" r 1 V J V)
WE
EICLY
iniiQfl .
AJVEEKDY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE UPBUILDING OF HERTFORD AND PERQUIMANS COUNTY.
Volume IH. Number 29. Hertford, Perquimans County, North; Carolina, Friday, July 17, 19367
$1.25 Per Year
M
ShmacPrison Bars
$23 Stolen From Bill
White, 75, Inmate of
County Home
MONEY RETURNED
Had Been Saving to
Help Pay His Funeral
Expenses
Probably the meanest thief in
Perquimans County is safe behind
prison bars, awaiting trial. Chris
Armstrong-,' 27-year-old Negro, is ac
cused of infltiMUnor in nnitaw.mrivi
( leged 15-year-old boy to steal from
am white, 75-year-old inmate of the
Co only Home, $23, with, .which the
man made the first payment on a
second-hand automobile.
4
Mr. white has been savins; his tit
le hoard against that day in the not
far distant future, 'perhaps, when He
is to be buried beside his long-lost
family; He wishes his body carried
down in Pasquotank County, his old
home. The burial which the county
provides doesn't include transporta
tion to distant points.
Inline purse in his pocket the old
man kept a $20 bill, three ones and
65 cents in change. The purse and
its contents disappeared on Saturday.
Mr. White, all unsuspecting, thought
he had lost it. Simon Stallings,
Keeper of the Home, thought other
wise. Chris Armstrong has been for
some time working at intervals for
Mr. Stallings. He had become quite
friendly with Robert Umphlett, an
unfortunate child who has spent
most of his life in the Home. When
Chris showed up early Sunday morn
ing driving, an automobile Mr. Stall
ings' suspicions became stronger.
No, he hadn't bought the Car, Chris
said, but "the man" had let him- take
it and use it for a week, and if he
liked it he was going to buy it next
Saturday. Mr. Stallings -ell knew
that Chris had no money, and he
knew that "the man" hadn't let him
take a car on trial for a week. He
came to Hertford at once, where he
.... ascertained that Chris had not only
bought the car and made the first
'-payment of $20, but that the pay
ment had been made with a $20 bill.
At this point Mr. Stallings called
upon Deputy Sheriff F. C. Winslow.
Mr. Winslow immediately got in
touch with Robert Umphlett and
Uptnin a few minutes after he had
taken him into custody he had his
confession. Robert told the whole
story, that Chris had suggested that
he get the money, telling him that
he would buy the car and that they
would own it together, and v would
have a good time riding ad ;.
So Chris was : behind the bars be
fore he had owned the car a day. He
said he borrowed the money from
Robert and declared he didn't know
it was stolen. ' But the officers suc
ceeded in having him produce the
purse' from a locked trunk in his
home,7 the purse in which the money
had been delivered to him. .
Mr. White's money will be return
V ed to him and he can still look for
ward to the time when he wOl be
laid to rest with his family.
Boat Party Narrowly
Ends In Disaster
V What nirned out to be merely a
lark from the standpoint of the par
ticipants, might nave been another
river tragedy, when the sail boat on
which a small party. - of ; , Hertford
young folks went wto Friday night
sank and turnesT vera short dis
tance from shore.
In .the Arty were Miss Louise
Payne and. tier house guest, Miss El
len Ha-; .cock, of Snow Hill, Ma-
Miss Joyce Harrell, Billy Tucker and
jflwnes Evart Newby. v( r j(.
The leakinr boat began filling too
'' fast for cln and before anything
T , . - . 1 . ,
COUia 09. t 4 turned over irow ine
weight of t..j mast The entire par
ty were, 83 a ratter of course, pre
cipitated h-'.i tl. water.- , All but
one "were r' -i exfaimers.' . Miss
Handcock went down. Both young
men dived for her at once ' and she
was brought up jjafely. " .The ' mast
was then taken out to relieve the
boat of the extra weight 1 and' the
boat, was turned upside down. While
fhe rest i - the party clung to the up
turned boat, Mr. Newby swam ashore,
returning promptly in a small skiff
for the others. ; " ' - '
V"""3 r ' 'y tca"ie excited and
' - 1 r f-r, the
i a v , i t: r,d tit
t .. . i
Thief
Now
HIT OR MISS
By M. L. W.
