ELKIN
The Best Little Town In
North Carolina
THE TRIBUNE
Is a Member of the Audit
Bureau of Circulations
%•' p -
The Elkin Tribune
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ELKIN
Gateway to Roaring Gap and
the Blue Ridge
THE TRIBUNE
Is Read By 14,000 People In
Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin
VOL. No. XXXV No. 29
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
f
ELKIN, N. C„ THURSDAY. JUNE 19, 1947
$2.00 PER YEAR
16 PAGES—TWO SECTIONS
Hearing Held
In Greenwood
Case Tuesday
Three Witnesses
Offer Testimony
Before Referee
Andrew Greenwood, Mrs. C. C.
Myers and City Clerk Dixie Gra
ham appeared as witnesses at a
hearing in the city hall Tuesday
in the case of Andrew Greenwood
vs. The Town of Elkin.
Attorney W. H. McElwee of
North Wilkesboro, who was ap
pointed in February by Judge
Frank M. Armstrong as referee in
the case, presided at the hearing.
Chief issue involved in the case
is the question of whether the
town’s governing body authorized
the expenditure of funds derived
from ad valorem taxation in con
nection with the leasing of lands
on the Swan Creek Road for the
construction of a municipal air
port.
Mrs. Myers presented records
of the Blue Ridge Aviation, Inc.,
in support of a contention by the
defense that former Commissioner
C. C. Myers was not a stockholder
in the concern at the time the
transactions were carried out.
Mr. Graham offered testimony
relative to the town's financial
position during thc» period in
which transactions relative to the
airport were discussed. He stated
that the town's revenue from all
sources was placed in a general
fund, and that no segregation oi
funds was made for any specific
project. However, he said he ad
vised the board in December, 1945
that town funds on hand at that
time were “far in excess of $10,
000,” the amount set aside foi
the construction of the airport.
% Mr. Greenwood was questioned
by the defense counsel as to his
motive for bringing the action.
Objections to such questioning by
the plaintiff’s attorney were sus
tained by Referee McElwee.
A motion by the defense for a
judgment of non suit was over
ruled by the Referee.
Counsel appearing for the de
fense included Attorneys W. M
Allen, Hoke Henderson and Mil
ton Cooper of Elkin; Wilson Bar
ber of Mount Airy; and Fred Fol
ger of Dobson. Attorney Roy L
Deal, of Winston-Salem, was
counsel for the plaintiff.
Mr. McElwee will present his
findings in the case at a term oi
Surry Superior court, probably ir
September. He was appointed by
Judge Armstrong to determine
questions of fact in the case, in
cluding the questions of whether
the town expended funds derived
from ad valorem taxation in the
transactions, and whether tire
“contract, argreement, or arrange
ment between the Town of Elkin
and Weldon Weir for the grading
i and construction of runways at
1 the airport was entered into in
violation of the law.”
City Water Tank Is
Getting Face Lifted
Repair work and a new paint
job on the town’s water tank were
begun Tuesday by the Water Tank
Service Company, of Charlotte
and the structure is expected tc
be in first class condition again by
the first of the week.
Joe Saylor, superintendent oi
the water department, stated that
r the tank was being treated anc
painted inside and out. Pumps
are being used to maintain watei
pressure while the tank is empty
and no disruption of water servicf
is anticipated.
Civil Service Jobs
Are Now Available
The Civil Service Commissior
announces that jobs are nov
available in foreign fields, in th<
salary class from $10,000 a yeai
down to $1.24 an hour. Thesi
positions are in Japan, Bermuda
Greenland, Guam and in Europe
Anyone interested apply at Elk'
in post office for blanks anc
any further information desired.
Albert J. Stanley
Bound Over Monday
Albert J. Stanley, charged with
operating a car under the influ
ence of liquor, was bound over tc
superior court by Justice of th<
Peace -J. L. Hall in Magistrate’!
|; court Monday morning.
His bond was set at $250.
Tribune Advertising Gets 'Result!
' i
Injured Man Is
Found Beside
Road Near Ronda
A man who looked to be
about 35 years of age and who
mumbled that his name was
Robert Shumaker, of Roaring
River, was carried to the Elkin
hospital by ambulance shortly
before 4 o’clock Wednesday af
ternoon in a semi-conscious
condition after having been
found lying in the ditch by the
side of the road about one-half
mile east of Ronda.
A n examination disclosed
that he was suffering from a
fracture of the skull. Due to
his condition attendants were
unable to learn how he had
sustained his injury.
JULY 26 DATE
BOND ELECTION
Is Set Tentatively For Vote
On Dobson’s Proposed
Water System
SEEK FIRE EQUIPMENT
July 26 was set as the tentative
date for a bond election on the
proposed $73,000 water system for
Dobson at a meeting the town
board last week.
The date is expected to be con
firmed within the next few days.
The election will also include a
vote on a $5,000 bond issue for
the purchase of fire-fighting
equipment. The funds would be
used to secure a fire truck and
modern equipment. It was point
ed out that the cost of establish
ing a fire department would be
offset by a reduction in fire in
surance rates. At present, the
town has no facilities to combat
fires.
A bond issue for the municipal
water system has been under con
sideration for several weeks, and
specifications for the project have
already been prepared. An initial
advance of $2,000 for preliminary
engineering work has been ap
proved by the Federal Works
Agency.
WOfiiUSbNS
HELD IN CASE
Are Questioned At Mount
Airy In Death Of Raw
ley E. McMillian
BODY FOUND IN CREEK
Mrs. Susie McMillian and her
two sons, Foster Martin and
James Goins, were arrested last
week for questioning in the death
of Mrs. McMillian’s husband
Rawley F. McMillian, 45-year-old
furniture worker of Mount Airy
whose body was found in a creek
near Slate Mountain on June 4.
The late Mr. McMillian was last
seen alive on Sunday, June 1. He
was said to have left his home in
Mount Airy in a drunken condi
tion after an argument in which
he threatened to hit Foster Mar
tin, his stepson, with an axe.
The body was found three days
later by two Flat Rock boys
Thomas and Elbert Hicks, who
were looking for fish bait and
came upon the body in the stream
of water.
An autopsy performed by Dr. J.
L. Woltz, Surry county coroner
indicated that the victim had died
of a blow at the base of the skull
causing a rupture of the brain.
According to Sam Patterson
Surry county sheriff, the three
are being held for "investigation,”
pending accumulation of more
evidence in the case.
Mi\s. McMillian and James
Goins were released Tuesday un
der bond of $1,000 each. Foster
Martin is being held without bail.
A preliminary hearing is sche
duled to be held Monday morning
before Judge Harry Llewellyn in
Mount Airy’s Recorder’s Court.
An Alamance County farmer in
1 creased the milk production of his
35 dairy cows from forty-five gal
lons per day to eighty gallons by
grazing them on ladino clover and
» rye grass.
1
FLOODVVATERS THREATEN ELKIN — The photos above were taken Saturday as the floodwaters
of the Yadkin threatened to inundate the town. Top photo was taken from the old Elkin-Jonesville
bridge and shows the Elkin Livestock Market flooded to a depth of several feet. Bottom photo shows
an automobile plowing through the foot-deep stream flowing across the approach to the old bridge.
The river reached a depth of almost 20 feet and destroyed hundreds of acres of crops along the valley.
(Another flood picture on page 8, first section). —Tribune Photos
CHERRY HOLDS
FATE OF MEN
Efforts To Commute Bell,
Litteral Sentence Under
Way Wednesday
PETI T10NS PRESENTED
Only hope for Marvin Claude
Bell and Ralph Vernon Litteral,
convicted rapists and kidnappers
who are scheduled to die in the
gas chamber at State prison Fri
day, rested Wednesday afternoon
in the hands of Governor R. Gregg
Cherry as The Tribune went to
press.
