IS CPA Award
Winniriff ISewspapor
;0L. 86 NO. 50
MRROR-HIIALD
15
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA 28086 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18,1975
Three Cars Wrecked
High Speed Chase
Ends With Arrest
By tom McINTYRE
Editor, Mirror-Herald
tandall Edward Kellum, 20,
Hartwell, Ga. faces six
narate charges by the State
Lay Patrol following a
,I, speed chase which ended
’tiierear of the Joy Theatre
downtown Kings Mountain
itey- . ..
Ijthe Cleveland County jail,
jlum is charged with speed-
,in excess of 100 mph speed,
’excess of 80 mph while at-
npting to elude a police offi-
careless and reckless
Iving, failure to stop for a
en, no operator’s license
d carrying a concealed
jpon (a commercial brand
sgun advertised to ward off
iggers).
(ellum, according to police,
s been in this and the
omasville area for about
• year. He is employed by
rarginConstructionCo. and
current address is Club
intonia Apartments, Lake
Btonia, near Kings Moun-
n.
[he chase began near the
^way Patrol station in
elby before noon Friday,
:ording to Trooper Craig
ih, when the trooper
eked the Kellum vehicle, a
IwhiteBuick, at77 mph. on
radar. Fish crossed the
/y. 74 median and gave
ise.
It Bethware School,
)oper Fish stated, “the
ver of the Buiclc cut off the
hway and onto the school
iind.Gle drove into -the,
ygroimd aiea where t'^-re
re children playing, then
ive back onto the highway. ’ ’
Iccording to the patrol
)ort the chase involved
!eds of greater than 100
)h from the school into
igs Mountain.
Jellum entered Kings
luntain on W. Mountain St.
lere Police Chief William
iper Jr. was stationed to
empt to stop the white
ick. Kellum continued on
mg W. Mountain with
wper Fish and Chief Roper
pursuit. Other officers in
mner
Suing
r/ie City
Shelby attorney Charles A.
In said this week he hopes a
Buit he is handling against
* City of Kings Mountain
ilcome to civil court in the
'ing.
The lawsuit is in the amount
(10,000 for damages in be-
*1 of Roger Conner, 310
®ersett Dr., Kings Moun-
k
Conner said he is suing the
ly because “nothing has
w done about the surface
linage water that continues
shing over my property
*Pitepromises from the city
* matter would be taken
ft of,”
Conner said when he bought
* 15 acres in the South
lods development about
'ft years ago he was told
•oily had already planned
®stall proper drainage to
oare of the problem.
‘have been told over and
®6gain this problem would
ohminated,” Conner said,
I just got tired of
Wing,”
.''"'ss established in a series
"Actings by a surface wa-
I ainage committee sev-
®mthsago that the South
ws development had been
y®d and accepted by the
’"'ithout adherence to city
^ by the developer,
nner said it was his
"erstanding that the city
police units fell in along the
one-mile route.
Kellum continued driving at
high speed passing other
vehicles on the way. Trooper
Fish attempted to pull along
side Kellum as the cars sped
past the Cansler St. intersec
tion. Kellum swerved into a
driveway below the Joy
Theatre and attempted to con
tinue his flight up the sidewalk
between parked cars and the
theater building. At the
moment Kellum made his turn
into the drive. Trooper Fish
and Chief Roper slammed on
brakes, skidded sideways and
bounced over the curb,
crashing into the side of
Kellum’s vehicle. Kellum’s
car was pushed sideways for a
short distance off the side
walk.
Trooper Fish attempted to
remove Kellum from his
vehicle, but Kellum fought
back and it wasn’t until other
^ to
lily for
city police officers were on the
scene a few seconds later that
Kellum could be taken from
his car and placed in the back
of a Cleveland County
Sheriff’s vehicle on the scene.
Following Kellum’s arrest,
it was reported the young man
had been in the Highway
Patrol station at Shelby short
ly before the chase began.
