North Carolina Newspapers

giiuiiimitmiiiiiiiiwiiiiMHiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiMniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir, f A noma newspaper dedicated = § to the service of Washington § = County and its 12,000 people. |j ^uiuiiiiillllllllHlllllinillllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIDIIIIIIillilllllll.' The Roanoke Beacon ******* and Washington County News ****★★★ I Advertisers will find Beacon = and News columns a latch-key to § 1,100 Washington County homes. niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiMtiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiriiiiiiiiiimii. VOLUME XLVI—NUMBER 18 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Friday, May 3, 1935 ESTABLISHED 1889 ' WINTER GARDEN CONTEST PRIZES ARE AWARDED -1 Mrs. J. J. Burdine, of Swain Club First; Mrs. L. A. Parrisher Second -e By Miss Eugenia Patterson I Last fall the Chilean Nitrate Com pany offered through the state exten sion department, prizes in winder gar den work. The purpose of this was to stimulate more interest in growing year-round gardens, and by keeping records to show the value of the win ter garden to the family. Each garden leader and several oth | er club members started out keeping i records. Measles and sickness of oth ? er kinds kept some of the women | from completing their records. Six months was the time required. At the end of the six months, 10 , records, complete with a story of how their gardens had been of value to the family, were sent to the home agent’s office to be judged. A committee worked over tbe records thoroughly and found that Mrs. J. J. Burdine’s record was the winner of the first prize, $5. Mrs. Burdine is from the Swain club, and her record shows the following results: Fresh vegetables served on her table in the 6 months from October 1 to March 31, 490 times f foods canned from her garden last summer and fall were served on her table 758 times during the contest, and stored vegetables raised in her gar den were served 165 times during the contest to her family. Mrs. L. A. Parrisher, who is the county garden chairman, came second and won the $2.50 prize. Other contestants who kept splen did records were Mrs. Walter Spruill, Cross Roads Club; Mrs. R. W. Lewis, Cross Roads Club; Mrs. H. W. Nor man, Scuppernong; Mrs. L. E. Has sell, Roper; Mrs. Jane Vail, Swain; Mrs. C. N. Davenport, Creswell; Mrs. W. H. Harrison, Alba; and Mrs. Geo. Bowen, Chapel Hill. -. County Federation i Of 4-H Clubs To Be Held Friday Night —»— * Interesting Program Will Be Presented; To Be at Roper School ♦ The third annual meeting of 4-H girls’ federation will meet at Roper school building Friday evening, May 3, at 8 o’clock. Everybody is invited and urged to attend. Leila Bell Davenport, president of the freshman-sophomore club at Rop er, will preside. Lalla Ruth Chesson, president of the junior-senior club at Roper, will extend words of welcome. The response will be given by Willine Davenport, of the freshman-sophomore club of Creswell. Ernest Davenport, who is widely known in the county for his ability to play a guitar and mouth harp, is on the program. Two one-act plays will be given by the Creswell clubs, also special music. The Roper freshman sophomore club will give a dramatiza tion of a bachelor’s dream. The read ing will be given by Ruth Nowarah. The Roper junior-senior club will give the crowning of the health queen, who is a member of their club. Renntte Snell will be crowned queen in a sim ple but pretty little scene. Other clubs will participate in songs. The whole program promises to be one of interest, and every one is in vited to attend. ..a> Leaders’ School Is < Held Last Week * One of the most helpful clothing leaders’ school ever held in the county , was held last week in the home demonstration agent’s office by Miss Willie N. Hunter, state extension cloth ing leader. This was the second school in clothing to be held this year for leaders. “Making a Better Dress” was the first part of the school and “Spring Accessories and Styles” took up the last half of the school. The leaders will take this information back to the clubs in the May meetings. All club members are expected to take an in expensive cotton dress, cut out and halted, to the May meeting. -$— Community Festival At Creswell May 8th ■ ♦ — Creswell.