The Schley County News Thursday, December 1, 1892 No. 10 Miss Lula Murphy visited her sister in Americus this week. Messrs. A.J. Hill and W.E. Cheney were in Americus Tuesday. Mr. Frank Keen, of Oglethorpe, was here a short while Tuesday. Mrs. Eugene Dixon spent thanksgiving day with her parents in Americus. Mr. J.W. Snipes, of Putnam, was a pleasant visitor at our office last Tuesday. Murray & Williams will pay 14 cents for cotton seed, delivered at their ware house. Mr. Ed McElmurray, of Montezuma, came over Sunday to spend the day with his mother. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Slappy and Mr. Walker, of Americus, spent the day here last Sunday, with friends. Mrs. Kleckly and Miss Simmons, of Americus, spent Thanksgiving in our town, the guest of Mrs. J.H. Kleckly. If the captures made this week don't break up so much stealing in this county, it would be a good idea to get and keep a pair of trained blood hounds. Rev. and Mrs. E. Trice, father and mother of ye editor, arrived Monday evening from Florida, where they have been visiting relatives at different points. One of our citizens hauled two bales of cotton to Buena Vista last week and sold them for 9 3/8 cents, when he could have gotten 9 1/2 at this market. Who was the worst hurt? Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Arrington and Mr. and Mrs. Boland, of Sumter county were here Sunday to see their daughter, Mrs. H.T. Arrignton, who has been quite sick (for) several days. Mr. Phil Taylor, who has been suffering several months from paralysis, walked out to church and back Sunday, for the first time. If he keeps on improving, he will soon be himself again. The editor of the News is now living at home and boarding at the same place. If you want to pay us that little amount you owe on subscription with potatoes, pork, sausage, chickens or anything else we can use on the table, bring it along. Mr. B.F. Nyeswonder was here again Monday evening in the interest of the Garden Valley Fruit Company. He expects soon to have the Company fully organized and ready for business, and says matters are progressing that way nicely. Our many readers will be pleased to learn that Mr. S.A. Sellars has recovered sufficiently from his recent injuries--from being thrown from his buggy--to be out again. He was able to be up all day last Sunday for the first time since the accident. Two expert tobacco growers from Upson county spent several days here this week. They say that Schley county furnishes as good tobacco growing soil as there is in the south and were surprised that we had never tried it. This is a pointer for our farmer friends. Several crimes were unearthed Sunday that might have gone on indefinitely without being discovered had it not been for the particular theft that was then being investigated. Among the most daring was the discovery of a crowd of negroes gambling inthe narrow skirt of wood northwest of town. Those who were in the crowd that made the discovery tell us that cards and signs of little camp fires are quite numerous in the piece of woods refered to, evidencing the fact that these games out there are no uncommon occurrances. Our clever young friend and secretary of the Schley county democratic executive committee, Claude Dixon, who is usually considered one of our shrewdest and most practical business men, made one of the worst investments of his life during the recent campaign. He and Mr. E.B. Hornady wagered a nice hat, to cost not less than five dollars, on the congressional election in the tenth district--Claude taking the position that Watson would win. Of course the wager was not made in accordance with his feelings, but from a business standpoint, and Claude says he never was willing to lose an investment. MRS THORNTON AT REST DIED--In the town of Ellaville, Tuesday evening November 29th, 1892. Mrs. J.M. Thornton. Though this sad event has been long and confidently expected, it was a great shock to our community. By her most examplary christian walk through life. her many willing sacrifices for the Redeemer's sake, her gentle, loving disposition and various other excellent traits of character she had won hosts of friends, far and near, who mourn her loss. For many months pryor (prior) to her death, Mrs. Thornton was prostrated by one of the most cruel of the grim destroyer's weapons--dropsy. But all through the long days and nights her agonizing sufferings were borne with a true christian fortitude that finds solace in resignation to the will of Him who giveth life and taketh life away, and when the end was near she expressed her willingness to answer the call. A true christian woman, a devoted wife, a gentle loving mother and a benevolent, kind hearted friend has gone to her reward in that upper and