GOOD
HEALTH
The Elkin Tribune
NORTH
CAROLINA'S
NO. 1 NEED
GOOD
HEALTH
VOL. NO. XXXIV No. 52
PUBLISHED WEEKLY ELKIN, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1946
$2.00 PER YEAR
24 PAGES—FOUR SECTIONS
Four Escape
From Dobson
Jail Monday
fc One Is Captured
But Other Three
\ Remain At Large
Pour prisoners escaped from the
county jail at Dobson Monday
morning by employing a ruse
which caused a girl attendant to
unlock the jail door, leaving them
Jw vttth a clear path to freedom. All
\ but one of the escapees were re
captured within 24 hours.
A prisoner by the name of At
kinson, of Mount 'Airy, Route 4,
was the only one who had not
been retaken as of late yesterday.
The prisoner was not further
identified, nor was the reason for
his confinement made clear.
Only other escapee identified by
name was Clyde Murphy. Mur
phy and his two companions were
rejailed by Tuesday morning.
1^. According to reports, the four
w prisoners, together with another
man who made no attempt to get
away, were lodged on the top floor
of the county prison. When a girl
attendant brought them food
Monday morning, they got from
her the information that the jail
or, W. E. Gillespie, was absent
£ from the building. Some time
% later one of the men asked the
girl to go to a store across the
street and buy some candy for
him. The girl did so, and return
ed to find that the prisoners had
transferred themselves into an
other portion of the jail. In order
to give the prisoner the candy he
had requested, it was said, the
girl found it necessary to unlock
*\ the outer door and enter the cell
block. Once inside, the four men
overpowered her and made their
escape.
Details of the capture could not
be learned.
LOCAL MEN BAG
DEER ON HUNT
Errol Hayes And Son, Errol,
Jr., Each Make Kill On Trip
To Eastern N. C.
DEER SAID PLENTIFUL
A pafty of seven men, six of
them local residents, returned
from Eastern North Carolina Sat
urday night to report a successful
deer hunt that netted three two
point stags.
The men, Errol Hayes, Errol
Hayes, Jr„ Dr. C. E. Nicks, Dr.
Ira S. Gambill, Foley Norman, and
John Ratledgc left here Wednes
y day of last week for a four day
hunt around Lake Waccamaw.
Using shot guns, since rifles are
prohibited in the flat eastern
country, Mr. Hayes, Errol, Jr., and
Dr. Gambill’s brother-in-law from
North Wilkesboro, who accompan
ied the party each bagged one
deer.
Errol, Jr„ reported that deer in
the region were plentiful. He said
that they spotted between 10 and
15 of the fleet animals, but that
most of them were does, which
are protected from hunters by
North Carolina law.
PUPILS CROWN
MISS EK1N HI
Tommy Jo Darnell Is Winner
Of Contest Sponsored By
High School Juniors
MISS 1NGOOL SECOND
* As the climax of a Thanksgiv
ing dance given a.t the Elkin high
school gymnasium for high school
students, Tommy Jo Darnell, 14
year-old daughter of Mi', and Mrs.
Noah Darnell and a member of
the freshman class, was crowned
“Miss Elkin High."
The contest to select "Miss Elk
in High” wras sponsored by the
Junibr class, voting extended
over about two weeks, with any
resident of the towm eligible tgf
j cast a ballot by paying a penny.
The dance at which the queen
was crowned was sponsored by the
student council, with tho cere
mony being performed by Jack
Bark, student council president.
Runner-up to Tommy jo ip the
contest was Mary Belle ingool.
\
Judge Denies
Plea To Quash
Lewis Charge
Citing the Norris-LaGuardia
Act as reference, Joseph Pad
way, general counsel of the
American Federation of Labor,
asked for dismissal of contempt
charges lodged against John L.
Lewis, United Mine Workers
boss, as a result of the soft coal
strike. The motion was denied
by Judge T. Alan Goldsbor
ough, before whom the case is
being tried.
The Norris-LaGuardia Act
restricts the use of injunctions
in labor disputes.
The small courtroom was so
jammed by lawyers and parti
cipants that room was left for
only three spectators. Hun
dreds of disappointed curiosity
seekers were left standing out
side.
