i, 1972
Population
Greater Kings ll^*‘*aln 91.914
City Limits 8.465
Grtfcn«r Xui9i MouatcOa la darivad iram tfet
ipa«trd Ualtad atotaa Butaou el tha Caaaua lapect a
jOBvarr IBM. nad iaciudaa tka l4«tM populottoa •
MaaiBaf 4 TewaaUp. cpad taa ramoialag 8,184 tiea
amoaf S Towaalilp, lajClaaaloM Couatf oad CfowBar
«4*w»ntaia TowaaMa r
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspoper
VOL. 83 No. 35
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, August 31, 1972
Plans Are Announced For KM Shopping Center
McDevitt Nabs Escapee
On Visit To Courthouse
^chamblei
Was Spotted
Holding Baby
A routine trip to the Gaston
County courthouse Wednesday
morning netted Kings Mountain
Chief of I’oiieo Tom McDevitt an
escaped felon and a big thank
you from the Shelby prison unit.
McDevitt said he went to Gas
tonia to pick up some temporary
custody pap<>rs so he could go to
South Carolina and bring 25-'year-
old Eiferd Guy Coker to Cleve
land County to stand trial in re
cent rape case.
As McDevitt entered the court
house, he said he saw Robert
Srhambler, who reportedly es
caped from the Shelby prison
camp several weeks ago. MCDev-
itt said Srhambler was holding a
baby and standing in the hall
near several law enforcement
officials.
"I recognized him,” said Mc-
Di'vitt, “and immetiiateiy asked
him f<'r identification. He con
tended that I was crazy and had
no right to detain him.”
McDevitt said the man showed
him a Florida driver's license
which had been issued to a Ron
ald Harlowe of Jacksonville, Fla.
He said that the man also had
• .I ticket for speeding in New York
an dat the time the ticket was
issued he was driving a 1972
Chevrolet which displayed a tag
for a 1966 Chevrolet which w:is
stolen near the Margracc Mill a-
ibout two months ago.
McDevitt stated that Scham-
blor had been working with a
road gang on Highway 216 near
the Margracc community ai';out
three months ago and escaped.
McDevitt said the same day a
ear was stolen near the Margracc
Continued On Page Six
Police Charge
Caiiipe,35
With Break-In
Car Stalls;
Hit By Train
A 1972 Ford owned by James
Arthur Wilkie, 29, of Bessemer
City was demolishetl Saturday
night when it was hit by a train
at the Baker - Phe.nix Street
crossing.
Wilkie told city police that
the car, which had only 2,000
miles on it, stalled a.s he cross
ed the tracks. Wilkie left the
car as the train aproaehed.
Wilkie said he had been hav
ing trouble with the car stalling
and had just recently had it work
ed on. Damage to the car, which
was a total loss, was estimated
at $3,200.
k Police Investigated two other
^wrecks during the week, both re
sulting in personal injury.
Genevieve Barrett, 26, and Rob
ert Barrett Sr., both of Gastonia,
were treated for Injuries at
Kings -vlountain Hospital follow
ing a 6 p.m. wreck .Saturday at
the intersection of West King and
Sims Streets.
According to investigating offi
cer Robert Dotlge, a 1972 Ford
driven by Henny Lilas Upchurch,
3i, of Pittsboro, N. C., stopped
on King to make a left turn.
DtKlge said a 1971 Ford, driven
by Genevieve Barrett, was fol
lowing the Ppchurch car and
stopped also. The Barrett car
was struck in the rear by a 1972
Ford, driven by Danny Webster
Bridges .Tr.. 26, of Charlotte,
Dodge estimated damages as
$700 to the Bridges car, $100 to
the Barrett car and $2.5 to the
Upchurch car.
Sgt. M. M. Hunter reported
that a 1939 Chevolle, driven hy
Willie Joe Freeman, 21, of Be.s-
semer City ran down a 15-foot
enTC'ankmenI and overturned a-
reond 11 p.m. Tuesday.
Freman told Hunter he was
traveling east on West Ridge
Street when he unexpectedly
came upon a dead end road with
a 90 degree turn to the right. He
said he tried to make the turn
(onto Railyoad Avenue) hut could
not and ran down the embank-
nent.
Hunter estimated damages to
^the car as $2,000. Freeman was
treated for injuriei' at Kings
Mountain Hospital.
