davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
|. {. Johnson, Jr.
Charged With Murder
$500 Bond Made
BY BrozviIIe Man
In Wife's Deoth

L. c. Johnson, Jr. was released
Saturday from the Holmes county
jail on $500 bond after being
charged with murder in connec-
ton with the fatal shooting OF
his wife, Mrs. Alma Lee Nc
Cluskey Johnson.
Her death occurred late We'd
nesday evening at their home in
the Brozville section of the
county.
According to reports of the
shooting the couple were having
late supper when they heard
strange noises in the yard and
Mr.. johnson was reported to
have gone into another room of
the house to get his shotgun.
Officers quoted Mr.. johnson
as saying that he stumbled on his
return to the room and the gun
went off striking his wife.
Mrs. johnson received wounds
in the face and arm.
Services Held
Funeral services for the victim
were held at Harland's Creek
Baptist Church Friday at 200 D.
m. with the Rev. c. M. Day Of
ficiating. Interment was in the
churchyard cemetery with Sou
thern conducting.
Surviving are the husband
and her mother, Mrs. Sarah M.
McCluskey and three sisters.
Mrs. Willie M. Freeman, Yazoo
City; Mrs. Claud Morris, Eden;
Mrs. Marvel Terrell, Jackson:
one brother, William Hugh Nc
Cluskey, Kosciusko.
PallbearerS were johnny
Baughn, Robert Wood, w. E.
Hearn, Raft Harthcock, Claud
Morris and Lucas Peoples.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Hardy Mckie Rites
Held In Pickens
On February12
Prominent Holmes
Man Dies At Home
EorIy This Week

Funeral services for Hardy
Swayze Mckie, mayor and prom
inent planter Of Pickens, were
held at his residence Tuesday
February IL, at 2:30 pm. with
the Rev. G. w. Curtis officiating
Burial was in Pickens cemetery
with Maxwell and Owen in
charge of arrangements.
He died at his home on Febru-
airy III following a lengthy i'll
ness. His mother, Mrs. w. H.
Hoover, preceded him in death
on December IA, 1851.
A well-known citizen of Holm
es county, Mr.. McKie was born
January 81, 1893 in Yazoo coun-
ty and married Miss Martha I've
on February q, 1918. He was a
member of the Pickens Methodist
Church, a Mason and a Shriner.
He also was past president of
the Pickens Rotary Club.
Surviving are his wife, one
son, H. S. McKie, Jr., of Pickens,
two daughters, Mrs. Josephine
MCKEE Davis of Columbus and
Non Aileen McKie of Pickens.
He also leaves one brother, J. D.
McKie of Pickens and six grand
children.
Pallbearers were A. M. Lo-
rance, w. G. McMullen, A. A.
Whitehead, w. c. Worthey, B.
H. Maxwell, Ed Atkinson, l..
E. Crawford, T. P. Montgomery,
and T. o. Buford.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Goodman Gets So 1859
For March Of Dimes

A total of $3l9.59 was raised
for the March of Dimes in Good
man according to reports TODAY.
OF this amount $44.59 was col.
lected by leaders of the colored
people among their own race.
OF the remainder over half
was collected as receipts from =
basketball game sponsored by the
civic clubs of Goodman at the
HJC gym between HJC boys
and Beebe Arkansas boys and
HJC and Bonneville girls.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Winners, Runner-Ups
Will PIoy Other
Sub-Districts

Lexington, West, CoXburg, Wi
mona, Walden, Goodman and Du-
rant basketball players will par
ticipate in tournament to be
held in Durant at the school
gym beginning tonight (Thurs.)
at TOO and continuing through
Saturday night.
The tournament play is for sub
district l comprising the above
schools, which is one of seven
sub-diStricts into which district
" of the state High School Ac-
Invites Association has been d.
vided to facilitate the determin-
ing of a championship girls and
boys team to represent District
w in the state play-offs.
The winner and runner-up
teams of the Durant tourney
boys and girls, will meet the win
ners and runners-up teams from
three other sub-districts in a
semi-final district tournament to
be played at the Barnes School
in Leake county on Feb. 2l-22-
%. First and second place teams
from the other three sub-dis-
trict Journeys will meet in semi
final tournament at DeKalb on
the same date. Then the first
and second place winners of both
semi-final tournaments will meet
at Philadelphia on February Is
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Girls State Tourney
Will Be Held At
Hue Feb. 21-22-23

