Obituaries and Death Notices
The Cairo Daily Bulletin
1 Jan 1878-30 Dec 1878
Cairo Evening Sun
3 Sep 1878-13 Dec 1878
and
Radical Republican
24 May 1878 & 13 Dec 1878
Cairo, Alexander County, Illinois
Transcribed and annotated by Darrel Dexter
Tuesday, 1 Jan 1878: ANNA, Ill., Dec. 30.—After an illness of a few days, Jackson Frick, Esq., of Jonesboro, a well-known and able lawyer, died at his residence at about 11 o’clock last night, of pneumonia, aged about 35 years. Mr. Frick was at one time prosecuting attorney of this county, and of late has figured conspicuously in important lawsuits. His death has cast a gloom over the entire community. His funeral will take place on Monday. Mr. Frick has many warm friends in Cairo and the announcement of his death has created a profound feeling among them. Mr. F. was considered a “rising man,” and in his profession was last assuming a leading position among the older members of the bar. It was only within the last few years that he had become a regular attendant on the courts in this city, where he figured in some of the most important suits ever tried in the county. In his intercourse with those with whom he had business he was a most agreeable gentleman and always made a favorable impression. His loss is a calamity not alone to the community in which he lived, but to all of Southern Illinois. (A marker in Jonesboro Cemetery reads: Jackson Frick Died Dec. 29, 1877, Aged 32 Yrs., 4 Mos., 8 Ds.—Darrel Dexter)
(Articles in the 5 Jan 1878, and 12 Jan 1878, issues of the Jonesboro Gazette identify the deceased as Matthew Houser, aged 23 years.—Darrel Dexter)
We
are in receipt of the following letter from a well-known citizen of this
county. Dear Sir:—The cutting affray at this place on Christmas Eve
occurred in about this way: Thomas McCauliff and John Campbell,
employees on the Horse Shoe Mills, visited Farron’s saloon, and,
having drank freely, were pretty drunk when they left the saloon on their
return to the mill. On the way back they had a falling out, and came to
blows. During the fight McCauliff stabbed Campbell
three times, inflicting wounds from which he died on the Friday following.
McCauliff made his escape and has not been heard of since. The men
were in the employ of A. D. Finch.
Campbell’s
parents reside in Chicago. I am informed that
Campbell
left no effects of any value. David Bishop, justice of the peace and
acting coroner, held an inquest on the body, and the verdict of the jury was
“died from wound inflicted with a knife in the hands of Thomas McCauliff.” The man McCauliff referred to in the above letter is a
base and dangerous man, and this is not the first cutting scrape in which he
has had a hand. Last summer McCauliff was employed in Messrs.
Morris, Rood & Co.’s mill, at Ullin, and having a quarrel with a
colored boy, stabbed him several times, inflicting wounds, which nearly
proved fatal. McCauliff made his escape and nothing was heard of him
until the killing of
Campbell.
We have a few hundred just such men in this end of the state, and if about
two-thirds of them could be hanged, it would be a good thing.
James
Disberry is the name of another unfortunate, who lost his life by
being run over by an engine on the Illinois Central Railroad near the
roundhouse, yesterday morning. He was a stonecutter by trade, and was for
some time in the employ of Mr. D. H. Winans, of the City Marble Yard,
but being addicted to drinking he was often unable to work. He quit the
employ of Mr. Winans some time ago, Mr. W., paying him $30.
Since then he has been under the influence of liquor almost continually and
was on one occasion sent to jail for drunkenness. Disberry is a man
about five feet in height, and apparently thirty years of age. He was seen
intoxicated during the day by different persons, and in this state he
wandered to the roundhouse and finding the cinders on the truck warm, laid
down on them. At about one o’clock engine No. 15 backing down for coal, ran
over the unfortunate man while asleep, mashing his right arm and right leg.
He was immediately taken to the hospital, where Dr. Stalker amputated
the arm above the elbow and the leg above the knee. Although the sisters
did all that was possible to make him comfortable and easy, he died
yesterday at half past twelve. Before dying he spoke freely and was
perfectly conscious. He stated that before going to the roundhouse he had
been knocked down and his money taken from him. This his bruises and cut
head amply testified. As near as we can learn he is a man without family,
but he has relatives living in Brighton, Washington County, Iowa, who we
believe have been notified of his death,
The supreme court, yesterday afternoon, granted the petition for a supersedeas in the case of Harrison Burklow, vs. the People. The case has heretofore been alluded to in the columns of the Register, and the history is briefly this: On the 5th of July 1877, at Forman, Johnson County, Harrison Burklow, while engaged in an altercation with David Wagner, killed the latter. He was immediately arrested and committed, after a preliminary examination. On the 4th of December, he was indicted, and on the 10th of the same month put upon his trial, found guilty of murder in the first degree, and on the 21st of the same month was sentenced to be hanged on Tuesday, January 15th. The attorneys for the prisoner, immediately after the sentence was found, applied to the governor for a reprieve of a commutation of the sentence, but the latter not feeling disposed to interfere, application was made to the Supreme Court for a supersedeas, on a writ of error. There were ten errors assigned by the defendant, the principal one being:ng: That the prisoner had not been furnished with a list of the grand jury who found the indictment. That the defense was compelled to pass upon the qualification of two jurors at a time. That the records of the court did not show that any talisman were authorized to be summoned when the regular panel was exhausted, and that they were not summoned in the manner prescribed by law. That the prisoner was sentenced without having given an opportunity to be heard in his own defense. That the prisoner was tried, convicted and sentenced in a court not recognized by the constitution of this state being one created by an act of the legislature at its last session, known as the judicial court bill. [The other errors assigned were the usual ones as to improper instruction, exclusion of evidence, &c.]
Maj. J. R. Thomas, of
Vienna, who was assigned by the court to defend Burklow, in his able
argument before the Supreme Court dwelt at length upon the question of the
constitutionality of the judicial circuit bill, relying mainly upon that to
gain the case, and members of the bar concur in his opinion that it was upon
this point that the bench were unanimous in granting the supersedeas.
The witnesses in the Pillow case having arrived, the case was called and the trial commenced. Hon. D. T. Linegar is defending Pillow and County Attorney Mulkey prosecuting. The entire day from about eleven o’clock till the adjournment of court last evening was spent in selecting a jury, notwithstanding the fact that upwards of eight persons were examined, only seven were accepted and sworn in. The case will undoubtedly continue the balance of the week, as there are quite a large number of witnesses to be examined, and acting under this belief Judge Baker last evening discharged the regular panel of jurymen from further service. A new jury will be sworn on Monday morning. The following are the names of the seven men sworn as jurors in the Pillow case: J. H. Parks, Charles Mehner, Jr., Charles Cherry, John C. Atcher, W. B. Honeman, W. E. Gholsen, and Richard Murphy. It is hardly probable that there will be any evidence taken in the case before this afternoon.
Circuit court commenced at the usual hour yesterday morning. The work of selecting a jury in the Pillow murder case was resumed, and up to noon although seventy more jurors has been examined, only three additional jurymen were obtained, making in all up to noon yesterday, ten. When court reassembled after dinner, some twenty-five or thirty more jurors were examined before the last man was accepted and sworn in. County Attorney Mulkey then stated the case for the People and was followed by D. T. Linegar in the opening speech for the defense. At the conclusion of Mr. Linegar’s speech court adjourned until 8:30 o’clock, this morning. The court will commence to hear the evidence in the case this morning, but as there are a large number of witnesses, it is hardly probable that all the testimony will be in before tomorrow (Saturday) evening.
Saturday, 19 Jan 1878:
The
Pillow murder trial was resumed in the circuit court yesterday
morning, all the counsel in the case being present. The prisoner, Pillow,
is accompanied in court by his mother, a woman apparently forty-five or
fifty years of age, and by Mr. Os. Greenley, who seems to take a
great interest in Pillow’s defense.
Julian Pillow, the prisoner, is not over twenty-one years of age. He
is about five feet seven inches high, and will weigh about one hundred and
fifty pounds. He has light gray eyes, red hair and rosy complexion. From his
appearance and behavior in court it is evident that he either does not
realize the gravity of his situation, or that he has an abiding faith that
his punishment will not be severe.
The
first of the testimony in the case was taken yesterday, and although a
number of witnesses were examined, we did not take their evidence believing
that the testimony of Mr. George Sturtevant, the principal witness
for the prosecution, would be sufficient to reveal the particulars of the
murder. Mr. S. was within a few feet of the parties when the fatal
shot was fired. He is a young man probably twenty-five years of age, and
gave his evidence in a straightforward and intelligent manner. Mr. S.
was on the stand for several hours and stood the rigid cross-examination to
which he was subjected by Mr. Linegar without deviation or
contradiction. I
live in Missouri, near Price’s Landing, at present. I lived in this
county nearly all of last summer, and have lived in this state for ten
years. I have been acquainted with Julian Pillow for ten or eleven
years, and I knew Coleman for about two years before his death. I was
present at the meeting at the schoolhouse in Dog Tooth in October last; Mr.
Slawson preached; Mr. Ryal and Mr. Andrew Chapman went
with me to the meeting; I saw the defendant in the schoolhouse that night;
he sat on the bench beside me; I sat on the right side of the church—on the
right hand side of the door as we went in; the house I believe has but one
door; the stove was near the center of the house; I don’t know how many
seats there are in the house. (Here the witness was shown a diagram of the
schoolhouse, and went on to explain the position of the parties while in the
house.) When the meeting broke up Pillow went out of the house first,
just ahead of me, and I went out ahead of Coleman: I think Coleman
was the last one to come out of the house: I did not notice particularly
what Coleman was doing while in the house, my attention was not
attracted to him; there was a light in the schoolhouse when I went out;
there was a light in the schoolhouse while I was talking to Coleman;
we were talking while the crowd was going out; while talking with Coleman
I did not see anything in his right hand; if he had anything I did not see
it; he asked me for some tobacco and I handed it to him with my right hand
and he took it with his left hand; we went out of the house about five
minutes after I gave him the tobacco; there was not a very large crowd there
that night, and as soon as the rest got out we went out; I think Pillow
went first, me next and Coleman last; there was a boy just ahead of
me with a chair and I took it and put it in Mr. Knight’s wagon; we
followed right after Pillow; we (Pillow, myself and Coleman
and the boy) were the last in the house; Pillow was perhaps ten feet
from the door before he went out; when I went to put the chair in the wagon
Coleman was standing on the steps fastening the door, and Pillow
was just in front of me, and I passed on by him with the chair; Pillow
was four or five feet from the door, when I came back Pillow and
Coleman were right by Mr. Wade’s wagon; Mr. Wade asked me
to help him get his wagon off from a tree; the two boys—Coleman and
Pillow—did not come up to the wagon with me, but were there when I
got back; I helped to back the wagon off so as to get the tongue past the
tree, and then stepped back from the wagon to the right hand side of the
road from the wagon; I was then very near to Coleman and Pillow
was between three and five feet to the right of me, and Coleman was
to the left of me; I did not hear anything said between the two parties at
this time; Coleman told me to come and get into Mr. Berry’s
wagon, that it was not so heavily loaded as Mr. Wade’s, and go home
with them; just as we turned round towards Berry’s wagon the pistol
was fired, and Coleman said he was shot; he said, “Jule Pillow
shot me;” I asked him where he was shot and he said about the kidneys; when
Coleman told me to go to Berry’s wagon he—Coleman—was
just across the road about five feet from Wade’s wagon; Mr. Wade
was about his horses’ heads when the shot was fired; who was next closest I
don’t know unless it was Mr. Wade or Andy Chapman; the firing
of the pistol did not scare the horses; it was not more than half a minute
or as soon as they could, that Wade and Chapman came up after
the shot was fired; I took hold of Coleman; I did not hear Pillow
and Coleman speak after the meeting broke up; I think Coleman
was heavier than Pillow, though not so tall; the shooting occurred in
Alexander County, State of Illinois; after the shooting I took hold of
Coleman but did not find any weapons on him; Coleman went to
Berry’s wagon, and I went to get Mr. Ryal’s lantern to examine
him, and Mr. Ryal deputized me to take charge of Pillow, while
he (Ryal) took charge of Coleman; after Ryal came back
to me and took charge of Pillow, I got into the wagon with Coleman,
and took him on my knees and held him; he was taken home in Berry’s
wagon; I think Pillow went in Knight’s wagon; I don’t know
whether deceased was searched after getting home; I helped to take off his
clothes and put him to bed, and I then went after the doctor.
Contrary to expectation the evidence in the Pillow murder trial was
not all in at the adjournment of court last evening, and it is now almost
certain that the case will not be given to the jury before Monday evening or
Tuesday morning. All day yesterday was spent in the examination of the
witnesses for the defense, and at the adjournment of court last evening
several witnesses were yet to testify. Pillow, the murderer, was
placed on the stand during the afternoon to testify in his own behalf. The
following is I will be 23 years old in March next; I was informed that I was in danger from the deceased, Coleman; the shooting took place at Dog Tooth Bend schoolhouse near the door; I was near to Mr. Wade’s wagon—at the end of the wagon; I put my foot on one of the spokes of the wheel and my hand on the wagon bed to get into the wagon; Coleman put his hand in his pocket, and I pulled my revolver as he turned and shot; I saw Coleman, when I was in the church, with his knife peeling an apple; he gave part the apple to Mr. Renfro and cut the balance; he laid his knife on the top of the bench, and when he got up picked it up; he went nearly to the door with the knife in his pocket, the blade sticking out; I went to the wagon and Coleman came up in a few minutes; I did not like to pass Coleman till someone passed between us; Mrs. Eade passed between us; I fired the pistol because he had made heavy threats against me and I was expecting to be killed by him; as soon as he drew his right hand out of his pocket, I fired the pistol; I fired it because I feared he would take my life. On cross-examination on Pillow said: Just as I was pulling the trigger I saw him pull his hand out of his pocket; I did not see the knife because it was so dark I could not see; I killed him because I feared him from threats I had heard; I took his life because he threatened mine; I saw him with the knife as I believed, trying to cut me; G. W. Sturtevant did not, to my knowledge, say go to the wagon. The case will be resumed tomorrow morning, when after the conclusion of the evidence for the defense, the prosecution will introduce several witnesses in rebuttal.
The
Pillow murder case was still on trial in the circuit court yesterday.
The forenoon was spent in hearing the conclusion of the evidence, and it was
not until after dinner that the argument was commenced. County Attorney
Mulkey made the opening speech for the prosecution, and those who hear
him pronounce his speech the best of his life. In order to gain time a night
session was held, when Mr. Linegar made the closing speech for the
defense. Mr. Linegar talked for several hours, and made a forcible
and eloquent argument for the prisoner. County Attorney Mulkey will
make the closing speech for the people this morning, after which the case
will be given to the jury. During the argument of counsel yesterday
afternoon and last night the courtroom was well filled with spectators, who
seemed to take a great interest in the case.
Circuit Court.—The
closing argument in the Pillow murder case was made by County
Attorney Mulkey yesterday morning after which the court read the
instructions to the jury. The case was then given to the jury and they
retired and at a late hour last night they returned a verdict of “not
guilty.”
(A marker in Cairo City Cemetery at Villa Ridge reads: Perry Powers 1827-1878, Father—Darrel Dexter)
Another, and one of the most cowardly and brutal murders ever committed in this section of country was enacted at Mounds Junction, on the Illinois Central Railroad, eight miles above Cairo on last Monday night between nine and ten o’clock. The circumstances of the murder seem to be about these: On the night in question between seven and eight o’clock a colored man called at the little store of Mr. A. Zimmerman at the Junction, and purchased a small quantity of calico. Mr. Zimmerman, in order to make the correct change for the negro, took from his pocket a roll of money, which the negro saw, and it was noted at the time that he watched closely where Mr. Zimmerman put the money after having made the change. The negro then left leaving the package of calico with Mr. Zimmerman, saying that he would call for it in a little while. This, as above stated, was between seven and eight, and the negro went away. Between nine and ten o’clock he returned and called for his package, and Mr. Zimmerman having closed his place, opened the door and let him into the store. The negro had in his hand a large navy revolver, and asked Mr. Zimmerman for some caps. Mr. Zimmerman gave him the caps, and the negro put them on the revolver, saying as he did so that “this (meaning the revolver) is a good thing to have,” and pointing it at Mr. Zimmerman’s breast, and without one word of provocation or even warning to his victim fired. Mr. Zimmerman ran into an adjoining room, the negro after him. Just inside the room door the negro caught Mr. Zimmerman by the hair of the head and dealt him several terrible blows on the head with the butt of the revolver, every blow crushing in the skull. Of course, Mr. Zimmerman died instantly, and the negro then robbed his person and went through the money drawer in the store. He then made his escape, and up to this writing (8 o’clock p.m., of the 23rd) he has not been captured, though he is known, and the officers are on his track. This brutal and inhuman murder was perpetrated in the presence of Mr. Zimmerman’s little daughter, aged about ten years, and the child says she could identify the murderer and gives an accurate description of him. The remains of Mr. Zimmerman were buried this afternoon in the cemetery at Villa Ridge.
I will remain here or at
Mounds Junction tonight, as there is no doubt that the murderer will be
captured, and indications are that when he is captured the people of this
city will not be called upon to bear the expense of a “court house trial.”
A
dispatch published in yesterday morning’s Bulletin gave, in a
condensed manner, the particulars of the assault upon and murder of Mr.
Adolph Zimmerman, at Mounds Junction on Tuesday night, but the
details of the affair could not be given at that time as fully as we have
since learned them, and as we now give them to our readers. As stated in the
dispatch above referred to
On
entering the store he carried in his hand an old-fashioned navy six
revolver, and approaching Mr. Zimmerman asked him for some caps,
saying that the weapon was loaded, but that it had no caps on, and that it
was a good thing to have when one was compelled to be out at night.
Zimmerman, little thinking that he was placing in the hands of the
cold-blooded villain who stood before him the means that was so soon to rob
him of his life, gave the negro five caps. The negro took them, and one by
one, as he placed them on the tubes, he kept up a lively chattering by which
he kept Mr. Zimmerman’s attention drawn to him. As he put the last
cap on the pistol, he repeated, “This is a good thing to have,” and then,
quick as he could, pointed
Our
neighboring village of Mound City was yesterday morning thrown into a state
of the utmost excitement over the report that one of the oldest and most
prominent and influential citizens of that place—Mr. John W. Carter
had In
order to give the reader a better understanding of the surroundings of the
body when discovered, it will be necessary to give a brief description of
the inside arrangements of Mr. Carter’s office. The building is one
story high and Mr. Carter was the only occupant. The inside of the
building is divided into three apartments, the first of which, and the one
first entered from the street, was occupied by Mr. Carter as an
office. Next is a small room—perhaps twelve feet long by eight wide. This
room contained a desk, a bureau, several mattresses, two or three pillows
and a quantity of bed clothing, and it was in this room that the body was
discovered. Back of the bedroom is another room, perhaps twelve feet square,
which, from its appearance, we should judge was used by Mr. Carter as
a storeroom. This is the arrangement of the inside of the building, and the
reader will now by able to form a better idea of the surroundings. On
entering the office he found the lamp burning, and before leaving put out
the light and relocked the door. Mr. Richards then left for the
Junction and did not return to Mound City again until fifteen minutes before
five o’clock in the morning. When he re-entered the office he found that the The
verdict of the jury, however, was not satisfactory to everybody, and there
were many who claimed that the reasons for
There
are those who claim that there is a “woman in the case.” It is said, but
with how much truth we do not know, that Mr. Carter had formed an
alliance with a young woman in Mound City, and that of late she had given
him considerable trouble. This woman was called as a witness before the
coroner’s jury, and she testified that she had not seen Mr. Carter
since Tuesday evening; but that on Thursday evening she wrote him a note
saying that she was going away, and would send her trunk to the station. The
negro who carried this note to Mr. Carter testified that he (Carter)
wrote an answer to the note and gave it to him to deliver, but that on his
return he could not find the woman, and he took the note back to Mr.
Carter. Search was made for these notes but no trace of them could be
found. There are those who attach much importance to this matter and believe
that if this little incident is properly worked up, it will lead to the true
theory as to how Carter came to his death. At all events, the
circumstances above stated—the manner in which the bed clothing covered the
body, the fact that there is not the slightest evidence of powder on the
face, or that the hair was burned, the woman and the notes; and the fact
that the pistol
Further Investigations of the Manner in Which John W. Carter Came to His Death—The Idea That He Committed Suicide Scouted, but no New Facts Elicited—The Inquest Adjourned until Monday Next—The Funeral Will Probably Take Place on Tuesday. Excitement over the finding of the dead body of Mr. John W. Carter still runs high among the people of Mound City, and nothing else is thought or talked of. Our reporter visited that village again yesterday in the hope of learning something new concerning the tragic affair, and spent four or five hours in talking to leading citizens of that place and listening to the evidence as it was given before the coroner’s jury. As
stated in the Bulletin yesterday morning, the coroner’s jury, after
giving the matter more thought, became satisfied that they All the
witnesses who testified at the first sitting, and a large number of others,
were resummoned to appear before the jury. Judge Metz acted as
foreman of the jury and conducted the examination of the witnesses. MR. GEORGE MORRIS testified that he was going down town about half past seven o’clock and met Mr. Kittle on the railroad track who told him that Mr. Carter was dead. They went into the depot together and saw the body lying on the bed. The room was quite dark at the time, but they could see very well. Carter was lying on his back, with his right hand on his breast. The hand was covered but a portion of the elbow was exposed. He asked Mr. Kittle to move the body and see if it was rigid. Mr. Kittle put his hand under Carter’s head, and when he pulled it out again his hand was covered with blood. The hand was covered and he could not see the pistol. Mr. Morris said that if the hand had been exposed he could have seen the pistol. Mr. Kittle did not remove the clothing. The bed clothing over Mr. Carter did not indicate a struggle, and was arranged about as one would fix them in covering up. The head was lying forward on the breast, and inclined slightly to the left. There was no apparent disturbance of the bed clothing. Mr.
Kittle was the next witness, and he said he could only corroborate Mr.
Morris’ testimony. The
last time I saw Mr. Carter was on Tuesday morning. I did not see him
on Thursday at any time, nor receive any communication from him. I did not
receive the note sent me by Mr. Carter on Thursday; we were on
intimate terms and we have had no quarrels or difficulty within the last few
days. I went to Dr. Casey’s with my sister, on Thursday evening; back
I saw a bright light in the office and saw curtains up, and spoke of it, but
went on home. I was about to retire when my sister said that a colored man
had been there with a note from Mr. Carter, and that the man said Mr.
Carter told him if I was not in to bring it back. I did not know of
the death of Mr. Carter ‘till my sister told me of it. The greater portion of the time while Miss Newgent was on the stand she was crying bitterly, and answered questions propounded with her face covered with a handkerchief. She is rather above the ordinary height of women, with a handsome face, bright black eyes, fair complexion and light hair, and withal quite good-looking. Her conduct while on the stand was modest, and she seemed to feel deeply the position in which she was placed. She wore a common blue waterproof and hat covered with a brown veil. Millie Crain, an old colored woman testified that she had been out attending a sick woman, and it was about 4 o’clock in the morning when she went home. Just after passing Carter’s office she heard a sound like that of the discharge of a pistol, which came from the direction of the depot. She paid no attention to it at the time and went home. A
number of witnesses were examined, but nothing further of importance was
elicited. The inquest was then adjourned until Monday morning, at 10
o’clock, when several witnesses will be examined.
Public sentiment has undergone no change as to the manner of Mr. Carter’s
death, and there is not three men in the place who believe that it was a
suicide. All the circumstances—the position of the body, the wound in the
head, and a dozen other incidents go to show that it was a case of murder.
But who did it and the motive, are mysteries, which it seems impossible to
fathom. It was not definitely known yesterday whether the funeral would take place on Monday or Tuesday, owing to the fact that it is not known when the relatives of the deceased will arrive. The Odd Fellows of Mound City and Cairo will attend the funeral.
The
governor today issued a proclamation offering a reward of $200 for the
apprehension of the murderer of Adolphus Zimmerman, at Mounds
Junction, Pulaski County. Zimmerman was murdered by someone unknown,
on the 22d inst., and the reward is to be paid upon the conviction of the
guilty party. The
above amount will be paid by either of the undersigned for the apprehension
and conviction of the person or persons guilty of the murder of John W.
Carter, at Mound City, Illinois, on the night of the 24th, or morning of
the 25th of January 1878.
The following, which partakes somewhat of a local nature, is from the Chicago Times, of the 29th. The man Lynch referred to in the dispatch was evidently a steamboat roustabout, and his stay in Cairo must have been of short duration: PITTSBURG, Jan. 28.—Frank Lynch, a man about twenty-eight years of age, was judged in the lockup tonight, on a charge of murder and thereby hangs a somewhat sensational tale. He was married to a daughter of a farmer named Merriam, residing on a farm near Glenfield Station, on the Fort Wayne Road, ten miles below Pittsburg. A little body was the fruit of the union, but the marriage was an unhappy one. Frank wanted a separation and desired to put the boy in an orphan asylum. They came to Pittsburg on the evening of the 15th of last December, and after wandering around the streets, started to go over to Allegheny by way of the railroad bridge, but when they reached the bridge the way looked so dark that the wife refused to go. A quarrel ensued, during which the woman was thrown down and choked. Her screams attracted some boatmen in the vicinity, and they came up just in time to prevent her having her throat cut. Her husband fled, taking the boy with him. Nothing was heard of him till he suddenly made his appearance at the Merriam farm, on Sunday, where his wife was. He told her he had murdered the boy, and she at once set the detectives on his track, which resulted in his arrest. While in the lockup tonight Lynch fully confessed his crime. He said when he fled from the men who came to rescue his wife he hid in an alley until the coast was clear. He then came out and started over to Allegheny by the railroad bridge. When halfway over a powerful impulse seized him to murder the child. He thought it would be best to put it out of harm’s way. The feeling was uncomfortable and acting upon it, he threw the child over into the river. His ears were closed to its cries, and as it sank in the middle of the stream, the rippling waters hushed its voice into silence forever. After the murder he returned to Pittsburg, and the next day shipped on the Laura Davis. He made a trip to Paducah on the boat, but was there laid up with a sickness. He afterwards went to Cairo and worked about the steamboats, but remorse had taken such a hold on him that he was compelled to return to the old farm near Glenfield and confess his crime. Lynch tells this story in a somewhat excited manner, but nevertheless, puts his statements connectedly. His trip to Pittsburg, the quarrel with his wife, and other statements were corroborated. The man is of a slight build, rather small stature, and of a nervous, excitable temperament, just such a temperament as gives color to his story. His wife believes the story, as she says he threatened several times to kill both her and the child. The little victim was two and one half years old. Lynch will have a hearing tomorrow.
Little Denton Church was an unusually bright child, and a great favorite with his playmates and all who knew him. A short time ago he went with his mother to visit friends and relatives at Patoka and a few days after their arrival their Denton was taken with croup and afterwards with diphtheria, which finally resulted in his death. He was a member of Miss Rogers’ school. The struck parents have the sympathy of their many friends in this city.
Saturday, 2 Feb 1878: We, the jurors arraigned, impaneled and duly sworn by James R. Drake, coroner in and for said county on the 25th day of January, 1878, and continued from day to day until the 29th day of January, 1878, to inquire diligently into the manner and cause of the death of John W. Carter, whose dead body was found in the Mound City railroad depot, in said county, on the morning of January 15th, 1878, after hearing the evidence of a large number of witnesses and making all due further inquiry as was brought to the knowledge of the jury, we, the jury do find on our oath that the said John W. Carter came to his death by a pistol ball through his head, discharged by some unknown hand.
George Mertz,
foreman; A. Montgomery, N. R. Casey, James Holmes,
Louis J. Moil, D. N. Kennedy, Earnest Welsend, George
W. Armstrong, J. L. Brandt, T. L. Richardson, Jacob
Kittle, James Boren.
Steamboatmen remember when the
Liberty
was a favorite packet in the Louisville and Memphis trade, and the tall,
handsome form of Capt. Ed. H. Judge, who was the popular and
efficient clerk of her. Capt. Judge died at Rochester, N. Y., on
Thursday night last. His remains were brought to Emmence, Ky., and buried
last Friday afternoon. The deceased leaves a wife also a sister, Mrs. Mary
Fox, of Louisville and a host of friends and acquaintances to mourn
his sad loss. He was a good man.
The
death mentioned in Dr. Waldo’s report of the United States marine
hospital at Cairo is that of William Hayes, a colored boatman who
died of consumption on January 10th.
Hall of
Mound City Lodge,
Editor Bulletin.—At a regular meeting of Mound City Lodge No.
250, I. O. O. F., on this the 3d day of February, A. D. 1878, the following
preamble and resolutions of respect to the memory of our deceased brother,
John W. Carter, late acting warden of the lodge, were passed and
ordered to be spread of record upon the journal of the lodge. WHEREAS, On the 25th day of January last, the life of our much esteemed and dearly beloved brother, John W. Carter, was most foully and ruthlessly taken in a manner wholly unknown and mysterious to us; And whereas, by means thereof, we, the members of Mound City Lodge No 250, of Mound City, Ills., have been suddenly deprived of the pleasure and benefit of his counsel and the companionship of our dearly beloved brother, his two surviving infant children of a kind parents, and the community in which he lived of a good citizen. Therefore, be it resolved, That by his sudden and untimely decease, we are forcibly reminded that “in the midst of life we are in death,” and as brothers surviving, we will ever cherish his remembrance with kindness and brotherly love. Be it further resolved, That as to his two surviving infant children we will ever remember and guard them, as is the duty of all good Odd Fellows. Be it further resolved, That this lodge go into mourning for our dearly beloved brother; that the warden’s chair, which office he then filled, be draped with mourning, and that each member of his lodge wear the usual badges of mourning as prescribed by the regulations of our order for the period of thirty days. Be it further resolved, That a copy of the proceedings of this lodge, so far as the same relates to the death of our dearly beloved and deceased brother, John W. Carter, together with these resolutions, be placed in the hands of the guardian of his two infant heirs, to be delivered to the custody of the oldest on is becoming of age, the same to be properly signed by the Noble Grand of this Lodge and attested by the Recording Secretary and the seal of the lodge.
Be it also further resolved, That these proceedings,
together with these resolutions, be published in the Cairo Argus-Journal,
and the Cairo Bulletin, of Cairo, Ills. (John W. Carter married Alice Casey on 15 Mar 1865, in Pulaski Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter)
Our
community was shocked on last Saturday morning by the report that a servant
girl at the Logan House by the name of Maggie Wilson had given birth
to a child and had thrown it in the privy vault of the hotel. Subsequent
investigation proved the correctness of the rumor and the coroner was
summoned, the child taken from the vault and an inquest held over its
remains. The verdict of the jury was that “We, the jury, summoned to
investigate and inquire into the cause of the death of a female infant,
found in the privy vault of the Logan house, in Murphysboro, Illinois, from
the evidence adduced believe that Maggie Wilson is its mother, and
that the child came to its death through the criminal neglect of its mother,
Maggie Wilson.” The coroner held her to bail upon the above verdict,
and a guard was placed over the inhuman mother, and as soon as able she
would have been removed to the jail for safekeeping, but the doctor upon
going to see her Wednesday morning found that she had flown, like the Arab
“who silently folded his tent and departed by starlight.” The evidence
before the coroner’s jury and the circumstances connected with it are of the
most revolting character, and it is with reluctance that we speak of the
matter at all. We hope, however, that she may be returned and made to pay
the penalty for her fiendish, inhuman act.
