The Monroe Journal newspaper in Monroeville, Ala., under the
direction of Horace Hood and Q. Salter, published five editions 130 years ago
during the month of October 1885. Those issues, which were dated Oct. 2, Oct. 9,
Oct. 16, Oct. 23 and Oct. 30, can be found on microfilm at the Monroe County
Library in Monroeville, Ala. What follows are a few news highlights from those
four editions. Enjoy.
OCT. 2, 1885
Pineville – Capt. Jno. Burns, who returned Tuesday from a
visit to his family at Pineville, relates to The Journal the following which
shows that horse thieves are on the rampage as it were: A negro who gave his
name as Harry went to Pineville a few days ago, riding a very good looking
horse, which he swapped to Mr. John Stallworth for a pony. A day or two
afterwards, a Mr. Linum from just over the county line in Butler, came to
Pineville in search of a stolen horse which proved to be the one Mr. S had got
from the negro. Mr. Stallworth, then in company with Mr. Linum, started out on
the trail of the negro and came up with him at Pine Apple where he had secured
work on the railroad and also rented a pasture at $3 a month for his horse.
They arrested him and Mr. S returned home and Mr. L started
to Greenville with the negro.
“I learn however” continued Capt. Burns “that he never
reached the Butler jail with the negro. He died before they reached there from
the effects of a severe whipping he received en route.”
Mr. F. Metts, our true and worthy citizen who lost a leg in
the late civil war, sometime called the “rebellion” by Mr. Sherman of Ohio, has
secured the agency of a very valuable book, called the “World’s Wonders,” which
should be in every household because it contains such information as every
family ought to possess, and he is also agent for the National Copying Company
at Atlanta, and if you have any pictures of friends or dead relatives, or
relatives not dead, you should give him your order to have them enlarged.
OCT. 9, 1885
Pineville – Mr. John Stallworth of Pineville was in
Monroeville last week and stated to a Journal reporter that the negro horse
thief reported in the last issue of this paper to have died from the effects of
the alleged severe whipping he had received, after being caught with the stolen
property, is not dead, but is alive and still kicking in the custody of a
Butler County officer.
Mt. Pleasant – A negro man charged with being an accomplice
of Ogborn in the murder of the negro Spencer at Mt. Pleasant was brought to
Monroeville last Monday and had a preliminary hearing before Judge Sowell and
was discharged. It seems that the negro held the light while Ogborn either
shot, or was threatening to shoot Spencer. The negro claims that he was forced
by Ogborn to do all that he did in the matter. Ogborne is still at large, and
it is said by his friends that he has left the county.
Mr. Middleton has erected a steam gin about 10 miles south
of Monroeville on the Mt. Pleasant Road, and we hear others in contemplation.
Mr. T.W. Daugette met with a serious accident at Pineville a
few days since, which came near proving fatal. He was standing in a wagon,
cutting beef, when the oxen attached to the wagon started off, and Mr. W. fell
backward on his knife, the point penetrating his thigh several inches, but
fortunately severed no arteries. He is now at home.
Mr. W.B. Jones of the White House is now with the popular
firm of Messrs. H.J. Savage & Co. of Perdue Hill.
OCT. 16, 1885
Let a Reward be Offered – We note from The Monroe Journal
that the murderer Ogborn has got out of the county without being arrested. A
reward should be offered for his apprehension. A man guilty of so heinous a
crime should not be allowed to escape the punishment he deserves.
Watson – Messrs. Baggett & Smith will have a fine school
house completed shortly and we hope to have a good school here soon.
Monroeville Institute – The many friends of this school will
be gratified to learn that it was never in a more flourishing condition than
now. Prof. George has secured the valuable services of Miss Lucy Frye, an
accomplished and highly educated young lady, as an assistant and the number of
pupils is constantly increasing.
Claiborne – Ensign Pelham Agee, brother of our popular young
townsman Clarence Agee, has located in Montgomery with the intention of reading
law. – Montgomery Dispatch.
Died – Near Monroeville Thursday last, the only child of Mr.
and Mrs. Jasper Manning.
Pineville – We had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Wm. Buroughs
of Pineville in our city on Monday night. Dr. Buroughs was en route to Marion,
accompanied by his accomplished daughter, Miss Mary, who will enter the Judson
Institute. – Pineapple Enterprise.
