Lt. Addison Ball Chinn was the son of Dr. Joseph Graves Chinn (1797-1891). Unlike his father, Addison supported the South in the Civil War and enlisted in the 8th Kentucky Calvary, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant. Taken prisoner on July 20, 1863 during Morgan's Ohio raid, he was described as having dark hair, a dark complexion, gray eyes and was about 5', 11" tall. Lt. Chinn was one of the Immortal 600, who were used as human shields and starved in retaliation for certain actions by the Confederate government. In 1864, six hundred Confederate prisoners of war, all officers, were taken out of a prison camp in Delaware and transported to South Carolina, where most were confined in a Union stockade prison on Morris Island. They were placed in front of two Union forts as "human shields" during the siege of Charleston and exposed to a fearful barrage of artillery fire from Confederate forts. Many of these men would suffer an even worse ordeal at Union-held Fort Pulaski near Savannah, Georgia, where they were subjected to severe food rationing as retaliatory policy. Spending almost 2 years in federal prison, he was finally paroled on June 12, 1865.
Mr. Addison Chinn returned to Lexington, where he purchased a store and was a leading citizen of that town. Known for his fine character and honesty, he was tragically murdered when robbers broke into his house in the middle of the night. His son Asa Chinn, Jr. was also seriously wounded in the robbery during a gun battle with burglars.
[Summarized from an article in the Harrodsburg Herald, Harrodsburg, Mercer Co. KY, dated Thursday Oct. 16, 1902).
A compelling story of the murder and investigation based on historical newspaper accounts can be found at http://geneanotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/thriller-thursday-home-invasion-circa_08.html.
-------------------
The Lexington Intelligencer, October 18, 1902
Lexington, Mo.
Murder of Addison Chinn
Mr. Joseph G. Chinn received a telegram last Saturday from Lexington, Ky.,
stating that Addison Chinn had been killed and his son, Asa, wounded by
burglars. Mr. Chinn was a brother of Mr. Joe Chinn and Mrs. Mary E. Bowman
of this city. He and his son were in the dry goods business there and owned
one of the largest places of business in Lexington.
Several suspects were arrested Saturday morning, but the evidence against
them accumulated slowly until Wednesday evening when Earl Whitney, the
young man arrested last Saturday, make a complete confession Thursday,
admitting that he and Claude O'Brien a companion, did the killing.
Whitney made his confession to the officers in the presence of a
stenographer, who transcribed it for the prosecution. He said that O'Brien
fired the shot which killed Chinn, and admitted the shot in his knee was
inflicted by Asa Chinn in the struggle that followed. He told where the
pistol was hidden. The officers went to the place and found the weapon. The
confession has been made public and there is considerable excitement.
Addison Chinn was known to many of our older in inhabitants, having lived
here in his youth. He was a son of Dr. J.G. Chinn.
Mr. Addison Chinn returned to Lexington, where he purchased a store and was a leading citizen of that town. Known for his fine character and honesty, he was tragically murdered when robbers broke into his house in the middle of the night. His son Asa Chinn, Jr. was also seriously wounded in the robbery during a gun battle with burglars.
[Summarized from an article in the Harrodsburg Herald, Harrodsburg, Mercer Co. KY, dated Thursday Oct. 16, 1902).
A compelling story of the murder and investigation based on historical newspaper accounts can be found at http://geneanotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/thriller-thursday-home-invasion-circa_08.html.
-------------------
The Lexington Intelligencer, October 18, 1902
Lexington, Mo.
Murder of Addison Chinn
Mr. Joseph G. Chinn received a telegram last Saturday from Lexington, Ky.,
stating that Addison Chinn had been killed and his son, Asa, wounded by
burglars. Mr. Chinn was a brother of Mr. Joe Chinn and Mrs. Mary E. Bowman
of this city. He and his son were in the dry goods business there and owned
one of the largest places of business in Lexington.
Several suspects were arrested Saturday morning, but the evidence against
them accumulated slowly until Wednesday evening when Earl Whitney, the
young man arrested last Saturday, make a complete confession Thursday,
admitting that he and Claude O'Brien a companion, did the killing.
Whitney made his confession to the officers in the presence of a
stenographer, who transcribed it for the prosecution. He said that O'Brien
fired the shot which killed Chinn, and admitted the shot in his knee was
inflicted by Asa Chinn in the struggle that followed. He told where the
pistol was hidden. The officers went to the place and found the weapon. The
confession has been made public and there is considerable excitement.
Addison Chinn was known to many of our older in inhabitants, having lived
here in his youth. He was a son of Dr. J.G. Chinn.
