From Days Gone By Sept. 26,1925

 September 26,1925.

    Judge Camp called Johnson Superior Court to order. Several divorce cases went up the first day, some getting their first and others their second verdicts. Civil business kept the court busy until Wednesday when criminal cases were taken up.

    Business in Wrightville is better than in many years. Merchants and bankers are thriving. Trade goes on daily above the same period last year. They say it looks good on to Christmas.

    Cotton picking is still going on and is harvesting a pretty good crop this year and the price holds up. Cotton ginned up to September 1st shows 4,657 bales against 1,340 bales last year.

    The 1925-26 term of the Kite Consolidated School started off well with 300 pupils in the first week. They are now pushing 350.

    Just after supper Friday night a mule hitched to a wagon ran amuck up town on Marcus Street and caused a commotion among pedestrians and vehicles. The frightened animal was stopped when he and the wagon neared the courthouse front and as they latched on to the side of the auto of Mr. DeWitte Brinson, frightening his family and causing some damage to his car.

    Dr. E. N. Bradshaw goes to Scott and Adrian each Saturday to treat stock that are sick, lame, or have bad teeth. He has turned out to be a good veterinarian and has been here about 6 years. Mr. W. H. Mullis is now the local telegraph officer.

    The Grand Order of Honor & Benevolence, a secret fraternal order of the colored people held their annual convention here in the colored Methodist Church. Elder Reese invited the Mayor to deliver an address of welcome to all. The Mayor gave them a mighty good talk which was appreciated by all. Their sessions lasted two days 

    Mr. & Mrs. W. L. Thompson had a daughter, Grace Carroll on September 19th. Miss Nora Bell Schwalls married a Mr. Meeks. She is a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. C. M. Schwalls of Kite.

    Mrs. Tyler Young, a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Henry Hammock, died at her parents having been in an afflicted condition for several years. She was buried in Westview.

From Days Gone By Sept. 19,1925

 September 19,1925.

    The drought is finally broken in Johnson as rains fell the last few days. In some sections the wind and rain so strong it damaged crops, fences and timber. Cotton was blown from the bolls, fencing blown down, corn stalks broken off with ears on the ground. More than 250 Farmers suffered as the storm went across the middle-eastern part of the county from North to South.

    Pres. Molony of the W. & T. announced Mr. W. L. Burns from the Dublin shops is to be Master mechanic at Tennille. Receiver J. Arlie Lindsey states tax valuations are higher than last year by an increase of $18,840. The county tax amounts to $58,410.39 and for schools $13,275.09. The Wise Amusement Co. returns to the county Fair with a larger and better carnival on Nov. 3rd to 7th. The Bank of Adrian statement of condition was $127,351.70. Ernest Carey killed a four foot ten inch rattler with 12 rattles near his home.

    The Mayor and Council purchased a Ford truck and is outfitting it with the necessary equipment. It will have hose, ladders, wrenches, overcoats, caps, axes, etc. It will cost about $1000 to outfit.

    Early Tuesday night fire destroyed the home of court stenographer Alton Watson in Dublin. The family wasn't home but neighbors saved what they could. He was recently working on the Rawlings trial records for the lawyers and courts and these along with his typewriter were saved.

    Floyd Daniel, colored, was jailed Sunday night by Sheriff Claxton who found him at church near the "amen" seats listening to his preacher when he was nabbed. It seems that Floyd and a woman said to be his wife by the name of Lula and another colored man were going to church when arose a bad beating scrape which Lula was beat up over the face, neck, head and body, and a pocket knife used freely on her including in one eye. She was hurried to a doctor then taken to her parents on C. M. Dent's place. The beating took place on the J. T. Fulford plantation.

    Old Jim Kemp, brother of Dock Kemp, who was shot by Clem Kemp a few weeks back, is headed to the asylum after he was found ill at mind. Lunacy papers were sworn out against Him and the judge sent him away.

    Miss Jewell Renfroe of here and W. Robert Cullen's of Adrian were married at Beulah. She is a daughter of Mrs. J. F. Renfroe. Cullen's is a son of Mr. & Mrs. Nathaniel Cullen's near the Lauren's County line.

    Miss Annie Lou Walden, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Charlie G. Walden of Donovan, died after a long illness and was buried at Beulah.

    The body of D. M. Bray was buried at Westview. He died suddenly in Macon while at the Central Railroad shops. He was 35 and leaves a wife, daughter and son along with 4 brothers and 2 sisters. He was a Methodist.

