THE HASSELL MILLER STORY...THE ALLEDGED WITNESS

[Angela]

And therfore did not witness the murders.
Maria

[Angela]

Welcome Deborah. I want you to know that I never believed your father was there during the murders. Maybe he had been there earlier, to say Merry Christms to his friends, but not while Charlie was doing the deeds. If there was someone else there I'd be more inclined to think it was one of the Hampton or Watts boys. One thing everybody should remember - Smit changed her story between the books about where everybody was when it started. Book 2 has the kids outside. Things like this lead me to question ALL her info. God bless you for coming forward to defend your father's word and name.
Regards,
Michael Renegar

[Angela]

I won't say that I've "known" Renee Dudley for several years but have quite often interacted with her in a business manner. They could possibly have found a less reliable witness but they'd really have had to look...
When myself and several coworders ordered TMOOT, that was one of the FIRST things that popped up in convo...she's definitely not high on my list of reliable people.
I do remember Mr. Miller vaguely, and at no point did he ever strike me as being senile or having any form of dementia. I just find it hard to believe that he would suddenly decide to confide in Renee rather than his family...
Guess she got her 15 minutes of fame and the thrill of seeing her name in print.
doodlebug

[Angela]

My sentiments exactly Doodlebug.
Maria

[Angela]

I would have to say again Doodlebug, you hit that nail right on the head! It IS quite hard to believe that if that story she told was true that Mr. Miller would confide in her and nobody else...not his parents when it happened, not his wife, not his children, not his friends, just her, and not until right before he dies. I feel Renee just wanted to feel important by having her name in a book.
Angel71242

[Angela]

Who was this man Miller everyone keeps talking about? My landlord's last name is Miller. I wonder if they are kin to each other.
T.C. Bowman

[Angela]

Lord no Tim, Hassell Miller is no kin to our landlord. Far from it in more ways than one! Hassell Miller was a nine year old boy living in Stokes County at the time Charlie Lawson killed his wife, six of his seven children then committed suicide on Christmas Day in 1929 in Stokes County. He lived with his parents Ralph Miller (can't think of his mother's name at the moment) less than a mile from the Lawson home. They were the Lawsons closest neighbors. The house they lived in is now a Bed and Breakfast called Squires Inn. A story was told by his care taker Renee Dudley to Trudy Smith who wrote 2 books about the murders that Hassell Miller said he was inside the Lawson home at the time of the murders and that he witnessed all of the killings. However, Mr. Miller's two daughters and everyone else I've talked to in Stokes County say that is just not true. Hassell was most likely in the crowd of people standing around outside the Lawson house that afternoon AFTER the murders were discovered and witnessed like everyone else there did the bodies of Charlie Lawson, his wife Fannie and six of their seven children as they were brought out of the house one by one and their bodies carried down the long steep hill to the hearses waiting there. A shocking sight that no child should ever be subjected to if you ask me. That is the stuff of which nightmares are made.
Maria

[Angela]

You know this whole thing reminds me of my husband's grand-father's suicide. It is also a good example of how things get twisted as they get passed down. To hear tell, everyone in the county was "there" the day of the suicide. A dozen people have told me that their dad, grand-dad, mom, cousin, aunt, dog, whatever, was there in the house when it happened. If that were the case, why did no one "stop" him? All but one of the people were there AFTER the suicide. (Strangely my own grand-father was the first person on the scene) Most of the people arrived at the house after the call went out. Things like that draw a crowd...and yes, even after 40 years, when people find out who my father is they still bring up that day.
doodlebug

[Angela]

Some people just want to be part of the story. They will insert theirselves into the picture and after telling that story so many times for so many years they actually come to believe they were there. It's a community bonding thing. No one wants to be the odd man out..the only one in the community who wasn't part of the event.
Maria

[Angela]

It seems well established that, despite all stories to the contrary, there weren't any eye witnessess to the crimes.
Michael818

[Angela]

This is the end of the Hassell Miller thread from the old message forum. I now need new fingers, a new back, and a new keyboard!!!
Maria

[angel71242]

Good Lord Maria!! You have put a ton of work into getting this thread from the old forum onto this new one!! I know that you had to handwrite all this and then type it and you must be exhausted!! I really really am glad you did this because I feel this topic is so important to the Lawson story. THANK-YOU!!!!

[Angela]

You're welcome Angel. I figured since you and Brian went the extra mile for all of us I could too. I'm just so glad Brian has figured out how to transform the thousands of posts you saved in picture form into text forum so I don't have to do that anymore.

[UNKNOWN]

This is The Caretaker to The Alleged Witness, before all of Stokes County Rehashes The Murder's

And What And Who Said Anything to the Writer, there was "ALOT" of Others Associated with the

Telling of WHAT SHE WAS TOLD And the Gap, Of Time, BEFORE-Anyone Else KNEW of this Secret,

that Now, if She could have told to someone Else, it would not have Blown Out of Proportion, as it did.

The Caretaker, had no INTENTION AT ALL!! Of even Speaking of This, there are 3rd Parties to this,

Only The Caretaker will know and Take To Her Grave With! She had NO INTENTION OF MAKING A

Dime, or Even the SO CAULED 15 MIN. OF FAME, AS Heard.

The Story The Caretaker was told, was not even going to be spoken of to an AUTHOR At All, It was spoke of

in a "Supposed" CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION" That Led to The  Making Of "The Meaning Of Our Tears"

That Person , and she knows who she is, is the one who went Telling Everyone, who had any Interest To 

The Lawson Murders, And If The Caretaker had know or had Intention's, before hand of Speaking of this to

The Author about this, SO drawn out TALKING ABOUT OF HER, She would have ASKED ANY OF THE FAMILY MEMBER'S

OF "The Boy WHO Was There That Day."

So you see, She had no Intention's Of just Throwing It Out There to try and getting any FAME OR MONEY from.

She was kind of Tossed in "WITHOUT KNOWING SHE WAS EVEN BEING TALKED ABOUT". The Person's who

Caused all "This Uncalled For Crucifying Of" Is Part of the One Who Has been Making The Money, Off of

The Murders, By Video. I will NOT SPEAK OF ANY NAMES because, I am not Trying to get The Caretaker

Into Anymore Blood Flying or he said she said. But I DO "KNOW FOR SURE, IF SHE HAD _PLANNNED on Making Any Fame OR Money, Off Of This His Family Would Have Been Asked Way Before Even The Author Even Hearing Nor Talking To "THE CARETAKER".

Last of ALL, I Do Know For Sure the Copy She Had, was "Gave AWAY ", She did not want to even have it anymore,

And Doesn't Understand WHY The Lawson Family, Cannot Rest in Peace.

Seems "She Isn't the one Bringing It Up ALL THE TIME, OR Trying to make that .25 off their "DEATHS!"

SO LOOK IN "THE MIRROR" AND DON'T THROW STONES AT GLASS HOUSES." -Until YOU know the TRUTH.

She Had "No Intention of Hurting The Family" Of The Little Boy Who Was There, or WHATEVER-You want to

CALL IT!!!   She CARED FOR Him and His Family Dearly..___________  END! UNKNOWN.....

LET IT PASS BEFORE YOU PASS!

[UNKNOWN]

The POST ABOVE WAS "POSTED FOR THE CARETAKER, AS I AM WRITING THIS, SHE DID NOT, MISPRINT AT 1ST LINE, SO NO MORE STONES CAN BE TRHOWN
AT HER, I WILL AND WILL ALWAY'S BE A GHOST FOR HER, SHE HAS BEEN CONDEMBED ENOUGH, AND I SAY THIS WITH ALOT OF MOTION!" "FOR HER.."