Newspaper Page Text
VOL. XXV.
WEDDING BELLS
FAILEDTO RING
After Brazen Attempt to Put
Over Marital Death-Bed Fi
nancial Coup Cheeky Party
Turns Faces Toward the
Setting Sun.
Winder has been shocked. Her best
citizenship were horrified and made in
dignant at the mercinary scheming,
gall and nerve of some well-named peo
ple of Dunwoody, Ga. —Cheek.
Without any notice or knowledge of
the prospective groom a nephew of
Uncle Hiram Rainey’s first wife, pon
dered over their aunty’s mistakes in by
gone days, hied himself to the ordinary
of DeKalb county and procured a mar
riage license for his dearly beloved
aunty and Uncle Hiram that the Cheek
family might atone for a great wrong
committed before the Civil War during
the short span of Mr. Rainey’s remain
ing days on earth.
The financial coup was well-planned
to the minutest detail, time being the
essence of the would-be contract. H.
N. Rainey. Jr., was in Hot Springs and
Uncle Hiram was helpless and speech
less at his home in Winder, being cared
ft>r by Ludy Bailey.
It was Sunday and our city was en
joying a quiet hour between a war
time sermon and noon refreshments,
and that is wherein time plays the im
portant part and well-laid plans went
awry, for it is to be remembered that
Winder is one hour ahead of Dun
woody—-in the matter of time.
But behind this unexpected visit is
a story full of pathos—an ususual ro
mance as the story writers would say.
Some fifty-odd years ago when Mr.
Rainey was a young man he courted
and wed a beautiful and popular girl.
Her people objected to the match, as
Mr. Rainey was a penniless young man.
They succeeded in separating the young
couple a few days after their marriage.
The war between the states broke out
and young Rainey answered the call in
defense of the South. He made a val
iant soldier during the four-year strug
gle. When Robert E. Lee surrendered
at Appomattox, and the Confederate
soldiers lowered arms to return to des
olate homes, young Rainey wended his
way back to the early scenes of his
boyhood only to learn that his young
wife had divorced him. He pleaded
with her for remarriage, but the cruel
odds against the young pauperized sol
dier was too much, and she refused.
Humiliated, but not crushed, young
Rainey, full of faith in himself, began
to plan for wealth and position. A
few years later he married Miss Aman
da Bagwell, and they partook of their
first meal seated on a dirt floor in a
little log cabin with a wooden slab as
their dining table. Throughout life
this couple practiced rigid economy
and amassed a fortune roughly esti
mated today at practically one million
dollars.
A few years ago Mr. Rainey’s faith
ful helpmete passed into the great be
yond. Then it was that the first wife’s
folks began to get busy. All these
years “Aunty” had gone it alone, but
now that the cruel hand of fate had
t fallen upon her former husband, lie
was paralyzed and helpless (with all
that money), her attention having been
called to it by a kind-hearted and sym
pathetic nephew, her heart began to
bleed for her first love, and Winder
was honored by a sudden and unex
pected visit to Mr. Rainey’s home and
bedside. Just what passed at that
time may never be known, for he is un
able to toll, and of course “modesty”
forbids the party of the lips of the
would-be bride.
However, the situation having been
thoroughly investigated, the license
was secured as above stated, and the
grand finale planned for last Sunday
the time of church services.
When three lurge and well-filled au
tomobiles (lashed up to the Rainey
home the neighbors, just as good neigh
bors will in a small town, hutted in to
learn what was happening “in our
midst.”
And can you believe it? These kind
hearted relatives of Mr. Rainey’s first
wife, chips from the same charitable
and aristocratic ancestors who took
her away from him. had come to per
form a marriage ceremony over his
dearth bed. The 72-year-old bride was
there, the Cheeky nephew was there
with the marriage license; they had
brought a preacher with them from the
old home town : a doctor was in the
party to be sure that all was well with
“the patient” and the required number
@!ic wittier f*.
JAIL IS STORMED
BY CORDELE MOB
With Prisoner Mob is on Way
to Scene of Murder to Make
Sure That Jim Cobb is the
One Wanted.
Cordele, Ga., May 22.—At midnight
a mob of four hundred persons storm
ed the Crisp county jail. They broke
down the outside jail door and the
door to the cell occupied by Jim Cobb,
took the prisoner and started with him
in an automobile for the scene of the
murder of Mrs. A. L. Simmons, eight
miles from here.
There were seventy-five automobiles
in the caravan of cars that trailed be
hind.
The mob wanted to make sure, it was
learned, that Cobb is the one wanted
in connection with the crime.
For nearly an hour Sheriff Ward
and his deputies pleaded with the mob
to disperse, asserting that Cobb might
be the wrong negro. As soon as the
sheriff ceased speaking, however, the
crowd stormed the jail.
Mrs. Simmons body was found in her
home eight miles east of here late to
day, she having been beaten over the
head with a club.
After having killed her the assailant
took two silver table forks and puctur
ed the laxly in scores of places. The
blood-stained forks were found in the
yard.
BARROW’S QUOTA
IS EASILY RAISED
Mass Meeting at Christian
Church Carries County Over
the Top Before Drive
Started.
The Red Gross drive in Barrow 7 was
short and decisive.
Even before the day for the drive to
start Barrow county had raised more
than her quota.
At a mass meeting held in Winder
Sunday night at the Christian church
the county's quota was passed.
But this should not end the work. It
should be a privilege to give to this
cause, and just because a few patriotic,
self-sacrificing Winder citizens, follow
ing the promptings of their own heart,
subscribed the sum asked of our peo
ple. should deter no one from sharing
in this work.
If the quota is subscribed ten times,
over, every dollar given w'ill go to re
lieve suffering humanity—yes, to giv
ing the orphan, the distressed and the
wounded upon the field of btatle a
fighting chance for life when death
hovers near.
Subscriptions will be received up to
next Saturday night. You should have
a part in this great work.
Mr. C. M. Ferguson heads the war
relief fund committee and your offer
ing. large or small, will be appreciated,
and you should be glad to help.
Tuesday morning a good-sized sub
scription was received from the Gulf
Refining Company, of Atlanta. This
company is subscribing liberally to the
Red Cross funds in every county where
the Gulf has agencies.
of witnesses, all of whom were week
end visitors from a distance.
The thoughtful nephew and neice
were persistent and defiant at first and
demanded to know w hat right a neigh
bor and J. 1.. Bailey, the old man’s
faithful nurse, had to interfere. They
demanded of the preacher that he pro
ceed with the ceremony, but the wed
ding bells failed to ring. Unable to
talk. “Uncle” Hiram shook his
head, as if to say, “What means this
motley crowd?” A neighbor, becoming
more indignant than the others, pointed
his finger in the face of the nephew.
Cheek, and said: "There'll be no wed
ding here today. You hear me,” and
then it was that a real man in the par
ty to whom the situation had been mis
represented at Dunwoody insisted upon
going home.
Anyway, Winder’s richest citizen is
still a widower, with an only son to in
herit his vast estate, and his friends
and physicians hold out little hope for
him to survive long his present ail
ments. He probably does not know
how near he came to being a kidnap
ped groom at the age of 74 years.
Mr. and Mrs. C. O. Maddox spent
Wednesday in Atlanta.
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF BARROW COUNTY
Winder, Barrow County, Ga., Thursday, May 23, 1918.
STATE OF INSURRECTION DECLARED IN
PORTIONS OF BROOKS AND LOWNDES
Sid Johnson, Whose Murder of Hamp Smith Started Trouble,
Shot Dead in Battle With Police at Valdosta—Governor’s
Proclamation Result of Appeal From
Officials of Section.
Only a few hours after Governor
Hugh Dorsey had issued a proclama
tion declaring portions of Lowndes and
Brooks counties to be in a state of in
surection and had ordered troops dis
patched to the affected region to quell
any further disorders, news was receiv
ed from Valdosta that Sidney Johnson,
the negro whose murder of Hampton
Smith precipitated a series of lynch
ings, had been killed in a battle with
the police. The troops had not reach
ed Valdosta early this morning.
Three men were wounded by John
son before he was killed. Brooks coun
ty people who had been hunting him
during the night were attracted to the
scene of the fight and seized the rid
dled body, tied it to the rear of an au
tomobile and carried it into Brooks
county, where, it is reported, they in
tend to burn it.
