History & Folklore
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AT THE DEVIL'S ELBOW
At a spot known to the folk of the ridge
as the Devil's Elbow is a fine spring,
and it is at this point Zimmalee's store
is located. This particular store figured
conspicuously in the selection of the
jury for it is here that crowds gather,
and it is a point from which news of the
outside world as well as ridge gossip is
discussed. Bulletins find their way from
this point to all of the remote sections
of the district. There was a time before
the four-mile law became effective, when
men gathered at this point on Sundays and
fought chickens, gambled in various ways
and punished all the wiskey that could be
brought in for the occasion. They used to
fight chickens and also each other, and a
Sunday shooting was the regular thing.
More than one killing resulted from the
meetings at the Devil's Elbow, but things
have changed there, as in other sections
of the ridge. Zimmalee's store is still a
stronghold for news and ridge gossip but
the law is obeyed at Zimmalee's and the
men who congregate there are men of a
better type than the men who used to
gather there in the days gone by. There
are other dark crimes and crimes of deep
mystery whose exploration would be
greatly of interest, but which would
require another story for the telling.
MURDER OF ADE FAMILY
One night in the winter an entire family
was murdered. This was the Ade family. In
one night the entire membership was wiped
out. It was a cold night in winter and
the ground was frozen. Old man Ade, his
wife, children and a distant relative
lived together up near the crest of the
ridge. It was a hardworking family and
well-to-do. Anyone applying himself in
the ridge can acquire wealth. Nature has
intended that none shall starve here if
they are willing to cooperate with the
advantages furnished to all comers. Ade
had done well. It was reported that he
had made and saved money and that a
little store was concealed in the small
dwelling. The family was killed. The
little girl escaped, it is related, but
was captured at an outhouse and brained.
At any rate the marks of the struggle and
the signs of blood told the story
silently but convincingly. Neighbors saw
the shadow of flames silhouetted against
the black face of the night and knew that
a house was burning. Rushing to the
rescue the charred remains of the family
were found. The murderers were ever
convicted. Three sets of arrests were
made and two trials held. In each the
evidence was circumstantial and there was
insufficient proof to expect a
conviction. This great tragedy filled the
air with gloom for many months and was
the theme of discussion, but, like other
great events it was finally allowed to
drift back with the other history of the
ridge and is now almost forgotten.
Then came the killing of Ed Manlove by
Wash Haines and a sheriff's posse and
riot. This was a tempestuous raid and the
present sheriff Borum of Davidson County
was one of the deputies who affected the
arrest. Determined resistance was
offered, shots were exchanged and for a
while it looked as if a greater part of
the ridge would become involved in the
fight over the arrest of Haines, but the
law finally triumphed.
STRAWBERRIES COMING IN
There are plenty of tragedies in the
ridge, but peace has come and the songs
of the birds join in with the tap of the
little hammers that are now morning, noon
and night putting together the strawberry
boxes for the crop which will begin to
move in a few days. People of the ridge
don't like to talk about the tragedies.
They belong to other times and "our
recent troubles are such as the troubles
which come to every community,"
explains the Paradiser. "We have our
homes, our schools, our newspapers, our
churches. We are happy, we are peaceful,
and we are prosperous. Tell of our
conditions today; don't remind us of our
dark days." And so it is with the
man of the ridge as he looks down the
hillside at the trailing strawberry vine
and the little white blossoms with their
yellow centers. All of the dark days on
the ridge are gone in truth. The light
has come. Laughter has succeeded
lawlessness and now the hills and vales
smile back rich harvests to the foreign
invaders, and all Davidson County
respects the colony which has joined with
the native sons of Paradise Ridge to make
it one of the garden spots of the state.
When the Cooper-Sharp trial is over, five
members of the jury will hurry along
Whites Creek Pike to the homes waiting
for them. Frutiger, the philosopher;
Hyde, the man of humor; Knipfer, who
looks always as if he had swallowed a
capsule of pain; Schnupp, the German; the
other from this section will all be glad
to leave the confines of the jail; will
be glad to get back to nature, to the
birds and air and freedom of the farm and
permit this eventful trial to be
forgotten along with the other tragedies
of Paradise Ridge.
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Copyright Memphis Commercial Appeal
Reprinted with permission of the Memphis Commercial Appeal
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