The coastland times., 1956-12-07
DEATH OVERTAKES
NORFOLK COUPLE
ON WEEKEND TRIP
Man and Young Woman Asphyx-
isfed in Nags Head Motel
Rooms Sunday

old James douglas WllmuCn, Dotn
of Norfolk, died sometime Sunday
in a beach cottage they had rented
for Saturday night at lower Mays
Head. Their bodies were found late
Sunday afternoon by the motel
operator who had wondered why
their ear had stayed parked at the
cottage all day, when they had
said they planned to leave early
Sunday to drive to Hatteras.
Wilmuth and Miss Mary Ann
Bennett rented small two bed
room cottage at the Ocean Side
cottage court owned by Fred Wes-
colt of Manteo, and managed by
Burt Atkins, about ten pm. Sat-
urday.
When Mr.. Atkins on Sunday
afternoon went to see why they
hadn't checked out at the expira-
tion of their time, he found Miss
Benefits body fully clothed, lying
in a small hallway between the
two bedrooms. Wilnuth's body,
undressed for bed, was in bed,
where he had apparently died.
A coroner's jury rule that death
was due to asphyxiation. The
rooms were considerably smoked
from a gas heating stove in an out
er room. Owners of the cottage say
the circumstances were caused by
improper use of the stove, and it
was indicated that someone had
used some effort to light the stove
with torches made from strips of
torn-up bag, such as liquor bottles
come in
In the rooms were found bottles
of vodka and whiskey.
Indications showed that separate
beds had been used. A surmise is
that Miss Bennett had arisen,
dressed, and had gone to Will
muth's room to cali him, and
overpowered by fumes, or over
come at finding him dead, had
fallen out in the hallway between
the two rooms. Medical opinion
was that he had been dead some
ten hours or more, while her body
was apparently dead much short
er length of time.
The building is entered from the
street into a large combination
living-dining room-kitchen, equip
ped for housekeeping. A small hall
way leads from this room to a
bath, on either side of which is a
bedroom. Located in the living
room near the entrance to the hall
way is small space heater which
uses liquefied petroleum.
When Mr. Atkins entered the
cottage he found heavy deposits of
smut over the place, which indi-
Gated that the appliance had done
considerable smoking.
Disinterested viewers came to
the conclusion that the couple,
either through ignorance of
operation, or while in a be-
fuddled state, had ifproperly
tried to operate the gas heat
er, perhaps having to ignite
it through the air vent, which re-
suited only in it's smoking, and
finally burning up the rooms
supply of oxygen.
Wilmuth, was the owner Of the
Acme Tire Company on Princess
Ann Road, Norfolk and has a
brother Guy Wilmuth. His body
was taken to Twiford Funeral
Home in Elizabeth City for prepa-
ration for burial, then sent to
Keysville, Va. In Norfolk he lived
at 1924 W. Woodlawn Ave.
Miss Bennett resided at 3613
Amherst St., with her sister, Mrs.
A. L. Boynton in Norfolk, was a
native Of that city, and for two
years had been employed as a
book-keeper by Clifford Mo
tor Corp. in Sewells Point Road,
NOr1OlA. DIG has diOLiICI SASICA III
Florida, and three brothers in Nor
folk. Her parents were dead. She
was buied in Rosemont Memorial
Park, Tuesday.
Wilmuth, the dead man is high
ly regarded by many people at
Cape Hatteras where he made his
home for awhile in the house he
owned. He married the former Miss
Rovenia DUDLEY, who separated
from. him some three years ago,
and has since remarked. They had
one child, a boy. He has brother
Garland, who lives in Richmond,
who is married to the daughter of
Guy Dudley of Buxton, and is a
cousin of the former Rovenia Will
muth. The home they lived in at
Buxton was later sold to Willard
Burrus. It was known as the John
%, AR:ila,. LoYaa