m ENTEKFUSE 18 BEAD BX
4 CV« MH MAKTIN COUNTY
CUBLU TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE 18 READ BY
OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEBB
volume li—number 75
William a ton, Martin County, North Carolina, Thurtday, September 23. 1946
ESTABLISHED 1899
Poor Response To
Pleas Of Hungry
* Little Children
ttftrtHy $200 of $2,500
Asked For Been Raised
n County To Date
■ m
Asked to join the peoples of
fifty-four other nations in raising
funds for the nearly 460 million
innocent children who are starv
ing in the world today, the people
of Martin County have not heed
ed the please of the hungry little
folks, a report from the chairman
yesterday stating that hardly $200
of the county's $2,500 quota had
been contributed. Most of the
amount was raised in a prelimin
ary canvass conducted in Wil
liamston this week, a goodly por
tion coming from the Pentecostal
Holiness Church.
Other counties in this State,
other states and other nations, re
cognizing the tremendous need,
have exceeded their quotas, many
of them doubling the amount ask
ed.
The American Overseas Aid—
United Nations Appeal for Chil
dren, popularly designated the
“Children’s Crusade” is now in
progress in Martin County, spon
sored by the Williamston Wo
man’s Club, with Mayor Robert H.
Cowen serving as Chairman. This
appeal was organized at the sug
gestion of President Truman and
in answer to demands for unifica
tion of peace-time appeals for aid
* to war-time victims. AOA-UNAC
is a federation of twenty-six long
established private American
agencies for foreign relief and ser
vices, together with the United
States share of $60,000,000 in the
global effort to obtain voluntary
contributions for the United Na
tions Appeal for Children.
AOA-UNAC was established be
cause one half of the world's en
tire population are actually exist
ing close to the line of starvation.
Forty percent of these people, or
463,000,000 are children under 15
years of age. This unified appeal
is made on behalf of a number of
organizations engaged in the same
^ general activities and provides a
more practical, economical and ef
fective method of fund raising, be
sides serving as a clearing-house
to avoid over-lapping, duplication
or waste of man-power and ser
vices. Every American will have
an opportunity to share in a world
wide act of simple humanity that
will help to ease the suffering of
millions — especially children —
and will hasten their rehabilita
tion and help insure world peace.
Their effort will demonstrate to
the rest of the world that Ameri
cans live and practice a demo
cratic and humanitarian way of
life. The members of the Wil
liamston Woman’s Club will oper
ate a small booth in the ware
house section of Williamston,
I (Continued on page eight!
Robbers Active
In This Section
♦ ■ ■■
Idle for the most part during
recent years, robbers returned to
this section of the State in a big
way this week when they robbed
& the East Carolina Bank in Colum
bia of $68,000. Striking at 11:00
o'clock Tuesday morning, the rob
bers, led by Harry Morrison of
Norfolk, were virtually trapped
near Creswell when their 1949
Hudson broke down and the seven
men were forced to a small woods.
Two of the men, Morrison and
Aubrey W. Tarkenton, were taken
that evening withTne aid ot b/ooa
hounds from the Martin County
| prison camp. All of the others,
except one, have been apprehend
ed, one of them after he was shot
and critically wounded.
All but $5,000 of the money has
been recovered, officers stating
that they are not certain if the
man still at large has the money
or if it was lost in the woods.
Much of the money was picked up
by searchers.
Sometime during iast night rob
bers broke into a place of business
in Win/all. cracked a safe and car
ried away several thousand dol
lars. Blood hounds were sent
there from the local prison camp
and the robbers were trailed to a
point where they boarded a ve
hicle.
CITIZENS OF TOMORROW
The Enterprise takes much pleasure in presently another
in a picture series of this section's “citizens of tomoriow”. So
far none has figured piominently in public affairs, I tt 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 tha youngsters
as the One great hope for the future.
Top row, left to right, Joyce, nine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.
M. Baker, Williamston; Wade, eleven, son of Mr. and Mrs. V. N.
Bunting, Williamston; Meredith, twelve, June, three, son and
daughter of Mr and Mrs. P. S. Cherry, Williamston; Bottom row,
Betsy Riddick, nine, daughter of Mrs. Charles Edwards, Wil
liamston; Van Taylor, six, son of Dr. and Mrs. C. I. Harris, Wil
liamston; and Mary Elizabeth, eleven, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
T. M. Britton, Williamston.
LAST CALL
/■
I
A
A last call is being issued to
those Martin County farmers
who wish to build up their
soi|s. Those planters who
would sow winter legumes,
including vetch, winter peas,
rye grass and other soil-build
ing crops, are urged to contact
the office of the farm agent at
once. Several thousand dol
lars are available to those
farmers who would build up
their soils, but all projects
must be approved, it was ex
plained.
SffL Leamon Shaw
Rites To Be Held
In County Sunday
Bear Crass Young Man Died
In Italy After Three
Years Of Service
Funeral services for Sgt. Lea
mon Edward Shaw who died over
seas, will be held at the Rehoboth
Church near Bear Grass Sunday
afternoon, September 26, at 2:00
o’clock. Rev. George Casper, pas
tor of the church, will officiate
and burial will follow in the Re
hoboth Church Cemetery.
Sgt. Shaw entered the army in
1939 and received his training at
Fort Bragg, North Carolina. lie
was transferred to overseas duty
in July 1942 and arrived in Eng
land August 2. After a stay of sev
eral months there he went to Afri
ca and following that campaign he
went on to Italy where he died on
April 5, 1944, of jaundice after an
illness of only a few days.
Surviving are his parents, Mr. j
and Mrs. L. E. Shaw, of near Bear
Grass, three brothers, Bernice of
Norfolk, Virginia, L. A. of Wil
liamston and Kenneth of the i
home, ten sisters, Mrs. L. M. Bui- :
lock and Mrs. J. B. Gurkin of
Greenville, Mrs. R. L. Terry, Mrs.
F. J. Darcy and Mrs. Lester Bland
of Norfolk, Mrs. Clarence Man
ning and Mrs. Georgia Bullock of
Robersonvilie, Mrs. Ottis Coltrain
of Williamston and Daisy and
Florence Shaw of the home.
Sgt. Shaw is remembered here
as a friendly and promising young
man, and one possessed of a pleas
ing personality. He attended the
Pe&c.dr&ss **rfc.pol and farmed vv,*
til he volunteered for service in
the army a year or more ahead of
the draft. He was the first Mar-1
tin County man’reported to have
died while in service during
World War. II of natural causes.
WORN TO A FRAZZLE
Spending more than twenty
four hours in woods and fields,
highway patrolmen were worn to ■
a “bigger” frazzle when they re
turned to their station here fol-1
lowing the manhunt in lower
Washington County this week. Pa
trolman J. T. Rowe retired at noon
yesterday and did not stir until
this morning. Captain John Del
bridge who took one of the bank
robbers got around to pulling off
his clothes for a rest today after
48 hours on the job. 1
Anti-Rat Drive
Going Forward
The all-out drive against rats is
going forward rapidly, and repre-1
sentatives of the county and state
health departments are making
ready to throw all kinds of poison
at the rodents.
Biological tests, planned to de
terminj the presence of disease,
are being completed, Biologist
Barden having examined more
than half a hundred live rats.
Fleas and ticks, recognized as
spreaders of various diseases, in
cluding typhus, were found in
fairly large quantities on a num
ber of rats found in varioiif/ sec
tions of the town. The tests will
be completed in the state labora
tory and it will be several days
before the findings are determin
ed.
Commenting on the drive
against the rodents, the specialist
declared that frightful conditions,
inducive to breeding and disease,
in general, had been found. One
section bordering Elm and Rail
road Streets was cited, inspectors
leaving the scene gasping for pure
air.
No report on the town’s backlots
has been released, but rat dens
and runs were reported to exist in
sight of health department head
quarters.
"If the people could only real- ;
ize that the rat is man’s worst ene
my, that the rodent presents a
real danger as a carrier of disease,
they would not hesitate to join in
the movement to rid their town of
the rodents,” one of the specialists
declared. He suggested an all-out
drive for improved sanitation.
Firemen Called
Out Yesterday
Volunteer firemen were called
out here at 8:00 o'clock yesterday
morning when a barrel of fuel oil
caught fire on the J. Frank Weav
er premises in West End.
