Newspaper Page Text
arkson Progress-Argus
VOL. 98—NO. 1
Special Term
Court Heard
2 Jury Cases
A special session of Butts Su
perior Court was convened Mon
day and Tuesday, adjourning late
Tuesday afternoon after two jury
cases consumed most of the 2-
day session.
Monday afternoon Ronnie How
ard, Jackson service station oper
ator, was found not guilty on a
charge of aggravated assault.
On Tuesday, Freddie Lee Bark
ley, Willie Price, and John E.
Thurman were found guilty of in
citing to riot by the jury with
each defendant receiving 12
months probated sentence on pay
ment of a fine of $250. Following
this action, 17 othe r defendants
pled guilty to the same charge
with each receiving a 12 months
probated sentence on payment of
a fine of SIOO.
A special session of Butts Su
perior Court was called by Judge
Hugh D. Sosebee of Forsyth who
presided at the 2-day session.
Edward E. McGarity, of McDon
ough, presented the state’s evi
dence in the cases tried. The dis
position of the following cases,
as reported by David P. Ridge
way, Clerk of Butts Superior
Court, is as follows:
Joe Ben Myricks, Robbery,
Plea of Guilty, 5 years probated
on payment of fine of $150.00
and making restitution.
James Edward Thurman, Rob
bery, Plea of Guilty, 5 years pro
bated on payment of fine of
$150.00 and making restitution.
Edger L. Thaxton, Criminal
Damage to Property in the Sec
ond Degree, Plea of Guilty, 12
months probated on payment of
cost and making restitution.
Ronnie Howard, Aggravated
Assault, Verdict of Not Guilty.
Freddie Lee Barkley, Inciting
to Riot, Verdict of Guilty, 12
months probated on payment of
fine of $250.00.
Willie Price, Inciting to Riot,
Verdict of Guilty, 12 months pro
bated on payment of fine of
$250.00
John E. Thurman, Inciting to
Riot, Verdict of Guilty, 12
months probated on payment of
fine of $260.00.
Willie Watson, Inciting to Riot,
Plea of Guilty, 12 months pro
bated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Lewis Sims, Inciting to Riot,
Plea of Guilty, 12 months pro
bated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Frank Thurman, Inciting to
Riot, Plea of Guilty, 12 months
probated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
George Alton Thurman, Incit
ing to Riot, Plea of Guilty, 12
months probated on payment of
fine of SIOO.OO.
Alfred Thurman, Inciting to
Riot, Plea of Guilty, 12 months
probated on payment of fine of
*sloo.oo.
Arthur Ree Head, Inciting to
Riot, Plea of Guilty, 12 months
probated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Robert Green, Inciting to Riot,
Plea of Guilty, 12 months pro
bated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Kenneth Green, Inciting to
Riot, Plea of Guilty, 12 months
probated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Howard Foster, Jr., Inciting to
Riot, Plea of Guilty, 12 months
probated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Prentice Stewart, Inciting to
Riot, Plea of Guilty, 12 months
probated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Alfonza Sims, Inciting to Riot,
Plea of Guilty, 12 months pro
bated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Robert Swain, Inciting to Riot,
Plea of Guilty, 12 months pro
bated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Alton Jester, Inciting to Riot,
Plea of Guilty, 12 months pro
bated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Wendell Grier, Inciting to Riot,
Plea of Guilty, 12 months pro
bated on payment of fine of
SIOO.OO.
Larry O’Neal, Inciting to Riot,
Williams Jr.
Elected Board
Of Education
Mr. C. Robert Williams, Jr. of
the Towaliga District was elected
by the Board of Education as a
Board Member to fill the vacancy
resulting from the resignation of
Frank McMichael.
According to William B. (Bill)
Jones, Butts County School Su
perintendent, the next regular
session of the Grand Jury will be
asked to appoint Mr. Williams to
fill the unexpired term of Mr.
McMichael.
This action took place at a
board meeting on December 16,
1970 with the vote by secret bal
lot, according to Mr. Jones. The
school superintendent said that
the secret ballot is provided for
in Article 8, Section 5, paragraph
1, Code 2-6801 of the Georgia
Constitution 1945.
Mr. Williams is a native of
Chattanooga, Tennessee where he
was born on May 20, 1925. He
attended the public schools of
that city and graduated from
the University of Chattanooga.
During World War 11, Mr. Wil
liams served with the Seabees in
the Pacific Theater.
