Article about death of JNO. M. BARNES, as Written in "The Monroe Advertiser", dated October 29, 1915. Contributed by Jane Newton
Jno. M. Barnes killed Sunday. Shot Down While Trying to Make Arrest. Assassin and Another Negro Killed and One Wounded.
Mr. John M. Barnes of Russelville, and one of the most prominent men in the county ws shot and almost instantly killed Sunday afternoon, while seeking to arrest a Negro who had created a disturbance at a Negro camp meeting. Blanton Ralls and another Negro named Webb were shot in the melee, and Henry Harris, who lives in ____, in Crawford county, said to have been the Negro who killed Mr. Barnes, was later killed by Mr. Jim Abercrombie of Russelville. The Webb Negro died of his wounds Sunday night and Blanton Ralls is said to be in a precarious condition.
The trouble occurred at Pine Grove church where a Negro camp meeting was in progress. According to witnesses, Webb had drawn a pistol on the Ralls Negro and when Mr. Barnes who was the bailiff of the Russelville district, sought to arrest Webb the trouble started. He and Ralls had the Webb Negro by the arm when a Negro woman, the wife of Henry Harris, with an oath, jerked the Webb Negro away from Mr. Barnes. Then it was that Henry Harris, a cousin of the Webb Negro opened fire on the office, with a pistol, the ball entering Mr. Barnes' back. As he fell, Harris shot Ralls in the face and accidentally shot his cousin Webb in the abdomen. It is said that he backed up the road, away from the church grounds he continued to fire into the crowd and it is reported that more than twenty five shots were fired in the fusillade which followed the killing. So far as is known, no one else was shot.
It is also reported that Mr. Barnes was shot by the Negro woman, Harris, but most of the reports give Harris as the one who did the killing.
Harris was located on the farm of Mr. Jim Abercrombie, and the latter, armed with a repeating shot gun sought to arrest the Negro. The latter however, refused to surrender and with the statement, "I have already killed one white man, and don't mind getting another, " advanced with pistol in hand, on Mr. Abercrombie. The white man shot him in the face, but Harris, wiping the blood from the buck shot wounds in his face, continued to advance on Mr. Abercrombie, but before the Negro could fire Mr. Abercrombie killed him with another shot.
Mr. Barnes was not only a successful farmer of his community, but he was one of the best liked men in the entire county and his murder created intense excitement. As son as he learned of the disturbance, the Sheriff, and several of his bailiffs left for Russelville to investigate the trouble, but no further arrests have been made.
Because of the prominence of Mr. Barnes, the tragedy is deeply deplored. He was a faithful officer and a conscientious man and numbered his friends by the thousands.
The funeral of Mr. Barnes was held at the cemetery at Russelville, the servies being conducted by Rev. C. C. Heard of the Forsyth Baptist church. Mr. Barnes had been a member of the Baptist church for years. Mr. Barnes was buried by the Woodmen of the World.
Not only was a large crowd of sorrowing friends present from his own community, but an especially big crowd of Forsyth people, as well as people from all over Monroe, attended the funeral, and thus paid their last mark of respect to this good man.
Robert E. Lee said "Duty is the sublimest [sic] word in the English language,"
and John Barnes died in the discharge of his duty; he gave his life in enforcing the laws of his state; he died for his country. Surely no man could have died a nobler death.
His death had none of the spectacular glamor which surrounds the soldier who gives up his life on the battlefield, amidst the flying shot and shell and under his country's flag, but the death of Mr. Barnes was no less heroic. He died in the discharge of his duty. As was said of another, "He died with all his armor on, and every buckle shining". Faithful in life, he was faithful in death and his people honor him.
He is dead but he lives in the heart of his friends.
He is survived by his widow and by four children, Miss Dora Barnes, Jno. M. Barnes, Jr. Berner Barnes and Powell Barnes.
Tombstone has inscription, "Woodmen of the World Memorial."
Son of John J. and Elizabeth Jane (Anderson) Barnes
Married 1st.,
Husband of Dora (Zellner) Barnes ~ married December 23, 1886, Monroe Co., GA
Married 2nd., ...
