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to the service of Washington
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The Roanoke Beacon
* * * * * * * and Washington County News *******
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and News columns a latch-key to
1.100 Washington County home*.
VOLUME XLVIII—NUMBER 10
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Friday, March J937
ESTABLISHED 1889
TRUCK DRIVER IS
FOUND GUILTY OF
HITTING OFFICER
* -<*>
Hiram White Appeals from
Judgment of Recorder
John W. Darden
Bond of $200 was posted Tuesday
for the appearance of Hiram White,
28, of Travis, Tyrrell County, in the
Washington County Superior Court
when it convenes here in July after
he was found guilty by Recorder J.
W. Darden of negligence of duty in
driving an automobile.
The court offered White his choice
of a fine of $100 and costs; or an or
der to pay direct to the injured man,
Seaton Davenport, former chief of
police of Creswell, $100 for his use.
The defendant refused the second
offer and appealed from the fine.
Willis Owen, youth who was rid
ing in the truck with White when
he was said to have run over Daven
port, seriously injuring him, was ex
onerated of a charge of aiding and
abetting in the negligence and con
cealing the identity of White.
His exoneration was brought a
bout when it was found that he was
asleep at the time. Gus Owens, who
owned the truck, was also dismissed
from a similar charge. Officers of
Tyrrell and Washington County tes
tified that White had an excellent
reputation.
Davenport, on the stand, told that
he was on the way home from Cres
well on October 22, 1936, after mid
night, walking along the right side
of the road when lights from an ap
proaching car blinded him and then
he was knocked unconscious by
some object.
Sam Alexander, who operated a
filling station near which the truck
driven by White was found, told of
finding the shoe lost from a crushed
foot of Davenport. Rev. Roy Res
pass told of accompanying Raymond
Bateman to the place of the injured
man at 4:45 a. m.
Deputy Sheriff W. D. Peal, of Cres
well, who investigated the incident
next morning, said that White made
the following statement to him when
interviewed: “I saw an object in the
road through the fog, and I couldn’t
tell whether it was a man or a dog.
I stopped down the road and awoke
Willis (Owens was a passenger with
him in the cab of a heavy truck
with a trailer) and told him that I
had run over an object and was a
fraid to go back and investigate.”
The brown tennis shoe to match
the one that was found by the side
of Davenport in the road was never
seen again by Mr. Alexander after
Gus Owens had picked up the shoe
from in front of the filling station.
The truck was said to have weigh
ed, with its load, 6,000 pounds.
Recorder Darden expressed the be
lief in view of the evidence that
there was no overt act committed by
White in connection with the inci
dent, as witnesses testified the night
was foggy, but he said that White
was guilty of failing to stop and ren
der assistance to the injured man
after he had suspected an accident.
The former officer lay on a hospi
tal cot, with his legs and body in a
cast, and told the court his story.
It will be upwards of a year now be
fore he is expected to be able to
walk. Physicians have hopes, tho,
that despite his serious injuries, he
will walk again in time.
Sheriff Reynolds, E. L. Moseley,
C. I. Spencer, C. C. Gibbs and oth
ers testified in the case.
FUNERAL IS HELD
SUNDAY FOR MRS.
CLARA A. CRAFT
Died Last Friday After Ill
ness of Week With
Pneumonia
Funeral services were held Sun
day afternoon for Mrs. Clara Allen
Craft. 35, who died last Friday aft
ef an illness of only a week caused
by pneumonia and complications.
Rev. N. A. Taylor, of the Plymouth
Christian church, officiated. Inter
ment took place in the Jamesville
Baptist cemetery.
Surviving is a husband, C. C.
Craft, and the following children:
Cecil, jr., ( a step-son), Edward, Ev
elyn, Mildred Craft; a mother, Mrs.
J. B. Allen, Jamesville; sisters, Mrs.
Leon Herring and Mrs. Louis Her
ring, LaGrange; Mrs. S. F. Darden,
Plymouth; Mrs. J. H. Burnette,
Jamesville; brothers, T. R. Allen,
High Point; W. H. Allen, LaGrange.
Pall-bearers were J. F. Ausbon,
J. E. Outten, Hubert Allen, Sewell
Bowen, P. W. Brown, Tulley Allen,
with children from the first, sixth
and eighth grades carrying the flow
ers. There was a large crowd at
tending and a massive heap of flow
ers.
