North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BE OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME LII—NUMBER 67 Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, August 25, 1949 ESTABLISHED 1899 Dividend August 29 Application Forms Now At Red Cross Office in City Hall Estimated 2,(K)0 Vets in the County Will Get Quarter Million Dollars -* Assisted by volunteer workers. Martin County Service Officer Edgar Gurganus and Mrs. Edna L. Bondurant of the Martin Coun ty Red Cross Chapter next Mon day on the third floor of Wil liamston’s town hall start receiv ing veterans’ claims ffo National Service Life Insurance dividends or refunds, Officer GtA-ganus an nounced today. f The claims will bd prepared without cost to the veteran and require comparatively little infor mation. The veteran will be ask ed to: 1. Give his name, including middle initial, if any; 2. Mailing address; 3. County in which he lives; 4. Enlisted man or officer; 5. Branch of service he was in; 6. Date of birth, day, month and year; 7. Serial number and insurance policy number. It is necessary that the veteran give his right serial number, and if the insurance policy number is listed on the application, the claim can be speeded up. In addition to the application for the special dividend, the coun ty veterans’ service officer is ask ing all veterans to fill in a veter ans' service survey form. Mr. Gurganus explained that quite a few veterans in this county who are not now receiving benefits are entitled to them, that a complete survey will establish their rights, offer a valuable record for future use, especially in emergencies. The veterans’ officer added that the survey, in the long run, could prove more profitable than the insurance refund. “The import ance of the service survey cannot be stressed too much, and it is very simple to prepare,” Mr. Gur ganus said, adding that he hoped every veteran in this county would call by the service officer’s headquarters on the third floor of Williamston’s town hall, get a form and prepare it along with his insurance claim. It was announced that insur ance claim forms would be avail able at post offices and veterans’ organizations. Up until today no forms had been received except by the veterans’ service officer and the Red Cross, and the num ber received by them was limited. Approximately 1,000 forms are now on hand, but no applications arc to be received before next Monday, it was explained. The office will be opened Mon day morning at 9:30 o’clock to help the veterans prepare their insurance dividend claims and fill in the service survey form. The office will be open until about 5.00 o’clock TTOoiir 'Veterans nave at least three months to file their claims, but Officer Gurganus thinks a majority of the claims will have been filed and in the mails with in a week or ten days. It is estimated that the approxi mately 2,000 World War II veter ans in this county will receive close to a quarter million dollars. Relatives of deceased service (Continued on page eight) -o- - Releaaed From County Jail Here Thi» Week Charles DeAngelis, Cherry Point marine who was booked early Sunday on a careless and reckless driving charge, was re leased from the county jail here Tuesday afternoon when his fath er, Joseph DeAngelis, came down from Baltimore and arranged bond. The young man wrecked his father’s 1947 Cadillac between here and Jamesville last Sunday morning, injuring himself pain fully but apparently not serious ! BUS SERVICE v A new bus schedule for the town and territory just out side the town limits is tenta tively slated to go into effect tomorrow, the owner, John S. Gurganus, announced this morning. A one- or two-day delay is -possible, however, Mr. Gurganus explaining that an inspector has to approve the equipment first. Planning an hourly service from 6:30 a. m. until 9:30 p. m., the operator will run the bus to points on North Haughton Street, the river, Sunny Side Inn and Hardy’s station in West End. Tobacco Sales To Pass Two Million Pounds this Week -<$> — Price Average Trailing Last Year’s Figure By About $7 Hundred Pounds -<*>-, With just a medium size pound age, the local tobacco market will have passed the two-million pound mark tomorrow, a review of the sales by Sales Supervisor J. Edward Corey shows. Through yesterday the market had sold right at 1,378,216 pounds. It is estimated that the sales today will add another 300,000 pounds or more to the total, leaving the mar ket less than 300,000 pounds to go to reach the two-million mark to morrow. After starting off last Friday with an average of more than $48.00 per hundred, the market has leveled off to a figure in the middle forties. The average price for the first four days’ sales com bined was $44.75. After going down to $42.44 last Tuesday, the price ranged upward yesterday and apparently is still stronger today. A study of the price structure shows that the better quality grades are bringing just as much and possibly a little more than they did on opening day. Possibly there is a little variation in the prices for some of the other grades, but, as a whole, prices are holding up. The appearance of right many tips and