Madison County Library g V?
Marshall, M.C. 28753
The News R
ord
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY
On th? Intldm . . .
Older Americans
can still work
^.see page 8
77th Year, No. 31
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL. N.C. v THURSDAY, August 3, 1978
15* Per Copy
ROY REEVES, LEFT,
TREASURER OF THE Marshall
Walnut Medical Center Finance
Committee, is shown receiving
the check Monday for the center
from Rep. Lis ton B. Ramsey,
right, who was instrumental in
getting the grant from the N.C.
Legislature. Also in picture are
Ton Wallin, chairman of the
board of directors; Mrs. Linda
Mash burn and Jerry Plemmons,
members of the board. More than
700 individuals, churches and
organizations have contributed to
the new facility between Marshall
and Walnut, making it possible to
have one of the most modern
medical centers in Western North
Carolina. (Photo by Jim Story)
Fatality i
Bruce Killed In Farm Accident
Charles Clifford Bruce, 73,
owner and operator of Mars
Hill Pharmacy and trustee of
Mars Hill College, was killed
Monday evening when a
tractor overturned on him
while he was loading hay at
his farm in Mars Hill.
A native of Mars Hill whose
family has been associated
with the community and the
college since the founding of
the college in 1856, Bruce
operated a farm (mostly
cattle and tobacco) in the
valley just north of town
where his ancestors had
settled. He and his wife,
Mildred, had built a lovely
home several years ago on the
very site where he was born.
In addition to managing the
DON EDWARDS, left, is shown receiving the
"Million Mile Award" from Marshall
Postmaster Roger Wood for his outstanding
safe driving performance. Don is rural
carrier for Route 2, Marshall.
Rural Carrier
Presented Award
\
Mends and representatives of
the Asheville Post Office
The award wag presented to
the popular run! carrier by
drugstore down town, he loved
to work on the farm and was
helping with a major farm
chore when the accident oc
curred.
He was pinned beneath the
tractor when it overturned.
Rescuers had to obtain a
forklift from a local hardware
to lift the tractor so that Bruce
could be pulled free. The Mars
Hill Rescue Squad ambulance
rushed him to the hospital in
Asheville, but he was dead
upon arrival.
Bruce had attended Mars
Hill College (which had an
academy division in those
days) during the school years
of 1917-22, again in 1923-24, and
completed the junior college
level in the 1927-28 term. His
class is scheduled to celebrate
its 50th anniversary reunion at
the college in October.
In the early years of his
career, Bruce was secretary
treasurer of an insurance
company in Jacksonville, Fla.
In 1939 he was married to
Mildred Newsom of
Jacksonville, who bad also
attended Mars Hill College.
They returned to Mars Hill in
1944 following the sudden
death of Brace's brother,
Paul, who had been operating
the pharmacy. Brace
assumed management of the
business at that time and had
continued there ever since,
aided by his wife and several
employees.
In addition to their business,
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce have been
active in community and civic
affairs and in the Mars Hill
Slate Hearing Focuses
On Board Of Elections
. ? . __ ? : ? ? ' . _ ???? , *: ? 'i, . ? '?
EDITOR *8 NOTE:
Accowti of the itate Board of
Elections hearing* held la the
courtroom here into alleged
irregularities during the May
2 primaries on Monday until
noon Tuesday were published
In last week's issue. Below is
the account of the hearings
from Tuesday noon until the
conclusion of the hearings^
Tuesday .afternoon of last
week.
Hearings were ordered
Tuesday afternoon by state
officials to consider the
removal of the three-member
Madison County Board of
Elections.
The order by the state Board
of Elections was issued at the
close of a two-day inquiry into
alleged irregularities during
the May 2 primaries including
absentee ballot abuse and
indiscriminate assistance to
able-bodied voters who went
to the polls.
Marvin Ball, chairman of
the Madison County Board of
Elections, carried a gun
during the primary elections,
J.B. Barrett, the assistant
director of the SIB testified
Tuesday afternoon.
Sen. Robert S. Swain of
ASheviile, who represented
Ball during the inquiry here,
said Ball was armed because
he was refused an SBI
bodyguard after threats were
made on his life.
Much of the probe by the
state elections board Tuesday
centered around efforts to
determine how the name of a
man working in Tennessee
during the May 2 primary
elections was written into the
poll book at the Spring Creek
precincfas if he had voted.
One of the five people
working at the Spring Creek
precinct, machine clerk Dale
Keener, invoked the Fifth
Amendment 31 times to avoid
self-incrimination before he
was promised immunity from
prosecution.
Then he said he didn't write
James Francis Shelton's
name in the poll book, and said
he didn't know how it got
there.
Larry Plemmons, the
democratic judge at the
precinct, also took the fifth a
number of times to avoid
answering questions put to
him by state board members
and Jim Wallace, assistant
attorney general.
But Plemmons also denied
writing Shelton's name in the
poll book.
Shelton, who went to
Murfreesboro, Tenn., in April
to work for relatives and was
not in Madison County at the
time of the election, had
testified Monday that Ball had
assured him that he would see
that his vote "was taken care
? ?f." - ? v ??
Three other precinct of
ficials, Joseph G. Justice,
registrar, Billy Crowd er,
democratic judge, and Bobby
Clark, Republican judge,
denied that they wrote
Shelton's name in the poll
book.
All testified they were at the
polling place from the time the
polls opened until after they
closed and that Ball was not
seen there all day.
A man and his wife who
voted immediately before
Shelton's name was entered in
the book were questioned, and
they said nobody was in line
behind them waiting to vote.
Carroll and Clara Askew said
they wouldn't know Jim
Shelton if they saw him,
however.
