North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK ESTABLISHED 1899 VOLUME L—NUMBER 19 William»ton, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, March 7, 1917 4 1 Skewarkev Masons mi Hold Annual Meet On Tuesday Night ——«--1 Over Three Hundred Mem bers of Order and Spec ial Friends Aiiend -♦ In pointing out the teachings and moral values of Masonry, Dick Bundy, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the state of North Carolina, stated that, “No man is bigger than the way he treats his fellow man.” when he spoke to approximately 300 Masons, their wives or friends here Tuesday night. The annual Masonic banquet was held in the high school gym and the largest crowd in the his tory of the lodge was in attend ance. The annual event is a cli max or culmination of an attend ance contest held by the members of Skewarkey Lodge each year. Under the leadership of Frank Weston the Blues won while the Whites, with Paul Bailey at the helm, lost, and as a result paid for the dinner. George Harrison. Jr., master qf Skewarkey Lodge, presided at the meeting. The invocation was said by Rev. John Goff and the intro duction of Bruce Wynn, program chairman, followed. Bill Spivey introduced the celebrities at the meeting, including the speaker. Much to the delight and pleas ure of his audience, Mr. Bundy devoted most of his speech to pleasantries and in a jocular or humorous vein. In, conclusion he compared Masonry with religion stating that the fraternal organi zation was created for the sole purpose of building the charac ters of men. “We arc living in a great age and it is incumbent upon us to deliver unto the fu ture generations a greater and better world than that heritage handed down to us.” Mr. Bundy said. It was the pleasure of the Grand Master to receive the 33rd degree with President Truman. "It could be said that President Truman took the degree with me, for Masonry teaches above all else that no man is bigger than another or smaller than another man. James C. Manning, also a mem ber of the program committee, presented jewels to the following men who have served as masters of the local lodge: John Eubanks of Hassell, Jesse Crisp of Oak City, T. B. Slade, Ben James and Ben Courtney, all of Williams ton. Brief remarks were made by Mrs. Blanch Twiford, of Elizabeth City, who heads the Eastern Star, the largest woman’s organization in the country. Mrs. Twiford pointed out that the principles of the Eastern Star are founded or based on the Bible, and its teach ings, too, are moral and scrip tural. The following received prizes: Mr. T. C. Cook for being the old est member of Skewarkee Lodge; Mrs. F. U. Barnes, for the oldest woman present, and Mrs. Jack Sullivan for the youngest wife of '.h*44n»'»* present The Rev. Mr. Lucas of Ply mouth was 'also recognized. Mr. Lucas has been attending, as a special guest, the Masonic ban quets here over a long period of years. A Baptist minister he has the reputation of being one of the most influential Masons in East ern Carolina. Despite the large attendance tContinued on page eight) -o—. Plan Course In Bible In School At the regular monthly meet ing of the yfilliamston Ministers Association, on Monday, arrange ments were rn^de for the Holy Week services each morning at Walts theater and Union services each night at the various churches, beginning March 31. The concluding service will be the singing of “The Seven Last Words” by the united choirs of the city, at the Methodist church on Friday night. The touching of the Bible in tire public schools of Williamston was also under consideration. If .suf ficient funds can be raised to se cure a teacher, a class in Bible can be taught. Rev. Hurley is chairman of this movement to have the Bible taught in the local schools. i Hundreds Report for Band ! Instruction in Local School Nearly two hundred pupils in the local high school this week indicated they would like to com pete for a place in the school’s new band now undergoing reor ganization under the direction of Professor Jack Butler. The direc tor added that a call for recruits in the lower grades was being delayed until he could work from under the avalanche coming down upon him in the high school. Suspended during the war and since, the band is facing many problems in its reorganizational program, but the director and the pupils are manifesting a keen in terest and after a most encourag ing fashion, leading observers to believe that the local high school is now laying the foundation