V s ".. " " THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER i,000 MARTIN COUNTY * FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE — .t THE ENTERPRISE IS READ Uk OVER 4,000 MARTIN COUNT* FAMILIES TWICE EACH WE£j VOLUME LVII—NUMBER 21 Williamston, Marlin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, March 16, 1951 ESTABLISHED 1899 Teen Ager Booked For Burglary In # County Saturday -« Henry Thomas’ Store Rob beci Again Near Hamil ton Sunday Morning Richard Dickens, 18-year-old youth, faces a charge of burglary in the f'rst degree in the su perior court this week following his arrest in the Kader Hardison ^ apartment in Oak City about 1:30 * o’clock o’clock last Saturday morning. Dickens, given a hear ing before Justice Edmond Early in Oak City that morning at 4:00 o’clock, was denied bond and placed in the county jail to await trial during the current court term. Using a ladder, Dickens made his way through a second story window into the Hardison apart ment over the store of Bunting and Son. Hardison, his wife and their small daughter were sleep ing and did not hear Dickens, but Roy Casper, occupying another apartment on the same floor of the building, heard Dickens, and he called Hardison. The two men left the building by an outside stairs, saw Dickens in the store on the ground floor and called Officer Garland Bunting. Dickens, after gaining an en trance to the second floor, reach ed the first-floor of the store down an elevator shaft When the officer reached the scene, Dickens had retraced his route up the shaft and was arrested in the kitchen of the Hardison apart ment just as he was making ready to jump out a window. Officer found on Dickens' per son $7 50 in cash taken from the cash register, four cuts of tobac co, three boxes of rifle bullets j.nd four cigars. Dickens told the officer that he wanted to live to see the day when he would "get out of prison and return and "get him.” ^ It was the second time the store had been robbed in recent months. Sometime during late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, robbers entered the Henry Tho mas store at the Sheri od farm near Hamilton and carried away merchandise valued at about $100, BftlTflffr-w c.g,. W rettes and 10 or 15 quarts of wine. The robbers broke a glass in the front door, reached in and unlock ed the door. Officers are working on the case but no lead had been established early today. The store was robbed several weeks ago by teen-agers. 9 An expensive e«(.sh register stol en from the Eubanks store in Has g 11 on March 7 was found in Conoho Creek at Butlers budge ct. Highway 125 last Vveunesiiay by R. S. Howell who was hitch (Continued on Page Eight) —-—-n, Mrs ! r?5icK Smith, Juriie Peel, Sidney D. j Barnes, Wendell Modlin, Alfred Hollis, Sylvester Leggett, Mrs. Nannie E, Whitt’, Anna Edmond son, Billy Edmondson, Janie Leg gett, Ellis Keel, Rufus Hardison, Mrs. Rufus Hardison, John H. Lynch, Mrs. Sam Roberson, Earl Roberson, John R. Wobbleton, Rex Singleton, Mrs. Walter Wynne, Jack W. Wynne. Mrs. Frank Vv'eathersbee, Mrs. Grady Whitaker, Mrs. Palmer' White. Mrs. Bud Liilev, Mrs. J. B. Nicholson, Mrs. Tom Davis, Flet cher Thomas, Rufus S. Gurganus, Mrs. Jack Grey, Jim Manning, William Riddick, Roger Roberts, Mrs. Louise Gurkin, Mrs. Justies Coltrain, Melba Manning, W. J. Bridgen, Mrs. W. E. Dudley, Ben- ! ny Daniels, James R. Gurganus, Calvin ■ Warren, Mrs. Charlie (Continued on Page Eight) Two Persons Hurt In Seven Highway Wrecks In County -0 I Property Damage Approxi ! mates $3,000 In The Series Of Accidents -» — Two persons were painfully but not believed badly injured in a (series of motor vehicle accidents jon the highways nad streets in this county during the past sev eral days. Property damage was [estimated at about $3,000, accord ing to preliminary reports releas ed by the investigating officers. Damage, estimated at $175, re sulted when a 1953 Pontiac driven by I^eor.a R. Taylor and. a-1951 Ford pick-up driven by I. Dewey Leggett were in collision in Bear Grass near the main intersection early in the week. No one was in jured. A second accident in the series was reported a short distance out of Oak City on Highway 125 last Thursday morning at 10:30 o’ clock. William Rogerson of Wil liamston was making a left turn in his 1952 Studebaker just as J. Leon Dormus of Madison, N. J. started to pass in his 1951 Chrys ler New Yorker. No one was hurt and damage to each vehicle was estimated at $300. Doremus said he had been driving cars for 54 years and that it was his first ac cident. Driving norm on wunamsions Sycamore Street at 12:05 o’clock last Saturday morning, Richard Vine lost control of his 1940 Chevrolet and the machine jump ed a large ditch, traveled 12!) feet between Hill and Hyman streets and crashed into a utility pole, cutting it in two. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $450. Vine; suffered face lacerations and a broken collar bone. Clayton Wilkins, riding with Vine, was thrown partly through the wind shield and was treated for cuts on the chin and the back part of his head. They were released follow ing hospital treatment. Two cars, a 1948 Chevrolet driven by CpI. Leon Davie of the Kdenion marine base, and a 1882 Cadillac owned by Woodrow Ray of Williamston were in collision on Williamston's West Main Street near the railroad underpass ’4:15*0 clock last Saturday morn ing. As far as it could be learn ed no one was injured. Damage to the cars w'as estimated at about $250 each. At 11:45 o'clock last Saturday night, Percy Keel of Williamston hist control of his 1939 Chevrolet and crashed into Isaac Whitley’s 1949 Ford about three-quarters of a mile east of Robersonville in front of the J h. Hailey home, j Whitley, it was said, had left the road an effort to get out ■ A Keel’s way. Damage to the Chev rolet was estimated at $100 and that to the Ford at $300. Sunday afternoon at 4:00 o’ clock John Adams lost control of his 1949 Ford on the Iron Mine road about two miles south of Palmyra, and the machine turn ed over. No one yas reported in jured and damage to the car was estimated at $350. Driving east on Highway 04. ; Paul Webster Smith of High Point dropped off to sleep and ran his 1952 Cadillac off the road at the Tom Roebuck curve, a short dis tance west of Robersonville, about 7:45 o’clock Monday morning. He crashed into a pole and did about $200 damage to his machine. H< was not hurt, the investigating of ficer said —f Local Band Gets Excellent Rating ••»****».»*♦» «,» «•* • The Green Wave Band of Wil liamston Hi;.h School won a rat ing of “Excellent” in the district music contest in Greenville last Thursday, drawing praise from all for their performance from all sides and leaving their director, Jack F. Butler, “very pleased and proud of them.” While final reports on all the bands in attendance were not re leased late Thursday when the Williamston hand returned home, it was doubted that any of the group would make a higher rating than the Green Wave Band, The judges, in working another dis trict contest on Wednesday had given no ratings higher- than "Ex cellent” and this will qualify the Williamston band to enter the contest at Greensboro if it should fContinued on Page Eight) Handled Eleven Cases Monday In Superior Court Call Breaking and Entering Cades For Trial During Session Today Opening a two-week term Mon day the Martin County Superior Court with Judge Chester Mor ris of Coinjock on the bench, cleared eleven cases from the docket and continued several oth ers for various reasons before calling it a day at 5:05 o’clock. The court this morning is com pleting the trial of the breaking and entering and assault case against Cora Lee. Some evidence was heard yesterday, and upon the completion of the trial, the court will call the breaking and entering cases pending against several white youths and about five young colored men. After handling the opening pre liminaries the court called the case in which Joe Brown was charged with assaulting Eddie Coffield, Sr., and nearly killing him with a piece of two-by-four timber in Oak City a few weeks ago. According to one version of the testimony there was so much fighting going on that no one could very well tell who was hit ting who, and the jury found the defendant not guilty. The case was the only one to reach the jury during the first day of the term. Matthew Keel, Jr., 17-year-old colored boy whose appearance was a bit appealing but whose surliness attracted the attention of both Judge Morris and Solici tor Elbert S. Peel, pleaded guilty of breaking into the Vanderford home near Gold Point on four different occasions and stealing