Ripley Co Discontent 1876

A Cross Burning by the KKK in SE MO – ca. 1960s

By Jackie Wood, 2005

Rev. Sep. 25, 2008

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In the course of family research I came across some information that may be of interest to many of you. It has to do with the discontent both politically and socially in Ripley Co in 1876. This discontent had a name. It was called the KKK.

I am not writing a story here, I am merely presenting the facts. Many of these folks mentioned here are my people. My genealogy quest has taken me to southern roots that run as deep as any in the south. I was horrified at the thought of being a descendant of slave owners, but understanding bloomed with time and I learned about my people with an open mind and one of understanding.  Part of that understanding was to find that the KKK is not aimed only at the African American population as these documents show, but with any people they did not agree with socially, religiously, racially, or politically.

There is another reason I am posting this info. It contains a lot of names of the local citizens that lived in Ripley Co at that time. It will be up to those that find your ancestors mentioned here to come to terms with this as I have, whatever your personal beliefs are.

Jackie Wood
                                                                                   

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The mid 1870s was a time of discontent for Ripley Co and I suppose most of the region in the post-Civil War era. There was a KKK faction in Ripley Co as well as in most other counties throughout southern Missouri. By 1876 they had gotten so out of hand that there was a murder committed by this bunch of malcontents, among other crimes, which are well documented. The state sent in the cavalry, so to speak, a man by the name of Caleb BINGHAM. Thanks to Ray Burson who wrote of the exploits of Caleb Bingham, we have a better picture of this incident. [Used here with his permission].

WHY GEORGE CALEB BINGHAM CAME TO DONIPHAN

By Ray Burson
Ripley Co Historical Society

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It may come as a surprise to those interested in Ripley County's history to learn that a famous Missourian, George Caleb BINGHAM, one of America's best known 19th century artists, once spent a night or two in Doniphan. But he was not here to paint landscapes or immortalize leading citizens on canvas. He was here as Adjutant General and came to help break up the Ku Klux Klan and re-establish law and order.

In the 1870's Ripley County was not always a safe place to be. Civil unrest and random violence were not uncommon events. In 1875 and 76, however, matters were getting out of hand and many citizens feared the hooded violence of the Ku Klux Klan. Whippings had become common and citizens were being driven out of the county as the vigilante group took the law into its own hands.

On June 19, 1876, William L. WILLIAMS, a school teacher in Harris Township seven or eight miles southeast of Doniphan, was found shot dead on the road from the house where he was boarding to the school. George WALKER, son of the house owner John WALKER, accused clansman Madison "Boss" ROBB Jr. of the murder because, as he told the Justice of the Peace, he had heard that Williams was going to have ROBB Jr. "taken up for burning the school house." However, Justice of the Peace James M. HOPE dismissed the case for lack of evidence on July 7. At about the same time as the murder, there was a shoot-out at or near an illicit distillery in the southwest portion of the county and L.B. HOLCOMB was wounded.

The Doniphan Prospect noted on June 23, 1876, "We do know, beyond a doubt, that the wounds inflicted upon the hitherto good reputation of our county is terrible, and if the good and law abiding citizens of the county do not rise in their might and put a stop to this shooting and murdering that the injury to the county will be almost irreparable. So far, the perpetrators of crimes here have been able to elude the officers of the law, in some instances by escape to other parts, and in others by committing their depredations in so much secrecy (sic), that the parties are not known."

On Saturday night, August 5, 1876, the Ku Klux Klan was out in force. A large group of masked men rode into Doniphan at midnight and took the highly respected Dr. William PROCTOR "forcibly from his house and from his family, and took him in front of the saloon, on Main Street, and there in the presence of several persons, not of their company, they subjected him to a severe whipping with a hickory, and then gave him his orders to leave the county in fifteen days." (Prospect 8/11/76) Dr. PROCTOR was apparently beaten because he had taken as payment for a medical bill the cow of a widow out in the county. (Heritage Vol. 5, No. 4 p.19)

A majority of the masked riders then headed south toward Pitman's Ferry on Current River. They stopped at John WALKER's house and asked for his son George, who had earlier accused ROBB Jr. of murder. He was not at home, so the hooded night riders left orders that he leave the county as soon as possible and never return.

