Newspapers / The Sylva Herald and … / Oct. 9, 1947, edition 1 / Page 1
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AMERICA First, Last and Always The Sylva Herald VOL. XXII, NO. 19 Sylva, N. C. Thursday, October 9, 1947 The Herald is dedicated to progressive service to Jack son ... A progressive, well balanced county. n $2.00 A Year?5c Copy O'DEAR, MESSER DIE IN STATE'S GAS CHAMBER Driving Drunk Opening Days Jail Breakers Get Long Road Sentences, Fines Swell School Funds The October term of Jackson Superior Court opened Monday morning with Judge Felix E. Alley, of Waynesville, presiding. Solici tor Dan K. Moore of this city is representing the state. Chris Passmore, of Cashiers, is the fore man of the grand jury. The following cases were dis posed of Monday and Tuesday: State against John Hubbard, charged with carrying a concealed weapon, fine $50 and cost, The pistol ordered destroyed./ Ralph Frizzelle, manufacturing whiskey, fined $50 and cost, 12 months suspended road sentence. Edg^r Turpin, driving drunk, fine $fQ0 and cost, 60 days sus pended road sentence. Ben Lee Cabe, driving drunk, $50 and cost. Sentenced to 60 days on roads, suspended upon good be havior. Elmer Franklin, violating pro hibition laws, $200 and -cost and 18 months suspended road sentence. Drivers licenses revoked. Albert Carl Buchanan, driving drunk, $50 and cost. Manuel W. Nicholson, driving drunk, $100 and cost, and 60 days suspended road sentence. Robert Loyd Trull, driving drunk, $50, cost and 60 days sus pended road sentence. Jim W. Shelly, driving drunk, $100, cost and 60 days suspended' road sentence. Ellis D. Nations, driving drunk,! $50,' cost and 60 days suspended road sentence. Herbert Connor, non-support, 6 months on roads, suspended upon i payment of $50 each month to, support of child until further or ders of the court. Lonus Austin, transporting, $50 and cost, 6 months 'suspended. J. B. Galloway, manufacturing whiskey, $50, cost and 6 months suspended road sentence. I Thomas A. Rogers, driving drunk, $100, cost and 60 days sus pended road sentence. I Everand Lush, driving drunk, $100 cost and 60 days suspended road sentence. John Barnes and Vernon Brown ing, enter pleas of guilty of house breaking. Placed on probation for five years. W. P. Lail, driving drunk, $100,' _ . .'Continued on page" 5) i Streets To Be Named Houses Numbered By Town And C of C The board of aldermen of the town of Sylva in cooperation with I the Chamber of Commerce will j carry out a project next spring J o{ numbering the houses of the city and placing the names of the streets at corners and intersections. The expense of Jthe project will amount to around $1,000 and will be borne jointly by the town and Chamber. Metal name plates for the streets have been ordered but will not be delivered before early spring. This is to be done with the view of securing city mail de livery for the town of Sylva in the near future. The post office de partment will not approve this service unless the streets are named and the houses numbered. Cases Take Up Of Court Here FUNERAL RITES FOR RUFUS G. PARKER, 67, HELD SUNDAY P M Merchant At Tuckaseigee For 21 Years Passed Away Following Short Illness Funeral services for Rufus G. Parker, 67, who passed away at the Sylva hospital Fridgy morning, were conducted Sunday afternoon at 2:30 from the Tuckaseigee Bap tist church at Tuckaseigee. The Rev. Ben-Cook and the Rev. L. H. Crawford, officiated. Interment was in the church cemetery. Gar rett Funeral Home, of Waynesville was in charge of the arrangements. Pallbearers were nephews and great nephews of the deceased as follows! Otis Parker, Claude Park er, Lon Parker, Walter Middleton, Orvile Middleton and Charlie Th rift. Mr. Parker was an active mem ber of the Tuckaseigee church. He was also a gifted gun-smith and mechanic. As native of Jackson county, he was well known throughout the county and held in high esteem by his many friends and neighbors. He had only been ill for about three weeks. Surviving are the widow, and one brother, Van Parker, of Ashe ville. FIRE DRILL HELD AT BETA SCHOOL, FIRE DEPT. HELPS One "hundred seventy-four small j children from the first through the 5th grades cleared the Beta school building in 33 seconds * Monday afternoon in a fire drill witnessed by members of the Sylva fire de- , partment. Unaware that the Sylva fire truck was to arrive and blow its siren the- children filed out in perfect order. They were con-1 gratulated by the department andj the teachers of the school were commended for their work in hav ing trained their pupils so efficient ly in fire drill work. The Beta school is a large, two story, frame building. If a fire were to?break out in it the dry pine lumber would burn like pow der. It is a fire hazard, especially I dangerous for the chi.dren on the' second .floor where adequate fire escapes are lacking and the doors j to the class rooms swing