The Acreman Family Murder

 

 

         On May 14, 1906, in the Allentown community, William Glenn Acreman, his wife, and seven children were murdered, and their home burned down over their lifeless bodies.  No one was ever punished for the crime.

   

             On that morning, a neighbor, living about a quarter a mile away, looked toward the Acreman place, but did not see the house.  He contacted other neighbors, and a group of them found the Acreman house in smoldering ruins.  Upon closer investigation, they found the burned bodies of the family.  One member of the group went to a nearby turpentine camp, and called the Sheriff's office in Milton.

 

            Judge Rhoda, Sheriff David Mitchell, Dr. H.E. Eldridge, and several others, hurried to the Acreman home.

            Upon arrival, the ruins were still smoking. A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and cinders were found a half of a mile away from the scene. It is believed that the house the Acreman’s were murdered in was located on present day State Highway 87, where it is joined by Sonny Dozier Rd. Nothing remains today, but that site is approximately 10 miles north of downtown Milton, and that was the description in contemporary news accounts.

 

             W. G. Acreman was the son of Zebulon Rudolph Acreman, and was most likely born in 1869 in Lowndes County, Alabama. He had eight brothers, and one sister. He was described as being a peaceful, pious, and harmless man with no enemies.

 

             In 1902, the Acreman's were living in Mobile, Alabama near the corner of Selma, and Marine Streets. Described as being in desperate circumstance, they were helped by their church. Mr. Acreman was remembered there as a peaceful, harmless man who was very religious, and a bit eccentric. He had no known enemies.

 Apparently, they left Mobile, and settled in Opp, Alabama for about a year, and sometime in 1903, moved to the area where they eventually died. Acreman had been married at least three times. One marriage record has been found. He married Timathea Nippee, or Nipper, in Escambia Co., Alabama on 5 Feb 1893. He was also married to Mary Simmons of Brewton, Alabama. His last wife was Amanda Sorrells who died that night with her newborn baby. Amanda was most likely the daughter of David W. Sorrells who lived in Pine Level, a community near Jay, Florida, a few miles from the Acreman home. Acreman had a daughter that survived. She was from his marriage with Mary Simmons, and was staying with an Aunt in Selma, Alabama.

 

The Crime Scene

 

            Acreman was working as a sharecropper, and the family was desperately poor. The house they resided in was described as a two-room “L” shaped house with two doors in front, one each opening into each room. Directly opposite were two doors going to the back porch. The house had numerous windows, and the front of the house faced north. Acreman, and one son shared a bed in the southeast corner of the east room. His wife, and 3-day-old infant slept in a bed in the same room, directly opposite. Three boys slept together in the southeast corner of the west room, and directly opposite of them was the bed of two daughters, the oldest being around 14. 

            In the ruins of the house, Acreman was found near the sill of the door leading from his room to the back porch. A gun was found by his side. His skull was crushed, and upon examination a large blood clot was found at the base of his skull leading authorities to believe he was killed before the fire. His body, as all the others, was burned very badly. His wife and infant baby were found on the front porch, and it was believed they were killed outside. The condition of her skull indicated she was killed before the fire. The boys, and the younger of the two girls were apparently either killed in bed since their remains were found where their beds were located. The oldest girl was found just inside the door leading to the front porch.

 

             There was a subscription in Milton, and Bagdad to raise money for a reward for information. An amount of $1500 was quickly raised, but there were no immediate developments in the case. The list of contributors reads like a Who’s Who of Milton in 1906:

           

H.S. Laird - $50, Prosecuting Attorney

David Mitchell - $100, County Sheriff

Balentine & Whitley - $50, Manufacturer, Naval Stores

Franklin S. Gay - $25, Turpentine Camp Operator

John T. Salter - $10, Railroad Carpenter

Charles E. Elliott - $100, farmer

E. M. Gainer - $50, possibly Ella Gainer, wife of Jim,

W. F. Harrison - $25

C. D. Bass - $5, Day Laborer, in 1900.

D. P. Johnson & Son - $25

Robert C. Fleming - $5, mill worker

R. E. Peterson - $5, fisherman

Howard Jernigan - $10, 1900 he was a census enumerator

Fisher & Hamilton - $50

Fisher & Co. - $50

G. L. Abbott - $5

Thomas W. Jones - $10, mercantile store

J. A. Allison - $5, keeper of Poor House

J. B. Ellis - $10, farmer

Howard S. Bates - $5, dry goods, (1910)

Cohen Bros. - $50, General Merchant

Milton Drug Co. - $25

Dr. C. B. McKinnon - $25

Frank E. Dey - $10, jewelry shop

M. N. Fisher, Sr. - $5, night watchman

I. M. Josephson - $5, dry good merchant

A. Moneyway - $5

D. T. Williams & Co. - $25

Lawrence Brown - $5

Dr. W. A. Mills - $10

The Milton Index - $10, Local Newspaper

H. C. Monroe - $5

W. W. Allen - $25

Lewis P. Golson - $50, Clerk

P. T. Macarthy - $10

D. B. Whitmire - $25, tax collector

Willis W. Harrison - $10, hatter

J. C. Gay - $10

Walter Rivenbark - $10, turpentine laborer

Allen & Allen - $25

E. P. Holley - $25, County Judge

E. L. Daniel - $25

R. M. Jernigan - $5

Lewis M. Rhoda - $5, Judge

Chaffin & Co. - $50

J. C. Day - $10

W. A. Waller - $10

R. C. Helms - $25

Morris Littles - $25

D. F. Johnson - $50

J. A. Bryant - $50

Charley H. Simpson - $25, farmer

Dr. H. E. Eldridge - $25

C. P. Jernigan - $10, butcher

J. E. Spencer - $10

Alexander H. Allen - $20, farmer

 

