Cleburne County AlArchives News.....Newspaper abstracts for DEC 1935 December 1935 ************************************************ 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: C Gravelle tealtree@comcast.net January 29, 2007, 2:14 pm The Cleburne News December 1935 NEWSPAPER ABSTRACTS FROM "THE CLEBURNE NEWS", Heflin, Cleburne County, Alabama for DECEMBER 1935 NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, DECEMBER 5, 1935 HUSBAND HELD IN SLAYING OF WIFE Shot in the head with a shotgun reported to have been fired by her husband, Mrs. Lessie Otwell, 35, was almost instantly killed Saturday afternoon in front of her home here. Smiley Otwell, 40, farmer and sawmill worker, who, witnesses said fired the fatal shot at this wife as she sought vainly to escape and then he turned the shotgun on himself, inflicting minor flesh wounds, was arrested soon after the shooting, on a charge of murder. Financial difficulties, county authorities said, were reported to have led to the difficulties. County Attorney P.J. Merrill said two witnesses told him Mrs. Otwell was shot in the head and almost instantly killed in the roadway in front of her home. WItnesses added that they saw Mrs. Otwell just before the shooting fleeing across their front yard, closely pursued by Otwell. The first shot which struck Mrs. Otwell in the back of the head was followed by a second in which Otwell was said to have turned the gun on himself. Police Chief B.L. Adams who was in the neighborhood at the time of the shooting, rushed to the scene, where he found Mrs. Otwell dying in the roadway and Otwell suffering from wounds of the left arm and side. The bulk of the shotgun charge fired at himself, passed between Otwell's arm and side. Chief Adams arrested Otwell on a charge of murder and placed him in the county jail here. City Attorney Merrill said Otwell, following his arrest, had acted in an irrational manner and had not discussed the shooting coherently. The accused man worked Saturday morning as usual in a nearby planing mill. The shooting was witnessed Mr. Merrill said, by a mother and a daughter living in the vicinity. Mrs. Otwell is survived by one child and five step-children. SERVICES HELD HERE SUNDAY Funeral services for Mrs. Lessie Crumpton Otwell were held at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Crumpton, at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Burial was in the Heflin cemetery. Services were conducted by Rev. O.G. Waid, Rev. Kaylor of Heflin and Rev. Hobert Murphree of Wedowee. Surviving are her parents; five brothers, A.L. Crumpton of Ashland; R.L., J.M. and Owen Crumpton of Heflin and Milton Crumpton of Birmingham; five sisters, Mrs. J.H. Lambert of Heflin; Mrs. B.L. Steadham of Anniston; Mrs. Dodson Mosley of Centre; Mrs. Grady Price of Gadsden and Mrs. Hobart Murphree of Wedowee and three children, Nettie Lou Smith, Ralph Smith and Mary Nell Otwell. CARD OF THANKS We wish to thank our many friends, neighbors and relatives for the kindness and sympathy shown us during our recent bereavement. Also for the beautiful floral offering. J.H. Crumpton and family -------- BORDEN SPRINGS News Dec. 2 Funeral and burial services were held Wednesday afternoon for Mr. Alex Mercer of Decatur. --- MRS. CRUMPTON ILL Mrs. J.H. Crumpton is confined to her room in a serious condition, from the shock of Saturday's awful tragedy. Her granddaughter Miss Elaine Crumpton who is a student nurse at Forrest Central Hospital, Gadsden, is staying with her. ----- MRS. SARAH CROSSON BURIED AT HEPSEBAH Mrs. Sarah Crosson, age 76, of Oxford, was buried in Hepsebah Baptist church cemetery Friday afternoon after services at the church conducted by Rev. T.D. Stovall and Rev. Walker of Oxford, and Revs. J.W. Grubbs and Rev. Jones of Chulafinnee. Pallbearers were Henry McKensey, John Strickland, O.T. Smith, C.S. Phillips, E.T. Ingram and A.R. Williams. Mrs. Crosson was a