Coroner's Jury Studying Killing of John Ford, Nov. 10, 1920

The coroner's jury, which yesterday continued the examination of witnesses in Gastonia, was expected to be resumed today, and there at least was some hope that the mystery of the killing of John Ford, and the serious injury of Essie Beatty, 18-year-old girl, may reach a solution. Ransom Killian was on the stand yesterday morning and was relased at noon to enable him to attend the funeral in Lincolnton of John Ford. Gastonia, according to the Gazzette and other newspapers, is full of rumors of the tragedy and an anonymous letter pubished by the Observer today declares that no negroes had anything to do with the tragedy. The writer says the details will come out later. those who doubt the stories told by the three survivors of the party believe that the young people were followed out of town and attacked by persons from Gastonia. Ransom Killian is said to have changed his first story that all were attacked while in the car, and it isx now known that Ford and the Grice girl had gone some distance from the car when Ford met his death. The killing has attracted wide interest. It is the most sensational affair in the state in years, even exceeding in interest the Montgomery murder in Charlotte several months ago. (From the Hickory Daily Record, Wednesday eveing, Nov. 10, 1920)