Lucas County rarely makes The New York Times, but it did on Sunday, March 18, 1900, two days after County Attorney Will B. Barger, 37, had been discovered wandering Chariton streets with a head wound --- shot by his self-proclaimed mistress, Emma J. (Gardner) Pyle, 27, while his wife and three children were tucked away in their fine home on East Court Avenue.
The Chariton correspondent for the daily Ottumwa Courier reported the story first, telegraphing it east in time to be published on the morning after, Saturday, March 17. From Ottumwa, the story was dispatched by telegram nationwide and received modest play in countless dailies on Sunday and in weeklies during the days thereafter. Then as now, we were a people intensely interested in scandal.
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Emma, the female lead in this small-town drama, was a Newbern girl, born Nov. 12, 1872, on the English Township farm of parents, Thomas J. and Sylvia (Mosher) Gardner, one of 12 children. She had married George D. Pyle during September of 1893 in Warren County, Illinois, and they continued to live in that state until 1897 when they moved to Chariton and George found a job as harness maker in the shop of A.C. Riebel, then doing business on the south side of the square. By 1899 their marriage had broken and George sued Emma for an uncontested divorce, publishing his "not responsible for the debts" thereof in editions of all three Chariton newspapers during December of that year.
Will Barger, the male lead, was a Virginia native who had arrived in Lucas County with his parents, David and Fiana (Darst) Barger, during 1877, settling on a farm in Union Township. After teaching school for a time, he studied law with the Stuart Bros. in Chariton and was admitted to the Iowa bar in 1887, locating in Chariton during 1888. By 1900, he was recognized as one of southern Iowa's best trial lawyers, had served three terms as Chariton mayor, was Captain of Company H, Iowa National Guard, then headquartered in Chariton, was serving his first term as county attorney and was a major player in the Knights of Pythias lodge. He had married Amanda Lewis in 1887 and they had three children, Celene, Wilford and Lewis.
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Chariton's three weekly newspapers were at a disadvantage when it came to timely reporting. The Patriot and The Herald did not publish until Thursday, March 22, and The Democrat trailed along a day later on Friday, March 23.
What they lacked in timeliness, however, was compensated for by detail --- including written statements provided by both key players. The Patriot's coverage was the most extensive and the most balanced, providing transcripts of both statements. The Herald and The Democrat summarized Barger's statement as part of the news lead and then published Emma's statement as counterpoint. Here is The Patriot report in full. The map locates some of the places mentioned in the report.
W.B. Barger Shot by Mrs. Emma Pyle
She Tried to Kill Him While He Was Calling at Her Home
Says She Don't Know Why
No Cause Known for Shooting. Both Persons Make Statements Concerning the Deed
What might have been a fatal tragedy occurred at the home of Mrs. Emma Pyle on East Roland Ave. last Friday evening, when our county attorney, W.B. Barger, was shot in the head by Mrs. Pyle while he was visiting at her house. The details of this bad affair are given below, together with a statement of both Mr. Barger and Mrs. Pyle. The Patriot will simply state the facts as our reporter gathered them.
Last Saturday morning the citizens of our town were startled and shocked by the news that W.B. Barger, our county attorney, had been shot in the head by some unknown person the night before as he was on his way home. The news following so closely the crime of the attempted murder of Miss Anna Hemming naturally caused great excitement, and all kinds of rumors were afloat, and it took some time for a Patriot reporter to run the thing down and get the bottom facts, which are substantially as follows and are corroborated by Barger's statement:
Last Friday night, between the hours of ten and eleven o'clock, Barger walked into the Bates House with blood streaming over his clothes from a wound in the head. He spoke to the landlord, Mr. B.R. VanDyke, and said: "Send for Dr. Yocom; I am badly injured by a blood vessel bursting in my ear." This Mr. VanDyke thought was true and telephoned for the doctor at once to come to his office and meet Barger.