—A community festival will be sponsored by the ERE music class of Mrs. Eva S. Bateman on May 8. No Contests in Municipal Election Here May 7; Roper Is Expecting Battle Royal No opposition has been filed against the seven who have filed for the city council in the town of Plymouth, sub ject to election May 7. Mayor Gilbert Davis will begin his second term as mayor on the first Monday night in June, as no candidate has announced himself against Mr. Davis. It can be said for Mr. Davis that he has made a good impression on the citizens of the town during his tenure of office. He is a merchant, mayor, and minister. In the second ward there is B. G. Campbell, who has been on the board for eight or more years, with Dr. W. H. Johnson, a newcomer, as his 'Col league; T. C. Burgess and W. J. Mayo are holdovers from last term in the first; and E. H. Liverman and H. C. Spruill in the third. Roper, nine miles from here, is ex pecting a battle royal. Dr. W. T. Gibson is opposing J. J. Hassell, in cumbent, as mayor; while P. D. Wil son, J. H. Phelps and R. C. Peacock, incumbents, are having opposition from Barton Swain, L. L. Mizelle, and J. F. Leary. FINALS PROGRAM IN SCHOOL HERE TO BEGIN MAY 7 -* Class Night Is First Event In the Series of Closing Exercises Next Week -® Class night will be May 7 with the salutatory address by Jack Getsinger followed by Sara Cahoon with a treatise on the class history. Ran som Martin is the prophet while Julia Duvall wifi read the last will. Hu bert Cox has qualified as the poet with Louise Blount dispensing the gifts. Roscoe Browning rings down the curtain with the valedictory. The scene will be on the deck of the “Good Hope” after graduation. The senior play, “Here Conies Charlie”, will be persented May 8. It is a three-act farce comedy with the scene laid in Larry Elliott’s suburban home. The cast includes Julia Duvall, John Alford, Aileen Browning, Jack Getsinger, Lewis Price, Louise Blount, Hubert Cox, Emily Gray Ambrose, Sara Cahoon and Roscoe Browning. -® Twq Men Attempt To Rob Newspaper Carrier Boy Here Thomas Burgess Pulled Off His Bicycle, But Holds To His $4 In Cash Here is a story of an attempted rob bery—not of a bank messenger—but of a news boy. Thomas Burgess, about 12 years of age, carrier for an evening paper here, was wending his way homeward at nightfall with $4 of collections in his pockets when a couple of negroes waylaid the lad at the ball park on the suburbs. The boy’s assailants dragged him from his bicycle to the ground. One kept his mouth covered to prevent an outcry while a second raided his pockets. An automobile approaching frightened the attackers away before they reached the pocket in his lum berjacket where the boy had his money. -* Plymouth Juniors Defeat Dardens -e Plymouth Juniors submerged the Dardens nine 10-2 at Brinkley park Sunday. This is the fourth game of the season with the local victorious in 3 of the 4 tilts. The game was called at the end of the seventh on account of rain. The outstanding feature of the game was a triple by Cox in the sixth inning. The American Legion in their meet ing Friday night agreed to take over the team and help equip and sponsor the club. The juniors have a hard-hitting club but the infield is uncertain, although the boys are gettnig stronger by daily practice. Any teams wishing games please write Edwin McNair, Box 425, Plymouth. -9 Roper Teachers And Parents Meet i Roper.—The Roper' parent-teacher association held its last meeting of the school year Tuesday of last week. Mrs. Edison Davenport, the new pres ident, presided over the meeting and Rev. E. L. Stack conducted tell devo tional with a very convincing talk on the subject, “The Future of Our Country Tomorrow Lies in the Train ing of Our Youth Today.” After the devotional the topic for discussion was the goals for the next term and a vote of appreciation to J. E. Aiken for his outstanding contri bution to the music department of tln^ Roper school and community. $720 TOWN DEBT IS SETTLED FOR $420 BY MAYOR -9 Amount Was Owed To State for Making Water Analyses Quarterly -® Taxpayers in Plymouth owe the North Carolina Health Department at Raleigh a vote of gratitude for ac cepting $420 in payment of a debt of $704. Mayor Gilbert Davis was in the Capital City some time ago. The city council authorized him to dicker with health officials on a bill for $704 that had accumulated over a period since 1924 for analysis of the water here. This bill should have been paid at $10 per