| Summary: | Folder contains 4 pages of Alabama folklore compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.... ~ .ro
Beaaie Bigbee, Houaton County
Authority and approvecr1ly.
Julian Hall
In 1899. Dothan waa atill living up to the reputation of being the worat
town in the aouth. It aeemed that aomeone waa continually getting in fighta
or killed.
The Dothanitea kidnapera capable of doing anything were made up of thirty-five
carousing citizena who went by horae. buggy and wagon to Ozark to aeize
the engine from the Central of Georgia, and turn it over to workmen so the
Alabama Midland road could e"tend to Dothan. The Mayor A. C. Crawford of
Dothan received a meaaage atating that the engine the Alabeme Midland. needed
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to l.q traelc in D,othan'a direction to get the kidnaped engine back. The
wea ahipped from EufaUla to Ozark over the Central track and the C Of!
engine
*agent
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refuaed to turn it over to the Alabama Midland workmen. running it on a aide
track and aecurely draping it in locka and chaina. The Mayor got a aacond
meaaege that read like thia "Come up here and get it looae for ua."
The party numbering thirty-five waa headed by J. L. Domingua. He waa
a city marehall but one that senaed a good time. They left at sunset on
horseback. in wagons and Buggies. All of the party were well stuck with liquor.
They looked like a firearm showing that, every body waa "well heeled."
Somewhere about Newton, Alabama. the party stopped to take a drink and
examine a haunted tree, where a Negro had been hanged during reconstruction
daya. They spent an hour there getting well o11ed up. T\ie party landed in
Ozark tt dawn. All of the party were there e"cept three that st~ed hid out-aide
of town.
At onon the C. of G. telegraph wires. were cut and the "howling bunch"
from Dothan OAme racing out of the woods as the Central of Georgia's age.
Dan Mabry tried to wire ~aula to get help to save the engine. He spent
the ne"t two hours glumly while the Dothan kidnapera broke the ahacklea IIJ1
the engine. laid improvised track and puahed it on the
property.
A,la•• and Midland
The "abduction" did not require long friends in Ozark. ~ey quietly _
made arrangements. T~ey even .tacked eross ties and rails near the engine,
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