41, Rob ersonville; Wesley Anderson Or mond, 10-42, Williamston; John Thomas Perry, 9 42, RFD 1, Wil liamston; Raymond Henderson, 5-45, RFD 1, Jamesville, William Paul Al britton, 9-41, RFD, Williamston. The partial list of dischargees for October follows: White -Thomas LeRoy Taylor, 4- 41 RFD 3, Williamston; James Dal burgh Riddick, 3-42, Everetts; Julius Melv in Warren, 3-41, Robersonville; Jasper Elbert Jackson, 1-41, RFD 3, Williamston; Roy Avant Hinson, 3-41, RF'D 3, Williamston; Johnnie B, Flar rell, 11-40, RF’D 3, Williamston; Johnnie B Harrell, 11-40, RFD 3, Williamston; Burke F'elix F’eed, 9-42, Williamston; Gilbert Mobley, 6-41, RF D 3, Willimaston; Warren Ray Al len, 4 42, RFD 3, Williamston; James Hilery Daniels, 4-41, Oak City; An drew Jackson Motllin, 1 45. RFD No. 2, Robersonville; Marvin Kelly Whitehurst, 7 41, RFD 2, Roberson ville, Winfoui Moble> 44, RFD 3, Williamston; Henry Luther Harris, (i 42, RF’D 2, Williamston; Lawrence Ward Spencer, 11-43, Jamesville; James Harold Griffin, 9-42, RFD 1, Williamston; Jesse David Heath, 10 41, Williamston; Cecil Ross Bullock, 4 43, Robersonville; James Augustus Williams, 10-42, RFD 1, Roberson ville; Paul Graham Swinson, 8-41, Williamston; Eli Clayton Rogers, 9 41, Williamston; Howard Everett Roberson, 4-42, Robersonville; Philip Cecil Blount, 7-42, Jamesville; Vance Augustus Powell, 4 44, RFD 1, Rob ersonville, Thurston Frederick Dav enport, 8-41, Williamston; Floyd Ulysses Stalls, 3-42, Everetts; Clyde Hugh Hines, 8-42, Williamston; Wil liam Henry Peel, 5-43, RFD 1, Wil liamston; Tom Henry Ward, 4-43, Robersonville; Luther Gordon Leg gett, Jr., 8-42, RFD 3, Williamston; Grover Ramon Moore, 1-41, RFD 1, Williamston; Thomas Lloyd Speller, 5- 43, RFD 3, Williamston; Edwin Horace Carson, 8-42, Jamesville; Roger Benjamin Riddick, 12-42, Ev eretts; Roy Gray Manning, 10-42, RFD 1, Oak City; Rosebud Joseph Hardison, 8-42, Williamston; Perry (Continued on page four) -$ Open Series Of Revival Services hi Local Church Everyone is cordially invited and in gud to attend the revival services at the Memorial Baptist Church which began Thursday night, Nov ember 1, and will continue each eve ning, except Saturdays, through No vember 11, at 7:45 o’clock. The pas tor, Dr. Ira D. S. Knight, will bring the messages and both the regular and youth choirs will lead in a period of gospel singing each evening.