^ THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B¥
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B1
OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTI
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
VOLUME L—NUMBER 70
Williamslon, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, September 2, 1947
ESTABLISHED 1899
Addresses Annual
< FCX Meeting Here
Thursday Evening
M. G. Mann Declares Next
Two Years Will Be
Perplexing Ones
-®
Declaring that the next two or
three years will be the most per
plexing years in the history of ag
riculture, M. G. Mann, general
manager of the Farmers Coopera
tive Exchange, in an address to
the annual meeting of the Martin
^ FCX unit in th; high school last
Thursday evening, urged the
stockholders and patrons to unite
through their farm organizations
and fight to keep agriculture in
its rightful place in regard to
labor and industry. The speaker
also referred to the strong opposi
tion experienced by co-ops. His
address follows:
"It is imperative that agricul
g ture be regarded as one of the
main foundation stones of our
economic structure if farming is
to remain a prosperous way of
life,” Mann said.
“If we are to accomplish this,
then we cannot bury our heads in
the sand, as our forefathers did or
as many of us did in the early
twenties, and let labor and indus
try gain a stronger foothold in our
economy, at the same time, shov
ing agriculture more and more in
to the background.
"The time has come for farmers
to ask their friends to stand-up
and be counted, not only in our
economic life, but in our political
and social life as well; and if those
who slap you on the back when
you have money to spend are not
willing to stand by when the
money gives out or when you are
being attacked by selfish and
greedy interests that would keep
you in economic slavery, then you
ought to know it and act ac
cordingly.
1 want to make this plain,”
Mann stated emphatically, "It is
not all the merchants and manu
* facturers. nor is it a majority of
either group who are fighting you
and your cooperatives, but main
ly a group of manufacturers and
distributors, who, ironically, have
made their millions out of hand
ling and manufacturing farm sup
plies at a 100 percent profit, who
have organized the National Tax
Equality Association and who are
contributing hundreds of thous
ands of dollars to put on one of
the greatest smear campaigns ev
er planned.
“We had a taste of this in the
1947 General Assembly. A deter
mined fight was made, under the
pretense that taxes were its ob
jective, however, it was obvious j
that the amount of taxes the bill I
would raise was negligible and
that the bill was primarily aimed
at destroying farm cooperatives.
“The real motive behind the at
tacks on you and your farm coop- '
erative is not taxes. It is, simply,1
that the business interests who
have grown wealthy by taking
large margins of profit do not j
want cooperatives because they \
serve as a regulator, and in this
way not only helps its member- 1
owners, but every farmer in the j
state.
"I have one desire in this meet
ing," Mann said, "and that is to
clearly state that the member
owners of the Farmers Coopera
tive Exchange are not commun
ists, socialists, outcasts, and above
ever-ything, they are not tax-dodg
ers, but rather just plain North
Carolina farmers trying to make
a living .... a large majority of
them born and reared for several
generations in this great State.
"The FCX pays every tax that
any merchant pays, and in the
same way with the exception of
the income tax and the franchise
fax. And you must not forget
that out of the more than 50,000
merchants in the state, less than
1.500 pay franchise taxes and the
others do not even pay the $10 li
cense tax paid by your own farm
cooperatives. When it comes to
income taxes, the cooperatives
pay their income or savings back
to the patrons on the basis of pur
chases made, and the patron pays
the tax.
"We all know that we will nave
a far healthier economy when the
state’s 300.000 farmers become in
come taxpayers and not just a few
hundred merchants and manufac
turers.
(Continued on page htx)
i
White Schools Open
Term September 4th
-o
Announce Faculty
Complete For All
Schools In County
—-<» —
Increase*I enrollments Are
Expected In Several
Of the Sehools
After a delay of one week, new
j plans have been made for open
j ing the white schools in this
county on Thursday of this week,
■ a report from the office of the
■ county superintendent stating that
I every thing is in readiness for
launching the 1947-48 sessions.
