Thursday, Dec. 25, 1919
Veteran Editor Shot to Death
Wesley L. Robertson, senior editor of the Gallatin Democrat, and widely known and esteemed Northwest Missouri newspaper publisher, was shot down and fatally wounded in the Democrat office about 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon by Hugh Y. Tarwater, city clerk. A 32 caliber gun was used, and three bullets struck Mr. Robertson, one going through the right lung, ranging downward, and coming out in the small of the back, another just below the right shoulder blade, and the third through the third finger of the left hand. Mr. Robertson died at 7:15 p.m. No tragedy in years has shocked and stirred the community more than this sad affair and is deeply deplored.
The shooting is a result of differences of extended standing. The Democrat is defendant in a libel suit, the result of publishing an article in the paper last spring, charging Mr. Tarwater with drunkenness. Following publication of the article, Mr. Tarwater sued the Democrat publishers for $20,000, alleging his character and good name had been damaged to that extent. The case was called at the October term of the Daviess County Circuit Court, but was continued by agreement to the February term. Tuesday night some important depositions were to have been taken in the case and it is said Tarwater was giving much thought to the final results of the trial.
The facts, as we are able to ascertain, are as follows:
Mr. Robertson was at his desk in the Democrat office attending to his usual routine of work. Henry Beck of near Jameson, had just finished making a subscription payment to him and was leaving the office as Tarwater entered. In just a few brief minutes the fatal shots were fired.
Mr. Beck had just time enough to go up the street, and had reached the Knauer store when attracted by crowds going to the Democrat office.
R.J. Ball, postmaster and partner of Mr. Robertson in the Democrat, entered the office just as the shots were fired. He was coming to the office from the post office, and had passed Mr. Beck in front of the Hope Undertaking Store, two doors south of the Democrat office.
As Mr. Ball passed the south window of the Democrat office, he saw Mr. Tarwater standing in front of the middle door which leads back to the press room. Just as Mr. Ball entered the front door of the office, we understand, the first two shots were fired. Mr. Ball made a rush for Tarwater, but the bullet from the weapon had struck Mr. Robertson. He fell just in front of the door, with his head toward the desk north side of the office.
Mr. Ball engaged in a scuffle with Tarwater in an effort to get the gun, and it is said, the gun exploded while they were wrestling, the shot grazing Mr. Ball’s coat. Mr. Ball got hold of Tarwater’s hand which held the gun, and called for help to Arthur Daugherty, who works in the mechanical department of the Democrat, and who was in the back room. Daugherty rushed to his assistance and was followed by Fred Harrison, who was correcting some proofs on the Democrat’s linotype machine.
Efforts were made by the three to get the gun from Tarwater. He held to it until the arrival of Constable Ben Houghton, who took the gun from him, and placed him under arrest.
Mr. Ball refuses to make any other statement than that the killing of Mr. Robertson was just plain, cold blooded murder. Mr. Ball suffered greatly from the shock, had several bruises about the face and eyes, and was under the care of physicians Tuesday night.
Physicians were called as soon as possible, and Mr. Robertson was removed to his home. Shortly after arriving at home, he became rational, and made a dying and signed statement to L.B. Gillihan, prosecuting attorney. He was able to recite the facts which Mr. Gillihan put in writing, read to him and he signed same.
Tarwater was taken in charge by Constable Houghton and turned over to Sheriff J. Atch Blair, who took Tarwater to St. Joseph, where he was placed in jail. We are told that here was some little talk of violence on the part of the street crowds, and the sheriff took precaution by taking Tarwater out of town.
Tarwater made the following statement Tuesday night in St. Joseph:
“Let the people decide from the condition of Uncle Wes’ body, whether or not the shooting was in self-defense. I did not intend to shoot anyone. I could have shot Ball as he came in from the back room, but I did not intend to shoot anyone.”
The Democrat was very active in waging a war to clean up the town of bootleggers. It was during this crusade that the article appeared which referred to Mr. Tarwater, and charged him with drunkenness.
Coroner’s Inquest and Dying Statement
Thursday, Jan. 1, 1920
The preliminary hearing of Hugh Y Tarwater, charged with the killing of Wesley L. Robertson, late editor of the Gallatin Democrat, will be held in Gallatin Tuesday, Jan. 13, 1920, before Squire J.T. Cope.
