EATHER LUfOULja OCJSPHY S G COUP April H T( R OA 76 44 0 IS 77 90 0 79 96 (US 90 79 55 0 May M J| A The Cherokee Scout " ? "? AndClay County Progress Fair, Friday Incraaaiag CloiaMaaa wl* akooora by Friday ntgbt. Fair/1 Volume 72 - Number 40 Murphy, North Carolina, Thursday. May 3. 1962 12 Pages This Week polished Weekly MURPHY BAND NBARS GOAL ? Mr*. Ed Brumby, chairman of (ha Murphy to Main bmd trip finance committee la ehown presenting Holland McSwain. superintendent of the Murphy Schools, a chock for several hundred dollars which brings the amount close to the goal of $800. Band director Bd Reynolds Is shown at center. Others serving with Mrs. Brumby on foe finance committee were Mrs. Francis Bourne, Jr.. Mrs. Hobart McKeever, Mrs. H. A. Mattox, Mrs. W. T. Brown. Mrs. Holland McSwain, and Mrs. W. A. Singleton. The band will receive free lodging and meals during their stay in Columbt, N. C. "Dm Lindsay Warren Bridge dedication committee will pay for one half of the travel expenses of ths Murphy Band to Man too. (Scout Photo) Walter Puett, Disqualified GOP Candidate For Mayor, Resigns High School Job Walter Puett, principal Murphy High School, has i mined hie resignation g> ma Murphy Board of Education af fective at the expiration of this school year. The resignation was re ceived by the Board of Education last Thursday night, April 26. The board had met a> renew contracts (or the 1962-63 school year. The board vomd un animously to accept Mr. Puna's resignation. H. A. Manas, chairman of the school bo aid, said It Is his optnon the board accapmd Pus it's resignation In the beet Interest of Murphy High School. Puett was a Candidas lor Mayor on the disqualified Re publican ticket in the Murphy Town election set (orTuesday May S. In a prepared statement, Puett said, "Many o( my friends have ashed me, "Why did you resign as Principal of Murphy High School?" In order to avoid any misunder standing, I take this op portunity to clarify my decision." "No one suggested or even Intimated that it would be advisable (or me to resign. I reached this decision entirely on my own. My resignation ??ead as follows In a letter to Holland McSwaln, Superinten dent, Murphy City Schools. 1 submit this resignation as Principal of Murphy High School to be affective at the aspiration of my current con tract. It has been a rich and re warding experience to serve under your atgtervlslon. I thank you for your wise counsel and advice through various problems. I fully ap preelate your cooperation red guidance In our mutual efforts to Improve the educational op portunities for our students. mere u auDstanuai enwncv that progress toward quality education has been made con stantly. Please express mypereonal regards to the members ofthn Board of Education (or their dedicated services to Murphy City Schools. Signed - Walter R. Pubs. "I was sincere In every statement made aad wotdd make the same at tkls time," Puea added. "For fifteen years, I have enjoyed a most unique favor which very few people have had opportunity to enjoy. In short, I have bean employed by die duly ^polamd offlcals of a political party opposite e my registered party rf filadon. 1 feel that man who have must have beet many times about hair de cision by patrons of our school. In fact I quote a so meat made by one of men soon rfter 1 was < " B the principals Ms of I phy High School. "He made *e statement, 'Cotfd you board members not have done better for our school than to elect a Republican *> head It." doee friend of my wife's family, Mr. Puafi said. "These man have eerved the In meet of Murphy Schools for many years without pay. They have heen WALTER R. PUETT educational problems and en Joys his utmost confidence and then as Mayor at 3:30 p.m. judges his brother for being drunk on the previous night. This could lead to unpleasant or embarrassing relation ships between the student and principal. Such would save rely handicap the principal In his efforts to serve the best In terests of students. I am con fldent of die fact that the members of the Board of Edu cation for Murphy City Schools accepted my resignation In what they considered the best Interest of Murphy High School, Puett said. "I have always been an Independent In my thinking and voting. In fact; to my em barrassment, I misled the party, whose ticket I headed, by telling them that I was registered as a Republican, when In fact I had been re gistered as an Independent since November 12, 1955, on die city registration list. I did not know that two re gistration lists were maintained. In fact. I went to vote for candidate Sanford and was informed that I could not cast a ballot and be re gistered as I was. I fully In tended to register as a Democrat the next time the books were open in order to correct this situation. Before that time arose, I was com mitted to support a party," Puea added. "Now that there are no Republicans on the ticket, 1 feel free to revert to my in dependent thinking as a voter. In the future I Intend to vote for the man that 1 consider best qualified to serve the interests of the people. I ex press sincere regrets for my errors and whole - hearted thanks to the fine workers who so enthusiastically sup ported the cause to which 1 aspired," Puea said. Golf Club Gets More Members The propoaed Murphy - Andrews golf club member ship drive met with good results during the past week as nine named were added to the list from Andrews. This brought the list to an unofficial total of 59 members, 49 from Murphy one from Hayesvllle, and nine from Andrews. Added to the list this week were: W. D. Whitaker (BUI), Dr. Charles O. Van Gorder, Dr. Floyd E. Blalock. Lee Nichols, Joe - El Kbourl, Edgar Wood, Jim Baker, Eric Relchman. and Joe Parker, aU from Andrews. Correction to last weeks Ust - Davis BSSO servlcenter (Boyd and L. C.Davis)Instead of Elsie Davis. Murphy Election Tuesday; GOP Ticket Disqualified The announced Republican indldiB for mayor In the bwn of Murphy election eet ir Tuesday. May 8. has been sclared disqualified by the orth Carolina Attorney Gen ral. Walter Puett, a agists red Independent on the own of Murphy registration soke, can not run for mayor n the Republican debet ac ordlng to a telegram from ?a Attorney General received y H. W. Hughes, Chairmen of te Cherokee County Board of lections. This leaves the Democratic ichet unopposed. L. L.Mason s the Demcrat Incumbent can Udate for Mayor. Democrat' ncumbent council men are ; rands Bourne, Jr., John Jordan. W. A. Singleton and Hloe Moore. New coiners are lerry Hatched and Kenneth Jodfrey. In other poUdcal action, Charlie Crain, Sr. an an ?unced Republican candidate 'or councilman, has withdrawn tiy letter to the Cherokee Hoistty Board of Elecdons. The Cherokee County Board sf Elections requested this ruling from the Attorney General. The telegram advised that "under charter 278 session laws of 1949, dcy election of Murphy la partisan election. Persons registered as In dependent elector can not law fully file notice of candldecy to run as candidate for any particular party. Persons re gistered as lndepeadant can not be candidate for mayor on either Democratic or Republican ticket and no such filing should be accepted by board of elections." SlgnedT. W. Burton, Attorney General, by Ralph Moody, Assistant Attornav-General. The attorney general's decision was based on the special election laws for the Town of Murphy which requires a party convention. A registered member of a party at the filing deadline la not eligible to be a candidate for another party according to these special laws. In the case of Mr. Puett. these laws fit the situation perfectly. H?dMr.Puett re-registered as a Republican prior to the filing deadline then he would have been a qualified candidate. Although his name can not appear on the ballot; he is still eligible to run ss s write-in candidate. Mr. Puett Is a registered Republican on the county re gistration books. The law requires that each party desiring to run can didates in municipal elections in Murphy must bold a con vention on or before April 10 elect a chairmen, vice-chair men and secretary and name candidates. It further requires that the secretary within two days, must certify the candidates with the county board of elections, giving the dam of the convention. inH!?,>M MM that on April 10 the following list of can didates was given to him by J. Doyle Burch, chairman of the Charokoa Coiany Ra publican executive committee: Waller R. Puett for mayor and Richard A. Howell. Virgil O'Dell, Don Ramsey, Charles Craln, Mrs. W, M. Fain and Hayes Dockary for com missioners. He said the names were not certified by an authorized per son and that no dais for a convention was given. He also reported that B> the best of Ms knowledge the Republicans had not held such a convention. J. Doyle Burch, Cherokee County GOP Chairman, said the Republicans did hold a convention. He gave no dam. Under provision of the same law the election must be held with space provided on ballots for write-in candidates. The letter received by H. W. Hughes from the North Carolina Attorney General's office is as follows: for the TownSiOTTirpffy as Republican candidates for Mayor and Board of Com missioners. We have already ruled on the status of Walter R. Puett, who appears on the regis tration books as being regls ered as an Independent, and you state that Charles Crain, Sr. has advised you that ha is not a candidate for election as a member of the Board of Commissioners. Chapter 278 of the Session Laws of 1949 was drafted in the office of the Attorney Gen eral and represents an attempt by means of legislation to establish a partisan municipal election for the Town of Mur phy, and it contemplates that all candidates shall be nom inated In party conventions, and the nominees in the coo be certified to the County Board of Election*. In Section 4 of the Act It 14 required that where a con vention la called by apolitical party the convention a hall determine Its own order and procedure" except that the convention shall elect a sec retary who shall keep faithful and accurate minutes of the proceedings of the con vention." (Con't To Col Six Back Page) '\ by Btad Morgan e CIRCUS WINNER: In "Off the Cuff" last week I promised to give a free circus ticket for the Rescue Squad circus on May 14 to the first person aLMUUMBlH will be helping (he i school ? ? ? SMILE OP THE WBBK: Sign ehould.be In some of i s establish for their eh been watching you. do work here?" N. C. GEOGRAPHY: Jack " old In his old book col don has i copy erf the Mai te Geography for schools, at Hartford, Conn, i 1836. The 126 year old book [iarizes North Carolina sties B> Include: Number counties In state, 62; Gold ; main Industry employ - 15,000 to 20,000 people, rinliilng $1 million to $5 million annually. Raleigh la capital; population of Raleigh, 1,700; Largest Town In stats - New Bern, population 3,800. No False Advertising Here: With all the advertising on T. V. these days on products with a lifetime guarantee It brings to mind this little thought: Alcatraz Is the name of a real pen with the lifetime guarantee. ? ? ? MUSIC TO MY EARS: Mur phy High School Band will give a concert at the Hayesvllle School auditorium tonight. Lets all go and support our band. The proceeds will be -used to help finance the trip ID Mane to. See you there! Murphy Band Plays At Hayesvllle The Murphy School Band will present a concert at the Hayesvllle School auditorium Thursday night. May 3 at 8:00 pjn. Admission will be 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for chlltfoen. Proceeds will be used to finance the band's trip m Man too next week. I BIGGEST PIKE - Lee Thomas of Murphy proudly holds high Hie 31 inch wall-eyed pike be caught Sunday, April 29, la Hlwassee River just below the Town of Murphy filter plant. The fish weighed 7 lbs. ISoz. Thomas said he wes fishing from a boat and used alls broken back plug. He caught six other pike, all weighing around a pound and a half apelce.(ScoutPhom) Republican Convention Is Saturday The Cherokee County Republican Convention will be held Saturday, afternoon. May 5, at 2:30 p.ra. at the Chero kee County Courthouse In Murphy. The purpose of the conven tion Is to elect county candidates to run in the November elections. Candidates for sheriff, state representative, county com missioners,