Today in History for June 27, 2016

George Gordon Meade

June 27, 1775 - The Continental Congress dispatched Major General Philip John Schuyler to Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point to examine the troops, their supplies and their ability to navigate Lake Champlain and Lake George, as well as “obtain the best intelligence he can of the disposition of the Canadians and Indians of Canada.”

June 27, 1778 – During the Battle of Monmouth, Aaron Burr collapsed on the battlefield with heat stroke and even though Burr recovered, a dramatic decline in his health would cause him to resign his commission with the army in 1779.

June 27, 1787 - Edward Gibbon completed the final volume of "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" in his garden in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was published the following May.

June 27, 1811 – Tecumseh again visited Governor Harrison at Vincennes. He objected persistently to the treaties that had been made, wherein lands were said to be sold to the U.S. by single tribes of Indians. He claimed that one tribe could not sell lands belonging more or less, as he claimed, to all the tribes in common.

June 27, 1825 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette arrived late (around 10 p.m.) in Claremont, New Hampshire^.

June 27, 1829 – In Genoa, Italy, English scientist James Smithson died after a long illness, leaving behind a will with a peculiar footnote. In the event that his only nephew died without any heirs, Smithson decreed that the whole of his estate would go to “the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” Six years after his death, his nephew, Henry James Hungerford, indeed died without children, so on July 1, 1836, the U.S. Congress authorized acceptance of Smithson’s gift, and on August 10, 1846, the act establishing the Smithsonian Institution was signed into law by President James K. Polk.

June 27, 1842 – Confederate soldier John A. McCants was born. He served as a private with the Monroe Guards and enlisted on March 26, 1861 at Pineville in Monroe County. He was promoted to corporal and was present at all musters between May 13, 1861 and Dec. 31, 1861. He was wounded at Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863 and furloughed home for 30 days. He was admitted into the Selma General Hospital while on furlough and remained on furlough until July 30, 1863. Was listed as a prisoner of war on May 5, 1864. He died on March 5, 1915 and is buried at Bells Landing Presbyterian Cemetery at Tinela.

June 27, 1844 - Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Latter-day Saints movement, and his brother Hyrum Smith, were killed by an anti-Mormon mob at the Carthage, Illinois jail.

June 27, 1857 – In an expedition funded by the Royal Geographical Society, Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke set out from the east coast of Zanzibar in Africa, heading west in search of an “inland sea” that had been described by Arab traders and slavers. Burton’s mission was to study the area's tribes and to find out what exports might be possible from the region. It was hoped that the expedition might lead to the discovery of the source of the River Nile, although this was not an explicit aim.

June 27, 1861 – During the Civil War, Baltimore, Maryland’s chief of police George P. Kane was arrested on the order of General Nathaniel Banks because of his Confederate sympathies.

June 27, 1862 – The Battle of Gaines's Mill, sometimes known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles (Peninsula Campaign) of the Civil War. Jerre Downs, John Gaff, Caleb Garner and John Garner, all of the Conecuh Guards killed at the Battle of Gaines’s Farm. Capt. William Lee, 1st Lt. James W. Darby, 2nd Lt. John G. Guice, Sgt. William D. Clarke, 4th Cpl. Joseph A. Thomas, John D. Hyde, Julius A. Mertins and Fielding Lynch, all of the Conecuh Guards, were all wounded at the Battle of Gaines’s Mill in Va. Charles Floyd of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm and moved to Texas after the war. Francis M. Grice of the Conecuh Guards lost his left arm at Gaines’s Farm, became sutler for the 4th Alabama Infantry and moved to Escambia County after the war. William Hodges of the Conecuh Guard was wounded at Gaines’s Farm only to be taken prisoner later at Lookout Mountain and died near Washington, Ga. in 1865. William Horton of Conecuh Guards was wounded in the shoulder and leg at Gaines’s Farm and returned to live in Butler County after war. William W. Johnson of Conecuh Guards was wounded and disabled at Gaines’s Farm, was honorably discharged and returned to Conecuh County after war. John Myers of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm, dropped from the unit’s roll in 1863 and was killed in Butler County after war. William Quinley of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm, was later wounded at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863 and deserted to the enemy in 1865. Thomas Robbins of the Conecuh Guards died from wounds received at Gaines’s Farm. Henry C. Stearns of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm and returned to Conecuh County after war. Nick Stallworth of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm, was honorably discharged in 1862 and returned to Conecuh County. Mich. B. Salter of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm and later at Gettysburg, where he had his right arm amputated. He was honorably discharged and returned to Conecuh County. Evans Sheffield of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’ Farm and later wounded at Gettysburg, returned to Conecuh County, where he was killed by a falling tree.

June 27, 1862 – During the Civil War, the Battle of Gaines Mill, Virginia was fought and was the third engagement of the Seven Days' campaign. Taking nearly an entire day; Jackson couldn't defeat a smaller force. Longstreet finally broke the 5th Corps lines. Confederates John Bell Hood and George Pickett broke through Union general Fitz John Porter's line, forcing Union troops south of the Chickahominy River and severing McClellan's supply line to Eltham's Landing (White House, West Point).

June 27, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Fair Oaks, Virginia and at Stewart’s Plantation in Arkansas. An action also occurred at Garnett’s Farm.

June 27, 1862 – During the Civil War, John Pope assumed command of his new Army of Virginia in Virginia.

June 27, 1863 – During the Civil War, the siege of Vicksburg, Miss. entered Day 40.

June 27, 1863 - It did not seem like a great bit of timing at the moment. A massive Rebel army was headed into the North. One army was occupied with the Vicksburg siege. The other army, that of the Potomac, was much closer but not famous for fast moving. So was this the best time to change commanders of this army? That was precisely what Abraham Lincoln did on this day, ignominiously sacking Joseph Hooker and replacing him with the dour, uncommunicative and little known commander of the army’s Fifth Corps, George Gordon Meade. Already on the march, Meade had to be awakened in his tent to be told of the change of command. While Meade had to cope with this, the Confederates roamed the interior of Pennsylvania almost at will.

