USA > Missouri > Scotland County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 29
USA > Missouri > Lewis County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 29
USA > Missouri > Clark County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 29
USA > Missouri > Knox County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 29
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THE MURDER OF THE SPENCER FAMILY.
The most exciting tragedy that was ever enacted in Clark County was the murder of the Spencer family, the trial of Will- iam Young for the execution of the same-his acquittal and finally his death at the hands of a mob.
William L. Spencer and his daughters, Jane and Alice, aged eighteen and twenty, respectively, and his sons, Charlie and Willis, aged seven and ten, respectively, constituted all the members of what was known as the Spencer family. They lived in a log cabin on Fox River, about six miles north of Luray. About one hundred feet northeast of the house stood the log barn in which Mr. Spencer and his elder son were accustomed to sleep in hot weather. Spencer was the treasurer of the township (Folker) in which he lived, and it was known that he had a considerable amount of money in his possession. It was on the morning of the 3d of August, 1877, when this entire family was murdered. On this occasion Spencer and his son were sleeping in the barn, Jane and her little brother, Charles, were sleeping on a bed in the house " down stairs " while Alice was sleeping " up stairs." Here, then, while each of these helpless and innocent ones "was wrapt in the arms of Morpheus, enjoying nature's sweet restorer," the hands of an assassin wielded an ax which crushed their skulls, and sent them, unexpectedly and perhaps unprepared, into eternity.
Willis James, a brother-in-law of Spencer, was the first one to give the alarm. He stated that he had been accustomed to help Mr. Spencer in his farm work, and came to the house early that morning for that purpose, and finding everything quiet, and supposing that they had overslept, he entered the house by the front door, and there found the dead bodies of the three who had slept therein, and then went to the barn and found
*J. W. Murphy.
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the lifeless forms of Spencer and his boy. On being alarmed the neighbors assembled, and a messenger was at once dispatched to Luray for Drs. Payne and Davis. The former soon arrived at the scene of destruction, and found the victims all beyond the aid of human skill. The work of the assassins had been completed, and upward of $1,000 was supposed to have been appropriated by them, as a compensation, they undoubtedly considered it, for the dastardly act. It was supposed that the murderers entered the house through the kitchen window which was found open that morning; and underneath this window an ax of heavy pattern was found. "It was covered with blood, and, the helve not passing clear through, it was discovered that in the interstice were brains and a quantity of hair corresponding to the quality and texture of that of the girl Alice, showing conclusively that this was the weapon used in the braining. Upon examination, it appeared that the skull of the boy Willis had been pierced with a pitchfork which was found near by. On Friday afternoon a coroner's inquest was held by Justice Reynolds, acting as coroner, and the verdict of the jury was, "That all came to their death by blows of an ax in the hands of some person or persons unknown." The bodies were buried in the graveyard at the Bethlehem Church about three miles from the Spencer house.
On Monday following the murder the county court met and ordered "that a standing reward be offered as follows: $100 for the arrest of the murderer of Lewis Spencer, $100 for the arrest of the murderer of Alice Spencer, $100 for the arrest of the murderer of Jane Spencer, $100 for the arrest of the murderer of Charles Spencer, $100 for the murderer of Willis Spencer, to be paid as the law directs, when conviction is secured."
Several parties, against whom no evidence could be produced, were arrested upon suspicion and afterward released.
