Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / June 24, 1952, edition 1 / Page 1
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jf THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY S» OVER S.000 MARTIN FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY uVfcR i.ODO MARTIN JSPJ5S" ‘ FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME LV—NUMBER 51 - - Williamslon, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, June 21, 1952 ESTABLISHED 1899 8-10 Year Sentence Ada Bell Bennett Oilers Masterful Testimony In Case I Estimated Johnny Simmons Had Fleeced Victims Out Of *10,000. Johnny Simmons, alias Johnny Williams, the self-styled faith j- healer who went about with roots I ^id herbs, colored pills and med icine belts fleecing more than | twenty victims in this county out [ of approximately $10,000 over a | several-year period, was sentenc ed to serve not less than eight and not more than ten years in State’s Prison, Raleigh, by Judge i J. Paul Frizzelle in the Martin [ County Superior Court last Thurs day afternoon. The trial, attracting hundreds from all over the county, was the mgfct unusual and brought out the most masterful testimony heard in the Martin County court room in many years. While the evidence centered on herbs, roots, sulphur water, bear grease rags, “medi cine" belts that sold for as much as $85, it branched off into the heavens and brought forth words not found in the dictionary. The star witness for the State, Ada Bell Bennett, quoted the conjure factor as saying, “I will have to look into the 'consunnicer nicer phone’ before I can work my way into a dark spot that appears in your case”. It was brought out in evidence that the “healer” had held at least two or three young colored girls under his spell, that they were afraid to leave his care in a Wil mington house and return to their homes in this county. Some of the victims admitted that they had responded to the quack treatment, but most of Them said their hospital condi tions were no better. It was also brought out that some of his pa tients had died, and that two or t three others had died mysterit^us ! ly allegedly under his “spell.” There were nineteen cases lodg ed against Simmons, but Solic itor Geo. Fountain had time to 1 present only four to the grand jl^v. The other fifteen were tak Hi into consideration when Judge Frizzelle pronounced sentence. The fifteen cases were nol press ed. in three of the cases which were tried, Simmons was sen tenowkto ,«wvp not k-s& thzn- three and not more than five years in each, the sentences to run con currently with the sentence meted out in the first case. Testimony was completed in the case at 3:15 o’clock Thursday af tcnsoon. The defense waived ar gument, and Judge Frizzelle made his charge and the jury returned its verdict by 3:30 o’clock. Simmons, dispossessed of all his roojs and herhs and apparently 5 without his conjure powers, held his pocket handkerchief to his face and gloomily heard-.the ver dict and sentence. Just before the jurist pronounc ed sentence he recalled the star witness for the State, Ada Bell Bennett, to the stand to clarify tl ,0 words “consunnicer nicer phone”. the meaning of which was not definitely determined When asked if Simmons could look into rthe “consunnicer nicer-phone” 1 v v: V.r was going to receive, the witness re ' (.Continued on Page Seven! | Union Meeting At 1 Siniihwick Creek The Smithwick s Creek Primi tive Baptist Church will entertain the union meeting there this week-end, it was announce#! this week by the pastor, Elder P. E. Getsinger. The first in the series of services will be held Friday evening at 8:00 o’clock, followed by service Saturday morning at 1]^00 o’clock and again Sunday. A picnic lunch will be served Sunday. Elders C. W. Miller, T. E. Ma jors and H. C. McMillan and others will participate in the ser-j vice. The public is invited. 1 NO RESIGNATION Being: transferred to Wash ington to fill the position made vacant by the death of James H. Roberson as Coast Line freight agent in the Beaufort capital, Judge Ray mond T. Johnson said this week that he is not planning to resign as Martin County recorder, at least, not in the immediate future. He is to enter upon his new duties in Washington tomor row but will continue to ( make his home here for some time. A Colerain man is be ing transferred from Plym outh to fill the position made vacant by Mr. Johnson's withdrawal. Tobacco Growers To Attend Meet -—<®— FU»e-curcd tobacco producers from Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North and South Carolina will be on hand for the sixth Annual Stockholders