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THE FrrZGERAI/D LEADER
'
' Vol XV
.
disastrous F re Destroyed
f Property Amounting to $20,000
- Jageous Firemen and the Bucket Brigade Fought For Honrs
To Save Business Section of Fitzgerald—Many
Heavy Losers
One of the most destructive
tires in the history of Fitzgerald
occurred Monday, when nine
buildings were totally destroyed
in the space of two hours.
There has been more or less dis-
«, cussion as to the origin of the fire,
as when first discovered it was
raging furiously in Beckham &
Warren’s stables on south Grant
• • street, and a barn belonging to the
’ Pepsi-Cola Bottling Works build-
ing and standing within a few feet
of the stables was also in flames,
It seems, though, that credence is
given to the story that the build-
ings caught from a pile of trash
which was being burned nearby.
The .origin, however, is a matter
' of little importance, be it as it
may. the two buildings were al¬
most completely enveloped in
flames before discovered. Fire in
the livery stable started in the loft
where a large amo^fe “ hay and
grain were kept, thus gy ing an
alarming headway before being
discovered.
The Fire Department answered
the call promptly, but in snite of
all, when they arrived with the
hose wagons, three buildings were
in Ames. More heroic work was
n.-fv er done than that of .the de¬
partment, and although it was
plain that they were greatly handi-
capped on account of not having
sufficient hose, every one of them
fought bravely, and with wet
around their bodies and
towels on their heads to protect
them from the blistering heat
ley jstood their ground. We
.ecognize the fact that a great
deal of property was destroyed,
- lout we also lay more stress on the
undeniable fact that had it not
been for the work of the fire de¬
partment the flames would have
' licked across the street to Graham’s
Grocery store, and in that event
half of the business section of Fitz-
gerald would have been destroyed.
-Besides the Livery stables, The
Enterprise Printing office was
completely destroyed, as well as
Mr. Mercer’s office across the alley
from the printing office; the home
of Mr. W. J. Harrell on Magnolia
street: the Pepsi-Cola Bottling
-Works, with barn in the rear;
Geo. Kratzer’s home on the east
• r-’ of Grant street, also the
/«fr$ksmith shop next door which
.^and gWls Graham’s operated Feed by Thos. and Storehouse Lovett:
/on the southwest corner of Grant
and Magnolia.
It seemed that practically all of
Fitzgerald turned out to the lire
and the services rendered by the
bucket brigade were invaluable.
While the Fire Department was
playing on the several buildings
already in flames, hundreds of
men with buckets were stationed
on all the surrounding frame
houses to extinguish the sparks
that fell and quickly ignited.
Kratzer’s Bakery as well as the
B*2"itzerald Leader office were in
1 flames on a number of occasions,
. having caught from the monster
| sparks that filled the air, but the
| lire was put out each time before
| iof any damage was done. The service
others, too, who risked their
gFVyes $ to remo.e furniture and office
l eq pment from burning buildings
were of incalculable value, many
I of whom were badly burned on
| several parts of the body.
I I The damage done by the fire is
estimated at about $20,000 or
■ possibly more, and there were
Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County , Georgia, Friday, April 15, 1910.
Razor Was Used
By Negro Woman
Pine Last Saturday Susie night on East
street, Anderson, a
negress, butchered was by most Mary unmercifully Palmer,
another of her color, who used a
razor on Susie without the slight¬
est provocation.
It is stated by eye-witnesses to
the tragedy that as the two negro
women elbows passed each other, their
rubbed and Mary, infuriat¬
ed by the other woman touching
her, raised her hat and taking
from her hair a monster razor
proceeded to cut Susie, who was
powerless to resist the sudden and
unexpected attack.
The Palmer woman slashed
Susie on the face, completely
opening one side, another stroke
was aimed at her chest, and the
third slash started at her shoulder,
slicing open her aim for several
inches. Having thus gotton her
revenge, Mary very coolly closed
the weapon replacing it in her hair
as she walked away, and made her
escape by way of an alley.
The deed was one of the most
cold-blooded that has occurred on
East Pine in some time and creat-
ed a great deal o ! excitement, al-
though it seems that none of those
who witnessed it made any effort
to prevent the woman from escap¬
ing. She has not as yet been ap¬
prehended, that she although it is thought
friends in is being secluded by
or near the city, and
the oflicers are keeping close watch
on every movement that will in
any way help them to locate her.
