Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / Sept. 14, 1948, edition 1 / Page 1
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«S SNTERMUSE IS MAD BY m OVU 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE IS READ Ml OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WES VOLUME LI—NUMBER 73 Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, September I I, 1() I8 ESTABLISHED 1895 Arrest Fire Bug Following Fire ♦ Monday Morning - » . Officers Not Certain How' To Handle Case Against j Young Man I Several mysterious fires in the' Gold Point section were believed to have been solved with the ar rest of Thomas Sutton, Jr., 20 year-old colored man, Monday af ternoon. Sutton admitted trying to fire a tenant house on the John Williams farm that morning, but | he could not remember anything about several other mysterious fires on the Williams and Harry Roberson farms. Sutton, regarded as a fit‘subject k for an ansylum for the insane, * went to the Williams farm about 11:00 o'clock and threw a lighted cigarette through a broken win dow of the house occupied by Col umbus Salsbury and family. Members of the family, working in and around the yard, did not see Sutton enter the yard, but they saw him leave, walking to « the road and then running to his home about one-quarter mile away. A few minutes later the family saw smoke in one of the bedrooms, and going there they found a mattress on fire, the cig arette thrown by Sutton having landed on the bed. Very little damage was done by the fire other than to the mattress. Investigating the case. Deputy 4 Murray Holloman followed Sut ton’s track from the Salsbury home to the Sutton home where i the young man admitted the act, explaining that he did it because he “felt good.” i Sutton gave no sane answer to other questions, but officers are of the opinion that he started other g fires in that section over a period j of several months. ! One night, several months ago, a tenant house was fired on the Williams farm. The fire was dis covered and checked before it did much damage. Later the same night the same house was fired and .it burned down. It was also # learned that other buildings had been fired, including one belong ing to Farmer Harry Roberson. Officers are of the opinion that Sutton hardly knew what he was doing when he started the firq this week and they think he should be confined to an institution for the mentally ill. Knowing that it is • next to impossible to have a pa ^ tient entered in the state hospi tals, they placed the man in jail, thinking, possibly the courts will order one of the institutions to receive the man. It was later learned that the fire bug’s name was not Sutton but Sessoms. It was also stated that he had admitted starting the earlier fires. Officers stated that the man whose property Sessoms had fired had befriended him on ' m numerous occasions. Prominent County Man Died Friday John W. Perkins, prominent Martin County citizen and pro gressive farmer, died at his home ^ near Gold Point last Friday even ing. He was 67 years old and had been in declining health for some _ time. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Fannie Mae Perkins; a daughter, Mrs. Howell House of Roberson ville; two sons, Jack Perkins of LaGrange, and Jarvis Perkins of the home; and six grandchildren. Funeral services were conduct ed at the home Sunday afternoon j at 4:00 o’clock by his pastor, Rev. • J. M. Perry, and burial was in the Robersonville cemetery. The last rites were attended by an unus ually large number of neighbors and other friends, attesting the high esteem in which he was held. County Man Improving In Baltimore Hospital Undergoing treatment in a Bal timore hospital, Mr. V. G. Taylor was reported much improved last night, and it is expected that he’ll be able to return home within a few days, possibly this week-end. Mrs. Taylor and Mr. Van Ralph Taylor returned home Thursday after a visit with him. I CITIZENS OF TOMORROW The Enterprise takes much pleasure in presenting another in a picture series of this section’s “citizens of tomonow". So far none has figured prominently in public affairs, f it as fu ture citizens they have a tremendous assignment to handle in a muddled world. Certain they’ll do a better job than has been done or is being done. The Enterprise presents the youngsters as the one great hope for the future. Top row, left to right: Kenneth, one, son of Mr. and Mrs. K. W. Loudon, Williamston; Clifton, II, eight months, son of Mr. and Mis. C. E. Ward, Williamston; Linda, twenty months, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Jones, Williamston; Bottom row, Lewis, II. four months, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. S. Davis, Jamesville; Larry, fifteen months, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Speller, Williamston; and Judy, five months, daughter of Mr. and Mrs, L. T. Letch worth, Williamston. First Case Of Polio Reported In County — —> GOOD START | ^j The annual Farm Bureau membership drive is off to a splendid start in this county, according; to a report released yesterday by the secretary, Mayo Hardison. Four mem bership canvassers reported 217 new member* enrolled up until last Friday, and reports