Skip to main content

I'm new here and don't know anything about the Dawson fellow a lot of you are discussing. I was doing some research on other people (that's how I happened upon this site) and ran across this information, I'd like to share here. I think it's interesting and believe you will to. It's an old newspaper article about Willie Dewitt Dawson, dated April 30, 1085. Just copy and paste into your browser.

http://news.google.com/newspap...er&pg=5168%2C7674891
Joyce and Dewitt lived a few houses down from me when I was growing up. I also met Mr. Walking Tall when he got his Corvette at Crump's Chevrolet. It was always a rumor that Dewitt had a hand in his death since Buford stopped and seized a couple tractor trailer loads of alcohol that was headed here. It hit Dewitt where it hurt, in his pocket book. Anyway, I can remember seeing the ABI, FBI and troopers lined up in front of our house on the highway when they raided Dewitt's house and arrested him.
Ok kind of a funny story, dad was working on a real job, Wink I am thinking at Colbert Steam Plant at the time and Dewitt came by our house wanting dad to go gambling , Shooting Dice or Poker, mom was so madd , as Dewitt was walking off the front porch Mom kind of kicked him the rea end and told him don't come back, he's at work !
I have been many times to where they played Poker and Shot Dice, lol under a shade tree in the middle of a cotton field once , between Town Creek and Wheeler Dam . Yes the man that ran the store where you turn to Patterson Bridge was there too!
This thread is very interesting to me, as I am Dewitt's great-niece by marriage, and grew up playing with Lisa and Jason in the house over at the foot of Lagrange Mtn. I loved Uncle Dewitt, he always had a joke and a ready laugh and a dollar for me and my brother. He was always larger than life, and was always optimistic and had an electrifying presence. Even as a small child, I felt it.

I was well aware of the fact that he ran outside the law, but he was family. Aunt Joyce was a sweet, godly, virtuous woman, and never dreamed of ever leaving him, even when he was in prison and her house, cars, and other possessions were taken. She passed away seven years ago, and I miss her very much.

Walkabout...you and I are related by marriage. Ray is/was my great-uncle. Is your mama Louise? Because Uncle Ray's last wife has a teenage kid, and if this is you Jon, you BETTER not be running around the Blackcat on weekends!! Hahaha!
quote:
Originally posted by trader:
Bill:
Bill ran a wrecker service and other businesses...
He was shot. According to some, it was a contract hit connected to some business dealings that went south.
I knew bill and he was always hustling something to make money...sometimes you can hustle the wrong thing...


I dated a niece of his for a short time and use to hang around his station now and again....

He was quite a character. Wink
quote:
Originally posted by RoadHawg:
quote:
Originally posted by trader:
Bill:
Bill ran a wrecker service and other businesses...
He was shot. According to some, it was a contract hit connected to some business dealings that went south.
I knew bill and he was always hustling something to make money...sometimes you can hustle the wrong thing...


I dated a niece of his for a short time and use to hang around his station now and again....

He was quite a character. Wink
Yeah I remember. James Balentine was shot at his bar. Johnny Hood (owned Johnny's Place) was charged with the murder, but he was shot and killed before he could stand trial. a witness told investigators that they saw 2 men leaving Balentine's bar. Rumor had it that My Uncle Jimmy was some how involved. James had a son (Charles) who was locked up when the murder (of James Balentine)took place. When Charles was released from jail, he hunted down Uncle Jimmy to avenge his Fathers death. He ran into my step-dad (Joe) and thought that he was Jimmy. Charles shot Joe 3 times with a sawed-off shotgun and left him dead on the side of Cowpin Road about 200 feet south of the Tennessee State line.
quote:
Originally posted by The Professor:
Hi BFREDo7,
I drove through St Joe. on August 8 and I stopped by city springs to see the old swimming hole. Mitchell's daughter (Shirley) was there with her grand kids. My wife struck up a conversation with Shirley (I had no idea who she was when we walked past her to get to the waterfall...I had not seen her in nearly 40 years). When my wife told the lady (Shirley) who I was, she could not believe it. Shirley then walked up and told me that she was Mitchell Simpson's daughter. She then told me that Mitchell had shot himself in the head during his last days of fighting prostate cancer. Mitchell was with Joe when Charles Balentine Shot Joe Wright on Cowpen Road. In fact, he was arrested along with his daughters boyfriend (Randy Wilson) and Charles B. Mitchell and Randy were released the next day, and Charles was charged with Joe's murder.



quote:
Originally posted by BFred07:
quote:
Originally posted by The Professor:
[QUOTE] How about Mitchell Simpson; I heard he shot himself about a month or so ago.