June 27, 1864 – Confederate and Union forces clash at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in Georgia as Union General William T. Sherman launched a major attack on Confederate General Joseph Johnston's army. Three thousand Union troops fell, compared with just 500 Confederates.

June 27, 1864 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Big Cove Valley, Ala.

June 27, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Dunksville, Missouri and near Brownsville, Arkansas. An affair also occurred at Crittenden, Kentucky.

June 27, 1872 – Poet and short story writer Paul Laurence Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio.

June 27, 1876 - Dave Force of the Philadelphia Athletics became the first National League player to get six hits in a nine-inning game.

June 27, 1880 – Helen Adams Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Ala. Having lost both sight and hearing by illness as a small child, Keller's life story and activism inspired new attitudes toward those with handicaps.

June 27, 1898 – The first solo circumnavigation of the globe was completed by Joshua Slocum from Briar Island, Nova Scotia.

June 27, 1903 - The Democratic Executive Committee of Conecuh County, Ala. was scheduled to meet at Evergreen on this Saturday to consider the matter of the vacancy existing in office of Representative caused by the death of the late Dr. Andrew Jay. S.P. Dunn was Chairman of the Committee.

June 27, 1915 – Writer and activist Grace Lee Boggs was born in Providence, R.I.

June 27, 1920 – “Dollars and Sense,” a movie version of Alabama author Octavus Roy Cohen's book “Two Cents Worth of Humaneness,” was released.

June 27, 1922 – The American Library Association awarded the first Newberry Medal for children’s literature to “The Story of Mankind” by Hendrik Willem van Loon.

June 27, 1933 - A delegation from Conecuh County, Ala., composed of Probate Judge L.W. Price, Evergreen Mayor J.L. Kelly, Representative J.E. Kelly and M.C. Brooks, chairman of the Board of Revenue, spent this Tuesday in Montgomery, where they went to present a plea to Gov. Benjamin M. Miller and State Highway Director L.G. Smith for the completion of the paving on Highway No. 31. There were approximately 60 miles of this highway between Mobile and Montgomery that was unpaved, consisting of a stretch from Evergreen to McKenzie; between Brewton and Atmore; between Atmore and Stapleton and Cochrane Bridge across Mobile Bay. The delegation received no definite assurance from either Miller or Smith, except that their request would receive most careful consideration at the proper time.

June 27, 1936 – National Book Award-winning poet Lucille Clifton was born Thelma Lucille Sayles in Depew, N.Y.

June 27, 1939 - Principal filming ended on “Gone With the Wind” as one of the most famous scenes in movie history was filmed - Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara parting in “Gone with the Wind.” Director Victor Fleming also shot the scene using the alternate line, “Frankly, my dear, I just don’t care,” in case the film censors objected to the word “damn.” The censors approved the movie but fined producer David O. Selznick $5,000 for including the curse.

June 27, 1939 - Cleveland Municipal Stadium hosted its first night game. The Indians beat the Tigers, 5-0.

June 27, 1941 – Bill Baxley, the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, was born in Dothan, Ala.

June 27, 1948 - The Evergreen Greenies were scheduled to play Brewton in Evergreen, Ala. on this Sunday in a Tri-County Baseball League game. This was a change in schedule. Evergreen originally was scheduled to played in Brewton on this day and to have played a home game in Evergreen the following Thursday. To avoid conflict with the professional Millers team, the games were changed. The June 27 game was considered crucial for Evergreen because Brewton was the only team in the league that had defeated Evergreen so far that season. Game time was at 3 p.m. at Brooks Stadium.

June 27, 1950 – The United States decided to send troops to fight in the Korean War.

June 27, 1953 – Mary Anderson of Greene County, Ala., the inventor of the windshield wiper, died at the at of 87 in Monteagle, Tenn.

June 27, 1953 – National Book Award-winning novelist Alice McDermott was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.

June 27, 1957 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the Dodgers held onto their lead in the Evergreen Jr. League and the Chicks retained their lead in the Minor League during the previous week. A number of games were cancelled due to rain. Due to heavy rains on Mon., June 24, and power trouble on Tues., June 25, all games scheduled were stacked. League President Ward Alexander planned to notify teams when new date had been set.

June 27, 1957 – The Evergreen Courant reported that rain over the weekend washed out most of the weekend matches in the Evergreen Golf Club’s Summer Tournament, but several “die hards” braved the elements and completed their matches. Golfers in the tourney included Herman Bolden, Brown Boykin, Elmo Grace, Thad Ivey, Bill McGehee and Bill Millsap.

June 27, 1959 – Frank Pate of Castleberry, Ala. was bit by rattlesnake that was 5-1/2 feet long, weighed 12 pounds and had 11 rattles. He saved his own life by gashing his leg with a pocketknife, causing it to bleed, before seeking treatment at the Conecuh County Hospital.

June 27, 1961 - A television version of Alabama author Babs H. Deal's story "Make My Death Bed" was broadcast as part of the “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” series.

June 27-July 7, 1963 - The 22^nd annual session of the Beulah Camp meeting was scheduled to be held. Principal speakers for the 1963 meeting were to be Dr. J.C. McPheeters of Wilmore, Ky. and the Rev. Maurice W. Stevens, also of Wilmore, both well-known evangelists. Dr. J.W. Stabler of Mobile was president of the camp. Other officers of the incorporated camp were the Rev. C.H. Williams of Pensacola, Fla., first vice-president; Edwin Johnson of Mobile, second vice-president; the Rev. O.D. Williams of Plateau, secretary; and W.C. Nicholas of Excel, treasurer.

June 27, 1963 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Rayburn H. Nall, seaman, U.S. Navy, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Belton H. Nall of Lenox, Ala., was serving aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Valley Forge, which participated in operation “Wind Sock” off the coast of California June 3-14.

June 27, 1963 – Owassa, Ala. Postmaster L.M. Brown announced that Owassa had been assigned the new five-digit zip code of 36466. The new Zip Code system was scheduled to go into effect nationally on July 1.

