Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 3A
50 Years Ago
t|]
N' 1
* ^ 1
’ I
Mr c j
Dcrotctl to the l*ro&m» of Juehton County
The Jackson Herald
»OC PER COPY OFFICIAL ORGAN OF JACKSON COUNTY
JEFFERSON. GEORGIA. JACKSON COUNTY. 30549
Wednesday, August 9, 1SMV7
^DS‘THAT SOUND GOOD’ BEING FOLLOWED UP
GANGLAND-STYLE KILLING OF FLOYD HOARD
Fund
r Z-i *• |msi
r'^. b " n *;■
Wr rXtt Mr '
I;JSw •* «>■
oll'tnS
iSOU 91
rTgju lQ
0,000 of his
• , jf Coram* s,,on *
■ . mi Erenow of
f* us offered
1. 0 e* produce*
WJzsi rt ibo xr-
■ jsd convict-
W7 pertes rt*poo?i-
■ gairfj death-
the Grorjia
|yg. has offered
f j, ®4er5tood that
ypep , jCt thc
; pit add to
Sol. Goo. Flo,, Mo.ro _ .
h.O .truck h.,0 .1 .u.o thi.VFry b,„|.,„ n , - ...
k.H.0 0 .n,l,„d,t,l. Mood., morning wh .„ . bomb rip.
p»d nit automobile
Th. 40 year old J.d.r.onl.n .bout lo lo.yo hi.
homo on Iho Brockton Road at 7 25 a.m. when . blot
wont oil Ih.t woo h..,d In downtown J.llcon, three
miUt away. He di«d a few tecondi latar.
Mr. Hoard wa* thrown into
the back seat of hi* -«MJan.
the steering section atop hit
body Various other part* of
the car littered the yard Win
dows in the front of hit home,
some 50 feet away, were
broken by the bla*t
The solicitor general's old
est child, IS year old Pcj;g>
Jean, jumped out of bed when
she heard the blast. Runninc
out. she tned to save her fa
thcr by applying mouth to
mouth resuscitation.
"He mumbled and he breath
ed a few times," she said. "1
tried to bring him back."
It was only by chance that
Peggy Jean herself, and some
other members of the family,
were not killed She had
planned to go to town Mon
day for her driving test and
she and her mother had dis
cussed her using the sedan
rather than their other car. a
Station wagon. However. Mrs.
Hoard had pointed out that
the sedan contained the police
radio and that Mr. Hoard
might need it. They could
swap cars in town, she had
said.
The two younger children.
Vivian and Claudmc. ages 9
and 7. were not home at the
time, having gone to visit rel
atives in Macon. Dickie, the
14 year old son, was home.
Peggy Jean said later she
not surprised that this
happened to her father.
“He couldn't live," she said.
"I hadn’t thought of their get
ting him this way ... 1 had
thought they’d shoot him. Rut
I wasn't surprised.”
Peggy Jean said her father
had made no particular state
ments that gave her this feel
ing but said she “just knew
it."
The solicitor general began
carrying a gun about a year
ago and had urged other court
officiaK to do the name, lie
al*o had reportedly received
thrt-jts hut he didn't talk
*rueh about them.
Sheriff L (I Perry said six
*° 12 '**cks nf dynamite were
apparently used to blow up
the solicitor's car They had
»n:en U-'cd between the mo
tor -rid da*h of the dark green
l ord sedan The hood had to
Ih* raised in order for the dy
namitc to have been put there,
he said N'o more than five
minutes would have hern re
quired to do the task, the
sheriff rontinued. One could
have seen the dynamite had
lie been htoking for it, said
the vheriff.
jo? Hoard, the dead man's
uisHUcr. >aiu me solicitor had
incmioncu to him several
inumn-i ago the possibility
»*Mi ins car could be bombed.
ibe Hoard* have several
uogt umi mere was some bark
ing oaring me nignl, members
i/\ toe family said, hut tins
was nui unusual. After the
blast, one of tnc dogs, the
most fierce one," disappear
ed for a time. However, all
dogs were back as of late
Tuesday, the sheriff said.
Mr. Hoard wa* on his way
to the opening of the August
term of Jackson Superior
Court when the explosion oc
curred. The grand jury was to
have convened simultaneously.
So far as is known, Mr.
Hoard had only rather rou
tine matters to bring before
the grand Jury. However,
there has been conjecture that
perhaps he was onto "some
tiling hot ~ Others speculate
that it was hts previous activi
ties in crime busting which
brought about his death.
