From Days Gone By April 7, 1932

 April 7, 1932.

    A delegation of lawyers and citizens of the county are in Atlanta today appearing before Governor Richard B. Russell, Jr., asking him not to allow a parole to Charles G. Rawlings, who is now in the penitentiary convicted in the slaying of Gus. A. Tarbutton on Ring Jaw Bluff February 17, 1925. On March 31st, the prison commission granted Rawlings a parole passing the recommendation on to the Governor. Since then the Governor has received many letters and messages against his release..

    This trial was one of the most sensational in the history of the State. Held in Wrightsville where he was tried, convicted and sentenced to life in assisting in the slaying of Tarbutton to collect insurance. He was killed up on the Oconee with J. J. Tanner, also serving a life sentence.

    Rawlings is now past 70 years of age, very feeble, and has grown worse since his incarceration in Milledgeville, and now an object of pity according to some reports. It is said he has been paralyzed for some time and the parole was recommended on the account of his helpless condition. Governor Russell is holding a hearing today on the clemency matter and relatives of the deceased man and others will make arguments against his release.

    The local American Legion Post is preparing for the 12th District Legion Convention to be held here. The streets of Wrightsville are being decorated with the uniform flags adopted by both State and National American Legions. This consists of a 12 foot pole and a 4 x 6 U. S. flag in front of each Wrightsville business.

   The Wrightsville & Tennille railroad will discontinue its Sunday trains between Tennille and Dublin on May first. It has provided Sunday train service for more than 45 years but the railroad says the 4 Sunday passenger trains produce less than $10 per day in revenue which is equal to one fifth of the cost of coal used in operating these schedules. Last Sunday only two tickets were sold amounting to only 62 cents. Only the mail train will run on Sunday morning around 6:30 am. Hon. B. H. Lord, General Manager of the W. & T. delivered checks to six counties amounting to $18,312.02 for 1931 taxes. That's ten percent of the lines total earnings.

    Manager W. N. Watkins of the local Georgia Power Company office has carried out a campaign in selling the electric range and water heaters selling race and has sold over 100 precent of his quota and looking to do 200 precent. He is the first in the company to pull this off. Mr. Earnest Hitchcock is operating a shoe shop next to T. V. Kent's store. Mr. John M. Johnson files for bankrutcy. The local banks statements of condition are, Bank of Adrian $49,926.91; Bank of Wrightsville $188,907.79; The Exchange Bank $183,509.00.

    Idylwild, one of the most popular resorts in the state will open this week under the new management of J. W. Claxton and J. A. McBride. The pavillion is being prepared for the opening dance with a new modern Electrola being installed. Also the swimming pool will be open at no charge.

    Officers Tom Brantley, James Tapley and Jimmie Carter answered a call to Scott late Saturday on a whiskey violation report. Armed with papers they entered the house occupied by Henry Kight and family. They found a lot of bottles, some with very little whiskey in them and others with shine. Several fruit jars containing whiskey were captured or emptied. Kight was arrested but made bond.

    Congressman W. W. Larsen obtained him a bride at Jeffersonville, Twiggs County, when he and Miss Margaret Van Dyke were married. She is a Virginian, daughter of Nellie and Frank Van Dyke of Fairfax County. She graduated Wesleyan College in 1911. Larsen's first wife was a Miss Strange of Emanuel County who died about 4 years ago. Miss Willie Ivey of Tennille and James Claxton of Kite were married in Sandersville. She is a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Henry J. Ivey.

    While riding a flat on a truck little Grace Thompson, baby child of Mr. & Mrs. Lofton Thompson, fell off and was dangerously hurt being knocked unconcious from falling on the hard ground. Robert Clarence Ellison, 8 month old son of Mr. & Mrs. Edward Ellison, Jr. of Adrian, died Sunday evening from diptheria in Dublin at Claxton Hospital. Besides his parents he was survived by grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. Edd Ellison, Sr. and Mr. & Mrs. H. C. Williams.

    

    

From Days Gone By, March 31, 1932

 March 31, 1932.

    The Associated Charities of Johnson County is hosting a program April 16 with guest, "Smiling Ed McConnell", the world's highest paid radio entertainer and he will be here in person. He is coming for no other reason than to help those that are down and out. He will be paid his expenses, and all above that will go to the Johnson County charities for those brought down by the depression.

    Miss Para Lynn Harrison and Mr. Eulie B. Mixon wed on Valentines's Day at Edgefield, South Carolina. She is a daughter of Mrs. Green B. Harrison and sister of Clerk C. B. Harrison. He is a son of Rev. & Mrs. w. A. Mixon of Kite and a salesman at Sims Store. Mr. C. T. Swinson, long time merchant has sold his store to Mr. J. W. Vanlandingham effective April first.