Meeting of the Flue Cured Tobacco Cooperative Sta bilization Corporation, which will be held hei'e at the Sir Walter Hotel, June 27, at 11:00 A. M. The principal speaker at this year’s meting will be N. C. Com missioner of Agriculture L. Y. Ballentme. Other highlights of the meeting will be the annual ad dress of Stabilization’s President Carl T. Hicks, of Walstonburg, N. C., and the report of General Manager L. T. Weeks, of Raleigh. The Stabilization Corporation, which many people think is a gov ernment ugency, is an indepen dent organization made up of ov er 438,000 stock-holder members in the five flue-cured states Since the giant co-op oegan op erations in 1946, it has taken un der loan more than 728 million pounds of its members’ tobacco which did not sell for 90 per cent of parity on the warehouse floor. The organization later re-sells this tobacco at a profit to its members which is distributed in the form of dash dividends. Growers may place tobacco un der loan by purchasing one share of common stock in stabilization. This entitles them to permanent membership in the organization and permits them to use the loan facilities during eech selling sea son Complete records oi every grower-member and each pound oi tobacco taken under loan are maintained by Stabilization and may be examined at any time. Stabilization borrows working capital from Commodity Credit Corporation, which is an agency operated by the Department of Agriculture. Since the Co-op be gan to do business, it has paid the federal government over $8 million in interest plus the prin cfpki sums ut. i owed. Smoked Out By Burning Mattress LeRoy Wright, colored man, was literally smoked out of his room in the home of his brother in-law, Noah Wiggins, on Faulk Street at 5:00 o’clock Sunday morning. Possibly starting from and bed clothing and almost suf focated Wright. Seeing smoke pouring from a window, neighbors turned in an alarm and a full complement of volunteers reported, but there were few sp etators at that hour. County Boys Go Into The Navy Three Martin County voung men recently enlisted for a tour of duty in the U. S. Navy. Signing up at the recruiting sta tion in Greenville were, William Daryl Peel, RFD 3, Williamston; James Walter Terry of Bear Grass and Earl Eugene Hyman of Palmyra. The young recruits were sent to San Diego, Calif., for basic train ing. SujiemtHourtln. Final Session Oi Term Thursday Twenty-one Cases Continu ed for Trial at the Term Next September After disposing of only a few criminal cases and failing to reach the • civil calendar, the Martin County Superior Court abruptly ended a one-week term last Thursday, leaving twenty-one criminal cases for trial at the next September term. The. court officials, one suffer ing with the toothache and an other suffering from exhaustive duties during the extremely hot weather, called a halt to the pro ceedings at 5:00 o’clock that after noon after handling all the “jail cases.” Charged with the shoot ing of E. Gray Modlin in James ville a few weeks ago, William T. Currie continues in jail, but his trial is being delayed pending the outcome of Modlin's condition. Last reports indicated the victim was not getting along very well in a veterans’ hospital at Fayette ville where he was removed for treatment. After pleading guilty of violat ing the liquor laws, Morris Rid dick was apparently left holding the bag. When no one came for ward to pay or underwrite his $250 fine, Morris was removed to the roads where he is to serve eighteen months. It was said that Morris wanted to talk when he was left "holding the bag," but it was too late to start talking, ofli cers explained. The case in which George Willis Lee was charged with failing to yield right of way, was nol press ed. William Grimes, charged with an assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed weapon, was sentenced to the roads for twelve months. Facing the court on two assault with deadly weapon charges, Ma mie Patrick pleaded guilty in one and judgment was suspended up on the payment of court costs. A verdict of not guilty was direct ed by the court in the other case. Pleading guilty of drunken driving, Walter Bailey of Bear Grass was lined $125, plus costs. The case in which Maggie Eason was charged with violating the li quor laws, was nol prossed. Johnnie Smith, alleged to have violated the terms of probation, had a twelvemonth road sentence invoked. He was charged with drunken driving and damaging property in Parmele. Twenty-one cases were continu ed for trial .cl the. September term, leaving lot- court tarther be hind than at any other time in many years. The