The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-07-23
Reports OF Midnight Shootings Spice
Probe Of Mystery Roadside Staying

&ottlRtCtt ntJotIA
week continued to shroud the dis
covery Of the body Of an uniden-
titled man by the side Of Highway
90 near Nine Mile lake Monday
morning.
Although local law officers
were tracing every rumor. which
included the eerie tale of a dead
man in a car near Escatawpa in
the midnight hours Of July 10, and
hundreds of persons had viewed
the body at Stokes Funeral Home
in an effort to establish his iden-
tity, the case remained virtual
ly clueless. Sheriff Guy Krebs and
Deputy Sheriff Leo Byrd are In
charge of the investigation.
Otis Thompson, negro resident
of Escatawpa, told officers that
abount 11:l5 the night of July 10
he was walking near Graham's
store toward the business district
of Moss Point when a a APP
preached from Moss Point and
slowed as 1t neared him. AT first
he thought someone wanted to
ask directions, he said. but one
Of the white men got out and said
to someone inside the car. Hand
me that "a" the negro told Of
sficers. He ducked behind a big
tree, he said. and the man shot
in his direction once and then got
back into the car.
Says Sees Man Shot
A short time later, according
to information uncovered by the
sheriff and his deputy, a negro
Just north of the Escatawpa bridge
said ne saw d man get out Of a car
and mn across the highway. He
told officers q man in the car shot
him and then dragged him across
the highway and put him back
into the car and drove off. Mrs.
McInnis. who operates a soft drink
and confectionery stand In that
vieinity told ~Hhcriff Krrbs that
she had gone to bed shortly before
midnight on that night when she
heard someone say. Don't do
that" and then what sounded
like two or three rifle shots afteA
which a car drove away hurried
ly.
Sheriff Krebs said none of this
was reported to his office at the
time 1t happened and 1t was only
after he began working or the
shooting Of the unidentified man
that he uncovered the incidents.
The body of the man, shot three
times with a small caliber weap-
on, was found by Walter Hamil-
ton who was riding horseback by
the spot where the man had ap-
parently been rolled from the
highway. The body had tumbled
down a steep fill and landed on
a small ledge, hidden from casual
view from the highway by marsh
grass.
Laboratory tests, made in Mo-
bile at the request of Sheriff
Krebs Wednesday night. showed
that the dark brown hair Of the
murder victim had been dyed at
least twice." the Sheriff said.
'sThe laboratory technician des-
cribed the natural color Of the
hair as light brown with a red
dish tint" he said.
Clothed only in a sharkskin
sport shirt, white under shorts
and white cotton socks, the dead
man had lain in the open fol
some time-long enough to have
been badly burned by the sun, ac'
cording to Coroner M. c. Porter
Mr.. Porter expressed the belief
the man had been dead for at leas'
three days and possibly longer.
Shot From Behind
All three of the bullet wounds
any of which could have beer
fatal, indicated the man was shoi
from behind, two. of the bullet.
ranging from behind the ear ane
coming out by the eye and the
third going in at the back ane
coming out about center chest.
third going in the back at thu
side and coming out about center
chest.
A coroner's jury impanellec
by Coroner Porter Tuesday morn
ing heard the sparse evidence con
corning the finding of the body
and returned a verdict of "deati
from gunshot wounds at the hand.
of person or persons unknown.
Members of the jury were Bar
Stringer, C. r. Vaulk. K. W
Coleman, Tom Kelly, J. w. Eber
lein and D.. D. Clements.
The only marks on the man
clothes were three laundry mark
-183 on the flap of the RICH
pocket Of his sport shirt; 101 Of
the band of his shorts. and 229 o.
the inside of his shorts. In tn
breast pocket of his shirt was
Parker 81 pen and pencil SCI
chocolate brown in color wit
gold fill top. Both pen and pen
Gil had flecks Of blood. The maj
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