Isle of Wight-Nansemond-Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries......Shooting, 1958 

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J.F. Duke, Robbery 
Victim, Back Home 
From The Hospital 

  J.F. Duke, wounded victim of a robbery attempt at the Carrsville Drive-In 
Theatre, has been discharged from the Raiford Memorial Hospital where he had 
been a patient.

  Duke, postmaster at Carrsville, 53, was selling tickets at the Carrsville 
auto theatre the night of July 16, when a gunman challenged him.

  Although Duke didn't resist, the man shot him in the lower left side of the 
back when he started to rise from his chair.  The man then fled.  Duke's 
condition at first was considered critical. 

****************************************************************************** 

Case of Shooting 
Of Carrsville 
Postmaster Closed 

  Isle of Wight Sheriff Harold C. Taylor stated that he had marked closed the 
case of the shooting of Carrsville Postmaster Jack Duke Jr., 53, who was shot 
during an attempted holdup July 16.

  Taylor said that the gun recovered by State police after two troopers 
fatally wounded John Grady Boykins, 38, of the 300 block of Factory Street, 
Suffolk, had been sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) laboratory 
in Washington for a ballistics test. 

  On the basis of the test, he said he was satisfied that Boykins was the man 
who shot Duke as the postmaster was doubling as a ticket agent for the 
Carrsville Drive-In Theatre.

  Duke was shot one time by a lone bandit who approached the ticket window and 
then as Duke turned from the window to reach for the cash box.  Duke was 
hospitalized for several days and has subsequently recovered from the wound, 
Taylor said.

  Boykins was shot to death August 23 by two State troopers who were hiding in 
a private car in an attempt to catch the lone gunman who had been robbing 
motorists sleeping in their parked cars along the highways. 

  State police have since identified Boykins as the man who committed six 
robberies of sleeping motorists, and Taylor said several weeks ago that 
Boykins had been identified as the man who committed one of the two robberies 
at Lowe's Service Station near Franklin. 

  The two troopers who shot the man to death were cleared of murder charges 
brought against them. 


"Jack" John Francis DUKE, Jr., Carrsville Postmaster, age 53, 
shot during attempted robbery, 16 Jul 1958, Carrsville Drive-In Theatre, 
interred in Beaver Dam Baptist Church Cemetery*, near Carrsville, 

John Grady BOYKINS, Hayes Furniture laborer, suspected armed robber, 
b. 15 Mar 1920, Southampton Co., 
fatally shot by State troopers, 23 Aug 1958, Nansemond Co., 
interred in the BUTTS Cemetery**, near Sebrell, 27 Aug 1958 

"The Smithfield (VA) Times," July 31, 1958, p. 1, col. 7; 
"The Smithfield (VA) Times," Oct. 2, 1958, p. 1, col. 3 


*Jack is buried with his first wife, his parents & paternal grandparents in 
   Beaver Dam Baptist Church Cemetery, near Carrsville. 
   Beaver Dam list (BC-33) - an extension of the 
   Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/cemeteries/bvrdam.txt 

Jack second wife Bertha Mae COPELAND BUTLER DUKE is buried with her first 
   husband in Poplar Spring Cemetery, Franklin. 
   SCHS Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list (PS-ANX3B-48B): 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/psanx3.txt 

Jack's father's obit ("Tidewater News," Apr. 13, 1959, Sect. I, p. 1) 
   is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/obits/d200j4ob.txt 

His mother's obits ("Tidewater News," Feb. 8 & 11, 1960) are posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/obits/d200m3ob.txt 

John Grady BOYKINS has been added to the list for the BUTTS Cemetery, 
   SCHS Cemetery Project, Miscellaneous African-American Cemeteries (AA-91): 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/afr_am.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/news/19581002st.txt