Richard, the five-year-old son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Futrell, of Rich
Square, who with his mother was
visiting down at the home of his
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. R. D.
Elliott, recently, was much interest
ed in watching various members of
the family go swimming from the
wharf at the rear of the house. He
was particularly interested in the
precautions taken by his uncle, Bud
Pollard, of Bethel. Talking about it
afterwards, Richard said: "Bud went
swimming, too, but he put on one of
Grand Daddy's Jife insurances."
I have known what the enjoy
ments and advantages of this life
are, and what are the more refined
pleasures which learning and intel
lectual power can bestow; and with
all the experience that more than
three score years can give, I now, on
the eve. of my. departure, declare to
you, that health is a great blessing;
competence obtained by honorable in
dustry is a great blessing; and a
great belssing it is to have kind,
faithful and loving friends and rela
tives; but that the greatest of all
blessings, as it is the most enobling
of all privileges, is to be indeed a
Christian. Coleridge.
The conservation in the drug store
had to do with the mournful cries
heard by a number of Hertford resi
dents on last Saturday night, the
source and origin of which still re
mains a deep mystery.
Four-year-old Pat Morris listened
with widening eyes and bated breath
as it was related that various per
sons heard the repeated groans and
agonized cries, and there was specu
lation as to what the whole thing
meant.
"And that," exclaimed Pat to her
mother, "is the reason I come and
get into bed with you. It's because
I am scared of that stuff!" After a
short pause, she added as an accusa
tion, "And you leave my windows
right wide open!"
How the young folks enjoy the
water! And who can blame them?
Every day dozens of them go swim
ming, and even small tots bathe in
the shallow waters near shore.
Claude Brinn, life guard, is on duty
from 2 to until 5 to protect the chil
dren from the danger of drowning.
Just the sight of the river, clear
and cool, on these long hot days is
refreshing.
lightning Plays Havoc
On Perquimans Farm
Lightning struck -a barn on the
Belgrade farm in Harvey's Neck at
9 o'clock on Wednesday night during
the severe storm which struck this
section, burning the $2,000 rat-proof
building to the ground and destroy
ing the contents, including, a quantity
of corn and hay.
,;. Two horses, a cow and calf in the
shelter beside the barn" were also
destroyed. .The entire loss is esti
mated t $3,000. '.
Belgrade Farm, one of the largest
and most valuable in Perquimans, is
owned 1 by Coppersmith ft Jones, of
Elizabeth City. N. C Spivey is the
tenant .'
.Fire equipment from Elisabeth
City, responded to a eall in the early
morning to protect the fine old resi
dence from sparks which, the breeze
carried in that direction, v
Miss Chalk Hostess
To Missioiufry Societj
Miss Louise Chalk was hostess to
the members of the Delia Shambur
ger Missionary Society oft the Hert
ford M. E. Church on Tuesday night
After the business sesoorf land pro
gram there was a social hour when
delicious fruit punch was served.
Those present included f Mesdames
J. E, ; Morris, Durwood ' Reed, 1 J. H.
Toweji "'Jr.r Charlie v Skinner, ; Mrs.
Grizzard, Misses . : Bertha oChappell
and Elizabeth Knowles
r WEEK-END AT HOME
. Miss, Lucille XongVwho.' is 'attends
Ihg summer school at E, C. T. C-i
Greenville,' spent the week-end with
her , father, Shelton Long, and Mrs.
Long, at Bethel ; 1 - I
In the long run it's 1 -t to give
Fountain Beautifies Exposition
r i
MfTf f I
&
' Z ? v '
I
000 Texas Centennilf position which open!
changing-color fountadi MnA nool before the At
reflects the beautiful imural over the
Is A rjampus Doaming
Streets Of Hertford?
Many Wierd and Distressing Sounds Reported In
Neighborhood By Number of Residents;
Whole Thing a Mystery
Whatever the source of the omi
nous and distressing sounds which
have made the nights hideous for
many Hertford residents during the
past week, investigation has failed
to disclose, and the whole thing re
mains as darkly mysterious as it
was when the first weird sound
smote the stillness of the early
morning hours of Sunday.
