Newspaper Page Text
HERE N
THERE
Miss Ruby Cotton has been
appointed general manager O’-
Summerville Hospital, effective
Sept. 15th it has been disclosed.
Miss Cotton has been employed
at the hospital as credit man
ager since March of this year.
Dr. W. T. Gist will continue
as Superintendent of the Hos
pital, but he has delegated all his
duties to Miss Cotton, except
those dealing directly with medi
cal practice.
Johnnie C. Pegg, 18, Summer
ville, Route 3, and Charles H
Wells, 18, Berryton, enlisted in
the United States Army last
week, according to an announce
ment by the Rome Recruiting
Station, 406 West Building.
Pegg is the son of Mr. and Mrs
H. G Pegg, of Summerville, and
Wells is the son of Mr. and Mrs
Gamer Wells, of Berryton.
Anyone interested in contact
ing a recruiting sergeant from
Rome may do so at the Summer
ville Post Office on Wednesday
of each week.
Radios were installed in all
rooms of Summerville Hospital
this week, it has been announced
by Dr. W. T. Gist.
These radios are especially
constructed for hospital use, and
are clamped to the beds in such
a position as to allow the patient
to see the dial and to tune the
radio while lying flat in bed, he
said.
The radios are equipped with
tiny flat speakers which can be
placed under the patient’s pillow,
allowing him to hear his favorite
radio program without disturb
ing anyone else, since the radio
can only be heard by the person
operating it.
Construction on the Summer
ville High School Auditorium will
begin in the near future, accord
ing to County School Superin
tendent, C. B. Akin.
Work is continuing on the new
Menlo School building, Mr. Akin
said, and the new Welmyer and
Pennville schools have been com
pleted and are now in use. Ad
ditions to the Summerville High
school also have been completed
and are now occupied.
WE’VE GUI A
'NEW' FACE
As you’ve undoubtedly noticed,
your Summerville News has had
it’s face Ifited.
And what an improvement it
is too, don’t you think?
We are proud of the brand
new linotype which was just in
stalled this week, because it
means we can give you a much
easier read newspaper and one
that you will enjoy reading even
more than you did before.
This linotype is a Model 31,
which means it’s the latest thing
out, and has 12 different type
faces.
This huge, complicated ma
chine does a great deal toward
getting out a good newspaper for
you and we hope that you’ll en
joy reading your “new” Summer
ville News, as much as we enjoy
sending it out to you.
PROCLAMATION
HIRE-THE-HANDICAPPED WEEK
October 3-9,1948
By the mayor of Summerville
WHEREAS the nation, by act of Congress and proclama
tion by the President, will observe “National Employ the Physi
cally Handicapped Week” and
WHEREAS, the state, by proclamation of the governor, will
observe “Hire-the-Handicapped Week” as part of the national
campaign; and
WHEREAS the citizens of Chattooga County, being aware
of the importance of such a campaign to this community, real
ize fully the urgent need of rehabilitating and employing those
of our fellow-citizens who have acquired physical handicaps;
and
WHEREAS these two steps—rehabilitation and employ
ment—are essential to the restoration of the physically handi
capped to normal living; and
WHEREAS the Georgia State Employment Service of the
Department of Labor and the Vocational Rehabilitation serv
ices are the agencies involved in these two steps;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Willis James, mayor of the city of
Summerville, do hereby set aside the week of October 3-9 as
“Hire-the-Handicapped Week” and urge all citizens, especially
the employers of this city, to co-operate with this worthy cam
paign to find suitable jobs for the physically handicapped who,
impartial surveys have shown, become superior employees when
placed on jobs that utilize their abilities;
AND FURTHER, I urge unemployed physically handicap
ped persons to register with the Georgia State Employment
Service which will refer to vocational rehabilitation agencies
those who are in need of medical and-or vocational training
prior to entering the labor market.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and
have caused the seal of the city of Summerville be affixed.
WILLIS JAMES,
Mayor, City of Summerville
VOL. 63; NO. 40
ARILON ASH FREED
IN; PLESS KILLING
Arilon Ash, 16, was released
Wednesday in connection with
the murder of L. D. Pless, 36,
after a 12-man jury delivered a
verdict of not guilty for the boy
who was charged with the mur
der of Pless.
