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The Hoke County News - Established 1928 i The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXVll NO. 35 RAEFORl). HOKE COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA S5 PER YEAR THURSDAY. JANUARY 1. 1976
Welcome 1976 with bells and whis
tles! We hope the New Year is happy
and prosperousfor everyone and full
of good health and good cheer.
The News-Journal Staff
Around
Town
BY SAM C.MORRIS
The Christmas holidays are al an
end and the New Year is upon us. I
hope that everyone had a very Merry
Christmas as was the case at this
writer's home. All the family was
home for Christmas dinner and
everyone was in the best of health. I
don't believe you oould ask for
anything more than that for your
household.
t
A call from Mrs. Joe Hoffman, nee
Patsy Blue, Christmas Eve afternoon
stated that everyone wasn't observing
the holidays with the give spirit as
should be. She said that the holiday
flowers that were put on the graves
of her parents and brother a day or
two before had been stolen. How low
can anyone get?
If you can't put flowers on the
grave of a loved one without having
to lock it to the ground, then this
country is getting in a sad state of
affairs. What must be done to stop
this kind of thing can lead to
something besides freedom and
rights.
Think about this!
I received a letter from Bill
Williamson of Hamlet last week and
thought it would be of interest to
some of the readers of this column.
The letter follows;
Dear Sam:
Are you the Sam Morris that I
know? If you have a Brother named
"Spec" then you're the correct one.
If you're not; then 1 imagine that
you arc my friend Spike Morris's
brother; consequently, you and all
the other Morris's are fine folks.
1 went to Camp with Battery "F"
252nd Coast Artillery; most
naturally was Raeford's National
Guard. I had the best time during
those two weeks, especially that
every afternoon at the Isle of Palms
and Charleston or a Dance every
Nite. I was the Bugler, so I sounded
all of the calls while 1 was in Camp;
then Colonel Rube Poole thought I
was over worked.
Enclosed is my $5.20 for the News
Journal for another year. I also want
to thank you for printing the
American Legion Story about me last
week. The Bill Williamson of
Laurinburg and the Bill Williamson
of Hamlet are both the same Person.
I got married in 1962, for 10 years I
kept a Home in Hamlet and
Laurinburg. but 3 years ago I sold
the Home in Laurinburg. 1 really like
both Towns.
Well, I'll now give you a break and
close.
Your fellow Veteran,
Bill Williamson
Bill also listed some names of
members of Ballery "F" 252nd
Coast Artillery that he remembers
going to camp with in 1938.
They arc: Younger Snead, Sam
Jinead. Bill Lamont. T.B. Lester,
Alfred Cole, Sam C. Morris. Hartman
Yarborough, Bill Mclnnis, Ed
N^ton, Snookie Clark, Bill Lentz,
Ddtui W. Yarborough, Ebb
IHrriHgton, W.E. Blue, James M.
McDiarmid, James Gordon Currie,
Willie B. McFadyen, Carlton Niven,
Ralph Parks, Ernest Collier, Tom
Conoly, Bill Folks, Carl English, Ed
McGougan, James McMillan. Hector
McNeill, the 2 Bethune cousins,
Brother Spec Morris, Paul Dickson,
Sgt. Gulledge. The last line on the
sheet with the list of names is as
follows: "You have to have the
memory of an Elephant to remember
those; however, they are worth
remembering."
I will say Amen to that. Bill.
1 want to wish 2 Happy New Year
to all the readers of this column and
hope that 1976 will be the best yet.
So as to set the record straight, a
special greeting to the following that
hive worked with me over the past
few years and omitted from the list
latt week.
Jim Taylor, now working in
Washington, D.C., Peter B. Young of
New York, Lawrence Maddrey of
.Norfolk, V?., Jay Woodard of Hoke
County and working with the
Fayetteville Observer; Mike O'Hara
of Siler City and last but not least,
the new Mayor of Havelock, N.C..
Eugene P. Smith. And to any others
that I can't remember.
Knit-A way Target Of Thieves
Police recovered thousands of
dollars worth of fabric taken out of
the Knit-Away plant here sometime
Tuesday night but about $1,200
$1,500 in fabric is missing in what
authorities believe to be an
employee-related heist.
Police chief Leonard Wiggins
said Off. H.E. Young, while on
routine patrol shortly after 11
P.M., discovered two cases of pre
packed fabric left on a dirt road
behind the textile plant. The area
was staked out for the remainder of
the night, police said, but no one
showed up.
