THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME LIV—NUMBER 77 Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina* Tuesday, September 25, 1951 ESTABLISHED 1899 Up w ar d T rend N oted lii Tobacco Average Sales Pushing On Toward the Seven Million Hark Here —»— Prices Yesterday Were The Second Highest of The Season To Date A marked upward trend in the tobacco price average was noted on the Williamston market yester day when 308,800 pounds were sold for $172,780, an average of $55,95 per hundred pounds. The price trailed by a very narrow margin the peak reached on Mon day of last week when 296,416 pounds were sold for an average of $56.19 per hundred. Again, it was reported that the high average was traceable to an upward trend in prices for a num ber of grades and to improved quality of the offerings. The market today is pushing to ward the seven million-pound mark. A report from the, mar ket at the close of sales yester day showed that up until that time the market had sold 6,635,974 pounds for $3,379,436, an average right at $5100 per hundred pounds. The trend in average prices by grades continued upward last week for Eastern North Caro lina flue-cflrcd tobacco. Volume of offerings was heavy although below last week as selling time was cut 30 minutes daily. Quality of the sales improved. According to the Federal-State Market News Service gross sales for the week ending September 21 were 53,653,103 pounds for an average of $52.94 This was the highest weekly average of the season, increasing $1 67 over the previous week. Daily general av erage:; through the week ranged from a low of $52.13 to $54.45 paid Monday for nearly 11 million pounds. Season gross sales to taled 226,799,973 pounds at an average of $51.03 per hundred. The markets have been op>-i ating 23 sales days. For the same time last year gross sales amounted to 261,694,298 pounds averaging $56.42 Increases in grade averages were mostly $1 00 and $2 00 per hundred as compared with last week Better leaf grades, all smoking leaf, cutters, lugs, prim ings, and thin nondescript brought the highest prices paid this year. This is the third straight week that most grades of better smok ing tobacco moved at slightly higher levels. Only a few grades of heavier-bodied offerings show ed small losses. The proportion of fair to fine leaf grades and cutters was larger this week. The shift was mostly (Continued on Page Eight) Miss Bland Joins Army Air Forces It was announced this week by thu local Army and Air Foret recruiting office that Miss Mamie Bland of Rt. 1 Wiiiiamston has been accepted by the Air Force Miss Bland is a Graduate oi Farm Life High School, and has worked in Wiiiiamston for sumt time since finishing school. Sgt. Monteith stated that sh< left for Lackland Air Force Bast Thursday of last week where she will receive her basic training an introduction to Air Force Life EXAMINER The Motor Vehicle driver’s license bureau in the Martin County courthouse is open each Wednesday ami Thurs day from 8:00 a. m. until 5:00 p. m., it was announced this week by Examiner J. B. Par vin. There's no big rush at the bureau these days, and those in line for licenses will find it very convlent to take the tests. The office formerly was opened from 8:30 a. m. until 5:30 p. m. f C< )M PLIMENT I ^-j One of the greatest compli- * that can be bestowed upon a people, was addressed to the group of jurors serving in the Martin County Superior Court last week. Presiding over the term. Judge Henry Stevens said, “Without a doubt, you have l the finest group of jurors I have ever had the pleasure of working with anywhere.” The compliment came near the close of the first week i after the jurist noted htat there was no argument on the part of the lawyers in select ing trial juries. Freedom Crusade Motorcade Makes Brief Stop Here Bill Spivey Gels Sore Nock Watching Balloon* Disappear Making a 30-minute stop here last Friday evening, the Crusade for Freedom motorcade reviewed briefly the program being ad vanced to pierce the Iron Curtain land challenge Communism. A1 Sweatt of the Boosters, Inc'., I introduced Mayor Robt. Cowcn | who welcomed the motorcade | personnel and the hundreds of | spectators in front of the Roan ! oke-Dixie Warcho u s e Miss i Phoebe Norton of Raleigh was | mistress of ceremonies, and her | talk, stressing the value of the j Crusade for Freedom movement, was broadcast over Station WIAM. The group, including Miss Nor ton. Russell Reynolds, assistant j State director of the crusade; Ma rion Dority and Larry Currie of Charlotte, and Herbert Brantley of Raleigh, traveled in a Chevro | let station wagon donated to the | cause by General Motors, and a 1 truck donated by the Ford Motor Company. Starting in the extreme western part of the State a few days ago, the motorcade