Fearless Females, Day 3: Where'd She Get Her Name?

Lisa Alzo has used the month of March for her "Fearless Females" blogging prompts for the past 6 years. She has posted her daily prompts and has also included free access to her "Tips and Tricks for Tracing Female Ancestors" Webinar for the month.

March 3rd prompt: Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother. or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you've come across in your family tree.

Origins of My Name

My sister was not quite one and her best friend was named Dana. My mom loved that name. My parents moved a few months before I was born and they named me Dana! (I think it'd have been weird if they still were living next door to each other.) They chose my middle name because they liked the way the names sounded together. (I do, too!)

Ellender (Bookout) Bennet posted on FindAGrave by my dad
I believe the original is in possession of my aunt & uncle

Most Unusual Female Name on My Tree

Since my name doesn't really fit the criteria, I'm moving on to the second part of Lisa's prompt... the most unusual female name in my tree. I think that would be my 3rd great grandmother, Ellender (Bookout) Bennett (1817 in KY - 1905 in MO).

Though her name often appears as some form of "Eleanor", her name has been passed down in our family as "Ellender." Her name appears in many forms in various records:

• Eleanor in the 1850 census 
• Elanor in 1860 census 
• Ellendor in 1870 census 
• Elenor in 1880 census 
• Elendar in 1865 Kansas census 
• Ellender in 1924 legal notice in "The Humboldt Union" newspaper

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

Henry Bennett: A Settler of Kansas Territory (#4 of 52 Ancestors)

The name "Kansas" first appeared on maps in 1854 when the Territory of Nebraska was divided and the southern portion became "Kansas" under the Nebraska-Kansas Act. In May of the following year, 1855, Henry Bennett (my 3rd great grandfather) and his family arrived from Missouri and settled in the Allen County area shortly before it was named.

1855 first edition of Colton's map of Nebraska and Kansas Territories (image from Wikipedia)
This is the same year Henry Bennett & his family moved to Kansas Territory

The First Settlers of Allen County

Few white settlers reached this county before the Bennett family. Richard Fuqua and his family arrived in January of 1855. They started a trading post and dealt extensively with the Sac and Fox Indians. Another small settlement started in March of that year by the Cowden and Parsons families. They built near a camp of nearly 400 Osage Indians. Parsons' family had dealt with the Osage before and the settlers lived temporarily with the Indians while they built their homes. [Source: "History of the State of Kansas" by Cutler]

Henry Bennett, arriving in May, was one of the first of a wave of about twenty families who arrived in the late spring and summer. Most settled along the Neosho River with its timber for building and fertile lands for growing crops and raising livestock.

In Watson Stewart's memoirs of his immigration trip to Kansas, he writes of camping near the Bennett's property a year later in May of 1856. "We... passed on down the Neosho river that evening reaching a point just a little south of where Humboldt now is, and near a settler by the name of Henry Bennett, where we camped for the night. Mr. Bennett was the only settler near there, and we passed two or three during the day, outside of those in the village of Cofachiqui. Mr. Bennett had come from Tennessee and was a strong "Free-State" man." [Source: "Personal Memoirs of Watson Stewart"] [Note: The Bennett's had actually just come from Missouri, but had lived in Tennessee before Missouri.]

1861 Land Document for Henry Bennett in Allen Co, KS
Kansas didn't become a state until 1861, so I believe that
was the first year for land registration

The Slavery Issue in Allen County

Besides creating Kansas, the Nebraska-Kansas Act of 1854 had also allowed for a vote of residents to determine if each state was "Free" or "Slave." A "bogus legislature" that was pro-slavery was set up and declared Kansas to be a Slave state. But, Kansas became "Bloody Kansas" as, during the pre-Civil War years, people fought over whether Kansas would be "Free" or "Slave."

In Allen County, there were only a handful of slaves during that first year, but the free-state settlers pressured the pro-slavery settlers into either freeing their slaves or leaving the area. Although 1855-56 were known as the "Border Ruffian war" where the pro-slavery and anti-slavery people clashed, this was primarily in the North and along the Missouri border.  There are no known incidences of violence within Allen County or among its citizens during this 'war.' [Source: "Histories of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas" by Duncan and Scott]

The 1860 Drought in Allen County

The next few years brought more settlers and prosperity to the area. Henry and his wife had two more children during this time. But, the age of  "Kansas Territory" was almost over as Kansas would become a state in 1861. The year of  1860 proved to be tough. Why? Drought.

A rain fell in September of 1859, and then there wasn't any rain for eighteen months. But, of course the Bennetts and other families in the area didn't realize it was the start of a drought. They plowed and planted as usual.

The 1860 Agricultural federal census gives us a clear picture of the contents of Henry Bennett's farm in 1860. We can only imagine what these figures would have looked like in the summer of 1861...

• 160 acres of land of which 100 acres were improved with a cash value of $1000
• value of farming implements and machinery: $75
• 3 horses
• 7 milch cows
• 10 working oxen
• 13 other cattle
• 32 bovine
• value of livestock: $784
• 125 bushels of wheat (produced during the year ending June 1, 1860)
• 2,500 bushels of Indian corn 
• 50 bushels of Indian potatoes
• 6 tons of hay
• value of animals slaughtered: $175

From "The Histories of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas" compiled by Duncan and Scott we read: "As spring passed on and ripened into summer there was still no rain, the dust in which the seed had been planted remained dust. The burning sun glared fiercely all day, and no dew descended at night... It was a heart-breaking experience, and those who passed through it cannot speak of it even now without a shudder. It is no wonder that many of the settlers, perhaps a majority of them, went back to their former homes, and that few of those who went ever returned. Those who remained suffered the extremest privation, and many of them were rescued from actual starvation only by the timely arrival of supplies sent out by the numerous 'Kansas Aid' societies which were organized throughout the East. There have been hard times in Kansas since then, but compared with 1860 there has never been a year that was not one of abundance and good cheer."

The Civil War Years in Allen County

At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, nearly every able-bodied man from Allen County enlisted including Henry's four oldest sons. One son, William H Bennett, became a corporal. Another, the youngest of these four, Joseph, who was about 21 years old, died of disease in Missouri in 1863. [The service records of all four brothers needs to be looked into further.]

Evidently, the U.S. Army "visited" Bennett's farm during the war. In 1894, he filed a claim against the U.S. government "for compensations for timber, firewood and other personal property to them from the [Henry's] land near Humboldt, Kansas, by the officers and Soldiers of the U. S. Army, during the Civil War, and for the use and occupation of, and injury to said land and premises..."

In a document from 1900, Henry (now 85), because of his "age and physical infirmities," agreed to give half of a settlement to Barton M Turner, his son-in-law, if or when he collected money on a claim against the U. S. government. More records need to be found to determine if Henry ever received compensation. [Typewritten transcription in Beulah Brewer's genealogy papers titled "Henry Bennett, Intestate Will" at top. Sticky note on it also says "Book L, 184[blank]-Mar 27[or 29], 1894. State of Missouri vs. Henry Bennett, Delinquent taxes: Dismissed. These in Webster Co, MO.]

Leaving Allen County

Kansas took a state census right after the war in July of 1865. Henry and his wife, Ellender, are still in Allen County along with their youngest seven children ages 3 to 15. Sometime between July 1865 and the 1870 federal census, Henry and his family moved back to Missouri, this time settling in Newton County.

In less than fifteen years, Henry had settled on the newly formed Kansas Territory and watched it become the 32nd state; he had probably dealt with Indians and slavery; he had sent four of his sons to fight to preserve the Union and abolish slavery and learned that one of them had died of disease; he had seen U.S. soldiers use his timber and land; and he had survived an eighteen month drought. All of this while raising and providing for a family on the Kansas prairie.

While much has been learned about Henry Bennett and his life in Kansas, his time in both Tennessee and Missouri need to be explored further.

