USA > Missouri > Clay County > History of Clay County, Missouri > Part 17
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A government marker was secured for the grave of Richard P. Simms, a soldier of the Revolution who is buried seven miles north of Liberty. After being properly inscribed, it was placed, in 1912, by his great-great-grandson, Robert S. Withers, the regent's husband.
The Chapter has the nucleus of a valuable historical library and a few interesting relics.
As a patriotic organization, Alexander Doniphan Chapter, D. A. R., has even been to the front with inspiring celebrations of special days in our nation's history. Washington's Birthday and Flag Day, June 14th, have witnessed many beautiful spectacles and interesting fetes. Sometimes the program has featured patriotic addresses, at others music has been the chief interest, again family heirlooms and precious relics have held the center of the state and yet again charming hospitality alone has graced the occusion.
On Feb. 22. 1919, the Chapter held a memorial service for the nine- teen Clay County men who died in service in the World War. This was the only service held in the county for all the county's gold star men and was carried out in the most tender and inspiring manner. At the close, the Honor Roll, a very artistic production from the pen of Robert S. Withers, was unveiled and crowned with a wreath of leaves. Later it was placed at the south entrance of the Court House, where it hangs under its glass cover, as yet. the only memorial erected in honor of our World War dead.
One thing done by the Liberty D. A. R. in 1912 called for editorial comment in the Kansas City papers and received newspaper publicity as far as New York.
No Star-Spangled Banner had floated over the Court House since the Federals were in possession of the county during the Civil War. The Daughters of the American Revolution, true to their code of patriotism. deplored this and petitioned the County Court to buy a United States flag and provide a staff. The court granted the petition and on Novem-
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ber 4, 1912, Old Glory was unfurled above the Court House at Liberty for the first time in fifty-one years. Mr. John Will Hall, State Com- mander of the Confederate Veterans, a resident of Liberty, officiated as flag raiser. This was an interesting point in the ceremonies, as he had also been the one to hoist the Confederate flag above the same Court House in 1861. Such captions as "Into the Union at Last" appeared in the headlines of metropolitan papers and the event was heralded as a real news item.
The Daugliters presented a handsome United States flag and oak case to the Liberty Public Schools at the same time and instituted the Flag Salute and proper observances among the school children.
The progressiveness of the local Chapter has met with recognition away from home, different members having been appointed to important state and national committees. Mrs. Ethel Massie Withers served as chairman of State Credentials Committee in 1914, and chairman of Reci- procity Bureau in 1914-1915. Mrs. Temperance Lightburn Thomason served a term as state chairman of International Relations Committee.
The Chapter has been honored with one state office, Mrs. Ethel Massic Withers having been elected State Historian in 1915 for a term of two years. As State Historian her work received commendation from the National organization. Her biggest work was the preparation of an illustrated lecture "Pioneering in Missouri." This covers the period from 1735 to 1860 and gives a comprehensive view of early settlements and development. With it go 157 slides depicting the earliest scenes, many of the first buildings, typical homes and portraits of the pioneers themselves. This lecture was given by Mrs. Withers at the State Con- ference in Louisiana, Missouri, in October, 1916, where it was heard by Floyd C. Shoemaker, who gave it favorable mention in the Missouri Historical Review. Later the lecture was sent on tour and was given in many towns of the State, including St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Kirksville, Marshall, Liberty, etc. The lecture manuscript in printed form and the slides are now with the Missouri State Historical Society at Columbia.
In 1916, Governor Major named Mrs. Withers as one of the members of the Missouri State Centennial Committee of One Thousand, and in 1920 she was appointed to represent Clay County on the Centennial
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Committee, formed to promote the celebration of Missouri's entry into statehood, at the State Fair in Sedalia, in August, 1921.
