CHAPTER VII.
TALES OF TRAGEDY.
| 1854 | Young Lady. Burned to death on Rock Creek, three miles south of Brenner. |
| 1855 | Waggoner and Swintz. Shot near present site of
Severance. Samuel Collins. Killed at Doniphan November 29. |
| 1856 | Unknown. Drowned at Bellemont Bend. |
| 1857 | Unknown. Found murdered in Marion township. George Parker. Killed by engine boiler explosion in Doniphan. Parker and Milburn. Killed by lightning near Syracuse. Henry Latham. Murdered at Doniphan. Connor. Killed by a horse east of Troy. |
| 1858 | John Pierson. Death by suicide near Iowa
Point. Cornelius McCoy. Drwned in Independence Creek near Rector's Ford. W. K. Easley. Killed on a bridge over Roy's Creek in September. |
| 1859 | Charles Dewy. Drowned in the Missouri, at White Cloud,
June 13. John Kinison. Drowned in the Missouri, near White Cloud, May 27. Dana Fox. Murdered near Highland. |
| 1860 | Murphy. Killed crossing a bridge over a small branch
of Wolf River, in Iowa township. Charles MoCloskey. Accidentally shot while hunting. |
| 1861 | Negro Slave. Killed by slave hunters near
Troy. Alex. Kinkead. Stabbed and killed in Burr Oak township, by Joseph Tribble. Parker A. Hooper. Killed at Hooper's Ford in April, by John Cummings. Chas. Hamilton. Killed by James Carr, at Charleston. |
| 1862 | "White Horse" (Indian). Found dead on Reservation,
White Cloud, January 29. Whitney. Son of O. C. Whitney, White Cloud, killed by falling from his horse, December 16. Webster. Killed by soldiers at White Cloud, September 8. D. W. Fritzlein. Shot and killed by John Young, between Elwood and Wathena, September '21. Unknown. Found dead on Devil's Run in northeastern Wolf River township. Samuel Slaughter. Killed by soldiers near Elwood, September 4. Grandison Wilson. Killed by soldiers near Walnut Grove, Sept. '2. |
| 1863 | James Round. Accidentally shot himself December 16,
near Brown County line. Two Indians, "Bob White Cloud and "Thermana." Killed in quarrel on Reservation. Dr. E. S. Bowman. Killed by lightning near Welch's branch in Wolf River township, September 3. Ward L. Lewis. Shot by an assasin at Elwood. |
| 1865 | Wm. Frazier. Killed in cyclone near Highland Station,
June 16. Mary Malen. Burned to death near the present site of Moray. Frank Whipple. Drowned in Independence Creek, August 5. Jacob Wingett. Accidentally shot by James Pickett, in White Cloud, June 5. Daniel O'Rouke. Killed by L. S. Jennings near White Cloud, in September. |
| 1866 | Jefferson. Three colored children of Highland were
burned to death, February 12. John More. Killed by lightning near Troy, October 7. Unknown. Drowned in the Missouri near Elwood, about September 12. Rebecca Robertson. Died from injuries received while skating near home in northeastern Wolf River township, February 2. Joseph Hunt. Editor of the Troy Reporter, died of injuries received by falling from house. |
| 1867 | Unknown. Two men were drowned in the Missouri, between
Elwood and St. Joseph, Feb. 10. Schuster. Stabbed and killed by John Hartman, in Burr Oak township. Smith B. Head. Shot by Hugh J. Randolph, Marion Township. Randolph was killed in a well a few years afterwards. John Barlow. Killed in a well on what is now the Charles Albers farm near Syracuse, April 17. Mullenix. Son of Charles Mullenix was drowned near Mauck's mill, July 24. |
| 1868 | John Miller. Accidentally shot and killed himself,
March 22, on the steamer St. Joseph. Terence Harkins. Killed by Indians, about 125 miles this side of Laramie, September 21. Home near White Cloud. James Coates. Drowned in the Missouri, at Lafayette, in Doniphan County, July 28. |
| 1869 | N. Smith. Suicided with razor; home south of Troy, on
Rock creek. Unknown. Boy, drowned in the Missouri September 30. |
| 1870 | Juda. Crushed to death by cars in Doniphan, about Dec.
