1919 The Calhoun Monitor

 Submitted by Rose Diamond

(March 27, 1919)
I, J. W. Wright, Tax-Collector of Calhoun County, Mississippi ...
7th day of April, 1919, being the First Monday of said month, with ...
and according to law, at the east door of the courthouse, in the ...
boro, offer for sale and sell to the highest and best bidder the following ...
lands, in said county for the taxes due and assessed thereon together ...
ges and costs thereon for the year 1918, and then remaining unpaid...
 
Name of Owner, Division of Section, Sec., Town., Range
C. E. Kennedy, 9 acres Southwest cor NW 1/4, 15, 14, 1w
J. W. Farmer, South 1/2 Southeast 1/4, 24, 13, 1e
I. J. Hulsey, Southwest 1/4 Northwest 1/4, 1, 14, 1e
Unknown, Southeast 1/4 Northwest 1/4, 1, 14, 1e
T. H. Brooks, Northeast 1/4, 26, 14, 1e
R. L. Moore, Northeast 1/4 Northeast 1/4, 35, 14, 1e
R. L. Moore, North 1/2 Northwest 1/4, 36, 14, 1e
James Hervey, E 1/2 E 1/2 W 1/2 SE 1/4, 23, 22, 10e
James Hervey, 7 1/2 a N end E 1/2 @ 1/2 NE 1/4, 26, 22, 10e
Cotton States Ins. Co., South 1/2 Southeast 1/4, 11, 23, 9e
Same, Northeast 1/4, 15, 23, 9e
Same, North 1/2 Northwest 1/4, 15, 23, 9e
Same, 60 acres N side Southeast 1/4, 15, 23, 9e
Same, Northeast 1/4 exx 20 ac E side, 22, 23, 9e
S. T. Lawrence, East 1/2 West 1/2, 36, 23, 9e
W. T. Zinn, N pt Lot 31 in Sarepta, , ,
Mrs. Gatha White, Lot 18 in Banner, , ,
Mrs. B. H. Malone, Lot 1, Block 3 in Derma, , ,
J. W. Crawford, Lot 1, Block 4, in Derma, , ,
C. E. Kennedy, 8 1/2 a NW cor SW 1/4 ex 1 a Sw cor, 15, 14, 1w
C. E. Kennedy, Block 40, Wells add. to Derma, , ,
J. R. Henry, Lot 3, Block 2, East Vardaman, , ,
W. M. McOld, Lot 9, Block 33, Calhoun City, , ,
J. S. Rowe, Lot 3 ex S pt. B 38, Calhoun City, >, --, --
J. S. Rowe, Lot 8, 9, 10, B 38, Calhoun City, >, --, --
J. S. Rowe, Lot 3, Block 53, Calhoun City, >, --, --
J. S. Rowe, Lot 4, Block 54, Calhoun City, , ,
J. P. Killough, Lot 2, Block 59, Calhoun City, , ,
C. H. Ferrell, 2S 1/2 B 12, Caldwell add. C. C., , ,

(June 5, 1919)
[not copied – probably Union Grove]

Mr. Arthur and L. Z. Hill were pleasant visitors among friends of U. G. Sat. night and Sunday.
Mr. Bertrand Hamilton visited at the home of Mr. J. D. Wards Sunday afternoon.
Mrs. Alice Crumby of near Montevista visited at the home of W. J. Spencer one day last week.
Mr. J. W. Bryant got a telegram last week that his son Perry who has been in France is now back in the good old U.S.A. and will be with his many friends in the near future.
We still have good singing at U.G. every 2nd and 4th Sundays, everybody who likes to sing and to hear good singing bring your Sacred Harp song books and come over.   Signed: Peggy In Memory:
Of Mrs. Francis Whitt Roane, wife of Rev. J. L. Roane who was born May 3rd 1856 and married Jan. 3rd 1876. The same year both professed faith in Christ and were in the organization of Antioch Church where they have lived consistent member for 40 years…
Appreciated the fact that her sons were leaders of both old and new music…she was singing and said to her daughter, “Winnie help me.”… On her Sixty third birthday, God saw fit to call her to her final reward…
She was laid to rest in Antioch Cemetery to await the coming of the Lord…

BENTLEY

Mrs. Nellie Ward of Indianola, is visiting relatives and friends of this place.

Mr. J. T. Loftin is improving with his broken limb. Hope he will soon be able to walk again.

The ice cream supper was well attended at Bentley last Saturday night.

(Oct 2 1919)

Building New Monitor OfficeThe Monitor is to have a new home.Material is all on the ground and carpenters are even now at work cutting the timbers and getting ready to begin putting up the framing for a brand new office building for the Monitor force. The new building will be erected on exactly the same spot that the present building has stood for lo these many days. It will be 26 feet in length and is to have 12 windows to give plenty of air and light to the workers. Glass doors will open on the east as in the old building and a neat little business office picketed off from the other part of the building will be up at the front. This will enable us to receive and entertain our friends without their being bothered by the work going on in the other part of the building.

The machinery, presses, engine etc. will stand at about the same places. In fact, the new office will be built over the big 7500 pound Babcock newspaper press and also the engine, for they are set down upon rock foundations and could not easily be moved.

This issue of the paper will be the last Monitor ever issued from the old printing office. After the last one is mailed out on Thursday morning the workers will immediately begin to tear down the old building.

In a way, we are sorry to see the old office go. It has been here a long time and has seen many stirring events in the history of Calhoun County.

One of the very first houses ever erected in Pittsboro, back in 1853, stood just back of the present one, and some of the same material now in this building was in it. Part of the present office was used for years by Judge A. T. Roane as a law office way back in the early days. For at last thirty five years it has been used a printing office, and on the old walls today are inscribed the words “Shelton & Bostwick Editors” reminding one of the days long ran the Democratic Banner, with Gibbs, Murphree, Strain, McGregor, Green and others at different periods as Editors, and with Old Uncle Charley Shelton, who said he was 111 years old at the time and claimed to be “An old Faginny’ negro, rolling the ink for the Washington hand press.

But we realize that a man or business must either advance or retrograde, so we must need make more room and add more machinery in order to keep moving forward. So the old building must go and the new one come.

It is our intention to try to have at least enough work accomplished on the new building by next printing day to allow us to print next week’s Monitor on time. If, however, something should happen that we cannot do this, we will have to ask our readers to bear with us. If you do not get your paper next week when you expect it, take the fact we have related into consideration and do not judge us too harshly. [1903 Death obit for Charley Shelton]


Make Shipment On October 8th.We expect to get out cooperative cars of hogs and cattle from Calhoun City on Wednesday, October 8th. Bring stock to the pens on October 8th.

Will ship cattle and hogs from Vardaman about October 10, will ask the people of that territory to let me know amount of stuff they have and when sufficient amount is made up. I will notify them by mail when to bring stuff to the pens.

Top prices on our best hogs are now from $17.25 to $17.50, 150 pound hogs $16.00 to $16.50, pigs $15.50 to $16.00.   Signed: R. S. Mitchell, County Agent

State of Mississippi To Pheona White,

You are commanded to appear before the Chancery court of the county of Calhoun, in said state on the 3rd Monday of November, A. D. 1919 to defend the suit in said court of Raymon White, wherein you are defendant.  This the 23 day of Sept., A. D. 1919.  signed:  A. J. Sims, clerk. For Sale: - 194 acres Schoona bottom land, 75 acres in cultivation, 50 acres deadened, no trouble to clear, timber on rest of land. Good six room house, 1 tenant house. This land is the kind you pay $150 per acre for in the delta. If you want a bargain, see me at once. J. W. Seale, Calhoun City, Miss.

For Sale: - The place in Pittsboro known as the Martin place, 50 acres of land in cultivation and pasture, 10 room house in splendid repair. One of the best places in town open for sale for 30 days. See or write me at Calhoun city. D. T. Carter

For Sale: - 160 acres of Land, 1 Mile north of Pittsboro on bonded road. Jim W. Bryant, Pittsboro, Miss.

Found: - Pocketbook, small amount change and papers. W. R. White, Houlka, R 5 Miss.

(Oct. 9, 1919) Notice of Trustee’s Sale [Excerpts]

deed of trust executed on the 18th day of Jan. 1919 by Guy Ederington to secure the indebtedness therein mentions due to F. W. Martin…recorded on page 221 of book number 17 of the records of Land Deeds of Trusts of Calhoun Co. Miss…legal hours on November 3rd, 1919 (a first Monday) at the East door of the Court house in the town of Pittsboro...to the highest bidder…described as the South East quarter of block number 60, the East half of block number 65 in the town of Pittsboro, numbered according to the survey of said town by plat there of made by W. M. Hanna of record at page 284 of book “A” of land deed records of said County. Also block number 73 in said town numbered…[not copied]

Short Paper This Week

This issue of The Monitor is not up to the usual standard we admit. We feel sure however our readers will appreciate the burden of difficulties we are working under and overlook its shortcomings.

Our office was torn down last week and a new one being built. Our material is scattered to the four winds, and our machinery out in the weather. This paper is printed out of doors, and the type was set in the jail and in the Bank building. Hundreds of folks looked on last week and said there will be no Monitor next week. But here we are.

Our new building is going right up and we will be installed in it before long.

Rains and bad weather has hampered us, but we are doing our level best. Please bear with us.

(Oct. 23, 1919)     Local Items It is said that two more new buildings are being figured on for the square at Pittsboro.

For Sale: - One brand new 1919 Ford Touring Car. Ralph D. Spencer, Calhoun City, Miss

David Bryant has purchased the F. W. Martin place here in town and will move on it right away.

If you want Dainty Biscuits, buy Dainty Flour. Spencer Mercantile Co., Calhoun City, Miss.

Mr. C. R. Young, Sheriff-elect for Calhoun County, has purchased the place here known as the Martin place from D. T. Carter and we suppose will move in about January 1st.

Mr. Ben Harrelson is putting in a nice stock of new and seasonable goods here and invited the public to call in and inspect his stock. He expects to do quite a bit of work on his building in the near future.

NOTICE: [Excerpts]

To all persons in interest and stockholding of The Farmers Bank of Pittsboro, Miss.

A meeting…7 o’clock p.m., at the office of the Circuit clerk in the courthouse…on the 3rd day of Nov., 1919, for the purpose of organization and consideration of matters incident thereto and for the transaction of any business necessary as a preliminary step to the beginning of business of the Bank.  This the 23rd of Oct. 1919

Dennis Murphree, J. E. Davis, of the Incorporators

Work on The Monitor office is progressing and we have been able to get a few of our belongings back inside once more. We have been bothered lately by finding that some of our lumber and shingle shipments were short and have had to resort to temporary covering in places. The incessant bad weather has mad the building of the new office a nightmare both to the carpenters and to ourselves. We hope by one more week to have it fairly well completed.

(Nov. 27, 1919) J. C. Murphree et al, vs Lonnie Cannon, et al.  Number 2964

19th day of Novemer at the regular November term of said Chancery Court, ...highest bidder for cash the following described real estate... Southeast 1/4 of NW 1/4 of Section 15, T 12, R 1westNorth 46 acres of East 1/2 of SW 1/4 Sec 15 T 12 R1westNw 1/4 of SW 1/4 

Sec 15, T 12, Range 1 westNortheast 1/4 of SE 1/4 Sec. 16, T 12 R 1 west except therefrom 6 acres on the west side thereof.The said land being solf for the purpose of partitioning the proceeds arising there from among the joint owners...

A. J. Sims, Commissioner

STRAYED: One young black hourse mule, weight about 550 pounds, front feet shod, has been gone three weeks.

M. E. Bailey,  Vardaman, Miss.

A Guaranteed Circulation of 1848, Actual Count.Official Organ of Calhoun County

Pittsboro, Calhoun County, Mississippi,  December 4th, 1919
Bentley:
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Ellis Houser of Houston are visiting parents, Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Streeter this week.
Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Abbott were business visitors in Derma Saturday. A large crowd attended the singing at Bethlehem Sunday afternoon.
Miss Gertrude Burlison, who is attending the County A. H. School at Derma, spent the week-end at home.
Mr. Richard Burlison and family have moved back to Bentley. Glad to have them in our midst again.

Our school is progressing indeed nicely under the management of two of the county’s best teachers, Miss Fannie Wright and her niece, Miss Robbie May Pittman. They have a full school and a regular attendance.
The larger boys of our neighborhood have erected a basketball court up at the school house and have been having some real interesting games.
Mr. Tom Meridith, of Indianola, is on an extended visit to relatives here.

All persons having claims against the estate of Wade Hardin, adjudged a lunatic, are required to have same probated and registered by the Clerk of the Chancery Court, of the County of Calhoun, in the State of Mississippi, within one year, and are notified that a failure to so probate, and register for one year will bar the claim.

And further, that the undersigned, H. O. Burson was ap [copy stopped]

Negro Kills Walter Wells and George Saxon at Vardaman

On last Friday there occurred at Vardaman, Miss., one of the most shocking and deplorable tragedies that has ever happened in Calhoun County. Mr. George Saxon, of that place, had a difficulty with a negro named Volley Lyon and from what we learn, gave the negro a bit of a trouncing. The negro, who lived in one of the section houses just across from the depot, went immediately to his house and procured a shotgun and some shells and informed his wife that he was going to kill Mr. Saxon.

He came back around the depot and immediately opened fire on Saxon, who, being unarmed, made a frantic effort to escape from the negro. The first shot from the negro’s shotgun took effect in Saxon’s side, and the second shot, aimed between the bars of an express truck, struck him practically in the same place, riddling his lung, and he fell to the ground mortally wounded. All this happened in two or three seconds.

Among the few men who were standing near the depot was Deputy Sheriff Walter Wells, a man known all over Calhoun County as an absolutely fearless and capable officer and man. Seeing the difficulty and as an officer being in duty bound to do, Mr. Wells made an effort to get his own pistol out of his pocket and after a slight difficulty, because it was on the wrong side, he succeeded in getting out his weapon.

Just as the last shot was fired at Mr. Saxon, the negro started to unbreech and reload the gun. Deputy Wells then leveled his pistol and told the negro to drop the shotgun. Instead of dropping the shotgun, he only made more haste to reload. Seeing that the negro was desperate and intended to again use the gun Mr. Wells opened fire. He stated afterwards that he fired twice in an effort to scare the negro but the last time he tried to shoot to kill. The negro working with feverish haste, threw open the gun, jammed one shell into the barrel and without taking time to put it to his shoulder or take aim, pointed it at Mr. Wells direction and pulled the trigger. The load struck Mr. Wells in the side of his face and head, tearing away part of his jaw, his nose and teeth and one eye and blinding him. It is a tribute to the unutterable gameness of the man that he never fell even under such a crashing blow.

The negro immediately ran away across the fields and into the bottom and disappeared.
Wells walked unaided nearly up to the business section of Vardaman and was carried from there to the Pounds Hotel, where he lingered until about six o'clock the next morning and died. He was fully conscious and rational all the time and discussed the affair and his connection there with lucidly. Mr. Saxon was carried to his home, and was also conscious and lucid. He lived until about two o'clock the next morning, when he too died.

Immediately after the shooting, Sheriff Wright was notified and went at once to Vardaman and with a posse and began a search for the negro. The negro, it was afterwards learned, went straight across the canal, throwing his gun into a deep hole in the canal. He went from there south by way of Atlanta and stopped at a negro house between Atlanta and Woodland, where he washed the blood from his face. The last shot fired by Mr. Wells struck the negro a glancing blow in the forehead leaving a small wound. He traveled all night and arrived at Mathiston just before day Saturday where he secured food and a hiding place from some negroes and lay up in a negro house all day.

