Southampton-Sussex-Pittsylvania County Virginia USGenWeb Archives News.....Shooting, 1946 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ "Sussex-Surry Dispatch" (Waverly, VA), Vol. 50, No. 46, Thurs., Oct. 10, 1946, p. 1 Shoots Self In Choking Ivor Woman Andrew C. Thomas, of Pittsylvania and Hopewell, died Friday night of a self- inflicted gun wound after he had choked, presumably with intent to kill, Mrs. Louise Macon, of Ivor. Thomas, employed at Camp Lee and living at Hopewell, was a visitor in the home of Mrs. A.D. Hundley of Ivor on Friday. He accompanied Mrs. Macon, daughter of Mrs. Hundley, to church. Upon their return, he is said to have choked Mrs. Macon into unconsciousness while her mother was in another part of the house. He was found lying beside Mrs. Macon, who recovered, with a pistol wound in the temple. He was taken to the Traylor and Purviance Funeral Home in Wakefield and later to Hopewell. Funeral services and burial were held Monday afternoon at Chatham. A regular churchgoer, Thomas is understood to have been considered for a deaconcy on the night a few hours prior to his death. Separated, but not divorced from his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Walter Gillespie, Jr., of Martinsville; Mrs. Richard Hildebrandt, and Miss Margie Thomas of Chatham. ****************************************************************************** "Southside Virginia News" (Petersburg, VA), Vol. 19, No. 15, Thurs., Oct. 17, 1946, p. 6 ANDREW C. THOMAS Andrew C. Thomas, of Hopewell, died Friday night in the home of Mrs. A.D. Hundley, in Ivor, the victim of a gun wound. The tragedy accurred after Thomas, who was a visitor in Mrs. Hundley's home that night, accompanied Mrs. Hundley's daughter, Mrs. Louise Macon, to church and returned with her. Mrs. Hundley was in another part of the house when she heard a gun shot. She came to investigate and found her daughter unconscious. Thomas was lying beside Mrs. Macon with a pistol wound in his temple. He died almost instantly. Mrs. Macon recovered and stated that she had been choked by Mr. Thomas until she lost consciousness. Funeral services and burial for Mr. Thomas were held at Chatham. Besides his wife, from whom he was separated but not divorced, Thomas is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Walter Gillespie, Jr., of Martinsville; Mrs. Richard Hildebrandt, and Miss Margie Thomas, of Chatham. ****************************************************************************** "Sussex-Surry Dispatch" (Waverly, VA), Vol. 50, No. 48, Thurs., Oct. 24, 1946, p. 1 Ivor Woman Confesses To Shooting Of Suitor Mrs. Louise Macon Out On Bond; To Be Tried Tuesday After she had sought to lead authorities to believe that the death of Andrew C. Thomas at Ivor on October 11 was suicide, Mrs. Louise Macon of Ivor signed a full confession of his murder. The confession was made Thursday, October 17, when she signed a detailed document of the crime, drawn by Junius W. Pulley, Commonwealth's Attorney of Southampton County. According to the confession, Mrs. Macon had been out riding with Thomas on the night of his death. In the car, he had made improper advances and threatened her with a gun. Returning to her home in Ivor, he continued his aggressive behavior and made further efforts to intimidate her with gun threats. In the argument, he drew the gun and laid it close to the edge of a table and began to choke Mrs. Macon. While he was standing, she seized the gun in her left hand and shot Thomas in the right temple. After he crumpled to the floor, Mrs. Macon arranged his position to substantiate her suicide story and placed the gun in his right hand, curling his fingers about the weapon. She then went upstairs to her mother, Mrs. A.D. Hundley. Hysterical and semi-conscious, she was undressed and put to bed by her mother, Mrs. Hundley then went downstaris, returned, dressed and passed again through the death room on her way to call a neighbor. By her inconsistent statements, Mrs. Macon aroused the suspicions of the Attorney for the Commonwealth. Further questioning drew further discrepancies in her story. He was not satisfied with the position of Thomas' body and the almost perfect arrangement of his clothing. While she showed finger marks about the throat, they did not indicate sufficient pressure to cause unconsciousness. Mrs. Mason is under a $2,000 bond to appear Tuesday morning in the Trial Justice Court set Southampton. It is understood she will plead self-defense. Thomas, a mechanic who lived in Hopewell and was employed at Camp Lee, was buried, Monday, October 14. at Chatham, his former home. His estranged wife in Chatham has retained an attorney and will appear in his behalf at the preliminary hearing Tuesday. ****************************************************************************** "Smithfield (VA) Times," Vol. 29, No. 23, Wed., Oct. 30, 1946, p. 1 KILLING OF MAN AT IVOR IS CONFESSED BY MRS. MACON Changes Story That Thomas Was Suicide; Tells of Events Leading Up to Shooting In Her Mother's Home By Daisy Nurney Suffolk, Oct. 25 - Mrs. Louise Macon, well-known woman of Ivor, Clerk of the Ivor Baptist Church, has signed a confession made before Commonwealth's Attorney Junius W. Pulley of Southampton County and Sheriff T.B. Bell of Southampton, that she shot and killed Andrew C. Thomas, at one time a teacher in the Ivor Baptist Sunday School, who was found dead in the home of Mrs. Macon's mother, Mrs. A.D. Hundley on the night of October 4th about 11:40 o'clock and which death at the time was claimed by Mrs. Macon and Mrs. Hundley to have been a suicide. Her preliminary hearing is set tentatively for October 29th in Southampton County Court, and she is now out on bail, provided by her mother, in the sum of $2,000, on a charge of murder. "The sheriff and I," Commonwealth's Attorney Pulley stated today to a representative of this paper, "have continued our investigations, since the night of the shooting, feeling that the situation presented inconsistencies which were not explained to our satisfaction. "A Constant Visitor" "In her confession Mrs. Macon stated that Thomas had for some time been a constant visitor in the home and that on the night in question, October 5th [sic; 4th], about 11:40 o'clock he made improper advances and choked her. She stated that he left the room where they were sitting, Mrs. Hundley, her mother having retired, and went out to his car and came back carrying a pistol which he laid on the corner of the table. "When he began his advances again and choked her a second time, she stated, according to the confession in the possession of Mr. Pulley, that she reached over and grabbed the gun and shot Thomas through the head. "She also stated," Mr. Pulley said, "that she laid the body, on the floor, placed the pistol in his hand, and left the body in the position in which it was found by Sheriff T.B. Bell when he arrived at the home on October." The story to Bell and Pulley on the date of the shooting was that Thomas and Mrs. Macon were in the dining room of the Hundley home and that he choked her, and that she said she fell to the floor unconscious and when she came to herself, Thomas was lying dead on the floor. Her mother, Mrs. Hundley, who was questioned on the night of the shooting, told the following story, according to Commonwealth's Attorney: Mrs. Pulley's Story "I was upstairs, leaving my daughter, Mrs. Macon, and Mr. Thomas, downstairs. I heard a noise and a sound like a shot. I came to the head of the stairs and saw my daughter staggering against the wall, and saw Thomas lying on the floor. I dressed, came downstairs, went out the back of the house and through the kitchen and called a neighbor, L.T. Saunders, who summoned the sheriff and Dr. E.M. Babb." According to Pulley, on the same night, both women stated that Thomas had shot himself after choking Mrs. Macon into unconsciousness. Investigations made by the Sheriff showed that Thomas was lying straight out on the floor, his clothing carefully arranged with both hands on his chest, the thumb of his right hand on the pistol trigger which was pointing toward his head. He was shot just above and back of the right ear, and the bullet could be seen under the skin on the left side in front of the left ear. Pulley stated that Dr. Babb said that Mrs. Macon showed some signs of having been choked. Sheriff Bell, investigating around the place, found the rear of the automobile (Thomas' car) open and a cloth which looked as if a pistol had been wrapped in it, lying on the front seat. On the night of the shooting, Thomas and Mrs. Macon had been to a church meeting. According to Pulley, Thomas was a native of Chatham and had lived