Reuben H Ward:His Body was Thrown in the Tennessee River (#2 of 52 Ancestors)

My grandmother told the story of her grandfather, Reuben H Ward, a Methodist minister who was murdered. She said he was on the Tennessee River going to preach and someone murdered him and then threw his body overboard.

Several years ago, I came across a newspaper article that another researcher had found about this tragic event. It not only affirmed my grandmother's story, but it also added some crucial information:

1. Reuben's body was found weeks later many miles down river
2. a man named Charlie Ledbetter was charged with his murder
3. the "evidence was not sufficient to convict" Ledbetter

Tonight, I found two more items about my great, great grandfather:

1. an actual PHOTO of Reuben, thanks to a distant cousin! (I'm waiting on permission to post it!)
2. a newspaper article about the murder and the trial!

Tombstone of Reuben H. Ward
(image from FindAGrave, photo by Wilda Graves Patterson)

The newspaper article changes the way I envision Rev. Reuben. It states he was "intoxicated" and had to be "aided" up the river bank. Also, he had an existing "emnity" with the alleged murderer, Charlie Ledbetter. Somehow, I always envisioned someone trying to rob him!

I believe there is more to find on this story. In fact, this article starts by saying "It will be remembered by our readers..." and I haven't found the article they are referencing! I also hope to find the court records for this case. But, for now, this is the story of the (alleged) murder of my great, great grandfather, Reuben Houston Ward.

WAS IT MURDER?

The Tragic Death of a Lexington Man is Revived by two Arrests

Lexington Press.

It will be remembered by our readers that Reuben H. Ward, then a citizen of Lexington, was put across the Tennessee River at Perryville on the night of November 13, 1906, by William Rogers, a young white man, and a negro named Scott. Rogers aided Ward, who was intoxicated, part the way up the east bank of the river, and from that time until December 9, when the unfortunate man's body was found below Jacksonville, his fate was but a matter of conjecture. 

Suspicion, however, pointed to Charlie Ledbetter, as there was said to be enmity existing between him and Ward.

When Ward's body was discovered and brought to Perryville, an examination was made by Drs. L. V. Frazier and S. A McDonald, and there were rumors of that examination showing evidences of Ward having been murdered.

Recently it was developed that a boy named Lonny Downs, who lived with Ledbetter and had left for parts unknown, knew something of the matter, and when he was located at Cumberland City he was arrested by a deputy sheriff and brought to Linden.

On May 15 a warrant for Ledbetter's arrest was issued and later was served upon him at his home in East Perryville. Thursday of last week the preliminary trial of Ledbetter was begun in Linden before Justices Tinin, Curl, and Hinson and was concluded Friday.

We are informed that Down testifies that Ledbetter killed Ward and forced him by threats to help throw the body into the river. Ledbetter was jailed without bail to await the next session of circuit court at Linden.

Reuben Houston Ward was born 14 Jan 1859 in Perry County, Tennessee and died 13 Nov 1906 on the Tennessee River near Perryville. He was the son of Carroll Houston Ward (1826-1863) and Martha Ann Whitwell (1830-1904). He married Sallie Harriett Dickson (1860-1960) who raised my grandmother. Reuben and Sallie had eight children who survived to adulthood and one who died as an infant.

(Thanks to Amy Johnson Crow of "No Story Too Small" for creating & hosting "52 Ancestors"!) 

Newspaper sources:

• Was It Murder?, The Camden Chronicle, Camden, Tennessee, 07 Jun 1907, page 2, column 4, digital image chroniclingamerica.com, (http://www.chroniclingamerica.com: accessed 12 Jan 2015) 
• Snows Early and Snows Late, Lexington Progress, Lexington, Tennessee, 26 Nov 1926, posted online on Ancestry trees and Find-a-Grave memorial page. 

UPDATE: I found another newspaper article on 27 Jan 2015. This one is from right after the body was found. Here's the article:

R. H. Ward who started to his old home in Perry County about three weeks ago, got as far as the Tennessee River and was ferried across and his whereabouts have been shrouded in mystery. His son and other relatives have been on the search day and night since his disappearance and not until Sunday night was his body found. It seems that he was drowned, as the body was found ten miles below Johnsonville, and there were no signs on his body to indicate that he had been foully dealt with.    Lexington Republic

It seems that Ward was drinking at the time he was ferried over the river. As it was dark at the time, the supposition is he walked into the river and was drowned.

