USA > Missouri > DeKalb County > History of Andrew and De Kalb counties, Missouri : from earliest time to the present; together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and family records. besides a condensed history of the state of Missouri, etc > Part 30
USA > Missouri > Andrew County > History of Andrew and De Kalb counties, Missouri : from earliest time to the present; together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and family records. besides a condensed history of the state of Missouri, etc > Part 30
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OLIVER H. BATEMAN.
Witness: JOHN LINCOLN, Sheriff of Andrew County,
THOMAS H. ENSOR.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, clerk of the circuit court, this 8th day of September, 1884.
J. C. BROOKS, Clerk. By THOMAS H. ENSOR, Deputy Clerk.
After it had become known on Monday night that Bateman had made a confession acknowledging his guilt, the excitement be- came so great that at about midnight Sheriff Lincoln, fearing & mob, secretly took the prisoner from jail and drove with him to St. Joseph, where he placed him in jail.
On Tuesday night crowds of people gathered around the St. Joseph jail, and the excitement was intense. The prisoner was secretly taken from the jail by Sheriff Lincoln, assisted by Sheriff Thomas, of Buchanan County, and again brought back to the Savannah jail where he has since been confined.
How much of the above confession is true we are unable to state. Bateman stated in that confession that he had thrown the knife into the creek, and some time afterward wrote to Thomas Dawes, who lives near Flag Springs, that he could find the knife behind a rafter in the kitchen loft. W. A. Elliott, Dawes and several others went there and found the knife where Bateman stated it was.
In a number of interviews after he made his confession, and, in fact, at the time the confession was made, he stated that he drank some whisky, which he got from a stranger that had passed his father's house, and that it crazed him so that he hardly knew what he was doing when he committed the crime. This no one believes, and, in fact, we understand that his parents even say that it is not so.
Oliver Bateman did not drink, and it was the general belief that he had not a drop of whisky in him at the time he committed the murder. He stated, himself, that he never bought but one pint of whisky during his life time. He wanted some excuse for committing the terrible crime, and no doubt concluded that whisky was the best he could make.
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HISTORY OF ANDREW COUNTY.
After making his confession Bateman requested that a special term of the circuit court be called as soon as convenient, so that he could plead guilty, and have the matter settled at once. This Judge Kelley granted him, and set Thursday, October 2, as the day for the trial.
Court convened on that day ; a grand jury was empaneled, and after examining a number of witnesses, two indictments were found charging Oliver Bateman with the murder of both the lit- tle girls. The judge offered to appoint counsel to defend him but he did not wish any. The indictments were then given to him, and court adjourned until the Monday following.
Before adjourning court Judge Kelley talked to him, and told him of the enormity of the crime, and that he had forty-eight hours to plead to the indictment, and would assign him counsel if he so wished. He was then taken to jail, and the only com- plaint that he made was that the matter had not been ended that day, and the time set for his execution. He contended that he was guilty and ready to die. During the interview between the 2d and 6th of October Judge Kelley requested ex-Judge William Heren to visit Bateman in jail, and see whether he wished counsel, and if so, for him, Heren, to take charge of the case. Judge Heren had several interviews with the prisoner, and on each time Bateman insisted that he was guilty, and said that he didn't de- sire any delay whatever in the trial.
Monday, October 6, great crowds again gathered in Sa- vannah and all seemed anxious to know how the Bateman case would terminate. It was noised around that he had made up his mind to enter a plea of not guilty and ask for a change of venue. These reports excited the crowd, and there was strong talk of lynching in case he did so.
The courthouse was filled during the morning, but Judge Kel- ley did not put in an appearance until after dinner. In the mean- time Drs. W. H. Bryant and W. M. Kerr, of Savannah, and E. A. Jones, of Rochester, visited Bateman in the jail, and examined him as to his mental condition. After a thorough examination these physicians pronounced him sane, and responsible for his acts.
After dinner the courtroom was again filled, a number of
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ladies occupying seats within the bar, and promptly at 2:05 P. M. court was called, and at 2:07 the prisoner was brought in by Sheriff Lincoln and Deputy Sheriff W. A. Elliott, and took his seat under the clerk's desk, and after sitting a few minutes the Judge addressed him and said.
"Mr. Bateman you may stand up."
After the prisoner had risen to his feet the Judge continued: " You have had the copies of the indictments against you, and have had time to consider the matter. Are you ready to plead ?"
Bateman's reply was, " Yes, Sir."
