Cleburne County AlArchives News.....Newspaper abstracts for JANUARY 1936 January 1936 ************************************************ 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, 9:00 pm The Cleburne News January 1936 NEWSPAPER ABSTRACTS FROM "THE CLEBURNE NEWS", Heflin, Cleburne County, Alabama for JANUARY 1936 NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, JANUARY 2, 1936 21 COUPLES GET LICENSES TO WED Records last Saturday at the office of A.H. Glasgow, Judge of Probate reveal that 21 marriage licenses were issued to couples during the month of December (1935) as follows: Calvin Southerland and Mather Bryant A. Rivers Jones and Frances Layton Howard Parrish and Marie Noles S.D. Otwell and Mrs. Freddie Truett Joseph L. Kerr and Ada Smith William Manz and Thelma Grayson Richard Roseberry and June Martin Gayan T.P. Butler and Lawrence Armstrong James Harvey Whitten Jr. and Helen Dargan Lawndes E.L. Starr and Jettie Pollard Hoyt Williams and Lucy Chase Walter J. Bryant and Lena McAlpin Clyde Wm. Simmons and Gladys Johnson Clyde H. barnett and Grace Jones Paul Pruitt and Evelyn Speight Guy T. Whitting and Elizabeth E. Porter R.D. Chandler and Dorsie Long O.C. Roberts and Sadie Harris Grover Cheatwood and Hattie Smith Hugh Pesnell and Doris Lambert G.A. Burson and Lucile Neighbors ------- ROBISON RITES HELD FROM LOCAL CHURCH M.D. Robison, age 77, was laid to rest Tuesday morning in Heflin Cemetery following funeral services conducted at the M.E. Church, South, the Rev. F.J. Ingram of Ashland conducting the services, with Owens in charge. Mr. Robison died during the night of Dec. 29 at his room. His many friends were shocked to learn of his sudden death. Surviving are four daughters, Mrs. J.D. Manget of Atlanta, Ga., Mrs. Cecil Williams of Birmingham; Mrs. James Swicegood of Birmingham and MIss Lola Robison of Atlanta and three sons, Charles B. Robison, Luther C. Robison and H. Scott Robison all of Birmingham. Pallbearers were Clellon Wager, Cecil Williams, Charles Robison, Scott Robison, L.C. Robison and James Swicegood. ----- NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, JANUARY 9, 1936 MISSISSIPPI VISITORS J.L. Edwards of Louisville, Miss., will leave next week for his home, after spending the holidays with his aged mother Mrs. Rhoda Edwards who is at the home of her daughter Mrs. C.A. Kennedy in Heflin. Mrs. Edwards is 92 and is in good health for a person of her advanced age. J.L. also visited his brothers W.I. of Newell and Leman of Tallapoosa, besides many other relatives on Cane Creek. ----- COOLEY RITES HELD JAN. 3rd at GOLDRIDGE Funeral services for H.L. Cooley, 86, who died at the home near Goldridge on Wednesday were held the following Friday at 11 a.m. at the church, the Rev. Mr. Caldwell officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery, Owens of Heflin in charge. Surviving are the widow Mrs. Mollie Cooley, four sons, three daughters and six grandchildren. Pallbearers were D.L., B.H., G.H. and C.I. Cooley, sons, and George Holmes and James Harris. ----- MAGIC CITY LAWYER LAID TO REST HERE Anniston, Ala., Jan. 2 J.B. Stephens, age 66, prominent Birmingham lawyer who was born in Cleburne county, was laid to rest in Highland Cemetery here Wednesday afternoon, following funeral services at John's Chapel in Birmingham. Mr. Stephens died suddenly in Birmingham on Monday morning. Surviving are his wife, three sons, R.A. of Anniston, R.F. of New Orleans and W.B. of Birmingham and a daughter Mrs. W.W. Robertson of Anniston. ----- LONG IS SHOT IN FACE; MAY PROVE FATAL John White, 35, is in jail here on an assault to murder charge in connection with the shooting Tuesday night of Lawrence Long, 23, which occurred in the former's home in Beat 3. Sheriff Tom Prestridge said Wednesday morning that he was unable to find out what caused the shooting. Long was rushed to an Anniston hospital and is said to be in a serious condition. He was said to have been shot in the face and the sheriff said it is doubtful if he will survive, according to statements of hospital attaches. ------ NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, JANUARY 16, 1936 MRS. WILLINGHAM LAID TO REST Anniston, Ala., Jan. 8 Funeral services were conducted at 2:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon for Mrs. Luiza Willingham, age 77, who died Monday morning at her residence at 1407 Stephens avenue, after an illness of about a month. Services were held at Hurricane church in Cleburne county and burial was in the church cemetery, directed by White. Surviving are a daughter Mrs. C.W. Smith of Anniston and three sons, J.T. Willingham of Roanoke, W.R. Willingham of Cleburne county and L.W. Willingham of Cedartown, Ga. ----- HOLLEY FUNERAL WAS WEDNESDAY Anniston, Ala., Jan. 15 Funeral services for