North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES VOLUME LI—NUMBER 43 THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,00tt MARTIN COCNT1 FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEB W illiamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 27, 1948 ESTABLISHED 1899 Fonville Waives • Hearing In Two Cases on Tuesday Killer I liable To Procure Services of Attorney Immediately Unable to procure the services * of an attorney immediately, Ab ram Fonville, charged with an as sault with intent to kill and mur der, entered no plea when he was carried before Justice of the Peace R. T. Johnson in the county court house here Tuesday evening. Ap parently knowing little about courtroom procedure, the 30-vear old colored man, when confronted # with the charges in the two cases, said he would enter no plea, that he would waive hearing. In the assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill case, bond was set at $3,500, but it was explained that no bond could be allowed in the murder ease. The hearing tentatively sched uled for Frank Crews and Henry * Williams for the brutal assault on Haywood Cherry at the basket factory here on the night of April 30 was postponed when the prose cuting witness was reported un able to attend. Badly injured about the head, the victim of the assault is s'ill troubled with se vere headaches and is confined to his home. The courtroom was packed for * the hearings by colored citizens, and it was apparent that some were disappointed when no evi dence was offered in the Fonville cases ^nd the other hearing was postponed. No date for the Crews Williams hearing has been set. The defense has employed coun sel and is ready for a hearing at I any time, it was reported. As far as it could be learned no private prosecution has been employed by Cherry. Willie James Melton has employed piivute prosecution, but relatives of Riddick have not moved to aid the prosecution, as far as it could be learned today. In the assault case against Fon ville, the court recognized nine * witnesses, Willie Melton, Brad Bagley, Lester Williams, Jimmy Melton, Ernest Stallings, W. K. Saunders, John Roebuck and Chas. R. Moore. In the murder case, four witneses were recog nized, including Oswald Spivey, Joe Brown, W. E. Saunders and John Roebuck. They were in structed to appear in court on k Monday. June 14. when they'll go " before the grand jury. Fonville, son of H. D. and Ber tha Fonville, came here from New Bern and worked about a year be fore entering the armed forces. After four years of service, in cluding three spent in the South Pacific, he returned here and was working for the local laundry when he went on a rampage and critically injured Willie J. Melton ^ and killed Lewis Riddick here on the morning of May 3, allegedly over a gambling debt. •-O Teachers Elected To Faculty Here Two teachers, Miss Helen Jones of Edenton, and Rex M. Best of t Stantonsburg, were elected to the local faculty by the Williamston i District Committee this week. Miss Jones, assistant home agent in Chowan County and a native of Craven County, will teach science, and Mr. Best will teach English and French. Three teat hers, Miss Mary El len Sawyer, Mrs. Ralph Gorham and Mrs. Wheeler Manning, re cently resigned, the latter two \ leaving after serving in the high school for several years. VOTING HOURS | ---/ The polls for primary vot ing on Saturday of this week are to open in each of the thirteen precincts in this county at 6:30 o’clock that morning and close at 3:30 o'clock that evening. In the interest of good gov -— rrIglBlHJm urged to visit the polls and cast their votes Jtor the candi dates of their choice. Mar tin County should easily cast 5,000 or more votes. For County Representative J. Edgar Gurganus Cleft> Williamston attorney, and A. Corey, Jamesville utility man, have been active in the race to represent Martin County in the North Carolina General Assembly next term. >1 Vl'KHI Vl.S _j Materials for the construc tion of a new high school unit in Williamston and an addi tion to the Hear Grass plant arc being moved to the sites this week by the contractors, C'. B. Mooney and Sons of Edenton. The contracts call for the completion of the projects on or before the first of next October. The contractors an nounced they would make every effort to complete the work by early September. [Disease Destroys Fanner's Tobacco Black shank, a destructive to- . bacco plant disease, struck the farm of Farmer Grover Li Hoy in I the lower part of this county a' | few days ago and wiped out his ; tobacco plant beds and several ' acres of tobacco. When the dis ease hud spent itself in the bed, the plants could have been fired and easily burned. The farmer found it necessary to prepare his land and transplant it a second time, completing the task yesterday. New plants, said to be resistant to the disease and grown from $2 an ounce seed, j were procured in another section | of the county for the second trans planting. The disease has been