Thriller Thursday - The Murder of Edna Chinn Sykes

Newspaper account

From the Lexington Herald, July 22, 1914, p 5 c 7.

MRS. EDNA CHINN SYKES KILLED IN LOS ANGELES.

Daughter of Late Claude Chinn is murdered by Jealous Suitor.

Los Angeles, Cal., July 21 (1914). -- Mrs. Edna Chinn Sykes, a native of Lexington, KY and later Norcross, Ga., was killed here yesterday by Charles H. Haag, a contractor, who broke in the room where she was asleep. Haag then killed himself.

Haag has been paying attention to Mrs. Sykes, her friends say, who had brought suit for divorce from William Sykes.  Mrs. Sykes' friends say that Haag had learned that she was receiving $150 alimony and in a fit of jealousy fearing that she might return to her husband, killed her and then himself.

Disposition of her five-year-old son will not be determined until advice is received from his father, who it is believed is in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Mrs. Edna Chinn Sykes, who was shot and killed yesterday at Los Angeles by Charles Haag, was a daughter of the late Claude Chinn, formerly County Clerk of Fayette County, and was born and reared in Lexington.  She was married several years ago to William Sykes, whose home is now in Atlanta.

About two years ago, Mrs. Sykes went to California to be with her mother, Mrs. Chinn, whose health was not good.  Mrs. Sykes has one brother, Joseph Chinn who is in business in Indianapolis, and a sister who is the wife of W. B. Anderson, of this city, a gauger in the Internal Revenue service here. Mrs. Anderson is now in Indianapolis with her brother.

[Blogger's note: Edna was actually married to Leon Odus Sykes, NOT William Sykes.]

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Thriller Thursday - The Murder of Addison Ball Chinn continued . . .

BLOOD IN UNUSED POULTRY HOUSE ANOTHER LINK IN CHAIN OF EVIDENCE

Grass Found on Socks of Prisoners; Thompson Suffers Much From Wound.

Police Confident the Right Men Are Under Arrest; Daughter Arrives; Men Will Be Taken Before Mrs. Chinn for Identification; Yesterday's Developments in Chinn Murder Case.
Lexington continued to stand agape yesterday at the horrible tragedy committed Friday night. The first words at greetings were expressions of opinions as to the guilt of the two men arrested. The police are confident that the guilty men are in custody.

The most important development of yesterday was the discovery by Capt. Stough of clots of blood in a chicken shed adjoining the Chinn home. The shed is in the rear of an unoccupied house owned by Mr. George Ott. The discovery of this blood lends strength to the theory that one of the murderers at least was wounded. The police believe that the burglars entered this shed and removed their shoes, that they walked to the Chinn house barefoot in order to make no noise and thus to enter the house. The theory is that one was shot, and after making their escape through the window, they went to the shed after their shoes and a few drops of blood dripped on the floor. The blood, however, may not be human blood or it may be much older than is supposed.

Grass on Socks

This discovery adds strength to the incriminating evidence against Thompson and O'Brien. When Thompson's* shoes were removed at the station house, his socks were found to be not only badly soiled, but muddy. Spanish needles were adhering to them and on the bottom of one of the socks was a stick weed, a grass resembling Timothy. These stick weeds and Spanish needles are found in the path leading to the chicken shed. It is known that the burglars that entered the house an hour previous on the same night entered in their sock feet. This was apparent from the muddy imprints on the bare floor where the burglar had overstepped the rug.

Difference in Bullets.

Another important development was the discovery upon closer inspection that the bullet extracted from Thompson's leg is identical with the bullets fired from Asa Chinn's pistol, which were found on the floor and in the door. All the bullets connected with the case are 38-caliber, but one of the bullets picked up off the floor and the part of the bullet which was found and which was believed to have been the one that fractured Asa's jaw is hollowed at the butt end, just as are the bullets in Mr. Slade's pistol. The police believe the burglars that entered the Slade home and stole a pistol also went to the Chinn home and committed the murder with this pistol.

Thompson Suffers From Wound.

