Newspaper Page Text
CO-OPERATION Word Here
in r The Watch- agencies
operative marketing
more c county than in any
operate in Grady
other county in Georgia.
VOLUME XXV.
storm damage not
SO EXTENSIVE HERE
TERRITORY TO NORTH, WEST
H4RI) hit BY WIND AND
RAIN. HOWEVER.
ochlocknee river now
highest in many years
AH Of Stricken Area Was Gradually
Recovering Thursday From
Effects, Though.
A rain and wind storm of marked
intensity general over Southwest
Georgia, Southeast Alabama and
Northwest Florida, lust Sunday hi ter
noon a nd Sunday night, which reach
ed its height in this locality about
four o’clock Monday morning, did not
do extensive damage in Grady county,
but the territory to the north and
west was hard hit.
The rainfall here Sunday afternoon
and Sunday night was shown by the
government guage at the sugar cane
experiment station, * just north of
Cairo, to have been only 2.25 inches,
whereas more than seven inches of
rainfall was recorded at Moultrie
and Albany, and a rainfall as much as
ten to twelve inches wds reported at
points further west, Although the
rain further retarded Grady county
crops; ffhich have been suffering
somewhat extensively from the unu
sually wet weather this spring, the
damage to property by the high wind
here was not great.
High wind di able prop
erty damage at points nearer the
heart of the storm area and thous
ands of people living in the lowlands
have been forced to seek higher
ground after the rivers and creeks
reached the flood stage. The Flint
river threatened to do extensive dam
age at Albany and Newton and it is
still threatening West Bainbridge,
which was virtually washed away in
the 1925 flood.
Cairo and this immediate section
has suffered most from an almost
complete tie-up of highway and rail
traffic and lines of communication,
particularly to the north and west.
The Atlantic Coast Line has suffered
very great damage from numerous
wash-outs between Bainbridge and
Dothan, and between Camilla and
Albany. Trestles and high fills were
washed away by the flood waters in
several places and it was necessary
to concentrate the repair forces from
virtually all parts of the system to
get the tracks open as quickly as pos
sible.
Through service between Thomas
v >!le and Dothan on the A. C. L. was
impossible until Thursday morning,
the east-bound St. Louis-Jacksonville
Express being the first train to come
through since Sunday morning. It
reached Cairo nine hours late Thurs
day morning. These through trains
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
were detoured and local service was
established between Thomasville and
bainbridge to serve this section.
T hese trains Monday and Tuesday
went over the Southern between J: s
U P> Macon and Columbus, and the
Central of Georgia in Alabama. The
Albany-Thomasville branch was open
ed Wednesday. The mail service was
Practically normal Thursday, though
through freight service will not likely
be restored until Friday or Satur
day.
!h e Ochlocknee river, between
' airo and Thomasville, was not
greatly affected by the rainfall local
but it began a steady rise Tues
rJa >'’ and Wednesday night and Thurs
'' a y morning it had reached the high
e - t flood stage in many years. It is
'"uch wider than it was during the
'■^5 flood and has been impassable,
i0r the third time this year, since
Tuesday night, although it was fall
ln S 1 hursday and since fair weather
has prevailed over the upper part of
’- s basin during the past few days,
a 1 npid fall is expected. It fear
was
^ that much damage was done to
grading that is being done at
T Thomasville. ' ,, ‘ Tlevv bridge between Cairo and
Tobacco in this county was showing
• ‘Sns of scald Thursday, but the to
mato Plants on the Crine Seed Farms
do not s how that they badly hurt.
Gen are
e> al farm work has been seriously
int 1 ‘"red with, however.
1
®he Cairo itleescnaer ♦
TEN PAGES
Signs for Schools and
Churches Are Finished
■ The signs which are to be given j
all of the churches and schools in the j
county by the local Chamber of Com- j
merce are finished and about ready
for delivery.
The signs contain the names of the
various schools and churches and are
to be placed in a conspicuous place
near the buildings where passers-by
may be able to tell the name of‘the
institution plainly.
