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Note: HI21799
Note: (Research):City marshall, Tarpon Springs, was killed while attempting to arrest Alfred Stevenson, 4 July 1893, buried at Curlew Cemetery, Tampa Weekly Tribune, 6 July 1893, 1:5.
William became the first Hillsborough County Deputy to be killed in the line of duty.
Never married.
World War I Civilian Draft Registration: has a William Erastus Whitehurst listed, b. 25 April 1898 and states that "dad lives in Clearwater, FL".
#24 William Erastus Whitehurst Town Marshal of Tarpon Springs Shot & killed in arrest attempt on July 4, 1893.
THE EVENT Tarpon Springs Town Marshal (and Hillsborough County deputy sheriff) William E. "Rat" Whitehurst, 23, was shot and killed in Tarpon Springs on July 4, 1893, when he tried to arrest a drunk during the 4th of July festivities. Two men were convicted for the killing but both verdicts were overturned.
Unfortunately, Whitehurst became a "forgotten hero" in that his line of duty death was not recognized by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office until 1995 when the death was "discovered" by a historian researching a book on the history of the sheriff's office.
Marshal Whitehurst was hired and paid by the City of Tarpon Springs but was deputized by Hillsborough County for legal reasons. Hillsborough County Sheriff J.P. Martin (1885-1893) had refused the city's request for the permanent assignment of one of his deputies to serve Tarpon Springs. In 1893 Tarpon Springs was part of Hillsborough County but became part of Pinellas County at its creation in 1911.
Marshal Whitehurst was about to participate in the 4th of July "riding tournament" (a competition similar to medieval jousting that involved a horseman attempting to thread a suspended ring with the tip of his lance while charging on horseback) when he was called upon to arrest a drunken "sponger" (fisherman) named Bob Atwell who was "creating a disturbance" that "marred the pleasure of the day."
Atwell resisted the arrest and a second man, Constantine "Bud" Stevenson, 36, intervened in his behalf. Stevenson had earlier promised Atwell that he would protect him from any arrest by the marshal. There was "bad blood" between Stevenson and the marshal as Stevenson had (allegedly) beaten up the marshal's 85-year old great uncle who had accused him of stealing his cattle leading to a public "buggy whipping" of Stevenson by the marshal in Tarpon Springs as retribution.
The marshal tried to arrest Stevenson as well as Atwell saying to Stevenson, "I will arrest you too." The local newspaper, calling Marshal Whitehurst by his nickname, "Rat," then described what happened from eyewitnesses at the scene.
Bud Stephenson....hit Rat, who immediately drew his revolver and shot at the ground twice. Stephenson, at nearly the same instant, pulled out his weapon and shot Rat in the lungs. They clinched and Rat shot Stephenson in the head, but he did not give up. Johnnie McNeal then fired and shot Rat in the head and back, causing him to throw up his hands and fall to the ground, never to rise again. But not satisfied, Stephenson fired another shot into him and beat his head with the butt of his revolver. He then shot his last ball at Tillet Whidden and gave out. These are the facts as given to us by a member of the jury at the inquest, being the testimony of eye-witnesses. �i�(Tarpon Springs Truth�/i�, 7/8/1893).
The �i�FL Times-Union�/i� would later report that when the marshal called for aid from the crowd in arresting Atwell, Stevenson 'interfered." Stevenson "was a very muscular fellow, and knowing it, the marshal at once drew his revolver," but Stevenson "had his out as quickly and the shooting was soon going on briskly." Another account in the�i� Times-Union�/i� suggested that during the struggle between Whitehurst and Stevenson, "Whitehurst was getting the better of him when Stevenson pulled out his gun and let go at the marshal."
Dr. J.H. Guthrie would later testify that Whitehurst had "two scalp wounds, one in the breast, one in back entering the right side and coming out at the left, and a wound in the right leg. The wound in the breast was the only fatal one."
