Post by Brian on Jun 10, 2009 20:36:51 GMT -5
01/29/07 at 10:43 AM
sissy
I was at the local library Saturday, doing a little research and I ran across an article in the local paper about Charlie Lawson.
What I found interesting about the article was it stated that Arthur was 12 and that he was visiting his uncle at the time of the murders. And also that there was new toys scattered around the floor. I guess it was reported differently in different papers. I just thought it was interesting.
sissy
01/29/07 at 10:57 AM
Maria
Hi Sissy,
Arthur was definitely not 12 at the time. Not according to his death certificate which also listed the date of his birth. And according to the family photo if Arthur was that big at 12...whew he was big. He was 16. Newspaper articles almost always differ from one to another. As in the case of Christmas gifts strewn around the cabin that day. One says there were and none of the other news articles said yea or nay about it. I heard at some point in time (long before we began our documentary) that Arthur received a shot gun for a Christmas present that year. Has anyone besides me heard that before or have any knowledge about it?
Maria
01/29/07 at 11:06 AM
ladebug
I am thinking Tarheel will be a good one to tell us about the accuracy of most news articles or how many times things can be inaccurate due to individual views? Hows bout it Tarheel?
Ladebug
01/29/07 at 12:10 PM
Maria
After reading more news articles from other papers I have found a second newspaper that says Christmas gifts were strewn about on the floor that day. One was a newspaper THE BEE out of Danville. Va. published December 26th, 1929) and the other one was THE LANDMARK out of Statesville, N.C. According to the Landmark, (published February 3rd, 1930) there was also a card inside the cabin with a Christmas poem written on it. It goes on to say that most of the words on the card were blotted out from the red stains of blood but that numerous curiosity seekers that entered the cabin later plainly read the word Santa Claus on it. Also the Landmark said that a little blue cap and a Christmas hankerchief...both covered in blood were found on the ground near the barn. It was also stated in The Landmark that a circular letter received by Fannie from a maternity bureau was found in Charlie Lawson's overcoat pocket that day as well as tobacco bills showing he had received quite a large amount of money from the sales made during the past fall.
Maria
01/29/07 at 02:26 PM
sissy
Don't wanna sound dumb here but what is a maternity bureau?
sissy
1/29/07 at 03:18 PM
Maria
It's a mail order catalogue!!! I think the newspaper gave it the wrong title!!!
Maria
MARIA
01/29/07 at 03:43 PM
tarheel
well ladebug,
newspapers,magazines and even the tv media tend to "enhance" a good story, tale or legend in order to keep the public reading or viewing their versionl
i can remember when we were all kids and we would sit in chairs lined around the room and start a story by
whispering it to the kid next to me.then that kid would pass it on until it reached the end of the line.
and of course,by then it would not even be the same story by the time it reached the last kid at the end of the line!
i guess it just depends on where you are living by the time you hear about a story that took place years ago!
folks just love to be able to tell their version's of ghost tales.mass murders or even legends!
be assured though ,i find none of that being the case in the Documentary, A Christmas Family Tragedy I
Matt,Eric and all involved can hold their heads up high and be proud of the way they presented the story of Charlie
Lawson!
warm regards,
Tarheel
01/29/07 at 05:40 PM
epdj
I also would like to say something about news coverage in 1929. How many news reporters do you think actually was anywhere around the Lawson House the day of the Tragedy or several days afterward. I think that they depended on what someone who claimed to have been there told, or another newspaper wired the event to them. One thing that I am sure about. They didn't have to edit anything back then. Esther Johnson
epdj
01/29/07 at 05:58 PM
tarheel
you are probably right, Ester!
and they certainly did not worry about being sued for Liable, back then either!
whatever they saw ,heard or otherwise.it was news and that's what they printed!
very interesting post.everyone!
thanks for asking my input too.ladebug!
warm regards,
tarheel
sissy
I was at the local library Saturday, doing a little research and I ran across an article in the local paper about Charlie Lawson.
What I found interesting about the article was it stated that Arthur was 12 and that he was visiting his uncle at the time of the murders. And also that there was new toys scattered around the floor. I guess it was reported differently in different papers. I just thought it was interesting.
sissy
01/29/07 at 10:57 AM
Maria
Hi Sissy,
Arthur was definitely not 12 at the time. Not according to his death certificate which also listed the date of his birth. And according to the family photo if Arthur was that big at 12...whew he was big. He was 16. Newspaper articles almost always differ from one to another. As in the case of Christmas gifts strewn around the cabin that day. One says there were and none of the other news articles said yea or nay about it. I heard at some point in time (long before we began our documentary) that Arthur received a shot gun for a Christmas present that year. Has anyone besides me heard that before or have any knowledge about it?
Maria
01/29/07 at 11:06 AM
ladebug
I am thinking Tarheel will be a good one to tell us about the accuracy of most news articles or how many times things can be inaccurate due to individual views? Hows bout it Tarheel?
Ladebug
01/29/07 at 12:10 PM
Maria
After reading more news articles from other papers I have found a second newspaper that says Christmas gifts were strewn about on the floor that day. One was a newspaper THE BEE out of Danville. Va. published December 26th, 1929) and the other one was THE LANDMARK out of Statesville, N.C. According to the Landmark, (published February 3rd, 1930) there was also a card inside the cabin with a Christmas poem written on it. It goes on to say that most of the words on the card were blotted out from the red stains of blood but that numerous curiosity seekers that entered the cabin later plainly read the word Santa Claus on it. Also the Landmark said that a little blue cap and a Christmas hankerchief...both covered in blood were found on the ground near the barn. It was also stated in The Landmark that a circular letter received by Fannie from a maternity bureau was found in Charlie Lawson's overcoat pocket that day as well as tobacco bills showing he had received quite a large amount of money from the sales made during the past fall.
Maria
01/29/07 at 02:26 PM
sissy
Don't wanna sound dumb here but what is a maternity bureau?
sissy
1/29/07 at 03:18 PM
Maria
It's a mail order catalogue!!! I think the newspaper gave it the wrong title!!!
Maria
MARIA
01/29/07 at 03:43 PM
tarheel
well ladebug,
newspapers,magazines and even the tv media tend to "enhance" a good story, tale or legend in order to keep the public reading or viewing their versionl
i can remember when we were all kids and we would sit in chairs lined around the room and start a story by
whispering it to the kid next to me.then that kid would pass it on until it reached the end of the line.
and of course,by then it would not even be the same story by the time it reached the last kid at the end of the line!
i guess it just depends on where you are living by the time you hear about a story that took place years ago!
folks just love to be able to tell their version's of ghost tales.mass murders or even legends!
be assured though ,i find none of that being the case in the Documentary, A Christmas Family Tragedy I
Matt,Eric and all involved can hold their heads up high and be proud of the way they presented the story of Charlie
Lawson!
warm regards,
Tarheel
01/29/07 at 05:40 PM
epdj
I also would like to say something about news coverage in 1929. How many news reporters do you think actually was anywhere around the Lawson House the day of the Tragedy or several days afterward. I think that they depended on what someone who claimed to have been there told, or another newspaper wired the event to them. One thing that I am sure about. They didn't have to edit anything back then. Esther Johnson
epdj
01/29/07 at 05:58 PM
tarheel
you are probably right, Ester!
and they certainly did not worry about being sued for Liable, back then either!
whatever they saw ,heard or otherwise.it was news and that's what they printed!
very interesting post.everyone!
thanks for asking my input too.ladebug!
warm regards,
tarheel