Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / May 1, 1931, edition 1 / Page 1
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piiiimiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMimiimiiiiiiiiMi!iii^ = A home newspaper dedicated 5 = to the service of Washington § | County and its 12,000 people, § iiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiMiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiii THE ROANOKE BEACON ★ ★★★★★★★★★ And Washington County News ★★★★★★★★★★ VOLUME XLII—NUMBER 18 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Friday, May 1, 1931 tJiiiimiiiimiimiiimiiiiimmiiiimimmmiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiit E Advertisers will find Beacon = and Nev. ; columns a latch-key to = 1,100 Washington County homes. ESTABLISHED 1889 THIEVES BREAK INTO 3 PLACES OF BUSINESS HERE Jethro Respass, 21 Years Old ex-Convict Charged With the Robberies Three local business establishments were broken into anti looted of nter-, chandise here Sunday night, while the alleged thief for two of the establish-j ments, Jethro Respass, 21-year-old ne gro and ex-convict, is still at large, though local officers are pretty close on his trai.l, it is understod, and it is expected that he will be apprehend ed at any time now. Thompson-Clagon Company, Gilbert Dry Cleaning Works, and Jack Swains Filling Station are the establishments j broken into and robbed. Respa-s is, charged with entering and taking mer-‘ chandise and clothing front the two. first-named firms. George Coburn, night policeman, | discovered Respass in the act of leav ing the Thompson-Clagon store from a rear window about 11 o'clock. How ever, the negro made his escape. But he failed to get away with the mer chandise which he had packed in a box, consisting of suits, ladies’ coats, shirts, shoes, etc. Jack Peele, well known young man here, happened along about this time and was invoked into service by Po liceman Coburn. Jack was requested to rush to the home of Chief P. VV. Brown, wake him from his slumbers, and bring him to the scene to help with the capture of the robber. Mr. Peele declares that he called with all of his lung power for about twenty five times, but was unable to awaken the chief. Nevertheless, his efforts were not in vain, as he was sporting a new four-in-hand tie the next morn ing, a present from Mr. Thompson for his faithful calling of the policeman. Several citizens joined with Police man Coburn in an effort to capture the alleged Respass, but the negro made good his escape. The merchandise packed in the box at the Thompson-Clagon store was valued at approximately $150. It seems that the negro made Ills en trance from a second story window by breaking the glass out and taking off the latch. A small hack saw was also found in the store which was sold to Respass by a local hardware mer chant Saturday. A can of motor oil was also found, in the building. 1 j Just what the negro intended to do with the can of oil is not known, but there are two theories entertained by local people. One is that he intended to use the oil for setting fire to the building, while the other theory fis that he had the oil to use on the hack saw in the event he was forced to saw his way into the building. A number of articles were tahen from the Gilbert Cleaning Works, an entrance having been made through a window into this establishment. 1 liese articles have not been recovered thus far. Several cartons of cigarettes and other merchandise were taken from Jack Swain’s filling station. Entrance was made through the door, after breaking the lock. Sheriff Joe Reid traced Respass as far as Elizabeth City, where the trail was lost. Respass was sentenced to the chain gang several months ago for the stealing of a pig. He had just completed serving his sentence a few days before. FIRE COMPANY TO STAGE PLAY EARLY IN MAY -3> ‘The Silent Shape,’ Mystery Drama, Is Production Selected -<8> In kepeing with an annual custom, the Fire Department of Plymouth will present a play here during the early part of May, it was announced yester day by members of the department. Heretofore this event has met with much interest and success, and it i expected to create still greater inter est this year. The play is entitled “The Silent Shape,” which is a very complicated mystery drama, yet holds a distinct strain of humor and comedy through out. is one which can he enjoyed equal ly by children and adults. 