Grady County GaArchives Obituaries.....Bryant, Sr., B. A. March 17, 1920 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Janet Sumner http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002510 February 28, 2005, 2:09 pm The Cairo Messenger, Friday, March 19, 1920 B. A. Bryant, Prosperous Farmer, Is Killed By Son B. A. Bryant, one of the county's prosperous and well known farmers residing near Pine Park, was instantly killed about six o'clock Wednesday morning, his 20 year old son, Will Bryant, committing the act. The weapon used was a Colt 45 caliber army pistol, which was given to Mr. Bryant by his son upon his return from the army some several years ago. Immediately following the patricide, word was sent to Cairo to have the coroner and the sheriff go out to the home, where the young man was. Coroner Harrell and Sheriff Perkins went shortly after receiving the word, and a coroner's jury was empaneled. They brought in a verdict as follows: "We, the jury, sworn and empowered by the coroner find that B. A. Bryant, the deceased, came to his death by a pistol shot by the hands of Will Bryant, and that the same was murder." Bryant was brought to Cairo and placed in the county jail by the officers. It is understood that he will make application for a commitment hearing. Before the coroner's jury, some ten or twelve witnesses were examined. Among those to make a statement was the defendant, who made a clear statement of the facts concerning the patricide and willingly answered all questions asked by members of the coroner's jury. Witnesses swore that Mr. Bryant came home from Cairo Tuesday evening and after supper laid out Wednesday's work with the boys. All retired with the exception of Mr. Bryant who went off and did not return until about day light Wednesday morning. Prior to the trouble between Will and his father, the young man started out to milk the cows. Mr. Bryant was out in the yard when Will started to the cow lot and an argument arose between the two about some trouble between the children of Mattie Rehberg, the negro woman in the case. Will went back into the house, got the pistol and started in the direction of the negro's house, when his father called him to know where he was going. Will replied that as she was raising all the trouble about the place, he intended to run her off. His father replied that he was not going to do anything of the kind and that he would run everybody else off of the place before she would go. He further stated: "You came home from the army making trouble and trying to run my business, and I am going to kill you." It was stated that Mr. Bryant who was working with an iron wagon rod, getting the wagon ready to bring some beans to Cairo, advanced on the young man as if he intended to carry out his threat. When he was in about ten feet of his son, Will opened fire, the bullet entering Mr. Bryant's heart, lodging just beneath the skin on the right hand side of the back. He fell to the ground, and did not utter a word after he was shot. B. A. Bryant, Jr., who was nearby and who witnessed the shooting and Miss Minerva Bryant, who was in the house, hearing the pistol shot, rushed out in the yard, the three children picked their father up and brought him in the house, laying him on the bed. The patricide is deeply regretful, it being a very sad affair. Mr. Bryant was a man who very readily made friends and the family has many friends throughout the area who will regret to hear of the affair. The deceased had been a resident of Grady county for ten years or more and has ten children File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/grady/obits/b/ob6590bryantsr.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb