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THE NEWS-TIMES
51st YEAR, NO. 91 EIGHT PAGES
CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES, MOREHEAD CITY AND BEAUFORT, N. C. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1.?, 1962
PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS
Jury Frees Robert C. McLean;
Two Burglars Get Life Terms
Two Negro youths from Beaufort <
were given mandatory sentences
of life imprisonment for first de
gree burglary Friday in superior
court.
John Albert-Copes, 20, and John
.Cecil Martin, 17 were both given life
■ terms for burglary and concurrent
five-year terms for assault in an
\ assault and robbery of Mrs. Zada
Noe, a Beaufort resident.
As in all capital cases, an au
tomatic plea of not guilty was
made for the pair, and immediate
ly afterwards a plea of guilty with
recommendation for mercy was al
lowed by the court. The pleas were
presented by court-appointed coun
sel for the pair, Gus Davis Jr.
Testifying for the state was Mrs.
‘ Noe, who described the attack on
the night of Oct. 18, when Martin
entered the home by opening a
window, struck Mrs. Noe on the
head from behind with a vase and
took approximately $1,100 in cash
in a handbag,
Mrs. Noe explained that the
money was an accumulation of bu
siness receipts, rent money and
* money for a postponed shopping
trip to New York.
SB1 agent William S. Hunt testi
fied that Copes aided Martin in en
tering the home, and that after the
robbery, the two split the money
and threw the handbag into Bogue
sound from the Atlantic Beach
bridge. Each of. the defendants
claimed that the other thought up
the idea of the robbery, Hunt said.
Martin, who reportedly got the
v major portion of the loot, spent
./most of it on clothes, Hunt added,
with a small portion of the cash
being recovered from its hiding
place at Harlowe. Copes spent most
of his portion on a car.
Law enforcement officers stated
that the two youths would probably
be eligible for parole in about ten
years, provided they maintained a
good record in prison.
I
m AM (Iks
Convention Here
Two hundred forty persons at
tended the state Elks convention
at Morehead City over the week
end. The Morehead CIty-Beaufort
lodge was host. Local Elks were
-* highly pleased with the attendance.
V > The convention opened Thursday
night with a seafood buffet supper
at the lodge in Morehead City. Fri
day was devoted to business ses
sions and a cruise on the Carolina
Queen despite Friday afternoon’s
rain. The boat traveled the sounds
around Beaufort and Morehead
City. /
Elks’ wives were taken on a bus
tour of Beaufort and Fort Macon,
j with Grayden Paul, Beaufort, as
tour conductor. In the afternoon
they played bridge at the hotel.
A banquet and dance at the
Morehead Biltmore concluded Fri
day’s activities. Business sessions
were conducted Saturday morning.
A clambake, catered by Elmer
Willis, Williston, was the main Sat
urday night event at the lodge, fol
lowed by a dance.
The Morehead City-B e a u f o r t
lodge was host to the state meeting
I in 1958 but attendance this year far
* \surpassed that year’s, according to
J. A. DuBois, Morehead City, con
vention registrar.
Accident Injury
Fatal to North
River Woman
• Mrs. William Thomas
Dies Friday
• Funeral Conducted
At 2 P.M. Sunday
The funeral service for Mrs. Wil
liam Murray Thomas, 42, North
River, who died Friday in More
head City hospital following an au
tomobile accident, was conducted
at 2 p.m. Sunday in the North
River Methodist church.
Mrs, Thomas was driver of a
car which skidded and went into a
ditch after hitting a tree several
miles east of Beaufort on highway
70. She suffered a severe head in
jury.
Mrs. Thomas was alone in the
car and was headed east when the
accident happened. State troopers
said it was raining at the time and
tires on the car were slick.
The Beaufort Rescue ambulance
took Mrs. Thomas to the hospital.
The accident happened about noon.
Officiating at the funeral were
the Rev. John Broome, rector of
St. Paul's Episcopal church, Beau
fort, and the Rev. Lionel Swink,
pastor of the North River Metho
dist church. Burial was in Ann
Street cemetery, Beaufort.
