Newton County, Georgia Genealogy and History - Presented by Genealogy Trails History Group

Church van overturns, killing two MONAHANS, Texas — A church van returning from a missionary trip to Mexico overturned Saturday morning in far West Texas, killing two passengers and injuring five others, police said. The missionaries were headed back to the church's hometown of Porterdale, Ga., when the van's driver lost control while trying to correct a cramp in his leg, according to state trooper Eric White. The van flipped twice about 6 a.m. along Interstate 20 outside the town of Monahans, ejecting several passengers. White said those killed were Dillon Smith, 70, of Blakely, Ga., and Matthew Philip Allen, 27, of Covington, Ga. Injured in the wreck were Robert Lee Wilbanks, 56, and John Douglas Doster, 60, both of Covington, Ga. Also injured were Mourad Bowen, 20, Laurie Hunnicutt, 18, and Gregory Wayne Bowen, 18, police said. Saturday afternoon, Doster and Gregory Wayne Bowen were listed in serious condition at Odessa Medical Center, where and Wilbanks was listed in satisfactory condition. Hunnicutt was in satisfactory condition at Ward Memorial hospital, where Mourad Bowen was released earlier in the day. Monahans is about 200 miles east of El Paso. The van was from the Julia Porter United Methodist Church and been on a missionary trip to a town in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, White said. No one was wearing seat belts when the accident occurred.
Associated Press The Facts • SUNDAY • JULY 16 2000 Clute, Texas Submitted by Janice Rice

Columbus San: Colonel John H.Bass received a letter from Mr. T. H. Banks, his overseer at Jamestown, yesterday, giving particulars of the killing mentioned in the Enquirer-Sun Sundav morning. Mr. Banks writes that Clay Smith and Sidney Carter quarreled Thursday morning, Carter being the aggressor. Carter struck Smith first with His fist, and was trying to open his knife when Smith closed in on him and got in his work with his knife. Carter lived until the next day. Smith went to Seale, Ala., where he spent the night. He says that he dreamed that Carter Would not die, and it would be best for him to return and give himself up, which he did. Smith had a committment trial before Justice Sapp Saturday and was sent to jail at Cusseta to await his trial.
17 Aug. 1887 Atlanta Constitution