Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-11-30
Slaughter Of Aged Curtis Br ranch
Stirs Whole Community sssS
SECTION HAS WITNESSED
MANY BRUTAL MURDERS
Victim of Unknown AssaiIant
Probably Shot While He
Lay Sleeping ~
MEKMH


Nov. 29.-Not since the brutal MUIR
Buckingham county been stirred as
it is following the foul assassination
here early yesterday morning of aged
Curtis Branch, who was slain while
asleep in his home.' While he lay
unconscious in his bed he was ruth
lessly stricken down. by hidden
and unknown murderer.
1t is believed that he was murder
ed because his slayer, who was at
that time either engaged in, or bent
on the robbery of the store of George
w. Patteson, which building also
housed the postoffice of Manteo,
feared that he would thwart him
in his plans. The robber probably
reckoned that Branch, who waseen-
gagged by Patteson to guard the
store and postoffice at night, would
awaken and detect hib in the act
of burglarizing the place and give
the alarm or perhaps take the initia-
lltC anu oAOOt IAAii w IL
Got Old Man Out of Way.
Resolving that dead men tell no
tales, the man probably decided that
the safer plan would be to get the
old man out of the way. And the
easiest way was to slay him.
1t is argued by some, but those
xx,lo to1r xyiAvr ovsn in tho mi
nority, that Branch heard the thief
or thieves at work and being hardy
and something of daredevil, bold
ly went forth to put stop to their
depredations.
Those who incline to this view
would believe that the old man threw
up the sash of the window by which
he slept, thereby warning the noe
turnal maurauders of his presence.
For this imprudence, it is argued, he
forfeited his life.
No Chance to Defent Himself.
Branch probably did not know
what killed him. From every ap-
pearance it looks as if he was not
given the least chance to defend
himself. The man, who was Con-
federate veteran, was alone. The
house, in which he slept at night,
was about twenty or thirty feet from
the store, which he was guarding.
A view of the room, in which he
was slain, can be had from the front
steps or porch of the store in day
light. but it is not believed that
his assassin could have seen HMM
the total darkness of the night, ses-
pecially in view of the fact that
blinds were closed. 1t is argued that
Branch's slayer knew the old mans
accustomed sleeping place and fired
at the spot where he thought the
charge would the more likely find
it's mark. In this he did not err.
Assassin Did Effective Work. sf;
Although the shot was fired from
a distance of thirty or more feet, it
was as effective as it would have
been had che muzzle of the gun been
pressed against the victims side. : {,
A shotgun was used by the assas-
sin. An empty cartridge, the-one
believed to have done the deadly
work, was picked up near the front
porch of the store by D. w. Patteson,
near relative of the postmaster of
Manteo, and a rural mail carrier
for this part of Buckingham county.
The murder of Branch or rather
the fact that the postoffice and store
had been robbed, was first discov-
cred by William White, negro, who
visited the place about z o'clock yes
terday morning for the purpose of
making a purchase. White found
the front door open and the lock
thereto broken off.
Near Stewart Murder Scene.
The scene of yesterdays atrocity
is less than fifteen miles from where
Continued on page five.)