Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 8,008
Tliia figure tor Greater Sing* Mountain Is ftriref from
the 1»S$ King* Mountain city directory census. Tbe city
limits figure Is from tbe United Stats* census of i960.
Vol. 74 No. 7
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
14
Pages
Today
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, February 14, 1963
Seventy-Fourth Year
PRICE TEN CENTS
Glee A. Bridges Files Candidacy For Mayor Post
Local News
Bulletins
ON DEAN'S LIST
Miss Joyce Plonk, Kings
Mountain sophomore at Lenoir
Rhyne College, has been listed
on the dean’s list for the fall
semester ending in January.
Miss Plonk is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Hal S. Plonk.
ON HONOR ROLL
Miss Annie Vera Dilling,
Kings Mountain student at Gar
dner Webb College, was listed
on the honor roll and dean’s list
for the fall semester. Miss Dill
ing is daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Percy Dilling.
PTA MEETING
East School PTA will meet
Tuesday, February 19, at 7:30
p. m. in the school auditorium.
FAMILY NIGHT
First Presbyterian church will
hold family night Wednesday
evening at 7 o’clock. lA covered
dish supper will be served in
the church fellowship hall.
CHOIR TO SING
The Mtonhreat - Anderson col
lege chorus from Montreat will
present a program of music
Sunday evening at 7:30 p. m. at
Armstrong Memorial Presbyter
ian church in Gastonia.
TO 4-H MEETING
Six Kings Mountain 4-H’ers at
tended the Cleveland County 4-H
Council meeting at Shelby Mon
day night* They tncluded^Gary
Stewart, president of the Dixon
Community 4 • H club; and
Misses Patsy and Joy Welch,
Jill Smith, Iiinda Hardin and
Donnie Spears.
TO MEETING
Ray G. Alexander, secretary
of the local Moose Lodge, will
attend the Moose Administration
School for Lodge Secretaries
February 16 and 17 in Charlotte.
A staff of Moose officials from
Mooseheart, 111., headed by Su
preme Secretary, Carl A. Weis,
will be in charge.
LUTHERAN SERVICE
Miss Sue Hoad, Kings Moun
tain exchange student from Au
stralia, will show elides of her
native country and present a
program Sunday evening at 7
o’clook at Resurrection Luther
an church. A social hour will
follow the program and .refresh
ments will be 6erved,
TO MEETING
Rev. George Moore, pastor,
and John B. Plonk, chairman of
the church’s committee on par
ish education, will represent
Resurrection Lutheran church at
an area meeting on parish ed
ucation Thursday night in Bel
mont.
DAVIS IMPROVING
The condition of J. R. Davis,
Kings Mountain attorney recu
perating at Kings Mounttain hos
pital from a fractured hip, is
improving steadily, associates
said Wednesday.
MUCH IMPROVED
Mrs. Lon a W. McGill, well
known Kings Mountain citizen, is
reported much improved from a
stroke of paralysis suffered sev
eral weeks ago. She remains a
patient at Kings Mountain hos
pital.
RETURNS HOME
C. D. Blanton, Kings Mountain
druggist, returned to his home
from Kings Mountain hospital
Tuesday.
SENIOR CITIZENS
The Senior Citizens club will
gather for regular meeting Fri
day afternoon at 3 p.m. at the
Moman's club.
Kiwanis To Hear
James Maiden
K wanis Lt. Governor James
B. Maiden of District 1 wUl
make bis official visit to the
Kings Mountain f ".if.s «M9
Thursday night at at the
Woman's club.
Mr. Maiden, who lives in Ashe
ville, is a native of Verne, Ken
tucky. He is a graduate of the
Castle Heights Military Acad
emy and is a member of the
West Asheville Kfwanls club.
There will be a training school
for the local club’s officers Im
mediately followio
Election Matters
On Board Agenda
OFFICER — C. Glenn White wot
elected Tuesday a vice-presiden
of Kings Mountain Savings 6
Loan association. He is a veteran
member o! the board of directors
Geoige lewis
S&LDiiector
{Jeo-ge Lewie, of Bessemei
City, was elected a director oJ
Kings Mountain Savings & Loar
Association at the annual share
holder meeting Tuesday.