Mr. Williams and family moved
to Butts County in 1967, coming
here from Los Angeles, Calif. He
is married to the former Miss
Anna Louise Smith, daughter of
Mrs. H. Dan Smith and the late
Mr. Smith. They have two chil
dren, Charles Robert (Chuck)
Williams 111, 9, and Tracy Ruth
Williams, 6. Mr. and Mrs. Wil
liams and family reside with Mrs.
Smith in their attractive new
home on the Griffin Highway
just across the Towaliga River
Bridge on the left traveling west
ward.
The Williams family attends St.
Mary’s Catholic Church in Jack
son.
In October 1968, Mr. Wiiliams
was critically injured when his
car struck the bridge abutment
on Route 16 at the 1-75 overpass.
Both legs were broken and muti
lated and his life was despaired of
by several doctors who consider
it a miracle that he is alive now
and walking only with a slight
limp.
Capt. Guest
Cited As Top
Young Man
U. S. Air Force Captain Claude
B. (Ted) Guest 111, son of Mr.
and Mrs. C. B. Guest, Jr. of
Route 1, Bogart, formerly of
Jackson, will be included in the
1970 edition of “Outstanding
Young Men of America,” accord
ing to a recent announcement by
the Outstanding Americans Foun
dation.
The national publication is
composed of biographies of young
men between the ages of 21 and
35 who have made significant
contributions to their professions,
communities and civic organiza
tions.
Captain Guest was selected
Lom among nominees endorsed
by local Junior Chamber of Com
merce chapters, alumni associ
ations and individuals.
Captain Guest is the grandson
of Mrs. W. W. Wright of Jackson
and the son of Mrs. Irma King
Guest of Route 1, Bogart. He
has many friends in Jackson who
are extending congratulations on
his recent honor. Captain Guest is
a 1966 graduate of the University
of Georgia and in 1969 received
his Masters Degree from Golden
Gate College of San Francisco.
Plea of Guilty, 12 months pro
bated on payment of fine of
$lOO.OO.
Eddie James Bell, Inciting to
Riot, Plea of Guilty, 12 months
probated on payment of fine of
$lOO.OO.
Larry Bell, Inciting to Riot,
Plea of Guilty, 12 months pro
bated on payment of fine of
$lOO.OO.
Rites Sunday
In Jackson For
Miss Fletcher
Miss Mary Fletcher, 71, widely
known retired school teacher
and former resident of Jackson,
died at 7:30 o’clock Saturday
morning, January 2nd, in Deca
tur. She was born August 10,
1899 in Butts County, the daugh
ter of the late Mr. Charles W.
Fletcher and Mrs. Geneva Car
michael Fletcher, also both of
Butts County.
Miss Fletcher retired from
teaching in 1961 and during her
44 years had missed only four
days of school. She was a Cum
Laude graduate of Tift College
and was named Jackson High
School’s Teacher of the Year in
1958. In addition to teaching at
Jackson she was principal of
Orrs Grammar School for several
years. She received her educa
tion at the University of Georgia,
Mercer University, receiving her
BS Degree in Elementary Edu
cation from Tift College.
In 1920-21 she was the faculty
of a one teacher school at Provi
dence and performed this same
task in the Elgin Community
in 1921-23. During the 1923-24
school year she was principal at
the Cork School. She served as
principal and teacher of three
grades at the Ringgold School in
Spalding County.
An active church worker, she
was Sunday School Superintend
ent of England Chapel Sunday
School and teacher of the adult
class for many years. Following
her retirement the class was
named the Mary Fletcher Class.
She was also president of the
WSCS and church treasurer for
a number of years.
Funeral services for Miss Flet
cher were held Sunday afternoon
at three o’clock from England
Chapel United Methodist Church
with the Rev. Francis Ford and
the Rev. Don Harp officiating.
Interment was in Jackson City
Cemetery.
Miss Fletcher is survived by
two sisters, Mrs. Sarah Stroud of
Stone Mountain and Mrs. R. F.
Cooper of Decatur; several nieces
and nephews.
Pallbearers were Doug 1a s
Stroud, Robin Fletcher, Bennie
Fletcher, Marlin Fletcher, Frank
Cooper and Lanier Knight.
Spring Semester
Mercer Extension
Begins Jan. 7th
The spring semester of the
Mercer Extension begins Thurs
day, January 7th, at the First
Baptist Church, Jackson. Classes
will be taught each Thursday
evening for 15 weeks from 7:00
to 9:00 p. m.
Mrs. James Moore will be
teaching an English course each
Thursday evening 8:00 to 9:00
p. m. Rev. Don Folsom will be
teaching studies in the Bible. The
book to be taught will be Reve
lation, at 7:00 p. m. to 8:00 p.
m.