Some officers have been
quoted as saying it was prob
ably a "revenge” killing.
SOL. GEN. FLOYO HOARD
"You hear about thing* like
this happening in Chicago or
New. York. 1 never thought it
could happen here."
"It’s unbelievable "
"What a dreadful thing to
have happen tight in a man's
yard . . his children and
wife nearby."
Theae were a few of the
comments one heard in Jack-
son County Monday as word
spread of the tragedy which
befell Floyd Hoard
Countlana reeled from the
• hock, as did the state Must
I * ople here said the crime
t
situation was worse than they
had thought
Leading men and women
from throughout the county
had gathered m Jefferson
Monday morning for the open
ing of the August term of
Jackson Superior Court.
They assembled at the
courtroom at 9.30 a.m. as
scheduled. But everyone knew
no court would be held.
Judge Mark Dunahoo. Sher
iff L. G ivrry. Clerk of Court
Billy Elder and other court
officials took their places
(CeniiMnd an Fa## •)
Officers have some leads “that sound
Rood to us," Capt. J. E. Carnes, who is di
recting the investigation, told The Herald
ahout noon today (Wednesday).
Earlier Col. R. H. Burton, State Public
Safety Director, told The Herald by tele
phone from his office in Atlanta that there
have been two interesting leads, “one of
which may prove helpful.”
tine lead is reportedly tak
•ng officers out of the .state
Every lead is being followed
it is noted, including the pos
sibility that the killing wan
tied in with a southern area
crime synidrate. One officer
said the killing was apparent
ly done by a profcwional and
there has been much specula
tion that it was done by a
hired killer. Another officer
An Editorial
They killed Floyd Hoard.
Or was it “they”?
Did we in Jackson County by our
apathy, our ignorance, our fear, our failure
to lend law enforcement and the courts our
full-hearted support help create a climate
which led to this heinous crime?
If Mr. Hoard had had staunch, unre
lenting support from the public, if we had
let it be known, time and time again, that
we were not going to tolerate these hood
lums in our midst, would Floyd Hoard be
alive today? Would they have decided the
cost too great in Jackson County and moved
on to some softer spot?
It is almost a certainty.
Bui the past is behind us.
When they put the dynamite under
Floyd Hoard’s car, they put a dynamite
under Jackson County. In this tragedy, we
as a community were jarred to an anger,
an awareness, a determination, a unity
which we had not before known.
This resolution—so s'rong in the heat
of emotion this week—must not waver. It’s
time to get tough with hoodlums and gang
sters and stay tough. We can no longer be
a soft spot where such can find a solace.
We can no longer be intimidated.
We ha ve an enemy in Vietnam. But
wc in Jackson County have another enemy,
under our doorstep, and we must not rest
until he is routed and put to flight.
We must serve on juries when called,
never shirking for some puny excuse this
sacred duty. We must think in terms of
maximum penalties, not minimum. Wc must
constantly assure our law enforcement
officers of our support and let them know
that only the best is expected from them
as well.
We must, in short, vigorously a ze
any opportunity that comes our way to
make this a better place in which to live and
rear our children . . .
. . . To make it a place where a child
will not have to run out in the wake of an
earth-shattering blast and see the mangled
body of a father who had tried, too much
alone, to make this a decent place in which
to live.
County Reels From Shock
No Successor
To Mr. Hoard
Appointed Yet
No one has yet been named
to succeed Floyd Hoard as so
licitor general of the Pied-
said the pay for killing a so- rnont Judicial Circuit,
licitor general may run as
high as $15,000.
Anyone bavin# any in
formation which might bo
halpful in tho investiga
tion of tho Hoard doath
is askod to call 367-S25S.
Sheriff L. G. Perry has
• nnouncod.
Col. Bursnn was in Jeffer
son Tuesday, helping organ
ize the probe into Sol. Hoard's
death A team of right state
offiers, in addition to Sheriff
L. C. Perry and his force, is
working on the ease. Head
quarters is at the Crawford
W. Long Inn.
Capt Carnes told The Her
ald today that nothing new of
significance has been uncov
ered since Tuesday.
Sheriff Perry had high
praise for the degree of co
operation by all the officers
concerned.
"I feel that at the present
everything is being done that
possibly can be done. There Is
full cooperation by the law
It is understood that Gov
Lester Maddox will appoint a
Auecew.r who would serve un
tu an election could be held.