for a real musical outfit. “We have thirty-five $35 uni- ! forms,” Professor Butler said, ! adding that they were in good condition, but short of expected requirements. "We are also short of an adequate number of instru ments. New ones are not yet to be had, and we are looking to old pupils and the second-hand mar ket to relieve the shortage." the director said, directing an apipeal to all those who have instruments and can spare them, urging that they be sold, rented or loaned to the new pupils. Despite the handicaps. Profes sor Butler plans to go ahead with the reorganization of the band. He will work out the best possible plans to maintain the great in terest being shown by the young sters. the band director declaring that he was greatly impressed and that he was determined to do his level best in building a band the entire district would be proud of. There will be no tuition fee and practices will be maintained through the summer. Mrs. Alice Godard Died In Hospital Thursday Morning —— | Last Kilo at Funeral Home Here Friday Afternoon At 3:00 O'clock Mrs. Alice Godard, one of the town's oldest residents, died in | the local hospital at 1:30 o'clock ! Thursday morning following four I years of declining health. Her condition had been critical fol lowing a fall at her home on West Railroad Street a week ago. She suffered a broken hip and pneu monia developed and she was re moved to the hospital a short time later. A weak heart hasten ed the end. Up until the time of the fall she had been fairly ac tive, handling all .her house work. The daughter of the late Dur ham and Margaret Ann Waters Hardison she was born near Jamesville 84 years ago the 20th of last August. In 1881 she was married tu Salmon Luther God ard and located in Williams Township where she spent a few years lx fore moving to Williams ton about 1892. Shortly after making Williams ton her home she joined the Mem orial Baptist Church. In addition to rearing her immediate family, she opened her home 1o her grandchildren and others, includ ing several orphans who found a refuge there. The needy and down-and-out were never turned from her door without sharing some relief and encouragement. Surviving are two sons, Joe and Noati S. Godard of Williamston, and a daughter, Mrs. S. A. Lassi ter of Smithfield; two sisters, Mrs. Lenore Godard and Mrs. Eva Perry, both of near Jamesville; seven grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren. • Funeral services will be con ducted Friday afternoon at 3:00 o’c Ij i I?! V fa Funet a 1 Home here on West Main Street and burial will be in the family plot in Williamston's Woodlawn Cemetery. Dr. Ira D. S. Knight, pastor of the Memorial Baptist Church, will conduct the last rites. -o lit‘ar (•raxs Tamils Anil Trite liars To Meet The Bear Grass P.-T. A. will meet Tuesday night. March 11, at 7:30 in the school auditorium. All part .its and of he ird.crerh d per sons are invited to attend. INCOME r ■N \. J Although February was a short month and only four sessions were held, the Mar tin County Kecorder’s Court handled a very large volume of business. In his report to the county commissioners in their regu lar monthly meeting March ;t, Clerk of Court L‘. 1$. Wynne listed court lines at $1,100. Court costs accounted for $702.55, and superior court papers boosted the total by $18.50. Miscellaneous income was listed by the clerk’s of fice at $177.13, boosting the total income for the office iu February to Sl,'J38.18. PENALTY A penalty of approximately 19 cents per pound will be pjaced on excess tobacco poundage this year, according to unofficial information re leased a few days ago. The exact figure for the penalty will depend upon the total 194(i crop, of which com plete figures have not yet been compiled. The tentative 19 cents penalty announced this week is figured on 40 per cent of the 1946 crop. Heads Red Cross In Jamesvilie Area —«— Mrs. J. C. Kirkman this week accepted the chairmanship of the Red Cross fund drive in James viile Township. She is being as sisted by Mrs. C. T. Gaines, it was announced earlier in the week by Chapter Fund Chairman C. B. Clark. While they are getting off to a delayed start, the chairman and her assistant hope to com plete the drive in that district in a short time. Final plans for extending the drive into every community in the five township chapter were handled Wednesday afternoon at a meeting of county colored teachers. They agreed to make the appeals in their respective districts. A preliminary report