May 22 through the years

100 Years ago – 1925

Front-page article in the Henry Bulletin on May 22: “Prohibition Officer Kills Another Man. In less than a month after he had killed Jesse Martin at Leatherwood while arresting the man on suspicion of violating the whisky laws, Federal Prohibition Officer J.R. Pearson has killed another man in similar circumstances. His latest victim was Fred Mooney aged 19, who was shot and killed last Sunday near Lenoir, N.C.”

75 years ago – 1950

The Martinsville Seven (as we call them now) were given a 60-day reprieve on executions by Gov. Battle. They were Joe Henry Hampton, Frank Hairston Jr., Booker T. Millner and Howard Lee Hairston, all set to be executed on May 26; and Francis DeSales Grayson, John Clabon Taylor and James Luther Hairston, all set to be executed on June 2. The men, all black, had been convicted of raping Ruby Stroud Floyd, white, on Jan. 8, 1949.

50 years ago – 1975

Paul Tommie Overby, a former Patrick County deputy, was convicted of petty larceny in connection with the January theft of four pints of whisky that had been confiscated by the Patrick County Sheriff’s Department. A total of 49 pints had gone missing out of the 177 pints that were confiscated from Anderson Martin on July 13, 1974.

25 years ago - 2000

Mr. Mac – Robert F. McMillan  - retired after 35 years as a band director in Martinsville. He had taught more than 26,000 students.

— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin.