Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-09-25
Driverless Horse Leads
To Discovery Of
Americus Killing.
LITTLE PROGRESS
MADE IN INQUIRY
Several Negroes Quizzed
But Without Result,
Say Officials.

A mysterious killing, in which Joel
Edge, a well known white man of this
community was the victim, was oc-
cupying the attention of Coroner Ed
Jenkins and other officials today, but
up to 8 o'clock this afternoon ap-
parently little progress had been
made toward reaching solution, al
though coroner's inquest had been
in session is the sheriff office at the
court house since shortly after 10
o'clock. At that hour no arrests had
been made and none were in i'm
mediate prospect.
We don. know much more than
wher we began" said one official.
Mr.. Edges dead body was found
/ about 3 o'clock this morning under
! unusual circumstances He had
been working as a gin foreman for
Frank Barber, overseer on the Rv-
lander farm east of Americas, and
last evening drove to town with Mr..
Barber's horse and buggy. About 8
a. m. Mr.. Barber heard the horse
in the yard not far from the house
and went out, discovering the buggy
driverless. He called but received
no answer, and, using a pocket flash
light which he carried, looked inside
the buggy. There he discovered
smears of blood.
Calls Neighbors.
Going to telephone, he callel
Will and Ed Morgan, neighbors, and
they came quickly and a search for
the missing driver was begun. Co
ing up the road toward the city. they
soon came upon the body lying by the
roadside where it apparently had fall
len from the buggy. The laprooe
was said to have been found wrapped
around the head, and there was a
large bruise on the forehead where
the fatal blow had evidently been
struck. There were also Other Sc
we're bruises or The body, but it was
rot Known whelaer these might have
been made in the fall from the buggy.
Following this discovery, Mr.. Bar
Der called Sheriff Harvey, who went
to the scene with Deputy Summers.
Coroner Jenairs saS then called from
his home at Leslie and an effort to
solve the Staying was begun.
After an investigation at the Ry-
lander farm and the scese of the
hnding of the body, the officers con-
clouded that the killing took place in
\mclicus, a1} the ncdy was sent to
's@ morguc of the Americus Under
taking company, while the coroner
and other officials came to the city
where the inquest was convened.
The Coroner's Jury
The following men made up the
cCroner's jury: R. f. Price, r G.
Heys, C. R. Malone, Sid Bell. &. f. !
Daniels and W E. Parker. Zach
Childers, solicitor of the City Court
# Americus, who is cousin of the
slain man, assisted in the int1iry in |
an unofficial capacity.
It was said the slain man had |
teen traced to Americus last night, |
and that the horse and buggy had
been stopping on Strife street, at
the home of Jensie Mccullough, a !
notorious negro woman AsI
result number Of negroes living
in that neighborhood were before the
coroner for inquiry, but without re-
suit.
1t is the theory of the officers that
Mr. Edge was killed in Americas af-
ter midnight last night in an encoun-
ter of some sort. and his body placed
in the buggy and the horse started
home in the expectation that there
would be runaway or some other
accident that might conceal the
crime.