Mr. Lewie fills the vacancy
created'By' the death of hisfath
er, R. Lee Lewis, well - k nowr
dairyman.
All other directors, Dr. L. P
Baker, Boyce Gault, Clyde
Kerns, Dr. J. C. McGill, C. Glenn
White, J. R. Davis, and Ben H.
Bridges, were re.elected.
The directors, immediately fol
lowing the shareholder meeting
elected Mr. White a vice-pres
dent, also filling a vacancy cre
ated by the death of R. Let
Lewis, and re-elected all othei
officers.
Ben H. Bridges, secretary,
treasurer, gave a report on the
association’s 1962 operations
showing asset increased $250,34^
.o $3,bo 1,655, up 8.71 per cent
tavmgs increased $181,947 t(
{*3,233,321, up 5.95 per cent; anc
cans increased $236,976 to $3,
,82,349, up 7.53 Dor cent.
Other highlights in the report:
1. Reserves in the federal in
.urance fund and for bad debts
noreased $40,478 to $321,544, anc
represent 9.22 per cent of total
savings accounts.
2. The association made 25<
.oans during 1962, total loans a
December 31 number 1009.
3. Savings accounts at yea:
end total 1548, with 355 having
oeen opened during 1962.
4. Dividends paid increased $5,
187 to $119,210.
The association’s officers a r c
f. R. Davis, president; Dr. L. P
laker and C. Glenn White, vice
{resident; Ben H. Bridges, sec
retary . treasurer; and Mrs. Ru
>y H. Baker,. assistant seore
ary-treasUrer.
The directors again voted t<
eta.n the firms of Davis <S
White and George B. Thomas
ion as attorneys.
ROTARY SPEAKER
Rotary Scholar Erwin Lands
erger of Chile, a student at Dav
Ison college, gave the prograrr
t Tuesday’s meeting of the
ings Mountain Rotary club. Mr
andsberger’s scholarship to stu
v at Davidson was provided bj
fotarians in memory of the late
t Governor Chan Gordon.
Commission
Will Consider
New Registration
The board of city commission
ers will consider arrangements
for the biennial May elections
Thursday night.
Mayor Kelly Dixon said he
will recommend re . location of
two of the five city precincts
and will re-iterate his recom
mendation for a new registra
tion.
The Mayor was instructed by
the commission to bring elec
tions arrangement recommenda.
tions at the February meeting.
He said he will recommend that
the Ward 2 precinct, at City Hall
courtroom historically but with
f i«t the bounds of Ward 2, (be
changed to the American Legion
building, and that the Ward 3
precinct be changed from Frank
Ballard’s Store to East School..
^Members of the commission
may have -some additional ideas,
but these will be my recommen
dations," Mayor Dixon comment
ed
He declined to predict wheth
er the commission will order a
nelw registration, noting, "Some
memibers have indicated they
favor a new registration, othere
that they donrt. However, itia
been long . needed and I favor
it.”
The city pollbooks have been
, in use since the ward system
was created in 1939, nearly 24
years ago.
The. board will also consider
. a recommendation from South
eastern Engineers that a low bid
of $3,000 from Davey Tree Com
pany be accepted for tree-trim
ming work in connection with
. the projected rebuilding of the
city electrical system.
The board will also consider
a qquotation from Spangler
Ready.Mix Concrete on repairs
to the city’s two swimming pools,
and repairs to the water filter
plant.
Mrs. McGill's
Rites Conducted
Funeral rites for Mrs. Annie
Mae Weir McGill, 74, of Gas
tonia, widow of Robert A. Mc
: Gill an da former Kings Moun
tain resident, were held Wed
nesday at 4 p. m. from Boyce
Memorial ARP church, of which
she was a member.
Mrs. McGill died Monday in
' the Kings Mountain hospital aft
er an illness of several months.
A native of Gaston Couty, she
was a daughter of the late Mr.
and Mrs. Boyce Weir. Her hus
■ band died in July 1959.
She is survived by a sister,
Mrs. John Oates, and a half-sis
ter, Mrs. Arthur Cornwell, both
1 of Kings Mountain.
Dr. W. L. Pi.essly, assisted by
ReV. R. E. Elliott and Rev.
