North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT ► OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT! families twice each week THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B! OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNT1 FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK \ ULUME L—NUMBER 22 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday , March IS. 1917 ESTABLISHED 1899 Ragland Pays The Supreme Penalty y For County Crime —*—. Condemned Man Said T« Have talked Noncha lantly To His Death Otis Ragland, 30-year-old Granville County colored man, last Friday paid the supreme pen alty for criminally attacking Mrs. Floyd Moore at her home near Williamston in Williams Town ship last November 8. The execu tion, the first in the State this ^ year, marks the final chapter in one of the most heinous crimes reported in this county in years and years. Said to have admitted the crime, Ragland, according to wit nesses, walked to his death non chalantly between two prison guards and behind the prison chaplain, William H. R. Jackson. He showed no signs of emotion, and after a quick glance at the witnesses he centered his gaze to the floor. Five minutes before he took his last walk. Ragland, alias Sam Davis, joined twenty other in mates on Death Row in singing the hymn, "Pass Me Not, Oh Gentle Savior,” which he had re quested. Ten minutes prior to that time, the activities in the State's large prison were halted, and a death silence cut the at mosphere. There was no passage in or out the prison gates, the sev enteen witnesses, including Mr. Moore, husband of the attack vic tim, his brother, Herbert Moore. Martin County's Deputy Sheriff Murray Holloman. Patrolman W. E- Saunders and A H. Sessoms, a for mer executioner in the elec tric chair days, and S, J. Tetter ton took their places before the windows to the little gas cham ber. If the condemned man opened his mouth after singing the hymn, his words were not recorded. He moved to the death seat without aid. At one-half minute past 10 o'clock that morning R. A. Rndg ers, chief executioner, released the cyanide gas balls into a buck et of hydrochloric acid. Ragland, his face covered by a mask, took one or two deep breaths and laps ed into unconsciousness. His neck swelled to enormous proportions and then subsided, the prison physician, Dr. W. G. Cheves, pro nouncing death 13 minutes after j the gas pellets had been dropped into the acid. Ragland wore only white trunks, but a tube leading to a stethoscope outside the gas chamber was strapped to his body with adhesive tape. Ragland did not struggle, De puty Sheriff Holloman stating that the mtui partly closed one hand and that the index finger on the other moved just a little. State Bureau of Investigation Di rector Walter Anderson, one of the seventeen witnesses to the execution, was quoted as saying I that Ragland "couldn't have died more easily under the circum- 1 stances.” After Ragland was pronounced ...t* gait’■ *>; *>S CiCiiitU, 11 on i . the small room by a suction fan, and the body was placed on a stretcher and wheeled out of the room to the court yard and placed in a hearse. Removed to a Ral eigh morgue, the body was not claimed immediately. He had re quested that his mother, residing up north, not be advised of his fate. A brother and his grand father visited him on Death Row ! Thursday but they made no ar- I rangement to claim the body. (Continued on page six) ROUND-UP Local and county officers j had a busy time last week- j end when they rounded un j and jailed an even dozen al- j leged law violators. Two- ( thirds of those arrested were booked for public drunken- t ness or disorderly conduct. i One each was booked for c breaking and entering, as- ( sault with deadly weapon, as sault and rape, and stHI an- i other was detained on an old i charge. Numbered among the drunks was a 27-year-old t white woman. The ages 1 ranged from a low “sixteen” t to 52 years. Six of the twelve j i Pay Over $36,000for Ha If Interest In Store Building While little activity is being re i ported pn the farm land market j at the present time, real estate in ' Wiiliamston, according to ex pressed opinions, continues to command high prices. At a sale here last Friday noon, one-half of the Harrison Brothers Company store building on Main Street sold for $36,600. The sale was made to D. E. Darden, after the owners had received a $36,500 bid from outside interests. A small three-room tenant house on Simmons Avenue was sold to Henry Griffin for $2,225, and a vacant lot on the same street was also sold to Mr. Grif j fin for $825. | Three lots belonging to the Har ! rison heirs were sold on Elm Street for amounts ranging from $650 to $700. it was reported, and B. A. Criteher bought a house and i lot on the south side of the Ply mouth Branch Railroad for $1, 500. The sales are being delayed pending confirmation within ten day's, it was learned. Purchasing one of the lots on Elm Street, W. C. Bunch, local barber, stated that during the de pression back in the thirties he purchased a lot just across the street for $35. Several outside parties were saidi to have been here Last week end looking over certain' pieces of real estate, but as far as it could be learned no transactions were effected at that time. j CONFERENCE District Highway Commis sioner Merrill Evans of Ahos kie and other highway of ficials and engineers will hold a conference in the Mar tin County courthouse Thurs day morning at 11 o'clock. A delegation from Griffins Township, interested in the completion of a farm-to-mar ket road there, is expected to meet with the officials and commissioners. That afternoon the officials ■ and hoard members will make an inspection of certain roads in the county, it was learned. Two Minor Road Wrecks In County -® um woo null. UMU JilliL property damage resulted in twc highway accidents reported in this county over the week-end. James Raleigh Roebuck, ol Broad Creek Road. Norfolk, was driving toward Williamston on U. S. 17 at 4:45 o’clock Sunday after noon when Robert Rogers, meet ing him, started to make a left turn into Ira Rogerson’s drive way, blocking the Roebuck car. Investigating the accident, Pa trolman W. E. Saunders said that the damage to Roebuck's car would approximate $100 and that to the Rogers car would run about $50. Rogers was tempor arily detained on a drunken driv ing charge. Backing his 1940 Chevrolet sedan out of a little used path into the highway near Commis sioner R. L. Perry’s farm and choking it down about 11:50 o’clock last Saturday night. Chas. T. Clark of Washington virtually blocked the thoroughfare and be fore he could move it, Morris M. Lubus plowed into him with his 1940 Ford coach. Lubus swerved hie car to the right and avoided a direct crash, but fenders on both cars were smashed and a tire was ripped open on the Lubus car. No one was hurt, and Clark accepted tSjjyp"tage. £L»<Sr!H car and $100 on his own. The driver of the Clark car was cited for improper parking and a hear ing is slated in the case later in lire week. Corporal W. T. Simp son, investigating officer, said yesterday. Lubus, traveling from Florida :o his home in Danbury, Conn., ■vas accompanied by Joseph Se .aro. — o Facing Court On Car Theft Charge Allegedly stealing a car belong ng to an Oak City farmer, Robert -<ee Ruff, colored, is facing trial n the superior court this week, n Robersonville Saturday even ng, Ruff, of Hassell, drove the ar away and wrecked it between "arboro and Rocky Mount a short ime later. He was arrested and s scheduled to answer a drunken [riving charge in the Edgecombe ourts next Monday. He w'as also aid to have been operating an utomobile without a driver’s li ense. Given a hearing before Justice • B. Whitfield in Oak City last vening, Ruff was placed under ond in the sum of $250. Unable o raise the bond he was placed a the county jail by Patrolman V. E. Saunders. ( Native Of County Fatally Hurt In Norfolk Accident * -— Funeral In Loral Church For John E. Whitfield Monday, 3 P. M. Funeral services were conduct ed in the local Pentecostal Holi ness Church yesterday afternoon at 3:00 o’clock for John E. (Dick) Whitfield who was fatally hurt in a street car accident at Norfolk j early last Friday evening. Rev. J. Floyd Williams, pastor of the i church, conducted the service and j interment was in Woodlawn Cem etery here. The body was brought ! here from Norfolk early Sunday afternoon and lay in state at the Biggs Funeral Home until an hour before the service. [ Complete details of the acci j dent could not be learned here immediately, reports from Nor i folk stating that an inquest would be held Tuesday afternoon. Ae i cording to one report, Whitfield, a native of this county, was operat ing a Naval Base streetcar south on Norfolk's Hampton Boulevard when it became necessary for him to adjust the trolley line at the thirty-eighth Street intersecion. Stepping from the left door of his car, Whitfield was struck by a northbound car opemted by Mar tin T. Connelley. No charges were filed immediately against Connelley. One report reaching here stated that the young man was left in a dying condition for twenty minutes at the scene of the accident before he was re (Continued on page eight) Painfully