Newspaper Files, Barry Co., MO

1919 Extracts from Barry County, MO, Newspapers	An interlibrary loan of microfilm from the State Historical Society of MO was the source of the below given data.
Cassville Republican, Dec. 25, 1919	Cassville Republican, Dec. 25, 1919
Bank Robbers Get 40 Years Land in Penitentiary 10 Days After Bank is Robbed. Sentenced by Judge Henson Friday Robert Pankey and Claud Leonard confessed to the crime of robbing the Bank of Washburn before Judge Henson in Cassville Friday, Dec. 19, and their punishment assessed by the Judge at imprisonment in the penitentiary for a period of 40 years. Judge Henson came over Friday from Mt. Vernon and held a special term of the Barry county Circuit court here Friday to take up the case of the bank robbers. Sheriff Houston left Saturday night for Jefferson City and landed Pankey and Leonard in the penitentiary Sunday, the 10th day after the bank was robbed. Pankey gave his age as 20 and Leonard 28. A half brother and an uncle of Leonard were here Friday when the men were sentenced. Pankey said that his correct name is Robert Fruge and so signed the waiver of the preliminary hearing. He said his parents died when he was quite young and he was reared by a family by the name of Pankey and had always bore the name Pankey. Judge Henson and Prosecuting attorney Smith to make a formal oral charge in the case Friday and the testimony of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Jones, who were present, was heard. They told how the robbery was accomplished and Judge Henson promptly fixed the punishment at 40 year imprisoned. Sheriff Houston and Deputy Reed left Saturday night with the men for Jefferson City. Personal And Local Miss Lela Vanzandt who is teaching near Fairland, Okla., is spending the holidays where the homefolks. Miss Mable Stubblefield who is attending business college at Springfield is spending the Christmas holidays at home southwest of town. Mrs. Lela Parrish of St. Louis will visit her parents, Mr. and Mrs. S. R. Reynolds and daughter, Mrs. Julian Van Hook, the later part of this week. Lloyd Henbest who has been in school at the University of Missouri and is on his way home to spend the holidays at Fayetteville, is visiting Cassville relatives. The house on the Ray farm northeast of Cassville in which Bert McClellan was living burned Sunday night together with all of his household goods. He carried no insurance. Bert, little son of Mr. and Mrs. George Reams south of Cassville, has pneumonia. Mrs. Carrie Bennett and Miss Zettie Edens of Joplin are visiting their parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Edens. Royce Stubblefield who has been attending a school for motor mechanics at Ft. Scott, Kan., returned home Friday. Miss Beatrice Buzzetti is at home from Drury College for a week's visit with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. S. S. A. Buzzetti, and other relatives and friends. Judge J. R. Wallen said the ceremony for two marriages Tuesday afternoon: Ola Hudson of Montana and Mollie Seitz of McDowell, Asa Foster and Miss Alpha Mitchell of Washburn. Ira Sullivan who is in the United States Marines service and located at Paris Island, arrived home Sunday night for a visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs Elzie Sullivan. Miss Glenn Reese who is attending the Springfield Business College is spending the holidays with homefolks. Drexel Atkisson who lately resigned his position with the Gulick store at Monett, has accepted a position with the Ely-Walker dry Goods Co., one of the big wholesale houses of St. Louis. The Negro McShane who has been in the county jail here since August as an accomplice in burglarizing of the Zucanti saloon, was set free by Judge Henson Friday. The two white men, Roe and Schlosser were sent to the penitentiary for the crime at the November term of court. Rose Pickle of Lamar, Colo., is attending his brother, Bert Pickle, northeast of town who has been bad sick for sometime. Bert is to have a public sale Monday, December 20 at which time he will dispose of this personal property. F. W. Bennington has received word of the death of his aunt, Mrs. Jennie M. Ragsdale, at Whittier, Calif. Mrs. Ragsdale died December 3, at Whittier. She was a sister of the late J. B. W. Bennington. Her home was at Greenfield for many years. During the nineties they moved to Kansas City and later to California which had been their home since. She leaves her husband, an adopted son and four sisters: Mrs. W. B. Hobbs and Mrs. Mary Patterson of Greenfield; Mrs. John Ragsdale of Whittier, Calif., and Mrs. John Backus of Independence, Kan. Mrs. L. B. Jones and Miss Fern Jones left Sunday morning for Wichita Falls, Tex., to make their home. Mr. Jones is doing carpenter work at that place and Fred Jones has a position as cabinet maker and decorator in a furniture store. Monett Times. The body of Mrs. Lillie Wright who died a few days ago at Glendive, Mont., was