THE entfrprise is read be OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT! FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE i ,im i »■ , ,8=^=^==^^ THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B1 OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT* FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME L1I—NUMBER 91 Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, November 17, 19/9 ESTABLISHED 1899 ftS T\#hty-Six Cases On The Calendar In Superior Court Special Term To Hear Civil Cases Only; Little Interest Likely In Proceedings Opening a special term next j Monday, the Martin County Su perior Court with Judge W. H. S. Burgwyn of Woodland presiding, is scheduled to hear ten divorce cases and move on to civil actions. Cases have been scheduled for the first two days of next week, indi cating that the court will recess Tuesday or early Wednesday for Thanksgiving. Work will be re sumed the following Monday with the likelihood that adjournment will come about Wednesday or Thursday of the term’s second week. ■ Few* cases of special public in terest are on the calendar for trial, and no< to attetj Alleg •go crowds are expected the sessions. lg agents of the defend ants started a fire that burned over soipe of his woodsland on August )l8, 1948, G. C. James is suing the A. C. L. Railroad Com pany for $800. H. P. Mobley is suing B. F, Per ry for $304.18 damages alleged to have resulted in an automobile accident last June 15. A boundary line dispute fea tures the ease of Elizabeth Pierce against Ben Biggs, the plaintiff asking $650 damages. ,A boundary line is involved in tl?e case of Willie Bullock against J, D. Wynne. R. S. Critcher is seeking to re cover $315 from Robert Rogers, the plaintiff alleging the amount js due op a note. The Dixie Motor Company is su ing to fecover possession of an auto in its case against James Rogers. In his case against Ed Jone^, D. G. Matthews alleges $40 rent is due for the year 1947. William Johnson is suing Ar thur Morgan for $300 damages al leged to have resulted in a motor vehicle accident between Hamil ton and Oak City last December 10. Morgan, in a counter claim, is asking $400 damages of Johnson. In the case of Jos. L. Godard against J. Sam Godard and others, the plaintiff is asking that certain land be sold for division. Town of Williamston is suing W. V. Ormond to recover $460.55 alleged due in taxes. In his case against Frank Weav er, Frank Carstarphen is asking , damages in the sum of $4,227.50, the plaintiff contending that he suffered that loss when the de fendant guaranteed a herd of cows free of Bang's disease. A boundary line is involved in the case of H. H. Cowen against C. E. Jenkins. In the case of Tom Outterbridge against R. S. Critcher, the plaintiff is suing for an accounting on a note and cancellation of a deed of trust. The plaintiff contends he borrowed $127 from the defend ant, explaining that he had repaid' $100 and admits owing $27 plus $6! interest. It is also alleged by the plaintiff that the defendant claims $370 .i due on the deed of trust note. C. B. Savage is suing G. H. Man ning to recover $1,800 under a timber contract . .v;*a «... • - ■ ■ *■ Clyde Robe* son is suing R. L. Jones for $558.52, alleged due un der contract entered into for a deep well. Charles F. Glinsman, Jr., 14 year-old New York newspaper boy, by his next friend, H. H. Cowen, is suing Joseph J. Bento, Oak City man, for $3,100 damages as a result of a bike-auto accident on Centra! Avenue near Franklin Square in New York City some months ago. The plamtiif, deliv ering papers at the time of the ac cident, says he suffered a fractur ed skull, broken right arm, knee and other injuries. He is asking $50 personal property damages, $150 dental bill, $400 for hospital bill and $2,500 personal damages. The American Indemnity Com pany is suing Otis Coltrain to re cover $109.32 damages alleged to have resulted when the defend ant’s car crashed into and broke a plate glass window in the old Har rison Brothers store laijt Novem ber 5. (Continued from page five) Special Commission! Holds Hearing Here CANDIDATE Y Meeting with a group of citizens in Robersonville last Monday evening, Henry A. Johnson announced his candi dacy for the office of sheriff of Martin County, scheduling the first political contest to be decided in the Democratic primary next May. Farm