Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-08
MURDERED BANKERS BODY
FOUND IN YELLOW RIVER
By HUBERT T. BAuGHN
tstaff Correspondent of The Journa,

Bank Of Rockdale of this city, was
murdered by a negro tenant or ten
ants on his farm with whom he was
having trouble about the making of
whisky, and that his body was thrown
into the Yellow river from the bridge
where his automobile with a run
ming motor gave the alarm of his dis
appearance, was tho leading theory
on which the coroner's jury was
working today when this dispatch
was put on the wire to The Journal.
Solicitor Alonzo Brand, Of the Stone
Mountain circuit, who lives at LII
thonia, came here early this morn
ing and took personal charge or the
coroner's investigation. He gave the
sheriff orders to supply the neWspa-
pers with no information, locked the
coroner's jury behind closed doors,
summoned the witnesses one at a
time, and refused to discuss the case
with The Journal correspondent. He
said he was trying to develop 1nfor-
nation which he did not wish TO
make public until he was through
with the investigation.
From other authoritative sources,
however, it was learned that mem
bers of Mr.. Reagan's family and his
business associates suspect that mis-
death was the outcome Of trouble he
was having with certain negro ten
ants whom he suspected of making
whisky on his place. Mr.. Reagan was
a Methodist steward and an unswerV-
ing prohibitionist and was doing his
best, they told The Journal CORE
spondent, to break up the blind tiger
operations.
Seven Tenants Arrested
Six negro tenants, Of whom one is
a woman, were arrested this morning
and were scheduled for grilling
before the coroner's jury. They are
Gordon Merritt, negro, whom Mrs.
Reagan is said to have ordered off
the place a few days ago and who
is said to have been seen near the
bridge Thursday night a short time
before Mr.. Reagan's car was found,
and Dave Kinsley, Buck Merritt,
John Merritt, Will Langston and Ber-
tina Bowen.
At IL o'clock the coroners jury
took a recess for lunch. Coroner L.
T. Farrell said his purpose was to
summon every negro on the Rea-
gan place and any other witnesses
who might be able to throw light
upon the crime. He said the jury
had progressed far enough to satisfy
themselves that Mr.. Reagan was
murdered, but they were not yet
ready to make up their minds who
killed him.
Before resuming the inquest at
1870 o'clock, Solicitor Brand made
the statement that Mr.. Reagan's
death was a brutal murder" Fur
Their than this, he said he would
make no statement until the inquest
was completed.
The Journal correspondent made
his third request to be admitted to
the inquest but was fatty refused
admittance by the solicitor, who
said:
1t is always my policy to hold
secret inquests, and I am not going
to make an exception in this case.
There is much testimony being adj
duced which T do not want given
to the public at this time. When
an official statement to make"
The solicitor, taking entire charge
of the investigation, gave Sheriff
Cowan and Coroner Farrell positive
instructions to make no statement to
the newspapers. Coroner Farrell,
however, told The Journal CORE
spondent during the noon recess that
that testimony had been adduced to
substantiate the theory that Mr..
Reagan was brutality murdered, and
that the inquest would continue I'M
til every negro tenant on the Reagan
farm had been examined.
Sheriff Cowan became more or
less agitated when questioned about
the progress of the hearing, finally
telling this correspondent that 80
don't want you to ask me any more
questions-if you do, I'll see about
having you stopped.
C. G. Sims, cashier of the Bank of
Rockdale, told The Journal correspon-
dent that Mr.. Reagan was having
trouble with certain negroes on the
place whom he suspected of making
whisky, and ordered Gordon Merritt
off the place short time ago. He
said Mr.. Reagans affairs with these
negroes reached such a strain that
he obtained a license some weeks
ago to carry a revolver on his visits
to the farm.
Major Robert j. Quinn, prominent
Atlanta insurance man, who is a
brother of Mrs. Reagan, came here
at daylight this morning, interviewed
all the negroes on the Reagan place
and expressed the opinion to The
Journal correspondent that the whis-
ky-making was at the bottom Of the
murder.
Discovery Of Body
Late Thursday afternoon Mr.. Rea-
gan drove to his farm six miles from
ConyerS. transacted some business,
and started back to town about z
o'clock. The bridge across Yellow
river at the Milstead cotton mill is
four miles from his farm and two
miles from Conyers. About O'Clock
the automobile was found on the
bridge, with the motor running, the
lights burning, an dthe doors open.
Scattered around it were some small
change, Mr.. Reagan's pocket knife
and sL,c.li nail knife.
Searching parties dragged the river
all night without result. At daylight
this morning the body was FOUND
lodged on a trotline, by Claude Fos-
ter, young white mar, when he
went. to- the river to hail up his
hooks.
On the back of the head was evil
dence of a severe blow. sufficient I.
have produced death, in the opinion
of DR.. Joe Farmer and DR.. e. P.
Bryant, who examined the body and
testified before the coroners jury
They said his lungs contained no
water, convincing them that he was
dead when his body reached the
river. A slash of knife across the
left side of Mr.. Reagan's coat indi-
Gated an attempt to cut him. A club
of heavy hickory was found on the
bridge near the automobile.
Robbery might have been the mo.
tive Of the crime, but the general
belief here is that revenge was the
ntiua Growing out of Mr. Pea e