The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-15
MIDNIGHT TENDS HACK PROMINENT
 LAWYER ID DEATH
Moody Price, Former Federal Official, Dragged From Bed and Attacked With AK.
 Wife Is Struck Down


 Meridian, Miss, January H-(Special) Judge Moody Price, one of the best known men of Meridian. recently deputy clerk of the federal circuit court and United States commissioner here, and a former justice of the peace, was founi murdered while lying in his bed with hls wife by .his side at his residence, liGS Twelfth avenue, at an early hour thls morning, His head and face were hacked and mangled with the blade ct an ax. Ten fearful blows, either one of which would have been fatal, were dealt by the murderers, two in number, but whether they were white men or nc groes is unknown. according to Mrs' Price who escaped injury at the hands of the murdsrers, with the exception ot blow from one of them as she jumped screaming from the bed when her hus- dered unconscious by the blow, or fainted seeing more of the intruders than two through fright.
 SCREAMS, THEN PAINTS
 | aroused her son and daughter-in-law, Mir and Mrs. Robert Marlborough, asleep on the supper floor of the residence. Mir. Marlborough hurried downstairs to find Mrs. Price ,n the hallway, near her sleeping room, and the front door of tho residence open, Entering the room ot Judge and Mus. Price, he was horrifIe1 to discover Jadge Price lying upon the bed mortally wounded, while the ax with which the deed was done was iyins close by the bed on the floor Rushing to the phone to call for assistance, he found that the phone wires had been cut and he was forced to go to a neigh bors before the police could be notified The police investigation resulted III 1 finding that the murderers had entered 1 the Price home through the bathroom window at the rear of the house. X crowbar had been placed underneath the window, on which the men had stood to 1 force entrance and climb in. On the rear gallery was found the trousers that Judge Price wore when he retired, TWO pistols that he had kept in his room and 1 9 purse belonging to Mrs Price
 MOTIVE IS MYSTERY
 ! While the motive of the murder may I have been rocbery, as it was stated 1 Judge Price may have had something
 like s20o, the authorities are inclined to 1 believe that some deeper reason may have prompted the deed. and the investi- gation is being carried on more along 1 that line although there is no other clue at this time as to the identity of the guilty ones than that the crime was com mitted for financial gain.
 1 Chief of Police Monette and Sherti
 t ttntt. tt.txr xrnl md Tl- ivestigation at the Price home telephoned Deputy Sheriff Bob Cant at Crystal Springs to come on the first train with 1 his bloodhounds. He arrived at noon bringing only one dog with him, Whlcn | was taken immediately to the scene or
 the crime. The dog took up trail that Ted east of the city along circuitous route | finally quitting the trail on the pubic highway about 41a miles from the city Iwhere it is thought probably those whom the dogs were following may have board ed a waiting automobile or other vehicle and made good their escape. During the chase of the hound several hundred citizens followed all the distance on root while several hundred more in automo- piles kept in sight from the roadway' along the route, excitement running lhigh.
 l CITIZENS AROUSED
 1 No crime ever committed Tn thS cl-s lhas so greatly aroused the people. Judge Price for many years had been con lnected with the official life of the city land county, first as a sergeant of pofce. constable. justice of the peace and UP t'
 the first of the present month deputy
 clerk of sthe federal court and United States commissioner. He resigned the latter position to accept position with 1.-the Southern railway with headquarters lin Atlanta, the duties of which pos-lon
 he was to have assumed tomorrow, '' having been his intention to leave Me
 ridian for Atlanta this afternoon
 The coroners jury of inquest began all investigation of the murder late this alt, lernoon. but shortly thereafter adJourncn lthe sitting until tomorrow morning at lt o'clock. The investigation so far, it iS stated has resulted in throwing no addi- ltionaI light on the murder. Judge Price vas e3 years old and is survived by ms
 wife one son, Moody Price, Jr' thres daughters Mrs. J. A. Snapp of Bristol
 Va. Mrs. R. E. Marlborough and Nis' Louise Price of Meridian; one brother
 W. I. Price of Akron, Ohio and thre' sisters. Mrs. Hummer, Mrs. w. P. Thag'
 gard and Miss Ophela. Price, ana n" ? Lfather. J. w. Price of Meridian
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