North Carolina Newspapers

T'OWIl opie§ Zeno G. Lyon and son, Harllee. spent the Fourth of July holidays with Mr. and Mrs. Zeno Lyon, jr., in Atlanta, Ga. Young Zeno is attending Georgia institute of Technology where he is working on his master’s degree in electri cal engineering, hie received his bachelor’s degree at N. C. State in 1950. He worked with a Win ston-Salem firm before enrolling at Tech. He is married to the former Miss Alice Elaine New some ,of Winston-Salem. She is teaching in Atlanta City Schools now. Zeno will finish his studies September 11 and four days later the couple will leave for New York where Mr. Lyon has accept ed a position. Thomas Peed, installation and service man, Bobby Perry and Gordon Warren, salesmen, re cently joined the staff of Plym outh Television Center, Owner Jimmy Kitcheings has announ ced. Peed and Perry are Plym outh men while Warren hails from Warrenton . Mr. and Mrs. Harry L. Barnhill returned home Monday night from Lafayette, Indiana, where Mr. Barnhill attended the Metho dist Men's Conference held at Purdhe University. Mr. Barnhill, president of the local Methodist Men’s Club, was an official dele ft gate to the conference, repre senting the Elizabeth City Dis trict. Sessions were held Friday, Saturday and Sunday and were attended by about 2,000 delegates from the 48 states, Puerto Rico and Cuba. The Barnhills report a most enjoyable trip. John Forbes Davenport caught a 55-pound tarpon while on his vacation in Florida recently. Caught in Tampa Bay, the 414 foot fish was entered in the Tam pa Tarpon Tournament by Mr. Davenport. He was fishing with Eugene Guice from a 16-foot boat powered by an outboard motor. Mr. Davenport said it required about 45 minutes to land the tar pon, which was released after being checked and weighed. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Marrow and son, Johnny, left Tuesday for a two-week vacation trip that will take them into Tennessee, Geor gia, South Carolina and back to * Wrightsville Beach while they are * away. They planned to go first to the Fontana Dam region in the western part of the state, thence to Nashville, Tenn., and La Grange, Ga., before returning by way of Wrightsville Beach, where they will spend a few days. Lewis Mahlon Sexton, 12, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sol J. Sexton, of Roper, caught a small-mouth bass weighing one pound and nine ounces Friday afternoon while fishing with hook and line from the Plymouth docks. The young ster said he was using shrimp for bait. The catch measured fifteen inches in length. -♦ Volume Increases On Local Market ♦ The volume of peppers is in creasing steadily on the Plymouth I Produce Market, operators de clared yesterday. Volume of to matoes was said light and a neg ligible amount of cukes is being received. All good peppers are bringing from $3 to $4, it was said. Some immature peppers are still being received and operators of the market are still urging producers to pick good quality in order to insure top prices. Peppers were coming in this week from Pitt, Martin, Beaufort, Tyrrell, Edgecombe, Hyde and Washington Counties and toma toes from Martin, Tyrrell, Beau fort, Hyde and Washington. The price for tomatoes was running about $1.50, it was said. According to Wednesday market quotations, prices on the local market were as good as any in the state, W. T. Freeman, one of the owners and operators, declared. The peak in volume of peppers is expected to be reached next week. * Six Stills Taken In County Raids Six illicit whiskey stills were seized by officers during raids in this county in the month of June, accordng to a report submitted by Robert Sawyer, of Roper, chief ABC enforcement officer for Washington County. One of the stills was of 150 gal lon capacity, four were of 60 gal lon capacity and the smallest one, 50 gallons. Besides the stills, other equip ment and utensils confiscated in cluded 6 50-gallon barrels, 3,400 gallons of mash, two vats, six worms, seven coolers and 15 gal lons of whiskey. Assisting Officer Sawyer were State ABC and Federal ATU of ficers. The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News *★*★** A home newspaper dedicated to the service of Washington County and its 13,000 people. VOLUME LXV—NUMBER 28 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, July 15, 1954 ESTABLISHED 1889 Nathan Thomas Gets 23-26 Years In Double Killing More Than Inch Rainfall Helps According to observers’ re ports, the 1.28 inches total rain fall in this county since Thurs day of last week has done a great deal of good to parched crops. It also brought some what cooler temperatures for a few days. The mercury dropped as low as 57 degrees Tuesday night, according to information from the weather station at Tide Water Test Farm dear here. Precipitation was recorded as .02 inches July 8, .70 July 9, .51 July 10 and .05 July 12. High temperature readings were 90, 84, 81, 81 and 91 last Thursday through Monday, respectively. County Winners In 4 - H Contest Held Last Week ♦ - Washington bounty hiring Band and Two Individual Competitors