complet ed its tour of about half the coun ties in the State last Saturday in Manteo'. The movement is being spon sored in this county by the Jay cees, preliminary reports stating that the drive for funds to finance the operations is meeting with fair success. Jaycee Bernard Harrison re leased a balloon just like those being released in Western Ger many and destined for points be hind the Iron Curtain. The red balloon, about the size of a bushel (Continued on Page Eight) Father Of Local Resident Passes —•— Richard Dillard Elliott, Sr., fa ther of Mr. R. D. Elliott, Jr., of Williamston, died in a Rale gh hospital at 8:15 o'clock last Sat urday morning. He had been in declining health for a long time. The son of the late Richard and Martha James Elliott, he was born in Chowan County 79 years ago, but made his home in Hertford for many years. Surviving besides his son here are three daughters, Mrs Grady G. Dixon of Ayden, Mrs. J. R Futrell of Hertford and Mrs. S. F Pollard of Columbia, N. C.; two sons, M. S. Elliott of Omaha, Neb., and Darius W. Elliott of Nebraska City, Neb.; a brother, Miles S. Elliott of Edenton; two sisters, Mrs. Bessie Brinn of Hert ford and Mrs. Pauline Deans of North Wilkesboro; a half-sister, Mrs. John Q. A Wood of Eliza beth City, and eight grandchild ren. In early manhood he was married to Miss Mary Alice White i who died a short time ago. Funeral services were conduct ed at the graveside in Hertford’s Cedarwood Cemetery Sunday af ternoon at 4:00 o’clock by the Rev. Charles F. Wulf, rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. Dallas Lee James Gels Free Pass In Peel Murder Case Witness Freed After A Stay Of Several Days In County Jail ■ • «•'— Proceedings in the first of the two-week term of Martin County Superior Court climaxed last Thursday afternoon at 4:00 o'clock when Judge Henry Stevens ruled that the killing of Grover Peel, 31-year-old colored man, was jus tifiable homicide and the defen dant, Dallas Lee James, Jr., 17, walked out of the courtroom a free man. The action came so suddenly that it almost took the breath out of the private prosecu tion and the defendant hardly realized what had happened until a few minutes later. The case was the last in a se ries of three murder actions called during the curent term of the court. In one, James Henry (Slick) Williams was sentenced to prison for thirty years when he pleaded guilty of stabbing his wife to death in Williamston on August 26 less than eighteen hours after he was released from a road camp where he had served a term for cutting his wife and her mother. In another case, He Roy Bonner was sentenced to pri son for from eighteen to twenty years for the baseball bat slaying of Osborne Williams in Everetts on August 10. J&mes entered a plea of nolo contendrc and the State rested af ter offering the evidence of only three witnesses. Leanion James, the witness who blew his breath heavily charged with alcohol m Judge Stevens' face the first day of the term, told about the fights Peel and James boy had at Tap er's store on the night of August 19 The witness, a relative of the defendant, said that following the fights, the James boy left and late that night took a stand al Romulus Peel's store and shot Grover Peel from ambush The witness admitted that Peel had carried the previous fights to the defendant, hut maintained that the victim was on his way home and did not move on the defen dant. The defense tore into the wit ness’s record which dated back h 1937 and was climaxed by his “run-in” with the judge on Mon day of last week The witness was sober and in god shape when hr took the stand for the State earl> (Continued on page eight) Membership Drive A Third Complete -40—— The annual Farm Bureau mem bership drive in this county wai announced about one-third com plete at a meeting of canvassers held last Friday evening. Plans are being made to stef up the tempo of the drive durinj the next two weeks. The canvass ers are to hold a “Dutch” suppe in the Methodist Church educa tional building October 5 a which time they hope to be near ing the goal. Messrs. J. E Win slow and Haywood Dail of Green ville arjd Mrs B. B Everett o Palmyra are being extended in vHattons to attend the meet in on Friday night of next week. Convinced of the good accorn pushed bv the Farm Bureau, the following canvassers have bcei and are still working for mem bers without any reward what ever: D C. Gurkin, Oscar B. Rob erson, H. U. Peel, Robert Griffir C. L. Daniel, and Mrs. Howari Coltrain, all of RFD 1, Williams ton ;S. T. Everett, R. S. Everett J Marion Griffin, J. R. Winslow and Mrs. Fred Taylor, all of Roh ersonville; D. V. Clayton, Mr: V. G. Taylor and M. L. Peel, Wil liamston; J. Carl Griffin, E. I\ Modlin, J. L. Knowles and Mrs Dan Fagan, Jamesville; W. May< Hardison, Lester