Harnett Sheriff Says Monds Wasn't Shot to Death in Meadow Township, March 12, 1926

Harnett Sheriff Denies Monds Shot to Death. . . Dunn Citizens Said Not to Believe that Monds Was Connected with Affair in Meadow Township

The report of the shooting down at the home of James Webb of Meadow township, which was published in our last issue of March 9, has created a profound feeling in the community of Dunn, where Mr. Troy Monds lived and was well known. It is not believed by the citizens of his town and community that Mr. Monds was present at the time of the shooting, or that he knew about it, or was in any way connected with it. By so good authority as the sheriff of Harnett County, it has been reported that Mr. Monds was seen in the chief of police headquarters around 10 o’clock on Thursday night, which is about the exact hour it is reported that the shooting took place at Webb’s home, 1 miles. The sheriff saw Mr. Monds that night and had a talk with him. He reports that Mr. Monds was in his usual good health and spirits and that there was not the slightest suggestion about his appearance that he had been in any kind of a raid. It is also authoritatively stated that Mr. Monds worked some in his new ground on Thursday, the day of the alleged raid on Webb’s home, and that he died between midnight and the day on Friday night following. It was understood then and so understood now that his death came as a natural cause and not as a result of gun shot wounds.

The Herald regrets that any report should gain circulation that is not founded on truth and fact. The article referred to above was run without prejudice to any individual or any society. It was published purely as a matter of news, and before the report got into its pages it had been verified by more than one citizen of Johnston County. It is more than probable, however, that the report that the sheriff of Harnett County has furnished us, as regards Mr. Mondsis more to be relied upon than the reports that reached here last Monday and from which we took our first report.

The alleged visit of masked men to Webb on Thursday night of last week has been a current report since the affair, though investigation has not added materially to the story in our last issue.

From the front page of The Smithfield Herald, Friday morning, March 12, 1926

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