50 years ago – February 10, 1976: Now Wheeler County has to pay

Dublin Courier Herald

     By DOUG HALL

Ronnie Horne lived and worked most of his 36 years in Laurens County.

He lived in Rentz.

Dessie Woods and Cheryl Todd are Atlanta residents.

None of them had special ties to Wheeler  County.

Last June 16 they were just passing through this east central Georgia county when the Rentz man was slain.

Now,the 4,600 residents of the small rural county have to pick up the tab for bringing the two women to trial.

And the tab for seven and a half months of criminal investigations and courtroom proceedings will be substantial, maybe as high as $20,000, according to some who have closely followed that case since that summer night when Horne’s body was found just inside the county line.

A few miles and minutes difference and the crimes could have been committed in another county. 

Wheeler County Commissioner Mackie Simpson said, “It’s a shame the county will have to pay the cost although there was no connection between the people involved in the case and the county.

“But, we’ll just close our eyes and write the check. Then we’ll go hunting or fishing.” 

“We’re willing, and the county is financially able to pay for trial. We think the costs were necessary to insure law and order and to have a fair trial,” Simpson added.

The commissioner met this morning with Superior Court James B. O’Connor to discuss the costs.

O’Connor, who was threatened by one of the defendants, said Monday that extra security forces were “necessary to control everyone inside and outside the courthouse.”

He praised Pulaski County Sheriff Andrew Hill for his coordinating courthouse security. 

A big chunk of the cost on bringing the two women to justice was incurred during the last three weeks when the case was in court in three counties every week and two Saturdays.

In addition to courtroom costs – the judge, district attorney, recorder, clerk, bailiffs, jurors – there was extremely tight security in evidence. At least 25 state troopers and sheriff deputies were on hand the past two weeks at the Pulaski County Courthouse. They came from Perry, Eastman, Ft. Valley and Dublin.

A pool of prospective jurors were paid $8 a day during the week long jury selection. Simpson said the week of jury selection alone will cost the county between five and six hundred dollars a day,  but he estimated that the cost of the trial might not be as high as expected.

“There were a lot of things about this trial that did not turn out as expected,” and he noted that “It didn’t take three weeks like they had said, for one thing, and that will cut down on the cost.”

But, the 12-man jury, plus two alternates and bailiffs, spent seven nights in a block of rooms  at Eastman’s fine Carriage Inn motel.

They had to be fed, too, along with meals for court personnel and bailiffs.

And since most courts believe in treating their juries hospitably, the food and service were superb.

Steaks – thick ones at that -fried chicken, heapings of vegetables, desserts, and relishes adorned jurors’ tables when they left the courthouse for Hawkinsville’s Towne House Restaurant.

The caravan of cars transporting the jury to the courthouse resembled a motorcade for some hot-shot politician

Police car after police car carried their heavily guarded passengers down the 19 miles of pavement that links Eastman with 

Hawkinsville.

The trial was everything it promised. Two skillfully prepared and well planned cases logged nearly thirty hours before the 11 woman, one-man jury.

Drama was intense from opening arguments to Mrs. Woods’ sudden outburst of anger and emotion when Court Clerk Woodson Daniels read the verdicts.

Outside, a few demonstrators, members of the Atlanta Workers Defense Committee, passed out leaflets: “This case is not just Cheryl and Dessie against the State, but it is all working and poor people, Black and White against the rich, their courts, and their police.”

Inside, a jury of their peers – six white and six black working class people – school teachers, a secretary, a department store clerk, a machine operator, a housewife, a nurse, a veneer plant worker – found the two women guilty.

Throughout the trial, defense attorneys continually asked for guarantees for a fair trial. They got a change of venue, a lengthy and exhaustive jury selection process, and access to the prosecution files that the judge called “as liberal as” any he had ever seen. Nothing the state had as evidence against the women was kept from the eyes of defense attorneys in the unusually generous open file agreement. 

