Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-29

night at summerviIie. saturday he was
turned over to the Sheriff OF CherO-
kee county. Anderson acknowledges the
killing, but saws that il was in self-defense.
negro who was at work in field on NJ.
A- sims plantation on Fishing creek. Wilkes
county, heard his dog barking for some time
IN a clump Of bushes in the swamp. The man
went to see what it was when he saw his dog
run up and jump back several times, and
hnally discovered that il was q large red fox
al bay. The negro then got some rocks and
walked up very close 70 the fox, when the
usually tlmid animal jumped at him also. He
struck him several times with rocks. aud
nnally killed him, the fox not attempting to
run at all.
Athens Banner: About seven miles south Of
Hickory, near the south Fork river on the
donn NllfOng farm, stands a remarkable
walnut tree. II j. twenty-seven feet in cir
cumierence. being nearly nine feet in diam
eter three feet above the ground. It measures
thirty eight feet TO the first limb. and the
limbs sre in proportion to the size of the tree.
This tree Is vigorous in its growth and is be-
heVed 20 be entirely solid. If sawed INTO
lumber IL would make 1900 feet, without
counting the limbs. Estimating this lumber
az $40 per thousand feet, its market value
would be $3.50. The tree grows on an un-
cleared bottom near the river and is sur
rounded by dense growth Of timber. Its
enormous size has prevented 10 from being
converted into lumber. as there are no means
OF handling so large a stock Of timber. Some
Years ago Mr.. Henry WilfOng, Of this place
whose father owned the land where the
tree grows, published in two Northern
newspapers an account Of this tree. and chal-
lenged the whole country to furnish larger
tree or It's kind. This has not been done, and
10 is now fair inference that this is the larg-
est walnut tree in the United States. Mr.. p.
y Summey, OF cur city, who was born and
reared within 400 yards Of this immense wal
nut tree, knows this 10 be true. He has hunt
ed rabbits around IL and shot squirrels OF il
many times. Upon this place stands a stone
house that was built more than 100 wears ago
N hn ref II fFn - sfs
place. The place was sold to MI. Summev
tru descended 10 the WilfOng family. now the
present owners. These three families have
all reared large families in this house and
there never has been death in the house to
the present time.
Atlanta's old City Hail is fast being torn
down 10 make room for the new capitol. The
old building has an interesting history. In
1871, while Hon. Jonathan NOrcr0ss was
Mayor, the city purchased the lot on which
the Angler building. the old Constitution build
ng and senator Browns building stand.
There was nothing done about building a CITY
hail, and in 1853 Col. Richard Peters sold the
city the four acres now known as the City Hall
Park. IL was then clear out OF town and the
purchase made Mr.. NOrcrOss so mad that he
rssiELed MS place as member Of the City
Council. The city paid 5000 for the place
and Col. Richard Peters made 1000 by the
trade Little did Atlanta then think the
place would ever he worth 100000, as il now
.. ana be the site Of GeOrgia's capitol. In 1853
the erection OF the building was begun. Column
bus Hughes was architect and master builder,
and the structure was erected by day labor.
lle 1ulldlng was two years gong up, cost
Sla-ulO and came near bankrupting the town.
The building was well put up, and after thirty
years Was almost as good as ever until the
wOrkmen Land heavy hands upon it. The
city borrowed very little money to build the
house, but raised lt promptly by taxation.
thus Increasing the burden on the people OF
that day. When the county OF Fulton was
created the people OF Atlanta were so anNi-
rN "A IN hrrfH a n
court house that they let the county use the
building for court house as long as il desired,
rent tree, so that, until the completion of the
present court house, Atlanta furnished the
court house for the county. Many notable
events have occurred at the old building. Ii
mas been the principal voting place of the
county ever since the house was eRected. The
Mayor used 70 hold his courts there, the Su-
prcme Court used TO meet there, and the Supe
rlOr and City Court held their sessions there
for great many years. Many murderers have
heai their doom within It's walls, and many
a eulprit has gone forth from its walls with a
millstOue Uf sorrow about his neck Joseph
Henry Lumpkin delivered from the Supreme
bench his great decisions, and the remorseless
Hopkins passed his flint and steel sentences in
that building. IL was iu that building that the
reconstruction convention met in 1867, and the
Georgia Legislature met there before Kim =
uall's Opera House was purchased by the
state II was in the old house that Ben Hill
delivered one OF his greatest speeches before
the war, and many an eloquent tongue has
rung out there since. In front of the old house
>tephen A Douglas made great speech in
1850. when he was q candidate for the PIesi-
dency. He was introduced by Alexander II.
stephens, and stood on the side next to Hunter
street, and made a great speech.
The details Of the Dawson tragedy have
Just been made public. During the progress
of the primary election held in Dawson last
July some bad blood was stirred up between
Pickett, a well known lawyer of that place,
was the only candidate for the Legislature.
In canvass OF the county Capt. Pickett for
some reason failed to see Mr.. Cheves, the
editor and proprietor of the Dawson journal.
Mr.. Cheves went TO Capt. Pickett and volun-
sarily offered TO support him in the race, and
even offered him the use of his columns. A
short while after o. b. Stevens came into the
aud went to the support of Mr.. Stevens. It Is
here that the first bad feeling was engendered
and which was followed uD. Mr.. Cheves last
week was considerably under the influence OF
whisky, and threatened several persons, among
them a gentleman from Macon who was in
Dawson and also a barkeeper. While mol
considered dangerous man, he was IN
the habit, when in liquor, OF behaving
in such manner to make en-
emies. On Wednesday OF last week he went
into the drug store of DR.. kendrick, where
Cant. Pickett was, and told the Captain he
wanted To talk with him. Pickett refused to
talk, and told him never to speak TO him
again. Cneyes then went behind the prescFip-
ti0n counter and asked DIR. hendTick for q
pistol. DR.. Kendrick replied that he. had
neither knife or pistol, and Cheves said be
would Kill Pickett before night. Nothing was
thought Of these threats, as Cheves was in
tOxicated On Saturday last Capt. Pickett
out Of town attending Justice court.
Mr.. Cheyes saw Capt. II. +. Simmons, and
asked him 10 see Capt. Pickett and settle the
matter. As Capt. Pickett was out of town. II
l. presumed that Capt. simmons did not see
him IN time 10 deliver Mr.. CheYes' message.
About 4 O'Clock Cheves saw Capt. Pickett
on the street, nearly opposite the tele-
graph Office. He had been in town
about fifteen minutes. Cheves was
armed with a double barreled shotgun, and
when within about eight feet Of Pickett made
some remark, which was not caught by the
bystandeIs, and to which Pickett replied
what dO YOU meant Instantly the gun was
discharged at Pickett. one load OF duck shot
entering the left arm and in the region OF the
heart. The second load entered the abdomen
Pickett fell dead. The Marshal. who had been
looking for CheYes to disarm him, then came
up and in attempting to arrest him was struck
over the head with The gun. Cheyes was then
Overpowered and taken Immediately to jail.
The feeling was so strong against Cheves that
there was considerable talk OF lynching him
The Sheriff aw the trouble brewing and
promptly summoned a posse of men, who have
kept guard over the Jail. Cheyes, il is under
stood. will waive examination. Court meets
the irst week in November.