CONFESSES THAT HE
MURDERED HARRELL
NEGRO ADMITS POISONING E.
W. HARRELL, GRADY CO.
CITIZEN.
Charles James, alias John Wright,
27, colored, said to be a native of
North Carolina, is in the Grady coun
ty jail here charged with murder as
a result of having confessed Wednes
day, according to officers, that he
poisoned and killed Elias W. Harrell,
72, a well-known Grady county citi
zen, who was found dead at the home
of his nephew, Jonas W. Harrell, in
the Lime Sink district of this county,
on April 15th.
The body of Mr. Harrell, who was
staying at the home of his nephew
while the latter carried a load of pro
duce to Columbus, was found after
the negro had given an alarm. A
coroner’s jury was impaneled to in
vestigate his death and it returned
a verdict that he died of natural
causes, evidence being submitted at
the inquest that members of his fam
ily had died suddenly of heart failure.
He was buried Monday afternoon,
April 16th, at the Harrell graveyard,
hear » Hill, in Decatur county,
with Rev. J. R. Blewett officiating.
A few days later, it was found that
some of the dead man’s personal ef
fects, including some of the contents
of his iron lock box, were missing,
and Sheriff D. D. Perkins, assisted
by Deputy W. R. Harrell, a son of
the deceased, Deputy C. E. Stewart,
and Jonas Harrell, began a thorough
investigation, which continued until
Tuesday of this week, when sufficient
evidence had been accumulated to
charge the negro with murder. Under
a grilling by the officers and Mr. Har
rell, the negro is said to have con
fessed the crime Wednesday.
The elder Mr. Harrell lived alone on
his farm a short distance from the
residence of his nephew. The negro
came to his nephew’s place last Feb
ruary and sought work, whereupon
he was given employment as a farm
hand. When the younger Mr. Har
rell went to Columbus, he asked his
uncle to stay at his home, there be
ing no one else there except the
negro. Several articles had been
missed about the place, but the negro
was not suspected, at first, although
most of the thefts have been traced
to him and some of the stolen proper
ty has been recovered.
Th« r'^ro says, according to the
officers, that he found a considerable
quantity of morphine and strychnine
in Harrell’s lock box and that on the
morning of Saturday, April 14th, he
put a good part of the morphine in
the coffee which Mr. Harrell drank at
breakfast. He says that a few minu
tes after breakfast, after Mr. Har
rell had finished eating and gone into
the yard, he complained of being ill,
stating that he believed he was about
to die. The negro says he picked him
up and carried him into the house and
placed him upon a bed, whereupon he
died in a short time. He says he
then took a small quantity of money
from his pocket. He states further
that he went away and did not return
until the next day, Sunday, just be
fore he gave the alarm that Mr. Har
rell was dead.
The theft of a cured ham, one of
Mrs. Harrell’s dresses, Mr. Harrell’s
pistol and other articles have been
traced to the negro, who, officers be
lieve, sought to kill Mr. Harrell to
cover up these thefts, and with an
idea that he would find a considerable
sum of money on his person.
Mr. Harrell is survived by several
sons and daughters, besides other
relatives.
The negro will probably await the
action of the September grand jury. i
The Official Organ of Grady County.
'The man who wandereth out of the way of advertising shall remain in the congregation of the dead.”
CAIRO, GRADY COUNTY, GA., FRIDAY. APRIL 27, 1928.
FINE PROGRAM HERE
FOR MEMORIAL DAY
CONFEDERATE VETERANS ARE
HONORED; GRAVES ARE
DECORATED.
Confederate Memorial Day, Thurs
day, April 26th, was fittingly observ
ed in Cairo.
The observance was sponsored by
the local chapter, Daughters of the
American Revolution. T hgk eighteen
living veterans in the county were
sent personal invitations to partici
pate in the observance, but only a
few of them were able to attend.
They assembled at the Courthouse
Thursday morning, Where automo
biles were provided to carry them to
the Cairo school auditorium. Here
the special program was rendered,
after which the heroes of the ’sixties
and a group of other interested citi
zens went to the local cemetery and
decorated the graves, 46 in number, of
those who have passed on. Evergreen
wreaths were used. Afterward, the
veterans were taken to the Bell House
where they were given dinner.
