Where Was Arthur When

[Brian]

01/17/07 at 09:41 AM
Maria
I've heard from a number of sources that approximately 4 hours elapsed between when Charlie killed his family and when he killed himself and that well over 100 people were in his front yard when they heard the shot that killed him. I know that someone went into Germanton to get Arthur and bring him home. Was Arthur there when Charlie shot himself or did he arrive at the house afterwardsf Anyone here know?
Maria

01/17/07 at 10:40 AM
sissy
Of course I do not know for sure. But from what I understand Germanton was not that far from where Charlie and his family lived, so I think he was there. I think if I found out someone had killed my entire family nothing would have stopped me from getting to them.
sissy

01/17/07 at 11:16 AM
Maria
I know Arthur got there but I still wonder at what point he arrived...before or after Charlie shot himself which was approximately 4 hours after he killed the others. The roads that day were treacherous whether you were traveling on foot or by car which would have caused Arthur to arrive home later than he would have had the roads been easier to navigate.
Maria

01/17/07 at 12:07 PM
cephus
I think he was there in the book a child in the midst by Stella she said when they arrived she saw her cousin Arthur near their wood yard wrapped in bed quilts in front of a fire she stayed till all most dark.I think Charlie killed his self late that evening.So he was probably there just my thought.
cephus

01/17/07 at 12:42 PM
Maria
Which poses another interesting question...what time of day or evening did Charlie shoot himself? The clock on the mantel stopped at 1:25 p.m. the time that most of us believe Marie was shot. Charlie then had to kill the other 3 children. Moybell. Raymond, and Marylou. Then he took time to close their eyes, fold their arms across their chest and put pillows beneath their heads. So. say he finished up around 2 or 2:30. Claude Lawson and his brother and father then came by and discovered the bodies and then ran away to get help. At that time Claude Lawson said he turned around and saw a man's face in the upstairs window and that it looked just like his uncle, Charlie Lawson. They go and yell for help and someone called the Sheriff and the crowds then descended onto the Lawson property. 4 more hours pass...provlded that number Is correct, at which time Charlie then shot himself. So at the earliest it would have been 6 p.m. when Charlie shot himself. Being late December it would have been pretty dark by that time. At the time Charlie shot himself several men in the crowd, one being Hillary Hampton, ran to where the sound came from and found Charlie. They then picked Charlie's body up and carried it into the cabin or so someone said. I'm just curious as to why no one has ever mentioned Arthur being there, hearing the shot, and seeing his Father's body carried in and what his reaction to all of that was. That's what makes me wonder if Arthur was there at that time or if he arrived later but while the crowd was still there as well as the coroner and sheriff.
Maria

[debbie]

For me its hard to believe that Arthur would be buying bullets that late if he had still planned to go hunting. You certainly can't hunt in the dark. I think Charlie must have killed himself way before Arthur was told about it. I'm sure it doesn't take that long to snuff out your family. And then maybe two to three hours at the longest before he shot himself. (my opinion).

[smpyrtle]

I've heard several people make the statement that they thought Charlie was waiting for Arthur to come home in order to kill him also. In my opinion he would have hidden from Arthur and then shot him because I think Arthur would have fought Charlie. I guess Arthur had left his gun at home when he left for town.