USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 90
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 90
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A good deal of the time of the court in 1882 was given to the admission of residents to United States citizenship, and not a little to petitions for divorce. A few indictments for horse stealing were presented and several for illegal sale of liquor. The injunction suit entered by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, to restrain the commissioner of Clay County from collecting court house and jail tax ($619.53), was successful, and the tax was declared illegal by Judge Morris. In May, 1883, J. L. Epperson and C. J. Martin were admitted members of the bar; in October, 1884, H. H. Hendee was admitted, and in May, 1885, J. B. Cessan, of the supreme court bar, was admitted to the bar of this district ; Charles K. Hart of the New York bar was also admitted. The indict- ment for murder against John Taylor was presented at this term, and in May, 1886, an indictment against William Taylor was returned. A verdict of "not guilty" was returned in each case. The boys were subsequently indicted for injuring fences and other property.
In May, 1887, the liquor cases were presented in number, and petitions for divorce or for modification of former petitions, helped to swell the volume of civil business. In October, 1887, information for the murder of Fred Dickman was entered against August Mentz. He was found guilty of murder in the second degree October 26, 1887, by a jury of whom George E. Birge was foreman, and was sentenced to imprisonment for twelve years, to be kept in solitary confine- ment on July 19th of each year.
E. E. Hairgrove, (. J. Bills and Morris H. Pope were admitted to the bar May 15, 1888; a year later H. N. Hairgrove and Edward P. Mitchell were ad- mitted.
The officers of the court at the close of 1889 were judge, Hon. W. H. Morris ; county attorney, J. L. Epperson; reporter, S. A. Searle; clerk, J. E. Wheeler ; sheriff, E. D. Davis. The members of the bar were J. L. Epperson, R. G. Brown, B. F. MeLoney, E. E. Hairgrove, E. A. Mitchell, T. A. Barbour, S. W. Christy, T. H. Matters, W. P. Shockey, Charles Epperson, William M. Clark, L. P. Crouch, L. G. Hurd, W. S. Prickett, G .W. Bemis, E. P. Burnett, M. S. Edgington, H. M. Pope, W. M. Hairgrove, Hartigan & Albright.
On March 30, 1885, Herbert H. Hude, Rees T. Rees, John Llewellyn, David Burnett, George Van Gilder, and Harvey Barnhart were brought to trial for the lynching of Jones and Mrs. Taylor. Judge Burnett presided. Colonel Dilworth and John D. Hayes, of Hastings, R. G. Brown, of Sutton, and T. HI. Matters, of
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
Harvard, represented the state; Messrs. Reagan, of Hastings, L. G. Hurd, of Harvard, and J. L. Epperson, of Fairfield, the defendants. Old Mrs. Jones, aged sixty-six, was one of the principal witnesses, but the evidence was not sufficient to convict and so Judge Burnett declared the prisoners to be free. Clay Center was almost as full of people as was the court room, and the order of the court was received with cheers within and without.
The execution of Mrs. Elizabeth A. Taylor and Tom Jones took place March 15, 1885. It appears that about 1 o'clock that morning a party of fifty men ar- rived at the sod-house ranche of old Mrs. Jones (four and one-half miles southeast of Spring Ranche Mills), mother of Tom and sister. A call was made on the inmates to evacuate the house, which, for a time was unheeded but was ultimately acceeded to. A number of persons, including William Foster, or Texas Bill, Nelson Celley, N. C. Clark and one Ferrel presented themselves and were made prisoners, then came Tom Jones, Mrs. Taylor and Luther Wiggins, a boy herder, who came three weeks before from Hastings, so that old Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Taylor's child were the only persons left in the sod-house. The mob carried the persons about one-fourth of a mile from the building and made an attempt to extort a confes- sion from them. Mrs. Taylor is said to have acknowledged that her brother hired a man to burn Llewellyn's barn. The crowd marched the prisoners to the bridge over the Blue, near the sod-house, where Mrs. Taylor and Jones prayed loudly in the Welsh language for some minutes, when they were led under the bridge and hanged. The other prisoners were brought to the house of R. T. Rees, where N. C. Clark was ordered to leave the country at once, and the others told it would be well for them to leave also.
