Welcome to 2022! We start this year out with an interesting Grave Spotlight of the Month that doesn't really have a lot of information. I came across this name while reading an article from the Monroe County History Center about the murder trial of Mrs. Gladys Holder. Now this article isn't about her, since I haven't been able to locate her grave. Instead, this spotlight is about her victim - Daniel Arwine "Reckless" Honeycutt, Jr.
He had three sisters that I know of:
Louisa Honeycutt Clemens (b. 1894 - d. October 1944). She is buried in Valhalla Memory Gardens, Bloomington, Indiana.
Martha Ices Honeycutt Hartman (b. 1892 - d. 1945). She is buried in Valhalla Memory Gardens in Bloomington, Indiana
Emma Evelyn Honeycutt Egan/Eagen (b. October 21, 1898 - d. January 9, 1959). She is buried in Valhalla Memory Gardens in Bloomington, Indiana.
Lillie May Honeycutt (b. 1902 - d. unknown)
He was married to Susan "Susie" Frances Scharbroug Honeycutt on June 18, 1910. She was born on October 13, 1890 in Kentucky to David Scharbrough and Mary Nuchols Scarbrough, passing away on February 18, 1975 in San Bernardino County, California.
They had several children:
Lela/Lila May Honeycutt Foster (b. 1911 - d.1986)
Lucille Elizabeth Honeycutt Runyon (b. May 13, 1913, Bloomington, Indiana - d. June 24, 1998, Bloomington, Indiana). She is buried with her husband in Rose Hill Cemetery, Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana.
Leland Arwine Honeycutt (b. 1914 - d. 1983)
Lawrence Daniel Honeycutt (b. August 1, 1918 - d. November 28, 1968). He is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery. He served in World War II as a Private in 12 HQ & HQ DET. 4 Army. He shares a headstone with his brother Lowell.
Lura Louisa Honeycutt Sloan (b. 1921 - d.1987)
Lowell David Honeycutt. (b. January 20, 1924 - d. January 27, 1950). He is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Bloomington, Indiana. He shares a headstone with his brother Lawrence.
Daniel was said to have been a wrestler. I assume that is where the nickname "Reckless" came from, but I haven't been able to find any confirmation of this, but I can only imagine that this would be hard to nail down.
Daniel was a salesman for the Nash Motor Company when he was doing his duty and collecting a debt owed on a vehicle sale. Here is where we connect with the article that I read. According to the article, "Honeycutt Jr. had gone to the home of William Holder, whom he had recently sold a car to. Only Holder had not been keeping up with his payments, and Honeycutt Jr. had come to take back the vehicle. Mr. William Holder was not at home, but his wife was. And after some back and forth, and a threat from Mrs. William Holder, Honeycutt Jr. went to take back the car, but instead was met with the end of his life. Mrs. William Holder shot and killed Daniel Arwine Honeycutt Jr. with a .22 German Luger automatic revolver, one she claimed she didn’t know it was loaded. Mrs. William Holder was arrested for first degree murder, making herself the first female murder case in 20 years." You can read more about the trial and what happened to Mrs. Holder at the link below.
The Coroner's Report, shown below, states that he was killed when "The steel jacket from a .22 German Luger automatic revolver passed through the thorax, entering on the left side, two inches lateral to inferior angle of scapula, ranging upward and the bullet was found lying just under the skin of the right arm, on the anterior surface, at the level of the upper border of the axiela." I am not sure who the Monroe County Coroner was at the time of Daniel's death.
His obituary was listed in the Bloomington Daily Telephone on May 20, 1925:
"Daniel Arwine "Reckless" Honeycutt Age 31 Died May 20, 1925 in Monroe Co., IN - Son of Dan Honeycutt. - Survived by wife, Susie (Scharbrougth) Honeycutt and children Lela, Lucille, Leland, Lawrence, Lura and Lowell; his father and sisters, Mrs. John Clemens, Mrs. John Hartman and Mrs. James Eagen. - Services at the home with burial in Rose Hill Cemetery. – Bloomington Daily Telephone, 20 May 1925"
His murder was stated as being an accident by Mrs. Holder who was cleared of the charges in her trial on September 21, 1925. Daniel was buried in Section L in Rose Hill Cemetery in Bloomington, Indiana. He is buried with his wife, Susie, while most of his children are buried in Valhalla Memory Gardens on the other side of Bloomington.
Rest in Peace, Daniel Honeycutt.
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Resources
Monroe County History Center Research Library Blog - Missing Murder Case: Where Did Mrs. Holder Go?
Monroe County Marriage Index 1906-1960
Monroe County Coroner's Reports 1896-1935 - Monroe County Public Library
InGenWeb - Monroe County, Indiana
Library of Congress - Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers
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