June 27, 1963 - President John F. Kennedy appointed Henry Cabot Lodge, his former Republican political opponent, to succeed Frederick E. Nolting as ambassador to Vietnam.

June 27, 1966 - The gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows” premiered on ABC. One of the most beloved characters from the cult TV show, 175-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins, was added ten months into the series run in an effort to boost low ratings.

June 27, 1968 – U.S. forces begin to evacuate Khe Sahn. The U.S. command in Saigon confirmed that U.S. forces have begun to evacuate the military base at Khe Sanh, 14 miles below the Demilitarized Zone and six miles from the Laotian border.

June 27, 1973 - Former White House counsel John W. Dean told the Senate Watergate Committee about an "enemies list" that was kept by the Nixon White House.

June 27, 1974 – Alabama State Trooper Sgt. Julian D. Stuckey, 36, commander of the Dothan State Trooper Post, was killed in an accident about one mile south of the Owassa, Ala. Exit on Interstate Highway 65 about 1 p.m. He was traveling south when a tire blew out, causing his car to leave the road and strike a guardrail, killing him instantly.

June 27, 1976 – Major League Baseball catcher Johnny Estrada was born in Hayward, Calif. He would go on to play for the Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals.

June 27, 1977 - During a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Mobile, Ala. native Willie McCovey became the first player to hit two home runs in one inning twice in his career. The first was on April 12, 1973.

June 27, 1985 – American Association of State Highway and Transportation officials voted to decertify the iconic Route 66 after 59 years and remove all its highway signs. Measuring 2,200 miles, it stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif., passing through eight states. According to a New York Times article about its decertification, most of Route 66 followed a path through the wilderness forged in 1857 by U.S. Navy Lieutenant Edward Beale at the head of a caravan of camels and over the years, wagon trains and cattlemen eventually made way for trucks and passenger automobiles.

June 27, 1986 - Robby Thompson of the San Francisco Giants was caught stealing bases four times in one game.

June 27, 1990 - Jose Canseco signed a contract with the Oakland A's worth $4,700,000 per year.

June 27, 1991 – Evergreen’s 13-year-old Babe Ruth all-stars were scheduled to represent Conecuh County, Ala. in the all-star tournament in Brewton. They were scheduled to play Atmore’s all-star team on this day at 7:30 p.m.

June 27, 2004 - The Boston Red Sox scored 10 runs before making an out against the Florida Marlins. The final score was 25-8.

June 27, 2007 – The Mizzell Mansion in Opp, Ala. was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

130-year-old news highlights from The Monroe Journal from June 1886

The Monroe Journal newspaper in Monroeville, Ala., under the direction of manager Q. Salter, published four editions 130 years ago during the month of June 1886. Those issues, which were dated June 4, June 11, June 17 and June 24, 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.

JUNE 4, 1886

Col. T.C. McCorvey, Commandant of the State University, was recently appointed by President Cleveland a member of the board of visitors of the United States Military Academy at West Point for the present year. The faculty of the University granted Col. McCorvey a two weeks leave of absence.

The following officers of the Alabama Press Association were elected for the ensuring year at Marion on the 27^th ult.: President, W.M. Meeks of The Gadsden Times; Vice Presidents, Thos. Hudson of The Marion Standard and H.G. McCall of The Shelby Sentinel; Secretary, J.H. Nunnelee of The Tuscaloosa Gazette; Treasurer, Robt. Rawls of The Athens Courier.

Mr. Brown of Camden, who has been engaged in painting Capt. Wiggins’ store, completed the job last Tuesday and returned to Camden.

There is a move on foot to obtain a P.O. Money Order office at Monroeville. It is a move in the right direction.

Mr. J.H. Moore of Claiborne was in to see us last Tuesday. He reports crops in his section in a promising condition.

The neighboring creeks and mill ponds are popular resorts for bathers and are much frequented on Sunday evenings.

Rev. G.R. Upton, pastor of the Episcopal church of Evergreen, preached a series of sermons at Perdue Hill last week.

A refreshing little shower of rain fell Tuesday evening.

JUNE 11, 1886

A little son of Mr. S.F. Daniel, living near town, was bitten by a rattlesnake’s pilot one day last week. We are glad to learn that the little fellow sustained no serious injury from the bite. Children should be more careful where they put their hands when picking berries.

Jailed – We clip the following from The Clarke County Democrat: We learn that the perpetrators of the mysterious murder near Gosport, this county, in January 1885, have been ascertained and three of the four implicated in the deed have been arrested and imprisoned in the jail of Escambia County, Fla. in Pensacola. It seems that four men, one of them white, were participants in the murder, that they were all timber men of Escambia County, Fla. and that they followed their victim to this county, awaiting a favorable opportunity to kill him, knowing that he had about $800 on his person. In the division of the money, one of the negroes received a very small share, and, from the dissatisfaction therefrom, made revelations which led to the arrest of the others. So, this very diabolical and mysterious matter is at last cleared up, and we are glad to learn that none of our people are connected with it.

A report was circulated on the streets one day last week that Mary Kelly, a colored woman, and several of her children had been poisoned. Dr. Packer was hastily summoned to ascertain the truthfulness of the report. He at first suspected the statement to be true, by the fact of their having been taken violently sick so suddenly and all so nearly at the same time, but upon investigation he found that it was only cholera morbus produced by the immoderate eating of some rice pudding, which was bad and unfit for use.

JUNE 17, 1886

Mr. T.W. and Miss Ida Russell and Arthur Sowell went to Evergreen last week to attend the commencement exercises of the Evergreen Academy.

Masonic – The following are the officers elect for Monroe Chapter No. 4 and Alabama Lodge No. 3, Perdue Hill, for the next year:

Monroe Chapter No. 4: N.A. Agee, H.P.; H.J. Savage, K.; J.W. Cotter, S.; T.L. Sowell, C.H.; J.A. Savage, P.S.; J.F. Gaillard, R.A.C.; J.B. Williams, W.C. Sowell, P. Bradley, M. of V.; J.W. Slaughter, Treas.; I.D. Roberts, Sec’y.; Wm. Tomlinson, Sentinel.

