USA > Missouri > Saline County > History of Saline County, Missouri > Part 42
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HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
Resolved, That in their action they have reflected the sentiments of not a single property-holder or gentleman in our county, and have inflicted an irreparable wound upon the feelings of every member of this board.
Resolved, That we will use all diligence in ferreting out the perpetra- tors of this most wanton and disgraceful act, and having them properly punished as the law may direct, and as further penalty for their insult and offense to us, if they are discovered, we will exclude them from these grounds for all time to come.
Notwithstanding all this, news of the affair got abroad, and Saline county enjoyed the unenviable notoriety for a time and in certain foreign circles of being a county where the United States flag was not permitted to wave.
The court house which took the place of the one destroyed during the war, and which was burned in the early spring of 1881, was finished in the month of December, 1867. It had been begun in 1866. Buckner & Walker were the contractors. Its cost was about $40,000.
For some years after the close of the war, particularly in the year 1867, various railroad projects were proposed to the people of the county. Some of these were tangible, others impracticable, and a few impossible, but all received attention. There were proposed lines from every import- ant city in the country to every other city, all to cross Saline county in every direction, with Marshall as the focus of many of them. If all these had been completed, a map of the county would have resembled a sketch of a garden spider's web. One of these proposed railroads was given the lengthy title of the " Chicago, Marshall, Sedalia, Fort Scott and Gal- veston railroad."
In the spring of 1867, numerous bank robberies in this part of the state caused some alarm in Saline county, and at public meetings, held at Mar- shall and Miami, companies were organized, having for an object the pro- tection of property from thieves, robbers, and depredators of every sort. The best men of the county were members of these organizations.
The year 1868, was distinguished from other years in the history of the county, by reason of its being the first presidential year in the history of the county after the war, in which the people took an active interest. Horatio Seymour, of New York, and Gen. F. P. Blair, of Missouri, were the democratic candidates, respectively, for president and vice-president; and Gen. U. S. Grant and Schuyler Colfax, the nominees of the repub- lican party. Although there was a large majority of the adult male citi- zens of the county in favor of the democratic candidates, a great many of them were not allowed to vote, by the terms of the Drake constitution, and the republicans, having the power in their own hands, so directed matters that an easy victory was won by them.
But, notwithstanding they knew they should not be allowed to vote, the disfanchised democrats organized with those who could vote, and held
380
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
many large meetings in this county, in aid of their principles and candi- dates. A meeting at Miami, July 25, was addressed by Hon. Henry Clay Dean, of Iowa, and Gen James Shields,. democratic candidate that year for congress, "the hero of Cherubusco," and "the only man that ever whipped Stonewall Jackson;" one at Cambridge, August 29, was addressed by Gen. Shields, Nat. Claiborne, and N. J. Colman; one at Marshall, August 26, by Gen. Shields and the local orators. The repub- lican meetings had for orators: Mr: Johnson, candidate for attorney-gen- eral; Judge Walker, of Lexington; Mr. Bierbower, the editor of the Marshall Banner, and others.
Bacon Montgomery was the superintendent of registration for this dis- trict. Judge F. M. Fulkerson, Matthew Vandyke, and Frederick Moor constituted the board of registrars for this county. The most rigid requirements were exacted of those presenting themselves for registra- tion. There was great dissatisfaction on the part of the democrats at the action of the board. It was claimed that this action was wholly pro- scriptive, unjust, oppressive and even illegal. In Malta Bend precinct, for example, Wm. A. Jones, a Union man, never had any sympathy with the rebellion, but did have sympathy for some rebellious relatives in Vir- ginia, was rejected. J. L. Pierce was rejected because he said he did not rejoice over victories on either side. A. F. Brown was rejected because he thought the emancipation proclamation should not have been issued when it was. Patrick Mitchell, a Union man all through the war, was rejected because he associated and "kept company " with his neighbors who had been southern sympathizers. Jacob Miller, a strong Union man, who had suffered at the hands of the rebels for his loyalty, was rejected because he preferred the old constitution of Missouri to the new one. G. W. Washburne, W. R. Beaman, Jno. S. Prunty, David Small, J. H. Rockwell and others, who took no part whatever on the side of the rebel- lion, but, on the contrary, had given material aid to the Union cause, were rejected because they had felt sympathy for their rebel relatives, in Ten- nessee and Virginia. Many more of such instances of rejection occurred in the other precincts of the county.