Ash, the son of Mr. and Mrs.
William Ash, of Summerville,
was arrested on the misty night
of the murder, August 3, for be
ing drunk and was retained the
following week on a murder war
rant.
He was defended in the trial
Tuesday and Wednesday by J.
Ralph Rosser and Freeman Mc-
Clure, both of LaFayette. Solici
tor-General E. J. Clower led the
prosecution, assisted by H. T.
Clary.
Pless’ body was discovered with
a bullet in the head shortly after
9 o’clock on the night of Aug. 3
in a drizzling rain near the
highway in front of Wayside
Inn, on U. S. Highway 27, south
of Summerville, by Steve Soulis,
of Rome.
Mr. Soulis told the jury that
he had come to Summerville to
attend a movie and was on his
way home when he passed what
he thought was a body. He said
that he drove on approximately
four miles beyond seeking a tel
ephone to call the Summerville
law officers. A few hundred
feet beyond where he saw the
body, Mr. Soulis, a Rome case
operatorr said he saw a person
walking with what appeared to
be a rifle or shotgun in his
hands. Further beyond the per
son walking was an automobile
parked beside the road with it’s
tail lights on, the Rome man
said.
He pointed out that immedi
ately outside the city limits the
same automobile passed him go
ing at a fast rate of speed.
However, Mr. Soulis said, after
failing to find a telephone, he
started back to Summerville and
the automobile had disappeared.
He said that he met no one on
-he way to Summerville, where
he found two police officers.
Among the other witnesses
were: Dr. Herman Jones, of the
Fulton County Criminal Labora
tories; C. D. Simmonds, Special
Investigator of the Georgia Bu
reau of Investigation; W. G. Tal
lent, policeman; Mrs. Russell
Barnes, who lives near the Inn
and heard a shot that night;
O’neal Taylor, who had been
with Pless and some other men
in the late afternoon; Whit Tay
lor, his father, who also was at
the Inn in the afternoon; Sher
iff A. H. Glenn, and Gordon
Phillips, who stated that Pless
and another fellow, whom he
identified as Ash, were in his
car with him for a while on the
afternoon of the murder.
The jury, which deliberated
four hours, included Claude Far
rar, J. C. Norton, Jr., D. J. Kel
lett, John Salley, James E. Led
better, Grady Ramey, Sam J.
Lancaster, Diamond Warren, H.
L. Hammond, J. T. Greeson, Fred
Mitchell and Robert Hendrix.
©hr Summeru ill? Nms
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY. SEPT. 23. 1948
"G. I. Night" Is
Planned at Church
“GI Night” will be observed
at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Septem
ber 29, at the First Baptist
Church, Summerville, where a
revival will be in progress next
week. The Rev. Ira C. Frazier,
Pastor, will conduct the series.
The sermon for the “GI Night”
services will be “Am I A Soldier?”
All veterans are especially invit
ed on this night, church leaders
said. Services will begin at 7:30
p. m. each day.
NURSES TRAINING
PROGRAM PLANNED
A training program for practi
cal nurses will begin at the Sum
merville Hospital in October, it
has been disclosed by Dr. William
Gist.
The training program is in
tended to relieve to some extent
the existing shortage of nurses
in this area, it said. After com
pleting the training these practi
cal nurses would be capable of
carrying out many routine nurs
ing duties under the supervision
of a graduate nurse, and would
also be available in cases of
emergency, or for private duty
nursing in the horns.
The classes will probably be
limited to six students, Dr. Gist
said, and will consist of three
months of training, with lectures
three nights a week, and assign
ed periods of training in the
actual care of sick patients, un
der the direction of graduate
nurses.
No charge will be made for
the training of those who are
accepted for the course.
Some of the necessary quali
fications required for the train
ing are as follows:
1. All applicants must be be
tween the ages of 23 and 45.
2. They must be residents of
Chattooga County or the im
mediate vicinity.
3. They must present evidence
of having had at least two years
of high school education.
4. Trainees must attend at
least 80% of the classes after
they begin the training.
5. All applicants must be will
ing to accept jobs in Chattooga
County as practical nurses, upon
completion of their training.
