From Days Gone By Dec. 10, 1926

 December 10, 1926.

    Johnson Lodge No. 110, I. O. O. F., is the first to make a donation to the rebuilding of Brown Memorial Baptist Church. The lodge pledged $100. The Odd Fellows are the first to donate.

    There were two residences burned down during the weekend. The Tharpe home owned by Mr. & Mrs. Ben Kirkland near New Home church and they lost everything. The home of Mr. George Cullens, up on Buckeye was burned with a heavy loss.

    In a token of appreciation for four years as pastor of Mulberry Street Methodist church in Macon, and as an expression of their esteem for Rev, Walter Anthony, the congregation gave him a new Buick sedan at the close of Sunday services. He is now in Savannah serving the Wesley Monumental Church.

    While enroute to Augusta on Thanksgiving, Mr. W. H. Lovett and his party escaped bad injury when his large auto was struck by a smaller car at the intersection of a by road with the main highway. Mr. Lovett speeded up and hit a large telephone pole carrying high tension current. The pole was snapped in to the wires saving it from falling on his car. With Mr. Lovett was his wife, Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Daley and Mr. & Mrs. Beverly Hayes.

    Master T. J. Luke, Jr. and Master Raymond McAfee were in a very dangerous auto wreck Saturday afternoon near town when a front tire went bad and caused the car to ditch hitting a log lying in the ditch. T. J. tried to stop the car and reached over for the emergency when the car hit the log and jarred his head through the windshield.

    Prof. J. Y. Chastain says the new consolodated Price-New Home school which was just completed is starting off well. Mrs. Kelly Powell is assisting Prof. Chastain.

    J. Nat Riner, Tax Collector, urges tax payers they have twenty days to pay their taxes. The list of taxes for 1926 are $53,119.89 county taxes; $15,572.90 state taxes; $13,279.99 county school tax; $13,876.96 local school tax. The total taxes are $95,849.74 and only $12,827.14 has been collected.

    Pastor R. D. Hodges and his congregation worshiped with the Christian congregation last Sunday. This was due to the fact the Baptist church burned to the ground.

    While coming from the football stadium in Birmingham, Mr. Grayson C. Rowland fell and broke both bones of the left arm and is confined to the hospital there. He and Mr. Laudice Lovett had attended the Georgia-Alabama game that day.

    Mrs. John S. Wheeler died early Monday morning at the family home in the eastern part of the county after a brief illness from acute indigestion. She was about 51, and was a Powell before marriage to Judge Wheeler. She was buried in the Wheeler cemetery.

    Mr. William Thomas (Will Tom) and Mrs. Lokella Brantley Smith had a baby boy born on December 4th, who was named Wade Riley Smith.

    

From Days Gone By Dec. 3, 1926

 December 3, 1926.

    Charles G. Rawlings, aged farmer and banker of Washington County, now in jail in Wrightsville, must serve his life sentence for the part he is charged with playing in the death of Gus Tarbutton on Ring Jaw Bluff on February 17, 1925. This was the Thanksgiving message handed down to the afflicted prisoner. The Supreme Court of Georgia got his case last December and just rendered their decision. Tanner got his fate two weeks ago.

    It seems that the final chapters have been written in this long drawn out criminal case, the hardest ever fought on the dockets of the county courts. Tarbutton was killed on the Oconee River. It was alledged that Rawlings and Tanner conspired to kill him in order to collect this large amount of insurance. Tanner claimed he stumbled and fell and the gun fired by accident, hitting Tarbutton in the back of the head instantly killing him. Rawlings denied any connection in a criminal manner. Tanner was tried twice, Rawlings once.

    Judge Camp made the judgement of the high court the judgement of the Superior Court. Clerk Harrison sent the sentence to the State Prison Commission, who will assign Tanner to the penitentiary. Thomas W. Hardwick, Rawlings council, is preparing papers to go to the high court again, asking for a rehearing.

    Judge Camp also heard two pleas of guilty, one from a colored boy charged with cutting another with a knife and was sentenced 12 months on the chaingang or $150 fine, if he pays the fine it will be reduced to a misdemeanor. The other was a white man charged with a misdemeanor who got off with a parole under the Sheriff for a year.

    On November 17th Miss Ethel Stokes married Mr. M. J. Stephens at the home of William N. Stokes.

    Ordinary Jenkins has under negociations the survey of the Bee Line road to Kite from Wrightsville so Captain Wright can begin building the road. The public road from the Bee Line at the home of Mrs. Isham Stephens to Meeks will also be surveyed making a total of twenty-two miles which will be built.

From Days Gone By Nov. 26, 1926

 November 26, 1926.

