By Isaac S. London in Raleigh News and Observer
Rockingham, Sept. 27—The installation of a special Associated Press wire in the court room today, and the arrival of a group of staff men from various dailies, has brought into an even keener realization the all-state interest in the Cole-Ormond murder case that will be called for trial tomorrow.
Address Grand Jury First
The decision as to a special venire from this or some other county will not be made until tomorrow afternoon. Upon the convening of court at 10 o’clock, Judge Finley will address the six months grand jury for a few moments and then that body will retire with the usual batch of bills from the solicitor. Very probably the grand jury will take up the Cole murder bill first. Upon the reporting of a true bill the prisoner, W.B. Cole, will be arraigned. After this will come the question of a special venire.
Will It be a Richmond Jury?
It seems to be a foregone conclusion that the defense will be content with a jury from Richmond county but rumor persists that the State will certainly ask for a jury from some other county.
Hotels Filling Up
The hotels here are already filling up rapidly with press men, lawyers, friends and even onlookers moved only by curiosity. The lobbies were spotted with groups tonight with the approaching trial the center of interest. In fact this case has been tried many times over in almost every home in this community since that memorable afternoon of August 15th when W.B. Cole shot out the life of W.W. Ormond on the streets of Rockingham.
Arriving here tonight from Nashville were Rev. A.L. Omond and three of his children, Allison and Misses Myra and Ophelia. His other daughter, Miss Edith, remained at home with the stricken mother who since thekilling of her son six weeks ago has been practically prostrated, in fact that 63-year-old minister-husband has filled but few of his pulpit appointments since that tragic afternoon. Allison had intended entering Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia but the homicide necessitated a change in his plans. Since the homicide he has remained at Nashville, coming here today in the Ford in which his brother was killed.
And so the stage figuratively speaking is all set for what is generally considered will be the greatest legal battle in the criminal annals of the State, even eclipsing the now famous Peacock and Means trials.
Even the walls of the county jail were not immune today against curiosity seekers with scores of people filtering by at intervals merely to get a morbid view of the iron barred window from which Mr. Cole is permitted to talk to friends who come into the fence enclosure. And such still is the morbid sense that the local photographer has sold numbers of pictures at $1 each of the flower-covered grave of young Ormond taken on the afternoon of his burial. And a thrifty young man at Roberdel Mill has placed an order for 500 additional copies of a leading state daily with all other dailies figuring largely in increased sales.
With the Associated Press having a wire directly into the court room within five feet of where Judge Finley sits with the other big news gathering agencies well protected and every leading state daily having a special staff man here, the case will be fully covered and the public can be assured in advance that they will have an abundance of sensational reading.
From the front page of The Concord Daily Times, Monday, Sept. 28, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-09-28/ed-1/seq-1/
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