Husband of Ethel Blanche (Zellner) Barnes ~ married November 16, 1888, Monroe Co., GA
Jno. M. Barnes killed Sunday. Shot Down While Trying to Make Arrest. Assassin and Another Negro Killed and One Wounded.
Mr. John M. Barnes of Russelville, and one of the most prominent men in the county ws shot and almost instantly killed Sunday afternoon, while seeking to arrest a Negro who had created a disturbance at a Negro camp meeting. Blanton Ralls and another Negro named Webb were shot in the melee, and Henry Harris, who lives in ____, in Crawford county, said to have been the Negro who killed Mr. Barnes, was later killed by Mr. Jim Abercrombie of Russelville. The Webb Negro died of his wounds Sunday night and Blanton Ralls is said to be in a precarious condition.
The trouble occurred at Pine Grove church where a Negro camp meeting was in progress. According to witnesses, Webb had drawn a pistol on the Ralls Negro and when Mr. Barnes who was the bailiff of the Russelville district, sought to arrest Webb the trouble started. He and Ralls had the Webb Negro by the arm when a Negro woman, the wife of Henry Harris, with an oath, jerked the Webb Negro away from Mr. Barnes. Then it was that Henry Harris, a cousin of the Webb Negro opened fire on the office, with a pistol, the ball entering Mr. Barnes' back. As he fell, Harris shot Ralls in the face and accidentally shot his cousin Webb in the abdomen. It is said that he backed up the road, away from the church grounds he continued to fire into the crowd and it is reported that more than twenty five shots were fired in the fusillade which followed the killing. So far as is known, no one else was shot.
It is also reported that Mr. Barnes was shot by the Negro woman, Harris, but most of the reports give Harris as the one who did the killing.
Harris was located on the farm of Mr. Jim Abercrombie, and the latter, armed with a repeating shot gun sought to arrest the Negro. The latter however, refused to surrender and with the statement, "I have already killed one white man, and don't mind getting another, " advanced with pistol in hand, on Mr. Abercrombie. The white man shot him in the face, but Harris, wiping the blood from the buck shot wounds in his face, continued to advance on Mr. Abercrombie, but before the Negro could fire Mr. Abercrombie killed him with another shot.
Mr. Barnes was not only a successful farmer of his community, but he was one of the best liked men in the entire county and his murder created intense excitement. As son as he learned of the disturbance, the Sheriff, and several of his bailiffs left for Russelville to investigate the trouble, but no further arrests have been made.
Because of the prominence of Mr. Barnes, the tragedy is deeply deplored. He was a faithful officer and a conscientious man and numbered his friends by the thousands.
The funeral of Mr. Barnes was held at the cemetery at Russelville, the servies being conducted by Rev. C. C. Heard of the Forsyth Baptist church. Mr. Barnes had been a member of the Baptist church for years. Mr. Barnes was buried by the Woodmen of the World.
Not only was a large crowd of sorrowing friends present from his own community, but an especially big crowd of Forsyth people, as well as people from all over Monroe, attended the funeral, and thus paid their last mark of respect to this good man.
Robert E. Lee said "Duty is the sublimest [sic] word in the English language,"
and John Barnes died in the discharge of his duty; he gave his life in enforcing the laws of his state; he died for his country. Surely no man could have died a nobler death.
His death had none of the spectacular glamor which surrounds the soldier who gives up his life on the battlefield, amidst the flying shot and shell and under his country's flag, but the death of Mr. Barnes was no less heroic. He died in the discharge of his duty. As was said of another, "He died with all his armor on, and every buckle shining". Faithful in life, he was faithful in death and his people honor him.
He is dead but he lives in the heart of his friends.
He is survived by his widow and by four children, Miss Dora Barnes, Jno. M. Barnes, Jr. Berner Barnes and Powell Barnes.
Tombstone has inscription, "Woodmen of the World Memorial."
Son of John J. and Elizabeth Jane (Anderson) Barnes
Married 1st.,
Husband of Dora (Zellner) Barnes ~ married December 23, 1886, Monroe Co., GA
Married 2nd., ...