Surviving are Mrs. Thomas’s hus
band, a daughter, Wendy; two
sons, William Jr. and Kenneth, all
of the home; a sister, Mrs. Erma
B. Kibbs, and her mother, Mrs.
Forbes, both of Morehead City.
Mrs. Thomas’s death is the eighth
highway fatality in the county this
year. Manning the rescue ambu
lance were Mel Lawrence and Al
ton Gaskill.
Books on Sale
At MCHS Library
The Morehead City high school
library is sponsoring a book sale
this week. Called a Book Fair, it
is coinciding with National Book
Week.
On sale are paperback books as
well as hardback, non-fiction and
novels. Prices range from 35 cents
to $4.95.
The library will receive 20 per
cent of all money taken in. This
will be used to buy new books for
the library.
Mrs. Luther Hamilton Jr., libra
rian, says the most important pur
pose of the Book Fair is to "en
courage support and use of the
high school library by the students.
Members of the PTA were in
vited to the library following PTA
meeting last night to browse and
buy. Because classes are held in
the library during school hours,
parents or others who may wish to
buy books during the remainder of
this week should first contact Mrs.
Hamilton.
Robert C. McLean, MorchcacM
City, was acquitted of manslaughter
Saturday, after a lengthy trial in
superior court, Beaufort.
McLean,was charged with man
slaughter in the death of William
Francis Sample, 15, on the early
morning of June 7 in Morehead
City at the McLean home.
Sample was shot fatally with a
shotgun by McLean, who said he
thought Sample was a prowler.
Sample and McLean’s son, Bobby,
also 15, were friends and were to
gether at the McLean home earlier
in the night before Sample was
shot.
Testimony showed that Sample
and the younger McLean had plan
ned to “slip out’’ and return to a
house party at the beach, and that
Sample was shot when he came to
the McLean home in the early
hours to get McLean's son.
Sample was shot with an auto
matic 12 gauge shotgun, the charge
striking him in the right side a
few inches above the waist. Prior
statements by McLean’s son show
ed that a window screen from a
window in his room had been re
moved earlier in the day, preced
ing the day of the shooting, pre
sumably to allow free exit from the
bedroom.
Testimony began in the trial Fri
day morning after a long process
of selecting jurors. A second panel
of jurors was drawn after close
and extensive questioning by at
torneys and the solicitor led to dis
missal of the major portion of the
first group.
First on the stand as a witness
was Robert McLean, 15-ycar-old
son of the defendant.
Young McLean recounted his ac
tivities of the day prior to the
shooting and his association with
Sample during the day. He stated
that he and Sample had discussed
slipping out of their respective
homes to return to a house party at
the beach after McLean’s mother
had refused to allow him to return
to the party to spend the night.
Young McLean stated that he and
Sample had decided not to slip out,
and had parted company earlier in
the night of the shooting.
McLean said that he was awaken
ed at about 3:30 am. June 7,
when Sample tugged at his bed
clothes and woke him up to see if
he wanted to go to the party. Mc
Leans agreed that Sample had to
be half inside the window to reach
the bed, and that he and Sample
discussed going to the party.
McLean stated that hi* parents’
bedroom was next to his and that
he had heard his mother’s voice
while the conversation took place.
According to McLean, both boys
waited, after talking, to let his par
ents get back to sleep, and then
McLean lay back down and went
to sleep, later to be awakened by
the shot, he said.
Buck Newsome, first police offi
ficer to arrive on the scene, testi
fied that he was called to the Mc
Lean home, where he was met by
the elder McLean, who said, “I
think I’ve shot somebody.” Mr.
Newsome said he examined Sample
briefly and called an ambulance.
He also described the room from
which the shot was fired. The gun
was lying on the floor about 3 to 4
feet from the window, still loaded
with one shell. Another shell was
lying on a chair next to the win
dow, and a fired shell was also on
the floor.
When questioned about his con
versation with McLean, the officer
said that McLean told him he had
(See TRIAL Pg. 7)
Sailor Dances Limbo
Larry Moore, GM3, tries out his skill with a Umbo attek at the Morehead City Recreation center
while onlookers cheer. The center was quickly converted into a USO last week during the visit of a
number of Naval vessels to Morehead City. Larry, a native of St. Louis, Mo., |s aboard the Warwick
County, LST UM. 1i > . ,' 1
Gusty Friday Night Storm
Causes Damage in County
High winds at 8:30 Friday night collapsed this boatshed at Williston, completely demolishing t h e
building. The building was owned by Elmer Willis, and small boats, some of which can be seen in
the wreckage, were being built in it. The roof and other parts of the building blocked highway 70
for a period of time.