From Bagdad:

 

Stearns-Culver Lumber Co. - $100

B. Greenwood - $10

Asbery P. Hardy - $25, retail merchant

Bagdad Manufacturing Co. - $75

Steward Bros. - $25

Dr. B. H. Alles - $10

A.    Nicholson - $5

Capt. John Rourke - $5, sawmill owner, Confederate vet.

Aycock & Co. - $10

R. E. Barnes - $5

 

In 1906, crime investigation was extremely primitive. There were no trained investigators in Milton, no idea about forensics, or crime scene preservation, so a reward fund would be raised, and private investigators would arrive with hopes to solve the case, and collect the reward. Eventually the reward fund reached around $2300 including $500 from the State. This was how big, headline making crimes were investigated in those days. Private Investigators, some real, some no more than con men seeking to bilk communities out of their reward money, would seek out these opportunities. The Acreman crime brought a man named Ralph Clifford Beagle, claiming to be an investigator. All that I can find out about him is that he was born, and raised in Saginaw, Michigan, and in the 1900 census he is staying in a hotel on Ship Street in St. Joseph, in Berrien County, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan with his occupation listed as a travelling salesman.

 

 

              Beagle claimed he was a detective, and apparently did work hard to solve the case. About a year after the murder, Beagle physically took part in getting warrants, and making two arrests with help from local police.

 

 In Gonzales, Florida, William C. Smith, (I believe this was actually a man named Kitchen Willie Smith., or William K. Smith. I found him buried in Monroeville, Alabama with his wife, Eliza Jessalena Smith who died on 14 April 1907.) was arrested and brought to Milton. He was living in Allentown at the time of the murders, and when his wife died in 1907, he took her remains, and his six children to Monroeville, Alabama. Some articles suggested that he confessed, but if so, his confession must not have been believable.

 

              In Samson, Alabama, located in Geneva County, and not far from Opp, detectives arrested Joe Stanley. Stanley must have had a fearsome reputation, because the detectives employed some subterfuge to get the drop on him.  They visited his farm asking if he had any tacks, they could use to put up a sign with. When Stanley turned to get some one of the detectives got the drop on him, and he was arrested at gunpoint.  After the warrant was read to him, Stanley asked if he could get some clothes from a trunk. The detectives refused, but opened the trunk themselves, and found no clothes, but did find two pistols there.  Stanley also attempted to get his hands on a shotgun, with no success.  Stanley had a wife and two children, and refused to waive extradition to Florida. After the right paperwork was obtained, he was removed to Santa Rosa County, Florida.  

 

              There was a hearing scheduled for May 15, 1907 in Judge Rhoda’s courtroom, and it was postponed when state witnesses could not be located, and a stenographer was not available.  I found another article that claimed the prosecutor, and judge were under death threats, and did not show up for court.  Regardless, two days later there was a brief hearing, and both suspects were released. The case is officially unsolved.

 

              When Stanley was arrested, the Troy (Ala) Messenger published an article that mostly reported the same information as the other papers, but they added that, “Stanley has been under suspicion as he is said to have had trouble with the murdered man.”   No other references to this “trouble” could be found.  When the Acreman’s moved from Mobile to Opp, did Mr. Acreman have some kind of run-in with Stanley? I got a message over a year ago, stating that the farm Acreman was working was owned by the Stanley family of the Opp area.

 

            There are many articles, in southern Alabama newspapers about confrontations with the law by Joe Stanley. It’s not possible to know if there were multiple Joe Stanley’s living in the area during the same time frame.  There was an article added to Joe Stanley’s Find A Grave memorial that told the story of Jocephus Stanley’s death on March 8, 1928.  I pretty sure this is the same Joe Stanley that had been arrested in the Acreman murders.  Stanley was a policeman in Phenix City, Alabama, which is just across the Chattahoochee river from Columbus, Georgia.  In the middle of the river on an island that is sometimes claimed by both Alabama, and Georgia, Stanley was shot during a confrontation with a gang of gamblers, and bootleggers that based themselves in the “no man’s land”.  Stanley was attempting to arrest a George Chambers who was a customer of James Jennette.  Stanley had been informed of some threats directed at him and went to ask Jennette about it.  During the confrontation, Jennette pulled a pistol and fired three shots. Two missed, but the third hit Stanley in the stomach. Another officer hit Jennette in the head, and at the same time Stanley backed off a few feet, and fired one time, hitting Jennette in the body.  They were loaded in the same car and taken to the hospital, where both died. His body was brought back to Opp where he was buried.

            William K. Smith, or Kitchen Willie Smith died in 1916, and is buried with his wife in Monroeville, Alabama.