Alabama Lodge No. 3: N.A. Agee, Worshipful Master; J.F. Gaillard, Senior Warden; A. Shiff, Junior Warden; J.A. Savage, Senior Deacon; Philip Bradley, Junior Deacon; I.D. Roberts, Secretary; S.S. Gaillard, Treasurer; J.D. Frye, Tyler.

Earliest Cotton Bloom - Mr. J.S. Thompson of Perdue Hill, one of Monroe’s most substantial farmers, sent to this office on last Wednesday the first cotton bloom we have seen. It was found in his field on the 14^th inst.

Mr. E.J. Cloud purchased the celebrated trotter, “Flying Cloud of Membrino,” last week for three hundred and fifty dollars.

Dr. L.H. Henley of Burnt Corn was in town last week, engaged in the practice of his profession.

JUNE 24, 1886

Public Installation – There will be a public installation of officers of the Monroeville Lodge No. 153 on Saturday before the third Sunday in July 1886, at 10 o’clock a.m. The Fraternity and public are invited to attend. – F.M. Jones, Sec’y.

Sheriff Johnson of Santa Rosa County, Fla. and Deputy Dawe of Conecuh passed through town last Friday in pursuit of one McDonald, a white man charged with murder in Santa Rosa County. McDonald was last seen near Evergreen, and was making his way toward the Alabama River, intending to cross at or near Claiborne.

Masonic Notice – The Masonic Fraternity are invited to attend the funeral of Bro. Nathan Bell on second Sunday of July at 10 o’clock a.m. from Masonic Hall at Monroeville. – F.M. Jones, Sec’y.

Killed – A little negro boy was killed near town last Wednesday by a falling tree.

Masonic – The following are the officers elect for Monroeville Lodge No. 153 for the ensuring year: S.H. Daily, Worshipful Master; T.L. Sowell, Senior Warden; W.W. McMillan, Junior Warden; D.J. Hatter, Treasurer; A.M. Leslie, Secretary; J.F. Fore, Senior Deacon; G.W. Salter, Junior Deacon; Isaac Andress, Tyler.

Died – At his home near Monroeville, on Monday night 21^st inst. after a lingering illness, Mr. George W. Metts, a brother of our townsman Mr. F. Metts, in the 50^th year of his age.

Dr. J.M. Wiggins of Lower Peach Tree was on a visit to his father this week.

Today in History for June 26, 2016

Pearl Buck

June 26, 1284 - It was said that the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Germany lured 130 children out of town, and they were never seen again.

June 26, 1541 - Spanish explorer and politician Francisco Pizarro, who was between 65 and 70 years old, was assassinated while eating dinner at his palace in Lima by the son of his former companion and later antagonist, Diego Almagro the younger. Almagro is later caught and executed. Pizarro was the governor of Peru and conqueror of the Inca civilization.

June 26, 1776 - John Adams, who would go on to become the second President of the United States of America, wrote a letter to his wife Abigail in which he complained that the Congress was giving him "more business than I am qualified for, and more than, I fear, that I can go through, with safety to my health."

June 26, 1784 - Delaware Patriot Caesar Rodney passed away at the age of 55 in Kent County, Delaware. Rodney is best remembered for his overnight ride from Dover, Delaware to Philadelphia, Pa. to cast the deciding vote for the Declaration of Independence in the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. The image of Rodney on horseback riding for Philadelphia appears on the Delaware quarter, issued in 1999.

June 26, 1804 - The Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the mouth of the Kansas River after completing a westward trek of nearly 400 river miles.

June 26, 1819 – Union General Abner Doubleday was born in Ballston Spa, N.Y. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. Doubleday has been historically credited with inventing baseball, although this appears to be untrue.

June 26, 1861 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Frankfort and Patterson's Creek, West Virginia.

June 26, 1862 - At the Battle of Mechanicsville, Va., Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia struck Union General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac, beginning the Seven Days' Battles. This was Lee’s first battle as commander of the army. McClellan eventually withdrew back toward Washington after both sides suffered heavy losses. Lee lost 1,475 men; Union losses were only 361.

June 26, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Cherry Grove, Mo.; and at Meadow Bridge, Hanover Court House, and Atlee's Station, Virginia.

June 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, Jubal Early and his Confederate forces moved through Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the way toward York.

June 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; at Beech Grove, Tennessee; and at Messinger's Ferry, Mississippi.

June 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, the siege at Vicksburg, Miss. entered Day 39.

June 26, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Clarendon, Arkansas; and at Smithfield and Springfield, West Virginia. An affair also occurred near Sedina, Missouri.

June 26, 1891 - Alabama author Octavus Roy Cohen was born in Charleston, S.C.

June 26, 1892 – Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Pearl Buck was born in Hillsboro, W.V. Her most famous novel, “The Good Earth,” was published in 1931.

June 26, 1898 – Blues musician Big Bill Broonzy was born in Scott, Miss. (Some sources say he was born in Lake Dick, Ark. and in 1893.)

June 26, 1900 - A commission that included Dr. Walter Reed began the fight against the deadly disease yellow fever.

June 26, 1905 – The cases against the boys who were indicted by the grand jury for playing ball in Camden on Sunday came before the Wilcox County Court, and the cases were nol prossed on the promise that they would no longer play ball on Sunday.

June 26, 1912 – Confederate soldier James W. Darby of Garland, Ala. passed away. He was about 73 years old.

June 26, 1912 – The Evergreen Courant reported that W.W. Pridgen and Walter Lee had attended the Republican Convention in Chicago the week before and that week they were at the Democratic Convention in Baltimore. The Courant also reported that Judge Dean, C.P. Deming, W.M. Newton and J.F. Irwin were in Baltimore “looking on” at the Democratic National Convention.

June 26, 1912 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Wm. Bragg, a prominent banker of Ft. Deposit, was a guest of his brother, John Bragg, several days during the previous week.

June 26, 1914 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the thermometer topped 106 degrees in Evergreen, Ala., making it “the hottest day known in Evergreen for many years. The temperature for four days previous ranged from 102 to 105. The weather bureau states it a fact that this has been the hottest June since 1881.”

June 26, 1915 – On this Saturday afternoon John Salter and Robert Watkins made a full confession to the brutal murder of Martha Lassiter, the attempted murder of Wiley House and the robbery and burning of House’s residence near Burnt Corn on June 23, 2015. Also on this afternoon, Sheriff Williams and several deputies, as a precaution, transferred Salter and Watkins to the Montgomery County Jail by automobile.

June 26, 1915 – During a baseball game on this Saturday afternoon at Jeddo, J.C. Kyle was “hit on the side of his face by a pitched ball,” resulting in a fractured jawbone. He was taken to Dr. G.H. Harper at Uriah for treatment.

June 26, 1916 - The Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians appeared in a game with numbers on their sleeves. The event marked the first time that players were identified by numbers that corresponded to the scoreboard.

June 26, 1916 – Children’s book author Walter Farley was born in Syracuse, N.Y. He is best known for his 1941 book, “The Black Stallion.”

June 26, 1917 – The first 14,000 U.S. infantry troops begin arriving in France at the port of Saint Nazaire during World War I.

June 26, 1923 - Alabama author Alfred Maund was born in Jennings, La.

June 26, 1928 - Alabama author Amelie Rives's play “Say When” opened on Broadway.

June 26, 1934 - Alabama author Carl Carmer's book “Stars Fell on Alabama” was published.

June 26, 1938 - Lonney Frey of the Cincinnati Reds had eight hits in a doubleheader split with the Philadelphia Phillies.

June 26, 1939 - M.E. Skinner brought the first open cotton boll of the season to The Monroe Journal office on this Monday from his farm north of Monroe Station.

June 26, 1944 - The New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees played against each other in a six-inning contest in a war bonds fund-raiser. Over 50,000 people watched the game. The final score was Dodgers 5, Yankees 1 and the Giants 0.

June 26, 1944 – The Battle of Osuchy in Osuchy, Poland, one of the largest battles between Nazi Germany and Polish resistance forces, ended with the defeat of the latter.

June 26, 1946 - A movie version of Alabama author Lillian Hellman's play “The Searching Wind” was released.

June 26, 1946 – German SS officer Max Kögel committed suicide by hanging in his prison cell in Schwabach, West Germany.

June 26, 1948 – Shirley Jackson's short story “The Lottery” was published in The New Yorker magazine.

June 26, 1952 – Evergreen’s Junior American Legion baseball team was scheduled to play a rematch against Andalusia at Brooks Stadium in Evergreen, Ala. on this Thursday afternoon. Two days before, Andalusia beat Evergreen, 8-7, in Andalusia.

June 26, 1952 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the “sweltering weather” that had gripped Conecuh County, Ala. for the previous two weeks looked to continue with little relief in sight. Conecuh County had received scattered showers during this time, but there had been no “general rains” thus far in June. Virtually every day during this time, the temperature had “soared into the upper nineties” with the high reaching 100 degrees on June 15.

June 26-27, 1952 – “A Streetcar Named Desire,” starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Lee, was scheduled to be shown at The Pix Theater in Evergreen, Ala.

June 26, 1959 – Swedish boxer Ingemar Johansson became world champion of heavy weight boxing, by defeating american Floyd Patterson on technical knockout after two minutes and three seconds in the third round at Yankee Stadium.

June 26, 1961 - A Kuwaiti vote opposed Iraq's annexation plans.

June 26, 1962 - Earl Wilson of the Boston Red Sox pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels. Wilson also hit a home run.

June 26, 1965 - Gen. William Westmoreland, senior U.S. military commander in Vietnam, was given formal authority to commit American troops to battle when he decided they were necessary “to strengthen the relative position of the GVN [Government of Vietnam] forces.” This authorization permitted Westmoreland to put his forces on the offensive. Heretofore, U.S. combat forces had been restricted to protecting U.S. airbases and other facilities.

June 26, 1968 – Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe was born in Chicago, Ill. He went on to play for Savannah State, the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

June 26, 1969 – The Monroe Journal reported that Mr. and Mrs. Bill Stewart and son, David, visited Steve Stewart in Augusta, Ga. over the previous weekend.

June 26-July 6, 1969 - The 26th Annual Beulah Camp Meeting was scheduled to be held at the camp grounds near Excel.

June 26, 1969 – The Monroe Journal reported that Marine Private First Class Earnest R. Talbert, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Talbert of Route 1, Beatrice, was serving with the Third Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment, Third Marine Division, Vietnam. The battalion had been conducting sweep and clear operations just south of the Demilitarized Zone.

June 26, 1970 - Frank Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles hit two grand slams against the Washington Senators in a 12-2 win.

June 26, 1971 - The U.S. Justice Department issued a warrant for Daniel Ellsberg, accusing him of giving away the “Pentagon Papers.”

June 26, 1972 - The shift of fighter-bomber squadrons, involving up to 150 U.S. planes and more than 2,000 pilots from Da Nang, to bases in Thailand was completed. The shift was necessitated by the pending withdrawal of the U.S. infantry brigade that provided security for flyers at Da Nang. The departure of the U.S. unit was part of President Richard Nixon’s Vietnamization program that he had instituted in June 1969. Under this program, the responsibility for the war was to be gradually transferred to the South Vietnamese so U.S. forces could be withdrawn.

June 26, 1974 - Supermarket scanning of UPC codes began with a pack of chewing gum in Troy, Ohio. The first scan was made at a Marsh’s Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, which had agreed to serve as a test facility for the new technology, and the first item scanned was a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Gum. That pack of gum is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

  

June 26, 1976 - Shortstop Toby Harrah of the Texas Rangers played an entire doubleheader without handling a batted ball from the Chicago White Sox.

June 26, 1976 – NFL quarterback Chad Pennington was born in Knoxville, Tenn. He went on to play for Marshall, the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins.

