North Carolina Newspapers

ALL WHO READ READ THE NEWS-TIMES CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES 60th YEAR, NO. 49. BIGHT PAGES MOREHEAD CITY AND BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1961 PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS Town Board Clears Way To Get Armory Morehead City town commission ers passed a resolution Thursday night to pay on demand $16,875 as the town’s share for meeting cost of a National Guard armory. The board met in regular session at the Morehead City municipal building. The remainder of the cost is to come from federal funds. National Guard authorities in the state have been notified that the town is ready to meet its share of the expense. Funds have been authorized but not yet appropriated by Congress. Referred to the town attorney, George McNeill, was a recommen dation that Carolina Queen signs and Anchorage Lodge signs in the vicinity of 28th and Evans streets be removed because they violate the zoning ordinance. Commissioner D. J. Hall said that one of the signs also obstructs motorists' vision of traffic leaving the beach bridge. The board agreed that the signs should be moved. Bids on new police cars were opened, but all were rejected when it was learned that the bidders probably misunderstood the speci fications. Police commissioner Dom rcnna was authorized to draw new speci fications and request new bids. A letter was read from David Willis, hospital administrator, re questing that town policemen, off duly, be permitted to collect unpaid hospital biHs. The board took no action, feeling that the proposition is one that the hospital board must take up with the individual police men as a private matter between the officer and the hospital offi cials. John Lashley, retiring town clerk, suggested that a new rate on sewer fees be set July X. The town attorney and the mayor were authorized to call on water com pany officials and request setting of a new rate. (The water com pany bills homeowners for sewage service provided by the town). Seven oil companies were asked for bids on fuel oil and gasoline. They are Gulf, Sinclair, Carolina Oil, Texas Co., Shell Oil, Stevens Willis Oil Co. and Van Horn Oil and Distributing Co. Commissioner Hall said the town is littered with trash and needs cleaning up. The board decided to tighten enforcement of garbage ordinances. Attorney McNeill sug gested that the town have a “san itary inspector.” A letter was read from a person seeking the position as town super visor, but no action was taken. It was agreed that John Lashley, city clerk, shall be retained for sev eral days after the town supervisor is employed to acquaint the new man with the city clerk’s duties. Request for a street light was re ferred to street commissioner Bud Dixon, who was absent. Mr. Dixon was member of a jury hearing a capital case. Contract for the 1960-61 audit was awarded to A. M. Pullen and Co., New Bern. D. C. Fillmore, a rep resentative of the company, ap peared 'before the board, as was requested in a recent letter from the board to the firm. State Requests Bids For Repairing Damage Bids for repairing erosion dam age at Fort Macon state park have been requested by the State De partment of Conservation and De velopment. Details appear in a le gal advertisement in today’^ paper. Bids are requested for construc tion of a sea wall, groin repair, roadway repair, and sand fence. The bids will be opened at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 6 at the education building, Raleigh. _ Seven County Girls to Seek Beauty Title in Pageant Saturday Night A Dr. William Fahy Speaks to Lions Dr. William Fahy, biologist with the Institute of Fisheries Research, was the guest speaker at the Thursday night meeting of the Morehcad City Lions club. Dr. Fahy talked on sea life. In club business, Tuesday, June 27, was announced as the date for this year’s installation banquet for new officers of the organization. The banquet will be held at the Morehead City Country club. Mem bers of the Havelock and Beau fort Lions clubs will also attend. Jim Crowe reported to the club on the recent state convention. The Morehead City club was awarded two trophies at the convention for their work with the blind. They received a trophy for spon soring the most club activities in blind work and another for raising the most money per member dur White Cue drive. Elmo Lawrence Starts Life Term for Willis Murder ■4 Pageant Contestants Carollyn Phelps mmsm Doris Phillips Ann Davis ' Seven girls will compete Satur day night for the Miss Carteret County title and the right to rep resent the county in the Miss North Carolina contest in