BRIDEGROOM SLAIN; FRED SMITH IS HELD --
Scottsboro, Alabama, March 28 -- Hubert Bennett, aged 19 years, whose runaway marriage to Miss Ella Smith occurred two weeks ago, is dead of gunshot wounds at his home in Paint Rock Valley, Jackson County, Alabama, and his brother-in-law, Fred Smith, is in jail at Scottsboro charged with the killing. The Smith family, especially Fred Smith, was bitterly opposed to the wedding, according to current reports. The shooting occurred while Bennett and Smith were out hunting together and Smith claimed that Bennett committed suicide. An investigation was conducted and following a verdict by a coroner's jury, which discredited the suicide theory, Sheriff Henry Jones and a force of deputies went to the Smith home, three miles from Paint Rock station, where Smith was placed under arrest.
The body of Bennett was found in an open field, with two gunshot wounds, both tearing the flesh as to indicate that they were fired from close range. In the pocket was found a letter to Bennett's wife, signed with his name and informing her of his intention to kill himself.
Fred Smith in his testimony before the jury said he and his brother-in-law had gone duck hunting and said they had been separated at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Smith said some time after they had taken different paths hunting for ducks he said he heard two reports from a shotgun and went immediately in that direction and found Bennett dying.
On investigation of the circumstances surrounding the finding of the body, Sheriff Jones found that Bennett's shotgun, with which he was supposed to have shot himself, was single-barreled, that two wounds were found in his body, both of which was so serious to prevent his rising and reloading to complete an attempt at suicide if suicide had been his intention.
Hubert Bennett was reared in this county near Kelso, and we are told he was a quiet, worthy young man. The body was interred at Kelso Cemetery Saturday.
Source:
The Fayetteville Observer
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Thursday, April 3, 1924
BRIDEGROOM SLAIN; FRED SMITH IS HELD --
Scottsboro, Alabama, March 28 -- Hubert Bennett, aged 19 years, whose runaway marriage to Miss Ella Smith occurred two weeks ago, is dead of gunshot wounds at his home in Paint Rock Valley, Jackson County, Alabama, and his brother-in-law, Fred Smith, is in jail at Scottsboro charged with the killing. The Smith family, especially Fred Smith, was bitterly opposed to the wedding, according to current reports. The shooting occurred while Bennett and Smith were out hunting together and Smith claimed that Bennett committed suicide. An investigation was conducted and following a verdict by a coroner's jury, which discredited the suicide theory, Sheriff Henry Jones and a force of deputies went to the Smith home, three miles from Paint Rock station, where Smith was placed under arrest.
The body of Bennett was found in an open field, with two gunshot wounds, both tearing the flesh as to indicate that they were fired from close range. In the pocket was found a letter to Bennett's wife, signed with his name and informing her of his intention to kill himself.
Fred Smith in his testimony before the jury said he and his brother-in-law had gone duck hunting and said they had been separated at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Smith said some time after they had taken different paths hunting for ducks he said he heard two reports from a shotgun and went immediately in that direction and found Bennett dying.
On investigation of the circumstances surrounding the finding of the body, Sheriff Jones found that Bennett's shotgun, with which he was supposed to have shot himself, was single-barreled, that two wounds were found in his body, both of which was so serious to prevent his rising and reloading to complete an attempt at suicide if suicide had been his intention.
Hubert Bennett was reared in this county near Kelso, and we are told he was a quiet, worthy young man. The body was interred at Kelso Cemetery Saturday.
Source:
The Fayetteville Observer
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Thursday, April 3, 1924
Family Members
-
![]()
Annie May Bennett Snoddy
1890–1960
-
![]()
Ida Lee Bennett Russell
1894–1924
-
![]()
Bennie Forrest Bennett
1896–1959
-
![]()
Nancy Ella Bennett Pitcock
1898–1980
-
![]()
William Jarred "Will" Bennett
1900–1962
-
![]()
Marion Bennett
1901–1978
-
![]()
Clara Belle Bennett Jean
1906–1996
-
![]()
Cora Bennett
1908–1908
-
![]()
John Raymond Bennett
1909–1981
-
![]()
Carl Bradford Bennett
1910–1983
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
