Florence Morning News from Florence, South Carolina • 2

APRIL 29, 1976 FLORENCE MORNING NEWS IP (Staff Photo by Ron Ingram) WEST FLORENCE SENIOR WINS DISTRICT COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIP Miss Ann Alderman, Center, Council Leaders, Ms. J. H. Streett, Mrs. B.

G. Matthews Scholarship Is Awarded A West Florence High School senior was honored Tuesday as the eight recipient of a four-year scholarship grant by the school District One joint council of Parents and Teachers Associations and the associations of parents and teachers. Miss Ann Alderman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James W.

Alderman of Wisteria Drive, was selected from five outstanding students representing the district's senior highs. Mrs. B.G. Matthews assisted by Mrs. J.H.

Street made the first year grant presentation. Scholarship recipients are selected by: a council-appointed committee headed by Dr. Richard Wallace, a Francis Marion College professor. After the scholarship winner was announced, Mrs. Matthews conducted the council's school of instruction for about 100 members representing the 21 district schools.

Mrs. Matthews urged support of schools by the community and stressed the need to establish good home-school relations. The i incoming president for the next school term, Mrs. Thomas Howard, said more parents are needed as volunteers in schools. Deaths and Funerals Mrs.

Leon Burgess WILIAMSTON Mrs. Leon Burgess died in Anderson early Wednesday morning. She was born in Anderson County, the daughter of the late John Bleckley McDaniel and Sally Smith McDaniel. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Williamston. Graveside services will be conducted at 11 a.m.

Thursday in the Old Silver-Brook Cemetery in Anderson, directed by Sullivan-King Mortuary. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Hugh Wofford of Williamston; a son James Leon Burgess of Florence; a sister Mrs. Mattie Kirk of Anderson; two brothers, James H. McDaniel and W.

Louis MeDaniel, both of Anderson and four grandchildren. Albert B. Barnhill DILLON Albert Ben Barnhill, 76, died Wednesday in a Florence hospital following a long illness. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday from the chapel of Blanton Cottingham Funeral Home.

Burial will follow in Green Lawn Cemetery. Mr. Barnhill was born in Horry County, a son of the late William and Annie Allen Barnhill. He was a retired construcworker and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church. Surviving are his wife, Mrs.

Georgia Ester Coates Barnhill of Dillon; two daughters, Mrs. Betty Lou Gardner of Dundalk, and Mrs. Emily Carolyn Alexander of Glen Burnie, 1 a brother, William Jerry Barnhill of Essex, a sister, Mrs. Ruth McDowell of Raeford, N.C.; five grandchildren. 'John Billy' Culberson Dies Wednesday Home.

Rosary will be said at Waters Funeral Home Thursday at 8 p.m. John W. -John Billy" Culberson 49 of Rt. 4, died Wednesday morning at his residence of an apparent heart attack. Funeral Mass will be conducted Friday at 11 a.m.

in St. Anthony's Catholic Church with burial in Mt. Hope Cemetery, directed by Waters Funeral Culberson was born in Florence, the son of J.W. Culberson Sr. and the late Nora Mae MeMillian Culberson.

He was owner of Railroad Contractor, College Apartments, Culberson Apartments and was a farmer. He was a veteran of World War Il having served in the Navy. He was a member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church and a member of the He made his home in Florence all of his life, and was a graduate of Florence High School, class of 1947. Surviving are his wife Mrs.

Marion Jean Davis Culberson of Florence; a daughter Mrs. Ronald L. "Phylis" Lawrence of Cumming, three sons, J.W. Culberson III, Lawrence V. Culberson, and Kenneth C.

Culberson, all of Florence; his father of Florence; a sister Mrs. Margaret E. Boykin of two brothers Russell W. Culberson and Eugene F. Culberson, both of Florence and three grandchildren.

Probable Cause Ruled in Slayings By WAYNE FORD Morning News Staff Writer The prosecution presented sufficient evidence to warrant probable cause in the murder charges against three men charged with the Prospect slayings, a Johnsonville magistrate ruled Wednesday in Florence during a preliminary hearing. Among the testimonies presented during the hearing were conflicting statements from one of the prime witnesses for the prosecution, Mrs. Sandra Gaskins. The statements conflicted in their description of the death of Johnny R. Sellers, 36.

