Newspaper Page Text
Che Summerville News
I i l
T
To
ROl
CHAPTER SEVEN
RUN WITH THE HOUNDS
It had been Wednesday morning when old Mrs.
Travers called about not seeing any sign of Darris Hayes
since Friday night.
“I'm not one of them nosey people, y'unnerstan,” she
had said to Jim Tom Greeson, who had caught the call.
“Yes'm,” Jim Tom had said, rolling his eyes toward
the ceiling.
“WelF. it's just that this ain't like Darris, is all.
Y'know?"
“Yes'm,” Jim Tom cleared his throat.
At last she hung up after Jim Tom said yes'm he’'d have
a look. He went to the diner and had a cup of coffee and
two sweet rolls first, flirted with the waitress and talked
some football with the other customers, all trying to decide
why the amazing Hounds were beating everybody so bad
ly when they loofied like they had just come in off the farm,
and at last pulled up in front of the house at the address
the woman had given him on the telephone.
All the doors were locked. He could see the woman next
door looking through the curtains. Nosey old biddy, he said
to himself, and was about to continue around the side of
the house when he noticed the basement window.
It was not open, but stood apart from its latch about
an inch. He hunfiered down and tried to see through the
film of dust and dirt on the panes, but could not. He took
his handkerchief out and gripped the tip of the little win
dow with it so as not to disturb any fingerprints.
When he [l)ulled it came toward him easli-f;'. He was so
surfi\rised he almost sat down backwards. Puzzled, he sud
denly noticed a dark wetness on the bottom of the window
at the hinges. He put his finger in the wetness and held
it to his nose. Oil!
He got down on his hands and knees and examined the
hi]nges more closely. They were both soaked with machine
oil. ;
Jim Tom rose and rubbed his chin, then hunkered down
again to try to see into the basement. Boxes and strips of
scrap plywood were against the window. He went to the
blacE and white and radioed for Claude Pair.
“‘Probable forced entry,” Jim Tom said shortly when
Pair pulled up five minutes later.
‘““Agree,” Claude said when he had inspected the base
ment window and noted the oiled hinges. ‘‘But not
burglary.”” They went to the back door. Claude forced the
lock on the old style door.
The inside of the house smelled of stale grease and old
clothes; the smell associated with toe many old people liv
ing alone. They made straight for the basement:
When either of them tolg about what they found in the
basement afterwards, they only told the bare details.
Darris Hayes was tied to a pipe by both wrists, his
arms wide apart. His feet were off the floor. Pair and
Greeson, coming down the stairs, saw his feet and legs and
lower body first. Instinctively, they both knew he was dead.
There is something about the way limbs look on the dead.
They had both seen death before. They could look at a body
lying on'the ground and tell if the person were dead or alive.
Darris Hayes was dead.
Then they saw his head.
% They botg stopped, gazing in horror at they knew not
what.
His head had been encased in a clear plastic bag. It was
obvious that the bag was much bigger than a human head.
But — but now Darris’ head seemed to fill the bag, in fact
was stretching it at all points.
“What in the name of God .. ." breathed Jim Tom.
The rasping breaths of the two men were plainly audi
ble in the musty basement. Neither wanted to move. They
could make out the dark places that had been the eye and
mouth, ogling obscenely at them through the plastic. At
last Clauge Pair’s feet began to work an% he moved closer
to the body, Jim Tom right behind him, a hand on his back
as if to maintain contact.
“Suffocated?”’ Jim Tom managed to get out.
Claude Pair was circling the body slowly.
‘““Maybe. But that wouldn't cause the swelling .. ."
Suddenly Pair, recovering quickly now from his initial
shock, took l{is flashlight off Eis belt and shined it over the
plastic bag. He stopped its beam at one place and got the
narrow beam closer.
“Oh, my God . . . " he began and suddenly retched, tur
ning aside to vomit over several tool chests on the floor,
the contents of his stomach coming up in stream after
stream.
Jim Tom was startled. He had never seen the normal
ly cool officer so affected before. Also, he was frightened.
If whatever Claude had found had caused him to tfirow up,
what would it do to himself?
Jim Tom put a hand on Pair's back and supported him
as the storm wore off. “What — what was it t’})xat . he
was afraid to ask.
Wordlessly, Pair handed him the flashlight, still on.
With shaking hands, Jim Tom directed the beam over the
plastic sack. He saw the black speck, but for several
seconds didn't know what he was looking at. Then it mov
ed and he could see plainly the hinged legs and the red
shape of the hourglass. Jim Tom dropped the flashlight and
in another moment had lost the cofgae and sweet rolls and
most of his supper of the night before.
Both men hung onto the walls for several minutes, try
ing to gain some control over their nerves and stomachs.