John S. McNeill, 29, and Robert Atwell "took to the woods" but Stevenson, severely wounded, passed out at the scene. McNeill surrendered to the Pasco County sheriff in Dade city after a couple of days. The�i� FL Times-Union�/i� reported that "he knew that a posse was in pursuit of him and he feared the vengeance of the mob if he should be taken back to Tarpon Springs alive." Eventually Robert Atwell was located and jailed.
THE PERPETRATOR Constantine "Bud" Stevenson, 36, was charged with murder and McNeill as an accessory after an inquest was "held over the remains of the dead marshal." Atwell was also charged with murder. Stevenson was seriously wounded in the incident that killed Marshal Whitehurst. He remained in a house in Tarpon Springs for two weeks recuperating. He was attended by a local physician and "members and friends of his family." Technically, he was in custody and was guarded by a sheriff's deputy. The deputy may have been assigned to guard duty to protect Stevenson from those seeking retribution as well as to keep him from escaping.
Around 2:00 AM on July 26, a masked mob of fifteen men, perhaps intent on seeking retribution on Stevenson for the killing of Marshall Whitehurst, made a "raid" on the house in an attempt to kill Stevenson. The mob first seized Deputy Sheriff John Mobly, who was guarding the Stevenson house, and one man "covered him" with a rifle while the others tried to storm the house. However, in order to get in the mob had to "go over" the Stevenson women who were sleeping on the veranda. The women were wakened and "a struggle ensued." They succeeded in keeping two of the men out of the house but two other men "went around the house" and fired a shotgun through a window.
The two masked men's gunfire into the house unintentionally hit and killed Henry Taylor Osteen, a 19-year-old cousin of Stevenson, who was sleeping by the window. Stevenson was also wounded in the jaw by gunfire from the raiders.
Eventually Stevenson recovered from the wounds he received on July 4 and July 26 and was placed in jail (joining McNeill and Atwell) to await trial. The (first) trial of Stevenson and McNeill (Atwell's case was severed) lasted seven days, from May 22-May 28, 1894. The jury, after deliberating only 15 minutes, found Stevenson guilty of murder in the first degree (but with a recommendation for mercy) and McNeill guilty of manslaughter.
The�i� Tampa Morning Tribune�/i� reported that "both defendants trembled in their boots." their fate might have been worse if they had been acquitted as the �i�Times-Union�/i� reported that, had there been an acquittal, friends of Whitehurst "would have participated in a hanging bee, and the prisoners would have been the principal victims."
However, on June 8, 1894, Judge Barron Philips declared a mistrial and thus voided Stevenson's conviction for first degree murder and McNeill's conviction for manslaughter. At a second trial on Dec. 20-22, 1894, Stevenson was acquitted by the jury of the murder charges against him. Before the case reached the jury, Judge Philips granted a defense motion for a verdict of acquittal for Robert Atwell. The case against John McNeill (severed from the second trial) was nol prossed in the spring of 1895.
The �i�Tampa Tribune �/i�reported that the acquittal at the retrial was due to "new evidence introduced" but did not specify the nature of the evidence. Robert Atwell, after his directed verdict of acquittal, did testify for the defense. The newspaper also reported that the public expected the verdict to be less severe than the first trial (perhaps manslaughter) but "was hardly prepared for a verdict of acquittal." Evidently many friends of Whitehurst were not prepared to "let the matter rest" with the acquittal.
Stevenson returned to his farm in Hudson but was assassinated a little more than two years later (on Feb. 3, 1897) by two men who shot him with high powered rifles while he was plowing in his field. Many suspected that the killers were from the "Whitehurst camp" and that the killing was in revenge for the death of the marshal. The murder was witnessed by Stevenson's two daughters who were in the field with him and by his wife who was bringing him his gun when he was shot down. Ever since his acquittal for the killing of Whitehurst, Stevenson had "carried his gun regularly" and it is said that the day of his murder was his first day to be without a weapon at his side.
After Stevenson's death, "a large number of people known to be involved in the feud" made "heavy purchases of arms and ammunition" fearing that the "other side" would attack.
