Skip to main content

Old News


Quite frequently, I hear the lament that people are meaner today than they have ever been.  Do you agree?  Or, maybe it's just that we are bombarded with this meanness on the Internet and television.  Can you remember when the nightly news could be broadcast without copious cleavage?

People were pretty much the same a hundred years ago as they are now.  There was some lingering morality then, so perhaps many just didn't parade their sin like they do now.  Or, maybe they did. Or, maybe they were just misunderstood.

The following snippets are from a local newspaper from a while back.

Caleb FRY, a crazy man from Winston county, hanged himself with hickory bark near Cullman a few
days ago. He had been carried to the Insane Asylum, but Dr. Bryce refused to receive him because he was not insane. (7 Jun 1883 Moulton Advertiser)

A Brutal Act
One Bob CORNELIUS, who has been working for Mr. R.J. STEPHENSON near Danville, for three years or more, and who married Miss Lotsy COLQUITT last December, soon became jealous of her, and within five months, drove her from his home. On Monday the 14th, he borrowed a gun, and intercepting he wife on her way from her Danville home, forced her into a thicket and throwing her to the ground attempted to cut her throat. He no doubt thought he had killed her. as the wound reached from ear to ear. The unfortunate woman is now believed to be recovering. MA Oct.24,1895

Governor O'NEAL has issued a parole to Exie HARTLEY, a 17 year old white girl, who has been convicted in Cherokee county and sentenced to six months for vagrancy. The case presents the most revolting situation in Alabama prison annals. The girl has been sent to Flat Top mines to serve her term with some 600 other convicts, most of whom were negro men, she being the only woman in the mines. The case is a disgrace to the state of Alabama and the legislature should take some steps to prevent a repetition of this in the future.(Moulton Advertiser 5 Aug 1914)

A HUMAN CURIOSITY
Dr. John P. HODGES of Oakville, one of the most successful physicians in the State, was to see us last Friday and in conversation with him gave us the details of a human curiosity which he was called in to treat a few days before. A baby with two heads, four arms and hands, four legs and feet, but with one body, was born to Mr. and Mrs. John MANN on the 11th of this month. The child lingered about twelve hours and died. This is indeed a human curiosity, but the child is far better off dead than alive. Dr. Hodges reports the mother as doing well. (Moulton Advertiser 20 Jan 1887)

J. V. LOVE, formerly of this county, was arrested in Tuscaloosa last week for reckless driving and will be sent to the assylum. When taken up, he had quite a sum of money on his person. (Moulton Advertiser 30 Apr 1905)

Rev. J. W. SHOEMAKER, who endeavored to steal a few postage stamps from Uncle Sam, was tried at the recent Conference in Huntsville and expelled from the Methodist Church. Poor creature! His greed has placed a stain upon him which can never be erased, but he is not alone. There are others, high in position, whose crimes will some day be revealed to the public.(December 8, 1898 MA)

Mrs. Lizzie SHELTON, a lady of high social standing in Scottsboro, while walking across the street last Wednesday, seeing Hugh BYNUM at a distance, called him to her side, drew a pistol and shot him through the shoulder. She fired twice again without effect, and then surrendered to the authorities. She claims that Bynum had insulted her.    (Moulton Advertiser 4 Jun 1885) 
 
Jos. SMITH hanged himself in Lauderdale county but the world moves on just the same.
(Moulton Advertiser 29 Sep 1908)

W. C. WHITFIELD was killed with an ax by T. M. TIDWELL, near Scottsboro, last week. Cause ; women and whiskey. (Moulton Advertiser 5 Mar 1885)

Wash WRIGHT was shot and killed by Al GLOVER at a church Sunday,in Lauderdale county.
Both young men, and they fell out about a girl.(Moulton Advertiser 28 Jun 1916)

Miss Sallie H. WALLACE, nine years old, recently eloped with W. D. BAILY from Waterford, Miss.,
and was married to him. Baily was jailed at Boliver, Tenn., and the baby wife returned to her mother. (Moulton Advertiser 26 Dec 1889)

Willie GOODWYN, a robust man, is in jail in Marion county for stealing and marrying a 10-year old girl. (Moulton Advertiser 15 Mar 1910)

There you go.  Does anything sound familiar?

Comments

  1. lil red henJune 6, 2012 at 12:12 PM

    Ha! Ha! I figure things have always been just about the same, we just have ways of getting the word around faster now.

    Wanda, could you tell me what you teach at the university?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Faith, Folklore, and FriendsJune 6, 2012 at 2:11 PM

      I teach Earth Science at the entry level. Geology, astronomy, oceanography basics.

      Delete
    2. lil red henJune 11, 2012 at 7:33 PM

      That's interesting ~ my husband taught those subjects the last year he taught at our local university. He still has a great interest in astronomy.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Amish in Stantonville, Tennessee

Last week, my sis and her hub went with us to the Amish community near Stantonville, Tennessee.  It was a beautiful day, and we love driving to new places and finding new treasures.  We enjoy these mini-trips we take together, where we giggle a lot and get caught up on everything.  Also, the squirrels ate all our tomatoes, so we needed to find some to buy. You know the food you are buying is fresh when they bring it from the field while you are standing there waiting for it. Here is part of what we brought home, and it was all delicious. Stantonville is located in McNairy County, Tennessee, northwest of Shiloh National Military Park.
Post a Comment
Read more

Holy Smoke Pie

I think it was in the late seventies that I first had Holy Smoke Pie.  It was at a party at Debra Morris Harville's house.  After we ate, Debra had to give the recipe to everyone there.  I came home and made it for my family, and it has been a favorite since then.  I always make it at holiday dinners, because I believe tradition is important.  It has become a favorite of our granddaughters. I've heard it called Chocolate Delight, Four-Layer Chocolate Dessert, and other odd things.  We call it Holy Smoke.  Here is how I make it: Chop us a cup of pecans; set aside. Add a stick of softened butter (NOT margarine) to one cup of self-rising flour. Cut the butter into the flour. Add the chopped pecans, and work it all together. Save two tablespoons of the pecans to sprinkle on top. Pour into a 9" x 12" pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Spread it over the bottom of the pan.  It helps to use your hands (or hand, if you have t
Post a Comment
Read more

Cedar Trees in Cemeteries

If you ever wander in old cemeteries, and I know many of you do, you are bound to see some cedar trees. The tradition goes back to the early days of the United States and even earlier  in Europe.  Cedar trees were not always used, but some type of evergreen trees were planted because they were a symbol of everlasting life.  Some  Cherokees believed that cedars contained powerful spirits, including the spirits of the departed buried beneath them. Perhaps because they are known as burial trees, there are many superstitions that surround cedars.  My grandmother told us in no uncertain terms that if we planted a cedar tree, we would die when it was large enough to shade our graves. Some others are: Never transplant a cedar tree; it will bring bad luck. If you transplant a cedar and it dies, you will die shortly. Planting a cedar tree in your yard welcomes poverty. Some say Christ was crucified on a cedar tree, and will bring bad luck if you burn it. If a cedar tree com
1 comment
Read more