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OF SUBSCRIPTION
BEFORE EXPIRATION
DATE ON ADDRESS
'i
VOL XXV NO. 18
MANY SENTENCED
' TO PRISON FROM
DARE THIS WEEK
Lighter Pleas Accepted in Auto
Theft Cases; One Prisoner
Required to Pay Board
For a long time petty offend
ers in Dare County have come to
look on the court as a joke. Many
of them have never had to pay
? fines, being allowed to conveni
ently charge them and forget
them. Suspended sentence on sus
pended sentence has been piled up
in Recorders court without judg
ment being invoked, in spite of re
peated violations of which the
court was aware.
But there are some who will
remember for many a day that
others are judges who can’t be
monkeyed with. Judge Chester
Morris held Superior Court this
week. The term concluded Thurs
day at noon after having been re
cessed during Tuesday, but Judge
Morris won’t be forgotten.
A group of prisoners in the jail
Sunday night jammed the sewer
line with waxed milk cartons, and
' flooded the jail, and block off the
courthouse toilets. It took two
men all day Monday to undo the
damage.
The prisoners, delighted with
getting off so lightly, set fire in
the jail Monday night and this
called out the Fire Department.
Nothing was done about it. Some
*how word got to Judge Morris,
and he called the prisoners be
fore him Thursday. Three prison
ers involved were given heavy ad
ditional time for their part in the
offense and a fourth along with
the others will stand trial for tak
ing part, when they get back from
the roads.
The men, whose names will be
found further on in this article
giving their offenses and sen
tences, received additional time
for their frolic in the jail as fol
lows:
Charles Edward Wroten was
given sentences totaling 20 months
more for the jail offense, giving
• him a grand total of 44 months
on the roads.
John T. Payne, who would have
had only eight months to sterve
got 12 months more and will have
20 months in all on the roads.
David Gaskins had six months,
and will now have 12 months to
serve.
Jon Arthur Williams, who be
cause of his long record of of
fenses had already drawn the lim
it, will merely have to stand trial
with the other three.
On Monday divorces were grant
ed (Sara Duvall Bladen of Manns
Harbor from Richard Frederick
Bladen. Mary Williams McKinney,
colored of Manteo from McKinley
Windley McKinney.
The tong-standing cases against
Robert Anisley, Robert Lee Garrett
and Donald Massie, Norfolk
youtte charged with several rob
beries on the beach was again con
tinued because the defendants are
serving time in a Virginia prison
for subsequent offenses committed
in Virginia.
Thos. Gray Scarborough of Avon,
who had appealed from a Recorders
Court fine of $125 for driving
drunk, and another case of public
drunkness, decided to plead guilty
and pay up. The case cost more
than had he settled in lower court.
Reuben Smith and Willie Spen
cer, who had come up from Re
corders Court on charges of slash
ing each other with knives over
Louvada Latham, and Who Smith
has since married, each got $l5O
fines assessed, a sentence of 18 to
24 months on the roads, suspended
on condition they be good boys for
the next four years, reporting to
court every year, and preying by
the Sheriff they have been good.
•Hie old case against D. A. Rogers
Jr., of Manteo was again continued
because of the illness of Marvin
Daniels, the complaining witness.
Charles E. Wroten of Wanchese,
pleaded guilty to have done the job
alone of malicious damage, beating
out the glasses in Attorney Martin
Kellogg’s car. He also threw him
self on the mercy of the court on
two charges of unlawful possession
of the automobiles of others, of
aiding and abetting a speed ex
ceeding 75 MPH, of public drunk
enness, careless and reckless driv
ing.
Wroten got four 60-day sentences
on each of four charges against
him and one of 18 months for ma
licious damage to Mr. Kellogg’s au
tomobile. He will have a total of 24
months in prison, assigned to work
the roads. .John Thomas Payne who
had been associated with him in !
unauthorized use of the automo- :
bile of Adrian Ayers, was sentenc
ed six months for driving while his
permit was in a state of-suspen- ,
sion. Six months unauthorized use
of automobile, and 60 days for
speeding in excess of 75 mph. ,
David Gaskins, who had accom- <
pasted Wroten in the unauthorized i
See COURT, page Five
THE COASTLAND TIMES
WITH WHICH IS COMBINED THE PILOT AND HERALD OF BELHAVEN AND SWAN QUARTER
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
HIGHWAY CHAIRMAN TO
SPEAK IN COLUMBIA
J
.1.
