The governor & his brother, the killer (Part 2)

I set out some time ago to tell the story of two Kendall brothers, both native to Lucas County's Greenville neighborhood southeast of Russell, whose paths led in dramatically different directions. 

One was Abbott Alexander Kendall (aka Edward Black), who shot and killed his mistress during August of 1906 in Garrett, Indiana, and then bashed her head in with the butt of the murder weapon. The other was Nathan Edward Kendall, prominent attorney in Albia at the time of his brother's murderous rampage, who went on the serve as Iowa's 23rd governor.

You'll find an account of the murder here, in a post entitled "An Iowa governor & his brother, the killer."

Abbott Kendall was 10 years older than Nathan. They had different mothers and appear to have been raised under far different circumstances.

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The father of both Abbott and Nathan was Elijah L. Kendall, born July 8, 1828, in Shelby County, Indiana, and age 23 and single when he accompanied his parents, Abbott G. and Sarah Elizabeth (Lucas) Kendall, to Washington Township, Lucas County, Iowa, during the fall of 1851.

Three years later, on Dec. 28, 1854, Elijah married Miranda Black, daughter of Alexander and Ann Black, in Monroe County. The Blacks probably were living just east of the Lucas-Monroe county line in Jackson Township, Monroe County. Miranda was only 15 at the time.

Elijah and Miranda became the parents of five children during the next six years --- three of whom died young: Waitman E. (1855-1855), Florence S. (1856-1857) and Martha E. (1859-1861). The survivors were Abbott, born 1858; and Sarah Anna, born 1861.

While by no means affluent, the Kendalls were able to afford tombstones to place in the Greenville Cemetery for each of their three deceased children, tombstones that still stand.

Little Sarah Anna was less than a year old and Abbott not yet 3 when Elijah, age 34, enlisted as fifer in Company C, 18th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, on July 14, 1862. His younger brother, Nathan W., age 21, had enlisted in the same company three days earlier. The brothers served together for three years, until they were mustered out on July 20, 1865, at Little Rock, Arkansas.

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Something apparently had gone badly wrong with the Kendall marriage during those war years, or it may have been stressed before Elijah enlisted, leaving behind a young wife with two small children.

Whatever the case, the couple divorced soon after Elijah's return to Iowa and on Jan. 1, 1867, he married a Greenville neighbor, Lucinda (Stephens) Mahan, 39, whose husband, John B. Mahan, had died at the age of 38 during November of 1864. She brought with her into the marriage at least five of her surviving children ranging in age from 8 to 22.

Miranda apparently took Abbott and Anna Kendall with her when she departed Greenville and by 1870 had married as her second husband Benjamin Abijah Watkins and settled with him in Gentry County, Missouri. She would have five children, the eldest of whom died during 1870 in infancy, during a marriage that endured until her death on Aug. 27, 1892, at Pattonsburg in Daviess County, Missouri.

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Back at Greenville, Elijah and Lucinda produced one child of their own --- a son they named Nathan Edward in honor of his Uncle Nathan L., who had served with Elijah throughout the Civil War. Little Nathan was born on March 17, 1868, and so was 10 years younger than his brother, Abbott, although the two, if acquainted, knew each other barely at best.

Young Nathan apparently was a bright child who flourished while having the undivided attention of two parents. When he was 15 and neighborhood schools had taken him as far as they could, Elijah, Lucinda and Nathan moved to Chariton in 1883 where Nathan entered the Stuart Brothers' law firm as a stenographer and law student. After a year or two, he relocated to the Albia law office of T.B. Perry. Admitted to the bar in 1889, he flourished in Albia, was elected to terms in the Iowa Legislature and eventually, in 1921, was elected governor, serving two terms.

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We know very little about Abbott's whereabouts and life during the years between his departure from Lucas County as a child and his appearance during the late 1890s in Garrett, Indiana, as Edward Black.

At age 22, he was working as a day laborer in Gentry County, Missouri, when the 1880 federal census was taken. Three years later, on March 5, 1883, he was working as a coal miner at Brazil in Appanoose County, Iowa, when he married Sadie Head. And that's about it.

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Now --- a return to 1906 in DeKalb County, Indiana.

Abbott A. Kendall, aka Edward Black, murdered Mattie Cannon during the early morning hours of Thursday, Aug. 2, 1906, in Garrett, freely admitting his guilt when apprehended.

Two months later, on Oct. 4, 1906, he was brought before a DeKalb County grand jury in Auburn and indicted for first-degree murder. At the time, he pleaded guilty and Presiding Judge Bratton set aside a few days to consider the sentence.

Meanwhile, Abbott's attorneys prepared documents to withdraw the guilty plea and demand a jury trial on the charge, most likely deploying an insanity plea, if it appeared that Judge Bratton might impose the death penalty.

When court was called to order on Monday, Oct. 8, Bratton accepted Abbott's guilty plea without comment, however, and imposed a sentence of life in prison in part, it was thought, to spare the county the expense of a trial. 

Abbott was taken immediately to the Indiana State Penitentiary in Michigan City where he remained for the remainder of his life.

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The killer's initial plea, presented in court on Oct. 4, included for the first time information about his real name and family background.

"When questioned further regarding the crime he had committed and while in a repentant mood," The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette of Oct. 5 reported, "he stated that his real name was not Black, but was Abbott Alexander Kendall. His reasons for assuming the name of Black and going by that name for the past seven years are set forth in the following statement made by him:

"In view of the investigation and my coming trial for the murder for which I am guilty, I am ready to disclose to the world my true name, which I have not used for many years. I was born in Lucas county, Iowa. Soon after my father's return from the Civil War he and my mother were divorced, leaving her with two children --- myself and a sister by the name of Anna.

"Anna married a man by the name of Dowling, who lives in Beaver City, Neb. My father married again and had a son --- my half-brother --- who is a successful lawyer of Albia, Ia., whom I have not seen for 15 years.

"My mother married a man named Benjamin Watkin with whom she removed to Pattonsburg, Mo. To them were born four children, three boys and one girl. There my mother died some years ago. Leaving there and not wishing to be followed by or burdened with the care of my half-brothers and sisters, I came to Indiana, locating in Garrett. There I gave the name Edward Black and it is by that name I have been known ever since and it was in that name I held the property I owned in that city. I simply changed my name so that my relatives could not find me."

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Abbott also made a number of allegations about himself and his family during court appearances that were summarized in The Garrett Weekly Clipper of Oct. 11, 1906, including:

"That his habits of living the life of a hermit were hereditary, his father having driven his mother from home a few months before he was born. This time she spent away from civilization in a lone hut on the banks of a river.

