Using a Winchester automatic rifle in rapid fire, L.B. King, 53, farmer, living on the Shopton road about eight miles from Charlotte, shot and killed Erwin Little and wounded William Archibeld, wood cutters for the Bassett Lumber company, in the woods on his place Saturday night about 6:30 o’clock.
Little died instantly and Archibeld was brought to Charlotte, where it was found that he was suffering with only a bullet wound in the left side. He was not carried to a hospital.
King was brought to the police station here by Walter B. Orr, police chief, and Vic Fesperman sheriff’s deputy, who went to the scene along with other officers, shortly after the shooting.
According to King, several months ago he purchased a tract off the Shopton road from the Bassett Lumber Company. In the deal it was contracted that the lumber company would retain the timber rights to cut trees of certain size.
Saturday, Little and Archibald (has been spelled Archibeld in article to this point), another man with two women came to his place in automobiles and the men began cutting in the woods. They, so King said, cut trees smaller than those specified in the contract. When he admonished them, an argument ensued. All three, according to King’s story, advanced on him in a menacing manner, one brandishing an axe. Then it was that he fired.
The victims of the automatic rifle, it was said, recently came here from Florida. They had worked in the Canadian woods before going to Florida, police were told.
King, who is a man with a pleasant face and looks much younger than he says he is, talked through the iron bars at police headquarters. He said he had never seen the men before. They were evidently preparing to camp in the woods, he said. He was not reluctant to talk but his brother came in and informed him that he had engaged J.D. McCall, attorney, over the telephone and that Mr. McCall said not to talk to anyone.
He will be given a preliminary hearing some time Monday.
From The Charlotte News, Sunday morning, June 18, 1922
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