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emnreviews.bsky.social
emnreviews
@emnreviews.bsky.social
1.5K followers 800 following 6.7K posts
Anti-Genocide pledge: https://www.antigenocidepledge.com/

I don't have any spare money, so save us both the time: don't ask.

Spacebar is my enemy.

Posting an image? Please #UseAltText. The visually-impaired should be part of the conversation.

#BookSky
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emnreviews.bsky.social
Funnily enough, @wired.com did an article on that too: www.wired.com/story/social...

and as far as I know, the policy was never reverted. But now, you say your contact is claiming this is an attempt to reach everyone. So is SSA direct communication going to start back up so they can

2/4
Edited excerpt from a 21 October 2025 WIRED article titled "Inside the Trump Administration's Bluesky Invasion: On Friday, after months of internal discussions, federal agencies began posting on the left-friendly social network. Within days, they dominated a list of the most-blocked accounts." by Makena Kelly: [Previous sentence's ending clause is blacked out. Excerpt begins:] As the government continued into shutdown, members of the White House’s digital team decided to take its shutdown messaging to the predominantly left-wing platform as part of a coordinated blitz with several other federal agencies that officials described as an effort to “reach all audiences.” “It should be the purpose of the government to communicate to the American public everywhere as often as possible,” says a White House official, who spoke to WIRED under the condition of anonymity to speak freely about the decision. The White House is now on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Truth Social, TikTok, YouTube, and X. “We’re just going to be there in as many places as possible because, as evident by the president’s ethos and his attitude and the sheer volume of open press stuff we do, we want to be as transparent as humanly possible and reach as many people as possible,” says the official. [end excerpt.] The article can be read in full at https://www.wired.com/story/inside-trump-administration-bluesky-invasion/
October 22, 2025 at 4:42 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
I'm going to point out that this article never once mentions the fact that back in April, the SSA said it would be using Twitter for official communications.

federalnewsnetwork.com/agency-overs...

1/4
Excerpt from 11 April 2025 Federal News Network article titled "SSA shifts to X posts for official messaging after cuts to communications staff: SSA is once again walking back plans that would have limited the agency's level of phone support to beneficiaries." by Jory Heckman: Regional SSA offices, each representing several states, will no longer have fully staffed public affairs offices, because of the agency’s mass reassignment of employees to field offices. SSA Midwest-West (MWW) Regional Commissioner Linda Kerr-Davis told employees in a call Thursday that those regional offices will no longer issue press releases or “Dear Colleague” letters to advocate groups. “Instead, the agency will be using X to communicate to the press and the public — formerly known as Twitter,” Kerr-Davis said. “This will become our communication mechanism.” [endexcerpt.] Article can be read in full at https://federalnewsnetwork.com/agency-oversight/2025/04/ssa-shifts-to-x-posts-for-official-messaging-after-cuts-to-communications-staff/
October 22, 2025 at 4:42 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
With #AltText.

Link to ABC's website with the write-up still in development: abc7.com/post/federal...
Live coverage from ABC7 in Los Angeles. Chyron reads "Breaking News: Immigration Operation at Camarillo Farm. Federal Agents Clash with Protesters." The still is from the Live feed, indicated by the "LIVE AIR 7" note in the upper left. It is centered on a military Humvee in the right-hand lane. A person in a plain white tee shirt stands in front of the Humvee, the front bumper appearing to be in contact with them. It appears as though the driver intends to run them over. It is very reminiscent of Tiananmen Square. Another person is standing to the Humvee's right, on the shoulder of the road, wearing black. In the upper left corner of the frame, a white vehicle is parked in the shoulder. Passing the Humvee in the left lane, headed in the opposite direction, a red four-door sedan and the bed of a white pickup truck can be seen.
July 10, 2025 at 9:41 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
In the event that this site/app does what it usually does to such cries for help, here is a screen capture of the text of the post.

www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-es...

Please share if you cannot give.

