The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-09-21
HATS FOUND AT
SCENE OF MURDER
Are IDENTIFIED
Five Prisoners In Barlow Jail
Charged With McCOlIum Muir
der-Evidence Being Sifted

Five men are held in the Barlow
Jail charged with the murder of Levi
W. McCollum, and the investigation
is still going on that is expected to
end in some or all of them paying
the penalty for the cowardly crime
with which they are charged The
suspects are Henry Smith and Mac
O'Neill of Eagle Lake, j. F.> Evans
of Orlando. II. X. Salter and Sam
AGREE of Lakeland. O'Neill was air
rested Friday night on a charge of
having liquor in his possession, Evans
was arrested Saturday in Orlando on
similar charge and Smith was ar
rested yesterday on the same charge.
Evans was brought to Barlow Tues
day night by way of Lakeland, and
when all were lodged in the Barlow
Jail they were confronted with the
fact that the two hats found near the
scene of the McCollum murder had
been identified as belonging to Smith
and O'Neill. The men denied their
guilt and said they had not been in
Lakeland for two months.
The investigation is being carried
forward by Sheriff Logan, Deputy
Allen. Deputy Marshall and all who
can lend assistance.
Fred Thomas. of Tampa, was EN-
ployed on the case sometime ago by
the murdered mans sons.
Deputy Dan Marshall, who has been
active in the case, states that the
Identification of the two hats was pos
tive. and that the sheriff's Office has
in hand great deal of other evil
dence which is being carefully
weighed and sifted.
Salter and AGREE are well known
here, not too favorably. Last Feb
ruary a still was taken up on Lake
Parker, which it was suspected was
their property. Later the two were
arrested and convicted of the pos
session Of intoxicating liquor. the ar
rest having been made while they
were attempting to transport the
liquor from spot where they had
evidently cached it. They are under
indictment on liquor charges in both
the county and the federal court.
From the facts in hand, robbery was
the motive for the crime. 1t appears
that shortly after Mr.. McCollum trans
ferred his fishing interests to his sons,
William and James, a large and valu-
able fiShnet was stolen from them. A
few days before the murder, Mr.. Nc
Collum was seen to display a roll of
money, stating that he would spend
it for the arrest and conviction of the
thieves. Salter and AGREE are said to
have been present at the time. They
are suspected of having planned the
crime to obtain possession of the
money and are said to have waited
at barn on Parker street while the
crime was being committed.
History of Case
The crime of which these men are
accused was committed shortly before
9 o'clock Saturday night, August 80.
Mr.. McCollum was sitting on the
porch of his own home, enjoying
peaceful smoke, his wife having re-
tired. Up till now there has been no
one to tell the story of the tragedy
but the wife, who was aroused by the
ring of the shot in the quiet air of
the hitherto tranquil little neighbor
hood. She heard her husband cry out
and a moment later saw him stagger
through the doorway between the
porch and the bedroom. He said
something the import of which Mrs,
McCollum, who is hard of hearing, can
not be certain, but she states that
she believes he said someone shot him
from the grass. He seemed to be try
ing to say more, when he fell across
the bed.
She made her way to a neighbor' s
phone to bring assistance and a ply
stefan and the police officers soon al
rived, finding Mr.. McCollum dead The
autopsy showed that 3S bullet had
pierced the tip Of the heart.
The finding of two hats near the
scene proved the first clue, although
they We're regarded with some sus.
picion by the officers who feared a
plant A blue handkerchief with
three holes cut in 1t was also found,