How ironic is it that Sara Jane Moore, who attempted to assassinate President Ford 22 days after Squeaky made her attempt, and Charles Manson lived in the same town growing up and frequented the same candy store? This ought to set the conspiracy theorists atwitter. I've read a few theories related to Sara Jane and the Family women but none that directly involved Charlie.
Also, the candy man was named Watson! oo-ee-oo
Corbin Daily Tribune
Corbin KY
Sept. 25, 1975
Manson, Sara Have Same Hometown
Charleston W.Va (AP) Sara Jane Kahn and Charles Manson bought a lot of candy from Van Watson when they were children.
"Sara Jane was a serious pupil but Manson liked to play a little bit of hooky," says Watson. Sara Jane, now Sara Jane Moore, is in jail for trying to kill President Ford. Manson is serving life in prison for the 1969 murder of actress Sharon Tate and six others. And, one of Manson's followers, Lynette Fromme , also is charged with trying to kill the president, in a separate incident.
"Kathleen Manson, Charles' mother, was a clerk in my store for three or four months," Watson said in an interview Monday. Charles was about 9 or 10 years old then, around 1942. He was an ordinary boy, nothing outstanding, I sold him a lot of candy. He'd come in two or three times a day, whenever he got a penny."
Watson said he was shocked to learn that Sara Jane Kahn was the person accused of shooting at the president. "I knew her from childhood," he said. "She came into the store to buy candy on her way to school. She was a loner- almost always by herself. She never had much to say about anything. She always had a couple of books under her arm and seemed to take school seriously."
The Kahn's lived in a big log house up Woodward Dr. from his store and the Manson's lived in a house across the street from his store. "I was very much surprised the way those two turned out," Watson said. "Charles wasn't much good at going to school- he liked to play a little bit of hooky. But I expected Sara Jane to grow up and become somebody with a good education and a responsible position in life. I never dreamed she would be somebody who'd try to kill the President."
It is not known whether Manson and Sara Jane Kahn knew each other while living here.