released Thursday noon by the fund drive chairman, Claude B. Clark, Jr., stated that about one-third of the quota had been raised, that the canvassers making reports were in the Williamston district main ly. Two Minor Road Wrecks Reported -4 No one was hurt and no exten sive property damage resulted in County highways this week. Raymond Fagan, driving an old 1934 model ear. started to make a left turn into No. 9(1 filling sta tion Tuesday morning at 7:30 o'clock when Henry M. Bryant, meeting him with a truck, clipped the rear end of the car off. Wednesday morning at 11:30 o’clock, William Henry Munson started to make a left turn into the Griffins Township Road at Old Mill Inn when Chas. Mack Jenkins, driving a tractor-trailer, started to pa..s and tore into the side of Munson's 1937 model pick up truck. Investigating the acci dents Patrolman W. E. Saunders estimated the damage at $125. -- De/nity Collectors To Aid Income Tax Payers Working to help income tax payers prepare their returns ire fore the deadline on March 15, deputy collectors, both federal and state, have been assigned to regular stations on designated days. United Statis Deputy Collector John D. Lilley will be in the Wil liamslon post office each day ex cept Sunday from 3:30 to 5:30 p. in. through March 15. State Deputy Collector E. Ross Fronebcrger will be in his office in the courthouse on March 12, 13, 14 and 15 to a s t persons in fil ing income tux reports Handles Seventeen Cases In County's Court This Week Fines Amounting To $320. Imposed By Judge J. C. Smith -# In a comparatively short ses sion and working with a medium size group of spectators present. Judge J. Calvin Smith handled seventeen cases in the Martin County Recorder’s Court last Monday. Fines, amounting to $320. were imposed, and one de fendant drew a year on the roads for interfering with an officer in the performance of his duty. Proceedings: Charged with drunken driving. Clarence B. Ayers, Jr., was found not guilty. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the check and court costs in the case charging C. L. Hadley with issuing a worthless check. Pleading guilty in the case charging him with pubLic drunk enness, Clyde Jones was fined $20 and taxed with the costs. Charged with allowing a non licensed operator to drive his car, Lester R. Meeks pleaded not guil ty. Adjudged guilty he was fin ed $10 and required to pay the court costs. A continuance was allowed un til next Monday in the case charg ing Leonard Boston with tres passing. The case in which Willie Brown i was charged with false pretense was nol prossed with leave. Herbert Cotton was fined $20 and taxed with the cost in. the case charging him with indecent exposure. Charged with drunken driving, Isaiah Roberson pleaded not guil ty. Adjudged guilty he was fin ed $50, taxed with the cost and had his license revoked for one year. Charged with indecent expos ure, Hogan Smith pleaded not guilty when his case was called Walter “Bud” Freeman, charg ed with assaulting a female and interferring with an officer in the performance of his duty, was sen tenced to the roads for one year. Judgment was suspended upun the payment of the cost in the case charging C. C. Berry with assaulting a female. Aulander Ward, drunk and dis orderly, was fined $10 and re quired to pay the costs and had his license to operate a motor ve hicle revoked for one year. Drunk and disorderly, Elijah Ward was fined $10 and taxed with the court costs. » Pleading guilty in the case charging him with being drunk and disorderly, James Bryant was fined $10 and required to pay the court costs. o Everett Funeral Largely Attended ——*— Funeral services for Mr. Lester Everett at his home iri the Spring Gaidi n seeLounc.■ .1 e.-, day afternoon were attended by pos sibly one of the largest crowds to assemble in the county in a num ber of years as a tribute of re spect to the memory of a fellow citizen and friend. Mr. Everett died at his home near Roberson ville early Monday evening fol lowing an illness of only two days. The last rites were conducted by Elder A. B. Denson of Rocky Mount, and he was assisted by Rev. J. M. Perry. Burial was in the ftobcrsonville Cemetery the motor procession extenling a goodly part of the way from the home to Robersonville. Tenant House Is Burned Tuesday • The tenant house on the farm of Mrs. J. M. Bowen near here, was completely destroyed by fire Tuesday, March 5, at noon. Catch ing from a defective flue in the living room, the fire quickly de