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Brown ReceivesYearsW11 . •For Assault On DeputyBy PHIL GURKINRobert Lewis Brown received a total of 25 years in prison this afternoon after an Iredell County jury found him guilty of three assault charges.He received 18 to 20 years for the shooting of Catawba County Deputy Sheriff Ted Elmore, which left the officer paralyzed from the waist down and partial paralysis of his right arm.INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT — We were in a meeting several weeks ago concerning industrial development with Jim Epting, regional manager with the Division of Commerce and Industry, North Carolina Department of Natural and Economic Resources, and he expressed some very positive outlooks for Iredell County.Of the 23 counties within the area under Epting’s supervision, he placed Iredell as the county with the most potential growth in the next 10 years. This outlook was included in an annual report submitted by Epting to his department in Raleigh.As 1-77 opens up, more and more each year, the location of Statesville as a central point for manufacturing and distribution becomes much more significant.%Statesville, Mooresville and Iredell have many good industrial sites available. There can be a great many more as water and sewage facilities are expanded by the municipalities. The key factor in industrial development is that without water and sewage you have no industrial site.Additional water and sewage facilities are being planned by Statesville’s city administration and we will be hearing much more about this in the near future as the city fathers prepare data on a bond election.The county commissioners in recent years have recognized the need for utilities to serve new industry locating outside the city limits of Mooresville and Statesville and have included funds within the annual budget but the amounts have been limited. We feel the present board of commissioners is sincere in its desire to attract new industry and to help present industry expand.Their efforts are to attract industry with a large tax base and a moderate requirement for labor as opposed to industrythat has a big need for labor but not much capital outlay. Thenew Libbey-Owens-Ford plant in Mooresville is a good example of high capital and moderate labor requirements. Within a three-year period Libbey-Owens-Ford will add over $5 million to the tax books of the county.The efforts to expand water and sewage facilities must be continued and supported by the people if we are to achieve the prediction made by the Commerce and Industry official.We’ve been walking at a fast pace in recent years, now let’s run for a while.WEATHER — Party cloudy tonight, and Friday and turning colder. Local temperatures for the past 24 hours were: High, 50; Low, 37. Precipitation measured .67 inches.SALES CONTINUE UP —North Carolina Department of Revenue’s monthly summary of sales and use tax collections for December, 1972, confirms reports from local merchants that business is good and better than ever.This report reflects actual sales during the month ofNovember, 1972, and shows Ire-»dell county with gross retail sales of $16,530,673, compared with $14,793,614 for November, 1971, a gain of almost $2 million.This gain was much greater in Iredell than it was for the most of. our neighboring counties. Rowan had only a slight gain from November, 1971 to November, 1972, going from $17,882,931 to $18,133,017, only $250,086. Alexander county went from $2,399,059 to $2,552,640, a gain of $153,581. Davie county reported just about the same gain as Alexander, going from $2,784,146 to $2,938,694. Wilkes increased a little more than $1 million, from $8,697,019 to $9,736,444, a significant percentage gain.Catawba county continues an amazing increase in retail sales each month. Catawba had an increase of $5.5 million, going from $27,677,595 to $33,259,903,(See 3, Page 2-A)The shooting occurred Nov. 11,1971.Judge J. William Copeland also gave the defendant four to five years for assault on Newton Policeman Paul Burgess, who attempted to stop Brown’s 1961 Chevrolet.In a move which surprised most in the court, Judge Copeland continued prayer for judgment on a second charge of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury but not death. This arose from critically wounding Elmore and his apparent permanent paralysis.Notice of appeal was given by Brown, a 20-year-old New York City native. He was declared indigent by the court and is entitled to a court-appointed attorney, but Brown said he did not want the court to appoint him one.An appearance bond of $50,000 was set by Judge Copeland and an appeal bond was set at $200.Ten men and two. women began deliberations triis morning after the last testimony and the judge’s charge was heard late Wednesday.A companion of the defendant, William Owens, 25, also of New York City, pleaded guilty Monday at the start of the trial to one count of felonious assault on an officer and will be sentenced later.Judge J. William Copeland of Murfreesboro told the jury, which includes one black man, late yesterday that they could find Brown either guilty or not guilty on the first bill of indictment charging the defendant with a “malicious” secret assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer with intent to kill.Lt. Ted Elmore was gunned down at 5 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1971 after stopping a 1961 Chevrolet for not dimming its headlights on US 64-70. He was shot three times with a .38 caliber pistol and is paralyzed from the waist down. Testifying from a portable hospital bed Tuesday, he identified Brown in the courtroom as the man who pulled the trigger of the Brazilian-made pistol.Judge Copeland said the jury had a choice in the first indictment and could find the defendant guilty of assault with a deadly weapon if not secret assault, The lesser offense carries a penalty of 10 years while(See 1, Page 2-A)I. i
Newspaper Details
Statesville Record and Landmark
Statesville, North Carolina, US
Thu, Feb 15, 1973
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Wilson C.
NC, USA 28 Oct 2020
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