            Ralph Clifford, (R.C.) Beagle died in Pensacola of Tuberculosis on 12 July 1907, and his body was escorted by his sister back to Michigan and buried at the Brady Hill Cemetery in Saginaw. 

 

              The Acreman family is interred in one mass grave in the Jay Cemetery.  The grave is next to Amanda’s parents, and an older brother.  Their headstone has the quote: 

 

“No pain, no grief, not anxious fear can reach our loved ones sleeping here.”

 

 

Afterword

 

            There is a very well written book by Bill James, and his daughter, Rachel, titled: The Man from The Train, The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery.

 

            It is the story of a long series of Axe murders across the country that occurred from 1898 through 1912.  The Acreman murders near Allentown, fit right into this narrative.  Even setting the fire after the killing was part of the killer’s technique.  He quite possible killed over 100 people in this manner and rarely left any survivor.

 

             The Villisca Iowa killing of the Moore family is also part of this story.  He makes a rather compelling case, due to the similarities among these many, many murders.  The fires, proximity to rail road tracks, covering the face of some of the victims, and many more examples.

 

             The suspect was a German immigrant named Paul Mueller who killed his first victim in Brookfield, Mass.  Many of his murders occurred in rural areas close to logging which is probably how he supported himself.  He never robbed his victims, usually leaving valuables in plain sight.

 

            It is a very compelling case study.  Were the Acreman’s killed in a random manner by a psychopath riding the rails? It is hard for me to believe that Stanley, and Smith could have done something like this. I don’t think it would have been the only case of this type in the area, if that was the case. Likely, we will never know for sure.

___________________________________________________________________________________

 I found the Jail Docket for the arrests of Joe Stanley, and Wm Smith where they were logged into the Santa Rosa Co., jail after they were brought to Milton.

You can see Beagle's name listed as the one making the arrest, and where Stanley was brought from Geneva, Co., Alabama. This was for the Justice of the Peace. The next two are for a "Commissioner's Court."

Retired School Teacher Kills Three Police Officers

            A neighbor’s complaint to the authorities led to the shooting deaths of three policemen in Ocala Florida on May 28, 1955. After a siege lasting about an hour, an eccentric, 73 year old retired Indiana school teacher, and his wife were taken into custody and charged with multiple felonies.

            Edward S. Lindley, and his wife Bertha, (70), were from the Kokomo, Indiana area where Mr. Lindley had been a math teacher, and school principal from 1921 to 1930. He suffered a stroke, causing his retirement, and in 1932 started drawing disability from the Metropolitan Insurance Company. In March of 1933 Lindley had a nervous breakdown, and was arrested for firing a weapon at one of his neighbors. He was sent to Central State Hospital for 10 months, and after his release, he and his wife moved near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on some land they had bought in 1910.

            At the beginning of World War 2, the Lindley’s moved to Moss Bluff in Marion county, and lived there for about ten years. While there, Edward Lindley believed his neighbors were spies for Metropolitan Insurance sent to disprove his disability claim.  Feeling persecuted, he and his wife moved to a small house in Ocala.

            Next door to their home was a couple from Long Island, NY.  Mr. Lindley believed they were also spies, and when they moved, he thought they had trained his new neighbor, Douglas Wingfield to spy on him too.  After some items went missing, Wingfield put a “keep out” sign in his yard, and may have gotten into a verbal dispute with Mrs. Lindley. 

            On the day of the shooting, Mr. Lindley claimed that he shot into the air to get Wingfield’s attention since he was hard of hearing.  Wingfield said the bullet came within a foot of his head, and he ran to a neighbor’s house, and called the police.

            About 5:30 pm Deputies Bob Hooten, (56), and Curtis Youngblood, (39), pulled into the Lindley driveway.  A witness James B. Williams was a witness to what happened next.  Mrs. Lindley, carrying a shotgun came out of the house and walked down the driveway to the officers and met them about 50 feet from the house. She told them to put their guns down and there would be no shooting. Deputy Wooten grabbed the shotgun away from her. The witness heard someone yell, “Hey!”, and later Mr. Lindley stated that he shouted at the officers about four times.  Lindley was standing outside on the west side of the house, and shot Deputy Youngblood first killing him instantly. Wooten was then shot, and fell on top of the shotgun he had taken from Mrs. Lindley.

            Mrs. Lindley, calmly walked back to the house, then came back out to retrieve the shotgun from under Wooten’s body. William’s wife Gwen called the police to report the shooting.

            At 5:46 pm, Sheriff Don McLeod, and Deputy W.G. Ergle, Jr.  arrived and McLeod shouted, for the Lindleys to “Come on out!” This was answered by a barrage of shots fired from the house. Assistant Ocala police Chief Mahlon O. Tuck had arrived with other officers, and was standing about 60 yards from the house providing cover for State Patrolman Sam Oswald as he crept up to a window on the west side of the house to toss in a tear gas canister. Tuck was hit and killed at that time.  Deputy Ergle was hit and wounded as he tried to get to Youngblood’s body. The firing continued for about an hour until the tear gas finally forced the Lindley’s to surrender. There were 30 officers involved during the siege and they fired over 1,000 rounds into the little cinder block house.