During the World War, the women of the D. A. R. joined intensively in all war activities and gave leaders to many. Mrs. Margaret Wood- son Harper had charge of all Red Cross sewing in the county. Mrs. Ethel Massie Withers was chairman of the Clay County Woman's Com- mittee, Council of Defense, County Food chairman, and member of the County Council of Defense. Mrs. Gladys Cook Davidson was county chairman of Women's Registration, member of the County Council of Defense and secretary and publicity chairman of the Liberty Branch of the Red Cross. Mrs. Anne Ellis Fleet was county chairman of Speakers in the Woman's Committee Council of Defense. Mrs. Margaret Thoma- son Smith and Mrs. Loutie Clark Soper were chairmen of Kearney and Liberty townships in the Woman's Committee Council of Defense. Ev- ery member gave valiant individual service.
In peace, as in war, Alexander Doniphan Chapter furnishes leaders in publie activities. Mrs. Harper and Mrs. Davidson continue on the official board in the Red Cross Home Service work; Mrs. Withers suc- ceeded Mrs. Soper as Democratie Committeewoman for Liberty township, and is president of the local Woman's Democratic Club; Mrs. Luella Hoff- man Goodson is in her second very successful year as president of the Liberty Fortnightly Study Club. Preceding Mrs. Goodson's regime, that office was held by Mrs. Soper for three years, she being the club's second president.
The membership roll from date of organization in March, 1909, to the present time, November, 1920, is as follows, notations at the side showing what changes have come with the years. There are at present thirty-one active resident and non-resident members-Americans all, proud of our heritage which has come through generations of loyal American ancestors who have formed the warp and woof of our nation's glory and whose work it is our duty to carry on.
Active Resident Members.
Mrs. Mary Garth Campbell, charter member.
Mrs. Louise Wilson Miller.
Miss Katherine Raymond, charter member.
Miss Louise C. Stogdale, charter member.
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Mrs. Ethel Massie Withers, regent, 1911 to 1914, and December, 1920, to -.
Mrs. Mary Allen Matthews, regent, January, to November, 1917.
Mrs. Ella Thompson Owens Williams, regent, January, 1914, to Jan- uary, 1916.
Mrs. Luella Hoffman Goodson.
Mrs. Temperance Lightburn Thomason.
Mrs. Maria Gray Snelling, regent, January, 1916-January, 1917.
Mrs. Margaret Thomason Smith.
Mrs. Anne Tutt Ellis Fleet.
Mrs. Gladys Cook Davidson.
Mrs. Loutie Clark Soper, regent, November, 1917-November, 1920.
Mrs. Annie James Funkhouser.
Mrs. Annie Stilwell Gachassin-Lafite.
Miss Anna Grace Pence.
Miss Sarah Wallace Yates.
Mrs. Dora Thomason Atwater.
Mrs. Margaret Woodson Harper.
Mrs. Annie Ellen Darby Harrison.
Mrs. Lillian Lewis Stuart.
Mrs. Willie C. Darr Thomas.
Non-Resident Members.
Mrs. Enfield Stogdale Lincoln, charter member.
Mrs. Ozelle Miller Graves, charter member.
Mrs. May Wilson Wallace McClintic, charter member. Mrs. Rosa Hill Dunwoody.
Mrs. Maude Linn Beasley.
Mrs. Julia Jordan Funkhouser.
Mrs. Martha Virginia Montgomery Harrington
Mrs. Margaret Porter Nall.
Transferred to Other Chapters.
Mrs. Bessie Miller Day. charter member. Mrs. Mabel Eaton Llewellyn, charter member. Mrs. Mary Virginia Miller Smith, charter member.
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
Mrs. Julia Allen Howard. Mrs. Caroline Rood. Mrs. Olivia R. Savage.
Transferred to Daughters-at-Large.
Mrs. Ida Miller Dye, charter member.
Mrs. Martha McMillan Griffith, regent 1909-1910, charter member.
Mrs. Martha Roy Raymond Lincoln, charter member.
Miss Irene Raymond, regent 1910 to Jan. 1911, charter member.
Mrs. Edna Withers Jones, charter member.
Withdrawn.
Mrs. Malvry Atkins Clardy.