The following impressive program
was given at the school auditorium:
Song—“Tenting Tonight”—school.
Invocation—Rev. D. P. Lee, pastor
of the local Baptist Church.
Reading—“Memorial Day”—Love
Reddick.
Song—Third grade.
Introduction of Speaker—Supt. J.
H. Morrison.
Memorial Day Address—Rev. J. B.
Johnstone, pastor of local Methodist
Church.
Song—“Dixie.”
HALL HERE
Campbell Soup Company Purchasing
Agent Visits Cairo This Week.
Hon. F. H. Hall, general buyer for
the Campbell Soup Company, of
Camden, N. J., spent a short while
here this week in consultation with
Mr. R. V. Crine, local contract grower
of food crops for this concern. He
also inspected the tomato plants
which are being produced on the
Crine Seed Farms for the New Jersey
fields of the company. Shipment of
these plants is expected to begin
early next week.
Mr. Hall expressed himself as be
ing well pleased with conditions here,
considering the wet weather.
WHAT IS CAUSING CAIRO TO GROW?
Other Citizens Give Their Opinions As To Real Causes For
Addition Of 948 Citizens During Past 8 Years.
The Messenger presents below
the opinions of some other rep
resentative citizens as to the
causes for Cairo’s growth during
recent years. The opinions of
several were presented last week.
Says one:
“In addition to the first reason
given in last week’s issue of The Mes
senger. I think one reason for Cairo’s
growth is the type of women in our
community. Some one has said ‘A
nation never rises any higher than its
womanhood.' We have an excellent
body of women in our town who try
to hold the standard of the commun
ity high, who try to set high ideals
for the youth and try by example and
precept to attain these ideals.
“A preacher’s wife, in leaving Cairo
a few years hence, said that she had
never lived in a town with as many
capable women, women who always
stand for the best. Although we
have a good number who are active
in church and civic affairs we have
others who are inactive but wield a
silent influence for good in their daily
lives.
“People like* to live where the best
element prevails.”
Another says:
“Cairo has grown because of the
wonderful natural advantages which
i t i ias —but natural advantages do not
make cities, do not make for progress
and do not direct themselves. It takes
folks to make great communities, to
build handsomely ;:::d to build well, to |
REVIVAL HERE WILL
CLOSE NEXT SUNDAY
CAMPAIGN IS DRAWING MANY
PEOPLE EACH MORNING
AND NIGHT.
The revival campaign which was in
stituted by Cairo Methodists on Sun
day, April 15th, will be brought to a
close next Sunday, April 29th.
Rev. C. T. Clark, of Davisboro, Ga.,
who is doing the preaching, will re
main here throughout the remainder
of the campaign. The usual two ser
vices will be held again tomorrow,
Saturday, as well as today, Friday
and Sunday.
In addition to the pastor, Rev. J.
B. Johnstone, Rev. J. A. Thornton,
pastor of the Cairo circuit, and Rev.
H. P. Langlois, pastor of the Whig
ham Methodist Church, are assisting
the leader in the campaign.
Good crowds are attending the two
services each morning and night and
local places of business are closing
for the morning services this week.
Colored Youth Guilty
on Charge of Burglary
Fleming Douglas, local colored
youth, who was found hiding in the
cellar of Wight & Browne, local drug
concern, about closing time, last week,
was apprehended by officers Monday
night, when he returned to his home
here.
He was arraigned before Judge J.
Q. Smith here Thursday morning on
a charge of burglary and was ordered
by the court to be committed to the
state reformatory.
*
Arranging Committees
on ‘Pecan Convention’
Officials of the Chamber of Com
merce are engaged in arranging com
mittees which will have charge of the
entertainment of the annual conven
tion of the Georgia-Florida Pecan
Growers Association, to be held here
May 23rd and 24th.
This will be the third of a series of
conventions to be entertained' here
during the year and will assemble a
large group of prominent men from
Georgia and Florida.