quarter. During the last 11 years city of ficials have not worried over this bill that was constantly growing larger, and they let it continue to grow. The law makes the state do the analytical work, and the same law makes the towns pay. Mr. Davis appreciated the leniency of the state officials. Mayor Davis, if reelected, will urge that this expense be included in the appropriations for the next budget. -® Would Discontinue Relief To Those Now Able To Work Able-Bodied Workers Now On Relief Needed For Harvesting Crops -« A suggestion has been made to the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce that this organization communicate with Julian Gibbs, regional administrator, and Mrs. Thomas O’Berry, State ad ministrator, recommending that the FERA suspend relief to able-bodied men and women in this community during the next 90 days. The suggestion was advanced as an aid in securing labor for farmers in this section for the next three months. Harvesting of may peas, irish potatoes, tomatoes and other perishable farm commodities will start shortly and those in favor of the plan believe that this would help in providing workers. Strawberry growers in'’the Wil mington section of this State have experienced difficulty in getting work ers during recent days, and it is pds velop here unless some action is tak sible that such a situation will de en by the relief administrators direct ing their subjects to accept work when work is available. -® Getting Ready for Baseball at Roper Roper.—There will be baseball in Roper this year. Aspirants for the team include C. H. Floyd, Charles Mi zelle, Jack McAlister, Hoot Gibson, Roy Blount, Chick Walker, Mack Mar row, Monroe Chesson, as infielders; Maurice Peacock, Ralph Harrell, J. E. Aiken, Harry Lewis, and Chester Cameron, outfielders; Tom Norman and Harry Lewis, pitchers; Dick Chesson, catcher. Potter Dixon will serve as manager. Games will be arranged with town teams at Dardens, Plymouth, James ville, Creswell, and Columbia, and oth er near-by towns. Local Principal Is Group Secretary —®— L. W. Anderson, principal of the Plymouth High School, has been named secretary of the high school teachers and principal’s division of the Northeastern district of the North Carolina Education Association, which includes faculty members of schools in Washington and 20 other counties. Teachers in this section are to at tend the thirteenth annual convention that will be held in Kinston Novem ber 15-16, 1935. [$750 CASH PRIZES TO BE GIVEN IN ESSAY CONTEST Eastern Carolina Chamber of Commerce Sponsoring Interesting Contest A total of $750.00 will l>e given in casli prizes to participants in an essay contest to be sponsored by the East ern Carolina Chamber of Commerce with headquarters in Kinston, accord ing to an announcement made this week by Secretary N. G. Bartlett. The title of the essay Mr. Bartlett said is: “The Advantages of Living in Eastern North Carolina.” The essay must not exceed five hundred words and all entries must be in the office of the organization at Kinston by May 15th. All essays must be in the hands of the organization officials by June 1. The awards will be made on or be fore June 15th. The $750.00 will be divided up into three grand prizes of $350.00 for first; $100.00 for second and $50.00 for third with fifty prizes of $5 each. The judges will be selected from the schools and colleges in Eastern Caro lina and their decision will be final, Mr. Bartlett said. No essay will be returned to the writers and all essays become the property of the organiza tion. The contest is open to any white resident of the territory served by the organization. “We don’t want any body to write an essay and mail it in before you get the full particulars of the contest,” Mr. Bartlett said. High school students are especially urged to enter the contest. For full and complete details, write to N. G. Bartlett, Secretary, Kinston, N. C. or see Walter H. Parantore in Plymouth. Closing Exercises Held at Creswell Last Friday Night Rev. Richard Lucas Makes Literary Address; Good Program Rendered Creswell.