C. F. Booher, prosecuting attorney, then read the indictment charging him with the murder of Adella Mclaughlin, the younger of the girls, by cutting her throat, and next the one for the killing of Austie Mclaughlin, the elder sister, by shooting her, to both of which the prisoner pleaded guilty, without showing the least emotion. In answer to questions propounded to him by the court he stated that he did not want any other action taken in the mat- ter, and authorized the court to receive the plea as given.
At 2:22 P. M. Oliver Bateman was again ordered to stand up, and Judge Kelley concluded the sentence as follows: "You have cruelly taken the lives of these poor children in their innocence and purity. All who break the law must suffer the consequences. It was written many years ago that the wages of sin is death. The law makes an example of you as a warning to all others who may be disposed to trespass the positive command of the law. It is the order of this court that you be taken back to the jail from whence you were brought, and there be confined until the twenty-first day of November, 1884, and upon that day, between the hours of 10 o'clock in the forenoon and 4 o'clock in the afternoon, you be taken to some suitable place, selected by the sheriff, and be hanged by the neck until you are dead. You may, in the meantime, have the attendance of such men of God as you may select. It is never too late to make your peace with God, and may the Lord have mercy on your soul."
Thus ended this remarkable case, occupying but twenty-seven minutes. The sentence was made on the first indictment. The only objection that Bateman found to the whole proceedings was that the day of execution was not set that day instead of the 21st of November.
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Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin, father and mother of the murdered children, were present during the trial, and occupied seats within the bar.
At both the trials large crowds of people from all sections of this and adjoining counties were present, and there was a deep interest manifested in the case. After the sentence was pro- nounced all present appeared to be satisfied, and the general talk was that the law should take its course, and the prisoner be al- lowed to expiate his crime on the gallows. After the adjourn- ment of court the crowd dispersed and Savannah was as quiet as usual. No more fears of lynching were entertained.
After the sentence the prisoner was continually guarded in jail for the purpose of preventing him committing suicide. He had many visitors, the most of whom, no doubt, called to satisfy an idle curiosity. Members of the press from all sections inter- viewed him time and again, and they all regarded him as a pecul- iar character.
He was always ready and willing to answer any question, and expressed no fear of death. He would talk of the crime as an ordinary occurrence, and always insisted that he would show no signs of weakness on the gallows.
Bateman enjoyed good health while in jail, slept soundly and ate heartily, and frequently spoke of the kind treatment he re- ceived from Sheriff Lincoln and wife.
He was visited frequently by Revs. Hawkins, Voss and D. F. Bone, who prayed with him in jail, and between 10 and 11 o'clock on the day before the execution, when the above named gentlemen and Messrs. Dr. Laney and W. B. Howard and Mrs. Hawkins were holding religious services with him, it is said that he experienced religion. The members of his family visited him on Wednesday and bade him a last farewell.
George Brant cut his hair and shaved him in jail late in the afternoon, and he remarked that he was the first barber that ever shaved him and would be the last. He was cheerful all the time, and chatted and talked with those around him, and did not appear in the least to be troubled about what was to take place.
Revs. Voss of the Presbyterian Church and Bone of the Methodist Episcopal Church South again visited him, and re- mained some time in prayer.
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Bateman retired at his usual hour, and his guards report that he slept soundly during the night, and when he awoke was in good spirits. He arose at 7 o'clock and when he came out of his cell he was in the best of humor, and jumped up and said that he felt good. He ate a hearty breakfast, and when asked whether he had anything new to divulge, stated that he had told every- thing and had no new developments to make.
The night before the execution he requested his guards to al- low him to remain up during the night, as it would be the last that he would spend on earth, and that he was anxious to have a good time.
Early in the morning reporters from the St. Joe, Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago dailies endeavored to have an inter- view with him. Sheriff Lincoln took in their request and the prisoner sent them word that as he divulged everything he had no desire to see any more newspaper reporters.
The evening preceding the day of execution many from a distance arrived, coming from all quarters and representing several States. During the night they continued to pour in from the surrounding country.
The hotels were crowded as were all private houses, where the citizens would under any circumstances accommodate any of the gathering throng with sleeping facilities, and hundreds found no beds at all.
The morning dawned with a haze, blurring the brilliancy of an otherwise bright day. Ere it was fully light, wagons and buggies filled with curious humanity, men, women and children on horseback and afoot, came, bent on seeing the justice of the law meted out to Bateman.
