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 VOLUME L—NUMBER 47 W’illiamaton, Martin County, ISorth Carolina, Friday, Jam- Li, I1) 17 1ST VBLISHED 1899 Judge J. C. Smith Has Eleven Cases 4 111 County's Court * -<9 Fines Assessed In the Sum Of $110 at Regular Session Monday Holding forth hardly more than two hours, Judge J, C. Smith and Solicitor Paul D. Roberson last Monday handled eleven cases in the Martin County Recorder’s Court, the jurist assessing fines in the amount of $110 and meting outroad sentences ranging up to nine months. No session cf the court will be held next Monday. Judge Smith and Solicitor Rob erson retiring in favor of Judge F ' Paul Frizelle and his “big” court. The county court will resume its activities on Monday, June 23. Proceedings: His case having been continued under prayer for judgment at a previous session, Joe Bellamy, charged with operating a motor 1 ^ vehicle without a driver’s license. was sentenced to jail for thirty ’days, the court suspending the jail term upon the payment of the costs. The court recommended that the defendant be issued fto driver's license for six months. Pleading guilty in the case I charging him with operating a motor vehicle without a driver's license, Andrew Hardison was fined $25 and taxed with the costs. It was recommended that no li-1 cense be issued the defendant for I six months. Charged with an assault on a female and bastardy, Oscar Whit ley pleaded guilty and was sen tenced to the roads for sixty days. The road term was suspended upon the payment of a $25 fine and the costs and on the further condition that- Ive .-.way from Maggie Wilson and not vio late any criminal law for one year. The defendant admitted paternity of a child, Johnnie Whitley, begotten on the body of Maggie Wilson, but proved to the court that he was contributing adequate support for the child at the present time. Charged with an assault with a deadly weapon, Maggie Wilson pleaded guilty, and the court sus pended judgment upon the pay ment of the trial costs. Ben Celmons was found not guilty in the case charging him with nhn-support. The case euarging Joe Mobley with issuing a worthless check, and Joe Allsbrooks with failure to give an auto title, were both nol pressed. Probable cause of guilty was found in the case charging Walter Webb with larceny and receiving, and his case was sent to the sup erior court for trial next week with the defendant under bond in the sum of $100. Charged with being drunk on the highway, Sidney Speller pleaded not guilty. Adjudged guilty he was fined $10 and tax ed with the costs. Rhodes Bud Speller pleaded not guilty in the case in which he was charged with drunken driving. He was adjudged guilty and fined $50 and required to pay the trial costs. His license to operate a (Continued on page eight) I HOME AGAIN | v_'-' Rendered completely help less by infantile paralysis, Master Wade Coltrain, six year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Coltrain of this coun ty, returned home early this week after a stay of ten months and ten days in a hos pital at Gastonia. Bright as a new silver dol lar, the little fellow had stag ed a wonderful come-back, and is able to be about with 4 the aid of crutches which he hopes to discard in time. Out growing the clothes he wore when the disease attacked his little body and left his legs lifeless and his arms almost useless, Wade said they treat ed him fine at the hospital, but there’s little doubt but what he was glad to get back home. And the radiant smile on the little fellow’s face was enough to recom pense everybody for every cent ever contributed or ever will be contributed to the In fantile Paralysis 1 uud. Chief and Traffic Directors on the Long Lines Pictured above are, left to right, Miss B. Cherry and Mrs. Lillian Gurganus, supervisors; Miss Helen Stapleford, of New Bern, trafiie supervisor; Carter harrow, traffic manager; Mrs. laiey Mob lev, chief operator; Mrs. Naomi Leggett, and Mrs. Margaret Cone, traffic supervisor of Rocky Mount, who direct traffic on the long distance lin es for the Carolina Telephone and Telegraph Com pany. Really, thev are the chief and the cops wh o steer and keep traffic moving, be it beaded for a station near home or in Kalamazoo. The pictur e, one of Buggs Barringer’s finest, was taken on the evening of June 5 when the company switche d without a hitch from a weary manual It) the lat est in dial or automatic systems. Native Of County Died Tuesday At Home In Florida -<s ! Funeral Wednesday After noon for Mrs. IN. T. Hid diek in Gainesville Mrs. Noah T Riddick, a native of this county, died at her home in Gainesville, Florida, Tuesday morning at 1:15 o’clock following a long period of declining health, j Her condition was regarded as j serious for about two weeks and ' the end did not come unexpected- j