for some time in Hopewell. He had been coming to Ivor to visit Mrs. Macon for several years. His wife, from whom he was separated, and children lived in Hopewell. Mrs. Macon was also living apart from her husband, from whom Pulley stated she obtained a divorce in July 1946. Thomas had been spending weekends in the Hundley-Macon home and both had been active in church work at Ivor Baptist Church. "We have not been satisfied at all with the suicide theory," Pulley said, "and have continued our investigations since October 4th. Mrs. Macon is charged with the fatal shooting of Thomas, and her preliminary hearing comes up in Southampton tentatively on October 29th. "We still feel that Mrs. Hundley knows more about the shooting than she has told us." ****************************************************************************** "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 24, No. 184, Wed., Oct. 30, 1946, p. 3 Postpone Ivor Shooting Hearing Preliminary hearing for Mrs. Louise Macon, prominent woman and clerk of the Ivor Baptist Church, was postponed yesterday to procure additional information, it was announced by Commonwealth's Attorney Junius W. Pulley of Southampton County. Mrs. Macon recently confessed shooting and killing Andrew C. Thomas, a former teacher in the Baptist Sunday School, on October 4, at the home of her mother, Mrs. A.D. Hundley. Previously both Mrs. Macon and Mrs. Hundley contended the death a suicide. Thomas L. Woodward, local attorney, who will handle her defense, refrained today from commenting on the case. ****************************************************************************** "Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Vol. 42, No. 2, 1 November 1946, p. 1 MRS. LOUISE MACON OF IVOR ADMITS KILLING ANDREW THOMAS Commonwealth's Attorney Junius W. Pulley of Courtland has in his possession a signed confession made before him by Mrs. Louise Macon of Ivor that she shot and killed Andrew C. Thomas at the home of her mother, Mrs. A.D. Hundley, in Ivor on the night of October 4, 1946. His death was first given out as a suicide by both Mrs. Macon and Mrs. Hundley. The suicide motif was neither satisfactory to Mr. Pulley nor County Sheriff T.B. Bell, according to Mr. Pulley's statement, and further investigations of the incident have substantiated Mr. Pulley's belief. About October 24 or 25, Mrs. Macon signed a confession before Mr. Pulley substantially as follows: "In her confession Mrs. Macon stated that Thomas had for some time been a constant visitor in the home and that on the night in question, October 4, about 11:40 o'clock he made improper advances, and choked her. She stated that he left the room where they were sitting, Mrs. Hundley, her mother, having retired, and went out to his car and came back carrying a pistol which he laid on the corner of the table. "When he began his advances again and choked her a second time, she stated, according to the confession in the possession of Mr. Pulley, that she reached over, grabbed the gun and shot Thomas through the head. "She also stated," Mr. Pulley said, "that she laid the body on the floor, placed the pistol in his hand and left the body in the position in which it was found by Sheriff T.B. Bell when he arrived at the home after the shooting." It followed that Mrs. Macon had not lived with her husband in some years, and that she obtained a divorce from him in July, 1946. The investigation further disclosed that Thomas, a native of Chatham and subsequently living in Hopewell, where his wife, from whom he was separated, and children now live. According to Mr. Pulley, Dr. E.M. Babb, who was called in after the shooting, said that Mrs. Macon showed some signs of having been choked. Thomas was shot just above and back of the right ear, the bullet being seen under the skin on the left side of his head in front of the left ear. Thomas and Mrs. Macon had been to a church meeting on the night of the fatal shooting, which occurred, according to Mrs. Macon, about 11:40 p.m. Both Mrs. Macon and the man whom she admitted that she killed were described as having been active in church work in the Ivor Baptist Church, Mrs. Macon being clerk of the church. Mrs. Macon is out on bond of $2,000 provided by her mother, Mrs. A.D. Hundley. No date has been set for the preliminary hearing. ****************************************************************************** "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 24, No. 250, Jan. 17, 1947, p. 1 Ivor Church Woman Pleads Innocent of Murder Charge Mrs. Louise Macon, prominent church woman and clerk of the Ivor Baptist Church, this morning pleaded not guilty to a charge that she murdered Andrew C. Thomas Oct. 4 at a preliminary hearing in Southampton Trial Justice Court. The trial attracted a considerable crowd as the Courtland courtroom was filled. Mrs. Macon, who appeared composed during the proceeding, was represented by Thomas L. Woodward, senior attorney, of Suffolk. When the news was first released several months ago, Mrs. Macon and her mother, Mrs. A.D. Hundley, claimed Thomas died as a result of shooting himself. Later Mrs. Macon confessed, Southampton County authorities declared, that she shot and killed Thomas, a former teacher in the Baptist Sunday School, at the home of her mother to protect herself. Commonwealth's Attorney Julius [sic; Junius] W. Pulley of Southampton County is prosecuting the case, which has attracted wide attention in several surrounding counties. Judge C.W. Davis is presiding at the hearing at which four prosecution witnesses have testified this morning. Homer and L.T. Saunders and a Mrs. Davis, occupants of the neighboring residence, described the shots, allegedly the night of Oct. 4. Dr. E.M. Babb, Ivor, also took the stand for the prosecution. Several of the victim's relations were on hand from Chatham, Va., to testify for the Commonwealth. ****************************************************************************** "Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Vol. 41, No. 13, Fri., Jan. 24, 1947, p. 1 MRS. LOUISE MACON TO BE TRIED MARCH 18 FOR DEATH OF THOMAS Mrs. Louise Macon of Ivor will go on trial for her life in Southampton Circuit Court in Courtland, Tuesday, March 18, for the self-confessed killing of Andrew C. Thomas, also of Ivor, at the home of her mother, Mrs. A.D. Hundley of Ivor on October 4, 1946, in obedience to a Grand Jury's true bill of murder against Mrs. Macon, returned in Courtland on Monday of this week. Members of the Southampton Grand Jury finding this verdict were: Gardner T. Edwards of Franklin, foreman; Edward H. Stephenson of Ivor, Patrick T. Person of Boykins, Jesse D. Vick of Courtland and W.N. Whitehead of Sebrell and Russell Drake of Newsoms. Testifying before the Grand Jury was Sheriff T.B. Bell of Southampton, bearing Mrs. Macon’s signed confession, obtained by Commonwealth's Attorney Junius W. Pulley on October 24, 1946. Mrs. Macon was sent on to the Grand Jury by Trial Justice Chas. W. Davis of this county as the result of a hearing before him in Courtland on Friday, January 11, at which time Justice Davis heard as witnesses for the Commonwealth: Sheriff Bell; Mrs. Andrew C. Thomas of Chatham, Va., widow of the murdered man; her daughter, Miss Marjorie Thomas; a brother and sister of Thomas, all of Chatham; L.T. Saunders and Homer S. Saunders and Mrs. D.P. Davis, Jr., the last-named three being citizens of Ivor. It will be remembered that the story of the Ivor murder, as published in The Tidewater News of November 1, 1946, recounted that Mrs. Macon's first version of the murder immediately after the tragedy, attributed Thomas' death to suicide, corroborated by Mrs. A.D. Hundley, mother of Mrs. Macon. Her story, being unsatisfactory both to Commonwealth's Attorney Pulley and Sheriff Bell, further investigations on the part of these officers led to a revision of the suicide story and to the signed confession that Mrs. Macon shot Thomas "following improper advances by him," the confession which inevitably led to Monday’s murder indictment against Mrs. Macon being substantially as follows: "In her confession Mrs. Macon stated that Thomas had for some time been a constant visitor in the home and that on the night in question, October 4, about 11:40 o'clock he made improper advances, and choked her. She stated that he left the room where they were sitting, Mrs. Hundley, her mother, having retired, and went out to his car and came back carrying a pistol which he laid on the corner of the table. "When he began his advances again and choked her a second time, she stated, according to the confession in the possession of Mr. Pulley, that she reached over, grabbed the gun and shot Thomas through the head. "She also stated," Mr. Pulley said, "that she laid the body on the floor, placed the pistol in his hand and left the body in the position in which it was found by Sheriff T.B. Bell when he arrived at the home after the shooting." Other details as to the principals in the tragedy were that Mrs. Macon had not lived with her husband in some years, and had obtained a divorce from him in July, 1946. They are the parents of two sons, Randolph and J.E. Macon, Jr., both of whom served with distinction in World War II, Randolph attaining the rank of Lieut. Commander. Thomas, the slain man, was not living with his wife at the time of the murder. Dr. E.M. Babb of Ivor, called in after the shooting, testified that Mrs. Macon showed some signs of having been choked. Bond for Mrs. Macon in the sum of $2,000.00, following the confession, was furnished by Mrs. Macon's mother. It is understood that Thomas L. Woodward of Suffolk will represent Mrs. Macon at her trial. The prosecution will be conducted by Commonwealth's Attorney Junius W. Pulley. ****************************************************************************** "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 24, No. 300, Mon., Mar. 17, 1947, p. 3 MACON TRIAL SET TOMORROW Ivor Woman to Plead Innocent Mrs. Louise Macon, clerk of the Ivor Baptist Church, will plead not guilty as she goes on trial for her life tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock in Southampton County Circuit Court charged with the murder of Andrew C. Thomas, also of Ivor, her attorney. Thomas L. Woodward, said today. About fifty witnesses, for both sides, are expected to testify in the case tomorrow. Woodward will be opposed by Junius W. Pulley, Southampton County Commonwealth's Attorney during the trial at which Judge John K. Hutton will preside. Mrs. Macon is accused of shooting Thomas, a former Sunday School teacher in the Ivor Baptist Church, on the night of October 4, 1946. At first she reported that Thomas committed suicide, and this claim was substantiated by her mother, Mrs. A.D. Huntley. Produces Confession During the preliminary hearing in January, Pulley produced a signed confession by Mrs. Macon which allegedly claimed that Thomas made objectionable advances and a second attempt to choke her. The reported confession further stated that the pistol belonged to Thomas who laid it on the table. Sheriff T.B. Bell, of Southampton County, testified during the first session that Mrs. Macon signed a voluntary statement of confession in the office of Commonwealth Attorney's office. Although her defense counsel, Thomas L. Woodward, offered no arguments, Mrs. Macon was remanded to the Grand Jury in January which indicted her by returning a true bill on a charge of murder. Mrs. Macon is free on bond furnished by her mother on October 29 for $2,000. ****************************************************************************** "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 24, No. 301, Tues., Mar. 18, 1947, p. 3 Mrs. Macon Pleads Innocent of Killing A. C. Thomas in Ivor By JACK BERNSTEIN COURTLAND, March 18, - Commonwealth's Attorney Junius W. Pulley is expected to ask for a second degree murder charge for Mrs. Louise H. Macon, who is on trial for the killing of Andrew C. Thomas at her home in Ivor October 4, 1946. Four witnesses have testified this morning as the trial adjourned for lunch at 1:15 p.m. The second degree murder charge carries from five to 20 years. It was learned through reliable sources that Pulley would not ask for the electric chair. COURTLAND, Va., March 18 - Mrs. Louise Hundley Macon pleaded innocent of the killing and murder of Andrew C. Thomas on October 4, 1946, before an overflow crowd of spectators in Southampton Circuit Court this morning. Among those in the court room were the widow and a daughter of the deceased. Opening statements were waived by the defense and the commonwealth. Defense attorneys are Thomas L. Woodward, of Suffolk, and James T. Gillette, of Courtland. The commonwealth is represented by commonwealth's attorney Junius W. Pulley. Judge John K. Hutton presided. TWO WITNESSES appeared for the commonwealth up to the noon hour. Mrs. Frances Davis, of Harrisonburg, formerly of Ivor, who lived in a house adjacent to that in which Thomas is alleged to have been killed, told of hearing a shot and sobbing. The next witness, Dr. E.M. Babb, who has practiced medicine in Ivor for twenty years, testified as to a visit to Mrs. Macon on the night of the killing. He said Mrs. Macon appeared in a frenzied condition and that there were four bruise marks on her neck. He said he was unable to obtain intelligent replies from her until he had given her a hypodermic injection. L.P. [sic; L.T.] SAUNDERS, who owns a neighboring home, said that he was called into the Hundley home by Mrs. Hundley, mother of the defendant. Mrs. Macon, a small mild-mannered women with gray hair, appeared in court in a bluish-grey suit worn with a white blouse with ruffled neckline. She sat with her brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Bowden Hundley. Her two sons, Randolph and J.E. Macon, Jr., both war veterans, were present. Roy V. Cox, of Suffolk, is serving as court stenographer and H.B. McLemore, Jr., as circuit clerk. ****************************************************************************** "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 24, No. 302, Wed., Mar. 19, 1947, p. 3 Commonwealth Rests Its Case in Murder Trial of Ivor Woman COURTLAND, Va. - March 19 - The commonwealth rested its case today against Mrs. Louise Macon, middle-aged divorcee charged with the pistol slaying of Andrew C. Thomas, after introducing a letter written by Thomas to his estranged wife a week before his death which said: "I've come to myself and hope it isn't too late ... I've sinned against God and our children ... I want to come back to you ... We will have a honeymoon ... I'll be yours regardless ... We'll start over new." THOMAS' WIDOW took the witness stand and identified the letter. She told the Southampton County Circuit Court jury that she and Thomas were married in 1922, that he left home in 1940 in search of employment and that after 1942 his visits home became increasingly infrequent. He told her he spent the weekends with friends, she said. Finally, she testified, they agreed in June, 1946, to separate. Under cross-examination by defense Attorney Thomas L. Woodward, Mrs. Thomas said she replied to her husband's letter but did not say specifically whether he could return home. She said Thomas had made similar promises in the past and had failed to carry them out. Commonwealth's Attorney J.W. Pulley introduced a court decree showing that Mrs. Macon was granted a divorce in the Southampton Circuit Court April 12, 1946 on the ground of desertion. MRS. MACON HAS pleaded innocent to the charge that she murdered Thomas. After a motion by Thomas L. Woodward, defense attorney, to strike out evidence of the Commonwealth was denied by Judge John K. Hutton, the defense introduced three witnesses before a short recess at 12:15 p.m. today. In his motion to terminate the case, Woodward declared that the confession itself was an absolute defense and that the Commonwealth had no evidence incompatable with the declaration. J.C. EDWARDS, a former Chatham police officer, testified that he had loaned the weapon used, a Smith-Wesson pistol, to the deceased, Andrew C. Thomas. His was the 10th and final testimony for the prosecution. The first of the three who testified in behalf of Mrs. Macon was Miss Lillian Hawthorne, of Disputanta, who said that the deceased informed her, "he was so much in love with the girl at Ivor and that if she wouldn't marry him she wouldn't live to marry anyone else." Daniel A. Torrance, of Colonial Heights, foreman in the Camp Lee Shop where Thomas was employed cited an incidence in which Thomas said, "I've got more troubles than anybody. I sometimes feel like killing myself." E.T. MOSHER, of Hopewell, the final witness of the morning session, said that he tried to buy Thomas' pistol but that the deceased stated that he would be liable to need it at any time. Three times during the first hour the jury trekked from its box in the courtroom to the outside of the court after both the Commonwealth attorney, Junius W. Pulley, and the defense counsel, T.L. Woodward, voiced objection to evidence involved. The trial is expected to be concluded late this afternoon. However, the defense may call in a large number of witnesses in behalf of the defendant and continue the proceedings an additional day. Seven Witnesses So far seven witnesses, including Sheriff Bell