about $25 in cash. The boy was without his parents in court and had no lawyer. Judge Morris, agreeing that the word, “surly” described the lad’s nature, said he wanted to think more about the , lad’s case. It is possible the jurist will consider judgment in the case i after trials are held in similar eases. The lad is a fifth grade “graduate”. Pleading guilty of breaking in to and l obbing the Home Laundry in.. Wiiiia'o.4.)V.,“ ^liiwu drew five years in prison as quick as a flash. Brown, said to have quite a long court record in this and other states, explained to the court that he had never raised a finger against society in North Carolina but twice, that he had paid his debt on other occasions and that his record should not be held against him. The plea appar ently dir] not register in the jur ist’s mind. Leawood Stewart, guilty of receiving g' knowing them to have been stolen from the laundry, also pleaded guilty and he was sentenced to the roads for eighteen months. Charged with drunken driving, L. D. Lanier and Jos. Carnegia Ross, after reaching the high court, turned tail and headed back to the county recorder’s court to accept judgments previ ously handed down there. They are paying $100 fines and costs and surrendering their The entry in the superior court record shows the cases against the two were remanded to the lower court for compliance of judgment. The cases in which David Laughinghouse was charged with false pretense and Hurly Mae Laughinghouse with forgery were nol prossed, subject to be reopen ed at a later date. Appealing a drunken driving judgment from the county court, James Clifton Wiggins pleaded euilty of driving to the left of near Wiliiamston some weeks ago. The plea was accepted and hi- was fined $10, plus costs. No true bill was found in the case in which Edward Harrison was charged with the robbery of person. The bewhiskered cases in which Walter Freeman stands charged with an assault with in tent to kill and breaking and en tering and assault with a deadly weapon, were again continued. The court ordered papers issued, calling for the fugitive’s arrest. The following cases were con tinued: Ernest Linton, drunken driving; Luther Briant Mozingo, drunken driving; James and Janie Davis, aiding and abetting larceny and receiving; Robert C. Rogsr son, assault on a female; R. S. Gaither, drunken driving; and William Brantley, bigamy. Murder Case Plea Accepted By Court Sentence Hawkins! To Prison For 10 To 12-Year Term -<*> Jurist' Morris Saw Killing At* V Climax To A Drunken Brawl James Hawkins was sentenced to prison for not less than ten1 and not more than twelve years | by Judge Chester Morris in su perior court late Monday after- 1 noon after his counsel tendered a plea of guilty of manslaughter in the case in which the defendant stood charged with the first de gree murder of James Augustus Hodges in Williamston on Febru ary 20. When the case was called for trial Monday afternoon the State announced it would not ask for a verdict in first degree but would work for one in second degree. At the conclusion of the State’s evidence, defense counsel, Robt. H. Cowen and Edgar Gurganus, jumped at u chance to submit a manslaughter plea, and it was accepted by the State. Judge Mor ris, commenting on the case, ex plained that the murder was the result of a drunken brawl. Robert Everett, colored man, who had been with Hawkins and Hodges the greater part of the day stated that Hodges was stabbed to death in the home of Rosalyn Stokes on Martin Street, admitted he' lied in offering testimony at the preliminary hearing, leaving the impression that all three were so drunk that none knew what he was doing at the time of the at tack. Everett, after telling ul the pre liminary hearing that he saw no knife anti that he did not see ! Hawkins strike Hodges but once, told the jury at the trial that he .-.aw lla.vkins strike the victim first in the chest and then drove the comparatively long pin knife blade deep into Hodges’ back. . .. At •■^p0y-f,|imi'>-arv hearir.ir Kverett said he struek and knock ed Hawkins down to "get some sense into his head”. At the trial Monday, Everett said Hawkins at tacked him and he knocked him out to protect himself. Everett claimed that Hodges got up from the kitchen table where he was eating and went over to Hawkins in the same room and placed his hand on his shoulder. Other witnesses maintained ih'tf!