Of Death At The Hands Of Estill

County Jury

The Jackson Times, January 13, 1922

The trial of William Penn Watts, for complicity in the attack on the jail, December 9th, which resulted in the death of Albert Roberts and Maggie Allen, and the fatally wounding of Mrs. Oscar Allen, ended last Saturday; after pending practically all the week, resulted in the infliction of the death penalty.

The evidence introduced against Watts was very much the same as was introduced against Porter, with the additional proof that he (Watts) was in Jackson on various occasion with Bud Noble, Sam Grigsby, and others, when the question of the guard around the jail was discussed; that he was in Jackson and attended the trials of Hargis and Willie Noble, Alton Grigsby and his brother-in-law, Isaac Watts; the he went straight to the home of Bud Noble on Saturday morning, after the killing, and met with Noble and his gang on John Little's Creek; and that he went and procured liquor for them late Saturday night. His aged mother sat by his side throughout the trial and demonstrated to the world once more that there is no way of measuring the love of a mother for her son.

The verdict was not unexpected in this case, and seems to have met with the approval of the public throughout the county.

The awfulness of the crime committed by the men who attacked the jail, and the murder of these innocent people, cannot be estimated; and yet the punishment inflicted in the case is the supreme penalty fixed by the laws of our land.

This is the first verdict of death rendered in Breathitt County for many years. It is a severe punishment, yet no good citizen, who is acquainted with the testimony in the case, can complain that the jury did anything more than its duty.

Watts was a member of a band of men who committed that awful crime, this, his own testimony proves conclusively, but was not a leader of that gang. The older men, were the master criminals, who plotted and planned the murderous attack on the jail, did it premeditatedly as the proof clearly shows; and some of the attempted to fix alibis, for themselves, showing by their conduct that they were willing to sacrifice the younger men, whom they had induced and led into this awful conspiracy, and who were less interested in its being carried out.

The leaders of the gang who are still at large should be caught and given speedy trials and sentences, commensurate the crimes they have committed. The officers of Breathitt County should lose no time in making their arrest, and every good citizen of Breathitt County should aid, in every way possible, the officers in their efforts to capture and bring these offenders of the law to justice. Every father and mother throughout Breathitt County, and in fact all Kentucky, should think seriously of what the future of their children should be; and should throw every influence for good, and the up-holding of the laws of the land, around their children and their neighbor's children. The father, who by precept or example, teaches his son that it is alright to ignore or violate, in any way, the laws of his country, is preparing that boy, perhaps for the electric chair or to fill some of the prisons of our state.

It is no easy task for the officers of the law, and especially for the judge and commonwealth attorney, to have to officiate in trials of this kind; and it is extremely fortunate for the people of this county and district to have on the bench such a man as Judge Sam Hurst. He is an able lawyer and an unbiased and impartial judge, with the courage to perform his duty and to do justice and give the law to all those who come before him. With such a man on the bench the homes of the people are more secure, and crime is certain to decrease and better conditions prevail.

The jury who tried the case against Watts was from Estill County, and composed of the following men; Joe Wiseman, J. B. Hundley, Press Wilson, Tom Hardy, R. E. West, Herman Christopher, W. D. Elliott, Sid Chapman, Curtis Abner, Francis Howard, B. F. Goe, and Isaac Henry; and deliberated only about four hours after the case was submitted to them. They are men of high standing and acquitted themselves with great standing during their stay in Jackson. The argument of the case was made by C. A. Bach and Judge Hugh Riddle, of Irvine, for the defense; and Commonwealth Attorney J. M. McDaniel and W. L. Kash, all of whom delivered able addresses, none of which was extremely bitter on either side. The newly installed Commonwealth Attorney J. M. McDaniel, acquitted himself well.

Almost the entire time during the trial, the courtroom was well-filled with spectators, many of them being women.

B. F. Goe, who wrote the death verdict of W. P. Watts, was a great-great-grandson of Daniel Boone. His father, Ben F. Goe represented Lee and Estill Counties in the Kentucky Legislature 40 years ago.