Source: R. H. Ward, The Camden Chronicle, Camden, Tennessee, 21 Dec 1906, page 3, column 4, digital image chroniclingamerica.com, (http://www.chroniclingamerica.com: accessed 27 Jan 2015)

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Murdered by Family Members to Stop Her from Testifying Against Her Husband (Allegedly)

I've written posts about Ephraim Bennett (my great, great grandmother's brother) killing his abusive brother-in-law, Nathan Buchanan. A few days ago, I uncovered another murder in my family tree. This time some in-laws allegedly killed my 3rd great grandfather's granddaughter (so she's my first cousin, three times removed) to prevent her from testifying against her husband!

Her Death is Cause for Four Being Held, Springfield Republican, Springfield, Missouri, 01 Nov 1911,
page 1, column 4, digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 30 Oct 2014

Ollie Werther's father, Guenther "Kenny" Werther, immigrated from Germany with his family when he was 15 years old. Her mother, Lucy Jones, had a Cherokee father and a "white" mother. Lucy received her allotment from the Cherokees and brought her land and a house into the marriage.

Ollie married Roy Crockett in 1909 or 1910. In a 1910 census taken on April 28th, the newlyweds are living with Roy's family in New Mexico. But, on a census dated June 1st, they are listed as living with Ollie's family in the town where she grew up: Nowata in Nowata County, Oklahoma.

According to newspaper accounts, the couple lived for a short time in her home which had been a wedding present from her family. But "soon after the wedding - at the request of Werther - the couple went to his house to live. Last August (1910) their deserted home burned and Crockett collected $400 insurance..." [The Coffeyville Daily Journal, 20 Nov 1911]

The newspaper accounts go on to say that Ollie quarreled with her husband and eventually went home and talked with her dad who had an "implacable hatred of his son-in-law." Ollie told her dad that she had proof that her husband had burned down the house for the insurance money. Ollie and her father, Kenny, Kenny and Ollie gave this information to the state insurance officials and Roy was arrested for arson.

Since a wife can't testify against her husband, it is alleged that Roy's sister, his brother, his cousin & a friend came up with a plan to kill Ollie. Allegedly Roy's sister, Dora Gaines, and the friend, Maude Warner, "induced (Ollie) to visit them on the pretext of their trying to effect a reconciliation between the estranged couple. It has been established that Ollie Crockett left the home of her father and, coming to Nowata, took up her residence at the Valley hotel. On October 12 [1911] she became ill and soon after being taken sick she died. Physicians declared they detected symptoms of morphine poisoning and State Chemist DeBar testified that he found four grains of morphine in her viscera and more than enough unassimilated in her stomach to kill a healthy person." [The Wichita Daily Eagle, 12 Sep 1912]

I have found newspaper articles showing that the two women, Dora Gaines and Maude Warner, were acquitted of the murder. But, I haven't found anything on the trials of the two males, Orville and George Crockett. As for Roy Crockett, I found a clipping from 1914 saying he'd been "surrendered by his bondsmen."

Ollie Werther's headstone buried under maiden name & burial paid for by father
Nowata Memorial Cemetery, Nowata, Nowata County, Oklahoma
image by Will Babb posted on Find A Grave

Ollie (Werther) Crockett was only 20 years old when she was allegedly murdered on October 13th, 1911. But, what happened to her husband outside of the arson charges? He remarried less than 6 months later to Blanche Hubbert and had at least 3 children with her. He later started Crockett Oil Company in Texas and became both a judge and a mayor.

I found over a dozen articles about the arson and murder on newspapers.com. Here are a few of them:

• Crockett Murder Case to Go Over Until February?, The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas, 20 Nov 1911, page 1, column 1, digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 30 Oct 2014 
• Freed of Charge of Killing Her Sister-in-Law, The Wichita Daily Eagle, Wichita, Kansas, 12 Sep 1912, page 1, column 2, digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 30 Oct 2014 
• Roy Crockett charged with Arson, The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas, 03 Feb 1914, page 1, column 6, digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 30 Oct 2014

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please leave a comment or write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

What Does a Penitentiary Record Look Like?

