I
Maner Urges Ward System Change
By TOM MclNTVRE
Editor, The Mirror
^ At least one Kings Mountain
resident of record wants a
change in local election
proceedure.
Bob Maner, an insurance
and real estate agent and
serving as chairman of the
Kings Mountain Planning
Board, advocates either
abolition of the ward system
or a redrawing of ward
boundaries in the city.
“The only axe I have to
grind is my own,*’ Maner said
Tuesday. “I do not represent
any group or political faction
in this matter.”
Appearing before the Kings
Mountain Chamber of Com
merce directors at the board’s
Tuesday meeting. Maner
outlined his proposal and
asked if the chamber would
consider accepting the action
as a project.
“All I want in this matter is
for the chamber to consider
becoitiing the official voice of
concerned citizens in
presenting tins proposal to the
city commissioners,” Maner
said.
Currently, Attorney Robert
Bradley is contacting
chartiber directors and of
ficers individually to get their
reactions to the proposal.
Bradley pointed out the
chamber by-laws state the
organization can neither take
part in nor lend support to any
political candidate or party in
elections.
Chamber President Dr.
Francis Sincox said, “at the
same time this proposal does
iK)t get into political activities
as far as candidates or
political parties are con
cerned. If it is beneficial to the
community at large, then it
does become a matter the
chamber should consider as a
project.”
Manor’s presentation in
cluded facts about the wards
at present, of voter
registration and the
limitations placed on potential
candidates.
“Ward one is the smallest,’’
Maner said, “and it is dying in
‘TKovtofi
VOI.. 3 NO. 19
KINGSMOl'NTAIN. NORTH CAROLINA 28086 THURSDAY, JANUARY 17,1974
JO'
Chief McDevitt
Is Reappointed
By JAY ASHLEY
MirrorStaffWriter
School leaders, industrial workers,
police officers, large and small
businessmen, pastors, girl scouts, black
and white attended the Monday night city
council meeting to voice support for
Chief Tom McDevitt Their concern was
satisfied with a five to one vote to
reappoint McDevitt to his post as police
chief, but not before a bevy of motions,
substitute motions and an executive
session.
McDevitt’s reappointment was the
first item of business on the agenda,
f Some 60-65 people packed the council
chambers while an equal lumber f. od
in the corridor straining to hear business
being conducted.
Mayor John H. Moss addressed the
crowd and noted it “was the largest
audience I have ever had during my
tenure as mayor,”
Moss stated he had received numerous
telephone calls during the past few weeks
concerning the chiefs reappointment
and presented the city board with three
letters of support. The letters came from
the KM Ministerial Association the
Rotary Club and a letter addressed to
Ward Five Commissioner James Amos
from the Kiwanis Club.
• Donald Parker, president of the
ftiwanis Club and principal at the Early
Childhood Education Center (Compact),
was recognized by the board during a
discussion. Parker told the members he
would “like to submit a petition to the
commissioners signed by some 450
As V'jA
^ ■ •
V-
k
CHIEF McDEVITT
...reappointed
persons.” Parker added the names were
gathered from various churches and
other community groups and
organizations by Mrs. Orangel Jolley.
Following Parker’s remarks, Mayor
Moss asked for a motion on the matter
and commissioner Amos stated, “I make
the motion we reappoint Chief McDevitt
as police chief.”
Ward Two Commissioner, Lloyd Davis
seconded the motion but added the
reappointment be “temporary”. He said,
“weare still conducting an investigation
and think we should appoint McDevitt
until the investigation is finished. I have
personally found nothing on which to
base a dsimissal but we do need to finish
' the matter of investigation.”
Before the motion could be voted on,
Ward Six representative, M. C. Pruette
interjected a motion the board “go into
executive session with Chief McDevitt.”
Attorney for the city, Jack White noted
a motion was already on the floor and
Pruette’s motion was not in order. The
matter was finally resolved as Pruette’s
motion was made into a substitute
motioa The executive session was
seconded by Ward Four Commissioner
Don McAbee.
Before the commissioners left the
room, Don Parker told the members that
“everyone here in this room supports
Chief McDevitt.” Parker’s remarks were
met with applause. Joe Hedden, prin
cipal at West School also remarked that
there were “just as many people in the
corridor that also came to back the chief.
(See CHIEF p.5A)
KMPO Set Yule Mail Record
Mail moved more rapidly
and more efficiently this past
Christmas than ever before
thanks to the cooperation of
the public in mailing their
i^rds and packages earlier
than usual. Kings Mountain
Postm aster Charles
Alexander reported today.
“The Postmaster General.
