[Granville-Hough] 23 Aug 2009 - 1922 Mize Basketball Game

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

1922 MIZE BALL GAME

As I grew up, I, Granville Hough, inherited a philosophy, or belief,
that organized athletics and athletic team competitions brought out the
worst in human nature. I was not encouraged to participate in basketball
or football, particularly not in basketball. The reason for this
happened at Mize several months before I was born but in the same
calendar year. My parents simply could not see the advantages to
exposure to organized violence.

I will give the reports of the Laurel Daily Leader, of Laurel, MS, as it
reported the Mize events, as preserved by Maxine (Richardson) Watts.

Saturday Afternoon, February 25, 1922, 2 DEAD, 3 HURT IN GUN FIGHT AT
MIZE BALL GAME. Stray bullets fly as Spectators and Marshal Battle.
Dolphus Yelverton, schoolboy victim of a stray bullet in the fight at
Mize, was brought to the South Mississippi Charity Hospital here last
night. The bullet penetrated the fleshy part of one shoulder, missing
the bone and causing only a minor wound. He returned to his home this
afternoon.

Special to the Leader, Mize, MS, Feb 25. Warren Ashley, who is alleged
to have started a shooting affray at a basketball game here Friday
evening, was shot dead by Albert Lack, the town marshal, who was shot in
the leg and side by Ashley but not dangerously wounded.
Volus Sullivan, (wrongly reported as Walter in this article), was killed
by a stray bullet from one of the weapons while standing 75 yards
distant. (GWH: The community tradition was that he had climbed the only
tree available to get out of the line of fire.)
Mrs. Warren Ashley, wife of the dead man, who was with her husband and
trying to prevent trouble, was shot in the leg.
Dolphus Yelverton, 15 year old schoolboy, was shot in the chest and was
taken to a Laurel hospital.
The Magee High School basketball team was here (at Mize) to play a game
with the Smith County Agricultural High School. A squabble arose over a
technicality when the Magee team was leading, and the referee called the
game. There was no sign of violence among the participants in the game.
As the players and spectators started to leave, Ashley is said to have
resisted efforts of Marshal Lack to keep him off the court and drew his
revolver. Judge Hughes of the Circuit of Smith County, tried to disarm
Ashley but failed.
Ashley started shooting and Marshal Lack drew his gun and both men
emptied the cylinders of their weapons in a few seconds. Ashley died in
about three minutes and about the same time the body of Sullivan was
found where he had been shot down by a stray bullet.
Ashley was about 35 years old, a barber, and lived here (at Mize) with
his wife who was a Miss Benson, from near Shivers. They had no children.
He was alleged to have been drinking and in a quarrelsome mood previous
to the shooting.
Sullivan was about 30 years old, a farmer and regarded as one of the
best citizens of the community. He was married and had one child. He was
a graduate of the Mize High School and a lover of basketball, having
been on his school team.

The principals of the two schools were present at the game and the
tragedy. They are Prof. S. H. McDonnell, of the Mize school, and Prof.
G. C. Hamilton, of the Magee school. These gentlemen with the students
and athletes of the schools were profoundly shocked and concerned over
the terrible event. The Magee team returned to their home town at once
without changing their playing uniform for civilian wear. (end of article).

GWH Notes: At least two of the victims descend from Thomas Sullivan, Sr.:
Volus Sullivan, son of Andrew Jackson “Black Jack” Sullivan and Altimara
“Alice" Sullivan; grandson of “Wild Bill” Sullivan and Juriah Keyes;
great-grandson of Henderson “Hence” Sullivan and Leah Howell;
great-great grandson of Thomas, Sr, and Mary “Polly” Workman. Volus was
also grandson of Wiley Plummer “Big Wiley” Sullivan and Annie Terrissa
Reddock; great grandson of Thomas Sullivan Sr and Mary “Polly” Workman.
Dolphus Yelverton, son of Laura Louseba “Seebie” Ware and Rufus
Yelverton; grandson of Louisa Sullivan and Newton Jasper Ware; great
grandson of Frederick Sullivan and Joanah Louise Spell; great great
grandson of Thomas Sullivan, Sr, and Mary “Polly” Workman. It may be
worth noting that Dolphus Yelverton lived on the highway just a mile
north of us, and he was a role model for those interested in higher
education. He went on to Miss. A&M, now Miss. State, and was President
of the student body. Later in life he returned to take over the
Yelverton farm and ran a gasoline distributorship in Magee. Dueward
Hough worked for him for several years. An older Yelverton brother,
Carroll N. Yelverton, and Elisha Hough were partners in running sheep in
the “Big Woods” about the time of this incident. This older Yelverton
brother later became Postmaster of Hattiesburg, MS, and I met his son,
Rush about 1958, at El Paso while I was escorting cadets from West
Point. We enjoyed talking about our parents running sheep, which he had
never heard about, and their problems with the Lacks, who had
sheep-killing dogs. Rush graduated from West Point in 1959, then served
in the Regular Army until 1989 and retired as Col Rush Spencer
Yelverton. His son, Rush Spencer Yelverton, Jr, graduated from West
Point in 1987. As a current Army fighter, he is a great great great
great grandson of Thomas Sullivan, Sr.
I cannot say that Mr. Ashley, the starter of the fracas was also a
descendant of Thomas Sullivan. The tendency to get drunk and start a
fight seemed to go with some of the Sullivan genes. There were two
marriages of Ashley men to Sullivan girls in the time era suitable, but
I will have to determine who Mr. Ashley’s parents were.
Those of you who received the CDRom of the Richardson family should
listen to the remarks of Uncle Coley Richardson. He was present at the
fracas and was the one who actually ran down the hill from the school to
the town of Mize (about a quarter of a mile) to fetch a doctor. This
event remained so strong that it was a feature of his life he wanted to
discuss for the tape record.
Magee High School and Mize High School would not play each other again
for years. When I, Granville Hough, was in high school in Magee, it
happened that Mize and Magee wound up in the regional finals before
going for state championship. I was told they played the game in the
Raleigh Gymnasium, miles from either town, under locked doors with no
spectators. I do not recall who won. Such was the fear of another
tragedy.