USA > West Virginia > Braxton County > History of Braxton County and central West Virginia > Part 33
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Peter Cogar was drowned at the mouth of Granny's creek in the 70's.
William Dillion who had been a Federal soldier, while assisting Dr. New- lon to remove some drugs from his office in Sutton, drank some aconite which he supposed to be whiskey. He lived but a. few minutes after drinking the drug.
A few years after the close of the Civil war, Lieutenant "Ob" Wilson who had gone through the war as a commissioned officer of the Tenth West Virginia Infantry and had seen much hard service, was joking with a weak- minded fellow who became offended and struck Wilson with a rock, killing him instantly.
A young man named M. T. Long was squirrel hunting below the mouth of Big Buffalo, and was drowned. His gun was found near the water's edge by Curt Skidmore. A few days later, his body was recovered below Strange Creek. It was supposed that he had fallen into the river while in a state of unconsciousness as he was subject to fits. This sad occurrence took place in the year 1875.
Clinton Townsend, son of Granville Townsend, was killed in Huffman's mill in Sutton in 1879. He fell in the water wheel, and his body was horribly mangled.
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A young man named Faneher of northern Ohio, salesman for Greer & Laing of Wheeling, W. Va., was drowned while bathing in the eddy in the Elk just below the Sutton suspension bridge. This occurred about thirty years ago.
May 15, 1880, Susan C. Baxter, daughter of William D. and Annie C. Baxter, perished in the flames while burning some brush and trash heaps on a piece of new ground which she was cleaning up on the hillside between the publie road and the top of the hill near the Baxter graveyard. She was alone at the time and it was supposed that her elothing caught fire. Her body was so badly burned and disfigured that her father in searching for her passed near where she lay without recognizing her body. Henry A. Baxter, her brother, then went to search for her and found her body. Thus perished this 'noble Christian woman.
John Sheperson was shot and killed on Mareh 3, 1882, on the farm of Vena Floyd. He was working in a elearing and was shot from ambush. He was originally from Jackson eounty.
August 23, 1887, Sampson Conrad was killed near the Floyd farm while driving an ox team for Alex. Dulin and H. C. Floyd. He fell under the wheels of the wagon and was crushed to death.
A son of Isaae Lynch was drowned in the eddy below the Skidmore farm near the mouth of Baker's run, many years ago.
A young man named Miek was drowned in Salisbury eddy in the Elk river while bathing and swimming a horse. He pulled the rein of the bridle and turned the horse baekward. It is supposed that he became injured and strangled, thus was unable to rise. The body was recovered by Norman Knicely diving into twelve feet of water.
About 1888, Elliott Mollohan was drowned in the Elk river near the mouth of Duek ereek.
About the summer of 1888, Calvin G. Squires was killed by lightning about a half mile above the forks of Salt Liek. He was going in the direetion of Shaversville, and was sheltering from a rainstorm under an oak tree that stood by the side of the road at Captain Hyer's field. He and his horse were found dead.
In June, 1889, Lafayette Prunty killed Wright Childers of Copen run by striking him on the head with a handspike. They were engaged in fencing a piece of land, and it is said some dispute arose over a trivial matter.
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Sylvester W., son of Salathiel S. Dennison, was accidentally shot by his brother, and died May 19, 1890, near High Knob.
.Perry Wine, about the year 1890, while living on the lands of Wm. J. Perrine on Cedar creek, cut a tree which fell across his cabin and killed his wife who before her marriage was Amanda Shields.
Scott Rains who at one time lived near Stumptown, was shot and killed in Webster county about 1890. He was hiding from the officers of the law, and it is said was betrayed by some one.
About the time of the construction of the railroad through Braxton, an Italian was sitting on the porch at the residence of B. F. Fisher and while handling a gun, accidentally discharged it, the contents going through his . body, causing instant death.
In the railroad camp at the head of Granny's creek, during the construc- tion of the railroad, a vicious colored man shot one of the bosses named Hugh McLane. For this murder, he was tried and sent to the penitentiary, but was pardoned a few years later. He was said to be a very bad character, and some time after his release he got into some trouble and was killed.
In October, 1894, while working in a sawmill at Palmer, J. Conde Gilles- pie, son of Rev. J. Y. Gillespie, was killed by a piece of plank or narrow strip of lumber which was thrown from the machinery with great force. After being struck, the unfortunate young man survived but a short time.