TAPPED—Mountain Rest Ceme
tery Supt. Ken Jenkins was ap
pointed Monday os superintend
ent of the newly-created De
partment of Urban Beautifica
tion.
Board Taps
Ken Jenkins
Ken Jenkins, superintendent of
Mountain Rest cemetery, was ap
pointed Monday night by the
city comihission as superinten
dent of the newly-created Depart
ment of Urban Beautification.
Action of the city commission
came after rec’ommendation by
Mayor John Moss.
Earlier Mayor Moss told the
board "it is more and more ap
parent that we need to set up a
department to assume the respon-
silillity of leadership it needs for
citizen participation in bcautiii-
cation. Kings Mountain is grow
ing and added burden has been
placed on the sanitation depart
ment in ibeautification efforts in
the past, along with other de
partments who have served.
Jenkins will continue as super
intendent of Mountain Rest ceme
tery in addition to his new duties.
Mayor Moss said the new de
partment will be operational in
two weeks and it will work close
ly with his office. He said the
city will be hiring additional per
sonnel and that equipment will be
made available to the depart
ment..
AUDmONS
Auditions for new singers for
the Oratorio Singers of Char
lotte will be held on Wednes
day. September 6th, from 7 un
til 10 p.m. at Myers Park Meth
odist church in Charlotte. Ten
ors and basses are especially
needed. Those interested who
cannot attend auditions may
call 375-7512 for another ap
pointment.
A 35-year-old Bessemer City
man, James T. Canlpe, is in
Kings Mountain jail today, charg
ed with the Tuesday morning
breaking, entering and larceny
at Hippy’s Jewelry at 21il North
Piedmont Avenue.
Chief Tom MdDevitc said Ca-
nipe, of 2808 East Virginia Ave
nue, Bessemer City, is being held
in lieu of $2,000 bond.
MdDevitt said someone enter
ed the jewelry store early Tues
day morning and took $106.75
worth of silverware and jewelry.
Someone who lives near the store
called police at 2 a.m. after hear-
ii»g a noise there.
McDevitt said seme of the
merchandise has been recovered
from a house in Bessemer City
and indicated that other arrests
may be made soon in connection
with two earlier r.oreak-ins at Hip
py's Jewelry.
Police reported several other
instances of crime during the
past week.
McDevitt said $81 in cash was
taken from the sale at the Bur
ger House on East King Street
sometime during the night of Au
gust 23. The larceny was report
ed on the morning of August 2-1.
According to McDevitt, a work
man at the Burger House put the
money in the safe, locked it and
checked it three times after clos
ing the night of the 23rd. Mc
Devitt said when he returned the
next morning, he opened the safe
■by the combination and found it
was empty.
McDevitt reported that invest!
CONTINUBD ON PAGE 6
Opening Smooth
As 1128
Beport To School
Last week’s opening of school
was “smooth,'' according to Supt.
Don Jones.
Jones reported that 4,128 stu
dents showed up tor opening day
of school and that total was in
creased by 25 yesterday.
"We had a real good opening,”
Jones noled. “We didn't have to
transfer anybody but did have to
add a teacher at Bethware and
Grover.” He noted that the en
rollment was more than expected
at both these schools,
Jones noted that students will
have two holidays during the
month of Septerr< cr. Schools will
bo clo.sed Monday' for Labor Day
and September 26 for the dis
trict NCAE meeting at Ashbrook
high school in Gastonia.
Council Approves Certificate
For Projected Nursing Home
School Bid
Is Raised
By Sheffield
C. M. Sheffield has raised bid
by the Kings Mountain City
Schools 1 or the Mrs. George Can-
sler Estate property fronting on
West Mountain and West King
streets.
The Sheffield bid is $2,150.
As of yesterday, the bid by
serond-'bidder Billie Joe Sipe
($1,100) for Tract II, seven lots
on West King, total fronting 196
ifeet, had not been raised.
■Resale auction is required after
rcadvertising of properties.
Sipes raised the initial bid of
Bob Cox.
The property is being sold un
der order of the Superior Court
to settle the Cansler Estate in an
action brought by Diana Cansler
WohUord and Miss Karen Can
sler, against Mr. and Mrs. Luther
Cansler and Anthony Cansler, re
spondents.
