EXTRA!
VOL. No. XXIII, No. 12
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B IS K>H m Wtmi 1359 ||l
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I HSII i M . B |H Is E wl 1
Handwriting Expert Warned Not
To Testify As To Writer of Note
Presumably Left By Eldridge Boy
Luther Tilley and Winfield Stanley Are Held
Without Bond For the Murder of Andrew
Eldridge; Expert Testifies That the Note
Presumably Left By Eldridge Was Written
By Luther Tilley.
HIS TESTIMONY SCORES FOR THE STATE
Two Witnesses Testify That Neck of Andrew
Eldridge Showed Ridge After He Had Been
Pulled From Lake 19 Days After His Disap
pearance.
Another note, equally as mysterious as the
two which have featured the Childress-Eldridge
murder case, came to light this morning during
the preliminary hearing for Luther Tilley and
Winfield Stanley before Magistrate A. E. Spain
hour, at Wilkesboro.
Tilley and Stanley, charged with the death of
Andrew Eldridge in June, 1927, were bound over
to superior court without benefit of bond.
The note, which was unsigned and printed in
pencil on a scrap of ruled paper, was placed be
tween 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, \yhen placed upon the stand
this morning, testified that the note
presumably left by Andrew Eldridge
the day he disappeared from home
in 1927, was written by Luther
Tilley. j
Upon being cross examined by
Hayden Burke, Tilley's attorney, it
was revealed Brooks was carrying a
pistol. He stated that he had se
cured a permit from Winston-Salem
police to carry a gun after he found
the note. He testified that the com
munication "scared me."
Although Mr. Burke endeavored to
confuse Brooks as to his testimony
regarding the handwriting of the
Eldridge note, the expert refused to
become mixed up.
The first witness to be called to
the stand during the hearing was J.
P. Eldridge, father of Andrew Eld
ridge. Mr. Eldridge testified that the
last tirtie he saw his son alive he left
him at the house while he and his
wife went into the fields to work. Up
on returning about dusk he stated he
found the note upon the kitchen ta
ble. It read: "Notice—l am going to
Elkin to work. Will be back Satur
day. Andrew."
Questioned further,- Mr. Eldridge
testified that to the best of his
knowledge there was no writing pa
per at his home similar to the paper
upon .which the note was written.
The witness, in telling of the find
ing of his son in Klondike lake. 19
days after he disappeared, Stated
that there appeared to be a dark
welt around the boy's throat.
He became confused at one Doint
during his testimony when Solicitor
The Elkin Tribune
Hearing Tomorrow
-
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——
A continuation of the coroner's
jury hearing into the death of Leoda
Childress, above, found dead upon
the floor of a front room in the
home of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Tilley,
near Benham on December 30, will
be held at Wilkesboro tomorrow at
10 o'clock. Mrs. Luther Tilley is
charged with the girl's muider. -
John R. Jones asked him to identify
the note found at his home. He
stated that it didn't look like the
note that was presumably left by
his boy. Upon being called Back to
the stand, ht testified that he didn't
understand the question, and stated
it was the note.
Mr. Eldridgt also testified that
Andrew was in the habit of calling
his parents "Papa" and "Mama."
ELKIN, N. C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1934
Please—Won't You
Sign Your Name
To News Matter
A story was handed in at The
Tribune office Wednesday morn
ing concerning a Crutchfield man
who had caurht a carp weigh
ing 22 pounds.
From the facts contained, it
would make an interesting bit of
reading, but whoever penned the
facts failed to sign his or her
name to the article.
The Tribune does not doubt
that the facts are true, but due to
our strict policy of not printing
any matter which is submitted by
an author unknown, we are with
holding it from publication.
Which is by way of reminding
our readers that news or whatnot
submitted to The Tribune must
bear the name of the one sub
mitting it. Not necessarily for
publication, but for our protec
tion.
The note in question was headed
"Notice."
C. S. Poster, Surry county deputy
sheriff, stated that the Eldridge note
was turned over to him by Mr. Eld
ridge Monday after the hearing at
Ronda as the original left by An
drew.
Alton B. Carter was next to take
the stand. He testified that Stan
ley was with him in the field prim
ing tobacco, together with Willie
and Guerney Draughn, when the
mystery of Eldridge's death came up.
Stanley, he testified, stated that Eld
ridge wasn't drowned but that he
was hung to scare him and was left
hanging too long, after which his
body was hidden and then thrown
into Klondike lake. Carter stated
Stanley didnt say who _ hung Eld
ridge, using the word 'they" to des
cribe the boy's alleged killers. He
testified further that Stanley stated
the killing happened west of the
Draughn home. It was brought out
that Luther Tilley's home is south
west of the Draughn's.
Guerney Draughn took the stand
and testified to the same story. He
said Stanley told them about Eld
ridge about three or four years ago.
C. S. Foster was again called to
the stand v*here he identified a
specimen of Luther Tilley's hand
writing. He stated he was present
when Tilley did the writing at the
request of Solicitor Jones and Parks
Hampton.
Mr. Brooks, the handwriting ex
pert, was then called and testified
that he was satisfied beyond a doubt
that the Eldridge note and the
known sample of Tilley's handwrit
ing were one and the same.
It was then brought out that a
threatening note had been placed
on Brooks' porch.
F. G. Sides, Statesville detective,
testified that Tilley had stated in
the jail since his arrest that he had
had some liquor stolen by one of the
Eldridge boys. Tilley also stated,
the detective said, that Andrew Eld
ridge was at his home on the day
he was last seen.
Willie Hemric testified that Luther
Tilley came to his home about two
months before Andrew Eldridge was
missed, and asked , him if he had
bought any liquor from Andrew, sta
ting that someone had stolen his li
quor and he suspected Andrew.
Wade Hemric testified that Luther
came to his home in May. 1827, and
asked if Andrew and some other boys
had been there to get his boy and
their car to go get whisky in. Lu
ther mentioned the fact that his
whisky had been stolen, Mr. Hemric
said.
J. S. Adams was then/Called to the
stand, said he saw Eldridge after he
Are Held For Superior Court
I
Luther Tilley and Winfield Stanley who were today bound over to
Wilkes superior court on charges of murdering Andrew Eldridge in June,
1927. The two men were given a preliminary hearing at Wilkesboro before
Magistrate A. E. Spainhour.
Hasten Eldridge, of This
City, Confesses Robbery
of Reece Barber Shop
Was Arrested In Winston-Salem Last Night and Placed In Jail;
Confessed He ond Three Other Boys Robbed Reece
Barber Shop of More Than SIOO Tuesday Night;
Waived Preliminary Hearing
Hasten Eldridge, 23, of this city,
has confessed to local police that he,
together with thfee other boys whose
names he didn't give, robbed the
Reece Barber Shop here Tuesday
night of cash amounting to slightly
over SIOO.
Eldridge was arrested in Winston-
Salem last night by Winston-Salem
police who were accompanied by E.
was taken from the lake and that
he had a ridge around his neck
about the size of his finger.
The state rested at this point and
the defense, J. Hayden Burke, of
Taylorsville, and Turner Grant, of
Mocksville, made a motion that their
clients be freed for lack of evidence.
The motion was over ruled by Mag
istrate Spainhour, and after speeches
by Burke and Grant for the defense,
and attorney J. H. Whicker for the
state, Magistrate Spainhour found
probable cause and ordered the de
fendants be held without benefit of
bond for trial at the March term of
Wilkes superior court, which con
venes March 5.
In the closing speeches, attorneys
for the defense argued that the
state had presented insufficient evi
dence to hold their clients. The
state, however, argued that" Tilley
and Stanley killed Eldridge because
Eldridge had stolen Tilley's whisky,
and that Tilley wrote the note and
placed it in the Eldridge home while
the boy's parents were in the field
at work, so as to prevent an im
mediate search for the boy.
The state scored heavily when it
produced the testimony of Mr.
Brooks as to the two notes having
been written by Luther Tilley. The
defense maintained that the notes
were in no way similar.
Although Burke and Grant ap
peared for both Stanley and Tilley,
Stanley has no lawyer, the two at
torneys appeared for him because
the two charges were consolidated.
Both Burke and Grant represent
Tilley.