The Mississippi Junior College
tournament for girls basketball
will be held in the Holmes GYM
nasium February 81, %, and %,
and the boys tournament will be
at Fulton February %, 20, and
March /.
After two full months of COM
petition, both Holmes basket
ball teams are leading the con-
ference. Arch-rival Kinds put
the only blot on the girls record
on January Is with tie at Ray
mond. In probably the closest
and most exciting game played
all year in the new gym here,
Holmes took the return game %
to rs, breaking tie in the fad
ing minutes of the game. TIA
wanda, generally considered to
be one of the top three teams in
the state, was beaten without too
much trouble on January IL
here and Bonneville, last years
champion, was beaten easily on
January II.
The great defensive players of
All-State guard candidates, Faye
Graham, Hermie PUNK, and
Polly Jordan, have been the do
minant factors in the successful
record of Holmes so far this year.
Forwards, Mai Stainbrook, Mai
da Collins and freshmen Pattye
Burton and Geneva Ballard have
handled the offensive department
masterfully.
1t is plain that Goodman has
the best team in the conference
but let's not have a repetition of
last years state tournament when
another great Holmes team was
knocked out of championship
contention by unbeaten Kinds in
the semi-finals.
The Boys squad here at Holm
es is the best in years; and, as
this is written, the odds are IA
vorites for the state champion
ship and trip to the national
tournament. Only four teams
have come out ahead of Holmes
and only two of them were con-
ference squads. An early season
loss to Columbus Air Base was
handily returned here on De-
cember IA with Holmes winning
a runaway decision. Decatur
took three-point victory in a
tournament in December, while
Summit and Memphis States B
squad did the trick not too long
ago. The home game with Sum-
NIT made people wonder how
they won the first as Holmes
won SO to as.
Willard Davis, Melvin Gibson,
and Billy Bigby have done most
of the scoring for the locals this
year with Bobby McPhail and
Donald Phillips, who, along with
Bigby, are the only returnino
lettermen from last season, do
ing great ball handling and {, i
fensive work. Billy Daniels,
Chuck Reith, and Billy Bice have
done most of the substitution.
The Holmes B team, paced by
the scoring of James Williams
and Mot" Pierce, has won two
games from the Pathfinder squad
and the Mississippi College team
and show excellent prospects for
next year.
Despite Scooba's two losses to
Itawamba, whom Holmes handl-
ed with little trouble, the COM
ing games with the East Missis-
sippians will probably be the
best of the year.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Revenue Deputies Here

Deputy collectors of Internal
Revenue will be in Durant at the
City Hall on March 4, S and 6
to assist Holmes county taxpay-
ers in making out their income
tax reports. The collectors will
also be at Winona at the post
office building on March 8 and
in Greenwood at the postoffice
building from March z to 18th for
the same purpose.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Red Cross MEETING
Set For Feb. Fl

T. A. Lail, chairman of the Red
Cross for Holmes county, has
called meeting for Feb. 81 at
2:30 pm. at the City Hall in Lex
ington.
The purpose of this meeting is
to elect new directors for the
county organization.
Every member of the Red Cross
is invited to attend,
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Representatives Introduce Bill To Refer
Liquor Lega|ization To Electorate IN Nov.
Tommie Butler Makes
$4,000 Bond Wednesday

Tommie Butler, charged with
murder in connection with the
death of the late w. w. Wynn,
was released late Wednesday
afternoon on $4,000 bond. He
will be required to appear in
Holmes county Circuit Court on
April 7th for trial.
Bondsmen for Butler, all Tuni-
ca county citizens, were B. F.
Taylor, L. B. Killebrew, E. c.
Holeman, ]. ]. Cox and ]. A.
Pearson.
Travis Butler, younger bro
Their OF Tommie held on the same
charge, remains in Jail.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
People Would Decide
Question At Polls
In General Election

