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volTol NO. 2
Grand Jury Investigates
Warner Robins Election
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MAYOR KEMP HARRISON
Harrison Ouster
Is Turned Down
Judge A. M. (Phil) Anderson
Monday ruled that Mayor-elect'
Kemp A. Harrison is not ineligible
to hold the top office in the City
of Warner Robins even though
Harrison has been convicted of |
violation of the U. S. banking laws.
Judge Anderson’s ruling was in;
the form of sustaining a demurrer!
filed by Macon Attorney Wallace 1
Miller Jr. in behalf of Harrison.
Miller’s demurrer was filed in
answer to a quo warranto proceed
ing brought against Harrison by a
group of five Warner Robins citi
zens, represented by Macon At
torney Ed Sell.
The quo warranto proceedings
contended Harrison was ineligible
to serve on the following counts:
(1) That his name had been
stricken from the list of qualified
voters of Houston County, (2) I
That he had been convicted in a !
court of competent jurisdiction of
a crime involving moral turpitude;
and (3) That the crime for which
he was convicted was one punish
able by a prison sentence had he
been convicted in a Georgia court
under Georgia statutes.
Judge Anderson had ruled after
a hearing in Perry on Jan. 4 that
the crime for which the mayor
elect was convicted was one that
involved moral turpitude and had
held that the removal of Harri
son’s name from the list of quali
fied voters was not pertinent to
the proceedings.
He took underadvisement the
question of whether the crime
would have been punishable under
Georgia by imprisonment and it
was on this point he ruled Mon
day.
“No conviction other than that j
spelled out in your Constitution
will operate to disqualify him to
vote or hold the office of mayor
and the Court must hold that the j
conviction pleaded does not re
move his technical eligibility to 1
vote—or to hold office,” Judge An- 1
derson said in his ruling yesterday.'
“It must, however, be made per-1
fectly plain here that the Court
is ruling only upon the specific
questions relating to technical eli- ]
gibility as they are raised in the
case now before the Court,” Judge
Anderson said.
The difference between the fed
eral statutes and the state laws 1
concerning violations such as that
of which Harrison was convicted'
apparently centered on the word
intent,” according to the judge’s
ruling yesterday.
1 nder the federal banking laws
governing the specific offense, no
intent to defraud or to do wrong
ls necessary for conviction. Under
state laws the intent is a necessary
Part of the crime.
( ! his difference was pointed out
T Miller in his presentations be
°re the judge in the Jan. 4 hear
ing.
iudge Anderson pointed out in
his ruling that, “There is no is
raised— and none could have
' “'I raised in this particular pro
<(lin" that a ‘vacancy’ exists in
*' office of Mayor of Warner Ro-
n ms f° r the term commencing
■’ i 960, resulting from the
onn nt of that office, or
f , 11 to perform its duties, or
oluntary act, or in any
manner possibly contem
ns I Charter of the City
ot Warner Robins.”
ii°r to giving his decision, the
said:
(lnii Lot ! l Parties, through their able
' ,s < e ; have thoroughly and
~?, Cefu t lly Presented what they
r] 111 |° he the controlling princi
°f ' avv ; in so doing, counsel
Houston journal
PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY. JAN. 12, 1961
A Houston county grand jury,
called into special session by its
foreman, yesterday apparently was
investigating the Warner Robins
City election of Nov. 8.
Tom McMinn, city clerk, testi
fied before the grand jury for
about 3 Vi hours Tuesday, and his
assistant, Mrs. Martin, testified for
more than an hour Tuesday after
noon.
The grand jury subpoenaed the
voting list of the City of Warner
Robins and a list of those who
actually cast votes in the Nov. 8
election, it was learned. The na
ture of the investigation was not
disclosed.
This was the election in which
Mayor Kemp A. Harrison, al-
S though serving a federal sentence
at the Tallahassee Correctional In
stitution, was re-elected from a
field of five candidates.
The grand jury returned to its
deliberations Wednesday morning
after being in session from 10 a.
m. to 5:30 p. m. Tuesday.
The grand jury already was
scheduled to convene Jan. 23 to
handle routine matters but Fore
man L. S. Frierson and Clerk H. E.