In the meantime, it was an
nounced that North Carolina is
beginning to feel the pinch of
the coal shortage. Three cities,
Kinston, New Bern, and Wil
son, ordered dim-out restric
tions in immediate effect. The
dim-outs apply to utilities
plants, commercial and street
lighting.
GROUPS PLAN
CIVIC CENTER
Dobson Lions Club And
Woman’s Club Seek Com
munity Building There
FOR NEW LEGION POST
Two Dobson civic clubs, the
Lions and the Woman’s Club, are
sponsoring a program directed to
ward the erection of a community
building in Dobson, according to
Mayor Frank Freeman of that
town. The building is to be for
the newly organized Dobson
American Legion post.
“The community building will
be a living memorial to veterans
not only of Dobson, but of all of
Surry county,” the mayor stated.
"It will be primarily dedicated to
those who lost their lives in
World War II.”
Although the American Legion
will have first priority on the use
of the proposed building, Mr. ■
Freeman stressed that it was to be
used also at the service of persons
of the entire county.
It will be located as near the
courthouse as possible, will con
tain a large assembly room, a re
creation room in the basement, a
library, a kitchen, and lounges
and rest rooms for both men and J
women. The library, as well as
the rest of the structure's facili
ties, is to be at the disposal of
any resident of Surry county. j
“There will be nothing exclusive
about it,” Mr. Freeman declared.
Members of the two clubs are
already soliciting donations. About 1
75 per cent of the expenses will ^
be borne by State and Federal j
governments, the mayor indicated.
The Dobson American Legion 1
post has one of the best organiza- <
tional records in North Carolina,
recent figures show. Since the »
post was organized about two i
months ago, it has acquired 104 <
members.
t
Mrs. K. E. Armfield *
Dies In Statesville ,
i
Mi*s. R. E. Armfield, 81, well- '
known in this city and mother of j
Mrs. Richard Chatham and Char- I
les G. Armfield, former residents ;
of Elkin, died Tuesday at her
home in Statesville. She was the .
former Miss Alice Elizabeth Gray. ]
In addition to Mrs. Chatham ]
who now' resides in Statesville and ,
Mr. Avmfield, of Frederick, Md.. (
Mrs. Armfield is survivel by four (
other children: Mrs. W. W. Mer
rell, of Tampa, Fla.; Mrs. C. H.
v/eedon. of Detroit, Mich.; J. G.
, Armfield, of Troy; and Junius H. 1
Armfield, of Sacramento. Calif. A
brother and two sisters also sur- i
vive. 1
Funeral services were conduct- 1
ed from Broad Street Methodist <
Church at 11 a. m. Wednesday. ;
FOE A BETTER COMMUNITY, 1
JOIN THE “Y”. 1
PERFORMERS AND OFFICIALS — Pictured above are, reading left to right, Beverly Howard, world’s
champion acrobatic flyer, an unidentified VFW State deputy who assisted with the show, Charles
Bing, a Lynchburg, Va., stunt pilot, and Commander Earl Day of the local VFW post. The show, held
Sunday, was sponsored by the VFW and co-sponsored by the Lions Club. Plane in background is an
AT-6, or Steerman Trainer, flown by Bing. —Photo By Bell.
NO WHEELS BUT A SAFE LANDING — Pictured above is the airplane landed by Charles Bing, stunt
pilot from Lynchburg, Va„ after the landing gear had been sheared off in an accident a few minutes
earlier. Bing escaped unhurt when he brought the plane in for a whecllcss landing, but damage to
the craft was estimated at $1,500. The crash landing was a thrill not anticipated by either Bing or the
spectators who jammed the field. —Tribune Photo
ELKS WIND UP
SEASON FRIDAY
Ire Defeated In Last Game
By Boonville; Have Five
Wins, 4 Losses, 1 Tie
»LAGUED BY INJURIES
Elkin High School's scrappy
ootball team, playing its filial
:amc of the season Friday after
10011 at Boonville, bowed to Boon
illc High School by a 27 to 13
ount.
Boonville scored first in the
econd quarter when a pass was
uled complete on the 2-yard line
lue to pass interference, and T.
Johnson skirted left end for the
ally. The extra point was made
;ood on a pass play.
