From Days Gone By Dec. 31, 1926

 December 31, 1926.

    A big fire in Kite destroyed the large lumber plant of Carr & Howard, manufacturers of lumber and naval stores. It was a large outfit working between 15 and 20 men and turned out a large quantity of lumber and pine products. The origin is not known. When discovered it was full ablaze. With the mill machinery, plant and fixtures went a lot of lumber. They did not have insurance.

    A small blaze in the home of Josh Linder, colored, brought out the fire department and put it out before much damage was done. The membership of Union Hill church are making arrangements to rebuild. The location will be a little further eastward from the old one.

    The Farmers Bank, after closing its doors December 22nd, did not open for business Thursday morning. A note on the door said, "This bank placed in the hands of the superintendent for liquidation". It was signed by R. B. Bryan, J. T. Miller, R. R. Martin, W. C. Chester, W. H. Raley, L. D. Downs and C. M. Dent, directors of the bank. The closing came as a surprise in financial circles. President Raley stated that depositors had withdrawn a lot lately by degrees, there was no "run" made, the reserve did not come up to legal requirements. They are awaiting an audit before conferring further on a reorganization.

    The South's celebration of the Christmas festivities was not without its tradgedies. Forty-two are dead from accidents and shootings and as many more badly injured. Firearms exacted a heavy toll. Seven were shot to death in Florida and other accidents put that total to eleven. Alabama had six deaths. South Carolina five killed. Georgia had five killed and Kentucky and Tennessee reported four deaths each.

    Wrightsville came close to losing its school building to a fire on Monday afternoon. The blaze was smouldering beneath the floor of the primary room on the second floor, an axe ripped up the floor and the bucket brigade saved the day.

    Enroute to Atlanta Mr. J. H. Rowland's large touring car carrying himself, Sheriff Claxton and Dr. H. B. Bray left Milledgeville and came upon a detour sign placed beyond the turnout and swerving his car into the detour it overturned. Rowland and Bray were pinned under it. Sheriff Claxton extricated himself and worked to get the others out. Some blacks close by rushed to help remove them. Rowland was not hurt bad but the Sheriff and Doctor were hurt in the breast and were laid up in the hospital.

    Well, the divorce mill certainly did grind in Georgia in 1925 when there were 2,057 divorces granted by the Georgia courts. This was an increase of 155 over 1924. There were 28,095 marriages performed last year as compared with 32,491 in 1924, representing a decrease of 4,396, or 13.5 per cent. In 1925 there were 175 marriages in Johnson County and in 1924 there were 154. Business picked up a little in the last year. Year before last  three divorces were granted in the county to nine last year. Fulton County led the divorce mill last year with 568 granted.

From Days Gone By Dec. 24, 1926

 December 24, 1926.

    The new owners, B. C. Weill and W. V. Tyson, along with some of the land owners between town and Idylwild have contracted with Georgia Southern Power to extend electric light lines to Idylwild. W. C. Brinson and James M. Luck went in with the new owners. They plan many other improvements by next season.

    Dock Kemp of Spann publicly thanked the Ordinary and Grand Jury on behalf of the colored people of the county for the improvements at the courthouse by the addition of closets. Dock is always doing something to help his people and is himself, proud of the work.

    Mr. Eulie Drake of near Adrian last week caught an eagle which measured nearly 5 feet from tip to tip. Two eagles were out in the field fighting over a chicken. Drake set some steel traps around the dead chicken and to his surprise caught one and another trap was missing assumed carried off by the other eagle. The one in the trap made fight on Mr. Drake running his claws through the sole of his shoe. These two eagles have killed a lot of grown chickens in the community.

    The county Board of Education considered the employment of the county agents for 1927 at the December meeting. Mr. Crow and Miss Proctor were given new contracts with the same salary. County Agent Crow shared his annual report with the Board. He enrolled 165 boys and girls in the different clubs and they all won $611 at the various fairs and 4 scholarships awarded for next summer. The sales of hogs sold was $20,596.62; poultry sold $15,781.27; 10,014 bushels corn for $9,075.70; 4,908 bushels sweet potatoes for $6,857.20, all for the county farmers.

    Mr. J. H. Oliver with the famous Seller,s Cabinet Makers was here in the interest of putting the business here. Lonnie Maddox has sold his barber shop to Willie Braswell. Mr. Cannie Sumner will occupy their new home on South Marcus street moving here from Spann. Barber George Gannon has purchased a machine and all the fixtures necessary for operating a pressing club to be installed in the back of his shop.

