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A 7 If You Don’t Read . The Chronicle You Don’t Get the News ffllintnn The Chronicle Strives To Be A Clean News- 4 paper. Complete, Newsy and Reliable Volume LVIII Clinton, S. C, Thursday, June 20, 1957 Number 25 Scenes That Figured in Clinton's Widely Publicized Kidnapping Conspiracy Theee two photos show scenes 12 miles on either side of Clinton where principal developments occurred Monday afternoon and niffht, June 10, in the city’s sensational kidnapping conspiracy that brought the arrest of a white man and two Negroes in a case that began back in February. The plot failed and the subject of the kidnapping: scheme, a four.year-old Clinton boy, was never reached. State, county and city police officers were kept informed aU the way by a fourth party who was approached to become a member of the plot and whom the police still refuse to name. The photo at left shows a road crossing where Thomas D. Ja cobs, 59-year-old Clinton man was arrested by officers as he picked up a package that was supposed to contain $350,000 ran som money placed at the foot of the pine tree with white spot a few minutes earlier by Robert M. Vance, Clinton banker and tex tile executive, father of the intended victim. The crossing is the Clinton-to-Chappells and Cross llill-to- Kinards road intersection. Jacobs approached the site from the di rection of Cross Hill. Arriving several minutes ahead of Vance, he got out of his car and looked under the tree, got bark in his car and drove toward Kinards. Returning a few minutes after Vance placed the package by the tree, Jacobs parked his car in the posi tion of the one shown, got out and picked up the package, and was on his way back to the car when police, who were in the underbrush surrounding the tree, closed in with guas drawn It was at this point that Jacobs came near being shot, some officers at the site state, when he put his hand in his pocket for some rea— j son. However, he slipped to a sitting position in the shallow ditch at the side ofithe road where Clinton's Police Chief B. B. Ballard is standing.' The photo at right Show^ the site on the Spartanburg County side of F.noree River where Johie Shelton, Jr., was arrested by of ficers as he drove up to the places where the boy w as to have been held and the ransom divided. It was Shelton's Job to kidnap the boy from the yard of his home while out with his nurse. The hoy was not in the yard, however, and the fourth man. who was driv ing the car, suggested that they go on out to the river site to re port to Jacobs that the plot had failed. Shelton was taken by officers who were hiding in the brush as he drove into an old road bed shown by the car. It Is the place where the old bridge at Mus- Krove Mill over F.noree River met the Spartanburg County side. The car is almost on the river hank. The boy wax to have been held in the wooded hill area it right in the picture. Horse ''hire F'alls is only a few yards back this way from the car Shelton was arrested at 2:10 Monday afternoon and Jacobs a few minutes after 8:30 that night. Jacobs wax to have driven the !4 miles to the river site after collecting the ransom for a division of the money The boy was to have been brought back toward Clinton and put out at a house on the Spartanburg highway. The third arrest was made about 9:3ft Monday night when \V illie T. Hill was taken at his home in the northw extern section of the city. Two Arrested Here In $3756 Georgia Robbery Local Police Nab Them 12 Minutes After Phone Call From Georgia Town Some fast police work was done ed at a store at Five Points, at here last Thursday night when the edge of the city on the road officers arrested two men wanted for the $3,750 robber^ of an el derly woman in a Georgia town. leading from Lydia Mills. They offered no resistance. The men were drving a 1949 Chevrolet convertible, which Twelve minutes after Clinton Georgia officers took back with police received a telephone call from Georgia officers warning them to be on the lookout for the men they were taken in tow by Assistant Chief William B. Blake ly, Patrolman J. V. Lowe, and Deputy Sheriff Ralph Riddle. Arrested were Tony