Sarasota mayor Harry Lee Higel was murdered by newsman Rube Allyn during a pistol whipping on Friday morn Jan 7th, 1921 at the north end of Siesta Key Fl. "Gun
Buried on Siesta Key": 1920's Era Colt Revolver Found Buried on Siesta
Key Verified by Sarasota County Sheriff Cold Case Detective as Possible
Link to Murder of Sarasota Mayor Harry Higel. Get real here, nobody
buries a perfectly fine, loaded gun with a broken grip on Siesta Key
unless it was used in the bludgeoning murder of former Sarasota Mayor
Harry Higel on Friday January 7tth, 1921. The Colt revolver went into
the muck and mud of salt water wetland on Siesta Key in 1921 looking
real shiny and pretty as seen in the top photo and came out of the
ground 100 years later a rusty mess. But 6 live bullets remained in the
cylinder of the Colt revolver, I have it on my desk.
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE: 1920's era Colt Revolver With Broken Grip Found Buried on Siesta Key Proves Rube Allyn Murdered Mayor Harry Higel During Pistol Whipping 100 Years Ago. When one man hits another man about the head with a revolver in one hand while holding him up with the other, multiple depressed fractures of the victims skull will result, this is called a pistol whipping, with death the most likely result. Harry Higel was murdered on Jan 7th, 1921 not Jan 6th. "Others" in the Sarasota area may claim they know the "Real History" of the facts surrounding the brutal bludgeoning murder of Harry Higel on Siesta Key 100 years ago that actually occurred on Friday Jan 7th, 1921, but I have the "real" murder weapon that was found buried near the crime scene in Nov 2019.
photo credit Ocala Evening Star via associated press AP newswires
News papers in the 1900's, 1910's,
1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's and 1970's were a lot different
that the newspapers of today. Most Daily Newspapers in large markets had a
morning and a evening edition delivered to your house or the local
newsstand. The local paper 'Sarasota Times' was a weekly edition published on Thursdays. When a big story broke over the AP newswires, like Harry
Higel's murder, an extra edition was printed that day Jan 7th 1921 and
delivered to your house and to the corner newsstands. Reporters in the
old days were a lot more aggressive and dug for info on big news stories
like the murder of Harry Higel. The
information provided in this investigation will help provide the who,
what, where, when, and why of the unsolved murder on Siesta Key Fl of
mayor Harry Higel 100 years ago. Harry Higel was found badly
beaten around the head, bleeding and unconscious on Mangrove road
(Siesta Dr) near Higel Ave at 8:30 am the morning of Jan 7th by Bert
Luzier and his son Merrill as they were on the way to the shell pit.
Rube Allyn arrested Friday afternoon Jan 7th, 1921 in connection with
the death of former Mayor Harry Higel on Siesta Key, Sarasota Fl almost
100 years ago. 
Sarasota Fl Jan 7th, 1921, Dr Halton's medical report on murdered
Harry
Higel indicates at least 5 blows to his head from a heavy solid object,
most likely a pistol whipping. Harry Higel was not hit by a car, he was
targeted by what appears to be Rube Allyn, his neighbor. Wounds were
found on the right side of the head above the eye and on the left side
of the head also above the eye indicating Mr Higel was facing his
murderer (Rube Allyn) when struck. Multiple wounds were also found on the top and back of Mr
Higel's head indicating he most likely was hit when he was on the
ground. The multiple wounds on Mr Higel's head appear to be depressed
fractures from Dr John Halton's report, caused from a pistol
whipping. I contacted the District 12 Medical Examiner Office
that covers Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto County to try and obtain an
autopsy report and/or more detailed information on Mr. Higels head
wounds, their response, "our office has no records or reports that go back to 1921".
"The
Smoking Gun Buried on Siesta Key", Colt Revolver Verified by Sheriff as
Possible Link to Murder of Sarasota Mayor Harry Higel. As in other kinds of pistol-whipping, the scalp wounds may be associated with fractures of the skull and even with brain contusions.
Twelve Months ago on November 26th, 2019 I turned into the Sarasota
County Sheriff Department a loaded gun that appears to have been buried
for decades on Siesta Key Fl. The results of the
Sheriff Departments investigation concerning the old, rusted, and corroded parts
of an antique small frame Colt Police positive revolver (over 100 years
old) on Siesta Key buried near a salt water canal off of Higel Ave
sometime in 1921 is seen below.
