THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY k OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES VOLUME LI—NUMBER 29 THE ENTERPRISE Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, April 8. 1948 . 1 . - - —..—- - THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK ESTABLISHED 1899 Plaintiffs Suing For $72,000.00 In Court Mai Practice Is ! Charged In Suit j , Against Physician Nine Plaintiffs Ask $45,-! 000 Damages As Result Of Vehicle Wrecks - ■ - ■ Opening a two-week term next I Monday morning for the trial of j civil cases only, Judge W. H. S. i Burgwyn is slated to handle a i I calendar carrying thirty-one cas- j es, including seven divorce ac tions. Although most of the cases are minor ones, several big dam age suits are pending trial next Tuesday and the week following. All told, the plaintiffs are asking a total of $71,937.07. Nine are asking $45,010,34 as a result of motor vehicle accidents. Several of the damage suits were continu ed previously when counsel for the insurance companies was un able to attend on account of ill ness. Even though some big damage suits are on the calendar, it isn't likely that the court will attract very much attention. Cases have been scheduled for trial only on the first three days of each week and it is probably that all the time set aside for the trials will not be consumed. One of the larger damage suits! charges a Williamston doctor with! mal practice or negligence. The I plaintiff, R. B. Speller, adminis trator of the estate of Mary Spell-1 er, is asking $15,000 damages from' Dr. Edward L. Early. The plain tiff says in his complaint that the defendant was employed in Nov ember, 1948, to attend the plain tiff's wife, and charges that the defendant was negligent and fail ed to attend to patient, allowing her to remain in child birth ap proximately 24 hours. The plain tiff also alleges that the defendant failed to remove the after-birth and objected to and delayed hos-' pitalization, that the child and mother died on December 7, 1946.1 The case is set for trial next Tues-1 day. Listed among the big damage suits growing out of automobile accidents are the one brought by Margie Sullivan and J. B. Sulli-! van against Amos Cox and Vance Harrington. The plaintiffs were critically injured on the night of January 18, 1947, when their ear struck a truck driven by Cox and owned by Harrington and parked in the highway between Bethel and Greenville. Mrs. Sullivan is asking $10,000 and Mr. Sullivan is asking $5,000 damages. Two cases are pending against, Robert Hardison, both of them having been brought, it was de-: dared, after a friendly fashion.! E. G. Modlin, asking $10,000, says' he was a passenger in the Hardi-1 son car on the night of last Nov-| ember 8, when the defendant wrecked the machine in or near Plymouth, causing him perma-1 nent injury. James E. Godard, suing by his next friend, Lizzie Godard, is asking $18,000 of Har- i dison. Godard was also a pas-! senger in the Hardison car along with Modlin. The big auto dam- ; age suits are set for trial on Tues- I day, April 20. The case asking that the guard- ! ianship for P. P. Peel be dismissed j is again on the calendar. The j guardian has asked to be dis charged, but the request was de- j layed pending the receipt of per- j mission from the Veterans' Ad- 1 ministration. D. M. Roberson is suing the A. C. L. Railroad Company for $747.76 damages allegedly due him as a result of damage done to a shipment of hogs from Illinois in August. 1943. A boundary line is involved in the case of Elizabeth Pierce against Ben Biggs, the plaintiff! charging that the defendant had cut timber across the line. The Standard Fertilizer Com pany is suing W. S. Cowan to re ro'’e>'_an s : lien.- -« . Edward L. parly is sujng Wm. I R. Moran to recover $1,300 on a note. '4* * 4V$|m Wesley Davis anti others are (Continued on page three) ! I ✓—. — ■ -V PROGRESSING The annual Cancer Fund Drive is progressing rapidly in this county, according to a I report released yesterday by Mrs. Chas. I. Harris, county commander. Explaining that only a fen' reports had been received, Mrs. Harris said that the drive was meeting with success in those she had heard from, that Williamston raised more than half of its quota in the first few days. The chairman is confident that the $1,500 goal will be reached. The importance of the fund was stressed this week when several needy