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Elmer McCurry Goes on Trial For Murder of Cellmate In City Jail. Deliberating less than two hours a jury in Circuit Court here re turned a verdict last night of not guilty in the trial of Lee Wilhelm, 23, and Doyle Farmer, 22, charged with assault and attempted rape on Verdie Filippo, 14. The trial lasted throughout the afternoon and a night session was held to complete testimony. The case was given to the jury about 8 o'clock, and a decision was reached and reported to the court about two hours later. Results hinged on the testimony of Dr. W. H. Poynor, physician who examined the girl. His testi mony did not corrobate the testi mony of the prosecuting witness, Verdie Flippo. Both Wilhelm and Farmer are married. They denied the charges on the witness ‘stand but admitted walking to Pettit’s Ford, on Crooked Creek, with the girl on the night of April 26th. They claimed the girl voluntarily went with them. Murder Trial Starts Elmer McCurry, 34, of Zine went on trial today on first degree murder charges for the killing of Claude Mills, 32, of near Pindall in the city jail here on the night of March 16th, last. .Mills was found dead on the floor of his cell, in the city jail with his face and head beaten. His cellmate McCurry, was charged with mur dering him. McCurry claimed he killed Mills in self-defense. The entire morning session and part of the afternoon session were consumed in selected a jury. The jury was completed at 2 o'clock this afternoon after the entire panel of 21 veniremen had been exhausted and additional 19 ve niremen summoned. Hearing of testimony started at 3:15 o'clock. Judge Jewell Black of Yellville, presiding judge, indicated that a night session would be held. Spectators jammed the court room and extended out into the corridors. Defense attorneys are J. Loyd Shouse and J. C. Smith, while W. F. Reeves of Marshall is assisting Prosecutor R. B. Gaston. Jurors The jury hearing the case is composed of the following: Grover Dilson, Frank Andrews, C. A. Jus tus, Sam Graves, Roy Wilson, Floyd Rogers, Dave Hudson, Jim Cox, J. P. Cochran, Frank Deer ing, J. B. Tucker and Roy Baker.
Newspaper Details
Harrison Daily Times
Harrison, Arkansas, US
Tue, May 11, 1937
Page 1
Full Page
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Tishia C.
USA 11 Jul 2026
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