60 years ago

August 19, 1948

A bizarre and almost unbelievable unfolding of a series of events leading up to the violent death last Wednesday of 60-year-old Herbert J. Kindred is being revealed this week. The case is one of solving a gruesome crime committed on the little used country road near the Fairplay schoolhouse west of Florence. The accused man, William E. Gayer, 29, tells a strange story of being offered $1,000 by Kindred to kill him so his wife could collect large insurance policies.

Carpenters, painters, electricians, plumbers are busy swarming over the first floor of the Masonic building remodeling and installing fixtures in preparation for a big planned re-opening of the Kroger store on September 2,

Miss Virginia Vainer, who has been working in Washington, D.C., spent a month’s vacation in Tampa with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Vainer and Jimmie before leaving for Guam were she has a position as a private secretary.

Judge Joseph T. Dickerson will be the principal speaker at the afternoon program in the park September 16 during the annual Old Settlers’ Picnic. Dickerson came to Marion in 1870. The land for the city park, from which Mr. Dickerson will speak, was purchased when he was a member of the Marion City Council. Marion County is fortunate in securing a true Old Settler, a good speaker, and entertaining storyteller for its feature speaker.