Appalachian League History: Murder at the Ballpark
Typically, when a baseball game is cancelled, it is due to weather or some other natural occurrence. On this day in 1921, a game in the Appalachian League was cancelled due to a murder at the ballpark.
It almost sounds like a plot of a crime novel or a CSI episode. A body is found at the ballpark, and the authorities have to attempt to locate clues and track down the killer while closing off the field. Obviously, any games scheduled would need to be put off in order to keep from compromising the investigation.
However, instead of being the plot of some fiction crime drama, this situation happened on this day in 1921. The body of a slain 11 year old girl was found at the ballpark of the Kingsport Indians prior to their game with the Knoxville Pioneers, causing the cancellation of the game. This marked the only time in the history of professional baseball that a game had been cancelled due to murder.
The girl, who was identified as Elsie Lawson, had been found under the bleachers and was mostly naked. Her head was crushed by a chunk of wood that was located nearby, and her throat was also cut. Lawton’s body had been found early that morning by W.B. Hill, the business manager of the Indians.
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Several people were immediately under suspicion as the investigation moved along, and bloodhounds were called in to help locate the perpetrator. Within the day, the local authorities arrested 18 year old Uern Quillen, who had been seen with Lawson the night before. His shirt had spots of dried blood upon it, adding to the evidence against him.
Although he proclaimed his innocence throughout the trial, Quillen was found guilty on September 30th. He managed to avoid the death penalty, but was sentenced to life in prison, where he would spend his time at hard labor. As it was, he only narrowly escaped death, as nine of the jurors had voted to send him to the electric chair.
Quillen eventually confessed to the crime, and yet tried to get his lawyer to file an appeal. He sought parole on several occasions, and was denied at each turn. Eventually, Quillen died while incarcerated at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Tennessee.
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While the story sounds like the plot of some fictional crime drama, it was, alas, far too real. On this day in 1921, the only professional baseball game to be cancelled due to a murder happened when the body of Elsie Lawson was found under the bleachers of the Kingsport Indians home field.