Dougherty County GaGenweb Archives - Murder - Walton Moree Mrs. Ernest Aultman 1938
Submitted by Debra Boswell Crosby http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002467

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Albany Herald Sep 20, 1938 death Sep 17, 1938

"Inquest is Planned Into Deaths of Woman and Man Near Here - Walton Moree
and Mrs. Ernest Aultman Found Shot to Death in Woods"

An inquest was planned for 3 o'clock this afternoon by Coroner C. W. Thomas
in the deaths of Mrs. Ernest Aultman and Walton Moree, 33, whose bullet
riddled bodies were found ysterday morning near the latter's automobile
in the woods fifty yards off the old Jim Davis road, about a mile and
a half due west of the Albany city limits.
Officers expected that a statement at that time would be forthcoming from
Ernest Aultman, the dead woman's husband, who was held today on a warrant
charging murder.
Sheriff O. F. Tarver said last night that Aultman, arrested Sunday afternoon
in Warwick by Chief Deputy Cull Campbell, Deputy John Womble and County
Officer W. S. Gibson had  not been officially questioned, due to the man's
condition. Aultman had received a sedative before his arrest, Sheriff Tarver
stated. He was held under guard in a local hotel last night by order of Judge
B. C. Gardner of Dougherty Superior Court. 
The bodies had been dead several hours, the deaths having possibly occured early
Saturday night, investigating officers stated.
Sheriff Tarver said the bodies were discovered by two youths, Lonnie Hewett of 
Albany and Junior Hewett of Amsterdam, about 10:30 o'clock yesterday morning.
He revealed that the woman had been shot once, in the back of the head and
that the man's body was torn by five shots, one large wound having possibly
been made by a charge from a shotgun at close range.
Both bodies were found on the ground close to the automobile, young Lonnie
Hewett, one of the discoverers, stated this morning.
The man had fallen partially under the running board.
Officers stated that Mrs. Aultman was clad only in underclothing and that
Moree was fully clothed.
Two shotgun shells, papers which carried the name of Aultman and a paper sack
were found at the scene, Sheriff Tarver said, and all will be examined for
fingerprints.
The bodies were to be probed today for bullets, possibly for identification by
means of ballistics tests.
Mrs. Aultman is survived by her husband and East Dougherty County farmer being
held on suspicion, and two small daughters.
Moree a Worth County farmer, is survived by his wife and a small son.
Mrs. Aultman's children, officers stated, were found late Saturday night
waiting for their mother in an automobile near a local motion picture house
where they had gone to see a picture. When Mrs. Aultman did not return, they
were taken by police to the home of relatives.
Sheriff Tarver said he understood that Aultman had been looking for his wife
in Albany Saturday night.
Lonnie Hewett, questioned this morning said that on discovery of the bodies
he and his companion hurried to town, where they had informed Officer M. 
Burnett, of the Albany police force, who in turn notified the Deputy Sheriff
Campbell.
Moree Funeral Tuesday
The funeral of mr. Moree will be held Tuesday morning at 11 o'clock, Eastern
standard time, at Isabella Church, Worth County, conducted by the Rev. T. H.
Wilder. Interment will follow in the Isabella Cemetery.
Pall bearers will be as follows: Active, Messrs, Iverson Moree, Robert Hill,
Early Blyth, E. Shiver, James Rouse, Julian Moree; 
Honorary, Messrs; Rufus Bateman, Henry Bateman, Sam James, Sam Rouse, Isaac
Shiver and Jimmie Aultman.
Mr. Moree is survived by his wife, who before her marriage was Miss Hilda
Aultman of Worth County, a son, Norton, his father, Mr. Alfred Moree of 
Worth County; two brothers, Mr. M. B. Moree of Worth County, Mr. R. C.
Morre of Los Angeles Calif. and two sisters, Mrs. Floyd Knight and Mrs.
Emmett Knight of Red Rock.
The Albany Undertaking Company is in charge.