-----
Trooper Reports
On Two Crashes
Two recent collisions in the wes
tern part of the county were inves
tigated by state trooper J. W.
Sykes.
Suffering cuts around the mouth
in an accidertt at 7:45 a.m. Wed
nesday was Mrs. Arlette W. Gilli
kin. Otway* The 1956 Mercury Mrs.
Gillikin Was driving collided with
a 1954 Chevrolet driven by Sarah
Jane Dennis, route 1 Newport.
The accident happened near the
intersection of highways 24 and 70
Trooper Sykes said the Chevy was
coming from the north side of high
way 70 to get into the lane toward
Morehead City and slammed into
the side of the Gillikin automobile
which was headed toward Newport.
Mrs. Gillikin said she saw the
car about to enter the highway but
assumed it was going to stop. Driv
er of the Chevrolet was charged
with failing to yield the right-of
way. The car was extensively dam
aged. Damage to the Mercury was
estimated at $300.
Mrs. Gillikin was en route to the
shirt factory at Newport, where she
is employed, when the accident
occurred.
At Stella at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on
an 18-foot road, Isaac Burton, route
1 Maysville, pulled from the right
side of the road where he has been
parked. Jason A. Morris, route 5
New Bern, in a 1955 Ford was
passing at the time.
Trooper Sykes said that because
of conditions, Morris had no choice
but to hit Burton’s 1955 Buick. Bur
ton was charged with turning from
a direct line without first seeing
that his movement could be made
in safety.
President Kennedy
Says Folks Should
Pay Visit to School
President Kennedy has urged
parents of the nation’s 39 million
public school students to visit the
schools this week during Ameri
can Education Week.
In a proclamation, the President
designated Nov* 11-17 as a time
to give special attention to “the
aims and purposes of education
and the programs and problems
of our schools and colleges.
“We should,” he said, “examine
the quality of our educational in
stitutions and assess the degree to
which our educational programs
and practices serve the interests
of the individual and bring vitality
and strength to our Nation and its
culture. Every American should be
fully committed to the advance
ment of education.”
NEA is- one of the national spon
sors of AEW.
Clyde $taQ£il to Speak
To Rotary Chib Tonight
The Beaufort Rotary club will
have as the rtogram for their
meeting tonighr a talk on Youth
on the Highways. The speaker will
be Clyde L. Stancil, Raleigh. He
represents the North Carolina In
surance Information Service as a
member of its speakers’ bureau.
Talks by NCIIS members are giv
en on fire and casualty insurance
subjects as a public service.
One of the boats damaged by Friday’s storm was this one at
North River, driven on the shore by high winds. The boat belongs
to Everett Golden, Bettie. Another boat was badly damaged as it
struck pilings when the wind forced it from its moorings.
Beach Board Loses Two Members
By Death; One Vacancy Filled Friday
Begins Work Here
f
Taking the place of David War
rick, assistant farm agent, is
Glenn Taylor, above.
Mr. Taylor began his duties
last week. A native of Whitakers,
he was graduated from North
Carolina State college, Raleigh,
in January. He majored in ani
mal husbandry.
A member of the North Caro
lina National Guard, he recently
completed six months of active
duty with the Army at Fort Jack
son, S. C. A bachelor, Mr. Tay
lor is serving as boys’ 4-H ad
visor and is making his home
in Beaufort.
Mr. Warrick left here the lat
ter part of October to become
assistant farm agent in Alexan
der county.
► J. C. Sherrill Sr., Atlantic
Beach,was appointed to the town
board of aldermen Friday morn
ing when the beach board met at
the municipal building. Mr. Sher
rill will fill the unexpired term of
commissioner R. A. Barefoot, who
died Friday, Sept. 28.
