THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS REA3 B1
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT!
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES
VOLUME L—NUMBER 57
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday. July III, 1917
ESTABLISHED 1899
Defendant Fined'
$50 For Assault
By Judge Smith
»
Attorneys Plead Before Jur
ist At Monday’s Session
Of County Court
-■v——
In the case before Judge J. C.
Smith last Monday charging
Grace W. Maynard with assault
ing Mildred C. Ray with a dead
ly weapon, the prosecution, led by
private attorneys, Critcher and
Gurganus, called quite a few wit
nesses, but the defendant was the
k only one to take the stand in her
behalf.
The main prosecuting witness,
taking the stand first, said that
she went to Roberson's cafe be
tween 9:00 and 9:30 o'clock on the
evening of July 5 with her sister,
Mrs. Frances Harrell of Norfolk,
Mrs. Minnie Crabtree and Mrs.
Crabtree’s son, Russell Bullock.
"The defendant asked me my
name as we entered the door, and
told me to get the hell out of
there.” the prosecuting witness
said. "I asked her if she had any
thing to settle and if she did we
would go outside,” she continued,
explaining that the defendant said
“No.” "You'll get out or I’ll get
you out,” the witness quoted the
defendant as saying.
Continuing, Mrs. Ray said,
“Grace left and returned a short
time later swinging a pistol, and
asked me if I was going to get out.
She then pointed the pistol at my
foot and fired.” the witness de
clared, explaining that she and
her sister, sitting in a booth, felt
powder burns. The witness stated
that she got up and grabbed the
defendant’s wrist and others took
the pistol away from her (Mrs.
Maynard).
eiross examined ny Attorney
Hugh G. Horton for the defense,
Mrs. Ray said that she had got
ten to the door when the defend
ant asked her not to go in. Con
tinuing, she said that she asked
Mrs. Effie Sparrow who ran the
cafe. Assured that Mrs. Sparrow
ran the business, Mis. Ray said
that she and her party took a
booth and ordered soft drinks and
did not order a meal at the time,
but waited to see what the de
fendant was going to do.
It was pointed out that the de
fendant bent over slightly and
was holding the gun about a foot
from the floor when she fired it,
the witness testifying that the
bullet m.<ssod_ her loot .bv. a.boy^
three inches. I believe she
would have shot me if 1 had not
grabbed her wrist,” the witness
told the court, concluding her
evidence on cross examination.
The wdtness told the judge that
she and the defendant had had
trouble about three years ago,
that she did not go there as long
as the defendant operated the
cafe, but that she had been there
several times since Mrs. Sparrow
took over the management.
Other state’s witnesses, includ
ing Mrs. Crabtree, Mrs. Harrell
and Mrs. Effie Sparrow corrobor
ated the testimony offered by the
main prosecuting witness, Mrs.
Sparrow stating when asked if
she ran the cafe, “I told her 1
thought I did.” Mrs. Sparrow
said that a brick pillar blocked
her view, that while she did not
see the shooting she heard the re
port of the pistol. She also said
that she saw the prosecuting wit
ness and the defendant scuffling
and explained,that she was fright
ened and did not know if the gun
was taken from the defendant by
force. It was also testified that
Mrs. Sparrow did not know if the
defendant said anything after the
shooting.
Howard Williafns, the last wit
ness called by the state, said that
he was standing outside the cafe
and saw the defendant go in with
a pistol, that he went in after he
heard the shot and someone call
ed to him to get the gun away
from the defendant. “When I
went in I saw the two scuffling
across the room. I grabbed the
barrel of the gun and I asked her
to give it to me. She told me to
get that woman out of there and
she would give up the gun.” The
prosecution rested its case there.
