The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, August 29, 1963, Image 1
vd. 64 — No. 34
*
Clinton, S. G, Thursday, August 29, 1963
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# FIRST ON SCENE _
Lieut. Rufus King (left) and Patrolman Chesley Richards
THINK MURDERER WASHED UP HERE
Bathroom Across Hall From Law Office
UPSTAIRS HALL —Photos by Dan Yarborough
Arrow Shows Position of Justin Bridges’ Law Office
Mass Polio Immunization
Is Planned for October
A mass oral polio immuni- a person from acting as a polio
zaition drive has been set to begin
in Clinton Oct. 27, according to
Dr. James L. Walker, who will
act as chairman of polio steering
committee of the Clinton area.
He will be working with mem
bers of the Laurens County Medi
cal Society.
At a meeting at Bailey Memo
rial Hospital here Tuesday night,
plans were revealed for a mass
oral polio immunization for
school district 56. The meeting
was attended by city and school
officials, physicians, nurses and
county health officials, institu
tional representatives, and repre
sentatives of Charles Pfizer Lab
oratories which will supply vac
cine for the program.
The drive has been sanctioned
by the county medical group. Dr.
Malcolm B. Cook will act as
chairman in the Laurens area
and Dr. E. N. Sullivan, also of
Clinton, president of the Laurens
County Medical Society, will
serve as over-all chairman of the
county drive.
On Oct. 27, the first of the
three doses of Sabin vaccine will
be given with second and third
doses to be administered on Dec.
8 and Jan. 12.
It has been pointed out by Dr.
Walker that the three doses are
for three different types of polio
and that by taking only one or
two doses, the individual will
NOT receive total immunization.
He also stressed that the pub
lic should not confuse the Salk
vaccine, which is administered
by means of a needle, with the
Sabin vaccine, which is taken by
mouth.
Dr. Walker emphasized that
the oral vaccine works different
ly from the shots and although a
person may have had all three
Salk shots and perhaps an addi
tional booster shot, they are
urged to take the new treatment.
Salk vaccine offers immunity to
the individual but does not stop
carrier, he said.
It has been clarified that an
individual will have no ill-effects
from having had both types of
vaccine. Dr. Walker said.
The drive in Laurens County
will be divided into two districts,
School District 55 and 56. County
schools will serve as centers on
the three Sunday afternoons
where the vaccine will be dropped
on lumps of sugar to be eaten
by young and old alike. No age
limit has been specified for the
vaccine. It is hoped that all per
sons from three months up will
participate in the drive to stamp
out the crippling disease.
There will be a Charge of 25
cents for those who can afford
it. It was noted, however, that
no one will be turned away if
they cannot afford the fee. Only
through mass participation can
the program be effective. Dr.
Walker stated.
The vaccine is in a frozen state
and must be used within seven
days after thawing. After the
clinics held at the various schools
are conducted, those administer
ing the vaccine will also take it
to those in hospitals, jails and
other places of confinement.
Sabin vaccine was developed
by Dr. Albert Sabin, a professor
at the University of Cincinnati
and a well-known research scien
tist Dr. Sabin, who first estab
lished that the breeding ground
of the virus is the intestinal
tract, developed the vaccine in
1953. The new vaccine attacks
the breeding places and gives the
individual immunity besides
keeping him from acting as a
carrier, it was pointed out.
Persons wishing to inquire fur
ther into the effectiveness pf.the
vaccine or to ask details con
nected with the program are ask
ed to contact their family physi
cian.
The mass immunization pro
gram has been tried in various
cities of the state with about 80
percent of citizens in Charleston
participating and a high percent
age in Newberry.
Local Guard Gets
''Excellent'' Rating
Battery B, 1st AW Bn, Clinton,
commanded by Captain Van C.
Oxner, Jr., was rated excellent
on summer field training this
year, and also on the year’s
regular armory training.
The National Guard unit was
commended by Col. J. W. Hen
derson, commanding officer of
the 1st Battalion, in a letter to
Mayor J. J. Cornwall.
The letter said in part:
“This is considered a very fine
rating and we are proud to have
this fine battery as a part of our
Battalion. Captain Oxner and his
more than 100 officers and men
exhibited a rare interest and a
high degree of training when they
were able to sustain such perfec
tion over such a long period of
time.
Mrs. Bridges Is Victim of Vicious
Slayer In Law Office Here Friday
Officers Continue Investigation
AA Group To Meet
On Tuesday, Sept. 3
A meeting of the local AA
chapter will be held Tuesday eve
ning September 3 at 8 o’clock.