The most sensational report was
that of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Morrell,
who were visiting Mrs. Morrell's pa
rents, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Nachman.
They heard it around 2:30, a dis
tressing moan and groan which made
the hair rise on end. That some one
was in mortal agony was apparent to
Mr. and Mrs. Morrell, who looked out
to see where lights would appear in
the darkened homes of the neighbor
hood, for that some one was dying
they did not doubt. No lights ap
peared anywhere, but the awful
sound came again and again, at in
tervals, and sometimes it seemed to
come from the direction of the river
shore in the rear of. the house.
Mrs. Joe Towe also heard a groan
ing cry about that same hour, a most
distressing sound
Farther down the street, Charles
Whedbee heard a strange and weird
cry. Mr. Whedbee has heard the
sound repeated for several nights
since. This is also true of the J. C.
Blanchard family. The Blanchard
family heard it that first night, and
District Agitated Over
Loss Lindsay Warren
As Its Congressman
Newspaper reports emanating out
of Washington, P. C, have the First
Congressional District triands of Re
presentative . Lindsay Jffu4
agitated bvev the prospect of Mr?
Warren being advanced to the Comp
troller Genei alship of the United
States. Up to the present time there
has been no official authentication of
the report, and Mr. Warren, himself,
has deprecated ft, bat that has not
prevented a small army of ff avorite
sons" from letting it be known they
will go after the Warren berth if he
quits it,'--;-" v-r-) 'y '
The..nenti6n'oi'Mr."fWaRen's
name in connection with the ;post of
Comptroller General- one of the
most important inthe government-
is a matter f of very h high compli-;
ment. The position holds-for! fifteen
years at an annual salary of $15,000,
and is Supreme tit 'if.fatiM-i4
power,' the Comptroller! General be
ing. the only on e whois not answer
able to! the President rJor. anyther
branch!': igpwmmentl. .
' EJGOT.ARRESJ&
" Eight inotO:fttet6't;w''aT(Wrt
ed here Tuesday by Corporal George
Dail. and . will i hi Varraighed bf ore
Judge - Walter Oakey, Jr., 'Tuesday.
Driving while drunk, speeding and
o"Vnf . without 1
r
ture spots, of the $25,000,
ill Dallas June 6, is the
ilnistration Building, which
lobby dooj
they have heard it several times
since.
Over o.Front Street, the Stakes
family and- others in that neighbor
hood, also heard.
Blood-curdling and hair-raising as
the sounds are sometimes described,
Mr. Whedbee says that he believes
it to be either a hound dog or a
screech owl.
Mrs. Blanchard says it sounded
like a human voice, but that it
might have been a dog.
Sheriff J. E. Winslow, returning
home Sunday night from a trip to
the beach, made some investigation.
He was at first inclined to believe
that the sound came from some
drunken man who wandered about.
Later he wasn't so sure. He waited
up until almost daylight on Monday
night but failed to hear anything.
Meantime, every one asks: "Did
you hear it? What was it?" That
one woman heard a screech owl that
first night and recognized the sound
as such, does not explain what oth
ers have heard.
And whether the mysterious cries
came from a lonesome hound dog, a
roaming bobcat, a wayward screech
owl, or a lost soul, Mr. and Mrs.
Fred Morrell left Monday for their
home at High Point in the firm be
lief that what they heard was the cry
of a human being in, distress.
Could it be a straying wampus?
Home Agent Anxious
Complete Plans For
Farm -Home Week
Miss Gladys' Hamrick, Home Dem
onstration Agent, who is very anx
ious that .each one of the home dem
onstration" d . in the county be
weB represented ' at the FarnvHome
Week in Raleigh from July 27 ot 31,
is making every effort to see that
each woman who wishes to go is
given, an opportunity to. do so. To
this end she is requesting that all
those who expect to drive-their cars
and who. .hava room for others who
wish to share thek expense of the trip
will get in touch with her. ( .
7 There are a number of women who
do not have; a tar available for the
trip who wilLbe glad to help defray
the,-c68t .4of gas and 'oilfor;; their
transpbrtatdon. Miss Hamrick 1 wish
es to hive 'Swaiti arrangements
made, by , the" 22nd of the' month and
requests that 1 those interested in
making: the trip get in touch with
.'r l?0 COURT 1 THIS; WEEK r
:0hsrf-yr& "no eourlfeket fo this)
eek : -tmd,5 thwfpireTnd session: of
Rerej
ttona at! W8ent1a'ttaiffeck that
a full session may be held next Tues
day, however, as warrants have been
fiwued!raturnabl: nextweek.
tiih "i if(i M in. " i i. ii . i
" V. .. Feois:UMfol v .'i. -
Wlsfr men learn more from fools
than fools from wise men. Cato
Interst Aroused In
Local Baby Contest
Blanchard's Sale
Attracting Crowds
From Wide Area
Attracted to the big sale at J. C.
Blanchard & Company's Store, shop
pers have come from every section
of this county, as well as from adja
cent counties. The sale began on
Saturday and all day long the clerks
were kept busy as the shoppers took
advantage of the unusual bargains
offered. While the weather of this
week has been such that the farmers
have been busy with crops, many
women have come shopping.
Asked what particular line seemed
to be moving best, one of the clerks
answered that there had been an un
usually heavy sale of shoes and
working clothes, as well as domes
tics. Bargains are offered in every
department.
The sale will continue through
next week, closing on Saturday,
July 25.
Bloodhound Fails To
Trace Chicken Thief
When the bloodhound brought to
Winfall Tuesday night to catch a
chicken thief lost the trail where the
theif evidently rode away in an au
tomobile, the tracks of which were
plainly discernible, an attempt was
made to utilize the dog in locating a
demented woman who had wandered
away from the County Home. There
had been too many tracks crossing
her trail, however, and the dogwas
unable to find the woman. She was
picked up around 2:30 in the morning
from beside the road where she sat,
something like a mJTe distant and re
turned to the County Home.
The chicken thief began his opera
tions early in the night, at approxi
mately 10:16, at the chicken house
of George T. Powell, just outside of
Winfall. The fanly heard the
chickens and Mr. Powell saw a man
at the chicken house door. His gun
being loaded with buckshot, Mr.
Powell feared to shoot directly at the
man, as he didn't wish to kill him,
so he fired low and frightened the
man away. It was only a matter of
minutes before the bloodhound from
Edenton had the scent. He trailed
the man to the rear of the Negro
schoolhouse and church property, cir
cling the buildings and halting at a
spot where a car had recently turned
around.
The thief had dropped the grass
sack he carried, in which he had suc
ceeded in placing only two chickens.
Meantime, it had been learned that
a white woman who is being kept at
the County Home until the authori
ties can have her admitted in the
State Asylum, had escaped from the
Home. The woman, who is old and
very feeble, had previously spent
hours in the woods at night before
the keeper could find her. It was de
cided to place the blood hounds on
her trail, as there were fears for her
safety.
Winfall Club Meets
With Mrs. C. D. White
The Winfall Home Demonstration
Club held its regular monthly meet
ing at the home of Mrs. C. D. White
Wednesday afternoon. The meeting
was opened with roll call. Two new
members were added to the roll. The
trip to Raleigh, and the County-wide
picnic was discussed. The meeting
was then, turned over to Miss Ham
rick. She gave a demonstration as
to how to can snap beans and toma
toes. A lucky number contest was en
joyed by all with Miss Celeste God
win winning the prize. . The hostess
served delicious refreshments.
.Those present were: Mesdames D.
P.. Stallings, C. D. White, George
Roach, E. N. Miller, Effie Miller,
David Trueblood, Alton Moore, J. H.
Baker, Raymond Stanton, William
Bagley, and Walter Umphlett, Miss
es Addie White - Celesta Godwin,
Gladys ' Hamrick, Frances Rogerson,
Margaret . . Boyce XMary Elizabeth
White, and Myrtle. Umphlett
MARY ELIZABETH WHITE,
i- Secretary.
BOOK CLUB HOLDi LAST
f MEETING OF YEAR FRIDAY
i Mrfcjp Mwris'yand-Mrs. F. T.
Johnson will ." ; be hostesses . to the
Book Club at the home of Mrs.
