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Georgia Genealogy Trails "Where your Journey Begins" |
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Georgia Genealogy Trails "Where your Journey Begins" |
Brooks County, Georgia
Crime News Gleanings
He Ran At First, But When He Did Conclude to Shoot, He Shot to Kill.
Quitman, Ga., July 27-There was a shooting and killing in the country yesterday. A Negro named Martin Kelly was killed by John Spell. It seems that the Negro got made about a settlement between him and Spell. Spell was pulling fodder when the Negro went to the field and began abusing and cursing him, telling that he would kill him, if not by daylight then he would by torchlight. He went for Spell in the field with his knife and stuck, whereupon Spell ran, and by being swift reached the house before the Negro. Kelly followed to the house and continued cursing Spell. Spell went into the house, took down his double barreled breech loader, and proceeded to business. He shot the Negro in the head, the whole load, wads and all, entering just above the right eye. The coroner held and inquest, the jury rendering a verdict of justifiable homicide.
(July 28, 1887 The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Georgia. Submitted by S. Williams)
Murder in Brooks
George West, a White Man, Jailed For Murder.
Quitman, Ga., June 6-George West, a young white man, struck and shot Westly Johnson, a Negro man, yesterday and killed him. The parties live about six miles west of this place. West claims that he acted in self defense but the evidence at the coroner's inquest made a case of murder and such was the verdict of the jury. It seems that Westly Johnson was eating his breakfast at Mrs. Newsome's when West came up and told him that he owed him for some clothes and that he must leave Mr. Newsomes and come and work it out with him. To this Johnson replied that he would make the money and pay the debt.
Thereupon West commenced to curse him, and words having passed West struck him with an iron rod and crushed his skull and almost simultaneously commenced to fire upon him with a pistol. Either wound would probably have produced death. Johnson died soon thereafter. The strange part was the matter was that West went to Quitman to get Sheriff McNeil to go with him to hold an inquest, and at said inquest a verdict rendered charging him with murder caused his incarceration. Public sentiment is decidedly against West.
(June 7, 1888 The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Georgia Submitted by S. Williams)
John Porter, Negro, who burned a white woman by firing her house, was lynched at Quitman, Ga.
(December 20, 1887 Newark Daily Advocate, Newark Ohio Submitted by S. Williams)
With Knife and Pistol Two Brooks County Men Fight - One Gets Cut.
Quitman, Ga., August 15-A great sensation was created here today over a fight between John Hampton, a farmer who lives about thirteen miles in the country, and A.P. Hatcher, a livery man of this city. Hampton received three cuts with a pocket knife, one of which may prove fatal. Hampton shot at Hatcher once. The fracas was stopped by the interference of friends before any further damage was done. It seems that Hampton left his horse with Hatcher to feed. Hampton called for the horse this afternoon and accused Hatcher of not feeding him. Hatcher called Hampton a liar. Hampton struck Hatcher and Hatcher drew his knife and went to work. Two warrants have been sworn out for Hampton, one for assault with intent to murder and the other for carrying concealed weapons. (August 16, 1895, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta GA - Submitted by S. Williams)
Drowned Her Little Boy
Quitman, Ga., Aug. 10-Idella Powell Banks, widow of a well to do cotton planter, is in the Brooks county jail, charged with the murder of Albert Powell Banks, her 4 year old son. She says the boy was so ugly in appearance and so lacking in intelligence that she was ashamed to have him grow to manhood, and she threw him in a pond near her residence and drowned him. (August 10, 1897, New Castle News, New Castle Pennsylvania - Submitted by S. Williams)
Wore Turner's Clothes Off
Thief Enters Ex-Congressman's Residence Near Quitman
Quitman, Ga., June 25-A burglar entered the home of Hon. H.G. Turner, on the outskirts of town, last night and stole a suit of his clothes. The thief disrobed and made the change on the spot, leaving a tattered suit in place of the one taken. (June 26, 1901, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta GA, Submitted by S. Williams)
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