Cleburne County AlArchives News.....Newspaper Notices for March 4th through March 18, 1905 March 1905 ************************************************ 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 13, 2004, 1:02 pm The Cleburne New Era NEWSPAPER NOTICES FROM "THE CLEBURNE NEW ERA" for MARCH 4th through March 18th 1905 Newspaper Issue of March 4, 1905 J.A. Mathews and Sam Cox were in Heflin on Wednesday on a sad mission, that of getting a casket for Mrs. F.M. Price. __ Mrs. O.E. Johnson of Edwardsville was in Heflin this week visiting Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Barker, Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Tolleson and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Morgan two miles east of town. __ We sorrowfully note the death of Mrs. F.M. Price who departed this life March the 1st at her home in south Cleburne. She was a good consecrated christian woman and her friends are unnumerable and her loss inestimable. Our sympathy is extended to the bereaved ones. __ Spergin Almon went over to Anniston last Saturday to visit relatives and while there too sick and developed a case of the measles. His mother Mrs. W.U. Almon was in Anniston this week to see him. __ NEWSPAPER Issue of Saturday, March 11, 1905 HALE TELLS STORY OF THE MURDER OF E. G. ALMON, WHICH OCCURRED AT OXMOOR TWO MONTHS AGO (Birmingham News) Murder will out is an old saying and it appears to be true in the case of E.G. Almon, the young Louisville and Nashville railway flagman who was assassinated by negroes at Oxmoor about two months ago. The Birmingham News Monday afternoon published the confession of Ed Johnson, one of the negroes arrested by Patrolmens Disheroon and Baker charged with the crime. Johnson stated that Wesley Hale, who was arrested the morning after the assassination, was the one who had fired the shot which killed the young man. It will be remembered that in the scuffle with the flagman who made a heroic fight against odds for his life, Hale was shot. The negro Hale when first arrested stated that he had been wounded by another negro and that he knew nothing of the killing. Johnson was arrested later by officers Disheroon and Baker, and pretended not to know Hale when the two confronted each other in the jail. The wounded negro told a story which looked as if it was the truth and accused Johnson with being in a party of negroes, one of whom shot him. Hale did not stick to this story but told another wherein he stated that Johnson had fired the shot which caused the death of Almon. The confession of Hale and subsequent acts of the wounded negro caused Johnson to become angry Monday and he notified the officers that he was with Hale when Almon was killed. Johnson says that Hale hit the flagman and that the latter shot him. Also that Hale secured Almon's pistol and killed the railroad man. It appears as if the story told by Johnson caused Hale to lose his temper and he confessed to a Birmingham News reporter this morning. Hale's confession is as follows: " Ed Johnson is the one who killed the flagman. I tried my best to get out of the trouble but now I see there is no chance I am going to tell the truth about the matter. I said that I was shot by another negro for the purpose of throwing the officers off. For two nights previous to the killing Johnson and I were at Oxmoor or near there and had gone there for the purpose of robbing cars of merchandise. Ed says that he knew cars with boxes of shoes would be there and we intended to rob the cars. Others were with us. On the night that the flagman was killed Johnson left us some time before the killing and went ahead. We were in the woods and had bed clothing to keep warm. Finaly I heard a whistle which I thought was one calling me to tell me that a car which we expected had been found. I ran up to where Johnson was and the bullet struck me, which is the wound I have in my breast. Johnson then hit Mr. Almon with a stick and knocked him down and took the man's pistol away from him and killed him. I was picked up by Johnson and other negroes and carried into the timber where I was found by the officers." Hale stated that his stepfather's name is Dunn and that he himself is known in Montgomery as Petty Dunn, which substantiates Johnson's story of Monday afternoon published in the Birmingham News. Both negroes realize the seriousness of the crime and expect to forfeit their lives at the gallows. Johnson contends that Hale did the killing, the latter says it was Johnson. The matter will be determined when the case goes to trial before a jury in the criminal court. ____ MURDER IN CLEBURNE COUNTY Richard D. Beason, a farmer, was murdered at his home in south Cleburne on Tuesday night. Tuesday night a phone message was received here from Beason's Mill, stating that Richard Beason was seriously and probably fatally shot. Dr. Wright was summoned but didn't get there until about nine o'clock Wednesday morning about two hours after which Beason died. The evidence led to the arrest of Beason's wife and son who are in the county jail at Edwardsville. __ J.H. Crumpton of Trickem was a visitor in our town yesterday. __ Allen Wright has returned from a few days visit to relatives in Memphis, Tennessee. __ Mrs. H.E. Cochran spent last Sunday with her sister, Miss Ellen Jenkins, at East Lake. __ Mr. and Mrs. William H. Springer passed through Heflin on Wednesday enroute to Ragland, Ala. __ W.L. Bain of Anniston was in Heflin the fore part of the week. He has been here several days visiting his cousin, J.R. Bain. __ J.R. Moore, who has had quite a severe attack of rheumatism for about two months is out at Hot Springs, Arkansas for treatment. __ Mrs. W.O. Black returned from Buford, GA where she has been at the bedside of her grandmother, Mrs. M.B. Garner, who at her leaving was greatly improved. __ ALABAMA STATE NEWS Heflin, Ala - - - Richard D. Beason was shot and killed at his home four miles from Heflin, as he lay in bed. The shooting was done with a shot gun. His wife and 16 year old son are charged with the crime and are in the sheriff's custody. Family difficulty was the cause assigned. The shooting occurred Wednesday morning. ___ NEWSPAPER issue of Saturday, March 18, 1905 HIGHTOWER Community News B.F. Snow is able to be out again after a severe attack of measles. __ Mrs. A.H. Johnson of Graham visited relatives at this place last Sunday. __ Rev. Cicero Cole of Graham, a prominent minister of the gospel, happened to have the misfortune of getting severely hurt at the sawmill last Tuesday. A piece of lumber got hung on the saw, throwing it against him and injuring his side badly. We learn that he is also hurt internally. __ Geo. W. Fowler, a prosperous merchant of this place, made a business trip to Atlanta recently. __ J.B.M. Cosper and wife are out here from Oklahoma Territory. Mr. Cosper seems to like the territory pretty well. __ W.W. Fowler is progressing nicely with his new building. He will have a pretty residence when it is completed. __ Uncle Nathaniel Stephens, a former citizen of this section but now a resident of West Alabama is out on a visit. __ LOCAL & HEFLIN CITY NEWS Asbury Jones, son of the well known J.G. Jones of Bells Mills was a visitor here this week. __ Mrs. J.F. Morgan has been suffering from rheumatism several days. __ Mrs. Paris of Albertville passed through Heflin on Thursday enroute to Wedowee to visit her father. __ Pierce Owens of Owens Bros. of Anniston was in Heflin on Sunday visiting his father, B.F. Owens. __ MARRIED - - S.F. Morgan and Miss Ethel M. Hughes were happily married last Sunday at the home of the bride's parents. Rev. Jno. A Scott performed the impressive ceremony. Success to the newly married couple. __ W.A. Burgess of Edwardsville has recently purchased an automobile and is now spinning to his soul's delight. He and W.B. Foster, station agent at Edwardsville, accompanied by the editor of The New Era, made the trip from Heflin to Edwardsville on Wednesday afternoon in less than an hour, stopping at nearly every hill and crook in the road for horses to pass. This was exceptionally good considering the stops and bad roads. ___ The funeral of L.D. Penny will be preached by Rev. W.J. Campbell at Old Liberty, about five miles east of Heflin on the 5th Sunday in April. __ File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/cleburne/newspapers/gnw188newspape.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 8.8 Kb