Another group crossed Current River and headed northwest toward Buffalo Creek. They stopped at the house of the widow Nancy HOOVER. A couple of weeks later, Mrs. HOOVER testified in court: "Four men in disguise were at my house some three weeks ago. They come in my house and one of the men, he was a large man, come and sit down on the side of the bed where I was lying and put his hand on my bosom. I got up to get them something to eat. I went out doors to get something to put on the fire and one man followed me out doors, the same man that sit down on the bed by me. I tore loose from him and went back into the house. The men then taken my two brothers, Wesley LITTLE and James LITTLE, out in the yard and whipped them before me."

In his deposition about the beatings, Wesley LITTLE said, "I saw them at the widow HOOVER's. They came there about one hour before daylight on Sunday morning. I did not know any of these men. They said their business was for peace in the county. They took me and my brother out and whipped us. They said they whipped me because I did not work much and my brother because he talked too much. They struck me ten licks. They struck my brother twenty licks. These men were disguised, mostly dressed in black and some white."

The KKK now seemed to be the main force in Ripley County. And further contributing to instability was the fact that it was an election year. In the dominant Democratic Party the attitude toward the Klan varied. Joel G. McCLAREN, who was anti-Klan, was running for sheriff and collector against several other candidates. Incumbent sheriff/collector D.B. YOUNG was only running for the latter position.

News of the Klan's activities reached Governor Charles H. HARDIN in Jefferson City who felt the situation was so volatile that the state should intervene. Therefore, on August 24, he issued the following orders to Adjutant General BINGHAM:

                        HEADQUARTERS STATE OF MISSOURI City of Jefferson, Aug. 24, 1876.
                                         (Special Orders No. 26)

I.  It having been reported to the headquarters, that mob violence had occurred in Ripley county in several instances during the past eighteen months, the last one but a few days since; that under terror of personal vengeance and injury, several persons have, upon notification, left the county, and that perhaps some of the officers of the law have been intimidated and are afraid to bring the offenders to justice - in order that quiet may be restored to the community and the offenders (and also the officers of the law, if they have not discharged their duty) may be punished, Adjutant General G.C. BINGHAM will at once proceed to that county, examine into the condition of affairs and do what he can to have quiet and order restored, and all offenders punished, or preliminary proceedings instituted against them.

II.  Upon the return of the Adjutant General, he will report to these headquarters the state of affairs in said county, and the result of his visit.

III.  It will be the duty of the Adjutant General to return to the said county when the Circuit Court meets in October, and present to the grand jury for indictment all offenders against the laws, etc.

C.H. HARDIN

Governor and Commander-in-Chief

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George Caleb BINGHAM (1811-1879), Missouri's most noted 19th century frontier artist and portrait painter, had been appointed Adjutant General in January, 1875. One of his tasks that year was to disband the vigilante group, The Sons of Honor, which was intimidating the citizens of Stone County in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri. Thus he brought a certain degree of experience with him to the task at hand.

As ordered, BINGHAM proceeded rapidly to Doniphan, arriving at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. August 26. He must have traveled most of the way by train since by 1876 there was a railroad connection between St. Louis and Harviell. His visit was brief, probably less than 48 hours. But a lot was going on in the small southeast Missouri town at that time. A resolution strongly condemning the KKK had been signed by 153 citizens, warrants had been issued and eleven men had been arrested. Capt. Jas. F. TUBB, a U.S. Deputy Marshall, had been called in and was able to arrest six or seven of them and confiscate 15 Klan uniforms.

The indictments against the Klansmen as filed in the court cases read, "On or about December, 1875, and at various times since then conspire with, in all, twelve or more persons to levy war against a part of the people of this state and to remove them forcibly out of this state and from their habitations evidenced by taking up arms and assembling for that purpose."