Greensboro July 19-22. The contest will be held at the race track west of Morehead City at 7 p.m. Hopeful contestants are Miss Ada Laura Murdoch of Wildwood, Miss Doris Phillips, Miss Catherine Lohr and Miss Marguerite Ed wards of Morehead City, Miss Ann Davis of Beaufort, Miss Carollyn Phelps of Marshallberg and Miss Emma Lou Parrish of Newport. Judges will be Mrs. H. F. Webb of Sea Level, Lt. Col. William G. McLean of Cherry Point, W. H. “Biilv” Scott of Kinston, Bennie Waters of Washington and Mrs. D. Cordova of Morehead City. The girls will appear first in eve ning gowns, then each will per form a talent number, and finally the girls will appear in bathing suits. Ray Cummins will be mas ter of ceremonies. Following the pageant a dance, with music by P. R. Jones, will be held. Ada Murdoch Emma Lou Parrish Catherine Lohr Two Cars Collide In Morehead City Margaret Graham Chadwick, route 2 Newport, and Virginia Re nee Kemp, 2912 Evans St., More head City, were drivers of cars involved in a traffic accident in vestigated Friday by the More head City police department. According to police reports, Miss Kemp was pulling away from a parked position on Arcndell street near 11th and struck Mrs. Chad wick’s car in the right front door. Mrs. Chadwick was travelling west on Arendell. Police estimated damage to Miss Kemp’s car, a 1961 Rambler, at $35 and that to Mrs. Chadwick’s 1958 Ford at $100. No charges were filed. will leave Huntley’s in Beaufort, wind through downtown Beaufort and Morehead City and end at At lantic Beach. At 2 p.m. the con testants, judges, and members of the Jaycee pageant committee will attend 'a tea at the home of Mrs. Rufus Butner. Guest at the festivities will be Miss Kinston, Miss Rose Hill. Supreme Court Reverses Hospital Decision W. H. Potter Jr. Will Represent District William H. Potter Jr., Beaufort, has been named official delegate of the New Bern Methodist dis trict to a conference at Lake Juna luska. The conference is on youth and missions and will be held July 21 27. William, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Potter, is a member Verdict Reached in Short Time; Parole Possible Elmo Lawrence Jr., 25, Otway, was taken to the state prison in Raleigh yesterday to begin serv ing the life sentence imposed on him Friday night at three minutes to nine when he was judged guilty of murder in the first degree. Lawrence was found guilty of the shotgun slaying Dec. 18 of his stepfather, William (Billy) Fin ley Willis at the family home in Otway. A sentence of life imprisonment in North Carolina carries a mini mum sentence of 40 years with parole possible in 10 years. It is required that the defendant serve one-fourth of the minimum sen tence. In their arguments to the jury, both the defense counsel, Harvey Hamilton Jr., and solicitor Robert D. Rouse agreed that “the truth was not out.” Quite composed throughout the one-and-a-half-day trial, Lawrence wore a long-sleeved white shirt open at the collar, light brown slacks and black shoes. At times he appeared pale, but he never showed obvious signs of emotion. Only when the verdict was being read Friday night and he was I Rescued Bather Says Phone Firm Men Aided Him E. L. Coble, 44, Greensboro, one of three men assisted from the surf near Atlantic Beach Monday, June 12, on Thursday credited Don Collier and John Byrd, employees of Carolina Telephone and Teje graph Co., with saving his Hi' . Mr. Coble stated that he got in trouble when he went out to help Billy Skiles, a .Cherry Point Ma rine. Mr. Coble said he got close enough to Skiles to throw him an inner tube, but when he himself tried to get back, he found he couldn't. He said, “I then saw two boys, Don Collier and John Byrd, swim ming towards me from shore. Both Collier and Byrd approached me; Byrd got to me first and assisted me toward shore. He got me far enough to enable me to reach a life preserver which had been thrown out by Miss Jan McCall. “By this time Benny Marker as sisted me towards shore, then he went back into the water to help the others. After this 1 was semi conscious and hazy as to later hap penings.” Mr. Coble said he had earlier helped a small girl out of the wa ter, and was resting when Skiles and another man got in trouble. It was reported that a strong un dertow was pulling the swimmers out to sea. Mr. Coble added that life guards who were summoned from Atlantic Beach to help the swimmers said they could not feel an undertow. Mr. Coble, Mr. Skiles and Mr. Collier were taken to Morchead City hospital. Mr. Skiles was dis charged in several hours. Mr. Coble and Mr. Collier were not discharged until the next day. In reporting the incident last week, chief of police Bill Moore, Atlantic Beach, said 53 swimmers had been pulled in during that weekend: He later said that this was in error, 53 have been pulled in since the season started. Tide Table Tides at the Beaufort Bar HIGH LOW Tuesday, June 20 12:38 a.m. 7:12 a.m. 1:33 p.m. 7:40 p.m. Wednesday, June 21 1:18 a.m. 8:11 a.m. 2:16 p.m. 8:52 p.m. Thursday, June 22 2:04 a.m. 9:06 a.m. 3:03 p.m. 9:50 p.m. ► The state supreme court Friday reversed a . lower court decision which upheld the county in its ef forts to build a county hospital. The decision came 24 days after the court heard the arguments. Luther Hamilton Jr., county at torney, said yesterday, “This doesn't mean we can’t build a hos pital.” He said that before he could go into the supreme court's de cision in detail, he would have to analyze the decision. The decision must also be.placed standing with raised right hand, upon order of the judge, did he appear nervous and fearful. Sheriff Hugh Salter was the first person to take the stand Thursday afternoon at 2:15 as the trial be gan. He testified he was called at 3:15 a.m. Dee. 18 by Lawrence who said he had “accidentally shot Bill (William Finley Willis).” Sheriff Salter said, "1 asked if he had called a doctor. He said he hadn’t. He didn't know if the man was dead. “He told me where he lived. 1 called deputy sheriff Bruce Ed wards. We got there at approxi See LAWRENCE, Page 2 B&PW Club Sells Seafood Cookbooks at Convention By WADE LUCAS A longlelt desire to do something to boost the principal industry in her home area motivated Miss Alida Willis and three of her More head City neighbors to operate a flourishing business at Durham during the annual convention of the State Federation of Business and Professional Women's clubs over the weekend. Miss Willis, who recently under went a serious throat operation and can barely talk above a whis per, had an idea several weeks ago that she and other members of the Carteret County Business and Professional Women’s club could give a boost to the seafood industry at the Durham conven tion of the State BPWCs. She contacted the Department of Conservation and Development in Raleigh and wanted to know if the Carteret BPW coukl sell a «ew seafood booklef ‘ ScafdDd Cookery in North Carolina" that the depart ment and the agricultural exten sion service at State College pub lished some months ago. The C&D Department told Miss Willis that she could take as many copies of the seafood cookbook to Durham, on a consignment basis, that she wanted. She stopped by the C&D Depart ment Friday and picked up 500 copies of the booklet, which sell for 25 cents per copy and which is sent postpaid for that price through the department’s public information office. With Mrs. Clem Johnson, Mrs. M. M. Ayscue and Mrs. Frank Sample, other delegates to the con vention from Morehead City, Miss Willis set up an attractive booth in the Jack Tar Hotel, Durham, and went into business. And business was good. Some 400 women attending the conven tion bought the books like proverb ial hot cakes. Apprised at its April meeting in Saniord of Miss Willis’s desire to Four Youths Hurt in Crash Four Otway youths were injured at 5:30 p.m. Friday on highway 70, near the junction with the Harkers Island road, when their car hit a utility pole, broke that and then went into a tree. Driving the car, according to patrolman W. E. Pickard, was Malcolm Lawrence, 30. With him were Sammy, 23; Billy, 19, and Lundy Gillikin, 30. Lawrence suffered head injuries. The other three suffered scratches, bruises and cuts. All four were still in Morehead City hospital yes terday morning. Lawrence was driving a 1956 Oldsuiobile. It was headed west and failed to make a curve. The driver lost control. The Olds went off the right side, careened to the left and after hitting the pole and tree ended up on its wheels. The patrolman said it was demolished. not happen for a week or more, Mr. Hamilton commented. The suit regarding the hospital wa° brought by J. O. Barbour Jr. and others of Beaufort, against the county commissioners. The county had proceeded with plans to buiJd a hospital after a vote in November by county residents authorized bor rowing funds for construction. Mr. Hamilton stated that the case, argued before the supreme court in May, was heard particu larly on what the Beaufort com Longshoremen Will Work Foreign Ships ► Alida Willis . . . sells idea, books | give wider distribution of the sea I food cookbook, which was the brainchild of Henry Belk, editor of the Goldsboro News-Argus, the state board of Conservation and Development adopted a resolution that gives the Carteret B&PW club 25 per cent