Lt. Addison Ball Chinn was the son of Dr. Joseph Graves Chinn (1797-1891). Unlike his father, Addison supported the South in the Civil War and enlisted in the 8th Kentucky Calvary, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant. Taken prisoner on July 20, 1863 during Morgan's Ohio raid, he was described as having dark hair, a dark complexion, gray eyes and was about 5', 11" tall. Lt. Chinn was one of the Immortal 600, who were used as human shields and starved in retaliation for certain actions by the Confederate government. In 1864, six hundred Confederate prisoners of war, all officers, were taken out of a prison camp in Delaware and transported to South Carolina, where most were confined in a Union stockade prison on Morris Island. They were placed in front of two Union forts as "human shields" during the siege of Charleston and exposed to a fearful barrage of artillery fire from Confederate forts. Many of these men would suffer an even worse ordeal at Union-held Fort Pulaski near Savannah, Georgia, where they were subjected to severe food rationing as retaliatory policy. Spending almost 2 years in federal prison, he was finally paroled on June 12, 1865.
Mr. Addison Chinn returned to Lexington, where he purchased a store and was a leading citizen of that town. Known for his fine character and honesty, he was tragically murdered when robbers broke into his house in the middle of the night. His son Asa Chinn, Jr. was also seriously wounded in the robbery during a gun battle with burglars.
[Summarized from an article in the Harrodsburg Herald, Harrodsburg, Mercer Co. KY, dated Thursday Oct. 16, 1902).
A compelling story of the murder and investigation based on historical newspaper accounts can be found at http://geneanotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/thriller-thursday-home-invasion-circa_08.html.
-------------------
The Lexington Intelligencer, October 18, 1902
Lexington, Mo.
Murder of Addison Chinn
Mr. Joseph G. Chinn received a telegram last Saturday from Lexington, Ky.,
stating that Addison Chinn had been killed and his son, Asa, wounded by
burglars. Mr. Chinn was a brother of Mr. Joe Chinn and Mrs. Mary E. Bowman
of this city. He and his son were in the dry goods business there and owned
one of the largest places of business in Lexington.
Several suspects were arrested Saturday morning, but the evidence against
them accumulated slowly until Wednesday evening when Earl Whitney, the
young man arrested last Saturday, make a complete confession Thursday,
admitting that he and Claude O'Brien a companion, did the killing.
Whitney made his confession to the officers in the presence of a
stenographer, who transcribed it for the prosecution. He said that O'Brien
fired the shot which killed Chinn, and admitted the shot in his knee was
inflicted by Asa Chinn in the struggle that followed. He told where the
pistol was hidden. The officers went to the place and found the weapon. The
confession has been made public and there is considerable excitement.
Addison Chinn was known to many of our older in inhabitants, having lived
here in his youth. He was a son of Dr. J.G. Chinn.
Mr. Addison Chinn returned to Lexington, where he purchased a store and was a leading citizen of that town. Known for his fine character and honesty, he was tragically murdered when robbers broke into his house in the middle of the night. His son Asa Chinn, Jr. was also seriously wounded in the robbery during a gun battle with burglars.
[Summarized from an article in the Harrodsburg Herald, Harrodsburg, Mercer Co. KY, dated Thursday Oct. 16, 1902).
A compelling story of the murder and investigation based on historical newspaper accounts can be found at http://geneanotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/thriller-thursday-home-invasion-circa_08.html.
-------------------
The Lexington Intelligencer, October 18, 1902
Lexington, Mo.
Murder of Addison Chinn
Mr. Joseph G. Chinn received a telegram last Saturday from Lexington, Ky.,
stating that Addison Chinn had been killed and his son, Asa, wounded by
burglars. Mr. Chinn was a brother of Mr. Joe Chinn and Mrs. Mary E. Bowman
of this city. He and his son were in the dry goods business there and owned
one of the largest places of business in Lexington.
Several suspects were arrested Saturday morning, but the evidence against
them accumulated slowly until Wednesday evening when Earl Whitney, the
young man arrested last Saturday, make a complete confession Thursday,
admitting that he and Claude O'Brien a companion, did the killing.
Whitney made his confession to the officers in the presence of a
stenographer, who transcribed it for the prosecution. He said that O'Brien
fired the shot which killed Chinn, and admitted the shot in his knee was
inflicted by Asa Chinn in the struggle that followed. He told where the
pistol was hidden. The officers went to the place and found the weapon. The
confession has been made public and there is considerable excitement.
Addison Chinn was known to many of our older in inhabitants, having lived
here in his youth. He was a son of Dr. J.G. Chinn.
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