Those named on the first warrants were John SHAVER, Francis SHAVER, Joseph SHAVER, Samuel LAUGHLIN, Robert L. CAVIT, ROBB Sr., Henry PHILIPS, Stephen JOHNS, Dr. C. H. Ireland (of Corning, Ark.) and Martin VANDOVER. A few days later John G. HILL, Abraham Eli MILLER, Neely MOORE, and Madison ROBB Jr. were added to the list.

BINGHAM must have assessed the situation quickly and found matters proceeding in a satisfactory fashion. He was soon back in Jefferson City and filed this optimistic report on Tuesday, August 29:

                        REPORT IN RELATION TO DISTURBANCES IN RIPLEY COUNTY

State of Missouri,

Adjutant-General's Office, City of Jefferson,

August 29, 1876.

His Excellency, C.H. HARDIN, Governor and Commander-in-Chief

Sir: In pursuance of your order addressed to me on Thursday the 24th inst., requesting me to proceed immediately to Ripley county and examine into the reported disturbed condition of affairs therein, etc. I started, without delay, to said county, and arrived at Doniphan, the county seat, on Saturday, the 26th instant. I found a large number of citizens assembled in town, many of them armed, and all under considerable excitement. Fortunately, however, this excitement was in the right direction, being in favor of law and against lawlessness and mob violence. A public meeting had just been held in the court-house, in which resolutions were unanimously adopted, condemning in strong terms the lawless combination of reckless and criminal persons, who, for some time past, have disturbed the peace of the county, and recently murdered a peaceable and unoffending citizen. These resolutions were immediately signed by a large number of the most respectable and prominent citizens of the county, who thus openly pledged themselves to use all legal and honorable means to suppress the unlawful combination and bring its guilty members to justice. Said combination appears to be similar to the organization known as "Ku Klux." The members disguise themselves by wearing masks and hideous uniforms, in which they make nocturnal visits to citizens who have made themselves obnoxious to them, either by exposing the secrets and members of the band, or otherwise incurring their hostility. These they brutally whip or order out of the country, or murder, as in the case above mentioned.

As evidence that the authorities and people of the county are in earnest in their determination to secure quiet and maintain the majesty of the laws, it gives me pleasure to be able to state that nine of the lawless band, including a portion of those implicated in the recent murder, have been arrested by the sheriff and his posse, and are now confined in jail, several having been brought in and lodged in jail while I was at Doniphan. The band, so far as composed of residents of the county numbers about thirty persons. Their names and places of abode have been ascertained, and the prosecuting attorney (Mr. MABREY) assured me that he would see that all legal means were used to secure their arrest and punishment, and being supported as he is by the best and most substantial citizens of the county, there is good reason to believe that none will escape, except such as immediately flee beyond the reach of the authorities.

The criminals are doubtless alarmed, while the law loving citizens are inspired with courage by the public demonstration which has been made, as well as by the assurance which has been given that they and their authorities will be sustained in their efforts to enforce the laws by the sovereign power of the State in any emergency which may require its intervention. The prevailing sentiment and determination of the people, as I found it exhibited, and the present efficient action of the officers of the law in harmony therewith, satisfied me beyond a reasonable doubt that law and order would soon be supreme in the county.

As holding a number of prisoners in confinement for a considerable length of time, under circumstances which require the constant employment of a guard, is necessarily attended with a heavy expense, such as must be burdensome to a sparsely populated county like Ripley, it is the desire of the citizens of the county with whom I conferred, that a special term of court may be held as soon as possible for the trial of prisoners now in custody, and other guilty parties who are likely soon to be arrested.

