Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / Sept. 1, 1953, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTT FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B« OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT* FAMILIES TWICE EACH CVEEt VOLUME LVI—NUMBER 70 Williams ton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, September 1. 1953 ESTABLISHED 189! Williamston’s First Bank Robbery Solved And Money Found Tobacco Market Has Best Sales 01 Year Monday i—• MoreThairlWatttl A Half Million Pounds Sold Here To Dale Prices maintained an upward | trend on the Williamston Tobac co Market yesterday when one of the best sales of the season was recorded. No records were brok en, to be sure, but the market sold 398,860 pounds for $223,773. ! 00, an average of $56.10. i It was the largest sale of the year and the price average top ped the previous high by a few cents per hundred pounds. While there has been no material change in the price for the top grades other than a $1 to $2 increase to $70 and $71 per hundred, prices for most other grades have j Strengthened. Through yesterday the market had sold right at 2,527,752 pounds for an average of $54.25. During the first eight sales days of last season, the market had sold only about one and one-half million pounds and the average trailed the one this year by about $6 per hundred pounds. A weekly review of all the markets in the belt combined fol lows: Demand strengthened last week for Eastern North Carolina flue rured tobacco, according to the Federal-State Market News Ser vice Volume of sales was fairly fceavy; however, deliveries slack ened on Tuesday and Wednesday. Quality of marketings was not up to that of the two-day opening week. Sales for the week ending Au gust 28 totaled 42.100,170 gross pounds and averaged $53.97 per hundred. This average topped the one for the previous week by $1.00. Season sales were brought to 66,420,850 pounds for a $53.60 average. For the corresponding period last year, 39,578,047 pounds bad averaged $50.22. Most grade average gained $1.00 to $3.00 per hundred pounds over the week before. A few grades j fhowed losses of around $1.00. The 1 practical top continued at $69.00 a hundred. Medium to lower qua lity grades averaged generally $7.00 to $17 00 above their Gov ernment loan rates; however, bet ter offerings were mostly $1.00 to i $5.00 over. A large increase oceured in the percentage of leaf marketings. Primings and lugs showed a cor responding decrease. Principal laics consisted of poor to lair leaf, fair and good lugs, low and fair primings, and nondscript. Deliveries to the Flue-cured Stabilization Corporation under the Government loan program for the week amounted to around 3 per cent of gross sales. Receipts for the season approximate 4.5 per cent. During the comparable period last year 11.3 per cent had gone under loan. Call Firemen Out Saturday Night —•— Firemen were called out about 10:00 o’clock here last Saturday (night when fire threatened the Merita bread truck warehouse | just off Washington Street near the Williamston Storage Corpor ation’s warehouses. Starting in a small office where [ a small bed was stored, the fire [.•siroyed a mattress and burned a small place in the wall. Firemen brought the fire under : control with a small hose Jine. Firms Announce Personnel Change The Woolard Furniture Com pany and Roanoke Chevrolet Company this week effected changes in their personnel. Mr. Ifarvev Raggett, connected with the Roanoke Chevrolet Company fi r more than eight years, has gone with the furni ture company as assistant man ager. Mr. Raymond Rawls, form er deputy sheriff, is succeeding Mr. Baggett at the Chevrolet Company and will be in the sales department. Robber Sulutes Camerman — <>■» Arrested in connection with the Guaranty Bank robbery hole last Friday morning, James Earl Strickland, 19, saluted when Nows and Observer photographer Inmon snapped his pic tun in the courthouse hall. Robber In Disguise Quitman Strickland tried and almost succeeded in disguis ing himself by discarding all his clothing but dungarees when he returned to the spot where he had ditched the getaway car following the Guaranty Bank robbery last Friday. Muddy feet and scratches gave him away, however, and Lt. Tom Brown of the Highway Patrol nabbed him. (Picture, courtesy of Associat ed Press Photographer Faircloth). Robbery Is Solved And Money Found In Thirty Hours Motlior Of Boy* Declares She Could Not Believe The Robbery Report —-• Thirty hours afte r tiit; Guaran ty Bank and Trust Company rob bery, the first in the history of local banking, last Friday morn ing the case was solved and the $17,348 recovered. The solution and success of the money search entitle the various agencies and law enforcement officers to much credit. The final chapter in the case solution