Old newspaper excerpts from The Monroe Journal newspaper of Monroe County, Alabama

Mary Badham and Phillip Alford.

34 YEARS AGO
DEC. 25, 1986

Dr. B.L. Hanks plans to retire at end of year: Dr. B.L. Hanks of Frisco City has announced that he will retire as of Dec. 31.
Hanks, 76, a native of Frisco City, has been practicing medicine there for the past 38 years. He has actually been practicing medicine 42 years, but before coming to Frisco City he was in the Army.

MCHS surprises high-flying Lions: Monroe County High School’s Tigers delivered a hearty Yuletide greeting to Williamson High’s Lions Friday when they upended the Mobile team 61-54 in front of a partisan crowd in Monroeville.
After finishing the first half five points behind the highly touted Lions, the Tigers used an aggressive man-to-man defense to spark a third-quarter explosion.
(Top MCHS players in that game included Sidney Carmichael, Scott Daniels, Creg Johnson, Tyrone McCall, Tony McPherson, Michael Rankins and Allen Richardson. Joe Allen was MCHS’s head coach.)

Alex Roberts to take oath Wednesday: Alex Roberts will take the oath of office as a Monroe County commissioner in a ceremony starting at 10 a.m. Wed., Dec. 24, in the courtroom of the Monroe County Courthouse.
Roberts, a Monroeville photographer, was elected Nov. 4 to succeed Frank Dees, who did not seek re-election as commissioner for District 3. Probate Judge Otha Lee Biggs will administer the oath. Roberts will be the first black commissioner in modern times.
The other newly elected commissioner, Carlisle McClure of Monroeville, plans a separate swearing-in ceremony later. Both men’s four-year terms will start officially on Jan. 1.

59 YEARS AGO
DEC. 28, 1961

Two Children Selected For Roles In “To Kill A Mockingbird” Movie: Two Birmingham youngsters, Phillip Alford, 12, and Mary Badham, 9, have been selected for leading roles in the movie version of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning story, “To Kill A Mockingbird.”
Candidates were interviewed in all major southern cities by Miss Alice Lee Boatwright, representing Pakula-Mulligan Productions, who will film the novel.
First scenes of the story will begin unfolding before the cameras about Jan. 15, and according to reports there is a possibility the world premiere may be held in Birmingham with Harper Lee and the two young players as guests of honor.

Local Interest High In Sugar Bowl Game: The Alabama-Arkansas football game, which will be played at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, La., Mon., Jan. 1, will be of much local interest as two players with local connections who made All-American will be playing, one on each team.
Lee Roy Jordan, top center for the Crimson Tide, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Jordan of Excel. Lance Alworth, All-American halfback for Arkansas, is the nephew of Rev. L. Reed Polk, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Monroeville.

State Senator Ryan deGraffenried of Tuscaloosa will be guest speaker at the regular meeting of the Monroeville Kiwanis Club Friday at noon at the Hi-Ho restaurant.
P.S. Jackson is program chairman for the meeting and urged all members to be present and avail themselves of the opportunity to hear Sen. deGraffenried speak.

84 YEARS AGO
DEC. 24, 1936

Monroeville Has Christmas Tree On Town Square: The Chamber of Commerce of Monroeville held a supper meeting last Friday evening at the Commercial Hotel. At this time, the organization authorized Dr. M.F. Parker, county health officer, to light a tree on the local square in honor of the approaching Christmas season.
On the next afternoon, Dr. Parker and H.H. Funderburk of the health office decorated one of the large shrubs on the north side of the courthouse as a Christmas tree, using a quantity of colored lights. The tree is lighted each evening and will be so until after the holiday season has passed. It presents a gay appearance and adds to the spirit of the season as expressed through the decorations of the business houses about the square.

Napoleon Hardy was injured last Thursday afternoon when he fell from the Yarbrough house where he was employed with the crew engaged in razing the building. Mr. Hardy fell from the second story and it was feared at first that his injuries might be very serious. However, latest reports are to the effect that he is recovering nicely.

The Journal office will be closed on Saturday following Christmas in order to give the office force an opportunity to have an extra day out of the office. We ask that our friends please bear this in mind and govern themselves accordingly.

C.L. Hybart, Monroeville attorney, received painful cuts about the face and neck as the result of an automobile accident which occurred last Tuesday night. The accident took place during the downpour of rain and the car driver was said to have been blinded by the lights of an approaching car and the rain and the machine struck a telephone pole.

109 YEARS AGO
DEC. 28, 1911

So far the holidays have passed uneventfully in Monroeville. Everyone seems to have enjoyed the good cheer of the season in a very quiet manner and there was less evidence than usual of indulgence in the cup that inebriates. For this we should be profoundly thankful.

Mr. E.W. Sessions died near Excel on Friday of last week from injuries inflicted by some person unknown. Sessions was at Excel on the night of the 20^th inst. to attend the Wild West show. In the darkness just outside the tent someone struck him a heavy blow on the head. He was found shortly afterwards in an unconscious condition and died some hours later without being able to give any information regarding the personality of his assailant. A thorough investigation of the crime is being made by authorities at Excel.

On the theory that “half a loaf is better than no bread,” The Journal appears this week with a very limited quantity of local reading matter. It has been our custom heretofore to omit an issue during the holidays in order to allow our printers a brief season of rest and recreation. A number of important legal advertisements make it necessary to issue the paper this week even though the reading matter be limited.

The sentence of Henry Sanders, condemned to be hanged on Dec. 29, has been again stayed by reason of an appeal by his attorney to the supreme court.

Miss Daisy Green is spending Christmas week with home folks at Burnt Corn.

134 YEARS AGO
DEC. 27, 1886

Our reporter is on a strike and consequently the local column is short this week.

Mt. Pleasant – W.A. Shomo was recently appointed postmaster at Mt. Pleasant.

The following is clipped from The Pineapple Gazette: A man by the name of John Gray, living near Activity in Monroe County, hung himself last Sunday. He was found in the woods some distance from the house, hanging to a limb of a tree. He was intent on taking his life it seems, as there was a razor found on his person and the supposition is that should he fail in hanging himself, he would cut his throat. He evidently was crazy, as his actions for several days before his death was strangely noticeable. Financial embarrassments is the supposed cause.

Married – At the residence of C.P. Walker near Monroeville, on Thursday, the 24^th inst. by G.W. Salter, Esq., Mr. Marion Frye and Miss Della Walker.

Escaped Convict – I will pay to anyone the sum of $25 for the capture of a convict who left my place last week, William or Bill McWilliams, also defray any expense they may have in getting. He is black, 21 years old, five and one-half feet high, large features, wears a small black hat, dark Jeans overshirt piped into red, buttons on each shoulder, No. 9 shoe, brown pants and carried with him a pair of No. 8 Sunday shoes and vest of common checked material, face is bumpy. – John McDuffie, River Ridge, Ala.

We are glad to see our esteemed townsman, Col. D.L. Neville, on the streets last week, after his recent severe illness.