I am sir, very respectfully your obedient servant,

G.C. BINGHAM

Adjutant General Missouri

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The anti-Klan resolutions Bingham referred to were published in the Prospect on September 1st and were preceded by this report: "While four-fifths of our citizens have ever been bitterly opposed to such raids, until this last one they never could get any clue to the perpetrators, but the outlaws becoming bolder with each successive offense, took so little trouble to cover up their tracts (sic) upon the last occasion, that some of our energetic citizens set to work to ferret out the offenders. People from all parts of the county turned almost en mass determined to break up the clan, and up to last Sunday night arrested 11 persons and had them confined in jail. On Monday a preliminary examination was commenced before Esq. GATLIN and HOPE which resulted in the discharge of three of the parties while the others were required to give bond, and up to this writing, Thursday morning only one has succeeded in filling a bond."

A reading of the court case files, however, makes it apparent that the authorities also used an informant to unmask the Klan. Samuel DEAN had earlier been charged as an accessory after the fact in the murder of school teacher WILLIAMS. It was Samuel DEAN's "complaint" that appeared on the indictments.

Although the Klan had suffered a hard blow and been somewhat dispersed, it was far from finished. Adjutant General BINGHAM's belief that none of the Ku Kluxers would escape was wishful thinking and making law and order supreme would take time. Sheriff D.B. YOUNG, who history suggests was sympathetic to the Klan, had refused to lock the prisoners up in the "iron cell" that the county had purchased for $1100. On September 5, four prisoners, including John and Frank SHAVER, escaped.

The Prospect described the incident in its September 8 issue: "The prisoners were kept a great part of the time upstairs in the jail, where it was about as safe as an ordinary log school house. The result was as all could reasonably expect, the prisoners made their escape. They had nothing to do but break a steeple with a chair and then step down on the cell in the lower room and from that out at the front door, which was standing wide open.

"This they did about 5 o'clock Tuesday evening. The sheriff had given the guard permission to go to the woods to fire off their guns, saying he would watch until they returned. He was sitting on the Court House steps. Some ten steps off when they made their exit. He followed them on foot without arms some hundred yards or more but of course without any effect."

At approximately the same time, David ALLEN, who was being held in the Corning, Arkansas, jail awaiting transfer to Missouri for the murder of school teacher WILLIAMS, was liberated by nine hooded Klansmen.

(Prospect 9/15/1876) A later press report indicates that ALLEN may have been one of those who escaped from the Doniphan jail. In any case, the state soon offered a reward for the arrest of ALLEN. (Governor's Proclamation 1877, Vol. VI, p. 179.)

In Ripley County citizens set about organizing a militia and Missouri Attorney General HOCKADAY attended a grand jury session investigating the Klan. He told the citizens in the courtroom, "that the state authorities were interested in ferreting out the lawless infesting this country... and that they intended such lawlessness should be broken up even if it took the military force of the state to do it."

The SHAVER brothers were soon recaptured and Sheriff YOUNG transported them to Greenville for safekeeping. In October the Circuit Court allowed the Klan cases to be continued to the following April. Apparently it was not necessary for BINGHAM to return for that session and with the election his work as Adjutant General was over. He would soon become the first professor of art at the University of Missouri, and he died in July, 1879, at age. 68.

In November the SHAVERs were back in the Ripley County jail where they were soon freed by a band of six to eight masked men. In late November the Klan put a note on the courthouse door threatening to kill the Prospect's crusading editor Pinckney MABREY and four others if they did not leave town in ten days.

Joel McCLAREN was elected sheriff by a narrow margin over Mr. HALL while D.B. YOUNG was kept on as collector. The KKK was still active on December 27, when "five of them in Ku Klux regalia whipped Frank GARNER on Buffalo creek and old man PARKER on Big Barren creek." (Prospect 1/5/1877) PARKER was beaten because he had informed a revenue officer in Cape Girardeau about an illicit distillery.

The new sheriff soon moved in on the Klan, re-arresting Francis SHAVER, and capturing Eli MILLER and John HITT who were also wanted for "ku klucking." In April, 1877, G.C. BINGHAM's replacement, Col. E.Y. MITCHELL, came to Ripley County to assist in prosecuting the KKK, but all but one of the cases were continued until October. In northern Ripley County in August, the Klan whipped a Mr. MOCK. YOUNG became the editor of the new weekly Current River News and began attacking The Prospect for its anti-Klan reporting.