The republicans justified the action of their officials, that it was in accordance with the letter and spirit of the new constitution, and the laws thereunder, which were founded on justice and correct principles of gov- ernment. One of their leaders said: "As it was unjust and wrong to show favors to rebels and their sympathizers, during the war, so it is unjust and wrong to grant them favors now." The use of the new court house was refused, by the republican county authorities, to Gen. Shields, in which to make a democratic speech, although they always used it for party meetings.
About the 1st of January, 1869, two murders were committed in and
381
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
near Cambridge, and one lynching followed. Joseph Tillman, a des- perado, was assassinated the night after Christmas, near New Frankfort. The next week another hard character named Carlisle, shot and killed Chas. Crytel, a German shoemaker, in a saloon at Cambridge, for a refu- sal to drink. Carlisle was arrested, and Mr. Epperson, the constable, started to Marshall with him, but on the way an angry mob took the prisoner from the officer's hands and either hung or drowned him.
Railroad projects still engaged the attention of the people. January 6, a meeting at Marshall was attended and addressed by the representatives of four proposed railroads: The Keokuk and Fort Scott; the Booneville and Arrow Rock; the Columbia, Rocheport and Marshall, and the Louis- iana and Missouri river.
HISTORY FROM 1870 TO 1881.
1870.
In January, 1870, the county court began to take steps for the erection of a new jail. For some time the old one had been very insecure, and prisoners were constantly escaping.
The assessor's estimate of the value of property in the county for the year 1870 was $9,145,927, of which $6,840,105 was real estate. In 1869, the total value was $8,604,623. The whole number of children of school age in the county in the latter year was 7,721; the number of public schools, 68; of school houses, 62. The value of the latter was $36,000.
About the 1st of March, Daniel Wheeler was assassinated at Miami by some one unknown. He was a respected citizen, and lately from the north. Patrick Guthrie, a young man living in the place, was arrested, charged with the offense, but eventually acquitted.
The total population of the town of Marshall in this year was 924.
May S .- Gen. Robert Wilson, ex-United States senator, and a promi- nent citizen of Missouri for many years, died at the residence of his nephew, Capt. Ben. H. Wilson, near Marshall.
June 3 .- The corner-stone of the present Catholic Church at Marshall was laid. Father (now bishop) Ryan, of St. Louis, delivered the address.
In this year the democrats of the county adopted what was known as the "passive policy." That is, they nominated no tickets of their own, but voted for the candidates of the liberal republicans, as against the radical republicans. The particulars of this contest are detailed else- where.
July 9 .- Mr. Burgess was shot by Mr. Cunningham near Sulphur Springs, with Stephen Neil as accomplice. Cunningham and Neil were arrested, released on bail, and left the country. Mr. Burgess recovered.
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HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
About this time the first negro jury of Saline county was impanneled on a case of assault and battery. Verdict, guilty.
The census showed the population of Saline county in 1870 to be about 21,659, against about 14,699 in 1860.
August 9 .- A son of Mr. Gillispie had his neck broken by a runaway team.
August 3 .- The dead body of John O'Conner was found near Frank- fort .. Verdict of coroner's jury was that death resulted from exposure to the sun, the deceased being unwell when put off the steamer Mountaineer.
September 20 .- A negro, West Hawkins, under arrest for attempted rape of a white woman, was taken from jail and hanged by a mob. No- vember 9 .- The county election resulted in a victory for the democrats and liberal republicans, as detailed elsewhere. November 18 .- Another negro was hanged by a mob, for attempted rape of a white girl, near Miami. So closed a year long to be remembered by the people of Saline.
1871.
March 2 .- The general assembly passed an act abolishing the Saline county court of common pleas, and the grand jurors, meeting on this day, learned that their actions would be null and void. The business of this court was transferred to the circuit court: On same night, Henry Wilson shot and killed a saloon-keeper named H. C. Collins. Wilson fled in the darkness, reached the river, secured a skiff and was rowing down the river, when he was captured at the bridge on the road from Marshall to Booneville. He was brought back, tried and sentenced to imprisonment for life, but was afterward pardoned.
