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.