cases appealed for help. "There’s one pa thetic case at least in the county now,” Mrs. Harris said, explaining that the vic tim was without means of help, that a few dollars would materially help. The fund could use to a great advan tage far more than the $1,500, and it has been pointed out that if the general public really knew the need, the fund would he doubled or tripled without delay. Jno. Wiley Cherry Died At Home in Everetts Tuesday ——— Funeral In Ru|»li*| Church I here This Afternoon At 3:00 O’clock John Wiley Cherry, well known business man of Everetts and a highly respected county citizen, died at his home in Everetts Tues day evening at 9:00 o’clock. He had been in declining health for almost three years, receiving mod ical treatment in a Durham hos pital in the fall of 1945. His con dition had been critical for about two or three weeks and the end was not unexpected. The son of the late Mark Cher ry and wife he was born near Everetts 65 years ago on January 5, 1883. After spending his early life on the farm he located in Everetts thirty-nine years ago to engage in the mercantile busi ness. Few men could have spent more time to business than he did down through the years, ever re mindful of his obligation to his family, his church and his com munity. He was one of the solid supporters of the Everetts Baptist Church for many years. In early manhood he was mar ried to Miss Sallie Grimes and she survives with nine children, three sons, D. J., William and Mack Cherry, all of Everetts; six daugh ters, Mrs. Roscoe Gaylord of Plymouth, Mrs. Dewey Hathaway and Mrs. Ben Hardison of Farm ville, Mrs. James Johnson of Gold Point, and Mrs. Ben Daniel and Mrs. James A. Stalls of Everetts; three brothers, Dan Cherry of Gold Point, Lon Cherry of Spring field, West Virginia, and Jesse l Cherry of Conway, South Caro lina. Funeral services are being con ducted in the Everetts Baptist Church this afternoon at 3:00 o’clock by his pastor, Rev. E. R. Stewart, assisted by Rev, J. M. Perry, pastor of the Roberson ville Christian Church. Inter ment will be in the Everetts Cem etery. [ ■-* Steal Safe From Store In Bethel Breaking intiT^he Herbert L. Rivers drug store in Bethel some time during late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, robbers cari ied away a compara tively large iron safe. They are believed to have used a truck, and apparently several participated in the act. A report reaching here stated that the safe contained a supply of narcotics and possibly about $5,000 in cash. Eastern Carolina trffrtv'rs were called in on the case yesterday. Petition To Ban Beer- Wine Sales Gets Strong Support - ■ — ♦ A movement to ban the sale of wine and beer in Martin County is gathering momentum rapidly, religious leaders and prominent laymen predicting in a meeting held in the Memorial Baptist Church here Tuesday evening of this week that a sizable majority would support the undertaking in a referendum. Originally called to get an ex pression from leaders in various ports of the county, the meeting voiced strong support for the movement and called for imme diate action. Petitions, urging the county : commissioners to provide a spec- j ial election in which the voters may express their wishes, were placed in the hands of a dozen or more volunteer workers at the meeting, and others are being re quested by mail, it was learned. Fifteen percent of the qualified voters must sign the petition be fore the commissioners can be ex pected to provide a vote on the question. No direct reports on the early circulation of the petition could be had, but leaders at the meet ing expressed the belief that the| movement would gain support ra- ( pidly, that liquor as well as wine and beer should have been includ ed. All but two of the ten town ships were represented and those two explained their absence, add ing that they would support the plan. | Petitions were placed Tuesday night in the hands of Sidney Boone, N. J. Ward, C. B. Bur roughs, C. B. Bowen, H. L. Roe buck, A. E. Purvis, E. Thad Ash ley. Clayton Revels, Geo. Casper, J. M. Perry, J. S Holliday and J. F. Weaver. Another Big Day In Court Last Monday Judge J. C. Smith Has Thirty Cases In Short Session —' ■ ■ Fines and Forfeitures Total $83!ii No County Court Next Two Weeks Squeezing in another session | between sittings of the superior tribunal, Judge J. Calvin Smith I handled thirty cases, imposed I