March 18 .- Mrs. Joseph Furr and her nine-year-old son, were drowned while crossing the creek near Arrow Rock. There was much talk, about this time, of re-opening the old Spanish silver mines on Blackwater, and of ghosts and other strange sights having been seen in the vicinity. Both silver and ghosts disappeared together. The bachelor's club created much diversion, and wasted much time in commenting of love in the abstract. On April 15 and 17, the wind blew a perfect gale, upsetting and unroofing houses. The ferry boat at Miami was torn from its moor- ings, and carried some distance down stream, where it landed on a sand- bar.
During the month of May, the county court formed the municipal township of Union, out of Blackwater and Salt Pond townships.
August 9 .- Occurred the sale at auction, of some twenty-five thousand dollars in county bonds, to pay off indebtedness. They were purchased at an average price of 962 per cent. by bank of Missouri, at Arrow Rock, and Messrs. Dunnica, Cardell & Montague, conjointly.
383
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
The Marshall fair was opened successfully in September of this year, with an address by J. P. Strother.
November 10 .- The trial of Patrick Guthrie for the murder of Daniel Wheeler, created much excitement, and resulted in the acquittal of Guth- rie. The last occurrence of note for this year, was the accidental shoot- ing of Mr. Samuel Boyd, while passing near a riotous crowd. Mr. Boyd soon recovered.
1872.
Early in this year, infamous lies, about the killing of negroes in this county by a Ku-klux klan, were circulated throughout the papers of the state. The stories were utterly without foundation, but created a bad reputation for us abroad. A deal of trouble grew out of arrests of promi- nent citizens, by deputy U. S. Marshal Frankel, for alleged irregularity in the sale of leaf tobacco, and several parties were fined.
June 1 .- The mass convention with respect to the nominees of the Cincinnati convention, was the most harmonious for years, and infused new life into the democracy.
On June 24th, a fire broke out in a bakery belonging to Mr. Peters, in Marshall, and several business and dwelling houses were burned.
July 4 .- George Weker was found lying in a ditch near Marshall, cov- ered with blood from thirteen wounds inflicted with a knife. Suspicion pointed to one John Carlisle. He was arrested, tried, and the jury failed to agree. A second trial resulted in his conviction of murder in the first degree, and he was sentenced to be hanged on the 22d of July, 1873. On the 1st day of July, 1873, he effected his escape from jail.
During this month, the decision of the supreme court, making void the $400,000 in L. & M. R. R. R. bonds, creating much demonstration and rejoicing throughout the county. September 9th, the democrats and lib- erals held a convention and nominated a joint ticket, which was elected by a large majority at the ensuing election. The year 1872 was memorable in the political annals of the county from the fact that it was the first year in which the democratic candidate for president carried the county since 1836. At the November election the vote stood:
Greeley and Brown, regular democrats and liberal republicans 2,790
Grant and Wilson, republican. 1,283
O'Connor and Adams, straight democrats 32
Greeley's majority over all 1,475
3S4
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
1878.
In February, of this year, the Saline county live stock exchange was organized, meeting at Marshall the first Saturday in each month.
The grange movement in this county was begun in this year, the first grange being organized at Arrow Rock, March 26th.
After having been urged many times by the grand juries of the county to build a new jail, the county court, in May of this year, made an appro- priation of $20,000 to be used in this way.
The panic of this year was severely felt in the county, as shown by the suspension of the Saline county bank, of Marshall, and the Miami bank.
1874.
Early in this year an effort was made to organize a new county, to be called Brown county, out of Saline, Pettis, Johnson and Lafayette; a bill to this effect was introduced in the legislature, but was defeated.
In March it was discovered that John T. Carlisle, the escaped murderer, was then a convict in the state penitentiary, whither he had been sent from Laclede county, for grand larceny, under the name of Clark Anderson.
On March 20th, occurred the death of Dr. J. A. Gaines, aged 51. Dr. Gaines was an old and highly esteemed citizen of the county, and much lamented in his death.
May 2 .- In the afternoon of this day, a whirlwind or cyclone passed over the county, causing great damage to property, and some loss of life. A negro cabin containing three children was struck by lightning, and burned, together with its inmates. A perfect deluge of rain followed, and several parties were drowned while attempting to ford streams.
