The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-21
BARR CONFESSION
 CLEARS } DEATHS NEAR MEMPHIS
Negro Gives Detailed Ac- count Of Heretofore
 Unexplained Attacks
fRy AsanciatAd Pressl

MEMPHIS, Tenn, July 20.-Follow- ing his alleged confession to the murder of Mrs. Ruth McElwain Tucker and Duncan Waller, on the night of Janua- ry 27, 1923, and of w. Obe Spencer about four months later, Charles Barr, 23, negro, is being held by police pend ing presentation of evidence to grand jury next Tuesday.
 Police declare the negro has cleared up every detail of the mysterious road side murders" which held motorists in terror and tomorrow they will search for a missing diamond ring torn from the fingers of Mrs. Tucker when she and Waller were shot to death on a country highway near Memphis. The missing ring, the police quote him as saying, he threw into water drain in the basement of house where he was Eempioyed at the time ssbecaHse 1t could l be too easily identified"
 The alleged confessions have been given out in verbatim form by the off l cials for publication. Spencer met his death near the spot where Mrs. Tucker and Waller had been killed and Miss Laura Wheaton Johnson, who was in the automobile with Spencer was seriously wounded by the assailant.
 Many False Clues
 Officials had traced many false clues during the past year but found nothing definite until last Thursda.- wheE Barr's wife pawned wrist watch at an ob- scure pawn shop. Detective Sergeant John Long Sfound it in the pawn shop and discovered that :t was watch which Miss Johnson had worn on the night Spencer was killed. One of the diamond rings which Mrs. Tucker wore when killed, was pawned by Barr's wife and Barr told many stories of how he came into possession of the jewelry, but after two days of gruelling ques- tioning declared, ''I'll tell you," and then launched into a description of the murders.
 His sole motive was robbery in each case, the alleged confessions declare. He borrowed another negros automobile on the night of January 27, 1923, he is quoted as saying, and drove out Summer avenue. At a lonely spot he saw Walters automobile parked on the side of the highway and, stopping his car about 100 yards behind, he approached on foot. He walked up to the point where he could almost touch the rear side door of Walters automobile, &C., cording to the alleged confession, and then opened fire, Waller slumping in the seat without a sound and Mrs. Tucker running, screaming up an em- bankment.
 The negro is quoted as saying he fol- lowed the young woman and. as she turned to face him, fired one bullet into her head, at the same time snatch ing the rings from her fingers. Mrs. Tucker stumbled a few feet and then fell dead. Barr denied that he had at. tempted to assault Mrs. Tucker.
 Four Months Later
 Four months later, on the night of May g, 1923, the negro is quoted as saying he borrowed the same automobile on the night of the Tucker-Waller kill ing and went out Summer avenue again. On Highland avenue near Sum- mer he stopped when he saw car in which rode Miss Johnson and Spencer, the latter a grocery store manager. Spencer parked his automobile at the side of the highway and the negro ap- preached The alleged confession de" clared that Spencer and Miss Johnson, hearing him coming stealthy from be- hind became alarmed and the girl be- gan screaming.
 A shot was fired through the glass window in the rear of the automobile, to silence them, and Barr is quoted as saying Spencer was quiet after that" !" Miss Johnson continued screaming and the negro's alleged confession says that he fired three shots in rapid succession, one of which truck her. Barr then robbed Spencer's pockets, 1t is alleged. and took the wrist watch from Miss Johnson's arm. She ran down the high way for assistance, and he returned to town in the borrowed automobile, never to be suspected of the killings until Sergeant Long found the wrist watch and traced it.
 Waller was a young business man of Mayield, Ky, and Mrs. Tucker was a divoreee and a friend of Walters fan cee, Miss Peggy Wright of Memphis, who had Introduced her to Waller --9-3----