fines in the sum of $835 and met ed out road sentences ranging up to fifteen months during a three-hour session of the Martin County Recorder's Court last Monday. A fair-sized crowd was1 present for the proceedings. Mayo Simmons was fined $25 I and taxed with the costs for op erating a motor veniclc without a driver's livense. Emmitt Thomas, charged with non-support pleaded guilty and was sentenced to the roads for six months, the court suspending the road term upon the payment of the costs and $22.50 a month for two years for the support of his three children. Charged with drunken driving, Alvis V. Greene was adjudged not guilty. L. H. Bridges, charged with public drunkenness, was fined $20 and required to pay the costs. Facing the court for a second time on a drunken driving charge, ! Leo M. Warren was fined $200, I taxed with the costs and had his I license to operate a motor vehicle revoked for two years. He plead ed guilty in the case. Pleading guilty of drunken (driving, B. S. Nicholson was fin , ed $100, taxed with the cost and had his license revoked for one i year. Seth Council pleaded not guilty . of drunken driving. Adjudged guilty, he was fined $100 and tax ed with the cost, the court recom mending that his operator’s li cense be revoked for one year. Publicly drunk, Major Bryant 1 was fined $20 and taxed with the | cost. j Luke Council, pleading guilty , of drunken driving, was fined I $100 and required to pay the costs, | the court recommending that his driver’s license be revoked for one year. Adjudged guilty of violating the school attendance law, Moses Ro : berson was required to pay the I court costs, Judge Smith continu '• ing the action under prayer for judgment until the first Monday in July. Charlie C. Robbins was fiiyd $20 and taxed with the costs for being publicly drunk. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the costs in the case charging Walter Godard with an assault with a deadly weapon. Ellis Wa,net -Rogers piC-aded I guilty in the case charging him | with non-support and he was sen tenced to the roads for twelve 'months, the court suspending the! j (Continued on page three) J BLUE MOLD The blue mold made its first appearance of the season in this county yesterday when Farmer Frank Weaver said that the disease had attacked a small area in this tobacco plant bed near Willianiston. The plants, about the size of silver dollars, were badly damaged, the report sAaled. While the plants had been | sprayed there times with fer mate, apparently the material | was not entirely effective. Wildlife Croup ; Holds Meeting i —♦— i Meeting in the courthouse last i hight, officers and members of j the Martin County Wildlife Club 'proposed an educational program j and suggested a few changes be 'made in the 1948 hunting regula [ tions. Presided over by President Don Matthews, Jr., the meeting posted prizes totaling $45 for the best work among 4-H club members in connection with wildlife conserva i tion. Plans for the club contests jand other projects in the program | will be worked out by a commit I tee composed of V. J. Spivey, J. C. Manning and H. P. Mobley in cooperation with club heads and other associated with various phases of the conservation pro gram. It was suggested that the wildlife program be coordinated with soil conservation and forest fire protection. No major changes in the 1948 game regulations were asked for, but the group suggested that lay days for rabbits be lifted, and that night hunting with lights or flares from boats be ruled out. The club is sending representatives to a meeting in Kinston next Monday when proposed changes in the re gulations will be discussed before the state commission. The club will hold its next meeting on April 21. During the meantime, the leaders plan to en roll between 150 and 200 addi tional members. The meeting last night attract ed about thirty sportsmen, repre senting the fishermen, bird hunt ters, trappers and others. Much interest is beijng expressed ijn the wild life program, and plans arc beijng made to hold regular meetings in various; parts of the county. \ Elections Hoard To Meat Here Saturday ■" • Scheduled to meet here Satur day morning, members of the Martin County Board of Elec tions will perfect its organization, appoint elections officials for the several precincts and r^ckc «{««*! for a registration and the primary election. The board consists of Messrs. Sylvester Peel of Griffins, Wade, Vick of Robezoiovili. arid-Hfisxrn WursJcy of Oak City. j Speedsters Have Another Day In Recorder s Court -.