IBB ENTERPRISE IS READ III
OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ ..
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COON f.
IAMILIES TWICE EACH Wife
ESTABLISHED 18V
VOLUME LVI—NUMBER 100
Williams ton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday. December 15, 1953
Clear Many Cases i
From The Docket j
-iB.SujifimCnjKrl.
—«—
Quite A Few Others Con- j
tinned When Main Wi»
uess Is Called Away
-—•
Opening a one-week term for
the trial of criminal cases and a
few divorce actions, the Martin [
County Superior Court in an all- j
day session Monday cleared a doz
en cases from the docket and was
well advanced on the trial of an
other when Judge Walter J. Bone,
presiding, ordered 3 recess for the 1
day. ' /
Justice in at least seven drunk
en driving cases was delayed
when it was announced soon after
the court was convened that the'
principal witnesses had been call
ed n»ut of town. It was explained
that members of the highway pa
trol had been ordered to work the
celebration of the fiftieth anni
versary of the first airplane :
flight at Kill Devil Hill dwon in j
Dare County. One or two cases 1
were also continued when the j
defendants failed to answer when
called. Others were nol prossed 01
dismissed, some with leave.
Proceedings:
Leon Williams, charged with
bastardy, was found not guilty.
The defendant maintained that
he was too drunk to have commit
ted the crime at the time alleged
by the prosecuting witness. While
guilt may be in doubt, it is fairly
certain that the innocent tot in
the case will, sooner or later, b(T
eome a charge of the public wel
fare, a condition that has al
ready reached serious proportions ,
in this county.
Pleading guilty of entering two
places of business in Williamston
-—the bus station and Wier’s Cof
fee Shop—Laverne Roberson alias
Laverne Gorham, was sentenc
ed to the roads for not less than
eighteen months and not more
than three years in each case. The
sentence in the second case is tp
begin at the expiration of the first.
Roberson was said to have been
a model prisonei during his stay
of about two months in jail.
Charged with forgery in three |
cases, Zella McIntyre, 15-year-old j
colored girl, pleaded guilty and
was sentenced to Woman’s prison
for six months in each case. The
prison terms, to run concurrent
ly, were suspended for two years
un condition that the defendant
pay the court costs, make good
the checks, remain away from
Eva Knight's home or any other
place of bad repute, remain of
good behavior and violate no
law, and engage in suitable cm
suspension.
Without counsel, relatives or
friends, Raleigh Rascoe, Jr., 15- j
year-old Jamesville colored boy, |
went into court and pleaded not
guilty of assaulting Stephen Lil
ley, 15-year-old colored boy, with ,
a paring knife with intent to kill.
The defendant asked only one
question and did not takb the
(Continued on Page Eight)
Station Goes On
Air Next Sunday:
According to a report ifelfeasf-dj
over the week-end, the new tele-1
vision station, WNCT, goes on
the air near Greenville Sunday
afternoon at 2:00 o’clock.
Operating on channel nine, the
station is to be affiliated with the !
"Columbia Broadcasting.S?<8Bin.
and it is expected to afford good i
reception for this area. The sta
tion, through a special agreement,
will also carry programs original-;
ing on other networks.
_The station is to release a full
sehedufe^ of TV’ cast"' wrfmTTVru^'
next day or two, it was announc
ed, one report stating that it ■
would carry the Orange Bowl I
football game on January.
SALE
-'I
“Search Party'*, a book of
poems written by Julian Ma
son, was released last week -
end and is now on sale at
at the home of the author on
Simmon Avenue here and at
most book stores.
The volume has gained fa
vorable recognition from
many critics, and is currently
advertised in a number of
publications of national circu
lation.
Santa Returning Here Friday
Making a great big hit during his first visit here on December 4, Santa Claus is returning to
Williamston m"person on Friday of this week with return visits scheduled all during ne*t week.
He will maintain headquarters in a special hous > between the Viccar Theater and J. £aul Simp
son's insurance office during certain hours each a fternoon and evening. The kiddies are invited to
deliver their letters to him and receive small favors placd in his hands by the Williamston Boosters.