Timeline of Henry Bennett's life

• Feb 1815 - born in NC or TN
• abt 1836 - married Ellender Bookout in TN
• by 1840 - living with wife & 3 young children in Fentress Co, TN
• bet 1843-1848 moved to Greene Co, MO
• May 1855 - arrived in Allen Co, Kansas Territory
• bet 1865-1870 - moved to Newton Co, MO
• bet 1880-1900 - moved to Webster Co, MO
• Oct 1903 - died in Webster Co, MO

My Line of Descent

• Henry Bennett (1815-1903) m. Ellender Bookout (1817-1905)
• Elizabeth Bennett (1849-1914) m. Josiah Randolph Coppenbarger (1844-1934)
• Myrtle Mae Coppenbarger (1880-1970) m. Emil Wilhelm Peters (1877-1955)
• Hazel Lucille Peters (1910-1975) m. James Edward Stewart (1910-1972) (my paternal grandparents

Thanks to Amy Johnson Crow at "No Story Too Small" for creating "52 Ancestors" where we can share our ancestors stories, one week at a time. This week's theme is "closest to your birthday." I chose someone who shared the same birth month as me, though I don't know what specific day he was born on.)

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

What Can You Learn from AncestryDNA Matches with Very Small Trees?

This morning I watched DearMYRTLE's video, "AncestryDNA Matches with Angie Bush." Angie is Dear Myrtle's "DNA expert." She started by explaining what you can learn from Ancestry DNA matches that have 'shaky leaf' hints. I was already comfortable with those. But, next she talked about those matches that DON'T have hints.

Up until now, I've always ignored those. Many of them have very small trees. The 'tree' Dear Myrtle and Angie worked on only had 2 people! But, they were able to figure out the common ancestor! Wow!

Angie also pointed out that part of why they were able to make the connection was because the family was from Utah and there is a large family tree on Family Search for Utah. Well, I don't have any family from Utah. Could I still make this work?

I went to my matches and my highest unknown match is a 3rd cousin, with a confidence level of "extremely high", who only has 13 people on her tree. 13 people? How will I be able to find a match with that?

I clicked on "View Match" and could see all 13 people. The one surname I recognized was "Waggoner", though this isn't a direct line of mine. And, I didn't recognize the only person with that name, Margaret Elizabeth Waggoner.

I clicked on Margaret and saw her birth (in 1901) and death dates (1982) and that she died in Oklahoma. Hmmm... my Waggoner's are from both Kansas and Oklahoma.

I next went to my tree and looked for a Margaret Elizabeth Wagoner. I actually found a Margaret Waggoner born "about" 1901. That's a match! This Margaret's mother is Mary Ellen "Ella" (Coppenbarger) Waggoner who is a sister of my great grandmother, Myrtle Mae (Coppenbarger) Peters!

The family of our great, great grandparents, Josiah Randolph Coppenbarger & Elizabeth (Bennett) Coppenbarger
My great grandmother is Myrtle Mae (dark hair 2nd from left) & my my match's is "Ella" (the tallest standing)
Photo from FindAGrave posted by JRS, my father

So, this 'match' and I share great, great grandparents, Josiah Randolph Coppenbarger & Elizabeth (Bennett) Coppenbarger, making her my 3rd cousin! Just like the DNA match suggested!

I have now contacted this match and offered to share my research. I hope she has something to share, too. But, I think she might not even know Margaret's parents names. In that case, I'm happy to help her out! And, I was able to fill in more information about Margaret on my tree.

I'm off to try another match!

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

My Top 10 Genealogy Finds in 2014

2014 has been an amazing year for me and my genealogy research. With increased knowledge, time, and resources available, I've uncovered some amazing discoveries! I had thought about making a "top 10" booklet for my family as Christmas gifts, but didn't get around to it. Maybe I will still do that but give it to them for Valentine's Day. But, for now, I thought I'd highlight my top 10 finds of the year.

1839 Marriage Record - Parish of Prestwich, Lancaster County, England from Ancestry.com

#10 - I didn't start blogging until March of this year, so my first "find" is actually from the end of 2013. It was huge! In November, I made my first "jump across the pond" when I found my 3rd great grandparent's (James Eastwood & Sarah Hall) 1839 marriage record from Lancaster, England! After finding this location, I was able to find birth, marriage, and death records and go back another generation.