George Moore, officiated at the
final rites and interment was
made in Mountain Rest cemetery.
METER RECEIPTS
Parking meter receipts for the
week ending Wednesday totaled
$195.85, City Clerk Joe McDaniel,
Ir., reported. The total included
$136.10 from on-street meters, $42
from ove~-pai.-king fees and $1”
15 from off-street meters.
Special Legislation May Be Asked
To Solve Warrant-Writing Problem
The city may ask a special act
f the General Assembly to per
ilt appointment of some p>
cemen as magistrates with po
ce jurisdiction only.
The reason: only One officer, j
arl So oupe, Jr., is currently
napowered to draw warrants!
nd he has the power by virtue
f serving as clerk of city re.
order's court.
Previously, two other police
ien, those serving as desk r*»r- j
jeants on second and third shifts
vere empowered to draw war
ants as they held appointive
•ommissioners as justice of the j
>eace. However, all these ap-l
i ointments — for a two - year
period — have expired and have
not been renewed.
Superior Court Judge P. C.
Froneberger has declined to re.
new the appointments, City
Judge Jack White said, on
grounds that a policeman ap
pointed a magistrate would still
retain powers of the magistrate
after leaving his employ as a
policeman.
Judge Froneberger, said Judge
White, haa suggested the seek
ing of special legislation.
Similar legislation respecting
the City of Gastonia has been
obtained previously, Judge White
added, and he anticipates that
requested legislation for Kings1
Mountain would be modeled on I
the Gastonia act.
Southwell Firm
Starts Building
On Highway 74
Clearing of land for the con
struction of a new building to
house Southwell Motor Company
has started just west of the
Kings Mountain city limits on
the north side of Highway 74.
Grading of the land for what
is slated to be the most modem
of its kind in this area is to be
gin as soon as dry weather
makes it possible.
The proposed 60 by 120 foot
building will house an ai--con
ditioned modern, all glass show,
■room, offices, service depart
ment and paint and body shop.
Stran-steel will be used for
constructing the building, with
only the offices (brick) and the
showroom (glass) being of dif
ferent material.
Adjacent to the $70,000 build
ing will be the company’s used
oar lot.
Bob Southwell, owner
of the motor ootnpany, gives
more space and better service
as the main reason for building
the new structure and moving
from his present location.
"With the new location and
building, we will have more
parking and service area, and
therefore, be able to give bette
and more complete service to our
customers.
Although the new btulding is
expected to be completed earlier,
Southwell doesn’t plan to move
to the neiw location until June
1.
A Charlotte firm is in charge
of the stran.steel construction,
with other features (heating, air
conditioning, brick work, etc.) to
be handled by local contracto-s.
Band Begins
Busy Season
The Kings Mountain high
school band, under the direction
of Joe Hedden, has begun its
1963 concert season with four
big events leading up to the dis
trict band contest in Marion on
March 30th.
The band clinic in Gastonia
January 25-26 was attended by
eight members of the Kings
Mountain band. The participat
ing musieiains were: John Clem
mor, Del Goforth, Joan How
ard, Joan McClure, Susan Plonk,
Buz Shuford and Glenn Werner.
The two ■ day event included
demonstrations by leading mu
sicians, a banquet and dance,
and a concert.
On February 3: d the band
played a concert preceding the
dedication of the National Guard
Armory. In addition to the con
cert, which consisted of the con
test music the band is using this
year, the band played the Star
Spangled Banner for the flag
raising ceremony which follow
ed.
On February 20th the band will
play for a Davidson - Wake
Forest basketball game at t h e
(Continued On Page Eight)
Rites Thursday
For Mr. Martin
Baxter William Martin, 66
formerly of Kings Mountain,
died Monday night at his home
in Mor~istown, Tenn.
Funeral rites will be held
Thursday at 4 p. m. from Sisk
Funeral Home here. The Rev.
Clyde Goodson will ©fficiate and
burial will be made in Mountain
Rest cemetery.
Martin is survived by his wife,
Mrs. Emma Huffstetler Martin;
two sons, J. A. Martin and Gary
E. Martin, noth of Charlotte: one
daugh'ar, Mrs. MJa~y Merrill of
Gastonia; two brothers, John G.
