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A' WEtlKLY NEWSPAPER DEMOTED TO THE UPBUILDING OF HERTFORD AND PERQUIMANS COUNTY;
Volume IIL Number 1.
Hertford, Perquimans County, North Carolina, Friday, January 3, 1936.
$1.25 Per Year
M
FILLING STATION
OPERATOR JAILED
ONARSONCHARGE
Claude Chappell Con
fesses That He Set
Fire to Building
BONETil500
Charlie Wilder Charged
With Beinb Accessory
After the Fact
- Having signed a statement to the
effect that he set fife to the Shell
Service Station near Delight Nixon
Fork, on the Hertford-Edenton High
way on Christmas morning, Claude
Chappell, nineteen years old, is held
in jail for trial at the April term of
Perquimans Superior Court
Young Chappell, who is an orphan,
was not represented by counsel when
.aV. he appeared in Recorder's "Court on
Tuesday, and neither was he attended
by a friend or relative, but sat alone.
When his case was called he answered
that he would waive the preliminary
hearing.
Charlie Wilder, who was arrested
at the time that Chappell was placed
under arrest, and who was at liberty
under bond, was given a hearing by
Judge Walter H. Oakey, Jr., with At
torney J. B. McMullan, of Elizabeth
City, conducting the case. Wilder
was held for Superior Court upon the
charge ef being an accessory after
the fart, end bond was fixed in the
sum of a thousand dollars. Mr. Wil
der's bondsmen were his father, Clay
ton Wilder, J. W. Nowell, G. W.
Nowell and W. B. Jordan.
The bond of Chappell, formerly set
at twenty-five hundred dollars, was
reduced by Judge Oakey to fifteen
hundred dollars, but at this writing
the bond had not bn furnished.
Claude Chappell Mi for a year and
a half been operating he service sta
tion, which was owned by the "Wins
low Oil Company, with J. Emmett
Winslow, who is also sheriff of Per
quimans County, as manager. Things
had not been going so well of late
and young Chappell had been told by
Mr. Winslow that the station would
be taken away from him on January
first. Early Christmas morning it
was reported to Sheriff Winslow that
his station had been burned down.
Charlie Wilder, who had been em
ployed by Claude Chappell to assist
him at the station over the week
ends, saw Mr. Winslow early Christ
mas morning and told him that he
and Chappell had retired around 2:30
and had I ten awakened by a noise
around 4 o'clock, to find the station
on fire. He gave details of how he
helped Chappell remove his clothing
from the burning building after he
had finished . putting on his clothes
while standing on the road.
Later on Mr. Wilder told Mr. Wins
low practically the same story. But
Saturday night, after questioning,
Wilder agreed to tell the truth and
told a different story, later signing
the statement and swearing to the
same before officers.
In this statement Wilder . stated
that Chappell told hjm "I am going
to fire the station if I go to hell for
it." He said Chappell went outside
but returned with Carroll Hill, who
had come to the station, that after a
while Hill stated he believed he would
spend the night, and that Chappell
told him he couldn't . because, he,
Chappell, and Wilder were coming to
town to get something to eat. Subse
quently, Hill left the, station, and
shortly thereafter Chappell went out
side again and this time when he re
turned he brought a bucket contain
in? gasoline and said, "I am going to
fire the station." He then turned off
the. draft to the stove and blew out
the" light of the lamp. Wilder went
outside arid said he heard the oil be
ing poured on the floor and saw. the
flash of the fire, , They stood outside
for a while and watched the fire get
under way and then they went Inside
and saved Chappell'a V clothing and
bed clothes. ' Then he said Chappell
""remarked that he guessed" they .had
better go and call Sandy Felton and
ask him- to come and help put out the
fire because it would look better,
which was done, but the station
burned down. f , .
fe Chappell also later ..confessed that
reason that he owed a lot of "money
K and he thought that If he burned
v t ' " "eyjarything ;Up the ; people would let
" jf "jfim alone.'? There "was no insurance
2 & on -the burned t property, which was
lp!.rff .. . . . 1- M L V.3.J
vaiuea as iweive wiuuiwaiiiiuiuiw
f dollars.
