Walter Bethea, col., is in the jail here charged with the murder of Pete Fields, another negro of near Lucama.
The murder occurred Saturday night about 11 o’clock at the home of Bethea’s father, R.D. Bethea, on the farm of Mr. Benaja Scott.
The following story of the encounter is told by Bethea.
It seems that Bethea and a negro named James Stevenson had an argument sometime ago, and Fields and a crowd of negroes met Bethea at Lucama Saturday night and tried to get him to fight, and Bethea walked away from the crowd and went to his father’s home. Stevenson and Fields followed him into the house. When Fields walked into the room, Bethea walked into a back room, and Fields still followed and jumped on him. When he did Bethea shot and killed him. The case was tried at 2 o’clock before Magistrate W.C. Pearson this afternoon.
At this writing we have not been able to interview any of the witnesses. Bethea went to Rocky Mount after the shooting and was caught there yesterday at the home of his sister Mary Wiggans byOfficer Lloyd Lucas and an officer from Rocky Mount.
Walter Bethea, colored, charged with first degree murder, was given a preliminary hearing this afternoon before Magistrate W.C. Pearson and bound over to court without bond.
The first witness to take the stand was Queen Ella May McDonald, who testified: “I saw Pete Fields standing in the door of the room, where the other folks were dancing. The next time I looked at the door Walter had Pete by the collar and had a gun in his hand, Pete was pleading with Walter not to kill him but to leave him alone.”
“Walter was cussing and finally pulled Pete into the room and shot him three times. Walter then left the room. I saw Pete after he was shot and I knew that he was dead. Someone took the body out of the room and I didn’t see it again.”
Eddie Mitchell, the next witness, stated: “I was in the room where they were dancing. Pete stood in the doorway and he and Walker was talking. I couldn’t understand what they said, but Walker grabbed Pete and pulled him into the room and shot him three times. Walter left the room and stood on the porch a few minutes, then disappeared.
“Some of the folks had been drinking, but I don’t think Pete and Walter had.”
Lester Harris testified: “I had a truck at the house and I heard someone say there was going to be a big fuss so I decided to leave. About the time I got the truck started, I heard a couple of shots fired. When we reached the road, somebody Hollard for us to wait for them. One of the boys on the back of the truck said it was Walter Bethea. He got on the truck and told me to take him to Rocky Mount and get there as quick as I could, that he wanted me to get him there before sunrise. I told him I didn’t have any gas and couldn’t take him there, but he said take him as far as I could. I tried to pull the primer to stop the truck but it wouldn’t work and I tried again and finally stopped the truck. Walter got out and went on down the road and as soon as he was gone, I turned around and went back to Lucama.”
The next witness was Ed. Lewis, who stated: “I heard Walter cussing Pete and then heard three shots fired quickly. When Pete and Walter were fussing Pete had his hands in his pockets. Several had been drinking but I don’t think Pete and Walter had, at least they were not drunk.”
John Richardson said: “I heard a yellow man offer Pete a gun when Pete first came up to the house, about 10 o’clock, the shooting occurred soon afterwards. I heard the shots fired but didn’t see the shooting. I saw Pete after he was shot.”
Several other witnesses were put on the stand but their testimony failed to bring out any other facts.
From the front page of The Wilson Times, May 8, 1923
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