Although the KKK was fading from the scene, it wasn't because the vigilantes had been convicted and sent to prison. The court kept putting off most of the cases. *In January. 1878, after about a year in jail, Madison "Boss" ROBB was free on $4,000 bail. David ALLEN, who had been arrested by Sheriff McCLAREN in March, 1879, was reported at large in October and was seen riding with "Boss" ROBB.

The Klan would continue to surface from time to time in Ripley County, but never again would it be as active as it was in 1876. The state of Missouri gave much of the credit to Joel Greene McCLAREN who served as sheriff from 1876 to 1880 and again from 1889-93. From 1894-99 he was presiding judge of the county court and he was a State Representative for the Democratic Party in the 1898-1900 term. The Official Manual of the State of Missouri 1899-1900 has this citation for Judge McCLAREN on page 531: "Was elected Capt. of Militia organized in Sept. 1876, under the direction of the Adjutant General to aid the authorities in suppressing Ku Kluxism, but as sheriff he restored order without having to make use of the military power."

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*Author's Note (Ray Burson): The court case files that were examined do not contain information on trials, acquittals or convictions. The Ripley County Circuit Court today does not have records of trials in the 1870's and 1880's.

Sources in addition to those cited in the text:

The Doniphan Prospect 1876-79,
"The Sons of Honor and George Caleb Bingham." by Lynn Morrow,
The Record (Newsletter of the Friends of the Missouri State Archives), Vol. 6, No. I. Fall 1996
Paintbox on the Frontier The Life and Times of George Caleb Bingham. by Alberta Wilson Constant. Thomas Y. Crowell Co. New York, 1974

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"Long after this article was written by Ray Burson, I, by chance, located many documents on this trial.  They are incomplete to say the least.  The years of shuffling documents for their safe keeping in itself can cause papers to become unorganized, lost, or even deliberately destroyed.

In the mass of documents I have linked to, are 24 pages of hand written legal size transcripts of the actual trial of Maddison Robb Jr. ( Madison's sister Susan ROBB THOMAS was my great grandfather's second wife).  The shear scope of this trial tells me that there must be other documents in surrounding counties. So this project will remain incomplete until I get to make the trips required to ascertain the additional documents.  So lets consider this a work in progress until then. At least it's a start.... who can tell where the truth will lead us.

Below you will find a list of the documents I have in my possession. I will try to organize them into some sort of order that will perhaps be a help instead of a hindrance. However keep in mind that many documents from these trials are missing.  Even pages of the actual witness statements are missing.  I have entered the documents by date first." ~ Jackie Wood

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Documents

 

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Original Charges

The original charges were filed about July 3, 1876 by George Walker

Initial Testimony by George Walker

List of personal effects found on William L. Williams body

Inquest: With jury names - James M. Givins, Wm Steward, S. L. Dean, W. H. Murrell, J. G. Handcock, Hyram Lowrey, James M. Hope Justice of the Peace

 

Ormsby, John June 19, 1876 Subpoena for Inquest

Ormsby,  Mary June 19, 1876 Subpoena for Inquest

Inquest deposition of John Ormsby

Inquest deposition of Mary Ormsby

Subpoena dated July 3, 1876 for hearing July 7, 1876 and includes the names of Ms. Robb, Ed Inman, Martha Robb, Emaline Self, Becky Bryant, Mary Self, D. P. Thomas, Kelly Bryant, Addison Thomas, Addison Pope, Mrs. Mann  on behalf of the defendant, Madison Robb.    Page 1      Page 2

Subpoena dated July 3, 1876 for hearing July 7, 1876 and includes the names of Eliza A. Robb, J. G. Hancock, Thomas Hancock, John Hancock, J. R. Roberson, Henry Mann, Wm Stepp, Wm Merrell, J. C. Shaver, John Shaver, Fran Shaver, David Allen, Ben Allen, Sam Laughlin, Wm Inman, Ed Inman for the Plaintiff.  Page 1  Page 2         

