Friday Funny

 

Pssst... I cannot express enough how "me" this statement is!  Happy Friday!

Wedding Wednesday

 

Pauline Dudley Powell

(1909-1990)

and

Vernon Eddie McDaniel

(1909-1934)

(Pictured above on their wedding day)

were Married

1933

in Kite, Johnson County, Georgia, USA

Sadly, Vernon Eddie McDaniel passed away just a year later from malaria. I had not seen malaria as a cause of death before so I asked Google Gemini and of course, learned something new.

Malaria is transmitted by infected mosquitos.  We have plenty of those here in the South.

Was Malaria Common in the U.S. in the 1930s?

Yes. During the 1930s, malaria was still a significant public health problem and a notable cause of illness and death across the Southeastern United States.
Geographic Spread: The disease was endemic throughout much of the American South—stretching from Texas and the Mississippi River Valley up through parts of the Midwest and along the Atlantic seaboard. Rural, low-lying, and swampy regions with high mosquito populations were hit hardest.

Economic hardship during the 1930s due to the Great Depression exacerbated the crisis, as many families could not afford window screens, quinine treatment, or proper housing repairs to keep mosquitoes out.

Malaria remained a persistent threat until the federal government launched intensive eradication campaigns during and after World War II. Utilizing widespread mosquito control (such as draining wetlands and spraying DDT) alongside the distribution of effective treatments, the U.S. Public Health Service successfully eliminated endemic malaria from the United States by the early 1950s.

Their child, Eddie Allen McDonald, was born less than a month before his father passed away.

Time Capsule Tuesday

 Julia A Kea Sumner was born on this date in 1850 in Adrian, Emanuel County, Georgia, USA.  Let's see what was going on the month and year she was born.

August 25, 1850, was a Sunday.

In the United States, the most popular baby names for the era were absolute classics: Mary, Elizabeth, and Sarah for girls, and John, William, and James for boys.

The generation born around this midpoint of the 19th century belongs to what historians often categorize as the Victorian Generation. Americans of this era experienced a rapidly expanding nation on the brink of profound sectional conflict, navigating a farming-to-industrial transition, the expansion of the railways, and the westward movement.

The President of the United States was Millard Fillmore, who had just unexpectedly taken office a month prior following the sudden death of President Zachary Taylor. Because the office of the Vice President remained vacant under the constitutional rules of the era (Fillmore's elevation left the seat empty), there was no Vice President.

On August 25, 1850, the United States was in a period of intense political friction and sweeping transformation, most notably driven by the debates surrounding the expansion of slavery.

While no single massive, day-defining breaking news event occurred precisely on that date, the country was wrapped in several major historical contexts:

The Looming Compromise of 1850: Congress was deep into the grueling legislative battles over what would become the Compromise of 1850. Led by figures like Henry Clay and Stephen Douglas, lawmakers were attempting to defuse sectional tensions between North and South over territories acquired from the Mexican-American War. The resulting package of bills—which would soon admit California as a free state, establish popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico, and enact the stricter Fugitive Slave Act—was being fiercely debated.

The California Gold Rush: California was rapidly hurtling toward statehood (formally achieved just a couple of weeks later on September 9, 1850). Towns like San Francisco were experiencing explosive, chaotic growth, dealing with the daily realities of the Gold Rush, including rapid infrastructure buildouts and massive influxes of prospectors.

Cultural and Scientific Currents: Around this exact era, American science and literature were making quiet leaps. For instance, amateur scientist and women's rights campaigner Eunice Newton Foote was conducting her pioneering experiments on atmospheric gases in upstate New York, and literary giants like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville were preparing masterworks of mid-19th-century American fiction.

Historical Events Around August 25, 1850

• July 9, 1850: President Zachary Taylor dies in office, and Millard Fillmore is sworn in as the 13th U.S. President.

• August 6, 1850: President Fillmore sends a special message to Congress officially throwing his support behind the landmark Compromise of 1850.

1850 Estimated Prices 

(Note: Exact government tracking of daily consumer goods like milk or bread didn't exist in modern formats in 1850, but typical contemporary values reflect an economy where $1 had roughly the purchasing power of about $28 today.)