The school will be for pastors,
Sunday school teachers, church
workers, and all who would like
to learn more about God’s Holy
Word, and to brush up on their
English. The only qualification
needed is to be over 18 years old
and have a desire to learn. The
only cost is $5.00 for the com
plete 15 weeks, plus the text
books.
The school is sponsored by
Mercer University and the Kim
bell Baptist Association.
FOUR BUTTS
STUDENTS ON
DEAN’S LIST
Statesboro —Fou r Butts Coun
ty students have been named
to the 1970 Fall quarter edition
of the Dean’s List. This is indeed
an honor for these Butts County
students, commented Dr. Pope
A. Duncan, GSC Vice-President.
“They have exemplified the
quality of work that is both out
standing and challenging and it is
especially an honor for them to
THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1971 JACKSON, GEORGIA 30233
Marsh Home i
At Flovilla
Lost In Fire
The brick home of Mr. and
Mrs. Larry Marsh on Giles Ferry
Road in Flovilla was completely
destroyed by fire about two
o’clock Thursday morning, De
cember 31st. All contents of the
house, clothing, furniture, etc.
were lost. They did manage to
save their car, truck and boat.
All the clothing that was saved
was what they had on at the time.
Mr. and Mrs. Marsh were
awakened by a noise and thought
that their baby, Larry, Jr., six
months old, had knocked his rat
tler out of the bed but they kept
hearing the noise and decided it
must be a fire, even though they
didn’t smell any smoke.
Mr. Marsh ran down the hall
to phone the fire department. The
phone was in living-dining area
and when he opened the door that
went from the hall to this area
he discovered the entire area in
flames. Opening the door seemed
to pull flames into the other part
of the house and he shut the door
and started down the hall to
awaken the children and carry
them outside. The first room was
occupied by a seven year old son,
Robert. Next was their six month
old son, Larry, Jr. After they got
these two children they ran to the
last bedroom to get their 2V2
year old daughter, Marie. After
arousing her and as they were
going out the doo r they turned
and looked back and flames were
sweeping across Marie’s bed
spread.
They have no idea how the fire
started but Mr. Marsh felt like
it might have started in the area
of their gas furnace which was
in the living-dining area, as that
is where the floor completely fell
in. They had just added anew
room, a den, and built a fireplace
in the den. This and the kitchen
were the last rooms affected.
They had lived in the house
two years last February. It con
sisted of four bedrooms, two
baths, living and dining room
combined, kitchen and den. The
Flovilla and Jackson Volunteer
Fire Departments answered the
call but the house was too far
gone to save. The Marshs are
presently staying with Mr. and
Mrs. Julian Marsh until they can
make other provisions.
GRIFFIN TECH
ANNOUNCES
NIGHT CLASSES
The Winter Quarter Evening
classes at Griffin Tech began
January 4, 1971, and will run
through March 23, 1971.
The following courses will be
taught; Accounting 11, Business
Machines, Business Math I, Com
puter Programming 11, Data Pro
cessing 11, Income Tax, Medical
Terminology, Typing I, II and
111, Drafting, Heating and Air
Conditioning, Machine Shop I,
Welding, Intermediate Sewing,
and Basic Sewing.
Anyone interested in enrolling
in any of these classes should re
port for class on January 4, 1971.
TWO STUDENTS
AT MGC MAKE
FALL DEAN’S LIST
COCHRAN, GA.—Dr. Joseph
P. Vidosic, Dean of Middle Geor
gia College, has announced that
two students from Jackson made
the Dean’s List for the Fall
Quarter.
To attain the Dean’s List, a stu
dent must attain an average of
3.2 or better.
Students carrying a full aca
demic load (15 quarter hours)
who made the Dean’s List are:
Pamela A. Cawthon and Marion
L. Vaughn.
be named to this list from a
student body of nearly 6,000”,
Duncan continued.
Those listed are: Sylvia Caw
thon, 3.33 GPA; Deborah Jean
Fears, 3.33; Merrelyn Price, 3.33;
and Charles Edwin Starr, 3.33
GPA.
City-County
Cooperate
On Land Fill
One of Butts County’s most
pressing problems—that of a
sanitary landfill type of garbage
disposal—was hopefully resolved
Monday, January 4th, at a joint
meeting of the Board of Commis
sioners and the Mayor and City
Council of the City of Jackson.
The purpose of this meeting
was to work out jointly, if pos
sible, plans and details for a sani
tary landfill type of garbage dis
posal for both the city and coun
ty. The County Commissioners in
formed the city representatives
of several attempts by the coun
ty to obtain Federal Funds to
establish a sanitary landfill but
to no avail thus far.