            Four witnesses reported that they saw Mrs. Lindley in the backyard with a gun during the shooting. She tried to escape at the rear of the yard, but ran back inside when McLeod yelled at her. Mrs Lindley waved a white handkerchief and came out, followed a few minutes later by her husband.

            The Lindley’s were arrested and charged with three counts of murder, and one of assault with intent to commit murder. On July 25^th a hearing adjudged Mr. Lindley to be insane and he was to be committed to the State Hospital at Chattahoochee. He appeared to be confused as he was led away for his trip to the hospital.  The next day Mrs. Lindley was released on her own recognizance and returned to Indiana to live with her daughter.  The authorities did not believe they had enough to convict her without her husband to stand trial with her.  She promised to return if there ever was a trial.  Before she left, the Lindley’s bank account of $17,191 was given to the widows of the fallen officers.  In 1956, the guns Edward Lindley owned were auctioned and $499 was raised. This was also given to the widow.  The State Legislature voted a payment of $225 per month to the widows for 13 and a half years.

            Edward Lindley lived until December 10, 1971 never leaving the Hospital in Chattahoochee. Bertha lived to be 96 years old, dying on June 16, 1980.  She lived with her daughter in Greentown, Indiana.

              

            

Unsolved Pensacola Axe Murder, 1926

What is now a segment of W. Hilary St. in Pensacola, once was known as Chipley Alley.  It lies just south of W. Garden St. between S. Coyle St. and S. Reus St. It was near the site of the old Frisco railroad freight and passenger terminal building.  On the night of July 4, and early morning of July 5, 1926, 410 Chipley Alley was the site of a vicious attack on two adults, and two children by an axe-wielding madman.

            Preston Pickern, a 34-year-old carpenter, and his wife Hattie had spent part of the evening of July 4^th in Cantonment at an Independence Day celebration, where Hattie won a cake.  Two children, 6-year-old Emmett Simpson, son of Hattie from her previous marriage, and 13-year-old Lucille Cushings, Hattie’s little sister had remained home.

From Pensacola News Journal

Dec. 31, 1949

            A neighbor, Mrs. Ella Martin was awakened just before dawn, by a low rumbling sound she could not identify, and got up to investigate. She walked outside and looked through the Pickern’s window.  Seeing the gruesome scene, she ran inside screaming, “Hattie, Hattie!” She later said that Mrs. Pickern had mumbled something and lapsed into unconsciousness.  In the adjoining room lay the two battered children, still clinging to life.

            Mrs. Martin called the police and requested they bring an ambulance.  The first officer on the scene was Captain J. R. Simmons, followed soon by Chief of Police William O’Connell.  The officers found the room in disarray, and the walls covered in blood.  There was evidence of a struggle in the adult’s room.

            An axe covered with hair and blood was found in the children’s bed. The axe was delivered to fingerprint expert Robert Forrest, and after extensive examination, he could find no usable prints. A shoe was also found in the house that showed a defect in the sole that matched shoeprints found outside in the unpaved alley.

            As the rumors spread through the local community, a crowd began to gather to view the scene of the crime. All four victims were transferred to the hospital.  Mr. Pickern was near death and was only given a few hours to live. His wife Hattie was unconscious with severe gashes to her head.  At this time, the children were reported near death, but a few hours later they regained consciousness.  They both could not remember what happened. They had been attacked while asleep and had no memory of the assault.

            The police canvassed the neighborhood, questioning neighbors, friends, and acquaintances.  They discovered that bad blood existed between Pickern and a man named Taylor. As recent as June 28^th, members of Pickern’s family had appeared as witnesses against Taylor.  Taylor and other members of his family were brought in for questioning.  (I haven’t been able to find out what the problem was between the families.)

            The authorities, being concerned about a growing lynch mob atmosphere, beefed up security at the jail in case they were attacked by vigilantes.  Preston J. Pickern died from his injuries at one pm on July 5^th.  His wife, Hattie was still in a coma.

            Hours after Pickern died, Justice of the Peace, Judge Dan S. Nee summoned an inquest.  On Wednesday, July 7, a six-man jury met a Nee’s office.  Neither the police nor the Jury could figure out a motive for the attack. Robbery was discounted because the Pickern’s were not wealthy, and nothing was known to be missing from the house.

            Eleven suspects were picked up and held for the investigation, but ultimately none were charged with the crime.  Chief O’Connell told the press, “This case is being thoroughly investigated and we expect sensational developments any minute.”

            Police talked to a man named J. H. Perkins, a train dispatcher for the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad. He told officers he had seen a man from the railroad yard the night of the murder. “I first saw him coming from the direction of the Pickern house.  He entered several yards and searched through some wood piles.  I saw him in one yard swinging an axe in his hands, then I saw him go toward the Pickerin home.”  He described the man as being burly with black hair.

            The Coroner’s Jury heard all this testimony, including from the eleven witnesses/suspects being held, but all the evidence was considered weak, and circumstantial. With no new information coming to light, the hearing was postponed.

            On Thursday, the eighth of July, the Governor of Florida, John Martin arrived in Pensacola for the grand opening of the newly constructed Escambia Bay Bridge. An estimated 10,000 cars crossed the bridge in the first 12 hours it was open.

            The next day, Hattie Pickern came out of her coma. She remembered seeing a man. She did not know who he was. She remembered waking up when her husband was attacked, and she believed she struggled with the assailant, but with no identification, the investigators were at a loss.