* Judges did not get up from the , table, that he was too (trunk to navigate. One witness after another de scribed the knife as one with a push button and a red striped handle. The knife has never been found. Everett admitted that he hud been in court at least fivp times for fighting, that he used any kind of knife he had available. Earline Mobley said she saw Hawkins st«b Hodges in the back ^^Coronei W. \V. Biggs described j the two wounds, saying that eith er of them in his opinion, could have proved fatal Rosalyn Stokes, the common law wife of the victim, told about the same story she related at the preliminary hearing, but she was able to describe the knife she tiad failed to tell about at the pre liminary hearing. Officer Chas. R. Moore who ar j rested Hawkins three quarters of | a mile away at the Hawkins home ion Hunter Street, said that lla\ kins told him h>. had stabbed ’’ « • ♦ .»• • v »• •.♦,'% •.■Mm. *■•>/%. . V< V. ,«v»4> •«•(*.« ijij, * Uud^rH. CpI. M. C. Byrum and Oetoria Williams were the last witnesses called by the State, and they cor roborated evidence offered by I (Continued on Page Eight) I -• | Mon Jaili-il t or Hruloi Attack On Hi* Wifo — «► Will Rainey, 40-ycar-uld colored man, was jailed late Sunday night after lies arrest for brutally as saulting his wife at their logging camp home between Hamilton and Oak City earlier that evening. He was released in bond Monday ami is booked for trial in the county court o the 29th. Beaten with a stick, the vic tim was treated in Martin General ! Hospital and released Sheriff M. ■ W Holloman said. !NO F,v;t SK.S r *s I J Removal and death were the only excuses recosnized when citizens were called for Jury duty in the Martin County Superior Court. Meaningful notations were made when one or two jurors failed to appear on time. Will Parker, when it was learned he had died, was ex cused alonB with Oscar Tai lor who moved out of the county some time ago. Court attendants tried to draft an other to fill Parker's place, but the death excuse prevail ed. Several talesmen were rounded up to insure the court an available jury at all times. Bloodmobile Gets A Big Push Here —•— The Red Cross bloodmobile was Riven strong support in this chap ter last week when one hundred percent cooperation was shown in the recruitment program and the projects attracted the efforts of numerous volunteers. The response to the call for blood was traceable to home de monstration clubs, ministers, churches and civic organizations and individuals. One club at Dar dens not only solicited pledges but five of members donated blood. Individual recruiters in cluded, Mrs. Fate Gurganus, Os car White and Mr. and Mrs. Ben James in the Poplar Point area, Mr. and Mrs. Grady Godard over in Williams, Mrs. Edgar Brown and Jumesville Woman's Club members in the Jamesvilie sec tion, Jim Manning, Manning and Gurkin s store, Dewey Perry's store, Mrs. Henry Griffin, Mrs Joe Olay Corev Worth Moblev. East Side Scrvici Station, Fishei Harris’ store and Mrs. Walter Wynne in the Griffins, Bear Grass and Williamsfoa areas. The S and V supermarket styy^ ported the program by giving a quart of Maola milk to each blood donor. Up until late yesterday approximately 150 quarts of milk had been delivered to the blood donors at the store on Washing ton Street. Reviewing the success of the bloodmobile visit, Dr. J. S. Rhodes, Jr., blood program chair man; Mrs. Lucille Cowen, chapter chairman, and the blood program committee includ ing Mrs. Edna Honduran!, Mrs W. Iverson Skinner, Mrs. A. L Jame son, Mrs. Victor Brown, Mrs. Henry Griffin and Mrs W T Ross declared they were greatly en couraged by the response, that they appreciated the cooperation on the part of all Junior Glee Club Rated 'Superuu: The Junior Glee Club of Wil liamston High School, under the direction of Miss Mary Wallace Kny, earned a rating of Superior j in the music contest at Greenville last Friday. The Senior Glee Club ran into some tough luck and came off ( with a rating of Good this year ! after having captured Excellent ratings for the past several years. The Senior club sang "Alio lulia” by Thompson and “The Asii Grove," a Welsh folk song tune, The numbers rendered by the Junior group have not been re ported. The numbers