Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / Dec. 7, 1948, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BE OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT! FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ HI OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNT! FAMILIES TWICE EACH WE El VOLUME LI—NUMBER 97 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, December 7, 1018 ESTABLISHED 1899 Tragedy Hit Home In Griffins Last , Thursday-Mornin as? Funeral Service Held Fri day fur Fenner Hardi son, Jr., 11 Months Tragedy struck for the second time in this county within a few days wher Fenner Lesco Hardi son, Jr., eleven months old, was * choked to death in his crib at the home of his parents in Griffins Township last Thursday morning at 11:00 o'clock. It is not certain whether the little fellow died of a broken neck or was choked to death. He was pronounced dead when he was brought to the local hospital by his mother and Rev. W. B. Harrington, a neighbor. Placed in his crib about 9:30 * o’clock that morning, the little fellow was found sleeping sound ly when Mrs. Hardison went to the room during several intervals between 9:30 and 10:30 o’clock. About 11:00 o’clock she quit her work in the kitchen and went to the room again, finding the child with his head caught between the frame and the hinged lid of the crib. Apparently just a short time previously the child had awakened, raised up and pushed up the loose end of the lid, catch ing his head between the lid and the frame. If he had cried the mother and his grandmother, Mrs. Della Hardison, were too far away to have heard him. He was a large child for his age and an idol in the home. He was the son of Fenner and Fern Peel Hardison. Surviving besides his parents are two sis ters, Annie Jean and Betty Lou Hardison. Funeral services were conduct ed in the Piney Grove Baptist Church last Friday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock by the family pastor, Rev. W. B. Harrington, assisted bv Elder P. E. Getsinger. Inter ment was in the family plot in the Hardison Mill Cemetery. Another child, nine-teen month-old Roger Eugene Rober son, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Rob erson, was choked to death by a small piece of pecan meat the Sat urday before. Superior Court Quits Thursday Scheduled to sit for two weeks for the trial of civil cases only, the Martin County Superior Court folded its tent for the term last Thursday afternoon, scheduling those cases on the Friday calendar for trial during the regular term of the court next week. Proceedings not previously re ported in the special two-week term which actually was in action less than three days the first week and week, follow: In the case of Milton James against Willie D. Boston, the jury said that Boston was the owner of the steers, but that he wras to pay the plaintiff the remainder of the alleged contract purchase price plus interest from 1914. The case of Joseph Smallwood against George M. Stevenson was placed in the hands of a referee. lord tenant will b« heard hv Rcf r. oifrlrtWl . cree fc. b. Feel. A judgment in the sum of $94.24 -\vfi: aive.n-:?,be-plaintiff in tlie rase of W. M, Baker against ft. J. Brock. Attacks Car And Flees To Woods Defying the rules of the road, a loose mule, belonging to Clarence Williams, ran head on into the 1942 Studebaker car being driven by William G. Matthews of Rob ersonville on the Robersonville Gold Point Highway last Thurs day evening at 8:00 o’clock. His head badly cut, the an-mal fled to the woods and could not be found until the following morning. Pa trolman R. P. Narron, investigat ing the accident, said they looked for the animal three hours that night. Matthews was meeting an other car and could not turn out of the mule’s way. No one was hurt but $65 dam age was done to the car. Advance Plans For Sweet Potato Market In County Plans for rstafcUsfcvss a recog nized sweet potato market in Mar tin County were advanced an other step last Friday when mem bers of a special Farm Bureau Committee met and discussed the purchase of certain equipment and the introduction of certified seed. The action was taken sub ject to approval by a mass meet ing of farmers and other interest ed citizens to be held in the coun ty the latter part of December or early in January. It was pointed out that no huge amount of money would be need ed to establish a market, that pos sibly machinery necessary for grading and packing potatoes could be had for a nominal sum. M. M. Levin, a member of the committee and one of the best posted authorities on marketing in the country, . was asked tp in-’ vestigate machinery costs and other factors incident to establish ing the market. Mr. Levin plans a trip to the south shortly and while there he will make investi gations for the committee. The outlook for the sweet pota to market is improving and should continue to improve after the holiday season, and some market ing specialists are recommending to growers to be in no hurry to sell. Plans for the