following cases were continued, including eleven in which the defendants are charged with drunken driving: Jim Bell, assault with a deadly weapon; Elonzer Perkins, drunk en driving; Cushion Allen, drunk en driving; Hiram W. Ford, drunken driving; Chas. G. Mur ray, drunken diiving; George Cut ler, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill; Kelly Crandell, breaking and entering and lar ceny; Eddie Johnson, drunken driving; James Perkins, arson; James H. Wiggins, drunken driv ing; Jeston Gurkins, driving while operator’s license was revoked; J. R. Roach, drunken driving; Floyd Grimes, drunken driving; Fate Little, drunken driving; J. H. Grif fin, drunken driving; aoim Battle, break ng and entering and lar eey; Grady K. Lamm, larceny and ; ecciViVig^ en driving; John Riddick, violat ing the liquor laws (two county); and Charlie Joyner, violating the liquor laws. -® Youth Gets Air Force Promotion Curtis Biggs, son of Mrs. Sallie Biggs of Portsmouth and former ly of Robersonville, was recently promoted to the rank of ficst-ser geant in the Air Force. Now in Japan he engineers a C-54 in fly ing supplies to Korea and ferrying troops out for rest periods. Mrs. Biggs and their son, Alvin, are now in Honolulu, but will join Sgt. Biggs in Japan about the first of July. Mrs. Biggs is a dau ghter of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Revels of this county. Plans Are-JOemfiletecLFor $15,000.00 Scout Building Plans for a $15,000 scout build ing have been prepared, and ac tual construction work on the lo cal project is scheduled to get underway at an early date ac cording to a joint statement re leased today by Presidents Ben D. Courtney and J. Reg Simpson of the Lions and Kiwanis Clubs underwriting the project. At pre sent, the Lions Club has $7,000 available for the project, and the Kiwanis Club has $3,000, and the clubs are to share equally in rais ing the additional funds. The building to be of brick veneer construction backed up by cement blocks, initially will have two scout rooms, a kitchen and an assembly hall of ample si/e to comfortably handle 150 guests, banquet style, or 225 peo ple seated auditorium style. Each of the designated rooms will have entrances so designed that they can be utilized simultaneously. Provision is also provided for two additional scout rooms when ever there is need for them. Project steering committees for the two clubs include D. V. Clay ton, J. H. Edwards and R. D. El liott representing the Lions, and Hugh Wyatt, R J. Peel, Jr., and R. P. Monteith representing the Kiwanis. Wyatt, a local contrac tor, will probably supervise the construction of the building which will occupy the Smithwick Street lots located between the railroad and the Christian church. Courtney and Simp.-on stated in their announcement that their respective clubs believe that the completion of the building will mark a notable milepost in the community’s youth program. RAINS r v. Following weeks of ex tremely dry weather, rains fell in this section Sunday af ternoon, partially relieving a condition that was exacting a heavy toll in crops. The rains fell in streaks, some communities reporting as many as two inches or more while others reported hardly enough rainfall to lay the dust. Bridgekeeper Hugh Spruill on Roanoke River here reported .78 of an inch. The Oak City area reported little rain that afternoon and sections of Griffins Township reported little or none, and the crop plight in the latter area is said to be critical. A short distance south of Williamston there was a cloud burst, and something akin to a tornado struck the Jones farm near the Hig Mill, twist ing a few trees and damaging the lower end of one tobacco field, it was reported. Court Slumped By New Words The false pretense ease against Johnny Simmons in the Martin County Superior Court last week, although it attracted day after day hundreds of colored citizens from various parts of the county, was .lust another action to be heard by the court until new and unheard of words were pulled out of die heavens arid introduced in evi dence. No official record was made of the case, but the court stenog rapher, Miss Virginia Vincent, took her pencil and notebook and started running down the words, "consunnicer nicer-phone,” intro duced by Ada Bell Bennett, star witness for the State. Judge J. Paul Frizzelle, presiding over the term, recalled the witness to get a better pronunciation and pos sibly a definition of the words. The spelling is not definite, and the meaning possibly is clear only to the witchcraft and witchcraft victims. A reporter went to Simmons for enlightenment, but