The Bailey Children: A Brief Look at Each Life The Bailey children were born into a family filled with love, but also touched by deep sorrow. As the children of Mattie and W. T. “Willie” Bailey, their lives reflect both the joys of growing up and the heartbreak of lives cut too short. Their firstborn […]
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Introducing Mattie Craddock Wait Bailey In my last article, I shared the family history book about P.M.B. Wait. Now, I am excited to introduce his daughter, Mattie. There is definitely more to share about her life and all of her talents. For now, I will begin with a simple introduction—and her love story. Mattie’s
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This project was definitely a departure from my usual work – but don’t get me wrong, it was a fun and rewarding one! I had the privilege of being able to look through my husband’s family treasures that were passed down through the generations – from his great-great grandmother, grandmother and great-great uncle and kept
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Honoring the fallen… On December 24, 1944, the SS Leopoldville left the Southampton pier around 9:00 a.m. The passenger liner, turned troopship, was carrying approximately 2000 American soldiers of the 66th Infantry Division. The troops were headed to replace the weary soldiers fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. However, shortly before 6:00 p.m, the
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I have posted the entire story of the murder of Sheriff J.M. Poag from my book – Without Penalty on this website. However, if you would like a copy of the book, please feel free to email me! Chapter 1 – The Murder of Sheriff J.M. Poag “Early this morning, one of the most daring
A Sheriff Slain: The Untold Story of John Macon Poag’s Murder Read More »
As word of the murder of Sheriff J.M. Poag traveled across the country and Tate county, the small town of Senatobia was flooded with people from all sections of the county. In fact, The Senatobia Democrat reported that Sheriff Poag laid in state inside the jail where people by the hundreds came and grown men
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On Monday, April 17, 1905, roughly five days after the murder of Sheriff J.M. Poag, the spring term of the Tate County Circuit Court began. Due to the magnitude of recent events, Judge J.B. Boothe wasted no time in selecting the grand jury and informing them of their duties. Because of the excitement surrounding the
Chapter 3 – The Mob Trials Read More »
Sheriff Poag was killed because a mob wanted to lynch a man named James “Jim” Whitt. In order to fully understand what happened to the sheriff, it is important to know who James Whitt was and how he happened to be in the Tate County jail on the morning of April 12, 1905. The date
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April 1904 State of Mississippi vs James “Jim” Whitt Case #1773 Judge – J.A. Boothe Prosecution – W.A. Roane Jim Whitt was arraigned on April 28, 1904 for the murder of O.R. “Buster” Thomason. He pleaded not guilty. Due to Whitt’s lack of funds or support, he was unable to hire an attorney until roughly
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April, 1905 State of Mississippi vs. James “Jim” Whitt Case #1773 Judge – J.B. Boothe Prosecution – W.A. Roane After the members of the mob were granted a change of venue and the court dates set for later in the year, the spring term of the Tate County circuit court continued with the second trial
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October 1906 State of Mississippi vs. James Whitt Case #1862 Judge – J.B. BootheProsecution – W.A. Roane On October 26, 1906, testimony began in the final trial of James “Jim” Whitt. Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain the transcripts to this particular trial. However, the Senatobia Democrat – November 2, 1906 edition reported that “the
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Unlike the trials of Jim Whitt, I was unable to acquire any of the court transcripts from the mob trials. However, I did find a very detailed article published in the September 15, 1905 edition of the Commercial Appeal. The information from that particular article allowed me to summarize the first mob trial below: The
Chapter 8 – The Mob Trials Read More »