Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-08
GEORGIA AND FLORIDA.
THE NEWS OF THE TWO STATES
TOLD IN PARAGRAPHS

the steamer ''lReDEECd ENGFlnSnaIn
Walker County's All FOOLS Day Cy-
cIOne-HOn. AmbIer's Return.
GEORGIA.
Franklin county VIII vote on prohibition on
July 81.
Dougherty superior Court convened at
Albany yesterday.
Taylor county superior Court convened at
Butler yesterday morning.
Lula Hurst is said to have already netted
$4,000 by her mesmeric exhibitions.
Fifty young men have signiled their willing
ness to become members of the proposed mill
tary company at COnyers.
WaycrOss is discussing a rumor that the
savannah, Florida and Western Railway in
tends boring an artesian well at the depot at
that place.
An engine on the Savannah. Florida and
Western Railway iran away al WavcrOss
Few days ago. but after IL had gone seven
miles steam gave ont, and 1t came to a stop.
Another engine drew it back 10 town. No
damage was done.
The BGnuer- Wdtchmau charges the new
water works company with charging such ex-
Orbitant rates that the enterprise bids fair 10
prove failure financially. The tower is also
said TO leak SO badly as To be a nuisance to all
who live in It's vicinity.
The Athens B1aner saws: ''They tell good
one on an Athens lawyer He was lately en-
ployed i'm "a case to defend a little narrow
gauge railroad. IL Is said that he took the
road as retainer. while the company agreed
to issue bonds to pay his fee when the case is
ended
There are about thirty-five churches in FL
bert county. OF tins number the whites have
twenty-five and the cOlored ten. In the last
i've years the white people have built seven
new churches and repaired four, and the
cOlOred people have built two new churches
and repaired nearly all OF their old ones.
Stephen Swayne. q highly respected citizen
of Marion county, was knocked down bv his
afrighted team of mules at Americas, Satur-
day, and the wagon passed over his body,
decorating the skin on his skull and breaking
his collar bone Mr. Swayne is an aged gen
t.eman, but ms recovery Is considered pro-
bable.
The false alarm 6ends are again on the ram
page at Athens. and several times lately have
called out the fire department. Mayor Dor
Sey VIII pay Toe reward for the apprehension
and conviction of any person raising a false
fire alarm. and viii give the offender the fun
extent Of the law. He has instructed the
police force TO arrest any man or boy on the
street yelling word that even sounds like
fire"
The WaynesborO True citizen says: '.On the
lst inst, Alec. Simpkins, who was living on
the kainey Tlace, near >tOry's mill. this
county which Is run by Clark * Co. pro-
ceeded TO administer most cruel beating TO
one of his children with a walking cane about
as large as a mans thumb. The child az
tempted 10 escape by running out Of the house.
Alec kicked it in the small of the back. break
ing loose several Of its ribs. and iujuriHg the
kidneys and arteries Of the back The child
died in a few minutes. breathing only few
times Dr. G. A w BOstlck sent for.
and found the child as above stated, with old
scars and bruises on its person. As there
were eye witnesses to the crime 10 inquest
was held. A post m0rtem examination wa
had by DR.. BOstIck the next day. He threat
eued TO Kill his wife If she told the cfrcum-
stances of the killing. We learn that he stole
his father-in-laW's mule and made his es-
cape. Simpson is reported to have fled from
south Carolina, having committed murder I'm
that state"
Sundays Albany Nelcs and Advertiser saws:
"On Friday night there was another cutting
and shooting scrape at Fiell's sandy Bot
tom bar. The parties in the duel were two
uegr0es-W ASH v atsOn. a county bailiff. and
Albert fireman ON the Savannah. Florida
and tstcru Railway. No doubt John Bar
leycoru had hand in the fracas also. The
dispute which brought the difflcuItv was
about white man, whose name we did not
learn. Albert was defending the man against
the denunclations OF w ash In a few mo-
ments matters got up To fever heat. and chin
arguments were no longer effective. Albert
seized bllhard-cue and dealt Wash a terri
BILE blow, and let i'm on him with ms little
knife, making fearful gashes. Wash. recover
ing from the stunning caused 10y the blow.
drew his pistol, whereupOn Albert endeav-
Oret TO make his escape through a window.
but his antagonist was too quick for him. The
bullet took effect i'm the leshy part of the leg.
however, so that no serious damage was done.
DIR. Strother was called in to dress the wounds
of Wash, which he found severe, but not
necessarily fatal. Albert escaped and went
OIL on his engine TO ThOmasville Yesterday
morning The grand jury viii investigate the
matter next week"
The Walker Comfy Messenger of Thursday.