(The man’s name is reported as Jim
Sea
in the 19 Feb 1878, issue. The surname is likely Seay.—Darrel
Dexter) “About 12 o’clock last Friday night as the towboat Panther was passing the foot of Mustapha, two young men, Para and Sears, each aged twenty-three years, jumped out of a junk boat in tow of the Panther, and it is supposed were drowned. They both were unmarried. Some of the Panther’s barges had gotten loose, and the steamer began backing to get them in shape, a barge swung around against the junk boat, crushing in the side, and, it is supposed, so frightened Para and Sears as to cause them to jump overboard. They had a large amount, between $400 and $500 of silver coin on their persons, which probably hastened their drowning. The Panther dropped back four miles in search of the men, but failed to see them. Para and Sears traded between Marietta and Galiopolis, and are said to have been industrious and sober men.
Mr.
T. J. Chewning, traveling salesman for the well-known firm of
Burns & Degnan, dealers in saddlery, 509 North Main Street, St.
Louis, called at the Bulletin office yesterday and gave us the
particulars of a difficulty which occurred at Malden, Missouri, a small town
in New Madrid County, and about twenty miles from the town of New Madrid, on
Saturday last, in which
Mr.
Chewning was in Malden on that day and was an eyewitness to a part of
the terrible affair. The quarrel was between a young man twenty-two years
old, named James Nunlee, on the one side, and Frank and William
Miller and Sam Harris and Robert Robinson on the other,
and in the row young Nunlee and the two Millers were killed.
From citizens of the town Mr. Chewning learned that a
STOOD OVER HIM
(Henry Clay McGruder married Isabella Winter on 5
Sep 1877, in Alexander Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter)
The
case of the People vs. H. Clay McGruder, for murder, on trial in the
circuit court at Charleston, Missouri, came to an end last evening, as the
following dispatch shows:
W. F. Schuckers:—The
case of the People vs. H. Clay McGruder for murder is over, the jury
rendering a verdict of “not guilty.”
McGruder,
who is a son-in-law of Mayor Winter, of this city, was a police
officer, and was called upon to arrest a man for stealing some articles of
clothing. While trying to make the arrest the man broke away and ran, and
was about to make his escape, when McGruder shot him, fatally.
McGruder was arrested and held to bail, in the sum of $800, but at a
late session of the grand jury he was indicted for murder in the first
degree. Hon. D. T. Linegar of this city conducted the defense, while
the prosecution was conducted by Messrs. Ward, one of the most
prominent lawyers in southern Missouri.
Friday, 8 Mar 1878: (Dennis Cahill married Anna Powers on 7 Jun 1877, in Alexander Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter)
Dear Sir:—This town is crammed full of people who are running over with excitement, the cause of which is the retrial of John Aiken, for murder. This offense was committed fourteen years ago in White County, and Augustus Stewart was the victim. Circumstances pointed to the guilt of Aiken, and he was arrested at DeSoto, Ill., and taken to White County where he was lodged in jail. Afterwards he escaped, and last year, after a period of fourteen years, was recaptured in Colorado, and last December he was tried in the county, being brought here by a change of venue, when a verdict of guilty was rendered and the penalty of death affixed. A new trial was granted on the ground that the jury arrived at their verdicts by drawing straws, and the time for the new trial fixed the special term to convene on the first Tuesday of March, Judge John H. Hailey, of Newton, Jasper County, presiding. The People are represented by Hon. C. S. Conger, of Carmi, Ill., and E. D. Youngblood of this city. Hon. F. M. Youngblood, of Benton, and Hon. F. E. Albright, of Murphysboro, are conducting the case for the defendant. In the first trial Judge Mulkey and Colonel Linegar, of Cairo, were assisting Mr. Youngblood in the defense, but have not appeared in the second trial. Mr. Albright came into the case after the verdict in the first trial, and made the arguments for a new trial. It would astonish anyone to see the movements of the parties interested. There are persons here from four or five different counties, some working for the prosecution, while others are exerting their influence for the defense. The hotel lobbies are crowded when court is not in session, and it reminds one more of an assembly of men at a state convention for political purposes than anything else I can imagine. About one hundred and fifty jurors have been examined and but
nine have been taken. It is believed that the panel will be filled tomorrow.
The evidence will be voluminous, as there are already near one hundred
witnesses in attendance, and subpoenas are hourly going out for more. It is
not probable that the case will be given to the jury before next week some
time, and as the trial progresses I will advise you.
(A marker in Cairo City Cemetery at Villa Ridge has the names
Martin O’Malley and Catherine O’Malley, but no dates.—Darrel
Dexter)
(William M. Davidson married Annie S. Hilby on 30
Oct 1866, in Alexander Co., Ill. A marker in Cairo City Cemetery at Villa
Ridge reads: Anna Laura Davidson 1877-1878—Darrel Dexter)
The following resolutions were adopted by the Arab Fire Co. in respect to the memory of William Waugh: The camp of Arabs is once again in mourning. Death, that fell destroyer, has silently stolen into our camp and beckoned to a worthy brother to follow to that far beyond, where all is peace and happiness, and desiring to show our true feelings to a worthy and departed brother, therefore be it Resolved, That in the death of our brother, William Waugh, who has been cut down while just in the prime of life, we recognize that death is no respecter of age, and it behooves us to be always prepared to embrace him at a moment’s notice. Resolved, That in the death of Brother Waugh, this company has lost an energetic, true and faithful members, one who dared to do his duty. Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with the bereaved mother, sisters and brothers in losing so affectionate a son and brother, one who has been their guide, protector and mainstay during the latter years of his life. Resolved, That our camp be clothed in mourning, and that a page in our journal be set apart sacred to his memory.
Resolved, That these resolutions be printed in our daily
papers and that a copy be sent under seal of our camp to his bereaved
mother.
(Stephen en Bradley married Henrietta Myers on 23 Jul
1873, in Alexander Co., Ill. A marker in Cairo City Cemetery at Villa Ridge
reads: Arthur W. Bradley Died March 2_, 1878, Aged (illegible)
Stephen W. Bradley died April 1, 1876, Aged 15 (illegible) Sons of S.
& H. Bradley—Darrel Dexter)
Tuesday, 2 Apr 1878:
(The 5 Apr 1878, issue corrected this item, stating it was
John’s brother, Valentine Betts, who was found dead.—Darrel Dexter)
(The 16 May 1878, issue of the newspaper gives the names of those involved as Doc Mills and William and Robert Learel.—Darrel Dexter)
(His name is recorded as Alfred Reed in the 19 Feb 1878,
issue.—Darrel Dexter)
(This may be the same person as Bowen G. Gilmore who
married Eliza Monroe on 29 Oct 1868, in Alexander Co., Ill.—Darrel
Dexter)
(The 1 May 1878, issue of the paper corrects the man’s name. It
was McGinn.—Darrel Dexter)
Thursday, 2 May 1878: The telegraph yesterday brought in intelligence that the towboat Warner, which has been running between St. Louis and New Orleans in the bulk grain trade, exploded her boilers near Memphis and sunk in deep water. It is believed that all on board, except Mate Cassiday and three roustabouts were lost. The Warner was commanded by Captain George Dawson, whose brother, Captain James Dawson, was on the Crescent City. Mr. George Dougherty was one of the pilots. These are all the facts relative to the terrible disaster that Mr. Kent, the manager of the Western Union office in this city, could get yesterday. The Warner was an excellent towboat and was on her way up the river at the time of he disaster.
The list of persons on board embraced twenty-five. The persons known to be lost are Capt. George W. Dawson, Pilot Richard Kennett, and second fireman William Petitt, of St. Louis. Possibly several other persons may have perished, but this is not known. The following is a list of persons injured: Jake Cox, of Aurora, Indiana, badly injured about the head, but not dangerously; Nicholas Gabb, scalded in the feet; Patrick Thompson, fireman, slightly bruised; Peter Conley, fireman, slightly bruised; Mrs. Clara Peyton, chambermaid, from St. Louis, right hand and cheek scalded and right eye injured; Barney Cassidy, mate, painfully scalded, but not dangerously; John Sullivan, cook, bruised about the arm and body; John Greer, fireman, slightly bruised in the side; John Poe, clerk, injured by abrasions in the chest, arms and back, but no serious wounds or broken bones; Napoleon D. Bennett, pantryman, arm and head slightly injured.
(Mr.
Puckett survived his injuries, according to the 28 May 1878, issue of
the newspaper.—Darrel Dexter)
Sunday, 12 May 1878: Sometime ago, Dr. Barnes, superintendent of the Southern Illinois Hospital for the Insane, was assaulted and shot at by Mr. John McNamee, who, at the time he made the assault, was an attendant in the hospital. The rumored cause of the difficulty was very damaging to the reputation of Dr. Barnes, who occupies a position the incumbent of which should be above suspicion of certain weaknesses too common among the ordinary run of everyday male mortals. McNamee, the assailant, a man who was one of the most highly esteemed employees about the hospital, was influenced to the assault by jealousy. He believed Dr. Barnes had abused his confidence in a manner we cannot, with due regard for the modesty of our readers, properly characterize. That he was mistaken, the Board of Trustees of the Anna institution, composed of honest and conscientious gentlemen, lately declared. To make the verdict of the board all that it was intended to be, Mr. Bruner, the Democratic member, offered a resolution expressing confidence in the doctor and declaring him to be the man for the place he now occupies. The resolution, we need not say, was adopted unanimously. As a matter of course we concur in this conclusion of the board; but we may be pardoned for suggesting that Dr. Barnes should be more discreet in the future than he has been in the past. The facts in the McNamee case justify us in giving this advice.
McNamee was an employee in the hospital of which
Barnes was the superintendent. McNamee had a young wife, who
lived at Anna. Barnes, being a man of friendly disposition, with a
mind innocent of offense, was in the habit of paying brief visits to
McNamee's wife at McNamee's house while McNamee was absent
from home, at the hospital, more than a mile distant. Finally, McNamee's
wife was hired as an attendant at the hospital; and Barnes, being at
Anna in a buggy on the day McNamee's wife intended to go to the
hospital, offered to take her out to the hospital in the buggy, by his
side. That Barnes drove to the hospital by an unfrequented road will
occasion no surprise when it is remembered that he had business at the
limekilns, which are on the unfrequented road, and the fact that he drove a
short distance beyond the line of the hospital, has been explained in a
satisfactory manner. McNamee's wife testifies to the unexceptionable
conduct of Barnes, and Barnes, thanking the Lord for his skin
not perforated by a McNamee pistol ball, emerges from the scandal
with very little of the smell upon his moral garments usually left by the
smoke of a bad action discovered and published to the world. But the fact
is nevertheless apparent that the doctor was on too familial terms with this
female subordinates. The superintendent of a public institution, employing
the services of many subordinates, male and female, cannot be too careful of
his conduct. It is not necessary that he should be as haughty as a duke is
said to be, but when he gets down from his proper place upon terms of
familiarity with his subordinates, his ability to enforce discipline becomes
crippled and, unless, he has peculiar and unusual characteristics, soon
becomes involved in disputes and demoralizing difficulties. In particular
the superintendent of an institution like that over which Dr. Barnes
presides, should not become socially familiar with his female employees. He
cannot do so and escape calumny. Were he as pure as the best of men, and
should even occasionally indulge in the practice of courteously
accommodating his female subordinates to buggy rides by his side, down by
lonesome lime kilns on unfrequented roads, he would soon have a character
blackened by rumors and scandalous practices, and, even though innocent,
would be unfit for his place. The doctor should learn to avoid even the
appearance of evil. He should hold his female help at arm's length, that he
may not be suspected of holding them in his arms.
(The 19 Apr 1878, issue of the newspaper gives the names of
those involved as Kirt Leavel and William Leavel.—Darrel
Dexter)
Day
before yesterday a lady who lived with the family of William Ashbrooks
in Ballard County, Ky., was standing near the fire washing her infant child
when her dress caught fire, and before assistance could reach her she was
burned to a crisp. Medical skill was employed in vain. She died yesterday
in endurable agony. A fatal accident, the result of carelessness, occurred at Mr. Leo Kleb’s house on the levee, yesterday morning, about ten o’clock. A servant left a bucket of scalding water on the foot and a two-year-old child of Mr. Kleb, in playing, walked backward toward it and stumbling, fell in. The accident at first, was not thought to be of dangerous nature, and the child was afforded prompt relief. It continued, to all appearances, to do well throughout the day and part of the night. About ten minutes before 11 last night, it was seized with spasms and death ensued to relieve its sufferings. It was a favorite child and the afflicted family has the sympathy of the community in their distress. The funeral notice appears elsewhere. (The child was 3 years old, as stated in the headline and not 2 years old as stated in the article. A marker in Cairo City Cemetery at Villa Ridge reads: Leo Kleb April 4, 1875-May 18, 1878.—Darrel Dexter)
Although the intelligence reached this city Saturday, we did not learn until last evening that Capt. John S. Hacker had breathed his last. Born in 1792, and consequently in his eighty-sixth year, his death was not wholly unexpected. A correspondent of the St. Louis Republican in announcing his death says, “He came to Illinois in 1810 and was a valuable acquisition to the settlement, and has figured largely in the history of southern Illinois. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Milliken, whose father gave the name of Milliken’s Bend to a curve in the Mississippi River, well known to the river men. Before steamboats were known on the river, and while yet a young man, he made several trips to New Orleans on keelboats. He was sent as a senator to the state legislature time and again, ever receiving the sanction and approval of his constituents. He has ever been an advocate and defender of the principles of democracy. In the Mexican War the captain and his company performed an important part in the memorable battle of Buena Vista, where the Mexican forces, though four to one, were badly beaten and Santa Anna caused to retreat precipitately. His has been truly an eventful life. He saw the whole country pass through the War of 1812, the war with Mexico and the late civil war. He saw the whole western country, from the Ohio River to the Pacific Ocean, a dense wilderness only inhabited by savages, reclaimed, settled, and in the highest state of civilization.” He died at Jonesboro and was buried in the cemetery at that place on yesterday.
(The 25 May 1878, Jonesboro Gazette stated that John
Shaffer Hacker, was born in Davies Co., Ky., in November 1789, and
died 18 May 1878, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. A. Simonds, aged
89 years.—Darrel Dexter)
(The name of one of the alleged murderers was spelled ed Ballew
in the 29 May 1878, issue.—Darrel Dexter) From parties who came down on the Narrow Gauge road yesterday afternoon we have been enabled to glean a few meager particulars of a terrible affair which occurred at Hodges Park between three and four o’clock yesterday afternoon. None of our informants were able to positively state the name of either the negro or his victim, although several of the gentlemen conversed with the wounded girl’s father who boarded the train at Hodges Park and came down the road as far as Beech Ridge, in search of medical assistance. Inquiries instituted in the city, however, point to a notorious negro known as “Swinegan,” yellowish in color and between twenty-eight and thirty years of age, as the author of the crime, and a Miss Edwards aged about sixteen and daughter of Mr. Edwards, engaged in the milling business, the victim. The father says the negro has long entertained a strong dislike for his daughter, who offended him some time back, and has, it seems, waited for his opportunity to harm the girl. A short while before the shooting occurred, the negro was sitting on a fence, which commanded a view of the house in which the girl resides, watching, apparently, the construction of a church in the immediate vicinity. He was seen to dismount from the fence, cross the field to the house, and without saying a word advanced upon his victim and shot her, the ball striking the nose on the left side and passing, it is said, through the head and lodging at the base of the brain. Another version is that the ball struck the nose on the left side of the face, and glancing passed off. We have no means to ascertain the exact truth, owing to the lateness of the hour, and the fact that no telegraphic communication could be had. After the perpetration of the act, the negro fled to the timber, with about fifty men in pursuit.
With a view to learning and giving to the readers of the Bulletin the full particulars of the terrible tragedy, which occurred at Hodges Park on Tuesday evening, of which a meager account was published yesterday, a reporter of this paper visited the scene of the deplorable affair yesterday morning. Upon arriving, our reporter’s attention was immediately challenged by a large crowd of men and boys, black and white, standing on a corner of the village, but a few steps from the depot, engaged in what was evidently a conversation of much interest to them, and he at once made his way into the assembly, confident that the topic which seemed to absorb the minds of the throng was the same subject that had called him among them. On conversing with a number of men who seemed to possess the most knowledge of the tragedy, our reporter gleaned the following particulars; which among the people of the village, are accredited with being the facts surrounding the deed, though several other reports as to the cause are in circulation. Bill Thompson or “Nigger Bill,” as he is called, is a youth of about nineteen years of age, five feet eight inches high, smooth faced and with a dark copper colored skin. He is a rather intelligent, good looking darkey, and to look at him, one would not be likely to think him as great a fiend as the inhuman deed which he perpetrated on Thursday stamps him with being. He is the son of an inoffensive, hard-working widow woman who lives near Richwood schoolhouse, about two and a half miles from Hodges Park. Mrs. Thompson has on many occasions tried to induce Bill to stay at home and help her at work of raising and selling vegetables, etc., but he refused to comply with her wishes, preferring to stay about the village of Hodges Park, and Unity, and living by petty thieving and by the alms given him by the people of the locality. His is accredited with being a most disreputable character, and it is said has been mixed up in nearly all the pilfering, disturbances, etc., that have taken place in the neighborhood since he was a child. The last job that he is supposed to have had his hand in, was the robbing of a trunk, the property of Miss Lizzie Weimeyer, who lives with her parents at Unity; and it was because Agnes Edwards, the young girl who now lies at the point of death at Hodges Park (who has been the intimate friend and lady companion of Miss Weimeyer for a long time) remarked one day recently that she believed Bill robbed the trunk, that the fiend tried to take away her life. When the fatal shot was fired, Miss Agnes was standing in a shed adjoining the house of Mr. Ben F. Curtis. Bill, who is well known by everybody in the village, had gone into the house, and, taking up Mr. Curtis’ baby, began playing with it, when Mrs. Curtis entered the room. He gave the baby to its mother, and going to a window fronting the shed where Miss Edwards was standing, stood gazing at her. Mrs. Curtis called to Agnes to take the basket and go over to the warehouse and get some potatoes, when Bill remarked, “If you don’t (meaning if she did not obey Mrs. Curtis)—I’ll shoot you.” The young girl, with no thought of the scoundrel’s intention turned around, saying as she turned her face to him, “Well shoot,” when he leveled his revolver at her, and taking deliberate aim, fired. The ball struck the unfortunate girl on the left side of the nose, and passing backward around the cheekbone, lodged in the neck just back of the left ear. Miss Edwards was removed to her father’s house, about one hundred yards distant, from the spot where the shooting took place, and Dr. Mott, of Villa Ridge was called. Upon examination he found her wound to be of character that would not permit probing for the ball. When our reporter left the Park yesterday, at eleven o’clock, Miss Edwards was suffering terribly, and was beyond all hope of recovery. The murderer, immediately after firing at his victim, deserted the house and fled to the woods. He was captured about two and a half miles northeast of Hodges Park, at Unity bridge, by two young men, Graves Landers, employed at the Landers Manufacturing Company’s mills, and Harry Lautz, of Unity, within an hour after the murder was committed. The feeling of indignation against Thompson was very great, and lynching was freely talked of, and he would, in all probability, have paid the penalty of his crime on the limb of a tree, had it not been for the efforts and arguments of a few of the more cool-headed and deliberate men of the village, who succeeded in getting the darkey into their power and locking him up in a grocery store, where he remained until the arrival of Deputy Sheriff Jack Hodges, who, by the means of a hand car, reached the Park about two o’clock yesterday morning, and took him in charge. Thompson was brought to this city and locked up in the county jail about noon yesterday. We are informed by Mr. Hodges that an effort will be made to induce Judge Baker to have a special grand jury empanelled to act on the prisoner’s case, that he may be given a trial during the present term of circuit court. (Bill Thompson’s name was actually Bill Thomas. He is in the 1870 census of Unity, Alexander Co., Ill., as William Thomas, black, 13, born in Louisiana. He was living in the household with his mother, Elizabeth Thomas, 42, born in Virginia. Others in the family were Henry Thomas, 9, and Hamon Thomas, 8, both born in Louisiana.—Darrel Dexter.)
Sunday, 26 May 1878
McNAMEE-BARNES
EDITOR Gazette.—Please allow me, for this once, and this
once only, to reply to Hon. (?) John E. Detrich, whose card appears
in your issue of May 4th. Whatever doubts may have been on my mind as to the
gentleman's truth and veracity have been dispelled by his willful perversion
of facts. The gentleman (?) starts out to say, "It would not be proper for
me to permit myself to be drawn into a newspaper controversy with anyone
about the subject matter of his card, but I may," &c., and the Hon. John
straightway goes for a newspaper and endeavors to (though laboriously) set
himself straight before the public. The gentleman harps a good deal about
investigation. Does the gentleman call it investigation when he attempts,
as he did on Monday, May 1st, to order me from the room where the
"whitewashing" was going on? Is it not rather intimidation when I had to
caution the Hon. (?) gentleman to keep his hands to himself—that I did not
come to be abused by him, nor to be insulted by his honor? Dr. Detrich,
why is it you and your co-laborers on the investigation whitewashing
operation don't publish the proceedings of your so-called investigation?
Why do you not publish the testimony of the witnesses examined? Come, John,
before you leave us for the halls of Congress, do let us know what kind of a
whitewasher you are. Let the light of day into your mode of investigation.
Investigation? forsooth! My dear John, if I did go to Tennessee, let me
assure you I was not paid to go, but I could get paid to stay away, and
that, too, Hon. John E. Detrich, by parties not a thousand miles away
from your investigation chamber. "I will not stoop to use fitting terms to
express contempt." Now, John, is dot so? Reserve your contempt, John, for
your whitewashed doctor, whom you never alluded to in your virtuous high
indignation article. I thank you, John, for being so careful of me to be
sure not to cause my arrest. What did I do to you, Mr. John, that you
should cause my arrest or am I to understand you are the guardian of Dr.
Barnes? If the lascivious doctor thinks he has cause for my arrest, the
courts of the country are open for him. Now, John, is it not because the
libertine doctor don't like to face a jury of his countrymen, bearing the
character for female despoilation that he does? Had the doctor not "cheek"
enough to be seen parading the streets of Anna no more, as in former days in
the hey-day of his self-importance, or is he attending more closely to his
duties? I was not aware that it is a personal thing to publish the fact of
an aspirant for Congress. I presume some will think, too, I am personal
when I intimate that it is good to be a politician. Just see how easy it
was for the Hon. John to get his son into a snug berth at the asylum—that of
assistant clerk. Was this the price, my dear John, you got for your
whitewashing? In conclusion, Hon. John E. Detrich, no one expects
you to do anything more than what you have done. You went through the form
of an investigation but it was well known what your verdict would be before
you convened for the purpose. You may as well try to cleanse
Beecher
of the stain of Tiltonism, as to attempt to prove the immaculate character
of your lecherous doctor. He is too well known for any vindication at your
hands; better mind your candidacy, John. The doctor may or may not continue
at the head of affairs here, but I was here before the doctor came amongst
us, or you shed the light of your countenance on us as trustee, John, and I
will likely be here, too, when the doctor and you will have departed for
other climes. In the meantime, Mr. Detrich, permit me to suggest:
You may never sit in the halls of Congress, but should a kind fate send you
there, please have more regard for the truth, and of the sacred rights of
the poor men who may vote for you, and whose homes you have indirectly
despoiled by whitewashing a victorious despoiler of female virtue. I am,
doctor, John, yours respectfully. Sometime ago, Hon, John E. Detrich, one of the trustees of the Southern Illinois Hospital for the Insane, located at Anna, published a card abusive of Mr. John McNamee, who had been guilty of no other offense against Hon. John E. Detrich than the possession of a wife suspected of disloyalty. Why Hon. John E. Detrich was angry because of Mr. McNamee had such a wife and did not enjoy the fact, is a subject that might challenge the investigating ability of an average congressman; but, we are compelled to the conclusion, that the honorable gentleman's anger resulted from the fact that Mr. McNamee, in his anger, had suspected Dr. Barnes and had shot at that gentleman. Hon. John E. Detrich is a man who stands by his friends. Dr. Barnes is one of his friends. In fact, Dr. Barnes admires Hon. John E. Detrich and would be delighted by the _____ of that gentleman to Congress. Hon. John E. Detrich, had a right, as we look at the matter, to be angry with Mr. McNamee on his friend’s account. His friends had done nothing to justify Mr. McNamee in shooting at him. His friend had, it is true, been in the habit of calling at Mr. McNamee's house, when Mr. McNamee was away from home and Mrs. McNamee wasn't. But, then, Hon. John E. Detrich knew how pure of mind the doctor was and how innocent these little visits were; and he had a right to be angry with Mr. McNamee, because Mr. McNamee when he ascertained that Dr. Barnes was being attentive to his wife, did not like the information. It is also true, that Dr. Barnes had kindly taken Mr. McNamee's wife up in his buggy, and in carrying her to the asylum, had left the main road and jogged along down by out-of-the-way limekilns and out beyond the line of the asylum farm. But had Mr. McNamee when informed of this circumstance by an anonymous letter, a right to get angry and shoot at the polite and accommodating doctor? John E. Detrich was of the opinion that he did not, and therefore Hon. John E. Detrich gave Mr. McNamee a piece of his mind through the papers. And now, Mr. McNamee, through the columns of the Jonesboro Gazette, fires a letter at Hon. John E. Detrich. He indulges in the crushing sarcasm of putting an interrogation mark inside of parentheses whenever he places "Hon." before Mr. Detrich's name. And he fairly annihilates his enemy by calling him "John" and addressing him in familiar manner. In this way he shows a plentiful lack of dignity, and proves himself to be anything but "one of those literary fellows." He, however, makes certain charges which should receive attention. He says that Dr. Barnes has been whitewashed, and that Hon. John E. Detrich was the whitewasher; that the trustees are afraid to publish the testimony that was taken by them in the Barnes-McNamee investigation; that the doctor is a naughty man, and more of the same kind of stuff. Of course, it is stuff. Hon. John E. Detrich, who ought to know, will give you his word of honor that all McNamee says is stuff. But why does not Dr. Barnes vindicate himself in some other way than by the report of the board of trustees—a board composed of honest gentlemen who are his friends? Why not arrest Mr. McNamee? Why does he consent to let this man run at large, charging him with a serious crime? Is he afraid of the law? Does he believe that an investigation should show that McNamee had a right to shoot at him? We do not believe he does. But if he does not—if he is holing off because he believes Mr. McNamee to be a man laboring under a delusion—a man to be pitied and not punished—he should not permit his friends, like Hon. John E. Detrich, to abuse the poor fellow. He should call off all the pack of calumniates now barking at McNamee's heels.
A Large Crowd Witnesses the Closing Scenes of the Craig Trial—A Fair Sprinkling of the Fair Sex—A Resume of the History of the Case. The Bulletin has carefully refrained during the progress of the Craig trial from giving publicity to any facts connected with the case that could possibly be construed to the prejudice of the people or the defendant. As the conclusion of the trial removes all bans of that score, and as the case has excited considerable interest, we give a brief history of its salient points, as adduced in evidence. At the September term of the Alexander Circuit Court, 1876, an indictment was found, accusing James Craig of the murder of Thomas Morrow. The case has been continued from court to court, until last Thursday it was called for final trial. The facts of the homicide had been extensively discussed throughout the county, and great difficulty was had in finding twelve jurors without a disqualifying opinion. Out of the one hundred and twenty summoned, the following gentlemen were chosen, and duly sworn to try the solemn issue: O. B. Hunter, E. G. Hill, G. M. Frazier, Joseph Dixon, John Hurst, Daniel Dean, Samuel Williamson, J. J. Hodd, John Fulton, Leon Peterson, Scott Neal, and W. M. Williams. The defendant and deceased were employees of Atherton, the owner of the large saw mill at Unity in this county—Morrow was sawyer and Craig storekeeper. In the month of May 1876, about three or four o’clock in the afternoon, Morrow was seen to approach and enter the storeroom where Craig was engaged at his business. A few minutes afterwards, Mrs. Brown, a witness for the People, testifies that she saw the two men in front of the store, in the street, and saw Craig strike with his fist, the deceased, from two or three blows, knocking him down. He was then carried by Craig and a man named Hosmer into the house. She was standing near her smokehouse, about two hundred and fifty yards from the combatants. Mrs. John Hodge, who was sitting at her window about 100 feet from the scene of the affray, stated that she saw Craig kicking at something on the porch—could not see what it was—that he turned, went into the store, threw a hat out, and assisted by Hosmer, carried Morrow into the store—her testimony in this point being the same as Mrs. Brown’s. She also stated that a high board fence was between her and the parties. The testimony of the physician who examined the corpse twenty-five hours after death ensued, declared that the only wounds inflicted were a bruise on the neck under the right ear, and a black spot under the right shoulder blade, near the spinal column. Some ten or twelve days after the death of Morrow, Dr. Wardner made a thorough post mortem examination with a view to ascertaining the injuries inflicted by the blows of defendant. He testified that no bones were broken or fractured, the skull was round, and the stomach appeared to be more decomposed than any other portion of the body, and that the wounds discovered could not of themselves be considered fatal. The defense showed further that the parties had been on friendly terms; that the deceased was in the habit of getting drunk, was drunk at the time of the difficulty, and while in this condition was inclined to be quarrelsome and vicious. The foregoing is a brief statement of the most important facts disclosed upon the trial. The argument of counsel began day before yesterday in the afternoon. Judge Mulkey and Mr. Linegar defended, Mr. McCartney, of Metropolis, and Mr. William Mulkey represented the People. Long and exhaustive speeches were made by these gentlemen, and there was certainly no lack of zeal and ability on either side. The concluding argument was made yesterday by Mr. McCartney and the case submitted to the jury. At one o’clock this morning the jury was still out.
(The alleged assassin’s name was actually Thomas.—Darrel
Dexter) The duty of a juror is, under all circumstances, painful and embarrassing, and the ordeal through which we have passed in the case of The People vs. James Craig is certainly no exception to the general rule. We desire to say that during our term of service we were greatly relieved by the uniform kindness and courtesy so cheerfully extended to us by His Honor Judge Baker, and by Messrs. Linegar, Mulkey, McCartney, and William Mulkey, the attorneys engaged in the trial. We were assigned quarters at the Planters House and are indebted to J. B. Kelly, the proprietor for all the comforts and enjoyments that the most fastidious guest could ask. William H. Schutter, Esq., the officer who had us in charge, was minutely attentive to the wants and desires of every juror, and spared no effort to make our situation as comfortable as the law would allow. To these gentlemen, one and all, we tender our sincere thanks. W. W.
Williams, J. D. Dean, John Hurst, O. B. Hunter,
E. G. Hill, Scott Neal, J. J. Wood, Leon Peterson,
J Dixon, J. Fulton, Sam Williamson, S. M. Frazier.
