Newspaper Page Text
THE FITZGERALD LEADER.
Official Newspaper of Irwin County. Georgia.
Official Newspaper of City of Fitzgerald, Ga.
PUBLISHED EVEHY THURSDAY BY
?. G.’ KNAPP) [ E niT<)R8 and PUBLISHERS.
*1.60: Subscription Rates:— Ono copy, ono year
Six months, 75o: Three months, 50c.
Terms—I nvariably in advance.
Job and advertising rates made known on
application. Your patronage soliolted.
WEATHER REPORT.
At Government Observation and Signal Sta¬
tion—Forcast of Weather Each A. M.
ami Cover the Following 36 Honrs.
(REPORTED EXPRE8SLY FOR THE LEADER BY
DR. COE.]
For the week ending Wednesday noon, De¬
cember 15, 1897:
DAYS. Temperature, Rain¬ Pre’v'g
fall. wind.
li A M 12 M. 8 I’ M
Wednesday Thursday. its 56 60 56 a; so
so
Friday..... Saturday... (K 62 se
52 r,-, sw
Sunday..... Monday.... 50 52 78-100 sw
10 .VI 8W
Tuesday... Wednesday 41 50 10 =
V" a
Total rainfall, 78-100 inches.
Sun obscured by clouds 21 hours.
Night rains measured at 6 a. m. and credited
to that day.
Thunder during rain of Monday.
Christian Science.
Services every Sunday morning 10:30; Sun¬
day school 11:30, and Sunday evening services
at 7:30, corner of Pine avenue and Lee street.
A cordial invitation is extended to all ot 'what¬
ever creed or calling.
CITY AND COUNTY.
That good soaking rain on Monday
made the grass look as green as summer
time.
_
The Leader will take a few cords of
dry wood on subscription. First come,
first served.
_
Capt. John Phillips offers his prop-
erty in Tifton at a low figure, See ad
in another coldrnn.
Chief of Police Jones, of this city as¬
sisted Sheriff Handley in the execution
of Henry Nesbitt last Friday.
By an oversight the price of hands
and crystals in Wettstein’s ad. was
read “ 50 cents.” ' It should be
made to
10 cents.
_
“Bill” Snyder came up from St. Au¬
gustine, Fla., last Sunday. He says that
the ancient city is full of northern
tourists.
_
Ira Linch, who, for a year or more,
held cases on The Leader, - is now at
Waycross, where he is “slinging type”
on the Herald.
If McKinley allows a statute of him¬
self to be made in gold by capitalists,
the people are likely to make one of
him in mud, says the Atlanta Journal.
The building of the machine shops
and bicycle factory at Cordele has been
postponed until January. The promo¬
ters of the enterprise are Indiana capi¬
talists.
The Leader is read by more people
than any paper in the county, Our cir-
culation is large and reaches the best
class of citizens. It is the advertising
medium for the business man.
Why don’t the newspapers that are
howling so savagely for Mrs. Nobles’
blood tell us why so many male mur¬
derers go scot free, or serve a short sen-
tence in the penitentiary?—Rome
Tribune.
O. J. Graham, Robert Weatherston
and Fred Nussell, all of Fairbault,
Minn., arrived in the city last Monday
evening on a prospecting tour. They
are well pleased with the outlook of the
Magic city.
An Alabama editor hungrily ex¬
claims: “Friends, a little help would be
appreciated very much; can’t you bring
us some sweet potatoes or corn? An ed-
itor once choked himself to death try¬
ing to eat grass.”
The great six days’ bicycle race came
to an end last Saturday night, at Mad¬
ison Square garden, New York, with
C. W. Miller, of Chicago, an easy win-
ner. Miller’s share of the gate receipts
will be about $2,000
Mrs. Nancy Allison McKinley, the
aged mother ot President McKinley,
died at her home at Canton, O., last
Sunday, after a lingering illness of sev¬
eral weeks. President McKinley was
with her when she died.
Tho decision of the supreme court of
Indiana, that a wife may, at any time,
sue for and recover money lost by her
husband gambling, is in line with com¬
mon sense and decency, and if it isn’t
a good law everywhere it ought to be.
