THE RULE OF THE LAW & THE
REIGN OF THE MOB
SOURCES
1. From The History of Grant County, edited by John B. Conrad
Published by the Grant County Historical Society
Note: This excellent book is copyrighted, it consists of over five hundred pages and covers all aspects of Grant County history. It is available in hardback from the Grant County Historical Society. Submtted by Bonnie Snow
2. Kentucky Newspaper excerpts, generously contributed by Jo Thiessen County Cordinator for Scott County, Harrison County and Woodford County
"The history of Williamstown would not be complete without the mention of the Rule of the Law and the Reign of the Mob. Every person or event written about in this chapter was documented and taken from The Willliamstown Courier and the Grant County News. Nothing has been changed and most is a quote from these newspapers. They have been put together so as to make them more readable and more understandable."
THE LYNCHING OF SMITH MAYTHES & LYMAN CROUCH
The Williamstown Courier, May 31, 1901
Five men have been put to death by hanging in the history of Grant County. Four of these men were brought to Williamstown, two of them were hanged by Court of Law and two were hanged by mob rule. The fifth was a mob hanging at Sherman, which will be described in another chapter.
The most notable was a lynching which took place here in Williamstown around 1841, when a stock drover by the name of John Utterback from Bourbon County, Kentucky was passing from Covington to his home in Bourbon County, by way of the Paris and Cynthiana Turnpike (now Cynthiana Street) out of Williamstown. He was being followed by two desperados, named Smith Maythes and Lyman Crouch and was taken over by them near the Oak Ridge neighborhood. One of the men attempted to shoot him but his gun misfired, so the other man hit him in the head with the butt of his gun, then drew a knife and drew gash after gash across Utterback's throat from ear to ear. While this was happening, a peddler passed by, saw the struggle, and hurried to Williamstown to report the crime. Maythes and Crouch, seeing the man and thinking he was going for the law, left their buggy and fled into the woods. In a short time Utterback was found. He was not dead, he had pulled himself up against a tree and wrote a note, telling of the crime. In a few hours, the whole country around Williamstown was aroused and in pursuit of the two men. The next day, they were captured in Pendleton County, brought back to Williamstown, and lodged in the County Jail. Utterback was taken home and recovered his wounds. It was said that he lived for many years although he was unable to talk.
When Maythes and Crouch found out that Utterback was not dead, they became so infuriated, they made threats from the jail that they would burn the town and kill everyone who had anything to do with their capture. These threats soon spread over the county. One evening about three months later, a mob of about 400 people from Grant and the counties nearby, marched into town, broke down the jail door, took out the prisoners, took them to the spot where the crime had been committed and hanged them. They were buried in graves along side the road. That night, they were taken up by unknown persons, their heads were severed from their bodies, and then reburied. A few days later, Maythe's wife came, took the bodies and gave them a proper burial.
THE HANGING OF SAM EUSTIS
The Williamstown Courier, May 31, 1901
In the early 1850s, a Negro man named Sam Eustis was brought to Williamstown on a change of venue from Owen County. He was accused of killing his mistress. He was given a fair trial and the statement of his master played an important part in his conviction.
He declared himself innocent to the last, but the proof against him was sufficient. The jury brought the verdict of guilty and a death sentence was imposed. The Negro was taken to a gallows outside town located on the property of the County Poorhouse on present Cynthiana Street, where the old James Kells house now stands. He was asked of he had anything to say. He declared that he was innocent and that time would prove him right. He predicted that a certain tree standing nearby would be struck by lightning and this would prove his innocence. Later that summer, the tree was struck by lightning and people began to believe his prediction. A few years later, the master of the Negro, on his deathbed, confessed of the crime.
THE HANGING OF WARRICK FORD
The Williamstown Courier, May 31, 1901
During the same decade [1850s], another Negro was hanged near the same spot. He was Warrick Ford, a slave of John Ford, who killed his master. The proff was convincing and Warrick confessed his guilt. He was tried, found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. He was taken to the County Farm and hung between two sycamore trees, and buried there on the farm. Fifty years later, one of the trees was still standing. Today there is no trace.