shut from the inside, which in case of fire,: might trap many of the children. The teachers of the school are j fully conscious of this condition and are doing $11 they can for the safety of the children. j The fire department recom- i mends to the county school au-' thorities that adequate fire escapes be placed on the building and that the doors swing outward. The drill Monday was a pre- | liminary drill to the state-wide | drill to be held Thursday morning at 11 o'clock. I Twenty-eight mothers were out I to witness the drill. The children 1 of the second grade were given a The Play, "Tight Britches " Coming To WCTC October 21 "Tight Britches" will be present ed October 21 as the opening num ber in the series of Lyceum pro grams at Western Carolina Teach ers college, Mrs. Lillian- Buchanan, i chairman of the Lyceum commit tee, has announced. Moore Bryson, son of Holmes Bryson and grandson of Judge Walter Moore, will play a prom inent part in the production. The play, a realistic mountain drama built around a boy who wants to become a preacher, and who gets "too big for nis o. itcnes," will be given in Hoey audituiium, and will siart at 8:30 p. m. "Tight Britches" was w;\ ten by Hubert Hayes, manager of the city auditorium in Asheville, and has been successfully produced in New York by Mr. Hayes and John Tainter Foote. It was presented in Asheville at the city auditorium September 22. The Western Carolina Players, the college's dramatic club, will entertain students, faculty, and guests, in honor of Mr. Hayes and the cast, in the Student Union building^: ,*ter the play. Mr. Hayes will talk to members of the school's creative writing classes in the Student Union build ing at 3:00 o'clock the afternoon of the play. Admission to the play for non students will be 50 cents and $1.00. JACKSON MURDERERS DIE IN GAS CHAMBER The final chapter in the. O'Dear-Messer slaying of Jack and Margie Hall was written Friday morning, October 3, wh2n the two men, standing between of ficers above, took their last steps from their deathrow cells in Central prison to the State's leithal gas chamber a few feet away and paid society's debt with their lives for the gruesome hammer slaying of Mr. and Mrs. Hall. Earl O'Dear, left i and Robert Messer, right, were pronounced dead a few minutes after the cyanide pellets were dropped in acid cans before them as they sat strapped in jchairs in the execution chamber. The above photo was made in front of Jackson county jail shortly after the men had confessed to the slaying of the Halls here April 24. State Highway Patrolman Sergeant T. A. Sandlin and Sheriff Griffin Middleton, shown with the men, took the lead in the investigation which led to their arrest; PROFESSIONAL DRUG STORE TO HOLD OPEN HOUSE Formal Opening Of City's Newest Drug Store To Be Held With Big Sale On Friday and Saturday the1 Professional Drug Store will hold open house and everybody in this 1 area is invited to come in and be- i come acquainted with the new store, and its owners. Everybody is invited and there will be a nice door gift to each 50th person en- j tering the store on Friday. The store is located in the Cole ? building on Main street which has j been completely remcdeled. The building and fixtures meet the rigid requirements of the Wal green company, and are the most modern type. The company is proud of the fact that it was se lected to have the Walgreen agency here because this enables it to give a service that it could not other wise render. Drs. S. B. Burrus and Rudolph R. Hardy, formerly with Sylva Pharmacy, are the owners and managers of the new store. "In our prescription department we recognize that we are working hand in hand with the doctors in furthering the health of the com munity," they said, "and we pledge that we will always fill prescrip tions just as the doctor orders them and from the freshest and j finest of drugs. Our big formal opening, sale will j be on during Friday and Saturday i only. We urge our many custom- i ers and future customers to come I in and avail yourselves of the many bargains we are offering | during this "get-acquainted" open ing sale. Revival In Progress At Wesleyan Methodist Church, Tuckaseigee Revival meeting is now in prog ress at the Wesleyan Methodist Church at Tuckaseigee with Rev. J. D. Scoggins of Walhalla, S. C., evangelist, and Rev. Fred Ellrod of Glendale, S. C., as song leader. This revival will go on through Oct. 19. We give everyone an invitation to attend. H. M. Moody is pastor. ride on the big red fire truck be cause the.r grade had the largest number of mothers attending. Mrs. Maude Reed is teacher of this grade. Chief W. B. Cope was in charge of the fire truck. SO&9A MON'8 . . . IN-SrL/A Schools Of County Ready To Participate In Fire Drill Today N. C. Warden Favors | Local Executions As Crime Warning 1 Following the execuuon of five men in the state's letHei gas cham ber on last