otto smitherman
Smitherman's Father Believes Son Was Attacked While Asleep in His Buggy— Funerals Today.
His throat cut from ear to ear, the jugular vein severed and little left of the neck but the bone, the body of Otto Smitherman, 18-year-old youth of near Ringgold, Ga., was found in the road in front of Pleasant Grove church, two miles south of Ringgold, shortly after midnight Sunday night. At the head lay a heavy, old-fashioned razor, blood- clotted, bent and broken. About 150 feet south, hanging from a tree by a plow line, was found the body of Earl Williams, 20 years old, neighbor, one-time friend and of late a hated rival of Smitherman's for the affections of Miss Flora Stroup, of the same neighborhood.
The discovery of the bodies was made by John Smitherman, father of Otto Smitherman, and Levi Dunn, a friend, the father having instituted a search for his son after becoming alarmed over his absence. The searchers found a scantling propped against the tree from which hung the body of Williams and the details of the tragedy as revealed by the dim light of a lantern were easily calculated-that Williams had slashed his rival to death with the razor, had mutilated the body and then had taken his own life by hanging.
The tragedy which stirred the little town of Ringgold as it has seldom been stirred in its history gave rise to many conflicting stories yesterday as to the events which led up to it. The coroner's jury, empaneled by Coronor John L. McClain, coroner of Catoosa county, returned a verdict early Monday morning that Smitherman "came to his death at the hands of Earl Williams and that Williams then took his own life." There were some, however, who chose to believe that there was a third person who assisted in the death of Smitherman, pointing to the fact that there was little evidence of struggle around where the body was found, and Smitherman was a strong, vigorous young farmer who would not have given up without a battle to one opponent, and that further there was not so much as a spot of blood on Williams' hands or clothing. The razor case and Williams' hat were found a few feet from the three where he hung, and the plow line was his own, seeming to indicate that he had planned the killing and suicide thoroughly, in every detail, beforehand.
The Smitherman family were former residents of Tyner, but moved to the Ringgold neighborhood several years ago and became neighbors and firm friends of the Williams. Otto Smitherman and Earl Wiliams were chums for several months. Last winter, however, Miss Stroup, who had been a close friend of Williams for a long time, according to the story told by neighbors, began to go with Smitherman and soon Williams' visits to her home were discontinued. Bad blood at once arose, Williams nursing a bitter jealousy and hatred of his apparently successful rival. The enmity came to a head in February, when it is said that Williams and a friend attacked Smitherman and after a terrific battle beat him up badly.
This event did not interrupt the course of the friendship between Smitherman and Miss Stroup, however, and Smitherman, after failing in an attempt to become friends with Williams, again was forced to remain aloof. Of late there have been rumors in the neighborhood that Smitherman and Miss Stroup were to be married at an early date, which, it is said, aroused Williams to a bitter de- termination to take Smitherman's life. Relatives are said to have told of Williams' announcement at the close of a day's ploughing Friday that he had done his last day's work and that he intended to take Smitherman's life and his own.
Smitherman was with Miss Stroup Sunday afternoon and accompanied her by train to the home of her grandmother at Dalton. Returning on the 10 o'clock train, he rode to the home of the girl's father in an automobile with Lyle Yates, a friend, for the purpose of getting his horse and buggy which he had left at the Stroup home. On the way, he told Yates that he was going to tie the reins around the whip stand and let the horse go home, that he was very sleepy and tired.
The Smitherman home is located on a private road that turns off the main road and runs by Pleasant Grove church and a schoolhouse. When the elder Smitherman became uneasy over his son's ab- sence, he called a neighbor, Levi Dunn, and started down the road. A short distance from the house he found the horse and buggy, with the lines around the whip stand just as Smitherman had told his friend he would leave them. Going farther on, about a quarter of a mile, to the church, he found the body of his son lying on the edge next to a cornfield. There was little evidence of a struggle, and nothing to indicate that young Smitherman had not died without a murmur, except a trail of blood from the center of the road. The father believes that his son was attacked while still asleep in the buggy and was killed without being awakened
The mutilation of Smitherman's body was so terrible that it was difficult to believe that a sane man had committed the deed. In addition to the almost complete destruction of throat and neck, the right leg was almost cut from the body, and there were large gashes at various places from head to foot, several of which severed arteries, and any one of which would have caused death by loss of blood. The slayer seemed not content with merely taking the life of his enemy, but in his frenzy seemed to have derived satisfaction from continuing his blows after death has set in.
Williams' threats to take summary vengeance on Smitherman has been well known for some time, but both families are law-abiding, respected people, and no one took them seriously. According to County Judge L. R. Wiggins, who was interviewed last night, there was a disposition to take the situation lightly. everyone believing that Williams would recover from his infatuation and eventually make friends with his former chum. Even when Williams was observed by a passerby Sunday night in Pleasant Grove churchyard, the ob- server did not anticipate that a tragedy was impending. It is now believed that Williams waited in the churchyard for his victim several hours. Immediately after the bodies were discovered Sheriff Black, John Dedmon, a former Chattanoogan, and others hurried to the scene, and the sheriff conducted a hurried investigation. The sheriff was reticent about the affair last night, and seemed to be unwilling to commit himself until he was certain that Smitherman and Williams were the only two men present at the time of the killing and suicide. The body of Smitherman was brought to Chapman's in Chat- tanooga for burial.
Otto Smitherman is survived by his parents and three brothers. The funeral will be conducted from the church at Tyner this afternoon at 1 o'clock. Following will be the pallbearers: Johnny Lightfoot, Fred Poe, Jewett Poss, Roy Sterchi, Marvin Benton.
Williams was the son of Mr. and Mrs. I. L. Williams, and leaves three brothers and five sisters. His funeral will be conducted from Peavine church, near Ringgold, this afternoon at 2 o'clock.
