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About The Montgomery monitor. (Mt. Vernon, Montgomery County, Ga.) 1886-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1909)
Wht iflmttiumu'rg ittmutmx VOL. XXIV. A Negro Outlaw Brings Death and Vengeance. Not in many years, if ever, lias this county witnessed such scenes of death, bloodshed and mob-rule as was enacted within her borders last week, when a white citizen and two negroes were, killed and thesheriU' and a member of the I arresting party badly wounded. The t rouble was occasioned by the arrest of one I’*, ('lark, from' Knmnuel county, an escaped con- j vict, who at the time of his deal h, | was in hiding around Soperton, at i the home of Marin!) Swinney, a negro woman, his mistress. Clark had killed a negro at Ad rian on unt of the Swinney woman, and had also shot her, being sent, to the gang for life. After his escape lie took refuge in this county. On Aug. 20th lie i talked with Mr. M. L. Adams ot Kibhee, making threats on lives of several, both white and black. Adams, realizing him to be a dan gerous character, and not being able to arrest him on tin- spot, had a warrant issued. On Thursday last Sheriff Jus. Ifestel' left Ibr Sopeftoli, where t he negro was located at t he home of the Swinney negro about sun rise Kriyay morning. Assisted by a posse, he surrounded the house and called to the woman to open' the door, which she refused to do at once, apparently giving' the: desperado time to prepare for the last st niggle. Sheriff Hester then opened a door and a window and the female walked out, and for a time refused to give tie* name of the other oc cupant, other than to sav t hat lie i was a stranger stopping with her. This consumed some time, the woman being handcuffed. Hater she called out in a loud voice, so as to be heard by the refygee in the house; i‘| have got. t.o give ii away —it ’u B.’, L pon hearing this, wliiehMio ac cepted as final, the negro nemon j sprang to t lie door and fired twice, ( tlie second load of buckshot tak ing effect, in Sheriff' Hester’s right arm and shoulder, as, seeing a j dangerous move on the part of the negro, the officer turned slsghlly to avoid being shot in the face, ■ He also returned the fire, hitting the negro sqtiaely in the breast with a powerful load of buckshot,, but, with no effect, as a later ex amination showed to the negro to be fully armed with a breastplate made from pieces cut from a cir cular saw and bound about, his! breast, and for a time this was very effective. At this point Hie i Sheriff was forced to retire on ac count of the painful wound, and the battle began Hi earnest. Clark continued to lire at every thing in sight, and as a result Mr. Jim Durden, a blacksmith of Sop erton, received a death wound in tie* head. By this t ime the party had been re-inforoed by a num ber from Soperton. After wound ing Walter Simons in the arms.: Clark, having received a mi in her • f wounds, r.in from the house and was again shot while on the fence, dropping ins gun, but con tinued some two hundred yards, st ill shoot ing, up to the t ime of liis dent h. Hss body was later taken in a wagon and carried to Soperton, where it was openly burned. John Swinney, a brother of the woman, was aarested Thursday and placed in custody in JTarrytown, being a part ner of the dead negro. Fri day afternoon, while lie was being taken to Soperton, this negro was also shot to death and his body given the same treatment. u j that of Clark. In the mean time the negro woman, who had been tak- j eu charge of, was kept ftuui vio- i i lence, and on Saturday, about II o’clock she was brought to Mt. Vernon by Mr. Andrew Move. Not i much demonstration was made I over her arrival by the citizens ot this place, and after waiting on the court house at pi are for about I an hour she suddenly disappeared, and has not since been heard from, hut it is not, supposed that ] she has met tlm fate of the other j j.negroes. It is understood that! | a party from the upper part of | the county, reinforced by individ uals from this place and nearby I territory, made an effort to find the woman, without avail, but.to ' date the affair has reached a statu j of quietude; however, the grand jury of I lie county may take oc- 1 eusion to investigate the matter i later. Sheriff Hester, while the wound j ; has given him some trouble, is ( lining well, and will, if n<> emu- j pi icat ions arise, be aide to resume 1 his (Indies in a few days. A num ber of large shot have been re moved from his arm. A FALSE OPINION CHEERFULLY CORRECTED. From t lie following statement 'by Mr. 11. A. Stallings of Mcßae, together with a letter from Prof 1 It. J. Strnzie, and testimonials i from the county school commis-j sellers of both Dodge and Telfair i 'counties, it seems that the artiele j in the last issue of the Monitor j | was construed as a reflection on the character of Mr. Stallings as teacher of the Dempsey school in this county, as touching his man- j ugement of the school m quest,ion. i For t lie benefit of all parties : concerned, and in justice to Mr. . Stallings, we beg to state that ; during the first three days ol last, week the editor of this paper was absent from the office, and in no l | manner knew of the article in j question or it.s author, and having j i his attention ealled to the injus- | : f ice done Mr. Stallings by a mim- > j ber of friends in this county, flic! origin of the article was at once! inquired in to. This matter was 1 sent in by a regular correspondent jof the paper, and in the absence: l of the editor and manager it was: given space in the last issue, * which Was gotten out by the me chanical force alone, the first in stance of its kind since the pres ent ownership'of the paper. Certainly the paper did notin j tentionully slander or misrepre sent Mr. Stallings, whose family ; we have known and esteemed for twenty-five years, and we trust that the positimi of the paper is j fully understood and appreciated jby all parties at interest. We trust further, tlnaf the matter vv.ll reach an amicable adjustment, and t hat it will not lie necessary Ito rehearse the facts in the col umns of this paper. Hditor Monitor:—l wish to cor rect some statements which were published last week hi the article headed ‘HI. A. Stallings Arrested for Beating Children.” The article begins ‘‘Before mak ing his escape —" After consul tation with the chairman of the Board of Trustees, it, was decided, that, owing to cotton picking, ami lest fact ions should arise, t<> sus pend the Dempsey School. Natu rally, my duties being over, I began arrangements for returning to Mcßae, my homo. But tli» ar ticle says “Before making his es cape.” Since when has it be -1 come incumbent upon a teacher to pay board and other expenses' for the sole purpose of remaining in the community lest, some pat ron should be inconvenienced in making a protest.? Since when ii;i- Mcßae become so far removed from (.Menwood that journeying then* could be construed into “making an escape?" Later the article say- “Finding that h is act s had been d i Hoovered. ” riicie Were about a dozen eye- MT. VERNON, (TKORGI A, THURSDAY. SKI’ IKMISICR tqoq. 1 witnesses to tin* whipping. Where . jis the concealment? How many '■•ye-witnesses are required tor a I d i fcovery ? It seems that your informant is move anxious to slander me j than to give news worthy of in- j tell igeilt readers. Aug. ffl. HHIt). H. A. Si am ixi.s. MeKai*, (ia. Titlin' I K OK KsTKKM. Kastman, (la., Aug. ffl, 11 Miff. j 'l'" Whom It Concerns • —Thisj is to certify that Mr. H. A, Sin!- 1 lings, of Mcßae, (la., has taught I si*veral terms in my county, with-i in the past. l‘nur years, giving gen-j eral satisfaction ff> patrons and | myself, lb* is a young man of high moral character, a good dis- , i ciplinanan, a faithful pains-tuk- j ing teacher and holds a First •Trade 1/ieense from his enmity. I cheerfully recommend him to nnv community desiring the services! of an earnest, energetic, zealous ' teacher. M . b. Briton, C. S. ( !., I lodge County. I " „ ' \ Mellae, (ia., Aug. ill, ItHK).