The Gadsden Times, 19 Nov 1875 Henderson Ketchum was seriously cut in the back with a knife by Frank Gable, in Blountsville, on the 6th. The Gadsden Times, 3 Dec 1875 Henderson Ketchum, an old citizen of Blount Co., died on the 23 ult. from wounds inflicted by Frank Gable, with a knife, some time previously in Blountsville. [The above from "The Gadsden Times, 1872 - 1875" abstracted by William Thomas Martin III and Patricia Thomas Martin, 1996] Note: Henderson Ketchum was born 10 Nov 1809 and died 23 Nov 1875; buried in the Blountsville First UMC Cemetery. >Yes, I enjoy the in depth, informational posts. If I don't find an >interest in a post, I can skip it or delete it.....whether it's long or >short. > >Here's another Bount County mysterious murder case concerning my gggrand >uncle. Newspaper item in LIVINGSTON JOURNAL, SUMTER CO., ALABAMA, DEC. >3, 1875 - "Henderson Ketchum of Blountsville died on the 23rd of wounds >inflicted by Frank Gables." > >Frank Gables first appears in official records on March 10, 1876 on a >charge of Manslaughter (pg. 94). The case was continued several times (pg. >110, 123, 139) until it was nolle prosequi (charges dropped) in January, 1878. > >Unable to find any specifics at all about the circumstances surrounding the >crime. > > >At 07:33 AM 9/30/2006 -0600, bobwonda@hiwaay.net wrote: >>Some months ago, Terry Jackson posted information where Etta Alldredge, >>daughter of Sheriff E.C. Alldredge, was involved in assisting prisoners >>escape from the Oneonta jail. Terry's fascinating contribution, which was >>reported in the Atlanta Constitution, concentrated on the alledged love >>affair between Etta and one of the prisoners. However, the incidents >>leading up to the jail break, and its subsequent resolution beg to be >>related. The event which landed one of the participants in jail was the >>murder of Nancy Vaughn... >> >>The Southern Democrat, 1 May 1902 >> >>Brutal Murder Committed. Mrs. Nancy Vaughn Killed Almost Within the Shadow >>of the Court House. Mrs. Nancy Vaughn, an aged woman was brutally murdered >>in a little cabin just outside the city limits of Oneonta last Thursday or >>the night before. Her dead body was found late Thursday afternoon by her >>daughter who reported the matter to neighbors. A.J. Ketchum, acting as >>Coroner, organized a jury at once and began an investigation. Many >>witnesses have been before the jury but up to the time of going to press no >>verdict has been rendered. >> >>The old woman lived alone and there was no one left to tell the story of >>the horrible deed. There are many theories as to the cause of the murder >>and as many reports as to the evidence that is being given in, but this >>much seems to be undisputed: She was murdered between 6 o'clock Wednesday >>evening and 6 o'clock Thursday evening. That she came to her death from a >>blow on the head with an ax or hatchet which was found in the cabin. >> >>The coroner's jury began its investigation, it seemed without any clue to >>the murder but matters slowly developed, until a strong chain of evidence >>is being established. Louis Gurley, a white boy about 21 years of age, has >>been arrested on suspicion. It is stated that Gurley was seen to go to the >>cabin Thursday afternoon and that blood stains have been found upon the >>clothing that he wore on that day. He denies having any knowledge of the >>matter. It is believed by some that a number of others are implicated and >>that other arrests will follow. >> >>This is the first murder ever committed in or near Oneonta and the people >>are greatly aroused over it and it is to be hoped the perpetrator of the >>horrible deed will be brought to justice. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 8 May 1902 >> >>The Coroners Jury investigating the murder of Mrs. Nancy Vaughn arrived at >>a verdict last Thursday morning fixing the crime upon Louis Gurley and his >>has been indicted by the grand jury, and a special jury has been drawn to >>try the case today (Thursday). >> >>The Southern Democrat, 15 May 1902 >> >>The trial of Louis Gurley for the murder of Mrs. Nancy Vaughn, which was >>set for last Thursday, was continued until next court, the purpose of the >>postponement being to allow the State chemist to analyze the blood stains >>found on Gurley's clothing. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 6 Nov 1902 >> >>The case of Louis Gurley, charged with the murder of Mrs. Vaughn has been >>set for Thursday of this week in the Circuit Court. A special jury has >>been summoned. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 20 Nov 1902 >> >>Three prisoners escaped from jail Sunday afternoon. When ordered to go >>into their cells they refused and when Deputy Sheriff Bryson attempted to >>force them to obey they overpowered him and escaped. The deputy fired >>three shots at them but none took effect. One of the prisoners, Mayburn >>Murphree was re-captured by Ex-Sheriff Sanders as he was making his way to >>the mountain. The two who escaped are negroes and are charged with >>stealing cotton. They had been in jail only about one week. Louis Gurley, >>the other prisoner, made no attempt to escape. >> >>The Blount County News-Dispatch, 8 Jan 1903 >> >>[Front Page] Her Lover's Jailer. Some time during Monday night, Miss >>Etta Alldredge, daughter of the sheriff at Oneonta, unlocked the jail and >>liberated two prisoners, Louis Gurley, charged with murder, and Mayburn >>Murphree, held on sentence for adultery. >> >>Miss Etta accompanied the prisoners in their flight, or at least one of >>them. The cause of her act is supposed to be love of Mayburn Murphree, who >>is an exceedingly handsome young man of good address. For some months he >>has been an inmate of the jail, and it has been noticed that the daughter >>of the sheriff often lingered at the bars to talk to him. >> >>Sheriff's Daughter Liberates Two Prisoners. Sometime during Sunday night, >>Miss Etta Alldredge, daughter of the sheriff of this county, unlocked the >>jail and liberated two prisoners, Louis Gurley, charged with murder, and >>Mayburn Murphree, held on sentence for adultery. >> >>Miss Etta, accompanied the prisoners in their flight, or at least one of >>them. The cause of her act is supposed to be the love of Mayburn Murphree. >>For some months he had been an inmate of the jail and it has been noticed >>that the comely daughter of the sheriff often lingered at the bars to talk >>to him. >> >>Notice to apprehend the fugitives has been telegraphed to the various towns >>and cities of Alabama, Deputy sheriffs are scouring the county. >> >>Louis Gurley, charged with murder, who was the beneficiary of the sheriff's >>daughter's love for Murphree, is accused of one of the most brutal crimes >>in the history of Oneonta. About a year ago the dead body of an aged lady, >>Mrs. Vaughn, was found at her residence one morning weltering in its own >>blood. The head had been scalped and the body bore evidence of brutal >>mutilation, charged with her murder, Gurley was arrested and his case is >>pending trial. >> >>Mayburn Murphree, the attractive prisoner, who seems to have bewitched the >>fair keeper of the jail, had already been convicted and fined $750. His >>case was appealed to the Supreme Court where it is now pending. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 8 Jan 1903 >> >>Prisoner's Escape. Sheriff's Daughter Goes With Them. Sometime Sunday >>night, two of the prisoners, Louis Gurley and Mayburn Murphree, escaped >>from the County Jail, the Sheriff's daughter, Miss Etta Alldredge, >>disappearing at the same time. >> >>Sheriff Alldredge was not at home at the time and it is supposed that the >>girl secured the keys, released the prisoners and then eloped with them. >>Although the search commenced before day Monday morning but little has been >>heard from them. All the information obtained about the plan of escape is >>from a negro prisoner who says they left in the early part of the night and >>that the girl and Murphree had a conversation a short time before they >>left, that Murphree, hearing a buggy drive up, told him that his friends >>had come, and that is all the negro will tell. >> >>Miss Alldredge is about 22 years of age and has been in the habit of >>carrying the prisoners' meals to them. On the night of the escape she >>retired as usual, and the family never suspecting what was soon to take >>place, were soon asleep. Then it was that the plans previously arranged >>were quietly executed. >> >>There were four prisoners in the jail but Gurley and Murphree were the only >>ones allowed their liberty. Murphree was tried at the last term of the >>Circuit Court on a charge of seduction and was given a heavy sentence. His >>attorney gave notice of an appeal to the Supreme Court but no bill of >>exceptions had been filed. Gurley is under indictment of the murder of >>Mrs. Nancy Vaughn which occurred about eight months ago. >> >>The Sheriff has offered a reward of $50 for the arrest and detention of >>Murphree and has sent circulars and telegrams all over the country. A >>thorough search of the country is being made. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 15 Jan 1903 >> >>Caleb Murphree has been placed in jail here charged with aiding Lewis >>Gurley and Mayburn Murphree in escaping from the jail on Jan. 4th. His >>preliminary trial is set for next Monday. >> >>Escaped Prisoners Still At Large. There are still few new developments in >>the jail tragedy. No trace of Gurley has been found. Murphree and Miss >>Alldredge were traced through Cullman County and were last seen in Franklin >>County, Alabama, driving a road horse to open buggy, going West. Horse had >>about given out. This was Jan. 8th. >>It is believed that they will either stop and rest in North East >>Mississippi or will take train there for Dallas, Texas, where Murphree's >>father lives. >> >>The following is a description of the missing parties: >> >>Mayburn Murphree-Medium dark complexion, small black eyes, black curly >>hair-usually wore it long and parted in middle-has small black mustache and >>was continually twisting it while talking, round face and is a little round >>shouldered. Height 5 ft. 7 in., weight 145 pounds, wears No. 7 shoe. He is >>a gambler, drinks whiskey freely, does not use tobacco and will not work. >>Education poor. Writes poor hand but puts on