brought here by Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Williams northwest of town and buried in the Antioch cemetery. Mrs. Wright was a sister of Mrs. Williams. James Wilson and Mrs. Gilla Short were married Saturday evening, Rev. Ed Chappell officiating. Mr. Wilson is one of Cassville's substantial ail citizens and Mrs. Wilson an estimable woman. The REPUBLICAN joins their numerous friends in extending wishes for a happy and useful married life. Troy Williamson has bought the forty acre tract of land from Tom Laidlaw known as the Henry Surrett old place one and one-fourth miles southwest of town. Mr. Williamson will improve the place as a fruit farm. Prof. Benjamin Cartwright went to Wheaton Friday night to spend the holidays with homefolks. Mrs. Elizabeth Vaughn went to Kalfer, Okla., Thursday night to visit her son, Will. She will spend the winter there. Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Mosley of Tulsa, Okla., are visiting Mr. Mosley's sister, Mrs. Charles Bryant, and Mr. and Mrs. R. J. and Mr. and Mrs. Thos. J. Foster of near Washburn. Mr. and Mrs. William Higganbotham of Coffey County, Kansas, are visiting Mr. Higganbotham's parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Higganbotham and brother, C. D. and family. Robert Easley of Eureka Springs and Willie Hurt of the Roach locality were in Cassville Wednesday of last week. Mr. Easley said he and wife have moved to Eureka temporarily where they have a son attending school. Joel Whisman of Shell Knob was here Thursday. He said that his youngest son, Amos, has returned from Dalton, Okla., where he has been most of the time for ten months taking treatment for tuberculosis of the bone in one of his lower limbs. He has been restored to good health again. A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hessee of Republic, Dec. 11. Mrs. A. G. Farmer of Purdy is here to spend the winter with her son, C. W., and wife. H. O. Abernathy has a new Maxwell car. Mr. and Mrs. Homer Matlock left last week for Ennes, Texas. Mrs. Lou Miller of Verona spent last week with her sister, Mrs. S. R. Reynolds. Miss Nova Trollinger is visiting at Wagoner, Okla. S. E. Wallen of Vinita, Okla., was here the latter part of last week visiting his father and other relatives. Mrs. J. C. Thompson of Monett visited her father, J. R. Lee, Thursday. She was accompanied by Mrs. H. M. Gray. Misses Nadine and Margaret Houston, daughters of Mrs. W. A. Carney of Purdy are at home from college for the Christmas holidays. Misses Nadine and Margret are students at Cottey College at Nevada, one of the good colleges of the state exclusively for young ladies. The school is non-sectarian and is attended this year by 184 young women. Franz Veerkamp and wife will moved to Neosho the first of the year. Mr. Veerkamp has been assisting R.A. Gorg with his dairy business here for the past few months.	John Webb Dead John Webb, a former citizen of this county, died Friday, December 19, at his home at Tipton, Okla. Word of his death was received by relatives southwest of this city the first of the week. The funeral was held Sunday at Tipton. He leaves wife and nine children, three sons and six daughters, four of whom are married. Mr. Webb was for many years one of the substantial citizens of the Vanzandt locality southwest of Cassville. Gives His Life Story At the jail in Joplin where he was taken by the Joplin police upon his arrest for the Washburn Bank robbery, Robert Pankey told the following story of his life. "My parents died when I was 3 years old, " he said, "and shortly afterward I was taken from my home near Milford, Mo., not far from Lamar, and became the adopted child of the Pankey family. I'll always love the Pankeys, for I was happy, but when I was 14 years old, Pankey died and fate made me a child man so wander at will. The road has been pretty rough, but I knew the taste of liquor, but I have not smoked or chewed and it was been long since I drank." Temptation came to him through debt. Rather than betray the confidence of a friend who signed his note, and rather than "beat" some small bills all totaling $200, Pankey decided to rob the bank. "I had to have money to make good, especially on the note," he said, and I met Leonard. Although he is the older I take credit for the idea. God knows how it came to me. I had been in Cedar County, Missouri, and I took Leonard with me to Lamar, where he stole a motor car, the machine in which we made the raid on the Washburn bank. The robbery followed two weeks of planning. When we left the little town we abandon the motor car after half an hour, according to plans, and took to the woods, also part of the plan. "We were armed, but neither of us had any intention to injure anyone - it would have been awful, if we had been cornered and forced to defend ourselves." An Aged Couple Marry John W. Hunt and Phoebe C. Thomas of Leann came to Cassville Saturday, obtained marriage licenses and were married by Justice Sons. Mr. Hunt and Miss Thomas each gave their age as 71. Mr. Hunt had been married before but the bride had not been previously married. White Church Monday morning about 3 o'clock Bert McClelland was awakened by what proved to be a fire at the kitchen flue. He and Mrs. McCleland tried their best to put it out with buckets of water which was too slow a method. They were only able to save a very few things and lost all their oats and corn that was stored in a side room. The house belonged to Mrs. Chas. Ray. There was no insurance on either the house or contents. Both were a total loss. This is the third house with all contents and no insurance that has burned in this vicinity within the last few months. Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Barber of Oklahoma City were looking at several places here last week. Later we were informed they purchased the Lum Henry farm near Oak Ridge. Mrs. Barber is a daughter of Mrs. Roby of Cassville. Willow Branch Sam Stockton and wife are on the sick list. L. C. Carlisle of Cato has been preaching at Lone Elm the past week. Grandma Bedgerwood [Ledgerwood] died Tuesday night Dec. 16th at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Sig Hoggett, of old age. The bereaved have our sympathy. Hazel Dell We hear Walter Packwood who has been with the American Army in Europe has landed in the U.S. and will visit homefolks as soon as he can get a furlough Mrs. D. B. Warren died Dec. 13. She is another of Barry County's old and highly respected citizens to pass away. She leaves a husband and five children to mourn her death. Interment was made at Concord Cemetery Monday. Rock Springs Sidney Henry has a bad hand, caused by catarrh. We believe Judge Henson gave the Washburn bank robbers just what they deserved. Such fellows should not be running at large. Rocky Comfort Sam Haddock has purchased the Maness property near the Opera house and will move there soon. Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Howard of near Fairview visited the latter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. I. Webb, Sunday. Willard Dabbs who has been attending Missouri Valley College at Marshall arrived home Saturday to spend the Christmas holidays with homefolks. Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Long are the proud parents of a baby girl. Munsey Elden Ball happened to accident Tuesday, Dec. 16. While in Seligman his team got scared while he was loading a load of feed and ran away, pitched him out on his head. He lay unconscious for an hour or more. His back was also injured but he is getting along nicely now. Will O'Banion and family are talking of moving. We regret to see them leave. North Purdy Mrs. Robert Wormington is reported better. New Salem Jess Payne of Neosho is visiting his sister, Mrs. May Brixey, this week. Bert Roller and son Claud, attended the trial of the Washburn bank robbers at Cassville Friday. Washburn Prairie J. B. Hopkins is on the sick list. Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Foster of Seligman visited at the home of his brother, R. J. Foster, a part of last week. Henry Weston returned home Sunday night from Springdale, Ark., where he had spent most of the past week at the home of his brother, Jake Weston, who has some very sick children. One child died Wednesday night of typhoid. Mrs. Clarice Smith returned home Monday from Okmulgee, Okla., where she had spent almost two months with her aunt, Mrs. K. F. Howell, and family. Her brother, Clyde, went down to Fayetteville, on the noon train Sunday to meet her. Miss Gertie Raines spent part of the past week at the home of her brother, James, of Wayne. Gunter Mrs. Sallie frost from Oklahoma is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Jordan. Mineral Spring Alfred Laird got pretty badly hurt Saturday while drawing dir from a well, letting the windmill loose which hit him in the face. Clark The little infant babe of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Jagelk? was buried at the Purdy cemetery, Dec. 18. Oak Ridge Faye, Paul and Bennett Dalton who live with their grandmother, Mrs. Johnson, are spending Christmas with their mother's people, the Archers at Sarcoxie. Bert Pickle is still very poorly. Mrs. A. J. Baker was called Saturday to Seneca to see her mother who is reported to be seriously ill. Licenses to Wed James F. Wilson, Cassville & Gillie Short, Cassville H. L. Bridges, 39, Tulsa, Okla., & Clara E. Geren, 31, Tulsa, Okla. John W. Hunt, 71, Leann & Phoeba C. Thomas, 71, Leann Ben Shipman, Purdy & Mary Gregory, Purdy W. J. Couch, Cassville & Arizona Couch, Cassville Ester W. Riddle, 20, Purdy & Stella Mae Bertalot, 17, Monett J. D. Taylor, 35, Monett & Beulah Watson, 25, Monett Laura? Ghan, 17, Purdy & Vergie Cartwright, 17, Wheaton Ola Hudson, 30, Big Horn, Mont. & Millie Seitz, 24, McDowell Asa Foster, 23, Washburn & lpha Mitchell, 19, Washburn

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