North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BE k OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT! FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME L—NUMBER 84 THE ENTERPRISE —- - - ---- . S ___ Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, October 21, 1947 ==^=BgSB THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BE OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT1 FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES ESTABLISHED 1899 Believed to Have Lost Mind. Negro * Roams Swamps Disappeared From Home In the Cross Roads Sec tion Week \go . Leaving his home presumably to go squirrel hunting last Tuesday afternoon about 2:00 o'clock. An drew Roberson. 40-year-old Ne gro farmer, is now believed to have lost his mind, late reports stating that he ran from a search ing party on two occasions, once ^.Sunday morning and again Sun •day eveing just before a heavy electrical storm struck. No direct report has been received from the man since that time, and neigh bors believe something has hap pened to him. Roberson, a respected tenant farmer, a thoughtful husband and father and a good provider for his familv, settled up for his tobacco ^crop w'ith his landlord, W. K. Roe buck. on Monday of last week. The money was turned over to Ro berson's wife and just before he went hunting Tuesday afternoon he left his pocketbook with his wife, explaining that he might lose it In the woods. Last Tuesday morning, the fam ily went to the sweet potato patch and .started digging potatoes. When lunch time came, he sug gested that they finish the task before stopping to eat, explaining that it might rain and he wanted to get the potatoes harvested. The job was completed shortly before 2:00 o’clock and the family went home for dinner. Roberson killed a chicken and started a fire in the cook stove, and told his wife that he thought he would go to the nearby woods and kill a squirrel while she was preparing dinner. He did not return and a search was started the next day after the wife reported him missing. Seal clung parties combed the comparatively small but thick woods in the section, a section well known to Roberson since he j was born and reared there. No * trace of the man could be found after the searchers tracked him to a shallow canal and lost his tracks The search was continued each day. and Sunday morning possibly 100 persons, white and i colored, went into the woods, j James Everett, wading in water ! through a thick reed patch, heard j some one and he called to him. A mumbled answer was heard, but Everett could not see the man who soon rushed away. The search was centered in that area from then on. but no trace of the man was established until just before the storm when he was seen en tering the county road hardly 75 yards from the house. When friends called to him, he turned i and ran back into the woods. Nothing more has been heard | from him, according to last reports reaching here. It is possible that Roberson be came lost in the woods that Tues day afternoon, that he spent a night there and lost his reasoning ^gj^UM^Jughting swarms of mosqui toes and'suflenng exposure. New Local Managers For Town's Theaters — .1 I, . - - *. Resigning as local manager of the Watts and Marco theaters since they were leased to the 1 ftewart-Everett Company, Wal tuii C. Hamilton left last week for his home in Beaufort. Mr. Hamilton is being succeed ed by Wallace McLean who will manage the Watts, and by Noah Hardison, local man, as manager of the Marco. Mr. McLean, a na tive of Dunn, was transferred here from Dunn. Mr. Hardison . has been with the theaters here I for a number of years. STREET PROJECT | * An improvement project, calling; for the resurfacing of the approximately one mile of biack-ftlp'sCreeCTand Uic siii * facing of several short streets, was launch"'1 last week- here. Weather permitting, the con tractor, Drown Paving Com pany, will start "shooting” the streets on Thursday of this week, preparatory to placing and packing the sand asphalt on them. Only a few days will be re quired to complete the work. House Agriculture Hearing In Rocky Mount On Friday Searching the grass roots for ! the facts, members of the House Agriculture Committee were said] to have been greatly impressed by the ov.idftnc" offered of formers at"u hearing held in Rocky Mount last Friday. Reporting on t e hearing at a meeting of the Martin County Farm Bureau in the couithouse last Saturday night, Farm Bureau President Chas, L. Daniel stated that strong evidence was offered in support of a four-year farm program. Farm