The Wilmington morning star. [volume], November 02, 1947, SECTION A, Page 3-A, Image 3

About The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
Wilmington’s Underworld
lies Quiet Daring “Big Court”
BY BOB KLINE
Staff Writer
Wilmington’s underworld was
Ag low last week.
Also last week’ Judge Leo
A was handing down priison
ntpnces and heavy fines to
convicted violators of North
Carolina law.
The inactivity of the erimin
. and the activity of Superior
was not a coincidence.
COpor it is a well known fact
JLg both legal and criminal
Ales that while the “big
cir t» iS in session, infractions
f the law drop to a minimum.
1:, situation was reflected last
Ak in the city police depart
W „t the sheriff’s office and
Jfthe ABC police.
nn the city police depart
ment’s daily summary, where
A reported violations of the
, . are recorded along with
immobile accidents and other
hone the oresence of the
S S’ court' could be read
he twee nthe lines last week,
in contrast to the usual daily
rmarv, last week’s included
Sdv auto accidents minor
Aays. lost billfolds and a few
fefts The absence of major
£ie was noticeably absent
And except for the reported
A of S70 from the Dixie Pig
t the Carolina Beach road the
"etus week, Sheriff Porter
Lis was free of crime in his
Lntv, he said. That r.e chose
f oet. 23 to make a raid on
n of the local “fortune
“iiers” cannot be construed to
mean that the “mediums’’ were
Running rampant last week
only- .. .
Rather, tne ram — "V A,*
tified with the expose of the
“mediums” by the Wilmington
News on the same day that one
them was arrested for doing
“‘hness without a license.
The ABC police had a quiet
week too. The brewers of ille
gal booze were staying clear of
ie law. for awhile, at least.
The “little court” or Record
er’s court is the most accurate
barometer of crime. Ap
prehended law-breakers are
brought here immediately after
arrest for trial or for a pre
liminary hearing before they
are sent to Superior court.
County Solicitor Jimmy King
and Judge H. Winfield Smith
are the first to realize that
their business is slow when
they are rivaled by Superior
court. There are two reasons
for the definite corral ary be
tween the activities of the
“big" and “little” courts.
Reason No. 1 is the group ot
criminal lawyers. When Su
perior court is in session, their
time there is demanded first,
in favor of Recorder’s court., j
The Superior court cases are ]
usually more important than ;
those in Recorder’s court, and ;
the lawyers receive larger fees !
for their legal counsel there.
So when a lawytr has sever
al cases to argue in Recorder’s
court at the same time Su
perior court is in session, he
has the cases in the lower court
continued when possible, until
the upper court is adjourned.
Naturally this practice alone
tends to slow down Recorder's
court activity when a judge is
hearing Superior court cases.
But the more interesting anu
probably more important rea
son why Recorder’s court will
see but a relatively few cases
during the next two weeks, is
the criminals themselves.
While the “big” court is go
ing on, the potential law-break
ers lay low. The theory, which
is generally accepted in court
circles, is that the would-be
criminals are frightened by the
presence of the Superior court
judge (Leo Carr can take the
credit for this during the Octo
ber session) and fear that if
they pull off a hold-up or a
shooting they will be speedily
brought to justice while the
higher court is still in session.
The theory continues that
persons who may be contem
plating committing crimes read
of the prison sentenced re
ceived by apprehended crimin
als, and realize that they too
may receive the same punish
ment. This brings some insight
°n what goes on in a truly
criminal mind.
If a criminal abstains from
committing a crime while Su
perior court is dealing with
other criminals, because he
oors he too will be punished,
■hen that criminal must be ad
n^Jlng to himself when he
ugly eczema
NO JOKE
The itching torment of eczema
■'enough ;o make anyone wretch
• anc anxious for relief. If you
v e; h'om the itching of eczema,
ithor - ang.ry red bloches and
pp,;, ‘rrdating blemicshes, get
Ristt ?? s 0intment, 35c all drug
delight °ne apP‘ication does not
Pp'.:; 1 ,you. money refunded,
ful fni'0? p. O'Ptrcent also wonder
ioe. ' 1 cilinS feet, cracks between
tie sets
Remington
Jewelry shop
127 No. Front St.
robs, steals or murders that he
probably will be caught. If he
didn t think he would be ar
rested, it would make no dif
ference to him whether Record
r s court or Supreme court
were in session.
That the veteran criminals do
feel they will be brought to jus
tice for their transgressions is
proven not only by the fact that
they are “good” when a Su
perior court judge is sentencing
other criminals. The foolhearty
attitude, of the younger viola
tors proves it too.
• teen-agers invar
iably think they won’t be
caught when they violate the
kiw. Therefore the presence of
superior court means nothing
to them. Two 15-year-old and
two 16-year-old Wilmington
boys, who were arrested a
week ago, evidently had this
philosophy.
They continued their night
time misdemeanors and fel
onies, according to city detec
tives, until they were arrested,
just four days before the crim
inals term of Superior court
was to open.
They were too smart to be
caught, and so why should they
worry about the dumb ones
who were to get their justice
in court?
