Family legend has it that John did not get along with his stepsons, the three oldest Mason boys who were in their teens at the time. The boys believed that John Bridges was converting to his personal gain their late father's money. Around 1892 the Mason boys hatched a plan to kill John Bridges. An unidentified relative, who supposedly knew of the boys' nefarious plans, put John Bridges on a train in Tennille, Georgia, headed for Florida.

There is no proof of the accuracy of this family tale, but John Bridges did not return to Georgia for more than twenty years. His two sons with Mary (Mason) Bridges, Thomas Eugene Bridges and William Watson Bridges, were only a few years old when John Bridges allegedly boarded that train to Florida, and he never saw his sons again.

State: GA; County: Washington; Enum. Dist: ??; Div: ?? GMD
Date: xx ?? 1890; Enumerator: ??; Roll: T623_201
Residence: unknown. Page: 12
===================================
Bridges...John I.......W...M...27...GA.
Bridges...Marie V...W...F....35...GA
Mason....Gordon.....W...M...15...GA
Mason....Clifford....W...M...13...GA
Mason....Mamie.....W...F....10...GA
Mason....Annie......W...F....10...GA
Mason....Dora.......W...F......7...GA
Mason....Julian......W...M.....7...GA
Mason....Sallie......W...F.......6...GA
Bridges...[blank]...W...M......1...GA*

He was later named William Watson Bridges]

• Married: Aft 1880 ³
• Change Date: 6 Apr 2006

• Married: 25 Apr 1888 in Washington County, Georgia ⁷
• Change Date: 6 Apr 2006

1. William Watson "Willie" BRIDGES b: 3 Feb 1889 in Harrison, Washington County, Georgia
2. Thomas Eugene "Tommie" BRIDGES b: 11 Aug 1890 in Emanuel County, Georgia

• Married: Aft 1900 ³
• Change Date: 18 Jun 2001

1. Media: Census/Tax
   Title: 1870 Washington County, Georgia Census
   Publication: [primary source] Sandersville, Georgia, 1870
   Page: p 9
2. Media: Census/Tax
   Title: 1890 Washington County, Georgia Census Index
   Publication: [primary source] Sandersville, Georgia, 1890. This census index—containing a list of the name, age, sex and race of individuals enumerated on the 1890 census for Washington County, Georgia— were ordered from Washington, DC and were received by the Court of Ordinary for Washington County, Georgia before the originals of the 1890 census reports were destroyed by fire in 1921. The original three books, along with mocrofilm copies, are on file in the Court of Ordinary, Washington County, Georgia. In 1985 the Central Georgia Genealogical Society, Inc. 9cggs), obtained permission from the Court of Ordinary to compile the index in book form, and the book was published by CGGS in 1994. A copy of that book is in the possession of Diane Carrington Bradford.
   Date: 29 Sep 2008
   Page: column 1, p 16
3. Media: Book
   Title: Colby Smith and His Descendants
   Author: Brantley, Gene D., Smith, Robert A., and Veal, Carllene S.
   Publication: [primary and secondary source] Louisville, GA: The Colby Smith Family Publications, 1998
   Date: 19 Sep 2000
   Note:
   The three authors are all direct descendants of Colby Smith and Anna Henry Smith of early Washington County, Georgia.
4. Media: Research collection
   Title: Benjamin Darius Smith Descendants
   Author: Smith, DeSaussure Dugas, III "Dess", Compiler/Editor
   Publication: [primary and secondary source] Georgia, 2000 dess@jazz.cybermedia.net
   Date: 18 Sep 2000
5. Title: Descendants of Dr. Benjamin Darius Smith
   Author: Smith, DeSaussure Dugas, III "Dess", Compiler/Editor
   Publication: [primary and secondary source] Georgia, 2000 dess@jazz.cybermedia.net GEDCOM file (imported 9-18-2000) received from Dess Smith as an attachment to e-mail message dated 9-11-2000 to Diane Carrington Bradford.
   Date: 18 Sep 2000
   Note:
   DeSaussure Dugas Smith, III "Dess" is a direct descendant of Dr. Benjamin Darius Smith and through him of Colby Smith of early Washington County, Georgia.
   Page: GEDCOM from Dess Smith
6. Media: Family History File
   Title: Mason/Sherouse & Carrington/Porterfield Family Information
   Author: Bradford, Diane Carrington, Compiler
   Publication: [Primary and secondary source] Stone Mountain, GA, 1999 [Family records, research and memories of Diane Carrington Bradford in possession of compiler.]
7. Media: Book
   Title: Colby Smith and His Descendants
   Author: Brantley, Gene D., Smith, Robert A., and Veal, Carllene S.
   Publication: [primary and secondary source] Louisville, GA: The Colby Smith Family Publications, 1998
   Date: 19 Sep 2000
   Note:
   The three authors are all direct descendants of Colby Smith and Anna Henry Smith of early Washington County, Georgia.
   Page: p 795