Taking the stand in her own be
half, Mrs. Maynard explained
that she operated the cafe in co
operation with J. B. Roberson and
Mrs. Sparrow', and went on to say
that Mrs. Ray had been ordered
(Continued on page seven)
Jaycees Extend Welcome
Shown abovp is the group of Jay fees who welcomed their state president, Ed. T. Ellis of Char
lotte at the city limits and presented him the key to the city. Included in the picture are, left to
right, kneeling. Mayor Robert II. Cowen, State President Ed. T. Ellis, T. F. Harrison and Ernest
Mears. Standing, left to right, are J. Paul Simpson, J. O. "Blue" Manning, Jr., President Wheeler
.M. Manning oi the local Jaycees, John Miller, Jr., James Bullock, Edgar (>urganus and R. Edwin
*’ee*e- (Photo by J-C Lawrence Lindsley.)
A bbitt A iid Gurganus A re
Building Feed - Seed Mill
Construction work is progress
ing fairly rapidly on a $25,000
feed and seed mill in West End
near the owners-operators,
Messrs. Bill Abbitt and WTiiiam
Gurganus, stating this week that
they plannea to have the null in
operation within eight or ten
weeks.
The plant, located just off U. S.
Highway «4 on a lot 150 by 210
fe^t, is to be 40 by 100 feet. Built
of concr< te blocks and concrete
brick, the structure will have u
second story 40 by 40 feet for
storage, Mr. Gurganus said.
Designed for a capacity of fifty
tons daily, the plant will be
equipped with the latest types of
machinery and hammer mills,
"We ll be able to unload a farm
* ~ gram, carry it th. ough-- the
mill and return it to him on short
Recognizing the need for a sood
I feed mill in this immediate sec
tion. the promoters of the project
j made their plans to provide the
i ice tnoriTruTVgo. ‘Part "of the’
j material was placed on the lot
early in the year, but construction
j has been delayed by shortages of
1 certain equipment and machin
I ery. "We are fairly certain that
i all equipment can be made avail
able now, and we are rushing
] construct ion on the plant as rap
idly a.-i possible,” one of the part
ners said yesterday.
Instead of selling their grain to
|dealers who have to ship it to
i other plants for processing, the
j new plant will be prepared to
j crush the farmer's grain and re-’
I turn him a mixed feed at custom
i a tv ■. r.'if" jviufi i vv'111 also offer
an expanded market for grains of
JKT PLANKS
_j
Jet-propelled planes, just
about if not the fastest thin;;
in the air, made tlieir first ap
pearance over this immediate
section last Tuesday noon.
Apparently traveling several
hundred miles per hour, the
planes circled the town two
or three times and were away
in short order.
Hearing the unusual sound,
quite a few persons ran out to
see just what was tearing
" through the heavens. Thay
failed to see them on the first
lap, but they were ou^ just in
time to see the "bullets” tear
overhead on the second lap.
A couple of the planes travel
ed over here Wednesday
morning.
Lions Club Opens
Hut Fund Drive
Local people were given an op
portunity to aid in the construc
tion of a hut for the use of local
boy and girl scouts when mem
bers of the Lions Club here be
gan accepting donations this
week. For each donation of or!e j
dollar, the donor is given a chahce |
on a fuliy-equipped 1947 Buick j
four door sedan that 'is to be giv
en away here the night of Sep
tember 20th.
The holder of tire lucky num- <
bers at the time of tilt; drawing
will receive the three prizes that
the Lions art giving away, and it i
makes no difference as to whom
the ticket holder might be. The i
persons holding the three winning
numbers will be given the prizes i
regardless of their ages, coio:' or <
where they live. (
Jamesville Has
A Cash Surplus
Reporting its operations during
the last fiscal year, the Town of
Jamesville this week reported a
cash balance of $3,079.33 at the
end of the period.
According to an auditor’s .re
port. the town started the 1946-47
fiscal years on July 1, 1946, with
a cash balance of $2,861.72. Dur
ing the past twelve months the
town collected $5 in license fees
and $166.22 in general taxes. The
town's share in the ABC store pro
fits amounted to $2,564,00 and
$34.60 was received in the form of
court costs. The federal govern
ment advanced to town $700 for a
suivey for a tentative water and
sewer program.