1 he play ers are finding this play unusually in teresting and arc displaying great en thusiasm in their efforts to make per fect their characterizations. Therefore, it is believed that the peo ple of Plymouth and \\ ashington County may expect a truly hair-raising and mirth-provoking play from the fire men of this place at an early date. m The cast is composed of the follow ing: Van Martin, Beulah Harris, Law rence Jones, Mrs. Charles. Jackson. Frank Spruill, Louise Duvall, Miller Warren, and Bill Waters. Miss Helene Duvall and Jim Ausbon are the direc tors in charge. Baby Show Will Be Staged Here by Missionary Society Opens With Parade From School Building Next Thurs day, May 7; Voting Contest Lasts Until Friday, 15th, When Show Will Be Presented Tentative plans are now underway for the staging of a baby show in Ply mouth by the Young Women's Mis sionary Society of the Methodist church, it was announced here yester day. There will be a parade of the babies Thursday afternoon, May 7th, at 4 o'clock, from the Plymouth high school building. The voting contest in which the most popular and attractive babies will be decided upon, will last from May 7 until May 15th. The show will be | staged Friday night, May 15th, at 8 o’clock. The admission fee will be 10 and 15 cents. There will be two ballot boxes, one at the O. Henry ' Drug Store and one at Thompson- ! Clagon store. Babies from infancy up to six years of age may be entered in the contest. An entrance fee of 25 cents wil be charged for each baby en tere I. There will be several prizes award ed to babies voted to be the most pop ular and atrtactive. The proceeds of this show will be used for the church. Baby shows al ways prove very popular, and it is ex pected that this one will be no excep tion to the rule. It will be remembered that a baby show was staged in Ply mouth several years ago which created considerable interest throughout the town and county. Therefore, if you have a baby which you desire to enter for the contest and show, you should get in touch with the Young Women’s Missionary So ciety of the Methodist church here as quickly as possible. VOTERS CHOOSE TOWN OFFICERS ON TUESDAY Russell Harrison To Preach Here Sunday -<?> Rev. R. G. L. Edwards, pastor of the Me/hodist church here, announced that Sunday school and preaching services wou’d be held in the church Sunday. It will be several weeks before the congregation will move to new quarters due to the repair work that is going on a/ this time. Russell Harrison, teacher in the local school, who is prepar ing to enter the ministry will preach his first sermon at this church Sunday morning a* 11 o' clock in the absence of /he pas tor, who will driver the com mencement seme a at Creswell Sunday morning. Mr. Edwards will fill the pulpit Sunday night as usual. MANY VISITORS AT FISHERIES IN PAST FEW DAYS Tourists From All Over Country Delighted With Unusual Spectacle -♦ Many visitors from various sections of the country have been visiting the Kitty Hawk and Slade fisheries, locat ed about two miles above the town on the Roanoke River, this season and scarcely a day passes now that one or more people from distant parts of the state or elsewhere visit these fisheries. Roy Hampton, owner and operator of the fisheries, stated here this week that thus far he had sold a good many fish to trucks from all sections of thei State, some coming from Johnson City, Tenn. The visitors are always delighted jvith their experience at these fisheries. To see the crews of colored men mak ing a big haul with the half-mile long nets is a spectacle not so soon for gotten. Then, too, there is the cafe at the fisheries, where visitors can se cure well-cooked fish, fresh from the water, to eat. This cookery has and is proving a very popular thing. Many of the sight-seers are not sat isfied until they have taken a ride in one of the tug boats winch pulls the big nets out into the river. And as for the negroes, who man , the nets which lure the herring and other fish from the murky waters of the Roanoke safely inside the batter ies, there is a peculiar fascination. They do not follow this work except during the fishing season in the spring of the year. Numbers of the colored men come from as far as New York City to take part in the work. Belhaven Orchestra To Broadcast Next Saturday Harry Paul and his ‘‘Lasses Lickers” of Belhaven, the members of which are originally from Washington Coun ty, will be on the air Saturday night at 8:15 o'clock, May 2, from Station WPTF, Raleigh, in one of their pop ular musical programs. Clarence Ross tickles the guitar while Durwood Harris does likewise