The case was known as "The State of Missouri vs. Willis James." Suspicion rested strongly upon Willis James, a brother of Mrs. Spencer who had died years before, and spots of blood were discovered to be on his clothing, and a bloody hand- kerchief was found hanging in a tree near by, which James said he placed there a few days before, after his nose had been bleed- ing. These circumstances so increased the suspicion, that on
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the 6th day of October following the murder, he (James) wa arrested and lodged in jail at Kahoka. The grand jury then found an indictment against him for murder in the first degree, but he was not brought to trial until the following April term, six months later. During all of this time he was kept in close confinement. His trial took place before Judge John C. Ander- son, and he was prosecuted by Ben. E. Turner, of Kahoka, who then held the office of prosecuting attorney, and Daniel F. Mil- ler, of Keokuk. The attorneys for the defense were Matlock & Hiller, of Kahoka, and James Hagerman, of Keokuk. The first witness examined in favor of the State was Dr. P. J. Payne, of Luray, who was called to the scene of the murder on the morning of its discovery. He testified as to the position of the bodies as he found them, and the extent of the wounds thereon, etc. An- other witness, Mrs. Israel Willis, the lady with whom James boarded testified in regard to the bloody handkerchief, and the general character of the defendant, and the account given by him on the morning of the discovery of the dead bodies, etc. Her evidence seemed to be more satisfactory to the defense than to the prosecution. Other witnesses on the part of the State were examined, but their evidence, which was mostly circumstan- tial, elicited nothing conclusive against the defendant. On Fri- day morning, following the beginning of the trial, and after court had convened, and the jurors had answered to their names, a letter signed by Drs. Carpenter and Angear, the gentlemen to whom portions of the defendant's clothing had been sent for the- purpose of having the blood spots thereon examined, was exhib- ited. The following is a copy of the letter:
KEOKUK, April 17, 1878.
HON. D. F. MILLER, KEOKUK,
Dear Sir :- Upon conference with Dr. Angear and a critical re-exam- ination of the specimens which we have subjected to higher powers, we do not find sufficient evidence to justify us in putting in question the life of any human being, and seeing that our visit to Kahoka would be of no service to either side, we have concluded to remain at home. Please show this to Mr. Hagerman and the committee. Very respectfully and truly,
A. M. CARPENTER, J. J. M. ANGEAR.
The prosecuting attorney Hon. Ben. E. Turner read this let- ter to the court and jury, and thereupon dismissed the case, and
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the defendant Willis James went forth a free man. Mr. Mil- ler, the associate prosecutor, was very much opposed to the dis- missal of the case, and expressed himself as confident that the defendant was guilty. The jury however thought otherwise, and justified the action of Judge Turner in dismissing the case, as appears by the following statement.
KAHOKA, April 19, 1878.
The undersigned jurors in the case of State cs. Willis James, do in this cause find no evidence on which we would have based a conviction. We fully justify the conduct of the Prosecuting Attorney in dismissing the case.
Signed, T. M. GLENN, Foreman.
All the other jurors concur.
For some months after the murder of the Spencer family it seemed that a band of thieves and robbers was let loose in Clark County. A number of houses in St. Francisville, Alexandria and elsewhere in the county, were entered at night and valuables stolen therefrom. The history of these many instances, however, is beyond the scope of this work.
THE STATE OF MISSOURI VS. WILLIAM YOUNG.
The above is the title of the most exciting case that was ever tried in the Clark County Circuit Court. In the fall of 1878, more than a year after the murder of the Spencer family, there appeared in Clark County a new character in the person of one Daniel C. Slater, who professed to be a detective. He had been released from the Joliet (Ill. ) penitentiary only a few months before his arrival. He applied to the anti-horse thief associa- tion, which then existed in Clark County, for employment as a detective, and proposed to ferret out the Spencer murderers. At first he was refused employment, but afterward succeeded in obtaining it. He then changed his name to that of Frank Lane, by which he was afterward known, and set out to discover the aforesaid murderer or murderers. He first experimented upon Willis James, Elijah Spencer and James C. Sedam, but brought nothing but his own meanness to light. He then became intimately acquainted with O. S. Cross, the Brown and Cameron boys, and others, whom he sought to use in the cause ..
The next important and notorious character that appeared upon the scene, was that of Laura Sprouse, a daughter of William
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Sprouse who died from the effects of a wound received in the. battle of Athens, August 5, 1861, when she (Laura) was a little girl. Upon reaching womanhood she married a man by the name of Turner, with whom she lived only a short time, and then returned home. In February, 1877, she was induced to become the housekeeper of William J. Young, whose wife had died about a month prior thereto; and in this capacity she served about two years. "During the holidays of 1878-79 Young went east to. visit relatives in Ohio, leaving Laura in charge of his household. As soon as he was well out of the county, Lane and Walter Brown paid Laura a visit. Walter had been one of Laura's old beaux in by-gone days, and still had great influence over her. The conversations that passed between these three, or the promises that were made, will probably never be known outside of that little circle." It is known, however, that Brown and Laura were secretly married a few months' later. On the night of January 8, 1879, Laura was taken from the house of Young and con- cealed until he (Young) returned from Ohio. Finally she appeared before Squire Greenlee and swore to a statement charging Young with the murder of the Spencer family. A warrant was then sworn out by Frank Lane, and on the 24th day of February, 1879, Young was arrested and held for trial. The trial was begun before Justices Reynolds and Howard on the 10th day of March following, and continued several days. These justices after hearing the evidence jointly bound the defendant over, without bail, until the grand jury met in April. The defendant was then taken to Kahoka and lodged in jail. And the grand jury, after convening, returned a true bill against Young for the murder of the Spencer family.