better kingdom. The funeral services Tuesday evening at the Baptist church, conducted by Dr. Griffin, were paticularly sad. Touched by the loss of one of the most sanguine and earnest workers in the church, the good man talked with earnestness and pathoes that brought tears to the eyes of many listeners. From the church the remains were taken to the cemetery and consigned to mother earth. ___________________ Two of Ellaville's young sporting men went out a few evenings ago, armed with breech loaders and expectations for an evening of great sport. But alas! to what matchless heights our ambitions sometime rise, only to be more completely smashed by the fall. The shades of night were gathering fast when they turned homeward from an uneventful hunt. As they sped along toward town, something crossed the road just ahead and entered the woods. "A possum," shrieked one while the other tumbled out of the buggy, loaded his gun while in transit to the ground and followed in the direction the little animal went, while visions of 'possum, coon or fox loomed up on every hand. Denser and darker grew the forest with every step. Despairing of again sighting the coveted animal, the young man leveled his old trusty and sent several ounces of shot lumbering through space in the direction it was last seen. Jehosaphat, what a howl! It was one calculated to make one's hair stand on end. "Did! you shoot my dog?" This question came from an unknown individual some distance up the road, but the two amateur sportsmen had suddenly become deaf mutes. LANDED IN THE COUNTY JAIL Some time ago the News called attention to the fact that there was an organized system of burglary going on here and urged that deligent steps should be taken to break up the gang. The robbery of Pilcher & Perry's store, Murray & Williams' store and Mr. P.F. Dixon's residence in so short a time created this belief, and when Judge C.L. Battle's house was entered last Saturday night and his wife's bed stripped of everything, the whole town became alarmed. A posse of citizens, headed by Marshal Hudson immediately set out with determination to scour the whole country and if possible bring the guilty party or parties to justice. Various houses within the neighborhood of town were searched, but no trace of the missing goods could be found or a clue fastened on any one. Sunday morning the hunt was resumed. Marshal Hudson thought he had reason to suspicion that a certain family of negroes on Mr. S.A. Sellars place knew something about it and, accompanied by Mr. Kleckly, he went to reconoiter. Just before arriving at the house they saw George Burnet, a worthless sort of a negro, coming through the woods with a sack under his arm. He was one of the suspicioned and they stopped ostensibly to make some inquiry of him, but when Mr. Hudson made a move to get out of the buggy, the negro designed his purpose and run, making his escape. They persued him some distance, and after giving up the chase turned back toward the buggy, when by some lucky stroke of good fortune, they discovered the missing goods hid away in an old fallen tree top, with pine straw thrown over them. They brought the goods to town and when they arrived here found They had not only Judge Battle's things, but also nearly every article taken from Mr. Dixon's house some time ago. The goods were delivered to their respective owners and warrants swore out for Burnett's arrest. Armed with the papers Mr. Hudson got together another crowd and went out to watch the place where the goods were hidden, presuming that the thief would return soon after dark. They did not have long to wait, for about fifteen minutes after they arrived, he was discovered slipping back. He was arrested and lodged in jail before 9 o'clock. On the way to town George talked freely about the various robberies he has committed and said that his brother-in-law was implicated as accessory to the fact. When safely behind bars, George described a long list of articles he had stolen from other places and carried to the house of his brother-in-law and stated that they could be found there. On this information Baliff Tondee went to Robert Jone's house and called for them. They were immediately brought out and Robert and his wife were arrested for receiving stolen goods, knowing the same to be stolen. During the afternoon they were given a preliminary hearing before justice Meadows, who after hearing the evidence, thought there was probable cause to suspect them of vilolating the law, and placed them under a five hundred dollar bond, each, for their appearance at the next term of the superior court. They gave the bond at once and were released. George Burnett, the principal, was sent to jail in default of $250 bond on each of the charges against