rendered by the Senior group are listed in [ Group Four. I ONK ADJUSTMENT v' Meeting us a board of equalisation and review, the Martin County commissioners received only one complaint against a tax assessment dur ing a two-hour session. Explaining that he had for gotten to appeal until it was too late year after year, Gum er Taylor presented his case and the board dropped the assessed valuation from SS.737 i on a two-acre residence tracf to $1,000. Grand Jury Hears Charge By Judge Norris On Monday -- Lav^rem*** Hyman Of Oak r.itv Foreman Of Jurv for Six Months --v "Du your sworn duty and there need be no fear that our govern ment will disintegrate," Judge Chester Morris, presiding over the current term of the Martin County Superior Court, told the eighteen-member grand jury Monday morning in a 30-minute charge. Nine new members were added to the jury, including R. G. Harrison, H. L House, Lester Cherry, David R Rogers, James C. Williams, James R. Jenkins, S. C. Griffin. Jr., Dalmer Gurkin and M D. Wilson Serving six months on the jury, . Lawrence Hyman was made foreman of the group. Mr. Hyman succeeds Reu ben Everett who recently com pleted a tour of duty as a member anil foreman of the grand jury. Judge Morris was heard by a packed courtroom, including members of the Jamesville eighth grade Opening court a few minutes ahead of time, Judge Morris told the jurymen they were members of an important body. "Some say the grand jury is outmoded, but 1 do not think so," the jurist said, adding that it was a strong arto of the law, and the guardian the entire citizenship of this coun ty. The jury system was set out in the organic law of the land, and its members occupy a unique po sition in society, the jurist said, adding that the community looks to each member of the jury to do his duty and uphold the law in a manner that will be of benefit to all people. “The farmers of out Constitu tion were anxious about the rights of the individual and want ed to make certain that no one would he deprived of his liberty, that no innocent person would be prosecuted for malice,” Judge Morris said, explaining that was why the grand jury was created ' ll is impossible for any one to consistently violate the law with out one or more of your body knowing it," the jurist continued, criminal cannot be tracked down Tff.TTT^1 Th^eVSneiT a-o-'SToia - lions are committeed in ihe dark. You have good officers but some criminals cannot be tracked down without your help,” Judge Mor ris said, appealing to the jury men to act in behalf of law en forcement. The judge interrupted his charge at this point to pay Elbert S. Peel, the new solicitor, a eom ! pliment. If has been my pleasure to work with Mr Peel much of the i January, and he is rendering a valuable ser vice to his State and country,” the jurist declared. ■'He’ll send you bills of indict ment and it is for you not to try the case, but to weigh the evi dence and act on the bills,” the jurist said, explaining methods of procedure. The presentment of crime not detected by law enforcement of ficers was pointed out as a sacred *ut.v of the jury members. “You come from ali parts of your coun ty and it is your solemn duty to call to the attention of the court any law violations that have not been detected. All you have to do is to set forth the charges in a paper writing, list the witnesses and turn the writing over to the solicitor in a sealed envelope.” The jurist reviewed briefly the wording of the oath subscribed to bv the jury members, and ex plained its meaning. “Much has been .said about secrecy, but no one is against he declared, explaining the value of maintaining secrecy there. ‘‘Sonic look upon jury service as a duty to be passed on to an other, but the man who serves is doing a service that means a bet ter type of law enforcement, bet ter citizenship and that the law will triumph over immorality, in decency, and those things that tend to tear down our form of government," Judge Morris said, pointing out that if the jurors did their duty we need have no fear that our government will disen tegrate. “Our system offers a way to find the truth, and our way surpasses any and all others found anywhere,” he added. The jury was instructed to in spect the several offices and pub lic building, and report their lind (Contyiued on page eight!