The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, January 28, 1965, Image 1
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Tie Clinton ChMinide
Voi. 66 — No. 4 Clinton, S. C., Thursday, January 28, 1965
At TB
The annual meeting of the Tubercu-
losia and Health Association of Green
wood and Laurens Counties was held at
the Mary Musgrove Hotel in Clinton.
Shown above, left to right, are Henry
Faria of Laurens, president of the As
sociation; Dr. W. W. Pryor 6f Green-
viFe, guest speaker; Carroll Sexton 6f<
Greenwood, chairman of the 1964 seal
sale campaign; and Dr. M. M. Teague of
Laurens, who introduced the speaker.—
Photo by Paul Quinton. _
Mothers March of Dimes „ < " inl, f TB 4ssn ;
Hears Causes of
EmjImj limfi nicAatA riiAfl * wdhe James Bell didn t change expression as he hears Laurens Coun- ion; Clinton Chief of Police B. B. Ballard, Magistrate Sam McCrary;
3191611 I onion 1a rnOflY- LUnCJ Uisease UieQ ^ sheriff R. Eugene Johnson read the charges against him in a murder Chief J. P. Strom of the Law Enforcement Division; Solicitor William T.
” * " * I Dr W W Pryor of Greenville warrant here Friday. Others in the photo (left to right) are Lt. S. F. Jones, and Asst. Chief W. B. Blakelv of Clinton.—Photo hv Dan YaiW-
A veritable army of woman-
power will “march” on Clinton
Thursday and Friday of this
week in the interest of the IMS
March of Dimes. Known as the
“Mothers'- March,” the effort
will be headed by Mrs. Marc
Weersing as chairman. .
With the added incentive of ex
panded research in the fields
of birth defects and arthritis,
the workers have been recruited
from all parts of the community
to call on their neighbors and
collect contributions for a nation
wide drive begun over 25 years
ago to combat polio. Through its
support thousands of people
stricken by polio before the pre
ventive was discovered are now
cared for in their varying de
grees of handicap.
Special interest for South
Carolinians is focused on the
Special Treatment Center for
4 Birth Defects located in Charles-
f ton, which was established in
IMS, and miantained by March
of Dimes funds. It is hoped that
through tpiis year’s campaign
similar facilities may be opened
in Columbia and in the Pee Dee
area for both birth defects and
arthritis.
nett, Mrs. Charles Oakley, Mrs.
Jimmy Martin, Mrs. Sheryl
Young, Mrs. Wallace Patterson,
Mrs. Weldon Jackaon, Mss.
FraUk Gurley, Mrs. Claude
Howe, Mrs. Robert Spencer,
Mrs. John Franklin, Mrs. Andy
B. Young, Mrs. Tommy Wind-,
sor, Miss Essie Davidson, Mrs.
Hack Cheek, Mrs. Audrey Mc-
Croskey, Mrs. Ralph Tedards,
Mrs. Irving Seigler, Mrs. Fran
cis Nichols.
Serving as chairman in the
different sections of town are.
Mrs. Irby Ferguson, Mrs. Gary
Holcomb, Mrs. Earl Rice, Mrs.
Avery Smith, Mrs. R. M. Fuller,
Mrs. Ed Campbell, Mrs. Fuller
Reese, Mrs. Harry Bolick, Mrs.
Lynn Cooper, Jr., Mrs. W. P. Ja
cobs, III, Mrs. Bailey Dixon,
Mrs. Jack Red, Mrs. Clyde We.
hunt, and Mrs. David Word.
Helping Mrs. Word and Miss
Nellie Osborne in their canvas
in the Lydia Mill community
on Friday night will be Mrs.
Fred Bodie, Mrs. E. W. Mitchell,
Mrs. J. T. Lanford, Mrs. Glenn
Gaskin, Miss Marie Weir, Mrs.
Audrey Moore, Mrs. E. C. Bur
dette, Mrs. Alice O’Shields, Mrs.
M. J^Sanders, Mrs. B. P. Lark,
Mrs. J. B. Patterson, Mrs. Verna
Dees, Mrs. Keith McGee, Mrs.
A. M. Shumate, Mrs. Ellis Huff-
stetler, Mrs. Claude Gilstrap,
Mrs. George Tucker, Miss Iris
Hughes, Mrs. W. L. Motte, Mrs.
Jimmie South, Mrs. Clyde Tram
mell, Mrs. Doris Estes, Mrs.
Ralph Riddle, Mrs. B. F. Har
vey, Mrs. Joan Reese, Mrs. Gay-
nor Phillips, and Miss Roberta
Prince.
