Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1958-10-22

y coroncr'S jury cmpanclcd at
the scene ruled that a Columbus
County couples death was muir
dCr-Suicide.
The ruling came within min
|uteS after coroner Worth Will
Hanson cmpanclcd the Jury at
The small frame house on High
way 9Ol about three miles west
OF Guldcway where the bodies
of the man and woman were
found at GAO pm. Wednesday.
The man, Emanuel Williamson.
i4O, and woman, Rctha Haney
Williamson, 35. were found living
across the bed.
I II was ruled tina; williamson
shot his wife then triggcrcd the
~ gauge shotgun with his right
loot as he sat on the edge of
the bed. WilliamSon's left leg
had been amputatcd below the
knee years ago.
IN boNAtS were 1OunQ Dy
Deputy Sheriff l.. r. Watson
who was called to the scene by
Linwood Lee, a brothcr-in-law.
Lee said he had not seen the
couple since Sunday morning
and when he went to the home
about sunset he noted the door
was locked but as he peered
i through the window of the bed
room he saw the shotgun prop
ped between Williamson's feet.
He called Deputy Watson to in
vestigate.
Watson broke the latch on the
door after noticing blood stains
on the window shade of the
bedroom.
1t was believed the couple had
been dead since early Monday
morning. A neighbor. Billy Grice,
who lives about $50 yards away,
said he heard shotgun blasts
after midnight Sunday but did
not investigate.
1 A relative, Mrs. Angus Lee.
said she saw the couple Sunday
evening standing beside the road.
Watson said he arrested the
couple Saturday night at their
home on charges of possessing
white whiskey. He told them to
appear in court Tuesday for the
hearing. When they failed to ap-
pear in court he began searching
for them
Il was here about 2:3O o'clock
this afternoon Wednesday, but
no one answered the door so
presumed they we're not at
home" said Watson.
No. one lived with the couple
although both had several chill
dren by previous marriages.
Williamson had a court record
dating back to 1882 when he
was charged with larceny and
served six months on the roads.
In 1894 he was convicted of at
tempted rape on a seven-year-
old girl and was sentenced to
serve II to IS years in Central
Prison at Raleigh. In 1855 he
was given a four months SEN
tence for assault on a female
but sentence was suspended. In
1856 similar charge netted IN
an l8-months sentence which
was suspended. Last year, he
was given two years on the roads
for assaulting female. He was
released from the roads in June.
He was not divorced from his
previous wife although it was
reported that he and Retha
Haney were married about two
months ago in Conway. s. C..
The death scene was recon-
structed mentally by the cor
oner's jury. 1t was believed that
Williamson shot his wife while
she was sitting on the bed. The
shotgun blast entered her left
eye. He then sat on the edge
of the bed and blasted away the
right side of his face and head.
The small front bedroom was
covered with PARTICLES of skin
and splattered with blood.
No one was able to shed any
flight on the events leading up
to the slaying-suicide. Relatives
reported that the couple got
along without any apparent diff
ficulties.
A daughter. Rosa Hancy, rs,
spent Friday night at the home
but left Saturday morning.
Deputy Watson said that when
he entered the room and found
the bodies he found a half-Fallon
Jar. half full. of white whiskey
on the dresser. Two pint jars
were half-fillcd with water.
| An estimated 500 people
filed in and out Of the house
to look at the bodies during the
three andonc-half hours clapsing
between discovery Of the bodies
and the arrival of Coroner
Williamson.