The tentative program has been
worked out, but is subject to changes.
The only entertainment that will be
asked of the people will be lodging
for one night.
build character and faith, as well as
to build houses and factories. The
real reasons for Cairo’s remarkable
growth have been the uses to which
its natural advantages have been put
by the folks who are proud to call
Cairo their own.
“The sense, of solidarity among us,
the sense of a common origin, a com
mon set v*>f purposes, backed up with
the faith, the courage and the energy
to make of those ideals a living thing,
a thing of permanence and of char- i
acter - and the hi « h ideals of charac
ter, of justice, and of progress held
by those who live here, has been the
impelling spirit that has made Cairo
one of the best of the cities of Geor
gia.
“A man cannot love a place in the ■
abstract, a man cannot love a coun- j
try that he has not touched and seen
and become a part of, and the wonder,
ful loyalty and patriotism of the /oiks
here is rooted in their activities for
the finer and better things of life.”
Still Mill another anotnei points points out out that- tnat.
“The splendid growth of Caiio ma^
be accounted for at least in part by
the following:
“(1) Return of the people from
Florida who went there in its boom !
days. f
f‘(2) The development of our agri- j
cultural and manufacturing interests,
“(3) The growing recognition of
the fact that there is no better place i
ir. which to live than in Cairo and the
surrounding section."
TEN PAGES
To Validate Issue Of
School Bonds May 7th
Legal notice is given in this issue
of The Messenger of a petition to con
firm and validate the $40,000 issue of
Cairo Consolidated School District
bonds on May 7th.
It was first planned to validate the
issue on Saturday, May 5th, but be
cause it will be more convenient for
court officials to come here Monday,
the validation was deferred until that
time.
TOBACCO EXPERT TO
BE HERE WEDNESDAY
TOBACCO GROWERS TO HEAR J.
M. PURDOM, A, C. I, R. R.
OFFICIAL.
The brigt-leaf tobacco growers of
Grady county will have the privilege
next Wednesday, May 2nd, of hear
ing a talk by Hon. J. M. Purdom, to
bacco specialist of the Atlantic Coast
Line railroad and highly regarded
authority on problems relating to the
culture of brigt-leaf tbacco.
Mr. Purdom has promised Secre
tary J. M. Hughes, of the local Cham
ber of Commerce, that he is going to
make an effort to spend two or three
days next week in the fields with the
growers of this county, so that he can
give them first-hand advice about var
ious problems, but, regardless of
whether or not he is able to spend
this much time here, he is going to
talk at a meeting of the growers at
the Courthouse here at 2 o'clock Wed
nesday afternoon. At this meeting,
which all the growers are urged to
attend, he will discuss the crop out
look and conditions in the tobacco
industry, generally, but he will also
give considerable time to a discus
sion of the problems that have de
veloped as a result of the unusually
wet weather which has been experi
enced during the early part of the
growing season this year.
Mr. Purdom is busily engaged just
now in inspecting the tobacco fields
over the belt, particularly that part
of it served by his company, and he
is very conversant with crop condi
tions and with the best methods of
getting a good stand of tobacco under
these conditions.
Mr. Purdom’s weekly articles on
tobacco culture in the various papers
throughout the belt are quite widely
regarded and a large per cent of the
growers in this county will doubtless
be present to hear his first-hand dis
cussion of the various problems here
next Wednesday afternoon.
Young Stribling Here
In a “Swallow” Plane
Young Stribling, the noted pugilist,
who made a brief visit to friends here
on Thursday of last week, making the
trip in his “Swallow” airplane, came
again on Wednesday and spent the
afternoon.
After landing at the local field,
friends took him for a ride about the
city and when he returned to the field
he took several local people for short
flights over town. He appeared to
handle the plane with all ease.
Stribling, who has more knockouts
to his credit than either Jack Demp
sey or Gene Tunney, may meet the
present champion in a bout for the
world's heavyweight title at Miami, j
if a movement instituted this week !
materalizes. Press dispatches say
Miami promoters have guaranteed
Tex Rickard one million dollars. It
j s being predicted in many places
that the Tunney-Heeney match will
fall through and it is said that Strib
ling would be the strongest contender
for the title, if it did.