Cut 111 Sunday Attack -W—— Henry (Latham) Peel was painfully but not seriously cut in a free-for-all fight on Pear! Street here last Sunday evening. Wannamaker James, colored man just recently out of the hospital where he lingered between life £-? • s m.j* , suit of knife wounds, carved Peel from about the temple to the chin. Officer Chas. Moore, investi gating the attack, said that James was being attacked by several others, that Peel rushed in to help break up the fgiht and took the i slashing. Jurist Delivers | Short Charge To County Jurymen —•— Judge J. Paul Frizelle Does !Not Mention Crime Or Current Conditions In a brief charge Monday to the Martin County Grand Jury, Judge J. Paul Frizell of Snow Hill : paid a timely tribute to those men who can find time to serve their ! State. The jurist, complimenting | the men who serve in this county, made no mention of crime or ex isting conditions, and limited his : instructions. “I understand several of you have served before as grand jury men." the jurist said. “It is in deed gratifying that capable and experienced men are serving in the administraUtion of the law. Others should* welcome the op portunity to do so. I hope all can get the proper perspective of the history, meaning and work of the grand jury,” the jurist said. "Few consider or recall that the grand jury is an indispensible part of our courts,’’ he continued. "Tliis district has an able prose cuting attorney, and your county ha*s unusually fine officers, but all of them combined could not place a person on trial until ac tion is first taken by the grand jury,” Judge Frizelle said, ex plaining that minor violations are handled in the inferior courts. “Only able and responsible citi zens arc chosen for jury service, and it should be considered as a badge of distinction and honor for one to serve on the grand jury.” “Occasionally,” he continued, "unworthy names get into the box. but provision is made to re move them when those charged with the responsibilities and du ties fail. In a recent court in North Carolina, 46 men were drawn for jury duty. Twenty eight of that number had been (Continued on page six) —-«>■ Change Made In Jury Personnel —,*>— Their one-year terms expiring as members of the Martin County Grand Jury, nine new members were drawn for duty this week. ' In addition to the time element, 1 two positions made vacant by death were filled and in a third case a juryman had moved out of the county and1 his place on tire body was filled, leaving only six holdovers. Juryman Lester Keel died in late December, Juryman Garland Bailey was accidentally killed early this yc$»r and a third jury man, Leslie Smith, moved out of the county. Messrs. W. W. White hurst, J. C. Anderson and Robert L. Pierce were called to finish the unexpired terms. They are to serve until next September. II. S. Johnson, Jr., even though he had served as chairman of the jury previously, he was drawn again this week and Judge J. Paul Frizelle named him chairman of ■•Other mtuvs- dr: the present jury are, James E. I Bullock, J. Carl Griffin, James H. Barber, C. M Edmondson, Mack M. Bowen, D. A. Brown and S. T. Wynne. Master Doug Stalls drew the ists and he was supported at the Rawing by Little Miss Caroline Martin, i Sentenced To State Prison For Six To Eight Years For Assault Local Chapter Is Nearing; Coal In Red Cross Drive ! Willimiistoii Exreeds $1, 335 Quota By Nearly SI00; Drive Not Over The Martin County Red Cros: Chapter is believed nearing it: goal in the current annual func drive, according to a report re leased by Fund Chairman Claudi B. Clark, Jr., yesterday noon. Th< announcement was based on fair ly complete reports from only tw( districts and incomplete report: from three others. Up until noon yesterday, $1. 6(19.67 of the $2,500 quota for tin chapter had been raised and re ported. Mrs. J. Eason Lilley chairman of the drive in Griffins stated that approximately $20( had been raised there, boosting the total to $1,860.67. "We plar to go over the (op by the week ench” Mrs. Lilley said, explaining that she would make a detailed report at that time. Mrs. Roy Harrison and Mrs Pete Mendenhall reported $ 197.5C of the Bear Grass quota in hand, The chairmen explained that the canvass ihad been virtually com puted there, that while a few more contributions might be made the drive is just about $27.51) short of the township quota. Assigned a $25 quota, the little Biggs School district went over the top in a hurry with four dol lars to spare. Since that report, the amount has been boosted to $32, Professor W. V. Ormond an nounced. Taking its cue from the little school