"That his father and mother were degenerates of the most pronounced type. (When he confessed this voluntarily in court he first said he must hide his head and took off his coat and covered his features."

"That he has been married three times and never divorced.

"That in two of these marriages the woman was over 60 years of age, his reason for preferring elderly women being that he desired no children.

"That he committed an abortion on his first wife, causing consumption from which she died a short time later.

"That he served six months in the Fort Madison, Iowa, penitentiary for stealing a watch.

"That he served two years in the Jeffersonville, Missouri, penitentiary for stealing a pair of boots.

"that he has been arrested time and again for drunkenness and vagrancy."

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The editor of the Auburn, Indiana, newspaper did follow up on Abbott's identification of Nathan Kendall of Albia as his brother and wired the attorney, requesting a response. Kendall replied that he did indeed have a half brother named Abbott who hadn't been heard from in many years, but rather than commenting asked the editor to write to him instead.

The Chariton newspapers reported upon the case, so the family would have been aware of it, but by this time Abbott's father was dead. He died on May 5, 1900, age 71, after serving for many years as a justice of the peace in Chariton. Lucinda had died at the age of 65 on May 9, 1894. They are buried in the Chariton Cemetery.

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Abbott Kendall, aka Edward Black, did indeed spent the rest of his life in prison, passing on Jan. 20, 1920, age 61 at the Indiana Hospital for Insane Criminals in Michigan City as the result of senile dementia. In Iowa, his brother, Nathan, was elected governor during November of that year.

It's kind of fitting that Abbott's death certificate is messed up, too. It identifies the deceased as "Edwin" Black, rather than Edward. And identifies his parents as Abbott and Maranda Black rather than Abbott and Marinda Kendall.

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Nathan Kendall was 68 when he died on Nov. 4, 1936, after suffering a heart attack while listening to election results on the radio that morning at his home in Des Moines. His remains were cremated and interred under a bench on the front lawn of Kendall Place, his home in Albia.

The puzzles presented by public prayer warriors

Some years ago, when same-sex marriage was a hotter topic of conversation in Iowa than it is now, I came out of an office on the square where I'd been volunteering and realized that the route to my car involved passing a group gathered for prayer --- against gay folks like me --- around the flag pole at the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn. It had been organized, I believe, by the then-pastor of First Baptist Church.

At some point after that, a small group of Sacred Heart Catholic "prayer warriors" gathered on the northeast corner of the courthouse lawn for something similar.

Interesting times, those.

Since both gatherings had been publicized, I was able to give the former gathering wide berth with a detour after I remembered what was going on and to avoid the latter by just not going uptown that day.

This came to mind this week when Bremerton, Washington, football coach Joseph Kennedy's (above) case involving public prayer landed before the U.S. Supreme Court. Kennedy lost his job with that city's public school district after declining to halt his practice of gathering students around him on the 50-yard line after games for Christian prayer.

The instances aren't that similar in some ways. Both Baptists and Catholics in Chariton were within their rights to gather for public (or private) prayer on the courthouse lawn so long as government agencies or agents hadn't organized the events. But when you're dealing with public schools, very careful for many years to maintain neutrality when prayer or other religious practices are involved, you've entered another territory.

I'm still puzzled, however, by the willingness of all these soldiers of the cross to ignore the directive to his followers given by the gentleman after whom Christianity is named in Matthew 6:5-6:

“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Oh well.

The other thing that occurred to me at the time prayer groups were gathering on the courthouse lawn: Scratch a hard-shell Baptist and you'll discover that he or she is convinced Catholics are going to hell; scratch a hard-shell Catholic and you'll discover that he or she is convinced Baptists are going to hell.

So actually, they cancel each other out.

Intemperate wickedness along Wolf Creek

I've been trying to figure out which of my relatives might have been involved in this minor tale of intemperate wickedness along Wolf Creek, published in The Chariton Democrat of March 27, 1875. This neighborhood south of Chariton, sometimes known also as Otterbein because of the church that served it, was home to the Redlingshafers, Rosas, Schrecks, Sellers, Carpenters and many others.

If nothing else, the tale illustrates that operating while under the influence is nothing new although in these instances real horses were powering the vehicles involved:

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The moral and virtuous inhabitants of the romantic environs of Wolf Creek, in the southern part of this county, are very much given to playing practical jokes upon each other; the joke being frequently turned by the victim upon the malicious perpetrator of it.

As an instance a short time since, a good, worthy temperance farmer from that section of the country, who had been in town one cold day, thought it would materially add to his temporal welfare if he was well armed with a bottle of the over-joyful before starting home. Accordingly, he got a supply of "the best" and stowed it away in his sleigh, carefully wrapping it.

It happened that a good, pious neighbor saw him thus disposing of the necessaires of life, and feeling that his spiritual welfare needed regeneration, waited his opportunity and stole the bottle, quietly transferring it to his own sleigh.

Soon after, the parties all started home, and in his hour of need, the moral farmer sought for the bottle, but it was gone. Meanwhile, he observed his spiritual neighbor far in advance, and the persons with him were getting hilariously drunk; and the trick was transparent. It is said that a sleigh-load of Wolf-Creekers was unloaded that evening by the aid of the wives of the jolly teetotalers who had luxuriated to excess upon another man's whisky.

A few days after this event, another resident of that classical valley who had laughed immensely over the joke, came to town and a rare opportunity presented itself to him to appropriate a bottle of the seductive fluid from his neighbor's vehicle and transfer it to his own, which he did chuckling to himself at the success of his joke.

He started home in company with several young ladies who had accompanied him to town, and one or more of which he had at various times smiled upon with honorable intent.

By the time he had got half way home with his precious cargo, he had surrendered the lines to a lady friend for safety, while two more of them vainly endeavored to hold him up while he scattered the contents of his insulted stomach along the road. He told them that he had taken sick from reading too much of the Beecher trial that day.

The ladies pronounced it thin and he was left to chew the bitter end of reflection. There is splendid room for organizing a lodge of Good templars on wolf creek.

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The "Beecher trial" referred to a scandal that transfixed the United States during the early 1870s as Americans sought diversions from the grim aftermath of the Civil War.

The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, pastor of Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, New York, was perhaps the most widely known preacher in the United States at the time, renowned for his socially progressive outlook and emphasis on God's love.

But during the early 1870s, he was charged with adultery by Elizabeth Tilton, a friend's wife. Although exonerated of the charges, Elizabeth's husband, Theodore, filed a civil suit against the Rev. Mr. Beecher and coverage of that trial provided a great deal of entertainment to the masses between January and July of 1875. The result was anticlimactic --- the jury was unable to reach a verdict and the case faded from collective memory.