inferior qual ity grades has had a tendency to weaken the over-all price aver age. While farmers recognize the quality angle, they are a bit dis turbed because the over-all price average is trailing that of a year ago by about $7 per hundred. That the farmers are marketing the current crop as rapidly as possible is seen in a sales compari son for the first five days of the 1948 and the first five days this season. Including today’s sales, the market this year has sold about three-quarters of a million pounds more than it did in the first five days last year. Strange as it may seem, a few farmers (Continued on page eight) Askew Funeral Held in Windsor —»— Funeral services were held in Windsor yesterday afternoon at 3:00 o’clock for Richard Watson Askew, 71, who died in a Green ville hospital Tuesday noon. Rev. John W. Hardy, former Williams ton minister conducted the ser vice in Windsor’s St. Thomas Episcopal Church and burial was in the cemetery there. Mr. Askew was prominent in the affairs of Bertie County for many years. Surviving are his widow, the former Miss Amanda Nowell; four daughters, Mrs. A. N. Green, Charlotte; Mrs. W. W. Fleetwood, Washington, D. C.; Mrs. Henry Manning, formerly of Williamston and now of Windsor; and Miss Mary Webb Askew of Windsor; a sister, Mrs. John W. Cooper, and a brother, A. S. Askew, both of, Windsor. I Maim Addr6§8g§ Annual Meeting Of FCX Members —*— Declares Governor’s Pro* gram Being Attacked by Selfish Groups • Pleading for a return to the family altar and the support of Governor W. Kerr Scott's “Go Forward Program” by the farm people of the State, M. G. Mann, general manager of the Farmers Cooperative Exchange, told some 1000 Martin County farmers Tues day that it was time for serious thinking and working together if rural North Carolina is to pro gress. Mann spoke to the patrons of the Martin FCX Service at their annual meeting in the local high school auditorium. Following the meeting a barbecue dinner was served on the school grounds. Elected to three year terms as directors of the Martin FCX Ser vice were: W. M. Hardison, Route 3, Williamston; T. B. Slade, Ham ilton; L. A. Clark, Everetts; Carl Griffin, Jamesville; and S. T. Ev erett, Robersonville. Harry C. Ferebee, prominent Camden County farmer, was nom inated by the delegates from dis trict one to serve another three year term as a member of the State FCX board. In calling for the support of Governor Scott’s program, Mann pointed out that in Martin County 778 of the 2868 farm homes had electricity while only 120 had ru ral telephone service. These fig ures he said were taken from the 1945 census. He said that Governor Scott was doing all he could but that his program was already meeting organized opposition from selfish groups. “The Governor needs your help, your prayers to carry out his go forward program.” “With your help, the governor will do everything in his power to help you get good roads, tele phones and electricity," Mann said. Mann called for more prayer in this country and declared that “we are getting away from the family altar, the only hope for a strong America.” He asked the young mothers and fathers return to the teach ings of their parents and said that “it makes me shudder to pick up my paper and read of the mur ders and the divorces throughout America.” In reporting on the Martin FCX Service, Mann reported that the farmers of Martin County placed a total volume of $178,471 through their organization during the 12 month period ending June 30, 1949. Throughout the Carorinas, the FCX handled a total volume of $27,500,000 during the same period, with 104,000 members. “The FCX has helped to make the farmers do some serious thinking about their own welfare and as a result they have built a business of their own in 15 years that has handled a total business of $153,000,000, and currently has a net worth of over $4,250,000. Lashing out at those who charg ed that farm cooperatives did not pay taxes, Mann declared that the FCX paid every tax that any bitter, b'Jtmi ,i5i pviid and added that these taxes are assessed by the same assessors that assess all business taxes. Local Band Picnic Friday —* The annual picnic and family nif^ht program of the Green Wave Band of William,ston High School will be held tomorrow night. Ar rangements have been completed for a program of music, a picnic and a business meeting of the Band Parents Club. The concert will start at 6:00 p. m. and the picnic will be served immediately following the music prog'ram. The business meeting is to be held at the close of the pic nic period. Band parents are to bring all their immediate family this year as explained by the sec retary, Mrs. Thelma Page. Director Jack Butler’s parents, Mr. and Mrs, F. D. Butler of New York state are here visiting him and will be special guests at the concert and picnic. Attehipts To Take His Life In County Jail This Week ■ ■ Losing a legal battle in the county court where he was tried last Monday for non-support of his wife and few-month-old child, William McKinnon, 28, tried to end it all by hanging him self in the county jail here last Tuesday about noon. Fellow prisoners, Wheeler Boney, Daniel