Newspaper Page Text
Vol 20. No 41
1923 Fair One of Best Yet Held In Toombs County
CURRY GUILIY: 10
HANGNOV. 16111.
CASE GIVEN TO JURY LATE ON
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
VERDICT RETURNED AT NOON
THURSDAY MURDER.
Tried for the fifth time for the
murder of Burleigh Phillips, three
former juries having found him
guilty, one jury making a mistrial
Lee Curry was found guilty Thurs
day by the jury empaneled for the
trial ofthe case last week in a spec
ial term of Toombs Superior Court.
The verdict carried no recommenda
tion to mercy, and Judge Hardeman
at 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon sen
tenced Cury to hang, the date for
his execution being fixed for Friday,
November 16th.
Attorney for the defense filed
motion for a new trial and Judge
Hardeman will hear the motion Sat
urday, November 10th. The case
will again go up to the supreme court
for review. The supremfe court has
reversed the trial court three times.
No action of the higher court is ex
pected until July or August of next
year, this being the usual time taken
by the supreme court in disposing of
this case in the past.
The fifth trial of Curry began here
Monday morning, two hundred and
ninety-eight jurors having been sum
moned. Relationship of the jurrors
to either Burleigh Phillips or Curry
was closely inquired into and many
jurors were execused owing to their
having heard the evidence at former
trials. The jury was coplete late
Monady afternoon and the state be
gan the introduction of evidence
Tuesday morning. Argument of the
attorneys and the charge of the
court were completed late Wednesday
afternoon.
Insanity was the ground the de
fense put up, but the jury evidently
believed that no convincing evidence
was introduced.
The jury empaneled for the trial
was composed of the following citi
zens of Toombs county:
T. H. Sapp, H. C. Thompson. J. L.
Gibson, W. A. Mayer, A. L. Osborne,
C. A. Johnson, S. W. Hill, J. J. An
derson, T. J. Ainsworth, D. J. New,
J. S. Banks, W. H. Rollison.
Place your order early for your
Coal Supply.
QUITMAN WILKES.
Colonial Theatre
PROGRAM:
Monday and Tuesday— A
Paramount picture. “The
Valley of Silent Men.” star
ing Alma Rubens apd Lew
Cody. Added attraction ‘Fox
News.'
Wednesday -—William Des
mond in "Wild Life.” Added
attraction “The Gumps” in
"Uncle Bim’s Gift."
Thursday and Friday A
, Paramount picture. Bebe
Daniels and Lewis Stone in
"The Worlds Applause."
i
Saturday Franklin Far
mun in “White Mask.” Our
Dang Comedies entitled
“Lodge Night.”
It: —
Colonial Theatre
a
The Lyons Progress
hghgj
DAN ODOM IN -RAGE
FOR COMMISSIONER
CHAIRMAN OF BOARD OF CO.
COMMISSIONERS ANNOUNCES
CANDIDACY TO SUCCEED
HIMSELF.
■0
Dan Odom, chairman of the board
of county commissioners, announces
this week as a candidate to seucceed
himself as commissioners from the
1536th district.
Mr. Odom has served as a com
missioner for a number of years and
for the past four years has been
I honored with the position of chair
man. Much of the important work
of the board has devolved on and in
this work he has given liberally of
his time and has made a fine record
as a progressive official.
His formal announcement follows:.
Announcement for Comminioner
I hereby announce for re-election
for the office of County Commis
sioner from the 1536th District G.
M. of Toombs County.
I will appreciate the support of
every voter, and if elected I promise
to fill the office to the best of my
ability, and faithful service, assur
ing you of my appreciation for your
past favors and support.
Respectfully,
DAN ODOM.
MR. J. O. BAILEY RESIGNS
AS CHIEF OF POLICE
On account of failing health and
need rest, Mr. J. 0. Biley tendered
to the Mayor and City Council, his
resignation some time ago, which
with reluctance was accepted and
his place filled by the election of
Mr. C. L. Stanley, of Reidsville, Ga.