Thompson says he was shot by a negro last Wednesday. Jailer Wallace says that when he visited the men in the jail suspected of breaking into Van Deren's Hardware store, Thompson did not limp. He limped very slightly Friday morning when arrested. He could not walk without assistance when he was taken to the jail Saturday night. He did not leave his bed yesterday. He was kept away by the pain all Saturday night and when the wound was dressed yesterday afternoon the leg was badly swollen and more inflammation had set in. An opiate was given him last night to make him sleep. Had he been shot Wednesday, as he says, the police and doctors reason that he would have been unable to walk by Thursday night.

Upward Course of Bullet

Besides the bullet entered his leg at a distance of 20-1/2 inches from the ground and was cut out an inch and three quarters higher. That is. It too a decidedly upward range, such as it would have taken had he been shot by Asa Chinn when the latter was on the floor. If he had been shot by the negro in the position  he indicated, it would have taken a downward course. the bullet did not strike a bone and thus was not deflected. Thompsons made conflicting statements to reporters Saturday as to the manner in which the difficulty between him and the alleged negro arose.

The other evidence against them was the fact that the clothes of both boys were saturated when arrested. They stated that they entered the car at midnight, at which case their clothing would have been dry, for it did not begin to rain until about half past two o'clock Saturday morning.

Fatal Mark on Trousers

The trousers which Thompson wore had no bullet hole to mark the entrance of the bullet. He says that he destroyed the trousers he had on at the time the negro shot him and purchased a pair of second-hand ones.  The ones he now wears bear the mark of "Lowenstein, Nashville." O'Brien's trousers have a hole in them at the knee which corresponds to Thompson's wound and the police believe that they exchanged trousers with the idea that if they were arrested the wound would escape detection. However, O'Brien's trousers are rather small for Thompson, and vice versa. The police are unable to find the local dealer whom Thompson says sold him the trousers.

No incriminating evidence was found on the men when they were arrested nor after a thorough search of the car. If they are guilty, their pistols and masks have been done away with. The police made a thorough but futile search for the pistols and masks on the route from the Chinn premises to the railroad yard.

Citizens Asked to Search

Chief Reagan requests the residents of Lexington, and especially of the southern portion, to make a search of their premises for these articles and to have their boys search vacant lots and other places where the articles may have been thrown or concealed. If anything is found it should be reported immediately to the police.

A Mrs. Chisholm, living in Adamstown, near Lexington avenue, says she heard the volley of shots and in a few minutes heard two men running south on Lexington avenue. This clue indicates that the murderers ran in that direction after the tragedy.

Just as soon as Mrs. Chinn is able to withstand the ordeal and Thompson's wound will permit him to walk, the prisoners will be taken before her for identification. They will also be taken before Asa Chinn. Mrs. Chinn stated to a relative that she believed she would recognize the men whose forms she saw and whose voices she heard on the fatal night. It will be remembered that the men struck a match on entering the room, and though they were masked, she observed their stature, etc.

How Prisoners Spent the Day.

Throngs of visitors were attracted to the jail yesterday, but very few were admitted to see Thompson and O'Brien as they insist on calling themselves. Perhaps no one will now be admitted without the permission of Chief Reagan.

Thompson, the wounded man, is occupying the topmost cell, known as the hospital. A prisoner named Morris keeps him company. He suffered a great deal from his wound Saturday night and yesterday and it was necessary to give him an opiate to make him sleep last night after his wound was dressed in the afternoon. He ate very little and was not inclined to talk.

Neither prisoner was allowed to read the newspapers.

O'Brien is the only prisoner on the ground floor. It was in one of the eight cells on this floor that Axline was kept in confinement for a long time. It is on this floor that the old scaffold is stored. Neither of the prisoners appeared to worry over his predicament. O'Brien ate both meals heartily and was by no means reticent, though very few people were given access to him. Capt. Stough had a long talk with him in the afternoon, but he still sticks to his first story. Thompson did not get out of his bed yesterday. O'Brien has no one to talk to except the guards when they bring his meals.

Tell-tale Course of Bullet.

It appears almost providential that the bullet in Thompson's leg did not pass through it, but spent its force before it reached the outer skin. Had it passed on through, it could not be told definitely at which end of the wound the bullet entered, and it could not be discerned whether the bullet ranged upward or downward. As it is, there is no question that the range was upward. There are only three possible explanations of this. He might have been standing in an elevated position when shot, which is unlikely. He may have been recumbent or his assailant was recumbent. He says that he and the alleged negro were standing. Had this been so, the bullet would have taken a downward course. The range is just such a one as would result from a wound inflicted by Asa Chinn, who was prostrate on the floor when he shot.