June 26, 1982 – The Lyeffion Saddle Club was scheduled to hold a horse show on this Saturday starting at 5 p.m.

June 26, 1982 – A ladies slow pitch softball tournament, sponsored by the China Ladies Softball Club, was scheduled to be held on this Saturday at Evergreen Municipal Park in Evergreen, Ala.

June 26, 1984 - Kerney Windham, who was Chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Natural Resources Branch in Mobile, announced on this Tuesday that the Corps would begin accepting bids for construction of a proposed boat ramp to be built near the Claiborne Lock and Dam in August of this year. The ramp was to be built about a mile below the dam on the east bank, according to Windham.

June 26, 1985 - Wilbur Snapp was ejected after playing "Three Blind Mice" during a baseball game. The incident followed a call made by umpire Keith O'Connor.

June 26, 1987 – “Full Metal Jacket,” a movie version of Alabama author Gustav Hasford's book “The Short-Timers,” was released.

June 26, 1993 – National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella passed away at the age of 71 in Woodland Hills, Calif. He played his entire career (1948-1957) for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

June 26, 1993 – In retaliation for an Iraqi plot to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush during his April visit to Kuwait, President Bill Clinton ordered U.S. warships to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iraqi intelligence headquarters in downtown Baghdad.

June 26, 1997 – Hillcrest High School’s band boosters were scheduled to hold a reception in the school cafetorium in Evergreen, Ala. on this Thursday at 6 p.m. to introduce and welcome the school’s new band director, Christal Carter.

June 26, 1997 – The first book in the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” was published in Britain.

June 26, 1997 – Pro Football Hall of Fame and former University of Alabama split end Don Hutson passed away at the age of 84 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. After college, he played his entire pro career (1933-1945) for the Green Bay Packers and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963.

June 26, 1998 – The Oak Hill Historic District in Oak Hill in Wilcox County, Ala. was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The district is roughly centered on the intersection of State Highway 10 and State Highway 21. It contains 6,750 acres, 56 buildings and seven structures.

June 26, 1998 – The classic Civil War-era blockbuster “Gone with the Wind,” originally released in 1939, is re-released in U.S. theaters by New Line Pictures.

June 26, 1999 - Sammy Sosa of the Chicago White Sox hit his 300th career home run.

June 26, 1999 - Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles got his 995th extra base hit.

June 26, 2000 - Alex Cabrera of the Arizona Diamondbacks hit a two-run home run in his first major league at-bat.

June 26, 2000 – Pope John Paul II revealed the third secret of Fátima.

June 26, 2003 – Indian Springs Baptist Church at McWilliams, near Beatrice, in Monroe County, Ala. was listed on Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

June 26, 2005 - Paulus van der Sloot and Steve Gregory Croes were ordered to be released from jail after their arrests in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, 18, of Mountain Brook, Ala.

June 26, 2008 – A suicide bomber dressed as an Iraqi policeman detonated an explosive vest, killing 25 people.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Sun., June 26, 2016

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.00 inches

Month to Date Rainfall:  1.75 inches.

Summer to Date Rainfall: 0.00 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 26.00 inches.

Notes: Today in the 178th day of 2016 and the seventh day of Summer. There are 188 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hours Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line and south of U.S. Highway 84, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834N Lon 87.30131W. Elevation 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

Singleton tells of man's hanging at 'Oak and Ash' landmark near Kleppac's store

George Buster Singleton

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Oak, ash became landmark” was originally published in the June 26, 1975 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

One of the first places that was pointed out to me when I began to gather information about Monroe County was where the old Franklin road connects with the Ridge Road at Kleppac’s old store.

I was told that here, under a giant oak tree and an ash tree that grew side by side, was one of the better known landmarks of this area.

The trees are gone now; nothing remains but the faint imprint of the old public road, and a metal gate that keeps the cattle from straying across the paved highway.

A few traces of the old oak stump can still be seen scattered around, but nothing remains of the strong slender ash that grew by its side.

‘Real close together’

“They were real close together,” stated Mrs. George Kleppac, who has lived in the area most of her life. “They grew so close together that one could hardly ride a horse between them.”

It was a common meeting place for people in this area. The Ridge Road went to the east, and another went toward Fountain and the river. Then there was the road to Monroeville.

This was a kind of focal point to anyone traveling through here. Horses and wagons would stop under the Oak and Ash while the teams cooled from the long hot roads and hills to the north.

People would meet under the protection of the two trees, discuss the events of the times and pass the idle hours with the travelers and drummers who stopped to rest and make adjustments to their harness and equipment.

Wagons, Model T’s

The Oak and Ash continued to be an important landmark after the mule and horse-drawn wagons began to vanish from the scene. Where once the wagons halted, the Model T’s and other automobiles of the times took their place.

The dusty road and the yearn for conversation and local news continued to make the Oak and Ash a place of interest.

The giant oak stood like a silent sentinel as time moved onward, and the local people sought the changing life that was to be found elsewhere.

Hanged from limb

The peaceful air was shattered around the Oak and Ash on that fateful day in the early 1900s when a man was hanged from one of the huge limbs of the great oak. Even in this hour of strife, when death stalked the morning, the great old tree was remembered.

Many of the tales that were spun around the Oak and Ash have passed into oblivion. But I’m sure that there are a few folks around who have heard the words: “The Oak and Ash: I’ll see you there.”

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School, served in the Korean War, moved to Monroe County in June 1964 (some sources say 1961) and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from 1964 to 1987. For years, Singleton’s column “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. Some of his earlier columns also appeared under the heading of “Monroe County History: Did You Know?” He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)

Today in History for June 25, 2016

George Armstrong Custer

June 25, 1745 – Future South Carolina Patriot, physician and U.S. Treasurer Thomas Tudor Tucker was born in Port Royal, Bermuda.

June 25, 1788 – Virginia became the tenth state to ratify the United States Constitution.

June 25, 1799 – Scottish-English botanist and explorer David Douglas was born in Scone, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. He worked as a gardener, and explored the Scottish Highlands, North America, and Hawaii, where he died under mysterious circumstances while climbing Mauna Kea at the age of 35 in 1834.