(In a
letter from his mother to Sol. A. Silver published in the 8 Jun 1878,
issue of the newspaper, she stated that his real name was Charley
Steavens Escampe.—Darrel Dexter) (“Aunt Liz” was actually Elizabeth Thomas.—Darrel Dexter)
Your local editor was mistaken when he stated that the body of
the Italian organ grinder was recovered. The body of the Italian organ
grinder, or any other man was not found near Halliday’s wharfboat;
but the body of a man supposed to be William Poindexter, who lived
near Carrico’s Landing, Kentucky, was found near the box factory by the
officers of the tug Montauk. Deceased appeared to be about sixty
years of age, five feet seven inches high, bald headed, gray whiskers and
moustache, worn very long, thumb of left hand short and thick at the top;
said shortness and thickness appeared to be caused by a felon or hurt; he
wore dark jeans pants, gaiter shoes, gray cotton shirt with emblems of tree
leaves or flowers sewed on the bosom thereof; there was also a silver ring
on the third finger of the left hand. Mr. Charles Elbert, pilot of
the Montauk, delivered to the coroner the following property found by
him on the person of deceased; one open-faced watch, a tobacco pouch with
two buttons on the open end thereof, two pocket knives, one pocket comb, a
red cotton handkerchief and thirty-five cents in money; deceased appeared to
have been about ten days in the water, and Elvira Easly being duly
sworn stated that it was William Poindexter who brought a raft of
logs to the box factory about ten days ago, and that he lived near the
landing above stated, between Caledonia and Metropolis. My object in making
the above statement is that if the above mentioned should not be William
Poindexter (and it may be possible that the witness might be mistaken)
the circulating medium of The Bulletin may cause the proper
identification of the deceased by his friends. Respectfully, etc.
(In all earlier accounts in the newspaper, his name was incorrectly given as William Thompson—Darrel Dexter)
The disreputable part of the city, lying on the west side of Commercial Avenue, between Fourth and Sixth streets, was yesterday the scene of an affray which has rid the earth of the presence of a bad and dangerous character, with a likelihood of his murderer soon following on the same dark journey. James Duffy, alias Deane, the murdered man, was twenty-two years old, born in Pennsylvania, raised in Evansville, and as he expressed it shortly after receiving his wound, without parents living or friends. The last seven years of his life have been spent along the river towns on the Mississippi and Ohio, where he was known to the authorities as a professional thief. Green Neale, who did the stabbing, is a large well-built, muscular negro, well known in Cairo of bad character—”the worse nigger in town,” as an officer expressed it—and whom many of our readers will recollect as the man who stabbed Hill Schultz in a quarrel about two years ago, Schultz only escaping death by some fortuitous circumstance. This is Duffy’s account of the origin of the affray of yesterday, taken from his lips at the hospital of the Sisters between eight and nine o’clock last night; Duffy went into Raggio’s saloon, corner of Fourth and Commercial Avenue, about six o’clock, to get a drink; he came out saw Neale sitting on a beer keg in front of the saloon. Duffy said to him: “How do you do?” Neale replied by telling him to “go to hell.” Duffy asked, “What kind of man are you? I meant no offense, and I don’t propose to allow you to insult me in that way!” “If you don’t get away from here,” said Neale, “I’ll break your neck.” Other words passed and it is said that Neale drew his knife, whereupon Duffy told him that if he would put up the knife he would “lick” him. This enraged Neale and he commenced the attack on Duffy, cutting him in the right side below the ribs and penetrating the lung. Duffy then drew a large knife which he carried in the pocket of his coat (sack) and made at Neale, inflicting two large gashes—one across the cheek from above the left eye to the ear, and another on the left shoulder—neither of them dangerous. Neale then took to his heels and brought up at Dr. Parker’s office, where his wounds were dressed. Officer Cain arrested him there and lodged him in jail. Duffy was taken to Dr. Wardner’s office where his wounds were attended to and subsequently removed to the Sisters’ hospital, where, news reached us at a late hour, he died about midnight. Another version of the affair is that at Duffy was used by the authorities to assist them in ferreting out the author or authors of the recent attempted burglaries which have been mentioned in The Bulletin and Neale and others of his gang, having somehow gained information of this fact, it was resolved to get him out of the way. Duffy was about five feet seven inches in height, of clear-cut regular features, bright penetrating gray eyes, shabbily dressed, resembling in appearance a tramp, was voluble in conversation, and when speaking of his “row with the nigger” as he termed it, was extremely bitter, and continually regretted that he had no weapon in his possession with which he could have dispatched his enemy. The locality where the crime was committed is now brought prominently to public notice, and some efforts should be made to regulate the criminal classes, black and white, who congregate there. It is a well-known fact that respectable persons, the nearest way to whose homes lie along this route, are compelled as a measure of safety and decency, to avoid it, thus putting themselves out of their way a couple of blocks. Besides this, night there is frequently made one long continued and loud brawl, disturbing and alarming all well-disposed people in the neighborhood. (Duffy was reported as not dead in the 8 Jun 1878, issue.—Darrel Dexter)
Our
readers will remember the little organ grinder, who lost his father by
drowning, from the wharfboat, about two weeks since, and are familiar with
the efforts made in the little fellow’s behalf by several charitable
gentlemen. He has reached his home in safety, and his mother has addressed
this letter to Mr. Sol. A. Silver:
DEAR SIR: I am very thankful to you for your kindness in seeing
my son home. His father has been away for over two years and I had not heard
from him since, until Charlie met his sister in the street and gave her an
account of his father’s death. He has went under an assumed name, his right
name is Charley Steavens Escampe, but Charley has informed me that he
went under the name of John Snyder. I have been to the French Society
and they cannot help me without his papers showing that he was a native of
France. Mr. Silver, there was a man by the name of Aleck, who had but
one arm, who took my husband away, and he is the man who wrote to him and
said I was dead, so my son informs me. That is false. I have another son,
six years old, to support, and being very feeble I am not very well able to
do so. If you will please be kind enough to send me his papers, if you can
get them, you will confer a great favor on me, for which I will be ever
thankful. Yours
Respectfully, You
will please oblige the widow Escampe by sending this letter to Mrs.
Sol. A. Silver, agent of the steamer Grand Tower, as I do not
know where she lays. (The following family in the 1880 census of New York, N. Y., may be the Escamps: George Escamp, 33, carpenter, Eliza Escamp, 29, Joseph Escamp, 8, and Charley Escamp, 9. They were all born in Germany.—Darrel Dexter)
(The 12 Jun 1878, issue identified the woman as Annake Good.—Darrel
Dexter)
(Annake Good may be the same person listed in the 1870 census of Cairo, Alexander Co., Ill., as Nancy Good, born about 1810 in Virginia, black. She was living in the family of John and Patient Reed.—Darrel Dexter)
Upon the receipt of the St. Louis papers containing the news of the action of the Supreme Court in the case of Burklow vs. the People, a Bulletin reporter, in company with Sheriff Saup and another gentleman, called on the doomed man, now imprisoned in the county jail. The prison keys having been handed over to the sheriff, he led the way to Burklow’s cell, and invited the prisoner into the corridor of the jail. Instructions followed, and the reporter opened the interview by asking Burklow if he had heard of the action of the Supreme Court in his case. He replied that he had not. The first of the following special telegram to the St. Louis Globe Democrat was then read to him: MOUNT VERNON, June 12.—Burklow vs. the People, etc., error to Johnson. The court filed the following opinion: This writ of error being before us the record of the conviction of the plaintiff in error, for the crime of murder. No abstracts or briefs have been filed, and no argument has been made in support of the error assigned. We have, notwithstanding these omissions, examined carefully the entire record, and we fail to discover therein any error. The judgment of the court below is affirmed, and the sentence of death will be executed in conformity with that judgment on Friday, the 5th day of July next. Affirmed. From the records it appears that on July 5, 1877, Harrison Burklow killed one Daniel Wagoner, at Forman, Johnson County. It seems that Burklow and deceased were working at the same mill, of Chapman & Hess, that a few moments before the killing Burklow came into the mill and told the foreman that he and deceased had quarreled the night before, and damn him, he would settle it now. The foreman advised him to be careful and not raise any disturbance. Deceased was at work. Burklow went up to him and without a word, so far as the record shows, shot him down, the ball entering just above the left nipple. Deceased walked a few steps and fell down dead. Burklow came out and stated that damn him he had fixed him and he (the deceased) would bother him no more. Exhibiting a revolver, he said, “Damn him; I done it with that.” The record shows one of the most cold-blooded murders that has ever found its way into the courts. The case has been warmly contested from the beginning, the Hon. J. R. Thomas defending. It was tried by Hon. John Dougherty, judge of that circuit. He was one of the newly elected judges under the Appellate Court bill, passed at the last session of the legislature, and the constitutionality of that act was raised, but the ability and energy of his counsel could not prevail to rescue the defendant from the just sentence of the law, which will be carried into effect just one year from the time of the commission of the murder. During its reading he was visibly affected. His deep breathing could have been distinctly heard twenty feet away, but his already bleached features gave no indication of the struggle going on within him. When asked if he had anything to say, he replied that he had not a great deal. He was without friends and almost without hope. He did not think he had had a fair trial. The only person whose testimony would have tended to justify him in taking Wagoner’s life was his wife, and she was, by the operation of the law, debarred from being heard in court. His version of the affair had never been given to the public, and at the reporter’s suggestion he made the following statement. We may add, however, that at the conclusion of his statement, upon being questioned by one of the gentlemen present, he said the cause of ill feeling between Wagoner and himself was a quarrel which their wives had had about trifling things—chickens, he thought. The quarrel between the women finally involved the men. He said: “The first of the quarrel between Wagoner and myself began on Sunday night, July 1st, 1877; I had been downtown at the drug store, and when I came home, he (Wagoner) was standing opposite my door, abusing my wife, calling her several ugly names. Just as she made the remark that she would tell me if he did not go away and behave himself, I came up. ‘That is just what I want you to do,’ said Wagoner, ‘I want to get a chance to cut your throat, anyhow;’ he was drinking. I passed into the house about three feet from him, told my wife to say nothing more to him, and if he had anything to say to let him say it when he was sober. Wagoner then walked off, going to his house, about ten feet away. On the following Monday night he came to the drugstore where I was, and began abusing me, when I walked away. I mentioned to several men that I wanted no difficulty with him, and would leave, and did leave. Nothing more happened until the evening of the 4th when he returned to Foreman from Cairo, where he had been on an excursion. He was under the influence of liquor, and was cursing and damning somebody, but mentioned no names at that time. This was at the depot at Foreman. He went on home then; I also went home shortly afterward. He came out in the street in front of my door, and commenced cursing me and daring me outside; he called me a thief, a --- of a -----, and applied other epithets to me; he dared me outside the door, and I told him if nothing else would do him, I would come out and fight him a fair fight; I started to get over my own fence, and he approached a woodpile outside of the fence, immediately in front of where I was getting over, and grabbed a stick of hickory about two and a half inches square and thirty inches long. My wife has the billet; I jumped back on the inside, went into the house, and got a pistol, started out of doors my wife called to me and he went away, saying he would get a pistol too. I went back to the house and put my pistol away. This occurred about half past five o’clock; about six o’clock he came back and said he was ready to shoot with me then; that if he could get to kill me then, he would do it if it took him twenty years; he said he would catch me going to work (I had to pass by his door through a narrow alley about two feet wide) or catch me at work in the mill; that I should never work there any more; then he kept walking backward and forward in front of my door; cursing me pretty much all the time, until about eleven o’clock. During all this time I never spoke to him. After he left and went to his house, his wife spoke to him and urged him to go to bed, and he said he would not, but would stay up and watch the remainder of the night. I went to bed about one o’clock and got up in the morning and went out to wash. He said, “Damn you I will see you when you come down to work.” I went down to work about six o’clock, and I thought I would go and see him, and find out what he was going to do about it, as I was afraid he might slip up on me. I went to where he was at work on the platform, and asked him if he was going to do what he had said he would the night before; if he was going to kill me or not. He had some of the same sort of timber (already mentioned)—about five sticks—in his hands and threw them all away except one; that one he raised as if to strike me, and said that he would kill me; and I shot him. I did it because I believed he would have killed me.” He said all this in a calm, straightforward way, hesitating now and then so as to recall the incidents that led to the tragedy. He spoke with some bitterness of feeling about the law that prohibited his wife from giving testimony in the case, as she alone heard the threats Wagoner had made on the night preceding the killing. If he were allowed to prove this, he said, it would be impossible to convict him of premeditated killing. No sane man could believe he had shot Wagoner without some provocation. The fact of the killing itself was proved, stripped of any of the causes leading to it, and he was made to appear as a cold-blooded murderer. Everybody knew that Wagoner returned from the excursion to Cairo under the influence of liquor on the evening of the 4th, but no one but himself and wife heard the threats of Wagoner to take his life. If he could have got this fact before the jury, he would not be where he was today. Burklow was forty-five years old last November. He was born in Graves County, Kentucky, and lived in Alexander and Pulaski counties thirty-two years. He is about five feet seven inches in height, about, we judge, 150 pounds in weight, dark, unkempt hair, chin beard and mustache, cold gray eyes, nose prominent and of a Roman cast, a small mouth firm, heavy jaws, with grave and thoughtful expression of countenance. There is nothing repulsive in the looks of the man. He has been in our county jail, with the exception of a brief period while at his trial in Vienna, since the 5th of July last, and the confinement has told upon his frame and features. He says that although he has been in several fights in his life, he was never known to draw a weapon in the personal quarrel. He was a soldier during the war in Logan’s Union command, has been married twice and has one child living by his last wife; was divorced from his first wife, who afterward married Dave Waters, of Cairo. She is now in the insane asylum at Cincinnati. His present wife is at Percy, Randolph County. He said a petition praying for a commutation of his sentence had been sent to Gov. Cullom in December last, signed by the judge before whom he was tried, the attorney of the people who prosecuted him, the sheriff and county judge, nine of the jurors, and between six and seven hundred citizens of Johnson County, but had heard nothing of it since. He saw in the Globe Democrat a short time afterward that a remonstrance had also been forwarded signed by about, as he had heard, eighty-five persons. He was defended Capt. J. R. Thomas and Mr. A. G. Damron, the latter gentleman an attorney at Vienna. In reply to questions as to what he would like to have done for him, or if there were any persons, he would like to see, he said he did not know what to do, and apart from his wife and child was friendless. Throughout the whole interview he bore himself like a man saying what he had to say in an intelligent, unembarrassed way, entirely free from the slightest tinge of either braggadocio or weakness.
(He is in the 1850 census of Pulaski Co., Ill.: Cassandra
Burkelow, 47, born in Kentucky; Harrison Burkelow, 17, born in
Kentucky. He is also in the 1860 census of Caledonia, Pulaski Co., Ill.:
H. Burklow, 25, born in Kentucky, constable; Cassy Burklow,
65, born in Kentucky.—Darrel Dexter)
(James Vineyard is in the 1870 census of Elizabethtown,
Monroe Township, Hardin Co., Ill.: Philip Vineyard, 52, born in
Illinois, farmer; Lucinda, 49, Illinois; James, 20, Illinois, farm laborer;
Charlotte, 17, Illinois, Louisa, 13, Illinois, and Annie, 6,
Illinois.—Darrel Dexter) The people of the state will be startled by the news of the McNamee tragedy when they learn, as they now will, the scandalous cause of the trouble that made this man take the life of his wife and then slay himself. McNamee was a young man and was the husband of a young wife. He was employed at the Southern Insane Asylum, located about a mile and a half from Anna, as an assistant. He was faithful in the discharge of his duty. His wife lived at Anna and Dr. Barnes, the superintendent of the asylum, was in the habit of calling upon her without her husband’s knowledge. The doctor says his visits were innocent, and we give him credit for truthfulness. Finally, Mrs. McNamee was also engaged as an assistant at the asylum, and, on the day she intended to go out to the asylum and take her place, Dr. Barnes, the superintendent of the asylum happened to be at Anna in his buggy. Ascertaining that Mrs. McNamee was desirous of going out to the asylum, the doctor proposed to her a ride by his side. She accepted the kind offer and the eccentric horse of the doctor drew the buggy with its load out of the usual road to the asylum down by certain unused lime kilns, out beyond the line of the asylum farm farthest from Anna, and back to the asylum. Some persons met the doctor and Mrs. McNamee while they were enjoying this ride, and this same person wrote to McNamee an anonymous letter telling him—well something that frenzied him. He immediately had an interview with his wife. He concluded to take her away from the doctor. He accordingly led her out of the house; and passing from the porch, saw the doctor sitting on one of the steps. Drawing a pistol, he clubbed the doctor on the head with its butt. The doctor fell from the step to the ground, and McNamee shot at him. McNamee missed his aim and the doctor soon recovered from the slight injuries he had received. McNamee fled to Tennessee, but he soon went back to Anna and expressed his willingness to be tried for the assault he had made upon his former employer. Dr. Barnes, however, evidently desired no real investigation of the event, and he accordingly refused to appeal to the law for the punishment of a man who had blackened his character by a false charge and had attempted to take his life. After the scandal had been noised about a little, the Trustees of the Asylum met ostensibly for the purpose of making an investigation concerning it. The inquiry made in an honest, but peculiar and very stupid manner, and, after doing what they were forced to do by the evidence, they had heard, which was not the evidence they might have heard, the trustees made a report that Dr. Barnes was innocent of any offense against McNamee, and was the man of all others for the position he now occupies. Very well. McNamee was not satisfied. Jealousy was still rankling in his breast. He was almost a fit subject for the asylum in which he had lost his peace of mind. He dwelt upon his wrongs, and when Mr. Detrich, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, abused him in the public prints, he replied in a bitter manner. Finally, on Tuesday night last, at Tamaroa, to which place he had followed his wife, he shot at her, sending a bullet into her head behind the right ear, and then killed himself by shooting a bullet through his own heart.
This is the whole story.ry.
(There is a column clipped out of the previous day’s issue which
must have contained the article mentioned here.—Darrel Dexter) ANNA, June 20, 2 o’clock a.m.—This little village is all agog with excitement. I will forward full details of the whole affair by this evening’s train. I will confine myself to the affair at Tamaroa. On Tuesday evening McNamee learning that his wife was visiting friends at Tamaroa he decided to make a last effort to have his wife return to him. He left here on the morning freight train, went to Carbondale, where he spent a part of the day with his brother, and then went on to Tamaroa by the afternoon passenger train. Learning that his wife was at the residence of Mr. Thomas Williams, he called there and was met at the door by Mr. Williams. He did not wait to be invited in but pushed past Mr. Williams and entered the room where his wife was. When Mr. McNamee saw her husband enter the room she crossed the floor and sat down at the piano and commenced to run her fingers over the keys. They were alone in the room, all the members of Mrs. Williams’ family having withdrawn when McNamee entered. What passed between them will probably never be known. Ten minutes later the inmates of the house were startled by the report of two pistol shots. They entered the room and found McNamee lying on one side of the piano stool with a bullet in his heart, and Mrs. McNamee on the other side with a bullet in her head. The wife is still alive, but her death is only a matter of a few hours. The McNamees are, virtually, among those who have “gone before.”
Dr. Barnes is still
here and in charge of the asylum, but since his difficulty, it is said that
he has not been in town but once, and when he goes away he travels to
Cobden, seven miles out of his road to take the train. Today I have talked
with many prominent men here and while I find that Dr. Barnes has his
friends and defenders, two out of every three persons spoken to were very
bitter against him, and declared that he should at once be removed. Besides
this, McNamee has three grown brothers and at least two of them have
made the assertion they will kill the doctor on sight. This evening when I
asked a well-known lawyer of this gale whether these fellows meant what they
said, his reply was “They will do it as sure as hell.” So you see, under
all the circumstances, this will be a very uncomfortable place for Dr.
Barnes to reside. ANNA, June 20, 1 o’clock a.m. The readers of the Bulletin are familiar with the incidents of the McNamee-Barnes scandal, which, owing to the prominence of the parties connected with it, has been the subject of much discussion throughout southern Illinois. It finally led to the separation of McNamee from his wife. She left Anna, returning to her parents, at Dongola, and at the time of the tragedy was visiting friends at Tamaroa, Ills. McNamee followed her to Tamaroa with, it is said, a view to a reconciliation. He found her stopped at the house of Mr. Thomas Williams, and on Tuesday evening, about dusk, obtained an interview with her. What transpired during the brief time they were together is not known, as another lady who was in the parlor when McNamee made his appearance, arose and left, leaving them together. About five minutes after this the other inmates of the house were startled by hearing the reports of two shots, and immediately ran to the parlor, where McNamee was found lying dead, shot through the heart, and the wife unconscious and dying, the ball entering just in front of the left ear, ranging backward and lodging near the base of the brain. She was alive at ten o’clock last night, though all hopes of her recovery are abandoned. She is the daughter of Mr. John Little, postmaster at Dongola, Ill. The telegraphic advices from our own correspondent report the greatest excitement over the affair at Anna. Nothing else is talked of, and the air is full of all sorts of rumors. McNamee is well spoken of by all who knew him, and he had many friends in Cairo.
This quiet little village is just now stirred with excitement over the tragic affair—murder and suicide—by which John McNamee and his wife have been sent into eternity. This most terrible affair is the result of a scandal in which Dr. A. T. Barnes, physician in charge of the Southern Illinois Insane Asylum at this place, is made to play by no means enviable part, and if all reports are true, he is in a great measure responsible for the fate thus befallen John McNamee and his wife. Without going into detail I will try to give our readers and idea of the circumstances which led to the murder and suicide. For three years McNamee was an attendant at the asylum, and was regarded as one of the most faithful and valuable attaches of that institution. In September last McNamee was married to Miss Sadie Little, daughter of Mr. John F. Little, of Dongola. For a short time all went merry with McNamee and his wife and they were apparently happy and contented. McNamee continued to work at the asylum, where his wife occasionally visited him. At the asylum she became acquainted with Dr. Barnes, and the doctor, it seems, “took kindly” to her, for when on his visits to town he frequently called upon her, and as time wore on his visits became more frequent and protracted. This naturally enough attracted the attention of McNamee’s neighbors, and someone of them wrote him an anonymous letter, telling him that he had better watch the doctor. McNamee, naturally of a jealous disposition, took the matter much to heart, but it does not appear that up to this time he ever suspected anything wrong to be going on, although it is known that he told his wife that Dr. Barnes must discontinue his visits. Shortly after this—now about two month ago—some kind of an entertainment was to be given at the asylum, and as it was given out that the affair was for inmates only, outsiders would not be admitted. McNamee obtained Dr. Barnes’ permission to have his wife come out. Accordingly, he, McNamee, arranged to meet his wife on the road a short distance from town and accompany her to the asylum. At the appointed time McNamee went to the place agreed upon for the meeting, but after waiting long after the hour agreed upon for the meeting, and his wife failing to put in an appearance, he returned to the asylum, where he found his wife and Dr. Barnes just coming up in the doctor’s buggy. When Mrs. McNamee alighted from the carriage, McNamee noticed that she was nervous and excited, and on asking an explanation from her she tried to evade telling him what had occurred; but her husband was imperative and demanded to know what the matter was, when she stated that Dr. Barnes had called at the house and requested her to ride out with him; that she consented to do so, but instead of taking the most direct road to the asylum, he had gone by an out-of-the-way and unfrequented route, and in the course of the drive had made improper proposals to her. This greatly enraged McNamee, but at the earnest request of his wife he agreed to say nothing to the doctor that night, but made his arrangements for resigning his position and leaving the institution. The next day when ready to leave, he went to Barnes and accused him with having insulted his wife. Barnes denied the charge, high words ensued, blows were exchanged, and finally McNamee shot at the doctor, but failed to hit him. Then they were separated.
This affair resulted in a coolness and finally separation
between McNamee and his wife. McNamee tried to fix up the
matter and have his wife return and live with him, promising to let the past
be forgotten and take a new start. She would not consent to return to him.
On Tuesday he left here for Tamaroa, still bent upon effecting a
reconciliation, with what sad results you already know. Of course the
statements here made are the result of the impressions left upon my mind
after a brief cruise among the people of this place. Of my own knowledge I
knew nothing of the matter.
(John W. McNamee married Sadie P. Little on 18 Sep
1877, in Union Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter)
A
Bulletin reporter paid another visit to Burklow in his cell
yesterday. He was found lying in his bunk attempting to read by the
imperfect light that entered his cell through an opening about a foot
square, down which ran heavy circular iron bars. He wore spectacles and his
only apparel were trousers and a shirt of cotton print. Since the news of
his fate was broken to him, he has undergone a remarkable change. Then he
appeared strong and healthy; now his flesh hangs loose upon him and his
attenuated frame and full sunken eyes attest the loss of sleep and
appetite. His wife and child whom he expected last week, have not yet
arrived, and this adds to the misery of his feeling. He believes himself to
be utterly deserted—without a friend upon earth, and has abandoned all
hope. By a letter received from the sheriff of Johnson County, he is
informed that he will not be taken to Vienna until a couple of days previous
to his execution. When asked if any of the clergy had as yet called upon
him, he replied in the negative, coupling it with an expression of some
surprise, for, said he, they at least console us to the last. He was
anxious to have the information conveyed to them that he would be happy to
receive their visits, and knew they would give him consolation. The
following communication was sent us on Friday, but our space did not permit
of its publication yesterday.
With your leave I will try and explain my situation and my
feelings in my trouble. As I have but a short time to live, only two weeks
from this day, I wish to solicit the sympathy that is due my wife and my
little girl who is only in her sixth year. I hope the people of Southern
Illinois will not look upon it as a stain upon my wife and child because of
my fate. My wife is of a good family of Jackson County, Illinois. In
regard to myself, I have always had a very hard time to make a living, my
father having died when I was only seven years old, leaving my mother with a
family of five children, all girls but myself. We were in destitute
circumstances. I have always worked hard to make an honest living and I am
very confident there is not a man living who will say he ever knew me to try
to defraud or swindle anybody out of their just dues. I never got anything
only what I worked for, for that is the only way I had to make a living. In
regard to the trouble for which I have to die, I made a statement a week
ago, which is my dying declaration for it is the truth. But there are some
few who have sought to take my life, and that from the commencement and they
have accomplished their ends. If I had been such a desperado, it seems I
would have tried to make my escape, for any man who commits a cold-blooded
murder certainly would try to get away. I had plenty of time to go, but I
went home and changed my clothes and started downtown and met Boren,
who was an acting officer, and William Morgan; they asked me if I
would give up. I said I had started to the Justice for that purpose. Now,
I don’t say I was altogether right, but nine men out of every ten would have
done as I did, although it would have been better for me to have left the
place. But it is pretty hard for a man to leave a place where his home is
without just cause, because another man demands it. When I die I shall die
with a clear conscience, but had I killed him in cold blood, as is charged,
I never could have died satisfied. And I am satisfied that had I not killed
him he would have killed me; and this fact will come to light after I am
dead, for it is sure to come out after awhile. There are some people who
knew how my family and myself were treated, but they withheld what they did
know in my favor. I have no hard feelings against any person, for they will
have to account to a higher court than the one I was tried by. I don’t
blame the judge or jury for convicting me, but the verdict was unjust. I
say when my life is taken it will be murder in the first degree. Now, I
hope the people will endeavor to find out after I am gone all about the
matter, so as to give sympathy and comfort to my wife and child, for it is
hard enough to have to die wrongfully, without knowing that my family after
me will suffer. But as a dying declaration the statement I made a week ago
is true. I was born in Graves County, Ky., November 2, 1832; emigrated to
Johnson County, Illinois, in December 1843, and have lived ever since in
Johnson, Pulaski and Alexander counties, with the exception of one year in
Jackson, where I was married. I have been known by some of the oldest
settlers of Johnson County for thirty odd years, for instance—F. J.
Chapman, S. Hess, J. B. Chapman, A. J. Kuykendall,
J. N. Pierce, and numerous others, and I am sure neither they nor any
man will say they ever knew me to work or plot to take the life of any man,
or even threaten to kill anyone. My motto was to settle my difficulties in
some other way than by the taking of life. Now, in conclusion, I am at
perfect peace with all mankind, and I hope no person has any bad feelings
toward me. We have all to die sooner or later, and we must bear it as best
we can. I think my death, under the circumstances, to be one of the most
unjust things that could happen, but I have learnt to try and put up with
what fate has allotted to me. When a man is dead, it is all over, and I put
my trust in God for my peace hereafter. I give my good wishes to the
citizens of Cairo; also to Mr. Miller, the jailor, and his family for
they have treated me with a kindness a prisoner has no right to expect. I
wish them peace and happiness.
