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The Hoke County News- Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOL. LXVI NO. 37 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA S4 PER YEAR 10c PER COPY THURSDAY. JANUARY 21, 1971
Around Town
By SAM MORRIS
Representative N.L. McFadyen was by
the office Monday before returning to
Kaleigh and reports that the work in the
General Assembly is off to a good start.
He said that committee assignments
ij1 bcen given out as ye,?but hc
would inform us of his assignments just as
?oon as he received them. We will pass
them along to our readers in the near
future.
Last Thursduy night at the Racford
Kiwanis Club weekly meeting the
program chairman for the night was
Younger Sncad, Jr. We won't say that
Younger ibrgot about the program, but
anyway after finishing his meal he started
talking to his friend, Harold Gillis. Gillis
arose and went outside for a few minutes
mid returned with a couple of books.
When Snead was called on for his
program he stated that he asked Gillis last
summer to give the-program so he would
turn it over to Harold. To make a long
story short we must say Harold made a
tremendous speech on the course he is
teaching at Hoke High School. Yes, Snead
came up smelling like a rose.
An article appeared in the January
issue of Army, a magazine published by
the Association of the U.S. Army, seems
to be worth repeating a few sentences.
The article was about Military Discipline
and National Security by General
Hamilton H. Howze who was post
commander at Fort Bragg in the late
1950s.
pie sentences are as follows:
"... Experience in war and the
documentation provided by military
history lead one inevitably to the
conclusion that a farce that lacks good
discipline will take a terrible shellacking
firomone that has it.'
?pie effect of a weakened system of
military justice has been apparent for
some time. Now it is simply getting
worse, due no doubt to the turbulence
which m shaking our society and in turn,
inevitably affecting military discipline.'
A commander high or low, has an
overriding obligstion: to develop and
maintain a command capable of
executing its most demanding mission.
For a unit of the line, this means battle
under conditions of severe hardship,
searing and conflicting emotion, and
extreme danger.'
'Show me the man who claims he can,
simply by exercising his magnetic
personality, persuade another man to
attempt something very likely n? kill him
and IH show you a monumental idiot!
Gen. Howze is now retired. If anyone
would like to read the article it is here at
the office.
The passing Monday of Miss Maymc
McKeithan was the last of a family of six
boys and five girls to the late Daniel and
Lydia McKeithan. The McKeithans lived
^ in a two ? story white house on the lot
now occupied by the A&P Store. All the
boys were interested in hunting, fishing
and baseball. The girls were interested in
education.
Miss Maymc will he remembered not
only by many students in Hoke County
but also students of Scotland County
where she taught also for many years. Her
teaching ability is retlected by the many
students that will tell you of subjects she
taught and how these subjects have
helped them in carrying on their life's
work. So from these students her
memory will live on for many years to
come.
We will go further into the sales tax
vote next week.
The telephone number to report a ri
fire was listed incorrectly in last wee
edition. The number should be 875-42
This is still at the sheriffs dcpurline
but it isn't the regular number for
sheriff.
Leaders Hold
Tax Meeting
A joint meeting of city and county
officials with about 30 county residents
was held Monday night at the courthouse
to help drum up support for the one cent
sales tax.
Letters from T.C. Jones, chairman of
the county commission and John K.
McNeill, mayor of Raeford.^ere sent to
about SO people in the county inviting
them to the meeting.
County commissioners and city
councilmen, as well as the mayor and city
and county managers, were on hand to
explain the local option tax. A
countywide referendum is scheduled for
Feb.9.
John K. McNeill and Ralph Barnhart
were appointed chairmen and
co-chairmen to form a citizens'
committee for the local option sales tax.
They will appoint the remainder of the
committee.
In the letter, Jones and McNeill said
"According to state estimates, Hoke
County and Raeford will receive from a
.01 cent sales tax three times more than
would be paid, or S45,000.00 tax
collected in the county would bring back
to the county and town some
SI 40,000.00"
Half of the sales tax collected in the
county will be returned directly to it and
the other half will be pooled by the state
to be distributed according to population
to all the counties participating in the
tax.
Because most of the larger counties
have passed the tax, small counties like
Hoke stand to receive more than they
collect, T.B. Lester, county manager said.
County commissioners have pledged to
use the tax money to provide recreation
and garbage disposal and to help hold
down property taxes.
In addition, fire districts will,
according to the state law, receive a
portion of the tax revenue, Lester said.
McNeill and Jones appealed for
support of the tax: "We solicit your
support in this endeavor to strengthen the
tax base of the county and to obtain
some other much needed services."
COOKIE BUYER - Raeford mayor John K. McNeill puts in his order for Girl Scout
cookies with Kathy Leach, left, and Margaret Postel, right.
Rockfish Water Systeir
Put To Immediate Use
The Rockfish Water System
demonstrated its worth last Thursday
only minutes after being officially turned
on.
When a fire was reported at the
unoccupied Everette house near Davis"
Bridge, a 500 gallon water tanker from
the Rockfish Fire Department sent to the
bla/.e refilled at the fire hydrant in 1 'A
minutes.
