J V j rk here the ub- thus copy w.s im he- ript'on soonv con MOUm AIRY, NORTH CAROLINA, THUJl$DA YA iJJVfARi 2, 1014. JVO. SO Ahliif( u Li . I of The hind o me nr. as veaflent. I PATRICK CITIZEN MURDERED. '' .Body cf Will Lawscn Found ia Field Near His Home Was Murdered By Blow tn Forehead With Axe His Sen Must An swer to the Charge. To be buried in I a ooffinless vrnvn and; with no ihroud bat u guaino sack wrapjd alsmt . tilie ; Lawson win ctrrying and -which head and shoulders, with ho iiu-j r kni aJI to piece:-- when istcr anl no prayer or ong to the Hit it. After that Char lie buried at tin- dead of niht iu I bn I ''ft home and spent a year An old field, with the cold rain j way during which time he trav ixuirinjf down upon the wet. clod 'Id with, a show company. After as tjhev were hurriedly pihd in : tJie newly .made grave upon the lifele.ss and limber form was the lot of AYill lK. JiikWHon who spent bus life on a lf) acre farm iiu Uie eo u nit ry ten miles north east of this city. " Tlie News of last week earriinl an initeresting story about how Will Lawsou had disappeared .from his hcmie about the (holidays and how tbe neighbors had been bunting for him far and near for many duiys. The iuk was hardly dry on the paper tlwit told the story be fore a id ue was found that final ly loeated his dead body in a newly ploughed ' field nnar his .heme. The newly made grave had been concealed by fresh plowing over the gruesome mt. An inquest was held Saturday, morr.irg cf '.i t week and tilie new rave that was ionium on r n lay was oixuied and, the remai of Iiw.son examined. The "or- oner's, iu rv four A tlia , he -fame to his death by a blow with an :axe in the forejicad. His oldest son, Charly Iawsuii, aged about twenty yeais, was eifiimitted to jail at Stuart, Va withoiit bail li answer the charge of murder. Lt is a longird a dark sUry, 1. ir ii ' iir 11 "" f" fnr ' Vd'- his- juti j, innij mi rmm a,, try. Th story rn- sonirtLiLjn like this: Will S. Ii.iw.m tspeirt the forty five years of his life in the section of country where he died. 1" early life he mairiid iMUs Niunnie JesMip. the stc daughter of Mr. llillery .le.ssirp ami to them were born thirteen children, tilie oldest beinjr twen ty years of age and the youngest ;i child two years old. Mrs. Lawson inherited money from her (people with which .she lioujght a hundred acres of buid .Tiiul on this small farm the fam ily luus livid and prospered as well as moxt of their neighlxirs. During the years at times the family was hanpressed for means sind .more tlmn once Mr. Ijawson left the farm ami spejut several jnoinths in the coal fields of West Virginia where he made tgood wages and saved money with which he returned and paid hi debts. Some years ago be built on the farm a good dwell ing house and he was as well fixed for living in the way of out Ivuildings, barns, faun tooU, .stock etc. as mast well-to-do farmers. Tho family had never been con nected with any church. They wen1 in faith Primitive Baptist, but they attended no church ser vice. only occasionally. Thev liv l within three miles of a Mvth odwt church but usually went, sev eral miles away to a Primitive Jiaptwt church win n tiicy went anywhere. During all the years of his mar ried life Will Lawsoii had h-en what would be called a hardwork itrtr farmer. I.avt Sinnmer he raisl eighteen barns eif tobac-o and hail sold at the tini' of his death alsjtit nine hundred dollars worth of tfiliaeco and had yet on hand several harms. lint he drai:li' at times. And he was quarrelsome when drinking. He would Work hard for weeks and then go off to 1 tow. 1 or to some still place in the mountains and 'et liquor ai.d quit work for days at a time. lie was iml a man who would gi-t down drunk, but Jie would drink en rgh to b- quarrdsnne and unpleasant about bis bTiie. I? wa.s h;s h-b:t t ab)4. his wif- and children wh--n y wniiM come home und-r the uifliifti;ee f liqimr. After bi sons ir"t old erinnjrh to pr?e.'t their mother Ihey were im d'. X Vsed to .sit bv and see her alms- . ' His .!