From 1968 to 1975 Lamar Fountain escaped from area jails six times to return to his friends and family at Ray City, GA. Berrien county sheriff Walter J. Gaskins composed the Ballad of Lamar Fountain to tell the story of this extraordinary escape artist. Fountain once told his jailor, “When I’m in jail, I feel like there’s a 200-pound weight on me. When I get out I feel free.” In 1975 the story of Lamar Fountain made the national news.
Ballad of Lamar Fountain
Lamar Fountain was not a bad man;
He went to prison in this great land.
Whisky and women were the cause of it all;
That’s been many a man’s downfall.
Poor Lamar Fountain.
Many days and nights have come and gone
Since Lamar left his loved ones at home
He suffered many days and nights away,
Thinking of his parents who were old and gray.
Poor Lamar Fountain.
He escaped first from the Valdosta jail
Because he was unable to make bail.
Some of the leaders of this great land
Have committed crimes much worse than this man.
Poor Lamar Fountain.
A man with no money can only say
With God’s help he’ll be free someday.
As a law-enforcement officer I can’t stand
To see advantage took of any poor man.
Poor Lamar Fountain!
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Clayton Melvin Everett said,
September 26, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Lamar was my first cousin. His mother was my fathers oldest sister. My fathers best friend was Shelton Skinner. My fathers name was Charles Malcom Everett. We lived at the north end of Rays Pond in a little white house on the west side of the road. Mel Everett