The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-06-08
BURGLARY, MURDER, ARSON.
Well knOBn Citizen kIlled and Burned
In His Store.

MI John Gubb, the well-kuown
storekceper at ruegles. five miles west
OF Farmyille ON the Norfolk and Yves
tern Railway, was last Tuesday night
murdered, robbed and burned TO atoms
with his building and all It's contents.
IL was between n and L. o'clock when
the fire was discovered 10y ncighbors.
and 10y the time the first of them arriv-
ed AT the scene the building was fall
ing ia.
Two strange negroes were seen the
day before lettering about the store.
They made several minor purchases.
and one of them flashed ten dollar
note and asked that it bc changed for
him. Both Of these negroes are de
Scribed as being ginger cake color. one
heavy set, wore dark clothes. black
felt hat i'm good condition. dee was
about feet 10, and apparently - years
I old The other WAS NOT so stout, being
D feet ~, and wore q small light color
ed hat turned zap in The front. lie
Was apparently 20 90 % year, old. No
one about the village knew either Of
the men, but there are several who
could readily identify them if ,een
again.
Hurricane Branch, of suffolk.
wa, teegraphed to bring Dbl, blood
hound 90 the scene, and SO strong was
the faith ina the suffolk sleuth and his
dog that a large crowd assembled To-
greet their arrival ON the one o'clock
train. The dog, "Iige, Jr., was put
upon the tracks made about the VIM
dow through which thc burglars evil
IDENTIFY had effected entrance 90 the
store, and he carried them about one
hundred yards down To The railroad.
Later ina the day, after the sun had
gone down, the dog was again put ON
the tracts, and This time Dee headed in
the direction of Famville, his owner
following afoot close. The animal
crossed and recrossed the railroad sew
eral times i'm the trail until within two
mile, Of Farmville when he kept con-
stautly to the railroad bed, his master
all the while with him. Mr.. Branch
says the dog tracked to Buffalo ear
bridge, where he believes the negroe,
boarded train.
I'm the ruins of the burned building
nothing remained of the body of the
murdered man but "a small quantity of
bones. His pistol was found lying
near the bed SPRING., 10 contained
five empty shells which upon exam
ination showed that each had been
shot before the fire, the indentation
from the plunger being clear. Ii Is
believed that Mr.. Grubb used his pis-
tol more TO scare Oft the intruder, than
to strike them Excavations had re-
Gently been made for an addition TO
the building, and much fresh dirt /
banked near the window. 10 was /
here that the tracks Of two men could /
be plainly seen.
As soon as it could be done tele- /
grams were sent 10 stations along the |
Norfolk and Western TO watch for
the negroes above described Mr..
Grub was the postmaster Of Tuggle /
and the only merchant doing business
there. The Department az Washington
was Immediately notified of the rob
berry and burning aud no doubt an in-
spector Will be sent there at once to i'm
yestigate The crime is one of the
most revolving ever committed boo
Prince Edward county. Common
Attorney Watkins, Sheriff
Justice Crawley and other
officers spent some time al the scene
gathering all the information they
could IN connection with the horror
Mr.. Grubb is believed TO have had
some money i'm desk but how much
no one can approximate. The request
Tor change of "a ten dollar note by one
Df the negroes was evidently made TO
see where Mr.. Grubb kept his money.
The desk lock found in the ashes
was unlocked and held the dead mans
punch Of keys. The people of Tuggles
md neighborhood are wrought up TO
I, high pitch of excitement over the
brutal crime committed i'm theirmidst.
Mr.. Grubb was in his eightieth year
IF age. lie was an Engishman 10y
birth, resided i'm Virginia for the past
thirty years and twenty years Of this
lime were spent in the neighborhood
lf Tuggles. He was an elder in APP
Presbyterian church, a man
If high character and a con,ecrated
Christian gentleman. His awful end
ny has brought sorrow 10 the heart,
IF every one who knew him.
Mr.. Grub, il is understood, carried
stock Of goods valued at $500 TO
y 900, upon which there was mo- i'm
urance.
His funeral will take place sunday
afternoon at o'clock from Appomat-
OK Church, a short distance west of
ruggle.
Form the Habit Of Reading.
The local paper should be found in
very home. No children should