The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-09-16
DIEDI WITH BOOTS ON
Bell Tree Smith, Noted CharaC-
ter, Met Tragic Death.
OPERATED UNIQUE BLIND TIGER

Near the Georgia and Alabama State
Line. Was a Man of Great Wealth
and Distributed Much Charity. His
Home Headquarters for Relief OPP
eratiOns During Recent Cyclone.
A dispatch from Borden Springs,
Ala, told of the recent killing of
unique character by the name of Will
liam A. Smith, better known as BELL
Tree" Smith, by Will Chandler
Smith held a revolver over Chand-
Ter and made him kneel, telling him
that he had but a few minutes to
live. A brother of Chandler knock
ed Smith down The man threat
ened with death then took Smiths
pistol and shot him dead The Rome
TTibune-Herald commented on the
tragedy as follows:
"'Bill' Smith, the dead man, was
a unique character and was known
as Bell Tree Smith. Standing alone
ia the annals of illicit liquor selling
was hiss scheme of disposing of
mountain dew. His home was just
on the state line, where Cherokee
county, Alabama, joins Polk county,
Georgia A water oak stood by a
little branch and marked the geo.
graphical division. Nailed to the lit
tie oak was a common soap box, |
about three and a half feet from the
ground. A pad of paper was nailed
TO the tree, and misspelled words di- |
Tected the observer to rite your or
der and leve the muney. There
were no specifications as to what the
commodity was, but the fame of the !
tree was such that no one ever or
dered Sunday school literature or
sandwiches.
Above the writing pad was an
other sign, also misspelled, warning
the purchaser not to remain there
after ringing the cowbell which |
hung on the tree, on penalty of be- |
ing shot. Directions were given to |
go down the road and wait. you
can tell the place when you get to it. |
The place was fifty yards down
the road around a bend and here !
seats were provided. The purchaser |
could wait in comfort until still |
following directions, he heard the |
bell ring again. He was then to |
walk slowly back to the bell-tree. |
There he would find any brand of |
whiskey, beer, wine or other liquor |
that he might have ordered left up
on deposit of the regular price
charged in any market. Should the |
establishment be out of the particu-
lar liquor ordered a note would so |
state, and ask tersely, What else?' |
There were many summer Wis |
itors to Bluffton, Borden Wheeler |
and other nearby resorts, who |
learned of the bell-tree's famous
product, and the probation bench |
was rarely without an occupant dur
ing the summer days But of all the
people who patronized the tree, and
there are some in Rome who admit |
IT, none knew the exact manner in !
which the mysterious liquor APP
peared. And no one could swear |
that Will Smith was the man behind |
the scheme. He carried a United |
States liquor License, and was never |
nolested by revenue officers, but had |
been under indictments scores of |
times by county officials, both of |
Georgia and Alabama. But he was
never convicted. and finally the Off |
GERS grew weary of fruitless arrests. |
Last March the operation of the bell |
tree was suddenly stopped, and thirs-
ty visitors might wake the echoes |
with their claim, and wait fer hours /
on the bench, but no liquor ap, |
peared