Population
Greater Kings Mountain
City Limits
10.320
7,206
Th*
Tins* Mountain l» dnrhrod from
city directory cowan. The City
United Staton eewun of 1*50.
VOL. 66 NO. 11
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Pages
Today
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
Sixty-Seven
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C. Thursday, March 15, 1956
Local News
Bulletins
4
GRASS FIRES
Fireman Warren Ellison re
ported Kings Mountain Fire
department extinguished two
grass blazes Friday, one on
Linwood Road, and the other
on Falls street.
MOOSE MEETING
Regular meeting of Kings
Mountain Moose Lodge 1748
will be held at the lodge Thur
sday night at 8:15 p. m., ac
cording to an announcement
made by Curtis Gaffney, secre
tary.
HOSPITAL GIFT
Grady Howard, business man
ager of Kings Mountain Hospi
tal, has acknowledged the
furnishing of a hospital room
by First National Bank and the
furnishing of one room iby Miss
Helen Hay in memory of her
father, Arthur Hay.
GARDEN CLUB PROJECT
Kings Mountain Garden club
has planted 22 evergreens and
two flowering trees on grounds
of the new addition of Kings
Mountain hospital, a member
of the cluib’s beautification
committee reported. Shrubbery
has been placed in previous
years on the hospital grounds
by club women.
COSTUMES
The costume committee of the
cast of “Varsity Varieties,”
Central high school senior play
to be presented here March 22
2®, is asking any citizen who
may have access to bathing
suits or men’s straw boater
hats of the gay nineties period
to contact the school office
(212) so that suitable costum
es for the show may be obtain
ed.
CAKE SALE
Seventh grade students of
West school will sponsor a
cake sale at Phifer Hardware
company Saturday morning at
10 o'clock, it was announced
yesterday. Proceeds will finan
ce a class trip to Raleigh.
LEGION SUPPER
Otis D. Green Post 155, A
merican Legion, will have a
free supper for its members in
good standing Saturday, Mar- ,
ch 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 p. m.
at the Legion hall. Members
are asked to let Chairman
Gene Gibson know if they iplan
to attend,.
DISCHARGED
Felix C. Falls, son of Mr,, and
Mrs. Fred Falls, of route 2, Bes
semer City, was honorably dis
charged from U. S. Marine
Corps March 2. In January
Falls, whose rank was PPC,
was designated as Marine of the
Month by his Squadron Com
mander.'
METER RECEIPTS
City parking meter receipts
for the week ending noon, Wed
nesday totaled $192.39, accord
ing to a report by City Clerk
Gene Mitchem. He added that
$31.63 of this money was re
ceived in off-street meters,
while $160.76 was returned
from street meters.
ON DEAN'S LIST *
Joyce Owens, daughter of
Mr,, and Mrs. Fred Owens and
a freshman at Erskine College,
Due West, S. €., was among
Erskine students making an,
average of “B” or better and
appearing on the Dean's List
for first semester work. An
nouncement was made by E.
A. Sloan, academic dean.
Country Club
Meeting Frida;
The annual stockholder’s meet
ing of Kings Mountain Country
Club will be held in thfe club build
ing room at 7:30 p. m. Friday.
Matters of business tocome be
fore the meeting will include con
struction of new by-laws, and the
election of officers for the com
ing year. ; > '
A nominating committee com
posed of Hal Ward, Joe. Neisler
and George Thomasson will sub
mit names of officer nominees
for telection by the club members.
The meeting is scheduled to be
a dinner meeting, and Jack
White, secretary - treasurer, is
sending out invitations to all
members to attend. Henry P.
Neisler is retiring president.
Lice-In-School
Pioblem Aired
In Citv Court
Judge Jack White had two pro
blem school cases in Kings
Mountain Recorder’s court Mon
day.
In quick succession, two cases
of non-compliance with the state
compulsory school laWs paraded
before the judge.
The problems arose from the
fact that children from the two
families had lice, testimony show-,
ed, and had been sent home from
East School for treatment. The
school officials contended that
the parents had made no effort
to clear up this situation. The
parents said that they had de
loused the children but that
bverytime they went back to
school they were infected again.
Judge White left both cases
hanging by continuing prayer for
judgment for 30 days and by in
structing the parents to have
their children treated by a physi
cian.
Testimony in the cases brought
much comment both pro and con
front the crowded courtroom, fol
lowing the trials. Some felt that
the school itself may be infected
and that the county health dte
partment should make a
thorough inspection of the build
ing. Others felt that children
from a small group of families
were spreading the lice among
other students.
