Shooting Promiscuously

This week's installment of Douglas County history begins in Lithia Springs.

The time period we are visiting is Summer, 1891. The Sweetwater Park Hotel had been open for awhile bringing hundreds of visitors each season to rest, relax and drink the waters. The Piedmont Chautauqua was also in full swing promoting education and entertainment.

Lithia Springs, however, was riding the fine line between a village yearning to grow into a town with upstanding and hardworking citizens or a frontier rough and tumble collection of buildings and folks...some of them with fighting, drinking spirits and even murder on their agendas.

Dr. C.C. Garrett, pictured below, had been elected mayor of Lithia Springs in 1890 to serve the term of one year along....so most believed...with the town council and the town's marshal, James M. Caldwell.

They served their year, however, when November, 1890 rolled around the election folks were anticipating was postponed. For some reason the election didn't happen. It was surprising news to many including L.W. James who had planned to run for mayor.

James actually showed up on election day at Lithia Springs accompanied by 20-30 friends who intended to submit their ballot for their friend. The would be voters were advised by Mayor Garrett there would be no election until after Christmas.

At this point in my research I'm not privy why Mayor Garrett and the Lithia Springs City Council felt they could postpone an election. I don't know the language of the city charter at the time other than there was no time specified for the terms to expire. I am also not knowledgeable to how candidate James felt about the situation, but once Christmas came and went voters were put off again until January. Finally, the announcement was made there would be no election until November, 1891.

The announcement meant the mayor, the city council and the marshal received an extra year in office. They continued serving in their positions with the same authority.

But did they legitimately have the same authority? 

Could those holding office extend their terms at will?

The question was brought up the next year in a courtroom belonging to the Supreme Court of Georgia.

Did candidate James finally have enough of the postponements and file a lawsuit regarding the usurping of power by the city officials?

No.

The whole matter regarding the election only came up as an attempt by a man convicted of assault with the intent to murder to get his conviction overturned.

During the middle of June, 1891 a group of men including brothers Jim and Dock Bohannon, Aleck Garrett, and Jim Hollis had gathered to drink and have a few laughs as men sometimes tend to do.

Today, in 2013, it matters not that the Bohannons and Aleck Garrett were black, but in 1891 reports of the outcome of the group's drinking and "fun" repeated over and over again they were black.

News reports from June 15, 1891 state "a crowd of drunken negro toughs became so disorderly in Salt Springs along towards midnight that Marshal Caldwell attempted to arrest Jim Bohannon."

Jim Bohannon didn't take kindly to the good Marshal interrupting his fun time. He pulled a pistol and per reports began "shooting promiscuously."

Marshal Caldwell saw that he needed help and called on his friend Postmaster John C. Bowden, who I have written about before here. Bowden was 65 years old at the time, so I'm not so sure how much help he could have been, but he was a respected man in the community. Perhaps Caldwell though Bowden could calm the situation down.

Unfortunately, the group of rowdy men continued to be unhappy about being interrupted.

"Knives and pistols were drawn", and per the Supreme Court records "Jim Bohannon fired his pistol at Bowden and then the other Bohannon stabbed Caldwell in the neck and body. Aleck Garrett threw Bowden to the ground and held him while Hollis struck him behind the ear."

Marshal Caldwell received three deep cuts in what the Atlanta Constitution reported was a riot. It was said that Caldwell's injuries were so serious they should have produced instant death.

Mr. Bowden's injuries were seen as "only in the flesh and his recovery would be rapid."

The group of drunken men scattered sending a posse of white men out to scour the countryside for the ruffians. Naturally, given the mentality of the times the white posse was out for blood.

Eventually, those involved were rounded up and taken to jail at Douglasville for safekeeping.

Joseph S. James acted as prosecutor. He understood the volatile climate between the races and instantly sent for John Slaughter Candler to make haste to Douglasville to oversee the commitment trial as the Superior Court judge.

You have to admit that having the middle name "Slaughter" an being a judge is interesting. Candler was the brother to Asa Griggs Candler, founder of Coca-Cola.

The commitment trial was held the next day while "Marshal Caldwell lay at the point of death and Postmaster Bowden was also in bed, badly injured but not dangerously hurt."

"The trial was largely attended, hundreds of people living in Douglasville [stopped] work and [went] to town. Marshal Caldwell was personally known to nearly all and a more popular  man [did] not live in that section. All were his friends, and had his death occurred humanity would have made a trial of the case unnecessary."

By the end of July, 1891 the trial was over with the men convicted and sentenced from eight to ten years in the penitentiary. The appeals process began the next year with the sentences upheld, so it would seem the Georgia Supreme Court felt Caldwell was indeed the authorized and legal law enforcement authority to keep the peace.

I'll keep looking to see when the citizens of Lithia Springs were able to exercise their right to vote again. Stay tuned.....

CSI Douglasville - 1875 Style

It was early morning on Sunday, November 7, 1875 when the body was discovered.

It was found lying in the middle of a road one mile outside of Douglasville.

Cries rang out and soon a crowd had gathered.

The body was that of a man.  Later the scene would be described in The Atlanta Constitution as ghastly. The man was lying on his back, his clothes nearly all burned off down to his waist.

He had obviously been shot.

There were no signs of any struggle or convulsions in the death hour.

The dead man was identified by those in the crowd as James Seals.

County officials were summoned and Dr. C.C. Garrett was authorized to conduct a post mortem examination.  Dr. Garrett (1850-1913) was a recent graduate of the Atlanta Medical College and had set his practice up in Salt Springs/Lithia Springs where he would practice medicine, eventually serve on the Douglas County School board and also serve as the first resident physician of the Sweetwater Park Hotel, but all of that would come later.

At the scene Dr. Garrett probed the body and found that the ball had entered the chest in the direction of the heart.

It was thought best to remove the body to the courthouse to continue the post mortem and if possible by dissecting the body to find the ball.

Dr. Garrett having opened the thorax, proceeded in a skillful manner to trace the direction of the ball; he found that it had passed through the apex of the heart, entering the bowels through the diaphragm, and passing through the left lobe of the liver in the direction of the right kidney.

It was now dark and he suspended until morning, but it was then thought unnecessary to proceed any further.

The ball would stay where it had lodged…..for now since the perpetrator had been identified.  James Clinton had been seen with James Seals leaving town just the evening before. The Atlanta Constitution advised [Clinton’s] testimony alone was sufficient to cause his arrest for the commission of the crime.

Rumors had begun to fly muddling the case, however.

Newspaper reports stated there was hope that a connection could be made between the accused Clinton and the killing of a man named Hicks near Dallas some five years ago. Hick’s house was fired and as he ran out of the house he was shot and killed by parties in ambush. It is thought that Clinton’s evidence will disclose the perpetrators of this deed.

I’m not sure if any information ever surfaced regarding the Hicks murder, but within hours two other names surfaced as possible accomplices…..George W. Stewart and James F. Sisk.

The wheels of justice moved much faster in those days and by November 12^th per the paper….James Clinton had been committed for the murder of James Seals. The evidence was very strong against him, and the current opinion was that Clinton would turn state’s evidence against his two accomplices who were to have a preliminary examination.

Things weren’t such a slam dunk, however, because the men told conflicting stories and pointed their fingers at each other.

Confronted with the conflicting stories the authorities called Dr. Garrett back into the investigation for some more sleuthing.

At this point the body had to be exhumed because Dr. Garrett was set upon finding the ball from the murder weapon.  ....It was thought that procuring the ball might lead to some circumstantial proof against the party implicated. …Dr. Garrett continued the examination finding the ball in a few minutes in the spine just above the right kidney.

Bullet/ball molds were made from the gun belonging to James Clinton, and it was found as had been suspected to correspond with the bullet molds, and with the remaining balls in the pistol of James Clinton, who was first arrested, tried and committed to prison

Yes, Clinton was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.   James F. Sisk was acquitted, but the matter involving George Stewart drug on for a couple of years with his guilty verdict being appealed.

The story continued on March 28, 1877 with a report regarding an appeal from Defendant Stewart based on new evidence…an affidavit from someone named John Strickland.

The article states [Stewart] was indicted for the offense of murder and charged with the unlawful killing of James Seals in the county of Douglas.