While Judge Carr is handing
down sentences during the next
week, it will be interesting to
observe if the downward trend
of crime that traditionally ac
companies the “big court” will
continue.
INQUEST MONDAY
IN CRASH DEATH
Wilmington Youth Died At
Hospital After Highway
Collision
A coroner’s inquest will be
held tomorrow night to investi
gate the death of a 20-year-A]d
Wilmington boy who was killed
in an auto-truck crash on the
Jacksonville highway, six miles
north of Wilmington, early
Saturday morning. Three
Greensboro men were being held
in jail pending the inquest.
Joseph A. Matthis, Jr., a
sophmore at Davidson college
was killed in the crash, and
three of his companions were
injured.
The injured were: Bobby
James, 519 S. Sixth street; Carl
Sexton, 606 S. Fourth street;
Harold Dixon, 302 Castle street.
All three youths, who were
admitted to the James Walker
Memorial hospital, received
serious injuries of the face and
head, hospital officials report
ed. -
Held in jail are Please Alexan
der, Negro, alleged driver of
the truck, William H Burkett,
Negro, and George R. Kidd.
The latter two were held as
material witnesses.
The accident was reported to
have taken place when the
youths’ car was in collision with
the parked roofing company
truck, according to investigating
officers.
Coroner Gordon Doran said
the inquest would be held in the
grand jury room at the court
house at 7:30 o’clock.
Funeral services for Matthis,
a Navy veteran, were to be held
today at 2:30 p. m. from the
Matthis home at 318 Church
street. The Rev. Dr. William
Crowe was to officiate and the
Rev. M. C. MacQueen was to
officiate Interment was to fol
low in the Clinton cemetery.
Active pallbearers were to be
Donald Edwards, Dick Nelson,
F. Louis Collie, Bobby Maynor,
John Crowley and James Croom
' Surviving him were his mother
and father, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph
A. Matthis, Sr.
Hundred And Ten
New State Highway
Patrol Men Sworn In
RALEIGH, Nov. 1.—OT—One
hundred and ten new state high
way patrolmen were sworn in to
day in the hall of the house by
Associated Justice M. V. Barn
hill of the State Supreme court.
The new men bring the patrol up
to its authorized strength of 423
officers and men.
Thirty-one of the new men
were assigned to Troop A, com
manded by Capt. Lester Jones,
with headquarters in Greenville;
27 to Troop B, commanded by
Capt. J. R. Smith, with headquar
ters in Fayetteville; 25 to Troop
C, commanded by Capt. D. T.
Lambert, with headquarters in
Greensboro; and 27 to Troop D,
commanded by Capt. W. B. Lentz,
in Asheville.
UN Security
Council Calls
For Indo Peace
NEW YORK, Nov. 1.—tfP)_The
security council today called upon
the governments of The Nether
lands and Indonesia to enter into
negotiations looking toward end
ing hostilities on Java and in ef
fect issued a third cease-fire or
der to the two countries.
The vote? was 7 to 1 with three
absentions. Russia opposed the
resolution but withheld its right
to veto and abstained along with
Syria and Colombia. Poland
voted no.
BARRIOS NAMED
CARACAS. Venezuela, Nov. 1.
_(/P)—Gonzalo Barrios, member
of the revrhit'onarv Junta and
governor of the federal district,
was named foreign minister to
day. I
I
!
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ALL FRESH NEW PELTS! LARGE SELECTION — NEWEST STYLES!J
mostly One Of a Siind* - (bvery Goat (guaranteed 2 (Jears!
ACTUAL VALUES UP TO $438.00!
This, beyond a doubt is one of the greatest fur sales ever staged in the
C* Jinas! Every smart fur is represented! Styles are up to the minute!
Naturally at such a rediculously low price selection is limited — but —
nevertheless a large assortment. It’s simply a matter of first here! First
served! Yes, a reasonable deposit holds your coat—and, you’re welcome
to use your charge account or open one when you buy!
(Just Cl Clew Of cJJie Choice Cfurs
Reg. $199 Northern Fox % Length Jacket.$100 i
Reg. $250 Northern Fox Jackets.$100 *
Reg. $438 Rrown Martan Dyed Raccoon.$100
Reg. $250 Natural Red Fox Jackets.$100
Reg. $199 Natural Red Fox Jackets.$100
Reg. $129 Rlack Dyed Kid Coats.. $100
Reg. $179 Grey Bombay Lamb Coals.$100
Reg. $299.50 Natural Muskrat Coat.$100
Reg. $196 Stencilled Lapin Shortie.*..$100
Reg. $219 Stencilled Lapin Coats.....'.'.. $100
i Reg. $199 Brown Beaverette Coat.$100
Reg. $179 Brown African Kid Coats..^$100
an One
i o(ow (Price!
BE HERE EARLY
DOORS OPEN
MONDAY MORNING
9A.M.
.WAHL’S OF WILMINGTON
OPEN A
PERSONALIZED
WAHL'S
CHARGE
ACCOUNT
214 NORTH FRONT ST. DIAL 9567 OR 2-1823