X Winds carried $25,000,006 worth of
fertiW soil from Texas to Nebraska
Kin one year. . '
Rev. D. S. Dempsey
Announces Subjects
Rev. D. S. Dempsey, pastor of
the Hertford Baptist Church, an
nounces the following subjects on
which he will preach next Sunday:
At the morning service the sub
ject is "New Paths."
In the evening a Candle Light
ing Service will be held.
The' Sunday evening service is
short and should bring a message
to all present, both young and old,
said Mr. Dempsey this week.
Key. Miss Bertha Smith
Marries Belvidere Man
Of interest to their many friends
was the wedding of the Rev. Miss.
Bertha V. Smith, former pastor of the
Piney Woods Friends Church, and F.
C. White, prominent farmer and busi
ness man of Belvidere, which took
place on Monday, December 23, at
Belvidere.
The Friends ceremony was used
and prayer was offered by the Rev.
Hugh White of Winston-Salem.
The out-of-town guests who wit
nessed the marriage and attended the
dinner given after the ceremony in
cluded the bride's ' parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Daniel Smith, of Asheboro, Mr.
and Mrs. Kemp Smith of Reidsville,
Dr. Myrtle Smith and Daniel gmith
of Friendsville, Tenn., and Rev. and
Mrs. Hugh White, of Greensboro and
others.
Howell-Whitehead
Wedding Thursday
A marriage of interest to their
many friends throughout the county
took place on Thursday afternoon,
December 26, when Miss Delsie Mae
Whitehead became the bride of Mr
Julian C. Howell.
The ceremony took place at the
home of Rev. A. A. Butler and Mrs.
Butler, in Hertford, with Mr. Butler
officiating.
The briae Is the attractive daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Whitehead,
wh lives near Belvidere. She is a
graduate of East Carolina Teachers
College, Greenville, and has taught i:
the Perquimans Schools for the past
several years. At present she is
teaching at Beech Spring.
The bridegroom, a prominent yuong
farmer, is a son of W. F. Howell, who
lives near Beech Spring. The young
couple are very popular with a wide
circle of friends.
Ace-Deuce Club Meets
Monday In New Hope
The Ace-Deuce Contract Club met
Monday evening at the home of Mrs.
R. R. Perry in New Hope. After the
progressions, high' score prize was
awarded to Mrs. J. W. Jackson.
The hostess, assisted by Miss Car
men Perry, served delicious refresh
ments to the following' players: Mrs.
J. W. Jackson, Mrs. C. B. Goodman,
Mrs. E. M. Perry, Mrs. Wm. Divers,
Mrs. M. M. Spivey, Mrs. R. R. Perry,
Miss Rebecca Webb and Miss Laura
Wood Goodman.
Dr. And Mrs. Skinner
Entertain Newlyweds
. An interesting social event of the
holiday season was the reception giv
en by Dr. and Mrs. J. J. Skinner on
Thursday evening from five to nine
at their country home near Hertford,
to Mr. and Mrs. , Frank Brightwell'
Skinner following' their wedding in
the afternoon. The old colonial house
which has been the scene of many en- j
joyable social events , since pre-Civil
War days was appropriately decorat
ed with tJhristmas candles, holly and
evergreen. About 70 friends of the
families were present to extend good
wishes to the,young couple. !
The maid of honor, Miss Charlotte
Nixon', and Misses Edith Blount Skin
ner, Leigh Skinner J and Elizabeth
Caddy, served a" buffet supper plate
among .the guests as they assembled
around the coffe table to ; be served
by Mrs. T. J. Nixon, Sr.; while others
congregated - in the dining room,
cheered by the old-time Yule log. fire,
to enjoy the traditional - Christmas
egg-nog 'and delicacies served by Mr.
