North Carolina Newspapers

TBS ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OYER 1,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ SI 0.2R 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME XLX—NUMBER 1 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, January 3, 1947 ESTABLISHED 1899 Judge J. C. Smithy Amount of $495.00 ***■'•*&&&. aNmt«vti Verv Large Crowd <* It was a big day in court ias<a Monday when Judge J. C. Smith called 21 cases in the last session of the recorder’s tribunal for the old year. The proceedings at tracted an almost record number of colored citizens, many of them waiting until the last case was cleared from the docket about 1:00 o'clock that afternoon. Although the court was sitting for the first time in two weeks, the number of cases was not un duly large for so long a period, but fines held to a right big fig ure—$495 for the day. Proceedings: Charged with operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license, Elbert Cotten pleaded guilty and was fined $25 and taxed with the cost. His license to operate a motor vehicle is to be denied for one year, the court recommend ed. Charlie Hill, charged with op erating a motor vehicle without a license and while intoxicated, was fined $75, taxed with the cost and had his license revoked for one year. Pleading guilty in the case charging him with the indecent exposure of his person and being drunk and disorderly, James Hor ton Hunter was sentenced to jail for thirty days, fined $25 and tax ed with the cost. The cases charging Fred James Calloway with disorderly con duct, assault, and simple assault and resisting arrest were continu ed ror the defendant until Janu ary 13. His ease pending in the courts for some time, Harrison Land, Jr., charged with non-support, was sentenced to the roads for nine months. The court suspended the sentence on condition that the de fendant pay $25 immediately and $7 each week for the support of v his wife and children. The money is to be handled by the welfare department. In the case charging William Henry Williams and Russell “Bud” Williams with being drunk and disorderly and with assaults, both pleaded not guilty. Williams adjudged guilty, was fined $10 and required to pay the costs. Thomas, adjudged guilty of a sim ple assault, was fined $15 and tax ed with the costs. Julius “Pistol” Bell, charged with drunken driving in a war rant drawn in open court, plead ed guilty and was sentenced to jail for ten days, required to pay a $50 fine and cost and had his li eggsa ' evos_ •i, - case before the court for further judg ment, A. W. Davenport was di rected to continue the payment of $25 a month for the benefit of his two children. Wilford Hardison, publicly drunk in the courthouse, pleaded guilty to the charge and was fin ed $10 and taxed with the costs. Admitting probable cause in the ca9e charging him with breaking and entering and an assault with a deadly weapon, Tom Scott was bound over to the March term of the superior court under bond ir. the sum of $350. In the case charging Kelly Wil kina, Lewis Jones and Aulander Best with being drunk and dis orderly and assaults with deadly weapon, Wilkins was found not guilty. Adjudged guilty of a sim ple assault, Jones was fined $15 and taxed with the cost. Best was sentenced to the roads for six months when he was found guilty of assaulting another with a dead ly weapon. Charged with drunken driving, C.laudine Shermon pleaded not guilty, and successfully defended his plea. However, he was adjudg ed guilty of being drunk while riding in an automobile on the highway, and was fined $20 and taxed with the costs. Lewis Henry Jones was sen tenced to the roads for six months for drunken driving. The road term was suspended on condition the defendant pay a $50 fine and costs and remain regularly em ployed. The court recommended that the defendant's license be revoked for eighteen months. Pleading guilty of drunken di ivhig ouu Operating a iiiCitof ve (Continued on page six) i County Assemblyman Gets --* i merce and supported bv more in the hands of Representative C B. Martin, requesting him to in t0tOtc and wtlrtc ^\ne passage of a bill creating a primary elec tion system for Wiliiamslon. Receiving the bill and its page after page of signatures, Repre sentative Martin who leaves next Monday for the opening of North Carolina’s 1947 session of the General Assembly, assured the Jaycees that a bill creating a pri mary for the town would be in troduced and that he would work for its passage. Calling the proposal to the at tention of Hugh G. Horton, local attorney and senator from this district, the Jaycee spokesman red th.,1 ton was quoted as saying, 11 (®Sri5rcs.cntalivc Martin' the bill and effects its pasasge in the House, I'll work to have it pS!