North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEH THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B1 OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT! FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEH VOLUME LI—NUMBER 100 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, December 16, 1918 fcSTABLISHED 1895 Father Found Guilty ■ 0X4-1 is Son’s Murder Dave Brooks Gets > Three-Five Years In State’s Prison FI«*a To Save 75-Year-Ohl Mftn Fram Term In The Prison Fails Dave Brooks, 75-year-old color ed man who fatal,!y stabbed his son, Oeorge Brooks, 28, to death iti their humble home in the Piney Woods section of Jamesville Township following a drunken * quarrel the night before Thanks giving. was sentenced to serve not j less than three and net more than five years in State's Prison by Judge Walter ,1. Bone in the Mar tin County Superior Court here I yesterday afternoon. A plea by the defense attorney, R. L. Coburn, to save the old man from prison was rejected, and the defendant received the verdict and heard the sentence a bit stoic ally. Solicitor George Fountain an- ! nounced at the beginning of the trial that the State would not ask for a verdict of murder in the first degree bpt would work for a verdict of murder in the second degree or manslaughter. The last of the defense evidence was offered shortly before noon, . and. the. jury, taking the case at 12:45 o’clock deliberated only a few minutes following the recess for lunch before returning a ver dict charging the aged man with manslaughter. Not too much trouble was ex perienced in selecting a jury, and the first evidence was offered by the State at 3:30 Tuesday after noon. Iona James, the first witness, said that Dave Brooks went to her home about 9:30 o’clock on the evening of November 24, a short time after thp son was stabbed. "Somebody has stabbed George arid ’heTl be dead In a few min utes,” the witness quoted the 75 year-old father as saying. She said that she had heard the father threaten his son’s life, but gave no reason for making the threats, the witness adding that she had heard him make threats several times in the course of a year or more. The witness also said that Dave was drinking when he went to his home about 11 or 11:30 o’clock that night, that the old man called out and said, "It’s sad news in hell tonight.” The old man said that two men went home with George and followed him in to the bed room. According the story told by Dave and as related by the witness, George told the men '‘not to do that," and then grunted, Whitehurst said he re fused the old man admittance, that Brooks then asked him to ac company him home. Naomi James, the next witness for the State, said she saw George that afternoon, that he left her home about $:1<> -o'-eleeis, -shat -he was not drinking at that time. The father came to her home about midnight. He was drunk but (Continued on page five) rRE-iNDuemN i i j v Although the prospects point to a marked reduction in the size of draft calls, Mar tin County's draft board is be ing directed to send .rtore men to pre-induction centers, Miss j Mildred Everett, board clerk, said this week. Three men are to report for pre-induction on the 29th of this month, and fifteen men are to report on the 30th. They are to report to the army at Fayetteville. So far only four county uieu have passed the pre-in duction tests, two out of elev en examined in Durham on October 13, and two out of sixteen examined on Novem ber 18. Only one has been taken into the army, and there’s only one in the power pool now, the other two hav ing married since they were examined. SCHEDULE r N J Following a custom of long standing, The Enterprise plans to alter its publication schedule tor next weej^. and j the week after Christtaas to squeeze in the only holiday of the year for the entire force. The first edition next week will go to press early Monday n/orning, followed by a second edition the following slay. Operations in the plant w ill be suspended Wednesday until the following week. The publishers are asking ministers and others to sub mit religious notices and Christmas program announce ments by Saturday of this week and earlier if possible. Grand Jury Files A Routine Report In Superior Court Body Handle* Work In Sin gle Day and Take* He re** Until March With one of its members absent, the Martin County Grand Jury completed its work in a single day and recessed last Monday until March after filing the following routine report in superior court over the signature of Foreman Jessup Harrison: We have passed on all bills of indictment presented to us. We visited the Clerk of Court office and found it to be in ex cellent condition with all Guard ian Accounts filed. We