stroyed the dwelling which was occupied by Handy Slade, color ed man, and his family. All the furniture and clothing owned by the Slade family was completely destroyed and they would appreciate any old clothing that can be spared and donated ••by the peoph. ot this section. Homeless Looking To This Country For Safe Refuge ——— Former German Prisoner Of War Writes To His Old Employer Driven from their lands and homes, many Germans are look ing to this country for safe re fuge. A former German prisoner of war in the Martin County camp. Karl Weber recently wrote to his old employer, Mr. D. M. Roberson, and pleaded his case. The letter follows: After so long time I want to let you know something about me. After a safe passage we arrived on May 2nd England where we have been kept as prisoner of war til December 9th, 1946. On De cember 12th I arrived at Bruns wick and stayed here with my sister. Unfortunately my native place is now Polish and we are Without any means. I have had as you know a farm of about 50 acres and all has been taken by the Polands. When I .was working at yours in the hay harvest you told me that you were ready to accept German workers. Being now homeless I and frit nds of mine would like to come to USA. Hereafter you will find our personal notes: Karl Weber, married, born 24. 6.1910. Emma Weber. 36 years. Waltraut Weber, 12 years. Emma Nafe, my sister, 49 years, tailor. Wolfgang Nafe, 16 years, lock smith. Adolf Lehmann, 53 years, mas on. . Ida Lehmann, 47 years, tailor. Otto Posch, 40 years, farmer and locksmith. Manfred Posch, 17 years, smith. Eva Posch, 311 years. Herbert Wonncberger, 37 years farmer and butcher. Edeltraut Wonncberger, 34 years, wife and 2 children, 10 and 6 years. Gertrud Ludwig, 36 years, tail or. Else Ulbrich, 30 years, house keeper, steward, 1 child, 4 years. Josef Henkel, 51 years, mach inist. Wolfgang Keydel, 45 years, en gineer, at present mason, with wife and 5 children (1-19 years) Russian Zone. Peter Schoriki, 30 years, shoe maker and baker._ Helene Hansel, 35 years, seller. Gisela Hansel, 10 years. (Continued on page eight) -^ — Lions’ Club Opens Door For Richard In continuance of their work among the blind and visually handicapped, which is their main objective, members of the local Lions Club really “opened the door (for) Richard” last week when they turned over a brand new home to Richard Thompson, local bi'ihifT.iT'JJS*. colored maii? Thompson has been more or less a protege of the local club for about the last three years, or since the club changed his status from a beggar on the streets to a small full-time merchant by building a small stand on Wash ington Street here, where the op erator has managed to earn enough to live. Recently faced with about a triple increase in lent for the small shanty he had been occupy ing for several months, Thompson appealed to the Lions Club for some relief. Members of the club decided that the best solution would be to build a small house for Thompson, and with a mem ber of his own race furnishing the plot of land on West Church Street here, the house was soon under way. Headed by Lions H. P. Mobley and J. 11. Eduards, along with a few others, a nice, compact 12’ x 1C one room house was recently turned over to (lie new owner, who is mighty proud of it. Thompson appeared at the last meeting of the club to brief ly express in his own humble manner his appreciation for what the club has done for him. The project, in addition to the labor, represented an expenditure of around $200.00, the money coming from the club's share of the receipts from the hall eliew ui“ gum machine*. Officer Exonerated In Death Case Here i Inquest Is Held In Stokes Bov's i Death Wednesday i -Is Coroner’8 Jury Finds Offie-j er Justified In Defend ing Himself Officer John Roebuck of the local police force was exonerated from all blame and responsibility b♦ a coroner’s jury Wednesday morning in the fatal shooting of Tom Stokes, Jr., young colored man, in front of the Cotton Club here on Washington Street early last Monday afternoon. Stokes, shot through the body, died in a local hospital Tuesday shortly be fore noon. The formal inquest was held by Coroner S. R. Biggs in the may or's office here at 10:IK) o’clock Wednesday morning when the of ficer and three witnesses took the stand and related the acts leading up to the fatal attack. Messrs. V. J. Spivey, K. 11. Worrell, Grover Pittman, LeRoy Taylor, M Luth er Peel and Stephen S. Manning were summoned to serve as mem bers of