Historian R.F. Bent claimed that the 1893 shootout that took the life of Marshal Whitehurst and wounded Bud Stevenson developed into a feud which continued for several years and 12 or 13 men were killed, including Stephenson. This vendetta was similar to the Hatfield-McCoy affair in Kentucky many year ago. (�i�History of Tarpon Springs�/i�, by R.F. Bent)
However, John Fuller, a descendant of Bud Stevenson and the Director of Research at the national headquarters of the Public Broadcasting System (P.B.S.) in Washington, D.C., has spent years researching the Stevenson/Whitehurst "feud" and labels Bent's description of the feud as "romanticized and certainly exaggerated." He maintains that only William Whitehurst, Bud Stevenson and Henry Osteen were killed in the "so-called feud" which ended with Bud's death.
THE OFFICER William Erastus Whitehurst, 23, was born on July 23, 1869, in FL to Walton Whitehurst (1826-1906) and Louisa Jane Whitehurst (1834-1931). He was the 6th of 9 children (John Sherrod, Mary Josephine, Willard, Robert Edwards, Marvel Melvin, Wm. Erastus, Annie Lou, Elbert Lovett, and James Warren). His paternal grandparents were John Sheridan Whitehurst (1783-1878) and Mary Griffin Whitehurst (1795-1865).
The Whitehurst family had deep roots in FL. Walton Whitehurst (father of Wm. Erastus) was one of the first residents of Hillsborough County and was a member of the FL House of Representatives for Hillsborough County in 1891. His mother's father, Sherrod Edwards of Madison, served in the FL Legislative Council in 1842 and his mother's brother. Marvel M. Edwards, served in the FL House of Representatives in 1869.
Another forefather, John A. Whitehurst, fought in the Second and Third Seminole Wars in the FL Mounted Militia. He served enlistments in 1836, 1840, and 1856. John Sheridan Whitehurst, the grandfather of the slain marshal, was appointed town marshal of Jasper, FL, in 1840 by the Legislative Council of the Territory of FL. Another forefather, Simon Whitehurst, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, is buried in Jasper, FL.
Historian Bent noted that Marshal Whitehurst, 23, "had led somewhat of a cowboy life" before he became town marshal. He was "quite expert in horseback riding" and, on that July 4th, had just taken part in what was then called "a tournament" (i.e., riding a horse at full speed while "catching rings off of suspended cords with a pointed rod").
The �i�Tarpon Springs Truth �/i�reported that Whitehurst was "the bravest officer the town ever had-too brave, perhaps, for his own good." He was not "the obnoxious kind that delighted in showing his authority to others, but he believed in doing his duty." Marshal Whitehurst was extremely popular in Tarpon Springs and his death led to great mourning in the city. The young marshal was engaged to be married at the time of his death.
William Whitehurst, 23 was survived by his parents Walton Whitehurst, 67, and Louisa Jane Whitehurst, 59; by his brother, John Sherrod, 37, Willard Walton, 22, Marvel Melvin, 26, Elbert Lovett, 18, James Warren, 16; and by two sisters, Mary Josephine Sutton, 34, and Annie Lou Smith, 21.
"The entire town turned out for his funeral" which was held "from his home near Sutherland" (Now Palm Harbor) on Wednesday, July 5. In 1997 the grave of Marshal Whitehurst can be easily found at the Curlew Cemetery, two blocks west of the corner of Cathedral Dr. and Fisher Road and 1/2 mile east of the intersection of Curlew and U.S. 19. The cemetery is located adjacent to the Curlew United Methodist Church. The slain marshal's grave marker reads:
William E. Whitehurst Born July 23, 1869 Died July 4, 1893
Several other family members are buried in this cemetery including the slain marshal's father, Walton W. Whitehurst (1826-1906); mother, Louisa Jane Whitehurst (1834-1931); and two of his brothers, Eubert Lowette Whitehurst (1875-1906) and Ervin F. Whitehurst (1867-1953).