owners, landlords, tenants, sharecroppers and others pleaded for a continuation of the parity formula and control for the major crops Headed by the Farm Bureau organization, the approxi mately sixty witnesses offered some strong evidence in support of the program. The witnesses told how they had been able to clear away debts and operate at a profit under the administration JVVOgr e TV*. The.e Weis little evidetice oi any politics, and it is fairly certain that the Republicans will ponder the problem a long time before they desert the program, it was declared by those who attended the meeting. The farmers have expressed their wishes, and now it is up to them to support farm or ganizations to carry the fight to Wahington. The hearing, one of twelve be ing held in the entire nation, was attended by congressmen, farmers and farm organization officials from all parts of this State and from one or two adjoining states. ROUND-UP Fourteen persons were ar rested and plaeed in the coun ty jail here last week-end, the number of arrests running: slightly above the average re ported for a several-week period. Nine of those placed in the “cooler” were charged with public drunkenness, two with drunken driving, one for non support, one for breaking and entering and one for failing to appear in court in accord ance with a summons. Six of the fourteen were white and ages of the group ranged from 20 to 54 years. Work Started On New Homes Here Construction wo>k was started last week or is getting under way on several new homes here this week, not to mention work well advanced on a new theater. No contracts were let for the homes, I as far as it could be learned. Work was started recently on a ' new home for Cpl. and Mrs. T. W. i Fearing on Franklin Street just j back of the Meyer Levins. The foundation is prepared for a home for Mr. and Mrs*. Henry Griffin next to the T. B. Brandons on Grace Street. Work is slated to get underway this week on an eight-room frame house for Mr. and Mrs. James Staton Ayers on Franklin Street. The old Farmers and Merchants Bank building has been cleared from the lot between Woolard's Furniture Store and the old Den nis Simmons Lumber Company office on Main Street, and brick work was started yesterday for the town’s fourth picture house. Work is well advanced on a $5,000 bugalow for Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Curtis on Ray Street near the Biggs home in New Town, and on a $3,500 home for Mr. and Mrs. Dan Sharpe just off North Watts Street. Former l ocal Man Hurt In Accident Struck by a taxi on a Winston -Salem street last Friday evening Mi. Ben Crawford, Williamston native, was critically hurt, reports reaching here stating that he suf fered fractures of an arm and a leg and a concussion. Removed to a hospital there, he was uncon scious for hours, but his condition late yesterday was said to have shown some improvement. He talked with the doctors and rela tives at times, but continued for the most pai l in a semi-conscious condition. His sister, Miss Anna Crawford, and nephew, Asa Craw-ford, and Mrs. Pat Crawford returned home last night after spending two days with mm. i 'JilllK*-\v.rirk Truvb ! On Lumber l ard Hen- j Taking- the driver's seat in a | William tor Lumber Company j truck on the mill yard Iasi Sun day afternoon, James Earl Fel ton, 14. and Fred Brown, 11 cranked up the machine out they had not driven far before crash ing into a lumber shed, tearing down a post and crashing a head light. Goat Is Made The Goat of Mad Rage -» ■ ■■ - Individuals have been made the "goat” in countless numbers of transactions, schemes and deals, but fiilly Goat was made the "goat" of a cruel and fatal attack here early last Sunday morning, the first complaints alleging that Harry Robe-son, young colored man, took the spile out on the goat when he got mad with his girl friend. George Williams, respected col ored citizen, bought the goat for his grandson ten years ago. The goat and the grandson grew up to gether and the lad and other mem bers of the family became firmly attached to the pet. Roberson is alleged to have had some words with Lue Pearl Williams and her brother, and they charged him with killmg the the goat. In Mayor Robt. Cowon's court last evening, the evidence apparently did not support the charge and the defendant was re leased. Going to the Williams home on Pearl Street about 1:00 o'clock Sunday morning, the fiend cut the goat’s throat and ran. George Williams heard the goat bleating, but did not pay too much atten tion to it at the time. Getting up at 5:00 o’clock Sunday morn ing, lie saw the goat lying dead in the yard. -1 P.