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A Blount County father of eight children has been charged with the murder of a Cullman County man who apparently died as a result of a fight between the two just south of Holly Pond early Saturdaynight.William Leon Fisher. 40,Blount.sville Route 1. is charged with first degree murder in con nection with the death of Ver non Wilson Tidwell 41. Holly Pond Route 1. Tidwell was pronounced dead at the hospital here about 6 30 p.m. Saturday after he was picked up by am bulance a little over a milesouth of Holly Pond on the Hancevillf road.Fisher was arrested on the charge of murder about 2 a. m. Sunday at his Blount County home after State Toxi cologist Robert Johnson had given Sheriff W. C. Waldrop and Coroner Grady Moss a preliminary report on Tid well’s death, following an au topsy W'aldrop and Moss refused to say what caused!deathstillhut said thebeing invest!ITidwell'scause was gated.Waldrop said Fisher made a statement to him after his ar rest m which he admitted fight in*! with Tidwell at the placewh.-p the victim was pickedup bv ambulance and taken tothe hospital.A 6-year-old son of the victim.Pern Fidwell, is alleged to havew blessed th» fight.W’aklmp said Fisher admittedalso m the statement that hestruck the victim several times and then left him laying in the edge of the road by Tidwell s car in which Uth had teen riding The two. Waldrop said, h id H*en together for most of the iftemoon and had startedto Cullman from Tidwell’s home to pick ug the victim'skTidwell ServicesAre ConductedFuneral services for Vernon Wilson Tidwell. 41. Holly Pond. Route 1. were held at 2 p. m. yesterday from Duck River Baptist Church with interment in the adjoining cemetery.He is survived by his wife. Mrs. M nine Tidwell: two sons. Wilson Jr. and Perry; one daughter. Mrs. Marilyn Duke: his mother. Mrs. Des-sie Tidwell: two brothers. Norman and Norris Tidwell; andsix sisters. Mrs. Joyce Bryson. Mrs. Roy Monut. Mrs. Vera Helms. Mrs. Kermith Dodson, Miss Robbie Tidwell and Miss Reba Tidwell.Ii■*woe at a local store where she was employed, hue is an account given ofthe afternoon by Fisher inhis statement to the Sheriff andfrom other witnesses.Waldrop said Fisher came to the Tidwell home earlv Satur-Tidwell laying on the pave ment beside the car,Fisher told Waldrop that he followed the boy to Walton Daniel s home where the cal led his 18 year old son, w ho was still at Tidwell’s home, tobring his car and a short timeWILLIAM LEON USHERday afternoon and quoted Fisher as say mg he and Tidwell , had three or four drinks.Fisher told the Sheriff thatalout 3 30 p.m.. Tidwell askedif hi1 would drive him (the victim) to Cullman to pick up his wife, that he didn’t feel like driving. Fisher said Tid well had complained all afternoon of felling bad anddrank two quarts of butter-1 milkFisher said he agreed andgot in Tidwell's car with Tidwell and his Byear old son. PerryBefore they had driven to the Haneeville Holly Pond road, they fell in lx*hind a pickup truck splashed water on the wind shield. He quoted the victim j as saying if you can't beat that, pull over and lot me drive. After reaching the paved Haneeville Holly Pond road. Fisher said Tidwell told him to pull the car overand that he would drive.After stopping the car. Fisher said he got out on the drivers side and then Tidwellslid into the drivers seat. He told the Sheriff in the statement that while he was standing just outside the car. Tidwell caught hold of his shirt sleeve and got out. Fisher said he hit Tidwell several times trying to knock him loose” and the victim fell to the ground.During the scuffle. Fisherand Tidwell’s son began cry ing and took off up the road' after the victim fell to theground. Fisher said he leftout tiehind the Ixn. leavinglater, left the area.In 'he meantime. Waldrop said two other men in a car. Marvin at.d Carlton Carr, came onIthe scene and went to anothernearby home, that of Eugen* Crumbley. and had him cal an imbulance Fisher, who is the father ol 8 children, was arrested at his Rock Springs home in Blount County about 2 a.m Sunday by Blount County Sheriff Carr. He then was turned over to Cullman County Deputies VV, L. Tucker and Leldon Parker and returned to the County jail here.
Newspaper Details
Cullman Times Democrat
Cullman, Alabama, US
Tue, Jan 05, 1965
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
AL, USA 10 Dec 2022
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