C. OF C. DIRECTORS TO
MEET TUESDAY. |
_
regular meeting of the
tors of the local Chamber of Com-1 j
merce, scheduled for last Tuesday
evening, was postponed because of
rev ival services at the Methodist
Church.
The meeting will be held next Tues -1
day evening, May 1st, beginning j
promptly at 7:30 o’clock. All mem
bers are urged to be present, as busi- j
of importance will come up for ]
cons Ideration. 1 i
r=C
GRADY COUNTY
Is Georgia’s Banner County,
the hub of its sugar cane and eolUrd
seed industries, the home of diversi
fied farming.
NUMBER 16
JUDGE BELL CUT BY
R. E. LASHLEY HERE
REGRETTABLE AFFAIR OCCURS
EARLY LAST TUESDAY
MORNING.
ALTERCATION RESULT OF
DISCUSSION ABOUT DITCH
Lashley Charged With Assault With
Intent To Murder; Under
$5,000 Bond.
One of the most regrettable affaira
that has ever occurred here was that
early last Tuesday morning when
Judge R. C. Bell, of the Georgia Court
of Appeals, was painfully cut about
the face with a knife or some other
similar instrument, in an altercation
between him and his next door neigh
bor, R. E. Lashley.
It is understood that Mr. Lashley
called Judge Bell over to hie garden,
near their residences on West Och*
iocknee street, to discuss with him
some ditching that had been done by
the former, and some remarks alleged
to have been made by Mrs. Bell con
cerning the work that was done.
After some discussion of the mat
ters, the two came to blows, it is
said, and Judge Bell suffered several
severe cuts about the left side of his
face.
Dr. J. V. Rogers was summoned
and Judge Bell was taken to the Rey
nolds & Rogers Hospital, where it
was found that one cut was across the
lower part of the ear, almost sever
ing the lobe of the ear, with another
across the middle part of the cheek
and still another a litt*le higher be
tween the ear and the eye, almost
touching the eye. Another cut was
across and down the nose for approxi
mately an inch and a half. Fourteen
stitches were required clos the
wounds and Judge Bell was later
taken back to his home. He is get
ting along as well as can be expected
and no serious developments are ex
pected, unless complications set in.
A warrant was issued for Mr.
Lashley charging assault with intent
to murder, and, at a hearing before
Judge W. V. Custer here Tuesday
night, he was allowed bail in the sum
of $5,000.
Cairo Fight Soon To
Feature Knight, Plan
j Local admirers are planning a box
ing match for Cairo soon to feature
Joe Knight, the local sensation, who
added another knockout victory to
his long string in Thomasville on
Thursday of last week.
His probable opponent will be a
fighter from a northern state and the
fight, if arranged, will be staged
about six weeks hence. A special
arena may be constructed for the
fight.
A number of local fight fans saw
the program of matches in Thomas
ville last Thursday night, which fea
tured “Young” Stribling in a sparring
match. Knight’s match was one of
several preliminaries, The Cairo
fighter downed his opponent for a
count of nine in the second round and
knocked him out in the third.
William F. PfillCe is B
Victim of Pneumonia
Mr. William Franklin Prince, 42
years of age, passed away at his home *
six miles north of Cairo at five o’
clock last Monday morning, follow
ing an attack of pneumonia. He be
came ill during the first part of last
w-eek and developed pneumonia in a
short time. He steadily grew worse
until his death.
The deceased had a large circle of
friends, who were deeply grieved to
learn of his passing. - He is survived
by hb parents> Mr and Mrs G E
one sister and four brothers,
Funeral and interment were at
pleasant Grove on Tuesday morning,
the services being in charge of Rev. r
j p. Swann, Rev. J. A. Thornton and
the Odd Fellows.
Mr. C. L. Browne returned Thurs
day from Macon, where he was a dele
gate from the Cairo Masonic lodge to
the annual meeting of the Grand
A-A Lgs oi Georgia,