Karksmt Progress-AMits
Volume 100 Number 3
M urder Charge in Smith Death Is
Reduced To Voluntary Manslaughter
Two Butts County youths,
Ronnie Phillip Preston, 19, and
Daniel Lamar Thorn, 18, both
of Flovilla, had their original
charges of murder and
aggravated assault against
Grady T. Smith, 44, and Jason
Coleman, 35, reduced to
voluntary manslaughter and
the offense made bondable at a
hearing Friday afternoon,
January 12th, before Donald B.
Montgomery, Justice of the
Peace, for the 612th District.
The youths were charged
with the murder of Mr. Smith
and aggravated assault of
Jason Coleman as a result of a
drinking spree in a wooded
area near Flovilla on the night
of December 26th.
District Attorney Edward E.
McGarity of McDonough re
presented the state in the
proceedings.
The defendants, Preston and
Thorn, were represented by
Attorneys Harold Martin of
Jackson and Frank Freeman
of Forsyth. Several witnesses
testified including Butch Free
man of Thomaston, a member
of the Department of Investiga
tion and John Sherrell, Butts
County Coroner.
Mr. Freeman testified that
the defendants told him that
they, in company with Messrs.
Smith and Coleman and
another man, drove to Macon
the afternoon of December 26th
to purchase some whiskey and
upon returning drove into a
wooded area south of Flovilla
Butts Ministers To Kickoff
"Key 73" Theme Jan. 17
REV. REYNOLDS GREEN
The “Key 73” theme was
launched in Butts County on
Wednesday night, January
17th, when the Butts County
Ministerial Association is spon
soring a Union Service to be
held in the Jackson United
Methodist Church at 7:30
o’clock.
President Don Folsom of the
Ministerial Association has
requested that all congrega
tions of the county come
together for this mass meeting.
According to Mr. Folsom the
guest speaker will be Rev.
Reynolds Green, pastor of the
First United Methodist Church
of Dalton. A widely known
Methodist leader and author of
two books, Mr. Green is
presently serving as executive
secretary of the Board of
Evangelism of the North
Georgia Conference.
Key 73 is a voluntary
movement of more than 140
denominations and Christian
groups cooperating in a mass
attempt to reach every person
in North America with the
gospel of Jesus Christ in 1973.
In Key 73, Mr. Folsom
pointed out, Christians will be
working together to share
Christ with every person in the
United States and Canada. This
where they built a bonfire and
began drinking the whiskey
and some beer that was
purchased more recently. An
argument developed which led
the two younger men to “rough
up” the two older men.
Following the beating, Mr.
Freeman testified that Preston
and Thorn told him that on the
way to the Preston home Mr.
Smith became ill and had to
step from the car where he
vomited. The cause of death of
Mr. Smith was ruled by a
doctor from the Georgia Crime
Lab in Atlanta as “aspiration
of stomach contents.”
Mr. Montgomery said that in
making his decision to reduce
the charges that he felt
evidence of malice afore
thought in the murder charge
was almost non-existent and
that there was likely no intent
by the two youths to kill either
of the older men but to merely
rough them up.
Judge Montgomery assessed
a $5,000 bond on each defendant
on the charge of voluntary
manslaughter and $5,000 bond
on each defendant on the
charge of aggravated assault,
making a total bond of SIO,OOO
on each defendant.
Judge Montgomery said that
in all likelihood the case will
be presented before the
February term Grand Jury
which body might well see fit to
issue a true bill on the more
serious murder charge.
effort will include concurrent
Bible studies in a million
Christian homes; continent
wide radio and TV events
linking hundreds of thousands
of participating small groups;
massive lay witnessing pro
grams; coast to coast mass
media evangelism; creative
resources for implementing
local church programs; and
thousands of area-wide evan
gelistic endeavors.
Key 73 is a bold venture,
bringing together most of the
organized Christian denomina
tions and evangelistic associa
tions in the United States and
Canada.
Mrs. Polk
To Address
B&PW Club
Mrs. Jewellene Polk, chair
man of the Legislative Com
mittee, Jackson Business and
Professional Women’s Club,
will address the club on “The
Growing Role of Women In A
Rapidly Changing World”,
Monday evening, January
22nd, at seven o’clock at the
Jackson Clubhouse.
