PART TWO OF THE OWEN FAMILY SAGA by Carl Owen

I left off in the middle of the Brevard News report of the death of Wisdom E. Patterson... Brevard News Article.....Witnesses testified at the trial (arraignment) that Robert Owen shot Patterson twice, first in the back and then in the breast. He did his shooting with a pistol. Sherman Owen, it is stated fired a shotgun twice, and Leonard Owen fired twice at the dead man. One witness stated that Mrs. Owen took a pistol from her dress, but that she did not shoot. A butcher knife was found near Patterson's body soon after he died. Witnesses said the knife belonged to Mrs. Owen and that she brought it along to cut the rope with which Patterson had the hog tied. She did not, however, seem very anxious to establish her ownership of the piece of kitchen cutlery. Many damaging declarations were brought out by witnesses in the trial Tuesday morning. The feeling is rather high, it is stated, in the section where the murder took place, and for this reason it was thought advisable to have the prisoners transferred to the Buncombe jail. The following obituary was published in the Brevard News: PINE GROVE CHURCH-Wisdom E. Patterson was born in Clayton, Georgia, September 26, 1880, He professed faith in Christ and joined a Holiness Church at the age of 15 years not being satisfied, he joined Scott's Creek Baptist Church in Jackson County in 1898 and was transferred to Pine Grove in 1915, near where he lived. He became a clerk of the church and superintendent of the Sunday School. He was a close student of the Bible and conformed his life to its teachings. He took a deep interest in building his church. He was benevolent and missionary in spirit and practice and was a good progressive citizen, especially in good roads and schools. He was shot and killed by a mob August 1st, 1919 without blame. J.M. Hamlin, Historian Note: I would like to see Mr. Hamlin's bible reference where stealing a hog conforms to the Bible teachings. Without blame normally means that he did nothing to provoke, but in this case the theft of the hog by Patterson initiated the chain of events leading to his death. I think it could have been handled without bloodshed, but emotions and pride were running high and Patterson was as determined to keep the hog as the Owen group was to take the hog home. Wisdom Patterson was the child of John Bird Patterson Jr. And Cordelia Sanders. He had four children: Betha Patterson, Living Patterson, Ruth Burdell Patterson, and Maude Lee Patterson. One account states that he was married initially to America Josephine Williams Patterson who died in 1909. He then married Clemmie B. Patterson. (some conflicting information on his wives). He is buried at the Mount Moriah Cemetery in Calvert. Brevard News Article 12 December 1919 CONVICTED OF MURDER OF WISDOM PATTERSON ______________ SHERMAN, ROBERT AND LEONARD OWEN CONVICTED-QUARREL OVER A HOG STARTED TROUBLE-ROBERT OWEN GETS TWENTY YEARS, OTHER TWO FIFTEEN-BESSIE OWEN FOUND NOT GUILTY _____________ Following a trial that lasted seven or eight days and one that consumed most of the time of the two weeks fall term of Superior Court, Sherman Owen and his two sons, Robert and Leonard Owen were found guilty of murder in the second degree for the fatal shooting last August of Wisdom Patterson. The jury, which was empaneled (sic) from special venires of 250 men and women and part of the regular panel (sic) of 24 men reached its verdict in about two and one-half hours after Solicitor J.E. Shipman closed the arguments. The men were sentenced by Judge J.L. Webb, the next morning after the verdict was rendered. Robert Owen was sentenced to twenty years in the state prison and Sherman and Leonard Owen each were sentenced to fifteen years. The verdict was given following one of the most bitterly contested trials ever held in Transylvania County. It was learned that the jury took seven ballots. On the first ballot five jurymen held out for first degree murder and favored electrocution for the three defendants. When Judge Webb received the verdict, he intimated that the prisoners had gotten off with very light sentences, considering the cold-blooded plot by which Patterson was murdered. W.D. Patton was foreman of the jury. Both the defendants and the state were represented by able and competent lawyers. The defendants having for their attorneys Mr. Walter Moore of Sylva, W.E. Breese and Coleman Galloway of Brevard. Solicitor J.E. Shipman was assisted by Felix Alley of Waynesville and D.L. English and L.C. Hamlin of Brevard. The evidence showed that the killing had taken place at the Daimond (sic) school house, about six miles above Rosman. Patterson had taken up a hog belonging to the Owen family, and advertised that he would sell the animal to pay for damages the hog had done on his premises. The sale took place at the school house. Sherman Owen and his two sons and Dassie (sic) Owen were present. The hog was attached to a rope held by Patterson's son-in-law. The trouble started when Sherman Owen asked Patterson: "Whose hog have you got thar?" At this point Dassie Owen (sic) cut the rope liberating the hog. Patterson then seized the rope, whereupon the shooting started. Robert Owen fired the first shot striking Patterson under the left shoulder. As he fell Robert fired again, this time into Patterson's chest. Meanwhile, Sherman produced a gun and he and Leonard opened fire upon the prostrate body. The shooting took place in front of a crowd that had gathered for the sale. The jail was guarded night and day during the trial. The trial attracted large crowds from every corner of the county and an aggregate total of a thousand or fifteen hundred people were in attendance during the trial. The court room was crowded during the entire trial. PART THREE WILL BE A STORY THAT I WROTE ABOUT THE HOG, THE VICTIMS AND THE KILLERS WHICH WERE MY GRANDFATHER AND MY TWO UNCLES ROBERT AND LEONARD. STANDING IN THE BACKGROUND AT THE CORNER OF THE SCHOOL AND OBSERVING WAS MY FATHER FRED OWEN WHO WAS 16 AT THE TIME. HE WAS FORBIDDEN BY HIS FATHER FROM BRINGING A GUN OR PARTICIPATING IN THE RETRIEVAL OF THE HOG. HE WAS READY TO WADE INTO THE PATTERSON CROWD AND PHYSICALLY REPOSSESS THE HOG. IRONILY, THE HOG WAS SLAUGTERED A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE TRIAL FOR WINTER MEAT.THE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE ON 1 AUGUST WHICH IS MY WIFE'S BIRTHDAY. SHE WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE TIME. MY MOTHER WAS TWO YEARS OLD WHEN THE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE. STAY TUNED FOR PART THREE