found the Register of Deeds office in excellent shape and all bonds in order. ; The Sheriff's office and Tax I Collector’s office were visited and found in good condition with all 1 records up to date. We visited the office of the Superintendent of Schools and found it in excellent condition. We checked all Justice of Peace i reports and found them all filed with the Clerk of the Court and fines submitted to the Treasurer. We visited the county jail and found it clean and well kept. 1 We visited the County Home ! and found it in good condition. The State Highway Patrol gave j us a report of all the school buss i es and informed us that all re pairs needed are now being made I as fast as possible. Arrange Special Carols Program A special concert of Christmas Carols has been arranged by Rev. Stewart B. Simms, pastor of the Memorial Baptist Church, to be played over the Church's amplify ing December 19 at 5:00 p. m This special pro I gram has been arranged in re sponse to a number of requests in. tow some living outside of the town, i who live at such distance as to make it impossible for them to hear the music at the regular : hours. This special program, which will be of a little greater : length than usual, will enable them to drive into Williainston | and hear these carols ot Christ | mas. The chimes are being played every evening at 6:00 p. m. throughout this week and next, and on Sunday morning at 9:00 a. Former Resident Reports On Hot Springs Retreat Writing to his old friend, War ren H. Biggs, a few days ago, 1 Judge ,Clayton. Moore, . WuHarns- j I ton native who is now associated I with the R. J Reynolds legal de partment in Winston-Salem, re ported on the retreat, as follows: “Came here—for Change and ! Rest. Took the baths— they took the change; the hotels—they took the rest ” Mr. Moore ended, best wishes, greetings and HERE IS A GENERAL VIEW in North Hall of the Smithsonian Institution In Washington, as last minute prepa rations were being made for the official acceptance ceremonies on the Wright.Brothers “Kitty Hawk” airplane (foreground). It marks the forty-fifth anniversary of the plane's flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. In the background is Lindbergh’s ‘‘Spirit of St. Louis." Through the arch may be seen the plaster casting of the statue of Freedom which tops the United State* Capitol Building. (International Soundphoto) All-Out Drive To Harvest Peanut Crop In the County With fairly favorable weather I prevailing, fanners in this county | went all out during the past fe<v | 'days in trying to harvest the pea-1 i nut crop, a task already delayed j I by about six weeks. All kinds of stories telling about j 1 the desperate efforts to harvest the crop, have been heard. A few j pickers went back into operation; last Saturday, but the move was almost futile, reports stating that the goobers were too wet to rate! the regular market and command- j : ed a low price when offered for j sale. Then there were reports, ; sta-ti-ng- that - a few pickers were 1 operated last Sunday, several in , adjoining counties, and possibly' j one or two in the lower part of this county. | Night operations were main tained on several farms, the bright moon shining ch wn on the farm ers’ noble efforts to overcome one of the most adverse harvest seas ons evei experienced by peanut farmers in this county. Then there was the farmer who picked about fifteen bags and de cided to delay the harvest when he found that the goobers were weighing nearly 200 pounds to the bag. Those farmers who stacked the crop properly in the fall were able to pick dry peanuts suitable for the market at top prices The market is still holding firm but only when the peanuts offered are ~d sy - and ■ in—-e-oii-ditu>s,, Despite the promise of more bad weather, farmers declare that the crop lias not been ruined, that where the peanuts were properly stacked, the damage is almost ne gligible. Drove Of Turkevs Thinned By Thief Operating under the cover of darkness sometime during last Monday night, thieves snatched twenty nice turkeys from their roost on Farmer Dewey Edmond son's farm near Hassell. Mr. Ed mondson did not discover tfje loss until he went to feed the birds the next afternoon. The turkeys : i were roosting in an old persim- j mon tree about 150 yards across' | the road from the house. ! Investigating the theft, officers found where the thieves had sack ed the birds and dragged them ' ;irl'oss the field.