Newton A. Holley, age 61, will be conducted at the Rabbittown church at 11 o'clock Wednesday morning. Masons will have charge of services in the church cemetery. Interment will be directed by Usrey. The services will be conducted by the Rev. H.R. Carter and the Rev. W.M. Barr. Mr. Holley passed away at his residence at White Plains after an illness of four months. He had been a resident of Calhoun county 25 years and was a member of the Baptist church. For a period of 40 years he had been active in Masonic circles. Surviving are his wife, two daughters, Mrs. Henry Burnham of Jacksonville and Mrs. Ocie Haywood of Heflin; five sons, Robert of Jacksonville, Jewell and Rufus of Anniston and Marion and Ardis of White Plains; three sisters, Mrs. Lizzie Roach of Edwardsville; Mrs. Rebecca Roberts of Muscadine and Mrs. Ava Cheatwood of Choccolocco; a brother M.B. Holley of White Plains and three grandchildren, Dorothy Burnham, Edwin Haywood and Clois Gidley. ------ NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, JANUARY 23, 1936 OTWELL CASE TO GO TO JURY TUESDAY Smiley Otwell of Heflin, went to trial on Monday on a charge of killing his wife, in what is termed by old timers around the courthouse as "the worst trial ever had in Cleburne county." According to three state witnesses, Mrs. Barnes, Jim Rowell and Mrs. Whitman, Otwell shot his wife as she was fleeing from him with her two year old baby in her arms. The defense used Bell Otwell, a 15 year old daughter as the first witness. She stated she was an eye witness and that the mother was killed as she came up behind Otwell and was trying to keep him from committing suicide. Four defense lawyers, Messrs. Williams, Walker, Longshore and McMahan were used by the defense as witnesses. The state used some witnesses in rebuttal to show that Bell Otwell had been inducted to tell her version of the killing as she did and also to show that two shots were fired. Otwell, while on the stand, stated that he went out to commit suicide and that from the moment he pressed the trigger until he found himself in jail he knew nothing, having suffered a complete lapse of memory. The case was submitted to the jury at 5:30 p.m. ------ FUNERAL HELD FOR MRS. BACHUS Funeral services for Mrs. Fannie Bachus, age 35, who died at her home near Hollis' schoolhouse Tuesday morning January 14, were held Wednesday morning at 11 o'clock at Bethel church in Clay county, the Rev. J.W. Grubbs officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery, Owens of Heflin directing. Besides her husband, Mrs. Bachus is survived by two sisters Mrs. Alma Crosson and Mrs. Lela Ligon of near the same community; three brothers, J.H., C.S. and W.E. Easterwood of near Edwardsville and her mother Mrs. Pearl Easterwood also near Edwardsville. ------ MRS. LEO JONES LAID TO REST Funeral services for Mrs. Mattye Jean Jones, age 42, wife of Leo R. Jones and infant child, who died at her home in Heflin early Monday morning, were held Tuesday afternoon at 1 o'clock at the First Baptist church. She was a devoted wife and mother and will be missed by a large circle of relatives and friends. Rev. F.J. Ingram of Ashland and Rev. W.M. Barr officiated, Owens directing. Interment was in the Heflin cemetery. Surviving are her husband and eleven children, six daughters and five sons, four brothers and three sisters. Active pallbearers were Lee Jones, Oscar Jones, Walter McWhorter, Russell Cofield, Bill Jones, Buster McWhorter. The Cleburne News extends sympathy to the bereaved husband, sons, daughters, sisters brothers and father. ------ THE PASSING OF A FRIEND (Mrs. Lessie Crumpton Otwell) Mrs. Lessie Crumpton Otwell, daughter of Mr and Mrs. John H. Crumpton of Heflin, was born Dec. 25, 1898 and died Nov. 30, 1935. At an early age she joined the Methodist Episcopal church at Heflin and continued a faithful member to the end. She was deeply devoted to her children, making many sacrifices for their interest. Such loyalty and devotion is worthy of our deepest admiration and praise. Her friends were numerous; she always welcomed new acquaintances and having made a friends, she maintained that friendship throughout life. These many friends realize the loss which has come to them in her passing. There remains and will continue to remain in our memory, a great love for her. Her life seemed short and incomplete; and yet we remember that life is not measured by its length, but by the service and devotion rendered during that life, whether long or short. Having served well, while she lived, we can feel that she went to her reward, having completed her work here on earth. She had high ideals and worked toward that end. The nights were not too dark nor the distance too great for her to go with her children to any church activity. With patience