We have no sentimental notions about hanging. Where human life is taken, with deliberation and malice, for purposes of revenge, gain, or lust, that life should be atoned for by the application of the extreme penalty of the law to the culprit, reached through legal forms. In the cases of Sherry and Connolly, executed last Friday at Chicago, justice was, as it should have been, vindicated, and society rid of two of its most depraved and brutal members. To the commission of theft, in one instance, they added the crime of murder, and if free from restraint would have made an innocent woman the victim of their lust. It was not shown that they bore any malice toward McConville, but it was proved beyond reasonable doubt that after stealing the butcher knife with which his life was taken, they sallied out into the street, boasting of their intention to sally, and it was McConville’s unfortunate fate to have been thrown across their path. Gov. Cullom very properly, we think, refused to interpose executive clemency in behalf of the criminals, and they had to answer for their crime. Now as to the case of Burklow. Are there any sound reasons why he, too, should not suffer for taking human life? Are there any extenuating circumstances to be offered in his behalf? Are there any facts not produced upon trial which might have wrought a different verdict? To these propositions we answer yes, but our readers may form an opinion without prejudice or bias, we will briefly recite some of the leading features in the killing of Wagner, and give statements made within the past three weeks by parties who were not upon the witness stand, but whose testimony, it will be admitted, would have played a conspicuous part on the trial. About the killing of Wagner by Burklow there is no doubt. The prisoner says he did it. As to the cause there are several versions, but all agree that it was the result of a quarrel extending over a period of varying, according to the stories told, from three months to four or five days. Wagner’s wife, who is now in this city, and who is exceedingly bitter against Burklow, says it originated three months before its fatal termination. She was never, for some reason, put upon the witness stand. Her statement robs the crime of its worst feature—premeditation. She says there had been ill feeling existing between her husband and Burklow about a sow pig for three months before the killing, but that this was healed over, and the men became upon speaking terms again; that on the day previous to the killing of Wagner, she became involved in a quarrel with Mrs. Burklow about a cow she (Mrs. W.) had driven from her yard; that her husband, who had returned from Cairo where he had been on an excursion, was a witness to this quarrel, and had taken up her side of it just as Burklow reached his own house. She admits that her husband was at the time under the influence of liquor, and while in that condition, she volunteered the statement that he was an ugly man and often made it very uncomfortable for her. When Burklow learned the nature of the quarrel, Mrs. Wagner continued to say, he told his wife to “go into the house, that she would be the ruin of him yet.” After this Wagner and Burklow got into hot words and at this point Mrs. Wagner gives the important information that her husband left his door where he had been standing and ran Burklow, who had got outside his gate, back through the gate, which Burklow pinned behind him, and into his house, closing the door of this also. She says she could not say whether or not her husband had a club in his hand when he did this, or whether he subsequently used threats against Burklow’s life, but she does say that Burklow lived in dread of him, and was afraid to give him a “fair show.” Mrs. Burklow, whom the law did not permit to testify in court, and Burklow himself says that Wagner, during this row, did threaten to take his life when he “got a good chance.” Mrs. W. further says that both parties watched each other until late in the night. Mrs. Burklow says the same thing and Burklow confirms it. Besides this Burklow was told on the day of the quarrel by a man named Leach, now living at Sanborn, Indiana, to be on his guard against Wagner, and that Wagner had threatened to “use him up” the first opportunity he had. This witness also, for some reason, was not heard at the trial. Burklow and Wagner it should be borne in mind, were working in the same mill. Wagner was the first to reach his post the next morning after the quarrel. Burklow followed, armed with a pistol, having in his mind a recollection of the events of the night before. He went to the mill, and shot and killed Wagner, but just what transpired a few minutes before this no living soul but Burklow knows and his statement can have no effect upon the matter. It has already been published and, of course, is favorable to himself. Now, it will be seen from Mrs. Wagner’s statement, which is new testimony: (1) that her husband returned form Cairo under the influence of liquor; (2) that he took up her quarrel with Mrs. Burklow; (3) that this led Burklow into the quarrel; (4) that Wagner ran Burklow from the space separating their house into the house of the latter, who pinned the gate and closed his door behind him; (5) that both parties watched each other through a portion of the night; (6) that Burklow lived in dread of Wagner, and “was afraid to give him a fair show;” (7) that according to Mrs. Burklow and Burklow, Wagner in that quarrel threatened Burklow’s life; (8) that before this Leach, an absent witness, also told Burklow that Wagner had threatened his life. This, it should be remembered, is all new evidence. It establishes what was not proved on the trial—a provocation to the deed—and places Burklow outside the pale of that class of murderers, which the law, finding guilty, hangs. It was not a sufficient justification to take life, but no jury in the light of these facts, would condemn him to death. It is said that Burklow was not a good citizen. Admitted. But that fact alone should not be permitted to decide this case. Besides, it might be said that Wagner was a dangerous character when under the influence of liquor, and this assertion can be established by irrefragable proof. In the town of Barlow, Kentucky, where he was raised, he bears a bad reputation, and terminated his career there by shooting at his father-in-law. His first wife is still living, and was divorced from him. Public sentiment in Jackson, Johnson, Union, Pulaski, and Alexander counties is against the execution of the sentence of the law upon Burklow. In Johnson County, where he was tried, between six and seven hundred of the best people signed a petition to Governor Cullom praying for a commutation of the sentence. Among these are the judge before whom he was tried, the attorney who prosecuted him for the People, eleven of the jurors who tried him, the sheriff, county judge, and other prominent local officials. In view
of all these facts, we think we can properly appeal in behalf of the people
of the southern tier of counties of this state to Governor Cullom to
temper justice with mercy. It is not asked that the prisoner shall escape
punishment; but believing that his crime does not merit death, they do ask
that only such punishment should be meted out to him as his crime deserves.
It is just such a case as this the framers of the law had in view when they
invested the governor with the power of mitigating the sentence of the court
in capital cases. We hope his Excellency may see his way clear to exercising
it in this case.
Our neighbors across the river were startled yesterday afternoon by the news of an altercation between two well-known negroes, which will probably terminate in the death of one of them. From what has been told us, the parties to the affray—Dave Thomas and a man named Gathey—both colored, became involved in a dispute, when it is said Thomas gave the lie to Gathey and Gathey responded to whipping out his knife and plunging it into Thomas’ body in the region of the abdomen. Physicians who have examined the wounds pronounce Thomas’ recovery impossible. Gathey took advantage of the confusion following the affair and fled the country, and although pursuit was quickly instituted, he had not been arrested at dusk last night. (His name was listed as Gahey in the 28 Jun 1878, issue.—Darrel Dexter)
We have no doubt of this, but God is not alone in his knowledge
of this subject. Every person who has any knowledge of the facts of the
McNamee scandal know that Dr. Barnes does not fill the
requirements demanded by the place he occupies. Intellectually he may be all
this is required, but he is a failure in many other important particulars.
He should be removed without delay, and a better man, as they in all
probability will, resist the inevitable result of the doctor’s shortcomings,
but if they do not accept it in good time they will be compelled to proceed
their favorite out of the Anna institution. Public opinion will crowd them
out. (His name was listed as Gathey in the previous day’s
issue.—Darrel Dexter) James Webb, who is now in the penitentiary at Chester, serving out a term of two years for stealing a heifer, formed an acquaintances with Burklow in our county jail, and reminds him of his friendship and of his regret at his fate in the following letter, written evidently by a clergyman. It is a remarkable specimen of religious gush for a convict to subscribe to: FRIEND BURKLOW—Your letter of June 20th has been duly received and the contents noted with unfeigned sorrow and sincere and heartfelt sympathy; and I most humbly and submissively pray that Almighty God in His mercy may help and sustain you in your approaching emergency by smoothing your passage toward the approaching terrible ordeal; and I pray that your conscience may be quickened and strengthened by the fact that God’s mercy know no bounds, and that through the redeeming grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ our great mediator and heavenly advocate, these the darkest hours of your earthly existence may be the forerunner of a happy and glorious eternity. I feel that owing to my unenviable position that I assume a task beyond my ability in addressing you at all, and I would not by any means intrude on your meditations, and other duties incident to your deplorable and lamentable situation, were it not that I fear you would misconstrue my motives were I to refrain from answering your letter, so kindly and thoughtfully written, and I may add “so fearfully full of interest.” What can I say to you my poor dear friend? I am really at a loss for words, notwithstanding my heart is full. To tell you hope might seem like mockery, and to bid you be cheerful, I cannot under the circumstances; but I will say to you never to deviate from hoping and trusting in God and His mercy. Though executive clemency may be withheld from you here on this earth the Supreme Ruler of the universe is always approachable and even more willing to pardon than condemn; and I pray that your death warrant from Illinois be your passport to regions of eternal bliss is my humble and heartfelt prayer. Foley and Kelley both unite with me in sending you their respects and well wishes. Foley says he has written to you several times, but received no answer. He hopes you may have received his letters, as he would not wish you to think he had forgotten you.
Now my dear friend, I
will bring my letter to a close, and shall feel well repaid if you derive
any pleasure from the contents. I pray, humbly and sincerely that the
Almighty in his infinite mercy, may endow you with strength while awaiting
the fearful ordeal through which you may be called upon to pass. I remain
most sincerely and devotedly
The unexpected death of Judge Sidney Breese, at the home of his son in Pinckneyville, on Thursday last, was received in Cairo yesterday, and occasioned profound sorrow among all classes of citizens. His name was familiar to almost every person in Illinois. Long before his death it had become a household word throughout the State. The deceased was born on the 15th of July, 1800, at Whitesboro, Oneida County, New York. His father was Arthur Breese, a native of Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey. His mother was Catherine Livingstone, of Duchess County, New York. Sidney Breese graduated with distinction in 1818 from Union College, Schenectady, New York. He removed to Kaskaskia within a few years after 1816, and in 1820 was admitted to the bar at that place. He commenced the practice of his profession at Brownsville, Jackson County. In 1821, he was appointed postmaster of Kaskaskia, and in 1822 was appointed attorney for the Second Circuit by Gov. Bond, and held the office for five years. In 1831 he published the first book ever published in Illinois—Breese’s Reports of the Supreme Court Decisions. In 1832 he took part in the Black Hawk War as lieutenant colonel. In 1835 he was elected judge of the Second Circuit. In 1841 he was elected to the Supreme Court. In 1842 he was elected United States Senator. In 1850 he was elected to the legislature and was made Speaker of the House. In 1855, he was again elected circuit judge and upon the resignation of Chief Justice Scates, was elected a second time to the Supreme Bench, and remained in the court until the time of his death. In 1823 he was married to Miss Eliza Morrison, second daughter of William Morrison, of Kaskaskia.
This is in brief the life of the distinguished man whose death
has been just announced. In its details it was a history of Illinois, for he
was an actor in nearly every event that has distinguished the State. He
reflected luster upon all the positions occupied by him, and was generally
recognized as a man of distinguished abilities. He lived a useful life, and
in death will be honored and lamented by all the people of the state.
DEAR SIR—As my time is near at end I wish to let in as much light on the subject which carries me to death as I can, so that people may judge of it after I am no more, as fairly as justice may allow, but that is all I claim. I do not think I got it. I was placed in a prison outside of the county the same day on which my trouble occurred, and remained there until the second day of court at Vienna. This deprived me of any chance to procure such evidence as existed in my behalf. My wife was the only one who could help me in this, and she was taken sick a few days after I was placed in jail in Cairo, and had to be taken to her sister’s in Randolph County. She had then, as she has now, the club with which Wagner drove me into my own house, and she was not able to attend my trial at Vienna. The friends from whom I expected help were not there, and I was forced into the trial unprepared, without a witness. Being in prison I could find no means of communication with them. After I was sentenced it was too late, although then it was found out that there were several who heard Wagner make threats against me. Mr. Virgil Brock, who heard and saw all the difficulty, was at McLeansboro, and I had to go to trial without him. If I had had plenty of money I would never have been sentenced to die. Now, I don’t claim I did right, but under the circumstances I was justifiable to some extent. It is wrong to kill, but it seems just as hard to be killed or trampled on by others, and to have my family abused at their own home. This last fact is known to many who were our neighbors. I hope my God will forgive me, if the people do not, for he is all I can depend on; and I hope he will also forgive all who have wronged me. I am at peace with everybody and when I give up my life I hope they will be satisfied and treat my wife and child with respect and kindness. I have some good family connections, and I hope my fate will not bring disgrace on them. I think this will be my last writing. It may be read on the day of my execution. But I do not wish to complain, as I must put up with what fate has allotted to me.
There are three witnesses who testified in my case, whom I would
like to be present at my execution. I would like to ask them a few
questions, if they will comfort me so much. They are Lewis McCarver,
Frank Vandoser, and H. L. Boren. I do not wish them to think
that I mean any harm, for I do not. Now, I wish for some good, responsible
men to go to Chapman & Hess’ mill, and stand at the saws where
Vandoser and Murphy worked at the time of this fuss, and place
a man where Wagner stood and a man where I stood and let all the saws
be running as they were at the time of this trouble, and see whether any
sound uttered while the saws are in motion can be heard. I want it done,
because it was sworn against me that Wagner said: “Burklow,
don’t shoot.” These words were never spoken, for I was ten or fifteen feet
closer to him than anyone and certainly could have heard it if it was
uttered at all. I hope some man will attend to this when I am gone and
satisfy the people of this point; I am writing this for the people, hoping
they may be satisfied after my death as to whether I have received justice.
Mr. Editor, please send me a copy of the paper, so that I can retain it
until the day of my execution. Forman, in Johnson County, was the scene Sunday morning, of an assassination that has few equals in the annals of crime in Southern Illinois. At present mystery surrounds it; but circumstances are coming to light that will certainly dispel the darkness in which it is enshrouded and reveal a state of things that will amaze the most credulous. At about 1 o’clock on Sunday morning, Frank J. Chapman was sent into eternity by a bullet fired from a pistol in the hands of a person at present unknown. To give, if possible, an idea of the house in which the murder was committed the attention of the reader is directed to this diagram:
*W W D D
W W D—Doors W—Windows
This house is a common wood structure, box shaped, located on the southeast base of the hill on which the town of Forman is built, and about sixty yards from what is known as the old mill. It stands out alone on the ground, and is without the protection of a fence. In the house are two rooms, separated by a common board partition. The room indicated in the diagram as containing a bed, was occupied by a Norwegian named Martin, in the employ of Chapman, and Chapman himself. The other room was occupied by Mr. S. P. Chapman and his wife. The windowsills of the house would reach to the chest of an average-sized man standing flat-footed on the ground surrounding the house. On Saturday evening after dusk both Martin and Chapman were in their room. About ten o’clock Martin went to bed, leaving Chapman sitting in a chair reading a newspaper. About eleven o’clock Chapman laid aside his newspaper and left the room. Martin thinks he was gone not over three quarters of an hour. When Chapman returned, he, too went to bed, and, as was his custom, left the lamp dimly burning. Martin knew nothing more until he was aroused by the sound of the pistol shot. He found the room in utter darkness, got out of bed, struck a match, lit the lamp and found Chapman lying motionless and unconscious, the brain oozing from his head. The ball—38 caliber—entered the brain at a point on the top of the head above the right ear, and ranging downward lodged in the region of the right nostril. It was cut out by Dr. George W. Bratton, of Vienna. Mr. Chapman lived until 4 o’clock, but in those three hours showed no sign of life. The shot had paralyzed him. Martin ran to the store, about sixty yards off, and waked Messrs. Morris and Boren—the latter Chapman’s nephew—informing them of what had occurred. They, of course, hastened to the spot, and found Mr. Chapman in the condition described. An examination of the premises revealed the fact that the party who had done the shooting was short in stature, as a block about a foot in length was found under the window sill of Chapman’s room; this block enabled the assassin to reach within the window, pull aside the mo___ __etting over the bed and _______ take deliberate aim. Mr. Chapman _____ or flesh was not burned by ______ the windowsill showed ______ been scorched. Martin believed the _____ was put out by the concussion produced by the shot; but others assert that this could hardly have happened, as the table on which the lamp was burning was two or three feet from the bed, and not in the direction of the shot. Whatever tracks had been made in approaching and departing from the house were obliterated by the rain, which subsequently fell. Jackson and his wife did not hear the shot. These embrace all the circumstances of the killing itself. When it became noised abroad, the greatest excitement prevailed, and continued from Sunday morning up to last night at eight o’clock. A coroner’s jury was summoned and a very large number of witnesses examined, but nothing was elicited that would furnish a tangible clue to the perpetrator of the dastardly act. Mr. Chapman was about 45 years of age, did business in Vienna, Carbondale, and other points in Southern Illinois, but at the time of his death was devoting his attention mainly to the interests of the Chapman Lumber Mill Company, of which he was President. He was also senior member of the firm of Chapman & Hess—well known in Southern Illinois for upward of twenty years. His family consists of his wife and six children. Four of the latter are grown. Opinions differ largely as to his personal character. He was of the kind of men who make warm friends and bitter enemies, but as to his capacity for business and his enterprise in conducting it, there is but one opinion—he had very few superiors. Now as to rumors in circulation. The one which has gained the most credence, and which has an air of probability is this: We give it as it is current in Vienna and Forman. It is said that a relative of Chapman has been on intimate terms with a girl residing in Forman; that this intimacy has extended over a period of about three years; that Chapman had frequently expressed his displeasure at it; that on last Saturday he told his relative that he must either quit the girl or quit the business in which he is engaged as partner, it is said, of Chapman’s that the nephew, so the story goes, told the girl of this at an interview they had about eleven o’clock Saturday night; that she has had access to the relative’s apartments. This, be it remembered, is but street talk up there. Here is what gives importance to it. This girl’s father is a doctor, who was unauthorized to practice medicine in this State. Chapman, supposing that by getting rid of the father, he would rid the town of the girl, too, had him prohibited from practicing medicine, and he left there a few days ago. The pistol of the relative is missing; the last he saw of it was under the pillow of his bed, at four o’clock Saturday afternoon. That pistol carried a 38-calibre ball—the same as that cut from the face of Chapman. The pistol can be found nowhere. The person who did the shooting must be familiar with the premises and was short in stature. Of course strong inferences are drawn from this, but no action has yet been taken by the authorities looking to the arrest of anyone. We might fill the Bulletin with other rumors, but give only this one, as bearing the outward sign of having something in it. Johnson County is on the eve of giving to the country some extraordinary disclosures.
Mr. Sam
Chapman, son of Mr. Frank Chapman, Mr. Brownlee, his
son-in-law, and Mr. John Bridges, his nephew, accompanied the remains
of the murdered man from Forman to this city, and from here to Carbondale.
The party arrived over the Cairo and Vincennes road, and left via the
Illinois Central.
DEAR SIR—You will please forward any mail which comes there. If
any should come and if my wife should come there, please tell her to come on
here. Ask my friends to write to me and let me know what was done for me at
Cairo. I am bound to die, and I would like to know who all did anything for
to save my life, for I shall bear them my heartfelt thanks and wishes and I
hope they may arrive at a better place than this, where it don’t cost money
to obtain justice and where there are no prejudices, for had I had plenty of
money I would have had plenty of friends, but being destitute in that
particular I found plenty of enemies. However, I hope no other unfortunate
sinner may get in such trouble in Southern Illinois. As I must die, I hope
God will forgive me for all my misdeeds in this life, and that I may find a
resting place with one who is just and not prejudiced. I give my best wishes
to you and Mrs. s. Miller and Mary and Tillie. Tell Tillie I forgot to
look at her little doll and to bid her farewell when I left. Well, Mrs.
Miller, drop me a note if you have time between now and Friday, so I may
hear from you one time before I depart this life. So, with my best wishes,
good by.
About ten o’clock last Monday morning, at Caseyville, Ky., Mr.
Newcomb and his son, aged about 15 years, were at work in the coal
mine of D. A. Brooks, Jr. & Co., when a heavy piece of slate caved in
upon them killing the boy instantly and nearly cutting his body in two. Mr.
Newcomb was so badly injured that it is doubtful if he can recover. Burklow’s wife was in the city yesterday. She will not attend the execution, nor does she think she will be able to go to Vienna at all. Their little child, for whom Burklow seems to have a real affection, is said to be sick, and Burklow will die without the consolation of a visit from his wife and child would afford him. His fate is unspeakable hard. Mrs. B. is a woman above the medium height, dark hair, black eyes, with a plump, well-formed figure. In her outward appearance she bears traces of refinement, although in her conversation she betrays evidence of a limited education. As good looks in women go, Mrs. Burklow would be classed above the average. She seemed fatigued and dispirited, although in no wise averse to talk.
In a conversation with a Bulletin reporter, extending
over an hour and a half she went over the circumstances of the tragedy in
which her husband was so unfortunate an actor. She corroborated his version
of the affair, and gave some facts, which were new to the reporter. She
received a letter from Chapman last Saturday week, in which he stated
that Gov. Cullom had written to him that Burklow would not hang. She
did not know of Chapman’s death until her arrival yesterday evening.
The reporter informed her of the rumors which connected her name with that
of Chapman, and she insisted upon knowing everything that was said of
her in that way. The reporter accorded her all the information he was
possessed of, and she denied the statements separately and in the aggregate.
She declined to enter into any explanation, and contented herself with
general denials. It was pointed out to her that she should by all means
visit her husband before his death, but she pled her circumstances as excuse
for not doing so. She was out of money, she said. She had some checks of Mr.
Chapman’s but did not believe she could realize on them. Mrs.
Burklow said many things during that conversation, among others that she
would return to Percy, via the Narrow Gauge this morning, having only
money enough to pay her hotel bill. She is stopping at the Planters’. It so
would appear appropriate for the ladies of Cairo to supply Mrs. B.
with funds sufficient to defray her expense to Vienna, if she really desires
to see her husband before his execution. The amount ought to be raised in a
few moments. A dispatch received from Springfield yesterday afternoon says that “Some time ago Judge Dougherty withdrew his signature from the petition for a commutation of Burklow’s sentence, and since Chapman’s assassination protests against the commutation have been numerous. The Governor will not therefore interfere.” Burklow will, then, in all human probability, hang at Vienna, tomorrow. His desertion by his wife, the fact that he will be deprived of the consoling company of his child in his extremity, and that he goes into eternity surrounded by a community hostile to him, without friends and without hope, mark his last hours on earth with peculiar sadness. Happily for him, he is ignorant of the baseness of his wife, and the story of the sickness of his child may reconcile him to the deprivation he must suffer in this respect. He hangs, a victim to an exceptional combination of circumstances, his crime being of the least of these.
The extraordinary feature is presented in his case of a judge
sentencing a man to death, signing a petition to commute that sentence,
writing a letter in support to it, and giving reasons why the sentence
should be commuted; then asking the chief executive officer of the state to
consider that he had never signed the petition or wrote the letter, and
giving additional reasons after this why the man should hang. We leave our
readers to form their opinion of the conduct of a man who thus tries and
acts upon an issue of life and death. We have characterized all this as
extraordinary, and a knowledge of legal criminal history will bear us out in
it but even this feature is overshadowed by development recently made in
this case, which we refrain from mentioning or discussing in this issue of
The Bulletin. We may say, however, that the Herculean efforts being
made to suppress a full history of the judicial murder—efforts backed by the
power of wealth and influence—will end abortively, for the facts, like
Banquo’s ghosts, will not down. They will in time come to the surface to
plague those who have been and are now clamorous for blood. Another act in
the Burklow-Wagner tragedy will end with hanging tomorrow.
What will surely follow—when light shall have dispelled the darkness which
now appears impenetratable—will make the Burklow case forever notable
in the annals of Western crime. As Burklow said in his dying words yesterday, the circumstances of the tragedy which brought him to the gallows have already been stated so often in the newspaper that the public are familiar with them—and that portion of the public embraced among the readers of The Bulletin are especially so. We shall therefore confine our report to the events which occurred at Vienna yesterday and to such other new facts as have a bearing upon the case. As early as seven o’clock people from miles around began to flock into Vienna in every imaginable kind of vehicles, on horses and mules of all colors and kinds, and many trudged long miles in the burning sun to be rewarded later in the day with a look only at the enclosure wherein Burklow was to step down and out. The town wore a regular holiday appearance. Peter Funk was there crying out his wares to the lowest bidder, and taking advantage of the crowds that that most popular of showmen—Jack Ketch—never fails to attract; temporary stands were erected at various places in the town for the sale of water colored with syrups; for lemonade with just the bare suspicion of lemon in it; for popcorn, taffy and illuminated stick candy, with which to seduce the country lads and lassies. One of these stands was erected near the entrance to the gallows, and the noisy unthinking crowd presented a grotesque contrast to the solemn sound of the hammer and saw of the carpenters putting the finishing stokes to the instrument of death. By two o’clock at least twenty-five hundred people surrounded on all sides the enclosure and the jail, and stood under the descending rays of the hot sun without a murmur, waiting to catch a glance at the prisoner as he stopped on his way from the jail to the gibbet. About ten o’clock Messrs. W. F. Schukers, Tom Winter, L. L. Davis, Peter Saup and a Bulletin reporter were escorted to the old barn-like building that does duty as a jail and in which Burklow was spending his last hours upon earth. Ascending a rickety flight of steps that led from the outside into the building, the party was halted in a room over Burklow’s cell. Sheriff Carter, unlocking a trap door, descended along by aid of a ladder. The Bulletin reporter was asked to descend by the sheriff, at the request of Burklow. After shaking hands and making some inquiries as to how he passed the previous night, and how he felt, Burklow asked him this question: “Have you heard any reports about my wife?” The reporter answered in the affirmative. “I want you to tell me if you believe they are true!” He was told that a great many reports were in circulation, the truth of which the reporter would not undertake to affirm, adding that he knew most of them only as rumors, and to repeat them under the circumstances would be to unnecessarily add to his misery. “The reason I have asked you,” he said, “is this; I have a little girl, and I want to know from you the truth; would my wife be a fit woman to raise my daughter? Do you believe she is a good woman?” The reporter answered that he thought his wife was not a good woman; that there was unquestionable evidence to sustain this fact, and that he might judge from that as to her fitness to raise a girl child. “That is what I want to know,” he said; “I will make arrangements to have her raised by my own folks.” The portion of the conversation bearing on this matter then terminated. It was thought that Burklow would be permitted to die in ignorance of the conduct of his wife, but it seems that on Monday last some person having access to the jail told him all he knew or had heard of her conduct since Burklow’s imprisonment. The reporter thought it best, under the circumstances, to say only what is here recorded. The razor and shears had wrought a wonderful change in his appearance since we last saw him. He slept well, he said, the night before, and was able to relish food, as well as to have a sound nap now and then. He looked fresh and clear, his eyes were no longer bloodshot, and excepting the sickly hue of his skin, the result of his year’s imprisonment, he showed no traces of mental anguish or bodily suffering. His coolness was remarkable. In the terrible ordeal through which he passed—from the reading of the death warrant in the presence of the multitude to the moment that the rope was parted which sent him through the trap—he never flinched. There was an entire absence of the bully or the desperado in his demeanor. He died with a full realization of his fate, but the spectator could look in vain for any outward sign of the terrible strain that was upon the man. After some further conversation with the sheriff and the reporter, the trio ascended the ladder to the room above. There the sheriff asked the gentleman if they had any questions to ask Burklow. There was but one response. That was an inquiry as to whether he desired to say anything he wished to reach the public after his execution. Burklow replied to this that if he concluded to say anything of the nature indicated by the inquiry he would do so from the platform of the jail. The sheriff then said Burklow desired to have a talk with some of his relatives. This hint was acted upon and those not of the number included by the sheriff’s remark withdrew. At about one o’clock Sheriff Carter, Deputy Sheriff Wiley and Revs. Joel Johnson and J. W. Fields proceeded to the cell of the condemned man, where devotional exercises were had. At 1:45, Burklow, handcuffed, accompanied by the same gentlemen, appeared on the platform of the jail building. The sheriff read the death warrant to him in a clear, calm voice, and Burklow, leaning his arms on the railing, listened, apparently, attentively to it. At the conclusion of its reading, the sheriff inquired if he desired to say anything, and Burklow, raising himself erect, without any perceptible trepidation in his voice or manner, said: “FRIENDS—I have but little to say; but I will say, my friends, that tis is a hard sentence I have got. I thought I would make a lengthy speech, but it is very hot and I will not say much. I have already stated in the newspaper all I have to say about this matter. I hope everyone will think this matter over and give it the benefit of their judgment. I will further say that I have not been treated well since the commencement; I have no malice toward anyone either here or in Forman, and I hope that I have the sympathy of everyone, and I hope they will forgive me as I forgive them. If they have done me a wrong may God forgive them, as I hope God will forgive me for all the wrongs that I have done, and take me to a better world.” The party then descended the steps leading from the jail into the enclosure containing the scaffold and the coffin.in. The enclosure was full twenty feet square, twenty-five feet in height, and adjoined the jail, shutting off the crowd from all sides. The gallows was of the old fashioned kind. A platform eight feet square, eight feet ten inches above the ground, in the center a trap door four feet square, back of and connected with it was a stout beam, projecting above the platform about nine feet, and from this beam, an arm extended over the platform. From this arm, fastened in an iron ring, the noose dangled. The party ascended the steps leading to the scaffold. Rev. Mr. Johnson opened with a short prayer, the prisoner kneeling. This was followed by the singing of “That Happy Day Will Surely Come,” “Jesus the Source of All My Joy,” “How Could I Bear to Hear Thy Voice,” and one other, the title of which the reporter failed to catch. This was followed by a prayer by Rev. Mr. Field. The words of the prayer were well chosen, the matter of it was good, and it was delivered in a clear, loud voice and earnest manner, but a sigh of relief went up from the assemblage at its conclusion. It was painfully long. The effect of it upon the prisoner was apparent. It almost exhausted him. Rising from his knees, he leaned against the wide of a barn forming one of the walls of the enclosure, for support. Burklow in a few moments recovered his steadiness, and standing up, shook hands with the retiring clergyman. His arms were pinioned above the elbows and the wrists. Sheriff Carter then shook hands with him. It should be mentioned here that it was the desire of Burklow and his friends that Mr. Carter should execute him. Deputy Wiley also bade him farewell. He was then placed on the trap and his feet bound. Carter drew the black skullcap over this face and neck. Boren was the last man Burklow looked upon. He shot a glance at him that would have pierced a stone. During this time—from the pinioning of the arms to the drawing of the black cap—the most profound stillness prevailed throughout that vast throng. To see that black-hooded figure standing motionless on the scaffold—with a second between it and eternity—was a sight to shake the stoutest hearts. To some it was sickening. In adjusting the rope about his neck Burklow was heard to say, “Don’t smother me,” or words of a like import. They were his last. The sheriff stepped back. His deputy, ax in hand, approached, with a blow severed the rope that held the trap, and Burklow shot through it with a heavy thud, the sound of which reached the utmost confines of the crowd. Within the enclosure could be heard the faint screams of the women on the outside and the surge in the great crowd. He dropped nearly eight feet, an unusually long drop. For a few minutes he breathed violently. Drs. George Bratton, G. W. Elkins, J. M. C. Damron, and A. J. Benson, took and noted his pulse and when this became too weak to be longer felt, took the heartbeat. He went through the trap at 2:20; at 2:30 his pulse ceased; in seventeen minutes from the time of his plunge life was pronounced extinct; in twenty-seven minutes he was cut down. His neck was broken by the fall, and his head hung to his shoulders, limp and swaying in all directions. There was a slight discoloration of the neck, and when the cap was removed, he looked as natural as life. His body was taken in charge by his relatives, who stand well among their neighbors. Placed in a coffin, and the screws driven in, what was mortal of Burklow was laid away in its last covering. He was human; he suffered as few suffer for their misdeeds while living. And all who have a grain of charity in their composition will invoke for him that mercy they hope for themselves. Too much cannot be said in praise of Sheriff Carter and his efficient deputy, Mr. Wiley. No gentlemen ever performed a disagreeable duty with more kindness, patience or humanity. There was not a flaw in the manner of the execution from beginning to end. More than this cannot be said.
The hangman did his duty well. But after all, how much good was
done by this man’s violent and ignominious death? In our opinion none. It is
a maxim of the law that it is better that ninety-nine guilty men should
escape than one innocent man should suffer. But Burklow was not
innocent. Granted. He was a bad man, and had killed a fellow being. Granted.
He deserved punishment. Granted, again. But, mark you. Even a guilty man—a
man generally believed to be guilty—should have a fair trial. Did Burklow
have such a trial? He had no counsel to advise with. The court appointed
lawyers to defend him when he appeared in court to answer to the indictment
charging him with the murder of Wagner, and without preparation he
was forced to a trial. On the other side was the states’ attorney, assisted
by Mr. Harker, who had been employed by somebody to prosecute the
prisoner. Unprepared Burklow was forced into trial before a jury
lacking intelligence, and with a well-prepared prosecution opposed to him.
His witnesses could not be obtained. The witnesses for the State were all
present, well drilled. Of course Burklow was found guilty. He was
sentenced to be hung last January. His lawyers presented the case to the
Supreme Court and asked for a supercedeas. It was granted. The
hanging was postponed. Then his lawyers abandoned him. They did not appear
before the Supreme Court—they did not even file a brief. Of course, the
Supreme Court decided that Burklow must hang. The court’s attention
had not been called to any errors in the record. The court, desiring to be a
little dramatic, fixed the 5th inst., the anniversary of the killing of
Wagner, as the day of execution. This was done only about three or four
weeks ago. Then it was said—Burklow said so and others said so—that
Burklow could prove that he had not acted in cold-blood—that
Wagoner had threatened to kill him—that even in the mill, just before
his death, Wagoner had advanced upon Burklow with a huge club,
etc. If this could have been established, the gallows would have been too
much of a punishment for Burklow. We were anxious to ascertain the
truth of these claims. We therefore urged a commutation of the sentence, and
that failing, a respite. But our efforts failed, and Burklow is where
he can neither harm nor be harmed. We do not regret our efforts in his
behalf. We do regret they were futile. So, at least for the present, bring
down the curtain.