For Gaza, please consider signing:
- actionnetwork.org/letters/bloc...
- www.antigenocidepledge.com
Screen capture of a 10 July 2025 Bluesky post from Samahhgazaa (‪@samahhgazaa.bsky.social‬): To the whole world, we live in northern Gaza, a place of death, displacement and famine. We have no dreams or future left, and now Rimas is suffering from cancer, fighting death and famine. She has lost her dreams. Your donation, even if it is small, will save her life. You are her hope. [broken heart emoji; explosion emoji.] https://gofund.me/ae817fe5 [end post text.] There are two images with alt text included. 1 - The alt reads "I am Rimas, a 14-year-old girl with blood cancer." The image has two photos; the one in the background is of a teenager holding a handwritten sign with the following text: "[Although] the celebration was Always a Joy, This Year brought Hunger & Pain [sad face]. Be the Reason For a Smile [heart.] Donate Even A Little !!!" The one in the foreground shows a hand with an IV attachment and bandages holding it in place, overlaid by text reading: "I am the little girl Rimas, a blood cancer patient. I lost my childhood because of the disease, and now I am losing my life because of not receiving treatment, the closure of the crossings, and the famine that Gaza is experiencing. You are my hope. Your support will save my life before it is too late." Held in front of the camera at the wrist of the hand is a paper from the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital (Gaza Cancer Center) dated 1 July 2025. 2 - The alt reads "I am Samah Khairat. My dream, my university, my twin Mahmoud, and this is the rubble of my house. There is no dream or future left." The photo is of a young woman sitting atop a pile of rubble in what is clearly the remains of a building; a second photo below is another angle of the destruction. Text over the photos reads "The war took a lot from me, my home and my twin Mahmoud went with it, and it also destroyed the other's home and we escaped death for the second time. We have no place left to live in. We lost everything."
July 10, 2025 at 8:42 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
How long, do you think, before they try to overturn Scopes and return us to this type of court of "law"?
Excerpt from a 10 July 1925 article in the D.C. Evening Star titled "Scopes Reindicted After Trial Opens To Correct Error" by the Associated Press: Crowd Stands at Prayer. The crowd rose as the judge's gavel fell. They stood during the opening prayer. Camera men focused their machines. Photographers were given their inning. Visiting counsel ranged behind the judge and gazed into a snapping battery of picture makers. The crowd considered itself "at ease" and discussed the situation audibly. Camera men retired and the judge hammered for order. Spectators sat down, but the attorneys received a second admonition. The space around the judge was crowded with court attaches. A tow-headed 2-year-old boy sat on Judge Raulston's desk and drew the jury panel. The judge broke his eyeglasses and was forced to leave the bench to get Mrs. Raulston's assistance in repairing the damage. The operation was successful. Judge Reads Bible. Raulston's voice rang out clearly as he read the first chapter of Genesis to the grand jury. Men in the crowd looked at one another significantly as he read the scriptural story of creation. Jurymen listened with heads erect and grave faces. As Judge Raulston was convening court a blind musician stationed his organ upon the courthouse lawn and began playing old-fashioned hymns. A crowd assembled around him and soon began singing the tunes. As the music continued, others were attracted to the scene, and while the grand jury was being empaneled in the courtroom above the faint sounds of old hymns drifted through the courtroom windows. During the intermission the crowd poured out upon the lawn and gathered in groups to discuss the trial developments. The country folk reclined upon the grass. Mothers comforted waiting infants or cuddled their young in their arms. [end excerpt.] Available at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1925-07-10/ed-1/seq-1/
July 10, 2025 at 7:27 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
This was the text of the law he was charged with violating:
Article from the 10 July 1925 Imperial Valley Press. Read Tennessee's Anti-Evolution Law. An act prohibiting the teaching of the evolution theory in all the universities, normal and other public schools of Tennessee which are supported in whole or in part by the public school funds of the state and to provide penalties for the violation thereof. Section 1 - Be it enacted by the general assembly of the state of Tennessee that it shall be unlawful for any teacher in any of the universities, normal and all other public schools of the state which are supported in whole or in part by the public school funds, to teach any theory that denies the story of the divine creation of man as taught in the Bible and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animal. "Section 2 - Вe it further enacted that any teacher found guilty of violation of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500 for each offense." Introduced by Representative J. W. Butler of Lafayette. Macon county. [end text.] Available at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92070146/1925-07-10/ed-1/seq-1/
July 10, 2025 at 7:27 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
Do you remember learning about the Scopes trial in high school (U.S.)?
Political cartoon from the 10 July 1925 Montgomery Advertiser titled "A Matter of Penetration --" by Spang. Depicted is a large circus tent with an oversized primate (shown in slightly obscured silhouette through the muslin of the tent material) holding a long utility knife labeled "The Scope (sic) Trial" in its left hand. The knife is aimed at the back of a man who is attempting to peer through the side of the tent's tarp; the man is wearing a business suit and holding a bowler hat as he crouches slightly to get a better look. On the back of his suit jacket is written "Those of us in the dark". Above the tent is a flag with the word "Dayton" on it, and to the right of frame a large crowd is in silhouette at the entrance of the tent. The sky is overcast, with the sun/moon visible only as a lower crescent. Available online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020645/1925-07-10/ed-1/seq-1/ Political cartoon from the 10 July 1925 D.C. Evening Star titled "Evolution in Tennessee" by Berryman (I think that's the signature). At the top left, a thin man who appears down on his luck is leaning against the base on an oak tree (labeled "The Oak"), an old straw hat sits on his head with the label "Dayton". He has flies buzzing around him and is wearing "high waters" - pants that are too short for the person wearing them, generally indicating poverty. The label to the left of this says "Five Months Ago". A curved line like a page being turned separates this from the rest of the cartoon and at its lower left edge has a sign hanging from it that reads "Today". Revealed by the turn of the page is a newspaperman writing on his notepad and six men with large box cameras on tripods. All of the cameras are aimed at a man who is now depicted as quite rotund, wearing a suit, dress shoes with bows on top, striped socks, and a new had (also labeled "Dayton"). His hair is noticeably combed, he has on a bow tie and there's a boutonniere in his left lapel. His thumbs are hooked under his suspenders and he has pulled them slightly to the sides, moving his suit jacket so his large belly (fully covered by his button-up shirt) can be easily seen. There's a spotlight on him from the upper left, originating from the horizontal center of the top edge of the frame. Behind him stands a much smaller version of the oak, not even able to reach his waistline - in fact, its height is obscured by his large bottom. behind the oak, four more cameras are visible. To the left of Dayton's mouth, in the spotlight with his face, are the words "This is the life!" Available at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1925-07-10/ed-1/seq-1/
July 10, 2025 at 7:27 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
In case this site/app does what it usually does to such cries for help, here is a screen capture of the text of the post.