• New Home (Northeast/Brooklyn): ~$2,500

• Good Quality Piano: ~$195

• Doctor's House Visit: ~$2.00

• Pound of Coffee: ~$0.80

• Bottle of Imported Port Wine: ~$0.11

Notable Books Published Around 1850

• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

• David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

• The Prelude by William Wordsworth

• Representative Men by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Notable Birthdays on August 25

    

• George Wallace (1919-1998)

• Sean Connery (1930-2020)

• Blake Lively (38 years old)

• Billy Ray Cyrus (64 years old)

Google Gemini and Onthisday.com were used to write this post.

Amanuensis Monday

 This is a copy of a deed that I printed off microfilm at the North Carolina Archives in Raleigh, North Carolina several years ago. There are several of these in a folder so I am trying to get them organized and transcribed to share and have in my records. Most of them pertain to Hosea Tapley, my 6th great grandfather.

The following is an indenture concerning 402 acres located on both sides of the north fork of Little River, Orange County, North Carolina dated 1756.

Tapley, Hosea, Orange County (North Carolina), Indenture dated January 2, 1756 for 402 acres
located on both sides of the north fork of Little River, Office of Secretary of State, Granville Proprietary
Land Office, Call Number SSLG 101B, North Carolina Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina.

"This Indenture, Made the Second Day of January In the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Six

BETWEEN the Right Honourable John Earl Granville, Viscount Carteret, and Baron Carteret, of Hawnes, in the County of Bedford, in the Kingdom of Great Britain, Lord President of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, of the One Part, and Hosea Tapley of Orange County in the Province of North Carolina, Plantere of the Other Part. WHEREAS His Most Excellent Majesty King GEORGE the Second, in and by a certain Indenture bearing Date the Seventeenth Day of September, in the Eighteenth Year of his Reign, and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Four, and made between his said most Excellent Majesty, of the One Part, and the said John Earl Granville, (by the Name, Stile, and Title of the Right Honourable John Lord Carteret,) of the other Part, DID, for the Considerations therein mentioned, Give and Grant, Release, Ratify, and Confirm, unto the said Earl, (by the Name, Stile, and Title of John Lord Carteret, as aforesaid,) and his Heirs and Assigns for ever, a certain District, Territory, or Parcel of Land, in North-Carolina, in America; and all the Sounds, Creeks, Havens, Ports, Rivers, Streams, and other Royalties, Franchises, Privileges, and Immunities, within the same, as they are therein set out or described, allotted, and granted, and confirmed, to the said John Earl Granville, as aforesaid, for One Eighth Part of the Charters granted by King CHARLES the Second, in the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Years of his Reign, to Eight Lords Proprietors of Carolina, as by the said Indenture, duly Inrolled in the High Court of Chancery in Great-Britain, and in the Secretary's Office in North-Carolina, Reference being thereto had, will more fully appear. NOW THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, That as well for and in Consideration of the Sum of Ten Shillings Sterling Money, to the said John Earl Granville in Hand paid, by the said Hosea Tapley at or before the Sealing and Delivery of these Presents, the Receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, as also for and in Consideration of the Rents, Covenants, Exceptions, Provisos, and Agreements herein after mentioned, reserved, and contained, and by and on the Part and Behalf of the said Hosea Tapley, his Heirs and Assigns, to be paid, kept, and performed, he the said Earl HATH Given, Granted, Bargained, Sold, and Confirmed, and by these Presents, DOTH, from himself, and his Heirs, Give, Grant, Bargain, Sell, and Confirm, unto the said Hosea Tapley, his Heirs and Assigns for ever, all that Tract or Parcel of Land, situate, lying, and being in the Parish of St. Matthew in the County of Orange in the said Province,

Lying on both Sides of the North Fork of Little River, Beginning at a Hickory on the East side of the said River, running thence North 60 ch: to a Pine, then West 67 ch: to a Pine, then South 60 ch: to a Red Oak, then East 67 ch: to the first Station.