Thanks to all who attended the annual meeting

Thanks to all who attended the annual membership meeting of the Lucas County Historical Society Tuesday evening. It was great to get together again after our two-year pandemic-related hiatus!

Michael Plummer (at right), historic sites manager for the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, was a most informative speaker. He's shown here after the program with Jaynane Hardie (left) and Kylie Dittmer, one of our 15 board members.

And as always the pie and coffee after offered a pleasant time to socialize.

We're looking ahead now to opening for the season on Tuesday, May 3, and will be open thereafter from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday through October. Admission is free. Appointments to tour at other times may be made by stopping in, calling (641) 774-4464 or via Facebook "messenger." You can stay in touch by liking the historical society's Facebook page, too.

Our next major event will be Art at the Museum on Saturday, June 18, in partnership with the Lucas County Arts Council. Stay tuned for more details as that date approaches.

God save the Queen --- in Russell, Iowa

Queen Elizabeth II, now 96, is celebrating 70 years on the throne --- her Platinum Jubilee --- this year. Having acceded to the throne upon the death of her father, George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952, the coronation occurred more than a year later, on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey.

I got to wondering the other day if this was an event noted in Lucas County and was delighted to find the following report under "Russell News," as reported by my step-cousin Miss Jennie Haywood, in The Herald-Patriot of June 11, 1953:

On Tuesday evening, June 2, a group of friends were guests at a TV party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Grover Millison, where they watched the broadcast of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. A delicious lunch was served by the hostess. Guests present were Supt. and Mrs. W.B. Scarcliff, Mrs. Frank Aton and grandson, Bob Penick, Mrs. Harriet Woodman, Mrs. Daisy B. Rockey and Jennie Haywood.

Grover C. Millison was Russell's mayor at the time and William B. Scarcliff, superintendent of the Russell schools.

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Television sets still were few and far between in Lucas County during 1953, and the "almost" live broadcast of the coronation was a major event in the history of the medium.

If the group of Russell friends were watching the coronation on the evening of June 2, it would have been on an ABC affiliate, WOI (broadcasting from Ames).

The event itself was recorded on film in London, then flown across the Atlantic for rebroadcast in the Americas. The planes chartered by NBC and CBS were rather slow, so those U.S. networks were unable to offer a comprehensive broadcast until June 3.

But ABC managed to patch into Canadian Broadcasting Corporation feed to offer same-day coverage. Pains had been taken to ensure that Canadians were able to watch the coronation of their queen on the day it occurred, so the event was filmed in segments that were rushed to the airport and dispatched in sequence aboard the fastest aircraft available to CBC studios across the Atlantic.

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I found another reference to Russell and the coronation in The Russell Union-Tribune of Oct. 22, 1953. Pam Turbot, 5th and 6th grade reporter, noted in her column of that date: "Friday we had a movie upstairs. It was a news reel. One part was about the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth the Second. Another was about the Boy Scout Jamboree, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norkey climbing Mt. Everest, the loss of Senator Robert Taft and the end of the Korean War and exchanging of prisoners of war."

Momentous times, those --- 70 years ago.

On the other hand, "Heartstopper"

The other day, I filled space here by complaining about the Amazon-generated series "Reacher," noting especially its extreme violence.

So it's only fair to give equal time to a new British-produced Netflix series, "Heartstopper," that just premiered April 22.

Don't let its categorization as a "teen drama" scare you off. It's a lovely adaption of a graphic novel by Alice Oseman that offers a compelling story --- but no violence, no sex, no cursing and no nudity.

A talented and very young cast tells the story of Charlie (Joe Locke, at right) and Nick (Kit Connor, second from left) who meet at an all-boys school, become friends, and fall in love. Charlie's out, but Nick isn't.

The cast also includes transgender actress Yasmin Finney as Elle Argent (far left) and William Gao as Tao Xu.

The whole thing is gently told in an uplifting and encouraging sort of way, well worth watching by anyone of any age.

Historical Society's annual meeting will be Tuesday

The annual membership meeting of the Lucas County Historical Society --- open to all, member or not --- will begin with introductions at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (April 26) at the C.B.&Q. Freight House in Chariton with Michael Plummer, Iowa's historic sites manager, as guest speaker.

We could call this, I suppose, our "third try is the charm" annual meeting. We had made similar arrangements back in April of 2020, and then restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic were put into place and we cancelled. April of 2021 rolled around and it still seemed unwise to host a gathering of this sort. But now we're back on track. 

Mr. Plummer, who administers eight state-owned historic sites as well as managing the state's roadside historic markers program, was relatively new to Iowa's Department of Cultural Affairs back in 2020 when he first agreed to be our annual meeting speaker. By now he has three years of experience under his belt and has deepened his knowledge of Iowa's built heritage.

The most familiar of the state-owned sites in the south of Iowa is the American Gothic House at Eldon, backdrop for  Grant Wood's iconic painting. Plum Grove, the Iowa City home of Lucas County's namesake territorial governor Robert Lucas, is another of the sites. And then there's Montauk, the majestic hilltop home of Gov. William Larrabee and his family, at Clermont.

Other sites are the Abbie Gardner Sharp Cabin, Arnolds Park; the Blood Run National Historical Landmark near Larchwood; the Matthew Edel Blacksmith Shop at Haverhill; Toolesboro Mounds National Historic Site at Wapello; and the Western Trails Historic Center, Council Bluffs.

The program will begin at approximately 7 p.m. Tuesday and the meeting will conclude with pie, coffee and conversation after. Hope to see you there!

Reaching for an understanding of "Reacher"

I lead a rather sheltered life and what once were called action-adventure films are not ordinarily a part of it. But for some reason I got tangled up this week, when I could have been doing more productive things, in devoting parts of three evenings to watching a 2022 series entitled "Reacher," developed for Amazon Prime Video.

Google tells me this was the most watched film on that platform for a time after it's release; critics, in general, praised it. A new series has been commissioned. Based on novels by Lee Childs, the film is well produced --- it grabs the attention and holds on.

But my goodness --- the violence. Dozens of good and bad guys dispatched in frightful and graphically depicted ways during its course, many by the principal character, (Jack) Reacher, portrayed by Alan Ritchson using a script that offered him an opportunity to show the emotional range of a sack of cement.

We were assured, after he had slaughtered dozens, that his heart was pure --- borrowing the old morality-play mantle to throw over it.

I'm not ashamed --- after all, I came back for three evenings and watched from beginning to end. Nor am I a fan of censorship and am in no way suggesting it here.

But I got to thinking about what has scandalized large percentages of Iowans in recent months ---  school teachers, for example; fantasies about critical race theory, transgender and other LGBTQ+ people among us and, most alarmingly, books.

