After greeting a friend in a grocery store at Powell’s Point
Monday afternoon, Samuel M.S. Rollinson, a well-known resident of Elizabeth
City reeled and fell to the floor and died, a victim of heart failure.
Mr. Rollinson left here Monday on the Powell’s Point steamer
to take orders at that point for the wholesale grocery firm of E.L. Woodard
& Company of Norfolk. In company with A.S. Mann of Brock & Scott
Produce Co. and D.D. Dudley of Sharper & White Hardware Co. of this city,
he had complained of an annoying headache just before going aboard the boat.
While making the trip to Powell’s Point, he smoked two or three cigars and
talked at length of his younger days and the inconveniences he had undergone
while making trips on boats then, as compared with the accommodations now.
After arriving at Powell’s Point, he walked all the way up
the pier. He was unburdened as Mr. Dudley was carrying his baggage. The pier is
about a quarter of a mile long and Mr. Rollinson remarked that a weak heart had
often made it necessary for him to make two or three stops while walking asure
from the boat on former trips.
Upon reaching the end of the pier the party continued the
trip to the C.H. Brock store where Mr. Rollinson went to take orders. A few
casual remarks had been exchanged with D.A. Morgan, who was there at the time,
when Mr. Rollinson suddenly fell between Mr. Mann and Mr. Dudley, brushing them
as he struck the floor. Mr. Mann instantly stooped and raised the head of the
stricken man, unloosing his collar, while Mr. Dudley chafed his wrists. Cold
water was brought and Mr. Mann bathed the forehead of Mr. Rollinson, without
effect. He gave a gasp and lay still.
Mr. Rollinson was well known thru-out eastern North
Carolina. He was born 56 years ago at Cape Hatteras where he entered in
business as a young man. While at Hatteras he was an active Sunday School
worker and bore the name of being the organizer and superintendent of the best
Sunday School in the Methodist Conference at that time. He moved to Elizabeth
City 23 years ago, took a position as salesman for J.B. Flora & Company,
later going in business for himself. He conducted a wholesale grocery business
here for several years until he lost the greater part of his stock by fire. He
afterwards worked for W.H. Weatherly Company, and spent several years in Florida,
where he conducted a fruit farm. He came back to Elizabeth City five or six
years ago and has been a commercial traveler ever since. Because of his genial
manner and cosmopolitan disposition, he was one of the most successful salesmen
this city has known.
The deceased was a graduate of Trinity College, was formerly
a member of the Board of Aldermen of this city, was a Royal Arch Mason, a
member of the Junior Order and of the Red Men. He is survived by his wife who
was Miss Elizabeth Elizabeth Fulcher of Cape Hatteras. He is also survived by
one daughter, Mrs. Harry G. Kramer of this city; four sons, John Rollinson of
Savannah, Ga., Robert G. Rollinson of Norfolk, Harry G. Rollinson and Alonza
Rollinson of this city; one brother, W.H. Rollinson of Cape Hatteras; and one
sister, Mrs. M. W.Willis of Morehead City.
The funeral was conducted from the First Methodist Church
Wednesday afternoon by the pastor, Rev. J.M. Ormond. The church choir sang
“Grace, ‘tis a charming sound”, “Beautiful Isle of Somewhere” and “Face to
Face.” Eureka Lodge of Masons, of which Mr. Rollinson was a member, turned out
in a body and marched to Hollywood Cemetery where interment followed.
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