£& .■t 9 - , The proposed bill, facing no ex | pressed opposition but delayed j these many years by what may be | termed lethargy or plain old in I difference, is now certain of pas j sage during the early part of the new session of the Legislature. Content to leave the drafting of the bill to the law makers and officials, the Jaycees pointed out they were only interested in see ing the town's election machinery modernized or brought up to the times. Whether the town shall be zoned is of no marked concern ' to the group, it was explained. NEW YEAR Except for the fireworks, bells, whistles and horns, the New Year took over last Tuesday night on schedule without too much noise and without accident. Some of the celebrants, allegedly, did not notice the change. A faithful few, possibly fif ty, attended the special union religious service in the Meth odist church here. A larger number were present at spec ial parties, but the majority, partly on account of the weather, slept through the change. County Youth In Foreign Service -4 According to statement of the recruiting sergeant of the U. S. Aimy recruiting sub station in Greenville, Roy Oray Stevenson, son of W. C. Stevenson of Wil liamston Rt. 1, enlisted for a three year hitch with United States Army a short while age Stevenson is single and assisted his father in farm work prior to his enlistment He completed nine years of school at James ville, before entering service with U. S. Navy where he served for three years. In an interview with the army recruiting sergeant, Stevenson said he liked the life in service, fine and had felt that he wanted to continue his military career; that he wished to complete his high school while in service and travel to some of the foreign countries. He was enlisted for the First Calvary Division Nov ember 29 and sent to Ft. Lewis, w---f.-.j shipment .111 Japan. Johnny P. Taylor, son of R. M. Taylor, RFD 3, Greenville, North Carolina, accompanied Stevenson. Both boys enlisted for the same service and were sent to Fort Lewis together. Taylor is a farm er by occupation and a former student of Hamilton Grammar and Oak City High schools. -% Martins Capture Two Loop Wins «. .. ■ Williamston got off to a good start in the renewal of league play by taking two games this week; defeating an outclassed Conway team 44-24 Monday night and turning back Windsor 37-31 Wednesday night. The win over Windsor brought the Martins up into tmrd place in the Goober Belt League standings. The local club is beginning to show the results of the players being together for a while and is gaing strength with every game. Using a deceptive and well exe cuted ball-handling attack the Martins are gaining momentum and scoring more every game. With every man scoring, the Martins had an easy night with Conway. Simpson, with 13 points, anl White with 11. led the locals. Warren, with 12, led the Conway attack. Wednesday rught, Windsor of fered more competition and kept the game in doubt until the clos ing minutes. Simpson, with 11, and White, with 8, again led the scoring for the locals. Roebuck played an aggressive game in tile offensive court, taking rebound; time and again. Eleven Traffic Violators Fined -!S Eleven alleged traffic law vio lators were fined in a justice of the peace court here just before Christmas, aceoiding to informa tion coming from Judge John L. Hassell who continues to receive treatment in a Washington hos pital for high blood pressure. Each of the defendants, alleged to have parked his car in or too near the highway at a garage dance hall on the old Greenville Road last month, was fined and taxed with costs in the sum of $11, as follows: Clifton Manning, Leonard H. Leggett, Paul Van Landingham, E. D. Peel, Elbert Tice, Dallas W. Gurganus, Sam S. Hardison, Chester B. Whitehurst, Robt. Bcacham, Walter Bailey and Jesse Council. Similar charges arc pending against several others, it was learned from Cpl. W, T. Simpson and Patrolman W. E. Saunders. Discussing his plight with of ficers, Mr. Bailey explained that he was playing for the dance, that he received only $4 for his service and the improper parking of his car cost him $11. The trial justice, leaving for the hospital before he could report the proceedings in his court, said that Levy Smith, charged with disorderly conduct, was fined $5 and taxed with the costs, J. E. Purvis, Edward Griffin and Law rence Wiggins, charged with the theft of fourteen hags of peanuts, were bound over to the higher cum i under bonds m Hie sum of $300 each. Local Boy Gets Navy Citation m V ■liiir-,T*" n»i Jr., USNH, son o? Mr. B. A., Critcher of 111 Watts St., Wii liamston, N. C., has received a permanent citation for the Air Medal from Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, for the presi dent. Lt. Critcher, who lias been re leased to inactive duty, received the award for his action in aerial flight during operations against the Japanese in the Kazan Islands area. During the war, citations were temporary, or incomplete, for se curity reasons. Text of the full citation is as follows: "For meritorious achievement in aeiial flight as pilot of a fight er plane in Fighting Squadron ID, attached to the USS Lexington, in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Kazan Blands area on Aug. 4 1944. When one of our submarines was assaulted by an enemy fighter aircraft, Lt. jg (then Ens.) Critcher installly at tacked and, firing several bursts into the Japanese plane, sent it crashing into tire sea, thereby en abling the submarine to carry out its mission. His devotion to duty reflects the highest credit upon Lt. (jg) Critcher and the United States Naval Service.” J » nm i ■ ... ^ — —— 1 1 ” Ahoskic Man Purchases Interest In Grocery -4 Purchasing an interest in the C. O Moore Grocery on Washington Street, Mr. Tom Parker of Ahos kie, has entered upon his new duties here. A salesman for a leading wholesale grocery firm foi a number of years, Mr. Park er will move ins wile' and two sons here next week. County Farmer • • f ■••■•» * ml Henry Wynne, 44 years old. Wednesday morning, the appar ent victim "of a fTran attack. wife, the former Miss Annie •Brown* JR her husband when the baby started crying. Re ceiving no answer she called neighbors and they pronounced him dead. The son of Mrs. Emma Scott Wynne Page and the late John D. Wynne, he suffered a broken leg lar* spring and was just beginning to get about with the aid of a stick. He lived in Williamston about a year, but had been work ing on a farm more recently or until he was injured in an acci dent. Besides his mother, widow and one child, he is survived by one brother, Robert Wynne of Oak City and ten sisters, Mrs. Bessie Manning of Kinston, Mrs. Winnie Pearce of Franklin, Va., Mrs. Maggie Reason of Hamilton, Mrs. Bettie Hignott of Greenwood, Delaware, Mrs. Nellie Carter of Plymouth, Mrs. Picey Haislip of Portsmouth, Mrs. Polly Lamb and Mrs. Gilbert of Elizabeth City, Mrs. Dora Stevenson of Williams ton, and Mrs. Reba Mac Page of Jamesville. Funeral services were conduct ed at the home Thursday after noon at 2:30 o'clock by Rev. Jack Purvis and interment was in the Wynne cemetery near Gold Point ... .. Albemarle Union Meets Next Week —<*>— The Albemarle Union meets in Washington Christian Church Wednesday, January 8, in a one day session. Among the speakers are Rev. H. Glen Haney of Green ville, Rev. Rupert Foster of New Bern, Miss Etta Nunn, former missionary to Mexico, Rev. J. W Lollis of Pantego and others. Rev Elmore Tutner, the president, and Rev. John L. Goff, vice president will preside at the sessions. A large number of Disciples arc expected to attend from all over the Albemarle area. The meeting is cooperative, constructive and spiritually helpful. It is expect ed that all organizations and all phases of the brotherhood life oi the Disciples of Christ will be pro moted and represented. -i Mrs. Bettie Adams Continues Quite Hi -« Mrs, Bettie Adams, mother ol Mrs. W. C. Manning, was report ed gravely ill in a Smithfield hos pital Thursday afternoon. Mrs Manning and other members ot the immediate family arc at her bedside. COUNTY BOARD “We start the new calen dar year next Monday with out a single entry in the new business ledger,” J. Sam Get singer, clerk to the Martin County Board of Commission ers, announced yesterday what was cooking for the first 1947 session. It was pointed out, how ever, that routine business, including the inspection of re ports and bills, would take up “right much time.” Tuberculin Tests Tubercul System ♦ — It tuuereiribdis is ever to oc eradicated, it will be by early | finding of every case and by mu;> tering all forces to arrest the dis ease before it can be spread to healthy persons. One of the aids the doctor has in his TB detective work is the tuberculin test. This does not tell whether a person has the disease, but it does tell whether or not TB germs have ever entered1 the body. A small amount of tuberculin is injected into the skin through a tiny needle, as in a Mantoux test, or a tuberculin-treated patch is placed1 on the skin, as in Vollmer’s patch test. If the skin at that point shows a red, raised reaction