Dooly County GaArchives Obituaries.....Batson, Mr. W. C.  March 14, 1902
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Clyde Watson clyde.nell@gmail.com December 22, 2008, 8:15 am

Savannah Morning  News/ MACON TELEGRAPH 
Macon Telegraph: Mr. W. C. Baston, a prominent merchant of Richwood, Dooly
County, and brother-in-law of Capt. John W. Hubbard of the Macon fire
department, was waylaid and assassinated at the front gate of his residence in
Richwood Monday night, and at 6 o'clock Tuesday afternoon he died from the
wounds. Alonzo Cross. a Negro, was arrested, charged with the crime. The Negro
was carried to Vienna and lodged in jail, as it is thought by authorities that
he would be lynched if he remained in Richwood, Mr. Baston was a member of the
firm of Baston and Mitchell, who operates a large merchandise store in Richwood,
on Monday night, shortly after 11 o'clock Mr. Baston closed his store. He took
the firm's money and put it in his coat pocket, together with a pistol. He then
walked home. When he arrived at the gate to his residence he opened it and
stepped in. When he turned to latch the gate the assassin struck him a blow on
the head with some heavy instrument. Mr. Baston was knocked to the ground and
his skull was crushed. A few minutes later Alonzo Cross, the alleged murderer
went to the house of an old Negro who resides near by, and told him that he
heard some one groaning in Mr. Baston's yard and for him to come and go to the
place with him. The two Negroes went to the house, picked up the body and
carried it in, Cross telling Mrs. Baston that he found her husband sick at the
gate. Mrs. Baston saw her husband was badly hurt and sent Cross to summon some
of the neighbors. Cross delivered the messages but did not return. Tracks around
the house corresponded to the broken shoes worn by Cross, and led to his arrest.

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