Marshal Whitehurst's brother Marvel M. Whitehurst, became the first Sheriff of the newly created Pinellas County in 1912 and served until 1920. He died in 1930 at the age of 63. Another brother, John Sherrod Whitehurst, was city marshal (and deputy sheriff) in Plant City from 1904-1910 and mayor of that city from 1914-1915. He died in 1944 at the age of 88. Another brother, Cab Whitehurst, served as a deputy to Marvel.
John Alexander Whitehurst served on the Tarpon Springs police force from 1911-1917 under the legendary Chief Rube Jones. It should be noted that the name of Tarpon Springs Chief Reuben T. Jones is inscribed on the National Law enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C., as he was allegedly killed in the line of duty on Aug. 27, 1921. However, research by this author confirmed that Jones had retired from office by 1921 when he was murdered and thus his murder was not in the line of duty. Chief Jones was the only early FL officer listed on the national memorial who was not included in this volume.
In 1997 there were no direct descendants of Wm. Whitehurst since he had no children. However, there were numerous descendants of his siblings including Gil Whitehurst, of Riverview, FL., who has researched the Whitehurst family tree and has kept alive the memory of the slain marshal by his contacts with the Tarpon Springs Historical Society. Other (indirect) descendants in 1997 were John Willard Whitehurst of Plant City; Jim Whitehurst of Tampa; J. Dave and Virginia Worsham of Palm Harbor; Larry Jenkins of Dunedin; and Mary Lee Barnes Harrell of Plant City (who provided information on the Whitehurst family tree).
Historian Rosalyn M. Kroll "discovered" the "lost" line of duty death of Deputy Whitehurst (it was never lost to family members and local historians) while researching a book on the history of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. On May 19, 1995 (102 years after the marshal's death), Hillsborough County Sheriff Cal Henderson presented a medal of honor to Gil Whitehurst in honor of Deputy William Erastus Whitehurst. More than 600 persons attended the ceremony including several former sheriffs of Hillsborough County. Gil Whitehurst gave the medal to the historical museum in Tarpon Springs.
In 1997 the name of William E. Whitehurst was added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. A monument in front of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Ybor City honoring its deputies killed in the line of duty added the "lost" name of William Erastus Whitehurst in 1996.
On Sunday, Jan. 21, the �i�St. Petersburg Times�/i� published an article about the 1893 death of Tarpon Spring Marshal Wm. Whitehurst. The story, by reported Christina Headrick, included a photo of Dr. Wilbanks in the Curlew Cemetery near the grave of the slain marshal. The forgotten hero thus became the remembered hero as thousands of readers became aware of the killing 104 years earlier.
SOURCES: �i�Tarpon Springs Truth�/i�, July 8, 1893; �i�Tampa Tribune �/i�May 5, 7, 1991, July 5, 6, 7, 27, Dec. 19, 1893, May 17, 25, June 1, Dec. 14, 21, 28, 1894, Feb 6, 10, 1897; History of Tarpon Springs by R.F. Bent; �i�St. Petersburg Times�/i�, Jan. 21, 1997; �i�FL Times-Union�/i�, July 5, 8, 27, 1893, May 27, 28, 29, Dec. 23, 24, 1894, Feb. 5, 7, 8, 11, 1897; Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, 1845-1995 by Rosalyn M. Kroll; �i�Tampa Weekly Tribune,�/i� Feb. 25, 1897; History of Tarpon Springs by R.F. Pent, 1964; grave markers at Curlew Cemetery in Palm Harbor; Taped interview by Dorothy Pappas (8/22/1995) with Gil Whitehurst; and interview with Gil Whitehurst.
John fuller of Alexandria VA, did extensive research on his forefather, Bud Stevenson, and this narrative relies on that research. Fuller plans to write a chapter on the "so-called feud" between the Stevenson-McNeill and the Whitehurst-Whidden families.
Source: pp. 40-42, Forgotten Heroes: Police Officers Killed in Early Florida, 1840 - 1925, by William Wilbanks, Turner Pub Co., 1998.