www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-...

Please share if you cannot give.

For Gaza, please consider signing:
- actionnetwork.org/letters/bloc...
- www.antigenocidepledge.com
Screen capture of a 9 July 2025 Bluesky post from Abeer from Gaza (‪@abeergaza89.bsky.social‬): [siren emoji.] I’m Abeer, a mother of 4. [broken heart emoji.] My baby Talia cries for milk [crying emoji] but I have nothing. [crying emoji; broken heart emoji.] We lost our home, have no income, and their father is still trapped in Gaza. [Palestine flag emoji.] Please help us with $200 to survive and reunite. [praying emoji.] [green check mark emoji] Verified by Molly Shah [link emoji] https://gofund.me/00439328
July 10, 2025 at 6:16 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
I admit, this is one of those headlines where, if I hadn't read about the beetle-mail trade, I might honestly wonder what they meant.

Instead, I'm reminded of how those nasty buggers clogged up my window AC unit for years.
Screen capture of news app headline preview from Martha Stewart: "Don't Buy Ladybugs - Here's How to Attract Them Naturally to Eliminate Garden Pests".
July 10, 2025 at 4:50 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
The death toll is so much higher than what we know now.

The Genocide in Gaza needs to end.

Block the Bombs, to support HR3565: actionnetwork.org/letters/bloc...

Anti-Genocide pledge: www.antigenocidepledge.com
Excerpt from a 10 July 2025 +972 Magazine / Local Call article titled " ‘Like a video game’: Israel enforcing Gaza evacuations with grenade-firing drones. The Israeli army is weaponizing Chinese-made drones to police expulsion orders across Gaza, with soldiers saying they deliberately target civilians so others will ‘learn’ not to return, an investigation reveals." by Yuval Abraham: “In most cases, there was nothing you could tell yourself,” S. continued. “There was no way to complete the sentence, ‘We killed them because…’”
July 10, 2025 at 3:01 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
...Are the headline editors at @washingtonpost.com and @politico.com colluding?
Screen capture of news app headline preview for The Washington Post: "Immigration, Epstein, Ukraine: Trump's Moves Roil MAGA Base" Screen capture for news app preview of Politico headline: " 'Shock. Frustration. Anger.' Trump's Tariff Letters Roil Asian Allies".
July 10, 2025 at 12:37 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
@bsky.app Problem:
Screen capture of error message on the Discover feed: "Hmm, some kind of issue occurred when contacting the feed server. Please let the feed owner know about this issue. Message from server: NotEnoughResources." This is followed by a "View profile" button that takes the user to the @bsky.app profile.
July 9, 2025 at 10:40 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
What kind of dress? Is she sitting? Standing? Is she leaning on the frame? Is there someone/something she's looking at? Is her expression anger? Longing? Disgust? Sorrow? Apathy?

