North Carolina Newspapers

The enterprise is read by OVER 3,0*0 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK Williamston, Marlin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, December II, 1951 VOLUME LIV—NUMBER 99 ESTABLISHED 1899 Four Accidents On County Roads Daring Week-end —#-— No On^Badh Hurt In Tin* Series, Patrolmen Report ed -<*> Several persons were injured, none of them seriously in a series of four automobile accidents on Martin County highways and streets during the past week-end, according to reports coming from members of the State Highway Patrol. William Arthur Biggs, three year-old colored child, suffered a slight head injury when he ran in to the highway and struck a car being driven by Miss Opal Jones on the old Everetts-Williarrston Highway Sunday afternoon short ly after 5:00 o’clock. One report stated that he lost a few of his baby teeth. He was treated in a local hospital and was able to re turn to his home a short time la ter. The little fellow was playing cowboy with other children near his home when he darted into ' the highway, . Patrolman B W Parker said following his investi gation of the accident. Chappie Doughtry, 52-year-old Negro, was cut on the nose and bruised about the body when his 1950 Chevrolet went out of control and turned over at least four times on Highway 17 about six miles south of Williamston Sun day evening at 8:00 o'clock. Dou ghtry claims his 24-year-old son, Ivory, was operating the car, but there is some doubt about it, ac cording to reliable reports which the patrol is still investigating. The car, traveling toward Wil liamston, went out of control and plowed into a peanut field, tear ing down two peanut stacks, and literally flying as much as 20 feet It went about ninety yards *fter leaving the highway. One side of the car was ripped away and the machine had dirt about a foot deep in its body. The own er of the car apparently was thrown out when it made the first somersault. Investigating the ac cident, Patrolman R. P. Narron estimated the damage to the ma chine at about $1000. Arrested for public drunkenness, Doughtry re fused to report to a doctor for treatment or check-up The son was booked for reckless driving. No one was hurt but damage, estimated at $280 resulted, when a 1950 Mercury and a 1942 Chevro let pick-up truck crashed on High way 64 about six miles east of WiJiiamston last Saturday night at 9:20 o’clock. Marvin Stanch Browning of Winston-Salem was driving his Mercury toward Jamesville and started to pass Benjamin Barber in the pick-up truck. Barbel said he gave a sig nal for a turn, and Browning said if there was a signal he did not see it and was making ready to pass when tha truck started mak ing a turn. Investigating the acci dent, Patrolman Carl Gilchirst said the main damage, $250, was done to the Mercury. There was a minor accident on Washington Sheet here Saturday night about 9:30 o’clock when El mer Rogers sidesviped another (Continued on Page Eight) County Boys Will Leave For Japan At least two Martin County young men, Lt Lawrence G. Lindsley ot Williamston, and Warrant Officer N Irving Hy • -«jaRr -ot-Or-k.City, arp slated to sever connections with the Na tional Guard unit and report for duty in the Far Eastern Command. Hyman, completing a furlough at home, is slated to leave for Japan within the next few days. Lindsley, due home for a thirty or forty-day leave, is to report to Camp Stoneman, California, in late January of early February. Except for the two transfers to the Far East, temporary with drawals for schooling in other areas and the discharge of a few where hardship was claimed, the Martin County unit of the Na toinal Guard has been held intact down at Camp Stewart. "Skuttlebutt” from the camp points to a withdrawal of the Na tional Gaurd from Georgia to a station along the east coast, pos sibly somewhere between Norfolk and Philadelphia. Health Center Opened In New Quarters Here Today Martin County’s Health De partment is now located in its new quarters—a modern' one* story brick structure—on the cor ner of Ray and Harrell Streets. The moving task was handled for the most part yesterday, and while the stay has not had time to recover from the moving opera tions,* the department is carrying on its usual activities. Since it was organized fifteen years ago next July, the depart