Patrick County Virginia USGenWeb Archives News.....THREE ARE READY TO GIVE SELVES UP ON CHARGE SHOOTING February 8, 1927 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ron Martin cindyandron@bellsouth.net August 6, 2022, 10:32 pm Daily Press, Newport News, VA February 8, 1927 THREE ARE READY TO GIVE SELVES UP ON CHARGE SHOOTING Sheriff on Way to Take Trio in Custody in Connection with Death of Three Others Sunday Afternoon. BOOTLEGGERS’ ACTIVITY ALLEGED TO BE CAUSE Shooting Follow Attempted Arrest on Felony Warrant Charging Liquor Making. ROANOKE, February 7—(AP) Ernest Shelton, Frank Chaney, and Ora Turner were placed in jail at Stuart at 8 o’clock tonight, following their arrest today at Fayerdale, in connection with the shooting to death Sunday afternoon of Dave Cox, his brother Maynard, and Turner Hall who were slain in a gun fight, said to have been the culmination of bootlegging rivalry, according to word received here. They were taken to Stuart in custody of Sheriff S.B. Mays and his deputies. STUART, Va., February 7—(AP)—Sheriff S.B. Mays late this afternoon was reported on his way to Fayerdale, Patrick County, to arrest Frank Chaney, Ora Turner, and Ernest Shelton, in connection with the shooting to death Sunday afternoon of Dave Cox, his brother Maynard and Turner Hall who are said to have been killed in an outbreak resulting from bootlegging activities. The three notified Commonwealth Attorney F.P. Burton, who was at the scene of the shooting this morning that they were waiting to submit to arrest, Mr. Burton said this afternoon on his return to Stuart. Warrants were issued for them and Mr. Burton instructed Sheriff Mays to go to Fayerdale for the men. Turner Hall, in company with Frank Chaney, Ora Turner, and Ernest Shelton, according to information obtained from Mr. Burton on Sunday, went to the home of John Chaney at Fayerdale with a warrant for the arrest of Dave and Maynard Cox. The warrant had been obtained by Hall Saturday at Stuart, Mr. Burton said and charged the Cox brothers with felonies, in connection with operating a still and with having fired from ambush upon Bunyan Nichols, whom the brothers, it is said, mistaken for Hall. The trio is said to have found Dave Cox at John Chaney’s home Sunday afternoon when they arrived about 4 o’clock. Cox was lying upon a bed it was stated. He was arrested and disarmed, according to Burton. While this was taking place, it is understood that other persons at the house one of whom was said to be Ewell Nichols left hurriedly, ran a short distance and informed Maynard Cox and his sisters, who were passing in an automobile, that their brother was under arrest. The newcomers, according to accounts of the affair, entered the house and Maynard, the 16 year old brother of Dave Cox drew a pistol as he entered the room. Turner Hall and Ernest Shelton are alleged to have had their guns leveled upon Dave Cox. Firing began and Dave Cox fell dead. Almost at the same moment Maynard fell with a wound and as he sank to the floor he is said to have lifted his weapon, sending a bullet into Hall’s body. Hall did not die instantly while the younger Cox is said to have died immediately. Each of the three slain men are said to have had three or four wonds. A glancing bullet flying through another room struck John Chaney in the eye, it is reported. Another struck him in the foot. His aunt, Mrs. Betty Chaney was wounded in the hand. Both of them will recover. The sisters of the slain brothers were in the room when the shooting took place and according to one version of the affair one of them exclaimed; as she entered and found the men with pistols pointed at her brother, “Don’t shoot Dave.” According to Mr. Burton, it was understood at Stuart when Hall secured the joint warrant that it was to be placed in the hands of a deputy sheriff for service. It was not known whether Hall had been deputized. His three companions, it was stated had “not been deputized.” The trouble between Hall and the Cox brothers began a short time ago Mr. Burton said when Hall’s still was destroyed by revenue officers, who are alleged to have been supplied with information by the brothers. Hall, with Shelton, his brother in law, it is said, retaliated by raiding a still belonging to the Cox brothers, destroying the outfit and a quantity of whiskey at the same time driving the brothers away. This episode is said to have been followed about a week ago by the ambushing incident when Bunyan Nichols was wounded. It was as a result of this that Hall is reported to have sworn out the warrant charging, in addition to the shooting, illicit whiskey making by the Cox brothers. DANVILLE, Feb 7—(AP)—While the sister of two of the participants looked on in horror, members of rival clans of Blue Ridge moonshiners living in the Fayerdale section of Patrick County, yesterday afternoon resorted to the age old mountain custom of settling their differences with smoking guns with the result that three men, one of them a youth only 16 years old are tonight cold in death while three others are lodged in jail at Stuart awaiting trial upon the charge of murder. The dead are Turner Hall, 30; Maynard Cox 16, and Dave Cox 20, the last two being brothers. The three under arrest are: Ernest Sheton, Frank Chaney, and Ora Turner. They were brought to Stuart tonight by Sheriff S.B. Mays who arrested them at their homes near the scene of the shooting. None of them offered resistance, having sent word to officers that they were awaiting arrest. In the meantime, according to Commonwealth Attorney Frank F. Burton, feeling is running high between members of the rival factions and officers fear that the torch of feudism, which for many years has smoldered in the hill country, rekindled by Sunday’s ripe tragedy, may flare up anew to claim other lives. Maynard and Dave Cox are the brothers of Ewell Cox, who was killed in a gun battle about three years ago. Two others suffered wounds as a result of the shooting. John Chaney was shot in the foot when he rushed into the room when the guns began barking. He also had a narrow escape from being the fourth victim when a stray bullet grazed his temple and nipped off a piece of his ear, rendering hm temporarily unconscious. Mrs. Betty Chaney, his aunt, who was in an adjoining room, was wounded in the hand. Additional Comments: This is one of many stories across the state that published various details about The Fayerdale Tragedy which for some reason was published across the country in various newspapers because of the number of casualties. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/patrick/newspapers/threeare31nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/vafiles/ File size: 7.1 Kb