Bryant, G. H Forbes and L. G. Taylor, RFD 3 Williamston; E. H. Harrell, Jacl Smith and J. B. Whitfield, Oal City, J H. Liliard and J. B. Eve rett, Hamilton; D. R. Edmondson Hassell; E. C. Harrison and Mrs I Johnnie Gurkin, RFD 2, Wril liamston; H. A. Early, E. V Smith and Mrs. Maude Bennett Palmyras Postpone Harvest Festival Here Until October 23rd Williamston’s Fourth Annuel | Harvest Festival, originally sched uled for Tuesday and Wednesday, October 2 and 3, is being delayed until Tuesday and Wednesday, October 23 and 24, it was an nounced today by A1 Sweatt, man aging director of the Williamston Boosters, Inc., sponsors of the an nual event. Mr. Sweatt stated that the post ponement is necessary due to the unusually heavy amount of to bacco being sold on the Williams ton Tobacco Market this season, and the fact that the warehouse facilities which will be utilised for the building of floats and for the Harvest Ball, will not be available until the later date. The plans for the Festival, which has grown into one of the most popular annual celebrations in Eastern Carolina, will remain almost intact, with the original program increased to make the event even more enjoyable than was anticipated. The street dance, with round and square dancing, will now take place on Tuesday, October 23. The parade and the Harvest Ball will now be held on Wed nesday, October 24; with the pa rade much longer than was plan ned for October 3. Along with the delaying announcement, it was stated that the Atlantic Coast Line's caboose float will participate in the Festival parade, in addition to the many units pre viously announced. Court Is Quitting Current Session Sometime Today —•— Seven Divoree Aetiont* Ami Three Ollier Cases Cleared Momlav -• After continuing at least f if - teen cases for one reason or an other, the Martin County Su perior Court opening the second of a two-week term cleared sev en divorce actions and handled three others cases yesterday to pave the way for an expected adjournment sometime today. Following a rather hectic week during which lawyers and offi cers were closely ruled in con tempt of court along with a State's witness who did find his way into and spent several days in jail, the court yesterday at tracted very little attention. Judge Henry Stevens of War (Contimied on page eight) I Report Filed Bp | The Grand Jury Completing its work Tuesday, the Martin County Grand Jury submitted its report in open court that afternoon and took leave of absence until December. The re I port follows in detail: All bills of indictment present ed were passed on by us. The reports of the Justices of the Peace were .checked and found filed with the Clerk of Court and all fines paid to the County Treasurer, with the ex ception of Mr. O. B Roberson of Robersonville. We do not have a report from him. We found the County, Jail clean and in good condition. There were 8 colored male inmates. Wc checked the County Home and found that the rear steps need repairing, all outbuildings need 1 painting, including roofs. The County Commissioners have started painting the inside of the main building. The TB Ward has 8 colored women, 3 colored men, I white man and 3 white women. Other inmates of the Sanitorium in clude 4 colored men, 1 colored woman, 3 white men and 4 white women. , We have checked the report submitted by Mr. Narron of the Highway Patrol, which shows that all school buses were put in good condition before they were issued to the drivers for the beginning of the school term. Wc examined the office of the clerk of court and found it to be in excellent condition with guai dians’ reports and accounts filed as required. ! ROUND-UP V > Ten persons were arrested and temporarily detained in the county jail over the week end, six of them finding their way there on Sunday. Four were charged with violating the liquor laws, two were jailed for alleged drunk en driving, two for public drunkenness, and two were taken for violating probation. Two of the ten were white, the ages of the group ranging | from 21 to 51 years. WOUNDED j Sgt. Id ward Earl Mobley was slightly wounded In Ko rea on September 11, accord ing to a message received by his mother, Mrs. Mary M. Thomas, of near Hamilton, last Thursday. Few details could be learn ed immediately. He is the first casualty reported among Martin County boys in Korea in several months. He has been in Korea almost a year. A buddy, returning to the county a few days ago, said he left the 21-year-old boy on the very hill where he was wounded, explaining that hr left him hail and hearty at that time. Former County Resident Dies —•— Mrs. Pattie Sherrod, for man; years a resident ot Hamilton, dice at the home of her daughter, Mr; Pattie S. Starr, in Plymouth Sun day morning, following a lonj period of declining