reported in scattered areas in past years, j but this year is the first time that it has literally wiped out a plant bed and killed the young plants in a field in this county. Assigned Places In Party System — »~— Several Martin County persons were assigned positions in the Democratic Party system at the state convention held a few days ago in Raleigh. Mrs. E. S. Peel and H. G. Hor ton were named members of the State Democratic Executive Com mittee Clarence Griffin and A. E. James were named to the first congressional executive commit tee and H. G Horton was named, presidential elector for the first j district. Start Anti-Typhoid Fever \ Drive In County May31st -- The Martin County Health De partment personnel will launch^ next Monday a county-wide cam paign for the prevention of ty-1 phoid fever. A complete sched- j ule of the eiinics appears else where in this paper, the schedule! including a clinic each Wednesday I morning in Robersonville from I 9.,10 to i 1:30 a. m. In connection with the drive,1 | Dr John Williams, health officer,! | made the following statement: j Every year we vaccinate from j ten to sixteen thousand Martin! County citizens with a booster: W,'., .J .'ll !... drop in the top layer of the skin every year will gener ally protect. I Typhoid fever is u rarity in our Hr-:. : : O ,.v-\ n' c keep it out until all carriers are cured or dead and we have per fect sanitation—no flies, perfect excreta disposal, perfect water supplies—it is safer to keep up the booster shots. Monday begins our yearly tour of visits to our regular clinic points and one visit to places where people can meet us as con veniently as possible to all con cerned. Because parents with babies know that it is more important to vaccinate them against diph theria and whooping cough, they prefer to have this done at thesej tr.ey can get the children vaccin ated against these diseases most any time so nothing will be given * * - *<■- - o - i ■ • * o < •.« jiV ( ■.- 0 . I > » l/ul protection against typhoid. Nine Local Boys Are ‘Studying’ At UNC, Chapel Hill Nom* Is In llu* (M'ntliialiiip; ('lass This Your, Huwn rr By Jo Jo Thigpen There are nine Williamston boys attending the University of North Carolina this season. They have majors in a variety of sub jects and range in classification from freshmen to second year law students. The four young men that began their studies at the University this youi are: Charles Siceloff, I who plans to major in Regional Planning, and is a pledge in the Phi Gamma Delta social frater nity; Hugh Horton, Jr., is also a pledge m Phi Gamma Delta and is taking Pro Law; Gilbert Wool ard, who is taking Pre-Medicine; and Kenneth Lindsley, with a ma jor in Business Administration, is an assistant student manager of the widely acclaimed Carolina football team. R ,1. Hardison and John Pope are rising seniors in the School of Commerce. R. J. is the only Wil hamstoman at U. N. C. that is married, and hopes to become a Certified Public Accountant, while John Pope is working on a degree in Business Administra tion. Both are veterans and mem bers of Pi Kappa Alpha social fraternity. Billy Mercer completes his re quirements for Pro-Dentistry in June and expects to transfer to a dental school next year. Billy was a Marine officer during the war and is a member of Kappa Sigma social fraternity. Elbert S. Peel, Jr., will graduate next February with a Bachelor of (Continued on page eight) —--o Auxiliary Hera To Sell Poppies On Saturday Members of the John Waiton Hassell Post of the American Le gion will conduct the annual sale of poppies on Saturday of this week, and it is hoped that the public will support it Proceeds are used for worthy causes for disabled veterans and their fam ilies. The poppies are made in veterans' hospitals by the patients. Twenty-two Cases Called In County Court On Monday —,— * l Jn«lss«' Smith llohls Tribun al In Session Tilth* Over Three Hours Holding tiic Martin County Re- j corder's Court in session more than three hours. Judge J. Calvin Smith called twenty-two cases last Monday, assessing fines in the sum of $505 and meting out sev eral road sentences. Drunken- | ness on the public highways was frowned dowm upon in realistic fashion when the jurist called for $50 fines and ordered the defend ants not to operate motor ve hicles from one to three years. Proceedings: Adjudged guilty of drunken driving, J. Carl Kelly was fined $100, taxed with the cost and had his operator's license revoked for one year. Charged with assaulting a fe male, Cornelius Thompson was adjudged guilty of simple assault and was fined $10 and taxed with the costs. Buck Rhodes, pleaded guilty of assaulting a female, and he was sentenced to the roads lor six months, the court suspending the road term upon the payment of a $25 fine and costs and $5 to Evelyn Louise Williams for dam age done to her clothes. The de fendant is not to be convicted of violating any criminal law during the next year. Pleading guilty of bastardy, George Locke was