The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-08-22
M otive of Dastardly
Crime u n k no wn-
Bloodhounds Unable
ToLift Trail of Murder
ers : Two Hats and
Handkerchief F O u n d
J Near Scene of Killing
May Prove Clues

With the wound of an assassin S
bullet through the tip of his heart,
Levi w. McCollum died Saturday
his home, 915 N. Vermont Ave With
his dying breath, the aged man gasped
a few words, but his wife, who is hard
of hearing, is not certain of their i'm
port.
81 think he said someone shot him
from the grass she states. You
know I'm hard of hearing, but think
that's what he said, and he tried to
say something else
1t is probable that this is not what
was said, for the grass i'm the yard is
not tall, and the footprints of the in
truding feet were clearly seen in the
bare earth near the porch.
Finding Clews
When Chief Williams and Lieut..
Sineath of the police department.
reached the scene, they found two felt
hats in the yard and tracks about the
place, indicating that there were two
of the assassins and that they had left
in haste jumping the wire fence to the
street and making off through an or
Lake Parker. Sunday morning blue
handkerchief with two holes cut in
il as if it had been used as a mask,
was found across the road from the
home.
The body was removed to the Gen
try-Futch morgue, and the bullet was
extracted 1t was a 3S short and
showed a scar as if it had struck
something in passing from the muzzle
OF the gun to the heart of the victim.
This theory accounts also for the fact
that it entered the body sidewise, hav-
ing turned halfway over during its
flight II had entered the left side,
pierced the lower part of the heart
and lodged somewhat higher up on
the right side:
Coroner's Jury Empaneled 't''
A coroner's jury, consisting of M.
L. Bradley, M. L. Brown, S. M. Owens,
W. L. Austin, P A. Whiting and l..
w. Bloom, was assembled Saturday
night before Judge j. d. Allen, in his
office They heard the evidence of the
three sons of the murdered man. All
three stated that they knew of no one
who had enmity against their father
and that they had no idea who could
have committed the crime. The jury
adjourned to meet again Tuesday
morning at ten o'clock.
Who the assassins are, how they ap-
preached the house, where they stool
when the shot was fired and what
was the motive for the crime are
questions which the police depart
ment and the sheriff's office are try
ing to answer. Deputy John Purvis
secured hound from Plant City Sat
urday night but the dog failed to take
q proper interest in the proceedings.
Blood Hounds Brought
Two blood hounds brought from
Sunday followed the Is hours old trail
to a bayhead on Lake Parker where
the murderers may have taken a boat.
The theory that robbery was the
motive is held by Frank McCollum, 4
I. son of the murdered man, and this is
, supported by the fact that the victim,
who was a fisherman, had $270 in his
possession and was in the habit OF
carrying large sums about.
Physicians believe that Mr.. McCol-
lum was standing up when shot, as
a man shot through the heart, though
able to walk a few feet, would hardly
be able to raise himself from sit
ting position. 1t is said Mr.. McCot
lum usually carried an automatic re-
volvef, a fact that would be known t1
the murderers il they had been OBJ
serving his habits. 1t has, therefore
been suggested by some who are max.
ing a study of the case, that the origi'
~
but that when asked to hand over The
money or to hold up his hands, the
victim made movement that caused
the prospective robbers to believe ht
was preparing to shoot, hence the
fatal shot and hurried escape.
Mrs. McCOllum's Story ~
Mrs. McCollum, sweet-faced little
woman, was spending the time be
tween the visits of kindly neighbor;
and friends Sunday morning in read
ing the burial service from the Epis
copal prayer book. Just for some
thing to do she explained, "th'
hours are so long"
She talked freely, but in bewider
ment, OF the tragedy that had takel
away the companion OF her declining
years.
Mr.. and Mrs. McCollum had spen
the early part of the evening sitting
7 ON the porch OF their little home
"Will' and "Jim.' sons of Mr.. McCol
lum by former wife, were both away
+ the former having gone down town am
the latter to the dock on Lake Pal
( ker, a frequent resort as he and hi
brother are fishermen.
Mrs McCollum went To bed iat'S8:S
or bsfore, The bedroom opens on til
pnrch 6n the right, ana Mrs. McCol
W Is1l har lisht haFnipe and u