Friday, State Prison Warden Hugh Wilson, said, "lam opposed to capital punishment." "The manner in which execu tions are carried out in North Carolina and other places, for that matter, defeats the purpose for which the law was designed? namely the prevention of crime," Wilson said. "I prefer the gassing to the elec tric chair," the Warden said. "I think it is the least painful of the two, but what I disapprove of in our system is the fact that the convicted men are not executed publicly in the counties in which the crimes were committed. "If the condemed were executed in the vicinity where he commit ted the crime, it would serve as a warning to the witnesses not to attempt to get away with the same thing." "I do not advocate making a CsJs Haro's M#dal tOOKINO mighty proud of the shiny n'jw medal around her neck is "Lady." a small terrier whose bark ins aroused two families in San An tonio. Tex., enabling them to escape a Naming building. On one side of the medal, awarded by the city'* f.re chicf. is inscribed: "1947?To 'Lady,' a dog. for saving the livet of several people." On the reverse: ?'Humanity?The American Human Arsn Award." {International) Speaker From Asheville Fire Dept. Expected To Visit Sylva Sih The schools of Jackson county will join t.ic :schools of the state in holding.fire drills at 11 o'clock tod.iy in connection with National Fire Prevention Week wo.cii has been prod; imed bv' President Ti n man for Octobci .") 1.1 11. Go\ernor Cherry has proclaimed the week fur Ncrth Carolina and the de partment of educa;ion is partici pating bv having the state-wide tire drills in the s?.ho<il>. The Sylva lire department, head ed by Chief Barl Cope, will'assist the various school- in their drills. Mr. Cope has anr.uunce(^ the n.iiiic of the school and the i.rement who will assist that school as follows: He will be at Sylva high school himself, as.- islea By Jake Bales, Claude Campbell, Walter Jones, and Carroll Ashe. Sylva Elementary ? Grayson Cope, Woody Hampton, Charles Stillweil, and Harald Morgan. Wester?Hay Cogdill, Phil Sto vall, Carl Stanford, Ben Sumner. Western Carolina Teachers Col lege?Felix Picklesimer. Jack Al lison, Benny Reese, Philip Jones. Cullowhee Training School? Tilghman Bass, Boyd Sossamon, Jack Hennessee, and Jimmy Bales. Beta?Bob Phillips and Boyd Sutton. Mr. Cope expects to have one of the head members of the Ashe ville fire department for a talK to the student body of the Sylva High school. More College Students From Jackson County Other Jackson county boys and girls who are attending college but whose names failed to appear in last week's issue of The Herald are Miss Evelyn Davis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Davis, Web ster, at the Woman's College, Greensboro; Miss Pearl Ashe, William Ashe, Leo Cowan, and Ray Clark, Western Carolina Teachers College; Miss Ethel Reed, Furman University, Green ville, S. C.; Troy Martin and Charles Poteet, Coyne Electric School, Chicago; Wade Wilson, Industrial Training , Institute, Chicago; and Miss Margaret Wor ley of WebsteVj Blanton's Busi ness College, ArVreville. picnic out of an execution, but I contend that since we do have capital punishment and since it is legal under the law that we should use it more effectively as a crime deterrent," Wilson said. \ ""Pair Executed for Hammer Slaying of Jack and Margie jHall Here Last April 21sr JARRETT BLYTHE RETIRING CHIEF, ACCORDED HONOR Cherokee Leader Given Dinner as Token of High Esteem CHEROKEE ? Retiring Chief Jarrett Blythe, of the Cherokee*, was tendered a testimonial din ner Friday night in honor his remarkable record of service, 16 years as chief. About 350 persons attended the dinner which was held in the chil dren's dining room. Many of those present brought their own fruit in a sort of ceremonial tribute. McKinley Ross, vice-chief was toastmaster, and Henry Bradley, new chief, was an honor guest at the speakers' table. The principal address was made \ by former Superintendent Clyde Blair, no^ a resident of Asheville. Jack Walters, retired chief clerk, also spoke, as did Superintendent Joe Jennings and Arsene Thomp son, chairman of the tribal coun cil who has been a member of the council for the past 12 years. Gifts were presented to Mr. and Mrs. Blythe by a number of per sons attending the dinner. HEBERT H. FOWLER DIES AT HOME HERE SUNDAY EVENING Hebert H. Fowler, 48, died tit his home here Sunday evening at 7:30 o'clock following an illness of about (5 years. Funeral services were held Tues day at 2 o'clock at the Glenville Baptist church with the Rev. W. N. Conk, officiating. Interment was in the Glenville cemetery. Active pallbearers, nephews of the deceased, were: Wood row, Franklin, and Edward Fowler and Marvin, Clayborn, and Frank Bry -on. Before becoming ill Mr. Fow ler was [i successful farmer of the Glenville community and a mem ber of the Glenville Masonic Or der Hp h;?H hrnn spt?nH