One of the most horrible crimes that has ever been committed in Warren County occurred near Arcola Sunday afternoon when William L. Ross, a white man of Hollister nearby, went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Odom and shot them both to death. Ross then went to the home of Mr. Lewis Capps at Arcola and asked him to ride down the road with him. After getting a short distance he told Mr. Capps what he had done and asked Mr. Capps to take him to Warrenton, where he could surrender himself to the sheriff. This was done, but soon thereafter, the sheriff rushed Ross to the State’s prison, at Raleigh, to avoid a possibility of any trouble by the citizens of the outraged community in which the crime had been committed.
Ross returned to Warrenton Monday afternoon and was given a preliminary hearing before Justice John W. Allen Tuesday at noon. Mr. Allen sent the cases on to Superior court then in session and later on the case was set for trial yesterday (Thursday). The State is represented by Solicitor Parker, Williams and Banzet, Frank H. Gibbs and Stanley Winborne, while Ross has for his counsel Mr. Harold D. Cooley.
The facts in the case, as related, are about as follows:
The incident that led to the shooting was the fact that a sister of Mrs. Odom, whom Ross and his wife had adopted, had fled to the Odom’s residence because Ross had mistreated her.
It is reported that Ross went to the Odom home Sunday and tried to persuade the girl to return to his home, which she refused to do. He then drew his chair by Mr. Odom, who was sitting by the fireplace, and began talking of matters in general, and without a moment’s notice took his pistol from his pocket and shot Odom through the head, then turned the pistol on Mrs. Odom, shooting her in the face, a second shot taking effect in her throat. He then turned his pistol on the girl as she ran through the door, but she escaped to the home of her cousin, J.D. Odom. As she ran out a shot was fired at her but missed its mark.
Mrs. J.D. Odom ran over and found Sidney Odom sitting upright in a chair, his hands in his pockets and his cap on his knee, showing he had not made a struggle.
The body of Mrs. Odom was lying in a pool of her own blood, and her 18-months-old baby was sitting by its mother, its clothes stained with his mother’s blood.
Hundreds of people visited the scene yesterday. The funerals were held from the Methodist church of Arcola this afternoon and the interment was in the adjoining cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Odom leave two small children, one 18 months old, and another 3 years old.
From page 5 of the Norlina Headlight, May 21, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92072926/1926-05-21/ed-1/seq-5/
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