The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-08-26

roof OF the building, completely gut
ted the structure. John McDevitt,
manager in charge, estimates the loss
at $4,000, with $500 insurance on
stock and fixtures.
The most extensive and energetic
campaign that has ever been waged
in Meridian in behalf Of civic or.
ganization was brought to close on
Aug. 20 at the Board of Trade when
it was reported that more than $50
members had been signed for three
years in the reorganization of the
Board of Trade This makes the or.
ganization stronger than it has ever
been.
Walter Moffett was seriously in
jured in a runaway accident two miles
each of Blue Mountain Aug. 10, when
his buggy horse became frightened at
an automobile driven by cliff Dick
son. Mr.. Moffett had gotten out of
the buggy to hold the horse and the
frightened animal dragged him sew
eral hundred feet, hurled him against
a stump and ran over him, dragging
the buggy across his chest. He was
brought to the home of his brother,
Prof. NJ E. Moffett, of Blue Mountain,
where it was found that several of
his ribs were fractured, his left lung
ruptured and his entire body, badly
bruised.
A cyclone struck McAdams, small
station seven miles west of KOscius-
ko, on the afternoon of Aug. 20, de-
stroying the railroad station house,
a seed house, the residence of Mrs.
Francis Gowan and the mill shed Of
Gowan Bros, and doing other dam
age. A negro cabin on the Gowan
farm, where five negroes were housed,
was blown to pieces and the negroes
left sitting in the rain, unhurt. No
one was hurt in Mr.. Gowan's house
except his little daughter, who sus.
tanned bruised shoulder by the piano
being blown against her. The twister
was only about 60 yards wide and
soon spent it's force.
A case of mistaken identity that
threatened a lynching developed at
Meridian Aug. 20, when James White
head and Norman Elliott, two ne
groes, were arrested and placed in
the county Jail on charge OF at
tempting to assault Mrs. Curtis Rob-
ertson, wife Of a well known citizen,
as she was returning in buggy with
her baby from a visit to Causeyville
on Aug. 10. Two other negroes, VIII
lie Kirksey and Ben Boney, were ar.
rested after being identified by Mrs.
Robertson, and were placed in the
county jail. They were spirited to
jackson on the night of Aug. 16 to
prevent the threatened mob violence.
The grand jury of Aug. 20 indicted
Kirksey and Boney but it was found
soon after that they were innocent
and that Whitehead and Elliott were
the guilty negroes, both confessing,
but saying that they only asked the
lady to let them ride and that they
had no evil intention.
w. e. Cook and A. K. Holder of
Lake Como and Mrs. r. w. Tyner Of
Hattiesburg were painfully and rather
seriously hurt Aug. Is. Mr.. Cook was
taking Mrs. Tyner out to visit her sick
mother who lives near Lake Como.
The team took fright at an automo-
bile and became unmanageable, run
ming about two miles and throwing
them out.
Excavations for the foundation Of
Meridians new Sill, 400 city jail, to be
one of the most up-to-date In the state,
was commenced Aug II. The new jail
will be constructed on the city stable
site, Fifth street and Twenty-sixth av-
enue. The plans call for thoroughly
sanitary building, equipped with every
modern Jail convenience.
Allen WeStbrOOkS must pay the
death penalty for the murder of his
mother-in-law, Mrs. c. c. Cleveland.
Such was the verdict of the jury in
the Amite county circuit court at Lib
erty. The jury members who con-
demned Westbrooks reached their con-
clusion on Aug. II in less than thirty
minutes after they took the case. West
brooks was twice indicted by the
grand jury, once for the murder of G.
C. Cleveland and the other for the MUIR
der of Mrs. Cleveland On trial West
brooks attempted to set up defense
of emotional insanity. The crime for
which Westbrooks was convicted was
one of the bloodiest ever committed in
Amite county. On the morning of June
90 it was proven Westbrooks went to
the Cleveland home, and there shot