Gov. LaFollette of Wisconsin addressing Chautauqua assembly, Decatur, Ill. c.1905
(image from Wikipedia)

#9 - This is a more distant relative and I didn't blog about it, but I found out my 2nd cousin, 5 times removed was Bishop John Heyl Vincent. Bishop J. H. Vincent was one of the two founders of Chautauqua - an adult education movement in the late 1800's & early 1900's. I found many newspaper articles about him including one that starts with this... "General Grant once introduced Bishop J. H. Vincent to President Lincoln and said: 'Dr. Vincent was my pastor at Galena, Ill., and I do not think that I missed one of his sermons while I lived there.'" The next paragraph said, "This same Bishop Vincent, of good old Pennsylvania stock and for many years a resident of Pennsylvania, was the founder of the Chautauqua assembly, next only to the public school system in bringing to the masses of the people some share of their inheritance in the world's great creations in art and literature." [Today in Pennsylvania History, Altoona Mirror, Altoona, Pennsylvania, 09 May 1924, page 11, column 1, digital image newspapers.com, accessed 08 Dec 2014.]

Barbara Grozinger's 1616 baptism record found on FHL film

#8 - After finding my English ancestors, I made another huge discovery when I found the place of origin of one of my German families: the Kaechle's. I first found a marriage record (index only) of my 3rd great grandparents (Thaddeus Kaechle & Katharina Kern) which gave the names of Thaddeus' parents (Anton Koechle/Kaechle & Anna Diringer). From there, I found a site where someone had indexed hundreds of years of church records (Ortsfamilienbuch fur Grissheim) at the church where Thaddeus was born! His ancestors had attended that church for centuries. The oldest record I found was the 1616 baptism of my 8th great grandmother, Barbara Grozinger. That's almost 400 years old! (The location was Grissheim in Baden-Wurttemberg.)

U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records from Selected States, 1660-1926
Marriage record; date: Aug 12, 1710
found on ancestry.com

#7 - Several years ago I discovered I had French Huguenot ancestors (surnames Doremus & Vincent/Van Sant) who had escaped to The Netherlands before coming to America in the late 1600's. But, just recently I found my first document that shows my 8th great grandfather, Cornelis Cornelisse Doremus, was born in The Netherlands! The record is his 1710 marriage record to my 8th great grandmother, Rachel Pietersen. It says he was born in Middleburg, Zeeland, which is part of The Netherlands!

1847 marriage record of Anton Kehrbach & Maria Anna Reuter

#6 - I traced another family back to Germany this year (so, my 3rd location in Europe!) when I located a distant cousin on My Heritage. He had an 1847 marriage record for my 3rd great grandparents, Anton Kehrbach (Korback) & Maria Anna Reuter. Not only did this record show where this family had come from (Ediger which is a small village in present-day Rhineland-Palatinate), but it also gave the names of both of their parents!

#5 - I busted through a brick wall by uncovering my 4th great grandfather's father! Andrew McClintock/McClintic was born in August of 1804 in Pennsylvania. I'd been stuck at this generation for many years. This information came from a researcher I'd hired in Pennsylvania. (The same one who helped me with the Stiver's in #9.) She had transcribed some church records and had the baptism of Andrew McClintock listing his father, John McClintock.

Headstone of Jacob T Dickson, Confederate soldier

#4 - The Civil War Questionnaire of Jacob Tipton Dickson, my great, great grandfather's younger brother. The questionnaire was sent out to Civil War soldiers who were still alive in 1920.  Besides verifying their mother's maiden name, Sally McCage, I love the language of this man from Tennessee and can only imagine that my great, great grandfather would have talked (& spelled words!) the same way. Here are a few of the questions:

...Remarks on Ancestry... my grate parance was from Orolan [?]  and they Died while I were small and I dident never know them

...If you owned land... Now I diden owen any thing I were stayen at home

...Did you parents own slaves?... My father Owen 6 Slaves

I will definitely blog more about this document as I think it is priceless and a wonderful 'find'!