The number of ballots printed for the
New York municipal election was 1,900,-
000, and the aggregate weight was forty
tons. Laid side by side the ballots
would have covered 116 acres of land,
and laid end to end would have reached
720 miles.
__
J. Van Etten, living southeast of
town, left at this office last Tuesday; a
monster turnip of the Globe variety,
measuring 20 inches in circumference,
and a new variety of radishes that meas¬
ured 21 inches in circumference. They
are on exhibition at this office.
The directors of the Georgia Chau¬
tauqua at Albany have decided to have
a building erected as a permanent
home for the institution, and to have it
finished in time for the next annual as¬
sembly in the coming spring. The plan
is to use the Chautauqua association’s
property as a basis for bonds to be is¬
sued to erect the building.
Independent Candidate.
Ward. Tly request of many citizens in the First inde¬
I hereby announce mysell’as an
pendent candidate for alderman In the First
Ward. If elected I will use my best endeavors
to have lowor taxes and the city business con¬
ducted ou economic principles.
Titos. Wilson.
Deo. 10,1897. .
Mr. C. Hurley and John Foreman, of
Pike’s Peak, Ind., arrived in the city
last Thursday on a short prospecting
tour through this section.
Capt. H. H. Tift, of Tifton, was in the
city last Wednesday,and while herepaid
taxes on his Irwin county property. His
railroad tax was $372,000 ; personal tax
$1,250.00,and Fitzgerald city tax $180.00.
Born, to Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Clare,
last Saturday, (a 9-pound son. All get¬
ting along nicely, except Sidney, who
at last accounts, was slowly recovering.
We would recommend ’alf and ’alf, Sid¬
ney.
The Sunday school of the Christian
church will have a Christmas cantata—
“Santa Claus expected” at their church
Friday evening, December 24, at 7:30.
Every one is invited. Come and bring
your presents.
Col. Thomas Wilson, who has been at
Atlanta for the past two weeks, in the
interest of the amendments to the city
charter, returned home Wednesday
evening. The bill passed and is signed
by the governor.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Rev. H.
F. Long pastor. Services in the Pres¬
byterian church, on South Grant street
every Sunday at 11 a. M. Sunday school
at 2:30 p. M. The public are cordially
invited to attend.
The colony company have decided to
change their auction sale of city lots
from December 18th, to January 20, 21
and 22. This was thought best on ac¬
count of the big excursion from the
North that is to reach here on that date.
Geo. Ricker, Fitzgerald’s up-to-date
photographer and artist, was at the
hanging bee at Irwinville last Friday,
and secured pictures of Nesbitt just be¬
fore being hanged and after the pro¬
ceedings were over. The pictures are
Interesting and are on sale at Rickers.
The entertainment at G. A. R. hall
last Thursday evening was attended by
an appreciative audience. The receipts
will be and for the benefit of the “Childs’
Study Club.” The program was varied
and entertaining, reflecting much credit
on the ladies who had charge of the
same.
_
It is said that down to the
century a part of the marriage service
in Hungary consisted in the groom giv¬
ing the bride a kick to remind her
her subjection. The custom still
in this country to some extent,
that the kick comes after the
is over.
___
At an election held at Cordele
Saturday for the purpose of
$7,000 in 6 per cent, bonds to insure
link in Georgia & Carolina railroad
tween Cordele and Hawkinsville,
is unfinished, the vote stood 191 to 1
the issuing of bonds. Cordele is an
to-date city.
_
Tho base ball boys are making
rangements for a big ball game on
Christmas day with the Wolf Pit nine
that promises to be interesting. We
also understand a dance will be held in
the evening and will adjourn at
o’clock. Everybody should turn out
and enjoy a good game.
Major E. W. Wood, an old time trav¬
eling man, who years ago was selling
goods through our town in South Da¬
kota, and at Hawarden, la., was in the
city last Tuesday on a prospecting tour.
This office was honored with a short
call and a few yarns swapped about the
pioneer days of the West.