Patterson, of Waco, Ga., and Claude Wil liams, of Tallapoosa, Ga., both in their twenties. They were charg ed with the offense which occur red the previous Sunday in Tal lapoosa. The men were held in the Clin ton jail until Friday afternoon when Sheriff Allen, of Haralson County, Ga., of which Buchanan is the county seat, and two other Georgia officers came for them. Clinton police got the call from the Georgia sheriff at 9:30 p. m., requesting them to watch for the two men in a car with Georgia license plates since they were suspected of having headed to ward this section. Clinton police immediately put the information out over their radio to squad cars bn patrol. .Deputy Sheriff Riddle, who was patroling the Lydia Mill area, heard the call end told the Clin ton officers that he was looking right-at the car. (Radios in sher iffs officers cars operate on the same frequency as those in Clin ton and Laurens police cars). Deputy Sheriff Riddle gave the Clinton officers his position and a plan of action was agreed upon. Officers Blakely and Lowe, in a city car, converged upon the scene to head the men off from them Friday. They had bought the car and some new clothes, some of which had not been used, with part of the robbery money, officers said. They had less than $100 on them. The Georgia sheriff told Clin ton officers still another man was implicated in the robbery, the Lydia Cotton Mills To Receive Award From Labor Dept. No New Developments in Kidnapping Case be Lydia Cotton Mills will awarded the South Carolina De partment of Labor Safety Award Certificate by Labor Commission er William Fred Ponder at 3:30 ?. m. on Thursday. June 27. at the Lydia plant. The Lydia plant is being recog nized for its progress in accident prevention. Lydia’s 1956 accident frequency rate was 64 per cent lower than the 1955 rate. Superintendent D. H. Roberts, who will receive the award on be half of all the employees, said, “Our progress in accident preven tion has been in a direct ratio to Zonolite Road Closing Howard Watkins Hearing Is Scheduled k Candidate For Attorney General Says Commissioners Or Delegation Con Open Or Close Roads Whether or not to close or abandon a road through the prop erty of the Zonolite Company near Lanford will get a hearing at a meeting called by the Lau rens County Board of Commis sioners for June 28. The question was continued at the June meeting of the County Delegation when t'he Delegation victim being his grandmother. He| the ion and support given d , f h ^ did not come to Clinton with his our prevention , received .letter from th Laurens two companions, but was captur-! a11 the employees. We trust, County Development Board rec- ed in Georgia with a new car hej 1 ^ 5 award will serve as a chal-1 ommending that the road had bought with money taken in l l en 8 e to continue to improve our | abandoned. The Delegation the robbery. The sheriff said the | Program designed to blot out un- quested Supervisor Bennie men got the money some time | n«ces«ry pain suffering, and tQ contact Sunday when the woman was i loss of earnangs due to plant ui-! away from hdme. ' ‘juries.” be However, Mr. .Callison contin ued, “Whether a road can be abandoned without denying to citizens a vested right to the use of such road will depend upon the facts in the case." The Attorney General further stated: "The legislative delegation may by proper act place roads in the county system and may re move roads from the county sys tem unless some legal constitu tional right of a landowner is in volved." Supervisor Blakely said at the Shelton and Hill Make Confessions; Jacobs is Mum; No Counsel Retained No new developments of im- spiracy, but he pleaded that his portance have occurred in Clin- age and health prevented him ton’s kidnapping conspiracy, po- from doing so. Instead, he got a lice stated yesterday, and offi- relative, Shelton, to take his cers consider the case “wrapped place. up.’’ ~ i A desolate spot on the Enoree With the arrest of Thomas D Biver about.15 miles from Clinton’ Jacobs, 59, former proprietor of a was chosen as a rendezvous spot. Clinton printing plant, and two Shelton was to kidnap the Vance “^Negroes. Jobie D. Shelton. 