In the early 30s my family lived west of Benton in the Twenty One or Cross Roads community. Just down the road not far from them lived two women, the Orr sisters. It was rumored that they had lots of money. One night a man went there to rob them and ended using a butcher knife from their kitchen to slit each of there throats. Both sisters lay motionless on the floor while he then set the house afire to cover up his crime. As soon as he left one of the sisters discovered the other was unconscious and although weak from loss of blood managed to pull her sister out of the house, crawled along the ground, using the pickets of the fence to pull herself and the sister away from the burning house. I believe Guy Grant was sheriff or a deputy at the time and he investigated. They had bloodhounds out there and the trail led them near our house and to our woodpile where his bloody coat was stashed. A day or two later the sheriffs office would receive an anonymous tip, Watch the house where the lantern burns all night. This house was located on the Malvern highway, old 67, a short distance south from where Graham cemetery is now. They watched the house and early one morning a figure walked out the back of the hose into the woods carrying a bundle. They followed and found a woman taking food and clothing to her brother. It was who they had suspected all along and they arrested Frank Dobbs. He later would be convicted and was electrocuted for the crime. While the killer was still on the loose my family and all others in the community were very tense. To make matters worse my grandmother died and people were coming and going all day and night. In those days the body was kept at the home of a relative, in this case at my parents house. People would sit up all night and all day with the body. My brother who was five or six years old was outside playing when dark came and he decided to crawl under the porch and fell asleep. There were several people inside all talking about the awful crime down the road in addition to mourning the loss of my grandmother. Finally, a preacher began to lead a prayer. My dad sat by the door and while it was all quiet except for the prayer, my brother woke up and tried to come inside only to find the door closed. He pushed against it. My dad eased his back against it. Brother pushed harder. Dad, in a low voice so as not to interrupt the preacher, said Get away from here. My brother pushed again and my dad once again said, Get away from here. My brother continued to push and dad said in a slightly louder voice, Ive got a shotgun and Ill use it if you dont get away from here. At that point my brother yelled out, Daddy, let me in! Others had head the commotion above the preacher and all were relieved and not only because the preacher ended his prayer.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 02:53:42 +0000
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