This is the theme of the
Western Hemispheric Con
gress of Business and Pro
fessional Women held last year
in El Salvador where women
from 20 American nations met
to present the perspective of
her nation to the hemisphere as
a whole and returned home to
work locally on issues of status
of women, education, Statutory
Discrimination against wo
men, and placing women in
Policy Making Positions.
All members are urged to
attend and learn that “Women
Are Really the Silent
Majority.”
Kiwanians Aid Schools
GIVES CHECK FOR TV SETS - Ralph Carr, Jr., left, is
shown presenting a check for SSOO on behalf of the Jackson
Kiwanis Club to William B. (Bill) Jones, Butts County School
Superintendent. This money will be used for the purchase of
television sets for use in classrooms in the Butts County School
System. Several Weeks ago five older model TV sets were stolen
from the Jackson Primary School.- Photo by David Black.
Butts Hen Likes Color
Mrs. Elizabeth Craft of Indian Springs has a hen that lays eggs
in technicolor, believe it or not.
Mrs. Robert Grier, Sr., Indian Springs correspondent for the
Progress-Argus, came by the office Friday afternoon with two
eggs, one a greenish blue and one a brownish yeiiow. According to
Mrs. Grier the hen who believes in technicolor productions is a
black and white fowl but not a Dominicker.
Mrs. Grier said that Mrs. Craft tells her that the hen lays pink
eggs also. The yolk and white are the same as regular eggs and
tastes the same.
Mrs. Craft has the rooster and hen as well as many other
animals. The colored eggs were laid Thursday.
Community Building
Moves At Fast Pace
Building in the community
continued at a brisk pace in
1972 with the city issuing
permits for 18 new homes
amounting to $400,350 with
repairs and new business
permits totaling $50,500.
M. L. Powell, City Clerk,
disclosed that in 1971 the City of
Jackson issued permits for 19
homes valued at $484,125; 19
home repairs at $45,835; two
commercial buildings at
$170,000; seven commercial
repairs $26,200; one school
repair SB,OOO and permits for
three apartment buildings
$85,300, making a total for the
year $819,460.
In 1970 total building per
mits, both residential and
commercial in the city totaled
$721,227 plus the erection of a
housing project in Northwest
Jackson that totaled $722,000 in
permits. The above figures
were provided by M. L. Powell,
City Clerk.
Mrs. Mary Will Hearn, Tax
Commissioner, said that the
1972 Butts County tax digest
showed a net gain of $5,935,571
and a gross gain of $6,213,530,
this being on both real and
personal property. Mrs. Hearn
pointed out that there is no
record of building permits
because formerly none was
required in the county.
However, as of this year,
building permits will be issued
as a zoning ordinance is
expected to soon be in effect.
Mrs. Hearn also explained that
there is no accurate record of
mobile home registration,
Jackson, Georgia 30233, Thursday, January 18, 1973
though many are known to be
in the county.
Mrs. Hearn said that tag
sales continue slow and
reminds that license decals
must be purchased by April Ist
at her office in the Butts
County Courthouse. She ad
vises car owners to get them
early to avoid a last minute
rush.
C&-S Bank
Reports
Growth
Stockholders of the C&S
Bank of Jackson will hear a
very encouraging report from
President J. Frank Barnes at
the annual meeting Tuesday,
January 23rd, at the banking
house.
Notice of the Stockholder
Meeting has gone out to all
stockholders on record at the
close of business on December
31, 1972. According to Mr.
Barnes, the primary order of
business will be the election of
directors. Nominees for elec
tion will be the present Board
of Directors, comprised of L. J.
Ball, W. O. Ball, J. Frank
Barnes, E. D. Briscoe, Hugh
M. Glidewell, J. W. O’Neal, Sr.,
T. E. Robison, Sr., T. E.
Robison, Jr., William L.
Mathis, Jr. and Richard W.
Watkins, Jr.
President Barnes will report
that the C&S Bank of Jackson
Storm That Didn't Happen
Was Big News of Last Week
Mclntosh Bank
Continues
Nice Growth
The annual meeting of
stockholders of Mclntosh State
Bank will be held Thursday
afternoon, January 18th, at
3:30 o’clock at the banking
house.