After discussion of the matter,
the commissioners made the fol
lowing offer to the City of Jack
son, namely, that for the sum of
SSOO pe r month from the city,
the county would accept all garb
age brought to the landfill by
city trucks and would dispose of
it according to sanit|ary regula
tions. A separate place will be
provided for stumps, old appli
ance and such other trash at no
extra cost. The commissioners al
so offered to pay the city SSOO
per month if the city would as
sume the responsibility for the
operation of the landfill.
Following a meeting of the
Mayor and City Council Monday
night, it was voted by city of
ficials that the city would co
operate with the county in the
garbage disposal plans as outlined
above and agreed to pay the
county SSOO per month for ope
ration and upkeep of the sanitary
landfill.
A recent Grand Jury suggested
that the sanitary landfill type
of garbage disposal be put into
operation here. A move for such
a disposal system gained addi
tional impetus when the Butts
County Sanitarian notified city
and county officials that the
burning of garbage and trash
must be discontinued at the
dump. Also it was disclosed by a
county official that residents of
the area adjacent to and near
the City-County Dump presented
a petition with several hundred
signatures that the burning be
discontinued at the earliest pos
sible moment.
The county has 100 acres of
land available for this type of
garbage disposal and has already
covered one giant trench and hag
excavated for the one currently
in use.
Georgia Power
Plays Santa
The Georgia Power Company
this week presented to Jackson,
Jenkinsburg, Flovilla, and Butts
County checks totaling $62,261.-
67, representing the utility’s local
j property taxes for 1970.
Of the total, Butts County re
ceived $61,866.63; the City of
Jackson $224.75, the City of Jen
kinsburg $91.31, and the City of
Flovilla $78.98.
In presenting the tax pay
ments, M. W. Massey, local man
ager, said this was part of the
more than $16,000,000 in pro
perty taxes that will be paid by
the company for the year 1970
to state, municipal and county
governments throughout Georgia.
Earlier in 1971, municipal part
nership tax payments for the year
1970, totaling nearly $7,000,000,
will be made by the company to
the 400 cities, towns and commu
nities with which its partnership
franchise agreement was in ef
fect. Under this agreement, the
company pays each municipality
in which it operates a percent
age of its gross revenue derived
from the sale of electricity for
residential and commercial uses.
There municipal partnership tax
payments are in addition to pro
perty taxes.
The company’s total tax bill
for 1970, including federal,
state, county and municipal pay
ments, will approximate $60,000,-
000.
Pieces Fall Together In
Brutal Murder Last Week
Much as in a jigsaw puzzle, the
pieces are beginning to fall in
place to complete the total pic
ture of Butts County’s most in
famous murder which first un
folded on Monday night, Decem
ber 28th, with the critical wound
ing of a young Floridian, and the
tragic denouement of last Wed
nesday morning, December 30th,
when the body of his companion
from Virginia was discovered on
Woodward Road in Butts County.
From the moment that Donald
Scott, 23, of Tampa, Fla. walked
and staggered .8 of a mile from
the site where he and his com-
panion were shot and left for
dead, to knock on the door of the
residence of Mr. and Mrs. Ben
Anderson on Woodward Road at
about 11:05 p. m., members of
the Butts County Sheriff’s De
partment, Georgia Bureau of In
vestigation, the Atlanta Police
Department and Detective Bu
reau have worked unceasingly on
the case until at the present time
most answers are known with five
persons in custody, but with many
questions yet unanswered on the
lips of investigators and citizens
of Butts County.
Perhaps the foremost question
asked more frequently is why
was Woodward Road the site of
the disposal of the two victims.
Was it by chance or deliberately
selected in advance? This ques
tion comes more valid when one
recalls that the body of a young
Atlanta Negro woman was dis
covered in September in thick
woods off the Buster Brown Road
in the northwest area of Butts
County, a crime for which the
perpetrator has not yet been ar
rested. Most investigating offi
cers appear to believe that the
Woodward Road site was pure
chance and that it could conceiv
ably have happened in any other
county in the Atlanta area which
offered comparative isolation for
the crime at hand. Yet one or two
investigators indicated that they
felt the site of the dumping in the
county had been “cased” before
hand. The nearest dwelling to the
spot where the body of George
Bruce Gwynn of Manassas, Va.
was located is .8 of a mile due
north. Investigators and the pub
lic alike, at least those informed
on the case, cite the courage and
stamina of Scott in negotiating
this distance in his weakened con
dition and in temperatures in the
high 30’s while he was clad only
in pants.