A boy named Mead Meadows, about the year 1895, hanged himself in a strip of woodland facing the farm of Captain Hver on Salt Lick. He was a son of Thomas C. Meadows who lived near the Morrison church.
James Matheney whose home was on Keener's Ridge, was driving a team near Cowen, Webster county, when he was in some way thrown under his wagon, receiving injuries which resulted in his death a few days later. This occurred in 1896.
About the year 1898, Wesley J., a son of Jacob Knicely, twelve or four- teen years of age, was killed by a tree striking him in some way as it fell.
About the year 1900, a man by the name of Ward, while hauling lumber, fell from his wagon and was killed.
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Simon Edgar Tonkins, son of Jacob Tonkins, was killed several years ago by a falling rock in a coal bank.
Mathew B. Hines was killed in the year 1902 by a B. & O. train while crossing a bridge over Laurel creek. Hc was walking under an umbrella dur- ing a very hard rain and the rain and noise made by the stream were thought to be the cause of his failure to hear the approaching train, which was coming around a curve. Hines had gotten to the bridge crossing the stream and was knocked for quite a distance down the creek.
A grandson of John Prince, while bathing in Elk river at the mouth of Old Woman's run about 1902, was drowned.
About the year 1902, David Hosey, son of John G. Hosey, was stabbed to death by a young man named Grover Coberly. The difficulty occurred at a saloon in Centralia, this county. Coberly was tried, convicted and sentenced to five years in the penitentiary. He escaped from jail and his whereabouts are still unknown by the authorities.
Alfred Squires, a colored man. inmate of the county infirmary, was burned to death about 1902. He was alone at the time and was lying in bed smoking. The bed caught fire and he was too aged and infirm to help himself, and per- ished in the flames.
About 1903 or 1904, the wife of Jasper Carpenter, while washing at the river, by some means exposed her clothing to the fire and they were ignited. With her clothing burning, she ran up the bank to the house, then around the house and finally reached the door, ran into the house and jumped in the bed. Her indvalid sister pulled off her clothing, but she was so badly burned that she lived only a day or so. The unfortunate woman was a daughter of John Perkins.
It is evident from this and other similar circumstances that most persons entirely lose thier minds when their clothing catches fire. How easily Mrs. Carpenter might have extinguished the fire, being so close to the edge of the river.
A young man named Van Horn was drowned in Steer creek about 1904. It was supposed that he and some parties who were with him fishing were us- ing dynamite, and that he received a shock which caused him to sink after he had been stunned by the explosion.
In 1904, while in camp on a hunting expedition, a man's voice was heard in the forest crying for help. H. M. Hoover, Sherman Hyer, George Dunford, James Hinkle and Albert Quin, being in camp, answered the cry of the lost and
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started in pursuit. When they approached the man, he secmcd wild and de- lirious, and would run from them, and it was with considerable difficulty that he was caught. He was in a wild, starved and emaciated condition, but after he had become composed, he said that his fright became so great that if he heard a stick crack or the least rustle of the leaves, lic would run. He had become partially blind while working in the coal and cokc fields on the New river, and was trying to come through the mountains to his home in Harrison county. He was a foreigner, and said his name was Kave Cole, and had been in this country about ten years. 1
William Lacy, a colored man, was shot and killed in Sutton, near the Thayer boarding house, in the year 1905.
A very sad occurrence took place in 190 .. at Heater station on the B. & O. railroad at the residence of John S. Singleton, Jr., a son of Asa Singleton. In the night, the house caught fire from a gas pipe an dburned, and three of Singleton's children perished in the flames.
In 1906, during the burning of the Riverview Hotel in Sutton, occurred one of the saddest tragedies in the history of the county, being the fatal burn- ing of Loyd Garee and his wife, who had just been married. They were on their way to the Garee farm five miles south of Sutton, where Mr. Garee's mother lived. The fire originated from a defect in one of the heating pipes in the basement of the hotel and spread so rapidly that nothing was saved, Mr. Garee and his wife, who occupied an upstairs room, were trying to save some of their belongings and were suddenly cut off by fire, smoke brusting through the hall. What was left of their bodies was deposited in the family graveyard on the Garee farm.
In 1906 Luther Wright, a colored man, was waylaid and shot to death in the public road leading from Sutton to Buffalo, near the summit of the hill.
Adam Moore, who resided on Steer creek, committed suicide by hanging about the year 1907.
At Centralia, in the year 1907 or 1908, David Cool, while bathing in the Elk, took cramps and was drowned.
