Newspaper Items for Harvey County Kansas Genealogy Trails

Harvey County, Kansas

BRAKEMAN UPTON INSTANTLY KILLED BY BARBER SNODGRASS

Newton, Kan., Dec. 3---This afternoon shortly after 1:30 o'clock, George Snodgrass, a barber, shot and instantly killed Brakeman Charles Upton, in the former's rooms in the Swenson building. The murder is the outcome of a long standing trouble, Snodgrass having made repeated charged that Upton and Mrs. Snodgrass had criminal relations. He said some time ago that some of his friends had advised him to shoot Upton, but that he did not, as he did not want to further disgrace his family, especially his two young children.

A month ago Snodgrass came to the house intoxicated and abused his wife, and was severely pummelled by Upton who at that time was boarding with the Snodgrass family. It is said by some that at that time Snodgrass threatened to shoot Upton. He said that Upton loafed around the house too much.

It was about 1:30 when Upton, who had spent the morning in hunting, went up to Snodgrass' rooms. He seated himself at the dinner table. A bowl of soup was brought at him and he had taken only a mouthful when Snodgrass excitedly rushed into the room. Seeing Upton sitting at the table, he shouted, "You ----- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----, what are you doing?"

Whipping out a .38 calibre revolver, Snodgrass fired at Upton before the latter could say a word. The bullet struck Upton on the right side of the head, behind the ear, coming out of his forehead.

Upton staggered to his feet and tried to escape to the kitchen. As he did so, Snodgrass fired twice more without effect. Upton staggered about six feet and fell dead through the door of the kitchen.

Snodgrass rushed from the room after he fired the shots and ran down the street to his barber shop.

Mrs. Snodgrass was in the dining room talking to Upton when the murder occurred. As Snodgrass shot Upton, she cried: "Oh, George, what have you done?" A moment later she fainted and was carried out of the room.

Miss Dell Morgan, a sister of Mr. Snodgrass in relating her story to a correspondent of the Capital said:

"I was at work in the kitchen at the time it happened. I heard George (Snodgrass) come in and speak to Upton. Then in an instant came the shots. There were only two of them. I rushed to the entrance from the kitchen to the dining room and saw Upton fall. Then I opened the window and screamed. George immediately turned and rushed out.

Snodgrass went immediately to Ollinger's barber shop. He did not say a word to anyone, but walked the floor backward and forward as though he were in a dusturbed state of mind. One of the barbers in the shop asked him what was the matter.

"Nothing," said Snodgrass, and continued his ceaseless walk.

In a few minutes Under Sheriff Charles Judkins came hurrying into the shop and said:

"George, I want you."

Snodgrass said not a work but simply walked away with him. He was hurried to the jail and placed in a cell. Judkins locked himself in with him and no one was allowed to see him.

Upton was a man of about 35 years of age and was a brakeman employed on the Santa Fe. He had worked here about a year and all of that time had boarded with the Snodgrass family. It is said that he had a wife and family in Chicago, whence he came to this city. He had always borne a good reputation.

About two weeks ago, he was called before Superintendent Parker of the Santa Fe and informed that serious charges had been made against him by Snodgrass.

Snodgrass had written a letter to Superintendent Avery Turner alleging that Upton was intimate with his wife; that he (Snodgrass) was practically an outcase from his family and giving the names of witnesses who would bear him out in his statements.

The letter was forwarded here by Superintendent Turner and Upton and his attorney, County Attorney W. S. Allen, were called to this office of Superintendent Parker. Upton was told that he must leave Snodgrass' house, which he did and went to board at the Bon Ton restaurant.

This morning, he went out hunting and came home with some game and went to the home of Snodgrass. Mrs. Snodgrass prepared him a dinner, which he was eating when the tragedy occurred.

Snodgrass, though a drinking man, has always been kind to his family and has had a good reputation.

Great excitement previals in town and people are divided as to where the blame lies.
(Topeka Weekly Capital ~ December 7, 1897)

EXPRESS CAR ROBBED

Two Robbers Board Express Car at Newton, Kan., Murder the Messenger and Rob Car of $1,000 and Some Jewelry---Robbers Escape to the Woods

Newton, Kas., March 29---Two robbers early today murdered O. A. Bailey, of Kansas City, an express messenger of the Wells Fargo Express Company, in the car of a westbound Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe train between Florence and Newton, Kans., robbed both the local and through the safe, taking at least $1,000 and some jewelry and escaped.

The body of Messenger Bailey was found when the train reached Newton. It was stretched on the floor of the car, lying in a pool of blood. The back of the skull was crushed and the end of the car in which it was lying be spattered with blood. There was no evidence of any struggle. The indications are that the murder was committed while the messenger was asleep. Bailey was last seen alive at Strong City. At Peabody, someone opened the car door just enough to throw out a package of way bills and then closed it quickly.