Mr. Wright wired every junction and station on the road to be on the alert for him. At Mathiston on Saturday night he managed to get aboard a through freight, avoiding the watchers. The train did not stop until it reached Winona. There the officers were searching all trains and when he tried to get off, the Yardmaster was waiting for him and made him throw up his hands.
He at first denied all complicity, but because of the wound in his forehead, the officers were sure of his identity and he finally confessed. Mr. Wright brought him back and lodged him in the jail at New Albany

The negro says that he is sorry he killed Mr. Wells, but that he intended to kill Mr. Saxon, though he knew at the time that he would be hung for it. He says he knows that he will be hung and has nothing to say about it.

An Appeal.  
We the undersigned Judge of the Circuit Court and Sheriff of the county, make this appeal to the people of Calhoun county to see that the law be allowed to take its course in the case of the negro who shot Messrs. Wells and Saxon at Vardaman Friday. We guarantee that he shall have a speedy trial and that whatever penalty imposed will be rigidly carried out. We want to add that this appeal is founded on the desire and wish of the wives of both victims.
Mesdames Wells and Saxon both are desirous that the law shall be carried out without mob violence.
C. Lee Crum, Judge   J. W. Wright, Sheriff.

(March 27 1919)  Will Hang Negro on April 30th
The Circuit Court convened here Monday with the largest crowd in attendance we have ever seen here. Judge Lee Crum was sick and unable to be here, so Judge W. A. Roane from Houston held the Court.

Judge Roane delivered an impressive charge to the Grand Jury and they immediately retired and by 2 o'clock had returned an indictment against the Negro Volley Lyon charging him with murder. He was immediately arranged and the case tried. Messrs. Jack Exans [Evans] and J. L. Johnson were appointed by the Court to defend him.

Witnesses for the State were put on and the murder related. The Negro himself was the only witness for the defense. The jury very promptly returned a verdict of guilty as charged.
On Tuesday morning Judge Roane sentenced Volly Lyon to be hanged by the neck until dead on Wednesday April 30th 1919. This will be done at Pittsboro on the above date.
The Court was conducted with so much promptness and dispatch that the docket was cleared of all cases ready for trial by Wednesday and final adjournment was had.

(May 1, 1919) Negro Was Hung Here Today
The negro Volley Lyon was hung here today at 11 o'clock.
There was a big crowd here in spite of the heavy rain. The crowd was well behaved.
The negro made a talk, saying that he was sorry and that whiskey and crap shooting was the cause. He said he was guilty and was ready to take the punishment.
The law of the state calls for a private hanging and Sheriff Wright and his bondsmen who are responsible for his actions, decided that the law must be carried out – therefore he is – was hung on the inside.

Nov 27, 1919

A Hair-Raising Bit of Dare-Devilry.
A Story of Wild-Cat Days in North East Calhoun.[The story is somewhat long, so is therefore continued to another page. Click January 23, 1908.](Nov 27, 1919)

MARSHAL GETS BIG KETTLE

Ever since the writer was a boy, he has been hearing of the big old Eighty Gallon Copper Kettle belonging to the Wildcat Liquor folks and run up and down Potlockeny creek. The tradition has always held that this Big Still was the property of the Big Boss of the Moonshiners.
It is a relic of the old days some forty or fifty years ago when it was not a crime to make your own liquor. The owner of this still has always watched it mighty close. It has been jealously guarded from the officers, so jealously guarded in fact that very, very few men have ever been able to see it.

When the cowardly murder of the Montgomery Boys was committed up in that same section a number of years ago, a wave of righteous indignation went over the whole land, and a determined effort was made to put a stop to this liquor making traffic.
The owner of the old Big Kettle decided that it was time to take a rest. So, it is said that a deep hole was dug not far from the banks of the creek and about a mile or two over in Lafayette County and the old Big Kettle was laid to rest. According to the story, there it stayed through all the years until the Bone Dry law and National Prohibition put the booze lover up against it for his favorite beverage, and raised the price sky high.