Here’s a “hot one” on Cols. Way and
Burch. Before leaving Macon for ir¬
winville, Henry Nesbitt told a News re¬
porter “that two young men and inex¬
perienced attorneys were appointed to
defend him, and they did not know how
to manage the case.” Well, a famous
Manhattan will do for us, boys.
An exchange says: “The man who
went out to milk and sat on a boulder
in the middle of the pasture and waited
for the cow to back up to him was the
eldest brother of the man who kept a
store and didn’t advertise because he
believed the purchasing public would
back up to his place when they wanted
anything. _
The aim of our farmers should be to
produce everything that they consume.
Wonderfully favorable conditions of cli¬
mate and soil make it possible for them
to raise most of the necessaries and
many of the luxuries of life. Their ob¬
ject should be to avoid the necessity of
buying rather than to make a great
deal of one thing to buy with.
On Monday last a special car left
White, S. D., for a tour through the
southern states, the final destination
being Boston, Ga., which is situated in
the southern part, only a short distance
from the Florida line. The car was oc¬
cupied by thirty people, with 80 pieces
of baggage, from which we infer that
they intend to remain. The car will go
from here direct to Chicago, and from
there through to Georgia. A number
of people from points on the Milwaukee
road in South Dakota, joined the ex¬
cursion here.—The Farmers’ Leader,
Pipestone, Minn., 9th.
Another G. A. R! Post is being or¬
ganised which, when mustered in will
give Fitzgerald three posts. V. P,
Dillingham is the head man of the new
post. The petition has already twenty
names.
_
Mr. D. Ewing, a native farmer east of
this city, a staunch and true friend of
The Leader, left at this office last Sat¬
urday a sample of syrup of his make.
In all candor it is the best syrup we
have “ sampled” in wiregrass Georgia.
“ Uncle Dave,” go to the head of the
class.
_
E. Nicholson has branched out in the
draying business and now has a bran
new, up-to-date wagon on the street.
“Nick” will get his share of the trade,
as he is the only auctioneer in town and
has a the faculty of making a man do
business whether he wants to or not.
Success, “Nick.”
Alderman Martin Scott, after an
absence of six weeks on a business
trip to Little Falls, Minn., returned
Wednesday morning. He reports a
good time, but found plenty of cold
weather and more than glad to get
back to Fitzgerald where the roses and
other flowers are still in bloom.
Capt. D. C. McCollum left this morn¬
ing (Thursday) for Indianapolis, Ind.,
where he will again go under treat¬
ment for tumor of the throat. The
Leader is sorry to see Captain McCol¬
lum leave Fitzgerald, but trusts the op¬
eration will be a successful one, and that
he will, at an early date, make this city
his home agai n.
Mr. S. E. Coleman, of Ocilla, was in
the city Wednesday, making arrange¬
ments to move his family in order to
educate his children. We understand
he was successful in securing a dwell¬
ing. Mr. Coleman will farm his plan¬
tation as of yore, and will spend a por¬
tion of the time with his family in the
Magic city. _
A fine sample of ripe raspberries and
strawberries were shipped northern
friends to-day (Thursday) by Mrs. E.
C. Markland, 5-acre tract east of the
city, and L. O. Tisdell, on Ocmulgee
avenue. This luscious fruit was raised
on open ground, the plants having
been set out last October.
Harry Glessner died at the Middle
Georgia Military and Agricultual col¬
lege at Milledgeville, Friday. He was
stricken with typhoid fever in October,
just after he had been elected to the po¬
sition of captain of the company in
which he had stood with the rana and
file for the past three years. He was
one of the most popular students at the
college. He was a son of Maj. W. L.
Glessner, of Macon. The interment
was at Amerieus.
The city is full of homeseekers from
the North, and each day brings new ar¬
rivals. With a live, progressive peo¬
ple, and “I am happy all the day,” is
the ever-day song of the “Yank,” The
day is not far distant when the turpen¬
tine still and saw mill will be a thing of
the past in this section. Both are re¬
treating to make room for an indus¬
trious people, who, in a few years at
most, the north half of Irwin county
will be a veritable garden owned and
tilled by a happy and contented people.
