Evening star., 1936-10-06

LHeU uSuQL cuStOWy cuIteu u ILe
post Office. They received q pack
age, but matted until they stopped
in front of their home to open it.
When Thomas REMOVED the iDrdp-
pings, a rtolent blast killed him in
stdntIy and seriously injured Mrs.
Thomas. Mrs. Thomas former
husband tDas questioned later, as
tOas DR.. H. r. Hege, dentist, tOsro
had employed Mrs. Thomas as as
sistant.
BY the Associated Press.
EASTVILLE, Va, october 6.-Two
men, whom post office inspector said
had been charged with murder in the
mail bomb-death last July Of Curry
Thomas, 47-year-old Northampton
County farmer, were lodged in the
Jail at this Eastern Shore town to-
day.
The two were named by Post Of
flee Inspector B. B. Webb as DR.. H. r.
Hege and Ed Banner, both Of Mount
Airy, N. c., where Mrs. Thomas was
employed as an assistant to DR.. Hege
before her marriage this year to the
well-to-do farmer.
Thomas was killed and his wife, who
was in the back seat of the car, was
wounded in the blast which literally
blew her husbands body to pieces.
Arrested in Carroll County.
Dr. Hege and Banner. who was re-
ported to be a middle-aged works
progrexs foreman of Mount Airy, were
arrested in Carroll County last night
by two Virginia highway troopers.
Sergt. J. c. Aaron and Officer T. w.
Carter, it was said at Cape Charles
this morning.
The two men were driving in an au-
tomobile northward through Carroll
County when their car was stopped.
Inspector Webb said that the two
were charged with murder. but that no
Federal charges thus far had been
made against the couple. Common
wealth's Attorney Charles Lankford Of
Northampton County, who was desig-
mated by all officers reaching the East
ern Shore to speak for them, could not
be reached at an early hour.
It was learned, however. that the
prosecutor planned to ask Circuit
Judge John Nottingham to call a spe-
cial grand jury to consider the cases.
Lankford, Sheriff George Turner.
two postal inspectors and two State
highway officers brought DR.. Hege
and Banner to Norfolk early today
and ferried across to Eastern Shore
after daylight today. The two were
PLACED in the Eastville jail shortly
after am.
Carroll officers said that Banner
formerly operated a store at Mount
Airy. At Cape Charles he was de-
scribed as an unemployed, middle
aged man.
Mr.. and Mrs Thomas had been
married but a few weeks when the
bomb was received by them through
the Cape Charles post office. She
had once worked for DR.. Hege, who
told postal inspectors that she had
been an excellent assistant and was
well liked. He knew Of no one, he
was quoted as saying then, who would
wish to harm her.
Lankford and Sheriff Turner were
in Carroll County last night when the
arrests were made, but Turner this
morning referred all inquiries to the
commonwealth's attorney. The lat
ter's Office reported he had not been
there for q week, but was expected
today.
Mrs. Thcmas in Hospital.
Mrs. Thomas is still o patient In
the hospital at Massawaddox from
her injuries, but is expected to be
discharged within q few days.
Arresting officers declined to make
any statements as to the nature Of
the evidence on which DR.. Hege and
Banner were arrested. Postal In
spector Webb did reveal that he and
other Federal inspectors have been
working steadily on the case since
last July.
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas had been
married only a little more than a
month before the killing. Mrs.
Thomas had been divorced from her
former husband, who lives at Galax,
Va, and was employed in the oface
of DR.. Hege when she went to Cape
Charles to visit relatives there. While
on the visit she met and married DR..
Thomas, q prominent farmer,