Subpoena dated July 3, 1876 for hearing July 7, 1876 and includes the names of  John Walker, George Walker, H. Lowery, Z. D. French, and F. Harris for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.  Page 1     Page 2      

Arrests

 It is unknown from the documents here, what steps occurred after the finding of the initial inquest.  However we do know that the charges were apparently refiled.   Arrests were made starting in January of the following year.  Among those arrests included charges of murder and "having combined with 12 or more persons to levy war against a part of the people of this state, or to remove them forcibly out of this state, or from their habitations evidenced by taking up arms and assembling to accomplish that purpose".

 

Robb, Madison Jr.		Murder	Front	Back
Robb, Madison Jr.	Jan 24, 1877	Act of War	Front	Back
Moore, Neely	Oct 25, 1876	Act of War	Front	Back
Vandover, Martin	Sept 14, 1876	Act of War	Front	Back
Hitt, John G. Jr.	Feb 03, 1877	Act of War	Front	Back
Miller, Abram E.	Feb 03, 1877	Act of War	Front	Back

 

Bonds

Moore, Neely

Oct 30, 1876

Assault

for Trial April 1877

Posted by W. H. Murrell, J. A. Pope, and Ruben Pope

$500

Page 1

Page 2

Back

Moore, Neely

Oct 30, 1876

Act of War

for Trial April 1877

Posted by George W. McElrath, and Zeba D. French

$500

Page 1

Page 2

Back

Hitt, John G. Jr.

Feb 3, 1877

Felonious Use of Arms

for Trial April 1877

Posted by H. M. Eaton, C.Baker, John D. Matthews

$1,000 each

Page 1

Back

Miller, Abram

Feb 3, 1877

Act of War

for Trial  April 1877

Posted by M. D. L. McCord, and William J. Raney

$800 each

Page 1

Back

Robb, Madison Sr.

Nov 28, 1876

Unlawful Use of Arms

for Trial April 1877

Posted by W. T. Raney, James H. Jordan, and Sanders D. Gatlin

$1000 each

Page 1

Back

McCord, Thomas E.

Feb 20, 1877

Murder

for Trial April 1877

Posted by M. D. L. McCord, Joseph Hall, and William T. Raney

$800 each

Page 1

Back

Robb, Madison Jr.

* Jan 07,1878

for Trial April 1878

Posted by Madison Robb Sr, J. A. Pope, Louis A. Stillwell, Joseph Hall, George W. McElrath, and S. D. Gatlin

Page 1

Page 2

NOTE:

* Not sure if this is a mistake on the date or not, no other papers that I have found refer to a trial in April of 1878, suspect this is the trial for April 1877.

 

 

 
 Subpoenas

Dean, S. L.	April 13, 1877	for Trial April 1877	for the Plaintiff	Page 1	Page 2
Walker, George	April 13, 1877	for Trial April 1877	for the Plaintiff	Page 1	Page 2
Lowrey, Hyram	April 13, 1877	for Trial April 1877	for the Plaintiff	Page 1	Page 2
Crutchfield, T. N.	April 13, 1877	for Trial April 1877	for the Plaintiff	Page 1	Page 2

Givins, James  April 14, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Plaintiff Page 1 Page 2

Mrs. Crutchfield April 14, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Plaintiff Page 1 Page 2

Hancock, J. G. April 02, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Page 1 Page 2

Hancock, Thomas April 02, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Page 1 Page 2

Allen, Mary April 02, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Page 1 Page 2

Allen, Ben April 02, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Page 1 Page 2

Ormsby April 02, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Page 1 Page 2

Stepp, William T.  April 6, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison M. Robb Jr.  Page 1  Page 2

Murrell, William H. April 6, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison M. Robb Jr.   Page 1  Page 2

Inman, Ed April 6, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison M. Robb Jr.   Page 1  Page 2

Thomas, Adison March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.   Page 1 Page 2