Mr. B. F. Wilcox, an old and highly
respected citizen of the Pickren dist¬
rict, has a curiosity in the shape of a
stalk of corn. It measures eight feet
and nine inches in height and bore an
ear of corn at every joint from the sec¬
ond to the eighth joint. But the most
remarkable thing about this stock of
corn is the fact that it was made with¬
out a particle of fertilizer. Mr. Wilcox
learned to farm long ago, before guano
was brought to this section and our
country would be better if we had more
farmers like Uncle Frank Wilcox.—
Douglas Breeze.
John Van Etten, who came here
nearly two years ago from Indiana and
bought 175 acres of land 4 miles south¬
east of town is meeting with good
success as a cotton raiser. He had 25
acres planted to long and short cotton,
of which he has already realized 7
bales of short and 3 bales of long cotton.
He expects to pick another bale of long
cotton, making eleven in all. The ten
bales brought nearly $340.00 at the low
price paid for cotton. His corn crop
and csweet and Irish potatoes have
brought good results. Mr. Van Etten
is well pleased with wire-grass Georgia
and says by plowing deep and using good
barn manure one can raise just as
good crops as any where on earth.
Roy Baisden is the champion thief
catcher of Fitzgerald. Last Sunday
morning about 2 o’clock he heard an
unusual noise in his store as if some one
was trying to break in a window. Slip¬
ping on his pants and shoes he quietly
went around the west side ol his store
building and found a young negro try¬
ing to enter the house through a broken
window. The negro saw Roy about as
soon as he saw the negro, and away
went the fleet-footed negro at a 2-min¬
ute clip. Now, Roy is somewhat of a
foot racer himself, and he started in
pursuit. After a chase of a block or
more he caught his man in Thompson’s
lumber yard. Calling the night watch¬
man, Roy delivered up the would-be
robber, who now languishes in jail
awaiting trial. Roy will be our next
chief of police, as Chief Jones will turn
over his star.
A Modem City.
Mr. Geo. W. Johnston, who visited
this city some timo ago and who was an
old time friend and army comrade of
Capt. D. C. McCollum, wrote the Amer¬
ican Tribune at Indianapolis of his re¬
cent visit here. He says:
I have just returned from a visit to
the metropolis of Georgia, Atlanta, and
spent a week in the next largest town,
Fitzgerald, which is dear to the heart
of the old soldier, and we all wish that
his hopes may soon be realized. It looks
to me like the city is planted to stay.
I got the impression some way that
Fitzgerald was located on flat land; was
not well drained, and was not healthy.
To my surprise I found it to be beauti¬
fully located on as nice a tract of table¬
land as there is in the State of Georgia,
with good natural drainage all about it,
With few exceptions every five or ten-
acre tract about the city has a high and
rolling building site, fronting on one or
the other of the prominent avenues
leading out of town. The whole is an
interesting thing, which the old sol¬
dier, very often with a family about
him, is solving to his entire satisfaction.
The well-kept garden and truck farms,
with everything from a rose to a ruta¬
baga, beautiful, fresh on Thanksgiving
day, was a matter of unusual interest to
the northern farmers who were paying
this place a visit for the first time.
Having spent most of my time in north¬
western Florida for the last six years,
and knowing something of the climate,
water and soil of this southland, I have
no hesitancy in saying that Mr. Fitz¬
gerald and his corps of efficient helpers
could not haye found in this entire
South a better spot for building a city,
than the present site of Fitzgerald.
The very fact of the mercantile busi¬
ness and the building of handsome
brick business blocks now going on is
the best of evidences that no mistake
has been made.
The purchase of business lots, dwel¬
ling lots and outside tracts at the auc¬
tion sale held last week, by capitalists
both of the North and the South, is
very gratifying to the men who, two
years ago, hewed their way through the
pine forests for a place to plant their
homes.
