So she came to my house and she went to another friends house, said Moore. No longer could the gambling charges made against the Phenix City crime syndicate be dismissed as hearsay. Albert Patterson represented Gloria and Roy Smith represented Bubber. He then launched into another four hours of testimony concerning Lamar Reid and the discrepancy in the Jefferson County voting tally, telling the Grand Jury that he only knew of what he had read in the newspapers. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Phenix City. Mississippi? Violent Crimes - Murder Rape Robbery Assault. L - R: Russell County Solicitor Arch Ferrell, State Attorney General Si Garrett, Jeannette Mercer was found, but the defense attacked her character and did everything to discredit her testimony. When I came up in the driveway, (Martins son) came up running to me saying, Uncle Bubba, Richards dead, my dad shot him in the head, he went in there and said my mom is gurgling, Jessicas uncle, Terry Moore, told the local outlet. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. The film invents instances of the fictional Tanner and his cronies engaging in a campaign of terror against the Pattersons and their supporters even before Albert Patterson is assassinated. 14, 2023 at 12:44 PM PDT. What Lamar then realized was that when the discovery of the discrepancy was made, the responsibility of what had been done was his. Barnes, Margaret Ann. Gordon Persons, with only six months left in office as governor, was acutely aware of the powerful passions and potential powder keg in Phenix City - the shooting, killing, and retaliation that was likely to occur as a result of this shocking slaying of the attorney general-elect. the state line, where they could set up shop once more. When the heat was on and the preachers started pounding the pulpit about sin, a few raids were made, and a few prostitutes were locked up overnights until their employers bailed them out the next morning. Growing up, he had three close friends killed in their adolescence by the excesses of Phenix City Jesse Stubbs with his head shot off, Herman Elliott, knocked in the head and found floating in the river, and Jimmie Hooks, stabbed in the heart. The straw broke for the adult Hugh Bentley in 1944 when he and his friend Hugh Britton found a soldier, almost dead, off the side of the road at the Dillingham Street Bridge. Violent Crime Rates In Phenix City. You have a 1 in 156.0 chance of being the victim of a violent crime in Phenix City each year. Hugh Bentley and the RBA were not the only ones saying that law enforcement in Phenix City had gone to hell. The possibilities and profits from providing girls and protection was endless and Albert Fuller decided to explore and exploit this lucrative field. Jerry Lambe is a journalist at Law&Crime. Officers found what his last location appears to be: Piggly Wiggly off of Stadium Drive. [emailprotected]. Read more about Scout's Crime Data. 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On May 13, at approximately 7:45 p.m., Phenix City officers responded to Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital in reference to a person suffering multiple gunshot wounds. The police were also used as defense witnesses to corroborate the self-defense claim. 50-yr-old Tywoana Jakes has been charged with capital murder for killing 12-yr-old Connor Mullens on a lot across the street from her main residence. Gibson is being held without bond. No, its not Chicago or Jersey City were talking about this time, butAlabama? For his defense, Hoyt hired every lawyer in town: Roy Smith, the city attorney also representing Grady, Jabe Braswell, William Belcher, Julius Hicks, Arch Ferrell, Jake Walker, and Albert Patterson. The news of Albert Pattersons ambush slaying flashed like lightening across the Alabama. Upon arrival, officers met with 39-year-old Edward Pettway of Montgomery. For the first time, the gambling community realized that with Albert Patterson guiding the group, a serious assault was about to be made on their activities and it was time to stop it before any real damage was done. First responders on the scene reported initially finding Cook deceased from what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds. That compares to a 1 in 195.8 chance statewide. Bootlegging and rumrunning, rigged elections and assassinations. At one time nationally known, Albert Patterson (1894-1954) was a prominent Alabama attorney and politician. Otis Stewart was never seen again. On May 13, at approximately 7:45 p.m., Phenix City officers responded to Jack Hughston Memorial . Hugh was the youngest of seven boys. (The US average is 35.4) NOTE: Click on the links below to see charts for each crime category. Lamar saw it as a call to arms, an invitation to a heroic act. A 1954 report by the US Armys Criminal Investigation Division stated that the small town had more per capita incidences of venereal disease and violence than any other city in America. Emailus. The Phenix City Story is a crime film based on the assassination of Alabama politician and attorney Albert Patterson in June 1954 in Phenix City, Russell County. You are asked to call the