Decorations Going Up In
Local Homes for Christmas
Decorations are going up for,
Christmas, and preliminary re
ports point to a gala decorative
scheme in homes, doorways and
yards here this season. So far, the
decorations have been limited to
soft glowing candles in windows
with an occasional wreath on the
front door.
The Williamston Boosters, sup
ported by private donations, are
offering more than $100 in prizes
for the best decorations this sea
son. Contest rules will be an
nounced within the next few
days. During the meantime, local
people are said to be making ex
tensive preparations to compete
for the awards, and add cheer to ;
the scene.
Special preeci e.re also being of- |
fered for the best decorations on
a public building. So far the town
hall and courthouse boys have
made no movement to brighten
the old hall of justice down the
way o'r to light the town hall tow
er. It has been reported that the
water department employees
might place a crown on the town’s
new water tower, many rememb
ering how stately the old tower
looked in its majestic crown a
few years ago.
Local firms - have- ejrtcnsjw
stocks of all types of material for
advancing the holiday decoration
scheme. More Christmas trees
have -unloaded here than
in any previous year, and the
holiday spirit is rapidly taking
hold in all walks of life.
PLENTIFUL ii
-/i
v.
Deer are so plentiful in the
Roanoke River lowlands this
year that they are being tak
an alive, according to a re
port coming from a hunting
club last week-end. Running
his boat ne;»r Frying Pan a
Williamston, Farmer-Hunter
R. J. Hardison had a 75-pound
buck jump right into the boat.
Mr. Hardison took the animal
by the neck and brought him
in.
Deer have been seen invad
ing yards of homes here, and
it is conservatively estimat
ed that more than fifty deer
have been taken in the low
lands so far this season.
Humber Talks To
Local Lions Club
I
The Williamston Lion's Club
had as its guest speaker Robert |
Lee Humber, at its regular meet- I
ing December 10th. Mr. Humber i
made an inspiring address and
used as .h'S general themi-. “Col wi
ture".
In his address he traced the con
tributions which each nationality
haVe made to our culture. Begin
ning with Palestine which gave us
Christianity and ending with the
us our political party system, he
gave a thorough discourse on the j
contributions of' each nationality. J
He traced these contributions up
to our present art gallery, which
he says is an expression of these>
«-wyr^*V>«r\rM-1 ppntHh'lt’Ofif Wp rpppll . !
COliiUlllCU COliii IWU 4 4- VW44* |
ed many of the more prominent
pieces of art which has been se
cured for (he art gallery which
he says will open during the fall
of 1954 here in North Carolina.
This art gallery will contain many 1
of the finest pieces of art to be
found in the entire world and will
rank high on the list of art gal
leries in the world.
Mr. Humber’s address was well;
received by a large attendance of j
the Lion’s Club membership!
which had as their guests the |
faculty of the Williamston schools.
H. L. Jenkins
Died Thursday
—«—
H. L. Jenkins, 72, died in his
sleep in Greenville last Thurs
day morning. Funeral services
were conducted there Saturday
afternoon at 2:00 o'clock by the
Rev. W. M. Howard, pastor of
the Jervis Memorial Methodist
Church, where Mr. Jenkins was
a member.
A native of the Bethel area, he
had marie his home in Greenville
for about 25 years, serving as a
justiceof the peace.
Besides a daughter, Mis. Kath
erine J. Lowe, of Savannah, Ga.,
he is survived by three sisters,
Mrs. Lloyd Waters and Miss Ca"
rie Jenkins, both of Jamesville,
and Mrs. Lucy Churchill of Wash
ington. . _
--
Peanuts Stolen
Front Farm House
Going all through the tobacco
n>.t „;-on “iJii {W»J’
marketing season without strik
ing, rogues got busy the latter
part of last week and carried
away between t‘jn and 25 bags of
peanuts from the o>d Blount farm
at the edge of Williamston.
1 icei s”a?e' f-*" i‘i it-'
but no developments have been
reported in the case as yet, ac
cording to a late report coming
from the sheriff’s office.
