Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-05-20
GAME DESERTED
BEFORE KILLING
WASUNCOVERED
What Did They Know9.
Now Question
Asked

The gambling game which it has
developed, was being conducted regu
larly in the room built specially for
that purpose by w. H. Scarborough
in the rear of his store two months
before he was mysteriously murder
ed, again plays prominent part in
the speculation concerning the per-
petrators of the crime.
1t has been pretty definitely estab-
lished that this poker game went on
there regularly, particularly every
Saturday night and Sunday, when
weekend pay-days brought more
ready money to the card table and
made it easier to secure new victims
for trimming Scarborough, the
owner of the place, but who did not
participate in the gaming, it is un-
derstood, was killed in his store some
time between early Saturday night
and 4:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon.
According to the best information
obtainable, not one of the gamblers
accustomed to frequent the place APP
peared at the store either last Sat
urday night or during Sunday, the
day his body was found
The question which is now being
asked by those accustomed to see
these gamblers, mostly Americus
young men, dropping in Saturday
nights and Sundays is, Why did they ,
fail to show up Saturday night and
all day Sunday, unless word had
gotten among them either that Scar
borough was to be robbed or killed,
or that he had been slain?
The Taxi Man Arain.
This question was asked of
Times Recorder representative who
visited neghboring city Friday and
was conversing with young man of
that town about the murder mys-
terry. The young man is frequent
visitor TO Americus and he volun-
| teered some information concerning
vice conditions here which may have
| some bearing on this case eventually.
l. 81 and three other young men of
this town were in Americus one night
about three weeks ago." said this
young man, "and we were approach
ed by a we'll known white taxicab
driver of Americus, whose name,
understand, has been mentioned be-
fore in connection with vice which
has centered about Scarborough's
store in recent developments. This
I taxi man informed us that he would
take us out there to anything we
wanted-a. poker game, women and
liquor. We didn't 60 with him, but
we knew he knew what was going on
| out there"
Coroner's Verdict
The coroner's jury met in adjourn
ed session at the sheriff's office in
the court house Thursday afternoon
at o'clock and examined few wit
nesses again, all of them persons who
| had previously been questioned and
/ returned verdict Of murder at the
| hands of persons unknown. Those
questioned were c. c. Bryan, local
gunsmith, whose curiosity and inter-
est in Scarborough's store Sunday af-
ternoon led to his calling the officers,
resulting in the finding of the crime;
w. W Fullbright, white tenant on
the Scarborough place, who was
present when the body was found,
and Safronia Smith, a negro woman
who also lived on the Scarborough
! place. 1t is understood nothing
throwing any new light on the mys-
tefy was elected from either of the
witnesses. All were excused after
brief questioning
Today the mystery continues as
deep as ever, with Sheriff Harvey,
who is busy preparing for court next
week, reticient on what he has dis
/ covered about the case, if anything.
| Street gossip has linked the name
/ of G. L. Grady, who was released
from the Sumter county chain gang
| last Friday, with the mystery, it hav-
ing developed that he is missing
from Montgomery, Ala, where he is
4 supposed to have started from here
to meet his wife. While it has been
definitely established that Grady re-
mained in and about Americas until
after the crime was committed and
! then disappeared, there is said to be
nothing that would lead to the sus-
picion that he had any knowledge
of the killing 1t is said in expla-
nation of the inability of his wife
to find him at Montgomery that she
is suing him. for divorce, showing
that they are not on good terms as
at one time.
1t was said today that the ques-
ton of employing trained detec-
tive to assist Sheriff Harvey in UNI
} raveling the case is being discussed
! by the heirs of the estate and that
probably some action to this end may
: be taken shortly. 1t is also said Gov
ernor Dorsey may be asked to offer a
reward for the capture of the muf-
derer.