Hard to understand the trial decision without being there, but the first thing I thought of was whether the trial judge was competent. I Googled his name and quickly found that 4 cases he resided over in 1898 as the Circuit Court judge for Hillsborough County went to the Florida Supreme Court and were overturned. Pretty poor track record of good decision making.
More about "the feud",
�b�JAMES WHIDDEN�/b� (1824-1882) and his wife Mary Thomas (1828-1882) were early settlers. According to an Internet page, "the James Whidden family settled in the Hidden Lakes area in the 1860's." They died in Tarpon Springs. James Whidden is shown in Hernando County in the 1880 census but apparently does not appear here in the 1870 census. Their children were: �tab�Daniel James (1851-1895), killed by Sam and Bud Stevenson in Tarpon Springs on July 23, 1895 �tab�William Eli (1852- ) �tab�Tillet Thomas (1857-1914) �tab�Nancy Beulah (1866-1943) �tab�Crockett Alex (1869-1895), killed by Sam and Bud Stevenson in Tarpon Springs on July 23, 1895
On Aug. 1, 1895, the �i�Tampa Tribune�/i� reported that Dan Whidden was murdered near the Cootie River in Pasco County. It reported that Dan Whidden was indicted four years ago for stealing cedar. On May 14, 1896, the �i�Tampa Weekly Tribune�/i� reported Tillis Whidden killed Tom Swayne. On May 21, 1896, the �i�Tampa Weekly Tribune�/i� reported that Tillet Whidden was found not guilty of murder. On May 21, 1896, the �i�Tampa Weekly Tribune�/i� reported on the Tillet Whidden and Lewis E. Mobley murder trial. On May 28, 1896, the �i�Tampa Weekly Tribune�/i� reported on a trial in Hillsborough County, Tillett Whidden charged with murdering John Ashley. On June 10, 1896, the �i�Tampa Weekly Tribune�/i� reported that Tillet Whidden was believed to be the assassin of J. W. Crum of Brooksville. On Feb. 25, 1897, the �i�Tampa Weekly Tribune�/i� reported that Tillet Whidden surrendered to the sheriff in the killing of Bud Stevenson.
Lawman 1st to die in feud - Genealogy research by two men reveals bloody history Tampa Tribune, The (FL) - Friday, July 4, 2014 Author: BY PAUL GUZZO ; Tribune staff ; BY PAUL GUZZO ; Tribune staff
TAMPA '97 As a boy, Trent Megill knew the story of the Hatfields and McCoys, and the feud along the West Virginia-Kentucky line that claimed at least a dozen lives in the late 1800s.
"I always found it to be a sad story," Megill said. "All those people died, and for what? Revenge?"
Then, five months ago, while doing genealogical research, the 37-year-old Tampa man learned that about the same period, his ancestors were involved in their own local blood feud.
Megill is related to the Whitehurst family. Their battle with the Stevensons may have taken 14 lives.
"It was shocking," Megill said. "I have an uncle who told me so much about my family but he never mentioned that story."
One of the victims was Constantine "Bud" Stevenson, gunned down while plowing his field near Hudson.
Like Megill, a Stevenson relative '97 72-year-old John Fuller of Alexandria, Virginia '97 was kept in the dark about the feud and only learned about it while doing genealogical research of his own.
Fuller knew his great-grandfather had died at the handle of a plow.
"That was how that sentence ended," Fuller said. "I guess the truth was a source of embarrassment to my family."
The feud traces its early days to Tarpon Springs and this day, July 4, in 1893.
Tarpon Springs was alive with activity, according to newspaper clippings, celebrating the nation's birthday with a number of events including a jousting tournament featuring the town's marshal, William Whitehurst .
The horseback riders had to snatch suspended rings with their lances, and Whitehurst was the favorite to win. But before he could take his turn, he was called to duty.
A drunk sponge fisherman was causing a disturbance at the Tarpon Springs docks.
When Whitehurst arrived, however, he was met by an enemy seeking revenge: Bud Stevenson.
"There was apparently bad vibes between the two families before it turned deadly," said Phyllis Koliano, president of the Tarpon Springs Area Historical Society.
