Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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I Vol. 66 — No. 16 SMonkle Clinton, S. O, Thursday, April 22, 1965 I# fc# ff I Willie Bell Given Death Sentence For MufUer of Mrs. Bridges Here in August of 7963 Moose Lodge Names Officers Clinton Lodge No. 739, Loyal Order of Moose, at a recent meeting elected of ficers for the 1965-66 year. Shown abovs, they are (left to right), front row—Gene Bostic, governor; J. E. Braswell, secre tary; Willie Kinard, treasurer; Tommie Moore, prelate; back row—Fletcher Da vis, Thomas Rowe, Jack Wehunt, trus ties; Joseph Allman, past governor, Lon nie Tnisley, sergeant at arms.—Photo by Dan Yarborough. Religious Census Slated For Must Be Bonded M m jfc gfc — A measure requiring that Lau- jUIIUdY nllUl nOOII rens County magistrates be " bonded won final approval last More than 150 persons will the auditorium of the Broad we ek with third reading in the move over Clinton this Sunday Street Methodist Church. They state House of Representatives, in a comprehensive religious receive final instructions The jjjy introduced by Sen. census designed to identify the * ^ and ob *f n ® nv *' W. C. (Bill) Dobbins on March . . .. . , , . lopes with census cards to be 2 4 ) was reported out with a fa- denominations of local resl- fiUed out about ^ individuals vorable recommendation Tues- Bell leaves Court Room in Custody of Officers on Way Rack to Penitentiary $100,000 Deferred dents. contacted. day by the Laurens House Dele- Fourteen churches are coope- By 2:30 p. m. the organization gation. rating in the effort to pinpoint will be ready to move out in Tme measure requires magis- the church affiliations or prefer- two-man teams. Each team is trates to file $1,000 bond with * « l ''~' t"'"' " pnoes Of the townsDeoole It is ex P ected 10 have approximately the clerk of court for the faith- hltf UPSIGnBlCQ Lawrence Gross ^rr^ tolS 20 cards - Th « schedule calls for f U l performance and discharge V,,, and assumed his du the fu-st religious ce extending the work over a two- of duties.” The county would r ager of Harper’s 5 s held in Clinton since 1958. hour to ^ concluded by pay the bond premiums. rOF PreSbYterian in Clinton oarUcipatin^chVrc^es wiU 4 Sj > ' { „ _- v mav bp Magistrates, except those a deferred gift of $100,000 has He came to thi Mther iP atL30 d m Sunday in T?* fol ° W f ^f whose terms explre ^ year ’ designated for Presbyte- Piedmont, Ala., wl gather at 1.30 p. m„ Sunday in U5e d as a foUow-up period to would h a Ve 30 days from the ^an College by Alumnus Knox manager of the W include those persons who were e ff ect i V e date of the act to post Wyatt of Rome Ga., through Store, missed on Sunday. The project will be closed out completely Be Named May 8 Miss Clinton To ■ im waissiwsi iv ^ ^ reports on Sunday May 2. The Rev. John Rivers and The Miss Clinton Pageant will Rembert Truluck serve as co- be held Saturday night. May 8, chairmen of the 1965 religious in Belk Auditorium on the Pres- census. They urge all persons to byterian College campus, ac- cooperate as much as possible cording to officials of the local « nd to make themselves avail- Jaycee Chapter, sponsors of the a ble in their homes during the pageant 2:30-4:30 p. m. interval of the Bill Dobbins, Jr., and Rudy census ^ Sunday Hamrick, co-chairmen of the entries committee, state that several contestants have been entered and names of all con- j. if* w1 !Lh Presem service week. In addiiton to being Clin ton’s official entrant in the Miss Aw.-.J c An C p :J au South Carolina pageant, where AWdlUJ Ull rilUCiy she will compete for a $1,000 Men and women of Clinton scholarship, the winner of toe MiUg , 0^^ and Lydia plants, local pageant will receive a $50 wbo have within the past year scholarship and a handsome tro- completed five-year intervals of phy. The first two runners-up gerv i cei beginning with the tenth will also receive trophies. year, will be honored at the Larry Gar, announcer for ra- company’s tenth annua) ser- dio station WLGB, Laurens, will v | Ce awards presentation dinner Clinton Mills To imaginative use of his insurance Mr. and Mrs. Gross and chil- program, President Marc C. dren, Patrciia and Daphne, are Weersing announced today. making their home at 105 5th He said Wyatt called upon his Avenue, experience as an outstanding in- - * surance executive in tailoring his program to provide $100,000 for PC upon the settlement of his estate after death. Wyatt pointed out that his in surance poUcy—worked into his ChallM1Bin c coals were rec- total estate planning program— . ^ . ^°. 1 . . H * ommended in outlin ng the pro will enable him to make the * .. .. ♦_ gram of work for the coming mos effective provisions to help . .. ,,, , year at the Clinton Chamber of Commerce coffee-member- Commerce Group Hears Year's Goals Larry V. Fulmer Willie James Bell heard toe trial that the four members of sentence of death imposed on defense counsel did a good Job him Saturday — six days short under the circumstances, fight- of 20 months after he killed ing hard all the way. It was ap- Mrs. Beaufort Campbell Bridges parent that the other three de in a Clinton law office. fense lawyers let Perry bear toe Bell, slightly built, 31-year-old brunt of the trial and remarks of Greenville Negro, was found many court attendants during ^ guilty of murder by a Green- th® week agreed that he had wood County jury in a trial that mad® an excellent Impression, started Wednesday ^ afternoon, All four defense attorneys pre- after drawing of a jury began in sented final arguments to the the morning. jury. Nicholson cited what he The case went to the jury at ca ll®d ®®R s mental disability, 11:50 a. m. following a half-hour aside from the legal test of san- charge by Judge Clarence Sin- Ry» as a mitigating circum- gtetary of Charleston, who told stance warranting mercy, the jurors they could return one White told the jury that “you of four verdicts: not guilty, not are the only ones who can ex- guilty by reason of insanity, tend mercy.” He also argued on guilty, and guilty with recom- the purely circumstantial na- mendation of mercy. The judge ture of the state’s evidence declined on motion of defense against Bell, counsel to add another possible Perry entered to the jury a verdict — guilty of voluntary “plea for the life of this man.” manslaughter. He reminded that the case was The jurors deliberated until more than a year and a half in about 1:00 p. m., when they went preparation for trial and was to lunch in a body, accompanied based then entirely on circum- by court attendants. The group stantial evidence. He said there returned about 2:00 o’clock for were no fingerprints, no murder further deliberation and reap- weapons. He suggested that peared in the court room with “someone else could have com- the verdict at 2:33 p. m. mitted this horrible crime.” Clerk of Court T. R. Pinson Perry said to the jury, “Ours read the one word verdict, is not a vengeful society: I ask guilty, which under South Caro- you not to be vengeful in this Una law, requires a mandatory case ... He (the defendant) is death penalty. a human being . . . Don’t stamp Judge Singletary called the de- h* 8 out * • *,} 1)68 of you ’ fendant to the bench and asked show him mercy, him if he had anything to say. Babb also suggested that the Bell began a three or four defendant’s mental condition minute period of incoherent was an issue. “I can’t beUeve a mumbling, largely unintelligible sane man would do this ... it even to court officials nearby, nauseates me to stand here and The discourse included a series talk about it.” He told the jury of unrelated religious phrases, that people of “unsound mind delivered in a mumbling, ramb- frequently confess to crimes ling manner. they did not commit for various The judge listened patiently reasons. “Are you convinced of and then pronounced the sen- his (Bell’s) mentality?” Babb tence — death by electrocution asked the jury. between 5 a. m. and 5 p. m. Prosecuting attorney for the Aug. 6, 1965. state was Solicitor William T. Bell received the sentence with j 0 nes, of Greenwood, who skill- no show of emotion (except dur- f U iiy marshalled his witnesses ng the early part of the first day and presented testimony begin- emcee the pageant. Converse Students To Present Play Monday at College Friday night. The dinner is to be held in the Thornwell dining hall at 7:00 p. m. At this year’s affair 110 em ployees will receive awards rec ognizing 10, 15, and 20 years of continuous service with the com- CHARLES T. OAKLEY Oakley To Assume Magistrate Post Presbyterian College at some fu ture date while realizing an im- .. . mediate persenhl advantage in ^^"*J ue8day mornln S income tax deductions on annual at the Hotel Mary Musgrove. premiums. President Don G. Creighton Larry y. Fulmer has joined w h e n he appeared nervous and nine ‘with finding the body of Knox Wyatt, a 1931 PC gradu- welcomed the members and in- Dept. Store as office and trembling) than he had exhibited Mrs. Bridges by her husband in Ate also holds the designation of troduced Lawrence Gross, new credit man ag e r, it is announced during trial that lasted the better his Clinton law office, which she chartered life underwriter, serv- manager of Harpers o and 10c by D B smith, manager. part of four days-including two staffed, on the night of Aug. 23, es as southern division manager tore. Fulmer is a graduate of New- night sessions Thursday and Fri* 1963, horribly beaten and mutiL of the Franklin Life Insurant e Each of the committee chair- berr y High School and attended day. ated, and placing the defendant Company. Twice in the past men reported progress that had Newberry College. Immediately following t h e within a few feet of the Utopia three years he has been cited as been made in committees and ^ offic . er in the Laurens unit tria l, Bell was returned to the