I didn't mention every single detail of the painting, and I didn't go into a history of fashion or art.

2/3
Wikidata copy of the 1883 painting "Pensive" or "Reverie" by Władysław Czachórski, available at https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23541890#/media/File:W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_Czach%C3%B3rski_-_Reverie_-_MP_250_-_National_Museum_in_Warsaw.jpg . A brunette woman, her hair pulled back in a low bun at her nape, with short bangs covering her forehead, sits in a straight-backed wooden chair with a green cloth covering the top edge. Her left forearm rests on the edge of the chair just beneath the elbow, extending out and down, her hand hanging limply. The pinky finger of this hand is slightly more crooked than the other fingers. Her right arm is positioned on the top of a rectangular table covered with a red cloth with yellow and black patterning which itself is covered by lace along the full of its length and width and several inches hanging over both visible sides. Her elbow and part of her upper forearm rest on the table, with the fingers of her right hand curled against her cheek as she stares out a window on the other side of the table. Her face is shown in profile, with left eye wide open. Her lips are full and betray no emotion, and the slight tilt of her head to her right to lean minutely against that hand - or raising up from having done so - gives an impression of being lost in thought. She is wearing a cream colored dress of that era with décolletage, a bow attached in the center of the lace neckline, between the breasts. A train of material is visible by her right leg, and the toe of her left shoe peeks out from beneath the skirt. On the table sits an open book, its pages being ruffled by the wind. Just outside the window on the side of the building a statue is visible from the knee down, standing on a pedestal. Beyond it, in the distance at the edge of frame, we can see a body of water surrounded by lush greenery beneath a grey sky.
July 9, 2025 at 5:17 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
I'm not quote-posting it, but this is something that came up on my Discover feed.

Yes, I'm going to talk about #AltText.

This is personal for me. One day, I will be fully blind. When that happens, I hope that someone will give me more than "woman in long dress is staring out the window".

1/3
Screen capture of a post in my Discover feed with #AltText that says "Woman in long dress is looking out the window." This is an insufficient description - period - but doubly so because there is writing that has been added to the artwork that is not credited to the artist who made it. The image used as the base is "Reverie" or "Pensive" by Władysław Czachórski, painted in 1883. It is an oil painting on canvas in the National Museum of Warsaw collection. Knowing the year alone gives an idea of clothing style and furnishings - if there are any, which that description doesn't tell us. (See the next post's image for more detail.) The writing added to the painting says "Before the internet, most people thought villages only had one idiot. Wow, we did not have that right." and thought bubble dots have been added leading from the woman's head to the text above it (which is not enclosed in a bubble).
July 9, 2025 at 5:17 PM
emnreviews.bsky.social
So, naturally, Bowman had to stand trial. While he was on the stand, Bowman testified that the Godseys were behind the kidnapping.