—Creswell h\gh school held its closing exercises Friday night in the Methodist Episcopal church. The exercises opened with a proces sional by the seniors, followed by a commencement song. Preston Wood ley gave the salutatory, after which Principal C. A. Aderholdt instroduced Rev. Richard Lucas, who gave the literary address. A special musical number was ren dered by R. L. Leitchfield and Miss Ella Lee Yates playing cornets, Miss Sallic Lindsey Carter on the violin, and Mrs. Roy Hopkins at the organ. Mr. Aderholdt presented the diplomas to the graduates with appropriate re marks, after which he presented the medals. Mildred Davenport won the English medal, which is awarded for outstanding work in that department by Mrs. A. S. Holmes. The parent-teacher association med al, which is given to the student ad judged the most valuable to the school, was presented to Jesse Craddock. Mil dred Davenport read the last will and testament of the class. The valedictory wa*s delivered by Jesse Craddock, fol lowed by the class farewell song. -® Colored School Ends Good Term at Roper —•— Roper.—The patrons of Roper who witnessed the closing exercises con sider them the best in the history of the school. The auditorium was filled on each occasion. Beginning on April 23, with a sermon to the graduates by Rev. J. A. Lester, closing remarks by Attorney P. H. Bell. Many white friends were present to witness the graduation exercises on Friday night, April 26. Special re marks were made by Rev. Stack and Mr. Jim Gaylord. ---- Services at Local Christian Church —<t>— Services at the Plymouth Christian church will be as follows, instead oi the order which was announced last Sunday: 9:45, Bible school. 11 a, m., morning worship, sermon subject, "The Best Dish.” 6:45 p. m., Christian Endeavor. At the regular evening hour, the church will cooperate and attend the commencement sermon, which will he held at the high school at 8 p. m. -® Person County farmers have pur chased all the Iespedeza seed their neighbors had, all the stores had, and all the local Mutual Exchange had, says the farm agent there. Mrs.Snell Absolved of All Blame In Recent Death of Her Husband JUNIOR-SENIOR RANQUET HELD FRIDAY NIGHT Enjoyable Event Staged as Part of Finals Program At Roper School -9 Roper.—Syncopated tunes from an orchestra, accompanied by the merry laughter of gay young men and wom en at a festive board beneath a canopy of flashing colors, all served to make happy the farewell of the juniors to the 1935 seniors of the Roper High School in Thompson’s Hall here Fri day evening. Words were not necessary to ex press the delight of the students at the occasion. Actions spoke louder. For many the flinging of the confetti and the bursting of the assorted col ored balloons meant the end of the school grind and they were elated, were these handsome young men and beautiful girls. Woodrow Collins served as toast master and welcomed the seniors, with Agnes Davenport toasting the upper classmen. Rennette Snell respond ed. Evelyn Arps tap danced to the delight of both juniors and seniors and guests. Blanche Furlough toasted the teachers with R. B. Forbes respond ing. Margaret Chesson sang a solo. Ruth Spruill made a toast to ihe school, with Principal I. J. Kellum replying. Vir ginia Gibson tapped also. Lucille Lewis toasted the grade mothers, and Mrs. A. E. Davenport answered. The menu consisted of fruit cock tail, chicken a la king, potato cones, tomato salad, rolls, butter, iced tea, pickles, ice cream, cake, demi-tasse, and mints. Rubber animals were fav ors. The repast was served in three courses. Silver and rose are the class colors. The setting was that of a garden, seats, fountains, and such arranged a mong a profusion of dogwood, pine, and moss with streamers in the win dows. Balloons were suspended by strings from the ceiling overhead. There were 60 present, with the jun iors, seniors, and the following guests: Miss Ruth MecKellar, Edwind Burche, Charles Floyd, R. B. Rorbes, Walter H. Paramore, Mr. and Mrs. I. J. Kel lum, and Mrs. L. S. Bray. -3> - Tobacco Exports To Germany Declining -- Reduction of Eight Million Pounds Reported In Recent Month That German tobacco imports are being sharply curtailed is indicated in a recent report from Consul W. A. Leonard at Bremen. Receipts of foreign tobacco in Brem en, during February amounted to only 2,145,360 pounds compared with 10, 201,411 pounds in January and 6,437, 846 pounds in February last year. The striking divergence between the Feb ruary and January totals of this year is largely due to the heavy imports in the earlier month of Oriental tobacco. The figures, however, reflect a declin-1 ing trend in Germany’s purchases of foreign tobacco. Preliminary statistics show that 21 percent of the