In the second quarter Boon
ille scored again when an Elkin
umble was recovered on the Elks
8 yard line and moved to the 10
ard stripe by Boonville’c plunging
lacks. P’rom there G. Lackey went
iround right end to score.
Elkin scored first as climax of
in 80-yard march, with F. Rat
edge going pver from the 1-yard
ine. The Elks’ last tally came
vhen Hemric reversed around his
iwn left end to race 18 yards for
he touchdown.
Boonville wrapped the game up
iy scoring two more touchdowns
n (he final quarter.
The defeat left the Elks, injury
idden all season, with a record of
ivc wins and four losses and one
ie. They defeated Draper, Boone,
(onesville, Mocksville, and Sparta,
ind lost to Mineral Springs, Mount
Viry, Gray of Winston-Salem, and
3oonville. The tie was against
forth Wilkesboro.
Plane Mishap Provides
Extra Thrill At Show
7,000 Spectators See Pilot Wash
Out Landing Gear Of Stunt Craft
A tnrong estimated at 7,uuu
persons jammed the runways of
she Eikin airport Sunday to wit
ness the aerial acrobatics of two
pf the country’s outstanding stunt
pilots and to thrill over a crash
landing not originally intended as
i part of the program.
Charles Bing, veteran stuntcr
from Lynchburg, Va., thrilled the
:rowd by smashing the landing
?ear of his plane during a comedy
ict. Bing, acting the part of “a
country lad wanting to learn to
fly,” took off “accidentally" in his
custom built Aeronca. During one
pf his similated landing attempts,
ic sheared one of the wheels off
iiis plane and 'left the other one
iangling by a flexible tube. Few
pf the spectators realized that
Bing was in serious trouble until
ifter he had crash landed at the
[ar end of one of the runways in
prder to avoid endangering the
safety of the crowd.
Damage to the Aeronca was
estimated at $1,500.
Prior to his accident Bing per
formed a series of speedy acro
patics in a more powerful AT-6,
pr Steerman trainer.
The greatest exhibition of pure
flying skill came when Beverly
Howard, champion stunt pilot of
;he world, took off in a clipped
wing Piper Cub powered by Con
tinental 75-HP fuel injector en
gine. In a beautifully executed
precision flight Howard made a
slow roll on the take-off and re
gained the attention of the crowd
tnrougn rolls, loops, and ligurc
8’s. He several times swept the
field at a low altitude, flying up
side-down, and finally made a
"dead stick" landing on one wheel.
Other performers were Sam
George, N. C. junior inspector for
CPA from North Wilkesboro, and
Charlie Vestal, chief pilot of Peid
mont Aviation Company of Wins
ton-Salem.
Commentaries of the day’s
events were handled by Bob Cas
per of Albemarle, VFW deputy,
who handled the acts of'Bing and
Howard: Alan Browning, Jr., who
announced the ill-fated comedy
act, and Walter Burgess, master
of ceremonies.
Jimmy Greenwood, a parachute
jumper from ^Washington, D. C.,
was originally scheduled to make
a delayed jump at the show, but
due to the fact that the plane in
which he was traveling was forced
down at Lynchburg, he was unable
to appear in Lime for the perfor
mance.
The show was sponsored by the
William J. Jones Post of Veterans
of Foreign Wars and co-sponsored
by the Elkin Lions Club. Proceeds
are to be directed into a VFW
building fund.
The 1946 model Ford automo
bile given away by the VFW at
the show went to Ferris Benton, of
Jonesville.
FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY,
JOIN THE “T*.
Railway Curtailment
Said Biggest Threat
To Local Industries
YADKIN THEFT
RING SMASHED
Youthful Operators Arrested
And Charged With At
Least 14 Larcenies
MUCH LOOT RECOVERED
Winston - Salem police have
broken a teen-age theft ring from
Yadkinville, blamed for at least 14
thefts from automobiles in this
city.
Seven boys, ages 17 and 18 have
confessed complicity in from three
to 14 cases each and some of them
admitted stealing so much stuff
they did not remember where
they got it all, police said.
Combing the hills of Yadkin
County, Twin City detectives and
Yadkin officers had recovered a
large volume of stolen property
today and the co-operative au
thorities of the neighboring baili
wick were still tracing down other
items.
