SUardjWNT IMG 00
Published
wice-a-Week
HE WAYNESVILLE MOUNTAINEER
49,500 People
Live within 20 miles of
Waynesville -their ideal
hopping center.
Ury Tuesday
and Friday
I Published T w ice-a-Week In The County Seat Of Haywood County At The Entrance Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
y-SECOND YEAR NO. 2 8 Pages
Associated Press News
WAYNESVILLE, N. C, TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1947
$3.00 In Advance In Haywood and Jackson Counties
o)
o
nn
M
ft
em
lother Ground
lint Is Planned
r MissingPlane
by to Resume
Wh Shortly'
Plane Believed
bhed Near Here
intensive search, both
lues and on the ground,
made "the first day it's
bough to get in" the vicin-
ttlcsnake Cove to look for
lants of the twin-engine
lane missing almost three
I'. J. Hieatt, intelligence
t the Greenville (S. C.)
(r base, made this state
en in Waynesville Thurs-
st week.
ns to bring another group
to lead the hunt on foot
fcs that a large number of
ill assist. The aircraft will
Greenville, an hour's fly-
from here, have an hour
to make sorties over the
tious area in wnicn tne
s believed to have crashed
bturning to the base.'
Hieatt adds that he was
higher authorities to find
e fabric found in the Rat-
Cove vicinity could net
n a part of another plane
ashed on Campbell moun
ing the summer of 1943
Instigating from that angle
that the latter plane's
bs painted all-silver, while
es of fabric" Wert" e'amou-
ly blue for the under part
plane and jumbled olive
top. This, so far as he
adds to the certainty that
s of fabric came from the
t during the snowstorm of
n Rogers
resident
Corn Club
tst Is Planned
Stimulate Higher
Id Of Corn
aavwood
Rogers of Crabtree, was
president of the Haywood
orn i-iub, an organization
rs winch will conduct a
h coi n production to stim-
tcr yields of grain among
"i uic county.
y with Mr. Rogers are T.
taiiiey of Pigeon, vice
: W. F. "Jack" Hipps of
cretary; and Hugh Rat-
way nesville, treasurer.
trs were elected Friday at
g of the County Demon-
armors committee in the
Sent's office. '
rmers in the county are
lo compete in the club's
Iving contest and are urged
F by Wayne Corpening,
Kent. Their onlv rpmiiro.
that they plant at least
of corn and ask for a putA
fffice) to prove that they
e competition.
will be awarded next -fall
'rmer who has grown the
neia oi corn per acre.
ather Report
hhed The Mountaineer by
"tamer Bureau):
IV, Jan. 6 Fair anil mlHn
fcoming partly cloudy Bnd
'uer tonight. Vrfth lowost
lures about 18 degrees.
Jan. 7 i. InerAastna
s and warmer with after.
fiperatures In the 40'.
rm Tuesday nieht nr
al WAvnaDtlll i
recorded by the staff of
Jest Farm):
Max.
65
63
50
51 .
Min.
35
" 48
21
- 35 . ,
I
Rainfall
.24
.79
-.10
Ballots Go to Members
For C. of C. Election
Official ballots for the election
of the board of directors to the
Chamber of Commerce were sent
to approximately 500 paid mem
bers in the Waynesville - Hazel
wood Lake Junaluska area dur
ing the week-end.
Any member who pays his
194G dues before January 18 may
vote for directors, states Miss
S. A. Jones, C. of C. secretary.
The votes must be returned to
the office by 4 p. m. of that day,
after which they will be counted
by a special committee. Newly
elected directors will take office
on Jan. 28.
Burnettes Lose
Home In Fire At
Cecil Monday
Christmas Tree
Lighting Believed
To Have Started
House Fire
Fire believed to have started
from a short in Christmas tree
lighting wires, completely destroy
ed the six-room frame house of Mr.
and Mrs. J. Edgar Burnette in
Cecil township. 'Dec. 30. " "
Mrs. rrurneire una a daughter,
Winifred, were in the house at the
time the Christmas tree in the liv
ing room caught afire, about 10:30
a.m. However they were unaware
of the blaze until Mr. Burnette,
who had been working outside, saw
it and rushed inside to warn them
Another daughter and young son
were not at home then.
The fire quickly got out of con
trol, was fanned by a stout breeze
and soon covered the entire house
Neighbors came to assist quickly,
and helped get some of the food
stored in the busemcnt, but no
one was able to save furniture or
clothing. Within a very short time
the entire building was burned to
the ground. There was no insurance
carried.
