From Beverly Brock:
Haven't had time to search on the Brock side lately, but happened to be in the library today, killing time 'til the insurance office opened, and found a book called "Washington, Florida's Twelfth County", by E. W.. Carswell.
Here is something I found: (I did not copy it word for word.)
July 6, 1933-
Charley Tharp, quarterboss in Caryville and deputy sheriff at that place, shot and killed Mr. Joe Brock and his son Fred, and received a fractured leg and was carried to a Dothan, Alabama hospital.
Tharp went up to Brock and remonstrated with him about carrying a pistol, and things happened fast-when the smoke of the battle cleared, two were dead and [Tharp] wounded.
The funeral was held on Sunday at Bethel and a very large crowd attended. (This seems to be from a newspaper clipping.)
Dennis said his dad said that the Tharp man left this area and never came back.

6A. Holmes County Times-Advertiser, Wednesday, September 29, 2004

THE HAPPY CORNER
By Hazel Wells Tison

In July of 1933, this area was shocked over the seemingly senseless shooting of Joseph Matt Brock and his 16-year-old son, Fred. A few years ago I asked my father, Hugh Wells, an eye-witness to this tragedy, to recount the story again to me. Since I was only a toddler when it occurred, I had always heard references to the killing.
Daddy told it like this. Although the country was in the throes of The Great Depression, Caryville was a bustling sawmill town with many people employed by the Henderson-Waites lumber Company. There was the company store, a drug store, a doctor, a dry cleaner and I don't known how many other businesses.
On pay day all employees would be in town to draw their pay, and if it wasn't pay day, they would come in on Saturday to draw against their time so that they could buy groceries and supplies for the coming week.
It was a Saturday afternoon, that July 1. Daddy had parked his Model A pickup with produce to sell. Joe drove up and parked his Model A roadster got out and walked by where my dad was parked.
Washington County had just elected a new sheriff, John Harrell, who had defeated Dan Brock. Joe Brock had served as a deputy previously and continued to carry a gun although he had no permit. There was bad blood between the Harrell supporters and the Brocks.
Harvey Hinson was serving as a deputy for Harrell. As Joe walked by and spoke to my dad, Mr. Hinson stepped out and said, "Joe, I want to know by what authority you carry that gun." Joe
took out his gun and by the barrell, tapped the butt of it on Mr. Hinson's head saying, "I'll show you by what authority I carry this (expletive) gun."
From the side walk, lumber company Quarter Boss Charlie Tharpe called out, "Drop that gun." Joe whirled and aimed at Tharpe, but his gun snapped. Then Tharpe's shot rang out and Joe fell.
Joe's 16-year old son, Fred, who was nearby, ran to his fallen father and was bending over him when Tharpe fired again and killed Fred instantly.
Tharpe claimed that the boy had picked up the gun and was attempting to shoot Tharp, but the eye witness, Hugh Wells, said that was not true. After almost 60 years, he could see still hear that
gun snap and see that tall slender boy bending over his slain father. He could also remember helping Marvin, Joe's brother, lift the bodies onto the Roadster.
That night, Daddy went up to Mrs. Brock's house where his cousins were laid out. (There were no under-takers back then.) He was surprised to see three bullet holes in Joe. Even though he was
right there, the shots went off in such rapid succession, he thought only one shot had felled Brock.
No criminal charges were filed in the case, but Sadie Brock, the widow filed a civil suit against the company. Although my father was subpoenaed, he was not allowed to testify. I'm not sure if
the suit was heard by the jury or just the judge,but it was dismissed without her being granted any compensation for the death of her husband and son.
Daddy recounted another memory when he told me about the killings. While Joe Brock was serving as a deputy sheriff at an earlier time, the Washington County seat was at Vernon. He arrested Tom Methinie on some charge and came to their home near Bonifay on horseback to borrow their surrey to take the prisoner to Vernon to jail.
Joe Brock was the grandson of my great-grandfather Tom Brock's brother, Josh and Sarilda Yates Brock.
I wrote in an earlier of the prolific Tom Brock family. He and uncle Josh were married to Yates sisters and the Josh Brocks also produced a big family.