Johnson is the sixth negro, one of
Whom was a woman, to be killed in
connection with the murder of Hamp
Smith, if reports to the governor yes
terday afternoon that five negroes had
previously been killed, are reliable.
The proclamation is the outgrowth
of appeals from Judge W. E. Thomas
and officials and citizens of the two
counties for assistantce in coping with
the situation and in bringing to an end
the reign of terror that has existed in
the two counties following the lynch
ings of five negroes near Valdosta for
the murder of Hampton Smith and a
murderous assault on his wife lust
Thursday night.
Savannah Troops Ijeave for Scene.
Major Arthur McCollum, acting ad
jutant general of Georgia, upon receipt
of the governor’s proclamation, ordered
120 men of the first battalion of the
Georgia state guard at Savannah un
WINDER SCHOOL
NEARING CLOSE
Commencement Exercises Begin
Next Sunday Morning With
Sermon by Dr. Forrester,
of Montezuma, Ga.
This week closes the present term of
the public schools with commencement
exercises beginning Sunday morning
and closing Tuesday evening. These
exercises promise to be especially inter
esting from start to finish. The pro
gram follows:
Sunday Morning, 11:30 O’clock.
Sermon —Dr. Graham Forrester, of
Montezuma, Ga.
Monday Morning, 10:30 O’clock.
Literary Adress- —Dr. E. D Kennedy,
Erskine College, S. C.
Monday Evening, 9 O’clock,
play—“ Chain Allowed” —High School
Pupils.
Tuesday Evening, 9 O’clock.
Graduating Exercises —-Delivery of Di
plomas—Hon. W. B. McCants, Pres,
of Board.
The public is cordially invited to at
tend every one of these exercises.
on Monday evening charges of 10
and 15 cents will be made to meet the
expenses of commencemnet. All other
exercises will be free.
AMERICAN GUNNERS
SHELL SLEEPING HUNS
WITH POISONOUS GAS
With the American Army in France,
Tuesday, May 21.—(8y Associated
Press.)—The American artillery north
west of Toul launched a sudden and
terrific local gas attack upon the Ger
man positions and cantonments within
the Gerschamp wood early today. He
vere punishment was inflicted upon the
enemy. How great is not yet known.
The deluge of American shells fell in
three waves and within a half hour the
woods in which it is known many Ger
mans were sleeping, had been drenched
with a large quantity of poisonous gas.
Resumption of the German offensive
may include this region. The enemy's
presistent aerial activity, day and
night, anil the marked quietude of the
artillery fire may be the forerunner of
storm. The lioehes have been particu
larly quiet during the past thirty-six
hours, except aerial activity.
der command of Major Beirne Gordon,
to leave for the section of upheaval
immediately, and they were expected
to arrive there during the night. Major
McCollum left Wednesday night to as
sume command of the situation in per
son.
A proclamation offering a reward of
SSOO each for the first five persons' con
victed of the offense of complicity in
the lyncbings was also issued by Gov
ernor Dorsey. The negroes who are re
ported to have met death at the hands
of the infuriated mob are Hayes Turn
er, Will Thompson, Eugene Rice and
Hattie Turner.
The woman was hanged last Thurs
day afternoon at Folsom’s bridge over
Little river, about Sixteen miles north
of Valdosta. It is claimed that she
“made unwise remarks" about the exe
cution of her husband the night before.
The people were angered by her re
marks, as well as her attitude, and
took her to the river, where she was
hanged and her body riddled with bul
lets.
Fury of People Unrestrained.
It is reported to the governor that
the fury of the people in the section
immediately affected, following the
murder of Smith and the brutal attack
upon his wife, who was caught by the
negroes after she had fled from the
house, has become unrestrained, and or
dinary means have become powerless
to suppress it.
It is suid that posses are still scour
ing the country for other suspects in
connection with the murder plot, and
the authorities have invoked the help
of the governor in sending troops to
prevent a recurrent of the executions
which, it is suid. are almost certain to
occur if the negroes fall into their
hands.
HAD NO MONEY;
GAVE HIS CORN
Little Cain’s District Setting
Pace for Barrow County Pa
triots in Matter of Giving
to War Causes.