Also, a request by the defense lawyers to order the prosecution to release the names of all their witnesses besides those testifying in the inquest and hearing was denied by Magistrate Ralph Altman, who presided over the hearing. Altman told the attorneys that it was not his position to order the solicitor to order the solicitor to involuntarily release this information. He suggested they might appeal to the Twelfth Judicial Cicuit judge. Those charged in connection with the deaths of three of the eight Prospect victims are Neely, Donald H. Gaskins and James K.

Judy. The inquest and hearing were involved only with establishing evidence in the deaths of Sellers and half-brothers, Dennis B. Bellamy and John H. Knight. The bodies of eight persons were uncovered in shallow graves in Prospect during December.

The case may be tried in the May term of Florence County General Sessions Court. Only a few persons attended the morning hearing which contrasted with the crowded courtroom of the previous night's inquest in which people had to stand against the courtroom walls. During the inquest and hearing all three defendants were present. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agent Tom Henderson testified on information concerning statements on the death of Sellers by Sandra Gaskins, a wife of Gaskins. On a Nov.

19, 1975 statement, Mrs. Gaskins said Sellers was shot down by Gaskins who used a rifle, according to Henderson. Also Henderson admitted, when questioned by the defense, that there were two more statements secured from Mrs. Gaskins. "Do they differ," Florence County Public Defender, Ernest Hinnant, lawyer for Gaskins, asked.

Henderson said neither the other two statements dealt with the death of Sellers. He added that one statement deals with Johnny Knight and the other with several other people. The defense pressed for more information on these two statements but Assistant Solicitor Dudley Saleeby halted further discussions on the matter because he said they deal with other deaths in Florence Today 8 a.m. Works by students of Cathy Lane, Smith College: Center, Francis Marion College Art Gallery. 9 a.m.

Weight watchers, Lutheran Church, Second Loop Road. 1 p.m. Florence Kiwanis Club, Florence Country Club. 3:30 p.m. Florence Council on Aging RSVP's Bicentennial Memories Chorus, First Presbyterian Church.

7:30 p.m. School District One Board of Trustees, 109 Pine St. Air Force ROTC Parents Association, West Florence High: School. Wilson High School Band in concert, Wilson High School; Auditorium. 8 p.m.

FMC spring concert, McNair Auditorium, Francis: Marion College. To have an event or meeting listed, call 669-1771 between and 8 p.m. POLICE ROUNDUP Little Progress Reported In Probe of Youth's Death Little progress has been made in the investigation of the death of a 17-year-old youth who reportedly was the victim of a hit and run driver early Saturday morning. The dead youth was found on Highway 52 about two miles north of Coward. He was identified as Derwin R.

Winesett, a son of Leo and Patsy Winesett of Second Loop Road. Florence County Coroner William Eaddy saidpreviously that an autopsy report showed the youth died of a skull fracture and was hit by a vehicle. Investigating officer, Cpl. R.A. Mobley of the S.C.

Highway Patrol, said Wednesday, his investigation is "up against a wall," but he is hoping to find someone that has heard or saw something that night. Mobley said he has traced the whereabouts of the youth on that day down until a short time before the incident occurred. Phillip Anderson, 20, of 1114 Lewis Florence was arrested and charged Wednesday with assault and battery with intent to ravish. Henry Williamson DARLINGTON Funeral services for Henry Williamson will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in St.

James United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Darlington City Cemetery, directed by Mitchell-Josey Funeral Home. Mr. Williamson died Monday at his home after a short illness. He was born in Darlington County, a son of the late Fred and Marie Williams Williamson.

He was a member of St. James United Methodist Church where he served as a steward in the senior choir. He was self employed in furniture refinishing. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Charlena Bacote Williamson of Darlington; two sons, Charles Henry Williamson of the United States Army, stationed in Germany, and James Williamson of Charlotte, N.C.; four daughters, Miss Patricia Williamson of New York, N.Y., Mrs.

Elizabeth Bland of Newark, N.J., Miss Margaret Williamson of Fort Oglethorpe, and Miss Julia Williamson of Chattanooga, five sisters, Miss Louise Williamson, Mrs. Winifred Bristow, Miss Janie Williamson, Mrs. Evelyn Dillard and Mrs. Margaret Gunter, all of New York, N.Y.; two brothers, Edward Williamson and Raymond Williamson, both of New York. N.Y.; and six grandchildren.