And, according to the Cordele Dispatch (a Georgia publication), both they and Bowman are all part of the Klan, of course.
Article from the 11 February 1926 Cordele Dispatch, volume 9, number 75, page 2: [KIDNAPPING] CHARGED TO KLAN BY BOWMAN. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., February 11 - Lawrence Bowman, feudist now on trial for attempting to kill Sam and Benton Godsey, opposing klansmen, in a gun battle near the police station on July 20, last charged on the stand that the Godseys and their associates kidnapped Bowman and Dr. W. D. Mason, on Signal mountain and held them captives ten days chained to a tree. Bowman and Mason were lured to the mountain by a fake telephone call, set upon and carried into the wilds a few months ago. Bowman told a graphic story of the kidnapping and the battle with the Godseys, testifying that his foes began the shooting which resulted in both of them [receiving] bullets in the legs. He said [that] the mountain feud between the Bowmans and Godseys, which has [led] to one killing and a number of shootings, originated when he was a boy of 16, when Sam Godsey had him arrested for stealing chickens, and reached a climax when Godsey slew his brother, Ike Bowman, at a dance on Walden's Ridge two years ago. He said that he had acted as a "spotter" for federal agents for eight years and "turned up" a number of stills operated by the Godsey klan. The trial will continue tomorrow. [end text.] Available online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/2022239691/1926-02-11/ed-1/seq-2/
July 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
(They had disappeared on 23 June.)
Article printed in the 9 July 2025 Free Lance: CHAINED TO TREES. Doctor And Prohibition Aid Are Ros-cued en Signal Mountain. Chattanooga, Tenn., July 6. - Dr. W. D. Mason, veterinary surgeon, and Lawrence Bowman, aid to Federal prohibition agents and alleged feudist, who have been the object of a ten-day search by a posse of more than 150 men since their mysterious disappearance on Signal Mountain the night of June 23, were found handcuffed and chained to a tree, Sunday, by Jim Thomas, mountaineer. Both men were alive but in serious condition due to their long exposure and insufficient nourishment. They were brought to the city in an ambulance. Mason and Bowman, after being sufficiently revived, stated that they had been set upon the night of their disappearance by five hooded men, carried from Dr. Mason's car and chained to a tree. Each night they were blindfolded and removed to another place, they stated. As the two men were found on a spot that was previously searched by a posse, it is believed that the men were moved each night to a section of the mountain that was searched on the previous day by the posses to prevent their discovery. [end text.] The article can be read online at https://books.google.com/books?id=gpdUAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA4
July 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
Almost a full month after their disappearance, Bowman opened fire on the Godsey brothers, Sam and Benton, with Attorney General George W. Chamlee present.
TWO ARE WOUNDED IN TENNESSEE FEUD. Members of Godsey and Bowman Clans Fight as Attorney General Looks On. By the Associated Press. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. July 21. - Members of the Godsey and Bowman clans have fought it out again with guns in a revival of their ancient feud, this time in the very shadow of the police station. Two of the Godseys, Benton and Sam, were wounded, Sam seriously, when they met Lawrence Bowman near police headquarters last night. Bowman, who, with Dr. W. D Mason, was assaulted, [kidnapped] and tied to trees in the wilds of Signal Mountain a few weeks ago, was uninjured. Both of the Godseys were shot in the leg. A bystander, Attorney General George W. Chamlee, had a close escape when his hat was knocked off by a bullet during the encounter. Sam Godsey said Bowman started the battle while Godsey was upbraiding Attorney General Chamlee for not Indicting Bowman for carrying a pistol in another case. Tells Different Tale. Bowman's story does not conform to that of the Godseys. He said that Sam Godsey was cursing him to Attorney General Chamlee, and when he saw Bowman he reached for his gun. Bowman then shot down Benton Godsey and hit Sam Godsey in the leg, he said. Bowman said his marksmanship was bad because he was afraid he would shoot Chamlee, as Sam Godsey kept getting behind him. He also said some one was shooting at him from the rear. The warfare between the Godseys and the Bowmans, reputed leaders of mountain liquor rings, has been in progress for several years. One of the latest flare-ups was the slaying of Ike Bowman by Sam Godsey several months ago. The spectacular [kidnapping] of Bowman and Mason created wide attention and the Bowmans held the Godseys responsible for the affair. Since the rescue of the men, officials have been expecting trouble. The Godseys claim that Bowman has a grudge against them for destroying a still of his. [end.] https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1925-07-21/ed-1/seq-14/
July 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
Bowman clapped back: 'I found 15 moonshine stills, most not a mile from his house - and one only 450 feet from his door. Of course he's going to call me a liar.' (paraphrased; see images)
Article from the 7 July 1925 Montgomery Advertiser, volume 98, issue 188, page 1: ABDUCTION STORY DECLARED TRUE. Bowman Says He and Dr. Mason Were Tortured For Ten Days. CHATTANOOGA, TENN., July 6. - "To make a long story short 'dead men tell no tales.' I think that explains, in the shortest possible fashion why Dr. W. D. Mason and myself were abducted and tortured for ten days by a gang of masked men in the wilds of Signal Mountain." The foregoing statement was made today at a local hospital by Lawrence Bowman, alleged feudist and aide to federal prohibition agents, [kidnapped] along with Dr. Mason, a veterinarian on June 23 and kept tied to trees until Sunday morning by enemies. Bowman and Dr. Mason intimated that warrants would be sworn out for members of the masked band who participated in the abduction. Bowman declared that he believed that the real cause of the [kidnapping] was due to the fact that he had turned up a number of stills in the neighborhood of Lone Oak and the Sequatchie and Hamilton county line recently for Federal Prohibition Agent W. E. Grubb. "They intended to get Dr. Mason too, so that he could not tell what they had done to me," said Bowman. Bowman refused to name the abductors, although he indicated that he could identify several of them. "I have suffered tortures for reporting so many distilleries to Agent Grubb," said Bowman. "It was during the April term of federal court that I opened upon the stills in my section of the country. In all I believe that I turned up about fifteen stills, practically all of them within a radius of a mile of the house owned by Sam Godsey, deputy sheriff of Sequatchie county, including one which was hardly more than 150 yards from the house." [continued next image.] Available online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020645/1925-07-07/ed-1/seq-1/ [continued from last image.] Sam Godsey has been bound over to federal court on charges of owning and operating a distillery, while his brother Benton has been bound over for attempting to bribe a government officer and intimidate a government officer, after shooting Agent Grubb and his brother, John, on the streets of Chattanooga some weeks ago. Relating his story of the attack by masked men Bowman said: "We were driving along the road, when suddenly five or six men rose up beside us and got on the running boards of the car, commanding us to halt. They had revolvers and each man wore a coarse mask over his face, evidently made of sacking, with a single eye hole cut in each one. When they jumped into the car they said (Continued on Page Two) The remainder of the story can be found online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020645/1925-07-07/ed-1/seq-2/ in column 5 at the top under the title "Abduction Story Declared True".