Supt. B. N. Barnes- reported
Tuesday that at least three other
indictments will be served on oth
er parents of truant East School
pupils.
Mr. Barnes added that with cor
rect treatment, a person can be
de-loused in 24-hours. School of
ficials have been allowing 48
hours for treatment, the superin
tendent reported.
Open House Set
At Sewage Plant
The city wants to show off its
new sewage treatment plant, on
Sunday afternoon.
Mayor Glee A. Bridges announ
ced Wednesday the city would
hold opten house for public in
spection- of the treatment plant
on Sunday afternoon from 2 to
5 o’clock, weather permitting.
Entrance to the plant, which
city officials say is quite modern
in design, can be made‘from East
Stone street. Stone street, in turn,
runs east from Bessemer City
Road.
Mayor Bridges said the regular
operating Staff will be on hand
to demonstrate the facilities and
to show how they operate.
Musical Program
Set For Kiwanians
Miss Frances Summers, soloist
of Charlotte, will present a pro
gram of folk songs at the regular
meeting of the Kings Mountain
Kiwanis Club Thursday night.
Miss Summers will be accom
panied on the piano by her sis
ter, Miss Virginia Summers, al$o
of Charlotte.
Miss Frances Summers attend
ed Salem College and the Univer
sity of Texas. Virginia Summers
also attended Salem College and
did post graduate work at the
University of North Carolina.
Both girls are the daughters of
Mr. and Mrs. Frank R. Summers,
president of First National Bank,
Kings Mountain.
CANDIDATE — C. A. (Gus) Hull
stetler will seek Democratic re
nomination as No. 4 Township
constable in the May 26 primary,
he announced this week.
Huffstetler Asks
Renomination
C. A. (Gus) Huffstetler, in
cumbent constable for No. 4
township, will seek Democratic
renomination in the May 26 pri
mary, he announced this week.
Completing his first full term,
Mr. Huffstetler had servted in
the office six months previously
on appointment, fulfilling the va
cancy created by the resignation
of Paul Byers.
A son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Huff
stetler, the constable is a Cherry
ville Road resident. He is a na
tive of Cleveland county. His wife
is the former Faye Barrett. Con
stable Huffstetler is 32.
Huffstetler Sells
Baird Interest
Fred L. Baird, majority owner of
Baird Furniture, Inc., of Kings
Mountain, has purchased the 20
■percent stock interest of Dan
Huffstetler, it was announced
this week.
The transaction was completed
on Monday, and Mr. Huffstetler,
manager and part-owner of the
firm since its opening here in
February 1950, has relinquished
his connections with the busi
ness.
Me. Baird, who operates a turn-,
iture firm of his own in Shelby,
said the Kings Mountain estab
lishment would !be under his
management for the immediate
future. He added that policies of
the firm and .personnel would re
main the same, with Ken Jenkins
as salesman, Mrs. Helen Falls as
bookkeeper, and Curlee Baily as
deliveryman.
Both Mr. .Baird and Mr. Huff
stetler are making statements
concerning the transaction in to
day’s issue of the Herald. Mr.
Huffstetler, who also iwns and
operates Kings Mountain Court,
did not announce his future
plans, Mr. Baird said that Mr.
Huffstetler had offered to sell his
stock and that this information
had (been received “with d meas
ure of regret." /
Officers of Baird Furniture,
Inc., now are Mrs. F. L. Baird,
president; Fred L. Baird, vice
president; and Mrs. Lillian'
Moore, of Shelby, who holds a
stock interest, secretary * treasur
er. v
Lifelong Citizen R. L Mauney
Celebrates His 30th Birthday
By MARTIN HARMON
R. L. Mauney, well-known
Kings Mountain citizen and na
tive, celebrated his 80th birthday
last week.
Bom on March 7, 1876, second
child of the late Mr. and Mrs. J.,
S. Mauney, “Mr. Lawrepce,” as
he is more familiarly known,
belies his age in both activity
and looks.
Mr. Mauney was bom in a
large frame dwelling which was
only removed from the Kings
Mountain scene a year ago. It
was the house removed from
Cherokee street now occupied
by the off-street parking lot. At
the time of Mr. Mauney’s birth,
however, the house stood on what
is now Battleground avenue. It
had been movied years ago, to
make way for business building
construction.
The elder Kings Mountain citi
zen has spent a lifetime of acti
vity banking and textile enter
I prises. Ke began his banking
! Continued On Page Eight
OCTOGENARIAN — R. 1~ Motun
ey, well - known Kings Mountain
native, last week celebrated his
80th birthday.