Mrs. Druie Keels SUMTER Mrs. Druie F. Keels, 78, died Tuesday night in the Hopewell Nursing Home in Sumter. Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at 4 p.m.

in Shelley Brunson Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery. Mrs. Keels was born in Sumter County, a daughter of the late Joshua and Druie Chandler Floyd. She was a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church of Lynchburg.

Surviving are her husband. Emroy R. Keels of Sumter: three daughters, Mrs. Buck (Violet) Wells of Sumter, Mrs. Mason (Vista) Peebles of Gable, and Mrs.

Robert (Vashti) Bearden of Augusta, a brother, B. R. McElveen of Lynchburg; 10 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society. William Sterling Bowie, ,67, retired engineer for the Seaboard Coastline Railroad and resident of 102 Hillcrest died Wednesday morning at his residence after a brief illness.

Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at 5 p.m. in St. John's Episcopal Church. Burial, directed by Stoudenmire Funeral Home, will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Mr. Bowie was born in Florence County, a son of the late Charles F. and Alma Heinsohn Bowie. He had lived in Florence all of his life and retired as an engineer with the Seaboard Coastline Railroad two years ago. He was a member of St.

John's Episcopal Church, the Men's Bible Class of the church, Hampton Masonic Lodge, the Retired Railroad Men's Club, and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Marie Dukes Bowie of Florence; a daughter, Mrs. Emmett (Linda) Tolson Jr. of Aiken; three sisters, Mrs.

Dan Clarke, Miss Alice Bowie, and Mrs. Raymond Groover, all of Florence; a brother, Ernest H. Bowie of Florence; a granddaughter. Anderson is charged, according to a warrant issued by Magistrate William McLeod, with forcing a girl into his Plymouth Duster at Florence-Darlington Technical College and taking her to his home. At his home he allegedly hit the girl with his hands and tore her clothing in an attempt to ravish her, according to the warrant.

He remains in the Florence Detention Center without bond. Donnie Ray Owens, 17, of Route 4, Timmonsville was charged with grand larceny for allegedly taking a boat from Forest Lake on or about April 8. He is also charged with selling the boat, worth more than $200 to a man for $30. He has beenreleased on $500 bond. A car was broken into at the Florence Mall Tuesday afternoon and Etta James of Florence reported to Florence Police that a CB antenna and 11 tapes were stolen.

A car parked at 415 West Marion was allegedly broken into Tuesday night and a $150 CB radio was reportedly stolen. PENDING PROBE Olanta Policeman Put on Suspension Olanta Olanta Police Officer Arthur Wilson has been suspended from the force until an investigation into the death of Police Chief Robert F. Sexton is complete, Olanta Mayor Kelton Floyd said Wednesday. Floyd said it hasn't been discussed if Wilson will be suspended with or without pay. Chief Sexton was shot and killed by Officer Wilson Monday night during a stakeout of a drugstore on Main Street, according to law enforcement officials.

Wilson, who was charged with murder, has been released on $5,000 bond. A spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said Wednesday night that an investigation is underway but so far there is nothing new to report. Florence County Sheriff William Barnes said Wednesday some of his men had been working on the case all day and have nothing yet to report. The sheriff's department has sent in men to patrol Olanta, since it's two-man police force is now unmanned. Mayor Floyd also said Wednesday that the account of events leading up to the shooting incident attributed to him in Wednes- the case.

A recess was held to discuss the matter among the lawyers and afterwards Saleeby told the court that now the defense lawyers are aware basically of what these statements contain. In one of the statements Mrs. Gaskins alleges that she witnessed the death of Knight in a home on Calbert Street 1 in North Charleston, according to Henderson. He added that Mrs. Gaskins said Neely cut Knight's throat with a knife while the man was asleep.

However, Henderson noted that to his knowledge Knight was not cut but was shot to death. Evidence in the other statement was not made public in the le courtroom, but defense attorneys were given a chance to know basically what it contained. In the other two statements that were discussed, Henderson said Mrs. Gaskins said in the first statement that Gaskins led Sellers into the woods with a knife and that when Gaskins returned from the woods Sellers was over his shoulder. They later buried Sellers.

According to Henderson's testimony, Judy was apparently not at this scene. In the second statement Mrs. Gaskins told of a time when she and Mrs. Jesse Judy went to a cornfield near a wooded area. They were in one car and in another car were Gaskins, Sellers, Judy and Neely, according to Henderson.

The only one of the eight bodies not positively identified is believed to be that of Mrs. Judy, wife of one of the defendants. At this scene Henderson said the statement read that "Sellers started to run." Gaskins had a rifle and James K. Judy shouted "shoot Gaskins fired the rifle twice and Sellers fell. They took Sellers into the woods and buried him, Henderson concluded as he recalled Mrs.

Gaskins' statement. Hinnant asked Henderson if she had given a reason for this alleged incident. "She didn't give any specific reason for the incident," Henderson replied. Henderson said Mrs. Gaskins was told of the possibility that she could be indicted as an accessory in this crime, but she waived a lawyer, Henderson said.

According to Saleeby, autopsy reports show that Sellers died from the gunshot wound of a high velocity weapon. Henderson said Gaskins was arrested on Nov. 20 in a taxicab in Sumter and in his possession was a pistol and a 30-30 rifle, which is classified as a high velocity weapon. Henderson also testified on a ballistic test conducted by SLED on the .32 caliber pistol. Test bullets fired from the gun resembled the bullets that were fired into the head of Dennis Bellamy, according to Henderson.

Mrs. Shirley Ann Evans, of Route 4, Lake City, when asked if she knew Gaskins, said, "That's my Daddy." She said that in October 1975 that Gaskins, Neely and two boys came to their home one night. Mrs. Evans and her husband live at Roper's Crossroads and althoagh Gaskins lived in North Charleston he also had a trailer near his daughter's trailer. She said she tended the trailer for him.

They arrived in two cars, she said. She said the four stayed only a short time during which some papers were signed. She said she only saw her father sign the papers. She added that she heard her "Daddy" call one of the boys "Dennis, or something like that." She said one of the boys was in his mid-teens while the other was in his twenties. She said she didn't remember meeting her father until 1969, and although she got to know Neely through her father she apparently never knew Judy.

She said that Gaskins' wife, Sandra. often came to the trailer and that sometimes "a girl staying with daddy" would come to the trailer. Before the four men left the trailer that night, Mrs. Evans said she "heard Daddy say, Walter are you ready to go?" She testified that later that year deputies came to her home and asked to go into Gaskins' trailer. From the trailer one deputy took a pair of shoes.

she said. Roy Lee Knight of North Charleston, a brother of John Knight, testified that he last saw his brother and half-brother alive on Oct. 10, 1975. He identified a pair of shoes as belonging to his brother, which were taken from Gaskin's trailer, according to testimony. "I would stake my life on it.

Those are the same shoes," Knight testified. Gaskin's wife, Sandra, who testified in the coroner's inquest, did not testify in the preliminary hearing although she was present. The only other witness to testify was Glenn Ard, a deputy sheriff from Williamsburg County, who said that on Dec. 4, 1975 Neely led him to the first gravesite in Prospect. When he discovered the graves he said, "I called my office and gave my location and asked for assistance." He said that prior to this he dug into what looked like a grave and when he located "flesh and clothes, I stopped." Ard said he had known Sellers because they were once neighbors.

Ard said Neely led him and other officers to a couple of sites in Williamsburg County before the Prospect "graveyard" was found. The indentified victims in the case include bellers, Avery Leroy Howard, 35. Diane Bellamy Neely, 25, ha John Knight, 15, and Bellamy, all of North Charleston, and Doreen Hope Dempsey Geddings, 22, and her two year old daughter Robin Michelle Dempsey, both from Sumter County. Mrs. Judy was tentatively identified as the other victim.

W. S. Bowie Officials Say Wildfire Could Help Small Game By GREGORY MARTIN Morning News Staff Writer CONWAY The Horry County fire that swept through 35,000 acres of woodland two weeks ago should have beneficial effects for small game over the next two or three years, District Game Biologist Mark Bara of the S.C. Wildlife and Marine Resources Dept, said Wednesday. The wildfire burned through 26,000 acres of International Paper Company lands, including 12,000 acres on the Buist Game Management area.

Ed Campbell, a staff forester for the paper company, said that International Paper is still assessing the damages and isn't expecting a report for another week or so. Bara says that the Buist Game Management area hasn't provided good small game habitat during recent years, due to factors relating to soils, vegetation, and land use practices. He said that direct adverse effects of the fire on small animals such as quail, doves, songbirds, rabbits, rodents, reptiles and amphibians should be outweighed by beneficial effects that will last two or three years. "Most species in these categories have high reproduction rates and should quickly repopulate suitable habitat," he said. Bara said that he and Regional Game Biologist Ted Lynn of the paper company found no evidence of animal mortality during a survey of burned portions of the game management area.