House Bill No. 237 to permit
qualified electors in Mississippi
to vote on the question of legal
izing liquor in the state in the
November general election has
been introduced in the Missis-
sippi state legislature by Holmes
County Representatives Eph
Cresswell, Edwin White and T.
P. Montgomery and Rep. Nc
Geehee.
The bill has been referred to
the Temperance committee.
A copy of lib No. 237 was OBJ
tanned from Holmes representa-
tives by this newspaper for the
information of our readers. The
bill reads as follows:
House Bill No. 237
An act to refer to the elector-
ate in the next general election
to be held on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in Novem-
Der, 1852, the question "for" or
against" the legalized sale of in
toxicating liquor in the state of
Mississippi.
Be it enacted by the Legisla-
ture of the State of Mississippi:
SECTION l. At the next gen.
eral election to be held on the
first Tuesday after the first Mon
day in November 1852 there shall
be an election held throughout
the state in which the qualified
electors and all persons who are
qualified to vote may vote, said
election to be governed in all
respects by laws governing gen.
eral elections and upon the bal
lots used in such election shall
be printed the words:
"a. For legalized sale of in
toxicating liquor in the State of
Mississippi. { }.
"B. Against the legalized sale
of intoxicating liquor in the
State of Mississippi. { J."
The voter shall indicate his
choice by putting a cross (x) or
check (v) mark opposite the
words expressing his choice Ell
Their for or against legalization of
the sale of intoxicating liquor in
the State Of Mississippi.
SECTION 2. The county cleo
ton commissioners of each coun-
ty shall, within ten (1O days at
ter the election, transmit to the
secretary of state to be filed in
his office a statement of the to-
tai number of votes cast in said
election on the proposition SUBJ
mitted, the number of votes cast
for the proposition submitted,
and the number of votes cast
against the proposition submit
ted, and the secretary of state
shall tabulate said returns and
certify the same to the governor
and to each branch of the legis-
lature at the next regular session.
SECTION 3. 1t is the purpose
and intent of the legislature to
provide herein the means where
by the qualified electors of this
state may vote for or against the
proposition submitted in section
l of this act. Nothing contained
in this act shall be construed as
suspending or repeating any laws
now in force prohibiting the pos
session, sale, transportation, or
distribution of intoxicating IL
Quors within the State of Mis-
sissippi.
SECTION 4. This act shall
take effect and be in force from
and after its passage.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
West High School
Present PIuy

The junior class of West High
School will present a comedy
play in three acts mo Boys Al
lowed" Wednesday night, Feb.
20, at 8 pm. in the high school
auditorium. Admission is Is and
so cents.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Mems Bible Class
OF Duront Church
-ommends Sheriff

We, the undersigned of the
Mems Bible Class of the First
Baptist Church of Durant, wish
TO commend and thank our sher-
iff, Mr.. Richard F. Byrd, Mr..
Adds Hitchcock, Mr.. w. E. Grace
and the deputies of the county
for their effort in enforcing the
laws of our county and state.
Not only do we commend and
appreciate what these hav> done.
but any others who have had a
part in the good work being done
in our county.
Respectfully,
G. M. Day, Pastor
j. j. Smith, teacher
j. o. Ritter, secretary
]. T. Nicely
w. H. Irby
w. A. Wigley
A. L. Stevens
A. r. Jenkins
William Beachman
H. T. Hathcock
w. j. Mcbride
l. M. Mcclellan
r. E. Irby
w. H. Counts
E. A. Baker
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Patients At District II
Community Hospital

Wilbur ID. Reed, Durant
Donna Culpepper, Durant
Mrs. Gladys Holeman, Sails
]. p. Randle, Walden
Murray Stewart, Walden
Mrs. Ivy w. Brown, Cruger
Mrs. Maurine Varkas, Marks
David f. Taylor, Durant
Guy Blakeley, Duck Hill
Mrs. Lille Bell Maxwell, Durant
Mrs. Opal Taylor, Durant
Mrs. Jimmie Donald, Goodman
Colored Patients
B. F. Duren, Walden
Bonnie Pounds, Durant
,Flodia Mae Hearn, Winona
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
-Four Stills Seized
By Holmes Officers
nd Federal Agents