In the morning Nelson Celley returned to the sod-house to feed the stock and saw the bodies dangling from the bridge. Later the boy, Barker, was sent out to give information, when Joseph Meehan, John Quinn, Ed Young and Ed Rollins repaired to the scene. Mr. Meehan ordered the bodies to be left there until the arrival of the coroner. A jury, composed of J. C. Ward, Jacob Eller, Cal Earnest, James Leiteh, H. M. Goldsmith and M. Wiliman, with Jesse F. Eller, coroner. found that death ensued from hanging, the act being done by persons unknown. The ropes used were ordinary mule halters. Evidently the ropes were placed round the victims' neeks while standing on the ground, then drawn across the stringers of the bridge and pulled upon by the executioners until the man and woman were strangled.
In former pages references are made to the murders perpetrated in this county, and the action of the court in the trial of the alleged murderers related. In the pioneer chapter and in the pages devoted to the cities of the county the many stirring encounters with the Indians and deaths resulting therefrom, as well as from accident, are referred to.
During the winter of 1883 Mark Percival was frozen to death while under the influence of liquor. The widow brought suit against one of the persons who sold her husband liquor, and in the fall of 1885 a verdict for $2,500 was given, the trial taking place before Judge Morris, of Clay Center.
The murder of John Roberts, of Spring Ranche, was perpetrated January 8, 1885. The first reports of this crime credited it to the Taylors, as Mrs. Taylor, a Welsh woman, threatened the Welsh man, Roberts, with punishment if he dared to take any timber from an eighty-acre tract which she claimed on the Blue.
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
Elijah Smith, an old resident of Logan Township, while engaged in burning an old straw stack, was burned to death in 1885.
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Mrs. Joseph Warner, who resided five miles south of Edgar, was poisoned by aconite in November, 1885.
The railroad disaster at Deweese occurred October 19, 1886. It appears a con- struction train backing down to Deweese, carrying ninety-five men to dinner, struck a bull near the house of George Shepard. The cars were thrown from the track into the draw twenty feet, killing six men and wounding several. The names of the killed were: R. H. Marvin, hotel keeper at Deweese: George Burke, St. Louis : Dennis O'Connor, Weston, Mo .; Dennis Hamilton, Michigan; Robert Col- lins, England, and Thomas Kelly. Eight others suffered severe injuries.
John Harvonic committed suicide in November, 1884.
Fred Ronzo committed suicide in September, 1887, while imprisoned at Clay Center, pending his trial for attempting to kill his wife.
James Mccullough committed suicide by stabbing in May, 1889. The scene of this tragedy is eight miles northeast of Glenville.
Jesse Gordon, the eight year old son of Charles Gordon, was buried in the hopper at Minor's elevator and smothered to death.
The accident at Sutton, October 13, 1887, resulted in the death of the eight year old son of George Conn. The boy attempted to jump on a moving train, but falling had one arm and both legs cut off instantly. as if hy a knife. Before he could be rescued he was struck by a bolt and killed.
W. R. Prosser was killed by the ears at Hansen in March, 1887.
In August, 1889, a three year old son of T. G. Dumke wandered into a field of sowed corn which his father was engaged in entting down. The child was hidden in the edge of the thick heavy growth, so that the father drove by. the unfeeling mower cutting off the boys feet as readily as it cut down the corn. A sister sent in search of the little one found him covered in the stalks, and gave the alarm. Doctor Ray was summoned, but could not save the boy.
A REVIEW OF CLAY COUNTY'S BAR
Considerable has already been said by T. A. Barbour and other contributors to these compilations concerning various members of the Clay County Bar, and probably practically every member has been repeatedly named herein. Since Mr. Barbour died some five years ago, Robert G. Brown of Sutton is probably the dean of the Clay County Bar in point of service. He came to Sutton in 18:1 after admission in Illinois. He has not practiced actively in recent years. But that some connected review might be made of where the various members who have moved away went to, and who are still living, the compiler consulted Mr. Brown and in so far as he could, he has narrated these points.
