From Days Gone By Jan. 14, 1932

 January 14, 1932.

    Mr. Willie Wilson came to his death from a self-inflicted shotgun wound on Tuesday by his own hand. It happened at his home five miles west of town near the home of Ben Roy Spell. His wife and two daughters, Mildred and Elizabeth, arose, prepared breakfast and were in the kitchen eating when they heard a noise in the dwelling like a tree limb falling on top of the house. They never took notice of it, and did not know what happened until Mrs. Wilson went to get her hat to go milk the cows. Then she discovered the cause of the noise.

    Thurston Price was coming up to the Wilson home when he heard the shot. He and Wilson spent all of Monday rabbit hunting and he said Wilson acted normal. When he got to the house he found him lying on the floor, the top of his head shot off, blood was splattered all over the room, a fearful sight. The double barrelled shotgun between his legs and only one barrel was fired.

    Coroner L. R. Clayton went to the scene with Sheriff Rowland an ordered an inquest. Serving were R. R. Martin, J. W. Price, O. M. Martin, B. R. Spell, Jr., H. F. Tarbutton and J. Nat Riner. Mrs. Wilson testified he acted normal except worrying over crop conditions and his farming business and had been having some strange conversations of late. The verdict of the jury was death by suicide. He was buried in the Wilson Cemetery in the Cedar Grove community.

    Re-election of all city officers, reductions in salaries, and appointments of committees marked the first city council meeting under Mayor H. G. Hatcher. Jack Robinson, Mayor Pro-Tem, and chosen were E. L. Rowland, Clerk; A. L. Hatcher, City Attorney; R. T. Moye, Collector; W. J. Crawford, Day Marshal, and Garland Mayo, Night Marshal. Salaries for Clerk, Attorney, and Policemen were reduced from $20 to $15.

    In a close race in Adrian, Dr. L. G. Moye defeated T. B. Kea for Mayor 100 to 96. Councilmen elected were C. M. Renfroe, A. E. Harrison, and T. A. Frazier.

    Judge R. Earl Camp announced his candidacy for Congress from the new 6th District in opposition to Representatives Carl Vinson and Sam Rutherford. Representative Carl Vinson's bill to provide the purchase of a new site to build a new post office here has hit a snag. Congress has adopted not to erect any public buildings where the postal receipts are under $10,000, but a change is being sought in the law.

    Next to the Headlight office, two stores owned by Dr. Flint Flanders, druggest here, are being overhauled. The 5 & 10 Cent store will move on down west next to the Headlight building and Flanders will move his drugstore from its present location to the building vacated by Miss Alger Rhodes. Some work has been done on the Farmers Bank building and Luther Downs will operate a cafe there.

    Mr. William A. Sinquefield, Jr., 69, died from declining health. He had lived here about 40 years and was a native of Washington County. Early in life he farmed but later operated a store here. For over 20 years he was a Mason in the Anderson Lodge. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Hattie G.; stepson W. L. Thompson, step-daughter Mrs. C. A. Beall, five brothers, Frank A., G. C., O. P., John B., and T. C.; four sisters, Mrs. Jordan Stokes, Mrs. W. A. Jordan, Mrs. J. N. Lanier, and Mrs. Nannie Stone. He was buried in Westview.

    Mr. Henry C. Mason, living up on the Tennille road, died at his home. Just a few veterans of the sixties remain in the county with Mason's passing. There are four veterans and 15 widows left in the county.