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Subject: Ga-Marion Co. News (After 32 years G)
Date: 2 Sep 2004 23:45:42 -0000


Marion County GaArchives News.....After 32 years Gaines Edwards brought back from Ala. for trial, charged with the murder of his wife May 7 1886
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Carla Miles http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00010.html#0002476 September 2, 2004, 7:45 pm

The Marion County Patriot
The Marion County Patriot, No. 19
Friday, May 7, 1886
Page One

After Thirty-Two Years

An Old Gentleman Brought Back From Alabama for Trial, Charged with the Murder
of his Wife

Thirty-two years ago Jesse Gaines Edwards, known among his neighbors as “Gaines
Edwards” was a farmer of small means living a few miles from Buena Vista, in
Marion County. Besides his wife and several children, a young man, Daniel
Majers, eighteen years of age, and his sister, a pretty maid of sixteen
summers, were inmates of his family. Gaines Edwards at that time, was in the
middle of his life, being 44 years old.

In the month of March 1854, about eleven o’clock at night, Mrs. Edwards was
found in the kitchen hanging dead by the neck. There was only one living
witness to the crime, if crime it was. Mr. J.F. Rushin, father of Sheriff
Rushin, who died several years ago, cut the body of Mrs. Edwards down, and he
said there was faint pulsations of the heart at that time. Mr. Rushin was
awakened from his sleep by a negro and told what he had seen at the Edwards
home, and when he had arrived at the scene Edwards was standing near his wife,
who was swinging by the neck. He was asked why he did not cut the body down,
and he replied he was afraid the law would accuse him of the crime. The
coroner’s inquest, after hearing the testimony, said it was a case of suicide.

The grave closed over the mysteries of the deed, the people ceased to talk and
went about their business. Only a few weeks after the settlement was startled
anew by the news of the marriage of Gaines Edwards to pretty Miss Majers. The
old ladies of the neighborhood resumed the talk about the “Edwards” and one
would whisper to another the belief that Gaines Edwards hung his wife.

Time continued to go – weeks, months, years went by, and still the old ladies
at the quiltings would speak of “about the time Gaines Edwards hung his wife,”
and then it came about that Mitch Blanford, who was run away at the time, saw
him pull the table from under her and let her dangle in the air. But Mitch was
a negro, a slave belonging to M.H. Blanford, now Judge Blanford. His
deposition was not good in court. And so matters went until seventeen years
had passed, and still Gaines Edwards tilled the soil and sent his children to
school in Marion County. He then moved away; went west. After eight years he
again set his face toward the rising sun, came back to Georgia and settled in
Randolph County. Three years ago he moved to Dale County, Ala., his present
home. And still the old people of Marion County remembered about the hanging
of Gaines Edwards’ wife. Mitch Blanford became free, and his oath was good in
court. A few years ago the matter was brought before the grand jury and a true
bill was found charging Gaines Edwards with murder.

The old man is now seventy-six years old. His second wife is still living – has
a large family – children and grandchildren. He was not placed in jail when he
arrived here last week, but was allowed to go free until his case came up this
week.

This case was taken up yesterday afternoon and was disposed of very quickly, as
there was only one witness, a negro. It seemed to be the verdict of our people
that the old man was not guilty, and so was the verdict of the jury, after
remaining out only a short while. The old man is in very indigent
circumstances, and a purse of ten dollars was made up yesterday to defray his
expenses back to his home in Dale County.



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