Legend of the 'Phantom Monk'
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T H U R S D A Y 162nd YEAR • No. 149 OCTOBER 20, 2016 CLEVELAND, TN 20 PAGES • 50¢ Bradley County records 2,406 early voters after first day on Wednesday By ALLEN MINCEY numbers give any indication, early voting Election Commission office was well into the Banner Staff Writer could exceed totals from 2008, the last presi- hallway at the Bradley County Courthouse dential election which did not include an Annex. A record turnout for the first day of early incumbent candidate. While there were other Election officials said that voting moved voting may have been slightly tempered by races on the ballot — U.S. Senate and smoothly as most had already decided who reports of political signs being stolen or Tennessee Senate and House of they would vote for before casting their ballots. destroyed over the past few weeks. Representatives — officials said it is the presi- Oddly enough, the third of three debates According to Bradley County Administrator dential election that has brought out the large between Republican candidate Donald Trump Banner photo, DONNA KAYLOR of Elections Fran Green, there were 2,406 number of early voters. and Democratic contender Hillary Clinton was EARLY VOTING BEGAN Wednesday at three sites in Bradley votes cast on the first day of early voting Voting sites at the Bradley County Election held Wednesday evening well after polls closed County. At the satellite voting station in Bradley Square Mall, election Wednesday. Green said this morning this was Commission, Bradley Square Mall and the at 6 p.m. official Linda Melton helps Bill Whittington prepare to cast his vote. a record number of votes for the first day of south Food City parking lot had lines of voters The only confusion that was reported on Whittington was the first voter at the mall site, and one of 2,406 who early voting. gathering to cast ballots when opened at 9 cast early votes Wednesday. She said it was “a great turnout,” and if the a.m. Wednesday. For instance, a line at the See VOTERS, Page 6 Inside Today School system project priorities reviewed ‘Wish list’ will be pared to ‘work list’ By LARRY C. BOWERS Banner Staff Writer The Cleveland Board of Education is joining with Director of Schools Dr. Russell Dyer and Maintenance Staying alive Supervisor Hal Taylor in an The Cleveland Lady Raiders effort to turn a group of “wish volleyball team survived the first lists” into a five-year “work list.” day of the TSSAA state volleyball Dyer and Taylor provided the tournament Wednesday. Walker board with prioritized lists from Valley is ready for an exciting Banner photo, ALLEN MINCEY each of the school system’s prin- football game with Rhea County. DARLENE GOINS, Charleston native and director of the Hiwassee River Heritage Center, stands in front of the railroad trestle cipals at this week’s called Cleveland is hoping to shock the where a train crashed in 1867, while crossing the Hiwassee River. Reputedly, a monk aboard the train was never located, and legend board meeting. The lists display area again with a win at says his body came into possession of a doctor who used the monk’s skeleton in his practice. the perceived Ooltewah. Polk County faces a needs for each tough challenge in Meigs County. school facility See Sports, Pages 13-15. and environ- ment, and are Legend of the ‘Phantom Monk’ included in the Millennials say overall facility improvement choices are bad plan. Now that balloting is finally Halloween’s approach always means the retelling Dyer is urg- underway in the 2016 presidential ing the board election, voters from both parties — of this spooky account of Charleston train wreck to establish a Dyer as well as independents — are five-year plan By ALLEN MINCEY worked well into the night trying to for repair, renovations, thinking back on the campaign’s upgrades, expansions and pos- debates to compare candidates. Banner Staff Writer recover survivors of the crash, as well as HIDDEN remove deceased victims. sible additions to school system And in some cases, generations are It may not be as well known as the leg- “He later admitted what he had done, facilities and programs. taking sides ... such as the millenni- end of Tall Betsy or the blood-like stain because he was being haunted by the A majority of the planned als. Who do they favor? See one on Nina Craigmiles’ mausoleum, but to CHARLESTON ghost of the monk,” she said. projects will be undertaken by writer’s perspective in the guest many residents around Charleston, the What the doctor supposedly did was the school system’s “Viewpoint” on Page 16 of today’s tale of the Phantom Monk is something Goins said that there are no ravines in remove