Building on Musgrove Street, the company s man °‘ *be gave suggested goals toward , tbe National Guard he is a state penitentiary in Columbia where the law office was located year” in recognition of record which to work. graduate of the Palmetto Mili- by law enforcement officials. on the second floor, on toe day These goals will be brought tary Academy, training school Trial evidence had included 0 f the crime. _ before he board of direcors f for National Guard officers. testimony about Bell’s odd talk Just j n a. Bridges, Laurens at- <■ a rently enrolled here. He and other family members provided Charles T. “Buddy” Oakley the Wyatt Chapel wing of PC’s will assume the post as Magis- n ® w auditorium, trate of Hunter Township at sales volumes achieved by his division. Wyatt recently completed . l|)e chamber (or their approval member of Col, three year term on the PC board . h n.ihn^ at that He 15 a memb ® r of Lou of trustees, and his son is cur- aad 11 ** made P ublic at ^ Lutheran Church, Newberry. Fulmer is married to the for mer Nancy Dowd of Newberry To Deliver Papers At Science Meet pany. J. B. Templeton, vice-presi dent, will be master of cere- Clinton Saturday, the 24th, hav- OrotONCCll Contest “The Royal Gambit,” a play monies. ing already received his corn- dealing with King Henry VIII Entertainment by “The Uku- mission afer appointment by the At Bell 5t. Monday and the women in lodies” will precede the awards Governor. The Junior class of Bell Street fore the annual meeting of the presented at Presbyterian col- presentations by President Rob- Oakley was nominated in the High schooj will present its an- South Carolina Academy of Sci- lege next Monday night by toe ert M Vance. “ * ’ " ’— member of Colony at tll TJ e ® and hl * defense att ° r ' torney and former legislator, neys had entered a plea of not was the {irst witn e Ss . He told guilty by reason of insanity. how the C i inton br anch office Bell had four attorneys, all bad open only about three court-appointed and serving monthSf sta ff e d by the 45-year- without pay, who told the court old wife on the S ceond floor of Bell would not cooperate. The t b ^utopia Building where only and they have a son, Larry, Jr. Two Presbyterian College pro fessors will deliver papers be- Kiwanis Club To Entertain Farmers Tonight The Kiwanis Club will have its attorneys were W. H. Nicholson Jr., of Greenwood, Thomas j crs was rarely there. Babb of Laurens, Cecil White of Clinton and Mathew Perry. Neg. ro attonfey ot Columbia. Brld he saW only Attorney Perry, who had the ^ morning ^ had ^ ^ a sign painter had other quar- On the fatal day — Aug. 23, 1963 — he had lunch in Clinton Democratic primary laat June, nual oratorical contest Monday ence this Saturday in Columbia. T 1 . daughter off for South America be provided and his term will extend for evenipg at „ o'clock |„ u.e school Dr. K Nolon Carter, chairman t0 "'l ht at » otri f'" 8 ; verd ' ct ;.to join her husband there. The Converse College dramatics Dinner music will group Jujown as the Palmetto by Mrg Eva B . Land at toe or- four years, to 1969. - auditorium. of the PC chemistry Players. gan. , In spite of the fact that Oakley Speakers are to be as follows: ment, is scheduled to It is scheduled for 8 p. m. in Belk Auditorium, and the public p . is invited to attend. There will Parents Invited lO depart- erove T hc session W ‘" be8in “* a "T ![ lal a " d c ‘ ted 17 S”>“"ds. da ^ ghter , Mrs . Ann Bridges present 7 “ cl f k . , , , a11 ot them based on objections ^ was at ^ 8ld( . K Each member is expected to during the trial, mostly to ad- was nominated in a primary, Mae Frances Carwile, Darolene his findings on “Polyethylene , la , .. . . . , . on . the actual appointment is made Clark, Sarah Copeland, Vivian Gas Cells for Infrared Speetro- ^ ‘ , ‘™ er as h,s gue8t T J out the trial. Bridges said he left Clinton be no admission charge. yj s ft Children Playwright Herman Gresslek- er presents a Henry who in the The Children epitome of Renaissance man and fla ? r th»n adroitly leads him to con- College - Community temporary liberal thought. The ®P* n ^?? day _ 4jT CH T, w j com McCrarv v play begins with toe dissolution from 2:30 to 5:00 o clock, and „ etnr zTr mMrr t M0m Katrina on Sautrday from 8:30 to noon. tor yea™. Of A ravon* and nroleeda through Th« library it a branch of the Oakley statei that his office h wi^Sne Beteva Uuren. County Library. The U- .1U be In a new building re- I stavmnre Ann. 0 f Cleves’ brarian, Mrs. James S. Gray, cently erected to the rear of Kathryn Howard and invites the parents to visit the Cener Service Station at the cor- Commanity Library, located on jvauujru aavrromaaa «aa« smaaw« ... Mo ITaat r , BTVs1in> A von l in . ... , National Library Week Be Observed Presbyterian College and suceeded ih amoeba-like animals and feels N,- ner 12^ 5T£ “ throughout, but toe women jwo- tional Library Week gress in their dress right up to modern times, showing