within a few days, the germs are present, either in an active or in active form. If a tuberculin test is positive, the doctor has an important clue with which to work. He will im mediately follow up with a chest X-ray and other tests to find out whether the germs have taken hold and the disease is develop ing. In this way he often finds cases in the early stage when there are few outward symptoms, and when the disease can be most easily and quickly arrested. In many instances of positive reaction to the test, the chest X ray and other tests will be nega tive, This indicates there is no active TB of the lungs. However, the doctor will not relax his vigi lance. TB germs do not come out of nowhere. They are passed on directly from people who have the disease. When there is a posi tive reaction in a healthy person, it is certain he has at some time or other come in contact with an ac tive case of tuberculosis. The doc tor will make every effort to find the sick person and urge him to undergo treatment so that his dis ease will no longer menace those about him. The doctor will also advise that j the person who shows a positive reaction to the tuberculin test should have chest X-rays taken at regular intervals to tnake sure that the germs are still under control and aie doing no damage to lung tissue. Tuberculin tests are partieular | ly useful among school children. They are painless and easy to ad minister. Children of this age group do not often contract tub erbulosis, but a positive reaction reveals they have been, and may still be, exposed to the disease. | This frequently leads to the find jing of unsuspected cases within the family circle o t»u ter people with"whom the children come in close contact. Accepts Position With Lindslvy Ice Company • P. Lynwood Taylor, experienc ed merchandising mar, and for a number of years coach of high school and college athletics, has accepted a position with the Lindsley Ice Company. Coming here from Portsmouth, Mr. Tay lor will be in charge of sales, it was announced. He plans to move his family here just as soon as he can find an apartment. All for One and One for All When Friends Go To Court Carried into the county court last Monday for destroying pro perty, Jake Spruill confidently pleaded guilty and William J. Keel, Henry and James Godard and Lloyd Bonner pleaded not guilty and their pleas were well supported. After Judge Smith had sentenc ed Spruill to the roads for eigh teen months, more of the story leaked out. Spruill, asking would it be possible for the other de fendants to help serve the sen tence and learning that there was no provision for such a division, broke down and told the story to Sheriff C. B. Koebuck. “I was possibly a bit drunker than the others when wc went on a rampage and broke out store windows atld d*iuastd*el{v£t~gs©' perty in Everetts late last Satur day night,” Spruill was quoted as saying. “It was agreed that since I was drunker than the others .1 was to plead guilty, accept all the blame, and the other four were to share equally in the fine and costs,” he added. It was a rude awakening for the young man when it was explained to him that there would be no fine or costs. Whether or not the other four were just smart and worked Spruill into the hot spot is* not known, but they were said to have left the court room hurried ly and without even as much as nodding to their benefactor or waving goodbye. Spruill left for a Gates County road camp the following morning and there’ll be plenty of time to •fjg«se..«ut. just bow all .were fur one and one was for all. Burns Are Fatal To Died Initepital Late Last Monday -♦ Clothing Ignited By Burn ing Christmas Tree Aban doned in the Yard -• Janice Gray Ward, a brigh' lit tle girl of five years, died in a Washington hospital at 11:25 o’clock last Monday night of burns received the Friday morn ing before while playing around a burned and abandoned Christmas tree in the yard of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Simon J. Ward, of near Williamston. News of her | untimely and tragic death came as a great shock to members of her family and friends throughout the community. Her clothes burned from her stomach and chest, the little girl never cried or complained. It was not until a short time before the end that she became restless, and something was given her to ward off pain, the end coming peacefully. An older sister, Thelma, was clearing the Christmas decora tions from the home, and had burned the tree in the yard. Miss Ward watched the tree burn and the fire had all gone out except possibly for a few smouldering embers around the branches. Jan ice’s