Of the early practitioners of the county, A. A. McCoy moved away long ago, M. S. Edgington, pioneer attorney of Edgar is deceased. I. J. Starbuck, went to Salt Lake City from Clay County; A. L. Lemon, practicing at Sutton, about 1875 is dead. T. A. Barbour practicing almost forty years at Harvard died in 1916; Frank A. Sweeney left Edgar and went to Blue Hill. S. G. Wilcox here in 1880 left. S. W. Christy, the other pioneer attorney of Edgar who remained
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
there until recent years. B. C. Oyler of Harvard and Arthur Williams of Glen- ville were admitted, but never practiced. This also classifies F. W. Burdick, and E. W. Lewis of Fairfield. J. L. Epperson started in 1883 at Fairfield and prac- ticed until his death. C. J. Martin of Clay C'enter was admitted but never practiced. E. E. Hairgrove of Sutton went to Kansas City some ten years or so ago. H. W. Gray was admitted at about 1872, J. S. LeHew was another very early Sutton attorney, about 1875, who went to MeCook. John E. Bagley another of the Sutton Bar before courthouse was at Clay Center went to Ogden, Utah, and E. H. White went to Texas. J. L. Stone is dead and W. F. Stone is a railroad mail agent in Lincoln. L. P. Crouch was another early Sutton attorney, and G. W. Bemis went to York. W. N. Hairgrove practiced at Sutton. B. F. McLoney and W. P. Shockley were early Harvard attorneys, long since out of the game. W. M. Clark went to Oklahoma, and E. P. Burnett, another early Clay Center practitioner is dead. W. S. Prickett is deceased. This far we have accounted for almost all of the very early practitioners in the first era of the county's development.
In the past thirty years or so, the number of lawyers in Clay County has been much fewer, and their tenure in practice longer.
CLAY CENTER-Of course, since it captured the county seat, the main center of practice has been here. The main practitioners through the '90s and suc- ceeding decade were F. B. Churchill, J. M. Jones, J. B. Scott, of Sutton most the time, Mark Spanogle, of Hurd & Spanogle at Harvard part of the time, and in recent years at Bridgeport ; J. L. Epperson and his son Ambrose C. Epperson. After he came over from Sutton and took the county judgeship. L. B. Stiner was here, but in recent years has been at. Hastings. In 1907 those practicing at Clay Center were Merton L. Corey, now with Federal Land Bank at Omaha, who achieved state wide reputation in his work in the M. W. A. rate cases. J. L. and A. C. Epperson, the latter having served upon the Supreme Court Commission ; Thomas Martin, County Judge H. C. Palmer, L. B. Stiner, now Mayor of Hast- ings; and later Corey & Gilmore. The present Bar at Clay Center in 1921, are A. C. Epperson, C. H. Epperson, Jr .; County Judge A. C. Krebs, H. C. Palmer and J. E. Ray and County Attorney Cloyd L. Stewart.
SUTTON -- Since the county seat moved, Sutton has not been a main artery of law practice. But for a time afterwards it had R. G. Brown, L. P. Crouch, Hair- grove, G. W. Bemis, and M. C. King in the '90s. J. B. Scott has practiced at Sutton for many years and is the only active attorney there now. L. B. Stiner was formerly there, John Louis Horn stayed a while.
HARVARD-Years ago L. P. Crouch and some others practiced there, but the main law history of Harvard centers around T. A. Barbour, deceased, Judge Leslie G. Hurd, for twelve years district judge, and now living at Bridgeport, and Thomas H. Matters, who moved to Omaha ten or fifteen years ago. John A. Moore, of Omaha, who achieved some notoriety in securing against the Rock Island and Union Pacific railroads the largest judgment for personal injuries ever secured in Nebraska, $108,000, was at Ilarvard with the Matters office for a time. Mr. Moore had been riding the prosperous wave of damage litigation just before the work- men's compensation law was passed and this aggravated his measure of damages. Boslaugh & Moore, as a firm succeeded to Judge Hurd's office when he went on the district bench. In 1907, Barbour, Moore and Paul E. Boslaugh, now partner of Mayor Stiner at Hastings, were the local Harvard Bar. C. E. Decature came
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
in 1912. In recent years George W. Miller and H. G. Wellensiek have been the Harvard Bar.