A Dublin attorney made a name for himself in the well publicized case.  

Leon Green, hired as a special prosecutor by friends and family of Ronnie Horne, handled much of the state’s case and even took the brunt of several protest chants. 

A motion early in the trial was entered by the defense to have Green kicked off the case, and when the judge allowed the Dublin man to stay demonstrators showed up at the Pulaski County Courthouse several days later, shouting, “Mean. Mean. Leon  Green.”

Green delivered the first half of the state’s closing argument, which many courthouse observers called the turning point in the prosecution’s case.

The Dublin attorney was joined at the State’s table by District Attorney Phil West and Assistant District attorney Bob Sparks of the Prosecuting Council of Georgia.

The Todd-Woods case was West’s first as D.A.

Green said he was happy with the verdict and praised West and Sparks who joined the case late.

O’Connor said this morning that he had received apologies from Mrs. Woods’ attorney, Randy Bacote. After she was convicted on Monday, the woman angrily threatened the judge, calling him a “stinking, ugly devil,” and shouted, “We’re going to kill you.”

The Judge said that the two women will be sentenced at a February 12 hearing. 

Mistrial motions by attorneys for both defendants will be decided “much later” than the sentence hearing, the judge said. 

SW LAURENS ELEMENTARY HONOR ROLL

The Southwest Laurens Elementary School Honor Roll for the second nine-weeks of the 1975-76 school term is the following:

5th grade:

Valerie Anderson 

Barbara Coney

Debbie Curl

Twana Evans

Darren Fordham 

Cynthia Jones

Krista Lowery

Patricia Mimbs

Billie Jo Mullis

Danny Pope

Gregory Reagin

Carrie Rozier

Marnie Willis

6th Grade:

Julie Holland

Robert Coleman

Clayton Sellers

Phillip Lee

Vonda Morton

7th Grade:

Melinda Coleman

Melody Fountain

Tina Garnto

Honorable Mention:

5th Grade: 

Lisa Baggett

Pamela Brewer

Eve Coleman

E.C. Coley

Jeffery Mims

Bill Taboyoyan

Lynn White 

Kim Walker 

6th Grade:

Richie Childers

Donna Gilder

Jessie Mincey

7th Grade:

Kay Upshaw

Wendy Wynne

Betty Stanley

Greg Clark

Mark Mullis

EAST LAURENS 6th GRADE HONOR ROLL

Miss L. Hamilton, a sixth grade teacher at East Laurens Elementary School is proud to announce seven of her homeroom students made the honor roll for the 2nd nine weeks.

These students are: 

Christy Calhoun

Russell Chambers

Faith Frost

Verndina Holder

Kay Howell

Jay Mimbs

Clay Ricks 

ENGAGEMENTS

Bass – Simmons

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Edward Bass,Sr. of Dublin announce the engagement of their daughter, Susan Carol, to Thomas Guy Simmons, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Simmons of Dublin.

The bride-elect is a graduate of Dublin High School and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia Southern College in Statesboro. She is employed as a Counselor in Child Adolescent  Program at the South Central Mental Health Clinic in Dublin.

The future bridegroom received his diploma from Dublin High School and is employed as Program Director at Radio Station WXLI in Dublin.

The wedding will be April 10 at the Olivet Baptist Church,Dublin.`

Fordham – Darsey

Mr. and Mrs. J.C Fordham, Sr. of Rentz announce the engagement of their daughter, JoAnn Fordham, to Donald Darsey, son of Mr.and Mrs. M.O. Darsey of Dublin.

Miss Fordham is a graduate of West Laurens High School. She received an Associate of Arts Degree from Middle Georgia College and will receive her B.S. Degree in Elementary Education from Georgia College in June.

Mr. Darsey is a a graduate of East Laurens High School. After attending Trevecca Nazarene College, he returned to Dublin and is presently farming with his father.

The wedding will be held in the Rentz Baptist Church on April 3 at 7:00 p.m.