Deceased.
Mrs. Cora Irene Francisco Wherritt.
Mrs. Martha Kiersted Crawford. Mrs. May Waddill Sevier.
Mrs. Myrtle Benedict Barrington.
CHAPTER XXI
THE PRESS.
"THE FAR WEST" FOUNDED IN 1836-"THE WESTERN JOURNAL"-"THE LIBERTY BANNER"-"THE WESTERN PIONEER"-"THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM"- "CLAY COUNTY FLAG"-"LIBERTY WEEKLY UNION"-"THE CLAY COUNTY DEMOCRAT"-"RICHFIELD MONITOR"-"THE SENTINEL"-"THE KEARNEY CLIPPER"-"THE LIBERTY TRIBUNE"-"THE LIBERTY ADVANCE"-"THE EX- CELSIOR DAILY CALL"-"EXCELSIOR SPRINGS STANDARD"-"CHRISTIAN UNION HERALD"-"CLAY COUNTY DEMOCRAT"-"CLAY COUNTY RUSTLER"- "CLAY COUNTY NEWS'.
Quite a number of newspaper enterprises have been attempted in Clay County, all of which can not now be enumerated. "The Far West" founded in 1836, was edited by Peter H. Burnett, afterward Governor of California. "The Western Journal", founded in 1841, was edited by Leader & Ridenbaugh. "The Liberty Banner", founded in 1843, was edited by Henry L. Routt and T. W. W. DeCourcey, both lawyers, the former being the noted political "War Horse". "The Western Pioneer", founded in 1844, was founded by William Ridenbaugh and edited by Benjamin Hays. "The Democratic Platform", founded in 1853, was owned by Judge James T. V. Thompson and edited by Robert S. Kelly. The "Clay County Flag", founded in 1860, was edited by C. Denny Dickerson. "The Liberty Weekly Union", founded in 1867, was edited by Sallyards & Sons. "The Clay County Democrat", founded in 1870, was edited by Holloman & Bowman, succeeded by Bowman H. Simons. All the above named were published in Liberty and had brief existence. At Missouri City, "The Richfield Monitor", founded in 1855, was edited and published by James C. Vertrees, afterward judge of the Probate Court of Clay County. Other papers have been published there by George W. Withers, T. L. P. Holloman and
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
others. At Kearney, "The Sentinel", founded in 1875, had a brief exist- ence. "The Kearney Clipper" is now being published in Kearney and was a long time published and edited by Capt. J. L. Jennett. The publi- cations in the county now are "The Liberty Tribune, founded by Robert H. Miller in 1846 and edited by him. This paper has changed ownership several times until now it is being edited and published by Irving Gilmer. "The Liberty Advance" founded February 4, 1875, by George E. Patton, assisted by Thomas H. Frame. This excellent publication was conducted by Patton and Frame for about one year and they were succeeded by Thomas H. Frame in 1876, who in 1886, sold to John B. Murray and C. S. Murray, brothers, who in 1907, were succeeded by Charles F. Ward, who in 1916, were succeeded by C. S. Murray and Charles Storms, the latter selling his interest to H. H. Boggs in 1917. Murray and Boggs ably con- ducted the paper until November 1st, 1919, when Irving Gilmer became the sole owner.
The other newspapers in Clay County are as follows: At Excelsior Springs, "The Excelsior Daily Call", the "Excelsior Springs Standard" and "The Christian Union Herald", established by Dr. J. V. B. Flack and now edited by William Hyder. At Smithville the "Clay County Demo- crat". At Holt "The Clay County Rustler" and at North Kansas City, "The Clay County News", founded in 1920. Probably in no county in the state, outside of the large cities, are there more newspapers pub; lished, and certainly in no county in the state where better and more ably conducted newspapers can be found.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE MORMONS.