Outside-District School Pupils
Won't Be Charged $60 Tuition
The state attorney general’s of
fice Friday ruled that the Lin-
wood section of Kings Mountain
is a part of the city school dis
trict and students living there
would no longer have to pay a $60
a year tuition.
The question of whether or not
that section, which lies inside
Gaston county, was a part of the
school district arose at the April
meeting of the school board when
j Chairman George Mauney read a
portion of a book let which stat
ed that all territories embodying
the corporate limits of a city
shall be considered the Kings
Mountain graded school district.
At the time, school officials
wrote for a ruling from the N. C.
Institute of Government, which
published the booklet. The Insti
tute of Government ruled that the
section was, indeed, a part of the
school district but it took the at
torney general's office almost five
months to make the same rulin.g
Supt. Jones said that Gaston
County would have to refund
some monies to the Kings Moun
tain Board of Education "and any
money we recover we’ll give it
back to the people who paid it.”
Jones said approximately 30
students from that area now at
tend schools in Kings Mountain.
He said an effort will be made
to find out how many others
from that area are attending Gas
ton County schools and how many
would like to attend KM schools.
Jones predicted that the ruling
wjll help the growth of Kings
Mountain. He said the growth of
the Linwood section slowed when
the tuition requirement was
brought about five years ago.
.Z:
!.c V
60-Bed Home
To Be Built
Near Hospital
Clevtiand - Gaston ■ Lincoln
Healtii Planning Council, Inc...
ioll.jwing a public hearing Tue.s-
day night at City Hall, voted to
rcccmmend to tlie State Board of
Healtii that a c/'tificatc ol need
be bsuod to King - Mountain Con
valescent Home, Inc. to build and
operate o. nursing-coii'valeseent
home lacility.
Five memberc cf the 12-mem-
ber committee ccnducted the
hearing item 7 until 8;3C, reces.s-
ing to confer for 20 minutes be-
icrc announcing their decision in
Council Cham-bers of City Hall.
Wade .Mitcham, Gastonia attor
ney, clviiifnan, presided and Mrs.
Edith Roger.; read the resolution,
passed unani.mou.slj, along with
an amendment that stated “in
the interest ol strengtliening the
application lor the certificate.
stati£ti:'al dccumentation conce.'-n-
ing the number cf nursing bods
in tile county, tlie rate ol u.sage,
and number cf residents placed
in nursing homos out.sidc the
ccunty be added.”
No opposition to the nursing
liome was voiced at the hearing
attended by approximately 25
people.
Serving with Chairman Mitch
am and -Mrs. Koger.s on the com
mittc'o panel were School.-; Supt.
Ejnaid Jone.s of Kings Mountain,
Pr. T. R. Harri.c of Slielby and
Dr. T, A. Will of Dallas.
Jcscpli R. Smith, pre.sident oi
Kings Mountain Convalescent &
Nursing Home, reported the com
mittee at a meeting Monday
night passed resolution to sell its
stock to MGR. Inc. of Spartan
burg, S. C. if tlie certificate need
was grantc-d.
MGR, Inc. ojieratc.s Shelby Con
valescent Center and made ap
plication for tlie certificate ol
need.
Smith -recounted tlie work over
more titan five years, including
the formation of the iprivate cor
poration, toward the nursing
center.
‘<We had a problem of finances”,
said Smith.
Senator J. Ollie Harris, who
opened the meeting, pointed to
Continued On Page Six
Coker To Return
Friday For Trial
Elford Guy Coker. 25, charged
by Kings Mountain law enforce
ment officials with the Aug. 3
rape of a five-ycaroid girl, will
I'oe returned to Cleveland County
Friday to stand trial.
Coker, who was declared an
oytlaw by Superior Court Judge
B. T, Falls following a manhunt
in Kings Mountain several Sun
days ago, has been serving a 12-
.vear sentence in Gaffney for arm
ed robbery.