as the leading spokesman for the prosecution, have given their version of the corpse and the circumstances surrounding the death of Andrew C. Thomas. Sheriff Bell contradicted the testimony of several earlier witnesses when he positively stated that the weapon, a Smith and Wesson 32-20 pointed downward instead of upward as previously stated. Bell further differed with other Commonwealth testifiers that a large powder burn was visible above the right ear of the victim. An eighth witness, Margie Thomas, 19-year-old daughter of the dead man, started her testimony, but was interrupted when adjournment was called at 5 o'clock after the jury again was withdrawn because of questionable contents of a letter. Following persons appeared for the prosecution yesterday: Mrs. Frances Davis, Dr. E.M. Babb, L.T. Saunders, Homer S. Saunders, Sam Purviance, Mayor of Boykins; L.R. Bracey, and Sheriff Bell. The twelve-man jury is composed of Gordon Grizzard, G.W. Turner, C.E. Lamb, M.B. Wowny, Julian L. Carter, William C. Coker, E.S. Manry, A.E. Applewhite, A.H. Barrett, H.S. Duff, and R.D. Barham. Confession Heat Yesterday afternoon's testimony revolved about the alleged confession secured from Mrs. Macon by Pulley and Sheriff T.B. Bell. Arguments during the cross-examination pertaining to the confession aroused both Defense attorney Woodward and Sheriff Bell who both arose at one point. However, Judge Hutton ordered both men to their seats. At first, Woodward objected to the introduction of the confession since he claimed the admission of guilt was obtained through inducements and involuntary methods. After the jury retired, however, the judge ruled in favor of the Commonwealth and the confession was permitted as evidence. Nevertheless, Woodward excepted the point which was recorded and may be used in case of appeal. It was even necessary for the accused to take the stand, to decide whether the confession was forcibly obtained, and Mrs. Macon cited instancies of cursing on the part of the prosecutor on the night of October 17th when both the sheriff and Commonwealth's attorney grilled her in their car in a secluded spot on Highway 460. The accused further claimed that she was advised to charge that the deceased attempted to rape and she killed him in self-defense that night on the highway, or else Thomas' folks from Chatham would come down and press for first degree murder. The controversial purported acknowledgment of the crime which stirred the afternoon session follows: Confession Text "I, Louise H. Macon, hereby state that on the night of October 4th, (Friday), 1946, at about 11:40 o'clock, I shot and killed Andrew C. Thomas. The circumstances surrounding this shooting were as follows: "He had been coming to see me ever since about 1942 and had been staying at the home of my widowed mother and myself. We had been having illicit relations but I desired to stop this and so told him. One night in July he took me in his automobile on the Ivor-Courtland road after parking his car took his pistol from the back seat of the car and forced me to submit to his wishes. On the night of the 4th, Oct. after we had attended church conference, he again insisted on the same relations in the dining room of my home and I refused, whereupon he choked me, but never hurt me much, although the choking was somewhat uncomfortable. "When I still refused, he then went out the front door and came back shortly thereafter and had his pistol. He did not use any words threatening to shoot me but I knew what it meant as he had used the same method before. He then laid his pistol on the table which we were standing by and when I again refused, he again choked me and this time hurt and I grabbed the gun with my left hand, (I am left handed) and shot him. He fell on the floor and I then straightened him out by laying him on his back and placed the pistol in his hands and went upstairs where my mother was. I told her that he had choked me but said nothing about having shot him. "These statements were made by my own free will in the presence of the Sheriff and Commonwealth's Attorney of Southampton County, on the night of October 17th, 1946, and this writing is signed by me on the morning of the 18th of October, 1946, in the presence of the said Sheriff. "I further state that the above in true and that no threats have been made against me or no inducements whatever have been offered me to cause me to make these statements. I further certify that before this, I have tried to lead the officers and people to believe that Thomas committed suicide, which I now say was false and I state that I was in fear of serious bodily harm and that I took his life in order to keep him from seriously injuring me and to prevent him from having sexual relations with me." This 18th day of October, 1946. (Signed) Louise H. Macon ****************************************************************************** "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 24, No. 303, Thurs., Mar. 20, 1947, p. 1 Mrs. Macon Admits Intimate Relations With Andrew Thomas Courtroom Cleared Of Minors COURTLAND, Va., March 20. (AP) - Mrs. Mary Louise Macon, 48-year-old former church clerk, testified today that she and Andrew C. Thomas, the man she is charged with shooting to death October 4 at Ivor, Va., had intimate relations over a period from late 1943 until mid-1945. Just before her trial its third day in Southampton Circuit Court, Judge John K. Hutton ordered all persons "16 years and under" to leave the packed courtroom. The order followed Commonwealth Attorney John [sic; Junius] W. Pulley's suggestion that the room be cleared of youngsters "owing to the nature of the questions I must propound to Mrs. Macon." A dozen boys and girls, mostly high school students, left the room but more than a score of others remained, protesting they were older than 16. UNDER CROSS examination, the defendant, who has pleaded innocent to the murder charge, said her intimacies with Thomas, 45-year-old estranged husband and father, stopped in the middle of October, 1946, "because I told him I did not want to any more." He made advances several times after that "but I refused," she said. She said she met Thomas in 1942 but did not learn until May, 1948, that he was married, Mrs. Macon said. She added that Thomas, who was separated from his wife, wanted "to marry me but I told him I did not want to get married." Asked by Pulley if she knew Thomas was thinking of returning to his wife, Mrs. Macon replied, "No." THOMAS' WIDOW testified yesterday that her husband one week before his death had written her seeking a reconciliation. Mrs. Macon, mother of two grown sons, was still giving testimony as court adjourned yesterday. She told the jury she did not fire the shot that killed Thomas in the dining room of the house of the defendant's mother, Mrs. Annie Hundley, and repudiated an alleged confessional admitted to evidence the first day of the trial. The defendant told this story of events on the night Thomas died. Thomas returned to Mrs. Hundley's home with her, where they wrote letters until 11:30 p.m., when she said it was time to go to bed. "He (Thomas) grabbed me by the throat and I do not remember anything else," she said. TO DEFENSE ATTORNEY Thomas L. Woodward's question, "did you shoot him?" she replied: "I did not." She said the alleged confession had been signed by her after Pulley and Sheriff T.B. Bell told her it would be better for her to say she shot Thomas in self-defense, and that if she did not say so, Thomas' relatives would demand that she be tried on a first degree murder charge. Mrs. Macon testified that she "starting going with him" (Thomas) in 1943 and later, when he threatened to shoot her unless she submitted to "relations" with him, she submitted. The defendant's mother told the court she heard "the sound of a report" the night of Oct. 4 and when she went to investigate saw her daughter crawl from the dining room to the stairs and pull herself up the steps. After putting Mrs. Macon to bed she said she went downstairs and discovered Thomas' body, then dressed and called a neighbor. She testified her daughter had "fingernail gashes" on both sides of her throat when she came upstairs. ****************************************************************************** "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 24, No. 304, Fri., Mar. 21, 1947, p. 1 Jury Finds Ivor Woman Guilty Of Manslaughter COURTLAND, Va., March 21 - (AP) - Mrs. Mary Louise Macon, 48-year-old divorcee and former church officer, was found guilty of manslaughter in the pistol slaying last October 4 of Andrew C. Thomas, 45, former Sunday school teacher and father of four children by his estranged wife. Her punishment was fixed at one year in the penitentiary. The verdict was returned last night by a Southampton County Circuit Court jury after deliberating nearly three hours. It recommended clemency. Defense Attorney Thomas L. Woodward immediately entered a motion to set aside the verdict as contrary to law and evidence, and the court set April 28 to hear arguments on the motion. THE DIMINUTIVE, bespectacled defendant, who had entered a plea of innocence at the opening of the trial Monday, showed no emotion when she heard the verdict which convicted her of the slaying of her admitted lover. The state had charged that Mrs. Macon, former secretary of the Ivor Baptist Church, shot Thomas to death in the dining room of her home after they had attended a business meeting at the church on the night of October 4. The diminutive, bespectacled defendant, who had entered a plea of innocence at the opening of the trial Monday, showed no emotion when she heard the verdict which convicted her of the laying of her admitted lover. SHORTLY BEFORE returning its verdict last night the jury, which had received the case at 8 o'clock following a supper recess, returned to the courtroom to ask Judge John K. Hutton, presiding jurist, if it could return a verdict of manslaughter with a recommendation for a suspended sentence of a one-year sentence. The court informed the jury that only the judge could rule on matters of suspension of sentence, or probation, and told the jurymen their function was only to determine the guilt or innocence of the defendant, the degree of guilt, and fix the punishment. The jury then retired. A packed courtroom of more than 200 persons, ranging from octogenarians to teen-agers, who had packed the little courtroom from early yesterday morning to closing arguments last night by Commonwealth's Attorney J.W. Pulley and Defense Attorney Woodward, also received the verdict in silence. COMMONWEALTH'S Attorney Pulley, in his closing arguments yesterday, asked the jury to return a verdict of murder in the second degree, contending that Mrs. Macon shot Thomas because she had wanted to marry him and was afraid she was going to lose him after learning he was seeking a reconciliation with his wife. He also attacked attempts to defense counsel during the three-day trial that Thomas committed suicide. The defense, in seeking acquittal for its client, contended that Thomas choked Mrs. Macon insensible and then shot and killed himself in the belief that he had killed her. ONE OF THE highlights of the trial was the defendant's repudiation of a signed statement saying she shot Thomas in self defense after be had choked her and tried to assault her in the dining room of the home at Ivor which she shared with her mother, Mrs. Annie Hundley. In repudiating her statement, Mrs. Macon testified that commonwealth's attorney Pulley and Sheriff T.B. Bell told her it would be better for her to say she shot Thomas in self defense, and that if she did not say so, Thomas' family in Chatham would press a charge of first degree murder against her. ****************************************************************************** "Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Vol. 41, No. 21, Fri., Mar. 21, 1947, pp. 1 & 4 IVOR MATRON IS TRIED FOR THE MURDER OF ANDREW C. THOMAS Three-day Trial Ends in Conviction of Mrs. Macon of Having Killed Thomas; Jury Fixes Punishment at Year In Prison and Recommends Clemency There were few vacant seats in the courthouse on Tuesday morning of this week when Mrs. Louise Hundley Macon of Ivor went on trial, charged with the murder on the night of October 4th, last, of Andrew C. Thomas. The sensational nature of the case proved a strong drawing card, attracting an unusually large number of women to the hearing. The trial got under way shortly after 10 o'clock, with Judge John K. Hutton of Suffolk presiding. Junius W. Pulley, Commonwealth's Attorney, presented the case for the people; and Thomas L. Woodward of Suffolk, assisted by James T. Gillette of Courtland, was counsel for the accused. The selection of a jury to hear the evidence was speedily completed. Two members of the panel were excused from serving, George B. Vick, Jr., on account of being related by marriage to Mrs. Macon, and Ashby Rawls for having previously formed an opinion of the defendant's guilt or innocence. After the opposing attorneys had checked off their peremptory challenges, the following good men and true constituted the jury: A.E. Applewhite, R.D. Barham, H.A. Barrett, Julian Carter, W.C. Coker, M.D. Drewry, H.L. Duff, Gordon Grizzard, G.E. Lamb, Edward S. Manry, W.T. O'Berry, Jr., and G.W. Turner. The defendant, a neat middle-aged woman with light brown hair and dressed in a powder-blue suit and a small black hat, sat behind her lawyers and exhibited the utmost composure. To the arraignment for murder, read by County Clerk H.B. McLemore, Jr., she replied in a strong, clear voice, "Not guilty!" The parade of witnesses than began with Mrs. Frances Davis of Harrisonburg, formerly of Ivor, who testified that from her room in the home of Leander T. Saunders she heard a shot about 11:40 o'clock on the night of Friday, October 4, 1946. To her the sound seemed to come from the back of the residence of Mrs. A.D. Hundley, mother of Mrs. Macon, across an alley between the Hundley home and that of Mr. Saunders. After the shot came the sound of someone sobbing. Mrs. Davis told her husband, Dorsey P. Davis, who in turn notified Mr. and Mrs. Saunders of the incident. About twenty or twenty-five minutes after the shot someone, later identified as Mrs. Hundley, came to the side porch and called Mr. Saunders. Dr. E.M. Babb, Ivor physician, said that he went to the home of Mrs. Macon on the night of October 4, and found the defendant in a highly nervous condition and unable to make a coherent utterance. After he had given her a sedative she became more quiet. When she complained that her throat hurt, the doctor noticed on both sides of her neck red spots which seemed to have been made by human hand. But he found no signs of Mrs. Macon's having taken poison. Dr. Babb then described the condition of the corpse lying on the floor in the combination living room-dining room of the Hundley home. Testimony given by Leander T. Saunders and his brother, Homer S. Saunders, the latter Mayor of Ivor, was largely corroborative. They brought out the fact that Mrs. Macon and the deceased had gone together to a business conference of the Ivor Baptist Church earlier in the evening of October 4. Mrs. Macon was clerk of the church, and Mr. Thomas was a teacher in the Sunday School. The church conference, attended by about 20 people, had ended around 10 o'clock; and it was assumed by the witnesses that Mr. Thomas had escorted Mrs. Macon to her home. Both of the Saunders brothers stated that they were acquainted with the deceased, that the deceased stayed a good deal in Mrs. Hundley's home, coming to see Mrs. Macon two or three times a week, and that he would often spend the night there. Homer Saunders stated that he had examined Thomas' car after the killing, had found the glove compartment open and noticed that on the seat of the car was a piece of khaki cloth large enough to wrap up the pistol alleged to have fired the fatal shot, a Smith & Wesson 32-20 revolver. However, the most damaging testimony was furnished by Sheriff T.B. Bell, who had been summoned to Ivor on the night of the shooting. Sheriff Bell stated that he received notice of the incident about 12 o'clock, and was on the scene approximately an hour later. He did not see Mrs. Macon until the next morning (Saturday) somewhere between 9 and 10 o'clock, at which time the marks on Mrs. Macon's throat were still red and not like bruises. He said that Mrs. Macon told him then that the night before she had been on one side of the table in the room where the shooting had occurred, while Thomas had been on the opposite side. She was addressing letters and Thomas was working crossword puzzles. Thomas had then made improper advances to her and had choked her when she refused to accede to his wishes. Concerning the firing of the fatal shot she remembered nothing. Continuing, the Sheriff said that on October 17 Mrs. Macon had told him and Commonwealth's Attorney Junius W. Pulley that Thomas had been coming to her home since 1942, and that they had engaged in a sordid love affair. Mrs. Macon, who had been divorced in July, 1946, thought Thomas was also divorced. She said that on a certain occasion Thomas had driven her out on the Ivor- Courtland road and had raped her at the point of a pistol. Then she acknowledged to the Sheriff and the