Smith called the grand jury in
special session Tuesday. The or
der of the court based on their
call was issued last Friday.
Members of the grand jury are
H. P. Scarborough, Charlie W.
Logue, Ray N. Hood, J. Y. Green,
i Freeman Jenkins, Buren L. Fob
bus, L. S. Frierson, Jack C. Miller,
Edward L. Upright, Miles W.
Meek, Jack B, Stroman, Richard A.
Johnson, J. F. Heath, Luther J.
Tidwell, H. E. Smith, Henry A.
Groves, Willie F. Stokes, Cross
Howard, John C. Bazemore, C. E.
Pyles Jr., Theodore Waddle and
Vernon E. Adams. James Johnson,
a memers of the jury, is ill in a;
Macon hospital.
m Per Cent of Houston's Taxes
For 1960 Collected and Disbursed
Miss Florine C. Rainey, Houston
county tax commissioner, announ
ced yesterday that she has collect
ed 92V4 per cent of the 1960 tax
digest of $591,207.27.
This is an exceptionally high
rate of collection of a tax digest.
Many counties never reach the 90
per cent mark. She reported that
as of this week she has collected
98 per cent of the 1959 taxes.
The 1960 tax digest was about
$85,000 greater than the 1959 di
gest, which was $506,949.
Miss Rainey also reported that
her office sold 14,099 motor vehi
cle tags for the year 1960.
The $544,763.80 collected to date
has been distributed by the tax
I commissioner, as follows:
I
State of Georgia $ 2,890.23
Houston County 267,035.01
I
I for the relators have likewise
! brought into clear perspective the
• extraordinary and unsatisfactory
state of affairs of the City of War-
I ner Robins readily evident from
the facts disclosed.
1 “The Court is surely neither un
aware of, nor lacking in grave con
j corn about, this prevalent uncer
' tain and anomalous situation.”
j Harrison was convicted and is
! now serving a sentence of a year
and a day in the U. S. Correctional
Institution in Tallahassee, Fla.,
for violation of federal banking
laws.
He was charged with obtaining a
loan of $20,000 from a Warner
Robins bank in the name of the
City of Warner Robins and which
loan was credited to his personal
account.
Miller New Head
Os Country Club
Jack C. Miller Sr. was elected
president of the Perry Country
Club, Inc., Robert Jones vice pres
ident and H. E. Smith secretary
at the annual meeting of the
stockholders and directors Mon
day night.
Mr. Miller, soil conservationist
here, succeeds Alton Hardy. Mr.
Jones succeeds Mr. Miller and
Mr. Smith was re-elected.
Directors named were Earl
Lewis, Carl Grant and Julian
Cawthon. Alton Hardy was re
elected as a director. Three di
rectors who retired from the
board were E. P. Staples, Buck
Tolleson and Dudley Jones.
Presbyterians Set
Open House Sunday
From 3 to 5 P. M.
Open house will be held at the
Perry Presbyterian Church from 3
to 5 p. m. Sunday to allow the
public to see the new $85,000 edu
cational building.
The open house will be directed
by the Women of the Church, and
all departments of the church will
be represented as the Presbyteri
ans act as hosts to the public.
Those attending will be taken on
a tour of the building and the
uses of the various rooms will be
explained.
Rev. James Coad, pastor, issued
a cordial invitation to the public
1 to attend.
Teresi Teaching
Rev. J. M. Teresi, pastor of the
' First Baptist Church here, will!
teach in the Mercer University
Extension Course at Warner Rob
ins First Baptist Church each Mon
day night for the next 15 weeks.
Mr. Teresi will teach the Books of
Acts. Rev. Harold Moore, pastor
of the Warner Robins Church, will
teach a course on the Old Testa
ment.
City Growth
Continuing
Servicemen
Joseph G. Griffin Jr., HM/3,
U. S. Navy Hospital, Beaufort,
S. C., spent the weekend with his
j parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Grif
'fin.