Invitation To Speak Here in
A pril Accepted by Governor
Governor Clyde R. Hoey has been
extended an invitation, and has ac
cepted. to be the principal speaker
at the semi-annuai meeting of the
Southern Albemarle Association, to
be held in Plymouth on April 29
The invitation was extended to the
governor by C. W. Tatem, of Colum
bia, president of the association,
which includes members from Wash
ington, Tyrrell, Dare and Hyde
Counties. This date is subject to
change, but it. is expected that this
date will be maintained.
Charles M. Johnson, state treas
urer, will be here also, and will
probably introduce the governor to
the 1.000 or more people expected
to attend. However, only about 40
from each of the member counties
will be entertained as delegates.
Vice presidents of the association
include John W Darden, Plymouth,
Washington County; W. W. Watson,
of Lake Landing, Hyde; C. Earl Ca
hoon, Columbia, Tyrrell; Melvin R.
Danit'ls. Manteo, Dare.
Mr. Darden will act as chairman
of the program committee and will
write to the other vice presidents
and ask that they submit any part
of the program that they wish, and
that he will arrange the program.
Dinner will be served to the del
gates.
First Pulp Wood Is
Delivered at Plant
Farm Notes
By W. V. HAYS, County Agent
Our first load of hogs was shipped
out of Plymouth on Wednesday,
March 3. A total of 114 heavy hogs
weighing better than 30,000 pounds
were sold at Plymouth on this date.
Five bids were secured on the hogs,
the high bidder being the Wilming
ton Provision Co., at Wilmington,
Del. On Monday, March 8, two more
cars were sold here and were bought
by D. M. Roberson at Williamston
for Kingan & Co., Richmond. About
16 farmers have particif ated in the
shipments and seemed well pleased
with prices received. We will have
about 6 cars to load here on the 16th
and 17th. This cooperative selling
of hogs will prove vety popular, it
seems, from the number of inquiries
we are having concerning this meth
od of selling hogs. We hope that
this cooperative selling, besides mak
ing better returns to the grower,
will mean something in an educa
tional way along better feeding lines
and in bringing out a type of hog
better suited to the manufacture of
corn into pork.
Those having hogs for sale should
notify the county office at least a
week in advance so preparations can
be made for the handling of these
hogs and also that we might be bet
ter able to secure bids on the hogs.
Anyone passing out the Long Acre
Road should stop at Tim Bowen’s
place and look at the forestry dem
onstration. Trees on this plat have
been removed possibly a little more
than that recommended, but some
of the trees taken out were diseases
and also trees that have made a max
imum growth under existing condi
tions. This piece of timber has bet i
cut so as to give maximum return
as far as future growth and develop
ment of timber is concerned. Farm
ers having a similar age and stand
of timber as this could profitably fol
low this example. The county agent
will be glad to assist others in mark
ing tracts for cutting.
A farm practice payment under
the new farm program for 1937 can
be earned by thinning unpastured
woodland according to specifications.
Further information may be secured
on this at the county office or from
your nearest local committeeman.
This is the proper season, or it may
not be too late to
Sow permanent pastures.
Sow oats and lespedeza.
Prune the orchard (do not cut
grape vines this late).
Build a brooder house and buy
baby chicks.
Lespedeza Grows Best
On Heavy Bottom Lands
-*
Lespedeza grows best on medium
to heavy bottom land but satisfac
tory yields may be obtained on most
uplands. The Common, Tennessee
76, and Kobe varieties grow well in
all soils of lower altitude in the
mountain section, and on the slate,
sand loams, black-jack lands, and
red clay soils of the piedmont sec
tion. Low-lying, moderately heavy
soils, river bottoms, and sandy
loams are best in the coastal plains.
The Korean variety is especially
adapted for the mountains because
of its earliness and it will produce
well on practically all the better
soils. Neither variety is of much
value when seded on very acid or
sandy soils.
Through the increased efficiency
in the use of fuel in the freight serv
ice, the railroads have saved nearly
220,000,000 tons of coal since 1922.
J. Linwood Knowles
Of Dardens, Is First
To Make Delivery
-<*>
Total of 20 Cords Delivered
So Far; Progress Made
In Work on Plant
-$
J. Linwood Knowles, of Dardens,
was the first to deliver any pine logs
to the pulp plant here of the Kieck
liefer Container Company, as early
Monday morning, in the rain, he car
ried in a load, for which he received
$5.25 a cord, or 160 cubic feet.
A Mr. Petit carried in a load last
week, but it was before they were
officially receiving the pine, and so
it doesn’t count in the records. A
total of 20 cords had been received
up to Wednesday night. Four dollars
a cord is paid by carload and $5.25
when delivered by truck. J. Corbitt
Swain is checking the material into
the premises.
H. C. Chrismon, of Bath, delivered
some loads for the fartherest dis
tance from which pulp wood had
been received up to Wednesday
night. Work is progressing in the
four strings of sidetracks, which will
total two miles, for holding the cars.
James Stewart & Co., contractors,
have moved into their offices on the
grounds. Storage buildings have
been erected for the tools and equip
ment. Excavations are in progress
for the laying of the foundations of
the buildings.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Company is erecting a 60-car capac
ity track at the beginning of their
spur to the plant at the main line.
Cross-ties have been laid for the
tracks in the yards, and the bed has
been leveled. The rails are next.
The State Highway and Public
Works Commission will probably
:onclude their road grading work
on the present road this week and
\. ill let their contract for the paving
of the route next week.
Hold Examinations
For Game Warden
An examination for the position
of game protector for Washington
County will be held in the court
house at Plymouth at 10 a. m. on
Friday, March 19.
Forms for the preliminary exam
ination may be obtained from Ru
pert E. West, district game protector,
Moyock. These forms must be prop
erly filled out and presented at the
courthouse on the day of the exam
ination. Only persons between the
ages of 21 and 40 are eligible for the
position.
Fertilizer for Pasture Land
Aids Grazing, Tests Show
-<2,
Recent experiments have shown
remarkable increases in grazing on
pasture lands from the use of fer
tilizers and the use is therefore
recommended. In general the mix
ture should be the same as used for
corn in the locality. An applica
tion of from 200 to 400 pounds of
a 4-8-4 mixture would be suitable,
in most cases, for the Coastal Plain,
and a similar amount of a 4-12-4 for
the Piedmont and Mountains. The
fertilizer may be harrowed in be
fore seeding or may be drilled in
with the seed. Limestone at the
rate of from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds
an acre is also beneficial on very
acid soils.
Sweet potato growers in Camden
and Currituck Counties will pur
chase a truck load of certified sweet
potato seed from growers on the
eastern shore of Virginia.
LOCAL SCOUTS TO
ATTEND MEETING
IN ROCKY MOUNT
-»
Annual “Camporee” To Be
Held on Tuesday,
April 30
Boy Scouts of Washington Coun
ty are expected to attend a ‘Campo
ree' in Rocky Mount April 30, ac
cording to John G. Sigwald. scout
executive of the East Carolina coun
cil at Wilson, who met the conferees
fiom here Sunday in Williamston.
Scouts from 107 troops in counties
are expected to attend. All kinds of
coutcraft will be enjoyed by the
•i v This is the second annual
■;.m- oi ee with the first being held
,.i Greenville last year. The locals,
though just organizing, »re eligible
and are urged to attend the event.
E. W. Joyner, principal of the lo
cal school, has been named chair
man of the troop committee, with
Rev. N. A. Taylor, of the Christian
church as scoutmaster, and Dr. A.
Papineau, of the Grace Episcopal
church, as assistant scoutmaster.
Hubert Allen is patrol leader for
the Christian church, with W. L.
Whitley as committeeman: George
Barden is the Methodist patrol lead
er and E. W. Joyner committeeman;
J. R. Carr is the Baptist committee
man, with a leader to be named lat
er; R. A. Duvall is Episcopal com
mitteeman, with James H. Ward as
patrol leader and young Stokely as
assistant.
The Men’s Club of Grace Episco
pal church sponsored the idea until
it reached the stage of organization,
and now the four churches are des
ignated as the sponsors of the troop.
Each church is to have a patrol of
about 4 boys to start with, likely to
be increased to 8.
Principal D. E. Poole, of the Roper
school, and Rev. M. L. Ambrose are
understood to be in favor of a troop
in Roper. It is hoped that a troop
can be started in Creswell also.
Jewelry On Credit
Offered by Davis
Wishing to offer the people of this
trading area every possible service
and keeping step with modern
trend in business metnods, Don G.
Davis, jeweler, has inaugurated a
credit system so that the public may
have the opportunity of buying his
line of merchandise on easy pay
ments.
There will be no extra charge for
this accommodation, and it will
make it easy for those needing mer
chandise to purchase same right here
at home on this convenient plan. The
stock has been increased to take care
of the added business.
-®
Leaders’ School To
Be Held March 18th
Miss Willie N. Hunter, extension
specialist in clothing, from State Col
lege, Raleigh, will conduct a leaders
school for clothing leaders and all
club members who are interested in
new styles on March 18 at 2 o’clock
in the home agent’s office.
Miss Hunter always has new and
interesting style hints to give. If
you want to know the newest things
in spring fashions be at the leaders’
school.
I want several members from ev
ery club in the county to attend. The
clothing leaders are especially urged
to be present.—Home Agent.
Sunday Schools To
Hold Convention
The Scuppernong Township Sun
day school convention will meet with
the Mount Tabor Free Will Baptist
church on Sunday. March 14, at 2:30
in the afternoon.
The devotionals will be led by Mrs
Callie Swain. Rev. W. L. Jernigan
will welcome the visitors, with O.
D. Hatfield, of Creswell, responding.
A duet is on for Misses Alethia and
Eleanor Furlaugh. Also a dialogue
will be given by the Mount Tabor
Sunday school.
Moody Wins Race with
Prospective School Pupil
Chicago.—A footrace between D.
L. Moody, Sunday school teacher,
and a prospective scholar, which
led up one street and down another,
into a saloon, through the barroom,
up the back-stairs and finally termi
nated in the runaway hiding under
the bed, resulted uutimately in the
closing of the saloon.
The runaway was a little girl
whom Moody had met on the street.
DISTRICT HEAD
WOMEN’S CLUBS
HONORED HERE
-(g,
Mrs. C. W. Beasley Speaks
At Banquet on “Reward
For Efficiency”
-«
Pointing out that efficiency has re
placed quantity in the modern age
and that efficiency begets organi
zation, information, ii spiration, co
operation, and victory, Mrs. C. W.
Beasley, 15th district president, told
75 women how to get “The Reward
lor Efficiency,” at a banquet in her
honor in the community house here
Tuesday night.
“Individualism may kill an organi
zation, but cooperation is the soul of
it. Information reveals the duties
of the members. Lofty ideals and
worthy objective vaporize without
organization. Efficiency may be trite
and ragged from use, but its mean
ing is still important,” she said.
Hostesses to the distinguished
guest were the senior and junior
women's clubs, Thursday Afternoon
Literary Club, with Mrs. T. L. Bray,
president of the senior club, as gen
eral chairman. Mrs. C. T. Thrift
pronounced the invocation.
The welcome address was made
by Mrs. A. Edison Davenport, with
the response by Mrs. C. Y. Tilson,
of the Swan Quarter junior woman’s
club. Mrs. R. E. Dunning, of Swan
Quarter, state chairman of the wo
man's club magazine and sponsor of
a Swan Quarter club, was presented.
Miss Martha Mayo presented Mrs.
B G. Campbell, state chairman of
juniors, who added her greetings.
Miss Ruth Modlin sang. Mrs. W.
A. Davidson presented Mrs. O. L.
Williams, of Aurora, district vice
president. Mrs. J. R. Campbell pre
sented Mrs. Beasley. Miss Mary F.
Misenheimer, president of the local
juniors, was recognized. Miss Char
lotte McNair was in charge of enter
tainment. with a reading by Mrs.
Davenport.
A three-course dinner was served.
St. Patrick’s Day decorations were
used. Mrs. Kathleen Spruill gave
a portrait pageant under the au
spices of the WPA,
—--*
Work on Renovation
Of Creswell School
Expected This Year
$25,000 Loan From State Is
Secured; Await WPA
Approval
Work on the renovation of the
Creswell school is not expected to
start until this summer, according
to H. H. McLean, superintendent of
public instruction in Washington
County.