22. Sproles. Scalded to death in Doniphan in the pork house scalding tank, about Dec. 23. |
| 1871 | Frank Gossin. Fell into a well at Troy, August
8. Mrs. Sawyer. Killed by the falling of a tree in Gladden's Bottom, Aug. 22. |
| 1872 | Joseph D. Pierce. Gored to death by a bull on Rock
Creek, near Doniphan, July 29. Margaret Morley. Died from the effects of an over dose of laudanum, near Norway, January 27. John Lysaght. Killed in a runaway in Burr Oak township, December 11. McLaughlin. Boy, aged 13, died from exposure and sickness, caused by extreme cruelty, in White Cloud, March 24. Mrs. Thomas Lynch. Killed by cars at Troy, April 9. Jonathan Rigby. Shot himself accidentally, near Geary City, March 28. Elijah Young. Killed by lightning, west of Norway, July 15. Hancock. Child of George Hancock, burned to death at Doniphan, March 2. Mrs. Doms. Died from injuries received in a cyclone, May 3. Brown. Son of Mr. Brown of White Cloud, drowned in the Missouri, in December. Kelley. Drowned himself in the Missouri near White Cloud, Aug. 6. Guy Craig. Accidentally shot in Wathena, November. 10. Alexander Roum. Accidentally killed in scuffle with John Retchetzkie, over a revolver. Both men were from Brenner, but this occurred in Seneca, November 12. |
| 1873 | Fireman Perkins. Killed by cars on the A. &. N.
railway between Troy Junction and Doniphan, March 31. Mrs. Elliot. Shot herself at Geary City, August 4. |
| 1874 | Meers. Son of Nathaniel Meers, accidentally shot near
Troy January 1. James Burke. Dragged to death by a horse, in the St. Benedict neighborhood, September 10. Darius Willis. Killed by threshing machine. E. Linder. Suicide by poison at Higby House, Troy, June 11. James Fulton. Shot in a quarrel, near Wathena, in August. Elijah Emery. Killed by cars in Geary City, October 17. John Trotman. Suicide by drowning in Peter's creek, October 23. Ketchem. Six year old girl, burned to death near Geary City. January 22. |
| 1875 | James McGalliard. Killed in a well in District No. 49,
January 20. Harrison Grab (colored). Shot and killed by a mob near Troy. James McPherson, of Wathena, one of the mob, was accidentally shot and killed at the same time. Arthur P. Combe. Shot and killed by a man named Harris, in Doniphan, April 6. Berry. Daughter of Thomas Berry of Leona, died of snake bite, in August. Anna Pengra. Drowned (?) in the Missouri, north of Troy, June 2. Mrs. Cowley. Died suddenly on the cars at Troy Junction, August 17. Elsworth Monroe. Drowned in pond near Troy, September 5. Mrs. Wm. Hurst. Killed by husband at White Cloud, July 29. John O'Shea. Murdered near East Norway, April 5. Hugh Randolph. Killed in a well in Marion Township, August 24. Nicholls. Son of Mr. Nicholls, south of Troy, poisoned, August 16. |
| 1876. | Mrs. Brackenbury. Killed by the cars near Fanning,
November 10. Chris. Turkleson. Drowned near Leona, February 19. Thomas B. Blackenship. Killed by falling from his wagon in Burr Oak Township, March 4. Cornelius Kirley. Kicked to death by a mule. James Kirley, his brother, was crushed to death by a wagon some years later. The father, Patrick Kirley, was thrown from his horse and killed, in July 1898, near St. Benedict's church. |
| 1877 | Hopkins. A child of Dr. G. S. Hopkins, accidentally
poisoned in Severance, September 1. Charles M. Devine. Suicide by hanging, near Highland, October 11. |
| 1878 | Calvert. Daughter of Jasper Calvert, kicked by a horse
near Troy, October 14. Clement Pope. A young son of Clement Pope, killed by a small cyclone, near Norway, now Moray, July 30. Moses Black. Killed by flying timber in wind storm, near Pleasant Ridge, Wayne Township, July 3. J. R. Jeffries. Dragged to death by a mule, near Highland, August 20. |
| 1879 | Joseph Sykes. Stabbed and killed by Ira McIntyre, in
Severance, November 16. Thomas McGee. Died from the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain caused by a fall on railroad bridge at Severance in March. Andrew Loyd. Killed by cars at Brenmier, February 25. Joseph Schneider. Shot by sheriff while resisting arrest in Burr Oak Township, September 3. |