Mr Hoard's term ends Dec
31. 1968
The governor's office told
The Herald today (Wedncs
day) that no one had been
named ar.d that it was not
known ju.vt when an appoint
ment would be made
In the meantime, the Au
gust term of Jackson Super
ior Court—which was to have
begun the day Sol. Hoard was
murdered—has been recessed
indefinitely. It cannot proceed
until a solicitor general is
named.
JHS Grid
Season To
Open Aug. 25
Maddox Sends
In More
State Officers
Go;. Lester Maddox an
r.ounced today hr is sending
"a large number” of state al
coholic tax agent* into the
Jackson County area
"The purpo.c (or sending
the Lgcft’s into the circuit is.
of course, to investigate vio
lation of the state'* liquor
laws.” he said "They have
been instructed to remain
there until the divtnet it dried
up or thove guilty of the hru
ta) murder of Sol Gen Floyd
Hoard are brought to Justice."
Gov. Maddox continued. Sol.
Hoard fought a good fight
•gainst crime »nd criminals
in his circuit and we do not
Intend to permit it to end. In
fact. I have instructed both
the GBI and the Department
cf Revenue agents to intensi
fy the war cn crime On yes-
t^rday, I offered a $1,000 re
ward frem the state of Geor
gia for information leading to
the arrest and the conviction
of the perron or persons re
sponsible for his death. To
tFat I added $1.000 from my
own personal funds, f expect
the full cooperation of all law
enforcement officers and of
ficials as we carry on Sol.
Hoard's fight.
"1 urge all citlvcns to help
us solve th s heinous murder
and to come forth with any
information they might have
ir. connection with this gang
land type killing "
The Jcffcrscn High School
football .season will open Aug.
enforcement agencies and wc 25 with a home game White
are concentrating on iL No County will be calling
one who has been asked to llcr«- it the remainder of
help has turned us down," tb« the schedule
sheriff said.
Sept 1. North Habersham.
Away Sept. 8. Toccoa. Home
S#p! 15. Green Co. Away.
Sept. 15. Green Co. Away.
Oct 6. Morgan Co., Away Oct
13. Lovett. Away. Oct 20.
Harlem. Home. Oct. 27. Wash.-
Wilkes. Homo. Nov. 3. Ogle
tberpe Co.. Away.
1 ...He Had Counted The Cost'
**. . . he made his decision,
he had counted the cost and
yesterday he paid the full
price . . .**
These were the words of
the Rev Robert Ramsey, pas
tor of the Jefferson Metho
dist Church, as he delivered
the eulogy to Floyd Hoard
Tuesday afternoon at the little
stone church where Mr Hoard
had been a Church School
teacher and official board
member.
The Rev. Mr. Ramsey con
tinued:
“As long as there is one
shred of decency, as long as
truth, honor and love prevail,
this state, community and
n«a and each of us shall al-
It wa* snnovfKtd wily
last maak that Mr. Heard
had b##n selected to ap
pear in the IH7 edition
of "Outstanding Personal
ities of the South."
Other recipients of this
honor include governors,
U.S. senators and Con-
gressmon of tho southom
states. Persons ere select.
od because of "pad
achievements and service
to their community, state
•nd/or nation."
Members of Mr. Hoard's
family said he may never
have known of the honor.
The announcement was
made In a release to The
Herald.
"Fuzzy Hoard lit a torch
and wc pray God that it has
not fallen but that we shall
take it and hold the light high
in word and deed."
The young minister called
Mr. Hoard "a rare individual."
noting bis wide spectrum "of
interests, gifts and concerns"
“Those who have seen him
on the gridiron or baseball
diamond say he could have
achieved fame in athletics. He
was a man’s roan. A teacher,
a coach and developer of boy*
and youth. Such a warm sense
of humor, yet a man of seri
ousness who could express
deep thoughts about life.
death and God He had the J ame , Helms and Mrs Mary
gift of poetry to express his Goo d mani both of Griffin; and
thoughts, sometimes humor- fijc brothers. Joe of Jefferson,
ously and sometimes seriouv Troy Lewis. Edward and
ly. in rhyme. Tom. of Griffin.
"But he turned his back Funeral services were held
upon teaching or athletics and al 4 p m Tuesday at the Jef-
chose through dUigent study a j trson Methodist Church with
dent of the Piedmont Bar
Assn.