Three Killed, Two Badly Hurt
In Monday Night Auto Crash
Man, Woman
Conditions
Said Critical
By BOB HOFFMAN
\
Three persons were killed and
two others were critically injur
ed in an automobile accident
about three miles South of Kings
Mountain on U. S. 29 Monday
night.
Coroner Ollie Harris identified
the dead as Garnett C. Jordan,
42, of Gastonia; Mrs. Charles
Anderson, 79, and her daughter,
Mrs. Laura C. Buffalo, 23, both of
Bay Minette, Ala.
Mrs. Garnette Jordan, 40, and
Charles A.-'1 arson, 87, are both
reported in critical condition due
to injuries received in thle head
on collision. Mi Anderson is in
Kings Mountain hopital. Mrs.
Jordan was moved to Charlotte
Memorial hospital Tuesday.
The Jordan’s two children,
Joyce, 12, and Michael 4, were al
so hurt in the accident. However,
their Injuries are not thought to
be serious.
The accident, which occurred
about 10:50 p. m. Monday in
front of Archdale Farms south of
the city, was reported as a head
on collision between a 1956 Pon
tiac operated by Jordan and a
1951 Buick driven by Mrs. Buffa
lo. *
The Biiick was one of two cars
headed south enroute to Bay Min
ette, Ala., while Jordan was re
turning io Gastonia from Atlan
ta, Ga. i
The other car in the Anderson
party, a Ford operated by a Mr.
Criswell, was sideswiped by Jor
dan’s vehicle, which then went
out of control and crashed into
the Buick, which was following.
Mr. Jordan and Mrs. Anderson
were killed instantly, and Mrs.
Buffalo died 30 minutes later at
Kings Mountain hospital.
A light rain was falling and
driving conditions were bad at
the time of the accident.
Coroner Harris said no charges
would be preferred since both
drivers were killfed. He added that
it was impossible to tell which
car had crossed the white line.
Funeral services for Mr. Jor
dan are scheduled to be held to
day at Rock Springs Baptist
church, Lula, Ga. He was a na
tive of Georgia, and was employ
ed as a salesman for Scripto Pen
Co., of Atlanta.
Survivors, other than his in
jured wife and children, include
four brothlers and a sister, all of
Georgia.
Mr. Jordan was a resident of
317 South Hill street, Gastonia,
and was a former employee of
Firestone Textiles, Inc.
Bodies of Mrs. Anderson and
Mrs. Buffalo were sent Wednes
day morning to Bay Minette. Ala.
for funeral rites, expected to be
held Friday.
Red Cross Funds
Total $1900
Donations totaling $1963.25
were reported Wednesday by soli
citors in the annual appeal for
funds for the Red Cross.
Goal of tl)e campaign in Kings
Mountain and number four town
ship is $5,545..
James E. Herndon, Jr., fund
drive chairman^ invited all work
ers in the drive to report their
collections as soon as possible.
Rev. S. I. Clement, chairman of
the colored division” of the drivd,
reported that $257.77 had ben col
lected by workers in his division
whten reports were given Tuesday
night at a meeting at City Hail.
Chairman Herndon said that
quotas had been reached by
Long Branch, St. Peter’s, Good
Hope, Vines Grove, and Ebene
zer churches, and Princfe H»ll
lodge, and added that other r%
ports from Mr. Clement’s divi-,
sion are to be given at a meeting
March 27 at 7:30 p. m. at City
Hall.
Mr. Clement, M. L. Campbell,
Wesley Williams, and Heely Wil
i liman are heading the colored
i division of the drive.
FIRST COUNTY-WIDE PRIMARY RACE — George Leukhardt. left,
has announced he will seek Democratic nomination as District 1
county commissioner. He will oppose Zeb V. Cline, right, incumbent
commissioner and board chairman. r,ho has announced he will seek
re-election to a fourth term.
Leukhardt Seeks
To Unseat Cline
EAGLE SCOUT — Mike McKee,
son at Mr. and Mrs. T. C. McKee,
received the Eagle scout award
at Thursday's court of honor. A
member of troop two, he is a 14
year-old eighth grade student at
Central school and has been a
scout for five years.
First County
Contest Arises
For May Voting
County political activity increa
sed this week as two candidates,
Incumbent Zeb. V. Cline and
George Leukhardt, announced
they would seek Democratic no
mination for District 6 county
commissioner.