His throat cut from ear to ear, the jugular vein severed and little left of the neck but the bone, the body of Otto Smitherman, 18-year-old youth of near Ringgold, Ga., was found in the road in front of Pleasant Grove church, two miles south of Ringgold, shortly after midnight Sunday night. At the head lay a heavy, old-fashioned razor, blood- clotted, bent and broken. About 150 feet south, hanging from a tree by a plow line, was found the body of Earl Williams, 20 years old, neighbor, one-time friend and of late a hated rival of Smitherman's for the affections of Miss Flora Stroup, of the same neighborhood.
The discovery of the bodies was made by John Smitherman, father of Otto Smitherman, and Levi Dunn, a friend, the father having instituted a search for his son after becoming alarmed over his absence. The searchers found a scantling propped against the tree from which hung the body of Williams and the details of the tragedy as revealed by the dim light of a lantern were easily calculated-that Williams had slashed his rival to death with the razor, had mutilated the body and then had taken his own life by hanging.
The tragedy which stirred the little town of Ringgold as it has seldom been stirred in its history gave rise to many conflicting stories yesterday as to the events which led up to it. The coroner's jury, empaneled by Coronor John L. McClain, coroner of Catoosa county, returned a verdict early Monday morning that Smitherman "came to his death at the hands of Earl Williams and that Williams then took his own life." There were some, however, who chose to believe that there was a third person who assisted in the death of Smitherman, pointing to the fact that there was little evidence of struggle around where the body was found, and Smitherman was a strong, vigorous young farmer who would not have given up without a battle to one opponent, and that further there was not so much as a spot of blood on Williams' hands or clothing. The razor case and Williams' hat were found a few feet from the three where he hung, and the plow line was his own, seeming to indicate that he had planned the killing and suicide thoroughly, in every detail, beforehand.
The Smitherman family were former residents of Tyner, but moved to the Ringgold neighborhood several years ago and became neighbors and firm friends of the Williams. Otto Smitherman and Earl Wiliams were chums for several months. Last winter, however, Miss Stroup, who had been a close friend of Williams for a long time, according to the story told by neighbors, began to go with Smitherman and soon Williams' visits to her home were discontinued. Bad blood at once arose, Williams nursing a bitter jealousy and hatred of his apparently successful rival. The enmity came to a head in February, when it is said that Williams and a friend attacked Smitherman and after a terrific battle beat him up badly.
This event did not interrupt the course of the friendship between Smitherman and Miss Stroup, however, and Smitherman, after failing in an attempt to become friends with Williams, again was forced to remain aloof. Of late there have been rumors in the neighborhood that Smitherman and Miss Stroup were to be married at an early date, which, it is said, aroused Williams to a bitter de- termination to take Smitherman's life. Relatives are said to have told of Williams' announcement at the close of a day's ploughing Friday that he had done his last day's work and that he intended to take Smitherman's life and his own.
Smitherman was with Miss Stroup Sunday afternoon and accompanied her by train to the home of her grandmother at Dalton. Returning on the 10 o'clock train, he rode to the home of the girl's father in an automobile with Lyle Yates, a friend, for the purpose of getting his horse and buggy which he had left at the Stroup home. On the way, he told Yates that he was going to tie the reins around the whip stand and let the horse go home, that he was very sleepy and tired.
The Smitherman home is located on a private road that turns off the main road and runs by Pleasant Grove church and a schoolhouse. When the elder Smitherman became uneasy over his son's ab- sence, he called a neighbor, Levi Dunn, and started down the road. A short distance from the house he found the horse and buggy, with the lines around the whip stand just as Smitherman had told his friend he would leave them. Going farther on, about a quarter of a mile, to the church, he found the body of his son lying on the edge next to a cornfield. There was little evidence of a struggle, and nothing to indicate that young Smitherman had not died without a murmur, except a trail of blood from the center of the road. The father believes that his son was attacked while still asleep in the buggy and was killed without being awakened
The mutilation of Smitherman's body was so terrible that it was difficult to believe that a sane man had committed the deed. In addition to the almost complete destruction of throat and neck, the right leg was almost cut from the body, and there were large gashes at various places from head to foot, several of which severed arteries, and any one of which would have caused death by loss of blood. The slayer seemed not content with merely taking the life of his enemy, but in his frenzy seemed to have derived satisfaction from continuing his blows after death has set in.
Williams' threats to take summary vengeance on Smitherman has been well known for some time, but both families are law-abiding, respected people, and no one took them seriously. According to County Judge L. R. Wiggins, who was interviewed last night, there was a disposition to take the situation lightly. everyone believing that Williams would recover from his infatuation and eventually make friends with his former chum. Even when Williams was observed by a passerby Sunday night in Pleasant Grove churchyard, the ob- server did not anticipate that a tragedy was impending. It is now believed that Williams waited in the churchyard for his victim several hours. Immediately after the bodies were discovered Sheriff Black, John Dedmon, a former Chattanoogan, and others hurried to the scene, and the sheriff conducted a hurried investigation. The sheriff was reticent about the affair last night, and seemed to be unwilling to commit himself until he was certain that Smitherman and Williams were the only two men present at the time of the killing and suicide. The body of Smitherman was brought to Chapman's in Chat- tanooga for burial.
Otto Smitherman is survived by his parents and three brothers. The funeral will be conducted from the church at Tyner this afternoon at 1 o'clock. Following will be the pallbearers: Johnny Lightfoot, Fred Poe, Jewett Poss, Roy Sterchi, Marvin Benton.
Williams was the son of Mr. and Mrs. I. L. Williams, and leaves three brothers and five sisters. His funeral will be conducted from Peavine church, near Ringgold, this afternoon at 2 o'clock.