Commonwealth's attorney that she had killed Thomas, and in the room of the fatal shooting she demonstrated to them how the shooting had occurred. Next day, October 18, she signed a paper prepared by Mr. Pulley, asking as she did so, "How much time do you think I will get?" She admitted, according to Sheriff Bell, that for herself she did not care anything about the penalty she might have to pay, but that she did care on account of her people. The defense attorney fought strenuously against the admission of the purported confession, which he contended was not voluntary; but Judge Hutton ruled finally the confession was admissible as evidence. Mrs. Macon had previously testified she was induced to sign the confession as the result of a statement by Mr. Pulley to the effect that if she admitted killing Thomas because he tried to rape her, she could plead self-defense; otherwise Thomas' people would come down from Chatham and file against her a charge of first- degree murder. In an attempt to establish a motive for the killing, the prosecutor called to the witness stand Miss Margie Thomas, pretty 19-year old daughter of the deceased. Miss Thomas stated that in Thomas' room in Hopewell, where he was employed, she had found a picture of Mrs. Macon face downward on his dresser; also, a number of letters, including one written to Thomas by his wife in answer to his plea that she forgive him and take him once again into her affections. Although Mrs. Thomas had indicated a willingness to consider his plea, Margie had written in the same letter a note saying that neither she nor the other members of the family ever wanted to see him again. At this juncture the trial recessed until Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock. Featuring the second day of the trial was the account by Mrs. Macon of the events leading up to the shooting. Previously she had repudiated the purported confession introduced by the prosecution on Tuesday. She acknowledged only one instance of intimacy with Thomas, stating that on a night in July, 1946, he had threatened her with a gun; and she denied other details of the confession. The defense made much of the jealousy displayed by Thomas in regard to Mrs. Macon's talking to other men; of Thomas' boasting to W.H. Harrison, a former fellow-employee at Camp Lee, about his "beautiful, sweet girl in Ivor who would give him money when he wanted it;" of his declaring to Harrison that she had been "running out on him;" and of his threat, also made in Harrison's presence, that "this would be the last damn time." Among the witnesses called by the defense were Mrs. Hundley, mother of the accused, and Mrs. Thomas, widow of the victim of the shooting. Other witnesses testified to the effect that Thomas had made threats concerning "his girl at Ivor," that he contemplated committing suicide, and that he carried a pistol and a knife in his car. It was brought out that the pistol which fired the fatal shot had been loaned to Thomas by J.C. Edwards, retired Chatham policeman. When court recessed for the day Mrs. Macon was still on the witness stand. Yesterday's proceedings were highlighted by the cross-examination of Mrs. Macon, which brought little additional information of a vital nature. The taking of evidence was completed by 12:30 o'clock, when Judge Hutton delivered his instructions to the jury. Arguments by the opposing attorneys consumed much of the afternoon, and the case did not go to the jury until 8 p.m. After deliberating for more than three hours the jury finally brought in their verdict to the effect that Mrs. Macon was guilty of killing Andrew C. Thomas on the night of October 4, 1946. Punishment was fixed at one year in the penitentiary, accompanied by a recommendation for clemency. Defense attorney Thomas L, Woodward promptly moved that the verdict be set aside as contrary to the law and the evidence, and Judge Hutton named April 28 as the date for hearing arguments on the motion. Reporters covering the trial included Warner Twyford of the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, Jack Bernstein, city editor of the Suffolk News-Herald and representative of the Associated Press; and Bill Warrick of WLPM and the United Press. ****************************************************************************** "Sussex-Surry Dispatch" (Waverly, VA), Vol. 11, No. 16, May 1, 1947, p. 1 Hearing Of Verdict In Gun Slaying Is Delayed Hearings of argument on a motion to set aside a Southampton County Circuit Court jury verdict finding Mrs. Mary Louise Macon, 48, guilty of manslaughter in the pistol-slaying of Andrew C. Thomas, 45, was postponed by Judge John K. Hutton today because of the illness of Defense Attorney Thomas L. Woodward. No new date was set. Mrs. Macon, divorcee and former church secretary, on March 21, was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury which fixed her punishment at one year in the State Penitentiary. Thomas, former Sunday school teacher and father of four children, was shot fatally Oct. 4, 1946, and the State charged that Mrs. Macon shot him to death after they had attended a church meeting. Commonwealth's Attorney J.W. Pulley asked the jury to return a verdict of murder in the second degree. ****************************************************************************** "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 24, No. 58, Wed., May 28, 1947, p. 3 Woodward Notes Appeal As Macon Motion Quashed COURTLAND, Va., May 28. (AP) - Defense Attorney Thomas L. Woodward Monday noted an appeal to the State Supreme Court of Appeals after Judge John K. Hutton refused his motion to set aside a one-year sentence given Mrs. Louise Macon, former church secretary, on a manslaughter conviction. The judge granted a 90-day stay of execution of the prison sentence pending the appeal. Mrs. Macon, a divorcee, was tried last March on a murder in the death of a one-time Sunday School teacher, Andrew C. Thomas. She testified that Thomas shot himself in the dining room of the home where she resided when she refused to resume intimate relations which previously had existed between them. A conviction of manslaughter was returned. Woodward had petitioned the Southampton Circuit Court Judge to sat aside the sentence as contrary to law and evidence. ****************************************************************************** "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 24, No. 170, Thurs., Oct. 9, 1947, p. 1 Grant Appeal To Mrs. Macon RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 8. (AP) - Mrs. Mary Louise Macon, 48-year-old divorcee and former secretary of the Ivor Baptist Church, today was granted an appeal from a Southampton County Circuit Court conviction of manslaughter in the death of Andrew C. Thomas, former Sunday School teacher. The Southampton jury fixed Mrs. Macon's punishment at one year's imprisonment and recommended clemency. The State Supreme Court also agreed to review seven other cases and refused appeal in three. Mrs. Macon, mother of two, admitted in her trial on charge that she murdered Thomas in the dining room of her home, that she had been intimate with him over a period of time. Her counsel contended that Thomas had choked Mrs. Macon to insensibility, then shot and killed himself in the belief that he had killed her. Thomas, estranged from his wife, was the father of four. The defendant in court repudiated a signed statement in which she said she shot Thomas in self defense after he choked her and tried to assault her. ****************************************************************************** "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 24, No. 291, Tues., Mar. 2, 1948, p. 1 Mrs. Louise Macon Wins New Trial; Justices Believe Thomas Killed Self The Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, in an opinion handed down yesteday by Justice Abram P. Staples, reversed the judgment of the Southampton County Circuit Court and ordered a new trial for Mrs. Mary Louise Hundley Macon, who was convicted of manslaughter in the death on Oct. 4, 1946, of Andrew J. [sic; C.] Thomas. All other members of the court concurred in the opinion written by Justice Staples. The appeal to the high State court was made by Defense Attorney Thomas L. Woodward, of Suffolk, after Mrs. Macon had been convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to one year's imprisonment. The jury had recommended clemency. Mrs. Macon, the mother of two children, admittedly had confessed to shooting Thomas, himself the father of four children but at the time estranged from his wife, but she later repudiated the confession on the ground that it had been procured by threats and inducements