THE MURDER OF JUNIOR HARPER     Oct. 17, 1926 - Oct. 5, 1946 Lloyd Wesley Harper Jr. known as “Junior” came to Pompano about 1939. His Mother and Father were divorced and he lived with his Mother, “Lib” Collier. Junior was quickly accepted locally because of his friendly and outgoing personality and just as quickly introduced to “snipe hunting.” For anyone not familiar with “snipe hunting” let me tell you about it. First, the “potential hunter,” (newcomer) was led to believe that snipe hunting was a popular and regular pastime in Pompano. (The “snipe” we hunted existed only in our imagination.) Next he was led to believe that he had to “catch” a snipe to be really looked up to and accepted in Pompano. He was also led to believe they were hard to catch and only the best “hunters” were able to catch them. The “ hunter,”in this case,” “Jr.” was taken at first dark on a moonless night to one of the many bean fields in the Pompano area not too far out of the downtown area. This “hunt “with Jr. was South on Cypress Creek road where it reached a dead end, today it intersects with McNab road. To the right, or West down a sand road that led to the farm of Gordon Green, Junior was given a “toe sack” or called by some a “ croaker sack” nothing more than a burlap bag that many farm supplies were shipped in. Led down one of the bean rows to the back side of the field and instructed to sit and wait in the alley of the bed and we would run up and down the field and any snipe in the field would run away from us. He could hear the snipe coming and to hold the bag open in the alley in the direction of the sounds, the snipe would run into the open sack and all he had to do was close it and the catch was made.. Junior was all excited about the “hunt” and after we got him settled, we hotfooted it back to the truck, leaving him there all by himself to, “catch a snipe,”climbed aboard and went back to town and the ping-pong game going on in Dr.Mc Clellans garage to wait for the “hunter” to come walking up after he realized that he had been “had.” After a reasonable length of time,about two or three hours, we decided to go and check on him. We started out and got to the Pompano canal where we met him walking up the road. He was really mad, but when he realized we had all been “snipe” hunting in the past and he would have his fun with others that come after him, made him feel lots better. Junior was lucky , sometimes we would just go home and leave the “hunter” out there to fend for himself. Cruel and unusual ? no, just another way to pass the time and enjoy life in Pompano in years past. Junior Harper enjoyed life, he was always smiling, never causing any problems. He quickly proved to be a very good ping-pong player and few people could beat him. The daily and nightly games held in the McClellan garage was usually dominated by Junior with his unorthodox grip and paddle work. He also excelled on the tennis courts at the “Blounts house.” Junior joined the Howell boys and myself on camping trips, usually on the beach by the Hillsboro Inlet. On one occasion we camped on the West side of the East coast canal across from the inlet bridge which is now Lighthouse Point but then was known as Scouts Island because the scouts used it for camping on occasion. On this camping trip, we swam our tents and supplies across and this made us dependent on what little food we had and what fish and clams we could catch plus there were several wildcat farm sites inland that would furnish tomatoes, peppers, and best of all, watermelons. After several days at this spot, we were lying around and the subject came up about eating. We were always hungry it seemed. We decided to make a run on one of the melon patches. Junior said he thought he would just remain at camp and take a nap. We got back to camp with several melons ,busted them open and began eating, Junior said he wasn’t hungry and just watched us eat. When it came time to eat our supper, we generally had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or something similar. Imagine our surprise when we discovered the bread was missing along with most of the makings. It was then we knew why Jr., stayed in camp and wasn’t hungry when we returned. He had eaten all the bread and peanut butter plus the cans of pork and beans. After Junior had climbed out of the canal we had thrown him in we had a good laugh and went about our camping minus bread and beans. When World War II broke out, me, the Howell boys and Junior went into the service. Me in the Navy, Lowell, Duane and Junior in the Marines. Junior served in the fleet marines on board a Merchant ship in the gun crew in the Pacific theater, returning to Pompano sometime in 1946. Juniors last day on this earth was Saturday, October 5, 1946, just 12 days before his 20th birthday. On that fateful day, Jr., B. Sam Walton, Charles (Poss) Sands and Robert Mitchell went bluefishing at Pompano Beach on B. Sam’s model “A” cut down truck. The fishing was slow and they loaded up and returned to town. Someone suggested that dove season was open and why not go hunting. Junior didn’t have a shotgun and B.Sam said he would borrow his brothers gun for him. As they started to leave Junior spotted the truck owned by his step-father, Glenny Collier at Pompano mercantile, went inside and borrowed his shotgun which he carried in his truck. They decided to hunt at the racetrack which was close to town and was a good place for birds. Arriving there, Junior and “Poss” went to one end of the outer wall and Robert and B. Sam went to the other end. Before any shots were fired a young person approached Junior and apparently an argument began and an older man approached (it was later determined he was raising hogs inside the wall of the racetrack, they were outside of the compound where the stabbing occurred,) and moved in close to Junior and Junior started running away and yelling that he had been stabbed. B. Sam and Robert went towards Junior and they could see blood on his clothes, they called for “Poss” headed to the truck and hurried to town and Dr. McClellans office which was the closest place for medical help. As B. Sams truck crossed the railroad tracks at 1st St. and Flagler he passed the poolroom where several of us were standing in front and we could see someone lying on the truck bed and appeared to be hurt. We hurried around the corner on 2nd St. to the Dr’s office and Junior had already been taken inside and Dr. McClellan was attending to him. Junior was rushed to Broward Hospital which was the closest and only one in the county. Junior died just moments before reaching that facility. The Dr. at the hospital said that even had he made it to the hospital he would have died from internal bleeding. The man that stabbed Junior claimed he cut him in self defense. Junior Harper was probable the least likely person in Pompano that would fight with or threaten anyone. Outrage was running strong in Pompano about this senseless killing, An out of county judge was brought in to try the case against the “hog farmer” accused of the stabbing. (It was reported he had killed another man previous to the killing of Junior with a knife and had also been acquitted claiming self-defense.) The killer was acquitted of killing Junior and not having any witnesses other than his son who was the youth Junior was seen talking to previous to being stabbed. Junior Harpers death had a deep and lasting impression on the people of Pompano. He was the all-American boy, he was the last person in the world one would think would come to the tragic end of his young life at just 19 years old when his life was really just beginning. Wesley Harper Jr. is buried in the Pompano Beach cemetery. (Jr. Harpers life was short lived. he did many things including a stint in the US Marine Corp during WW II, His life was tragically terminated before he was old enough to cast his first vote. ) BG