USA > Missouri > Clinton County > The History of Clinton County, Missouri : containing a history of the County, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Clinton County in the late war, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc > Part 45
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During the night the news spread from neighborhood to neighbor- hood, and by next morning there must have been five hundred men in the search. It was kept up all day Saturday, but no discovery was yet made. Late in the evening some one suggested that the negro hired man was the guilty party. A few of the crowd discussed it, and it was agreed that they would investigate the probability of it. They accord- ingly went to his lodging about nine o'clock, P. M., and told him he was suspected. He denied it. They told him a sock had been found ; that he must strip and be examined. This brought him to a confession of the terrible deed. But to fully satisfy themselves they made him strip, and on the back between the shoulders and under the arms they found mud. On one foot they found a sock, evidently the mate to the one found ; on the other foot there was no sock. He then told where he dropped the sock, and all about it. They had their man, and started immediately with him. They passed out of the farm gate on to the highway, leading to Plattsburg, and they had gone only about half
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a mile, when they were joined by two or three hundred men, and in less time than it takes to read this article, he was swinging to a rope about his neck between heaven and earth. Early next morning the coroner of the county was sent for, and he, going down about noon, found him still hanging to the fatal limb. He was cut down and an inquest held by a jury, who returned a verdict of death by strangulation at the hands of parties unknown. The verdict ought to have been : By an outraged and terribly enraged community.
A BLOODY AFFRAY.
On the 9th day of May, 1868, at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, eight miles northwest of Plattsburg, near Miller's mill, there occurred a difficulty between several persons, a portion of whom were under the influence of liquor. The affray resulted in the killing of a man named David Pike, and the wounding, dangerously, of John Thompson. The difficulty grew out of the purchase of the place Pike was living on by Amos, who had a notice served on Pike to leave. On Saturday morning Amos, Sayles and Thompson came to Plattsburg, and returned to Amos' house, which is situated about fifteen feet from the one at that time occupied by Pike), in the afternoon about 2 o'clock.
When they arrived Pike was absent with the first load of his goods, the time for which he could hold the house expiring that evening. Before Pike made his appearance Sayles, after cursing awhile and bragging that he "was the best man on top of dirt," went home and armed himself with a gun. When he came back Pike, who was loading his wagon a second time, told him not to come on the place with his gun, but Sayles, paying no attention to him, went into the house. Thereupon a quarrel com- menced between Pike and Sayles, when the former dared the latter to lay down his gun and fight it out ; to which Sayles responded that he would if Pike would take off his revolver. Pike relieved himself of his revolver, and Sayles backed out. Amos, who had had several quarrels with Pike about the possession of the place, then took up the difficulty and involved Thompson in it, who being armed with a revolver, shot two or three times at Pike, one of the shots passing through his heart and killing him instantly. In the difficulty Thompson received a shot, which entered at his left side, passing through both lungs and out at his right side, inflicting a mortal wound.
DARING ROBBERY.
During the war of the rebellion, Clinton County suffered in com- mon with other counties of Missouri, from the incursions of organized bands of thieves, who took upon themselves, as occasion suited, the name of Union men or Confederates in order to perpetrate their villain- ous outrages upon the citizens.
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On the 21st day of May, 1863, at four o'clock in the afternoon, a band of "bushwhackers," under the command of Lieutenant Clegg, came into Plattsburg from the south, horseback, shooting promiscuously to the right and left, as they came rapidly down Main Street. Arriving at the corner of Maple Street, they resumed their firing at some parties in the court house, whom they mistook for militia. Finding, however, that they were mistaken, and that there were no militia in town, they began robbing business houses, among which were those of J. P. Lyons, Joel Funkhouser and Vance & Jackson. Jackson, of the firm of Vance & Jackson, was, at the time, county treasurer, and had the funds of the county locked up in the safe belonging to the firm, at their store. There being but a few safes in the town, the sheriff, William Ferguson, W. J. Biggerstaff, circuit court clerk, and a number of private individuals, had their money also deposited with Vance & Jackson for safe keeping. The store of Vance & Jackson was located on the northeast corner of Main and Maple Streets.
