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SECTION "B
II
DIAL R-326 ALL DEP'TS
THURSDAY, OCT. 17, 1940
SECTION B—PAGE 1
MILES WILL FACE
GRAND JURY FOR
KILLING OF CLAY
Ordered Held After
Hearing At Halifax
Monday
J. Claude Miles was ordered held
without bond at a hearing: at Hal
ifax Monday in connection with
the fatal shooting of Robert Clay,
24, in the Halifax County Fair
ground last Friday night, October
11. Trial, if Miles is indicted by
the grand jury, may be held at the
next term of criminal court, which
begins Monday, October 21.
Miles, overseer at Patterson Mills
Company, was ordered held by
Judge C. R. Daniel after hearing
the evidence of three witnesses for
the state and six for the defense.
Miles did not take the stand.
Scene of the shooting was be
tween the bingo stand and the en
trance of the Fairground about 12
o'clock Friday night. Two bullets
hit Clay, one entering his left chest
and ranging under the breast bone
and lodging in his right side near
the arm pit. The other entered his
back just above the left kidnçj'
and lodged in his chest. He died
in uic ikuaiiuivc iiuopnai
about 30 minutes after being shot.
Witnesses stated that there were
four shots fired and the weapon, a
.32 calibre revolver which was ex
hibited at the trial, contained four
empty cartridges, according to
Deputy Sheriff J. D. Porter.
Whether Clay was armed was
not brought out at the hearing.
Dr. M. C. Maddrey, who attended
Clay at the hospital here, was the
first to take the stand for the
state. He told the court that Clay
was practically dead when he was
brought to the hospital, that he did
say a word or so but that it was
his opinion that Clay did know
what he was saying. The doctor
then described the wounds to the
court after stating that the victim
had died of gunshot wounds.
J. E. Porter, deputy sheriff of
Butterwood township, was next to
take the stand. He told the court
that he passed in the vicinity of
Miles and Clay a few minutes prior
to the shooting and heard them
arguing. He stopped, he said, and
Miles remarked: "This man has
hppn talkinc it", arminri that hp is
going to kill me and I'm going to
kill him". Porter said that Miles
had his hand in his pocket, finger
ing with something which he be
lieved was a gun. The deputy said
that he then turned and walked a
few feet toward the midway, call
ing for Deputy Sheriff Gray. He
had gone only a few feet, he said,
when he heard the first shot.
After the four shots Porter said
Miles came toward him, reaching
him about the time Gray got to
the scene. He took the gun from
Miles as Miles said, "Take me a
way, take me away." Porter said
that he and Gray took Miles back
to where Clay lay and asked some
one to get the wounded man to the
hospital. At that, Porter stated
that Miles said: "It's no need, I've
shot him and he'd dead."
Doyle Keeter of Weldon was then
called to the stand. He said he
was leaving the grounds when he
passed the spot where Miles and
Clay stood. He saw, he said, Sher
iff Porter standing there talking to
the men. He said that he heard
Porter trying to stop the argu
ment between the men while both
were talking to him, telling what
the trouble was. Keeter said Miles
grabbed Clay by the coat after the
deputy walked away and said '"If
you open your mouth I'll kill you".
Immediately after that statement
Miles started shooting, Keeter said.
The witness said that Miles snap
ped the gun once over Clay's shoul
der; then fired, after which Clay
slumped to the ground. Miles fired
twice after Clay lay on the ground,
Keeter stated.
After Keeter's evidence, the de
fense told the court that the state's
evidence had not been sufficient
for a charge of first degree mur
der. The court stated that it was
not in agreement and defense wit
nesses were called.
Wilke Davis was the first wit
ness. He told the court that he
had heard Clay say "at least 25
times that he was going to kill
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Claude Miles." Davis told the court
also that Clay had threatened A.
Meikle, superintendent of Patter
son Mills. The witness said that
Clay had called Miles "Mussolini"
and Meikle "Hitler" and had said
that he was going to "get" both of
them.
Davis also told the court that
Clay had offered to pay him to
carry Miles across the river so he
(Clay) could "get" him. Davis said
that Clay never told him why he
was going to kill Miles. Davis said
that he had told Miles what Clay
said.
Nelson Pruden told the court
that Clay formerly boarded with
him. He said that he had heard
Clay say that he was going to kill
Miles and Meikle for firing him
and having him fired. Pruden said
that he had never told Miles about
what Clay said.
Henry Baggett, Van Parrott and
William Wilson told the court that
they had heard Clay make threats
against Miles.
Sheriff Gray was called to the
stand for the final witness. He
said that he had seen Miles about
8 p.m. Friday night. At that time
Miles told him, he said, that there
was a man looking for him (Miles)
with the intention of killing him.
"He said that Miles stated that the
man had a gun. Gray said that he
told Miles to tell him who the man
was, but Miles would not do so.
Willie Willingham of Washing
ton, D. C., was a week-end visitor
in the city.
Durham Taylor, 57
Succumbs - Heart
Attack Fri. Night
Durham Taylor, 57, died at his
home near Tilghman's Cross Roads
Friday night, October 11, after a
short illness from a heart attack.
Funeral services were held Sunday
afternoon at the Wrenn Funeral
Home with the Rev. T. E. Tomer
lin officiating. Interment was in
the Roanoke Rapids Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, two
sons, a daughter, and two sisters.
Paul Overton of Fort Jackson,
Columbia, S. C., spent the week-end
here.
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