Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / June 17, 1952, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER COUNTY FAMILIES twice each week VOLUME L V—NUMBER 49 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, June 17, 1952 ESTABLISHED 1899 ' ■ f 'Doctor' Simmons Faces More False Pretense Charges Victim Said To Have Taken Medicine Saturday And Following a preliminary hear ing held last Thursday night in the courthouse, another warrant has been sworn out against John ny Simmons, alias Johnny Wil liams, charging him with false pretense. The last case, one of twenty brought against the Negro con jurer, dates back to November, 1945, when he proposed to cure Edward Williams’ daughter near Hamilton. The details of the case have not yet been disclosed, but Williams, in procuring a warrent from Justice Chas. H. Mobley last week-end, said that Simmons gave his daughter medicine on Satur day and that she died the follow ing Tuesday. Williams pointed out that he cashed war bonds and drew all the money he had out of the bank to pay Simmons’ $395 fee. ^t the close of the preliminary hearing held last Thursday even ing, Simmons was required to give bond in the sum of $7,600. Un able to raise that amount, he was returned to jail to await trial this week. Probable cause was found in nineteen cases, and the other was ruled out of the jurisdiction of the courts in this county with the possibility that it will be transferred to the Pitt County Superior Court. •rhe voodoo doctors in darkest Africa have nothing on Simmons when it comes to barbaric con juration, according to stories heard at the preliminary hearing last Thursday. ; There was a victim suffering 1 with exzema. Doc Simmons said that she caught it from her hus bnad who caught it from another woman. The skin trouble was 1 centered on the woman’s arm, but Simmons said that the main trou ble was in her stomach and that W was moving toward her heart. When the woman explained that one of her twelve children had died, Simmons said that the child • absorbed the poison intended for ’ the mother and died. The woman declared that she did not speak to her husband for several months because he had commuted the skin trouble to her from another woman, according to Simmons. gating his case against Sim mons, Sam Blanchard said that Simmons went to his home on the (Anderson farm last February or early March and told him that his (Sam's) wife was in bad shape. Sai said she- a b >»«*.- Wiv'». : and that Simmons claimed he ' rould take it away for $350. Sam taid he paid $35 down, gave him $10 more and sold a pig for $12.90, giving that amount to Simmons. > No cure was guaranteed until all | the money was paid, but Simmons ; stated his treatments during the meantime. Soon thereafter a bargain was made, Simmons to receive a hog and an oil stove for the cure. Sam said he had not seen Simmons since that time. The case of Gus Griffin against Simmons is rated a complicated one, the complainant stating that his wife had died and that his daughter (Anna Mills) was miss ing. Griffin said he had heard about Simmons literally bringing a^ian back from the dead, and he went to see him about his wife. Simmons said that unless some thing was done quickly, Gus’ wife would die. Gus said he gave the mar. $60 to take the case. He car ned his wire to Greenville and Simmons sold him a $75 ‘ medi cine'’ belt, made out of cloth, for his wife. Gus said after the first (Continued on Page Eight) -« Robbers Entered Business Sunday Breaking a glass and making an entrance through a back, window, robbers pilfered the Little Savoy Cafe here on Washington Street sometime between Saturday mid night and Sunday daybreak. No ting much ^as missed from the small place of business except about $25 to $30 from a piccolo machine. The robbers forced their way into the music box, damag ing the machine as well as pocket ing the money found there. Fact-Finding, Group Makes Consolidation Plan Study Representing the North Caro lina State Board of Education, a six-man fact-finding committee made an on-the-spot survey of several school plants in the county last week in connection with the proposed plan to consolidate the Farm Life High School with the one in Williamston, or Jamesville or Bear Grass. The committee, headed by J. E. Hunter, of the division of teach er allotments, and including J. E. Miller, assistant to the State Su perintendent of Public Instruc tion, John Cameron of the divi sion of schoolhouse planning, H. C. Davis, chief auditor