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/ / \ O' If Yon Don’t Read The Chronicle You Don't Get the News ( The Chronicle Strives To Be A Clean News paper, Complete,, Newsy and Reliable Volume LVIII Clinton, S. C, Thursday, June 27, 1957 Number Bill Totaling $459,189 _ i-.. Tax Levy of 53 Mills To Be Imposed A $459,189 appropriations bill for 1957-58 was agreed upon by the Laurens County legislative delegation during the closing week of the General Assembly session. Of the total, $100,963 will be raised by taxes levied upon prop erty in the county. The balance! will come from other sources, principally the county’s share of taxes secured on a statewide ba sis. A 9 mill levy will be imposed to raise the $100,963, which, with other levies will total 53 mills. The nine mills for county opera tions is the same as that levied last year for the same purpose. Qther levies are one mill for the county hospital, eight mills for Dormitory Added To Whitten Village Campus Two Clinton Mills Plan Field Day Events Saturday Clintan and Lydia Cotton Mills will celebrate their annual field day at the two swimming pools Saturday. The events will be held from 9 a. m. to noon, with the selection of a beauty queen for both plants. The beauty contest at Lydia Mills will begin at 9:30 av Clinton Mills at 11 a. m. Eligible contestants consist of unmarried daughters of Clinton-Lydia em ployees between 16 and 25 years of age. Games, cake walks, and other contests will be held. Prizes will be given by local merchants. Girls wishing to enter the Clin ton Mills contest may call Mrs. retirement of bonds, and a 35-mill levy for school operations in each of the two districts. Several minor changes were made in the bill after its intro duction in the House. One amendment called for an increase and a revised distribu tion of the appropriation for the county service officer which was recently vacated by the death of Service Officer C. A. Seawright. Until this year the state had been paying $5,100 for the office, which sum was augmented by $480 ap propriated by the county. Out of this, all of the expenses of the office were paid. This year the salary of the service officer was fixed at $4,000, the secretary at $2,500 and extra help allowed in the sum of $500. Allowing for the $5,100 paid by the state, the delegation provided the remain ing $1,900 in the supply bill. The supply bill also provides that the judge of the domestic! relations court be elected this’ year for only one year to allow the delegation to give the matter of the court’s discontinuance more study. Previously he had been elected by the Laurens Bar As sociation for two years. The bill sent over to the House by Sen. Wasson to abolish the court en tirely was continued until next year. The bill by Senator Wasson to abolish the tax collector’s office and place its duties on the county This dormitory, recently put into use at Whitten Viliaco. is ti e fourth to be completed during the past year. It was constructed at a cost of $155,000 and will house 100 male residents. With the addition of the latest facility, enrollment at the state school wilj be raised to approximately 2,000 residents. Eight Candidates Seeking County Service Officer Post treasurer was passed by the lower house delegation without amend ment and is expected to take ef fect July/1, the beginning of the county’s fiscal year, Rep. W. Paul Culbertson said. Election To Be Held Friday at Four Polling Precincts; Veterans To Vote P Eight veterans have announced ’ erans in the county are eligible to themselves a* candidates- -for- the l.vole .at .Ihe.polling places nearest As previously reported the sup ply bill contains an item of $10,- 0(X) to be used as a beginning Eva Land, and those from Lydia fund, to be added to later, to cen- Mills may contact Mrs. R. E. 1 tralize the three chain gangs of Whitmire. i the county into one gang. College To Receive Bids On $250,000 Building Student Center to Be Constructed Sixteen contractors are prepar ing bids today on Presbyterian College’s proposed new memorial student center, and their propos als will be opened July 19. President Marshall W. Brown, in making the announcement, said he hopes construction on the structure may be started around August 1. It is expected to cost approximately $250,000. The student center, one of the main objectives of the Diamond Jubilee Development program which recently closed with more than $1,000,000 subscribed, is scheduled to be rekdy for use by the start of PC’s 78th session in September, 1958. It will be erect ed next to recently completed Bailey Hall dormitory, directly •cross the plaza from Spencer dormitory. Plans by Six Associates archi tects, of Asheville, N. C., call for Miss Blakely Named County Tax Collector Miss Vivian Blakely, of Lau rens, has been named delinquent tax collector for Laurens county, it was stated Monday by County Treasurer Sam M. Leaman, who made the appointment. The delinquent tax collector’s office, until recently an independ ent office, was abolished by • bill introduced in the General Assem bly by Senator Robert C. Wasson, and concurred in by members of the House. The duties of the of fice were transferred to the office a two-story building of Georgian design with portico and four lime stone columns in keeping with the architectural theme of the corn- pus. # It will be\20 feet long and 961 feet wide on tha right side which includes a wing extending to the rear; 56 feet wide on the left side, with a 30 by 56-foot‘ terrace be yond adjoining the rear wing. - Detailed specifications now un der study by the contractors in clude on the first floor two large student lounges, a snack shop, position of service officer of the county in an election to be held Friday) i. Deadline for entrance of can didates was 6:00 p. m. Tuesday and five men from Laurens and I near Laurens,- and three from Clinton, qualified by paying the $10 entry fee. The candidates are George C. (Kit) Young, Harold Coleman, and Howard Watkins, from Clin ton; Bob Brown and King Dix on, from Laurens; Manning H. Chapman from the Rocky Springs community; Fowler Brownlee, from Madden Station; and C. H. Crenshaw, from Cold Point. • Four polling places have been designated, Clinton city hall, the court house in Laurens, the com munity house in Joanna, and Gray Court. Previously, only two polling places had been desig nated. but the county legislative delegation added two more on Tuesday. The polls will be open from 8 a. m. to 6 p. m., and box managers will be honorably discharged vet erans: All honorably discharged vet- to their homes. They must pre sent their discharge papers or documentary evidence of same, according to rules and regulations set up for the election. General election rules will prevail. The county seVvice officer han- College Receives $48,500 As Second Gift From Ford Fund Robert S. Owens, Clinton Attorney, Passes In Columbia Presbyterian College has receiv ed a second payment totaling $46,- 500 from the Ford Foundation, President Marshall W Brown an nounced. This figure brjn^s to $93,500 Robert S Owens, 68, Clinton at torney.. died Wednesday at 12:30 p m. at the Veterans Hospital in Columbia where he had been crit ically ill for several weeks. He Directs Jacobs To Crossroads To Pick j fc . _ i, Up Carton; Deliver at Church in Area ♦ r- * Preliminary Hearing Posted At Clinton for Next Tuesday A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Tues > j| r day at 10 a. fn. in the Jacobs kidnapping conspiracy, it 11 was learned yesterday. Place for tlfe.hearing has been tentatively,.set at the ‘ city hall in Clinton.’ before the court of Magistrate Sam McCrary. __ _ j The hearing was requested by T. David Sloan, Jr., of ; Laurens, arttorney representing Thomas D. Jacobs, prin cipal in the alleged conspiracy.. It is presumed that the state will lx? represented by Solicitor W illiam T. Jones, of Greenwood, and that wit nesses will include police offk f ers who worked on the case. Such a hearing is normal court “-procedure, officers said. It is held for the purpose of. giving the accused the right to demand'that the state produce evidence showing why he (the accused) is being held. Another note, not hitherto revealed by officers, came to light this week in the Jacobs kidnapping conspiracy that ex ploded like a bombshell, in Clinton on the afternoon and ryght of June 10. ’ /■. The new note, like the one demanding and giving instruc tions on the payment of $360,000 ransom, was printed in let ters penciled on a torn sheet of brown wrapping paper. It, too. had been incapacitated at his was written in such a manner as to disguise the handwriting, home for the past four years foi- , he sue [ij n>f am i phraseology were such that it