EAGLEVILLE TIMES March 1-15, 2009 A Step Back in Time By Bobbie Sue Shelton-Lonas TRAGEDY IN THE MCCALL FAMILY The McCall name has been a highly McCall has called this area home. His wife just called me, but she was too Constable McArthur related to Sheriff respected one in Williamson County for over Mr. Samuel Lycurgus McCall, was the hysterical to give me any further details. Fox that Mrs. McCall had recalled there one hundred and fifty years. It is uncertain grandson of Lycurgus and Emeline McCall Can you meet me there at once?” were three bandits involved. Two were where the McCall’s lived before migrating and son of Laban Hartley McCall and his Promising to leave immediately, Fox masked and the third, which she thought to this area, but some was known to be in wife Tennessee Samuella Scales McCall. cradled the receiver and dressed hurriedly. she could identify, was the one that burned North Carolina before the Revolutionary He was born February 24, 1867 and married The McCall farm, he reflected, was about her husband’s feet and legs. War. This is evidenced by the muster roll in 1894 to Nancy Ann Crafton, daughter of fifteen miles from Franklin, and five miles Mrs. McCall was a frail little woman in of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina James Edward and Nancy Matilda Creswell from Allisona in the southeast section of her late fifties. It was apparent that the under Captain Alexander. The roll contains Crafton. He had four children: Carrie, Williamson County. The sparsely settled robbery had unnerved her. She sat stiffly such surnames as Wallace, Brown, Walker, Bessie, Jim and Jessie. Mr. Jim McCall Flat Creek Community was in the same in a straight-backed chair, and glanced Neel, McCord, Robinson, Steel, Reed, and his wife, Nannie made their home vicinity that another robbery had occurred up nervously when the two investigators Alexander and McCall. All of these names in Eagleville for a few years before their only a month before, but despite the tireless entered the room to talk with her. She are familiar ones in the Flat Creek area. deaths. Jack McCall, son of Mr. and Mrs. efforts of McArthur, it was still unsolved. stated they were in the habit of retiring Many times families and friends traveled to Jim McCall, and his wife, Alline, presently With this in mind, Fox called the night early and were getting ready for bed at the new territory together in wagon trains live in Eagleville. nine-thirty when they heard a pounding at and settled in the same general area. The turnkey at the county jail. “Round up all Note: Additional McCall Family History is the available deputies in this district,” the front door. They had been a little afraid first McCall found in southeast Williamson at nights, since the robbery last month, (Mr. County was Lycurgus McCall, born in published in the “Flat Creek, It’s Land and he instructed the officer, “and have them It’s People”. Thanks to Ennis Wallace for stand by. There’s been another robbery White, who lived in the area, had also been 1814. He married Emeline M. Hartley in robbed) so Sam slipped his pistol in his 1837, daughter of Laban (Jr.) and Nancy permission to use the above information. near Allisona, and I might need them on a moment’s notice. pocket before answering the door. She had Carson Hartley. They were parents of eight * * * * * remained in the bedroom and could hear children; Laban Hartley, Hulda Rebecca, PART I Lights burned brightly throughout the them talking. I couldn’t tell what they were William Lafayette, Nancy Marenda, Robert rambling old farmhouse, set far back off saying, but Sam’s voice was angry. Then I TERROR IN FLAT CREEK Lycurgus, Alexander, Tennessee E., and the winding country road, when the Sheriff heard a shot,” she said. Virginia C. All of these children were born It was shortly after 10 p.m., August arrived at the robbery scene thirty minutes Before she could reach the front room, in Williamson County and grew up in the 14th, 1933, and Sheriff Charles Fox of later. Leaving his car in the graveled however, three men were forcing her Choctaw area. Franklin, Tennessee, was awakened when driveway, he mounted the front steps and husband back towards the bedroom. One his telephone began its disturbing ring. was met at the door by McArthur, who Lycurgus was a dedicated citizen, of them, she related, had a pistol. Realizing Sleepily, he rolled out of bed and reached had been watching for his arrival. The apparently well liked and well educated, it was a hold up; Mrs. McCall picked up her for he served the county many years as a for the noisy instrument. Constable motioned for him to follow, and a few seconds