health. Mrs. Sherrod, widow of Biscoi Sherrod, moved from this count; about fifteen years ago to main her home with a son, Dr. W B Sherrod in Winston-Salem. Abou two years ago she moved to Ply mouth to live with her daughte there. She was a member of St Martin’s Episcopal Church ii Hamilton for many years. Shi was 83 years old. Surviving besides her daughte in Plymouth are, two sons, B. 11 Sherrod of Richmond, and Dr W. B. Sherrod in Winston-Salem a sister, Mrs. Lena Buttcrwortl of Spot land Neck; five grand children and two great-grand children. Funeral services are being eon ducted in the Plymouth Episco pal Church this afternoon at 2:3l o’clock by the rector, the Rev E. M Spruill. Interment will b< i in Trinity Episcopal Church Cent etcry, Scotland Neck. Firemen Beaten tc Draw Two Time: — -3—. Voicing no objections whatevet i Williamston’s volunteer firemei j were beaten to the draw twie j in a row last week and yestet j day. ' Receiving a call last week, fire : men drove the equipment out o the .station, but a follow-up cal advised them that a fire on th Slaughter House road hud beci brought under control. Yesterday morning at 10:4' o’clock, a call was received fron the Wilhamston Lumber Com pany and the firemen were driv ing out of the station when the; were advised that a fire in ; shanty there had been brougn under control. Fliex Home From llane In England for IHnrluirgi -v- — Completing a “stretch” in tin Army Air Corps, Sgt. Simon Lil ley, Jr., flew home from Englane last week After visiting his pa rents near here a few days, h( left Sunday for Lanley Field, Va where (he expects his discharge the middle or latter part of next month. Court Completes 1 Criminal Docket Trials On Friday -# Thirty-three Cases Cleared, Nine Continued, Seven Are Kenianded After getting <>ff to a slow start early last week, the Martin County Superior Court speeded up its machinery as time passed and by noon last Friday thirty three cases had been cleared from the docket, nine others continued and seven others remanded to the county court for judgment or trial. Proceedings not previously re ported: Smallwood Harris, pleading guilty of drunken driving, was sentenced to the roads for eigh teen months, Judge Henry Stev ens, presiding, suspending the road term upon the payment of a $200 fine anil costs. The defen dant is to remain of good behav ior, violate no criminal law or take a drink of intoxicating li quor during the next two years. He loses his operator’s license for two years. The ease in which June Lewis Andrews was charged with an assault, was sent back to the county court where the defen dant is to accept judgment pre viously imposed. The ease charging Levy Hill with larceny, was remanded to the county court for trial. James Everett was sentenced to the roads for twelve months and his wife, Eva Everett, was sen tenced to jail for twelve months to be asigned to work at the county sanatorium when he pleaded guilty of violating the li quor laws. The ease in which James Wood row McQueen was charged with drunken driving, was nol pressed when it was pointed out that 1he 1 defendant was serving a five-year I term for asaulting and robbing Dennis Barber. James Larry Evans, pleading guilty of robbing Louise Wiggins, • of $1,169, was sentenced to pri son for from two to three years ; Charged with assaulting a fe . male, Llewellyn Barber was found not guilty. The case in which Dallas John son was charged with non-sup port, was continued. Charged with drunken driving, Wm K. Moran had his ease sent back to the county court 1 A continuance was granted in thi' ease charging Matthew Our ganus with violating the liquor laws. Anna Woolard was sentenced to women’s prison for twelve months ’ when she pleaded guilty of vio 1 lating the liquor laws. A continuance was allowed in the case in which Ben Biggs was charged with forcible Irespass A verdict of not guilty was di I rected in the ease in which Eli Davis, Jr , was charged with Ihe larceny of a $10 shot gun. The case in which Washington Manning was charged with drunk en driving was remanded to Ihe county court for trial. | A continuance until Decem ber was allowed in the case in , which Henry A Gray was charg 1 ed with drunken driving. The case in which B F. Wlut , hargi .1 with drunken i driving was remanded to the • county court. Lester Whitfield Dies In Hospital i —*■— Lester Whitfield, 48syear-old ( Robersonville man, died of a heart attack this morning at sev en o’clock in Camp Butner Hos pital. The son of J L. Whitfield and the late Mis. Whitfield, he had 1 entered the hospital Monday and was believed to be getting along nicely until his sudden attack. Funeral arrangements hud not been completed early today. > Surviving are his widow, the former Carrie Louise Grimes, one 1 son, Bobby, who is serving with the navy in Korea; two daughters, Joyce and Janyce, both of the home; his father, J. L Whitfield, of Robersonville; one brother, Jarvis Whitfield of Robersonville and two sisters, Mrs. Doug Dunn of Ahoskic and Mrs. Jesse Bunt ing ol Robersonville. Victims Of Wreck Reported Improved -- f SOIL BUILDERS v_* Approximately $5,000 is available to eligible farmers in this county for advancing soil building practices, it was announced by the P.-M. A. office this week. The soil building practices include pasture projects, it was ex plained. Approximately $10,000 has , been distributed in the county already for soil building, and time is short for qualifying for the remainder of the $24, 000 allotment. P.-T. A. Meeting Here Last Night Is Well Attended -—«■— Our llmiilml Thirty I'ivc Join Association Before First Session Opens The first meeting of the Wil liamston Parent Teachers' Asso ciation for the current school year was held in the grammar school auditorium with a large number of parents and all hut two of the teachers present. A hundred and thirty-five memberships were se cured at the meeting. An informal social was held in thi' basement cafeteria of the school with refreshments served under the direction of Miss Mar garct McDaniel, home economics instructor in the school during which teachers and parents were able to meet one another and dis cuss school problems on a person h! basis. Declaring the P.-T A to be just as important an organization as there is in the town, including even the church groups, the presi dent announced that the P.-T A meetings would be held this scho lastic year on the fourth Monday evening of each month, barring sonic real emergency and that parents and teachers could count on that as the date of meeting. A project suggestion box in the hall brought suggestions that the organization sponsor better play ground facilities for the children at the grammar school along with some landscaping and urged that an effort be made to have some thing done about the underpass on Main Street where a school bus was wrecked recently injur ing a number of children. A report from the executive committee told of plans to contact county school authorities relative to shades for some of the rooms, books for the libraries and steps for the new high school building as well .is paving between the (Continued on Page Sight) Andrew Harrison Dies In County — --»— Andrew Harrison, 4fl, died at his home near Bear Grass early [ Friday morning after several months of nifies.v Fuiicial scr vices were conducted at the Hose of Sharon Free Will Baptist Church Saturday afternoon at If:30 o’clock by the pastin', the Kev. C. I). Hamilton, and burial were in the Wilson Mi/.ell Cem etery near Bear Grass. Mr. Harrison, son of the late Slade Biggs and Doshia Mi/.ell Harrison, was born and spent all his life in the Bear Grass Com munity. He was a farmer and a member of the Rose of Sharon Free Will Baptist Church. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Betty Mi/ell Harrison; four sons, John Andrews, James Henry, Ro bert Lee, and Odell Harrison, all of the home; two daughters, Ma rie and Hetty Jean Harrison, of the home; three brothers, Earl Harrison of Chocowinity, Floyd Harrison of Williamslon; and five sisters, Mrs. Julian Gurganus of Greenville, Mrs M. G. Cowan and Mrs. Otis Edwards of Suf folk, Va , Mrs. Henry Baiiey of Halifax, and Miss Fanny Harri son ot Edenton; and several niccs and nephews. Santmie Holliday Continues Quite 111 In Hospital -- School Bus Strikes Bridge Almlmciit When Driver “Blacks Out” -- Injured when the school bus in which they were riding sideswip ed ;i railroad bridge abutment on West Main Street here at 3:30 o’clock last Thursday afternoon, most of the accident victims were reported recovering early today. Sammie Holliday, 13-year-old son of Mr and Mrs. J D. Holli day of RED 3, Williamston, con tinue- quite ill in the hospital. He suffered chest and internal in juries, a broken rib and concus sion. Edna Mizelle, driver of School Hus 4(1, an old model Chevrolet, continues in the hospital, but she is responding favorably to treat ment She suffered chest injuries and concussion and severe shock. Dennis Biggs, 13, suffered a collar bone injury and concussion, and was being detained in the hospital for observation, along with Bridgeman Webb, 14, who suffered shock and a concussion. The Biggs lad made it appear as early as last Saturday that was recovering favorably when he said he’d rather be in the field dig ging peanuts than be confined to his bed Mollie Marie Biggs, 11, was cut about the head and suffered a concussion Dorothy Rogerson, 12, suffered abrasions and shock, and James Price, 13, was badly cut m the forehead They were able to leave the hospital during the week-end Mis;, Mizelle, 111 years old, was driving tin bus