County Schools 172,995.53
Co. School Bonds 50,794.26
Co. Hosp. Bonds 50,758.63
City of Perry 131.06
City of W. Robins 159.08
TOTAL $544,763.80
County Will Divide
Deposits Equally
In Three Banks
The Houston county commis
sioners, in their first meeting of
the year last Thursday, voted to
divide county deposits equally!
among the three banks in the coun
ty, decided not to issue any more
licenses for palmists and re-elect-1
ed J. E. Eason as chairman and
Wyatt D. Kersey as vice chairman. J
Alton Tucker of Centerville was
welcomed as a new member of the
board. He was successful in last
year’s county primary, and re
places Paul Stalnaker of Warner
Robins.
The commissioner appointed Mr.
Eason as a member of the County
Board of Health to take the place
of W. H. Rape, who has held the
post for four years.
R. H. (Sonny) Watson was re
appointed as clerk of the commis
sioners and N. M. Parker Sr. was
re-appointed county warden.
The Bank of Warner Robins had
the bulk of the county’s deposits, 1
about $193,000, while the Citizens
State Bank of Warner Robins had
about SII,OOO and the Perry Loan
and Savings Bank had about
$64,000.
On motion of Mr. Tucker, the
commissioners voted to divide the
deposits equally among the three
banks.
7 8 Per Cent Return
Questionnaires to
Jaycee Committee
With 18 per cent return to date
on their business questionnaires
members of the Jaycee Commit
tee for Development and Improve
ment urged Perryans to return
their questionnaires as soon as
I possible.
Richard B. Ray, Jaycee presi- 1
dent, said 245 persons have filled
out and returned the question- 1
naires as of Wednesday.
He said the committee hopes to
receive a minimum of 38 per cent
of the nearly 1,500 questionnaires
mailed out. This would give a
much better picture of the desires
of the buying public, he said.
B' : -
If V
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,>, -Sift 1 J •
POWELL SHOOTS WHILE SUSPENDED IN AIR I
Perry Forward Fires Over Head of Macon County Rebel "
The steady growth of the city of
Perry is reflected in the increases
in the number of water, gas, elec
tric power and telephone custo
mers in the city.
Mrs. Marvin Griffin, city clerk,
reports a total of 1,255 gas custo
mers at the end of 1960, as com
pared with 1,184 at the end of
1959. Water customers increased
by 67, from 1,567 at the end of
1959 to 1,634 at the end of 1960.
Mrs. Estelle Hunt, office mana
ger for the General Telephone
Company of the Southeast, report
ed a total of 1,513 telephone sub
scribers now as compared with
1,431 at the end of 1959, an in
crease of 82.
Miss Edna Perdue, office man
ager for Georgia Power Company,
reported a gain of 160 customers
during the year, from 1,889 at the
end of 1959 to 1,997 at the end of
1960.
These figures graphically show
the continued substantial growth
of the city.
Jaycee Week Set
By Local Group
Jaycee Week, the annual anni
versary observance of the Junior
Chamber of Commerce, begins
next Sunday in Perry, Mason Gam
- image, chairman,
|a n n o u n ced to
’day.
' H The week which
will officially op
’*% en Monday night,
’ mm- .with the annual
Bosses Night
Banquet at the
-4kig>a New Perry 110-
IL A H Clark Stan
dard will be speaker for the even
ing. Mr. Standard is a former pre
sident of the Cordele Jaycees and
past president of the Third Dis
trict Jaycees.
Another feature of the evening
will be the presentation of the
outstanding Young Farmer Award
and the award for the outstanding
Perry Panther lineman and back
field man.
Bosses Night is an annual fea
ture of the Junior Chambers
throughout the nation. It is dedi
cated to the bosses who support
the Jaycees and recognize the val
ue of the organization. This year
a “Boss of the Year’ will be cho
sen and a certificate will be is
sued to him.
Jaycee Week celebrates the
founding of the Jaycee Movement
in St. Louis in 1915. It was such
a success that in subsequent years
it has expanded to an organization
of a quarter million members in
3,700 chapters in the United
States.
At the Hospitals
Mrs. J. O. Coleman was dismiss
ed from the Macon Hospital last
Friday.
Stanley E. Smith Jr. was admit
ted to the Middle Georgia Hospi
tal last Friday for an emergency
appendix operation.
Local Law Firm
Adds Avon Buice
To Partnership
R. Avon Buice, who has been as
sociated with the law firm of
Nunn, Aultman and Hulbert for
almost two years, has become a
partner in the firm, it was an
nounced this week.
