Monday, February 27, 2017

Lincolnton County Fish Camp Operator Clfiton Peterson Kills Wife Betty, Self, 1951

“High Shoals Man Kills Self After Killing Wife,” from the Feb. 1, 1951 issue of the Statesville Landmark

Lincolnton, Jan. 31—A Lincolnton county fish camp operator and his wife died early last night in a hospital here from gunshot wounds received about noon yesterday.

Clifton R. Peterson, operator of the camp near High Shoals, and his wife, Betty, each received a bullet in the head.

Sheriff Frank P. Heavner said that a preliminary investigation indicated that Peterson shot his wife with a .22 caliber rifle, then shot himself. The sheriff quoted two witnesses, Ola Gray and Roy Ivey, both of Charlotte, who were customers at the fish camp, as saying that Peterson and his wife were arguing, and that Peterson went into the camp kitchen and returned with the rifle.

Sheriff Heavner asserted that Ivey said Peterson told his wife, “I’m going to blow your head off.” He then raised the sawed-off rifle and shot Mrs. Peterson over the right eye. Ivey told the sheriff that Peterson then stepped back from the booth in which he had shot his wife and raising the rifle shot at his own head.

The first bullet, Ivy related, just grazed Peterson’s head. Peterson then cautioned Ivey to stand back and fired the gun again striking himself in the right temple.

Peterson succumbed at 6:10 o’clock. Mrs. Peterson died at 7:30 in the Reeves-Gamble hospital.

Sheriff Heavner said Ola Gray and Ivey were under $500 bond as witnesses.

The shooting occurred at Betty’s Fish camp, four miles south of Lincolnton, off highway 321.

The Lincoln county coroner, Dr. W.G. page, said that an inquest has been set tentatively for Wednesday morning, February 7, at 11 o’clock.

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