Freestone County, Texas Reflections FREESTONE PAST/PRESENT J. R. (Sonny) SESSIONS SHERIFF 1965-2001 SEARCH FOR AUNT MANDY Mandy Talton 84 year old black lady that lived near the Trinity River east of Fairfield Known as Aunt Mandy, lived alone, wore men’s overalls, boots and a men’s cap. She lived in an old house you could throw a cat thru the cracks, had no inside facilities, the only heat was from her cook stove. For transportation she rode a mule and carried an old shotgun with her. She hunted and fished the River; the only official type document found was her Commercial Fishing License. I was told she may have made a little whisky and would take a drink with nearly anybody. Her only known luxury was her snuff habit which she bought along with necessities from a small monthly old age assistance check. She had farmed some and very independent. In 1970 during the County Fair some children (I think the grandchildren of a neighbor Geronimo Harrison) went to her home at night to borrow money to go the Fair Midway and found her missing. Aunt Mandy’s relative Luke Titus was notified and he called me. We searched some that night nothing unusual found; the mule was there along with her shotgun which she seldom went without and nothing seemed disturbed. I returned the next morning to find nothing changed. Already there were rumors and tales circulating as it commonly known a big man who been to the pen for the murder and robbery of elderly blacks and terrorized the area was out of Jail and back in the area and there much concern. Luke Titus and wife who lived nearby moved his home several miles to have more neighbors. This started a search that went on for days, into weeks, months and years. It was the most demanding and extensive ever involved in or known about. Many hundreds of man hours involving, teams on foot, on horses, in helicopters. Even the prisons tracking dogs were used. The River was searched on foot and in boats with nothing found. Many reports and stories received as Aunt Mandy a character in her own right. One story had her pickled in brine water, one had her buried in post holes One was long distance from a man living in California that sounded sane and sober who asked if we knew how she left, when answered no he replied she left on her broom, he also advised he came back here to die with cancer and she cured him. There were hundreds of calls and reports checked with nothing found to indicate foul play. A relative Hezekiah Talton who lived nearby that never inquired about all the activity asked why. He replied he went to her house before she reported missing and knew she was gone and wasn’t coming back. He said the jar of snuff on the table was left for him to take a dip. He said Mandy left him clues such as the onion and waded up paper sack on the floor he said represented Wayne and Lige with instructions to break their --- necks. Wayne and Lige had a fishing camp on the River and crossed Hezekiah’s land to get to it. I was told Wayne like me laughed at this but Lige never went to the fishing camp again. For years her house vacant until burned, Suel Hill who knew Aunt Mandy well would take local youngsters there as a haunted house. Six years and l9 days after she disappeared a human skull and arm bone were found by employees of the Indian Creek Ranch about one mile from Aunt Mandy’s home. Found in very heavy thick underbrush land which surrounded Mandy’s land. At this time Anthropologist Dr. Meade in area doing work for Dow Chemical Dr. Meade took these remains and identified them as Mandy Talton. For several years I kept the skull and bone in my office. When leaving here we buried these remains next to her deceased husband in a local cemetery nearby. This a very condensed version of this case. *** From the Original Sheriffs Report 1976 Man out looking for fellow employee with intent to harm after caught wife with him while back and she now in family way. Badly decomposed body of young woman found in wooded area between Buffalo and Jewett. Subject tied and shot in head. Bueford had subject resist arrest and take swing at him, ain’t very big either, probably try him for insanity. Jail trusty advised he also practicing medicine as called on to doctor inmates, took stitches out of one’s head and asked to prescribe medicine Juvenile picked up by the Bear held until mother could for that kept throwing butcher knife at brother. Deputy asked to contact man’s wife and request she not shoot at him anymore. Called to local business office early morning where man just shot himself and lying in driveway of home after shooting wife several times and fled scene. Navarro Co. report man driving down I45 exposing himself, located he admitted doing such but said he didn’t think anyone noticed. Subject found to be man of the cloth. Oakwood man in to make bond for relative, disappointed when no one remembered when he a trusty here 43 years before. Prisoner being held for Limestone Co. that escaped several times back with them for day of reckoning, said he stayed with us because he liked us, other prisoners called him Houdini. Child that been victim of abuse in past hospitalized after found with bruises, burns and no clothes. Judge McCain told man to come back an attorney showed up again not represented by an attorney who told Judge he didn’t need one as had the Lord with him, Judge told him he needed both. Picked up prisoner at Mexia PD they holding for us, released on his own bond when got down wind from him. Fair parade a big success, woman told husband she going to shoot him if drove a certain float, he didn’t. *** Grandpa’s Report Historical Comm. monthly meeting with program on “The Berlin Airlift” which saved West Berlin from the Russians in 1948-49. This occurred before TV news and such with thousands of cargo planes carrying necessities into Berlin after the Russians stopped normal traffic with both sides ready for all out war. President Harry Truman made many important decisions and this one of them. Most today never hears of this and if not familiar with it you should be. Program presented by US Air Force veteran DUB Sothers who personally involved. This the first veteran ever met involved in this and very informative. The Nov. meeting will be Nov. 3, 2009 at 7:00 pm with Betty Alwine speaking on her experiences in Estate Sales, all invited.