- t son Ciir.rlv- i- X (id to l:,ii frvl- express l b'm Jfr If that un!, M his fnth, r qn't JL i!p.nng !i;s mother he would kill him. : About three years ago 1) is old est son, Charly, tlieri a boy of tibout seventeen years," protested vhw h wai trying to whip us mother aiul .ii tlu row th.at fol lowed (liarly shot him with a pistol. The boy fired five (dtohs at hut father, one of which made a flesh wound1 in his lev and an other would' havu caused his deatl (possible luul the ball not been Uti.ipW by a 1km yy watch that m-nig away some moniuis im re- Turned home ana iiukK; a cnp then' hist year. About ten days ago the neigh bors who live about Mr. Lawson got to taikinig amojig themselves t.h ait he had not been at home for sonn time. Inquiry was male aiul the family give out the news that he left home on tho day be fore (,'hrwtmas and that they had not .seen or heard of h:mi niiree. Mr. IILllerv de-suo, stci ; ji'ather to Mrs. Laws,.,, told that!,nd ,,d .analyzed the fa,-ts !'he h.::d seen hwu pass bis homejwlule they tnu-ii their dinner. oji me 1;lv oeiore nrisnnas ami i ioiu ikw .wr. liaw.M.n ,ua iuvw-.'h.ki ed hijii to go with him to the 'mountains where thev could ifi'T . i; ' - ' ' "!"" i The family pretended to ;nM ; interested in finding him and in- i . . . ! quiry wi:is niaite hy phone about over the emnitrv. but notliing i eould be heard of him. Soon the I im.pis-.s.sion got. abroad that the i man had disa(jiieared ami that he was possibly dead and his body expikstid .somewhere alsnit the neighborhood unburied. Mny ex ee.lh'iit citizens began to take an active, interest m the search and,; the neighbors nut at tho Laws'.n firally, the whole eountry, fcrjho-me to begin the day's search. '.' miha arouwl. ei:gaged iuj:Seme one said that thev luul bet a s.vHfunatlu hiu;,t for the body Iter hunt over in the direction of of the supposed dead man. Tel-! the field where the plowing bad Tflrftlliig hvnK u. Ah-out h dis-h) 'nn .lone. And tli l.iiwf.ym a-m tant towns and neighbors wetsf: to Winston-Snlvni searching fjr hiiin. During all this time the family took som interest in the search, contending all the time that he was dead and that he left and went towards the mountains. They took enough interest in the hunt lor rum to not arouse .sus picion, but yet tile children kipt gtfliHg to .seh 00 1 while every man in the neighboi hood was awav from home seaivhing the hills ami hollows and streams for their father's bod v. Neigliliors got to 'noticing this, and the impre-sion I 'gradually -was crated that the; week, they began to go about over familv was taking too 'little in-lthe newly ploughed lind and terest in the seircJi. Old inau.iiressi them JcoMfp repeatel, time and aaiii, to the lMnghltoi-s how he had seem 1j:iws)u g.i.iig towards the Mountains on the day before tli r 1st m as. It got noised about the neigh borhood in some way that the family had had a row of some mature on the. day before Chris tmas Bve. It was known that he had almut fifty dollars of his own was uncovered, money and the'rijs) got abroad j This find was made about ten tlmt he had collected from some j o'clock en the uieniin.g of Friday of his friends iu the neighbor- j i f lat we. k. As soon as the holy I as much as fifty dollars inun had dlig down to a point more and was to nuik'e a trip to; where they saw that the body the mountains just before Christ-1 was that of Mr. hawsim they itimsi aid bring them liquor. The;.-iit for the Co aim Miwcaljli At impressikm was thus made that; torney, l'.dgar Wo lwim , of he had jus much as a hundred do iej Ktuait. "Va. who cime and In Id la rs and some thouglit that, w cauv of the family difficulties, he had tajicn this ni 'iiey and skipped' the country intending to d'svrt his family. All kinds of theori s wire ad vanced as to where he m'u:ht be t:lnd its tto how he could have loft the country and left no trace i f where he had gone. In the m un til 11 e the interest in the se.ui-h continued m.d i'liom Ui y to i i,v iliundreds of men seaivlnd through tlie fast ue.s cf the 11110111 t ains mih s away and v, and d.own D.iu Kiver and all th. o'h er strcJiims nf the neighborh'.ed. The c!:i.