    J. J. Tanner left the Johnson jail for the State Farm in Milledgeville, so his matter is closed. Tanner has been feeble but was able to leave with the guard. He will spend the remainder of his life there.

    Adrian school building is now being erected. They have the foundation all down and sub flooring laid and ready to start on the walls. It is being built on the west side not far off the road to Scott.

    The Citizens Bank of Kite closed its doors again for the second time in 1926, this time financial troubles being to strenuous for it to remain open any longer. The directors decided to close up until relief was in sight. Mr. J. E. Clarke, the President, says the bank is solvent but owing to the depressed financial condition and their failure to collect what is due them they decided to close. It is believed they will pull through and make up a new organization.

    Union Hill church, 5 miles east of town was torn up early Tuesday morning by a hit-and-rise cyclone that swooped down on the building. People heard a roaring and thunder and saw the lightning but after daybreak saw the church destroyed. The top taken off, the front part switched clean off its moorings and the entire structure upset and moved. The building will have to be removed to build another. This makes two Baptist churches lost in this section.

    SGT. R. L. Sumner, a son of the late Rev. William Sumner, who moved to Telfair County 26 years ago, was here on a visit. Mr. Sumner has been in the U. S. Army the last 11 years and is now stationed at Pensacola. He has not been here in 26 years and was glad to get back once more.

    Emanuel County Sheriff Fred Flanders lost his second son George, in the Augusta hospital from wounds received in an auto accident. He was driving from Swainsboro to Midville when for some reason his Chrysler roadster hit a bridge.

From Days Gone By Dec. 17, 1926

 December 17, 1926.

    Attorney Thomas W. Hardwick for Charlie Rawlings stated he filed a petition with the Supreme Court of Georgia for an oral hearing in the case of the State vs. Rawlings, whose life sentence was recently affirmed by the high court. The disgruntled attorney stated that he felt like they would grant this appeal in as much as the body was divided three to three on the first decision and the matter deferred until it was confirmed by due operation of the law, although he could not say. He was still fighting for his client. In case he was not granted a rehearing, or if he was and did win his point there, he intimated that he will likely carry this case to the United States Supreme Court if possible.

    The case of the State vs. Sidney Lamp, charged with the murder of Clifton Powell in the eastern part of the county September 8th, has been taken to the Supreme Court by his attorneys, Col. E. L. Stephens and C. S. Claxton and should be heard soon.

    There were two pretty warm contests in the county in the election of Justices of the Peace and Baliffs. In the Powell District, J. B. Davis and B. J. Lamp ran for Justice, there were 71 votes cast and Davis got 45. In the same district G. N. Ivey and D. S. Fortner were elected Baliffs. In the Spann District C. T. Carter, J. E. Glisson, C. B. Flanders and J. L. Stewart ran for Baliff. Glisson and Flanders won. The general election was held December 7th for Mayor and Council of Wrightsville. Mayor R. R. Martin was elected to another term and James D. Bush, D. T. Brinson and B. B. Hayes elected councilmen.

    The Odd Fellows held their election of officers. They are, Noble Grand - James D. Bush; Vice Grand - Jacob Kaplan; Secretary - T. L. Harris; Treasurer - T. L. Martin; District Deputy - James A. Hall; Trustee - W. F. Outlaw.

    Plans are now going forward on the construction of Brown Memorial Baptist church. The membership are making preparations to start to work as soon as the insurance people make their adjustments. No lowering in quality nor looks will be allowed in the new structure. Donations are coming in already to get this started.

    Miss Mary Virginia Hodges of Dublin will soon marry Mr. Emory L. Rowland of Wrightsville. They will reside here in Wrightsville.

    Mr. Tommie Wheeler, about 35, died in an Augusta hospital following an operation of which he had many in his life time. He was a son of Mr. White Wheeler who preceded him in death some years ago.His mother and several siblings survive him. He was a Baptist and worked in Augusta as clerk in a hotel. He was buried in the Wheeler cemetery near Kite.

    The business firm of Neal & Stephenson, doing business in Kite is dissolved. J. S. Stephenson is selling his interest to J. M. Neal who will continue its operation. Dr. J. W. Brinson has purchased his drug store a new up-to-date fountain which will be installed as soon as it arrives.

    Deputy Carl Claxton and Chief Spell visited Liza Stuckey's Saturday down on the eastside of town and found about five gallons of whiskey in the place. Liza went to jail in default of bond.

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.