IN OUEEN’S COURT
A
Mists Sally Roberson, Wil
liamston girl, was chosen last
week as a member of the May
Day Court at Meredith Col
lege, Raleigh. Miss oanne
Brown of Southpurt, was cho
sen May Queen.
Miss Roberson, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. D. M. Roberson,
is a freshman at Meredith,
having been graduated from
the local high school last
spring.
Divorce Cases
On The Docket
Four divorce cases have been
placed on the calendar for trial
in the superior court on Thursday
of this week. However, a cluttered
criminal docket could delay the
I trials or crowd them out alto
gether.
The divorces, all based on
grounds of two years of separa
tion, include the following:
Cleveland Godard against Eliza
1 Godard of New Jersey. The plain
j tiff savs they were married Au
gust 1, 1939, and separated Au
igust 1, 1651, that three children
i born of the union, ages 7. 10 and
13, live part time with the de
: fendant and part time with the
1 plaintiff’s father,
n h< her case against Frank
S Baker, Ruth Baker says they
I were married February 14, 1944,
j and separated February 14, 194b, i
! that a child born of the union is
i living with her.
| In the case of Annie Spruill
against James Spruill, the plain
tiff says they were married Au
gust 11 and separated March 11,
1951. Once child, aged 2, is liv
I ing with the plaintiff who seeks
i its custody.
••v* jawi .. ».• « ->■<«>* .
Et.hei Williams Hines is suing
W. A. Hines for a divorce, stating
that they were married Novem
ber 10, 1918, and separated in
December, 1948. that a daughter,
17, born of the union is living
with her.
Presbyterians
Calling Pastor
Extended a call a short time
ago, the Rev. D. II. Dooling of
Johnston County has accepted
plans to enter upon his new
duties as pastor of the Bear Grass
and Roberson Chapel Presbyteri
an churches the early part of
January.
The minister was in the coun
ty last week making plans to
move soon after the first of the
year. He previously had made two
'appearances in fRe church* puTpiC*
He is a native of Georgia. The
minister and Mrs. Dooling are
alone now, their children having
moved and located on their own,
it was reported.
Enrollment Gain
In Public School
Washington—The Census Bu
reau estimated that public school
enrollment will continue to in
crease at a rate of more than 1,
300,000 a year until it reaches a
total of about 39,000,000 when this
year’s crop of babies enters school
in 1959,
It said elementary school at
tendance in 1959 will total about
30.000. 000, an increase of nearly
3.000. 000 in seven years.
It said high-school enrollment
in 1960 will reach aboilt 9,400,000
and rise to 12,000,000 by 1965.
There now arc about 7,000.000 pu
pils in high schools.
iSix County Men i
j Answer A Final |
! Induction Call
..— mw/v
-_<*>
Kt‘«islranh Must Appeal
From
B it/mi i
Answering the first final indue-1
tion call since October, six Mar- j
tin County young white men left!
by bus for the U. S. Army center |
in Raleigh last Friday. Just where
the new recruits were assigned
could not be learned immediately.
The call came just at a time
when the holiday season was dis
rupted for the men. No final in
duction call has been received for
January, but fifteen men are to
report for physical tests on Janu
ary 15, it was learned. There lias
' 11 11 f I'ct _
been no pre-induction call ,-f'e
ceived in the county since last
September. Draft officials have
announced that the call for men
is being reduced, but just how
much the ruling will affect the
calls in this county could not be
learned.
The local draff board this week
pointed out that registrants wish
ing io appeal from their classifi
cations must do so/within ten days
after their classifications have
been mailed. The appeals must be
made in writing direct to the draft
board at Williamston, and offer
reasons supporting a change in
classification, it was explained.
The names of the men who an
swered the final induction cull
last Friday follow:
Jerry Vernon Beach of RFD 2,
Williamston.
Lewis Wayne Johnson of Ro
bersonville.
Nathan Wilbur Worsle.v, II, of
Oak City.
John Waldon Lilley, of RFD 1.
Williamston.