Daniel Lilley, truck operator,
was pumping fuel oil into the fif
ty-gallon barrel when the oil
caught fire. He disconnected the
hose and moved his truck away
and failed to beat the fire out with
a bag. Firemen smothered the
TSze in a few seconds. "Very Vitile
damage was done by the fire.
-o-—
Former School Teacher
In County For Visit
W. C. Allen, a teacher in the
schools at Jamesville and Hamp
ton during the late eighties, was
in the county tpday, taking orders
for books Eighty-nine years old,
the educator, author of histories,
is now making his home in
Waynesville. He travels by bus,
and although a bit feeble, he uses
no glasses and is carrying on his
work. *
Mr. Allen was graduated from
Wake Forest in 1887 and taught
school that fall in Jamesville, re
ceiving thirty-six silver dollars
per month for his work.
Many Obstacles
Confront County
Peanut Growers
Rch»I Rot, Worms, Termites
And Weather Curtnil
Production
Their crops damaged by adverse
weather conditions during the
growing season, Martin County
farmers are now confronted with
other obstacles which have pre
sented themselves to further cur
tail production, according to re
ports coming from farmers and
the farm agent.
In some areas, especially where
the soil is heavy, production was
materially decreased by weather
conditions. Any number of farm
ers are of the opinion they will
not harvest more than two or
three bags per acre in those areas.
On the lighter, sandy soils the
weather did not exact such a
heavy toll, but even there the far
mers say they are confronted with
other obstacles.
Farmer Willie Lassiter said that
southern root rot, a disease pos
sibly akin to blackshank in to
bacco, had struck his peanuts, ex
plaining that he was forced to dig
his crop before the goobers had
fully matured. The disease, ac
cording to the farmer, caused the
■■ vines to turn yellow and rot and
: the nuts to fall off and rot. South
ern root rot has been noticed in
the crop before thi. year, but it is
much worse than in any previous
period.
A small worm has damaged the
crop, Farm Agent Brandon stat
ing that a quarter-inch long worm
with whtye body and black head
; and tail was being found in some
crops. The worm, boring and en
tering a hole hardly as large as a
pin head, ruins the meat. The
agent said that the worm borgd
through the shell when it wus ten
der.
Another pest is the termite, the
agent stating that the termite
would cut the tap root, work its
way on up and attack the nuts.
All told, the pests are expected
to lower production by about ten
percent in the county this year.
Since the crop is spotted, it is
difficult to estimate the current
production, but some observers
advance the opinion that it will
run well under a quarter million
bags this year.
Digging operations are well ad
vanced in the county at this time,
but reports state that many crops
have been dug too early.
The government support price
has been increased one-h-'f cent.
Library Group In
Regular Meeting
The B H M Regional Library
Association held its regular
monthly meeting in the Brown
Memorial Library in Washington
with Rev. John L. Goff, chairman,
presiding. The report of the lib
rarian, Miss Virginia McDonald,
revealed that during the month of
August there were 8,027 books cir
culated. This showed an improv
ed circulation over the same
month of last year. The circula
tion is much larger during the
school term.
Under the new registration,
which is required by the North
Carolina Library Commission
every three years, shows that
there are 3,482 registered borrow
ers as of August 1st. That the
book collection has now grown to
15, 691. Of this number Martin
County ha*6,0.1flLxpJpnv** There '
has been a total of 1,623 volumes
discarded through usage.
There has been a growing need
in this county for sometime for
expanded Bookmobile stops. In
order to meet this demand, the en
tire schedule of the region was re
vised and one day has been added !
to Martin County. It is hoped that
this will temporarily meet the
needs. With continued increases
in financial support from both the
county and the state, the time is
not too far distant when bookmo
bile service will be on a county
basis rather than an area or re
gion. It is hoped that all persons
interested in increasing bookmo
bile service in the state and coun
ty will contact the legislators and
ask for increases for library ser
vice,
Justices Of Peace
Hear Eleven Cases
In Court Recently
-®
Anotlirr Driver in ('.onrt
For Not lim ing Vehicle
In^pecteil
-*
Justices of Peace John L. Has
| sell and R. T. Johnson heard elev
en eases in their courts here this
: week, both dockets including
! al}out the same type of cases schc
i duled for trial over and over ,
again. There was one exception,
and the defendant in that case is
in the court for allegedly operat
ing a motor vehicle without hav
ing had it inspected.