E. T. Klassen, has noted that
despite the fuel crisis, cut
backs in some airline flights,
and bad weather in some parts
('yc/p Crmli
A Kings Mountain resident
.suffered injuries Friday
morning when the motorcycle
he was driving collided head-
on with an automobile.
Injured in the mishap was
Bflly Belk of 113 Linwood Rd.
Belk was treated in the Kir^s
Mountain Hospital and later
transferred to Charlotte
Memorial where he was listed
in “unsatisfactory” condition
T\iesday afternoon.
The wreck occurred at 7:40
a.m. Friday on N. Piedmont
Ave. at Fulton SL towards
Walker St. KMPD Lt. Bob
Hayes investigated the
collision and reported Belk
was traveling south on
Piedmont and did not have his
headlight on and was also
“apparently traveling at a
liigh rate of speed". A nor
thbound car, operated by Ava
Dover Byers of 6440 Margrace
Rd, was attempting a left
tuni onto Fulton, when the
auto was hit by the Honda
of the country, Christmas mail
flowed more smoothly than in
any previous year,”
Alexander said.
“The assistance and
cooperation of the public was
splendid,” the Postmaster
continued. “Most holiday mail
was in the pipeline well
before the normal suggested
deadlines for seasonal
mailing.”
As an example of how well
“Operation Christmas Mail”
went nationally. Postmaster
Alexander disclosed that the
day before Christmas there
were approximately 6,500
pieces of mail on hand in the
Kings Mountain Post Office,
all of which was delivered by
Christmas Day.
Preliminary reports in
dicate that the postal service
moved more than eleven
billion pieces of mail during
the Christmas holidays,
Postmaster Alexander said-
12 per cent of the annual
national mail volume.
Rescuers Name
New Officers
The Kings Mountain Rescue
Squad started off the new year
with an election of officers to
serve during 1974.
The squad held the election
Sun., Jan. 6. in the new rescue
squad facility on Parker St.
Those chosen to serve a?
officers this year were Bob
Hope-captain; Keith Bowen-
1st Lt.; Delbert Dixon-2nd Lt.;
Richard Byers-Sergeant;
All boys ages 16-13 in
terested in boxing for the
police reserve team are
urged to be at the com
munity center next Wed
nesday at 4 p.m.
Johnnie Caldwell-secretary
and Charles Peterson-
Treasurer. Rev. Frank
Shirley will remain as the
squad’s chaplain.
This conscientious volunteer
organization boasts a very
active membership. Those
current members include
Raymond Calloway, James
Brackett. Everette Grigg,
Gene Champion, Jim
Robinson, John London. Earl
Hollifield. Barry Dellinger,
Mark Hughes, Mike
Sft'ickland, Monty Harbin,
Steve Belt. Dean Freeman
and Jim Anderson.
In announcing the new of
ficers. the rescue squad noted
it will “try very hard to help
the citizens of Kings Mountain
more in 1974 than ever before.
If you need us, we are as near
as your telephone!” In cases
of emergency, the squad
number is 739-2141.
Peeler
Files In
County
C. M. Peeler Jr. has broken
the political silence in
Cleveland County by
becoming the first com
missioner candidate for one of
two at large seats in the 1974
election.
President of Peeler In
surance and Realty, Inc. of
Shelby, said in his filing
statement, “Cleveland County
has been good to me and my
family and in return I will do
my best to serve the county if
elected.
“In deciding to run,” he
continued, “I consulted only
with my wife. I am obligated
to no person or group of
persons politically. I se^ no
contributions and will accept
no fiiiKis from anyone in my.
campaign. I seek to place good
business decisions in our
county government and will
do so with humility.”
The novice candidate at
tended NC State, graduated
from Lenoir-Rhyne with an
AB degree in business ad
ministration and graduated
from the Realtor’s Institute.
UNC-Chapel Hill.
Professionally he has been a
director, and is currently
serving as a member of the
(See PEELER p.lOA)
V
r.M. PEELER JR.
terms of people. The Bonnie
Mil! village is included in this
ward and a lot of people have
gone away since their mill-
owned homes have been
condemned and torn down.
••Wards two. three and four
are about the same size.” he
continued, “but ward five is
lx*lter than twice the size of
the others. Ward six is the
newest and is Ijetween one and
two in size, but this ward is on
tile west side of town and has
the greatest growth poten
tial."
Maner cited voter
registration figures in each
ward to illustrate his point:
ward one-195; w ard two- 363;
ward three - 435; ward foui* -
425; ward five - 1,172; and
ward six - 229.
“These are the registered
voter figures." Maner said.
•‘This doen t mean these
people have all voted. W'e
liave almost 3.000 voters in the
city, but less than 1.500 voted
in the 1972 elections."
