Barren County KyArchives Obituaries.....Beckner, Christine Monroe January 23, 1990
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Sandi Gorin http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00002.html#0000404 December 31, 2018, 8:15 pm

Unknown Glasgow paper.
Exertion and Excitement Claimed Contributed to Officer's Death. 

Grappling with Jodie Whitlow who was under arrest charged with being drunk, Mr. 
B. S. Sweeze, a constable, 67 years old, died here Monday evening at 6:45 
o'clock in front of the First National Bank on Main Street. It seems that Mr. 
Sweeza arrested Whitlow for being drunk on a complaint of residents near the 
tobacco market and started to jail with his prisoner. When in front of the 
First National Bank Whitlow became unruly and a scuffle ensued, both men 
falling to the pavement. For several minutes the men struggled on the sidewalk 
and bystanders noticed Mr. Sweeza crumble down on his prisoner. Investigation 
revealed that Mr. Sweeza was dead.

Witnesses to the fatal scuffle state that the two men were struggling on the 
pavement from ten to fifteen minutes and several times while Mr. Sweeza was 
holding Whitlow down the prisoner kicked the officer in the back, but evidently 
the kicks did not affect the officer as he seemed to pay no attention to them. 
It is also stated that while the men were down Mr. Sweeza struck Whitlow with 
his stick, but the officer was evidently too weak to have much effect on the 
prisoner.

After being liberated by the death of the officer, Whitlow secured a large rock 
and staggered around in a threatening manner, it is claimed, until a bystander 
in wrenching the rock away from him threw him down on his head striking the 
curb with considerable force. Mr. Bryant Atkinson took charge of Whitlow until 
officers arrived.

The body of the dead officer was carried to Dr. Clifton Richard's office where 
an autopsy revealed the fact that he probably died of heart failure induced by 
excitement and the struggle. Whitlow was arraigned before Judge V H Jones, 
Tuesday morning, at 10 o'clock and was held to await the actions of the grand 
jury, under a bond of $2,500 on a charge of manslaughter, when he executed, Mr. 
Ed Farris becoming the bondsman.

Mr. Sweeza was a Tennessean by birth but came to Freedom country many years 
ago, where he married to Miss Hulda Smith, who survives him. He is supposed to 
have one brother whose whereabout(s) are unknown. For many years Mr and Mrs 
Sweeza, who had no children, lived in the Freedom country, farming, but engaged 
in the mercantile business at Freedom, Beaumont and finally in Glasgow, where 
they were very successful, and became quite well off financially, owning 
considerable property.

He was a member of the Methodist Church, and always bore the name of an 
honorable gentleman. Funeral services were held at the residence on West Main 
Street, yesterday, afternoon, by Rev. J. L. Piercy, and burial was in the 
Glasgow Cemetery.

B S Sweeza 1860-1929; Hulda C 1868-1948.

Additional Comments:
NOTE: I have no connection, no further information and am not seeking additional 
information.


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