Police: Man arrested, in 'Mayberry' shooting
MOUNT AIRY, N.C.--A soured love affair might have led an ex-convict
to gun down four men in the town that inspired the community of Mayberry on
the 1960s TV series "The Andy Griffith Show," police said Monday.

Marcos Chavez Gonzalez, 29, was charged with four counts of murder in the
slayings Sunday outside a television store in Mount Airy, N.C.

The four were shot with a high-powered assault rifle outside Wood's TV.

Police do not believe the shootings were random.

-- The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.) Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009

That's a darn shame.

Yeah, and the South was really safe 40 to 50 years ago.

There was a mafia in the south called the Dixie Mafia who moonshined, sold drugs, prostitution, contract killings, all kinds of fun stuff. Even in the idyllic show, Andy did not go up in those hills without a gun. Good advice because those hillbillies will shoot you if you come across their illegal activities.

Small southern jails in small towns were not nice places, especially if you were black, a Jew or have plates from anywhere north of the Ohio River. No peach cobbler from the kindly aunt. More of an ass whuppin from the local cops.

A lot of towns back them had a lot of corruption and illegal things like moonshining, prostitution, and gambling went on with various people in charge getting the payoffs. Many cops lived on meager salaries and had to make the difference somehow. Many of these small towns were ran by a "leading family" who owned a factory, mill or something along those lines. Many of the same leading families owned a lot of the land and the businesses. This still hasn't changed.

Anyone gay stayed in the closet (like Howard Sprague). Getting caught with even a small amount of cannabis could mean a decade in the state pen. Again, blacks were treating like second class citizens. People who were Jewish or even Catholic in some instances were descriminated against. A lot of local politics were basically all Democratic party, the ones annointed by the party won the elections.

Ernest T. Bass wasn't far from the truth, it ws just the Bass character was insane. There was a serial killer named Pee Wee Gaskins who roamed the Carolinas looking for victims, or doing contract killings. Pee Wee (given name Donald) was about the size of Bass and sort of looked like him. Gaskins was executed by the state of South Carolina by electrocution.

Good movies about what the south was more like in those days would be the original Walking Tall film and the Sally Field film, Norma Rae. Also watch the first few minutes of the Larry Flynt film starring Woody Harrelson. Hell, watch Deliverance.

Andy Taylor would be so disappointed. :eek: :eek: :eek:

I remember seeing a special on TV LAND about "TAGS" called "INSIDE TV LAND: THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW" (obviously this was before the channel "jumped the shark") and in one scene Sheldon Leonard said that if they showed what life was really like in a small southern town back then, they wouldn't be showing reruns still; all these years later.

Here's a new story. Even Betty Lynn is having problems with crime:

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — The actress who played Thelma Lou on "The Andy Griffith Show" was robbed in the town that inspired the show's idyllic Mayberry setting, after moving to the area to avoid big city crime.

Betty Lou Lynn had her wallet stolen at a shopping center in Mount Airy, the birthplace of Andy Griffith.

The Mount Airy News reports that police arrested Shirley Walter Guynn of Cana, Va. He's being held in Surry County Jail on a $10,000 bond. It was not immediately clear Thursday if he has a lawyer.

In an earlier interview with the newspaper, the 83-year-old Lynn said she moved to Mount Airy after being robbed three times in Los Angeles. In the TV series, Thelma Lou was the girlfriend of Deputy Barney Fife, played by Don Knotts.

Here's a new story. Even Betty Lynn is having problems with crime:

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — The actress who played Thelma Lou on "The Andy Griffith Show" was robbed in the town that inspired the show's idyllic Mayberry setting, after moving to the area to avoid big city crime.

Betty Lou Lynn had her wallet stolen at a shopping center in Mount Airy, the birthplace of Andy Griffith.

The Mount Airy News reports that police arrested Shirley Walter Guynn of Cana, Va. He's being held in Surry County Jail on a $10,000 bond. It was not immediately clear Thursday if he has a lawyer.

In an earlier interview with the newspaper, the 83-year-old Lynn said she moved to Mount Airy after being robbed three times in Los Angeles. In the TV series, Thelma Lou was the girlfriend of Deputy Barney Fife, played by Don Knotts.

This might be better as a separate topic.

Anyone gay stayed in the closet (like Howard Sprague).


It's become very popular in recent years to assert that Howard was a homosexual. How does one then explain his obvious sexual interest in Miss Fairchild, whom he dates? Same for the dance hall character played by Elizabeth McRae (better known as LouAnn Pouvie from Gomer Pyle): Howard is very aroused by her and wants to see her every night. And how does one explain the fact that he comes very close to marrying Millie Hutchins, a new girl in town that he's instantly attracted to?

The facts bear out that Howard was not gay. Yet people keep dismissing these episodes' plots.