Crowder, a retired Army
veteran, told the state Board
o{ Elections that he wrote
most of the names in the
Spring Creek precinct poll
book as the voters came in to
cast their ballots on May 2.
But he said he didn't write
Shelton's name in the book.
"I don't believe in ghosts,
but it got in there," he said.
examining the book in which
the names of the voters were
recorded.
Crowder, precinct Judge for
the Democrats, challenged
estimates by Clark,
Republican precinct judge, of
the number of voters given
assistance in the voting booth.
Gark said 80 percent of the
249 persons who voted were
( Continued on Page ?)
In Marshall Friday
District Court Begins
The July term of District
Court for the trial of criminal
cases will start here Friday
morning with Judge J. Ray
Braswell presiding.
Cases on calendar for trial
include the following :
Everett Mace, non-support;
George Edward Logan, dui
and dr. left of center; John
Daniel Norton, dui; James
Richard Jarvis, dwlr; Ken
neth Cutshall, trespass; Floyd
Lane English, dui and dwlr ;
Ronnie Allen Riefc, dui;
Ronald Anderson, speeding ?7
55; Floyd Lane English, dwlr;
Billy Stout, rd; Thore Floyd
Tomberlin, dui and dr. without
valid license; Fredrick
Franklin, communicating
threats; Arvile Donald
Hensley, dui and ncl; Kendall
Joseph Wheeler, dui; Terry
Neil Dotson, speeding 82-55
and illegal transp.; Unas
Ramsey, public drunk and
resist, arrest.; James Bruce
Elkins, dwlr; Robert John
Belgay, speeding 73-55.
Jamie Lou B lan ton. did;
Magdalene Cohens, speeding
70-55; Eugene Reed, trespass;
Wanda Reed, trespass; David
James Messer, b&e&L.
Harley Wesley Griffin, blte&l ;
Cheryl Antoninette Williams,
dui; Harold D. Hensley,
speeding 16-56; Hermon
Naillon, dui and fatt to raport
accident; E.J. .Walter Jr..
speeding 85-56; Jeffrey Dale
Roberts, not; David Wayne
Church, imp. registration;
Billy Fred Riddle, dui and
dwlr; Dallas Roberts, com
municating threats; Ronnie
Lewis Moore, assault; Henry
Loyd Sharpe, fail to stop for
light and siren; Henry Loyd
Sharpe, assault.
Henry Loyd Sharpe,
reckless driving, assault with
deadly weapon; Robert Daniel
Mace, dui; Clyde Rath bone,
public drunk; Garnie Edward
Fritz, speeding 11-95; Billy
Hens ley, non-support; George
Sherlin, worthless check;
Bruce Gentry, com
municating threats; Hubert
Roberts, larceny; Kim
Patrick Wilson, dui and rd;
William Hartsoo Sexton Jr.,
speeding ?M6 and driving left
of center; William Hartson
Sexton, dui; William R.
Bradley, damage to property;
Rodney H. Rice, damage to
property; Frederick Franklin,
adwikist; Randall Moore, b
and e and 1; William D.
Welchell, dui and imp.
( Continued on Page S)
Lady
Patriot
Camp
More than 90 prospective
Lady Patriot Basketball
players recently attended the
first annual Lady Patriot
Basketball Camp at Madison
High School. The camp hours
were from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
daily. Heavy emphasis was
placed daily on fundamentals
as well as team play. Each
girl went through numerous 30
minute fundamental stations,
heard clinics on various
aspects of basketball, and
participated in many league
games and scrimmages. A
specialty of the camp was a
heavy emphasis on individual
help to each camper by camp
instructors. A highlight of the
week included films daily on
various basketball games,
fundamentals, etc. On Wed
nesday afternoon the entire
camp was bused to the
Marshall Pool for an af
ternoon of swimming.
Friday's activities included
Free Throw Shooting and field
goal shooting contests as well
as Shoot for the Money Con
tests for each age group.
The camp ended on Friday
with each camper being
awarded a camp certificate
and a beautiful Lady Patriot
T-Shirt. Coach Ricky
McDevitt of the Lady Patriots
was ecstatic at the success of
the camp. "Not only was the
turn-out huge, but by week's
end the girls were executing
many individual fun
damentals and team phases
perfectly." McDevitt added,
"I could not be more pleased
with the progress of the girls
during the week. We had over
55 high school Lady Patriots
and 40 elementary Lady
Patriots in attendance. But,
the camp's success was due
totally to the camp staff who
volunteered their time during
MOST of the Lady Patrol* Who attended the
first Annual Lady Patriot Basketball Camp
are shown above Also pictured are some of
be staff members The five Senior Lad]
Patriots on the Cram
the week. We could not have
made it without these people.
Each of these people took time
off from their jobs and homes
and worked hard during the
week."
The Lady Patriots would
like to thank each of them
sincerely. Those workers
included Larry West, Woody
Ammons, Jack Cole, John
Hough, Donnie Banks, Jack
Radford, Elsberry Wyatt,
Wayne McDevitt, Holden Nix,
Gary Hernandei, Kenny Ray
and Bobby Frisby. Also, a big
thanks to Barbara Bruce and
Jo Ann Frisby for serving the
campers lunch each day as
well as to David Wyatt and
Dud Deal for their cooperation
in use of all the faculties.
"Last but not least, a special
thanks to many parents who
transported these girls from
all sections of the county each
morning and afternoon'
McDevitt finished by ex
and anticipation of the coming
season. "All of the Lady
Patriot teams are anxiously
looking forward to the eoaaing
(Continued on Pages)
Get Ready