Imperial Valley press., 1932-08-05
TORCH SINGER
WILL SURRENDER
IN DEATH CASE
Libby HOlman's Father
Declares Accused To
Face Murder Charge.

WINTON SALEM, N. c., Aug. 5.
U.H-Libby Holman Reynolds, the
torch singer of Broadway, was
expected to surrender today or Sat-
urday, enter a Jail cell, and remain
behind the bars until tried with
19-year-old Alb Walker on a charge
that they murdered her playboy
millionaire husband.
Alb Walker, secretary and con-
slant companion of Smith Reynolds,
heir to the r. j. Reynolds tobacco
millions, was placed in Jail shortly
after the grand jury indicted him
yesterday.
Libby Holman Reynolds, the Gin
cinnati girl who went to New York
and made good on the play-street
of the world with throaty, sensu-
Gus, singing of typical Broadway
love ballads and blues songs, was
believed to be in New York, Gin
cinnati, or enroute here.
Attorney Albert Holman, her
father, is enroute here. He noti-
fled Sheriff Transou Scott that he
need spend no county money look
ing for Libby. He wrote to him ear
lier, promising to produce Libby
here whenever needed
Scott, however, asked authorities
in New York and Cincinnati to ar
rest the widow.
Neither Libby nor young Walker,
once in Jail, will be permitted to
leave under bond as North Carolina
law forbids such release.
The true bills returned did not
name the degree of murder to be
charged. That is left to the dis
erection of the prosecuting attorney.
First degree murder conviction
would result in a death sentence.
A second degree conviction would
permit maximum 30-year prison
term.
The indictment read in part:
Libby Holman Reynolds and AL
bert Walker with force and arms
unlawfully, wilfully, feloniously
deliberately, premeditatively and
with malice aforethought did kill
and murder Smith Reynolds"
The true bills or indictments
were returned by the Forsythe
county grand jury following a long
investigation of Smith Reynolds
death July 6, the tragic aftermath
of wild party on the Reynolds
beautiful estate here.
Smith was found in an upstairs
room mortally wounded, Alb Walk
er testified, when he rushed up
stairs after locking doors and win
dows for the night. Libby Holman
Reynolds was in her room.
Walker found Libby bending over
Reynolds body moaning "he shot
himself he testified.
Verdicts Disagree
A preliminary report by the cor
oner said the death was suicide"
A formal coroner's inquest ruled
that Smith Reynolds came to his
death "at the hands of person
or persons unknown.
The gun with which Reynolds
was killed was found in plain sight
on a rug in the room after Two
previous searches had failed to re-
veal it.
Libby Holman testified her mind
was a BLANK" for about SO hours,
that all she remembered was a
flash" when she saw Smith stand
ing with his gun in hand pointed
at his temple.
Libby testified that Reynolds
brooded over physical deficiencies.
Reynolds had divorced Anne Can
non, textile heiress, to marry the
stage star. He followed her from
city to city and finally married
her one night in a small Michigan
town. He is reported TO have
threatened suicide if she would not
marry him.
Waiting in trust for Smith Rey-
nolds, when he became %, was a
fortune estimated at Sl5,000,000.
He was not 81 when he died. Libby
Holman will not share in tie for
tune unless she bears a posthumous
child.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Aug. 5.
U.P)-R. j. Reynolds jr., brother of
the late Smith Reynolds, was hur-
rying home to his North Carolina
home today after a flight across
the south Atlantic.
Reynolds expressed surprise at
the indictment of Libby Holman.
but said he knows little or nothing
about the case.
He learned of his brothers death
while in Africa and took south
Atlantic plane for Rio, arriving
here yesterday. He sails for the
United States today aboard the
American Legion.