Simmons said they were magic words made up by the prosecution witness, that he had never heard of them. Simmons did not register at all [when asked if the terms had refer lence to the constellation, but when I Venus .Jupiter and Mars were menU-snc-tl* ■ap •'Mars, you know, has more con trol of a man’s body than any other planet,” he said. Realizing he had given himslcf away, he made no further comment. Moving To Pori ^ Of Embarkation Two Martin County young men, Sgt. Pete Brown, Jr., and Pfc. William Hollis, both of Oak City, have been ordered to a port of embarkation for overseas duty, according to information coming from Headquarters 47th Infantry Division, Camp Rucker, Alabama. Both young men had been serv ing at Camp Rucker with the 47th "Viking” Infantry Division. The embarkation port was not identified. Funeral For Mrs. Thurston Wynne Monday At 3:30 Well-Known (.iti/.eu Died In Williamison Ho*pilal Sunday Morning Mrs. Minnie Louise Wynne, well-knwon citizen of Bear Grass Township, died in a Williamston hospital Sunday morning at 3:30 o'clock. She had been in feeble health for almost twenty years, but her condition became critical only five weeks ago when she was moved to the hospital. A daughter of the late Eh and Bettie Congleton Wynne, she was born in Cross Roads Township 60 years ago on June 11, 1892, and spent most of her early life there. In early womanhood she was married to Ralph Harris. Follow ing her second marriage in 1918 to Thurston Wynne, she made her home in Bear Grass Township. Mrs. Wynne was a devoted mem ber’of the Everetts Baptist Church for many years, giving it a willing support and attending its services when able. She was a thoughtful neighbor and was held in high esteem by all who knew her. Surviving besides her husband are a son, Jos. W. Harris of Nor folk by her first marriage; three sons, Thurston Wynne, Jr., ol Wil iiamston; and Milton B. and Ern est Saunders Wynne, both now in the armed forces; three daugh ters, Mrs. Winford Moble.v, Mrs. LcRoy Perry and Mrs. Luther Leggett, all of RFD 2. Williams ton; a brothio Walter C Wynne, of Cross Roads; two sisters, Mrs. Marie Biggs and Mis. E. C. Har rison. both of Bear Grass; a step son, S. T. Wynne, of Cross Roads; and eight grandchildren. Funeral services were conduct ed in the Everetts Baptist Church Monday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock by the pastor, the Rev. C. L. Gat ling, assisted by the Rev. I). G. (Continued on page eight) Infant Died In Local Hospital Michael Glenn Snead, four-dav old .son of James W. anrl Bettie Louise Hudson Snead, died in a local hospital last Saturday morn ing at 9:30 o’clock. The infant had been ill since birth. Surviving besides his parents are two brothers. James W. Jr.. H •• •, Simtd. .■. Funeral services were conduct ed at the home on Williams Street Sunday afternoon at 5:00 o’clock by the Rev. R. E. Walston pastor of the local Methodist Church. Interment was in Wood lawn Cemetery. KOUNIMJI’ Kvrn though (here was a carnival and other scheduled events in this community last week-end, the number of per sons arrested and jailed held to a low number. Only five persons were detained, two each for public drunkenness and assault, and one for drunken driving. Two of the five were while and ages of the group ranged from 19 it years'. Prominent Citizen Died In Hospital Saturday Morning -<$ Funeral AI Home on Heaeii Street Sunday For Samuel C. Ray Samuel C. Ray, retired business man and a veteran of the Span ish-American War, died in a local hospital at 7:00 o’clock last Satur day morning. He had been in de clining health the greater part of two years, but continued fairly active until seven weeks ago when he entered the hospital. His con dition had been serious since that l a n c. The son of the late Horace and Alvania Ray, he was born near Williamston 77 years ago on Oc tober 19, 1874. and spent his early life on the farm. In 1895 he vol unteered for service in the United States Army, serving two and one half years at Fortress Monroe be fore being transferred to Cuba where he participated in San Juna Hill battle near Santiago. The war over, he was sent to Long Is land, N. Y„ where he saw an auto mobile for the first time. Mr. Ray had little to say about the war, but the few who went from this coun ty to Cuba for the war often re ferred to him as a good soldier. His enlistment ended he return ed to this section about the turn of the century, married Miss Sudie Strawbridge and located in Scotland Neck where he engaged in newspaper work and the photo grapher business for several years. Returning to this county, he lo cated in