MORMON INFLUX TO JACKSON COUNTY IN 1832-TROUBLE IN JACKSON COUNTY -- TOOK REFUGE IN CLAY AND OTHER COUNTIES-IIOSTILITIES AGAINST MOR- MONS-MORMONS ARMED FORCES CONCENTRATED AT FAR WEST-STATE MILITIA CALLED OUT-GENERAL, DONIPHAN IN COMMAND-MORMONS SUR- RENDER-JOE SMITHI AND OTHER LEADERS INDICTED-IN JAIL AT LIBERTY -LEADERS SAVED BY DONIPHAN-GOVERNOR BOGGS MURDERED-MOR- MONS REMAIN AWAY FROM STATE FOR FIFTY YEARS-AT INDEPENDENCE.
Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, visited Jackson County just prior to 1832, when large numbers of acres of land were purchased for settlement by his followers, and during 1832 there was a great influx of Mormons to Independence and the western part of Jackson County. The Mormons soon established a printing press and issued therefrom a news- paper in which criticisms of the Gentiles of the county were published. The Mormons were charged with numerous petty larcenies and crimes ; whether true or not, a bitter hatred arose between the Mormons and Gentiles and so intense did this hatred become, that the Gentiles deter- mined to drive all Mormons from the county. The Mormon printing press was destroyed and the Mormons compelled to leave the county, many taking refuge in Clay County, others in Caldwell, Davies and Ray Counties. The people of Clay County did not receive the refugees with open arms, but with suspicion and no little dread. The conduct of the so-called saints in Jackson County was not unheard of or unknown to Clay County. After this exodus from Jackson County and settlement of the saints in Clay, Ray, Davies and Caldwell Counties, the conduct of the Mormons
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
were such as to exasperate the Gentiles to such an extent that open hostilities resulted and so alarming did the situation become, especially when the Mormons began to concentrate their entire numbers at Far West, in Caldwell County, armed with every available weapon of warfare, that the governor of the state was compelled to call out the militia. Two companies of militia were ordered from Clay County, commanded by Cap- tain Pryor and O. P. Moss. These companies were from Gen. A. W. Doni- phan's brigade, Maj. Gen. D. R. Atchison's division. The companies from Clay County and other companies of General Doniphan's brigade con- fronted the breastworks of the Mormons at Far West when surrounding the place. General Doniphan demanded the surrender of the Mormon forces, which were under the command of one G. W. Hinkle. The Mor- mon commander seeing resistance in vain, surrendered his forces. Not a fire from a hostile gun was heard after a near approach of the militia. The conditions of the surrender were that the Mormons should deliver up their guns, surrender their prominent leaders for trial, and the remainder of them with their families leave the state. Joe Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, G. W. Hinkle and other prominent Mormons were held for the faithful performance of the conditions of the surrender and to await indictments which might be preferred against them. These prominent leaders were taken to Richmond, Ray County, before the presiding judge of the Circuit Court, Austin A. King, and remanded them to Daviess County, there to await the action of the grand jury on a charge of treason against the state and murder. After being taken to Daviess County, it was then determined that the jail of that county was not sufficiently safe, when the prisoners were taken to the Liberty jail.
Indictments by the grand jury of Daviess County were found for various offenses,-treason, murder, resisting legal process, etc., against Joe Smith, Hiram Smith, brother of Joe, Sidney Rigdon, G. W. Hinkle, Caleb Baldwin, Parley P. Pratt, Luman Gibbs, Maurice Phelps, King Follett, William Osburn, Arthur Morrison, Elias Higbee and others. Sid- ney Rigdon was released on a writ of habeas corpus. The others ob- tained a change of venue to Boone County, where some of them were tried and acquitted and the indictments against the others dismissed. The difficulty in getting the evidence against them, sufficient to convict, there being so many interested witnesses to combat the evidence for the state was insurmountable. Parley P. Pratt escaped from the jail in Columbia.
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
Gen. A. W. Doniphan and Hon. James S. Rollins were of counsel for the defendants who were tried.