After discovering Ephraim P Bennett in the Missouri State Prison on the 1900 census, I emailed the Missouri State Archives about his penitentiary records. First of all, they were incredibly helpful and emailed back within hours. And, they explained how to order his two-page record. The cost: only $1!

I had never seen a penitentiary record before and wasn't sure what it would contain. It is actually quite interesting and helpful! The record book is obviously a large book as I got two 11x17 pages. I don't have a scanner that can scan that will scan those, so I'm going to share 4 images which are really a two-page spread.

I thought the physical descriptions were really interesting. My favorite columns were the "length of foot", "whiskers worn", "habits of life", and "education."

• Register No: 12163
• Name; Ephraim P Bennett
• Age: 53
• Nativity: Tenn[essee]
• Trade: farmer
• Height: 5 ft 10 1/4 in
• Length Foot: 10 1/2
• Hair: Dark
• Eyes: Gray 

• Complexion: Dark
• Whiskers Worn: Full Beard
• Religion: None
• Habits of Life: Temp[erance] [everyone on the page says the same thing]
• Education: R & W [Reading & Writing]
• Former Imprisonment: None

• Marks and Scars: 
• Single Parent Compton Mo. [Missouri] 
• Scar left side neck
•   "     muscle left arm
•   "     back first finger left hand
•   "     inside right wrist
• Wright 172 [everyone on page says this & I wonder if it is a mark for whoever is describing the person]
• Offense: T. C. - Murder 2nd Deg.  [everyone else says "P. G.", not "T. C." but I don't know what these mean... maybe it relates to the offense?]  
• County: Dallas
• Sentence: 10 Ten Years from Oct 16 1894

• Term of Court: Oct 1894
• When Received: Oct 20 1894
• Expiration of Sentence:
• Full Time: Oct 16 1902
• Three-Fourths Time: April 16 1902
• Discharged: [stamped] Discharged under 3/4 law [not all readable] [stamped] APR 15 1902

P.S. I am new to doing citations and have both looked in Elizabeth Shown Mill's "Evidence!" and searched the internet and cannot find an example of a way to write this source. Any help would be appreciated!

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Finding a Murderer in My Family Tree

Let's face it, when we research our family histories we don't know what we'll uncover. And, when you get beyond the names, dates & places, you might find some incredible stories. You might find stories of an ancestor who was a war hero or someone who abandoned his friends. You might find true love and Christian sacrifice, or someone who disappeared and is later found with another wife and additional children. You might find a Civil War nurse or a prostitute. And, you just might find a murderer. I did.

I've made multiple posts now about the brother of my great, great grandmother, Elizabeth (Bennett) Coppenbarger. Her brother, Ephraim, killed their sister's husband, Nathan L Buchanan. The sister, Louisa Jane, was reportedly abused by her husband to the point that she went insane from a blow to the head and was put in an asylum. In retaliation, Ephraim killed Nathan.

Or maybe he killed him for some other reason.

When I first found out I had a murderer in my family, I was apprehensive. Who did he kill and why did he do it? Then, when I learned that he had killed his sister's very abusive husband, I was actually kind of  proud! Yes, I believe murder is wrong. But, I still felt proud that this man would defend his little sister to such lengths and even face jail time. Then I read about how he calmly shot his brother-in-law five times and calmly walked away with his young nephew and boasted "I was too quick for him and fixed him." And, I read articles about a lynch mob ready to hang him from a limb, and I wondered about what had actually happened. Why was this mob so ready to kill him when they weren't after the hired hit-man who was also in jail?

I hope to one day uncover the court documents and learn more about his trial, but for now I keep looking for additional newspaper records. I'm hoping they'll enlighten me as to what really happened.

Here's another story about the lynch mob. In this newspaper, the mob is reported to be over 200 men! That's quite a different story than my posting yesterday which said 14 masked men entered the jail and 50-60 surrounded it. It goes to show that you can't always trust what you read!