The custom of the messenger has been to go to sleep soon after leaving Florence and it is probably he did this last night. After slaying the sleeping messenger, the robbers covered the dead man's head with his coat, took the safe keys from the dead man's pocket and ransacked the safe. Then the keys were put into Bailey's overcoat and the coat was folded and put in his grip, where it was found later.

When the train slowed down at the Missouri Pacific crossing east of Newton, two men were seen by the engineer to jump from the trai and run south. The south door of the express car was found open when the train reached Newton station.

Officers, soon after the murder and robbery, were scouring the country. A reward of $1,000 has been offered by the Wells Fargo Express Company for the apprehension of the robbers. Three men were arrested tonight at Wichita on suspicion. No other trace of the robbers has been found.

The murdered man was about 30 years old. He was only recently married.
(Charlotte Observer ~ March 30, 1908)

A KANSAS GIRL REJECTED HIM

The Murder of Miss Oma Beers at Newton and a Hired Man's Suicide

Newton, Kas., July 15---Miss Oma Beers, daughter of Frank Beers, a conductor on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad, running between Newton and Purcell, I. T., was murdered half a mile west of this city Saturday night by Herbert Shacklett, who afterwards shot and killed himself. Miss Beers, who was only 18 years old, lived in the extreme western part of the town and was driving home alone from an entertainment which she had attended. She was waylaid by Shacklett who was infatuated with her, and shot four times. The murderer then drove three miles west of town, laid the body of the murdered girl on the ground by the side of the road, turned the horses loose, lay down in the road and shot himself through the heart.

The deed though committed about 11 o'clock at night, was not dicovered until yesterday morning at 5 o'clock. The mother told the police the girl was missing at midnight. Assisted by citizens, they scoured the country, but body not being found until daylight.

Public feeling runs high. The girl was a favorite in social circles. Had the murderer not killed himself, he probably would have been lynched. Shacklett had been employed several weeks at the Beers home as a man of all work about the place. He formed an attachment for the young woman, who did not return it. He made threats against the girl's life to his companions, but no attention was paid to them.
(Kansas City Star ~ July 15, 1901)
((NOTE: Oma is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Newton. Herbert is also buried in that cemetery))

WHOLE FAMILY POISONED

Something in the Coffee Kills a Lot of Kansas People

NEWTON, KAS., March 3---The entire family of E. L. Snyder, a merchant of Sedgwick, near here, was accidentally poisoned by some unknown substance in the coffee yesterday noon. Mrs. Snyder died within a few hours in terribe agony and Snyder died last night. It is not expected the children will survive.
(Omaha World Herald ~ March 4, 1894)

KILLS HIS DAUGHTER

Kansas Farmer Then Turns Gun and Ends His Own Life---Unsettled Mind the Cause

Newton, Kas., Feb. 27---William H. Hart, a farmer living four miles north of Newton, shot and killed his 10-year-old daughter, Myrtle, as she was dressing this morning, and then killed himself. The death of his youngest child a year ago unsettled his mind.
(Kalamazoo Gazette ~ February 28, 1905)

AFFRAY AT NEWTON

From the Topeka papers we learn the particulars of a terrible shooting affray at Newton, the terminus of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Road, which took place on Saturday night last:

About a week ago it will be remembered that a railroad man named McClusten shot a Texan named Bailey at Newton. It was generally believed at least among the "short horns" of Newton, that McClusten killed Bailey in self defence and we understand taht after the shooting McClusten was put on the police force in the town. On Saturday night McClusten was attacked by a Texan named Martin, a friend of Bailey, deceased in the dance hosue in the suburb known as Hyde Park. McClusten was shot three times and killed either by Martin alone or aided by other Texans. McClusten's friends then shot and killed Martin and the fight between the "short horns" and the "long horns" became general. In the melee and promiscuous firing, two men were wounded, it is suppose mortally, and a number, varying according to different accounts from four to fifteen were dangerously hurt; probably the smallest number is nearest the truth. One of the Texans who had been badly hurt in the row, came up on the noon train from Newton today. Pat. Lee, one of the two reported mortally wounded was much better this morning.

Later - A note received from Newton informed us that seven were wounded. Our correspondent represents that Martin was endeavoring to quiet a distrubance, instead of creating it. The following is the list of wounded: Arthur Delaney, St. Louis, neck, back and leg, dead; Jim Martni, neck, dead; Hugh Anderson, high priest, thigh and leg, doring fairly; Patrick Lee, bowels, critical; Jim Wilkerson, nose, sight; ____ leg, slight; ____ Hickey, leg, slight; Henry Kearnes, right breast, fatal; William Garrett, shoulder and breast, fatal. (Walnut Valley Times, El Dorado, Kansas, August 25, 1871)