THE PARAGOULD SOLIPHONE

THURSDAY - JULY 27 , 1933

TRANSCRIBED BY : TINA EASLEY

03/06/2006

BODY DELMER DAVID PERKINS IS BURIED AT LINWOOD CEMETERY

FARMER WAS SHOT TO DEATH AS HE SAT IN HIS ROCKING CHAIR AT HOME MONDAY EVENING

ASSAILANT UNKNOWN

RETURNS VERDICT DEATH BY GUNSHOT INFLICTED BY UNKNOWN PERSON

THE BODY OF DELMER DAVID PERKINS AGED ABOUT 30 WHO WAS SHOT TO DEATH BY AN UNKNOWN ASSAILANT AS HE SAT IN HIS ROCKING CHAIR AT HIS HOME , FIVE MILES NORTH OF LIGHT - 16 MILES WEST OF PARAGOULD ABOUT NINE O'CLOCK MONDAY EVENING WAS BURIED ABOUT NINE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING IN LINWOOD CEMETERY . THE BODY WAS CONVEYED TO LIGHT LATE YESTERDAY AND THE CONVEYED TO THIS CITY LATE LAST EVENING BY THE "BRECKENRIDGE MORTUARY " AND PREPARED FOR BURIAL.

CORONER WALTER MCHANEY CONDUCTED AND INQUEST ABOUT ONE O'CLOCK YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AT THE ONE -ROOM IN HOUSE OF PERKINS , LOCATED ON THE W. C. CHIMLING FARM , FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE GAGE FARM , AND THE JURY RETURNED A VERDICT THAT DEATH WAS DUE TO GUNSHOT WOUNDS INFLICTED BY AN UNKNOWN PERSON. MRS. PERKINS WAS THE PRINCIPAL WITNESS . THE MEMBERS OF THE CORONERS JURY WERE :

E.W. WOODBURN , ED HAYNES , JESS PARKER , LAWRENCE O. ALLEN , E.L. WILKERSON , CHARLES RAGSDALE , SHERMAN RAGSDALE , TOM HUFFMAN , ATHUR WEBSTER , JESS FEARS AND E.C. WILKERSON .

PERKINS WAS KILLED INSTANTLY WHEN THE DISCHARGE OF NO. 4 SHOT FROM A SHOTGUN , FIRED AT CLOSE RANGE STRUCK HIM IN THE RIGHT TEMPLE . APPARENTLY HE NEVER MOVED AFTER BEING HIT BY THE FIRST SHOT. HE HAD ONE FOOT ON THE SIDE OF A STOVE AND HIS OTHER LEG WAS CROSSED OVER THE ONE RESTED AGAINST THE STOVE , IT WAS STATED. THE SHOT IS BELEIVED TO SHOT THROUGH A CRACK IN THE WALL OF THE ONE-ROOM HOUSE WHICH IS LOCATED IN A WOODED SECTION , OFFICERS REPORTED NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE .

MRS. PERKINS TOLD SHERIFF W.T. CROWLEY , WHO WAS SUMMONED TO THAT SECTION EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING BY JESS PARKER OF LIGHT , THAT SHE WAS PLACING HER BABY IN BED WHEN THE SHOT WAS FIRED. SHE TOLD OFFICERS THAT HER HUSBAND HAD THREATNED TO KILL SOME MEN AS SOON AS HE COULD GO TO O'KEAN AND GET SOME SHELLS JUST BEFORE THE SHOT WAS FIRED . SHE WAS ABLE TO FURNISH OFFICERS ONLY WITH THE SURNAME OF ONE MAN THAT OF COOK , IT WAS STATED. INDICATIONS WERE THAT PERKINS HAD HAD TROUBLE WITH THE MEN RECENTLY , OFFICERS SAID . FOUR INTOXICATED MEN WERE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN IN THE WOODS NEAR PERKINS HOME TUESDAY , OFFICERS WERE TOLD.

FOLLOWING THE SHOOTING , MRS. PERKINS TOLD OFFICERS THAT SHE CARRIED HER BABY TO THE HOME OF MRS. PERKINS MOTHER , ABOUT HALF A MILE AWAY , WHERE THE OTHER TWO PERKINS CHILDREN WERE STAYING AT THE TIME . THE PERKINS HAD BEEN MARRIED NINE YEARS , MRS. PERKINS TOLD OFFICERS. THEY CAME TO GREENE COUNTY FROM LAWRENCE COUNTY WHERE MR. PERKINS IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED ON A LIQUIOR MAKING CHARGE.

PERKINS HAD BEEN WORKING BY THE DAY DOING ODD JOBS FOR SHERMAN RAGSDALE AND THE OTHER FARMERS SINCE HE CAME TO GREENE COUNTY SEVERAL MIONTHS AGO.

SURVING ARE HIS WIDOW , THREE CHILDREN A BROTHER , AND HIS MOTHER , THE LATTER OF WHOM RESIDES AT LESTERVILLE , LAWRENCE COUNTY , OFFICERS STATED , THEIR NAMES WERE NOT KNOWN TO OUR INFORMANT.

DONATED BY THE CITY CLERKS OFFICE.

THANK YOU !