Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 268, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 November 1920 — "PRISONER” IS ELECTED [ARTICLE]

"PRISONER” IS ELECTED

Kentucky Man, Keeper and Inmate of Jail, Chosen Judge. Fess Whitaker of Whitesburg, Ky., Committed for Contempt, He Beautifies the Courthouse Square. , Whitesburg, Ky., Nov. 8. —According tc a widespread conviction there are holders of public office who ought to be In Jail, but aren't, but this town, boasts one who apparently oughtn’t to be, but js. Fess Whitaker, noted citizen, law’yer, author, jailer and newly elected judge, Is receiving congratulations in the county bastlle, where he has technically languished four months, and is extremely likely to languish tw'o more, since Gov. E. R. Morrow has repeatedly refused to pardon him. Whitaker is serving a sentence for contempt of court, following refusal on his nart to stay in his own jail, after his arrest on a charge of causing a disturbance at his home. When officers invaded his house, following reports of trouble there, "Whitaker promptly whipped the officers, and when finally locked up, used his own keys to get out of jail and enjoy the liberty of the town. The court before w hich his case was brought handed him a six months’ term for contempt, and the higher courts refused to reverse the decision. Whitaker made good use of his misfortune. The Whitesburg courthouse square is reputed t«j be the prettiest In Kentucky. The lawn is set in bluegrass and the whole thing resembles a golf Links. . Here and there are flower beds, with a great vine completely covering the steel tower upon which stands the reservoir for the courthouse. Whitaker is responsible for. the beauty of the spot. The grass, the flowers and the vine reflect his de votion to the beautiful. In one corner, done in little white stones, appears thei name “Fess” in letters two feet high, bordered by flowers. When Whitaker went to jail in earn est he began to capitalize his pre dicament. As a, “trusty” he was allowed to attend to his beloved flower beds. So, when he was not handling the lawn mower or the florist’s trowel he was buttonholing citizens to vote for him for county judge on the promise that if elected he would eventually have the roads looking as pretty as the courthouse law’n. He won. Friends circulated letters and literature for him ’and he himself was given plenty of leisure and liberty to pursue his plans. He was allowed to electioneer in town, but not outside, but that didn’t matter much, because every one in Letcher county knew him. A month before the election Whitaker, in his capacity as “trusty,” distinguished himself by pursuing six escaping prisoners 20 miles into the mountains and bringing them back to jail single-handed.