Randolph County AlArchives News.....Newspaper abstracts for MARCH 1907 March 1907 ************************************************ 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 September 18, 2005, 10:39 pm The Roanoke Leader March 1907 NEWSPAPER ABSTRACTS FROM "THE ROANOKE LEADER", Roanoke, Randolph County, Alabama for MARCH 1907 NEWSPAPER issue of Wednesday, March 6, 1907 ROCK MILLS News J.K. Bennett and Miss Maud Gladney went over to Ware's Crossroads on Sunday and were joined in the holy bonds of wedlock. We wish them a long and happy life. --- LOCAL News The last issue of The West Point News recorded the killing of Ben Hanna by Tulley Breedlove at a party in Langdale the Saturday night previous. Both the men were drinking and were apparently the best of friends until Saturday night, as far as could be learned. --- BACK FROM AFRICA On Tuesday night of last week, Mr. J.C. Spivey arrived in Roanoke after a long and eventful absence. He left this place in July 1905 and went to the western coast of Africa in the employ of a Louisville concern, to get out and ship mahogany. Mr. Spivey remained there nearly a year and a half, returning to America Dec. 27th last. He says he is back in Roanoke to stay and his friends here are giving him a cordial welcome. His family did not go to Africa with him but have returned to Roanoke with Mr. Spivey. Our returning citizen talks interestingly about his lonely experience in the dark continent and the editor hopes to induce him to give the readers of The Leader a series of articles on this subject. ---- WOMAN KILLS WOMAN Last Wednesday afternoon, two negro women, Mag Watson and Clara Turner engaged in a quarrel, which soon led to a difficulty, out at Driscoll's Railroad Camp, near town. The former shot the Turner woman in the head with a pistol which proved fatal a few hours later. The murderess escaped accompanied by two negro men. It is reported that the men have been arrested. The dead woman had recently spent thirty days in the city jail. ---- LANDED IN TROUBLE A small sensation was created in the police realm yesterday afternoon in the Lowell community, when Marshall Striplin arrested a young white man giving the name of Henry Fuller and a white girl named Lila Sparks. The couple had just landed here presumably from LaGrange and not giving a satisfactory account of themselves, they were detained at police headquarters. As the girls seemed to be only 13 or 14 years of age, the chief of police thought best to hold the parties till he could communicate by wire with the girl's mother. A curious crowd pressed around the jail house door, peering at the girl who took refuge in a corner. Others sought the man's cell who had little to say. --- LOCAL News Vinley Pittman of Lexington, Kentucky, is visiting his mother Mrs. S.C. Pittman and family here. --- On account of his health, J.Z. Collier has resigned as Night Marshall. Bud Wright is serving temporarily in his stead. --- "Uncle" Perry Orr, an old time darkey, respected by white and black alike, died last Friday. He was near one hundred years of age and his mind had been gone for several years. --- NEWSPAPER Issue of Wednesday, March 13, 1907 FATHER REUNITED WITH DAUGHTER AFTER MANY LONG YEARS OF ABSENCE Columbus, Georgia March 5th Through the medium of a newspaper advertisement, W.N. Phelps, who for the past forty-one years has been a resident of Central America, has found his long lost daughter, who is now the wife of Capt. William D. Affleck, a prominent hotel proprietor of Columbus. Mr. Phelps had been under the impression that his daughter, if living, was in Alabama, and during the last few months he has advertised in the leading newspapers of the state. Forty-six years ago he kissed his little six year old daughter goodbye and marched forth to defend the Southland from the northern invaders. When next he saw his daughter she was herself a grandmother. The strange story rivals fiction and father and daughter can scarcely realize that they are reunited. Mrs. Affleck was firmly convinced that her father was slain on the bloody field of Gettysburg over forty years ago and when he entered the Hotel Affleck and she was informed that it was indeed her father, she felt as if someone had risen from the dead. When Mr. Phelps went to the front in 1861 he left his wife and little daughter at their Georgia home. He was desperately wounded at Gettysburg being shot through the head and left on the field for dead. The news came, verified by the "official reports" that he was among the slain of the battle. His own mother died, years later, believing that he had perished there. His wife, laboring under the same belief, left Georgia and went to live with relatives in Alabama. But Phelps was not killed. He revived enough to be carried to a federal hospital and there recovered. He afterward escaped but could not make his way to