All friends and relatives are invited to attend.

Freeman – Gay

Mrs. Lillian S. Freeman and Mr. Charles M. Freeman of Dublin announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Lynn, to Michael F. Gay, son of Mr. and Mrs. N.F. Gay of Dublin.

The wedding will be held on February 26, 1976, at the Jefferson Street Baptist Church at 7:30 p.m.

No formal invitations will be sent. All friends and relatives are invited to attend.

JOSEY “B” TEAMS WIN HONORS

Josey Academy’s two “B” basketball teams won honors at the “B” team tournament at Effingham Academy on Saturday, the girls finishing in third place and the boys in second place.

The girls defeated Screven Academy, 23-22, in their first game, only to lose to Effingham Academy in the second fray, 40-22.

The boys triumphed over Effingham Academy, 42-38, in their first showing, but lost to Bulloch Academy, the tournament champions, 42-25.

“Both of our teams got a lot of good experience in the tournament, and we are happy with the outcome, “Coach Barney Hester said.

Line-up against Screven Academy

Girls

Score 23-22

Mobley 

Senn 

Sanders 

Williams 

Carter   

Davidson 

Boys

Line-up against Effingham Academy 

Bush

Williams

Allen

Payne

Wilkes

Spivey 

Shepherd

Score 40-22

Mobley   

Senn   

Sanders 

Williams 

Carter

P. Sanders

Davidson

Girls

Line-up against Effingham Academy

Score: 40-22

Mobley 

Senn 

Sanders 

Williams 

Carter

P.Sanders

Davidson

Boys

Line-up against Bulloch Academy

Score: 42-25

42-25

Bush 4

Williams 8

Allen 4

Payne 7 2

Wilkes

Spivey

S.Shepherd

A.Shepherd

Beacham

T. Hatchcock

S. Hatchcock

DUBLIN WINS WRESTLING

Dublin captured the first Laurens County Wrestlng Tournament, held at East Laurens on Saturday scoring 35 points to 12 for East Laurens and six for West Laurens.

The Irish, under the tutelege of Travis Davis and Doug Metts, won nine of the 12 classes wrestled and received a trophy.

East Laurens had two winners, Cornell Moss pinning Weldon Payne in the 98-lb class, and Russell Moore winning the 126-lb class by default.

West Laurens had one victory. It came in the 105-lb class when Ulysses defeated Norrie Andrews of East Laurens with a pin.

DUBLIN BATON SCHOOL CLAIMS 64 TROPHIES

The students of the Dublin Baton School under the direction of Mrs. Karen Yeomans won 64 trophies in the recent Tri-County Contest held in Dudley on February 6.

The girls did an outstanding job in representing Laurens County.

Two groups for the Dublin Baton School won trophies for dance twirl in their  age division. They were Little Miss 

Twirlers winning 1st place in the 0-11 age group and the Junior Twirlers winning 2nd place in the 11.1 to 13.9 age group. 

The girls will be competing in a D.M.A. contest on March 6 at the West Laurens High School and would like for you to attend.

INVITATIONS FOR GOLF TOURNAMENT 

Invitations have been mailed to all golfers in the Dublin Country Club and to all visitors who usually participate in the Annual Shamrock Invitational Golf Tournament.

Henry Cantera, club tournament chairman, is expecting to have the tournament filled within a week since 442 invitations were extended.

In addition, a copy of the St. Patrick’s Festival activities for the week was included with the golf invitations.

Golf members of the Dublin Country Club who were not included on the list through an oversight and who wish to play in the Shamrock Invitational should contact Mrs. Pat Hughes at the club by Wednesday, March 3rd.

The Shamrock Invitational is being coordinated with Clarence Carroll, pro, the club’s board of directors, the ladies’ and men’s associations, and W.L. Wilkes, club  president.  

All decisions regarding play will be rendered by the Tournament Committee.

Families and friends of members and players are invited to attend.  

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