made and held out to her by Commonwealth's Attorney Junius Pulley and Sheriff T.B. Bell. The shooting took place in Ivor on the night of Oct. 4, 1946, in the dining room of Mrs. Macon's home. Mrs. Macon, a 48-year-old divorcee and former secretary of the Baptist Church in Ivor, testified in court that she and Thomas had been intimate over a period of time up to about six months before the fatal shooting. Of an even more startling nature, however, was the conclusion reached by the justices that Thomas took his own life in the belief that he had choked Mrs. Macon to death in a fit of anger preceding the shooting. This conclusion is based on the fact that, according to the record, the pistol was found in the right hand of Thomas, lying across his breast or stomach and his left hand on top of it. His right thumb was through the trigger guard pressed against the trigger. Appropriate Finger This was testified to by four witnesses and, the opinion stated, it was the most appropriate finger for him to use to fire the shot straight through his head. "... The sheriff testified the deceased had extemely long arms and big hands; also that he had a large thumb and it was right in there, in the trigger. It was hard to get out." The space between the trigger in its normal position and the forward part of the guard is only one inch. This is not enough space for a large thumb to fit into without forcing the trigger back towards the firing position. "The defendant could not have forced the large thumb of the deceased in this space without the risk of firing the gun again. "... the foregoing evidence is strongly corroborative of the other evidence that has led us to the conclusion that the deceased took his own life. There is no credible evidence to the contrary." Methods Criticized In his opinion, Justice Staples took sharp issue with the manner in which Mrs. Macon's "confession" was obtained. (The confession was obtained on the night of October 17, nearly two weeks after the shooting, when Mrs. Macon, in the company of Mr. Pulley and Sheriff Bell, was driven out on Route 460, where the car was parked and Mrs. Macon questioned by the pair.) Justice Staples wrote: "In the first place, the manner in which the confession was obtained does not lend weight to its credibility. The defendant, while in a weeping condition, was deliberately trapped into a secluded spot by the Commonwealth's Attorney and the Sheriff. She was thus purposely deprived at the protection or advice of her mother or any one else which she might have desired before taking any such momentous step by making a confession of guilt. "... They appeared to her to be acting in the role of powerful friends, rescuing her from a perilous situation. Whether they intended to create such a belief or not, it is clear that she thought that by making the statement she did she would get out of the murder charge which she thought she would otherwise be confronted with .... We think such action as this on the part of the attorney for the Commonwealth was highly improper." Justice Staples also called attention to the fact that the Commonwealth in the case did not take the witness stand "to justify his action in seeking the confession. There is nothing in the record to show that his suspicion of defendant's guilt was based upon or supported by any actual facts. No fingerprints were taken from the pistol or any objects. "Under the circumstances as disclosed by the record, it was error to permit the confession to go before the jury." ****************************************************************************** "Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Vol. 42, No. 19, Fri., Mar. 5, 1948, p. 1 Supreme Court Reverses Circuit Court, Awarding New Trial To Mrs. Macon The Supreme Court of Appeals in an opinion handed down this week by Justice Abram P. Staples, reversed the judgment of the Southampton County Circuit Court and ordered a new trial for Mrs. Louise Hundley Macon, who was convicted last March of manslaughter in the death on October 4, 1946, of Andrew C. Thomas and senfenced to a year's imprisonment. The appeal to the high State court was made by Thomas L. Woodward of Suffolk, attorney for Mrs. Macon, who contended that a "confession" purportedly made by the defendant had been erroneously admitted in evidence at the time of the trial. But, more interesting was the conclusion reached by the members of the Court of Appeals that Thomas took his own life, in the belief that he had choked Mrs. Macon to death in a fit of anger preceding the shooting. This conclusion is based on the fact that, according to the record, the pistol was found in the right hand of Thomas, lying across his breast or stomach, with his left hand on top of it. His right thumb was through the trigger guard pressed against the trigger (this was attested to by four witnesses); and, the opinion stated, it was the most appropriate finger for him to use to fire the shot straight through the head. "... The sheriff testified the deceased had extremely long arms and big hands; also, that he had a large thumb and it was right in there, in the trigger. It was hard to get out." The space between the trigger in its normal position and the forward part of the guard is only one inch. This is not enough space for a large thumb to fit into without forcing the trigger back towards the firing position. "The defendant could not have forced the large thumb of the deceased in this space without running the risk of firing the gun again. "... The foregoing evidence is strongly corroborative of the other evidence that has led us to the conclusion that the deceased took his own life. There is no credible evidence to the contrary." ****************************************************************************** "Smithfield (VA) Times," Vol. 30, No. 40, Wed., Mar. 17, 1948, p. 1 Supreme Court Awards New Trial To Mrs. Macon The Supreme Court of Appeals in an opinion handed down recently by Justice Abram P. Staples reversed the judgment of the Southampton County Circuit Court and ordered a new trial for Mrs. Louise Hundley Macon, who was convicted last March of manslaughter in the death on October 4, 1946, of Andrew C. Thomas and sentenced to a year's imprisonment. The appeal to the high State court was made by Thomas L. Woodward of Suffolk, attorney for Mrs. Macon, who contended that a "confession" purportedly made by the defendant had been erroneously admitted in evidence at the time of the trial. But, more interesting was the conclusion reached by the members of the Court of Appeals that Thomas took his own life, in the belief that he had choked Mrs. Macon to death in a fit of anger preceding the shooting. This conclusion is based on the fact that, according to the record, the pistol was found in the right hand of Thomas, lying across his breast or stomach, with his left hand on top of it. His right thumb was through the trigger guard, pressed against the trigger (this was attested to by four witnesses): and, the opinion stated, it was the most appropriate finger for him to use to fire the shot straight through the head. "... The sheriff testified the deceased had extremely long arms and big hands; also, that he had a large thumb and it was right in there, in the trigger. It was hard to get it out.' The space between the trigger in normal position and the forward part of the guard is only one inch. This is not enough space for a large thumb to fit into without forcing the trigger back towards the firing position. "The defendant could not have [forced the thumb of the] deceased in this space without running the risk of firing the gun again. "... The foregoing evidence is strongly corroborative of the other evidence that has led us to the conclusion that the deceased took his own life. There is no credible evidence to the contrary." ****************************************************************************** "Sussex-Surry Dispatch" (Waverly, VA), Vol. 70, No. 12, Thurs., Mar. 18, 1948, p. 1 Supreme Court Reverses Verdict In Killing; Awards Mrs. Macon Trial The Supreme Court of Appeals in an opinion handed down recently by Justice Abram P. Staples reversed the judgment of the Southampton County Circuit Court and ordered a new trial for Mrs. Louise Hundley Macon, who was convicted last March of manslaughter in the death on October 4, 1946, of Andrew C. Thomas, and sentenced to a year's imprisonment. The appeal to the high State court was made by Thomas L. Woodward, of Suffolk, attorney for Mrs. Macon, who claimed her confession had been erroneously admitted in evidence at the time of the trial. The high court reached the conclusion that Thomas took his own life in the belief that