*-, a . , j Twenty turkeys were left. In addition to the theft of twen ty turkeys, the thieves raided Fur •nH^1- V .AYi"!ok'e>w>ii«p ! and carried away five choice hams , and six shoulders. Baptist Choir To Present 1 Special Christmas ServTce The choir of the Memorial Bap tist Church will present a special Christmas program this coming Sunday evening at 7:30 p. m. The entire evening worship service will be devoted to the presenta tion of the music which will in clude a number of the familiar Christmas carols and will feature Christmas anthems from several other nations. The group is under the direction of Miss Ida Privette, and will be accompanied at the organ by Mrs. J. M. Ward and at the piano by Mdc. Wheeler. Mart in. The choir is to be commended, said the pastor, Rev Stewart B Simms, for having undertaken to present an unusually fine and \ different type of program. Another feature of the service will be a Nativity scene which will be arranged by the members of the Business Woman's Circle of Improving In Hospital; Expected Home Shortly Showing much improvement in recent days following weeks of treatment in a Rocky Mount hos pital, Mr. G. H. Harrison is “bet ting on” returning home shortly, he told friends who visited him yesterday. Dr. Coltrane To Address Ki wan is Dr. Eugene J. Coltrane, gover nor of the Carolines District of Kiwanis International, will ad dress the regular meeting of the local Kiwanis Club in the Wo man’s Club hall here this evening at 7:00 o’clock, Club President EugeneJKinvhavl- Ymew**■ Dr. Coltrane is president of Brevard College, having served the insti tution in that capacity since it was founded in 1934. Prior to that ' nil'll: IiWa!i pi ’ ",, 1 ( til/un oke Rapids Schools. A program of musical enter tainment has been planned for the meeting this evening by Kiwanian N. C. Green. The meeting is the last scheduled for the calendar year and the officers ate expect ing a large attendance. Motor Fire At Local Laundry Very little damage resulted when an electric motor caught fire, .it the laundry... on . Warren Street here Tuesday morning at 11 25 o’clock. A general alarm was sounded but workers at the plant brought the fire under control just before the town’s fire-fighting equipment was carried to the scene. The call was one of very few handled by the fire department } rS ' J-l*' V. -: cii • - >- .' Few Cases Heard In Local Court Justice of the Peace I!. T John son handled ten cases in his court ! during the past few days. Charged with public drunken ness, Thomas W. Stanley was tax ied with $6.65 costs. Henry Lee Parker, charged with seduction, was bound over to the superior court under bond in the sum of $200. Charged with hunting without a license, Sutton Bazemore was fined $10 and required to pay $5.85 costs. Thomas Joyner was taxed with $5.85 costs for disorderly conduct. Noah F. Cotanch, publicly 'drunk, was fined $5 plus'" $T8o“ costs. James J Neal, Herman Stancill and William E. Buffalo, drunk, were each taxed with $5.85 costs. J W. Bryant was fined $10 and taxed with $5.85 costs for hunt ing without a license. Charged with public drunken ness, Alton H. Smith was fined $10 and taxed with $5.85 costs. —o— Native Of County Dies In Enfield I Dr. W. L. Fleming, a native of this county, died at his home in Enfield late last Sunday night. Funeral .services were conducted Tuesday afternoon and burial was in the Enfield Cemetery. Dr. Fleming was born near Has 1 sell H.'i years ago, the son of the late W. Alphonsa anti Elizabeth Best Fleming. Completing his medical rouses, he located in En to ld lor < oi medicine. Surviving are his widow, the former Miss Edith Duke; one ..cj.aijjib.tci Lavi me; three ...'j.o.. ,Lr’.. Hu.y, 'SAAvafci FTTming, ill! of the home; three sisters, Mrs. D, A. Hunt, Mrs. Myra Mann and Miss Selma Fleming, all of En . . ...i_'. .* and W. A. Fleming of Hassell, and ('. H. Fleming of Raleigh Hamilton Plans Community Tree On December 20 there will be u 'Community Christmas tree and program given at the Hamilton School building at 7:00 p. m. Hamilton Baptist, Methodist 'and Episcopal Sunday schools co operating, are completing ar rangements. The program will • l)e.!'. in ...at .7-flO.p. m Attcx the: pro gram given by the churches, Rev. jC. W. Bazemore, Assoeiational Missionary of Scotland Neck, will show the pictures of Christ from birth right through the crucifix i ion. It is free. Also treats and gifts will be distributed to the pupils as well us gifts from friend I to friend. The rs-Yiv.