Mayo and Herbert Thompson, in tervened, unfastened McKinnon’s, belt from a water pipe and threw the man to the floor where they held him until Jailer Roy Peel and Sheriff M. W. Holloman could take over. McKinnon w'as not I badly hurt, but there was every1 indication that he planned to take j his life. Instructed to pay $10 a week for the support of his wife and child, the Jersey City young man could not raise the approximately $80 needed to place his in good stand-1 ing and was facing a two-year term on the roads. Efforts to get money from relatives and friends met with failure at first, and Me Kinnon walked into a shower stall with his clothes on. He turn ed the water on, took his belt, fas tened it tightly around his neck and secured the other end to a water pipe. Becoming suspicious, the fellow prisoners went to the stall and found the man hanging there. He kicked them out, but they finally overcame him and removed him from the stall. County Physician J. W. Wil liams was called and he gave the patient a sedative and ordered him removed to another part of the jail. McKinnon, a neat looking young man, was attending Eliza beth City Normal where he cap tained the football team. He al legedly came here and offered his wife a $400 settlement for separa tion papers and for custody of the child. The offer was not accept able, and the wife had him ar rested on August 11 for non-sup port'. It was brought out that the husband had provided support for his family until a short time ago. Fix $500 Bond In Manslaughter Case V KIN IRK The Bertie County Superior Court is casting its eyes this way in its search tor a jury to hear the rape case against Raleigh Speller, according to advance reports reaching here. It will be the third trial for Speller. While it is certain that a special venire of possibly 100 will be called outside Bertie, it is not certain, which county the call will strike. Martin has been mentioned, hut ac tion only will follow Judge W. I. Halstead's orders when the court convenes in Wind sor next Monday. Stockholders Of FCX In Meeting Holding their annual meeting in the high school here last Tuesday afternoon, stockholders and pa trons of the Martin County FCX (Farmers’ Cooperative Ex change), named their officers for the coming year, heard General Manager M. G. Mann in a timely address, participated >n various games and contests and enjoyed a barbecue supper. Approxi mately 1,000 attended the event. The following were elected to serve as members of the advisory board for the next three years: W. M. Hardison, T. B. Slade, L. A Clark and J. Carl Griffin. The following delegates were elected to attend the State meeting in Raleigh next month: W. M. liar dison, J. Carl Griffin and C. L. Daniel. Winners of the special quiz pro gram wore: Willie H Mpdlin. Wil hamston; Z. V. Whitehurst, Rob ersonville; Mrs. Arthur Simpson, Route 1, Williamston; Alice Bul lanee, Windsor; C. B. Boney, Ahoskie; Dennis Modlin and Mrs. Dennis Modlin, RED 3, Wiiliams ton, and Mi s. Richard Joyner of I Kelford W. M. Hardison, chairman of the meeting, announced the fol- i lowing winners: pin contest, Mrs. I Clyde Roberson, Williamston; oldest mother present, Mis. A. W. Bailey, Williamston; horseshoe (Continued on page eight! Released From County Jail Yesterday l\oon Held in the county jail in de- ' fault of a bond and non-support ! pay-ments, William McKinnon, i young Jersey City man, was re leased yesterday after relatives 1 came to his rescue, but not until * after he had attempted to end his 1 life. Just before Jailer Roy Peel went to release him, McKinnon 1 was said to have ripped his shirt I into shreds and was making a I rope for another suicide attempt, j I No New Evidence Offered At J. P. Hearing Tuesday Action of Court l{«-g;ii<l<-tl As I'rcciiiilioiiai') ami Not Prosecution Move While convinced there was no criminal intent, Justice of the Peace K. T. Johnson at a hearing in the courthouse Tuesday night paved the way for the higher courts to act in the case involv ing Daniel Li 1 ley, well known oil truck driver, in the death of Ben jamin Rogers near Williumston a week ago. Technically, the jus lice of the peace found probable cause of involuntary manslaugh ter and sent the case to the higher courts. Bond was arranged the following morning in the sum of $500, observers recognizing the hearing and bond as being mere formalities. No new evidence was offered at the Tuesday evening hearing by Witnesses J. T. Rowe and M. F. Powers of the highway patrol, and Raul Whichard. Justice Johnson satisfied himself about the location of the accident and ether details, and then shifted further action to the higher courts. In the course of the hearing, Patrolman M F. Powers stated that he was convinced by his own observations and reports from numerous persons that Lilley was not a reckless driver, that he was most considerate of others. R. L. Coburn, attorney for Lil ley, told the court that he hadn’t seen anyone who wanted to pro secute his elic nt, that no one could regret it more than Mr. Li 1 ley. ftStnntai'iiiin; miie w«.V nxi criminal intent and supporting his claim with rulings by the State Supreme Court, the attorney add. zd, "When it eonscs to civil negli gence, that’s ajiotner matter.” Quite ,i few were present for (Continued on page eight) Falls Asleep And Hits Automobile — Driving west on the main street lere Tuesday afternoon, Henry A. 3erry, 1H of Hookerton, fell asleep ind ran his 1M!) Chevrolet into Srnest Cox’s 1U49 Chevrolet vhich was parked across the treet from the agricultural build ng. Damage to the Cox ear was (.sti nated at $70.80 and that to I’er y’s ear at $150, Patrolman J. T. {owe said. Perry said he had been up the irevious night, and that he drop ped off to sleep. No charges wc. e neferred, one report stating thu* ic accepted the damages. 