Stevenson had a reputation as a cattle thief and had been accused of stealing cattle from Whitehurst 's uncle. The punishment was said to be a public whipping, though no records back that claim.
When Whitehurst tried to arrest the fisherman, Stevenson intervened, protecting his friend.
A fight ensued. Newspaper accounts described Stevenson as a muscular man whom Whitehurst could never best on his own. So he drew his revolver and fired two shots into the ground.
Stevenson responded by shooting Whitehurst in the chest. Whitehurst fired back and hit Stevenson in the head. The battle ended when Stevenson's friend Johnny McNeill shot Whitehurst in the back of the head, killing him.
Tarpon Springs was part of Hillsborough County at the time, so Whitehurst is among the 15 fallen officers honored by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on a new memorial wall at the Fallen Heroes Remembrance Park in Ybor City.
His grave is in Curlew Pioneer Cemetery in Palm Harbor.
Trent Megill's ancestors also include decorated Civil War veterans, Egmont Key's first lighthouse keeper and Pinellas County's first sheriff.
But whenever he visits the cemetery where eight generations of his family are buried, he stops first to pay respects at the simple foot-high obelisk headstone with faded lettering and crumbling walls that marks the burial place of his great-great-great-granduncle William Whitehurst .
"He was so young when he died," Megill said. "He was only 23."
Fuller, the Stevenson relative, also laments the manner of Whitehurst 's death.
"I can't imagine he had much training for handling a delicate situation involving armed drunks," Fuller said. "I believe he bit off more than he could chew. Shame on his superiors for putting such a young man in that office."
Bud Stevenson survived and was acquitted in the slaying in June 1894.
"It's too bad Bud didn't serve some time because he deserved it," Fuller said.
Whitehurst 's relatives then sought their own brand of justice.
In July 1894, a masked mob of 15 men raided a home where Stevenson was staying. He was shot in the jaw and again survived. But his 19-year-old cousin Henry Taylor Osteen was killed.
"They chose not to end it peacefully," Megill said. "So it continued to get worse."
Whitehurst cousins Dan and Crocket Whidden, rumored to be among that mob, were killed in July 1895 at their cedar camp in Pasco County by a mob of 12. They were sleeping in their hammocks when, according to newspaper accounts, they were "mangled" and "shot to pieces."
Stevenson was rumored to be among the assassins.
On Feb. 5, 1897, the Whitehurst family got Stevenson.
He was ambushed by two men while plowing the field at his home near Hudson. Five bullets penetrated his back, newspaper reports said, and he died at his wife's feet.
The two original combatants, Whitehurst and Stevenson, were dead, but the feud continued.
Another eight deaths were attributed to the feud over the next three years.
Historians point to an article published Sept. 5, 1900, in the Tampa Morning Tribune, saying Whitehurst cousin Tillet Whidden had been shot. He survived the assassination attempt and would have been the 15th victim, according to the report.
Fuller said he thinks the count is too high, though. He believes the true number is six and that the feud died when Stevenson was shot.
"There was a lot of violent activity going on in that area," Fuller said. "And reporters were attributing deaths to the feud by speculation. The story was getting to be sensationalized."
For instance, Whitehurst cousin William Edwards was killed in May 1897, but he was not involved in the feud and a suspect was never named. It was the Whitehurst family who speculated that the Stevensons were the culprits.
Fuller also has issues with the term "family feud." He believes the fight was between only a few of Whitehurst 's cousins and his great-grandfather, hardly enough to implicate entire clans.
Fuller has reached out to members of the Whitehurst family, including a Whidden cousin for whom the subject is still a touchy one.
The relationship never moved beyond "simple correspondence," Fuller said.
Neither Megill nor Fuller are proud of this chapter in their family histories, but they don't hide from it, either.
Fuller hopes to publish a book that will include the tale of the family feud.
Megill wants to spread the story in any way he can.
"I think everyone should learn from it," he said. "Don't let revenge consume you. It only makes everything worse."
pguzzo@tampatrib.com
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