tobacco imports into Bremen in February, 1935, from all parts of the world came from the United States. During recent years, the average prooprtion of tobacco im ported from the United States ap proximated 25 percent. Local im porters state that the small arrivals during February were obtained by barter or compensation negotiations. Activity in the German market for domestic tobacco continued brisk dur ing February. It is estimated that the total domestic crop in 1934 amounted to approximately 55,000,000 pounds valued at 39,000,000 reichsmarks. (Value of Reichsmark in 1934 was 39 cents, XT. S.) -® Club’s Schedule For Next Week The following schedule has been an nounced by Miss Eugenia Patterson, home agent, for next week: Tuesday afternoon, May 7, Hoke. Wednesday, Roper. Thursday, Chapel Hill. Friday, Beech Grove. Saturday morning at 8:15, the curb market will open. Come. Note the change in time. < FARM NOTES By W. V. HAYS, Farm Agent Now is the time to shear sheep be fore the wool begins to break and slip. When hot weather arrives, nature will take a hand in sheep shearing if the wool has not been removed. The fleece should be taken of! in one un broken piece. The fleece should then be trimmed and freed of balls, stick, and other foreign matter, folded and rolled into a tight roll with the clipped side out. The fleece should then be wrapped with paper or cotton string. Do not tie with wire or hemp string. This will lessen the price received for the wool and will also damage the fleece. Last year our wool sale was held at Creswell, and the prices received for wool were from 3 to S cents better than local buyers w'ere paying for this wool. We expect to hold a sale again this year about the first of June at Creswell. Prices will be given before that time. Make arrangements to have your w'ool at Creswell for the sale. Pack your fleece tightly in a big bag (such as a peanut bag). -• V\ ashington County had 638 peanut contracts, showing 6,552 acres in 1934, as represented by producers, and 6,211 acres in 1933. The adjusted figures for the county for 1934 was 6,400 acres and for 1933 5,470 acres. This will mean that the acres allotted to Wash ington county for the 1935 crop under contract will be about 5,900 acres. These contracts have been adjusted, and notices have been sent to grow ers giving them their permitted acres to plant. \\ e have written for cotton growers 374 new cotton contracts for 193S, making a total of 562 contracts in the county. Those growers who do not have a contract but who have such other contracts as peanuts, tobacco, etc., would not be permitted under these contracts to grow cotton. The farmers who do not have such con tracts and who have suitable cotton land may grow' cotton and receive ex emption under the Bankhead Act, pro vided this acreage planted to cotton is less than one-third of the cultivated acreage on that farm. In other words, farmers wrho do not have contracts on some other basic commodity may plant a few acres of cotton and get ginning certificates for such cotton. The acreage as reported by grow ers on contracts was about 25 per cent higher than permitted by the state cot ton board, which means that our new contracts have been cut about 25 per cent. The committeemen are working on these contracts and they should be in the hands of the growers 7th of May. -• The rented acres on all contracts other than corn-hog may be planted to corn, where this corn is used for food and feed on the farm. A corn ind hog contract will permit no more rcres than allowed t)y the contract. -® 1 he corn-hog contracts have been completed in the county. The com mitteemen have appraised the corn rield and made the hog county. Nec essary tabulations and corrections will 3e made in the office this week and hese contracts forwarded to Raleigh. A e have been promised a little quick er action on these contracts for this vear and that payments will not be lelayed. Roper Girls Trio Wins Second Place —«— Roper.