Four stills were seized anc
destroyed by Holmes County
Sheriff Richard E. Byrd and his
deputies during the past week
assisted by Internal Revenue
agents.
L. c. Mcbride is now in iai]
serving go days for possession
OF a l2-barrel still found Thurs
day by Sheriff Byrd and his
men. In addition he was fined
$3.50 in JP court at Pickens by
Judge A. L. Presley.
McBride's still was found IL
miles southwest of Lexington on
Mrs. Evie Ables' place, officers
said. Also seized at this time
was 1916 Buick coach which
was turned over to federal au-
thorities.
johnson Charged
A quantity of moonshine whis-
key and parts of still were TAX
en- also on Thursday from the l..
{. johnson, Jr., premises two
miles south of Brozville.
johnson, who was freed Satur-
day on $4,000 bond after being
charged with murder in connec-
ton with the death of his wife
last week, was charged with pos
session of liquor and fined $500
and costs in Judge Presley's
court. He paid the fine.
24-Barrel Still
A 24-barrel dry still was seiz-
ed and destroyed on the place
of Mrs. Gussie Ables about IL
miles southwest of Lexington on
Friday. No arrests were made.
Near Goodman
Near Goodman Tuesday MORN
ing two colored men, Joe Willie
Frost James and William Red
Rocker were charged with pos
session of still and were tried
IN JP court in Durant by Judge
E. B. Guess. He fined them $500
and costs each.
Moonshine Found
Five gallons of moonshine was
found on the premises of Char
lie Logan, colored, who lives on
Mrs. Gussie Ables' place. He
was charged with possession and
fined $500 and costs by Judge
A. l.. Presley.
Reckless Driving
James Mcbride of Durant was
fined $25 and costs on two separ-
ate charges in JP court in Du-
rant this week. Mcbride was
charged with reckless driving
and speeding near Goodman on
Monday night He was arrested
Wednesday.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14

Mississippi citizens interest
ed in the states school system
await with interest the report
of the education committee
of the Mississippi Economic
Council on its study of the
10th section school lands in
the state.
Some informed persons have
said that a great deal of re-
venue for education could be
obtained from a fair rental of
the 10th section lands in the
state which incidentally
belong to the schools and
should certainly be used for
their benefit alone - not for,
the enrichment of any private
person or firm.
A sub-study group has
Continued on Page Four
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14

At this time of year a num-
Der of Holmes county farmers
will be burning off their prop
erty. Legally they have the
right to do this - and we are
told by those supposed to
know that sometimes burning
is advisable.
But - burning does not al
ways stop where intended.
Many times a farmer will
start burning his own place
and it will spread to his nei-
ghbor's property many
times destroying valuable
grasses, fence posts, or tim
Der.
There was a case like this
last week in the Bowling Green
community. A farmer was
burning off his place and the
fire jumped the road even
though he had plowed a fire
lane before he started burn
ing. The fire got out of con-
troll.
AS a result over 200 acres of
valuable young pine was burn
ed - timber that belonged to
someone else.
This was more acreage burn
ed in one fire than all of the
fires put together during De-
cerhber in Holmes county.
Holmes farmers are being
asked to be careful with fire
and eliminate these losses.
Here are some ways you
can be sure of keeping your
fire under control, if you
MUST burn: Pillow, disc, har-
row or rake around the area
TO be burned. Above all make
sure you burn on a day when
there is no wind, preferably
at the end of the day.
In case a fire does get out
of control be sure and call the
Holmes county fire tower at
Lexington at once. The num-
Der is seven.
Any farmer unlucky enough
to lose control of a fire is
lucky to have az" to call.
1t might be a wise thing,
too, to remember this: You
are legally responsible for
your neighbours property loss
in a fire that spreads from
your burning.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14

probation is being expressed
for the efforts Of Sheriff Rich
ard F. Byrd and his deputies
in the cleanup job they have
done thus far.
Hundreds of private citizens
have written, telephoned or
visited the sheriff personally
to express their sentiments,
Mr.. Byrd did not tell us this
but we know it to be true.
Many of the same citizens have
visited our office and express
sed their views to us - and
we have always suggested they
tell the Sheriff this them
selves. Most of them have
said they have or will.
Encouragement helps in any
law-enforcement job--and citi-
zens should continue their eff
forts in this direction.
We know that sooner or
later the toes of some good"
citizens are going to be STEP
ped on in this law-enforce-
ment drive. We have heard
rumors of q few business men
and women in some sections
Of the county complaining that
their business" is being hurt
by the closing of some of the
roadhouses.
However, we believe that
any business" which depends
for its survival on the type of
trade these roadhouses have
been attracting should be clos
ed anyway.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Reckless DRIVING
Attends Wedding

Attends Wedding
Mrs. Monty Thompson attend
ed the wedding of Miss Mary
Potts Davis in Greenwood Sum
day.
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
by Hazel b. Smith

Over in Attala county Sher-
iff Johnnie Poole drove up to
a drive-in cafe and ordered
beer - which happens to be
Illegal in that county.
Beer was thought promptly
land just as promptly the
Sheriff issued a warrant for
the arrest of the cafe owner.
/ wonder if the person wait
ing on the Sheriff is still en-
ployed there?
The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-02-14
Moonshine Found