and Hack Lamb picks the banjo. If you like the old time string music, you should not fail to tune in on the,e popular performers Saturday evening at 8:15 o’clock from the Raleigh sta tion. MAYOR AND SIX MEMBERS BOARD WILL BE ELECTED Much Interest Is Being Shown in Race With Many Candidates Approximately 125 have registered for the town election to he held here on Tuesday, May 5, for the election of city councilnten and mayor. There were already something over 600 peo ple whose names were on the regis tration books, making a total of around 750. It is expected that this city elec tion will poll the largest number of votes probably ever cast in Plymouth. Ambrose L. Owens and Luther W. Gurkin are the two candidates for Mayor; councilmen for the hirst Ward are A. E. Brothers, E. R. Jackson, and J. O. Everett; councilmen for the Second Ward are B. G. Campbell, G. D. Davis, M. W. Norman, and J. L. Horton; councilmen for the Third Ward are Harry Stell, II. C. Spruill, J. G. Dixon, and W. E. Wecde. How ever, only two candidates out of each ward will be elected. Local citizens who are in close touch with local politics are expecting a heavy vote here next Tuesday as more interest has been manifested in the mu nicipal election than lor several years. Sheriff Reid Captured Big Liquor Still Last Tuesday -- Sheriff Joe Reid captured a hig liquor distillery iu Scuppernong town ship late Tuesday afternoon, together with five big barrels of beer. No whiskey was found but indications were to the effect that the boozery had been in operation only recently. The still was a copper outfit with a capacity of 100 gallop- _ lhe beer was poured out while the* still was cut up and brought t° Plymouth Judging from the amount of copper in the kettle and the workmanship, the distillery was evidently an expen sive outfit. -»- | C. O. Jordan, Local Store Manager, Seriously 111 -- C. O. Jordan, manager of the Ply mouth Hardware Company here, was taken seriously ill last Tuesday morn ing, necessitating his return to his home in Washington. Last reports re ceived from Air. Jordan’s bedside in dicated that his conditions continues very serious. Mr. Latham, of Washington is managing the store here, which is a branch of the Washington firm. RECORDER HAD ONLY ONE CASE HERE TUESDAY Court Continues In Session Most of Day To Hear The One Case -rh The local recorder's court experi enced a most unusual session here on Tuesday, in that only one case was tried, yet it consumed practically all day and one of the plaintiffs was a lawyer, and the other the son of a lawyer. They were: P. H. Bell, Ply mouth's only colored barrister, and his son, Charles Bell. Wit, humor, and oratory were much m evidence during the trying of this case. Prac- J tically the entire colored population of Washington County was packed in- | to the court room. Waddell Cobh, local negro, had been I arraigned on two counts, charged with j an assault with a deadly weapon upon Attorney P. H. Bell, and with an as sault upon Charles Bell. According to the evidence, it seems i that Waddell Cobb and a local colored school teacher, Ethel Griffin, had been keeping company. Cobh claimed that Charles Bell had made some remark about this lady friend which finally re sulted in the two engaging in a fistic | battle in a ditch Tuesday night of last week. Later, it seems that Cobh and the Griffin negress went to the home of P. H. Bell on Thursday night of last week, at which time Cobb de manded to know why Bell’s son had [been “telling lies" on Ethel, Accordingly, Bell ordered them from .his house, but on reaching the door, i Cobh landed a blow on Bell's bead, : which necessitated medical attention. I Attorney W. L. Whitley represent i ed Cobb, while Solicitor Carl L. Bailey {did the prosecuting, j It seems that Cobb is a member of j the Elks, a colored fraternal organi zation here. His brother Elks were present in large numbers. One of these J colored men remarked to a court of ficial just before court convened, that ue e,iks is DacKmg luuu official replied that he didn’t care if the cows were backing him. The case was hard fought, a jury having been required, and both counsel 1 for the state and the defense waxed eloquent in oratory. However, at the 'conclusion of arguments, the jury found Cobb guilty of a simple assault oil the first count and guilty of an as sault on the second count. Judge Ed ward L. Owens sentenced the de.end ant to 90 days on the roads on the 1 first count, the sentence to be su pend ed upon payment of a ?20 fine and the cost, and 