John Haywood Jones House: the historic events

Mar. 29—The stately John Haywood Jones House (Coman Hall) on South Clinton Street has witnessed over 170 years of Athens history and has been at the center of several historic and many interesting moments. The house had been set to go to auction but the auction has since been cancelled by current owner, William Carl Hatchett III.

Civil War

A historical marker stands on the Courthouse lawn describing the events of when Athens was "sacked and plundered." It reads in part, "On May 2, 1862, Union troops of the 19th, and 24th Illinois and the 37th Indiana regiments commanded by Col. John Basil Turchin went on a rampage through the town. They looted and plundered stores and homes stealing clothing, jewelry, and anything of value, destroying what they didn't want."

The John Haywood Jones House was one of the homes at the center of Turchin's terrorizing of Athens for which he was court martialed. Testimony from the court martial describes in detail the action of Turchin and his troops, including Colonel Mihalotzy and the 24th Illinois Volunteers' occupation of Jones' home.

The court martial states that Mihalotzy and the 24th Illinois, "behaved rudely and coarsley to the ladies of the family. He then quartered two companies of infantry in the house. About one hour after, Captain (Warren P.) Edgarton quartered his artillery company in the parlors, and these companies plundered the house of all provisions and clothing they could lay their hands on, and spoiled the furniture and carpets maliciously and without a shadow of reason, spoiling the parlor carpets by cutting bacon on them, and the piano by chopping joints on it with an axe, the beds by sleeping in them with their muddy boots on. The library of the house was destroyed, and the locks of the bureaus, secretaries, wardrobes, and trunks were all forced and their contents pillaged. The family plate was carried off, but some of the pieces have been recovered."

John Haywood Jones testified for the prosecution at the court martial. The judge asked jones if he knew anything about Turchin being directly connected to the actions of troops at his home. He replied, "No, but Col. Turchin's headquarters was about 100 yards from my house, in full view of it, and he must have known the troops were quartered there. Besides, he had to pass the house every day."

Col. Mihalotzy was questioned at the court martial by a judge advocate about his actions and stealing of valuables from the Jones House.

Question: Was any silver taken from any other persons, besides Mr. Donnell?

Mihalotzy: From Mr. Haywood Jones

Question: By whose orders?

Mihalotzy: By my orders.

Question: Why did you quarter them there?

Mihalotzy: We made a march of 27 miles in one day — it raining all the time — and had to cross creeks three times. So I brought them there to get them dry and keep them together, as we had no camp equipage.

Question: How many companies did you quarter in Mr. Jones' house?

Mihalotzy: Two

Question: In what part of the house did you quarter them?

Mihalotzy" I gave the captain in charge particular orders not to allow his men to destroy anything. And, Mr. Jones coming to me at the same time for rooms for his family, I told the captain not to interfere with them. I don't know what room they occupied; they were on the second story.

Turchin was found guilty of many of the charges made in the court martial for conduct unbecoming of an officer and was to be dismissed from service. However, Turchin's wife convinced President Lincoln to set aside the verdict and Turchin was promoted to Brig. General.

In September 1864, it has been reported that during General Nathan Bedford Forrest's raid, the house was used to house wounded soldiers. According to Frank G. Westmoreland, "they lay bleeding on the floor of the big downstairs hallway. The blood of the wounded soldiers seeped into the grain of the wood and was still there when Dr. Theo Westmoreland bought the house."

Dr. Theo Westmoreland

Dr, Theo Westmoreland purchased the home in 1897. He was said to be a "lover of formality and fine things' earning him the nickname of "Pomp."

"Dr. Pomp Westmoreland was a great admirer of William Jennings Bryan, so when Bryan came to Athens to speak at the college in February, 1904, he was entertained royally at the home. Bryan spent two nights at the home and was the guest of honor at a most elaborate twelve-course dinner attended by the gentleman dignitaries of the town. It was said to be the greatest social event Athens had ever seen," Frank G. Westmoreland wrote.

The beginning of St. Paul's Catholic Church

For many years, Athens did not have a Catholic church for Catholic families to attend. Families travelled to Decatur for Mass. In the late 1940's and early 1950's, the John Haywood Jones House became a place for Catholic families to gather.

Julia Clarke Hatchett Nelson and Frank G. Westmoreland co-authored the History of Saint Paul's Catholic Church.

They wrote, "During the late 1940's and early 1950's missions were held by the Passioniet Fathers and Marianiet Missionaries at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hatchett at the Westmoreland/Hatchett house on South Clinton Street in Athens. From 1954 until 1959, Mass was celebrated there by Monsignor John M. Hogan each Saturday morning. Mass was held in the dining room where an alter was set up. The parishioners used chairs with kneelers attached to the back. After Mass was said, the dining room tables and chairs were set in place and Mrs. Hatchett and Miss Mary Ellen Clarke served breakfast to Monsignor and the adults present. The children enjoyed milk, breakfast rolls, or cookies before they had their Saturday education classes. These classes were presided over by Sister Johanna O.S.D. and other Benedictine Nuns from St. Ann's School in Decatur."

The robbery

Two bullet holes can be seen in the walls on the John Haywood Jones House stemming from an armed robbery that occurred at the home in 1975. Mr. Carl Hatchett answered a knock at the backdoor and was met by two men dressed as South Central Bell telephone repairmen.

Mr. Hatchett was known to have a collection of silver coins at the bank but the robbers must have believed they were kept at the home and underestimated Mr. Hatchett — he was willing to put up a fight.

"Mr. Hatchett struggled and tried to kick his assailants until they struck him over the head with a pistol," Westmoreland wrote.

Pretending to be unconscious, the robbers then duct taped his hands and located Miss Mary Ellen Clarke napping on the sofa in the library. As they began taping Miss Clarke's hands together, Hatchett managed to get his revolver from the bedroom. He saw one of the robbers appear from the library and fired a shot and the robbers fired a shot barely missing Miss Clarke.

The robbers Hatchett described to police as "hippie-looking" then fled the scene by leaping out the library window. They escaped after jumping and landing in the yard eight feet below.