The license examiner said he
wanted a N. C. operator’s
license, but could not show
proper identification. When
asked if he had driven himself
to the station, Kellum is
quoted as saying, “No. A
friend drove me here.” After
that the license examiner said
Kellum rushed out of the
station, jumped into the white
Buick arid “sped away
recklessly” from the station.
Highway Patrol Sgt. W. W
GATHERING WITNESSES — Highway Patrol Trooper Craig Fish is seen
gathering witnesses to the high speed chase along W. Mountain St. last Friday
Kellum (no relation to Randall about noon. The trooper and Kings Mountain Police Chief William Roper crashed
their cars into the 1964 Buick (behind Fish) driven by Randall Edward Kellum.
Pboto By Tom McIntyre
The fleeing driver was stopped behind the Joy Theatre as he attempted to evade
the officers by driving up the sidewalk toward Railroad Ave. Kellum was arrested
on six counts.
(Turn To Page2A)
Police Have No Solid
Lead In Rayfield Death
By TOM McINTYRE
Editor, Mirror-Herald
Police said Wednesday they are no
nearer discovo’ing who re ’obed ankiilcu
James Luther Rayfield than they were
early Saturday morning.
Since the discovery of the shooting and
robbery at Doug Falls Phillips 66 station
at E. King and York Rd. about 1:30 a. m.
Saturday, police have taken statements
from several citizens about what they
saw at the station between 1-1:30 a. m.
Chief William Roper Jr. said one state
ment places Rayfield outside pumping
gas into a car shortly after 1 a. m.
Another statement informed the police
that about 1:15 a. m. there were no cars
and no signs of anyone inside or outside
the station.
Roper said so far no one has come for
ward'with any information about seeing
a car and people in or near the station
from 1:15 until 1:30 a. m. Police were
originally notified of the shooting and
robbery shortly after 1:30 a. m. by two
teenage boys who stopped at the station
for gas.
“The teenagers said they went inside
the station and found Rayfield on the
floor behind the cash register,” Roper
said.
Lt. Johnny Belk said when officers ar
rived at the station Rayfield was alive,
but unconscious. Rescue squad members
rushed Rayfield to Kings Mountain
Hospital, then to a Charlotte hospital
where he was pronounced dead on arri
val.
“We think the victim was in the pro
cess of closing the station when he was
slx)t and robbed,” Belk said. “Rayfield
worked Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
as the attendant, closing about 1:30 a.
m.”
Belk said police found blood in the cash
drawer, which leads investigators to
believe the first shot that struck Rayfield
was through the fleshy part beneath his
sWn. That slug was removed from the
station wall. Belk said the slug went
through a clipboard hanging on the
paneled wall, through the panel and
lodged against the brick beneath.
Belk said the police theory is the sec
ond slug was in the stomach. “Possibly
as Rayfield turned toward his assailant,”
(Turn ToPage2A)
EDA Approves $300,000 For
Sewer Line To Eaton Corp.
A SPECIAL VISIT — Following last week^s
Christmas parade here Santa Claus and his
helpers went right on to the home of Shirley
Moore. Here the nine-year old Leukemia vic
tim sits on Santa’s knee and talks about the
yule season. Santa didn’t come empty-handed.
Photo By Gary Stewart
He had a couple of gifts for the youngster. The
youngster is a terminal case and her story has
been told not only in this newspapers, but in
other publications and on TV as well. Roy
Pearson, city recreation director, looks on the
background.
Congressman James T.
Broyhill announced this week
that the Economic De
velopment Administration of
the Department of Commerce
has approved a $300,000 grant
to Cleveland County for con
struction of a sewer line into
the southeastern section of the
county.
“This grant wOl provide the
necessary funds,” the
Congressman said, “to
complete the construction of a
sewer line to Eaton Cor
poration between Kings
Mountain and Grover and will
allow the plant to begin opera
tion, thus employing many
residents in the area..”
County Manager Joe Hend
rick said he expected the con
tract to the low bidder.
Hickory Sand Co., to be
awarded by Dec. 22 or 23.
“The bid deadline was Mon
day,” Hendrick said, “but
Hickory Sand gave the
commissioners an extension
until Dec. 31.”
