Chatsworth man charged with defacing Confederate veterans monument
Jul. 21—A Chatsworth man has been charged with defacing a public monument in connection with the spray-painting of the Confederate veterans monument outside the Murray County courthouse this week.
The charge is a misdemeanor.
Ryan Dean Nichols, 33, of 300 N. Fifth Ave.-1, was charged Wednesday by the Chatsworth Police Department and booked into the Murray County jail. A jail official said he was still there Thursday afternoon.
Wendell Bruce, commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 938, said he was happy to hear someone had been arrested.
"I think it is about time someone is held accountable for the desecration of our monuments," he said.
Camp 938 erected the monument more than 20 years ago.
A Chatsworth Police Department incident report said that around 9:17 a.m. Tuesday an officer responded to a report "that someone has damaged one of the stone monuments in front of the Superior Court building located at 121 N. Third Ave."
The officer found someone had painted a vulgarity on the Confederate monument outside the courthouse.
Bruce said he was disappointed but not surprised the monument had been vandalized.
"It's a sad reflection of the times we are living in," he said.
The monument is of stone and consists of three sections. On one side the seal of the state of Georgia is engraved. In the middle "C.S.A. 1861-1865" is engraved, and beneath it is a metal plaque saying that the monument is "dedicated to the men of Murray County who served the Confederate States of America." On the other side, the seal of the Confederate States of America is engraved. On the bottom is engraved, "This monument made possible by S.C.V. (Sons of Confederate Veterans) Camp 938 and S.C.V. Ladies Auxiliary."