| 1880 | B. F. Herring. Shot and killed himself August 16, near
Highland. Leslie Watkins. Ten year old boy kicked by a horse, February 24. Mrs. LeDeu. Killed by the cars near White Cloud, in February. She was one hundred years old. Milburn. Two year old child, poisoned by little brothers near Brush Creek in December. Ed. Hayton. Accidentally shot himself near Wathena, October 20. |
| 1881 | Norman Steanson. Son of Thomas Steanson, north of
Norway, kicked by a mule, August 6. Miss F. Furguson. Suicide by poison, at Troy Junction, December 9. Unknown. Drowned in pool of water at Wathena, during the rise of the Missouri. Nelson. Small child of Mrs. L. C. Nelson of Severance, came to her death by administration of wrong medicine, March '29. Charles McCauley, Frank Wheeler, William Dunn. Killed in rear end train collision between Troy and Wathena, June 17. |
| 1882 | John Hines, Accidentally shot and killed himself on
Wolf river, January 6. Michael Kelley. Killed by cars near Fanning, January 14. Loander Hoverson. Killed by cars at Norway, March 23. Richter. Shot and killed by his wife near Leona, May 2. She then shot and killed herself. John James. Accidentally shot and killed at Doniphan by a companion, May 4. Charles Morehead. Killed by cars near Severance, May '29. |
| 1883 | Judge Price. Suicided at Troy, April 8. Neal Gillen. Drowned in Union Township, June 16. Fred Mueller. Suicide, Burr Oak Township, June 14. George McDaniel. Killed by cars near Highland Station, July 9. Robinson (boy.) Dragged to death by cow, at Severance, December 10. John Burria. Killed in runaway near Highland, March 27. |
| 1884 | Charles McCabe. Hung himself in Union Township, March
1. John Dunning (boy.) Hung himself at Doniphan, March 11. Marion Stairwalt. Accidentally killed in a saw mill at Petersburg Bottoms, April 3. Cathers. Killed by cars at Iowa Point, April 25. Jacob Zimmerman. Hung himself near Troy, August 15. James Brenteno. Accidentally killed at threshing machine, in Union Township, August '29. Wm. Ege and Joseph Langan. Poisoned by mistake at bar in Doniphan, November 1. Charles Williams. Suicide by shooting, at White Cloud, December 14. Peter Studer. Killed by a fall from a wagon, December 13. George Donaldson. Killed by cars near Norway, November 21. |
| 1885. | James Bethards. Suicide by shooting, west of Troy,
March 18. William A. Fenley. Killed by Peter Weininger, near Highland, in June. |
| 1886. | James Dryden. Killed by cars near Troy, December '22. |
| 1887 | William S. Myers. Drowned near Troy, June 17. Paul Gentet. Killed by lightning, in Marion Township, July 20. Michael Buckley. Killed by the cars near Wathena, August 26. R. H. Barber. Killed by accidental discharge of gun, near White Cloud, January 17. |
| 1888 | "Mrs. J. C. Weidensaul. Suicide by shooting, north of
Highland. May 5. Mulligan (boy.) Accidentally shot himself, near Severance, June 11. Wm. Cole. Killed by the cars at Wathena, July 4. Deaf and dumb. James C. Williamson. Neck broken in runaway, in Washington Township, August 3. Ed. Williams. Suicide by shooting, at his home on Mosquito creek, September 8. Tom Kirley. Killed in runaway in Union Township December 4. |
| 1889 | Ferdinand Von Leevre. Murdered at his home in Wayne
Township in January. Mick. Killed on Indian Reservation by Frank DeLong, June 30. Nathan Bender. Suffocated in a well near Doniphan, October 30. J. W. Cook. Killed in a cellar at Wathena by a blow received in falling, June 6. |
| 1890 | Neal Heeney. Killed by lightning near Severance, May
31. J. S. Williams. Killed by ears two miles west of Bendena, June 11. Charles Dockhorn. Shot and killed by Charles Carroll, near Elwood in April. |
| 1891 | Freeman. Suicide by shooting after having killed his
wile and child in Severance, August 4. Wm. H. Mertz. Suicide at Leona, November 28. Fred Paul. Killed by cars at Elwood, December 2. Otto Vogt. Killed in runaway, north of Troy, December 11. |