The house had been rebuilt,
about 12 years ago, oil the site
where the original house had burn
ed. This first house was owned by
Pingrec Inman, and the rebuilt
house had been purchased by the
Burnettes eight years ago.
Mr. Burnette, an employee of
the Champion Paper and Fibre
company, received minor burns on
his hands while fighting the fire.
The family now is living in a
summer house of W. Carl Clontz,
Canton, near Lake Logan. Their
neighbors and church have assist
ed them with many items to
weather the emergency.
Lions See Movie
On Grid Training
Last Thursday
The Lions club saw the movie,
West Point Championship Foot
ball, as the main feature of their
program last week.
A training film in the W.T.H.S.
collection of visual education
movies, the picture was taken dur
ing the 1945 season, and showed
the Cadets in football conditioning,
working out plays, and the high
lights of their games. Herbert
Buchanan was in charge of the pro
gram, assisted by C. E. Weatherby.
The picture was shown in the court
house after the club adjourned at
the Wayside Lodge.
The convention committee, of
which J. W. Klllian is chairman, is
in charge of the program Thurs
day night.
FIVE KILLED. 22
HURT IN PLANE CRASHES ' ,
NEW YORK UP) Two trans
port plane and a small private
plane crashed in snowstorms and
rains that blotted eastern airports
Sunday, killing five persons, and
injuring 22 others.; The transports
crashed within a few minutes - Of
each other, . . V i ; ..,
Represent Haywood In Legislature
' i , yx M( MTV jr
1 - '
I v. At if
SENATOR WILLIAM MEDFORD REP. GLENN C. PALMfctt
SENATOR VERNE CLEMENT
J
Haywood's Legislators
In Raleigh For Opening
Of General Assembly
Former Haywood
Man Killed In
Mine Explosion
Last Rites Conducted
Monday for Victim,
John J. Whitesides,
John Joseph Whitesides, 31, na
tive of the Canton section of the
county, was instantly killed in a
coal mine explosion on Friday aft
ernoon at 2 o'clock in Girardville,
Pa., where he had been residing
for the past month. The son of
Mr. and Mrs. William Brown White
sides, of Bryson'City, formerly of
Haywood county had spent most of
his life in this county.
He was a veteran of World War
11, and had served, for four years
in the army, with 22 months over
seas duty. He was employed by
the Underpinning Foundation Com
pany, Inc., of Girardville, Pa.
Funeral services were conducted
Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock from
the Holly Springs Baptist church
near Bryson City, with the Rev.
Mr. Greene, 'pastor and the Rev.
Mr. Freeman, officiating. Burial
was in the church cemetery.
Serving as pallbearers were:
Bronson Whitesides, Earl Parris,
C. Parris, Ed Fuller, William
Howard, Palmer Howard, Bryson
Fuller and Gene Johnston
Surviving are parents; his widow,
the former Miss Rosie Reace, and
a son, James Whitesides, by a for
mer marriage; one sister Mrs. B. C.
Chambers; one brother, Lee
Whitesides, all of Bryson City, and
a brother, Say, of Candler.
The Garrett Funeral Home had
charge of the arrangements.
Highway
Record For 1947
In Haywood
(To Date)
Killed - -Injured
-
0
0
(This Information Compiled
From Records of State High
way Patrol) .w" V' .:,y. v.
Not Many Local
Bills Being Planned
For Haywood
This Term
Haywood's three members of the
General Assembly left yesterday
for Raleigh to get ready for the
opening of the Legislature Wednes
day at noon.
The Mountaineer interviewed two
of the members, and learned that
a limited amount of local legisla
tion would be sought by the Hay
wood lawmakers. Several bills will
be modified, and possibly others
considered, but no drastic changes
are in view at persent.
Representative Glenn C. Palmer
serving his fifth term, is slated to
be considered as chairman of the
House Agriclture Committee. He
served as co-chairman last term, as
well as being a member of 18 other
committees. His specialty is roads,
education, and agriculture.
Senator William Medford will
begin his first term in the Legisla
ture Wednesday, as will'. Senator
Verne Clement, of Brevard, the
other senator from this district
comprising Haywood, Jackson,
Transylvania, Henderson and Polk
counties. Senator Clement was
mayor of Brevard until he left for
Raleigh.