At a meeting of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division No. 1, of Cairo, Ills., held at their hall on the 14th inst., the following preamble and resolutions, relative to the death of William Greany, were unanimously adopted: Whereas, it has pleased Almighty God to remove from our midst a worthy and valuable citizen, and from this society an earnest and devoted advocate of true Christian charity; therefore, Resolved, That while bowing in humble submission to the decree of our Heavenly Father, we feel that in the death of Brother William Greany, this society has suffered irreparably, and we not only regret the loss, but deeply deplore his sudden and untimely demise. Resolved, That the sympathy of this organization be and is hereby extended to the parents, brothers, and sisters of our deceased brother in the sad affliction they have been called upon so suddenly to bear.ar.
Resolved, That these resolutions be spread upon the records of
this society, a copy be furnished the relatives of deceased, as also to the
city press and Irish World, with the request that they publish the
same.
Barnesville, O., July 17.—This morning about 9:30 o’clock a terrific
explosion occurred here, caused by the exploding of the boiler of Davis
& Starbuck’s large planing mill, which was so terrific as to be heard
throughout the city, and caused great loss of life and property. Immediately
after the explosion occurred the alarm of fire was sounded, and a crowd was
seen wending its way to the mill. It was plain to them that something
terrible transpired.
The
names of the killed thus far known are as follows: James Padget,
Charles Ellsler, William Hyser, and James Burchard, all
of whom were terribly mangled. Those seriously injured are John Moore,
hand terribly cut, skull staved in and otherwise bruised; William Dent,
leg broke and injured internally; James Blowers, arm broken and deep
gash in skull; little Charley Ellsler, son of Charles Ellsler,
who was killed, has a deep cut in the neck and was bruised about the head;
Samuel Blowers, bruised and injured internally. Janet Ellis
very narrowly escaped with his life by jumping out of a second story window
just as the building was falling. Everybody is wild and can think of nothing
else but the calamity. There may be more dead found as soon as the debris is
cleared away. In the rear addition to the Vicksburg House, on Commercial Avenue, is a room used for sleeping purposes. This room was evidently constructed over a cistern, for in the center of the floor is a trapdoor, or covering to it. Between eight and nine o’clock last night, Annie Workman, a bright and handsome little four-year-old girl, daughter of Mrs. Workman, who is employed as cook in the house, was seated on this trapdoor, untying her shoes preparatory to going to bed. It seems the trap was ajar, or it was not securely fastened, and the little one in leaning back tilted it on end, and was precipitated backward into the cistern. A little boy, sitting near her, instantly gave the alarm and many of the boarders hurried to the spot. In the confusion which followed, running hither and thither for lights, ropes and ladders, it was fully fifteen or twenty minutes before a descent was made. A ladder was used and a colored man, who volunteered to go down, got hold of the child at one time, but for some inexplicable reason abandoned his hold, and the child again sunk to the bottom. At least ten or fifteen minutes were elapsed before the lifeless body was brought to the surface and handed to those above in waiting for it. The delay in recovering the body seems almost inexcusable in the light of the fact that there was not more than five and a half feet of water in the cistern. It would be unjust to attach any blame to the men who went to the child’s rescue, for they labored hard and earnestly, but the fact still remains that their work was misdirected and badly managed. Dr. Gordon was in waiting and took the little one in hand at once, but all his labor, assisted by others, and prolonged for about three quarters of an hour, was in vain. Life was totally extinct when the child was recovered, but every effort was made to rekindle any vital spark that might have lingered in her. The mother in a faint in one corner of the parlor; women screaming and children crying and running confusedly in every direction; the physician trying to restore life, all combined to make a distressing and inexpressibly sad scene. Crowds were attracted to the house and lingered about it after the physician had abandoned his task and taken his departure. The child was well known in the neighborhood for its precocity and beauty and was a general favorite.
BELLEVILLE, July 22.—The bursting of a boiler of a steam thresher on the farm of Mr. Wessel, four and a half miles south of the city at noon today, has produced a profound sensation here on account of the terrible loss of life occasioned thereby. It is reported that there were three persons killed outright, two fatally and four severely wounded. After the explosion a holocaust was added to the scene, burning up straw, wheat and the entire threshing outfit. Drs. Perryman and Bremer have gone to the scene, but up to this time no additional particulars have been heard. It is reported that the engineer who was killed, was a stranger,
as also were the other two men who were killed outright. A crippled brother
of Mr. Wessel is also reported fatally wounded. Additional particulars from Wessel’s farm disclose the killing of the engineer name unknown; William Dexter, of Centreville, and Kres, a neighbor. Wounded—John Loun or Lounty, of St. Louis, fatally; John and Henry Massel, severe, and another whose name is unknown.
Some of the bodies were horribly mutilated and badly burned. The
farm belongs to Ben Wessel, as also the thresher. Incompetence and
carelessness of the engineer is supposed to be the cause.
The readers of the Bulletin will remember the account given a few weeks since in our columns of the elopement of a young man named McBride with the daughter of Mr. Nick Smith, of Mound City. We stated at the time that the eloping pair were arrested at Chester, in this state, upon a telegram sent from this city, and that the father had started for that point to bring his daughter home. It appears that upon his arrival at Chester he found that his daughter had been married, and seeing the uselessness of any further opposition, he became reconciled to the situation and McBride and his wife were permitted to depart in peace for St. Louis. It was supposed at the time that Smith returned home, but subsequent events prove the supposition to be incorrect. The Chester Tribune of the 24th inst., in speaking of the matter says that Nick Smith arrived there on Friday evening, July 12th. He was under the influence of liquor, and being subject to apoplectic fits or something similar, and much excited over his daughter’s runaway, had an unusually severe shake that night. Next morning he came on the hill, in company with his new made son-in-law, to consult an attorney about prosecuting the officers for permitting his daughter to escape and marry. He was advised from this course. His son-in-law left him and returned to the hotel, and on arrival of the boat departed for St. Louis. Smith lingered around the courthouse for a while, and then went to the upper part of town. He complained of feeling unwell. It is believed he was still drinking. He inquired the way to the penitentiary. Being out of money, he wanted to see Deputy Warden Alex Irvin, with whom he was acquainted, to borrow a sufficient amount to return home. Nothing more was seen of him. On Tuesday morning following, a man, in an advanced state of decomposition, was found midway between the city and the penitentiary. He was lying under a tree, on a hillside, at full length, and must have been there two or three days. From the description we have of the body, and of the subject of this sketch, that man was Nick Smith. He was on his way to the penitentiary and feeling unwell, had laid down and died. The remains were interred in Evergreen Cemetery. Smith was a German by nativity, about forty-five years old and at times was very intemperate in the use of liquor. When under its influence he was regarded as a dangerous man, and in a difficulty with a young man named Dwyer at Mound City about five or six years ago he stabbed and killed him. For this crime he served out a term in the penitentiary. He owned and operated a saloon at the time of his death. The Tribune says that Mr. Smith’s relatives have been apprised of the facts stated and a description of the dead man sent them.
The
news that the towboat John Porter with several cases of yellow fever
on board, was on its way up the river and would probably arrive here
tomorrow evening was the topic of conversation in town yesterday afternoon.
Two of the officers of the Porter—Messrs. Barney Crane and
Angelo McBride—are residents of this city. From a letter written by
one of these gentlemen it has been ascertained that a man named Murphy,
one of the crew and a citizen of this place, was taken sick on the morning
of the 25th below Vicksburg, and died in the hospital at that city the
following morning. When about fifty miles above Vicksburg, the engineer of
the Porter died. The boat put back to that town with the remains and
with the brother of the dead man. After supplying the vacancy the trip was
resumed, and information was received here yesterday afternoon that the
Porter would be quarantined below Memphis by the authorities of that
city. The number of fatal cases on the Porter is reported at last
accounts at seven, with ten others prostrated by the disease. Our board of
health has been convened by the mayor this morning, and every precaution
will doubtless be taken to render us secure against the presence of the
scourge. There is not the slightest occasion for alarm, but our authorities
are acting wisely in taking time by the forelock, and doing whatever can be
done to guard against the approach of the disease.
The long looked for and much dreaded John Porter, which has been reported a floating pest house, came up from New Orleans. The tug met her at the mouth of the river and our city fathers and medical advisor boarded her and found her in a healthy condition. They gave her permission to land, and so ends the much talked of yellow fever scare.
At Olmsted, a station on the line of the Cairo and Vincennes railroad, a bull attacked Dr. Wolf’s miller yesterday and gored him to death.
Dr. Thompson, an old man who came to Cairo from the northern part of the state about a year ago, was found dead in the office occupied by him above Ayer’s store on the levee. He was a homeopathic physician, and for several months after his arrival here made and sold medicines, and managed to eke out a scanty subsistence. Some two months since his health failed. He was really a pauper without relatives or friends at least in this community. And the general impression is that his death was caused by neglect and lack of medical attention. A charitable lady of the city sent him meals during his protracted sickness. A meal was left with him Tuesday night, and last night it was found untouched. The old man was lying beside it, cold and rigid in the sleep that knows no waking. He had on all his clothes, except his coat, and the position of the body seemed to indicate that he had been sitting upon his coat and fell back upon it to die. Little is known of his history. He appeared to be a harmless eccentric creature, extremely reticent as to his circumstances, and was too proud to beg. Not a few people knew of his helpless situation and among them some high in authority and whether the hand of charity was unjustly withheld is a question we forbear to discuss. This we do know, that he wasted away in a slow decline, and died at last, in the heart of the city of Cairo, without one friend to do him a kind act, or whisper in his ear a word of sympathy.
THE SUN ON A STROKE. Oppressive Weather Yesterday—Four Serious Sunstrokes. Although the thermometer yesterday did not indicate as great a degree of heat as we experienced during the heated spell, the weather was more oppressive than it has been at any time during the season. The whole city broke into a general complaint against the fierceness of the sun’s rays, and several cases of sunstroke were reported. About 5 o’clock in the evening Mr. W. F. Shuckers was prostrated by the heat and for an hour his life was in great danger. He fell in the lower hall of The Bulletin building, and luckily received prompt attention. Dr. Smith was immediately called and succeeded in giving the sufferer relief. He was removed to his residence at 11 o’clock. Mr. Thomas Nally of The Bulletin was overcome while in the office of the late Dr. Thompson, over whose body he had heard an inquest would be held, at about 9 o’clock last night. He was taken to Barclay Bros.’ levee drugstore and there received attention that soon restored him to consciousness. He was afterwards removed to The Bulletin office and was prescribed for by Dr. Dunning. At midnight he was out of danger, and will no doubt be able to attend to his ordinary duties in a few days. Thomas Clark, a negro blacksmith, had a severe attack during the afternoon and late last night his death was momentarily expected. We learn also that Mr. Whitcamp, an old and well-known citizen, was prostrated last night and was in a dangerous condition when last heard from.
YELLOW JACK. Arrival of the Towboat John Porter—No Fever on Board—Statement of the Captain and Pilot Craine. During the past week the most sensational rumors about yellow fever on board the towboat John Porter has been current in Cairo. She was represented as a charnel house. It was said almost everyone on her crew was dead or dying. Crane and McBride, her pilot, had, it was said, died and been dumped into the river. Her arrival was dreaded by the timid, and preparations were made by Mayor Winter and Board of Health to quarantine her. Yesterday afternoon Duke Ensminger’s spyglass distinguished her rounding the Point, and Mayor Winter, Quarantine Officer Dunning, and Health Officer Summerwell boarded the tug Cache and steamed down the river to head her off. About five miles below the city these officers boarded the supposed-to-be-infected steamboat, and found her in perfect sanitary condition, with all on board enjoying excellent health. She was therefore permitted to steam up to the city and land at the wharf. Last night she went on to Cincinnati. The captain says he lost two men below Vicksburg and one of his engineers above that city, but that neither of them had the yellow fever. He thinks they were overcome by the heat. Mr. Barney Crane, who was one of the pilots on the Porter, in an interview with a Bulletin reporter last evening, said that when the boat left New Orleans all on board were well, but that a little distance below Vicksburg, a man named Murphy and another man whose name had slipped his memory were taken sick, and were sent to the hospital on arriving at Vicksburg. The Porter continued on up the river about fifty miles, when another young man, an engineer, was taken sick and died. The boat returned to Vicksburg and left the remains there. She then came on north and no sickness has occurred on her since. Mr. Crane says there is no doubt in his mind that Murphy, who died in the hospital at Vicksburg, and the other man who was sent there with him, and who is now on a fair way to recovery, had yellow fever. The young man who died above that city, he says, was a victim of the heat. The boat, he says, is now perfectly free from disease. Mr. Crane was greatly amused at the stories he had heard, since arriving home yesterday, of the terrible havoc the dread disease was causing on the Porter, and expressed his opinion bluntly of the people who would start such falsehoods to frighten folks.
Saturday, 3 Aug 1878: Tom Clark, the colored blacksmith who was dangerously sunstroke on Wednesday afternoon was up and about the house yesterday.
Mr. Charles Lame, who has been ill for some days, was reported to be in a very critical condition last night.
Mrs. Eliza Gilmore, widow of the late B. G. Gilmore, was yesterday paid $2,000 by the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company, of which Mr. W. H. Morris is agent in this city.
Tuesday, 6 Aug 1878: George Rutledge, one of the negroes who was killed in the affray at Caledonia barbecue on Saturday last, was a resident of Mound City. Will Freeman, the other victim, lived near Caledonia. The affair originated in whisky and women.
Thursday, 8 Aug 1878: NOTICE.—My wife, Louisiana Stoner, having left my bed and board, without just cause or provocation, all persons are hereby notified not to harbor or trust her on my account, as I will pay no debts of her constructing. W. H. Stoner August 7, 1878 (Her death on 26 Oct 1878, was reported in the Cairo Evening Sun issue of that date.—Darrel Dexter)
Saturday, 10 Aug 1878: The news of the death of Mrs. Dr. Casey, of Mound City, though not unexpected, will be received with sadness by her many friends in Cairo. She died yesterday afternoon about three o’clock. Mrs. Casey had been in feeble state of health for a long time, having been attacked by a paralytic stroke some two years ago, and later having suffered from heart disease. She was resigned to her fate and met death with fortitude worthy her character. Mrs. Casey was a woman of superior qualities and her loss will be deeply felt in the community. Her husband and children have the sympathy of a very large circle of friends in their deep and irreparable loss.
Sunday, 11 Aug 1878: The death of Captain Gus Fowler, which occurred at his residence in Paducah at five o’clock yesterday morning, though not unexpected, will cause deep regret among his large circle of friends in this city. For the past three years the deceased has suffered from heart disease, though his sufferings were borne with a manliness worthy his character, he welcomed death. Captain Fowler was a man among men. He was kind-hearted and generous, ever ready to extend a helping hand to the needy and distressed, and was a valued citizen in the community in which he resided. He was a member of the firm of Fowler, Lee & Co., of Paducah, and was to be a considerable extent interested in steamboat Fisk and stock in the Evansville and Cairo packets. His remains will be interred at Paducah today.
Mrs. Dr. Casey was buried at Villa Ridge this afternoon.
Mr. George Lounsbury, formerly of this city, and later a resident of Denver, Colorado, died in that city on last Wednesday. The deceased had many friends in this city who will regret to hear of his death.
Tuesday, 13 Aug 1878: DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR. Suicide of an Illinois State Senator—An Indictment for Defaulting Supposed to be the Cause. SPRINGFIELD, Ill., August 10.—News has reached this city that Hon. O. V. Smith, of Lawrence County, state senator from the Forty-fifth district, in Southern Illinois, committed suicided on Saturday by swallowing two ounces of laudanum. Smith was elected state senator by the Democrats in 1874. His term expired in January next. He was a native of Ohio, aged 38 years. He had been treasurer of Lawrence County. The cause of his suicide is thus explained: In closing up his affairs as county treasurer four years ago, he was found to be a defaulter. The amount was immediately made good by his father and his bondsmen, and the whole affair was considered amicably arranged. No criminality on his part was charged, but careless business habits were considered the cause, it appearing that important vouchers had never been taken, or if taken lost. It has now been developed that some person appeared before the grand jury recently and that a true bill of indictment was found against him. It is supposed that he in some way obtained knowledge of this and hence his self-destruction.
The remains of the late Mrs. Casey were interred in the Catholic cemetery at Villa Ridge on Sunday afternoon. The funeral was largely attended.
A young man, an engineer, whose name we were unable to learn, came to Cairo a few days ago to pay a visit to his brother, who is an engineer on the Illinois Central railroad. He was on his return home on a freight train Sunday evening, and when near Cobden fell from the rear car of the train on which he was riding and was killed. (This may be Richard Guitteau, aged 32 years, who the 17 Aug 1878, Jonesboro Gazette reported as being killed in a railroad accident at Cobden on 14 Aug 1878, although the death dates do not match.—Darrel Dexter)
The funeral of Captain Gus Fowler, of Paducah, on Sunday afternoon was very largely attended. A number of prominent gentlemen of this city, former friends and acquaintances of the deceased, including Mayor E. W. Halliday, John Q. Harman, Professor Alvord, Capt. W. P. Halliday, Col. James S. Rearden, and W. H. Morris, went up on the yacht Ariadne to attend the last sad rite.
A sad affair, the result of the thoughtlessness of a lot of young boys, occurred near the stone depot on Sunday evening. A little colored boy named James Thomas, was playing with a raft in the Ohio River, when several white boys who were standing about on the bank through sport, began throwing stones at him. One of the rocks, a large one, struck the raft, parting the boards, causing the little fellow to fall into the water beyond his depth, and being unable to swim, he was drowned. His body was recovered after several hours’ search and removed to the home of his parents. This is a sad lesson to the boys who unintentionally caused his death, and should be warning to them hereafter.
Wednesday, 14 Aug 1878: Little Hattie Wheeler, daughter of Mr. S. P. Wheeler, of this city, is lying at the point of death, at Green Lake, Wisconsin, where she went with her parents to spend the summer.
Thursday, 15 Aug 1878: We clip the following item from the river column of the Paducah News of Monday: The Messrs. Halliday & Phillips brought their pleasure boat Ariadne up from Cairo yesterday with quite a party of old friends of the late Capt. L. A. Fowler to attend his funeral. Among those present were noticed Capt. William Halliday, Capt. J. M. Phillis, Maj. Ed. Halliday, Capt. Rearden, agent Mississippi Valley Transportation company; G. D. Williamson, boat store merchant; John Q. Harman, G. G. Alvord, W. H. Morris and others. The Ariadne was fully draped in mourning, with flags at half-mast, as a testimonial of the kind regard in which Capt. Fowler was held by her owner. Such marks of friendship and condolence are seldom shown to the dead, and we dare say is very properly appreciated by the relatives of the deceased, and also serves to bring the two cities nearer together in ties of neighborly friendship.
OBITUARY. The Late Mrs. Newton R. Casey, of Mound City. Mrs. Florida Casey was born at Shawneetown, Illinois, September 26, 1830, and consequently would have been forty-eight years old on the 26th of September next. Her father, Gen. Moses M. Rawlings, removed from Shawneetown when she was quite small to Louisville, Ky., and Mrs. Casey was sent to Nazareth Academy, a Catholic school near Bardstown, Ky., where she remained for six years, and at the end of that time, graduated first in her class. She was married to Dr. N. R. Casey on the 4th of December, 1847, at Louisville, Ky. She went with her husband to Benton, Illinois, where she remained one year, removing from there to Mount Vernon, Illinois, and remained there until 1857, when her husband removed to Mound City, Illinois, where she lived until her death, which occurred on the 9th of August, 1878. On the 16th of September, 1876, she was stricken down with paralysis, almost three years ago, and had been a great sufferer from that time until her death. She partially recovered in some respects; visited the Hot Springs in Arkansas, and other places for her health, but what relief she obtained was only temporary. She was a devout, practical member of the Catholic Church, but liberal. She studied the doctrines of all other churches. She was familiar with the faiths held by all. By her efforts some twenty-five acres of ground was purchased for a Catholic cemetery, just north of the Junction, which ground she visited a year ago, and selected the spot where she wished to be buried.
Friday, 16 Aug 1878: Mr. E. W. Halliday left yesterday for Sheboygan, in answer to a telegram announcing the serious illness of one of his children.
IN MEMORIAM. The following resolutions were adopted by the Rough and Ready Fire Company, at a meeting held at their hall in Cairo, Ill., August 5, 1878: Whereas, The members of this company have heard with deep and heartfelt regret of the death of their friend and companion, Charles Weber, one who was for so many years associated with them as a member and officer of this company, and whose genial qualities had endeared him to all connected with him; therefore, be it Resolved, That we desire to pay our humble tribute to his memory and to his many good qualities. He was a good citizen, a warm and generous friend, a loving and devoted husband and father. Resolved, That we deeply deplore and mourn his loss, and join in sympathy with the sorrow of his bereaved wife and sister. Resolved, That as a token of respect a leaf of the Journal be set apart as a tablet and these resolutions inscribed thereon. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be sent o his wife and sister and furnished to the daily Bulletin for publication. Charles Cunningham Harry Schuh F. Koehler, Committee
Saturday, 17 Aug 1878: Mrs. James Browner, of Mound City, died at her home in that city on Thursday, and her funeral took place at Beech Grove Cemetery yesterday afternoon. Mrs. Browner was an exemplary wife and mother, and her death is a serious loss to the community in which she lived.
Tuesday, 20 Aug 1878: MURDER. Shot to Death in a Negro Brothel. Jim Jones and Foster Rotler, both colored, got into a quarrel last night between eleven and twelve o’clock in the negro brothel in the rear of building at the corner of Eighth Street and Ohio Levee. During the fight which ensued, Jones shot Rotler in the bowels, inflicting a mortal wound. Shortly after the shooting Rotler was removed to his home on Fifth Street and was still alive at 12 o’clock, though he is probably dead this morning. He was shot through the bowels and was bleeding internally when the Bulletin reporter saw him. Jones was arrested about twelve o’clock in front of the Planters’ House, by Officers Axley and George Wilson and was locked up in the county jail. The men quarreled about a woman. (The 21 Aug 1878, issue identified the parties involved as James Woods and George Rotter.—Darrel Dexter)
Wednesday, 21 Aug 1878: DIED.—At her mother’s residence, the 20th of August, 1878, E. Viola Hendricks, in her fifteenth year. Through the months of suffering; through days and nights of bodily anguish, this sweet girl passed with a patience and resignation wonderful in one so young. Uncomplainingly she endured pain that would have wrung impatient murmurings from the strongest man; never even in her moments of greatest torture, forgetting the comfort of others and especially of her mother, whom she loved as few children are capable of loving. From her infancy she had ever been gentle and amiable, a comfort and joy unspeakable to her mother, and a sunbeam to all those she came in contact with. She has passed sweetly and quietly away to that bright world she was so well fitted to enter, and though the hearts of mother, brother, sister and friends are torn with bitterest grief, it must be, even in this dark hour, a comport unspeakable to know that she is at last safely bound around with that divine love which shuts out sorrow, trials, and pain, and feeds the purified spirit upon joys far above our earthly comprehension.
The negro, George Rotter, who was shot by another negro named James Woods, at the corner of Eighth Street and Ohio Levee on Monday night, was still alive at nine o’clock last night though but slight hopes for his recovery were entertained. The ball entered his body about an inch above the navel and lodged in his bowels. He bled very little outwardly from the wound and it is believed that he was bleeding within. Woods, who did the shooting, is still in jail and will not be given a hearing until the fate of his victim is determined.
The story having been circulated about town yesterday to the effect that a man—a stranger—had died of yellow fever the night previous at the boarding house kept by Mr. William O’Callahan, at the corner of Fourth Street and Commercial Avenue, a report for the Bulletin yesterday made an investigation into the affair and ascertained the following facts: the man had been in the city for about six weeks, and was a piano tuner by profession. He was sixty years old, and sick when he came to Cairo. For the last two or three weeks he was scarcely able to go up and down stairs without assistance, and it was a common remark among the boarders that the old man was not going to last much longer. On Saturday he was more that usually feeble, and on Sunday took to his bed and on Monday evening he died. He was buried at an early hour yesterday morning. He was penniless and friendless, but did not have yellow fever.
Thursday, 22 Aug 1878: Mrs. Sweeney, the widow woman who died so suddenly at her home in the lower part of the city about two weeks ago, having no relation in this country, willed all her effects, consisting of nine hundred dollars in government bonds, a small house and lot on Fourth Street, and other articles to little Harry Candee, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Candee, of this city. The will was probated in the county court last Monday.
A brakeman on the Illinois Central railroad, named Gamble, whose home was in Richview, fell off a freight train between Cobden and Makanda Tuesday night and we killed. Gamble is said to have been one of the most valuable brakemen in the employ of the Illinois Central road.
Friday, 23 Aug 1878: Mrs. James Clonan, who has been suffering for some weeks of bilious fever, died yesterday morning.
Saturday, 24 Aug 1878: A ripple of excitement was raised in this city yesterday morning over the report that a man, who recently arrived in Cairo, had been stricken down with the yellow fever at his boarding house on Poplar Street, between Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets. Dr. Waldo, who is the attending physician, was called on by a Bulletin reporter, to ascertain the particulars of the case, and was assured by the doctor that the sickness of the man is nothing more nor less than bilious fever. Cairo is entirely free from the Southern scourge.
Jim Woods, the notorious negro shot on Tuesday night in a colored bagnio, at the corner of Eighth Street and Ohio Levee is recovering. (Earlier reports stated that James “Jim” Woods was the man who shot George Rotter or Rotler.—Darrel Dexter)
Sunday, 25 Aug 1878: Mr. Dan Gelly, an old passenger conductor on the Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans road, died at Jackson, Tenn., on Friday night of bilious fever.
At 3:45 o’clock this morning Mr. John Oberly, Sr., breathed his last. Although he had been seriously sick for a couple of days, his death was wholly unexpected. He caught a severe cold on Wednesday night, which settle upon his lungs and produced congestion. Mr. O. was in his seventy-first year and for his age, was remarkably well preserved. He was the father of three living children, Mr. John H. Oberly, being the oldest. Funeral services at the residence of his son at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning. Train will leave the foot of Twelfth Street for burial ground at 10 o’clock. All friends and acquaintances are invited to attend.
Miss Eva Van Ostean, who spent several weeks with her uncle, Mr. C. R. Woodward, in this city, about a year ago, and who will be remembered by many of the young people here, died of yellow fever at her home in New Orleans, Thursday night.
Tuesday, 27 Aug 1878: After services conducted by Rev. Mr. George yesterday morning, the remains of the late Mr. John Oberly were followed to Beech Grove by relatives and a large number of those who enjoyed his friendship while living. An earnest and impressive prayer was delivered at the grave by Rev. Mr. George and the earth closed forever upon a good man. Looking at the matter with the lights before us, we think there is hardly any doubt but Mr. O. if he had taken the precautions usual to persons of his years, would be living today. He was a man of superb physique, and during all his long life of toil and exertion, he neither shunned not feared the elements. He belonged to that rugged and sterling type of manhood familiarly known as “Pennsylvania Dutchmen,” whose descendants can be found today in every state and territory of our country. Inured to the hard and rough work of the farm from childhood, rising with the sun and retiring only after all the chores of the day had been performed; repeating this through all seasons for years, the old gentleman grew to manhood as near weatherproof as it is possible for human nature to attain. In his later days he cherished a pity bordering upon contempt for the man who would resort to umbrellas or arctic shoes as protection against the elements and pronounced as effeminate and unworthy of manhood the fashion that arrayed men in heavy underwear and many coats. Indeed, his feelings of the invincibility of his powers of endurance undoubtedly hastened his death. Although seventy-one, his frame was massive and his muscles sinewy and strong. The machinery of life in him was unimpaired. No vital organ was seriously affected and with prudence and care he promised to be a centenarian. He was a Christian in the broad sense of that word. He could see good in all creeds, but became wedded to no particular one, although in late years he often expressed an admiration for the faith of the Roman church. For the Rev. Mr. George, the Presbyterian minister of this city, he had a high personal regard, and in his dying hours asked that he be summoned to his bedside. He was very fond of children, and this love was reciprocated by those around him. They left nothing undone to make his later years comfortable and pleasant to him. He commanded many kind hearts and ready and willing hands to execute his slightest wishes. His wife, who survives him, is in her seventy-eighth year.
Mr. P. W. Barclay left the city for Russellville, Ky., yesterday on receipt of a telegram stating that his father was lying at the point of death from a paralytic stroke.
DIED.—Yesterday morning at six o’clock of bilious fever, Julia, wife of James Clonan, aged 37 years. Funeral services at the Catholic church, corner Ninth Street at 3 p.m. today. A special train will leave foot of Eighth Street at 4 p.m. for Villa Ridge, where the remains will be interred. Friends and acquaintances of the family are invited to attend. (Chicago papers please copy)
Charles
Tyler, a colored roustabout, while working at loading a Mississippi
Valley Transportation Company barge yesterday morning, went to the stern of
the barge to see how much water she was drawing. In leaning over the barge,
he lost his balance and fell into the river and was drowned. His body was
recovered about one o’clock yesterday afternoon.
Wednesday, 28 Aug 1878:
(Thomas Porter married Miniser Night on 7 Feb
1861, in Alexander Co., Ill. They are on the 1870 census of North Cairo
Precinct, Alexander Co., Ill.: Thomas Porter, 49, born in Tennessee,
farmer; Missenia, 30, Kentucky; Mary, 17, Kentucky; Julia, 14, Kentucky;
Thomas, 13, Illinois; John, 8, Illinois; and William, 5, Illinois.—Darrel
Dexter)
(The 12 Sep 1878, Cairo Evening Sun identifies the man as
Bruce Hunter.—Darrel Dexter)
Friday, 1 Nov 1878:
The last number but one of The Cairo Bulletin was issued under the editorial management of Mr. Thomas Nally. On the 9th of September last, he was prostrated by what was then declared to be “pernicious bilious fever.” At the hour of two o’clock on the 12th instant he died, retraining full possession of his mental faculties up to the hour of dissolution. There can be but little doubt that Mr. Nally contracted his disease from a refugee printer who had, a few days before, arrived in Cairo direct from infected districts south, although up to the day previous to his death the characteristics of his disease were not such as distinctly marked his case as one of yellow fever. But be that matter as it may, he sank rapidly, and, despite the best medical skill the city afforded and the tender and solicitous nursing of his mother and of friends to whom he was endeared by ties of no common friendship, the silver cord of his life was snapped, and all that was mortal of “poor Nally” was carried away to the growing city of the silent sleepers.