EDGAR-M. S. Edgington and S. W. Christy were the members of the Edgar Bar for many years. S. A. Searle, who became quite a prominent lawyer in Omaha, practiced here. L. E. Cottle became a partner with Mr. Christy about 1909 and after his return from military service ten years later removed to Gering, Nebraska, and in 1920 Edgar was without a resident attorney. W. L. Minor and C. H. Epperson of Fairfield and C. L. Stewart of Clay Center giving especial resi- dent attention and special trips to Edgar very often.
FAIRFIELD-J. L. Epperson, of course, was here for many years, but in the later years of his life was at Clay Center. But his son, Charles H. Epperson, except for a short period in a southern state, has maintained an office at Fairfield con- tinuously and been a very faithful public-spirited citizen. L. B. Stiner practiced here about 1898. W. L. Minor came some twenty years ago into practice and has remained consistently at Fairfield. Hugh A. Steavenson was here a while. .
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
The modern generation, who can step to the telephone, call the doctor, await a few anxious moments while the physician's automobile speedily brings him to the beside of the sick person, is very apt to overlook the prime importance of the "country doctor" of some forty years ago. Then it was a long wait, a period of intense suspense, while the doctor sitting half awake in a buggy, with the faithful horse steering the course, would be slowly ambling toward his destination. To make a good fraction of as many calls, visits and examinations as the modern physician can dispense with in a regular day's work, his predecessor of a generation ago had to put in many more tedious, tiresome hours. Words cannot begin to record the credit due to the earlier doctors of Clay County, or any other community. The least we can do at this time is to compile a memorial roster of these faithful servants of the public health.
The Central Nebraska Medical Society was organized at Sutton, June 24, 1876. Dr. J. R. C. Davis, of Aurora, was chosen president; Dr. M. V. B. Clark, of Sutton, secretary. In 1881 Dr. William Knapp, of York, was chosen president, and Dr. A. O. Kendall, of Sutton, secretary and treasurer. As related in the history of Hall County, this organization has been kept up in one form or another down to the present day.
The register of physicians of Clay County contains the following names :
REGISTERED IN 1881
Marcus W. Wilcox, Suttou
L. J. Forney
Benjamin C. Oliver
S. A. Allen
Thomas E. Casterline, Edgar Charles Palmer
T. R. Hall
R. B. C'onn
M. V. B. Clark, Sutton
John T. Fleming, Har- vard Mary A. Howard
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I. D. Howard, Harvard
Owen B. Canfield
John H. Case
Mark A. Perkins
E. T. Cassell
D. F. Anderson
A. O. Kendall
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
REGISTERED IN 1882
G. M. Prentice John Rehsteiner
Michael T. Robinson
REGISTERED IN 1883
A. Alexson
A. H. Keller
C. T. Laurence Thomas P. Butler
REGISTERED IN 1884
O. P. Shoemaker S. C. Youngman
REGISTERED IN 1885
John F. Edgar
Joseph E. Spatz
F. W. Rose
G. A. Blair F. A. Butler Francis M. Wilcox
A. J. Bacon
REGISTERED IN 1886
J. M. Borkner
Thomas MeCrackan
A. L. Saline
Daniel Matson
H. L. Vradenburg
Wm. H. Miller
REGISTERED IN 1887
R. R. Blair
C. A. Dean
G. W. Randall
J. W. Kissinger
Edward D. Barrett
M. A. Perkins
A. M. Pickett
Wm. F. Lee
D. G. Thompson
REGISTERED IN 1888
Jolin S. Gallison
C'has. M. Williams
E. O. Boardman
Adam R. Ray
Thomas C. Malone
H. M. Bailey
Sarah A. Scott
Peter Jauns
REGISTERED IN 1889
William Tanner James H. Conrad
Royal Woods
Milo L. Kensington
L. C. Holmes
I. W. Houghey
L. W. Ramaley
Dr. A. J. Smith registered in 1915. and in 1920 Drs. Latta and Archerd were still practicing in Clay Center.
