FROM DAYS GONE BY March 20, 1920

March 20, 1920.

Again and suddenly was Johnson County mourning the loss of another valuable citizen as the news came of the sudden death of Judge William Faircloth at his home shortly after midnight Friday. He had been ill for weeks but had gone to Savannah and Macon for some legal business and was taken sick at Stripling Hotel in Macon. Friday around noon he boarded the M. D. & S. train for home. The conductor dropped him off around 7 pm at the Idylwild crossing. Farm laborors assisted him to his home and he went to bed. His wife around midnight saw the seriousness and called the doctor but he breathed his last shortly after without a struggle. On Dec. 26th he was 52, born in Emanuel Co. moving to Johnson in 1891 and began his law practice. On Nov. 19, 1893 he married Miss Lana Kennedy. She survived him along with G. Anton Faircloth, his son. Four brothers Messrs. Lewis, Danie, Robert and John C. The Methodist church could not hold all the mourners. Masonic Rites were held at Westview.
The county election caused by the vacancy of the Sheriffs-elect Jonah L. Davis passing is set to be April 20th. Andy Robinson sold his home to R. P. Hicks. John A. Douglas sold Mr. Robinson his home. Douglas will occupy part of the home of Dr. & Mrs. Sol Page. Capt. Kemp has been pulling the roads and fixing some bridges. Ty Cobb and other big stars will be at Eastman on the 26th as the Detroit Americans take on the Boston Braves.
March Term of Superior Court convened. On the first day quite a few of the fairer sex were relieved of husbandry burdens and vice versa. Tuesday Lonnie Parker, Willie Q. & Lonia Snell were put on trial for the murder of Elijah Pryor. Parker was found guilty. After the trial of the Snell's the jury stayed upstairs all night and until 4 pm Wednesday to find them guilty also. All three got life sentences.
Kim Dowd and Hill Stallings mixed in an ugly knife fight at Spann on the front porch of W. D. Sumner's store and Dowd put Stallings in his grave. Reports are Stallings came up behind Dowd catching him about the face with a knife handle or brass knucks cutting him. Dowd not playing drew his long knife and began slashing right and left. The first slash the blade went in Stallings left side clear to his entrails. The next slash went straight through his right arm. This ended the fight. Stallings was buried at Piney Mt. Dowd claims justification.
Messrs. Henry & G. J. Tyson, brothers sued out a writ of habeas corpus for the possession of their neice Emma Moxley who had been living with Marcus McNeely for 12 years or more or since she was about 2. They allege the defendant was not morally or financially capable of raising the girl. The father told the court he allowed McNeely's wife to take the child after her mother died and to raise her until he called for her, and if he didn't the child was hers. Last year Mrs. McNeely died. Since that time much unrest has went on around the place. McNeely admitted to whipping the child badly often and one occasion left streaks all across her back, and he took a rope, threw it across the joist and tied the childs arms hog fashion leaving her hanging while going to the field to plow. This was his own daughter and she hung there until her eyeballs were red with warm blood and had she carried out his vicious commands and remained there until the sun went down she would have been a corpse, no doubt. The judge cleared the courtroom to hear the Moxley girl tell her story. Afterwards he decided the girl should go where she desired and live with her uncles.
Sunday morning officers M. L. Jackson & W. T. Rowland raided a copper still in the kitchen of Bubber Brady, colored, who is working for G. A. Tarbutton on the farm. Officer Jackson has known of this illicity for some time and set the time for the raid. On arrival they discovered the 10 gallon copper outfit and arrested Brady. About 3 gallons of whiskey were found in a home made chest. Over a 100 gallons of the mobby was found out in the crib and was poured out by the officers. Officer Jackson brought the copper still and worm to town and Brady was thrown in jail by Deputy Rowland. Though small the outfit was a costly one and capable of producing 1st class "shine" if there is any such stuff made.