the South and boarded a vessel for Central America. He there took part in the construction of the first railroad built in Costa Rica. At the close of the war he endeavored to locate his family in Georgia but could not, owing partly to the general demoralization and confusion following the war. Hearing a rumor that they had gone to Alabama he continued his investigation and advertised in the newspapers of that state without success. He decided to locate permantly in Central America and for thirty-seven years was an engineer on a goverment railroad in Costa Rica. Recently retired on full pay for life, and not long ago, he came back to the United States locating temporarily in Alabama not far from Birmingham. He decided to further advertise once more for his daughter and inserted notices in Alabama newspapers and also one in a Columbus newspaper and to her it was like a voice from the grave. The next train carried Capt. Affleck to the Alabama village where he was stopping and he told the old man that his daughter was living. The joy of the aged father, now 74 years old, was almost pathetic to see. He left for Columbus with his new found son-in-law and at the Hotel Affleck a touching reunion took place. Mr. Phelps is temporarily visiting his daughter but may return to Central America where he has property interests. ---- NAPOLEON News A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ruf Wilson last week. --- Bro. Ragsdale of Pine Hill has entirely lost his sight yet is cheerful and full of faith. --- ROCK MILLS News Mr. W.B. Swint came over Saturday to spend a while with his sister, Mrs. Philip Mooney. --- Mr. and Mrs. Albert Fowler of Bowdon, Ga., are visiting relatives here. --- Mrs. James Walker is on the sick list. --- SUDDEN DEMISE OF BONNIE AWBREY, ONE OF ROANOKE'S BEST YOUNG MEN, CAUSES PROFOUND SORROW THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY This community was inexpressibly saddened by the death last Sunday afternoon of one of the noblest young men ever known to our acquaintance, Mr. Bonnie Awbrey. His untimely taking away was a shock, not only to the family but to the wide circle of their friends. Friday night he was taken desperately sick of appendicitis. In spite of every effort to arrest the disease, he grew rapidly worse and Saturday an operation was deemed by consulting physicians to be the only hope. This was undergone as safely as could be expected but the following morning, asthma, the life long enemy of the patient sufferer, seized upon the weakened body and overtaxed the heart and lungs. Shortly before 3 o'clock that bright Sunday afternoon, the weary spirit left the loved surroundings of a happy home to find it's rest within the mansions of "a house not built with hands." Beyond the silent mist hid river, the tender trusting child of God, is happy in the sunshine of the Father's face and the Sabbath is unending. On that shore, hallowed by the feet of many loved ones, the breakers never beat, but the music of the ransomed rolls forever. How sad the parting is! How glorious the reunion yonder! The dirges sound for us. The loved one steals away but the aroma of life remains, growing richer day by day. No one who came in contact with the life of Bonnie Awbrey but was made better by the touch, though unconsciously. The power of his life was not as the mighty wind or the driving flood but as the gentle sunshine and the dews of heaven. The results are no less abiding because less conspicuously wrought. The pure, the gentle, loving patient graces of the child of God found full fruition in his life from its beginning to its sudden close. Thus did he meet the end with faith undaunted and with words of resignation. It is an honored custom that all are fain to follow that prompts us to speak charitably of the dead. But in this case the writer would do injustice to the cause of truth and to his own emotions if he failed to pay this tribute, though imperfect, to a friend beloved and to a noble man. It will find echo in the hearts of all who knew him for his modest, consistent christian life was an open book, an epistle clear and true to all whose vision fell upon its pages. No one can recall a single ignoble deed or word that marked his life and onevery tongue are words of sad and sincere eulogy. Bonnie Awbrey was the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Awbrey and was in his 27th year. He inherited from them a good name, and in turn he reflected honor upon those who gave it. He was married four years ago to Miss Eula Orr, who with his parents, one brother, three sisters and many relatives survive him. These have had, from the beginning to the close of this mournful occasion, the unbounded love and active sympathy of very many friends. At 2 o'clock Monday afternoon one of the largest concourses that ever met to pay tribute to any one who died in Roanoke, assembled in