Placed in Blue Ribbon Class -1 Washington County 4-H Clubs had a team and two individuals to place in the Blue Ribbon class in the talent contest held as part of the Eastern District 4-H Eli mination Contest at Washington High School last Thursday. The Washington County String Band, composed of Johnny Clif ton, Creswell Club, Ted Simpson, Plymouth Club, and Harlan Van Horn, Creswell Club, were placed in the Blue Ribbon class for their rendition of “Y’AU Come.” The individuals so honored were Daphne Snell, soloist, and Linda Lou Norman, tap dancer, both of the Roper Club. Accom panying the girls at the piano was Mrs. Dan Marrow, of Roper. Mary Lou Davenport, of the Roper Club, took part in the speaking contest, using the sub ject, "Making the Farm and Home Safe.” Margie Brown and Mary Vir ginia Dixon, of the Plymouth Club, gave a dairy foods demon stration, “Lemon Milk Sherbert.” The complete list of categories in which competition was held: Dairy Foods (team); Dairy Foods (individual); Farm and Home Electric; Vegetable Use; Beekeeping Demonstration; Veg etable Production and Marketing; Soil and Water Conservation; Public Speaking; Livestock Con servation; Forestry; Talent: The meeting was presided over by Gloria Osborne, president of the Beaufort County 4-H County Council. Adjournment for lunch was at 12:45 and the afternoon session began at 2 o’clock. Win ners are now eligible to compete with winners in six districts in the State at Raleigh. tniered Flea oi buiity; An other Murder Trial in Progress Yesterday in Su perior Court Here George Skinner, young Skin nersville Negro, was on trial here Wednesday in Washington Coun ty Superior Court before Judge Leo Carr, of Burlington, charged with the fatal beating of Calvin Wynne, white logwoods worker, at a colored place of business in Skinnersville Saturday night, April 10. The jury was selected and em paneled shortly before noon and the State began to present evi dence in the cas«. In the preliminary hearing for Skinner in recorder's court the State presented evidence to show that Skinner and Wynne engaged in an affray outside the store of Lorenzo Norman, during which Wynne was knocked to the ground and allegedly kicked by Skinner. Wynne was carried to his home where he died early the following morning, death being attributed to a ruptured spleen, it was said. The Plymouth law firm of Bai ley and Bailey is serving as de fense counsel in the case. Nathan Thomas, charged with the pistol slaying Saturday night, April 3, of Alene Moore and Vio let C-hesson, young Negro wo men of Mackeys, tendered through his attorney, P. H. Bell, of Plymouth, a plea of guilty of second degree murder. Solicitor Elbert Peel, of Williamston, ac cepted the plea and after the pre sentation of evidence in the case, Thomas was sentenced by Judge Carr to not less than 23 nor more than 26 years in prison on each county, sentences to run consecu tively. Upon motion of the solicitor, it was ordered that the case agaiiwt E. W. Gay, charged with issuing a worthless check, be remanded to Washington County Recorder’s Court in compliance with the judgment in that court. The de fendant was ordered taxed with any costs accruing in Superior Court. The grand jury failed to find a true bill against Charles Craddock and Irving Ambrose, young Cres well white men charged with the kidnapping of H. R. Stillman, middle-aged former Creswell merchant. The alleged offense oc curred Friday, May 28, at Cres well as Stillman was on his way to his residence from the business section. The court permitted Craddock and Ambrose to withdraw their appeal to Superior Court from a recorder’s court judgment requir ing them to give a peace bond in the amount of $1,000 each, and the action was remanded to re corder’s court for enforcement of the judgment in that court. Defendant Lester Davis was called and failed and it was brought out that he had gone to another State and could not be found. Solicitor Peel moved for Judgment Absolute on the ap pearance bond of $500. Bondsman See^COURTTPage~Io .c SERIOUS BUSINESS, THIS LEARNING TO SWIM Little Doug Gurkin, jr., 314, was making sure he doesn’t get any water in his eyes, ears, nose or mouth as he got his first swimming lesson at the country club pool here last week. That’s Miss Cornelia Edmundson giving the lesson. Miss Edmundson is home for the summer from Gainsville, Fla., where she teaches at the University of Florida during the regular school term.