Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-15
SOLUT|ONO Of DEATH
Of FRED THOMPSO
MATTER Of TINE
Homer Pitts, Himself Wound
ed, to Be GriIIed by Boykin.
Coroner Inquest Being
Held Monday

A complete solution of the killing
night, on a lonely road near Lake.
wood seemed a matter of only few
hours Monday morning with the ar
rest of Homer Pitts, of 76 West
Baker street, who admitted he was
the driver of the automobile that
took Thompson to the scene, and de-
clared he would tell it all' as soon
as the police would let him make a
statement.
Pitts is thirty-nine years old4 a
roofer by trade. He was arrested by
Officers Lowe and HolIey at 40 Pull
liam street, where he stated he had
stopped to see a friend on his way,
he declared, to the office of Solicitor
John A. Boykin to make a clean
breast of his part in the cutting.
Pitts himself was badly cut on the
left arm. He is believed to be the
same man who. under the name of
"Shultz," was treated for his wounds
by DIR. I. H. Etheridge, Friday night,
at the Doctors home, 41S Pulliam
street.
Officers Lowe and Holly said that
Pitts admitted to them he was at
the wheel of the automobile in which
thompson was passenger. He
said he was cut while sitting at the
wheel. The officers, docketing
charge of suspicion against him at
police station, took him to the Of
flee of Solicitor Boykin, where ha
was to be drilled at length.
Pitts refused to talk to newspaper
men after his arrest, but said he
would make full statement later.
Thomas Handcufed
While Pitts was being examined
at the solicitors office another nroba
into the mystery of Thompson's kill
ing was being conducted by Coroner
Paul Donehoo a few blocks away at
the undertaking parlors of Harry a
Poole.
j. c. Thomas, who gave himself
up Saturday Afternoon and was
charged with Thompson's murder
was at the inquest. handcuffed. His
lawyers were also present. Thomas.
defense is that he was taken to tina
scene of Thompson's killing by four
men he did not know. They tried TO
beat him UP. he declared and he
slashed' into them Thompson. ba
charges, was probably one of the
men,
The most interesting evidence at
the inquest from the first few wit
nesses was brought out in cross-ex-
animation of H. J. Norton. the man
who got a doctor and took him to
the road where Thompson's body was
found. Attorneys for Thomas ques-
toned him closely about the tele-
phone call he said he received about
the body. They wanted to know what
kind of an automobile he owned,
whether he had a pistol apd other
facts. He answered such questions
readily and frankly.
Tells of Finding BODY
The inquest began at 10 o'clock
at the undertaking rooms of Harry
G. Poole, SO South Pryor street, con-
Quoted by Coroner Paul Doneho. DR..
Thomas H. Hancock, one of three
men who found the body, was this
first witness.
DR.. Hancock told how Henry Nor
ton and man named Brown called
for him at his home about 10 O'Clock
Friday night, telling him that hia
services were needed for a man who
was reported to have been cut or
hurt near Lakewood.
DR.. Hancock, questioned by the
coroner, told how they had found
a large pool of fresh blood almost in
the middle of the South Pryor street
road, not far from path turning
off to the side.
did you find the body Immediate
mot for nearly two hours after
wards said the witness There
was trail Of blod leading into the
woods toward the path, but the night
was, very dark, we had only one
flashlight, and it took a lot of
DR.. Hancock said that Thompson
was dead when they found him, and
that rigor mortis had set in. Coroner
Donehoo questioned him closely as
Thompson had been dead when
found.
"How long before rigor mortis
ordinarily sets imp asked the corr
oner.
THE time is variable" was the
answer I'm cases where a person
has been engaged in violent exer-
wise, and particularly when exhaust
ed, rigor mortis sets in much sooner
after death than under ordinary cir
cumstances."
One of the Jurors wanted to know
how long it would require for rigor
mortis to be established, supposing
the dead man to have been engaged
in a violent fight or scuffle.
The physician declined to give g
definite answer, but thought it would
be something more than an hour.
Another Blood Trail
DR.. Hancock said that as soon as
they found Thompson they carried
body to town. He said that he re-
turned to the place with a county 5
police officer early next morning,
and they found a blue steel revolver.
fully loaded, very near where the
body had lain. possibly under it when
nearby was a cigar. a lead pencil,
and the stump of a cigarette.
Did you look around after find
ing the body?" asked the coroner.
1--WE saw the man was dead, and we
picked up the body at once"
DR.. Hancock said it was possible
the revolver was under the body
when they picked it up; He said
put It in his pocket.
Next morning" said the witness,
I'VE examined more carefully the
pool of blood in the roadway and
saw another trail leading in another
direction toward the ostrich farm.
This blood seemed equally fresh and
made a stronger trail than the one
which led to the body"
He said they followed the trail
nearby to the ostrich farm before it
1t was nearly all on
the pavement, which the witness
said might account for it appearing
stronger than the blood trail which
led over the earth. He said that
when, Thompson's body was found.
it lay lengthwise in the path, about
100 feet from where the blood trail
ended in the woods, the head to-
ward South PRYOR rood