The Daughter Arrives.

Miss Eleanor Chinn arrived from New York with her uncle, Mr. Charles Runyon, on the Q & C train last night. She was met at the depot by her uncle, Mr. James Runyon, and Dr. Coleman. The party drove to the Good Samaritan Hospital. The meeting between mother and daughter was an affecting one. Clasped in each other's arms, their heart throbs beat in unison and their tears flowed together in a common grief. The young woman had left father and brother in happiness, in perfect health, in all the comforts of security. In a brief while she returned. The father was dead and the brother dangerously wounded. She was not taken to see her wounded brother, as he was sleeping. Mother and daughter remained at the hospital last night. Miss Chinn stood the journey in the shadow of the awful tragedy remarkably well. Mrs. Chinn was much more composed today.

May Have Been In Tyrone.

The police received a telephone message from a man in Tyrone yesterday that he believed from the description of the suspects he saw them in that place Wednesday. He will be here today to identify them. If they prove to be the men he has in mind, they could not have been a Williamstown Wednesday, where Thompsons says he was shot by a negro.

No Clue to Others.

No word has been received concerning the two suspicious looking white men Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Graves met nine miles from the city on the Winchester pike early Saturday morning. The police are still desirous of finding these men and learning their story. Although the police believe the guilty parties have been captured, they have not relinquished their efforts to "round up" all the suspicious characters. Every clue possible will be run down.

The Jail Guarded.

Guards remained at the jail Saturday night until three o'clock and remained until midnight last night. They usually lock the jail about ten o'clock. One man is left at the jail, but the keys are not in his possession.

The Fayette county jail is one of the most secure in the country. Entrance can not possibly be gained except through the front door. It would require hours of work to break this open without the keys. One man on the first landing could keep a regiment out. If the keys were given to a mob it is doubtful if they could get to the prisoners, so complicated are the locks.

It is impossible to burn the building. On account of the arrangement of the street, a few policemen could keep a mob from off the street.

Asa Chinn Doing Well.

At the hospital it was reported that Asa passed a very quiet day and rested easy last night. His physicians are sanguine of his recovery, but the marks of that awful night will go with him to his grave. His face will not be very much disfigured, but the scars will always remain. The wounds in the nose and lips may become almost indistinct. The fractured jawbone will always be more or less prominent and a scar will always remain on his cheek.

Diagram of the House.

A brief word diagram of the Chinn home in which the murder was committed will suffice to give a general impression of the desperate encounter. The house is a two-story frame on the south side of Maxwell street, beyond Lexington avenue. On the east is the vacant house belonging to Mr. Ott, and on the west the home of Mrs. Thompson, Both of these houses are close. The driveway to the Chinn home is on the east side of the house under Mrs. Runyon's window. The front door opens into a hall. On the east side of the hall is the parlor and in the rear of this, Mrs. Runyon's room. Just beyond her door is the bottom of the stairs running up from the hall. The front room on the west side of the hall is Asa's room and at its rear is the family room. Asa's room door and the parlor door are directly opposite. The family door opening into the hall and Mrs. Runyon's door are directly opposite.

When Asa was awakened by his mother's screams of murder, he secured pistol and rifle, stepped out of his room and went to the family door, about twelve feet away. A confused idea is prevalent as to who fired the first shot. Asa and Mrs. Chinn agree that the burglars heard Asa in the hall and fired. One of them had his pistol pressed against Mr. Chinn's breast, which was powder burned. The burglar shot was the signal for Asa to open fire. He emptied his revolver of five chambers. Three of his bullets struck the door. The bullet which penetrated the door showed the elevation. He was in a prostrate position. Perhaps one of the bullets which did not strike the door struck a burglar, and Thompson's wound corresponds to one made by a ball that he may have fired.

A desperate encounter evidently ensued in this terrible hand-to-hand battle at the door. Bullets flew thick and fast. Asa was shot to floor as the burglars came out of the room. That he was lying on the floor is apparent from the range of the bullets in the door and from the fact that one of the burglar bullets tipped his nose and went through his lips and into the floor. Otherwise it would have entered his breast.

Mr. Chinn tottered out of his bed and fell to the floor of the hall lifeless, his feet almost inside the family room. It was then that Mr. Runyon aroused the neighbors and called the police. Many of the neighbors had already been awakened by the peal of the shots.

Groundless Rumors

A great many groundless rumors were afloat yesterday. One stated that a pistol had been found near the Chinn home, and that it had been identified as belonging to a man who was held up and robbed Friday night. This report is groundless, and as far as the police have learned, no man was held up Friday night. Other reports gained currency which were found to be groundless. One reported stated that confessions had been obtained, which was without foundation.

The Funeral Today

The funeral services of Mr. A. B. Chinn will take place at the family residence, No. 248 East Maxwell street, at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon. The services will be conducted by Rev. I. J. Spencer of the Central Christian Church.

The honorary pallbearers are Major R. S. Bullock, Messrs. Cicero Coleman, R. P. Eastin, Albert Allen, R. C. Morgan, C. F. Estill and Thomas F. Cassell.

The active pallbearers are Profs. James G. White and A. Fairhurst, Judge Matt Walton, Dr. B. L. Coleman, Messrs. Jacob Graves, James A. Todd, G. A. DeLong and William F. Price.

The burial will be in Lexington Cemetery.

{*Blogger's note:  It was a few days before it was discovered"Thompson" was an alias and he was correctly identified as Earl Whitney.}

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Thriller Thursday - Chinn Murder continued

From the  Lexington Leader, page 1 and page 8.

CLEWS TAKEN UP
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Police Send Out Circulars to Central Kentucky Towns.
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Suspicious Characters Chased on Winchester Pike, But Get Away
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SEARCH FOR CHINN MURDERERS

   The chase after the murderers of Mr. A. B. Chinn, who was shot to death in his house at an early hour this morning, was taken up at once by the police department, although in formation of the crime was not communicated to the station house for probably fifteen minutes after its commission.

   Patrolman James Peel was the first officer on the scene. Detective Harry Stough was also communicated with, and he summoned his department together and the search began.

   The various all night sallons were searched adn the roads, pikes and railways leading in and out of the city were watched, while Captain Stough, Lieutenant Jenkins and Detctive Hayes went on to the fair ground and searched the different stables in the hope that the murders might have made their way out there and hidden themselves until daylight. No clue could be found and after hunting till daylight the officers went out on another track.

   The only things left by which the murderers may possibly be identified if the officers are successful, are the bullets  picked up and the footprints left of the men as they went away. This morning as a LEADER reporter was exmaining the premises he found and a clear and distinct print of the heel of a man's boot on the window sill. Careful measurement of it was taken which was preserved.

TOOK UP A CLUE.

   At 8 o'clock this morning Lieutenant of Police Charles Overly, Sergeant Thomas J. Ready and Dective D. J. McCarty were at the residences when Mr. Jacob Graves of Chilesburg, a cousin of the murdered man, arrived. He at once told the officers that on his way to Lexington and when about six miles from the city, he met two men on the road, both of whom acted in a very suspicious manner. One of them he stated, appeared as if frightened and sought to avoid being seen. He said they acted so strangely that his close attention was directed to them and at one time he thought of stopping and questioning them. He did not, however, and continued his journey to Lexington.

TELEPHONED AHEAD OF THEM.

   With this information Lieutenant Overly, accompanied by Fire Chief G. W. Muir, in the latter's buggy started for Winchester. As soon as they left Sergeant Ready telephoned to both Winchester & Chilesburg asking the officers at both places to llok out for one or two men, and if strangers to pick them up and hold them. At noon Lieutenant Overly communicated with the local department from Pine Grove saying  that he had not come across the two men as described by Mr. Graves.

CIRCULARS SENT OUT

   The entire police and detective forces are at work on the case, Chief of Police Reagan caused several hundred circulars to be mailed to different points in Kentucky describing as nearly as possible the men and peculiar features of the crime.

   By noon today nine persons of a suspicious character had been arrested and held pending an investigation into their whereabouts last night and early this morning. Their ages arange from 18 to 35. No formal charges were preferred against any of them, but they are simply held on suspicion. They will be released, however, on giving satisfactory accounts of themselves or if no evidnece can be found against them.

SAW SUSPICIOUS MEN.