Containing in the Whole, Five Hundred and two Acres: All which said ____________ more particularly described and set forth in the Plan or Map thereof, hereunto annexed; together, with all Woods, Underwoods, Timber, and Timber-Trees, Water-Courses, and the Privilege of Hunting, Hawking, Fishing and Fowling, in and upon the Premises, and all Mines and Minerals whatsoever therein to be found, excepting and reserving always, out of this present Grant, and to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, One Fourth Part of all the Gold and Silver Mines, to be found in and upon the Premises; and also, excepting and always reserving ______ onto the said John Earl Granville, his Heirs and Assigns, one Moiety or half Part of the remaining Three Fourths of all such Gold and Silver Mines: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said Tract or Parcel of Land, and all and singular other the Premises, with their Appurtenances, (except as before excepted) unto the said Hosea Tapley, his Heirs and Assigns for ever; YIELDING AND PAYING therefore, Yearly, and every Year, unto the said John Earl Granville, his Heirs or Assigns, the Yearly Rent of Sixteen Shillings and one pence, which is at the Rate of Three Shillings Sterling, for every Hundred Acres, and so in Proportion, for a less Quantity, at or upon the Twenty-fifth Day of March, and the Twenty-ninth Day of September, in every Year, by even or equal Portions; and to be paid at the Court-House for the said County of Orange unto the said Earl, his Heirs or Assigns, or to his or their lawful Attorney or Deputy-Receiver for the Time being, the first Payment thereof to be made on such of the aforementioned Days of Payment as shall first happen after the Date hereof, and the said Hosea Tapley for himself, his Heirs and Assigns, and for either and every of them Doth hereby Covenant, Promise, and Agree, to and with the said Earl, his Heirs and Assigns, and to and with either and every of them, by these Presents, in Manner and Form following: That is to say, That Hosea Tapley his Heirs or Assigns, shall and will, Yearly, and every Year, for ever, well and truly pay, or cause to be paid, unto the said Earl, his Heirs or Assigns, or unto his or their lawful Attorney or Deputy-Receiver for the Time being; the first payment thereof to be made on such of the aforementioned Days of Payment as shall first happen after the Date hereof; and the said Hosea Tapley for himself, his Heirs and Assigns, and for either and every one of them Doth hereby Covenant, Promise, and Agree, to and with the said Earl, his Heirs or Assigns, and to and with either and every of them, by these Presents, in Manner and Form following:  That is to say, That Hosea Tapley, his Heirs or Assigns, shall and will, Yearly, and every Year, for ever, will and truly pay, or cause to be paid, unto the said Earl, his Heirs or Assigns, or unto his or their lawful Attorney or Deputy-Receiver for the Time being, on the Days, and at the Place aforesaid, the said Yeaarly Rent or Sum of Sixteen Shillings and one pence, by half Yearly Payments, as aforesaid: Provided alwys, and this present Grant is hereby expressly Declared and Agreed, by and between the said Parties, to be, nevertheless, UPON THIS CONDITION, viz. That if it shall happen, that the said Yearly Rent of Sixteen Shillings and one pence, or any Part thereof, shall at any Time hereafter, be behind or unpaid for the Space of Six Months, next over or after any or either of the aforementioned Days of Payment, (and no sufficient Distress can be found on the Premises, to levy such Rent and Arrears, with the full Costs, Charges, and Expences in making the same) That then, this present Grant, and all Assignments thereof, shall be utterly void, and of none Effect; and it shall be lawful for the said Earl, his Heirs or Assigns, to re-enter into the said Lands, and to re-grant the same, to any other Person or Persons whomsoever, as if this Grant, and such Assignments thereof, had never been made. IN WITNESS whereof, the Parties above-named, have hereunto set their Hands and Seals, the Day and Year first above written.

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,
in the Presence of Us,  

                                                                              Hosea Tapley

• Thos. Haywood

• John Haywood Junr"

I asked Google Gemini to explain this document to me.  It did not disappoint.

"What is this document?

This document is a Lord Granville Land Grant (sometimes called an Earl Granville deed or indenture) dated January 2, 1756.

• The Parties: The agreement is between John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville (represented as the Lord Proprietor of the northern half of North Carolina) and Hosea Tapley.

• The Land: It grants 402 acres of land situated in Orange County, North Carolina (specifically in the Parish of St. Matthew, located on both sides of the North Fork of Little River).

Key Sections Explained

• The Historical Background (The Recital): The long preamble explains why Lord Granville has the authority to sell this land. It references a 1749 indenture where King George II formally confirmed that Earl Granville retained a one-eighth proprietary share of the old Carolina territories originally granted by King Charles the Second.

• The Sale & Price: Lord Granville transferred the 402 acres to Hosea Tapley in exchange for ten shillings sterling paid upfront, alongside ongoing annual fees (quitrents).