30. and child when the boy was taken .* i Willie T. Hill. 61. police say that for a walk by his nurse, leave the dustnal machinery dealer, and is| a || p rinc jp,i a m the case are in ransom note, and take the child a former Clinton police officer custody. Jacobs and Shelton are t0 the river spot. Later he was in the county jail at Laurens, to have been met there by Jacobs while Hill is under guard at the who, in the meantime, would He be- have picked up the ransom mon- Service Officer Howard Watkins, of Clinton, is 1 a candidate for the position of County Service Officer, accord ing to an advertisement appear ing in The Chronicle today V Mr. Watkins is a farm and in and county deputy sheriff. All honorably discharged vet- re B. At- J June meeting of the County Dele- of the cars and G. W. Merchant the front, with Deputy Riddle in' was the driver and sole occupant the rear. The men were captur-1 of the other. Huey Bonds, of Joanna Men Were Racing Inguest Testimony Says Principals Make Admission During Coroner's Hearing on Bridges Death > - - - - -—-| A race involving automobiles driven by two Joanna men was in progress, or had been termi nated, when Hubert Donald Brid ges, 26, was killed in an automo bile wreck on the Juanna-Kinards stretch of highway early Sunday morning, June 2, in testimony brought out at a coroner’s in quest at Clinton city hall June 7. Bridges was the driver of one to vote in an election called for the purpose of nominating a ser vice officer on Friday, June 28. Program On Safety Scheduled Tonight . At Providence School torney General on the matter Supervisor Bennie B Blakely- said that all interested parties I are invited to the hearing which will be held at the Laurens Court House Friday, June 28, at 10:00 a. m., “to determine whether or not public highway 315 running east- w a r d and Westward between (State Highway 221 (between Ora and Lanford) in Laurens County j to State Road 97, should be main- I tained.” ! He said all parties interested in this matter will be given the 1 opportunity to be heard. ^ ' , ...... . . I The letter from the Develop- Whelchel said that it took so ment Board si d aH ^ ong for the cars to reach Kinardsl members recornrm>nded that a that he turned around and sUrted bin ^ passed effec t U ating the back toward Joanna. On the way,' abandonment of the road ar * said the two cars passed him and he j n art . turned around and went back to I ‘ ’ Kinards. When he arrived at Kin- After making a thorough pet ards the Second tune, the two cars sonal inspection of this property were turning around below Kin- reac l'^ d the unanimous con- ards, he said. He returned the clusion that this road is provid- bets to the men, he said, and talk- ir ^'convenience to the people ed with them for a while. I and that ^ should be abandoned . . , 1 as requested by the Zonolite com While attempting to crank his v “ J \ car for the return trip to Joanna,. ^ ^ , fh t -1 Clinton, was riding with Bridges, Whelchel said, Bridges and Bonds; Wlth thls fi industry 0 ^ do°a ' was ‘ -I > eft £ , car * nd . Merchant in I great deal to bring coun . The jury returned a verdict of, his. Whelchel said his car wasnt ity 1Qto f avorab i e llght Wlth ot her death "from injuries received in'running nght and it wa f som e substantial industries. However.I an auto accident driven at his 1 [i me before he got it started, and lf we could see anyt hing of bene-j own hands in a reckless fhanner." h e was on the way back to Joan- {it that thig would br j ng to RrirWc viHi's! hie rar na when he came upon the wreck. the publ j c we wou i d not hesitate Bonds, who rode with Bridges, in recommending that the road testified that the race was to be remain open and be improved. a ponce miormea, knowing that Shelton had the ransom,note in .. , Laurens County Hospital _ „ erans in the county are eligible came lU lbe nigh , t 0 f his arrest. j e y Th e money was to be divided “The two Negroes have made as a « r u eed u ' xm ’ and ohlld left statements admitting their parts' at a house on the Clmton-Spar- in the conspiracy to kidnap the tarabur « highway Two polling places will be set four-year-old son of Robert M 1 'he appointed day, Monday, up. at the court house