t
WEATHER
(Week of Aug 6-12)
High: 87 Low: 62
(Aug. 6-7-8) (Aug. 11)
Rainfall: 2^ in. #
(Aug. 6, 9-12)
Soil Temp. Range: 76-77
Ufa Clinton Chronicle
Vol. 71 — No. 33
Clinton. S. C., August 13. 1970
INDEX
Three Sections, 18 Pages
Classified 6-A
Deaths 8-A
Hospital News 6-A
Editorials 2-B
Society 2-A, 3-A
Sports 7-A
STRANCE TRAFFIC—Clinton was the scene of
some unusual traffic during the past few days.
Shown in the photo above are riders in the
Green\ ille - to - Charleston Tricentennial Bicycle
Race. The bike racers came through Clinton
about 1:30 p.m Saturday despite getting a late
start from Greenville. Shown in the photo below
is one of the trains which brought nerve gas
through Clinton Tuesday on its way to disposal
in the Atlantic Ocean.
Some Folks Packed A Lunch
To Watch Nerve Gas Train
BY ERNIE SEGARS
Clinton breated a little easier
Tuesday afternoon after two
trains loaded with deadly nerve
gas passed through on their
way to a watery grave in the
Atlantic, about 280 miles east
of Cape Kennedy Florida.
The traidg had begun their
trip in Anniston, Alabama and
Richmond, Kentucky. The Ala
bama train was the first one to
pass Clinton, arrived from
Spartanburg at 12:10 p.m. and
stayed in the city for several
minutes. This train was made
up of 46 cars, including five
guard cars and 28 gondola
type cars loaded with the gas.
The pilot train came through
about ten minutes before the
nerve gas train and was com
posed of 21 cars, including a
decontamination unit, am
bulance, fire truck, and a
decontamination truck.The pilot
train also had one guard car
filled with soldiers from Ft
McClellan, Alabama.
The Kentucky train passed
through at 3:00 p.m. The pilot
train assigned to inspect the
tracks for safety and to make
sure that way was clear for the
train carrying the nerve gas,
passed through at 2:40 p.m.
This train came from Green
wood on its way to Chester and
North Carolina, i The Alabama
train came from Spartanburg
to Clinton and switched to the
Seaboard Coast Line track here.
The trains were en route to
Chester. From there they went
to Monroe, N. C., and began
the last part of their Journey
to the sea. The Alabama train
was carrying 305 concrete and
steel jacketed vaults and the
Kentucky train carried 113
of the vaults.
A large crowd gathered in
Clinton along the tracks that
parallel East Main Street Most
of the spectators seemed to
fear very little from the trains.
Despite a great deal of contro
versy and an offer to ride on
top of one of the cars by Geor
gia’s Governor Lester Maddox
and a threat to stop the train
Democrats Sweep Election
J. C. Thomas Is Elected
Clinton Mayor, 588-491
by the Mayor of Macon, Ga.,
an almost festive mood was
prevalent in Clinton. Several
on-lookers brought their lunch
with them and spent the noon
hour contentedly munching
sandwiches and waving at
Military Policemen.
The Clinton Police assisted
the formidable number of
soldiers assigned to guard the
shipment An Army helicopter
flew overhead to help keep
surveillance during the trains’
stay in Clinton.
Incumbent
GOP Mayor
Is Defeated
Making his first bid for po
litical office, J. C. Thomas de
feated incumbent Clinton Mayor
B. Noland Suddeth 588-491 in
Clinton’s General Election
Tuesday.
Mr. Thomas, owner of J. C.
Thomas Jewelers, carried two
of the city’s three wards in un
seating Mr. Suddeth, a Republi
can.
Mr. Suddeth was Clinton’s
first Republican mayor, ser
ving a two year term in 1966-
68 and then winning a special
election last February to fill
the unexpired term of the
late Harry Layton.
Incumbent Ward 6 Alderman
Talmadge Sanders was re
elected, as he defeated Republi
can Robert L. Whitsel. Both
Mr. Thomas and Mr. Sanders
are Democrats.
Mr. Thomas carried the City
Hall and Clinton Mills precincts
while Mr. Suddeth had a majority
in the Clinton No. 2 (Armory)
polling place.
Mr. Thomas carried Clinton
No. 1 (City Hall) by a margin
of 240-174. He also had a
majority in the Clinton Mill
precinct, winning 173-63.
Mr. Suddeth led at Clinton
No. 2 (Armory) by 254-175.
In a statement following his
victory, Mr. Thomas said, “I
fully intend to carry out my
campaign pledge of bringing
business-like management to
our city government. I am
particularly interested in doing
something to help us attact new
industry and to upgrade our
housing. I believe in depart
mentalization to the extent that
the people will be given the res
ponsibility for running their de
partments and we will look to
them for results.
“ I deeply appreciate the con
fidence the voters have placed
in me and I will strive to live
up to that challenge."
Mr. Thomas served two terms
as president of the Clinton
Chamber of Commerce and was
active in organizing the United
Fund in Clinton. He is the im
mediate past president of the
Greater Clinton PlanningCom-
mission. He also has served for
ten years on the Laurens County
Board of Education. He is a
member of the First Baptist
Church where he has served as
deacon.
Mr. Thomas will have an all
What Train ?
The soldiers who were on duty in Clinton
when the nerve gas train came through were a
tight-lipped bunch.
A reporter asked one soldier, “When’s it com
ing through?”
The soldier replied, “When’s what coming
through ?”
Reporter: “The train.”
Soldier: “What train?”
Reporter: “The train with the nerve gas.”
Soldier: “What nerve gas?” |
Reporter: “If the nerve gas train Isn’t com
ing through, what are you doing here?']