The solicitor general was a
U.S. Navy veteran of World
War If. a member of the Jef
ferson Lions Club. Unity
Lodge No. 35. F and AM. and
the Jefferson Methodist
Church where he had taught
the Men's Bible Class and
served on the official board
Surviving his wife, the for
mer Miss Imogene Westmore
land; one son. Dicky Hoard:
three daughters. Peggy Jean.
Claudinc and Vivian, all of
Jefferson; the parents, Mr
and Mrs Richard G. Hoard of
Griffin: two sisters. Mrs.
career In the legal profession.
It was here In his chosen field
that God worked in bis life
and wr pray in his death . . ."
Mr Hoard was 40 years of
age. a native of Fayette Coun
ty Hr attended the Spauld
ing County schools. Georgia
Military College and was a
graduate of Mercer L’niversity
Mr Hoard taught at Georgia pup^ral Home had charge.
Military College and was foot
ball and basketball coach at
Sopcrton High School
the Revs Mr. Ramsey. Phillip
Fair and Marvin Brewer of
ficiating Interment was in
Woodbine Cemetery. Jeffer
son.
Pallbearers were: Tift on
Greer. Billy Elder. Henry
Robinson, Judge Mark Duna
hoo. Sheriff L. G Perry and
Judge Jim Barrow Jackson
Mrs. Hoard had asked that
in lieu of flowers, contribu-
ways owe an immeasurable
debt to Fuzzy Hoard
"Like a sword piercing our
heart, the question that hangs
over our heads is 'Did Floyd
Hoard dir In vain?* The an
swer shifts to you and me
and will be found In whether
all of u* see to act responsi
bly and courageously that
crimes such as these shall
never again, be committed.
He completed the LaSalle t IO n% be made in her hua-
Extcnsion Course in Law and hand's memory toward the
pasted his bar exam in 1955 Jefferson Methodist Church’s
Mr Hoard was associated with property purchase project
Ibc 1.1- <;-ortc W«r.or- und'n-7 Tb-rturch i,
, n . r. . . n V I 2 7BW F . V.
land |n law practice
ferson He served as tempor
ary editor of The Jackson
Herald in the late lD50*s
Mr Hoard wav elected so
licitor general of the Pied
moot Judicial Circuit in 1944
and took office on Dec. 1,
1944 He was a paat preat-
Jef ,r Fi°9 *o raise $13,000 tor the
purchase of adjacent property
lo be uved for voulh activities.
Among those attending the
funeral were the president,
vice president and secretary-
treasurer of the state «oltel
lers general a^ociatioa.
Hoard continued from 1A
said Monday night as friends and family
members looked on. “But that’s because of
you, because of his family, even these that
never knew him, but are his blood kin. We
have a legacy to live up to.”
Hoard also spoke of his father’s courage
and of the need to remember what hap
pened five decades ago.
“My dad was a compassionate man and
when he set his mind to do something,
when he started, it was going to get fin
ished.”
(For related stories, see pages 4A-6A
and page 1C in this issue of The Jackson
Herald.)
B0C continued from 1A
HOARD FAMILY
Three of slain solicitor general Floyd Hoard’s four children were at the old
Jackson County Courthouse Monday night to remember their father’s murder
50 years ago at the hands of local bootleggers. (L to R) Peggy Jean Hoard
Suddreth, Richard “Dickie” Hoard and Claudine Hoard Smith joined other
family members and friends for an event to recall that tragic day and the
changes that have taken place in the five decades since.
The BOC is slated to vote on the plan
at its Aug. 21 meeting.
In other business Monday night, the
BOC:
• approved a plan with Jefferson to
continue building inspections on homes
currently under construction in Storey
Meadows subdivision that were recently
annexed into the City of Jefferson.
• reviewed the proposed 2018 aging
service contract with the Northeast Geor
gia Regional Commission.
• reviewed a proposal for new software
for finance, human resources and the
public development department at a total
cost of $480,300.
• reviewed a proposal to use a new firm
for EMS billing services.
More scenes from EJES first day
READY FOR
KINDERGARTEN
Destiny Nichols got
to work first thing
Friday morning in her
kindergarten class
at East Jackson
Elementary School.
Photos by
Angela Gary
ARRIVING ON FIRST DAY
Bethany Meacacke is shown getting off the bus on
the first day of school at East Jackson Elementary
School on Friday morning.