sentenced to the roads for six months. The road term was suspended on condition that lie pay $10 a month for one year to Annie Hurst for the bene fit of his illegitimate child. Charged with drunken driving, James Josh Meeks pleaded not guilty. Adjudged guilty ef being drunk and disorderly on a pub lic highway, he was sentenced to the roads for four months, the court suspending the road term upon the payment of a $50 fine and costs. The court also order ed the defendant to operate no motor vehicle on the highways for one year. Leo MeGlenn Warren pleaded not guilty w'hen charged with drunken driving. Hi- was found guilty of being drunk and disord erly on a public highway and pos sessing illicit liquor. A nine month road sentence was sus pended upon the payment of a (Continued on page eight) Cancer Fund lloostcd By Late Contributions Late contributions $10.20 from the Oak City colored school, and $5 from the Colonial stores— boosted the Martin County can cer fund drive to $1,064.56, Mrs. Chas. I. Harris, county command er, announced this week. The drive in this county exceeded the goal by $164.56. Benefit For llie Colored High School Buinl Here Working with comporativel.y few funds, the local colored high school band has made much pro gress this year, and its efforts will be recognized next Monday night when the Household of Ruth, G U. O. O. F., presents an adult May Pole drill and fashion show at the school. Some of the funds will be shared with the colored Boy Scouts. The public is invited. Only a small admission charge will be asked. GOOD KAl.N Jl A general rain, carrying great value, fell in this sec tion Wednesday afternoon, relieving dry conditions ex isting over a wide area. Lim ited to a drizzle at times, the rain fell during the greater part of three hours here. Lower Griffins and the up per part of the county report ed very little rain, hut sec- | lions of Robersusiville and Cross Roads Township re tried a downpour, one rc ~i more two inches of rain fell in the Frank Uailey neighborhood. Cloudy skies prevailed to day and ctops took on a “new look.” _port Mrs. Ella Rooks Died at Her Home Early \\ ednesday Last Kilos \l Hii'j's Fmirral lloni(> This \ftrr mum :il .'t OVIock Mrs. Ella Beasley Kooks, high- | ly respected Jamesville resident, j died at her home there yesterday j morning at 1:30 o’clock after a long period of declining health. During the past six months she had received treatment at inter vals in several hospitals and had returned from a Rocky Mount hospital only last week. Her con dition bad been ( ritual since that time. Mrs. Rooks, the daughter of the late Alfred and Martha Perry Beasley, was 77 years old on the 13th of this month. She was born and reared in the islands section of Williams Township, but spent most of her life in Jamesville. She was married in 1394 to James Rooks who was employed by the old Dennis Simmons Lumber Co. at its Astoria mill for a number of years, lie died in 192(1. She was the last member of her immediate family of brothers and sisters, and is survived by one daughter, Miss Stella Rooks, bookkeeper for the Lindsley lee Company here. Mrs. Rooks enjoyed the quiet and comfort of her home, finding peace and contentment in handl ing the minor duties there as long as her health permitted The body was removed to the Biggs Funeral here to lie in state until 3:00 o'clock this afternoon when Rev. J. M. Perry, Rober sonville minister, and Rev. W. B. Harrington, county Baptist min lster, will conduct the last rites in the funeral home chapel. Inter ment will be in the' family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery here. Graduating From Woman’s Collar r Among the approximately 450 candidates for degrees awaiting the fifty-sixth commencement ex ercises at Woman’s College, U. N. C., Greensboro, are two students from Williamston. Woman's Col lege’s finals program will get un der way Saturday with holding of the annual Alumnae Day events. On Sunday the baccalaureate ser mon will be preached by Dr. Paul ,J. Braisted of New Haven, Conn. The graduating exercises will be held Monday morning, May 31, with Governor K. Gregg Cherry, President Frank P. Graham, and Chancellor W. C. Jackson as the principal speakers. Among the candidates for de grees from Williamston are Miss es Martha Anne Meador and Al berta Swain. Special Jurymen Drawn For Court -1> Nine Martin County citizens were drawn tor special jury duty in the Martin County Recorder’s Court next Monday. Six of the nine are to sit and hear the case charging Leon W.