The Danville Register from Danville, Virginia • Page 13

Woman Reports Call From Man Claiming To Be Dead Husband FLOYD Va A tin- j.j___ FLOYD, Va. (AP) A Win- enester woman has reported to the Floyd County sheriff that she received a phone call from a man claiming to be her former husband, officially listed as dead since November 1963. "He's either got a lively ghost or a twin brother. I don't think he's got either Mrs. Ora Lee Merica of Winchester said in a telephone interview in which she discussed the phone call from a man who she saic identified himself as her former husband, the late Elbert Fisher of Floyd County.

Mrs. Merica's present husband, George Merica 36, said he was at home when his wife received the call. A badly decomposed body was discovered in a Floyd County ereek in late November 1963 and identified, by a billfold, as Elbert D. Fisher who disappeared Sept. 11, 1963.

The body was ruled that of Fisher's by the Floyd County medical examiner who listed the official cause of death as accidental drowning on Sept. 11, 1963, the death certificate states that Fisher drowned by accidentally failing into a creek. The body was found by hunters and buried a few days later in a Floyd cemetery. Mrs. Merica, -who was separated from her husband at the time of his disappearance, said she received the phone call Sunday afternoon in her home near Winchester.

"It's she quoted the caller ss saying. "Don (her former husband) has been dead for three years," she replied into the telephone "Nn, I'm not dead," came the reply. "They thought it (the body) was me, but it wasn't the day the body was found I headed for California. Mrs. Merica said she notified the local police of the call and also notified the sheriff of Floyd County.

She said the man who called also threatened that he would get her two little boys. "I am taking the boys one way or the ottier," she quoted the caller who she said sounded like her former husband, as threatening. The two little boys referred to are filbert and Wilbert Ray, 2, both children by her former husband. Mrs. Merica said she was seven months pregnant when her former husband was buried.

Mrs. Merica said she and her former husband also had two other children a three-year-old daughter and a U-monthold J. MacNairney Dies In Hospital John G. MacNairney of 141 Martindale Ave. died yesterday morning at 9:40 in Memorial Hospital after an illness since September.

He had been hospitalized since last Wednesday. Mr. MiacNairney, 65, was a native and lifelong resident of Harrison, N.J., until moving to Danville last September. He was employed by Crucible Steel Mills in Harrison until his retirement Jan. 1 1964.

He was born Sept. 6, 1900; and was the son of Martin and Mary Gass MacNairney. He was a member erf Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Knights of Coliun- bus and the Royal Arcanian Club oi Harrison. His only survivor is his wife, Mrs. Frances Hodges Miac- Nairney, of the home.

The body is resting at Swicegood Funeral Home pending completion of funeral arrangements. James O. Anderson Final Rites Held Funeral services for James O. Anderson were held Tuesday afternoon from the Moffett Memorial Baptist Church. Dr.

Victor Multiply and the Rev. Cur- fas Hall officiated. Interment followed in Floral Hills Memory Gardens. Pallbearers were Percy Hubbard, Cueselle Barber, Bobby Bobmett, Milton Oakley, Danny Oakley, Robert Hudgins, and Ambrose Durham. son, who were burned to death in a house fire in Floyd Counts in 1962.

Mr. and Mrs. Merica, were married in 1964, have a one-year-old daughter. Merica, an employe of the Winchester and Western Rail road, said he was present when his wife received the telephon call and remained in the room during the conversation. "I figure somebody was try ing to scare her," he said.

don't know if it was her forme husband or someone else." Three Men Held For Grand Jury In Felony Cases Three defendants were bound over for grand jury action on felony charges during yesterday's Municipal Court session. One was Robert Lee Ferguson, 43-year-old Negro of Bradley who is charged with entering four homes earlier this month. He is accused of entering the iomes of: Mrs. W.V. Harper of 669 Franklin St.

May 4 and stealing Mrs. Josie Thompson of 227 Mt. Vernon Ave. May 5 and aking a watch and currency in iie total value of $150; Mrs. L.F.

Mitchell of 304 Virginia Ave. May 12 and stealing $11 from the pocketbook of an em- ploye; and Mrs. Alvin Carl Wilson of 815 Paxton Ave. May 13 and taking $48 in currency. Facing grand jury action in the alleged thefts of merchandise from the Belk-Leggett Co.

are Winston Henry Howerton, 25, of 1215 Forest and Sampson Booker Jones, 25, of Danville Rt. 4. Howerton is accused of taking $149.28 worth of articles and Jones with lifting $70.40 worth clothing. A fourth-offense drunk driving defendant, Harold Warren Hunt of Greensboro, N.C., was sentenced to 60 days, fined $200 md costs and his driving privileges ordered revoked for three yeans. He also was given 30 days and fined $100 on a charge of driving on a revoked permit, md for refusing to submit to a test his driving privileges were suspended an additional 90 days.