infl thn winter months in Sylva. Surviving are the widow, the former Miss Gertrude Childefs; five brothers: Freeman, Will, Percy, Dietz, and Jones Fowler, all of Glenville; one sister, Mrs. J. R. Bryson, of Glenville and a host of other relatives. % Moody Funeral home was in charge of arrangements. JACK AND HOWARD \LtlS0N BUY ESSO SERVICE STATIUN Jack and Howard Allison, broth- \ ers, owners and operators of Howard and Jack's Esso Service Station in Sylva, have announced the purchase of the Weaver Esso j Service station in Dillsboro and have already taken over operation of same. The new business will, be known as Allison Brothers' Service Station. ( The new owners plan to remodel the station by concreting ar6und the pumps and front, put ift new! pumps, etc. / I They will handle Standard Oil j products. Sylva Seniors Visit Biltmore Estate I Last Thursday morning at 9:30 o'clock the senior class of Sylva High school, chaperoned by Mrs. Mary "Cowan and Mrs. Frances Luce, left to spend the day in Asheville and at the Biltmore estate. The morning was spent in Asheville, shopping and seeing in teresting things about the town. At 1:00 P. M. they made their way to Biltmore and after securing their tickets were off to see^^ilt Funeral For Men Held Monday At Local Cemeteries Funeral services for Earl O' Dear, 24, and Robert Messer, 21 were held Monday at the homes of relatives following the arrival of their bodies here on Saturday after being brought from Central Prison in Raleigh where the two died in the State's gas chamber Friday morning f<^ the confessed murders ' of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hall. Moody Funeral home prepared the bodies for burial immediately following their execution and brought them back to Sylva on Saturday. O'Dear was buried at 11 o'clock Monday morning in the Parris cemetery above Dillsboro, and Messer was buried at 1:30 Monday in the family cemetery at tills boro. A large number of local citizens attended the burial serv ices. Pallbearers for O'Dear were: George Bryant, Glenn Barnes, Johnson Hall, Junior Messer, Guy Bumgarner, and Calvin Bum -garner. Flower girls were: Fran ces Bryson, Florence Ann Bryson, Lillian Moore, Evelyn Beasley, Betty Hall, Marie Beasley, Mrs. Charlie Deitz and Mrs. Roy Dills. O'Dear is survived by his par ents, Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie O'Dear; his widow, the former Virginia Rhinehart, and a seven months old daughter; two sisters, Mrs. John A. Wilkes and Mrs:- Rett,Davis, both of Sylva. r Messer is survivea^H^^g*]^^ er; four sisters, Mrs. Wilkes Potts, of Sinith Carolina, Mrs. Roy Wil liams, Mrs. William Ciegory, 1M- Barkeis Creek, Mrs. Henry iriegory, Dillsboro; and one broth er, Charles (Sonny) Messer, Sylva. SCENE AT STATE PRISON As State Prison officials pre pared Friday morning for the exe cution of five men, following the refusal of Governor Cherry to in tervene in their, behiilf, Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie O'Dear stood weep ing outside the prison gates, less | than 100 yards from the gas cham | ber where their son, Earl O'Dear died with four other men in the States biggest execution in his tory. Mrs. Messer, mother of Robert Messer, who died with O' Dear, bid her son good bye and then left for her home in Dills boro. The O'Dcars returned with their son's body. In a spasm of fright O'Dear de layed his execution for an hour by jamming the lock to his cell with ? Sliver from a wooden ice cream spoon. Warden Hugh Wilson had planned to execute the two Jack [ son yoyths first but when O'Dear Jammed his lock he sent two Char | lotte negroes to death for the mur der of an aged Coal company book keeper. The chamber was cleared of gas and then came O'Dear and Messer, convicted of beating Jack Hall. Sylva taxi driver, and his wife, Margie Maples Hall, to death with machine hammers. The fifth victim was Willie Cherry, a 26-year-old negro for first degree burglary. ATE HEARTY BREAKFASTS Prison officials said all five men ate^ hearty breakfasts of ham and ,*fegsf cherry pie, toast, and coffee. ?Continued on page 2 Veteran's Club, W. C. T. C. Open For New Members Sixty student-veterans attended a meeting of the Veterans* club of Western Carolina Teachers college Wednesday night. In addition to a discussion of the clubs regular business, a membership drive was proposed, and. it was estimated that at least 200 of the 293 veteram registered in the school could be secured as members. Officers of the club are Bill "Pop" Goodson, president; Jack Ar rington, vice president; J. C. Cun ningham, secretary; and Tom Gar land, Treasurer. more estate. Here ^*they went through the mansioA, visited the garden aAd grounds, and an their way out stopped at the dairy.
The Sylva Herald and Ruralite (Sylva, N.C.)
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Oct. 9, 1947, edition 1
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