Truth, Honesty of Purpose and Untiring Fidelity To Ou r Country and Our Flag Is Our Aim and Our Purpose
Y0L- XL YADKINVILLE, YADKIN COUNTY, N. C„ THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 8, 1934
No. 6
Charges Five of Family
With Conspiracy and
Murder InDeath ofGirl
LUTHER TILLEY SAID
TO HAVE SHOWN HOW
BODY WAS LAYING
Coroner’s Jury Charges
Tilleys With Con
spiracy, Murder
Although Luther Tilley, held in
jail at Wilkesboro as a participant
in the murder of Leoda Mae Child
ress, is alleged to have denied en
tering the home of his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. W. W. Tilley, on the day
the girl was killed there, he never
theless gave a demonstration of
the exact manner in which the girl
was lying on tne floor when found,
for the benefit of a number of local
people who were gathered in a local
store a few days after the murder, it
was learned Wednesday.
In addition, he was said to have
described the condition of the dis
ordered room and to have expressed
his opinion that Leoda did not com
mit suicide but that Taft Norman,
one of the earlier suspects in the
case, killed her and placed her body
in the position in which it was found
when the crime was discovered.
At the time he was said to have
given the demonstration he and his
father, W. W. Tilley, were in a local
store and were answering questions
propounded by a group of curious
gathered there. Mr. Tilley was quo
ted as having expressed his belief
that the girl committed suicide.
Solicitor John R. Jones, who has
worked night and day in an effort
to solve the murder, stated Tuesday
while in Elkin that a letter had come
to light which had been written to
Tom Childress, father of the mur
dered girl, about a year prior to her
death. He said the letter was in
reference to Leoda Childress having
caused trouble between a man and
wife. Although Mr. Jones would not
commit himself' as to the writer of
the letter, it was learned Wednesday
morning from a reliable source that
the letter was written by Mrs. Lu
ther Tilley.
Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Tilley wer^
arrested shortly after the hearing at
Wilkesboro Saturday by Sheriff W.
B. Somers, and placed in jail. They
are charged with conspiracy and
murder, as are their sons, Luther
and Clyde, and Luther’s wife, Mrs.
Minerva Tilley, who were in jail at
the time. The couple were taken in
to custody on the street near the
courthouse, they having left the
hearing before the coroner’s jury ar
rived at a verdict.
It was learned Wednesday morn
ing that date for a preliminary
hearing has not been set, and it was
intimated that such a hearing would
be waived by defense counsel.
Solicitor Jones, who was confined
to his bed Wednesday with a
cold, stated here Tuesday that he
has much evidence of a damaging
nature that has not yet been di
vulged. He was quoted as saying
that the state has a fine case. How
ever, none of the defendants in the
case have as yet had an opportunity
to testify in their own defense, and
their side of the story has not yet
been told. Each of the accused is
said to have an alibi.
EARLIER REPORTS
Wilkesboro, February 3.—The ar
rest of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Tilley,
their two sons, Clyde and Luther,
and Mrs. Luther Tilley was ordered
here today by a coroner’s jury fol
lowing a final hearing into the death
of Leoda Mae Childress, 20, who was
murdered at the home of W. W. Til
ley, near Benham, on December 30.
The jury directed that they all be
charged with conspiracy and mur
der of the Childress girl.
The coroner’s verdict came as the
culmination of sensational evidence
which tended to show that the entire
Tilley family was mixed up in the
murder and that the home of Hill
Cox, brother-in-law of Leoda Child
ress, had been burned down by Lu
ther Tilley in an effort to destroj
letters written to Mrs. Cox by the
murdered girl.
Evidence was also presented whicl
showed that Luther Tilley was seer
running from the W. W. Tilley home
a few minutes after the girl wai
*-:
Mrs. W. W. Tilley Was
Carrying Knife When
Arrested Saturday
Mrs. W. W. Tilley, when ar
rested in Wilkesboro Saturday,
together with her husband on a
charge of conspiracy and murder
of Leoda Childress, their foster
daughter, was carrying a knife,
it was learned from Sheriff W. B.
Somers, who made the arrest.
Mr. Tilley was not armed, as
had been reported here, the sheriff
said. The knife Mrs. Tilley was
carrying was of the pocket variety.
PROMINENT MAN OF
BOONVILLE PASSES
Madison Monroe Angett, 77, passed
away at his home at Boonville
Wednesday night at 9 o’clock, fol
lowing a long period of ill health.