— , It affords mi* pleasure to add my ! testimonial to the good features | possessed by Mr. Arnold Stallings as a teacher, lb* lias taught for I mi* and I find him competent, in i literary sense; and I also fiml j him a good disciplinarian. He is ! very industrious in the school- j rooiii, and exceptionally tactful. I 1 can cheerfully recommend | I him t.o any seeking his services as a teacher. T. R. W is'dsok, 1 Sunt. Schools Telfair Homily, i ' Mellae, (ia., Aug. iU, liMlff. Kddor Monitor; —1 notice in your I columns last week an article giv ing an account, of some trouble, between Mr, H. A. Stallings of tins place and two of his patrons near (j|i*nwood, (in. I do noi I know who the author of the article , is, hut il breathes from beginning t.o end such a spirit, of unfairness, | il bal.it was evident ly written to j injure the voting man, and not to! : chronicle an event. In justice to Mr. Stallings, I ! cannot suffer the slander to pass j : unnoticed. He Inis lived in thisj cuinmmty since his early youth, j ) and I know hint well. As a pupil j ill the Sout h (ieorgia College, lie j was a model in ability, industry j ' and moral character, and since his graduation here In* has been! j marked bv the same cliat'acteris-! tics. He lias taught, in a most sat isfnetory man n e r se v e nil' schools in Telfair and Dodge counties, and is in demand again where he lias taught.. I do not know all the circum stances connected with the pun- ©©:©©: .© © © .©: © .©. ©® © ©©©©©©© ©©© © © © | LOCAL- PERSONAL g © © ©©©©©©© e©©,© © © a©.©©©:©© ©©© © © © The Busy Bee Club will bn eu-! tertaini'd I<y Miss Bessie Stuckey at the home of Miss Lucy M<*Al-' lister Friday afternoon. All mem- j bers are cordially invited to at t end. Monday being a legal holiday, j tin* Mt, Vernon Bank will lint In* open for business. Matrons will l please take due notice and trail-! saet necessary business Saturday. Miss Lucy McAllister is visiting relal ivc-r in Rochelle this week. Mrs. C. W. Fox is packing up her household goods preparatory' to moving to Vidulin tins fall. 2o<) acres of land for sale, apply to (ieo. W. VV'i sl lierry, V idal ia, (in. j Miss Jennie Thompson has re-‘ turned from a visit among r**la-j t i Vi-i-. in M illen. Cashier J. K. Hall of Soperton was a visitor to Mount Vernon ! Thursday last. Mrs. William Newman and two j interesting little daughters of Savannah are visiting relatives in and near Mount Vernon this week. Mrs. Newman is a daughter of the Inter lien, peter Mcljbishan, and has a number of close friends iu Mt. Vernon, j ishment of t lie t wojpupils at (Hen j wood ; but Mr. Stallings informs jme that instead of putting their j hacks in a “horrible condit ion,” In* did not cut the skin, but left j only a few red marks. If whip ping is a proper punishment at all, it cannot he effective unless j some sum is left. But. admitting I that the punishment was too se wn*, Mr. Stallings simply erred jin judgment, as all teachers and parents do at times. The state j incut that In* was wantonly cruel is altogether beyond the hounds i ol reason. i In all my experience as a pupil and during I hilly years experience jas a teacher, a case ol wanton ; cruelty has m*\ er come under my observation, though the cases in which the teachers have unwit tingly indicted punishment too i severe have boon many. The author of the article in question insinuates throughout i that Mr. Stallings is a young man j without principle. I assure your , readers that tins community has never sent, out a more upright, highly esteemed young man than II A Stuffings, and every reliable man and woman hero will hear : test imony to t he same thing. I will ask yon. Mr. ICditor, as a Isimple act nt justice, to publish Mins in your issue of this week. | Iha Vi* writ ten without solicit,* i j turn from Mr. Stallings or from ! any one else. Very ri'sneetf It 11 V, It. J. SrunziKH, I ’res. Sou I h (i a. C" I lege. | GRIEF BRINGS DEATH, Ocala, Fla., August 2'.1. —I, F i Walcsinan, who for years has been attached to tin* New \ oi*K Rucker, j ilieil j ust. hcl'i ire dawn this morn ing in I In* city jail at t his place n j few hours after lie was found ap parently demented walking about i tin* hti’eets of this place. Mr. Walt.sman’s wife di«*d recently and friends slate that, gl'iel bc !i*ause of livr death affected his mind. II is aimless wanderings caused j Ins arrest by a policeman and his I t.riu* condit ion was not known un jl il lie was found dead in his cell. ! For many years Iu- had been visit !mg in Florida in his paper’s in j t,crest mill was very well known j I lll'in.lglloiil, the st ill e. 11 is l'i*ma l lis were sent, to hi* j home in New York today. Strsiv ( o\v. * S'rayed from Mt . Vernon on ,ir j about August Ist, one mouse-col j oi'cil bull.