Though small numerically, the little
militia district of Cain’s is setting a
noble example for the people of Bar
row county.
When the Third Liberty Loan drive
opened up in Barrow, Cain’s district
was the first to scale the top.
The people who inhabit this part of
Barrow are not Vanderbilts or Goulds,
but they are big-hearted, honest, live
patriotic Americans, loving their coun
try, and they express their sympathy
in suffering humanity by giving until
it hurts.
The Red Cross message was carried
to a little congregation at Sharon
church Wednesday evening, and when
the speaker of the evening concluded
and called for offerings, cash and
checks began to rain upon the table,
and Cain’s district, comparatively
speaking, took the lead in Barrow
county in the matter of Red Cross giv
ing.
One modest gentleman, known and
loved by many in Barrow county, told
the chairman that he had no money to
give, but that he wanted to help, and
if he could use five bushels of corn he
would bring it in.
The gift was accepted and a pur
chaser in the audience was found for
the corn at $2.00 per bushel.
That is tiie spirit that is finding root
in Barrow, and that is the kind of giv
ing that will win the war and cause
rejoicing when our soldier lads in the
trenches read how nobly Barrow coun
ty, led by the little district of Cains, is
standing behind them back here while
they are battling for us “over there.”
MOORE BUYS INTEREST
IN OLDSMOBILK SALES CO.
Mr. L. L. Moore lias purchased the
interest of Mr. William Lysaght in the
Oldsmobile Sales Cos. and will push the
Oldsmobile in this territory. Mr. Ly
saght is a fine gentleman and made
many friends in Winder, during the
short time he has been here. It is
hoped that Mr. Lysaght will perma
nently locate here.
LUTHER NORRIS
LANDED IN JAIL
Young Man Charged With AC
tempt to Burn Residence of
Judge J.O. Hawthorne Last
Wednesday Night.
A young man by the name of Luther
Norris is temporarily the guest of
Sheriff H. O. Camp, charged with the
serious offense of setting tire to a dwel
ling.
Wednesday night fire was discovered
under the edge of Judge Hawthorne’s
residence, near Auburn, and someone
was seen running away.
The fire was extinguished and no
real damage was done to the property.
Investigation revealed the fact that oil
had been used and the can from which
the oil came was found.
Cireumstancial evidence is said to
point to young Norris.
He was arrested Wednesday night
and brought before the magistrate of
House’s district, waived committal trial
and demanded indictment by the grand
jury of Barrow county.
Bond was fixed at the sum of SI,OOO
for the accused appearance at the next
term of Barrow superior court. In de
fault of which he was committed to
jail to await the action of the grand
jury.
BOHEMIA REBELS
AGAINST AUSTRIA
German Air Fleet Driven From
Attempt to Raid Paris-Allies
Down One Thousand Ger
man Planes in Drive.
lamdon, May 22.—Martial law has
lieen proclaimed in Bohemia, and in
consequence of “popular excesses"
many persons have been imprisoned,
says a dispatch to the Daily Mail from
Berne, quoting the Bloveneski Pa rod.
Outbreaks have occurred in Pflsen,
Nachod and other towns. The vast es
tates of Prince Furtzenburg, a close
friend of the German emperor, have
been plundered and the buildings on
them burned.
Dr. von Scydler, the Austrian pre
mier, it is added, has summoned the
Czech deputy, Htanek, to discuss the
situation. Deputy Stanek has declined
and has warned the premier against a
policy of violence in Bohemia, fearing
evidently that the indiscriminate hang
ing and shooting in Galica at the be
ginning of the war are to be repeated in
Bohemia.
British Raid German Trenches.
In the sector southeast of Arras, Ger
man trenches were entered at two
points last night by British raiding par
ties, said today’s official announce
ment. Prisoners and a machine gun
were taken.
On the Flanders front, the Germans
carried out aheavy gas bombardment
of the sector to the northeast of Beth
ume.
Germans Attempt Raid on Paris.
German aviators made an ineffectual
attempt last night to raid Paris. Three
persons were killed and several wound
ed in the outskirts of the city, but none
of the raiders reached Paris itself. A
German airplane was hit by an anti
aircraft gun and fell in flames, north
of the city.