6. They must have no other
obligations or family ties which
would prevent their being avail
able at any hour of the day or
night.
Individuals who fill the above
qualifications may obtain appli
cation blanks at the business
office of Summerville Hospital.
Qualified applicants will then be
interviewed by Dr. Gist, who is
directing the training program.
The six applicants chosen will
then be notified as to when their
training will begin.
INDIANS BATTLE CENTRAL "B" TO 19-19
DEADLOCK; PLAY AT LAFAYETTE FRIDAY
BY BILLY ESPY
The Summerville High Indians
fought the Baby Purple Pound
ers of Chattanooga to a 19-19
standstill Thursday night at
Sturdivant Field as Jimmy Bush,
Indian quarterback, scored all
! three touchdowns.
As ‘B’ teams usually do the
Central aggregation consisted of
no less than 20 varsity players.
This 20 along with 15 more
showed local grid fans a rough
and sometimes dirty brand of
football. We like to see a good,
hard, clean game, but do not
especially care to see any more
games as unsportsmanlike as the
one Thursday night.
Time and time again infrac
tions of the rules were seen by
everyone,such as slugging, kick
ing, piling on and even pinching
and gouging were used freely
throughout the game. To coin
a phrase it could be said that
“the boys from Tennessee were
right in there slugging at the
final whistle” and the phrase
could be taken literally.
But enough of this, let us turn
to the brighter side and review
the game a bit.
To open the game the Indians
kicked to Central and the kick
was returned to the 28, then on
a series of line plays Central
marched to pay dirt in the open
ing minutes. John Donovits, who
played a brilliant defensive
game, broke through and block
ed the try for the extra point.
Dacus returned the kickoff
following the Central score 9
FINAL RITES FOR
JENNINGS ARE
HELD WEDNESDAY
Cpl. Archie L. Jennings, 23,
one of Chattooga county’s World
War II dead, who died in action
with a tank battalion in Ger
many, January 30, 1945, arrived
in Summerville at 5:49 p.m.
Tuesday.
Cpl. Jennings is survived by
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James
A. Agnew, one daughter, Miss
Jeanette Jennings, all of Menlo;
a sister, Mrs. Lee Ratliff, of
Amarillo, Texas.
1 Funeral services were con
[ ducted at the Menlo Baptist
Church, of which he was a mem
ber at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept.
22, with the Revs. J. Pat Brock,
Pastor of the Church, and S. K.
Dodson officiating.
Active pallbearers were mem
bers of the VFW Post 6688 and
American Legion Post 129.
Honorary pallbearers were: J. W.
Parrish, Bub Tucker, James
Cooper, W. P. Atkins, Earl Cope
land, Dike Kennedy, Leslie Tuck
er, Billy Edwards Auburn Long
ley, Earl Hurtt, Junior Crane,
J. D. Hurtt, Herbert Cook, Jr.,
Hugh Willingham, Deedie Powell,
Wilburn Hutchins, J. C. Hutch
ins, J. T. Copeland, Edward
Baugh. Harold White, Hill Hall,
W. A. Deering and Loyd Waters.
Interment was in the Alpine
Cemetery with J. D. Hill Funeral
Home of Summerville in charge.
1,500 Local Men
Register so? Draff
Approximately 1,500 Chattooga
County men between the ages
of 18 and 25 have registered for
the new peace-time draft,
according to Miss Mae Earl
Strange clerk of the local draft
board.
Registration terminated Satur
day, except for those who reach|
their 18th birthdays. These must
register at the local draft board, 1
located at the courthouse, within:
five days of their birthdays, Miss
Strange said.
Questionnaries will be sent out
the Clerk said, and single, non
veterans and non-fathers will
be the first drafted, and those
according to their order number,
which is determined by their
birthdays.
Mother of Local
Woman Succumbs
Mrs. Emma Hammontree died
today at the age of 96 at her
home, in Dalton. She lived her
entire life in Whitfield County.
She was the widow of the late !
Lee Hammontree, one of Dalton’s
earliest merchants.
She is survived by five daugh- |
ters, Mrs. R. H. McFarland, Mrs.