\ nne with drunken driving. The names of the special jury men are: Jamesville Township, Paul W. Allen and T M. Brown, Ji ; Wil hams, Marion Hardison and Lil lian H. Long; Griffins, Urbin Lilley and L. Elbert Tice; Wil liamston. Linton Roebuck; Ham ilton, W. E. Purvis and Thomas L. Etheridge Colored School (loses Tomorrow The local colored chool is clos ing a successful term tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 o'clock when W. M. Green, executive secretary of the North Carolina Negro Teachers Association, Raleigh, de livers the commencement address to the 20 graduate. , nine hoy - and fourteen girls. ______ gr^muoiori' . : :■ : row afterra,or, are toe last, in a series of special events held dur ing the course of one week in the •school, with tie several grades and clubs participating. Medium Size Vote Expeeted Saturday Nearly 300 Names Plaeed On Books In Keren! Weeks Loral doiilests iierlain To Hoo>! Noli1 Owr Hull Of Two Years Ago Despite local contests and more j or less hot campaigns for gover- j nor and U. S. senator, the poli tical dopsters are predieting no large vote will be cast in this county on Saturday of this week. Observers won't be pinned down, but they are of the opinion that the total vote will approximate hardly more than 3,500. Some say that it won't exceed 3,000, but considerable interest has been added in several fields during the past few days and, after all, the number of contestants is suffici ently large to invite out more than ^ the usual number of voters. There are the races for repre- | sentative, judge, board of cducu- | tion, all of which are of county- | wide interest, to sav nothing of j the State and U. S. Senatorial, gu | bernatorial and other State con- i tests. It is a mighty good line up to attract the voters, and one need I not be surprised if the vote does not exceed 3,500 when two dis triets, Griffins-Bear Grass and Hamilton Goose Nest, turn out in lag numbers to boost their favor i ite sons for county commission ers. The race for commissioner rests between the to candidates in each district but they are voted on county-wide, and the two con tests are expected to attract just as much interest in all precincts as any of the others. Nothing has been said about it, hut free transportation is to be ex pected if the vote holds to a low figure by early afternoon. The lone Republican contest in | which Williard and Gragg are j running for their party's nomina tion for agriculture commissioner is not expected to influence the size of the vote very much, some predicting that less than a dozen Republicans will Visit the polling places. The 1948 primary election conies when the approximated voting strength of the county stands light at 7,000 potential votes. The recent registration, unchallenged last Saturday, is be lieved to have broken all records. Twelve of the thirteen precincts reported 448 new registrants. No report could be hud from Hassell, bid it is estimated that ten new names were added to the books there, boosting the total new reg istration this year to 458, and the over-all registration to 7,127. A review of the old and recent (Continued on page eight) High School Hand (lives Thrilling Parade and Drill ■ ■ 4 The Williamston High School Hand, just a month ovci a yeai old, put on a tin illing and im pressive parade and drill on Mam Street in Williamston yesterday evening before a large crowd tlud. had braved the threatening weather to see the youngsters per form. Wearing their new uniforms of gray and green the unit turned the corner of Smithwiek and Main a few minutes after 7 o'clock and marched up Main to Haughton. Returning to a cleared space in front of the two hanks, the hand put on its first big show for the home folks and the home folks were pleasantly surprised despite the fact that word had come back from the unit's uut of town per formances that the young musi cians were "sharp”. Lasting about a half hour, the drills were topped by the execu tion of the intricate "pinwheel" | number. Bobby C'iayton led the I hand m the paiade and drill.-. a.< j performed as tie leader of the | group of majorettes. The band marched and drilled in eight rows of tux abreast. In | the gathering daikness the neon limits of the theatre marquee ea t ' varicolored lights on the horns i and marchers to add to the spec taeulur effect of the performance. The performance was not only highly satisfactory and pleasing | to the home folks, but visitors i to the town and tourists stopping lover were greatly impressed. A tourist from Delaware was so im pressed with the show that he I wanted pictures of it hut could I riot leave it long enough to go get Ins camera. He was lavish in his 1 praise of the hand and said in alt | the years he had been w atching j bands in parade and drill maneuv ers he had never seen a finer pet' 1 formance. He found Professor t Jaek Butler and congratulated | him on the fine work he had done | with the youngsters. Professor Butler did not weai Ins uniform down town, remark j mg, "This is the kids' show I want them to handle it all the way." The kids did. The band \s to go to Farm Life I luncheon and show It will leave I here as soon as classes are l'e ! leased anti the performance at ' *■'m 1 if< wd! likely be staged I shortly after noon. | i:n:< rio\ hi i -V i ?