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Volume 103 Number 18
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YARD OF THE WEEK —The home of Mrs. C. F. Singley located on Dempsey Avenue in Jackson was selected as Yard of
the Week by the BCABC for its year-round beauty. Photo by Jerry McLaurin.
Murder , Kidnap Rampage Ends
On 1-75 Here With Four Dead
Nine hours of wild terror
and senseless killings, which
began Saturday about 6 p.m.
in Jacksonville, Fla., ended
Sunday morning on Inter
state 75 near Jackson about
3:10 a.m. when Moses
“Pickle Daddy” Pearson, Jr.
took his own life.
With Pearson at the time
as hostages were Mrs.
Delores Janda, of Bay
Village, Ohio, and her
daughters, Jodee, 16, and
Kristy, 12.
Over 30 law enforcement
vehicles were in pursuit of
Pearson, who was driving the
Janda vehicle, when a road
block of two trucks was set
up on the interstate.
Pearson was fleeing the
law officers at speeds up to
120 miles per hour, until
Butts County Deputy Bill
Barnes rammed his car from
the rear, causing it to careen
onto the median before
coming to rest on a
guardrail.
Authorities credit Barnes’
action with saving Mrs.
Janda’s life, as Pearson fired
point-blank at her head at the
moment of impact between
the two cars.
But the bullet ripped past
her head and she plunged to
the floor board, feigning
death.
Pearson’s body was
brought to Sylvan Grove
Hospital by Sherrell Ambu
lance Service, where he was
pronounced dead upon arri
val. The body was then taken
to Trimier Funeral Home in
Jackson.
Pearson, an ex-convict
with four pistols, started his
robbery, kidnap and murder
spree late Saturday after
noon in Jacksonville, Fla.
and before his death had
killed two and wounded
seven in Florida and mur
dered one and wounded
seven in Georgia.
The berserk black, 31, with
many convictions for rob
bery and drug offenses,
killed one man and wounded
two others about 6 p.m.
Saturday at a Jacksonville
used car lot.
His second victim was
killed at a roadside wig shop
where he wounded two others
in a holdup. Then, police
said, he went to a private
residence where he wounded
three others.
Still in Jacksonville, at a
drive-in liquor store he
jumped into a car driven by
three young women and
made them drive north into
Georgia.
At a truck stop near
Cordele, one of the hostages
alerted police after being
permitted to use a restroom.
Police were summoned and
in the shootout that resulted,
Pearson wounded two offi
cers and two bystanders.
During the melee, two of
the hostages escaped and
Pearson drove the third to a
Pinehurst gas station. In an
attempted robbery, Pearson
shot and killed the station
owner, was wounded himself
in the ear, and lost his last
hostage.
In quick succession, he
drove to two other service
stations, shooting an attend
ant at each.
'Butts County 1776''
Slated For July 4-10
In 1974, Butts Countians,
along with many visitors,
saw an unbelievable July 4th
celebration unfold on the
county’s courthouse square.
Native sons and daughters of
the county witnessed and
took part in a colorful
extravaganza of arts and
crafts displays, music, dan
cing, fireworks, eating and
enjoyment that surprised all.
Then in 1975, folks in this
area witnessed a 150 year
Butts County birthday cele
bration that amazingly top
ped the celebration held the
year before. It featured the
largest parade which had
ever graced the streets of
Jackson’s fair square which
was donned with bearded
Brothers of the Brush and
costumed maidens remini
scent of the days of the
county’s birth.
As impossible as it may
seem, Dick O’Hara, presi
dent of the Butts County
Chamber of Commerce, Inc.,
has declared that this year’s
celebration of the nation’s
200th birthday will far
surpass either of those
celebrations preceding it.
“The only way that this can
be accomplished,” said
O’Hara, “is with the same
spirit of cooperation that we
experienced on the part of
Butts Countians during the
past two celebrations.
“This year we plan to
emphasize the individual
communities in the county.
We have already ordered
buttons for residents of
Jackson, Jenkinsburg and
Proceeding north on 1-75,
Pearson rammed into the
rear of the 1974 Buick being
driven by Leslie Janda, shot
Janda in the arm when he
stopped and drove off in the
car with Mrs. Janda and her
two daughters until the
shooting orgy finally ended
near Jackson early Sunday
morning.
Pearson had served time in
the Springfield, Mo. prison
for mail theft and had been
arrested eight times in
Jacksonville since 1968. Au
thorities there consider him a
prime suspect in a small
grocery store robbery last
week where four elderly
persons were slain.
Flovilla to wear during the
celebration. Other communi
ties in the area that can
guarantee enough pur
chasers will also be able to
get buttons for their com
munity. The buttons identify
the wearer as a member of
his own community,” said
O’Hara.
The celebration will begin
on July 4 and will continue
through July 10 which is the
day of the main celebration.
The schedule so far includes
SI,OOO worth of fireworks on
July 4, day-long activities in
Avondale Park on July 5, an
armory dance on July 7 and a
parade and celebration on
the square on July 10.
“Butts County 1776” will be
the theme of Butts County
Week celebration. All resi
dents are encouraged to
dress in 18th century
clothing. Beards will not be
required this year but they
are definitely encouraged.
When deciding on costumes,
O’Hara asks that all remem
ber that our county had a
close association with In
dians in its recent history and
that costumes with that
Indian-pioneer theme in
mind would be most appro
priate.
Individuals or organiza
tions wishing to obtain more
information about the Butts
County Week celebration can
contact Dick O’Hara at
775-5423. Harry Lewis, chair
man of the parade committee
can be reached at 775-3108.
