The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1921-02-17
MEN HELD FOR DYER
CRIME TAKEN TO PEN

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A dispatch from Dyersburg under
date Of February II to the Memphis
Commercial Appeal gives more de-
tailed information regarding the
brutal murder Of little 11-year-old
daughter of a respected farmer liv-
ing near Dyersburg by two young
white men Wednesday night before.
The facts given out are about as
follows:
Doyle Beckett, the young man ar
rested last Thursday afternoon on
suspicion of being implicated in the
killing Of Laddie May Adcock. H.
year-old daughter Of William Ad-
cock, after an examination of three
hours, was locked up in jail pending
further investigation.
One of the most heinous crimes
ever committed in Dyer county oc-
Cured at Mt. Hope. community the
night before between and 9 o'clock,
when an unknown burglar shot and
killed Laddie May Adeock, the IL
year-old daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs,
William II. Adcock, while burglariz-
ing the house. All Of the family had
Just retired for the night except the
girl, when two armed and masked
men pushed open the front door One
ushed to the bedside and commanded
Mr.. Adcock to keep quiet. A little
boy in bed with the father cried out
in fear. One Of the robbers said;
Keep that child quiet, or d-n him,
III kill him and all of you" This
same bandid, who seemed to be the
spokesman for the pair, told the
other one to go to the trunk and get
the money. This trunk contained
about SIS and $50. At this moment
the girl cried out. Her cry was
answered by a shot fired by the
spokesman. The girl fell dead The
second bandid never uttered a word
all the time he was in the house.
They both wore handkerchief or
wide cloth masks.
AT about the time Beckett was
arrested Frank Shaw, aged %, was
arrested at Lenox, about four miles
from the scene Of the crime. He was
placed in custody of three deputy
sheriffs at his home until Friday
morning, when they were to bring
him into Dyersburg.
AS soon as arrested he requested
the officers to please kill him, but
he denied having any knowledge OF
the crime. About / o'clock Friday
morning young Shaw, in the presence
of the officers. plunged the blade Of
a pocket knife into his stomach. He
asked the men to take him away
from there, as he would soon be
dead, anyway, at the same time
handing one Of the officers the
bloody knife, the first knowledge
they had of his attempt to take his
life He was brought to Dyersburg
Friday morning and placed in a
local hospital.
Shaw served in the United States
army on the border and with the
American Expeditionary Forces in
France. He had no relatives in this
county, but has brother in Nash
vile and sister in Memphis.
There were many in Dyersburg
from the country Friday, but no
threats Of violence were suggested.
However, officers considered it safer
to remove the men from the county,
and they were taken to Jackson the
same day.
While the officers have declined
to make any statement as to their
discoveries relative to Beckett's and
Shaws' movements on the night of
the robbery and murder, it is known
that the young men had left home
earlier in the day to come to Dyers-
burg. They are said to have left
their homes on mules.
"A neighbor living about half a
mile from the Adcock home heard
the fatal shot and saw two young
men riding off on mules. Deputy
Pard Finley, in the absence Of the
sheriff, worked up the evidence that
resulted in the arrest of the two
men. Beckett was born and raised |
in Dyer county. Shaw came to the
county short time before the
United States entered the war. He
left with the DYER county boys and.
after being discharged, returned |
with them.