The woman who was cut, is fast
recovering, although the wounds
are very painful.
Attention Baptists
Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic
Railroad will sell round trip tickets
at reduced rates, to the Southern
Baptist Convention and Bap¬
tists of North America, to be held
at Baltimore, Md.,May 11 th-18th
1910.
Tickets will be sold May 8th, 9th
and 10th, 1910, and return limit
June 1st 1910.
The route from South Georgia
to Baltimore, through Atlanta,
affords sleeping car service all the
way, with a change of sleepers at
Atlanta.
Tickets will also be sold via all
rail, or via Savannah or Norfolk
and steamship. r
Ask the ticket Agent!
W. II. Leathy, .
General Passenger Agent,
Atlanta, Ga.
many losers. The Fitzgerald
Enterprise, whose building and
equipment were valued at $6,000
was a complete loss, with no in¬
surance; the loss of T. 8. Graham,
the grocer, is estimated at $3,000,
with no insurance: J. W. Harrell
lost several hundred dollars in
household furniture, no insurance;
the entire equipment of the Pepsi-
Cola Bottling Works, belonging to
G. W. M. Luke, was a total loss,
valued at $1,200 with no insurance:
the household effects of Dr.
Roberson, which were over Gra¬
ham’s Feed Store, were lost; Dr.
R. M. Ware lost one buggy; Harry
Rogers lost one buggy; Beckham
& Warren’s livery business was a
complete loss, valued at $1,000
with no insurance; J. C. Rogers
stables, valued at $2,500 was de¬
stroyed, $1,500 insurance; W. Ii.
Bowen lost two buildings, valued
at $2,500 with insurance of $1,000;
F. G. Clark lost two buildings
with insurance of $1,600; and L.
Robitzsch lost one building,
valued at $1,000 with no insurance.
Grand Jury Presentments
April Term Superior
We, the grand jury for the
April 1910 terra, Ben Hill Superi¬
or Court, make the following:
general presentments.
The Auditors report hereto at¬
tached covering all of the books
of the county officers, handling
the funds of the county or of the
public is made apart of these pre¬
sentments, and we recommend its
publication in connection there¬
with in the county organ, allowing
reasonable compensation for that
service.
The county buildings are new
and bright, comfortable, com-
modious and clean, except the new
jail, probably the best that could
be had for the price.
We congratulate the people of
the county on the character of the
public buildings and commend the
board of county commissioners for
the good service thus rendered the
county,
We recommend that the judges
of the Superior, City, and Justice
courts enforce a rule of fines for
spitting on the floor, defacing the
walls and recommend that the
janitor be given police power to
enforce the rule when the build-
ing is being used by public gather-
in . £ s - The present .... janitor appears
to be unfit and unsuited for the
work. The county officers using
offices in the building are request¬
ed to keep the same neat and clean.
We regret to have to report
that the new modern jail is already
unsanitary and is badly kept and
we urge that the county commis¬
sioners or the sheriff take imme¬
diate steps to improve its condi¬
tion.
We desire to go on record as
strongly endorsing the very con¬
servative and aole administration
of the county’s business by the
present board of county commis¬
sioners.
The public roads we find are be¬
ing graded and sand-clayed as
rapidly as the force of 25 convicts
can do the work with the equip¬
ment provided with the bond
money but we find that it is im¬
peratively necessary to continue
the old road working system to
take care of the roads until the
grading gang reaches them and to
keep them in order after they
have been graded, and we urge
the county commissioners to
strictly enforce the law requiring
district commissioners and road
overseers to keep the roads in
good condition. It is a mistaken
idea that the grading gang means
less work for the average road
hand; it means,'and was intended
to give us better roads, not neces¬
sarily less work for the road hands.
We believe that the county com¬
missioners are doing splendid
work with the road gang but that
it will require several years to
even complete the grading.
About fifty miles of roads have
been graded the first year at an
expense of $750.00 per month or
about $200.00 per mile.
We recommend a return to the
old road working system, repeal¬
ing the alternative road law.
We especially commend Judge
E. Wall of the city court for his
able administration of that im-
portant office.
