Harmony, N.C., Oct. 5 (AP)—the lately common occurrence of police officers killing innocent citizens has been reversed and the court action that followed resulted in a great shock to this community.
The shock came with the acquittal of Michael (Jockey) Kerin at Springfield, Ill., last week. Kerin was under indictment for the murder of young Thomas B. Lankford, a prohibition officer working in Illinois.
Lankford was the son of R. H. Lankford, professor in the schools here, and was well known in this vicinity.
The Illinois man admitted the killing but claimed that he thought Lankford and his companion, Ray King, were hold-up men. King testified that he and Lankford announced themselves as prohibition agents when they raided a liquor party in which Kerin was participating, and that their announcement was greeted with the shot that caused Lankford’s death.
Professor Lankford was present at the trial of his son’s slayer.
From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Tuesday, Oct. 5, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1926-10-05/ed-1/seq-1/
No comments:
Post a Comment