Cleburne County AlArchives News.....Newspaper Notices for AUGUST 1908 August 1908 ************************************************ 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 December 19, 2004, 5:25 pm The Cleburne New Era NEWSPAPER NOTICES FROM "THE CLEBURNE NEW ERA", Heflin, Cleburne County, Alabama for AUGUST 1908 NEWSPAPER Issue of Saturday, August 1, 1908 EXECUTOR'S NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT State of Alabama, Cleburne County Probate Court, July 27, 1908 In the matter of the estate of Abraham Neff, deceased This day came Lonie Doster nee Neff, executrix of the Last Will and Testament of said deceased and files her account, vouchers, evidence and statement for final settlement of her said executrixship. It is ordered that the 29th day of August 1908 be appointed a day on which to make such settlement at which time all persons interested can appear and contest said settlement if they think proper. Witness my hand this 27th day of July 1908. A.E. Carruth, Judge of Probate ______ BELL MILLS News Mr. James Thompson is visiting relatives here this week. __ John F. Pirkle of Double Springs is here this week. _________ IN MEMORY OF MRS. MARY ADOLINE ROBERTS OF OAK LEVEL This good woman was born in the Oak Level community Jan. 6, 1842; was married to Joseph L. Roberts on Sept. 15, 1861 and died not far from where she was born on July 19, 1908 in her 67th year. It was her good fortune to have been born and reared in a christian home and possibly the greatest belssing ever came to any one. She was converted and joined the Methodist church in her girlhood. In less than one month after she had stood at the hymneal altar with her chosen life companion, he in response to his country's call, bade his young bride what seemed to be a final "good bye" and joined the marshaled hosts of the ever historic war of 1861 to 1865 and then separation continued through that tragic struggle till its close in 1865. In 1867 she united with the Baptist Church at Camp Creek with her husband. She was the mother of six sons and one daughter, the daughter dying in infancy. While she was not demonstrative in her religious life she was intensly pious. She had all the virtues of the wise man's idea of a woman and among her many virtues, her extreme modesty and humility were the most prominent. She and her husband have been known and loved all over this county for many years for their generous and unstained hospitality at their home. She filled faithfully and loyally the position of wife, mother, friend and neighbor. Her life work is done and well done and she has gone to her reward. With tender hands and loving hearts she was laid to rest at Camp Creek in the presence of a multitude of friends and relatives on the 20th of July 1908. Having lived well, she died well. We shall never see her like again. W.P. Howell, Iron City, Ala. _________ A TRIBUTE TO MRS. DELIA STEED I sit down to record the sad and unexpected death of the one whose name heads this article and a bride of only a few months. She was the daughter of Moses Hicks who resides in Muscadine. She was married to Cleveland Steed, son of J.L. Steed near Oak Level on Jan. 12, 1908 at the age of 17 years. She had been a girl, the perfect picture of health and vigor up to a few weeks of her demise. She was stricken alarmingly ill and remained so till the end. A short time before the sad end came she was conscious of the close of her life and gave those about her dying bed expressions and evidences of her preparation and wilingness to die, telling those about her that she was going to rest. It has been truthfully said as we often see that "death loves a shining work." We commend the young husband so badly bereaved and the heart stricken parents of both families to the care of him who doeth all things well. We are ever now reminded of that poem which says " when blooming youth is snatched away by death's restless hand, Our hearts the mournful tribute pay which pity must demand." Peace to her ashes. W.P. Howell __________ LOCAL & PERSONAL News L.T. Beason was in Anniston on Thursday. __ Esley and Lonnie Owens of Haleyville are the guests of friends in Heflin and Abernathy. __ W.B. and J.W. Garner of Atlanta visited their sister, Mrs. W.O. Black on Sunday. __ J.F. Pirkle and family of Double Springs are visiting relatives in Cleburne this week. __ The second Sunday in August, Rev. John Phillips of Oneonto, will preach the funeral of J.C. Hicks at Cane Creek. __ Mrs. Hannibal Allen of Iredell, Texas is visiting her sister, Mrs. John James, who is very ill at her home on Cane Creek. ____ J.J. Boman and daughter Miss Lelia passed through town Thursday en route to Sand Mountain where they will visit relatives. __ W.C. Styles and family of Hopewell passed through Heflin on Friday enroute to Cullman, Alabama where they will visit relatives and friends for several weeks. ___ Uncle John D. Walker and wife returned Friday night from Texas where they have resided since last summer. Their many friends in old Cleburne will gladly welcome them back to their old home. __ HEFLIN RT. 6 News W.W. Little and P.F. Currie carried three bales of cotton to Heflin on Friday. __ Born to Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Prickett, a fine boy. __ Mrs. Ogles is visiting her daughter, Mrs. Rollins this week. __ OAK LEVEL News A crowd of young people attended the foot-washing at Morris Mill on Sunday. __ Mr. Albert Johnson and family from near Carrollton, GA are visiting