April 3. says: The night of April ] viii be
memorable i'm Walker county for the severity
of the storm of hail that fell, for the deluge
Of water that followed it and for the destruc-
ton wrought by the cyclone. The hail came
down in "a size and style that few had ever
seen or heard Numberlcss pains of glass
were broken. our cyclone notes are limited
The whirlwmd preceded the hail 1t crossed
the mountain at the cave lot. blowing down
Joe PettiOhn's house. On the Olson farm
II WreCked his saw mill and stables and lev
eled the chlmneys OF the dwelling. At James
Hale's, on the BroOmtown road, the outbuild-
ings-crb. smoke house. etc.-went down
The east and west fence were both blown
into the road. ON the widow Ransoms place
Aleck Anderson house was blown down and
burnt up. The house ut the mill. occupied bv
stiles Hammond, was destroyed aud the stone
chimney leVeled. On the SummerVille road
on the q. W Wilson place. a tree crushed the
house of James jackson. His wife was struck
on the head by Il piece of timber and badly
hurt. John " llsOn lost his barn, and the old
Capers wilson house was blown down. \
large gate post that had been sunk in the
ground two feet and well tamped was drawn
out. ON the Alabama road, the brick house
known as the Calhoun House, and an the out
buildings were entirely demolished. W. A.
Martin was seriously hurt Mr.. Martins little
Syear Old boy was buried about four feet
i'm the ruin of brick and plank but saved
by his father. The escape OF the family was
"a miracle. 4 short distance southeast Of this
scene of disaster. In tract of forest some
Atty or sixty acres in extent. every tree but
one lies hat with the ground-a single pine
-apl ing stands in the centre of this circle of
desOlatiOn. Lack Of space will not allow
detailed mention Of the wholesale destruction
of timber, houses, fences and other property.
IN West Armuchee all the houses on Young
and Wallin's places except their dwelling
houses were utterly demolished. One dwell
ling house on Spencer BOmar's place
hn in
habitants entirely destitute. Adam
Griffin on the Clements place, was left with
out house or barn, his barn being burnt With
All his corn. etc. Thomas Norman was struck
by piece of flying timber and badly hurt.
Several dwellings blown down and their in
habitants left without protection. Fences
blown down across the entire valley. cover
ieg a belt of nearly two miles. The main cy-
clone was about three hundred yards wide.
Thousands of large trees were living across
each other in every direction. The whole
scene is one Of ineXtricable coufu-
sion. \ ball of rumblng fire was seen Just
In front of the whirlWind. Immense branches
of trees We're torn from their trunks and
carried hundreds of yards. The very cle
meuts seemed on IRE. The winds seemed
confused. blowing now south, now east. The
general direction OF the cyclone was from
southwest % northeast. The storm lasted
from five to ten minutes, leaving utter desola-
tion IN its track
Sundays Columbus San says. "Mr. Clark
Prafher returned from Florence yesterday.
where lac went to ascertain If the bodies of
Mrs. AVeu ana Miss NlmnsOn mad been recOv-
cred. Relatives and friends had already
made dlliEent search and reported that no
trace of them could Dee found. Mr.. Prather
informs Us that the only part of human body
that has been found was the skeleton Of a
hand which was grasping portion of a bale
of cotton. Between the bones Of the fingers
and the cotton were four or five silver dollars
which the unfortunate victim no doubt held in
his hand when he grasped the burning bale in
the hope of saving HE life. Capt
T. 4. Marcrum. Of the steamer Amos
Hays. reUorts that the river is strewn
with damaged cotton for several miles be-
low the scene of the disaster. One gentleman
at Florence had caught about so bales. and
many Others were engaged in the same en-
ployment. There was no other sign Of the
terrible calamity that was visible when the
Amos HAYS passed the place. There are no
tins. except that Of Mr.. +. ID, Williams who
died Friday night at the residence OF Mr. d.
b. Fitzgerald, near Florence, after 36 hours
of the most intense suffering. The death s.f
Mr.. Williams iz peculiarly sad. He was Just
returning from fhe bay. where he had been
Tor the benefit Of his health. He had
improved so much that lac decided to return
home earlier than he had intended. Mr.
endeavored 10 persuade him TO remain
longer, but ne was anxious 10 see
his family and would not consent. Upon
reaching Florence Mr.. NeWs0me got OF the
and insisted upon Mr.. Williams to stop with
him, but his anxiety 10 reach home was so
great that he could not be persuaded. In
few minutes afterward the ire occurred, in
which De received injuries that resulted in
his death. By. Williams was ~ years Of age
and leaves wife and two children aged 6 aud
10 years, who viii not lack for sympathizers
an tllls hour of deep alllictiOn. lie was a suc-
cesslul farmer and prominent and valuable
citizen OF his county. During the war he was
gallant Confederate soldier and