It is the first contest of the
spring in county-wide voting,
sembly, Democrats will nominate
their commissioners on' county
wide basis, though a candidate
must seek to represent the dist
rict in which he resides.
Mr. Leukhardt got his an
nouncement to the public first,
on last Saturday, and Mr. Cline
followed suit on Tuesday.
Other incumbent commission
ers, Hazel B. Bumgardner, Knox
Sarratt, Fitzhugh Rollins, and
John White, are also seeking re
nomination.
Mr. Leukhardt said his plat
form would be “service and good
government.” He is a Shelby ci
tizen of 17-years standing, who
is active in veterans affairs.
Mr. Cline, who went on the
county board by appointment in
1948 on the death of Dr. S. S.
Royster, is currently chairman of
the board. He has been elected
to the office three times for two
year terms. He is a well-known
Number 6 township farmer and
native of the county.
Max Gaidnei Is District Manager
Of Brother's Congress Campaign
SHELBY. — O. Max Gardner,
Jr., today was appointed to man
age the 11th district congres
sional campaign of his brother,
Ralph Webb Gardner.
The campaign manager is a
trustee of the University of North
Carolina, hnd a former trustee of
Gardner-Webb and Meredith col
leges.
He is a graduate of Shelby
High School, N. C. State College
and the University of North Car
olina Law School. *
He is serving as a district com
mitteeman for the John Motley
Morehead Foundation scholar
ship program and was one of the
original incorporators of “Opera
tion Bootstrap,” an organization
promoting small industries in
North Carolina.
Max is married to the former
Sara Hoyle Mull of Shelby and
. is the father of two boys. He is a
member of the First Baptist
Chfarch and Masonic Order, and
is V veteran °f World War II.
“I^sccept with genuine grati
tude the opportunity to be dis
MANAGER — Max Gardner. Jr.,
will be the district manager of
his brother's campaign for the
11th district Democratic nomina
tion for Congress, it was announ
ced Wednesday by Candidate
Ralph W. Gardner.
Census Results -
Show 10 Percent
Aie Unchurched
About ten percent of Kings
Mountain citizens recorded in the
recent citywide religious census
take no part in the community's
wide-spread church activities.
However, only 228 persons of
the 6,893 recorded in the census
expressed no preference for any
church.
These were among the results
of the tabulations of the census
conducted on March 4 and 11. Ma
jor portion of the census was
completed on March 4, as 310 lay
men and laywomen collaborated
In a massive census-taking effort.
The clean-up was conducted by
another halfhundred lay people
last Sunday and resulted in add
ing more than 500 names to the
group. Ollle Harris served as
chairman.
As was expected, denomination
al preferences showed the Bap
tist faith as the community’s
most numerous in population. Ac
tually the Baptist faith claims a
majority of those citizens who lis
ted themselves as either mem
bers or “leaners.” Favoring the
Southern Baptist faith wiere 3,418,
with another 111 in various other
Baptist denominations.
The Methodist faith was the pji
ly in the community to top the
1,000 mark, with 901 persons fav
oring churches of the Westerp
North Carolina conference, 488
favoring the Wesleyan Methodist
denomination, and 102 ascribing
to Missionary Methodist teach
ing.
The Lutheran church attracts
516 Kings Mountain citizens, fol
lowed by the Presbyterian with
376 and the Associate Reformed
Presbyterian with 343.
The Church of God attracts 288
Kings Mountain citizens.
Other tabulations, in order of
their number as shown by the
census, were Holiness, -52; Ro
man Catholic, 27; Episcopal, 25;
Jehovah’s Witness and Indepen
dent, 6 each; Jewish, 4; and Ad
vent Christian and Congregation
alist, one each.
Results of the tabulations were
announaed by Rev. Aubrey Qua
kenbush who superintended the
work of card-sorting and who
has prepared extensive break
downs detailing the aggregate to
tals by age groups as well as
church preferences.
Mr. Quakenbush estimates at
least 80 percent of the commu
nity’s homes were visited in the
census and that this number of
citizens were interviewed.
Hendricks Lists
Heart Care Rules
“Learn the meaning oi equa
nimity,” is the advice of Dr. Paul
E. Hendricks, Kings Mountain
physician, both to heart patients
and to those who would ward off
heart ailments.
Dr. Hendricks, in an address to
the Lions club Tuesday night, j
summarized briefly the several
forms of heart ailments in ex
plaining that the heart is essen
tially a constantly-working mus
cle mass which furnishes life
giving blood to the lungs and
other parts of the body.
