The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1921-07-01
ATTEMPTS /! BURN! \
HOME
FOR ONE DOLLAR
JOE WILKES AND FRANKIE
FEGGS, COL, IN JAIL cHARG-
], ED ATTEMPTED ARSON.
BL0OOH0UNOs WORK PERFECTLY
TraiI Negro Woman cHeultous Route,
From Home Melburn WHITAKER to
Her Home and Retdrn-Grand Jury
TO Take AtAion.

As the result of a desperate and
daring attempt to burn the home OF
Melburn Whitaker onsLytle creek
frankie Heggs, a negro woman, and
Joe Wilkes, also colored, are held In
the county jail charged with arson
pending the action pf the grand jury
which is now in session. II
1T is believed thef indictments will
be returned agafhsQ the accused and
that they will go td trial at the pres
ent term of circuit court.
The attempt to burn the home OF
Mr.. Whitaker followed the discharge
OF Wilkes, a farm hand employed by
Mr.. Whitaker after he had ATTEMPTED
to stick a pitchfork in a white boy
also employed on the place.
Wilkes was arrested Tuesday night
on suspicion, following an unsuccess.
full attempt, it is alleged he made to
burn the house on Tuesday. frankie
Heggs, the negress, was arrested Wed,
nesday afternoon after she had been
tracked down by bloodhounds brought
to Columbia from Nashville by Depu-
ty Sheriff E. P. Pugh, of Davidson
county.
The negro woman whoswas found
at work in the kitchen of the home
she had attempted to burn, at first
denied all knowledge of the fire, but
when pinned down tosfacts and the in
eliminating evidence by officers she
confessed that she had attempted to
fire the house for dollar offered her
by Wilkes. The fire was extinglfished
before it did any great damage. The
negro woman had used kindling and
coal oil under the side OF the house
in her attempt to start the blaze
1t is said that Wilkes was foiled in
his attempt to burn the house on
Tuesday by other negro farm hands
employed on the place, when they dis
covered the blaze and extinguished it,
Mr.. Whitaker and his family being
away from home at the time. The
negro who extinguished the fire on
Tuesday was the husband of frankie
Heggs, and was paid $40 by Mr.. Whit
aker for putting out the blaze.
1t was said that Wilkes had been
lettering around the place in the alb
sence of Mr.. Whitaker from home,
and he was arrested Tuesday night
on suspicion.
The second blaze started at s
O'Clock Wednesday morning, and this
fact was promptly communicated to
officers here and bloodhounds were
phoned' for. Mr. Pugh arrived here
with ihs dogs at. II o'clock and went
at once to the scene. The dogs were
put on the trail which followed to the
home of frankie Heggs and then back
to the home of Mr.. Whitaker, where
frankie was at> work in the kitchen.
When the logs entered the house
frankie attempted to make her es-
cape, telling the officers that she was
going after stovewood. She was i'm
mediately arrested, and confronted
with the evidence finally confessed
that she had attempted TO bum the
home of her employer for one dollar
offered her by Wilkes. officers say
frankie is not intelligent.
The Heggs woman was Immediately
brought to town and given a prelim-
mary hearing before Esquire T. M,
Jones who bound her over to the
grand jury, and in default of bond she
and Wilkes are in the county jail.
The arrest was made by Deputy
Sheriff Sam Hardison.