Newspaper abstracts for May 20th thru May 27th 1926 from "The Cleburne News", Heflin, Cleburne County, Alabama NEWSPAPER issue of Thursday, May 20, 1926 LAST RITES FOR J.S. EDWARDS Funeral services for Mr. John Steven Edwards were held at Upper Cane Creek on Saturday afternoon, Revs. Potter and Campbell officiating, both ministers speaking in the highest terms of the deceased as a christian gentleman, husband, father, citizen and neighbor. Mr. Edwards' death occurred at an Anniston hospital after an illness of several days. He was 68 years old and a native of Cleburne county, and a member of one of the county's best known and most prominent families, and for a number of years was a member of the Methodist church and took an active part in the work of the church in his community. Hundreds of his neighbors and friends were present at the funeral to pay their respects to this good man. Surviving are four sons: W.M. Edwards and B.S. Edwards of Heflin S.A. Edwards of Fruithurst L.A. Edwards of Anniston Six daughters: Mrs. Lizzie Willingham (deceased) Mrs. Nancy Sides of Alexandria, Ala Mrs. Mary Connell of Edwardsville Mrs. Atha Kerr of Edwardsville Mrs. Anna Connell, Mrs. Marie Parker and Miss Costilla Edwards of Fruithurst. Mr. Edwards was a Master Mason and his body was laid to rest with honors of the Order. __ LOCAL News Mrs. R.B. McElroy of Bangor, Alabama is the guest of Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Crumpton. __ HARRISON BUTLER CELEBRATES 69th BIRTHDAY John Butler, who was seriously shot by a negro at his home in Unadilla, Georgia about a month ago, mention of which was made in these columns at the time, is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Butler near Edwardsville, accompanied by his wife and children, the occasion being Uncle Harrison Butler's 69th birthday which was celebrated Tuesday, the entire family being present with the exception of one son, Leonard of Hoxie, Arkansas. Here's hoping that the "old man" will live to enjoy many more just such occasions. ___ PINHOOK News S.K. Badgett died last Monday at the home of his daughter Mrs. Nora Parker. He is survived by his wife and six children. Sympathy is extended to the bereaved relatives. __ Mrs. Minnie Pesnell and children spent Sunday afternoon with Mrs. Sallie Bryan. __ NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, May 27, 1926 FAMILY REUNION OF CRUMPTONS At Wise Chapel last Sunday, where they had spent their childhood days romping the hills of the Trickem Valley, the Crumptons and their immediate families met in reunion, the occasion being the annual decoration and singing, a tremendous crowd taking part in the day's exercises. It is not known by the writer whether it was by appointment or it just so happened, that the Crumptons and their kin out numbered any other family present, and were as follows: J.H. Crumpton of Heflin Ben H. Crumpton of Anniston I.N. Crumpton of Birmingham Mrs. M.P. Hilley of Lecta Mrs. F.C White of Lecta Mrs. Lunie Haynes of Lecta Mrs. W.R. Daniel of Trickem Mrs. Mattie McElroy of Anniston Mrs. R.B. McElroy of Bangor S.R. Crumpton of Lecta Mrs. H.A. White of Leoma, Tennessee was the only member of the Crumpton family who was not present. Total was seventy-nine and after all had partook of the splendid dinner spread under the giant oaks, enough remained to feed as many more, and the Cleburne News hopes they will enjoy other such gatherings. ____ RANDOLPH COUNTY NEGRO KILLED; WHITE MAN HELD Anniston, Ala., May 25th Elbert Cofield, young white man of Randolph county, is being held in the Calhoun county jail on a charge of first degree murder, it being alleged that Cofield shot and fatally wounded Jim Allen, a negro, of Randolph County, about five miles southeast of Oxford on Sunday afternoon. According to the story told by Reuben Allen, brother of the dead negro, three negroes, Reuben and Jim Allen and the latter's wife had hired Cofield to bring them to Anniston. When Cofield asked for whiskey, Reuben Allen stated, they refused to give it to him. Cofield, it is charged by the negroes, then stopped the car and attacked Jim Allen with a knife. After Cofield