MURDERS & KILLINGS IN WILLIAMSTOWN
The law has been busy in Williamstown from its beginning. There were fights and there were killings. The intersection of Main and Paris Streets was called "Deadman's Corner". On June 14, 1824, John Billitter was arrested for fighting on Main Street. He had part of his ear bitten off in the fight, and there were shootings and knifings in Williamstown in 1828, as previously mentioned by Elder William Conrad in his journal.
JOSEPH PORTER KILLED ON DEADMAN'S CORNER
The Williamstown Courier, May 31, 1901
In February 1881, Joseph Porter of Pendleton County and Thomas J. Isaacs of Williamstown engaged in a quarrel one Monday night at a late hour in George Burgess' Saloon. Isaacs drew something in the shape of brass knucks, striking Porter over the head several times. Marshall Gouge arrived at the scene and at once arrested Issacs.
While in his custody, Isaacs hit the marshall over the head with his knucks and escaped to the back part of town, on the railroad, and defied the posse to arrest him. After a long chase, Tom Isaacs was not caught. Later on Tuesday about noon, Porter died.
About a year later, Tom Isaacs was caught and arrested on Terrell's Creek in Jackson County, Kentucky. He was brought back to Williamstown for trial. He was later put under a $3,000.00 bond. He, not having that much money, ten people in the area put up $300.00 each and the court set him free to appear for his trial at a later date.
He never appeared for his trial and is said to have gone to Indiana and lived there until he was quite an old man. Wanting to clear his record before he died, he came back to Willliamstown and turned himself over to the law. Seeing the condition he was in and his advanced age, he never came to trial and died a free man.
GEORGE BURGESS SHOT & KILLED BY LAW OFFICERS
The Williamstown Courier, December 6, 1890
On Tuesday evening, December 4, 1890 about seven o'clock, the citizens on Mill Street (now High Steet) were startled by the report of a pistol. Hastening to their doors, they heard the screams of a woman at the residence of Mrs. McKinley, and saw a man with a pistol in his had running through the darkness. The man was George J. Burgess, the owner of Burgess' Saloon on Deadman's Corner (near the courthouse). A short time before, Burgess had entered the McKinley house to visit his friend, Alice McKinley. Almost as soon as he entered the house, there was a war of words and Burgess pulled his pistol and shot Alice McKinley just below the left breast, the wound being almost surely fatal. Dr. J. D. Violett was summoned and found the woman in very serious condition. At that time, the woman's brothers, Charles and John McKinley, came home to find their sister shot. Swearing vengence against Burgess, they attempted to arm themselves, but Dr. Violett and their mother persuaded them to go to Judge C. C. Cram and swear out a warrant for his arrest. Judge Cram quickly wrote out the warrant and delivered it to Deputy Marshall James Cates. About this time, Deputy Sheriff George S. (Jack) Webb came into town and was summoned by Cates to make the arrest.
They found Burgess in his saloon on Main Street with the doors barred and bolted. They tried to gain admittance but were refused. Seizing a beer keg, they threw it against the door, smashing it in. At that time the keg flew back, knocking Webb to his knees. That fall probably saved his life. When the door swung open, Burgess was standing in the passageway with a self-acting revolver, and opened up a murderous fire upon the officers. The first shot went through Webb's clothes at the hip. The second grazed Webb's pistol hand, knocking the pistol to the ground. The officers were determined to make the arrest and opened a deadly fire, hitting Burgess four times in the body. He staggered out of the doorway and sank to the ground. His body was carried to the residence of his daughter, Mrs. F. C. Menaugh. Doctor John M. Wilson was summoned to his side, but could not keep George Burgess from death.
DEADMAN'S CORNER CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM
The Williamstown Courier, August 22, 1895 and The Grant County News, February 12, 1926
Another killing took place in Williamstown on October 31, 1894. The shooting took place when James A. O'Hara, a prominent druggist in Williamstown, was drinking and had borrowed a pistol from W. G. O'Hara at the Grant County Bank. He borrowed the pistol, supposedly to protect himself from Walter Stephens, who supposedly threatened his life.
