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Post by Angela on Aug 16, 2009 8:03:48 GMT -5
I talked with Chester Montgomery yesterday, the brother of Raleigh Montgomery who was in our Documentary and he told me something interesting which I hadn't heard before. We all know that Dr. Chester Helsabeck went to the Lawson home the day of the murders to examine the bodies and pronounce them dead. Nothing unusual about that, after all he was the coroner for Stokes County. However, according to Chester, Dr. Wade Byrum was on the scene first. Chester said that on the day of the murders he and his father were at the home of his mother's sister who was sick that day (while Raleigh and their sisters stayed home with their mother) and they hear someone outside screaming. They went outside and saw Elijah Lawson and his two sons Claude and Fred running across the field to their house and they were screaming "have you got any shells, someone has killed all of Charlie Lawson's family and we are out of ammunition". Elijah said they were on their way to Dr. Bynum's house to get him and take him over there. He said Dr. Bynum went back with Elijah to the Lawson house to see if it ws true and it was. Chester then said to me "Lord, Lord, how I wish it hadn't been true, it was just so terrible". Chester has invited me up for a face to face visit with him next week.
Maria
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Post by Angela on Aug 16, 2009 8:06:19 GMT -5
Well that is weird. I always thought it was Dr. Helsabeck that showed up first. He sure did everything else around there.
Angel71242
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Post by Angela on Aug 16, 2009 8:09:34 GMT -5
Bettye Rutledge and I are going to see Chester tomorrow morning for a face to face visit with him and to pick up some photos he has for me. Perhaps I can pick up some more info from him. He sounded on the phone like a really nice man.
Maria
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Post by Angela on Aug 16, 2009 8:11:44 GMT -5
Maria, did you get to visit Chester Montgomery and what did he tell you? I've been waiting anxiously all day to hear from you.
Angel71242
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Post by Angela on Aug 16, 2009 8:22:42 GMT -5
I sure did Angel and it was a wonderful visit. he told us thisone story about Arthur Lawson that took him 3 trys to tell because he got so tickled every time he started telling it and he would have to start over. The story goes that one Saturday night Arthur and L.M. McKenzie got into a fight at the bowling alley. Deputy Everrete Wagoner was called and he went over there, broke up the fight, put Arthur in his patrol car and drove him home. BUT, as Sheriff Wagoner left Arthur's house Arthur ran up behind the patrol car, jumped onto the back bumper, squatted down so Sheriff Wagoner couldn't see him and rode back into town and finished his fight with L.M. McKenzie!!!!! Chester gave me some absolutely wonderful photos that will make a wonderful addition to the Scrapbook. We visited with chester for 2 hours. He was wide open the whole time!! a wonderful gentleman.
Maria
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Post by Angela on Aug 16, 2009 8:28:54 GMT -5
The Scrapbook is going to have everybody in Stokes county in 1929 in it, or at least close to it it seems!!! It will have immense historical value as well. I know it's a Scrapbook but will it have chapters in it with titles to define one section from another like regular books do? I will definitely be in line to buy one Maria.
NascarLover
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Post by Angela on Aug 16, 2009 8:38:34 GMT -5
It will have chapters like a regular book but it goes like this: Take the chapter that will have the family photos in it. The chapter for that will have a ready made background page with photos and letters embedded on it and the words FAMILY PHOTOS stamped on the background page in several places. That tells you that the next set of pages in the book is all about the Lawson and Manring and Bibey families. When you get to the last page in the Scrapbook that deals with photos and stories about the family then the next page will be a different ready made background page with a cemetery on it and the words BROWDER CEMETERY stamped across it. That tells you that you have left the chapter of photos of all the Lawsons, Manrings and Bibeys and are now entering the chapter about Browder Cemetery.
Maria
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Post by Angela on Aug 16, 2009 8:40:45 GMT -5
I can't wait!!!!!!!!!! I absolutely cannot wait to own a copy of this Scrapbook.
Angel71242
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Post by Angela on Aug 16, 2009 8:42:48 GMT -5
I love how after all this time you can still find new info and pictures. I too cannot wait to see and own a copy of the Scrapbook.
Sissy
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Post by Angela on Aug 16, 2009 9:13:32 GMT -5
The photos Chester ended up giving me are:
1. One of him when he was 12 years old (Children Of Stokes County Chapter)
2. Two photos of his parents Boots and Alice Montgomery (Friends and Neighbors Chapter)
3. One photo of his grandmother Liz Montgomery (Friends and Neighbors Chapter)
4. The Junior Order Of United American Mechanics (Deeds and Documents Chapter)
5. Four receipts of bank deposits (Deeds and Documents Chapter)
6. A photo of his other set of grandparents Stephen Montgomery (Friends And Neighbors Chapter)
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Post by angel71242 on Aug 18, 2009 8:17:03 GMT -5
Yea Chester!!!!
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Post by Angela on Aug 18, 2009 9:47:04 GMT -5
So many people gave me so many great photos and I am truly grateful for their generous contributions.. The photos add substance and flesh to the story of that terrible day 80 years ago when Charlie Lawson made a horrible decision to wipe out his wife and children and himself. To be able to see the faces and forms of so many of the people connected to the events of that tragedy and of that time gives life to the story as nothing else can. A partial list of those who gave me over 300 photos is listed below.
1. Chester Montgomery
2. Oakley Manring
3. Richard Rutledge
4. Dorothy Montgomery
5. Ruby Savage
6. Elsie Kiger
7. Beulah Robbins
8. Virginia Mitchell
9. Doug Wall
10. Bobby Manring
11. Herman Bibey
12. Diane Joyce
13. Nancy Hampton
14.Gale James
15. Darrell Hampton
16. Opal Tuttle
17. Doug Boulding
18. Barbara Taylor
19. Anne Kimel
20. Inez Brown
21. Goldie Lawson
22. Shirrey Madison
23. Richard Miller
24. Frances Marion
25. Charles Montgomery
26. Don Montgomery
27. Joan White
28. Margaret Redmon
29. Candi Boles
30. Betty McMillan
31. Betty Edwards
32. Robert Price
33. Ronnie Tuttle
34. Nancy Fowler
35. Wilma Smith
36. Bonnie Snyder
37. Jerry Rutledge
38. Mike Boles
39. O.T. Vernon
40. Bettye Rutledge
41. Esther Johnson
42. Jeff Savage
43. Nicky Browder
44. Anne Brown
45. Patrick Boyles
46. Anita Burroughs
47. Donna Tuttle
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Post by angel71242 on Aug 18, 2009 10:41:03 GMT -5
That's awesome!!! I want to say thank you to all those people too!!!!!!!
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