This week marks 82 years since the death of Wilcox County Probate Judge F.R. Albritton

Alabama Gov. Frank M. Dixon

This coming Saturday will mark 82 years since the unexpected death of Wilcox County Probate Judge Felix Reginald Albritton.

Judge Albritton, who was only 50 years old at the time, was fatally injured in an automobile accident around 7 p.m. on Feb. 24, 1942. The accident occurred after Albritton became blinded by the bright lights of an approaching vehicle and collided with an oncoming truck. Albritton’s car was “demolished and he was terribly bruised and cut,” newspaper accounts said.

Albritton, a native of Camden, was one of Wilcox County’s most prominent men and public servants. Prior to taking office as probate judge, he also served as Wilcox County Sheriff and as a deputy sheriff. Albritton was widely known throughout the county and was “respected and honored as few young men have been.”

Married to the former Dolly Young of Greensboro, Albritton was also a World War I veteran and “experienced all the battles over there.” His funeral was held at the Camden Baptist Church and was “one of the largest ever witnessed in Camden.” He was buried in the Camden Cemetery.

Governor Frank M. Dixon appointed Ervin Earl Dunn to serve as probate judge to fill the vacancy left by Albritton’s death. Dunn had been working as a distributor for the Gulf Refining Co., and he was also a well-known farmer and cattleman. He was 43 years old at the time of his appointment to the probate judge’s seat.

Like Albritton, Dunn had served overseas during World War I and was a past commander of the Irby Savage Post of the American Legion in Camden. During Dixon’s campaign for governor, Dunn had served as his Wilcox County campaign manager, which probably played a factor in Dunn’s appointment to probate judge.

Dunn ran for re-election in 1946 and faced three challengers: Clifford Homer Albritton, Joe M. Bonner and Jesse McIntosh McLeod. In the May 1946 Democratic primary election, Albritton carried the day with 907 votes, and McLeod got 701 votes. Notably, Clifford Albritton was the younger brother of former probate judge Felix Albritton, who was killed in the 1942 car accident.

When Clifford Albritton and McLeod faced off in the June 4 run-off election, McLeod upset the front-runner by just 16 votes. McLeod won with 1,063 votes to Albritton’s 1,047 votes. Box by box, McLeod won Camden and Pine Apple, which appears to have been the difference in the hotly contested election.

Another thing that probably put McLeod over the top was the fact that he had previously served as probate judge prior to Felix Albritton taking office. In all, McLeod served in that office for more than 20 years. With a last name like “McLeod,” it should come as no surprise that McLeod’s grandfather came to Wilcox County from Scotland in the early 1800s.

In the end, I was left wondering if anyone has ever compiled a complete list of the county’s former probate judges. It would be interesting to see which judge served when, for how long and the longest. If anyone knows of such a list, please let me know.