USA > Kansas > Labette County > History of Labette County, Kansas, and representative citizens > Part 8
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91
OTHER COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS.
COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
There is no existing record of the organiza- tion of this society. It was probably organized early in 1869. The first minutes I have been able to find of its meetings are those for a semi-annual meeting held at Oswego on No- vember 7, 1870; the society was then called the Osage and Southern Kansas Medical Asso- ciation. C. M. Gilkey was president and Robert Steele secretary. At this meeting it was voted to change the name to the Labette County Med- ical Association; W. S. Newlon was elected president ; George Lisle, vice-president ; Robert Steele, secretary ; and J. W. Wier, treasurer. A uniform schedule of fees was adopted.
On June 8, 1871, a meeting of the society was held, at which W. S. Newlon was president and D. D. McGrath, secretary.
On June 16, 1875, after a lapse of two or three years, a meeting was held, and the asso- ciation revived. George Lisle was elected pres- ident ; W. S. Newlon, vice-president, C. Hum- ble, secretary, and B. R. Van Meter, treasurer.
On May 18, 1885, the society again organ- ized, and elected J. J. Kackley president, and A. O. Garnett, secretary.
The society now maintains an organiza- tion and holds regular meetings.
BAR ASSOCIATION.
On September 15, 1881, the members of the Indiana met at Labette City and organized a county bar association, with the following officers : H. G. Webb, president; Nelson Case and George S. King, vice-presidents; J. H. Morrison, secretary, J. A. Gates, treasurer. This association was never very active, and after a brief existence it was abandoned, since which time no effort has been made to organ- ize or maintain an association.
HOOSIER ASSOCIATION.
On June 19, 1886, the former residents of Indiana mea at Labette City and organized a Hoosier Association. Wilf. Cooper was elected president and W. W. Cook, secretary. This association has held several annual meet- ings since then, and maintains a feeling of friendship and pride among the old "Indian- ians."
OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
Several attempts have been made to secure a permanent organization of the old settlers in the county. As early as April 16, 1884, there was a preliminary meeting held at the court-house in Oswego, at which a committee was appointed to report a plan for enrollment at an adjourned meeting to be held thereafter. D. B. Crouse was chosen chairman and C. B. Woodford secretary. One or two other meet- ings were held the following month, and a form of constitution was adopted. However, this organization never did anything more than to have these preliminary meetings. In 1888 another effort was made to secure an organiza- tion, and a meeting of the old settlers was called through the Independent, to be held on
65
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
the 22d of February of that year. A commit- tee was appointed at this meeting to call a pub- lic meeting and arrange for a large attendance of the old settlers throughout the county. This committee called such meeting to be held at the fair grounds in Oswego on May 10, 1888.' An organization was formed at this time, and since then some two or three other meetings have been held; but the general in- terest has not yet been secured which it is to be hoped will be shown by those who have done so much to make the county what it is.
THE LABETTE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
In its issue of July 6, 1878, the Oswego Independent contained a notice of about a half- dozen lines stating that a meeting of the citi- zens of the county would be held at the court- house on Tuesday evening following. for the purpose of taking steps to organize a historical society. It was understood that this notice was inserted by J. S. Waters, who was then doing editorial work on the Independent. On July 9, 1878, a few parties met at the court- house, pursuant to said notice. Alexander Duncan, of Canada township, was made tem- porary chairman, and J. S. Waters, temporary secretary. The matter of a historical society was talked of, and before the adjournment of the meeting a committee, consisting of Nelson Case, W. A. Starr and R. M. Donley, was ap- pointed to prepare a plan for organization to be submitted in one week from that time. On Tuesday evening, July 16, the meeting met as per adjournment. The committee appointed to prepare the plan reported through Nelson Case, its chairman, recommending the forma- tion of a society on a very simple basis, "keep- ing in view sooner or later the incorporation of a society," and submitting the draft of a con-
stitution. The report of the committee was adopted, and the following officers elected : President, Nelson Case; vice-president, George Lisle; secretary, J. S. Waters; corresponding secretary, M. W. Reynolds; treasurer, C. M. Monroe; with vice-presidents from each of the townships. There has never been any change in the presidency since its organization. In 1879 W. A. Starr was elected secretary in place of Mr. Waters, who moved away; this position he continued to hold until his death. On November 21, 1881, the society became in- corporated by filing its charter in the office of the Secretary of State. Since Mr. Starr's death E. B. Baldwin and J. R. Hill have filled the office of secretary; H. C. Cook and M. E. Williams have held the office of treasurer.
Nearly complete files of many of the coun- ty papers have been preserved, and other objects of interest have been secured, but for several years the society has held no meetings and has been practically disorganized.
COUNTY CENTENNIAL BOARD.
On Saturday, September 19, 1875. a meet- ing was held at Oswego, which was attended by citizens from various parts of the county, for the purpose of organizing a board auxiliary to the State board to secure a proper represen- tation at the Centennial Exposition. The con- stitution and by-laws recommended by the State board were adopted, and a board of man- agers elected, consisting of the following indi- viduals : W. S. Newlon, P. T. Rhodes, F. B. McGill, Henry Tibbitts, J. F. Hill, J. J. Woods, A. Gebert, H. C. Cook, and J. M. Cavaness. A quorum of the board being present, a meet- ing was held, and the permanent officers of the board chosen, with the following result: Pres- ident, J. M. Cavaness; vice-president, F. B.
66
HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY
McGill; secretary, J. F. Hill; treasurer, J. J. Woods. The board of officers constituted the executive committee. The committees whose duty it was to make collections of the various articles requested by the State board were all chosen.
COLUMBIAN CLUB.
On August 26, 1892, a meeting of the ladies of the county was held at the parlors of the Oswego House, for the purpose of seeing the county properly represented at the Columbian Exposition. The following permanent officers were elected: Mrs. M. M. Woodruff, presi- dent; Mrs. Mary E. Perkins, vice-president ; Mrs. Alice Greene, secretary; Mrs. Elizabeth Elliott, treasurer. Mrs. Woodruff having de- clined to serve, Mrs. Lyda A. Baldwin was elected president in her place.
G. A. R.
Pea Ridge Post, No. 118, is located at Chetopa, and was organized August 21, 1882. Post commanders : Capt. Thomas O'Hare, Col. J. B. Cook, James F. Sterling, L. M. Bedell, S. T. Herman, W. O. Breckenridge, Robert Orme, William Stevens, H. J. Schock, W. H. Hooper, J. W. Bowles, and George Rodgers. Most of the commanders have served more than one term. Under the auspices of this post for eight years have been held annual soldiers' reunions. The first was held Octo- ber 18-21, 1893.
Antietam Post, No. 64, is located at Par- sons, and was organiezd June 2, 1882; it has been incorporated under the laws of Kansas. There are 400 names on its roll. The city of Parsons conveyed to the post, for a nominal consideration, a tract in Oakwood Cemetery in which all old soldiers are buried free.of expense
to their friends, if they so desire; eighty-four old soldiers have already been buried in these grounds. Two eight-inch Columbiads, weigh- ing 9,240 pounds each, a gift of the War De- partment, mounted on cut-stone supports with concrete foundations, point over the graves of those buried there. These grounds are sub- stantially and beautifully enclosed with cut sandstone coping and cap stones, and the graves are marked with Government head- stones. Nearly $5,000 have been expended on this burying place. Post Commanders : W. H. Morris, Luther Gilmore, H. L. Partridge, T. D. Ganer, W. P. Scholl, W. H. Porter, R. D. Talbot, J. D. Scott, A. M. Sourbeer, O. E. Peters, W. C. King, George W. Gould, Mills Voris, R. E. Holloway, W. C. Weaver, Au- gustus Martin, and John H. Lyles. In 1895 was held the first reunion at Parsons, under the impulse given by this post. These reun- ions have been held annually since, under the direction of a committee and officers elected by those who participate therein.
Mound Valley Post, No. 139, was organ- ized November 9, 1882. There are IIO names on its roll of old soldiers who have been mem- bers of this post. Only about 17 are in good standing ; five have died, and the others have withdrawn by suspension or removal. The fol- lowing have been commanders: Josephus Moore, W. W. Harper, A. J. Ginger, L. C. Wilmoth, Ivy Prescott, L. E. Hanson, N. W. Wallis, Ivy Prescott, T. J. Maudlin, L. E. Hanson, Ivy Prescott, McHenry Smith, J. W. Fee, L. E. Hanson, and C. G. Titsworth.
Oswego Post, No. 150, was organized Jan- uary 10, 1883, and has had the following commanders : John F. Hill, D. H. David, E. B. Baldwin, George P. Hall, J. C. Patterson, H. C. Cook, W. L. Burch, R. W Wright, Otis Whitney, B. F. Richards, G. W. Hendricks,
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
67
Colin Hodge, N. Sanford, H. E. Fuller, J. Garten, and G. W. Mathews. A soldiers' re- union was held in Oswego in the fall of 1900, under the patronage of this post.
Topping Post, No. 268, is located at Alta- mont, and was organized September 8, 1883. Commanders : Daniel Reid, Ezra Bonebrake, J. C. Murphy, J. J. Miles, A. H. Waite, R. A. Davis, J. F. Huffman, T. J. Hun, and T. H. Murray. It has a membership of 22, and has lost three by death.
Knoxville Post, No. 458, was organized in the Hawkins schoolhouse near Trenton, May 18, 1883, and was numbered 167. Col. E. B. Baldwin was the first commander. Its charter
members embraced most of the old soldiers and in the southwestern portion of the county, and they were among the most substantial and prominent citizens. After Edna was started, the post was removed to that town, and a re- organization was effected. A new charter, No. 458, was issued to it, dated February 9, 1889. The building in which the post held its meetings was burned in February, 1890, and many of its effects, including its charter, were consumed. A full list of post commanders has not been secured, but among the incumbents of that office have been Col. E. B. Baldwin S. WV. McMahan, J. M. Edmonson, and W. J. Raymond.
Tauchengr & Burtberger, A.C.
FIRST COURT-HOUSE; ERECTED 1868.
ADDITION TO COURT-HOUSE; ERECTED 1870.
THE FENCE AND TREES WHICH APPEAR HERE WERE NOT AROUND THIS BUILDING WHEN IT WAS ERECTED.
1
CRIMINAL MATTERS
On August 6, 1868, Charles Van Alstine killed J. C. Wheeler, near a saloon in Oswe- go, in which they had been drinking. Van Alstine was tried and convicted of murder, and sent to the penitentiary. This was the first murder trial in the county.
In the latter part of 1868 a half-breed In- dian was intoxicated and making a disturbance on the streets of Chetopa. He was arrested by an officer, who asked him where he got his whisky ; he told the officer if he would go with him he would show him. He went to a shanty on the outskirts of town, opened a door, and stooping down to his saddle-bags took there- from a revolver, saying, "That is where I got my whisky," and fired, the ball striking the officer on the forehead, but glancing instead of penetrating the skull. The Indian was again arrested, and taken before the justice. A some- what rough character called Bob Broadus told him he would be killed, and, if he had an op- portunity, to run. The Indian soon started off, and was at once fired upon by a number of par- ties and killed.
In 1870 John D. Coulter was postmaster at Oswego, and also agent of all the express companies that did business at that place. In the latter part of November of that year, with- out giving notice of his intention so to do, he left town, and was never seen here thereafter. He proved to be a defaulter to the Government and also the express companies in the sum of several hundred dollars.
Anthony Amend and John Pierce, living in Neosho township, had a difficulty over a child. Pierce shot and killed Amend, and then at- tempted to hide in the woods and tall grass. The grass was set on fire, and to escape, Pierce jumped into the Neosha and swam across. He was caught and taken to Jackson- ville, where a vigilance committee hung him. This hanging took place in Neosho county. Several parties were arrested as being con- nected with it, but no one was ever convicted.
On October 3, 1874, on the fair grounds at Oswego, John Bagby stabbed William Hog- sett and Charles H. Westfall, both of whom were special police. Hogsett soon died, while Westfall, after a protracted confinement, re- covered. Bagby was sent to the penitentiary.
On November 2, 1870, Erastus E. and Lis- ton P. Hopkins killed their brother-in-law, John M. May, by beating and wounding him with poles and clubs. In June, 1871, they were tried for this offense. The State was represented by Judge D. P. Lowe, M. V. Voss, and Jesse C. Harper, together with the county attorney. The defense was principally con- ducted by M. V. B. Bennett and J. D. Gam- ble. The defendants were convicted of mur- der in the second degree, after a protracted trial. A notable incident of this trial was in reference to the court driving a witness named Chas. H. Butts from the witness stand dur- ing the giving of his testimony. It appears by the testimony of Butts that he was a detective,
69
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
and had been placed in the jail with the Hop- kins brothers under the pretense of being guilty of some kind of a crime, for the real purpose of getting admissions from them to be of use · on the trial. On these facts appearing, the presiding judge said that such a person was unworthy of credit, and should not be allowed to give testimony in his court ; he was directed to leave the stand, which he díd.
On February 24, 1871, John Clark was killed at Chetopa by Frank Huber. Huber was tried, and convicted of murder in the first de- gree, and sentenced to be hung on September Ist; on August 3Ist a respite was granted un- til September 30th. Huber had been taken to Fort Scott after his trial for more safe confine- ment until the time of his execution. The last of August he was brought from Fort Scott to Oswego, where a gallows had been erected in front of the old jail, and where on the morrow he was to be hung. After the respite arrived, and before the time of his execution, as then fixed, the Supreme Court granted him a new trial because of a defect in the form of the ver- dict. Preferring not to undergo the excite- ment of another trial, Huber succeeded in re- moving some of the stones and other rubbish that separated him from the outside world, and on the night of November 23, 1871, made his escape from the county jail, since which time he has never been heard of at this place. His case was the nearest we have ever been to having a legal execution in this county.
On August 14, 1872, B. W. Harwood had a difficulty with the Blye brothers, and was very badly beaten and bruised by them. Later in the day he went to their home and fired into a crowd of people that were there assembled, slightly wounding two persons. On the 15th he was arrested, and gave bond for his appear- ance at trial. On the morning of August 16th
he was found on his premises, riddled with bullets. Three of the Blye brothers and a number of neighbors were arrested and tried for the murder. While people generally had no doubt about their guilt, the State failed to pro- duce sufficient evidence to convict, and the de- fendants were all acquitted.
On May 27, 1875, R. B. Myers absconded. It appeared from examination made that for months he had been embezzling from the Adams Express Company, for whom he was agent. A statement was made by the general manager to the effect that as far back as Decem- ber previous he had been detected in defalca- tion. In the fall of 1879 he was brought back from the west, where he was found, on requisi- tion, and on examination was bound over to court. In proceedings pending the trial, it was developed that the company was defectively organized, its charter being imperfect; and there being no law punishing embezzlement by an agent of a joint-stock company, Myers was permitted to go at liberty.
On April 1, 1878, while Milton Engler and Samuel Clevinger were going to their homes in Cherokee county from Chetopa in a state of intoxication, they got into a quarrel ; the former stabbed the latter with a knife, from the effects of which he soon died.
On Sunday morning, August 25, 1878 R. H. Clift, who was marshal of Chetopa, was shot and killed near town by John Richmond, a horse thief whom he was attempting to arrest. Richmond had passed through town a few days before with a stolen mule in his possession and was now returning to Missouri. Word having come that he was guilty of stealing the mule, parties in town who had seen him pass through informed the marshal of the circumstances, and he immediately started in pursuit. He soon overtook Richmond and ordered him to
70
HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY
stop, telling him that he was under arrest. Rich- mond replied that he would return with him, but at once drew a revolver and shot Clift through the neck; he died that night. On the Wednesday following the Sunday on which Clift was shot, Richmond, having reached his home in Missouri near the village of White Hall, in Laurence county, was there arrested for stealing the mule at a camp meeting. The next morning, August 29th, he was being taken to Mount Vernon, when Bently came up and informed the officers that Richmond was guilty of the murder of Clift. This was the first that the shooting of Clift was known at the home of Richmond. Richmond was taken to Mount Vernon, where he was held until Bently could get a requisition, and as soon as the same could be obtained Bently and United States Deputy Marshal Graham secured his delivery to them, and at once started with him for this county. In- stead of taking the train at Carthage to Oswe- go, they decided to go the route through the In- dian Territory, transferring to the M., K. & T. Ry. at Vinita. They arrived at Chetopa on the midnight train Thursday night, September 5th. Masked men appeared in the train as soon as it stopped at Chetopa, and compelled the officers to take Richmond out; they took him out and proceded to get into a 'bus. The mob sur- rounded the 'bus and train, took Richmond from the officers, marched him a mile south- west of town, and strung him up to an old bridge, where he was left hanging until. the next afternoon. The cold blooded murder of Richmond was without excuse. His crime was a terrible one, but there would have been no difficulty in convicting and punishing him for it. No one except the participants know who were the criminals engaged in the second murder, and no effort was made to apprehend or punish them.
One of the most brutal murders ever com- mitted took place in Canada township, about the last of October, 1878. Theodore Munster- man and William Hunt some time previous thereto had had difficulty over the entry of a claim. On the day of the murder Hunt and his wife had been to Oswego, and during their absence Munsterman had been seen around the premises. On their way home from Oswego, Hunt overtook Munsterman going in the direc- tion of their home. He got in and rode with them. It was late in the evening when they ar- rived home. Hunt and Munsterman talked over their previous difficulty, and agreed to bury all differences. Munsterman was making his home with his sister several miles away, and it was suggested that he stay all night with Hunt. They had but one bed and they made a pallet for him upon the floor in the same room in which they slept. During the night Mrs. Hunt awoke and found Munster- man at their bedside bending over her; she asked him what he wanted; he said he wanted to kiss her. Later in the night Munsterman got up and shot both Mr. and Mrs. Hunt in the head. Hunt was evidently killed at once. Probably Mrs. Hunt made some move, and to finish the job Munsterman took a hatchet and broke in her skull. He left them both in bed where they had slept, went out, locked the door, and took Hunt's team and moved off. He was seen the next day with the team, which he said he had borrowed and was going to the Ter- ritory for coal. It turned out that he took the team and hitched it in a ravine, and himself went to Chetopa. That evening one of the neighbor boys went to the house, but could not get in. He heard a groaning inside, and went and told his mother. Several of the neighbors were aroused and came to the house and broke open the door. They found Hunt dead, and
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
Mrs. Hunt unable to speak and nearly dead. Munsterman was found, and at once arrested on suspicion that he had committed the mur- der. His account of having the team and of his whereabouts was entirely unsatisfactory, and he was placed in the county jail. By the time of the next term of court, when the case came up on trial, Mrs. Hunt had so far recov- ered as to be able to talk. She came upon the witness stand and identified Munsterman as the murderer, giving the story of the transac- tion substantially as here recorded. Munster- man was convicted of murder in the first de- gree. He died in the penitentiary, November 25, 1888.
On November 3, 1879, an obstruction in the shape of a hand-car, with old irons and other material, was placed on the Frisco Ry .. near Big Hill station. A detective was em- ployed to ascertain the guilty parties, and there- after Albert C. Tolliver was arrested for the offense. Tolliver made confession, and impli- cated James Henry Barnes, Sr., and his son in the crime. The old man Barnes was not found, but the younger Barnes was tried, and, by what is believed to be the most successfully planned and carried out conspiracy for perjury ever attempted in this court, participated in by a large number of his friends and neighbors, was acquitted.
On December 2, 1879, Quincy Harris was arrested for operating an illicit distillery on Hackberry Creek, and John and Josiah John- son for assisting by furnishing corn. Harris was taken in charge by the U. S. marshal.
On July 10, 1880, Daniel Tucker killed a colored man named William Dudley, near Mound Valley. Tucker had been lying around Chetopa for several days, and hired Dudley to take him to Neodesha with his team, on the pretense that he desired to bring back a load of
goods. On Sunday, July 11th, parties pass- ing west of Mound Valley saw where some one had encamped the night before, and noticed clots of blood and other evidences of a hard struggle. Physicians were called, and after ex- amination pronounced the blood and brains found to be those of a human being. That even- ing some one found the body of a colored man in a ravine some three miles away, and parties immediately started out to find the murderer. They soon found a wagon with a man and woman in it and the team was identified as the one which had encamped the night before where the body was found. . The man was ar- rested and proved to be Tucker, the murderer of the colored man, William Dudley. He was. convicted of murder in the first degree.
On March 4, 1881, on a south-bound pas- senger train on the M. K. & T. Ry., just as it was leaving Chetopa. James Hayden, who was from Lebanon, Ky., and a passenger on the train, commenced firing his revolver promiscu- ously among the passengers. He shot and killed William Lewis, of McAlister, I. T., and wounded two others. He was at once arrested and taken from the train and lodged in jail. Soon thereafter, it being supposed that he was insane, an inquisition was held, in which it was determined that he was of unsound mind. His friends came from Kentucky and took him home. The shooting was caused by his sup- posing that he was in danger of his life from the Indians, as he was nearing the Indian Ter- ritory.
On September 27, 1884, John Douglas killed Harry Fox, at his home in Canada town- ship. Douglas escaped and went to Ohio, from whence he was brought back a year after, and on trial was convicted.
At the May. 1885, term of the district court, Frank P. Myres was tried and convicted
72
HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY
of stealing a span of mules. On his applica- tion he was granted a new trial. On the night of July 7, 1885, Winfield Scott Crouse, who was a prisoner in the county jail charged with murder, J. J. Thompson, with liquor selling, and a colored man, Mat Lingo, with assault and battery, broke jail and compelled Myres to go with them. The latter, however, did not leave town, but next morning returned and gave himself up. On the night of July 26th Myres with others broke jail again, but he was soon found, at Vinita, and was re- turned to jail on the 28th. On the night of August 4th Myres was taken from jail. To secure his escape from jail, five locks had to be broken or unlocked. The next morning the locks were all found fastened and in good or- der. How the doors were opened is an un- solved mystery. On August 6th Myres's body was found in the Neosho River, just above the Oswego dam.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.