Martin of Kings Mountain and
Plato Martin of California.; and
one sister, Mrs. Ransom Pruitt
of Kings Mountain.
City To Reconvoy
Right-of-Way Strip
The city is publishing a reso
lution of the commission t h i .* |
week whereby it plans, to rt
convey to Mr. and Iffrfc Colemai
3 troupe a portion of right.o'
way qn North Piedmont avenw;
Mr. and Mrs. S*rotr>e h a <
20 feet wide by 100 feet Jront
lng S troupe property on N. Piet’
moot. It was found that improv
ments to the property tran»
gressed city right-of-way an>
Mr. Stroupe asked the re-cor
"W"»> of ►••if t>»" initial con,
veyance, or 10 x 100 feet.
The resolution notes that the
city no longer uses the ten-foot
•trip.
EVIDENCE IN SHOOTING OF ESCAPEE — The Items pictured were
evidence displayed at the coroner's jury hearing Saturday in the
death of Hugh Phillips, a Negro escapee from the prison camp near
Shelby. Phillips, after being accosted by Patrolman R. B. Leonard,
attacked the patrolman first with the flashlight then the auto tag.
The bullets and empty cartridge cases are from Leonard's pistol.
Phillips was shot twice. (Photo courtesy Tom McIntyre, Gastonia
Gazette.)
Leonard Blameless
In Convict’s Death
Deadline Is Near
For Buying Tags
Friday is the final day to
purchase 1963 city auto license
tags without penalty, and sales
through Wednesday indicate
some 500 Kings Mountain auto
owners have not yet purchased
ed new tags.
Sales through Wednesday
totaled 1223, city officials re
ported.
Sales for 1962 totaled 1778.
The city ordinance requires
that auto owners not only
purchase but display the tags
on their vehicles.
Traitte Hearing
Set Foi Thursday
Preliminary hearing for Jim
my Truitte, charged wkh armed
robbery of East King Esso sta
tion here on January 9, will be
held in City Recorder’s Court
Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m.
City officers Robert Green and
3mest Beam returned Truitte
„‘rom Harlan County, Kentucky,
Saturday morning.
Truitte, an escapee from a Har
lan prison, had been apprehend
rd and arrested by Harlan offi
cers.
Chief Paul Sanders had for
warded warrants for Truitt’s ar
.ast to Harlan officials and ext-a
iition was waived by the alleged
obber.
Truitte is the alleged partner
of Jimmy Eugenie Hopper in the
early morning hold-up of the
Cast King station. Hopper, who
hanged himself Jn city jail after
jiving himself up to Rutherford
ton police and being returned
iere, implicated Truitte.
If probable cause is found
against Truitte Thursday, he will
oe bound over ;untll the next
erm of Superior Court.
Open House Set
ForDehteV'
Mrs. Humes Houston announ.
red this week the opening of a
lew beauty shop, Debie’s, in an
lddition to her residence on
South Deal street.
Open house at the new estab
lishment . will be held from
1 to ff p. m. Thursday, to which
:he public is invited.
A prize drawing will be «nH
dueled with a permanent wave
«id other valuable prizes to be
fiven to lucky v.»itors.
In addition to Mins. Houston,
>ther beauticians on the staff
will be Mrs. Georgia Mel tor
snd Mrs. Pauline Clark.
RECORDER'S COURT
The regular weekly recorder’s
ourt will be held Thursday at 2
<.m.
Coroner's Jnry
Rales Officer
Was Justified
Highway Patrolman R. Black
well Leonard was justified in
killing an escaped convict last
Friday, a six-man coroner’s jury
ruled following a hearing at City
Hal<l Saturday morning.
To a question by Coroner J. Ol
lie Harris, Patrolman Leonard
testified, “I believe he meant to
kill me. He said so and he hit
me.”
Hugh Phillips, 52-year-old Ne
gro serving 25 to 30 years for
murder was killed Friday morn
ing on the Long Branch road aft
er the officer had ordered the es
capee from the prison camp near
Shelby into his car.
The patrolman testified that
Phillips got into the pat"ol car,
then started flailing him with a
three-cell flashlight. He pulled
his gun and fired. The bullet ap
parently missed, Phillips leaving
■he car on the passenger side.