O'Hara crossed the street to Glacking's Meat and Grocery Store (this store stood near where the Hotel Donald now stands) [the hotel Donald has since been destroyed by fire]. Two or three wooden steps led from the street, up into the store. Sitting along these steps were John Glacking, James Mulligan, W. B. Clay, John Roberts and others. John Glacking and James O'Hara at his time were the best of friends, and had been for a good many years. Glacking was a man of low stature, but of thick powerful build, weighing about 185 pounds. O'Hara was a slim boyish fellow, weighing about 115 pounds.
At this time, as the testimony went, no ill feelings or harsh words had ever passed between them. Glacking was in a joking disposistion, and he and O'Harah would frequently wrestle and play like boys.
O'Hara walked over to where Glacking and the others were sitting, and engaged in some light talk about a woman and left, going in a direction of a nearby saloon. He was gone about twenty minutes. He came back, sat down between Jim Mulligan and John Roberts saying as he sat down "Jim Mulligan, what is the matter with you?" To which Mulligan replied "there ain't nothing the matter with me, what is the matter with you, Jim?" To this remark of Mulligan's, Glacking spoke up and said, "There is nothing the matter with Jim except he is drunk." To this remark, Jim replied, "I'd rather be drunk than always sitting around like a d__n billy goat," and then said "Bill Stephens swore a d__n lie on me today in Police Court." Glacking replied "You had better not tell him that, he will whip you quicker than you can say scat." Jim said "I did tell him that, and anybody that says I didn't is a liar himself." Glacking got up and said "Don't talk to me that way or I will slap your jaws." William Clay reached around, took hold of Glacking and told him to sit down and have no trouble with Jim. Glacking sat down. O'Hara walked around in front of Glacking and said to him "You are a d__n lying s_n-of-a b_ch if you say I did not tell Bill Stephens that he swore to a lie."
Glacking was sitting on the step about six feet from O'Hara. He got up and rushed O'Hara. O'Harah backed up and pulled his pistol from his pocket, about the time Glacking had taken two or three steps in his direction. Without taking aim, he fired. The first shot did not seem to take effect. Glacking kept on advancing, and O'Hara backing from him. Some of the witnesses say that Glacking had caught him by the shirt tow or three seconds after the first shot. O'Hara continued to back down the street, fired two more shots and fell down, with Glacking on top of him. Doctor O'Hara rushed out of his drug store and pulled Glacking off Jim. Doctor John M. Wilson was sent for to attend Glacking. By the time he reached his side, life was already extinct. William Stroud, Jr., a bystander, arrested O'Hara and held him until the Sheriff came and took him away.
A year later, after two changes of venue, James A. O'Harah was tried at Boone County for murder. He was convicted of manslaughter and given two years in the penitentiary. An appeal was granted and the verdict of the jury was set aside. As far ad the compiler can find, he never spent any time in prison.
In February 1926, James A. O'Hara shot and killed himself at his home on High Street. Ill health was believed to be the cause.
Listed are a few of the Grant Countians present at the trial:
Tim Needham, Kate Needham, M. D. Gray, William Carnes, A. D. DeJarnette, H. D. Stratton, W. T. Gouge, Clay Gouge, D. Gouge, Ollie Williams, William Duvall, Sammy Loomis, William Clay, Fred Burch, R. O. Cunningham, James K. Fortner, O. P. Hogan, William Stroud, Jr., Ed Garrett, William Moore, Dr. J. M. Wilson, John Roberts, Mrs. E. E. Theobald, William Cates, W. G. O'Hara, O. P. Elloston, J. H. Westover, Sidney Ransom, John H. Ransom, Joe Glasscock, Robert Tully, Jesse Mitts, John Mitts, Ezra Loomis, I. R. Franks, John Ogden, W. C. Landrum. Wm. Berry, Frank Harris, Richard Mitts, Wm. Allphin, James Carrigan, Sam Turner, Walter Stephens, George Wallace.