Carter Stacy, Mrs. Annie Nelms
and Mrs. Lizzie Humphrey, all
of Dalton, and Mrs. I. M. Hender- [
son, Summerville; three sons,
Herman of Dalton, J. S. of Rome
and Sam of tica, N. Y.
| yards to the 35, Bush hit the line
1 for 7, followed by Dacus for 7,
then Bobby Nix reeled off 30
yards to the 31. Bush again hit
the line, this time for 1 to the
30, to get up a 30-yard pass play
from Dacus to Bush that was
good for 6 points. The attempt
for the conversion failed.
The Indians again hit pay
dirt early in the second canto
as Nix made 3 to the 45, Dacus
again hit Bush for another 30-
yard pass, Nix hit the line for 3
to set up another pass from Da
cus to Jimmy Bush that covered
30 yards and was good for an
other 6 points. Roy Lee Bagley
converted and the Indians were
ahead, 13-6, but this lead was
soon to be erased as in“the wan
ing minutes of the first half,
Central rallied and on a series of
line plays scored from the 2. The
extra point was good and at the
half it was still anybody’s ball
game with the score all tied up,
13-13.
The score remained the same
throughout the third period as
neither team could penetrate
the other’s defense.
To open the final quarter, aft
er failing to score, the Indians
kicked, the ball going into the
end zone for an automatic touch
back and the pigskin was
brought out and turned over to
Central on the 20-yard line, then
in the shadow of their own goal
posts they tried a desperate pass
that was good for 75 yards and a
touchdown. Donovits again
See Page Eight
ELLEN FREEMAN FOUND 'NOT
GUILTY' OF BROWN MURDER
A. A. Farrar
Opens Law Office
i
Archibald A. Farrar, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Baker Farrar, of
Summerville, has opened his of
fice in the Tooga building and
is now practicing law.
Mr. Farrar graduated from the
Lumpkin Law School at the Uni
versity of Georgia on August .31
and was admitted to the prac
l tice of law on Sept. 11 by Judge
Henry West in Athens, after
I having passed the Georgia Bar
[ examination on June 30-July 2.
He is a member of the Dalta
' Theta Phi legal fraternity and Pi
Kappa Alpha social fraternity.
The new attorney served over-
I seas two years with the army
and held the rank of captain in
the infantry. Mr. Farrar is
married to the former Miss Em
ily Nixon, of Rome.
Body of W. B.
Alexander Arrives
For Final Burial
The remains of Pfc. William
Barry Alexander, 33, arrived in
Summerville at 5:49 p.m. Tues
day.
One of the heroes in Company
“F” and with half of another
Company were trapped and com
pletely wiped out by German
forces August 7, 1944, near St. Lo,
France. Near St. Lo is where they
were laid to rest until a short
I time ago when Alexander and his
I comrades were disenterred and
i started their journey home.
He was born July 7, 1911, and
was reared in Chattooga County.
He enlisted in the U. S. Army,
j November, 1942, and was. in
’ action almost two months be
. fore death.
Impressive memorial services
I Presbyterian Church, of which
|he was a member, Sunday Sept.
17, 1944. The Rev. Leßoy Obert,
iof Trion, officiated.
Married to Frances McWil
iams, June 27, 1943, who now re
sides in Trion. Pfc. Alexander
was for sometime a member of
the faculty of the McHenry
Schools of Floyd County. Be
sides his wife he is survived by
his mother, Mrs. Carrie Alexan
der, Cloudland; two sisters, Mrs.
W. R. Wilson Rome and Mrs. E.
L. Pless, Cloudland. Seven nieces
and nephews also survive.
Funeral services will be con
ducted from the graveside in
Chattanooga National Cemetery
at 10:30 a.m. Friday by the Rev.
Leßoy Obert. Pallbearers will be:
J. E. Kennedy, Ralph Chamlee,
Lester Edwards, J. C. Cavin, Leon
McCollough and O. L. Self.
The remains will lie in state
at the J. D. Hill Funeral Home
in Summerville until 9 a.m. Fri
day at which time the cortege
will leave for Chattanooga.
F.F.A. Initiation
Held at Menlo
A group from the LaFayette
Future Farmers America Chap
ter, joined the Menlo group on
Wednesday night, September 12,
for an initation ceremony.