Williamston and engaged m farming and the mercantile business until failing health forc ed his retirement about two years ago. He is believed to have been among the last if not the last Spanish-American War veterans in this county. Finding enjoyment ad peace in the quiet out doe’s, he fished a great deal in the small streams throughout this section. He found company in his pipe, but in later years he was accompanied by his grandchildren on many fishing trips, and they learned first-hand much about the ways of fish and nature itself. Ills words, softly spoken, were marked for their kindness. lie lived at peace with his fellow man, enjoying the sim ple but basic ways of life, and go ing about doing good deeds tof others. Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. James A. Leggett and Mrs. Henry Oakley, both of Williams ton and Mrs. William Pin kins of Chapel Hill; one son, Horace Ray, cd William; ton; one brother. Paul W. Ray, oi Roanoke Rapids; eight grandchildren, and four great gra ndchildren. He was a member of the Mem orial Baptist Church here for about half a century, and his pas tor, the Rev. E. Gordon Conklin, conducted the funeral at the home on Beech Street Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Interment was in Woodluwn Cemetery. Sentenced For - Housebreaking —-—^ Found kui 11y of housebreaking and an assault on his wife, James Lloyd Price, young Jamesville white man, was sentenced to serve not less than three and not more than five years in State’s Prison by Judge J. Pau1 Frizzi lie in the Martin County Superior Court I: ISt Thu I Judge Friz/elle was moved by a scene in the courtroom when the man was being tried The jurist said "It was a pathetic scene, one that makes a person with the cold est heart feel sorry for those lit tle children.” A little six-year-old daughter broke down and could not take the stand against her father, and it was lauly apparent that the judge was thinking about that scene whim he passed sen tence on the man. "She remind ed me of a beaten and hungry lit tle animal,” Judge Frizzelle was quoted as saying. The jurist added that he believ ed Price had made himself a nuis ance to the best people of James ville. It was learned upon ques tioning that the defendant seldom attended church, and the court ex pressed the opinion that il would take two vears to get all the liquor! out of the defendants system. Orcle r C on solklai i on Of Farm Life School COUNTY BOARD | Meeting in special session Thursday morning, the Martin County Commissioners will wade into budget figures for the 1952-53 fiscal year. No other business is scheduled to be considered at the meeting, opening at 9:3(1 o'clock, Hoard Clerk .1. Sam Getsinger said. Most of the departments are completing their cost esti mates. but no official report has hrrn released on their re j quests. Mrs. C. G. Crockett Died At Her Home Here Last Evening I' liiHTiiI for Itcloved l.itimi Will Re 11.1,1 Wr.lm-sday Afternoon At Home Mrs. Carroll G. Crockett, Sr., beloved local citizen, died sud denly at her home on West Church Street last night at 11.45 o’clock. Surmounting one physi cal obstacle after another, includ ing a heart attack suffered eight years ago and a leg amputation more recently; she had been get ting along unsually well during recent months. Only last evening she visited relatives and friends and rode around with Mrs. R. H Clayton until about 10.20 o'clock, declaring that she felt fine and added that she was looking for ward to a visit today with rela tives and friends in Yorktown, Va. Going to her bedroom, she suf fered a heart attack while making ready to retire. She died a short time later and soon after medical aid reached her, death coming peacefully. The former Marie Book, she was born in Blaine, Perry County, Pennsylvania, on September 22, 11192, the daughter of the late David and Catherine Dobbs Book. Following the death of her mother, Mrs. Crockett went as a small girl to make her home with a.i aunt, Mrs. Rowe, in Hagers town, Mil., where she spent her early life and where she affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Following her marriage to Mr. Crockett n" October 25, 1911, she made her home m < 'harlotte and Durham, m this State, and latei in Williamsburg, Va., befere lo-' eating in Williamston in 1927. During the quarter century she had made her home here, she had come to love Williamston and its people, and the town and its peo ple had learned to love her tor hei goodness and helplulne-s. She was active in tin circles of the Presbyterian Church, and extend ed a sympathetic understanding to all those in distress or need. Possessed of a i ouragrou;. . :t. she encouraged others to cope with the problems of life, always striving to make today a little bet ter and happier than the yester day. She was interested in her adopt ed community, and contributed Ireel.v of her means and time in behalf of it: progress and the wel fare of its people, thinking little about her own welfare and giving in full measure of her being in .support i ' iifi liiitt idi a Is. She , ■ -' i.t-w ‘ - .