The proprietor of the he Bulletin had known him long and
well and we regret that his absence imposes upon our pen a duty, which he
could perform so well and so feelingly. To know “Tom Nally” was to
admire him alike for his skill in the art he had adopted as a profession,
and the grace, beauty and ability that distinguished the emanations of his
editorial pen. Fearless in his condemnation of wrongdoing, he tempered the
stripes he administered with such judgment and mercy that those upon whom
they fell felt the infliction as merited, while good men applauded and
approved. A Democrat by instinct, nature, education and inclination, he
fought the battles of his party with zeal and discretion—felt keenly in the
hour of defeat and even jubilant in the hour of victory. In his nature he
was eminently social, and his heart warmed by the Irish blood transmitted to
him. There were but few duties too onerous or sacrifices too great for him
to make or perform at the bidding of those whom he regarded as friends.
Generous hearted, liberal and sympathetic, no man was more readily moved to
acts of charity, or felt more keenly the woes and sufferings of others.
Dutiful and affectionate as a son, true and steadfast as a friend; upright,
frank and open-handed as a man, his counterpart is not to be found in one of
ten thousand. Under his wise and careful editorial management, the
Bulletin was rapidly gaining in both reputation and patronage, and its
future seemed full of good promise. But he is gone and the places and the
people that knew him but lately so well will know him no more forever. With
young Mulkey, young Crofton and young Sullivan, with
whom he was associated in life leaps in the valley where wild flowers
blossom, and the splashing of the waters of the Mississippi moan his
requiem. In his death a big, generous heart was stilled—the light of a life
went out that left in gloom and sorrow a multitude of friends and admirers,
among whom the writer of this poor tribute was proud to be included.
(The 26 Oct 1878, and 2 Nov 1878, issues of the Jonesboro
Gazette reported that Gertie, daughter of Judge Baker, of Cairo,
about 3 years old, died 23 Oct 1878, of croup at the residence of E. D.
Lawrence, in Cobden.—Darrel Dexter) When men are moved by a panic they are, in many particulars, not unlike a mob moved by anger or resentment. Their discretion yields to impulse, and they do and say things which, in their cooler moments, invite the reproof of their own consciences. Acting under such a spell not a few of the good people in Cairo have heaped upon the Bulletin building and its owner a storm of reproaches and anathemas which to a timid man like him of the Bulletin, were as appalling as they were plentiful. Mr. Nalley sickened and died in his room in The Bulletin office. Young Mulkey, young Crofton and young Sullivan, all of The Bulletin typographical force, likewise sickened, and died under the care of friends and relatives, elsewhere. These results following in quick succession, created much alarm throughout the entire city. The proprietor of The Bulletin and the surviving attaches of the office left the city, and then it was that busy tongues commenced their venomous wagging; “Nally, et al. had contracted their sickness from local causes; the Bulletin building was a breeder of pestilence, and a giver out of dread miasma that stole abroad by night or in broad daylight to destroy, to kill and terrify. Its cellar was a cess pool—a reeking reservoir of unapproachable nastiness,”—and, oh, horror! “the proprietor of the Bulletin, precipitously fled the city, leaving the dead body of poor Nally, where the breath had left it, to undergo, there, the sickening process of decomposition.” Furthermore, and equally shocking, “the cistern water used by the family and the other inmates of the building was as deadly a liquid as hydocyanic acid, or the sap of the deadly upas tree.” These and other unfriendly and damaging fabrications were passed from tongue to ear, until worn threadbare by constant repetition. Some of them, and they of the most damaging and exasperating, found their way into the papers. We have charity enough to believe that nine of our every ten of our citizens who repeated these slanderous falsehoods did not do so with any design to injure us in either reputation or business; but as everybody may not understand the animus of those who so industriously circulated them; it becomes a duty we owe to ourselves, to give the facts as we know them to exist.st. At a time when it was held and believed that yellow pestilence could not assume an epidemic form here, a sick printer, direct from Memphis, reached The Bulletin office. At the expense of the typos he was placed in the hospital, and in the very room with the sick deckhand that had arrived here on the ill-fated Porter. In a few days the fugitive printer became convalescent, and Mr. Nally placed him at a case in the office. This printer, it is now well known, was reeking with the germs of the yellow fever. Mr. Nally, as editor and foreman, was thrown in frequent contact with him, and soon sickened. Mulkey, Sullivan and Crofton worked by his side and were almost constantly in his company. They too sickened, and all of them died. The other attaches of the office, were not thrown into his company, and escaped. To the presence of this man, then, and to no other cause, may be ascribed the sickness and death that became the fearful portion of The Bulletin. To those who are malignant enough to hint or believe that Mr. Nalley was reckless of any consequences that might ensue from the introduction of the refugee into the office, we have no answer to bestow in words. Mr. Nally died under the watchful and tender care of a mother; and at very frequent intervals during his sickness and even up to the hour of his death, the proprietor of the Bulletin was at his bedside. The body was decently prepared for sepulture, and on the forenoon of the day following death, it was conveyed to the Cemetery of the Lotus and buried.
In answer to the noxious cellar story, we have to say that the
Bulletin building has no cellar. The health officer who felt called
upon to explore the region under the first floor, declares today that all
the actual “filth” found there might have been eaten by the daintiest
stomached epicure without creating even a twitch of nausea. In verification
of this statement—that there was nothing found there that could, under any
conditions, have occasioned sickness—we refer with confidence to health
officer Summerwell. This is the whole story; and in dismissing the subject we cannot refrain from rebuking that spirit in the Bulletin neighbors, which, overlooking the palpable and undeniable cause of the sickness and death that visited the office, sought for causes for which the proprietor of the Bulletin might be held personally blamable. It was an unfriendly, not to say mean spirit, that prompted such unfair dealing, and we are, for the sake of our kind, glad to say that the number who harbored it were as small in numbers as they are recognizably small in soul and charity. The Bulletin’s share in the sufferings of the city, formed a load of themselves quite heavy enough for any single pair of shoulders to carry. It is, therefore, but a reasonable impulse of human nature in us, to strive to throw off the additional weight that malignant hearts and thoughtless tongues sought to impose on use. (In the 5 Nov 1878, issue, the newspaper corrected the statement
about the burial place of Nally, stating he was not buried in the
Cemetery of the Lotus, but outside the Mississippi Levee.—Darrel Dexter) One Mr. O. L. Edholm having furnished to the Omaha Herald certain items concerning the yellow fever in Cairo that were damaging alike to the city and to the office and proprietor of this paper, our fellow citizen, Mr. J. W. Hill, very kindly prepared and caused the publication of an elaborate contraction, from which we make the following extracts. Mr. H. says: “Knowing the facts in the matter, I do not hesitate to stamp it as a lie. Before Mr. Nally’s death we had one or two deaths in the hospital and one on Poplar Street, supposed to be yellow fever, but neither those at the hospital or the one on Poplar Street were citizens of Cairo, but came here from infected districts below Cairo. This was well known to the citizens, several days before Mr. Nally was stricken down. Mr. Oberly’s father, a man of 71 years of age, was suddenly taken ill and died. His physicians pronounced his disease to be congestion of the lungs, and his funeral was made a public one, and was largely attended by the citizens of Cairo. Shortly after his father’s death, Mr. Oberly left the city with his family, but on hearing of Mr. Nally’s sickness he returned to his bedside and remained with him, giving his beloved friend every attention until he died. Mr. Nally died at half past one o’clock on Thursday, the 12th day of September, A. D. 1878, and the following morning at quarter past five his body was properly buried. Mr. Mulkey, one of the printers, died at the hospital and Mr. Sullivan, pressman, died at Mound City, Ill. I cannot say how much was paid for the burial of Mr. Nally; ‘tis not the outside world’s business. When it was reported that Nally had died in the Bulletin office of yellow fever, excitement ran high in the city, and many of our citizens flocked to the outgoing trains and took their departure. Among the people who took their flight was Mr. John H. Oberly, but he did not lock the dead body of friend Nally in the Bulletin office, there to remain two days in a decomposed condition. Mr. Oberly did all he could for Mr. Nally, and had he remained in Cairo, he could not have done more than was done. In my opinion, Mr. Oberly’s conduct was just what it ought to have been.”
(A marker in
Cairo City Cemetery at Villa Ridge reads: Bryan Shannessy Born Jan.
15, 1806, Died Nov. 4, 1878. The 16 Nov 1878, Jonesboro Gazette
reported that Bryan Shannessy, the first settler in Cairo, died at
Cairo on 5 Nov 1878.—Darrel Dexter) The following obituary notice of Leon Peterson was handed into The Bulletin office on Monday evening, but owing to a crowd of other matter, we were compelled to defer its publication until today. The Rev. Mr. Dueschner’s reference to the character of Mr. Peterson we heartily endorse. Peterson was a man of fine culture, although unattractive exterior. By many who were capable of judging, he was pronounced an excellent scholar. An honest, upright, and conscientious man we knew him to be. Rev. Mr. D.’s notice reads as follows:
“Last Saturday night, at the hospital in this city, Leon on
Peterson, a native of Denmark, died and was buried at the Seven Mile
graveyard Sunday at noon. He had for years been a resident among us and was
known as a peaceable man, who tried hard to live honestly in spite of the
fact that he was paralyzed in both hands and feet. He was a schoolmate of
the late Louis Jorgenson, and was thoroughly educated, but owing to
his misfortune he was compelled to depend upon subsistence upon whatever
sympathizing friends have him to do. I desire to sincerely thank his
benefactors in his hour of need, especially those who were instrumental in
placing him in the hospital and contributed to defray the expense of the
funeral. It is with feelings of genuine sorrow that we record the death of Bryan Shannessy, Esq., which took place at his home, in this city, yesterday, about the hour of 11 o'clock a.m. Squire Shannessy had been a resident of the State of Illinois for a period of over forty-two years, over forty years of which time he lived in Cairo. Hence, at the time of his death he was, indeed, and in verity, "the oldest inhabitant." During that long period of time he had served the people in different public capacities, having filled the offices of justice of the peace, county commissioner, overseer of the poor, alderman, postmaster, and police magistrate; and if any man lives who can say that, in an official capacity, 'Squire Shannessy wronged him out of one dollar, or once cent, we have no personal knowledge of that man, and never heard of him. No man is without his faults, and the time was when the 'Squire had his; but no man was more prompt or scrupulously exact in paying his debts; more liberal in his dealings with others, or maintained a looser hold upon his purse strings when appealed to in the name of charity. At death he was nearing his 73rd year, having been born in the year 1806. Few citizens of Cairo are more widely known than was 'Squire Shannessy, most especially among the old residents of Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Western Kentucky. Everywhere in those sections of the country the intelligence of his death will be received with evidences of profound sorrow, for wherever you find an acquaintance of the old man you will be very apt to find a friend. For the funeral notice see elsewhere.
The people of Cairo, more especially those whose residence here dates back to the year 1868, will learn of the death of Joel G. Morgan, with feelings of profound sorrow. He died in the town of Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, on the 9th day of October, 1878. This sad intelligence would have been made public at an earlier date, but for the Bulletin's enforced suspension. Mr. Morgan located in Cairo about the year 1864 and assumed editorial control of the Cairo Daily Bulletin. Subsequently, he was elected to the office of county superintendent of schools, and afterwards, at the end of the warmest local contest ever witnessed in Alexander County, was elected to the office of sheriff. The building now occupied by Mr. Wells of the Alexander County Bank, was built and occupied by Mr. Morgan as a home. The last service performed by him he was in the position of principal of the Cairo public schools—a position of great labor and responsibility; but one that he filled in a manner very acceptable to the patrons of the schools. He it was who established the Alexander County Teachers' Institute—one of the first organizations of the kind in Southern Illinois. He was earnestly devoted to the cause of education, and felt a kindly interest in everybody engaged in educational interests. No call upon his purse was responded to with more alacrity than the calls made upon it by impecumous and very often-undeserving educators. In assisting that class of people he expended hundreds of dollars, and be it said to the dishonor of his beneficiaries, but a comparatively small portion of the money thus distributed was ever returned to him. Mr. r. Morgan had his peculiarities, but a more generous-hearted, honestly-disposed, or unsuspecting an individual we never knew. He couldn't harbor enmity, nor view distress or want without striving to relieve it; and few men of our acquaintance were more unselfish or forgetful of self in their business and relations with friends, than was Joel G. Morgan. He was a Democrat of the most uncompromising stamp, and permitted no obstacle to stand in his way, when his party seemed to require his services. He was an effective speaker, and often at his own expense and of his own volition would devote days and weeks to campaigns in which he felt only a party interest. But his pilgrimage here is ended, and his friends mourn him as lost to them forever. With them WE mourn, for in our heart, as in the hearts of scores of citizens, there was always a warm place for Joel G. Morgan.
A
correspondent from Livingston County gives us the details of a sad accident
that occurred near the schoolhouse near Cameron & Jones' and
about eight miles from Carrsville, last Wednesday. The schoolboys were
playing town ball and a number of little boys were sitting around looking
on. The boy at the bat knocked the ball very hard and it struck a little boy
named Newman, son of Patrick Newman, in the breast near his
heart. It knocked him over and he cried a little, after which he got up and
immediately said he wanted to lie down. The teacher at once sent for the
boy's father and Dr. Carson, but when they arrived he was dead,
having died about five minutes after he received the blow. The circumstance
was a very sad one, and was deplored by all.
(Mrs. Elizabeth Powers married Lee Baycourt on 6
Nov 1878, in Alexander Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter)
DIED.—In
Cairo, Ill., Oct., 1878, Samuel Neeley, a member of Coopers' Union,
No. 9, of Illinois. Whereas, It has pleased God, in his infinite wisdom, to remove from our midst our late brother, Samuel Neeley. Resolved, That in his death Coopers' Union, No. 9 of Illinois, has lost a true and faithful member.er. Resolved, That we tender our heartfelt sympathy to the family of our deceased brother in this, the hour of their affliction, and would direct them to Him who alone can give consolation. Resolved, That we drape our charter in mourning for the space of thirty day as a slight token of respect for our lost brother.
Resolved, That a copy of the foregoing resolutions be published,
in the city papers and a copy of said papers be sent to the family of our
deceased brother. Whereas, It has pleased God, in his infinite wisdom, to remove from our midst our late brother, John Stanton. Resolved, That while we bow in submission to the divine will, we regret his absence from our midst and his memory shall be embalmed in the hearts of those to whom he was endeared. Resolved, That we tender our heartfelt sympathy to the family of our deceased brother in this, the hour of their affliction, and would direct them to Him who alone can give consolation. Resolved, That we drape our charter in mourning for the space of thirty days as a slight token of respect for our lost brother.
Resolved, That a copy of the
foregoing resolutions be published, in the city papers and a copy of said
papers be sent to the family of our late brother.
Died, at the residence of her mother, on Washington Avenue, at 10 o'clock, Oct. 6th, Meroa Elizabeth Powers, eldest daughter of Mrs. Zerelda Powers, of this city. Of the many who fell by the yellow fever plague, in our little city, few will be missed and mourned as she. Born in Louisville, Ky., in 1853, she was but a child in years when she entered the Blackburn University at Carlinville, Ill., from which institution she graduated in 1873. From that time forth she devoted her time and talents teaching in our district schools. Three years she taught in the schools in this city, and two years in the country districts of the county; in each and all of which schools she gave entire and perfect satisfaction. Life's duties were many and trying; but with a self denial wonderful in one so young; she performed them well and skillfully, and with a quiet dignity that graced the woman, as the woman graced every position in the short but useful life that she was called upon to fill. A devoted daughter, the stay and comfort of her mother; the self forgetting, reliable elder sister, the honest-hearted, honorable friend; the progressive, intelligent woman; what can be said of anyone that cannot be said in all love, honor and respect of our lamented and mourned Meroa? Is it strange the hand that writes this short tribute of respect to her memory should halt, feeling that the half that should be said is unsaid.
The following touching
paragraph is taken from the Carlinville Democrat of October 12th, and
will find an echo in the heart of all who knew her. "It was with sorrow that
the students of Blackburn University were informed of the death of Miss
Meroa Powers, of Cairo. She was a graduate of Blackburn, and was
known only to be loved and esteemed. Let those of us who survive her, profit
by the noble example we have, as exhibited in the life and character of our
deceased sister."
Charlie Hendricks, a
little German boy about ten years of age, was the first case. He was taken
August 12, and died on the 16th. He peddled apples to passengers of
steamboats, and the opinion prevailed with many that he contracted the
disease while passing on some steamer, though no certain knowledge exists
that he had been on any for some weeks. His little sister, Louisa, died the
following day, the 17th, affected precisely similarly, each having the black
vomit and symptoms exactly as characterized all the subsequent cases during
the epidemic. No deaths occurred from the 17th to the 28th, though a number
of cases occurred in the meantime, which were supposed to be cases of
bilious fever. On the 28th, Edward Mangel died, on the 29th Mrs. John
Witting, and on the 30th little Jimmie Young, and new cases
were occurring thick and fast and the worst fears of the people began to be
realized. About this date the doctors began to pronounce it yellow fever and
on the Sunday and Monday following, the terrible epidemic may be said to
have been daily inaugurated and acknowledged.
P.S.—Since writing the
above, the inquiry has been made. The nameless desperado who was shot by Constable Wilson, last Monday evening, died at the end of twenty-four hours after receiving his injuries. Coroner Fitzgerald empanelled a jury yesterday and about one o'clock commenced the examination of witnesses, whose testimony we give below in detail. The testimony all agrees as to two facts: One is that the party killed was a bad, vicious, dangerous person; and that the killing of him was an act of self defense. The evidence is that he made a causeless assault upon Officer Wilson, pursued him, knife in hand, and that, although thrice warned to "stop," he persisted in his murderous onslaught. Constable Wilson is one of the last men living who would wantonly hurt any living creature; but in this case he was compelled to choose between the alternatives of killing his assailant or allowing his assailant to kill him. The testimony which will enforce this conviction, was delivered in the hearing of quite a number of citizens, besides the following named jurymen: R. H. Cunningham, Samuel M. Orr, Wood Rittenhouse, I. B. Hudson, James H. English, Toney Fogassi, Frank Gazolo, Nicholas Williams, John Gates, Carson Martin, J. S. McGahey, W. H. Schutter. Herman Igel testified that he saw deceased at his home on the night of the difficulty at about the hour of 7 o'clock. He wanted something to drink, and I refused him. He was very boisterous and insulting and I tried to eject him from my premises. He opened his knife with his teeth and made a cut in the counter acting in the most disorderly and boisterous manner. I gave him a cigar, and he went out with his companions. After gaining the street he dared anybody to come out of the building. He was a very violent and apparently vicious man. Joseph Valley testified that he saw deceased on the Ohio Levee at the time stated by Herman Igel. I don't know his name. When he left Igel's he started for my house, which I was closing up. He had the knife in his hand that is before the jury. He was flourishing it and declaring that he would not allow any son of a ----- to close his door against him. I told him that was bad language to use, and that the officers would arrest him. He replied that he didn't care for any son of a ----- of an officer, and could take the whole town, without anybody to help him. He finally walked away with his companions. I soon after heard the report of a pistol. He was very violent and boisterous. H. G. Lloyd testified that Lewis Lambo came running into office of I. M. railroad, was very much excited, and said that there were some fellows out there trying to play some trick or strap game on him. Went out and saw a man running and deceased running after him, and slashing at the party pursued with his right hand as if he wanted to cut or hit him. The man pursued after running a little, fell, or staggered to his knees, and was crying out at deceased to “Stop! Stop! Stop!" Deceased would not stop, but kept on slashing with whatever he held in his hand, until the party whom he was pursuing, fired a pistol shot, when deceased, who was the pursuer fell. The man who fired the shot was down and had not recovered from his knees. He fired but one shot. Don't know the man who did the shooting. He was apparently a medium sized man, and wore a cap. Deceased was a very large man. Sheriff Saup and other officers took charge of him. The difficulty occurred in Cairo, Alexander County, Illinois. Andrew Cain, of the city police testified that on the evening of the 11th inst., a man came to police headquarters and notified him that a man was raising a disturbance on the Ohio Levee, using a knife in a threatening manner. Myself and Officer Axely answered the summons, inviting Constable Wilson to accompany us, and arriving in the vicinity of Henry Eigel's saloon we found the party now deceased and three companions making a fuss. Axely and I arrested the deceased. We took hold of him, one on either side. He resisted, and broke Axley's hold; but before he got loose Axley hit him on the hand and ordered him to "drop that knife." After he got loose from Axley, I being on the other arm, Axley told me to look out for the knife. Throwing him off, he cut at me three times before I could draw a weapon to defend myself. I struck at him with my club, but failed to reach him. He then started to run, and had proceeded up the levee about fifty feet, when I heard a pistol shot and some one hollowing. When I reached the spot I found the deceased lying on the ground in a wounded condition. A large number of citizens immediately gathered about. I don't know of my own knowledge who did the shooting, neither could I tell which direction the shot came from. Dr. J. J. Gordon being duly sworn, testified that he is a regular practicing physician; that he viewed the body of the deceased on the night of the 11th instant. He had no doubt but deceased had come to his death by a pistol shot wound, inflicted on the left side, about midway between the hip and lower rib. There was no apparent cause for death except this wound. He died on the night of November 12th, at about 8 o'clock in the evening. George Wilson testified: I am a police officer of the city of Cairo. On Monday evening last, I went to police headquarters to report for duty. I met officer Axley, and crossing the street I met Officer Cain. He reported a disturbance on levee near the Planters' House, and requested my assistance in making the arrests. Officers Cain and Axley started for the scene of the disturbance, while I stepped into headquarters to put our coats in the locker. I then walked to the levee, and on leaving Sixth Street I heard a disturbance below the Planters' House. As I advanced I met a man running in front of the Planters' House. I told him I was an officer, and putting my hand on him ordered him to stop. This he refused to do and struck at me with a knife. I then tried to defend myself with my billy, and to keep him off me I slowly retreated eight or ten feet, calling on him to stop, three or four times. While thus retreating I stumbled over something falling to my knees. Seeing that I could not defend myself with my billy, while in this position I drew my revolver and fired. The deceased staggered, and with the exclamation "Oh!" fell to the ground. I will further add that while I was in the act of falling deceased was so close upon me that his knife cut my left coat sleeve. My impression was when I met him that he had killed or wounded officers Cain and Axley and was trying to make his escape; and being violently attacked by him, I considered myself, and really was, in great bodily danger, and did not fire until I felt assured that my life was in great peril. Mr. Wilson's testimony closed the inquiry. We have aimed at nothing more than an intelligible synopsis of the evidence, but it will not be a difficult matter for the reader to glean from it that the deceased, Joseph Wyman, was a desperado, and that his killing was unquestionably a case of justifiable homicide. The verdict of the jury is to the same effect, and is in the following words:
"We, the jurors, sworn to
inquire of the death of Joseph Wyman, on oath, do find that he came
to his death by a shot from a pistol in the hands of Officer George
Wilson, while in the discharge of his duty; that said Wilson was
fully justified in firing said shot, and we deem the shooting of said
deceased an act of self defense. We therefore unanimously agree that said
Wilson be wholly exonerated."
At a late meeting of the St. Patrick's Benevolent Society, the following resolutions were adopted: Whereas, During the prevalence of the yellow fever which afflicted our city, it pleased Almighty God to number among the victims our late honored president, Patrick O'Loughlin, therefore be it Resolved, That in his death our society has lost an impartial officer and a creditable member. Resolved, That to the wife and children of the deceased we tender our deepest sympathy in the loss of their kind and loving husband and father, their mainstay and protector.
Resolved, That these
resolutions be published and a copy of the same be transmitted to the family
of the deceased.
The people of Illinois, and especially that portion of them that claims connection with the Democratic Party, learned of the death of Samuel A. Buckmaster with feelings of regret and sincere sorrow. He died at his home in Upper Alton on Tuesday, in the bosom of his family, and surrounded by many of his personal friends. Mr. Buckmaster was born in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry, in the year 1817, and while yet a boy in his tens, he came with his father's family to the State of Illinois. He was a man who possessed in an eminent degree, the elements of true greatness. He possessed that decision of character, the moral and physical courage, and that fidelity to his trusts and friendships that rendered him a confessedly superior man.
The editor of the Alton
Democrat knew him well, and pays a glowing tribute to his memory a
portion of which we substantially represent. The Democrat more than
intimates that Mr. Buckmaster's sickness and death may be charged to
the recent vigorous political campaign he led as the Democratic candidate
for the state senator, and the defeat he sustained on the day of election.
Grief and disappointment, added to a prostrated nervous system, brought on
congestion of the brain, which put a period to his existence.
He was a candidate for the
Democratic nomination for governor in 1860, but was defeated in the
Democratic Convention by John R. Eden. He ran for the state senate
in 1872, but was defeated by J. H. Yager. In 1874 he was beaten for
the nomination by a bare majority by W. H. Krome, but as the true and
consistent Democrat that he was, voted for the nominee, and never uttered
word of protest against the choice. In 1876, he was nominated and elected
as the Democratic candidate for representative of Madison County, and at the
last Democratic county convention, was chosen as the candidate for state
senator. He was sacrificed by men whose democracy cannot be spoken of in
the same day on which we record the melancholy story of his death. Never
was there a man truer to the party of his choice. For it he battled nobly
and bravely, and the last effort of his life (fitting close to such a
career) was to perpetuate its ascendancy. He failed, but that failure does
not dim the lustre of his fame or tarnish the glory of his record. Faithful
old hero! Long shall his memory live green, and flourish in the memory of
those who were true to him in the last great trial of his eventful life.
No mother, but one whose
heart has been wrung by a like sorrow, could so fully and feelingly picture
the grief of others. Smoothly written, full of pathos and sympathy, there
will be "tears in the heart," if not in the eyes of those who read it. To
insure a better understanding of the oft-repeated appellation of "Sister,"
we will remark that when little Gertrude was supplanted as "Baby," by the
advent of a younger one, she conceived the idea herself and insisted upon
its adoption by the family, that she be called "Sister Gertrude." Where is little "Sister" Gertrude? All the day long we have listened for her busy feet climbing up our stairs; but she does not come. She is not in the yard playing "catch 'em" with her little playmates; nor yet digging in the sand in the garden. She is not with Johnny or Maggie and Milly, we know, for they, too, miss her, with her merry laugh and baby ways. Where is our "Sister" Gertrude? She is not on the street, for we have sought her there, too, where it seemed every moment we must see the brown-faced little gypsy, with her straw hat pushed back on her head, her loose curls streaming in the wind, and her whole little self independent as independent as could be. We cannot find our little favorite anywhere; where can she be? She is not with papa! No, she is not with papa, we know, for there is a saddened look in his face as he nears his home. The little flock that flies to meet him and give him a cheerful greeting is not complete without the little "sister." His eager arms shall miss the weight of the little Gertrude, forever more. He cannot find her, seek where he will. Where is the little sister?" Where can she be hiding? The tearful eyes of the lonely mother unconsciously watch for her coming still; and the anxious ears ache with their listening for the pattering of the tiny feet, that come no more to cheer her. There is a shadow in the home that chills the hearts of all who loved her. Her small chair is in use, but she is not using it; her broken china doll she carried about so much and loved so well, is laid away to be seen only through blending tears; her toys and playthings lie around untouched, for the sturdy busy little feet are tired out, now, and have hidden themselves away from us all, and we cannot find our little pet. Where can she be? They told me she was not there when I sought her in her home, and yet I know the happy little face that looked up into mine was the face of our little "Sister." That fair vision, nestled amid a halo of flowing hair, in a downy nest of pillows, was surely she, and was I but dreaming or did the chubby hands steal out and stroke with gentle kindness, the velvet cheek of the angel babe who came to fill her place in the mother's arm ere she should slip away from among us? What whispered the sweet lips into my ear, as the mother nursed her babe at her aching breast, clasping it the tighter, as she rocked it to and fro, to and fro, telling the while of the dear, lost, little Gertrude? Ah, she told me the secret of her hiding; as she watched the sorrowing face of the little mother, and whispered me to comfort her. She was so happy, she said, and mamma must not cry. And the baby talk went on in my ear, and I heard a lisping of how glad she was to get away from the great heat of the city, and play about in the fair, bright sunshine all the day through. Of the beautiful autumn leaves that stole their rich tints of reds and browns and yellows, from the whole year's store of coloring, ere they drifted so lightly down and lovingly lay on her little bed. Oh, no! the frost could not chill her nor the winter's snow reach her. Away beneath the leafy covering was the germs of green grass and lovely wild flowers. Birds of winter nestle in her pillow, and found their shelter there. Oh, it was such a beautiful spot to rest! and she was so tired of play! Grand, old, rock-bound, moss-covered hills rose around her, and the deep blue sky that bends above her was not more watchful of her than were the fair, firm hands that guard her tiny steps--the hands that will lead her to Heaven's own gates, to find them "ajar" for our little sisters, let them enter when they will. "Sister" Gertrude is not lost, but hideth. We shall find her soon, and know her for our own, forever and ever.
We came into possession of information yesterday, which, if true, points to the commission of a great crime which resulted as it was manifestly intended, it should, in the death of the victim of it. We give the information as we received it, vouching for the correctness of none of it, although we have no reason for disbelieving any of it. The story runs thus: Up to a few days ago a negro woman named Brown, resided with her unmarried daughter, somewhere the in neighborhood of Poplar and Twentieth Street. An unmarried negro man, named Bud Bowman, who lived on Twenty-second Street, was on terms of familiarity with the daughter, whom the mother was determined should marry somebody else. Bowman was the obstacle in the way, his influence over the girl being so great that she would do nothing contrary to his wishes. Of course, it was his wish that she should not marry the other fellow; and this wish the girl observed despite the entreaties and importunities of the mother. Thus the matter rested until Wednesday or Thursday last, when, as is alleged, the mother conceived the horrible idea of putting Bowman out of the way. In pursuance of this wicked resolve she by some means possessed herself of some arsenic and strychnine, which she mixed with a quantity of gin. This poisoned gin, we are told, was placed into the hands of a third party. As this party may have been innocent of any purpose to do wrong, we withhold his name. He met Bowman somewhere on Twentieth Street, and offered him, the fatal drink. Bowman at first refused, but being urged to drink, put the bottle to his lips and took a hearty swallow or two. In a few minutes he was seized with a dizziness, which, continuing to increase, he had to have assistance in reaching home. Once there he was placed in bed, where he remained until Sunday morning, when he died. Meanwhile the woman left the city, but it is thought that she may be found in the neighborhood of Hodge's Park. Bowman's remains were interred in the Seven-Mile graveyard, on the afternoon of the day upon which she died.
These are all the
particulars at hand. We met several colored persons who claimed to have
some knowledge of the affair; but as they did not relish the dread of being
brought before the court, we could get but little out of them. Of a
certainty, we can only say this, that Bowman is dead, and that there
is a profound impression among certain colored people of the neighborhood,
that he was foully dealt with. Any additional information or any
confirmation of that already given, that we may receive today, will be given
to our readers tomorrow. After placing the "Alleged Poisoning Case" into type we extended further inquiries; and although we received assurance that there had been foul play in the taking off of Bowman, we are apprehensive that what was at first a suspicion among some of the colored folks, has since then resolved itself into a conviction. We would, therefore, have the reader take the story as we take it, with many grains of allowances.