better appearance that >>education would indicate. >> >>Miss Etta Alldredge-Height about 5 ft. 5 in., weight 140 pounds, dark hair, >>large blue eyes, large face, shoulders a little round and stooped. She >>wears No. 6 shoe, age 22 years and has several small gold fillings in upper >>front teeth. >>Lewis Gurley-complexion fair, eyes light blue, hair very light, eyebrows >>and eyelashes, white, had a short chin, white mustache. Height 6 ft. 2 in. >>Has a peculiar expression about the mouth. Scowling downcast look and when >>talking to him, he looks at you sidewise, as if looking downwards and out >>of the corner of his eyes at the same time. Age about 21 years, weighing >>about 160 or 170 pounds. Stands erect, has no education and his language is >>rustic. Has been in jail 9 or 10 months and is somewhat bleached. >> >>The Sheriff will consider it a favor if other papers will copy this >>description. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 22 Jan 1903 >> >>Sheriff's Daughter Found. Miss Etta Alldredge, who is alleged to have >>released Mayburn Murphree and Lewis Gurley from the county jail the night >>of Jan. 4th, and eloped with them, was found near Attalla last Friday by >>one of the searching parties. The two escapees were not with her and it is >>reported that they left her on Jan. 12th, and were going to Morgan Valley. >>The Sheriff and a number of his men are searching that country, but the >>only news from them up to time of going to press is a telegram from >>Ex-Sheriff Bledsoe from Hartselle, dated Jan. 20th stating that he had >>struck trace of Murphree at that place. >> >>The Blount County News-Dispatch, 22 Jan 1903 >> >>Miss Etta Alldredge Found in Etowah County. Miss Etta Alldredge, who >>liberated Louis Gurley, charged with murder, and Mayburn Murphree, an >>adulterer, was found last Friday near Avery, in Etowah county. She was >>found at the home of Mrs. Sarah Kelley, grandmother of Murphree, by a >>deputy Sheriff and her cousin, but Murphree and Gurley, who it is believed >>have been laying out in the woods near Kelley's was not found. Murphree >>has lived in the neighborhood and is well acquainted there. The girl was >>taken to the home of her brother near Liberty and is still there. >> >>The Blount County News-Dispatch, 29 Jan 1903 >> >>Joe Wagner has been arrested and placed in the Oneonta jail on a charge of >>assisting Louis Gurley and Mayburn Murphree to escape jail January 4th. >> >>The continued trial of Caleb Murphree, charged with assisting Mayburn >>Murphree and Louis Gurley to escape from the Oneonta jail on January 4th >>was concluded Wednesday, and he was bound over by Judge Davidson to the >>next session of the Grand Jury. His bond was fixed at $800. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 5 Mar 1903 >> >>The Sheriff has received information from the Sheriff of Jackson County >>that he has a man filling the description of Lewis Gurley who escaped jail >>Jan. 4th. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 12 Mar 1903 >> >>The man captured in Jackson county last week proved to be Lewis Gurley who >>escaped from jail January 4th. He was identified Tuesday by Sheriff >>Alldredge who is expected to return with him tonight (Wednesday). Gurley >>is charged with the murder of old lady Vaughn near Oneonta about a year >>ago. Murphree, who escaped with Gurley, has not been recaptured. >> >>The Blount County News-Dispatch, 12 Mar 1903 >> >>Gurley In Oneonta Jail Again. Sheriff Alldredge arrived last night from >>Scottsboro with Louis Gurley. He was arrested by the authorities of >>Jackson county upon a charge of robbery, with little evidence against him. >>Gurley's name is familiar to our readers; he and Mayburn Murphree having >>escaped jail (assisted) January 4th. Gurley says he and Mayburn Murphree >>and Miss Etta Alldredge first went to Attalla and remained that >>neighborhood for several days. Leaving Miss Etta there with Murphree's >>grandmother they went to Jackson county. He says Murphree left Jackson >>county about a month ago. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 7 May 1903 >> >>The case of Lewis Gurley charged with the murder of Mrs. Nancy Vaughn, near >>Oneonta, about a year ago, was nol prossed. The case was set for Wednesday >>and a special jury had been summoned to try the case. The solicitor stated >>when the case was called for trial that he didn't believe he had sufficient >>evidence to convict and that he doubted the guilt of the defendant and >>would therefore nol prossed the case. >> >>The Blount County News-Dispatch, 7 May 1903 >> >>Louis Gurley is free. The Solicitor, in nol prossing the case, stated that >>he did not believe he had sufficient evidence to convict him and that he >>doubted the guilt of the defendant. Gurley was charged with the murder of >>Mrs. Nancy Vaughn, near Oneonta, a little over a year ago. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 14 May 1903 >> >>The case which attracted most attention in the court last week was that of >>the State vs. Caleb Murphree charged with releasing Lewis Gurley and >>Mayburn Murphree from the county jail on Jan. 4th. The trial consumed >>about three days and was of unusual interest because of the fact that a >>large number of reputable witnesses testified to seeing the defendant on >>his way to Oneonta on the afternoon preceding the escape. In fact >>according to the testimony he was seen all along the road from Liberty to >>Oneonta where it appears he arrived just before night. While according to >>the testimony of a large number of witnesses, who, so far as was shown to >>the court, area as reputable as the other witnesses, the defendant was with >>a sick man near Summit on the evening of the escape. The jury, after being >>out about eighteen hours returned a verdict of not guilty. >> >>The Gurley Case. In nol-prossing the Lewis Gurley case Solicitor Hunt has >>made himself the object of much unfavorable criticism. As to whether >>Gurley is guilty or innocent of the charge is not the point. If it was >>wise to nol-pros the case at the present term of the court why was it not >>wise to nol-pros it a year ago? The facts before the solicitor were the >>same then as now. If the defendant was not guilty he should not have been >>forced to remain in jail all this while. The case has cost the county more >>than a thousand dollars. This could have been saved if the solicitor had >>acted upon the case a year ago. He alone is responsible for all this >>expense. He claims that he did not have evidence sufficient to convict, >>but he certainly ought to have known that when the indictment was found. >>His only excuse for the delay is that he was waiting for developments. >> >>The holding of Gurley only served to stop further investigation. The >>people felt that the man who had committed the most heinous crime in the >>history of the county was in the hands of the law and that no further >>detective work was necessary. If Gurley had been released at the last >>Spring term of court the investigation might have continued and the guilty >>party brought to justice. His release would not have prevented a new >>indictment being found against him if developments pointed to him as the >>guilty party. >> >>The history of the crime with which Gurley was charged is well known to >>most of our readers. In the latter part of April, 1902, Mrs. Nancy Vaughn >>was found dead in her home near Oneonta with a great gash in her head >>inflicted with a hatchet. After many days of investigation the Coronor's >>Jury rendered a verdict charging Lewis Gurley with the crime. An >>indictment was immediately returned by the Grand Jury and the defendant >>remained in jail from that time until last week when he was discharged >>except about two months after his escape last January. >> >>Who committed the crime? Will it ever by known? If the money spent by the >>county had been placed in the hands of some good detective the guilty party >>would doubtless have been brought to justice. >> >>The Southern Democrat, 8 Oct 1903 >> >>Mayburn Murphree Recaptured. Mayburn Murphree, the convict who escaped >>from the county jail last January, is again behind the bars. He was >>arrested at Iron city, Calhoun County one day last week by Sheriff >>Alldredge who has been making every effort possible to locate him since his >>escape. >> >>Murphree was at Iron City trying to marry again and a letter was written to >>the Postmaster at Summit inquiring about his character. The letter was >>sent to the Sheriff and he went immediately after him. Will F. Hendricks >>of Birmingham, formerly of Blountsville, accompanied the Sheriff and helped >>to make the arrest. >> >>Our readers are familiar with the history of the case. The escape of this >>prisoner caused the greatest sensation of anything that has ever occurred >>in Blount County. Besides all the money the Sheriff has paid out to >>re-captured his prisoner, the cases growing out of the escape have already >>cost the county several hundred dollars and they are not yet all settled. >> >>The Sheriff has spent $400 or $500 in trying to re-capture this noted >>prisoner. >> >>The Sheriff wishes us to state that he is very thankful to the people for >>their assistance in the matter. >> >>Follow up: The case of Nancy Vaughn, like that of Frank Hanna, remains one >>of Blount County's unsolved mysteries. Did Gurley actually kill Vaughn, or >>was he unjustly accused? We'll probably never know. No monuments were >>located in Blount County for Nancy Vaughn, Lewis Gurley, or Mayburn >>Murphree. Gurley and Murphree probably moved out of the county to escape >>any lingering ill will. Etta Alldredge's infatuation with Mayburn Murphree >>was short lived. Perhaps Terry Jackson can be persuaded to make a follow >>up post on who Etta eventually settled down with. >> >>Now a question: Do the subscribers to this board read and enjoy these >>rather long informational posts or had you prefer only have in your email >>boxes shorter exchanges related to Q&A on family lineages? >> >>------------------------------- >>To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>ALBLOUNT-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >>quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >ALBLOUNT-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >quotes in the subject and the body of the message