ment occupied offices in Williams ton's City Hall. Applications to rent most of the offices vacated by the department have been re ceived, it was learned. The new Health Center, hous ing a modern clinic and offices, was constructed at a cost of ap proximately $58,000, the county appropriations right at $20,000 Carolina Medical Care Commission and the federal government paying the remain der. The grounds have been land-: scaped, and while some of the sur roundings are many decades re moved from an ideal health con dition, the setting is attractive and has great potentials. Representatives of the Medical Care Commission inspected the structure last Friday with county officials, including Board Chair man J. H. Edwards and Clerk J. Sam Getsinger. Permission was granted the department to occupy the building, but final settlement with the contractors is being de layed until certain requirements, specified in the contract, are met. Delay Murder Case Trials Until Mareh < Court Expected To End Its Work Late Wednesday Lone Ca«e Keaeliei! tin* Jury Firs! I)av of One-Week Criminal'Tenn -®— Opening a one-week term here yesterday, the Martin County Su perior Court encountered just about every obstacle in the book, but shortly before noon today i1 had cleared most of the cases from the docket and virtually paved the way for adjournment by late tomorrow. With Judge Walter J. Bone of Nashville on the bench, the court is hearing mostly criminal cases, the clerk explaining that there were a few Christmas divorces to be heard upon the completion of the criminal trials. The cases in which Gus An drews and Castannie Sutton are charged with the murder of Alton Lee Sheppard, colored, near Par- i mele on October 28 were confirm ! ed when it was noted that a ma terial witness, Justus Andrews, ; was in the hospital recovering from a major operation. True bills were returned in open court Mon- j day morning by the grand jury, I and the trials are now scheduled I to be called at the next March term. During the meantime, it is fairly certain that the Sutton ! woman will continue in the coun ty jail in default of a $5,000 bond Andrews continues at liberty un der bond in the sum of $3,000. The case in which James Elmer Godard was charged with speed ing and resisting arrest bogged completely down and after wrang ling for hours, the court ordered,, a juror withdrawn and tiie case docketed for trial next March. The State completed its evi jdence in the case, charging the defendant speeded between Oak City and Hamilthn at 65 miles an hour, that he failed to appear when cited to the county court. Papers were issued for the man’s arrest, the State charging that he resisted arrest and threatened the life of Patrolman R. P. Narron. The defense then went to great lenghts in maintaining that the papers or capias, calling for the defendant’s arrest, were not val id, alleging that no court order -was included in the permanent court records. Solicitor Geo. Foun tain maintained that the capias was valid on its face, and evi dence was offered to that effect. ■rly Monday afternoon, Judge Bone ordered the withdrawal of a jUi’oi and the case goes over until the March term. The non-support case against Walter Barnes was continued un der prayer for judgment. The non-support case against Dallas Johnson was continued, and something was said about the possibility of it being no! prossed. After appealing from a judg ment banded down in the county court, Alonzo Lee Mills, charged with speeding, pleaded guilty nnd was fined $25, plus costs. The judgment was the same handed t down in the county court. 1 (Continued on Page Eight j I INTRUDER Good-naturedly, Attorney II. S. Ward of Washington walked right into the middle of a trial in superior court here yesterday afternoon, mumbling deeply as he ad vanced and then exchanged greetings with members of the bar and bench. He stated ' his business and took leave of absence, the court never stop ping its work in the selection of a trial jury. Well in his eighties, the Washington attorney always brings a smile or a chuckle when he visits the court. Patient Wailing Pays Off Friday For Law Officers -- Two M<‘» Arrt*Hlt‘tl at Urinlr l.i<|iior Still Nrur Purinelr /.Twelve hours of patient waiting ! paid off for law enforcement of ficers in this county last Friday night when*they arrested two