mass meeting will be announced later During the meantime farmers and others in terested in this section’s economy are invited to consider the effect a 22 percent reduction in peanuts will have along with curtailed to bacco acreage, and the potential value sweet potatoes will offer as a commercial crop. Complete Plans For Friendship Offering Food And Products Will Be Moved To Center This Week First Reports Very Kneour n<'in<:. But United Fffort Vitally Necessary Plans have been completed for filling a box car with food and farm products in this county for starving war victims overseas, Chairmen Jesse W. Sumner and Mayo Little said Sunday follow ing a meeting of the county com mittee in Robersonville Sunday afternoon. Plans have been made to store the food and farm products in the depot at Williamston, and sbmu of the solicitors are making ar rangements to start making deliv eries at once, the chairmen said. Handling the townships of Jamesville, Williams, Griffins, I Bear Grass and Williamston, Mr. Sumner said that his committees ! are complete and are working. In I several of these townships, the canvassers will tour designated roads, collect peanuts, corn, pe cans and other non-perishable farm food products, and carry them to a township center for de livery in larger trucks to the main depot in Williamston. The can vassers are being asked to keep a record of the gifts and the names of the donors, and turn them in when delivery is made to the main receiving center. With Mrs. W. C. Wynne and Sidney Beacham as chairmen in Bear Grass, the work there is pro gressing rapidly. Reports, from nearly every district in the coun ty are very encouraging, but unit ed effort and hard work will be necessary if Martin County is to rank along with seventy other counties in the State and be re presented by banners when the Friendship Train pulls into Nor folk. It was announced that T. L. Ro j berson, rmnn^Tiritiin, Lucian , fWfrTiffi. OefirithnWg*’ ers, Lucille Council, H. G. Harri son. L A Bullock. Mrs. Luther !Brown, E. C. j Harris.irr,'s. Cecil Lep’gcft Irvin Terry are busy in Bear Grass. Other Township chairmen have named assistants and there! have been quite a few volunteers 1 but the lists were not immedi- j ately available. Chairman Little announced yes-1 terday that most of his workers in Cross Roads, Robersonville, Pop-' lar Point, Hamilton and Goosej Nest were busy, that they wer canvassing their territory and get ting a list of gifts. Later in th week they will cover the terntor; and pick up the food and product for delivery directly to the Wil liamston center. Chairman May Hardison is being assisted in Pop lar Point by Mrs. Ben James and Mrs. LeRoy Taylor. In Hamilton, Chairman Nat W. Johnson is be ing aided in the initial work by J. B. Harrington, Melvin Crisp and Minton Beach. Jr. Up in Hassell, j (Continued on page eight) NEW JUDGE Presiding over his first ses sion of the Martin County Re corder’s Court Monday, Judge Chas. H. Manning handled a near-record number of cases, reports stating that he really "bore down” on ’em. Under $5000 Bond In Case Charging Him With Murder Father Plead* Not Guilty At Hearing Held Last Fri day Evening Dave Brooks, 75-year-old color led man of the Free Union section 1 of this county, was ordered held under bond in the sum of $5,000 ! by Justice R. T, Johnson at a pre liminary hearing held in the coun ty courthouse last Friday evening. 1 Charged with the fatal stabbing of his son, George Brooks, on the night of November 24. the old man a retired seaman, pleaded ruTTritV. Represented by At Tornev k. Li*Co8unT^he aceuserf offered no testimony and smiled at times when the sti»te’$_witncss es 'KeUTJtTfKlS^^Sc'i-cd testimony, ^mabie to arrange bond .the old. man was returned to jail to await trial in the superior court next! w'eek. , I Deputy Sheriff Murray Hollo- [ man took the stand first for the state, and recalled the conflicting, stories told by Brooks. The old man first claimed that two men brought the son home and threw him into the house. The father said that the "on went *o bed after pulling off part of hie lothes, that the son then staggered and fell dead. The accused declared that the son had crawled to the bed. Following Brooks’ arrest on November 29, a new story was of fered, the old man saying that he and the son had quarreled about food after they had drunk some liquor, that he (the father) got mad and rushed toward his son. Something was said about a par ing knife, but if the old man had (Continued on page eight) | County Officers Start New Term Monday Monffllg' | Clerk Of Court Swears In Commissioners ^fler A Formal Fashion Informal exercises, marking the end of a long period of service for two members of the Martin Coun ty Board of Commissioners, were packed with much feeling Mon day morning when Messrs. R. A. Haislip and Joshua L. Coltrain sat around the table for their last meeting and made a few im promptu statements as they turn ed over their chairs to their two young promising successors and retired from the commissioners’ room. Everything was in a hurry, but the last meeting of the old board, convened at 9:50 o’clock, moved along smoothly, the congenial family that had worked and "sweated” together for so long a time, paying minute attention to the reading of the minutes of the November meeting and inspecting the November bills contracted by the old group. No old business was brought up for discussion and Messrs. Coltrain and Haislip, re tiring of their own accord, with drew. Chairman John Henry Edwards told them that it had l>oen a pleas ure to work with both of them, that he knew the people of the county were grateful for their work. Pointing out that he had served as a member of the board twice as long as any other man, Mr. Col train said he had served to the best of his ability, that it was- good to know the people appreciated those efforts. ’’I'm going out with the feeling that I did the best I could. And while there were a few things I did I now regret, I guess it all worked out for the best,” Mr. Coltrain said. Conclud ing his timely and impressive re marks, the retiring official plead ed with the new members to work in harmony with the others .and urged the entire board to ! work in harmony with others in ■ the county, especially the board j of education, an agency which Mr. ; Coltrain and the old board had | supported as far as it was possi I ble for them to do so in behalf of , the county’s youth, i Declaring that it had been pleasant to work with the board ; members, Mr. Haislip, with a i cheery smile, said there is a great ! deal of satisfaction in knowing that he and Mr. Coltrain were turning their chairs over to "good hands." At 10:10 o’clock, Clerk of Court L. B. Wynne swore in the recent ly elected members, including John Henry Edwards of Wil Ijamston, W. M. Harrison of Bear Grass and C. Abram Roberson of ! Robersonville, the old me mb' and the two new members, John son and Martin. The board soon perfected its working organization. Commis sioner Edwards nominated Com missioner Roberson for chairman, but Commissioner Robeison, countering with the argument that Commissioner Edwards was more conveniently located, tossed the nomination back. Commis sioner Martin seconded the Ed nomination and election (Continued on page eight) Ftffee Are Hurt — In Car Accident Three persons were hurt, none believed very badly, when their car, a 1940 Chevrolet, went out of control and was ditched one-half mile west of Jamesvilie on If. S. 64 about 12:15 o’clock last Satur day morning. Driving toward Jamesvilie, Joshua Lawrence Williams ran off ! the right side of the road and the : ear went out of control, swerving I across the road two times before ' going into a ditch Patrolman Rowe said that when the front part of the car plowed into the diteh, the rear swung around, causing about $i00 damage to the machine Patrolman E. P, Sim mons assisted in the investigation Williams was accompanied by Ernie Claude Mobley and Melvin Ray O'Neal, each of them suffer ing bruises and shock. Uniform Increase Substituted ■For Revaluation of Real Estate To Increase Real Estate Values 10 Percent For 1949 Comity ('ouiuii»Kiom*r* In Spssiou Monday Handling Ditlirs ~ i Martin County s two new com missioners, Messrs. C. C Martin and Henry S. Johnson, were initi-1 ated in the way of local govern ment Monday when the board re mained in session until dark, re- 1 reiving delegations, handling per plexing problems and disposing of routine matters. 1 More than two hours were spent ’ discussing the advisability of ord- : ering a revaluation of all real es tate in the county for taxation. Municipal governments bad point-1 ed out that rising costs were pressing heavily, that unless there i were increased values tax rates, would have to be upped. After discussing the problem from every angle, the board voted against a revaluation but ordered a horizontal increase of ten per cent on all real properties for 1949 taxation purposes. In taking the action, the board reasoned that it I would make possible some relief for automobile owners. It was also pointed out that a goodly portion of the current peanut crop would . still be in the hands of the farm-1 ers and not subject to taxation Under the new provision, a piece j of real estate valued at $1,000 this year will be placed on the books at $1,100 in 1949. Reappointed tax supervisor, M. L. Peel was instructed to proceed on that basis. The supervisor is to name his township list-takers soon and they will meet later irf the morjth for their instructions Following the rush, marked by the change from an old to a new year for county personnel, the j board heard Martin County Re presentative A. Corey discuss a few legislative problems. Mr. Corey asked that he be instructed as to the wishes of the board and : the people of the county as to de sired legislation in the next Gen- ! eral Assembly. He briefly touch ed on proposed changes in the hog j vaccination law, the ABC system,; pay for jurors and commissioners. No suggestions were definitely advanced, but the county asked that a law be passer empowering the board to revalue real proper ties either in 1950, 1951 or 1952. 