THANKSGIVING DAY
WILL BE
OBSERVED THURSDAY
t
10/
51»t Year fao. 93
Two Sections — Ten Pages
MOREHEAD CITY and BEAUFORT, N. C.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1962
Published Tuesdays and Fridays
Medical Center Fund Drive Starts
Republicans to Petition Elections
Board; Bell Wins by 11 in Recount
Elmer Dewey Willis, defeated
Republican candidate fof sheriff
according to a recount of the Nov.
6 votes—will petition the county
board of elections this week to cer
tify him “as the winning candidate
... on the results of the initial
abstracts submitted to the board
of elections from each of the pre
cincts of Carteret county.”
The petition will be presented to
the board of elections whenever it
meets this week to canvass the
vote. That, at least, was the plan
yesterday.
The recounting of the sheriff bal
lots in all 27 precincts started
10:30 Thursday morning and ended
at about 8 p.m. Friday. When the
recounting ended, sheriff Robert
BeH came out with 11 votes more
than Mr. Willis.
Mr. Willis was 44 votes ahead at
the end of ballot-counting early
Nov. 7, then discovery of six ab
sentee ballots in Morehead No. 2
precinct later on Nov. 7 cut his
margin to 40.
Present at the recount, which
took place in the law library of
the courthouse were representa
tives of Mr. Willis, who was out of
town, sheriff Bell and his represen
tatives, also members of the elec
tions board, Charles Willis, chair
man; Osborne Davis and Neal
Campen. Mr. Campen was not ablei
to be at the Thursday morning ses
sion but attended the others.
Assisting Mr. Bell at the recount
were Frank Cassiano, who was re
lieved by James Webb, and Har
vey Hamilton Jr. Representing Mr.
Willis were Thomas Bennett, Ray
Gordon Lewis, Jimmy Finer and
.Jimmy Howland. Each candidate
had three men of his party in the
recount room at all times.
Charles Willis said that the re
count procedure went like -this:
any. ballots that .WJLCtl questioned
were put in a “disputed” pile.
When the count of a precinct was
completed, the “disputed” ballots
were gone through and it was de
cided then which were to be con
sidered as valid or invalid.
Both parties agreed, prior to
start of the recount, to the registrar
for each precinct calling the bal
' lots for his precinct. The proce
dure then went like this:
• Registrar will hand ballot to
opposite party representative
• Party representative will hand
to other party representative.
• Second party representative
will hand to candidate for whom
the ballot was cast.
• Candidate will place ballot on
his pile.
• Party representatives will
count ballots after separation is
* completed or at intervals and de
liver to board of elections.
• If desired by candidates, they
may check count under supervision
of board of elections.
All persons who handled ballots
took an oath to count them honest
ly and fairly.
The final vote was 4,487 for Bell
and 4,476 for Willis.
Commenting on the recount and
the subsequent results, the elec
tions board chairman said yester
- day, “I feel that justice has been
done.”
The defeated candidate said that
feeling has been running high and
some of his supporters wanted to
take things into their own hands.
“I urge them not to do that,” Mr.
(See ELECTION Pg. 2)
* Firemen Put Out Grass
F,ire Back of Metal Shop
A grass fire brought out the
Monphead City Fire department
Sunday- Firemen went to an area
back of Leonard’s Metal shop on
Bridges street.
The fire was soon put out. There
was no damage to nearby build
ings. i
Education Board Opens Bids
Bids on the West Carteret high
school were opened Thursday night
by the county board of education,
but no decisitoi was made on let-,
ting of contracts.
*' H. L. Joslynl county superinten
, dent of schoolaAsaid the bids were
higher than expected. The county
has $800,000 available to put into
the new school.'. Itbe lowest general
contract bid was \j|863,200, submit
ted by G. M. Tpompson, Raleigh.
“I wish we "dpuld take that low
bid. Not to be aple to do so means
we’re losing mlneyX’ Mr. Joslyn
remarked. I \
i The next hignest general con
tract bid was about (114,000 over
the low bid. “We won’t get that
Charles Willis, right, chairman of the county board of elections, congratulates sheriff Robert (Bob
by) Bell, whose re-election was announced Friday after completion of a recount.
Morehead Board to Meet Again
Soon to Confer About Hospital
---4
Th$ Sheriff Vote
Precinct
Atlantic
Beaufort
Bcttic
Bogue
Broad Creek
Cedar Island
Cedar Point
Davis .
