White Christmas, bloody Christmas by M. Bruce Jones, Trudy J Smith Page A
Authors: M. Bruce Jones, Trudy J Smith
Tags: Murder, Lawson family
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a slow leak. Finally the financial wheels of the country would grind to a heavy halt, crushing the hopes of people everywhere—rich and poor alike.
It was at the beginning of this painful era that the Lawson tragedy took place. A time when the world was poised on the brink of great turmoil and great social change. The country side was quiet, peaceful, and unsuspecting.
Cars were popular and highly desired, but still had not fully replaced the horse or mule-drawn wagons and buggies that traveled the country roads. Every farmer wanted to own a truck. In the two years before the murders, Charlie Lawson had acquired three older models. Pavement was something rarely seen anywhere in the rural areas of the country, and many of the small towns still had dirt main streets.
For the average rural farming family of the area, each day was filled with the labors of basic survival. Most of the ladies had only one or two really good dresses. Their one pair of high top lace-up shoes was expected to last a full year. Gaily patterned flour sacks were often used to make dresses for the girls. Almost everything a family used was grown or made on the farm. Gardens were grown to fill the canning jars for the winter; animals were grown and slaughtered to provide meat. This was the life the Lawson family led—simple and filled with hard work.
Because his brothers, Marion and Elijah had already moved into the Germanton area, Charlie and Fannie had taken interest in leaving Lawsonville and moving there, too.
They had been optimistic when they piled their children
-15-
and belongings into their old covered wagon to make the move. It was also encouraging to have neighbors willing to help. Mr. Squire Watts and his son volunteered to drive their own wagon back from Lawsonville with a load of furniture to help the new neighbors out.
They had believed they could make the fifteen mile trip in one day, but the rutted country roads were muddy from a previous rain and the trip became painfully slow. Darkness overcame them and forced them to camp along the road for the night.
It had been a long, weary day for the entire group, and Fannie was faced with both adults and tired children who were hungry. They searched the tightly packed wagon and found a couple of jars of canned blackberries.and Fannie had wrapped a large piece of leftover corn bread from a previous meal and brought it with them. This is what the group shared as their supper that evening as they sat around the small campfire.
After this initial trip into the area, Charlie and his family lived and farmed in rental or tenant situations. This was not always the best way to earn a living as a farmer, and times were hard for the family during these years.
In April of 1927, Charlie and Fannie entered into an agreement to purchase their own farm on Brook Cove Road. It was a good, fertile farm but the house was a small, rundown, two-hundred-year-old cabin. Still, the Lawsons agreed to purchase the farm for the amount of $3,200.00. The payments were to be made at a rate of $500.00 per year until the debt was paid in full. In the first season or two of farming, Charlie and his family would begin to be much better off financially...
Once the transaction to buy the farm was complete, Charlie and Fannie began their task of making it liveable. Fannie and Marie, who was then fifteen years old, scrubbed and whitewashed the inside of the old cabin while Charlie and seventeen-year-old Arthur repaired the exterior. They had to
-16-
remove the old shutters and replace them with regular glass windows. The kinching between the logs was crumbling and had mostly fallen away. This had to be replaced or the cold winds of winter would rob the house of any heat they could generate in it. Soon, the house was brought up to liveable standards and Charlie could turn his attention to the barns and other outbuildings.
Since tobacco was Charlie's primary livelihood, he was interested in delivering the highest quality
It was at the beginning of this painful era that the Lawson tragedy took place. A time when the world was poised on the brink of great turmoil and great social change. The country side was quiet, peaceful, and unsuspecting.
Cars were popular and highly desired, but still had not fully replaced the horse or mule-drawn wagons and buggies that traveled the country roads. Every farmer wanted to own a truck. In the two years before the murders, Charlie Lawson had acquired three older models. Pavement was something rarely seen anywhere in the rural areas of the country, and many of the small towns still had dirt main streets.
For the average rural farming family of the area, each day was filled with the labors of basic survival. Most of the ladies had only one or two really good dresses. Their one pair of high top lace-up shoes was expected to last a full year. Gaily patterned flour sacks were often used to make dresses for the girls. Almost everything a family used was grown or made on the farm. Gardens were grown to fill the canning jars for the winter; animals were grown and slaughtered to provide meat. This was the life the Lawson family led—simple and filled with hard work.
Because his brothers, Marion and Elijah had already moved into the Germanton area, Charlie and Fannie had taken interest in leaving Lawsonville and moving there, too.
They had been optimistic when they piled their children
-15-
and belongings into their old covered wagon to make the move. It was also encouraging to have neighbors willing to help. Mr. Squire Watts and his son volunteered to drive their own wagon back from Lawsonville with a load of furniture to help the new neighbors out.
They had believed they could make the fifteen mile trip in one day, but the rutted country roads were muddy from a previous rain and the trip became painfully slow. Darkness overcame them and forced them to camp along the road for the night.
It had been a long, weary day for the entire group, and Fannie was faced with both adults and tired children who were hungry. They searched the tightly packed wagon and found a couple of jars of canned blackberries.and Fannie had wrapped a large piece of leftover corn bread from a previous meal and brought it with them. This is what the group shared as their supper that evening as they sat around the small campfire.
After this initial trip into the area, Charlie and his family lived and farmed in rental or tenant situations. This was not always the best way to earn a living as a farmer, and times were hard for the family during these years.
In April of 1927, Charlie and Fannie entered into an agreement to purchase their own farm on Brook Cove Road. It was a good, fertile farm but the house was a small, rundown, two-hundred-year-old cabin. Still, the Lawsons agreed to purchase the farm for the amount of $3,200.00. The payments were to be made at a rate of $500.00 per year until the debt was paid in full. In the first season or two of farming, Charlie and his family would begin to be much better off financially...
Once the transaction to buy the farm was complete, Charlie and Fannie began their task of making it liveable. Fannie and Marie, who was then fifteen years old, scrubbed and whitewashed the inside of the old cabin while Charlie and seventeen-year-old Arthur repaired the exterior. They had to
-16-
remove the old shutters and replace them with regular glass windows. The kinching between the logs was crumbling and had mostly fallen away. This had to be replaced or the cold winds of winter would rob the house of any heat they could generate in it. Soon, the house was brought up to liveable standards and Charlie could turn his attention to the barns and other outbuildings.
Since tobacco was Charlie's primary livelihood, he was interested in delivering the highest quality
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