A continuation of the coroner's
hearing into the death of Leoda
Childress is to be held tomorrow
morning at Wilkesboro. The hear
ing is to begin at 10 o'clock. Further
evidence against Luther Tilley and
his wife, who is charged with the
Childress girl's murder, is expected
to be disclosed.
Approximately 150 people, a large
number from Elkin, attended the
Tilley, Stanley hearing.
T. Reece, proprietor of the barber
shop, and Chief of Police W. G
Church. He was found in the home
of a negro.
Lodged in the Winston-Salem jail,
he denied his guilt, but when
brougnt from that city today by Mr
Reece and Policeman Luke Darnell,
he confessed to the robbery anc
waived a preliminary hearing.
Placed in jail at Dobson this af
ternoon, Eldridge declared that he
did not want bond. He stated he in
tended to plead guilty when tried
at the next term of superior court.
Winston police became suspicious
of the young man when he was seen
gambling heavily in that city yes
terday, and notified local police. He
had no money on him when arrested
The shop was robbed Tuesday
night, the men entering through a
rear window. They took the money
from a cash register.
DEATH CLAIMS
EAST BEND MAN
William Henry (Scoot)
Norman Dies After
Long Illness
William Henry Norman, 71, of
East Bend, known to his friends as
"Scoot" and one of Yadkin county's
most prominent citizens, passed
away Sunday morning at 1:05
o'clock at a Winston-Salem hospi
tal. He had been in declining health
for the past six months and his con
dition had been critical for the past
three weeks.
He was born in this county, De
cember 7. 1862, and had spent his
entire life In Yadkin county with the
exception of a short time spent in
Virginia as a boy. He was a well
known farmer. He was a member of
East Bend Baptist church and for a
number of years had been a deacon
in the church.
Surviving are the widow, who was
Miss Mattie Jane Martin prior to
marriage; one daughter, Mrs. Arthur
Recce, of Mooreland, Ind.; two sons,
P. O. Norman, of Bast Bend, and
J. T. Norman, of Taft, Calif.; and
seven grandchildren.
EXTRA!
PUBLISHED WEEK' N
PROMINENT MAN OF
BOONVILLE PASSES
AWAY WEDNESDAY
Father of Local School
Teacher Had Been
lii 111 Health
BURIED TOMORROW
Madison Monroe Angell, 77, passed
away at bis 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 will be held to
morrow morning (Saturday) at 11
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.
MUST CHECK UP ON
ASSETS YADKIN BANK
Under Reorganization
Plan, 50% Would Be
Available
Raleigh, Jan. 30.—Plan for reor
ganization of the Bank of Yadkin,
closed by the order of the President
and Governor March 4 and since op
erating on a restricted basis, has:
been submitted by the directors and
has received the approval of Gurney
P. Hood, state commissioner of
banks, he said today.
According to information ob
tained from Mr. W. A. Hall, Pres
lueiit oi ihe Bank of Yadkin,
states that the accompanying ar
ticle is a little premature. Thi
ian submitted has been former
ly approved by Mr. Hood but can
not DC carried out until a state
and Federal bank examiner, and
probably one from the RFC, ha?
checked up on the assets of the
bank in order to secure insurance
of deposits.
Under this plan 50 per cent of
all deposits will be made avail
able to all depositors and the re
maining: 50 per cent will be paid
to the depositors as fast as col
lected from the funds set aside
for this purpose.
The plan, provided by chapter 271
public laws of 1933, and evolved by
a full meeting of the board of direc
tors on January 12, last, contains a
statement of assets and* liabilities of
the bank as of January 10, as fol
lows:
Assets: Cash on hand and in
Approved depositories, $72,074.25:
bills receivable (loans), $77,351.95:
bonds, N. C. and municipal, $55,-
174.75; total $204,600.95. Liabilities:
Capital stock, $20,000; surplus, $lO
- undivided profits, $6,195.26; ac
crued interest. $6,500; deposits,
$161,905.69; total, $204,600.95. In
addition, the bank had on that data
$19,009.37 in a special account, de
posited under rules and regulations
of the commissioner of banks.
The plan points out that the board
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