A new $40,000 hotel, with contracts
made for water, gas and electric light¬
ing, is about completed. A canning
factory is under way, and there are
good schools, cnurches, and a home for
every one, all of which means that the
city must soon rank among the best in
the State.
A harder-working, happier lot of fel¬
lows you seldom meet. Many of them,
who were worn out and used up physi¬
cally in their northern homes, have,
since coming to this mild climate among
the pines, taken on a new lease of life,
and it is refreshing to listen to their,
“How are you comrade?” and feel the
hearty hand-shake as they come and go.
Geo. W. Johnston.
Chipley, Fla., Nov. 29,1897.
An Important Case.
In its unprovoked light against the
Tifton & Northeastern, the Georgia &
Alabama railway has gone to the
length of addressing a circular letter to
its agents, instructing them to refuse to
receive any freight from the former
road, unless shipped from strictly local
points along its line.
This resulted in the piling up of a lot
of freight consigned to Ocilla and other
points, via the Tifton & Northeastern
in Fitzgerald, the G. & A. refusing to
receive it.
Fulwood, Murray & Paulk, attorneys
for the T. & N. E., last Saturday car¬
ried the case before Judge Littlejohn at
Cordele, and were granted a writ of
mandamus nisi, requiring the Georgia
& Alabama to appear before him at
Amerieus Saturday, December 11, to
show cause, if any they can, why a man¬
damus absolute should not be granted,
requiring them to transport to its des¬
tination freight consigned to points-
along their line.
The outcome of the case will be
watched with interest, as it involves a
nice point of law, as to whether a rail¬
road, as a common carrier, can dictate
as to how freight shall be routed before
it reaches its line.—Tifton Gazette.
The supreme court has decided that
the prohibition law of Irwin county is
uncontitutional, and a Fitzgerald man
says ho will open a grog shop in Syca¬
more for the Christmas trade. He may
thrive there; he may not. Such a busi¬
ness is against the sentiment of the
community, and the church will not he
held responsible for the reception.
The 3-mile law virtually drives the sale
of whiskey to the incorporated towns,
but it can be sold, in Sycamore, Ocilla
and Fitzgerald. A prohibition election
for Irwin county is now in order, and
we are confident that if it is left with
the natives the county will go dry by a
popular vote. If the colonv people vote
liquor upon our sister town we will
haul down the flag of truce and take
back all the nice things we haye ever
said about them. Put the Advance down
on the prohibitioon side of the fight.—
Ashburn Advance.
If the people of Sycamore do not
choose to have liquor sold in their town,
Bro. Smith, they can put the license at
$10,000 and keep it out. Don’t blame
Fitzgerald for a law that was un-con-
stitutional.
The city council held a special meet
ing this morning.
THE CAUCUSES WERE HELD.
A Good Strong Ticket Nominated Iiy the
Citizens’ Party.
The city election next Wednesday
promises to be a very quiet affair as
only one ticket is in the field at this
time, although another ticket is being
agitated by the citizens’ reform league.
The caucuses in the different wards
were held last Saturday evening with
every member of the citizens’ reform
league present, but owing to their lim¬
ited number of voters only secured two
candidates out of all the offices to be
filled, one of which was E. S. Child as
a member of the board of education
from the First Ward, and C. E. Becker
from the Third W aril, The following
are the candidates nominated in each
ward:
First Ward—Alderman, Thos. Kay.
Board of education, Ben Baughman
and E. S. Child.
Second Ward—Alderman, J. H,
Stalker. Board of education, W. H.
Marston and J. W. Turner.
Third Ward—Alderman, A. W. Rey¬
nolds. Board of educution, D. T. Paulk
aDd C. E. Becker.
Fourth Ward—Alderman, H. L. Beau¬
champ. Board of education, E. Towne
and D. B. Jay.
THE CITY CONVENTION.
On Wednesday evening was well at¬
tended by every delegate being present
excepting T. S. Price from the Fourth
Ward. The meeting was changed from
the Grand Army hall to the city coun¬
cil chamber on account of Mr. Thomp¬
son, the manager of the hall, being ab¬
sent from his place of business and could
not be found.