The case was broken in a highly
embarrassing manner when offi
cers went to a Yadkin County
church where revival services
were in progress and fender skirts
on the minister’s car were identi
fied as stolen property installed
by the preacher’s son, the officers
said. They said that the minister
had not known the accessories
were stolen and was most co-op
erative in solving the case.
Members of the ring, some re
lated to prominent Yadkin fami
lies, were listed as Leonard Gray
Dixon, 17; Roger Cain, 17; Wey
mouth Allgood, 17; Odell Spillman,
18; Roger Hoots, 17; and Claude
Dinkins, 17, all of Yadkinville; and
Dewey Styers, 17, of Lewisville,
formerly of Yadkinville. Bond for
their appcaranct? in Yadkin court
December 4 was set at $500 each.
The sharp eye of a Negro auto
mobile owner, Walter Stimpson,
cf Reynolda, furnished the lead
which enabled police to break the
case, they reported.
Stimpson kept his eyes open for
the fender skirts which had been
stolen from him, spotted them on
an automobile in this city and
(Continued on page six, 1st sec.)
BOND ELECTION
IS TO BE ASKED
Comer Reveals Funds Sought
For Proposed School
Building Program
NEED AUDITORIUM HERE
The county board of education
will in the near future ask the
board of county commissioners for
permission to call a special bond
election, John W. Comer, superin
tendent of county schools revealed
Tuesday. Purpose of the election
will be to raise fimds for a pro
posed school building program.
Mr. Comer, citing the need for
the program, said that the board
of education was endeavoring to
provide ••reasonably'’ adequate
facilities for housing needs of
Surry schools. The program, he
stated, will include Elkin and
Mount Airy as well as the rest of
the county.
An architect will be hired to
make a survey of housing needs,
the superintendent said. Plans
and specifications will be drawn
up before recommendations are
made to the commissioners.
A high school auditorium, voca
tional training facilities, and
science equipment-were named the
chief needs of the Elkin schools.
Mr. Comer indicated that con
siderable criticism has originated
in Mount Airy concerning educa
tional facilities in that city, with
regard to housing. He said that
the Mount Airy Parent-Teachers
Association and the town council
will have an opportunity to act.
when the bond issue arises.
Turning to the ever-present
school transportation problem, Mr.
Comer revealed that the town of
Mount Airy has ordered two new
buses in addition to the six order
ed by the county. He added that
the last survey showed that Surry
county hauled more children per
bus and traveled more miles per
bus than any other county in the
state.
Surry Superior
Court Session
To Open 16th
The December term of Surry
County Superior Court will op
en Monday, December 16, ac
cording: to Clerk of Court Fred
Llwellyn. Judge Wilson War
lick of Newton will preside.
Docket for the December
term includes only criminal
cases, Mr. Llewellyn said.
Eighty-seven cases are now on
the calendar and about 50 more
are expected to be included be
tween now and the opening
date.
Mr. Llewellyn will retire as
clerk of court Monday, Decem
ber 4. He will be succeeded by
Hermit Lawrence of Mount
Airy, clerk-elect.
LOCAL YOUTH IS
HELD FOR THEFT
Lester Richardson Tells Police
He Took Cars “Just To
Co For A Ride”
IS TAKEN IN CHARLOTTE
After confessing to the theft of
three cars since November 1st,
Lester Richardson, 21, of this city,
was placed under $1,000 bond
Monday afternoon when he ap
peared before U. S. Commissioner
Nat C. White in Charlotte.
Richardson, who waived pre
liminary hearing and was bound
over for trial in Federal District
court, said that he took the cars
“just to go for a ride.”
His first alleged theft occurred
here early in November, when he
was said to have taken the car of
Flake Rumple of Ronda. Accord
ing to his confession, he drove the
car to Gastonia, where he picked
up Lester Vause of Gaston Coun
ty. The pair went to Norfolk, Va.,
where the car was abandoned and
later recovered by authorities.
Vause said that he knew the
car was stolen, but denied that he
had at any time driven it. The
youths separated in Norfolk,
where Richardson admitted pick
ing up another machine and driv
ing it back to Gastonia, where it
was also abandoned.
At the time he was picked up
Richardson was driving a car said
to belong to Mrs. Wingate Payne
of Charlotte. He was apprehended
last Thursday in Gaffney, S. C.,
by a member of the state highway
patrol.