At the June term of court, John T. Carlisle was brought from the pen- itentiary, and re-sentenced by Judge Wood, to be hung on the 24th day of July, the prisoner showing no emotion during the sentence. Carlisle's attorneys took exceptions to certain rulings of the judge, and appealed to the supreme court. The court sustaining the rul- ings of Judge Wood, Governor Woodson was asked to commute his sentence, but refused to interfere. Thus it happened that Carlisle was the victim of the first criminal execution in Saline county. By order of the court the execution was performed in the old jail building, a trap door being cut in the floor and the rope tied to a beam overhead. About thirty persons witnessed the execution, which was superintended by Sheriff F. M. Sappington. The prisoner was composed and resigned to death, and after a short religious service by Father Murphy, the trap was sprung and the soul of Carlisle was sent to eternity.
Brown
385 .
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
1875.
September 27th, began the trial of August Houth, for the murder of Henry T. Schmidt, the details of which are given elsewhere; and follow- ing this, on the 15th of November, began the trial of Levi Hagan, for complicity in the Faber and Dawson murder, in 1864, for which a special term of court was called. In November, the indexing case of Saline county against B. H. Wilson, was decided by the supreme court, in favor of the plaintiff. The county sued to recover money overpaid to Wilson, for indexing the circuit court records. The case was sent to Cooper county, on a change of venue, where the plaintiff obtained a judgment for $1,885.13. Wilson appealed, and the supreme court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court. In December, the trial of Thomas B. Fulkerson, on the same charge as Levi Hagan, mentioned elsewhere, was held at Warrensburg; and the prisoner was discharged, the state enter- ing a nol pros. During this year, the new jail was completed, and one long discussed question was settled.
1876.
The Centennial almanac, published by the newspapers of the county, contained the shipments of Saline county, for 1875, and revealed the fact that Saline needed, and could support a railroad, and this almanac was no small factor in its construction. At the March term of court, Robert Hardin was convicted of murder in the second degree, in the killing of Thomas Cambell, and condemned to ten years imprisonment in the peni- tentiary. In April, a strong call was made upon W. H. Letcher to become a candidate for attorney general. The centennial celebration held in Marshall, on the 4th of July, was of interest, Mr. James Cooney being the orator, and the exercises concluding with the firing of cannon and a gorgeous display of fireworks. George N. Colbert, once judge of the probate court, died on the 1st of October. Memorial exercises for him were held by the Masons, members of the bar, and the Baptist Sun- day-school of Marshall.
The election this year was a warm contest, much being said about the reduction of salaries for officials. The official returns of the vote of Saline county, showed a vote of 3,942 for Tilden, against 1,728 for Hayes. For governor, Phelps received 3,898 against 1,760 for Finklenburg.
On the night of the 21st of December, an extraordinarily large and brilliant meteor passed over this county, moving toward the northeast, and eclipsing the moon and stars in brightness. Stephen Smith and E. G. Stewart, two well-known citizens, died in December. The Ditzler- Sweeney debate at Malta Bend closed the events of the year.
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386
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
1877.
Four prisoners broke from the Marshall jail, on the 15th of February, but were shortly afterwards recaptured.
On Wednesday evening the 7th of March, there came into Marshall the van-guard of the first railroad to be built in Saline county. Mr. Black- stone, the president of the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company, together with the chief engineer, and Mr. Mitchell, had been surveying the route, and learning the temper of the people on the line of the road between Mexico and Kansas City, in regard to subscriptions toward building the road. A meeting of citizens and an informal talk was held in the office of Mr. Boyd. In reply to some incredulous remarks, Mr. Mitchell said, if the communities along the line of the road, would raise the amount asked by the company, that he would give his individual bond forfeiting fifty thousand dollars in the event his company did not build the road within two years. The railroad officials departed next day; but Saline county had been disappointed in railroad schemes so often, that she preferred to walk by sight rather than by faith; and thus her skepticism drowned any enthusiasm.
Early in the season the improvement of Sweet Springs was completed, and the hotels were thrown open to invalids and pleasure seekers.
The cropping season was very backward this year, owing to the unu- sual amount of rain and cool weather.
One John Bartlett was arrested for attempted rape upon Mrs. Carrie Hinton, and his preliminary examination began in Marshall, on the 7th of May. While the examination was in progress, a Mr. Parks, a brother of Mrs. Hinton, came in and fired at the prisoner. The prisoner was fur- nished with a pistol, by his father, and surrounded by his relatives, all armed, stood ready to defend his life. By the prompt action of the officers, Parks was disarmed, and quiet restored without bloodshed. Bart- lett was committed to jail in default of $800 bail, and at the ensuing term of court was tried and acquitted.