Wiggins said four cases of fabric,
weighing about 200 pounds each,
were removed from the plant. One
case was emptied and another case
was found with two bolts missing
from it. The cases contain 16 bolts,
ready for shipment.
Police theorize a truck of some
type was used to haul the goods
from the Knit-Away building to the
railroad tracks behind the
complex. Two cases were found
about 75 yards down the tracks in
the direction of town, and Wiggins
said investigation at the scene dis
closed a handtruck was used to
move the loot down the tracks.
"We believe it was an inside
job", Wiggins said. "We're setting
up a meeting with the Knit-Away
people later today."
Knit-Away spokesman Dick
Lovett said Monday indications are
the theft was planned because the
plant shut down for the holiday.
"It had to be someone who was
familiar with our operation. There
were just a few people here at that
time and no supervisor in the area
where the theft occured", Lovett
said.
Lovett said a security guard was
posted, but that "anyone familiar
with the guard's rounds" could
avoid being seen.
Lovett refused to confirm that
Knit-Away employees are under
suspicion, but hinted employee
pilferage has been detected in the
past.
"There's no question that fabric
is being taken, and we fully
prosecute those who are caught.
We're taking preventive steps, and
we are going to see that this stops",
he said.
The Tuesday theft was the
largest single larceny reported at
the Raeford plant.
JUDGE'S CAR-Thc 1976 Buick Century which Judge Joseph Dupree was
driving when he struck a light pole and overturned Wednesday was termed a
total loss. Dupree escaped with minor injuries.
Second Car Blamed
ForDupree Wreck
District Court Judge Joseph E.
Dupree was admitted to Cape Fear
VaDcy Hospital early Wednesday
evening after his car clipped a
telephone pole and overturned on
Prospect Avenue neai the corner of
Green Street.
Dupree. a lone driver in his 1976
model car. was treated for facial cuts
and possible minor back injuries alter
he was pulled from the car in which
he was pinned, according to Raelord
Police Chief Leonard Wiggins.
Wiggins said he talked to Dupree
Friday while he was in the hospital.
He said Dupree told him he mei a car
on his side of the road with bright
lights, which caused him to apply
breaks and swerve and hit the pole.
He said it appeared that the car
flipped completely over and came to
rest back on its wneels.
"I was unable to get anything
pertaining to the other car from
Dupree because he said he was
blinded by the bright lights and did
not remember anything after he hit
the pole," he said.
Investigating officer. Sgt. J.J.
McNeill said he got a lead from an
informer that the car was a white late
model Ford.
"No one actually saw the accident
until after the impact," he said.
Although it was reported that
Duprce was at a Christmas party
belore the wreck, Wiggins said
Dupree was not under the influence
of alcohol as far as he knew.
F.arly Monday, Wiggins said
McNeill said he thought Dupree
smelled of alcohol, but did not feel
in his opinion that he was under the
influence.
Later in the day. McNeill said he
did not smell any alcohol on Dupree.
"A lol of people say he was under
See DUPREE, page 11
Three Held
For Break-in
Three men have been charged
with breaking and entering and
larceny and receiving in connection
with the 5:10 A.M. break-in of the
Curtis McNeill store on north Main
Street Friday, Dec. 26.
Alvestor McGregor, 47, Willie J.
Ray. 61. and James Smith, 38, all
of Rt. 1. Raeford, were jailed
Friday morning.
Approximately $125 in merchan
dise was taken from the store and
was recovered at the home of Ray
shortly after the break-in, ac
cording to Sheriff D.M. Barring
ton.
Barrington said deputies J.K.
Riley and J.E. Tindall made the
recovery and the arrest with the aid
of Raeford police officers L.J.
Beatty and H.E. Young.
He said the three offered no
resistance.
Smith was released under SI .000
bond. McGregor was arraigned in
Cumberland County Monday
morning and bond reduced from
$6,000 to $1,000, according to a
sheriff's spokesman. Ray is being
held in lieu of $1,000 bond.
A Jan. 9 hearing was set for the
trio.
Hotel Closes,
Repair Slated
The Raeford Hotel, a downtown landmark which has been
criticized for deteriorating in recent years, has closed to guests and
is not expected to re-open until major renovations are made by the
new owner, realtor Julian H. Wright, according to sources.
Several shops located on the ground floor of the building,
including a barber and beautician, will not be affected by the hotel
closing and are expected to remain open.
Attempts to reach Wright for comment Monday were
unsuccessful, but a spokesman in his office confirmed the
ownership of the hotel was transferred back to Wright, effective
Monday.