Leonard also got out. ran around
the car, and fired twice.
Phillips fell while swinging an
other weapon in the form of an
auto tag Leonard had his pa
trol car.
Coroner Han.is said two bul
lets entered Phillips’ body, the
autopsy showing there were two
wounds of entrance, one of exit.
One bullet had pierced the aorta,
a lung, liver and pancreas and
had lodged in the left chest cavi
ty.
SHI Agent John Vanderford
testified that Phillips had killed
a man in June of T957 and had
been wounded in a gun battle
with Hickory police before his
capture. He had subsequently,
escaped, but was recaptured.
Members of the jtnry were R. E.'
Hambright, foreman, and W. S.‘
Hicks, both of Grover. Jim Leigh,
Otis F-alK Hr., Chari** ,E. Dixon
and PauJ Cole, all of Kings
Mountain.
' ■’ -- i
SCOUT PROGRAM
Fourteen Boy Scouts from
Troop 97 will present a skit at,
Thursday night’s Bethware school
P-TA meeting to be held In the1
'chool auditorium.
Foimei Mayor
Enters Race
For City Office
Glee A. Bridges is seeking to
regain the city’s mayoral office
which he held from 1953-61.
The semi-retired hardware,
man paid his filing fee shortlj
before noon Wednesday.
He is the second candidate foi
mayor, Clarence E. Ga pente
having filed for the off.ce last
Septemtoer.
In commenting on his cand
dacy, former - Mayor Bridge
said:
"I have had more enco.rrage
ment to seek the office of May
or than all of the previous time:
put together.
’’During my previous terms of
office, I worked haior-as the
city’s chief executive" official,
from early in the morning urvti.
late at night, and I never failee
to honor a citizen’s request to
investigate problems connected
with the city.
“The record shows that t h c
City of Kings Mountain made
excellent progress during my
previous administrations, broad
ening city services with a lowe
fax rate, and operating on r
sound financial basis.”
Mr. Bridges, after leading in
the first election, was defeated
by Mayor Kelly Dixon in thr
run-off in May 1961 by a margin
of 116 votes out of 2110 cast.
(Mr. Bridges holds the distinc.
tion of serving as mayor mori
consecutive terms (four) than
any mayi<' in the city’s history
He was for 12 years a memtoe
of the Cleveland County board o
commissioners and its chairmai
for four years.
He is a past president of the
Klwanis Club, With 22 yeans o
perfect attendance, a forme)
members of the K ngs Moun
tain board of eduoation, a :iav>
veteran of World War I, mem
ber of Kings Mountain Baptis
church, three times past con
mander ol the Ameioan Leg'oi
a member of the Moose and
Veterans of Foreign Wars. He i
a Mason and Shriner and is rc
tiring president of Kings Moun
tain Chamber of Commerce. H<
has been a Kings Mountain bus.
inessman since 1918.
Mrs. Bridges is the former Ad
die Hamrick.
Lions Get Look
At Australia
Members of the Lions dug got
a look-see at Australia both vis.
ually and verbally, Tuesday
night, from Miss Susan Hoad
of Melbourne, APS student here
She described Australia eg ;
continent about the size of th
United States, populated by ten
million people, with a fe til'
coastline and dry, rather barre
interior, where rainfall is limit
ed to two months pc year.
Australia, she related, was di:
covered by Captain Cook in 177C
initially used by Britain as
penal colony, beginning in 1778
Discovery of gold fn 1850 pro
dueod a population influx.
She said Australia is muc!
like America, though there art
differences. Most foods are cat
en fresh, not frozen nor canned
she said, and Australian school:
follow the English “pivatc
school” pattern.
The native Australian, or abo.
riginal, like the American In
dian, is become extinct. From a
population of 300,000 the num
ber has dropped to 40,000 pure
bloods and 17,000 half-breeds
There is no color problem, she
said, as the aboriginals, w.th
exceptions, at-ay away from the
white man.
Sheep.raising for wool is the
principal industry and largest
export. Wheal as second.
The basic wage scale approxi
mates that of the United States
and income taxes are high
Miss Hoad, -who showed brill
iant color slides of her country,
waj presented by Howard Bry
ant.
