THE FLAGLER TRIBUNE
Bunnell, Florida
Thursday, December 19, 1946
 
Funeral services for Marcus C. Strickland, 46, were held from the First Baptist Church here Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'­clock, with Rev. W. K. McClure, former pastor of the church, officiating. He was assisted by Rev. J. M. Dickson, present pastor of the .Church.

Mr. Strickland was a native of Washington County, Florida, but had lived here for 19 years, owning and operating extensive naval stores and cattle properties.

Burial was made in Hope Cemetery with Carl Davis & Son of Palatka in charge.

Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Sadie Stone Strickland; two sons, M. C. Jr. and Marvin Strickland; three daughters, Mrs. Donald T. Deal of Knoxville, Tenn., Mrs. Jimmy Hargett of St. Augustine, and Miss Odelle Strickland of Bunnell; a brother, Ira Strickland; of Vernon, Florida.

Thursday, December 19, 1946

Tragedy stalked the meeting last Thursday night of five men, all well known in Flagler County. Three are dead and two others were seriously wounded in a gun battle about a mile west of Dupont on the road running from that community west toward the old Haw Creek road.

Those involved in the shooting were M. C. Strickland and his nephew, Emmett Strickland of Favoretta, and Harold and Stanley Buckles (father and son) of Holly Hill and their companion C. Elton Mullins of Daytona Beach.

Stanley Buckles was dead upon the arrival of Flagler county officers; Harold Buckles died shortly after admitted to a Daytona Beach hospital; M. C. Strickland died in Glendale hospital in Palatka Sunday afternoon.

Emmett Strickland, in the Palatka hospital is given a good chance to live as is Mullins who is in a Daytona Beach hospital, but the condition of the men is such that officers have not yet questioned the men and no inquest has been held, pending the outcome of their wounds.

According to information obtained by Sheriff Henry Wells and. Deputy Sheriff M. R. Teters who investigated the shooting, it is not yet known what transpired when the men met except that an automobile belonging to Buckles, another automobile and a truck belonging to Strickland were parked in the road, while the shooting took place only a few feet off the road.

Pistols and a rifle were used in the shooting, the rifle lay near the Buckles when found and two pistols were in the car belonging to M. C. Strickland.

Deputy Sheriff M. R. Teters said today that he was stopped on the highway south of Bunnell by Dean Holland, employee of Strickland, and told Teters that Strickland wanted Sheriff Wells to come to see him, Teters told Holland he would go and drove leisurely on to Dupont and upon arriving at a filling station there drove in and was informed a man was inside who had been shot. He went in and found Mullins lying on a cot and when asked who shot him said he did not know. Teters came back to Bunnell to call an ambulance for Mullins and Buckles, and learned that both Stricklands had already been driven to Bunnell by M. C. Strickland, Jr., 13 year old, who could give no coherent account of what happened. An ambulance was called from Palatka for the Stricklands.

Sheriff Wells, Deputy Sheriff Teters and State Highway Patrolman Brooks went to the scene of the shooting, finding a rifle, the abandoned cars and truck which they ordered moved after making their investigation.