The name of the new firm will
be Nunn, Aultman, Hulbert and
Buice, effective Jan. 1, 1961. Mr.
Buice will be in charge of the
Warner Robins office of the firm.
Mr. Buice, a native of Buford,
Ga., is a graduate of Mercer Uni
versity with an A. B. and a LL.B
degree.
Since being in Perry, Mr. Buice
has become active in civic and re
ligious affairs.
He and Mrs. Buice and their
baby daughter, Camille, live at
1426 Duncan Avenue.
Funeral Conducted
For Miss Boswell
Funeral services for Miss Lizzie
Mae Boswell, 70, of 917 Commerce
St., were held Monday in the
Gardner Watson Funeral Home
chapel here. She died Sunday af
ter a long illness.
She was a member of the First
Baptist Church here and had been
a resident of Perry for 44 years.
Survivors include three brothers,
Charles and George Boswell, Per
ry, and J. Y. Boswell, Macon, and
a sister, Mrs. Carrie Spence, Per
ry.
Pallbearers were L. C. Walker,
T. D .Mason Jr., E. P. Staples, J. S. I
I Ellison, Sam Coleman and Harry
Griggs.
li
Mrs. Mark Kunz spent Monday ]
night and Tuesday in Macon and j
attended the funeral of her bro
ther-in-law, Homer Chambliss of i
Jacksonville, Fla., at Hart’s Mor- t
tuaiy.
Fashion Clinic Scheduled January 24
By Home Demonstration Council Here
The Home Demonstration Wo h
men of Houston County will have p
their first meeting of 1961 at the d
Baptist Educational Building in
Perry on Tuesday, January 24. 1;
The theme of this meeting is a e
Clothing Clinic to interest club v
members and their friends in new q
styles, new trends, and new op- e
portunities for improved fashions, ii
Mrs. Alma Beckham, Home Dc- c
monslration Ageent for Houston c
County with clothing leaders, has s
arranged a Clothing Clinic for this S
meeting. It will feature an out- A
standing clothing specialist of Mid- t
die Georgia, Mrs. Louise Slone of c
Macon. s
The Clothing Clinic will begin
at 9:30 a. m. and last until 2 p. m.; e
with a Council Meeting following. I
From 9:30 a. m. until lunch, Mrs. I
Stone will discuss improved do- c
thing and sewing techniques, c
Lunch will be a covered dish I
luncheon; with each person being
asked to bring covered dish. The r
dessert and beverage will be furn- t
ished. After the fellowship and f
good food, Mrs. Stone will hold an, y
informal question and answer per- h
iJIVW H&iJHHn
MARTIN GET OFF SHOT IN NICK OF TIME
Perry Pivot Man Swings in for Goal Against Rebels
Panthers Beat Macon Co.
But Fall to Willingham
The Perry High School Pan
thers gained beautiful revenge
here last Friday night when they
defeated the Rebels of Macon
County High School, 76 to 50. The
Perry girls lost to Macon County,
40 to 35.
The Perry boys shot an amazing
51 per cent of their field goals,
which will beat almost any team,
as they defeated the team which
had overcome them in Montezuma
earlier in the season, 53 to 47.
It Was a good Macon County
team that the Panthers defeated,
too. Perry was just having one of
those “good nights” when their
shots were falling. Macon County
has two fast guards and three big
men who are tough under the bas
ket.
The Panthers used a new offen
sive maneuver, with Lee Martin
playing the pivot position, and
working the ball into the defense.
One f othe other teams that have
beaten the Panthers this year—
the strong Telfair County five—
will come here tomorrow night
and will face a Panther team that
wants some more revenge of the
kind they enjoyed against Macon'
County. The Telfair quintet has a J
former Perry boy as on of its stars (
—Benny Strom, who was destined
to be a star here until he moved
to Telfair County before the start
of last season.
The girls will play Telfair Coun
ty at 7 p. m.
BOYS’ GAME
Macon Co. 50 Pos. Perry 76
Rogers 10 f Fike 5'
Lockerman 8 f Powell 18
Reid 4 c Munn 7
Rooks 7 g Martin 15
Lamberth 15 g Griffin 14
Subs: Perry—Ellis 12, Skinner
4, Rincr 1, Sanders; Macon Co.— I
Jones 4, Brown 2, Safford.