Mr. Stanley is an old citizen of
Toombs county and who owns some
very fine farming interest in this
county now.
The city of Lyons looses a good
officer in the resignation of Mr.
Bailey, and a man that pulled for
law and order, and the interest of
ever citizen alike. But the loss of
one good man is the gain of another,
and it is believed that Mr. Stanley
will make the city a good chief.
Genuine Pedigreed Fulghum Oats.
W. A. McNatt & Sons.
FOR SALE —One new 6 disc Grain
Drill, has not been used very little.
Will sell at half price. See or write
T. 0. WALKER,
Uvalda, Ga.
Oct. 25. Route One.
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF TOOMBS COUNTY
LYONS. GEORGIA. THURSDAY, OCT. 11 1923
T ——“
JOHN DIESTEL, OLD RESI
DENT OF TOOMBS, DEAD
John Diestel, one of the oldest
residents of the county, died sud
denly at his home in the Marvin
community. His son, Otto Diestel,:
and Mrs. Otto Diestel were in Lyons
helping to put up the Marvin Com
munity Display at the Lyons fair,
and Mr. Diestel and Gloria went to
the woodpile to get some wood. He (
suddenly grabbed his left side and .
started to say something but died
before he coulii speak. |
Mr. Diestel was nearing his 83rd
birthday and was very active for a
man of his age. Lately he had con
tracted a cold but seemed much bet
ter.
\He was buried Monday at 10
o’clock in private burial grounds on
Clesby Clifton’s place.
Mi. ~'''stel was formerly a native
of one ’ the Holland provinces
seized by Germany and made a part
of Germany. He emigrated to this
country a young man. He is
survived by one son, Otto Diestel, of
Elza, and two daughters, Mrs. C. F.
Smith, of Elza, and two daughters,
Mrs. C. F. Smith, of Romeo, Fla.,
and Mrs. R. B. Shepard, of Macon,
I Ga. Rev. Theo Phart, of Lyons,
| conducted the funeral ceremony.
COUNTY CO-OPERATIVE CLUB
MEETS
Marvin community entertainment
five of Toombs county women’s
clubs which are members of the
Toombs County Cooperative Club.
Those represented were the While
Away Club of Lyons, the Vidalia
; Woman’s Club, New Branch Club,
Center and "Mai*vin. A specialist on
nutrition from the State College of
Agriculture was present to speak
on nutrition work in the county. All
the clubs made good reports of the
work they have done. A delightful j
social hour was enjoyed by all pres
ent after the business was completed
Games were played followed by re
freshments. Each club agreed to
pay two dollars toward furnishing
a pair of scales for nutrition work j
in this county. They will begin at !
once raising money for these scales
so they will be ready for the health
work.
The New Branch School will have
a box supper Friday night, October
19,1923. We will also have a cake
to be voted on for the most popular
girl. The public is cordially invited
to attend.
For Sale or Exchange—One Cable
Piano. Will exchange for Ford car.
See or write, Mrs. L. S. Cox, Ohoo-.
pee, Ga. 018.
DRUGS STEAL AWAY
LEE CURRY’S BRAVADO
! OFFICIALS AT SAVANNAH UN
EARTH EVIDENCE SHOWING
CURRY CAME TO LYONS WELL
0
SUPPLIED WITH DOPE.
I • ,
Rumors in this county that Lee
i Curry, tried last week for the mur
der of Bureligh Phillips, was well
supplied with dope, have been proved
to be well founded, according to evi
dence unearthed by government of
ficials in Savannah last week. The
Savannah Morning News carried the
following story in its Sunday issue:
i SAVVANH, Ga. Oct. 7—The re
markable change in Lee Curry dur
ing his trial for murder in Lyons
last week from the irresponsible,
don’t-care human being he formerly
was to the utterly indifferent and
sleepy individual who heard the sen
tence to hang without a quiver or
even a flush of disappointment or
resentment, was due to morphine.