• Mineral Reservations: True to colonial land grants, the Crown and the Earl kept a tight grip on potential wealth beneath the soil. The document reserves one-fourth of all gold and silver for the King, and half of the remaining three-fourths for Earl Granville himself. Hosea Tapley owned the surface, timber, and farming rights, but not the royal precious metals.

• The Quitrent (Yearly Tax): Hosea Tapley was required to pay a yearly rent of sixteen shillings and one pence (calculated at the standard rate of three shillings per 100 acres). This payment was due annually (split across March and September) and had to be paid directly at the Orange County Court-House to the Earl's deputy receiver.

• The Default Clause: If the rent went unpaid for more than six months—and if no physical property or livestock could be seized ("distressed") on the land to cover the debt—the grant would become void, and the Earl had the legal right to re-enter the property and give it to someone else.

• Witnesses: The document was formally signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of of two witnesses with Hosea Tapley signing at the bottom."

Google Gemini also provided the transcription with me having to read it line by line and correct several mistakes.  Those mistakes mostly came from the handwriting, specially the spelled out numbers. 

                                                                        

Black Sheep Sunday - Part 5 (1940) of From small town Georgia boy to notorious Texas (and beyond!) con man

 This post is the 5th in a series of posts about the life of Elridge Solomon Price, Sr.  You can find the other installments here:  Part 1,  Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

Yes, you read that correctly.  I will be covering only one year in this post.  That is because a huge thing took place in 1940.  Elridge filed for custody of his and Edith's youngest child - a daughter born in Alaska while he was on the run.  In 1940, she would have been 4-5 years old.  What I find interesting is that she was not the only minor child.  They had 2 sons who were 16 and 12 years old in 1940, but Elridge did not pursue custody of them.  Only the little girl.  

However, before the custody case, another newsworthy event happened to the Prices.  In May, Elridge and Edith were living in  Ballinger, Runnels County, Texas.  On a Sunday night, while they were asleep, a thief came into their home and robbed them. About $2,000 worth of jewelry was taken, among other items.  The crime did not make the news until Tuesday.

Newspapers.com, San Angelo Evening Standard, San Angelo, Texas,
Tuesday, May 07, 1940, Page 8

Newspapers.com, Standard-Times, San Angelo, Texas,
Wednesday, May 08, 1940

Newspapers.com, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas,
Wednesday, May 08, 1940, Page 18.

It sounds to me like law enforcement was suspicious of the robbery story.  I am too since there is no more mention of it after this.

On to the custody case:  It all started June 26 when a listing in the newspaper showed that Edith had once again filed for divorce from Elridge, this time in Olathe, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, which is where they were living at the time.  Immediately, Elridge sued for custody of their daughter. 

Perhaps the boys were with their father because when Edith left Elridge this time, she and the youngest daughter went and stayed at the home of Miss Lutie Davis, a Kansas city "woman lawyer" as the newspaper called her.  There was no mention of any of the other children living with her.  Elridge sued for custody saying that Edith was "unfit" to rear the daughter, and he used Edith's  friendship with Miss Davis as the reason for this. Meanwhile, the child was eventually taken from Edith and placed in the custody of a probation officer pending the outcome of the case.  

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Star,  Kansas City, Missouri,
Friday, July 12, 1940, Page 11

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri,
Saturday, July 13, 1940

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Saturday, July 13, 1940

It only gets confusing from here.  A witness for the prosecution (Elridge) was brought in to testify about an assault she supposedly received from Miss Davis about 7 months earlier.  The following article outlines the testimony.  Just remember the names Lutie Davis (woman lawyer) and Miss Elinor Leonhardt (hotel manicurist).

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Monday, July 15, 1940

So now in addition to the custody case, Miss Davis was arrested on a morals charge and placed in jail pending a $7,500 bond.

To say Elridge went on the offensive in this custody case would be an understatement.  In addition to calling Edith "unfit," he also brought an insanity charge against her.  She was taken into custody of the Johnson County (Missouri) court pending a hearing on this charge.  Even the newspaper called  this "the many sided lurid child custody case."

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Tuesday, July 16, 1940, Page 3

The probate judge hearing the case spent part of July 16th interviewing the Price sons in private.