William Frederick Griffin of
RFD 1, VJilliamston.
Jasper F.ugene Williams of RFD
2, Williamston.
Roy Wilson Garrish, former of
iamesvillu, was transferred to
Swan Quarter for final induction.
Big-Three Meet
Is First Held
In Eight Years
Making t’rojjrcsH In Making
The B-52 Kighl-Jet
Heavy Bomber
--A
Washington. — Sir Winston
Churchill, in what might have
been the elder statesman’s last
'nteraatiaaak "infeveace.,. ms
to Bermuda to meet with memo
ries of many other conferences
with American leaders during
World War II.
Churchill cooperated closely
with Presidents Roosevelt and
Truman and met with both on
numerous occasions in the hec
tic days from 1940 (when he was
mgde Prime Minister) until 1945
(when he was turned out) and
again (with Presidents Truman
and Eisenhower) from 1951
through 1953.
As First Lord of the admiralty
during the first part of World
War I, he also served his country
in many }tiint 'Sti‘&mc<;f(ynrerinrgl^tl
of that day. As he headed for j
Bermuda, earlier this month, the
British warrior must have won
dered if he would carry the day
this time. Mo-e often than not,
the American Chiefs of Staff and
President Roosevelt had their
j^iiy spring ..World War II when
disputes arose.
Churchii' favored at Bermuda
a little of what his immediate j
forerunner had gone astray on
back in 1938. .Sir Neville Chamb
erland had tried to talk pence
withpitliii. Jfi&lia the_ Nazi .djft^.;
tor wanted war. Of course,!
Churchill showed only a fraction
of (the hope Chamberlain had
clung to, just enough to think
another effort to confer with the
Russians might be worth while.
President Eisenhower’s advisers
had primed the Chief Executive
well before he left Washington—
on how to resist the Churchill
persuasive charm. Ike has had
experience on that score already,
for in World War II. He resisted
Sir Winston on several major pro
posals, vigorously pushed by the
Prime Minister.
Ike went to the talks convinced
conferring with the Russians was
wasted time. Churchill did his
best to convince him there was
nothing but a little time to lose—
(Continued on Pat'e Three) I
Given Life Term In
Hassell Murder Case
Case Is Cleared
From Docket In ;
Eleven Minutes
—«,—
Ernest Everett Staton Hears
Sentence With Little
/ Kmolion Display
/ Eleven minutes after he was.
arraigned in the case in which j
he was charged with the brutal
murder of John Robert Hassell,
aged worker at a Robersonville
lumber mill last November 16,
Ernest Everett Staton, 28, heard
Judge Walter Rone in the Martin
County Superior Court Monday
afternoon sentence him to State's I
prison for “the term of his na
tural life”. Staton’s eyes were j
possibly a bit moist but there was I
little outward evidence of emu- j
tion on the man’s face when he
heard the sentence and the audi
ence gasped.
It was the shortest time on re
cord that a first degree murder
case had been cleared from a doc
ket in the courts of this county.
Until the last session of the North
Carolina General Assembly, a de
fendant charged with first degree
murder could not plead guilty.
The legislature altered the law,
making it possible for such a plea
and went on to provide life im
prisonment.
With the defendant standing,
his right hand raised, the clerk
read the first degree warrant, and
defense counsel, Attorneys Grif
fin and Martin who were appoint
ed by the court, pleaded their
client guilty as charged.
Judge Bone ordered the plea
entered in the records, explaining 1
that it was accepted by the solici- j
tor with th approval of the court.
Asked if the defense had any- 1
I thing to say, Attorney Griffin
! pointed out that it was a matter I
I of law and admitted that little
[could be -y-oH. I'm- the defendant.
The plea, the lawyer explained,
I was tendered after a conference
j others. The attorney saiu the plea
was tenth red with the fuihr.wsrnt'
of the defendant.