1 This abrupt indolence within a
few days from the actively inclined
prisoner who had shouted his confi
dence in his oyvn ability to get clear
jof a capital charge, whose every
characteristic in prison had been of
a boastful nature, led jail officials
and others who knew him well to
imagine he was attempting to cre
ate an atmosphere of insanity
around himself. But it was dope,
carried into the jail to Martin Glov
er, a morphine addict, by his sister,
Mrs. Georgia Redd, in person, and
on other occasions by messenger. (
Glover passed some on to,- Curry,
apd Curry went to Lyons with some
in his possesion. Just how much
j cannot be accurately told. H. P. i
Williams, a prisoner in the jail be
ing held on a charge of burglary, !
and who is to be tried at the nextj
criminal session of the Superior i
! Court, hasi nformed the authorities
‘ that he knew Curry had the dope.
; Why he did not inform on him was
explained in a laconic statement: “I j
knew he was going away and did not
think he was coming back.” So far
his prediction is accurate.
Williams says Curry had a hand
ful altogether. Mrs. Redd had more
than a handful when she was arrest
ed yesterday and taken before Unit- j
ed States Commissioner George H. j
Richter early in the day for examin- )
ation. Here, too, the dramatic cli-j,
maxes so often following drug ad- j
diets occured. Confession given to .
the commissioner by Mrs. Redd (
brought out the unmistakable fact^
GOOD ROADS HELP TO
SAVE CHICKENS’ LIVES
Chickens live longer on good roads
than poor ones, according to farmers
who have tried both. Chickens on
good roads get educated to traffic
and get out ofthe way. Chickens on
roads where there is less traffic get
killed before they learn the danger
in “Honk, honk!”
Ask a chicken raiser!
"" *
LOST —One Tuesday afternoon
in the Exhibit Building at the Fair
grounds, one pair of black driving
gloves. Finder please return to The
Progress Office.
that she also was a user of the drug,
andu nder theexcitable influence of
the statement and a lack of privi
lege of relieving her sufferings from
the drug she swooned in her chair and
slid to the floor. The hasty sum
moning of physicians brought her
termorary relief, a small hypodermic
injection and morphine waSSaminis
tered and she was taken to the coun
ty jail there to undergo treatment
She is also bound over to the United
States District Court upon a charge
of violating the Harrison law, both
as to possession and use. She may
also be charged with peddling the
drug.
Romel Thomas was brought from
the jail to testify. He told the com
missioner he had made ti'ips often
to Mrs. Rudd for Glover and had each
time carried package back to him.
The system was simple, and because
officials at the jail that he would
first. Thomas was an outside trusty
He took the messages and brought
back the small packages. He pass
ed them on to one of the inside trus
ties. This person in turn got them
to Glover. All of the white prison
ers are kept on the second tier of the
jail. Glover and Curry and Williams
were free to mix from the beginning
of their recreation period early in
the day until placed back in their
cells at dusk. Glover got the drug,
instructed Curry in its use and fur
nished him with his doses, and Wil
liams was acquainted with the final
chapter of Curry’s supply.
Became Boastful
tl is only a couple of weeks ago :
that Curry began to get somewhat
boastful in his nature. At times he
•showed a peculiar animosity to two
men in Lyons. He told one of the
officials at the pail that he would
just at soon kill the two as not, but
his declarations were taken with that
grain of which accompanies the
statements of some men under long
•confinement. In fact, Curry re
marked that any one would be irrit
able if kept in one jail for sixteen
months. But outside of this threat
he seemed to be an alert, energetic,
loud talking person, devoid of senti
ment or of a feeling adequate to
make him mindful of what was in
store for him.