(Henry Harrison Hunsaker
married Eliza Catharine Martin on 8 Jan 1873, in Alexander Co., Ill.
John Gates married Jane Hill on 16 Oct 1871, in Alexander Co.,
Ill.—Darrel Dexter) P.S.—At a late hour last evening, we received information of a slight improvement in Mr. H.'s condition, which was accepted as a favorable indication.
(A marker in Old Shiloh
Cemetery at Villa Ridge reads: Elijah Axley Born Oct. 10, 1810, Died
Nov. 15, 1878.—Darrel Dexter) Only yesterday we published a paragraph recounting how four colored children were burned to death in the room in which they had been locked, while their parents were abroad attending to religious duties, which they felt they could not neglect. A striking parallel was furnished yesterday, about eleven o'clock in this city—the scene being on Walnut Street, within a stone's throw of our sanctum. The clang of fire bells and the outcries of women and children soon attracted a crowd to the scene of the horror, which is a one-story building a few doors above Twelfth Street. Entering the house, which had been gutted of such articles of furniture as had not been destroyed by the flames, we saw a colored woman named Harriet Fields, and apparently about forty years of age, in the wildest paroxysms of grief. Uttering piercing shrieks and frenzied exclamations, she threw herself upon the belittered floor, near an object over which a sheet had been thrown. Frantically removing the sheet, she disclosed to view the burned and charred body of a negro child, apparently five or six years of age. This little creature she had locked in the room, when she went out to work in the morning, first building a hot fire in the stove that the room might be kept comfortable during her absence. Shortly after 10 o'clock a gentleman who was passing the building, heard the voice of a child giving out the most agonizing cries of "Mother! Mother!" but thinking it a case of flogging, quite common in the neighborhood, he passed on, and gave the matter no further attention. A half hour later, the door of the room from which the cries proceeded, was burst open and there, lying upon the floor, near the stove was the body of the little girl, every vestige of her clothing burned to crisp cinders, and the body so cooked that great patches of skin hung pendant from the legs, arms and shoulders. The little sufferer gave a gasp or two after the first bucket of water was cast upon it, and then passed out of its misery. The bedding in the room was entirely destroyed, and no doubt gave out dense volumes of smoke and flame; but the doors and windows of the room being tightly closed, neither the smoke nor the flame could escape to give notice outside of the appalling scenes that was going on within, until it was too late to rescue either the child or the room's contents. The most reasonable conjecture is that the child was playing with the fire, and by some means communicated it to the bedding. It was to give notice of this mischief, no doubt, that she raised her outcry. The burning bedding filling the room enveloped the child not sooner than ten or fifteen minutes after its outbreak, for had the child been burning during the interval between its first outcry and the time of discovery, its body would have presented nothing but an unrecognizable mass. As it was, the skin remained intact on the breast and abdomen—the arms, legs and shoulders of the little creature being burned, as above stated, quite severely. Surely if our colored mothers can be taught anything by experience, this terrible lesson should put a stop to the reprehensible and criminal habit of locking children in rooms with lighted fires, and leaving them thus for hours together. But it will not stop the habit; the death of a child, under like circumstances, on every day of the week, would not stop it. The habit is like that of using coal oil for kindling. Everybody thinks it is very dangerous for everybody else but herself. And now, at this moment, although the seared and burned and blackened body of little Milly Fields lies as a terrible warning, we venture to say, if anyone would visit the colored homes of the city of Cairo, he will find, at this very moment, no less than fifty children locked in their homes and their parents absent. (The story mentioned in the first paragraph was reported in the 21 Nov 1878, issue: “While the old ones were gadding among their neighbors, four young negroes were burned in a cabin near Elizabethton, N.C.” Levi Fields married Harriet Bandy on 3 May 1876, in Alexander Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter)
(The child was Milly Fields.—Darrel Dexter)
(The child was the infant of Mrs. M. B. Pierson, according to the 24 Nov 1878, issue.—Darrel Dexter)
Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to number among the victims of the terrible epidemic that so scourged our people, our respected and beloved Secretary P. O'Loughlin, who departed this life on the 12th day of October, 1878, and Whereas, We deem it fit and in accordance with the usages of the company, to commemorate the worth of our brother, alike as a foreman and citizen, therefore Resolved, That in the death of our brother, P. O'Loughlin, the Hibernian Fire Company has lost a most faithful and efficient officer, and an active and willing coworker in all the laudable aims of his company. And be if further Resolved, That in view of their grievous and irreparable loss, this company tenders to the widow and orphan children of the deceased this sincere expression of their condolence and sympathy, and
Resolved, Finally, that as a
further testimony of our bereavement, we devote a page of our journal to the
memory of our deceased brother, drape our hall in mourning, and causing the
publication of these resolutions in The Bulletin and other Cairo
papers, deliver a copy of the same to the afflicted family. Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to number among the victims of yellow fever, that so heavily scourged our people, our respected and beloved Brother John Crofton, who departed this life on the 15th day of September, last, therefore Whereas, We deem it fit and in accordance with the usages of the company, to commemorate the worth of our brother, alike as a foreman and citizen, therefore Resolved, That in the death of our brother, Crofton, the Hibernian Fire Company has lost one of tis most active, energetic an faithful members, and the community a moral, upright, young man, before whom there was promise of a long life of usefulness and honor.
Resolved, That we sincerely
sympathize with the bereaved relatives of the deceased; and that as a
further testimonial of our regret and sympathy, we devote a page of our
journal to the memory of our deceased brother, cause these resolutions to be
published in The Bulletin and other Cairo papers, deliver a copy of
the same to our deceased brother's mourning relatives. Anna, Ill., November 26.—Thomas McDonald, died at Jonesboro last night from the effect of too much whisky and beer. He belonged to a party of telegraph line repairers who were working on the Cairo and St. Louis railroad line, and was 25 years old.
(The Jonesboro Gazette
of 30 Nov 1878, reported that Thomas McDonald, of Hazlegreen, Wis.,
died on 25 Nov 1878, of whisky poisoning.—Darrel Dexter) (Louis Petrie married Sarah Martin on 24 May 1876, in Alexander Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter)
Allenville, Mo., November 28.—Mr. Richard Hatcher, brother and law partner of Maj. Robert H. Hatcher, died at New Madrid, Tuesday, the 26th inst., of pneumonia. His death was sudden, he having been sick only two or three days. He was buried by the A.F. & A. M.'s today. He was universally esteemed.
Murray Phillips was
shot in the face and seriously though not fatally wounded at New Madrid,
Saturday, the 23rd inst., in a recounter with a young man of that county
with whom he had previously had some difficulty.
The town of Mt. Vernon,
Posey County, Indiana, is rapidly winning a notoriety that is infamous. If
half the reports descriptive of mobs, shooting scrapes, and raids upon
negroes, that go out from that place are true, the parishes of East and West
Feliciana may well look to their laurels. A month or more since the public
was appalled by the details of a horrible outrage committed by negroes of
that place upon respectable white women. Following this came the news of
the summary taking off of the suspected negroes—all of the gang except one,
who for the time being, it is said, made his escape. Later still,
Evansville sends out the report of an attempt upon the part of the Mt.
Vernon mob to "clean out" a number of negro porters who visited the town as
attendants upon the members of an Evansville military company. And now, as
a crowning act of barbarous cruelty and blood thirstiness, we have an
account of how the prisoner Harris, who was reported as being at
large, did not escape, but was seized with his copartners in crime by five
men selected for the purpose, hurried to a point in the dense woods, five
miles from Mt. Vernon, where he was tied to a stake, and amidst the flames
of faggots, piled high about his body, died as horrible a death as the most
merciless of savages ever inflicted upon their captives. The Evansville
Journal claims to have received the details of this crowning act of
infamy from a party who had received the confession of one of the five men
engaged in the diabolical work. If the story is untrue, or if there is any
loophole of escape for the people of Mt. Vernon, from its damning effects,
they owe it to themselves to promptly employ it.
(Thomas E. Mangold
married Sarah C. Mason on 1 Jan 1873, in Pulaski Co., Ill.—Darrel
Dexter) (Mother Kenneday is likely Elizabeth Kennedy. She is in the 1850 census of Pulaski Co., Ill.: David Kennedy, 78, born in Pennsylvania, Elizabeth, 68, born in Virginia; Phebe, 7, born in Illinois. The two households next to this one in 1850 were headed by Samuel Kennedy, 28, born in Illinois, and B. B. Kennedy, 36, born in Ohio. Elizabeth is in the 1860 census of P.O. Walbridge, Pulaski County: G. W. Bankson, Jr., 44, Sarah J., 41, Ohio; Alfred, 16; Elizabeth, 11; M. R., 9; Sarah J., 7; Abner, 5; , Samuel A., 2; Elizabeth Kennedy, 76, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth is in the 1870 census of Township 15 south, range 1 west, Pulaski Co., Ill.: G. W. Bankson, Jr., 54, Sarah J., 50, Ohio; Mannor, 19; Jane, 16; Abner, 15; , Samuel, 12; Elizabeth Kennedy, 86, Pennsylvania.—Darrel Dexter)
(The 11 Dec 1878, issue corrected the date of Mrs. J. Burton Kelly’s death. She died 3 Dec 1878, and not on Thanksgiving Day.—Darrel Dexter)
Tuesday, 10 Dec 1878:
(His name is recorded as Frederick M. Stockfleth in his obituary in the 29 Dec 1878, issue.—Darrel Dexter)
(His name is recorded as Frederick M. Stockfleth in his obituary in the 29 Dec 1878, issue.—Darrel Dexter)
The subject of this obituary is a young lady, Miss Mary A. Sweeney, born in Cairo, Jan. 24th, 1858, died Nov. 14th, 1878. The filial devotion of this young lady was truly exemplary. Her mother having been stricken with yellow fever during the prevalence of the dreadful scourge in our midst, this noble daughter persisted, with untiring zeal in nursing her parents until she succeeded in restoring her to her usual state of health and spirits.
Then the faithful daughter,
whose delicate frame had been overtaxed, fell a victim to the dread
destroyer herself. In tracing the virtues of this young treasure, it is to
be feared the grief of the bereaved parents will be awakened, for truly she
was the light and joy of their old age. Yet this sad task must be faithfully
performed. Beautiful and edifying, indeed, was the death of this "Child of
Mary." In her the truth of the old adage, "As you live, so will you die" is
verified. She was possessed of qualities of which many young ladies might
well be proud, and these, we can truly say, were perfected by the Sisters of
Loretto Academy, of which institution she was a pupil since early
childhood. In life she was a member of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, and we trust none who read this humble testimonial to her worth, will
fail in their devotional exercises, to pray for this shining star that has
left our midst, and gone to spread her splendor in regions far more bright
than this. Many are the mourning friends; yet in their sorrow they are
consoled with the hope that their darling is in Heaven. Consolation do I
say? Yes, more than that. They deem themselves blessed to think God, in
his unbounded wisdom, considered her worthy to take to His heavenly home, in
all her purity, youth and simplicity, unmarred and unalloyed. In her
conversation her language was always chaste, governed by that beautiful
virtue, charity. She had just reached the meridian of life, and was
beginning to diffuse her benign influence, when death came, and snatched her
from us. But is consoling to reflect that in life she was always pure and
good, young and beautiful; and as such we can remember her in death. Oh!
Parents, be resigned, for you know your child is with her Father and her
King; and our Blessed Mother whose faithful child she was in life now crowns
her in everlasting glory.
(It was Elias Rector’s
son, Henry Massey Rector, who served as governor of Arkansas from
1860 to 1862.—Darrel Dexter)
(A marker in Calvary Cemetery in Villa Ridge reads: Anthony
McTigue, Native of the Parish of Kong, County of Mayo, Ireland, Died
Oct. 21, 1878, Aged 69 Years.—Darrel Dexter)
OBITUARY NOTICE OF MR. F. M. STOCKFLETH, DECEASEDMr. F. M. Stockfleth, who died of paralysis, in his home in this city Friday afternoon last, was born in Flensbourg, a seacoast town in the northern portion of Denmark in the month of May, 1837, and was, therefore, nearing his forty-second birthday. He emigrated to this country sometime before the outbreak of the rebellion, and being in the South, entered the Southern army. He held the rank of first lieutenant and afterward of captain, and was an active participant in three of the most hotly contested battles that were fought prior to the summer of 1862. Testimony is not wanting of his coolness and bravery in moments of danger, nor of the depth and sincerity of the convictions for which he battled. In the summer and fall of 1862, he arrived in Cairo, a stranger among strangers, and without means. His gentlemanly address and industrious habits soon won him friends, however, and in 1865 he was married to Miss Pohle, with whose father he had the year previous, formed a business connection that proved immensely profitable, as well to Mr. Pohle as to himself. At the end of a few years his father-in-law retired from business, and, if we mistake not, returned to the old country, leaving Mr. Stockfleth sole proprietor of a well established trade in the wholesale liquor business. With unvarying success Mr. Stockfleth pursued that business in his own name, until about a year ago, when Judge Bross took an interest in the house and changed the business title to that of Stockfleth and Bross, and of this firm Mr. S. was, at the time of his death, a member. Mr. Stockfleth was eminently a social man, and belonged to all the organizations of the city where social virtues were inculcated. He was one of the originators of the Cairo Casino, being the first secretary. For a long period of time, and up to a very recent period, he was an active and valued member of the Turner Society. He was a member of the Rough and Ready Fire Company, and a member of the Grand Lodge and Encampment of Odd Fellows, for a long term of years. About three years ago he was elected to the office of city treasurer over one of the most popular and unexceptionable gentleman in the city. He served the city faithfully, and upon his retirement from office, his official conduct had been so exact and upright that not a breath of suspicion was heard in any quarter. In every station he filled in all the relations of his business, and social life, Mr. Stockfleth was recognized as an honest, frank, courteous, good-natured and warm-hearted man. His friends were as numerous as his acquaintances, for he was one of the few men whom to know was to like. But he is now removed from the midst of the people to whom he was endeared by the strongest of social and friendly ties, and the places and people that knew him, shall know him no more. In the meridian of life he was cut down, and it but remains now for his friends and mystic brothers to put him away to his quiet and eternal rest. To the affectionate and accomplished widow, who is left without the stay and blessing of children to comfort and bless her in her deep affliction, the people of Cairo extend their warmest sympathy. They appreciate the loss she has sustained, and tender to her the only consolation it is in their power to give.
(F. M. Stockfleth is
in the 1860 census of Ward 12 of Cincinnati, age 23, born in Denmark. He
enlisted in Company A, Griffith’s 17th Arkansas Confederate
Infantry in 1861 as a 1st sergeant, and was serving in the unit
in 1863 when it was consolidated with the 11th. Frederick M.
Stockfleth married Minna F. Pohle on 21 Sep 1867, in Alexander
Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter) (The funeral mentioned here is the reburial of John Crofton, who died on 15 or 16 Sep 1878, of yellow fever.—Darrel Dexter)
At a meeting of the Cairo Encampment, No. 144, I. O. O. F., at their hall, December 20th, 1878, the following preamble of resolutions were adopted: Whereas, the angel of death shadowing our Tent called from our midst one of our beloved brothers in the fullness of his usefulness and worth, to grace the higher and immortal Tent of all true Patriarchs. And whereas, the Advancement by Divine interposition, has left a vacuum in our tent. It becomes our last sad duty to record a worldly tribute to worth and esteem with which we regarded our lamented brother Patriarch, Frederick M. Stockfleth, and mingle our tears with his bereaved widow's and fellow citizens’. Be it therefore Resolved, That during the life of Patriarch Frederick M. Stockfleth this encampment had a staunch defender of its principles and an honest and upright inculcator of its doctrines. That we always found him first in charity and sympathetic with fullness of heart with his distressed fellowman, meeting their wants promptly with his purse and voice. That he was upright and of the strictest integrity in his commercial affairs, a good citizen and a loving and kind husband. Resolved, That in this hour of sad bereavement, while we can only bow in humble submission, yet we cannot forget the irreparable loss of our Encampment, and we therefore seek to mingle our tears with those of his widow and his fellow man, in whose bosom his memory will ever dwell. Resolved, That the Patriarchs wear the usual badge of mourning and that the hall of this Encampment be properly draped during the next thirty days.
Resolved, That the scribe be
instructed to spread the same at large upon the records of this Encampment,
and to furnish to the bereaved widow, and to the city papers, for
publication, each a copy thereof.
Mr. Taylor, the
head miller of the Cairo City Mills, was lying so low, yesterday afternoon,
that it was thought impossible that he could survive the night. He has many
friends in Cairo, who will receive this intelligence with feelings of deep
regret. Cairo Evening Sun3 Sep 1878 - 13 Dec 1878
Tuesday, 3 Sep 1878:
Is it necessary for us to urge upon our people rigid measures?
We hope not.
Mr. M. P. Fulton has
just received another dispatch from his father that says the physicians
report fourteen deaths and fifty-five to sixty cases.
Mr. M. P. Fulton received a dispatch this forenoon, from his father, in Hickman, Ky., stating that there had been 6 deaths in that city in the last 24 hours, 2 new cases; 2 cases were hopeless, and the remainder of the sick were doing well. Dr. Blackburn, of Louisville, had not arrived. All people of the town, who could, were getting away.
News
from Hickman is hard to get, so many people have fled the place and the
operator is so busy. However, we get some once in a while, and here is a
piece: During the 24 hours ending at
6 o’clock yesterday there had been 7 deaths, and 13 other cases are
thought to be hopeless; and last night, three deaths and two new cases.
From this it would appear that the disease is not spreading much, and will
probably run itself out in a short time.
A
dispatch from New Orleans this morning brings the sad news of the death of
Mrs. Perkins, formerly Mrs. Stewart, of this city. It will be
remembered that her daughter, Mrs. Richie, died only a few days ago,
and it no doubt while watching at her bedside that her mother contracted the
fatal disease.
Today we
learn from Mr. L. W. Stilwell, who saw Mr. Tom Porter in the
city yesterday, that one of his children, John, will probably die and others
are dangerously sick. The family were taken sick last Wednesday, and on
Sunday Mrs. Porter was able to be up a little, but took a relapse and
is down again. A colored woman is nursing the family. They live nearly two
miles above the levee on the bank of the Mississippi River. According to
the symptoms given by Mr. Porter, the disease is certainly of a very
suspicious character. To say the least, it is a very bad case of pernicious
bilious fever, that should be isolated immediately. Dr. Gordon is,
we believe, the attendant physician.
Mr. Porter, one of our oldest citizens, for some years
past has been unfortunate in losing property and from failure of his crops,
but by industry and pluck has managed to keep the wolf from his door. But
now, if a man ever needed help it is Mr. Porter. Every member of his
family is sick and one lying dead! If the disease is bilious fever it is
certainly in its worst form with them. Mr. Porter was obliged to
leave his sick and dying to come out in the storm early this morning to
dispose of some of his vegetables to obtain a little money. They are
actually wanting the necessaries of life. He needs money and prepared
provision. This only needs to be known to our large hearted citizens to
obtain the help he needs.
Mr. Tom Porter, who was reported sick last evening, is up again today. He was no doubt worn out with watching and anxiety. Mayor Winter is caring for the wants of the family, and Mr. Puckett is nursing them. We do not know that at this late day in the season, with cold weather almost upon us, the name of the disease with which the Porter family is suffering amounts to much. And it might be well for the Sun to keep silent and let others do the guessing. We do not wonder at the difference of opinion expressed by learned men in regard to this and that Poplar Street case as well as other cases that are reported to have exited in the country near here. The same difference of opinion has existed among learned and eminent physicians wherever yellow fever has made its appearance this year. At Hickman, Memphis, Grenada, everywhere the fever has been so complicated with what is usually called bilious symptoms, or common malarial poisoned, as to leave the most experienced yellow fever doctors in doubt as to the genuine character of the disease. From the attending physicians we have heard the symptoms of the Porter disease. From persons below, the papers we have learned the symptoms of the Southern scourge, and both agree in every particular. With all due respect for the opinion of others, we therefore pronounce them the same. Mr. Porter does not live in Cairo, and no one has reported the disease in Cairo, but the fact that he lives in the country is no sign that his family should not have malarial yellow fever, when his surrounding are so favorable, and he has been exposed to the disease by the landing of refugees from steamers that were refused to land inside the city limits. And Mr. Porter very definitely states just how he believes the disease was contracted. His boys caught an abandoned skiff, hauled it home, and repaired it in the yard by the house. Every member of the family, who stood about the skiff while being repaired, took sick at once on Wednesday evening, and the remaining members took it from them. We learn today that the change of temperature has proven favorable, and all the sick of the family are improving.
There were eleven new cases of fever at Hickman yesterday and two
deaths night before last. Dr. Luke P. Blackburn is still there. He
stated yesterday that the disease had been under control, but the rain of
day before yesterday caused it to break out again. A majority of the new
cases are colored people. There are still a good many people in the place.
As we go to press we learn with deep sorrow that Mr. Tom Nally,
editor of the Cairo Bulletin, and Mr. Ike Mulkey, an employee
of the office, are both dead. They have been sick only since Sunday.
Little Josie, aged 13 months and 13 days, only son of Dr. H. J.
and Mrs. E. L. Stalker, of this city, died in Wauklesha, Wis., on the
10th inst. Poor
Hunter! He died bravely at his post of duty. His family have our
heartfelt sympathy. They reside in this city, but will no doubt move East
where Mrs. Hunter’s relations reside.
At Cape Girardeau, Missouri,
Mr. James McWilliams was shot and killed in the saloon of Ferdinand
Cook by Otto Bierman. McWilliams was standing with his
back to the door looking at a game of cards that as being played, when
Bierman came in, and after a few angry words shot at him. McWilliams
held up a chair, which caused the bullet to glance off. He then dropped the
chair and ran out of the back door followed by Bierman, who shot him
as he ran, killing him on the spot. The trouble grew out of an old feud. Mr. Ike Mulky died this morning. Our information yesterday was faulty, but the Sun was on the press before we learned the truth. We extend our sympathy to the bereaved friends. (The 14 Sep 1878, Jonesboro Gazette reported that Isaac Mulkey, son of Judge J. H. Mulkey, of Cairo, died of yellow fever Thursday morning, 11 Sep 1878.—Darrel Dexter)
The man employed to bury poor Mulkey put on a mask like
that worn by the Mystic Krew and drove through the streets like a ghost.
When he arrived at the house he found that he had forgotten the coffin and
had to go back after it. Another man had occasion to go to a saddler shop
for a small snap for a strap, and as he started he noticed a bucket of water
sitting near by which he picked up mechanically and carried to the shop and
back again, almost forgetting his errand by the operation. Another man
having just received some information from a friend turned to repeat it to a
third person, who joined the party. When he got through the first party
asked him where he learned all that and he could not remember to save his
neck. But they are not excited!
A great hub-bub was raised on
Commercial Avenue yesterday,
when the man in black passed by on his way to bury poor
Houston
Dickey. A great deal of unnecessary and some foolish talk was
indulged in, some even suggesting that he ought to be hung. At this moment
Mr. Parks came up and explained that the man used the gown and hood,
because he had no old suit of clothes to wear, while burying the dead, and
he had contracted to do all such work for this community. Parks
stated that if another suit was furnished him he would not appear in that
objectionable plight again. Harman Black immediately donated the
needed suit and the man in black will not parade our streets any more.
This morning Mrs. J. H. Metcalf, who was suffering with a
severe attack of neuralgia, attempted to take a little laudanum to ease her
pain, and by accident took too much. Efforts were immediately resorted to
counteract the effects of the poison, and Dr. Smith was summoned, who
arrived in time to save her life. She is now fully recovered. For a few
moments her case seemed almost hopeless.
Mr. Charles Pink, express agent of this city, received a
dispatch stating that William Willis, Superintendent of the Southern
Express Company at Memphis, Tenn.,
died at 3 o’clock Sunday morning. He was a prominent man, one of the best
expressmen in the country, a valuable officer, whom the Company could illy
afford to lose, a brave man, and one whom the people of Memphis honored for
his goodness of heart and charitable and benevolent disposition. What a
rich harvest the relentless scourge is reaping!
Mr. Johnny Crofton died at the Hospital at 7:50 o’clock last evening of yellow fever, contracted, it is supposed, at the Cairo Bulletin office.
When Nally and Mulkey died, Crofton became
alarmed and drank liquor as a preventative of the disease, and the result
was that he got on a fearful spree. He was still under the influence of
whiskey when he entered the hospital, and the symptoms in the first stage of
the disease were thereby obscured. In the second stage other disease
assumed a typical form, but as it lasted some hours longer than usual, his
physician yesterday morning thought there might be a ray of hope for him.
At 1 o’clock yesterday,
however, their third stage, with delirium and black vomit set in and poor
Johnny sank rapidly to the end. Died, Minnie Alba, aged four years, daughter of William and Mina Alba, of diphtheria. Train will leave foot of Eighth Street tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon at 3 o’clock sharp. All friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend. Funeral services at the residence on Seventh Street, near Washington Avenue, at 2 o’clock. (A marker in Cairo City Cemetery at Villa Ridge reads: Wilhelmina Alba June 7, 1874-Sept. 17, 1878.—Darrel Dexter)
We are indebted to the operator of the Iron Mountain Railroad for the following list of names of those who have died of the yellow fever at that place up to yesterday noon: Mr.
Hendricks and 4 children; Abb Young, wife, mother and 2 children;
F. Sampse and 2 children; Herman Berger; Dave Bright;
George Donovan, John Millet, Ben Ashworth (shoemaker),
Dick Holt, Thomas Dozier, Phillip Beltseer, Louis
Monroe, F. Stoner, William Bettes, Ed Mangel and
wife, N. L. Nelson and wife, Drs. Prather, Carter,
Blanton, and Catlett; Max Hertwick, Mrs. John Witting,
Rank Miller and wife, N. P. Harness, T. D. Barnes,
William Barnes, Miss Irene Amberg, L. T. Wooten, T. E.
Gleason and son, Muff Klingman, Mrs. W. H. Garner, John
Seemore, Frank Segirst, wife and 2 children; Lucy Rikert,
Mrs. Wahl, W. A. Brevard, W. H. Beasner, W. W.
Hancock,. William Buckner, Ben Fortune, telegraph
operator; Casper Sohn and 2 children, Frank Gibbs, William
Coffee, Charles Kerger, A. Boucho, Fred Runk, O. P.
Smith, S. Myers, Gus Davis, Lulu Davis, Henry
Smith, Joe Hatton, Willer Burnett. All the above were
white, except the 3 last named.
(Joseph L. Carmichael married Clara B. Cutting on
19 Jun 1873, in Massac Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter)
(Lilly Young married Andrew McLeish on 25 Dec 1858,
in Pope Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter)
Mr. O. L. Edholm, late of this city and Paducah, is now in Omaha, where he was interviewed by a Herald reporter on the 18th inst., from which we make the following extract: “Business has been entirely suspended, and 2,500 people had left Cairo, whose population is ordinary about 10,000. There were two deaths on Sunday morning. There had been deaths in the city from yellow fever several days before its existence was publicly known, but the bodies has been buried at night, and the existence of the fever kept a secret. The first generally known about the existence of the fever in Cairo, was the death of Mr. Nally, city editor of the Cairo Bulletin. Mr. Nally’s duties required him to be about the wharf nights, and on the arrival of boats, and it is supposed that he there contracted the disease. Nally died in the Bulletin office, and his body was left in the building, John Oberly, the proprietor, locking the office and departing from town the next morning with his family. Two days later the decomposed body of Nally was found in the building, and $75 was paid for its burial. Great public indignation is felt toward Oberly. Three employees of the Bulletin have since died from the fever.” For the
information of people in Omaha, we will say that Mr. Oberly’s family
had been out of the city for weeks before Mr. Nally died. His death
occurred at 12:30 in the afternoon. The health officers had taken charge of
the building three hours previous, and Mr. Oberly and Bulletin
employees left the city on the 9 p.m. train. Mr. Nally’s body was
buried early next morning. Mr. Nally’s death was known to the whole
community in thirty minutes after it occurred, and the authorities would
have had him buried the same evening, but could find no one who would
undertake the task.
Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Mary Bogiano or Boniano,
an Italian woman living on 20th street, committed suicide by taking
laudanum. We could not learn the cause of the rash act. She was buried
this evening. Wednesday, 25 Sep 1878:
As nearly as we can remember, the following is the history of the
bones mentioned in yesterday’s Sun, as given us by Captain
Williams. He says: “On a bright beautiful day in October, 1856, three
men might have been seen winding their way toward the Mississippi levee.
One carried an umbrella, and the other two each a bottle of whisky., One
was Mr. Sam R. Hall, who had been educated for a physician. Another
was Mr. Bob Jennings, and the third was the gentleman who is now
telling this story. Having arrived at the levee and taken a drink, Dr.
Hall happened to discover at a point where some excavations had been
made, a few dry bones. In an instant his professional eye saw in them a
great treasure. They were human, what was of them, and the remains perhaps,
he said, of some of the “aborigines” that once roamed these forest wilds.
Carefully gathering them up, he tossed them into his umbrella, threw it over
his shoulder, and the three wended their way back to the city. To every
friend they met, the bones were exhibited as the moral remains of George
Washington, Tom Jones, John Smith, an unknown “aborigine”
or a beautiful young lady and a long dissertation given by Dr. Hall
upon the virtues of the departed, while occupying his tenement of clay. At
its close, the bottles were produced and a health drank by all hands.. Thursday, 26 Sep 1878: Mr. W. H. Wilcox, grocer and owner of the Wilcox Block, in this city, died in the Sisters Hospital this morning at 4 o’clock. The real cause of Mr. Wilcox’s death was excessive fright. He believed from the time he first took sick that he would die and nothing that doctors or nurses could do would have any effect in pacifying him. He was at one time a very sick man and to the moment of his death there was not a single yellow fever symptom in his case, except, that the fever ran a course of four days. Last night that terrible crash of lightning drove him frantic and hastened his death. His mind was clear except at very short intervals last night, but excessive fright had entirely unstrung his nervous system, and actually caused his death.
Tuesday, 1 Oct 1878: The air was full of rumors last night and the reporter had a lively time keeping up with them. It has got so now that when a case of sickness of any kind, from a sore toe to a busted nose, is discovered, every third man you meet will stop you and with a long screed of whys and whereases tell you how he would report it if he was you. By the time you get a couple of square you don’t know whether you are standing on your heels or head, and you have heard perhaps eight or ten versions of an affair that none of your informants have seen or really heard anything about, and you have lost a valuable half hour. We devoted last evening to chasing rumors. Most of them were about the Jerry Murphy case.
The following is what we learned last evening from Mayor
Winter. Jerry was taken sick Saturday with a bilious attack,
complicated by a trouble in his abdomen he has suffered with for years. Dr.