However, Al Kunz of the S.C. Commission of Forestry said Wednesday that small game suffered tremendously and that at least one group of deer was trapped and burned. Bara said that unconfirmed and fragmentary reports of animal losses mentioned several deer and one, possibly two black bears. Kunz said that the Forestry Commission and the U.S. Forestry Service are working together in flying over the area and taking infrared pictures to attempt to determine tree damage.

He said that the continued dry weather is endangering the trees that were partly burned but that survived the fire. Bara said that the deer herd was fortunate in that the fire took place well in advance of the peak fawning season. Bara points out that most species of animals evolved under conditions of periodic fire. "The Indians and later European settlers burned the woods, often on a yearly basis in order to improve conditions for game, to reduce ticks and to improve forage conditions for cattle and hogs. years of fire exclusion results in tough, course vegetation which is unpalatable to game and livestock and often out of its reach.

Fire converts the minerals and nutrients in this vegetation into ashe where it is more readily available for uptake by succulent new growth which follows burning," Bara said. number of studies have proven that many species of animals, including ones as diverse as cattle and cotton rats, make better weight gains than on unburned range," he added. Smith Says Appointment Brings No Objections day's story in the Morning News was incorrect. The mayor Wednesday described the event as follows: At 9:30 p.m. he went to his drug store for the purpose of helping a customer.

While he was there he discovered that his telephones and two-way radio were out of order and also his burglar alarm. He notified Chief Sexton and asked Sexton to stake out his store and about 11 p.m. Floyd locked Sexton in the store. At about 11:25 p.m. he called Sexton and said there was a chance he might come back to the store that night.

Five minutes later Sexton called Floyd and said he was leaving the store to check outside the store. At about 11:40 p.m. Sexton called Floyd on a two-way radio and said he was in Floyd's back yard. Floyd went to a backdoor and gave the store keys to Sexton. When the shooting incident occurred, Floyd said Wilson ran to the fire chief's home and from there an ambulance was summoned.

Floyd said he did not know when Wilson went to the drug store. By GREGORY MARTIN Morning News Staff Writer Florence County State Senator Tom Smith said Wednesday that he had not found anyone who had any objection to the appointment of William E. (Babe) McLeod as one of the two magistrates for Florence for the coming term. However, he said that he had not talked with Mrs. Carolyn H.

Smith, who is the other Florence incumbent magistrate. Mrs. Smith was elected as the magistrate from the Florence district in 1972 and McLeod was elected as the Mars Bluff magistrate. The two districts were combined by the state legislature in 1973 and both became Florence magistrates. Michael David Ford and Saul E.

Jones both announced that they were running for magistrate in the June 8 Democratic Primary and both said they wished to oppose Mrs. Smith rather than McLeod. However, the legislature had not provided any means of separating the two seats in the elections and Mrs. Smith made known her desire that all four candidates run for the two posts with the two highest vote getters receiving the appointments. The elections are only advisory though.

The governor appoints the magistrates on the recommendation of the state senator from the magistrate's home county. The state senator almost always recommends the candidate who wins the popular election. Smith said Wednesday that he considers McLeod to be running unopposed since the two new candidates both said they wished to run against Mrs. Smith. He thus recommended McLeod for the appointment before the election and Gov.

James Edwards appointed him. This clears the way for a three way race between Mrs. Smith, Ford and Jones. Mrs. Smith wrote to the state attorney general's office about the matter last month and received the opinion from Assistant Attorney General Hutson S.

Davis Jr. that "in the absence of any distinction between the two magisterial positions, the opinion of this office is that each candidate in the nominating election must run against every other candidate running in the election, including each of the incumbent magistrates who decide to run." Mrs. Smith cited the statement in a letter to Florence County Democratic Party Chairman Thomas E. Rogers Jr. However, Rogers said at the time that the statement was only an opinion and not law.

Neither Mrs. Smith nor Rogers had any comment Wednesday on the appointment of McLeod. Smith said Wednesday that he would prefer that the terms of the two magistrates be staggered in the to future prevent this problem from occurring but that he was afraid that this constituted special legislation. Smith also said that he felt that a third magistrate's post will have to be setup in Florence eventually..