-vt-erf':: '•*"-* —; I CaitfTWk Term Here Today m Several Divorces Granted And Few Civil Cases Are Handled Convened last Monday for the trial of both criminal and civil cases, the Martin County Superior j Court with Judge Walter J. Bone ! of Nashville presiding, was mov- ! ing momentarily today toward ad- t jour^ment? At 9:30.this morning,! the court called the case of Ar-! thar Williams against Victoria] Hassell, the phfintiff claiming ownership of a farm in Hamilton Township. The trial of the criminal docket was completed Wednesday after noon when Dave Brooks was found guilty and sentenced to prison for killing his sort, and Sol icitor George Fountain announc ed that the rape case against Clar ence Earl Stevenson would be continued until the March term. Charged with larceny, Junie Wynne was sentenced to prison for not less than two and not more than three years. After studying the case, Judge Bone said in open court that while the crime was a serious one, the facts would indi cate that the punishment was too severe, and he sentenced the de fendant to prison for twelve months. Charlie Paige, charged with is j suing a worthless check, was [ found not guilty. Harvey Lee Parker, pleading : guilty of seduction under the pro mise of marriage, was sentenced to prison foi not less than two and not more than three years. The prospects for a reconciliation by the marriage route were abandon ed when the prosecuting witness was said to have withdrawn. Dr. Wm. F. Coppage, going into the court on a speeding charge, was found guilty and fined $50 and taxi'd with the costs. The jury recommended that his driver’s li cense not be revoked. Charged with failing to comply with a judgment of the court, Fred Lawton was held in con tempt and called ’to"answer fori J not paving $30 a month for the support of his daughter. The court ! directed him to pay $30 within ten , days and $30 a month thereafter, j With the criminal docket out of the way, the court called several I divorce at ions, and later started the trial of a few civil cases. In the divorce action brought by Bettie Mac Council against Wm. J Council, the plaintiff al leged adultery and the claim was recognized by the jury, giving the plaintiff an absolute divorce. In the case of H. C. Norville, Jr., against Dola Lowe Norville, the plaintiff was given a divorce on the grounds of two years of sep aration. It was stated in the complaint that the two were mar ried in Hertford County on Oc tober 6, 1946, and that they sep arated twenty days later on Oc tober 26, 1946. In her action for divorce from Larry T. Ruffin, the plaintiff, Lil j lie B. Ruffin, stated that they | were n<urnea in July, 1945, j separated in June, 1942. A mistrial was ordered in the divorce ca.,e brought by Ji^lia 'Golf Pui vis against Marshall Pur ! vis, the court explaining that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to support the claim that diligent '/'arch ..had .been papers on the defendant. It was explained that the defendant, : charged with impersonating an | OPA officer, had been in the fed I era! courts but it was admitted (Continued on page eight) IVIinor Lar Wreck On County Road About $100 damage resulted but no one was hurt when the cars of Jos. L. Godard and Alexander Manning crashed on the Griffins Township road rear the Howard Goltrain home yesterday morning at 9:10 o’clock. 1 Godard, driving a 1931 Ford, started to make a left turn just as Manning, driving a 1941 Ford, started to pass. Fenders were battered and bent on both cars. Godard accepted the damages, Patrolman M F. Powers making Q o’’Vo.1 .y JSSCj’ifliT* ' ---- Hamilton Offers | Several Tons Of Food This Week Deliveries To Start From The Several Community : food and farm produce already on ; hand and with the community I centers in the several townships | starting deliveries today, a group 'of volunteers will start here this | evening on the task of sorting and i packing the produce for the j Friendship Train If the morhe'n I turn of the program is maintained in all the townships in proportion , to that reported in those districts where the canvass has been com ! pleted, a bulging car of food will move out of the county early next week to the port at Norfolk for shipment to the hungry in war torn countries. With almost half a carload of The movement is assured of success and the problem now is the handling of the excess. Vol unteers have offered to haul the excess free to the port, but final arrangements will have to wait until all the produce is delivered to the main center here. Hamilton yesterday delivered severa1 tons of food and farm pro duce contributed by about thirty citizens there; “and we'll likely have ..some more,” Chairman Craven Roebuck said. Among the early contributors there were Harper Peel, Mac Lewis. Spencer Raynod, P. E. Manning, Henry Early, E. V. Smith. E. T. Smith, J. E. Copeland and sons, Tom Wins low, J. 11. Harrell, G. N. Boyd, Geo. T. Ward, R J, Sydenstrieker, Roy Beach, Slade-Rhodes Co., B. B. Taylor, J. H Lillard, Charlie Bullock, T E. Respass, Herman Everett, W. E. Roberson, Dewey Stalls, N. C. House, W. J. Beach, H. S Johnson, C. B. Roebuck, Bert Scott, Roscoe Downs and Alton White... ... *".. Chairman Jesse Sumner for the lower five