The Jackson progress-argus. (Jackson, Ga.) 1915-current, August 27, 1915, Image 1

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THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS Vol 43-No. 35 BAR ASSOCIATION LAUDS SEARCY Is Good Work Elicits High Praise SHORT TALKS ARE MADE Recently Appointed Jurist Finds Favor With Bar And Citizens of Jackson And Butts County At a meeting of the Jackson Bar Association Saturday a reso lution was passed lauding Judge Searcy for his fairness and the dispateh with which he handled the business of the court. Talks were made by the members of the bar association and Messrs. S. J. Smith and I. H. Maddox. Judge A. H. Ogletree presided at a mass meeting when the resolu tions were indorsed. The reso lution follows herewith: Mr. Chairman, Gentlemen of the Bar Association, Jurors and fellow citizens: We beg to felicitate the Gover nor of the State of Georgia, and the people of the Flint circuit in the appointment of the honorable W. E. H. Searcy, Jr., Judge of the superior courts of said circuit. It is quite an honor to hold the office of judge of this old circuit; illustrious men who have passed over the river, and are resting under the shade of the trees, have filled this place of honor and distinction. There was Judge Stark, and the grand old Boynton, and the eloquent Stew art, the able and learned John I. Hall, a native of Butts county, and one whose memory will ever remain green in our heart and minds, the late lamented Robert T. Daniel whose taking away was so sudden, and grieved us all. Of the living we have the names of Hunt, and Marcus W. Beck, who is now a distin guished member of the supreme court of Georgia, and Judge Rea gan, one of the lovleiest charac ters who appeared at the bar or adorned the bench. In Judge Searcy, we have a worthy scccessor to these learned and illustrious men, and a man well equipped to discharge all of the duties of the high office of judge of the Flint circuit. He shows that he has a firm grasp of the affairs of the court, and that to his chosen profession of the law, he has given diligent study and much thought, and as a judge, he has that turn ot mind, and extraordinary tact to be both agrd -able and businesslike in the administra tion of the affairs of the court. He is always fair in his rulings, and ever tempers justice with mercy. We were especially im pressed with his charge to the grand jury. It not only ad monished the grand jury of its duties, but was an eloquent ap peal to the citizens of Butts county for law and order, and for the preservation of society. We offer this, not as fulsome praise, but as a meed of justice to a man who so signally honors the judicial ermine. Respectfully submitted, 0. M. Duke, Ch’m Committee on Resolutions C. L. Redman, J. T. Moore, H. M. Fletcher, R. W. Mays, W. E. Watkins, H. D. Russel. Theaboveand foregoing tribute of respect and endorsement was unanimously adopted bv the Jack son Bar association, and bv the citizens assembled. And it is hereby ordered that the same be spread upon the minutes of Butts Superior Court, and that Judge Searcy be furnished with a copy of the same. Aug. 21, 1915. A. H. Ogletree, Ch’m. ADJOURNEDTERM COURT SEPT. 13 Considerable Business is Transacted TRY MAnFcRIMINALS Death Sentence For Joe Persons—Judge Searcy Puts Stiff Sentences on Blind Tiger Defendants After a busy week, the August term of Butts superior court ad journed Saturday afternoon. A large number of criminal matters were disposed of and the jail was pretty well cleared. Judge Searcy will hold an ad journed term the week of Sep tember 13. There is a consider able amount of business on the calendar and an effort will be made to clear the docket during that week. The grand jury completed its work for the term and adjourned Saturday. Some forty-odd in dictments were returned, it was stated. The following criminal cases were passed on: R. C. Thomas, murder, acquit ted. Judge H. M. Fletcher was leading counsel for Thomas, and was assisted by Cols, J. Threatt Moore, 0. M. Duke, H. D. Rus sell and Judge E. J. Reagan, and Col. C. L. Redman assisted Solic itor Owen in the prosecution. John Alexander, liquor selling, 12 months or S4OO. Joe Persons alias Joe Person, rape, guilty. Sentenced to hang Sept. 24. Dunlap Senter, burglary, sen tenced to state reformatory. Scrub Middlebrook. burglary, 12 months or $75. Cleveland Crawford, burglary, 12 months or $75. Henry Griffin, burglary, 12 months or $75. Elroda Martin, burglary, 12 months or $75. Arthur Meriwether, burglary, 12 months or $75. Jack Whatley, simple larceny, 10 months. Shorty McLendon, gaming, 12 months or S4O. Tom White, gaming, 12 months or SSO. Solomon English, larceny, 10 months or S4O. Fidler Ingram, pistol (2 counts) mistrial. Wade Ridgeway, liquor, 12 months or S4OO. JACKSON, GEORGIA, AUGUST 27, 1915 BUTTS FAMILY BOSWELL HEIRS May Share in Big Texas Estate MATTER IS INVESTIGATED Ball And Spencer Families Descendants of Dr. Jos. Boswell, the Rich Texan Who Recently Died The Ball and Spencer families of Butts county are direct de scendants of Dr. Joseph Boswell, who recently died without chil dren, at Wichita Falls, Texas, leaving an estate valued at be tween SIOO,OOO and $1,000,000. The records disclose there were three children,, Mrs. Eliza Gar trell, of Atlanta, whose descen dants have been minutely traced by the Atlanta papers, Dr. Joseph Boswell and Levi Boswell. The brothers married sisters. Dr. Boswell married Harriet Greg ory and Levi Boswell married Sara Gregory. Levi Boswell had five children, Elijah Boswell, Mrs. Eliza Bos well Ball, Mrs. Polly Boswell Bird, Mrs. Harriet Boswell Bald win and Josiah BoswelU who di ed without issue. The descendants 6f Ipij ah Bos well are Mrs. Sara t. Bohlen and Wm. Elijah Maddox, Madison, Ga., Mrs. Mary Z. Patrick, Con yers, Mrs. Anna B. Patrick, of Mansfield, W. Lee Maddox and Miss Eunice Maddox, Eatonton. The descendants of Mrs. Eliza Boswell Ball are Mrs. Sara Spen cer, Levi J. Ball and James M. Ball, all of Butts county and an old and prominent family. Mrs. Polly Boswell Bird’s de scendants are Mrs. Marion Ma bry, Mrs. Hattie Mabry and Howell Bird, all of Texas. The descendants of Mrs. Har riet Boswell Baldwin are Abner R. Zackerv, deceased, whose liv ing descendants are Miss Lila M. Zackery, Mrs. Shepherd Baldwin and Mrs. Joseph Zackery; Madi son, Dr. Guy Zackery, Talpa, Texas, Reid Zackery, Abner Zackery, Mrs. John Gardner and Mrs. 0. W. Reid, Eatonton. Mr. H. 0. Ball, superintendent of the Pepperton Cotton Mills; Mr. James M. Ball, members of the Spencer family, as well as other heirs-at-law of Dr. Joseph Boswell, have interested them selves in the case. Inquiries have been addressed to the or dinary at Wichita Falls, Texas, to ascertain the true status of the Boswell estate. Dr. Boswell resided in Macon a great many years ago, later re moving to Texas where he died. Lawyers in the Lone Scar state advise that there is a fortune to be divided among the heirs as soon as they can all be traced. Card of Thanks Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Dodson and family wish to express their thanks and appreciation to their many friends for the kindness shown during the recent illness and at the death of their little son, James Edward. AUDIT OF PUBLIC RECORDS FAVORED BY GRAND JURY SSOO Salary Recommended For The County Treasurer Other Public Questions Gone Over in General Presentments of Grand Jury For August Term We, the Grand Jury, sworn and empaneled for the August term of Court, after endeavoring to perform the duties devolving up on us in accordance with our oath, submit, with pleasure, the fol lowing general presentments, as a result of our labor and deliber ations: Criminals Each case brought before us for investigation, has, as per our oath, been carefully and imparti ally gone into, and we have, without favor or malice, render ed a verdict in accordance with the evidence. Few, if any, cases were left on the docket for fu ture investigation. Reports Each committee appointed from our body to investigate the books of the officials, and other matters of the county, have in the limit ed time allotted, performed their duties to the best of their ability, and from these reports, which are hereto attached, we make some recommendations, to which we earnestly invite the careful attention of the citizens of our county, with the expressed hope that these recommendations be carried out, and not, as is often the case, laid aside, and allowed to go unheeded. Convict Camp The committee appointed to in vestigate the Convict Camp, find the same in sanitary condition. We further find that they are us ing one convict as a machinist in place of a man that has been paid a salary of $70,00 per month; that four