Brothers Kill Man on Way Home From Church, Pulaski, 1906

Previously:

Click here for a list of my other Pulaski/Rockcastle/Laurel County KY articles

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[May 29, 1906] - 

REFUSED TO PRAY FOR LIFE AND WAS KILLED 

Ray Whitaker Murdered By Two Brothers on way Home From Church.

(Special to The Herald)  SOMERSET. Ky., May 28.—Last night near Line Creek, in Pulaski county, Ray Whitaker was killed by James and Robert Barnes.  The Barnes brothers were going home and met Ray Whitaker on his way from church and tried to make him pray for his life, saying that if he did not they would kill him, and upon his refusing to pray one of the boys shot him through the chest and the brother, thinking that the first ball had not taken effect, fired another bullet into his bowels.  The murderers are still at large, but officers are on their trail. [1]

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[May 29, 1906] -

MYSTERIOUSLY MURDERED.

Roy Whittaker Killed While Returning From Church.

Somerset, Ky., May 28. -- (Special.) -- Roy Whittaker, of the Line Creek section, a few miles west of here, while returning for church Sunday night was attacked by two young men said to have been James and Robert Barnes and instantly killed. There had been no previous trouble between the parties. Neither of the alleged slayers of Whittaker has been captured. [2]

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[June 1, 1906] -

Roy Whittaker, living near Somerset, was killed by unknown parties as he was returning from church Sunday night. Two young men of the neighborhood are suspected but no arrests have been made. [3]

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[June 23, 1908] -

James Barnes was acquitted by the Pulaski circuit court of the killing of Ray Whittaker. [4]

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[1] “Refused to Pray for Life and was Killed.” Lexington Herald, Lexington, KY. May 29, 1906. Page 2. Genealogybank.com.

[2] "Mysteriously Murdered." The Courier Journal, Louisville, KY. May 29, 1906. Page 6. Newspapers.com.

[3] “In Neighboring Counties.” The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. June 1, 1906. Page 2. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052021/1906-06-01/ed-1/seq-2/

[4] “In Neighboring Counties.” The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. June 23, 1908. Page 2. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052021/1908-06-23/ed-1/seq-2/

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