Others will be collecting
whose names were not available
at press time.
Firestone Service
Awards Presented
1
Mrs. Lois Davis is heading the
negro division and working with
her will be Mrs. Lucille Goggins,
Mrs. Augustus Long, Mrs. Eliza
beth Young, Mrs. Helen Bobo,
Mrs. Mary Emma Ferguson,
Miss Estelle Burton, Mrs. Ella
Lee Adams, Mrs. Adam Smith,
Mrs. Jessie Frank Watts, Miss
Clara Williams, Mrs. Johnnie
M. Carter, Mrs. Clara E. Wil
liams and others.
Assisting Mrs. Wehunt in the
Clinton Mills area on Thursday,
a evening will be members of the
Clinton Mills Woman's Club:
Mrs. Edna Osborne, Mrs. Willie
Norris, Mrs. Sadie Power, Mrs.
Eva Land, Mrs. Betty Webb,
Mrs. Gertrude Fowler, Mrs. El
la Harvey, Miss Peggy Duna
way, Mrs. Ellen Freeman, Mrs.
Pauline Proffitt, Mrs. Janie
Freeman, Mrs. Margaret Blake
ly, Mrs. Lucille Taylor, and Bliss
Nell Haggart. Also working with
Bfrs. Wehunt will be a group of
Horizon Girts, including Misses
Ann Webb, Priscilla Williams,
Lois Peay, Daphne Peay, Ermae
McCall, Dianne Lydia, and Me
India Smith.
Neighborhood workers assist
ing other captains will indude:
Mrs. Frank Miller, Bfrs. Joe
Gbttys, Bfrs. R. E. Wysor, m,
Mrs. Carlisle Neely, Bfrs. R. M.
Turner, Bfrs. W. G. King, Bfrs.
Roy Casque, Bfrs. Marvin Gault,
Bfrs. Judson Davis, Bfrs. M«v
0 ris Seymour, Mrs. Frank Sher
rill, Bfrs. Charles Waldron, Mrs.
Prod Burnett, Jr., Bfrs. Ernest
Ouzts, Mrs. Troy Bentley, Bfrs.
George Corley, Mrs. E. L. Hol
land, Mrs. L. L. King, Mrs.
Charles Pitts, Bfrs. Thomas Pra
ther, Bfrs. W. O. Holland, Btipi
Nancy Katherine DuBois, Miss
Betty DuBois, Bfrs. Harold Cole,
mm, Bfrs. V. Parks Adair, Bfrs.
John Mason, Miss Nannie Young
Tfibble, and Bfrs. R. L. Plaxico.
Also Mrs. D. H. Martin, Bfrs.
George King, Mrs. Harold Colle,
Bfrs. Joint Danfluk, Mrs. Tal-
madge Simmons, Bfrs. J. F. Ja-
- cube, Jr., Mbs. John Young,
BOss Louise Cox, Bliss Nancy
Owens, Bfrs. M. E. Bethea, Bfrs.
Claude Cooler, Bfrs. Rufus Bad-
j ler, Mrs. J. Thornton Stewart,
f Bfrs. AMt Alexander, Mrs. Rob
ert Owens, BOss Margaret Bell,
Mrs. Claude Crocker, Bfrs. C.
W. Anderson, Mrs. C. W. Cooper,
Mrs. A1m Trammell, Mrs. H.
W. Clslind, Bfrs.
M. D. Milam, Jr., and J. Rob
ert Cox, both of Clinton, recent
ly received awards from the
Firestone Tire & Rubber Com
pany, Akron, Ohio, denoting long
service as representative of
Firestone.
spoke Tuesday night on the pres
ent day management of chronic
respirartory diseases at the an
nual dinner meeting of the Tu
berculosis and Health Associa
tion of Greenwood and Laurens
counties.
Dr. Pryor, an associate direc
tor of the cardio-pulmonary lab
oratory at Greenville Gengral
Hospital, used slides to illustrate
chronic lung disorder treatment
methods.
“Undoubtedly,” he said, “the
increase in longevity, smoking
and air pollution are among the
factors causing lung diseases.”
aTid said extensive studies are
being made to determine what
part they play.
Henry Faris, president of th£
association, presided at the
meeting at the Mary Musgrove
Hotel. Among special guests
recognized was Mrs. Claude
Hughes Jr., president of the Ab
beville association.
Faris commended the associa
tion staff composed of Mrs. M.