Suddenly this natural demeanor
changed. He became silent and
mororse, no communcative and slug
gish, perking up at times to inan
eness. Guards thought he was feign
insanity. Such a development
would have been entirely natural. It
1 was used at his trial, this effort to
prive his insanity. The change would
have been noticeable in him by all
who ever knew him in Lyons. But
there are people who knew him well
j enough to feel that something was
wrong with him somewhere. He is
j not the kind of temperament to be
■slugish. He might be indifferent,
but nevef sluggish.
When Curry’s effects were taken
1 away from the jail by Sheriff Cul
pepper of oTombs county, the local
officials made a minute examination
of the contents of his valise. There
was no chance for the concealment
of any morphine in it. It is certain
he took it on his person, and for his
person the Toombs county officials
1 were responsible and not those of
I Chatham. He could have carried
i with him easily without suspicion or
enough drugs to last him
j for weeks, and he could have used
it without any fear of discovery in
Toombs county while awaiting trial.
i
/
Subscription SI.OO
FARM EXHIBITS
Os HIGH RANK
LADIES DEPARTMENT ALSO
COMES INoFOR MUCH PRAISE
—GATES WILL CLOSE SATUR
DAY NIGHT.
Visitors to the grounds of the
Toombs County Fair Association de
clare that the 1928 fair, which op
ened Tuesday morning and which
will end Saturday night, is one of the
most creditable fairs the county has
ever held.
The first event of the week wa3
the parade of decorated automobiles,
which was the main attraction for
Tuesday morning. A prize of $5
offered by the fair management and
the Judges gave the decision to the
handsome float entered by W. A.
McNatt & Sons. Floats were enter
ed by the following firms:
W. A. McNatt & Sons, The Fash
ion Shop, S. I. Hussey & Son, W. P.
C. Smith, First National Bank,
Toombs County Bank, Lyons Motor
Co., Johnson Corner School, John
Durst, Bill Wiley, Page’s Drug
Store, Union Grocery Company.
The community exhibits this year
are unusually fine, the communities
having exhibits being Cedar Cross
ing, New Branch, Center and Mar
vin. Among the farmers entering
individaul exhibits are B. F. Mc-
Swain, J. L. Collins and Otto Deis
tell. An interesting feature in the
exhibit of Mr. McSwain is a repro
duction of one yard of a cotton row,
i showing plants spaced about every
four inches and al arge number of
bolls on each plant.
Friday is School Day, when school
children of the county will be ad
mitted at the reduced rate of 10
cents, and when it is thought the
record attendance at the fair will
take place.
The fair is well worth seeing and
should be visited by every citizen of
the county.
Urging County Exhibit At Savannah
; A number of citizens are anxious
to see the four community exhibits
combined for a county exhibit at
the Tri-State Exposition at Savan
nah and it is believed if these exhibits
can be sent to Savannah that Toombs
county will share in the distribution
of prize money. It is estimated,
howere, that it will take about $75
to defray the expenses of getting the
exhibits to Savannah, unless they
are sent down by truck.
NATHAN B. JARRIEL
FOR TAX COLLECTOR
•
IS OLD RESIDENT OF TOOMBS
COUNTY, NOW ENGAGED IN
' FARMING INTERESTS NEAR
OHOOPEE. ,
Announcement is made this week
by Mr. Nathan B. Jarriel, promihent
farmer near Ohoope, for Tax Col
lector of Toombs County, subject
to the ensuing primary.
Mr. Jarriel is an old resident of
Toombs eounty, and has for several
year been engaged in the saw nnHl
business, but at the present he is
farming near Ohoopee. Mr. Jarriel
is widley known throughout the coan
ty, having many frieads, and if
elected to this office he will mako
the county a good Tax Collector.
His announcement is as follows:
Announcement for Tax Collector
I hereby announce my candidacy
for the office of Tax Collector of
1 Toombs County, subject to the en
suing primary, and respectfully sol
icit v your support.
NATHAN B. JARRIEL.
—The John Flannery Company,
Savannah, Ga., will make liberal ad
vances on consignments of cofetou.