men | for violating tlie liquor laws. Spotting an illicit liquor manu | factoring plant about one-half | mile w< st of Parmelc between U. S. Highway 04 and the railroad, the officers, including those from the ABC enforcement division, the sheriffs office and Roberson Ville's township constable and deputy, Dennis Roberson, took a stand about 75 yards from the 1 still '.shortly af|er 8:00 o'clock j Friday evening. The law was waiting to score against trims- [ porters as well as tne manufae- | turers. The transporters just did 1 not show up, and after waiting j until 8:00 o’clock Saturday morn- ; ing, the officers moved in and ar- j rested James Briley, 48, and Wil- 1 ham Augustus Reddick, 51. A third man, a stranger to the oth er two, according to their story, escaped. Bliley and Reddick were mov ing out of the woods with seven gallons of "poison” lightning. The sheriff laid his hands on both of them as they passed along a beat en path, but one got away. Depu ty Roy Peel snagged him, holding to Ins foot, tiie fellow failing to get away even though he kicked (Continued on Page Eight) Native Of County Died Last Friday In Philadelphia -<*. Funeral HeJ»J Sunday In Spring Green ( liureli for Niooclenms Roebuek Funeral services were conduct ed in the Spring Green Primitive Baptist Church near his boyhood home in Poplar Point Township Sunday afternoon at 3:00 o’clock for Nicodemus Roebuck who died in Presbyterian Hospital, Phila delphia, last Friday afternoon al 12:45 o’clock. Elder A. B. Ayers and the Rev, E. R. Stewart, Bap tist minister of Hamilton, conduct ed the service, and interment was in the church cemetery. Boyhooc friends and ecquaintances froir over the county and other sections filled the church for the service and members of the Hamiltor choir sang. The son of the late George R and Elinza Dell White Roebuck he was born in this coupty neai Spring Green fifty years ago or October 13, 1901. After spendinp his early life on the family farm he went to Virginia where he was employed a short while before locating in Philadelphia about 23 years ago. He was prominently engaged in the commercial refrig eration business. About ten years ago he suffer ed a heart attack, but after a stay of two months in the hospital and months of rest at home, he was able to continue his work on a limited scale until the first of this month when he suffered another attack. He was removed to the hospital, Ins condition be coming critical last Thursday when all members of the family were called to his bedside. In early manhood he was mar ried to Miss Cora Odom of Peters burg. Surviving besides Ins wi dow, are a son, Herbert Roebuck; a daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Scott both of Philadelphia; a brother John Roebuck of Williamston three sisters, Mrs. Carrie Dell Pippen of Philadelphia, Mrs Mack Wynne and Mrs. Ben H James, both of RFD 3, Williams ton; and a half-sister, Mrs. Mun dy White, also of RFD 3, Wil liamston. Among those from out of the county who attended the funeral were, Mrs Roebuck, Mrs Doro thy Scott an] son, Mr. and Mrs Herbert Roebuck and Mr and Mrs. Jos. Notorfrancisco, all of Philadelphia, Mr and Mis. J T Allen of Greenville, Mrs. Curtis Slankard, Mrs. Margaret P. Dav is and Mrs. Friernyer, all of Ply mouth. -4 Local Meti (Continue III In Rocky Mount Hospital Messrs. C B. Clark, Sr., and Jimmy Harris, prominent local business man, continue quite ill in a Rocky Mount hospital, accord ing to reports received here short ly before noon today. Suffering an attack last Wed nesday night, Mr Clark was re moved to the Rocky Mount hos pital Saturday and while there has been no great change in his condition, he was reported resting fairly well. Mi Harris, alter ex periencing two restless nights, rested well last night, it was re ported ---— Suffers Arm Injury In hull On School (Ground -— Bobby Coltrain, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert,Coltrain, suffered an arm injury, possibly a fracture, in a fall while playing with a com panion on the school grounds at Jamcsviilc yesterday about neon He was reported to be resting fairly well in a local hospital this morning. Big Lumber Mill Destroyed In Quarter Million Dollar Fire Here Late Last \ iglvt Devil Took Over Ai Piccolo Joint Saturday Evening Two Persons (.arvo»l: lee Piek In Another, Anil Another Shot -* The