Nary a whimper about violence, however, and the various ways we glorify (or trivialize) it. The hazards presented by school teachers, critical race theory, transgender people and books are imaginary. Violence isn't.

An Iowa governor & his brother, the killer

Lucas County's pioneer Kendall family, among the first settlers of the Greenville neighborhood southeast of Russell, has the distinction of producing our only native-born Iowa governor, Nathan E. Kendall (1868-1936), at left, who served two terms, 1921-1925.

Generally not mentioned by those who are aware of it is the fact that Gov. Kendall had an elder brother (by a different mother) named Abbott Kendall (1858-1920), above, also a native son of Lucas County. 

Under the pseudonym Edward Black, Abbott was described as a "self-confessed murderer, bigamist, burglar, thief, incendiary and degenerate" when sentenced to life in prison in Indiana during 1906 for committing one of that state's the most shocking murders while living in Garrett, just north of Fort Wayne.

I'll write more about the background and outcome of this case another time, but for this morning will share a report on the murder published in The Garrett Weekly Clipper on Aug. 9, 1906, a week after the killing occurred. Be warned, some of the reporting could curdle your oatmeal. The headline reads, "Act of a Fiend."

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A murder that for extreme brutality and lack of motive or provocation stands alone in the criminal history of northern Indiana was enacted in this city early last Thursday morning. Edward Black, a flue-cleaner at the B. & O. roundhouse, went to his home in the southwest part of town, broke open the window and poured the contents of a shotgun into his mistress, Mattie Cannon, killing her instantly. He then crawled through the aperture, turned over the corpse, reloaded his gun and deliberately fired another shot through her body, the first having passed through her head. Still not satisfied in his craving for the blood of the woman whom he now claims "did him dirt," this beast in human form grasped his weapon by the barrel and battered the head of his dead victim into an unrecognizable mass, splattering her brains all over the room and smashing the stock of the gun to splinters in his ferocious attack. In the midst of his grewsome work he cooly laid down upon the bed, from which the young woman had arisen, to await the coming of the officers.

Within a few minutes after the second shot was fired, Night Policeman Caldwell and W.H. Pember, whom he had hurriedly deputized, were on the scene. The former had been notified that Black was going about the homes of neighbors with a shotgun looking for Mattie and avowing his intention of killing her. They found he had placed a building tile below the window to stand on and Mr. Pember assisted the officer into the house through the hole. Black arose and stood over the corpse, cursing the inanimate object as though it were still alive, repeating over and over, "I got you, you ...." His violent actions were finally subdued and Marshal Schudel was summoned.

The murderer made no effort to resist the officers, said he had committed the deed, was glad of it and ready to die for it. The tragedy occurred at 1:30 o'clock. Black was in jail within two hours and Coroner Baxter had conducted his inquest and the prisoner landed in the county jail early in the morning.

At the inquest he pleaded guilty, repeatedly said he had committed the crime, muttered time and time again "A life for a life," said "Old Ed's neck is good for it" and offered to place a rope around his neck if they wanted to hang him. He showed not the slightest trace of remorse and said he would do the same thing over again. When asked why he fired the second shot, his reply was, "Because it was paid for and I might as well use it."

Details of the Tragedy

The events leading up to this awful tragedy date back over two years. Mrs. Cannon, whose maiden name was Hopkins and who was divorced from Guy Cannon last spring, was but 21 years old. She kept house for Black off and on for quite a while. They quarreled frequently and on several previous occasions he threatened to kill her. At one time he made a will in her favor, but later destroyed it. The fore part of last month she entered into a deal with him to purchase the property in which they were living. A contract was drawn up by the terms of which she agreed to pay him $950 for it, in installments of $5 monthly. The day before the crime, someone asked Black if he knew the contract had been altered to make the purchase price read $850. His suspicions aroused, he demanded to see the papers. Mrs. Cannon refused, stating that she feared he would tear it up, but offered to go with him to Justice Chew's office and have a duplicate copy made for him. They did so that evening, being accompanied by Adam Houser. When Mrs. Cannon produced the document it was found correct. About nine o'clock they parted, Mrs. Cannon and Houser going home. Before they separated Mrs. Cannon asked Black if he was going to work, informing him that her boarder, one of the proprietors of the Greek fruit store, wanted to come down, but was afraid of him. Black is said to have replied, "You tell him I'll be around."

At 11:20, Black was in Mayor Thumma's place listening to a graphophone and talking about buying one. Apparently his mind was free and he was not drunk. He is known to have taken one glass of beer in which he poured a drink of whisky, his customary way of indulging in intoxicants. He never drank unless he was mad, however.

It seems a few days previous, Black and Mrs. Cannon had quarreled and he moved part of his effects from the house to an old shanty a few feet distant. He evidently went there, procured his gun, made an attempt to get in the house, thought it was locked on the outside, visited the neighbors, returned and secured the building block upon which to stand to reach the window. When the crash came, Houser ran for the door and made his escape. Black says he was in bed with the woman, but Houser insists he was not, that he was only there to protect her. Circumstances go to show that the latter was probably true. A pillow was on the floor at the foot of the bed where Houser says he was lying and both were fully dressed, neither having even removed their shoes. When asked why he had not shot Houser, Black answered, "He wasn't the ... I was after. I had a bead on him and could have killed him, but he's old and his time is short anyway." It is generally thought, however, that had the Greek been there a double tragedy would have been enacted as Black was known to be very jealous of the fellow who had succeeded him in the woman's affections.

Black's Dealings With the Girl

To several people Black has related the details of is blood-curdling act. When searched $19 and a few cents was found on his person. He offered to pay all the funeral expenses of his victim, saying "there's money enough to give us both a decent burial." It is really thought he has some money though not any great amount hidden about the place as he has been a steady worker, making about $55 a month, and was never known to spend a penny foolishly.

Undoubtedly he was deeply infatuated with the Cannon woman. He seldom spoke to anyone, but whenever his reserve was broken talked freely and especially so if anyone would listen to him speak of the girl. His dealings with her, however, were always on a commercial basis. She applied to him several times for the position of housekeeper, but when she refused to accede to the additional favors demanded by him was on each occasion turned down, until she finally consented. He was a dirty, uncouth fellow who apparently had nothing in common with soap and water and his peculiar characteristics and looks caused him to be regarded with more or less disfavor among his fellow workmen. His treatment of the girl was much as might be expected from a man of his temperment. He bought her a great deal of clothing, always of the better class, and indulged her in many luxuries. A part of the time he treated her kindly, but on several occasions he choked and beat her shamefully. A year and a  half ago he was fined $9 in a local justice court for choking her. He nearly killed her at that time. She was warned frequently that he would put her out of the way, but never expressed the least fear of him.