The body of George Bruce
Gwynn, 23, of Manassas, Va., was
discovered Wednesday morning,
December 30th, on Woodward
Road about ten o’clock by search
ers who were directed to the
scene by Gwynn’s wounded com
panion, Donald Scott, who at the
time was in serious to critical
condition at the Griffin-Spalding
County Hospital. The body was
found up a fairly steep red clay
embankment in the edge of a
sedge field and pine thicket. The
body was removed to Sherrell Fu
neral Home in Jackson where an
autopsy was performed later in
the day by Dr. Larry Howard of
the State Crime Lab. The autopsy
revealed that death was almost
in tantaneous due to a bullet
wound ner the center of his head,
on top, which pierced the skull
and brain and to a bullet wound
in his left chest which severed
the carotid artery. There was also
a stab wound in his stomach near
the navel. There was additional
evidence that indicated that he
had been beaten and tortured.
In a statement to officers Scott
said that he and Wendell Pracher,
30, of Tampa, Florida had driven
to Manassas, Va. to return
George Bruce Gwynn and Johnny
Wright with them to Florida
where the Virginia men hoped to
find employment. Enroute home
they stopped over in Atlanta to
visit that city’s famous hippie
district when they first met mem
bers of— the Outlaw motorcycle
gang that allegedly are responsi
bile for the kidnapping, robbery,
torture, and shooting of three of
the visitors and the death of one.
Pracher and Wright escaped
Monday night, December 28th,
$5.00 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE
from the gang and called police.
Arrested in Henry County
Monday night on a traffic viola
tion charge were three men who
were later placed in the Butts
County jail and charged with
first degree murder and aggra
vated assault. They were listed by
Butts County Sheriff Hugh C.
Polk as Sorsby, 22, of 640
Avery Road, Atlanta; Richard
Lawrence Jones, 22, of 224 How
ard Street, Decatur, and Frank
Link Jr. 22, of Portage, Ind.
The condition of Scott has im
proved to the extent that he has
been transferred from the Grif
fin-Spalding County Hospital to
an undisclosed hospital. The body
of Gwynn was transported by am
bulance to Manassas, Va. for fun
eral services and burial.
Law officers in several cities
and several counties over Georgia
continue to sift clues and infor
mation garnered in the bizarre
case with many veteran law of
ficials believing that the last
chapter in this shocking outrage
has not yet been written.
Kiwanis Power
Is Boon To
Community
Former Past District Governor
Henry T. Malone of Atlanta gave
a challenging talk on “Kiwanis
Power’’ to the Jackson Kiwanis
Club Tuesday night. The program
was arranged and the speaker
presented by Rogers Starr, chair
man of the Education Committee.
In a bit of humor, Lou Moel
chert made his presentations on
“Awards Night,’’ presenting hock
ey sticks with imprinted massages
to the following: “Sportsman of
the Year’’ to Francis Holland for
driving 100 miles to fish in a
poisoned lake and for killing a
deer with his car; “Best Attend
ance at the International Conven
tion” to Freddie Dodson; to Ralph
Carr, Jr. as the “Monday Morning
Quarterback;” to Randy Hudgins
as “Hunter of the Year”; to Roy
Prosser as “Chorister of the
Year,” whose inability to sing
is a Kiwanis legend; to Denny
O’Neal as “Magna Cum Laude
Ice Driver of the Year” for his
safe chauffeuring during 1967’s
ice storm while at Rock Eagle;
and to Doyle Jones, Jr. as “Gour
met of the Year” for his sugges
tions on how to improve the food
at the meetings.
In his address, Dr. Malone,
who is no stranger to the local
club, said that Kiwanis power is
exemplified by the more than
5200 clubs of the international
organization and that locally it
is personified by the united un
dertakings and dedicated coope
ration of the members. The
speaker cited some of the most
important projects of Kiwanis
Clubs over the nation as their
fight against the drug problem,
bringing suffrage to the 18-year
old voter, the burning question
of environment and ecology, and
he suggested for Georgia Kiwan
is a fight against school drop
outs with Georgia leading the na
tion in this category.
He told of his pride in wear
ing the “K” and said that Ki
wanians need to rededicate them
selves and to adjust the club to
fit the needs of the community
and not the needs to fit the club.
In closing, he complimented the
Jackson Club on its many achieve
ments during its 48 years of ser
vice and said that he expected
even greater achievements in the
years immediately ahead.
Luke Freeman was wished a
musical Happy Birthday on a re
cent natal date.
SINGING AT COUNTY LINE
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
The Butts County Singing Con
vention will meet Sunday, Jan
uary 10th, at County Line Church
for an afternoon of song and
music. All interesed persons are
invited to attend with the pro
gram scheduled to begin at two
o’clock.