Eleven Green Hands from La-
Fayette and twelve from Menlo,
in this ceremony became Junior
Farmres.
The recently elected officers of
the Menlo chapter are: Willis
Smith, President; Hal Wilson,
Vice President; Alvis Clark, Sec
retary; Junior Burnette, Teas
urer; Jerry Hogg, Reporter.
James N. Young, head of vo
cational Depatment of LaFayette
High School, accompanied the
boys to Menlo.
J. A. Harris is director of Vo
cational Training in Menlo High
School.
Floyd County Clinic
To Serve Chattooga
Cancer Patients
The new Floyd Tumor Clinic at
■ Rome has been opproved as the
newest addition to Georgia’s net
work of 15 State Department of
Public Health.
I The clinic will serve patients
' from five counties Gordon,
Floyd, Chattooga, Polk and
j Haralson, and parts of two others
I —Bartow and Paulding.
Patients from these areas were
formerly treated either at Dal
ton or Atlanta.
highway!?
BOOSTERS TO MEET
ON OCTOBER 20
Fred F. Starr. Acting Executive
’ Director, U. S. Highway 27 As
sociation, announces that plans
[for combining Florida and
[ Georgia efforts in a widespread
'promotion program for U. S. 27
. will be discussed at a conference
of Highway Boosters from the
j States of Georgia and Florida in
Winter Haven and Cypress Gar
dens, Florida on October 20.
This action was decided upon
at the annual meeting of High
way 27 Association of Georgia at
'the Ralston Hotel in Columbus.
Friday Sept. 10—The Executive
'Committee was authorized to do
I all in 'its power to form this
[coalition in order to pull more
traffic and tourist travel over
U. S. 27 both in Georgia and
Florida.
O. L. Betts, Jr., former treas
urer of the Association, was |
elected President succeeding J. ■
I Hubert Griffin of Carrollton. R. I
i Y. Howell of Bainbridge, Ist Vice
President, J. L. Henderson of
•Summerville 2nd Vice President; [
I Thomas E. Sikes of Columbus
j was elected Treasurer and Fred I
F. Starr of Rome was elected
Acting Executive Director and
Secretary.
The presidents report showed
that tourist traffic over U. S. 27
in Georgia has inceased five-fold
within the past year, and that
an extensive advertising and
promotional campaign will have
to be carried on as in the past, in
fact a more aggressive and much
larger in scope than past years— ;
A new strip map. more bill
boards, advertising in A. A. A.
Media, tourist and travel maga
zines.
The group also named a new
■ Board of Directors, which in turn
elected a seven-man Executive •
[ Committee of its own members.
The new Board of Directors
includes: S. Marvin Griffin,
• Bainbridge; J. J. McDonough and
B H. Mooney, Jr., Rome: Fred
[ AldrecL*;Summerville and L. B. :
HarfeU,-Trion.
E. ( E. Fletcher
Dies of Gunshot
Wounds Saturday
Elbert Emmett Fletcher, 57,
.veteran of World War I, died in:
| a Summerville Hospital at 10:40,
Saturday, of self-inflicted Gun
shot wounds. The wounds were
inflicted approximately one hour
before.
He is survived by his wife. Mrs.
Ollie Roberts Fletcher; six
daughters, Mrs. N. E. Cook, Mrs.
W. P. Atkins, Miss Wanda, Myra,
Shirley and Laura Fletcher, all
of Summerville; two sons, Jack :
Fletcher, of Summerville and O.
A. Fletcher, U. S. Navy, station
ed in Rhode Island; one brother,
O. R .Fletcher, of Summerville;
two sisters, Mrs. Mamie Roberson •
and Mrs. Lyle Johnson, of Sum- ,
merville. Five Grandchildren and [,
a number of nieces and nephews
also survice. | (
Funeral services were conduct- j,
ed at the South Summerville ,
Baptist Church at 4:30 p.m. [•
Monday, with the Rev. W. M. ■
Steel, pastor, and the Rev. I. C. i'
Frazier officiating. Full military \,
honors were given Mr. Fletcher [
by members of VFW 6688 and {
American Legion Post 129 with
interment in the Summerville
cemetery. The J. D. Hill Funeral
Home of Summerville was in [
charge.