Samuel Hosey, son of Silas Hosey, who lived near Centralia, was killed by a log rolling over his body near Curtin.
Matthew Knight, of this county, was shot in Webster county about 1908, near Webster Springs, by a man named Tracy. His body was found in the woods several days later. Knight and Tracy had gone squirrel hunting to-
,
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gether. There was trouble between the men on account of domestic affairs. Tracy was granted a change of venue to Braxton county, confessed and got ten years in the penitentiary.
A few years ago Wesley Tracy was drowned in the Elk river below Web- ster Springs.
About 1907, a young man named Utt was drowned near the mouth of Baker's run. Aunt Delilah Cogar says the water was very clear, and that she could see the corpse plainly.
Two sons of John Armentrout were drowned in the Elk while bathing. Date not known.
About the year 1909, Willie Garrettson, a small boy, was killed while rid- ing on the turntable at Centralia. This was a most sad occurrence. It was with great difficulty that the boy's body was extricated from between the turn table and the stone wall surrounding it.
About 1908, while Sherman Rollyson. his wife and mother-in-law were at- tempting to cross the Elk river at Gassaway in a skiff, it being dark, the boat capsized as they pushed it from the shore. Rollyson was unable to swim, but by an effort, after going under a few times, reached the shore. His mother-in- law held to the boat, which was upside down. His wife, it is said, was found some distance down the river by a party who heard their cries for help and was found to be dead when taken out. She was subject to some kind of spells and it was thought that the shock caused heart failure, as the doctors who ex- amined her said she had not died from drowning.
James Thayer, son of Seth Thayer, while sitting in Jehu Carpenter's house on Wolf creek, was shot and instantly killed by the accidental discharge of a gun. This occurred in 1909 or 1910.
The burning of Mrs. J. D. Harden and her family in Sutton in 1911 was one of the saddest tragedies that ever occurred in the central part of the State. Nothing else so touched the tender emotions of the people as did this sad occur- rnce-the fatal burning of Mrs. Harden and five of her children and a little girl named. Green who stayed with the family. Mr. Harden succeeded in es- caping from the burning building with slight injuries. His wife, after vainly trying to save the children, was cut off from escape by the flames, and fell or jumped from an upper window, dying a few moments later. Mrs. Harden was an estimable woman with an interesting family of children. They lived in a pleasant home in Sutton. The sad occurrence cast such gloom and sadness over the town and country as our people had never so fully experienced be- fore.
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A Miss Cogar, who lived on Camp run, a branch of Laurel ereek, in the edge of Webster eounty, while pieking beans in a eornfield was shot by a young man named Cogar, a nephew of the woman killed, who said he thought he was shooting at a squirrel. This was about the year 1912.
About 1912 Lewis Propst was killed by a B. & O. train about a mile above Holly Junetion. This tragedy occurred in the night.
About the year 1912, a little girl of Samuel Holeomb, while playing with matehes got her elothing on fire and was so badly burned that she lived only a few hours.
In 1913, Thomas MeFall, an Irishman, who lived on a small tributary of Cedar ereek, near the Cutlip neighborhood, was found lying in the ereek dead. The deceased was an elderly man who had no family. He had been living sev- eral years on a piece of land which he owned. He had some money and other property. It was the opinion of some of the eitizens that he had been mur- dered.
In 1914 a boy named Reip, son of Thaddeus Reip, was drowned in the Elk, near the mouth of Mill creek.
A woman named Stout, formerly known as Mrs. Laura Woodall, interfered in a fight between her son and a young man named Cogar. Willis Cogar, brother of the boy engaged in the melee, in attempting to take a stick from Mrs. Stout in order to prevent her from striking his brother, gave her a wrench which, it is supposed ruptured a blood vessel and she lived but a few moments. The boys engaged in the fight were intoxicated. This occurred at Centralia in 1914.
Bell Gibson, wife of S. J. Gibson, aged about 41 years, was drowned in a . well at Centralia June 24, 1915. Her mind had been bad for some time. Al- though the family looked after her as elosely as they could she, in the absenee of her husband, went to the well, which was some distance from the house, and fell head foremost through a small aperture which had been cut through the platform on which the curb rested. One of her little boys discovered her in the well a few moments after she had fallen in. Mrs. Gibson was a daughter of the late John Jenkins, who lived on O'Briens Fork of Salt Liek creek.