He noted that recent develop
ments of drugs and treatment
techniques promise hope and
pain relief for many heart pa
tients. All of them are merely
aids in the basic treatment which
is to provide supportive care in
helping nature to do the healing
job, Dr. Hendricks continued.
Factors important in the con
tinued life of a heart* patient, he
noted, are age, blood pressure,
sex, body build, and the incidence
of stress, strain and shock in
daily activities.
The best cure, he laughed face
tiously, is: “Don’t be a male and
particularly an American male.”
Fat, which squeezes the heart
to cause possible clots and there
fore potential infractions, he add
ed, is the enemy of both the heart
attack victim and the man who
never had one.
Contvauea On Page Eight
I:'* ‘
I
Chuich-Hour
Thieves Got
$13,700 Loot
Chief Deputy Sheriff George
Allen said Wednesday he had
nothing new to report in the $13,
700 Plonk safe robbery. Clues
were at a minimum and quick
check-ups immediately after the
Sunday morning church-hour
safe-cracking led to dead ends,
Deputy Allen reported.
Thieves entered the Clarence S.
Plonk, Sr., home off Cherryville
Road While Mr. and Mrs. Plonk
were attending St. Matthew’s Lu.
theran church 11 o’clock services.
The thieves sledge-hammered
(he safe, carried off cash totaling
exactly $12,500 and two diamond
rings, belonging to Mrs. John
Butler Plonk, a daughter-in-law.
The rings were valued at $1200.
The thieves had about one
hour and twenty-fiveminutes to
do their dirty work, Mr. Plonk re
calling he and his wife had left
for church at 10:45 a. m. When
they returned at 12:10 p. m., they
found the back door open, the
ancient Reliable safe smashed
and valuable papers littered a
bout the storage room in which
the safe stood.
The cash included a few bills
of $100 denomination and 100
siiver dollars. The silver dollars
had reposed in the safe since ear
ly 1943.
The diamond rings included a
1.36 carat solitaire with fishtail
setting and a wedding band in
set with six small diamonds.
Both were in platinum mount
ings.
Th< Plonks reported no valu
able papers, which included se
curities, deeds, and similar pa
pers, missing, after they were re
trieved and inventoried.
Deputy Allen was assisted in
the investigation by John Van
derford, of Shelby, State Bureau
of Investigation Agent. Both a
greed at least three persons were
involved in the robbery and that
the safe-cracking job required
from 20 to 30 minutes. Vander
ford was called off the investi
gation Tuesday to Statesville, to
assist in the investigation neces
sitated by the murder of a Sta
tesville housewife-store employ
ee. {
Sheriff Haywood Allen was out
of the county and not expected
to return until Friday. The Sher
iff was en route Roswell, New
Mexico, to claim a prisoner,. Lee
Swofford, of Shelby, was picked
up in New Mexico and is being
brought back to answer charges
of abandonment and non-sup
port.
The looted safe was kept in a
storage rcom of the Plonk home.
The thieves had used a sledge
hammer to knock off the safe’s
hinges and the combination pa
nel. Still unsuccessful in gaining
entry, the thieves finally had
peeled the door with a crowbar.
Mr. Plonk, prominent farmer
and livestock dealer, said he had
Continued on Page Eight
Keeter's Suffers
Water Damage Loss
A damaged roof resulted in con
siderable water damage to ready
to-wear stocks of Keeter’s Depart
ment Store early Tuesday morn
ing.
A 35-foo,t strip of roof had
blown off, J. B. Keeter said, and
the store employees found quani
ties of water in the second floor
ready-to-wear department.
Major damage was done, Mrs.
James Roberts, readyto-wear
manager, said, to a rack of dress
es and another rack of shirts.
Mr. Keeter said his insurance
did not cover this type of loss.
"Had Losses Before",
Plonk Philosophizes
How does it feel to be robbed
of $12,500 in cash?
“Well,” veteran Mule-Trader
C. S. Plonk philosophizes, “I’ve
had losses ibefore, hut never
this much at one time.”
Mr. Plonk, born near his pres
ent home 72 years ago, is the
father of ten children and 35
grandchildren. Last April hfe
and Mrs. Plonk, the former
Miss Ellen Patterson, celebrat
ed their fiftieth wedding anni
versary.
A number of his sons were
busy this week helping officers
with their investigation of the
robbery, but a grandson, Scott
Isley, age 9, of Burlington, was
even more solicitous.
“Poor Grandaddy,” he told his
mother, Mrs. Margaret Plonk
Isley,” he never will have any
more money. I’m going to give
him mine.” * '