wouldcon- lowing a stroke: — — 1 “ - —— —* Funeral services will be held this (Thursday) afternoon at 5*30 at the First Presbyterian Church, conducted by Dr. W Redd Tur. ner. pastor. Burial will follow in the church cemetery Mr Owens wds a native of CUn dies affairs pertaining to former I rTie amount given PC’as part of i ton, the son of the late Mr and service men and is named by the state service officer upon the rec ommendation of the county dele gation. The delegation will submit the narrfe of the person nominated in Friday’s election. > The delegation called a meeting of commanders of veterans or ganizations in the county all which plans for the election were made to choose a successor to the late C. A. Seawright. Enoree Presbytery Ordains McKinnon William Paul McKinnon was ordained and licensed to preach by Enoree Presbytery Tuesday at post office, game room, book store' a church court in and faculty lounge. Located on the . Presbyterian Church in the second floor will be the col-! Union. lege guidance center, three guest rooms with pfivate baths, two large meeting rooms, a music room, day students room and sev en offices. A self-service laundry, heating and storage facilities will be situated in .the basement. The entire frist floor will be of terrazio tile, with the exception of Carolina bluestone used for the portico and terrace. A total of nine bathrooms are included in the plans. Contractors who are bidding on the student center are: W. G. King & Sons, of Clinton; Charles J. Craig Company, C. C. Shock- ley Company, General Construc tion Company, W. H. Sellers and Son, Atlantic Building Corpora tion, and George A. Creed and son, all of Columbia; Hollings worth Company and Morris Con struction Company, both of Greenville; Frank H. Conner Company, of Charlotte; Harper Builders Supply, of Williamston; Young Construction Company, of Rock Hill; W. E. Baker and Son, • Mr. McKinnon, a graduate of Presbyterian College, Clinton, was recently graduated from Co lumbia Theological Seminary, De catur, Ga. He has accepted the pastorates of Simpsonville and Lickville Presbyterian Churches in Green ville County. Rev. Mr. McKinnon is a son-in- law of Mr. and Mrs. William J. Henry, of this city. His wife is the former Miss Virginia Henry Also received as a member of the Presbytery was Rev. Kenneth E. Pollick, former pastor of the Lydia Presbyterian Church, Clin ton. He is pasfbr of the Second Presbyterian Church, of Union. Area Cotton Mills To Close For Week Clinton and Lydia Cotton Mills and Joanna Cotton Mills Will close down this week-end to *ive their employees a week’s vacation with pay mill officials have announced. Clinton and Lydia will close at 12 midnight Friday and resume regular schedules at 12 mid night Sunday. Jaly 7. Joanna will close at the end of the work day Saturday and re open Monday morning, July 8. Gwen-Evans Mills and Hall mark Shirt plant will close st the end of work Friday, with vacation pay for employees, to re-open on Monday, the 8th. The Clinton Box plant will al so close !>n Friday and resume operatiansj on the 8th. Anderson Hosiery Co. stops off Friday and will reopen on the 8th, with a week’s pay for employees, and Dapper Hosiery Mills Will close Friday for two weeks; going back to work on the loth. Employees will get one weeg's pay. Standard Plywoods will close for part of the week, and Cin cinnati Floor Mfg. Co. will close for only the 4th. the giant Ford Foundation grant | — to privately supported colleges and universities It represents a $17,- 5Q0 increase over the share tenta tively designated for. Presbyterian College when the program , was originally 'announced in Decem ber, 1955 Dr. Brown pointed out the fund? have been distributed over a two- year period. He said PC received its first check for $45,000 frAn the Ford Foundation in July of last year, and the final check complet ing the grant has just arrived In accordance with the wishes of the Foundation, the funds will be used .as an endowment to increase faculty salaries. Altogether, the Ford Foundation designated $260,000,000 to the 615 private, regionally accredited four- year colleges and universities An amount of" almost siimilar 'portion was granted private hospitals and medical schools of th«j nation. President Brown, in making his latest announcement, summed up his feelings in these words: “I am especially pleased