Teen’s suicide note: I was the Phantom Killer
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a column of local happenings and history pulled from the pages of the Texarkana Gazette and its legacy newspapers.
Nov. 6, 1948: H.B. “Doodie” Tennison, 18-year-old Texarkana freshman at the University of Arkansas, ended his life in Fayetteville and left a note saying he was the Phantom Killer who terrorized Texarkana in 1946.
Coroner Edmund Watson issued a statement contributing Tennison’ death to poison. Tennison had apparently purchased cyanic of mercury Nov. 3, saying he wanted to use it as rat poison.
The youth linked himself to the slaying of Betty Jo Booker, Paul Martin and Virgil Starks and the wounding of Mrs. Starks by leaving a note an a strongbox confessing to the crimes. Other notes—some more than 500 words long and one a riddle telling where the confession note would be found—were supposedly written by Tennison.
The confession note was found rolled up inside a Beebe fountain pen, which, in turn, was inside a locked box. The sheriff said poison was found on the cap of the pen.
The sheriff said the youth was never a suspect in the investigation in which hundreds were grilled. Fingerprints were removed for testing to see if any match can be made from ones taken at the scenes of the murders.
Family and friends find it had to believe Doodie had anything to do with the murders. The teenager played the trombone in the Texarkana, Ark., High School band, of which Betty Jo Booker was also a member.
Mr. Tennison said he thinks his boy was ill when he wrote the notes, though the elder Tennison could not recall where his son was at the time of the Phantom killings.
100 Years Ago Nov. 3, 1913: The fire watchers spotted a fire toward Swampoodle, and the firemen found a vacant house at 403 Ward on fire. It is said that the lady who owns the house lives in Kansas City. The cause of the fire is unknown, but “professional” jealousy is rumored to be the cause.
Nov. 4: Earl Griffin and Joe Ball each were fined $10 for vagrancy and will each assist the city in road building for some days. Also, A.H. Flow was kicked by a mule above the eye at 520 Broad St.
Nov. 5: Among the attractive children studying dance under Nettie Smith is little Baby Lee Estes, who is a beautiful and graceful little dancer. Also, Andy Okry was fined $100 and costs for carrying brass knuckles. He had only a few dollars and will probably have to work out the fine.
Surrounded by relatives and loving fiends, E.E. Porter breathed his last at his home at 622 Pecan St. Mr. Porter was one of Texarkana most distinguished citizens. Henry Moore Sr., along with many other notable citizens, was named as honorary pallbearers.
Nov. 7: Hit songs of the month (available at H.V. Beasley music dealer)—“When I First Met You, Floating Down the River,” “Happy Little County Girl,” “Good Bye Summer!” “A Little Bunch of Shamrocks” and “On the Old Front Porch.”
Nov. 8: Arkansas High School News—The seniors had a very delightful nutting trip under the chaperonage of Mrs. Hubble. Two hay wagons carried the merry bunch to the river, where a great bonfire was built and a tempting lunch spread. The evening was spent in gathering nuts and telling tales around the campfire.
Nov. 9: Annie Bell Nesbit from Pontotoe, Miss., entered school here. Anna Bella Haynes’ extended vacation in North Carolina has ended, and she will resume work with the junior class at the Arkansas High School.
65 Years Ago Nov. 3, 1948: The Wednesday Music Club held a silver tea at the home of Miss Ann Ahern, 403 Laurel St. Ralph Tedford, guest speaker, will discuss “The Psychological Implications of Music.”
Nov. 4: Motorist parking on the Texarkana, Ark., side of the city will plunk coins into 250 new twohour meters that were install this week. The city removed all the old one-hour meters.
Nov. 5: This week at the movies—at Oaklawn, “Tarzan’s New York Adventure”; at the Strand, Tex Ritter in “The Lone Star Trail”; at the Ritz, Lash Larue stars in “Cheyenne Takes Over”; and at the Joy, “The Woman from Tangier.”
Nov. 7: Officers from Fayetteville police are to arrive in Texarkana today with a set of H.B. “Doodie” Tennison’s fingerprints to compare with the ones taken at the scenes of the Phantom Killer murders. Meanwhile, Mrs. Clark Brown, mother of Betty Jo Booker, called on Mrs. Jimmie Tennison to offer her sympathy and to assure her that she felt the young man had nothing to do with the death of her daughter.
Nov. 8: Sheriff Bruce Crider revealed today that H.B. Tennison also left behind a message denying he was the Phantom Killer. James Freeman, a friend of Tennison, came forward and made a statement in which he said he was with Tennison on the night Virgil Starks was fatally shot.
Nov. 9: Pictured today—Paul Higginbotham, son of Mr. and Mrs. L.G. Higginbotham, 1102 Garden St., has successfully completed the first half of the basic phase of Air Force pilot training at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas.
(Look for “This Week in History” every Monday. Email R.J. Kennedy at columnistrjkennedy@juno.com, or write to her at R.J. Kennedy, c/o Texarkana Gazette, 315 Pine St., Texarkana, TX 75501.)