Ms. Daisy returned home. She could not wait until Sunday to see Eddie and tell him his mother and Carol were doing fine. Ms. Daisy knew she had to help Eddie get out of prison and return to Carol. Ms. Daisy did not tell Eddie about Carol wanting her to return the doll and bring Eddie home. She knew it would hurt Eddie to know that Carol was crying for him. She told Eddie that his mother loved the rose, and Carol loved the doll. Daisy had begun to feel for Eddie like a son. He had been wrongly convicted of a crime he could not have committed. Ms. Daisy hired a private investigator Mr. Holmes. She was determined to help Eddie prove his innocence.
Mr. Holmes made a special visit to the prison to see Eddie. Special visits are usually when an inmate’s visitor has been denied on the visiting application. It is a visit that must be approved by the warden upon receiving a written request that may allow him to consider overturning the initial reason for denial and allow you a special visit. Mr. Holmes requested to visit Eddie as legal counsel. Mr. Holmes was not a lawyer therefore his request was denied. Ms. Daisy talked to Eddie about Mr. Holmes. Eddie requested a special visit with Mr. Holmes, and it was approved.
Eddie was happy to find someone to help him prove he did not kill Farmer Jim. Eddie had used his riffle the day before the incident to kill a deer for the family. Eddie only had his BB Gun that night in the field when Mr. Jim was killed. When the police found his riffle, they only asked if it was his. Eddie told them the riffle was his. He only used it to kill wild pigs, deer, and other animals to feed his family. Mr. Holmes believed Eddie and agreed to help him find a way to clear his name and be released from prison.
Mr. Holmes applied for a job with the Decatur Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Holmes was given a job. This would allow Mr. Holmes access to the records for that night. Mr. Holmes started his investigation by attending the community church. There was only one church in the town. Everyone that Mr. Holmes needed to become friends with attended the church. He was new in town and accepted with open arms in the church. Mr. Holmes became friends with the Minister. This would give him a reputation of a trustworthy man also with his job as a Deputy.
Mr. Holmes reviewed the case file and saw where Eddie was in the field that night. The gun that the farmer was killed with is a riffle. Mr. Homes had to find out if anyone in the community wanted Mr. Jim dead. He had to be cleaver to find out the answer. He could not just come straight out and ask everyone in the community. Mr. Holmes started by attending all the church functions.
Anna and Jim were childhood sweethearts. Jim was two years older than Anna. They were married at the church with all their families attending. Anna was a stay-at-home parent. Jim had always provided for them. Jim grows corn every year and other crops. He always made his farm money off the corn. Corn was used to make moonshine.
During the investigation it was discovered that farmer Jim was selling the corn to the moonshiners. The moonshiners were willing to pay excessive money for the corn. It was also discovered that after Eddie had been sent to prison another farmer Sam was killed with a rifle. Mr. Holmes reviewed the cases for the year that Eddie was arrested, five people was discovered dead in Decatur County. Sam the farmer, Tony the banker, Jack a moonshiner, Carl the bootlegger, and Mr. Jim. This was information that was only know by the Sheriff’s department. Eddie was only accused of the murder of Jim. Eddie had confessed to shooting toward the farmer’s house. But it was with a BB Gun and not a rifle.
Mr. Holmes continued researching to determine what had happened to the other five people that were found dead in Decatur County. Moonshine distilling was done at night. Eddie was in the farmers’ fields at night stealing food for his family. There had to be a connection and reason Eddie was accused of a murder he did not commit. Did Eddie know more than he was telling? Was he eliminated by being sent to prison for murder? What really happened the night the farmer Jim was killed? Was Eddie in the wrong place at the wrong time? All of these were questions running through Mr. Holmes mind. They were questions that needed answers. He needed the answers soon to prove Eddie was innocent. Eddie needed to be released back to his family.
Farmer Jim was the only farmer in the county producing corn. Farmer Sam was also killed with a rifle. Farmer Sam started planting corn after Farmer Jim was killed. Farmer Jim was dead and now someone needed to plant corn to supply the moonshiners. At the beginning of the harvest, Farmer Sam was discovered shoot and killed in the middle of his field. His wife Julie was worried when he did not come home for supper. Julie looked for him in the barn and he was not there. Finally, she walked into the field and found him dead. The Sheriff investigated and determined that Sam was shot with a rifle.
Tony the banker was found dead in his barn. It was a stormy night, the wind was blowing hard, the thunder, and lighting was everywhere. Tony went into the barn to secure the animals. The thunder and lightning scared the animals. Tony was afraid they would escape from the barn and run into the woods. The barn was struck by a large bolt of lightning. The barn was consumed with fire and Tony was burned in the barn. The death of Tony devastated the community. It one of the worst nights the community had ever experienced. The neighbors ran to the barn and tried to put out the fire. It was too late. Tony was the first person to the burned to death in a barn. The farmers in the community now will not leave their homes in a thunderstorm.
Jack the moonshiner was killed in a still explosion. Methanol, or methyl alcohol, is a byproduct of the distilling process. Both are highly flammable with the potential to explode during the distillation if they are not properly sealed and vented. If there is a leak releasing ethanol gas in the still, the equipment used to process moonshine, a single spark could cause an explosion. The still exploded and killed Jack. He was discovered at the still by his moonshine partner.
