The Green Forest tribune., 1893-07-06
The DEAD IS ALIVE.
WATKINS, SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN MuS-
DEREB BY HUDSpETH, is FOUND.
He is Living Quiet Country Life out in Kansas
History of the Case.

at Fayetteville, Washington county,
last Saturday, which says that George
Watkins, the man supposed to have
been murdered in 1887 in Marion county
by Andy Hudspeth, has been found liv-
ing quiet country life out in Kansas
1t will be remembered that Hudspeth
was twice convicted of murder in this
case and was hanged at Harrison,
Boone county, on the 30th of last De-
cember
While there is not much credence to
be given the report yet, the following
history of the case will show that there
is possibility that Hudspeth was one
innocent man executed.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
The case was one of the most celebrat-
ed ever tried in the Criminal Courts in
this State. George Watkins lived on
farm few miles from Yellville, Marion
county, and one morning in the Spring
of 1887 Watkins and Hudspeth started
former. Hudspeth bad been working
for Watkins and an illicit love had
sprung up between his employers wife
and himself. Watkins has not been
seen in that section since that morning.
Hudspeth returned home and every
thing went on as usual about the farm
,p+i1 copo ff No flyi,,c; ,,oiob hove -,
euired into the continued absence Of
the missing man. Hudspeth Was ar
rested and soon thereafter the woman
was incarcerated in the jail at 1ellville
as an accessory to the murder. Mrs.
Watkins was stricken down with fatal
illness shortly after being placed in
Jail, but before her death told what
was supposed to be the story Of the
murder Of her husband by Hudspeth,
and divulged the plans they had map
ped out for their future happiness. On
this death-bed testimony Hudspeth was
tried and convicted of murder in the
first degree, and sentenced to be hang
ed in October. 1887. The case was ap-
pealed to the Supreme Court, and that
body granted q re-hearinS Of the cyl
dence. The second calling Of the case
was to have occurred at the March term,
1883, of the Boone County Circuit
Court, but shortly before that date
Hudspeth escaped from jail and was
not apprehended for eight months,
when he was captured in the swamps
in Eastern Arkansas after a desperate
figh t.
The case was permitted to drag along
nearly year beforeit was finally cali
e5. At his second trial the verdict of
the jury was murder in the first degree,
and Epdspeth was again sentenced to
be hanged. His lawyers again brought
his case to the Supreme Court, and left
no stones unturned IN their efforts to
obtain for him another hearing Of his
case; but after thoroughly weighing all
the evidence upon which Hudspeth had
been twice convicted of murder, that
body decided that 10 error had crept
into the proceedings of the court below,
and affirmed the decision. The date OF
his execution was set for October l3,
1892, but as his attorneys desired to ap-
peal for executive elemency, and theen-
forced absence Of Gov. Eagle from the
State on account Of illness last fall,
Acting Gov. Handy granted respite
until November 2, and Gov. Eagle, at
that time sufficiently improved in Death,
to attend to the duties of bis office,
granted an extention of the time until
December 80, in order that he might
carefully scrutinizs the evidence, which
he did, but could find nothing on which
co justify Communication Of Hudspeth's
sentence to a life tenure in the Peniten-
tiary.