50 years ago – December 2, 1975: Morris Bank robber pleads guilty

Dublin Courier Herald

     By Doug Hall

When Sergeant Kent Craft fled the Dublin Mall Branch of Morris State Bank in October and                          headed through downtown Dublin in the peak of afternoon traffic, only to be apprehended on the Oconee River Bridge, police theorized that the man was attempting his first holdup.

Friday, Craft pled guilty in U. S. District Court to five charges, Leon M. Gaskill, special agent in charge of the Savannah office of the FBI, said.

The Columbia, South Carolina, man will serve concurrent 25-year terms for his admission to robberies of the Central Bank and Trust Co., Forest Park, Georgia, April 25, 1972; Farmers Bank, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, October 8, 1973; National Bank of Georgia, Decatur, May 14, 1975; and Morris State Bank, Dublin, October 13, 1975, Gaskill said. 

Two of the robberies were aborted much the way that the Dublin robbery was when Craft apparently became nervous and ran from the bank.

In the Dublin case, Craft left behind $19 of his own money when he grabbed bank manager Darrell Stephens hostage and hurried from the building. 

Stephens was released minutes later – shaken but unhurt.

Agent Gaskill praised the Dublin and East Dublin Police Departments for the quick response in arresting Craft and in cracking the other four bank robberies.

“The investigation of the matter resulted in the solution of four additional bank robberies due to the diligent work of Detective F.M. Burch and Lt. Wayne Fuqua of the Dublin Police and Chief Charles Howell and Officer Ronald Fulford of the East Dublin Police Department, who arrested the suspect,” Gaskill said .

Craft’s behavior has been a mystery to police since the October 13 burglary. Bank employees said that the man made tough, loud threats while he attempted to rob the teller drawers, but then he fled nervously the moment he felt the bank’s alarm had been touched.

At police headquarters the heavyset man sat quietly and mild mannered while he was told the charges that he faced.

Craft confessed that he had successfully gotten away with four earlier robberies. Yet, he had driven his late model Lincoln Continental into heavy downtown traffic although a lightly traveled interstate highway was less than three minutes away.

And police have been unable to understand his motive. Detective Burch said that the 31-year old man is a member of a prominent South Carolina clothing store family. The trunk of his Lincoln contained golf clubs and expensive leather coats.

But police began to consider his possible involvement in other robberies when two bank money pouches containing several hundred dollars in small bills were found in his suitcase. Craft said that the money was his. 

A map with a number of Georgia and South Carolina towns encircled was also discovered.

Dublin was one of those towns.

DOUG HALL NAMED EDITOR

Doug Hall, a native Dublinite, was named Executive Editor of the Dublin Courier-Herald yesterday in a joint announcement made by W.E. Lovett, President of the Courier-Herald Publishing Company, and W.H. Champion, Editor and Publisher of the Dublin Courier Herald. 

Hall has been associated with the Courier-Herald for the past two years. He has been general assignment  reporter, news editor, and photo editor. He will continue these assignments and will have added to his duties, assistant to the Publisher.

The new Executive Editor is a graduate of Henry W. Grady School of Journalism of the University of Georgia. While at the University, he served on the news staff of Governor Jimmy Carter. 

He is a member of Sigma Delta Chi and is a charter member of the Middle Georgia Chapter of Sigma Delta Chi Society of Professional Journalists.

He is the son of Mr and Mrs. F.L. Hall of Dublin and is a member of the First Methodist Church.

Also announced yesterday in the staff of the Dublin Courier-Herald was the naming of Griffin Lovett, son of W. E. Lovett, to the position of Vice President of the Courier-Herald Publishing Co. Young Lovett is presently the Photo Editor and general assignment reporter for the Dublin newspaper.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING

Dublin downtown streets will be filled with spectators, most of them youngsters, hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus when the annual Dublin Christmas Parade begins at 4:00 on Saturday, December 6.

The parade, sponsored by the Dublin Exchange Club, will line up along West Moore Street for the mile and a half parade route. The parade will travel south on Jefferson Street, around the Courthouse Square and west of Jackson Street. The parade will end at the Martin Theatre.

Bands, floats,and units from the Al Sihah Temple of Macon will accompany Santa Claus through downtown Dublin.

Al Scarborough, parade chairman, hesitated to single out just a few Exchange Club members who work in the parade preparations since everyone in this active organization gives of their time and energy to make the parade a success. But he noted that Ed Bell, Butch Miller, Johnny Payne, Robert Brown, Herbert Rowe, and Kenny Flanders have helped to coordinate floats, bands, and judging.

Three cash prizes will be given to the best non-commercial float.

Exchange Club officials announced that Santa will  

visit the Pancake Supper at the Central Elementary Cafeteria following the parade. The supper begins at 5:00 p.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. 

Tickets are available from all Exchange Club members, especially Brawner Smoot, the all-time champion ticket salesman for the Exchange Club.

Proceeds from the supper will be used to help Laurens County Boy Scouts to attend the Summer Scout Camp at Camp Benjamin Hawkins near Byron. The boys receiving help would not otherwise be able to attend.

Santa is expected to make his way back to the North Pole immediately after the supper to put the finishing touches on millions of toys he will distribute later this month.

NOTICE: “ACCENT ON GIVING”

During the Christmas season, the Courier-Herald will spotlight persons or groups donating their time and resources to make Christmas happier for other persons.

If you know of an individual or group which is doing something to make Christmas brighter and more joyous, let us know. We would like to tell everyone about it in “Accent on Giving.”

You may phone us at 272-5522 or write us at Drawer B, Court House Square Station, Dublin 31021.

TOWN ELECTIONS

Dudley

John W. Chappell and  Tom English were elected to Dudley City Council on Wednesday in a city election that attracted 72 per cent of the town’s registered voters.

English, an employee at Warner Robins Air Base, led the balloting in the three-man race with 89 votes. Chappell, a farmer and former operator of Chappell-Hogan in Dudley, got 86 votes.

Although the election was decided on a plurality basis, both councilmen-elect tallied a majority of the 111 votes cast. Dudley has 154 registered voters

James E Ramage, the third candidate in the race, was defeated with 39 votes.

Both Chappell and English are newcomers in city government.

Bennie Davis and Dillon Logue, the incumbent councilmen, did not seek reelection.

Dudley’s Mayor Delano Butler and Councilmen Cliff Crews, Gerald Miller, and Howell Hudson were not up for election this year.

Rentz

A mayor and five councilmen will be elected when Rentz voters go to the polls on January 28.

Qualifying for the six posts ends January 13, Town Clerk Janice Wyatt stated.

Voter registration books are open at Town Hall and will remain open until December 28.

As of this morning, no candidate had signed to run for any of the six offices.

The present City Council includes Billy Wyatt, mayor pro tem; J.C. Fordham, M.L. Knight, Ralston Davidson, and W.C. Etheridge.

The mayor is Foster C. Taylor, who was elected by acclamation last September when no one decided to seek the unexpired term of former mayor, C.L. Woodard, who retired due to ill health. 

Taylor received 83 of the 89 votes cast. 

1950 BREWTON CLASS REUNION

The 1950 graduating class of Brewton High School recently held their class reunion at the Holiday Inn in Dublin.

A very delicious meal and delightful fellowship followed. 

Attending with wives and husbands were Ruth (Dent) Tyson, Carolyn (Wommack) Morgan, Frankie (Peavy)Stewart, Miriam (Clements) Kight, Bronelle (Kaney) Slade,

Martha (Sheppard) Brantley, Mary Frances (Snipes) Lewis, Bobby Watson, Sally (Morgan) Jackson, Stokes Jackson, Binion Mimbs, Mark Boone, Betty (Outlaw) Canady, and Beeman Keen, Jr.