-•» • * vvas uevou o in in’ -noon auu friends, and was thoughtful of others at all timer, searching .out trie brighter side of life in periods of stress and stram. Surviving besides her husband are two sons, Thomas Crockett of (Continued on Page Eight) Traffic Deaths In Nation Increasing _—— Traffic deaths in the first four months of 1952 totaled 10,fi50— a one percent increase over the 10,510 deaths reported tn the first four months of last year. The fig ures were made public by the Na tional Safety Council, which said much of the increase was due to leap year’s extra day—February 29. Urgent Appeal By School Committee Rejected By State Ilia'll School Department to lie Con-oli<lale<l With W iMiainston Turning back repeated pleas and protests by the local commit tee and a large delegation, the N. rth '■’aro/Ina Sfafi Boa "if . f Education last Thursday ordered the consolidation of the Farm Life High School with the one in Wil liamston. The action literally doomed at least nine other small high schools in the State. To continue the departments, the State Board members, voting Unanimously for the consolidation in this county, said they would not be keeping faith with the school children, adding that the law rules against the allotment of teachers to high schools with an average attendance of less than sixty pu pils except in those cases where consolidation is impracticable. Citi/.ens of the Farm Life Com munity and others made a strong case before the State Board, and it is believed that the school would have been continued at least an other year or two had it not been for nine other similar cases that were up for consideration at the same time. Tiie State Board, in its special session, acted only after ordering a second survey made by a panel of school officials. The consolidation plan removes i three teachers in the Farm Life j School, and will add two to the Williamston High School faculty. Approximately fifty-four pupils arc enrolled in the. Farm Life High School. Thirteen are enter ing the high school for the first time, and there are eleven in the 1952-53 senior class. Complete details for the consoli dation have not been announced, but it is expected that all high school pupils will ride to the Farm Life School and there board a spe cial express bus for the trip to Williamston, following the Holly Springs Hardison Mill route. While the move for consolida tion was questioned by nearly everyone affected by it, reports seem to indicate that school offi cials, patrons and pupils will co operate m every way possible to iron out the problems and make the best of the new plan. Willi eii-ton school officials and citizens, sympathizing with the community because of the loss of the high jghool there, will extend (Continued on page eight) Rain-Making Big Business In West l! is beginning to look like ruin making is going to have another big year in the Western states this year Already contracts have ben signed totaling $800 thousand dol lars, and at the present cost of rain-making of about one cent an acre tins provides for 80 million acres of land. It has been estimated that the total land that will be subject to rain making this year is about -100 million aeios', '.vbjch. will be about t tin. - third (Tr one-tourth I'fiorc tflaii' cast Skill Some of the people who baekctl commercial rain-making last year state that they don’t know whe ther cloud seeding increased pre cipitation, but that it probably in creased rainfall. Child Painfully linrncd In Accident Near lleie William Borden Ennett. Jr., 18 months old, was painfully burned when a pan of hot grease toppled over on him at the home of his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. \V. Mayo Hardison, near here last Fri day evening. His face and should er badly burned, he is responding to treatment in Martin General Hospital, and continues very bright and cheerful. Mr. Ennett is in school at Chapel Hill while Mrs. Ennett and son are making (heir home with her parents.
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
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June 24, 1952, edition 1
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