He (Barger) then started to Dr. Yocom's office. On the Stanley corner he was overtaken by Mr. Will Culbertson and others who were on their way from the theatre. Barger spoke and said, "I am badly hurt." Mr. Culbertson offered to take him home and he said, "No, I will go home alone and have the doctor come there." He arrived at the house weak from the loss of blood. His wife came to the door, and of course was greatly alarmed, seeing his condition. After helping him to bed she ran across the street for J.E. Brown, who immediately came. It was then learned that Barger had been shot.
Mr. Brown then telephoned Sheriff Manning,who with other officers immediately responded to the call. By that time Drs. Yocom and Stanton arrived and probed for the ball. They found a scalp wound where a ball from a 32-calibre revolver had entered the scalp near the crown of the head and ranged downward, coming out three inches below. It was a close call, but as it turned out the wound is slight, and with care Mr. Barger will be around again in a few days.
At this time Barger told Sheriff Manning who did the shooting and the place where it occurred. The sheriff together with officer Hahn went to the home of Mrs. Pyle and made a search for the revolver and other evidences of the crime, but not finding anything they came away. The sheriff not being satisfied with the first search, went back and made a thorough investigation of the whole house. This time he was more successful and found in a closet a bundle of bloody night clothes belonging to Mrs. Pyle and also a bedspread with blood on it, but no revolver was found.
The sheriff then placed Mrs. Pyle under arrest. The rest of the account will be found over the signatures of Barger and Mrs. Pyle.
BARGER'S STATEMENT
There has been rumors afloat over the country for some time with reference to myself and one Mrs. Emma Pyle which arose from the fact that she, from some unaccountable cause, had become attached to me in a manner which caused trouble in my family.
Some time last December she went to Colorado for the purpose of remaining there, and after I came home from the southwest she came back and went to her mother's home north of town and stayed there a week. About January 1st she rented and occupied a little building west of the Christian church, belonging to Mr. Hickman.
From that time on until Friday night every means possible had been used to persuade her by both myself and friends to quietly leave town and go to her people in Colorado.
She absolutely refused to let my wife, my children or myself rest in peace; threatened to kill my wife and my babies, and for that purpose went into Busselle's hardware store about the 10th of February and bought a 32-calibre six-shooter revolver. She had made threats to kill me also, but I disregarded them and cared only for my family.
For sometime past I have requested her to go west or away from town. I further informed her that she must leave the country, must go somewhere. I did not want any open outbreak on the street, and I waited patiently until Friday night. She had agreed to go away. She sent for me to come and see her, that she was going away. Her brother, Ross Gardner, brought me the information. I went down for the purpose, and at her request, to assist in getting her to go to her people out west. I got there about 8:30 o'clock Friday evening and I could see something was wrong when I came. Her brother remained a while and then went to the show at the hall.
She demurred on leaving Chariton. I told her she had to go; that I was getting tired of these threats and treatment of my family. I felt certain that some of us would get killed before the matter ended, unless she went away. She finally agreed to go as soon as she was able to leave, as she had been confined to bed for some time, and I started to leave the house, and told her I was glad the trouble was at an end. She wanted to know if I was coming back again. I told her no, that that time had passed. I gave her funds to leave on. She began to act very strangely, and I became somewhat alarmed and started to leave. My overcoat and hat being in an adjoining room, I started to get them. She told me to come back, that her brother would soon be there and that I certainly would wait a few moments until he came. I went back and sat down in the rocking chair where I had been sitting, turned the chair around and put my feet upon a chair. This threw my face to the northwest and the back of my head toward where she was lying, within two or three feet of the bed. She had quieted down and nothing had been spoken for several minutes. All at once it seemed as if the drum of my ear had bursted, and the blood flowed down my person in streams. No revolver was seen. I cannot remember of any explosion. My face was turned from her at the time. I jumped up and said, "My ear has bursted; I am in misery."
She jumped out of bed in her bare feet and head, with nothing but night clothing upon her, passed me, went through the house to rear, screaming all the while, and ran toward the mouth of the alley running north from Dent's store. I though she was crazy. I went after her and carried her into the house. She kept screaming. I told her to hush, that I seemed to be the one that was hurt instead of her. She became more calm. I rushed for my hat and overcoat and told her that I thought I was badly hurt; that the drum of my ear had certainly bursted. She helped me on with my overcoat.