- lint led to the d:s- 1'iiViiv 11 lO V IS .'I S in: "r- estir'g as a w.-rk. 'IV 1 pi -ee f det eet l e Citizt I S who 1; e ill the CHlllltr.V. but !Xt . . '.1 T 1 tin.it part i the 1:. .ir em '-rh so b.-cn tak'.'tg ar i ! Ii. Wele 1 . 1 1 that they lia-l : in the -laily ing dinner in n r s'.iurant I'd we k. tabl in tin in th' Wl.i n-: e'ty en - day !e sitting a the uirii'it t),e talk- el ibout the mi'i efforts to hieati man an-l him. One i lie citi; n remarked to the other j that hfi was auspicious of that iplownvg. I hen he toM how iGrant nitbVneighbor to Mr. Lawson, .bad seen' J the ' two Lhwsoii boys,' plowing in a iii in uu irteiij ; ianii -unTii' iKj wiiii him; a.e h ii miuie wuii i .... a. e .ti.,i i.i , ..y. j :l (Tnirslinas -mii iiWrniriff. This, tlte firfA tirix- anyi'jO bad Hie skull, was cnwlifd into am Charly Law.,ti, the man in jail thought f)-f the jJowiiu?, at lenwti;iari- a mxtem pi . k ' w thfrUvjw ,IIU,st anHW(.r for tne t.rime, It w the first time it bad binn diNeiissi'd as having any relation ow the sulbjeH of th Lost nan. Then tlfe citiztwi re.'alled how the neighbor had said that he Kaw the Lawson boys in the field and lie rumenuwrcd that tbe neighbor j.said that be kuv them plowing about good diy -light. Tbeii tb" two eitierm, whllv eating, reas - omd a()oiit'the 'matter. One oif tlu-m recalled, how the land was too wet to plow. One reim rn.lK'r t that the lay Jjeifon the ploiw iatf,' was done it bad' rairJed all day and then continued to rain all night. They recalled how it was slowly raining on the morn ing of (.'hristmas eve. Tli lasnd was tco wet to plow beyoijd 'f' tion. Then why were the Law hon boys out that enrlv in the Jn"rnln? plowing? Thus thev - "ii iiils same iiay a eiTizen who!tlie irnue.st. Not a member of i.e-:-n ia.K mg an jutivc j irt in : .The hunt was here in town. The IVV mplfc limn 'iti.l ti.I. I I, ' - ini. .i.i ...Li iLiiii : ,i. . p., i i- .. . . i ... t.u- uu.-i, ,i, ,,ivv ''d lu-en engaged in during their "''d. One d them went o far .... .. i ll ii . . i . .. j'1" ieu uie ciuun mar u net wouiu go lumie and search fihat P'Wed hint he miglit fii d the ""-""i''g man. He reasoih-d that that land was plowed for some serious puix!.se and possibly In cover irp some crime. The citizen went home and tilie next day. as was their custom, al - at oneelfiKi sfrcrt rui re 'fr- useless to hunt over there, for the man had gone towards the iiHinutains. I tut they went over to the field anyway. After walk ing about and seeing the nature of the land and had eonslded the unreasonableness of plowing there ion Christmas eve ami as early as day U.'ht, the n-igrinors went home agreeing to return next 'morning" and every man bring i "spud." the ame being an iron tixd with which liark is peebd from trees. With tlhese inm " :iuds" the next morning the l:i-t s inio In'irg on Friday, of uown 111 me gr.-unu 1 .1 ..... 1 to see it the lar.d was lmwe teow the plowii g. In a very short time some man stuck his "spud" in the ground at a place where it appeared to be too soft. 'Then they ey-si.inined and found that the elay below the plowing was loose. Then they got tools and duff dmvn ami found a new grave in which tbe ludv of Mr. hiwsun an inqin t Saturday nnu-ninig at j which rim.- the In dv was taken i fn in the irroiud aid 11 post mor t in ex t mination held. Hrs. Tins d. .Smith of West t'i Id and D.