Newspaper Cassville Democrat - Historical Facts
Date April 13, 1907
Headline Historical Facts - In regard to Barry County in the long time ago.
Text Mrs. Castoe, the second female prisoner at the State penitentiary, murdered her husband in 1843, her striking him with an axe, while he was asleep. She was sentenced to the five years in the penitentiary, but was pardoned in January 1845, by Guy Edwards.

Jasper Hogan was killed in May 1856, and Andrew Montgomery acted as Coroner.

A Mr. Galyen, who lived near the Arkansas line, was murdered some years before the war.

Mat Short killed Lock in 1848, near McDowell.

In 1849 Ezekiel Merryman was indicted for murder.

In 1850, Wm. Pogue and Richard Oldham murdered a Mr. Howerton.

In 1853, Dudley H. Snyder murdered Wooldgin, his step-father, on the farm now owned by Chris. Ireland south of town. Snyder was arrested incited and charge of venue was taken to Newton County, where he was tried and acquitted. Snyder moved to Texas before the war, and we are informed, lives at Georgetown, Texas, an old man, and has lost his eyesight in his old days. He amassed a very large fortune in the cattle business.

In 1854, James Dunn was charged with murder.

In 1857, Arthur Blankenship poisoned his wife. In the same year Wm. Lee killed Wright.

In 1863, Jesse Jenkins, was charge with murder.

In 1856, George Stockton was charge with murder. [Looks like this one is out of order but reads 1856.] In 1866, Joseph and John Baze had similar charges against them.

One Bussell who was operating a distillery near the Arkansas line fired on the sheriff's posse sent to arrest him. Sheriff John H. Moore, John Tate and Tom Smith returned the fire, resulting in the death of Bussell.

In June 1868, Daniel Lowery, his son and Robert Mann of Washburn came to Cassville and spent a part of the day, and on returning home in the evening, having imbibed freely of whiskey, and when a few hundred yards from McMurty Spring, toward this city, in the valley, where the old road used to run, under a lone apple tree, Robert Mann murdered Daniel Lowery and Young Lowery in turn, killed Mann. Nothing was ever done with Lowery for the killing of Mann. These men all formerly resided in Bentonville, Ark.

The murder of Jack Carney and wife of Shell Knob in 1869, by George Moore, was one of the most cold blooded atrocious murders were ever committed in the county. Moore was hung [usage: hanged is for humans - hung for clothes] at the southeast corner of the court house on an old belfry that stood there at that time. Mr. Carney was conducting a store at Shell Knob, and doing a good business for that day and time, and his wife a splendid woman, about to become a mother, was wickedly murdered. There was never no question as to Moore's guilt, because there was found on his person a number of things identified as belong to Jack Carney.

On May 3, 1872, Perry Ethridge killed Edward Hogmire at a deer lick, near Mano. Ethridge was tried on the charge of murder and acquitted.

In 1872 Edward McCullah and Thos. Barnes were incited for killing a man named Hensley, in the eastern portion of Barry County. McCullah got away and the case against Barnes was dismissed.

July 10, 1876, Dr. Holladay was arrested on a criminal charge of Bud Crawford. They started to the Doctor's residence, and nearing it, Crawford called to the Dr. to halt who refused, and Crawford shot and killed him. Great excitement prevailed at the time; Crawford was arrested and lodged in jail; he took a change of venue to Green County, where he died in jail, his case going to the higher court.

In 1877, Sheriff Andrew Hopkins, while attempting to arrest Lafayette Rowley, near the L. J. Blankenship farm just west of Corsicana, both shooting at each other, the sheriff giving the fatal shot that resulted in Rowley's death.

Amos N. Kelley was killed in 1877, at Corsicana, by James Hall. Mr. Kelley and wife had gone to Jasper Fly's store in Corsicana, to acknowledge a deed, when the quarrel arose, resulting in Kelley's death. Hall was arrested, tried and acquitted, and lived in Wright County at last account.

In January, 1880, Sheriff Allen Hudson and his Deputy Lum Edens of Cassville, went out 3 or 4 miles south of Cassville to arrest James Heffley on a requisition from the governor of Texas. Heffley made a leap for liberty, the deputy pursued, and seeing that the Texan was likely to escape, opened fire on him. At the third shot Heffley telling the officers pronounced him dead, then went to the house to inform his family where his body could be found, and proceeded to Cassville to bring the Coroner in the scene. On returning to the battlefield, Heffley's body could not be found and in asking about him they were told that he was not much hurt and had left.
Resource State Historical Society of MO Microfilm
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