■
The regular meeting of Trion
Lodge No. 160 F. and A. M., will [
be held at 7:30 pan. Monday,
September 27, at the Lodge Hall. 1
All qualified Masons are invited'
to attend.
$1.50 A YEAR
Bride’s Slaying
Remains Mystery
The mystery of the bedroom
L'aying last year of beautiful
Laura Katharine Brown, a bride
of three months, remained un
■ solved this week, as her sister
• in-law, blonde Ellen Brown Free
man walked out of the court
;' house Tuesday afternoon a free
woman, after having been found
[i not guilty of the crime. The jury
; [ deliberated four hours.
Mrs. Freeman, a young mother
.I of two children, was arrested on
. I June 10, 1948, charged with the
[ murder of her twenty-year old
[sister-in-law, who was shot in
I the wrist and neck at Summer
i ville in the early morning hours
of July 26, 1947.
The blonde attractive Mrs.
Freeman, wearing on both days
of the trial a blue and white
i striped cotton chambray dress
land void of makeup, testified in
i. Chattooga County Superior Court
■ Tuesday that she was awakened
; on the night of the murder when
[ either the victim or her own
. half-sister called “Sis.” She said
’ that she then opened her eyes,
■ saw a man standing at the foot
i of the bed, in which Mrs. Brown
I slept, shut her eyes and then
\ opened them again, .at which
Itime the man moved away from
the bed.
I didn’t see him go out, the
. accused woman said, and I don’t
I know which way he went.
At that time, she said, she
screamed, raised a window and
j called to the next door neigh
bor, Raymond Mosier, for help.
She said then her sister-in-law
rolled off the bed and began
clutching at her bed.
The defendant told the jury
[that she started dragging Mrs.
Brown to the door and saw blood
[on her then started back to the
bed, but dropped her at the door.
The victim’s feet were lying in
I the front door leading into the
room, and her head was lying,
I face down, in a pool of blood in-
Iside the room when found.
The first person to reach the
Freeman-Brown duplex home
after the murder was Mr. Mozier,
who said the victim moved and
groaned once after he arrived.
Mr. Mosier was followed by his
wife and mother, all of whom
occupied the concrete block
store-dwelling next door to the
I house of the crime.
The husbands of the two wo
men, Alfred Freeman and Bill
Brown, were both at work on the
third shift in Trion at the time
of the murder and the two
women allegedly were sleeping in
■ the same room, Mrs. Freeman
[ and her two sons by a former
marriage, Bobby and Coleman
Hamilton, ages 5 and 7, occupied
one bed and Mrs. Brown and
Mrs. Freeman’s 10-year-old half
I sister, Geraldine Gray, the other.
The only other occupant of the
; house was Bobby Allen, 14-year
old boy who was visiting Mrs.
Brown, Young Allen made his
home with Mrs. Brown’s father.
R. L. Abernathy, of Alabama. The
. state attempted to show that
the youngster had been drugged
by some coffee he and the
others were given by Mrs. Free
man before they retired that
. night.
Sheriff A. H. Glenn and Police
Chief W. M. Whaley both stated
that they were unable to arouse
the child when they arrived
shortly after the crime was re
ported. The lad, a state witness
himself said he knew nothing of
the night’s occurences until the
next morning when awoke on the
back porch with his clothes on.
PREACHER AND LITTLE GIRL
A little girl and a Baptist
preacher were perhaps the most
interesting of the procession of
witnesses who filed through the
courtroom on the first two days
of this week.
The little girl was tjhe 10-year
old half sister of Mrs. Freeman,
Geraldine Gray, who allegedly
occupied the bed with Mrs.
Brown on the night of the shoot
ing.
The child, a defense witness,
calmly answered the questions
put to her by defense counsel,
Mack G. Hicks and as equally
unruffled withstood the crossr
examination of Solicitor General
E. J. Clower. She stated under
[ the cross-examination that if a
I gun had been fired in the house
I she would have heard it. To a
I number of the questions, the
i serene child merely replied “I
'don’t know.”
The preacher, the Rev. J. A.
Smith, injected a shot of humor
Spp Papp Rijrht
The preacher, the Rev. J. A.
Smith, injected a shot of humor
See Page Eight