   James Alexander, colored, a servant at the residence of George Denny, at the corner of Mill and Pine streets, tells a story which indicates that he probably saw the men who did the terrible deed at the Chinn residence.

   Alexander had been out late and returned at 12:30 o'clock. He went at once to his room in the basment adn prepared to go to bed. He heard footsepts on the street in front of the house, which sets very close to the street. He threw open the shutters of his room with considerable noise and saw two men go out Pine street at a brisk run. Alexander says they went toward the east. They were, he says, men of small stature. He is convinced that shes were the men who did the deed, since hearing the description given by Mrs. Chinn of the men who killed her husband. Alexander's description of them and hers are similar.

SUSPECTS GOT AWAY

   Chief G. W. Muir and Lieut. Overly returned to the city shortly after 1 o'clock, after having a long chase after the men Mr. Graves saw on the Winchester pike and who appeared to him to be acting suspiciously. This chase was fruitles. Chief Muir said on returning: "We drove as fast as we could out the Winchester pike, and although we inquired of every person we met and the residents along the road, no one seemed to have seen the men. We drove to Pine Grove, about four miles this side of winchester, but nodbody there had seen the men. We then went down the Clintonville pike, crossed into Bourbon passed through Clintonville and returned around by the L & E Road to the Bryan Station pike, inquiring as we went. No trace could be found of the men.

   "It is my opinion that these men were probably the men. If they had been all right there would have been no occasion for them to leave the pike as they evidently did. Their taking through the country indicates that probably Mr. Graves' suspicions were well founded. All of the poeple out in that section that we could reach were notified to be on the lookot and others were asked to notify all whom they met. I think the report was pretty generally scattered."

   The fact that the men were masked when seen by Mrs. Chinn by the light of the match prevented her from being able to determine whether either of the men wore whiskers.

   Before the LEADER went to press this afternoon fully thirty men had been arrested on suspicion, but a larger portion of them were released on giving satisfactory accounts of themselves. No positive clue had, up to that time, been discovered.

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

It Doesn't Seem Right

One of my new blog topics - Thriller Thursday has been concentrating on the murders of several family members. Not all at once. One of the more horrific instances was the home invasion/murder of Addison Ball Chinn. Bear with me for the outcome of this one as it will take several weeks to get through the meat of it. I am contemplating whether or not I will transcribe all the articles. But I don't want to give anything away.

Anyway, it just struck me as rather sad that the only account I have of some people is the account of their murder or suicide or horrific accident. But if it is all you have, you do have to acknowledge it, even if it is only in the notes you keep.

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Thriller Thursday - Home Invasion Circa 1934

Home invasion, as we call it today, is not a new thing. In fact, I have two instances it recorded in my family histories. This, the second one, I note because of the number of the victims involved.

Taken from The Lexington Herald, August 2, 1934, p1 c8.

ROBBERS MURDER F. D. KNIGHT

SHOT TO DEATH AT RESIDENCE IN JESSAMINE

Prominent Landowner is Killed After Opening Safe Upon Demand of Two Masked Thugs

FOUR OTHERS IN HOUSE TIED UP BY ROBBERS

Car Used in Crime Found Abandoned on West High Viaduct Here

_____

F. D. "Dixie" Knight, 68 years old, Jessamine county land owner and farmer, was shot and killed at his residence 11 miles form Lexington on the Harrodsburg pike last night shortly after 6 o'clock by two bandits, one of whom was a cripple, who robbed him of jewelry valued at $1,500.  Before slaying Mr. Knight, the robbers took possession of the residence of half an hour and tied four persons with adhesive tape and wire.

Mr. Knight was shot twice in the chest with .38 caliber steel jacket bullets. He died 15 minutes later with his wife, nephew and niece, Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn Knight of Lexington, and the family cook within easy hearing distance of his pitiful calls for assistance, but powerless to go to his aid.

The bandits escaped in an automobile they stole from Blackburn Knight. The car later was found abandoned on the West High street viaduct in Lexington by Motorcycle Patrolman A. F. Yates, and the clothing used by the thugs in the shooting and robbery were found in a road leading to Lincoln school by patrolman John T. Dickey.

The clothing consisted of a pair of blue denim overalls, with a deputy sheriff's badge pinned to it, and a pair of striped coveralls. The clothing was taken to police headquarters and held for evidence.