Maner said he believes if the
commissioners would either
redraw the ward lines to make
each equal in size, or seek
legislation to abolish the ward
system and make each can
didate at large that “more,
(See WARD p.lOA)
/
“I have people
coming in and out of
this office all day long
and then when I get
home at night...I lend
an ear to all their
problems.*’
Pliotu by Jay Ashley
Kolwrts - Mofsbitrale
Judge Learns
Listening
B> J;\V \SIILEV
Mirror Staff Writer
Buried somewhere in that
stack of papers, legal books
and letters in the Piedmont
Ave. magistrate’s office, J.
Lee Roberts is working.
J. Lee recently celebrated
his seventy-second year on
this old globe and has served
in the capacity of magistrate
for 28 years.
J. Lee. or as he has af
fectionately been dubbed
“Judge”and “Catfish”, began
his career as a justice of the
peace elected in December of
1946 in number four township.
At the time Lee was a barber
by trade and continued cutting
hair while serring as the local
J.P.
Why become a justice of the
peace?
“W'hen I was coming
along”, he said, “there was
always a need around for
someone who could help fill
out forms and such. I was
lucky enough to have a high
school education so 1 helped a
lot of people who couldn’t read
and write."
Of course, the “Judge"
admits, he was probably in
fluenced into the profession by
his grandfather, John A.
Roberts. John A. served the
Confederate cause and ac-
lot iing to J. Lee’s book on the
hi.'itory of the Robert’s family,
John carried Robert E. Lee’s
last message to Jackson
during the Civil War.
Of John A., Lee said, “he
was the justice of the peace in
lower Cleveland County and I
was always around his files.
He had stacks of papers and
legal documents and all were
in long hand. They were
probably filled out with goose
quill and ink. I can also
remember my grandmother
talk a bout court days. She said
the people that were to be
tried would come to grand
father’s home and camp out in
wagons waiting to be tried.
Felons and other cases that he
couldn't dispose of would be
jailed or bond set until the
Circuit judge came around.
You know, some people might
think folks back then were
“know nothings" but they
were really an intelligent and
scholarly bunch.”
Lee was born the fourteenth
day of December 1901 in
Patterson Springs, located
some two miles south of
Shelby. When you talk about
“the good old days” you won’t
get much reaction from
Roberts who says the only
thing good about the “good old
days" is that they're gone.
“It was plenty tough then”,
he remembered, “I’d have to
0
i
RESCUE OFFICERS • A new slate of officers is now
directing the activities of the Kings Mountain Rescue Squad.
Pictured here are four of the six. (I. to r.): Richard Bvers-
Plioio by Tom McIntyre
sergeant; Johnnie Caldwell-secretary; Keith Bowen-first
lieutenant: and Boh Hope-captain. .Not pictured, Delbert Dixon
and Charles (Pete) Petersmi.
getuparound4:3D a.m. and do
work around the form. Then
I’d have to help my moJfher
hang out clothes and as soon
as she’d say 1 could leave, I
would head for school at a
trot.”
School for Lee was the
elementary facility in Pat
terson Springs and after that,
he finished high school in
Earl. Finishing high school in
the early part of the century
was a feat in itself. Most
children, especially farm
children, were needed at
home. “I was just a farm boy
who picked cotton, threshed
wheat, worked in the sawmill
and things like that”, he said.
But, Lee honestly admitted, “I
stayed in school for two
t^sons. One was to learn and
the other was I knew if I didn’t
go. I’d have to be working.”
As with most males born in
this time, Roberts was too
young for World War I and a
bit too old for World War II.
He said he and a cousin had
“eaten bananas to try to gain
amugh weight to join the
service during WWI” but
failed. The war ended on
November 11, just a month
before Roberts would have
been old enough to join up.
In 1926 the love bug hit and
Roberts married his
sw'cetheart Elizabeth.
Later Roberts and his wife
moved to Kings Mountain
where he barbered at the
Phaiix Barber Shop which
was located near the BVD
warehouse that burned down
last year. Lee stayed at the
shop for 25 years until he took
over his J. P. and magistrate
duties full-time. The office
used to be an elected one but
now the magistrate is ap
pointed by a Superior Court
judge on recommendations by
die clerk of court.
Lee has been in Kir^s
Mountain for 34 years anu
.speaks of the area and people
with fond affection. “I have
never met nicer folks since
I’ve been here”, he says. He
also praised the police of
ficers. lawyers and other
people who have shown kind
ness to him these many years.
Roberts is proof that a
i-ollcge education is not an
automatic ticket to knowledge
as he speaks of the law and
tiaces the office of magistrate
10 England. With the manner
o( n professor he relates “the
ffhee of magistrate is one of
Uie oldest judicial office in
our civilization, orginating in
(See JUDGE p.7A)