News and Tidbits
The editor of the Fredericktown Bee don't want any more green wood on subscription. He says it is bad enough under any circumstances, but to sit shivering over a green hickory fire, with the mercury away down in the cellar, and hear that wood fizz, and sputter, and roll out great tears of greenness, and then deliberately die out, makes a fellow feel like he didn't care where he goes to when he dies.
Daily Democrat - Official Paper of City and County - Sedalia - January 28, 1875
Fredericktown -- Egg production in Madison County, Mo., during 1926 was 380,910 dozen, as compared to 291,110 dozen in 1925.
Daily Constitution - Chillicothe, Mo. - Saturday, June 18, 1927
Fredericktown -- More than $6000 is to be spent for a complete rebuilding program of the electric light and power system here.
Daily Constitution - Chillicothe, Mo. - Monday, December 19, 1927
Jailer Thinks Break Is April Fool Joke
Four Prisoners Escape at Fredericktown, Though Warning Was Given
Fredericktown, Mo April 3- Warning of a jail break went unheeded here Sunday afternoon when it was taken as an "Apnl Fool Joke," and as a result four prisoners escaped from the Madison County Jail, eluding a Sheriff's posse and blood hounds that trailed them.
While the prisoners were cutting bars off their cell window with a saw that had been smuggled in to them a woman noticed their activity around the window and telephoned to the jail that she suspected an escape was planned.
Sheriff R. D. Matthews was away from the jail and Deputy Reed in charge, remembering it was April 1, decided someone was placing a prank He refused, to "fall for it ". A few minutes later he discovered four prisoners had departed through their open window.
Those who escaped were Jesse Hill, Arc Cheatham and Dempse and Bill Hale brothers. Hill was under two year sentence for arson the others were under similar sentence for burglary. Their paroles having been canceled because of repeated offenses.
The Sheriff's posse and bloodhounds followed the trail of the escaped prisoners to a point a mile west of Fredericktown where it is believed the men got into an automobile.
The Constitution Tribune - Tuesday, April 3, 1928
Rock Hill Tribune - Every battle ship made in the United States must draw upon Missouri for part of its material.
Down in Madison County is the famous mine, La Motte, which furnishes nickel and cobalt necessary in the construction of the modern ironclad vessel.
There are no other nickel and cobalt mines in the country in operation. Mine Lamotte is said to be the oldest mine in the United States.
For over a century it has been turning out about the same amount of minerals. When it was first opened what isnow the state of Missouri Was a Spanish possession.
Kansas City Star - April 20, 1898
The oldest mines in America are located in Missouri.
They are the lead and nickle mines in Madison County which were worked by the Indians as early as 1726 and have been mined continuously almost ever since the mines were acquirted by a Frenchman named, LaMotte, who named them after himself.
Kansas City Star - July 31, 1903
Bonne Terre -- H. C. Benedict of Fredericktown, only surviving member of the G.A.R. in Madison County, celebrated his ninety-third birth anniversary in the hospital here last saturday.
Mr. Benedict recently suffered a fractured hip in a fall t his home.
The Sikeston Herald (Sikeston, Missouri) - January 16, 1936
Mrs. Lutie P. Leslie spent last week in Fredericktown as a guest of her son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Leslie.
The Sikeston Herald - November 17, 1938
Fredericktown -- Two prisoners, one a trusty, escaped from the Madison County jail Sunday. Sheriff F. H. Mouser said Henry Stafford 20, of Coldwater, the trusty, and Leo Lawrence, 23, of Fredericktown, "walked away" Saturday night from the jail after Stafford had obtained the keys to Lawrence's cell.
Lawrence was awaiting trail on charges of car theft and Stafford was serving a 6 months sentence for carrying concealed weapons.
Sikeston Herald - November 17, 1938
Fredericktown -- Two gunmen, sought in an all-night hunt by a possee of 20 Madison county officers and State Highway Patrolmen were apprehended Wednesday morning by Sheriff Sam Mouser and State Trooper Glenn Lampley. The two were heavily armed and admitted orally the robbery of a number of service stations and the theft of an automobile, Capt. A. D. Sheppard of the Patrol said.
The Sikeston Herald - November 17, 1938
Indian Trails Subject For Historical Meeting
Fredericktown, Mo., February 29 -- At the March meeting of the Historical Society in Madison County there are to be two very unusual talks on old roads.
Sanford Russell, a man of 83, who is know for his accuracy and who as a young man worked in the land grant office, tghen located in Ironton, will hav a paper and maps dealing with the Indian trails in this part of the country.
Anyone interested in Indian relics would be using a stroke of widson to hear him and know just where to look for their "arrowheads."
C. T. McCormick of the State Highway Department will talk on the "St. Michael Trail."
The meeting will begain at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon, March 8, at the court house in Fredericktown.
Mr. James Andrews is president of the Madison County Historical Society.
The Sikeston Herald - Febriaru 29, 1940
A New Judge Named in Missouri
Jefferson City, Nov. 14 - Governor Dockery today appointed Robert A. Anthony of Fredericktown a judge of the circuit court of the Twenty-seventh Judical Circuit of Missouri, to succeed J. D. Fox, elected to the Supreme Court.
Judge Foxs resignation as circuit judge has been accepted by the Govenor and Judge Anthony will assume his duties at once.
Judge Fox will not go on the Supreme Bench until January 1.
The Kansas City Star - November 14, 1902
The Madison County Banker is the name of a new paper started at Fredericktown in this state, by James Lindsay.
It is remarkably well printed, and will be of interest to the inhabitants of the county, and of value in developing the mineral resources of that section of Missouri.
Daily Missouri Republican - April 4, 1849
Notice Against Joseph Sulser
At my instance, an attachment was this day issued by Robert Hutheson, a Justice of the Peace of Somerford Township, Madison County against the property and effects of Joseph Sulser, a non-resident of said county
Joseph C. Yardley
October 24th 1842
Ohio Statesman - December 6, 1842
A Hen Adopts Some Kittens
Hens have queer ways down in Madison County, Mlssouri.
A young White Leghorn hen owned by Mrs. Estell Broaddus of Madison, Missouri, has kidnapped a family of young kittens from the farm cat, and they sleep each night under her snowy wings.
At first the mother cat objected, and hissed all sorts of threats at the hen. But when she found Biddy only wanted to act as nurse maid, she accepted with rather ill grace, and now, when they all pile in the empty breakfast cereal box, Biddy spreads her friendly wings and hovers cat and kittens.
So unusual is the affinity, that neighbors come purposely to see Blddy scratch and call when she finds a worm or a bit of meat, chasing away and pecking at small feathered nieces and nephews and saving the morsel till the adopted kittens appear.
Kansas City Star – May 25, 1919
A Miner Crushed
Special to the Republic
Fredericktown,Missouri, May 30
An accident happened yesterday a the Mine La Motte Lead Mines which may prove fatal to one of the miners.
The roof of the pikers’ shed, at shaft No. 5, fell in, while a half dozen men were at work.
David Bollinger, one of the mines, is supposed to be injured fatally, while the rest escaped uninjured.
St. Louis Republic – May 31, 1888
Uncle Sam Refused
The Mine LaMotte highwaymen Must Answer to the State
Special to the Republic
Fredericktown, Missouri, June 11 – Two deputy United States Marshals came her yesterday for the purpose of arresting John Watben and W. S. Copass for interfering with the carriers of the United States mail.
Watben and Copass are said to be the two parties who held up and robbed the mail carrier between Mine LaMotte Station and Mine LaMotte last Friday afternoon and secured $4,000 in money.
Formal demand was made by the United States Marshals of Prosecuting Attorney Anthony and Sheriff Tripp for the delivery to them of the bodies of Wathen and Copass, but the officers here refused to give them up for the reason that they were held under the laws of the State of Missouri for highway robbery, and were under arrest on warrants sworn out before Esquire Day.
The prisoners waived a preliminary examination, and their bonds were fixed at $1,500 each in default of which they were committed to jail.
As they have confessed to the robbery there will be no trial, but they will throw themselves on the mercy of the court.
St. Louis Republic – June 12, 1890
This Is a Great Country
The St. Louis Republican states that in Madison County, Missouri, at the late election, the County Court ordered that the polls should only be kept open for one day, but the mob who had been engaged in hanging Smith appeared on the second day and insisted that the polls should be reopened, which was done.
They are certainly very accommodating in Missouri.
Baltimore Clipper
Daily Atlas – August 27, 1844
Duelling
Messrs Drane and Drinkins of Madison County, Missouri, men of high standing, fought a duel lately with double barreled guns, and both were killed.
Newport Merury - August 4, 1838
Centenarians
Robert Sinclair, aged 102 years, died in Madison County, Missouri, 15th ult.
He took an active part in our revolutionary struggle, and rendered himself very useful as a spy on the frontier settlements of Virginia and North Carolina.
He retained his strength of body and mind to a few week of his demise.
New-Hampshire Patriot - April 20, 1853
A Brace Of Murders Caged
Smith, who shot Drown, the engineer of the steamboat Chicago, a short time since, at Peoria, Illinois, is now confined in the jail at Princeton. His trial will take place next week before the Circuit Court of Peoria County, for murder in the first degree.
John Sinclair, who was committed to jail in St. Louis upon a charge of being one of the ringleaders of the mob that hung Abraham Smith, in Madison County, Missouri, on the 5th of August has been taken back for trial.
Sun – October 15, 1844
Murder
in Missouri
8t. Louis, August 18.—A special to the Herald from Fredericktown, Missouri, gives an account of a brutal murder there yesterday.
The dispatch states Philip Scholl, somewhat intoxicated, while driving some oxen home, burraed for Grant, whereupon Thomas Mathews, a young man, connected with some of the most influential families in the country, shouted for Greeley, and said he could whip Scholl or any other Radical in the country.
Scholl doubted this, and they commenced punching each other, but were separated.
Subsequently Mathews struck Scholl and immediately fired two shots at him from a pistol.
Scholl then knocked Mathews down with his fist and began beating him, but died almost instantly, being shot through the head.
After Mathews was knocked down he stabbed Scholl with A dagger.
Mathews is represented as a quarrelsome man, and had twice before during the day drawn a pistol on other men. He was arrested
Cincinnati Daily Gazette – August 19, 1872