that Presbyterian College’s total grant amounted to $93,500 instead of $76,500 as originally designated Not only are thest, funds of ’great assistance in our development, but 1 feel the grant will stimulate in terest among potential donors, especially industrialists looking for ways of making charitable elee mosynary contributions.” vey the impression that Ft was written by an ignorant pefsonr * • It purported to give Thomas D. Jacobs* ( linton man held on charges of conspiracy to kidnap, directions to pick up a paper carton that would be at the foot of a pine tree at the junction of the Cross Hill-to-Kinards and (Jinton-to-( hap- pells rdads. “if you wants to help Mr. Robert Vance." He was directed to take the carton to Duncan Creek Presbyterian Church, about five miles on the opposite side of Clinton from > the site where it was to lie found. The note was unsigned, ^ Jacobs gave the note to officers when they apprehemied him at the crossroads on the night of June 10, about 12 miles south of Clinton, Following is the note: “Mr. Thomas Jacob “If you wants to help Mr. Robert Vance, go to w here the cross hill road Crosses the Chapels road. In the. M. E. Corner, at the foot of a pine tree will be a paper carton. Bring this to the Duncan Creek Presbyterian Church. The package will be placed there tonite at 8:30 p. m. so pick it up at 8:30 and drive strate to the church. “Dont tell no one about this." OWENS Services At Head Springs On Sunday Preaching -services will be held at Head Springs Associate Re formed Presbyterian Church near Mountville Sunday afternoon at 4:30, the Rev. William C Alex ander, pastor, has announced. The public is invited to attend these special Sabbath services. Mrs. VV Edgar Owens. He attend ed the Clinton schools, Presbyte rian College, and the University of South Carolina School of Law As a young lawyer, he located in McCormick for practice when Mc Cormick County was formed He was county attorney there for a number of years. Returning to Clinton in 1929, he was connected with M S -Bailey & Son, Bankers, and managed the William J Bailey Insurance Agen cy, before entering to the prac tice of law here During later years He was associated with has son. Tench P Oweris, in his practice. For a number oi years he was city attorney of Clinton • He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, and was a veteran ofJJhe First World Waj* (continued on page 4) Grass Is Changing Farm Picture In County r pany, both of Spartanburg; and C. Y. Thomason, of Greenwood. of county treasurer. ^ George C. Adair has served as “^whitmiroV Fiske“ art^Com- delmquent tax collector. He did not apply for the position under the new set-up, it was said. Miss Blakely has been employ ed in the office of county treas urer for 25 years, serving under three treasurers, D. Roy Simpson, T. Lane Monroe, and Mr. Laman. Miss Betty Arnold, who has been seving as secretary in the tax collector’s office, will transfer to the treasurer’s office, it was .stated. Stores Open Wed. , Close 4th A Copeland Receives Ph.D. Degree In History J. Isaac Copeland, former Clin ton resident, received a PhJ>. de gree in history at the recent com menoement exercises at the Uni versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Dr. Copeland, who is aaociated with the Peabody College-Van derbilt University joint library in Nash villa, Tenn., visited friends and relatives in Clinton The Merchants Committee of the Clinton Chamber of Com merce, meeting on Tuesday morn ing, approved the recommenda tion of the committee that the stores remain open Wednesday afternoon, July 3, and close all day Thursday, July 4. Other holiday closing dates will be ap proved at the next meeting. The Solicitation Control Pro gram’ in general was discussed. The Merchants Committee asks that all members be sum that each solicitor has the approval of the Chamber of Commerce be fore they contribute a donation or an advertisement. This program can only be es successful as the members make it. A Bermuda grmaa planter — that’s what yon see here at left, in operation en the farm of Carl Crisp of Mountrllle. This machine was purchased by the Laurens Soil Conservation District in 1953 to help farmers in the plan tins of Coastal Bermuda grass. Inspecting the Coastal Bermuda stolons are (left to right): J. B. O’Dell, Soil Conservation Service, and Ryan Lawson, District Supervisor. Mr. Crisp is ogteratlng the tractor. In the photo at right, Hereford cattle are grazing on lash pasture of fescue and ladlne clover on farm of G. Pringle Copeland of the Hopewell ComBsanttp. Cattle and gram fit well Into the complete conservation program on this farm.