Thursday, March 26, 2009

Murder on Little Pilot


On Saturday morning, January 1, 1949 Audie Lee Brown shot Edgar Melvin Cain in the back with a shotgun as they walked through the woods near Pilot Mountain. Brown had planned the murder in advance. And even had contemplated robbing another individual as well. On Thursday December 30, Brown and Wade Brady walked into the Bank of Coleridge in Ramseur and spoke to Garland Allen. Brown had a $100 outstanding note and asked to borrow more. The two also inquired about the amount of money in the vault. Finally, Brown asked Allen if he wanted to see a calf, for the purpose of purchasing it. Allen declined and the men left the bank. The following day, Brown approached Cain with the same offer. Cain agreed to meet Brown at Brown’s home the next morning. Before leaving for Brown’s, Cain, who lived in the Erect area, told his wife that he would not be gone long. He drove his 1948 ¾ ton Ford pickup to Brown’s home where he found Brown just getting up. Brown said that he did not have the calf, that it was located nearby and that they could go there on an old woods road. They drove to the old road and parked the truck and began walking. About ½ mile from the main road, Cain moved out in front of Brown, Brown raised his 16 gauge Fox shotgun and shot Cain in the back of the neck. Locals say that there were two others with Brown at the time, Marvin Staley and Wade Brady. He then removed Cain’s billfold. Cain was known to carry large sums of money on his person. His family believed he had between $1000 and $1200 with him. Brown carelessly dropped the billfold about 100 paces from the body. However, he did try to conceal the gun, placing it next to log. In his haste he lost the wood handgrip to the gun in the vicinity of the body. A neighbor, Clifford Williams heard a shotgun blast about 9:30 that morning near Pilot Mountain but assumed that someone was hunting and thought nothing more of it.



That evening, Cain’s family became increasing alarmed at his absence and called Sheriff Ben Morgan. Morgan began piecing together the events leading up to Cain’s disappearance. Later that night Morgan located Cain’s pick-up. Clifford Williams had dragged the truck with his tractor to the side of the woods road so he could get a load of wood through. Walking through the woods at night, Morgan and neighbors searched for Cain. In the early morning hours of Sunday, a couple of neighbors located the body along the woods road heading from Holly Springs Church to the foot of Pilot Mountain. Also found nearby was the woodgrip from a shotgun and Cain’s billfold. The billfold contained a driver’s license and other papers but no money. A few nickels and dimes were found in Cain’s pocket.

Immediately, Audie Lee Brown became the prime suspect. Upon learning of Cain’s disappearance, police began the search for Brown. Later it was learned that Brown had traveled from Asheboro to Franklinville to Liberty and finally by taxi to Ramseur where he was arrested Saturday night by Highway Patrolman O R Vaughn and Ramseur Police Chief B C Macon at Poole’s Beer Parlor. A search turned up 3 one hundred dollar bills and $90 in small bills. Also arrested with Brown were Marvin Staley, Brown’s brother-in-law and Wade Brady. Staley stated that he had seen Brown and Cain in Cain’s pick-up truck that morning near Holly Spring’s Church. After being arrested on suspicion, Brown was taken to the Randolph County jail in Asheboro and later to the Guilford County jail in Greensboro. After news of his arrest spread, a group of about 300 masked men assembled outside the Randolph County courthouse and jail where only two officers were on duty. About 20 of the men were led through the jail to show them that Brown was not there. Satisfied that Brown was not there the crowd dispersed peaceably. However, later, a number of vehicles drove through the Piney Ridge area, a Black community where Brown lived, and fired shots. No one was injured in the incident.



During the next few days, Sheriff Morgan coaxed a confession out of Brown. Morgan stated that Brown broke down and cried like a baby, saying he didn’t know why he committed the crime. On Tuesday January 4, Brown was brought back to the scene of the crime. Handcuffed to Sheriff Morgan, Brown led police along the woods road and then through some swampland to another woods road which led to Hal Goldston’s property. There the gun was located near a log. Brown had disassembled the barrel from the stock and dropped the handgrip back near the body. A shotgun shell found near the body matched the gun. The wood handgrip also fit the barrel. This seemed to be more than enough evidence to convict Brown.



Brown was arraigned in early February and tried at a packed trial about a week later. Sheriff Morgan was the State’s main witness although a number of others were paraded through. Judge Coggin removed the jury briefly while deciding if Brown’s confession could be entered as evidence. Coggin ruled that Brown had freely given his confession and the trial resumed. Cain’s widow softly wept while testifying that the wallet was the one she had given Melvin for Christmas. Brown’s wife also wept during the trial with Brown comforting her several times. Brown remained composed throughout the trial. The trial lasted a half day and the jury of 13 men brought a verdict of guilty back in just 4 hours. Judge Coggin immediately sentenced Brown to die in the gas chamber on April 8. That night, Sheriff Morgan drove Brown and another prisoner to the State Prison in Raleigh where Brown was admitted to death row. At the time of the trial, Sheriff Morgan expected Brown to die as scheduled on April 8, yet an appeal was made on Brown’s behalf delaying his execution until a later date. Locals say that Staley and Brady were also convicted and killed themselves before they could be executed.


A stone marker now lies along the woods road where Melvin Cain was killed. That marker can be reached by following the footsteps that Melvin Cain and Audie Lee Brown took on the morning of January 1, 1949.

