The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1922-09-28
WHITSON GETS
LIFE SENTENCE
vester Davis Genes Clear-Other Gist
from the Legal Mill

The case of the State VS.. Vester Da.
Wis. charged with murder. resulted i'm
the jury aeauitting him. 1t will be re
membered his father. Len Davis. was
last year sentenced to the penitentiary
Tor fifteen years on the same charge.
VIII whitson. who was tried In the
Circuit Court here Friday and saturday
for the murder of Amos Taylor. eolored.
In Madrid BEND, this county, was con
victed and given a life sentence in the
STATE pcnitentiary.
This case was the most important
tried at this term of court ana attracted
unusual attention because of the peculi-
ar incidents attending the arrest of
Whitson.
sheriff West last spring received a
letter ffom parties In Madrid Bend say
ing that viii Whitson had killed ne
gro by the name of Amos Taylor and
I'm dburied him near his home. 81 the
sheriff. with Deputy sheriff Charles
Murchison. went 70 Madrid Bend. and
az the spot dcScribed In the letter as %
where the negro was buried. ne found a
urave. and digging into IL found the
bosiy OF a negro.
WhftSon was represented by Judges
Sam Grassland. r. j Stair and +. =
Moore and the Commonwealth by Com
nonwealth Attorney r. II. Martin.
County Attorney Lon Adams and Hon.
". w. Roney, the latter having been em-
ployed by the Law and Order League To
assist In the prosecution
When the case was called on the
docket the defense asked For change
OF venue. and after hearing evidence on
h..sh IL lsa1 ~
motion. The defense then requested a
special officer be appointed in the place
of sheriff West during the trial. because
of the sheriff being one of the chief wit
nesses and OF has alleged interest in the
case.
Judge Hester took the matter under
consideration and Thurday morning.
with the consent Of attorneys on both
sides. appointed Goalder JohnnOn to act
in the place of sheriff West. and with
the consent OF the new sheriff %. Ii.
kerlin was named as deputy.
The trial Of the case once begun. the
regular panel was soon exhausted and
JusiSe Hester ordered AIR. johnson TO
ssnnnscr twenty ave men, TO report at
once as jurymen. which he did, and the
jury was selected about p. IN. Friday
afternoon.
whitson shot the negro while he was
walking from him. and couple of them
swOre whitson made them help bury
the negro. whitson swOre he shot the
negro i'm self defense.
After the evidence was completed,
Judge Grassland made a strong plea for
whitson. and was followed by Common
wealth Attorney r. II. Martin, who
made one OF the greatest speeches ever
made by a commonwealth attorney in
this county, asking the jury to send
Whitson 20 the electric chair. The Jury
was out only forty minutes. returning a
verdict of guilty. giving Whitson life
term I'm the penitentiary.
Mr.. Johnson Is TO be commended ON
the manner I'm which he discharged his
duties while acting as sheriff, showing
that he had not forgotten how during
the eight years which have elapsed
since he was sheriff, performing his
work In this case TO the satisfaction Of
both sides and the entire court.
Court viii resume here next week,
when the case OF Ruby Emerson will
come up for trial Emerson Is charged
with killing Deputy Sheriff Charles "A.
Murchison last June. and this trial will
probably attract more interest than any
case ON the docket at the present term
OF court.