Irvin Nixon, who was 'assisted by Mr.
Joshua w Skinner, the , bridegroom's
best ' man, and the ushers, Messrs.
Herbert Nixon,; Ned Nixon and Jesse
Perry. r? .' ; 4 r . 1 ' ' " 1 '
t:1, T;S iNHOSPltAt'-,
Mrs. C. OV White, tit Route One, Is
a patient at the Albemarle Hospital,
in Elizabeth City, : here " she was
taken on Friday, . K . r '
CHICK BURNETTE
SETS TRAP BUT IT
DOES NOT WORK
Results In a Sentence
Twice as Long as His
Victim
DOUBLE-CROSSED
Two Involved In Theft
Of 1000 Pounds of
Sugar
Caught, in a trap he had laid for
another, Chick Burnette drew a sen
tence of twice the length of that im
posed upon his partner in Recorder's
Court on Tuesday.
Chick Burnette, well-known colored
character and alleged bootlegger, a
repeater on the court docket, having
been charged with many unlawful
acts, convicted of more than one and
having now a case pending on appeal
to Superior Court involving violation
of the liquor laws, was also under a
suspended sentence for liquor law
violation.
Chick became over zealous in turn
ing up another man for stealing
sugar from the warehouse of Reed &
Felton on Sunday night His sudden
respect for law and order looked su
spicious on the face of it, and a state
ment made by the defendant resulted
in Judge Walter H. Oakey, Jr., order-3
ing Chick s name added to the war--rant
in the case of Norvel Lee Mackey
which was being tried.
It seems that on Sunday night
Chick reported to Officer M. G. Owens
that Mackey had appoached him with
an offer to sell him some sugar,
which he contemplated stealing, and
later Chick led the officer to the va
cant house on Grubb Street where a
thousand pounds of sugar had been
placed, ten one-hundred-pound bags.
Mackey was smoking a cigarette-as
he stood guard oyer the sugar when
the officer accompanied by Chick ar
rived. Mackey was led away to jail,
of course, and Chick went blithely on
his way. -V
Came the trial, and the officer went
on. the stand and told the story.
Mackey, unrepresented by counsel,
had plead guilty, but he took the oath
and made a statement on the stand.
He testified that Chick Burnette ap
proached him and asked him to take
part in a "deal," told him where he
could get the sugar, and they made
their plans. Then he said he went
with Chick to the warehouse, and that
Chick crawled under the warehouse
and through a hole in the floor, and
he followed, and that he carried out
five bags and Chick carried five. He
said after the sugar was placed in
the vacant house Chick told him to
stay there and he would go and get
Sidney to move the sugar. When Chick
returned, instead of coming in Sid
ney's car, he brought Officer Owens
Later he said Chick went to the jail
and told him not to say anything, or
they would get him in it too.
Chick Burnette was vehement in his
denial of any participation in ih
theft "He aint got good sense and
acts like he is crazy," said Burnette
of Mackey
Asked why he was so anxious 4o
turn Mackey up, he said, "Because
everything that is done around here
is blamed on me and I don't do noth
ing." 11 aint stole no sugar," hr
said, "if I has I hope God will knock
my brains out"
Mackey was asked if he had eve1
had any trouble with Chick, and hp
owned that he and "Coast Line" stolr
about five gallons of Chick's liquor.
Presumably, Chick was getting even
for that.
."Don't you know that IVe got too
much sense to lead the law to it if '
had stole the sugar?" he exclaimed.
Chick was given two years on th
roads, with a suspended sentence or
dered, to run concurrently wih ttf
sentence, and Mackey drew a one-yea-
sentence.
The sugar was ordered turned over
to the owner, T. L. Jessup.
