The Washington times., 1927-04-08
KILLED 8 FOR I
CHILDREN

LEBANON, Va, April g.
Standing calmly and without
visible motion in the cell cor
ridor Of the Russell County
jail here today, Henry (Henl
Griffith, 40, recited to a news
paper man in the presence Of
Sheriff Harry 81. Couch and
others, how and why he
killed his wife, and Mr.. and
Mrs. Mat Lawson during the
early hours of March 20.
His recitation Of the triple slay-
ing, eighteen days after it oc-
CURED, was an exhibition of iron
nerve by a man who threw all
caution to the four winds, even
as he did when he carried the
bodies of the women fifty feet
and tossed them into the Clinch
River after he had fired the fatal
shots.
Explains in Detail
s.Hen', had his nerve today, even
AZ he kept it under steel control
when he looked upon the body OF
his wife here yesterday and said,
1T might be her, but don't
think it is"
Two hours after "Hen" looked
upon the bodies Of his wife and
Mr.. and Mrs. Mat Lawson. he, had
recited to county authorities how
he came upon and slew them.
I simply lost my mind" said
Henry in his graphic story today,
land did not care whether J. was
dead or alive. ] knew that / was
my wife away from my children.
Il guess 1t started right after
Christmas, when a blind man shot
me in the leg at Richards"
He produced the ball taken from
his leg and exhibited the wound.
My wife, while I was in the
hospital, did not take care Of my
children. She stayed at John
Shinall's while, and when he told
her to come back home, she went
TO Mat LaWson's. Since then I've
been told that she was there be-
cause Don Blair was there. She
came back home after two weeks
and we got along all right.
Wife Refused to Stay
''Then, ON Saturday, March 10.
we had q quarrel She said she
was leaving and / begged her to
stay and take care of her children.
I've got seven children, six boys
and q girl. She left that evening
while was away.
About o'clock that night met
Rosie, my sister-in-law. She said
she had seen Mat Lawson, his
wife, and my wife and that Mollie,
my wife, said she was going to
Raven Creek with the Lawsons. i
told Rosie that was going to see
IL could get her back to take
care of the children and her home.
81 went back to where she said,
but did not see them. At Hill
Creek, / met Ed Addison, who had
started to sit up at his mother-in-
laws. He went one way and ]
the other.
''Then I met DON Blair, the man
my wife had been meeting from
time to time. Blair asked me If
I had seen Mat and his old lady.
They've stole everything had,
Blair said, and they're going down
to the railroad tank to get on No.
S in the morning
'BIair left me and then / met |
Tom Steele. We talked a little |
and / went on up the railroad to
DAVIS switch, where I met my wife
and Lawson and his wife.
Wife Carried BIair's Bag
''My wife was carrying BIair's !
suitcase and thought that It was
q scheme for Blair to meet them |
at the water tank, board No. s, and |
leave me and the children for good. |
II talked to them for a few min.
utes and tried to argue with MolIie
and get her to come back home.
"She wouldn't. / walk 1 along
with them for nearly a nile.
You can't make her go back
Lawson said to me, and his wife |
said, no, Mollie, come on with u.s.
Lawson was walking in front.
] shot him in the back His wife
screamed and grabbed my arm and
] shot her in the breast.
Then shot my wife.
Lawson, after / shot him,
stumbled over the little cliff and
fell HAT on his back, his head in
the edge OF the river. took hold
of one Of his legs and flung him
into the stream.
II then carried my wife and Mrs.
Lawson to the river and dumped
them there.
''It was daylight when got
back home. went to bed"
Did you sleep well?" his in.
terrogator asked.
Went on Working
'sYou know didn't. There was
too much on my mind. Since then
I've been working like I've always
worked, blowing, tending my garden.
Women can get men into ali
kinds of trouble continued Crit
fifth. 81 loved my wife good
enough to lay down my life for her.
But look what she's got me into.
Yes, guess I'm sorry. don't |
think / would do it over again. .
Griffith was clad In his worlzaday
clothes. He was brought from the
fields to the Russell county Jail.
Don Blair. the alleged paramour
mentioned, IL at Greasy Greek, KY,
said Commonwealth Attorney r. Fl.
Wilson.
Another man who had been car
rying on q filtration with Mrs.
Griffith Is also missing. Author
tiles are withholding his name.
Another triple staying occurred IN
Russell county less than two
months ago when Jim Howard
killed his wife and then committed
suicide at Honaker.
An hour later Bob Grant, al