Half: Perry 38, Macon Co. 21.
iod, at which time she will answer •
practical questions concerning in- (
dividual clothing problems. <
Our guest speaker is particular- ]
ly interested in bringing the new
est fashions and techniques to the j
women in this area. She is well
qualified because of her experi
ences in vocational training, hav
ing taught for 15 years at the Ma- j
con Vocational School; more re- ]
cently for the past three years, j
she has been teaching at her own ]
Studio of Fashions in Macon, j
Among the courses Mrs. Stone j (
teaches are men’s tailoring, adult
clothing, pattern drafting and de
sign, and clothing construction. I
Mrs. Stone presently is connect
ed with the Adult Education
Branch of the State Department of
Education. She teaches private
classes in addition to lecturing on
clothing to civic groups and Home
Economics Clubs.
If you are interested in clothing,
make your plans now to attend
this Clothing Clinic. An admission
fee of 50 cents will be charged;
you will find this information most
helpful. ✓
1870-1961
OUR 91ST YEAR
ESTABLISHED 1870
BASKETBALL COMING UP
Jan. 13, Telfair County, here.
Jan. 17, Warner Robins, here.
Jan. 20, Crawford County, here.
• It was a case of a “bad night”
for the Perry Panthers and a
■ “good night” for the Willingham
i Rams Tuesday night in Macon, as
i the Rams defeated the hot-and-cold
1 local quintet, 49 to 39.
1 The Panthers kept the game in
terested but they could never sus
tain a rally long enough to over
; come the Rams.
Willingham 49 fg ft pf tp
Bannister f 9 2-2 0 20
Gaines f 10-0 4 2
Pulliam c 3 1-3 2 7
Reid g 4 0-0 3 8
Bryant g 6 0-2 1 12
TOTALS 23 3-7 10 49
Perry 22 fg ft pf tp
Fike f 5 2-2 2 12
Powell f 3 0-10 6
Nunn c 3 3-4 19
Martin g 4 4-4 2 12
Griffin g 0 0-0 10
Ellis f 0 0-0 0 0
TOTALS 15 9-12 6 30
“B” GAME
j W’ham 48 Pos. Perry 33
i Clay 16 f Bagman 6
I Payne 6 f Hunt 1
Bowen 6 c Goodman 14
Goodman 10 g Staples
Goss 4 g Davis 12
SUBS: Willingham Green 2,
Colson 4. Perry—Mayo.
Perry-Macon County
GIRLS GAME
Macon Co. 40 Pos. Perry 35
Monk 26 f Coby 8
Jones 12 f Peavy 23
Robinson 2 f Hartley
Kitchens g Culpepper 2
S. McLendon g Stocks
M. McLendon g Dean
Subs: Macon Co.—Fowler, Price
Powell. Perry Grooms, Horton,
Cummings.
Half: Perry 16, Macon Co. 12.
Perry-Wilco Game
GIRLS GAME
Perry 39 Pos. Wilco 38
Coby 11 f Wood 6
Peavy 22 f M. Shephard 17
Harley 6 f F. Shephard 15
Culpepper g Durashimer
Stocks g Carswell
Dean g Payne
Subs: Perry Dcnnard, Ratter
ree. Wilco—Turner.
Halftime—Perry 25, Wilco 22.
BOYS GAME
Perry fll Pos. Wilco 37
Fike 6 f Dennard 5
Powell 6 f F. Swicord
Nunn 12 c F. Goggans 8
Martin 29 g C. Jackson 2
Griffin 6 g Farmer 2
Subs: Perry—Ellis 2, Skinner,
Rentz, Sanders, Riner, Wilco
Turner 4, Mixon 1, Brady 10, Da
vis 2, Dennard 3.
Halftime—Perry 28, Wilco 7.
I
Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Risher spent
several days last week in Waiter
boro, S. C. and attended the funer
al of his step-father, Rufus Crosby,
on Thursday.
♦ ♦ ♦
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Harper spent
Monday night and Tuesday in At
lanta.