Before 10 o'clock all the streets of the town were a surging mass of humanity. Both morning trains added hundreds to the crowd in the town that was then overflowing. By sunrise they had commenced to locate their positions on the grounds of the execution.
At 9:30 in the morning his father and his uncle, William, vis- ited him, and, after a short conversation, bid him a last and a final farewell.
At 10 o'clock Revs. Voss and Bone were again admitted to the
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prisoner's presence, and devotional exercises were held, the pris- oner seeming to be deeply effected. At 12 o'clock Sheriff Lincoln entered the jail and read the death warrant to the doomed man, and half an hour later he was placed in a carriage and conveyed to the scaffold.
At 12:55 he ascended the gallows with a firm step, and, as the rope was adjusted and all made ready, Rev. Voss read a few verses from the Bible, and prayer was offered up by Rev. D. F. Bone for the eternal welfare of the doomed man.
After the conclusion of prayer the black cap was drawn over his face by Sheriff Lincoln, and at 12:55 the trap was sprung, and Oliver H. Bateman was swung into eternity.
He made no remarks from the scaffold, and died without showing any signs of nervousness whatever.
Sheriff Lincoln was assisted by Deputy Sheriff W. A. Elliot, James Caldwell and others.
After the drop the body was examined by Drs. Wakefield, W. M. Keer, and E. B. Ensor, of Savannah, and Dr. Carpenter, of St. Joseph.
Life ceased eight minutes after the drop, and thirty minutes afterward the body was cut down and placed in the coffin prepared by his father, and was taken charge of by him, and buried by him on his farm near Flag Springs.
Thus ended the famous Bateman case, and the law was vin- dicated.
DEATH WARRANT.
STATE OF MISSOURI,
COUNTY OF ANDREW. ss.
In the Circuit Court.
To the Sheriff of Andrew County, in the State of Missouri:
WHEREAS, On the sixth day of October, A. D. 1884, in the circuit court of said county, at a special term thereof, it was sentenced, ordered and adjudged that Oliver H. Bateman, confined in the Andrew county jail in your charge, be hanged by the neck until he be dead, on the 21st day of November, A. D. 1884, between the hours of ten o'clock in the forenoon and four o'clock in the afternoon, of that day, upon a judgment of conviction of murder in the first degree, a certified copy of which said judgment and sentence, is hereunto attached.
And it was further ordered that the sheriff of Andrew county take the said Oliver H. Bateman from the jail of Andrew county, to some suitable place in said county, to be by him selected, and hang him, the said Oliver H. Bateman, by the neck until he be dead, on the 21st day of November, A. D. 1884, between the hours of ten o'clock in the forenoon and four o'clock in the afternoon of that day.
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You are therefore commanded to take the said Oliver H. Bateman from the county jail of Andrew county, in the State of Missouri, on the 21st day of November, A. D. 1884, and at some suitable and convenient place in said county, to be by you selected, between the hours of ten o'clock in the forenoon and four o'clock in the afternoon of that day, hang him, the said Oliver H. Bateman, by the neck until he be dead.
And you are further commanded to have this warrant before the judge of the Andrew County Circuit Court at the next regular term thereof, to be begun and held at the courthouse in the city of Savannah, on the 1st day of Decem- ber, A. D. 1884, certifying herein how you have executed the same.
Witness my hand and the seal of said court, done at Savannah, Mo., this 15th day of November, A. D. 1884.
By THOS. H. ENSOR, D. C.
J. C. BROOKS, Circuit Clerk.
GRASSHOPPER PLAGUES.
Andrew County was first visited by grasshoppers-Rocky Mountain locusts-in August, 1874, the insects making their appearance in great numbers on the 8th day of the above month, flying in an easterly direction. They continued to pass over in clouds for several days, but sufficient numbers alighted to cause great uneasiness among the farmers and gardeners, who took every precaution to guard the crops against the ravages of the terrible pests. The insects did but little damage that year, sim- ply remaining long enough to deposit their eggs, which they did in countless millions, and then emigrated to other fields.