Five gallons of moonshine was
found on the premises of Char
lie Logan, colored, who lives on
Mrs. Gussie Ables' place. He
was charged with possession and
fined $500 and costs by Judge
A. l.. Presley.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-08-06
By Charles E. TroceweN

This harnesses the cat. but in no way
harms it.
Yet the bird keeps on. until it drives
the animal out Of the tree.
Foot work among the cats when in
a tree is very poor. Though they can
climb, and often do so: only one in
dividua1 out Of thousand is good at it.
Many cats. even grown ones, cannot
get down, after doing good job Of gong
aloft.
This happens because Of lack Of train
ing by the mother. The kitten that
tries to come down head on, finds the
round Of its claws slipping of the bark.
so it rapidly retreats upward again. The
kitten properly trained comes down with
head up. as it went up. and it claws con-
tact the bark nicely. 49,
Both cats and birds live in difficult
world, and the fact that millions Of them
have lived together side by side for mill
lions of years shows how well nature
manages to keep her balances in hand.
She lends a hand to each, and each
manages to survive, so that the majority
of each species lives happily. This must
be kept in mind by all persons who now
and then see some mistreatment. To help
each, without harm to the other, should
be the aim. It is good for the mind,
heart and soul Of the human watcher.
and, as psychosomatic medicine shows,
for the body, too.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-08-06
Dorothy Thompson's Report

1t is distinct pleasure to read the re-
freshing, unbiased description of foreign
developments by Dorothy Thompson.
Although Miss Thompson advocated
fighting a thoroughgoing war against
Germany, she was one Of the earliest
after the war to devote herself to the
task Of developing reconciliation between
ourselves and our former enemies.
Freed from the cant and the cliches
Of the conventional correspondent who,
too frequently, only seems to go abroad
to find new sounding board for the
prejudices with which he left home. Miss
Thompson brings enlightenment and
honesty to every subject she touches. If
sometimes there is note of puzzlement
or an apparent inner contradiction in
her stream of reports. that is to be
viewed as the type Of valuable incon-
SiStency which Emerson praised.
It is great service to those of us who
are interested in foreign policy and who
like to form our opinions on the basis
of the broadest and most objective as
sembly of information, for The Star to
make Dorothy Thompsons articles avail
able to the people. of the Washington
area.
James Finucane,
Associate Secretary, National Coun-
Gil for Prevention Of War.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-08-06

Boots is very popular name for dogs
and cats.
Those white feet, you know.
The latest Boots to come to the fore is
a black and white cat, "a skunk upside
down." according to its owners.
This cat lives in second-story apart
ment. Its friends have built it catwalk
along which it descends to the roof of
q first-fioor apartment.
Every day Boots goes down, and is
there assailed and assaulted by blue
jay. feminine.
This lady jay flies at the cat with q
great shrek. in the best blue Jay fashion.
She drives the cat to q corner. where IT
can GO no farther.
Then she strikes at it repeatedly, but
always falls short by few inches.
**
The cat lies down, and seems to enjoy
the fuss.
After the jay has gone on for few
minutes, she perches on the parapet, and
calls her mate.
This lazy rascal flies In, but perches at
a safe distance in tree. where he
watches the spectacle. but never lends q
hand, or whatever it is birds lend. in
such cases.
Friends, Romans, countrymen. lend
me your ears" goes the classic phrase.
Lend me q hand" or Give me .
hand" is another way Of putting it.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-08-06
This and That

The mockingbird is the other species
that INDUCES in hsticuffs with cats.
Especially yellow ones.
But gray striped cats are diSliked by
Knockers, too. They will fly for block
to drive one back across the street, when
all the time the wandering feline is not
in the least interested.
It all goes back to the instincts Of the
birds. These have been handed down,
now. for millions Of years, so it may be
agreed that they are pretty stable.
II a cat has injured one bird. it may
injure or kill another, at least that is the
way all birds look at the green
eyed monsters.
What cat thinks Of bird Is pretty
sour. too. II we can judge. Mindy. q
pint-sized tiger. thinks all birds. es-
pecially robins. should be killed on
sight.
She perches In the window, chatter
ing at robins, though she has never seen
one without q screen between. That
makes no difference. Cats have their own
private set Of instincts.
-
The jay makes pretty picture, as 1t
launches itself at yellow cat.
Somehow the yellow ones remind
birds Of jungle animals.
The jay stabs repeatedly at the back
Of the animal. just above the tail.