district, Williunvston with a $1,335 quota, went out to meet the challenge. With several canvass ers yet to report, the district yes terday had raised $1,406.17, or $71.17 in excess of the quota. Making a preliminary report over the week-end, Woolard’s or (Continued on page eight) Mother Of Local Merchants Dies —•— Mrs. Alice E. Odom, mother of Messrs. C, D. and Grover L. Pitt man, local merchants, died at her home in Rocky Mount early last Friday after an extended period of declining health. She was born on August 28, 1878, in Nash County, the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frank Edwards, and spent her entire life there. Besides her sons here she is sur vived by three daughters, Mrs. Richard C. Tisdale, Mrs. Marvin S. Felton and Mrs. A. J. Thomp son, all of Rocky Mount; a son, James Arthur Whitfield, of Rich mond; two sisters. Mrs. Levy ivhsh Cvuoi.). u-rrd“*f:f,f^ Lucy Sears of Rocky Mount; and i brother, E. E. Edwards of Red Dak. Funeral services were conduct ’d at the home Saturday after toon at 2:00 o'clock by Rev. L. B. Scarborough, and interment was n Rocky Mount’s Pineview Cem ;tery. I LITTLE BUSINESS v______ Meeting as a board of equalization and review, the Martin County Commission ers—Joshua L. Coltrain, R. L. Perry, John Henry Edwards, C. Abram Roberson and R. A. Ilaislip'—had very tittle busi ness Monday. Only one request for a tax valuation reduction was heard. Nora Cherry, Elm Street home owner, declared that her property had been depreciated in value because a mule sales and exchange building had been construct ed and placed In operation just across the street from her home. No action was taken in the case. After receiving no further complaints. Chairman Perry adjourned the meeting two hours later. Arrested On Old Car Theft Charge Calvin Hodge, young local col ored man charged with the theft of a 1941 model car from the Roanoke Chevrolet Company here in April, 1944, was arrested in New York City last Saturday by the Hill, it was announced yes terday by Special Agent John C. Bills of the Charlotte office. Hodge is being returned to North Carolina for trial either in Eliza beth City next Monday or in [Washington the following week, j His companion in the alleged ! crime, Robert Everett, young col ored! boy, is now serving a five ! year sentence in a federal institu tihn at Harrisburg, Pa. For three years Hodge mo> ad just one jump ahead of thfc FBI. j While no special manhunt was in 1 stituted in the case, Hodge was ' listed among many wanted for al | leged crimes. The FBI learned he man ied Mary Louise Brown, a ; Martin county girl, in April of last year. They trailed him to Philadelphia. His wife returned home soon after their marriage and has been separated from hint since that time. From Philadel phia they trailed him to New York, learning that he had ap peared on the radio as an imita tor of birds. They learned he was interested in the show business. Last .Saturday the case had ripen ed, and he was plucked for the courts. Youngster Shot In Eye Thursday ——•— Shot in his right eye with an air rifle while playing with Ger ald Roberson, his cousin, last Thursday afternoon, Frankie Ro berson, 6 1-2 year old son of Mr. carrying the little pellet and still i clinging to the sight in that eye. The youngster, playing at the home of his cousin who is about the same age, was removed to a Durham hospital where doctors considered it advisable not to perform an operation for the present, at least. County Officers Baffled By Two Youthful Delinquents —*- • - -♦ I -a Marlin Coumy oliieeis. includ ing those in the welfare, sheriff’s and clerk’s departments, have had many baffling problems to solve, but all were solved in one fashion or another. Possibly the two problems now facing them will be solved in time, but so far there has been no solution. A colored lad in the Dardens Community has been roaming the territory without the benefit ot parental care. He reportedly stole just about anything that wasn’t nailed down and apparently couldn't help it. Victims there complained to the sheriff, and the officer had him in his custody a few hours later. The State Wel fare Department says no minor shall be jailed, but in issuing thait ol der the department or no other agency, including a “gagged” leg islature, has made adequate pre cisions lor keeping such wayward « , lads. The boy was turned over j to the welfare department, and | there it rests, bogged down in theory and running plumb wdld J in practice. I The other problem involves one little Charlie Bellamy, Jr., of Rob j ersonville. Thd lad, listed as “six teen” years of age on some books, has