As told by Frank House Johnson, Henrietta, Tx (son of Virgil Johnson) (July 21, 1977)

Shooting took place at Whiteside house. Allen Spangler had some cattle on her land. Her 2 sons tried to make it appear that robbery was the motive. They took money from the bosom of the dress of Mrs. Whiteside. It had blood on it. They later paid for merchandise in T.G. A. Jackson store with the money that had blood on it. He turned money over to sheriff.

Virgil Johnson and other prominent citizens of Cambridge were character witnesses for Allen Spangler – he was tried and appealed twice. R. E. Taylor prosecuting attorney said some bad things about the witnesses for Allen Spangler. Mr. Taylor was running for re-election and went to a meeting at the schoolhouse. Mr. V. Johnson and the others wouldn’t shake hands or speak to him. He asked why and they told him they didn’t like the things he had been saying. He said I’ll apologize to one and all right now and if I’m re-elected I will dismiss all charges against Allen Spangler. He said I’ve tried him twice and it’s been overthrown on appeal both times so if you re-elect me I won’t try him again. He was elected and he dismissed the charges. Mr. Frank Johnson said he didn’t think Allen Spangler spent any time in jail. He did in 1900, though.

A lot of the Spangler land and money was spent in the effort it took to get him out of the trouble. Later in life Allen Spangler worked in a hardware store in Henrietta (Barber & Taylor).

Allen Spangler has diabetes. He had something wrong with his leg & it had to be amputated. This leg was sawed off in the kitchen of Kate Chadwick’s home in Henrietta. He didn’t live long afterwards.

Footnote: Mr. Johnson also said when asked about a love affair between Allen Spangler and Mrs. Whiteside that his father said afterwards that this was the case and that if Allen Spangler had been at home where he belonged then none of this would have happened.