A hearing before the governor,
seeking commutation of the death
sentences against the two, was un
der way Wednesday afternoon,
and a telephone call by The Tri
bune to John Harden, the gover
nor’s secretary, at Raleigh, reveal
ed the hearing would probably not
be concluded in time for the gov
ernor’s decision to be carried in
this issue.
Defense counsel for Bell are
seeking to have the death sentence
commutated to life imprisonment
because of the claim that Bell
saved the life of the victim of the
two men's attack when they ab
ducted Peggy Ruth Shore, of the
Pleasant Hill section last August
and carried her for a terror-filled
ride through the night into Ten
nessee.
In their petitions for commuta
tion Bell’s attorneys point out that
Bell is a young man with a wife
and two children, and that prior
to his present predicament he has
no criminal record to speak of,
other than a reckless driving
charge in state court and liquor
law violations in federal court.
They claim that on the night in
which Peggy Shore was .kidnapped
and attacked four times, Bell was
under the influence of Litteral
who it was said wanted to kill the
girl, but that Bell objected to
murder.
In the commutation effort un
der way at Raleigh Wednesday
afternoon a petition bearing the
names of over 200 people was pre
sented, as well as a commutation
request by deacons of • Antioch
Baptist Church in the neighbor
hood where Bell resided.
Commutation efforts were being
made in Litteral’s behalf on the
grounds that he is insane.
Homecoming Sunday
At Wesley’s Chapel
Home coming will be held at
Wesley’s Chapel Sunday begin
ning with Sunday School at 10 a.
m. with the pastor, Rev. F. A.
Wright bringing the message at
the 11 o’clock worship service.
Special music will be furnished by
the Longtown trio.
In the afternoon Rev. Nathan
Trivette will preach in the after
noon. A program of music will
be presented by the Piedmont
quartet and other singers.
A revival meeting will begin
Sunday at 8 p. m. with Rev Forest
R. Loflin of Mocksville, guest min
ister, bringing the messages. Ser
vices will be held daily and will
continue through the week.
The public is cordially invited
to attend.
MAKESREPORT
ON CONVENTION
Lion Jim Crowe Tells Group
Of 25th Silver Jubilee
At Asheville
CHAIRMEN ARE NAMED
Feature of the Elkin Lions Club
dinner meeting in the YMCA
Monday night was a report by
Jim Crowe on the twenty-fifth
Silver Jubilee Convention of Lions
in Asheville last month. Mr.
Crowe and Jack Caudill attended
the convention as delegates of the
local club.
New committee chairmen were
appointed to serve for the coming
year as follows: Russell Burcham,
publicity director and bulletin
editor; R. H. Abernathy, boys’ and
girls’ work; Jack Caudill, citizen
ship and patriotism; Joe Saylor
civic improvement; Glenn Lewis,
community betterment; Paul Lew
is, education; Philip Poats, health
and welfare; H. C. Bowman, safe
ty; June Crowe, sight conservation
and blind; Glenn York, horse
show; Dwayne Irwin, reception;
David Brown, attendance; Jim
Crowe, constitution and by-laws;
Clyde Gregg, convention; Clyde
Walker, finance; Tom Parnell
Lions education; Charlie Alexan
der, membership; and Lewis Alex
ander, program and entertain
ment.
Paul Gilliam, of Gastonia, was
an out-of-town guest at the meet
ing.
BEL BROTHERS
BOND $12,090
Habeas Corpus Hearing Is
Held Before Judge Felix
A. Alley Monday
STILL HELD IN JAIL
In a habaes corpus hearing be
fore Judge Felix A. Alley at Con
cord Monday afternoon, bond was
set for Millard and Glenn Bell at
$I2,T)00 each — $6,000 for Yadkin
Cbunty and $6,000 for Wilkes
County offenses.
Both men are charged, together
with Burton Key, with highway
robbery in both Yadkin and
Wilkes Counties. Key is not
charged with any offense in
Wilkes County and he did not
figure in the proceedings before
Judge Alley.
Attorneys of the Bell brothers,
F. D. B. Harding of Yadkinville
and Eugene Trivette of North
Wilkesboro and Solicitor A. E.
