Thursday, October 31, 2024

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.

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