Seven Sons From One Kansas
Family in Service
The home of George A. Randal in America City, Nemaha
County, Kan., is entitled to a seven-starred service flag for seven of his sons are in the nation's armed forces,
four in the Army and three in the Navy. Above, No. 1, is Garrett, V. H., 25 Army; Nov. 2, Arthur S., 29, Navy;
Nov. 3, Vernet H., 23, Army; No. 4, Richard G., 22, Army; Nov. 5, Robert C. 38, Navy; No. 6, Wayne A., 40, Navy;
No. 7, George V., 33, Army. Three other sons have tried to enlist. Mrs. Randel, mother of 13, died in 1923.
Undated Scrapbook Clipping - submitted by Karen Fyock
REMARKABLE ACTIONS OF
A RESPECTABLE YOUNG LADY
Farmer Drowns' Hogs Killed and His Dog Poisoned--She
is Finally Shot and Captured--The Villagers Perplexed
SENECA, Kan., Dec. 18---The people in this vicinity
are perplexed over a mystery, which, in many respects, has never had a counterpart in this section of the country.
Walter Drowns is a well-to-do farmer, who lived until a few days ago in Granada township. He stood well among his
neighbors, and his wife was highly esteemed. She and her sister, Miss Nellie McCarthy, were school teachers in
the vicinity before her marriage to Drowns, and after that event Nellie went to live with them at their home in
Granada. The family appeared to be a happy one. Two years ago this fall Miss McCarthy disappeared very suddenly,
and although her relatives spoke lightly of her departure, as it was nothing unexpected, the neighbors got the
idea that there was a secret at the bottom of the affair. After the lapse of several months, however, the circumstancles
were almost forgotten, when interest in them was revived by an occurrence which has not yet been satisfactorily
explained.
On the night of Nov. 1, just two years from the
time that Miss McCarthy disappeared, a neighbor of Mr. Drowns had occasion to visit the Drowns residence. The night
was dark and rainy, but as he walked toward the house he thought he saw in the light which streamed from one of
the windows a human figure crouching near the dwelling. He paused for some minutes and watched the object until
he was sure that he was not mistaken, and then, approaching nearer, he called out:
"Hello, there! Who are you?"
There was a rustling in the dripping bushes, and
when the visitor had reached the spot the stranger had vanished in the darkness. Going into the house the neighbor
told Mr. Drowns of the circumstance, and the two men made a search of the yard and the buildings adjacent, but
found nothing unusual. The next night, soon after dark, the watch dog began barking furiously and, though Mr. Drowns
sallied out and endeavored to pacify the beast, he was unsuccessful. All night long the faithful animal continued
its yelps and howls and sleep in the house was out of the question. In the morning Mr. Drowns found that four or
five of his hogs were dead in their pens. On the following night the dog was quiet until about midnight, when it
began again, and, though Mr. Drowns made a tour of his place, he found no intruder. Toward morning the dog became
quiet, and when its owner went out in the morning he found that the beast had died.
On the next night the men stationed themselves
out of doors, waiting until darkness made it an easy matter for them to hide. Drowns hid in a dry goods box on
the east side of the house. Melvin Young, a neighbor, took up his position under a bush just west of the house,
and Sam Griffin, the hired man, hid in the smoke house to the rear, where he could observe the entire back yard.
At about 10 o'clock Young observed a figure creeping
along toward the house from the orchard, and after making sure that it was a human being he called out:
"Who's there?"
Receiving no answer, though the object came to
a halt, he said:
"Answer, or I'll fire!"
The object turned to run in the direction of the
orchard and Young, raising his rifle, fired. The report brought the other men and Mrs. Drowns to the spot, and
the pursuit was continued. Drowns, spying the fugitive, raised his gun and fired, and, a moment later, Young fired
again. This time there was a piercing scream, followed by the shriek:
"My God! You have killed me!"
Mrs. Drowns appears to have recognized the voice,
for she rushed past the men, bidding them at the same time to cease shooting, and, coming up to the fugitive, she
raised the head and beheld her own sister, Nellie McCarthy. The men bore the girl to the house, where it was discovered
that she had two revolvers and a bottle of strychnine. Her wound was in the muscles of the right leg, just above
the knee, and was pronounced not serious by the physician who was summoned. For more than a week the whole affair
was kept a secret, and when it finally leaked out and the neighbors began to manifest a curiosity to see the young
woman, she had gone, and the Drownses were unwilling to talk about the matter. A little later Mr. Drowns sold all
his property, and with his wife moved away.