member of Hepsebah church. She had been a resident of Calhoun county for 14 years. She died at 7 o'clock Thursday morning at the home of a son, E.B. Crosson at Oxford. Surviving are seven sons, J.W. and C.J. Crosson of Heflin; E.B. and A.F. Crosson of Oxford; T.C. and W.R. Crosson of Bowdon, Ga., and J.C. Crosson of Weaver; two daughters, Mrs. J.H. Phillips and Mrs. Anna Williams of Weaver; a brother J.S. Cruse of Crossville; 30 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. ------ JOHN B. NELSON Funeral services for John B. Nelson, age 77, pioneer resident of Oak Level who died at his home Nov. 27, following an illness of several months, were conducted Thursday last at Mars Hill church. Elder Ira Patty officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery. Surviving are the widow, a son M.M. Nelson of Oak Level and five daughters. ------ NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, DECEMBER 12, 1935 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL LAND FOR DIVISION State of Alabama, Cleburne County Probate Court Dec. 5, 1935 Notice to: J.F. Skinner, Atlanta, Ga.; Flora Chappell Howell, Lawrenceburg, Tenn.; Lena Chappell Foyster, Greenville, S.C; Zora Aikens, Carrollton, Ga.; Johnny Benefield, Atlanta, Ga.; Robert Chappell, Carrollton, Ga.; Oliver Chappell, Alaska; Ishamuel Worth Skinner, Bowdon, Ga.; and two children of Dola Chappel Hornsby, deceased, whose names, ages and residence are unknown. On this day the 5th day of December 1935, came William L. Skinner, and filed his petition in writing, under oath, for an order and proceeding to sell certain property described therein, for the purpose of division and partition between said petitioner and R.L. Skinner, J.F. Skinner, H.S. Skinner, R.M. Skinner, M.E. Skinner, Clyde Jackson, Myrth Jackson Lindsey, Flora Chappell Howell, Lena Chappell Foyster, Lenora Daniel, Zora Aikens, Johnny Benefield, Jewel Notes, two children of Dola Chappell Hornsby, deceased, whose names ages and residence are unknown, Robert Chappell, Oliver Chappell, Mrs. Maude Martin, Helen Skinner, Winnie Skinner, Gwendolyn Skinner Richardson, Faye Skinner Wiggins and Ishameul Worth Skinner, as joint owners of said property. It is ordered that said petition be set down for hearing on the 13th day of January 1936 and that notice thereof, together with the say set for hearing the same, be given the above named persons as said joint owners of said property, by citation to be personally served on them ten days before said day appointed for hearing the same, and also by publication for three successive weeks in the Cleburne News, a newspaper published in this county. A.H. Glasgow, Judge of Probate ---- NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, DECEMBER 19, 1935 MRS. STOVALL DIES AT HOME LAST SUNDAY Anniston, Ala., Dec. 17 Funeral services were held at 11 o'clock Monday morning at Bethlehem church for Mrs. Mary Jane Stovall, age 74, who died at her home at Friendship on Sunday morning following an illness of about two weeks. Mrs. Stovall was the mother of Rev. T.D. Stovall, well known Baptist minister of Calhoun county. The services were conducted by the Rev. G.L. Seiber and the Rev. C.P. Hamby. Interment was in the church cemetery with Usrey in charge. Mrs. Stovall had been a resident of this county for more than 40 years and her family was one of the leading families in the Friendship community. Surviving Mrs. Stovall are three sons, the Rev. Mr. Stovall, J.E. Stovall and G.H. Stovall, all of Friendship; three daughters, Mrs. W.J. Craft of Cullman; Mrs. A.J. Vaughn of Friendship and Mrs. Bernice Parker of Pittsburg, Texas; five brothers, Dock Treadwell of Commerce, Texas; James and Smith Treadwell of Georgia; George Treadwell of Friendship and John Treadwell of Leeds, and a sister, Mrs. Abbie Bonner of Cullman. ------ OTWELL INDICTED BY GRAND JURY Smiley Otwell, in jail in connection with the shotgun