OLD MAN HOWARD
Old Man Howard out near Evant, was Ves Howard’s
father. He put on a show as a religious man, shouted and prayed. But the
old man was charged with stealing a thresher and Constable Cooper was
going out to arrest him. Sam Terry, the sheriff, told Mr. Williams, who
usually carried a deputy’s commission, that he had better go along. [S.
D. Terry was sheriff from 1884-1886. -E. Weathers]
When they got to the crossing on the Cow
House on the old Evant road, they met three or four men who were
strangers. They said they believed they would just go on toward Evant
with them. Mr. Williams said if they were going, he might just as well go
back. They hung old man Howard, he found out later. When he got back to
Hamilton he told Terry. Rather, Terry told him that he had made a quick
trip, and he told Terry that was probably the last of Howard.
The supposition was that the men had made it up with Cooper to meet him
as he brought Howard in and that they would hang him. They were strangers.
It was customary when a job was to be done, to get men from another county
as they wouldn’t be recognized.
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CHESLEY'S HAMILTON COUNTY INTERVIEWS
BY
HERVEY EDGAR CHESLEY, JR.
Born: 21 November, 1894
Died: 17 July, 1979