Hall attended the hearing at Con
cord. Sheriff Moxley of Yadkin
and Sheriff Gray Poindexter of
Wilkes County carried the two
prisoners to the hearing, which
was attended also by Patrolmen
Williamson, McKinney and Car
ter.
After bond was set at this figure
for the Bell brothers, Sheriff Mox
ley states that bond for Key will
be accepted at the same rate,
which will be $6,000 as he is only
charged in one county.
Millard Bell will not ask for
bond, inasmuch as Sheriff Moxley
has a detainer for him for viola
tion of a parole and he would
automatically go back to the
county roads where he is said to
have 32 months more to serve on
a former highway robbery charge,
according to the detainer. He also
has a hearing coming up in fed
eral court on charges of transport
ing whiskey. In this case he was
arrested near Mocksville a few
weeks before the highway robbery
charge was lodged and was sche
duled to appear May 3, in federal
court at Winston-Salem, but was
in jail here.
Glenn Bell furnished bond here
yesterday afternoon in the amount
of $12,000 for his appearance at
the next term of criminal court
at Yadkinville September 1, and
Wilkesboro next term.
Tribune Advertising Gets Results
1
Yadkin River Claims
PLANNING MEET
IS TO BEHELD
Session At Dobson Tonight
For Mount Airy Livestock
Show On July 4
IS SPONSORED BY VETS
A county-wide planning meeting
for the Livestock Show to be stag
ed in Mount Airy’s Memorial Park
July 4 will be held at the court
bouse in Dobson tonight (Thurs
day) at 8 o’clock, it u'as an
nounced today by Neill M. Smith
eounty agent.
Horse and mule dealers of Sur
ry County are especially urged to
attend the meeting to assist in
selecting stock to be shown at the
show, and to arrange transporta
tion for the animals.
Mr. Smith said the county
agent’s office was highly encour
aged at the cooperation promised
by horse and mule dealers. He
stated that several dealers had
agreed to provide trucks for trans
porting work stock for the show
including Bub Price and DeWitt
Hudson, of Elkin; John G. Llewel
lyn. D. W. Hemmings and Buck
O’Neal, of Dobson; and Gid Hill
and Charles Fowler, of Pilot
Mountain.
Other dealers in the county who
have been issued invitations to
cooperate in the show are Will
Matthews, R. J. Harris and Paul
Wilson, of Pilot Mountain; Ford
Cockerham, of Mountain Park; P.
S. McCormick, Dick Hamlin and
Buck O’Neal, of Dobson; P. G.
Lowe, of Lowgap; R. C. Simmons,
Guy Sparger, Perry Kriger, A. M.
Smith and Marvin Key, of Mount
Airy.
The Livestock Show is being
sponsored by the American Legion
and VFW posts of Mount Airy,
County Agent Smith and Frank
Jones, commander of the Mount
Airy VFW post, are co-managers
of the event.
Assistant County Agents Mark
Goforth aond Luther G. Sink have
secured about 25 baby beeves for
4-H and FFA members to enter in
the show, and from 50 to 60 horses
and mules will be shown. Mount
Airy merchants have agreed to en
ter at least 15 floats in the parade
preceding the show.
GAME WARDENS
SPOIL FISH FUN
Ten Arrests For Violations
Of State Fishing Laws
On Yadkin Sunday
TWO ARRESTED HERE
An inspection tour of the flood
ed Yadkin river Sunday by State
Game Wardens William A. White,
of Mount Airy, and George Barr,
of King, resulted in 10 arrests for
violations of state fishing laws.
The two wardens confiscated
several illegally caught fish after
serving warrants on the violators.
Two Jonesville men, Junior
Mathis and Buel Adams, were
among those charged with viola
tions of game laws. Mathis was
issued a warrant for attempting to
take fish with firearms and hav
ing gun off premises on Sunday.
Adams was charged with grap
pling fish.