At last Pair pushed off the wall, and on wobbly legs
picked up the flashlight and once again went back to the
horror in the plastic bag. It was several minutes before Jim
Tom could speak.
“Black widow spiders?’’ he asked.
“Black widow spiders,” Pair confirmed.
‘“‘How many?"
“I've foum{six so far.”
“How come they're still alive?’ now Jim Tom was
recovering also.
“There's a vent in the top of the bag where they can
get air.”
“And he's been down here, like this, since..."
“The woman who called said Friday?"’
“Right, Friday. She said that was the last time she had
seen him.”
‘“Better call the coroner and an ambulance.”
“Right.”
“Jim Tom?"
“Huh?”
“Try to act natural when you go out to the car. We'll
have all kinds of J)eoge swarming afi over us soon enough.”
And thaeii' did. Three murders in four weeks was enough
to attract all manner of people. There were the TV crews,
of course, interviewing anyone who would stand still. The
newspapers overflowed in the small hamlet. But now the
magazine people came too.
Sheriff Rabbit Snider was once again putting out the
word that it was the mysterious Copperhead who was the
one responsible for the horrible murders. Man’ly of the
papers did special stories on the figure called The Cop
see A SEASON TO REMEMBER, page 15 -B
By
PAUL
TREADAWAY
Copyright 1986
N"b N :
"' ' ; ’.'v'; A 5
L. > t § I .
{ "\ ' y %Q ‘ | |
S '. '::
/ 4 ~ b N Y . /
" ) R g d gl (
‘ e, Pl ‘
3 AR % //‘\/
RN N A
] "\ @ A
" SN o
o \v L, \
-
. \
!-W»,‘: I“?;;Z‘;»w b : !
SRR TR AR ¢ .
- '&"’"*«x‘a it Y S
i L | s i
',K s '
:~ 5 “
T L
:e; 3 T
BAND STUDENTS LEARN RESPONSIBILITY
CHS Students On Their Honor During Sectional Practice
Local Bands Teach More Than Music
By KAY ABBOTT
Staff Writer
It's a gray Monday afternoon in Chattooga County. At
3:40 p.m. most Trion }i,igh and Chattooga Hi %1 students are
long gone from the campus. However, at eacfi school, about
70 students are hard at work learning to march and play
music with precision. They may not realize it now, but they
are learning a lot more than just music and marching.
“Band is not only an academic subject, but it teaches
leadership and responsibility,”” said Chattooga High School
band director Ron Becton.
“Band plays the dual role of curricular subject and extra
curricular activity,” said Carolyn Herndon, Trion High
School band director. *‘ln both aspects, a child learns to work
as part of a group and to excel as an individual as well. It
offers an agzantage. in that respect, over the normal
classroom situation.”
INDOOR PRACTICE
As a drizzle begins to fall, the Trion Marching Band, in
cluding majorettes, is practicing its halftime show indoors.
Vi 22 A i ’”'/ B f/:; ’:é’ 7 ,
W TW% gl 0
G W o Gt : WG ¢ =
-l - 1
w o s i oiaid o e, L o
|~ Gials -4 2 2 R 2 : (A §
& & T | ik i g" bt £
; N PR 14 ‘ o ; R
i < & -y /e e >
" ?, R q’& ¥ g Rz -0
: ; v, T e 3% sz =B%
L Wt o p | ; N . 2,
/’& e %
. o (] 4 A Y A % .
: ; e R .55 T M
d 4 ¥, ¥ @i - - o
| } 55z =
rs B l‘ i b E
;&¢7 ) e .
8 ] d S § ok 3 :: i .
& : : ‘ 4
AP- A N
§|-4 o & N
P 8 % ' . 1 S i ~ 'Z‘ -‘ ¥ 5
) : 3 09 R C
e ! 4 3 - { ) fi’:
g G LA e U Vi e s ; ' .
iy W 7 T g i g TN
‘Heart Beat’ Set Tonight
If you want to take out your frustrations but really
don’t want to kick your d(fil, beat li'our wife (or husband)
or slam your head into a wall, you'll have a chance to gain
relief tonight .. . for a good cause.
A ““Heart Beat” wfll%)e sgmnsored immediately after the
pep rally tonight at the Chattooga County High School
gymnasium. Participants, by donating $1 each, may pound
a car with a sledge hammer.
Proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Assn.
in memory of the late Mrs. Pat Parrott, who was a Chat
tooga High School teacher until her sudden death this
summer. s ! el on
~ The funds will be used to sgonsor local educational pro
grams as well as research in the treatment and prevention
of heart disease. .
Cogdell Dismissed
The driver of a tractor
trailer truck involved in a traf
fic accident just south of Trion
in which a Chattooga County
woman was injures has been
dismissed as a defendant in a
$1.25-million lawsuit.