commission on all sea food books sold in excess of 100 copies. This is the same policy followed on seafood cookbooks is sued by the U.S. T'Tsh and Wild life Service. Other organized clubs will be given the same commission under the state C&D Board action. The seafood book, illustrated and containing 50 pages of tested sea food recipes from coastal North Carolina and elsewhere, was de signed and published to stimulate interest in and increase the use of North Carolina seafoods. R. Walker Martin of Raleigh, now chairman of the C&D Board’s commerce and industry commit tee and at the time chairman of I the board's subcommittee on food ! processing and packaging, was most active in getting the book assembled and printed. Mr. Martin, spying he was pleased over the efforts of the Car teret county women to give a boost to the main industry in their home areas, personally donated a hand some transistor radio to the club in recognition of what they have done. Johnnie E. Waters Given 10 Years for Manslaughter Johnnie E. Waters, charged with murdering Beatrice Mitchell, Morehcad City, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in superior court, Beaufort, Friday night. He was sentenced to prison for not less than 10 years and not more than 15 years. Superior ' court judge Albert Cowper refused to invoke a sus pended sentence against Edgar Willis, Straits. Willis, charged with failure to comply with a sns pended sentence, was found guilty in recorder’s court April 11 and appealed. The suspended sentence, with which he failed to comply involved staying out of the county, other wise he would be required to serve time. The state contended that Willis did not stay out of the county, that he returned and lived in a barn loft at Straits with the late Agatha Ballou, whose body was found in the loft Feb. 13. Willis, authorities said, then tried to commit suicide. He was booked on suicide at tempt, drunken driving and viola tion of suspended sentence when he appeared in county court in April. He later forfeited bond in the drunken driving case. The suspended sentence was not invoked in court last week, ac cording to court officials, because the law will not uphold a sentence which involves banning a person on what the facts are. He said the supreme court did not base its de cision on the merits of the case, “because the case has no merits.” Mr. Hamilton said that in his. opinion the court based its decision on the question of refinancing the present county debt before issuing hospital bonds, but he emphasized that he could not state this defi nitely since he has yet to read the court’s decision. la bis opinion the supreme court may have partially based its de • Leroy Guthrie, -Morehead City, ‘ head of the local longshoremen's union, said yesterday that long shoremen here would load and un load ships of foreign flag vessels, as long as the seamen’s unions did not set up picket lines. A strike, which has tied up movement of American flag ves sels on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts, started at midnight Thursday. By yesterday no agree ment had been reached in the con tract dispute between the men who run the ships and the ships' owners. In New York, the International Longshoremen's union and the teamsters’ union, which covers men who move cargoes off and on the docks, were not loading or unloading American flag vessels. Mr. Guthrie said that he was in formed by telegram from the 1LA that local longshoremen could work ships as long as they crossed no picket line. If a picket line were established, it would be by the striking American seamen's unions. No such union exists in this locality. Contrary to reports released by the State Ports Authority, that the strike is "not affecting” Morehead City state port, the Santa Catalina, Grace Line (American) ship, scheduled to dock here Friday, did not do so, for fear of being delay ed indefinitely at dockside. The ship was scheduled to take on a cargo of dry milk. She pro ceeded directly to South America without calling at Morehead City. A Morehead City shipping agent said yesterday, "Morehead City lost that day the pay longshore men would have gotten, and other economic benefits that would have accrued to the state and to us lo cally.” He said that a paper cargo, scheduled to leave Morehead City over the weekend, was lost also because of the forced delay due to the strike. It will now move out of another port when the strike is settled. Vessels scheduled to cotnc in •-this week, that as of yesterday would be loaded or unloaded as usual, are the Patella, Oakville, Esso Chattanooga and the Heidel berg. The strike has not affected move ment of cargo to