Barkers Island
Harlowe
Marshallberg
Merrimon
Morehead No. 1
Morehead No. 2
Newport
Otway ...
Pelletier
Portsmouth
Salter Path
Sea Level
Smyrna
Stacy .
Stella ..
Straits
Wildwood
Williston .
Wire Grass .
Sheriff
Bell Willis
214 191
747 1071
47 46
67 63
81 95
. 70 31
52 91
78 173
196 260
. 57 138
73 209
. 29 56
809 255
903 552
366 418
84 127
29 11
4
112 28
108 84
.22 58
. 26 98
20 39
56 47
153 147
. 30 141
54 47
4487 4476
Totals
Weather Turns
Cool; 38 Recorded
Thursday Night
The weather took a turn for the
cool side the early part of last
week. The high temperature in the
daytime was 54, the low 47 at night.
Slightly warmer weather arrived
after Wednesday, but a chilly 38
degrees was recorded Thursday
night.
Max. Min. Wind
Monday 63 48 Variable
Tuesday 54 47 NE
Wednesday 42 54 N
Thursday 56 38 W-SW
Friday 63 54 W
Saturday 65 58 W-SW
Sunday 65 59 SW-N
low bid if wo call for bids again,”
Mr. Joslyn observed.
Other general contract bidders
and their bids: G. L. Wilson,'
Statesville, $997,000; Eastern Con
struction, Greenville, $962,160;
King-Hunter, Greensboro, $982,197.
C. P. Street Construction, Char
lotte, $977,600; Hardy-Harvey, Kin
ston, $1,031,900; Fred C. Gardner,
Kinston, $1,039,745; T. A. Loving,
Goldsboro, $1,014;375.
Rogers Construction, Smithfield,
$977,633; Crowder Construction,
Charlotte, $1,025,746; Barger Con
struction, Mooresville, $979,200, and
Coastal Construction, Rose Hill,
$978,000.
The lowest bid received, which
- Morehead City town comniis-"
sioners decided Thursday night to
|iave.a special, meeting to consider
Morehead City hospital problems.
The meeting will be called as soon
as Ray Hall, town supervisor, gets
information on grants available to
hospitals and other facts deemed
necessary to make a decision on
where to move next on repair of
the Morehead City hospital.
The board has received copies of
letters from the Medical Care com
mission and the State Insurance
department relative to the need
for making extensive repairs to
the hospital. A letter from A. B.
Roberts, chairman of the board of
hospital trustees, stated that eith
er the hospital has to be repaired
or closed.*
The letter detailing the repairs
necessary appears on page 2 sec
tion 2 of today’s paper.
The major problem is that neith
er the hospital board nor the town
of Morehead City has sufficient
money to make the repairs, which
are estimated to cost at least $40,
000. A further complication is the
question as to whether the county
is going to build a hospital.
If the county does, the Medical
Care commission, which supervises
hospital operation in the slate, says
that the Morehead City hospital
will be required to close when the
county hospital opens.
Voters several years ago decided
that a hospital should be built by
(See BOARD Pg. 2)
Tide Table
Tides at the Beaufort Bar
IIIGII LOW
Tuesday, Nov. 20
3:03 a.m. 9:27 a.m.
3:16 p.in. 9:54 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 21
4:00 a.m. 10:20 a.m.
4:12 p.m. 10:40 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 22
4:52 a.m. 11:08 a.m.
5:04 p.m. 11:23 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 23
5:38 a.m. 11:53 a.m.
5:52 p.m. ———
covers general contracting, plumb
ing,' heating and electricity, was
$1,196,970.17. Alternate bids were
also asked. Eliminated in the al
ternate were shop buildings. The
low bid, without shop buildings,
was slightly over $1 million.
The architect was asked to draw
plans that would build the first
phase of a West Carteret high
school for $800,000. “Maybe we
asked for too much,” Mr. Joslyn
observed. He expressed doubt
about “scaling off” anything that
they had hoped to include in the
first building phase.
To pat up a building for only
$800,000 would mean we would have
something there but it would be
New Port Director
Visits Here Today
James W. Davis, newly-ap
pointed director of North Car
olina State ports will visit More
head City port this morning. Ac
cording to the State Ports Au
thority, Mr. Davis is touring both
ports, Morehead City and Wil
mington.