From Days Gone By Sept. 12,1925

 September 12,1925.

    State Highway surveyors started surveying the Bee-Line from the city to the Oconee and will likely take a month to complete. Johnson, Washington and Wilkinson put up the required funds for this survey. It will move over the Oconee to Irwinton and connect with the already established highway to Macon.

    The Union Gin caught fire and spread rapidly to the seed house. The cotton warehouse was saved by the thick brick wall that halted the flames enough for the firemen to put it out. Mr. Edd Jordan, manager and owner of the property said the wall saved the warehouse. Ten carloads of seed were lost in the fire.

    While the Gin fire raged another tragedy occurred when the W. & T.  passenger train No. 3 left Wrightsville on time enroute to Dublin and  was running about 30 mph. In order to make the grade ahead fireman Asa T. Lindsey was in the tender fixing the fire. The engineer, Arthur T. Cochran, 23 year veteran with the W. & T. said when he looked around the curve saw the Idylwild trestle on fire knew a wreck was enevitable. He applied the brakes and the engine rode the rails over the burning section, swooped down and up, bent to the right and fell on its left side down and away from a 10 foot embankment out into the swamp. Two cars of seed, one car of merchandise, the tender, 2 coal cars and the engine left the tracks and the fire rapidly spread to the coal.

    As hundreds came from the city Conductor John Brooks freed the remaining cars and were pushed back down the track out of harm's way.

W. & T. President, Chas. Molony was aboard the fatal train and he and the passengers were unhurt. However in a frantic search for Lindsey he was found buried under a carload of seed and was only discovered by one leg sticking out. This began frantic work to get his body out before it could be burned up. As other's fought the fire Lindsey's badly mangled body was dug out of the wreckage. 

    It seems the woods were on fire which caused the trestle to catch fire. The Sandersville railroad sent an engine to pull the passenger cars to a side track and a wrecker came from Macon to clear the wreckage so the tracks could be repaired. Mr. Lindsey was carried to Sandersville under his wife's direction. They had two daughters 14 and 6. He was buried at Mt. Moriah church. This was the worst train wreck in the railroads history up to that time.

    Miss Margaret Kent riding with Bernard Roberts of Ennis in a Hudson Coach met an auto about 3 miles up Tennille Rd and swerved to miss the auto ran into a ditch at 50 mph and turned belly up. Mrs. Kent broke her collar bone and Roberts brusied. Mr. Ben Roy Spell while coming from Kite crossing Cedar bridge hit a hole and his Ford Touring car ran off in the swamp. He was only bruised.

    Sweethearts for years, the happy marriage of Miss Susie Mae Outlaw and Mr. Bob Lord culminated in South Carolina. She is a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Frank Outlaw. He is a son of Mr. F. C. Lord.

From Days Gone By Sept 5,1925

 September 5,1925.

     Mr. Eugene Miller, Marvin Snell and Maxie Smith went fishing and in the days Roundup of more fish than they could eat they killed 39 water Rattlers and one moccasin while in the Cedar swamp.

    The Wrightville High School opened with 283 pupils with enrollment expecting to run about 350. Mr. W. H. Lovett fired up the planing mill having put back most of the building and repaired the machinery.

    Mr. & Mrs. Ivey R. Tanner of South Marcus St. had a daughter on August 25th. A petition for divorce was filed between Arlie Outlaw vs Emma Outlaw.

    Mr. Morris Riner states he lost more than a thousand dollars worth of timber on his turpentine farms the last two weeks from forest fires. All the turpentine Farmers of the county have suffered similar fates.

    Ordinary Jenkins reports actual work has started on the Bee-Line highway to Macon. Captain Wright and his force of road builders started this week. The Macon Boosters are coming to Wrightville to support the pushing of this road to completion.

    Jim Kemp, colored, who said he was 125 years old when asked, has a load of squirrel shot in his breast and face from a gunshot wound inflicted at the hands of Jim's nephew, Clem Kemp, a son of Dock Kemp. It all happened near Spann Monday afternoon in the Cotton patch when Jim slipped down and across the rows of cotton with a hoe until he made fight at his relatives and was finally shot in the front. Tuesday morning he carried a swollen face when brought to town by Dock to have his wounds dressed.