for the State Board, and A B. Combs of the division of instructional ser vice, studied the facts and inspect » ed the school plants at Farm Life, Jamesville, Bear Grass and Wil liamston, checking distances and road conditions. The fact-finding committee'is expected to make no recommendation other than sub mit the facts as they were found. No official report could be had, but it was learned that no new facts were uncovered, that the committe found the facts just as they had been presented by in vestigators and petitioners. It could not be learned when the State Board would take final action on the proposal. It is pos sible that a final ruling will be handed down at a special meeting of the State Board in Raleigh on Thursday of this week, or the action may be delayed until the regular meeting on July 3. FIRST HARVEST ] Farmers Toba Bowen in Cross Roads and Jay Lilley in Bear Grass last Friday launched the tobacco harvest in this county', each harvest ing fairly sizable barns of to bacco. The quality of the first har vest was rated inferior by Mr. Bowen who explained that the first leaves were burn ing in the field as a result of the dry weather. The harvest is unusually early, but the task is not ex pected to get under way on any appreciable scale for an other ten days or two weeks in this county. Two Accidents On Streets Here -» Two accidents, one of them be ing rated as minor consequence, were reported on local streets last week-’end. No one was injured, Officer Tom Chesson reported A 1947 Studebaker, owned by John W. Outten, Martin General Hospital technician, rolled away from its parking place all by it self on West Liberty Street late Saturday afternoon and coasted down hill into the parked car of Robt. P. Kloeti in front of the General Grocery. Mr*. Kloeti and son were in the car, but they were not i urt. An unofficial es timate place'd the damage to the Kloeti Pontiac at $100 and that to Mr. Outten’s car at $50. Pointing out that another car forced him off the itieec, Sidney Baggette, Bertie County man gnd a former Williamston resident, ran into a light pole on East Main (Street, the 1951 Chevrolet then swerving and plowing into a home on the other side of the street about 1:00 o’clock Saturday morning. Damage to the car was estimated at $750. Baggette was not injured, police said. Painfully Hurl When Hil by Car Robert Earl Lee, seven years old, was painfully but believed not badly hurt when he was run down by a car driven by Charlie Barns of RFD 4, Windsor, on Washington Street here early last Thursday afternoon. His head biAiiscd and skinned, the little vio ti-n was removed t> a local..toffc* pital where he was released fol lowing over-night treatment. Investigating the accident, Chief John Roebuck said the little fellow ran from* behind a parked car into the street. •-» Driver Deserts Car and Escapes —»— Joe Dowdv, colored man driv ing Elmo Rodgers’ car, deserted the machine and escaped when lo cal officers closed in on him about 5:00 o’clock Sunday morning. The owner of the car, riding in it, was booked for public drunkenness, Officer Tom Chesson reported. Dowdy tried to outrun the offi cers. with the car but he was overhauled a short distance out on the Washington Road. Bootlegger Free On Technicality It wasn't a question of guilt or innocence when the case in which Simon Jenkins, 42-year-old Rob ersonville Negro charged with violating the liquor laws. No one denied that officers found four and one-half gallons of illicit li quor under a trap door in the Jenkins home the 4th of last month. Defense counsel pleaded with the court thut the evidence be suppressed because the search warrant was not legally executed. The defense maintained that the complaining officer was not ex amined under oath when he asked for the search warrant, that was null and void and that a motion tor a directed verdict of not guilty should be allowed. The state ad mitted that no affidavit was sign ed in the case by the officer, and the judge nol pressed the action. He suggested that the officers be more careful in procuring search warrants, and that they contact justices who knew how to issue them. 