The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-04-10
JOURNALS CIRCULATION DRIVE STARTS TODAY .
- $4,000 in PRIZES and Cash TO Be AWARDED
WILL BURY BECK IN
NATIONAL CEMETERY.
ALTMAN WHO WAS KILLED BY JEAN
DAY 50NORED BY FORMER CON-
RApEs AT OKLAHOMA city
(RY The Assoelated Preaal

OA1IAE1OA4A III Il Okta. AprI ~
Post field army aviation officers paid q
last tribute of Love and respect for their
former commandment late this afternoon,
when from four Rirpianes high IN the
sky, they cast hundreds OF roses to the
wind. showering with the flowers the
train taking the body of Lieutenant Col
onel Paul Ward Beck, of the air service
TO Arlington National Cemetery for bur-
ial.
4 Colonel Beck, was slain early last
Tuesday morning in the home Of Jean
p. Day, wealthy oil man and attorney,
and yesterday a coroner's jury exonorat-
ed Day, because, Its verdict Said. he was
justified in taking the officers life.
Day testifying voluntarily at the COR
onerss hearing, told crowded court room
how he returned to his residence to find
Beck making an attempt TO assault Mrs.
Day; how he rushed up the stairs, OBJ
tanned his revolver and struck the Off
Ger down; how later, horror struck at the
deed. lie assembled the stairs, entered
his room. cooked the pistol and held 1t
for a second at his temple, a moment
after despisfng himself for the cowardice
and sending the call to police headquart-
ers which brought Officers to the scene
of the tragedy.
A guard Of honor, comprised of eight
panied the body of Beck frona the under
takinE parlors to the train today.
Accompanying the body to Washing
ton were, Mrs. Rachael Beck. the moth
err who had long made her home at the
post where her SON was stationed, Lieu
tenant Paul Beck, the son, an officer of
the ordnance corps, and Lieutenant John
w. Beck. the nephew of the airman.
Before the train departed a group OF
army men gathered to speak their last
words OF coincidence ana sympathy for
the relatives of their comnnandant. Mrs.
Beck laoked care-Worn and hasgard but
showed no signs OF q breakdown. She
win make her future home In Washing,
ton.
early tonight, county attorney, Forrest
Hughes, who headed the PROSECUTION al
the coroner's inquest, said he did not
think evidence introduced at the hear
Ing would Justify the spending Of state
money IN prosecuting q murder charga
against Day. He added, however, that
his final decision in the case would be
made known tomorrow. r.
This announcement came Immediately
after statement by the Fort sill in
vestigating board, which questioned the
truth Of the testimony Mr.. and Mrs. Day.
and receipt of unofficial reports that q
searching inquiry was about to be
launched by the War Department. into
the officers death. ~, - IS -. i e.ss,s.
The statement of the Fort Sill hoard
: Vas signed by Major Thomas A. Lamp
here, and Captains Y. L. Berg, and Rog-
Of s. Mccullough, all of the air service
/ Nine officers attended the conference
with the county attorney this morning.
The report given county attorney
Hughes does not complete the fork OF
the army inquiry board. Conferences
win be held during the week at Fort stil
and afterward report of its finding viii
he forwarded to the war department
Accompanying the report win be de-
tailed copy of all testimony taken at the
hearing yesterday the officers explained.
Individual Officers in statements have
expressed indignation at what they
term a slur on,the uniform of their ser
vice. They concurred in the belief that
no prosecution would be instituted II
what they term the hidden facts were
known, hut declared that further inves-
tiRation would clear the service of any
slur.
When the county attorney intimated
in question asked Day yesterday that
there was a question in his mind as to
whether the bullet which penetrated the
Officers brain had ranged downward or
upward Day explaind that soon after
the shooting he had requested his at
tcrney TO bring experts to the house TO
note that a piece of the bullet had lodg-
ed in the ceiling just over the spot where
he said he struck the officer
There IL a piece of the bullet there,
he said. and powder burns, there also
some little blood splotches, and some
hairs right up there. | think this should
go into the record in this case.
The eoroner's jury inspected lays
house before bringing in the verdict.