been before Juvenile Court Judge Bruce Wynne four times, and the case is right back where it started. It seems that the iad is without a fattier just now and the mother can do nothing with him. After being placed on probation, so to ! speak, Little Charlie went back and stole sxime more. In time he j was farmed out to Henderson Norfleet, a kind Williamston Ne gro farmer, who has taken quite a few wayward lads into his own home to help and treat as well, if ; not better, thun his own. But Lit- \ tic Charlie became homesick, and I in due time, In: cured his sickness by returning home, but not until he had been granted fatherly per mission to make a short visit. Well, the lad bobbed up again in due time. Last, Thursday the welfare office , superintendent, Mary W. Taylor, carried him to a boarding home in Northampton County. There was some doubt in Miss Taylor's mind at the time if he would remain Jong there, but she did not expect the little fellow to beat her back to Wil liamston. Sure enough, running a schedule hardly thirty minutes behind, he passed through Wil hamston on his way back to Hob ersonvillo. ( The lad was detained for a short time, and he had been home not so many hours before he al legedly bi oke into the school building and escaped with some money. Action w ae taken a short time i ago by <i delegation of ciii/'ms to solve tlu* several-month-old Dur dens cuse. Coining to Williams J ton, they employed an attorney, j He contacted members of the leg islature, and last Friday Sam Leo nard, director of correctional in stitutions in the State, wired Clerk of Court L. B. Wynne that Representative Miller would be here Monday. Mr. Miller showed up and he made arrangements to i have the 10-year-old Dardens boy, Elmer Lee Biggs, entered in Mur- j risen Training School. He is to remain there until a home in the west can be found for him. No action was taken by Miller in tiie Bellamy boy's case. But the se cret ot solving such cases has been found. All a community has to do to protect itself is to form a dele gation, employ a lawyer, contact the legislature, and threaten ! someone somewhere with a fu 11 fledgtd in ventilation. i Defendant Pleads Guilty And Then Guilty And Then Third Dcfcmlnnl Draw Tho Years In Dangerous Assault Case -• Adjudged guilty in the Martii | County Superior Court Mond'aj j afternoon of assaulting James L Bond and1 William H. Harrell, twc young white men, with a deadl\ weapon with intent to kill, inflict ing serious injuries not result inj, in death, Allen Brown was sen tented to State’s Prison for nol less than six and not more than eight years, and Lester Saunders a second defendant, drew twi years on tho roads. A third de fendant, Russell Ampley, plead ed guilty of assaulting William H. Harrell with a deadly weapon and prayer for judgment was con tinued in his case until June. Ac cording to testimony offered at the trial, several of the young men’s assailants escaped detec tion. Saunders said there were others, but lie declared lie did not know a one of them. James Bond, former resident of ! Williamston, miraculously escap ; ed death when Brown drove a ; home-made knife into his heart on the night of February a when the two young men were loading poultry in Robeisonville back of the Roberson Poultry Company. Taking tin- stand first, Bond, i who received treatment in the Ward Clinic at Robersonvillc and in a Durham hospital for ten I days, said that he was in his i brother-in-law’s truck cab that I night when one of three colored | boys snatched open the door and asked if it was a liquor truck. "1 i asked them if it looked like- a li , quor truck. They snatched me out ! of the cab and during the fracas I ! was stabbed in the heart, laying ! me up for ten days,” Bond testi fied. He also told the court that he was cut on the wrist and el bow. Bond explained that Har ! rell saw something was wrong and went to help him when others joined the first three attackers with staves. “We fought our way back to the loading platform,” Bond said, adding that he had had | no argument with his attackers. He said that he could nut definite ly identify his attackers. William II. Harrell, the second witness and victim of the attack, definitely identified Lester Saun ders and Allen Brown as two of the attackers. "I was just inside the building weighing poultry when I saw three boys trying to pull my brother out of the cab. 1 went there and asked what was the matter. The boys turned him loose and Bond got out of the cab and we had started inside when the three made the attack and were joined by others rushing in For Leaf Exports According to fairly complete