Wint Holbrook and J. C. Combs,
of Ronda, were charged with at
tempting to take fish with guns
and having guns off premises on
Sunday. James W. Carter, also
of Ronda, was charged with at
tempting to take fish with a gun.
N. A. Roberts, of Westfield, was
charged with possessing illegally
caught fish.
Other warrants were served for
aiding and abetting in seining
during closed season.
Weaver To Speak
At Kiwanis Meet
L. Stacy Weaver, a former
member of the club and superin
tendent of the Statesville city
schools prior to accepting a new
position as head of the Durham
city schools, will be guest speaker
at the Kiwanis Club at the YMCA
here this evening (Thursday), at
6:30 o’clock.
No meeting of the club was held
last week as a number of mem
bers attended a district meeting
at Lexington.
Are Installing
Lighting System
The lighting system for the Elk
in Park Commission’s athletic field
is being intsalled this week and
the field is expected to be ready
for night games by the end of the
month.
The first contest to be played
under light is scheduled for July
2 when the Chatham Blanketeers
meet Asheboro’s McCrary Mills
team in an exhibition game.
ASKEST1ATE
FLOOD DAMAGE
Farmers Of Surry Urged To
Submit Figures On Crop
Losses From Water
HAPPENED AT BAD TIME
The district office of the U. S.
Engineering Service in Charles
ton, S. C., has requested the farm
agent’s office in Dobson to com
pile a complete report on crop
lasses incurred by farmers of this
area as a result of Saturday’s
flood.
County Agent Neill M. Smith
urges all Surry County farmers
whose crops and soils were damag
ed by the floodwaters to mail re
ports to him as soon as possible.
The information should include
the total number of acres inundat
ed, the estimated dollar value of
crops lost and damaged, the ex
tent to which soil was washed
away or damaged by erosion and
the type crops lost.
Mr. Smith will summarize and
tabulate the reports and forward
them to the district office.
Preliminary estimates of flood
damage indicate that the total
may run into hundreds of thous
ands of dollars. P. N. Taylor, of
White Plains, reported that dam
age resulting from heavy soil
erosion and water damage to crops
on his farm alone was estimated
at $10,000. W. H. Hardy, prom
inent Siloam farmer who had 10
acres of tobacco covered by the
flood, estimated his loss at
$4,500.
It was pointed out that the
flood came at the worst possible
time for farmers. The growing
season was just getting under way
and crops had not had time to be
come sufficiently rooted to resist
the floodwaters to any appreciable
extent. Many crops were washed
entirely away.
Seventeen Marriage
License Are Issued
Cupid was working overtime last
week to justify the designation of
June as the traditional wedding
month. Seventeen marriage li
cense were issued during the per
iod by Mrs. Bertha M. Shinault,
Surry County Register of Deeds.
Couples who were issued license
to wed were as follows:
June 10 — W. Loyd Smith, 23,
and May Aline Harris, 17, both of
Thurmond: Porter M. Hughes, 25,
and Mable Thompson, 19, (Col
ored), both of Mount Airy.
June 12 — James W. Wall, 21,
and Mildred Blackburn, 18, both
of Toast; Hunter F. McHone, 23,
and Caponala Collins, 20, both of
Toast; James Nester, 21, and Bet
ty Mae Bowman, 19, both of
Mount Airy; James Aubrey Al
mond, 22, of Pilot Mountain, and
Hazel J. McGee, 24, of Winston
Salem; William Ernest Shields, 27,
of Summerfield, and Arlene Seal
Johnson, 22, of Mount Airy.
June 13 — Edgar Benton Nor
man, 29, of East Bend, and Addie
Mildred Coe, 21, of Dobson.
June 14, — Jack W. Badgett,
22, of Ararat, and Betty Nester,
18, of Mount Airy; Harlie Woltz
Vernon, 33, and Virginia Creed,
28, both of Mount Airy; Johnnie
Shelton, 22, of Pinnacle, and Dor
othy Wall, 23, of Ararat; Hacy C.