from others were said to be very encouraging. The membership committee , will meet again on Fridiy, | September 24, when it is be lieved the drive will have been much farther advanced. i Start Drive On Rats Next Week By /ohn W. Williams County Health Officer The Town of Williamston, with ( the cooperation of the State and County Health Departments, is going to put on a real rat con trol program beginning Septem ber 20th. The State is going to furnish transportation and necessary technical supervision, certain types of poisons and equipment to distribute the poisons: 1080, cyno gas, red squill, traps and other poisons, some of which have to have highly trained experts to use. The town is spending $1200.00 for this 26 weeks’ program (time] enough to kill four generations of rats). Sanitarian Gaylord and Superintendent of Streets Bob I Manning will be responsible for j its success. To be assured of such j success, it is up to the citizens of j the town to clean up before the • work begins On the premises— I therefore, frjm September 10 to September 20 is declared clean-up time. In this time, every house-1 holder is expected to thoroughly ( clean the premise of all trash and to place all these discarded ar-] tides on street where a truck can haul it off. By doing this, rat bur rows, runs,' ana nests can be more > easily fdtind. Wounded Officer Han Returned To His Home \ Suffering a broken hip when at tacked by a prisoner on August 1 of this year, Office* Edmond Ear ly returned to his home in Oak City yesterday afternoon after re ceiving treatment in hospitals at Durham and Tarboro. Starting out on crutches Sunday, he was j said to have handled himself very well, but was too weak to do much walking. There is some doubt if he'll be able to appear in court1 next week when his assailant,1 Willie James Dickens, is tentative-1 ly scheduled to face trial in the superior court. 1 Report Received From Hospital In Durham Monday —•—~ Two and One-lialf-Year-Old Child Had Been Sickly Since Early August I Martin County's first case -of j i poliomyelitis was reported on Monday of this week by the health ' department after the little victim, ! a two and one-half-year-old color ' ed child, was examined in a Dur | ham hospital. The condition of ! the child could not be learned, but j one report said it was "mighty , bad,” that its head was badly drawn. James Henry Bennett, son of Jim Bennett and wife, lives on the Roberson and Peel farm in Poplar Point Township. A detailed re j port on the case could not be had immediately, but reports state that the child had been sick since : the first week in August, but pre i liminary examinations failed to reveal any definite polio symp toms. The examinations included a spinal puncture test in an out I of-the-county hospital, a report [ from the examination stating that the child apparently was the vic tim of a severe cold. While the child could walk, it had trouble maintaining a perfect balance. Last week the condition [ of the victim became worse and it was removed to Duke hospital I Sunday morning and the case was definitely diagnosed as polio Mon day afternoon. Another child in. the family has been stopped from school, but she is getting along all right. Health authorities expressed the hope that polio in this county | would be limited to the single ( case, but the disease continues in epidemic stage in the State. Twen i ty-two new cases were reported in ! the state Monday and the count now stands at 2,026 cases. So far I there have been 106 deaths. Anticipating a marked reduc [ tion in the number of cases, health j officials in some sections'of t/i'd'i j county are lifting polio quaran j tines. -m — Large Congregation» For Special Services The series of special services be ing conducted each evening this week by the pastor, Rev. Janies I. Lowry, in the Presbyterian Church here are being largely at tended. This evening at 8:00, the minis ' ter will have for his sermon topic, “'The Gospel of Justification.” On Wednesday evening the subject will be, “The Gospel of the Atone ment.” | The services are to continue each evening through Friday, and the public is invited. Fourteen Hundred Register in County For Draft So Far Draft Official Says Board To Act Against Those Failing To Register The schedule period for hand-1 ling registrations for the draft is rapidly drawing to a close with the possibility that the total will fall slightly below the estimated 2,088 names for the books. Fear ing that some of the youths in this county are ignoring the registra , tion call, draft board officials said yesterday that the “draft board will be forced to follow a ‘get tough’ policy against those who deliberately fail to register.” The official added that some youths are taking the registration and draft law as a joke, that some were under the impression that they could register anytime and it would be all right. The registration period for the designated groups will continue through Saturday of this week in the American Legion Hut in Wil liamston. A registration sched ule for the remainder of the week follows: Today, all men born in 1928. Wednesday and Thursday, Sep tember 15 and 16, all men born in 1929. Friday and Saturday, Septem ber. 17 and 