The suit had been filed in
U. S. District Court at Rome in
mid-Ma{l by Annie Mae Hogue
and Richard H. Hogue Sr., 55
Park Ave., Trion. It was filed
against Carolina Western Ex
press Inc., Atlanta, and one of
its drivers, Francis Kent
Cogdell Jr., Columbia, S.C.
Ben Ballenger, a Summerville
attorney, represents the
Ho%\es.
allenger notified the court
that he had been unable to
serve COfidell in the case and
asked that the driver be
dismissed as a defendant
without prejudice, which
means that Cogdell could later
be returned back as a defen
dant in the case.
Court records also indicate
that attorneys for both sides
Thursday, October 16, 1986
COPING WITH RAINED OUT PRACTICE
CHS Flutes Continue Practice In Hallway
feel there may be ‘‘some
pessibility of settlement™ in
the case.
The lawsuit involves a Jan.
22, 1985 traffic accident involv
ing a Carolina Western Ex
press Inc. truck and a vehicle
driven by Teresa Michelle
Hogue, daughter of the
Hogues. Mrs. ilogue said she
was injured in the crash, which
took place on U. S. Highway
27, south of Trion.
The suit filed by the
Hogues says that Cogdell
“‘negligently drove the . . . trac
tor and trailer into the traffic
lane over which the Hogue
vehicle was then lawfully pro
ceeding, thus proximately
causing a collision between the
Hogue vehicle and a power
pole.”
The trucking con;_Fany
denied charges in the Hogue
lawsuit, saying that cause of
the accic{ent was ‘‘the
negligence of the (Hogues')
minor daughter,”” who was
driving the car.
There is just enough room for the band to fit in the sound
proofed room.
It looks like someone is a quarter-inch out of line,”” Miss
Herndon says, peering down a row of trombone players.
“Close your eyes and listen to our performance,’” she in
structs her students, flipping on a tape of the last number.
“How could we improve?”
At Chattooga Hri’gh the rain has also driven the band in
doors, but it was able to get in almost an hour of marching
beforehand. Sections of different instruments are scattered
throughout the long corridors and cross halls, led in serious
practice by band o%ficers.
ENJOYMENT
Students in the two bands have more in common than
just working around the inconvenience of a rained-out prac
tice. Their expressions and conversations reveal a true en
joyment of their task. They encourage one another to keep
the practice session on track. No one wants to make a
mistake when the band marches together again.
Both band directors noted that since their high school
marching bands receive so much publicity during the fall
marching season, many residents are not aware tiat band
is a year-round program.
Myers Pushes Commission-Manager
Chattooga Countians
should support a proposal to
switch the county’'s govern
ment from a sole commissioner
to a five-member board of com
missioners with a professional
county manager, members of
the gummerville-Trion Op
timist Club were told last
Friday.
A. McMillan (Mac) Myers
111, a Chattooga businessman,
addressed club members at
their weekly meeting at The
Round Table, Pennville. He
was introduced by Chattooga
Rep. Johnny Crawford, a
member of the club and author
of legislation providing for the
Nov. 4 referendum on t%xe issue.
On Sept. 12, 1956, the coun
ty's voters decided, 2,142 to
1,167, to change from a five
member boarg of commis
sioners to the current sole com
missioner form of government,
Myers said. Thirty years later,
voters will be asked to decide
whether to set up a five
member board, he said.
DIFFERENCE
However, the proposal this
year has a significant dif
ference from the previous
board of commissioners, Myers
said. The enacting legislation
calls for the hiring of a profes
sional county manager who has
at least a bachelor’s degree in
public administration or three
years experience in that profes
sional area, Myers sais. The
board form of government
removed from office in 1956 did
not provide for a county
manager, he indicated.
Things change over time,
said Myers, and governments
and citizens can agapt to it and
shgpe it to meet new challenges
and opportunities. Or, they can
Second Front
R . ol
‘i £ X J‘:‘
e K
-. i b
\ 4 .
" ) ] L y P 'i. 1S N
i — e i ' i .
iC- 4 { o
i G - B wE
. 0 T ‘__ -
.go|R ke - i
o )
:-, v%‘*"zf/ e
i Qb 3 y : i
PR o T .B|“] PR
A /“‘ & ('7 A 4 » 1 ‘ : w"am o 2 ”
4 %738 P j ;‘_ ’r ooLo P i . : :
¥ ol zptfl."v, T- 4 ’u‘z t o
§ p » g; 2 M,; v‘y f "" p > 7 ’,& BV b T LP g :
1 e, | ; . [ ¥ #' P j".\a.—;_,’f"’ y
2 " 2% ‘* A\ jb)",i& ‘o ' % £
Py [ \ Ry ¢ N
| [ e B R g,
: ,'fi“":f: 2N ..3’«;«' 7 2 / \
C - I ?;% @‘ 3i, % (/ T KT
8 )/¢ W'y SE :
. ;l:\ ‘ 3,? N Al i ‘ "‘:;‘v SN Y i 1
PRt N «v}r W v\_/-‘i_ “ A ;"f; -f N 4
EMIN P 4 X
: £ » } il B y
e ” i 4 2 ¢ o
: i ‘ - ¢ e -
: L
become isolated, lose control
and relinquish opportunities to
guide their destiny, he added.