Life Club To Meet Tuesday Farm Life's recently organized Ruritan Club will hold its first re- j gular meeting in the school cafe- ' teria there next Tuesday evening J at 7:00 o'clock, it was announced today. Receiving its charter a short time ago, the club is headed by James Harrington, president; Rufus Hardison, vice president; Thurman Griffin, secretary, and J. R. Griffin, treasurer. The club, one of the largest in this section, has fifty-one charter members, whose names are: Urban Ltlley, Lawrence Eason Lilley, Rufus Corey, Gabe Rober son, Hugh B. Griffin, Raleigh Lil ley, W. B. Harrington, Saunders Revels, Eugene Roberson, Elmo Lilley, Justus Coltrain, Robert Griffin, Raymond Gurkin, Fred Griffin, Paul Harrington, Roland Griffin, Verlin Griffin, Kenneth Harrington, Dalmar Gray Man ning, Henry Leggett, Leonard Col train, Joseph Lilley, Elbert Tice, Coy Griffin, Henry Roberson, Ma-: rion Lilley, Maurice Roberson, J. T. Griffin, Ervin Manning, George C. Griffin, Arthur Revels, Ben Roberson, Oscar Roberson, Archie Coltrain, Henry Griffin, Herbert Manning, Jim Manning, Williford Griffin, Carlyle Manning, Nathan 1 Roberson, A. T. Whitley, Felton ' Daniels, Clarence Gurkin, J. R.1 Griffin, Thurman Griffin, Rufus! Hardison, James Harrington, Ste- i phen Manning, William Peel,! Marvin Leggett and Jesse David Hardison. F ire Destroys Farm Packbarn -$— ! Fire of undetermined origin dc stroyed the tv ‘-story pack barn and most of the von tents on the j near Jamesville about 11:30 o’clock Tuesday night. The children of James Perkins, tenant on the farm, reached the burning stables in time to turn out the mules, and Perkins saved a few farm implements, but most of the contents, including 57 bags of peanuts, 96 bales of hay, 35 or 40 barrels of corn, farm machin- j ery and other equipment were ! burned. One of the children happened to wake up and saw the reflection of the fire which was breaking from under the tin roof. Only $500 insurance was carried on the property, one report stat ed. Sheriff M. W. Holloman inves tigated the fire but its origin could not be determined. o PEANUTS MISSING „ -• i-artncr Luther Peel reported three bags of peanuts missing from his farm near here early this week. Towns Pour Out Their Troubles To State Group Plead For Larger Share Of Highway Revenues For Street Maintenance j Appointed at the direction of I the last State Legislature, a spe I cial State Municipal Road Coni | mission in a hearing held in the courthouse here yesterday after noon listened for more than two hours to the troubles and woes of a number of northeastern North Carolina towns. Appointed by Governor Scott, the commission is gathering statistical data about the towns and hearing the various officials preparatory to submitting a report and making recommen dations to the next Legislature which, the towns hope, will offer increased aid to them in build ing and maintaining streets. Following a luncheon in the Hotel George Reynolds, the mem bers of the commission repaired to the courthouse for the open forum. Fifty or more 'officials from eight or ten towns in this section of the State submitted re ports and pleaded for more money. Mayor Robt. Cowcn wel comed the visitors, and State Sen jator Julian Allsbrooks of Roan oke Rapids, a member of the coni ! mission, outlined the work of his j group. j District Highway Commissioner Henry G. Shelton, speaking brief ly, declared that much had been heard about rural roads, that he believed there had been an ink ling about towns having problems, too. He assured the group that I the highway commission would work in every way possible with the towns. George Franklin of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, conducted the open forum and called on the various town repre sentatives to explain their prob lems to the special commission. Mayor Jones of Farmville, re viewing his town's problems, said that there were about 16 miles of streets in his town, and all but three were paved, that only 2.19 miles were subject to State main tenance. His town now has a $139,000 street bonded debt, that the town is at the end of the rope, and that the bonded debt was at the saturation point. Mayor W. S. Stafford of Green ville said that 40 of his town's 72 | miles of streets were paved, that they are spending this year $84, ' 300 on streets, or about one-fourth | of the budget for