and overflowed the Methodist church of which the deceased had been a member since childhood. Rev. Clare Purcell of Wedowee and Rev. T.J. Porter of the Baptist church, read the Scripture lessons and a quartet choir sang several hymns. Rev. George Stoves offered a fervent prayer and paid a loving tribute to the life and character of the deceased. Then, in the family lot of the city cemetery, beneath beautiful flowers and surrounded by loyal friends, the mortal remains were consigned to their silent sleep. ----- LOCAL News Chief of Police S.H. Striplin has bloomed out in a handsome new uniform with a helmet hat. He also has a policeman's call whistle. And the main in the uniform is all right, too. Very few towns have a more faithful peace officer than he. ---- Last Saturday, Wash Hornsby, the ten year old son of W.H. Hornsby, fell through an elevator opening in the factory and his skull was fractured. He is recovering however at this writing. --- B.E. Satterwhite returned Sunday from a visit to Atlanta where he went for treatment. We regret to state that his health continues very unsatisfactory. --- A policeman from LaGrange came over last Wednesday and carried back to LaGrange the runaway couple of whom we wrote about last week. --- Mrs. J.W. Stewart of Wedowee passed through here yesterday enroute to Atlanta to visit her daughter Mrs. Sam Parrish. --- Mrs. E.M. Moore returned Sunday from a visit to relatives in Dalton, Georgia. --- L.A. Bevis recently visited his father at Franklin who is seriously ill. --- Prof. Weston left Friday afternoon for Blount county, being called there by the sudden death of his aged father. His friends sympathize with him in his bereavement. --- Mr. and Mrs. Lee Carroll are the happy parents of a son one week of age. --- NEWSPAPER issue of Wednesday, March 20, 1907 CORBIN News Mrs. J.J. Fields who has been seriously sick is convalescing. --- Mr. and Mrs. D.M.C. Payne passed through here Saturday enroute to Tallapoosa county where they will visit relatives a few days. --- LOCAL News Sunday afternoon, Mr. Horace Causey and Miss Verna Hester boarded the train, accompanied by a number of friends and went to LaFayette where they repaired to the Methodist parsonage and Rev. E.M. Glenn pronounced them man and wife. Returning to Roanoke the bride and groom are at home at the residence of the former's parents, Mr. and Mrs. N.C. Causey. The bride is the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Hester. The groom is a clerk in the post office and the bride holds a position at T.C. Goodwin's. --- Mrs. R.P. Price is ill. --- Mr. and Mrs. G.P. McMurray left Monday for Hot Springs where Mr. McMurray hopes to recuperate his health. --- J.W. McDonough left yesterday afternoon to visit his son Ed who is ill in Temple, Texas. --- Dr. Yates attended the funeral last Friday in Rock Mills, of Mrs. Dixie Borders, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.K. Bennett who was burned to death in LaGrange. She leaves a husband and four small children, the youngest only one month old. --- Mr. J.D. Barron of Montgomery writes us of the death of his sister Mrs. Frances G. Gilbert which occurred in Palo Pinto, Texas on February 28th. Twenty five years she was a resident of Louina and vicinity. We regret the limited space this weeks forbids a fuller notice of the life and death of this good woman. --- NEWSPAPER issue of Wednesday, March 27, 1907 R.F.D. No. 1 News J.L. Osburn continues quite ill with pneumonia. --- LOCAL News Mrs. H.D. Land of Camp Hill is visiting her sister Mrs. S.W. Lane. --- HEFLIN FAMILY REUNION; IN HONOR OF DR. W.L. HEFLIN'S 79th BIRTHDAY HELD IN BIRMINGHAM From the Birmingham Age-Herald, March 22nd Dr. Wilson L. Heflin of Roanoke was the guest of honor at a banquet given last night by his sons at the Southern Club to celebrate the 79th birthday of their father. Dr. Heflin looks and feels as hale and hearty as a man of 60 and was the subject of congratulations from all his old friends and from those who, for the first time, were present at the annual celebration. About 100 invited guests were present in addition to the sons of Dr. Heflin. The menu was particularly choice and everything contributed to make the occasion enjoyable. The Rev. Frank Culver asked a blessing in words most appropriate to the occasion and afterward spoke in terms very congratulatory to the honored guest and his sons. At the conclusion of other addresses, Dr. Wilson L. Heflin returned thanks to his friends and said: " My friends, twelve months have come and gone since last we met here to celebrate the anniversary of my birthday; but few present know how to appreciate my feelings on this occasion, most of you are too young. My heart is full of gratitude to God for his goodness and mercy which in large measure have been mine along the journey of life. I am grateful that I have been permitted to