Artelia (Whitten) Gist (1911 - 1997)

Born 10 Nov 1911 in Falkner, Tippah, Mississippi, USA

Wife of John Lance Sloan — married 11 Jan 1937 in Colbert County, Alabama, USA

Wife of George Samuel Gist — married 21 Jun 1940 in Lawrence County, Tennessee, USA

Died 24 Jan 1997 at age 85 in West Memphis, Crittenden, Arkansas, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Leah Cassandras [send private message]

Biography

Printed in The Pensacola News-Journal, 25 Jan 1940 Judge Reese Declares He Would Like To Impose 100 Years Declaring he would like to make the punishment "100 years for men of your kind," Judge R. Pope Reese yesterday sentenced Clayton Jackson Sloane to the maximum penalty for bigamy, five years in the state prison at Raiford. Sloane entered a plea of guilty to bigamy after hearing two physicians pronounce him sane enough to go to trial. In Passing sentence on him Judge Reese declared: "You deserve the extreme penalty of the law but five years is all I can give you. You have done untold harm running around the country marrying these women and deserting them and their children. I hope you will get down there and take up the Baptist church and try to save your soul." "Thank you," Sloane said turning from the bench to the jailer who was waiting to lead him back to the county jail, where a few moments later he stood and chatted through the bars with his two wives, Mrs. Artellia Sloane of Sheffield, Ala., and Mrs. Sibyllia Sloane of Evergreen, who testified against him. Sloane apparently decided to plead guilty to bigamy immediately after Dr. Luther C. Fisher and Dr. Sidney G. Kennedy, appointed by the court to examine him, testified that he was sane enough to stand trial. He was scheduled to be tried for bigamy and non-support tomorrow and the court was instructing witnesses to return when Sloane and his attorney walked up to the bench and announced that he intended to plead guilty. "I'm going to plead guilty", the disheveled, unkempt looking meat-cutter announced, "but I want to ask for 10 minutes to tell my side of it—10 minutes without interruption by Mr. Caro (Solicitor Forsythe Caro) or anybody else." The Judge declined to let him "take up the time of this court with alibis or the story of your life," but called the two Mrs. Sloanes to the stand and then asked him if he had anything to say before the court passed sentence on him. Sloane shook his head. The first, Mrs. Sloane, who said two other wives preceded her, one dying and the other divorcing Sloane, said she was married to the man eight months before her baby was born. The second Mrs. Sloane said Sloane married her in February 1939 and deserted her in September about six weeks before their baby was born. "The day my baby was a month old I picked up the paper and read his engagement to a local girl." Mrs. Sibyllia Sloane testified. Before Judge Reese passed sentence on Sloane, Defense Attorney Lane asked that he "temper justice with mercy." Lane said he had become interested in Sloane's case because the man had been a regular attendant at his church and to all appearances was a quiet, well-meaning man of "apparently good morals." Sloane, described by both wives as a well-dressed dapper man, has since his incarceration in the jail become unkempt and dirty, attaches said. They noted that he had changed the cut of his hair and grown a moustache. Half a dozen other cases, including larceny and liquor cases were set for trial yesterday, the first trial day of the January term.

Sources

• The Pensacola News-Journal, 25 Jan 1940

1920 United States Federal Census

Name Francis O Whitten

Age 9

Birth Year abt 1911

Birthplace Mississippi

Home in 1920 Ripley, Tippah, Mississippi

Race White

Gender Female

Relation to Head of House Daughter

Marital Status Single

Father's Name Luther M Whitten

Father's Birthplace Mississippi

Mother's Name Birtie L Whitten

Mother's Birthplace Mississippi

Occupation None

Attended School No

Household Members Name Age

Luther M Whitten 34

Birtie L Whitten 36

Mildred L Whitten 10

Francis O Whitten 9

Albert L Whitten 6

Luther W Whitten 3

Nyleen Whitten 0

1930 United States Federal Census

Name Artelia Whitten

Age in 1930 19

Birth Year abt 1911

Gender Female

Race White

Birthplace Mississippi

Marital Status Single

Relation to Head of House Daughter

Home in 1930 Beat 3, Tippah, Mississippi

House Number in Cities or Towns 98

Dwelling Number 224

Family Number 224

Attended School Yes

Able to Read and Write Yes

Father's Birthplace Mississippi

Mother's Birthplace Mississippi

Able to Speak English Yes

Occupation Farm Laborer

Industry General Farm

Class of Worker Unpaid worker, member of the family

Employment Yes

Household Members Name Age

Luther M Whitten 40

Bertie Whitten 43

Mildred Whitten 20

Artelia Whitten 19

Leland Whitten 16

Wayne Whitten 14

Geneva Whitten 10

Essie L Whitten 8

Alabama, County Marriages, 1805-1967

Name Artelia Whitten

Gender Female

Age 25

Birth Date abt 1912

Marriage Date 11 Jan 1937

Marriage Place Colbert, Alabama, USA

Father John Whitten

Mother Whitten

Spouse John L Sloane

Film Number 001976239

Household Members Name Age

John L Sloane

Nannie Riggins

James Sloane

Artelia Whitten

Whitten

John Whitten

Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002

Name Artellia Sloan

Gender Female

Marriage Date 21 Jun 1940

Marriage Place Lawrence

Household Members Name Age

George S Gist

Artellia Sloan

U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)

Name Artelia Gist

Gender Female

Residence Year 1954

Street Address 59 N Evergreen apt 3

Residence Place Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Occupation Teacher

Publication Title Memphis, Tennessee, City Directory, 1954

Household Members Name Age

George Gist

Artelia Gist

U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)

Name Artelia Gist

Gender Female

Residence Year 1960

Street Address 3540 Bowen av

Residence Place Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Occupation Teacher

Publication Title Memphis, Tennessee, City Directory, 1960

Household Members Name Age

George Gist

Artelia Gist

U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1

Name Artelia W Gist

Birth Date 10 Nov 1911

Address 432 N Manassas St, Memphis, 38105-2915 (1993), TN

U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-Current about Artelia Gist

Name: Artelia Gist

SSN: 418-01-7145

Last Residence: 72301 West Memphis, Crittenden, Arkansas, USA

Born: 10 Nov 1910

Died: 24 Jan 1997

State (Year) SSN issued: Alabama (Before 1951)

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Name Artellia Frances Whitten

SSN 418017145

Gender Female

Race White

Birth Date 10 Nov 1911

Birth Place Falkner, Mississippi

Father Name Luther M Whitten

Mother Name Bertie Thompson

Death Date 24 Jan 1997

Type of Claim Duplicate SSN - change or replacement.

Signature on SSN Card ARTELLIA WHITTEN

Relationship of Signature Signature name differs from NH’s name.

Notes Dec 1936: Name listed as ARTELLIA FRANCES WHITTEN; May 1941: Name listed as ARTELIA WHITTEN GIST; : Name listed as ARTELLA WHITTEN GIST; 20 Mar 1997: Name listed as ARTELIA GIST

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Seán Sloane Johnson for starting this profile.

Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Seán and others.