-T. A. Meeting In Jamesville —«— The first meeting of the Jamcs ville P. T. A. was held Wednesday night, October 15. Mrs. Hosea Davis, vice-president, piesided in the absence of the president. Mrs. “Frost” Martin. The primary issue of this meet ing was to decide if the P. T. A. would sponsor the lunch room program. This motion was voted upon and carried. A special com mittee from the association was elected la with the school and the lunch room supi rvisor. It was decided by the meeting that the school would give a Hal lowe’en carnival, Friday, October 30, to help raise funds for lunch room. Mr. W. B. Sugg, principal of the school, stressed the importance of a P. T. A. and the part it could play in the school. i Other minor problems were dis cussed. The meeting was adjourn ed with the hope that the next meeting could be closed with an "open-house tea” in the ulnch room. -o--- „ County Church To Hold Association —#— ; The annua! association of the ' Smithwick’s Creek Primitive Bap-1 list Church will be held Saturday! aint Sunday Octobei 26 ami 2‘jth. j St i vices wVil begin promptly at 10 o'clock both Saturday and Sun-j day iiiurnuig.-,. and on Saturday: night a service will be heid at 7 ; o’clock. Several ministers, many of whom will come from out of the! state, will preach during the two-. day meeting Dinner will be served on the ' grounds Sunday. ' Several Slightly Hurt In Highway Wrecks Recently ♦ ■ - Fifth W reck In Past Few Days Charged Against Left-hand 'Furjffl* Several persons were hurt, none j badly, in a series of automobile i accidents reported on the high ways in this county during the week-end. A flare-up in the num ber of wrecks and drunken driv ers kept three patrolmen busy. The fifth wreck in just a few days chargeable to motorists mak ing left turns just as traffic start ed to pass, was reported during the week-end. The first in the recent wreck series was reported by Patrolman W. B. Parker at Everetts last Thursday night about 9:00 o'clock. James D. Keel, driving Jimmy Bailey's 1937 Ford, started to) make a left turn into a street near the school building there just as J. B. Sullivan started to pass in his 1947 Ford. No one was hurt and damage to both cars will i hardly exceed $75 or $100, Patrol man Parker estimated. Last Saturday night about' 9.25 o’clock, Eddie Golphin, colored, was driving into town on Wash ington Street when Joseph C. Woolard, of Newport News and Washington, plowed into him headon near the Carver theater, blocking traffic or a short time. Golphin’s 4-year-old son, James, whs thrown from the back to the front scat and knocked out for a short while. He appeared to be all right the following day. Wool ard was accompanied by his wife and three children and the owner of the car. One of the Woolard I children was slightly hurt. Wool aid, charged with drunken driv ing, left his side of the street and plowed into the Golphin car which was, well on its side of the road. “I saw him coming on my side and I pulled to the right and stopped,” Golphin said, adding that he was frightened badly as he looked at the car heading di rectly toward him. Woolard was helo in default of $300 bond along with the owner of the car who was charged with pubic drunkenness. Other members of the Woolard family were carried to Washing ton by Herman Crawford. Inves tigating the accident, local offic ers estimated the damage to both cars at $250. Sunday evening at 3:00 o’clock, Lonnie Blake of Parmele, driving east on Highway 64, started to make a left turn near Parmi le just us Roy McClees, Wiliiamstun groceryman, started to puss him. No one was hurt and damage to the cars was estimated at about $200 by Patrolman W. E. Saund ers who made the investigation. Intruder Turned Back With Knife -* Forcing his way into the hum ble shanty abode of Jethro We— Guarian on the Williamston Lum ber Company premises here early last Sunday morning, Jesse Gibbs was turned back with a pocket knife in McGuarian's hands. Local officers stated that Gibbs went to the shanty and wanted to play cards. McGuarian, retired for the night, told Gibbs he did not care to play. Gibbs insisted and when he forced his way into the shanty, McGuarian opened with his knife, slashing the in-! truder across the face several times. The victim was sewed up in the hospital here. Warehouse Case Goes To Courts! Petitioning for the partition of the Roanoke Tobacco Warehouse Company, incorporated, minority stockholders were recognized by: Resident Judge J. 'W aiter Bone ni ; a formal hearing held in Nashville ; last Saturday. The temporary receivership j with Attorney Wheeler Martin as receiver was continued, and the case is slated for trial in the coun ty's superior court where it will be decided whether the property wilt be offered for sale at public auction or handled in some other manner. Hold Funeral For Mrs. John H. Bell Sunday Afternoon —-9 Respected Citizen Died At Her Home In Gold Poiu* Th II rwday-^v^lfiTtir" '•*] [ Funeral services were conduct- | cd in the Gold Po'rtt Christian. I Church Sunday afternoon at 3:00 o’clock for Mrs. John H. Bell, highly respected county citizen, who died at her home there last Thursday evening at 6:00 o'clock. Her pastor, Rev. A. E. Purvis con ducted the last rites and inter ment was in the Roebuck Ceme tery, near Gold Point. A daughter of the late Robert and Emma Eliza Swain Roebuck, she was born in the Cross Roads Community of this county 68 years ago on August 24, 1879. She spent her early life there and was married to Mr. Bell on November | 7, 1900. She lived in Martin County all her life and was held in high esteem by all who knew her. She had been a member of the church since girlhood, remain ing faithful to its teachings and loyal in its support down through the years. Mrs. Bell had been in declining health for almost two years and her condition had been serious for some time. Surviving besides her husband are four children; two daughters, Mrs. John Cullipher of Scotland Neck, and Miss Clara Louise Bell of the home; two sons, Linton Cas per Bell of Greenville, and Leon idas Bell of the home. Patrick Speaks To Jaycees Here — •.. The local Junior Chamber of Commerce had its regular dinner meeting at the George Reynolds Hotel Friday night, with a record crowd of Jaycees attending. The invocation was given by Dillon Cobb, and with no further busi ness at that time the local busi ness men lost no time with their I turkey dinners. After the meal President Wheel er Manning opened the floor for nominations for the election of a member to the Library Board. Jaycee T. F Davenport was elect ed to fill this office. Following the election, Prsident Manning introduced the speaker of the evening. Mr. Ben Patrick, field director of the North Caro lina Social Hygiene Society. Mr. Patrick made an interesting talk pointing out that this newiy form ed society is to work with other health organizations in the State in furtherance of the Good Health program. He stated that the main purpose of this Society is to “edu cate the public to the eradication of venereal diseases.” “North Carolina,” he said, “ranks third highest in the nation with ven ereal disease cases, a record not to I be proud of.” Stating that the Junior Chamber ol Commerce was the first state-wide organiza tion to endorse his progiam, he uigod and hoped that the local Jaycees would support this pro gram in Martin County. With no further business before the club the meeting adjourned. Jumesville Juniors Will Present Play The Junior Class of Jamesville fligh School will present a three act comedy, “For Pete’s Sake” on Fright night, October 24, at 7:45 in the grammar school auditor ium. The cast is: Aunt Sarah Pepper dine, Venetia Stallings; Jasmine Jackson, Aunt Sarah’s daiky cook, June Modlin; Civero Murgle thorpe, Marvin Perry; Peter Pep perdine, always in hot water, Dor man Games: Bill Bradshaw, Pet er’s pal. Thomas Gardner; Thorn dyke Murgli fh.oi pe. /.Mugg.sy>, a college gl mti, Biby iiiCVm , Min. Georgiana t iarkston, a social climber, Violet Rogers; Nadine ] Ciarkston, Peters sweetheart, Gertrudi Daniels; Peggy Clarks- i ton, Bill’s sweetheart, Geraldine I Ange; Malvina Potts, Muggsy’s ■ goddess, Dorothy Ellis; John Bol iver, a wealthy banker. Raymond < Lawrence Modlin, Rupoiat Darby, i the poet of Elwood college, Billy i Gaylord. j 1 Tobacco Sales Pass Ten Million Pounds | _._ Sell Million And Half Pounds Last Week for $630,900 Sales Several Thousand Pounds Ahead of Those For Last Season After handling a million and one-half pounds last week, the local tobacco market today boost ed its sales for the season to date to over ten million pounds with prices holding fairly firm, but hardly up to the peak level re» ported week before last. Last week was one of the best as far as pounds are concerned for the seas on, the approximately million and a half pounds selling for right at $630,000. The ten million pounds sold so far are averaging right at $42 per hundred pounds. After blocking nearly every day last week, the market this week definitely faces smaller sales for the remainder of the season. Ob servers are of the opinion that there’ll be no more block sales, that while the poundage will hold