DUBLIN JR. HIGH HONOR ROLL

First Quarter Honor Roll

November 25, 1975

7th grade:

Jim Shoptaw

Tim Smith

David Kellam

Judy Gunn

Irving Dawson

Alan McTier

Lynn Jordon

Lee Blanchett

Pete Jump

Patti Miller

Ricky Fordham

Sherrilyn Hodges

Joyce Moore

Leigh Phillips

Cindy Paark

Jeff Hall

Bobby Boyer

David Bethea

Gale Horne

Nanette Clayton

Dana Bell

Lisa Hicks

Stephanie Powell

8th grade:

Shirley Williams

Pam Ballard

Cassandra Jackson

Cathryn Smith

Allyson Watson

Lynn Fagan

Tom Grimes

Robin Ladson

Terry Mercer

Delica Veal

DUBLIN HIGH HONOR ROLL

The Dublin High School Honor Roll for the first grading period of the 1975-76 term is below.

9th grade: 

Melody Hutto

Davey Stevenson

Beth Wyatt

George Evans

Terri Brown

Craig Jones

Lisa Monds

Angel Sanders

Ellen Griffith

Greg Thomas

10th grade:

Nancy Mullis

Rena Cresman

Mark Hobbs

Ennis Law

Jim Moran

Cheryl Taylor

Betsy Frost

Karly Hay 

11th grade:

Cheryl Cook

Robbie Howell

Ruthanne Council

Jimmy Williams

Bruce Miller

Eddie Roberts

Terry Windham

Cathy Hess

Lisa Kisalus

Angela Graham

Beverly Grimes

Karen Carswell

Janet Hobbs

Ann Wagner

12th grade:

Vicki Browning

Kathy Hood

Ethel Pittman

Candy Cochran

Jan Kibler

Theresa Law

Alexia Neighbors

David Smith

Peggy Smith

Lee Weaver

Bo Edwards

Judy Griner

Janie Baker

Dianne Hammock

Dee Griner

Linda Jones

JoEllen Lowery

Marlene Sculatti

OUR MEN IN SERVICE 

Marine Sergeant Larry C. Reid, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.A. Page of 732 Central Drive, East Dublin, Georgia, has reported for duty with 3rd Marine Division, Okinawa.

A 1973 graduate of East Laurens High School, he joined the Marine Corps in May 1973.

Biloxi, Mississippi – Airman First Class Charles S. Hobbs, son of Mr. and Mrs. C.N. Hobbs, Jr. of 1938 Green Street, Dublin, Georgia, has graduated at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, from the Air Training Command’s basic course for electronic specialists.

The airman, who received instruction in communications and electronic systems principles, is remaining at Keesler for advanced training.

Airman Hobbs is a 1972 graduate of Dublin High School.

San Antonio, Texas – Airman Mickey L. Hobbs, son of Mrs. Annie L. Hobbs of Dexter, Georgia, has been selected for technical training in the U.S. Air Force aircraft maintenance field at Chanute AFB, Illinois.

The airman recently completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where he studied the Air Force mission, organization, and customs and received special instruction in human relations. Airman Hobbs is a 1969 graduate of Dexter High School.

Marine Private First Class Charles H. Maddox, son of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene W. Maddox of Route 7, Dublin, Georgia, has been meritoriously promoted to his present rank upon graduation from recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina.

He received the early promotion for his superior performance in all phases of the training, which emphasizes physical conditioning, discipline, and teamwork.

Ft.Campbell, Kentucky – Army Private First Class William C. Manross, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. William L. Manross, 526 Hudson Drive, Dublin, Georgia, was awarded the Air Assault Badge at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, on November 14.

Pvt. Manross earned the award by successfully completing physical fitness tests and the Air Assault School.

The private entered the Army in September 1974 and completed basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri.

He is a 1974 graduate of Dublin High School.