that one item. I Commissioner Hodges of Wash ington said that only ten miles of his town’s 40 miles of stre i were paved, that the street b is $72,000. He pointed out t. n parent inequality of the StaL c on gasoline used in town vehicles driven on the town's own streets. “We paid in gas tax last year about $2,000," he se,J. Mayor Latham of Belhaven, pointing ^ut that his town faced a predicament, said that only three miles of his town’s 23 miles of City Clerk Roebuck of Plym outh said they had 14 miles of un paved streets, that large trucks were taring the streets to pieces He explained that the town had a $2 tax rate and that the problerr of maintaining streets and carry ing on other town functions had reached serious proportions. Representative Tatum of Col umbia pointed out the apparent inequality of allocating State funds to the towns, and added that they had a combined tax rate of $4.30 and could not properly maintain their streets. He sug gested a new formula for allocat ing State funds for highways in side towns. Mayor Haskett of Edenton of fered a splendid picture of his town, declaring that the highway commission had cooperated in every way posible, that they had no complaint. He explained that the town had no bonded debt, but that eight of the town’s fourteen | (Continued on page eight) Divorce Cases To I Be Tried Monday In Superior Court ■—•— All Ten Divorce Actions Based On Two-Year Separation Grounds Opening a two-week special j term of the Martin County Sup erior Court next Monday, Judge W. H. S. Burgwyn, presiding, will hear pleas for tearing asunder the bonds of matrimony in ten cases. All of the actions are based on grounds of two-year separation. The number of divorce cases is believed to be on the downward trend, the count before the court being less than half the peak fig ure recorded two or three years ago. Divorce actions, all calendared for trial during the first hours of the session next Monday morning, include the following: Cleopatra Bunch against George | P. Bunch, the plaintiff stating that they were married on October 1, 1933, and that they separated Feb ruary 24, 1947. The six children born to the union are now with the plaintiff who explains that the defendant is contributing to their support. Orlander Rodgers, seeking m absolute divorce from Beatrice Rodgers, says they were married in November, 1942, and separated in May, 1946. No children were born to the union. In the divorce action of Wil liam Sharpe against Elizabeth Sharpe, the plaintiff says they were married on October 5, 1928, and separated December 26, 1944, that one child, now about 18 years old, was born to the union. In her action against Louis H. Brickhouse, Mary M. Brickhouse says they were married on August 23, 1936, and separated on Janu ary 11, 1947, that three children were born to the union. A. J. Stark, in his case against Ouida Stark, says they were mar ried January 12, 1946, and separ ated in July, 1946, that no children were born to the union. In the case of Mildred Thigpen against Alexis Lawrence Thigpen, I the plaintiff says they were mar ried November 24, 1937, and sep arated in November, 1941, that no children were born to the union. Daisy Dell Byrum is suing Charlie Ruffin Byrum for a di vorce. the plaintiff stating they were married in May, 1924, and separated in September, lf!45, that no children were born to the union. Married to the defendant, Lucy Williams, in January, 1944, and separated in December, 1944, Wil lis Williams is now asking for a divorce, explaining that no chil dren were born to the union. In his case against Ethel L. Mc Nair, Raleigh McNair is asking sole custody of the one child born (Continued on page five) Fall Holalein Sale In State Tueaday There will be a .sale Tuesday, i Nov. 22, at 12.30 p. m. at the Ire- ! dell County Fairgrounds, States ville, N. C., of 30 purebred and 50 giade Holstelris. Select lot oi choice young cattle especially selected from good herds in Wis consin will be offered at the sale. Manv^ar£ fresh and others a>-e ^dosespnngers*"" ‘ ***' THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . Three more accidents, all minor ones, were reported on the highways in this county last week, but with the ex ception of fatalities this year’s record is better than it was a year ago. The week’s com parison shows last year’s 45th period was a lulu. 