The Southern herald., 1916-08-04


Of just jumping forward and taking
that gun away from you"
why didn't you do it?" l asked.
II thought you'd shoot" said Watts.
81 guess you were right" I answered
with a nod.
Suddenly Watts began to cry like a
child. We'll, | am glad you got me-"
he sobbed, "for l have never had an
hours peace or rest since that night
at Catholicsburg, KY. Now l am 60
ing to tell you all about myself and
my companions since l left Brook
Vile"
On arriving at that place Wess
Watts insisted on making a full con-
fession in the presence Of the sheriff,
the prosecuting attorney and myself.
1t ran as follows:
left Brookville, June 20, 1874, for
Parkers Landing. Got a boat there
and went down the river. My father,
James Watts, traded a gun for the
boat. We built a shanty on the boat
as we proceeded down the river. The
names of the parties on the boat
were: Charles Peach, Oliver Brooks,
James Watts, ]. W. Watts, Sarah NJ
Watts and Myrta Watts. There was
no difficulty on the boat until we ar
rived at a point near Ironton, Ohio.
We got a woman by the name Of
Fanny Rose on board the boat, and
from there down to Maysville there
seemed to be some trouble between
Oliver Brooks and James Watts, my
father, about Fanny Rose, the girl
above named. My father had been
talking of turning states evidence,
and on Sunday, the 9Th of September,
1874, he took an axe and cut a hole
in the bottom of the boat. l remon-
strated with him and he was going to
strike me with the axe. The water
began filling the boat, which neces-
STATED our landing. On the night of
the 9Th Of September, 1874, Oliver
Brooks shot James Watts, killing him
almost instantly, for threatening to
turn states evidence, concerning what
had been stolen during our trip down
the river by the male portion of the
gang on the boat. James Watts stole
nothing himself. He only lived a few
minutes after Brooks shot him. was
on another boat about sixty yards
above the one James Watts was on.
l knew that Oliver Brooks was 60
ing to shoot my father and 1t made
me very nervous. It made me sick
and laid down. got up and started
down to tell my father when / heard
gun shot, but having an idea OF
what had occurred / was very much
frightened and was very weak through
fear and did not go into the shanty
on the boat where James Watts and
Oliver Brooks were. During this Sun,
day afternoon Oliver Brooks and
James Watts had some difficulty, and
Brooks told us all, except James
Watts, that he would shoot James
Watts.
II am here to tell the whole truth
and want to keep nothing back. My
father stole nothing, but he did helI
conceal what the rest of us stole.
"After he was shot, and when
came up, either Brooks and Peach
or Brooks and Aston, were gathering
up stones on the bank and carrying
them into the shanty on the boat
where my father was lying, and
suppose they we're taking them in tc
tie around his neck to sink him in the
river, from what they said before the
deed was committed. After they got
everything fixed up l heard them put
ting my father into a skiff and rowing
out into the river. and l heard then
putting him overheard. They useC
sixty or eighty feet of half-inch rope tC
tie the stones to him, judging from thC
amount that was gone from the boat
After they took my father out into
the river and threw him in, Olive
Brooks said he felt just as well as ht
did before he committed the deed, ant
better, too. After this there was nj
more conversation about 1t in my
presence, as l would not listen Il
them nor permit them to talk to m,
about 1t. l did not go into the room
where he was killed for five or sil
weeks. It was my rife that he sho
| him with and 1t was the best ride