Written by Victoria Vasquez | June 6, 2025
A Woman’s Wrath
In the smoldering ashes of burnt wood and debris are the hidden facts of a dinner that went terribly wrong. Lost to dust are the details pertaining to a young woman, who faced the penalties against her life. How could she endure the tragedy ahead? What would become of her in the end? Only the scales of justice would tell.
It was a blistering hot summer day on August 8, 1934. Temperatures had reached over 100 degrees that month. The country was in the middle of World War II and the notorious thief John Dillinger was running rampant throughout the Midwest. Around 1900 the United States Steel Company had long staked its ground in the new city known as Gary, Indiana, which was named after Elbert H. Gary, the president of the United States Steel Company. Since then, the city was booming with prosperity.
Mattie Watkins was a woman of color in her late twenties. The Fahrenheit that day wasn’t the only thing heating up. Something was on the mind of young Mattie as she entered the local tavern at 930 Broadway in Gary, Indiana. There were plenty of patrons inside awaiting their leisure. Mattie was accompanied by her common-law husband, Robert Watkins. What occurred next is a true tale compiled from published reports and court record remnants.
The unfolding chain of events were stifled after the courthouse suffered a drastic fire during the Christmas season on December 27, 1934. Efforts by local fire departments from Porter County, the City of Gary and LaPorte, had firemen working in below zero-degree temperatures until they finally contained the blaze. Unfortunately, the courthouse structure was severely damaged and many court records were destroyed that were held on site, including those regarding Ms. Mattie Watkins. Until now.
The events began with Mattie and Robert Watkins being present at the Gary establishment. Some locals considered it to be a restaurant while others called it a tavern. The couple’s words heated up to a full quarrel when Mattie committed the fatal act. In an instant, Mattie took Robert’s life with a knife to the heart.
Robert Watkins was a 30-year-old man of color. He had been a laborer for the Illinois Steel Company. He was born in Lawrence County, Alabama to Robert Watkins Sr. and Porthenia Watkins. He was laid to rest at Oak Hill Cemetery on August 11, 1934.
We may never know what caused Mattie to commit such a heinous act. City of Gary police officers were called to the scene while the patrons at the tavern witnessed the feud. Mattie was later confined at the Crown Point jail. Attorney Harrison Steward, of Gary, formerly of Valparaiso, represented her. The case against Mattie Watkins was soon underway.
Woman Tried for Murder
Pleas and proceedings began on Monday, January 7, 1935 in the Criminal Court of Lake County, Indiana at the Crown Point courthouse before the Honorable William J. Murray, Criminal Court Judge. Also present were Fred A. Egan, Prosecuting Attorney; Carrol O. Holley, Lake County Sheriff and George W. Sweigart, Clerk.
The State of Indiana vs. Mattie Watkins, under Cause Number 15126 commenced on the 18th day of March, 1935 in Lake County Criminal Court. The Grand Jury returned into open court its true bill of indictment against the defendant. The court ordered a warrant to be issued against the defendant and that she be held without bail for the charges of first and second-degree murder.
However, on March 22, 1935, further proceedings were held and entered into record for the entitled action after Mattie Watkins believed that she could not have a fair and impartial trial in Lake County. In an affidavit to the court, she requested a change of venue.
“Comes now the State of Indiana by its Prosecuting Attorney and comes also the defendant by Stewart and Stewart, her counsel, in open court, and files herein her affidavit for a change of venue from the County, in these words (insert), which change of venue is by the Court granted and this cause is now venued to the Porter County Superior Court, Porter County, Indiana. The Clerk is now ordered to sent a transcript and all papers filed along with the defendant to the Sheriff of Porter County, Indiana, and the Sheriff of Lake County is now ordered to transfer and deliver the defendant herein to the Sheriff of Porter County together with the transcript and original papers filed in this court, as provided by law. -William J. Murray, Judge.” [sic]
However, the matter took an unexpected turn. Although the case was sitting in Porter Superior Court on November, 1934, it faced being returned to Lake County. The unsuspecting Mrs. Watkins was being held in the Porter County jail while she awaited trial. Then a three letter word halted everything when it was discovered that the indictment from the Lake County grand jury was flawed.
The case began to unravel when Harrison Steward, counsel for the defendant, filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of Mattie Watkins. The writ was directed against Neil Fry, Porter County Sheriff, claiming that the defendant was being illegally held in restraint of her liberty without being given an opportunity to provide bail.
Prosecution Blunder Revealed
The error in the grand jury’s indictment stated that Mrs. Watkins killed her husband with a gun not a knife. A former deputy prosecutor’s charge against her stated that she shot Robert Watkins rather than stabbing him to death. The flaw in the indictment was not discovered until shortly before the case was set for trial in Porter County in front of Judge Mark B. Rockwell after a change of venue from Lake County was granted.
Prosecutor Fred A. Egan and John Stanton, chief deputy prosecutor of Lake County, obtained a continuance, while steps were taken to re-indict the defendant on the knifing charge. By this time, the records for the case had been destroyed by the Porter County courthouse fire. Mattie Watkins was immediately returned to Lake County for reindictment. The prosecution then prepared its case to go before the grand jury again to obtain a second indictment.
After the new indictment had been issued, the defense then sought to have a change of venue back to Porter County. Attorney Steward secured the change after Judge William J. Murray, who granted the first change of venue, approved the second request.
Nearly eight months had passed since the grave incident. On March 29, 1935, the murder case was filed with the Porter County Superior Court with Judge Rockwell presiding. His honor indicated the case would be set for trial during the first week of the court session, which opened on April 15, 1935.
