Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-05-13
OFFICER FULLEN
GETS IA YEARS
Former Cedar Bluff Policeman
Given Long Term in Pen
itentiary for Killing Luther
McBryant.

There was no surprise Expressed
Wednesday night when the jury try
ing A. H. Fullen returned verdict
of second degree murder and fixcc
his punishment at fourteen years il
the State penitentiary. The jury de.
liberated about 45 minutes. 1t was
the general opinion of those who
heard all the evidence in the case
that verdict of five to twenty
years would be returned by the jury
Fullen was taken in charge by the
Sheriff and locked up in the county
Jail. The usual motion by counsel to
set the verdict aside, as being con-
trary to the law and evidence, was
overruled by the court. The court
set Monday morning at nine o'clock
TO hear argument of counsel for the
defense to set the verdict aside. At
this time Fullen will be sentenced,
and the pcnitertiary authorities no
titled.
The crime for which Fullen will
spend many years of his life in
prison wss committed at Cedar Bluff
April 18th. 1t was about two o'clock
in the afternoon, when Mr.. and Mrs.
Luther McBryant, who were waiting
for passenger train No. IL to take
them to their home in Knoxville,
Tenn, stopped over at Cedar Bluff,
having been to War, where McBryant
sought work. Mrs. McBryant was in
the waiting room of the passenger
station, they having bought two
tickets for Knoxville. McBryant told
b;c ,rifo thot ho x,,oc cyoiror 70 n mar
by restaurant to get something to
eat, and while he was in the restau-
rant he dropped two or three cart
ridges from his pocket, which act
was seen by "Bob" Gillespie, well
kriewn citizen of the Richlands COM
munity. Gillespie communicated this
information to the Town authorities,
and FnlIen. the town policeman, was
notified that the stranger evidently
carried gun OF he was seen TO drop
the cartridges. Fullen was soon ac-
tive in the case, and approached Nc
Bryant near the passenger station,
and told him that he would have to
search him, that he had n pistol in
his pocket. McBryant objected to be-
ing searched in such a public place,
and begged Fullen. to take him back
to the station where the search could
be made without So Euch publicity.
They argued the matter sometime,
and Fullen is alleged to have order
ed him to throw up his hands, and
some of the witnesses for the State
were Of the opinion that the man did
start to "put 'em up" as he was or
dered, when Fullen fired shot at
close range. q few inches distance,
into the mans left side. The testi-
mony here was that McBryant grab
bed his left side, and in half min
ute or less time Fullen fired two
NOR shots from his .3S special into
the mans body, close to where the
first shot was fired. McBryant sway
ed and fell to the ground, directly
backwards according to testimony Of
Commonwealth's witnesses. The dead
man Is said to have exclaimed, "My
for "Bob," friend standing nearby
in the crowd to come and straighten
him out, as he was in awful pain.
Fullen reloaded hia gun, drew ar
other and commanded the crowd to
stand back, Stanley Wingo having
advised him that he had better watch
out ms the wounded man might have
friends in the crowd who might un-
dertake to do the officer harm. Af-
ter sometime "Bob," the friend, was
permitted to come to him, but only
after he had shown that he had no
pistol. The dying man told his
friend to take his mothers address,
and to ship his body TO. his home in
Knoxville. Fullen then secured car
and the dying man was hurried to
Richlands hospital, where he died
within an hour. He made statement
to DR.. Williams, when told that he
could live but short time, in which
he said that he was shot without
cause.
Extraordinary interest had been
taken in the Fullen trial, which be-
gan Monday. The court house was
crowded every day of the trial, all
the standing room being taken.
One of the outstanding features of
the trial was the constant attendance
of Veda Pettyjohn, the woman ir
yellow, who has been posing as de-
tective and close friend of Fullen
Her presence and actions in connec-
tion with Fullen, in view Of the fact
that Fullen's wife and young baby
were also present in court, did not
lend strength to the defense. The
woman also appeared as a witness
for the defense, and was subjected
to cross-examination by -ounsel
for the State that brought out he,
real character, and showed that sht
had spent sometime in the Tazewel
Jail, as we'll as in the reformator,
at Laurel, Va, where she gave birtl
to baby. She was frequently in thu
company of Fullen, and followed hin
to the doors Of the Jail when thu
Sheriff locked him up Wednesday af
ternoon.
The Jury in the Fulien Case.
The following gentlemen compos