On the 6th day of October, following, the trial came up for hearing in the Clark Circuit Court before Judge Anderson. The prosecution was conducted by Hon. Ben. E. Turner, prosecuting attorney of Clark County, Felix T. Hughes, of Lancaster, and James Raley. The defense was conducted by Baker & Drake, of Centerville, J. C. Coffman of Toledo, Ohio, and J. M. Wood, of Kahoka. , Forty men, in addition to the regular panel, were then summoned to appear for examination as to their fitness to serve as jurors. The examination of jurors commenced on the
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second day of the term and continued until the fourth, when the following twelve " good and lawful men," to wit: Silas Keith, J. M. Turner, S. B. Tibbs, J. R. Shepperd, A. J. McAfee, Thomas Dorin, William Dorin, John Bowman, Henry Clark, D. C. Simp- son, Abraham Sortore and Laf. Trotter were accepted and sworn to try the case. The grounds of the prosecution were then stated to the jury by Hon. James Raley, who said in substance that the State proposed to prove in a fair legal manner the guilt of the prisoner at the bar. That Lewis Spencer was the school treas- urer, and that on the night of the second of August, 1877, he had $1,200 in his possession; that this was generally known, and was known by Young. That Young had plotted for the robbery, and that Laura Sprouse had overheard him and others plotting in the shop at his residence, and that Young confessed to her his plans. That on the night of the murder, Young asked Laura for clothes and told her that he was going to the Spencers, and when asked by her not to go, that he would be found out, he replied: " Not unless you tell, and if you do, I'll kill you;" that in the morning he returned home early with blood on his overalls and his shirt, and directed her how to account for them in case of inquiry; that on a certain day when burning stumps, he put the overalls in one of them from which Laura rescued them, the blood still being on them, and that the overalls would be exhib- ited in court; that before Young's departure to Ohio he confessed the Spencer murder to Laura, and threatened to kill her if she divulged the secret; that he (Young) offered to bribe wit- nesses, etc.
Gen. Baker then stated the case to the jury on behalf of the defense, and said that this was the most gigantic conspiracy to commit a judicial murder that was ever concocted and hatched against any man, and that the parties engaged in it excluding the attorneys, were working, not for justice, but for blood money in the shape of the offered reward. He further said, " We shall prove to you how this scheme has progressed; how the trees have been blazed all along the route, as it were. How this Lane, alias Temple, alias Slater alias a hundred other names, came here from where God only knows-to the penitentiary at Joliet is the only place we can trace him to-persuaded the woman,
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Laura Sprouse, to leave Young's-bribed her to testify against him, and that since that time has been under this man Lane's influence every hour of the day." He asserted that the defense would prove that at first Laura knew but little about the case, but that her knowledge of it increased under the tutorship of Lane; and that the defense would be that the case was a gigan- tic conspiracy to commit judicial murder for blood money, and that a big fight would be made to break down the evidence of Laura Sprouse, regarding her alleged trip with Young to the Spencer place previous to the murder.
