Butts County GaArchives News.....Walden, Josh - CAught August 1901
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Don Bankston http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00024.html#0005864 January 6, 2013, 8:21 pm

Jackson Argus August 1901
Walden, Josh – Caught
The Coon That Shot Matt Willard Is Now In Jail.
Sheriff J. M. Crawford and Dr. Goolsby of Juliette, had a lively run last Friday 
evenng, after Josh Walden, the negro who shot Marshall Matt Willard, of 
Flovilla, some two months since.  The race was down in the neighborhood of 
Juliette, and but for the dense undergrowth and boggy swamps between there and 
the river, they would have bagged Walden sure.  They had two of the sheriff’s 
bloodhounds with them, and when the hounds struck Walden’s trail, the followed 
through the swamps on their horses.  Dr. Goolsby’s horse became mired up in the 
quicksand, and before they could get him out and proceed on the way, the hounds 
were out of hearing, and they saw nothing more of them nor of Josh.  After 
hunting that night and next day, they gave up the search and returned to their 
respective homes.  One of the sheriff’s hounds showed up the next day at 
Juliette, but one of them(the older and better) was not heard from until 
Tuesday, when he was  brought in from the Stark neighborhood.  Sheriff Crawford 
believes he could easily capture Walden, if he could get a fair shake at him 
without so many independent little parties being in the field trying to bag  
Josh and the $250 reward.  Capt. Crawford says they would have gotten Josh this 
time, but for the chance passing of a negro who conveyed the warning to Josh 
before they were quite ready to start.  As it was, they started after him 
without food for either man or beast fearing to take time to eat, lest the 
warning reach Josh in time for him to get across the river.
Caught at Last                                           					    
Wednesday morning Sheriff Crawford received a telegram from the sheriff of Bibb 
county, stating that he had Josh Walden, the negro who shot Marshall Matt 
Willard, of Flovilla, in jail in Macon, awaiting Mr. Crawford’s arrival.   A 
telegram to Wednesday’s Constitution thus tells the tale of the capture: Josh 
Walden , a negro, was brought to Macon tonight at 11 o’clock and placed in Bibb 
jail for safe keeping.  He is charged with attempting to murder the Marshall of 
Flovilla, a short ago, by shooting him.  There has been a reward of $250 for his 
arrest.  He was captured by two negroes tonight at Dames Ferry, between Macon 
and Flovilla, in which vicinity he had been hiding for some time.  It was 
reported that attempts might be made to lynch him and in order to escape this he 
was dressed in women’s clothing and secretly brought to Macon.  Bibb county 
officials met those having him in charge at the Spring street bridge and brought 
him to jail.  Sheriff Crawford went down to Macon Wednesday afternoon for 
Walden, but in the meantime some one had wired the Governor that there was a 
fear of a lynching both at Juliette and Flovilla, and the negro was left in the 
Bibb jail for safe keeping.  Sheriff Crawford came back that night, and outside 
of a few who boarded the train at Juliette and Flovilla, saw little or no 
demonstration.  Those who boarded the train seemed disappointed in not finding 
Josh aboard.  He will probably be kept  in Bibb jail until his trial comes off.  
The reward will go to the two negroes who captured him.
When Mr. Crawford saw Josh in Macon jail, he said that if he had known who it 
was chasing him last Friday, and that he would have been given the protection of 
the law, he would have surrendered to the sheriff.  He said the dogs overtook 
him no 300 yards from where Dr. Goolsby’s horse hit the quicksand.  Josh says he 
would not have been caught as it was but he was stiff and sore from the 
desperate run Mr. Crawford’s dogs gave him.
Jackson Argus – Week of August 9, 1901


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