Article dated March 4, 1927, concerning the murder of William Binion, husband of Almeda (Thompson) Binion.

His Death Certificate is also on this site.



Boone Comes in for another Tragedy 

The Madison Reader, Friday, 4 March 1927 

      B.W. Holbrook of Ferndale near Whitesville on Upper Big Coal River was lodged in the county jail here last Saturday charged with the 
	murder of Will W. Binion and Homer Yates of the same place.

      The trouble is said to have occurred early Friday morning after an all night party at the home of Mrs. James Binion.

      Mrs. Charles Yates, a sister in law of Homer Yates, was accidentally shot during the row but will recover according to reports.

      Binion is alleged to have been shot 5 times and his head crushed with an iron poker. He was killed instantly. Yates, shot twice, 
	died several hours later in a Charleston hospital.

      An inquest was held Saturday under the direction of Squire S. M. Foster of Jerrold’s Valley. Acting principally on the evidence of 
	Mrs. Binion in whose home the tragedy occurred the coroner’s jury held Holbrook responsible for the two murders it is said. However 
	it is further stated that other arrest may be made in connection with the tragedy.

      Testimony of several of the witnesses before the coroner’s jury was that whiskey flowed freely during the night and early morning of the trouble.

      A motive for the shooting has not been clearly established but it is believed that a drunken argument led blows and blows led to murder. 
	An iron poker blood stained and two revolvers are held as evidence.

      The body of Yates was taken to Iron, Ohio for burial and that of Binion was return to Grahant, Kentucky from where moved to Ferndale.


"B.W. (Walter) Holbrook was supposed to be friends with and kin to William Binion. They were both from Carter Co.
I have not yet found any information on who exactly Walter Holbrook was though."


Boone County Jail, 1930 Index of Prisoners

The Boone Co. WV jail inmates includes the Holbrook who murdered William Binion, Homer Yates, and Mrs. Dora Yates.

NOTE: This set of records for Boone County Jail provides the prisoners
 name, date of birth and place of birth, more FREE information regarding
 these prisoners can be found in  census records  When searching for
 your West Virginia Blacksheep Ancestors, whether that be a prisoner,
 convict, inmate, felon, criminal, outlaw, gangster, bandit or scoundrel,
 make sure you have searched all prison records, court records and
 execution records that may contain information on your blacksheep ancestor 

Prisoners Name, Prisoners Date of Birth, Prisoners Place of Birth
John Dillon 1894 Kentucky 
Tom Dunegan 1908 Kentucky 
Quincy Kimber 1912 West Virginia 
Joe Poackard 1886 Ohio 
Luther Reynolds 1908 Oklahoma 
Bill Smith 1898 Kentucky 
Walter Pasley 1903 West Virginia 
Bill Radford 1868 Virginia 
William Smith 1900 West Virginia 
Williard Vanover 1912 West Virginia 
Leslie Lambert 1911 West Virginia 
Williard Lambert 1910 West Virginia 
Boyd Blankenship 1913 West Virginia 
Herman L Strickland 1910 West Virginia 
Lilburn Messer 1907 West Virginia 
Edd Grover 1904 Washington 
Walter Holbrook 1890 Kentucky 
Earnest Huston 1905 Tennessee 
Tom Taylor 1878 West Virginia 
Snowden Kinder 1915 West Virginia 
Lawrence Conway 1909 West Virginia 

Trancriber: Tracy Day 
Source: Names of prisoners in Boone County Jail extracted from 1930
 census Madison Township, Boone County West Virginia  

Seth Kinder 1908 West Virginia 
Jim Turner 1887 West Virginia 
Walter Rudd 1888 North Carolina 
Lewis Parson 1903 West Virginia 
Roy Massey 1911 West Virginia 
Louise Conway 1913 West Virginia 
Madeline Conway 1911 West Virginia 
Bessie Ellison 1903 West Virginia 
Newton Cook 1904 West Virginia 
Marshall Daniels 1908 West Virginia 
Virginia Barlow 1907 Virginia 
Inez Fay Hager 1910 West Virginia 
Stella M Hager 1909 West Virginia 
Robert Keyser 1900 West Virginia 
Sid Mcneely 1896 West Virginia 
Tolbert Daniels 1899 West Virginia 
Mike Castellanos 1897 Mexico 
Gilbert Daniels 1909 West Virginia 
Roy Stimel 1904 Ohio 
Hoyt Karne 1892 Ohio 
C H Williamson 1905 West Virginia 

Submitted by: Pamela Binion


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