Then it was that there came a day of Resurrection, and the old Big Kettle was brought into use again.

But her days were destined to be short in the land.

One night last week, Mr. Buchanan, a Raiding Officer, which is a new place created for just such a purpose by the United States Government, arrived here. Accompanied by Sheriff Will Wright and Ernest McCormick, he made his way up to the county line of Calhoun and Lafayette and then located a big hogshead of …er ready for the making.

They knew that there was a monster still thereabout but ... one putting appearance to set it up and begin operations. Finally they notified the man whose house it was real near that they were going to make a search of his premises for a still. He did not raise any objection, so the search began. It lasted five hours, and was awarded by the discovery of a mammoth Big Copper Kettle of 80 gallon capacity sunk in the bottom of a pond of water. It was as nice and smooth as could be, with every joint and seam fit and proper, not a dent on its sides. That it had been well cared for was very evident.

The man was arrested and carried to Oxford and put under a thousand dollar bond. The still was carried to Oxford and will there be destroyed.
Was it the old “Big Kettle,” that I have heard so much of? Well, we don’t know. It looks kind o’ like it doesn’t it.

Anyhow, we are glad this ... has been removed.

Editor Barber Hard To Please
The Editor of the Water Valley Herald sure is one hard fellow to please.
We have about decided to give it up as a bad job.

Here is Editor Barber’s latest complaint:
“The Herald follows the intation of The Monitor and has read the story of the Sheriff grabbing the moonshiners indeed carefully. It only confirms our former conclusion that Calhoun supplies the liquor for Yalobusha County. If the “durn” sheriff and other officials of Calhoun were not zealous in the performance of their duties, the editor might get a little liquor to put in his mince meat this winter.”

Just a few weeks ago, the editor of the Water Valley Herald was raising sand over the proposition that as he claimed Calhoun was furnishing him and his Yalobusha neighbors liquor. Now, he takes it out on our officers because they won’t allow Lafayette county moonshiners to furnish him his liquor.

As we say, we’ll just have to give it up. We can’t please him.
Just one more word however, and that is that any man who can’t think of any better way to use liquor than to put on mince meat, we’ll say he don’t need no liquor.

The Calhoun Monitor - Dec 23 1920

Sheriff Nabs Large Still
Sheriff C. R. Young, accompanied by his deputies Messrs. Sam H. Smith and W. J. Reid, went over on Cowpen the other night and brought back with them a splendid specimen of the Wildcat still. Too, they brought back about five gallons of the finished product, which, while the Editor didn’t get a chance to taste, had a most aromatic smell, and was evidently of a high class brand of Moonshine.

The still was found about 1 mile north of Lantrip schoolhouse and surrounded by a large number of barrels of mash ready for making into whiskey. The still itself was well arranged and was a big one, fifty or sixty gallon capacity.

Sheriff Young says that contrary to the usual course, this still was given away by the whiskey men, rather than law abiding citizens.

The raiding party drove up in their car to a point somewhere near the still, but the moonshiners were evidenly [sic] just leaving. They had finished their run, cleaned up, filled the kettle again, drawn the fire, and were laughing and talking as they moved off.

The officers immediately gave chase to them and the liquor men fled, dropping their jug of newly made liquor as they ran. The officers chased them for some half mile, but finally lost them.
Then the officers came back found the abandoned jug, and then found the still.
Besides the jug, there was a candy bucket two thirds full of new moonshine, which the heartless officers poured into Cowpen Creek, which no doubt accounts for the peculiar antics reported among the catfish lower down the creek on Sunday last.

The still and jug were placed behind the bars of the County jail here and have been the center of attraction for a number of curious people since that time.

On Monday night some enterprising and thirsty individual or individuals, introduced a pipe or some kind of hollow container through the bars of the cage and into the jug and siphoned about a gallon out of captivity, and are no doubt enjoying a “Merry Christmas.”

Nine panes of glass were broken out of the jail windows the day following the putting of this open jug into the cage, by the Bumblebees trying to get in to the scent.