About the 20th of the succeeding April the young hoppers began to appear, absolutely covering every square or fraction thereof of the earth's surface, destroying verdure of all kinds, rendering wheat, pasture, and all other fields as barren as the traveled highway. The pests seemed to move in one general di- rection, eastward, and exercised the utmost system in the work of destruction. Countless myriads swarmed through the air, in clouds as dense as to intercept the sun's rays for several minutes at a time, while the ground in places seemed to consist of a moving mass of animated atoms. Before this relentless army of destroyers all kinds of vegetation rapidly perished, and it is said that the insects became so numerous on the railroads as to cause the locomotive wheels to slip on the iron, resulting in pro- longed delays of trains. At first the farmers attempted to protect their crops by destroying the insects, but, finding that a thousand
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HISTORY OF ANDREW COUNTY.
made their appearance for every one killed, all such futile efforts were soon abandoned.
One lady, bent upon saving her beautiful cabbage garden, thought to thwart the hoppers by tying over each plant a news- paper, fastening the same securely around the stalk, near the ground. Imagine her surprise the following morning on hearing a confused sound, like the rattle of dried beans in a gourd, pro- ceeding from the garden. Going at once to the cabbage patch, she found each paper stretched to its utmost capacity by the industrious insects, thousands of which had succeeded in finding a passage to the delicate morsels within.
Poultry of all kinds fattened on the hoppers until, it is said, that both their flesh and eggs tasted like the odor of the insects.
No country was ever worse afflicted with a plague than was Andrew County with the locusts, from the time indicated until about the 20th of June. Early gardens, all the small grains and grass crops, excepting in small districts, were completely de- stroyed. With the departure of the pests farmers renewed their planting of corn-some planting as late as the 4th of July. Large quantities of vegetables were also planted. Millet and Hungarian seed were sown, and, the season proving excep- tionally favorable, immense quantities of all these crops were raised. Corn planted that year in July produced from fifty to one hundred bushels per acre, and all kinds of vegetables were so plentiful as to command little or no price in the markets. Pota- toes of the finest quality sold at from 15 to 20 cents per bushel, and, before the succeeding spring, as low as 10 cents. The fruit crop that year, though called a failure, turned out to be much more than sufficient for home consumption. In the fall, when all parts of the country were relieving the distresses the Kansas and Nebraska people were suffering from famine, caused by grasshoppers, Andrew County, " grasshoppered " as it had been, was able to respond to the call, and do its full share in feeding the hungry and clothing the poor.
CYCLONES.
Andrew County, like all prairie countries, is occasionally vis- ited by high winds and tornadoes. The first of these that caused
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any considerable amount of damage occurred in the early history of the county, consequently but few facts are remembered con- cerning it. Quite a number of buildings and fences appear to have been destroyed and some stock killed, but so far as now known no lives were lost.
The following account of the great cyclone which passed through Andrew County in June, 1881, is largely from the publish- ed account in the Savannah Reporter: A little before 5 o'clock, Sunday evening, June 12, a dark, ragged, strange and foreboding looking cloud was noticed west of Bennett Lane, in the northern part of the county, which seemed to dip toward the earth in a point at the center, and was traveling westward. The point reached the ground just before crossing the road, and the wind scattered boards, rails, agricultural implements, etc., in all directions. The cloud, with a loud rushing noise, ever and anon reached the earth, which seemed to produce an explosion, and caused the rising of a dense black smoke, rushed over fields and forests, stripping the largest trees of their branches, and tearing up smaller ones by the roots, and carrying them for long distances. The first house encountered in its path was that of Nathaniel Kellogg, some six miles north of Savannah, the roof and upper story of which were completely demolished, the fine orchard ruined, and the fences swept away, the family fortunately escap- ing uninjured. The next house struck was that of Mr. Jere. Holt, which was twisted about twenty feet on the foundation, part of the south end being torn off. The family found safety by taking refuge in a small cave near by. Mr. Holt lost about fourteen hogs, some of which were pinned to the ground by fall- ing rails. Isaac King's house was next demolished, his wife re- ceiving an ugly gash in the forehead, and one of the Sipes boys being badly crippled. The track was then over the place of John Parker, the cloud taking along with it the house and contents clean, leaving nothing at all, and almost totally destroying the fine orchard. The house on the Hileman place, occupied by William Jones, and Mr. Poff, was demolished and carried off, as was nearly everything else about the premises. A Mr. Roberts, seeing the storm coming his way, sought shelter for his family. Upon returning, no vestige of his home was left, the well bucket
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HISTORY OF ANDREW COUNTY.
and rope being blown away, and the well, in which some twenty feet of water had previously stood, was perfectly dry. A Bap- tist Church was next encountered, some of the easily recognized lath of the structure being picked up more than a mile away. In the field of Zach Richards, which was untouched by the storm, a dozen or so of full-grown apple trees were dropped. Passing just north of Russell White's house, the suction from the cloud drawing one of his chimneys down, the cyclone next struck the house occupied by Randolph Newman. Mr. Newman, seeing its approach, gathered his half-dozen children and rushed for the orchard, Mrs. Newman starting to follow, but afterward returning to the house. The house was log; the door was blown open, and Mrs. Newman through it, the roof, logs, and other debris tumbling in a huge heap around her, but in such a manner as not to se- riously injure her. Although the trees in the orchard were up- rooted, the family escaped with but slight injury.