Hendrick said the low
bidder will have 150 days from
the day the contract is award
ed to install the line.
The county manager said
half of the EDA grant will be
forwarded upon the com
missioners acceptance of the
grant proposal and that the
remaining half will be sup
plied in monthly installments
as needed and until the full
$300,000 is exhausted.
A special meeting of the
commissioners, according to
Hendrick, will “probably” be
called to accept the grant and
to award the contract.
Hickory Sand Company’s
low base bid (for a large line
to also serve the Town of
Grover) was $842,463.54. The
low base bid from National
Electric Co. for the electrical
work was $46,406.
“1 believe Cleveland County
is the first in the U. S. outside
of an economically depressed
area to receive an EDA
grant” Hendrick said. “We’re
real happy to have it.”
Ron Tompkins, Eaton plant
manager, told The Mirror-
Herald, “I’m certainly glad to
hear this. Hallows us to take a
look at a positive timetable,
which is something we have
not had. Since July 14, 1974 we
have been promised a lot of
tomorrows, but now it looks
like Christmas 1975 will be
real bright for Eaton.”
Tompkins said he had not
been officially notified of the
grant approval, but would
take the news with him to a
planning meeting at Eaton’s
home offices in Cleveland,
Ohio on Wednesday.
“They’ll be happy to hear
the news,” Tompkins said.
‘Give Me A Yes Or
No V • Harley Gore
Ihis
accept the responsi-
seeing that residents
area got proper
6SC. But we’ve seen
g yet.”
Holiday
Schedule
For Schools
The Christmas holiday
schedule for Kings Mountain
District Schools students:
Fri., Dec. 19 — Last day for
students prior to the holiday.
Teachers will be off from Dec.
22 through Jan. 1, returning
Jan. 2 for a workday. Students
return to classes Jan. 5.
Mid-term evaluation is set
for Jan. 22-23, 1976.
Notice To Readers And Advertisers
In order to give readers and advertisers
full mailing and street sales service during
the coming holidays, The Mirror-Herald
will publish one day earlier than usual.
For Christmas, Wed., Dec. 24.
For New Years, Wed.. Dec. 31.
This will necessitate moving all deadlines
back in order to maintain the publishing
schedule. The social and women’s news
••••
items must be by 10 a. m. on the Monday
proceeding the Wednesday dateline.
Regular news items must be in by 10 a. m.
on Tuesday before the Wednesday dateline.
The Mirror-Herald advertising staff will
call on accounts earlier during these
holiday schedules in order to assure service
to businessmen and merchants.
The early deadlines are being observed as
a service to our readers and advertisers and
we appreciate your cooperation.
Before turning the offices
over to a brand new board last
week, the former commission
ers voted to resubmit a re
quest to rezone a 150 by 200
feet lot from residential to
neighborhood business to the
zoning board.
At the time it appeared to be
routine enough, even though it
was commented at the time by
the board the request had been
submitted before, then with
drawn.
After the action was
published in last week’s
Mirror-Herald the owners of
that lot on Walker and Cansler
Sts. were upset. ,
Harley Gore, who lives at
the address, said, “All I want
is a yes or no answer to the re
quest. I’m willing to abide by
whatever decision the board
reaches.”
Gore said this business has
been hanging since last March
when C. M. Peeler Insurance
and Realty of Shelby “came
knocking on our door and
made us an offer for the
property.”
Gore said the offer was ac-
cqited and he entered the re
quest to change the zoning on
the lot from R-8 (residential)
to NB (neighborhood
business). The request was
salt on to the zoning board for
a recomdmendation.
“The zoning board met at 5
p. m. on Mar. 18, the day the
ABC referendum was held in
Kings Mountain,” Gore said.
“Members of Temple Baptist
Church appeared before the
board to protest the rezoning,
stating they did not want a
place that would sell liquor
and beer that close to the
church. The zoning board
recommended the rezoning
request be denied.”
Gore said Peeler Realty
suggested the request be with
drawn from city board action
(Turn ToPageTA)