Mrs. Loan Improving
After Spraining Ankle
Mrs. Eatherine Loan sustained a
badly sprained ankle on Friday of
last week when , Bhe slipped in thje
back yard of the residence of her
daughter, ; Mrs. E, ; Jf Broughton
where 'she makes her home.' v
'. Mrs. Loan was at first confined to
her bed as a result of the fall, but
her condition is improving and she is
now able to sit up. , . ,
The chief essentials in keeping
tree's growing fast keep out fire and
allow humus or woods litter, to collect
on the ground. ; " 4 " , -.
DR
BUTLER WILL
LEAVE
HERTFORD
FOR GREENSBORO
Popular Dentist's Inten
tiois Made Known at
Rotary Meeting
CLUB PRESIDENT
Dr. John Zachary Will
Replace Dr. Butler
In Hertford
The announcement that Dr. Luther
H. Butler, Hertford's popular dentist,
is to leave Hertford to make his
home at Greensboro, was made by Dr.
Butler at the meeting of the Rotary
Club on Tuesday evening, and was
received with expressions of deep
regret
An immediate- motion was made
and carried that a special program
be given in honor of Dr. Butler at the
last meeting of the club at which he
expects to be present, on January 14.
The committee . appointed to prepare
the program includes Walter H.
Oakey. Jr.. C. P. Morris and A. W.
Hefren. , .
Dr. Butler, 'who 'is president of the
Rotary Club, did -not make his an
nouncement until the close of the
program, which included a very im
pressive address by the Rev. D. S
f$anpey pastor of the Hertford Bap-
list Church, and a humorous reading
by Mattie Lister White.
With evident emotion, Dr. Butler
expressed regret at severing the ties
which he has formed in Hertford, and
particuuarly with the members of the
Rotary Club.
In reference to what Rotary has
meant to him during the years that
he has been associated with the mem
bers of the club, Dr. Butler said it
was impossible to express. "I know
that I have known some of you dif
ferently because we were Rotarians,"
he said, "and I know I think of you
diffrentiy because of that. I feel
closer to you from my association
with you, and it has meant more to
me. than I could possibly say." Re
marking that his plan to locate in
Greensboro was one of long standing
and that he had thought about the
matter and had known that he would
hate to leave Hertford and his
friends, he said, "But I didn't know
how hard it was going to be, Hertford
looks better to me now than it has
ever looked before."
Dr. John W. Zachary, of Yadkins
ville, is coming to Hertford on the
15th of the month, and will occupy
the officers now occupied by Dr. But
ler. Dr. Zachary was a class mate
of Dr. Butler's in college. His family
consists of himself and wife and a
seven-year-Old son.
Dr. Butler, who is a native of
Athens, Ga., has successfully practic
ed his profession in Hertford for the
past eight years. Possessing an un
usually attractive personality and the
rare ability to make friends and keep
them, Dr. Butler has identified him
self with the people of the commun
ity in such a way that his loss will be
keenly felt.
Since the death of Dr. J. L. Leg
gett, in October, Dr. Butler has been
the only dentist in Hertford.
H. A. Whitley Accepts
Position In Edenton
H. A. Whitley, who has for a num
ber of years been associated with the
Hertford Hardware & Supply Com
pany, has severed his connection with
that firm, and has accepted a position
with the Byrum Bros. Hardware Com
pany in Edenton.
The Whitleys are very popular in
Hertford, both from a business stand
point and socially. That the family
do not contemplate immediate remov
al of their residence to Edenton, was
stated by Mr. Whitley this week, but
such a step is probable ultimately.
Miss Kay Broughton
Honored At Duke
Miss Kay Broughton, of Hertford,
who isa student at Duke University,
has the distinction of being one of
the. 87 North Carolina students hold
ing 120 elective officers in 70 of the
145 student organizations on the twe
campuses Of the local institution, ac
cording to the directory of student ac
tivities recently compiled.
North Carolina leads the 35 states
and one foreign country represented
by the 422 student leaders listed in
the directory. -
' Miss Broughton, who spent the hol
idays with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
E. J. Broughton, is proctor in Bassett
Dormitory for women.
Schools Of County
Open On Monday
The Perquimans County schools
will not open until Monday. The
schools were scheduled to open on
Wednesday, but, due to the very
disagreeable weather conditions,
the opening was postponed.
Superintendent F. T. Johnson
and Mrs. Johnson, who spent
Chrigtmas with relatives at San
ford and other points, returned
home on Tuesday, when Mr. John
son announced that the schools
would not open until Monday.
Gets 12 Months For
Theft Of Chickens
Three headless bodies were found,
and though the heads of eight of the
slaughtered victims were exhibited
in court, no trace wad found of the
other five chickens. The three found
were turned over to C. A. Cooke, the
owner. Nobody knows what became
of the other five. There were five,
because eight heads were found at
the spot where they had been wrung
off. Somebody enjoyed a good chick
en dinner, but Will Denis Harrell, the
colored man convicted in Recorder's
Court on Tuesday of the theft, did
not share in the feast.
Mr. Cooke, who lives at the ex
treme southern end of Church Street,
has lots of chicken?.. He has missed
many of them lately. During the
month of September around 60 of
his flock disappeared, and nobody
knew the nature of their going. Mr.
Cooke said so long as only one or two
disappeared at a time he didn't at
tempt to do anything about it, but
when he missed twelve on Monday
morning, and saw tracks in the snow
leading from his chicken house door,
and the door not properly fastened,
he notified Police Officer J. T. Britt.
Mr. Britt followed the tracks to a
point in the rear of the premises
where there was a huge red stain on
the snow. Realising this was where
the bloody deed was done, he looked
about and found eight chicken heads
where they had been thrown, some
tenfeet away in the weeds. Clearly
outlined in the snow were blood drops
which lead from the spot straight to
the home of Will Denis Harrell. In
side the house was found a tub of
feathers. Will Denis produced three
dressed chickens. He bought them,
he said, that morning, between 7 and
8 o'clock and paid 35 cents for the
three.
The story didn't hold water and
Will Denis was given twelve months
on the roads.
Two sets of tracks had led from
the chicken house door but Will Denis
has made no statement which could
involve any one else. The man he
says he bought them from has not
been seen for a day or two.
Yeopim Congregation
Pounds Pastor Butler
Rev. A. A. Butler and Mrs. Butler
were given a most bountiful "pound
ing" on Christmas Eve, when the
members of Yeopim Baptist Church,
of which Mr. Butler is pastor, pre
sented the couple with gifts of all
kinds of good things to eat. There
was a quantity of staple and fancy
groceries, as well as much fine can
ned friuts and vegetables, pickles ano"
preserves.
Newlyweds Honored
By Shower Tuesday
A miscellaneous shower was given
in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Ackiss Gre
gory, of Woodville, Tuesday evening,
at the home of Miss Myrtle Ownley.
Mrs. Gregory before her recent mar
riage was Miss Geneva Ownley.
The bride was presented with :
large basket filled with many beauti
ful and useful gifts.
The hostess, assisted by her sister,
Mrs. E. C. Spruill, of Norfolk, Va.
served delicious fruit salad and cake
All enjoyed cutting the bride's
cake: Miss Frances Williams cut the
dime, and Mrs. Rebecca Harris the
ring.
Those present were: Mr. and Mrs
Askiss Gregory, Mrs. Wilson Sivils.
Mrs. Rebecca Harris, Mrs. Johnnie
Gregory, Mrs. Joe H. Gregory, Mrs
George Gregory, Mrs. George Saw
yer, of Elizabeth City, Mrs. Mary
Bray, Mrs. Bertha Whitehead, Mrs.