There will be a speaker from
Greenwood.
CLOSING FOR HOUDAT
The Clinton Post Office will be
closed on Labor Day, “Monday,
Sept. 2, 1963, according to Bill
Adair, postmaster.
PC Football Jamboree
Scheduled for
Schools In District 56
Begin Program Today
Clinton area schools begin the
1963-64 session this morning
(Thursday) as pupils report for
registration, information and
renting of books. They will also
attend tomorrow, with a holiday
planned for Monday, September
2, Labor Day.
Teacher’s meetings began in
School District 56 on Tuesday.
Regular schedules will be fol
lowed beginning on September 3.
Lunches will be served starting
on that date.
Reporting today in the high
schools are ninth and tenth grade
students. Tomorrow (Friday)
juniors and seniors will assemble
at their high schools at 8:30
a. m.
Clinton High School will open
with its largest enrollment in
history, well over 600 students.
Classes total up as record break
ers from a senior class of 127
to a freshman group of 204.
Expansion to meet the bulging
classes has been made at the
local school. Four new class
rooms have been constructed and
the typing room has been con-
Presbyterian College will stage
its annual football jamboree, and
add a fashion show for the lady
fans, this Thursday night at Belk
Auditorium.
Several hundred persons are
expected to attend this 1963 pro
gram. It combines barbecue,
football and fall fashions in an
occasion designed to appeal to
every member of the family.
The seven civic clubs of Clinton
and Joanna are cooperating in
the project sponsored by the Clin
ton chapter of the Walter John
son Club, PC’s alumni althetic
organization. It’s scheduled to
start at 6:30 p. m. with the ser
ing of the barbecue at $1 JO per
plate for adults and 79 cents for
chflkjpeh wi the campus adjacent
to Belk Auditorium.
An hour later the program will
move indoors for a variety feature
which includes: band music by
Lions Club Mans
For TuHcey Shoots
Plans are underway by die
Lions Club for their annual tar-
key shoots to be bald on Novem
ber 16 end November 23 on the
Cttnton High School
Prises will bit awarded
^Tonight
the Clinton Devilaires, a fashion
show by 14 models representing
four local ladies’ shops and three
men’s shops, college songs by a
male quartet and a review of
Blue Hose football prospects
along with introduction of in
dividual squad members.
George Cornelson, Clinton in
dustrialist and PC trustee, will
serve as master of ceremonies.
Dr. Marc C. Weersing, new presi
dent of Presbyterian College and
Johnson Club President Ross
Templeton of Charlotte will de
liver opening remarks. The fash
ion show will be under the direc
tion of Mrs. Michael Turner, and
Coach Catty Gault will present
the football review.
Program Chairman Claude
Crocker has announced that these
Clinton business men will form a
special quartet to sing the PC
alma mater and fight song; Mi
chael Turner, Harry Bolick,
Tommy Hollis and George Broc-
kenbrough. The Devileers will be
under the be ton of Harry Bouk-
night, high school band director.
Also present as special guests
will be the players and coaches
of Clinton’s Dixie Youth AlLtttai;
baseball team, which went to the
state finals eucUsr tMs
Chamber and Clubs
To Join For Special
Moot September 12
All civic clubs of Clinton have
been invited to join with the Clin
ton Chamber of Commerce in a
special dutch supper meeting on
September 12 at 7:30 at the Hotel
Mary Musgrove.
J. Bratton Davis, chairman of
the State Development Board,
will be the guest speaker.
In charge of arrangements for
the meeting is the Membership
Committee of the Chamber of
Commerce, headed by J. Robert
Cox and L. Ray Pitts.
Davis, Columbia attorney, has
an outstanding record of civic
service in South Carolina. He
was appointed to head the South
Carolina State Development
Board early this year by Gov.
Donald S. Russell.
Rev. Powell
Accepts Coll
Rev. L. L. Powell of High
lands, has accepted the pastor
ate of the Chuch of God of
Prophecy at 1100 North Sloan
Street Rev. Powell has thirty
five years of service in a pas
toral capacity.
Services are held each Sun
day at 11:00 a. m. and on Wed
nesdays and Saturday at 7:00
p. m. The public is invited to
verted for use as a large TV
classroom.
A new ticket office has been
constructed at Wilder Stadium,
which will also see the installa
tion of a loud speaker system.