relatives here this week. __ Mr. Dan Steed and wife visited his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fed Steed Saturday and Monday. __ OAKFUSKEE News Mr. and Mrs. Ballard spent last Wednesday night with Rev. C.D. Flemmons. __ Miss Lula Bell Backers visited her sister Mrs. Edwards last Wednesday. __ Mr. Homer Moore has arrived back from Mississippi after a stay of about six months. __ Mrs. Ann Turley spent one evening last week with Mrs. Morris. __ Gus Ayres of Morrison Chapel is visiting Thad and Jep Ayres. ___________ MUSCADINE ROUTE 2 News Mr. T.D. McCarty visited the home of G.F. Thompson Friday evening. __ Thomas Bentley from Oklahoma is visiting friends and relatives in Cleburne for a few weeks. ____ NEWSPAPER Issue of Saturday, August 8, 1908 Miss Yula Stricklen was married at the home of her father to Mr. Robert E. Sessions of Montevallo. _____ LOCAL & PERSONAL News D.I. Story was in our office Saturday. __ Howard White from Bell Mills was in town Tuesday. __ Willie Prichard and brother of Bell Mills were in town Tuesday. __ Marshal Hicks presented ye editor last week with a phenominal beet raised in his garden which measured twenty inches in circumference and weighed eight pounds. ____ E.E. Jenkins of Epps, Mississippi spent several days in Heflin with relatives last week. __ Miss Tommy Estes of Piedmont is visiting the family of R.J. Williams. __ A.L. Black, who has been in Oklahoma City since last fall, returned Wednesday night to spend the summer at home to the delight of his many friends. __ Mr. W.R. Barker, who has been ill for several months, died at his home one mile north of town on Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock and was buried at the family grave yard near Cane Creek church Wednesday morning with Masonic honors. __ HELICON, ALA., News Charnel Currie is trying the west. He is in the state of Washington. He says is is not the country it was put up to be and it is somewhat rough. It is not what he expected it to be. __ Joe and Harrison Currie bought them a farm recently, 160 acres. __ W.P. Gossage has bought a farm near here. __ D.H. Currie of Boaz is visiting his parents, J.W. and Mrs. Currie at this place. ___ Green Brown has bought out the McPherson store at Addison and is doing a good business. __ Cleve Currie and wife, formerly Miss Rubie Brown, have returned to Sand Mountain after a months' stay at J.W. Currie's in Winston county. They will stay on "Old Sandy" until next Christmas. __ ARBACOOCHEE News The picnic at Denman's Bridge was a great success. There was splendid music by Mr. James Denman and sons. The crowd were all sober and well behaved. Born, to Mr. and Mrs.Monroe Teague, a large boy. _____ LETTER FROM GRAHAM, TEXAS To Editor of the New Era, Dear old Heflin and all the cousins around; will you allow me to come into your New Era as I have got so far away? I don't take your paper but my mother- in-law does and I get to read all the news and enjoy it very much. I live in Young county, Texas. We came out here last fall from your county. I like Texas and Alabama too. I had rather live in Alabama but had rather farm in Texas. Husband and I farm for a living as we like to work and I like to see the little green stuff grow. We have in 70 acres, 25 in corn and 40 in cotton and the rest in oat and feed. Our corn is all good and too hard for roasting ears. Our cotton is shoulder high and has grown bolls on it. We are done with work and the watermelons are getting ripe. Farming is so much easier out here than in Alabama. My husband rides and plows one row at a time and plants with a two-row planter. He can get over so fast till there is in fact, very little hoeing to do and I hoe the most of that. Some people that come here don't believe in women working in the field but when I see I am going to make a big dollar I can't keep from it. I have howed 35 days this year and that's 35 dollars as people pay one dollar a day and I don't think I have hurt myself. Who of you have saved 35 dollars by using a little of your strength. I don't believe in women working if they are able to live without it. We are working to sit on the shady side of the house when we get older. My age is 22 and my husband is 24; we have one little boy who will be three years old the 21st of September. I have four sisters and two brothers in Alabama and two brothers and one sister in Oklahoma. We are going to take a trip out near Snider, Okla., to see one of my sisters and also the country. We are anticipating moving to Oklahoma this fall. This is a droughty country although we have had plenty of rain so far. Last year the people out here didn't get but from two or three bales of cotton to every 40 and fifty acres of land while year before last the same land made a bale to the acre. There is no mistake, if we have plenty of rain it sure does make it. If we get a good crop this year I think will be the time to get away. So you see sometimes people get scared away out of Texas for this part is uncertain, especially when you know Alabama people are going to make a little very year. You can get plenty of fruit and berries of all kinds so I think this old world is on an average. My advice to all Alabama people that have homes to stay with her. Who of you can guess who I am? I weigh 127 pounds, height four feet five. So I'll close before this is placed in the waste basket. I think your letters from Arbacoochee are just fine. That's just two miles from where I lived four years ago. (author's name