the body of monk, take him to his Maintenance Department. edition. they all remember. Charleston that she is aware of, so she home (which was also where his office Dyer, Taylor and the board will also work hand-in-hand Darlene Goins is director at the believes the train in fact went into the was also located), stripped the body down with the Site Committee, chaired Hiwassee River Heritage Center, and has river. to the bones, making it a skeleton he Forecast lived in Charleston all her life. She loves could have at his practice. by board member Steve Morgan. Many people died in the accident, and A majority of the work will be the town, and knows much of the history “He said that he took the monk’s body others survived but later died from their financed by the city’s sales tax of the area, including the story of the because he felt that monks had no fami- Phantom Monk. injuries. When volunteers eventually increase, which was approved ended their work at the site, all of the ly, so no one would miss him,” she said. by a 2009 referendum. These “I remember hearing about the train “He took the body, put him in the back wreck in Charleston right around the bodies of people on the train were annual funds range in the bedroom in the house, and apparently he (Hiwassee) river,” she said. “It was during accounted for — except one, a monk list- neighborhood of $1 million, from worked so hard that night with the other the flood in 1867, and it washed away ed as traveling on the train. a low of $889,166 the first year volunteers that he eventually just col- the bank and caused railroad tracks to “[A] doctor lived a block away from the (2009-10), to a high of collapse. The engineer on the train did river, on Railroad Street,” Goins said. She lapsed. $1,624,800 in 2010-11. Last Today looks to be partly sunny, not know that, so the wreck happened, did not know that doctor’s name, as it “Nobody in the town knew about the year, the school system received with a 30 percent chance of rain as the story goes, when the train went has faded into history. $1,300,258. and a high near 86. Tonight should into a ravine in Charleston.” The doctor and other volunteers See LEGEND, Page 7 be mostly cloudy, with a 70 percent See SCHOOL, Page 6 chance of rain and a low around 56. Friday should be partly sunny, with a 30 percent chance of show- ers and a high near 63. North winds of 10 to 15 mph could gust Giant tree’s legacy is saved; stump as high as 25. Friday night should be partly cloudy and cooler, with a low around 41. Saturday calls for converted to sculpted hawk bench sunny skies and a high near 63. By JOYANNA LOVE Saturday night should be clear, with Banner Senior Staff Writer a low around 41. An old tree is getting new life as a sculpted bench. When the Jones Foundation found out that the second Index largest tree in Cleveland had been cut down, it provided funding for the tree’s ancient stump to be transformed into Classified................................17-20 something beautiful. Comics...........................................8 The tree, located on Centenary Avenue, was more than Editorials......................................16 100 years old. Horoscope......................................8 Sculptor Oliver Cote is transforming the stump into a NASCAR........................................7 carved bench featuring hawks. The work is done with a Obituaries.......................................2 chain saw. The piece will have one large bench and one Stocks............................................4 smaller bench. “He’s a very talented man,” said David Turner, whose Sports......................................13-15 mother owns the property on which the tree sits. TV Schedule..................................9 Turner said he had talked with Amy Banks of the Shade Weather........................................11 Tree Board and Allan Jones of the Jones Foundation about Submitted photo what could be done after the tree was no longer standing. Banner photo, JOYANNA LOVE SCULPTOR Oliver Cote stands by a stump on Carving a sculpture was the decision. Hawks that have DETAILS OF THE HAWKS take shape as Centenary Avenue. Cote turned the stump into a sculptor Oliver Cote adds finishing touches to a sculpted bench. See BENCH, Page 6 sculpted bench. 6489076 75112 2—Cleveland Daily Banner—Thursday, October 20, 2016 www.clevelandbanner.com OBITUARIES (USPS 117-700) Periodical Postage Paid at Cleveland, TN 37320-3600 Post Office POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to: Banner, P.O. Box 3600, Cleveland, TN 37320-3600 at the church today from 11 a.m. nephews and a host of other rel- Published at 1505 25th Street, NW (P.O. Box 3600) until the 1 p.m. service time. atives and friends.