— Photo by Jewel Hardison. Jaycee President Urges Attendance At Meeting Here -+ Lt. Gordon Jackie To Pre sent Film Friday Night And Map Training Sche dule at Vets Club -4 Dr. A. L. Whitehurst, president of the Plymouth Junior Chamber of Commerce, has announced that an important meeting will be held Friday night of this week at the Veterans Club at which time Lt. Gordon Jackie, of Durham, rep resenting the Durham Air De fense Filter Center of the Ground Observer Corps, will set up a training schedule here. Dr. Whitehurst said that Lt. Jackie would also show a film on training procedures. The meeting is scheduled for 8:30 o’clock and-the Jaycee presi dent emphasized that everyone is welcome to attend. All local clubs and organizations are urged to be represented at the meeting as well as all individuals inter ested in civil defense. A similar meeting held here two weeks ago was very poorly attended and the Jaycees, who are sponsoring the meetings, are anxious to have a large, repre sentative crowd at the meeting Dr. Whitehurst pointed out that perhaps many persons are not ac quainted with the work of the ground Observer Corps which is the civilian component of the Air Defense Command of the United States Air Force. Its function, he stated, is to help the Air Force in its vast and complex job of guarding against surprise air at tack Responsible government offic ials, both military and civilian have pointed out a serious weak ness in the air defense system. The immediate and voluntary services of hundreds of thousands of civilians are needed to correct this weakness. Volunteers at Obervation Posts have the job of watching for and reporting aircraft. Those assign ed to a Filter Center help plot the flight of planes and pas.' along important information to Air Force defense units. These duties require only a few hours each week, it was said. -* lolored Citizens Present Petitions For Improvemeni -* Council Asked for Consider ation When Street Surfac ing and Sewer Extensions Are Planned -» Consideration for colored sec tions of the town when additional street surfacing and sewer exten sions are planned was requested at the city council meeting Mon day night by a delegation of Negro citizens. Joe Wingate acted as spokesman for the group, sub mitting a formal petition signed by officials of several colored or ganizations. The petition pointed out that several older sections of the town, largely inhabited by colored citi zens, had no sidewalks and little street surfacing and sewer lines, while numerous new white de velopments had been furnished these facilities within the past few years. Madison and Fourth Streets and White City were cited as older areas which had not been improved, while street surfacing and sewer extensions have been provided in recent years for the Country Club Village, Litle Rich wood, Winesett Circle, Brinkley Forest and Stillacres, among oth ers, all relatively new white resi dential developments. Mayor A. J. Riddle told the delegation their requests would be given consideration, although he said the council had made no definite plans along these lines at the present time. He declined to be pinned down as to any exact date for considering the requests but said the committee would be notified after the council had taken action. The petition asked city officials (1) to finish surfacing of Adams Street; (2) to close “pest-infest ed” ditches along Fourth Street and surface Fourth Street, “so badly needed by school children” and to surface the short block in front of the colored school. Officers of three colored or ganizations had signed the peti tion, and it was suggested that numerous other colored organiza tions also supported the move ment. Groups listed on the peti tion were: Young Men’s Civic and Business Association; Car thagenia Lodge, No. 38, A.F.&A. M.; Albemarle Local, No. 113, In ternational Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Work-1 ers. | COUNTY 4-H CLUB MEMBERS IN DISTRICT ELIMINATION CONTEST l I ■ill i l I In the above photo are the county winners among 4-H Club members who took part in the district eliminations held at Washington High School Thursday of last week, together with their sponsors, County Agent W. H. Pruden and Home Agent Mrs. Frances M. Darden. Front row, left to. right, are Linda Lou Norman and Daphne Snell, of the Roper Club, Margie Brown and Mary Virginia Dixon, of the Plymouth Club, and Mary Lou Davenport, of the Roper Club. Bark row, same order, are Mr. Pruden, Johnny Clifton, Crcswcll Club, Ted Simpson, Plymouth Club, Har lan Van Horn, Creswcll Club, and Mrs. Darden. Miss Norman, tap dancer, Miss Snell soloist, and the three boys composing the Washington County String Band, were placed in the Blue Ribbon Class at the event.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo. Duties ol brand Jury Reviewed ty Judge Carr Here -♦ Jurist Lists Passing Upon Bills of Indictment, Pre sentments and Inspec tions In Body's Work -• •‘One of the strong points of our government is that the sev eral branches constitute a set of checks and balances,” Judge Leo C :r, of Burlington, declared h .cC , iday in his charge to fhc grand jury. Judge Carr pointed out that the grand jury has an important function in the county government in this regard. The judge stated that the grand jury passes upon all bills of in dictment and that in order to find a “true bill” it is necessary that there be at least 12 of the 18 members of that body so find ing. The judge dwelt at some length on presentments, stating the duty of each grand juror to call to the attention of the court offenders who have not been prosecuted “The people of the county are relying on you to bring into court those offenders who have not been prosecuted,” the jurist told the body. Inspections which come within the offices of county body were then gone into. He said the county jails and other institutions should be inspected and the jury satis fied that they were kept in a sanitary condition, that the jail be sufficient for the incarceration of prisoners and that the latter be humanely treated. “Inquire of the clerk if any ad ministrators, executors or guard ians have failed to file according to law and see that justices of the peace have filed their reports ac cording to law,” Judge Carr in structed. The grand jurors were told that they should get the reports of the last two grand juries in order to determine if all recommenda tions of those bodies had been carried out. It was also suggest ed by the judge that they get the last county audit and study it to see if any irregularities appeared. W. W. Mizelle, of Roper, was reappointed as foreman of the grand jury. -1 Mother of Local1 Woman Succumbs ♦ Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Frymier, of Plymouth, attended funeral services at Sutton, West Virginia, Wednesday of last week for Mrs. Frymier’s mother, Mrs. Julia Ann Hosey Knight, of Richwood, West Virginia. Mrs. Knight was taken ill while on a visit to Miss Letha Knight, her daughter, at Geneva, Ohio, and died there Saturday, July 3. She was 89 years of age. She is survived by four daugh ters, Mrs. Frymier, Miss Knight, Mrs. Mollie Spencer, also of Ge neva, and Mrs. A. B. Holcomb, of Richwood; by nine grandchil dren and 10 great grandchildren. Services were held from Pop lar Ridge Methodist Church, Sut ton, of which she was a member, by her pastor, the Rev. Richard Wyatt. Burial was in Poplar Ridge Cemetery. Town Council Hears Delegations Monday Accept Bid for Tile in New Fire Department Build ing; Action on Other Mat ters Deferred -—♦-• Several individuals and dele gations were heard by the Plym outh City Council at its July meeting Monday nigl t, but there were few concrete developments during the two-hour session. The meeting was post; oned from the lirst Monday night on account of the Fourth of July holiday last week. Roland Gaylord was first given a hearing by the council. He de tailed difficulties he has had with state barber board officials re lative to opening a barber shop here. Some months ago, accord ing to his story, he completed construction and equipping a two chair shop at his home on Wilson Street. He then wrote state of ficials requesting that the shop be inspected to see if it came up to the standards required, but received no answer. Later he had several barbers to apply for leases on the shop, but they did not have or were unable to get state permits. One of the barbers was present at the council meeting and said he was treated very discourteously when he went to the office of the bar ber examiners in Raleigh to ap ply for license. Mr. Gaylord asked town of ficials to issue him a license to operate the shop but was told the town could not do so until the shop was inspected and approved by state officials. He was advised by the council to get a lawyer to handle the matter. Harry W. Latham had a com plaint about the manner in which a filling station near his home used an air hose to blow dirt out of cars, stating that the flying grit had damaged the paint on his house and also that he was un able to keep his windows open because of the dirt. Town officials told him the station was not vio lating any town ordinance and his only recourse would be to write the company or to bring a court action against the operator. After hearing from a delega tion of colored citizens relative to street surfacing and sewerage ex tensions, detailed in another arti cle, a committee from the fire de See COUNCIL, Page 10 One-Third 1954 Taxes Collected *■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■• <■■■■■■■■■•■■■■■ Town tax collections for the fiscal year 1954-55 got off to a good start last month, when more than a third of the total levy was collected, according to Chief of Police P W. Brown, who i« a»s«. tax collector. Ap proximate^ 170,000 has already been received, against a total levy of some $80,000, he said. Pre-payment of taxes during the month of June was subject to a discount of 2%; while July payments are discounted VA%. A great many corporations pay their taxes early in order to save the discount, Brown said, and this year a number of in dividuals also paid early to earn the 2%. Agent Warns Of NewWeevil Crop Stating that boll weevil infesta tion appears spotty in county cot ton fields, County Agent W. H. Pruden this week urged that farmers make daily checks in their fields. Mr. Pruden advised that farm ers should pick 100 square from each field and examine for punc tures. If as much as ten per cent are found punctured, the county agent stated, then dusting activi ty is recommended. Some cotton farmers in the county have already made four dusting applications, Pruden said, while some have not begun to dust. The agent stated that for con trol of boll weevils and boll worms dust of 2V4 per cent Al drin and 5 per cent DDT, 2V4 per