Hunt appealed Lester THI A New Dimension XEROX CORP. featuring the new Xerox Now Available For Your Inspection VISIT OUR XEROX DEMO VAN Wednesday, May 25th Call 793-3353 For Location and Appointment DANVILLE FOLKS ARE LUCKY to have a paint factory right here in Danville selling direct to you the consumer. Soring you the middle man's profit and freight on the finished product. Keeping pay rolls and profits at home helping support local churches and cultural institutions and pay local taxes. Saving you in more ways than one.

When you buy your paint from PURDUM PAINT INC. paint factory in Daitvilh TWO STORES: 204 Main St. 275 Piney Forest Road TOP VALUE STAMPS (Continued from Page 1-B) The plaintiff says that on Jan uary 24 of this year it Lester demanding he notify th public that the use of him the name "Lesco" is in way connected with Natioaa Homes, Lester Brothers or any other subsidiary, and demandinj he "forthwith cease all manu facture, distribution and sale of prefabricated housing units." National Homes says his re ply was to belittle the letter and to say his contract had termi nated and deny he had violated the restricted covenants. The motion says Lester since then has continued the "saic practices and violations." National charges that Lester as president, director and prin cipal officer of the subsidiary firm, knew the employes, their financial status and the exact amount of their wages; was familiar with nearly every builder connected with the busi ness and with all the firm's cus tomer-s. He also had access contends the motion, to the firm's books, its methods and the trade secrets of the paren firm.

He has used this knowledge it is alleged, to raid personne of Lester Brothers, including de partment heads and other key employes; and to cause Nationa "great loss and damages" a the direct result, of "unlawful and unauthorized business op erations." The morion asks for $300,000 actual damages and $200,000 punitive damages as well as a permanent injunction restrain ing and prohibiting the defendant from continuing to operate Lester Industries and from en gaging anywhere in the country in competition with National in the prefabricated homes field A jury trial has bee requested Adventist Group Are Recognized For Achievement Special honors were conferrec upon 18 Seventh-Day Adventist young people here last night in recognition of their achievements in various denominational youth projects. In the program held at the church on Ingram Elder Otis Graves, missionary volunteer youth secretary of the Potomac Conference of Seventi- Day Adventists, presented the awards to the young people who have met satisfactorily the requirements of the different classes. In his speech, Graves commended the young people for engaging in activities that will help them to become better citizens. The projects this year Bible study, first aid, the study of mission work and a study of safety facts. Following the Investitute program, there was an amateur hour filled with fun and music Manly Cassada, Cheryl Gas- sada, Scottie Marshall, Rocky Marshall, Austin Williamson and ilelvin Cassada walked away with first prize for their interpretation of "The Dying Other highlights of the eve ng were a puppet show by Vann Hall, gymnastic stunts by Pastor Douglas W.

Cross and his daughters, Brenda, Dorothy and Sally, and a reading entitled "Oscar" by B. P. Young. Court's Ruling May Affect N. C.

City ABC Stores WENTWORTH, N.C. (AP) Superior Court Judge J. William Copeland has taken under advisement a case which may eventually decide the constitutionality of city-operated Alcoholic Beverage Control stores. He says two or three weeks may be required to complete aw study of briefs and to review lawyers' arguments. The Rev.

John Williams, pastor of Reidsvilte's Wesleyan Methodist Church, and T. Gardner, an 82-year-old former Hockingbam sheriff, Sled the suit last December against the City of Reidsville and its ABC Board. The plaintiffs contend that municipal ABC elections are unconstitutional because they al- law local regulation of trade in violation of the state constitution. They also contend that nothing in state law permits a liquor store referendum below the county level. Somel awyers who argued the case Monday in Wentworth contended that if Reidsville's liquor store are illegal, the ruling well may effect the legality of ABC stores in 38 cities which voted liquor stores in otherwise dry counties.

Elected L. K. WYATT, JR. Wyatt Elected President Of State Retailers ARLINGTON Landon R. Wyatt Jr.

of Danville, Gen eral Manager of an auto deal ership and son of State Sen. Landon R. Wyatt, Tuesday was elected President of the Virgin ia Retail Merchants Associa tion. Harvey Williams of Charlottesville was elected first vice president, Charles Thai- limer of Richmond second vice president and William B. Tali- terro Jr.

of Richmond treasurer. The association passed a resolution calling on the General Assembly to allow banks, re- iailers and lawyers to offer free counsel to persons with debt problems. Another resolution urged that the state's debt regulations be revised to allow married persons not yet 21 years old to go into debt. Training (Continued from Page 1-B) real opportunity for us to work with Danville Tech and their equipment and instructors." The nightly classes will con- iist of three hours of practical work and one hour of related study or theory. Eighteen will be enrolled in ie class.