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

#3 - I uncovered not one, but two MURDERS in my family this year! That's just crazy! This first one was the murder of my 3rd great grandfather's granddaughter. Her name was Ollie Werther and she married Roy Crockett in about 1909 or 1910. The marriage lasted maybe a year and then, after quarreling, Ollie went home to her dad and told him she had proof that her husband had committed arson on one of their houses to collect the insurance money. They turned this information over to the authorities and Roy was arrested. Allegedly, Roy's sister, brother, cousin & a friend poisoned Ollie with morphine to keep her from testifying against Roy! I found articles acquitting the two females of their murder charges, but have yet to find anything about the two males. As for Roy, he was "surrendered to his bondsman" a few years later, but also started another family, an oil business, and became both a judge and  mayor in Texas!

Ephraim P Bennett's Missouri State Penitentiary Records from the Missouri State Archives

#2 - The other murder I uncovered was actually one that had been passed down in my family, though I hadn't heard the story. I first discovered it after finding my great, great grandmother's brother in the state penitentiary in the 1900 census. From there, I ordered prison records and then found newspaper articles about the murder. 

Ephraim Bennett's brother-in-law, Nathan L Buchanan, was physically abusing his wife, Louisa Jane, Ephraim's sister. At one point, Nathan hit her on the head with a log from the fire and she ended up having to go to an asylum for awhile. Ephraim loaned Nathan the money he needed to commit her, but then one day came out into the field where Nathan was working and shot and killed him. He then turned himself in to the authorities. There most be more to the story as, that night, a lynch mob of somewhere between 50 to 200 men came to hang Ephraim! The family story that was passed down made Ephraim sound like a hero. But, the lynch mob makes me wonder what really happened. I hope to find out more! (I wrote quite a few posts about this murder as I uncovered the story.)

My grandmother & her best friend, circa 1925 (original at my aunt & uncle's in Kansas)

#1 - My biggest "find" of 2014 was the absolutely amazing amount of family photos & memorabilia that my aunt & uncle have at their house. Not only do they have at least 100 old photos, they have baby books, report cards, journals, poems written by family members, land records, newspaper clippings, and so much more! They inherited the work of my Grand Aunt, Beulah Brewer, who started me on this journey back in 1998. Their friend, Cheryl, is a retired librarian who has spent several years putting all of the records both in binders and in a genealogy program. I visited them in Kansas back in October and came home with over 900 images! Wow!!! Some of my favorite photos are those of my grandmother as a young girl.

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

Baby Thrown During 1899 Twister

May 31st, 1899. An electrical storm bursts upon the small town of Ashton, Kansas during the late evening hours. Thunder booms and lightning flashes across the sky. A young family probably tries to sleep but the mother and father are kept awake by the show. Then, they hear what sounds like a train coming towards them. They probably crouch together for safety and hold on tight to their baby boy. And then the tornado hits their house.

Image from Wikipedia

The house is torn apart by the twister. It is demolished. The husband is blown 450 feet away and is badly cut on the head. The mother is OK. But, where is baby Floyd? He's only 10 months old! After searching in the dark, they find that he's been thrown by the tornado, too. But, thankfully he isn't injured.

A Small Twister, Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Arkansas City, Kansas, 01 Jun 1899, page 5, column 2;
digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 01 Oct  2014)

What a terrifying night for a family! But, I'm sure they were thankful that they all survived the tornado even though they lost their house and possessions.

A Small Twister, Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Arkansas City, Kansas, 01 Jun 1899, page 5, column 2;
digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 01 Oct  2014)

This is what happened on May 31st, 1899 to my great, great grandfather's daughter and her family. D. V. Waggoner was married to Mary Ellen "Ella" Coppenbarger, a sister of my great grandmother, Myrtle Mae (Coppenbarger) Peters. Myrtle Mae and their parents, Josiah Randolph Coppenbarger & Elizabeth (Bennett) Coppenbarger were living nearby as were other family members. I wonder when they found out that a tornado had demolished Ella's home and thrown the little baby away from the safety of his mom and dad. What a terrifying event!