HARVARD
Dr. F. A. Butler registered in 1885 and for years was one of deans of Harvard medical circle, with I. D. Howard, who registered in 1891. Other early doctors
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
were Jas. K. Whiteman, 1891, and John T. Fleming. Doctors Wilcox from Sutton and Jenison from Clay Center became connected with Harvard practice, the latter still living here.
J. R. Sample was next and then G. B. Wolford in 1904. Dr. J. G. Pace reg- istered about 1905, and H. II. Seely in 1900, and he remained long a fixture in Harvard. A. R. Weaver registered as an optometrist. Dr. F. E. Gorden came in 1908. Doctors Jenison, Howard and Butler were still practicing in Harvard in 1914. Dr. G. E. Ingram came in 1915.
FAIRFIELD
After A. B. Palmer, first physician, and Doctor Case, the notable figures of the early medical fraternity of Fairfield were G. M. Prentice, 1882; A. R. Ray, 1888; and J. E. Spatz, 1885. During the early '90s came James H. Conrad, 1891; Wm. A. Lusk, 1892; Henry A. Miner, 1894. Spatz & Miner were a firm in 1895. M. L. Jones registered in 1908 as an optometrist : C. L. Ayers registered about 1906. Dr. G. H. Bentz and A. E. Reeves were later practitioners at Fairfield.
EDGAR
Edgar's early physicians were Drs. T. E. and R. W. Casterline. O. B. C'anfield came in 1891, and Dr. John F. Edgar had registered before then. R. W. E. Caster- line registered in 1899. A. J. Chamberlain registered in 1902, and Messiah Mesropian in 1904; D. F. Anderson and J. W. Winston registered about 1910; A. W. Thomas about 1915. Doctors Thomas and Winston and Harbour, osteopath, have been the Edgar medical fraternity of recent years,
The doctors of Clay County for the past thirty years will be classified from this point on, according to the towns from which they practiced.
SUTTON
Dr. M. V. B. Clark was registered in 1881 and has been practicing at Sutton for almost half a century. Dr. M. W. Wilcox, deceased, was the member from Clay County in the 1875 constitutional convention. Dr. J. M. Birkner, since famed in military National Guard activities of this state and in recent years a leading physician of Lincoln, came to Sutton in 1886: Dr. H. E. Vradenberg registered in 1886. Up until 1897 these constituted the medical fraternity at Sutton. In 1897 Dr. Herman Bening came to Sutton, and in September, 1898, Dr. H. H. Shultz. Doctor Shultz has since then been a fixture with Sutton people. R. A. Blackburn was here but a short time. Doctor Bening succeeded Doctor Birkner when the latter left Sutton. Dr. A. J. Kaufman came and stayed but a short time. Dr. J. W. Thompson stayed about a decade and moved to Lincoln in 1920. V. A. Lanpher was here a while, went into service and upon return located in Omaha. Dr. R. O. Griess, in 1920, took over the Birkner-Bening-Thompson succession of practices. James G. Stone came in 1917. L. K. Strate was registered in 1915: Dr. W. J. Germar, chiropractie, and H. W. Kellogg, also chiropractic, registered in 1915 and 1916 respectively ; and Dr. Jesse Hull, osteopath, in 1920.
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
CLAY CENTER
Dr. O. P. Shoemaker for many years was the familiar figure in Clay Center's medieal circles. Dr. A. J. Jenison registered in 1895, but went to Harvard in a few years. Dr. J. A. Philipsen registered in 1894; Dr. S. Scruggs in 1901. Dr. O. P. Latta and J. O. Latta became familiar figures in Clay Center's medical practice almost two decades ago. F. E. Stoakes of Hampton and Elizabeth Wood registered in 1904, and W. J. Black in 1905, and A. H. Lewis in 1908. In 1910 C. H. Atwood and J. W. Archerd registered and with Doctor Latta formed the Clay Center medieal fraternity for some years.
OTHER TOWNS
Not all of the doctors of Clay County have practiced out of the five principal towns, but at all times have some been stationed at the other towns in the county. Notably illustrative in part at least are the following: 1891, Dr. Hugh A. Baker registered at Glenville, and M. A. Perkins at Trumbull. Victor Anderson was at Deweese in 1894, and John S. Winston, then at Ong, long before his removal to Edgar. In 1897 John R. Temple registered at Trumbull. F. L. Beck located at Ong in 1903. C. L. Egbert went to Glenville in 1903 and Roy D. Martin a few years later. J. G. Stone first located at Trumbull, C. J. Burne at Ong, and A. J. Chamberlain at Deweese. J. L. Storkman also located at Deweese. In 1920 L. F. Egan at Glenville and also T. N. Cannon.