    Hartwell G. Archer, lumberman and farmer of Sparta was fatally injured when he was struck on the Sandersville Road near Galilee negro church. He was standing between the trailer wheels of his lumber truck to let the oncoming truck pass when the collision happened. The other truck loaded with hogs occupied by two white men, Goss Smith and Dave Membis of Commerce were slightly injured as their truck turned over and burned, scattering hogs in every direction. Archer is survived by his wife, father, Flavius Archer; brother Cleo, and sister Mrs. Dewitte Brinson. Smith and Membis are in Sheriff Jackson's jail at Sparta charged with murder.

    The small two and a half year old son of Mr. & Mrs. Ben D. Smith died at home near Meeks about 10 hours after a fatal burning. He was in the field where some of the family was working. A stump was burning near by and the little fellow walked up to it, picked up some corn stalks and began playing in the fire. His mother heard the child screaming and they had to work hard to put out the child's clothes but the child was fatally burned. He was buried at Corinth.

    Ben Haynes, colored man of the Kite area, died Tuesday morning while plowing in his corn field on the plantation of Bryce Anderson. His body fell across the plow stock and was discovered by the landlord, Dewey Stephens. Haynes ploughed a large plow pulled by two mules, barring off corn rows over a flat broken field. No struggle appeared anywhere in the last furrow he had made, and whatever struck him that caused his death happened at the spot, judging by the sign of the six-inch curve in the furrow from his plow. His feet were in the furrow, his body across the plow handles and his head over the beam. Coroner L. R. Clayton called an inquest with jurists H. T. Brantley, W. M., W. L., B. A., E. L. and J. M. Anderson. The verdict was death from unknown cause.

    Mr. Sam D. Smith died in Macon Tuesday morning and his body brought here and entered in Westview. Mr. T. B. Hicks of Dublin died Tuesday morning at his home. He was 72 and a pioneer citizen of Dublin. He was a businessman, civic leader, charter member of the Christian Church there and President of Hicks Drug Company. He is survived by his wife, daughter Mrs. L. L. Porter, sons, Rowe, Henry, Charles; brothers, Judge Jim B., Prof. T. M., R. P. Hicks and sister Mrs. B. G. Warthen.

    The Hallie Clayton Huff Chapter of U.D.C. now have 60 members. Applied for markers for 17 graves in the county. The chapter is named for Mrs. Huff at the suggestion of Mrs. E. A. Lovett. Mrs. Huff was wife of John M. Huff, late owner and editor of the Wrightsville Headlight. She was a daughter of George Roets Clayton of Virginia and Harriett Rives Williamson of South Carolina, granddaughter of George R. Clayton, first treasurer of the state of Georgia when Milledgeville was the capital and is buried there.

    Mrs. Huff was born in Macon in 1845, spent her childhood in Americus and graduated at the old Female College there. During the war of the sixties with her mother visited the sick and wounded soldiers in the hospitals. She had a couple of brothers who served, George R. Clayton, 4th Ga, killed at Sharpsburg and Sparks Clayton, a courier on Gen. A. S. Cutt's staff Army Northern Virginia.

    In Griffin and Sandersville she spent her early married life organizing the Ladies Memorial Association which merged into the U. D. C. She was a resident of Wrightsville for many years and in February 1903 organized the Johnson County U. D. C. at the home of Mrs. W. W. Cook. After several years the chapter became extinct about the time of her death in January 1916. Her husband died a few weeks later. A daughter survives, Mrs. W. L. Burns and brother, Coroner Loring R. Clayton.

From Days Gone By, March 24, 1932

 March 24, 1932.

    The Price-New Home Consolidated High School, near New Home church, on the Jefferson Davis Highway was destroyed by fire about midnight. Professor Robert Lankford stated he believed the origin of the fire was caused by rats. He is the Principal of the school. Large trucks convey many children to this community high school. Five weeks remain in the present term and a temporary school is looking to be secured soon. Teachers are Mrs. M. E. Woods, Mrs. Z.A. Cullens and Miss Pearl Hollinsworth. The trustees are Samps L. Powell, Byron Price and Elbert Canady.

    Fire destroyed the home of Harmon Flanders in Adrian, and about an hour later the Ellison home across town on Hotel Street caught fire but it was quickly extinguished. Mr. W. Z. (Bill) Kemp, former County Warden, died at his home at Sylvania after a several week illness.

    About 500 people attended the Fiddler's Convention hosted by the American Legion on Friday night. It was full of music, fun, stunts, song and dancing at the court house. Playing fiddle were Foster Mills, Brannen Snell, Hamp Blount and Tillman Jackson. Also the Pringle String Band with D. L. Marshal, Earnest Franks, James Tingle, Miss Miriam Tingle and Miss Evelle Franks.