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. 45th Week Accidents Inj’d Killed Dan’s* 1949 3 1 0 $ 475 1948 9 8 0 1,560 Comparison* To Date 1949 117 51 5 $25,035 1948 125 71 2 30,135 First Countv “Blue Baby” Will Undergo Operation This Week Twelve Year-Old Orphan Enters A Durham Hospital —*— No Appeal Made By Mother Of Eight Fatherless Chil dren But Help Need*'d Martin County’s first pronounc ed "Blue Baby", Master Jack Har ris of the Bear Grass community, ’ entered Duke Hospital this week for a delicate operation, and al ready his case is attracting much 1 attention. Friends rallied around to cheer the lad up as he made ready to leave home for the hos pital, lending aid and wishing him , well. Under the care of physicians most of his life, the youngster has fought nobly to live and to make the most out of life. He would at- j tend school, but often he would suffer an attack there and under standing friends would carry him home. The symptoms of his trou ble recently developed to the ex tent that the ailment could be di agnosed by the family doctor. The finding was verified by doctors in the Durham institution a few days ago, and arrangements were made without delay to have him enter the hospital for the operation. Re ports state that the youngster, de spite the seriousness of the opera tion, left home entertaining great hope for a cure and a claim to a normal life. Possibly there have been others in this county suffering with the I same heart condition, but as far1 as it can be learned Jack is the first to have his case definitely di agnosed, and he is the first sched uled to undergo the operation. | His mother, heading the family' of eight fatherless children, most1 of them of tender years, has made no appeal for aid, but friends, ac quainted with the facts, say that assistance is needed and needed immediately if the boy is to have the best possible advantage in his! fight for life. As guardian for her children, the mother has drawn the limit on the lad’s fund, an amount barely large enough to meet the minimum costs for just a few days in the hospital. The chil dren, the youngest of whom was only about three weeks old when the father died about five years ago, have all pitched in to help Jack. Neighbors and other friends have also pitched in to help, but the need extends beyond the boundary of the little community. Thoughtful persons in other sec tions of the State have acted in similar eases, and if one judges by the pa’st record established by the people of this county the pres ent challenge can and will be met. Mrs. Irving Terry, who carried the little fellow to the hospital earlier this week, has agreed to act as treasurer of the fund for him. Those who Would aid the boy in his fight for life, are earnestly asked to forward or carry their contributions to Mrs. Terry in ..r Grass.. Mai! contributions will reach her when addressed in j her name, RFD 2, Williamston, N ' C. of the fund will I beioeasei^^)m finne to (Continued from page five) Church To Hold Supper Meeting The annual Parish Supper of the Church of the Advent will be held this Friday night at 7:30 at the Geo. Reynolds Hotel. The guest speaker for the evening will be the Rev. William L. Martin, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Beaufort. Following Mr. Martin’s talk the congregation will hear plans for the Every Member Canvass and will exercise the privilege of electing four new vestrymen for 1950. Those four men along with eight others are in charge of the temporal affairs of the congrega tion. Tickets are $1.50 and there are some free ones available at the rectory for any who want them. 1 Santa Coming To Town on Fire Truck December 1st Santa Claus, pack and all, will be coming to town Thursday aft- j ernoon, December 1, at 4:30! o'clock, A1 Sweatt, secretary of (the Williamston Boosters, an-j nounced today. Details of the merry ole gentleman’s visit are rapidly being taken care of, and the year’s most important person age is expected to make the trip into town on a fire truck. The kid dies, and old folks, too, are invit- 1 ed to arrange their schedule sol as to be on hand when old Santa' arrives. Working to promote the holiday spirit, Williamston’s Boosters are' planning a new street decorative system. Messrs. J. S. Ayers and B. D. Courtney, making up a spe- 1 cial committee, are working on the lighting plans. It is