Coker reportedly escaped from
a Gaffney prison several months
ago and had lieen hiding out near |
tlie Margracc section. He was
.spotteit in a ear by Kings Moun- j
tain police officer Tomm.c King i
and ran when King stopped the
car. 1
Kin.gs g.ive chase but trippe I
and suffered a broken ankle. He
is stil' nursing a cast. j
Local law o ficials, along witli
Cherokee County officers, I.aunrii- ,
ed a manhunt immediately but i
Coker eluded them. He was tlien;
■dee'ared an outlaw an was cap-,
tured a fmv days later iby two
citizen.s near York, S. C. '
\
LOCAL DRIVER IN MOVIE ROLE — Don Beam, at far right, ond
his son, Donnie, are east in ”The Petty Story" which is playing
at the local theatre. In the photograph with Beam are his wife
and Daren McGcrvin, center. Beam is a local race driver and
plays the part of a revenuer who gives Lee Petty the chase of
his life in the movie.
Local Driver
iT n
STUDENTS KICK OFF MAGAZINE SALE — Juniors at Kings Mountain high school begin Friday
the aimual Junior mogcaine sale to raise funds for the Junior-Senior Prom. Booths will be set
up at football gomes to sell subscriptions beginning at the first home game. Pictured, from left,
Priscilla Adams, Butch Blalock. Pomelo Bobeler, John Plonk, GaU Hightower, IM>ra Bolin, imd
Junior aoss President Steve Hides. (Photo by I. G. Alexander)
/
In Petty
Racing Film
Will Feature
Donald Beam
Some Kings Mountain racing
fans might lie in for a surprise
when tliey sia? “5t43, The Petty
Story”, now sliowing at tlie Joy
Tlieatre.
Local movie-goers will quickly
recognize Don Beam, a local race
driver, and his son Donnie, who
tcame;i ii)) with the Pettys to
coni|)lele Die Petty Stoiy.
Bo.im, a Route 3. Kings Moun
tain resident, has Ix'cn one of
the top name drivers on local
short irack.s for years. In the
movie, lie'll play tile part of a
revi'mier who rives la'e I’etlj' the
chase of his lif<' and will also
perform most of the stunt <iriv-
iivi ether Ilian done liy Kiciiard
Petty. 'WHl
Tlie ni' tu'.'g begins with sci'nes
from D’l'b wiien racing was done
on dirt roads an-l ela-ging. wiDi
triv' .-i-anehes rather than check-
e'-('d fla-.'s. Tlie movie <lepi<-ts the
I’etty f.mi'y racing .'inil XASU.-NR
from l''!i) until Die present time.
Bv this weekend, the movie
'CONriM'ED ON PAGE
Fostball Contest In Second Week;
Yon Can Win $$$ From Yoni Entries
The Herald's second football contest is inside this
week's paper.
Response was good for the first contest and those
games are coming up Friday- The money winners will be
listed in next week's Herald.
This week's contest will include 13 games, consisting
of both high school and college contests.
You have almost a week to think about your selec
tions. But, keep in mind, we must receive your entry by
5 p.m. next Wednesday.
Get your entry or entries in. Who knows. Maybe you'll
be the winner of the $15 first prize.
Brown On Dufy
At Camp Lejeune
Pfc. James A. Brown, son of Mr.
James N. Brown of Route 3,
Kings Mountain, has reporteed
for duty at the .Marine Corps
j ase. Camp Lejeune.
David Smith's
Rites Conducted
Funeral rites for Manual David
Smith, 61, of 109 .Myers street,
were conducted Saturday after
noon at 1 p. m. from Kings .Moun-
j tain Church of God, of which he
; was a niomlier, interment follow
ing in Mountain Rost cemetery.
; Mr. Smith, retirt'd textile work-
I er, died in a two-car head-on
collision Thursday afternoon on
Lake Monlonia road near Kings
Mountain at 3:30 p. m. He was
dc'ad on arrival at Kings Moun-
t.iin hospital where occupants o'
Die second car. .Myron George, 17.
and Roliin Dickey, 16. were treat
ed for injuries.
A native of Lincoln county, Mr.
■Smith was sin <’f the late Mr.
an I Mrs. Pliilow Smith.
.smviving are his'wife, Mrs.
Funic*' McFalls .Smith; five sons.
Vernon E. Smith, Charles Smith,
IV'nald .SmiDi, Paul Smith, all of
Kings Mountain, and Michael
Smith of the H. S. Army at Fort
lEragg; two daughters, .Mrs. Ray
Sarvis of Pompano Beach, Fla.
amt .Mrs. BiM Ware of Kings
Mountain; two halt - brothers,
Janies Brid-ges of Kings Mountain
and Jake Bri.igps of the Crow
ders Mountain community; one
.si.stcr, Mrs. Arnold Whitesides of
Lincolnton; 13 grandchildren and
one great-grandchild.
