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Minuter of the Board of County Commissioners
<br />January 6, 1964
<br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, January 6, 1964, at
<br />10:00 o'clock A.M., in the Commissioners Room at the Courthouse in Hillsboro, N. C.
<br />Members present: Chairman Donald Stanford, Commissioners Harvey Bennett, Gordon Cleveland,
<br />Carl M. Smith, and Henry S. Walker.
<br />Members absent: None
<br />The minutes of the December 2, 1963, were read. One correction was made, and the minutes
<br />were subsequently approved.
<br />The following Department Officials presented reports for the month of December, 1963:
<br />E. M. Lynch, Clerk of Court
<br />Cash Boggs, Dog Warden
<br />Betty June Hayes, Register of Deeds
<br />James Wight, Welfare Director
<br />The following road petitions were submitted, and the Clerk was authorized to forward same
<br />to the State Highway Commission:
<br />1. County Road #1951
<br />2. Stateside and Dixie Drive and Dixie Lane
<br />(Loop road from Hwy. ,#86)
<br />Commissioner Smith made a report concerning the meeting he atiended in his capacity as
<br />Orange County's representative on the Research Triangle Commission. The hospital situation in the
<br />Durham, Wake, and Orange County areas was discussed at said meeting.
<br />Chairman Stanford read the following letter from J. R. Gaskin:
<br />January 2, 1964
<br />"On 24 December 1963, Mr. Frank Joseph Rinaldi of Chapel Hill was
<br />arrested and charged with the murder of his wife. The elected
<br />coroner and the investigating officers did not cause an autopsy to
<br />be performed on the body of Mrs. Rinaldi. The accused, however,
<br />did ask that an autopsy be performed at his own expense. The
<br />autopsy was conducted by Dr. N. J. Rodman, Jr., Assistant Professor,
<br />Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of North
<br />Carolina.
<br />At the preliminary hearing of Mr. Rinaldi on 31 December 1963, Dr.
<br />Rodman was called as a witness for the prosecution. His testimony,
<br />however, clearly and unequivocally fixed the time of death at a
<br />time when the accused was probably on a shopping trip with his
<br />acquaintance Mr, John Sipp. As you know, the presiding judge,
<br />William S. Stewart, found 'no probable causal and the defendant
<br />was freed.
<br />It was apparent that the results of the autopsy as presented in the
<br />testimony of Dr. Rodman were of the greatest relevance to the
<br />decision Judge Stewart made. It is also apparent, I believe, that
<br />if the proper authorities, especially the coroner, had ordered an
<br />autopsy--which then would have been performed at the expense of the
<br />county-Mr. Rinaldi would have been subjected to less strain than
<br />in fact he had to endure.
<br />Therefore, I urge you to give earnest consideration to a proposal
<br />that now Mr. Rinaldi should be reimbursed to the amount of the
<br />autopsy fee. Surely, I feel, he is morally entitled to this gesture
<br />by the Board of Commissioners.
<br />In closing, let me express the hope that with as little loss of time
<br />as possible the recently created position of county medical examiner
<br />will be filled."
<br />No action was taken on this matter.
<br />Commissioner Cleveland informed the Board of the activities of the committee of which he is
<br />chairman. Said committee is concerned with developing a project with the North Carolina Fund in
<br />Orange County and the adjoining counties. The members of that committee, in addition to Commissioner
<br />Cleveland, are: James Wight, Don Matheson and S. H. Hobbs.
<br />The Orange County Farm Agent and the Orange County Home Demonstration Agent delivered their
<br />annual reports, and made comments about same. Copies of the reports were filed with the Board.
<br />The Orange County Board of Education and the Orange County Board of Commissioners met jointly
<br />for the purpose of appointing a member to the Orange County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. After
<br />some discussion it was decided to hold this matter until February, since the term of Dr. Carroll does
<br />not expire until the latter part of that month.
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