DENTISTS
The dentists of Clay County have not been so numerous, though in the past two years dentistry has made wonderful strides in its efficiency and importance. Those listed here are given, where possible, with the year of registration in Clay County.
SUTTON. J. H. Johnson was Sutton's dentist in 1895. M. P. Yocum came in 1899, E. E. Hobbs in 1901, A. P. Taylor in 1902, C. E. Fellman in 1910, all having moved away; Dwight W. Dulaigh in 1914, Ferd. and Gust M. Griess in 1915 are still here; D. J. Pope in 1917. Ferd. and Gust Griess, Dwight Dulaigh in 1921 are those practicing in Sutton.
HARVARD. Harvard's dentists were as follows: C. Leroy Sample, 1903; Chas. J. Ellen, 1914; Carl E. Fellman, 1915; A. W. Luff, 1916; (. J. Eller and Chas. E. Fellman, 1921, still practicing here.
('LAY CENTER. Clay Center's dentists were: J. T. Fleming as early as 1895 and E. E. Wilber, 1897. John A. Stewart came in 1901 and E. E. Yocum in 1903 : John H. Borland and C. D. Palmer, 1915, and D. A. Deines, 1916.
FAIRFIELD. Fairfield's dentists were: H. A. Roberts, 1898; G. W. E. Dodge, 1900; A. B. Hopper, 1904; and more recently its present practitioners, Jas. R. Bell, 1914, and S. C. Atkins, 1915.
EDGAR. Edgar's dentists have been: M. L. Ong. 1900: G. R. Woods, 1901; Jas. R. Shively, 1915; F. D. Voigt, 1916 : and W. L. Hull, 1920.
Special tributes to two members of the Clay County medical fraternity have been secured from notices published at the time of their demise.
Thomas E. Casterline was born in Ithaca, New York, November 6, 1833. He
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
received his early education in the common schools of New York and began teaching in 1852 when he was nineteen years old. He also took up the study of medicine, devoting what time he could to it. He continued teaching until he enlisted in the service, joining the One Hundred and Forty-third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and remained in the army until the war closed in 1865.
He was married to Martha J. Miller October 29, 1857. To this union two children were born, Floyd W. and Frank J., both now living in Tipton, Iowa. His second marriage, to Rachel M. Huff, occurred January 3, 1870, and to this union two children were born, Mellie F. and Ralph W. E., both now living in Edgar.
After the war he finished fitting himself for the practice of medicine and located in Carroll County, Illinois, in 1867, but soon removed to Marshall County, where he practiced until 1877, when he moved with his family to Edgar, where he resided until his death. While living in Marshall County, Illinois, he traveled through Illinois and Iowa lecturing on psychology and phrenology during the winter season.
In the fall of 1881 he, in partnership with James Roberts, purchased a store and put in a full line of drugs and notions, but sold out the following year to Whittlesey & Wright. His first experience in the newspaper business was in 1884 when he purchased the Clay County Call, which he changed to The Edgar Post and which he sold to James McNally in 1892. January 1, 1907, he and his son, Ralph, purchased The Edgar Sun of Harvey Rousey. In July, 1910, he was taken quite sick and at that time sold his interest in the Sun to his son, severing all connection with the paper but continued writing whenever he was able to do so. He suffered almost constantly from this time on, but would not give up his work, writing for the Sun and other papers and caring for his home and loved ones.
Death came to claim him after a month of intense longing to go to his summer home at 4 o'clock Tuesday morning, October 21, 1913. He has left to mourn the loss of a loving, devoted husband and father his wife, three sons and one daughter, F. W. Casterline and F. J. Casterline of Tipton, Iowa; R. W. E. Casterline and Mrs. C. G. Cottle of Edgar; three grandchildren and other relatives besides his friends.
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