Col. Lewis Wood, of this county, who was present, stated to the com- piler that a council of the leading militia officers held the night following the surrender, it was voted by nearly three to one to put these leaders to death and their lives were only saved by the intervention of General Doniphan, who not only urged his authority as a brigadier, but declared he would defend the prisoners with his own life. This statement goes to show the indignation of the Gentiles toward the Prophet and his fol- lowers. These officers knew the difficulty of conviction in court of these men by the state, where any number of men stood ready to give evidence to establish an alibi, or give other testimony directly in conflict that that adduced by the state to establish the innocence of the defendants. Gov- ernor Lilburn W. Boggs, who had taken an active part against the Mor- mons several years after the Mormons were driven from the state, while seated in a chair at his home in Independence was shot. Porter Rock- well, a notorious follower of the Prophet was arrested and charged with having committed the deed, and although there was evidence against him, enough in ordinary cases of the kind to convict, yet the array of witnesses for the defense was overwhelming; his brethren had come to his relief in force. There can be no question that in the early organization of the Mormon church there were men who from fanatical zeal or other motives, brought the early church into disrepute, but it can be said that in these latter years, a more law abiding, and in many respects, better class of citizens cannot be found.
For more than fifty years after the Mormons the greater part of them had left the state, very few of them, if any, made Jackson County their home, but within the last thirty-five years great numbers of Mor- mons have settled in and about Independence. One branch of this re- ligious denomination is the owner of what is known as "Temple Lot", a place where Joe Smith prophesied a great temple dedicated to the Lord would be erected. This lot was the property of the writer's father for at least a quarter of a century and was sold by him to a preacher of the Hedrick faction, a branch of the Mormon church. The Latter Day Saints of Utah and this Hedrick branch of the church were in litigation for years, each claiming that the property was purchased for the use of the Mormon Church and that each was the true church. The Supreme Court
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
of Missouri affirmed a decision of a lower court in which the decision was in favor of the Hendrickites. The Mormons in Jackson County belong to that branch of the church known as monogamists, while the Utah branch were believers in a plurality of wives and for many years practiced and preached plural wives as a doctrine of the church.
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CHAPTER XXIII.
THE JAMES BOYS.
NATIVES OF THIS COUNTY-FATHER, REV. ROBERT JAMES, DIED IN CALIFORNIA -MOTHER'S SUBSEQUENT MARRIAGES-FRANK JOINS CONFEDERATE ARMY- CAPTURED AND PAROLED-AGAIN ARRESTED-ESCAPES AND BECOMES A GUERILLA-RAIDS-MOTHER ARRESTED BY FEDERALS-JESSE "WENT TO THE BUSH"-TWICE WOUNDED-CAREERS OF BRIGANDAGE-PURSUIT KEPT UP BY LOCAL OFFICERS-PINKERTON DETECTIVE AND DANIEL ASKEW KILLED-END OF CAREERS-LITTLE KNOWN IN CLAY COUNTY.
No attempt will be made in this history to give a detailed history of the noted bandit brothers known familiarly, not only throughout the United States, but in Europe, as the James boys. It is only from the fact that they were natives of the county and for a time resided here that they are mentioned at all. Other publications profess to narrate their exploits and their career correctly, but whether they do so or not is no affair of the publisher hereof, and perhaps of but little consequence to any one. What is set down here may be relied on as accurate, how- ever, and is given with the partial knowledge of its truth on the part of a large majority of the readers.
Alexander Franklin James was born in this county, January 10, 1843. Jesse Woodson James was born in the house where his mother now lives, in Kearney township, September 5, 1847. Both boys were raised on their mother's farm in this county, to their early manhood, except for a time during and immediately subsequent to the Civil War. What little education they possessed was obtained at the common county schools of their neighborhood. Neither of them ever attended any other sort of school.
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
In 1850, their father, Rev. Robert James, as mentioned elsewhere, went to California and there died soon after his arrival. He was a Bap- tist minister, a man of good education, and universally respected.