Disbursements were listed as
follows: street lights, $270; law
enforcement, $850; street main
tenance, $1,352.14; tax collection
costs, $18.67; miscellaneous sup
plie.:. $10.70; election expenses,
$8.55; ballots, $4.25; map of town,
$20. and account due for plan pre
paration water and sewer system,
$700.
7 each fir Heconsiders
And 1 a 1 .onlinne Here
| days ago after having taught in
the local schools for several'
terms. Miss Lamina Baker recon
sidered the action and will con
tinue her work here, it was learn
ed this week.
School officials and patrons j
welcome Miss Baker's latest de
cision.
Miss Baker’s decision leaves
only three vacancies in the facul
ty. No meeting of the committee
has been cal!ejd to consider appli
cation lor those jobs as far as it
could be learned today.
I *
If-N
SPEEDSTERS |
Conducting a drive against
! speeding within the town,
I Chief of Police W. T. Simp
son and his force carried
three violators into the coun
ty court this week. It was
charged that the speedsters,
r * '•»" '■stt?"
traveling about fifty miles or
more per hour when detain
ed.
Kach of tlje defendants was
I fined $20 and taxed with the
costs amounting to about $23
| in each case.
No arrests have been made
for crashing the stop lights,
j but officers are watching
traffic moving through the
two lights recently installed
on the main street.
j Firemen Are Called To
Home (hi Main Street
-»——
V« : v little damage was done
j olner than caused by smoke
, when the pipe to a laundry stove
1 f 11 down in the home of Mr. and
Mrs. William Gurganus on West
Main Street Thursday afternoon
at 2:30 o’clock.
The call was the second sound
id here this week.
Club Suggesting
Minor Changes In
Hunting Seasons
Ktrommcml QosimI Season
For Fishing ami Full
rime Enforcement
Mooting in the county court- I
house here Wednesday evening,
members of the Martin County
Wildlife Club recommended only
one change in the hunting season
dates, suggested a closed season
for fishing and called Vor full
time enforcement schedules of
all game and fish laws.
Presiding over the meeting, i
President J. C. Manning explain
ed that the various clubs had been
asked to discuss the game regula
tions and make suggestions to a
district meeting to be held next
week. Tile State's newly created
Wildlile Resources Commission
wants to conduct the business aft
er a democratic fashion, it was
pointed out The commission is
to meet in Asheville on July 28
and 2!l when opening dates, bag
limits and other regulations will
be determined.
Upon the motion of Hugh G.
Horton, the meeting last Wednes
day evening recommended that
the same seasons and regulations
m effect last year be retained for
Hie future with the exception of
turkey season. The members, with
an eye on a wild turkey for the
Thanksgiving holiday, suggested
that it be made lawful to take
wild turkeys on the Monday be
fore Thanksgiving. It was also
suggested that Ithe commission
act to save game by closing the
seasons if necessary, but it was
pointed out by J R. Winslow, a
member of the commission, that
I he body could be expected to
laT.c such 'aeiioii It conditions de
manded it.
The meeting also pointed out
that there is a growing need for a
closed Season on fishing. 'Thou
sands of lish have been destroyed
needlessly this summer, on" of
the members stated. “We must
coasrive i( wo hopo to any
lish or game,” lie added. In rec
ommending a closed fishing sea
son, the club members left it up
I to the commission to determine
j the dates.
Game law enforcement wur
j dens are to be paid $1,800 per
! year plus $50 per month for their
U. vitA-., t\- - a , v !
. “ ‘ t~> vV i uuVialM,
and the group immediately pass
time enforcement schedule. Mr.
Winslow stated that, tentative
plans call for an expenditure of
$500,000 (or enforcement work
during the next twelve months.