30 days on the roads on the second count, judgment to be suspend ed on payment of a $5 fine and the cost. The defendant, however, ap pealed t° the superior court. “Little Tammany" Talks About Control of Radios -- News comes from Norfolk that , owners of radio receiving sets have not paid proper attention to the warn ing issued some months ago by the | City Manager with regard to operation of loud speakers with unnecessary volume. Therefore, the city manager is considering recommending legisla tion to control the noise. Several Plymouth citizens are of the opinion that a city ordinance to con trol noisy radio sets here would be an excellent idea. The matter is being discussed at the nightl> session of “Tammany Hall,” local smoke she p which is operated by Mr. Carstar- j phen. Fire In Creswell Theatre Saturday; Little Damage -<*> On receiving a telephone call 1 .r help when the theatre building at i Creswell caught fire last Saturday , night about 12 o’clock, the Plymouth Fire Department was set and ready to answer the call within a few minutes, . hen Chief Gurkin was notified that ,1 - fire had already been gotten under j c. trol. fi he Creswell theatre is owned and ! ope:..ted by J. C. Gatlin. However, it is understood that little damage was done by the blaze. County Federation of Woman's Home Demonstration Clubs Meets Here Today 9 . \ * Two Voic s Two mighty Voices speak to North Carolina and bid her lend them ear. One Voice says: “I speak in the name of Economy. Let us cut public school expenditures. Too long have We. the People, been spend ing more on education than We can afford. Our pocketbooks can not stand the burden of the present system. Retrenchment is in order.” The other Voice submits: “We are the Children of this Stafe. As long as the average annual per capita expenditure for current expense in the public schools of North Carolina is only $35.20, as compared with $71.39 in the average State of the Union, the education we receive will not enable us to compete in the gam of Life, on equal terms, with chil dren educated in other States. We remind you that to those best edu cated belong opportunities for ownership of property, directorships of industry, and leadership in all walks of Life. If you will give Us the chance to compete, We shall achieve these opportunities. The only way by which you can give Us the opportunity to “burgeon out all there is within us’ is also the only way by which you can protect North Caro lina for North Carolinians. If tile boys and girls who live in North Carolina today are to own, direct, and lead North Carolina in the years to corne, then North Carolina must keep pace, educational'y, with other States.—North Carolina Teacher. Curious Pig Exhibited Here; Ancestors Evidently Came From Kinston Section HAS EIGHT LEGS, 4 EARS^2 TAILS Born Dead, Monstrosity Is Embalmed and Put on Exhibition Page Kinston, please. Plymuutli is now the home of one i f the most ex traordinary monstrosities ever seen in this section of the state. P is a Hamp shire-Duroc pig which was born here Wednesday morning. 1 lie pig has eight legs instead of the usual four; four ears instead of the usual two; two tails instead of the usual one; a id, in fact, is practically two pigs with the exception that he has only one head, two eyes, and one nose. The pig is the property of P. G. Campbell and Paul Gurganus. The sad part about this pig is that he was born dead. However, Mrs. Campbell, seeing an opportunity for making some money for the pipe i rgan lu.ul of the Methodist church here, has had the pig embalmed at a local undertaker s establishment. Hence, the pig will be placed on display for tbe public to sec at tbe Campbell Win l.'sale Company. Children will be charged five cents and' adults ten cents to see this pig. And, as already stated, tbe money received will be used toward paying for the new aipe organ to be installed at the Meth odist church. Ellis Parker Butler may contend that 'Pigs Is Pigs," but til is pig i-, cer :ainly more than the average pig. Not, ust every pig is equipped with two .pare ears, four spare legs, and one| -pare tail. And not just every pig" -.as the advantage of being embalmed aid placed on display for the public to see and marvel at. Just what will ultimately be done yitli this pig is not known, but it has leen suggested by some that after he ias served his purpose as a show pig, hat Colonel Fred S. Olds might be. nterested in giving him a permanent >laee in the State Museum at Ra-j cigh. Home Agent’s Schedule For Week of May 4-9 Miss