1 Assault Cases In Justice’s Court Tuesday Evening (<m Dietin'; Evidence Of fered in Action A^'.iinst Eduard Mobley Climaxing allegedly ill feelings declared to have existed for some time, two assault eases were aired in Jusitce R. T. Johnson's court here last Tuesday evening. One ■defendant was found not guilty, and the second defendant accept ed the judgment in one case and appealed to the higher courts in the other one. The hearing, last ing more than an hour, attracted much attention. In the case charging Edward Earl Mobley and L. V. Baker with an assault on August 15, Baker was found not guilty. Mobley, adjudged guilty, was fined $15 and taxed with $7.45 costs. In the second case in which Mobley was charged with assaulting L. H. Vick on August 17,'the defendant was sentenced to the roads for thirty days, the court suspending the road term upon condition that he pay a $25 fine, $9.33 costs, $12 doctor's bill and $5 for time lost by the prosecuting witness. Mob ley, through his attorney, Edgar Gurganus, gave notice of appeal to the county court, and bond was fixed in the sum of $200. The prosecuting witness, Vick, said he was talking over the tele phone to his wife on August 17 when Mobley assaulted him. The witness said he dropped the re ceiver and a fight followed. It was brought out that James Spell er and Duke Rawls acted to sep j arate the two and break up the tight. Speller, it was said, push ed Vick back, and Rawls was pushing Mobley away when Mob ley managed to direct a heavy blow m Vick’s solar plexis. It was declared at the time that the vic tim could have been injured bad ly. Mobley and Rawls maintained that Viek was alter Mobley with a pop bottle, but Viek declared that he got the' bottle after the light was over. Speller said he saw no bottle until after the fight. '1 lie road term suspension was made on the guaranteed good be havior of the defendant for twelve months. Other cases handled by Justice Johnson during the past few days: Charged with disorderly con duct in the town of Jamesville, Billie J. Woolen was fined $10 and taxed with $5.H5 costs, and Elmer J. Woolard was sentenced to the roads for thirty days, the court suspending the road term upon guaranteed good behavior for twelve months and the payment of a $15 fine and costs. Charged with disorderly con duct, J. T. Perry was fined $5 and required to pay $5.85 costs. The case charging Eddie Col train with reckless driving was sent to the county court for trial. #.«<■«/ Itoy livroffitizvd David Davis, Jr., local boy, was 11 ecognized as the best all-around camper during the several weens lie spent at Camp Mislieinokwa, Hi’ returned home lute Tues day with Harrell Everett, Jr., Iv erson Skinner, Jr., and BUI Bob Peel. 1IIE RECORD SPEAKS . . . Travel on the highways of Martin County took another serious turn during the 33rd week of the current year when one person lost his life, a .other was injured and the property damage was pushed beyond $10,000. The following tabulation* 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. 33rd Week Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam’ge 1040 0 1 1 $ 1,100 1040 3 2 0 023 Comparisons To Date 1040 77 2(1 4 $16,290 1943 05 43 2 10,850 Town Board Orders Paving Curtailment YOUNG DEMOCR ATS Meeting in the courthouse next Tuesday evening at 8:00 o'clock, young Martin County Democrats will elect officers for the coming year and name delegates to the State conven tion to be held in New Bern next month, it was announced by President Clarence Griffin today. All young Democrats are invited. This county will have five votes in the convention and the president is anxious to have the county well repre sented. Other officers of the young Democrats in this county arc l.eRoy Harrison, vice presi dent, and Mrs. Hassell Wors ley, secretary. I Eighteen Cases In County Court Monday Mornin —1 • crq Fines Imposed During Ses sion This Week Amount ed lo More Than $300 Judge Chas. H. Manning and Solicitor Paul D. Roberson hand led eighteen eases in the Martin County Recorder's Court last Monday. Fines, imposed during the session, amounted to $325. There were several road sentences but they were suspended. Very few white spectators attended, but a goodly number of colored citizens reported for the proceed ings. Adjudged guilty of assaulting a female, Elmer Rogers was fin ed $10 and taxed with the costs. Charged with an assault with a deadly weapon, Elsie Moore was found guilty and was fined $25, plus costs. He maintained his innocence but William McKinnon was found