    J. J. Tanner must serve the life sentence imposed by the Superior Court Judge R. Earl Camp in Wrightsville at his second trial. This was the decision of the Supreme Court of Georgia. It was also the second time this high tribunal had passed on Tanner's case. He doesn't get a third trial now.

    Tanner was convicted of complicity with C. G. Rawlings in the slaying of Gus A. Tarbutton on Ring Jaw Bluff February 17, 1925. Tanner has been twice convicted and given life each time. The Supreme Court granted him the second trial. Rawlings has been tried once, about a year ago. His case was carried to the high court where a decision is still awaited on. Both have been in jail here since their arrest. They have held up good considering their age and infirmities. Tanner's wife and sons visit him on Sunday's.

    In Johnson County, the cotton ginned up to this date is 17,015 bales against 11,530 bales up to this time last year. A list of the largest watermelons grown in the county was released by the Headlight. M. L. Douglas, 72 lbs.; Samps L. Powell, 60 lbs.; O. R. Jackson, 59 lbs.; C. J. Tharpe, 58 lbs.; C. J. Smith, 55 lbs.; H. J. Young, 54 lbs.; G. C. Raines, 52 lbs.; W. T. Smith, 45 lbs.; J. J. Smith, 44 lbs.; G. J. Tyson, 42 lbs.; D. O. Young, 35 lbs.

    Mr. Matthew Bush, aged farmer 4 miles west of town, arose Sunday morning, went to the fireplace to build a fire. As he reached up to the mantle for matches he fell to the floor. His wife ran to him and called the neighbors for help. In about ten minutes he took his last breath. He was 69 and farmed his whole life. He was survived by his wife, two sons, Arthur and Willie. He was buried in the Parker cemetery.

    Mr. Tillman Downs, 27, was killed in a bad wreck at Croom's saw mill located near Carr's Station above Milledgeville and was buried there. Downs was using a truck carrying lumber from the mill to the planer, somehow the truck capsized, pinning him under the load. He died instantly. He was a son of Mr. & Mrs. Henry Downs of Eastman, formally of Wrightsville, and a grandson of Mr. & Mrs. L. D. Downs. His wife and little baby survived him.

    Mr. Tom Luther Lovett and Mr. C. D. Prescott had a narrow escape Saturday night coming in to town on the Bee Line. The car left an embankment and hit a stump. Neither were seriously hurt.

From Days Gone By Nov. 19, 1926

 November 19, 1926.

    Brown Memorial Baptist Church burned to the ground early Sunday night following the night services and after the congregation had gone to their homes. The pastorium on the northside of the church, the pastor was roused by breaking glass and a rumbling noise. Upon investigation he discovered the church ablaze and gave the alarm to the chief of police. The force turned out and all the people came to see the pride of the county in church buildings burn to the ground, leaving the high walls a crumbling, dangerous mass. It was afire all over pretty soon after it caught. There must have been a big combustion and immediate broadcasting of the blaze for the whole inside became enveloped with the flames simultantously.

    Nearby homes were unreachable for sometime but the misty rain that was falling at the time helped the fire department to protect them and all were saved. The homes of Mrs. R. T. Lovett, Mr. T. L. Martin, Mrs. J. M. Mason, Mr. B. J. Moye and Mr. J. T. Fulford, along with the pastorium were all endangered. The fire started soon after 10 pm, by 11, it was most all over and the massive ruins of this costly and pretty church home is all the people have to see.

    The structure was begun in the Spring of 1913 and completed in 1914. It was a memorial to Mr. & Mrs. A. M. Brown who left their estate of $10,000 to help build a new church. After that was expended, Wrightsville turned in on the project with the unstinted aid of the late lamented Bartow Tanner and put $10,000 more on the building and every year since fixtures, furniture, automatic pump, heating apparatus, fine seats, chairs and many other accessories added.

    The church carried insurance of $10,000 but the total loss is estimated at $40,000. But the church was at its highest peak, out of debt, all expenses,salary and finances being up to date. The consensus is to rebuild much the same as it stood when the fire struck it.

    Early Sunday afternoon Mr. Carroll Shealey lost his home and contents from a fire that originated in the kitchen. Soon after dinner Mrs. Shealey left for her grandmother's home, Mrs. Page, while there she was notified. Mr. Shealey was in the field close by but was engulfed before he could remove many belongings.

    The Board of Trustees of the high school put in a new heating apparatus after the old one gave out. The school had closed down a few times for no heat.

    Mrs. W. T. N. Logue of near Moore's Chapel died at the family residence last week. She had suffered for several years. Her husband and several children survive her.

From Days Gone By Nov. 12, 1926

 November 12, 1926.