G. W. Alexander, Mrs. J. C. Wilson
Mrs. R. L. Perry, Mrs. Cora Ownley,
Mrs. C. E. Spruill, of Norfolk, Va
Mrs. Travis Nurney, Mrs. W. W,
Simpson, C A. Ownley, Misses Mar-
jorie Spruill, Myrtle Ownley, Alcesta
Whitehead, Ruth R. Wilson, Etts
Simpson, Sarah Louise Jackson, Attie
Bray, Mabel Whitehead, Frances Wil
iliams, Louise Wilson, Lassie Jackson,
I and Margaret Perry,
LABORATORYFOR
SOIL ANALYSIS
REMAINS HERE
Reed & Felton Named
Distributors For East
ern Fertilizers
LARGE STOCK
J. M. Newbold In Charge
Of Analysis Service
For Farmers
A reorganization of the old East
ern Cotton Oil Company, which for
many years owned and operated a
large plant in Hertford, and which
sold its holdings in Hertford to the
Southern Cotton Oil Company last
year, has resulted in not only a
change in the name of the company
to that of Eastern Fertilizer Corpor
ation, but in a change in the business,
which, as the new name implies, will
deal exclusively in fertilizer.
Hertford will be headquarters for
the sale of the Eastern's fertilizers in
this territory, with Reed & Felton as
distributors, and the chemical labora
tory will remain in Hertford.
The old Eastern Cotton Oil Com
pany maintained fertilizer plants in
connection with the oil mill and cot
ton business, with plants at Norfolk,
Va., Elizabeth City, Fayetteville,
Goldsboro, Freemont, Roxboro and
Petersburg, Va.
T. B. Sumner, representing the Eli
zabeth City branch of the business,
who has charge of this territory,
stated this week that Reed & Felton,
as distributors for Perquimans and
Chowan counties, will keep in their
Hertford warehouses a complete line
of the goods manufactured by his
company, including all the old adver
tised brands, 4-8-4, 3-8-3, 3-10-3,
4-7-5, soda, lime and land plaster,
for the convenience of the local
farmers.
Mr. Sumner also stated that he
was pleased to announce that the
chemical laboratory serving all of the
fertilizer plants of his company, with
J. M. Newbold in charge, which for a
number of years had been located
here, would remain here, and that the
soil analysis service inaugurated last
year and which proved to be so help
ful to farmers in determining the
proper kind and amount of fertilizer
for various crops, would be continued-
Shower Held In
Honor Bride-to-Be
Mrs. Purvis Chappell was hostess
at a miscellaneous shower on Wed
nesday evening honoring Miss Lil
lian Hendren.
The room was' beautifully decorated
in Christmas colors, red and green.
Several games and Chrtstmas con
tests were played, Misses Mattie Hen
dren and Gladys Chappell winning
the prizes which they in turn gra
ciously presented the honoree.
Near the closing hour Miss Hen
dren wa s called to the door to receive
a telegram which told her to follow a
string. She did this, and at the end
of the string found a huge basket,
beautifully decorated and filled with
beautiful and attractive gifts. These
were opened and much admired.
The hostess served fruit and candy
to the following: Mr. and Mrs. Curtis
Chappell, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond
Dail, Mesdames Carroll Ward, Lin-
wood Chappell, Elbert Chappell, and
Walter Chappell; Misses Thelma Bac
cus, Agnes Ward, Mattie Hendren,
Sybil, Hilda, Cassie, Gladys and Ge
neva Chappell, Margaret and Marie
Raper; Messrs. Robert and Kenneth
Hendren, Galie, Thomas and Harvey
Chappell.
New Furniture Store
Located In Hertford
A new furniture business in Hert
ford is one of the developments of
the new year.
Tom Byrum, who for the past
twelve months has been conducting a
second-hand furniture business1 here,
is opening up a new store and expects
to deal in new household furnishings
as well as old.
The new store is located in the
Ford Automobile Building, with half
of the former Bhow room of the auto
mobile company being utilized, and
stock rooms on the second floor of the
building will be used.
The business was formerly conduct
ed in the old Chrysler Automobile
Building, corner Grubb and Front
Streets, which place is now occupied
by the Grocery Sales Company. . :
Y