Clegg, the leader of the gang, claimed to be a Southern man, and knowing that Vance and Jackson were avowed Union men, he and his men, after some little delay, proceeded to their store. Two of the party entered, with their revolvers drawn, and one of them asked a son of Mr. Jackson, one of the proprietors, if he had a good watch? Jackson answered "that he had," when the man told him to hand it over with his pocket-book. Jackson gave him his pocket-book, and started to go out of the store, to hide his watch, which was a very fine one, but the fellow with the pistol stopped him, and commanded him to hand it over. Jack- son hesitated, and told the robber that he would rather give him the value of the watch in money than to part with it. The robber instantly leveled his pistol at Jackson's head, telling him to "pull his watch." Believing that the robber would kill him, he gave him his watch. Jack- son thought at the time that the man was Frank James. The watch was afterwards returned to him through a mutual friend. While committing their robberies, these men ascertained that Mr. Jackson had the key to the safe, and demanded it. He offered them the key ; they declined taking it, but made him open the safe. By this time the store was full of men, and when the safe was unlocked and opened, those standing nearest the money drawer of the safe made a grab for the money. While they were scrambling for the money, Mr. Jackson took $200 out of the drawer, which he concealed until their departure.
After robbing the safe they began to steal from the store. They took from the safe about $9,600, moneys belonging to the county and private individuals, and about $600 worth of goods. They then went to the court house and attempted to destroy it by fire. They succeeded in burning some of the early records of the county belonging to the circuit clerk's office before the fire was put out by the citizens. After remaining
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in the town until after dark, they left, going in the direction whence they came.
HORRIBLE HOMICIDE.
We take the following from the Vindicator, published at Cameron, Clinton County, Missouri, bearing date November, 29, 1879:
The most horrible affair that has ever occurred in Cameron, was the shooting of Marshal Henry C. Culver, in the performance of his duty as an officer, at about 6:10 o'clock Saturday evening. Nearly all of our local readers have heard the particulars over and over before this, but a com- plete report of the affair will undoubtedly be read with interest by everybody. We therefore give the facts as we have gathered them, as follows :
The two young men, Jerome Johnson, whose father lives ten miles south of Breckenridge, in Caldwell County, and Aaron Harpster, whose father lives one-half mile northeast of Kidder, Caldwell County, came to town about ten o'clock Saturday morning, and put their horses up in McCartney & Holman's livery stable. Harpster went to J. H. McGuire's dental rooms to have his teeth filled, while Johnson alternated between there, the saloon and other places in town, taking several drinks, and becoming somewhat intoxicated, but not very drunk. Several times during the afternoon he pulled out a revolver in Redeker's saloon, and showed it to Redeker, who told him that he had better keep it in his pocket, or he would be arrested, to which he answered that he would like to see any man arrest him. Sometime after this conversation Mr. Redeker pointed out Johnson to the marshal, and told him that if he drew his revolver again to arrest him. The marshal went into the saloon, took a seat beside Johnson and eyed him closely, but nothing more occurred worthy of note at that time.
About 5 o'clock Harpster left the the dentist's office and went with Johnson to a saloon, and they took something to drink, and, after a short time, went to the livery stable and told the liverman that they did not want their horses until about 9 o'clock, as they were going to look around town awhile ; but as soon as the liverymen all went into the office, Johnson and Harpster stole into the stable and got their horses, mounting them in the stable and rode out at full tilt and through the streets, firing two or three shots in the streets. They rode to an alley near Marshal Culver's residence, and hitched their horses to a fence, came up town and went into W. W. McGregor's hardware store and asked to see some revolvers and cartidges. There was no one in the store at the time except the old gentleman, John McGregor. After selected a revol- ver and cartridges to suit, they walked out, refusing to pay for the revolver, and ran to where their horses were. Marshal Culver and Con- stable Ellis followed to arrest them for shooting on the streets, not knowing at that time that they had stolen the revolver. Johnston and Harpster mounted their horses and waited until the marshal and Con- stable Ellis got within fifty steps of them, when they put spurs to their horses and tried to ride over the officers. Marshal Culver caught firm hold of Johnson's horse and stopped it, when Johnson fired and shot the marshal in the breast, immediately riding away. Culver cried out, "I am shot." and Ellis hurried to his assistance, having failed to stop Harp-
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ster's horse and running a few yards after him, firing his revolver at him once.