He will begin his duties as
ports director Dec. 10. Since the
death last spring of D. Leon Wil
liams, the former ports director,
E. N. Richards, a member of the
SPA, has been serving as direc
tor.
Newport School
Observes AEW
Newport school observed Ameri
can Education Week last week with
special events at the school. Theme
of the observance was the Chal
lenge of Change in Education.
Parents attending the chapel pro
gram given by Mrs. Irma Quinn’s
second grade received blue and
white badges bearing the words,
“I have visited my school.”
Pupils in the elementary grades
made badges which were worn by
teachers and students throughout
the week. Written on the badges
were the words, American Educa
tion Week.
Winners of a poster contest were
Anna Murdoch and Janet Mizclle,
eighth graders; Susan Jones, ninth
grade, won second place; Donald
Long, eighth grade, third place;
Mrs. Cardellc Redman’s sixth
grade won fourth place, and Belin
da White, eighth grade, placed
fifth.
Winners of an essay contest, Edu
cation Makes a Better American,
were Diane Garner and Anna Mur
doch.
nothing we could put children in,
Mr. Joslyn said. He added, “If we
were sure the county board would
give us next year the same amount
as this year $500,000 for school con
struction and maintenance), we
could go head with our plans.’’
He said there is doubt as to what
the new county board of commis
sioners will want to do—go for a
bond issue and build two schools,
East and West, or continue on a
pay-as-you-go program.
Mr. Joslyn says the board of ed
ucation has 30 days in which to
either accept or reject the bids.
The board opened bids in the
education office, courthouse annex,
Beaufort.
The petition drafted by C. R.
Wheatly Jr., attorney for Repub
lican sheriff candidate Elmer D.
Willis, lists 15 reasons why the
elections board should declare Mr.
Willis winner of the election and
not sheriff Robert Bell.
The reasons:
1. By virtue of the vote Nov. 6 he
is entitled to be sheriff.
2. Demand for a recount was
made in an improper manner and
the ballot box of Beaufort precinct
was left in an office of the court
house on the early morning of Nov.
7 for some hours and it was not
known by the registrar who had a
key to the office.
3. No evidence of allegations of
foul play were presented by sher
iff Bell’s counsel during last Tues
day's hearing on whether there
should be a recount.
4. Ballot box at Otway precinct
was not under safekeeping of the
registrar after the election.
5. Williston precinct box was left
in a vacant store building where
anyone could get to it.
8. Marshallberg box was left in
the community building and not
under safekeeping of the registrar.
7. Only four boxes were impound
ed by the board of elections Nov. 7.
8. At the recount, the attorney for
.sheriff Bell removed ballots from
the box, then handed them to the
registrar of that precinct “and in
general, had general charge of the
recount procedure.”
9. The Beaufort precinct box pro
duced a change of 36 votes in fa
vor of Democratic candidate Bell
and ... is the result of an un
guarded box in an office controll
ed by workers and supporters for
the Democratic candidate Bell.
10. Poll book shows 1,083 people
voted in Morchead precinct No.
yet 1,093 ballots were in the be*
This “constitutes evidence of tam
pering with the box and justifies
a complete disqualification of the
precinct vote.”
11. As the result of the recount
in Beaufort precinct, Willis lost 24
votes, Bell gained 12, which indi
cates a removal of at least 12 bal
lots from the time the box was
counted and closed until the re
count took place.
12. Six absentee ballots were
counted in Morchead No. 2 precinct
24 hours after the close of the polls
and increased Bell’s vote by 5.
13. Ballot boxes are secured with
lock that almost any key could
open and slots were not sealed in
a manner prescribed by law.
14. Ballot boxes collected in the
eastern part of the county, for a
recount, were not picked up by an
elections board member who had
been appointed to do the job.
15. The more accurate count of
votes took place immediately upon
the closing of the polls Nov. 6. The
recount “fails to disclose the will
of the people.”
Chief Officer Named
William H. Potter, Beaufort, has
been elected to the office of presi
dent and chairman of the board
of Beaufort Fisheries, Inc., suc
ceeding his father, the late W. V.
B. Potter.
Philippine Bishop Welcomed
The Rt. Rev. Horatio Santa Maria, left, bishop of the Church of the Philippines, with the Rev. John
Broome, rector of the St. Paul’s Episcopal church in Beaufort. The bishop was guest at the church
over the weekend.