-headed cow ; no marks j Suitable ruwn n| will bn paid for j intoi'iiiatinti leading.to her recov ery. MIS M. <l. Meyers, I Box Iff, Mt. Vernon, (ia. A number were attracted here! yesterday by the <i 1 1iitrial, i which was held in the morning. Mr. K. C. McAllister luisrent-j j '*d the (Jibbs place on Itailmad j ! A veilne in order t.liul a part, of tin- children may lie in clone touch ! I wit h the school. The house hold j ! will lie presided over hy Mr. \V. K. McAllister and his accomplish ed sister, Miss Ihdle, during the I school term, the younger hrotliers j and sister id tending I . I!. I. I Mr. \V. \V. hope, one of the | liest nil izens ol this county, WHS a icalleral this oflice yesterday. Mr Pope has just returned from a j business and pleasure trip to Cal ifornia. lie is much impressed with the wealth and grandeur of | the country. Mr. ff. Peterson of Sopertoh j Itoute Nil hi her 2 was a caller at l his ofTiec yest erday. Mr. K. (dark of Towns was in this oflice on business yester- j day. lie is a regular reader of Ins’ county paper. M. •ssrs. .1. J. Calhoun and It. .1. Itoyd of Tarrytown were here on . husi uese yesterday, i 1 TEN LIVES LOST ! NEAR KEY WEST.! Key West, Fla., August 27. — \s a result ot tln* explosion at! noon today of 7(M) pounds of dv- 1 namile at. Bocnchin, 12 miles from lv*v West, mi the Florida Fast Coast railway, ten men are dead, live probably fatally wound ed and at least, a dozen others are suffering from less serious injur-! ies. The explosion was caused by a member of the railroad con struction force cai'elessly throw ing a lighted cigarette into a box of fuses. Nine of the workmen met in-i slant death I In* 1 ent h d n*d wliil be ing brought to the hospital here. The men were hurled high into t in* air and the bodies of the dead wore almost beyond recognition, ti ins and legs being torn from tin*! bodies of some, while the laces of others wei'n masses of flesh. When tin* explosion occurred the fifteen men were standing, hi water four feet deep and direct- I v beneath them was the 7<hi pounds of dynamite, ready for i lu* blast when tin* men should stop work for dinner. According In one of t In* wound- j i*d, a workman—one of the nine to meet instant death—threw Ins' I ighted I'igal'el |,e to one side, no< not.ICIIIg I lull It fell into I lie box containing tin* fuses, which were connected with t in* heav y charges i :of explosives helical,h them. A lew j seconds and the iin*ii, waffT, mud and tons of dill were thrown V' j to ‘.MI feet, in the air. Tugs lit illid* hl'niigllt till* dead uni the more seriously wounded to I his eit v, t lot hit.ter being pine- l I'd hi tin* Louise Maloney hospi tal. Those less seriously injured were placed on Slock island, opposite B'lcnchicii, ami will In* brnuglit to; Key West later. MARRIED IN CORDELE. I Many friends in this county will he interested in the recent marriage of Mr. 11. D. Johnson and Miss Maude Williams, both, pupils of tin* IHion Baptist. In-l ! st it uti*. The happy event was snleni ii i zed at Cordell* last, SuhhaHi! evening, just, at the close of a great revival in that, city, con- j ducted by Dr. (ieo. (I. Cates ot Louisville, Ky., by whom the ceremony was read, in the pres ence of an immense audience. . Mr. Johnson and bride arrived in Mt. Vei'iinn Monday afternoon, and immediately begun receiving ! i,lie best wishes and congratula tions of niimhers of friends and admirers. They will reside in Ml. Vernon, and in all pro Ini hi Ii ! t.y will continue their studies in , i In* Inst it uti* I bis year. Mr. John j son and his bride arc held in high i j esteem by both the student body! | and facility, and while their tin-j j expected union firings surprise, I jit, will also he mingled wiJi d<*- j j light,. Mr. Johnson