Mrs. Culver heard the shooting and ran out and assisted Mr. Ellis in getting her husband into the house. He walked, leaning on Ellis and his wife, but fainted just at the door. Medical aid was called at once, and Drs. Potter, Adams and Snyder came.
He lived some twenty minutes, spoke several broken sentences, and said in substance that the man from Kidder shot him, saying that Charley Redeker would know the man. He expressed great concern for his wife and aged mother, but died without apparent pain.
Of course the news of the shooting spread like wild-fire, and our town was full of sorrow and excitement. At first it was supposed that an innocent party named Wilhoit was one of the murderers, and it was lucky that this report was disproved before he was found. Large num- bers of citizens turned out and reported ready for pursuit, the livery stables were thrown open, hardware stores shelled out their guns, and in a very short time Constable Ellis and a posse of good men started for Kidder. A short time afterwards a number of men went down on a hand-car, and still others went on the evening passenger train. These men were reinforced by some of the best citizens of Kidder, and the search began in earnest. At a little after 8 o'clock a portion of the party surrounded the house of Harpster, and Constable Ellis and S. K. Wright went in and commenced to search for their fugitives, when Harpster jumped through the door of another room and started for the brush. One of the guards, who was standing near the door when Harpster went through leveled a double-barreled shot-gun at him and pulled the trig- ger of both barrels, but, luckily for Harpster, the gun snapped and he escaped, but was fired upon several times with revolvers. The men fol- lowed him a considerable distance, but he had got into the woods and made good his escape. Several hours was spent in fruitless search for the two men, and near midnight they were tired and discouraged, and some were inclined to give up and come home, when George Chubbuck, one of the most reliable men of Kidder, appeared among them and brightened their hopes with the announcement that he knew where Johnson was and could lead them to his capture.
The discovery of the murderer was purely accidental, and happened in this manner: George Chubbuck had taken Miss Gilmore from a rehearsal at Kidder to her home, one and a half miles northwest of town, and wanting to see a Mr. Kelley, who lives in a part of the Gil- more house, he started through a room, when he was startled by a man jumping out of bed with a couple of revolvers and demanding what was wanted. Chubbuck was acquainted with Johnson, and although know- ing that parties were after him, to throw him off his guard he said that he only wanted to see Kelley. Johnson then said that he had got into some trouble at Cameron and would leave the country in the morning, and begged Chubbuck not to "give him away." He asked if anybody was hurt at Cameron, and was told no. This made him much easier, and Chubbuck soon managed to leave the room. He then informed the Gilmore family what had taken place, and told them he would soon return with men to capture him. He then got his horse and found Con- stable Ellis, who at once rallied a sufficient posse, and started for Gil- more's place, with Chubbuck and C. F. Wyman as guides.
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They were let into the house quietly, all necessary precautions being taken, and were guided to the door leading to the room where Johnson slept. When all was ready they rushed in on him and he awoke to look into the muzzles of several guns. He surrendered without dispute and took the matter far more coolly than any of his captors. He was at once disarmed and invited to take a trip to Cameron, which invitation he accepted and at about four o'clock he arrived at the Cameron Hotel, where an enthusiastic reception was given him during the entire day.
When Johnson was brought to Cameron most of the Cameron men returned, but the citizens of Kidder were still on the watch for Harpster, and on Sunday forenoon a number of them re-visited the Harpster farm and found their man at home, and arrested him without difficulty, bring- ing him to Cameron in the afternoon.
To say that our people were excited on Sunday would not more than half express it, for the office of the Cameron Hotel was crowded from morning till night, each one talking in sober earnest concerning the sad affair, and all anxious to get a glimpse at the man who committed the terrible deed. The sidewalks were also blockaded in numerous places by knots of men discussing the matter, and many expressed fears that the murderer would be lynched, while many good citizens expressed themselves freely that under the circumstances that it would be the best manner to settle the case. These expressions, together with the knowl- edge of the fact that Marshal Culver was a prominent member of a horse thief protective association, led the officers and nearly every other citizen to believe that Johnson's chances for being the principal attraction in a little neck-tie party were rather flattering. Sheriff Payne was telegraphed for and he kept a strong guard over the prisoners during the day and night, and it is expected that if an effort had been made to lynch them there would have been some blood spilled. The prisoners were kept in the third story of the hotel and a mob could hardly have been able to reach them if the sheriff and his men who guarded the stairways, had been determined to protect his prisoners.