likely , that no strings of lights will bo ! Placed on the streets this season, i but members of the committee haven't revealed just what they | have in mind. j For the first time in several years, outdoor lighting arrange ments will be judged this year. Prizes are to be offered, and rules and regulations will be announc ed later. During the meantime, the citizens are asked to be think j 'n8 about their blueprints for a j real decorative scheme. It is ex- 1 Ipected that the lights will go on I i again on the clock tower, water lower and ether public buildings. W. H. Carstarphen is chairman of the decorations committee, and Homer Barnhill is heading up the Santa Claus Hospitality commit tee, Secretary Sweatt announced. Twelve Cases In Justice Of Peace Courts This Week I'llii*ly-«l»y JniI SnHeiirr Is Imposed In Soriiil Seoiirily Cast* Throe justices of the pence— I John L. Hassell, Chas. R. Mobley | and R. T. Johnson—handled an I even dozen eases in their courts here this week. Charged with obtaining money under false pretense, Mattie Ewell i Gorham was sentenced to jail by | Justice Mobley for thirty days. , The sentence was suspended upon the payment of the costs and | squaring her account with the Employment Security Commis sion. It was alleged that the de fendant drew unemployment | compensation while engaged in gainful employment. Charged with issuing a worth less check. William Lawrence was taxed with $5.85 court costs and ordered to redeem the check. Ben Edwards was sentenced to the roads ofr thirty days, suspend :ed upon the payment of the costs i for disorderly conduct. Judgment was suspended upon | the payment of $5.85 costs in the case charging Mary Peel, colored, with disorderly conduct. Carolyn Clark was taxed with! i $8.85 costs on a disorderly conduct > charge. Charged with assaulting each other with deadly weapons, Clyde and Lee Tyner were bound over! to the county court under $150 bonds. Clyde wielded a knife and 1 Lee planted u pint bottle on 1 Clyde's forehead. Justice Hassell, in his court, fin ed Allen Rascoe and Wadell Ro berts $5, plus $9.50 costs each, for drunkenness and fighting. Tommie Jackson, publicly I drunk, was required to pay $9.Jo i costs. | Charged with assaulting Jos, I Nichols with a deadly weapon, Jasper Perry was bound over by l-i. • » . &•***■ ■ '' *■■■■■■■■*** y ty court for trial on December 5. Perry reportedly attacked Nich ols because Nichols would not lend him a dime. Centering the attack on his victim's throat, Per ry opened a 14-stitch gash in the throat. A hearing in the Taylor-Bagley wreck cas, scheduled last night, was postponed. Final War Claims Arc Paid To Swiss Final installment on Swiss War Claims was paid by the United 1 States on October 22 according to i the State department in an an- i nouncement the same day. The i claims for war damages arose i largely from the accidental bomb- : ing by our forces of a Swiss town i on the border of Germany in April i of 1944. Damages roughly equal- < ing $14,500,000 were paid to the 1 Swiss Government. |1 OPENING GUN v The opening gun in Mar tin County's 1!»50 politieal campaign was fired last Mon day evening when Mr. llenr.v A. Johnson of Robersonvillc announced his candidacy for sheriff of Marlin County, lie announces his candidacy sub ject to the wishes of the vot ers in the next May Democra tic primary. The official an nouncement, coming after a spot survey in several parts of the county, was made by Mr. Johnson in a meeting with about twenty-five citi zens in Kobersonville's Wilson Hotel. Although he has made no official announcement, M. W. (Buck) Holloman, the incum bent, says he plans to be a candidate for the office. Making Plan For Sale Of TB Seals Completion of the final plans for opening the annual Tubercu- J I os is Christmas Seal sale in this county is announced by the chair man, Charles H. Manning. A spe cial appeal is directed to the peo ple to support the sale in their 1 usual generous manner and help carry it over the top. The drive has a goal of $2000.00 but addi tional funds will help that much more in advancing the tubercu losis program in this county. The chairman stated that $720.00 had already been spent for free X-ray service this year. Assisting the chairman are ten leaders in the various townships, as follows: C. C. Martin, James ville; C. L. Daniel, Williams; W. B. Harrington, Griffins; A. B. Ay