had knocked the negro to the ground, he pulled out his pistol and shot him, the surviving brother declares. The negro was brought to a local hospital about 1:30 o'clock and died about 5:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon. The bullet entered the lower abdomen from the front. Cofield was arrested by state law enforcement officers W.J. Linch, John H. Draper and Chief of Oxford police, H.M. Burrows, on the Horseblock Mountain road going in the opposite direction from Anniston. A warrent was sworn out before Judge J.R. Holman charing Cofield with assault. After the negro had died that warrant was withdrawn and one issued charging first degree murder. The negroes are said to live on the Cofield farm in Randolph county. They were coming to Anniston they said because an uncle of the Allens had died in this city. ____ REUBEN HAND IS ROBBED NEAR FRUITHURST Reuben J. Hand, formerly of this county, now of Hanceville, was robbed on the public road just north of Fruithurst he says, by two men traveling in a Ford car. Hand, who had been given a "lift" from a point near Edwardsville to the Oak Level road was traveling the road in the direction of Tallapoosa, when he met two men, both alighting from the car, one of whom stuck a pistol to his side and ordered him to throw up his hands, while the other rifled his pockets of between five and ten dollars and ordered him to "hit it and not look back." Hand, a picture agent, was enrouge to visit a sister who lives a few miles south of Tallapoosa. The hold-up men appeared to be about 40 and 25 years old, respectively, Hand said, and were traveling west. ___ MARRIAGE LICENSES ISSUED The following marriage licenses were issued in the office of the probate just since our last issue: W.C. Heath and Alma Morse C.E. Kesler and Pauline Duncan of Atlantam Georgia A.L. Blair and Mrs. Myrtle Adcock of Villa Rica, Georgia Jim Landers and Lorena Grubbs Earl Lambert and Adie Austin ____ MRS. NIX, KNOWN HERE, DEAD Mrs. John L. Nix, who moved from Cleburne to Texas about 20 years ago, was burned to death at her home there last Friday, according to a letter to her daughter, Mrs. Virgil Morris of Heflin. It is said that Mrs. Nix was preparing to start a fire in the kitchen stove, pouring kerosene oil from a can which caught fire, the blaze enveloping the unfortunate woman, burning her to such an extent that her death followed a few hours later. Mrs. Nix was a consecrated member of the Baptist church and her death is mourned by hundreds who knew her and loved her. ___ BACK VISITING FORMER FRIENDS N.P. Ross (Uncle Poll as he is called by his many friends) is visiting relatives in Cleburne. Mr. Ross' home is at Hico, Texas where he located when he moved from Cleburne 25 or 30 years ago. Mr. Ross is meeting and talking over the days long gone by. Elias Tolleson of Venus, Texas has been visiting relatives and is former acquaintances in Calhoun and Cleburne counties, and his brother Jessie at Hartselle. He has been in Texas thirty years. His mother, Aunt Manda Tolleson, age 84, is staying at the home of Mr. and Mrs. G.F. Hill in Heflin. W.R. Hogan and son John of Ruston, Louisiana, who also attended the Confederate Reunion in Birmingham, were visiting in Cleburne last week and met many old friends, the former being a brother of the late Irve Hogan, former tax collector of Cleburne. ____ LOCAL News Mrs. S.J. Prestridge, Ambros, Howard and Louise Prestridge spent the weekend with Mrs. Ann Dothard near Camp McClellan. __ Mr. and Mrs. Pittman Wood and young son Frank of Lakeland, Florida spent the weekend with Dr. and Mrs. F.R. Wood. __ W. Owen Black arrived Monday afternoon and is the guest of his aged father, E.T. Black and other Heflin relatives. Mr. Black has been in Orlando, Florida for the past several months but will be located in Birmingham in the future. __ Uncle Dock Terrell who has been spending the past three or four months with his children in Marshall County, has returned to his home near Fruithurst. __ John Rooks of Brighton has been visting relatives near Cedar Creek. __ -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.9 - Release Date: 5/12/2005