M. Teague, executive director
and Mrs. Henry W. Milam and
Mrs. Frank B. Roper. He also
praised the 543 volunteer work
ers who contributed to the suc
cess of this year’s Christmas
Seal campaign, which to date
has collected more than $19,000.
Carroll Sexton of Greenwood
field campaign chairman, .re
cognized his two Laurens County
co-chairmen, Mrs. George R.
Blalock of Clinton and Co^
warrant here Friday. Others in the photo (left to right) are Lt. S. F. Jones, and Asst. Chief W. B. Blakely of Clinton.—Photo by Dan Yarbor-
Wyndham and Lt. Harold Fortson of the S. C. Law Enforcement Divis- ough.
31-Year-Old Man Charged With
Murder of Mrs. Bridges in 1963
Whtiten Village
Volunteers To Meet
The Whitten Village Volunteers
will meet Tuesday morning,
February 2, at the Vocational
Rehabilitation Building at 10
o’clock.
Staff members will take the
group on a tour of the facilities
and coffee will be served by the
home economics department.
Boy Stands On
Track; Train Halts
Vickers, End Coach,
Leaves PC for Post
An unidentified boy about thfl-*
teen years old, dressed in a
brown sweater or coat, caused
Seaboard Air Line Railroad pas
senger train No. 6 to come to an
emergency stop at Lydia Tues
day evening.
Engineer George H. Seigler
and Fireman Tom Finley stated
Willie James Bell Stands Passively
As He Is Accused In City Hall Friday
At S. C. University
Milam, manager of H. D.
Payne & Co., received a 20-year
award, and Cox, of Cox Home
and Auto Supply, received a 15-
year award.
Charles G. Cboper of Laurens.
New directors named, to the
48-member board were . David
Meyers, David Boland, Mrs. J.
K. Waits, Mrs. W. C. Dobbins of
Joanna and Mrs. R. F. Alexan
der of Greenwood.
Jimmy Vickers, end coach at
Presbyterian College for the past
three years, has accepted a simi
lar position on the coaching staff
of the University of South Caro
lina.
He is scheduled to report for
duty there next Monday, in time
to help with preparations for the
Gamecocks’ spring practice.
An All-Southern Conference
end and alternate captain of the
University of Georgia’s 1960
Orange Bowl team, Vickers came
to PC in 1962 to serve under the
late Coach Clyde Ehrhardt. He
rendered outstanding service as
a football assistant and also as
head track coach during the
spring.
Vickers is a native of Moultrie,
Ga., and an 1960 graduate of
Georgia. He came to Presbyter
ian from a high school coaching
position in Jacksonville, Fla.
Willie James Bell, 31-year-old Greenville Negro, last Friday was charged with the
brutal saying of Mrs. Beaufort Campbell Bridges, 46, wife of Justin A. Bridges, Lau
rens attorney, in a Clinton office on Aug. 23, 1963.
This dramatic development in the long-delayed case that shocked all of Laurens
County came shortly before noon Friday at the Clinton city hall when Bell, surrounded
that the boy was standing on the hy city, county and .state officers, heard the charges read to him by Sheriff R. Eugene
rail Just east of the Lydia Mill Johnson of Laurens County.
spur switch as the train ap- Bell showed no reaction as he heard himself accused of a murder that occurred about
a block awajr 17 months ago.*^
The warrant, issued Friday Bell has been a prime suspect,
morning by Clinton Magistrate officers said, since shortly after
proached Clinton around 6:25 p.
m. Seigler said that the child was
facing the train, standing up
right, waving his anus at the
engine. The engineer blew the
whistle at him but the boy did
not move from the track, and the
train was thrown into an emer
gency stop by Mr. Seigler. The
child ran into a nearby house.
Local police authorities were no
tified of the incident.
Bowling Leaders
For Week
(High Game. High Series)
Cllnton-Lydia
Joe Spillers
Wayne Templeton
Buck Gilstrap
Gholdie Simmons ..
James McElhanon
Harold Sanders
Textile
242-606
206-579
221-579
210-569
188-545
196-541
George Thompson 192-539
Donald McGinnis
199-536
Clemson Club Slates
Meeting In Laurens
The fifth annual observance of
“Clemson Night Around the
World” will be held Tuesday,
Feb. 2.
Former students of Clemson
University who live in Laurens
County will meet at the Toastee
Grill in Laurens at 7 p. m.
A dutch supper will be served
and no formal program is plan
ned.
Clemson Clubs throughout the
world will meet that night to en
joy a tradition of fellowship that
is repeated annually on the first
Tuesday in February.
Industrial League
Willjam Bowling
James McEihannon
Buck Gilstrap
David Mann
Frank Danbeck
Wayne Templeton —
Pat Lowe
J. B. Vanderford
Sam Wilson —
245-618
237-608
206-572
224-563
190-556
212-555
197-547
212-551
210-541
Southern Rollers
Bill Smith
192-559
Harry Foster 191-534
Bobby Wooten 204-542
Pat Lowe
Claude Hartline
Otis Tripp -
B. Cox
201-530
211-590
190-526
184-535
Mounhrille Grange
In Monthly Meet
Dixon Averages Over Three Bales
W. P. Dixon (left) of the Hopewell Community
south of Clinton, is the champion cotton fanner in
Laurens County. Entering the five-acre contest in
1964, he had a yield of 1,544 pounds of lint per acre
-•—-just over three bales. County Agent M. L. Ouzts,
shown at right looking over the field, said it is prob
ably the highest cotton yield ever attained in the coun-
The Mountville Grange held Its
regular meeting last Thursday
evening with 31 members pres
ent.
A memorial service was con
ducted for a deceased member,
Mrs. W. H. (Beatrice Kay) Fin
ley. Those^taking part were Mrs.
L. R. Adams, a former lecturer;
J.’H. J^iealy, chaplain; Mrs. J.
M. Wham and Alex Simpson.
Music Was furnished by Mrs. Roy
Miller.
The flowers were supplied by
Mrs. B. P. Watts and included
pink gladiolus, pink and red
snapdragons.
Hosts for the month were Mr.
and Mrs. B. W. Crouch and Wal
ter Dunlap, who served refresh
ments during the social hour.
Aching Back
James McEihannon
Claude Hartline
Earl Sineath —
Bud Fuller
Delmar Lawson
Doyle Bailey —
Kerry Riser
Pat Garret ...
_ 222-648
211- 577
... 204-565
_ 203-554
223-551
212- 550
_ 182-538
... 196-535
Sam McCrary and signed by
Clinton Police Chief B. B. Bal
lard, alleged that Bell, an ex-GI
with military service in Ger
many, “did hit, beat, cut, stab,
mutilate, assault and kill” Mrs.
Bridges.
The warrant listed as witness
es in the case Chief J. P. Strom
of the State Law Enforcement
Division, Sheriff Johnson, Chief
Ballard, Assistant Clinton Police
Chief W. B. Blakely, SLED Lt.
Harold Fortson and Lt. S. F.
Wyndham, all of whom surround
ed Bell as the charges were read.
Bell, who is serving a term in
the state penitentiary on another
charge, had been brought to
Clinton on the previous Tuesday
and held in the local jail.
He was returned to the peni
tentiary in Columbia imfifediate-
ly after the Friday proceedings.
Mrs. Bridges was assisting her
husband in a Clinton branch law
office on the second floor of the
Utopia Building on Musgrove
Street. Bridges, whose main
office was in Laurens^ formerly
served two terms in the State
House of Representatives.
Bridges himself found his
wife’s body about 9:30 p. m.,
Friday, Aug. 23, 1963, in the
bloody office. He went in search
for her when she failed to re
turn to their Laurens home earl
ier that evening.
The investigation has been al
most continuously since the mur
der, but few clues have been
revealed. One of the strongest
clues and one that determined
the direction of the investigation
was developed from laboratory
analysis which showed that hair
found at the scene was of “Neg
roid origin.”
the intensive investigation be
gan. He was employed at the
time with a construction crew
working on an enlargement of
the Clinton Junior High School.
At the request of local officers,
he was arrested two weeks later
by Greenville city police. He has
since been questioned repeated
ly.
Bell was kept in custody, how
ever, on another charge.
latter occurring 11 yeart earlier,
when he shot a Greenville man
in the leg, and was fined $250
or sentenced to 90 days in jail,
in July 1952.
He later was sentenced to a
10-year term for the May 26,
1956, slaying of another Negro
in Greenville with a shotgun.
He was released in March, 1963,
after serving about six years and
four months of the JO-year term,
with time off for good behavior
in prison.
„ . , il Circuit Solicitor W. T. Jones
He was charged with pointing ^ Greenwood declined any com-
a firearm at Arthur Davis at
Suber’s Cafe in Clinton Aug. 24,
the day after Mrs. Bridges’ body
was found.
At a November, 1963, court
term in Laurens, he attempted
to plead guilty to the firearms-
pointing charge but told Circuit
Judge G. Cadger Baker he really
was not guilty. He then came
forth with an emotional outburst
that startled the court, yelling
and loudly proclaiming he did
not want to be returned to the
Clinton jail.
