Bibb-Upson-Thomas County GaArchives Obituaries.....Howell, Lloyd February 16, 1918 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Carla Miles http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002476 June 21, 2005, 2:32 pm The Butler Herald, February 21, 1918 The Butler Herald Thursday, February 21, 1918 Page One Upson Sheriff and Son Are Killed By Thomaston's Chief Difficulty Follows Attempt of the Town Marshal to Arrest Lloyd Howell, Son of Sheriff Macon, Ga., Feb. 17 Thomaston, Feb. 27 (17?) Lloyd Howell was instantly killed and his father, Charles Howell, sheriff of Upson County, fatally wounded in a fusillade, which occurred on a street here Saturday night between the men and the chief of Police J.W. McDaniel and night Marshal J.J. Moore. Sheriff Howell died here tonight at 9:20 from a bullet wound in the abdomen. A warrant was sworn out, charging Chief McDaniel with double murder, and he was arrested and carried to the Bibb County jail at Macon by Coroner Ingram. The trouble started, it is said, when Night Marshal J.J. Moore ordered Lloyd Howell off the street, charging that he was drunk and creating a disturbance. Young Howell refused to go, and pushed the marshal into the plate glass window of the Jones, Adams & Johnson Co. Chief McDaniel came to the marshal's aid, and Sheriff Howell arrived upon the scene practically at the same time. Firing Begins In an argument which followed, guns were drawn and a fusillade of shots followed. Sheriff Howell and his son fell to the sidewalk, both shot through the abdomen. Young Howell died 40 minutes later. In a statement said to have been made by Sheriff Howell while he was undergoing an operation, he charged Chief McDaniel with firing both shots which struck him and his son. None of the several eye-witnesses to the fight could tell who shot the two men as they said many shots were fired and bullets whizzed in every direction. McDaniel in Macon Jail J.W. McDaniel, chief of police of Thomaston, charged with shooting and killing Charles Howell, sheriff of Upson County, and his son, Lloyd Howell, on a Thomaston street Saturday night, was brought to Macon last night by Coroner E.R. Engram (Ingram?) and placed in the Bibb County jail. It was purely self-defense, McDaniel told a Telegraph reporter last night. I was in discharge of my duty and was placed in a position where I had to defend myself. The reporter told him the story as detailed from Thomaston, and he said it was practically correct. Jim and Clin Howell, sons of the sheriff, yesterday swore out a warrant charging McDaniel with the murder of their father and brother. Coroner Engram (Ingram?) and A.B. Colquitt, a deputized citizen, brought McDaniel to Macon on the Macon and Birmingham train which arrived here at 10 o'clock last night. On Police Duty 23 Years McDaniel said that is 46 years old, has been on police duty at Thomaston 23 years, and chief of police for past nineteen years. He is married and has one son. Last night McDaniel was composed and smoked a cigar as he talked. He said that he (article torn). will be set early this week. Attorney's Robert L. Berner of Macon, and M.H. Sandwich and Tom Worrell, of Thomaston, have been employed by McDaniel. An Alleged Moonshiner Deputy Internal Revenue Collector Tobe Moye stated last night that two charges are pending in the United States district court here against Lloyd Howell, who was killed at Thomaston Saturday night. Some time ago Mr. Moye raided a restaurant operated by Howell in Thomaston and found an illicit distillery being operated there. Charges of moonshining and selling liquor without a license were made against Howell. Mr. Moye states that Howell was known as a desperate character. Bad feeling is said to have existed between Howell and the police chief for some time, and Deputy Moye claims that Howell attempted to frame up McDaniel some time ago and involved him in a whiskey case. ==================== The Butler Herald Thursday, March 7, 1918 Page One Thomaston Chief Freed By Justice Warrant Charging Will McDaniel With Killing Sheriff Howell and Son is Dismissed Thomaston, March 2 - Following a preliminary trial that lasted through most of two days, Will McDaniel, chief of police of Thomaston, was this afternoon freed by decision of the justices presiding. The warrant on which McDaniel was arrested and under which he has been in custody since the killing of Sheriff Howell and his son, Lloyd, was ordered dismissed. The Upson Sheriff and his son were shot the night of Feb. 16 during trouble on the street here, the latter dying almost instantly. McDaniel had been confined in the Bibb County jail at Macon until yesterday, when he was brought here for the preliminary hearing. While the action this afternoon disposes of the case for the time being, it is understood the matter will be presented to the grand jury when the May term of Upson Superior Court convenes. Eye Witnesses Agree Every eye-witness to the shooting called to the stand told substantially the same story in that both Howells were threatening in their manner, that the older one would not listen to friends and that the sheriff was the aggressor in the affair. According to evidence the elder Howell was so infuriated, because of the sight of his son in a bloody condition following a fall through a plate glass window, that he would not even heed the voice of his son. According to a statement of McDaniel himself the bad feeling toward him by the sheriff had begun as far back as 1914. Three times in his testimony he recited times when Howell has threatened his life because he was enforcing the law against Lloyd Howell. The three justices took only about ten minutes in reaching a decision. Probably the greatest array of counsel assembled in this section in many years represented the two sides. Col. R.L. Berner, of Macon, was leading counsel for the defense and was assisted by Cleveland & Goodrich of Griffin and M.H. Sandwich and Claud Worrell, of Thomaston. Judge Reagan was leading counsel for the prosecution, assisted by his son, E.L. Reagan, Will Allen and Solicitor E.M. Owen. This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb