Southampton-Isle of Wight County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Jones, Vernon W., 1932 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ VERNON WILSON JONES OFFICER KILLED NEGRO ACCUSED OF SLAYING FRANKLIN NIGHT POLICEMAN Officer Shot to Death Near Courtland, and Companion Fired at From Car. FRANKLIN, May 10.- Posses of Southampton county residents late tonight continued their search for Willie Blow, young negro, who this morning shot to death Vernon Wilson Jones, aged 35, night policeman in Franklin, in an automobile just outside Courtland as Jones was taking the negro to Courtland to establish the ownership of a quantity of peanuts. Jones and the negro were in an automobile driven by E.A. Bradshaw, farmer and dairyman, of Southampton county. When the three reached the filling station of Andrew Sipiczky, just at the edge of Courtland, Jones, sitting alone on the back seat of the car, with Blow sitting by Bradshaw, who was driving, asked Blow if he knew Sheriff Bell. "Yes, I know him," was the answer, and as the car slowed up for the curve, Blow reached into his shirt and, pulling out a gun, turned and fired twice, both shots taking effect in the policeman's breast. He turned the gun to Bradshaw, who stopped the car, tackled Blow, and succeeded in wrestling the gun from him. Blow leaned over the car, and snatched the pistol from the holster on the body of the dying policeman. "Kill him, Bradshaw, I'm gone," were the last words Jones uttered. Flees Into Thicket Bradshaw ran for the filling station, with Blow shooting at him as he ran. Inside, Sipiczky tried to get his gun, and Bradshaw fired again at Blow, one shot striking the windshield of his car. Blow ran off into a thicket toward the Southern Railway, and Bradshaw hastened to Courtland with Officer Jones, calling in Dr. W.T. McLemore and Dr. Linwood Farly. Jones was dead on arrival at Dr. Reese's drug store in Courtland. By this time the alarm had been given and in a brief time several hundred men, armed and led by county officers, were beating the woods, looking for the slayer. Several trains were stopped at Suffolk and searched by police, with no results. The hunt was continuing late tonight. The trouble with Blow started this morning when H.L. Turner, a tenant farmer on E.A. Bradshaw placed, saw him with some peanuts on the cemetery road, from Franklin to Black Creek. He questioned the man, who said he came from Emporia, that the peanuts were his and that his truck had broken down. Later Turner reported the matter to Bradshaw, who with Police Officer Jones, went to the place and questioned Blow, who stated that if they would take him to Courtland he could show them where he bought the peanuts. It was on this trip that the killing occurred. Jones had been a police officer in Franklin for four years, coming from Smithfield, where he had been engineer on the mail boat which then plied between Smithfield and Norfolk. His record was excellent and he was regarded as a good officer and excellent citizen. He is survived by his wife, who was Miss Della Hooker, of Isle of Wight county; one son, Wilson Jones, aged four years; his mother, Mrs. J.S. Pond, of of Isle of Wight county, and several brothers and sisters. ****************************************************************************** VERNON WILSON JONES FINAL RITES HELD FOR SLAIN OFFICER Suffolk, May 11 - Funeral services for Vernon Wilson Jones, slain police officer of Franklin, were held this afternoon at the home in Franklin by the Rev. Roscoe Jones, pastor of High Street Methodist Church, assisted by the Rev. J. Sutherland Watt, rector of Emanuel Episcopal Church, of Franklin. The choir of the Methodist Church sand appropriate hymns. The pallbearers were Mayor Claude J. Edwards, Councilmen Sol. W. Rawles, L.R. Jones, D.T. Prince and G.H. Parker; Chief of Police W.E. Darden and Sergt. W.J. Rhodes. Burial was in Poplar Spring Cemetery. The services were attended by a large concourse of people, and there were many floral tributes. [coverage continues, "HUNT FOR NEGRO ACCUSED OF KILLING VERNON WILSON JONES, OF FRANKLIN, CONTINUES"] Vernon Wilson JONES, Franklin night policeman, Isle of Wight Co. native, murdered 10 May 1932, near Courtland, age 35, interred in Poplar Spring Cemetery (Section 2, Plot 38B*), Franklin, 11 May 1932, donated article, posted by Henry May with Find a Grave Mem. #80220576**; "The Virginian-Pilot" (Norfolk, VA), May 12, 1932, p. 13 *Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS}, Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/poplar2.txt **typo gives d. 12 May 1932; burial site not given (Apr 2020). It states the murderer's death sentence was commuted to life, 22 Feb 1934. His widow 2m. Edward NIBLETT. They are buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suffolk - Block S, Lot 40. Cedar Hill list, an extension of the SCHS Cemetery Project: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/cedar_m.txt He was the only child of "Jake" Jacob W. & "Nannie" Nancy Elizabeth (GWALTNEY) JONES, who m. 16 Jan 1896 (IoW.Co. #14). His mother was widowed by 26 June 1900, when they appear in the Census with Nannie's parents Charles & Nancy Ellen [CLARK] GWALTNEY (Hardy Dist, IoW.Co.). Nannie 2m. John Sam POND, 27 Nov 1901, in IoW.Co. They are buried in Mill Swamp Baptist Church Cemetery. Isle of Wight County Historical Society {IWCHS} Grave Site Survey Task Force {GSSTF} report #55: http://www.iwchs.com/Cemetery-Reports.html Nannie's obit ("Smithfield Times," Nov. 9, 1949, p. 3) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/obits/p530n1ob.txt Farmer "Eddie" Edward Allen BRADSHAW is buried in Rosemont Cemetery, Sedley. SCHS Cemetery Project, Rosemont list (S-6): http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/rosemont.txt Blacksmith Andrew SIPICZKY, a native of Hungary, is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Courtland - Section I, Plot 23. SCHS Cemetery Project, Riverside list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/riverside.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), and re-formatted by File Manager. file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/j520v1ob.txt