Years Ago 100

As it appeared in the Fifty Years Ago column in the March 1917 editions of the Rome News-Tribune

Old man Hester has done it again. He has done it several times. He yesterday kidnapped his little five-yearold son who was in charge of County Nurse Lillian Duke. Hester is the 82-year-old father who is unable to support his three boys and the two older boys are now at the Berry School where they were recently taken when Miss Berry offered to care for them. A few days ago when Miss Duke offered to adopt the child he refused to consent but said she could have him for awhile. The mother is dead.

Hester’s natural love for the little boy and unwillingness to give him up make the case distressing for those who wish to care for the youngster so that he may be properly educated and grow to be a useful citizen. The father is almost too old to do any work and is besides not in robust health. He is a Confederate veteran.

The father and the child were found by Sheriff Smith later on the road to the Berry School and returned to the Ordinary’s office but not effort was made to detain them and they left again for a friend’s house four miles from Rome where Hester says he will be allowed to stay.

*** Using a case of whiskey, in pints, as a pillow and with three other cases under the seat he was occupying, Will Pope was found in a train of the Southern railway in East Rome last night bound for Atlanta. He had come from Chattanooga. The only other passenger in the car was a woman who denied any knowledge of Pope or his contraband goods. He was arrested by Sheriff Smith and his deputies and lodged in the county jail.

The officers had gone to meet the train expecting to find a man they wanted – not Pope – but in going through the cars found Pope and the whiskey. It was also taken to jail.