Doss, 28, and Lillian Hall, 23, both
of Mount Airy; James Spencer,
22, and Claudia Gunnell, 23, both
of Mount Airy; Stack G. Adams,
24, of Boonville, and Annie Mae
McCormick, 18, of Rockford; Roy
Thomas George, 22, and Mary J.
Hall, 17, both of Mount Airy.
June 16 — William Maynard
Beomer, 28, and Christine Webb,
22, both of Mount Airy.
On Okinawa, the village of
Ichuma was the first place in all
the Orient where women were giv
en equal rights with men.
Waters Rise
Swiftly After
Record Rain
Pear of a repetition of 1940’s
disastrous flood gripped Elkin Sat
urday as the Yadkin river, fed by
torrential rains, rode out of its
channel and engulfed hundreds of
acres of unharvested crops along
the valley.
Rain fell almost continuously
during Friday night and Saturday
morning in Surry and Wilkes
Counties, and the flood failed to
reach the proportions of 1940’s
disaster only because rainfall in
the Btowing Rock area, wellspring
of the Yadkin, was relatively light.
Farmers suffered the heaviest
losses from the week-end flood as
the swollen waters of the river
swept away crops valued at more
than a half million dollars. But
the river’s rampage'also resulted
in considerable damage to proper
ty in the low bottom lands.
The White Brothers Concrete
Block Company, located below the
Pure Oil plant near the old bridge,
incurred a loss of $2,000 as a re
sult of the flood, officials of the
concern said. A large supply of
building blocks were stained by
the muddy waters and will have
to be sold at reduced prices, they
stated, and a considerable amount
of cement used in the construction
of the blocks was lost.
Lumber yards of the Goodman
Ernst Lumber Company were
heavily hit as the floodwaters
sjKirled through thousands of feet
plumber stacked near the river’s
edge. Most of the lumber swept
down the stream was recovered,
but H. H. Hensel, owner of the
business, estimated that damage
resulting from the water and mud
would run into several thousand
dollars.
The Elkin livestock market be
low the Southern Railway tracks
was flooded to a depth of about
eight feet, but workmen removed
animals in the building to high
ground before the river reached
its crest. Several goats belonging
to Charlie Day were rescued by
volunteers who had to swim part
of the distance to the building.
Damage to the building was esti
mated at $200.
The high school athletic field
was covered waist-deep by flood
waters of Big Elkin Creek, and a
section of the recently erected
fence surrounding the field was
torn down by floating power poles.
The football field and baseball
diamond were covered with several
inches of mud and debris left by
the rampage.
Traffic across the old Elkin
Jonesville bridge was halted for
several hours Saturday as the
muddy current swept across the
approach to the bridge.
Hundreds of local citizens stood
in the rain Saturday morning to
watch the river as it crept nearly
20 feet over its banks.
At North Wilkesboro, the river
reached a depth of 18 feet, or five
feet above flood stage, but damage
was reportedly lighter than in
cities farther down the river. The
Elkin-North Wilkesboro highway
was closed part of the day as the
water washed over the road at
Roaring River. The sub station of
Duke Power Company at Roaring
River was partly under water, it
was reported.
Reports from Mount Airy indi
(Continued on page 4, 1st sec.)
Woodrow Marsh, 20,
Admits Stealing Meat
Woodrow Marsh, 20, was placed
in Yadkin jail last week, charged
with stealing a ham from Wesley
Winters of the North Oak Ridge
section. Marsh admitted taking
the meat after he broke a window
in the house where the meat was
stored. Marsh says he sold the
meat to Charlie Day, an Elkin
taxi driver. Day told Sheriff A.
P. Moxley he bought the ham
from Marsh and sold it to Bill
Long, West Jefferson produce
dealer. The ham has never been
found.
Bond for Marsh has been set at
$500 by Magistrate M. W. Mackie,
but no date set for a hearing.
Marsh has been indicted before
for the same offense, according to
Sheriff Moxley.
Sheriff Moxley and Deputy C.
Russell spent long hours trying to
find Marsh after he was linked
with the theft, and he was finally
located in Mt. Airy.