The Monroe journal., 1922-12-19
LONELY WOMAN SLAIN
IL HER COUNTY HOME
NeighbOrs Find Body Beaten and
Tern with Eridenees of Other
Grimes
lErom Sanford Rannar ]

tFrOm Sanford Banner.)
The blaekest crime ever committed
in Lee county was unearthed Wednes-
day morning when the dead body of
Mrs. Laura Waddell was found in her
little home about III miles from San
ford by two of her neighbors. a Mr..
Gunter and a Mr.. Splvey, who wen,
there TO see if any hing was wrong,
as she had not been seen since last
Thursday. On arriving al the house
her body was discovered lying on the
floor in a pool of blood. her clothing
and underclothing torn away, and the
contents Of the room turned topsy-
turvy. They = once notified son-in-
law, F. II. Brown, a merchant of
Jonesboro, who came 10 Sanford and
reported the matter. Mr.. Browns i'm
preston was that she bad died a
natural death, and c. p. Rogers, To-
cal undertaken, was instructed to go
out and prepare the body for burial.
When he arrived at the home he saw
that il was case for the coroner, and
notified Sheriff Rosser and DR.. C. l..
Scott, coroner, who went 10 The scene
at once.
Mrs. Waddell, who was 80 years of
age, and who had been married twice,
the first time TO hoke partlshall and
after his death to a man named Wad-
dell, lived alone in little house about
half mile from the nearest neigh
Dor and some two miles from Ros-
ser's siding on the Norfolk Southern.
The house is about IL miles from
Sanford between Big Lick Creek and
Little Lick Creek, and about a mile
below the old Hensley place. She has
shlee married daughters, Mrs. F. II.
Brown, of Jonesboro. and two others,
and a son, Willie Waddell, whose
whereabouts are unknown.
Mrs. Waddell was killed by blow
or the back Of the head delivered by
the assassin with her own axe. which
was found covered with blood by the
coroner's jury, though some one had
cut wood with it before the inquest
was held. The axe was on the porch,
and the assassin evidently took his
time in leaving the premises.
DR.. Scott was of the opinion that
the crime was committed some time
Sunday or Monday. He also is nclin-
ed to the opinion that the woman was
first assaulted, then knocked in the
head with her own axe, and then the
room was torn up for the purpose Of
robbery. The womans underclothing,
which were Of canton flannel, were
torn to shreds, and she evidently made
a ct fn hn nf
the intruder, but without avail. Then
she was probably killed to prevent
her making the crime known and the
house robbed to enable the criminal
in getting away. However, DR.. Scott
said that she may have been killed
first and the blacker crime committed
afterward.
1t is not believed that robbery was
the purpose Of the criminal, as Mrs.
Waddell was known to be in poor cir
cumstances. She had about $3.50 on
deposit in the Banking Loan T. Trust
Co. here, and the last check she had
drawn was dated Sept. ID. There
have been no inquiries at the bank
about her financial condition.
Sheriff Rosser and DR.. Scott con-
tinued their Investigations of the case
all day Thursday. A post -mortem was
performed upon the body of Mrs.
Waddell and it was learned that she
had been dead at least three and per-
haps four days, thus making it prob
able that the crime was committed
Saturday night. There was evidence
to show that the brute had been sue
cessful in his effort to commit rape.