One of the most mysterious things about the case
is how the girl could have stayed in this neighborhood so long and not have been discovered. Nobody saw her come.
Nobody knows where she stayed during the days and nights she was haunting the Drowns house. Nobody saw her go away.
(Trenton Evening Times ~ 24 Dec 1885)
WIFE MURDERER PARDONED
After Fouteen Years Evidence Is Deemed Insufficient
to Convict
Topeka, Kan., Nov. 2---Governor Morrill today granted
a pardon to Alfred Harding, a colored man of Independence, Montgomery county, who is serving a life sentence in
the penitentiary for the murder of his wife. The Governor acted upon the recommendation of the board of pardons,
which reported that there was no evidence against the prisoner. The report shows that Harding was convicted by
public sentiment. His wife died suddenly March 15, 1881. He was arrested March 16, found guilty and sentenced March
22, and taken to the penitentiary March 23. It was supposed that Mrs. Harding was poisoned, but the board of pardons
was unable to find that any evidence of poison was introduced at the trial of the case.
A pardon was also granted to Morgan Strickney of
Nemaha county, who is serving a term in the penitentiary for burglary. The board of pardons found that the prisoner
was the victim of a plot by personal enemies, who were anxious to get him out of the way. Daniel Berchfield, the
prosecuting witness, was a personal enemy of the Stickney family, and it has been shown, to the satisfaction of
the board, that he conspired to get young Stickney into his store at night to make a case of burglary.
(Kansas City Times ~ November 3, 1895)
A NEIGHBORHOOD FEUD RESPONSIBLE
FOR A KANSAS KILLING
Corning, Kas., July 25---Two men and three women
are under arrest as a result of the fatal fight at a school district meeting near here Saturday afternoon. The
prisoners are August and Frederick Keehn, brothers, their two sisters and the wife of Frederick Keehn.
The prisoners were all taken to the county jail
at Seneca, the county seat of Nemaha county. It is not probable that the women will be held. So far as known they
had no actual part in the killing.
AT A SCHOOL DISTRICT MEETING
The fatal fight, which resulted in the death of
William Bleisner, the probably fatal injury of his father, Frederick Bleisner, and the injury of three other persons,
took place in the presence of most of the patrons of school district No. 100, which is about two and a half miles
south of Corning. A business meeting of the district had been held in the schoolhouse. As it adjourned and the
farmers and their wives filed out of the building the fight started.
Just what was the immediate cause of it no one
who knows has yet come forward to tell. There is a feud between the families which had been in progress for a year.
It had its beginning in one of those trivial affairs that start most neighborhood feuds. The elder Bleisner was
a trustee of Reilly township, and as such had charge of the township property. It is alleged that one of the Keehns
had a spade in his possession that belonged to the township and refused to give it up.
Previous to the school district meeting Saturday
the enemies had not met for some time. The elder Bleisner and the Keehns were observed to be in a dispute. August
Keehn struck Bleisner on the head with a board and knocked him unconscious. William Bleisner started to the rescue
of his father. Mrs. Thomas Kahl, who had attended the school meeting, seized William Bleisner and begged him to
keep out of the trouble. As she pleaded with him, Frederick Keehn fired and killed him. Keehn was so close when
he fired that Mrs. Kahl's dress was ignited by the flash of the weapon.
Chester Bleisner, a younger brother of William
Bleisner, was plowing in a field nearby and heard the shot. Leaving his plow, he ran to the schoolhouse to see
what was the matter. One of the Keehns struck him on the head with a chain, but did not injure him severely. Thomas
Kahl also was struck by the chain but was not badly injured.
As soon as the news of the killing reached here,
J. B. Baker, deputy sheriff, and J. E. Cook, Sr., and J. E. Cook, Jr., constables, went to the scene and arested
the members of the Keehn family and took them to Seneca. The date for a preliminary hearing has not been set.
The Bleisners had lived in this neighborhood twenty
years and had never been in any trouble before. William Bleisner was 32 years old and leaves a widow and five children.
The Keehns have lived here a number of years and
have considerable property. They have been in trouble a number of times and usually went armed.