Cases handled by Justice Has
sell include the following:
Frank Simmons, drunk and dis
orderly, was fined $5 and taxed
! with the costs.
In the case charging Roosevelt
Bond with trespass and simple as
sault, the defendant was sentenc
ed to jail for thirty day on each
count. The^road term in the first
instance was suspended upon con
dition that the defendant remain
off the school grounds, and in the
second the jail term was lifted on
i condition that the defendant pay
the cost of $7.60 and $14.75 to De
Soto Jones, prosecuting witness.
Paul Frank was fined $5 and re
quired to pay the costs for being
drunk and disorderly.
Charged with disorderly con
duct, Ernestine Knight was re
quired to pay $9.50 costs.
Tank Bennett was taxed with
$7.50 costs when he appeared in
court on a disorderly conduct
charge.
Justice Johnson handled the fol
lowing cases:
Charged with hunting out of
season, J. L. Johnson was fined
$20 and taxed with $5.85 costs.
The case charging Joe Henry
Taylor, Newport News man, with
j failing to, stop at a road intersec
tion and speeding, was sent to the
county court for trial.
Charged with operating a motor
vehicle without having it inspect
ed, LeRoy Rodgers was bound ov
er to the recorder's court for trial.
Walter Biggs and Oliver Peel,
charged with failing to stop at a
road intersection, were each fined
$10 and taxed with ,i>5.85 costs.
Slade P. Revels, facing a similar
charge, was not fined but was re
quired to pay $5.85 costs.
Jaycees Complete
Bleacher Stands
The movable bleacher seats
which the more interested mem
bers of the local Junior Chamber
of Commerce have been erecting
are virtually completed, according
to an announcement from Chair
man Bernard T Harrison.
The last seats were nailed on
yesterday, completing the seventh
section. Each section will seat 70
persons, 10 to a seat, thereby pro
viding seating accommodations
for 490 persons. One section will
be used exclusively by the high
school band on the occasions when
this group is present.
Through the cooperation of the
lumber mill owners and proprie
tors of 'building supply houses
here, the Jaycees have been able
to practically complete this pro
ject at a cost of approximately
$175.00 to the e vie group.
As soon as the material used in
the construction of the bleachers
has had sufficient time to dry, the
Jaycees plan to apply some kind
of wood preservative and possibly
paint the tops of the seats
Pending the eliding ,,l the has.
ball season, all seven sections will
be used on one side of the loot
ball field, but will be spaced on
both sides later. The Jaycees plan
to present the new bleachers to
the W. H. S. Athletic Association
at half-time Friday night.
A majority of the Jaycees par
ticipated in this project, aided at
times by a few volunteers, espec
ially Tom Brandon, Sr., and Wil
ton Knox.
*-o
FEW SPECTATORS
Busy with their peanut harvest
and tobacco marketing, compara
tively few farmers are attending
the daily sessions of the superior
court here this week. Those who
are in attendance upon the ses
sions are there under subpoena.
Conspiracy Case In
The Superior Court
1
Several Criminal
Cases Remain On
Docket for Trial
Long, Drauii-oul ('.tnispir
m*y-Ar»on Canes Delay
Recess of ('ourl
Tentatively scheduled to com
plete the trial of the criminal cas
es late Tuesday, the Superior
Court now in the first week of a
two - week term, encountered
many obstacles and early today
there was some doubt expressed if
the criminal docket could be clear
ed before sometime tomorrow.
The extreme heat Tuesday called
for an early recess that afternoon,
but when the court reconvened
Wednesday morning it ran into a
baffling conspiracy-arson case.
Most of the day was spent by the
State in presenting its case and at
recess time yesterday afternoon
the defense had not offered all the
evidence of its main witness.
A report from the courthouse
today indicated that the civil cases
scheduled for Wednesday and to
day had been carried over for
trial ni'Xt week.
The court literally has dragged
for many witnesses and others
■ who have appeared in the court
house each day since Monday,
waiting to be called.
Clarence Taper, Jamesville
Township colored man, is charged
with having conspired with Ed
ward Lee Lacy to have a tenant
house on the Taper farm burned.
