The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-12-19
Filling Stdtion
Operator Killed
Following Robbery

operator was shot to death IN
Ocean Springs early yesterday
morning is as cold blooded a muir
der as car be found in the an
mails of crime in Jackson County.
An unknown gunman or gun
men pumped four 80 calibre slugs
into the body of Mark Neal, Jr.,
while the slight youth apparent
ly stood with his arms appraised
after having been robbed of $50
from the cash register of the Bill
lups service station on Highway
80, where he was employed as
night attendant.
There is no clue to the identity
of the murderer, except the four
bullets and the empty shell as
ings, found near the body by the
stations manager only seconds
after the shooting occurred. The
murderer escaped in an automo-
bile and the manager, E. F. Smith
caught only a glimpse of the re-
hicle as it sped off in the direc-
ton of Pascagoula.
Smith was sleeping in the rear
of the station at the time of the
tragedy, about 4:45 Thursday
morning.
Neal was shot twice through
the heart, the bullets entering
under the left arm, which indi-
Gated to investigating officers
that he was deliberately slain af-
ter the robbery had ben accom-
plished. Another bullet in his
back and another imbedded in
the floor of the station indicated
that he had been shot after he
fell, MORALLY wounded.
No Enemies
Investigating officers are con-
WINGED that the murder was COM
mitted in cold blood after the
robbery had been executed. The
theory is borne out by the es-
cape of the gunman, who fled
the scene before Smith could run
from an adjoining room, and by
the fact that Neal was apparently
shot while holding his arms aloft.
Sheriff H. c.. Laird of Rankin
County, where Neal was reared
and lived before coming to Ocean
Springs a short time ago, ruled
out a motive of a Staying by an
enemy.
"The Meals are good old coun-
try people, Sheriff Laird told
the Chronicle-Star and Advertiser
by long distance telephone, "he
was a nice boy and would have
no enemies up here that would
do anything like that.
Neal was described by asso
ciates as a quiet, inoffensive
youth who had no known enemies
in this section.
Investigating officers are more
inclined to believe that Neal
knew the identity of the robber
or robbers and that he was slain
to remove him as the only wit
ness.
Frightened Before
Marshall R. c. Miller of Ocean
| Springs was called to the scene
Immediately by Smith, who also
notified an ambulance. MI. Mill
er notified Sheriff d. o. New
man, Coroner H. A. Fails, and
County Attorney L. X. Mcintosh
and the three officials, together
with Deputy Sheriff John r. Nc
Neal, rushed to the scene of the
crime.
The officers learned in the
course of their investigation that
the slain youth had been frighten-
ed a short time ago by three
young men who came into the
station several times in one seve-
ming to make token purchases.
He woke the manager after the
men had appeared several times
and the three drove away when
Smith appeared on the scene.
An inquest, held at the scene
of the crime less than two hours
after the shooting, resulted in a
coroner's jury verdict of murder.
The jury, composed of H. r. Lee,
c. j. Gay, Lee Jordan, ]. K. Lee
mon, c. L. Thomas and Edward
Sterkin, ruled that Neal 'came
to his death by three pistol wound
in the upper part of the body at
the hand of a person or persons
unknown
Officers admittedly have little
information as they press the
search for the brutal slayer.
Family Notified
Mr.. Miller notified Sheriff
Laird who contacted a brother of
the slain man, Alonzo Neal, in
Jackson. MI. Neal left immedia-
tely for the coast and the Brad
ford Funeral Home, where the
body was taken following the in
quest. A Bradford ambulance an