was written about 4:00 \ o’clock last Saturday afternoon when Adrill Strickland, follow ing a preliminary hearing before a U. S. Commissioner in Rocky Mount, broke down and told the officers where he had hidden the second batch of money. The first batch, two $100 bills and $186 in silver, had been recovered early, Saturday morning in the woods I just off the Lee Road about one | mile from Highway 125. Accompanied by U S. Marshall j Ben Buck and FBI Agents Art Lee, W. H. Gibson and Richard Wood, Strickland was returned to Williamston, and a rendezvous with Corporal M. C. Byrum, Sheriff M. W. Holloman, Chief John Roebuck, Sergeant Boyd and Patrolman Surles of the high way patrol, was arranged for at the Patrol Radio Station. Tin group moved to the highway un derpass on West Mam Street and Strickland revealed the hiding place. Strickland had i-quee/rd between two cross tie;, down about five teei and pushed the bag of money back of some timbers and piling near the railroad bridge abutment. Sheriff Holloman said the money would not have been found easily, possibly not until repairs were made on the bridge if Strickland had not revealed the (Continued on Page Eight) Last Of The Bank Robbers _ . -a l~ w Adrill Strickland, 24, is pictured with FBI Agent Art Lee, left, and Sheriff M W Holloina-n, right, soon after his arrest just off Simmon'.' Avenue here shortly after 3:0u o'clock last Saturday morn,:.„. iLs arrest completed the Guaranty Bank and TiUst Company jobbery round up.—Photo by Royal Studio. f SIXTY-ONE SHORT The recruitment program for the tenth quarterly visit of the Red Cross Bloodmobile here on Thursday of this week is sixty-one recruits short, it was learned this morning. The appeal for more recruits is being renewed. Those wrho will donate a pint of blood are earnestly requested to contact the Red Cross office or Dr. Jas. S. Rhodes, Jr., chairman, without delay. The bloodmobile will be at the American Legion Ilut on South Watts Street from 10 a. in. until 1 p. m. Thursday. Firemen Called To Marvil Plan! -S> Competing against a bank rob bery, a two-call foe alarm attract ed comparatively little attention at 12:15 o’clock here last Ft;iday (afternoon. The public apparently | was too interested in the robbery | developments to take time to chase after the fire-fighting equipment. Te call was received when a | fuel supply caught fire between the boiler room and the bottom I mill. Plant employees had the fire ! under control a few minutes after I it was discovered, and there was | little or no damage. f WITH INTEREST? ] <s_ J After three young brothers were arrested in connection with the early Friday morn ing robbery of the Guaranty Itank and Trust Company here, talk Saturday morning centered on the stolen money. When the last amount wras found at the highway under pass on West Main Street, $140 more than had been re ported lost was found. Bankers explained that a deposit slip could have been taken along with the money and lost. Then there is the possibility that the money drew interest! Exciting Time Reported When Youths Entered Bank-Friday Overlooked Large Amount Of Money On The Counters Bank Kiiiployw* ami Pa trons. Despite Kxeite nient. Obeyed Orders In all its 174 years of history Williamston had its first bank robbery last Friday morning when two amateurish robbers, Adrill Strickland, 24. and his 21-year old brother, Quitman Strickland, held eight of the bank em ployees and several patrons at gun point and walked out a few minutes later with $17,384. News of the daring robbery spread rapidly and excitement was town-wide in a matter of minutes. Although a bit unnerv ed, bank employees held their composure for the most part and soon brought order out of con fusion. Within a short time after the two robbers left, Assistant Cashier Jos. Griffin gave a pret ty accurate estimate of the loss, and banking operations, although carried on with the lobby packed at times were returned to nor mal. Ammonia was used liberally by bank WOikerS to steady their nerves. It is not quite clear just when the robbers came to town. One said they reached here about 1:30 o'clock that morning and the oth er said they drove in about 5:00 o’clock, and casually decided to rob the Guaranty Hank. Shortly before the bank was opened for business that morn ing, the 1953 blue two-toned Mercury, bearing a South Caro lina license plate, was driven to Raynor’s station for gas, the driv ei asking change for a parking meter. A ford, belonging to Quit inan Strickland, was parked near a tool shed where the new Chris tinn church is under construc tion, corner of Liberty and Smith wick Streets, and the Mercury was parked in front of the Firestone store next to the bank. The younger brother held to the Ford on the church lot, and the other two took 5 seat on the steps of the bank. According to