% One (fi-ipin^ Defenilaul lte pnrteil (lau^lit (>nin^ And ('omiit£ Speedsters, most of them over staying their vacations down south, were overtaken in their flight back north by patrolmen on Martin County highways and car ried into court last Monday for a reckoning before Judge J. Calvin Smith. Most of the defendants charged with flying low did not appear in court, but forfeited their bonds. The report could not be con firmed immediately, but accord ing to information reaching here, Chas. Steinglass, the Bronx attor I ney who griped so much and be rated southern justice when he was halted in this county by Pa trolman M. K Powers last month and carried into court for speed ing, was detained by patrolmen on his return trip north last Sun day. The report said the “big shot” was still griping, that he maintained he was driving no fas ter than 55 miles an hour. It so happened that Steinglass was driving the middle one_ of three cars, the first driver admitting he was running lili miles an hour and the third car drivei*admitting lie was driving between (iti and till miles an hour. Steinglass was keeping his distance between the two by driving only "55" miles an hour. Louis Brooks, night club opera tor in Miami who Was traveling north in search of talent for his club, pleaded guilty when charg ed with speeding and was fined $25 and taxed with the costs. Car lying on conversation with court officials, Brooks said that business had been bad, but he carried a large wad of $100 bills with him. Michael J Hefferman, 131 Bas sett Street, New Haven, Conn., was fined $25 and taxed with the cost when he pleaded guilty of speeding. Elmer J. Melanson, auto dealer of Cherry field, Maine, paid $25 and tin' costs for speeding. Al to Matthews, Durham garage operator, was in a hurry to get to his fishing grounds last Sunday and lie was booked for speeding and fined $25, plus costs. Louis Katz, unemployed of 1(100 Grand Concourse, Bronx, N. Y., , pleaded guilty of speeding and I was fined $25 and taxed with the I costs. I Burnet Socolow, student of II ongridge Road, Stamford, Conn , was booked for speeding and was fined $25 plus the costs. Judgment absolute on the $50 bond posted by Louis M. Berman was entered in the records when the defendant failed to answer speeding charges. Clarendb Redman of Paimele and B. W. James of Robersonville were each lined $25 and taxed with the costs when they appeal ed in court and pleaded guilty of speeding. Very few colored drivers are being booked for speeding, Court Clerk L. B. Wynne stating that all but one of the speedsters called into court last Monday were white, -—,i-_____ Dr. (pray Plans To Opan Offiva Haro Tnvsduy Dr. William Gray, Jr, formerly of Robersonville, is planning to open an office* for the practice of dentistry here next Tuesday. Equipment is being placed in the building until recently occupied by Em’s beauty salon next to the Marco theater on South Haughton Street, i f" ' I POTATO (,KOV\ KHS j Irish potato growers wish ing to participate in the gov ernment’s support program this spring will find it neces sary to file on or before May 1 an application to have their acreages measured on or be fore May 1, the office of the Martin County farm agent program is available to small and large growers whether they are under contract or not. A minimum deposit of S.1 is rwjiili i*i if was explain | td. Advance Plans For $100,000 Local Water Works Election i Red Cross Fund Drive Is Nearing, Goal In Chapter i -* j After advancing slowly for weeks, the Red Cross Fund Drive is now nearing its $2,544,00 goal in the Martin County Chapter, Chairman Claude B. Clark, Jr., announced yesterday. Reports from two districts, Williamston and Williamston colored school in the chapter are incomplete and no report has been received from three centers, Corey's, Woolard's (Rogers) and Burroughs-Spring Hill. Seven districts, Jamesville, Wil liams, Williamston, and the col I ored schools of Williams, Poplar Point, Bear Grass and Dardens I exceeded their assigned goals. The \ Jamesville colored school raised its quota to a penny. When complete reports are re ceived that the original goal will be exceeded, the chairman stating that the drive is only $241.60 short of the assigned quota. Very Few Divorce Cases