The board expressed its sorrow
at the death of commissioner
Charles S. Walters. He died Wed
nesday. A resolution of sympathy
was unanimously passed and a co
py will be sent to the Walters fa
mily. Action on appointing a board
member to fill Mr. Walters’ term
was deferred.
Mayor A. B. Cooper read a let
ter from Mrs. D. G. Bell. She
thanked the board for their resolu
tion expressing sorrow at the death
of her son, highway commission
er D. G. Bell.
M. G. Coyle, town clerk, report
ed a balance of $19,455.24 in the
general fund and $3,154.64 in the
Powell bill fund on Nov. 1.
Mayor Cooper talked to the board
about the chamber of commerce
and its financial difficulties. He
suggested that Atlantic Beach join
the chamber and support it with
Tide Table
Tides at the Beaufort Bar
HIGH LOW
Tuesday, Nov. 13
9:01 a.m. 2:28 a.m.
9:31 p.m. 3:28 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 14
9:52 a.m. 3:34 a.m.
10:27 p.m. 4:16 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 15
10:47 a.m. • 4:20 a.m.
11:24 p.m. 5:05 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 16
11:42 a.m. 5:08 a.m.
_,_ 6:00 p.m.
A storm that started off with a+
due cast wind and ended up to the
southwest did extensive damage
throughout the eastern part of the
county Friday night.
Wrecked by high winds was the
boat house of Elmer Willis, Wilfis
ton, on highway 70. Shingles were
torn off some houses, and extreme
ly high tides occurred in creeks
and bays exposed to the cast. -They
left boats stranded high and dry
as water receded.
The Atlantic Beach weather sta
tion clocked winds up to 54 miles
an hour, but strangely, rain gauges
at both Atlantic Beach and in More
head City recorded rain at just
short of an inch.
The heavy sheets of rain and
hard downpours left the impression
that much more rain had fallen.
At Fori Macon the new sea wall
was breached at one point and un
dermined in some places. Buoys
in the Morchead City ship channel
were carried out to sea but were
re-anchored in correct spots by the
Coast Guard prior to Sunday.
Power was knocked out in Beau
fort for a short period Friday night
and other minor outrages occurred
throughout the county from wires
slapping together, according to
George Stovall, manager of Caro
lina Power and Light.
The hour and a quarter power
failure in Beaufort originated from
trouble on the Bcaufort-Mcrehead
causeway lines. Part of Atlantic
Beach was reported without power
al 11:15 p.m. Power was restored
there at 2 a.m.
The draw bridge across Newport
river was out of commission for a
while. The wind piled water up
Newport river and when the water
flowed out again, it went in one
great swoosh. The power of the
moving water shook the A frame
holding power lines at the bridge.
Causing wires to hit together and
arcing.
The bridge tender told Mr. Sto
vall he had never experienced such
a trembling and shaking.
In many places. throughout the
county, tree limbs were ripped off
and signs blown down.
Temperature remained in the
high fifties and went up to 67 dur
ing the storm. But cooler weather
followed.
Temperatures:
Max. Min. Wind
Thursday - 64 44 E
Friday 67 56 ESE
Saturday 60 55 SW
Sunday ... 67 52 NW
World War I Veterans
Will Meet for Dinner
Veterans of World War I will
hear state senator Luther Hamilton
at a county-wide veterans meeting
at 6:30 tonight at the Blue Ribbon
restaurant, Morchcad City.
Wives and widows of veterans
are invited, according to Robert
Atkinson, officer of the county
World War I barracks. A turkey
dinner will be served.
funds from sources other than real
estate or personal property taxes.
He pointed out that the chamber
needs the support of every citizen
and that the beach is among those
who reap the greatest benefits
from its efforts.
Mr. Coyle reported that he had
attended an area redevelopment
meeting in Raleigh recently. He
told the board how the redevelop
ment program works and said that
those counties with chambers of
commerce to publicize their activi
ties will probably be the counties
that receive the most through the
program.
Commissioner Mack Smith sug
gested that the members think
over the mayor’s suggestion until
next month. Other board members
concurred.
Commissioner W. L. Dcrrickson
said he had received a complaint
about a pack of dogs roaming the
beach area. Police chief Bill Moore
was instructed to contact the coun
ty dog catcher and inform him of
the situation. George McNeill, town
attorney, will draw up an ordi
nance on dogs and present it at the
next meeting.