Senator Medford did not disclose
his plans, other than to say he did
not believe there would be much
local legislation for Haywood pre
sented. Senator Medford, an attor
ney, won the Democratic nomina
tion last May over J. R. Boyd. He
did not have any opposition in the
general election. Senator Medford
nas taKen a prominent part in
civic and religious affairs of the
county, and has been active in the
Young Democratic- clubs of the
state. He is a veteran of World
War II, and a graduate of the
University of North Carolina.
Representative Palmer told The
Mountaineer just before leaving for
Raleigh, "There are more people,
and more groups wanting things
this time than at any time during
my five terms in the Legislature."
Representative Palmer said he fa
vored a raise for the teachers and
all employees of the state. He
favors a minimum of twenty per
cent for teachers.
On the health program, Repre
sentatives Palmer Is interested
in. increased hospital facilities
throughout the state, rather than
(Continued on page 8) s
Civil Court
Grants Five
Divorces
First Day
One Civil Case
Is Compromised,
Another On Trial
Late Monday
Five divorces were granted here
n the opening Monday morning of
January Civil term of Superior
court, which convened at 10:00
o clock with' Judge William H
Bobbitt, of Charlotte presiding.
The cases included the follow
ing::
John J. Newmont from Rcncc N.
Newmont.
tiarry Eugene Noland from
Wanda P. Noland.
Faye S. Chambers from William
P. Chambers.
Marie H. Turnmyre from Fredcr
ick S. Turnmyre.
Loreita Caldwell from Loyd
Caldwell.
The case of Marmon Duvall ver
sus Richard Kiser, which involved
an automobile accident was com
promised by the attorneys. The
plaintiff, who was asking for $10,-
uuu tor personal injuries and $500
damages for car, received $2,300
from the defendant.
The trial of the case of J W.
Reece versus F. Dewey Ross, which
grew out of an affray was starting
is The Mountaineer went to press.
The plaintiff who lost an eye in the
fight and was confined to the hos
pital for sometime following is
being sued for $10,000.
...Xhauit-.w..jcri xiiteourt fn
November, 1945, and has been on
he calendar since that date, hav
ing been continued from one term
Jf court to another.
Fred Martin, Jr. Is
Recovering Rapidly
From Accident Injuries
Fred Martin, Jr., 22-year-old son
of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Martin of
Waynesville, who was injured New
Year's eve is an automobile acci
dent, is reported recovering rapid
ly. He has been under care at the
Haywood County hospital since be
ing brought there after the acci
dent, and it is cxpecctcd that he
will be in condition to return home
within the next few days, although
hot fully recovered.
On his way to Asheville the night
of the accident, young Martin was
driving by himself. Due to rain
the road was slick, and the auto
mobile got out of control beyond
Canton, near the Buncombe county
line, and crashed into a road em
bankment. The driver was severe
ly injured, with several cuts about
his face.
Hospital Head
v
Atty.-General McMulIan
Says Evidence Will Go
To Next Grand Jury Mere
L. H BRAMLETT of Waynes
ville was re-elected chairman oi
the board of trustees, riaywooc"
County Hospital, for 1947.
Bramlett
Heads
Hospital
Board
Annual Election
Of Officers Held
At Meet Thursday
And Staff Announced
L. H. Bramlett was re-elected
chairman of the Haywood County
Hospital board at a meeting at the
Nurses Home which was held last
Thursday. Others who will serve
with Mr. Bramlett are Mark Fergu
son, vice chairman, and F. M,
Byers.spetaix-.---icw
Announcement was made at the
meeting of the staff of the county
hospital which Includes the follow
ing: Dr. Thomas Stringfield, chief
of staff, and Dr. Sam Stringfield
Dr. Tom Stringfield, Dr. R. H
Stretcher, Dr. Rufus R. McCracken,
ur. W. L. Kirkpatrlck, Dr. R. S.
Roberson.
Dr. N. F. Lancaster, Dr. J. Frank
Pate, Dr. J. L. Reeves, Dr. V. H
Duckett, Dr. R. H. Moore, Dr. J. B.
Westmoreland, Dr. R. H. Owen, Dr
M. L. Owen, Dr. C. F. Owen, and
Dr. Boyd Owen.
LEGISLATURE FACES
PROBLEM OF SPENDING
RALEIGH (AP) Not for 14
years, when the sales tax was adop
ted in the midst of a great depres
sion, has a North Carolina legisla
ture been faced with such difficult
problems as the one convening
here Wednesday.
The chances are that the 1947
High Price Greets
Burley Growers As
Sale Recess Ends
Prices soared to an unofficial
average of $50.34 during Monday
morning sales on the Asheville
burley tobacco market, an average
of $7.09 per hundredweight higher
than on December 20, the last trad
ing day before the Christmas
holiday.
Of the first 78 baskets sold, 39
moved at $50 and higher; with top
prices of $58. A higher quality
leaf is on the floors of the city's
eight warehouses than was general
during the pre-Christmas period,
which will encourage price levels
to hold up.
The remaining 100,000 pounds in
Bernard-Walker warehouse No. 2
was sold within an hour after sales
resumed, and the buying force
then moved to Carolina house,
which had 900,000 pounds on the
floor. Selling is expected to re
main there through Thursday. An
Assembly will be a conservative estimated 2,500,000 pounds is yet
Btiuuuui. to be so d
County-Wide Rat Killing
Campaign Starts Jan. 15
Haywood county will get its rat-
killing campaign under way Satur
day, when farmers will get a supply
of poison through the schools and
town officials in Waynesville, Hazel-
wood, and Canton will organize
campaigns in their respective com
munities.
Letters to farm families were dis
tributed through the schools after
their opening Monday requesting
that they order the poison needed
to kill the rodents on their places
as soon as possible. A number of
orders have been received already
In the county agent's office, organ
izer of the campaign.
Waynesville officials have or
dered 1,500 . pounds of fish, 75
quill), and enough oatmeal and
corn to make the bait. As in the
past, the bail will be mixed and
placed by men of th street depart
ment around the buildings up town,
in chicken houses, basements near
rock walls and other places where
rats or mice run.
G. C. Ferguson, town manager,
states that persons who wish to get
some bait to kill rats in their homes
may get a supply at the Town
Hall.
The bait mixture kills rats and
mice only, and is harmless to hu
mans, cats, dogs and other animals.
It is placed in spoonful size drops,
and has been found to be one of
the most effective ways devised to
pounds of the poison (fortified red rid an area of destructive rats
Solicitor Moore
Says Official Report
Has Not Yet
Reached Him
The Haywood county grand jury
that will be empaneled in February
to serve during the first six months
of 1947 may be called on to investi
gate charges of election irregulari
ties in the county during the Demo
cratic primary last May.
According to an Associated Press
story from Raleigh, widely publish
ed throughout the state Saturday,
Attroney General Harry McMullan
has a report, compiled by State
Bureau of Investigation representa
tives, which he said, justifies "crim
inal prosecution against persons
named in the report."
The AP reported that this infor
mation had been submitted to the
solicitor of this district to present
to the county grand jury. How
ever, Dan K. Moore, of Sylva, who
assumed office as solicitor Jan. 1,
stated to The Mountaineer yester
day that he has not received this
report and knows no more about
t "than what I have seen in the
newspapers."
The information contained in the
report possibly was known to the
former solicitor, John M. Queen,
since he was contacted by the SBI
men when they began their investi
gation. According to Charles W.
Edwards, Jr., of Lake Junaluska,
publicity man for the Veterans or
ganization in the primary who was
one of the leaders in having the
election investigated, the two
agents, first contacted Solicitor
Queen when they began their
probe last fall.
The agents, J. W. Jessup and
t. A. Allen, compiled a lengthy
document. Mr. Edwards states that
their investigation concerned only
the primary and not the general
slection, so far as he knew, and
that it was made "some time after"
the May primary.
He reports that at the time of the
primary there were a group of per
sons in the county who were inter
ested in reforming the manner in
which elections are held. They
felt that such practices as vote
buying, stuffing the polls, and con
trolled counting of votes were gen
erally accepted as normal, not only
in Haywood county but over the
stale, and wished to get legal evi
dence of this to make elections
what they should be representa
tive of the will of the people.
This reform group, whom he de
clined to name, hired two private
investigators to watch voting dur
ing the primary. They also had
other citizens on the lookout, he
reports, ;tnd what they stated as
having seen was the basis for ask
ing a formal .state investigation.
Their request to Governor Cherry
was turned over to the Attorney
General, who assigned the SBI to
the job. Their report was returned
to the attorney general, who after
wards submitted ;i copy of it to the
State Board of Elections.
J. Ray Morgan, Waynesville at
torney and member of the State
Election Board told The Moun-
taincr that the SBI report was "at
least 40 pages" and very thick. He
did not get to examine it, however,
since the nature of the charges did
not fall within the board's jurisdic
tion. The State Board, Mr. Morgan
explains, docs not have control over
the actions of candidates or pre-
inct officials, but only if it was a
matter concerning the County
Board of Elections.
