1935 July 4 – Mrs. Flora Campbell, widow of the late J. W. Campbell, occurred at her home on Sunday. Services were conducted Monday at 4:00 at Presbyterian church, internment was in Magnolia cemetery. Miss Flora Dixon was born in Cuthbert, Ga., 62 yrs ago, but had been a DeFuniak resident for 35 yrs. Survivors: 3 daughters, Mrs. Clark Scott, Misses Hazel & Lorene, all of this place, one step-daughter Miss Mary Gunn of Marianna, one step-son Donald of Chapman, Ala. One step-daughter Mrs. Nita Hurston and one son Morris preceded her in death.
Mrs. J. W. McCollough died Thursday, June 27, at her home, aged 76 of a paralytic stroke. Services conducted from Hatcher’s cemetery Friday afternoon. Miss Lena Matthews was born near Ozark, Ala., but lived in DeFuniak for many years. Survivors; son in law Monroe Brazile, 3 grandsons, Alcus, Hilton & Carl Brazile; nephew W. S. Matthews, all of this place; and a brother, Bud Matthews of Caryville.
1935 July 11 – Tollie Alford on June 24, 1919, killed A. B. Green, a taxi driver, up near Gaskin in what was the most brutal & fiendish murders that every disgraced Walton Co. This year, 16 years after he killed Green, is again locked up for attempted rape on an 11 yr old negro girl. He was sent to Chattahoochee as insane as an escape from a trip to Raiford. He was given an early release on pardon and was in the employ of the state. Since his previous conviction of insanity he was judged insane again and instead of standing trial for attempted attack on young girl, goes to Chattahoochee again and if precedent is followed he will again be released, said the sheriff.
James White, 35, with arm newly severed is picked up on highway by Tom Stallworth, who took him in his car to office of Dr. E. L. Huggins where his arm was amputated at shoulder. This was on July 4th, Thursday evening, White had been seen earlier passed out but ok. White asserted that his father had shot him, the severed arm could not be found until Friday when persons were searching around the arm was found on the L & N railroad tracks. White’s reiterated statements that his father shot him was probably due to his drunken condition, his mind harking back to February when his father did shoot him in the shoulder with a shotgun a few feet from his arm when trigger was pulled. The shooting followed an altercation at home of the father John White on Boggy road. The arm was badly disabled by the charge of shot from the short range was the same one severed by the train on Thursday.
Two young men, Bud Hall, 25 or 26, and D. Highsmith, some 2 or 3 yrs older, were instantly killed and their bodies dismembered by an explosion of dynamite near Mossy Head Thursday morning. The two young men were working with a crew engaged in getting lightwood pine stumps for shipment to Pensacola where they are converted into turpentine. They had unloaded a truck of some 60 sticks of dynamite, covering it with a tarp. Ed Hurley, foreman of the gang, had just walked off a short distance when the explosion occurred. Bud Hall was son of Frank Hall.
Rozier, youngest son of Ex-Governor & Mrs. Sidney J Catts died at the Veterans’ Hospital at St. Petersburg Monday. The body reached DeFuniak Wednesday morning and was interred in Magnolia cemetery following service at Catt’s home. Mr. Catts survived by a widow and 3 children.
1935 July 18 – Nathan McDaniel, almost 20 yrs of age, was instantly killed early Saturday night when the car in which he was riding was sideswiped by a truck on the Old Spanish Trail east of town. Allen Johnson was driving; Richard Carroll of Leonia, Nathan, and Emma Wilkerson were also in car. Services were held Monday; internment in Limestone Cemetery. Survivors are his parents Mr. & Mrs. John Henry McDaniel, four brothers & sisters. Mrs. Emma Wilkerson was badly injured but recovering; the other two were treated and released. A quantity of liquor was found in the wrecked car.
Gene Brock, abt forty or forty five, a carpenter living at Cottendale, received injuries on Thursday afternoon just this side of Ponce de Leon from which he succumbed shortly after the accident in a hospital in Bonifay. W. W. Rowell of this place, accompanied by an employee Wayne Mitchell, was driving east on Old Spanish Trail, when he noticed a car driven by Clarence Watts headed directly for the Rowell car. Rowell says he drove as far to the right side of the road to guard and the other car side-swiped his car, and the other car turned over several times, and Brock was thrown from the car. When Rowell & Mitchell, neither were hurt, stopped to help, Watts looked at Brock and took off running through the woods, being pursued by Sheriff Wilkes of Holmes Co. who took him to Bonifay and locked him up. Both Watts and Brock, according to Mr. Rowell, gave every evidence of having been drinking. Brock is survived by his widow and several children.
[Contributed by Lois Danley and Sharon Watson]