(Evening Times ~ July 25, 1910)
SEARCH FOR BENEFICIARY OF
THE KANSAS SUICIDE
MARY ANN WEST
$25,000 ESTATE LEFT TO HER
Aged Woman Living Near State Bridge Says She Had
Distant Relatives in the State, But Has Lost Track of Their Names and Places of Residence
ONEIDA, March 19 --- As far as can be ascertained
after diligent inquiry there is no person named Mary Ann West living in the city, reference to whom is made by
press dispatches from Chapman, Kansas, in connection with the shooting and killing of his wife by Robert Kenny,
who afterwards committed suicide, and the provisions of his will. She was said to be his aunt.
The city directory mentions Miss Alice A. West,
whose home is at Durhamville, as being employed at dressmaking by Mrs. Cora Warn at No. 70 Madison street, and
Harvey M. West, an employee of the Olney Canning company, as living at No. 17 Elm street. The deceased mother of
Harvey M. West was named Mary Ann West, but it is not believed that she was the person referred to in the dispatches
from Chapman.
There is a Mrs. Mary Ann West living about four
and a half miles northeast of this city in the town of Vernon, her home being on the State road east of State Bridge
and near the Seventh Day Baptist church at the intersection of the State and Ridge roads. This Mrs. Mary Ann West
is an aunt of Harvey M. West of this city. When seen at her home yesterday afternoon Mrs. West stated that she
had no information about the tragedy in Kansas. She said she supposed she had distant relatives living out there,
but as to what their names and places of residence might be she did not know. Mrs. West is well advanced in years.
The relationship between this Mrs. Mary Ann West
and the Kennys of Chapman does not appear to be ordinarily well defined. An attorney living here has taken the
matter up for investigation, and if it proves that Mrs. West of the State road is the person referred to, will
see to it that her interests are protected. The estate of the suicide is reported to have been valued at $25,000.
(Syracuse Herald ~ March 19, 1904 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)
FIGHTING SON OF BERN WELCOMED
HOME FROM WAR
BERN, Kan. --- The Town of Bern turned out in force
Friday to welcome home its first fighting son of the Vietnam war.
The town's two fire trucks, the mail truck, numerous
cars with blaring horns and 75 to 100 townspeople were on hand to welcome Spec. 4 Jerry Wilson, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Ward Wilson, home after being injured in action by a land mine July 12.
Jerry called his parents from nearby Marysville,
Mo., the first they knew he was coming, and word spread. In 30 minutes, the cheering crowd assembled.
The official kiss of welcome was given Jerry by
Linda Shiek and Mayor John Nebgen told Jerry, "We turned out in everyday clothes to welcome you home as you
were every day among us."
A cash gift was given to Jerry by the people of
Bern to help replace the personal belongings he had to leave after his injury in Vietnam.
Following his stay of a few days in Bern, he will
report back to the hospital in Denver where he had been recuperating earlier this week.
(Joplin Globe ~ August 19, 1967 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)
BANKER COMMITS
SUICIDE
The President of Kansas Institution Shoots Himself
at His Home
St. Joseph, Mo., July 27---Robert Thornborrow,
president of the State Bank of Bancroft, Kan., committed suicide yesterday by shooting himself at his home at Wetmore,
Kan.
The cashier of the Bancroft bank was arrested July
13 on complaint of the Kansas state bank examiner, who alleged there was a shortage of $1,000.
(Grand Forks Herald ~ July 28, 1912 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)
THE ONE EXECUTION
NEMAHA COUNTY CLAIMS THE ONLY LEGAL HANGING IN
KANSAS
SENECA, KAN., Jan. 31---THE TIME, very properly,
has often urged the wise and learned lawmakers of Kansas to take some intelligent action regarding the present
law of capital punishment in this state. In this connection it may be of interest to all, and a fact unknown to
a majority of the people in this state, that Nemaha enjoys the distinction of being the only county in Kansas that
has ever had a murderer legally executed according to due process and form of law.
The records show that on November 20, 1866, Milton
Baugh shot Jesse S. Dennis, who had joined a sheriff's posse to capture Baughn who was wanted for horse stealing.
He was one of the noted desperadoes of that time and was a leading spirit in the gang of villains who made their
headquarters at Ellwood, opposite St. Joseph, Mo. Another man by the name of Neillix was shot at the same time
by a man by the name of Jack Mooney, who escaped. Baughn was captured, tried, convicted and hung. Albert N. Horton,
new chief justice of this state, was appointed by Judge St. Clair to assist in the prosecution, and was allowed
$200 by the court for his services. Hon. J. E. Taylor of this city, then a young and promising lawyer, was awarded
$30 as copyist.
