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Emery County Sheriff William Levi Black was shot and killed on August 22, 1936, s he tried to a settle a dispute between two farmers. When Sheriff Black arrived at the scene with the complainant the suspect, who had setup an ambush position in a nearby field, opened fire. Sheriff Black was shot in the head as he attempted to take cover in his car. The suspect then shot the farmer who had made the complaint.
The suspect was convicted of second degree murder.
The following is the way I remember the events, though
I was only 11 years old. Andrew Nelson
PS: Nephi Pierce who was a police Sgt.
in SLC when he was killed was Dad's Aunt's Husband.
Leroy (Roy) Black had complained to
his brother In-law Hugh S. Wayman, about Hugh's waste water causing damage
to the road into his property. The problem was not resolved. Roy told Hugh
"we will let the Sheriff settle this". He and his wife went to Ferron and
contacted Sheriff William Black. Hugh in the meantime went to town
to purchase ammunition for his rifle ( I believe to be a 30-40 Krag). This
was a walk of 3 miles round trip (not sure of the distance). He then loaded
his rifle and took it to his field. Shortly after, Roy accompanied by the
Sheriff, who had picked up a local farm boy on the way, returned. He let
the farm boy out , then proceeded to where Hugh was standing in his
field. Sheriff Black got out of his car. Hugh picked up his rifle and told
the Sheriff to get back into his car. Sheriff Black then dove back to his
car, Hugh fired, striking the window frame of the driver's door, the bullet
then striking the Sheriff Black in the head. He then fired another shot
towards the front area of the car striking the engine block. Hugh
then approached his Brother In Law Roy Black, and shot him in the head.
He then approached the car and said to his sister, "if you open your mouth
I will blow your head off."
This happened many years ago
so the absolute accuracy of this statement is not guaranteed. The farm
boy was a witness to the shooting. At the trial he was asked where he was
when the first shot was fired. He replied, "just climbing through the fence,
Q: "where were you when the second shot was fired?" A: "half way
down the field" Q: "where were you when the 3rd shot was fired?" A: "laying
in the ditch at the bottom of the field." (An an aside the prosecutor asked
the Coach at Ferron if the boy - do not remember the name - was on the
track team). Hugh was convicted of 2nd degree murder! His defense was he
thought Black was going for a gun, and as a vet of WW1 he believed it "was
kill or be killed."
While my father was Sheriff,
neighbors bull had broken into Hugh's pasture. Instead of contacting the
owner of the bull, he shot the bull with a shotgun.
I remember Dad saying, "Hugh is going
to kill some one some day." He also said that Will's temperament and demeanor
was going to get him in trouble, Dad was a diplomat of "the first Water"
and always careful!
The month Hugh was paroled,
his Brother Daniel "Mur" Marion killed a man in cold blood! This was the
result of a practical joke that was played on Daniel. The victim had no
connection to the joke. He was a victim of the circumstances of the joke!!
Daniel had children in my class,
good kids. Many Wayman children were in school with and me were fine people.
The practical joke was as follows:
Mur was off shearing sheep. The evening before he returned home he packed
his suitcase, Some of the other fellows had "been on the town." When they
returned to camp they hid a pair of women's underwear in Mur's suitcase.
When he returned home, his wife unpacked the suitcase and found the panties!
She blew, saying, "well I guess I can go with ****** ******* ", a local
womanizer and drunk. Shortly after she became pregnant, she told Mur that
the baby was not his. He, of course, went ballistic!
Later Mur found a cattle buyer had
been to the place while Mur was gone. Mrs. Wayman had told him her husband
was not at home so she could not sell him any cattle, Mur later learned
of this, and after moving to Ogden he went to the man's home and shot him.
Mur was committed to the Utah State Mental Hospital.
- his page, along with the State Memorial at Utah's Capitol, is maintained by the Utah Peace Officers Association in behalf of Utah's Fallen Officers - may we never forget their ultimate sacrifice
Email your comments, suggestions, or information requests to
upoa@upoa.org
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