in Laurens - Vanct! - ^Clinton, banker and Sh ^" ^ ^ « rab ^ cotton mill executive: Jacobs has the ehild s schedule had been and at the city hall in C| inton - refu&ed to make a statement of! changed that day and he was not o ^ 11 ^ ° Pen fr ° m 8 00 3 m any kind sim 'e his arrest, and of at his accustomed place. ° r . ,.P ™ ... . ficers stated that up to yesterday' A "fourth party," who had kept Deadline for qualifying as can- h( . had made ao mi)V ,, t<) see a informed, didates is 6:00 p. m., Tuesday. j awVt , June 25. An entrance fee of $10, >p be three men were arrested his possesion at the time and by Laurens County officers, Clin knowing that officers were lying ton police, and officers of SLED in wait at- the river rendezvous, and a Spartanburg county offi- prevailed on the Negro to go to x, . . „„„ ... . .. | cef. j the meeting place to report to ■'u th 3 n -'t U ' r y ri V wn j The plot had its inception back Jacobs thal -the plot -had farled- Soutli .Broad Clinton. | m FebSTUm was approached on that particular day named by^tlfe State^ServiwODi and aSk * d t0 P “ rt in the con -j When Sheiton arrived at the ficer upon the recommendation of LOSES FATHEH >cone. officers stepped from the the County Delegation. !, Friends of Dr. and Mrs. W W hcavy^ underbrush and pounced The delegation will submit the .Adams will regret to learn-of the ivhih. thw ing May, the state highway de- name of the person nominated by death of his father. J. K. Adams. off ' .„ * , * ' * ° '’ , n n * r partment has reported. | the veterans in f-'T-th,; n „ ~..ot .„ r- n„ s Ironi Laurens County, The department stated that 2,- election gation that the road in question was closed for a period of about three years and that he reopened it upon the request of two adjoin ing property owners. One of the property owners, it'j s required of candidates, which was satd- had assisted in closing WI )| ^ paid to either the city the road clerk in Laurens or Wyman M. Shealy, at the Clintdn-Newberry 34 County Drivers Hove Licenses Revoked In Moy Thirty-four automobile drivers had their licenses withdrawn dur- ,n the forthcoming the past week in Camilla, Ga ' clmt ' orii and s L ir D had concealed „ iruneral services were held there th..rrwAn,os; ui .143 drivers in the state lost their The delegation called the meet- on Wednesday e the ' ,p 1 h re the licenses during the month. mg of commanders of veterans Driving under the influence of organizations in the county at ton while Mrs. Adams and chil intoxicants was given as the rea- which plans lor the election were dren remained with hus mother son for about half of the with- made to choose a successor to the and other relatives m Camilla for drawals. „ late C. A. Seawrgiht. the week _ . , , , money was to have been left ac- Dr. Adams has rturned to Clin- cordinK to instructions ixmtained Whitten Village Board in First Meeting A program on safety will be given tonight (Thursday) at Prov idence school at 8:00 o’clock. Sponsors are the Lydia Woman’s club and the Lydia Men’s club. Appearing on the program will be Sergeant C. H. Bailey, of the State Highway Department; Ralph Riddle, Lydia Mills deputy sheriff; and Mrs. George Cope land, RIN, Lydia Mills nurse. In addition a film will be shown. The public is invited. Cleaners To Close Week Of Fourth In an advertisement in today’s paper a number of cleaning plants in the area announce their clos ing for the week of July 4 in ord er to give their employees a vac- tion. . • Plants wiU close Sskurday night, June and reqpen Monday Jvfere. Bridges was killed when his car lef the road and apparently over turned several times. Bonds, who was ricfihg with Bridges, suffered no serious injuries. Members of the coroner’s jury were: Billy L. McCrary, foreman; C. D. Pitts, Mack Stubbs, James R. Braswell. J. ,.L. Smith, and John Lynch. Testimony was given at the hearing that a race was arranged between Bridges and G. W. Mer chant at a filling station in Joan na. According to the testimony, bets were made between Bridges and Merchant, and Bonds and Whelchel had bets on one or the other of the drivers. Whelchel held the money, it was stated. Bridges and Bonds rode in one car, while Merchant was alone, it was brought out in the testi mony. The race was to be from the filling station at Joanna to Kinards. Whelchel drove to Kin ards .according to his own testi mony, ahead of the racing cars in order to be at the finish line and pay off the bats when the race from Joanna to Kinards, but did not say they were to race from Kinards .back to Joanna. ( When questioned on that point, he'said, "Well, Hubert (Bridges) thought he was racing.” When question-' ed about the speed t)At Bridges was driving the car sft the time of the wreck, he sai^f "Around 100 miles an hour.” Merchant testified that when he reached Kinards from Joanna on the first trip, he told Bridges, "You are in no condition to race. Let’s go home.’’ When Bridges replied in the negative, Merchant said he left Kinards and started to Joanna, leaving the others. On the way back, he said, he noticed some headlights in his rear view went back, he said, and came up on the wreck. mirror. He turned around and Highway Patrolman James Le on Collins, of Clinton, testified that, “I measured the skid marks on the paved shoulder of the road, (continued on page I) Attorney General T. C. Calli son, in replying to a letter from] Supervisor Blakely seeking infor mation on the subject, said: "The County Supervisor and governing body of the county may order the laying out and re pairing of public roads . . . dis continue such roads, bridges and ferries as shall be found useless and alter roads so as to make them more useful." The Attorney General was quoting Section 33-801 of the South Carolina Code of 1952. Mr. Callison further stated: . . You will see from the above that the discontinuance of public roads is declared to be in the gov erning body of the county. Coun ty Commissioners or Directors, as the case may be, and the Su pervisor. I think, therefore, that the Supervisor alone would not have the authority without the approval of the Commissioners to close, discontinue or abandon a public road." The newly-named board of trustees of WhltUn Village met at Ike institution Tuesday moraine for the'Initial session of the group. The meeting was largely of an organizational nature, and a gen eral discussion of affairs of the institution was had. R. L. Plaxico, of Clinton, was named by the trustees as chairman, and Dr. W. H. Lacey, of Monrks Corner, vice chairman. Dr. B. 0. Whitten wax reelected as superintendent of the Institution The trustees made a tour of the entire plant ai d were- gueoto for lunch on the oampun. W Im the picture are. front row, loft to right: Lr. Whitten. Mr. Plaxico. and Dr. Edward R. Wal lace of Barnwell; hack cow: W. B. Peoria of Greenville. Dr. Julian Price of Florence, and Dr. Lacey. ^ K —Photo by Dun Yarborough m the ransom note. After hours of patient waiting, till- officers saw a car drive up and halt. A man got out and went to the base of a big pine tree . which was marked with a large white spot. This was Uie >pot specified m the note where the money was to be placed But it was only 8:15 p. in., and the, man was id minutes ahead of his schedule. He returned to his car and drove off. At 8:28 p. m., two minutes (ahead of schedule, Mr. Vance ar rived on the scene. He parked his ear, opened its trunk and re moved a package, made up to re- senible the money container. Us ing a flashlight he identified the • spot-marked pine, placed' the package at its base, returned to his car, and diyive ^ff in the di rection of Clinton. . About two minutes later the first car returned The driver halted, left the motor running, turned his packing lights on and went xtraight to the tree. He picked up the package and just as -he started to return the few yards to his car, five, police officers arose from tr(e darkness and grabbed hnn. The officers j had' been carefully concerned, less | than 10 yardk from the pirie tryu and had watched every move the man had made, keeping him cov ered at all times with their wea pons. , t ‘ Penalty under South Carolina statutes upon conviction of con- _T i spiracy to kidnap can be Life im prisonment, or under certain con ditions, even the deatK penalty. < Sheriff Wier said that he ex pects the case to come before the Laurens county {rand jury next September.