—(Photo by SCSI Bermuda grass, without question, may be considered the moot important grass In the Southern States, in the South it haa been cursed by the tsttsu farmer and blessed by the livestock man. Ltttto or no Improvement |n Bermuda gram was attained until the discovery of Tift Bemuds In 1929 near Tifton, Ga., by J. L. Stephens of the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station. In 1937 a hybridisation program at that station involving common Ber muda, Tift Bermuda and two tall strains sf Bermuda tatraduced from Africa, was laitlated by Dr. Glean W. Burton. 5,999 ssodHugs resulting from natural hybridisation. 147 ware sslaatsd In 1989 fur further ovaluatton. One of those tu this arsa. Over 899 aeres have been planted daring ths post five years by Lnnrins Sett Crsairratts* Mrtriet aesnirstsru. Sheriff ('. VV. VV’ler said that Jacobs told officers that he found the note under the door of his printing otfice. Officers have said that Jacobs edme near being shot the ^ night he was arrested when, instead of putting up his hands, he reached into his pocket. Apparently, it was to take the note from his pocket, for officers said that he gave them the note immediately. Jacobs is being held in the county jail at Laurens and he has made no request for a hearing to be freed on bond. However, a preliminary hearing has been arranged for Tuesday at 10 a. m. at the city hall in Clinton. Request for the hearing was made by T. David Sloan, Jr., Laurens attorney, • representing Jacobs. * ’ Another attorney, Eugene McCgssell, of Conway, was understood to have held a conference with Jacobs and mem bers of his family Saturday. However, it was not stated that he had been retained in the case. It was said that he^had been contacted by friends or relatives of Jacobs in Conway. Also held in the Laurens jail in connection with the case is Jobie I). Shelton, Jr., 30-year-old Negro. Another Negro, Willie T. Hill, 61, was transferred to the state penitentiary in Columbia on Tuesday, June 13, after being held under guard at the Laurens County.Hospital. He became ill the night of his arrest and was taker) to the hospital from the Clinton jail. Sheriff Wier said that Hill was taken to Columbia because hospital facilities were available at the penitentiary. The three are being held on charges of conspiracy to kid nap the four-year-old son of Robert M. Vance, Clinton bank president and cotton mill executive. I he plot failed when officers, who had been forewarned by a "fourth man" the police still have not named, took the three men into custody on the afternoon and night of the day the kidnapping was alleged to have lieen arranged to take place. According to information given by the police, the plot cov ered a period of several months, all the yhile being followed by ( linton police, .fheritf s officers, and men from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), aided by in formation supplied by the "fourth man" who had l*?en ap proached to become a member of the conspiracy. It was Shelton’s job to kidnap the chrld, officers said, and j take him to a site on the Spartanburg County side of Enoree river and hold him there until Jacobs arrived after collecting d $350,000 ransom and divide it. VV hen Shelton arrived at the Vance home 'in a car driven by the ‘fourth than” and the child was not taking his usual walk in the vicinity with his nurse, the "fourth man" sug gested that they drive to the river site to report to Jacobk . that the kidnapping could not be accomplished that day. Offi cers hidden at the site arrested Shelton when he drove up. Jacobs was taken when he arrived at.the crossroads on the Clinton-Chappells highway and picked up a package sup posed to contain the $350,000 ransom demanded in a note de livered to Vance. The note was taken from Shelton. He was to have given the note to the boy’s nurse when the kidnapping took place. „ Hill said he was approached by Jacobs to enter the scheme., but pleaded that hie age and health prevented him from doing so. He told Jacobs that he would get another man. and got Sheltbn. •