Extracted from The Butler Herald (Butler, GA)
Thursday, April 4, 1940

Elder J. E. Cox Victim to Tragic Death in North Georgia Mountains, Cause of Same Veiled in Mystery

Funeral Services Held at Bethel Church Near Butler Tuesday Morning.

Beginning with only meager clues obtained by Gilmer county officers and state troopers from clothing on the body of an unidentified man found dead Thursday in a secluded wooded spot several miles north of Ellijay, resulted Saturday in the discovery that the body was that of Rev. J. Eldridge Cox, well known Baptist minister of Butler.

Officials of the North Georgia county stated that the body, with neck broken and bearing other bruises, was found at a lonely hillside spot more than a mile from a little-used dirt road. Some distance from the corps[e] were also found two empty chloreform [sic chloroform] bottles, one open and the other re-corked. A coroner's jury summoned in the case was unable to decide the cause of his death, it is said.

It is learned that Rev. Cox left his boarding house in Butler Wednesday of last week in his Model-A Ford coupe, giving his destination as Griffin where he was going seeking employment.

The youngest son of the late Mr. S. Hilliard and Mrs. Josephine Harmon Cox, pioneer and prominent citizens of Taylor county, Mr. Cox was born July 30, 1878, and except for brief intervals the entire sixty-two years of his life had been spent here. For many years he was engaged in extensive farming interests in this section. However, a number of years ago he retired from agricultural pursuits to engage in contracting and building in which vocation he acquired an enviable reputation throughout this section of the state.

Rev. Cox, who was a member of the Bethel Primitive Baptist church was a pious Christian gentleman, having been ordained a minister of this denomination a number of years ago.

Funeral services and interment of the remains took place at Bethel church Tuesday morning at ten o'clock. Elder S. H. McCorkle of Ellaville, pastor of the local church, conducted the funeral.

Surviving relatives include his wife, Mrs. Paronella Taunton cox, of LaGrange; and the following children: Mrs. Donnis Plymale, Mobile, Ala.; Mrs. J. M. Phillips, Mrs. W. C. Brannon, Messrs E. R., Newnan and Thurman Cox, all of LaGrange; Mr. E. C. Cox of Talladega, Ala.; and Mr. J. C. Cox of Hawaii. One sister and two brothers also survive, namely: Mrs. Minnie Cox Parker, of New Orleans, La.; Messrs J. T. and S. E. Cox, of Butler.

Pallbearers were: Messrs L. T. Peed, J. M. Bone, G. D. Locke, James Harmon, W. G. Hill.