June 17, 1966

Southampton County Town Council and City of Franklin Council elections were held last Tuesday.

In Franklin, Vice Mayor Floyd Briggs led the four-man field, followed closely by Mayor Darden Jones and newcomer George Hedgepeth. Newcomer Rev. S.F. Daley came in fourth. The four vied for the three open at-large Council seats. Accordingly, the top three vote getters, Briggs (1,131), Jones (1,033) and Hedgepeth (973) were elected. Rev. Daly was not elected. He received 458 votes.

In accordance with Franklin’s Charter, the three just elected will join with incumbents Robert Pretlow and Dr. John Murray, both not required to run this time due to the fact that their terms have not expired, in a Council re-organizational meeting in September. At that meeting, those five councilmen will elect from among themselves a mayor and a vice mayor. And, they will set agendas and plans of action pursuant to their promises to the taxpayers.

Earlier, Councilman Carl Steinhardt, after 20 years on Council, decided not to seek another term.

Over in Boykins, Mayor Elmo Rock was re-elected, unopposed, with 189 votes. Others victorious were J.W. Cutchins (207), R.A. Bunn (185), N.T. Smith (177), S.B. Drewry (152), and R.L. Boyette (136).

In Courtland, Mayor Bert Pulley, running unopposed, polled 117 votes. In the race for the six Council seats, the following were re-elected: John Rollison (112), Milton Futrell (111), H.W. Edwards (102), and Marion Joyner (79). E.N. Brooks and Edward Bond, both newcomers, were elected with 106 and 81 votes, respectively.

Up in Ivor, Mayor F. B. Ashby was re-elected along with all six incumbent councilmen, none of them opposed. The vote counts were Ashby (64), B.F. Felts (67), W. B. Smith (63), Sarah Kea (59), J.W. Camp (67), Robert Rawls (67), and W.H. Harrison (65).

In Capron, Ira Barham, with 49 votes was unopposed and was re-elected. The six incumbent councilmen were re-elected, unopposed: Vernie Francis (46), P.A. Pope (47), C.B. Settle (49), Elizabeth Lee Smith (45), Stuart Starke (49), and R.B. Vaughan (49).

In Newsoms, Mayor Beale Carter was re-elected, unopposed, with 124 votes. Town councilmen elected in a tight race were J.T. Story Jr. (102), Guy Pope Rountree (96), Frank Doss (85), J.C. Bunn Sr. (85), R.N. Darden Jr. (80), and Mrs. E.J. Coggsdale (78). Incumbents not re-elected were: D.T. Drake (72) and Linwood Pope (72).

Over in Branchville, which has a population of 158, turned out one councilman and elected two new ones in an election in which the highest individual vote total was 26.

Mayor Horace Edwards, serving his first full term, won a two-year stay in office with 22 votes. Edwards was challenged with six write-in votes for Clay Beasley.

Councilmen elected were: A.H. Overby (21), Herman Overby (20), Lewis Clark (25), Howard Beale (18), John Barden (23), and L.W. Grizzard (26).

Incumbent Councilman C. C. Overby and newcomer Alton Casper were both beaten with only 17 votes apiece.

Cosby is SHS Coach

Wayne M. Cosby, 26, has been named football coach at Southampton High School. He replaces Chris Caison who resigned recently to take a coaching job at his home in Clinton, North Carolina.

A graduate of East Carolina, Cosby is a native of Chesterfield County, Virginia. For the past three years, he has been assistant football coach at Huguenot High School at Bon Air, Virginia.

In addition to his football duties, Cosby will be the assistant track coach and will teach biology and sociology.

Johnny Ray Rawls honored

Johnny Ray Rawls, a renowned Southampton County baseball player, has been enshrined in professional baseball’s Hall of Fame.

A native of Capron, Rawls, now a pitcher for the Miami Marlins, recently participated in the longest game in the history of American professional baseball. The game was played on June 14 between the Marlins and St. Petersburg of the Florida State League. Miami finally won the marathon with a score four to three in the 29th inning after six hours and fifty-nine minutes of playing time.

Rawls went into the game in the seventh inning, with the score tied three to three, and pitched through the eleventh inning.

The players of both teams will be put in the Hall of Fame. Each player will receive a scroll with his name on it. One of the balls used in the game has been autographed by the players and has been placed in the Hall of Fame.

Rawls, a 1963 Southampton High School graduate and a star player for the Southampton Indians baseball team, signed a professional contract with the Baltimore Orioles organization last summer.

He attended East Carolina College and is the holder of three East Carolina baseball records.

Two years ago, he was selected as the second best college pitcher in the nation.

Rawls and the former Ann Lowe of Ivor were married back in December. She is with him in Miami. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. R.G. Rawls of Capron.

CLYDE PARKER is a retired human resources manager for the former Franklin Equipment Co. and a member of the Southampton County Historical Society. His email address is magnolia101@charter.net