I ran to Dr. Yocom's office with all my might Not finding him I went to the Bates House and telephoned him and then returned to his office. From there I immediately started home I did not become aware of what had happened to me until I turned the corner at Crozier's store, going home, and I felt my hair matted with clotted blood above my ear. I was then satisfied that I had been shot.
The Doctors Yocom and Stanton dressed my wound, found where the ball had entered the rear portion of the upper left side of my head, the bullet ranging down and coming out about three inches below the upper wound in front of the left ear.
(Signed) Will B. Barger
MRS. PYLE'S STATEMENT.
The public knows Mr. Barger and I have been intimate for years, and there is no use trying to deny it. He came to see me most every night and supported me. Since I have been sick he has come and spent the evening with me almost every night. About January 1st, when I came back from Colorado I rented a little house west of the Christian church and I moved into it, and he has cared for me since --- paid my rent, bought my wood, etc. He has come to see me right along since I have lived there and supported me all the time. When I moved there I was advised to provide myself with some sort of protection, so about two months ago I went to Busselle's hardware store and bought a revolver which has laid on the stand at the head of my bed ever since.
A while back I talked of going to Cleveland No. 4 and starting a restaurant, and Mr. Barger was going to start me up in the business. We understood there was a building there for rent, and on Saturday, March 10, he went down to Cleveland to see about it. He came back and told me the building was not for rent, but said that if I would go to No. 4 he would put up a building for me himself. He wrote to a contractor, Mr. Holman, at Lucas, about it, and he said he would put up the building for $535. I then drove down to Cleveland myself and found the restaurant was not for rent. I then told Mr. Barger I didn't believe I would go down there, but would to to Greeley, Colorado, where my sister lives, and keep boarders there. My sister was here visiting me at the time and wanted me to go home with here, but I could not get ready so soon, so she went home and engaged a large house for me for that purpose. I was making every arrangement to go as soon as possible, when I took sick, and on last Friday night I had been in bed for three days and out of the house but once in three weeks.
As soon as I found out that I was not able to go, my brother wrote my sister that I could not take the house I had intended to occupy. I had some morphine tablets which had been put away in a drawer. On Last Friday evening I was suffering so intensely that I got them out of the drawer and took six of them. Mr. Barger came down about 7 o'clock and I took five more soon after he came, making eleven tablets in all --- in about one hour.
My brother was staying with me, but he went to the show at the hall and Mr. Barger was to stay with me until he came back. I don't have any remembrance of the shooting --- it's just like a dream to me. I remember of being out of doors that night, but I do not know how I got out. I remember that I went through the alley almost to Dent's store in my bare feet and night dress, and that Mr. Barger came after me, carried me back to the house and put me in bed. I threw the revolver away, but do not know where. I do not know what made me shoot, or why Mr. Barger allowed me to do such a thing. I do not remember where he was or whether he was sitting down or standing. I have nto recolleciton about it. I suppose I must have done it though, as he has said that I did.
During the time of our acquaintance, while I was yet living with my husband, Mr. Barger wrote me 47 love letters, which he had delivered to my house, not sending them through the mail, and in the last year we took two trips away together, and were gone almost a week at each time. Once, the first time, to Omaha, Neb., and attended the exposition, and the last time to Denver, Colorado, in December, 1899.
On Tuesday, March 13th, Mr. Barger tried to send a party to Lucas to see about buying a restaurant for me there to keep me from going to Colorado, but I said "no," and did not let the party go. The next day he came and asked if I would not let the party go down, and I told him "no," that I had made up my mind to get clear out of the country.
Why I would harm Mr. Barger I do not know, as he has always been good to me; gave me money whenever I wanted it, but it is true that he broke up our home.
What I have stated here is absolutely the truth and half has not yet been told.
(Signed) Mrs. Emma Pyle
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I'm going to leave the story here for this morning. The outcome of the case against Mrs. Pyle and a brief account of her life after its resolution will be the topic of another post; developments in the life and career of Mr. Barger, the topic of a final post on this subject.
1 comment:
Great story.
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