Faculty appointments for all
the white schools .have been com
pleted, and several teachers have
j already reported for work,
i A county-wide teachers’ meet
j ing will be held in the grammar
school here Wednesday. The sev
eral schools will’hold individual
| teachers' meetings Thursday
morning at 9:00 o'clock, and the
| pupils are to report for enroll
I ment Thursday afternoon at 1:30
o’clock. Patrons are asked to
note the change in time for the
opening and to make every effort
to have their children there.
Books are to be distributed and
lessons assigned during a short
session beginning at 9:00 o’clock
Friday morning. Fees, establish
ed by the State, are to be collect
led in all the schools Friday, as
follows: first and second grades,
$1: third, fourth and fifth, $1.10;
sixth, seventh and eighth grades,
$1.20. In the high school there’ll
j be a $3 book rental fee, plus 60
cents for library, and 50 cents
each for home economics and ag
riculture where the pupils choose
one of the last two courses.
The colored schools are sched
uled to start the term, next Mon
day.
The number of teachers rung
about the same as last year, 118.
Twenty-seven of the teachers in
the schools this year are new as
compared to last year, but six of
them have taught in the Martin
County schools in recent years.
The list of white teachers for
the county schools follows:
Williamston: B. G. Stewart,
principal; Miss Anna Belie Pri
vott. Mrs. Evelyn H. Manning,
Mrs. Nancy T. Gorham, George W.
Harris, Miss Ida Roberts, Miss
Peggy Hopkins, Miss Mary Ellen
Sawyer, Stuart Maynard, Jack
Butler, Mrs Beecher M Patter
son. Miss Mary G. Whitley, Mrs.
George W. Corey, Mis. C. B. Has
sell. Miss Mildred By rum, Miss
Erma Benson, Miss Marion Rog
erson, Mrs. Velma H. Coburn,
Miss Dora O’Neil Bailey, Miss
Mamie Modlin. Miss Frances Jen
kins. Miss Josephine Everett, Mrs.
Alma J. Kimball. Mrs. Rosalie I.
Forneberger, Mrs. Mary B. Car
starphen, Miss Estelle Crawford,
Miss Lamina Baker, Miss Grace
Talton and Miss Ada Morris.
Robersonville: C. B. Martin,
principal: Kelly Abeyounis,
George S. McRorie, Miss Ruth E.
Hollowed. Miss Jessie E. Richard
son, Mrs. J. E. Mullen, George B.
Roberts, Miss Queenie B. McGow
an. Miss Ellen E. Riddick, Mrs.'
Norman Wilkerson, Mrs. Irene J.
Roberson, David K. Wood, Marvin
M. Everett, Miss Lois M. Tunnell,
Mrs. Annie P. Roberson. Miss Hil
da L. Sumreli. Miss Millie J. Roe
buck, Mrs. Alida S. Tyler, Miss1
Reba C. Winstead, Miss Louise
Dixon, Mrs. Carrie Lee Martin and
Miss Minnie Cochran, James Wal
lace.
Everetts: Manly Fulcher, prin
cipal; Mrs. Marjorie B. James,
Mrs. Beatrice W. James, Mrs.
Grace R. Ayers, Mrs. Edith A.
Martin, Mrs. Christine H. Bailey,
and Mrs. Margarete R. Roberson
Oak City: Hubert J. McCracken,
principal; Mis. Lucy M. Worsley,
Isaac Griffin, James H. Ayers,
John Leary Hassell, Miss Helen
Holt Whitehead. Mrs. Harriet E.
Winslow. Mrs. Katie Speer Cope
land Mrs. Rachel R. High. Miss
Nancy Worsley. Mrs. Maude B.
Harris. Mrs. Phoebe T. Stokes,
Miss Madaline Davenport, Mrs.
Myrtle P. Johnson, Miss Love
Ruth White.
Hamilton: George S. Haislip,
principal; Mrs. Sara E. Cherry,
(Continued on page three)
ROIJND-UP
r
v.
