| Show Tennessee Murder Seen War Torch I BENTON Tenn May 1 12 I fiT wv- I T Three slow deliberate shots from a ambush late Friday night took t the he life of the titular head of the Democratic party in Polk county The slaying of ofT W. W A. A Lewis 44 c came aine against a backdrop of or political strife which had left the C county situated in mountainous s southeast Tennessee without a functioning f government for nearly neary near near- l ly y three months Lewis was chairman of the c county court restored as lS governing governing govern govern- i ing ng agency by Democratic legislation legislation legis legis- l lation in iii February February- An opposing f faction action the bipartisan Good Government Gov Got e league had refused to surrender s the power it won in inn ina a n 1948 election which left three persons dead by violence Might i Prove Torch The Tennessee highway patrol was vas alerted for the possibility t th that hat t Lewis' Lewis slaying might touch off a repetition of oC the 1948 factional factional factional fac fac- fac- fac blood letting Safety Safely Commissioner Com Corn missioner Sam Neal said Friday night not many persons knew of the slaying and that if trouble comes conies it will come tomorrow Lewis was shot as he took his I I automobile to his garage after aCter returning with his family from a II trip to Cleveland 15 miles distant dis dis- dis tant taut about 9 pm p.m. MST 1ST lIe He w walked a short distance to his home and Dr John II H. L Lillard was quickly summoned Lewis shook his head when asked if he knew who did the shooting He lie HeI lieas was as placed in an ambulance but I was dead upon arrival at an anA A Athens Tenn clinic 30 milesa miles a away Way Neighbor Heard Shots Clyde Stevenson a neighbor I told Sheriff John Edwards he heI heard the shots fired at very brief intervals Edwards said the wounds were caused by either cither a caliber 38 revolver or a rifle rine Three bullets struck Lewis in the chest Two were ere so close together they punctured a package of in his pocket The county has been divided into two political camps since 1948 when the G G L was formed to combat the long-entrenched long Democratic organization headed by Burch Biggs The G G L won in 1948 when national guardsmen guards guards- men were ordered to Benton r 1 Biggs now almost says 80 he has taken no part in subsequent ent elec The present p paralysis of oC government government gov got began after Democrat Thomas Lynn Johnston successfully successfully success success- fully contested the reelection of or State Representative Frank Lowery Low- Low cry ery in last Novembers November's election Upheld Char Charges es esThe The legislature in February upheld Johnstons Johnston's charges of C election fraud After being seated scaled Johnston I sponsored private acts removing many G G L members who had been elected with Lowery and appointed Democrats to their oCI of of- I flees lIe He dissolved the G G L L- L controlled c co county o u n t y commission and restored government to the county court He then added a Democrat to break a 4 deadlock on lh the squires The court ha has four our times to since at o On casion the G G L power around th the prevented the Lewis who was PI el court with G G L H 1948 but later U allied flied the Democrats h b I call eai meeting when OI physical force and cas ions with the On threat hr fj I |