Martha Dendy Elementary
School will open doors to four
new classrooms, while Clinton
Junior High has three new rooms,
a new library and lab, in addi
tion to a remodeled and enlarged
cafeteria and large all-purpose
room.
Reception Tuesday
At College To
Honor Weersings
A reception in honor of Dr.
Marc C. Weersing, new president
of Presbyterian College, and
family will be held at the Douglas
House next Tuesday at 8 p. m.
The occasion will afford resi
dents of the Clinton area an op
portunity to meet Dr. and Mrs.
Weersing and their son and
daughter. AH friends of PC are
cordially invited to attend.
The new president assumed his
duties on August 1 after serving
the past eight years as pastor of
the Spartanburg First Presbyter
ian Church. He has been com
muting daily from Spartanburg
to his PC office while remodeling
work is being completed on the
president’s home and hopes to
move permanently to Clinton in
the near future.
The Weersings have an 18-year-
old daughter, Marcia, entering
the sophomore class at Converse
this fall, and son Barry, 15, who
is enrolled at Blue Ridge School
in Hendersonville, N. C.
A relentless investigation was still underway here and elsewhere late Wednesday af
ternoon as The Chronicle went to press in the death of Mrs. Beaufort Campbell Bridges,
47, wife of J. Austin Bridges, Laurens attorney and former legislator.
* Mrs. Bridges’ body was found brutally beaten and stabbed Friday night on the floor
of her husband’s Clinton law office on the second floor of the Utopia Building on Mus
grove Street in downtown Clinton. Mr. Bridges himself made the discovery at 9:40 p.
and immediately called the Clinton police.
m
“ High School Band at Camp —
Clinton High School band director Harry Bouk-
night drills the woodwind section at a week’s prac
tice session last week at Camp Fellowship on Lake
Greenwood, as Nipper, the cocker spaniel, relaxes.
. at the
Left to right, they are Linda Til
ler, Dianne Asbfll, Beverly MuHer,’ Diarine Ledford,
Ruth Todd and Dixie Rolick.—Photos by Jimmy Coop-
week’s lake
Robert S. Dickson
Dies In Accident
Robert S. (Bobbie) Dickson,
34, was killed instantly Sunday
night in an automobile accident
near Saluda.
He was a native of Washington,
D. €., but made his home in
Georgia before moving to South
Carolina 20 years ago. He was a
son of L. A. -and Jean Payne
Dickson of Kinards, and was a
member of Little River-Domi-
nick Presbyterian Church. He
was employed by the Joanna Cot
ton Mills of Joanna.
In addition to his father and
mother, he is survived by his
wife, Mrs. Carolyn Blackwell
Dickson of Clinton; one daugh
ter, Norma; two sons, Dale and
Joe Dickson, all of the home;
one brother, David Dickson of
Clinton; and one sister, Mrs.
Evelyn D. Duncan of Kinards.
Funeral services were held
Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p. m.
at the Gray Funeral Home in
Clinton. Interment was in Rose-
mont cemetery.
Return of Military
Equipment Asked
Military authorities have is
sued a request to the public
for the return of any military
equipment that may have been
found during Swift Strike' III
maneuvers.
A statmeent issued by army
officials said that as a result
of the air drops during Joint
Exercise Swift Strike III of per
sonnel, supplies and equipment
on several drop zones located
throughout South Carolina, con
siderable quantities of para
chutes and other air items
were lost and not recovered.
It is requested that para
chutes, air drop containers and
platforms, and other items be
returned since they are critical
items used by the army.
All citizens who are in pos
session of, or know the where
abouts of airborne equipment
are asked to turn it in to local
law enforcement facilities.
' ~ te * -•
Mrs. Broilsford
To Join Staff Of
Whitten Village
Mrs. Rosalie Jones Brailsford,
daughter of the late Dr. Dudley
Jones and Mrs. Jones, will join
the staff of Whitten Village on
August 29 to serve as social
worker in the social service de
partment.
Dr. B. O. Whitten, superinten
dent, expressed great satisfac
tion over having the daughter at
his long time friend join the staff.
Dr. Jones served as pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church of
Clinton and later for many years
as Professor of Philosophy at
Presbyterian College.
He began a search earlier, he
told officers, when his wife did
not return to their home in Laur
ens at the qlose of the business
day after attending to duties in
the office.