him. >From George's own confessions he is one of the most hardened theifs captured in this section. He says he has served two terms in the penitentiary, and that ever since he was released, he has been traveling most of the time between here and Americus, stealing everything he could get his hands on. Among the things recovered was a lap robe and overcoat stolen in the suburbs of that city. ROW BETWEEN TWO WOMEN A big row occurred at the colored Baptist church, Sunday night, between Shady Hixon and another woman. It appears that Shady put on her war paint because she had been accused of being too intimate with one John Gay, the other woman's husband. Words were passed in the church and after they started home Shady pounced upon Gay and his wife,and, according to the testimony before the mayor's court, gave them a pretty severe flogging. Shady was brought before mayor Murray the next morning and after hearing all the evidence on both sides he sentenced her to pay a fine of $8 and cost, or twenty-five days in the cooler. At last accounts, she was still hustling for the money. Raising a racket at a place of worship is a very serious thing in the eyes of the law of this state, and it is very probable that Shady will be looked after by the next grand jury. THAT 'POSSUM HUNT Last Thursday night will long be remembered by those who went on the Thanksgiving 'possum hunt, namely: Major Jones, one of the jolliest knights of the grip(group?); C.L. Peacock, proprietor of the well known Peacock House; J.H. Pearce, railroad agent and telegarpher; Claude Dixon, merchant; W.E. Chaney of patent fame; J.C. Trice, who occassionally disgusts our third party neighbors with an editorial on ploitics, and Charley Rasco, cheif devil and grand mogul of the News office. We carried along as guide and principal hunters, Dick Blackburn and his famous possum dog--Sooner. We would sooner write whole columns about that dog, Sooner, but space forbids, hence we briefly describe him so that he will be easily recognized by the reader: His eyes are a meek grey, a color that strikes terror to the possums soul; his ribs project out like sentinels on watch and his hip bones remind one of two flag staffs. He knows his business however, and glides through the woods, over logs and under bushes as swiftly and gracefully as faries in a story written especially for the children. Nothing of importance occurred until we reached the middle of Dixon's field, when Claude and the Devil dropped out of sight, ala McGinty. It was only a ditch six or seven feet deep and they were soon fished out, were found to be good as new, and we proceeded to the woods. With elevated torch Dick entered the brush, at the same time giving a little whoop, which Sooner throughly understands. Just after we had crossed a deep ditch in Lindsay's pasture Sooner hallooed two or three times in his canine language, which was interpreted by Dick as meaning possum had tramped over that ground very recently. Everybody tumbled down upon the ground to rest and await developments. Presently Capt. Peacock was reminded that we were trespassing upon the range of his Jersey bull, who has a fighting reputation surpassing any of the great gladiators. The way most of the crowd left that pasture must have made old man 'possum laugh until the tears run down the back of his neck. >From this time until about 11 o'clock, it was a weary tramp without anything resulting to break the awful monotony. Everybody was tired, sleepy and throughly disgusted. We were slowly and silently meandering toward home when, from a branch nearby, distinctly came the same piece of information we first heard in the pasture. Sooner surveyed the surroundings and told us he had tracked the culprit to his laire. We all rushed to the spot, when to our amazement all of poor Sooner, except about six inches of the hindmost extremity, was clean out of sight. Mr. 'Possum had taken refuge in a hollow stump and Sooner followed as far as he could. By removing about four tons of dirt and cutting up the stump, we secured his 'possumship, after four hours of hard work. No matter how much work, however, the capture of a possum was compensation enough for everything. LEGAL ADVERTISING APPLICATION FOR TWELVE MONTHS SUPPORT Georgia Schley County To whom it may concern--Whereas the commissioners appointed to set apart 12 months support for Mrs. M.D. Rainey, widow of T.F. Rainey, Sr., deceased, having filed their report in this office, all parties interested are hereby notified, to file their objections, if any they have, in the time required by law, why the return so made by said commissioners should not be allowed the said Mrs. M.D. Rainey and the same entered on the records of the court. This Nov. 29th, 1892.--T.B.Myers, Ordy. S.C. end # 10.