Dr. Payne, of Luray, was the first witness called. He testified as to his being called to the Spencer place on the morning of the discovery of the murder, and as to the position of the bodies as he found them in the extent of their wounds, his examination of the ax, and the discovery of blood and hair thereon, etc. Sev- eral witnesses, including some persons who were among the first to reach the Spencer place after being informed of the murder, were then examined to establish the premises for the prosecution. Other witnesses were then called, and examined in reference to the guilt of the accused, and some of them gave evidence quite damaging to him, but the most important witness for the pros- ecution, Laura Sprouse, was not called on the stand until the seventh day of the trial, and her examination occupied several days. Among the host of things to which she testified, the prin- cipal points in favor of the prosecution, were in substance as fol- lows: "that she overheard a conversation in Young's shop, between him and a man by the name of Pattin, and heard them say that 'if they couldn't get money without them knowing it,' they would have to kill them," that they were talking about L. Spencer; that she saw Pattin at Young's gate on the night of the murder; that on the 28th of July, 1877, she went with Young on a trip to Squire Reynolds on horseback, and was there from morning until 2 or 2:30 o'clock P. M., and then started home; that Young told her to go home alone by a certain road; that she said she came with him, and was going back with him, and that he said that if she promised not to speak of anything that occurred, or to mention the route they took, she could go along with him; that she so promised; that they returned by way of the Spencer place,
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passed through the farm, and between the house and barn, and let down some bars, and went out through the pasture, and that Young there said " this was the place to get money; old men living in houses like that generally have lots of money ; they are old misers, etc. ; " that she saw a man in the bush there, and Young told her to go on ahead, which she did, and that Young stopped and talked with the man whose name was Bailey ; that Young also left her, and talked with Bellows, at the well in the pasture; that it was dark when they reached home, about three-fourths of a mile from Luray ; that she saw Bailey the night of the murder; that Young was at home until half past eight in the evening of the Spencer murder, and that she conversed with him about where he was going that night, that she asked him, when he came in and called for his clothes, where he was going, and that he replied, "to Spencers;" that he then went to the barn and she followed and said to him, " don't go you'll be found out," and that he replied, " Not unless you tell and if you do I'll blow your d-d brains out;" that he saddled a horse and went out through the gate; that she then returned to the house, put on Young's clothes and fol- lowed him to Etheridge's gate; that Pattin was there, and told Young to let her go along so she couldn't tell anything without implicating herself; that Pattin, Young, Bailey and Weese were there, and went under a tree and talked, and then started toward Spencer's; that Young changed his clothes next morning, and that there was blood on one shirt sleeve, and on the left leg of his pants ; that she asked him where he had been, and that he replied " You know if you hear of murder, you actas if you were surprised and come and tell me before the person telling you, and if one asks you where I was so early, tell them I was out looking at my hay."
She then related the story about the attempt of Young to burn the overalls, and her rescue of them; and that about a week before Young went to Ohio he confessed the murder to her, and gave her the details as to how they accomplished it; and that on another occasion he offered her $1,000 if she would swear that she slept with him on the night of the murder. During Laura's examination, Lane, the professed detective who had promised to produce the overalls, disappeared, and it was
yl- H . Jou
CLARK COUNTY.
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rumored that he had jumped the case. The overalls were said to have been taken from Laura's trunk. The trial pro- gressed, and the first thing heard of Lane, after he had been absent several days, he was found on the road, two and a half miles south-east of Kahoka, in an apparently unconscious condi- tion, and it was supposed that he had been waylaid and attacked by some of Young's friends, while some people thought it was a put-up job on the part of Lane to enable him to give a good rea- son for his failure to produce the overalls, Lane was carried to the hotel, and in due time recovered, and told how he had been attacked by three ruffians, etc. Some believed and some did not believe his story. The matter, however, created intense excite- ment; the guard around the jail was strengthened, and threats of hanging Young in the courtyard were made. Upon being called to the witness stand, Lane testified that his real name was Daniel C. Slater; that he was acquainted with Laura Sprouse, and that he had seen the overalls mentioned in her possession, and that he had taken them from her trunk and brought them to Kahoka, and then took them to the house of Mr. Montgomery, near by, and pushed them as far under it as he could reach, and that the last he saw of them was on Wednesday night, when he was attacked by the three assailants, and that he did not know how he parted with them; that during his absence he had been in Iowa, and returned by way of Chambersburg, and passed through Kahoka to Montgomery's place. He also swore that he persuaded Laura to leave Young's house in order to find out what she knew. Witnesses were examined who corroborated Laura's evi- dence about her trip to Squire Reynolds', in company with Young, in July, 1877, and their return by way of the Spencer farm. Much other evidence, not necessary here to mention, most of which corroborated Laura's testimony, was given, and the State rested its case.