Husband of Ethel Blanche (Zellner) Barnes ~ married November 16, 1888, Monroe Co., GA
Article about death of JNO. M. BARNES, as Written in "The Monroe Advertiser", dated October 29, 1915. Contributed by Jane Newton
Jno. M. Barnes killed Sunday. Shot Down While Trying to Make Arrest. Assassin and Another Negro Killed and One Wounded.
Mr. John M. Barnes of Russelville, and one of the most prominent men in the county ws shot and almost instantly killed Sunday afternoon, while seeking to arrest a Negro who had created a disturbance at a Negro camp meeting. Blanton Ralls and another Negro named Webb were shot in the melee, and Henry Harris, who lives in ____, in Crawford county, said to have been the Negro who killed Mr. Barnes, was later killed by Mr. Jim Abercrombie of Russelville. The Webb Negro died of his wounds Sunday night and Blanton Ralls is said to be in a precarious condition.
The trouble occurred at Pine Grove church where a Negro camp meeting was in progress. According to witnesses, Webb had drawn a pistol on the Ralls Negro and when Mr. Barnes who was the bailiff of the Russelville district, sought to arrest Webb the trouble started. He and Ralls had the Webb Negro by the arm when a Negro woman, the wife of Henry Harris, with an oath, jerked the Webb Negro away from Mr. Barnes. Then it was that Henry Harris, a cousin of the Webb Negro opened fire on the office, with a pistol, the ball entering Mr. Barnes' back. As he fell, Harris shot Ralls in the face and accidentally shot his cousin Webb in the abdomen. It is said that he backed up the road, away from the church grounds he continued to fire into the crowd and it is reported that more than twenty five shots were fired in the fusillade which followed the killing. So far as is known, no one else was shot.
It is also reported that Mr. Barnes was shot by the Negro woman, Harris, but most of the reports give Harris as the one who did the killing.
Harris was located on the farm of Mr. Jim Abercrombie, and the latter, armed with a repeating shot gun sought to arrest the Negro. The latter however, refused to surrender and with the statement, "I have already killed one white man, and don't mind getting another, " advanced with pistol in hand, on Mr. Abercrombie. The white man shot him in the face, but Harris, wiping the blood from the buck shot wounds in his face, continued to advance on Mr. Abercrombie, but before the Negro could fire Mr. Abercrombie killed him with another shot.
Mr. Barnes was not only a successful farmer of his community, but he was one of the best liked men in the entire county and his murder created intense excitement. As son as he learned of the disturbance, the Sheriff, and several of his bailiffs left for Russelville to investigate the trouble, but no further arrests have been made.
Because of the prominence of Mr. Barnes, the tragedy is deeply deplored. He was a faithful officer and a conscientious man and numbered his friends by the thousands.
The funeral of Mr. Barnes was held at the cemetery at Russelville, the servies being conducted by Rev. C. C. Heard of the Forsyth Baptist church. Mr. Barnes had been a member of the Baptist church for years. Mr. Barnes was buried by the Woodmen of the World.
Not only was a large crowd of sorrowing friends present from his own community, but an especially big crowd of Forsyth people, as well as people from all over Monroe, attended the funeral, and thus paid their last mark of respect to this good man.
Robert E. Lee said "Duty is the sublimest [sic] word in the English language,"
and John Barnes died in the discharge of his duty; he gave his life in enforcing the laws of his state; he died for his country. Surely no man could have died a nobler death.
His death had none of the spectacular glamor which surrounds the soldier who gives up his life on the battlefield, amidst the flying shot and shell and under his country's flag, but the death of Mr. Barnes was no less heroic. He died in the discharge of his duty. As was said of another, "He died with all his armor on, and every buckle shining". Faithful in life, he was faithful in death and his people honor him.
He is dead but he lives in the heart of his friends.
He is survived by his widow and by four children, Miss Dora Barnes, Jno. M. Barnes, Jr. Berner Barnes and Powell Barnes.
Tombstone has inscription, "Woodmen of the World Memorial."
Son of John J. and Elizabeth Jane (Anderson) Barnes
Married 1st.,
Husband of Dora (Zellner) Barnes ~ married December 23, 1886, Monroe Co., GA
Married 2nd., ...