The article advised that both James Clinton and his wife, Charlotte had testified against Stewart at his trial.

Mrs. Clinton said that on the night Seals was killed in the forepart of the night Stewart came to her house and borrowed her husband’s pistol, that after twelve o’clock that night her husband lying on the bed, Stewart came there to bring the pistol back and she went and got it. Stewart then called to her husband and said, “Jim, we have killed him.”

John Strickland's affidavit advised.....that on the night of November 6, 1875 (the night Seals was killed) he stayed at James Clinton’s and that Defendant George W. Stewart did not come there that night; that he got there about one hour and a half in the night, whilest Clinton was eating his supper; that when he got up from supper went and got the pistol from under the head of his bed and carried it off with him, returned home at a late hour in the night; Deponent asked him when he returned what time it was, and he said the clock had stopped at one, Deponent has never communicated the foregoing facts until today to the Defendant, or his counsel. This affidavit is dated February 8, 1876 after the trial.

I have to wonder why Mr. Strickland didn’t testify during Stewart’s original trial, don’t you?

At this point I’m not aware if Mr. Stewart won his appeal and escaped life in jail.

I’m also a little foggy regarding the motivation behind murdering poor James Seals.

However, I didn’t want to wait regarding sharing the story with you because it was just so interesting with Dr. Garrett’s input.

Don’t you think?

The Doctor Is In

Dysentery is more than just an upset stomach. During the late 1800s you could die from the intestinal disease. It still causes problems in various parts of the world today, and without proper medical care you and I could succumb to it as well. Folks worried about it so much the local paper here in Douglasville carried an article with the following cure for the malady which could be purchased for 15 cents back in 1885. The recipe called for 3 drachms (one eighth of a fluid ounce) of prepared chalk, 3 drachms white sugar, 1/6 oz. paregoric, and 1 drachma prepared gum Arabic. The directions advised adults should be given 1 Tablespoon every two hours until the symptoms subsided. Children could be given a half Tablespoon.

Dysentery wasn’t the only medical problem early settlers in Douglas County had to worry about. Scarlet fever, yellow fever, diphtheria, smallpox, tuberculosis, and influenza were prevalent. Folk remedies were often used and patent medicines were recommended with the belief the most strong smelling, vile-tasting concoctions were the most effective. For instance, an American Heritage article regarding pioneer medicine advises drinking sulphur was thought to be good for almost anything.

Luckily, the folks living in Douglasville and the surrounding countryside were never without several physicians to step in when needed.

In fact, one of the first doctors in the county, Dr. W.H. Poole, was practicing medicine before the county existed in 1868.  He received his diploma from Savannah Medical College about the time the Civil War broke out.  He was quickly in the thick of things and learned surgical techniques for the time period on the battle field. Dr. Poole, like many early physicians took their medicine to the patients via horseback rather than the patient having to visit an office.

The Old Courthouse Museum has an excellent exhibit regarding medicine in Douglas County  including the saddle bags belonging to another physician by the name of Delvous Houseworth that were used when he made house calls.

American Heritage advises “the typical practitioner could stuff all his supplies and equipment into his saddlebags. Usually he carried homemade bandages, a few drugs, a mortar and pestle for mixing prescriptions, some syringes, perhaps some hot water bottlers of pewter or crockery, and a small assortment of knives and saws.” [By the time Dr. Poole and Dr. Houseworth were  practicing] “they would have had added tooth forceps, stethoscope, and obstetrical instruments to the meager list.”

Two of Dr. Poole’s sons, Reuben H. and Thomas J., were doctors as well. Thomas’s obituary from 1910, can be found here and is quite interesting.

A.E. Schole’s "Georgia State Gazetteer" indicates in 1881 and 1882 James E. Henley and P.S. Verdery were the physicians at Chapel Hill.  T.A. McLarty served Dark Corner, Isham N. Brown was the doctor for Wilsonville (14 miles SW of Douglasville), J.W. Westmoreland and C.C. Garrett were listed as serving Salt Springs now known as Lithia Springs, and Dr. Poole was listed as the physician in Douglasville.