Randolph County's Indian Mound




In southern Randolph County, tucked away in a secluded field, in the flood plain of a tributary of Deep River, sits this Indian mound. It is about a 20 minute walk from the nearest paved road. On this morning walk I joined 2 friends for the short journey to this special place. Entering a large secluded field, the mound is unmistakeable. Atop the mound is a family cemetery, still in use, with about a dozen marked and a dozen unmarked graves. Some trees grow from the mound now but it is surrounded by open field adjacent to a flowing creek.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Bird Houses of the Silver Comet Trail





Just before entering the Brushy Mountain Tunnel on the Silver Comet Trail, there are a number of bird houses hanging from trees around several benches. Someone spent some time accumulating these small houses and dressing up the trailside. Let me know if you know the story behind this area.

Biking on the Silver Comet Trail





Having traveled the 33 miles from Anniston to the Georgia line on the Chief Ladiga Trail, I now roll onto the Silver Comet Trail. Surface is concrete and very smooth. The 10 miles to Cedartown are rural and shaded for the most part. Approaching Cedartown, the trail loops around and under itself for the ride into town. The depot is main trail attraction in town. I was looking forfard to visiting the depot visitor center but for some unknown reason it was closed this afternoon. Even the water fountain was turned off on this 75 degree day. I had planned to stay in town and get some advise on places to stay and eat from the visitor center. So I rolled on another 12 miles to Rockmart, the last place to stay overnight until the end of the trail. The terrain was hilly, some steep grades. Rockmart was a much prettier town with a nice creek flowing through the town center, bordered by parks. There was a welcome sign with map and motels. I headed through Rockmarts town center to the edge of town and a Days Inn.

I was back on the trail early the next morning and had a wonderful ride out of town. This is the most scenic part of the Silver Comet Trail. It was about 12 miles of wooded trail through rock cuts leading to the Brush Mountain Tunnel. The tunnel was lighted and had great accoustics. The echo went on and on. The next big attraction was the Pumpkinville Trestle. 3It was in a very populated area and had many benches among raised beds of flowering dafodils.

As I rode closer to Atlanta, the trail became more populated and the scenery changed to overlooking the backyards of cookie cutter homes. Finally, I rolled into Smyrna and the trail end, at milepost 0.0. At this point the Silver Comet Connector Trail goes another mile to S Cobb Drive very near the I-285 beltline around Atlanta. From here I rode a couple miles toward the beltline and an array of motels, fast food joints and gas stations. The Comfort Inn was the first motel I came to. They agreed to hold my bicycle the following day while I retrieved my car back in Anniston.

Most trails don't have a transportation infastructure allowing one to ride one way and take public transportation back. I usually end up riding trails twice or roundtrip. This time, I was able to taxi to Atlanta's Amtrak station in time for the 8:38am Crescent, Amtrak's train from NYC to New Orleans with stops in Atlanta and Anniston. The ride to Anniston took 2 1/2 hours and roughly followed I-20, not the route I had just bicycled. Once in Anniston, I retrieved my car, drove back to Smyrna for my bike and then home.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Biking on the Chief Ladiga Trail





I didn't know Alabama could be so hot in March. My Sunday drive to Anniston was a warm one. By mid afternoon I had checked out the trailhead, the Amshak and places to eat and spend the night. There is a Super 8 only 2 miles from the trailhead. They allowed me to leave my car there for a few days while I rode the trail.

Central Time and the first day of daylight saving had me right back on my regular time schedule. I was up and ready to roll by 7:15am. The fellow at the front desk outlined a shortcut to the trailhead on some less traveled roads, so that is where I went, Cave Road. Sure enough, there was a cave in a cliffside as I pedaled by. At the end of the road I saw the Chief Ladiga Trail right where it was supposed to be. 33 miles of asphalt to the Georgia border. First town was a tiny village of Weaver. Folks were just getting to work as I rode through. Next town was Jacksonville and Jacksonville State University. The trail cut through campus. Only a couple joggers were out on the trail. From here to Piedmont were 12 miles of pastures, fields and junky trailers. Someone decided to carve "JESUS CHRIST" in trees next to the many trail benches. Also, I felt the litter trailside was considerable when compared to the other trails I've ridden.

Piedmont is the largest town on the trail and has a manned Visitor Center right on the trail. I stopped for a few minutes to speak with the caretakers. It was an old home with beautiful woodwork. Back on the trail, soon I'm in the Talledaga National Forest and looking at the highest hills of Alabama. The trail travels through a mixed forest, some rock cuts and over a few streams and rivers. Finally, I approach the stateline and the end of the Chief Ladiga Trail. At this point the Silver Comet Trail takes over and heads 61 miles to the Atlanta metro area. It is only noon so I adjust my plans to continue beyond Cedartown to Rockmart for the night. But that is another blog.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Biking on the American Tobacco Trail





The ATT is supposed to be a 22 mile greenway from downtown Durham to New Hill, along a railroad bed abandoned in the late 1980's. There is about a 6-7 mile section complete from Durham and the same from New Hill. The middle section of the trail which passes through Chatham County is not complete. Several bridges are out and the surface is quite rough in spots. Today I pedaled from the Durham Bulls Stadium south to the temorary end of the trail, 6.75 miles away. This section is paved and center lined and travels through an urban and suburban area. You can view alot backyards along the way. Kudzu is another common sight. There are also many road crossings, several of which lack a safe means of crossing.

Being paved and in a very populated area, it attracts lots of dog walkers, baby strollers, joggers, roller bladers, skateboarders and of course bicyclists like me. I rode south into a stiff wind and covered the 6.75 miles in 50 minutes, returning with the wind in under 40.

Mar 26 Check Dam on Taylor Creek

  Another dam in the Caraway Creek drainage is one that many people have seen as it is visible from Lassiter Mill Rd. The owners on creek ri...