their full knowledge of toe lasting effects of Henry’s thoughts through scenes in candlelight chambers and towers. This historical drama is be-' ing toured by the Palmetto Play ers under the direction of James W. Parker, chairman ot toe Con verse speech and drama depart ment. Belk's Observes Founder's Days Belk’s Store in Clinton is ob serving Founder’s Days, accord, ing to their advertisement in today's paper. The store, through D. B. Smith, manager, announces “nine big days <* values, offer ing exciting storewide savings tor ©vcFyniwi The local store joins with the hundreds of other units in the weB-kwown chain all over the Southeast in honoring their founder, the late William Henry Belk. who started in a small way in Monroe, N. C„ 17 years and South Woodrow Street. National Library Week Thurs day, April 29, with a tea in the mals, The PC scientist said: Earlier workers in this field J' ot 'J ada fro m saw sexual reproduction in these o'etoct All p.trou. aro lnvtted am convinced Miss Marian Burts is librarian. Kindergarten Pupils Being Enrolled Now Mrs. Vernon Trammel! am from my experiments that in sexuality is present.” In addition to the presentation of papers, both Dr. Carter and Dr. Stump will preside over sec- an- tional meetings of their special- nounces the enrollment - of toe ties during the conference. Calvary Baptist Church Kinder garten for the coming year. All children must be at least five years of age to enroll. If interested please call Mrs. Trammell at 833-1273. Limbs Crash Into House Two large limbs, broken by strong winds last Thurs day night, crashed onto the roof of this house at 106 Washington St, owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Quinn.* Damage to the home waa said to be consnerable, and household furnishings were also dam ag'd from the heavy rain which accompanied the atom. Mrs. Quinn, who waa in the house at the time, ‘ * home from • waa uninjured. Mr. Quinn was returning home neighborhood errand and saw the crash from across le street, by Paul Quinton. JerimKon' P | > n rt raising" “!'. rt ‘ ce Ta * lor and Mrs - “ ar ' a and Bcl1 did ” ot talw the "a boy" waa there who waited ht Tx n rr='o^ isolating several turin S coUon « oods wh0 attended aU 8e8sions 0, the vised his wife to have the cUent see him at the Laurens office, where he promised to wait. When no one had come by 2:30 p. m., he said, he got a haircut, picked up his car where it was being serviced, returned to the office and stayed until 5:40 p. m. During the interval, he said, he talked with two others in the office, then made a trip to Greenwood to see a nephew, Marvin Watson, on business. He said he ate hamburgers there at a . drive-in restaurant and was back in Laurens about 9 p. m. to find that his wife was not at home. Bridges testified he was dis turbed because he and his wife were planning to leave the fol lowing morning for a trip to Fontana, N. C. “I knew something was wrong,” he said. He called neighbors and others without success, then drove to Clinton where he immediately noticed lights still burning in the office there. “I rushed up the stairs,” ]Rfl| said. “The door was open .. I saw her lying on her backA . . She was in a bloody meagjg Her clothes were torn . a knew she was dead foe < could possibly live in dttkm.” He said he called flir 1 (Continued on George Corley Continues III George Corley, local police man, who was injured recently by a falling building, continues ill in Seif Memorial Hospital, Greenwood, where he is under going treatment. Johnson's Men's Shop To Change Location Johnson’s Men’s Shop will change locations early in May, The Oaklane Shop Opens on $. Broad The Oaklane Shop opened in its new location yesterday on South Broad Street, and has an nounced a grand opening for the balance of toe week. The shop is owned by Mrs. Charles H. Johnson, owner, stat- Fred Holcombe, who will be as- ed this week, skted by Mrs. Forrest Adair. The store will move into the The store will feature gifts, dec- building on East Main Street orations, antiques and flowers.' formerly occupied by Murray The interior of the building Garber’s, which, Johnson said, has been rebuilt and a new front will allow more space and bet- added. ter displays for merchandise. Car Hits Apartment This car went out of control Monday about 5:00 p. m. and crashed into a garage apartment on the lot of Marvin DeYoung at the comer of Davidson and Shands Streets. John Thomas Banks, driver, is said to have attempted to make a turn from Davidson Street into Shands, went across DeYoung’s yard and hit the apartment occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Dan Wood, son- in-law and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. DeYoung. Dam age to the apartment is said to amount to about $800,' including contents of the comer room where the car struck the house. The car is reported to be owned by Banks’ father, Rboert O’Dell Banks of Cross Hill.—* Photo by Paul Quinton.