Husband of Ethel Blanche (Zellner) Barnes ~ married November 16, 1888, Monroe Co., GA
Jno. M. Barnes killed Sunday. Shot Down While Trying to Make Arrest. Assassin and Another Negro Killed and One Wounded.
Mr. John M. Barnes of Russelville, and one of the most prominent men in the county ws shot and almost instantly killed Sunday afternoon, while seeking to arrest a Negro who had created a disturbance at a Negro camp meeting. Blanton Ralls and another Negro named Webb were shot in the melee, and Henry Harris, who lives in ____, in Crawford county, said to have been the Negro who killed Mr. Barnes, was later killed by Mr. Jim Abercrombie of Russelville. The Webb Negro died of his wounds Sunday night and Blanton Ralls is said to be in a precarious condition.
The trouble occurred at Pine Grove church where a Negro camp meeting was in progress. According to witnesses, Webb had drawn a pistol on the Ralls Negro and when Mr. Barnes who was the bailiff of the Russelville district, sought to arrest Webb the trouble started. He and Ralls had the Webb Negro by the arm when a Negro woman, the wife of Henry Harris, with an oath, jerked the Webb Negro away from Mr. Barnes. Then it was that Henry Harris, a cousin of the Webb Negro opened fire on the office, with a pistol, the ball entering Mr. Barnes' back. As he fell, Harris shot Ralls in the face and accidentally shot his cousin Webb in the abdomen. It is said that he backed up the road, away from the church grounds he continued to fire into the crowd and it is reported that more than twenty five shots were fired in the fusillade which followed the killing. So far as is known, no one else was shot.
It is also reported that Mr. Barnes was shot by the Negro woman, Harris, but most of the reports give Harris as the one who did the killing.
Harris was located on the farm of Mr. Jim Abercrombie, and the latter, armed with a repeating shot gun sought to arrest the Negro. The latter however, refused to surrender and with the statement, "I have already killed one white man, and don't mind getting another, " advanced with pistol in hand, on Mr. Abercrombie. The white man shot him in the face, but Harris, wiping the blood from the buck shot wounds in his face, continued to advance on Mr. Abercrombie, but before the Negro could fire Mr. Abercrombie killed him with another shot.
Mr. Barnes was not only a successful farmer of his community, but he was one of the best liked men in the entire county and his murder created intense excitement. As son as he learned of the disturbance, the Sheriff, and several of his bailiffs left for Russelville to investigate the trouble, but no further arrests have been made.
Because of the prominence of Mr. Barnes, the tragedy is deeply deplored. He was a faithful officer and a conscientious man and numbered his friends by the thousands.
The funeral of Mr. Barnes was held at the cemetery at Russelville, the servies being conducted by Rev. C. C. Heard of the Forsyth Baptist church. Mr. Barnes had been a member of the Baptist church for years. Mr. Barnes was buried by the Woodmen of the World.
Not only was a large crowd of sorrowing friends present from his own community, but an especially big crowd of Forsyth people, as well as people from all over Monroe, attended the funeral, and thus paid their last mark of respect to this good man.
Robert E. Lee said "Duty is the sublimest [sic] word in the English language,"
and John Barnes died in the discharge of his duty; he gave his life in enforcing the laws of his state; he died for his country. Surely no man could have died a nobler death.
His death had none of the spectacular glamor which surrounds the soldier who gives up his life on the battlefield, amidst the flying shot and shell and under his country's flag, but the death of Mr. Barnes was no less heroic. He died in the discharge of his duty. As was said of another, "He died with all his armor on, and every buckle shining". Faithful in life, he was faithful in death and his people honor him.
He is dead but he lives in the heart of his friends.
He is survived by his widow and by four children, Miss Dora Barnes, Jno. M. Barnes, Jr. Berner Barnes and Powell Barnes.
Tombstone has inscription, "Woodmen of the World Memorial."
Son of John J. and Elizabeth Jane (Anderson) Barnes
Married 1st.,
Husband of Dora (Zellner) Barnes ~ married December 23, 1886, Monroe Co., GA
Married 2nd., ...
Husband of Ethel Blanche (Zellner) Barnes ~ married November 16, 1888, Monroe Co., GA
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