Young Churchmen of the Dio
cese of East Carolina met at St.
Paul’s Episcopal church, Beau
fort Saturday, with the Rt. Rev.
Horatio Santa Maria, bishop of
the Church of the Philippines, as
honor guest.
Milton Truckner
Elected Again
To Head Bureau
# Farm Bureau Meets
At Camp Glenn Friday
• Convention Delegate,
Officers Named
Milton Truckner, Stella, was re
elected president of the County
Farm Bureau at the annual meet
ing Thursday night at Camp Glenn
school.
Other officers elected were Ice
land Morris, Stella, vice-president;
Mrs. Kay Taylor, Beaufort' secre
tary; James 11. Davis, Beaufort,
treasurer; C. N. Stroud. Morehead
City, membership committee chair
man Y. Z. Simmons, Newport,
membership committee vice-chair
man.
Directors elected were Y. Z. Sim
mons, Newport; Kerney Merrill Jr.,
Beaufort; ,1. T. Oglesby, Crab
Point; Omcr Potter, Newport; C.
T. Garner, Newport; L. L. Hall,
Newport; and John Felton, Beau
fort.
Chief door prize, a turkey, went
to Mrs. Milton Truckncr. and sil
ver dollars went to the holders of
the other lucky tickets.
Mrs. Kay Taylor was selected to
be the county’s delegate to the
Farm Bureau national .onvention
in Atlanta, Ga., this December.
Speaker for the evening was Paul
Shackleford, district field represen
tative of the Farm Bureau. Mr.
Shackleford spoke on the Farm
Bureau, saying that the bureau is
tlie organized voice of American
agriculture. It is,the strongest and
'argest farm group in the world,
representing 1,600,000 farm fanii
, lies. Over 75 per cent of farm
group members belong to the Farm
Bureart, Mr. Shackleford stated,
making the bureau the most in
fluential national group on farm
legislation.
The county Farm Bureau was
commended for reaching and going
over its membership quota of 200.
Mr. Shackleford said that the coun
ty was among the first in the dis
trict to reach its goal.
Fire Quenched
Beaufort firemen went out on the
Lennoxville road Sunday shortly be
fore 1 p in. and extinguished a
grass fire.
Dr. John W. Morris Releases Letter
Written to Elections Board Member
Or. John W. Morris, Morchcad
City, has made public the letter
which he sent to Neal Cainpen,
Democratic member of the county
board of elections, prior to the
hearing on whether to recount the
sheriff’s vote.
Dr. Morris said quotations in Fri
day’s paper were not correct and
people have been left with a false
impression as to what the letter
said.
The Young Churchmen and
their adult advisors met to or
ganize plans for their annual
summer convention and other
events.
Delegates to the meeting came
from communities along the coast ,
Newport Hopes to Raise
$40,000 by January
Beginning tomorrow, N
gear its campaign to collect
center. To date, $2,Gf>0 has
Mrs. Seymour Rubin, publici
Thermometers will be pit
them will be registered progi
peeled to close in January. -1
Chairman of the fund-raising
committee is J. Stancil Bell. Com
mittee members are Nathan Gar
ner and Capt. John Holcomb.
Fund raising captains are Mrs.
Lucille K. Garner, Allen Elliott,
Wayne West, Clarence Millis, Mrs.
Margaret H. Garner, Mrs. Vera
Bailey.
Mrs. Alice Garner, Mrs. Ailene
Garner, Mrs. Lucy Roberts, Pres
ton Mann, Carlton Taylor, Bonner
Bell, Addison McCabe, Mrs. AI
stine Skinner, Mrs. Dora Carter,
Mrs. Cicero Taylor, Leon Weeks.
Approximately 30 persons have
agreed to act as co-captains, ac
cording to Mrs. Rubin.
Newport citizens decided to pro
ceed with construction of a medi
cal center and a search for a doc
tor following a survey by the
Sears Roebuck Foundation.
Purpose of the survey was to
evaluate the community and its
trade area as to medical habits,
economic potential and ability to
support a doctor. The foundation
states that in its work it has yet
to overestimate the economic po
tential of a community.
The survey shows that almost 50
per cent of Newport’s population
is under 21 years of age. about 25
per Cent are 21 to 39, slightly less
lhan 25 per cent are 40 to 59 and
slightly more than 6 per cent arc
over 60.