George Thomasson, past presi
dent, welcomed Capt. Ha rob'
Glenn Campbell to membershi
in the club.
Chamber oi Commerce Meeting Set
For Tsesday; Crawford Nominee
New officers and directors of
the Kings Mountain Chamber
of Commerce will be elected
Tuesday night at a dimer meet
ing of the o ganization at 7:30
p. m. at the Country dub.
The nominating committee I
will present a slate of officers,
including:
For president, J. Wilson Cnaw
jford.
For vice-president, Charles
Maitney.
For secretary - treasurer, L
£. (Josh) Hinnant.
For directors: Jonas Bridges,
J. Ollie Harris, James E. Amos
Wili am M. Herndon, Glee A.
Bridges, Tom Tate, Fred Wrigh,
and Charles Blanton,
President Glee A. Bridges will
piieside.
CANDIDATE — Glee A. Bridges,
!ou( - term mayor from 1953-61,
seeks ts regain the office he lost
two years ago to Mayor Kelly
Dixon in a run-off election.
Arson Suspected
In School Fire
State inspector Earl Hatcher of
Rutherfordton will return to
Kings Mountain Thursday to con
tinue the investigation into the
’ire that occurred at Kings Moun
tain high school Friday night.
The lire was repor.eJ at ap
proximately 9:25 p.m. Friday
while hundreds of people were at
he high school gymnasium
/atehing the Mountaineer-Ruin
'rfordton - Spindale basketball
;ame.
Damage to the lower portion of
he school plant was minor, but
'ire Chief Floyd Thronburg and
Iatcher believe that the fire was
’t from inside the building and
will continue to investigate on
ha:, premise.
Hatcher and Thornburg made
t preliminary investigation of
the fire Monday morning.
Scants Worship
dn Scout Sunday
Troop 93 Boy Scouts led the
morning worship service Sunday
at First P.esbytenan church.
Dr. P. G. Padgett, elder, leu
the call to worship -after which
Scouts recited the flag salute
and the Scout oath. Dale Put
nam led the responsive reading
and Lanry Patrick read the
scripture reading.
Young Patrick, an Eagle
Scout who has won numerous
honors in Scouting, delivered
the morning message on "The
Challenge.” The history of Pm
nyterian Troop 90 was read a. .1
Phillip Bunch reported on 19C J
achievements. Included in t h c
-ervice were the singing of the
patriotic hymns, “O Beautiful
For Spacious Skies," “Americ°”
and "Onward, Christian Srl
iiers.” The choir sang the an
Jiem, "Father In Heaven Who
Covest All."
The entire troop, in uniform,
sat together during the service
ind led the cong.egation in the
hymn singing and meditatio is
Other Boy Scouts in the cor i
munity also attended ehiii ,-h
services Sunday on Boy S'-oul
Sunday, sitting together rr. 1’
dressing in uniform fo t : ft
morning service.
J. H. Thomson is the troop's,
institutional represe n t a l i v e,.
Lawrence Patrick is troop com.
mittee chairman, Henry McKel
vie is scoutmaster and Manley -
Hayes is assistant scoutmaster
Larry Patrick is Junior asset,
ant scoutmaster and Philip
Bunch is senior patrol leader.,
Wendell Bunch is scribe, Jimmy
Baker and Larry Anderson are
librarians and J. D. Wright and
John Clemmer are quartermas
ters. Patrol leaders are Dale
Putnam, Chales Padgett and Ned.
Bridges.
Other troop members: & r
Gene and Philip Putnam. Robe -f
Moss, Morris Timrns, Wayne
Mullinax, Larry Andeison, Tom
my Clemmer, Vic Laughridge,
Donald Ma-tin, Larry Wood,
Harold Lingerfelt, David and'
Mack Bost, Andy Neisler, Ronnie
Timms, Kenneth McGill and,
Lau.in Whisnant.
Wew Entrance Doors
Du© For City Hall
The main entrance to City
Hal! is scheduled for a new
look.
Saw doom, partially met?!
ar»d partially glass with alum
inum frames will replace the
s;ted wooden doors now being
if ed and a glass transom iwll
E» installed.
V new flagpole is also being
.cicated, replacing the
. one” forme, ly in use, Mayor
‘ lly Dixon said.