Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-01-26

tie officers who were familiar With
the details OF the crimes. Lar h
told his story over to Graphic rep
reSen alive
The Confession.
Manning S about 80 years old. h
suffers lightly and he laughed sew
eral times Wnen he discovered that
he was a little MIXED in his state
ments. He does not appear to have
average intelligence, although ne re-
lated his story of three murders in
! terestingly in a manner that showed
that he was capable of knowing the
ser BUSINESS OF his acts.
Manning said he killed all of his
victims for money, but he was reward
ed in only two instances.
| George Derrick, the negro, was
his first victim. He says he slippe d
up beh nd Derrick as he was walking
East on Third avenue, struck him a
! blow on the lead with an axe as he
neared TIE railroad trestle over the
ravine and felled him. After accom-
plishing his purpose he rolled the
body down the bank Of the rayine and
jumped after it. He rifled The pock-
est of the unconscious man, but found
no money nor valuables. d sgusted,
Manning says he rolled the body into
the water and left it. The body of
Derrick was found week later and
the coroner's jury held that he hal
met death by accidental drowning.
Tae murder of Derrick took place
nearly two years ago and had been
forgotten.
His Second Victim.
Manning's next victim was Robert
Bob Luttrell, popular member of
Pine Bluff Aer No. 200, Fraternal
Order of Eagles, and we'll known
Cotton Belt carpenter of this c ty
Luttrell's body was found in the ra-
vine one morning little more than a
year ago. 1t bore no marks of foul
play, except a few bruises, which, it
was supposed had been sustained in
falling into the raw ne.
Il jes slipped up behind dat white
man., said Manning, "and hit him on
de hade with my hickory stick, dat
always carries. He was walking
along de Mountain tracks when l did
it. After he fell jes lifted his body
over de bank and dropped it. l went
through the pockets and got $15 and
then hurried away, after showing de
mans body into he water
Lutrells body was found in a
lying position on the soggy bank
of the raw ne, at the waters edge, the
following morning. A coroner's jury
also came to the conclusion that his
death was due to accidental drowning
and a verdict to that effect was rem
dered. Luttrell is survived by his
aged mother and sister, who still live
in tn city. Manning then told of
numbering Fred Sommers.
His Third Murder.
DAT third man l kilt" said Man
ming in his confession, II don't know
none of ems name, l hit wild dat
hickory st ok too. He was going dat
way (pointing East) and when he
neared the ravine bank l jes slipped
up hind him and knocked him down
with my hickory st ok. He fell lax
dead and 1 picked him up, put him
across my shoulder and after go ng
down into de ravine, l laid his body
on a car doah dat had had fell from
box car. I went through his peck
cts, too, and got $35. He had q
watch on, but I didn't want dat, left
it on him and went on to my wo-
mans house.
Fred Sommers was killed on Aug
,, ust %, 1912. His body was also
found in the ravine the following
morning.
All of the murders, Manning says
were done late late at night-or rath-
err between the hours of 10 and mid
night.
Woman In the Case.
Manning told what prompted him
Ito commit the wholesale murders. He
declared that his woman, Della Fair
child, wanted money and that he told
her that the only way he could get il
was to "get de white men with his
hickory club He says she told him
Ito go get it, she didn't care how and
advised him to commit murder, 4
necessary. He gave the woman muct
of the money that was taken off hi
| two white victims, he said, and de-
clared that she knew Of the murders
for he told her after each one hat