Pratt Covington, county home demonstration agent, announces that ler schedule for next week will be as follows: Monday, at Hoke; Tuesday, at Ply mouth; Wednesday, at district mcet ing in Greenville; Thursday, at Chapel Hill and Zion Clubs at Chapel Hill; Friday at Roper; Saturday, curb mar ket. County Farm Near Here Literally Carved Out of Wilderness by Supt. L. L. Basnight Washington County, in one respect at least, is probably more fortunate than most other counties in Eastern Carolina. That is in providing em ployment for convicts. I'or the past four years Mr. L. I.. Uasnight has been county supervisor of roads, that job carrying with it the care of all prisoners sentenced in the county who are not sent to the penitentiary, and under his direction a very good farm has literally been made from a wil derness, convict labor having been used exclusively in reclaiming this land. When Mr. Basnight took charge about four years ago, the county own ed a tract of land about two miles south of here consisting of approxi —O— —-o-o— —U— match 90 acres, 10 of which was ' cleared. There was no farming equip ment to cultivate the cleared acres, which was divided into three different j fields each of which was reached by a different road, and the woods and swamps between these tields were in such condition that a man could not even ride horseback from one field to another. Without specific authority from the county commissioners Mr. Basnight began the task of clearing up the land on his own initiative, using what tools I and equipment as came to hand. Today the county is in possession of 70 clear ed acres as a result of the supervisor’s work, practically all of which will be planted to some crop this season. Fourteen acres have been cut over, stumps removed and some sowed to rye since last September. The amount of work required can only be appreciated b\ those who vi sit the farm and observe the opera tions. Drainage ditches are first dug, then gangs are sent in to cut down the trees and undergrowth, trim, pile, and burn the foliage, haul the wood out tor use at the camp, and when that is finished stumps must be pulled up and the roots raked and burned. Besdies the work on the farm, several gangs must be kept busy making repairs and improvements to the roads of the county. Recently, for instance, with a force (Continued on the back page) SINGING CLASS CONCERT TO BE GIVEN MAY 16TH New Program Is Offered; Sponsored by Local Masonic Lodge The Oxford Orphanage Singing Class will give a concert at the Fly nn nth high school auditorium on Sat urday night, May 16, ..nder the au sp’ces of Perseverance Lodge, No. 59. \ n entire new program is being giv en this year, and everywhere the class lias made its appearance this season it has made quite a hit with the people. The Oxford Orphanage sing ing class is always greeted by large audiences in Plymouth, and it is ex pected that this year will prove no ex ception to the rule. There will he a small admission charge, but you will more than get your money's worth in wholesome en tertainment. Therefore, it is urged that everybody come and bring the family and thus enjoy an evening of rare entertainment and at the same time help the great institution which this class represents. PLAN TO GROW MORE PEANUTS Peanut Growers of County Expect to Increase Crop By 31 Per Cent Peanut growers throughout the country report intentions of increasing the acreage to be planted alone to peanuts about 31 per cent above the 1930 harvested acreage ,it was learned here yesterday. However, the harvest ed acreage of peanuts has tended to be slightly less than the acreage in dicated by growers’ intentions. These reports indicate increases in all of the inipt rtant States, hut the heaviest increase is reported in the Southwest, where a 57 per cent in crease in plantings is indicated. The 1931 intended acreage exceeds the harvested acreage for 1930 by about 33 per cent in the Southeastern States and by about 10 per cent in the Virginia-North Carolina section. In view ot the prospective increase in the number of hogs in the South western and Southeastern States, it is probable that at least a part ot the acreage increase has resulted from the need of more feed. But should the acreage to he harvested for nuts be increased at the same rate as is indi cated for the acreage of peanuts planted alone the acreage harvested for nuts in 1931 will approximate 1, 440.000 acres, or about 9 per cent greater than the record harvested acreage of 1920. With yields equal to the average of