Fran, I'm glad to have found you over here at Old Newspapers. I always knew that my family name would some day appear in one of your clippings, sure enough, it did, on this article. One could wish it would have been under better circumstances, but history can't be changed. Keep up the good work of presenting us with glimpses of the past. I enjoy them and always have. Frank Blankenship Van Buren Press Van Buren, Arkansas- Crawford County September 21, 1889 THE DEATH SENTENCE Judge R. H. Powell has passed the sentence of death on J. G. Blankenship and fixed the date of execution on October 17th at Yellville, Ark. Blakenship was convicted at the recent term of the Marion County Circuit Court of rape. The crime is alleged to have been committed on the person of Mary J. Fisher, near Lead Hill, June 30, 1888. Blankenship having been arrested afterward and has been in jail ever since. At the October term, 1888, of the Marion Circuit Court, he was tried, but the result was a hung jury, eleven being for rendering a verdict of guilty and one for acquittal. Immediately after his conviction he wrote a lengthy letter to the Judge protesting his innocence. Judge Powell, after considering the matter, modified the death sentence a little by ordering the doomed man be kept in the Boone County Jail until the 16th of October, and that he be brought back to Marion County on the 16th and executed on the 17th. He was taken to Harrison Saturday. There will be no appeal taken, and the doomed man's life depends now entirely on the clemency of the Governor. Fran Alverson Warren

Frank, You're very welcome. I hate to admit it but there have been occasions when I've traveled quite a distance to do research and after looking at all the "usual indexes" at the courthouse and finding nothing, I find my ancestors in the "criminal records" :o)! Be they, Saint, Sinner, or something in between, we still love, honor and admire our ancestors for the most part! ----- Original Message ----- From: <Lonewolf1498A@aol.com> To: <AR-OLD-NEWSPAPERS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2001 2:31 PM Subject: Re: [AR-OLD-NEWS] September 21, 1889 Van Buren Press > Fran, I'm glad to have found you over here at Old Newspapers. I always knew > that my family name would some day appear in one of your clippings, sure > enough, it did, on this article. One could wish it would have been under > better circumstances, but history can't be changed. Keep up the good work of > presenting us with glimpses of the past. I enjoy them and always have. Frank > Blankenship > > Van Buren Press > Van Buren, Arkansas- Crawford County > > September 21, 1889 > THE DEATH SENTENCE > Judge R. H. Powell has passed the sentence of death on J. G. Blankenship and > fixed the date of execution on October 17th at Yellville, Ark. Blakenship > was convicted at the recent term of the Marion County Circuit Court of rape. > The crime is alleged to have been committed on the person of Mary J. Fisher, > near Lead Hill, June 30, 1888. Blankenship having been arrested afterward > and has been in jail ever since. > > At the October term, 1888, of the Marion Circuit Court, he was tried, but > the result was a hung jury, eleven being for rendering a verdict of guilty > and one for acquittal. Immediately after his conviction he wrote a lengthy > letter to the Judge protesting his innocence. Judge Powell, after > considering the matter, modified the death sentence a little by ordering the > doomed man be kept in the Boone County Jail until the 16th of October, and > that he be brought back to Marion County on the 16th and executed on the > 17th. He was taken to Harrison Saturday. There will be no appeal taken, and > the doomed man's life depends now entirely on the clemency of the Governor. > > Fran Alverson Warren > > > > ==== AR-OLD-NEWSPAPERS Mailing List ==== > List Moms, for the AR-OLD-NEWSPAPERS-Diana Boothe and Fran Warren. > AR-OLD-NEWSPAPERS-admin@lists2.rootsweb.com Thanks, Fran!! > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=702&sourceid=1237 >