William H. Shapard, presi
dent, states that the purpose of
the meeting is for the election
of directors and other business
which may probably come
before this meeting.
In a recent letter to
stockholders, Mr. Shapard
pointed out that Mclntosh State
Bank has had another success
ful year with the bank’s total
assets growing three quarters
of a million dollars during the
past 12 months.
Mr. Shapard said “the
steady growth that your bank
has had over the past years is
due to the fine staff and the
wonderful cooperation we are
getting from all of the
stockholders. With our con
tinued efforts the bank can
continue to grow and prosper.”
Officers of Mclntosh State
Bank are H. Wayne Barnes,
chairman; W. H. Shapard,
president; Joe B. Taylor,
Executive Vice President and
W. Ronald Wells, Assistant
Cashier.
Directors of the bank include
Rufus Adams, H. W. Barnes,
M. W. Carmichael, G. W.
Caston, Doyle Jones, Jr., E. M.
McCord, W. H. Shapard, Joe B.
Taylor and L. C. Webb.
deposits increased approxi
mately $860,000 during the past
12 months, bringing the bank’s
deposits as of December 31st to
$9,302,000 from a figure of
$8,442,000 at the close of
business of December 31, 1971.
Officers at C&S in addition to
Mr. Barnes as president,
include Dennis O’Neal, assist
ant vice president and cashier,
Stanley Maddox, assistant vice
president, and Mrs. Janice B.
Weldon, assistant operations
officer.
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CITIZENS OF TOMORROW
The Progress-Argus spotlights as “Citizens of Tomorrow,”
left, Joseph L. Waldrop, 3, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Waldrop,
Route 2, Jackson, and Michael Lewis, 11 months, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Allen Lewis of Route 4, Jackson.
DR. W. W. WRIGHT
Dr. Wright
To Speak at
STAR Banquet
Dr. William W. (Bill) Wright,
a native of Jackson and one of
Georgia’s most widely known
young educators, will be the
principal speaker at the STAR
Student-Teacher Banquet on
Tuesday night, January 30th,
at the Jackson High School
Cafeteria.
Dr. Wright was named last
year as president of Macon
Junior College, a distinguished
honor for this Jackson born
educator.
This annual event, sponsored
by the Butts County Jaycees,
will begin at 7:30 o’clock,
according to Tony Thurston.
Jaycee president, who an
nounces that the banquet will
be catered by Mrs. James
Moore with the price $2 per
plate.
Dr. Wright’s mother, Mrs.
W’. W. Wright, Sr. lives in
Jackson at 711 East Third
Street.
Mr. Thurston said that those
to be honored at the banquet
will include Jackson’s STAR
student-STAR teacher, out
standing young man, and
outstanding farmer.
Mr. Thurston also stated that
the Jaycees will consider
nominations for the outstand
ing young man if they are
mailed to Butts County
Jaycees, P. O. Box 3875,
Jackson Ga. 30233.
Dr. Wright received his
8.8.A. degree and M.A. degree
from the University of Georgia
and his Ph. D degree from the
University of Alabama.
*' c m |si
• ■ J^BSShh^^HSHh
Jackson last Wednesday, like
a fighter groggy and helpless
on the ropes, lay open and
vulnerable for a knock out
punch from Mother Nature, but
the best news of last week was
the storm that didn’t happen.
Brushed lightly by an ice and
sleet storm Sunday night and
Monday morning, January 7th
and Bth, Jackson waited
shivering and apprehensive for
a second ice, sleet and snow
storm predicted for Central
and North Georgia Wednesday
night and Thursday, a blow
that undoubtedly would have
paralyzed the city and added
untold misery to Atlanta and
areas northward.
Ice still clung to trees and
power lines on Wednesday with
most observers feeling that a
second ice storm would be the
coup de grace that would
probably immobilize the city
and leave it virtually helpless
as was Atlanta and other North
Georgia towns during the same
period where the ice and sleet
was heavier.
But the meteorological mira
cle that many people were
praying for occurred with the
ice watch called off early
Wednesday evening when the
National Weather Service in
Atlanta said that the Gulf
storm which was expected to
trigger the second ice, snow
and sleet system in less than
two days had changed its
course and would pass across
South Georgia, thus sparing
Central and North Georgia
from additional suffering. Late
Wednesday afternoon the
storm left sleet and snow in the
Columbus. Albany and Macon
areas while moving across
South Georgia in the direction
of Savannah which city was
struck briefly by freezing rain.