devil took over at Jim Bell’s piccolo joint near Gold Point late last Saturday evening, leaving in his wake one person badly shot, two others painfully cut, another gored with an ice pick and still others left wallow ing public drunkenness. The first phase of the distur bance was aired in Justice C’has. R. Mobley's court in Williamston’s town hall Monday night A few less than one hundred Negroes crowded into the hearing room and police station, the overflow lining the sidewalks on both sides of the street. The second and more serious phase of the trobule is scheduled to be aired by the trial justice next Monday night. Three of the four defendants called in the first round-up were charged with disorderly conduct, and the fourth was charged with public drunkenness. Just what happened was not brought out in detail at the first hearing, and it is fairly evident that the witness es are covering up something. No mention was made of it in open court, but onlookers were quoted as saying that one Kay Frames Wiggins, 111, drove an ice piek in to Jack Tillery’s shoulder, that possibly the incident touched off one happening after another. Both the Wiggins woman and Til lery along with Jero Jones, Jr., were taxed with $5.85 costs each Augustus Chances, booked for public drunkenness, was fined $10, plus costs. Next Monday night, if every thing goes right, Willie James Lawrence, Thomas Purvis and the proprietor of the joint, Jim Bell, are to he given preliminary hear iiigs m the eases ill which they Hi e charged with assaults with dead ly weapons. Lawrence is charged with stab bing Purvis. Purvis is charged with carving Lawrence, and Jim Bell is charged with shooting Pur vis with a shot gun. Lawrence had a six-stitch gash in his shoulder and a bad cut in his hand whim Purvis got through working him over. Purvis, after being stabbed in the leg, ran from Bell’s place into the open road. Bell, using a 12-guage gun, fired a load of No. 6 shot at Purvis who was in just about 150 foot range Loaded with between 50 and 100 shot from his hips to his legs, Purvis was picked up by friends, carried to his home and later re moved to Martin General Hospi tal where it was shot picking time for a long time. He is expected to recover if no complications (level op. Lawrence was treated in Wards’ Clinic and was able to be out for the first hearing. (Continued on Page Eight) --« Doctor (.loses II is Office In Oak (.ily -m> After practicing medicine and figuring prominently in the af fairs of the Oak City community for more than quarter a century, Dr. E. E. Pittman was reported }'i huv' ...Jtu; f .' If.'.ore las; week-end Experiencing de clining health, the doctor left for Virginia Bench to make his home. 1 Lone Eitgtzr Reported For Duty In the A rmy Monday Jack Smith, Jr., young farmer of Goose Nest Township playing the role of a lone eagle, reported Monday for final induction into the armed services. The only man called by the draft to report for final induction from this county in December, the young man left on a regular bus by schedule for the army station in Raleigh. Just why only one man was called and just before the holidays, no one can say other than that's the way of the draft. No pre-induction call was re ceived in this county for Decem ber. Unofficial reports maintain that tho draft will start taking young men in sizable numbers next j month. According to the unofficial information, twenty-five Martin County men will be called for fin al induction and thirty-five will be called for pre-induction in January. So far. approximately 175 Mar tin County men have been drafted into the armed forces since World War II. According to information gain ed from one ol the twelve men called from this county last month for pro induction, only three pass ed. Name Nominees For County P-MA Places f SMALL CUOWnS I Proceedings in the superior courts in this county don’t at tract the attention now that they did in days gone by. This week, although there was a murder case on the docket, the spectators hardly tilled one-half of the court room. At times there were less than fifty spectators in the room, and most of them apparently showed little in terest in the proceedings. Plans Completed For PM A Election In This County Dclrititlrs To (loiinlv ( on \riilion To iNitiiU' t om niillru ITitlnv Plans have been completed for holding the Production-Market ing Administration community elections in this county on Thurs day of 111 i s week. Preliminary reports reaching here' indie ate that “hot” elections are in the making m .