NEWS: Ernest Smiddy Arrested, 1940, Whitley Co. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Submitted by Mary Lou Hudson, Email Registry ID# Date: 12 Dec 2003 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** The Whitley Republican, Williamsburg, KY - Thursday, November 7, 1940 Ernest Smiddy Held In Jail For Shooting Ernest Smiddy, 20-year-old Packard youth, was arrested Tuesday night by Deputy Sheriff LEWIS DOPLE, and is in the Whitley County jail on a charge of shooting with intent to kill. Smiddy's arrest took place after Sam Petrey, about 65 years old, was shot once in the arm at his residence at Packard. The bullet entered the fleshy part of the arm and ranged into the shoulder. When the shooting was reported to the county officers, Commonwealth's Attorney J.B. Johnson, Magistrate Sid Peavley and Jailer John Faulkner rushed to Packard where they joined Magistrate G.M. Castle and Constable E.L. Walker in an investigation of the case. Officials of the Mahan Jellico Coal Company telephoned to LaFollette for Herbert Williams and his bloodhounds, and the dogs took up the trail and proceeded straight to Smiddy, who denied any knowledge of the shooting. Officers reported that the shooting took place when Petrey stepped out of his back porch and lifted up a dipper to take a drink of water. The bullet, fired from ambush, barely missed the dipper and struck the Packard man. Petrey was rushed to a Knoxville hospital by Maurice Howard, where his condition is not regarded as serious. Smiddy, according to the arresting officer, is a stepson of the injured man. The shooting, it is believed, was the outgrowth of a family quarrel.