FRANK MUSSELMAN KILLED IN BART SIMMON'S SALOON
Front page, Williamstown Courier, Thursday, February 12, 1903
"You have insulted me three times today, I will take it no longer," was the cry coming from W. T. (Bart) Simmons' Saloon, located directly across the street from the County Records building.
The cries were coming from Ben F. Lanter, as he with passion, plunged his knife into the side of Frank Musselman's neck, and with a jerk downward, severed the jugular. In less than three hours, the man was dead.
Musselman seemed surprized and cried out, "Ben, why did you cut me?" Lanter said nothing and no one knew the reason. Lanter was later found not guilty.
NOAH READNOWER RETURNS FROM THE WEST AFTER 50 YEARS ABSENCE
Williamstown Courier, July 30, 1896
Noah Readnower returned to Williamstown after a half-century's absence to confess to the slaying of Carl Hightower when he was a young man.
Mr. Readnower said he wanted to clear his record of any charges that might be held against him. Walking into the office of County Attorney Lee Lanter, Mr. Readnower said, "I shot a man here forty eight years ago, and I want to know if there are any charges against me.
Mr. Readnower then related his story to the best of his memory. He said he and Marion Rankin were riding home horseback from Mt. Pleasant Church, when he became involved in a pistol battle with Carl Hightower, and that Hightower was killed. Wounded, Mr. Readnower said he fled to the home of his father, the late Joseph Readnower, where he remained overnight. He then went to Des Moines, Iowa, then later Wyoming, where he took up Homestead Rights and for many years engaged sheepherding.
According to an article in the above newspaper, Carl Hightower was the don of Rolla Hightower and resided about four miles south of Williamstown on the north side of Fork Lick Creek. He was about twenty-two years old. Noah Readnower was the son of Joe Readnower, who lived further down the creek.
"The boys were brought up together, went to the same schoolhouse and apparently were very good friends. Early in the Spring, they had a falling out over a young lady. To whom each was paying attention.
It was said that after the argument, Readnower threatened to kill Hightower on several occasions. The night of the killing, Readnower and Rankin met Hightower on his way home from church. They engaged in an argument, shots were fired, and Hightower was killed.
The lifeless body of Carl Hightower was hauled on a sled to his father's house, prepared for burial, and was interred in the cemetery in Williamstown.
It was rumored that Readnower hid in a grainery on the farm of his father for 5 or 6 days. It was said that his father drove the young man, hidden in a load of hay, to Walton where he left by train.
County Attorney Lanter said he had talked to members of Hightower's family and they stated that they did not wish to prefer charges against Readnower. Mr. Readnower visited a brother in Pendleton County for a while, then returned to Wyoming."
THE RANSOM MURDERS
The Williamstown Courier - January 1909
"Deadman's Corner proves true to its name, Shooting affray Saturday morning in which one man was killed outright."
These were the headlines on the front page of the Williamstown Courier, January 13, 1909. "According to witnesses, a dance was given at the home of Worth Barnes, about two miles from town, last Friday, and that is where the trouble began.
As the story goes, Charley Clark and George Lanter became involved in a quarrel. Clark was knocked down and shot in the breast, while Lanter received a scalp wound from the bullet. Tom Turner stepped in and tried to make peace between the two men. He was knocked down and given a severe beating about the head. Chester Wells also received bad wounds.
This practically broke up the dance. The injured me were brought to town and physicians dressed their wounds. Soon after, a quarrel arose between the Lanter boys, George and Grover, and Sid Ransom. It is alleged that while acting as a peacemaker, Ethel Ransom was shot and beat about the head with a large stone or hard object. Ethel made his way to the courtyard, pulled himself up against a tree and died.
Meanwhile, there were other shots near Turner's Restaurant. It was discovered that Sid Ransom had been shot and also badly beaten about the head and face with the butt end of a heavy pistol. He was taken to the residence of his brother-in-law, Forrest Barnes, on Falmouth Street. Two days later, death ended his suffering.
In the melee, Emmet Hogan was shot in the arm, but is doing well, as are Tom Turner, Charley Clark and the other wounded men.
The Lanter boys went home and were later put under arrest by Sheriff M. E. Carter and his deputy, J. T. Chipman. They were placed in the County Jail, and later, fearing violence, an order was issued directing the Sheriff to transfer them to the Covington Jail. Deputy Sheriff Thomas Dunlap and others delivered them to the jail without incident.
On February 18th, they were allowed bail and were set free. Later, in the trial, they were found not guilty and were released."
Grover and George Lanter left Grant County. Several years later, George returned and became a police officer and a game warden. He died in 1966. Grover went out west and never returned.
Attending the Ransom brothers funeral were:
Harris Musselman, Elzie Hall; Clay Stroud; Brent DeJarnette; M. E. McClure; Georte Holton; Tol Littell; Grover Clark; J. A. Readnower, Lexington; Jesse Robinson, Cincinnati; Jake Reddy, Covington; Oral Galloway, Falmouth; Wm. Bishop, Falmouth; M. Slade, Falmouth; Cash McNay, Covington; Albert Landrum, Covington.
THE MURDER OF JOSEPH KELLS
One autumn evening, just after sundown, a pistol shot was heard. It came from the direction of Paris Street in Williamstown. After investigation, Joseph Kells was found lying in a heap. Someone had shot and killed him.
A witness, John Samples, testified that he saw the flash of the gun, and saw Gus Stephens run from the scene. This statement was discredited. Even so, Gus Stephens was arrested and housed in jail.
Later, Joe Kells' wife Grace was arrested on charges that she and Gus Stephens had jointly murdered, and aiding and abetting the murder of Joe Kells on the night of October 29, 1913.
After months of examining witnesses, it was believed by the attorneys that the people in the county area were hostile toward Gus Stephens and Mrs. Kells. So the Court decided that a change of venue was necessary. Boone County was chosen.
A motion of the attorneys of Mrs. Kells for bail was heard by the Court on the 17th day of February, 1914. Judge Cammack granted the motion and fixed her ball at $7,500.00. The next day several prominent citizens of the neighborhood in which she grew up in Pendleton County, came to the Court and signed her bail bond. These citizens were: W. S. Poeter, J. B. Porter, George Ship, M. B. Moore, D. Dargent and J. D. McHatton.
The agruments in the case were made by attorneys J. B. O'Neal and C. E. O'Hara for the defense, and W. W. Dickerson for the prosecution. Many witnesses were called and it was proven that Stephens and Mrs. Kells were having intimate relations, but there was no proof fount that either of them committed the murder.
After several months of trials, two hung juries and another change of venue to Owen County, Gus Stephens was found not guilty and Mrs. Kells was set free. They both left Williamstown and Grant County and never returned.
COUNTY ATTORNEY CLAY FATALLY WOUNDED AT DEPOT
Font Page, Grant County News, Friday, March 27, 1914.
"About 9 a. m. last Tuesday (March 24, 1914) morning, Simon M. Billiter shot and fatally wounded William E. Clay, County Attorney of Grant County, at the Depot South of town."
Two shots from a 38 calibre revolver penetrated Clay's breast, a bullet piercing each lung. Clay staggered across the depot platform, sat down and crumpled into a heap. He was picked up and taken to the Johnson House Hotel.
Billiter surrendered to railroad detective F. A. Cunningham, who brought him to town and turned him over to the Sheriff.
As the story went, on Sunday preceding the affair, Clay called Billiter on the telephone and advised him that his Negro laborers, who were camped on his (Billiter's) property south of town, were selling whiskey in violation of local laws, and he (Clay) had reason to believe that Billiter had knowledge of the illegal act. He further stated that he intended to have a warrant issued for Billiter.
Billiter told Clay that he knew nothing of the act and would assist him in any way to stop the sale of liquor, not only in his camp, but anywhere in the county, and defied Clay to issue a warrant.
Later that evening, Clay and Billiter met at Billiter's office on the third floor of the Oddfellows building, to talk the matter over. They could not come to an agreement, so they departed, later meeting on the corner at the Johnson House Hotel, where the quarrel resumed. A crowd soon gathered and friends kept the two men from fighting.
On Tuesday morning both Clay and Billiter were going to Cincinnati on the same train. They met at the depot, and it is said that Clay walked up to Billiter and asked, "Simon, are you still mad?" Receiving no reply, he turned to Jack Chipman and said, "I see he is." At this time, a few angry words were exchanged. Both men were standing with their hands in their pockets, for it was a cold morning. Clay started to take his hand out of his pocket. Billiter drew his pistol and fired two shots into the body of Clay. Clay made a statedment before he died, that he had no weapon and had no intention of doing Billiter harm.
Billiter stated that he thought Clay was drawing a pistol when he started to take his hands from his pockets. Neither of them was ever known to have had trouble with each other, and had been the best of friends.
William E. Clay died March 28, 1914 at about 3 a. m. He was the son of James H. Clay, and was about 40 years old. He was a native of Grant County, and had been its County Attorney for around 14 years. He was married to Miss Ella O'Hara, an Indiana girl.
Simon Billiter had been aggressive against bootleggers, and had antagonized a great many people in the county. This is the reason he was so outraged at being accused of bootlegging.
He was charged with manslaughter, and released on a $5,000.00 bond. His representatives were A. G. DeJarnette and W. W. Dickerson, both of Williamstown, and J. T. Simon of Cynthiana.
The Commonwealth was represented by John J. Howe, Commonwealth Attorney, C. E. O'Hara, County Attorney [who replaced Clay], and M. D. Gray. After a long trial of several months, he was found not guilty and released.
Simon Billiter was a well known contractor and businessman of Williamstown. He was the son of O. P. Billiter, also a businessman in town, and was reared in the Oak Ridge neighborhood. He was a large property holder, living in a 1906 Queen Anne style house, given by W. M. Smith to his granddaughter Elizabeth Sparks Billiter as a wedding present.
Billiter left his mark in many places in Williamstown through his life here. He built the Williamstown Stockyards, then a tobacco warehouse. He was a major stockholder in the building of the Hotel Donald, he built a portion of U. S. Highway 25 when it came through Williamstown in the early 1920s. He poured most of the concrete sidewalks in Williamstown, and his company laid most of the double tracks through Grant County for the Southern Railway. He constructed the dam for the old railroad lake, know as Lake Obispo. He was also one of the contractors who dug the old Williamstown Reservoir, plus many other projects throughout northern Kentucky. Mr. Billiter later left Williamstown and moved to Covington, Kentucky, and became a prominent businessman in that community. He was chairman of the Williamstown Board of Trustees.
It was once told that a man in Covington stole Billiter's automobile. Billiter commandeered a bystander's car, run the man down, arrested him and turned him over to the law.
B. WARNER - KILLED BY BROTHER-IN-LAW
Front Page Grant County News, Friday, December 23, 1932
"Negro killed in gun battle by brother-in-law."
In a gun battle between Negroes in the colored section of town, at the home of B. Warner. The home was located on a street paralleling the railroad, in the rear of the Hotel Donald.
Warner met instant death about 10 o'clock Saturday night. His slayer was Eugene Brown, his brother-in-law.
Brown went to the town Marshall Harold Filson, and gave himself up, and was placed in jail. He alleged that Warner was carrying a revolver with which he was attempting to shoot his wife Virgie. Warner had been at the home of a friend and came home to get his revolver, with which he said he intended to kill his wife. She seized him and tried to hold him. He bit her viciously on the arm and struck her on the neck with a glass, severing an artery. It was then that Brown drew his revolver and shot him. Five shots went into Warner's back and he fell dead.
It was said that the injuries received by Warner's wife would have been fatal if she had not received medical help at the time she did. Warner was indicted for manslaughter and was sent to prison for two years.
THE MURDER OF DOCTOR ERVIN M. MENEFEE
Front page, Grant County News, Friday, September 21, 1933
"Dr. Ervin M. Menefee was murdered in his office in the Hulett Building in the central part of town some time after noon hour last Thursday. The assassin used a club, presumably a leg from a chair in the office to assault the dentist. Two blows were struck, one over the right temple, the other on the back of the head. Either blow could have caused his death. Menefee's body was not discovered until about 6 o'clock in the evening. It was lying on a couch in the waiting room with one hand hanging over the couch. He had been dead for several hours.