They will receive training in machine shop, blueprint reading, mathematics, electricity and welding. Beilly said training programs hat meet MDTA qualifications are great when you're talking about unskilled people or a pool of people without any specific skills but (general main- enance mechanic) is a highly skilled job and just everybody can't apply." Persons successfully completing the training will receive additional on-the-job training rom their employer until they become Journeyman mechanics. "This certainly should be good paying job, especially when they become full-fledged mechanics," Reilly said. There is an acute shortage in all industries of general main- enance mechanics. Trainees who successfully complete the course will be free to accept any job offer.

Florell said he was delighted he training program finally would be started. We've already lost so much valuable time," he said. "In act, that's our biggest prob- em. It really should have started two months ago." Warner praised Reilly and his Imsion and Van Got and DTI jffciials for their cooperation getting the program underway. Original plans called for the training program to be set up with a grant of approximately 50,000 under MDTA.

However he U.S. Labor Department ve- oed this because of the educational and pbsical requirements set for applicants and because the local Employment Commission office apparently id not make enough effort .0 ecruit minority applicants to suit the federal government. After word of the Labor Department disapproval was re- eived, plans were started for new program that would meet the federal regulations. Lonnie Bennett, manager of local VEC office, said yes- erday approximately 20 appii- ations have been received as result of advertising for new' pplicants. If federal funds are made! vailable now, it is possible second training porgarm will started to complement the ne beginning June 6.

Under MDTA, a subsistence llowance of about $30 per week would be paid trainees. This would mean that some heads of families, who other wise couldn't afford to quit their obs, couM take the training iiat will provide them with lew skills and a higher paying lob, Bennett noted. NAMED TO STAFF T. F. Tucker, clerk of Dan- vflle Corporation Court, has appointed by Gov.

MiHs E. Godwin as a member of his staff. Tucker, a in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, is under mobilization ssignment as deputy director ot Security and Law Enforcement (SLE) in USAF head- uartera in Washington. I J.

D. Bassett, Jr. Funeral Rites Set Tomorrow BASSETT Funeral services for J. D. Bassett, chairman of the board of Bassett Furniture Industries, will be conducted Thursday at 2 p.m.

from Pocahontas Baptist Church. Burial will be in Roselawn Abbey. Mr. Bassett died Tuesday in a Roanoke Hospital after an illness of several months. He was 65.

A son of one of the founders of the company, he joined Bassett Furniture Industries in 1924 as a bookkeeper. He was president of the company from 1957 until July 1960 when he became chairman of the board. He was chairman of the Henry County Public Service Authority and was the brother of W. M. Bassett, also board chairman before his death in 1960.

A native of Martinsville, he attended Washington and Lee University and National Business College in Roanoke. Bassett was the brother of the wife of former Gov. Thomas B. Stanley. Survivors include his wife, a son and three daughters.

Three Teen-Agers Injured Seriously In Accidents On Danville Streets Camp Stony Mill Season Starts On June 12th Camp Stony Mill, operated by the Danville YWCA, will open a new season on June 12. Four camping periods of two weeks each are offered for girls. The first period, June 12-25, is for ages 7-9; the second, June 26-July 9, is for ages 9-11; the third period July 1023 is for ages and the tinal period, July 24-30, is for the 14-15 age group. Mrs. W.

A. Hankins, chairman of the YWCA camp comma 11 said registrations should be returned as soon as brochures are received. Mrs. Sarah Furgurson will serve as director for the fifth year, assisted by Miss Bonnie Sarton, teenage director of the YW. Mrs.

Teenie Smith will be in charge of food service. College students will serve as counselors. A feature of the pre-camping season, a camp reunion, is planned for June 4. Camp brochures may be obtained the mail by caUim; the YWCA at 792-1522. The Register: Donville, May 25, 1966 Three teen agers sustained serious injuries last night in mishaps on city streets.

A 14-year-old youth was nearly scalped when his bicycle skidded on gravel and his head landed on a telephone pole euv wire. A 16-year-old girl remained in surgery at Memorial Hospital early this morning with a se- Langston Senior Is Oratorical Contest Winner SUFFOLK Miss Yvonne Hunt, a senior at John M. Langston High School in Danville, was named first-place winner Tuesday night in the annual oratorical contest sponsored by the Virginia State Elks Association. Another DanviUian, Andrew C. Muse, was re-elected secretary of the state organization.

An attorney, Muse is a mediator with the federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. Competing with students from throughout the state, Miss Hunt was awarded a $500 scholarship. She will represent Virginia in the national competition with chance to add to her scholarship winnings. The students spoke on the subject, "The Negro and the Constitution." vere throat cut sustained when the car in which she was riding smashed into an embankment near VPI Branch. Charles L.

