The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-29
SUPERSTITION IS | CAUSE OF FINDING TRUTHS REMAINS Slain Deputy Was Shot In Back of Head-Identified
 By Cuff Buttons Wife
 Gave Him

A pair of link cuff buttons presented him by his wife Christmas, 1918, served to identify the body of Deputy Sheriff E. w. Truitt, who was murdered a year ago and buried near Empire, Walker county.
 Monroe Hill, a farmer, and two sons are in the county jail at Jasper charged with murder. One son. Clyde Hill, is reported to have confessed. and led officers to the spot where the grave was. The body was exhumed yesterday
 Monroe Hill was taken to witness the elimination. Young Hill, who fled the country after the murder, was re- gently located at Dallas, Ga, and later brought to the Birmingham jail for safekeeping. Here, it is alleged, he made a partial confession.
 The following party accompanied the young man to the gruesome scene: bopuly OncliIlo IIuScAc I<ubohnS, i-SS White and Fred McDuff and Attorney George Ross of Bessemer, represent ing the widow of Truitt; Sheriff Cutlery of Walker county; Deputies Rich, Bennett and Monney of Walker county, and Deputy Marshal Bates of Jasper.
 Truitt was murdered May 20, 1919. He had been active against liquor dis ti1lers and other violators of the liquor laws and had charged the Hills with complicity in some of that business. The Hills, it appears, later on under took to lead Deputy Trtitt to places where other illegal operations were going on.
 Truitt left to meet the Hills on this errand and was never seen again.
 THE SECOND GRAVE
 The grave in which Truitts body was found is the second one located by the officers. Both were within a few hum dred yards of the Monroe Hill home.
 A deputy sheriff located the first grave by means of a mining drill. His suspicious had been excited by observ- ing the Hills moving their fence line. This grave was in the pasture. On probing it, however. nothing was found but Truitts hat
 The body was evidently placed in the IlTSC RFaNe, put IHOSe pldCluS IL tHSI became n0acious of the movements of officers and decided to move it. So the body was taken up and buried in a grave in the roadside near the house. However, the hat was left in the orig inal grave.
 The judge did not feel that the men could be indicted on this evidence, and they were let out on bond.
 TWO GOLD TEETH GONE
 When the body was found two gold filled teeth had been knocked out and the jawbone broken. This is thought to have been due to rural superstition rod; in other words. that a mineral divining rod would point to the gold teeth and the buried corpse.
 From the condition of the body it is evident that Truitt was shot from be- hind with a shotgun. The young man, Clyde Hill, lis understood to have con- fessed the plot and to have specified which one did the shooting In the county jail yesterday afternoon none of the prisoners would talk, but the officers reiterate that they have Clyde Hilrs confession.
 Truitt resided near Brighton. He was 32 years old. He leaves wife and daughter Mrs. Truitt was not all lowed to see the body until undertak- CTS at Jasper had prepared it for burial.
 MT. Truitt was special officer for the Empire Coal Company and deputy for Sheriff Cutlery. He was highly esteemed in Lipscomb, where his home was located. and by the people of Walker county.
 Solicitor J. M. Pennington has plugged away the case ever since the disappearance of Truitt and that the body has been finally recovered is largely due to the untiring energy and intelligence which he exercised.
 The location of the grave and ex- humation of the body constitute one of the most sensational of Walker S criminal annals.
 Funeral services will be held tomorrow at F o'clock from the residence of MT. Truitts sister, Mrs. James A. Eastes. l420 Hickman avenue. Brighton. Inter- ment McElwain cemetery.