The Patesville, Kentucky Incident

By Becky Jolly Vaught

About 1890, Vince Turpin visited his sister Nancy Turpin Newman, in Patesville, KY. Nancy lived across the street from the general store.

Vince was in the store when some one came in to tell him that a man was looking for him. He and this man had had trouble earlier. When Vince went out to the street, he was attacked by the other man who was drunk and waving a knife. Vince managed to pull his own knife and administer one blow. That blow was enough as it effectively gutted his opponent; a fatal blow.

The county sheriff was duly sent for and he took Vince back to the county seat to stand trial. After a short trial where Vince's young nephew, Will Newman, was called as a witness and even shorter deliberation by the jury, a verdict was reached. Not guilty by reason of self defense and besides that the man needed killing anyway!

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