iy. Mrs. Riddick, the former Miss | Charlie Ann Roberson, was born in Jamesville Township, about 83 years ago and following her mar riage lived in Williams Township i riage about 1884 lived in Williams Township a few years before coming to Williamston where the family spent some time. Later Mr. : and Mrs. Riddick made their j home in Everetts for a few years and then located in Oklahoma when he was engaged in the n al estate busimss some time before moving to Pennsylvania. His \ business next moved him to Rocky Mount and about thirty ; years ago the family established permanent residence in the Flor , ida city. Mrs. Riddick was the daughter j of the late Henry and Marina Mizelle Roberson, and when a ! young girl joined the Christian church in Jamesville. Surviving are three sons, H. Thomas Riddick of Cleveland, Ohio, C. B. and Jack F. Riddick, both of Gainesville; two daugh ters, Mrs. E. L. Exum of Moultrie, Ga„ and Mrs. R. H. Brumby of Gainesville; one brother, Eli Hoyt Roberson of RED 2, Williamston; and three sisters, Mrs. Stewart Davenport of Creswell, Mrs. John Perkins of Wendell and Mrs. Thomas G' een of Pantego. Funeral services were conduct ed Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 o’ clock in Gainesville and inter ment was in the cemetery there beside her husband who died three years ago. this month. Bible School To Present Program Closing a one-week daily vaca tion Bible school at Cedar Branch Baptist Church, the teachers and pupils will present a commence ment program there Sunday eve ning at 7:30 o’clock. Rev. W. B. Harrington, the pastor, announc ed today. The school, its daily sessions drawing to a close, has been one of the most successful ever held in the church there, according to a report released by the director, Mrs. Wendell Modlin. Ten teach ers have assisted the director in | the school, and eighty-six pupils, , on an average, attended the first few days of the school. The public is invited to attend the commencement program. Hold Vacation Bible School Exercises Friday At 8 P. M. The last days of the thirteenth session of the Union Vacation Bible School are drawing to a close and plans for the commence ment on Friday evening at 8:00 in the Baptist Church are being worked hut. Last week the en rollment ran to 22(1 with an aver | age daily attendance of 178. The i attendance for the second week I has run the enrollment up to i around 2f»u and the Suuy average j attendance some higher than last j j week. The total offering, which is being given this year to World i Church Services has amounted to $56.83. It is hoped that the offer ! ings in the school and that of Kiiday evening will run the total to one hundred and fifty dollars. The program on Friday night will consist of children’s songs, I drills, pledges to flags and Bible, a speech choir, and the depart merit programs. Mrs. Ernest Ethridge is in charge of the Hi' ginner Department; Mrs. Marvin Britton is in charge of the Pri mary Department; Mrs. Walter Speller is in charge of the Junior Department; and Rev. John L. Goff is in charge of the Inter mediate Department since Miss Patsy King left for school. Miss Jane Go" is in charge of the music 'a imc Dr. Knight and Mr. Goff have been guiding the soft ballites. Mrs. W. 11. Abernathy is in charge of the handcraft for the girls and most cordially in vites the parents and the public to visit her exhibit in the Wom an's Club after the commence ment. Rev. John W. Hardy, di rector. urges the parents and those interested in Christian Education to be on hand at 8:00 Friday night in the Baptist Church. C/2 upply Minister Given Welcome iiomei Brice. student in Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, is being extended a cordial wel come by the local ministerial as sociation as he enters upon his work as supply pastor for the Presbyterian churches in this section during the summer per iod. He will be the speaker at the union church service to be held in the Episcopal church Sun day evening. Mr. Bi ice was graduated from Tusculum College in Tennessee, and recently completed his first year in the seminary. Duiing his stay here he will conduct serv ices in the Presbyterian church here each Sunday morning, going immediately to Roberson's Chap el for services there at 12:30, and concluding his regular Sunday schedule at Bear Grass at B:0(J p. m., excepting his assignments as speaker in the union services here. Mr.