Cleburne County AlArchives News.....Newspaper Notices for MAY 1899 May 1899 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Candace Gravelle tealtree@comcast.net October 9, 2004, 10:28 pm The Cleburne New Era NEWSPAPER NOTICES FROM "THE CLEBURNE NEW ERA" for MAY 1899 NEWSPAPER issue of May 6, 1899 A singing at the residence of I.E. Hubbard last Sunday evening was greatly enjoyed by the beaux and belles of Heflin. __ D.R. Burgess, ex- Deputy U.S. Marshall, was nomiated by the republican- populist mass meeting at Edwardsville last Saturday as a candidate for delegate to the constitutional convention. __ Mrs. J.B. Dunston received a telegram from Troy this morning stating her son S.H. Dunston was dangerously sick at that place. Sam is attending the State Normal College at Troy and his numerous friends will be pained to learn of his serious illness. __ NEWSPAPER Issue of Saturday, May 13, 1899 MARSHALL SORRELL KILLS DAVRO R. BURGESS - - Trouble Caused by the threatened arrest of C.D. Nichols. Both are well known men; Burgess, a former Deputy U.S. Marshall, and Sorrell a former assistant Deputy U.S. Marshall and current City Marshall of Edwardsville - - - On Thursday evening, about 6 :10 o'clock at Edwardsville, City Marshall A.C. Sorrell shot and instantly killed former U.S. Deputy Marshall Davro R. Burgess. The immediate cause of the trouble was the threatened arrest of C.D. Nichols by Sorrell to which Burgess objected, but the real cause of the killing was some former misunderstanding between the two. It seems the touble was not unexpected as both men were of courage and determination. D.R. Burgess was one of the most prominent republicans in the county, having led the fight in this county for W.F. Aldrich in the last congressional campaign. He was, until a few months ago, a Deputy U.S. Marshall, but charges being brought against him, he was suspended; he was not convicted of the charges but was not reinstated, and this, it is said, caused the first disagreement between he and Sorrell. Two weeks ago he was nominated by the anti-conventionists as a candidate for delegate to the constitutional convention. He leaves a wife and two children, besides a host of relatives. His remains were interred in the cemetery at Edwardsville yesterday afternoon after a funeral service conducted by Rev. W.P. Weston of Heflin. A.C. Sorrell is a well known citizen of this county. His father Dr. J.W. Sorrell being one of the foremost physicians and citizens of the county. A.C. Sorrell has been in the revenue service for a number of years, and but a few months ago quit the service to accept the marshalship of Edwardsville. He made a good marshall although the lawless element sometimes caused him to use force in the execution of the law. A New Era representative called on him at the jail yesterday and asked him if he had anything to say about the trouble. He said he had nothing to give out but a great deal would be brought at at the trial. The following is the report of the shooting as obtained from witnesses: C.D. Nichols was drunk on the street and Marshall Sorrell came up and told him to go home or he would have to be put in in the calaboose. Nichols said "you won't lock me up, I am not very drunk". At this time Burgess came out of Yother and Vaughan's store and remarked to Sorrell, "you can't lock him while I am here, there have been drunker men than him on the streets and you did not lock them up." Sorrell replied, " I will put up him and anyone who interferes or be caught trying". Burgess got up and said something about Sorrell being a coward,and thief and turned as if to go in the store but turned again his face toward Sorrell and Sorrell shot him, once above the heart, once in the head. One or two shots missed him striking inside the store. Jim Burgess, a brother, head the shooting and started toward Sorrell and Sorrell shot twice at him and retreated toward Merrill and Bridges law office firing as he did so at J. A. Burgess, none of the shots striking him. Sorrell went up into the Solicitor's office where he, a few minutes later, surrendered to the Sheriff. More trouble was feared but no attempts were made. The preliminary trial will likely be held next week. A large number of people from Heflin attended the burial of D.R. Burgess at Edwardsville yesterday. _____ Simmons and Bagwell are moving their saw mil from Whitesburg, GA to Heflin, Ala. They have been in the saw mills business for a number of years, having run a mill near here for several years. __ The telephone line from Oxford to this place went in yesterday. The phone is placed at the Drug Store, it being centrally located. This will be quite a convenience to the merchants of Heflin especially during the cotton season. ___ NEWSPAPER Issue of Saturday, May 20, 1899 J.A. Owens attended the burial of his cousin, Mrs. Turner, at Cedartown, GA on Tuesday. __ W.L. Brooks is visiting friends in Randolph county this week. __ Mr. and Mrs. T.I. Landers are visiting relatives in Randolph and Clay counties this week. __ Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Snow of Roanoke, are visiting the latter's mother, Mrs. J.C Taylor, in the city. __ R.J. Owens who came home from Pensacola, Fla., a few days ago, left Wendesday for Decatur where he has accepted a position. __ J.E. O'Keefe of Colorado, Texas, visited relatives and friends in the city this week. He retunred hom Thursday accompanied by his mother, Mrs. Bell. __ DIED - - Mrs. Minnie Turner, nee Crawford, a niece of B.F. Owens of this place, died of heart failure at home in Rome, Georgia last Monday and was buried at Cedartown on Tuesday. __ The preliminary trial of A.C. Sorrell charged with the murder of D.R. Burgess, will be held at Edwardsville on Monday before Justices W.H. L. Carruth of this place and O.H. Baxter of Fruithurst. __ A force of sixteen hands were put to work at the copper mines yesterday. An additional shaft will be sunk and if the ore is as good as found in sinking the first shaft a large force will be put to work. __ NEWSPAPER Issue of Saturday, May 27, 1899 J. W. Hardy has been sick for a few days but is now able to be out. __ Mrs. D.D. Perryman is visiting her parents in Oxford. __ D. W. Vaughan and wife are enjoying a camp fish on Tallapoosa river this week. __ Mrs. W.E. Carter of Oxanna, after spending a few days with her mother Mrs. J.C. Taylor has returned home. __ DIED - - Mr. W.B. Nichols of Roanoke, Ala., died at his home in that city on Monday afternoon of heart failure. Mr. Nichols was well known in this city having run a hotel here for a number of years. He was a good man and citizen and his many friends will learn with regret of his sudden death. __ Mrs. A. L. Tolleson, living three miles south of town, was painfully injured by the bursting of a gun shell Monday morning. She had swept the floor and was burning some trash in the fireplace, when a loaded shell, which was in the fireplace, burst and fourteen shots struck Mrs. Tolleson in the temple inflicting a painful though not serious wound. Dr. Simpson, the attending physician, reports she is doing well. __ The preliminary trial of A.C. Sorrell charged with murder of D.R. Burgess and assault with attempt to murder J.A. Burgess and J.E. Burgess was held at Edwardsville this week. All three cases were tried at the same time. Justices Carruth and Baxter after hearing the evidence placed Sorrell under a two thousand dollar bond for the killing of D.R. Burgess and a three hundred dollar bond for assault with attempt to murder J.A. Burgess. In the J.E. Burgess case bond was not required. The testimony showed that D. R. Burgess, repeated to different persons, threatened Sorrell's life. ___ File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/cleburne/newspapers/gnw169newspape.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 8.2 Kb