18, all men born in 1930, before September 19, 1930. Eighteen-year-olds will register within five days after attaining that age. Through Monday, 1,423 young men had registered in this county, including 541 World War II veter ans, 275 married non-veterans, 516 single non-veterans, 65 cighteen vcar-olds, and 26 transients. Of the 1,423 registered, 675 are white and 748 are colored, , Volunteers are still handling the registration in this county. Minor Highway Wreck Sunday No one was hurt but right much damage resulted when two ears figured in an accident near Williamston on Highway 17 last Sunday afternoon at 5:00 o’clock. Louilliai E. Powell, Jr., of Vanceboro, was driving his 1048 Studebaker north and Albert Rid dick, operating a 1939 Chevrolet, was driving south, about two and one-half miles south of here. Powell, according to Patrolman M. F. Powers who made the in vestigation, turned to his left when the line of traffic moving in his direction slowed down sudden ly. Powell, who was said to have been driving about fifty miles an hour, said he either had to hit the rear of the car just ahead of him or turn out. The Riddick car struck and ripped away a part of the right side of the Studebaker, knocking its own right wheel out of place and damaging the run ning gear. Damage to the Studebaker was estimated at $200 and that to the Chevrolet at $150. Bn joy l*icnic Dinner At Pirtey drove ('.linrcli The membership of. the Piney Grove Baptist Church, friends and special guests, numbering more than 1,000, enjoyed a picnic din ner on the grounds there Sunday. The food supply, equalling that fit for a king, was more than am ple to serve twice the number present. If ROUND-UP 11 •*- - Law enforcement officers had another busy time last week-end when they round ed up and temporarily detain ed sixteen persons. The ar rest count was the largest for any similar period in several months. Two of the sixteen were de tained for investigation, one of disorderly conduct, three for drunken driving, six for drunkenness, one for issuing a worthless check, two for as sault and one for manslaugh ter. Two of the group were white and the ages ranged from 21 to 79 years. Highway Killer Returned T9 The County For Trial — Run Down :iml Killed Col ored Roy Nearly Two Years Ago 1 Charged with running down] and killing McKinley Jones, color- j ed boy, on Highway No. 125 back in November, 1948, Goodman Spruill, 48-year-old colored man, was returned to this county last Saturday to face trial. The wheels of justice have turn ed slowly for Spruill, but the law overtook him in South Boston, Virginia, last week. Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation picked the man up, brought him out of Virginia and turned him over as a fugitive from justice to Deputy Sheriff Murray Holloman who met the agents in Oxford. Spruill admitted running over the child, claiming that he divl not stop because he became excited and was afraid to stop. He waiv ed preliminary hearing and is be ing booked for trial in the super ior court next week. Spruill, driving an old model car, was traveling from his home in Hobgood toward Oak City late in the afternoon of November 8, 1948, when he ran down the child, killing him almost instantly. He worked his way back to Hobgood a short time later and told his wife what had happened. His wife ad vised him to get away from this section of the country. He drove the old car out of the State and abandoned it. Continuing to Bal timore, he entered the employ ment of a contractor and worked there until a short time ago when he was transferrred to Durham. He got into some trouble in Dur ham and was finger printed. Be fore his record could be checked by the FBI, Spruill skipped his bond, but the agents picked him up a few days later in' the Vir ginia town. Shortly after the child was kill ed, another child, accompanying Spruill at the time, started talk ing and officers learned Spruill’s identity. However, Spruill cov ered his track very well and kept them covered until a short time ago. Warning Against Game Violations According to a ruling handed down by the office of the Attor ney General for North Carolina, i it is unlawful to "lap” or take rac coons from a boat with the aid of a light. 11 was also explained that it is lawful to shoot squirrel from a boat when there is no motoi at tached to the bout. It's hardly more than a hair-line difference, but a hunter may have an out board motor detached from the boat and lying in the boat and shoot squirrel. The season for taking game in this county does not open until I October 15 when it will be lawful to take bear, deer, opossum and raccoon by trapping or dog, and squirrel. A few violations have already been noted, but so the game laws have been very well observed, ac cording to County Warden Cecil Bullock. Local Men Hurt In Road Wreck ! Several local men were, painful - | !y but not seriously hurt in a high way accident a few miles beyond l the Mai tin - Beaufort boundary line on U. S. 17 last Saturday night about 10:30 o'clock. Raymond Heath suffered two I broken ribs and cuts on left leg. Asa Moore was cut about the head. Harry Ayers suffered a knee injury and Asa Rogerson suffered a broken arm and other body