Clinton Police Chief B. B. Bal
lard and Assistant Chief William
B. Blakely were joined by Sheriff
R. Eugene Johnson and his dep
uties and State Law Enforcement
Division officers headed by Chief
J. P. Strom. Other SLED officers
on the scene included Lieut. Har
old Fortson, Lieut. J. Leon Cas
que, Lieut. James K. Wilson,
Lieut. M. N. Cate, Agent John W.
Hamilton and others. They have
continued their investigation
around the clock, but yesterday
reported that they had nothing
tangible to give out in connection
with the mysterious, vicious slay
ing.
Police are seeking two weap
ons, neither of which had been
found up to late yesterday (Wed
nesday) afternoon. Mrs. Bridges
had been savagely bludgeoned
with something thought to be a
length of pipe and repeatedly
stabbed with a weapon with a
thin blade four or five inches
long.
Officers believe Mrs. Bridges
died between 3 and 4:30 p. m.
Friday.
Early in the week,scrapings
from beneath the fingernails of
Mrs. Bridges were sent to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
for analysis. Investigating offi
cers also made many photos of
fingerprints found on the scene.
They have not divulged the re
sults of any phase of their inves
tigations.
Bridges told officers he had
lunch with his wife in Clinton
Friday, then returned to his Lau
rens office, eight miles away. He
said Mrs. Bridges called from
Clinton to the Laurens office
later (officers determined that
the call was made at 2:01 p. m.)
to tell Bridges that a client was
in the Clinton office asking to
see him. He said he told her to
have the client meet him at the
Laurens office, but that the client
never appeared. After a lengthy
wait in his office, he said, he
finally went to Greenwood to at
tend to a business matter.
Colleagues in Laurens stated
that he was in his office about
six p. m. and mentioned that he
had to meet an appointment in
Greenwood.
Bridges told officers that when
he returned to Laurens and went
home, his wife was not there. He
said he made several telephone
calls to inquire for her and that
he called the Clinton office hut
got no answer.
Finally, Bridges said, he drove
to Clinton in his search for Mrs.
Bridges ,saw that his office lights
were still on, investigated, and
found his. wife’s body.
First officers on the scene were
Lieut. Rufus King and Patrolman
Chesley Richards, Clinton police.
The first indication that pol-
lice were questioning definite
suspects in the Bridges case
came Tuesday when two men
were transferred to the Clin
ton jail from Greenville. One
was arrested by Greenville
police Friday night, charged
with drunkenness. Scratches
and his large feet attracted
the attention of a Greenville
officer. Over-sised footprints,
it was stated, were amnog
the clues at the slaying scene.
The second suspect brought
to Clinton for questioning was
held in Greenville after a job
application revealed
mation that might have
suspicious.
who reported the office presented
a violent scene.
The comparatively small office,
furnished with a desk, typing
table, filing cabinet and two
chairs, was stained with blood
on floor and walls. Mrs. Bridges
was on her back on the floor be
tween the desk and the windows
facing Musgrove Street. Beneath
her was a pool of blood-: Scatter
ed over the floor were salted pea
nuts with a waxed paper drink
ing cup.
Under her body was a letter
from relatives that gave direc
tions for reaching a mountain re
sort. Her purse was on the floor
and a billfold with no cash in it
was a short distance away.
It was determined that Mrs.
Bridges had been shopping and
the purchases—including a pair
of summer shorts — were there.
Her shoes and earrings were on
the floor.
Chief Ballard said his officers
found the window unit aircon-
ditioner still operating when they
entered the office.
Officers established that Mrs.
Bridges had- paid for her pur
chases at a Clinton store by
check and they speculated wheth
er any cash was taken from her
billfold. She had made the pur
chases between 2:30 and 2:45,
officers learned. Whether she was
attacked upon returning to the
office by someone who entered
while she was out, or later, Hj»«
not been determined.
A stairway leads from double
doors opening on Musgrove Street
in the center of the building be
tween a vacant store and Sears,
Roebuck A Co. on the corner.
Several officers are reached from
a square hall surrounding the
stair well. Only one other office
was occupied and it was used
rather infrequently.
A small restroom, usually un
locked, is across the hall from
the Bridges office, und it immedi
ately became a focal point of In
vestigation when blood stains
were sceen on the lavatory, in
dicating that the slayer washed
up after the murder.
Laurens County. Coroner Mar
shall N. Pressley said he would
not set the date for an inquest
until after a complete autopsy
reoprt was received. A prelimin
ary report stated that Mr*.
Bridges died of stab wounds.