With the exception of two
stray drunks who literally
staggered into jail, all was
quiet on the crime front in
this section over the week
end. One of the drunks was
barely 20 years old and the
other was 26. Both were col
ored.
Two other persons were ar
rested and detained for a
short while ealier in the
week. The crime record for
the past week-end was the
lowest recorded here in many
months.
Lions Contribute
To School Band
Discuss Hospital Plans ■ At
(!luh Meeting Here
Last Tliiuxlay
The local Lions Club held its
regular dinner meeting at the
Woman’s Club last Thursday eve
ning. where the ladies of the Ver
non Methodist Church served a
delicious fried chicken dinner.
Among the items of business
■ handled was the voting of a dona
tion of one hundred dollars from
the club treasury to the Willaims
ton Band Fund, in an effort to
help the latter group reach* its
goal of $1500 for new uniforms.
The club members also heard
Lions J H. Edwards and W. B.
Gaylord outline plans for the
: club's support of a drive to place
j before the people of the county
the need for a hospital and the re
quirements that would he involv
ed. It was decided that further
| steps and plans along this line
would be left to the members of
the club's Improvement and Com
munity Betterment Committee.
Chairman G. H. Guiganus an
nounced the receipt of a small
check of $31.00 as the club s share
of the ball chewing gum machines
for the last period. thi§ check go
ing to the club’s blind and charity
fund.
A program of piano and instru
mental music was given by Hyde
Fair and a member of his band,
following the business session.
President K. D. Worrell presided ;
over the meeting, Lion Gaylord ,
Harrison led the singing and Lion !
E. L. Ward. Jr., pronounced the;
invocation. Guests present were
Stuart Maynard, new high school
athletic director, and Rudolph
Peele.
■o
Instructions To
School Students
—*—
Planning to open the schools
here Thursday afternoon at 1:30
o’clock. Principal B G. Stewart j
issued instructions for the pupils'
to follow preparatory to enrolling j
for the term.
First graders are to report to
Miss Bake’s room, second graders ;
to Miss Crawford's room, third
graders to Miss Manning’s room. I
fourth graders to Mrs. Kimball's
old room, fifth graders to Miss
Modlin’s room, and sixth graders ,
to Mrs. Fusseli’s old room in the j
primary and grammar buildings. !
Pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclus
ive, are to report to the high
school auditorium that afternoon
at 1:30 o’cltx'k.
The school man pointed out that
all fees are to be paid before
books are issued.
Muny Theories
dhanges In
Regarding
Moon's Size
-O- -——
Various theories have been of
fered to account for the fact that
the moon appears larger near the
hoiizon when it rises, but the con
clusions of psychologists who !
studied the problem very careful- j
lv show that none of these the- !
ories is satisfactory. There seems
to be some physiological effect by i
whiclj the effort of raising or low
ering the eyes shrinks the size of
the moon as we perceive it, but
so far there does not seem to be a j
satisfactory explanation of how1
such an effect could take place.
Three Injured In
Car-Truck Wreck
Thursday Night
(.onsidfrablr Damage Re
sults When Truck Hits
Car On Highway
Three persons were hurt, two of
I them badly, and property damage,
| estimated at $500, resulted when
j a truck plowed into the side of a
I car on the Jamesville-Williamston
[Highway near Nurney’s store ear
J ly last Thursday evening.
James A. Mendenhall, young
white man, Simon P. Bazemore,
colored man, and his mother. Arie
V. Bazemore, of Windsor were
entered in Brown’s Community
Hospital for treatment. His left
arm broken. Mendenhall was able
to leave the hospital following
treatment. Bazemore, suffering
cuts on his head and other minor
injuries, was stitched up and he
was able to leave the hospital a
short time later. The mother,
suffering head and hip injuries,
continued in the hospital, one re
port indicating that she was pos
sibly hurt internally.