A month later, the murder trial of Mattie Watkins was in full swing capturing the attention of local reporters, who reported it across the state.
On Monday, April 29, 1935, witnesses were summoned to appear in the Porter Superior Court at 9:00 AM to testify in the action against Mattie Watkins. Those subpoenaed to court included Gary Police Officers Nick Burbas, Roy Wymore, C. H. McCarthy and Al Waite, along with citizens, Thomas Dopas, Pete Naum Rose, Dr. D. T. Cardwell, Helen West, Walter Thornton, Laura Ayers, John Valentine, John Airs, and Loretta Culph, all of Gary, Indiana.
That same day, the Prosecutor and Defense Attorneys also began selecting a jury for the trial. The examination of the jury, with an extra panel of twelve jurors drawn in the regular venire was exhausted. The jury selection experienced further delays due to a new selection process. Previously, the practice of selecting jurors for a case was left in the hands of the county Sheriff and sheriff aids. In the past, they would randomly pick up jurors from the street to serve on a jury panel. Under the new policy, the jurors must be drawn from a jury box by the jury commissioners. After the first round of names were examined, Judge Mark B. Rockwell ordered another dozen talesmen drawn from the box.
The selection process lasted well into the afternoon. John Stanton of Gary, chief deputy prosecutor of Lake County led the charge for the prosecution. He was assisted by Attorney Edmund J. Freund. Representing the defendant was Harrison B. Steward also of Gary. By 2:00 PM, the jury selection was still in progress with both sides vying for their jurors.
After one and a half days of intense battling by attorneys, a jury was finally obtained on April 30th at 11:30 AM. Two extra venires of twelve talesmen each were required before the jury was accepted by the state and defense. The jury panel tasked with deciding the guilt or innocence of Mattie Watkins consisted of the following members: C. L. Danielson, Forest Jackson, Clarence Fisher, Wallace Wilson, James Baker, Mark Bartholomew, Frank Draves, Charles Hallberg, John C. Boehlke, Francis X. Gast, Clarence Thatcher and Don G. Lytle.
Entering the case was Fred A. Egan, new Lake County prosecutor. The trial marked the first appearance of Attorney Egan as a prosecutor in Porter County courts. He was well- known for posing with the late John Dillinger, America’s Public Enemy No. 1 before his escape from the Crown Point jail. John Stanton, chief deputy prosecutor continued to assist with the case. Crowds regularly gathered at the Valparaiso courthouse to attend the trial sessions, particularly a large number of African-Americans from Gary, Indiana.
On May 1st, the verdict was in after an intense trial. The twelve jurors returned from their deliberations with the final verdict.
“We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of manslaughter and find her true age to be 30 years. – Wallace B. Wilson, Foreman.”
Superior Court Judge Mark Rockwell sentenced Mattie Watkins to serve 2 to 21 years in the Women’s Prison at Indianapolis on the conviction of manslaughter for stabbing her common-law husband, Robert Watkins to death on August 8, 1934.
But Mattie served only one year of her sentence when a twist of fate occurred. She had no previous record and her record at the women’s institution was in good-standing. Her situation was about to change with Executive Order No. 10421, which read:
“WHEREAS, Mrs. Gallup, the Superintendent of the institution recommends; and the trial Judge M. B. Rockwell says: “I believe the prisoner should be paroled to the sheriff of Porter County and his wife at the county jail, for an assistant at the jail and on account of fact that I believe she has served sufficient time for the offense by her committed; and
WHEREAS, the State Commission on Clemency, after a careful investigation and examination of all the facts in the case, recommends that the said Mattie Watkins be paroled with the understanding that she is to make regular reports for a period of 1 year beyond her minimum term;
NOW THEREFORE, I, Paul V. McNutt, Governor of the State of Indiana, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of said State, hereby parole the said Mattie Watkins upon condition that she remains under the jurisdiction of the proper officials of the Indiana Woman’s Prison and with the understanding that she is to make regular reports for a period of 1 year beyond her minimum term.” [sic]
Signed and sealed by Governor Paul V. McNutt, State of Indiana on June 18, 1936.
And so ends the tale of Mattie Watkins with a few records discovered and now preserved.
References: Porter County Clerk Archives records of Lake County Cause Number 15126 and Porter County Cause Number 1022, January to April, 1935; The Indianapolis Star, Monday, February 18, 1935; Page 17; The Indianapolis News, Monday February 18, 1935; Page 12; The Times, Monday, February 18, 1935; Page 20; The Times, Friday, March 8, 1935; Page 13; Vidette-Messenger of Porter County, Tuesday, March 12, 1935; Page 2; Vidette Messenger of Porter County, Tuesday, March 19, 1935; Page 1; The Times, Tuesday, March 26, 1935; Page 1; Vidette-Messenger of Porter County, Tuesday, April 23, 1935; Page 1; The Times, Wednesday, April 24, 1935; Page 45; Vidette-Messenger of Porter County, Saturday, April 27, 1935; Page 2; The Times, Monday, April 29, 1935; Page 37; Vidette-Messenger of Porter County, Monday, April 29, 1935; Page 2; Vidette-Messenger of Porter County, Tuesday, April 30, 1935; Page 1; The Times, Thursday, May 02, 1935; Page 9; Journal and Courier, Friday, May 3, 1935; Page 7; The Times, Friday, May 3, 1935; Page 13; Ancestry.com, U.S. Indiana Death Certificates 1899-2017; Indiana State Board of Health Death Certificate for Robert Watkins Registered Number 25622, Gary, Lake County, Indiana
The Dash 