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri,
Thursday, July 18, 1940, Page 8

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri,
Thursday, July 18, 1940, Page 7

A verdict is reached on the insanity charge against Edith on July 23.

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri,
Tuesday, July 23, 1940, Page 4

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Tuesday, July 23, 1940

The custody case continues with the Prices' former nursemaid testifying on behalf of the defendant (Edith). 

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Friday, July 26, 1940, Page 6

According to this article, the case has taken another strange turn.  Now Eldridge Jr. (age 18) has gotten drawn into the mess and has taken a morals charge out against Miss Davis. She was again held in jail.

And it continues to get stranger...

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Sunday, August 04, 1940, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri,
Sunday, August 11, 1940, Page 4

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri,
Tuesday, August 13, 1940, Page 7

Newspapers.com, Kansas 
City Journal, Kansas
City, Missouri, Thursday,
August 15, 1940, page 9

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Times,
Kansas City, Missouri,
Thursday, August 15, 1940, Page 7

                 

I was beyond shocked that they printed the child's photo, name, and her sister's address in the newspaper! This would be unheard of today. I would think that with Elridge's notoriety, protecting the child's privacy and keeping her safe would have been a priority.  I am sure he had a lot of enemies that would not think twice about going after his family.

So why did I publish it? Well, Jeamiesean "Jeep" has passed away now, and this all happened over 80 years ago.  

Then it was time for tit for tat: 

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri,
Friday, August 16, 1940, Page 3

Feel like you're at a tennis match yet?  Neck hurting from turning back and forth from a custody case to perjury cases?

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri,
Wednesday, August 28, 1940, Page 15

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri,
Thursday, September 05, 1940, Page 18

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri,
Tuesday, September 10, 1940

For those of us who are not attorneys, I asked Google Gemini to explain this article in layman's terms.  First of all, what is a Writ of Mandamus?

"Alternative Writ of Mandamus: An emergency order issued by a higher court (the supreme court) directing a lower-court judge to either perform a mandatory duty (in this case, certify/transfer the transcript to the district court) or "show cause" why they refuse to do so.

The Legal Maneuver Sequence

1. The Custody Order: The probate court granted custody of 4-year-old Jeamsiean Edith Price to her older married sister, Mrs. Lorraine Johnson, who then took the child to Texas after posting a return-guarantee bond.

2. The Blocked Appeal: Mrs. Price wanted to challenge this decision and filed a timely notice of appeal. However, Judge Jones refused to send the case records to the district court, arguing that his custody order was "not appealable" under the law.

3. The High Court Intervention: Trapped by the judge's refusal to pass along the paperwork, Mrs. Price's attorney (Thomas E. Joyce) bypassed the lower courts and went straight to the state's supreme court.

4. The Supreme Court Response: The supreme court sided with Mrs. Price's application by issuing the alternative writ of mandamus. This forced Judge Jones to either forward the transcript or explain his refusal in court by the designated answer day of September 25."

An excellent explanation in my opinion.

Now it's back to the morals and perjury charges:

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri,
Wednesday, September 04, 1940, Page 6

Then another bomb drops! While the following doesn't pertain to the child custody case, per se, I do think the timing is questionable.  

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Monday, September 30, 1940, Page 1

In October, the probate court judge finally conceded to the Kansas state supreme court and filed a copy of the transcript of the proceedings with the district court.

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Missouri,
Tuesday, October 15, 1940, Page 6

Finally a little relief for Edith.

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Saturday, October 19, 1940, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri,
Saturday, October 26, 1940

On November 4... nothing.  Elridge was up to something.

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri,
Tuesday, November 05, 1940, Page 8

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri,
Sunday, November 17, 1940, Page 4

This is when we have to turn back to the perjury issues:

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Friday, November 22, 1940

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Saturday, November 23, 1940

Things begin to snowball at this point.

Newspapers.com, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri,
Wednesday, November 27, 1940, Page 8

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri,

Thursday, December 19, 1940, Page 2

Newspapers.com, The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri,
Saturday, December 21, 1940

At the end of 1940, the Price custody case was still dragging on.  Elridge has a warrant for perjury and no one knows where his daughter is.  Elridge is about to do what he always does... run.  Unfortunately, you will have to wait until the next installment to find out what 1941 brings in this saga.