'J?he jurist also ex pressed the wish that he could “get his hands on the defendant’’, that while prosecution in the case was balked, he felt certain the de fendant would be back in court sooner or later. Names Added To Jamesville List Contributions solicited for the 1952 cancer fund by Mrs. Seth Davis in Jamesville were inadver tently omitted in the list publish ed a few days ago In checking the list, The Enterprise lourid the following contributions had been submitted but left out by the publishers: Mr. and Mrs. Seth Davis, $2; Mrs. E. W. Hardem, 50c; Mr. and Mrs. Robbie Waters, $1; Mr. and Mrs. Allen Griffin, 50c; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Woolard, $1; Mr. and Mrs.'Charlie Hough, $1; Mr. and Mrs. Linwood Knowles, $1; Mr. and Mrs. Hoyle Davenport, $1; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hardison, 50c; Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Hayes, 50c. I EXPECTED SOON v__ A ruling by Judge J. Paul Frizzelie in the civil action brought by the town against the Atlantic Coast Line Rail road Company and the North Carolina State Highway Com mission is expected the latter part of tFlis’ or early next week, it was learned yester day. ^ 4MMB Presiding over a one-week term of the Martin County Superior Court here this wek, Judge Frizzelie stated that he had been studying the case along with many others since the hearing held during the last March term, that he wanted to review one or two more cases related to the ac tion before reaching and an nouncing a decision. “I have not yet reached a decision in the case," Judge Frizzelie said yesterday after noon. During the meantime, the narrow roadway under the railroad on Williamston’s West Main Street still stands j as a danger spot and as an obstacle to progress. Three Accidents On County Roads During Week-end No One Was Injured And Property Damage Was Less Than $300 -• No one was injured and proper ty damage was held to a low fi gure in three motor vehicle acci dents on the highways and rural roads in this county last week end, according to a report releas ed Monday by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol office in the Martin courthouse. Williamston police reported two accidents on local streets, but no one was in jured and property damage was limited in those two to $850, it was learned. Traveling from the Rocky Mount June German about 6:00 o'clock Saturday morning, Wil liam Riley Bullock, Jr., of Bethel started to pass Booker T. Mizelle on the western outskirts of Rober sonville and the vehicles crashed. Investigating the accident, Patrol man B. W. Parker said that Mi zelle, driving a 1941 Ford, start ed to make a left turn, that dam age to Bullock's 1949 Ford was estimated at $40 and that to the Mizelle car at $25. Driving a Dodge fruit truck be tween Everetts and Robersonville last Friday afternoon, John K. Newcomb lost control of the ma chine when the steering rod came loose and the truck went into a field and almost turned over. There was no damage, Patrolman Parker said following his investi gation. Just off the roads where he ser ved time for drunken driving, Charlie Razor bought a 1938 Mod el Buick last Saturday and wreck ed it Sunday morning at 11:30 olclock on a dirt road in the Flat Swamp section of Robersonville Township. He lost control of the machine on a curve and the car turned over, causing about $200 damage. Razor and his four com panions were not hurt. Following his investigation, Patrolman B. W. Parker charged Razor with reck less driving and operating a motor vehicle while his driver’s license was revoked. Many Excused From Jury Duly —«,— Armed with good causes, quite a few citizens were excused from jury duty in the Martin County Superior Court this week by Jurige J. Paul Frizzelle. When Geo. W Coltrain of Ham ilton explained that he was 74, an age a bit old for one to sit as a member of a court juiy, and that he was hard of hearing, Judge Frizzelle explained that one was just entering the prime of life at 74.The excuse, claiming faulty hearing, was recognized, the jurist smiling a bit as he granted the request. R. R. Carson was excused when he explained that he had served for three years in a row. James H. Highsmith was allowed to go his way on account of “temporary af flictions”, and W. L. Edwards was dismissed from service when it was pointed out that he had serv ed last November. Others excus ed were, A. R. Hardison, C. J. Brady, Leslie Coltrain and L. H. Rouse. Attack Victim In Veterans Hospital Critically wounded when struck by a bullet fired by William T Currie in Jamesville on June 3, Elmer Gray Modlih, 32-year-old World War II veteran, was re moved to a veterans hospital in Fayetteville early this morning. He made the trip in a Biggs am bulance. Special Medina Of ini vct>t lien' ThurmUiy -... There will be a special meeting of tin Martin County World War H Amvets, Thursday