At one time in the Atlanta
metropolitan area the ice
storm, generally regarded as
the most damaging in several
decades, caused well over
200,000 homes to be without
electricity and some without
heat. As of Friday afternoon
there were still some fifteen to
twenty thousand residents in
the Atlanta area in the dark
and still cold.
Georgia Power Cos. had
brought in as many as 2,500 out
of town and out of state crews
to help with their storm
Rev. Bob Baggott Jr. To
Speak at Athletic Banquet
The Jackson High School
Athletic Banquet will be an
event of Thursday evening,
January 18th, beginning at
seven o’clock at the Jackson
High Cafeteria. This annual
event, always keenly antici
pated, is sponsored by the
Jackson Boosters Club with
awards to be presented to the
most outstanding back on
offense, most outstanding back
on defense and to the
outstanding offensive and de
fensive lineman as well as the
100 percent effort award.
Jackson High School Head
Football Coach and Athletic
Director Ron Wade announces
that the Rev. Robert T. Baggott,
Jr., pastor of the First Baptist
Church in Opelika, Ala. will be
the guest speaker. Mr. Baggott
is a much sought after speaker
on the banquet circuit and has
addressed the Jackson Kiwanis
Club on at least one occasion.
Mr. Baggott is a native of
Augusta where he was born
March 26. 1932 and obtained his
education at Mercer University
and Southwestern Seminary
$5.00 Per Year In Advance
damaged electrical service
caused by whole trees and
heavy limbs falling across
power lines. Atlanta Mayor
Sam Massell was critical of the
efforts of Georgia Power Cos. in
restoring service and inti
mated that more workers and
additional equipment should be
brought in.
Many school systems over
the northern third of Georgia
were closed all week by
electrical failure, cold school
rooms and treacherous roads.
The Butts County schools were
closed only one day, Monday,
January Bth. School systems in
Henry, Newton, Rockdale,
Walton and others were closed
several days or all week. There
was considerably more ice in
the areas immediately north
and west of Jackson. A City of
Covington employee, William
Moate, Meter Reader Fore
man, was killed Monday night,
January Bth, when he and
another employee were in
specting power lines on a
Covington street and were
struck by an oncoming car.
The severely injured man was
rushed to Grady Hospital in
Atlanta where he died later,
the other victim was reported
as improving at Newton
County Hospital. A third
worker dove from the path of
the oncoming vehicle.
The mercury in Jackson
dropped below freezing Mon
day afternoon and remained
below until the week’s first sun
on Thursday morning warmed
the mercury to the 37 degree
mark but icy winds all day
made it appear much colder.
Friday morning in Atlanta
the mercury stood at 21
degrees but with the wind chill
factor approximated a temp
erature of two degrees above 0.
By Friday most of the vestiges
of Sunday’s ice storm had
disappeared but patches of
sleet and snow were still
apparent on some rooftops and
thickly wooded areas hidden
from the sun.
Taking everything into con
sideration Butts County resi
dents were doubly thankful for
the storm that didn’t occur last
Wednesday and Thursday,
allowing everyone a chance to
catch their breath before
another might possibly show
up on the local scene.
where he received his BD
degree in 1959. He served as
First Lieutenant in the Medical
Corps from 1954-56 and married
Betty Sue Dempsey in 1954 and
they have three children.
Mr. Baggott has served
pastorates in West Palm Beach,
Fla. and Newnan before moving
to the First Baptist Church of
Opelika in September 1972.
Mr. Baggott is a trustee of
Mercer University, a trustee of
Southwestern Baptist Theo
logical Seminary, was president
of the Georgia Baptist Conven
tion Pastor’s Conference in 1971
and in the field of civic
endeavor was president of the
Newnan-Coweta Chamber of
Commerce in 1969, president of
the Newnan-Coweta YMCA and
was named Coweta County
Outstanding Young Man in 1963.
Coach Wade announces that
tickets are now on sale at $2
from the following locations:
City Pharmacy, Western Auto
and C&S Bank from Denny
O’Neal. Coach Wade empha
sized that the banquet is not an
invitational affair.