The defense examined many witnesses in order to negative the evidence of Laura Sprouse. Some swore that Laura had told them that Young was at home on the night of the murder, and that she could swear to that fact and thereby clear him if he was arrested for the murder .* The bad character of some of the
*It was shown also that the return trip from Squire Reynold's, by way of the Spencer farm, could not have been made on the line as marked out by Laura, and that it was impossible to make it in the short time given in her testimony.
21
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State's witnesses was shown up, and some were impeached. A great mass of testimony was given, the details of which is non- essential in this place and therefore omitted.
The argument for the prosecution was opened by Mr. Raley, who spoke for an hour and a half, in which he gave an able review of the evidence, and a logical argument as to the truth of the same. He was followed by Baker and Drake, who made able arguments in defense of the prisoner at the bar, and the argument for the State was closed in a masterly manner by the prosecuting attorney, Hon. Ben. E. Turner. It being late, court then ad- journed until the next morning, at which time it convened, and the jury, after deliberating about an hour and a half, brought in a verdict of "not guilty."
The result met with the approbation of most of the people, although many thought, and still think, that Young was guilty; while others contend that he was innocent. The bad character of some of the State's most important witnesses, and the conse- quent incredibility of evidence, was sufficient at least to establish in the minds of the jurors " a reasonable doubt " as to the pris- oner's guilt. There are many theories about the matter. Some think that it was all a " put up job " by Lane, the professed de- tective, and that the alleged overalls never existed; while others think that Laura told the the truth, but that the overalls were worth more to Young and his friends, and commanded a higher price than the amount of the reward offered by the county for the conviction of the murderer of the Spencer family. But all this is only theory and speculation. Two men, James and Young, have been tried for the murder of that family, and both have been acquitted, and the whole matter still remains a mystery, and the guilty ones may never receive justice except at the bar of Almighty God.
THE TRAGIC FINALE.
Young was acquitted on the 25th day of October, and at once celebrated his victory by getting married; his bride being a Miss Spray, of Ohio. On the 29th of the same month the happy couple left Keokuk and passed over the road to his home at Luray. Before leaving Keokuk Young was warned that he was in great danger, that a mob had been organized and was awaiting
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his return. He was also warned by George Young at Alexandria, and by others on his way, but he heeded not the warnings, saying Luray was his home and there he intended to live. Upon arriv- ing at Luray, he and his wife were met at the train and carried home in a carriage. Soon thereafter a messenger was sent from - the village to warn him that the mob was coming, but he still heeded not the warning. The mob approached and surrounded his house at about 11 o'clock A. M. and demanded his surrender, but he replied that he would die defending himself and family. The inmates at that time were Young, his wife, and four chil- dren, and Mrs. Rowe and her three children, and Coffman, the Toledo lawyer. Several shots were fired after which two men were sent in with a flag of truce. To them Young proposed to pay the costs of his trial and to leave the country, but that he would never confess that he murdered the Spencer family. This proposition was rejected, and men were sent in to get the women and children out, but all refused except Mrs. Rowe and her children, and they came out. Coffman had previously came out, and had been locked up in the granary by the mob. An attempt was then made to scare the inmates out by threats and feigned attempts to burn the house. Young then appeared at a window up stairs, and some one shot him in the breast. The children then cried out, " Pa is killed," and loud exclamations of the grief of the inmates were heard. The defender of the house being thus rendered hors de combat, a rush for the door was presently made, and an entrance effected by members of the mob, who went up stairs and found Young lying on the floor, and his wife and children around him weeping bitterly. Young begged for his life, and said that he was near his end, as his wound would prove fatal, but the crowd were thirsting for blood and revenge and would not relent. Many thought that Young had not been sufficiently punished for his complicity in the Whiteford murder, and, for that reason coupled with many other crimes of which they believed him guilty, that he ought to suffer death at their hands. Accordingly Lane, who was acting as captain of the mob, detailed a number of men who locked the wife and children in a room, and Young was carried to a gate near by, which had a heavy timber resting across it on the two outside posts, which were about twelve feet
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