Echoes of the Past is a collection of historical articles curated from The West Virginia News, The Greenbrier Independent, White Sulphur Star, and other publications archived since 1852. You may be exposed to content that you find offensive or objectionable. For historical accuracy, articles are reprinted in their original form, and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the publisher.
1922 – 100 years ago
Exodus from Ireland
A constant stream of immigration has resulted from the reign of terror in Northern Ireland, many families leaving their homes of a life-time in the six counties for America. It is estimated that at least 5,000 Ulsterites have left Ireland for this country since the beginning of the year.
Forced out by the burning and bombing of their homes or the Irish Republican army’s seizure of their property, refugees from the north and west are arriving in Belfast daily, enroute io America, England or Scotland.
The storm of the bitter religious feud which is being waged throughout the north of Ireland, is told by A. W. Hungerford, secretary of the Ulster unionist council. In some districts little pockets of protestants are entirely surrounded by Catholics while in other districts Catholic pockets are surrounded bp protestants. Years of strife have embittered both parties, and between 1,500 and 2,500 are said to have been killed in the last five years as the result of this religious feud.
Judge Anderson killed
Judge John M. Anderson, of Beckley, judge of the Raleigh – county criminal court, was shot and fatally wounded by his wife Thursday night at their home in Beckley. Five shots were fired by Mrs. Anderson at her husband two taking effect in his arm and a third piercing his body above the heart. This shot proved fatal, Judge Anderson dying in a local hospital twenty minutes after the wound was inflicted.
It is said that Judge Anderson and his wife had been quarreling for some time and that he came home Thursday night in an ugly mood, and struck his wife several times, then followed her thru the house, all the while striking her. Finally, in desperation, she is said to have picked up a revolver and shot. She is under arrest but has been allowed to remain at home with her two little children.
Among the moonshiners
L. S. Cochran, E. W. Cochran, and Amos Doyle, special officers, went to the residence of Tracy Phillips, on the head of Clover lick Creek, in Pocahontas county, on July 14th with a search warrant for the purpose of searching the premises for liquor. They found a small boy on sentinel duty a few hundred yards from the house, but flanking the lookout station, they proceeded to advance from the rear of the house and found Mr. Phillips at the front door with a six-shooter revolver in his hip pocket. In the kitchen on the cooking stove was a twenty-gallon copper still, connected up with a double worm, and from the ends of the worms two streams flowed, each about the size of a wheat straw pouring snake juice into a four gallon jar which already contained about three and a half gallons of liquor. A five-gallon glass bottle full of moonshine was also found in the room.
Phillips was taken to Marlinton and before Justice A. E. Smith was held under bond of $1,500 to await action by the grand jury. He failed to give the required bond and was committed to jail. Officer Cochran says this was one of the most complete and most sanitary outfits that he has captured.
1947 – 75 years ago
Drowns in Greenbrier
Preston Triplett Jr., about 19, colored, drowned in the Greenbrier River last Tuesday afternoon, and the body was recovered from the stream at 9:30 Thursday morning.
The youth and three companions were swimming below the Patton pool, about one mile east of Alderson, when they started swimming from the Monroe side to the Greenbrier side. The three companions reached the shore and saw that. Triplett was in difficulty. They made an effort to rescue him, but before they could reach the youth he disappeared in the stream and did not come to the surface again.
Island Park swimming pool opens after 12 years
Island Park swimming pool is now open after 12 years. H. Ernest Tate, who has leased the pool until Jan. 1, 1 1950, said lockers and showers will be ready for use this week. iThe first water was let into the pool early Saturday morning, and an eager crowd of people were waiting to hop into it Saturday afternoon. Although not yet officially open, there were about 200 bathers in the pool Sunday afternoon.
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1972 – 50 years ago
Flood waters receding here; several roads remain blocked
Rivers and streams in the eastern portion of Greenbrier County are slowly receding following heavy rains earlier this week which forced the waters from their banks and into the cities and communities established along them.
Officials at the Bluestone Reservoir reported this morning that the Greenbrier River had dropped one and a half foot during the last 12 hour period. The river crested at 7 p.m. Wednesday at 15.18 feet at Alderson. Flood stage is 15 feet.
At 7:30 a.m. today the river was at 13.75 feet and “falling slowly” according to officials.
Weather reports today called for occasional light showers but enough rain to cause a “flood threat” was not predicted.
Cleanup operations in White Sulphur Springs, hit hardest by yesterday’s flooding, continued today. Damage to businesses and private homes is expected to be in the tens of thousands according to White Sulphur Springs officials.
Several area roads remain closed or blocked today as a result of the flooding.
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Pete Rozelle to appear before Senate committee
WASHINGTON (UPI) – National Football League Commissioner Pete Rozelle was scheduled to appear today before it the Senate Commerce Committee, which is holding hearings on the advisability of creating a federal sports commission. According to an advance text of this statement, Rozelle was to tell the commission that each sport is intrinsically different than the others and “it would simply not be possible as to establish rules which could do be applied fairly and reasonably to sports in general.”
Rozelle also denied that professional sports could be termed “big business.”
Attacks Escalated
BELFAST (UPI)—Irish Republican Army (IRA) militants e escalated their attacks today, giving a final show of power before putting aside their arms for a cease-fire that could be an e important step toward peace in Northern Ireland.
The cease-fire goes into effect – at midnight (7 p.m. EDT). 5. Both branches of the IRA and 5 the British army have agreed to observe the truce. However, – IRA sources said the militant Provisional wing of the IRA was going all-out in the final hours before the ceasefire, presumably to show they were not forced to observe it because of weakness.
1997 – 25 years ago
Protests by citizens postpone bridge repairs in Spa City
Plans by the city of White Sulphur Springs to repair the Garden Heights bridge have been put on hold for the time being. The bridge has been closed to traffic for more than a year since the flood of 1996.
Residents are concerned that the(repair) would displace a significant amount of water, thereby increasing the risk of flooding; and if flooding occurs, the residents are concerned about increased damage.
The repairs would only be temporary because the city is waiting for funds from FEMA to replace the bridge.
Medical testimony dominates trial’s first day
By Christine Jerman – Opening statements and part of the state’s case were heard Monday in the second trial of a Ronceverte man charged with first degree murder.
The case against Johnny Rodoussakis, 38, was moved to Raleigh County because of pretrial publicity and the defendant’s notoriety in Greenbrier County.
Rodoussakis is charged with causing the death of 29-year old Randall Burge of Williamsburg in 1996. He is accused of injecting a lethal dose of morphine into Burge on the night of June 21 of that year.
The first attempt to try Rodoussakis in Beckley ended in a mistrial due to procedural issues which arose during the trial.
