How did People ACTUALLY feel About Mr. Clutter?

Comparing the attitudes of townspeople in Holcomb that Capote quotes from his interviews along with other descriptions of Mr. Clutter has caused me to question the honesty of what people said. I think people might have been uncomfortable to share their true feelings about him after he died in such a crude way. Also, people would not want to seem like they had any motives to be rid of Mr. Clutter, because it might have caused them to be considered suspects of the murder. Capote tells about Clutter’s past, and how he moved up in his work: “It took him just seven months to be promoted; that is, to install himself in the head man’s job.” (11) Although this shows that Mr. Clutter is a hard worker with a likable attitude, he did receive an occupation that was previously held by someone with a lot more experience than he, which may have caused some resentment or other negative attitudes towards Mr. Clutter. When Mr. Clutter was an employee, he force his entire staff to sign a contract in which they promised that would not drink any alcohol. It could be seen as a smart decision for an employer to make, and that it might be seen as honorable for a Methodist, to isolate himself from alcohol. However a Mr. Lynn Russell said once to Clutter, “You’ve got no mercy. I swear, Herb, if you caught a hired man drinking, out he’d go. And you wouldn’t care if his family was starving.” (10) I know that Russell was speaking in the hypothetical sense, but it seems fairly strict that he would be so strict about alcohol when many people drink responsibly. On one hand, it seems as though there was no motive for the murder that had to do with Mr. Clutter’s actions. Capote writes, “He was known for his equanimity, his charitableness, and the fact that he paid good wages and distributed frequent bonuses.” (10) On the other hand, when told about Clutter’s murder, a Mrs. Clare said, “I’m not surprised. When you think how Herb Clutter spent his whole life in a hurry, rushing in here to get his mail with never a minute to say good-morning-and-thank-you-dog…getting jobs maybe other people wanted. And now look—it’s all caught up with him.” (69) Mrs. Clare provides the viewpoint that Clutter was not as perfect and likable as everyone described him to be. I think that either Mrs. Clare has a very harsh opinion, or that maybe other townspeople thought the same thing but chose not to reveal the whole of their opinions.