Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1954-07-14
State Board Whitewashes A.E.Powell.J IT


hours, the State Board of Elec-
tions took less than 10 minutes to
reach their decision that A. Elmo
Powell, Jr., chairman of the Board
of Elections in Columbus County,
was not connected with any irreg-
ularities during the May 20 Prim-
airy.
The decision of the board is
unanimous" said j. HAMPTON
Price, chairman of the State Board.
1--WE do not feel that MIR. Powell
has been connected sufficiently
with these charges to warrant his
dismissal"
More than $50 persons endured
the heat in the Columbus County
Courthouse to hear the testimony
OF witnesses for both sides in the
climax of a crusade against dirty
politics in Columbus County wag-
ed by w. Horace Carter, editor of
The Tribune.
Members of the State Board of
Elections were ]. Hampton Price
of Leaksville, chairman; J. E. Hill
of Denton; H. A. Mattox of Muir
ply; John Dawson of Kinston; and
j. E. Holshouser of Boone. Execu-
tive secretary Raymond c. Max
well of Raleigh was also present.
One of the most damaging wit
nesses against A. Elmo Powell.
Jr., was Mrs. Margaret Meyers Of
Whiteville who testified that Mr..
Powell had taken TIC re, ,str..iol
books from her home after regis
tration had closed and returned
them the morning of the May 20
Primary.
Mine names were written
into the registration book in
handwriting other than my own"
testified Mrs. Meyers.
She stated that Powell had talk
en- the books Ito count the number
of Negro people registered"
Mrs. Meyers was unable to state
whether the books had been taken
by Powell two days alter the leg
istration had closed or two days
after challenge day.
A discrepancy noted in the addi-
ton of names in handwriting 9TH
er than Mrs. Meyers was that she
had written in names below those
OF the people registered by some
one else.
mo one other than myself has
ever had the books during the
proper period of registration and
I've never permitted any other
person to write the names in the
book" said Mrs. Meyers.
Another incident OF significance
was the voting of Mrs. John Dwy-
or who was also registered at a
member of the Republican Party.
Mrs. Meyers refused to permit
Mrs. Dryer TO vote in the Demo-
cratic Primary but finally did So
after Elmo Powell. Jr.. overrulcd
and said she was eligible to vote -
1t was brought out that Mrs.
Dryer had never changed her
party affiliation and that it was
done without her knowledge or
consent.
Other witnesses who testified
that they had observed irregular
tiles by A. Elmo Powell, Jr. in
cluded Paul B. Avant of Chad
bourn, A. b. Ward of Bolton, Mil
dred II. Moore and Noel Dunivant
of Whiteville.
Robert Schulken. attorney for
w. Horace Carter, attempted to
prove through testimony of wit
nesses that A. Elmo Powell, Jr.
was clostly connected with the ir-
regularitieS.
Paul Avant stated that he had
seen Mr.. and Mrs Titus William
son enter the courthouse and vote
after 1rvan Cook, registrar, had
announced that the polls we're
closed.
Too. MIR. Avant told the State
Board that he had observed Elmo
Powell, Jr. talking with a man on
the courthouse steps the afternoon
of the first primary and that the
man had several ballots in his
hand.
Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Dunivant
testified that they had observed
MIR. and Mrs. Williamson voting
after the polls had been closed.
Another strong link in the chain
o: testimonies was that of A. b
Ward. registrar at Bolton who re-
signed his position prior to the
May 20 primary due to the manner
in which the election procedures
were being mishandle6.
Mr.. Ward testified that A. Elmo
Powell, Jr. advised him to register
10 Indians on May II 1.-TWO DAYS
after the books were closely in
order ito save trouble"
MIR. Powell told me that he
had called Raleigh and they said
II was all right for me to register
them stated Mr.. Ward.
This statement was neither den
led nor admitted by A. Elmo
Powell, Jr., when he took the
stand in his own behalf.
Prior to the noon recess. two
witnesses were presented on be-
half Of A. II. Powell TT nv hss