{ ,'n s | -—*, Iii keeping with its record nl' service. The Enterprise is ■nuking plans for tabulating the primary election returns Saturday evening. Black board charts will be placed in the office widows and spec ial telephones are to be in stalled by the telephone com pany to expedite the flow of calls from the various pre cints. Special appeals arc being made to the precinct election officials, cordially urging them to submit the returns as rapidly as possible. There are quite a few contests, but the first returns should start coming in between 7:.‘i0 and 8:00 o'clock. The public can materially aid the vote can vass by not calling the office until the election officials have had time to submit the returns. Committmmii Measurin'; Land The annual task of measuring tobacco lands under the support program is progressing very rap idly ni this county, a report from the1 office of the farm agent yes terday stating that it should be ■ completed by the second week in next month. The work, started last week, is being handled mo: th i by the community committee - men. A minimum fee of 25 cents an acre is being charged to help de fray expenses. None of the measurements has been cheeked against the allot merits, but it is believed that the acreages are well within thi ' quota limits. Offurrs Capture lli^r I iditor Still AIK' Officei ,!. II Roebuck and Deputy Roy Reel yesterday rap tured one of thi‘ largest liquor .stills in many months. Raiding just off Highway 17 in Bear lirass Township, the two officers found an old plant, equipped with a 200-gallon capacity copper kettle and extensive materials. They (loured out six barrels of sugar beer. Beating the bushes over a two or three-hundred yard radio the i officers found ten gallons of white liquor The plant was not in I operation at the tune, but it is be lieved the liquor had been made only a short time. Recreation Group Names Maynard to Supervise Program i o <Pori Next Tuesday; To Maintain Playground Vnil (ii'iilir Wilhamston's recreation com* niitteo, John L.,. Goff, chairman, this week advanced an extensive program and named Stewart Maynard, athletic director, to sup ervise the operation of the swim ming pool and a general recrea tional prugiam. Complete details have not been announced, but tentative plans call for a full ■ hcdule which w ill be centered around the pool, the recreation center in the legion hut and a playground at the high school. Mrs, Frank Hitch will continue at the center, but the activities there will be fitted into an over all re creation picture, it was explain ed. Supervisor Maynard today is completing arrangements for opening the swimming pool next Tuesday, but the opening date is not definite. "We plan to open it at that time, if needed work can be completed," Maynard said. The committee is looking for reliable help, including several youths who can help handle the activities. The present playground pro gram calls for the organization of a knee-pants baseball league. Or ganization and practice schedules will be held Tuesday and Thurs day. in preparation for league games on Saturdays. The play ground will be held open on those days li mn 9:00 a. m until noon. The schedule for the swimming pool follows: Monday Wednesdays and Fri das 10:00 a. m. until noon; Mun das s, Tue- las s. Thursdays, Fri ll i\ and Saturdays, 2 p. m. to 6 p. m.. and 7 p. m. to 9 p. m.; Sun I days, 2 to 0 p. m. During the summer months the recreation center will be held open from 8 p. m. until 10 p. m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sun daes and from 10 to 11 p. m. i; Saturdays. Former Resident Dies In Wayne Mr Charles Augustus Fisher, al, died at his home near Pike ville Mnnda.v afternoon at 4.30 o'elock following four months of dine- Funeral services will be conducted at the Church of God ! .it I’atetown Wednesday after I noon at 3:00 by the pastor and j burial wili follow in the Foreham , family cemetery near Pikeville. j Mi Fisher was born and reared I in Virginia and came to North j Carolina in 1933. lie lived near | William.ston until 1947 when he , moved to Pikeville. Surviving are I his wife, Mi Cora Denny Fisher, j four ons, Charles A. Fisher, Jr., of New York City, Gilmer M, I Fisher of Goldsboro, Austin R. Fisher and C A. Fisher of Pike ville, nine daughters, Miss Agnes ! Fisher of Richmond, Va., Misses Hetty Mae, Margaret, Nelly Jane, Wa.vnell, Wilma, Wanda and Pat sy Ann Fisher of Pikeville, a brother, Virgie Fisher of Florida , nd one grandchild. hiiilnl l irliiit Hi jnnti'd I m proi'ina In llospilal Hi:; neck broken in two places in a truck accident at Parmele last Sunday morning, Charlie Bullock, Williamston man, was re ported improving in a Tarboro hospital yesterday. He is expect id to be able to return home within the next lour or five I l \ MS J Wit It examinations behind them, local high school stud ents are looking forward to the graduation exercises ia the autliloriuni Frida> even ing of this week at 8:110 o'clock. Special awards wilt he announced and presented at that time, and Dr. VV. E. ■ I mmmrntL e. T C Cnsenvi!.!#. .will .deliver... the principal address. A large number of patron* and other frierds is expee to attend the closing evi