The north Mississippi herald., 1921-01-21
HON. MOODY PRICE,
MERIDIAN ATTY.
MURDERED
Hacked to Pieces AS He Lay in
Bed Asleep by the Side of
His Wife by Two Unkndsvn
Assassins; Wife Also Receiv-
ed Terrific Blow

MERIDIAN, Miss, Jan. 14.--At / 80
o'clock this morning Moody Price,
prominent lawyer and up to a few
weeks ago United States Land Com
missioner was foully murdered as he
slept at his home in this city.
Mrs. Price, who was sleeping with
her husband, was awakened by a
flashlight thrown in her face and ris-
ing to half reclining position she saw
two men in the room. She screamed
and was dealt blow over the head
but not before she had seen an axe de-
.scend upon her husbands head. Her
husband had raised himself as his wife
screamed and was hardly awakened
when struck.
Upstairs, Robert Yarbrough and
wife, son-in-law and daughter of the
couple, slept, and as the screams rang
out Mr.. Yarbrough rushed down stairs
to find the bloody axe leaing against
the wall of the sleeping chamber,
Judge Price mortally wounded on the
bed Mrs. Price prone and unconcious
in the hall and the slayers gone.
Phone Wires Cut
Efforts to communicate with police
officials, physicians and hospital over
the telephone proved unavailing, the
son-in-law and daughter being unable
to raise central. Accordingly alarm
was given in other manner and a
squad of officers rushed to the scene
accompanied by physicians and a few
friends and citizens who happened to
be out late at night. AS daylight
came investigation proved that before
entering the home the miscreants had
cleverly cut the telephone wires so
that there could be no alarm given in
that manner.
Robbery Not Motive
That robbery was not the motive
was made evident by police discover
les of pair of trousers of Judge
Price, filled purse and two revolv-
ers and the further fact that SO far
as investigation revealed nothing
had been stolen from the house.
Search is Commenced
Immediately after the report of the
tragedy spread, little knots of citizens
and officers commenced to gather at
the Price home and the sheriff. i'm
mediately phoned for Gant's blood
hounds to take up the trail.
The hounds came as soon as rail
and steam could bring them and when
they were brought to the house were
surrounded by crowd, which at the
curt commands of serious officers
stood back while the keen nosed ca
mines that have solved so many mys-
teries shifted the ground.
With bay they were off on one
trail and followed it over a circuit
Gus route until it was lost on the pub
lie highway. Here, reasoned officers
and others, is where an automobile
was waiting.
To make safety doubly sure the
hounds were returned to the home
where they took up another trail and
followed it to the Southern railroad.
it is believed bp many that one of the
murderers after leaving the Price
home went to the Southern tracks
while the other went to the waiting
automobile.
The bloodhounds are still held in
Meridian, though it is hardly proba-
BILE that they will be used again.
A coroner's jury was empanelled
late this afternoon to make an inyes-
tigation of the tragedy and heard
some testimony, but tonight recessed
until tomorrow morning.
Mrs. Price Coherent
All day today Mrs. Price, after
passing through her terrible ordeal
when her husbands head was literally
hacked to pieces, was incoherent, but
tonight rallied and was able to make
a coherent statement in which she re-
lated waking when the light was
thrown in her face, screaming as she
saw the intruders and seeing Judge
Price sit up in bed. She did not see
the faces of the men but saw outlines
of two forms.
After the discovery of the tragedy
and the flight of the murderers.
Judge Price lived two hours but never
regained consciousness, his head hav-
ing been hacked in a dozen places.
Any one of the blows would have
proven fatal.
Was Prominent Man
Judge Price was a prominent man.
had practiced law in this city, and
for some time was clerk of the Fed
eral Court and United States Commits
sioner. He resigned these posts some
days ago and Peter Stubblefield of
Yazoo City was named in his stead.
While Judge Price was not without
enemies, no one here can conceive of
any one having sufficient grudge
against him to desire to perpetrate
such a crime, pronounced by police,
easily the worst in Meridian's history.
Tonight while serious. vet excited
men are discussing the affair the the
ory has been more than once advanc-
ed that it Is possible some moonshin-
ers he had held to the Federal grand
jury were still smarting and took this
means of disposing of the man they
regarded as at least partially respon- |
sible for their troubles.