Solicitor Elbert S. Peelv handl
ing his first murder case in the
Martin Superior Court, explained
to the court that he accepted the
plea with some misgiving, but
that he had talked with various
citizens and decided the act'on
j would meet with approval. He
' j* : ut tfc' ‘ ° rift*'*1 JKonidu
! possibly necessitate the calling of
a jury from outside the county,
that the cost would approximate
$2,000 or more, and that the jury
Wuum, nr all probability, recom
mend mercy.
No evidence was offered in the
case and the witnesses were ex
cused. The mill where Staton and
| his victim both worked was clos
ed for the day while the manage
ment and most of the emplayees
were in court.
When defense counsel confer
red with Staton, he readily agreed
to any and all suggestions, de
j clanng that he was “right with
"fflWjord," and that nothing mut
ters. Me was said to have j
(Continued on p&ge eight)
K. P. Lindsley Named
A Scout Vice-President \
L. ..The -Ciir«4iR» Council,.. Bay..;
I Scouts of America, reelected Penn I
! md Oscar G. Bailey of Leggetts as !
Council Commissioner at the an-1
inual business meeting held at the i
j East Carolina College in Green- j
jville, Tuesday of last week. It1
fU7a**V»iinV-d ~‘tut 7ii»r Tlif nr had"
been growth in ail phases of ser
vice, membership arid units during
the past year.
Among those named as Service
Area Vice-Presidents was K. P.
Lindsley of Williamston.
LIGHT VOTE
j:
A comparatively light vole
in the peanut-cotton quota re
ferendum is in the making in
most sections of this county
today, according to prelimi
nary reports reaching here
shortly before noon.
However, it was believed
that a vast majority of the
voles will favor quotas for
both crops.
I ^
URGENT CALL
v
An urgent call was releas- I
etl shortly before noon toc'ay
for more blood donors at the
Red Cross bloodmobile center
in the American Legion Hut
on South Watts Street. A fair
response was reported early
this morning, but the list of
pledges was being rapidly ex
hausted, meaning that if the
drop-ins do not show up in 1
greater numbers immediately,
the quota will not be met.
During the meantime, more
blood is being used by people
in this chapter to meet emer
gencies than ever before. The
Bloodmobile will be here to
day until about 4:00 o'clock.
Segregation Issue
Certain To Be In
Courts For Years
Decision Due In Spring;
Stales Make Ready To
Abolish Schools
Washin g in.—Lawyers have
ended their agruments and the
Supreme Court is pondering, but
the furor over the issue of separ
ate public schools for Negroes and
whites seems likely to go on and
on
At least one Supreme Court
[ justice apparently thinks that if
j the court outlaws racial segre
! gation in the schools the decision
| won't by any means close out the
issue automatically.
"I forsee,” said Justice Jack
i son, “a generation of litigation.”
Jackson did that bit of crystal
j ball gazing in the midst of three
| days of reargument last week on
i whether segregation violates the
I Constitution. He referred to the
I possibility of a whoie series of
i new lawsuits d some counties or
! school districts balk at mixed
schools or official! re ; gf^-^athcr
| than accept '.hem.
Kntlre (Jwsrt-fs'iwtWNiLi- -
i The entne Supreme court obvi
j ously is concerned about the me
| chanics, if not the acutal social
impact, involved in putting a de
cision agaist segregation into ef
fect.
So are the 17 Southern and bor
der states which would be most
j affected. All of them, through
iJiyir state constitutions or laws or
both, have compulsory racial se
paration in their school systems.
Something like two-thirds of the
nation’s Negroes and more than
12 million school children of both
races live in these states.
Deep in Dixie, some states arc
showing little inclination to let
| Negro and white children sit side
i by side in classrooms regardless
of what the Supreme Court does
in a decision that may be months
away.
South Carolina, Georgia and
Mississippi already have taken
preliminary steps to do away
with their public schools so as
to by-pass • ruling
against segregation. In each in
dMt a change in the state con
tinuing to appropriate money for
educating children,*perhaps to be
(Continued on Page Six)
Ns Charge Mads
To Grand Jury
Explaining that he had charged
them at the beginning of the
'udTIHgl1'Wrt■ .V Judge Walter Jv
Bone of Nashville told the grand
jurymen that it would not be
necessary to go over the same in
structions again as he opened the
one-week criminal term of the
Martin County Superior Court
Monday morning.