convicts are being used to operate road machines in pla ces of hired labor that was cost ing the county $140.00 per month, and another convict in place of hired labor that was costing S4O per month. We commend our officials for the xcellent work being done on our public roads, as far as they have gone, in the sections where work has been done. We find the following equipment: 19 mules, good condition; one horse, good condition; five two-horse wagons, good condition; one one-horse wagon, in fair condition; one de- livery wagon and one buggy, both in fair condition; three dump wagons, three road ma chines, five wheel scrapes, eight drags, two six-horse plows, one four-horse plow, one gasoline en gine, three road scrapes, six wagons used behind engine, one scarifier, two steel cages, one wooden car, one cook car, two cars for guards, and five tents, 17 felony convicts, and ten mis demeanor convicts. Of these con victs four felony are whjte and thirteen negroes, one white mis demeanor convict and ten ne groes, all under the control of four guards; six head of hogs, weighing about 200 pounds each. Commissioner’s Office The committee to examine the records of the Commissioner of Roads and Revenues' office make the following report: We find the books and vouch ers correct, execpt in some in stances the failure of the proper parties to sign expense bills fully. In the limited time we have had to give the work, we have been unable to determine the true fi nancial condition of the affairs of the Commissioner's office, and Jackson Argus Established 1873 ' Butts County Progress Established 1882 \ the truth of the matter is, we believe beyond our ability to, at present, ascertain. The books show that warrants issued from January Ist, to July Ist, 1915, amount to $36,399.44. The reports of the various offi cers are hereto attached. Tax Collector’s Report Georgia—Butts County. I, J. H. Ham, as agent for Claude Bryant, Tax Collector of Butts county for 1914, herewith present to to the Grand Jury of the August (1915) term of Butts Superior Court, the following statement of entire collections and disbursements of state, coun ty and school taxes for the year 1914. (This report includes all fees reported in the necessarily incomplete statement made to the February session of court.) Recd for county tax $42,283 41 Com paid collector and receiver $ 1,168 54 Amt paid CoTreas 41,114 87 Amt collected for state. $12,084 01 Com paid collector and receiver $ 672 89 Amt pd state treas 11,411 12 Amt collected for schools $ 8,225 22 Com paid collector! 206 98 Amt paid county school Supt 8,018 24 Respectfully submitted, J. H. Ham, Ordinary, Acting for Tax Collector. County School Superintendent The committee appointed to ex amine the books of the County School Superintendent beg to re port that they have carefully ex amined and checked all vouch ers, verified all figures, and find his books in perfect balance and neatly kept. The system of books and vouchers are up to date and easy to examine, and we wish to commend our efficient Superinten dent for the manner in which he is conducting his office. „ ..... . , - tom Consolidated July 9.1915 Ordinary, Clerk and Sheriff The committees appointed to investigate these offices find the books neatly kept and the affairs of the offices conducted in an ef ficient and up-to-date manner. We cannot too highly commend the faithful officials of these offi ces for the pains-taking and care ful manner in which they are taking care of the county’s affairs. Treasurer’s Office The committee reports the Treasurer for 1915 has received from automobile tax $718.76 From C. S. Bryant, Tax Collector 18.80 Thev have verified all vouchers and find them correct, and a bal ance of only $30.61 in the hands of the Treasurer. The Tax Collector reports amount of special taxes collected for the year 1915 to be $917.50. County Farm We find the land cultivated with the following crops: 35 acres corn which is very good; 25acres pea vine hay; 3 acres cotton; 11 acres sweet potatoes, li acres of sorghum cane. The live stock comprises two mules in good or der, three cows, two calves, four head hogs, fourteen shoats. The implements are: 1 hay rake, 1 mower. 1 two-horse wagon, ldisc harrow, 1 fifteen gallon kettle. The produced supplies are: One thousand bundles old fodder; ten loads oats in the straw; two thou (Continued on pace 8)