Driving his 1937 model Ford in
the direction of Jamesville, Men
denhall started to make a left turn
into the Islands road when Baze
more. operating a truck used for
hauling pulp wood, and driving in
the direction of Jamesville, plow
ed into the side of the car. The
car was knocked partly around
and the truck continued down the
road quite a distance before going
out of control and coming to a
stop in a ditch. Other passengers
in the truck were not hurt.
Investigating the accident, Pa
trolman W E. Saunders said that
damage to the car will approxi
mate $300 and that possibly re
pairs to the truck will cost $200.
Mrs. W. T. Lawrence of More
head City suffered painful but be
lieved not serious back injuries
when the car in which she was
riding turned over at Skewarkey
on Highway 17 last Saturday
morning during a blinding rain.
Given treatment in the local hos
pital, she was able to continue to
her home Sunday. Her son, T. R.
Lawrence of Newport News, was
driving his 19-11 Dodge coach
south when it skidded on the wet
pavement, went out of control,
swerved around and turned over.
The driver and his wife and Miss
es Louise Glascow and Calera
Lawrence, passengers in the car,
were not hurt. Damage to the
car was estimated at $250 by CpI.
T. Fearing who made the investi
gation.
A traveler ripped away about
25 feet of railing on the detour
bridge at the liver here Sunday
morning at 3:15 o’clock, but es
caped injury. When the car came
to a stop, it was within “a breath”
of toppling over into the swamp,
Cpl. Fearing of the highway pa
trol declared.
A minor accident was reported
at the Watts Street stoplight at
8.00 o’clock Sunday night when a
car stopped for the light and an
other plowed into it. Bumpers
were smashed and a light was
broken in the “attacking” car,
local officers, making the inves
tigation, said. No one was hurt.
Sunday evening at 8:15 o’clock
Donidee Thorne, colored school
teacher, was rounding a curve on
Black Swamp near the W. H. Ed
wards farm and lost control of his
1940 Pontiac when the accelera
tor got caught. He ripped away a
large portion of the railing from
Nowell’s Bridge, causing about
$200 damage to his car. No one
was hurt, Patrolpnan W. E. Saun
ders said following an investiga
tion.
LONGER SALES
>- _
>
I
Beginning on Thursday of
this week, tobacco sales on all
eastern markets will be jump
ed from four to five hours,
making possible the sale of
2,000 instead of 1,600 baskets
per day for each set of buyers.
In most instances the 4
Imur allotted time has not
been used in its entirety.
With peanut digging time just
around the corner there is
some doubt if the sales on
some of the markets will run
the allotted time. The five
hour selling day will be cut
back on September 22.
i
County Board In
j
Uneventful Meet
Monday Morning
~ —" ."*■
(lliairiuan Kilwanls Reports
On District Hospital
Meeting
-o
The Martin County Board of
| (Commissioners, with all members,
j Chairman J. H. Edwards and
' Messrs. R. A. Haislip, W. M. Har
! risen, C. A. Roberson and Joshua
L. Coltrain, present, held a fair
ly short and an uneventful meet
ing Monday.
Chairman Edwards reported on
a district hospital meeting, and
pointed out that tentative plans
were being made to bring a rep
resentative of the Good Health
Commission to this county to ad
dress interested citizens. No date
was mentioned. It has been point
ed out that sites for hospitals in
four counties are being selected
and that Pitt Cot "ty is calling
for an election to decide whether
it shall have a hospital.
The board authorized the instal
lation of water in the Oak City
jail for housing prisoners, the
costs to be met from the law en
forcement fund set up in the ABC
Board program. The cost, it was
estimated, will approximate $185.
M. Luther Peel was reappoint
ed county tax collector for anoth
er year.
Tax relief orders were issued to
several property owners whose
holdings had been double listed or
entered on the tax books by mis
take. as follows:
Emily Jenkins on $100 proper
ty listed in Robersonville in 1938
and 1939.
Stoud, Bailey and Barnhill on
$800 property listed in Cross
Roads in 1930.
Mrs. Geo. T. Whitehurst es
tate on $750 property listed in
Bear Grass in 1929.
Sarah M. Hardison estate on $75
property listed in Griffins in 1938.