Phenix City Police Department at (334) 298-0611, (334) 448-2840 or (334)-215-7867. Bless their hearts. PHENIX CITY, Ala. (WTVM) - Phenix City police arrested a man on two counts of capital murder. The violent crime rate in Phenix City is 640.9 per 100,000 people. A special grand jury in Birmingham handed down 734 indictments against law enforcement officers, elected officials and business owners connected to organized crime in the city. But John Patterson is attacked on his first night back in Phenix City and must fight to defend himself while the police watch and do nothing. With his equipment gone, he leased his buildings and gave his full attention to politics. It is a favorite of the celebrated American director Martin Scorsese, who featured it in his 1995 documentary A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese through American Movies. He decided that day to make it known to everyone in the capitol that he spoke to that on Monday he planned to go before the Jefferson County Grand Jury and tell all that he knew about the vote fraud in Birmingham and the concerted effort that had been made to cheat him of the election by changing the vote totals. It was as bitter and hard-fought a campaign as Phenix City had seen in a long time. Property Crimes - Burglary Larceny Auto Theft. Gullatt, Otis Taff, and Roy Greene were also elected as commissioners. They formed the Russell Betterment Association (RBA). I also want to encourage you to follow Historic Columbus on Facebook and Instagram for more posts on our community's history. It was double pay for Albert the soldier paid for the girl and the girl paid for protection and the money kept growing and with it, power. The Architectural Styles of Our Town: Columbus, GA by Historic Columbus is licensed under ACreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. He was from a prominent and distinguished family of attorneys. In 1947, Hoyt got his wish. Phenix City, many of those same criminals from east Alabama simply moved west across They sell to Lamar Reid the idea that Patterson and his pack of crooks had stolen the election. Lamar Reid felt his doubts being swept away with the arguments of the two men and returned to euphoria for being included in something important. Of course, once the girls started to work, they had to pay their dues for protection to insure themselves against arrest for prostitution. "Match Any Neighborhood" calculates the Match Level of one neighborhood to another using more than 200 characteristics of each neighborhood. Even All the Kings Men, inspired by the assassination of Louisiana governor Huey Long, had been shot in California. Dixie mafia wasnt yet done, as Janice Branch Tracy records in her book Mississippi Moonshine Politics: How She was seeking alimony and support for their two-year-old daughter. PHENIX CITY, Ala. (WRBL) - On Friday morning, Phenix City community leaders made a plea for help in stopping 2021's surge of violence. They chose to back Otis Taff who was running against the gamblers candidate, Elmer Reese. Cliff Entrekins Fish Camp down by the river served dinner downstairs and sex upstairs, and Frank Gullatts Blue Bonnet Caf. Again, because bootlegging The infant appears to have been Martins unborn child. As the movie starts, Albert Patterson is being urged to run for public office and battle the corrupt influence of Rhett Tanner (played by Edward Andrews), the gangster who controls Phenix Citys virtually lawless 14th Street. The Phenix City Story is a crime film based on the assassination of Alabama politician and attorney Albert Patterson in June 1954 in Phenix City, Russell County. According to police, Martin's ex-husband shot and killed her and Richard Cook in their home along Highway 80 on Misty Lane in Phenix City. Patterson then joined Hugh Bentley and Hugh Britton in their effort to beat the rackets. Hoyt had warned Fate before that if he caught him on this side of the river, hed kill him. Thanks for contacting us. Crime in Phenix City, Alabama (AL): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map All Cities Alabama, Alabama smaller cities, Alabama small towns Phenix City main page US Crime Crime rate in Phenix City, Alabama (AL) Patterson had been gunned down June 18, 1954, in the street outside his law office just days after winning the Democratic nomination for attorney general, for which he had campaigned on a platform of cleaning up the Souths most notorious town. The man, later identified as 47-year-old Jeffrey Lynn Martin, reportedly ran into a wooded area near the house where the shooting took place. The news of Albert Pattersons ambush slaying flashed like lightening across the Alabama. Fuller began providing racket protection to the gamblers. They were Roderick Beddow from Birmingham, E.E. Jessica Martin was found next. Methodology: Lamar Reid felt his doubts being swept away with the arguments of the two men and returned to euphoria for being included in something important. It was now a matter of public record, and the IRS was going to investigate. All rights reserved. For the first time, the gambling community realized that with Albert Patterson guiding the group, a serious assault was