Mystery in Murder's Life

Black has been here about seven years. Little is known of his life previous to that. He has no known relatives, though at one time he said his only living relation was a sister whom he thought was somewhere in Iowa. There seems to be some mystery about his early life and the opinion of several who knew him best is that Black is not his right name. He says he has worked in coal mines in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Ohio. It is also reported that he has remarked to several people that if he had his just desserts he would have been in the penitentiary long ago. He is 50 years of age. It is thought he was married at one time through nothing definite has developed as to that.

Victim's Career in Garrett

Mattie Josephine Hopkins came to Garrett just before Christmas in 1903. She was born in Doniphan, Kansas, but her father, J.W. Hopkins now resides in Kansas City. Four weeks after her arrival she married Guy Cannon. Their wedded life was brief and stormy. One child was born, but it died. Besides her father. one brother and three sisters survive, Mrs. C.V. Dowse being among the latter. While she led a wayward life, Mattie was an attractive girl and far too intelligent for the pathway she chose. She was aged 21 years, 7 months and 29 days. The body was taken to Moore, Satterfield & Co.'s undertaking rooms to be prepared for burial and at the request of relatives no one was allowed to view the remains. The top of her head, hair and a small portion of her face were all that was left of her features. The shot through her body was about an inch and a half in diameter where it entered the abdomen and twice that size at the opposite point.

Her brother, Harry, came from Kansas City to attend the funeral, which was conducted from the Baptist church by Rev. Roadarmel Monday morning, burial being made at Calvary. A contract was entered into Monday evening between the brother and Black's attorney, W.W. Sharpless, whereby the household goods are to be sold to defray the funeral expenses, in consideration of which the contract for the sale of the property is annulled.

Besides Mr. Sharpless, the murder has retained D.D. Moody to assist in his defense. He changed his plea to one of not guilty and is held to await the action of the grand jury. Undoubtedly temporary insanity will be the foundation of the legal fight to save is life. Houser was held as a prosecuting witness.

In cases such as this the laws of our state are inadequate. While the Clipper does not believe in capital punishment, briefly because two wrongs can never make one right, it should be  possible to try, convict and send such wretches as Black to the penitentiary all in one day. As it is the county will have a heavy expense and his crime was so revolting, without a single extenuating circumstance, that he is not entitled to even the mercy and  protection provided by our slow acting courts.

"God save" and all of that ...

Just an image this morning of the Queen --- and we all know who that is --- as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary celebrates her 96th birthday and the platinum (70th) anniversary of her reign approaches.

The photo was taken on the grounds of Windsor Castle during March with two of her fell ponies --- Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale.

Her Majesty has hit a few rough spots as the years passed, but continues to be one of most widely recognized and admired people in the world. And even at 96 with a few of the mobility issues age brings, she just keeps on trucking.

Long may she reign!

Two cemeteries, half a world apart ....

These two tombstones are located half a world apart --- a cross marking John A. Strouse's grave in Cambridge American Cemetery on the northwest outskirts of Cambridge, England, and the substantial granite marker at the grave of his mother, Pearl (Gilbert) Strouse, in LaGrange Cemetery northeast of Russell in Lucas County, Iowa. The grave of the grandmother who helped to raise John, Sarah (Thompson) Gilbert, also is located at LaGrange.

The accident that killed John occurred during April of 1942 near Belfast, Northern Ireland, and his remains were buried first in Belfast City Cemetery. After World War II ended, his remains and those of other U.S. servicemen whose graves had been scattered around the United Kingdom were gathered and reinterred at the Cambridge American Cemetery.

Here's the story, published on the front page of The Chariton Herald-Patriot of April 16, 1942 --- the same date he was buried in Belfast --- reporting his death:

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Mrs. Sarah Gilbert, of Chariton, received word Wednesday of the death of her grandson, Private John A. Strouse, 25, of St. Paul, Minn., which occurred in Ireland. He was accidentally shot on Monday, April 13, the day he completed his first year's service with the army.

It was the second such instance among the United States forces in Ulster, a bullet from the rifle which a buddy was cleaning killed Strouse in a hut at a base somewhere in northern Ireland.

Strouse, formerly on the advertising staff of the St. Paul Dispatch, was unit correspondent on the army newspaper "Stars and Stripes" which is resuming publication in Ireland.

Strouse grew to young manhood in Chariton, and was reared by his grandmother, Mrs. Gilbert, his mother having died. He was a son of Walter Strouse, of St. Paul, Minn., who with his wife expects to come to chariton within the next few days.

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That last paragraph is not exactly accurate. Although Sarah played a major role in her grandson's upbringing and he spent a good deal of time in Lucas County as a child, he did not "grow to young manhood" in Chariton. 

John's parents were Walter J. Strouse, 30, an insurance agent headquartered in St. Paul, and Pearl (Gilbert) Strouse, 28, who were married on Sept. 12, 1916, at her mother's home on a farm near LaGrange. John came along three months later, on Dec. 14, 1916, in St. Paul.

Pearl was diagnosed with cancer soon after John's birth and battled it for nearly two years,  moving temporarily with Walter and John to Lucas County so  that Sarah and other family members could help nurse Pearl and care for the infant.

Pearl died on Feb. 14, 1919, while receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and her remains were brought home to Lucas County for burial. John remained with his grandmother after his father returned to his home office in St. Paul.

Walter remarried after a year or two and John then rejoined his father and stepmother, first in St. Paul, then in New York after a transfer, then back in St. Paul, as he grew up. He usually spent summers with his grandmother, however, and the relationship uniting Sarah, John and Walter remained a loving one.

So when John was killed during 1942, it must have seemed to Sarah almost as if she'd lost a son. She died three years later, on June 27, 1945, at the age of 87, and was buried near her husband and daughter at LaGrange.

The "sage of White Breast" builds a log cabin

Andrew Jackson "Andy" Gwinn, 1849-1926, was a story-teller who found a soulmate of sorts in Henry Gittinger, another teller of tales who also edited and published The Chariton Leader early in the 20th Century.

The result, from 1911 until approximately 1921, was a series of relatively short letters to the Leader editor that are an interesting mix of opinion, down-home philosophizing and history. Henry occasionally referred to Andy as "the sage of White Breast," referring to White Breast Creek, located near the Gwinn home in western Lucas County's Liberty Township.