W. H. Dietrich, architect, and W.
F. Credle, of the schoolhouse plan
ning division of the State Depart
ment of Instruction, wrote Mr. Mc
Lean that they can start work with
in 30 days after the Public Works
Administration approves the proj
ect.
Back in November the Washing
ton County Commissioners borrow
ed $25,000 from the State Literary
Fund in the State Department of
Education and has now applied to
the PWA for $20,450, which make
$45,450 as the total available for the
project.
The PWA has not tully approved
the project, as they are still study
ing the matter, as is revealed in cor
respondence with Mr, McLean, but
officials feel that the project will be
approved as it is sorely needed to
relieve congested conditions in the
Creswell school.
Rather than to build an entirely
new structure with the full amount
of money, it has been planned to
remodel, renovate, and repair the
old building and then to erect a 10
room independent structure on the
premises of the present school.
However, the architect and Mr.
McLean leave the matter open so
that they can rearrange the plans
for the buildings should it become
wise after a further study of plans.
The loan was secured on the $25,
000 from the State on November 18,
and on February 1 the plans were
filed with PWA officials, asking a
grant of $20,450, which it is hoped
will be approved in the next few
weeks so that work can start in time
to complete the buildings for use
next term, which starts in Septem
ber.
Rail Material Cost Now
Greater By $140,865,000
Because of increased prices, the
cost of materials and supplies of all
kinds, including fuel, used by the
railroads, is now approximately
$140,865,000 greater annually than
in May. 1933,
Revaluation of All
Property Is Ordered
About Town
i
W. W. Chesson, of Washington, is
rapairing and rearranging the old
Pender store building on Water
Street in the Leggett building, pre
paratory to opening a new and used
furniture store, which he hopes will
be in operation by April 1. He has
not announced who will be associat
ed with him.
Mrs Rosalie Holliday, daughter of
Mrs. Amelia Stillman here, who has
been residing in Norfolk for some
time, will be the clerk of Sam Adler,
who will open here next Friday in
the Ayers building on Water Street.
Mrs. R. W. Wallace, jr.. of Morehead
City, who has been employed by Mr.
Adler for years, is here helping him
to arrange his opening.
The Kieckhefer Container Com
pany hopes to have about 250,000
cords of wood on their premises
when they open their pulp plant
here in August. To date they have
20 cords of wood arranged along
side the tracks. They have started
work on a wharf.
N. Rusos, of the Farmer’s Cafe in
Greenville, has leased a portion of
the property and has erected a build
ing on the premises of the fisheries
operated by W. R. Hampton, where
he will serve fried fish and other
delicacies to the trade.
Clyde McCallum has purchased
certain property between Monroe
Street and the side track of the rail
road before entering the property of
the American Fork and Hoe Com
pany and will probably erect a fill
ing station on it. The property was
once owned by Mary Stewart.
Byron Hawkins has replaced Bert
O. Bishop as mill superintendent of
the local plant of the American Fork
<8c Hoe Company. Mr. Purdy has left
as manager, but his successor has
not been announced.
W. R. Hampton's fisheries will be
opened Monday. C. T. Robbins, for
years employed with Mr. Hampton,
believes the current season will be
a successful one, as all signs indi
cate this. Captain Askew will start
his 31st year with the Hamptons,
who have had the fishery in their
family for upwards of 100 years.
Lumber was placed on the ground
Wednesday for the beginning im
mediately of the construction of an
annex to the Plymouth Christian
church. The addition will be a 54
by 26 feet structure at the rear of
the church, with the first floor hav
ing a kitchen, study and auditorium
46 by 24 feet, while the second floor
will have seven classrooms and a
lavatory. It will cost about $2,000,
and they wish to have it closed in
for use by July 1.
Tho Fashion Shop, a new business
in Plymouth, will open in Rene’s
Beauty Shop Building on Water
Street next to the Chevrolet place,
also next week. The building is un
dergoing repairs and will be paint
ed and modernized. Mrs. James C.
Smith and Mrs. W. E. Waters are
partners.
One of the most beautiful and the
most modern filling stations in Plym
out his the new Water Street Sin
clair Service Station, which is open
ing Friday of this week under the
supervision of J. R. Manning, with
Oscar Davenport as manager.
'T have always heard.” says Mrs.
