



q MONTHLY LETTER OF THE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Number 142 February, 1926 
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The: Division of Truck-Crop Insect Investigations has lost two of its 
highly respected and valuable’ employees ‘through the brutal murder of J. A, 
McLemore and VW. M. Mingee, Junion Entomologists, in southern Mississippi, 
February 18, 1926. ‘The bodies of these men were found on the morning of 
February 19, near the new bridge crossing the Pearl River on the Picayune= 
Slidell Highway, near the Louisiana State line, about 6 miles from Picayune, 
Miss., their official station. Complete details regarding the murder have 
not yet been received, but it seems probable that these two inspectors 
were mistaken for revenue agents and shot from-ambush. Their activities on 
the day of the murder. are. only: par tially ‘known, but their notebooks show 
that several inspections had been made ,on that date,.and as early as 3 o'clock 
in the afternoon. -they visitdéd ‘one ‘of the farmers with whon they were cooper- 
ating. Nothing is lmown regarding .their. further; activities, : but since: they 
had informed XK. L,.-Cockerhar,: who has ‘charge. of. the: sweet—potato weevil ° 
project in Mississippi, that they were planning. to. watch some of the inter: 
state roads,for the inpor tation’ of infested, sweet potatoes. into- that State, 
it is believed that they: were’ enfaged i n. ‘this work at the time they were’ ‘* 
killed, This belief is further gudstantiated by the fect that they hada | 
conspicuously labeled Government truck which marked them as Federal eriployees. 
These men, highly efficient in their duties, had gained the confidence an id 
respect of the people of the comrmnity in which they lived and the farmers 
with whom they had to déal, in. te ‘very exacting, work to which they were 
assigned.:: Their loss is severely felt by the Bureau of Entomology and es- 
pecially by “G8; Pe ee who had aerrera) relations with then, 
ae Ander son. licLemore was. born. “February 10... 180, at ea (osihattn 4 
County), Miss.,:.and graduated front the Mississippi A. & M.. College ‘in ‘the 
class of 1922.°°He was a World‘War veteran,. going overseas. with the. 605th 
Engineers, and-in. France was’ ‘tranasférted, to: the Eighth Army Corps. ‘Before. 
his appointment to. the Bureau of Entomology in January, 1923).he was con- 
nected with the ifississ ippi Ste te Plent, Board. as an inspector. He- leaves 
a wife and two children. "' 
William Malcolm Mingee was born in adams County, near \Gindhebore: 
Miss. y August. 8, 1887, and ‘eraduated fror the Mississippi. A. & M. College 
te 127d... He was Re a farm manager and farm manager on banana and: 
cocoa farms for the, United: Fruit: Company of Bocas del Toro, Panama, from 
January 10, 1914, to August 24, 1915; and County Agent in:Geerge,County,. 
Miss., from January 15, 1916, ‘to Noveniber 15, 1918, in. cooperation: with * 
the States Relations Service of this Department. “He was appointed in: ‘the 
Bureau of Entomology on October 27, 1919, and resigned April 22, 19ec, to 
take up other work. He was reinstated July 7, 1924, and since that tine 
has been connected with the sweet-potato weevil eradication project in 
southern Mississippi. He leaves a wife and two children. 