three-year-old nephew, Rob ert, was in the yard, and Miss Ward, calling to the children to follow her, turned and started to the house. Little Miss Janice is believed to have detected a piece of tinsel that withstood the fire and started to reach for it. Ap parently she came in touch with the smouldering ember, firing hei clothing near her stomach. She tried to beat it out with her hands and one report stated that the lit tle nephew tried to dig in the hard ground for dirt to throw or her burning clothing. When the fire had burned through tin clothing she screamed and two other sisters, Miss Mary Ellen Ward and Mrs. Jack Sullivan, ran to her, Mrs. Sullivan grabbing and carrying a bathrobe with her, Both the older sisters burned their hands painfully but not bad ly in smothering the fire. The little victim, bright as she could be and an idol in the home and among her friends, was car ried to the hospital and received treatment within a very short time. Born on August it, 1941, Janice Gray had made a lot of friends, both old and young, for one her ago. she wouM ac company (is outer-sister lu^rchbol here and the little girl seemed to enjoy it so much, and those who saw her seemed to enjoy her pres ence. Funeral services, condilfcted in the Macedonia church not so far from the home Wednesday after noon at 2:00 o’clock, were attend ed by almost record numbers. Rev. D. W. Davis, the pastor, con ducted the last rites, and inter ment was in the John Alfred Rev els burial ground in Griffins Township. Surviving besides her parents are two brothers, Floyd and James R. Ward, and five sisters, Mrs. Joe Mellon of Farmville, Mrs. Jack Sullivan and Misses Thelma, Mary Ellen and Geral dine Ward, all of the home. - “ .."—i*— Attorney Ami Mayor Better .. Reports reaching here Thursday afternoon stated that Mayor John L. Hassell and Attorney Wheelet Martin who entered hospitals for treatment last week are improv ing. The mayor, suffering with high blood pressure, was said to he sit ting up most of each day and had talked about returning home from a Washington hospital. Mi Martin, looking decidedly better than he did when he entered a hospital in Rocky Mount the dry after Christmas, was reported ti be getting along very well. Mrs Martin who has been at Iris bed side much of the time since lie suffered a relapse, returned home Thursday afternoon. N t mwmw:—if of commissioners are sched uled to hold their first meet ing: of the new calendar year next Monday evening at 7:30 o’clock. Mayor Protein L. P. Lindsle.v will preside in the absence of Mayor John L. Hassell who continues ill in a Washington Hospital. No im portant business is scheduled for consideration at the meet ing. Mr. Lindslcy said. While his condition is re ported to be somewhat im proved, Mayor Hassell is ex pected to continue in the hos pital for treatment for several weeks. Heading the town’s government for a total of six teen years lacking five months, Mr. Hassell during that time never missed an of ficial meeting of the board. Guilt Shifted To Witness In Case —•— Claudine Shermon colored man, was carried into the county court last Monday to answer a charge of drunken driving, and Julius ‘Pistol” Bell, his colored chum, was called as the main pro secuting witness. The ca. in which the two men were travel ing, had crashed into a highway patrol car some days earlier Taking the stand, Bell told that Shermon came to his home early that morning, that he (Bell) cut Shermon’s hair, and that Sher mon wanted to borrow his car. 1 lent him my car and I went along with him,” Bell was quoted as saying.. It was a good story, Bell apparently realizing from the ! start that if Shermon’s conviction 1 failed, he would be next in line. But Shermon did not go into court empty handed, lit had wit I nesses of his own, and when the defense had its day in court it | was proved that Bell was driving the car just a few seconds before the accident. A warrant, charging Bell with drunken driving, was drawn by Solicitor Paul 1). Roberson in open court. Bell pleaded guilty and drew a $50 fine, the court costs and had his license to oper ate a motor vehicle revoked for one year. While Shermon escap ed from under the drunken driv ing charge, Judge J. C. Smith found him guilty of being drunk while on the highway and the de fendant was fined $20 and raxed with the costs People ('all For Amnesia Victim —@— Christine Armstrong, young colored woman found wandering aimlessly on the highways in this section a week ago, was returned to her people lust Tuesday after a stay of three days in tile county jail. Her condition at the time she was reunited with her aunt, Em ma Armstrong, of Fremont, was apparently improved, and she ap peared pleased to see her aunt and uncle. It was learned that the girl had had similar spells, that she slip ped away from home oil the Wed nesday before to go to Norfolk ii> visit hi i mother. The suit ea.