HOLMES, Bess

HOLMES, Bess

Source: Lafayette Journal-Courier 29 October 1938 Sat p 13

Covington, Oct 29 – Mrs. Bess Holmes, 55 of 203 Brown Street, Lafayette died here early this morning under circumstances that led to her husband, Luther Holmes, 42, being detained pending investigation. Holmes drove into town about 3 a.m. and asked Night Marshal Ely Hoyte where he could find a physician. His wife, injured, was with him in his 1929 DeSoto coupe, but she was dead when examined by a doctor. State Trooper Clarence Short and Sheriff Frank Youngblood questioned Holmes. He said they had been visiting his wife’s daughter, Mrs. John Barner, 904 North Oak Street, Danville, Ill. Police stated they had been drinking. En route home, near Foster, Holmes is quoted as declaring he missed his wife. Turning around and driving back about a half mile, he found her lying on the pavement. He expressed the belief she had fallen out of the car. Evidently her coat had caught on the car door and she had been dragged. Examination revealed she had suffered a broken skull. Holmes said the accident occurred about 1:30 a.m. although he did not arrive here until about 3. Coroner CC Crumley planned to hold an inquest and the body of Mrs. Holmes was removed to the Crumley funeral home.

Another article right below – Lafayette police, when notified got in touch with Robert Holmes, son of Holmes and step son of the dead woman who stated that his father and step brother, Don Krauel of 7706 North Paulina Street, Chicago left here Friday at 2 p.m. for Danville. Inquiry here revealed that Holmes came to Lafayette about three years ago as a concrete worker. Since that time he has resided in a house trailer on the east bank of the Wabash river, just back of the JP Wayne Coal company office.