Johnson at 4 o'clock on Friday after
noon, of .this week, f ftlV. :.;-,
:?tAa this is the last meeting of the
year,Iit iirin be necessary for r all
those wishing to become members of
the club for this 1 year, to . make it
known at 'this t fc.'VC
Sammie Sutton And
Marguerite Butler
In Lead
CLOSESJULY 24
Boys Appear to Be More
Popular According to
Votes Cast
Sammie Sutton and Marguerite
Butler are leading in the Baby Pop
ularity Contest, with Garland Ray
Newbern and Betty Ann Mathews
occupying the second highest places.
Much interest has been shown re
cently in the contest, which is being
conducted by the ladies of the Delia
Shamburger Missionary Society of
the Hertford Methodist Church, with
voting boxes in various business
places about town including Walk
er's, Roberson's Drug Store, J. C.
Blanchard & Company's Store and
Hilda's Beauty Shop. Each penny
vote counts one, and most of the
contestants have made considerable
gain since last week.
The last counting of the votes
took place on Tuesday night of this
week and no further count will be
made until next Tuesday night, which
will be the last count before the final
check-up on Friday night, July 24.
Two cash prizes of $2.50 each will
be awarded, one to the little girl
who receives the most votes and one
to the boy who receives the most. At
present the boys appear to be receiv
ing more votes than are the girls.
The highest vote recorded among the
boys is 465, while the highest among
the girls is 273.
The present standing ts as follows:
For girls, Marguerite Butler, 273;
Betty Ana Mathews, 207; Juanita
Harrell, 176 Betty Lon Button, 116;
Pat Morris, 102; Penelope Whedbee,
30; Nellie Frances Wheeler, 28; Sus
anne Towe, 25; Patsy Harrell, 17;
Mary Beth Perry, 15; Virginia With
row, 10; Barbara Benton, 7, Joan
Trueblood, Priscilla Grissard, and
Mary Ann Harris.
For the boys: Sammy Sutton, 465;
Garland Ray Newbern, 458; Douglas
Williams, 187; Julian White, 133;
Billy Gene Jones, 194; Melvin Owens,
71; Sidney Elliott, 58; Carrol Berry,
57; Joe Towe, 51; Howard Felton,
48; Frank White, 41; Matt White
"Norman, 40; Emmett Winslow, 30;
Ben Thach, 23; Fred Mathews, 20;
Alfred Williams, 20; Tommy Sumner,
17; Howard Pitt, 15; Kentwood Tur
ner, 15; Thomas Edward Umphlett,
10; Guy Cannon and Richard Hines.
500 Pennies Stolen
From Winfall Store
Five hundred pennies constituted
the loot of the thief who entered the
store of A. White, at Winfall, early
Saturday morning. The five dollars
in pennies, done up conveniently to
take to the bank, had been left out
side the safe that night.
Jodie Morris saw the flicker of
matches being struck inside the store
when he looked toward the store win
dows shortly after midnight, and he
stepped over to the home of Fred
Winslow, who notified Sheriff J. E.
Winslow by telephone immediately.
When the officer arrived on the scene
the thief had left, apparently
through the rear window which he
had broken open to enter. Dan Can
ary's bloodhound, of Edenton, took
up a trail "within the hour and went
straight to the boiler room of the
null of Major & Loomls Company.
Four Negro men were at work at
the place, but each swore that all
four had been there all night, as did
the night watchman.
Two Grade A Dairies
Operate In Hertford
The milk sold by both dairies oper
ating in Hertford is Grade-A, ac
cording to the report of Dick Potter,
City Chemist, who made his report
this week.
The two dairies are Perry & White
and Spruill-Cartwright This rating
is from July 1 to September 30, in
clusive, according to Mr. Potter, and
no other grades will be announced
unless the grading is changed. -' ". ;
ATTEND FUNERAL IN SUFFOLK
Mr. and - Mrs. J. W. Darden,"' Mr.
and Mrs. V. N. Darden, Mrs. R. T.
Clarke, Mr. and Mrs. . H. C. Stokes
and J. P. Jessup attended the funeral
of Mrs. Al Darden, of Driver, .Va
held in Suffolk, Va on Monday.
Mrs. Darden, a sister-in-law of J. W.
Darden, died at her home in Driver
on Citurday. , :
A