JOHP-S, 17, o( 400 Rhodenizer driver the car, was listed in fairly good condition at the hospital with a severe mouth injury and possibly other injuries to the body. Sandra Gail Fowler, of Luna Lake appeared to be the most seriously injured of the three. Officer E.L. Carter said her throat was badly cut and she also may have sustained serious facial lacerations and possibly other injuries. Formal Opening Planned For Stamps Center A ribbon cutting will be held tomorrow morning at 9:30 to mark the formal opening of the new Green Stamps redemption center at 218 South Poplar St.

A number of city officials and civic leaders are expected to be on hand for the occasion, along with such officials as Zone Manager Cecil Medlin, Sales Representative Donald Alverson, District Operations Manager Harry White and Assistant District Operations Manager Andy Householder. Mrs. Elizabeth Rivers, a ten- year veteran with the Sperry and Hutchinson Company and manager of the old West Main St. store, has been named manager of the new redemption center. Det.

T. N. Morris To Graduate At FBI Academy Danville Detective Thomas Neil Morris will be graduated this morning from the FBI National Academy in Washington, D. C. The some 100 law enforcement officers and members of various agencies who will graduate from the academy's 77th session will be addressed by Vice President Hubert H.

Humphrey; Major General Carl C. Turner, provost marshal general of the U. S. Army; First Sgt. John D.

Robey of the Kentucky State Police and president of the graduating class. Diplomas will be awarded by Ernest C. Friesen, assistant U. Si attorney general. The graduates represent 39 states, 12 foreign countries, and representatives of the Department of Defense, Food and Drug Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.

S. Park Police, White House Police, U. S. Air Force, Army and Marine Corps. The foreign delegation is the largest ever to attend.

She and Jones were hurt i0 a non-collision accident at the intersection of Community College Drive and an as-yel-un- nanied street on the college campus. Officer Carter said the car driven by Jones went through the intersection, struck the curb and then was airborne 60 feet over a ravine before crashing into an embankment. The 1965 Ford, property of Irene L. Campbell of 400 Rho- denizer was demolished. Officer Carter said two eyewitnesses told him Jones passed them on Community College Drive, barely missed a traffic island at the intersection and crossed the intersection without ever hitting his brakes.

The officer noted that Jones had had his driver's permit only 13 days. The almost scalped youth was Charles A. Garden, of 500 Stephens St. He told Officer Carter he was riding his bicycle along Stephens St. when a dog began to chase him.

As he looked back at the dog, his bike skidded on gravel, struck the telephone pole guy wire. Young Garden was thrown from the bike and his head hit the guy wire with such impact that his scalp was badly ripped both to the rear and front. More than one hundred stitches were required when he was treated at the hospital. In a late afternoon accident, damage was estimated at $1,000 to a 1964 Pontiac driven by Dr. Guiseppe Passantino of 349 Hermitage Dr.

Officer J.W. Owen said Dr. Passantino told him the car went into a skid on rain-slick- ened Memorial Drive and struck a pole. He was unhurt. INNOCENT OF RAPE TAZEWELL A Tazewell County Circuit Court jury found a Pocahontas man innocent of rape in a second trial, court spokesmen said Tuewlay.

Claude J. Lewis was convicted of rape and sentenced to 30 years in 1961. But the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Baltimore upheld an appeal on grounds Lewis was "denied his constitutional rights" during a Tazewell hearing, thus sending the case back for retrial. Mrs. Ceylon B.

Dixon Funeral Riles Held The funeral for Mrs. Ceylon Baker Dixon was conducted yesterday afternoon from the chapel of Swicegood Funeral Home by the Rev. George H. Gravitt. Interment was in Highland Burial Park.

Pallbearers were Al Stecker, Thomas M. Collie, Leon Dixon, Jimmy Dixon, Howard Johnson, W. Henry Hardy, John Hyler, Peyton Latham Dixon, Richard Giles, Julian Austin, Hiram Walls and A. C. Oantrell.

Will your family have to dig for its inheritance? Tales of buried treasure persist, even today. But often shifting tides changed the location of such bounty and the maps that were left to identify the original site became useless. Similarly the tides of time often alter family circumstances. And the Will designed for the protection of your heirs may become, like the legendary treasure maps, obsolete. Your attorney should check your Will and handle necessary revisions.

One of our trust officers will be glad to help with the knowledge gained from carrying out the provisions of many wills and trusts. Simply call 792-7111 for an appointment to suit your convenience. TRUST DEPARTMENT I NATIONAL BANK OF DANVILLE A I I 0w rfc Mtmbtr Fedtrot Dtpoiit ST IN DANVIUl thtrtidt Drive.