Thursday, March 02, 2006
Late Way Back Wednesday
I'm late again on my Way Back Wednesday, but here it is. Since I've been on the Ennis family, thought I'd stay on them for a while. I was once told when I started the adventure of digging in my family tree that "When you dig up your roots, you will surely find some dirt. And In the end the love we take is equal to the love we make." I didn't realize it then, but it's so true. People can be the best, Or the worst. This is one of the sad stories I've heard in my family. It is of my great grandmother's sister that I mentioned in WayBack Wednesday two weeks ago.
Lula Payne Ennis was born Dec. 1, 1883, the eldest child of Erasmus Augustus Ennis and Emma Middleton (Haygood) Ennis on the Washington/Baldwin County line. She was the oldest of all those sixteen children, my great grandmother being the 2nd oldest. Back in those days they called the oldest sister, "Sister", and the oldest brother "Brother". She grew into adulthood, and became a schoolteacher and from what I hear a wonderful one, much loved by all her students. She married Carlos Isadore Giles. They had seven children from 1901-1911. One dying before he was 1 years old. In 1912 the family was building a new house. In those days it was customary after the home was built to have a housewarming party. The story that was told to me was that she didn't want to have the homewarming party, she feared something bad was going to happen. She said she didn't want to have it, but I guess it just wasn't right not to have it, so they decided to have it. They had music, lots of food, and friends and family. She did make a rule that she didn't want any moonshine or guns in the house which many carried guns in those days. During the party her brother Tom showed up apparently had been drinking and he had guns. I'm not exactly sure what happened from there, because this has always been one of those stories that were kept quiet. She had said no guns, and I was told her brother Middie asked him not to come in with the guns, somehow a fuss began between the two and the gun fell on those new floors causing it to shoot and shot poor Lula in the neck. She didn't die right away. She said goodbye to each one of her brother's and sister's and mother and father. This was the writeup in the newspaper.
The Sandersville GeorgianSandersville, Georgia, Wednesday, February 28, 1912
Family Tragedy Occurs at Deepstep Brother shoots and Kills Sister at her home at Deepstep
Another chapter of deplorable tragedy in Washington County has to be chronicled this week. The people of the entire county were shocked Saturday morning when they were informed that a brother had shot and killed his sister in the Deepstep district on Friday night. Mr. and Mrs. Isadore Giles had recently completed a new home in that section of the county and had invited their friends to be their guests at a celbration of the opening of the home. Among the guests was Tom Ennis, brother of Mrs Giles and a son of Mr. And Mrs. Erastus N. Ennis who reside on the upper Milledgeville road near the line of Baldwin county. Tom Ennis was intoxicated, and evidently his conduct was obnoxious to others who wer present. An effort was made to quiet him and he was being conducted from the room in order to have him retire so as not to mar the pleasure of the occasion. Mr. Giles had grasped on eof his arms and Mrs. Giles the other. It is said that she had made a hasty examination to ascertain if he had a weapon, but failed to locate it. Like a flash the report of a pistol rang out, to the horror of all present, and Mrs. Giles sank to the floor with a fatal wound to her throat.Young Ennis was immediately overpowered and disarmed, but the mischief had been done. She realized that death was inevitable and stated to those who were present that she was dying. The tragedy occurred just before midnight and at 4 o'clock Saturday morning she expired.Several reports of the sad affair have been in circulation. The most charitable construction that can be placed upon the unfortunate tragedy is that Tom Ennis was too drunk to know what he was doing when he fired the fatal bullet. The parents are completely prostrated. The young wife leaves a husband and six children, the eldest nine years of age. Mrs Giles was an accomplished woman. For several years she was engaged in teaching and considered one of the brightest and most successful young lady teachers in the county. It is sad to reflect that she should become a victim of a brother who would not restrain his appetite for liquor or be obedient to the laws that are intended to prohibit the carrying of concealed weapons.
This is such a sad story to me. My grandfather was born the following year, and his mother named him Ennis PAYNE Veal after her. I can't imagine the pain and hurt this caused the family. It caused a big rift in the family. I always heard the funeral described to be so sad with Lula's six little children, they were very young when this tragedy struck. Tom left after the incident and settled in another state. I always wondered the pain he suffered because I know he must have loved his sister dearly, and too always have that on his conscience for the rest of his life. Also the other brother Middleton Ennis must have suffered much guilt as well, being the brother that was involved in trying to keep him outside. I don't know a lot about those two brothers. I'll have to try and find out more on them.
The photo's below her are of a young Tom, and a young Middleton