The deceased was a member of one
of the most prominent families of
Yadkin county and was well known
throughout the county. He was a
lifelong resident of Boonville and for
a number of years operated the An
gell Hotel. He was a member of
the Boonville Baptist church.
Funeral services were held
Saturday morning at eleven
o’clock from the Boonville Baptist
church in charge of the pastor, Rev.
J. P. Davis, assisted by Rev. Mr.
Coram.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Ber
tha Koontz Angell, five daughters
and three sons; Mrs. J. J. Richards,
of Dobson; Mrs. R. A. Spake, of
Asheville; Mrs. A. L. Bunker, of Mt.
Airy; Miss Ola Angell, a member of
the local school faculty; T. C. Angell,
of Boonville; E. L. Angell, of Wins
ton-Salem; A. M. Angell, of St.
Louis, Mo.; 11 grandchildren, one
sister and one brother, Mrs. Jane
Davis, of Elkin and Winston-Salem,
and Dr. J. L. Davis, of Kingsville,
Missouri.
killed and before anyone had been
into the house.
A preliminary hearing for the five
Tilleys, three of whom have been
held in jail for some time, will be
held before Magistrate A. E. Spain
hour. Date of the hearing has not
oeen set.
The first witness to be called when
the hearing got under way in the
courthouse at 10 o’clock was Nate
Tharpe, one of the two men who
were first upon the murder .scene the
day of the killing. Mr. Tharpe sta
ted that after receiving a telephone
call for help, he immediately rushed
to the Tilley home, and that upon
entering the yard he saw Luther
Tilley running away from the house
through a nearby field. Luther was
running fast, Mr. Tharpe stated, and
had a double barreled shotgun in
his hand.
Upon entering tne nome with
Kelly Brown, who arrived upon the
scene as he did, he found the girl’s
body upon the floor. Going back
into the yard he said he walked to
the edge of the yard and called to
Luther: “Luther, come here quick!
Someone’s killed Oda!” Tilley made
no reply, Tharpe said, and it was
“some little time” before he came to
the house after calling to someone
in the woods who turned out to be
Levi McCann and his son Jim.
The three then came to the house
but Luther refused to go in.
Detective F. G. Sides then took
the stand to tell of having a talk
with Luther Tilley in jail Sunday.
Luther said then that he was within
175 yards of the house at the time
of the killing. He said the dogs had
jumped a rabbit which ran in that
direction while he was hunting with
Mr. McCann and Jim McCann.
Asked why he turned and went
the other way when Mr. Tharpe
called to him he said he was scared
fo come back because he feared
Tharpe and Brown would shoot him.
Tillev also stated to his questioners
that he was afraid to enter the house
although he was armed with a dou
ble barrel shotgun.
Questioned about his actions later
in the day, Luther was said to have
i replied that he went home and
i placed his arms around his wife and
i
(Continued on Last Page)
Murdered Girl and Those Charged With Her Death
3r$Jnin g—
Large drawing is of Leoda Mae Childress, whose mysterious death at the home of her foster parents,
Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Tilley, of near Benham, on December 30 has resulted in the arrest of (1) Clyde Tilley, (2)
Luther Tilley, brothers, and (3) Mrs. Luther Tilley on charges of conspiracy and murder. Mrs. Luther Tilley,
who has refused to be photographed, is also charged directly with the murder of the girl in another warrant.
Luther Tilley faces a second charge of murder in connection with the death in June, 1927, of Andrew Eld
ridge. In addition to the three Tilleys pictured above, Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Tiller, parents of the two men,
are also being held in jail. ,
ELLIS WILLIAMS, 92,
CLAIMED BY DEATH
Successful Farmer Of
This County Passes
Away Saturday
Mr. Ellis I. Williams, 92, known to
his many friends as “Uncle Ellis”,
passed quietly away Saturday morn
ing at 3 o’clock at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. W. A. Hall here, where he
had made his home for the past ten
years, together with his wife, “Aunt
Alcie” Williams.
Mr. Williams was born in Yad
kin county and had spent most of
his life in the county. He was a suc
cessful farmer, living near King
Knobs school house, for many years
until ten years ago when he and Mrs.
Williams came to Yadkinville to live.
Both have been in feeble health for
some time. Mr. Williams, however,
did not take his bed until a month
ago. His condition had grown stead
ily worse since that time until the
end came.
He is survived by his widow and
four children, Mrs. W. A. Hall, of
Yadkinville; Mrs. H. D. Williams, of
Yadkinville, route 2; Mrs. D. P.
Hutchens, East Bend, route 3; John I
E. Williams of Chicago. Also 26
grandchildren; 43 great-grandchild
ren and two great-great-grandchild
ren. This makes five generations,
something very unusual.
Mr. Williams had been a life long
member of the Quaker church at
Forbush and was greatly devoted to
the church and was always anxious
about the church work and his old
friends, religious and political, as
long as he was able to inquire about
them.
Mr. Williams was the last and
youngest of a family of ten children.
He was born in 1842. He served the
Confederacy on public work, of
which there were many projects in
Yadkin county, including several iron
forges.
He was married to Miss Alsie
Wooten on January 10, 1869. She
survives him, the two having lived
together for the past sixty-five years.
To her numerous friends she is fa
miliarly known as “Aunt Alsie” and
at her advanced age of 94 years she
is able to be up part of the time and
still is able to see well enough to read
moderately well.
The funeral was in charge of Rev.
Charles H. Hutchens and Rev. Lucy
Vestal and interment was in the
church graveyard.
The obituary was read by Mrs. Q.
W. Edgerton of Yadkinville.
Hill Luther Dies
At Winston Home
Hill Luther, 48, died at his home
in Winston-Salem at 5:59 o’clock
Tuesday afternoon following a se
rious illness since January 10, which
climaxed a long period of declining
health.
Funeral services will be conducted
at 1:30 o’clock Thursday afternoon
from Pine Chapel Moravian church,
by the Rev. J. P. Crouch and the
Rev. B. A. Culp. Interment will be
in Yadkinville Cemetery.
Mr. Luther had been a resident of
Winston-Salem for 18 years, and was
connected with the Arista Mills, un
til ill health forced retirement three
years ago.
Mr. Luther lived in Yadkinville
for three years and is well remem
bered here.
He was a native of Randolph
county, born April 26, 1885. He was
a member of Yadkinville Methodist
church.
Surviving are the widow, who be
fore marriage was Miss Pearl Hutch
ens and two brothers, Brack Luther
of Draper, and Lacy Luther, of Fort
Bragg.
Jurors Are Drawn
For Criminal Term
Jurors have been drawn for the
next term of criminal court fogr Yad
kin county, which convenes on Feb.
26, with Judge Wilson Warlick pre
siding. The jurors are as follows:
G. W. Prim, O. W. Martin, R. C.
Pardue, E. A. Fleming, Mayberry
Pinnix, U. J. Shore, W. M. Jentry,
*F. O. Wooten, L. S. Shore, M. A.
Vestal, J. A. Pinnix, W. L. Hinshaw,
J. J. Vestal, Arthur Wood, H. D.
Moxley, W. F. White, P. W. Davis,
W. F. Dickerson, Chas. R. Hutchens,
Kye Johnson, L. R. Prim, J. B. Long,
O. W. Vestal, Jr., D. F. Bell, D. B.
Holcomb, A. C. Davis, R. T. Hobson,
J. A. Chappell, A. V. Finney, V. M.
Swaim, A. L. Brown, C. G. Bryant,
J. A. Mason, J. F. Matthews, W, A.
Russell, C. D. Holcomb.
Banner Pinnix Dies
From Pneumonia
Banner Pinnix, 46, passed away at
his home in Buck Shoals Township
yesterday afternoon at one o’clock,
following a short illness with pneu
monia.
Mr. Pinnix was a well-known
farmer of that section. He is sur
vived by his widow, Mrs. Alice Pin
nix and ten children, ranging in age
from two to 19 years.
Funeral arrangements had not
been made yesterday aftemon.
YADKIN MAN BLOWS
OFF TOP OF HEAD
Crockett Barber, 6 2,
Commits Suicide Sun
day Afternoon
Crockett Barber, 62-year-old ten
ant farmer, living just west of
Brooks Cross Roads, committed sui
cide Sunday afternoon by blowing
off the top of his head with a 1?
gauge shotgun.
[ Other members of the family said
they were in the house asleep but
were awakened by the report of the
gun. Rushing to the yard a son
found the body by the side of the
smokehouse, his body in a pool of
blood and his brains scattered on the
ground. Part of his head and hair
was some 20 feet up in a locust tree
lodged on a limb.
Dr. W. G. Leak, Yadkin county
coroner, could not be located and
W. E. Rutledge, Yadkinville, was ap
pointed a special coroner to investi
gate the death. There was no rea
son to believe he had been killed by
anyone else and an inquest was
deemed unnecessary. The body was
removed to Mackie & Hinshaw’s un
dertaking parlor where it was pre
pared for burial.