not given). ___________ NEWSPAPER Issue of Saturday, August 15, 1908 LOCAL & PERSONAL News W.J. Davis and wife are visiting their daughter, Mrs. J.A. Champion at Bell Mills. _____ J.H.M. Nunnelly and son were in town Monday. __ Joe Hubbard of Oklahoma is visiting relatives in town. __ OAKFUSKEE News Isom Gore and family spent a night with J. Turley and family last week. __ Mrs. A.C. Wilf (?) of Wedowee, spent a few weeks with her daughter Mrs. M.F. Turley. She is 76 years old. __ Mr. Wade and family were down from Limestone last Sunday and attended Valley Grove church. __ Harrison Nix of Wedowee was at Valley Grove last Saturday. __ Dee Sprayberry is visiting friends in Randolph this week. __ J.T. Borders little girl is on the sick list. _________ OAK LEVEL News Mr. G.W. Roberts is putting up a new gin at Oak Level. __ Mr. Virgil Lusk and wife of Piedmont visited relatives here last week. __ ARBACOOCHEE News James Stevenson has rented farming land at and near Arbacoochee and has just moved to this place. ___ Frank Price has moved to this place in view of giving most of his time to mining. __ FRUITHURST News Oscar Bentley is just back from Texas. __ Mrs. Tom Merrills of Pinetucky, who has just returned from the hospital in Anniston, is visiting Mrs. Asseltine this week. ___ Wm. Bondurant went to Anniston on Friday. __ NEWSPAPER issue of Saturday, August 22, 1908 WILL SMITH IS KILLED; THE FAMOUS BELL TREE MOONSHINER IS SHOT BY WILL CHANDLER IN SELF DEFENSE; FATAL SHOOTING OCCURRED AT BORDEN SPRINGS. He was killed with his own pistol and had been a desperate character for many years. William Smith, the notorious "Bell Tree" blind tiger keeper and desperado, is dead. He died with his boots on as he had sworn he would, at the hands of a man he tried to kill. Last Sunday afternoon at Borden Springs, a station on the Seaboard Air Line Railroad in the extreme northern part of this county, Will Smith was killed outright by Will Chandler. It seems that both parties had been to an all day singing at New Bethel church a short distance away and while passing Borden Springs station, a row or scuffle between other parties was in progress, one of whom was an employe of Chandler and he left his wagon in care of his wife and children to go down and investigate the trouble. When he arrived at the place where the trouble was going on, Will Smith and Chandler became involved in a heated controversy because Chandler asked the boy who was in his employ to come away. During the time of the trouble both Smith and Chandler's brothers got into the mix-up and Smith's brother got Chandler's brother down and was choking him severely, while Will Smith was standing over Will Chandler with his gun on him having him to pray and occasionally kicking him and telling him to get down to it; when Smith observed that his brother was about choked to death, he threw his gun on Chandler's brother and told him to stop; just at this time Chandler took advantage of the opportunity fand knocked Smith down with a rock from behind and then it became a hand to hand fight between the four for the gun, each realizing that whichever side got the gun it meant death to the other. Finally, Will Chandler got possession of the deadly weapon and fired four shots at Will Smith, three of which took effect in the head, spattering Smith's blood over the grass around. Immediately after the killing, Chandler gave himself up to the authorities and came to Heflin that night and was in jail by 2:00 a.m. Chandler waived preliminary trial Monday morning. He made bond for $2500. and will await further action by the grand jury. This is the second killing that has taken place at Borden Springs within the last few months and it is said that six men have been killed within a short distance of that place. As to the character of the two men we personally know nothing, but it comes to us that Mr. Smith was the possessor of a dark record. He was one of the most notorious moonshiners in the State of Alabama and as proprietor of the recent "Bell Tree" blind tiger near the state line, on Flagpole Mountain, has made a fortune selling liquor, having no respect for law and order. Rumor has it that part of his life was stained by the blood of seven human beings. We sympathize with the ones deserving but to Smith we have no sympathy to offer. Alas, when will our county rid its golden hills from such charcters as "Bill Smith, the Bell Tree man" ? ____________ LOCAL & PERSONAL News Wednesday evening, Miss Dora Landers entertained at a "domino" party in honor of her attractive guests, the Misses Susie and Nora Fowler of Duncan, Oklahoma. ____ NEWSPAPER Issue of Saturday, August 29, 1908 LOCAL & PERSONAL News Mrs. E.C. Snellgrove of Boaz visited W.M. Harris and family last week. __ Married at the home of the bride's parents, Miss Annie Lucile Johnson of Pell City and Mr. Murroe Evans of this place. ____ MICAVILLE News P.F. Currie and family visited Isaac Blake and family on Sunday. __ Mr. Willie Rollins and family of Oxford are visiting his father and mother here this week. __ Mr. Kellar and wife of Anniston are visiting C.E. Lambert and family this week. __ Jim Mays of St. Clair county visited William Vise and family last Tuesday. __ Mr. Holloway and Mrs. Pucketet were marrried last Sunday. __ Mrs. Gann has been quite sick for the past week. ________ File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/cleburne/newspapers/gnw266newspape.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 17.0 Kb