Firemen had been refilling the tanker
at the creek, Burnice B. Bostic, chairman
of the board of the water system said.
This usually took from thirty to forty
minutes.
Shortly before the fire alarm, members
of the Rockfish board met with
-contractor James Dobbins and engineer
Lacy Koonce for a final inspection before
accepting the water system.
Present at the ceremony were Dobbins,
Koonoe^board members Herman Koonce,
Tommy Mclnnis, Bostic and FHA
supervisor Jake Vinson.
Other board members are Ralph
Barnltart, Linda J. Caddis. Donald Wood
and K.P. Ritter.
The water system will serve 34
Sec WATER. Page 7
Three Murder Trials
Set For Superior Court
Two Boys
Charged In
Car Theft
Two youths from Morrison Training
School in Richmond County are accused
of stealing a car in Raeford Sunday.
A sedan owned by Mrs. Gertrude
McKeithan of 113 North Magnolia Street
was taken from the street in front of the
Presbyterian Church during services
Sunday. The keys had been left in the
vehicle, Police Chief L.W. Stanton said.
Mervyn Dale Sifford, 16, of Salisbury
and a 14 - year ? old youth from
Wilmington were arrested in Warsaw on
their way to Wilmington, Chief Stanton
said. The car was returned to Raeford.
Chief Stanton said the boys had
escaped from Morrison on Saturday
afternoon and had walked the 35 miles
until they got to Raeford.
Sifford is in jail under a SI,000 bond
pending a hearing in District Court. The
other youth will be tried by juvenile
authojities.
Three murder irials may be hold nexl
week during the January session of
Superior Court.
Scheduled for tiiul on murder chaigcs
are James Earl Love and Charlie Loweiv.
Mrs. Eva Mae Headen is also scheduled
for trial for second degree murder if the
grand jury returns an indictment.
Judge James H. Pou Bailey will preside.
The session begins Monday.
The grand jury is scheduled to act on
the following cases: Willie Campbell, two
charges of assault with a deadly weapon:
Joe Walter Lowery, shooting into an
occupied building; Herman Junior
Walters, eight counts of breaking,
entering and larceny ; Eva Mae I leaden,
second degree murder; James Earl
Monroe, two counts forgery and two
counts passing forged check; and Bobby
Graham, shooting into an occupied
building.
Cases scheduled to be heard on
Monday include those of Wilberl liarl
Cherry, Sr., charged with driving under
the influence; Donald Garrett Goodwin,
driving under the influence, second
offense: James Earl Love, murder; David
Eiarl Locklear, failing to yield right - ol -
way at stop sign; Ross Clifton Brown,
allowing another person to use his
operator's license; Lacy Edward
McEachin, DDI, third offense; David liarl
Locklear, driving while license was
revoked; Everette Gates, DUI; Lcdbeller
Jacobs Jr., driving while license revoked
and resisting arrest; Willie James Adams,
speeding 60 in a SO mph zone.
A post ? conviction hearing for Willie
Junior Smith, who is serving time for
murder, is also scheduled for Monday.
( Included on the calendar for Tuesday
are Willie Lee Dcvinc, passing forged
check and forgery; Ralph Couch,
breaking, entering, larceny and receiving;
See COURT. Page 7
Pay Phones
Roblbed; T wo
Men Arrested
Two men arrested early Tuesday
morning near Racford were charged with
breaking into two pay telephones in the
city.
Outside pay phones at The family
Restaurant un Harris Avenue and at
Graham Clark's service station on 401
By-pass were torn open and robbed about
midnight Monday, Police Chief L.W.
Stanton said.
Arrested and charged with breaking,
entering and larceny are James E. Walker,
24, and Norman McNeill, 29, both of
Raeford. Bond was set in each case at
S500 pending trial in District Court
Friday.
Officers from the city police
department and Deputy Robert Graham
of the sheriff's department arrested the
two separately early Tuesday morning
after an all - night investigation.
Utt.' u"? ** vw
WATER - James Dobbins, contractor, turns on the water for the new Rockfish
Community Water System as the board of directors make a final inspection and accept
the system. Show left to right are Dobbins, Lacy Koonce, engineer, and board
members, Herman Koonce, Tommy Mclnnis and Burnice B. Bostic, chairman of the
board. Not present are Ralph Barnhart, Linda J. Gaddis, Donald Wood and K.P. Ritter.
Knit-Away Starts
Dyeing This Week
Knit-Away, Inc. is scheduled to begin
production this week with one shift, Ed
Brown, vice ? president, announced.
Dyeing will be the first process
conducted at the new Raeford plant, he
said. For the next several months, the
fabric will be trucked to an outside
processor for finishing.
Construction was started on the new
plant in September by Romeo Guest and
Associates of Greensboro. Using a process
that is relatively new here, the concrete
walls were poured on the floor of the
plant and then raised into position,
Manley Penland, construction
superintendent, explained.
Once the walls were constructed, the
building appeared to interested residents
Two Charged
In Safecrack
Two men were arrested in Fayetteville
last week and charged with safecracking,
breaking, entering and larceny of a
Raeford grocery store.