up for another week or two, the most of the tobacco in this imme diate section is gone. Quite a few farmers completed the marketing of their crops last Friday, and most of those with tobacco on hand have hardly as much as a barn each. However, a few farm ers have sold no more than sixty or seventy percent of their crops. A review of tobacco markets as a whole in this belt, follows: After steady to rising prices by grades since the season opened for Eastern North Carolina flue-cur ed tobacco, averages turned down ward during the eighth week of sales. According to the United States and North Carolina Depart ments of Agriculture prices this week ranged from 25c to $6.00 be low those of the previous week. Most losses were between $1.00 and $3.00 per hundred. Declines were heaviest for leaf grades, es pecially those on the heavier side. Better offerings were steady to $1.00 and $2.00 cheaper. A small number of grades were $1.00 to $3.00 stronger. While some letup in demand was noticed the weak er market can also be attributed to the soft and wet condition of an unusually large part of the offer ings. , Volume of sales last week was (Continued on page eight) Man Found Dead On The Highway Julius Batts, 41-year-old color* evt man, was found dead on the Oak City-Tai boro Highway about I’-'wo miles tram Oak City rally last Thursday morning, the appar ent victim of a heart attack. Batts left his home on the Ross farm about 6:45 o’clock that morning and was found about three-quarters of an hour later by several school children. When Batts did not report for work, his employer, Herman Manning, sent a truck for him and the school children told the truck driver that the man was lying beside the road. Coroner S. R. Biggs was called and a preliminary examina tion revealed that he had not been a victim of foul play. Batts had walked hardly one hundred yards from his home when he was stricken. The coron er saw signs in the grass where the man had staggered from the hardsurface to the road machine ditch, indicating that he was try ing to get there and sit down. He fell just about the time he reach ed the ditch and was found lying on his side, the feet toward the highway. j Thu body Wtii> removed to a; Scotland Neck funeral home where Patrolman W. t. Saunders made an investigation to support the coroner's findings. There were no bruises on the body. Batts father of several chil dren. lived alone. He moved to this county tome time ago from Hobgood and was working in the logwoods.’ r FARM BUREAU v i j Meeting in the county .... nlng, members of the Martin County farm Bureau made plans to renew interest in the current membership drive and carry it over the top during the next two weeks. After hearing a report on the House Agriculture Committee meet ing in Rocky Mount the day before, the group was told that the county unit had sign approximately HOO members to date, that the drive was about 1.500 short of its goal. The canvassers pledged their best efforts in pushing the count to 1,500 by Friday evening of this week when another meeting will be held in the courthouse. War II Dead Now On the Way Home —•— With the first ships carrying World War II dead from ceme teries overseas to this country for final burial expected to arrive at U. S. ports in October, it was an nounced recently that the Army has dispatched letters of inquiry to next-of-kin of service and civil ian personnel buried in the fol lowing cemeteries: Henri Chapollc, Belgium; Cam bridge, England; Hawaii (other than Schofield); Casablanca, North Africa; Tunis. Tunisia; Gaf sa, Tunisia; Ncttuno, Italy; Fo-s vogur, Iceland; Ft. Pepperell, Newfoundland; Solers, France; Varois, France; St. Andre, France; St. Juan, France; Fedala, French Morocco; Schofield Barracks Mau soleum, Hawaii; Hadjeb-EI Aioun; Villeneuve, France; Mt. Soprano, Italy; Gela, Sicily; Chumpigneul, France; Guadalcanal. Solomon Is lands; 27th Division, Saipan, Ma rianas; Guam No. 1, Marianas; Guam No. 2, Marianas; El Alia, Algeria; Beja, Tunisia. Ft. McAndrews, Newfoundland; Malmo, Sweden; Schofield Bar racks Cemetery, Hawaii; St. Lau rent, France; Ipswich, Australia; Brook wood, England; Lisan breeny, Ireland; Oran, Africa; Rookwood, Australia; Bari, Italy; Epinal, Fi ance; Limey, France; St. [James, France; St. Corneille, [France; Barrackpore, India; Ka jlaikunda, India; II Corps, Africa; Andilly, France; Hamm, Luxem bourg; Finchhafen No. 1, New [Guinea; Finchhafen Nos. 2 and 3, New Guinea; Carano, Italy; La Cambe, France; Maranzello, Italy; Ft. Bell, Bermuda. Latest information from the Of fice of the Quartermaster General in Washington, D. C . states that if no reply tn^jG^^^oflnm^^ is received within 3(ldi?ysr^ioF low-up letter will be sent to the next of kin concerned. In any case, the Army expects a reply from the next-of-kin within 45 days of the original letter of inquiry, and, if no such reply is received within that period, the Army will pro ceed on the assumption that the next of kin does not desire the re turn of the remains to the home land for permanent burial. Painfully Hurt By Falling Log Here J5 u -.