The family's home base actually was in northwest Wayne County's Richman Township, named after A.J.'s uncle and aunt, Marshall H. and Mary Jane (Gwinn) Richman, and the Gwinn family cemetery is located there on what reportedly was the home farm of his parents, Samuel K. and Cynthia Gwinn. That's where A.J. was buried when he died during 1926. You'll find more about that cemetery here in a post entitled "A Thursday Morning With the Gwinns."

Here's one of Andy's early letters, published in The Leader of Sept. 21, 1911. I'm a little puzzled by some of his references. What, for example, is "the United States place"? "Chubby" referred to the type of sod, stick and mud chimney added to cabins of that time in areas where fieldstone was scarce and brick unobtainable. But I found the letter interesting, despite the puzzles:

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I first saw the light of day in Wapello county, Iowa, 6 miles above Ottumwa, on the 6th day of July, 1849. When about one year old, my father and mother left there and moved to Wayne county on the head waters of the (South) Chariton or Horse Shoe river. There, on the bank of that creek they built him and Mr. Richman two log cabins. I will describe them for the benefit of some of the boys and girls of today.

You get 12 or 14 logs for each side 16 feet long, as most of the cabins were built 15 feet in the clear, allow an extra foot for notching, then a man at each corner for notching or locking the corners and raising the house. These men used nothing but an ax, and I have seen them up the corners with perfectly fitting joints as any carpenter can make at this date. Then they place two logs on the United States place, one near each end and one in the middle for the floor to rest on, which consists of split logs hewn smooth on one side, edged, one end beveled to two inches, laid flat side up, keyed and called a puncheon floor on which I've danced till my toes were sore.

This sounds like poetry. Darn poetry. I am dealing with rough facts.

Let's build a chubby to this house after we cover it (the roof) with clap-boards split from the body of a tree and shaven smooth.

Cut a hole in a side 6 or 7 feet long and 4 feet high. Take a breaking plow, hitch Tom  and Jerry to it. Break some prairie sod, cut the sod in squares build up to the top of your hole in the wall, then take sticks and mud, the common sort. Then finish out chubby to near the top not too high for you want to smoke your meat down inside and you are building a smoke house as well as a bungalow.

You daub the cracks full of mud, make some kind of a door and move in. When you want daylight, take a board up in the floor. You may laugh but some of the most illustrious men and women were raised in just such cabins.

A.J. Gwinn

Dispatches from the big snowstorm of April 1921

I'd hoped to have a full report on the big April 16 snowstorm that swept across Lucas County (and much of the rest of Iowa) back in 1921, but issues of The Chariton Leader for that year are missing, and by the time The Herald-Patriot was published a couple of days later not much remained to be said. The snow had melted, temperatures had warmed and a badly damaged fruit crop was the major reminder.

But reports in other newspapers suggest that this year's Easter Sunday storm was mild by comparison. And of course the big Iowa storm of April 8-10, 1973, broke all previous records and we've seen nothing quite like it since.

I did find this report of the 1921 storm in The Herald Patriot of April 20, 1922, a year later, under the headline "Big Snow a Year Ago" ---

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On Monday, when a light snow and sleet came, which melted as fast as it fell, it began to look as though the big storm of one year might be duplicated. Chariton and practically all of Iowa one year ago Saturday, April 16, 1921, was in the grip of a snow storm which, before it ended, broke all records for snow in Iowa in April. The snow storm started in the evening, continued during the night and all next day.

Practically all Burlington trains were from several minutes to two hours or more late. Considerable trouble was experienced by the snow drifting. Even though it was rather damp it piled up rapidly and it was a common sight to see automobiles stalled in drifts about the city. The country roads were practically impassable.

On account of the drifted condition of the snow it was impossible to obtain accurate measurements as to its depth, but it was estimated at about eight inches. It was during this storm that the fruit was nearly all killed.

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In 1921, the Chariton newspapers had a stable of neighborhood correspondents who reported weekly from every nook and cranny of Lucas County and beyond. Here are some of those reports, the only accounts of the storm that appeared in The Herald Patriot of April 21:

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West Liberty: Mr. Moon, our rural mail carrier, has been unable to make his route the past two days owing to the impossible condition of the roads. It is seldom we see the lanes full of snow the middle of April and a great many people have expressed themselves as preferring the snow in January instead of April.

Newbern-area: Iowa was visited Saturday with a snow blizzard, the worst known for many years. Great damage was done to fruit and gardens, young stock and little chickens.

There were no services at the church Sunday because of the snow storm. Much damage was done to our fruit crop, though no one even got a sleigh ride out of it.

Russell: Mr. Jay Batten and Miss Hazel Wright went to Des Moines Sunday. Although the snow drifts were so deep they were unable to make the trip to Russell with team and buggy, nothing daunted the young people who had started on their wedding trip and the remainder of the trip to this city was made on foot. We appreciate the spirit and pluck of this worthy young couple and join with many friends in wishing that they may always be able to surmount the obstacles that may arise during their married life.

Washington Township: Ira Sims and wife and daughter Pauline spent Friday at the parental Hall home in Russell and had to remain till Sunday morning on account of the heavy rain and snow storm.

And finally from Humeston: During the almost blinding snow storm Saturday morning the incoming passenger train from Centerville collided with the train due west at 6:45, which was proceeding to the east yards to back onto the "Y" and turn around ready for the run west. The pilot on the incoming locomotive was so badly damaged that it was removed, while the other engine was taken to the roundhouse for repairs and a freight engine secured to take the train west on the Shenandoah run. Both trains were late in getting out of town in consequence, but  fortunately no one was hurt.

In compliance with the wish of his mother, who felt that she would rest better if her boy was brought home, the remains of Albert Bernard Anderson arrived here Friday morning and were given burial Monday under he auspices of the Alva F. Eaton post of the American Legion. The funeral service had been announced for Sunday afternoon, but the snow storm Saturday left the roads in such condition that it was considered best to postpone the burial one day. (Private Anderson had been killed in action July 21, 1918, on the Belgian front, age 26).

Find a Grave photo

Economic woes and Chariton's 1921-22 "tramp hotel"

Economic historians tell us that the post-World War I depression that gripped the United States, the United Kingdom and other nations lasted only 14 months, from January of 1920 until July of 1921. 

But in Chariton, then a major railroad hub in a small town squarely in the middle of the country, a continuing procession of homeless men continued throughout the winter of 1921-22 as the unemployed traveled in search of work.

There were no social safety nets at the time, but Chariton city officials acted late in the fall of 1921, opening the city fire station as a primitive hostel for these strangers among us. 

The fire station, then as now, was located a half block south of the southwest corner of the square on South Main Street, but in a somewhat rickety two-story brick building that had been hurriedly constructed in 1881. I've labeled it, above, in an aerial photograph of Chariton taken in 1931, just before it was demolished and replaced. You'll need to right click on the image and open it in a new window in order to read the labels.