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"Robbery Was Motive of Double Slaying Sheriff Believes - Tarver Offers $100 of His
Personal Funds for the Capture of Slayers of Walton Moree and Mrs. Ernest
Aultman Near Here Saturday Night, and Has Asked Governor Rivers to Offer
An Additional Reward. Aultman is Released and No Charge is Pending Against
Him"

Advancing the theory that robbery was the motive in the slaying near here
Saturday night of Walton Moree and Mrs. Ernest Aultman, Sheriff O. F. Tarver
announced today that he had posted $100 of his personal funds as a reward
for apprehension of the slayer or slayers, "with proof to convict," and
added that he had written to Governor E. D. Rivers asking that the state
offer an additional reward.
Yesterday a coroners jury returned a verdict that the victims, a 33 year old
Worth County farmer and a Dougherty County farm wife, were shot to death "by a 
party or parties unknown to the jury at this time"
Mrs. Aultman's husband arrested Sunday on a warrant charging murder, has been
released and no charges are pending against him, Sheriff Tarver said.
Witnesses testified before the coroner's jury that Mrs. Aultman's personal
papers were found discarded near the scene of the crime and that footprints
were found leading from the location to nearby woods where the tracks were lost.
In the testimony it was brought out that the pocketbook in which witnesses
said, she had previously placed the papers, was missing. No witness was able,
however to give an adequate description of the purse. The handbag was said
to have been in her possession when she was last seen alive.
Sheriff J. N. Sumner and his deputy, Davis Hudson of Worth County, who were
in Albany at the time the crime was uncovered and assisted Dougherty Officers
in the investigation, stated that they were able to trace footprints of two
persons leading from the fatal spot.
One print was distinctive, declared Sheriff Sumner, in that it was evidently
made by a worn shoe with no heel and apparently with the toe worn away leaving
a big toe makr in each shoe track.
The shoe was estimated to be of size eight. The prints of the other track were
of a shoe of somewhat larger size, he said.
W. J. Revells, of Worth County, testified that he had met Aultman in Albany about
9 o'clock Saturday night, was with him for about two hours and then carried him
to his home near the Worth Dougherty line.
C. C. Shiver, of the Albany police force, state that he had been wakened early
Sunday morning by Mrs. Moree, wife of the dead man, who informed him that Mrs.
Aulman's two children, who had been to the movies, were waiting for their mother
on Broad Avenue. 
When the two children were taken to their home, he said, Aulman was found sitting
on the front slope, greatly worried over the whereabouts of his wife.
Iverson Moree of Worth testified that he had seen Aultman Sunday morning about
11 o'clock at Red  Rock, that Aultman seemed greatly worried about his missing
wife. Aultman assumed at the time, Moree said, that his wife had deserted him.
Aultman said "I would kill them if I knew where they were" Moree said, "but I
talked him out of that idea. I am sure he did not know at the time that they
were dead".
J. L. Stanley, insurance agent and Dorris Wilder, merchant, testified to identify
papers found near the scene of the crime as those given to Mrs. Aultman as receipts.
Dr. J. C. Keaton who examined the bodies, told the jury that a rifle or pistol
and a shotgun were explained that all the shots were used to fire the fatal shots.
He exhibited X-ray negatives which clearly showed bird shot and pistol or rifle
bullets in the bodies and explained that all the shots were not fired from the
same direction in relation to the bodies.
Aulman himself, who was in a virtual state of collapse when he entered the Albany
Undertaking Company's chapel for the inquest, was the last to testify.
His statement, made voluntarily, related how he and his wife had come to Albany
Saturday afternoon, how he had left his wife and children, who intended going
to a movie, how he was taken home by his neighbor, W. J. Revells, and how he
woke up during the night to find wife and children missing.
He said that he was awake when Officer Shiver brought his children home and
that he spent the rest of the night in search of Mrs. Aultman.
Others testifying were Lonnie Hewett, one of the two boys who first discovered
the bodies about two miles west of Albany near an unfrequented road; Chief
Deputy Sheriff Cull Campbell, Deputy John Wamble and W. L. Barfield of Red Rock.
Members of the coroner's jury were S. J. Cook, William Ticknor, H. D. Roberts,
Griggs Miller, A. T. Spies and D. L. Beatie, foreman.
Coroner C. W. Thomas presided.

The funeral of Mrs. Aultman will be held at 3:30 o'clock this afternoon at
Salem Church in Worth County, conducted by the Rev. T. H. Wilder.
The following will be pall bearers; Messrs, Dorris Wilder, Robert Hill, Sam
Pate, Elzie Champion, James Rouse and W. L. Barfield.
Besides her husband, Mrs. Aultman is survived by two children, Ernestine and
Betty; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Dorsey of Blountstown, Fla., a brother,
Mr. James Dorsey of Oregon and a sister Miss Mildred Dorsey of Blountstown, 
Fla.
The funeral of Mr. Moree was held this morning at 11 o'clock at Isabella
Church in Worth County and Interment followed in the church cemetery. 
He is survived by his wife and son, Norton. 
The Albany Undertaking Company was in charge.