Mr. Edwards says that the infor
mation released to the press was
only a small portion of that con
tained in the report, which he says
oncerns numerous events that
happened at practically every pre
cinct in the county. It was released
at this time, he believes, because
the State Board of Elections is rec
ommending several vote - reform
measures (abolish civilian absentee
voting, divide large precincts) to
the State Legislature, and wishes
to show the need of such changes
in the law.
Asked to name other members
of the reform group, he stated that
he preferred they announce them
selves, but added that the persons
who pushed the investigation did
not Include any of the candidates
on the Veterans ticket.
Mr. Edwards, when asked if their
purpose in calling for an investiga
tion was to remove some of the
present officeholders, he comment-
(Continued on page 8)
Vote Buying, Other
Irregularities Are
Charged In SBI
Investigation
(By the Associated Press)
RALEIGH, Jan. 3 Evidence un
covered by SBI agents in probes of
alleged elections irregularities in
Democratic primaries last spring
will be turned over to grand juries
in Haywood and Bladen counties,
Atty-Gen. Harry McMullan report
ed yesterday to the State Board
of Elections.
Disclosure of the Haywood inves
tigation came as a surprise, since
the State Board had kept it secret.
Col. W. T. Joyner, chairman, ex
plained that no formal petition had
been filed with the State Board, but
the matter was called to its atten
tion by Governor Cherry after he
had received a protest from Charles
W. Edwards, Jr., of Lake Junaluska,
who described himself as represen
tative of a veterans' ticket.
McMullan submitted a copy of
the report of Agents J. W. Jessup
and R. A. Alien on their investi
gation in Haywood, and comment
ed, "It appears that sufficient
evidence of vote-buying, disorders
a', the voting places, multiple vot
ing and ballot changing has been
found to justify the institution of
criminal prosecution against per
sons named in the report."
Edwards complained to Gover
nor Cherry last August 7 about the
voting conditions during the pri
mary in Haywood, and the Gov
ernor refeWfljl the cninnlnint .
me siaie Board of Elections.
In his complaint, Edwards claim
ed that "in a number instances,
polling was carried out in an at
mosphere of secrecy similar to star
chamber proceedings," and cited as
an instance the South Ward in
Waynesville, where he said the en
trance was closed to the public and
guarded by Bob Ray, a deputy sher
iff, armed with a heavy stick."
He also charged Hayes Alley, the
registrar of the precinct, and Mrs.
Lillie Atkinson, the clerk with
marking ballots for voters, and
claims that he was thrown out of
the polling place by Ray after pro
testing that Mrs. Atkinson had
marked a ballot for a voter not
eligible for assistance.
Says Ballots Marked
In Ivey Hill Township, he said,
two votes were challenged by Sam
Queen, but the elections officials
made no record of the challenges.
At Lake Junaluska, he said, Ford
James, an election judge, insisted
on marking a ballot for a young
woman although she "told him she
didn't need help."
Edwards claimed that Sheriff R.
V. Welch campaigned actively in
the immediate vicinity of South
Ward polls and was seen to give
money to voters. He also charged
Alvey Mehaffey with changing the
marking of a ballot cast in Ivey
Hill by Lucille Grant Cook.
Frank M. Davis of Waynesville,
Route 2, said he saw David Under
wood pay for votes in Waynes
ville's North Ward.
J. T. Coman, Lake Junaluska
registrar, told the SBI agents, "I
am satisfied that there was some
buying of votes in this precinct."
W. L. Mehaffey of Hazelwood
also asserted that he saw Hayes Al
ley mark ballots for voters. G. F.
Plott of Waynesville, Route 1, told
the SBI agents he saw Superior
Court Judge Felix E. Alley escort
a felon identified as "Slick" Sta
nley, to the polls in Waynesville,
and Elbert Sawyers of Waynesville
also declared, "I saw Judge Alley
come in this ward with Slick
Stamcy." Edwards said Stamey, al
though not eligible, voted in both
Waynesville precincts.
The SBI report contained inter
views with a number of other Hay
wood residents who said they had
witnessed irregularities.
Praises McMulian
After the report from McMullan
had been placed in the minutes of
the board, the board adopted a let
ter from Col. Joyner praising Atty.
Gen. McMullan for his assistance.
"May I take this occasion to say
that in connection with enforce
ment of election laws, as well as
in connection with day to day in
terpretation of those laws, I have ;
received complete, effective and
very helpful cooperation from the
attorney general and from the as- '
sistant attorney general," CoL Joy.
ner wrote, '
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