BIBB TAYLOR COUNTY, GA - NEWSPAPER Childree Murder 1953 ***************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm *********************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Jacquelyn Horton Article published in Macon paper 2 Apr 1953 (the day after it happened.) WOMAN, SEEKING DIVORCE, IS SHOT TO DEATH BY MATE A.S. Childree Surrenders to Officers A 19 year old Macon woman was shot and killed by her estranged husband as she fled from her father's house on Robinson Drive late yesterday afternoon. About an hour after he pumped five bullets into his wife, Armour S. Childree, of 1041 Walnut St. gave himself up and was taken into custody, Sheriff James L. Wood said. The woman, Mrs. Emily H. Childree, was shot in the chest, neck and three times in the head and died instantly, Wood said. Only a few hours prior to the shooting, Mrs. Childree had filed a petition for divorce in Bibb Superior Court charging cruel treatment. The petition stated they were married on March 7, 1952 and had been separated just a few days. Gun Purchased Wood said Childree, armed with a 32 calibre pistol he purchased about noon yesterday, went to the home of his wife's father at 4455 Robinson Drive about 5 p.m. The woman, who was alone in the house, refused to let Childree in, the sheriff said, and later ran from the house and into a neighbor's rear yard where she was cut down by the volley of shots. Mrs. Childree was employed as a waitress at Bolldworth's Café at 588 Mulberry Street and had left work about two hours before the fatal shooting. Childree left the scene on foot and made his way through a wooded area to the home of Roy H. Greene at 3855 Bloomfield Road. He asked Greene to call officers and was apprehended there by Deputies Joe Munn and Sam Riley. Hazy on detaila Under questioning at Bibb County jail, Childree admitted the shooting, Wood said, but was hazy on the details. He had been drinking, Wood said. The distance from the location of the slaying to Green's hourse is about a mile and a quarter, the sheriff said. Mrs. Green told a reporter she and her husband were behind their house tying up a dog when they noticed a man coming through the woods. I realized he was a stranger and not one of the neighbors. He came right up to my husband and I and looked a little funny, Mrs. Greene related. She said Childree told them he had had some family trouble and wanted them to call the police. Mrs. Greene said her husband left the man in a swing in the yard and telephoned the sheriff's office. Deputies Munn and Riley, who were carrying out a search in the area, arrived a few minutes later. Threats reported Wood said the Childrees had been fussing for several days and reported Childree told a witness pior to the shooting his wife sould live with him or not live with anybody. He also said the woman had told her attorney, Tilman E. Sealf, that she was afraid of her husband. A native of Taylor county, Mrs. Childree was the mother of a two year old daughter by a previous marriage. She had resided here about two years, coming from Thomaston. Among her survivors are her father W.T. Horton; her mother who lives in Albany; daughter Sandra; brother Jerry Horton of Albany, and a sister, Miss Patsy Horton, Albany Hart's Mortuary is in charge of funeral arrangements. (Note by Jerry Horton's wife Jackie Horton  mother's maiden name was Estelle Spillers and her daughter was Karen not Sandra. Both father and mother were born in Taylor county, GA and Emily (who went by Ann) along with her brother Jerry were born in Mauk, GA while her other sister Patsy was born in Reynolds. What isn't mentioned is that Ann was five or six months pregnant at this time.) Macon newspaper about Jul or Aug 1953 Macon newspaper about Jul or Aug 1953. (not sure of date as these were given to me by my mother-in-law undated.) CHILDREE GOES ON TRIAL TODAY IN WIFE'S DEATH (Jury hears story of Pistol Slaying) by George Doss A Bibb Superior Court jury today heard a story of brutal, determined killing from Solictor General William M. West as he told them what he expects to prove in the murder trail of Armour Sidney Childree. The 30-year-old Childree is accused of following his 19-year-old wife to her father's house on April 1, the day she had filed a divorce suit against him, and shooting her six times with a 38 caliber pistol he had bought that afternoon from a pawn broker. West's opening statement of what he expects to prove in the state's case was all there was time for in the trial between the selection of a jury, completed at 12:30 p.m. and the noon recess which begin shortly before 1 p.m. The solicitor general said the state's evidence will show that Childree had mistreated his wife, Mrs. Emily Annetter H. Childree, and that she had left their apartment at 1039 Walnut StreeT the day before she was killed. Her husband followed her to Bloodworth's Café at 588 Mulberry Street where she was employed and threatened her. On the afternoon of April 1, West said, Childree went again to the café and after he was asked by the proprietor to leave threatened to kill his wife. He followed her to the house of her father, W. T. Horton at 455 Robinson Drive and while he was outside the house his wife telephoned a friend and asked for help. Later she ran from the back of the house and he chased her to a neighboring house. The young woman's blood was found on the door of the house where her husband had struck her, the solicitor general said. West said Childree next threw his wife some six feet off a porch and then jumped down and caught her by the hair and emptied his pistol into her head, neck and chest. Some of her hair was later found caught in the trigger of his pistol, the solicitor general said. After that Childree reloaded his pistol and shot his wife again, shooting her six times in all, according to West. Childree then left his wife and walked through the woods to a house on Bloomfield Road where he gave himself up and asked that sheriff's deputies be called. The officers found Mrs. Childree dead. West said they found Childree had been drinking but was not drunk. After the solicitor general concluded his opening statement Defense Attorney H.T. O'Neal Jr, said he would wait until a later point in the trail to open the defense case. Judge Mallory C. Atkinson ordered the jury held together for lunch and during the trial which is expected to continue through Tuesday. (Note by Jackie Horton sister-in-law of Ann Horton who I was never privileged to meet Mr Childree was convicted of this crime and sentenced to life in prison. He was paroled in eight years. The second year of his freedom he was in a car accident putting him into a coma from which he never recovered. Ann was born in Mauk, Taylor county, GA and her parents were Walter T. Horton and Estelle Spillers both of Taylor county, GA. Her brother Jerry was also born in Mauk and her sister (now deceased) Patsy was born in Reynolds.) Note: Emily Annette Horton parents were Walter Terrell Horton and Estelle Spillers. Ann was born in Mauk, Taylor county, GA 8 Mar 1934 and of course died 1 Apr 1953. My husband was her brother. Her other sister was Patsy Horton born in Reynolds. WT Horton died in 1973 and Estelle Spillers died in 1986. Patty died in 1998.