The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1962-02-16
BAUM B ga IS DOWN.
ON BIRD BANDITS
FROM cOLINGTCN

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| Coiington Island youths appear be.
| fore the bench with bowed heads
lin Recorders Court on Tuesday
and heard them all plead guilty
| to the 'sneck-wringing" the1t Of
seven geese and seven mated ducks
valued at $120 which had been
taken from CASTOR Mann's pond al
Croatan Shores.
"Gonna have q goose stew were
your" the judge inquired after
various charges against the youth
| full defendants had been read. The
boys admitted participating in the
acts for which they were charged
which Included petty larceny, tres
pass and taking part in what theiI
warrants stated as ssthe cruel beat
ing and needless mutation of use
full fowl"
CASTOR Mann took the stand TO
TESTIFY that his property had been
marked Posted ~ Keep Out" by
posters which were affixed to a
pine tree and the fence over which
the boys climbed to grab the birds.
Chief of Police Tom Dowdy, OF
the Kin Devil Hills police depart
ment, who solved the Dec. z lar
ceny, has stated that three of the
boys entered the fenced-in refuge,
and that Billy Boyd Beasley waded
into the water to brighten the fowl
toward shore. CAS- they came to-
ward the shore, Eddie Midgette,
10, and Jessie Perry, 10, wrung
their necks," he said. Three of the
youths were reported to have re-
manned in the car during the lar
ceny. They were Donnie CAMEL,
II; Robert CAMEL, %; and Jessie
Miller, IA.
No explanation for the crime
was offered by the FIVE who re-
manned silent during the testimony
for the state and declined to take
the stand. One member of the
original gang was not present for
the trial-Billy Beasley-who is
serving in Alaska with the u. S.
Coast Guard. The five present &C.
cepted a sentence of IL months on
the road, which was suspended up
on the payment Of 5000 each, by
Judge Baum, without comment.
The arrest Of the defendants re-
suited from work by the Kill Devil
Hills police officers who used plas-
ter casts to obtain footprints of
the vandals and trace their iden-
tity. The fine imposed upon the
boys includes figure of $24 each
as restitution to Mann for his
fowl. They were also cautioned
that entry upon Mann's property
for the next 2 years by any menu
Der of the quintet would result in
the imposition of the original 70
months road sentence. Beasley,
who did not appear at the trial,
will stand charges for his part in
the offense when he returns to the
county, according to C. s. Meekins,
clerk of court.
Charles William Shoemaker of
Hatteras and Bradford Earl Mid
gett, of Buxton, both appeared in
court Tuesday to face charges con-
nected with the automobile collision
at Avon on Nov. which resulted
in the death of Miss Linda Scar
borough, 15-year-old Avon high
school student. Shoemaker had re-
ceived a continuance earlier be-
cause of his disqualification for
broken ribs and external injuries
received in the crash.
The accident occurred while Shoe
maker was heading south on the
Avon highway at high speed. He
is reported to have pulled out to
pass car when he struck the Mid
gett vehicle in which the young
girl was riding. Reports of at
tempts to revive the Avon girl by
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and
her subsequent flight by helicopter
to the Elizabeth City hospital came
out during the proceedings.
Shoemaker pleaded not guilty to
the two charges against him for
operating a motor vehicle in ex-
cess Of rs m.p.h. and failure to
decrease speed under the circum-
stances, but received an adverse
verdict and was sentenced with a
fine Of $110.50 for his part in the
collision.
Midget pleaded not guilty to
charges of operating a motor We
hicle without proper liability in
surance and operating a motor We
hicle in careless and reckless
manner. He received a mol pros in
the first offense, but was fined $23
for his participation in the second
offense charged. He has posted a
500 bond and indicated his in
tention to appeal the decision to
the May term Of Superior Court.
Other appearances during Tues
days court included the follow
ing:
Dan Saunders Thawley, Of Bal
timore, Md. pleaded guilty to oper-
ating a motor vehicle on the high