The convention was called to order
by Mr. H. G. Taylor, and on motion of
Col, W F. Way he was made chairman
by an unanimous vote. Mr. George
Whitman was selected as secretary.
On motion of Sam’l Fleming an in¬
formal ballot was taken for the purpose
of seeing who the candidates would be.
The ballot was spread which resulted
in Martin Scott receiving 10; M. Buice
8; C. E. Dunn 9 and George Whitman
1. On motion of Samuel Fleming, the
candidate receiving the lowest number
of votes after the 3rd ballot was to be
dropped from the list, was carried:
First Formal Ballot—
Buieo........................ 9
Dunn.......................
Scott......................... 10
Seooud Ballot—
Buico........................ '
DunnJ....................... 10
Scott........................ 10
Third Ballot—
Buicc. ..................... 8
Dunn......................... 1"
Scott........................ 10
Fourth Ballot—
Dunn....................... ,12
Scott....................... 10
Necessary for choice, 15.
BOARD OF EDUCATION RESIGNED.
Members Send in their Resignation to
City Council—Two Weeks for
Holidays.
At a regular meeting*of the board of
education Wednesday afternoon consid¬
erable business was transacted. Among
other matters was a resolution giving
the city schools a vacation from Dec.
17th to Jan. 3d, when the schools will
again re-open.
After the regular routine of business
the following resolution was adopted :
Fitzgerald, Ga., Dec. 16, 1897.
We, the undersigned, hereby tender
our resignations as members city of Fitz¬ the
board of education of the of
gerald, in order satisfactory to remove settlement all legal with ob¬
stacles to a
The Colony Company and the purchase
of the school houses, sites, furniture,etc,
J. G. Knapp. A. Griffey.
J. E. Burch. D. T, Paulk.
J. W. Turner. Edwin Towne.
W. H. Marston.
In the settlement with The Colony
Company the city council have been
unable to adjust matters on account of
the school board not having the legal
authority to buy or sell real estate and
with the board of education in the way
it was impossible for the city council to
make a satisfactory settlement. The
board of education deemed it best to
resign, as on the commencing of the
city schools next year, the buildings
and furniture would then be the prop¬
erty of the city.
Jonas F, Johnson, an old vet and
colony member, formerly, from Ne¬
braska, was made glad and happy last
Thursday by the arrival of three daugh¬
ters, Mrs. Hubbert and four children,
of Polk county, Neb., and Myra and
Clara Johnson, of Chicago. It was in¬
deed a happy meeting of the family, af¬
ter a seperation of six years.
The Woodstock News: R. E. Mc¬
Alister received a rather odd piece of
mail this week from his sister, Mrs. J.
B. Butts, of Fitzgerald, Ga. It was a
huge pod of the poppo plant, resembling
a bean pod in shape, but about a foot in
length, and has his name written in
ink on it. It stood its trip without
scratch or blemish, and is highly prized
by Mr. McAlister.—The Farmers’ Lead'
er, Pipestone, Minn., 9th.
The door nail, in earlier times, was
the plate of the door upon the old-
fashioned knocker struck to arouse the
inmates of the house. As the plate or
nail was struck many more times than
any other, it was assumed to be more
dead than any other nail. Hence the
phrase, “Dead as a door nail.” If old
ideas are to be revived, as now seems
probable, the phrase may soon have a
present application.
DROPPED TO ETERNITY
Henry Nesbitt, the Triple
Murderer, Is Hanged for
His Crimes.
COOL AND CALM TO THE LAST
Went to the Gallows Expressing Hatred
for His Whole Race—At the Scaffold
He Examines His Coffin and
Shakes Hands With His
Friends—Made a Short
Speech.
The first legal hanging in nearly 40
years in Irwin county took place at Ir-
winville, the county seat, last Friday,
in which Henry Nesbitt, colored,
dropped into eternity for the murder of
James Airington, in this city last June.
The trap was sprung at 1:21 by Sheriff
Handley, and in 11 minutes the attend¬
ing physicians, Drs. Luke and Julian,
pronounced him dead.