In July, 1914, Miss Orlean Plyman of Clarksburg, and a man named Wm. L. Fielder (or Fidler) were drowned while bathing in the Elk at Webster Springs. The young man was employed as bookkeeper for Greer & Laing at Wheeling.
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Robert Carpenter, an aged and respected eitizen, who had very recently moved from Bakers Run, where he had been engaged in farming and mer- ehandizing for some years, to his farm near Erbacon, Webster county, was killed in May, 1915, by his team running away. It seemed that Mr. Carpenter and a boy were riding on a wagon which was loaded with lumber, and when he laid down the eheck lines to draw the rubber, the horses became frightened and started to run. The boy eseaped unhurt.
On April 26, 1915, Robert Perrine committed suicide by hanging himself in Riley Lewis' undertaking shop at Bens Run. In the undertaker's absence, he placed one eoffin box on another and tied a rope around a joist and from this elevation jumped off and strangled himself to death. Difficulty with his family seemed to be the eause of this rash act.
In 1917 a young man named Bright committed suyieide by taking a poison- ous drug. Bad health was said to be the eause.
In April, 1916, a young man named Audra Davis, son of Emma Davis, while working on a B. & O. railroad bridge at Grafton and carrying one end of a heavy board, fell through the bridge, a distance of thirty feet to the water, falling on his baek. He made some effort to swim, but sunk. His body was recovered in about fifteen minutes. Hle was brought to his home near Flat- woods, and buried at the Evans church.
During the Christmas holidays of 1916, while at a dance at a house on Granny's creek, Hank Haymond, a colored man, shot Wm. Lacy, colored. The wounded man was taken to a hospital at Clarksburg, but he lived only a few hours.
A young man named Caruthers of Clarksburg, while spending his Christ- mas in the neighborhood of the Little Birch, on Dee. 25, 1916, got into trouble with a young man named Facemire, son of Van Facemire of that neighborhood. In the fight, Facemire cut the other man's throat, a wound from which he died a few days later in a hospital at Clarksburg. 1
On Dee. 18, 1916, a sad oeeurrenee took place at the home of Charles Singleton, who lived on the waters of Salt Lick when his wife was trying to kindle a fire by pouring lamp oil on it from a can. The oil caught fire and enveloped her in flames. She was so badly burned that death soon relieved her suffering. She left four young children.
In August, 1917, Lee Dillon, son of Absolum Dillon, was killed while at- tempting to turn a log at a saw inill on Laurel ereek. The eanthook which he was using, suddenly slipped or eame loose, and the log fell baek and caught the young man, causing instant death.
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Col. John Brown, a prominent citizen of Nicholas county, in attempting to go from his home near Big Birch River to Muddlety, was found on Powell's Mountain by the mail carrier, with his foot hanging in the stirup of the saddle. It is said that the horse was feeding by the road side. The Colonel died a few minutes after he was released from the horse.
In the summer of 1916, Clyde, a son of Etta James, accidentally shot himself while squirrel hunting. He only lived a few hours.
In Gilmer county in the month of September, 1917,. Hanson Glen Heater and Okey Heater, while out squirrel hunting, separated to meet at a certain place. Hanson returned first, and sat down to await the return of Okey, and Okey coming up from an opposite direction, and seeing the top of Hanson's head thought it was a ground hog and fired on him, killing him instantly.
ANECDOTES.
Quite an amusing little incident occurred at the beginning of the Civil war. Paul Hoover lived on Little Otter and was engaged in getting out a set of boat gunwales, assisted by his brother John, and his son Wesley.
Vague and alarming stories had been in circulation as to the barbarity of the Northern soldiers. While the parties referred to were in the woods at work, some one went out in great alarm, and notified them to flee for their lives-that the Yankees were coming. All three broke for the house. Paul was light and more fleet than the other two, and was in advance. As they approached the house, Paul's wife whose name was Martha, was standing on the porch watch- ing the race. Paul cried out to his wife, saying, "Wes it here and John's a-comin'. Get us a bite to eat, Marth, and we'll be out of here."
Many years after the war had levied its toll of sacrifice and the anguish and conflict had abated, the Hoover boys had it for a by-word, "Wes is here and John's comin'." It was one of the jokes that made merry in the harvest field when we cut the ripened grain and rested on the swaths of the new-mown hay.
