Tazewell County, Virginia

Obituaries

Jim Puckett

Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 14 September 1921

Submitted by:  Linda Davis in January, 2001

Jim Puckett Shot Dead;

2 Graham Men Fugitives

Posse Scouring Hills For  Charley Kitts, Roy Morgan

Tragedy on the Sanders Estate Was Witnessed by Three Farm Employees

FATHER OF NINE KILLED WITHIN SIGHT OF HOME

Shooting said to have Resulted from some Talk About Morgan's Wife, Who Was Kitts' Daughter

Testimony of Witnesses Differs.                                                                                                               ________________________________________________                                                                        

Jim Puckett, forty years old, was shot through the head yesterday afternoon in a cornfield on the Sanders place, near Graham, and last night a Sheriffs posse was scouring the mountains in search of Charley Kitts and the latter’s son-in-law, Roy Morgan.  Kitts is charged with killing Puckett.   Mr. Puckett was killed in sight of his own home, and within a few minutes after he fell dead his wife and several of their nine children were at the side of the lifeless body.  The tragedy was witnessed by Floyd and Hall Addison and Tom Collins, all work hands on the Sanders estate. Mr. Puckett had lived on the place for several years and was numbered among the trusted employees of the estate. He was engaged with other men in cutting corn yesterday afternoon, using a binder and cutter when slain.

Neither Kitts nor Morgan was employed on the place and it was the unanimous sentiment here last night that both men visited the cornfield bent upon mischief. It is claimed when Kitts and Morgan approached the workmen Morgan opened the conversation with Puckett, using an epithet. Kitts then took up the quarrel, according to reports, and applied a vile name to Puckett. the testimony of witnesses differs somewhat here. The two Addisons stated last night that when Kitts called Puckett the name he did, Puckett picked up a rock and threw it at Kitts, hitting Kitts on the shoulder, and in an instant Kitts unfurled a revolver from a hand-kerchief and shot Puckett dead. The bullet entered just below the left eye and passed entirely through Puckett’s head. He never spoke.  The Addisons and Collins went to the dead man and laid him out, but did not remove it, and the body lay on the ground until after seven o’clock when the Squire B. M. Newman arrived on the scene and held an inquest over the body. The coroners jury was composed of Dr. B. P. Ratcliffe, Dr. W. T. Gillespie, C. H. Moore,  W. E. George, H. S. Lefler and D. N. Matthews . The jury rendered a verdict that Puckett had come to his death by a gun shot wound fired by Charley Kitts.

The trouble is said to have been caused over some talk about Morgan’s wife, who is Kitts daughter.  Morgan is not very well known here, having lived in this immediate section but a short while. It is claimed several days ago Morgan appeared on the farm and asked for work, which he did not obtain. It is then said the men on the farm were casually discussing Morgan and his wife, when Puckett is alleged to have remarked that if what he had heard was true, he was not surprised Morgan was not given a job.          

It is claimed the wife of Floyd Addison, with whom the Morgans had been stopping for a week, told Kitts and Morgan of this alleged remark by Puckett, which some think was the direct cause of the shooting. It was learned last night that when Kitts and Morgan were seen to make their appearance on the Sanders place and enter the cornfield where Puckett was at work, trouble was feared. Tom Collins, one of the witnesses before the coroner’s jury, testified he was standing right by Puckett when the latter was killed. He further said he did not see Puckett throw a rock at Kitts. Collins also swore he had advised the men to go away and not to have any trouble, but the words had hardly left his lips before Puckett was shot dead. 

The news of the tragedy spread rapidly over the community and soon a large posse took the mountains in search of Kitts and Morgan, both of whom went to the mountain as soon as the deed was committed. Telephones were kept busy last night, and surrounding communities were notified of the tragedy and were asked to keep a look out for the fugitives.  Posses were in the mountains at a late hour last night. The Graham squad was in charge of E. G. Harman, Deputy Sheriff.   A blood hound was used in the search.                                   

Puckett was well known in Graham and was a frequent visitor here, as was his nine children. they all belong to the church and all are well thought of. Feeling last night was running rather strong against Kitts and Morgan, but violence was not thought of in the event the men should be arrested.

A large number of graham people visited the scene of the tragedy yesterday afternoon and last evening, and a stream of automobiles piled between the town and the mountain road on the Sanders place.  Sheriff  Shields Harman, at Tazewell was notified of the tragedy and was reported as having quite a large number of men on the lookout for the fugitives last night.

Kitts is originally from Bland county. His wife is dead but he has several grown children. He is about fifty years of age. It was said last night Mrs. Morgan had been married two or three times, and this alleged fact furnished the chief topic for discussion as bearing directly on the homicide.