Sherry Ledford, member of
the celebration committee
Jackson, Georgia 30233, Thursday, April 29, 1976
PEEWEE BASEBALL
STARS TO MEET
All boys who signed up for
Peewee Baseball will meet at
Wallace Field on Monday,
May 3, at 5 p.m.
Any parent, or player,
having any questions should
contact Ernest Biles at
775-3367.
BICENTENNIAL DAY
Butts County School Super
intendent W. B. Jones
announced Monday that May
11th will be Bicentennial Day
in the Butts County Schools.
The day will be celebrated by
programs in each school and
National Bicentennial menus
in each lunchroom.
Students and staff mem
bers will dress in period
costumes to help celebrate
the 200th anniversary of our
nation’s birthday.
Brown Agency
Is TIC Merit
Award Winner
Brown Insurance Agency,
Jackson, an independent
insurance representative,
has been honored as a 1976
Merit Award Winner by the
board of Time Insurance
Company, a life and health
insurer.
This year 300 of Time’s
4,000 Independent agencies
qualified for the award,
according to W. E. Jordens,
Senior Vice President and
Director of Marketing. The
Merit Award is presented
annually to those agents who
have shown exceptional
records in the areas of
service to clients, product
knowledge, and sales activity
during the previous year.
Time Insurance Company
is a Milwaukee-based firm
that was organized in 1892.
Time is licensed and repre
sented in 45 states and the
District of Columbia.
can be reached at 775-3151.
Folk music groups and
blue grass groups are wanted
for entertainment all day on
the square for July 10th.
Musicians interested are
asked to contact .Wilma
Bridges.
Voters Tuesday Name
Commissioner, Choose
Presidential Favorite
Butts County voters will make
political history on Tuesday, May 4,
when they go to the polls to cast their
ballots in the first presidential
preference primary in the State’s
history.
Of equal, or perhaps even more,
importance to the voters will be the
run-off special election to fill Post No.
3 on the Butts County Commission.
Mac Collins, Jackson businessman,
polled the most votes in the initial
contest for this seat, 810, to 748 for
Mrs. Walter J. Bennett of Indian
Springs. Archie G. Ross received 453
votes.
With 5,212 voters qualified to cast
ballot^.in the preference primary and
the special election, Probate Judge
Luther J. Washington is anticipating a
stronger turnout than the approxi
mate 40 percent who voted in the
Democratic Party Sample Ballot
PART I
FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
(Vote for One)
□ FRANK AHERN
□ BIRCH BAYH
D LLOYD BENTSEN
□ FRANK BONA
□ ROBERT BYRD
C JIMMY CARTER
□ FRANK CHURCH
□ ABRAM EISENMAN
□ FRED HARRIS
□ HENRY JACKSON
□ ROBERT KELLEHER
□ ELLEN McCORMACK
□ GEORGE RODEN
□ MILTON SHAPP
□ SARGENT SHRIVER
□ MORRIS UDALL
□ GEORGE WALLACE
PART II
DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES
Vote for one candidate for each delegate post and each alternate post.
DELEGATES ALTERNATES
Post 1 Post 1
(Vote for One) (Vote for One)
□ GEORGE CAUDELLE □ WILLIAM E. SCOTT
(Unpledged) (Pledged to George Wallace)
□ JAMES A. MANKIN □ FRANCES M. TEEL
(Pledged to Jimmy Carter) (Pledged to Jimmy Carter)
□ JIM WILLIAMS _ , „
(Unpledged) *.°. st “ n
(vote for One)
Post 2 □ DOROTHY REDDING KIRKPATRICK
(Vote for One) (Pledged to Jimmy Carter)
□ EUGENE W. (GENE) BAKER □ PATRICIA LYNN RAY
(Unpledged) (Unpledged)
□ WALTER A. FOSTER □ DONNIE F. ROBINSON
(Pledged to George Wallace) (Pledged to George Wallace)
□ RICHARD J. HALL
(Unpledged)
□ VIRGINIA W. JACKSON
(Unpledged)
□ CONNIE PLUNKETT
(Pledged to Jimmy Carter)
Post 3
(Vote for One)
□ FERDINAND ACKERMANN
(Unpledged) A
□ VAL COX, SR. -
(Unpledged)
□ RAYMOND HEAD, JR.
(Pledged to Jimmy Carter)
□ ALMA J. JOHNSON
(Unpledged)
□ J. A. LANGLEY
(Unpledged)
□ WESLEY W. (WES) LORD
(Pledged to George Wallace)
special election of April 13th.
Voters on Tuesday will be given
either a Democrat or Republican
ballot, as they request, in addition to
the short ballot for the run-off special
election between Collins and Mrs.
Bennett.
The Republican ballot will allow
the voters only a choice between
President Gerald Ford or contender
Ronald Reagan. No delegates for
either candidate will appear on the
ballot.
The Democratic ballot, however,
in addition to the 17 candidates for
president-some of whom have
withdrawn-will list a slate of
delegates in the Sixth District who are
either unpledged, or pledged to
Jimmy Carter or George Wallace.
The Democratic voters will check
first their presidential preference
$6.18 Per Year In Advance
from the 17 names listed, and then
vote for delegates either pledged to
the candidate of their choice, or
unpledged in the event they prefer a
candidate other than Carter or
Wallace.
The vote for delegates is the most
important vote on the presidential
primary ballot, since it will determine
the selection of delegates from the
Sixth District who will go to the
Democratic National Convention
pledged to support their candidate on
the first convention ballot to select a
presidential nominee.
To assist voters in marking their
preference ballot, a sample copy of
the Democratic ballot is reproduced
below. As mentioned above, the
Republican ballot will allow only for
the choice between President Ford
and Ronald Reagan.