reports from three and scattering . reports from two other townships this week, $815.53 had been rais ed up until Monday morning in this county for Tobacco Associ ates, Inc., an agency designed to help relieve the condition sur rounding the exportation of leaf tobacco. Up until that time •Mi, or about one-fourth of the tobacco farmers m flic county, had made contribu tions to the fund, the donations ranging from a few cents up to around $11. Working without reward and at their own expense, the following canvassers had reported up until Monday: K. S. Everett of Hober sonville, $111.97; J. It. Daniel of Robersonvilie, $52.11); S. T. Evcr ,'tt of Itobcrsonville, $50.20; M. 1. Peel of Williamston, $153 00; H LI. Peel of Bear Grass, $48.05; ! Wheeler Rogerson of Bear Grass, P0.30; II. G. Harrison of Bear -•rass, $10.50; T. L. Roberson of dear Grass, $20.00; E. C. Harrison if Bear Grass, $31.00; It. G. Co >urn of Jamesvillc, $23.25. Dona ions made at the farm agent's of ice amounted to ^gl.CU. * Hungry Robber Is Court Kxpwted To Com* plot*' T rial Of Criminal Docket Today After getting off to a slow start Monday morning, the Martin County Superior Court cleared a few cases from the docket during the remainder of the day and was working this morning with the possibility that the criminal cases i would be cleared or continued be fore recessing this afternoon. The early sessions attracted a capacity crowd, but no cases of unusual interest were called. Only two cases reached the jury and in one of those no agreement could be reached and the jurors were instructed to repair to their homes, sleep over the evidence and return this morning for fur ther deliberations. Plpnriimr rmiltv rxf Km Given Prison to and robbing the Wooiard Hard ware and Pittman’s clothing store in Williamsfon, Glenn Albert Chase testified in his own behalf. Without counsel. Chase told in open court that he broke into and robbed the stores because he was hungry, that his wife and baby were almost destitute, that he could not get sufficient advances and that he had to pay cash for his provisions. Chase, a native of Atlantic, Iowa, and dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps, was stumped when Judge Paul Frizclle, the presiding jurist, asked him why he broke into hardware and clothing stores and not a grocery store if he was hun gry. i [(* denied that he broke in to the stores in an effort to get money to pay a $300 note which was past due or about to fall due on an old automobile. Chase, married to a Martin County girl, has consistently denied he had1 any part in the wave of robberies reported in Williamstun during the past three months. Appar ently failing to impress the court with his poverty plea. Chase was sentenced to State Prison for three years in each case, the sen tences to run consecutively. The year-old drunken driving | charge against Henry L. Harvey was clean'd away when, the court directed a verdict of not guilty after expert witnesses testified that the man had possibly taken too much of a stimulant for a heart condition. The defendant brought character witnesses from his home county of Beaufort. Kuth Davis, charged with inde cent exposure, was adjudged not guilty. Jim Johnson, a co-defend aii m the ease, had his case con tinued until the June term. At the conclusion of the state’s evi dence, the defense counsel made a motion for a directed verdict of not guilty, and the motion was al lowed. The ease charging Edward Crif lin. J. E. Purvis and Lawrence Wiggins with the larceny of four teen bags of peanuts was no! pressed. , Li"- bid, ‘ v tfvY I’d and jury in the ease charging James Barnhill and Lewis Free man with raping Eurline Ed wards, four-year-old girl, last July 7. Considerable time was spent Monday afternoon in hearing the case in which LeRoy Patterson was charged with bastardy. Pri vate prosecution was employed by a relative of the victim, Katie Giilfin. and quite a few witness es were called, including one who almost drew u jail term for con tempt of court. Tiie ca.-c . cached tile jury shortly after five o'clock and after deliberating about twi nty minutes and reaching no (Continued on page eight) [hasty marriages 1 v--} \^ctims of Dan I'upitl coin ing to this county to effect a hitch may get their marriage licenses without delay with in a short time. Under the present law, marriage li censes are issued to out-of state couples only after a 48 hour waiting period. Martin County was included in the list of several northeastern counties where the 48-hour waiting period was eliminat ed by recent legislative act. The 48-hour law did not ap ply to .North tdioiuuau*.