On Calendar In Superior Court! ~7“•—7 Actions Slated For Trial Melon* Jiolgic Mnriiwvn Uloiulnv '—2—« Seven divorce eases — about one third the usual number have been calendared and are ten tatively set for trial in the Martin County Superior Court next Mon day morning when Judge W. H S. Burgwyn opens a two-week special term. No criminal eases are to be tried during the term. ( While the number of divorces | on the calendar is recognized as a| new low for recent years, the re | cord does not necessarily mean j that the domestic front is settling' down to one of peace and agree ment. There is a fairly definite increase in the number of non support cases in the other courts for one to find encouragement in the reduced number of divorce eases on the superior court docket at this time. All the divorce cases placed on the calendar are based on two year-separation grounds except one, and that has a double foun dation adultery and two years of separation. Only one of the cases is Contested, the defendant denying the adultery charges. Several of the cases have been calendared for trial at previous sessions, but were continued for one reason or another. It was in timated that the plaintiffs were unable to finance the actions. Beautie Andrews in his divorce action against Mattie Lee An drews, says they were married in 11)40 and separated in 1944 when the defendant without notice de serted him and went to Philadel phia. No children were born to the union. Jn the case of Margaret Wilson against Bill Wilson, the complaint says they were married in 1937 and separated in 1938. In his complaint against Irma Allen Harrell, the plaintiff, Roy Harrells says they were married on July 10, 1922, and separated on April 15, 1944, that all chil dren born to the union are grown and self supporting. Married on December 8, 1942, and separated on December 9, 1942, Bonnie E. Bland in his ac tion against Alease Moore Bland charges adultery and claims also two-year separation as a basis for a divorce. The defendant is deny ing the allegations. The ease has been in the courts for a year or I more. j In Ins action against Maggie j 1 a vioi, J ] (i y i 1 I ay lor says they j were married in 1935 and separ | ated in 1940. * .Wm^uoUlU 11 Hill 1 iifS IS SC*t*K ing a divorce from Selma Marie Thomas, saying they were mar ried February 19, 1945, and sep arated on March 3, 1946. (Continued on page eight) I A review of the quotas and amounts raised triots: White Jamesville $ Williams Bear Grass Griffins Williams ton Colored Schools: Dardens Jamesville Williams Coreys Poplar Point Bear Grass Biggs Woolards (Rogers) Burroughs Smithwick Williamston Totals follows, by dis Quota Raised 225.00 $ 237.06 40.00 52.52 225.00 149.30 225.00 175.06 1,379.00 1,396.71 50.00 50.30 30.00 30.00 27.50 38 50 12.50 .00 12.50 17.55 12.50 20.50 25.00 22.30 40.00 .00 ' 25.00 .00 15.00 12.00 300.00 100.00 $2,544.00 $2,302.40 \ CAKK1KU SKKMCK | v The local post office is planning to extend its city carrier service here the latter part of next or the early part of the following week, Post master W. E. Dunn said yes terday. The homes are being numbered by town workers and the .job will be complet ed possibly the latter part of this or early next week. Jack Mobley has been de signated to handle the exten sion which includes just about all the territory in the North llaughlon Street area or North End, the Woodlawn Cemetery residential section and West Main Street as far as the J. O. Manning home. Kind Mo Tract* Of Man s Hotly Tlit; body of John Staton (Bud) Williams, fiO-year old man who lost his lift- by drowning in the Roanoke between here and Ham ilton last Sunday noon, has not been found, according to infer matlon reaching here today. Quite a lew persons have searched for the body, but no trace of it or the boat has been found. A tug is be in A returned to the scene today to pull the barges away again. Dynamite was used unsuccessfully earlier in the week in an effort to force the body to the surface. Unable to explain the disap pearanee of the first boat, search ers took a second boat about the si/e of the one Williams and his son, Lory, were using and allowed it to drift into the barge. The boat was sucked under the barge and it disappeared, leading the searchers to believe that it was sucked into a cave washed out by water rushing around the river bend and eating its way into the bank. County NX, E. A. Unit