John EARLE

EARLE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:07:00

John Earle
1885 --- 12 February 1902

John Earle was the son of E.S. and Mary Earle. He had four brothers, Fred, Ward, Fay, and Lemuel, and one sister, Maud. His family had moved from Eagle Grove, Iowa, to Welsh, Louisiana, around 1880. The Earles lived on a rice farm in Welsh; they kept to themselves and were quite isolated from their neighbors, many of whom spoke only Cajun French, a language that the Earles didn't know.

On February 12, 1902, John, his parents, and three of his brothers (Ward, Fay, and Lemuel) were all murdered in their home. John was 16-years-old. Their bodies were discovered by Maud Earle on February 28. They were buried on March 10 in one large grave in Oaklawn Cemetery in Welsh. Nettie Redeke, John and Lemuel's teacher, later said of them, "The Earle boys never missed a day of school until the 12th of February of this year. When all the kids exchanged Valentines, I noticed that Lemuel and John Earle were not present."

The Earle family's farm hand, Albert Batson, was found guilty of their murders and was executed by hanging on August 21, 1903.
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The next to youngest child of Lemuel S. Earl and his wife Mary. All but two members of the Earl family would be brutally murdered at Ward Earl's farm in Welsh, Louisiana. John, his mother and brothers Ward, Fay and Lemuel Jr. would have their throats cut; father L.S. Sr. would be shot and his body concealed in a ditch nearby. They would not be found for two weeks, until sister Maud Earl would discover the bodies of her mother and brothers. Ward's hired man, Missourian Alfred Ed Batson would be found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death. He would become a famous defendant receiving gifts and attention from women all over the country. His good fortune and attention ran out on August 14, 1903, despite pleas and petitions for Governor William Wright Heard to commute his sentence to life. Governor Heard did not issue a stay of execution and Batson was hung amid a throng of well wishers in Lake Charles, Louisiana for the murders of the Earl family. Maud Earl married C.K. Ingram, Fred Earl would take over the Earl plantations. In 1904, Maud won a suit against Fred for her half of the estate.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29128258/john-earl