Residents have been vacating the hotel for the past month, and
some were seen leaving with their belongings on Christmas Eve. The
last resident was to have moved Monday, Wright's spokesman said.
The spokesman said re-painting and major repairs will be made to
the guest rooms before the hotel officially re-opens, but exact plans
were not learned.
"He hasn't decided anything definite yet," the spokesman said.
The hotel had been owned and operated by Robert Webb, who
was also a resident. A shopkeeper within the hotel reported Webb
planned to leave for South Carolina for the holidays and would be
unavailable for comment.
Glass in the door to the main entrance on Central Ave. had been
shattered earlier this month in an accident and sometime late last
week, the rest of the glass was knocked out by some object.
The spokesman in Wright's office said an order has been put
through to have the glass replaced.
Two Eye Board Slot
Jimmy Morrisey and Mabel Riley
have expressed interest in the
vacant seat on the board of county
commissioners, according to Sam
C. Morris, chairman of tne Demo
cratic executive committee here.
Morrisev. president of the local
chapter of the NAACP, has been
backing of the full NAACP accord
ing to a letter Morris received from
the NAACP officials, urging con
sideration for Morrisey.
Morris said that Mrs. Riley, a
Hillcrest resident, had "contacted"
him about the post.
Mrs. Riley, who is the wife of
ABC officer Kermit Riley, is an
auto mechanic and co-operator of a
repair shop. She ran unsuccessfully
in the last election for couni
commissioners.
Morris said the full executive
committee will meet sometime ?ii
January to choose nominees for
consideration by the four-member
county commissioners board to
replace commissioner J. A. Webb.
Webb, who had one year left in
his term, died in December follow
ing lengthy illness.
According to law. the county
commissioners are required to
consult with the executive com
mittee of the political party affected
before ,naming a new commis
sioner. They have 60 days from the
time the vacancy occurs to choose a
successor.
Jail Full For Yule
A record number of people spent
Christmas in jail this year.
Sheriff DM. Barrington said that
the jail was packed over the holidays
with as many as 25 people in there at
one time.
He said Wednesday, Christmas
Eve, that the total of 20 was a record
number of people to be in the jail
during Christmas since the new
building was erected.
"Most of the people in jail were
caught before the holidays." said
Barrington.
Though it was Christmas, visiting
hours were observed I hursday as
scheduled.
Barrington said Christmas Eve and
Christmas day were not nearly as
busy as Dec. 26.
He said the Sheriffs Department is
expecting a rash of daylight break-ins
in January.
"We are expecting a tash of
daylight break-ins during January
due to the eoonomic situation and
the post holiday season and I want to
caution the citizens to be on the
look-out and to be extra careful," he
said.
City Tags Go On Sale
City car tags and doc licenses lor
1976 go on sale at tne municipal
building Jan. 2 and residents are
reminded old tags expire Feb. 15. tax
collector Betty Smith announced.
Car tags, which are required on
vehicles owned by city residents, cost
SI. Dog tags cost $2.50. .
Rose's Office Here
The mobile office of Congressman
Charles G. Rose will be in Raeford
Friday, Jan. 9 from 10 A.M. to 3
P.M.
Rose's administrative assistant.
Rip Collins, will be on hand to
answer questions. The van will be
parked at the post office lot on W.
Elwood Ave.
Vacationing Pupils
Attendance Lags
Attendance in three of the
county's schools, including the high
school, was considerably off Mon
day. although school officials
quickly discounted it was an
indication of any rebellion from
students having to return to classes
before the New Year holiday.
"Attendance is way off today",
Emma Mims at the high school
reported. "We have almost three
times as many out as usual".
Miss Mims attributed the poor
attendance to students who are out
of town on vacation trips.
Hank Richards at Raeford Ele
mentary reported he had 73 pupils
absent Monday, compared to fast
week's average of 35 absent.
"I don't know what kind of con
clusions you can make from one
day. Maybe they all came down
with measles", Richards joked.
Earl Oxendine, principal at
Upchurch junior high, said 156
students were out Monday. Ab
sences last Monday were 64.
Superintendent G. Raz Autry
said there may be some resentment
with the new Christmas schedule,
but it was necessary. In past years,
schools remained closed until after
Jan. 1.
"I'm sure some of the kids had
vacations planned, but we're doing
this so they can get out earlier at
the end of the year", Autry said.
"If that's what they want, a two
week Christmas vacation, they
won't get in summer school, too.
Businesses and industries don't
close for two weeks, seems to me
the schools are going to have to
start operating the same way", he
said.