and from state ports by land. These are ship ments that are either bound for storage in port warehouses or arc leaving the warehouses for de livery inland. The strike is affect ing 85,000 seamen, seven unions and almost a thousand ships. from a county or a state. H Cases continued were Henry Bell, charged with non-support; Herman Monlford, speeding; Billy Gillikan, giving a worthless check; James Carroll, being drunk and disorder ly; Willie Robinson, public drunk enness, Curtis T. Guthrie, no li cense and making an improper turn. Dora Mann, charged with for gery; Walter D. Moeller, charged with careless and reckless driving; Wesley Civils, giving worthless checks; James L. Graham, driv ing drunk. Rufus T. Jordon, driv ing drunk; Everitt Merrill, assault. Cases against James Hardesty and Robert E. Ikner, charged with failure to comply with a former court order, were continued. Willie J. Phillips, charged with speeding and resisting an officer, entered a plea of speeding in ex cess of 55 mph, which was accept ed. Judgment was suspended upon payment of $20 and court costs. Charged with violating shrimp ing laws were Jasper Dail, Elbert Mann and Dewitt Salter. The state decided not to prosecute them at present. Remanded to recorder’s court were the cases of Horace Baker, charged with false pretense and E. M. Taylor, charged with driving without a license. Lawrence Rowe pleaded guilty to public drunken See COURT, Page 2 posed for the hospital, one poinH raised by the complainants. He stated that there will have to be a hearing as to the facts in the case and not merely as to what the complainants claim are facts. This hearing would probably be before the resident superior court judge of this district. He believes the court lent no weight to complainants’ arguments as to distance, location of the site or alleged “noise" of boats passing up and down the inland waterway Emerald Isle Ferry Will Not Run This Season • Highway Chairman Writes Chamber • Higher Bridge Matter To be Considered Morrill Evans, chairman of ihc Stale Highway commission, has written J. A. DuBois, manager of the chamber of commerce, relative to the Emerald Isle ferry and erec tion of higher bridges over naviga ble streams. The letters are in reply to infor mation given Mr. Evans on action taken by the transportation com mittee of the chamber at a recent meeting. The committee asked lhat ferry service start immediately between Emerald Isle and the Carteret mainland. It also asked that in the future, bridges over small streams or inlets in the county have a min imum clearance of 12 feet above the high water mark. Relative to the ferry, Mr. Evans said, "This matter of an Emerald Isle ferry has been before us con stantly for the past several weeks. “Wc reached the decision some weeks ago that time would not per mit us to get a ferry operation un der way this summer. “My personal opinion is that this will be one of the first ferry opera tions the new Highway Commis sion will have to read a decision on." The other letter, regarding high er bridges over small streams, said that the matter has been turn ed over to the planning depart ment. The chamber transportation com mittee points out that higher bridges would permit small pleas ure craft to use the streams, bays and inlets now barred to them be cause of bridges. A one-week term of civil court began yesterday in Beaufort. Di vorce cases were heard yesterday. Group Requests Cleaner County A Keep L'artcret Beautiful com- . mittee met Thursday afternoon at the Hotel Fort Maeon with chair man Joe Beam, Morchead City. The committee has been organized by the Greater Morchead City chamber of commerce. The group discussed ways of cleaning up the littered county and keeping clean the highways, by ways, streets, alleys and water fronts. The committee made no specific plans other than to appeal publicly for cleanliness. The committee plans to observe residents’ reac tion and will later decide whether any further steps should be taken. Mr. Beam said, “We urge you to participate in this campaign and let’s make and keep Carteret beau tiful.” Members of the committee are Mrs. James Webb, Mrs. Gus Dav is, Mrs. James Morrill, Miller Har rell, Morehead City; M. G. Coyle, Atlantic Beach; Larry Howard, Newport, Mrs. Gaston Smith, At lantic, and Jack Barnes, Beaufort. Veterans of World War I To Convene Here in 1962 Veterans of World War I will hold their convention in Morehead City in June 1962, announces P. R. Dietzel, who has returned from the 1961 convention in Raleigh. Mr. Dietzel estimated that over 800 people will attend next year’s convention. Also attending the convention in Raleigh were Mrs. Dietzel