the murder of Ernest Dyal

Letter post stamped August 27, 1961

 I ran across this letter from Grandmother Jennie Wait Finlayson to her son Ainsworth.  Uncle Pat (Ainsworth) was the youngest child.  In this letter, Mrs. Finlayson recounts the story of the cold blooded murder of the death of my Aunt Rutha's husband Ernest Dyal.  It was a story that Westbrook kids had heard about growing up, but didn't mention when around Columbia kin.  When ever Rutha came for a visit, we were instructed not to play with our toy guns, so as to not upset her.  I never heard Rutha talk about it.  It's only been until recent that more details emerged.  I transcribed the letter, but there's an area that I am not clear about as to the moments leading up to the murder.  I found Grandmother's handwriting rather difficult to translate.  I don't quite understand what exactly happened on the narrow passage regarding Ernest's sideboard.

It was a police officer that killed Ernest.  He never got out of the car, just shot where he sat behind the wheel.  In the trial, Aycock tried to accuse Ernest of reaching for a concealed weapon in the door with his left hand.  Aycock did not know that Ernest had a withered hand, and could not have handled a firearm. The lawman's alibi didn't hold water.

Dear Ainsworth,

I want to write you what I remember about that thing.  Of course Rutha didn’t like the “stir up” but I guess it’s as long gone it will not matter.
Rutha had been to Cheraw to pay me a little visit.  She had been married two months - that was in the bargain that she’d do that.  While she was home the last Sunday afternoon, she was sitting in the swing with me. She said, “This is the last Sunday I’ll stay away from Ernest as long as I live.”  So she went back Monday to Savannah where he met her.  They went in some stores - and in a music store and bought some songs. One was “Oh Thou Sublime Sweet Evening After”.  They then went on to St. Simons.  Before he left McRae,  he told his Mother this, “Momma, if anything happens to me, I want you to keep Rutha here with you.”  Mrs. Dyal told me that herself.  Earnest heard that his mother was sick so he was anxious to get back and they thought the new car would be there as it was Rutha’s gift (birthday). 

Rutha Wait Finlayson Dyal

They were riding in Mrs. Dyals car – a Cadillac.  As they drove out of Jessup they noticed a car passing them - Aycock or Kemp.  Said they were going down that way to break up a still – when Ernest & Rutha got out on that road.  (I don’t think that new one was built in those days.)  They had to detour to the right on an unpaved road, so when they got to the road on the left where they were supposed to detour back onto the main road.  Aycock passed again.  Had some trouble in passing, got ahead a few feet and came back, got on running board and reach his hand in to stop the car but it was sandy there and Ernest was trying to get into the road, the car wouldn’t pull up, so gave a jerk.  Ayock backed off of running board but came back reached his hand in behind Rutha and shot Ernest in neck.  Then not satisfied, he went to back of car and shot again.  Blood splashed all over Rutha and she said “Ernest what must I do!”  By that time Aycok pulled Rutha out of car.  She said “Where are you taking me to?”  He said “Come with me, I’ll take care of you.”  I don’t think Ernest spoke one word or moved an inch to protect him self – just scared to death.  The last thing Rutha heard him say was “Ruth, we might have taken that road back there.” 

 In the corner of the road, just as they were to detour, on the right was a little country house and two old women were sitting on the porch.  They saw it all.  Kemp stood back of Aycock’s car and looked on and didn’t move.  He was not called on to testify in the trial.  Aycock pushed Ernest’s body to one side and drove back to filling station where he was asked if he knew the man he had killed.  He didn’t, so the man at the filling station said, “You’ve killed one of the Dyal boys.”  A man and a younger man happened along right after the shooting and it was Mr. Brown, the one West stayed with on Hines Terrace.  They told us that - Mrs. Brown told me.  Some claimed it was mistaken identity or some thought he was after Edgar who drank, but it was not brought up at the trial.  The old man who sentenced him said “We know you didn’t mean to do it, but it was your ungoverned temper that killed him.  He must have been crazy.  That’s about all I know of it.  I think we have all the papers pictures of the place at home, but the print is dim. 

It was an awful thing.  Two weeks before this happened; there had been a terrible murder of a bride and groom near that same place. So they said that was on Ernest’s mind and that he had worried about it a good bit.  It was an awful thing to happen to Rutha..  I don’t see how she has stood it as well as she has.

You can send this on to West.  I don’t know how I got out of it last night on phone as well as I did, for I didn’t want her to know we were talking about it so long.  No more news since last night.  Wofford says Bee is to start home Wednesday.

Write -
      Love -
            Mother

Mr. Brown you know was a prominent construction man down there.  Mr. Brown took Rutha back to Jessup, to the hospital and treated for shock.  They put Aycock in Jessup jail but had to move him from jail to jail for safety.  They gave him 12 years.  He got out – killed second wife up against a wall -shot her to death just mad with her.  Rutha can’t stand to think of it.  It may be well for West to save this letter.