and diligence she labored that those in her care might have a richer and fuller life. To such one, we say, "Fare-thee-well". She goes before; we follow on. O.G. Waid -------- NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, JANUARY 30, 1936 JURY GIVES OTWELL LIFE; Cleburne County Man Found Guilty of Fatally Shooting Wife Heflin, Jan. 23 Smiley Otwell, 37 year old Cleburne county farmer, is under sentence of life imprisonment here today for the shotgun slaying of his wife, Mrs. Lessie Otwell, Nov. 30. A Circuit Court jury brought in a verdict of first degree murder yesterday against Otwell, after having the case more than 20 hours. The defendant took the stand to declare he accidentally shot his wife while he was trying to commit suicide. His testimony came after three state witnesses declared that he shot Mrs. Otwell while she was fleeing from him with her two year old baby in her arms. -------- MILLIGAN RITES HELD TUESDAY AT ANNISTON Anniston, Ala., Jan. 26 W.G. Milligan, 77, a Heflin resident for many years, died at 9:30 o'clock Saturday night in a Pensacola, Fla., hospital. Surviving are his wife of 2015 Leighton Avenue and a daughter Mrs. George H. Leyden of this city. The body will be brought to Anniston on Monday. Funeral services are to be announced later by Usrey Funeral Home. Mr. Milligan was born August 15, 1859 in Madison county and received his early education at Huntsville and Gadsden schools, later attending Cumberland University at Lebanon, Tenn. For some time, he was engaged in the mercantile business at Heflin until because of ill health, he went to Florida. A son Marcus, Worth Texas, was killed during the World War. WELL KNOWN HERE Funeral services for Mr. Milligan who was well known in Heflin were conducted Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock at the home of his daughter Mrs. George Leyden in Anniston, the Rev. Melton Clark of the First Presbyterian church officiating. Burial was in Edgemont Cemetery. Pallbearers were Dr. Frank Layden, J.O. Owens, J.A. Morgan, S.A. Russell, Dr. T.C. Neal and E.L. Turner. Surviving Mr. Milligan are his widow and daughter of Anniston. For many years, Mr. Milligan was engaged in the mercantile business here at at one time he and W. Owen Black were editors and publishers of the Cleburne New Era, a newspaper etablished in Heflin in 1890 by the late W.A. Porter. ------- McKEEN KILLED LAST TUESDAY Wedowee, Ala., Jan. 24 Jim Tom McKeen, 40, was shot and instantly killed Tuesday afternoon by Tom Wortham, a brother-in-law. It is said that McKeen and Wortham had been having trouble for the past few months. Witnesses state that McKeen fired his pistol six times at Wortham, three times through the wall of the store of A.J. Roberts. Wortham then shot McKeen one time, the shot killing him. Wortham gave himself up to the sheriff and was brought to jail pending action of the grand jury. ----- IN MEMORY OF MRS. VONIE HOWELL On Sunday morning, Oct. 20, 1935, the death angel visited the home of J.W. Howell and took as its victim the beloved wife and mother Mrs. Vonie Howell. Aunt Vonie had been a member of the Primitive Baptist church for about eight years; she had been in declining health for about three years, being unable to attend services as she would like. She was a true and faithful member, always doing what she could to help the lost to find Christ whom she so fully trusted. No one knows how Aunt Vonie suffered, but she is now where pain and sorrow can come no more; she said she was "ready to die" and she was a christian wife, a kind and loving mother; her whole desire was to have a christian home. She was loved by all who knew her and had a kind word for everyone. Weep not friends and loved ones for she is at rest with Jesus now. But some sweet day we will all be with you and the family circle will be unbroken. She leaves to mourn her passing, her husband, two little boys, Leroy and Jesse Britt, her mother Mrs. Josephine Bailey; five sisters, Mrs. Katie Willingham, Mrs. Effie Hill, both of Fairfax; Mrs. Mattie Manley of Hightower; Mrs. Dura Jackson, Mrs. Lois Brown of Rock Springs; three brothers, Andrew Bailey of LaGrange, Ga., Handley Bailey of Albertville and Arthur Bailey of Fairfax; and a host of friends and relatives. She was laid to rest in the Mount Pisgah cemetery to await the morning of the Resurrection. Flower bearers were nieces Mrs. Minnie Lee Sherr, Mrs. Effie Gibbs, Misses Annie Pearl, Nannie and Will Willingham, Annie, Rose, Mary, Tom, Allie V. Bailey, Mattie Reaves. Pallbearers were brothers and brothers-in- law. Written by her two nieces, Lemeral Manley and Effie Manley Gibbs. ------- File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/cleburne/newspapers/newspape1310gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 14.7 Kb