cent Dieldrin and 5 per cent DDT or 2 Vi per cent Heptachlor and 5 per cent DDT are recom mended. Also, the use of 20 per cent Toxaphene or 3 per cent BHC and 5 per cent DDT is rec ommended except where the land will be planted next season in peanuts or tobacco. It is important, Pruden said, that farmers who expect any sub stantial yield this Fall from their cotton crop keep up dusting Overplanted Notices Are Mailed Farmers .Notices are Deing mailed this week to peanut and cotton farm ers who have overplanted their acreage allotments for these re spective crops, it was learned at the county ASC office. Notices were mailed some time ago to tobacco farmers in the county who had overplanted and it was reported this week that most of them have satisfactorily disposed of excess plantings. A tabulation of results of the recent crop measurement project in the county shows that of 291 tobacco farms, 67 were over the prescribed allotment. There are 547 peanut farms in the county and 141 are overplanted. Of the 310 cotton farms, 43 are over planted. Total acres planted to tobacco was listed at 1,282.3 acres. Totals for peanuts and cotton respective ly, are 3,080 and 677.4 acres. All county cropland was rede termined this year in connection with the measurement program and the figures show a total of 32,228 acres of cropland. It should be noted, however, that this fig ure does not include 288 mini mum-acre farms or those which were too small to be included in the project. Postponed Board Meetings Being Held Here Today -1 Representative of Architec tural Firm To Present Preliminary Plans For Colored School Addition Regular monthly meetings of the county board of commission ers and the county board of edu cation, postponed earlier this month, are slated to be held Thursday of this week. A representative of the archi tectural firm of Boney and Boney of Wilmington, will present the preliminary plans for the propos ed addition to the Plymouth Col ored School at the board of edu cation meeting, County School Superintendent Roy F. Lowry stated Wednesday. The meeting was to convene at 10:30 o’clock in the offices of the superintendent at the courthouse. Mr. Lowry, who serves as sec retary to the board, stated that the question of selling the house which the board recently bought from Mrs. Eleanor Hazelwood would come up at the meeting. The house and lot were purchas ed with the idea of selling the house and having it torn down or removed in order to give more room to the crowded campus at the school, it was stated. The county commissioners will also convene their session at 10:30 a. m. in the commissioners room on the lower floor of the court house. J. Robert Campbell, clerk to the board, said that he knew of no special matters to come before the body other than finally ap proving the budget. This has al ready been tentatively approved by the commissioners and ap proval is expected to be a mere formality. -1 Allends Sessions of Bankers Conference -♦ Gene Ange, of Jamesville, note teller at Planters National Bank and Trust Company here, attend ed Monday and Tuesday sessions of the Carolina Bankers Confer ence at Chapel Hill this week. Wholesale Firm Is Robbed Here A thief or thieves got away with $600 to $700 worth of ciga rettes after breaking into the . warehouse of the H. E. Harrison Wholesale Company here Tues day night or early Wednesday morning. Town and county law enforcement officers and) State Bureau of Investigation opera tives were busy yesterday trying to run down clues to the robbery. Entrance was effected by breaking a padlock off the ware house door. The thieves also at tempted to break into a safe in the office and badly damaged it although they were unable to get it open. Except for the cigarettes, nothing else was missed from the warehouse, according to local po lice. Several fingerprints were ob tained, and the SBI was called into the case. The robbery was discovered by Mr. Harrison about 7 o’clock yesterday morning, when he went down to open the warehouse. -t Two Registrants Failed To Report Two men ordered to be sent from the local board for pre-in duction eramination Monday of this week failed to report, Mrs. Lorraine Hunter, Board clerk,, states. The men were listed by Mrs.. Hunter as .Fred Watson, of Roper, and John Henry McCormick, of Plymouth. Anyone knowing the whereabouts of these men should get in touch with the board, Mrs. Hunter stated. If the board does not hear from them immediately the two regis trants will be ordered for induc tion into the armed forces and if they fail to report for induction they will be processed as delin quents and their cases turned over to the Federal Bureau of In vestigation, it was said. Twelve men left by special bus Monday for the reception center at Raleigh, six for pre-induction and six for induction, the board clerk revealed. Of the six who left for induction four were vol unteers. These were listed by Mrs. Hunter as Wilile Earl Skin ner, Robert Jordan Hopkins, Mel vin Lee Brooks and Edward Joseph Wesner. Others were John Downing and Joseph Walker, both regular inductees.