A broadcast of the slaying and robbery was made from WPET, Lexington police radio, and officers in surrounding counties late last night were scouring their territories for a trace of the bandits. However, it is believed the men, after abandoning the car and discarding the clothing they wore in the robbery, boarded a freight train headed for Ludlow in the Southern railroad yards.

Auto is Recovered.

The automobile used by the bandits in their escape from the scene was taken to the city plant on West Second street. Lieut. Dudley McCloy, in charge of the bureau of investigation of the Lexington Police department, went to the garage late last night and examined it for fingerprints.

It is considered unlikely, however, that the machine will reveal any prints of value, as both of the bandits wore rubber gloves during the time they were in the Knight residence and also, when they commandeered the machine of Blackburn Knight. The gloves and covering the thugs wore over their shoes, obviously for the purpose of throwing off any scent in the event bloodhounds were pressed into use, were found near the clothing.

Threw Clothing Away

Two men were seen to drive the automobile of Mr. Knight onto the viaduct, get out, throw the clothing over the side of the viaduct and then start running toward the bottom of the passage way and head in the direction of Valley avenue and the railroad tracks.

Although there was no apparent reason for the killing of Mr. Knight by the bandits-he had told them they were welcome to anything in the house and had even opened his safe and given them the jewelry-Jessamine and Fayette county officers were working on the theory that at least one of the pair of bandits was recognized by Mr. Knight and that he was slain to prevent possible future detection.

Carrie Ross, 31, negro, of 185 North Eastern avenue, Lexington, the cook, was the first person on the farm to see the robbers. Carrie was in the kitchen of the home preparing supper about 5:30 o'clock. She said she heard someone in the room and, turning around, saw a pair of feet covered with a cloth. Carrie said she looked up and straight into the muzzle of a gun and a man told her: "Stand still and do what you are told and you won't get hurt."

Carrie said the man, who was tall, heavy and had a thin face walked toward her, grabbed her by the arm and asked where Mrs. Knight was. Carrie replied that Mrs. Knight was out in the yard feeding the chickens.

She said the man walked her to the kitchen door, looked out and said: "Sure enough, there is Mrs. Knight." Carrie broke away from the man and ran toward the chicken house, with him giving chase. She reached the chicken house and saw the man running toward her. (continued page 2 column 1)

(F. D. KNIGHT IS SLAIN BY THUGS.

Prominent Landowner is Killed After Opening Safe Upon Demand of Tow Masked Thugs.

SHOT AFTER OPENING SAFE)

Carrie said he ran with a decided limp.

She said that he reached into the chicken house and seized her and that Mrs. Knight, attracted by the commotion looked up and then started making outcries. Then Carrie said, the second bandit covered Mrs. Knight with a pistol. The two bandits marched Mrs. Knight and Carrie into the house, where Carrie broke loose and started running toward a side entrance. Carrie gained the side porch and was starting to a large bell which is used to call in Mr. Knight and farm hands and which can be heard for a distance of two miles, when the crippled bandit grabbed her and, twisting her arm hard, cautioned her: "Don't do that."

Wife, Cook Are Bound

The bandit then returned to the house with Carrie and she and Mrs. Knight were taken to an upstairs room, where the bandits produced a large roll of adhesive tape. One thug taped Carrie's wrists and placed adhesive tape over her mouth and nose. Mrs. Knight asked the bandits not to bind Carrie too tightly, as she suffered from heart trouble and had difficulty in breathing. Then the bandit took the tape from Carrie's nose, but left her mouth sealed with the tape. The other bandit then taped the wrists of Mrs. Knight and also placed a strip of tape over her mouth.

From the time the bandits captured Carrie and Mrs. Knight, they continually asked where Mr. Knight was and when he would return. Mrs. Knight told them he was out on the farm and would return to the house about 6 o'clock. They also asked Mrs. Knight where her diamonds were kept, and she told them they were in a Nicholasville bank.

Carrie said that when the crippled man came to the door he wore no mask, but that the first time she saw the second bandit, he had a cap pulled down over his forehead and was wearing a large handkerchief over the lower half of his face. She said the crippled man placed a handkerchief over the lower part of his face after he had been about the house for approximately 15 minutes.