June 25, 1813 – More than 300 hostile Creeks, under Prophet Francis, were camped at the Holy Ground in present-day Alabama.

June 25, 1819 – Alabama Masonic Lodge No. 51 (now No. 3 in Monroeville) was chartered by the Grand Lodge of South Carolina at its original location in Claiborne, Ala.

June 25, 1862 – Hilliard’s Legion was organized at Montgomery, Ala. and consisted of five battalions. Fourth Battalion was commanded by major John D. McLennan of Barbour County. The Legion proceeded to East Tennessee, nearly 3,000 strong, under its commander, Col. Hilliard of Montgomery. Proceeding to Cumberland Gap, it was part of the force that besieged that position.

June 25, 1862 – During the Civil War, the first day of the Seven Days' campaign began with fighting at Oak Grove, Va. Skirmishes were also fought at La Fayette Station, Tenn. and at Yellville, Ark.

June 25, 1863 – During the Civil War, Confederates captured Federal outposts at Port Hudson, La.

June 25, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near McConnellsburg, Pa.; at Beech Grove, Guy's Gap and Fosterville in Tennessee; and near Loup Creek, West Virginia.

June 25, 1863 – During the Civil War, on Day 38 of the Vicksburg, Mississippi siege, Union soldiers tried to exploit an explosion under the Confederate entrenchments, but Confederates repulsed the attack.

June 25, 1864 – Union troops from Pennsylvania begin tunneling toward the Rebels at Petersburg, Va. in order to blow a hole in the Confederate lines and end the stalemate. The brainchild of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pleasants, the plan called for the men of his regiment, the 48^th Pennsylvania – mostly miners from Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal region – to construct a 500-foot tunnel to the Confederate line, fill it with powder, and blow a gap in the fortifications. The explosion was set off on July 30, and a huge gap was blown in the Rebel line, resulting in the Battle of the Crater.

June 25, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Point Pleasant, La.; at Rancho Las Rinas, Texas; at Morganfield, Ky.; and at Ashwood, Miss.

June 25, 1868 - Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina were readmitted to the Union.

June 25, 1876 – Native American forces led by chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeated U.S. Army troops led by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in southern Montana. About 210 men of the U.S. 7th Cavalry were killed by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians as the battle, which became known as “Custer’s Last Stand.”

June 25, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that C.W. Robbins, editor of The Brewton Standard Gauge, attended the senatorial convention at Monroeville, Ala. the week before.

June 25, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that, at a regular communication of Monroeville Lodge No. 153, the following officers were elected for the ensuing Masonic year: S.H. Daily, Worshipful Master; Jno. DeLoach, Senior Warden; S.W. Yarbrough, Junior Warden; D.J. Hatter, Treasurer; Q. Salter, Secretary; L.G. Steele, Senior Deacon; J.M. Sowell, Junior Deacon; S.F. Daniel, Tyler; W.G. McCorvey, J.F. Fore, Stewards.

June 25, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported, at a regular communication of Mount Pleasant Lodge No. 266, the following officers were elected for the ensuring Masonic year: E.T. King, Worshipful Master; J.W. Shomo, Senior Warden; C.E. King, Treasurer; W.A. Shomo, Secretary; F.J. Norris, Senior Deacon; R.G. Scott, Junior Deacon; W.D. Lambert, Tyler.

June 25, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that, at a regular communication of Bells Landing Lodge No. 373, F.&A.M., the following officers were elected for the ensuing Masonic year: W.M. Hestle, Worshipful Master; J.G. Lambriecht, Senior Warden; Geo. W. Lyon, Junior Warden; Geo. W. Riley, Treasurer; A.P. Majors, Secretary; W.T. Reaves, Senior Deacon; W.W. Riley, Junior Deacon; Geo. C. Nettles, Tyler.

June 25, 1896 – The Monroe Journal, in news from the Perdue Hill community, reported that M.J. Roberts was erecting another story on the old Roberts, Locklin & Co. building on Broad Street.

June 25, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Jones Mills community, that Miss Maggie Busey was teaching school at the Escambia Creek and that she had a very large number of pupils.

June 25, 1903 – English novelist, essayist and critic George Orwell was born Eric Arthur Blair in Motihari, British India. He is best known for his novels “Animal Farm” (1945) and “1984” (1949).

June 25, 1906 – Lightning struck the kitchen chimney of the J.C. Manning home, four miles southwest of Monroeville, Ala. shocking members of the family and breaking every piece of crockery in the house.

June 25, 1912 - Dr. H.M. Hawthorn of Wallace was in Evergreen, Ala. on business on this Tuesday.

June 25, 1913 – American Civil War veterans began arriving at the Great Reunion of 1913, which was held at Gettysburg National Military Park in Adams County, Pa. This reunion included a Gettysburg Battlefield encampment of American Civil War veterans for the Battle of Gettysburg's 50th anniversary. The June 29–July 4 gathering of 53,407 veterans (~8,750 Confederate) was the largest ever Civil War veteran reunion.

June 25, 1917 - The first American fighting troops landed in France.

June 25, 1918 - Babe Ruth became the second American League player to hit a home run in four consecutive games.

June 25, 1918 – National Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Jake Beckley died at the age of 50 in Kansas City, Mo. During his career, he played for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, the Pittsburgh Burghers, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the New York Giants, the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971.

June 25, 1929 - Best-selling children’s author and illustrator Eric Carle was born in Syracuse, N.Y.

June 25, 1931 – State Rep. A.C. Lee of Monroeville, Ala. introduced a resolution, which passed, renaming the “William Wyatt Bibb Bridge” at Claiborne the “Claiborne-Murphy Bridge.”

June 25, 1940 – The Montgomery Rebels of the Southeastern Baseball League stopped in Evergreen, Ala. to eat on their way to Mobile for a series against the Mobile Shippers.

June 25, 1942 – Dwight D. Eisenhower became the commander of the U.S. troops in Europe, and he would go on to become supreme commander of the entire Allied Armies in Europe.