later Fox was standing in a purse, containing $250, and threw it out the Magistrate. Lycurgus’ family home was “This is Constable Herman McArthur at high-ceilinged bedroom on the west side of bedroom window. situated on Choctaw Road, where he was a Allisona,” the familiar voice informed him. the house. She continued, “I thought they would schoolmaster. He gave the land on which “There’s been a robbery at Sam McCall’s search the house, and leave when they didn’t the first Choctaw School was built. Many place over in the Flat Creek Community, Mr. Sam McCall had been tortured, and find money, but, instead they tied Sam and descendents of Lycurgus and Emeline and he’s been badly hurt—may be dying. beaten into unconsciousness. He lay across a blood-splotched bed, unaware of the me in chairs and began threatening to torture efforts of a physician to stem the flow of the information out of him, if he didn’t tell blood from three gaping wounds just above where his money was. I knew they meant NNowow OpenOpen the left temple. Large blisters on both legs business, and I pleaded with Sam to let me were mute evidence of the painful torture tell them, but he was stubborn, and told me TThursdayhursday - SundaySunday he had been subjected to before the bandits to keep quiet. One of the men began hitting fled. him over the head with a blackjack, and the ((615)615) 896-4568896-4568 other began to burn his legs and feet. The OOldld RRadiosadios - BooksBooks The doctor informed Sheriff Fox that third one ransacked the house. Finally, the McCall had a possible fracture of the man with the blackjack hit him a terribly GGlasswarelassware - JewelryJewelry skull, and third-degree burns on both legs hard blow, and Sam just slumped down. I and the shock, alone, could easily prove thought he was dead, and told them where I RRecordecord AAlbumslbums fatal to a man of Mr. McCall’s age. It had thrown the money.” was determined that Mr. McCall needed OOldld MMagazinesagazines immediate attention, and an ambulance After learning the hiding place of the was called to transport him to a hospital in money, the trio of bandits left. Mrs. McCall OOldld PPhotoshotos - More.More.. Nashville.” Upon arrival of the ambulance, stated a few seconds later she heard them the physician accompanied Mr. McCall to outside the window. They were counting the hospital the money, and when finished, one said, “There’s supposed to be more here than Despite his sixty-nine years, time had this. Well, we ain’t got time to go back,” RRalstonalston AntiquesAntiques been kind to the farmer, the Sheriff noted. she heard another say. “I think we killed His large frame was as well muscled as him. Let’s get away from here.” MMainain SStreettreet - EaglevilleEagleville TennesseeTennessee the average, far younger man’s and it was not hard to understand why a man of his Sheriff Fox asked Mrs. McCall if they physical appearance had chosen to resist had more money in the house during recent WWherehere youyou ccanan dropdrop ooffff youryour articlesarticles & photosphotos forfor thethe EaglevilleEagleville Times.Times. the bandits. weeks. March 1-15, 2009 EAGLEVILLE TIMES Page 13 “About three weeks ago, Sam drew With the arrival of the bloodhounds, the Mr. McCall must have shot at them $3000 out of the bank to buy another farm. two investigators noted with no little concern since there were no marks to indicate The $250 was what we had left after the that news of the brutal torture robbery had that a shot was fired into the room. purchase,” she answered. spread throughout the community. Grim- Returning to their automobiles in Fox obtained the name of the bank faced farmers, armed with shotguns and the driveway, McArthur offered: through which the transaction was carried rifles, had assembled in the shadows of the “There are two angles here that out, and then inquired, “Were they in an McCall lawn, eager to join the chase for the convince me that the McCall bandits automobile?” “If they were, I didn’t hear bandits. are the same who robbed White. it—either before or after the robbery,” she “We’ll have to keep our eyes on those boys,” One is the fact they mentioned there said. Fox requested descriptions. The McArthur confided in Pugh. “McCall and should be more money—indicating unmasked bandit Mrs. McCall described his wife are probably the best liked folks in they knew about the farm money— as being about fifty, short and stocky of the county, and their neighbors won’t stop and the second is that they tortured build, and gray haired. He was wearing at anything to avenge this brutal attack.” McCall in precisely the same fashion a white shirt and dark trousers.