Tl)e club members pledged their
(Continued on page eight)
Martin County Tax Value.'
s
Although therp was no revaluation, real estate values in
Martin County this year exceeded those of 1946 by
$505,796, the increase reflecting new construction handled
since the 1946 listings. Real property exclusive of that
owned and listed by corporations with the State Com
mission, carried a tax value us of last January 1 of $9,
150,245 as compared with a value of $6,644,449 on January
1, 1946. 3
The increase in real property values, averaging about
live percent, ranged from a fraction of one percent in Pop
lar Point to sixteen percent in Jaraesville Township. Ac
cording to Tax Supervisor M. L. Peel, the following town
ships reported increases, the figures showing the gains by
districts and races:
WHITE
Jamesville
Williams
Griffins
Bear Grass
Williamston
Cross Roads
Robersonville
Poplar Point
Hamilton
Goose Nest
$
1946
846,640
269,394
449,215
, 455,789
2,029,087
452,000
1,491,506
272,217
689,782
876,502
1947
$ 982,861
286,042
465.536
480,303
2,213,033
444.802
1,525,485
272.537
701,392
882,210
$
Gain
136,521
16,648
16,321
24,514
183,946
7,198
33,979
320
11,610
5,708
Pci.
16.
6.1
" 3.6
5.3
9.0
1.5
2.3
1.6
0.7
Totals
$7,831,832 $8,254,201
COLORED
$ 422,369
5.3
Jamesville
Williams
Griffins
Bear Grass
Williamston
Cross Roads
Robersonville
Poplar Point
Hamilton
Goose Nest
$
1946
117,952
36,515
11,765
21,205
192,269
26,36.'
149,356
5,670
81,244
170,276
1947
$ 122,344
36,729
12,990
24,053
228,334
31,410
172,549
6,670
87,839
173,126
Gain
4,392
214
1,225
2,848
36,065
5,045
23,193
1,000
6,595
2,850
Pet.
3.7
0.6
10.
13.4
18.7
19.0
15.5
17.6
8.1
1.7
Totals
$ 812,617
$ 896,044 $ 83,427 10.2
A review of combined personal and real property listings
will appear later.
No Room In Hospital
For The Mentally 111
Entrance Denied
One, And Appeal [
Goes Unanswered
-<$>
Rrlalivrs Ami Fricml* Arr j
I )isgu*tr<l Willi I’rcsnil
Arrangements
- -
Crowded conditions and an ap
parent indifference existing for
years and years in North Caro
lina's State Hospital are becoming
more aggravated, according to re
liable reports heard here this
week. Despite the occupation of
Camp Sutton some time ago and
the more recent removal of many
patients to the Camp Butner hos
pital, the authorities still main
I tain there's no room for Marlin
| County's mentally ill m the hos
pital.
For years upon years, Martin
County authorities, unfortunate
ly, had to resort to political "pull"
to gain entrance in the State in
stitution for mentally sick pa
tients. The mainspring in that
rotten system is no longer a mem
j her of the governing board, and
waits, lasting for as much as a
I year in some aeses, have been ne
Icessary before entrance could be
| gained for the mentally sick.
I The blockade was again encoun
I tered a few days ago when rela
tives delivered a patient to the
Raleigh institution, and when
county officials pleaded with the
authorities to accept another sub
ject. During the meantime, an
'j ,iJu:.!..,.t:'i.S ll.’.lt.',. italic it!. e. -s-SALLiu..
be waiting behind boarded win- |
dows and another was being held |
behind bars. The unfortunate
victims have committed no crimes
against society, but they have
been and are still being denied ad
mission to an institution created
supposedly for the treatment of
; the mentally ill.
When the relatives delivered a
patient to the State hospital, they
reached there ten minutes after
live o’clock. "We close at 5:1)0
o'clock and can’t or won’t take pa
tients after closing time,” the re
latives were informed. Last Sat
urdtiy morning, Clerk of Court L.
B. Wynne Called the hospital, and
advised that the sheriff of the
ft^ lac iiti 1 ic'iic
to the hospital, that it was im
possible to reach there before
12:30 o’clock that afternoon. The
clerk said yesterday that lie was
assured the patient would be re
ceived, that no papers would be
necessary if the patient chose to
admit himself and agreed to abide
by the rules. The prescribed fee
was available. The officer rush
ed to Raleigh with his patient and
reached the institution at 12.30
o’clock, but the institution refused
to accept the patient. One report
stated that Dr. R. G. Blackwelder
was vacaioning at the time.
There’s no room in the hospital,
county authorities were advised
when they submitted application
for the entrance of another pa
tient. Last Thursday the patient,
a young woman, tried to end her
life. Fourteen stitches were nec
essary to close the knife wound.
Clerk of Court L. B. Wynne ap
pealed to the State Hospital by |
kpecial letter, explaining the case |
and again appealing for her ad
mittance. Up until Wednesday I
afternoon no answer hud been re- 1
ceived; in fact, receipt of the let
ter had not been acknowledged. 1
In a third case, the patient, also
a young woman, is being confined
to a room with the windows
boarded. Application to have her
received in the State institution
has been filed, county officials de
clare, but the entrance blockade
still holds.
On Tuesday of this week a
fourth patient, a young man who
has been a hard worker and who
has paitl his tax weekly, was jail
ed for his own protection. Rela
tives had carried him to private
clinics, exhausting their means,
uid now when they appeal to
heir State government a stubborn
ilftckade, maintained necessarily,
rr unnecessarily, is encountered.
Jounty officials moved to prepare
idmittanee papers, but they ex
dained that tlw action is likely to
wove meaningless. During the j
(Continued on page eight)
l
f—
I parking ciiangks
v
•/
New parking' regulations. i
affecting parking on several
streets, will go into effect
during the weekend and next
Monday, Mayor Robt. Cowen
announced today.
Beginning this week-end,
parking will be allowed
only on the west side of
Watts and Smithwick Streets.
Residents on those streets
cah help relieve the situation
by parking in their drive
ways. Beginning next Mon
day parallel parking will he
placed in effect on the north
side of Main Street.
Education Hoard
Meets Next Week
Tentatively scheduled to meet
sometime next week, the Martin
County Board of Education is ex
pected to fix the opening dates for !
the coming term and fix a time
schedule for holidays.
It was learned that plans are
going forward rapidly for the
opening of the term possibly the
latter part of August, that while
the new building program will
not be completed in time, altera
tions will have been made in most
cases.
Materials for colored schools at
Jamesville and Everetts are being
placed on the lots, and construe
lion work is "to get under way
within a short time. The James
ville building is to be located
about one-half mile this side of
Jamesville on property near the
John Bailey farm. The Everetts
building is to be located on the old
site. Present plans call for the
occupancy of the buildings in
early November
The lunchroom project at
Jamesville is almost complete,
but a shortage of some materials
is delaying the work there, it was
pointed out.
Mrs, A,.|,.Joih\s
I home of her daughter, Mrs. Cur
j roll Williams near Jamesville ;
| early Wednesday -morning follow
ing a lingering illness.
The daughter of the late David
and Kmeline Virginia Edwards
Burney, she was horn in Colum
bus County, on May 15, 1897, and
located in this county about six
years ago. Following the death
of her first husband she was mar
ried to Mr. Jones lust January 5.
She was Miss Muidie Lee Burney
before her first marriage.
Surviving besides bet husband
are three children, Mrs. Williams I
and Milton Sheppard, both of ;
Jamesville, and Marshall Shep
pard of Norfolk; a sister, Mrs.
Ethel Sheppard of Pungo; a half
brother, David Burney and a half
sister, Bessie Martin, both of
Columbus County.
Mrs. Jones had been a menibei
of the Free Will Baptist Church
for a long number of years.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at the home Thursday after
noon at 3:U0 o'clock, and inter
ment was in the Held Cemetery
in Washington County.
Mrs. A J. Jones died at the
—o
Call Firemen Out j
Tuesday Evening I
Local firemen were called out
shortly before 1U:()U o'clock last
Tuesday night to a trash pile fire
on East Church Street. The fire,
starting in a pile of shavings, was
pul out with a small hose directly
from the truck.
The firemen got the signals
mixed up when they were direct
ed to Watts Street. They retrac
ed their course to Mam and cross
ed on over to East Church
It has been pointed out that the
fire-fighting apparatus has a right
to 'Crash" the traffic ig is, that -
traffic should pull to the curb at I
Lite sound of the sirens. 1
Short Session Of
Recorders Court
Held On Monday
-v
Fines Imposed In The Sum
Of SI 1.1 IJy JiidgC
J. (!. Smith
|
Attracting an unusually large
number of white spectators, the
regular session of the Martin
County Recorder's Court handled
a dozen cn •< last Monday. The
court was in so- ion hardly more
than two and one-half hours, and
it. was the first time in recent
weeks that the number of white
spectators exceeded the colored.
Fines were imposed in the sum of
$145 by Judge J. Calvin Smith.
Proceedings:
Pleading not guilty in the case
charging him with .an assault on
a female, Wilton L. Godard was
adjudged guilty. Judge Smith
suspended judgment upon the
payment of the costs.
Judgment was suspended upon
the payment of the cost in the case
charging Joseph Whitaker with
simple assault. He pleaded guil
ty.
Clarence David McCall, plead
ing guilty of speeding, was fined
$20 and taxed with the costs.
The ease charging Joe J. Moore
with disposing of mortgaged pro
perty was continued until the first
Monday in next September.
Jesse Mobley, arraigned on a
bad cheek charge, pleaded guilty
and he was sentenced to the roads
for thirty days. The court sus
pended the road term upon the
payment of the $0 check and the
trial costs.
James Waddell Milchner. charg
ed with speeding, pleaded guilty
and was fined $20 and taxed with
the costs.
. c: 1.1ti V, : 1: and
disorderly and assaulting another,
George Mumford pleaded not
guilty. Adjudged guilty of being
drunk and disorderly, the defend
ant was fined $10 and required to
pay the court cost s.
Pleading guilty of assaulting a
female, Noah Andrews was sen
tenced to Hie loads for HO days.
The court mi pended the road
term upon the payment of a $25
I ini’ and costs and on the further
condition that the defendant does
not commit any crime and is not
intoxicated in a public place dur
ing the next two years. A viola
tion of the judgment terms means
|1 s' ’ cfeWnaahr wiif be e,immitfea'
■ to the roads to v.-ivo the 60-day
I Vli I G fl\ V; '•
Lloyd Irving Bunch pleaded
guilty of speeding and he was fin
ed $2ll and taxed with the costs.
Hubert 1 aw fence Gardner
pleaded not guilty in the case
charging him with reckless and
careless driving. He was adjudg
ed guilty and judgment was sus
pended upon the payment of the
costs.
A probation judgment was re
voked in the case of Lloyd Price
and lie was committed by the
court to serve a six months sen
tence. Price pleaded guilty on
July 1 of last year of asuulting
u female. He was sentenced to
the road at that time to serve
six month: Judgment was sus
pended upon the payment of a $25
line and the costs, and on the fur
ther condition that he violate no
criminal law. On the 23rd of last
month he was adjudged guilty of
being drunk and disorderly and
assault. Reviewing the case Pro
bation Officer Gay recommended
to llit court that the sentence be
invoked.
Funeral Held For
Mrs. Ray Bunting
Funeral service.-, were conduct*
ed at the home in Hamilton Wed
nesday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock
lor Mrs. Myrtle Everett Bunting
who died in Duke hospital at noon
last Monday. f!e\ K. E Stewart,
pastor of the Hamilton Baptist
| Church, and Rev J. R. Stewart, a
former pastor of the church there
and now pastor of the Roberson
ville Baptist Church, conducted
the last rites. Interment was in
the Hamilton Cemetery.
An unusually large number of
friends of Mrs Hunting and the
family gathered there from vari
ous parts of eastern Carolina and
Virginia to'pay a last tribute to
her memory. The floral offering’
was an extensive one, marking
the high esteem in which Mrs.
Bunting \vu_ held.