L. B. Gardner estate on $50 pro
perty listed in Jamesville.
The board ordered an adjust
ment in taxes listed by T. T.
Adams in Parmele in 1932, 1933
and 1934 when it was pointed out
that the home burned the year
following revaulation.
The board also recommended
that because a mistake had been
made that taxes listed in 1931 by
R T. Edmondson on property
valued at $1,430 in Poplar Point,
and 43 acres of property valued
at $300 in Bear Grass and listed
by C. 1J. Bullock be made payable
(Continued on page eight)
Blind Young Man
Enters Business
After undergoing treatment and
major operations and failing to
regain his sight, Jim Manning,
son of Ben R. Manning and the
late Mis. Manning of Griffins
Township, did not give up but
with a strong determination start
ed in search for a brighter tomor
row.
Participating in a Lions pro
gram, the young man a short time
ago completed a six-month course
in the pre-conditioning center for
the blind in Greenville. He made
splendid progress there, learning
I to type, read Braille and substi
tute touch for sight in numerous
instances. Making such an envi
able record, the young man was
recently offered a job with the
Lions Club in Winston-Salem
where he is now operating a news
and confectionery stand in the
lobby of the Wachovia Bunk. He
is rapidly acquainting himself in
his new surroundings, last reports
stating that he is doing well.
Coming home for the Labor Day
holiday, Jim was given a going
away party by his aunt, Mrs.
Louis Roberson, and his sisters,
Mrs. Arthur Revels, Mrs. Delmus
Rogers and Mrs. Sampson Hodges,
at the Manning home last Sunday
afternoon. Approximately 150
friends called to see him, shower
ing him with useful gifts and
wishing him the best of luck in his
new venture. Light refreshments
were served and it was a delight
ful and enjoyable event both for
the guests and the young man,
who expressed Ins great apprecia
tion for the kindness and thought
fulness expressed.
Jim returned to his station
alone by bus yesterday morning.
Tobacco Prices $2.
Above Belt Average
Market Here Sold
768,736 Pounds In
First Five Days
lit* 11 Laal Week Sold Only
21 Million Pounds For
$43.34 Average
Although sales were compara
tively light. Williamston’s tobac
co market had a very successful
period during the first week of
the current season, according to
a report released yesterday by
Sales Supervisor John A. Man
ning. During the period the mar
■ ket sold 768,736 pounds for $348,
177.28. an average price of $45.30
per hundred pounds.
A full sale is in progress today
at the Farmers warehouse and to
bacco is being moved fairly rapid
ly into the Planters house for a
sale tomorrow. While no marked
change could be noticed in prices
being paid today, the market was
possibly some stronger than it was
last week.
Observers point out that the
Flue-Cured Stabilization Corpora
tion is serving as an effective sta
bilizing factor, but so far the cor
poration has received a compara
tively small percentage of the to
bacco marketed here.
A government report released
for the first week of sales shows
that sales in the belt were hardly
half as large last week as they
j were the first five days of last
| season. However, Williamston
sold m arly two-thirds as much to
I bacco in the first five days of the
current season as it did in the cor
responding period, a year ago.
Through last Friday the eastern
Carolina belt had sold 21.613,816
pounds from the current crop for
an average of $43.34, a figure $2
lower than the Williamston aver
age and $0.02 under that paid dur
ing the first five days of 1946.
It is reliably estimated that the
Stabilization Corporation receiv
ed 18.5 percent of the sales in the
belt last week.
Loans were available last seas
on but prevailing prices were con
siderably above the advance and
deliveries were negligible. This
year much interest was manifest
ed by the growers and most eligi
ble producers have taken advan
tage of the support program. The
majority of the grades turned over
to the Stabilization Corporation
were top cutters and lugs and a
few of the lower lugs. Other
grades ranged from $100 to $8.00
over the Commodity Credit Cor
poration support level. Most leaf
and medium lug and priming
grades were around $5.00 above
the loan rates.