For Opera Puff Cigarettes go to Clarence Daugette’s.
OCT. 23, 1885
Vacant – His term of office having expired, Mr. T.J. Emmons,
county superintendent of education for Monroe, declines for private reasons, to
accept a reappointment and the office is now vacant.
The Maimed ex-Confederate Soldiers – In Monroe, who are
entitled to the benefits of the appropriation made for their benefit by the
last legislature, are: J.M. Dumas, Kempville; J.E. Fore, Bursonville; J.S.
Gray, Simpkinsville; T.T. Langham, Simpkinsville; F. Metts, Monroeville; Philip
Owen, Simpkinsville; Jno. D. Smith, Kempville; R.F. Wallace, Monroeville; Jno.
N. Watts, Monroeville; J.E. Witherington, Mt. Pleasant. The amount to which
each is entitled under the act is $11.47.
A slight frost was visible in this section yesterday morning.
Mr. John McDuffie of River Ridge was in town Tuesday.
Sheriff Burns is now at his home at Pineville, where he went
to attend at the bedside of a very sick child, which we are pained to learn,
died Tuesday evening. Capt. Burns and his family have the sincerest sympathy of
this community in their bereavement.
Mt. Pleasant – Dr. G.G. Scott of Mt. Pleasant has gone to
Philadelphia to attend a course of lectures at a medical college in that city.
Dr. H.T. Fountain of Burnt Corn was in town Saturday.
OCT. 30, 1885
Mt. Pleasant – The following version of the recent
unfortunate difficulty at Mt. Pleasant, resulting in the death of the negro man
Tom Spencer is furnished The Journal by Mr. N.A. Ogborne, the father, we learn,
of Bill Ogborne, who is charged with having caused the negro’s death.
To the Editor of The Journal:
As you have published on side of what you term a cowardly
and brutal murder, which I think is calculated to create a prejudice against
Bill Ogborne, I hope you will be kind enough to publish some of the facts on
the other side.
You say that it is said that Ogbourne was drunk, the public
must judge who was the offending party.
The negro Tom Spencer went into Mr. Ferrell’s dwelling house
and stole whiskey from Ogbourne’s jug, and it is said was drunk too.
Who was Tom Spencer? He was a negro from Jamica, who said he
had killed a man before he came to this country. Mr. Ferrell found him in
Mobile last spring, brought him up to his place, and put him to work on his
farm with Wesley Edwards. Spencer quarreled with Edwards. Spencer left the
field, walked out to Mr. F’s dwelling house, three miles, procured a case
knife, sharpened it with a file, went back to the field, cut Edwards and run
him out of the field.
Tom Spencer had made threats of what he could do with
Ogbourne. Ogbourne knowing something of the character of the negro, where right
had he to know the negro would not cut him? On the day of the affray, Spencer
borrowed a gun and had it secreted on Mr. Ferrell’s place. When the row
commenced, he got his gun and went back to Mr. Ferrell’s with it in his hands.
The gun was taken away from him by Mr. Ferrell, who told him to get off the
place and keep out of the way. He said he would run from no man. He then went
into the horse lot where he had no business at the time, but where it was
Ogbourne’s business to be attending to a team. It was then dark. Ogbourne and
Spencer met behind the crib. They were next seen in a scuffle and when they
were separated, Spencer said he was cut and Ogbourne said Spencer struck him.
Ogbourne’s annoyances to Dr. Scott were those of a drunken
man, crazed with whiskey. The doctor says “not with the surpose of hitting him,
but to frighten him from the negro” it certainly was more an insult than fright
to the doctor. The negro was removed the same night of the affray
three-quarters of a mile from where Ogbourne was, and the doctor could have
attended him if he had seen proper to do so. You quote Dr. Scott as saying that
while the negro was under the influence of chloroform that Ogbourne stabbed him
several times about the arms and legs and shot his nose off. I examined the
negro on Sunday after the affray on Friday night, and I saw the arms naked and
saw no star except the one on his abdomen. His not was not shot off, neither
was he shot in any portion of his person.
Bill Ogbourne was born and raised in this immediate
neighborhood, and I never heard of him having a fight with white or black
before this occurrence. The only charge ever brought against him was that he
would drink too much whiskey.
- N.A. Ogbroune
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