Carolina’s Only TABloid NEWSpaper
The Roanoke Rapids Herald
VOLUME NINETEEN _ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12th, 1933 NUMBER TWENTY-SIX
MARVEL
CULLOM
Aft Aft Aft .VI Jft v o
Why Was The Body Moved?
UP AND DOWN
t?he Avenue
WITH THE EDITOR
The Cullom mystery murder
takes most of the space in this
issue, just as it has been the main
topic of conversation during the
week. A thousand people have
visited the scene of the murder
and hundreds have congregated in
front of Williams Funeral Home
where the investigation is going
on.
Another clue went sky high when
the torn letters found near the
murder plot were found to be
some school child’s home work or
examination paper.
The Coroner’s Jury consists of
Messrs G. M. Gurley, J. L. Cobb,
H. S. Loy, C. C. Shell, C. H. Byrd
and R. I. Starke. They have been'
t on the job since Sunday morning,
working late at night and until
early morning hours.
They have missed nobody who
said they knew anything about
the murder case. More than fifty
have been heard. In most cases
what they knew, they had heard
somebody else say and so on. Blit
each lead was followed down un
til it vanished, on the theor'y that
out of them all might come some
thing of value.
Funeral arrangements had been
made for Tuesday afternoon. They
\ have been postponed indefinitely
and the body placed in the receiv
ing vault this morning.
Another theory went blooey
when word came of a fight,
screams and breaking of furni
ture in a house near the Cullom
home and near the woods Friday
night. The Coroners jury spent
hours investigating only to find
it was a family row and had noth
ing to do with the Cullom case.
T. N. Harrison, senior proprie
tor of the new Harrison’s Drug
Store “Uptown” says that he feels
perfectly at home in Roanoke Rap
ids, rather than like a new busi
ness man.
Mr. Harrison, with his brother
L. S., until recently operated a
drug store at Littleton, and they
have also been in business in
Weldon, and are well-known all
over the county. Their brother, V.
F. Harrison is manager of the Roa
noke Motor Co., local Ford deal
ers.
The new store is located in the
(Continued on back page)
$100 REWARD
| EXONERATED! |
John D. Cannon, alias George
Washington Cannon, who present
ed an iron-clad alibi ip the Cu’
lom slaying. He is under a $10,01)0
bond fcr • the grand jury in the
Virginia Cannon quadruple massa
cre in Mai'ch. Officers endeavored
to link the two cases as Marvel
Cullom was a State’s witness in
the Cannon case.
Mrs. Fiunk C. Williams and her
'wo children parked their car
near the Ambassador Hotel in
Washington while they went in
he hotel to use a telephone last
week. They had just driven up
iiom Roanoke Rapids. Gone only
a few minutes, when they return
?d they found that thieves had un
locked the car door and stolen a
'ar’Ke suit case filled with clothing.
The County of Halifax hereby
offers a reward of $100.00 for in
formation leading to the appre
hension and conviction of the
murderer, or murderers of Miss
Marvel Cullom.
* * * *
“I take this method of express
ing my appreciation to the com
munity for the interest and co
operation shown in the investiga
tion of the murder of Miss Marvel
Cullom. Also to the officers who
have so perfectly cooperated with
each other and myself. I have ask
ed the County to offer a reward
for the arrest of the guilty party
and beg of you to continue the
fine spirit shown and report any
information you may get to either
myself or any officer.”
W. C. WILLIAMS,
Coroner of Halifax County.
N. R. A.
COMPLIANCE
BOARD
The permanent NRA Com
pliance Board for Roanoke
Rapids has been appointed as
follows:
Mayor Kelly Jenkins, Chair
man.
T. W. Mullen, representing
industry.
G. D. Wheeler, fepresenting
employees.
H. S. Loy, representing
merchants.
George Pappendick, repre
senting clerks.
Mrs. T. M. Jenkins, repre
senting consumers.
A. L. Clark, attorney.
The first official meeting of
the Compliance Board is being
held tonight at Mayor1 Jenk
ins’ office.
GIVEN LIFE SENTENCE TODAY
Above are the "Machine-Gun” Kellys, captured in Memphis and facing
'trial in Oklahoma. They are the last two members of the kidnaping gang,
seven of whom were convicted for the kldpaping of Charles Urschel, oil
baron.
BRUTAL SLAYING
OF LOCAL GIRL
STILL UNSOLVED
Fifty Witnesses Heard By Coroner’s Jury;
Several Clues Found; More Than One
Possible Motive; Contradictory
Testimony
Out of the maze ot conflicting testimony surrounding
the brutal slaying of Marvel Culiom,23-year-old Roanoke
Rapids girl, on Friday night, two questions face investigat
ing officials today.
Who Killed Marvel Culiom?
Why was the body moved from its original position?
Officers feel that in answering the last question, the
first will be solved and they are working hard on that angle.
The body of the dead girl was found 9:30 Sunday
morning in a piece of woods back of the Rapids Street be
tween 10th and 11th Streets. Rapids Street is the last city
street and the murder scene was just out of the city limits.
Where the body was found are several hog pens and
a network of paths made by owners of the hogs. This woods
is used continually during the day.
The body was lying about 15 feet from a wagon road
and in plain view from the road and from several of the
paths. Hanging high on a bush near the body was the coat,
a long blue coat, belonging to the Cullom girl. It was six
feet or more from the ground and could be seen for a hund
red yards or more.
While this was the position of the body and coat Sun
day morning, none of this was observed Saturday and it is
well established from the condition of the body that the girl
was killed Friday night. Where was the body all day Satur
day?
It was some fifty feet from where it was found Sun
day, hidden in the thick undergrowth, briars and bushes._
This fact is established by the amount of blood found
at this point, while there was no blood where the body was
found. A trail showed where the body had been dragged.
The murderer or murderers had killed the girl at the
first point Friday night or early Saturday morning. The
body went undiscovered all day Saturday.
Saturday night or early Sunday morning, the killer
or killers returned to the scene of the gruesome slaughter,
and dragged the body into plain view. Not satisfied, they
hung the coat up on a high bush where it would attract at
tention.
Why? The answer to that question will go a long ways
toward solving the mystery of the murder.
MURDER THEORIES
The death of Marvel Cullom has brought forth
several theories. Most of them had been discarded by the
Coroner’s office today, after thoro investigation of each.
Facts concerning each theory are to be found in various
stoies in this issue.
1. That she was killed because of her connection
with and knowledge of the Cannon murders.
2. That she was assaulted and killed!.
3. That she was killed because of the eternal
triangle. k
4. Other theories which are withheld because of
investigations now under way or contemplated. 1