‘Brice is making his home I here with the S. W. Mannings on Watts Street. He is a native of Chester. S. C. HOA1) PROJECT | -' Bids, calling for the grad ing, bituminous surfacing and contsruction of bridges on 5.4 miles of road in Grif fins Township, w ill be opened by the North Carolina State Highway and Public Works Commission in Raleigh next Tuesday. The project will connect with the surfaced road near John A. Griffin's store and run almost to Smithwick's Creek Church before turning near a large pine and continuing on by the Tices’, Peels’, Hardison’s and Harringtons’ places to N. C. Highway 171 in the Farm Life area. The project has sprouted long whiskers waiting for at tention 'from the powers-that bc tor years and years. IPIIMMK | s Five eases of undolaut lev er iiave been reported in this section this .year, and accord ing to authorities, the fever is in epidemic stage. Although the number is not very large, the fever is more prevalent in this section than in others proportionately, it was point ed out. Specialists of the Federal Department of Agriculture, acting at the direction of health authorities, have been in the county recently testing animals in an effort to run down the source of the fever. Gets Road Term On Check Charge 1 W. C. Powell, 23 ytai -old I [fi t- | I ford County white man, drew j thirty days on the roads this week j for issuing a worthless check in t the sum of $12 here a few months 'ago. Offered an opportunity to | make the check good and pay the ! trial costs, the old man explained | to Justice of the Peace J. S. Ayers - that lie appreciated the considera tion but he was unable to meet the test. ‘‘I have n.o one who cares for me, and I’ll be just as well off on the roads,” he said. ‘'Where will they send me and when do we get going?” he asked. Dr. Hastings To Address Meeting Dr J. Warren Waitings, pastor of the National City Christian Church, Washington, D. C . will fie the main guest speaker at the next i meeting of the Albemarle Union j to be held in Everetts on Wed nesday, July 2, it was announced I this week by Rev. M. Elmore j Turner, pastor of the First Chris ; tian Church, Washington, N. C., i and president o! the Albemarle 1 Christian Missionary Union. Local Town Board To Hold Special Meeting; Monday . —$— Special To Go Ill-ton- Officials; W ill Discuss IVrsoiincl -» Going into their first special i meeting Monday evening, W1'- j liamston’s new board of town commissioners will, in all prob ability, continue in session sever al hours discussing and handling a goodly number of ament mat ters. Mayor Robt. Cowen said t1. morning that several delegations are planning to appear before the meeting to support pleas for im provements and changes. Repre sentatives of the Wilhumston Lumber Company are planning to renew their plea for increased fire protection for their plant on Washington Street, and Dr. J. T Llewellyn is expected to ask the board to take action calling for the removal of certain kind., of oil tanks on the property adjoin ing his office on South Smithwick Street. A colored delegation, intc estcd in recreational facilities, inercas ,od fire protection and improved streets m that section near or back of Woodlawn Cemetery, is expected to appear before the board meeting, the mayor said Personnel changes in some of the departments will be discuss ed at the meeting with the p >ssi l bility that some changes vvi1! be 1 made and announced at that time ! It \va: reported that just about every town employee has tender I ed his resignation, that some hue reapplied for their respective positioi.U\;..tl!i)l.. s.U.n..111. ai.a' still open Unofficial reports maintain iha at least five persons have opplicc for the chief of police job, and < goeiei number was seeking place: in the police department. : In either departments, some o the jobs are going begging will the possibility that only the e>le • personnel will be availabe to car ■ ty on the departmental functions i A varied reaction to proposee ; change's in the local parking regu lations has been reported. How • ever, it is quite likely that sonn e changes will be made with 1 In | understanding that if they do no '• prove more satisfactory thai those now in effect, a return t< [ the old order will follow. It is pro j oust <1 to parallel park on one sidi of the mam street anel limit park ing to one side on Watts an< Smithwick Street.-;. Lines havi been painted around the mail street filling stations and pedes trian traffic has moved moi freely since the ordi r was issues June 2 to clear the way for th cement packers. Firemen Cel Call To Local Theater; Local volunteer firemen were called to the Marco Theater at 7:30 o'clock Wednesday evening when a suction fan pulled smoke from a trash fire back of the building and forced it. into the theater auditoi lum. An i mploye, smelling smoke in the building, immediately tele phoned ih the alarm. Realizing where the smoke was coming from, other employes put out the trash fire and checked the How of smoke about the time the fire lighting equipment reached the theater. Little or no damage was caused by the: smoke, it was learned. No One Hurt In Bridge Accident Nil one was hint but consider able properly damage was caused when a stalled car was struck on | the Roanoke River Bridge here about 0:00 o'clock Wednesday morning. A man by the name of Brooks was driving west when his car stalled on the concrete bridge. An Elizabeth City car, traveling in the same direction, struck the stalled car and knocked it down the road over 100 feet. One per son was bruised slightly on his knees. Complete details of the accident could nut be leauied im mediately. Manslaughter Cases And Murder Charge Scheduled For Trial Twenty-Two Cases [ Placed On Docket In Superior Court! Jii'lpe J. I’anl Fri/,zcllt‘ I'o I’rt'sitlf Over One Week Term Here A murder charge and three manslaughter cases along with eighteen other alleged violations are scheduled tor consideration when Judge J. Paul Frizzelle of Snow Hill opens a one-week ! “mixed' term of the Martin Coun- ! ty Superior Court here next Mon- j day. Tlie docket is much larger than the one usually prepared for a June court in this county and it has been a long time since so many fatal assaults have been booked for attention at a single term. However, none of the cas es even borders on the sensation al and the sessions are not likely to attract record-size crowds. Liti gants. witnesses and lawyers are expected to comfortably till the old hall of justice, but spectators, searching after things sensation al, will be marked by their ab sence, it is fairly certain. Of the ten different types of I j crime alleged in the state war-J ! rants, breaking and entering eom I bined with larceny and receiving i lead the list, account for one-half i a eiit > two east s 0T1 ihe crim inal docket. Manslaughter charg es. numbering three, are second on the list. The murder case was placed on the docket in early April of this year after Sam Riddick shot arid killed Johnnie Bell in Jamesville on March 2ti. The killing climax ed an argument over a 25-cent poker debt, reports stated. The case likely to attract the greatest attention is the one charging Frank Green with man slaughter. Green, charged with operating a truck while he was in an intoxicated condition and in a reckless manner ran down and Kined James Garland Bailey and injured Roland Harrison, Ver non Harrison, Johnnie Wynne and W. A. Bailey, some of them seri ously, last January 18 at the in tersection of U. S. Highway 17 and the Bear Grass Road. A true | bill was returned in the ease by I the grand jury last March, hut a continuance was allowed be cause it was pointed out that a civil action was pending. As far as it could be learned no damage suit has been instituted, indicat ing that justice may not be side tracked again in the case. Facing a manslaughter charge John David Wooten, Pitt County colored man, is alleged to have driven a ear alter a careless and reckless fashion, resulting in the death of Henry Ward, colored, on the Itobei sonville-Stokes High way on December 15, 1948. Here tofore when the ease was called, the defendant or witnesses were in the hospital nursing injuries received in the three-car wreck that cost several lives. Luvt me (Mutt) Roberson, local young colored boy, is hooked for (Continued on page eight) RATIONING OIF j Sugar rationing was lilted Thursday morning at 12:1)1 o' clock, tile moving coming as a big surprise. The action leaves virtually notfitng on the rationing list. A mixed reaction followed the announcement, hut there were fairly large stocks of sugar on hand and no acute shortage is expected. Some stores were kept busy weigh ing and‘selling sugar several hours after rationing became known Thursday morning. Indirect reports declare that Martin County bootleggers are jubilant and are celebrat ing. But ABC Officer Jue H. Roebuck is ending his brief annual vacation and is ready | lot action. _✓ 1 J. K. Winslow, Martin County man. was this week named hv Governor Cherry to the North Carolina Wild life Resources Commission. One of nine members named to the commission, Mr. Wins low is to serve two years. The group will he sworn in at a meeting in Raleigh on June IK and will take over the duties now performed by the Division of Game anil Inland Fisheries of the Department of Conservation and Develop ment. Flail To Issue New Drivers" Licenses Beginning early in July -airly examiners of the North Carolina Stale Highway Patrol will Wue the new tour-year motor vehicle drivers' licenses. During the I meantime and until certain per sons are called in order of the initials of their surnames, the old type licenses will be issued. It is planned to issue the new type licenses during the first few months, beginning in early July lo those persons whose last names begin witn the letter A or the le t ter B. Until early July, poisons ; whose names start with A or 1! and who must have licenses may apply for the old type, hut they will then be required after early July to apply for the new t.ypi Other persons besides those names