-nt. if i-'iuart, Va. made the examini tion. It was biMiight to light tJiat the bnd h. l be-n 'jilacid in the giave with no cov rii'g of any kind except a sack tied about the he-id. The re I clay !h::d been pihd in r ot 11 the b d.v whirli w is dre-ed as (lie man ap-p-ared the day b-t'(o-e his death W it'll t in t Act p The ( 11 that he wore i -t UU'i ti ei ex - sh"Wt d th it tht liis d -ath by .1 'he foreh-.ad nri 1 i'UI'l I-a vy w it'll b.w th,- I. who 111a ! h;i ve Utlde had t ail :i: The man .'nick the blow could have it ill no other way than to -teed behind h's iet im and t it- li'k h i!e the in 1 u's uas noting on some liarl Mlh!;i!:ee. Th, blow was d li- er d in a way to sink of tlie axe d-'ep into tin the ..-!! head m the of -In 1 and tne d.'-jest wound was r'ht at bone. For a man to th the frontal stand', behind 'another, asleep on the floor, and trikv bun in the- head 'with an' axe Vouli make just the wound" found on the deaiWium j Tlfe' blow in- the- fore- w'nueh foiVe'-tfiat the baeik fiart ofld'-w Kliiah. Hartlett and (Jilbt-rt opiruon (i Mm loet,ors wno m.iie:m anout tu.,.tv v.Hrs flf aj., 1 tho examinut ion Chat thA onlv way ;f hkull eould be ernsjied in tb.M ease Woitld be for the sku! to le re.stin.ff on some banl, j firm, ?Jctatiir,'e at the tirn tbe ' blonv w;u made. - X!ln- n-sidenee was srarehed to Urt. if evide,i-e i nnv kiiu.1 eould il)(. found tlhat would' throw lk'ht oi the .situation. . IMood win found on the floor ami about the rum in more than one place. It had been, washed up and White sand covered the place when" it had been, yet the stain was in the planks of the floor. Itbwxl was found on clothiig alwiut the house. Mrs. Lawsoii undertook t .aecount for tji 's bhx d by natural aiiffi's, and her story if believed would aci-onut for the blood. ni i J1,,Hut ,dl tJ,e t,,3t !,.llM jM, Mvllr, at tJ. liilIlc i lie aixive is the storv and the familv would admit a thinir tjlat ti nde.l to incriminate anv fin . . E- lu.r u i An. i t-ti. I . . I.. .. a 'ei" -"" i a j niU,-h m the dark alnHit the Uiiole sad affair as anv of the j ii.'bbors . Hut the string of circumstan tial wideiu-e has caused m.uiy ptiople to reason something like the following, and without know ing- positively who did the kill ing the opinion of the neighbors h?w fixed the guilt on the family and espeeially o'U the oldest son, Charly. Here is the war they have reasoned it. out from the facts that are known: Charly went, to u (Christmas entertain ment at Fricndis Mission on the night before ( Christmas eve. There Wjev "S UtstlirhMliet df ,-vinto b4.l and this k krwiwri liwaus'e Mr, Iiawwm remarked before some of the neighbors during the day about it being had ty be run away from home. They thin'k that when Charly came hunie at night frmi the entertainment he was possibly drinking and found that the old nun ha I been raising a further disturbance. It is must likely that the old inaui had pulled off his shoes and was asleeji bofore ..fire. Charlv is supposed to have gtme out and secured the axe and cone back determined to jmt h stoo once ami for all to the nhiuse iff the family. I hen lie lSjOeeu tom T.nat Mr. llillery .les .simnosed t have stood bchiriAl his sup. wince the body has been victim and with one heavv blow sunk' the jntll of tlie axe deep into the skull, literally breaking it to pieces. All this is supi s'.tien, but it is the . way many people are accounting for the facts in the ease. After he wa dead the question was what could be done with the body. It occurred to them to take it out to the phWed field ami bury it and then plow over the m-wly male grave. lief ore the dawn of day the bloody body was placed three feet deep under the sod with a fertilizer wack ab u; the head ami the cold, wet clay pili . I hurriedly about the !::'.-o s and 1 inh.'r form. From then until the morning light the matter was discuss d an it wis- decided that if some pIoW- s ft' lie it Would cover ll'libloid and nibbed. After his a. 1 trakh. The bdy Irul been ii d in a field a quarter of a e !'r m the In me and s 'ine of ! n: 1 V d already bei n pb: w- Th l . either en iunose : h a.