the special jury, and they unanimously found that the offic er while in the performance of his duty acted in self defense and ex onerated him from all blame and responsibility. Making a statement to the jury. Officer Roebuck said that he was called to the Colton Club by the manager. James Slade, about 1:30 on the afternoon of March 3. "Slade told me that he had had trouble wiiii Stokes and two other boys," the officer said. He con tinued, “I told Stokes he was un der arrest and asked him to ac company me. 1 explained to him that ‘Little Bud’ Freeman had received a sentence of one year on the roads for resisting arrest, that it would be easier for him to submit without any trouble. He cursed me, damned Judge J. C. Smith and the courts and declar ed he was going no where. I pleaded with him and finally pre vailed on him to leave the build ing. When we reached the out side, Stokes refused to get into the car. 1 took hold of him, and he pushed' away. Drawing back he pulled his knife out of his pocket and started closing in on me. I fired two warning shots into the ground and pleaded with him to stop. When he continued toward me, I shot him," the of ficer told the jury. The club operator said that Stokes and two other boys had some liquor, that they would go out of the pool room and drink. "Stokes came back cursing, and I warned him against that. When he continued 1 told him t would have to call the law. Stokes dawned the law and declared he would go nowhere. The other two boys ran. Officer Roebuck an .-.vvii ilii— i» ■ 'VL •* ' i» to’ consider himself under arrest, but Stokes, cursing and abusing the officer and the law, declared he was going nowhere. The offi cer finally got him out of the building, and I saw Stokes push the officer on the shoulder, break awyy and1 pull out a knife. Mr. Roebuck told the boy to slop and fired Iwo warning shots into the ground before he shot Stokes,” Slade said, and added that the of ficer did all In' could not to hurt the boy. Slade explained lhat lie hau nad trouble with *•< he: oil previous occasion, and told the jury that Stokes hud a bad repu (Continued on page eight) V-_ _J S. Collin Peel, local young man, was recently appointed principal to the Naval Acad emy, Annapolis, by Congress man Herbert (’. Bonner. The young man, now a student at Hast Carolina Teachers Col lege, is the son of Mrs. Beu lah T. Peel and the late S. Collin Peel. The first Martin County youth to get a similar ap pointment to Annapolis, he plans to enter upon his train ing there possibly early next fall. mi u Kf> v. The construction of the large center support for the river bridge here was delay- J ed Thursday morning when sleet and snow started falling shortly before daybreak. Ar rangements had been com pleted for pouring the large concrete pier, but weather conditions interrupted the schedule and it is problemati cal when the concrete work can be handled. The opening of the east ap proach of the bridge to two way traffic was also delayed, but the stop lights are being removed and the one-way lane will be widened Friday. Issue Twenty-Two Marriage Permits During; February —♦— Issuance Holds To Fijiim* Slightly \lum* The Average -«— Twenty-two marriage licenses were issued by the office of regis ter of deeds in this county last month. The issuance while break ing no record was slightly above the average, but fell eight below the February count of last year. Licenses were issued last month to the following: White Herman L. Perry, RFD 3, Wind sor, and Eunice Louise Wy-e” of Everetts. Jimmie Baker and Marie Hollrs, both of Oak City. Mack Gilbert Roberson and j Emma Ruth Shaw, both of Wil ' liamston. John J. Trnacek and Annie Marie Stalls, both of Roberson ville. James Arthur Adams of Par mole and Olive Muriel Green of London, England, and Parmelc. Colored Lester Wiggins of Greensboro ami Aurelia Elizabeth Jones of Wi I liamston. James Riley Whitaker and Vera Mae Jordan, both of Jamesville. Joe Nathan Parker of Rober sonville and Alberta Demary of Oak City. Kenneth Skinner and Mildred Savage, both of Palmyra, Janus Saunders and Geneva Saunders, both of RED 1, Oak City. Joseph James, Jr., and Eva Lee Pierce, both of Jamesville. Garland Wilson and Hiawatha Jenkins, both of RED 2, Rober sonville. James Hudgins of Williamston and Edna Mae Spruill of Everetts. John Henry Bryant and Oc toria Savage, both of Oak City. Robert Raynor and Mary , Louis, Bryant, both of Hamilton. Kobe ; iT’eefT Ji . aiVcT ‘Kfnniie Clyde' Bond, both of RED 2, Wil