All members of the “perma
nent" jury were present, and the
jurist stated he was glad to see
that they were able to be back.
He pointed out that if it were
necessary, he would call the jury
into court for any instructions,
that during the meantime should
they need any help, the court was
ready to lend any assistance pos
sible.
Mr. Reuben Everett of Rober
sonville is the jury foreman, and
Mr. S. J. Tetterton of Williams
is serving as grand jury officer.
Two Youths Hurt
In River Bridge
Wreck Thursday
Swoml Aeeident Reported
Siiorl Time Later At
Loiiine Bridge
Two young white Navy men,
stationed at Weeksville, were
painfull? but apparently not seri
ously injured when their car
crashed into the Roanoke River
bridge railing in front of the
hridgekeeper’s home about 10:00
o'clock last Thursday night.
Eli Vance Johnson, 22, whose
home is in Roborsonville, suffered
a slight concussion and painful
bruises. Riding with Johnson,
Carl Cox, of 712 Avenue J., South
Houston, Texas, suffered multi
ple fractures of the cheek bones,
lacerations about the face and
leg abrasions. He lost most of his
front teeth in the crash, and was
| dangerously weakened by the loss
of a considerable quantity of
[blood. Rendered unconscious,
Cox was believed at first to have
I been critically injured, but he
| rapidly responded to treatment
i in a local hospital.
The injured were removed in
Jan ambulance to the hospital, and
] later transferred to their base at
j Weeksville.
Apparently .traveling too fast
j to make the curve at this end of
| the bridge, the car crashed into
| the guard rail and then into the
I bridge abutment. The car swerv
ed almost around. Cox was
thrown out and was pulled from
under the front bumper. Johnson
held to the steering wheel and
! rode out the wreck.
The hood of the car was picked
up fifty feet beyond the spot
where the car stopped. A fender
was retrieved from the left side
of the road. The right door and
wheel of the 1948 Buick conver
tible were ripped away. After
j the main part of the car was pull
ed away by a wrecker, a pick-up
j truck was used to haul away the
J battered pieces of the machine,
j Patrolmen estimated the damage
lat about $30,t < ■ jus. about a to
tal loss.
About two hours later Donnie
Watford, of colorain, accompanied
by Sherman Horton, apparently
tided to enter the eastern end of
»Crirline .Creek bridge at a .rapid
speed and crashed into the guaid
rail and later struck the bridge
abutment. The left front of his
1953 Chevrolet was wrecked, me
chanics estimating the damage at
$1,000. The two were released fol
lowing treatment in a local hos
pital, reports stating that neither
was hurt badly.
Minor Accident
On County Road
Driving during the rain late
last Sunday night, Eugene Per
kins, young colored boy of RFD
I, Oak City, lost control of his
l!)4f) Ford and repeatedly ditched
it between Highway 125 and Has
sell.
Investigating the accident, Pa
trolman Jack Arthur said the car
went into the ditch three times
before it finally stuck there. Each
I trip into the ditch' exacted abrrtit
j $1110 damage No one was injured,
the investigating officer
Few Members Of Petit
Jury Exempted from Duty
Offering acceptable excuses, a
1 fc-.v..metr.be.rs»!vf the. peiit jury for.,;
the current term of the Martin
County Superior Court woie ex
empted from duty by Judge Wal
ter Bone Monday morning.
Included in the list were, Wil
. liam Beacham, Mayo Harrell,
C fwr.tr Rj.y
and Mrs. D. C. Peel.
I ROUND-UP
v
A
J
Local and county officers
i had another busy period last
week-end when they round
ed up and jailed twelve per
sons. Five of the twelve were
booked for public drunken
ness, two for simple assault,
and one each for a deadly
weapon assault, speeding:,
drunken driving: and non
support. A twelfth one was
taken on an old charge.
Two of the twelve were
white and the ages of the
group ranged from 18 to 56
years.
i