Two Arrests Made In Murder Case

The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune Sat, Sep 23, 1911 ·Page 2

"Buck" Davidson and Hubert Whitt of Melbourne Charged With Assaulting and Killing Mrs. Ed. Shirley at her home on a farm north of Melbourne Sunday afternoon, says The Trenton Times. The men were taken to Bethany to jail Wednesday afternoon and it is said Davidson has confessed to the crime of assaulting and murdering the woman. It is reported three more men are suspected of being implicated in the crime and their arrest is expected soon.

The two men arrested are both residents of the locality where the murder was committed. Whitt is a young man about 21 years of age and a cousin of Mrs. Shirley, and made his home there when not employed as a farm hand. Davidson has a wife and several children and it is said does not bear a good reputation.

Both men were seen in the neighborhood of the Shirley farm Sunday afternoon. Davidson was seen at the Metcalf School near by and said he was going to cut corn and was seen going toward the Shirley home.

Mrs. Shirley was murdered during the absence of her husband and three little sons. The youngest child a three year old girl was at home and says her mother fought a man and a man fought her. Mrs. Shirley was a fairly large, strong woman and made a desperate struggle. Blood stains are all over the upstairs bedroom where her body was found by her husband and a physician says the blood is not that of the murdered woman, showing that her assailant did not escape without some injury. Hubert Whitt one of the men arrested is a small built fellow and Davidson is an average size man.

The whole country about Melbourne is excited about the tragedy. Bloodhounds were sent for Tuesday but by that time it was too late for them to get a trail and the owner of the dogs refused to take them to the scene of the crime.