R. E. Dunning, of Swan Quarter,
"that whoever came to Plymouth
and got a taste of this water would
come back for me, and I believe it,
as, since I left, I always like to re
turn at every opportunity.”
Autos in Plymouth today are be
ing parked at a 45-degree angle. This
is the instruction of P. W. Brown,
chief of police, who adds that the
sides will be changed twice month
ly. Opposites may park parallel with
the curb. Motorists are urged by
Mr. Brown to observe the traffic
signs.
Twenty-eight people will begin
I reading the New Testament at 6 o’
clock in the Christian church Satur
day morning. They will serve at
intervals and hope to finish the books
by 9 p. m. at night. Rev. N. A.
Taylor will be the speaker in the
revival that starts on Sunday morn
ing.
Prof. W. H. Berry will entertain
23 basketball teams from colored
A ssessors A pointed
For Each Township;
Mart Work April 1
Henry C. Spruill, of Plym
outh, Supervisor; Meet
Next Monday
Revaluation of real estate in
Washington County will begin April
1st, with the tax listers serving as
assessors, and they will meet here
next Monday to organize for the
work, with Henry C. Spruill, of
Plymouth, as supervisor.
Associated with Mr. Spruill will
be the following: Plymouth, Charlie
Bowen, W. Linwood Hassell, P. W.
Brinkley; Lees Mills, Roy Chesson,
R. C. Peacock and James A. Ches
son; Skinnersville, W. W. White,
Clint Everett, Hubert Davenport;
and Scuppernong, Paul Swain, Paul
Belanga and Henderson Norman.
The taxable value of property in
Washington County is now $5,500,000
while it has, in recent years, been
up to as much as $0,000,000. Some
predict that valuations will crawl
upwards to about an even $6,000,000.
However, no one can say that it will
be a definite increase in every case.
Even if the valuation should mount
upwards only $300,000, then it is es
timated that it would have some re
action on the present rate of $1.80,
as when the valuations go up, usual
ly the rate is dropped.
The law has it that property
should be revalued every four year*
but it has been exactly 10 years since
this was done in this county, as it
was in 1927 that the last revaluing
efforts were made. The valuation
has been horizontally reduced from
time to time during the depression.
These men should have their work,
completed in July so that the new
budget can be fixed. April is used
generally for the listing of property.
However, it may take longer this
year on account of the. revaluation
that goes along with it.
Inasmuch as the revaluations have
not been made as prescribed by law,
there are manifest inequalities in the
listings that are expected to be cor
rected at this time. No horizontal
increase is expected to be made. In
stead the inerases will be consider
ed individually.
Mystery Continues
Around Assault on
Seaton Davenport
Officer Still Thinks He Was
Slugged by Occupant of
Passing Auto
Mystery Continues to shroud the
case of Seaton Davenport, former
police chief at Creswell, who was
found with both legs broken, a
crushed body and exhausted and un
conscious from loss of blood on the
highway near the home of Rev. Roy
Respass on October 29 last year.
The trial of Hiram White, Willis
and Gus Owens in recorder’s court
Tuesday only served to bring to light
a person whose vision was obscured
by fog and whose trailer probably
ran over the injured man.
The evidence introduced at the
trial did not attempt to show that
there was any felonious intent on
the part of White, and it appears
that he was only negligent in his
duty to stop and help an injured
person after suspecting an accident.
Those close to Davenport say that
lie clings to the belief that he was
struck in the forehead by a blunt
instrument as a motor vehicle pass
’d him or. the highway. After be
ing knocked unconscious and weak
from loss of blood it is considered
possible that White ran over him.
In the office of Mayor J. A. Combs
at Creswell is a hatchet that is be
'ieved to have been used to hit the
officer with, and it is thought that
the ownership of the implement can
be traced. It was found in bushes
by the side of the road leading from
the highway to the home of Dav
enport.
Then, again, it is wondered how
[both shoes could have been taken
from the unconscious officer, one
found 5 miles away at a filling sta
tion, and the other, with the laces
folded neatly inside and standing
upright by Mr. Davenport at the
scene of the happening.
schools in six counties which will be
entered in the northeastern athletic
j association tournament which will
| lie played in the Plymouth gym Fri
! day and Saturday. Space will be
' reserved for white spectators.
I