injuries. The young men were treated in local doctor’s of fices and the hospital here and lat er discharged. The four were riding two mot orcycles and were injured when they swerved their machines hur riedly to keep from crashing into a ear that came to a stop sudden ly before them. Launch Children s Crusade In This County This Week A house-to-house canvass will be made here on Friday of this j week, marking the beginning of a ! county-wide drive to raise $2,500 as this county’s share in the hu mane task of saving millions of unfortunate little children in for eign lands from starving to death this winter, it was announced this morning’by Drive Chairman Rob ert Cowen. A general appeal has been issued in most of the pulpits and in some of the schools, urging all the people to support the Cru sade for Children. Mrs. N. C. Green is serving as treasurer of the drive and she’ll accept direct contributions. It will be next to impossible for the canvassers to solicit every person for donations, and those who would share in the worthwhile and urgent drive and who are not contacted directly by the solicitors I are asked to forward their contri | butions to the treasurer. Plans for the canvass in Wil liamston were made last evening when a special committee compos ed of Mcsdames Wheeler Martin. Jr., president of the' Woman's j Club, M. M. Levin, P. B. Cone, Neil Ripley and Chas. 1. Harris met and discussed the campaign with the chairman. The commit tee divided the town into sections for the drive, and it is planned to carry the appeal into every home | and business establishment that j day. Professor E. J. Hayes and Supervisor Mary Gray will handle the flrive among the colored citi zens. It is sincerely hoped that the people will respond to the ap peal, remembering that the solici tors are giving of their time to handle the task. Leaf Sales Nearing Five - Million Mark Monday’s Average Price The Highest Since August 25th Downward Price Trend He in” Reported hy Markets In Ollier ReltM Continuing to gain following a slump that lasted for a week or more, tobacco prices on the Wil liamston market yesterday reach ed then highest peak since August 25, an official report stating that 324,792 pounds were sold for $153,713 63 or an average of $47.33. While the average is still consider ably below expectations, it is much better than the $40.82 fig ure recorded for Friday, Septem ber 3. Through yesterday, the market had sold 4,655,494 pounds for $2, 133,129.03, and it is certain that the sales today will push the total right to five million pounds. The average to date is $45,611. During the first seventeen selling days of the 1947 season, 4,082,751) pounds were sold here for an average price right at $40 per hundred pounds. The quality of the offerings is possibly some better than it was a week ago, the better types dis placing the heavy offerings of in ferior quality tips. Farmers with good tobacco urd doing all right, but those with in ferior types are encountering real price problems. But even with good quality grades predominat ing, the average price is still on the low side. Early today the market started working off a ^00,000-pound block, but it was hard to tell at that time if the block could be cleared. After holding to much higher levels than those reported for this belt, tobacco prices in other areas are weakening, according to re ports reaching here. In the Middle Belt, prices drop lied $2.62 a hundred lust week be low the average reported for the first two sales days, the 15,7(14, (Continued on page eight) Forced Out Of lloH/nlal lly Fire Early Monday Recovering lion, a inuinr opera- I tion, W. K. Parkei, local man, was forced out of Park View hos pital, Rocky Mount, along with all other patients, yesterday morning when fire threatened the struc ture. The fire was confined to the operating room, but water was several inches deep on the second floor and smoke filled most of the hospital, llis room was located just across the hall from the op erating room, and he wu$ rolled out and placed in an ambulance, a report reaching here stating that he had a beautiful nurse in at tendance and that he was getting along all right. Some patients were removed to other hospitals, but many of them were returned to the hospital aft er the smoke was cleared. \ VITKOV Kl) 1| v J Tentative plans for the har vest festival to be held here on October 14, 15 and 16, were approved at a meeting of di rectors of the Williamston Boosters last Friday evening in the courthouse. A steering committee, composed of Lynn Taylor, chairman, Ernest Mears and Mr. Shauns, was appointed to execute the plans for the festival. Merchants’ prizes arc to be awarded during the remain der of the marketing season to the farmers selling tobac co for tlie highest and next highest price each day. VEP Plans to Build Dam On Roanoke The Virginia Electric and Pow er Company will apply within the next few days for a Federal 1 i-' cense to construct an $111,000,000 dam and hydroelectric plant on the Roanoke River, according to announcement by President J. G. Holtzclaw of Richmond. The pro ject is estimated to be capable of increasing Vepco’s generating ca pacity by more than 60 percent. An application for a permit to