Richard Bullock, 28, of Fayetteville
and Gregory Conner, 26, of Ft. Bragg are
in jail on a S5,000 bond each pending a
hearing in District Court Friday.
They were arrested by Cumberland
County detectives searching for stolen
weapons after the two tried to sell a rifle
in a Fayetteville pool room, Police Chief
L.W. Stanton said.
Kermit Riley, Hoke County ABC
officer, who was at the Cumberland
County sheriffs office, identified the rifle
as one stolen from the Lewis Lipscomb
Grocery on Jan. 10. Riley alerted city
police officers, who swore out warrants
against Bullock and Conner.
Three shotguns and a rifle, identified as
Lipscomb's, were recovered, Stanton said.
A bag of tools were also found.
to take shape with a ma ling speed
However, Penland said, many weeks ol
work took place before then.
Penland, who estimates he has worked
in construction for twenty ? five years 01
more, has been with Guest for the pasl
V/i years. He and his family move with
their trailer home wherever the job takes
them. He moved here from Franklin after
completing a job there and expects to be
here until April. His son, Eddie, attends
Upchurch Junior High. The Pcnlands live
in Ponderosa Trailer Park.
About 60 construction workers and
eight to ten sub ? contractors arc
employed at the plant, Penland said. He
estimates that the work ranges from 60 to
90 per cent completed in the different
See KNIT-AWAY. Page 7
Man Starts New Career
After Serious Accident
Jimmie Bullard of Raeford. beset by
tragic happening!, is nuking a new start
at a promising future.
Bullard, the father of seven children,
lost an eye in an accident last summer on
hia pulpwood truck. Last spring, in May,
hia sixteen - year - old daughter, Carolyn,
was helping him on the truck when her
hair became entangled in the machinery
and she was actually scalped. She spent
must of the summewin Cape Fear Valley
Hospital in Fayelleville and in December
returned there for further skin grafts on
her head. She is recovering nicely and is
radiant and pretty in a wig that looks like
her own hair.
The hospital and doctor bills for
and Carolyn were enormous and
he determined to learn new skills which
would assure better financial stability for
his family. Last fall, at thirty - seven with
impaired vision, Bullard enrolled in the
auto mechanics course at Sandhills
Community College.
The two - year course at Sandhills
provides comprehensive training in all
phases of automotive mechanics. The
Automotive Science Building on the
college campus is equipped with all
facilities for the inspection, diagnosis
repair and adjustment of mechanical,
electrical and body parts of passenger
cars, trucks and buses. For one term
students are employed by automotive
firms in the area with college credit given
for their on ? the - job experience.
A Landmark Falls
Raeford Gin Is Being Dismantled
The old Raeford Gin, a landmark lor
many years, is being dismantled.
Usable machinery was removed by
Hoke Oil and Fertilizer Company, last
owners of the gin, and the remaining
structure was sold in December to
McCaskill Construct ion Company for
salvage. The land on which the gin was
built is owned b\ the Laurinburg and
Southern Railroad.
Raeford Gin was chartered on March
10. 1025 and began operation in the fall
of that year.
The principal stockholder was t.L.
McNair of Laurinburg, who was ihe
presideni. Marshall Thomas was secretars
and treasurer of the corporation.
Other stockholders were fc.H. Lvans of
?<r 1 i ?? * ? ^
/7* COMES OUT HERE - 77w innards of the old Raeford Gin are exposed as the structure is dismantled for storage.
Laurinburg, John McDiarmid, Lewis
Parker and J.W McLauchlin.
A thousand shares with a par value of
SI00 a share were issued originally,
although only 250 were sold when the gin
began. MeNair owned 200 of the shares.
Younger Snead, Sr. started to work
there in 1925 as bookkeeper. He recalled
some of the early years.
"Ai that time, the gin was one of the
best equipped in this part of (he
country," he said. "It was an all steel
structure and they bought the very best
equipment. It cost somewhere around
S4 5.000 even hack then for the
equipment alone."
There were three gins in Raefnrd at
that time, Snead said, hut the Raeford
Gin was the most modern. Hoke Oil and
the Johnson Company also had gins.
, Back when cotton was king, ginning
was a big business, Snead said. "I
remember one day we did 131 bales. I
don't know if we ever ginned more than
that or not."
Longtime Raeford residents say they
remember when cotton wjlgons would be
lined up Harris Avenue back to the
Laurmburg highway wai^ig to get to the
gm.
A stroy is told, an/ its truthfulness
sworn to, that tourisy from the North
stopped a' a service ution near the gin,
and seeing a storageAank with Raeford
Gin written on it, infuired about the gin
made in Raeford/as they were not
familiar with llta/ tradename for the
beverage.
Some of the e/y employees included
Lacy McNeill, fyvcy Cole, the late A.R.
Currie, Julian \yight, Buck McPhaul and
Rufus Kelly.
After Sneat/ieft in 1933, T.B. Letter
became the l/okkeepcr until he left for
i GIN. Page 7