Labette County History
Notorious!
Most of these articles are taken from the book, "The History of Labette County - From the First Settlement Until the Close of 1892," and only include incidents though that date.
The most infamous murderers of Labette Co., the Benders, lived on Sec. 13, Osage township, where they operated their "store"--which was actually a front to entice travelers inside where they would be murdered for their money and teams. To read more about the "Bender Slaughter-Pen," as old timers called it, go here.
Murder of J. C. Wheeler
Ou August 6, 1868, Charles Van Alstine killed J. C. Wheeler, near a
saloon in Oswego in which they had been drinking. Van Alstine was
tried and convicted of murder, and sent to the penitentiary. This was
the first murder trial in the county.
Shooting of Anthony Amend
Anthony Amend and John Pierce, living in Neosho township, had a
difficulty over a child. Pierce shot and killed Amend, and then attempted
to hide in the woods and tall grass. The grass was set on fire, and to
escape, Pierce jumped into the Neosho and swam across. He was caught
and taken to Jacksonville, where a vigilance committee hung him. This
hanging took place in Neosho county. Several parties were arrested as
being connected with it, but no one was ever convicted.
Killing of William Hogsett
On October 3, 1874, on the fair grounds at Oswego, John Bagby stabbed
William Hogsett and Charles H. Westfall, both of whom were special
police. Hogsett soon died, while Westfall, after a protracted confinement,
recovered. Bagby was sent to the penitentiary.
Murder of John M. May
On November 2, 1870, Erastus E. and Liston P. Hopkins killed their
brother-in-law, John M. May, by beating and wounding him with poles
and clubs. In June, 1871, they were tried tor this olfense. The State
was represented by Judge D. P. Lowe, M. V. Voss, and Jesse C. Harper,
together with the county attorney. The defense was principally conducted by M. V. B. Bennett and J. D. Gamble. The defendants were
convicted of murder in the second degree, after a protracted trial. A
notable incident of this trial was in reference to the court driving a witness named Chas. H. Butts from the witness stand during the giving of
his testimony. It appeared by the testimony of Butts that he was a
detective, and had been placed in the jail with the Hopkins brothers
under the pretense of being guilty of some kind of a crime, for the real
purpose of getting admissions from them to be of use on the trial. On
these facts appearing, the presiding judge said that such a person was
unworthy of credit, and should not be allowed to give testimony in his
court; he was directed to leave the stand, which he did.
On February 24, 1871, John Clark was killed at Chetopa by Frank
Huber. Huber was tried, and convicted of murder in the first degree,
and sentenced to be hung on September 1st; on August 31st a respite
was granted until September 30th. Huber had been taken to Fort Scott
after his trial for more safe confinement until the time of his execution.
The last of August he was brought from Fort Scott to Oswego, where a
gallows had been erected in front of the old jail, and where on the morrow he was to be hung. After the respite arrived, and before the time
of his execution, as then fixed, the Supreme Court granted him a new
trial because of a defect in the form of the verdict. Preferring not to
undergo the excitement of another trial, Huber succeeded in removing
some of the stones and other rubbish that separated him from the outside
world, and on the night of November 23, 1871, made his escape from the
county jail, since which time he has never been heard of at this place.
His case was the nearest we have ever been to having a legal execution
in this county.
Killing of Samuel Clevenger
On April 1, 1878, while Milton Engler and Samuel Clevinger were going to their homes in Cherokee county from Chetopa in a state of intoxication, they got into a quarrel; the former stabbed the latter with a
knife, from the effects of which he soon died.
Shooting of R. H. Clift and the Lynching of His Killer
On Sunday morning, August 25, 1878, R. H. Clift, who was marshal
of Chetopa, was shot and killed near town by John Richmond, a horsethief whom he was attempting to arrest. Richmond had passed through
town a few days before with a stolen mule in his possession, and was
now returning to Missouri. Word having come that he was guilty of
stealing the mule, parties in town who had seen him pass through informed the marshal of the circumstances, and he immediately started in
pursuit. He soon overtook Richmond and ordered him to stop, telling
him that he was under arrest. Richmond replied that he would return
with him, but at once drew a revolver and shot Clift through the neck;
he died that night. On the Wednesday following the Sunday on which
Clift was shot, Richmond, having reached his home in Missouri near the
village of White Hall, in Laurence county was there arrested for stealing the mule at a camp meeting. The next morning, August 29th, he
was being taken to Mount Vernon, when Bently came up and informed
the officers that Richmond was guilty of the murder of Clift. This was
the first that the shooting of Clift was known at the home of Richmond.
Richmond was taken to Mount Vernon, where he was held until Bently
could get a requisition, and as soon as the same could be obtained
Bently and United States Deputy Marshal Graham secured his delivery
to them, and at once started with him for this county. Instead of taking
the train at Carthage to Oswego, they decided to go the route through
the Indian Territory, transferring to the M. K. & T. Rly. at Vinita.
They arrived at Chetopa on the midnight train Thursday night, Septem-
ber 5th. Masked men appeared in the train as soon as it stopped at
Chetopa, and compelled the officers to take Richmond out; they took
him out and proceeded to get into a 'bus. The mob surrounded the
'bus and train, took Richmond from the officers, marched him a mile
southwest of town, and strung him up to an old bridge, where he was
left hanging until the next afternoon. This cold-blooded murder of
Richmond was without excuse. His crime was a terrible one, but there
would have been no difficulty in convicting and punishing him for it.
No one except the participants know who were the criminals engaged in
the second murder, and no effort was made to apprehend or punish them.