Baughn was executed in the present court house
yard in this city on September 18, 1868, by A. Kyger, sheriff. A rude scaffold was erected and government blankets
were hung around it on ropes, after the manner of the sizes of a circus tent, to keep the mob from witnessing the
execution. The blankets were no obstruction, however, as they were soon torn down and Baughn met his just dues
in full view of those present, and an eye-witness to the event says it was a most brutal and botch job.
Two other hangings have occurred in this county,
but Judge Lynch was the prosecutor, jury and executioner. Miles Carter, a horse thief, was hung at Baker's Ford,
and Charley Manley, the leader of another gang, met the same fate from the limb of a cottonwood about two miles
from the little town of Granada.
There is now confined in the jail here an unfortunate
German woman by the name of Lizzie Bernstein, against whom there is a clear case of infanticide. The young woman
has had quite a sad experience in addition to her present trouble. Ten years ago she left her native country with
her parents, both of whom died at seas, and the girl was taken by Mr. and Mrs. Bernstein and given their name.
About five years ago she was married, and, after a 7 year or so married life with her husband in Atchison, they
separated and Lizzie returned to Seneca. She became rather promiscuous in her acquaintances, with the usual result,
and to cover her shame the horrible and unnatural crime was committed. The woman was working for a farmer at the
time of her confinement and performed her household duties as usual during the day. Some time in the night she
was delivered in an out-house of a well developed nine months' child, which she threw into a new privy vault, where
it was found the same day by the farmer, who turned the corpse over to the proper authorities, followed by the
arrest of the woman. She is now having her preliminary exam nation. She says a married man of this city is the
father of the child and that she acted under his advice in disposing of her offspring in the manner stated.
Many anecdotes have been written of Robert G. Ingersoll,
when in the active practice of his profession in an early day. One that came under my personal observation, has
never to my knowledge appeared in print. Ingersoll was living at Peoria, Ill., and was a regular practitioner
at the Woodford county bar at the time. A man was to be tried for bastardy, and I think the present first assistant
postmaster general, Hon. A. E. Stevenson, was prosecuting attorney, and was assisted by John Burns of Lacon, Ill.,
afterward judge of the district. The man had no money and Ingersoll and Bill O'Brien the noted criminal lawyer,
now dead, were appointed to defend the party. After consulting with their client, they found he had no defense,
and there seemed to be no escape for him and that he surely must "go over the road." The sharp practice
of O'Brien could not saved him and Ingersoll's orartory would avail nothing. A conference was held and a plan
of action decided upon, and how well it succeeded subsequent events show. The jury was accepted by the defense
without an objection; the evidence of the prosecution allowed to go before them without a question, not a point
nor an exception being raised. The opposing attorneys became annoyed at the procedure of the defense, but knew
the metal of their foe, and were anxious as to what tactics they would resort to. Not a single point was omitted
by the prosecution, and resting their case, they turned with a shivering expectancy to the opposing counsel. Ingersoll
looked up with amazement and O'Brien's lip curled with contempt. The opposing attorneys continued to glare at
each other for a few moments, when Ingersoll exclaimed, "What!" and then burst into uproarious laughter
that fairly shook the roof. O'Brien took it up and fairly grew purple in the face with merriment. The judge,
jury, lawyers and spectators were dumbfounded, while these two eminent men continued to be convulsed with laughter.
The spectators took it up and joined in, and the court room was a perfect pandemonium. The judge finalir recovered,
pounded the desk and ordered the sheriff to arrest those indulging in the laughing bee. This brought all to their
senses and the jury hid their faces to conceal their merriment. Ingersoll then arose and addressed the judge,
declaring that the prosecution had not made out a case and that the absurdity of their position had so tickled
him that it was impossible for him to refrain from demonstration. He kept up a running fire of wit and oratory
for a half an hour, and the whole room was convulsed. O'Brien followed in the same strain and closed by saying
that they did not desire to submit any testimony, but would leave the case with the jury. Everybody was in good
humor, and when they jury returned from their room they pronounced the defendant "not guilty." Ingersoll
and O'Brien had actually laughed the case out of court, and giggled their client out of doing ten years' time in
the penitentiary.
(Kansas City Times ~ February 2, 1887 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)