The body was discovered by Menefee's wife and Clay McNay, an employee in Hullet's Store. Mrs. Menefee and her husband lived with her parents, Mr. And Mrs. Robert Brown on the Piner Road, about ½ mile from Bracht Station, in Boone County. It was her custom to meet her husband there when he came home on the bus. On Thursday evening, he failed to get off the bus and she drove to Williamstown. At the office, she found the door locked. She summoned McNay, and they with a ladder looked over the transom and saw Menefee lying as described.
The door was broken open. He was lying on the couch dead. A leg from an office chair was lying on the floor and the walls were spattered with blood.
It was first believed that Menefee had committed suicide. A Corner's Jury was summoned and after an hour's session, declared that Menefee had been killed by a party or parties unknown.
An examination of the wounds inflicted was made by three doctors, all of whom declared that the wounds could not have been inflicted by Menefee, either intentionally or by accident. It was a plain case of murder, but the slayer made his escape apparently without leaving a clue.
Judge G. C. Mullins held a Court of Inquiry Thursday night, and again Friday, Saturday and Monday. Probably half a hundred people were summoned, but no clues were found." ("As far as the compiler can find, this case was never solved.")
Submitted by Jo Thiessen
Source: Lexington Newspaper:
"Town marshal of Corinth Held in Death of Judge" Joseph Gregg died in Lexington Hospital as Result of Blow With Cane:
Corinth, KY, Aug. 14 [1933]
Tom King, 55 town marshal of Corinth, was at liberty under $5,000 appearance bond today awaiting grand jury action on a charge of murder placed against [him] following the death of Joseph Gregg, 74, plice judge of Corinth, which occurred late Saturday night at St. Joseph's hospital in Lexington.
A warrant for King's arrest was obtained Sunday at Williamstown by Judge Gregg's son, Tom Gregg, who charged that the marshal struck his father on the head with a cane during an argument here June 13. Judge Gregg's death resulted from a skull fracture and an infection of the brain. He was taken to the Lexington hospital after he collapsed on the street here two weeks ago. he was partly blind and had only one leg.
Grant county officers were told that after the aged man had been struck during the argument with King, a son, Henry Gregg, took the cane away from the marshal but the latter produced a pistol and forced him to return it. Following the altercation King was arrested on a charge of assault and battery, later being released on $300 bond to await action of the Grant county grand jury in October.
After King was rearrested Sunday he was arraigned at Williamstown before County Judge G. C. Millins, but waived examining trial and was ordered held under bond to await grand jury action in the case.
Judge Gregg, a son of the late Henry and Martha Mulberry Gregg, was born and reared in Scott county. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mary Henry Gregg; two daughters Mrs. Erma J. Hayden, Corinth and Mrs. P. H. Goble, Anderson, Indiana; seven sons, Irwin B. Gregg, Williamston, Mich., William J. Gregg, Erlanger; Thomas Gregg, Stamping Ground; Zack Gregg, Lexington; Joseph Gregg, Jr., Henry Gregg and Robert E. Gregg, Corinth; three sisters, Mrs. W. D. Williamson, Muddy Ford, Scott county; Mrs. Josephine Fightmaster and Mrs. Charles Giles, Sadieville, and a brother, J.W. Gregg, Maysville.
Source: Georgetown Times, September 28, 1933
"Corinth Man Wounded by Officer Saturday"
Tom King, 49 years old, town marshall of Corinth, Grant County town, just across the Scott county line, who is at present out on bond on a murder charge, may face a similar charge as the result of a shooting scrape Saturday night, in which the marshall was wounded and Bob Lawrence, 33, also of Corinth was seriously injured.
Marshal King is now free under a $5,000 bond, charged with the murder in connection with the fatal beating he is alleged to have administered to Tom [sic] Greggs, Corinth Police Judge. The Judge passed away two weeks after thebeating.
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