This just got interesting, I have not seen Mitchell in years but even as an old guy he was a pistol and had a wild side. I checked out his obit and it said he died after an extended illness. nothing about shooting himself. Anyway, I thought the world of Mitchell and would love to hear some tales from when he was younger.
I am reading this stuff posted about my dad he was not arrested annd released on joe wrights murder he was with him when it happened and he testified for the proscution. he may have done a lot of things in his life but that was not one . as for randy wilson he was not my boyfriend i dont even know him and my dad chose to end his life because of all the pain and because of what it was doing to my mother and brother it was not by shooting his self in the head.
Hi Shirley,
I am sorry if I offended you; I am just looking for Information on Joe's death. I am putting all of this together so that I can write a book about his life. I want you to know that I have nothing against your father. I remember him as a good friend of Joe's, and he was always there when Joe needed him. I have not fabricated any of my stories, as I have usually provided articles from the Times Daily to back up what I have written. I did assume that you were Randy's girl friend based on the things that I remember from visiting your house when I was 6 or 7 years old. I do apologize for that mistaken assumption. I am providing an article that was written the day after Joe was shot. Please check page 20. Again, I mean no harm. It was nice seeing you this past summer. God Bless you and your loved one's.

http://news.google.com/newspap...4&printsec=frontpage
Hi bossman3961,
I can't find any info on Randy. He seemed to "disappear" after he was questioned. I assume (I know that an assumption can sometimes be a bad thing) that he was told to leave town for a while. I originally started reading this forum to see if I could find a Buford P - Joe Wright connection. I am curious about what Rick Thompson would remember, or be willing to share on this matter. I am sure that Rick holds a great deal of information on Joe's murder; he was very young when he investigated this case, so I would again assume that this case would still cross his mind every once in a while; kind of like remembering your first "big job accomplishment".
Hi Bossman,
I have read a few headlines that kind of support what you wrote. I am not sure about the poker game, but I am sure that both Balentine and Hood played some high stakes poker games. I was with Joe Wright (I was probably 6) one day when he took me to a place where the guys would sit around and gamble. The place was kind of a shack, and Joe went in with a wad of 100 dollar bills. Joe spent time with both James Balentine and Johnny Hood. I will keep digging through the archives to find the info that you are looking for. I have read that a witness told the police that they saw 2 men leave Balentine's bar during the early morning hours (shortly after his death). Hell, it wouldn't take much for Hood to hire a hit on Balentine if he wanted to keep from loosing his bar over a card game. There were some pretty shady characters that hung around both Balentine's and Hood's place back then.

Check out the front page and page 7 for a little bit of info.

http://news.google.com/newspap...lentine+murder&hl=en
quote:
Originally posted by The Professor:
quote:
Originally posted by junior samples:
Thank you for the post Professor.Are you writing a book or sell a book about all those days?


Hey Junior,
Thanks....I also like white beans with a mix of pinto beans and salt pork..yee-haw

Yes I am writing a book,but you will have to wait; like good beans, a good book takes a lot of time to "simmer."
I have a few questions about Bob Seger and his time in Florence. As I have moved on to the later stages of gathering information about the Shoals area, I have learned that Seger recorded his song "Famous Final Scene" at an old casket factory off of Jackson Highway in 1978. I have also found that Pete Carr played lead guitar, Roger Hood played bass, and Roger Hawkins played drums. Can anyone help me confirm this? I found Seger's "Famous Final Scene" as a fitting way to close out my book.

Add Reply

Post

Untitled Document
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×