A Disappointed Lynching Party, The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo, Sedalia, Missouri, 

13 Jun 1893, page 3, column 5; digital image newspapers.com, 

(http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 09 Sep 2014)

A Disappointed Lynching Party

Marshfield, Mo., June 8 - Ephraim Bennett, who killed his brother-in-law, Nathan L. Buchanan, was bound over to await the action of the grand jury Wednesday. After the preliminary trial small knots of men were seen gathering on different parts of the public square. In the meantime Sheriff James Goss became suspicious and managed to spirit Bennett out of jail. He also took with him Wesley Hargis, the self-confessed murderer of Lum Yandles, who committed his crime in the same neighborhood. With a posse Sheriff Goss took his prisoners to the woods. A little before midnight Deputy Smith, who was in charge of the jail, was aroused by repeated knocking on the door. Upon opening he was confronted with twenty masked men, who demanded of him the keys and ordered him to lead them to Bennett's cell. The deputy informed them that Bennett was not in the jail. Not satisfied, they searched the sheriff's living apartments on the first floor and then proceeded to the cells on the second floor, which they thoroughly ransacked. The jail outside was surrounded by almost 200 men. No noise was made and persons living a few yards distant did not know what had transpired during the night. The mob dispersed as quickly as it came. Wednesday afternoon the sheriff brought the prisoner from concealment and took Bennett to the Springfield jail on the evening train for safe keeping. 

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

"A Mob was After Him: Ephraim Bennett's Narrow Escape from Violence": The Attempted Lynching of my 2nd Great Grand Uncle

If you've been following my blog, you've probably read my last two posts about my great, great grandmother's brother, Ephraim, who killed his sister's abusive husband, Nathan L Buchanan. (The posts are "A Reason for Murder" & "Sister to Asylum; Brother to Jail.") One of the newspaper articles I shared explains that Bennett was moved to a different county's jail "to escape the vengeance of a mob which was supposed to be organized for the purpose of lynching him."

(In case you haven't read the other articles and the family story that was passed down, Nathan L Buchanan was abusing his wife and hit her so hard that she went insane and had to be locked up in an asylum. Bennett loaned Buchanan the money to cover the cost, but Bennett eventually went out into a field where Buchanan was working and shot at him five times and killed him. Bennett says that Buchanan had been threatening his life and reached into his pocket so he shot before he could be shot. The prosecutors stated that Bennett had threatened Buchanan multiple times. After killing Buchanan, Bennett turned himself in.)

I have now found two more newspaper articles that are about this lynch mob. A few things really surprise me:

• I'm surprised that this particular murder was thought hideous enough for a lynch mob, though I know I don't have a lot of the details. There was another man imprisoned with Bennett who had been hired by his brother to kill his lover's husband for $200. But, the lynch mob was asking for Bennett. 
• I'm surprised the men who entered the jail wore masks, though I certainly don't know much about lynch mobs. I tend to relate the wearing of masks and lynch mobs to the Ku Klux Klan. 
• I'm surprised at the size of this mob. It was HUGH! One newspaper describes 65-75 men while the other article describes over 200! Why were they so ready to kill Bennett?

The largest mass lynching in American history involved the lynching of eleven Italianimmigrants in New Orleans in 1891.
(image from Wikipedia)

My distant cousin, Chris Powell, told me that Ephraim Bennett remarried and moved to Colorado after being released from prison. It's now pretty clear why he didn't return home. I don't think he would have been very welcome in his home town! And, I'll have to do some research to see if other family members moved away.

These two articles about the attempted lynching are fairly long so I'll share one today and one tomorrow.

A Mob Was After Him, The Springfield Democrat, Springfiled, Missouri, 09 Jun 1893, page 5, column 4;
digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 07 Sep 2014

A MOB WAS AFTER HIM.

Ephraim Bennett's Narrow Escape From Violence.

Webster County Citizens Try to Lynch Him.