Soldier: “They loaded us on a trade and told
us to get off here and they told me t£ stand right
where you see me now. That’s all I kribw.”
NERVE GAS — Tram cars loaded
with nerve gas are shown moving
through Clinton Tuesday afternoon.
How They Voted
Candidate
Clinton
No. 1
Clinton
No. 2
Clinton
Min
TOTALS
MAYOR
Noland Suddeth
/n
ill-
£>3
f?/
J. C. Thomas
Zfo
US'
m
Ward 6
Talmadge Sanders
2, *7
/ £ £
Robert L. Whitsel
H?
/S3
66
3/7
J. C. THOMAS
Democratic City Council.
Aldermen elected without op
position in Tuesday's General
Election were Democrats Boyd
Holtzclaw in Ward I; S. A.
(Chick) Pitts in Ward 2; Mrs.
Nelle Howard in Ward 3; Dewey
Oxner in Ward 4; and George
Bagwell in Ward 5.
Arrest Total
Rises To 16
In Firebombings
The number of those arrested in connection with
the July firebombings in the Clinton area rose to 16
Wednesday as it was announced that seven more Negro
men had been arrested.
The arrests announced Wednesday included Hen
ry Brown, 20, Martha Dendy Drive; Robert Taylor, 20,
Gideon Hill; John Henry Watson, 18, 49-A W. Centen
nial St.; Melvin Wesley. 20, 403 W. Centennial St.;
James Cromer, 21 (address unavailable); Michael Dar-
bin, 19, 188 S. Bell St.; John Robert Moore, 19, Mar-
tha Dendy Drive.
When aalfetflf any mote arrests are anticipated
in connection with the firebombings, Sheriff Eugene
Johnson replied. “I don't know.”
Seven Clinton men were arrested last Saturday in
connection with the firebombings last month in the
Clinton area.
Clinton
Jrs. Lose
In Finals
Anderson mounted a 14 hit
attack to defeat Clinton 14»-1
Tuesday night in the decicung
game of the Upperstate play-off
in American Legion Baseball.
Clinton had won the first two
games of the series behind
strong pitching by Tommy Motes
and Buzz Tedards. However,
Anderson finally got their big
guns going to win the final
three games of the series. And
erson will now face lower state
champion Orangeburg in a best
of seven series to determine the
state champion.
George Gantt started the
scoring for Anderson when he
lined Tedards’ first pitch of the
game over the fence in deep
right center for a home run,
giving Anderson a 1-0 lead.
Anderson picked up two more
runs in the top of the second on
a walk, two singles and an error.
In the Anderson third, And
erson scored two more runs
on two hits a passed ball, a
ground out and an RBI single
by Jack Huggins.
After scoring a single run
in the top of the fifth to take
a 6-0 lead, Anderson blew the
game open with a six-run burst
in the sixth. After three singles
loaded the bases, James Rice,
Anderson’s clean-up hitter who
hit three home runs against
Clinton on Sunday afternoon,
lined a 3-2 pitch over the left
field fence. This was one of the
hardest bit hells hit in Cala-
lier Pa*k this season. The ball
was a line shot that was con
tinuing to rise as it crossed
the fence.
Tommy Motes then came in
to pitch and finished for Clinton.
Arrested and charged with
arson in Laurens Saturday were:
Grady Boyd, 18 of 302 W. Cent
ennial St.; Samuel Jones 22, of
208 S. Livingston St.; Jerone
Fleming, 20, of 333 S. Bell St;
Jim Bo Martin, 19 of 105 S. Bell
St; Charles Douglas Little, 25,
of 353A Gideon HiU; Joe Terry
Suber, 17 of 214 Tribble St; and
Thomas Vance, 18 of 405 Gary
St
The two men arrested Tues
day, August 4, in connection with
the fires and fire bombings were
Willie B. Byrd and Willie James
Young. All nine men are lodged
in area jails.
Announcement of the arrests
was made jointly by a spokes
man for Chief J. P. Strom of the
S. C. Law Enforcement Division
(SLED), Laurens County Sheriff
R. Eugene Johnson and Clinton
Chief of Police B. B. Ballard.
The fires that began July 1
reached a climax on the night
of July 16 and in the pre-dawn
hours of July 17 when two bus
inesses were completely burned
and five others damaged during
a two and half hour period.
Fire damages in excess of$200,
000 were estimated by owners
of these businesses.
Boland To Head UF
Commercial Division
Ratchford W. Boland will
serve as Commercial Chair
man of the 1970-71 campaign of
the United Fund of greater 1 Clin
ton. Mr. Boland was active in
the organization in 1952 of the
Community Chest of Greater
Clinton which is now the United
Fund of Greater Clinton.
He has continually supported
the organization and actively
participated in the annual drives
for funds. He served as co-
chairman of the Commercial
Division 1969.
Boland, a native of Clinton,
is a graduate of Presbyterian
College and has served as
secretary of the Alumni As
sociation. Before retiring he
was manager of the Clinton
Branch Office of the Liberty
Life Insurance Company.
He is president of the Laurens
County Service Council of
Senior Citizens, and chairman
of the Laurens County Public
Welfare Board.
RATCHFORD BOLAND
Active in civic, church and
community affairs, Mr. Boland,
an active member of the Kiwanis
Club for the past 30 years, has
served as director, secretary
and president of the club.
He is charter member ofSahit
John’s Lutheran Church, serves
as Vice Chairman of Church
Council, teacher of Adult Bible
Class, member Synodical
Stewardship Committee
Merchants To Plan
Tricentennial Week
Plans are now being made for
the Laurens County Week of the
South Carolina TricaittemrfaL
The Clinton Merchants* and
Businessmen's group will meet hrafion of
today, August 13, at the Hotel tef is
*
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