about to be made on their activities and it was time to stop it before any real damage was done. At the time of filming, the killers had not yet been identified. In Phenix City, AL you have a 1 in 139 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime. Thats rightinstead of Italian or Irish syndicates, let us introduce you to a bunch of good ol boys who got up to some very evil deeds. In Medical teams also struggled to save the life of the baby Martin was carrying. Little two-year-old . They had determined they only needed 600 votes instead of 700. Crime risk data are updated annually. What happened when that raid forced Governor Johnsons hand? When the jury convened, they came back with a verdict within four hours. They were all laughing, drinking, and joking about running Hugh Bentley out of town when Hoyt spotted Fate Leebern across the room. Have a tip we should know? Continue Reading Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. On June 4, 1954, Si Garrett set out to see Lamar Reid, the 28-year-old brand new chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee in Birmingham. Only Fuller would be convicted, however. In his book Essential Cinema, Alabama-born film critic and historian Jonathan Rosenbaum called The Phenix City Story the best film ever made in his former home state. She notes in her Foreword that information came from in-depth interviews with the principals and investigators, witness sworn testimony, and recordings from wire-taps. Columbus, Georgia 31906. Copyright 2000-2023 Location Inc. deputies regularly extorted local businesses, aided prostitution, and in some Hoyt had warned Fate before that if he caught him on this side of the river, hed kill him. all, the BAMA Club, local capos (of Our nationally-comparable school ratings are covered under US Patent No. Take a walk with author Faith Serafin as she travels through the darkest recesses of Phenix Citys past. Hoyt Shepherd was also unhappy and greatly disturbed by the disclosures and conduct of the trial. Fate, his archrival from Columbus, was sitting at a table with a Columbus Beauty Queen. There was Ma Beachie, a grandmotherly woman who swore that all she provided was high-spirited good fun and a floor show. The Phenix City Story. Williams is a Phenix City resident, according to officials. She was our glue honestly, and its tough, its tough, but its going to get better eventually. Author and native Mississippian Janice Branch Tracy delivers an intimate look at the story of Mississippis moonshine empire. The family oriented practices of the film industry at the time prompted Mainwaring and Wilbur to create an ending in which Pattersons killers are identified and brought to justice. While Hugh Bentley was ecstatic, the crime syndicate was stunned beyond belief that they had not bought enough votes, so they swung into action. Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. The Phenix City Story is a crime film based on the assassination of Alabama politician and attorney Albert Patterson in June 1954 in Phenix City, Russell County. This bombing bred a new kind of terror in Phenix City. A self-professed populist, John Patterson attempted major reforms as governor in Alabama's property-tax [] One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 21. The main source of this Spotlight is The Tragedy and The Triumph of Phenix City, Alabama by Margaret Ann Barnes. Fortunately, everyone survived and only had minor injuries. All Albert had to do was make an arrest, charge them with a fine they couldnt pay, and then arrange for them to work it out at whichever whore house needed a new girl. Garrett suggested voter fraud and that the Jefferson County votes were off by 2,000 votes and he needed to re-check them. Patterson then joined Hugh Bentley and Hugh Britton in their effort to beat the rackets. Active mostly in the 1950s and 1960s, the Dixie Mafia is more accurately understood as several different Dixie mafias, spread across the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida. When we first met Hugh Bentley, he was helping his mother (Minnie) haul baskets of food in his wagon to the workers at the mills in Columbus. This site offers articles on Alabama's people, events, sports, art, literature, industry, government, plant and animal life, agriculture, recreation, and so much more. Fuller laughed it all off. Feeling pressured, Lamar left the tabulation sheets with Si Garrett. When Hugh wouldnt bend to the bribe of becoming Mayor, Hoyt Shepherd did the unexpected he cashed in his chips and turned in $250,000 worth of gambling equipment and announced that he and his partner, Jimmie Matthews, were finished with gambling forever. For most states, the repeal of prohibition meant a return to a state of legally drunken normalcy, but not so in Mississippi. The information was immediately turned over to the three gamblers. Family members said, Jessica and Jeffery's 14-year-old. Shadoian, Jack. Law enforcement officers reported that Jeffrey Martins cause of death appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Lamar Reid met with Si Garrett in a hotel room in Birmingham. 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