            Chipley Alley was now known locally as, “Axe Murder Alley”.  All but 3 of the eleven suspects were released.

            During the investigation of the crime scene, police did find three, five-gallon kegs of homemade liquor.  The Federal authorities joined the investigation to find out the origin of the illegal booze.  After a brief probe, they determined that the illegal whiskey had nothing to do with the attack.

            On July 28, Judge Nee resumed the inquest, calling 23 witnesses, including Captain Simmons, and Hattie Pickern.  Mrs. Pickern took the stand and related all she could remember from the night of the attack.  After she concluded without revealing any new information, a man stood and approached the witness stand.  When asked if she recognized him, Hattie said no, she had never seen him before.

            The man, (whose name was never revealed in court, and referred to as, “Mr. X” in the papers.), asked her, “Is it not true that you accompanied me on a party at Bayview and had a pistol which you used to shoot a spider on a tree?”  Confused, Mrs. Pickern said, “No! I never did such a trick and besides I don’t know you.  I have never seen you before!”  After Hattie stepped down, the stranger swore under oath that she had accompanied him to Bayview and fired a pistol at a spider.

            (This whole testimony is bizarre, to say the least.  Not only is any such occurrence irrelevant to the case, but what exactly was she being accused of? Why was this witness not identified?  I don’t believe this would ever be allowed in a courtroom today.)

            After the testimony, the jury verdict predictably was that the crime was, “committed by party, or parties’ unknown.”

            In 1950 a man named Robert Raymond Lassiter, in Greenville, South Carolina, confessed to the murder of Mr. Pickern. He was arrested and brought to Pensacola but was determined to be insane and sent to the state hospital in Chattahoochee until he could be found sane enough to assist in his own defense.

            In February 1959, it was determined that his mental condition had deteriorated, and there was going to be no prosecution.  The only evidence against him was his own confession, and he claimed no motive other than being drunk and only remembered attacking one person. He was released into the custody of his family, who were going to put him in a private institution.

            This crime is still unsolved, but some new information has been shared with me that sheds light on this case. I will update the story very soon.

Preston Pickren's body was transported to the Godwin Cemetery in Bratt, located in the northern part of the county.  (See picture below.)

            Hattie got married to Aulice McKenzie in February 1928, but divorced in 1930. She lived until 1950, passing away in Pensacola.

            Lucille Cushing married Lloyd Williams and passed away in 2006. She was buried at Pensacola Memorial Park.

           In a December 1949 interview with the Pensacola Journal, Hattie said that Emmett had died in WWII while serving in the U.S. Navy.

            It seems that it wasn’t very hard to get away with murder in the Florida Panhandle in the early part of the 1900s.  I think that unless there were credible eyewitnesses, or someone was caught red-handed, there was little chance of prosecution.

Thank you Patricia Wariner of the Santa Rosa Co., Genealogy Society for the old newspapers.

Emmett Elbert Simpson

The Unsolved Murder of Henry Hicks Moore

           
            There was another killing in a secluded parking area, before the Hinote, Bryars, killings. The location of this one was in the Magnolia Bluffs area off of Scenic Highway.  This occurred months before the last one I wrote about, and is also unsolved.

            Henry Hicks Moore left his wife and son at home on the evening of January 10, 1931 and went to the Saenger Theater to watch a movie.  He was not alone.  He had a date with a 19 year old Miss Gretchen Gregory. Moore was 23 years old and  lived at 503 E. Jackson St., with his wife Eulalie, and son Henry, Jr.  Later, Miss Gregory claimed she had no idea that Henry was married.

            After watching, “The Painted Desert”, they jumped in Henry’s roadster and drove toward East Pensacola Heights, stopping to get a soft drink at a roadside sandwich shop, then proceeded to the area of Magnolia Bluffs on Scenic Highway. About 11 pm Moore parked his car down a secluded path about 75 yards from the main road.

            Just a few minutes after stopping, two men, each shining a flashlight into the couple’s eyes, shouted for them to, “Stick ‘em up!”.  Miss Gregory screamed and one of the assailants shot Henry Moore, and then they disappeared in the woods.  After sitting in shock for a moment, she climbed over Henry and got behind the wheel.  She heard him mumble something, but didn’t understand what he said.  She had only driven a car once before, but after a few attempts was able to get the car started and back out on the highway.  She first stopped at a closed drug store, but finding no one there, she drove to Pensacola Hospital. (Later Sacred Heart on 12^th ave.)  Her arrival time there was noted as 11:40 pm. 

            Ten minutes later, Dr. C. C. Webb pronounced Moore dead.  The police were notified. Sheriff Mose Penton was notified since the crime occurred outside city limits. Miss Gregory gave him the details of the night’s events.  When Gregory was informed that Henry Moore was married with a family she was shocked. The police went to the scene of the crime but found no evidence.  The only prints they could find on the car belonged to Moore, and Gregory.

            The Officers did discover, however, two $2000 life insurance policies, payable to the victim’s wife.  One of them had only been written that day.