one report they had planned to follow Cashier D. V. Clayton into the bank when he opened the front door When the banket tar ried for a conversation with a friend, the two boys moved away to eliminate the possibility of creating suspicion. When they re turned Mr. Clayton had entered the bank and not knowing the door was unlocked, the two boys again took their scats on the steps and waited. All the employees passed them and after the bank was opened, the two boys walked in. Quitman Strickland went to Con/inued on page eight) National Guard Gets Back Nome —— After going through two weeks of intensive training at Camp Ste wart, Georgia, Williamston’s Na tional Guard Unit, Battery C. 150 AAA Gun Bn , returned home Sunday. Officers stated that the men showerl up well and did a good job during the two weeks of train ing. Special equipment, including guns, radar trucks and other items, are scheduled for delivery to the battery here within the near future, it was learned. /Vo One Injured In I.nr A evident Sunday No one was injured but con siderable damage resulted when an automobili driven by a Biggs boy went out of control and turn ed over on the Big Mill Hoad just of Highway 17 late last Sun day afternoon. Damage to the car was estimated at about $:iOO. The driver, just from the ser vice, had had the ear only a short time, it was reported. COMING HO.V1K A prisoner of Ihe Red Chi nese since November, 1950, S/Sgt. Martel llardy is com ing home, according to infor mation received by liis moth er, Mrs. Martel llardy, from the U. S. Air Corps this week. The young man is now in To kyo. A cablegram from the young man is being delivered to li is mother on RKI> 3, YVil liamston, today, hut the con tents were not disclosed Farmers Solid For Peanut Plan Martin County farmers, al though their vote was a hit limit ed, came out almost solid for the peanut assessment program m the refe rendum held lust Saturday. Returns for all the pea nut counties are not complete, but the early reports pointed td an overwhelming vote favoring the levy of one cent per 100 pounds for promoting the interests of peanuts farmers. Martin County voted 1,309 for and only four against the plan, all the townships except Hamit ton and Goose Nest supporting it unanimously. The vote follows by townships: Williamston and Poplar Point, 241; Williams, 03; Jamcsville, 154; Griffins 70, Cross Roads, 107; Bear Grass, I tip Roberson ville, 231; Goose Nest, 149 for and 1 against; Hamilton, 120 for and 3 against. Robber Arrested On Local Street 3 A. N. Saturday Last Of Three Strickland Brothers Admits Bank Robbery Here The last in a series of arrests made in connection with the last Friday morning robbery of the Guaranty Bank here was handled in the Julian Masons' back yard on Simmons Avenue a few minu tes after 3:00 o’clock Saturday morning. Sheriff M. W. Hollo man stating that Lieutenant Tom Brown of the State Highway Pa trol, and FBI Agent Art Lee ran down and took Adrill Strick land 24, into custody without incident. Even at that early hour, news of the arrest spread rapidly and the tension that had gripped the town for almost eighteen hours quickly subsided. The 24 year-old Strickland, a brick layer by trade and declar ing he had no home, said he was originally from Apopka, Fla., but he offered very few other perti nent facts about his past other than to say he had served thirty days on the roads for careless and reckless driving. When asked what time he and his brother, Quitman, separated in the woods, he answered, "What brother”. Strickland traced his courses of travel after reaching the woods, but made no mention of his brother who waited in a car at the new Chris tian church. During the afternoon, Strickland said he moved out of the far side of the woods trap bv crawling through a culvert. He later retraced his steps and traveled to the east side of the cordon thrown up by twenty-five patrolmen and about thirty or thirty-five officers, including FBI agents, sheriffs and deputies, and members of the local police de partment. Shortly after dark he pierced the cordon and walked to Wiiliamston, traveling most of the way on a secondary highway that led him to the Wiiliamston Packing Company at the Swith. He walked the railroad tc the junk yard, then worked his way I over to Main Street and finally (Continued on Pace Five! Play Santa Claus For Robbers .. i Cashier D. V Clayton and Miss Marie Griffin, bank em ployee, unwillingly played Santa Claus for two robbers when the Guaranty Bank and Trust Company was robbed last Friday morning. Each took a sack at the command of the robbers but in.sU ad ol putting m apples, oranges, add little toys, they filled the bags with more than $17,000 cash.
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 1, 1953, edition 1
1
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