ME 5
I fl
SmßHp ■ mBHHHHHm
COLUMBIA, October 28. A
resolution asking that the Alligator
River Bridge be named in honor of
Hon. Lindsay Warren of Washing
ton, N. C., now State Senator from
the Second District, will be offered
at the business meeting of the
Southern Albemarle Association
Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 4, in
this town, according to W. Charles
Cohoon, Tyrrell County represen
tative.
President W. J. White of the As
sociation said that the six county
meeting in the forenoon would be
addressed by J. Melville Broughton
Jr., chairman of the State High
way Commission. Both senators and
the representatives of the seven
counties of the Second District will
be here, as well as other officials,
and the membership of the High
way Commission has been invited.
Delegates from the six counties
of the Association and other visi
tors will be given a luncheon by
See BROUGHTON, Page Five
Hatteras Surf-Fishing Tournament Starts
With Good Catches And Favorable Weather
The second annual Cape Hatteras Fishing Tournament
started off favorably Thursday, with 18 teams out compet
ing for prizes, and many drumfish landed in the forenoon,
Chairman Edgar Hooper of Buxton reported by telephone.
Largest drumfish caught was 25 pounds with many rang
ing smaller, but several ran in'the 20 to 25-lb. class.
The fishing territory begins south of Avon and extends
to Hatteras Inlet. Weather conditions are considered favor
able with a wind of about 15 miles velocity from the north
east All fishing is done in the surf. Fishing teams have come
from as far north as New Jersey. Motels and other places
of business are having mild weather in which to accommo
date their many guests.
The Cape Hatteras fishing tournament has become es
tablished with this second season, and is viewed as some
thing that will grow by leaps and bounds in coming years,
due to the fame of the Hatteras area, which is now consid
ered America’s greatest sport-fishing center, and certainly
the finest on the Atlantic coast
The tournament which will officially close Saturday
afternoon, is officially sponsored by the Cape Hatteras Ang
lers Club.
Tournament participants, their wives and guests, will
be honored at a banquet Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. at Cape
Hatteras High School. All awards will be presented at this
time.
ERNST'S SERVICES
TO COMMUNITY WIN
PRAISE AT DINNER
Retiring P.T.A. Head Given Party
Thursday Night at School,
On Eve of Departure
On the eve of his departure to
a bigger job with his company in
South Carolina, William Ernst Jr.,
who has resided in Manteo the past
five years, was highly compliment
ed for his contribution to civic,
educational and church endeavor in
Manteo and Dare County, at a
party given in the Manteo high
school, Thursday night of last
week. »
Attended by some 150 people,
representing the Manteo Rotary
Club, the Mt. Olivet M ethodist
Church, and Manteo PTA and the
Citizens Committee for Better
Schools, the program was conduct
ed by Mrs. Mary L. Evans, Supt,
of schools, who presented various
speakers who paid tribute to Mr.
Ernst’s worth to the community.
Julian Oneto, president of the
Manteo Rotary. Club, whose mem
bers attended in a body with their
wives, spoke on behalf of his or
ganization, which Mr. Ernst had
served faithfully in several offices,
and. until recently was vice-presi
dent, slated to head, the club next
year.
Mrs. Louise Meekins spoke on be
half of the Methodist Church where
Mr. Ernst had been active, and paid
high tribuute to . the contribution
made by Mr. and Mrs. Ernst and
their three children, to church life.
Speaking for the Board of Edu
cation, its chairman Robert; Bal
lance expressed the gratitude of the
Board for the great value of Mr.
Ernst in school committee endeav
or, and as a leader of the Com
mittee for Better Schools. Mr.
See ERNST, Page Four
RESCUED AFTER
BEING LOST IN
HYDE CO. WOODS
Stantonsburg Man Lost In Swamp
Trip for Help After Boat
Swamps Sunday
A holiday ended unhappily Sun
day on the shore of Hyde Countj
opposite New Holland when a
boat capsized and a couple an<’
their three children, two, four anc
16 were at the mercy of wet and
cold through the night. Charlie
Sutton of Stantonsburg, yvith his
wife, Ruby and the children were
in a 16-ft. boat, with outboard
motor. The wind shifted, the boat
was swamped.
The party got ashore, the chil
dren being Ruby Day 16, Delore r
4, and Donald Lee 2. Sutton too’
off through the swamp to ge'
help and told his folks to stay
where he left them. Geo. Jennett
was oystering nearby. He took
them off the shore in his boat,
and turned them over to Elmo
Swindell of Swan Quarter who
took them ashore and reported the
mishap to Sheriff Charlie Cahoon
who instituted a search for Mr.
Sutton.
Mr. Sutton had gone off
through the thick growth. His
family did not see him any more.
