Stivers, Courier Journal, April 17, 1932

Special to The Courier-Journal.

Manchester, Ky., April 16. – Police Judge C P. Stivers, 40 years old, a grand jury witness in an unsolved murder here, was assassinated at 8 o’clock this morning on Main Street and his slayers escaped in a red sedan, the windows of which had been painted white.

While officers of Clay, Jackson, Madison and Garrard Counties were in pursuit of the assassins, whose car was reported to have had a Madison County license tag on the front and an Ohio plate on the rear, John M. Quinn, 50, lawyer here, was arrested on a conspiracy charge in connection with the killing. His arrest by Town Marshal T. T. Burchell was on a warrant issued by County Judge J. M. Little. Quin declared he knew nothing about the case.

nothing about the case. Officers here were informed tonight of the arrest in Richmond of Frank McDaniel of Clay County in connection with the killing. 

The killers’ car was found abandoned in Madison County near Berea. 

The shooting occurred exactly at the spot where Alfred Neal, a Negro, was shot down in February. Judge Stivers appeared as a witness before the grand jury for the fatal shooting of Neal by three white men, but the inquisitorial body returned no indictment. Today’s tragedy was attributed to ill-feeling growing out of the Neal case.

Judge Stivers was on his way from his home to his office and was in front of the home of Dr. J. L. Anderson when the automobile drove up to the curbing and five or more shots were fired. He was riddled with loads from shotguns.

The car, which had not stopped, and which was occupied by three of four men, sped away toward McKee, Jackson County. It bore an Ohio license, but the slayers are believed to have been from Clay County.

When officers sought to communicate with officials of other counties it was discovered that telephone wires had been cut between Manchester and Burning Springs, eight miles from here, between McKee and Richmond, Madison County.

Deputy Sheriffs Lane Gibson, Bige Hardigee and Isom Langdon, who went in pursuit, learned the killers’ car whizzed through McKee, thirty miles from here, at a speed estimated at sixty miles an hour, a half hour after the shooting. It was headed toward Richmond. Sheriff Joe Bence of Jackson County joined in the pursuit at McKee. Efforts to enlist aid of Madison County officers at Richmond were blocked by the fact the telephone wires had been severed. 

Garrard County officers were enlisted in the quest when Madison officials learned the pursued men had turned off the Richmond Road toward Lancaster

Judge Stivers is survived by his wife and three children.