The doors to what sometimes was called the "tramp hotel" closed during early April, as spring progressed, as noted in the following front-page report from The Leader of April 13, 1922, headlined "Guests at Fire Station Notified to Move On as Weather Warms Up."

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Last week a sign was posted in the fire station notifying the lodgers that the season was closed and suggesting that the guests be on the move and seeking employment or support in other parts. The guests of the Hotel de Tramp immediately acted upon the suggestion as there was little packing to be done.

Since last fall the fire station has furnished quarters for the wandering unemployed gentry. As many as 25 were taken care of at times and it is probable that the number averaged 20 a night during the winter season. On the basis of a 120-day season and an average of 20 a day that would mean that the city fire station housed in the neighborhood of 2,200 during the winter.

Most of these 2,200 probably sought assistance from the citizens, either at the back door for a handout or on the street where the appeal, "Mister, can't you stake me the price of a breakfast" was heard with considerable frequency. As the season progressed there was a noticeable difference in the attitude of the fire station guests. Early in the season, a refusal to help was frequently accepted with surliness. The longer they stayed, the more polite they became.

The newspaper offices came in for the nightly visits of the wandering guests. They came in flocks for old papers on which to sleep. Some asked for something to "flop on." Others asked for "Harding blankets."

The fire station furnished fairly comfortable quarters for these men. There was a place to sleep, and plenty of hot water for bathing, shaving and laundering of clothes. Most of these men presented a fairly clean appearance which would seem to disprove the accepted notion that tramps have a dislike for cleanliness. It is said that one night there was a big wash hanging on the fire trucks to dry while the owners of the wearing apparel slept. An alarm of fire was turned in during the night and a mad scramble ensued to rescue the wearing apparel.

Some of the lodgers spent the winter here, it is said, but the majority of them were transients who spent but a night or two in our midst.

The Knights celebrate Easter, April 1889

I've been trying to figure out, after reading the report that follows here from The Chariton Democrat of April 25, 1889, if a reporter actually attended Easter services at the Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Catholic churches --- and took notes. It seems unlikely, but you never know.

And I can't explain why he (or she) failed to include several congregations --- the Swedish Lutheran and Disciples of Christ (Christian), for example.

Or was this a pool report from parishioners rounded up after the fact to report upon the goings on in their respective churches and Lutherans, Disciples and others just weren't available for comment. Obviously, the Baptists had not been especially forthcoming.

Whatever the case, I was happy to note the presence at St. Andrew's Episcopal --- in a rare public appearance --- of Chariton's Immanuel Commandery No. 50, Knights Templar, which had been chartered just two years earlier, during November of 1887.

In Freemasonry, most degrees require only a belief in a supreme being for membership. Freemasons who profess a belief in Christianity are eligible for Knights Templar membership, however. Before the Lucas County commandery was formed, Lucas County knights had been members of Osceola's Constantine Commandery.

Only five of the men are identified in this battered old photograph from the Lucas County Historical Society collection --- Smith H. Mallory in the second row, a charter member, with the number "1" written on his plume; Dr. James Eddington Stanton, the commandery's first eminent commander, farther back (number "2"); Frank Crocker (number "5") in the back row; and two Mannings with the numbers "3" and "4" written on their foreheads.

Anyhow, here's the Easter report:

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Appropriate Easter services were observed in most of the churches of this place Easter Sunday, April 21. It being the regular day for missionary services, the exercises at the Baptist Church were devoted to the missionary cause.

The Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches were each beautifully decorated in commemoration of the resurrection of the Savior. They seemed to vie with each other in the beauty of the floral ornaments.

Rev. Austin, pastor of the M.E. Church, chose for his text the words, "What think ye of Christ?" Matt. 22:42; and dwelt on the human and divine nature of the Savior, and showed that because he was divine, the people expected the circumstances following his death to be more than ordinary. In the evening, regular Easter services were held, consisting of songs and recitations. The Sunday school collection of the day amounted to nearly $35.

At the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Atwood preached from a pulpit almost buried in beautiful and rare flowers, from the words, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" He opened with a few simple words addressed to the children, and, then addressing himself to the older members of his congregation  told in a most interesting manner the story of the death and resurrection of Christ. The anthems of the choir were impressive, and all felt as they wended their way from the services that surely it was good for us to be there.

At St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, the Rev. F. Duncan Jaudon held the fort and preached a most impressive service from the text, "The Lord is risen indeed." A feature of this service was the presence of Immanuel Commandery, No. 50, Knights Templar, in full uniform. The latter part of the reverend gentleman's sermon in which he referred to the pilgrim warrior and pilgrim penitent, their years of battle and weary pilgrimage, was particularly striking and beautiful. The breadth and depth of these references were better understood by the Knights (and the rector who is one of them) than by other members of the congregation. A profusion of beautiful flowers surrounded the holy altar. The music of the Episcopal service, always the sweetest praises on earth, were on this sacred day particularly sweet. It was all in all a very pleasant, profitable and happy occasion.

At the Catholic Church no pains were spared to beautify to the fullest extent the interior of the building. The decorations were elaborate and beautiful, a profusion of richly blooming flowers showing their bright colors and shedding their fragrance over all. Rev. Father Byer, of Lincoln, Neb., preached an eloquent and impressive sermon on the Resurrection. The Gregorian chant was very acceptably rendered by the choir, and Rev. Father Sheridan celebrated and sang the Mass.

So which Jesus is it to be?

First of all, I'm very fond of the big crucifix mounted above the splendid 1903 altar at St. Andrew's Church, so this should not be understood as criticism. I wouldn't change a thing.

But sitting in my pew during last evening's Maundy Thursday liturgy, I couldn't help but evaluate the corpus. From a distance, the skin tone is brown; from a closer vantage point, the features more European than Mideastern. 

A White Savior with a tan, perhaps.

The film that led me down this slightly subversive path --- available via Amazon Prime and viewed earlier in the week --- is entitled "White Savior: Racism in the American Church." This is a 2019 production of Spark House, Minneapolis-based and affiliated with the publishing arm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

The film has received many positive reviews and appears to have been included in many church-based study programs, but critics tend to dismiss it as "woke," a familiar way some use to dismiss what they consider to be excessively "liberal."

But then I am excessively liberal and proudly woke. So the film left me with many things to think about during Holy Week --- including the St. Andrew's crucifix.

I'd recommend it. 

American Christians, from orthodox to cultural and all along the spectrum between, like to maintain the polite fiction that we acknowledge but one god. The truth of the matter is, we're polytheists, all busy creating divinity in our own image.