Residents of Hyde County and
four carloads of people from
Stantonsburg came to help in the
search. Ample reinforcements
soon were added. Two fixed-wing
air-craft, a Coast Guard helicop
ter, and four boats joined the
search. Bloodhounds from the
State Prison camp at Creswell
were called to the scene, and also
a detachment of Marines from
Cherry Point.
It was a detachment of Marines
See PLIGHT, Page Five
FOUR HELD FOR
ROBBING STORE
AT WANCHESE
More Serious Cases Shaping Up
For Recorders Court Next
Week in Dare Co.
Four young men are held for
breaking in and robbing the store
of Richard Gray of Wanchese Fri
day night of last week. Appre
hended by Sheriff Frank Cahoon
are Bayne Midgett of Wanchese
Norman and Redden Perry of
Kitty Hawk and Charles Alexan
der of Elizabeth City. Some of
the missing articles were found on
the boat when the boys were ap
prehended, these including a shot
gun, a new automobile battery,
and several items of merchandise
They had been tied up in e
boat at Wanchese wharf, the boat
belonging to Fred Brinn of Kittv
Hawk. The sheriff observed the
boat offshore, and watched for it
when the men came ashore at
Skyco landing.
Recorders court was not held
this week, due to election and a
Superior court session, and there
are several other cases shaping
up for hearing next week. Donald
Everette Barnett of Wanchese ir
charged with reckless driving in
connection with the total wreck
of a car on a curve north of Wan
chese Sunday afternoon. Injuries
were sustained by Larry Sander
lin and Garland Underdown, hi~
two passengers. Sanderlin was
sent to Albemarle hospital. All
sustained some injuries.
Gilbert Sanford Holder of Ad
vance, N. C. while making a U
turn on the beach highway was
struck by a station wagon driven
by John M. Bell of Nags Head
who had also turned into the
same road. Holder is held for
court. His car was damaged *IOO
and Bell’s $l5O.
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1959
CLYDE BURGESS, LEADING
"'••'.HAVEN MERCHANT DIES
CLYDE M. BURGESS, 61, who had
been identified with the mercantile
life of Belhaven for nearly 40 years,
died Thursday afternoon at his
home on Main St., following a criti
cal illness of several weeks. He had
operated department stores in
Petersburg, and Danville, Va., and
about six years ago gave up his
Virginia interests following failing
health, and devoted his full time to
his Belhaven store which he has
' operated about 20 years. It was one
of the community’s largest clothing
stores.
He married the former Mabel
Clark of Blackstone, Va., in 1927,
who survives. Also two sons:
Samuel Burgess of Wilmington,
and Clyde Burgess Jr., of Rich
mond. He has two brothers, Ed
Burgess of New York City, and
John Burgess of Raleigh, and a]
sister, Mrs. B. F. Daniels of Gar
ner. He was bom in Hyde County,
the son of the late Matthew and
Mary Fortescue Burgess.
Mr. Burgess was a member of
Trinity Methodist Church and a
member of the local Rotary Club
until poor health forced his retire-
ment He held membership in the
Elks Lodge of Danville. He had
served in various civic capacities, ,
and was a former Belhaven Alder
man.
Rev. Lester Blssett, assisted by
Rev. Oscar Williams conducted
funeral services in Paul Funeral
Chapel Sunday. Burial was in the I
Belhaven community cemetery.
CARNIVAL POSTPONED
The Halloween Carnival, planned
by the Manteeo Elementary
School P.T.A. for Friday night,
has been postponed for several'
weeks. Further announcement will 1
be made and the party will take
the form of a Fall Carnival.
NORFOLK TEENAGER KILLS BEAR IN DARE
I
I I
Jonnn/ Booth, son of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Booth, grandson of
A. W. Drinkwater of Manteo, whose parents live at 218 E. Lorenz.
Avenue, Norfolk is shown with the bear he killed on a woodlam
road branching off from U. S. 264 between Stumpy Point and Engel
hard during the past week end. The bear weighed about 250 pound
and it was the first bear Booth has killed. He was hunting wit;
Billy Biggs of Manteo who shot at but failed to bill a bear and Bill:
Brown whose score for the hunt was the killing of two copperhead
on the bear trail. A total of seven bear and more than 50 deer hav
been killed in big woods of Dare between Manns Harbor East Lake
and Engelhard during the first eight days of the 1959 big game Bea
son which opened on October 15. (Aycock Brown Photo).
. HARBOR ADDITION
5 TO PROJECT SOON
I AT MILL LANDING
I Length Increased 90 Feet Through
Congressman's Efforts; Ex
tra 16,200 Sq. Ft.