Burial followed in the cemetery a"
Mountain View church, near the
home, Monday afternoon. He is
survived by his wife and three
children.
John B. Phillips, 58,
Passed Away Sunday
John B. Phillips, 58, one of Yadkin
county’s best-known citizens, passed
away early Sunday morning at his
home at Baltimore, this county, af
ter a brief illness. He was stricken
about 1 o’clock Sunday morning and
passed away just before dawn.
Mr. Phillips was bom and reared
in Yadkin county and for many
years had been one of its most in
fluential citizens. He was a former
member of Yadkin county board of
road commissioners and for a num
ber of years was secretary of the
Yadkinville school board.
Surviving are the widow and three
sons, Grady Phillips, of Boonville,
and Bennet and Coleman Phillips,
of East Bend, route 3.
The funeral was held Tuesday
morning at 10 o'clock, at the home
and at Baltimore M. P. church at 11
O’clock. Rev. C. B. Way, Rev. C. H.
Hutchens and Rev. D. R. Williams
conducted the services. Burial fol
lowed in the church cemetery.
EXPERT IS WARNED
NOT TO TESTIFY IN
ELDRIDGE MYSTERY
He States Luther Tilley
Wrote Andrew Eld
ridge Note
PROBABLE CAUSE
Another note, equally as myster
ious as the two which have featured
the Childress-Eldridge murder case,
came to light Friday morning during
the preliminary hearing for Luther
Tilley and Winfield Stanley before
Magistrate A. E. Spainhour, at
Wilkesboro.
Tilley and Stanley, charged with
the death of Andrew Eldridge in
June, 1927, were bound over to su
perior court without benefit of bond.
The note, which was unsigned and
printed in pencil on a scrap of ruled
paper, was placed between the screen
door and front door of the home
of E. B. Brooks, handwriting expert
of Winston-Salem, who has given
damaging evidence in the case
against Luther Tilley and Stanley.
The note read as follows:
“If you know what is best for
you you won't tell who wrote that
note. And you won’t show this
note. You think you dam sharp.”
Mr. Brooks testified he found the
note Saturday night following the
coroner’s hearing at Ronda Wednes
day a week ago in which he was a
witness.
The Winston-Salem handwriting
expert, when placed upon the stand
Friday morning, testified that the
note presumably left by Andrew
Eldridge the day he disappeared
from home in 1927, was written by
Luther Tilley.
Mouth Health Survey
To Be Held In State
Members of the North Carolina
Dental Society will make a Mouth
Health Survey of the public schools
of the State during the next few
days. These gentlemen are giving
their time without any remunera
tion but as their contribution toward
improving the health conditions of
our children.
It is expected that 700 dentists
will visit the schools on these days
and during this time they will in
spect the mouths of at least two
hundred thousand children for den
tal defects. This is the greatest con
certed effort ever to be undertaken
in the health annals of the state.
It is reported that undernourish
ment ranks first in the physical de
fects of our children, and inasmuch
as under nourishment is reflected in
the mouth of the child by improper
development of the teeth, the dentist
has an unusual opportunity to find
if this is true.
If the child is found to have den
tal defect'’ the parent will be noti
fied of such condition, and it is
hoped they will take the child to
their regular dentist and have these
conditions corrected.
As many of the schools in Yadkin
county will be visited as is possible
during this short time.
Yadkinville Bank
Plan Is Approved
Raleigh—State Ranking Com
missioner Gurney P. Hood to
day appoved a plan for reorgan
ization of the Bank of Yadkin at
Yadkinville which has been oper
ating under restrictions since the
banking holiday.
The bank will resume opera
tions under the plan at the end
of 30 days, the period allowed for
filing of objections after an
nouncement of its intention to
reopen.
On January 10, 1934, the bank’s
statement showed assets of $204,
600.95 but a reappraisal to eli
minate slow, doubtful or worth
less assets reduces the appraised
value to $139,707.39.
The plan provides unsecured
depositors waive 50 per cent of
their unsecured deposits and the
bank in return set aside the $94,
893.36 of eliminated assets to be
administered by three trustees for
the benefit of waiving depositors.
All common stock will be as
signed to the trustees for a per
iod of five yean, also for the
benefit of waiving depositors, the
stock to be sold at the end of that
time if all depositors have not
been paid in fuIL