Lacy claims Taper offered him
$100 to do the job, but denied that
he entered the conspiracy. The
defense, while not denying Tap
er's alleged contact with Lacy,
maintained that there was no con
spiracy since Lacy did not enter
into it.
The State maintains that Lacy
did enter into the conspiracy and
offered evidence in an effort to
support its testimony. It seems
! that Taper offered Lacy $100 to do
the job, that he contacted Hender
son Moore and attempted to sub
I contract the deal, offering Moore
$50 to fire the house, variously
; valued at between $1,250 and $4,
000, while Taper was on the mar
' ket and he (Lacy) was in Plym
| outh. It was brought out that
Lacy showed a quart of gasoline
that had been made ready for the
job.
Moore is claimed to have refus
ed any part in the crime, stating
that Joe Clark, a tenant, was a re
lative of his. The case was repor
ed to the sheriff week before la:
and arrests followed last week.
It is claimed that the house w«i
damaged by fire on Sunday, Sep
tom be r 5, that Taper alleged!
contacted Lacy, made the propos:
tion, explaining that he had err
ployed another man to handle th
job and that he (the other man
had made a mess of it. Taper i
alleged to have increased the ir
surance on the house soon afte
the September 5 file from $1,00
to $2,500.
Charged with second degre
murder, Thomas Rogers got th
breaks and was sentenced to serv
thirty days for simple assaul
Moses Harrell, Goose Nest tenar
farmer, died under rather unusur
circumstances on last June 20. Th
state maintained that the ma
died of injuries received at th
hand of Rogers, but the defens
(Continued on page eight)
Damages Car Late
Monday Evenin
hJ3
Losing control in a deep sand
bed in the Bear Grass-Everetts
Road last Monday evening at 10:30
o'clock, Janies Clifton Manning
ran his 1940 model Oldsmobile in
to a tree and damaged his ma
chine considerably, Patrolman J.
T. Itowe, investigating the acci
dent, estimating the damage at
$300.
Ralph Ross Bullock, riding with
Manning, was thrown into the
windshield, and although he shat
tered the glass with his head, he
was said not to have been hurt.
TOBACCO SALES i
y... _
While slipping a lilt from
the $51.59 figure reported last
Monday, tobacco prices con
tinued to hold fairly firm
Tuesday and yesterday with
no marked change noted to
day on the local market.
Average prices held to a fi
gure just short of $50 yester
day, the 133,310 pounds sell
ing for $65,780.25, an average
of $49.35. At the close of sales
yesterday, the market here
had sold 6,271,920 pounds for
an average of $46.13.
Alston Gurganus
Rites Sunday At
Jamesville Home
Youth, killed In Action In
Italy, Will Hr Buried
In Cemetery Here
Funeral services for Pfc. Alston
Wesley Gurganus, Martin County
'young man who lost his life in
Italy during the last war, will be
held at the home of his brother,
Royal E. Gurganus, in Jamesville
Sunday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock.
Rev. J. M. Perry, Robersonville
minister, will conduct the service,
and interment will follow in Wil
liamston's Woodlawn Cemetery
where a detail from the John Wal
ton Hassell Post of the American
Legion will have charge of the
rites.
The body is being moved out of
the distribution center in Phila
delphia at 1 :Q0 o’clock tomorrow
morning and is due to reach the
Higgs Funeral Home here tomor
row afternoon about 5:00 o'clock.
After lying in state here, it will
be removed to the brother’s home
! in Jamesville Saturday afternoon
1 for the service the following day.
The young man, the first draft
i ed from this county to lose his life
in the war, was born in the Pungo
section of Beaufort County in 1920
and spent most of his life there,
moving to this county with his
mother and brothers in 1939. He
was a son of Mrs. Vera Gurganus,
now of Portsmouth, and the late
Seth Gurganus of Beaufort Coun
ty. After working with Gaines
and Kirkman jn Jamesville for
three years he entered the service
' in 1942, receiving his basic train
ing at Fort Bragg. Less than a
year later he was transferred to
the European theater and was
killed in action on November 14,
1943, in Italy a few miles north of
Naples during the Naples-Foggia
campaign.