It is stated by some, who pretend to know, that ropes were ready and a mob organized to hang both Johnson and Harpster, and that the only reason no attempt was made was because they did not want to attack the hotel when they thought they could as well get them when they were brought out. We do not believe, however, there was any organization effected for that purpose.
It was announced that there would be a preliminary examination held in Cameron on Monday, and no effort would be made to move the prisoners to Plattsburg until after the trial. This satisfied those who were indignant at the idea of moving them, and things became more quite, and no attempt at lynching was made during the night, and the sheriff and posse took advantage of the situation and got their prisoners on board the early morning train, on the Hannibal Road, and they were on their way to Plattsburg, via Lathrop, before any of our people knew it. Most every one was disappointed to learn that the examination was not to be held here, and few were indignant, but there was no trouble.
CORONER'S VERDICT.
Coroner Smith came up Saturday evening, summoned a jury, and a post mortem examination was made, but the inquest was postponed
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until Monday, when it was in session all day, examining witnesses. The verdict rendered was as follows :
STATE OF MISSOURI, I. COUNTY OF CLINTON, I SS.
We, the undersigned jurors, impannelled and sworn on the 29th day of November, 1879, at Cameron, Township of Shoal, in the County of Clinton, by R. F. Smith, coroner of said county, to diligently enquire, and true presentment make, how and by whom H. C. Culver, whose body was found at Cameron on the 29th day of November, 1879, came to his death, having viewed the body, witnessed the post mortem exam- ation, and heard the evidence, do find that the deceased came to his death from a pistol shot passing through the breast bone, thence through the left lung, striking the sixth rib, fracturing it, and lodging just under the skin, beneath the left axilla, and, there being no other marks of vio- lence about the body, the jury do further find that said shot was fired from a pistol by the hand of one Jerome Johnson, and one Aaron Harp- ster was then and there present, aiding and abetting the said Jerome Johnson in the performance of said felony.
LOUIS WEILAND, Foreman, E. D. STOKES, J. W. THOMPSON, J. M. COLLIER, T. B. CASTERLINE, ISAAC HAVENOR.
NOTES OF THE TRAGEDY.
The funeral of Marshal Culver was probably the largest ever held in Cameron.
Harpster is a hard case, frequently getting on a spree, but is said to be very orderly when sober. He is twenty years of age, and has a father and two brothers living near Kidder, the father being in good circumstances. On Fourth of July last, he was arrested by Marshal Culver for disturbing the peace, and it is supposed by some that the murder was premeditated revenge.
Johnson was twenty-one years old last August, is rather a small man, and is not one that would be taken for a hard case. In the vicinity of Breckenridge he bears a very bad reputation, and has been frequently charged with stealing horses. His father was for many years captain of a Mississippi River steamboat, and Jerome was raised on the river.
CHAPTER XXVI.
BENCH AND BAR.
ANDREW S. HUGHES-EX-GOVERNOR GEORGE SMITH-WILLIAM B. ALMOND-PETER H. BURNETT-HENRY M. VORIES-JAMES B. GARDENHIRE -- DAVID R. ATCHISON- WILLARD P. HALL-SOLOMON L. LEONARD-BELA M. HUGHES-SILAS WOODSON -J. M. BASSETT-A. W. DONIPHAN -GEORGE W. DUNN-WILLIAM T. WOOD- THOMAS E. TURNEY-THOMAS J. PORTER-WINSLOW TURNER-AUSTIN A. KING -RESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT-BENJAMIN F. LOAN-RESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT OF ST. JOSEPH BAR-ROLL OF ATTORNEYS-BENCH AND BAR OF CAMERON.
WVe here submit a few memorials of the bench and bar of Clinton County and the "Platte Purchase." Every hour diminishes our recol- lections of by-gone days ; but a few glimpses remain, and a few short years will obliterate every view and vestige of what, in the passing pageants of life, has been so interesting to us all.