Once again, the only reason I found this story is because of a newspaper article I found at newspapers.com. Newspapers can tell us so much about our ancestors and get us past the names, dates and places.

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

The "Skeleton in the Closet" Doesn't Belong to Me! (Lessons to Learn!)

I recently wrote two posts about two men whom I thought were brothers of my great, great grandmother, Elizabeth Bennett (1849-1914). The first was titled "Doing Time in the Missouri State Penitentiary" and the second was "Skeletons in the Closet: Rapist & Murderer." I had uncovered some prison records which seemed to be her brothers.

I hired a researcher in Missouri and received a package from her last night. The man who was found guilty of 2nd degree murder is actually Elizabeth's brother. It's a fascinating story that I'm still researching. But, the man who committed "assault to rape" was NOT her brother. (Thankfully!) He was about 20 years too young!

Missouri State Archives; Missouri State Penitentiary Registers;
Vol. M; page 121; reel S-218

So, I've learned two lessons... just because someone has the right name and lives in the right place doesn't make it the same person! And, I need to be careful about sharing these discoveries until I'm certain they are the right person! Especially when it is something as serious as a prison sentence.

Missouri State Archives; Missouri State Penitentiary Registers;
Vol. M; page 121; reel S-218

Here's one more very strange point... this is the information I received via email from the Missouri State Archives:

     William H. BENNETT #5950

     Vol. M, pg. 121, S218

     Sentenced to 2 years for assault to rape in Perry County. Entered 10-19-1886 and was released under ¾            time law 5-15-1888

This is the same information I received on my copy: William H. Bennett #595, Vol. M, pg. 121, S218. But... there's a lot of information that doesn't match up! My copy shows his offense was "subornation of perjury", not "assault to rape." (Big difference!) Also, it shows he entered the prison on Oct 5, 1886, not October 19, 1886. And, he was released on January 5, 1889, not May 15, 1888. I think the archives might have sent me some wrong information, but their details don't match anyone else on the page, either.

So, here's another lesson learned... look at the original! Don't trust an abstract or something someone else has copied! You never know what mistakes might have been made! (Perjury is a lot different than assault to rape!)

I'm using my blog to share my discoveries almost day by day as they happen. And, I love this format and getting to share the joy and excitement of a new discovery. But, I definitely need to be more careful about what I post! I do apologize for posting something as 'fact' without waiting for more proof!

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

When is an Inmate Not a Prisoner?

1900 census listing Ephraim Bennettt as an "prisoner" of a state prison
Cole County, Missouri

In my genealogy research, I have now come across the word "inmate" listed under "occupation" on a census twice. Neither person was a prisoner. The only time I had an actual prisoner on a census record, he was listed as a "prisoner." (See image above.)

RESIDENTS OF "OLD SOLDIERS' HOMES"

The first time I came across an "inmate" on a census, I was pretty surprised. But, as I read the census better, I realized that this individual was actually living in an "Old Soldier's Home." I'd never heard of this term, so I did a little research. One resource I found was the "Civil War Blog." It explains that President Lincoln initiated these homes for veterans of the civil war who had served honorably and were disabled from their service. Ancestry has a searchable database called U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938. It was years ago, but I need to find this census record again and see what other records I can uncover for this relative.

1940 census listing Jack Bennett as "inmate" of Poor Farm
Newton County, Missouri

POOR FARMS

As I mentioned in the post about the Missouri State Penitentiary, I found two brothers who had served time there. Well, imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a third brother listed as an inmate! My first thought was, "another prisoner!" But, I found his burial record on FindAGrave showing he was buried in the "County Poor Farm Cemetery" in the same city (& same year!) as the census record. So, he wasn't an inmate of a prison; he was an inmate of a poor farm!

So, if you come across the term "inmate", you might need to look a little further to figure out what they are an 'inmate' of! Who knows what you'll uncover? And, all of these institutions (prisons, old soldiers' homes, & poor farms) can lead to more records! Happy hunting!

P.S. The Legal Genealogist has now written a post about 'inmates' and the instructions which were given to the census takers!

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