Henry Johnson, of Liberty township, an old pioneer, died in May, of this year.
Rats were numerous in the houses and fields all over the county, some 110 rats having been plowed up in breaking an acre of land. Meetings were held in several townships, and farmers were urged to concerted action in poisoning them before the coming of the new wheat crop.
The Missouri river was higher this year than it had been since 1844. In June all the low table-lands, lying between Laynesville and Miami, were submerged.
387
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
1878.
At St. Louis, March 6, 1878, a contract was completed with the Chi- cago & Alton Railroad Company for the building of that railroad through Saline county. P. H. Rea and others represented the county.
A meeting of the veterans of the Mexican war was held at Marshall, March 18th. There were present W. W. Arnett, John L. Smith, C. H. Parker, Thomas S. Sibley, Daniel Allaway, Campbell Gilmer, W. N. Taylor, J. A. Lewis, Andrew Campbell, John B. Brown, Thomas J. Edwards, N. H. Lewis.
Tuesday night, March 26, "Dog Row," the west side of the public square, Marshall, was nearly destroyed by fire. The first building on the north end of the row was the first house erected in Marshall, by Henry Simmons, in 1836. One near by, of logs, was built by Jerry Odell, in 1837.
Spelling matches and temperance meetings were quite general in the county in the winter and spring of this year.
In the early part of June, James Helm, confined in jail on a charge of the murder of John Sullivan, at Brownsville, made his escape.
In the latter part of the month of June, a mob of white men shot and killed a negro boy named Philip Johnson, only fourteen years old, who was under arrest for striking a white boy on the head with a stone. Jerry Goodwin, a landlord of the place, and others were afterward arrested for being concerned in the mob, but upon examination were discharged.
In September, John Loyd was tried at Marshall for the murder of Henry Mayfield in the Glasgow bottom. Loyd was acquitted.
In the early part of October, the Chicago & Alton railroad was com- pleted to Marshall, the first railroad to reach the place. A grand ban- quet was given the railroad officers and employes by the citizens; even the track-layers were feasted at Jackson's hotel, and treated to forty gal- lons of lager beer by Mr. McGinniss, proprietor of the "Senate" saloon. Speeches were made and fireworks went up in the evening, amid the scream of locomotive whistles, the ringing of bells, and the cheers of the citizens. On the 7th of November, the new road met with its first acci- dent. A brakeman named Gus Garst was run over by the cars at the Marshall depot, and killed.
For some years the county had been infested with Norway rats to the extent that they had become a plague. The representatives from this county secured the passage of a bill through the legislature offering a bounty on every rat killed. In the spring of 1878, it was announced that the rats had nearly all disappeared from the county.
388
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
1879.
Early in January, the preliminary examination of John S. Womack, before Esquire Hawley, of Marshall, on a charge of complicity in the murder of Maj. Cockrell, in Blackwater township, resulted in Womack's discharge.
In July, the county officials becoming alarmed at the unsafe condition of the court house. removed the offices to buildings on the north side of the square.
At the fair in Marshall, in September, Robert H. Fisher and R. G. Montague, had an affray, in which Fisher stabbed and killed Montague, the latter dying in twenty minutes. Upon preliminary examination, Fisher was admitted to bail in the sum of $5000.
1880.
The presidential election of 1880 excited much interest in the county, by reason of the probability of the success of the democratic party, with Gen. W. S. Hancock as its standard-bearer. The defeat of Gen. Han- cock was not only a matter of great regret, but of complete surprise to the majority of the people of the county. The vote in Saline coanty stood:
Hancock and English, (democrat). 3,962
Garfield and Arthur, (republican). 1,952
Weaver and Chambers, (greenback) 320
The winter of 1880-1. was one of uncommon severity. The weather was extremely cold, and in February and March, 1881, there was a heavy snow fall, which drifted in huge piles, filling up roads and making travel almost impossible. Trains were blockaded, and much inconvenience resulted.
On Sunday evening, April 3, 1881, the court house building, in Mar- shall, was destroyed by fire, the work of an incendiary. For some time the building had been deemed unsafe, and had been abandoned, and little but the empty building remained. The walls soon after fell in, and in a short time not much remained but a shapeless pile of brick and mortar.
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