A half mile east of Mr. Newman's place occurred the first death on the farm owned by E. A. Phillips, near Fish Trap Ford, occupied by George Roberts, wife and two children. A Mrs. Hall was visiting the family at the time. Upon the approach of the storm they all started to go to the house of the latter, but were caught by the cruel wind. Mrs. Roberts was picked up dead some distance away, having evidently been killed by some heavy object striking her on the head, while all the others were found to be more or less injured-one of the little girls quite seriously.
The Platte River was then jumped, after which the farm of Mr. McIntyre was reached. On the west side of Mr. McIntyre's dwelling stood some corn cribs filled with corn and a granary containing a quantity of wheat and wool. After demolishing the corn crib, the cyclone caught up the granary within its grasp, hurling it backward against an embankment, and again taking it up, carried the building and contents completely away. Then with one foul swoop it caught the dwelling house, hurled it to the ground, breaking and twisting it into fragments, leaving it a complete wreck. Mr. McIntyre and family saved their lives by taking refuge in the cellar. Four horses grazing in the pasture east of the house were caught up and carried a
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distance of four hundred yards and dropped, killing one and badly wounding the others.
About fifty hogs were killed, and altogether Mr. McIntyre's loss amounted to not less than $3,000. The next house struck was the residence of W. K. Meek about one-half mile east, which was completely wrecked. Four head of horses, two cows and about six or eight hogs were here killed. Mr. Meek's loss was very heavy. . His threshing machine was carried away and torn to pieces, some of the pieces being seen three miles distant. There was no one home at the time, except a little boy about twelve years old, who took refuge in an old log house behind the stove. He held on to one leg of the stove, and the house was all taken off, except the floor, thus leaving the little fellow safe, a most miraculous escape. , The house occupied by Mr. Leslie, about 200 yards south of Mr. Meek's, was unroofed, and one horse badly crippled. The residence of T. Bateman, three- fourths of a mile northeast, was next struck and badly racked, and his orchard almost completely ruined. Next in order was J. M. Bliven's house occupied by William Bateman. The house was blown down and contents scattered, the family escaping, however, by taking refuge in the cellar. The houses of William Elrod, Dr. Dungan, Mrs. Edwards and William Meek were in turn struck by the devouring monster. The main storm struck the residences of Dr. and M. B. Dungan. The buildings were carried away with fences, orchard and everything they had. M. B. Dungan lost three horses and four hogs. The two families found safety in a small cave near the house. Will- iam Elrod's house was entirely carried away with all its contents, the family saving themselves by running a few rods distant. The house of Mrs. Edwards was unroofed and badly damaged. W. J. Meek's. house was partly unroofed, and much of the con- tents destroyed.
At the village of Flag Springs the cyclone made its appear- ance so suddenly that but few moments were left to prepare shelter from the raging elements. About fifty persons were collected at the Baptist Church for preaching, all of whom became frightened, and scattered over the town. Fortunately there were no lives lost, and no one seriously hurt in the immediate neigh-
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HISTORY OF ANDREW COUNTY.
borhood. The stable of D. B. Knight was blown down, and horses left unhurt. J. A. Boyes' house was damaged, the corner torn off, and the chimneys carried away; thence it struck the house of John Bonham, one-half mile northeast, completely demolishing the building, Mr. Bonham, the only person at home at the time, taking refuge in the cellar. The next house struck was that of J. W. Pierce, where the storm put in its full force, destroying almost everything on the place. He lost six horses, about twenty-five head of hogs, and twenty head of cattle. Two of the horses were carried about a hundred yards, and fell into the road. His well was fifty feet deep, and had in it about twenty-five feet of water, all of which was drawn to the surface leaving the bottom dry. The barn of Calvin Blodgett was blown down, and his house badly damaged; thence, about a quarter of a mile east, it struck an open prairie, and killed about 150 head of cattle and several horses.
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