guilty of non support and the court sentenced him to the roads for two years. The road term was suspended upon the payment of the costs and on condition that he pay $10 a week for the support of his wife and child for the next throe years. The cases charging Hooker T. Teel with non-support and Margie W. Melson with operating a mot or vehicle without an operator’s license, were nol pressed or dis missed. Pleading guilty of operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license, Owen W. Jones was fined $25 and taxed with the costs. Grover C. Lilley and Columbus Lillcy, pleading guilt.yi of speed ing, were each fined $15 and re quired to pay the costs. James L. Hollis was fined $25 and taxed with the costs for oper ating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license. Pleading guilty of drunken driving and operating a motor ve a ivCc-Ubc, Genihes Charlie Hawkins was fined $125 and taxed with the costs. The de fendant is to receive no operator’s license within the year. Charged with speeding, Shelton Earl Miller and William 11 Shep pard were each fined $15, plus costs. Robert Raynor was found not guilty in the case in which he was charged with careless and reck less driving. Charged with careless and reck less driving, Eudell Howard was found guilty of only failing to give a hand signal, and judgment was suspended upon the payment of a $10 fine and costs. Pleading guilty of non-support, Theodore Williams was sentenced to the road for nine months. The court suspended the road term upon the payment of the costs and the guaranteed payment of $4 a week for the support of his wife and child for the next two years. Pleading . guilty of speeding, Berbard D. Williford, Barbara L. Barnett and Ed C. Wright were each fined $15 and required to pay the costs. | Officials Frankly Admit Town Can’t Finance Program —♦—— Paving Likely To Be Limit* e«l.To Smithwiek, Liber ty and School Drive Facing a final showdown, Wil liamston’s town commissioners in special session yesterday after noon ordered a limitation on the currently proposed paving pro gram, ruling out temporarily at least, two streets, more or less, de finitely included in the list at the start. It was pointed out yesterday afternoon at the meeting that only one street, School Drive, is to be curbed ad guttered outside the original program, leaving the pro jects on East Grace Street and West Franklin Street and possibly one or two other streets in doubt. Instructions were issued, direct ing the contractors, Clark Paving Company to curb and gutter School Drive from Dr. C. I. Har ris's corner at Franklin Street tu the ravine on School Drive. Even in that instance, the order is sub ject to a condition, the board ex plaining that the property owners are to be reimbursed their 40 per cent of the cost in five years or less. Frankly admitting that the town is in no position just now to finance a paving program on its own, the commissioners ex plained that for a street to be curbed and guttered, the property owners must sign up 100 percent and finance immediately the en tire cost with the assurance that the town will credit the property owners for its share of the cost j over a period of five years. Advanced on a cooperative basis, water and sewer lines were laid in preparation for curbing and guttering and paving, the town paying for the water and sewer lines, the property owners on Smithwiek and Liberty Streets paying all the cost of the curb and gutter and the State paving those two streets. The three-way cooperative plan is limited to Smithwiek and Liberty Streets. On the other streets, the town suggested a 00-40 plan, the prop erty owner to finance the entire cost immediately with the under standing that credit would be given for 40 percent of the cost over a period of five years. At the meeting yesterday afternoon, it was thought best to proceed oil that basis only if 100 percent of the property owners signed an agreement, embracing those con ditions. School Drive is all signed from East Franklin to the ravine, but the “go ahead” signal is being withheld until the property own ers are advised that forty percent of the cost to be accepted by the town will be reimbursed not in one years but over a period of five years, beginning in 1050. More than one-half of Frank lin it possible that the eurb and gutter will be laid on that portion, but it is not definite as yet. All but the school and one property owner on East Grace Street had signed the petition yes terday. It is possible that the sehool authorities will sign, but even then the proposal falls short of the required 100 percent. The contractor has set today as a deadline for adding more streets under the $1.95 contract price, Mr. (Continued on page eight) -a County Young Man (lets Civilian Pilot License Simon Lilley, Jt\, son of Mr. and Mrs. Simon Lilley of Griffins Township, recently earned his ci vilian pilot's license after com pleting CAA tests at the airport in Kinston. The young man, one of fe\*| from this county to hold such a license, was in the service for sev eral years and i,s now employed by the Kinston-Lcnoir Airport. His brother, Daniel T. Lilley, is manager of the airport.