July 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
Godsey, of course, said that they had orchestrated the whole disappearance themselves.
Article from the 6 July 1925 Washington Times, issue 13,285, page 1: CHAINING CALLED FAKE. Feudist Says Men, Ten Days Tied in Woods Tried to "Frame" Him. By International News Service, CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., July 6. - Amid charges and counter charges by members of two feud clans, Sheriff Tom Selman today launched an investigation into the alleged [kidnapping] of Doctor W. D. Mason, a veterinarian, and Lawrence Bowman, who were found chained to a tree in a sparsely settled spot on Signal mountain after they had been mysteriously missing for ten days. Men Are Recovering. The victims, half-starved and suffering from exposure to the weather and insects when found, today were well on their way to recovery, according to attending physicians. Handcuffed and chained to a tree not far away from the spot where their abandoned and blood-stained automobile was found the morning after their disappearance, the men were found by a mountaineer while rounding up stray hogs Sunday. Both men claimed they set upon by five masked men, who used tow sacks to hide their identity, after they had answered a fake telephone call to come to Signal Mountain and attend a mountaineer's sick horse. The men said they had eaten but twice since they were captured by the masked band. Sardines and crackers was the food given them by their captors. In the absence of any definite cause as to why the men should be carried off and held as prisoners, Sheriff Selman was at a loss to know how to proceed with the investigation. "Frame-up" Charged. Sam Godsey, deputy sheriff of Sequatchle county, a neighboring county to Hamilton, and alleged leader of the Godsey clan, which is said to have been at war for years with the Bowman clan, charges that the disappearance of the men was a frame-up against him. He charges that the fact that the men disappeared the day before (Continued on Page 3, Column 2.) [end.] Available at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1925-07-06/ed-1/seq-1/ [article continued.] CALL CHAINING FRAME-UP. (Continued from First Page) they were to appear in court and the fact that none of the Bowmans offered a reward for the finding of Bowman was "proof that their disappearance was framed." Although he described the disappearance of the men as absurd, Sheriff Selman declared today he is convinced that Bowman received rough treatment of some nature. "I talked with him at the hospital," said the sheriff, "and he showed signs of having gone hungry and thirsty and of having been through some harrowing experiences, although no bruises or signs of blows were visible on his body." Tipped Off Moonshiners. The sheriff said the case was complicated and would require several days to get at the bottom of it. The victims apparently had been moved about from night to night to avoid the posse that has been searching the mountain fastnesses since their disappearance. Prior to the finding of the two men, Sheriff Selman had almost given up hope, entertaining the belief that they had been slain by mountain moonshiners and their bodies hidden in some mountain ravine. Bowman, prior to his disappearance, had been threatened by mountaineers because he had tipped federal agents as to the location of moonshine stills, according to officers. Tell Weird Tale. Mason and Bowman, after being revived, told a weird tale to their rescuers. They said they had been attacked by five hooded men while in Doctor Mason's automobile, dragged into the woods and chained to a tree, where they remained all that night and the following day. They were unchained and dragged still farther into the woods toward Lookout mountain the following night and again chained to a tree. [continued next image.] [continued.] For several nights they were moved, first being blindfolded. It is thought they were [moved] each night to a section which had been searched during the day by a posse to prevent their discovery. The spot where they were found had previously been searched by a posse. Thomas was accompanied by his nine-year-old grandson when he found the men. He said he was startled when he saw Bowman, his face covered with a heavy growth of beard, thinking at first he was a ghost. Drank Greedily. He said he offered Bowman water, which Bowman gulped greedily. "I wrenched it from him after he had taken about three swallows, as I was afraid it might kill him to drink too much at once," Thomas said. "Then I noticed Doctor Mason, who was lying in a stupor. I forced the bottle to his lips and presently he began to show signs of life. "Leaving my grandson with the men I went to the nearest telephone and called Joe Willis, con-stable, and asked him to send ambulances. "The two men were semi-delirious from their sufferings. The sun had beat down on them unmercifully and gnats, horse-flies and mosquitoes tortured them incessantly. Wrists Badly Cut. Doctor Mason's wrists were badly cut by the handcuffs to which his chains were fastened. He could barely move, so tightly was he chained. Bowman, however, was able to raise himself on his hands and knees." Doctor Mason and Bowman were lured to their capture by a telephone message purporting to be an appeal for help from Sam Lewis, a mountaineer. Doctor Mason's car was found the next morning on a lonely mountain road. Both men's hats were in the car Bowman's crushed by the blow of a heavy cudgel. Blood was smeared over the seat. [end article.] Available online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1925-07-06/ed-1/seq-3/
July 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
They were discovered on 5 July, and transported to a Chattanooga hospital.
Newsprint photos of Lawrence Bowman and W.D. Mason in the hospital, as they appeared in the 9 July 1925 Washington Times. The section was titled "Men Kidnapped And Chained To Tree", with the photos credited to the International News Reel. The top photo shows a man wearing a hospital gown sitting upright in a hospital bed, a cigarette hanging from the right corner of his mouth. This is Lawrence Bowman. The bottom photo shows a man laying on his back, looking toward the camera on his left as a nurse with a stethoscope around her neck stands at his bedside, her hands on her hips. This is Doctor W.D. Mason. The caption in the paper read "Lawrence Bowman, (upper) and Doctor W. D. Mason (lower), a prominent veterinary surgeon, are in a hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn., after being found nearly dead on lonely Signal Mountain. The two men had been missing for ten days and were handcuffed and chained to a tree. The two men were nearly dead from starvation. They were sufficiently revived to tell their story of having been [kidnapped] by a band of five hooded men." Viewable online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1925-07-09/ed-1/seq-1/
July 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
That reward was increased to $1000 by 1 July. That would be 18,369.43 today.