Brough[?] to Springfield - The Atrocious Murder Committed By the Prisoner

Last Tuesday night Deputy Sheriff McElwain of Marshfield brought in Ephraim Bennett, murderer of John [should be Nathan] Buchanan, and Wesley Hargiss, charged with the murder of Columbus Yandals and lodged them in the Greene county jail for safe keeping. The local authorities endeavored to keep the matter perfectly quiet, and succeeded so well that the facts did not leak out until yesterday morning. It then developed that both Bennett and Hargiss narrowly escaped a summary infliction of the death penalty at the hands of a mob.

Bennett's preliminary trial was held Monday before Justice Park, resulting in the prisoner being held without bond to await the action of the grand jury. The Marshfield Chronicle says that after the trial it was whispered around that an attempt would be made by citizens from the neighborhood in which Buchanan lived to lynch Bennett sometime during the night. Sheriff Goss hearing this decided to foil the attempt. He accordingly handcuffed Bennett and Wesley Hargis, one of the murderers of Lum Yandle, and in company with Prosecuting Attorney James Case quietly slipped the prisoners out of the back door of the jail at about 8 o'clock and took them to the outskirts of town where a deputy met them with a hack and the prisoners were taken to the country. About midnight J. B. Smith and William Prater, who had been left in charge of the jail, were aroused by a vigorous knock on the door. When the door was opened about fourteen masked men entered the jail, while some fifty or sixty stood guard on the outside. The masked men asked for Bennett and were informed that he was not there. They then made a thorough inspection of the jail, and when they were convinced their "bird" was gone they dispersed as quietly as they had come. Sheriff Goss returned with the prisoners early Tuesday morning.

Sheriff Goss and Prosecuting Attorney Case came to the conclusion Tuesday afternoon that the best thing to do to save Bennett from being taken from the jail here and swinging from the limb of a tree, was to get him away and in a more secure jail. Bennett was taken out of jail about 4 o'clock and in charge of Special Deputy Sheriff McElwain took a round a bout way to the depot. Deputy McElwain, with the prisoner walked up to the baggage car in which the prisoner was transported, and he went into it like "greased lightning." Deputy Sheriff McElwain delivered his prisoner to the Greene county sheriff in good shape.

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Sister to Asylum from Abusive Husband; Brother to Jail for Murder

As I mentioned yesterday in "A Reason for Murder", I had spent hours trying to find another newspaper article about my great, great grandmother's brother, Ephraim Bennett, murdering his brother-in-law, Nathan L Buchannan, in 1893. As I concluded the post, I went back to newspapers.com and tried again. And, this time I got a hit!

I don't know if I tried different search terms or not. I narrowed it to "Missouri" newspapers and set the year to 1893. And then I searched for "Bennett" and "murdered." Anyway, I have a lot more information now!

A Terrible Crime, The Springfield Democrat, Springfiled, Missouri, 09 Jun 1893, page 5, column 4;

digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 07 Sep 2014)

I then found a third story... and just now I found a fourth! The last two are about the lynch mob, so I'll save that for another post. But, for now let me share the article about the murder.

A Terrible Crime, The Springfield Democrat, Springfiled, Missouri, 09 Jun 1893, page 5, column 4;
digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 07 Sep 2014)

[Note: The image is just a portion of the clipping because it gets really small if I try to add the entire article]

A Terrible Crime

Ephraim Bennett murdered N. L. Buchanan in West Dallas township, Webster county, on May 30. Buchanan's wife was Bennett's sister and some time ago began to show symptoms of insanity and finally became a raving maniac. While in this demented condition she told that her husband had mistreated her. Buchanan was a poor man and did not have the ready money to defray the expenses of sending his wife to the asylum, so he borrowed a sufficient sum of Bennett, and the demented woman was taken to Nevada. In a few days Buchanan executed and delivered to Bennett a mortgage on some land securing him in the loan of money made.

