Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-09-20
Husband Slain By
White Love Rival
"AFTER DARK LOVE AFFAIR"
COMES TO TRAGIC
END.


Associate Negro Press. jim this Sec
ton of the country where laws pro.
hibit white women from marrying
colored men and mobs lynch Negro
men accused of or caught associat-
ing with white women, but where
white men are permitted to carry on
"after-dark and back door love al
fairs" with Negro women, there has
come to light love affair, which not
only revealed the affection existing
between the principals, but also that
the white man was enjoying the pro-
ceeds of his colored sweetheart's la.
bors.
The eternal triangle, possessing
one white side" and two darker
ones, was composed of Eugene Can
on. a 46-year-old farmer, his wife,
Mary Belle, one year his junior, and
Wilbur Holley, a 23-year-old white
youth who was infatuated with Mrs.
Canon.
For months neighbors have OBJ
served young Holley visiting the Can
on home and driving the automobile
while she delivered her washing
each week. Rumors had it that the
elderly woman lavished gifts of va
rious values on her youthful and
white lover, while her husband strug-
gled to make ends meet. Whiskey
parties and moonlight rides, as we'll
as those on very dark nights, were
frequent, according to neighbors, but
the rumors meant little or nothing
because it was a white man and a
Negro woman involved. Had it been
otherwise, a lynching would have
resulted from the rumors.
These rumors, however, turned into
apparent realities Sunday morning,
when the 46-year-old husband was
shot and killed by the white youth,
following an argument between the
two men over the affections of the
woman. At first the killing was q
mystery. Neighbors heard the shots.
The body was found and the usual
verdict of "killed by unknown par
ties" was in the making.
Fate, however, had decided other
wise and to bring the murdered 70
Justice, steered the investigating Of
fcers to the home of young Holley,
where they found dew-spattered
shotgun, which had been recently
fiji ed. The caliber of the gun tailed
with that from which the death
dealing shell had been fired and
Young Holley was placed under ar
rest.
The youth denied that he had
killed Canon, but under cross-eXami-
nation confessed that he had fired
the shot. Testimony by the youth
and his elderly sweetheart that on
Saturday evening young Holley had
gone with Mrs. Canon, as usual, to
deliverseveral "washings." En- route
home they bought few drinks and
took ride to sober up a bit.
In the meantime, the tired hus-
band was awaiting his soulmate, who
arrived just about midnight in COM
pany with her white lover. He up
braided both of them and threatened
to kill the youth. Just as dawn was
breaking Sunday morning, Canon
was aroused by a noise on the out
side and went to investigate. His
wife had evidently heard the noise
before he had, as already she was
out of the house.
AS Canon reached the doorstep a
shot was fired and he fell to the
ground mortally wounded, from a
gun-shot wound inflicted by mis-
wife's lover, while she stood by the
white youths side. Not only did she
-+ond bv his size as he fired the shot
which killed her husband, but in her
testimony she declared that her hus-
band was armed and that the white
youth shot in self-defense. This the
DRY, however, did not mean much, be-
cause neighbors who rushed to the
scene of killing declared that no re-
volver was near the body when they
found it. nor was there one near the
house. 1t is reported that the woman
found one in a corn-patch, little
before the inquest was held.
Standing on the spot where his
victim had fallen, Holley told of The
oruesome killing. acknowledging that
he was fond of Mrs. Canon, but de-
nying that there had ever been any
Improper relations between them.
Neighbors, however, expressed a diff.
ferent view in their testimony and
the youth was held, charged with
~'urder in the first degree. while his
lover was charged with being an ac-
complete.
A study of the dead mans effects
revealed that he had a trifle more
than $1,000 worth of life insurance,
Of which his wife was the benefac-