begin with the first two letters of the alphabet eligible to apply for the new type licenses immediately in early July in clude: 1. Those who become of age; 2 Those whose licenses have been revoked and are to be reinstated; 3. Those persons moving into this state from other states aftei July i 1; and 4. Those persons who have never applied for licenses before. It was pointed out by License Examiner Boyce this week that those drivers who lose their li censes will have to apply for the old type until their last-name initial is called out. It will require four yeais lo get around the alphabet, it wa- ex plained. Additional day for i -umg li censes will be provided, but un til the new type is introduced, the examiner will be in the Martin County courtltousc as usual each Wednesday from 9 a. m. until 5 p, m. and on Saturday from 11:00 a. m. until noon. Represent Town In Wilson Con lest Misses Mary Warren and An goln McLuwhorn have been selected to represent Williamstun at Wilson’s annual tobuocn ex position and festival on August II and 15 it was announced this wick by the director of the event. Miss McLawhorn will partici pate in the bathing beauty eon test, and Miss Warren will coin* pete for queen of the festival, it was announced. Thirteen contestant' have been signed for queen, and foui for the batluug beauty contest so tar, Thirteen Divorce Cases on Calendar In Superior Court i -<*> I'Vh Ollier ri\i! Cu^os Are To lie I rieti Here Ne\i ” oliu'Miay Thirteen divorce cases have been calendared Cor trial along with a few other civil actions in the M irtin County Superior Court on Wednesday of next week when Judge J. Paul Frizzelle holds a mixed term of the tribunal here. Mod of the divorce pleadings are based on two-year separation grounds, and several of them have been dragged through the courts al least once or twice on previous occasions. Separated from h*s wife on June 1. 1944. after being married to her on March 6, 1944. Luther Modiin is seeking a divorce from Mary Modiin. The divorce case of James Washington against Mary Wash ington, bai l'd on two years’ sep aration. has been in the courts two or three times in the past two or three years. In his divorce action against Becky Whitaker, Life plaintiff, Dennis Whitaker, says they were married and lived together until February, 1943. and declares na i children were born to the union, j The defendant answers and main tains that they lived together un jtil 1945, that he is the father of her two-year-old child, and de clare, I'urthi r that he has provid ed no support and she asks cus [ tody of the child. Basing her action on adultery, Mamie Coach of New Bern is ask ing a divorce from Leu Coach. 1.’ : • V.id ‘..“.VCA I — Qj ! 1(4(4 and ■ i arated on August 15, 1 1946. j Thomas J Blount is suing Edna I Carson Blount for a divorce, pointing out in his complaint that they were married March 10, I1938- and > ] arated December 13, 1944 that their seven-year-old child i with the plaintiff's moth er. Married to Mildred Jones on May 10, 1938. E. R. Willoughby, in hi complaint, says they were separated February 1. 1945, that their two children are with the defendant but are supported by I the plaintiff. In her pie;*, for a divorce from i William Arthur Stokes, the plain tiff C'.llln'l H'H SI,II,i : 1, 't they were married June 21, 1939 and separated in December, 1940, that their one child is now with and supported by her. Mary Lilley Creech, plaintiff, and Clarence Edward Creech liv ed together only a tew days after their marriage on October 10, 1946. and lie allegedly committed adultery with women known and unknown to the plaintiff, and she basis her action for divorce on that ground,adding further that the defendant drank heavily, ne glected her and broke about all the marriage vows. Married one week and separat ed the next back in February, 1945. M. Whitfield is suing Ruth Whitfield for a divorce. Going into court several times previously. Beautie Andrews is again seeking a divorce from Mat tie Lee Andrews, pointing out that they separated in June, 1944, aftt r being married in January, (Continued on page eight) r > SHOT v__ Hit' independent irish po tato market, alter opening up at S3 per hundred last week, was describee^ yesterday as “shot” all to pieces. “There •aint’ no market,” one farmer said, adding that he was leav ing his potatoes in the ground lor the present, at least. The government is strug gling to maintain its support price schedule, hut it looks as if it will lie unable to handle the task with dispatch. Prices for contract growers arc pegged at Si.’ tit) for No. 1’s and SI.30 for B’s. netting the farmer about St.90 and 67 cents. Tew farmers planted under contract in this county, but the small-scale growers arc really taking a beating in the Hassell area where a large portion ol the crop is S i own. M