-.cVeral aiess while in others very little interest is in evidence At conventions held throughout the county last Thuisday night, a slate was nominated m each dis trict for community committee men and delegates to the county convention. The nominees will he voted on in the election Thursday, each community to elect for its committee, a chairman, a vice chairman, regulai member and one or two alternates Each group will also elect a delegate and an alternate to the county conven tion to he held in the county agri culture budding next Friday. The convention will elect the county committee. The election Thursday of this week will be held from 9:00 a. in. until 6:0(1 p. m., in the following communities' Jamcsviile I and II in James ville City Hall; Williams in tin county house; Griffins at Stephen Manning's -lore; Beat Grass at Haire-on - Gru nge in Bi s: Gia , William.-,ton and Poplin Point in (Continued on Page Eight) Blood Donor Volunteers Coming Up Short The number of volunteer? of fering to give blood when the Red Cross bloodmobile mokes its thud visit here on Friday of this week, is corning up short, according to a semi-final report released this morning by Bill Spivey and Wheeler' Mannrng, chairmen of the recruiting committee. "We had expected right at 300 volunteers,” the recruiters sard, but up until shortly before noon today a few less than 200 had signed up to be at the cent t in the American Legion Hut on Fri day of this week. If the usual percentage is ac cepted, there will be about 160 donors, or about thirty short of the count recorded on the blood mobile’s first visit and about 22 more than was received on the second visit Iasi July. While it has been encouraging in some areas, the lesponsc sim ply has not measured up to ex pectations, and it is possible that the program, as far as this chapter I is concerned, will be discontinued unless the people get behind it and offer a greater support. The center will be open iri the Legion Hut on Watts Street from 10:00 a. m. until 4:00 p. m. and anyone who has not already vol unteered is asked to contact the Red Cross office at on'-c or go to the hut during those hours. It was explained that several j groups had .signer! up almost 100 > percent in support of the program, that five out of Mr. Yales’ six man transformer crew of Lie Vtr |ginia Electric and Power Com pany had volunteered. Other (■roups, including civic organiza tions throughout the chapter, are also supporting the blood bank, but (the general public, while sharing the precious service, are a bit indifferent to the appeals. Response to the program is im proving remarkably in other sec tions of the country The com paratively small community of Coltrain recently donated one hundred pints of blood to the center. Election Will Be Held Thursday In Various Sections --« (Juilc \ I'Vh (.lianj'o |*os sihlc In Committee Personnel III I *)r>2 ——$ Martin County farmers, turning out in lair sized numbers in some areas and in emnparatively large numbers in other sections, nomi nated representatives from their respective groups to go into an ( let tion on Thursday of this week for places on the community Pro duct ion Market mg Administra tion committees and to name dele gates and alternates to the county convention to he held Friday. Quite a few names appear in the list of nominees, maming it i , possible that the community and county committees will have a fairly large turn over in per sonnel for li)fi2. The action of the nominating conventions held in the twelve community areas last Thursday evening, includes the following nominations by districts: •Inmesville I Community Corn mittee: Harry Jones, Howard Hardison, Arthur Modiin, Carl Griffin, George Martin, Edgar | Hopewell and Carrol! Modiin; !• Delegate David Holliday Her ! lici t Sexton, A. W Hilley and i Milton Griffin. Jamcsville II Community Committee: C. G. Gurkin, Grovei Hilley, Grady Davenport, Dan Fa gan, D. I). Coburn, I, S. Davis and Arthur Ange; Delegate: 11 L Reddick, K. G. Coburn and 1’. M, Ange. Williams Community Commit tee Howard Tyre, Wendell Grit fin, K ,1 Hardison, Grady God aid, Marvin Hardison, Paul Har i ington, C L. Daniel; Delegate: Grady Godard and Wendell Grif fin. Griffins Community Commit tee: Stephen Manning, Lester Griffin, Clarence Gurkin, Wil ham II Peel, Thomas Tice, Leslie K Ha i dison and Thiirmon G i if fin; Delegate Asa J Hardison and Coy (Iriffin. Hear Grass Community Com ! nutter1 Elmer Griffin, K. C. Har | ri on, 11 G. Ha: i iron, H. U Peel, IM. S. Cowin, Ralph Mobley, Ophus I Haile;, and Hoy Harrison; Dele gale E. C. Harrison and J. D. Wynne Williamston-Poplar Point |Community Committee: John W. Gurkin, M. E Rogers, H T. Grif fin, N. D. Griffin, J Edward Co ny, C. C. Bailey, Hubert Biggs and C. P. Cullipher; Delegate Luther Peel and C. Fisher Harris. Cross Roads—Community Com mittee: G. H. Forbes, Geo. W. Taylor, Marion Griffin, J. F. Hail ey, R. L Hailey, Marshall Wilson and Oscar Ayers; Delegate: Geo. W. Taylor and C. C. Hailey. Robersonville I — Community Committee: Jim Daniel, Samuel Jenkins, Lester L. Everett, Irving G. Keel, Dennis Alexander and (Continued on page eight) Wells-Oats Plant Burns In Town's Most Costly Fire Mori* Than Om* IItimlr<*il lluriK il < hit Of Jobs In Three-Hour Fire The large lumber mill of the Welli-Oates Company on East Main Street here was destroyed in the most costly fire in Jhe town’s history late last night and early this morning. Preliminary estimates gained from reliable sources, placed the loss at one quarter million dollars. Owners, of the plant, one of the town’s largest in the heavy in dustry field, could not be reached immediately, and local represen tatives along with the entire pop ulaee were so stunned by the de struction that few details could be learned early today. Starting about 11:30 o’clock last night, the fire burned itself out in a little less than three hours. The fire was confined to the main mill, firemen, encountering many obstacles, saving part of the grad ing sheds and just about all of the timber in the mill and on tha lot. Joe Smith, working the first watchman’s shift, said he walked through the second story of the main part of the mill about 11:20 o’clock, saw no sign of fire and join si the second shift watchman in the boiler room. Traveling to ward the river wharf, Francis Leggett saw the fire and sound ed an alarm. The watchman said, "It was one big puff and the building was a roaring inferno.” Smith added, "All the fire depart ments in this section of the coun try could not have saved the mill." The fire started on the second floor about the middle of the plant, and by the time a general alarm was sounded it had spread from one end of the mill to the other Occupants in near-by houses and stores immediately started moving out their worldly goods, and just about everything In the immediate vicinity was wrecked or damaged. All of the town's fire-fighting equipment was moved to the plant with minimum delay. Company employes were found trying to hook up the plant's hose lines. One truck was placed in opera tion at a hydrant on the street leading to the river wharf The second truck, trying to reach a hydrant back ot the plant, got stuck, and the hydrant prissure in that area almost rendered the firemen helpless there. Once freed .the pumper was spotted on the big water mains on the main street more than a block from the plant, and fireman were able to check the fire at the grading shed and at the boiler room. The plant had been electrified less than six months ago, the mo tors and equipment costing right at $25,000.00, it was conservative ly estimated. Eighty-five men were employed in the mill proper, and about fifty others in the logwoods were dependent upon it for employ ment. The local manger, Frank E. Weston, said he could not say what the company planned to do, (Continued on page eight) Haywood Moore Awarded Badge With the 25th Infantry Division * sr- . V - li-i-r-. w-OTfin .ft mi i »t / i • n i i v . jiiti > w i a_». Moore, RFD 2, Williamslon, N. C„ has been awarded the Combat In fantryman Badge, a symbol of close-quarter fighting wuth the enemy, while serving with the 25th Infantry Division in Korea. The badge, consisting of a min iature replica of a Revolutionary War Flintlock mounted on a blue background and superimposed on a silver wreath, distinguishes the actual fighting men from rear area and service troops. Moore is assigned to Company' 11 of the 25th Division's 27iii Iri fantry Regiment.