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

Search of Home for Whiskey Reported Cause of Trouble With Kings at Donalsonville.
Bainbridge, Feb. 4.—Lon Alday, a Deputy Sheriff at Donalsonville, shot the two King brothers this afternoon at their store In Donalsonville. One of the men was shot in a leg, the other In the abdomen. The latter died at a local hospital shortly after he was brought here.
According to Information obtained here, the trouble was the outgrowth of the deputy searching the home of one of the King brothers for whisky.
Date: 1918-02-05; Paper: Macon Telegraph

Talmadge Secretary Has Narrow Escape In Boat Explosion
Donalsonville Ga.
April 25—Benton Odom of Newton. Ga . secretary to Governor Herman Talmadge. narrowly escaped death here Sunday when a motor on his fishing boat exploded.
Odom, his wife and children were guests yesterday of Joe Johnson Jr., chairman of the Seminole county Democratic executive committee, and had just docked their boat after an outing on Spring creek when the motor caught fire.
Odom attempted to extinguish the Maze, but failed and moved to the bow of the boat just as the motor blew up. He escaped serious injury.
Date: 1949-04-26; Paper: Augusta Chronicle

Vandiver Deplores Farm Migration
DONALSONVILLE — Gov. Ernest Vandiver said Thursday night that one of the gravest problems facing Georgia Is the migration of workers from the farm to the city. Speaking at the 21st annual Seminole County Fat Cattle Show and Sale here, Vandiver said that throughout the nation about two million people are leaving farms each year for cities. "Livestock development can play an important role in stemming this movement from the farms," he said. "With new employment from the livestock industry and the construction of a new mill or factory we can help stop the movement from the farms to the urban centers." The governor said that increased demand for meat products seems assured. He listed industrialization of Georgia and the Southeast, increasing population, and rising family income as reasons for the increased demand.
Vandiver attributed part at Georgia's success in the live-stock field to the cooperation of farmers and the estate in getting rid of cattle diseases and livestock pests. He cited the havoc played in 1957 in the livestock industry by the screw worm.
Today the situation has changed completely," he said. "Your state government, cooperating with the federal, is harnessing the beneficial powers of atomic radiation to completely eradicate this pest." Vandiver said Georgia is making "tremendous" advancement in the production of livestock. He said the value of the industry in 1958 was $412,732,000, according to the State Crop Reporting Service.
Date: 1959-06-05; Paper: Marietta Journal

Shot in the Back Dastardly Attempt to Assassinate a Prominent Citizen of Donalsonville
Donalsonville Oct. 12 While Sheriff Wagins assisted by J.W. Carter was putting a negro prisoner in jail at Colquit last night, some one approached from the rear and shot Mr. Carter in the back. Mr. Carter was a former tax collector of Miller County.
Date: 1898-10-13; Paper: Columbus Daily Enquirer

Bainbridge, Ga., Aug. 29, 1899-
Mit. Editor,
Dear Sir:—Allow me space in your valuable columns to note some of the happenings of the 'neighborhood.
The portion of county west of the Flint river is in the hands of the mob. On the night of the 16th, two white men went to the house of N.0. McRay, colored, and called him out, but, he would not go out knowing that the mob had been recently whipping the colored people around there in the night. They insisted on his coming out, and, if he refused, they would come in. McRay then took his axe and walked out and made for them, knocking Mr. Love down with the axe, he ran and over-took Mr. Clark and cut him severely through the muscle of one of his arms, and cut off three of his fingers. Mr. Clark is dead and Mr. Love is expected to die. McRay made his escape. He is very intelligent and was one of the leading men of Iron City, and also a member of the Odd-Fellows fraternity. The mobbers claim that the Odd-Fellows sent him-off and they have whipped 15 or 20 members of the Odd-Fellows, and every Negro they meet that can not tell a tale to please them concerning McRay, they are severely beaten. The county is torn up and the officers can do nothing with them. Sheriff Patterson and his deputies are at work, but it doesn't seem to do any good.
The good white people of Donalsonville and Iron City are doing what they can to stop the mob, but it is still raging and tearing down every Odd-Fellow Lodge they find for 25 miles around. We have been informed that some of the parties that have been whipped will die, both men and women.
Bainbridge is being crowded with people from the country who are leaving their farms and everything else to the mercy of the mob.
In spite of the raging of the mob our people will throw away their money. Rev. J. H. Smith, the excursion man for the Georgia Pine U. K , carried two hundred with him, seventy-six being from Bainbridge.
The Albany team crossed bats with the Bainbridge team, the score was 9—14 in favor of Bainbridge.
Mrs. J. Williams, who has been on the sick list for several weeks, is out again. Mrs. Williams has been ailing ever since the burning out of Bainbridge.

Mrs. A. E. Hutto. the model teacher and Sunday School worker, and a criterion for the young ladies, is now enjoying fine health.

Grand Lecturer, J. K. Thornton and Wm. J. H. Smith took a buggy ride fast Sunday to the country.
They didn't travel west, but east, for they knew better than go toward Donalsonville. Rev. Smith was held up by the mob at Damascus. Ga., but was unbound by some rail road men.
Fraternally yours, J. A. Grant.

The Pistol Fired In An Altercation With a Negro, W. G. Adams Grabbed Revolver, and
Donalsonville, Ga.. Dec. 24.—M. G. Adams accidentally shot and killed Leon Sandlin, aged 17. yesterday afternoon at this place. Adams was is a difficulty with an unknown negro and had just hit him over the head with a pistol which he had taken from the negro, who started on Adams with a knife.
At this point the pistol fired, the ball hitting Sandlin Just over the breast, killing him instantly. Adams is held for a commitment trial.
Date: 1906-12-25; Paper: Augusta Chronicle

Flagman Fatally Hurt; Struck by Water Tank
Donalsonville. Ga., Feb. 25.—
While an Atlantic Coast Line through freight was passing the water tank at Brinson this afternoon at full speed.
Flagman Hollifield, who was sitting on top of the caboose, was knocked from the top of the train by the water spout and now lies at the point of death,
His home is in Montgomery,
Date: 1909-02-26; Paper: Macon Telegraph

Safe Crackers at Work Donalsonville
Donalsonville Ga. July 14 Robbers tonight cracked the post office safe at Brinson, near here, took $200 in cash and a quantity of stamps and started across country. Bloodhounds are on the trails and it is believed they will be captured.
Date: 1910-07-15; Paper: Macon Telegraph

Cholera Epidemic
Donalsonville Ga. Jan 31 the farmers in this section have lost more than half of their hog crop from the cholera, even after they were fattened and ready for slaughter. Nothing unusual to see them, big fine, fat fellows, hauled off by wagon loads from the pea-fields to be buried , or burned.
Date: 1911-01-22; Paper: Macon Telegraph

Missing Man Appears. Postmaster at Donalsonville Shows Up
DONALDSONVILLE, Feb. 25, - During the course of Inspection here of the books of W. A. Perry, the postmaster who had he suddenly disappeared, the postmaster himself showed up, and Is now assisting the Inspector in his work.
He states that $1,000 will cover his shortage, and it is said that he has arranged to make good his shortage.
He also states that he will adjust the matter of obtaining money from A. Fort, the farmer, on false titles to some city property
The entire community is in a state of expectancy with regard yo this matter, and the only thing they can obtain in the way of Information is from Perry himself, and this many think,is unreliable.
Date: 1913-02-26; Paper: Macon Telegraph