    Jim's mind is evidentally demented according to the story. Dock says it's not the first time his brother has given them trouble. Clem shot first in the ground to try to deter Jim but he kept coming so Clem put the next load in him. Jim will get over it barring blood poisoning and may lose an eye.

    Mr. J. E. Webb, a wealthy businessman from Adrian died after a short illness. He is survived by his wife, one son, Marvin Webb and 4 daughters, Mrs. A. J. Peddy, Mrs. Carrie Jones, Mrs. Laura Brantley and Mrs. W. C. Smith. He was buried at Poplar Springs.

    Mrs. J. D. Vickers, 87, died at her son's, Dr. T. E. Vickers following a stroke. Burial was at Bethany. She is survived by her son and three daughters, Mrs. Dock Elton, Mrs. J. T. Keen and Mrs. Nannie Whitaker.

    Mrs. B. L. Hadden died and her funeral was held at Gethsemane Church.

From Days Gone By August 29,1925

 August 29,1925.

    Charles G. Rawlings was found guilty and was recommended to the mercy of the court by the jury that sat on his case. Judge Camp imposed a life sentence on the aged Rawlings and sent him back to jail, awaiting further developments as the defense filed a motion for a new trial and the Judge set Oct. 17th to hear this motion.

    When the State rested the Defense asked for some time to confer, the request was granted. Upon returning Rawlings took the stand to make his statement to the Jury. He gave his version of events, at one time breaking down and weeping. The defense announced they would rest with that. This gave a surprise. Introducing no evidence gave the defense the opening and the closing speeches and Col. Evans opened followed by Solicitor Kea. Friday Col. E. L. Stephens spoke for the State and the closing was by Ex-Governor T. W. Hardwick for Rawlings. Each side had 3 hours to use and all this time was occupied. The jury went out at 2pm Friday and at 7pm came back with the verdict of guilty.

    Owing to the very dry season there has been considerable damage by fires, destroying forests and turpentine timber loss is heavy. The home of ex-sheriff Lewis Davis caught fire in the kitchen roof. The family was in the home when the neighbor, Mrs. Attaway discovered the blaze and the fire was extinguished. Later the home of Mr. & Mrs. Edgar Parker caught fire but it was quickly put out.

     Fires destroyed 5 buildings in Tennille belonging to J. V. Boatright, including the brick stable he just converted into a gasoline station. Ten autos we're burned in the George Daniel building.

    Mr. Brice Anderson informs that the one horse farm on his plantation produced 9 bales of cotton. The tenant being Otis Lee Kight. This is above average for the county.

    Contractor T. L. Chester has been working in Arcadia, Fla. won a prize for naming a sub-division in that city. The name is "Villa Rica Parque".

    Sheriff Claxton made another big raid Saturday morning down on Smith's branch on the east side of the county, returning to a scene of usual descriptions of this sort that had been located and "looked over" Friday night when one colored native of the area was rounded up as the producer of "joy" which no doubt had parched many a dry throat. They broke up a very cute playhouse away back in the branch, poured out a lot of the costly fluid and drove to town with the big still. The sheriff says he aims to keep it up in capturing these outfits producing the whiskey in Johnson.

    Mrs. W. S. Burns died after being bedridden for 19 months. She was 79 and married for 59 years. She was buried in Westview. Her husband and 7 children survive her.

From Days Gone By Aug. 22,1925

 August 22,1925.

    The fire bug put in another days work Sunday morning about church time. The alarm sounded the W. H. Lovett's planing mill was afire. The whole Northside of the city was threatened. The firemen tried but it being so dry and a stiff wind blowing. Dublin sent a truck and a dozen men and finally got it under control. It is the 4th fire at Lovett's mill. He carried insurance on most of it. It's believed the fire was from shavings strewn along from the pile to the boiler. Lovett says he will rebuild.

    While playing little Joe Brinson, son of Mr. & Mrs. DeWitt Brinson, with is brothers were playing with a tin can and some wire when somehow the end of the wire went directly in his eye and he may lose his sight in that eye.

    Mr. Clayton N. Dent, 45, died in Macon while hauling lumber to the sash and door Co. His truck overturned while rounding a curve and he was half buried under the heavy load.