Rev. S. W. Avery officiated at
the final rites, assisted by Rev.
George Leigh and Rev. Robert ‘
Hickiin. I
Winn-Dixie,
Mack's Variety
Will Build
Initial plans for construction
of a Kings Mountain shopping
center were announced Tuesday
by realtor J. Wilson Crawford
and Ma. or John Moss.
The 3(),00J square feet shopping
center Will initially house a
Winn Dixie supermarket and a
-Macks Variety Store. The shopp
ing center will be located off U.
S. Highway 7-1 bchimi the Na
tional Guard Armory on properly
previously owned by the late Mrs.
Frank 'Gc.cvth.
Crawford and Rtf ert H. Neill
arc leasers of the land and Lat
Purser and Associates of Char
lotte is leasing agent for lh«
shopping center.
Crawford said within a year
Die shopping center will house
about 20 tenants, including, hope
fully, a hanking facility.
"We will eon.struct a banking
facility subject to approval l y
state and federal government
agencies. It’s a matter of how
long it will take them to approve
it, ’ Crawford said.
Crawford said the leasers are
"in negotiation with several other
tenants.” He said they plan to
construct one 7,700 square 'foot
store. "We’re off in negotiation
with the tenant we hope to get
for that store,” he said, "but we
feel well enough about It that
we are going ahead and start
construction."
Winn Dixie, which has been
associated with Kings Mountain
for many years, plans a store
which will contain 19,880 square
feet of floor space. J. Leon Bald
win of Winn Dixie's Greenville,
S. C., office, said the store will
be completed by February, 1973.
Baldwin noted;
“The store will be completely
air conditioned and all depart
ments will he 100 percent self-
service, o.'fering a wide variety
of all commodities including
dietetic and gourmet foods, health
and beauty aids, dairy and bakery,
products and the finest harvest-
fresh produce available. All meats
carried in the meat department
will be U.S. Government Inspect
ed, always guaranteeing the cus
tomer the finest that is avail
able. This store will also have
one of the largest frozen food
departments in this entire area,
this >,eing one of the fastest grow
ing commodities in the super
market field.
“Winn Dixie is not a new name
to the residents of Kings Moun
tain,” Baldwin added, "as they
have .lieen a tenant in Kings
Mountain dating back to the
Dixie Home Store days.”
Baldwin pointed out that Winn
Dixie now operates more than
378 stores in the southeast. "They
are headquartered in Jackson
ville, Florida,’ he said, "however,
this store will be serviced 'from
the Greenville. S. C, warehouse
ciiitj', Diereby insuring the
freshest food products available
at all times.”
The Macks store will be a
1.5,600 square feet building and
is also scheduled for completion
early next year.
O. T. Sloan, Macks president,
C<mtmued On Page Six
Mrs. Hayes'
Rites Conducted
Funeral services for Mrs. Cora
Lee Hayes, 94, were conducted
Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Central
Methodist Church, where she was
a member, by the Rev. Paschal
Waugh, the Rev. Russell Fitts
and Die Rev. Theodore Hoffman.
(Burial was in Mountain Rest
Cemetery.
Mrs. Ilayes, 94, o' Kings Moun
tain. died Sunday night in We;i’o,v
Nur.slng Center in Cliarlolie fol
lowing an illness of .'ioieral .years.
She was the daughter of the
late .Mr. and .Mrs. Davi 1 W. Moss
and wid*>w of Ernest ila.ves.
She was a memlicr of Central
United Methodist Church.
She is sui*vived by one daugh
ter, Mrs. C. T. Ledford of Kings
Mountain; three sons, Kei'd Hayes
of Charlotte; Herman Hayes of
Tampa. Fla. and Paul Hayes of
Kings Mountain; one sister, Mrs.
Audio Weaver of Linailnton; one
brother, Raljih Moss of Peters
burg. Va.; 11 grandchildren; 28
great grandchildren; and 'five
great great grandchildren.
.-Ictive pallbearers were Mike
Ledford, Gene Ledford, Rev.
George Thornburg, Hoyle Mabry,
and Frank Hinson.