build the dam has been prepared and will be filed with the Federal Power Commission. The dam would be located about one and one-half miles up stream from Roanoke Rapids, N. C., Holtzclaw said. It would form a reservoir covering nearly eight square miles, and would utilize the Roanoke River to turn out up to 65,000 kilowatts in additional power for the expanding Vepeo system. The hydroelectric development would come as one of five major power plant projects now in pros pect in the Vepeo system. To gether, the five plants will cost more than $53,000,000, If authorized, construction of the Roanoke River dam would be gin early next year and would be complete by 1952, Holtzclaw said. The dam would come as the last for completion in the project se ries, as far as can be seen at pres ent. The Roanoke River Basin As sociation and the Roanoke Flood! Control group regards the new project of VEP as helpful to the government project at Buggs Is land which will be some -13 miles above the VEP dam site. To ('.h>an Up Tier Community Cemetery --- Plans arc being made this week tu dean up the Tice Conjunity Cemetery, and plot owners, their neighbors and friends are being asked to report there on Saturday morning of this week at 7:00 o'clock with necessary equipment to handle the job. The cemetery is one of the best kept rural burial grounds in this, section of the State. Sixteen Divorce Cases For Trial In Superior Court All Hut On** lta*e«l On Two Year Separation; One <!onle»te*l I Sixteen divorce cases have been placed on the calendar for trial during the two-week term of Mar tin County Superior Court con vening next Monday. The divorce issues are tentatively scheduled to be aired in open court on Monday, September 27. All but one of the actions are based on two-year separation grounds, the sixteenth one being based on adultery. Only one of the actions is being contested, and in that one the defendant appeals to the court not to allow the di vorce, if granted, to impair her right to alimony. Several war-time marriages are included in the list, and in quite a few instances the litigants lived together only a few days. The divorce case of Beautie An drews against Mattie Lee An drews is back on the calendar, the plaintiff pointing out that they were married in 1940, that they were separated in 1944 and that no children were born to the un ion. In her case against Bill Wilson, the plaintiff, Margaret Wilson says they were married on Octob er 10, 1937, that they separated in January, 1938, and that no chil dren were born to the union. Asking a c1. voice, Roy Harrell in his case against Irma Allen Har rell, says they were married on July 10, 1922, and separated in April, 1944, that all children born to the union are grown and self supporting. In his case against Ada Long, John Long states in the complaint that they were married prior to May, 1937, that they separated some time about May 0, 1937, and that no children were born to that union. In her case against Joseph Mar tin Northeutt, Ella Mae Northeutt charges the defendant with hav ing committed adultery with vari , ous women, that he was living with a woman as man and wife. Th^y were married in October, 1929 and separated in August, 1947. Three children were born to ' the union. In her complaint, Beatrice Ellis Raekley says she was married in Duplin County in November, 1939, to Raymond Raekley, that they separated in February, 1948, and that no children were born to the union. Abram Jones, in his case against Lizzie Jones, stated they were married thirteen years ago, that they separated in September, 1944, and that they had no chil dren. Ben Frank Roberson is suing Annie Lee Roberson for a divorce, stating that they separated two weeks after they were married in 1941, that one child, Lewis T. Rob erson, was born to the union. Samuel Clark, in his divorce ac tion against Ruby Clements Clark, says they were married in Em pi ia, Va., on September 25, 1937, that they were separated in Feb ruary, 1948, and that no children were born to the union. James D. Bishop, suing Bessie Coffield Bishop, for a divorce, says they were married on March 3, 1948 and separated on May 6, 1948, that no children were born to the union. Contesting the ac tion, the defedant points out that a consent judgment had been en tered in the courts whereby she was to receive $30 a month ali mony. That was in June, 1948. He | 1 Is’alleged to h<»v< Cu.St'..'onthurcd tire payments in December, 1948, and , he was back in the courts in June, 1947, when he was sentenced to ; serve 90 days on the roads. The road term was suspended upon the condition that he make the pay ments. Now the defendant is ask ing that any divorce decree allow ed shall not impair her right to alimony. W. C. Chance, Jr., is suing Louise Chance for divorce, stating they were married December 25, 1941, and separated in May, 1946, and that they had no children. In her case against James Ed ward Bryant, Elsie Bryant say* they were married in Elizabeth ! City ir. 1937 and separated in July, i Wv w —> -—
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
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Sept. 14, 1948, edition 1
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