Former Rockcastle County Jailer Charged With Killing Neighbor, 1921

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[October 26, 1920] -

Court of Appeals opinion Rockcastle Co., et al. v. Norton, Rockcastle, 1920.

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[August 26, 1921] -

A Murder in Rockcastle

(By Associated Press)

Mt. Vernon, Ky., Aug. 26--Watt Norton died late last night, shot by James Winstead at the Norton home 10 miles from here.  Winstead is a bondsman for John Bailey on trial for slaying Beverly White.  Winstead surrendered and is in the county jail on a charge of murder.  This renewed an old quarrel growing out of a suit for a roadway across the Norton farm. [1]

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[August 26, 1921] -

Baily Bondsman Shoots Neighbor

Watt Norton, living ten miles from here in the southwestern part of the county today was shot and possibly fatally wounded by James Winstead, a neighbor, as the result of a renewal of an old quarrel over a road across the Norton farm to Winstead's farm. Norton was shot twice in the abdomen and is not expected to live it was stated.

Winstead several years ago sued Joe Norton, father of the wounded man, for right-of-way across his farm. Bad blood is said to have existed ever since. No details of today's trouble have been received here. [2]

Man Commits Suicide Over Sour Real Estate Deal, 1910

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[March 11, 1910] -

SUICIDE RESULT FROM A REAL ESTATE DEAL

Pulaski Farmer Shoots Self After Trading Off His Home

SOMERSET, Ky., March 10.-- O. C. Bilderbeck, about 55 years old, and a prominent citizen of Somerset, committed suicide yesterday morning by shooting himself through the head with a revolver.  Two weeks ago he traded his home on Maple street for a house and small farm on the Stanford road, just outside the city limits, and is thought to have been dissatisfied with his trade.

Yesterday morning he left his plow in the furrow, went to the house with tear stains on his cheeks, kissed his wife and walked away toward the barn.  A few minutes later a pistol shot was heard and he was found resting against the rear of the barn with a bullet hole in each side of his skull.  He lived but a few minutes.  He left no statement of any kind explaining his action.

Bilderbeck married a Miss Elliott of Somerset, some seven years ago.  Until two years ago they resided in Missouri, where he was employed in the machine shops.  Bilderbeck is a brother-in-law of Messrs. George L. and Robert Elliott and W. A. Pettus.  His friends claim that brooding over the land transaction was the cause of his act. [1]

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[1] "Suicide Results from a Real Estate Deal." Lexington Herald, Lexington, KY. March 11, 1910. Page 3. Genealogybank.com.

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Three Men at Lumber Camp Murdered in Their Sleep, Pulaski, 1883

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[August 15, 1883] -

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.

Three Men Killed and Robbed by a Comrade. 

Special to the Commercial Gazette.

Ludlow, Ky., August 14--Authentic information has just reached here from Cumberland Falls, Ky., of three most atrocious murders, which were perpetrated near there on last Sunday night.  Mr. James Nixon, of Ludlow, has a gang of seventy men at work in a camp, near the Falls, getting out ties for the Cincinnati Southern Railroad.  Four of these men, named James O'Dare, John O'Dare, John Slagel and Claiborne, were bunking together Sunday night.  Slagel arose, after his companions were all asleep, took an axe and deliberately crushed in all three of his comrades' skulls, and then rifled their pockets of about $60, all the money he could find, taking also a hat and a pair of boots belonging to one of the murdered men, and escaped to the woods.  Mr. Nixon discovered what had been done Monday morning, and at once offered a reward of $100 for the capture of the fugitive, and also set his entire force at work scouring the country in search of Slagel, who was finally captured Tuesday, not far from the Falls, and is now in the hands of his captors, who may make short work of him before this reaches the eyes of the public.  [1]