1 J. Sam Getsinger, register of deeds-elect, subscribed to the oath i of office before Chairman J. H. j Edwards, and entered upon a new four-year term. Treasurer-elect, R. ii. Smith subscribed" oath of office that afternoon. Bonds of the various officers were inspected and approved, and departmental reports were studi ed. Road delegations were received from several sections of the coun ty, but before theyJ had hardly reached home, the board was ad- j vised by the State Highway and | Public Works Commission that] previous requests for roads j .-lf - I,, t,-, i-g A Robeisonville delegation ask ed that the road running off 903 at George Ward’s 1 east to Old Everett (Continued on page eight) NEW COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS Messrs. Henry S. Johnson of Hamilton and C. C. (Frosty) Mar tin of Jamesville, two of Martin County’s promising young men, entered upon their duties as members of the County Board of Commissioners Monday, succeeding Messrs. R. A. Haislip and Joshua L. Coltrain. Herbert Benjamin Dies In Hospital Here Late Sunday Funeral Service Is Bein'* Held In Presbyterian Plum'll Today at .'i ♦Herbert Cleveland Benjamin, retired postal employee and a resident of Wdliamston for a number of years, died in the local hospital at 11:110 o’clock Sunday night after a long period of de clining health. In recent months he had received treatment in vari ous hospitals and was getting along very well until about three weeks ago when his condition be came serious and he entered the hospital here. Mr. Benjamin was born in Whitehall, New York, 75 years ago on December 3, 1873, and spent his early life there, marry ing in early manhood, Miss Ger trude Elizabeth Murray in 1895. He was a son of the late Julio Buell Benjamin and wife, Alice Grant Benjamin. He was an en gineer as a young man, and then entered government service, lo cating in Lake Village, Arkansas, where the family made its home until about three and one-half | years ago when he and Mrs. Ben jamin came here to make their [home with a daughter, Mrs. Jesse Whitley. During his stay here he made many friends ant|greatlv enjoyed -fishing and getting out of doors. Despite declining health, he re mained cheerful until the end. He was a member of the Pres byterian Church here and his pas tor, Rev James I. Lowry, assisted j by Rev. E. R. Shuller, Rev. John ! Hardy and Rev. Stewart B. J Simms, conducted the funeral [service there this afternoon at 3:00 o’clock. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery. .Surviving are Mrs. Pc. Vum. a i>a*Mtk flMiMfc ■W’/u'fJi*f* both of Williamston; two grand sons, fjerbert and John Whitley, o* "WiHTaiiL-itW, \ t’j^ nod -eSwsghtci s, Eleanor Persons of Greenwood, Mass., and Elizabeth Whitley of Williamston; and two great-grandsons, Herbert, Jr., and David Whitley. f ROANOKKFLOOD | ^-_} Fed by heavy rains throughout the basin in re cent days, the Roanoke River reached 12.4 feet—2.4 feet in ' flood—at noon yesterday, a report stating that it had dropped onc-tcnth of an inch but apparently was on a stand shortly before noon today. A second rise is predicted, I one report stating that it is { likely to reach fifteen feet at ■ this point next Monday. Since the first prediction fell short by more than one and one half feet, it is anticipated by some that the second rise will ( fall a little short ' HOLIDAY CHANGE J A change in the holiday schedule for ail Martin Coun ty schools was ordered hy the hoard of education in session Monday. Instead of closing an the ITCH and reopening on the 30th of this month, the schools will close for Christ mas at noon on Wednesday, the 32nd, and reopen on Janu ary 3. The change was order ed to make it possible for the schools to complete 2 full fourth month before Christ mas. The board purchased 5 1-4 acres of Stevrnson land in Roberson villr for a play ground and athletic field, paying $10,000 for the proper ty, including a tenant h6U.se. Young Man Found Dead In Bed At Home Yesterday funeral This Afternoon for Robert Clayton Price In (Irons Ronds Robert Clayton Prire, 35,' Was found dead in bed at his rooming house here on Warren Street yes terday morning at 7:30 o’clock ' when a member of the family went to the room to change the i bed linens. He U* believed to have died about ' "o’clock Sunday night, the apparent victim of a i heart attack. After working much I of the day, he went to his room j about 6:00 o’clock that evening | and went to bed. He was heard I snoring p short time later and was I apparently in his usual health. The son of Hen and Marrde White Price, he was born in Bear Grass Township in November, | 1913, nad spent his early life on the farm then and attended i seventeen years of age, he moved j to Danville, Virginia, marrying Ti^^J hompson and m.ftWfc he ; Immed » ^e entered the | Navy in 1944. He served in the Pacific Theater and was discharg j ed in early 1946, locating in Wil liamston where he had since been associated with his brother, j Ophelia, in the operation of a fill ing station on Washington Street Surviving are two children, Nancy and Bobby Price, of Dan ville; his mother, Mrs. H. P. Wob bleton; two brothers, Opheus Price of Williamston, and Dallas Price of Danville; half-brother, Virgil Wobbleton of Cross Roads; and a half-sister, Mrs. Calvin Broomfield of Danville. Funeral services will be con ducted at the home of his mother Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 o’eloek by Elder A. B. Ayers and Rev. W. B. Harrington. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery here. His death was the second trace able to heart trouble among com paratively young men of the town in rf?(‘(*nt Slightly Hurt In Truck Accident Willie James Melton, log truck driver, suffered slight chest in juries, when the machine he was driving went out of control and turned over near here on U. S. 64 last Thursday afternoon short ly after 5:00 o’clock. The truck, loaded with logs, ran off the right side of the road and then swerved to the left and went out of control. The trailer jack knifed and turned over, the load of logs falling on and damaging the truck about $800 according to i estimates furnished bv Patrolmen j J. T. Rowe and E. P. Simmons who made the investigation. The truck was owned by Wil- J 1 tame*on l-t-robcr Company. Bernice Roberson Funeral Thursday In County (Ihureh Young Man Ma«l»* Supreme Sacrifice Fn Drive On TFonie In May, 1944 Funeral services will be con ducted in the Bear Grass Primi tive Baptist Church Thursday af ternoon at 3:00 o’clock for Pfc". Bernice L Rogerson, young coun i ty man who made the supreme sacrifice for his country in Italy on May 26, 1944. The pastor. Eld er A. B. Ayers, assisted by Elder Elmer Stevenson and Rev. W. B. Harrington, will conducted the service. Interment will be in Wil j liamston's Woodlawn Cemetery where a detail from Roberson ville's Murray Cargile American | Legion Post will be in charge of I the military rites. The young man’s body, accom panied by military escort, will be , delivered to the Biggs Funeral | Home in Williamston Wednesday i where it will lie in state until j shortly before 2:00 o’clock Wed : nesday afternoon when it will be carried to the church in Bear Grass. The young man, leaving the Bear Grass High School, entered the service on August 19, 1943, and received his basic training at l Ft. McClelland, Alabama. He | went overseas in January, 1944, ' and was killed less than four i months later when the American | forces broKe out of the Anzio Beachhead and started the big ' push toward Rome. It was said that when the push was launched so many guns were fired that weather conditions were affected and that rain fell for duration of the thirty-minute attack and While the sun was shining bright ly. The young man was a mem ber of Company B, 15th Infantry, Third Division of the Fifth Army. The division in the course of five months lost approximately 10, :000 men, including young Roger* son's neighbor and playmate, Asa j J. Taylor, who also made the su preme sacrifice during the drive i on Rome. Pfc. Rogerson, a son of C. Gil | bert and Ethel Mizellc Rogerson, was horn in Bear Grass on March i 25, 1923, and spent most of his life on the farm there. Surviving besides his parents. are six sisters, Mrs. J. A. Lilley 1 and Mrs. Elbert Griffin of Wil liamston, Mrs. D. E. Whitehurst of Norfolk, and Misses Grace, Janie and Louvenie Rogerson of the home; four brothers, Mack G. Rogerson of Bethel, Samuel M. Rogerson of Williamston and Car roll G. and John P. Rogerson, both of the home. His body is the twentith of a Martin County young man to have been returned home for i burial in native KOI I. ; Auto Turns Over Near Here Sunday I One person was slightly bruised i and shocked, but three others es caped without a scratch when i their ear, a 1947 Oldsmobile, turn j t'd over on U S. Highway, two miles south of here Sunday short i i.V bcloui noon. - SaiTclicrT ;imin 7p a m e a""by - his wife and two children, was | driving north on the road when a- ■ m'Svr-v d off the ^ !ix ». at-ffl irrrr? I She screamed and Sandler looked i hack to see what was the matter. During the meantime the car ran ! or|to the left shoulder of the road. He applied brakes and the car skidded to the right side and turn ed over, stopping right side up. The Sandler baby, occupying a baby scat in the front, made the flip without moving from the spe cial seat. Mrs. Sandler suffered slight bruises and shock. Patrolman B. W. Parker inves tigated the accident and estimat ed the car damage at $250. The Sandlers, their car battered and bent, were able to continue in it toward their home in Brooklyn, IMPROVING Suffering with a heart condition for four weeks, Mr. Exum Wafd, Sr.,mayor of West End without 1 portfolio, is improving right i at his home there, it was late yesterday.
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
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Dec. 7, 1948, edition 1
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