County government has
outpaced the ability of one per
son to keep pace, he continued,
and it requires more skills than
simply being a resident for one
year and 21 years of age.
Most counties in the state
have a manager-board form of
government. he said.
“VULNERABLE"
The people he has talked
with in ghattooga County see
“how vulnerable it (a sole com
missioner form) is to individual
personalities,”” Myers said.
People now expect to be
able to have more input into
their county government,
Myers said, and there have not
been any regularly scheduled
Eublic meetings called, to his
nowledge, by a sole commis
sioner in the county except
every four years around
election-time.
The legislation to be voted
on Nov. 4 requres a minimum
of one public meeting of the
board of commissioners each
month, he said, meaning that
people would have at least 48
opportunities during a four
year period to express their
views publicly to their
commissioners.
The board would make
policy and the county manager
would execute that policy and
handle day-to-day operations
of the county, Myers said.
Staggered terms would provide
for continuity in county
government and ensure that
experienced commissioners are
always in office, he continued.
INDUSTRY
A county manager would be
able to work closely with in
TRION FLAG CORP DRILLS FOR PRECISION
Flag Bearers Prepare For Halftime Shows
“Most people just think of us in relation to parades and
football ghames.‘,‘ said Miss Herndon. ‘‘Band is a year-round
activity that helps prepare children for their roles as citizens
and workers in careers.”
TRYOUTS
In both systems, band students work to perfect their
musical skills throughout the school year and during much
of the summer. After fall marching season comes the winter
concert band season, where emphasis is placed on individual
auditions. Students prepare for state tryouts and honor band
auditions. During summer vacation, many days are given
to practice sessions to prepare for the fall marching season
once again. At the end of summer, CHS band students travel
to band camp for a week of intensive practice.
Becton feels the public is not fully aware of the full value
of local band programs in terms of each band member’s per
sonal achievement.
“When parents and teachers who have been in band pro
grams Fut their own children in band, it says a lot about the
kind of value they place on the program,” said Becton.
“When you start looking at the band program you realize
see LOCAL BANDS, page 7-B
BAND STUDENTS PRACTICE YEAR ROUND
Trion Students Work To Perfect Skills
dustrial prospects and seek
state ancf fecfieral funds, the
speaker said, as well as seek
state and federal grants for the
county.
Chattooga is a progressive
county, Myers said, as evidenc
ed by recent decisions within
one year to enact two sales tax
measures, one for local schools
and the other for roads and
bridges.
*All of us are responsible
for our government,’’ he said.
“Ultimately, what we vote for
Head Start Week
Two special programs have
been scheduled this month in
Chattooga County in obser
vance of national ‘‘Head Start
Awareness'’ month.
The Chattooga Head Start
Center, located at 1 Stockade
St., Summerville, will par
ticipate in a nationally coor
dinated balloon launch at noon
next Thursday, Oct. 23.
Open house will be held at
the (?hattooga center from 2
until 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30.
The}{m%lic is invited.
ead Start officials said the
program ‘‘is based on the
premise that all children share
certain needs, and can benefit
from a comprehensive
developmental program to
meet tl!x)ose needs. A child can
benefit most from a com
prehensive interdisciplinary
program in a broad range of
services including parent in
volvement, nutrition, health
and dental. The child's entire
family, as well as the communi
ty, must be involved. The
overall goal of the Head Start
is what we get."”
Responding to questions,
Myers said it likely would in
itially be more expensive to
operate a board of
commissioners-county
manager form of government
but agded that there would be
more control over the county’s
finances and a better oppor
tunity to make long-range
plans. “We can create a place
to nurture progress,” he
continued.
see MYERS, page 6 -B
program is to bring about a
greater degree of social com
petence in children.”
More information on Head
Start may be obtained by call
ing 857-2121.
Library
Friends
To Meet
An organizational
meeting of Pstiends of the
Library will be held at 7
p.m. Tuesday in the com
munity room of Chattooga
County Library,
Summerville.
Membership forms
may also be picked up dai
ly at the library’s circula
tion desk.
The public is invited to
the meeting next Tuesday
night.