The Dallas Daily Herald
Wednesday, March 8, 1876
pg.1

Murder in Sherman
The Sherman Register of yesterday has the particulars of the unprovoked murder of Albert Chiles by William Doss, both  negroes. The wife of Chiles stood by while Doss was firing into him with a revolver, encouraging the murderer in his bloody work. The crime was committed Sunday evening, and Monday morning Doss and the widow of Chiles were arrested and, after examination, were fully committed, Doss as principal and the woman for aiding and abetting him.



The Denison Daily News
Wednesday, March 22, 1876
pg.3

Harry Harman, who returned from Sherman Tuesday night, informs us that the case of the State vs. Doss and the wife of Henry Chiles, closed Tuesday and was submitted to the jury. Doss and the woman are charged with the murder of Chiles
two weeks ago. All the parties are negroes.



The Denison Daily News
Thursday, March 23, 1876
pg.3

THE MURDER TRIAL
William Doss and Lucy Chiles to be Hanged

The Sherman Register of Wednesday morning says the jury in the Doss-Chiles murder case, returned the following verdict
at 11 o'clock Tuesday night:
"We, the jury, find the defendants, Wm. Doss and Lucy Chiles, guilty of murder in the first degree, and assess their punishment at death."  H. Petty, Foreman
The Register says the court room was crowded to overflowing when the verdict was read, and during the reading a death-like stillness pervaded the immense assembly. No demonstrations were made but it was evident the verdict was satisfactory.



The Dallas Daily Herald
Friday, March 24, 1876
pg.4

Swift Retribution
From the Sherman Register of yesterday we learn of the conviction of William Doss and Lucy Chiles, for the murder of the latter's husband, which is a remarkable instance of the swift justice that should follow all violations of the law. On the night
of the 5th instant they deliberately and premeditatedly murdered old Albert Chiles, were indicted on the 6th, put on trial on the 20th and convicted of murder in the first degree and the penalty of death pronounced on the 21st. Thus in sixteen days from the killing, the murderers were brought to trial and the death penalty pronounced against them. All the parties to the affair were negroes.



The Denison Daily News
Friday, March 24, 1876
pg.3

It is thought an effort will be made to obtain a new trial for Wm. Doss and Lucy Chiles, convicted of murder in the first degree, in Sherman last Tuesday. Failing in this the Register says the case will probably be taken to the Supreme Court.
The Register favors hanging the parties without going to any further trouble and expense.



The Galveston Daily News
Saturday, March 25, 1876
pg.2

Grayson County
The case of the State vs. Wm. Doss and Lucy Chiles (both colored), for the murder of Albert Chiles (colored), resulted in a verdict of murder in the first degree, and the penalty of death against both the defendants. Mr. Caskey, in his speech in the case, in referring to the character of Alf. Chiles, deceased, said, "there was no beast that roamed the forest, nothing existed beneath the waters of the rolling ocean, nothing that canvassed the elements, no reptile that lurked around the rugged cliff, nothing existed under the canopy of the ethereal world, that was half so low in brutal nature as deceased." Nevertheless,
the jury thought it was a case of murder, and as the Reporter says, it was time to make an example, and to assess the punishment at "death by hanging," would go far to deter crime in this section of the State.



The Denison Daily News
Thursday, March 30, 1876
pg.3

Judge Hare Tuesday granted a new trial to the defendants in the case of the State vs. Doss and Chiles. The new trial was granted on newly discovered evidence. The case was then continued until the next term of court.



The Galveston Daily News
Friday, April 7, 1876
pg.2

COOKE COUNTY
The colored folks in Gainesville were making elaborate preparations to attend the hanging of Doss and Chiles, convicted at the last term in the Criminal Court of Grayson county, and since a new trial was granted in the case, they have transferred their attention to a great religious revival.



The Denison Daily News
Sunday, July 30, 1876
pg.4

The counsel for the negress, Lucy Chiles of Sherman, convicted of murder has applied for a new trial. The case of Doss jointly implicated in the charge, has been continued until the January term. Lucy's punishment was assessed by sixty
year's confinement in the penitentiary.



The Denison Daily News
Thursday, April 19, 1877
pg.3

The Register learns that the appeal of Lucy Chiles, the colored woman, convicted at the last term of the court for complicity in the murder of her husband, Albert Chiles, and sentenced to confinement for sixty years in the penitentiary, has been heard by the appellate court and dismissed. No official notice of the judgment of the court has been received, but doubtless will be in a few days, and she will be taken to Huntsville with those convicted at this term. The murder was most diabolical and the sentence is a righteous one. Doss, the partner of Lucy in the murder, has succeeded in having his case postponed until the next term of court. - Sherman Register



The Denison Daily News
Thursday, May 3, 1877
pg.3

The jury in the Doss murder trial retired about 4 o'clock Tuesday evening and did not agree on a verdict until Wednesday near noon. Their verdict was murder in the second degree, and the sentence fifty-five years in the penitentiary.



The Galveston Daily News
Tuesday, May 8, 1877
p. 2

Grayson County
The Sherman Register says the Doss murder case was concluded by the rendition of guilty. His punishment was fixed at fifty-five years in the penitentiary. Doss was the paramour of Lucy Chiles, and the jury believed, from the evidence, that
the two conspired to take the life of old Albert, Lucy's husband, and that he was killed in pursuance of that conspiracy and previously-formed decision. The Register learns that six of the jury were for the death penalty, but finally agreed to the verdict of fifty-five years imprisonment. An appeal was taken, but has recently been dismissed and the sentence of the
court below affirmed. Both of these convicted murderers will now receive sentence and will be shut up in prison walls for the balance of their lives, since they can not live out their sentence.



Dallas Morning News
February 8, 1896

Convicts Pardoned
Huntsville, Walker Co., Tex., Feb. 7 - The following convicts were liberated under pardon from Gov. Culberson without any punishments recorded against them during their term of service, the penitentiary law now being that all serving fifteen years and recommended by the penitentiary officials as meritorious persons are entitled to executive clemency:...Wm. Doss, Grayson county, served 18 years 10 months....