no image
Privacy Level: Open (White)

R. E. Watts (abt. 1885 - bef. 1930)

Dr. R. E. (Dr. R. E.) Watts
Born about in USAmap [uncertain]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 15 Apr 1923 in Sumter County, Florida, USAmap
[children unknown]
Died before before about age 44 in USAmap [uncertain]
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Nancy Rose private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 1 Nov 2015
This page has been accessed 123 times.
The Birth Date is a rough estimate. See the text for details.

No source has been found to date that provides this man's given names.

Biography

Dr. R. E. Watts was born on the 7th of April approximately 1885. He married Mrs. Lela (Fore) Key on 15 April 1923.[1][2]

The couple had a son on 23 Nov 1923 who did not survive infancy. The unnamed child died on 30 November 1923 in Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, and was buried at Pythian Cemetery in Jacksonville.[3][4] Pythian Cemetery is now known as Greenlawn Cemetery.

In late May 1925, J. W. Prine "was inspecting a farm of A. F. Fore, son-in-law of Dr Watts, on which he held an option when Dr Watts approached him, commanded him to throw up his hands and then shot and beat him."[5] Mr. Prine died of the injuries in an Ocala, Marion County, Florida, after giving that statement to the police. By July when the Florida Governor offered a reward for his capture, Dr Watts was still evading law enforcement.[6]

Research Notes

Year of birth estimate based on his age (39) as written on the marriage license application in 1923. Month and day are as provided on that application.
Dr. Watts may have died prior to 1930 when Mrs. Lela Watts is listed as a widow in the 1930 Census (Sumter County, Florida)[7] or she may have been what was referred to as a "grass widow".

Sources

  1. Sumter County, Florida, Marriage License Application, Dr R. E. Watts and Mrs Lela Key, 13 April 1923; database image 475 of 1431, "Marriage licenses 1922-1924," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L94X-1DZL : accessed 19 April 2016); Citing "Florida Marriages, 1830-1993; FHL microfilm 975779."
  2. Sumter County, Florida, Marriage License Return, Dr R. E. Watts and Mrs Lela Key, 15 April 1923; database image 477 of 1431, "Marriage licenses 1922-1924," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-894X-1865 : accessed 19 April 2016); Citing "Florida Marriages, 1830-1993; FHL microfilm 975779."
  3. "Florida Deaths, 1877-1939," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPQJ-2J2 : accessed 5 November 2015), R.E. Watts in entry for Watts [unnamed infant], 30 Nov 1923; citing Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, reference cn12814; FHL microfilm 2,116,300.
  4. Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, cn12814, Infant of Mr and Mrs R E Watts, 30 Nov 1923; image 828 of 3042, "Death certificates, v. 196-201, (cert. no. 12001-15000), 1923," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6DQ9-QJC : accessed 18 April 2016); Citing "Florida Deaths, 1877-1939; FHL microfilm 2,116,300."
  5. "Live State News - Ocala," Bradford County Telegraph (Starke, Florida), 12 June 1925, p. 3, col. 2, news; digital images, University of Florida Digital Collections (http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00027795/02285 : accessed 19 April 2016).
  6. "Dr R. E. Watts," Miami Herald, 30 July 1925, unknown page and column, news; digital images, GenealogyBank (http://genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A114CF48AE24B9638%40GB3NEWS-14D30D89C0092853%402424362-14D0FD824828C597%405-14D3291410A45C58%40 : accessed 28 Nov 2015).
  7. 1930 US Federal Census, Florida, Sumter County, population schedule, Wildwood, ED 0004, sheet 6B, family 143, line 99, Mrs. Lela Watts; database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:S17F-96Z : accessed 5 November 2015), image 13 of 30; Citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 333.

See Also:

"Dr. R. E. Watts, a well known physician of Jacksonville, was in Leesburg Monday combining business with pleasure"
"Dr. R.E. Watts, Howard Smith, E. P. Gertner and George L. Briles, of Jacksonville, are business visitors in the city today."
"Ocala - Police throughout central Florida continued their hunt for Dr. R. E. Watts who is wanted for the slaying of J. W. Prine, 64, Sumter county, following a dispute over real estate. The shooting occurred near Wildwood. Prine died in a hospital here. Before dying, Prine told police he was inspecting a farm of A. F. Fore, son-in-law of Dr Watts, on which he held an option when Dr Watts approached him, commanded him to throw up his hands and then shot and beat him."
Note: There is no known A. F. Fore. Current speculation of some Fore researchers holds that this was actually A. J. Fore, father-in-law of Dr. Watts - McGee-1611 28Nov2015
"Live State News - Ocala," Bradford County Telegraph (Starke, Florida), 12 June 1925, p. 3, col. 2, news; digital images, University of Florida Digital Collections (http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00027795/02285 : accessed 19 April 2016).
"Tallahassee Fla., July 29 (AP) Governor John W. Martin has offered a reward of $250 for the capture of Dr. R. E. Watts who murdered J. W. Prine near Wildwood last May. In offering this reward the governor is sponsoring an effort on the part of authorities to locate Dr. Watts, whom officials have searched for since May 28, when the crime was committed."
Miami Herald, 30 July 1925, unknown page and column, news; digital images, GenealogyBank (http://genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A114CF48AE24B9638%40GB3NEWS-14D30D89C0092853%402424362-14D0FD824828C597%405-14D3291410A45C58%40 : accessed 28 Nov 2015).




Is Dr. R. E. your ancestor? Please don't go away!
 star icon Login to collaborate or comment, or
 star icon contact private message the profile manager, or
 star icon ask our community of genealogists a question.
Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com

DNA
No known carriers of Dr. R. E.'s ancestors' DNA have taken a DNA test.

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.



Comments

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.

W  >  Watts  >  R. E. Watts

Categories: Estimated Birth Date