night June 19, at the Martin County Court house. This meeting has been called by the new organization commander, Luther Hugh Hardison, young Jamesville merchant. Commander Hardison urges all officers and members to be pre sent at this meeting. Prize Winning Essay Wriiien By County Girl Miss Harhura HoIShIhv Is Third In State-Wide Contest By Barbara Holliday Many times foreigners have been known to sum up their im pression of America like this: “Your capacity to produce and your energy excite the admiration of the world, but America's un solved problems of poverty, slums, and neglected minority groups— despite your great wealth and vi tality perplex and distress us.” The truth w'hich is so quickly apparent to our friends from abroad is documented by govern ment statistics. Despite a national production of $257,000,000,000 in 1949, 10 1-2 million American families existed on incomes of less than $2000. Shiftlessness was not an important factor; but discrim inary employment practices against the handicapped, the aged, and minority groups were a major cause of this mass misery. During a period of mobiliza tion for defense, the country can not be wasteful of any resources, human or natural. Defense Mo bilization Administrator, Charles E. Wilson, has told the nation it must add three to four million workers to defense this year. This manpower requirement has turn ed the spotlight on our great re maining untapped reservoir—the disabled ,the Negro, and the aged worker Barriers are beginning to come down. But when the defense job is done, will these groups again be forced back on the scrap heap of low-paid marginal jobs on the relief rolls, even though their proven abilities entitle them to a continuing opportunity to earn a decent family, living? Americans must weigh this question! For years we have thought of the problem of employing handi capped people as important be cause of the humanitarian bene fits to individuals who become self-sufficient wage earners. Un til recently, employment of the handicapped was made in the spirit of sympathy and pity. As a result average performance was not expected. Not only did the handicapped resent this feeling of pity but they also resented their being selected for a job because of sentiment. Today, however, our awareness of the competitive situation that has developed in the world and the possibility of a war of survi val leads us to the realization that for national safety we need to pro duce to our maximum e«j>»eity To do so we need to procure safe and productive employment for all of our latent workers. Now is the time for the physi cally handicapped to make their maximum contribution to the pre sent and future security of this nation. It is the time to give a job to every American who is willing and able to work. The way to get top production is to hire every willing worker in the country. America^ national security de pends on our industrial strength. Therefore, every American who can do a job should be given one. We know that we have a grave situation because our national census of the handicapped tells us that we have many thousands, perhaps millions, of handicapped people who are not engaged in productive employment. This rep resents a tremendous potentiality for greater production any for in creasing'' national efficiency, d we can solve this problem and can find the way to place this segment of our problem and can find the way to place this segment of our population on productive jobs. If this is accomplished, the handi capped persons, industry, and all society will gain because we will enjoy greater national security. The handicapped worker wants (Continued on Page Six) Hr emeu (jailed On I Saturday Afternoon Volunteer firemen were called out here early last Saturday af ternoon when a pile of leaver caught fire and threatened an out building on the Lamb property, Conner of Smith wick and Acad emy Streets. There was no dam age. Crop Duster Pulls Out Of Crash With Minor Injuries Blinded out for a second by the sun, Merle Torrance, crop duster, struck a 7,600-volt, power line with his rub plane and crashed a few miles out of Jamesviile at 10:00 o'clock last Saturday morn ing. Suffering only a minor scratch or cut about the head, the 30-year-old pilot crawled out of the wrecked ship, reported to sec tional headquarters at Larry Barnhill’s store near Roberson ville and immediately made ready to continue his work. The ship is being repaired at the center in this county and will join the fleet by the end of