            Miss Gregory was held overnight in jail as a material witness, pending the outcome of the coroner’s inquest and questioned repeatedly, but her story did not change. The autopsy was performed by Dr. James W. Hoffman, and showed the cause of death as a bullet through Moore’s heart that passed at a downward angle and came to rest in his back by the 8^th rib. The bullet was identified as a .38 caliber. Powder burns indicated he had been shot a close range.

            Miss Gregory was released on $7500 bond, and her family retained Attorney William Fisher to look out for her best interests.

            A reporter interviewed Henry’s widow who claimed Henry hardly ever went out at night. He had been home for supper, and played with his son for a little while before kissing her goodbye, and heading for the movie. 

            On Wednesday, a capacity crowd gathered in the courtroom of Justice of the Peace, Dan A. Nee to hear evidence on the Moore case.  Testimony was heard from seven witnesses including hospital and police personnel, but the star was Miss Gretchen Gregory.  She repeated the detailed sequence of events of that night, and the jury found that Henry Hicks Moore died “at the hands of an unknown person, or persons.”

            On February 19, State Attorney Fabisinski called a grand jury to once again investigate the case trying to find new evidence. Even though the Associated Press had reported that Moore’s brother-in-law, R. S. Clark of Greenville, SC, claimed to have furnished clues to Pensacola police officers, the grand jury found no new information about the case.

            The murder of Henry Hicks Moore remains unsolved to this day.

            Gretchen Gregory married Henry C. Longuet on June 30, 1931 in Santa Rosa, County. In the 1940 census they are living on 81^st Street in New York City, with a three year old daughter, and her husband was a Superintendent of an apartment building.  They divorced in Escambia county in August of 1958.  She passed away in May of 2003, and is buried In Bayview Memorial Park.

            Eulalie Turner Moore, Henry’s widow, married Lewis Kenneth Cahn in May of 1941, and died March 21, 1982.

            Henry Hicks Moore, Jr. was only 2 years old when his father was killed.  He grew up to be a prominent citizen in Pensacola, and was a community activist who wrote many opinion pieces for the News Journal.  He died on December 26, 2010.  He was an interesting person, and a google search should be productive for those interested.

            I doubt these two cases from 1931 were connected. The crime scenes were not too far apart, but there was no attempt to assault Miss Gregory.  I think it was just a robbery gone wrong. When Miss Gregory screamed, she may have startled one of the robbers into accidently firing his weapon.  According to her, they didn’t stick around after that and took nothing. 

Hinote / Bryars Murders, Unsolved

Arthur Hinote / Bernice Bryars

Murder, 22 Oct. 1931

            Arthur Hinote, born, 7 Mar 1914, and Bernice Bryars, born, 27 Sep 1916, left Hinote’s sister’s house at 1000 E. Brainerd St., in Pensacola to go to a movie.  When the two did not return that night, their families began to search.  They even made inquiries to neighboring states to see if a marriage license had been applied for, suspecting they may have eloped.

            Arthur worked at a mattress factory, and gave most of his money to his mother. On the night of their date he only had seventy cents in his pocket.

            The next day, shortly after noon, two wood cutters, John Engstrom, and John Birthright, were looking to collect some wood near Bayou Texar, about a mile north of Bayview Park.  At the time, this was a secluded area with little traffic.  Engstrom saw an automobile parked in the distance, and being curious, went to take a look.  Horrified, he saw the body of a young man lying next to the running board with part of his face blown away.  He turned to call his partner, and saw the body of a young lady lying about 15 feet away on the other side of the car.

            The young man had been obviously shot in the face.  The young lady had been savagely beaten to death.  It was later found that she had a deep mark on her forehead, a deep looking wound behind her ear, jaw broken in three places, and one of her eyes was discolored.

            Authorities were notified and began to arrive at the scene, and along with them, a growing crowd of gawkers began to gather.  Police identified the couple as Arthur Hinote, and Bernice Bryars, and notified the families. Police found few clues.  There were several wads from expended shotgun shells near the bodies.  The ground around Arthur was pretty much undisturbed, but it looked as if Bernice had put up quite a fight.  Her watch stopped at 10:15 pm, but not due to need of winding.  Some Bayou residents reported that they had thought they heard gunfire around 10 pm.

            Sheriff Mose Penton, Chief O’Connell, and Inspector Andrew Schmitz traveled to Andalusia, Alabama to interview a young man who had worked with Hinote in a sausage factory months before the slaying.  The young man had an alibi, and was cleared of suspicion.

            On Sunday, a dual funeral was held in the home of Arthur Hinote’s parents at 1118 W. Chase St.  Burial was at St. John’s Cemetery, attended by approximately 5000 people. The two young victims were buried side by side.

            The next day Sheriff Penton announced to the press that there were no new leads. He could not find a motive. It wasn’t robbery. It wasn’t revenge because there were no known enemies. He declared it to be the work of a maniac.

            By Monday, rewards for apprehension of the killer reached $550.  City Manager George J. Roark put up $100. The county offered $250. State Attorney Purl G. Adams in Crestview contributed $100, and a private citizen, Joseph Banman put up $100.

            County Solicitor Richard H. Merritt joined the investigation, and Florida Governor Doyle E. Carlton sent a special investigator to lend a hand.  Every day, at least a dozen investigators scoured Pensacola for leads.  Interviewing, double checking, back tracking, and tirelessly seeking answers, they were getting nowhere fast. 

            Finally, 15 days after the murders, Solicitor Merritt announced that he was holding a suspect named Grady H. Faulk, 25 years of age. Merritt said he would give evidence to the Grand jury, and seek a true bill.  Even though every effort was made to keep the evidence secret, the details began to leak.

Pensacola News Journal 13 Dec 1931

            The evidence included a bloody shirt found in Faulk’s home in Klondike.

            A shotgun of caliber that killed Hinote with a bent barrel was in his possession.

            Rumor of a compact belonging to Bryars found in his home.

            The evidence was purely circumstantial, but it was strong enough for the Grand Jury to return two first degree murder indictments against Faulk. The court appointed Attorney Ernest E. Mason to defend Faulk.

            On the 8^th of March, 1932, the trial began.  The State’s case, based on circumstantial evidence was built on these points:

            Faulk left home night of October 22^nd, carrying shotgun.

            He didn’t return home until 3:30 in the morning, drunk.

            Someone noticed blood on his shirt.

            He became increasingly nervous, and didn’t return to work the day after the murders.

            Vanity case similar to Bryars found in his possession.

Faulk himself took the stand and withstood vigorous examination calmly while answering all questions put to him.

The Defense’s case:

            Faulk DID return to work the next day and the rest of the days of the week.

            The shotgun in question was a 20-guage, not 12-guage used in the murder.

            He was in possession of a shotgun but a witness backed up his story that he took it from an acquaintance named Nora Coleman when she attacked him with it. He bent the    barrel on a table while he was trying to break it.

            The blood on his shirt was turkey blood.

            The vanity case in question was never proven to belong to Bryars.

The same night the trial concluded, the jury took 25 minutes to acquit on the first ballot.

The case then went cold for over 29 years.

On May 1, 1951, Sheriff R. L. Kendrick arrested Cleveland Ellison Cobb, a 58-year-old man at a Crestview bus depot. The law had been looking for this man because they had been told that he had been in a car accident with Hinote several months before the murders.  Allegedly, he had threatened Hinote’s life when he was forced to pay repair charges stemming from the accident.  Due to lack of evidence, he was released.

            With no more evidence, the case has never been solved.  The killer of Arthur Hinote, and Bernice Bryars has never been identified.

             It is nice that their families buried them together. They had been a couple for months, and all indications were that they would be married.

           

            

Cleveland Ellison Cobb.

Never charged in the case. Died in Brewton, Alabama in 1965.

Grave of Frank M. Penton, Milton Cemetery

The Short Life, and Fast Times of Frank Penton

                Francis Marion “Frank” Penton was the Chief Deputy under Santa Rosa County Sheriff “Long” John Collins.  He killed two men in Milton in two separate shootouts, and possibly a third in an ambush.  The aftermath of his two shootouts saw him cleared by a coroner’s jury. I think if Deputy Penton had lived out west in the 1880s, we would be reading about him along with Earp, and Hickock. 

                On the 14^th of February, 1909, at Andy’s Restaurant in Milton, Deputy Penton, and a man named Robert Fleming decided to settle their differences.  Apparently, as soon as they saw each other they drew their weapons and commenced shooting.  Shortly after one pm on that day, Mr. Fleming died of gunshot wounds.  The Coroner’s Jury determined it was justifiable homicide.  It was reported that the shootout was a result of an old grudge. 

                On April 20, 1912, in a downtown Milton poolroom, Frank Penton, and his father, Abner T. Penton, were involved in a gunfight with George Warwick Allen.  Allen was a newly married 24-year-old, and the brother of Minnie Allen Collins, wife of S. G. Collins.  According to newspaper reports, 15-20 shots were fired, and though Frank Penton was wounded, he would recover.  Allen was shot with two different caliber bullets, once in the stomach, and a smaller caliber in the shoulder. Allen had been a witness against Penton in the Felix Corbin shooting. The Pentons were both arrested and later indicted for the murder of Allen.  The elder Penton was found guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to 4 years in prison.  I have not been able to find any information on the sentence, (if any), for Frank Penton.

                 In early April 1906, George Allen had been tried for the murder of Eubesau Whitmire. On December 3^rd 1905, they were quarreling at the L & N railroad depot over luggage owned by a traveling salesman.  Both young men were working as, “Hacks”, or porters for arriving passengers. During the quarrel, Whitmire was shot dead.  Allen was acquitted of the killing. As a possible motive for the gunfight with Penton, Allen had testified against Penton in Penton’s murder trial and was assisting the prosecution against Penton in the Corbin Affair.

The Felix Corbin Affair

                In May of 1910, Felix Corbin fled Emanuel County, Georgia, with a warrant for Assault, and Battery on his head.  Emanuel Co. Sheriff Fields was able to track Corbin to Milton, Florida.  The Sheriff obtained the extradition paperwork and took a trip to Milton.  When Sheriff John Collins received the paperwork, he arrested Mr. Corbin.  Corbin immediately got an attorney to arrange a hearing on the validity of the extradition papers. At the hearing the papers were declared to be, “irregular”, and Corbin was temporarily freed.  Sheriff Fields swore in an affidavit that Corbin was a fugitive from Georgia, and Corbin was again arrested.  Fields, Collins, and Deputy Frank Penton drove Corbin to Brewton, and Fields, with his prisoner, took a train back to Swainsboro, Georgia.