A breakdown of existing prices
this week shows the largest de
clines of $8 00 to $17.00 were for
medium to better lugs, leaf, and
cutter grades. Losses for leaf
were from $4.5(1 to $17.00, smoking
leaf $10.00 to $13.00, cutters $7.00
to $11.00, lugs $4.00 to $12.00,
primings $3.00 to $13.00, and non
descript 25c to $8.00 per hundred.
Most of the decreases were from
$7.00 to $13.00 per hundred A few
low iugs and primings were
steady or picked up $1.00. Aver
ages ranged from a low of $7.75
for commonest crude nondescript
to $59.00 for good lemon cutters.
The bulk was selling from $41.00
to $54.00 as compared with $45.00
to $04.00 of opening week last
season.
The general quality of early
sales this season compared favor
ably with last year in spite of the
lateness of the crop. The propor
tion of fine and choice qualities
was smaller but less common leaf
and nondescript was marketed.
More good grades were sold. The
percentage of lugs showed a ma
jor increase to make up for ap
proximately one-half of the sales.
Principal offerings were low to
fine lugs, low cutters, and low and
fair leaf. A fairly large number
of the baskets were graded in un
safe keeping order.
Holdings of Eastern North Caro
lina tobacco by dealers and manu
tacturers on July 1, 1947, amount
ed to 343,387,009 pounds. This was
about 7 percent more than on the
same date last year. Total tlue
(Cun turned on pagt seven)
ARMY WORMS
A full-scale attack was cen
tered on a farm in Griffins
Township last week-end when
an estimated million army
worms moved in from the
south and started working on
green vegetation, Farm Agent
Tom Brandon reported yes
terday.
Using a preparation of ar
senate of lead and other pois
on, the farmer staged a coun
terattack which is proving
most effective, the agent de
clared.
Mrs. Jesse Martin
Died At Her Home
Monday Afternoon
<*—
To Hold Funeral Wednes
day Afternoon In Odnr
Hraneli (ilinreh
Mis. Jesse Martin, beloved cit
izen of the Jamesville commun
ity, died at her home there yes
terday afternoon at 1:40 o’clock.
She hud experienced declining
health for some years, but was
getting along very well up until
a few months ago when she en
tered a Durham hospital for treat
ment. Her condition, however,
was not considered critical until
last Saturday evening when she
collapsed and fell unconscious
The end came gradually with
members of the family at her bed
side. Mrs. Martin had visited her
daughter here last week and
seemed very bright and was
thought to be getting along as
well as usual when she suffered
the attack a few hours after re
turning to her home.
Miss Lula Gardner before her
marriage to Mr. Martin in 1901,
she was born March 27. 1879, and
spent all her life in the James
ville community. She was a
daughter of the late John and
Kate Waters Gardner. Mrs. Mar
tin was a member of the church
at Cedar Branch for forty-six
years and was listed among its
most faithful and loyal members.
She was a devoted wife and
mother, and her goodness knew
no bounds. A thoughtful neigh
bor and sincere friend, she was
held in the highest esteem by all
whose privilege it was to know
her, and in her humble walk
I through life she set those fine ex
amples of neighborliness and
helpfulness so worthy of others
to follow.
Mrs. Martin valued and appreci
ated the finer things in life, ear- 1
i mg little for the frivolities. Her
home was open to all. and when
troubled, friends found a refuge
and gained a new courage there.
Surviving are Mr. Martin, six
children, four daughter. Mrs A
R. Modlin of Plymouth. Mrs Wil
liam Gurganus of Williamston,
Mrs. Bill 11 Modlin and Mrs. Guy
Napier of Jamesville; two sons.
Colon Martin of Jamesville and
Wheeler Martin of Spartanburg.
South Carolina; two sisters, Mis.
Bertha Hardison ot Plymouth and
Mrs. Della Hardison of James
ville; nineteen grandchildren and
one great-grandchild.