the week, Mi Torrance said last night. During the meantime, his operating partner, Clarence W. Witte, is carrying on the business, i it was explained. Mr. Jab Rober son of Robersunvillc is working with the crop dusting service, and the group is preparing to handle the war on crop insects and pets in this area. The fliers are from Kewanee, Illinois, and are experienced air men as well as crop dusters, Mr. Roberson said. Power service at the Munford Brown crossroads was interrupted i for about ninety minutes, and the break was repaired and full ser vice was restored by late after noon. No estimate on the plane dam age could be had immediately, but the propeller was wrecked, A wing shattered and the motor twisted a bit in the accident. Seek Second-Degree Murder Case Verdict Castannia Sutton Taking Stand In Own Behalf Today ~—. Few Ollirr (!aso Knno\nl From Docket In Tin* Superior Court -s$ With only one more material witness the defendant herself to be heard from, it is fairly cer tain that the true story in the fa tal stabbing of Alton Lee Shop pard, colored man, by Castannia Sutton, also colored, near Par mele last October 2B, will never be known. Foregoing a claim to a verdict of murder in the first degree, So licitor George Fountain of Tar boro in the superior court com pleted the evidence for the State at 4:20 o'clock Monday afternoon, leaving the facts contused and the witnesses not certain of any thing definite. The trial is expected to reach the jury sometime today, possibly at noon. Jack Palmer, one of the main witnesses for the State, told much about the case, but another wit ness, Gus Andrews, maintained that Palmer did not appear at the Sutton home until after the "stabbing". Palmer, explaining that he did not know who lived in the house, said he stopped when he heard a noise there He said lie saw Gus Andrews carrying tin victim from the kitchen to a front bed room, that he took the death dealing weapon —an icepick- - and carried it to Robersonville, then back to the home near Parmele, and later delivered it to “a lady in Robersonville.” It was indirectly brought out during the trial that there had been variations in the stories told soon after and since the fatal at tack, and offiei rs are of the ion that all the parties, including most if not all the witnesses were so drunk they hardly knew what happened. Marjorie Andrews, young col ored woman who was said to have been sleeping or resting in an other room, said she heard Shep pard tell Gus Andrews to turn him loose, that immediately there after she heard Castannia say,"I have stabbed Luke (Sheppard), 1 have stabbed Luke” The witness further quoted the defendant as having said, “Gus, take the ice pick and throw it away.” (Continued on Page Fight) f HOIJINIMJI* 'v---J The* drunks monopolized the .jail record in this county last week-end. Five persons, charged with public drunken ness, were jailed during the period. There were other law violations reported, hut bond was arranged before the jail doors were closed on the al leged violators, and a lew were not apprehended. Two of those arrested and jailed were white, and the ages of the group ranged from 18 to IHyears. OlIOTA The Martin County Red Cross Chapter met its 150 pint quota when the regional blood bank sent its bloodmo bille here last Thursday. Recruiters Mobley and Cur ganus said that 2120 volunteer ed to give blood, that quite a few- found it necessary to cancel their appointments at the last minute while a few forgot their appointment. Had it not been for a goodly num ber of dropins, the quota would not have been met, it was pointed out. Magazine Group In The County A group of about sixteen young men and women caused much ex citement in tlie county last week end. ft was reported that mem bers of the group had kidnapped a young Jamesville Township girl, and investigations were held late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. It was brought out that the young lady whose name was not divulged had agreed to work with the group for $67 a week, and that she had accepted the job with the consent of her mother. A delega tion from Jamesville reported to law enforcement officers Wed nesday night and the girl was re moved from a tourist court and returned home by her step-father. During the investigation, offi cers learned that the magazine solicitors had employed pressure tactics in selling their magazines, that they had cursed and abused one farmer over in Williams Township. At one home, members of the group could not sell