Convicted Murders Confess on Way to Penitentiary, Aug. 26, 1924

Leak and Hale Admit They Had Planned Crime. . . The Negroes on Their Way to the State Penitentiary with Sheriff Talbert Told How They Planned to Kill Taxi Driver; Meant to Kill Others

Lexington, N.C., Aug. 25—A complete confession is said to have been made to Sheriff R.B. Talbert Saturday night while he was conveying Kenneth Hale and John Leake, negro prisoners convicted of the murder of Charles Garwood, local taxi driver, to Raleigh state prison. Both men admitted the murder was carefully planned.

The confession, according to a statement made today, was made when the negroes were being taken to the death house by the sheriff and Fred J. Cox, local business man.

Both men, the sheriff is quoted as saying, admitted the crime was carefully planned. Hale struck the first blow, it was said, while Leake choked Garwood when he attempted to call for help. Leake then secured the iron with which the man was killed and struck a number of other blows later using a large stone to beat out the last vestige of life. Both insisted they only got $6 from the body.

Hale is quoted as saying he suggested they slay a negro taxicab driver but Leake selected Garwood. Hale said after the slaying he planned to return to Lexington and slay Walter Rone, taxi driver, Wiley Lewis, Betty Simpson, Edgar Williams, all negroes, and two others, negro men whose names the sheriff could not recall.

From the front page of the Wilson Times, Tuesday, August 26, 1924. Headline spells last name Leak and article spells it Leake.

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073953/1924-08-26/ed-1/seq-1/#words=August+26%2C+1924