During the 1800s the education and training for a medical career wasn’t as rigorous as it is today. In her book regarding Douglas County history, Fannie Mae Davis advises, “All you needed was a good horse, a folk medicine book, and a willing patient to be in business. Medical colleges had become numerous in the state although inferior in quality. The course of study required no more than a year to complete and no internship was required. A diploma from one of the institutions was required in order to be granted a state license to practice, yet there remained a great laxity in the program. It was claimed that some medical colleges actually sold diplomas without the buyer ever attending class. As governing laws regarding curriculum were strengthened, only the fittest survived.”

An American Heritage article regarding frontier doctors states, “The greatest shortage of all was in medical knowledge and training. Until the 1860’s—and in some sections long afterward—a frontier doctor was almost any man who called himself one. It is a safe guess that not more than a fourth of them held degrees from medical schools. Most learned by the apprentice system and some were self-taught, self-appointed healers who hung out their shingles when they “got the call.”

Luckily the early doctors in Douglas County had the proper credentials, and many of them did more than just practice medicine. Dr. Thomas R. Whitley received his diploma from the Atlanta Medical College, one of the forerunners of Emory in 1876.  He was a long time resident of the area in Campbell County that would become Douglas County, served as leader of Douglasville’s city council and as the treasurer and recorder. He was involved in seeing that a major hotel was built in Douglasville and in 1890 was appointed to the Congressional and Senatorial conventions. He was mayor from 1899-1900 and then again in 1922 and 1930.  Whitley was also an original investor in the Douglasville Canning and Preserving Company was co-founder of the Douglas Sentinel newspaper and co-founder of Douglas College.

Dr. J.L. Selman also originally hailed from Campbell County and received his diploma for medicine from the Atlanta Medical College in 1879.  He was Dr. Whitley’s co-founder with the canning business, and is also remembered as Douglasville’s first permanent pharmacist. During a time when doctor’s had to mix their own drugs a permanent pharmacist was a welcome addition to the medical community in Douglasville.

Dr. J.B. Edge was also a Douglasville physician who had an office and pharmacy in 1885 located on Bowdon Street. Dr. Edge apparently was into experimentation and discovering new techniques because it is reported that he had a laboratory in his home. Fannie Mae Davis advises he concocted a tonic using local wild herbs and roots indigenous to the area.

Another well-known physician in Douglas County during the late 1880s was Dr. C.C. Garrett who practiced in Salt Springs now known as Lithia Springs. Like Drs. Whitley and Selman, Dr. Garrett was educated at the Atlanta Medical College. Not only did Dr. Garrett serve his community he was also the Chief Physician for the famous resort at Lithia Springs, and more than likely was the doctor on call during the Piedmont Chautauqua of 1888 I wrote about.

Dr. Claude V. Vansant, Sr. received his medical degree from Emory at Oxford in 1911.  He formed a partnership with his cousin, Dr. Reuben Poole (Dr. W.H. Poole’s son). They opened offices on the second floor of the Selman Building, known today as the old B & W Drug Store and now is the location for the Irish Bred Pub.

The Douglasville Museum of Art and History has the desk Dr. Vansant used in his office set up exactly as he would have used it during his 70 years of practice along with many items he used in his practice. The medical exhibit includes an early baby incubator; examination chairs as pictured here, and even his certificate to dispense opium and coca leaves.

Dr. Vansant practiced for over 70 years. I agree with Fannie Mae Davis that the length of Dr. Vansant’s practice was “in certain aspects bordering on the incredible”. Mrs. Davis continues, “In his early career there were no hospitals and no ambulance service nearer than Atlanta.  Many times a surgical operation was performed in the home. His first surgery was for the removal of a stomach tumor.  Dr. Vansant performed the operation on a dining table by the light of a kerosene lantern.  It was a successful procedure.   

Dr. Vansant never set a fee for his services and was often paid in produce, potatoes, chickens, eggs, joints of beef, or pork or sausage. Dr. Vansant was available day and night believing he did not practice medicine for pay, but to relieve pain. 

Dr. Vansant was more into service and personal satisfaction than making huge sums of money.

What a refreshing concept! 

This article first appeared at Douglasville Patch on April 11, 2011.