The "They're in Miami!" letter is interesting...

And it's not mentioned again once they're found (and there's an accusation about faking their kidnapping).
Article from the 1 July 1925 Montgomery Advertiser, volume 98, issue 182, page 1: SEARCH OF SIGNAL MOUNTAIN GOES ON. Rewards Totaling $1,000 Posted in Disappearance of Two Men. CHATTANOOGA, TENN., June 30. - Rewards for the finding of Dr. W. D. Mason, veterinary surgeon, and Lawrence Bowman, alleged feudist and "spotter" for federal prohibition officers, who disappeared on Signal Mountain Thursday night, have been increased to $1,000. Posses continued the search today, combing the [gulches] and caves on the west brow of the mountain. Terrill Mason, brother of the missing veterinary, who is an aviator, will tomorrow use an airplane in the search. A letter received today stating that the missing men were in Miami, Florida, is being investigated, although officers and [relatives] of Bowman and Mason believe that they have fallen victims of a mountain clan of moonshiners. [end article.] Available online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020645/1925-07-01/ed-1/seq-1/
July 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
(So, he was also helping enforce prohibition.)

Bowman was a co-defendant.

There was a $400 reward offered on 29 June for any information that led to an arrest. That would be $7,347.77 today, per www.usinflationcalculator.com.
Article printed in the 29 June 1925 Washington Times, issue 13,279, page 5: SEARCHING MOUNTAINS FOR TWO SLAIN MEN. CHATTANOOGA. Tenn., June 29. - A posse of 150 men, some of them mounted, took the field today to search the sparsely settled sides of Signal Mountain for the bodies of Doctor W. D. Mason and Lawrence Bowman, who mysteriously disappeared Thursday night, after they had answered a fake telephone call to come to Signal Mountain to treat a mountaineer's sick horse. Sheriff Tom Selman will take personal charge of the posse in searching for the missing men whom he believes have been murdered and their bodies hidden in some deep ravine or [gully]. An award of $400 has been offered for the arrest of the guilty persons. Officers believe the two men met death as a climax to an old feud between Bowman and alleged moonshiners of the mountain fastness. [end article.] Available online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1925-06-29/ed-1/seq-5/
July 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
This was apparently part of an ongoing feud that had erupted between the Bowmans and the Godseys because Sam Godsey killed Ike Bowman over what the D.C. Evening Star called "differences between moonshiners".