the lady of tbs.' house a subscription and asked pet mission to contact the husband in the field. They ex plained to the husband that the wife wanted a magazine and lie was to pay foi it. The wife’s wish es were recognized and the farmer pulled out the subscription mon ey, the canvassers going then way. No charges were brought, but the group soon pulled up slakes and left the county. Cross Roads Adds To Cancer Fund Cross Hoads, after exceeding its quota bv a large margin, added another $5 to its contributions this week, it was h ported by Chair man Joe W. Hailey. The Willie Poole Circle, named for Mrs. I’eele who was a prom inent ami able leader in the Eve lefts Baptist Church, made a $6 donation, Mr Bailey said. The total raised in Cross Roads for the fund now stands at $126.63. In publishing the list of con tributors last wek, the paper made a few errors which stand correct ed, as follows: Mr and Mrs. J. S. Wynne, 78c; Lorraine Wynne, $1; Mrs. Chester Taylor 50c and Na than Bullock 50c. U, S. Is Helping Burmese Farmer Get Beiier Crops -— Kormrr County \s:i‘iit From I* Doin'' A Croat Job -« Rangoon, Burma—Crop yields are higher in the Shan States of Burma today and the equipment the Shan farmers are using is better adapted to its purposes be cause a former Tennessee county agent has personally brought American agricultural know-how to the Shan hill people. He is Otto Hunerwadel; a mem ber of the staff of the Mutual Se curity Agency’s Special Technical and Economic Mission (STEM) to Burma. With a background of 18 years as a county agent in Tennessee, Hunerwadel is doing in Burma what he did for so long in the United States. He goes into the “backwoods” areas of Burma's Shan farmers individually and in small groups. To the Burmese, he is “the American agriculture man.” To endless numbers of them, he is a personal friend who, through his suggestions or mechanical skill, has helped them improve their erop yields or fixed some valuable piece of equipment, such us an American refrigerator or an old sewing machine. Hunerwadel has brought them | better seeds and showed them I how to plant them so that they get more and better crops. He has taught the Shan farmers better methods of pruning their fruit trees, how to use insecticides and fertilizers and how to practice soil conservation. He brought them samples of hemp from Ran goon and showed the Shan far mers how to twine their water buffalo lead lopes so they would stand up against long hard pulls. A simple suggestion he made for easting the tips of the Shan far mers' plow shares has improved their use in rocky soil. MSA officials point to Huner wadol’s achievements in Burma as an effective example of the phi (Continued on page eight) Fatally Stricken On Local Street McKinley Powell, 48-year-old colored farmer of Hamilton, was fatally stricken while talking with members of his family in front of the Guaranty Bank building here on Main Street shortly after fi.UO o’clock yesterday afternoon. Be lieved to have suflcrcd a stroke of paralysis, Powell was pronoun ced dead upon arrival at a local hospital. His body was turned over to a local funeral home. Powell, telling friends that he felt mighty bad added that he didn't believe he could# survi^i another attack. A few seconds later he fell to the sidewalk. No doctor could be had for him at the scene, and he was placed in a car and carried to the hospital. » man, raid to have iai bleu near Hamilton most of his life, had attended court that day, and one report said he had planned to attend the Negro June German in Hocks Mount last night It was also reported that he had suffer ed a stroke some time ago. — ———$> Officers Wrecks Copper Kettle Raiding in the Hassell section of Hamilton Township Saturday, ABC Officers Roebuck and Bul lock. and Deputy Wiley Craft and assistants wrecked a small liquor plant. The raiders confiscated the 40-gallon capacity square copper kettle and poured out about. 100 gallons ot mash. Invitation Issind lor I’rrl-t, riffin II t'dding Mr. and Mrs J. Marion Griffin of Robersonville request the hon or of your presence at the mar riage of their daughter, Arwilda Jane, to Sfe. Paul H. Peeie, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul H. Peeie of Williamston, on Sunday, June 22, at 4 30 p. m. at the Christian Chapel Church, RFD, Roberson ville.
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
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June 17, 1952, edition 1
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