                Once in Georgia, Corbin appeared before the U. S. Commissioner and swore out warrants for the arrest of John H. Collins, Santa Rosa Co. Sheriff, Deputy Frank Penton, also of Santa Rosa Co., and Sheriff Fields of Emanuel Co. Ga.  The charge was depriving Corbin of his constitutional rights by conspiring to take him back to Georgia without extradition papers.

                On June 16^th, Collins, and Penton was arrested by Federal authorities for forcibly removing Corbin from Florida without a warrant. They were later released. Penton with a $300 bond, and Collins with a $1000 bond.  They were to appear in the next  Federal Court session.

                On December 6, 1910, Felix Corbin ate supper with his wife and step-children.  As he finished his meal he heard someone calling his name outside.  He opened the door and was hit with four bullets. He died quickly, without naming his assailant.  Frank Penton was immediately suspected of the killing. He and a man named W. A. Simmons of Foley, Alabama were taken into custody.  On Dec. 9, there was a preliminary hearing, and both Penton and Simmons were released with no indictment.  There wasn’t enough evidence to move forward with a case.  The Corbin murder goes unsolved.

 

                (The above description of Corbin's death was reported by the Pensacola Journal. Local Attorney H.S. Laird wrote a letter to the paper complaining about the inaccuracies of the story. He contended that Corbin was boarding at C. F. Clark's and owned no home of his own. He said Corbin was actually shot in the street in front of Clark's store, and that he was only shot twice.)

                By December 22^nd, the federal authorities were investigating the murder. Penton Is no longer a Deputy and is in federal custody on two charges, killing Corbin to prevent him from testifying against him, Collins, and Fields, and a charge of conspiracy to commit murder in the Corbin case.

                On April 3, 1911, Penton was indicted by Federal Court but was freed on a $2000 bond.  His trial started later, on December 1.  The Government case was presented by Emmett Wilson, and Penton’s attorney was E. A. Pace of Dothan, Alabama.  On Dec. 3^rd, after deliberating for 12 hours, the jury reported that it was hopelessly divided, and the court ordered a mistrial.  When the jury began deliberations the 10-man jury was 9 for conviction, and one for acquittal.  After 12 hours of debating the issue, it was 6 to 4 for conviction.  Penton was released on the same bond and was to be retried at the next federal court session. 

                In the March 10, 1913 issue of the Times-Democrat newspaper from New Orleans, it was reported that the U. S. Attorney, nol prossed, (dropped prosecution), in the Penton, and Collins cases.

                One final note on Felix Corbin.  There is a full slab grave marker in the Milton cemetery for Mr. Corbin next to his wife, who died in 1954.  Shortly after his killing, a newspaper in Georgia reported that his body had been shipped back to Georgia to be interred in the Corbin cemetery.  I think he was buried in Milton, and the Georgia newspaper jumped the gun.  Corbin had three sons from his first marriage living in Georgia, with their maternal grandmother. 

                Frank Penton sometime after being finally cleared of charges in the Corbin, and Allen cases found himself employed as the Chief of Police at the Pensacola Shipbuilding Company.  On June 27, 1919, he was shot, and killed by W. P. Cox, who was a subordinate on the police force at the shipyard and shared a dwelling with him. Cox, (I think he was Walter P. Cox, born in North Carolina in Oct 1889, but I'm not 100% sure.) and his wife lived in a small house on the shipyard property.  They took in Penton as a border, and to all accounts, Cox and Penton were close friends.  Mrs. Cox did not like the domestic situation and moved to the Merchant Hotel, and filed for divorce.  Cox hired a Mrs. Maroena as a housekeeper. She had once owned a soft drink stand on West Zaragossa street.  Penton had been drinking and got into an argument with Mrs. Maroena, who later testified that he "unmercifully misused" her.  She fled to Mr. Cox's room for safety.  A couple of days later Penton accosted Cox and asked him if he was his friend.  During the conversation, Cox told Penton to go to hell, and Penton pulled a pistol and fired two shots at Cox, missing both.  Cox returned fire and shot Penton in the temple, killing him.  The Coroner's Jury, after hearing testimony, found it to be justifiable homicide.  There was applause when the verdict was announced. 

                Good, or bad, Frank Penton was an interesting character.  I would like to know more about him.  I bet there is much more about his short life that would be of great interest. 

                Mr. Penton is buried in section three of our Milton Cemetery on Berryhill.  His marker claims he died in 1920, but the newspaper claims he was killed in 1919.  Felix Corbin’s marker is in section 12 as is Eubesau Whitmire’s.  George Warwick Allen is buried in the Collins plot also in Section 12. (northwest part, near the fence).  Allen’s widow, Eva Jernigan, remarried in 1915.  She, and her husband Henry C. Collins, are also buried in the Collins plot.

Penton's death certificate shows his occupation as Fire Marshal at Pensacola Shipbuilding Company. He was actually the Shipyards Chief of Police. The certificate shows Homicide by a pistol shot, and confirms his date of death as 27 June 1919.

Frank Penton death certificate

Supplemental certificate showing homicide.