Surviving besides his mother
are four brothers, Royal E. and
Wilbur Gurganus, both of James
ville, and Elbert and Wade Gur
ganus, both of Portsmouth.
His body is the twelfth of a,
Martin County war hero to be re
turned for burial in native soil.
Indian Minister
Will Speak Here
Rev. Stanley Smith, full-blood
ed Indian and a prominent figure
in Baptist missionary work, will
speak in the Baptist church here
Friday evening of this week at
8:00 o'clock, marking the close of
.I'.veek missSe-nv. w •.he Roanoke
Baptist Association.
The minister who has handled
a remarkable work among the Se
minoles of Florida, will discuss
his work among the Indians.
A cordial invitation is extended
the public to hear the minister.
The special services this week
have been very successful, the
pastor, Rev. Stewart B. Simms
said this morning.
-«
Cun nly Hoy Of fiver In
The H enley Foundation
A. E. Manning, young county
man, was recently elected vice
president of the Wesley Founda
tion organization of Methodist
students at East Carolina College,
Greenville, where he is continu
ing his studies this year.
Grand Jury Stops
School Bus Until
Repairs are Made
SupplfMiHMilary Report Says
Number of Busses Are
Not Well Kept
While most of the report, filed
by the Martin County Grand Jury
over the signature of I. Jessup
Harrison, foreman, this week dealt
with routine findings, there was
an order to stop the operation of
one school bus until repairs to the
machine could be made. The ord
er was supported by Judge W. H.
S. Burgwyn, later reports stating
that the mechanical requirements
had been met and that the bus is
continuing its runs.
The grand jury based its report
on findings established by the
highway patrol following a min
ute inspection of every school bus
in the county. Several minor de
fects were pointed out in the re
port, and it was also declared that
quite a few of the busses were fil
thy dirty and not very well kept.
The detailed report as submitted
in open court following the oom
• pletion of its assigned work by the
grand jury, follows:
"We passed on all bills of in
dictment presented to us.
"We visited the office of the
Clerk of the Superior Court and
found it to be in excellent condi
tion, with all guardian accounts
filed.
"The Sheriff's Office and Tax
Collector’s Office were visited
and found to be in good condition
with all records up to date.
"We found the Register of
Deeds Office in excellent condi
I tion.
"We visited the office of the
Superintendent of Schools and
found it in excellent condition.
“We checked all Justice of the
Peace reports and found them all
filed with the Clerk of the Court
and fines submitted.
"We visited the County Jail and
found it to be clean and well kept.
There were 4 white males, 12 col
ored males, 1 colored female in
mates.
"We found upon our visit to the
Prison Camp everything in clean
and excellent condition.
"We visited the County Home
and found everything in very
good condition. We also found
that the recommendation made
concerning the raise in salary for
the Superintendent Mr. Bland had
been taken care of by the County
Commissioners.
"We visited the county schools,
both white and colored, and found
as a whole all of them were in
good condition except for a few
minor repairs that arc needed, and
Superintendent Manning assures
us that he is doing all within his
power to have these repairs made
as soon as possible.
"The State Highway Patrol gave
u;: a report of all the school busses
and informed us that all repairs
needed are now being made and
we are filing the detail report as
presented to us by Corporal Fear
ing with this report and making
it a part of our said report.”
Kelly Wilkins
Has Close Call
His head glazed by a bullet.
Kelly Wilkins, local colored man,
isn t certain if Simp Jenkins is a
poor shot or a good shot. How
ever, Wilkins is convinced that
Jenkins is a dangerous man to be
around.
Wilkins and his wife separated
about tago and she took
an apartment adjoining Jenkins
near Robersonville Wilkins went
to the old park between Roberson
ville and Parmele last Sunday,
purportedly to buy liquor, not
knowing at the time that his es
tranged wife was around. The
two met and a quarrel resulted*
Jenkins is alleged to have advised
them that he w’ouid settle the ar
gument without delay. Brandish
ing a pistol, Jenkins fired at Wil
kins, the latter declaring the bul
let fanned the front of his shirt.
The second bullet, according to
one report, glazed Wilkins's head.
A warrant, charging Jenkins
with an assault with a deadly
weapon, was procured by Wilkins
yesterday and a hearing is being
scheduled before Justice R. T.
Johnson here.