ers, Bear Grass; Mrs. A. P. Barn hill, Ci floods; John Gray Tay lor, Roberson ville; Mrs. Gentry Mills, Poplar Point; Craven Roe buck. Hamilton; Nat Johnson, tycTuffinan' tor inc^rroS^^^T zellS. Minor Accident In The County No one was hurt and property damage was limited to about $130 when a pick-up truck driven by Lester Everett, and a 1947 Mer cury driven by William V. Paige crashed on a dirt road not far from the Everett home in Rober sonville Township. Traveling east, Everett drove his 1949 Chevrolet pick-up to the left side of the road, preparing to make a turn into a lane on the right. Paige, following the pick up, thought Everett was going to stop and started to pass on the right. The right front fender struck the rear part of the Mer cury, causing about $30 damage to the car and about $100 to the truck. Twenty-Two Cases Called Monday In Recorder’s Court Defendant Finn! $600 For Alleged \ iolation Of Liquor Laws I Handling twenty-two cases, | Judge Chas. H. Manning and Sol icitor Paul D. Roberson worked almost until dark in the Martin ing the docket in the Martin County Recorder’s Court. Folding its tent at that time, the county court will withdraw from the scene for two weeks while the superior court is in special session. Following up liquor law en forcement officers in their work, the court imposed a $600 fine on an alleged violator during the ses sion Monday. Charged with pos sessing fifteen gallons of illicit li quor, a still and materials for the manufacture of copper kettles, Jethro James pleaded guilty of possessing materials for making stills but denied ownership of the liquor and still. He was adjudged guilty and drew an 18 month road sentence, the court suspending the road term on condition the de fendant pay the fine and costs and violate no liquor law for five years. He appealed and bond was fixed in the sum of $500. The case charging James Pear sall with operating a motor ve hicle without a license, was dis missed. Pleading guilty of operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license, William E. Moore was sentenced to the roads for thirty days. Sordid testimony was heard in the case charging Wilbur Sutton with bastardy. Adjudged guilty, the young Duplin County whit) man was sentenced to the roadj for nine months. The road term was suspended on condition that j he pay the court costs and $25 a month for the support of his il legitimate child He appealed to the higher court. Willie II. Moore was fined $15, plus costs, for speeding. Charged with drunken driving and operating a motor vehicle I with improper lights, Albert Lee Brown was sentenced to the roads for three months. Charged with speeding, Robert Lee Woolard and Luther Chance were each fined $15 and taxed with the costs. Johnny Spruill, charged with violating the health laws, was sen tenced to the roads for thirty days, the court suspending the road term upon the payment of the court costs and on the further condition that lie take prescribed treatments. The case charging Ada Grimes with violating the health laws was dismissed. A continuance was granted un til December 5 in the case charg ing Robert Aman with issuing worthless checks. The young white man was returned to the county from Kentucky last week, and it is likely that the cost of his icturn—about $145—will be con sidered when judgment is meted out. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the costs in the ea. e charging Kader Bru cn with speeding. Emmanuel Stancill was lined $25, plus costs for alleged reck L ' and lareless driving lauun, TVT*Tr, ■ outli v. as fined $15 plus costs on a speeding charge. He appealed to the superior court. The cases charging James Ar thur Perkins with operating a gambling house and possessing il licit liquor were continued until December 5. William R. White was fined $15, plus costs, for speeding. The case in which Henry Wil son was charged with operating a motor vehicle without a driver's license was dismissed. Charged with speeding, Edward Lee Potts of Edenton was fined $15, plus costs. Going before a six-man jury, Lester Franklin Bailey was found guiit.v of drunken driving. He was fined $100, taxed with the court costs and had his driver’s license revoked for one year. The jury included, Henry C. Price, D. E. Davis, J. W. Bellflower, Jr., Ro land C. Bunting, Noah S. Rober (Coutinued from pa^e five)