| Cassville Democrat February 22, 1908, Saturday |
| Henry Birks Gets 10 Years |
| After three years of confinement and two trials for his life, this case was concluded Saturday, the 15th, by his plea of guilty to murder in the second degree, and the court placed his punishment at ten years in the penitentiary. Some three years ago Henry Birks shot and killed Marion Thomas in Sherman's saloon at Monett with a shot gun. He was arrested, placed in jail in Cassville; a change of venue was taken to Lawrence County Circuit Court where he was tried, convicted and sentenced to forty years in the penitentiary. The case was appealed in the supreme Court and after consideration was received and remanded on account of a faulty information and the case came back to Barry County for trail at September term of Circuit Court, 1907. Birks was again tried, convicted of murder in the second degree and sentenced to twenty years in the penitentiary, Birks will go to the pen with the hope of being pardoned in a few years. In this case, mother's love has baffled the efforts to hang her son. She has been present since her son's troubles began and has vol? Guarded his inten? That was but ? [Rest seems to read something about a mother's love. Not readable.] Cassville Democrat March 18, 1905, Saturday Houston Thomas, a brother of Marion Thomas that was killed at Monett by Henry Birks, was in town Monday, and he informed us that there was no doubt but that Birks intended killing him too and would have done so had not Bartender Sherman caught the shot gun. He said his brother had no gun on his person when killed and neither were drinking. Houston said that he was robbed of $7.50 at Monett last fall and he had lingered around and attempted to locate the person that got his money, and he reasons that is why Birks killed his brother and wanted to kill him. |
| State Historical Society of MO Microfilm |
| Donna Cooper |
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