in a fit of anger he had choked Mrs. Macon to death. The conclusion is based on the record that the pistol was found in the right hand of Thomas, lying across his breast, with his left hand on top. His right thumb was through the trigger guard and pressed against the trigger as attested to by four witnesses. The opinion stated: "it was the most appropriate finger for him to use to fire the shot straight through the head. The sheriff testified the deceased had extremely long arms and big hands; also that he had a large thumb and 'it was right there in the trigger. It was hard to get out.' The space between the trigger in its normal position and the forward part of the gun is only one inch. This is not enough room for a large thumb to fit into without forcing the trigger back towards the firing postition. "The defendant could not have inserted his thumb in this space without running the risk of firing the gun again. "The foregoing evidence is strongly corroborative of the other evidence that has led us to the conclusion that the deceased took his own life. There is no credible evidence to the contrary." ****************************************************************************** "Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Vol. 42, No. 30, Fri., May 21, 1948, p. 1 JUDGE APPOINTS NEW PROSECUTOR IN FAMOUS CASE Charles B. Godwin To Replace Commonwealth's Attorney, Who Is Disqualified To Serve In New Trial. Circuit Judge John K. Hutton of Suffolk, presiding over the May term of court at the county seat on Monday, May 17, appointed Charles B. Godwin, former Commonwealth's Attorney of Nansemond County, to represent the State in the case of Commonwealth v. Louise Hundley Macon. Mrs. Macon was found guilty on March 20, 1947, of manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of Andrew C. Thomas in her home in Ivor on the night of October 4, 1946, her punishment being fixed at one year in the penitentiary. When the case was carried to the Supreme Court of Appeals by Mrs. Macon's attorneys, James T. Gillette of Courtland and Thomas L. Woodard of Suffolk, the appellate court reversed the lower court on March 1 of this year and sent the case back for a new trial. Whether Mrs. Macon is required again to appear before a jury now depends upon Mr. Godwin, who may prosecute the case or ask that it be dismissed for lack of evidence sufficient to convict. The Supreme Court's ruling was not unanimous, as originally reported, four of the seven judges being of the opinion that the confession made by Mrs. Macon to Sheriff T.B. Bell and Commonwealth's Attorney Junius W. Pulley was not voluntary and should not have been admitted in evidence. In a dissenting opinion, written by Justice Buchanan and concurred in by Chief Justice Hudgins and Justice Spratley, the view was expressed that the confession had been made voluntarily and that the lower court had been correct in submitting it to the jury. However, there was unanimity in the findings of the Supreme Court to the effect that, since the admissions of guilt had been brought in question, it was improper for the Commonwealth's Attorney to prosecute the case, and some other attorney should have assumed those duties. ****************************************************************************** "Sussex-Surry Dispatch" (Waverly, VA), Vol. 70, No. 32, Thurs., July 22, 1948, p. 1 Ivor Woman Cleared Of Murder Count Courtland - The case of Mrs. Louise Hundley Macon, whose conviction on a voluntary manslaughter charge was reversed last March 1 by the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, was written off the books here Monday by the Commonwealth. Mrs. Macon, formerly a church secretary at Ivor, was sentenced to one year's imprisonment in Southampton County Circuit Court last year on a charge of slaying Andrew C. Thomas of Hopewell. The conviction was reversed by the Supreme Court which interpreted evidence as pointing to a suicide by Thomas, and remanded to the lower court for further action. Charles B. Godwin, of Suffolk, appointed by the Circuit Court to represent the Commonwealth, moved for a nolle prosequi order, and Judge John K. Hutton accepted his recommendation. Godwin told the court that since the Supreme Court had ruled that a confession by Macon, later repudiated by her on the stand, was incredible, he felt that no good purpose would be served by retrying the case. He declared, however, that in other respects he felt that the confession would be admissible as evidence. He said that in his opinion, Commonwealth's Attorney Junius A. [sic; W.] Pulley and Sheriff T.B. Bell proceeded properly and legally in their methods of obtaining the confession. Godwin was appointed special attorney for the Commonwealth when Pulley asked to be relieved of further participation. Mrs. Macon, in a signed confession, said she shot Thomas, who had been keeping company with her for some time, at her home at Ivor on the night of Oct. 4, 1946. The statement said she grabbed his pistol, after he had started at her and began choking her, and shot him through the head. Then the statement read, she laid him on the floor and placed the pistol in his hands. The higher court ruled last Spring that Mrs. Macon's confession was incredible and was obtained by improper methods, therefore, the court declared, it should not have been admitted as evidence. ****************************************************************************** "Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Vol. 43, No. 39, July 23, 1948, p. 1 State Drops Case Against Ivor Woman Convicted Of Voluntary Manslaughter "Finis" was written on Monday of this week to the case of Commonwealth vs. Mrs. Louise Hundley Macon, when Charles B. Godwin of Suffolk, special prosecutor appointed to represent the people, moved in the Southampton Circuit Court for a nolle prosequi order, and Judge John K. Hutton accepted his recommendation. Mrs. Macon, a divorcee who formerly was a church secretary at Ivor, was sentenced in March, 1947, to a year's imprisonment on a voluntary manslaughter charge in connection with the death of Andrew C. Thomas in the dining room of her Ivor home on the night of October 4, 1946. The sentence was set aside by the Supreme Court of Appeals on March 1 of this year, and the case was remanded to the trial court for further action. Mr. Godwin, who replaced Commonwealth's Attorney Junius W. Pulley when the letter acked [sic; latter asked] to be relieved of the responsibility of again prosecuting Mrs. Macon, told the court that since the Supreme Court had ruled that a confession by Mrs. Macon - later repudiated by her on the stand - was incredible, he felt no good purpose would be served by retrying the case. To this Judge Hutton agreed. Defense attorneys Thomas L. Woodward of Suffolk and James T. Gillette of Courtland based their appeal to the Supreme Court on the ground that Mrs. Macon's purported confession that she shot Thomas as he was choking her had been improperly obtained, and should not have been admitted in evidence. A majority of the members of the Supreme Court supported this view, but the deciding factor in causing the case to be remanded was the incredibility of the confession itself. ****************************************************************************** Additional information: Andrew Carnegie THOMAS, of Hopewell, Camp Lee automotive instructor, b. 4 Aug 1901, Pittsylvania Co., suicide 4 Oct 1946, Ivor, interred in Chatham Burial Park, Chatham, Pittsylvania Co., 7 Oct 1946 A photo of his gravestone - added by s. stice - is posted with Find a Grave Memorial #111680571. His parents, Joseph Perkins & Katherine (HASTINGS) THOMAS, are also buried there. D.Cert. 22864 (B&I #18) gives both d. 4 & 5 Oct; son of Joseph & Catherine (HASTINGS) THOMAS; suicide. ****************************************************************************** Mary Louise (HUNDLEY; Mrs. Jefferson Edward) MACON, former Ivor Baptist Church clerk, b. 11 Jan 1898, Smithfield, IoW.Co.*, d. 12 Dec 1971, Chesapeake, interred in Wakefield Cemetery* *Additional information: Wakefield list, an extension of the Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/sussex/cemeteries/wakefd.txt A photo of her gravestone - added by Ron Stewart - is posted with Find a Grave Memorial #127511181. Her parents, John Thomas & Annie Dorothy (BOWDEN) HUNDLEY, are also buried there. Delayed B.Cert. 1957-267 D.Cert. 71-035334 Louise & Jefferson (1885 - 1969) m. 17 Jul 1918, & div. 12 Apr 1946 in Southampton Co. Southampton Co. MB17:252 gives b. Surry Co. Jefferson is buried in Magnolia Cemetery, Augusta, Richmond Co., GA. Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/news/19480723tn.txt