Sullivan attended him. One of the medicines given was morphine in
powders to be given every half hour. Mrs. Murphy had been drinking a
little and concluded if one powder was good three would be better, so she
gave him three at once and the patient died ready. When Dr. Sullivan
found his patient in a dying condition he reported to the Major that there
was something suspicious about the case, and the reader will no doubt agree
that there was. Afterward one of the little girls told what the mother had
done, and the mystery was explained. While the matter was in doubt Mayor
Winter had the place disinfected and a guard placed over the premises. The council of physicians called to decide upon the case of the young girl who died yesterday came to the conclusion that she died of pernicious bilious fever and that it is not contagious. She threw up black colored vomit, but that he said, they decided did not amount to anything in determining the case. Mrs. Petrie did not have the same disease as the daughter, and had been sick some time. Dr. Sullivan says that his opinion is in accordance with the opinion of the other physicians and is in fact formed by theirs.
The locality is known to all the people in Cairo, and we need not
describe its condition. Some of the physicians complain that the health
officers have been very negligent in their duty in not cleaning up and
thoroughly disinfecting the premises. Mayor Winter ordered the word
down last evening. The bodies will be buried at the Seven Mile grave yard,
and the well members of the family removed from the house.
We learn today that while our authority was excellent for the
statement we made concerning this case at the time it occurred, later
developments go to show that our informants were at fault in one or two
important particulars. At the time of his death it was believed that he had
been given too large a dose of medicine. We are told today that Dr.
Sullivan afterwards found the powders supposed to have been given him,
and that the strange actions of Mrs. Murphy are not attributed to the
excitement natural to the occasion, and not to liquor. Her acquaintances,
who ought to know, claim that she was duly sober, and has not been in the
habit of drinking. We desire to report all the facts we can learn about
everything, but are anxious not to do injustice to anyone. At the
government works above the city, a laborer named Martin Kinney, who
resided in this city, was drowned. We did not learn the particulars.
Dear Sir:—I learn from the Cairo Sun that you recently
said to an Omaha Herald reporter that after Mr. Nally died in
the Bulletin office, I “left the building and departed from town”
with my family, and that two days later the decomposed body of Nally
was found in the building and $75 was paid for its burial. I do not believe
you would intentionally do me injustice, but in this expression you have
misstated facts. During the time Mr. Nally was sick with the fever,
from Sunday evening to Thursday afternoon at two o’clock when he died, he
occupied my bed in my house. On Monday I returned home from Springfield and
found Nally burning with fever. He was being waited on—nursed—by Mr.
Lou Schuckers, my brother-in-law. I at once relieved Lou of this
duty, and gave Nally his medicine until 2 o’clock that night, when
Lou again took his place at Nally’s side. Tuesday from eleven
o’clock until one o’clock Tuesday night I have Nally his medicine;
and so on Wednesday. On Thursday morning I administered to him medicine and
rubbed his stomach with liniment. He died Thursday at two o’clock p.m. I
was in the room several times during the forenoon, being most of the time in
search of Dr. Dunning, Dr. Smith desiring a consultation with
him. I was in the room just before and after the priest gave him the
sacrament. I was in the room when the poor fellow died, and after he was
dead. With Mr. Morris I engaged his coffin, and with that gentleman
employed a man to prepare the body for the grave and put it in the coffin.
I would have followed the body from the house to the grave, but the
authorities informed me that they wanted the funeral private, and that if I
had anything to do with the body I would be required to remain quarantined
in the house. I did all I could for Nally. I nursed him in his
sickness and proved for his funeral after death. You have done me
injustice.
Mrs. Corcoran living on 21st Street, died at
2 o’clock this morning. She
was a most excellent mother and leaves a family of 8 children to mourn her
loss.
Only a few new cases are reported—some of them doubtful. Later—Miss Kate Healy, 13th, between Washington and Walnut died this afternoon.
We desire to call particular attention to the fact that this list includes cases of all kinds and they must not be read as yellow fever cases, only a few of them being such. Bulletin Board, 10 a.m.
Mrs. Murphy, dead; Mrs. Dugan (new) bad; Mr.
Healy, bad; Mr. Dugan, low; Mrs. Healy, better; P.
O’Laughlin, worse; Mike Fitzpatrick (new) bad; Drumm and
child, better; Miss Snow, better; Mrs. Rice and 2 children,
better; Mrs. Stapleton, better; Mr. Magoner and Mrs.
Magoner, better; Mrs. Howard, better; Mr. Hambleton
(suspicious) better; Mrs. Powers, better. Mrs. Powers, better; Pat O’Laughlin, better. Mr. Fitzpatrick, dead; Drumm and child, better; Mr. Healy, bad, Miss Snow, better; Mrs. Dugan, better; Mrs. Reiss and child, well; Mrs. Frank, better; Mrs. Manger, better; Mr. Hamlin, suspicious; Mrs. Howard, better; Miss Phillis Howard, sick; Lucy Warren (colored) better; George Hill, better; Mr. Fox, convalescent; Mr. Hudson, better; John McEwen, Jr., suspicious.
We
understand that Old Mr. Healy died last night at the hospital in this
city of yellow fever. This is the only death reported last night. Mrs.
Powers, better; Pat O’Loughlin, black vomit, bad; Mr. Drumm,
worse, child better; Thomas Healy, dead; Miss Healy, better;
Miss Snow, better; Mrs. Dugan, better; Mrs. Frank, much
better; Mr. Hamlin, black vomit, bad; Mrs. Howard, better;
Lucy Warren (colored), better; George Hill, better; Mr.
Hudson (col.) better; John McEwen, Jr., suspicious; Phil
Howard, suspicious; Dr. Waldo, very sick; Mrs. Magner,
convalescent; Miss Phillis Howard, suspicious.
Mrs.
Powers, convalescent; P. O’Laughlin, died 12:15 last night; Mr.
Drumm, convalescent; Mr. Drumm, child not so well; Miss
Snow, better; Mrs. Dugan, better; Dr. Waldo, very sick;
Mrs. Frank, same; Mr. Hamlin, black vomit, bad; George Hill,
better; Lucy Warren (col.) convalescent; Mrs. Howard,
convalescent; Phil Howard, no change; Mr. Hudson (col.)
convalescent; John McEwen, Jr. no change; Old Man Heim,
suspicious.
New cases,
none. Phil Howard, no change; Miss Phillis Howard, better;
Miss Snow, better; Mrs. Dugan, better; John McEwen,
Jr., no change; Dr. Waldo, no change; J. J. Balfry’s child,
dead; James Cheeney, no change; Mrs. Shurberry, better; Thomas
Cook, black vomit, bad; Old Man Heim, better. The
steamer Mollie Moore passed St. Louis early yesterday morning. She
has had sickness all the way up, and one of her roustabouts is still down
with the yellow fever. Pilots Sam Bowen and Bill Cribbon,
both died on the up trip, and George Madison was taken off the H.
C. Yeager at Osceola to take her to St. Louis. He was at the wheel when
she passed here, and being asked how he felt, said, “I feel that I’m i-i-in
the jaws of d-de-death, and I-I-I’m not comfortable.” The Yeager and
Hard Cash reported all well on board when the Moore met them.
Having been acquainted with the late Pat O’Laughlin for
many years we feel that we cannot let the opportunity pass to pay a tribute
to his memory. He was born in Ireland, but came to this country early in
life, settling first in St. Louis. Thence he moved to Cairo and entered the
employ of the Adams Express Company as night watchman in 1866. From this
position he soon rose to day porter and driver, and finally to freight desk,
a position he held to the entire satisfaction of his employers for seven
years to the day of his death. He was a man of more than ordinary
intelligence, very industrious, gentlemanly always in his bearing toward
everyone and a man whose place his employers will find difficulty to fill.
He leaves a wife and five children to mourn his loss. Robert
Hart, 4-years old, black vomit, bad; Mr. Balfry, very sick; Mrs.
Balfry, very sick., Phil
Howard, dead; Miss Phillis Howard, better; Miss Snow, not
so well; John McEwen, Jr., better; Dr. Waldo, very low; Mrs.
Shurburn, black vomit, bad; Thomas Cook, black vomit, very
bad; Old Man Heim, better. The community was startled this morning by the news of the death of Mr. Phil Howard, which occurred 12:30 o’clock last night. While it was known that he was quite ill no one thought there was any immediate danger. His family have the sympathy of many friends in their loss. He leaves a wife and two daughters, one a young lady, the other about four years old. From Mr. C. Pink we learn that Mr. Howard was born in Torquay, where he remained until he was of age, and where he learned the butcher trade. From there he removed to London, Canada. Then to Detroit, Michigan, then to Galena, Illinois, then to Memphis, Tennessee, and from there to Cairo, during the early part of the war, where he remained until the time of his death. In youth he was a jovial, wild boy, the most daring rider of all his companions, and he lost but little of his boyish attributes in his riper years. His life was full of disappointments and losses from fire, etc., but he bore them with surprising cheerfulness, always expressing more concern for the misfortunes of others than for his own. He was a peculiar man and one whom this community and steamboatmen will miss very much.
Just as we go to press the following in reference to the lamented
Phil Howard was handed to us: Mr. R.
Hewitt, suspicious; Mrs. R. Hewitt, very sick; Murry (boy
10 years old) suspicious; Murray (boy 7 years old) suspicious. Mr.
Balfry, bad; Mrs. Balfry, very sick, Miss Phillis Howard,
better; Mrs. Howard, better; Miss Snow, better; James
Cheney, better John McEwen, Jr., worse; Dr. Waldo, very
low; Mrs. Shurburn, dead; Thomas Cook, dead.
The following is a list of deaths up to date from the time the fever first made its appearance this season: John Bloom, Thomas Nally, Mr. Clark, John Crofton, Ike Mulkey, Jerry Murphy, Mr. Reice, Mrs. Murphy, Dick Nason, Miss Nason, child, Mr. Dugan, Thomas Healy, Mrs. Corcoran, Miss M. Powers, Bridget Dugan, Miss K. Healy, Mrs. Petrie, Miss Petrie, John Petrie, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Pat O’Loughlin, Houston Dickey, Stapleton’s child, W. H. Wilcox, John Oakley, child; William Hamlin, J. J. Balfrey, child; Phil Howard, Robert Hart, boy, Mrs. Shurburn, Thomas Cook, John McEwen.
If anyone knows of deaths from yellow fever not reported above we
would be glad to have them sent in., Tim
Conners, bad; Mary Conners, bad; Hewett, 8 year-old girl,
bad. Mr.
Balfrey, bad; Mrs. Balfry, very bad; Miss Phillis Howard,
convalescent; Mrs. Howard, convalescent; Miss Snow, better;
John McEwen, Jr., dead; Dr. Waldo, very bad; James Cheney,
better; Mr. R. Hewitt, better; Mrs. R. Hewitt, very bad;
Murrey (boy 10 years old) very bad; Murrey (boy 7 years old)
better.
Mr.
Balfry, bad; Mrs. Balfry, very bad; Miss Snow,
convalescent; Dr. Waldo, dead; James Cheney, convalescent; Mr.
R. Hewitt, very sick; Mrs. Hewitt, very bad; Hewett, 8
year-old girl, bad; Murrey (boy 10 years old) very bad; Murrey
(boy 7 years old) better; Tim Conners, bad; Mary Conners, bad. Anthony
McTigue, suspicious; Rebecca Perry, suspicious; John Warren,
very bad. At 6:15 a.m. today, Dr. R. Waldo, Assistant Surgeon United States Marine Hospital Service, in charge of the Marine Hospital, at Cairo, of yellow fever. No more painful duty has ever fallen to our lot than the announcement of this death. We look upon it as a public calamity, while the service has lost one of its brightest and most promising members. He came to this community a stranger a little over 18 months ago, and by his consistent, straight forward honest life won the love and admiration not only of all river men who came within the limits of his acquaintance, but of our entire community, and his local practice outside the service had grown to such an extent at the time of his death that he could scarcely attend all the calls made upon him. Had he lived through this epidemic it would have grown to still greater proportions. The course he pursued in regard to the fever since it made its appearance here was uniform and truthful, and this alone did more than all else to draw the hearts of the people to him. Although he was a northern man, unacclimated and fully conscious of the danger that surrounded his every step, he fearlessly answered all calls at all hours of the night or day, and caught the deadly fever from some of his patients, no doubt, as many of the most malignant causes fell to his lot. He was in the prime of life about 33 years of age, we believe, and leaves wife and three children to mourn his loss. About the time the fever broke out here he took out a policy upon his life for $3,000 with Mr. C. N. Hughes’ agency, No. 68 Ohio Levee. The following reprint from the Sun of Sept. 13:
“Dr. R. Waldo, Surgeon in charge of the United States
Marine Hospital at this port was a graduate of the National Medical College
of the Columbian University at Washington City. He studied six years,
taking five courses of lectures of five months each, lasting from the first
of October until the first March. Four years of his student life were spent
among the hospitals of Washington City, and since leaving college, nearly
four years ago, he has a steady practice. We have gained permission of
Surgeon Waldo to publish the above for the information of river men,
who are necessarily interested. Few physicians can show a better record.
Few, indeed, undergo so extended a preparatory course of study, and none
ever graduated from a more honorable institution that the Columbian
University. It is over a half century old and possesses an honorable
record. It is no negro school and no colored man ever graduated there.
Further, for the information of steamboatmen, we desire to say that the
Marine Hospital Service is entirely nonpolitical. Applicants for admission
are subjected to a very rigid competitive examination that few are able to
bear, and the least taint of political influence to secure admission, or
mixing in politics after admission, is sufficient cause for dismissal from
the service.”
Mr.
Balfry, bad; Mrs. Balfry, dead; Miss Snow, convalescent;
James Cheney, convalescent; Mr. R. Hewitt, very sick, Mrs.
Hewitt, very bad; Hewett, 8 year-old girl, better; Tim Conners,
dead; Mary Conners, bad; Anthony McTigue, bad; Rebecca
Perry, better; John Warren, very bad. Mrs. W. H.
Stoner; Belle Thomas.
At Caney Creek, near Morely, Mo., on Tuesday,
October 15, 1878, of typhoid pneumonia, Mr. Henry R. Stewart, aged 33
years. The deceased was a brother of Mr. James W. Stewart of this
city.
Anthony McTigue, the oldest drayman in Cairo, died last
night at the hospital of yellow fever.
(A marker in Calvary Cemetery in Villa Ridge reads: Anthony
McTigue, Native of the Parish of Kong, County of Mayo, Ireland, Died
Oct. 21, 1878, Aged 69
Years.—Darrel Dexter) Mr.
Balfry, better; Miss Snow, convalescent; James Cheney,
convalescent; Mr. R. Hewitt, very sick, Mrs. Hewitt, very bad;
Hewett, 8 year-old girl, better; Master Murray, 10 year old
boy, better; Master Murray, 7-year-old body, better; Mary Conners,
bad; Anthony McTigue, very low; Rebecca Perry, better; John
Warren, very bad; Mrs. W. H. Stoner, very sick; Belle Thomas,
better. Mrs. Jim
Powers, very sick; Mrs. Jim Powers’ little daughter, very
sick. Mr.
Balfry, convalescent; Robert Hewett, very sick, Mrs. Hewitt,
very sick; Miss Hewett, better; Mary Conners, better; Anthony
McTigue, dead; Rebecca Perry, (colored) better; John Warren,
(colored) dead; Mrs. W. H. Stoner, very sick; Belle Thomas,
(colored) very sick; Mrs. James Powers, very sick; Miss Powers,
very sick. Sarah
Thomas, very sick. Tuesday, 22 Oct 1878: Mr.
Balfry, better, convalescent; Belle Thomas, better, convalescent;
Mr. R. Hewitt, improving; Mr. Hewitt, improving; Hewett,
8-year-old girl, improving; Mrs. W. H. Stoner, very sick; Mrs. James
Powers, better, Miss Powers, better; Mary Conners,
worse. Mary Ann
Sampson, suspicious Mrs. Annie
Davis, black vomit, 21st Street.
It is right and proper that an account of all deaths of Cairo
citizens from yellow fever (though not dying in Cairo) should be kept. A
week ago today (Oct. 14) I was called to see the wife and child of Mr.
Cook, who came with his family from Cairo a few days before. Found them
at the farm of Henry McCabe, 2 miles from Pulaski, in Pulaski
County. Cases looked suspicious; child died next morning and Mrs. Cook
the day after. The cases appeared to be malignant form of bilious
remittent, but the fact that the family was from then infected district in
Cairo, and Thomas Cook, a son, dying in Cairo of pronounced yellow
fever, coupled with the circumstances of death, makes me incline to the
opinion that the disease was yellow fever.
We learn with regret that Fred and Fuller Guion, children
of Mr. Guion at Milan, have died with the fatal fever that carried
away their father a few days ago. Fred died yesterday and Fuller this
morning. We deeply sympathize with the family and their friends. Mrs.
Guion and the two remaining children are down and note expected to
live. In the telegram to the Smith brothers announcing the above
facts, Mr. A. Duffy, well known here states that Mrs. Duffy,
is also down with the fever. We hope she may recover. The Smith
Brothers are grocers, corner 13th and Polar streets, this city. Mr. R. Hewitt, improving, Mrs. Hewitt, improving, Hewett, 8 year-old girl, improving; Mrs. W. H. Stoner, better, Mrs. James Powers, better; Miss Powers, better; Mary Conners, convalescent; Mary Ann Sampson, sick.
Having
nothing to do last night I caught together two officials who ought to know
better than all the balance of Cairo and ascertained from them, after
considerable figuring, that there have been in Cairo since its introduction
up to noon of the 23rd instant, 70 cases and 41 deaths from yellow fever.
Name and date of first case, Martin Altham (refugee),
August 8, 1878; name and date of last case, Mary Ann Sampson,
October 21, 1878. Both were
sent to the hospital. The first died there; the last still there. There
were included in the death list, 38 residents of Cairo and 3 refugees or
nonresidents. In the 70 cases I include all “malignant, malarial,
hemorrhagic, aggravated and pernicious bilious fevers. Whenever it is
necessary to give a list of the 70 call on.
(The 26 Oct 1878, Jonesboro Gazette reported that Gertie
Baker, daughter of Judge Baker, of Cairo, died of croup at the
residence of E. D. Lawrence, in Cobden, on Wednesday, 23 Oct
1878.—Darrel Dexter) Mr. R.
Hewitt, improving, Mrs. Hewitt, convalescent, Hewett, 8
year-old girl, convalescing; Mary Conners, convalescent; Mrs. W. H.
Stoner, very sick; Mrs. James Powers, better; Miss Powers,
better; Mary Ann Sampson, convalescing. Mrs. Clara
Keno, very sick.
Mr. R. Hewitt, better; Mrs. Hewitt, better;
Hewett, 8 year old girl, convalescing; Mary Conners,
convalescent; Mrs. W. H. Stoner, bad; Mrs. James Powers,
better; Miss Powers, better; Mary Ann Sampson, bad; Miss Clara
Keno, dead. Mrs. R.
Nason, bad; John Kehoe, very sick,
At Richmond, Indiana, Oct. 23d, Edward Haythorn, after a
severe illness of six months, in the 68th years of his age.
At Cobden, Illinois, on Thursday, the 24th day of October, 1878,
of membranous croup, Gertrude Elizabeth, aged 3 years, daughter of David J.
and Elizabeth S. Baker, of Cairo.
Mr. R.
Hewitt, convalescent; Mrs. Hewitt, convalescent; Hewett, 8
year old girl, convalescing; Mary Conners, convalescent; Mrs. James
Powers, convalescent; Miss Powers, convalescent; Mary Ann
Sampson, sinking; John Kehoe, very sick. Ambrose
Pyatt (Bulletin disease) sick. Mrs. R. Nason, 12 o’clock last night; Mrs. W. H. Stoner, 5 a.m. today.
(The deaths may be the same people as Hanora Geary who
married Richard Nason on 2 Feb 1860, in Alexander Co., Ill., and
Louisiana Hardy who married William H. Stoner on 7 Jan 1876,
in Alexander Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter) At Milan, Tenn., at 12 o’clock Sunday night, October 27, Mrs. Emma Duffy, wife of Mr. A. Duffy, of yellow fever.
(Emma Smith married Anthony Duffy on 29 Dec 1861,
in Alexander Co., Ill.—Darrel Dexter)
Mr. John Kehoe at the hospital yesterday. He was a member
of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and buried by that order. When cold
weather comes, his remains will be reinterred with proper honors. The flag
at the Hibernian engine house was at half-mast in honor to him yesterday. Mr. R.
Hewitt, convalescent; Mrs. Hewitt, convalescent; John Kehoe,
very bad; Ambrose Pyatt (Bulletin disease) better. Mary Ann
Sampson, dead 2 o’clock a.m. yesterday. None Ambrose
Pyatt, better John
Kehoe, 3 p.m. yesterday
Died, in Anna, Ill., October 29, 1878, John Hooper, Vice President of the Coopers’ Union, No. 9, of Illinois. At a regular meeting of the Coopers’ Union, No. 9, of Illinois, the following preamble and resolutions were adopted: Whereas, It has pleased the most high God to remove from us, by death, our beloved brother John Hooper. Resolved, That in his death the Coopers’ Union, No. 9, of Illinois have lost a true and faithful member. Revolved, That we tender our sympathy to the family of our deceased brother in this the hour of their affliction, and for consolation we would direct them to him who alone can give consolation. Resolved, That we drape our charter in mourning for thirty days as a token of respect to our late brother. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be published in the daily appears and a copy of said papers be sent to the family of our late Brother. John Stanton, James Watt, Thomas O’Connor, T. J. Roberts, A. Armstrong, Committee
Officer Ralston of Memphis reported dead is alive and
well. He had a terrible tussle with the fever and recovered. He lost his
wife and eldest son with the fever at Raleigh. (As a matter of interest to all our readers and to the friends of the late Dr. Waldo, we copy the following obituary notice which appeared in the Chicago Tribune of October 19th.)
“Among the many who have laid down their lives in contributing to
the relief of suffering humanity since the dread yellow fever pestilence
made its appearance in the Mississippi Valley, few deserve more honorable
mention, and no one has died more like a hero in the forefront of the battle
than Dr. Roswell Waldo, U.S. Surgeon of the Marine Hospital Service,
stationed at Cairo, Ill., whose death occurred in that city at 6:15 a.m.
yesterday. Receiving a diploma after six years of study and five courses of
lectures in the Untied States Medical College of Columbian University, at
Washington, D.C., for years of which time was spent in the hospitals of that
city, he entered upon the practice of medicine well qualified for the duties
of his profession. So successful was his practice that about two years ago
he was employed by the Untied States Government to take charge of the Marine
Hospital at Cairo. He discharged the duties of the position with
satisfaction to the government, and with success among the afflicted. When
the yellow fever appeared in Cairo two months ago, he sent his family to a
place of safety in the country, and declared his intention to fight the
disease withal the ability, skill and patience he possessed, and, if
necessary, to die at his post. Constant at all times at the hospital or in
the city, wherever the sick and dying were to be found, by night and by day,
the stricken were cheered by his presence and comforted by his words. He
never hesitated, even when others of his profession refused and until
stricken down he was honest, fearless and conscientious, not only in caring
for his patients, but in announcing the presence of the yellow demon and
warning the living of the danger. He was taken down Friday the 11th inst.,
and had the constant care of brother physicians of that city, the devoted
Sisters of Mercy at the hospital, and an experience yellow fever nurse
from New Orleans, but all in vain. He died at his post and the city of
Cairo is in tears. He was a true Christian, a brave man, a successful
physician, a devoted father and a good citizen whose memory will be green in
the hearts of those who knew him as long as life shall last, while his
family will receive the sympathy, and we trust the care of a generous and
charitable people.”
We have been told that two or three persons have died in this
city within the last, forty-eight hours. A little girl of Mrs. Anthony,
the baker on Washington Avenue, died this forenoon, and another is said to
be very sick. Dr. Gordon informed the editor of the Sun this
morning that he has five bad cases of fever. We hear that all these cases
are among those who have been here all the time.
Last Saturday night at the hospital in this city Leon Peterson,
a native of Denmark, died and was buried at Seven Mile Grave yard Sunday at
noon. He had for years been a resident among us and was known as a
peaceable man, who tried had to live honestly in spite of the fact that he
was paralyzed in both hands and feet. He was a schoolmate of the late Louis
Jorgenson and was thoroughly educated, but owing to his misfortune he
was compelled to depend for substance upon whatever sympathizing friends
gave him to do. I desire to sincerely thank his benefactors in his hour of
need, especially those who were instrumental in placing him in the hospital
and contributed to defray the expenses of the funeral.
We learn from Mayor Winter that the health outlook this
morning is 100 percent better than it was yesterday morning. The Anthony
child, on Washington Avenue, and Miss Sweeney, on 19th Street, are
quite sick. Mahoney and Meehan, at the hospital, are getting
well. Miss Sullivan died last night. This is positively all who are
believed to have the fever. There are no new cases, and proper care is
being taken of the cases on hand. There should be no alarm or uneasiness.
The frost killed the fever outdoors, no doubt. Bryan Shannessy, Esq., aged 73 years, died at his residence in this city yesterday morning. He was one of our oldest and most honorable inhabitants. The editor of the Bulletin who has known him 30 years says: “‘Squire Shannessy had been a resident of the State of Illinois for a period of over forty-two years, over forty years of which time he lived in Cairo. Hence, at the time of his death he was indeed and in verity, “the oldest inhabitant.” During that long period of time he had served the people in different capacities, having filled the offices of justice of the peace, county commissioner, overseer of the poor, alderman, postmaster and police magistrate; and if in any man lives who can say that, in an official capacity, ‘Squire Shannessy wronged him out of one dollar or one cent, we have no personal knowledge of that man and never heard of him. Few citizens of Cairo are more widely known than ‘Squire Shannessy, most especially among the old residents of Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Western Kentucky. Everywhere in those sections of the country the intelligence of his death will be received with evidences of sorrow, for wherever you find an acquaintance of the old man you will be very apt to find a friend.” The funeral services were held at the residence of today and the remains taken to Villa Ridge of burial on a special train at 2 ½ o’clock this afternoon.
(A marker in Cairo City Cemetery at Villa Ridge reads: Bryan
Shannessy Born Jan.
15, 1806, Died Nov. 4, 1878. The 16 Nov 1878, Jonesboro Gazette
reported that Bryan Shannessy, the first settler in Cairo, died at
Cairo on 5 Nov 1878.—Darrel Dexter)
November 8th, 1878, at the residence of her mother, on Cedar
Street, Virginia Caroline Bouchet, niece of F. Vincent. Born
June 4th, 1856, in Yazoo City, Miss. Funeral services were held at the
Presbyterian Church at 2 p.m. today, and a special train with the remains
went to Villa Ridge for their interment this afternoon. (In a
subsequent issue the editor decided not to publish the complete list of
those who died in Cairo of yellow fever, as it might offend some
parties.—Darrel Dexter)
John Hart, an old and respected citizen of this city, died
at his residence on 21st Street last evening after an illness of some
months. Mr. Hart leaves a wife and four children who have the
sympathy of our people in their affliction. The funeral will take place
tomorrow afternoon from St. Patrick’s Church and the remains will be taken
to Villa Ridge by special train for interment.
At a little before
8 o’clock last night officers
Cain and Axley attempted to arrest a man for disorderly
conduct, near the corner of 4th Street and the Levee, and he showed fight,
and in the melee officer Cain was thrown down and the fellow
commenced beating him, when Axley attacked him with his club, but
despite both, he got loose and started to run, when officer George Wilson
coming up, commanded him to stop, but instead of obeying him, he went at
Wilson with a knife, making a slash across his left arm, and attempting
another cut, Wilson shot him, the ball entering the abdomen below and
to the left of the navel. he then surrendered and was taken to the
hospital, and is thought to be dangerously wounded. We give the story as we
heard it. No blame attaches to Officer Wilson. The name of the man
shot we did not learn.
The man shot by officer Wilson on Monday night died last night, and an inquest was held this morning. We hoped to get the verdict before going to press.
We regret to record that at the fire on the corner of 12th and
Walnut just before noon, in the residence of John Gladney, a little
colored child about 2 years of age was burned to death. How the fire
originated we have not heard. But little damage was done to the house. The
firemen were promptly on hand, and when the house was reached a woman was
trying to extinguish the flames of the bed on which the child lay.
It is now in order for our citizens to take steps towards
securing means for the erection of a monument in this city to the memory of
Dr. Waldo, or the presentation of some testimonial to his family. He
was as brave a man as Lieut. Benner, and died at the post of duty.
Let there by no delay in this matter. Who will be the first man to second
the suggestion of the Sun? Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to number among the victims of the terrible epidemic that so scourged our people, our respected and beloved Secretary, P. O’Loughlin, who departed this life on the 12th day of October 1878, and, Whereas, We deem it fit and in accordance with the usages of our company, to commemorate the worthy of our brother, alike as a fireman and citizen, therefore Resolved, That in the death of our brother, P. O’Loughlin, the Hibernian Fire Company has lost a most faithful and efficient officer, and an active and willing co-worker in all the laudable aims of his company. And be it further Resolved, That in view of their grievous and irreparable loss, this company tenders to the widow and orphan children of the diseased this sincere expression of their condolence and sympathy; and
Resolved
Finally, that as a further testimony of our bereavement, we devote a page of
our journal to the memory of our deceased brother, drape our hall in
mourning, and, causing the publication of these resolutions, in the Sun
and other Cairo papers, deliver a copy of the same to the afflicted family. Whereas, It has pleased the Almighty to number among the victims of yellow fever, that so heavily scourged our city and country, our respected and beloved brother John Crofton, who departed this life on the 15th day of September last, therefore, Resolved, That in the death of our brother Crofton the Hibernian Fire Company has lost one of its most active, energetic and faithful members, and the community a moral, upright young man, before whom there was promise of a long life of usefulness and honor.
Resolved,
That we sincerely sympathize with the bereaved relative of the deceased; and
that, as a further testimonial of our regret and sympathy, we devote a page
or our Journal to the memory of our deceased brother; cause these
resolutions to be published in the Sun and other Cairo papers, and
deliver a copy of the same to our deceased brother’s mourning relative’s
Radical RepublicanFriday,
24 May 1878:
Col. John S. Hacker, one of Southern Illinois’ pioneers,
died at Anna, Ill., on Saturday, and was buried Monday. Col. Hacker,
in his earlier days, was State Senator several times in succession, and a
soldier in the war with Mexico. He leaves many relatives and friends who
mourn the loss of a good citizen, a patriot, and an honest man. From the Cairo Evening Sun, May 18. Mr. Leo Kleb’s little son Leo, about ten o’clock this forenoon, fell into a tub of hot water, scalding his body from the waist to the knees, so that before his clothes could be removed, nearly every particle of skin was so blistered that it came off.. Dr. Dunning was called, and is doing all he can for the little sufferer. He is dangerously burned, and all who know Mr. and Mrs. Kleb, as well as the bright little boy, will sympathize with them most heartily in their sad misfortune.
(A marker in Cairo City Cemetery at Villa Ridge reads: Leo Kleb born April 4, 1875, died May 18, 1878.—Darrel Dexter)
We learn that three colored men who lived at
Columbus, Ky., when at home,
were drowned yesterday morning while the Gold Dust was at our wharf.
It appears that five men were inside the wheelhouse turning the wheel for
the carpenter, when by some accident they were all thrown into the river.
Two were rescued, but the others were drowned. We did not learn the names,
and give the item as we got it. |