Rockingham, Aug. 15—W.B. Cole, wealthy cotton manufacturer, president of the Hannah Picket Mill, was held in jail tonight without privilege of bail, on recommendation of the coroner’s jury, following an inquest in the case of the death of W.W. Ormond, age 29, electrician, who was shot and killed by Cole on one of the principal streets of Rockingham late today.
Young Ormond formerly lived here while his father, the Rev. A.L. Ormond was stationed here, and there had been bad feeling between him and Mr. Cole for some years, it was stated tonight, though the ca\use was not given at the coroner’s inquest.
Shot Down in Auto
Cole shot Ormond three times with a 32 calibre pistol, while the latter sat in his Ford in front of the manufacturers’ building on Main street. Ormond died within 10 minutes without regaining consciousness. Mr. Cole was placed in the county jail at 8 o’clock tonight. The coroner’s jury held its inquest and reported that “the deceased came to his death from gunshot wounds at the hands of WB Cole, and we recommend that the said Cole be held without bail.”
Mr. Cole was placed under arrest at his residence on Fayetteville road half an hour after the homicide. He was under a physician’s care, and was carried to the sheriff’s office at the court house.
Friends of Mr. Cole endeavored to have the acting sheriff accept a bond, the size being of no consideration, but Deputy Sheriff Reynolds communicated with Judge W.J. Adams at Carthage and was informed that no bond could be allowed.
Owing to the prominence of Mr. Cole and the general regard in which young Ormond was held, the homicide created a tremendous amount of interest.
W.W. Ormond and his younger brother, Allison, drove from Raleigh to Rockingham this morning on their way to Myrtle Beach. Ormond spent part of the afternoon at Ledbetter’s pond with a bunch of young folks swimming, returning to town shortly before 5 o’clock He was seated in his ford, parallel with the curb and nearly in front of the Manufacturers’ building, in which Mr. Cole has an office, when Mr. Cole saw him.
According to the evidence as given at the coroner’s inquest, Mr. Cole, who was standing on the Manufacturers’ building steps, saw Ormond seated in the car and without a word walked to the side of the car, and began firing. One shot pierced the dead man’s right hand, and a smoked hand shows he tried to grasp the weapon, another bullet entering his chest just over the right lung. A third bullet entered the right arm, went immediately through the body and came out under the left arm.
Immediately after firing the three shots, Mr. Cole quietly retraced his steps to his office, laid the weapon upon a table and then was carried home by friends and a physician, where an officer later placed him in custody. No statement was made at the time or since, by Mr. Cole, so for as can be learned, as to the reasons for or causes leading to the homicide.
Examination of the dead man’s body failed to show any signs of a weapon of any kind. There was no struggle or words between them though it is understood that there had been some bad blood between the two for some month.
W.W. Ormond is a son of Rev. A.L. Ormond, at present pastor of a Methodist circuit at Nashville, N.C. He lived at Rockingham for some yea while his father was pastor here, and he often visited here since moving away.
More recently he has been an electrician employed at State College.
He served honorably for many months in the service overseas, was gassed while on the front lines, and was very popular among the young people here. The remains were prepared for burial here tonight and carried at midnight to the home of Dr. P. Webb.
Cole is one of Rockingham’s wealthiest and most prominent citizens. He is president of the 82,000-spindle Hannah Pickett Mill, and a citizen of irreproachable character and the highest standing in church and business. The entire community is stunned by the sudden homicide, and sympathy of the people goes out to both families.
From page 2 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Monday, Aug. 17, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-08-17/ed-1/seq-2/
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