Vienna newspapers are playing prom-'
inently Secretary Baker’s statement
that 500,000 American soldiers will
soon be in France, according to a dis
patch from that city today.
British Aviators Account for German
Planes.
British aviators since March 21 have
accounted for 1,000 German airplanes
and have dropped more than 1,000 tons
of bombs on enemy military targets.
The aerial campaign against the ene
my continues unabated, both British
and French bombing squadrons being
busy.
In patrol sections in Lorraine Amer
can troops have captured German
prisoners. Both the American and Ger
man artillery is more active than usual
in the Woevre and in Lorraine, but no
infantry fighting is reported.
On the front between the Piave and
Lake Gorda the Italians have been vic
torious in several strong local engage
ments with the Austro-Hungarians. On
Monte Spinoncia, west of the Piave, the
Italians wiped out an enemy post and
captured 53 prisoners, wihle their new
M’ADOO SHELVES
RAIL PRESIDENTS
All Railways Will Be Operated
by United States Directors—
They Will be Selected from
Among Operating Officials
Whenever Possible.
Washington, May 21—Every railroad
president in the United States was re
lieved from active duty as executive
manager of his road today by Director
General McAdoo, who will appoint a
federal director for each road, respon
sible only to the railroad adminis
tration. In many cases the president
of the road may be named federal di
rector.
To safeguard the interests of stock
holders and maintain the Individuality
of each railroad, federal directors
whenever possible will be appointed
from among the operating officers of
the property, the director general an
nounced. This will avoid disrupting
any road’s working organization *’-
necessarily.
Huntington First to Go.
The first act of the director gen
eral today in executing this new policy
was the removal of C. W. Huntington,
president of the Virginian railway, as
chief operating officer, on the charge
that he failed to carry out promptly
the railroad administration’s instruc
tions regarding the repair and main
tenance of his line.
J. H. Young, of Norfolk, lias been
appointed federal director of the road.
The Virginian is a coal-carrying road
running from Deepwater, W. Va., to
Norfolk, Va.
The complaint against Mr. Hunting
ton was that he failed to comply
promptly with suggestions and orders
of the railroad administration, insist
ing on technicalities involved and con
sulting at length with the road’s coun
-4*l before carrying out instructions.
Sweeping action a Surprise.
This was thought to he the forerun
ner of similar dispositions of a number
of other railroad presidents but an
nouncement of the plan for wholesale
replacement of railway presidents by
federal directors came as a general
surprise at this time.
It was explained tonight that a large
proportion of present railway presi
dents will be named to manage their
own properties, particularly whenever
tin* president actually is the most ac
tive operating officer, but in all these
cases the presidents will be required
to resign their official positions witli
tiie companies, “and to become exclu
sive representatives of the United
States railroad administration.”
Presidents Stuck to Old Methods.
Since government' operation of rail
roads started nearly five months ago
Director General McAdoo has consid
ered the advisability of taking the ac
tive management of the roads out of
flu* hands of company presidents, many
of whom are financial and coporate
officers rather than operating execu
tives. Since the railroad administra
tion is concerned primarily with effi
cient operations, it was felt that closer
relations might lie maintained if deal
ings were direct with the officer who
actually directed the practical operat
ing work.
Although most railway presidents
have given full consideration to the
railroad administration, many of them
had difficulty in breaking away from
former methods of managing their
roads as if they still were competing
with other lines, it is said. This was
noticeable to some extent in the re
luctance of executives to route traffic
over the shortest routes, regardless of
•wnership of lines, and to throw open
terminal and other facilities to com
mon use.
Presidents’ salaries now run as high
as SIOO,OOO, it is understood, and many
receive between S4O,(KK) and $50,000.
The railroad administration is not ex
liected to pay more than $20,000 to any
one.
positions at Uapo Bile, on the IMave,
have been extended further.
North of Bagdad in Mespotamia the
Turkish resistance to the advnacing
British is weak. Mounted troops have
occupied Fatha, north of Tekrit, on the
Tigris, the Turks fleeing after slight
fighting. In the Kirkuk region the
Turks have not molested the British in
their removal of military stores from
that captured town.
Mrs. L. H. Reid and little daughter,
Tulin, left Thursday for Cartersville,
where they will spend the summer.
NO. 8.