-id : t. had be n idaeed in the . :!l'c i !' the in-wlv plowed ! md. Anwa th two Liws b.vs were out in the rain phw ii I' liy 1 1 1 light next m rtrii'g. a-i'd, in the rain, continued to o!r' until t licy had mad sev eral r .urds aid c vcied the m w !' in ide grave. Hundreds t' j -oole In- fi. hi at the in. pi- -t tend il the r liminary t hr irged .-i-d at-lie-u-ing I ,a w - 01 . I i ll.l ;iis '. k to efo or to at !.! intrr- til l-. lid t.. e. afternoon. Mr. ' to look upon th K Up !. lolled to be too - grave in the fie! th,- funeral and 1 m.-nt. Tin. r.-maiiN were prepared for burial in th we iv found ; on at oner ho:m of th 1 1 II i lo r I d pi. iet d ill and carried d-eceetl's thev a wag to the fat In r- Mr. Jolwj Iiwson, who ' lives about njni in ) away ami near the family burying ground where the remains were, laid t rt'Mt Sunday nfternoon, the ' funeral servjciH be.injf cciiduf-ii-d by El w ratlier heavily built, weihijrn passible lbO lbs. JI has" the re putation of l'ing a tough citi zen for one of his age, Je drinks at ftm ami Is con-sidercd a rowdy, don't-care f. lh.w. It seems to be t,hi general opinion that tie whole family Is i'ully awtire of the facts of the deikth of the father aiwl have done all they etm to cover up tho death and burial in the field. At the inquest every mrmber of the family discjaimitd any knowledge of the death Had burial 3ind un dertook, to an.-'ount for the plow . Jg by saying that Mr. Law.sn.n luul told the. boys that they must plow the field before Christmas, and if they did not get the work ilme before Christmas they bid to iilow it dtiriiHr the holidays. They 1i;kI already turned seme of the land and they cla'm that they desired to finish the plow ing on the day before Chri-ittu'is ami thus hive 710 trouble with 1. .. 4.. l. ..l a. 1 .1 .Mini i.uner aiMin u niring lllf holidays. They say that they went out. early in the morning and would have finished the Land if tin; rain had not prevented. There is no positive proof of the guilt of any one, but the above chain of circumstantial evi dence 1ms caused niopt penj.le to lay the crime at the door of the family, and the general opinir.71 of the people seems to be that si.nie one of the family struck the Mow that caused the dentil. If Mils blow was rnade in the house 'then it is reasnnetl that the older members e.f the familv are klww- ing to the burial of the body in t! the field. Hiu' f'iol.l told how he had seen Lawson pa Jiis home on the afteriKK'n if (Tin is." mis ee the Ja the plowing w-as done in the morn ing, has broultrht him under sus neion as knowing something of the death ami burial, and that he was giving out this informa tion about Iiwson passing his house with the intention cf mis leading these wlui might hunt for his body. All of the alve story is gath ered frm various soun-es and is igiven as the current rumors that eonie from that section. We have loiimi, ilernes thar he ever gave out a statement that Lawson was seen to pass his home on the a.f terriooii of Christinas eve. .les sup is (0 years old 'and a man of good, property. There is another version of the sad affair. There are; those who th'mik that Mr. lawson went to buy liquor as he is said to have promised some of bus friend? that he would do. It is saw! that a loal ot liquor waa hrought into the neigniiorlKni uie 1 night that he w;s killed. The sijpjMisition 1. si me is that Law son went to buy the liquor ami let it be known that he had mon ey. He was drinking and a row nigLlit June been brought on that resulted iu ids ibath. Or he ! luigh thave be n munlered in col l.i ith, if it was brought about at the lij-iuor wagon, the nidi who murdend him took advantage of their knowledge of the differ- 1 enee between him and hs lamily ; and brought his body ami bur ! i d it 011 his own land, thinking nithns to lay the burden on his own neonle should tlie grave be 1 i foii?d. It is conteml -d that Charly Jawson went to .see his sweet heart on the day aftt-r the deat.li ami buri-il of his father. He rt;d .several miles in the country to lit r heme ;;! d vpel't the day there. Now it is admittid that a inui nii to ; s', conrail-t lee,!d gir! the L'h teorm .re or ;i to t .