Following efforts of Congress
| man Herbert Bonner to get the
| Corp of Engineers to enlarge the
| the harbor at Mill Landing, an
| nouncement has been made in the
I past two weeks that 90 feet will
I be added to the length of this pro
| ject, which is soon to be dredged
I to a depth of 12 feet While this
I is not all that was being asked, it
I will add 16,200 square feet north
| ward on the project
j The rights of way were donated
I by Mack Etheridge of Wanchese;
I and by Victor Meekins of Manteo
I who bought the tract of march
who bought the tract of marsh
j across Mill Creek in order that the
i necessary harbor expansion. Meek
s ins, as chairman of the Board of
> Commissioners has spent personally
3 some SBOO to guarantee the com
. munity this harbor, determined that
j it should not be lost when the Gov
•’eminent refused to build it after
‘ , the sponsors had failed to make
I I good on their pledges, he organized
< a campaign which raised $2,000 to
r buy land for a public dock on the
j side of the original project farther
? south along the creek. With the
J help of Dr. W. W. Harvey, chair
r man of the Waterways Committee
of the county, Wayland Baum,
[ Harry Baum, and Willie Etheridge
t Jr., the campaign for funds was
’ taken to enough people and the -
funds were pledged to buy the dock- ,
’ site and meet the deadline, other- j
I wise the harbor project would have ,
[ been lost. j
II When the recent addition of 90 ’
• feet was approved, it was again 1
, necessary to have the land donated ]
I which will be cut away by the <
dredge. Meekins said he didn’t have '
• the heart to ask anyone for any 1
i more money, and paid for the land i
i himself. Mack Etheridge donated s
his interest without charge, also. i
About $1,600 of the required sum
for the public landing site was
contributed by business interests in
Manteo, Elizabeth City and Vir
ginia.
Larger contributors at Wanchese
consisted of Wayland Baum, Mack
Etheridge, and Ronald Tillett with
SIOO each. Contributions of SSO
came from James Griggs, Willie
Etheridge Jr., H. L. Davis, while
other citizens gave other sums of
varying amounts. A few additional
pledges have not been paid, and
when they are in, a full report with
tetter of thanks is to be issued, it
is stated.
i In a letter to Victor Meekins on
April 14+ih. Col. Harry Brown, of
I See HARBOR, Page Five
ROANOKE ISLAND SHORE TO
BE INVADED NOV. 4-7 BY
500 FORT EUSTIS SOLDIERS
Three Days of Assault Landings Off Manteo Air
port To Bring Biggest Army Since Burnside's
Invasion in 1862; Upwards of 40 Vessels In
volved; 159th Invasion Battalion To Remain
Four Days.
' FORMER POLICE CHIEF
OF MANTEO RETURNS
I ” ' — l ' r
WBaEw ■
HL
T. GRANBERRY DOWDY, for
many years Chief of Police of
Manteo, is returning to police
work in Manteo November 1, tak
ing over the night shift, from
which Dan Cannady has resigned.
Mr. Cannady, former Chief of
Police had to give up a full job,
due to illness, but Mayor G. T.
Westcott, who gives high praise
for Mr. Cannady’s work for the
town, says he will maintain a re
serve status, subject to call when
needed for extra service. Mr.
Dowdy, has been in the fishing
trade in southern: waters recently,
and is glad to get back home with
his family. He served as Chief of
Police and Deputy Sheriff in Man
teo ome 16 years ago, and has a
long record as a capable and fear
less officer.
87TH ANNIVERSARY
OF MIDDLETOWN'S
CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Unusually Impressive Dedication
Services, Dinner on Grounds
Sunday Morning
An unusually interesting pro
gram was conducted Sunday the
25th at the Middletown Christian
Churfch in Hyde County on its
87th anniversary. Dr. Frank W.
Wibiral is the pastor. The princi
pal sermon was by Rev. R. Paul
°n.rker, of Ottway, who was pas
tor 32 years ago. Other former
pastors in attendance were T.
»uy Saunders of Rocky Mount
and Frank Lilley of Washington.
Some 150 persons attended,
many of them from the Engelhard
Christian Church. A much appreci
ated contribution to the renova-
">n of the Middletown church
was the sum of $25 sent from the
laptist Church of Engelhard.
The church had been given a
new interior for the occasion.
Newly painted. There were 16
Gained glass windows dedicated
mostly in memory of persons who
had been strong leaders and sup
porters of the church. New robes
'or the choir were dedicated and
worn for the first time. Windows
iad been given by the following
church groups, the CWF, The Ju
liors, the Cecil Gibbs family, the
Sam R. Gibbs family, and one
anonymous gift.