—The girls’ trio from Roper High School, trained by Bandmaster ' k- Aiken, took second place in the -tate music contest in Greensboro on April 24. Comemnting on the contest, Mr. Aiken said, "This was the hardest fought contest I have been in during my 17 years as a teacher.” A total ;,f 2,944 contestants were entered, rep resenting 115 high schools. I his trio will appear on a program May 10 in Roper High School. --— Farmville Man Is District Director -« John T. Thorne, of Farmville, has been chosen a member of the board of directors of the North Carolina Cotton Growers Cooperative Associa tion, to represent the district, com posed of Washington and eight sur rounding counties, at a meeting held in Greenville Saturday, at which meet ing local members attended. HEARING IS HELD BEFORE JUSTICE TUESDAY NIGHT Decision of Magistrate Is Received With Acclaim By Large Crowd Renewed energy sliot through the frail, delicate body of Mrs. Hester Smith Snell, 40, Tuesday evening, when Magistrate J. Tom McNair an nounced, after a six-hour hearing, that he could find no probable cause for holding the little woman longer on a charge of murdering her husband, Jno. \\ arren Snell, 43, on the night of April 17. Immediately after the decision was rendered, about 400 people in the court house burst into a storm of applause signifying their approval of the action of the officer, who joined with two coroner s juries in failing to connect the wife with the violent death of her husband, who was found dead in bed on the morning of April 18. In the head of the husband was a bullet wound and beneath his right hand, which rested on his breast, was a .32 caliber automatic pistol, which had sent a bullet through his head above the right eye, ranged down ward, and came out below the left ear. The body was discovered by Mrs. M. J. (Jane) Elliott, with whom the Snells lived. Two coroner’s juries had failed to connect Airs. Snell with the crime be fore the hearing Tuesday; once during the day when the body was first dis covered; the second during Sunday, when the body was exhumed for an autopsy. Near her sat her son, Marvin Snell, 16, who was not at home during the tragedy, but who hurried back to be with his mother when the news reach ed him. 1 hrough all the long week she has been incarcerated here he has been with her incessantly. And on the witness stand he told the presid ing officer that he was sure his moth er was not guilty of killing his father and attributed his death to suicide. The last time Airs. Elliott saw Mr. Snell alive was when she sat in their apartment and pFanned with Mr. Snell for next day s farm work. She went to her bedroom when Afr. Snell men tioned retiring. Later she heard Mrs. Snell go to her bedroom and she took medicine conducive to sleep and slept soundly until morning. Mrs. Elliott awoke around 4 o’ clock next morning and sensed some thing was wrong when the morning rising bell that was supposed to have been rung by Air. Snell failed to sound. She called and received no reply. Then she mounted the stairs to the bedroom and found the man dead in his bed. The room was in order. The bed covering was in order. And Air. Snell was lying in bed with blood on the bed clothes. She called for help, and the first to answer was J. C. Swain, who with Mrs. Elliott summoned Sheriff J. K. Reid and Dr. T. L. Bray and later Coroner Mrs. D. Al. Ale Knight. Mrs. Snell was located acros the street at the home of Chester Spruill. She was sick and in a weakened con dition. She did not go to the Elliott home Thursday but did go there Fri day and then to the funeral. Mrs. Snell explained her absence by saying that she left her husband after he had tried to smother her. Her testimony revealed further that she had left the bed of Mr. Snell at midnight when she claimed he "tor tured her by bis sexual desires which her weakened body could not satisfy” and that she left for the protection of neighbors after he tried to smother her with the covering on the bed. She said that Mr. Snell had created a scene when she sought protection from Mrs. Elliott before and therefore she left the house. Hr. 1. L. Bray's evidence was that ot an expert who performed a post mortem examination of the body last Sunday, and he told of the course of the bullet. Clarence Riddick told of seeing Mrs. Snell pass across the road at midnight on April 17 and of hear ing something like the muffled report of a pistol. S. B. Davenport told of having the body removed by an undertaker and about finding the bullet from the gun. Dr. Bray and Sheriff Reid told of see ing powder burns, which was evi dence of close-range firing of the gun. 1 wo other witnesses said there were no powder burns on the face of the dead man. Finger print experts who compared those of Mrs. Snell and her husband reported Mrs. Snell’s fingerprints were not on tlie pistol but Mr. Snell’s were.