(Continued on page eight)
—o—
Hunting Season
One Month Away
Appealing to hunters to keep
their guns in ttie racks and warn
ing against violations, game law
enforcement officers and conser
vation officials this week pointed
out that the hunting season in the
county is still a little over a
month aw'ay. The first lawful
hunting in the county this%ear
will get under way on October 6
when the season opens for taking
squirrel and deer.
The courts in the State are tak
ing a determined stand against
game law violators. Up in Burke
County a few days ago, three
hunters were carried into court
for taking squirrel out of season
aud it cost each oi thuu $iUi.3U.
Superintendent
Of Prison Camp
Resigned Friday
<!u|tliiin John K. Delbririge
Sikt«“(mI(‘(I I niiii(‘«liately
By V. H. Scssoms
Captain John E. Uelbridge, sup
erintendent of the State Highway
and Public Works Commission
prison camp in this county for al
most, two years, tendered his re
jsignation here last Friday after
I noon when pressure, described by
many as "undue" and “extreme"
was brought following a simple
and harmless attack on Marion K.
Williams, young white prisoner
who escaped and was recaptured
in Halifax County week before
last. A. H. Sessoms, camp stew
ard for several years, was named
to succeed Captain Uelbridge. and
an assistant was sent here from
another camp.
The resignation, coming after
nearly two years of faithful ser
vice, was tendered to J. T. Thomp
son, division supervisor of prison
camps, who immediately dratted
Mr Sessoms to take over.
The action almost brought about
the wholesale resignations of
guards and other prison camp per
sonnel, but the departing super
intendent asked the men to give
the new camp official the same
cooperation and support they had
given him in the past. One em
ployee quit the camp the follow
ing day, however, and it was quite
evident that the personnel was
stunned by the action.
Captain Delbndge, visibly hurt
and troubled, offered to hide
nothing but told the truth all the
way. cooperating with the investi
gator' in searching out the facts.
He packed hr- few personal be
longings and left the camp late
that afternoon, a disappointed
man.
Talking neither on or off the
record, Captain Delbridge recall
ed the incident leading up to sen
sational headlines. “We were
called to Halifax County shortly
after 'noon that day, and rushed
there with our blood iiounds. We
chased two escaped convicts for
hours, finally running one down
about 8:30 or 8:45 o'clock that
night. We questioned the man
(Marion K Williams) and he
would tell nothing. A farmer in
the community who had volun
teered to go into the woods and
help run down the twice-escaped
criminal, told Williams that he
saw him (Williams) and another
I escaped convict (Claude Gregory)
near a grapevine that afternoon.
The convict called the farmer a
liai and I slapped him." Del
bridge said, adding that the blow
was no harder than one delivered
by a parent in correcting a child.
The superintendent did not
have much to say about it. but re
ports declare that lie came out of
the chase with blood dripping
from his finger tips as a result of
briar and brush scratches on his
arms. Tired and weary from the
chase, the camp superintendent
was still interested in recapturing
a criminal When Williams call
ed the farmer a liar it was too
much for Delbridge who is of the
opinion that the slap was not in
human, that it was far less severe
than correctional tactics employ
ed in the model prisons of the
country.
Mr. Delbridge leaves his post
of duty with an enviable reputa
tion as a man and prison camp
superintendent. He played fair
and square with his prisoners, giv
ing them individual and personal
attention, pleading their causes
before his superiors. Vet, there
was discipline and respect for his
admimstratnm both front the pris
oners and personnel. He ran a
good camp. He fed his prisoners
good food. He held iiis camp
open for inspection at all times.
Anyone interested in the welfare
of prisoners could gel a first-hand
and free report from any prisoner.
Mr. Dclbrictgc took pride in his
work.
Those who have observed the
superintendent's worn f^efc were
content to leave the administra
tion of his charges’ welfare in his
hand, knowing full well that un
reasonable tactics would not be
jinpled «*gaii'u»i anyone, that he
would play the game fair.
And when he was literally kick
.‘d out, Captain Delbridge could
tot help but feel hurt.
(Continued on pu^e eight)
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