So a useful question to ask during Holy Week and into Eastertide --- which Jesus is it whose resurrection you plan to celebrate?

The fiery, tragic end of Roy & Ethel White's family

Spring blankets many old sorrows in Lucas County's peaceful rural cemeteries with greening grass and scattered wildflowers --- few more peaceful than English Township's remote Spring Hill, south of Newbern.

Although the tragedy of the Roy and Ethel White family has been mostly forgotten by now, in 1916 it was briefly in the news nationwide. Today, a large granite family stone and the six smaller headstones behind it at Spring Hill are about all that remain to bear witness.

The dates of death on five of the headstones are the same: Father: Roy A. White, Mar. 3, 1882-Dec. 17, 1916; Mother: Ethel M. White, Oct. 4, 1888-Dec. 17, 1916; R. Francis White, Mar. 26, 1910-Dec. 17, 1916; Donald E. White, May 22, 1911-Dec. 17, 1916; and Guy I. White, Feb. 20 1913-Dec 17, 1916. Hubert O. White, Mar. 19, 1916-Dec. 18, 1916, outlived his family for just a few hours into the next day before dying in a Cheyenne, Wyoming, hospital, age 10 months.

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The White family, whose home was in California, had been on a visit of several weeks to Lucas County, called here by the death of Roy's father, John A. White, on Oct. 24. John had been buried at Spring Hill on Oct. 28.

They had left the C.B.&Q. Depot in Chariton on Sunday morning, Dec. 17, bound for California but planning to stop in Cheyenne to visit Ethel's sister, Ferne, who lived and worked there, stay overnight and then visit his uncle, Richard Brown and family, who lived at Divide, near Cheyenne, on Monday.

The hotel they checked into late in the evening was the venerable Inter-Ocean, at one time considered to be the finest hotel between Chicago and San Francisco, host to many legends of the old West and the scene of many legendary gatherings. By 1916, however, it was in decline.

About an hour after the family checked in, fire erupted on the third floor --- where their room was --- with the following result, as reported in The Casper Daily Tribune of Monday, Dec. 18:

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CHEYENNE, Wyo., Dec. 18 --- Six persons are dead as the result of a fire which last night and this morning gutted the famous old Interocean Hotel here, causing a property loss estimated at $50,000.

The known dead are: Roy A. White, 30 years old of Delta, Calif., a railroad electrician, who was electrocuted when he leaped from a window of the hotel; Mrs. Lily (actually, Ethel) White, his wife, burned to death; and four of the White children, aged 7, 5 and 3 years and 9 months, respectively.

The older White children were suffocated by smoke and their bodies were seared by the fire. The youngest White child was rescued while still alive, but was so badly burned that it died this morning.

Five hours elapsed before the Interocean fire was controlled. The building is owned by Ed Chase of Denver, and is leased by John Brown. It recently was condemned and has been undergoing reconstruction. Workmen had removed the entire front wall and this fact, and the presence of the staging used by the workmen, enabled the firemen the more effectively to combat the flames.

The fire in the hotel broke out under the roof, presumably from a short circuit, and in a few minutes the structure was filled with smoke so thick that the rescuers could not penetrate it.

In the brief interval, however, the fire reached the elevator shaft and the last persons to get out narrowly escaped cremation in the elevator.

That many of the 30 guests escaped was due to the heroism of Wiliam Sedmore, 19 years old, the elevator pilot, who stuck to his post, making trip after trip until the control lever burned his hand.

The Whites, who stopped here to visit Mrs. White's sister, Miss Fern Patterson, a stenographer in the State Land office, while en route home from Chariton, Iowa, to which place they had taken the body of Mr. White's father (inaccurate, John A. White died at home in Lucas County), arrived at the hotel less than an hour before the fire.

Their room was near where the flames originated, and the fire at once hemmed them in. Persons on the outside of the hotel saw nothing of Mrs. White and the children, but White appeared at a window, and shouted that he would have to jump, and leaped at once, his body landing on a network of wires five feet below the window. He was electrocuted, and for several minutes his body hung on the wires with electrical flames shooting from the feet and hands.

It finally was dislodged by William Cook, who was severely shocked when he reached a near-by pole and kicked it from the wires.

At about the time that White made his fatal leap, his baby was rescued by Sedmore, the elevator boy, and the bodies of Mrs. White and the three other children were found five hours later.

The Interocean was one of the oldest hotels in the State, and was considered one of the finest on the Union Pacific in the early 80's. Much history is attached to it, and within its four walls some of the greatest characters in the West have been entertained. It is said that the  first owner lost it in a poker game in the days when the sky was the limit.

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Relatives in Chariton were notified of the tragedy by telegram and on Monday morning, Roy's brother, Guy White, and Ethel's brother and sister, Guy Patterson and Cora Belle (Patterson) Essex, traveled by train from Chariton to Cheyenne to take charge of the remains and to investigate.

They returned to Chariton at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21, and a procession formed at the depot to take the remains to the home of Roy's mother in English Township, where funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Following the service, the six were buried in Spring Hill, just east of Roy's father.

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A coroner's inquest into the White family deaths was held two days after the fire that killed them. As nearly as could be determined, faulty wiring in or near the women's bathroom on the third floor had caused the fire.

The investigation cast serious doubt on the story of self-proclaimed hero, bellhop and "elevator pilot" William Sedmore (or C.W. Scidmore). As it turned out, firefighters had carried the baby from the hotel, not the bellhop. There had been only 10 guests on the third floor at the time and six of them, the Whites, perished. Fourteen guests were on the second floor. So there were no mass rescues.

In addition, it appeared that the bellhop and his supervisor, the night clerk, upon being informed that there was a smell of smoke on the third floor, spent about half an hour investigating the situation themselves before turning in an alarm.

The hotel owner, who lived in the building, insisted that he had notified all of his guests of the fire by telephone once he learned of it himself, but none of the guests remembered the warning. He claimed to have attempted to douse the flames on the third floor with fire extinguishers, but the only extinguishers found in the building were on the first floor.

The major factor in the White deaths, however, was the fact that there were no fire escapes on the building --- and not even escape ropes, standard at the time in buildings without fire escapes.

Cheyenne's fire chief told the coroner's jury that the Inter-Ocean had been "condemned" for 20 years because it lacked fire escapes, but neither Wyoming law nor local statute demand them and neither state law nor local statue provided any way to enforce fire department directives.

No penalties were imposed as a result of the fire, although the city ordered the building's owner to demolish rather than attempt to repair and rebuild what remained. In later years, as Wyoming worked to develop a statewide fire safety code, the deaths of the White family often were mentioned.