THE ROME TRIBUNE – HERALD (Georgia)
Tuesday May 2, 1916

YOUTHS ARRESTED ON MURDER CHARGE
Sequel to the death of a young Oakley Jewell

“Woodbury, Tenn., May 1. –On a warrant sworn out by Ogle Jewell, Mac Odum, 22, and Chester Willard, 20, have been placed under arrest here on the charge of murdering Young Oakley Jewell, who disappeared suddenly over a month ago and whose body was found fourteen days later in a thicket near here. The murdered boy and the two young men who have been arrested are all connected with prominent and well-to-do families.
After Oakley Jewell had been sought for nearly two weeks in vain his brother went to Nashville to consult with a fortune teller, “Madame Davis” who told him he would find his brothers body in a thicket within a mile from his (home), his brother having been murdered and robbed of about a hundred dollars which he carried. The brother returned home and found the body in the place indicated by the fortune teller, who also claims to be a spiritualistic medium.
Odum and Willard have been released under bond of $7,000 each. Neither made any attempt to escape arrest and both assert their innocence of the charges. Prominent counsel of the Cannon County bar and been retained for the defense and the prosecution.”
The February 1916 murder of Oakley Jewell and the subsequent circuit court trial involved a whole cast of Middle Tennessee characters. Neighbors, acquaintances, crap playing and drinking buddies plus friends and relatives were questioned and cross-examined at the court hearing and trial. The main players of the drama were three young men; Chester “Ches” Willard age 20, Perry McMinn “Mack” Odom age 23 and Oakley Jewell, age 26. The boys had been neighbors, friends and carousing pals for a long time. So, what went wrong among friends? What would cause such rage among comrades to leave one dead and two convicted of first degree murder?
The Oakley Jewell murder trial was held at the Woodbury, Cannon County, Tennessee court house, starting Thursday, 05 October 1916. Dr. McKnight testified to his examination of the body at the scene: “Nine wounds penetrating and four or five of exit, three in back, two in back of head, one in right eye showing powder burn, one in left hand, two in side. He was lying face down right arm under him, fingers up and left hand by side; glove on left hand, fingers of right hand perished a little. He had on overalls and slippers with bottoms clean. At least five of these wounds would have produced death. There was a pistol lying north of the body about three or four feet from right hand.”
Lives were changed due to the foolishness of three young men. One man laid dead, a family grieving. The other two men caused great heartache within their families. Chester Willard’s elderly grandmother was forced to be a witness at trial. His aunt had to also testify. Mack Odom’s mother was put into heavy debt and literally had to migrate west for work to make mortgage payments. No one came away unscathed. Who were the families of these young men and when the dust settled what happened to everyone? Murder on Fodderstack Knob exposes the widespread involvement of a community in the aftermath of violence between three young men that one night in rural Tennessee.