We find the books of tflfb Justices
of the peace better kept than has
been the custom, and that is also
true of the books of the other
officers of the county.
We deplore the indication of
the illegal sale of whiskey and of
gambling and the great difficulty
of bringing the violators of the
law to trial, and in securing con-
The Clarkson Meetings
Evangelist Clarkson is making
good bis promises in regard to the
meetings he is conducting in the
Central Christian Church. Altho
many rev. als are conducted in
such a way as to turn sensible men
away from religion, such is not
the case in this meeting. There is
no excitement for excitement’s
sake, but those who believe in
Christ are asked to confess him and
unite with the church, and there
is a steadily increasing number of
accessions. The meetings are be¬
ing held every night at 7:45, with
moiv ing and afternoon meetings
as well on Sunday.
Next Sunday afternoon there
will be a free lecture for ladies
and girls only, the subject being,
“The D^eam of Pilate's Wife.”
The meeting for men last Sunday
drew a good audience, and the
lecture, “Wild Oats,” has been
the subject of many complimentary
comments. The lecture for ladies
will be at 3:30 Sunday afternoon.
The Bible School will meet at
9:30 a. rc. and the Y. P. S. C. E.
at 6:45 p. m., Sunday,
An invitation is extended to at¬
tend all these meeting. 1 Only
once a stranger here. The Chris¬
tian Church has no book but the
Bible, no plea but the gospel, no
creed but the Christ, and no name
but the Iv/ratar’s.
Picnic At Bowen’s
Mill Tuesday
The Epworth League of th6
First Methodist Church, spent
Tuesday at Bowen’s Mill, picnic-
ing and notwithstanding the dis¬
agreeable weather during the
afternoon, had a most enjoyable
time. The League is composed of
a jolly set of boys and girls who
were in the height of their glory
Tuesday, to get to the woods, and
the day was spent scampering
through the woods, gathering
.wild flowers, and so forth. Th#
dinner, too, was another enjoyable
feature, which none of them will
forget any time soon.
viction when it is possible to get
a hearing before a jury. It is
just possible that the names of
too many who sympathize with
such violations of the law are in
the jury box.
We recommend that the clerk
of this body receive ten dollars
extra compensation for his service
as clerk. We also recommend
that the stenographer assisting be
paid ten dollars.
We recommend that these pre¬
sentments without reference to the
Auditor’s report, be published in
the papers of the county and that
a fee of live dollars be paid eacli
for such service.
We feel that it is our duty to
the public to express our unquali¬
fied approval of the administration
of this court, not only his honor,
Judge U. V. Whipple, hut the
business like and capable Solicitor
General, W. F. George, and we
thank them for courtesies and
assistance to this body.
J. E. Mercer,
Foreman.
Presentments returned and read
in open court: Let the same be
filed and published as recommend-
ed.
This April 13, 1910,
W. F.-George,
Sol. Gen.
U. V. Whipple,
J. S. C. C. C.
Coronor’s Jury Renner Verdict
In Case of Rachel Jackson
Who Was Found In Her Room With Head Split Open. Jury
Places Guilt of Crime Upon Another Negro Woman Who
Is Still At Large
B&nk Proposition
Being Pushed Along
Mr. P. F. Clark, of Dallas, Ga.,
is in the city this week, making
preliminary arrangements for
opening the new trust and Bank¬
ing house in this city. Mr. Clark
he-s connected with him the well
own banker, Mr. Jno. D.
Walker, of Sparta, who was here
several weeks ago, in the interest
of the new project.
The new institution will be
capitalized at $100,000 and is back¬
ed by some of the most substan¬
tial citizens of this section, as well
as having a good foreign support.
All arrangements for the bank
have not yet been perfected, but
those interested are hard at work
on the proposition and intend to
be doing business at the earliest
possible moment. Mr. Clark
states that they will in all proba¬
bility erect their own building,
and if they do, work will begin in
a short while.
Va.lvia.ble Watch
Found On Negroes
Sheriff W. H. Fountain and his
deputies did a nice piece of work
Thursday, in recovering flora two
negroes a valuable gold watch that
o nthe day before had been stolen
from Mrs. Tom Price at Douglas,
theft having been accomplished
by Clifford Butler, a negro
whom Mr. Price had working
around the house and who also got
away with a pistol at the same
time the watch was stolen.
The two negroes in whose pos¬
session Mr. Fountain found the
watch were Cleve Dorsey and
Henry Sligmer, both of whom
were held lodged in jail and will be
until Clifford Butler is appre¬
hended.
It is not known how the watch
came in the possession of the two
negroes but their suspicious
actions ed the Thursday when they carri¬
watch to Miller’s second
hand store to sell it attracted the
attention of Mr. Miller who told
them to come back at a certain
time and he would let them know
whether or not he would take it.
In the meantime he conferred with
Sheriff Fountain, who agreed to
be at the store at the time appoint¬
ed for the return of the negroes,
who on their return became alarm¬
ed and left before the sheriff
arrived. They only had a minute’s
start, however, and Mr. Fountain
and Mr- Barton were close in pur¬
suit. Mr. Barton overtook Henry
Sligmer Fountain over in thelirst ward, and
Mr. arrested Dorsey in
the rear of L. (). TisdePs store.
When taken into custody, Dorsey
told Mr. Fountain that his partner
had the watch, but when both
negroes were brought face to face
and neither had it, Dorsey con¬
fessed do having thrown it in a
barrel near Tisdel’s store rather
than to be captured with it on him.
Whereupon, Mr. Fountain return¬
ed and recovered the watch from
one of Mr. Tisdel’s little girls who
had found it in the barrel.
The watch is one that Mrs. Price
has had since her girlhood days and
she was very much gratified on
having it returned to her.
against him by the grand jury.
The complete disposition of the
case, however, is being deferred
until the woman is arrested and
tried, and when the responsibility
for the crime will be placed upon
the proper party, who no doubt
will suffer to the full extent of the
law.
Number 30
The coroner’s jury reached
verdict Tuesday in the case of
Rachel Jackson, colored, who was
found on the night of April 7th at
her home near the A. B. & A.
shops with her head split open.
The jury was closeted for several
days, and made their verdict only
after examining a number of
witnesses.
W. P. Meyer was foreman of
the jury, and according to that
body’s verdict Rachel Jackson
died from wounds inflicted by
another negro woman, whose
name they withold, on account of
the fact that she is still at large
and they fear the publication of
her name and the fact that the
sheriff has a warrant for her,
might in some way deter them in
bringing her to justice.
According to the testimony of
the witnesses in the case, Rachel
Jackson had for the sum of $15
purchased from the woman who
is her alleged slayer, an eleven
months old baby. Whereupon
the husband of the woman who
sold the baby was angered by her
conduct and ordered her to again
get possession of their baby at
once, but when she went for the
child, Rachel Jackson, who had
bought it refused to give the
baby up until the' fifteen dollars
was refunded. The mother of the
baby returned the second time for
the child, and Rachel this time
raised the price aud told her that
it would now take $25.00 for her
to re-gain possession of her baby.
This was early in the day and the
mother on being unable to get her
child, was enraged£and returned
under cover of night to get her
revenge and take the baby,
The appearance of the the room
indicated that a struggle had en-
sued when she returned to the
house at night and Rachel’s body
was lying on the floor with her
head split open, which it is sup¬
posed, was done with an ax. Her
skull was broken in three places
and bruised in another, indicating
that some heavy weapon had been
used by her assailant. She was
not dead, but was unconscious and
died in a short while.
The first to reach the body after
the crime had been committed was
Sampson Williams, who boarded
with Rachel and had come to sup¬
per at about eight o’clock when
he found the unconscious form of
the woman on the floor. From
the evidence submitted, it seems
that the woman who is alleged to
have committed the atrocious
crime made her escape by the
back door as Sampson came in the
front door; for the baby over
which she was supposed to have
been lighting, was on the bed,
and it is thought that in her haste
to make good her escape, the
alleged murderess was compelled
to leave the baby. It seems,
though, that she hid around the
house during the night and re¬
turned for her baby, for the next
morning, early, the child disap¬
peared, and it and its mother have
not since been seen or heard from.
The sheriff has a warrant for
the woman, and states that he is
close on her track, and expects to
arrest her in a few days. J
The same crime was attributed
to Sampson Williams, who is said
to have been the first to find
Rachel, after the crime had been
committed, and who is now in
jail, held by a true bill brought