A very amusing incident occurred a few years ago at Bee run school- house on Salt Lick creek. The Methodists were holding a revival meeting which seemed to be attended with great success. There was quite a number of seekers at the altar. The meeting had been going on for several days and nights, and th congregation was nearly worn out. At one of the services at night the sing- ing had almost ceased. In his zeal and desire to keep up the interest in the meeting, Newlon Squires jumped up on a bench and eried out, "Farther On." This was the name of a favorite hymn they had been singing, and being very hoarse he could not well be understood. The congregation thought that he halooed fire, and the panic started. Some ran out through the door, others made their escape through the windows, and it was said that some, having more presence of mind, began to drag the "mourners" out into the yard.
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This is one of the most amusing incidents that ever occurred in our country.
About the close of the Civil war, Samuel Holcomb and his wife Nancy, together with their family of children mostly grown. settled on Laurel creek in Webster county. Mrs. Holcomb was a remarkably strong woman, and a great worker. One spring. Mr. Holcomb had a contract to do a job of grubing for Lewis Waine. The season was getting late, and the work had been sus- pended for some time, and Lewis saw Mr. Holcomb one day and urged him to finish the work. "All right," said Holcomb. "Me and Nance will be there Monday morning and finish the work." True to his promise, they came on and did the work. Mrs. Holcomb lived to be over a hundred years old, ac- cording to the account they had of her age. Their son, Black Holcomb, is a Free Gospel preacher, and though limited in education, he has a knowledge of the Scriptures and a flow of language that renders his sermons of interest.
Many years ago a colored man in Braxton commenced preaching. To be- gin with he was a very fine singer so it wasn't long until his fame as a minister went out among the colored people. He was invited to one of the large towns to preach, and accepted the call. At the appointed hour, the church was filled with the gentry and dusky maids of the town, gorgeously attired. The choir sang. The pastor of the church was commanding in appearance and lordly in bearing. This was too much for the recent convert to the ministry, and when he read his text and began his discourse, a dimness came across his memory. This is the first sign of stage fright. The ceiling began to revolve; the con- gregation was a blank; and the pulpit seemed to be an uncertain foundation on which he stood. His native wit, however, came to the rescue. and grabbing his jaw with both hands he cried out, "Oh, Lawd! oh, Lawd! my tooth." He was assisted from the stage in convulsions. For a long time after that appoint- ment, he passed through that town on through trains only.
About the year. 1858 or 1859, Dennis O. Wade lived at the Dyer place in Flatwoods. Dennis had come from the low lands of Virginia where extrava- gance was unknown, and Mrs. Wade was a careful, frugal housewife. Late in the Fall, they butchered a fat hog and Mrs. Wade cooked the ribs. About sup- per time James C. Griffin, a demented tramp, called for supper and a night's lodging. Griffin was a stranger to the family, but was known by most every one else along the road. He was noted for his capacity to devour whatever was placed before him. On this occasion he seemed to be particularly hungry, and after he "cleaned up" what Mrs. Wade had prepared for her family, she told the writer, who chanced to come along, that "Griffin is a mighty h'a'ty man- he left no less than fo'teen spa'ribs at his plate and other things acco'din'." Griffin claimed to be from the county of Fluvianna, and said that he had a sweetheart there by the name of Melvina Mendevender.
In time of the Civil war while the Tenth West Virginia Regiment was in camp at Beveraly, West Virginia, Lieutenant Kerens, who was acting Adju-
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tant of the Regiment, ordered John D. Baxter, who was Orderly Sergeant of Company F, to detail two soldiers to report at once with three days' rations. It so happened that Wesley Loyd and the writer were first on the list for duty. We made all possible haste to become ready, and report ourselves before the hadquarters tent. The Adjutant came out and viewed us most critically, first looking at one, then the other, from head to foot, and said, "You go back to your quarters and tell Orderly Baxter to report here at once." The Orderly with that alacrity and promptness for which he was noted, hastened down to the Colonel's tent. The Adjutant said, "I thought I ordered you to send me two men." "I did so," said the Orderly. "You did not," said the Adju- tant, "you sent me a club-foot and a greenhorn. I want two soldiers. You go back and send me two men at once."
At a reunion of soldiers in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a number of citi- zens brought cider to the camp to sell, and as the festivity and hilarity of the soldiers on this occasion lasted nearly all night, venders of cider became very anxious to sell out about midnight, offering to reduce the price. One man cried out that he would sell two quarts for a nickel; another that he would sell his cider for five cents a gallon. The boys seemed to have about all they wanted when some one announced that he would give his cider away. Nobody seemed - to want it as a gift; then some one cried out, "If you men will sell your cider on credit, we will take all you have."
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