Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1952-08-06
Town Board Names Jernigan
To BENEFITS Council Post;
WRIGHT Blasts Watson Protest

With anxious citizenry jammine
the doorway, the Tabor City Town
Board held its regular monthly
meeting Tuesday night and named
Fred M. Jernigan to succeed Troy
c. Bennett as commissioner. Ben
nett had resigned from the board
as of July 10.
Jernigan's appointment came
after Commissioner J. M. McGou-
gan nominated him and Mayor w.
A. Williams voted with McGou-
gan. Commissioner Willard G.
Wright had made a previous mo-
ton that BENEFITS successor not
be named for 80 days.
Also of much local interest was
the action of the board in regard
to the resignation of Police Chief
L. r. Watson. Chief Watson at the
request of the old board of which
Bennett was member had hand
ed in his resignation effective Au-
gust IA. However, the board Tues
day night voted to table the resig-
nation until October when it will
come up for discussion again.
Commissioner Wright, in an
swer to a citizens meeting held at
the school house last month pro-
esting the firing of Watson, read
lengthy answer as to why Wat
son had been asked to resign. His
statement, which appears here,
Immediately proceeded the report
of the five man citizens committee
which was named at the school
house meeting to investigate the
reasons for Watson's firing. The
committee reported that it had
been unable to secure any infor-
nation from board members or
other persons as to why he was
fired.
Mayor Williams pointed out that
Jernigan was appointed to fill the
unexpired term Of Bennett be-
cause he was the fourth high man
in the past town election. The
oath Of office was administered to
him by Jack Watts, local justice
of the peace.
Commissioner Wright also pre-
sented a signed statement by U.
D. Clifton charging that Chief
Watson had told him, following
wreck Clifton had Williamson
Buffkin, that no hit and run
charge could be taken out against
Buffkin because he returned with
in "a hours after the accident.
Wright's statement follows:
MIR. Mayor, members of the city
council, ladies and gentlemen.
Due to forceful intolerant demands
for the facts I now stand ready to
submit the truth. What I have to
say will take several minutes,
during which I request the court
esq of every one present.
I have always endeavored in
town affairs to deal on a fair and
impartial basis with a sincere and
conscientious will to uphold prin-
ciple on all occasions.
AS a beginning, I'm going to
quote passages from public laws
of North Carolina, dealing with
towns and cities.
PL-160-9
Commissioners may appoint
town constable and such other Of
ficers and agents as may be ne
cessary to inforce their ordi-
nances and regulations, keep their
records and conduct their affairs,
may determine the amount Of
their salaries or compensation and
also the compensation of salary of
the mayor. May impose oaths Of
office upon them and require
bonds from them payable to the
state in proper penalties for the
faithful discharge of their duties.
PL-160-20
Policeman appointed:
: The Board of Commissioners
may appoint town watch or police
to be regulated by such rules as
the board may prescribe.
I This you see gives the city
council complete authority to hire
and fire when the need arises. As
for me I have never acted alone
on any decision without the pres
ence of all commissioners. In re-
ply to repeated rumors that the
town board has been divided dur
ing the past year, I only have to
refer to the minutes of all our
meetings. Every bill has been past
unanimous except one. This in
! itself should prove that the board
worked in harmony during each
meeting. What transpired after
each meeting is matter of record
which l will unravel as we pro-
coed.
Contrary to what has been stat.
ed, we acted in due course of law
Therefore it is absurd to say tha
the boards action is not legal II
the Watson case.
Continued on Page 10)