In a recent 12 months, 21.8 per
cent of the people in Newport and
vicinity were hospitalized. They
went" to hospitals in Morehead City,
Sea Level and New Bern.
In the same 12 months, there was
an estimated 10,325 separate ill
nesses which necessitated 10,325
visi'1 'i a lactor. This amounted
to an average of 34 patients a day
visiting doctors in Beaufort, More
head City, Newport, Sea Level and
New Bern, the report says.
To visit out-of-town doctors, New
port patients travel a total of 245,
984 miles annually. The foundation
estimates that over a 12-month
period expenditures for inocula
tions and office calls total $56,907;
medical expenditures $27,675, ex
penditures for gas and oil for driv
ing to and from doctor offices, $4,
537, or a total of $69,119.
When visiting doctors in those
(Sec CENTER Pg. 2)
| The letter, which was delivered
to Mr. Campen in the courthouse
immediately prior to the Tuesday
hearing, follows:
November 11, 1962
Mr. Neal Campen, Member
Carteret County Board of Elections
Beaufort, North Carolina
Dear Neal:
There has been a great deal, of
talk for the past couple of days in
Morehcad regarding the recount on
from Elizabeth City to Wilming
ton. They comprised officers of
the organization and the group’s
planning body. Clergymen from
each of the three districts-in the
diocese accompanied the dele
gates.
ewport is putting into high
$40,000 to build a medical
been pledged, according to
ty chairman.
iced throughout Newport. On
ess of the drive, which is ex
Federal Crop
Insurance Now
Available Here
By R. M. WILLIAMS
Agricultural Agent
Actual work and other legal re
quirements are just about complete
for you to begin to make applica
tions for your federal crop insur
ance for 1963.
County growers are now being
contacted. Tobacco producers in
this county will be served from the
first floor of the postoffice building
in New Bern. Reid Smith is the
supervisor. R. L. Pipkin will also
assist with the work here in this
county.
It is suggested that tobacco grow
ers not wait to be contacted about
the tobacco insurance program, but
that you go to the New Bern Of
fice and make application. Mrs. Ce
lia Holton holds office hours from
8:30-12 Noon and from 1-4:30 p.m.
The insurance protection was
greatly increased in the eastern
area of the state last year. After
spending long hard hours of labor
to produce a crop of tobacco, it can
be lost by excessive rains in a
short period of time.
Already tobacco producers are
seeking an assignment of their all
risk plan for credit that they are
obtaining from banks, production
credit associations, Fanners Home
administration -and other lending
agencies.
All policies essentially cover the
investment in the crop, including
the farmer’s labor and hired labor
necessary for the production of
a crop.
This type of federal crop insur
ance also covers cotton and pea
nuts and there has been some talk
of including vegetable growers.
This is the first year that federal
crop insurance is being offered to
our tobacco growers. Growers re
quested this type of crop insurance
following the extensive damage to
their tobacco after excessive rains
last June.
the sheriff’s race. In order to clear
any doubt in the minds of both the
members of the Democratic and
Republican parties it is my feel
ing that there certainly should be
a recount of the four precincts
where the votes were impounded,
namely Morehead No. 1 and No. 2,
Newport and Beaufort.
A close vote such as occurred in
this race always leaves doubts
which spawn rumors and for the
sake of all concerned it would ap
pear that the people in charge of
the precincts would have no ob
jections whatsoever to having the
votes recounted. In all probability
it will still come out practically
the same, but. because of the large
number of tickets which were split,
because of the large number of
candidates, and because of the ref
erendums which were being voted
on at the same time, it certainly
appears that some errors could
have occurred even without any
intent.
Speaking as a member of the
Democratic Party and one who is
concerned solely with good govern
ment in our County, I urge you to
please vote with Charles Willis to
have a recount in the four precincts
mentioned above. Your coopera
tion will be greatly appreciated by
every fair-minded citizen in the
County.
Sincerely yours,
John W. Morris, M.D.
Dr. Morris, in a statement to
THE NEWS-TIMES Sunday, said
he couldn’t sec why there was ob
jection to a recount, but after the
results of the recount were an
nounced, he could understand why
there had been objection.
Letters to the editor pertaining
to recent developments in the coun
ty were received by THE NEWS
TIMES over the weekend. Because
today’s editorial page went to press
Friday, the letters will appear in
this coming Friday’s paper. The
paper will go to press Wednesday
night, doe to the Thanksgiving holi
day.