-.e and other articles she carried when she left home have not been found. Where the gu 1 spi nt the time from Wednesday until she was taken into custody has not been determined. -* lather And Sun Are Patients In Hospital ——— Mr. Robert Salsbur.v, Si , and son, Robert, Jr., are improving in a Tarboro hospital, the lather from a major operation and 'he son from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. The son was badly hurt, his in juries including a crushed arm, in an automobile accident neai Bethel lust month. While visiting his son in the hospital last week Mr. Salshury was taken ill sud denly and underwent an opera* jfioh mufiS'CttuVel'y. * Fix Tax Schedules Meeting »—w> .'i4vh - Fop Vvy»*&ial Properties Thu cumiWB^^WK having rul ed against, a revaluation of real estate, several of the county’s ten township tax list-takers set up schedules for assessing personal properties at a meeting held in the courthouse with Tax Super visor M. L. Peel this week. Little change is noted in the schedule adopted last year, except for mot or vehicles. Inventories and stocks are to be listed at two-thirds of their ac tual value, the officials decided. Peanuts carry a tax value of $6 a bag, arid cotton is to be placed on the books for taxation at $100 a bale. The stable is taxable only if it has been in the producer's hands a year or more, but that produced in 1946 and now held by brokers is taxable, it was explain ed. Tractors arc to be valued at the rate of 60 percent of their pur chase price, less annual deprecia tion. Tobacco trucks will carry a tax value of $4 to $8 each and tobacco sticks are to be listed at $8 per thousand. Tobacco curing barn equipment will vary from $75 for a small barn and $100 for a large one. I,umber is to have a tux value of $30 per 1,000 feet, and logs will be assessed at the rate of $20 per 1.000 feet. Meat I on the rack is to be listed at 15 cents a pound. A value of $10 to $50 is being placed on brood sows, and pigs at the rate of 15 cents per pound on the hoof. Poultry carries a flat value of $1 per head. No. I horses have a value of $150 for tux purposes, and a No. 2 horse is lo be listed at a value of $25 to $75. First class mules are to be listed at $300, while others, depending on their age and condition, are to be listed at a price ranging from $25 lo $250. » The best milk cow is to be listed at $100 and the No. 2 class at $50 per head. Other cattle are to car ry a value of $10 to $75. The tax value of calves is to range from $10 to $25. Sheep are to be listed at $2 per head. Ordinary, com mon goats are to go down at $1 while miik goats carry a value up to $25. The big change in the schedule | is supported in the motor vehicu lar field by "Red Book,” a nation al used cat market report. A pre liminary review of the listed val- 1 ues in the book shows some fair ly sharp reductions in old car tux values, but new car prices hold to reasonably high levels. Listings j I are given as far back as 1935, and I for those models prior to that ; time tlie list-takers are to fix an i arbitrary value. ■" Foid-et+t' va’ r fas.dims,, purposes are to' be 'listed as fol lows, for a Tudor sedan: 1945 model, $109; 1936 model, $130; 1937 model, $170; 1938 model, j $210; 1030 model, $315; 1940 mod- 1 el, $415; 1941 model, $560; 1942 model, $645. There were no mod els in 1943, 1944, 1945, but the 1 ww\fl<«1 itirli.r enrl-in i c tit l\u (Continued on page six) Slightly Injured In (lar Accident Ht i t v J. Redden Eveiett, Robor- ■■ sonville minister, was painfully a but not badly hurt in an automo- 'jg bile accident on Highway No. 125 ji near Hamilton lust Tuesday after* no m 1! car, a now Chevrolet, was badly damaged. The Baptist pastor, eii route to Hamilton to conduct a funeral service, suffer ed cuts and a bruise on his head, i A hog ran into the road and when the car struck him it swerv ed to the left, went into a ditch and turned over. The minister^ crawled out of the ear through a window, but was unable to meet his appointment. However, lie slimed his ministerial duties » short time later, according to re-” ports reaching here. Investigating the accident, Pai t.olman W. la Saunders statfl that the damage to the ear vvofi approximate $500. The anij was marked, but the owner hi not been determined. A sec<| hog was struck and killed in highway later by Mr. L. R. Ev ett, but no damage was uui,a ■ms-rsrr—..