DeKalb Animal Coalition Presents “Smithville’s Unquiet Dead”

The DeKalb Animal Coalition is presenting another fundraising event in time for Halloween.
“Smithville’s Unquiet Dead” by Sarah Cripps is set for Friday, October 30 at 6:00 p.m., a walking tour through the City of Smithville where true stories will be told of some of the most gruesome and heinous murders that occurred here.
“We are really excited about this fundraising event sponsored by the DeKalb Animal Coalition. The Coalition has been working feverishly to raise necessary funding to build our new animal shelter and we’ve been hosting a series of fundraisers and other events to try to do that. Halloween is Saturday so to commemorate the occasion the DeKalb Animal Coalition is hosting an event that we call “Smithville’s Unquiet Dead”. I am leading this tour. It is a guided walking tour through our own city and we invite you to join us if you dare. We will be exploring true crime that has occurred in our city,” said Cripps.
“We will meet to begin the tour at 6:00 p.m. Friday at the Coalition Resale Store at 110 West Walnut Street. We will begin with having hot dogs, dessert, and drinks which will be included with your ticket price of $10.00. Of course all proceeds will go to the DeKalb Animal Coalition,” Cripps continued.
“We will travel back in time to learn the gruesome details of some of Smithville’s most heinous murders. We will hear the chilling details of the murder committed by young John Presswood that led him to the gallows to be hanged at the age of 17 years. We will witness the lynching of Charlie Davis who was an innocent man but was put to death by an unruly mob inflamed by passion and the need for revenge. We’re going to delve into the details of some unsolved murders that have occurred in our city including that of Cannie Smith and Henrietta Tramel. We’ll also discuss the murders that were committed at a local saloon that we had in our community in the latter part of the 19th century. All of these murders resulted from a long running family feud between the Wilson and Odom families,” said Cripps.
“Tickets may be purchased at the DeKalb Animal Coalition Resale Store at 110 West Walnut Street, Smithville. The store is open on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. You may also purchase tickets by contacting Rita Cripps at 615-613-5496. We have tickets available at the law offices of Sarah Cripps and Brandon Cox. Tickets will also be available on the evening of our historic tour. You may purchase them prior to the beginning of the tour. We invite you to come before 6:00 p.m. to join us for a meal before we get started on our tour. Arrive early. Get yourself something to eat. We invite everybody to come,” Cripps said.
“I want to point out that this tour is not suitable for children 12 years of age and younger. We are going to be discussing the actual facts of some brutal homicides and we don’t think it would be appropriate for children to hear the details of this,” Cripps concluded.