    Judge Camp opened Superior Court. A hundred men were called for jury duty but for varying excuses only 59 remained. A new face was at this trial, Col. Thomas E. Hightower of Dublin was retained by Rawlings. Much time was taken in whipping into shape all phases of the case. Rawlings attorneys argued the jury was improperly empanelled but Judge Camp overruled. Finally by the afternoon 12 men all Farmers, were selected. They were J. L. Drake, J. B. Wambles, Sr., Willie Lindsey, R. L. Kitchens, Dennis Mimbs, J. Elton Brantley, Jesse J. Grant, A. R. Brooks, C. H. Kitchens, J. M. Henry, D. O. Young and Respus Powell.

    The first witness was Lewis Stephens, colored, who was digging the bauxite holes. Next C. T. Alexander, the timberman, Mr. & Mrs. T. I. Young and Dr. H. B. Bray lead the circumstantial evidence with what the witness actually saw. A case of conspiracy between the 2 defendants and the attempt to prove that the death of Tarbutton was due to wilful crime and not to an accidental discharge of the shotgun carried by Tanner form the basis of the State's case. The defense denies any conspiracy or plot to kill Tarbutton and asserts that the dead man was accidentally shot.

    Dr. S. M. Johnson and M. E. Crow testified about the inquest and the scene of the fatal spot where the brains of Tarbutton were piled in a winding path down the steep descent of Ringjaw Bluff. A hot argument ensued over insurance papers held by Lake Holt, Receiver of the Rawlings estate.

   J. D. Bush, undertaker, testified to the wounds in Tarbutton's head. He prepared the body for burial.

    Late Wednesday afternoon the State put up Noah Covington, the white man who says he saw the shooting. More witnesses will be sworn by the prosecution before that side rests. There are about 50 witnesses on each side. The trial will likely consume all this week and may run into next week.

    Dr. William Rawlings, known nation wide is the founder and owner of the large Sanitarium and hospital that bears his name in Sandersville sat by his brother, Charlie, most of the trial.

From Days Gone By Aug. 15,1925

 August 15,1925.

    Charlie Rawlings will likely appear in court Monday. Lawyers on both sides see nothing in the way and will be ready when Judge R. Earl Camp calls the case on the 17th.

    Judge B. B. Blount convened City Court. There were about 128 criminal cases and a big bunch of civil cases. Twelve plead guilty. The first day 8 were tried, 4 being freed and 4 found guilty. A rather funny case came up. A Townsend was accused by a Beasley of killing a cow that got in a field of Beasley's and the testimony was mostly circumstantial. The defendant was cleared by jury. Three white men, Jackson and Wilson's were freed on a dynamiting case.

    The case of Ray Hewitt who was convicted of larceny after trust and the Court of Appeals granted a new trial. Two cases against John Williams, the colored man who was tried in an illicit whiskey transaction in the county and was convicted and fined $500. The two cases were reversed on the grounds of insufficient evidence to convict which turns the colored man free.

    The city has a business proposition if the city father's will act on it. It is concerning the disposition of the dilapidated, insufficient, out-of-date, old fashioned lighting plant down by the railroad tracks. The city cannot afford to let this go. To keep pace with the times the Southern Utilities Co. is willing to give Wrightville what they are fixing to give 40 more towns around us, the benefit of modern power and adequate lights at a cost lower than the city has ever paid. The city charter allows the disposal of the old plant and it is hoped it is taken advantage of.

    Mrs. William Bales, a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. W. S. Burns died and was buried at Northview in Dublin. She was 60 and died of cardic arrest. She was survived by her husband and 3 children, Mrs. Sallie Darden, Miss Mary Lizzie Bales and Miss Nell Bales. Sister Mrs. J. R. Cherry and brothers J. J., W. G., T. H., L. M. and D. G. Burns.

    At the age of 50 Mr. Joe B. Williams died suddenly at home. He was part owner of a furnature business here with Green Harrison. He served as Clerk of Court for 8 years. He was Secretary of the Mt. Vernon Assoc. For years he was a trustee of Brewton Parker Institute and a member of Brown Memorial. He was a Shriner, an Odd Fellow and K. K. K. member. He was twice married. His present wife was Nita Lumley of Emanuel Co. Six children survive him. Brothers, Alonzo, Monroe, Sam, Arlie and John W. Williams. Sisters, Mrs. Fannie Stapleton and Mrs. Susie Underwood. The Mason's assumed the services.

    Miss Alds Walker of Wrightville and Mr. Red Winn of Athens were married.

    A memorial is in the works to be placed on the state capitol grounds honoring Thomas E. Watson. Johnson Co. is raising $1012 for this memorial.