Rockingham, Aug. 16—A conference of attorneys of W.B. Cole, charged with killing Bill Ormond here on the streets Saturday afternoon, was held here this afternoon, and it was understood that it was decided to abandon the proposed plan of going to Carthage Monday and seeking by means of habeas corpus proceedings the liberation of Mr. Cole under bond.
The attorneys who so far are said to have been retained for Mr. Cole’s defense are Bynum and Henry J. Chesley Sedberry and H.S. Boggan, all of Rockingham, and James H. Pou of Raleigh and James A. Lockhart of Charlotte. Mr. Pou was in Rockingham today in consultation.
It is scarcely likely Mr. Cole will seek his liberty under bond at all, but await the October 5th term of court to present his defense.
No statement has been made by either Mr. Cole or his attorneys as to why he took the life of young Ormond, though his friends insist that he was justified and that all will be explained in due time.
It is generally reported that young Ormond, who was 30 years old, and Miss Elizabeth Cole, who is about 26, had been going together for several years. A series of letters is said to have passed between the two men in which each is alleged to have threatened the other. At any rate, Ormond and his brother, Allison, came from Raleigh on their way to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and stopped off for the day. It is not alleged that Ormond attempted to see Miss Cole; in fact, he was out at Ledbetter’s pond during much of the afternoon where a number of friends were in swimming.
Returning to the city shortly before 5 o’clock, he phoned another young lady that he would be up to see her in a few minutes, and then stepped out to his Ford roadster, which was parked against the curb headed east, just 50 feet east of the Manufacturers building steps on Main street.
Mr. Cole was standing on the steps or porch of the building and saw Ormond get into the car a few feet distant, or he either came on the porch just after Ormond had gotten in the car. Without a word, and unseen by Ormond, he walked rapidly to the car, the occupant of which is said to have had his back to the approaching man, and getting abreast of Ormond, he began firing. No struggle took place, other than when Ormond seized the pistol with his right Hand. One bullet ploughed through Ormond’s hand and covered his hand with powder smoke. Mr. Cole then snatched the weapon loose and fired twice more, one bullet piercing just above the right lung and another entering his right arm and going on through into the body. Ormond fell back against the back of the car, and was dead within a few moments.
Mr. Cole quietly re-entered his office, then went home with a physician and was half an hour later arrested there and carried to the court house, and then to jail. No weapon of any kind was found upon Ormond.
The remains of Ormond were prepared for burial by the local undertakers, wand in response to a long distance message from Nashville, N.C., at 1 o’clock Saturday night, the body, accompanied by several friends, was dispatched to Goldsboro on the early morning train. However, the family reconsidered their plans, and wired here shortly after the train had gone to hold the remains, that the funeral would be held here instead. The Seaboard dispatcher at Hamlet was communicated with and he very kindly had No. 12 stopped at Marston and the funeral party notified and the remains taken off. They were brought back here on the noon train and carried to the residence of Dr. W.P. Webb. The funeral will be from the Methodist Church at Rockingham Monday afternoon at 4 o’clock.
Never has this community been so shocked as has been the case by this homicide. Mr. Cole is considered as perhaps the wealthiest citizen of the town, is president of the largest cotton mill, and a man of around 52 years of age. He is keenly interested in church activities and a man of the finest character and citizenship. He has a wife who was miss Elizabeth Steele of Arkansas, and three children: Bob, who is a student at Duke University; Kathlyn, who went to Salem College; and Elizabeth, who went to Converse College.
From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Monday, Aug. 17, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-08-17/ed-1/seq-1/
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