After taping Mrs. Knight and the cook and leaving them on a bed upstairs, the crippled bandit went down to the first floor, while the other remained in the room with Mrs. Knight and Carrie.  In a few minutes the second bandit came to the first floor and he and the crippled robber started conversing.

At this point, Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn Knight knocked on the front door of the residence and, not getting any response started walking around the side of the house. About halfway around, they saw two men in the house. One of the men called out: "Come on in and keep your mouth shut, this is a holdup."

Nephew, Niece Held

Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn Knight went into the kitchen through a side door and were faced by pistols in the hands of each of the bandits. The thugs escorted them to a room on the first floor, where they ordered them to sit upon the bed. Then both Mr. and Mrs. Knight's wrists were bound tightly with wire and they were forced to lay upon the bed.

The bandits then left the room, "Crip" remaining downstairs and the other thug returned to the room where Mrs. Knight and Carrie were held prisoners.

In a few moments, Mr. Knight came in off the farm, walked in the kitchen and, after drinking a glass of water, called out, as had been his custom for years: "Hello cook, here I am ready for supper."

"Crip" then stepped into the kitchen and, covering Mr. Knight with his pistol, said: "This is a holdup."

Mr. Knight replied that he knew what the robber was there for and that he could have anything in the house. When he heard Mr. Knight enter the house, the bandit upstairs called out: "Hey, 'Crip,' is it all right for me to come down now?"

"Crip" replied in the affirmative. The bandit came down, and together they escorted Mr. Knight to a room in which a small iron safe is kept. Mr. Knight did not that his wife, Carrie, and Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn Knight were being held prisoners in the house.

Agreed to Open Safe.

Reaching the room in which the safe stood, the bandits asked what the safe contained and Mr. Knight told them it contained only a few insurance papers. Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn Knight could hear plainly all of the conversation between Mr. Knight and the bandits from the room in which they were held captive.

Mr. Knight told the bandits he could not see how to open the safe without his spectacles and also would have to obtain the combination. They allowed him to get his spectacles and the combination and stood over him while he opened the safe. When the safe door swung upon, Mr. Knight brought out the insurance papers and told the bandits the papers were of no value to them and asked them not to disturb them.

Then the robbers spied a diamond stud and ring in safe and said: "Let's have those." Mr. Knight reached into the safe and got the stud and ring and handed them to the bandits.

Then Mrs. Blackburn Knight said she heard one of the bandits say: "Let him have it." Two shots followed the sentence in quick succession. Mrs. Knight said "Following the shots, the bandits returned to the room in which Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn Knight were prisoners, robbed Mr. Knight of $4 in cash and his automobile keys.

Captives Warned

"Remain still for 30 minutes," the bandits told them, "and when the police come tell them we are negroes, or we will come back later and finish both of you. We have a man stationed in the kitchen who will stand guard for a few minutes until we are safely away."

Then the bandits went outside, ripped and cut all of the telephone wires leading into the house, got into Blackburn Knight's automobile, and drove toward Lexington.

At 6:30 o'clock Clyde Moore, 42, an employee on the farm, came in from milking and found Mr. Knight lying on the floor, dead. He searched the house and found and liberated Mr. and Mrs. Knight and Mrs. "Dixie" Knight and Carrie.

From a nearby residence, Jessamine county officers were called by telephone and Lexington police were notified. When an account of the shooting and a description of the man was dispatched from WPET, officers of the Fayette county patrol went to the Knight residence and made an investigation.

Mr. Knight at one time was one of the leading thoroughbred breeders in the state. It was on his farm that Exterminator, one of the country's greatest handicap horses and winner of the 1918 Kentucky Derby was foaled. Brown Bud, a stake winner of more recent years, also was foaled there. George Smith, 1916 Kentucky Derby winner, stood at Mr. Knight's 600 acre farm for several years after being retired to the stud.

Mr. Knight is survived by his wife, Mrs. Lydia Todhunter Knight; one brother, G. L. Knight, Nicholasville; eight nephews, Henry Knight, Chicago; Joseph and William Knight, Nicholasville; Blackburn and Grant Knight, Versailles; M. L. Knight, Portland, Ore.; and Lucien Knight, Lexington; and one niece, Mrs. Howard Smith, Lexington.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

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