Will Meet —«—, There will be a meeting of the Martin County unit of the North Carolina Education Association in the Williamston High School building Thursday night at 7:JO. Delegates to the State convention will be chosen and a discussion and vote on several proposed amendments to the association constitution will take place. The program for this meeting will be a panel discussion led by Supt. J. C. Manning with Mrs. Effie Holliday of Janiesvillo, Miss Jessie Richardson of Roberson ville, Mr. B. id. Stewart of Wil ..Liiugj.t on . di.bti™.: sonnel in the county. The panel will center around current school problems and their relation to the class-room teacher. Principal C .15. Martin is presi dent of the unit. i Citizens Vote On Special Issue In June I.") Election —•— Hoard l)i«<-ii«s»“s Problems j \l Tuesday \I«•«•!!ii<le With Police I )e|uirtinent Plans for holding a bond elec tion to raise $100,000 to eliminate the critical water supply problem here were advanced at a regular i meeting of the board of town commissioners in session last Tuesday evening when the vote on the special issue was schedul i‘d for June 12 and registrars and 1 judges of election were named. A special registration will be held beginning on Friday, May 28, j and Mr. John E. Pope is to serve ! as registrar. Messrs. Reg Sirnp j son and J. T. Price were named judges of election. The action is being taken, it was ! pointed out. to remedy a serious ' condition now existing in the town. The present system was in stalled nearly thirty years ago when the population was hardly | a fourth of which it is now'. Nit j additions have been made to thu ■ plant since that time and the stor | age capacity offers only u few j hours' reserve. The commission ers are proposing to install a 300, | 000 gallon capacity elevated stor age tank and necessary extensions I of the water mains to put water 1 in reach of every piece of proper ! ty in town. Preliminary estimates show that the bond issue can be float ed without necessarily aggravat ing tlie tax rate. A detailed study is to be made and the facts will be submitted to the public for a full discussion before the issue is placed before the voters. The town's debt is now, $235,000, an amount equal to hardly six per cent of the assessed property val uation. Most of the existing debt is to be retired in about ten years. Discussing the water supply and costs, the authorities ordered a 25 cent increase in individual customer accounts outside the town limits. The new rate boosts the minimum from $1.05 to $2.00. Minimum charges inside the town were left at $1.25. The graduated scale calls for a 5-rent per thous and gallon increase for out-of town customers using 45,000 or more gallons. It is estimated that the new rate wil boost revenue ! about $75 per month. Discussing police department problems with the new chief, W. 1,. Saunders, and the other five members of the force, Chas. R. Moore, Arthur Perry, Bill Haislip, Raymond Rawls and John Roe-' 1 buck, the board members outlined ! what they expected of the depart j ment and directed every man to do Ins duty. "We expect to sup port you in the performance of your duty," Mayor Robt. Cowen told the police, adding that many <>f the complaints once directed at | the depart merit had been remedi ed, that the people, as a whole, were proud of the police depart ment as now constituted and that its work had received much praise While a strict enforcement j j of the law is expected, irrespec tive of race or standing, there’s no intention of making the work 1 obnoxious. Applicants for jobs in the department are to submit written applications along with 'recommendations. When positions arc to be filled, the board will I approve or reject them, leaving the "luring” and ''filing" job with the chief. "We want you to work together, and if you have problems bring them to us." the mayor said, mak ing it fairly clear that if harmony j and an effective working team is not to hi had, resignations will b« i in order. The old parking problem in the ; I iisinrh di ui s ts came up for dis cusston when the representative J j of a parking meter manufacturer appeared before the board. The .' .'J lor soil ;.t $<>1.50 each installed I and to be paid for on a fifty-fifty «!■ basis, estimated that 135 or 140 dfl meters could be installed here,. Jfl \. (.Continue J on page eight)'

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