1919 Jan 9– J D C Newton, died at Pensacola Thursday morning. Services at Valley Church on
Friday afternoon, the remains brought from Pensacola to Argyle and from there taken
to the cemetery. Mr Newton was a nephew of Judge Daniel Campbell and a cousin to
Mrs C B McKinnon, Judge A G Campbell, Mrs John McKinnon, Miss Emma Campbell,
Mr Bowers and Mr Ralph Campbell. He was readed in the Eucheeana Valley, his father
being Rev. John Newton. Mr Newton was 45 was survived by his wife Miss Ria Baker,
daughter of Rev R L Baker and young son Robert, 2 sisters Mrs G Axelson and Miss
Christian Newton, aunt, Mrs Harrison, and uncle, Judge Daniel Campbell.
*Mr W B Wright– died in Pensacola Thursday morning (January 9, 1919). Mr Wright was formerly president
of W B Wright Co, a timber and sawmill and for several years President of the Yellow
River Railroad Company.
*Marion Hall, who killed Arnold Mitchell at a Christmas Social will be tried, so say a
Grand jury.
*The Blackwell brothers, tried at Panama City, Bay County for the murder of old man
Davis and wife in Okaloosa county and the death penalty assessed, were brought here
last week and turned over to the care of Sheriff Thad Bell. Will Boyd who is charged
with being an accessory to the Davis’ murder and who gave testimony against the
Blackwells is also in jail. (article doesn’t name the Blackwell brothers)
*Mrs Jeff Ward died at Freeport Monday night (January 5, 1919). Mrs Ward leaves a husband and 3 sons.
Two of her sons, Elvin and Ervin are in France.
*“Grandpa” Simmons, a citizen of Ponce de Leon neighborhood, died suddenly one
day last week from influenza. He is survived by his aged widow and several children
and many grandchildren.
*While hunting Christmas day, Louie Hall 13, shot and accidentally killed his brother,
Walter, age 10, near Heath, not far from Andalusia. They are the sons of Mr & Mrs Mark
Hall.
1921 Jan 13– Mr P F Leight a highly esteemed resident of DeFuniak Spgs for the past many years,
died at his home in this city last night after a lingering illness. Funeral was held at the
home this afternoon with interment at DeFuniak cemetery with Masonic services. He
is survived by his wife. Mr & Mrs Leight celebrated their golden anniversary only a few
years ago.
BRIDAL/WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT: Mr John L Moran & Mrs Helen B Graham were married in Pensacola Tuesday. Mr Moran is the pilot of the airplane which has been here for past several weeks. The bride has been a guest of Mr & Mrs Charles E Logan for some weeks.
*1919 Jan 16– Murder trial set for Monday. Marion Hall, in jail for murder of Arnold Mitchell at the
Christmas ‘Frolic” at the home of Charles Carter on the Florala road. Charles Carter was
shot and badly wounded at the same time.
*The Girl in the Old Well. Western Florida is wondering who the girl was whose body
was found in a well on an abandoned place, 2 miles south of Vernon. The following special
was received by wire. Chipley, Fla. There is no identity of who the firl was or where she
killed. Her clothing has been viewed by a number of parties, who thought some clue might
be gathered. They feel confident from the name “Flora Allen,” stenciled on the corset
cover worn by her and her other clothing that they will be able to apprehend the guilty
party.
*Chipley, Fla, Jan 13 1919: Editor, DeFuniak Breeze: An unknown woman was found dead
2 miles south of Vernon in Washington Co, Florida, where she had been brutally murdered.
The body was found in an old well on 7 January where it had been in the water for probably
2 week more or less. The woman was probably from 16 to 25 yrs of age, clad in worn and
patched clothing and wearing a pair of number 4 Hamilton-Brown lace shoes, with a rubber
tap (cat’s paw) on the heel. The soles of the shoes were badly worn. Among her clothing
was a one-piece yellow dress, the inner side of the waistband of which was lined or patched
with checked gingham. The yellow dress had a brown velvet collar. She also wore a dark
waist, 2 plain white underskirts and a blue skirt, a black coat and a gauze broad-brim hat with
wire rim. On a corset cover worn by her was the name written in ink, “Flora Allens” or
“Flora Allen”. She measured 5 ft and 6 ins tall. Her hair was a dark brown, thin and not
very long, but bore no evidence of having been cut. Her front teeth were almost perfect.