is a native of Bnl- I ich county, while his bride is I'roin the charming little city of j Cordelc, where she is beloved by i j many friends. Possible no stu-j jdi-nts in tlie I B. I. are iiuii'e ; justly popular than tins pair, and j many will welcome them hack to| j Mt. Vernon in the happy estate, in which they have just embark'd, i Success aml ha ppne-ss to I hem. MUST GO TO WORK. i Law renoevil le, (iu. , Aug. ff< >. —A , notice giving warning to loafing | ! negroes to either “go to work or , clear out,” was this morning found posted in the lobby of tie* pi is I- j ! office here. It is signed by “The j Present Cyclops ol tin* N. K (’.’’ j By many tin* warning is taken' as a joke. The post master, liow ' ever. took charge of tin* notice and proposes to have postoffice J inspectors invest igate the mat ter. The notice referred to “all ■ I black iuoaruate devils,” U. B. Institute I Opens Tuesday. i Tiiesdtiv. Sept. 7, will mnrlc th.* <tpi > 11111 |r •• t tin* full term <>f tin* I iiimi Itnpt int Institute, and every uni lent i in points to a largo i*ii roll iiit'ii I mill mii(*i*inssfii I t t*rm. I’m pi Is tin* now arriving, and from t In* 11 n in I>»•■* of reservations i*alloil for I>v boarding pnpii». tin* dormitories will In* crowded to their utmost «*n|»m* i ty this ki*:i son, while both Ml. \Crniiii and Alley will In* fully represented m this term, m*it her of tln* towns having private sehools to eonlliet with tin* interests centered in the ! t'uion litipl ist I nst.ltiite, , I’ossilih no school in the state of its class will open the fall term with more Mattering prospects. During tin* summer vacation hr. Ilrewton, president of tin* insti iut nt ion. and ot her members of the faculty have labored for tlm ! interest manifested in the fall term, and l lie unusually large at tendance will speak the result of their labors. hr. Mrewlon cordially invites I I Im public to attend I lie opening exercises Tuesday morning, at '.I o'clock. II is also asked liy iui‘in tiers 'il the faculty that all pupils lor the faII term Im on hand promptly on the opening day, I Tuesday, Sep. 7. NFW MFMQFR FACULTY. I’rof. \\\ A. Wood, who taught. 11l tile West side of |he county last, year, and who during I lu* summer taught at his home in Luwrenoe | v 1 11*•, (ia., arrived a lew days ago, and will take up his work as a. member of I lie I list It lit'• teaching force. Mr. Wood is a scholarly ; gent lonian, and his services should | be appreciated by the management and pat rons of I lie school, \\ .• [are not, advised as to what depart- I moot he w ill conduct, lull feel (safe in saving that his work will In* sat islactorv. Ity way of a few days rest, Mr. Wood has just spent, a week in | Washington City, Richmond and other points, visiting many many of the Virginia battlefields made I famous bv the struggles of tin* j sixties. Mefore the opening of j I lie I'. I!. |. on the 7tll, M I*. Wood is visiting the family of Mr. R. Newton Wood and other friends in West Montgomery. ( Imrlollo ill<>. S|.4 rjtil < 'i#| HMpotlilflHf. We are sorry to say that the lit tb* daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. T. (iordon is still very ill. Mrs. Daisy Tomlinson of Slul enville is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. .1. W. Moseley. Mr. Alexander Johnson and i wife of Long I’ond were visitor* at the home of Mr. I’. M. Mose i ley Sunday. Mr. Ren M >rris of Cedar ( b’oss i ing died at his home Saturday morning. Remains were laid to i rest in the (iddis cemetery Sun ; day. Mr. J. A. Harlow of tin* l.ans ■ hurg section spent a few days id last week in t his see) 1011. M iss Reel ha Moseley was *t pleasant visitoral her uncle’s, M r. ;<!. R. Moseley, last Tuesday. Mr. A (I. Gordon and family (spent last week with relative* | over in Je(l Davis. Mr. Rill rail in and wife of Cedar Grossing wore guests at the home of Mr. G. R. Moseley Suu i day. Mr. and Mrs. G. Morris spent Sunday with parents. 1 Mrs. Georgia Conner attended services at Caroline's Chapel Sun ni a y. Mr. Ifenrv Mann, a popular young man of perry’s Mill, spent Monday night at the home ot Mr. jC. R. Must-ley. —“Fuss and Fun.” NO. 2 !
