The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-12-01
TOM EDMONDSON
STILL MISSING
Woodland Mills Tragedy Grows
In Mystery
OFFICERS FIND NOTHING
Governor Will Be Asked To offer a
Reward for Murderers of Entire
Family-Second Inquest De-
velops Nothing New.


Decatur November 30.-(Special) AFTER
an investigation lasting two days and
without finding any clew as to the where
abouts of Tom Edmondson who was
supposed to have murdered his wife.
mother and three children and then set
fire to his home, Sheriff Thomas r. shipp,
District Solicitor David c. Almon and
County Solicitor D. T. Green have just
returned home from Woodland Mills. this
county, where the crime was committed.
The second jury which was empanneled
at woodland Mills Saturday to investi-
gate the crime adjourned without finding
any evidence that would place the crime
in clearer light.
Sheriff Shipp said this morning that he
had done everything in his power to clear
up the mystery and that he was now
going to ask Gov. B. B. Conner to offer
reward for the apprehension of the
guilty parties.
Tom Edmondson is still missing and
what became of him is a mystery of the
deepest character There are still some
who believe that Edmondson himself COM
mitted the crime and that he then threw
himself into the fire and that his body
was completely destroyed by the flames.
If this be true no trace whatever of his
body remains that can be identified. Sher-
if Shipp and many others are of the
opinion that Tom Edmondson and his
entire family were murdered and robbed
by parties unknown.
Account of Neighbors.
When seen by your correspondent this
morning Sheriff Ship said the exact facts
in the case so far as he was able to
learn while at Woodland Mills were
about as follows: Neighbors discovered
the house on fire about II O'Clock last
Wednesday night and when they arrived
at the place the house roof had fallen in
and the barn. too, was almost destroyed
by fire. They noticed a portion of
body in the ruins of the house partially
covered with some heavy timbers. They
secured sticks and dragged the body out
and while it was badly burned they were
able to identify it the body Of Tom
Edmondson's wife A portion of the body
of one of Edmondson's little girls was
also gotten out of the ruins of the dwell
ing The upper portion of this body was
not badly burned and there were three
knife wounds in the chest of the body.
In the barn, partially covered with cot
ton seed, were the partial remains of
Tom Edmondsons 2-year-old baby girl
watch, pocketbook and some small
silver coins, which had belonged to Ed
mondsons mother, were found about the
place. The watch had belonged to the
old ladys husband and she is said to
have always worn it under her clothing
According to this evidence it is proven
without question that Edmondsons wife
and two of his children persisted in the
flames, as their bodies were found and
identified. Sheriff Shipp is also certain
that Edmondsons mother persisted in the
flames on account of her watch and other
trinkets being found about the place.
There is nothing to indicate what became
of Edmondson himself and the third child.
large number of teeth, jawbones and
other bones were found scattered about
the ruins of the house and barn, but they
were in such a condition it was mpos-
sible to tell what bodies they belonged to.
A portion of these teeth an other bones
may have been Edmondson's for all any
one knows.
Only the lower portion of Edmondsons
wifes body was found and this was iden-
titled by her size. The rest of her body
is supposed to have been burned up in
the flames
1t is said that Edmondson was some
what jealous of his wife on account of
another man, but there was no serious
breach between them and those who knew
Edmondson best say that he would not
have murdered his wife and his entire
family and set fire to his home on this
account If he committed the crime, it
is said that this would have been the
only motive that he could have had
Robbery Is Probable.
Sheriff Ship is firmly of the opinion,
after going to Woodland Mills himself,
that Edmondson was robbed of the money
he got for ten bales of cotton, which he
sold that day. his family murdered, his
home and barn set on fire and Edmond
sons body hidden away by the criminals
In order to cast suspicion on Edmondson
himself If Edmondson is not dead he
has been most successful in evading the
search of the onlcers and the citizens of
the neighborhood who have been over
every foot of ground around Woodland
Mills since the crime was committed on
last Wednesday night. While he was
well TO do he was only an ignorant coun-
trvman and it seems impossible that he
could be alive and escape detection all
this time.
Sheriff Ship says that in Edmondson's
barn the fire destroyed several hundred
bushels of corn. large quantity of cot
ton seed ten tons of hay. a buggy.
wagon. harness, plows and other farm
ing implements besides some live stock.
No trace of the money that Edmondson
secured from the sale of cotton has been
found and this would seem to indicate
that Edmondson himself Is not a muir
derer and a suicide
The nearest neighbor to the Edmondson
place is about half mile distant. Wood
land Mills where the tragedy took place.
is about 2S miles southeast of Decatur
and about Is miles almost due east of
Hartselle. It is located near Cotaco
creek in the neighborhood of Valhermoosa
Strings. Hartselle Is the nearest rail-
road station. Woodland Mills has no di-
rect telephone connections with Decatur
and is one of the most difficult places
in this part of the state to reach. The
country surrounding Woodland Mills is
exceedingly rough. as 1t lies among the
foothills of the Cumberland range of
mountains and the roads are rough and
steep in many places.
The indications are now that the mys-
tery of the Edmondson tragedy will never
be cleared up unless a reward from the
governor might be the cause OF bringing
the guilty parties to Justice,
since the tragedy the EdmondSon farm