♦ ■■■ George li. Manning. Jr., of Oak City, was painfully but believed not badly hurt by a falling log at the Wells-Oates Lumber Company mill here yesterday afternoon about 4:00 o'clock. He was re moved in a Higgs ambulance to the local hospital for treatment. Deliver) a n load of logs to the mui, the young man loosened the i draw cnain and a small log reded from tne top of the pile, striking him on the head and shoulder and causing sever bruise*. The log carried him to the ground and pinned his head under a few inches of water. Mill workers happened to look his way and saw him struggling. They l ushed there and removed the log and prevent ed him from drowning. Local Mercantile Firms Victimized By Check Flasher Two Yoiiiiu While Men Tak en In Greenville By SBI Aso*U» La»i Week Charged with forging checks on 'VklteB a greater pat t of the way across North Carolina, including several merchants in Williamston, Carl C. Croom. 20, and Crawford E. Mulder, 2<h both of Greenville, were arrested by State Bureau of Investigation officers and Green ville police late last Thursday. Elizabeth City, where the two men allegedly forged checks in the sum of $210 on a Shiloh mer chant, presented the first claim for the two men and they were re turned there by officers a short time after the arrests were made. Local police immediately clamped a detainer with the Elizabeth City police, and Croom and Mulder will be returned here for trial. Operating here week before lust the two men jumped with both feet on W. O. Abbitt’s checking account, striking it for $ 144.65 be fore the forged signature was de tected. Hanging in amount from $25 to $32.50, the forged checks, made payable to Billy Williams, were unloaded on five local mer chants, including two furniture stores, a mercantile store, a groc ery and a drug store. The checks, dated October 8, cleared the bank. According to reports reaching here the men are also wanted for I forging checks in Burlington, Durham and Raleigh. Apparently starting in the Burlington area, the men moved a good way across North Carolina before a lead was uncovered here and in Elizabeth City, resulting in their arrest in Greenville. Local police are looking for one W. D. Patterson who all godly is sued a worthless check, in the amount of $15 to a local mercan tile firm Iasi month. The check was returned, marked "no ac count" by a Smithfield bank. Pat terson listed his address as RED 1. Smithfield. Carrying then in vestigation there, the officers were advised that Patterson had departed, leaving no forwarding address. In a hearing before Judge L. S. Blades, Jr., in the Pasquotank Recorder’s Court yesterday, the two men were ordered held in $2. (100 bond each when probable (Continued on page eight) Thousands Get S. S. Benefits —»— North Carolina is fifteenth among the States in the Nation in number of beneficiaries receiving monthly Social Security pay ments,, according to a statement made today by Marshall H. Bar ney, manager of the Rocky Mount Social Security Office. As of September 9, 30,585 peo ple in North Carolina were find ing that check from Uncle Sam in their mail boxes every month. In the Southeast, only Florida led in number on the rolls, and she was ahead by less than 500. Virginia, on one side of the Tar Heel state, was close with 30,041, but to the :,outh, South Carolina had only 15.974 recipients. To people all over the United Sates, 1.832,285 checks were sent for monthly claims, while during the last 12 months, 241,084 lump sum payments were made. One out of every 76 people in the country was drawing the Federal Insurance last month, while in North Carolina, one in every 116 people drew. This difference was caused by the high proportion of agricultural workers in North Carolina, Mr. Barney explained. | CLUB MEETING <---j reguia* session""*' this evening at 8:00 o'clock, the Woman's Club will have sonic important business plac ed before it for consideration, Miss Elizabeth Parker, re porter, said yesterday. No program for the meet ing was announced, but tbe president, Mrs. Wheeler Mar tin, Jr., is back from Indiana and she will preside.