The state’s attorneys are, Nat G. Cruzan, special prosecutor, assisted by Scott J. Miller and T.H. Hicklin of Chillicothe, and Omar Robinson of Kansas City.
Tarwater has retained Attys. Boyd Dudley and J. C. Leopard to defend him.
The coroner’s inquest into the death of Editor Wesley L.. Robertson was held last Friday. The inquest was conducted by Dr. J.D. Dunham of Pattonsburg, coroner. The hearing was started about 10 a.m. and the first work of the jurors was to view the body. The jury listened to five witnesses, Drs. M. A. Smith, P. L. Garner, Sheriff J. Atch Blair, Constable Houghton and R. J. Ball.
The jury was composed of Don R. King, John Musselman, Lewis Smith, A.T. Ray and F.A. Fi(sic)erer and W. Glen Smith, foreman.
At the inquest, Mr. Robertson’s dying statement was read. It follows:
“I, Wes L. Robertson, believing that I am mortally wounded and that I cannot live, I make the following statement as a dying declaration:
“Hugh Y. Tarwater came into my office on the afternoon of the 23rd day of December and said to me, I want it understood that I do not want anything published in this paper (meaning the Gallatin Democrat), in which my name appears, and I said, we are running this paper and will print what we want to. He repeated the request again, and I do not remember what I said to him. We were both standing and he again said, you understand that I do not want anything printed about me in your paper and I do not remember what I said, but he commenced shooting at me.” Signed, Wes Robertson
The jury finished the examination of witnesses at 3 p.m. and returned the following verdict about one hour later:
“We, the jury find that the deceased came to his death form wounds produced by shots fired from a revolving pistol, a deadly weapon, against the body of the said Wesley L. Robertson by Hugh Y. Tarwater at Gallatin, Daviess County, Missouri, on Dec. 23, 1919, and we further find that the deceased was unarmed at the time he was so shot and killed, and that the shooting and killing of the deceased by the said Hugh Y. Tarwater was premeditated, deliberate and malicious.”
Tarwater Gets 35 Years
Oct. 14, 1920
The jury returned a verdict at 9:30 a.m. finding Hugh Y. Tarwater guilt of murder in the second degree and fixing his punishment at 35 years in the state penitentiary. Mr. Tarwater was not moved by the verdict, and seemingly evinced no interest in the court decree as read. The verdict was singed by Louis Dowell as foreman.
When the case of the State of Missouri against Hugh Y. Tarwater, charged with the murder of Editor Wesley L. Robertson Dec. 23, 1919, was given to the jury last night at 6:45 p.m., it was the end of one of the longest and most hotly contested trials in the history of Daviess County. The trail was commenced Oct. 11, making nearly 11 days of continuous hearing. After listening to more than six hours of closing argument on the part of the attorneys, the jury only remained out about an hour and a half last night, retiring at 10:30 p.m. It took them only a little more than one hour to reach a verdict this morning. There were not many present in the courtroom when the verdict was read. Throughout the trial, the courtroom had been jammed to hear the evidence.
Mrs. Tarwater, who had been with her husband every day in court, was unable to be present this morning on account of sickness, due to a nervous breakdown.
Tarwater was called to the stand and told how he decided to go to the office of the Democrat and ask “Uncle Wes” not to mention their difficulties in the Christmas issue of the paper. His boy was to be home for Christmas, and he wanted the day unspoiled, he said.
Tarwater claimed the editor said ‘You are a scoundrel and should be published every day. You have been drunk and crazy for the last 20 years” and then struck him a vicious blow which knocked him into a desk. He said he began reaching for his revolver in his hip pocket and saw Robert Ball coming in the door.
“Ball dived and jumped on me. I knew two were on me. I knew I had to shoot. I wanted to shoot. I tried to shoot. The next thing I knew a man was in front of me demanding the revolver.”
Mrs. Tarwater was on the stand some time, and told of the years she had lived in fear for him. She stated ever since he had returned from the asylum she had lived in fear. Also how the husband had ‘shot up’ the house, under illusions that he was shooting at his enemies.
The defense had experts on the stand as to sanity tests.
The jury was instructed that they could find the defendant either guilty of murder in the first or second degrees or guilty of manslaughter, or acquit him upon the grounds of self defense or insanity.