Among those to whom windows
were dedicated Sunday were Mr.
and Mrs. Huron Gibbs, Mr. and
Mrs. Jerry Cox, Mr. and Mrs.
Jerry Cox, Mr. and Mrs. Gray
Silverthorne, Mr. and Mrs. J. D.
Silverthorne, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
McKinney, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie
Silverthorne, Mrs. Lida Miller and
J. McKinney and
A picnic dinner was served on
the grounds following the serv
ices.
MANTEO GIRL IS PATIENT
IN REX HOSPITAL, RALEIGH
Miss Betty Bruce Inge, daugh
ter of Mrs. Matilda Inge, and
granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.
Sruce Etheridge of Manteo, is a
patient in Rex Hospital, Raleigh.
Miss Inge, who is a student at
>t. Mary’s College, collapsed wjth
ut warning while attending
■lass on Monday. She was rushed
i the hospital and placed in an
relation ward, her condition being
considered serious. At last report
she was progressing favorably.
*
MAIL SHOULD BE
ADDRESSED TO BOX 428
MANTEO, N. C.
NOT TO INDIVIDUALS
The 159th Transportation Bat
talion from Fort Eustis, Va. is
bringing 500 men to Roanoke Is
land next week to carry on three
days of assault against its shores.
Within a few hundred yards of
the fort which General Burnside
took from the Confederates 97
years ago, and with the Manteo
Airport as a point of headquar
ters, some 40 landing craft with
their control vessels will be based.
Lt. Col. Joseph D. McNally,
commanding this Battalion said
yesterday his men expected to ar
rive at Roanoke Island on the
night of November 4th, and will
remain through Monday, Novern
ber 9th. While the men will be
quartered cm their boats, they will
have four trucks for their local
necessary transportation. Bread
and milk for the army will be
purchased locally.
Col. McNally said his men will
go through assault landing drills,
■•nd receive training in operation
of boats and apparatus. They ex
pect to remain over Sunday and
with men of many faiths repre
sented, the Catholic, Episcopal,
Baptist and Methodist Churches
of the locality are expected to
have many visitors.
In Manteo some concern is felt
about the responsibility of the
community to provide some sort
of entertainment or recreation for
the visitors. A local committee,
headed by Co. Farm Agent Jim
Rea, Mrs. Mabel Evans Jones, and
See SOLDIERS, Page Five
BELHAVEN JAIL
SET ON FIRE
BY PRISONER
Damage Estimated at $3,000 to
Quarters In Town Hall Sun
day Night
A negro prisoner set fire to the
Belhaven jail on Sunday night, and
attacked officer W. H. Dodd when
released from the blazing quarters. _
Matthew Freeman, employee of the
B. and B. Lumber Company, had
been jailed for drunkenness only a
short time before the fire. The
irate prisoner broke the oil line
leading to a stove, flooded the floor
with oil, and touched off a roar
ing blaze. Police officer Dodd re
leased Freeman and was escorting
him to the police office in the
front of the City Hall when the
prisoner attacked him. Dodd man
aged to get in three blows with his
blackjack before the drunken man
overpowered him and began chok
ing the policeman. Will Cox, Jr.,
Negro, better known as “Plunk”,
who lives behind the City Hall
heard outcries and came to Dodd’s
resuce. The prisoner was taken to
the hospital to have the wounds
made by the blackjack attended and
was taken home to sleep it off.
Th fire was extinguished by the
Belhaven Fire Department, but
not before extensive damage was
done to the jail. The gym located
on the second floor of the hall and
used for training by the John A.
Wilkinson High School was also
damaged by smoke.
Some estimates have placed the
damage up to $3,500.
STREET IMPROVEMENTS
ARE MADE IN BELHAVEN
Commercial Expansion Noted on Pam
lico Street; Old Dangerous
Curb* Repaired
It will soon be much safer to
drive down Pamlico Street in Bel
haven on a busy day. The curbing
on one side of the street in the
block running from the stop light
at the comer of Pamlico and Main
to the end of the street has been
moved back approximately two feet
and work is expected to begin soon
on the other side. Formerly, driv
ing down the street was hazardous
when cars were parked at an angle
on both sides of the street, especi
ally since the advent of cars with
longer tail fins. There had also
been many complaints about the
rough curbing that caused scraped
fenders and bumpers.
The street as a whole has taken
on a spruced-up look with the open
ing of Johnston’s Toy and Gift
Shop and the renovating of the
store occupied by Harris and Ralph
Furniture Company. The widening
■ '1
of the street is one more step in
making Belhaven appealing shop
ping center.
Single Copy 7<