liamston. Elijah Biggs and Robena Dug gan, both of Jann svdle. James Gary of Scotland Neck and Nannie Parker of Oak City. Curtis Lee of Robersonvilie and Annie Louise Jenkins of Par melc. Warren 11. Spellman and Eleanor Freeman, both of Wil liamston. Norman Lee Mabine of Cale rain and Lillie Mae White of Mer ry Hill. Oak City's Cruris Planning Reunion — --<>>- * —— Forming their first alumni as sociation, graduates of the Oak City High School are planning a lug reunion fur May lJ. Direct in vitations are being mailed to a large number and in those eases where addl e . i are not known a general invitation is being ex tended. A big banquet is being planned for that evening at, 8:1)0 o'clock, and the giadualea ale being ask ed to bring their wives or hus bands. boy friends or girl friends. N. W. Johnson is the association president and Miss Bettie Mae Smith i: serving as secretary uml ! treasurer. ' cnalor Pepper Says GUP Policy Leading To ^ar KJ Declare* Thai RepiihHrana \re Seeking To Split Ea*t and West -<r> Speaking in the U. S. Senate a short time ago. Senator Claude Pepper of Florida, declared: that the policy of the Republican Par ty was leading to war. The second and final install ment of Senator Pepper’s speech follows: The Potsdam agreement . . . It provided for the prosecution of German war criminals of all kinds, for getting the Nazis out of any sphere of leadership in Ger man, life; for the eradication of Germany’s military machine, in cluding the General staff; for the industrial disarmament of Ger many by the removal of the in dustrial equipment with which Germany prepared for and waged war and such tight control over the German economy that while it would produce for the German people a standard of living equal to the average of European na tions it would provide no margin, for war-making. . . . Potsdam did not destroy the G< rman nation or the German people, nor did it condemn the German people to poverty . . . Now, Mr. Dulles, making a ma jor foreign policy speech dealing with the future of Germany—a speech which he says has the ap proval of Sen. Vandenberg and Gov. Dewey -upon the very eve of the Moscow conference of for eign ministers, turns his back upon tiie Potsdam agreement. What does Mr. Dulles propose in its place? First, he proposes that the Rhineland and the Ruhr, vvith their vast industrial resources, shall not be industrially disarm ed but that instead their power be revived—a power whose only justification in the past was war fare, military and economic. Second, Mr. Dulles proposes that this revived industrial heart of Europe be integrated in some unspecified fashion into the econ omy of three western European countries, France, Belgium and Holland. And even as late as 1939 Mr. Dulles could not see a rearmed, Nazi. Hitler-led Germany as any threat to us, for he said, “only hysteria entertains the idea that Germany, Italy or Japan con templates war upon us." . . . Those who studied Germany, after the end of the war discov ered that all of the damage in flicted upon Germany during the war hud not destroyed her war making power. It is known that neither the German people nor the German economy suffered so much in the war as their victim neighbors in Europe, In fact, it was a calcu lated part of Hitler’s sinister stra tegy that it Germany should lose the war it would still win it by emerging stronger than its neigh bors whom he, with liendish de sign and efficiency, murdered, to: lut ed Tfm.scr plundered. Five million Jews alone in Europe he butchered . . . Now this proposal of Mr. Dulles' is not basically new. although it wears a new guise. It is the dang erous doctrine of all those who have been seeking for almost 3i) years to pit the West against the East, to use Germany as the in dustrial and military wedge to split the world in two. It was the doctrine that motivated the loan of billions of dollars for rebuild ing Germany after World War I. 1: is the duct rim which animated Tory appeasement of Germany under Baldwin and Chamberlin, (Continued on page eight) Baby Critically Burned Thursday —i— J. Perry, Ji . nine months old, was critically burned at the Iumuu of his parents near Jamesviilu Thursday morning. Almost two thirds of his body was burned, one report said, when the crib clothing caught fire. A curtain, resting near a flue, caught fire and burned down, to the crib firing the bed clothing and the baby's clothes. Burned from tho head down, the ipfant was removed immediately lo th%.\ hospital here.