Carl the bootlegger was killed by drinking whiskey. While delivering a load of moonshine to the club, Carl started drinking. The moonshine made in hidden stills often became tainted with metal and other impurities. Alcoholism rates soared in the 1920’s. In the larger city’s street gangs grew into bootlegging empires built on smuggling, stealing, and manufacturing illegal alcohol. Carl was in the woods gathering more moonshine to deliver. While driving down the road he became sick. He pulled over on side of the dirt road and started hallucinating. He suddenly died. The moonshine was tainted and killed him. Carl was found in his car on the side of the road dead. Deputy Holmes was determined to find a connection between all the deaths in the county. Five deaths in a brief period were suspicious. Within a six-month period four other deaths occurred.
Eddie was devastated when he was informed by the Chaplain that little Carol had been diagnosed with influenza.Eddie requested to be allowed to see little Carol. The Warden of the institution allowed Eddie to see Carol, but he had to be in the custody of law enforcement and the family had to pay all expenses.Eddie knew his family did not have the money for him to see Carol. Sunday when Eddie went to church, he talked to Ms. Daisy. Ms. Daisy had become like a second mother to him. Eddie cried as he longed to see Carol. He knew if he could see her everything would be all right. He could comfort her. Carol needed him now more than ever. Ms. Daisy called the Warden and asked what needed to be done for Eddie to see Carol. Mr. Holmes collaborated with the Sheriff department in Decatur County. Ms. Daisy arranged for Mr. Holmes to take Eddie to see Carol.Mr. Holmes and Ms. Daisy picked Eddie up from the prison and took him to see Carol. Eddie was granted a two-day furlo
Mr. Holmes wondered if the four men that talked to Jim that morning were same ones that ended up dead. Sam the farmer, Tony the banker, Jack a moonshiner, and Carl the bootlegger. The investigation continued. Sam the farmer was killed with a rifle. Tony the banker was burned in the barn. Jack a moonshiner was killed with the explosion of the still. Carl the bootlegger was killed by drinking tainted whiskey. All of them were connected to the moonshine ring. Tony the banker provided loans to the moonshiners to buy the corn and the farmer for land and equipment. Jack the moonshiner produces the moonshine. Carl the bootlegger delivered the moonshine. Sam the farmer started planning corn. There had to be a connection. Who wanted all of them dead?Tony the banker was working at the bank. He had financial control over the entire county. All the money was in the bank. He held the keys to success and failure. What often happened, farmers borrowed money from banks to buy more land or n
Ms. Daisy bought Mr. Holmes an abandoned farmhouse on the other end of town. She would do anything to help Eddie to get out of jail. The farmhouse needed repairs. The farmland was small, but it would work for planting corn. Mr. Holmes worked on his all during the winter. The spring was approaching, and Mr. Holmes wanted to plant corn in the field. Mr. Holmes believed the corn is what connection between the two deaths together. Both farmers had visitor the day they were killed. Both were killed at dark with a rifle.Mr. Holmes went to the seed store and purchased enough seed to plant an acre of corn. That was not much. All the other farmers in the community were scared to plant corn. Mr. Holmes was the only one to plant corn. He only hoped his plan worked to clear Eddie. He wanted Eddie to be returned home to Carol. Carol was a wonderful little girl. She had fully recovered him the flue. Mr. Holmes and Ms. Daisy wanted to see the look on Carol’s face when Eddie returned.
Eddie was born in a poor family. His mother was blind, and his father worked doing odd jobs in the community. His father Bo would take Eddie with him when he would steal. It all started with sealing food to feed the family. They would steal food out of farmers’ fields. Bo would always say “It’s okay they have plenty and will never miss it.” Eddie was twelve years old when Bo died. He felt it was his responsibility to provide for the family. When things would be tight Eddie would steal food out the farmers’ fields and sale it on side of the road. He lived in a farming community. There was always food available to be stolen. He would wait until the peanut farmer turned over the peanuts. The farmer would leave the peanuts in the field to dry before taking them to the market to sale.Eddie went back at the beginning of darkness, sneak into the fields, and load his wagon with peanuts. He would always get the ones close by the road and near his house.
Eddie was questioned at the police station. That night Eddie had his BB Gun. The investigation by the police discovered that Farmer Jim was killed with a rifle. The police obtained a search warrant, a legal document authorizing a police officer to enter and search a premise. While conducting a search the Eddie’s bedroom a rifle was discovered in the closet. Eddie was arrested for murder. Eddie was then sentenced to life in prison for murder.Eddie declared his innocents to anyone that would listen. The jury had declared Eddie guilty of Murder. Eddie was devastated. He was facing prison and no one to take care of his family. Eddie was innocent but did not know how to prove it. Carol cried herself to sleep at night waiting for Eddie to come home. Carol was not old enough to understand what was happening. She only knew Eddie was not home and she wanted him there.Eddie attended church every Sunday. Ms. Daisy a Chapel Volunteer can every Sunday afternoon. Eddie began