June 25, 1942 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Charles Henry and Howard Prather of West Blocton went “snaking” recently and killed two big timber rattlers – one was 55 inches long, 6-1/4 inches in circumference and had 16 rattles; the other was 46 inches long, 5-1/4 inches around and with nine rattles.

June 25, 1943 – Greening Masonic Lodge No. 53 in Evergreen, Ala. installed its slate of officers for the coming year after the lodge’s annual election on June 11. The new officers included A.K. Williams, Worshipful Master; T.L. Jackson, Senior Warden; W.W. Overbey, Junior Warden; F.L. Cardwell, Treasurer; W.G. Jones, Secretary; Robert Soule, Senior Deacon; I.S. Baggett, Junior Deacon, S.J. Brundage, Tyler.

June 25, 1943 – During the Holocaust, Jews in the Częstochowa Ghetto in Poland staged an uprising against the Nazis.

June 25, 1947 – “The Diary of a Young Girl” (better known as “The Diary of Anne Frank”) was published.

June 25, 1948 – Alabama native Joe Louis knocked out veteran fighter Jersey Joe Walcott in a rematch to retain the heavyweight championship, which he’d held since 1937. Walcott and Louis first fought in December 1947 at Madison Square Garden, when Louis won a 15-round decision in which he struggled to counter Walcott’s unorthodox style. The 1948 fight was the 25th and final time that Louis successfully defended his belt, and he announced his retirement in March 1949.

June 25, 1950 – The Korean War began when communist forces from North Korea invaded South Korea. Most of the actual combat occurred in the first year of the war, but it dragged on and on and more than three million people lost their lives. Truce negotiations began in 1951, and they were the longest truce negotiations in the history of warfare, lasting two years and 17 days, with 575 meetings between the opposing sides.

June 25, 1957 - Macon County, Ala. blacks kicked off a boycott of white businesses at a mass meeting in Tuskegee attended by 3,000 people. The boycott was in response to a plan to protect white political power in Tuskegee by gerrymandering its city limits so that all but a few African Americans would reside outside the city. The boycott, which brought national attention to Tuskegee, was sustained for four years and met many of the goals of its originator, the Tuskegee Civic Association.

June 25, 1957 - Late on this Tuesday afternoon 13 people escaped injury as a house on the outskirts of Evergreen was completely destroyed by fire. The Evergreen Fire Department answered the call, but was unable to hold the fire in check, as there were no fire hydrants nearby. The house was located behind Southern Coach, beside the L&N Railroad. Occupying the house were two women, Annie Mae Holley and four children, and Lillie Mae Stallworth, and seven children. No one was hurt in the blaze.

June 25, 1958 – In Conecuh County Circuit Court, James L. Lane was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter and sentence to five years in state prison in connection with the murder of Willie D. White in August 1957. Lane and Joe Lewis Bradley had both been indicted for second-degree murder in connection with White’s death, and Bradley had been sentenced to 15 years in prison during a trial prior to Lane’s. Lane’s case was unusual because he wasn’t actually present when White was shot, but under Alabama law, he could be charged with second-degree murder for having previous knowledge that the murder was going to take place and for being a part of it. Testimony at the trial showed that Lane drove Bradley to the house where Bradley got the gun to kill White then drove Bradley back to the place where Bradley later killed White and that Lane not only knew that Bradley planned to kill White but also encouraged Bradley to do so.

June 25, 1963 - The movie “8½,” with Alabama author Eugene Walter playing the role of an American journalist, was released in the United States.

June 25, 1965 - Two Viet Cong terrorist bombs ripped through a floating restaurant on the Saigon River. Thirty-one people, including nine Americans, were killed in the explosions. Dozens of other diners were wounded, including 11 Americans.

June 25, 1968 - Bobby Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit a grand-slam home run in his first game with the Giants. He was the first player to debut with a grand-slam.

June 25, 1969 - The U.S. Navy turned 64 river patrol gunboats valued at $18.2 million over to the South Vietnamese Navy in what was described as the largest single transfer of military equipment in the war thus far.

June 25, 1973 – The Rev. F.P. Bachman began serving as pastor at the First Assembly of God in Evergreen, replacing the Rev. J.E. Welburn, who resigned to continue his ministry in Alaska.

June 25, 1973 - White House Counsel John Dean admitted that U.S. President Nixon took part in the Watergate cover-up.

June 25, 1982 - John Carpenter's iconic science-fiction horror movie “The Thing” was released in U.S. theaters.

June 25, 1984 – American singer Prince released his most successful studio album, “Purple Rain.”

June 25, 1985 - New York Yankees officials enacted the rule that mandated that the team's bat boys were to wear protective helmets during all games.

June 25, 1996 – The Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia killed 19 U.S. servicemen.

June 25, 1997 – French oceanographer and explorer Jacques Cousteau died of a heart attack at the age of 87 in Paris, France and was buried in the family vault of Saint-Andre-de-Cubzac in France. He invented the Aqua-Lung diving apparatus and was known around the world as an ecologist and filmmaker.

June 25, 1997 - An unmanned Progress cargo spacecraft crashed into Russia's Mir space station, knocking out power and rupturing a laboratory.

June 25, 2003 – Comic book superstar and avid baseball fan Todd McFarlane bought Barry Bonds 73rd home run ball at auction for $517,500.

June 25, 2004 – Conecuh County Sheriff’s deputies seized 23 kilograms of cocaine (about 50 pounds) during a traffic stop on Interstate Highway 65. The drugs had a street value of about $2 million.

June 25, 2004 – Conecuh County’s Relay For Life raised over $78,522.25 for the American Cancer Society.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Sat., June 25, 2016

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.00 inches

Month to Date Rainfall:  1.75 inches.

Summer to Date Rainfall: 0.00 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 26.00 inches.

Notes: Today in the 177th day of 2016 and the sixth day of Summer. There are 189 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hours Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line and south of U.S. Highway 84, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834N Lon 87.30131W. Elevation 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.