Nesbitt killed a negro by the name of
James Airington in this city last June.
Previous to the murder, Airington and
Nesbitt were partners, and worked to¬
gether on the Georgia & Alabama rail¬
road, between this city and Ocilla. A
day or two previous to the murder Nes¬
bitt robbed a fellow laborer of $17 in
cash. He told Airington of the theft
and said he had thc^pioney.
Airington told the negro that Nesbitt
was the thief. Tho negro demanded
his money of Nesbitt, but Nesbitt made
a denial and asked who accused him of
taking it.
“One of your best friends,” the negro
replied, meaning Airington.
“D—d him, he wont live to. see an¬
other sun rise,” was Nesbitt’s reply.
Nesbitt then came to this city on tho
night of the killing, where ho and Air¬
ington had some words over the matter.
Nesbitt pulled a forty-four calibre re¬
volver and shot Airington in the head.
In the scramble to get out of the room,
Nesbitt ran against another negro com¬
ing in the door and shot him through
tho thigh.
COMMITS A SECOND MURDER.
After the killing of Airington, Nes¬
bitt skipped out for Pate & Holland’s
turpentine still in Coffey county, where
he had some trouble with Dick Wright,
a one-legged negro and cooper by trade.
Wright was in debt to Nesbitt for bor¬
rowed money. Nesbitt sent word to
Wright that he would be there the
next night for his money, and if Wright
failed to pay him he would kill him.
Nesbitt made good his word by calling
on Wright the next evening and de¬
manded his money. Wright told him
he could not pay it, and Nesbitt pulled
his gun and shot Wright dead.',
Nesbitt made his escape into Florida
and back into Georgia, stopping at Bax¬
ley, where he was arrested.
Before Nesbitt began his walk from
the jail to the scaffold he confessed to
killing George Fukeway in Bullock
county, thus making three victims to
his blood-thirsty deeds. Said he:
“I have shot three niggers dead and
have wounded four, but during this
time never had trouble with a white
man. If I was turned loose I would kill
every nigger that came within reach of
my gun.”
Nesbitt was dressed in a black suit of
clothes and smoked a cigar as he left
the jail. At the scaffold he examined,
the coffin that was to carry his remains
to his father at Millidgeville, Ga. He
bade all his friends good bye who had
been admitted to the stockade, and told
them he was prepared to meet his God.
When he reached the top of the scaf¬
fold he made a short speech to the
crowd through a window on the outside
of the stockade. Not a tremor was de¬
tected in his voice. He walked to the
trap door and told the sheriff how ho
wanted the noose fixed about his neck
as he wanted it broken, and did not
want to strangle to death.
Sheriff Handley fixed the noose about
his neck and asked him if he had any¬
thing to say. He said:
“Nothing, sheriff, nothing, only that
I forgive you and the judge. I am ready
to die and know that my sins are for¬
given.”
The black cap was put 'on and the
trap door was sprung.
His body was taken in charge by a
negro preacher and was sent to his
father at Millidgeville, Ga.
Christinas Ball.
The Fireman will give a grand ball
and oyster supper at G. A. R. (halt
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th. Music by
Taylor’s orchestra of five pieces. Ad¬
mission to hall 'only 25c; admission to
hall and dance, 50cts. Ladies free.
Everybody invited and a good time
guaranteed. Grand march, 8:30 n. m.
F. V. F. D.
Notice.
To all confederate veterans of Irwin
county: You are hereby requested to
meet at this place on Wednesday, 22
inst., for the purpose of organizing a
camp of ex-confederate veterans. Fail
not. Capt. G. a. Jackson.
Sycamore, Ga., Dec. 13, ’97.
To the many loving friends, who so
tenderly beloved” ministered in his sufferings, to “our most dearly
I offer my
heart’s sincerest clearly gratitude by our un¬
tiring devotion so heart, demonstrated,
has established in my a friend¬
ship for you as indissolluble as that
entertained between Jonathan and
David.
Dec. 13th. Mrs. B. B. McCraw.