the last 10 years, pro duction in 1931 would be 7 per cent higher than the record crop of 1929, for which growers received especially unfavorable prices. However, the car ry-over of old-crop peanuts into the 1931 marketing season is expected to he the lowest in recent years. Holy Communion at the Grace Church Sunday Rev. A. Marshall, Rector Sunday school at 10 a. m. Holy Communion and Sermon ai I 11:00 a. m. ROBT H. WRIGHT IS MAIN SPEAKER THIS AF TERNOON Large Delegation, of Club Women Expected At Session In an interview with Mi > Pratt Covington, home demonstration agent of W ashington County here yesterday, many interesting fact' relative to the county federation and Io nic derm n I stration work were rev .a'ed. It seems that the first Washington County Federation of H< me Demon stration ( lu!).s was held in the fall of 1928 at Creswell, on October 15th. At i this meeting there was an attendance of 8b women and girls. The Literary ( lui) of Plymouth had been invited, end practically the entire membership I of this c! was present. ! Dr. Taylor, of State College, Ra leigh, delivered a very interesting and instructive address on North Carolina* Great Green Patch\v< rk Quilt. In short, he likened the state of North ’Carolina to a quilt in patchwork. This was declared by many to have been one of the best addresses ever deliv ered at the club federation. In the spring of 1929, the federa tion met at Plymouth. Mrs. Jane S. McKimmon was the keynoter on this occasion, having delivered a lecture on “Child Training." When it be came known that Mrs. McKimmon was to speak at this meeting, every woman in the county, it is said, de termined to he present. And that many lived up to their determination is proved by the fact that something over three hundred women were pres The Plymouth Chamber of Com merce pledged itself to the support of the Federation and gave a handsome .silver trophy cup to he awarded to the club having the best attendance at the Federation meetings. The Creswell club went home the winner on this occasion with an enrollment of twen ty members and an attendance of twenty members. This was a perfect record of attendance. During the fall of 1920, the Roper club (and surrounding clubs were hostesses to the Federation. This meeting was unusually good. Between 400 and 500 people were present. A room-improvment project was on dis play which proved of much intere t to club women, as every piece of fur niture had been restored frc*m "mere junk” to articles of w< rth and beauty. Mr. Rose, farm agent from Hertford County, delivered a very delightful talk on Yard Improvement at thus j meeting, which was well remembered and suggestions he offered are in use 'in the county today. During the spring of 1930 the fed I eration centered all interest toward Mackeys, where the Mackcvs Club and | surrounding clubs entertained the fed eration. This was one federation j meeting that will long be remembered (Continued on page six) WORK STARTED ON METHODIST CHURCH HERE —•— Building To Be Practically Rebuilt During Next Two Months W ork was commenced here Tues day on the renovation ©f the Metho dist church, which is expected to re quire approximately two months to complete and will cost several thous and dollars. When the work is finish ed, the Methodist church will prac tically he a new church out and oui. The building is l>eing brick veneered and an addition is being added to the rear, extending back fourteen feet. I'he basement will be excavated ami a modern steam heating plant installed. Toth the exterior and interior will be made new, including hardwood floors. Sunday school rooms will be built in also. | A modern pipe organ will also be | installed and when the work is fin ished the Methodist congregation will have one of the best and most modern I church plants in this section of the 1 country. The ladies of the church arc raising imuls to help pay for the pipe organ. Rev. R. G. 1.. Edwards is the pastor of this church. A. I.. Owens has gen eral supervision of the construction w ork. The present church building is a mong one of the oldest in this section of the state, having been built some time prior to the Civil War. It was used as aii emergency hospital during the battle of Plymouth. The land up on which the church stands was deed 'd to the trustees of the church by Samuel Hardison on August 5, 1832.
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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May 1, 1931, edition 1
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