The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1962-02-23
ASSAULT ON POLICLI
DISCUSSED IN COURT
BEFORE JUDGE BAUM

A half-crowded courtroom heard
Mays Head Chief of Police Donnie
Thyme describe how James Lester
Trull assaulted him on Jan. "a,
while in "crazy drunk" condition
during the most active case in Re-
corders Court on Tuesday.
Trull, navy coastguardsman
pleaded guilty to charges of as
saulting an officer and damaging
personal property before Judge w
F. Baum; but denied third offense
of drunken driving through his at
torney, Wallace Gray, as Martin
Kellogg. Jr. presented Officer w.
J. Pridgen and F. o. Purser as
witnesses for the state during the
lengthy court testimony.
Purser, who lives across from the
First Colony Service station where
Trull was alleged to have ''broken-
in" on the night of the Path, des-
cribed how he was awakened at
about IL pm, by the noise of crash
| ing glass and crossed the highway
to find the coast guardsman making
la phone call. Purser said the 81
year old defendant lunged at him
with phone in hand and asked "lf
he had served in Korea and was he
an American" Purser said he left
the station and phoned Mayor
Oneto, who notified Officer Pridgen
and Chief Thyme of the incident.
Thyme stated on the stand as he
approached the Flamingo, soon af-
ter the incident, he spotted the de-
PENDANT and left his car to inves-
tigate. Tr'ull was said to have
swung at the chief and cursed him
Literally before being subdued by
handouts. Thyme stated that Off
Ger Pridgen was with him at the
time and both related on the stand
that the defendant was then Every
drunk"
Before being taken to jail, the
coast guards1nan indicated that the
1854 Ford, which was parked in
the sand approximately 100 yards
south of the Highway Patrol Sta
ton at Mays Head, was his. Officer
Pridgen and Chief Thyme repeated
the conversations with the defend
ant, at that time concerning how
the automobile had arrived at its
location there in the sand. It was
this testimony which was used to
convict the defendant of the third
charge of drunken driving as Judge
Baum suspended combined SEN
tence of 80 days on the roads upon
condition of the payment of $153.7O
to cover fines and costs of court.
mo evidence is of any value if l
can't accept the testimony of these
officers of the court" Baum stated,
in referring to the charge for
drunken driving which carried a
fine of 500. The defendant, who
had previously made restitution for
property damages, declined to take
the stand during the testimony.
Other contested cases handled by
the court included charge of fail
ure to report an accident as set
out in N. C. Gen. Stats. 20-166, Sec.
B. Daniel Austin of Hatteras who
was charged with the offense,
pleaded to the charge and received
SIS fine for the offense and a
charge of $8.70 for costs of court.
Another Manteo native, Charlie
johnson, colored, entered a plea Of
guilty for the assault upon Malinda
johnson, his wife. Johnson heard
Judgment of go days in Jail sus-
pended upon the payment of $40
in fines, S. payment to DR.. Riel
and $8.7O for costs of court.
C. s. Meekins, clerk of court,
listed those cases involving defen-
dants who Offered no contest and
who paid fines, as follows:
Thomas Ruford Baum, Wanchese;
speeding As in a 35 zone, $3.50.
Mayo Creole, Bath; having in
possession and offering or sale, oys-
tiers unculled according to law,
$3.50.
Henry Dozier Beasley, Wanchese;
appearing in q public place while
in drunken condition, $3.50.
Dickie Newman, Scranton, having
in possession and offering for sale
oysters unculled according to law,
1870.
Wilbur Eris Waterfield, ST., Hat
teras; assault upon Kenneth Water
field, $23.70.
Otis Williams, Swan Quarter;
having in his passion and offering
for sale oysters unculled according
to law.