| 1892 | Napoleon B. Boxley. Killed by cars, at Elwood, about December 21. |
| 1893 | Neal Pinyerd. Accidentally killed in a watermelon
patch near Denton, in August. Charles Rowe. Killed by falling from the cars near Wathena, July 4. Lewis Schletzbaum. Drowned in Doniphan Lake, August 6. |
| 1894 | Unknown. Killed by cars in Goll's cut, one mile east of Severance, during the winter. |
| 1895 | Garvey. Son of T. Garvey of Severance, dragged to
death by a horse. William Hayton. Dragged to death by a team hitched to a wagon at Troy, April 12. William Mack (colored.) Killed by cars near Bendena, June 11. James Wright. Killed at White Cloud by Sesto, an Italian, June 23. Drenning, Shanklin. Ed. Drenning, killed by cars while making an attempt to save Shanklin, who was on the track, September 21. |
| 1896 | John Jones. Neck broken by fall from a load of hay,
near Bendena, November 10. Jacob Kout. Dragged to death by his horses in Union Township in January. |
| 1897 | Unknown. Killed by cars at Severance during the
summer. Charles Rosquin. Killed by the cars near Bendena, in March. |
| 1898 | Wendell Braun. Nine year old son of Wendell Braun. drowned in cistern near Doniphan, November 6. |
| 1899 | Henry Smith. Drowned in the Missouri, July 23. E. A. Harriot. Killed by falling from cars at Wathena, September 6. John Ruhl. Killed in a runaway near Highland, September 21. Dittemore. Son of Bud Dittemore, burned to death in November. Milford Booth. A bachelor who lived in a dug-out near Iowa Point, smothered to death by a cave-in, in the spring of the year. |
| 1900 | Capt. Casey. Shot by Ed. Young on the Charleston Bar,
April 3. Wm. Bridgens. Killed by the cars at Elwood, February 28. Mary Herring. Burned to death near Highland Station. November 15. Jordan Vanderslice. Died of hydrophobia near Highland Station, August 25. Lizzie Vanbebber. Suicide by poisoning near Leona, July 9. Wm. Folche. Died in a well near Brenner, in March. Mrs. James Galloway. Drowned in the river near Wathena, in August. Perry Round. Drowned in the Missouri river at Elwood, August 10. |
| 1901 | Carl White. Shot and fatally injured by Howard Lang, at Troy, September 29. |
| 1902 | Thomas Nelson. Killed at Geary City, October 26. |
| 1903 | Fred Huff. Accidentally shot himself on Cedar Creek, February 6. |
| 1904 | Tony Long (colored.) Killed by the cars at Wathena,
September 3. Edward Doyle. Killed by the cars between Troy and Wathena, May 22. Isaac Miller. Suicide at Elwood, September 6. |
| 1905 | Geo. Erskine. Killed by falling from a load of hay,
January 15. Vera Curtis. Suicide by drinking carbolic acid, two miles west of Troy, July 1. Wm. Mitchel. Shot and killed in his bed at Troy, in June. Five Men. Five men were drowned in the Missouri, above Elwood, early in the spring. |
George D. Bennett, County Assessor in 1861, but later a notorious horse thief, was caught and hung near Wathena on Sunday, August 14, 1864. His depredations in connection with a gang of thieves and murderers had been numerous and aggravating. He committed an outrage during the winter of 1863-4, barely escaping being caught by leaving the state. When he fled his wife remained at Elwood. A few days before his final capture he was seen lurking around his place. The citizens, determined to make him pay the penalty, found him in his hiding place in a hay mow, and took him to Wathena, where preparations were made to hang him. He proposed if the men would not hang him, he would tell where a valuable stallion, that had been stolen from a Mr. Rogers, could be found. He attempted to escape but was shot and severely wounded by four or five bullets. There was no delay, he was strung up at once and left hanging for some time. On the following day his remains were buried in Bellemont cemetery.
Transcribed from Gray's Doniphan County history: A record of the happenings of half a hundred years. By P. L. (Patrick Leopoldo) Gray. Bendena, Kan.: The Roycroft Press, 1905. 3p. l. [11]-84, 166, [2] p. front., plates, ports. 24 cm.