Judge Baker refused to accept
the plea and ordered a 30-day
sanity examination at the State
Hospital in Columbia. The hos
pital staff found him “not in
sane” and gave testimony at his
subsequent trial and conviction
that Bell had the capacity to
know right from wrong. The trial
was held in February, 1964, and
Bell drew the stiff sentence of
four years from Judge T. B.
merit on what new evidence
might have resulted in flling of
the charges. He said Bell’s case
would follow, the “normal
course” In coming up for trial.
The next term of court at
Laurens is scheduled to begin
Feb. 15. It appeared unlikely,
however, that the case could
then be docketed for trial be
cause Bell was thought certain
again to need court appointed
attorneys. The next court term
after February will be in June,
Grand Jury indictment, however,
will be sought in February, the
solicitor said.
In the 12 months since Mrs.
Bridges body was found savage
ly slain after an obvious struggle
in the office at Clinton, numbers
of suspects were questioned —
while officers centered their at
tention on Bell.
He was a suspect, Sheriff John
son said, “ever since shortly
after the murder.”
But Solicitor Jones said, “Any
Greiieker. Bell was represented reason for not charging Mm bere-
at this trial by court-appointed
attorneys, W. H. Harley and T.
David Sloan.
Bell was no stranger to court
appearances, for he was involved
in a murder and a shooting, the
Tournament Play
A& er the first week-end of the
tournament The Leaping Lilleys
and a team from Union are tied
for the lead with 3024 pins. James
McEihannon and Dick Sanders
are the Doubles Leaders, Bootsie
Fuller is leading the Singles, and
Brent Gossett is leading the All-
EveMs.
New Record Is Set In 1964
For College Giving Fund
A total df $77,518.18 contribut- ed receiving major emphasis in
ed in 1964 set another record for 1959, it has produced a total of
tofore will come out at the trial.”
Throughout investigation of
the slaying, attorney Bridges has
maintained a constant close as
sociation with developments in
the case. He was in the court
room when Bell was tried, con
victed and sentenced in the pis
tol-pointing case, and at the in
quest he was a silent witness.
He was present briefly Friday
when the formal charges were
preferred here.
The attorney lunched with his
wife in Clinton on the fatal Fri
day, then returned to his Laur-
the Presbyterian College Annual for PC. The last fivp of ens 0 ffi ce Mrs. Bridges did some
,. . _ _ these six years, this source has
Giving program, President Marc 5 rou gi,t in more income anntial-
C. Weersing stated yesterday.
ty. Dixon, energetic and progressive in his operations,
used treflon for control of gross.
fertilized heavily and _
The operation was almost wholly mechanized, with only
• brediig to eradkMa ■
some
Attending Institute
.Miss Carol Senn and PMUp
Harris, caseworkers with the
Laurens County Welfare Depart
ment, are attending a fire week
In-service training institute at
State Department of Public
elfare In WaRerboro.
&
ly for the College than the return
TMs figure represents an in- on the permanent endowment in-
Reoublicon Women .-j V crea9e 0{ more 111111116 vestment.
* a • £ over the 1963 high of $66,478.20. A breakdown of the $77^518.18
To-Meet Tonight Other records fell in various given in 1964 shows the Living
categories: Endowment division accounting
1—1,345 total donors compared $56,327.88, of wMch $7,888.50
to 1,173 in 1963. whs designated for the Walter
2 964 alumni contributing $48,- Johnson Club. Another $21,190.32
682.68.
3— 364 friends contributing $28,
835.50.
4— 30.5 percent alumni partici
pation among 3,225 solicited.
The Laurens County Republi
can Women’s Club win meet at
7:30 tonight, January 28, at the
home of Mrs. Mary Anderson on
Orerbrook Drive in Laurens.
Each member is urged to at
tend and bring with them their
by-laws. Members of the Clinton
area who can be present may
contact Mrs. Randall Smith for
to
shopping and was back in the
Clinton office at least' at 2:01
p. m. It was then she called her
husband in Laurens to say a
prospective client wanted to ass
him.
Bridges told officers he
Mrs. Bridges to have the
see him in Laurens,
one ever came in the
office. Bridges left to
other business. Later,
Bridges home, he
wife was not thaw.
was contributed directly to the
Johnson Club, making the total
for this division reach $29,078.82.
Annual Giving income at PC phone calls trying to
Is used mainly to help under- then drove to
Dr. Weening said that since write scholarship aid for worthy covered her dead
the Annual Giving program start- students and faculty salaries. here
L'