Mississippi Gumbo: A Collection of Tales of South Mississippi and a Potpourri of Other Mississippi Writings

This book contains a unique collection of amazing true stories from Mississippi, also a hilarious play, a screwy convention of the Do Nuthin Party, World War II adventures, wild escapades, and miscellaneous other things such as a so-called opera, “Tragedy of Peggy O’Neal.”

You will read about Col. Charles Glen Collins’ encounters with King Edward VII, George V, Churchill, Kitchener, Faulkner, Caruso, and Eugen Sandow, world’s strongest man.  Collins was the great grandfather of Bill Laimbeer of basketball fame.

Another story involves two young black teenagers in reconstruction days in South Mississippi who survived assassination attempts to bravely testify against a white murderer.  The murderer later escaped after his conviction and brought a reign of terror to his community until an unarmed Baptist sheriff faced him down and talked him into surrendering.  After which, the sheriff and his feisty whip-wielding wife had to fend off a lynch mob and trick them in a classic ruse to get the murderer back to prison.

The stories range from violence and terror to nostalgic sweet sadness to hilarious antics.  Every item is a jewel to remember.