-ii o-.1l p!ae or go 1 e after '.'at he lis li.s! ii -g iiiiinl-r. f 1 r go to ll t d iv ,-if man away in the d -ad h u: night is in-t prt -ha V It Is said tli.it (! report Ci.arlv and S.nn Lav.'s,.;i , , that the that ibwiiitr is" ri"t correc' but the plowbig was ilne be their : two umaJh r brothers. No effort as in aile to explain, why tho 1'rt tle Isiys were allowed to go out j ami plow land th,it-wa-i soaking I wet, and at a time w hen it was rjunui. ' They are said to haVe 'plowI the land ,beeaiw.- their father told them it mut be i(nr e.l before the holidays. - It is further contended tha all the talll that brings Mr. llillery dessup info the affair Ls due to a confusion of dati s as to when he said Lawsovi rxtvsed his home. There h this .about it: if the Iiiw.s..n family is wA guilty of the crime it is very unfortunate for tln-m that so many things arc pointrng- to their guilt. It ih un fortuii.it ' t,!iat the oldest son had made threats against his father. It is uinfortirnate that blood was found iu the home at the time of the inquest. It. is unfortunate th-at the little boys plowed over the new grave the mowing after their father was buried. It in unfortunate that the wife, w-as so unwell that she could dl-play n more interest in the finding of her husband. All of which has a bearing on the ra.se and yet proves no nir guilty. It is fi tune wheu the Law.son fuirly couM w.-dl afford to spend a few hundred dolhirs and g.-t a ib--teetive to ceme th re and unravel the tangle arid place the gui.lt. where it b'dongs. It Ls a fact that many good citinw are not im-Lined to think that the Tinw son family is resionsible for tie deafih. Tho next term if court at Stuart is some time in next month at which term the ease is suppostil to be heard. Prcf. Turlingtcn Hcncrtd. Smithfield, dan. 17.-Ira T. Turlington, now sirperiut : k! nt o Mount Airy Kchools, wh frr 2.1 years yas the leading educator of Johnston Cornity, was paid a beairtifill-triluite bv his farmer ijuririk.i, 10 iii.cr Aniiio ed School of this plare ttxlaj-. Mr. S. S. Holt, a prcrninent law yer, mad - the presentaticn speech He spokie of the wide iuflueince of Mr. Turlington as the founder of Turlington Institute, which was for a number of years one of the best prep;ir;itory .sxdiools in this part ef the State but was a few years ago supplanted, by a graded school muned in his hon or, and his work as county super intendent of sclmds. Little Misses I lose and Nellie Grantham, nieces of Mr. Tur lingtom, unveiled the portrait. Superintendent A Vermont accept ed the portrait for the scheol. Trustee T. K. Holt added his ap pn elation mf what had been done, and County Sifpt. L. T. Koyall made a few remarks. The audience then called for Mr. TurlLnt3i, who expressed hi ajjririation of the hoitor slirnvn him. The portrait was painted by Miss Matt Dowd of Cluirlotte, and will lie hung on the walls of the school auditorium, opposite- that Charhs 11. Avcock. Tired of the Game. Recently a man blew his brains out at Kvansville, Ind. He was "just tired of the game." He Avas 4." years old ami a bachelor. He was a high liver. He had traveled extensively ami knew p-ople and customs, hw tory ami p oints of interest, ami wn.s still traveling. Was he tired of the game? Why, he wasn't in the game." He lived for himself an-l had noth ing mure to live for. The real gain of life consists in living as part f a d ."Uimunity ami doing 011r share of the so cial service. This m, hi had r-tdy money aid livid about .'is h,' phased. His h .'ih nas fair, jet he w;s tilxl of life. II,- h i 1 e o:n- to b lh ve that th- g;m eoi.-t.,l of a sejf'h life, an I he naturally grew 1 ir d. He hadn't taken the trou!. !e t- t, n a heme or plav witb i chihlrt n. unking tln-ir hearts m r ry. llis own e!fis!mss ina.b life a f lilure. Wiieton-Sah m Sentinel. J i.et,l Ui ju - - 1