Thomas, Susan March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.   Page 1 Page 2

Payne, James April 18, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.  Page 1  Page 2

Self, Emaline March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.  Page 1  Page 2

Robb, Madison Sr. March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.   Page 1  Page 2

Vandover, Martin March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.   Page 1  Page 2

Pope, Adison March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.   Page 1  Page 2

Thomas, D. P. March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.  Page 1  Page 2

Mann, Henry March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.   Page 1  Page 2

Robinson, James March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.   Page 1  Page 2

Bryant, Rebecca March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr.   Page 1  Page 2

Pope, Ruben March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr. Page 1  Page 2

McElbrath, George March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr Page 1  Page 2

Sec, John March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr  Page 1  Page 2

Givin, John March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr  Page 1  Page 2

Hitt, John March 30, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Jr  Page 1  Page 2
                                                                                                

Witness Testimonies

These are not what you would expect to find in a transcript of a court case.  They are pages of Witness Testimony without the Attorney's questions.  So you may have to read between the lines on some of them.  They are hand written documents and one testimony ends only with the witnesses signature.  I have listed the page numbers below, and the name beside the page number shows the beginning of that persons testamoney.  Often they carry over to the following pages.

 

Page 1      George W. Walker	Page 13  Francis M. Shaver
Page 2      George W. Walker	Page 14  James R. Robinson
Page 3       George W. Walker	Page 15  Henry Mann, "Friend" Lafranier Harris, Emaline Self
Page4       George W. Walker,  Z. D. French , Henry Mann	Page 16  Rebecca Bryant
Page 5       Hyrum Lowery	Page 17  Sarah Mann, Nettie Bryant
Page 6       Hyrum Lowery	Page 18  Nettie Bryant
Page 7      Zeba. D. French, William Inman	Page 19  Daniel P. Thomas
Page 8      Edmund Inman	Page 20  Madison Robb Sr.
Page 9      Edmund Inman	Page 21  Benjamin Allen, Samuel Laughlin
Page 10   Hyrum Lowery	Page 22  John Shaver
Page 11   William Inman, John Walker	Page 23  William Inman  Page 23B
Page 12   James H. Givins	Page 24  Edmund Inman

 

Trial of Martin Vandover - No transcription was found, only these subpoenas.

Magee, Susan April 18, 1877 for Trial April 1877 against Martin Vandover for the Plaintiff  Page 1 Page 2

Mrs. West Southworth  April 18, 1877 for Trial April 1877 against Martin Vandover for the Plaintiff Page 1 Page 2

Mann, Henry Oct 9, 1877 for Trial Oct 22, 1877 against Madison Robb Jr. for the Plaintiff Page 1  Page 2

McDannil, Frank Oct 24, 1877 for Trial Oct 24, 1877 against Martin Vandover for the Plaintiff  Page 1 Page 2

Allen, Ben Oct 24, 1877 for Trial Oct 24, 1877 against Martin Vandover for the Plaintiff   Page 1  Page 2

Parham, Thomas Oct 24, 1877 for Trial Oct 24, 1877 against Martin Vandover for the Plaintiff  Page 1  Page 2

Inman, Wm Oct 24, 1877 for Trial Oct 1877 for the Plaintiff  Page 1 Page 2

Allen, Mary 26 April 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant Madison Robb Sr.  Page 1 Page 2

Walker, John 16 April 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Plaintiff against Martin Vandover Page 1  Page 2

Walker, Catherine 16 April 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Plaintiff against Martin Vandover   Page 1  Page 2

Venable, John 16 April 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Plaintiff against Martin Vandover   Page 1  Page 2

Trial for John G. Hitt

No transcript was found, only these subpoenas.

Stone, Ruben April 23, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant John G. Hitt Jr.  Page 1  Page 2

Shaver, Elizabeth April 23, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant John G. Hitt Jr.   Page 1  Page 2

Shaver, Juliann April 23, 1877 for Trial April 1877 for the Defendant John G. Hitt Jr.   Page 1  Page 2