William Parrott

William Nelson “W.N.” Parrott (1865-1901) was an Oneida businessman who was shot to death inside his store during an argument. He was the father of Paul Parrott, founder of the famous Poll-Parrot brand of shoes.

Biography

Born Sept. 13, 1865, in Campbell County, Tenn., William N. Parrott was the son of Ledford Parrott (1830-1885) and Martha Sharp (1836-1896) of Caryville, Tenn. His siblings included Henry Parrott (1858-1896), George Parrott (born 1860), Reuben Parrott (born 1862), DeWitt Parrott (1867-1917), Margaret Parrott (born 1873) and Mary “Mollie” Parrott (born 1874).

W.N. Parrott married Lucy Catherine “Cassie” Byrd, the daughter of Milton Asbury Byrd and Nancy Chitwood of Helenwood. They were married in Roane County, Tenn., in 1896. They had three children: Pauline Parrott (1896-1897), Paul Nelson Parrott (1898-1986), and Beulah Parrott Pope.

Professional Life

W.N. Parrott owned The Oneida House, a three-story structure that served as Oneida’s first hotel, while also including the town’s first restaurant and a general store.

The Knoxville Sentinel would later describe Parrott as “a man of excellent character and industry” who “enjoyed the esteem of all who knew him.”

Death

Parrott was shot to death on July 23, 1901, by James West. According to court testimony, the two men were arguing inside Parrott’s store over the weight of some chickens that West had previously sold to Parrott when the shooting occurred.

Barney Litton, who was with James West but was not inside the store, heard Parrott tell West that the chicken coop had weighed 18 pounds. He said that West told Parrott, “Don’t you call me a damn liar,” and that he saw West’s hand move to his pocket for a gun.

Litton and another man who was among the group, Alvin Jeffers, ran to the post office for help. As the postmaster, M.E. Terry, was headed to the store, he heard a gunshot. He found Parrott on the floor of the store, shot once through the head. A gun near his hand was determined to be his.

West, who was arrested soon after, claimed self-defense. He said that Parrott had gone for his gun first. He said Parrott had accused him of lying about the chickens, and that he’d called Parrott “a very vile name,” according to newspapers, and that Parrott had reached for his weapon.

However, an unidentified boy who was standing in the street said that West had called Parrott a name, then immediately drew his gun and fired after Parrott said “Don’t you call me any such name.”

The prosecution, which was led by James C. Parker, made the case that West had retrieved Parrott’s gun and placed it near his body to make it look like self-defense. Parker produced an expert witness who testified that if Parrott had been holding the gun when he was killed, it would have been locked in his hand in a “death grip.”

Defense attorneys attempted to portray Parrott as a man prone to arguments with people inside his store. However, The Chattanooga News reported that they failed to do so.

West was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison. He appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court, but lost.

Aftermath

W.N. Parrott was buried at Marcum Cemetery. His wife sold The Oneida House to Eli Cooper, a resident of McCreary County, Ky., who moved to Oneida and renamed the business. She then remarried and moved to Knoxville, Tenn.

Parrott’s three-year-old son, Paul Parrott, had been inside the store that day and witnessed his father’s death. He would later open a shoe store in Knoxville and developed the Poll-Parrot line of shoes. They became one of the most famous brands of children’s shoes in the early-to-mid 20th century.

Parrott’s store was taken over by 15-year-old Horace Lafayette “H.F.” Cooper, the son of Eli Cooper. He would go on to become one of the most successful businessmen in Oneida’s history.

See Also: The death of W.N. Parrott (Murders in the Heartland)