Murder of William Hunt
One of the most brutal murders ever committed took place in Canada
township, about the last of October, 1878. Theodore Munsterman and
William Hunt some time previous thereto had had difficulty over the entry of a claim. On the day of the murder Hunt and his wife had been
to Oswego, and during their absence Munsterman had been seen around
the premises. On their way home from Oswego, Hunt overtook Munsterman going in the direction of their home. He got in and rode with
them. It was late in the evening when they arrived home. Hunt and
Munsterman talked over their previous difficulty, and agreed to bury all
differences. Munsterman was making his home with his sister several
miles away, and it was suggested that he stay all night with Hunt. They
had but one bed, and they made a pallet for him upon the floor in the
same room in which they slept. During the night Mrs. Hunt awoke and
found Munsterman at their bedside bending over her; she asked him what
he wanted; he said he wanted to kiss her. Later in the night Munsterman got up and shot both Mr. and Mrs. Hunt in the head. Hunt was
evidently killed at once. Probably Mrs. Hunt made some move, and to
finish the job Munsterman took a hatchet and broke in her skull. He left
them both in bed where they had slept, went out, locked the door, and
took Hunt's team and moved off. He was seen the next day with the
team, which he said he had borrowed and was going to the Territory for
coal. It turned out that he took the team and hitched it in a ravine, and
himself went to Chetopa. That evening one of the neighbor boys went
to the house, but could not get in. He heard a groaning inside, and
went and told his mother. Several of the neighbors were aroused and
came to the house and broke open the door. They found Hunt dead, and
Mrs. Hunt unable to speak and nearly dead. Munsterman was found,
and at once arrested on suspicion that he had committed the murder.
His account of having the team and of his whereabouts was entirely unsatisfactory, and he was placed in the county jail. By the time of the
next term of court, when the case came on for trial, Mrs. Hunt had so
far recovered as to be able to talk. She came upon the witness stand
and identified Munsterman as the murderer, giving the story of the transaction substantially as here recorded. Munsterman was convicted of
murder in the first degree. He died in the penitentiary, November 25,
1888.
Killing of Harry Fox
On September 37, 18S4, John Douglas killed Harry Fox, at his home
in Canada township. Douglas escaped and went to Ohio, from whence
he was brought back a year after, and on trial was convicted.
Murder of Mayfield Carr
On the night of February 21, 1S85, Marcus A. Justice and Mayfield
Carr, two colored men who had had some jealous feeling in reference to
a woman, were in company near the M. K. & T. depot at Oswego. The
next morning Carr was found dead in the cut of the Frisco Rly. between
the M. K. & T. and the brick mill. Justice was charged with the murder, and on trial had on May 27, 1885, was convicted of murder in the
first degree.
Shooting of W. A. Collins
On November 16, 1885, George W. Gregson shot and killed W. A. Collins, in the Grand Central Hotel at Parsons. On February 19, 1886, he
was convicted of murder in the first degree.
Assault on Wilf Cooper
In September, 1886, Wilf. Cooper got upon a freight train at Parsons
to ride to his home at Labette City. There were some three or four
other parties in the car, who proved to be tramps. Before arriving at
Labette City they attacked Cooper and threw him out of the car. He
recovered himself sufficiently to get to Labette City and telegraph to
Oswego for the arrest of the parties, who were tried, convicted, and sent
to the penitentiary.
Lynching at Chetopa
On June 26, 1888, the marshal at Chetopa had a warrant for the arrest
of a colored man who was supposed to be engaged in the illegal sale of
liquor, and who had made his boast that no officer could arrest him. The
marshal called a man to his aid, and started to serve the warrant. Another colored man had allied himself with the one they were seeking to
arrest, and, seeing one of the officers coming, one of them secreted himself behind the building, and the other from across the street leveled his
gun at the officer. Both opened fire on the officers, and wounded them
in a number of places in a way that was at the time supposed would
prove fatal. The colored men ran at once, and secreted themselves in
the loft of an old house. It was ascertained that they were in the house,
and finding themselves hemmed in, they surrendered. The mayor put
them under guard and sent for the sheriff, who arrived at Chetopa in the
evening. It was not thought advisable to bring them to the county jail
in the night-time. In the meantime the guard which had been placed
over them was continued. They were placed in the city hall, the sheriff
and guard remaining with them. A mob of masked men broke into the
room, put a revolver in the face of the sheriff' and guard, blew out the
light, slipped a noose over the head of each of the prisoners, dragged
them to the rear end of the building, put them on a scaffold which had
been piled upon a wagon standing by the side of the building, fastened
the rope inside, and then drew the wagon from under them, where they
were left to hang until the next morning. No serious attempt was ever
made to discover the murderers of these men, and no prosecution for the
crime was ever instituted.
Murder of John Bobzien
On April 1, 1890, Carrey S. Arnold killed John Bobzien, in the west
part of the county, for which he was afterwards tried and convicted.
Shooting of William H. Mills
On October 22, 1892, William H. Mills, while sitting in a restaurant at
Chetopa, was shot through the head by some party on the outside of the
building, and instantly killed. G. A. Luman was arrested on suspicion,
but has not yet had his trial.
Shooting of Allen Shoemaker
On December 17, 1892, Albert Shoemaker shot and killed his brother
Allen. He claimed that the killing was in self-defense. His trial has
not yet taken place.
Return to Labette Co. KHHP
|
This website created September 18, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
� 2011 Kansas History and Heritage Project
|