townships said this morning that all deliveries in his district would be in today and to morrow. Chairman Mayo Little, reporting for the other five town ships in the county, said this morning that Oak City is deliver ing a good amount, that the col lection is about complete in lias sell, that a big truck is moving in from Cross Roads and that Rob ersonville has a large quantity to be moved late today or tomor row. Volunteers have a big job ahead in sorting and packing the pro duce, but they hope to complete it tonight and tomorrow night. The car, while it will be loaded over the week-end, is scheduled to move out of the county next Tues day. A special service led by vari ous ministers will be held at the ear Tuesday morning at 9:00 o'clock when the food and farm produce will be dedicated to the 1 chef -of-trr-ypifflw;?■1 and others facing starvation in war torn countries across the seas. the brief dedication service next Tuesday morning. HOLIDAY j Williamston merchants and other business houses and plants will observe Monday, December 27, as a holiday, making possible a three day respite from work for cierks and other employees The day is being observed as a general holiday b.^ most towns and cities in tne State and nation. g The post office will be open and mail deliveries will be effected, but county and town offices will close along with the business houses and there’ll be no county court that day. Bear Grass Club To Assist Needy Folks In County —•— Collecting Toys, Gifts and Money for Less Fortunate Families In County The Bear Grass Chapter of Ra ritan National has organized a group to assist some of the needy families of Martin County and to attempt to bring some joy and happiness at Christmas. The Ruritans will eolleet food, clothing, toys, money, and other ' gifts suitable for these deserving and needy families. They also in vite all other interested citizens of Martin County to have a part in this undertaking. The gifts will be collected and left at Rog ers Supply Company in Bear Grass, and then on Christmas Eve they will be divided and present ed to the families according to their needs. A committee representing the Bear Grass Club visited some families during the week, in ord er ..An d,e.ter,!.».ipo._ .which, were , yi!.. most need and which were most deserving of help. These fami lies are perhaps typical of many others in Martin County and are the ones the Ruritans will assist. Perhaps the most touching and worthy family was one of six members. Three of the six are helpless invalids, unable to raise a hand to help themselves. There is a father who is sick in the bed and has been in bed for about two years. He told the members of the committee that he “was just waiting to die.” He has been in poor health for about six years and has spent everything he had on hospital and doctor bills for himself and his two children. Then, there is a son and daugh ter confined to wheel chairs by some ailment which doctors have been unable to help at r”. The son is 21 years old and has been con fined to his chair for three years. I’he daughter is 2.1> years old and has been confined to her chair for Th(w two ar<* nw*. help tncniselves and' should be attended at all times. There is another son, 34 years 7>1 v,", ,uid"*ti i(^rev~ r— port this family. He is a painter I and, in the words of some friends of the family, “works day and . night whenever possible to try to up enough to keep the 1am ily in food.” The mother has to tend to the three individuals and do all the cooking and washing, and in addi tion she gets out and trys to earn money for food and doctor bills. At the time the committee visit ed this family the mother had gone over to a neighbors house to wash clothes. The son was away working and the three invalids were alone in the house, unable (Continued on page eight) Present Cantata In Local Church The combined choirs of the Methodist and Christian churches will present the Christmas can tata, "The Birth of Christ”, in the local Christian church Sunday! evening at 7:30 o’clock. The pub- I JUcJ£ i I’j o fiiT'' ~ ■; THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . A close race as still being maintained in the motor ve hicle wrecking business this year as compared with the re cord last year. Through the fiftieth week, 1948 held an ad vantage or disadvantage of a lone wr.eek, but the number ber of injured and the damage estimates are much greater this year. The following tabulations offer a comparison, of the ac cident trend- first, by corres ponding weeks in this year and last and for each year to the present time. 50th Week Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam’ff* 1948 1 0 0 $ 35a 1947 400 930 Comparisons To Date H>48 136 78 2 $32,936 .< M