I
have not indicated the exact address off of Higel Ave on Siesta Key
where the broken Colt revolver was found as the homeowner had his house
up for sale and I did not want to create undo attention to the address.
The Sarasota County Sheriff report indicates that Harry Higel was found
unconscious in the middle of the road of Siesta Dr and Higel Ave, (where
I have claimed all along the exact location of the crime scene).
A).
The Sarasota County Sheriff report revealed today indicates the firearm
that I tuned in on Nov 26th 2019, is in fact a 1900's era Colt revolver
produced between 1907 and 1922, as I have claimed in numerous reports.
B). The Sarasota County Sheriff report indicates that back in 1921
investigators were unable to determine the instrument used to injure
Higel.
C). The Sarasota County Sheriff report indicates injuries to
Higel were from a solid object and above the neck (as in a pistol
whipping).
D). The Sarasota County Sheriff report indicates the weapon used to kill Higel was never located.
E). The Sarasota County Sheriff report indicates that rumors had it, the weapon used to kill Higel was buried somewhere on Siesta Key.
F). The Sarasota County Sheriff report indicates that to this date, no weapon has ever been found, aside from this Colt revolver.
G). The Sarasota County Sheriff report indicates that the location of the Colt revolver was approximately one (1) block of Higel's location.
H). On 3/24/2020 The Sarasota County Sheriff report further states by writer: "I retrieved the weapon from Property and inspected it's parts. Upon review and through my own independent research, I believe, as reported by Warner, these parts are to a Colt revolver produced in the early 1900's".
Dr Halton's medical report to the
Coroners Jury on Friday evening Jan 7th, 1921, the day Harry Higel was
murdered, indicated multiple depressed fractures to the skull, multiple broken facial bones, and at least one compound skull fracture. Mr.
Higel suffered multiple depressed fractures all over his head as per Dr
Halton's report. "The mark of the weapon was clearly shown with a hole
in the skull made by the pointed end of the weapon". The holes in Mr
Higel's skull are called depressed fractures. Mr Higel's injuries, that
led to his death, most likely would have been caused by a pistol
whipping, the butt of the Colt revolver has a pointed end, see photo
above.
The Violent Legend of Rube
Allyn the Man who Murdered Sarasota Mayor Harry Higel on Siesta Key FL.
The most infamous unsolved mysteries in Sarasota history, the murder of
Harry Higel on Siesta Key. The evidence was circumstantial. People remembered a history of antagonism between the two men and a footprint found in the sand next to
Higel's body appeared to match one of Allyn's size 13 canvas shoes.
The size 13 footprints in the sand next to where Harry Higel's body had
laid, led in the direction of Rube Allyn's house at the north end of of
what is now Gulfmead Dr and 'Fishery Point'. Manatee
County Deputy Sheriff D. R. Brown and Sarasota City Marshal Leon Davis
Hodges (L. D. Hodges) were first on the scene, they appear to have
arrived at the Siesta Key crime scene at about 10:00 AM on Jan 7th. The footprints, tracks in the sand near the where the body of Harry Higel had laid at the cor of Mangrove and Higel Ave on Friday morn Jan 7th 1921 leading in the direction of Rube Allyn's house are very significant as Rube Allyn was one of the few men on Siesta Key who wore a size 13 shoe.
A search of Rube Allyn's house on Friday January 7th 1921 at about 11:00 am found a pair of trousers belonging to Rube Allyn Sr that had been recently washed and were still wet. When examining Rube Allyn’s house the Deputy Sheriff noted a pair of canvas shoes with a rubber sole that appeared to be similar to those that left tracks at the scene of the crime. This was enough evidence for Rube Allyn Sr to be arrested. Apparently no photographs of the size 13 footprints in the sand next to where Harry Higel's body had laid were taken to match with Rube Allyn's size 13 canvas shoes. This would have been direct evidence that Rube Allyn was at the crime scene. Rube Allyn's violent history includes multiple arrests for attempted murder, an arrest for plot to murder a Tampa Tribune reporter, involved in multiple barroom brawls and multiple arrests for public drunkenness.
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If
a Movie was ever cast for the Unsolved Murder of Harry Higel on Siesta
Key Fl, Leonardo DiCaprio would be a shoe in for the tall, erratic, hard
drinking Irish newsman Rube Allyn character. Rube
Allyn's alibi was that he was back at home the morning of the Higel
murder by 8:00 am on Friday Jan 7 as confirmed by his wife Rose and
could not have done it as Higel was killed sometime between 8:10 am and
8:30 am. Interestingly Rose Allyn did not show up Wednesday morn March
9th to be questioned by the Grand Jury, she sent a statement instead.
Appears Rose Allyn was too busy getting Rube's 'Florida Fisherman
Magazine' ready for press over in Tampa, what the hell? In 1921 a felony conviction for Murder in Florida meant the death penalty and the execution method was hanging.
In 1923 a bill was passed in Florida and placed all executions under
State control instead of County and changed the method from hanging to
electrocution. It appears to me that this Manatee County Grand Jury was nothing more
than a "Kangaroo Court", a court held by a legitimate judicial
authority which intentionally disregards the court's legal or ethical
obligations and evidence. According to the Tampa Tribune on March 9th, 1921 the Manatee County Grand
Jury was made up of 19 men; M. C. Davis, George N. Brown, J. A. Howse,
J. A. Henry, T. B. Gallup, C. A.
Rowlett, C. F. Edwards, Carl Hendrix, Guy Jones, C. L. Davis, W. O.
Edwards, H. T. Glazier, Iron Ross, E. P. Lloyd, H. D. Horney, E. J.
Bright, James G. Foster and Frank Kennedy. J. A. Howse was chosen Foreman. The
murder case of Harry Higel by supposed suspect Rube Allyn was not
carried forth to trial due to a tainted Manatee County Grand Jury as claimed
by (Harry Higel's brother) George Higel who said: "One of the members of
the Manatee Grand Jury investigating the murder of Harry Higel and the
suspect Rube Allyn was a fellow newspaper man and personal friend of
Rube Allyn".
Copyright
Protection: Bill Warner Investigations Sarasota Fl Original Articles
Published on This Website Using Proprietary Research.
Private First Class Robert F. Warner, United States Army, was awarded the 'Soldier's Medal' for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy while serving with the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division, during World War II on action date Jan 1st, 1945. US Army 507th PIR was at "The Battle of the Bulge" which took place in northern France and near Bastogne, Belgium over the course of December 16, 1944 to January 18, 1945. The Army Soldier's Medal is awarded for heroism by those serving with the Army in any capacity that involves the voluntary risk of life under conditions other than those of conflict with an opposing armed force. How rare is the soldiers medal? Over 18,500 Soldiers have received the decoration since its inception. “There are only 241 Soldiers in the Regular Army who've been awarded the Soldier's Medal — about one-twentieth of 1 percent of all Soldiers on active duty,” said Shaw. Jul 19, 2023. 
80th
ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY INVASION NORMANDY JUNE 6th 1944 TURNS TIDE OF WWII
BINGHAMTON PARATROOPER ROBERT WARNER AND HIS BROTHERS WERE THERE. Paratrooper
Robert F. Warner of the 82nd Airborne Division, 507th Parachute
Infantry Regiment (PIR) made 2 combat parachute drops, Normandy
"Operation Neptune", Battle of the Bulge in the Ardenes Forest and the
final combat jump, Rhineland "Operation Varsity" at the Wars end on
March 24th, 1945 when he was wounded in combat.
WWII D-Day Normandy June 6 1944:
Paratrooper Robert Warner 82nd Airborne Division, All American (AA), and then with the
17th Airborne Division, 3rd Battalion, Company G, 507th Parachute
Infantry Regiment (PIR) was there on June 6, 1944 in Sainte Mere Eglise
and battle for the bridge at La Fiere France. PFC Robert F. Warner also fought with the 507th PIR at the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and he made the last combat jump at Operation Varsity (24 March 1945) a successful airborne forces operation launched by Allied troops
that took place toward the end of World War II. Involving more than
16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, it was the largest
airborne operation in history to be conducted on a single day and in one
location. The U.S. 17th Airborne Division was to capture the village of
Diersfordt and clear the rest of the Diersfordter Wald of any remaining
German forces. PFC Robert F. Warner was wounded in combat during the jump at Operation Varsity and was awarded a 'Purple Heart'.
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