reach this, the 79th milepost, in the years allotted to me, and I am happy to have around me all members of my immediate family who were here a year ago and happy to have you all, their friends and mine, to join in the festivities of this occasion. Somehow on these anniversary occasions my mind falls into a retrospective mood and I love to think of the past, the contact with obstacles, the thrill of triumphs, the planning and working, the sowing and the reaping, the friends that I have had and all that I have experienced in my day. My wife died when my children were young and I have had the responsibility of both mother and father in rearing them. I taught my boys to work and when they were growing up they ate no idle bread. They did all manner of work about the gin, the mill and the farm and I am glad to be able to say tonight that all of them are doing fairly well in the world and I trust are useful citizens. When I contemplate the opportunities and advantages that were offered a young man when I was young, with those that crowd about the young man of today, I confess that I crave to be young again. I long to feel the thrill and simulus that calls and inspires in the busy walks of men. I would love to be among the men and among the things of this new generation. How richly blessed is the young man who grounded in the right principles, faces the future in this age of moral, intellectual and material development! This is the most marvelous age of the young man of intelligence and integrity with a mind to plan and a will to work, can be the architest of whatever fortune he may desire. It has been my experience that men of dogged determination, the men who think and the men who work, are the ones who accomplish things in this world. To my mind, one of the grandest things is to be a young man in the south today, surrounded by all these marvelous advantages and resources. There are conditions and possibilities here that exist nowhere else in the world. In the very nature of things, in a few more years, I will be a very old man, and some one has said that an old man lives in his children. What a responsibility this thought involves and what a consolation it brings, if one's children conduct themselves as they should and strive to make the world better and brighter than they found it. The mother of my children, my sweet and beautiful wife, how I have missed her all these years! Even now her image is ever present with me. In the mysterious silence of midnight, when the streams are glowing in the light of the many stars, her image comes floating upon the moon beam that lingers around my pillow, and stands before me in its pale, dim loveliness, till its quiet spirit sinks like a spell from heaven upon my thoughts, and the grief of years is turned to dreams of blessedness and peace. Bright creature of my dreams, beautiful and lovely wife, I shall see thee again! Beloved sons, if ever a mortal lived to see the measure of his own bliss filled to overflowing, I am that mortal. What could I desire more? All of you are doing fairly well, and not one of your number of whom I need feel ashamed. Were my life still to be spared until another birthday anniversary, could I then expect to meet you all here as you are now? It would be unwise to mar our present joy by prying into the future, by imagining what may and probably will take place before the close of another year. While life is continued to us it is our sanctioned privilege to enjoy its ever blessing, and we should devote the talents granted us to the end for which they are designed. I love my state and I love my country and if on this occasion I were called upon to leave a parting injunction to my boys it would be this: Be sober, be honest and industrious, faithful to friends and false to no one. For myself, I feel like living and waiting in patience will my appointed change shall come, knowing as the apostle, "it is good to live, it is better to be prepared to die." -------- LOCAL News Last Sunday afternoon, Frank Harris, a negro, killed another negro man named Bob French at a turpentine camp out west of Roanoke. The murderer escaped. --- J.J. Huckeba of Wedowee has been appointed game warden for Randolph county under the new game law. --- W.N. Gladney happened to the misfortune last Wednesday to have a leg broken while at work at his saw mill. Some months ago the other leg was broken. His son, Fred, in trying to rescue his father, was also injured. --- Mrs. J.M. Thompson is spending some time with her mother Mrs. Sarah Radney who is still quite ill. --- The friends of L.A. Bevis sympathize with him in the death of his father which occurred at Franklin on Saturday. Mr. Bevis was with his father when the end came. --- File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/randolph/newspapers/newspape681gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 20.0 Kb