Godsey - Sequatchie County deputy - is said to have had Grubb arrested for selling whiskey.
Article from the 27 June 1925 D.C. Evening Star, issue 29,642, page 2: TWO ARE BELIEVED FEUDIST VICTIMS. Abandoned Car, Bloody Hats and Club Indicate Men Were in Fight. By the Associated Press. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. June 27 - Officers who had been searching for Dr. W. D. Mason, veterinary surgeon, and Lawrence Bowman, aide of Federal prohibition officers and alleged feudist, who disappeared on Signal Mountain Thursday night, returned to the city today without trace of the missing men. Finding of Dr. Mason's abandoned automobile, blood spattered, and the hats of the two men nearby was regarded as evidence that a fight had occurred and led to the belief that Mason and Bowman had been killed and their bodies carried into the forest. A heavy club, believed to have been used by the assailants, was found nearby. Feud of Moonshiners. Sheriff Tom Selman said he thought that Mason and Bowman had been lured to the mountain by a fake telephone call, waylaid on the road and put to death. Bowman is the leader of a faction which has been at war with the Godsey clan since Sam Godsey killed Ike Bowman, a brother, several months ago. The feud is said to have originated because of differences between moonshiners. Later Bowman figured in a raid made by W. E. Grubb, Federal prohibition officer, during which the former shot Luther Griffiths, alleged member of the Godsey clan. Grubb has also been drawn into the feud, having aroused the enmity of the Godseys when he captured one of their liquor runners. As a result of this arrest, Grubb accused Sam Godsey, a deputy sheriff of Sequatchie County, of attempting to bribe him to free his aide. Later Godsey shot Grubb on the streets of Chattanooga and is now under bond. Godsey also had Grubb arrested on a charge of selling whisky, and his trial was continued owing to the disappearance of Bowman, a co-defendant. [end article.] Available online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1925-06-27/ed-1/seq-2/
July 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
(a momentary break, or MAGA drama from 1925 - a 🧵)

100 years ago, the Klan kidnapped two men and tied them to a tree without food or water, after accusing those men of colluding with the government in enforcing prohibition.
Article from the 8 July 1925 Daily Worker, volume 2, issue 151, page 1: KLAN [KIDNAPPED TENNESSEE] MEN, LEFT THEM TO STARVE. Were at Death's Door When Found in Chains. (Special to The Daily Worker.) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., July 6 - An investigation was started today by the sheriff's office into the kidnapping of Dr. W. D. Mason, a [veterinarian] and Lawrence Bowman, who were found Sunday chained to a tree on Signal Mountain after being missing for ten days. They told their liberators that they had been taken into the woods by a hooded band and left to die after it had been alleged that they had assisted federal agents in running down dry law violators. Both men were near death when they were found as they had been without food or water for the entire period of their imprisonment. Blow to Defense. Judge Fred Hines today decided that the state's attorney had the right to make the choice as to which defendant was to be tried first. The ruling was a blow to the defense and attorneys asked for a few hours to prepare motions and objections. The prosecution undoubtedly will name Stephenson, former Indiana K. K. K. Dragon, as the first to be placed on trial. Last week the defense had obtained a ruling that Gentry was to be tried first. The defense may ask a postponement of the trial until the next term of court, which will be in October. [end article.] The text can be viewed online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020097/1925-07-08/ed-1/seq-1/
July 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
emnreviews.bsky.social
In case this site/app does what it usually does to such cries for help, here is a screen capture of the post.

www.gofundme.com/f/reem-sakher

Please share if you cannot give.

For Gaza, please consider signing:
- actionnetwork.org/letters/bloc...
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Screen capture of a 7 July 2025 Bluesky post from It's Reem in gaza [watermelon emoji.] (‪@reemgaza2.bsky.social‬): Please stop and read. We are just trying to survive. This is me and Sakher. We’re engaged, but everything around us is collapsing our homes, our dreams, even our health. We didn’t choose this life. We just want to live. I’ve lost so much. I’m weak from hunger and sickness. https://gofund.me/459d365f
July 9, 2025 at 2:55 AM