Murder at Bennetts Fairy : In my Ancestors time

I am not a Plumlee descendant, I am an Atkinson descendant , a family which whom hailed from Celina Tennessee in early 1900s. Ocia ( Otia)  Plumlee was a young woman murdered in Bennett's Ferry near my family's home-place in 1912. I like finding out the events that would of played out close to home. My ancestors moved away from Tennesee in 1919 and came to Texas. It looks as though Otia was 17 years old or so at death. She is listed as being buried in Moss cemetery near Celina. 

Nellie ( James in back) and Elisha in 1920 in texas

 

Elisha Atkinson and wife and 7 children

Sib (Sid) and Ollie Harp -1910 Census

 

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Sources

The Tennessean, 25 Jun 1912, Tue, Page 9

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Year: 1910; Census Place: Civil District 1, Clay, Tennessee; Roll: T624_1493; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 0001; FHL microfilm: 1375506

Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

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Sam and Sam  w. atkins census

Year: 1910; Census Place: Civil District 2, Clay, Tennessee; Roll: T624_1493; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0001; FHL microfilm: 1375506

Source Citation

Year: 1910; Census Place: Civil District 1, Clay, Tennessee; Roll: T624_1493; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0001; FHL microfilm: 1375506

The Forgotten Brother. : Sam atkins

                             Ode to Samuel Taylor Atkins

Its been a good long time since I,ve published a blog and I am real sorry about that. It got away from me. 2016 has been and interesting year. It got hard and weird at times but I worked on my research and here I am..      Praise the Lord. 
    So what was my research you ask. I opened a big giant can of Samuel Taylor Atkins. I,ve been down a long road this two years studying that boy.  His narrative of who, What ,when ,where and why have come a long way. He in not confined to a dusty paragraph about Bigfoot Smith any longer I am proud to say. Im not saying his brothers were wrong , as I suspect that was whom was interviewed when our family book was made in early 1980s. Below you will find a piece from our family book . Some of it is true on Sam. those true things are 
1. Sam did die in St. Vincent's Sanitarium . 
2. he was killed in a fight, but more of a brawl and not a gang fight 
3. He did die after a good while. He was struck May 14 shortly after 3:30 p.m and finally died May 19. 1927 at 10.p.m. 
4. He did die of a fractured skull from a 2x4. 

5. He did not whoever die by the hands of a man named Big foot smith, but Ollie Oneal. A young man whom was adjacent tenant on the farm Sam lived on. In 1925 Sam's brother G.E killed a man named Douglass  and their are men named smith listed as witnesses on the Appeal documents.

I have lots and lots of new research on Oneal and Sam as well! Below is what i Consider Sam's obituary. I have looked and this is all I have found for now. I note Atkins is often spelled wrong. 

I am also thrilled to say I finally found articles on Trial testimony . Officially I have only had time to type up just one from an article. Below I will put bits and pieces of testimony form his dad and Brother G.E ( George Ethel) . Trial testimony is in red and my thought's are in black. when I sat at the microfilm to read this I was taken aback .  Alot of Back and fourth hinged on whether Sam had a knife or not. One was indeed found I understand the day after Sam fell.  excerpts below from the Sherman democrat-1928. I will include the parts that struck me very deeply
" The wound he testified had been washed and examined and had seemed to have been made by a blunt instrument which mashed rather than cut the head. Atkins was Semi-conscious but was growing worse and this caused the suggestion he be brought to the sanitarium. In his opinion a fracture or serious conscious had been caused it was stated. " -Dr. Sadler , Howe Dr. 

I gather this was the last day that Sam was lucid in his life . I picture in my head it all went black from here after he was hit. 
"
"Replying to a question from Mr. Buster, Dr. Sadler Stated that Atkins had suffered a “Profound shock” and that his body was a little cold."
From what  I understand after the body goes cold after a great shock or blow.  The beginning fo the end unfortunately. In another article it was mentioned that sam would not come back , as anyone hardly ever does from an injury such as that.
"
The injured man did not rise after falling and was lifted by his father and brother and carried to Howe, the testimony further stated.  The concluding portions dealt with an examination made by Dr. Sadler at Howe, after which he was brought to a Sanitarium at Sherman. He did not regain consciousness as far as it could be ascertained, prior to his death on May 19.   I cannot say much for this at all , only that it makes me want to bawl every time I read it. Dammit. In this same article its mentioned the oneals drove away according to G.E . Hoot.

"When the deceased was about 18 to 20 from the wagon, it was stated Ollie O’Neal ran around the wagon and to within a few feet from behind with the timber, the blow landing on the left side of the back of the head. Atkins was knocked down by the blow and remained prostrate, his arms stretched above his head. Before he could strike another blow O’Neal was caught by the collar and jerked away by the witness, it was testified. There was nothing in Sam Taylor Atkins hands when he was struck it was stated and O’Neal struck from over his left should Atkins testified"  -G.E Atkins
This is the meat and Potatoes of everything. . This is what differs the truth from the family article. .  This explains where Sam was after he had gotten out of the wagon to go after Oneal and elder Oneal while they were fighting to my understanding.  There
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There is lots more that I could include, but for now I shall leave it at that because those are what stood out to my when i found this article on microfilm . I will include an article from May of 1927 Below. 

 
 

Sad Sam Gray of Van Alstyne Cemetery : Baseball Legend

I’m not much of a sports aficionado honestly. I was anxious to find the Grave of Mr. Samuel Gray purely from a genealogical standpoint. I am related to a few a few grays in Van Alstyne Cemetery. If I am related to Sam Gray I don’t know at this time. I,m still looking honestly.

Samuel David " Sad Sam" Gray was a Native of Van Alstyne Texas the son of James Alonzo and Eugenia Gray . He was a World War I veteran (TEXAS PVT 3 BN FRENCH ARTY. CAC WWI)   Sam was a pitcher in Major League Baseball playing for the Philadelphia Athletics (1924-1927) then for St. Louise Browns ( 1928-1934)  being a right handed fastballer. ( per his obit on find a grave )  His 1928 season was best year, as he pitched 21 complete games with a win loss of 20-12. ( Wikipedia)  He passed away in McKinney Texas in the Veterans Hospital of Carcinoma of the brain ( death certificate) I’ve been looking for the Grave of Sam Gray a while and a Friend pointed the way while at Van Alstyne Cemetery today. Sam's grave Is very nondescript for a person of his caliber of fame. He is buried towards to back Of the Moore Section by a few family members. The nearest stone near him is a Giant one that says Carter and Taylor.  I might also like to note there is a photograph or two of Sam Gray at the Van Alstyne museum, unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures!!!

  Information from Wikipedia and picture Sam from google images.sources and more information are listed below. _______________________________________________________

 Sources and other information on Sam. 

Sams Find a Grave ( Click Here)

For the Baseball Reference ( More information, outside Link ) Click Here

For Sam Grays wikipedia article Click here

Fore Baseball almanac Click here 

Grayson County Genweb for Sam Gray ( Click Here)  

Texas Gravestone Project listing for Sam Gray ( Click Here )  

 Source of sams Picture in article above ( Click here)