FROM DAYS GONE BY May 2, 1919

May 2, 1919.

The hearing of the case against Vestus Mathis, who was charged with murder in that he killed with an automobile the little girl of Mr. & Mrs. Henry Thigpen, near Scott on the 15th of April, with the entire day occupied with the trial. Three or four witnesses testified and the rest of the day was taken up with arguments of the attorney's on opposing sides. Judge Faircloth appeared for the State and Col. Moye the defense. The decision of voluntary manslaughter was rendered and the defendant made the $650 bond for his appearance. He had been in jail since the child was killed.
All this week a determined posse of Johnson and Laurens County citizens have been scouring the woods in every nook and corner of the county for one negro named Jim Waters, who is charged with an outrage upon the person in a home just across the Johnson-Laurens line between Lovett and Scott. The negro is described as being coal black, slender built, weighs about 135 pounds, five and a half feet high, stutters and blocked speech.
He has been living on the planation where the crime was committed for the past 11 years and all this time appeared to be a harmless worker on the farm. In the absence of the husband Monday afternoon the brute crept up to the home and made a criminal assault. Every minute since that hour autos loaded with men of the community and officers of the law have been looking for him. The parents offers a reward of $50 for his capture and the citizens of Wrightsville have added $100 to that.
The 4th of July all over Georgia will be celebrated for the service of our soldiers who fought the World War in France and elsewhere. In Wrightsville there will be a big bbq, lemonade, a brass band, baseball game and swimming for all the white soldiers. It is expected that the colored people will hold a similar celebration for the colored soldiers.
Senator Morris T. Riner of Meeks suffered a bad injury to his leg when his saddle horse fell catching him under it. Mumps have been raging in this area and its a common sight to see a fellow going around with more jaw than he is accustomed too. Mr. H. N. Howell is now carrying ice for the city of Kite. Mr. Delos Hammock, son of Mr. & Mrs. Henry T. Hammock had a serious operation but is recovering.
The new walks, the trimmed privet hedge, the new window curtain and other court house improvements by the Ordinary is making everything look good. Captain Kemp has been out on Bedingfield road making a first class road out of it. The school boys went to Adrian to play the boys there. It was a heated game. It was 18 for Adrian and 17 for Wrightsville.
Solder Lotis McAfee has been discharged. Two Confederate veterans were left off the roll last week. They were J. T. Dickens and C. C. Snider. Ordinary J. C. Wiggins says he has the veterans pension checks in hand for distribution. It amounts to $6,830.
Mr. William Page died on the 23rd of April. He was 50 years old and was buried at Pleasant Grove. Mrs. Anson Pool also died on the 23rd at Donovan. She was buried at Beulah. Mr. Daniel Smith died Saturday morning at his home in Smith's District. He was buried at Red Hill cemetery.
There were 13 moonshine stills destroyed in Johnson County since the first of the year, according to the Sandersville paper. Johnson County says, "What a lie!" When that aero man flies over Wrightsville next Saturday there is one thing the people ask. Be sure to leave the lady on the courthouse steeple alone.