To one of the oldest representative members of the legal fraternity are we indebted for the following sketches of the men who were the pioneer attorneys of Clinton County and Northwest Missouri :
GENERAL ANDREW S. HUGHES.
The first lawyer in the Platte country was General Andrew S. Hughes. General Hughes was said to have been a resident lawyer of Buchanan County, from the fact that he was an Indian agent in the county up to the annexation of the Platte Purchase to the state.
He owned a large farm and servants in Clay County, on which his wife and only son, General Bela M. Hughes, now of Denver, Colorado, resided, and on which he spent a portion of his time when not engaged at Agency.
I first knew General Hughes in Kentucky. He resided in Nicholas County ; was a lawyer of some eminence and a brilliant advocate. Early as 1824, he represented the Senatorial district composed of the counties of Nicholas and Breckenridge in the Legislature of Kentucky. I resided at Augusta, Breckenridge County, and first met him when he was can- vassing for the Senate. He was appointed an Indian agent under the administration of John Q. Adams, in 1826.
He was one of the most remarkable men, in many respects, of this or any other age. Kind of heart, cheerful, mirthful to hilarity, genial in manners, indeed, geniality itself, he possessed an inexhaustible fund of brilliant anecdotes, and a wit as keen and merciless as Swift's and a sar-
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casm as blighting as Randolph's. One of the few men of real genuis I ever met. The emanations of real genuis come from the Creator. Elab- oration is man's work and merely art. General Hughes was a man of real genuis. I think he died in 1843, at Plattsburg, attending court. He got wet while crossing the Platte River and caught cold, and died from the effects of it, at the age of about sixty years.
EX-GOVERNOR GEORGE SMITH.
George Smith was born February 2, 1809, in Columbiana County, Ohio. Both his grandfathers served in the Revolutionary War, and were natives of Pennsylvania. His father served in the war of 1812. He received a practical business education in the county of his birth, and afterwards attended college at Oxford (Ohio) Miami University, but did not remain to graduate, leaving at the age of twenty years to engage in business. His father was a farmer, energetic and thrifty ; the son was accordingly early imbued with rigid habits of industry. His first com- mercial ventures were in the transportation of flour to New Orleans by flat-boat in the winter, and the driving of cattle from Ohio to Eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland in the summer. These pursuits occupied three years of his life. In January, 1833, he married in Brooke County, Virginia, where she was born, Sarah A. Chapman, by whom he had two children, a son and daughter. His wife died in 1836. He was married again in November, 1839, to Mary A. Kerrins, a native of the neighbor- hood of Liverpool, England, who survived him. By this marriage he had three sons and two daughters, all living. Both wives were educated women, of strong character, and the last is widely known and appreci- ated. In 1844, he emigrated from Ohio, and located in Caldwell County, Missouri, where he resided for twenty-four years. In 1868, he moved to his late residence near Cameron, Clinton County. In 1852, he was elected by a vote of both political parties a member of the legislature from Caldwell County, and served in the special session called in the fall of said year, for the purpose of applying by enactment the land grant of congress to the Hannibal & St. Joseph and Pacific Railroads. During this special session he was appointed, and acted on the joint committee of the legislature that reported bills in reference to said grant; also bills for the incorporation of the North Missouri and the Iron Mountain Railroads and the Southwest Pacific, now the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad. The results of the action of this com- mittee, as favorably affecting the material and permanent interests of the country, are recognized as among the most important that have been attained in the state. He served in the regular session following, which closed in 1853. From this period till the breaking out of the war, he remained on his farm, still taking an intensely active interest in public
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affairs, constantly maintaining the position of an unconditional Union man, and manifesting especial antagonism to the pro-slavery movement in the Kansas issues.
In 1862, he was elected to the legislature from Caldwell County as an unconditional Union man. At the adjourned session of 1863, he pub- licly declared himself an emancipationist. He was appointed by the Republican caucus a member of the committee whose duty it was to draft the bill authorizing the calling of a convention, the object of which was to confine the elective franchise to the loyal men of the state, to abolish slavery, and to effect such other modifications as the public interests and safety might demand. The bill as reported by the com- mittee, with a few unimportant changes, was enacted by the legislature. He remained in the legislature till the spring of 1864.
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