(Editor’s Note: We are continually amazed at what our readers send to us. We were completely surprised when one of our neighbors sent in this story. –eeb)
By Jim Brooks
Special to GwinnettForum
NORCROSS, Ga. | My wife, Cindi, and I fell in love with a small community in South Georgia on the coast called Sutherland Bluff 30 years ago. Over the ensuing years, we have met many interesting people; one of the most accomplished is the editor of The Darien News, Kathleen Russell, whose father, Charles, founded the paper in the 1951.
Many of the locals talked of the turbulent times that previously existed in Mcintosh County, and many referenced a book titled Praying for Sheetrock. After reading it, I went to see Kathleen in her office at The Darien News to discuss the book, which tells of the rampant corruption plaguing Darien and all of McIntosh County from the late 1950s through the 1970s. It details the clip joints, drugs, prostitution and other illicit activities all being carried out with no law enforcement or judicial constraints of any kind.
Was this true, did it really happen? Kathleen responded “yes” – it was true and it did happen. In fact, her father was instrumental in fighting crime through his newspaper.
She explained that her father, Charles Williamson, as a young editor of The Darien News, writing extensively about this criminal activity, beginning in the late 1950s, questioning why it was allowed to go on unabated, with no enforcement from the local sheriff’s office or “others.”
As you can imagine, the perpetrators and their well-heeled collaborators did not take kindly to the newspaper’s scrutiny of their activities .
Kathleen’s father, family and associates were fearful of what might happen to them. Anonymous threats were received over several months.
They were right to be fearful. A few months after publishing several more articles about this blatant corruption, The Darien News, its printing presses, materials and the building itself in downtown Darien were burned to the ground!
Then a sophomore at the University of Georgia, Kathleen received a phone call from her father telling her what had happened and that all was lost – that he would be unable to continue publishing until he came up with the funds to rebuild and refurnish everything.
As Kathleen further explained, that’s when something amazing occurred. The publisher of a newspaper in the nearby town of Jesup heard what had happened and called Kathleen’s father, Charles, and to quote Kathleen, said: “Charlie, they may have burned your building down, but they didn’t burn your brains out! Go buy some newspaper racks, and we’ll print The Darien News at the Wayne County Press in Jesup and put papers in those racks.” And that is exactly what happened!
That is the true spirit of journalism, courageously informing the people no matter the consequences.
There is a happy ending to this story. Charles rebuilt The Darien News, and Kathleen is proudly continuing her father’s legacy at the newspaper. As a matter of fact, Kathleen recently served as president of the Georgia Press Association.
As for the publisher from Jesup who stepped up to help his fellow newspaperman? He had a pretty remarkable career as well… his name is Elliott Brack!
The spirit of journalism lives in McIntosh County because of the courageous dedication and professionalism exhibited by local newspeople like Charles Williamson, Kathleen Russell … and our own Elliott Brack.
Jim Brooks, a Norcross resident, is a retired commercial Realtor.
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