In 1851, the widow James-whose maiden name was Zerelda Cole --- was again married to a Mr. Simms, also of this county, a widower with children. At the time of her second marriage she was twenty-six years of age and her husband was fifty-two. The union proved unhappy and in less than a year was terminated by a separation. The lady alleges that the chief trouble arose from the fact that her three little children, Frank, Jesse and Susie, whom she had always humored and indulged, gave their old step-father no end of annoyance. He insisted that she should send them away and to this she once agreed, but her near relatives informed her that if she did so they would never more recognize her and so she separated from Mr. Simms, who, she yet alleges, always treated her with kindness and for whose memory she still has great respect. He died not long after the separation and some time afterwards Mrs. Simms was married to Dr. Reuben Samuel.
In the fall of 1861, when eighteen years of age, Frank James volun- teered in the Confederate service, becoming a member of Captain Minter's company, Hughes' regiment, Stein's division. He was present at the cap- ture of Lexington and marched with Price's army into southwest Missouri. At Springfield he was taken with measles and on the retreat of Price's army before General Curtis, in February, 1862, he was left behind in the hospital. The Federals, when they captured Springfield, took him pris- oner, paroled him, and he returned home to his mother's farm in Kearney township. He was arrested by Colonel Penick in the following early summer and released on a $2,000 bond. He returned to his home and went to work.
From time to time Frank James was accused of having aided and abetted the Confederate cause in violation of his parole. The accusations may or may not be true, but in the early spring of 1863 he was again arrested, taken to Liberty and cast into jail. From here he contrived to make his escape and soon afterwards, while a fugitive he determined "to go to the brush", as the phrase then was, and accordingly joined a small band of bushwhackers under the leadership of Fernando Scott. This was in May, 1863, and a few days later he took part in the raid on Mis- souri City, when Captain Sessions and Lieutenant Grafenstein were killed.
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Thereafter he was a bushwhacker until the close of the war, winding up his career with Quantrell in Kentucky. During his career as a guerrilla Frank James participated in three or four skirmishes with the Federals in this county.
In May, 1863, soon after Frank James had gone to the brush, a de- tachment of Capt. J. W. Turney's company of Clinton County militia, under Lieut. H. C. Culver, accompanied by Lieut. J. W. Younger, with a few Clay County militia, visited the Samuels homestead in search of James and his companions. Failing to find them, they sought by threats and violence to force the members of the family to give them certain information they desired. Doctor Samuel was taken out and hung by the neck until nearly exhausted and the boy Jesse, then not quite sixteen years old, who was plowing in the field, was whipped very severely.
A few weeks later, Doctor and Mrs. Samuel were arrested by the Fed- erals and taken to St. Joseph, accused of "feeding and harboring bush- whackers". This was the charge preferred against Mrs. Samuel, but no charge whatever was ever filed against Doctor Samuel. Miss Susie James was not arrested. Mrs. Samuel had her two small children with her at the St. Joseph prison and three months later another child was born. She was released by Col. Chester Harding after two weeks' imprisonment and sent home on taking the oath. Doctor Samuel was released about the same time. While Doctor and Mrs. Samuel was absent in St. Joe their household was in charge of Mrs. West, a sister of Mrs. Samuel.
Jesse James remained at home during the year 1863, and with the assistance of a negro man raised a considerable crop of tobacco. The next summer, in June, 1864, a year after he had been cruelly whipped by "the militia, he too "went to the brush", joining Fletch. Taylor's band of bushwhackers, of which his brother Frank was a member. He was pres- ent when the Bigelow brothers were killed and took part in the capture of Platte City, where he and other bushwhackers had their ambrotype pictures taken. The original picture of Jesse James is vet in possession of his family, but copies have recently been made and sold throughout the country. While with' Bill Anderson's company on the way to Howard County, in August, 1864, Jesse was badly wounded by an old German Unionist named Heisinger, who lived in the southern part of Ray County, at Heisinger's Lake. Three or four bushwhackers went to Heisinger's, got something to eat and were looking about the premises when the old
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