Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-24

that night that she had requested them to
bring the news that she had gone to john
son City to visit her married sister. This
seemed strange to the mother, who recalled
that her daughter had never be ore ven-
tured away from home without permission.
The All-Day Ride in the Buggy.
From morning until la, in the afternoon.
1t was afterward revealed, Lille Davis oc-
cupied a buggy with Hale who had driven
her through the woodlands skirting the
town, and who had, according to eyewit-
nesses, repeatedly forced whisky to her lips.
This was also shown by their swollen and
bruised condition. Hale's pistol had been
twice discharged during the time spent in
the buggy. He said the girl was drunk. and
that she had fired the pistol each time. but
an eyewitness testified that he was watch
Ing Hale and the girl in the buggy in the
city park reservation and saw Hale dis
charge the pistol once and prior to this he
saw Hale force Mss Davis to drink whisky
from bottle Others who had observed the
conduct Of Hale and the girl as they were
passing during the day testified to his hav-
ing slapped her in the face and otherwise
mfstreated her.
After a day Of debauchery. Hale, who
seems to have drunk less then he forced
Miss Davis to drink. accompanied the girl
to East Hill cemetery. where early In the
night she met her tragic fate, the deadly
shot being fred within sound Of her own
home and while her mother was under the
impression InaC she naQ gone TO Johnson
City twenty-five miles distant.
Motives for Murder.
No one was disposed to believe Hale,s
story that Lille Davis had taken her own
life. and scarcely had the girl died and
Hale been locked up until the officers began
search for evidence of murder and mo-
tives. The physicians who conducted the
post-mortem investigation discovered, az
they afterward testified. unmistakable EVIL
dences that the girl had been criminally as
life.
This was not the only motive for ending
the girls life. Lille Davis was the only
eyewitness to the killing of her brother
Irby Davis. who was shot to death, it is
Ack Hale. last winter. Upon her evidence
might have depended the fate Of Roy Hale.
and from this standpoint her removal may
have been looked upon as one of the essen
tails to the safety of Roy Hale.
Ack Hale, too. was about to leave for the
Tar west, and had purchased q ticket for
Soiorado. lie came here before starting on
his intended journey. apparently for no
othef purpose than to meet the Davis girl
Victim Was Betrothed..
Lille Davis really had no motive for
taking her own life, so far as is known.
She was to have become the bride of John
E. McRoberts Of Georgel, Wise county. Va,
only few days later than the date of her
death All arrangements had been made
for the wedding. and the girl talked to her
neighbors and friends with much interest
OF the time when she was to become a
bride. Her wedding gown had been made.
and her mother and other members of the
family were aiding her in making arrange
ments for the wedding. McRoberts was to
have arrived here on Saturday of the week
or her death. and the marriage was to have
been solemnized at the home of her mother
on the Sunday afternoon following But
fate had decreed that the wedding gown
was to be Miss Davis funeral shroud. and
in the casket beside her was placed a pic
ture of the young man who was to have
become her husband.
When the news reached McRoberts that
MISS Davis had met tragic fate and had
probably been murdered he FASTENED to
Bristol and after the funeral spent some
time here assisting in looking up evidence.
He afterward contributed money to aid
in the prosecution of Hale.
After Ack Hale had been indicted on the
charge of murder and criminal assault, his
younger brother, Roy Hale, who had made
his escape after the killing Of Irby Davis.
was located at Fort Mcpherson, where he
had enlisted as United States soldier. He
has since been confined in Jail at Jonesboro,
Tenn, and his is to be tried before
Judge Alonzo J. Tyler, the same circuit
Judge who is to preside during the trial of
tried within the next ten days.
A Family's Ruin.
The Davis family came to east Tennessee
from Kentucky many years ago. In Ken
lucky they stood high socially and James
Davis, the deceased father Of Lille Davis.
was highly connected in Louisville and
other parts of Kentucky. After coming to
Tennessee, James Davis went to west
North Carolina where he spent some time.
being prominent in the mica developments
there. He was afterward dragged down by
drink. His death was followed soon by the
murder of his son and the tragic fate Of his
daughter. and added to these sorrows the
widowed mother has Just recently buried
her youngest son. who was victim of
tuberculosis. This train of sorrow has
wrecked the aged woman both physically
and mentally. and her life Is ebbing away
Other members of the family. although
physically strong, feel keenly the weight of
sorrow that has bowed their mother down.
and have had no peace of mind since the
specter of death and murder entered their
home.