slaying of his wife Mrs. Lessie Crumpton Otwell on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 30, was indicted on a first degree murder charge by a special grand jury convened by Judge R.B. Carr of Anniston last Monday. ------ IN MEMORY OF J.B. NELSON On Wednesday morning, Nov. 27 at 9:30 o'clock, the death angel visited the home of Mrs. J.B. Nelson and took as its victim her husband, J.B. Nelson, 77 years, five months and 15 days of age. He leaves to mourn his passing his wife Mrs. P.E. Nelson, one sister Mrs. Jodia Waddell of Okemah, Okla., six children, 22 grandchildren, one great grandchild and a host of other relatives and friends. The children are: M.M. Nelson, Mrs. Julia McElroy, Mrs. Lee Laminack and Mrs. Ettie May Zimmerman, all of Fruithurst; Mrs. Martha Johnson of Edwardsville and Mrs. Bertha Adderholdt of Jacksonville. Mr. Nelson was a kind and loving man; if he could not speak well of a person he spoke not at all. He was a faithful member of the Primitive Baptist church at Mars Hill. The funeral was held at this church with burial in the church cemetery on Thrusday, Nov. 28 at 2 o'clock, Elder I.M. Patty, pator and Billie Robinson of Cedartown, Ga., conducting the funeral services. "Gone but not forgotten". By a granddaughter, Hazel Laminack. ------ IN MEMORY OF MRS. M.A. OWENS Mrs. M.A. Owens, age 71, died at the home in Edwardsville on Friday, Nov. 29 after an illness of about three months. Born and reared in Calhoun county, Mrs. Owens was a member of Harmony Grove Baptist church. Funeral services were conducted Sunday afternoon, Dec. 1 at Cane Creek Methodist church by Rev. J.W. Patty, with burial in Cane Creek cemetery. Usrey of Anniston was in charge. Pallbearers were her grandsons, Huey Kitchens, Ernest Owens, Freeman Owens, Lloyd Brooks, Thomas and Edward Owens. Surviving are the husband J.T. Owens; five sons, J.W., J.E., Bart and Elbert Owens of Edwards ville and Irwin Owens of Birmingham; four daughters, Mrs. Tarvie Kitchens of Woodlawn; Mrs. Essie Brooks, Mrs. Charity Trantham and Mrs. Vera Kitchens of Edwardsville; a sister, Mrs. Pearl Easterwood of Delta; a brother Max Harris of Heflin; 36 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. A Friend. ----- NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL LAND FOR DIVISION State of Alabama, Cleburne County Probate Court December 14, 1935 Notice to: Emeline Pitts who resides in Tifton, Ga. Mary Otwell who resides in Newnan, Ga. Five children of Elec Steward, whose names, ages and residences are unknown and when last heard of, resided somewhere in the state of Texas On this day, the 14th of December 1935, came John Batchelor and Eveline Batchelor and filed their petition in writing, under oath, praying for an order and proceeding to sell certain property described therein for the purpose of division and partition between said parties and: Emeline Pitts Dock Steward Mary Otwell Sarah Jane Brown Rena Gay Five children of Elec Steward, whose names, ages and residences are unknown, and when last heard of, resided somewhere in the State of Texas Three children of Lunda Brown whose names are Argro Brown, Luther Brown and Ezra Brown, all of whom are under the age of twenty-one years and live with their father Marvin Brown as joint owners of said property. It is ordered that said petition be set down for hearing on the 13th day of January 1936 and that notice thereof, together with the day set for hearing the same, be given the above named persons as said joint owners of said property, by citation to be personally served on them, ten days before said day appointed for hearing the same, and also by publication for three successive weeks in the Cleburne News, a newspaper published in this county. A.H. Glasgow, Judge of Probate ---- File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/cleburne/newspapers/newspape1309gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 12.0 Kb