Mr. McNeill reported on a meet
ing with a New Bern resident who
owns Tproperty at the beach and
who refuses to pay taxes due. The
attorney told the board that the
taxpayer was told if he refuses to
pay by Nov. 15 the town will in
stitute a suit against him.
(See BEACH BOARD Pg. 7)
Stove Overheats
An overheated oil stove brought
out the Beaufort fire department
Saturday morning at 7:30 at the
home of Clayton Smith, Orange
street. The fire was put out. No
damage was reported.
Hearing Set
To Consider
Ballot Recount
• Board Will Convene
At 2 Today
# Sheriff Seeks Recount
In Beaufort Precinct
Two o'clock this afternoon has
been set as the time of a hearing
by the elections board to determine
whether there should be a recount
on the sheriff’s vote. The hearing
will be in the courtroom of the
courthouse, Beaufort.
Sheriff Robert (Bobby) Bell, in
a letter to the board of elections
Friday, amended his request on rc
I)ue to the possibility of a re
count in Beaufort precinct, the
elections table on the local vote
in last Tuesday’s election is be
ing held for publication Friday.
count, limiting it only to Beaufort
precinct. Charles Willis, chairman
of the board of elections, said that
if there is a recount of Beaufort
precinct ballots, the vote for Gor
don Hardesty will also be recount
ed in that precinct.
Mr. Hardesty, trailing C. Z. Chap
pell by 83 votes, asked for a re
count only if the sheriff ballots
were to be recounted. Mr. Hardes
ty and Mr. Chappell were running
for county commissioner, Mr. Har
desty on the Republican ticket and
Mr. Chappell seeking re-election
on the Democratic ticket.
(A pewsstory Friday said Mr.
Hardesty was trailing by only 45
votes. According to unofficial re
turns, that was the margin between
Headcn Willis and Mr. Chappell,
not Mr. Chappell and Mr. Hardes
ty)
Mr. Chappell was fifth high man
for commissioner and should Mr.
Hardesty be able to turn up with
enough votes, he would be elected
to the county board instead of Mr.
Chappell. Five men are on the
board and all five positions were
up for grabs last Tuesday. Ten men
were running, five on the Demo
cratic ticket and five on the Re
publican.
Mr. Bell said he amended his re
quest to Beaufort precinct rather
than all precincts because it had
(See ELECTIONS Pg. 7)
Girl Scouts
To Give Book
Girl Scout troop 100, Beaufort,
will present the county library,
Beaufort, with a copy of the book,
Winnie the Pooh, by A. A. Milne
during National Children’s Book
Week this week. The troop will
meet at the home of the leader,
Mrs. W. I. Loftin, today after school
and will go to the library to make
the presentation. The Scouts will
wear their uniforms.
The library had a copy of Win
nie the Pooh, but it became so
worn it had to be discarded.
At a recent meeting the follow
ing officers were elected: Sandra
Iverson, president; Dawn Hassell,
secretary-reporter; Joyce Smith,
treasurer; Nancy Perry, program
chairman; Susan Arrington, scrap
book chairman; Carol Leister, lib
rarian.
The girls met with their mothers
at home last year. Dawn Hassell,
reporter, says, “We want to thank
our mothers for helping us achieve
our first class rank, which we are
now ready to receive. Our leader
is reviewing us in the requirements
now.
“The troop has been doing re
search work on Girl Scouting in
Beaufort. We started this two years
ago as a three-year-project. Any
one who has information about the
subject is asked to contact a Scout
or the Leader.”
Coast Guard Rescues
Outboard Boat Saturday
A 16-foot outboard with five per
sons aboard was towed into More
head City Saturday by the Coast
Guard boat from Fort Macon, after
the outboard had engine failure in
Beaufort inlet.
The outboard was reported over
due from Drum inlet on Core
Banks, and was located in the inlet
by the Coast Guard. Owner of the
boat was J. W. Goldston, Raleigh,
who was aboard.
Making the assist were Newman
Cantrell, SNB.M, Richard Hall, EN2