Friday, March 15, 2024

Police Chief Arrested for Murder of Elizabeth Jones; 5-Year-Old Witnessed Killing, Remained with Body for 24 Hours, March 15, 1924

Thomasville Chief of Police Returns and Is Being Held. . . L.C. Jenkins Returns to Thomasville and Is Immediately Arrested for Alleged Part in Recent Murder. . . Woman’s Death Led to Arrest. . . Body Found in Home Occupied by Jenkins Believed to Be That of Mrs. Elizabeth Jones of Virginia

By the Associated Press

High Point, March 15—L.C. Jenkins, chief of police of Thomasville, charged with the murder of a white woman believed to be Mrs. Elizabeth Jones of Appalachia, Va., whose body was found in the Jones’ home yesterday, was arrested when he returned to Thomasville early today, according to advices received here.

Jenkins was taken to Lexington and placed in Davidson county jail.

-=-

Jenkins in Lexington Jail

Lexington, N.C., March 15—Charged with the murder of a woman whose body was found in his room at Thomasville, L.C. Jenkins, chief of police at Thomasville, is in the county jail here. He was placed there this morning by Sheriff R.L. Talbert, into whose care he was delivered by City Manager R.M. Cooksey of Thomasville. Date of a preliminary hearing has not yet been set, but it is thought he will be arraigned in recorder’s court in the next few days.

From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Saturday, March 15, 1924

-=-

Thomasville Police Chief Wanted for Slaying Woman. . . Mystery Surrounds Identity of Woman Bathed in Blood from Gunshot Wound

Thomasville, March 14—Chief of Police L.C. Jenkins, of this city, formerly on the Charlotte police force, was held responsible by a coroner’s jury here late today for the killing of a woman whose dead body bathed in blood was found in a room here this morning, guarded by a 5-year-old girl who says the dead woman was her mother and who says her father was in the room when her mother was shot.

According to the verdict of the coroner’s jury, the woman came to her death from a gunshot wound inflicted form a gun in the hands of L.C. Jenkins, who left the city early this morning, before day, in an automobile of the city of Thomasville, has not been heard from since. Officers elsewhere have been advised to look out for him and steps have been taken to get Governor Morrison to offer a reward for his capture.

On East Guilford street, in the house by the city fire house, a woman said to be the wife of Chief of Police L.C. Jenkins lies in an almost nude state across the foot of the b ed, dead with a bullet hole through her body. The chief has disappeared from the city. A little girl, called Pearl Jones, 5 years old, was the only sentinel in the room, she having been on guard over the gruesome situation since Thursday morning about 1 o’clock, or more than 24 hours.

J.T. Carter and family lives in the house, which he rents from the city. They had a room rented, which was well furnished by the Carters, and this woman had been coming in and out at different times.

The range of the ball showed that it entered the back and came out under the left shoulder, piercing the wall at the front of the room. It is said the main artery in that locality was severed and death resulted from bleeding.

A pistol was found lying on a table nearby with one empty shell. The woman probably weighed 180 pounds.

From page 4 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Saturday, March 15, 1924

No comments:

Post a Comment