There was no evidence of dental work. Her eyes wer brown, face was round with a short,
small nose, short chin and neck. Very respectfully, Ira A Hutchinson, State Attorney.
*Henry Evans, who lived near Glendale, died Monday night (January 13, 1919), leaving a widow and 3
children. Mr Evans had been ill for several years and while not able to do hard work,
made baskets, ax handles and other useful things for sale.
*Count Green, the 4 yr old son of Mr & Mrs Walker S Green of Argyle, died Saturday
afternoon (January 11, 1919) and was buried at the Valley church Sunday. The mother is still very ill but
Mr Green is recovering. Another young son has also been ill.
*Mattie Lee, aged 15, daughter of Mr & Mrs P J Mason, died Monday midnight (January 13, 1919). She
was one of the sweetest girls in DeFuniak and a member of the Baptist Sunday school.
The burial was at Andalusia.
BRIDAL/WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT: 1919 Jan 24– Mrs Mellie Smith, the widow of a printer who formerly worked in the Breeze office, writes the Breeze from Florala that she was married last Sunday to Mr Charles Davis, of Savannah, Ga, a fine boiler maker. The children, she assures us, are pleased. Davis is 56 yrs old and employed by the Jackson Lumber Company.
*Murdered woman is identified. The woman whose body was found in well. Her husband,
Isaac Hand arrested in Ga and in jail in Marianna. Hand and his wife had been separated
and he went to his mother-in-law, a Mrs Burch, near Bonifay. They left together in a
buggy but when he arrived in Georgia, he was alone. The mother of Miss Flora Alford,
daughter of Mr Chauncey Alford, of Bonifay, gave a discarded waist to Mrs Burch, who
gave it to her daughter, Mrs Hand. The name “Flora Alford” was first deciphered as
Flora Allen, was written with indelible ink on the waist. The waist was identified by Mrs.
Alford. The trailing of Hand was easy. He denied that he slew his wife and that the last
he saw of her, she was at Bonifay with a strange man.
*Mrs Hannah Davis, 73 yrs old, died at Freeport. She leaves 6 living children and a
shower of grandchildren. She had lived at Freeport for 35 yrs or more. Her husband
has been dead for years.
*1919 Jan 30– Marion Hall convicted and sentenced to be hanged. Insanity was plead but
since he was able to work, transact business and on that night he was not drunk, he
shot Arnold in the back and shot him again as he lay dying. Hi s wife was pre-
sent with their 3 little girls, one an infant at breast and his mother was present.
*Mrs Mollie Cannon, wife of J M Cannon, died Wednesday morning (January 29,1919), the 15 at
the home of her daughter, Mrs J M Spears, in this city.
*The body of James Spears, a soldier, who died at Camp Shelby, of pneumonia,
arrived at DeFuniak Tuesday. The funeral was at Leona church Wednesday. Spears,
was about 22, went away to camp last July.
*Will Blackwell, on of the Blackwell brothers charged with the murder of old man
Davis and wife in Okaloosa county, died in the Pensacola jail last week. He was
under sentence of death, but his case had been appealed to the supreme court.
*In Memoriam:::: Mrs Eliza Wilkerson— Christmas night when all the world was
musing into a peaceful rest, after a pleasant day, when Death Reaper came to the
Wilkerson home, 4 ½ miles north of DeFuniak and took the mother to her mansion pre-
pared in the skies. She had spend the day at her youngest daughter’s Mrs Jeffie Bells,
returning home late in evening. About 8:30 she called her son Tommie to the bed and
told him she was dying. She was born in Alabama in 1851. Her maiden name was
Wilkerson. She married Henry Wilkerson in May of 1866, to which were born 11 children,
7 boys and 4 girls, 10 of whom still survive her. One son, John passed away, December
3 1916 and the father and husband, 25 days later. A FRIEND
Contributed by Lois Danley and Sharon Watson