The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1912-01-19
Il YEARS
In the PenitentiaTy Given to
Ben BIankenship.
Extreme Penalty fS, MansIaughter
Fixed By Jury for thb, killing
Of Oscar Waller.


When the NEWS went to press
on Thursday last the case of Ben
Blankenship for the killing of Oscar
Waller had been taken up and the
work of impaneling jury was in
progress. When court adjourned
for the day three jurors had been
obtained, exhausting the entire pan
ell. The court ordered the cum-
moning of sixty extra jurors for the
following day. Before noon Friday
a jury had been obtained and two
or three witnesses for the prosecu-
ton examined, The following com
prised the jury: Hiram Mead Chris.
Nicewander, David Hughes. Enoch
Cordle, A. NJ. Wheeler, Fred Perry,
A. j. Green, John Daniels. Henry
Hughes, j. G. Sammons, A. II. Perry
and E. A ,Gartin. BY noon OF Satur-
day all the evidence had been heard
and argument of the case had be-
gun Immediately after the noon. re-
cess. The State was represented by
Commonwealth Attorney John NJ.
Waugh, assisted by Judge S. G..
Kinner, of Catlettsburg, and NJ. S,
Burns, Cain and Thompson,
and w. d. o'Neal. and NJ. C. Kirk,
of Inez, appeared for the defense.
There were speeches made for
each side, Waugh, Kinner and Burns
and Cain. o'Neal and Kirk, Mr..
Waugh closing for the State. The last
speech was made after supper and
after a short consideration of the
case by the jury court was ad-
journed. The Jury had the case
under consideration for a short
time on Sunday. Judge Hannah say
ing that he would be on hand to
receive verdict if one was made.
No conclusion was reached that day
however, and further deliberation
was postponed until Monday. About
SiS'Sh y NiOSh hOhudy inoiniH5 NAc
jury announced an agreement and
returned a verdict of guilty, fixing
the punishment of Blankenshlp at
confinement in the penitentiary for
period of twenty-one years. On Mon
day afternoon Blankenship and Jno.
Pack, who will serve an indetermin-
ate sentence of from one to five
years in the penitentiary for shoot
ing his wife, were taken to Frank
fort by Sheriff Carter and guard
Lock Moore.
The grand Jury adjourned after a
session of six days. During this
time they examined 141 witnesses
and found so indictments. The
jury failed to find an Indictment
against Warden Marcum, charged
with shooting black man named
Brown few weeks ago, and he was
discharged, but it did indict his
companion, Charles Thornhill.
The case of the commonwealth
against men and women who were
charged with breaking into the
B~'shy Creek school house last fall
vil come up again next spring in a
( realty modified form When lit
was called this term two of the
women agreed to appear as wit
nesses for the commonwealth and
We're released. They had been in
jail several months The Gallihue
woman is out ON bail, as are the,
men.
Several cases in which Mr.. w. ID.
O'Neal was counsel had been set
for this week, but owing to the
death of his father-in-law. Judge w.
W. Marcum he was compelled to be
away. On this account Judge Han
nah deemed it best to close the
-erm. which he did early Monday |
The twenty-one year old case in
which Capt. William Bartram was
Plaintiff and which the NEWS noted !
asst week, was decided in favor of
he Captain. He obtained a judge ,
nent for $500 and accrued interests /
making a total of $123S.00.