    Governor Richard B. Russell, Jr. appointed Ordinary W. J. Flanders as a delegate to the 20th annual Convention of U. S. Good Roads Association. The State Revenue Commission now requires buyers of used cars may drive them from the lot to the Sheriff's office to apply for tags, and from there to home without incurring delinquency penalties, but no farther.

    The leadership of the Republican Party in Johnson County was chosen at a meeting at the court house. Chairman Ben Moye, Secretary M. A. Jackson, R. P. Hicks and Alton Moye elected them permanent Chairman and Secretary. The colored people in Johnson is said to have been willing to step aside and put the machine in control of the white folks. It was added that in recognition for this that colored people were chosen on some of the executive committees places and also alternates.

    Under the Democratic leadership in Congress a bill was forced through for an emergency measure to aid unemployment. It appropriates one hundred and thirty two million for immediate highway construction to increase employment all over the country.

    The eighty-eighth birthday of Mr. Henry Wheeler of near Kite was held and more than 300 people came to pay tribute and the Wheeler School attended in whole. In 1782, George Washington established the "Order of the Purple Heart", and in commemorating the bicentennial of his birth, President Herbert Hoover has revived the order.

    Owing to the Pauper's List has reached the high mark of $300 per month puts the demand on the county for financial aid and is increasing daily, almost hourly. The question is, can we continue this present system of  the monthly payment to the Paupers of our county, or establish a Pauper's Farm?

    Mr. Sam Robinson died at his son's home, Horace Robinson. He was a native of Washington County and always lived near Harrison. Surviving are his wife, two daughters, Mrs. Emanuel Lawrence, Mrs. Will Thompson; sons, Tom, Marvin, Edd, Sam, Monie, Horace, and John W. He was buried at Bethany Church cemetery.

From Days Gone By March 17, 1932

 March 17, 1932.

    The Fiddler's Convention will be held at the court house in April. It will be a one day convention sponsored by the American Legion, who in the fight against depression have put thirty men to work. The United Daughters of the Confederacy has invited the Post to parade along with the old veterans on Memorial Day and give a rifle salute to the deceased comrades at the cemetery. Medals will be pinned on some of the Legion boys whose grandfathers fought in the Civil War.

    The United Daughters of the Confederacy is asking all the stewards and deacons of the county churches to help number the Confederate graves in the cemeteries of the county. The purpose is to provide markers free of charge to put on the graves.

    A Roosevelt-For-President Club was organized with J. E. Cook as chairman and Emory Rowland as secretary. U. R. Jenkins is vice-president, Judge James T. Miller Treasurer and H. F. Tarbutton publicity director. The clubs aim is to put the interests of Governor Roosevelt to the front in the county.

    Chief W. J. Crawford and Policeman Garland Mayo made some Saturday night arrests, immoderate use of whiskey taking a few "out of the way", and causing the officers to enforce the law. Mr. Jordan Davis from the eastern part of the county suffered a fractured leg. While fixing a flat tire on highway #1, a passing car struck his leg as he was changing his tire. The Graymont oil well is being sunk right on down and a depth of 2,000 feet has been reached.

    All along Route 80, Macon to Savannah, the Coast-To-Capital Highway Association met in Swainsboro. They are pushing to finish Route 80 which in Johnson County runs from Scott to Adrian on to the county line. Local members attending were W. J. Flanders, W. H. Lovett, A. L. Hatcher, R. M. Stanley and C. D. Roundtree.

    Mr. C. T. Swinson, a long time local merchant is planning a move to Statesboro where he has a large farm and business interests. Mr. & Mrs. W. A. Lindsey and family have moved from Louisville to Milledgeville where he is manager of the City Cafe. Mr. Tom L. Martin, local businessman, in the ice business here for many years, has started a brand new ice plant which is nearing completion. Its located on the lot where he has sold ice and coal and operated a small coal storage plant for years. The 13 ton capacity steel tank has been lowered on to its base and will be ready to contain the finished product by April or earlier.

    Professor E. D. Tollerson of the Kite Consolidated School has one of the finest agricultural classes in this area. County farmers desiring government loans have flocked to the offices of the loan committees and managers to get their papers fixed up for the loan this season. The first checks will be coming in this week possibly.

    Most every house in Wrightsville is occupied. Some business houses are vacant and similar conditions are found all over the country towns and cities as well.

    At President Hoover's Anti-Hoarding meeting held at the court house was the subject of the restoration of pure, simple personal confidence in each other, in our own institutions and businesses and a return of prosperity through remedial measures promulgated by the President in his anti-hoarding campaign. The speakers were A. R. Maynard, Mack Davis and W. H. Mitchell all of Macon. A. Lee Hatcher, Johnson's present representative in the legislature was appointed to handle the local campaign along with W. H. Lovett and R. H. Smith.