On the 30th of May Ephraim went to Buchannan's house some time soon after noon and talked business matters over with him in a friendly manner, leaving, it seems, about 2 o'clock. When Bennett left the house Buchanan and his little boy, who is 10 years old, went to the field - Buchanan to plow, the boy to pull weeds. They had not been in the field long before Bennett came, and having walked up to within eight to ten feet, began shooting at Buchanan. He fired five shots, one entering Buchanan's head, one passing through his right hand, two through his right arm, and one entering his side, probably after it had passed through his arm. After the shooting Bennett turned and coolly walked away, asking Buchanan's boy to come with him. Bennett then went to parties living nearby and  told them what he had done, remarking, "Buchanan threatened to kill me and I went and asked him about it and he tried to put his hand into his pocket, but I was too quick for him and fixed him." Bennett then went to W. R. Brooks, a justice in west Dallas township, and surrendered himself.

At the preliminary hearing the defendant did not introduce any evidence but submitted his case after the state had introduced its evidence. It is understood that the state has evidence to show that Bennett made several threats against Buchanan. After the trial Bennett was again lodged in jail.

This killing occurred within two and one half miles of the place where Lum Yandles [Columbus Yandell] was so dastardly murdered last spring, and excitement is running high.

So, what did I learn? 

• Ephraim Bennett loaned money to his brother-in-law, Nathan L Buchanan, so Ephraim's sister could be committed to an asylum in Nevada (which is a town in Missouri)
• Eprhaim might have killed his brother-in-law not as retaliation or revenge because of the abuse he'd done to Ephraim's sister, but in self-defense (as Nathan reached into his pocket) or for some other reason
• Ephraim shot at his brother-in-law five times at close range, including a shot to the head
• Nathan's 10-year-old son, who was Ephraim's nephew, was likely a witness to this shooting [this makes me sick to my stomach, but I also wonder what kind of abuse he'd seen his dad do to his own mom.... and perhaps he & his siblings were abused]
• Ephraim immediately turned himself in to the authorities

Do we share common ancestors? If so, I'd love to talk! please leave a message or email me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

A Reason for Murder

The day I discovered my great, great grandmother's brother, Ephraim Bennett (abt 1841-?), had been convicted of 2nd degree murder, I hoped it was for a 'good' reason. I had recently watched two episodes of "Who Do You Think You Are?" Cynthia Nixon had discovered her female ancestor had killed her abusive husband after he told her she wouldn't see another sunset. Maybe she could have ran away with her two young children or gotten to safety in some other way, but this was better than Jesse Taylor's discovery that his ancestor probably killed his aunt over an inheritance!

About a week ago I received his penitentiary record from the Missouri State Archives (who only charge $1!) Now that I knew when he was imprisoned, I had a pretty good idea of when the murder took place. So, I tried to find a newspaper record, and I was successful! I almost cried when I found it, because it was a pretty 'good' reason for murder if the article was true. And, although I believe murder is wrong and there was probably a better way to handle things, I had a respect for this brother who evidently loved his sister to the point he was willing to commit murder and spend time imprisoned for it.

Taken to Marshfield, The Springfield Leader, Springfiled, Missouri, 20 Mar 1894, page 1, column 1;
digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 28 Aug 2014)

Taken to Mansfield

E. P. Bennett Charged with Murder in the First Degree

Deputy Sheriff R. P. Winningham of Webster county took E. P. Bennett to Marshfield today to appear for trial for murder in the first degree. Bennett was brought from Webster county and lodged in the Greene county jail on June 5, 1893, to escape the vengeance of a mob which was supposed to be organized for the purpose of lynching him.

A short time prior to Bennett's arrest N. L. Buchannan was murdered at his home on Guy creek, in Webster county, and Bennett is charged with the crime. It is said that the motive for taking the life of Buchannan was the abuse of his wife, who is a sister of Bennett.

Attorney Dickey, of Marshfield, is Bennett's lawyer and will make a strong fight for his client. The officers here speak in high terms of Bennett's good behavior during his imprisonment. 

[The date of the article is 20 March 1894, so Bennett has been imprisoned for about 9 1/2 months waiting for his trial.]

I have recently started exchanging emails with a Bennett cousin (Chris Powell) and he had been told of this murder through older family members! Here's what he told me: "Nathan Buchanan, husband of Louisa Jane Bennett, was abusive and at one point he hit Louisa Jane in the head with a piece of stove wood, causing a brain injury that left her debilitated. In retaliation, Ephraim killed Nathan Buchanan and was sentenced to prison. Ephraim, called 'Eph' with the long E sound according to Uncle Henry, was divorced by his first wife. He remarried after he got out of prison and went to Colorado."

As far as the threat of a lynch mob, our best guess is that this mob was Nathan's family members. I have spent hours looking for additional newspaper accounts of the murder and/or trial. I would also like to get a copy of the court records for this case.

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Skeletons in the Closet: Rapist & Murderer

NOTE: I spoke too soon! I just received paperwork on these two men. The one who committed murder is actually a brother of my ancestor. But, the one who committed "assault to rape" is NOT her brother. He is about 20 years too young. I guess I should have waited until I had all the facts, but it seemed to fit! It's a good lesson for me.... just because someone has the right name and lives in the right state does NOT mean they are the same person!!!

Two days ago I wrote about my great, great grandmother's brothers who both appear to have served time in the Missouri State Penitentiary in the late 1800's. That evening, I wrote to the Missouri State Archives to see if they had information about one of the brother's pardon. I heard back from them the following morning... incredible! And, the information they sent was incredible, too. But, it is also disturbing information. I've uncovered two of those 'skeletons in the closet' that genealogist sometimes unearth.

free image from clipartheaven.com

One of Elizabeth Bennett's brothers was pardoned in 1892. (I've decided to withhold the name, but if this is your family please contact me.) I'm still not sure why he was incarcerated at that time. But, it looks like this was his second time in prison. The first time he was sentenced for two years on October 19, 1886 for "assault to rape" in Perry County. Wow. He was released under 3/4 time law on May 15th, 1888. I'm sending away for these records. (Note: This is the man who I discovered is about 20 years too young & so he is NOT the brother of my ancestor.)

Another of her brothers entered the Missouri State Penitentiary on October 20th, 1894 for a ten year sentence, but was released under 3/4 time law on April 15th, 1902. His crime: murder in the 2nd degree in Dallas County. Another 'wow'. I'm also sending away for his records. (I'll be writing more about him as this is a really interesting case. I'll provide a link when it's posted.)

It is disappointing to find these two men committing such horrible crimes. I'm wondering what led them to this type of life? I don't know that I'll ever find the answers, but I'll keep digging.

(Note: It appears that these two men are the brothers of my great, great grandmother (Elizabeth Bennett: 1849-1914), but I do need to do some more research before I can be sure.)

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Doing Time in the Missouri State Penitentiary

I've been working on the family of my great, great grandmother, Elizabeth Bennett (1849-1914), who married Josiah Randolph Coppenbarger (1844-1934). I had previously found her brother, Ephraim P Bennett (abt 1841-?), listed as a prisoner in the 1900 census. I looked at the record more closely and realized it was the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City, Missouri. Online, I found that their records are located at the Missouri State Archives.

1900 Census - Missouri State Penitentiary
Ephraim Bennett is last in image

Last night I watched this season's first episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" with Cynthia Nixon via DVR. She traces her female ancestor to the Missouri State Penitentiary! (It's an amazing episode!) I was thrilled to see not only the penitentiary, but also the Missouri State Archives! There is now a wonderful feature about the episode and the findings on the Missouri State Archives site which takes you step by step through some of their discoveries.

From that page, there's a link that says: "Are you looking for a pardon record? If so, the Archives has a name index available here. Submit a research request if you find a record you are interested in." So, I searched for Bennett & didn't find Ephraim... but I DID find his brother, William H Bennett (abt 1840-1897) which shows him being pardoned in 1892! I didn't even know he was incarcerated! I've already sent off my 'research request'. I'm eager to learn more about why these two brothers were locked up & why one was then pardoned.

(NOTE: I have now received the records and, while Ephraim Bennett is the brother of my ancestor, William H Bennett is NOT. He is about 20 years too young! I messed up & jumped to a conclusion. Just because a name matches doesn't mean it's the same person!!!)

I told my brother about this and he mentioned he'd watched a show about the Missouri State Penitentiary. It is now a museum you can tour! There's a great website here which describes it as "the bloodiest 47 acres in America." I'm off to read all about it!

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net