    The time for qualifying for city offices for Mayor and three Councilmen has arrived. The time of R. H. Rowland, B. B. Hayes and H. T. Johnson is out as councilmen and they will either run again or someone else will. So far Mr. James D. Bush has qualified for councilman.

    Mayor Martin and policeman Spell and Garrard held Mayor's Court with seven cases up, and seven went down against the defendants clearing the docket. The officers aim to keep down crime and petty offenses in the city limits.

    Judge B. B. Blount opened City Court with a lot of heavy business. Solicitor Rowland called the criminal cases and were tried in one day. A few entered guilty pleas, some were freed by the jury and others found guilty. In the civil case between W. B. Meeks and Alvah Wheeler went to the jury but by nightfall had not rendered a verdict.

    The downtown businesses have dressed up their windows. They have taken great pride in window dressing making the city look better. Even the grocery stores have joined in.

    Eight years ago, November 11th, the World War came to an end and this day is set aside as "Armistice Day", and Governor Walker issued a proclamation. Mrs. W. M. Shurling is in Atlanta attending a meeting of The Daughters of the American Revolution. She is chairman of the Forestry committee on the executive board.

    Mr. James Jordan, a brother of J. E. Jordan of here, and T. C. Jordan of Bartow, was accidentally shot at his home Saturday at Bartow. He was lifting a double barrel shotgun from the back part of his car and it discharged into his stomach. He was rushed to Augusta but died. He said he didn't think it was loaded. He was buried in the Bartow cemetery. He was for years a mail carrier from the Bartow post office.

    Mr. Albert Baker, aged colored man, was found dead on the ground at his home near Mr. Will N. Stoke's residence. The old man evidently had gone to the window, had heart failure and fell out the window according to Coroner Clayton.

    Capt. Alonzo Drake of the government aviation service in D. C. came to town to visit his sister, Mrs. James M. Luck. During the war he was in charge of air service at Mitchell Field near New York City. His home is near Adrian.

    There is too much of this illicit whiskey traffic going on in our good county. We hear of young boys being drunk and see older ones "out-of-the-way" on the "stuff". Whiskey dealing isn't all the bad things going on but it plays a big part in the crime here.

From Days Gone By Nov. 5, 1926

 November 5, 1926.

    Miss Janet Clarke was declared "Miss Johnson", the queen of the 1926 Johnson County Fair. Others in the beauty contest were Ethlyn Moore, Elizabeth Fort, Elizabeth Jackson and Mattie Bell Oxford. In the hog calling contest Mr. J. W. Price beat out Jack Hammock, Prince Hodgson, E. T. Morris, Dewey Hall, C. D. Prescott, Ellis Mayo and J. A. Price. In the better baby contest the son of Mr. & Mrs. J. Roy Rowland was first. Other entered was the son of Mr. & Mrs. D. O. Young, little Billy Tyson and Merle Douglas. In the girls it was Betty Tarbutton first and Sara Young, second.

    The best and most artistically arranged community agricultural and school exhibit was won by Union Hill, second was Kite, Adrian was third and Wrightsville, fourth.

    Lots of farmers are trucking their cotton to market in Augusta and its bringing from five to ten dollars per bale after expenses. The Ordinary is making several changes at the court house per Grand Jury recomendations. W. D. Sumner will move into his new home on South Marcus as soon as T. L. Chester finishes the final touches. Mr. Henderson Hallman of Atlanta spoke here on the subject of good roads.

    Mayor Martin had a big court Monday with several cases and forefieted bonds. Two cases involved liquor handling. City Court meets next week. In the General Election only 168 turned out to vote. The five year tax exemption passed 138 for and 14 against.

    Land is valuable in the county despite so called hard times and low commodity prices. A tract of 83 acres belonging to the estate of W. A. Heath, two miles of town sold for $4,170, a little over $50 per acre. Mr. Fred Jackson of Donovan was the buyer.

    The International Lions Club is being organized in Wrightsville. Wrightsville has another new industry between the Union Warehouse and Cedar bridge. The Keel Lumber Co. is putting in a sawmill convient to the railroad. This company comes from Louisville.

    One of the most pitiful charity cases ever in Wrightsville happened one night last week. Mrs. J. J. Edwards, a woman of doubtful character and mother of six little children, wandering over the country, caring little for herself and less for her children, pulled into the depot and parked. They were cold, hungry, half naked, filthy and forgotten, a pitiful sight.

    Pastor Luke rescued them from the depot, the woman placed in jail on a warrant and afterwards given her liberty under bond, having agreed to give her children to the pastor for raising and educating them and she left for parts unknown.

    The father had become sick and died about the time his wife left with the children. Pastor T. M. Luke is taking good care of them with the backing of the town. They are now looking for homes for them.