Richardson said that he made
no attempt to sell any of the cars,
but took them just to go for a
ride. Vause was bound over for
a hearing before Commissioner
White Saturday.
FIDDLERS ARE
TO HOLD MEETS
Old-Time Conventions To Be
Staged In Various Areas
Of Surry County
NORTH ELKIN DEC. 16TH
Officers of two Surry county
farm bureaus have anounced that
fiddlers’ conventions will be held
in their respective communities in
order to help raise funds for the
purchase of pigs for the 4-l3 club
pig chain.
R. E. Snow, president of the
Mountain Park Farm Bureau, an
nounced that a fiddlers’ conven
tion will be held at the Mountain
Park school on December 4 at 7:30
p. m.
According to Frank Miller,
vice-president of the North Elkin
bureau, a second convention will
be held at t-he North Elkin school
December 6, also at 7:30 p. m.
Proceeds from the events, which
are sponsored by the farm bureaus
and 4-H clubs of the communities,
will be used to purchase pigs for
the Surry county 4-H club pig
chain. A pig will be given to each
of several club members. In re
turn, the 'member must next year
give one pig from the sow’s first
(Continued on page six, 1st sec.)
Most Are Not
Too Dependent
On Use Of Coal
Most serious threat to continued
operation of local industries, in
view of current strikes in the na
tion's coal fields, is an eventual
drastic curtailment of rail service,
spokesmen indicated this week.
J. W. L. Benson, vice-president
of the Chatham Manufacturing
Company, said that the Chatham
plant will be able to remain in
operation for about 60 days with
its coal supply cut off entirely.
The plant, he said is equipped with
a new boiler which is able to use
either coal or oil for fuel.
“However,” he added, “a freight
embargo could cause an eventual
shutdown.”
The Chatham concern depends
largely upon railway transporta
tion for necessary shipments of
raw materials.
“We are going to do everything
we can to keep running,” Mr. Ben
son said. “We always have, and
we are in better shape than most
other industries. If we do shut
down, it will be only from dire
necessity.”
Meanwhile Alex Biggs, general
manager of the Elkin Furniture
Company, said that his company
would be able to operate at least
60 days even with drastic rail ser
vice curtailment.
The furniture concern does not
f r\ o loro-o ovtnn t rm nAol
for operating fuel. A shortage of
rail transportation would make it
necessary for goods to be shipped
by truck, Mr. Biggs stated. Since
the entire output of the plant can
not be shipped in this manner,
warehouses would eventually be
come filled to capacity, and the
plant would have to shut down for
lack of storage space.
As for incoming raw materials,
Mr. Biggs said that lumber would
still be plentiful, but some of the
smaller items required in the man
ufacturing of furniture might pos
sibly run short.
A 25 per cent cut in the nation’s
rail service has already been or
dered, effective as of Sunday
night. The curtailment, however,
has so far effected only passenger
service.
Locally, trains numbers 13 and
14, from Winston-Salem to North
Wilkesboro, have been placed on
the idle list, leaving Elkin with
only freight service. H. B. Hol
comb, Southern Railway agent
here, said that so far there was no
indication that freight service
would be discontinued in the near
future. Express which normally
was transported by passenger
train is now going with freight.
LEAF MARKETS
ARE SUSPENDED
Coal Strike Causes Shutdown
For An Indefinite Time
In N. C. Belts
PROCESSORS STALLED
Flue-cured tobacco markets in
the Old Belt, including Winston
Salem and Mount Airy, at the
close of sales yesterday (Wednes
day) suspended operations for an
indefinite period of time.
The order closing the ware
houses in this region, issued by the
Flue-Cured Marketing Committee
under its emergency powers, ap
plies also to Middle and Eastern
belts. Re-opening of sales de
pends entirely on favorable devel
(Continued on page six, 1st sec.)
Power To Be Off
In Yadkin, Part
Of Surry Sunday
Electric power in Yadkin
County and in the Siloam
Copeland School area of Surry,
will be off Sunday afternoon,
December 1, from 1 p. m. until
3 p. m.
According to an official of
the Duke Power Company, this
interruption of service is made
necessary for some urgent re
pairs to the power lines.
■ ' "■ in ill ■ t