Jim Potter's Blog, page 16

Sheriffs of Reno County: Konrad C. Beck

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· Konrad C. “Koon” Beck (1876-1947)
Sheriff 1911-1915
·
Konrad C. Beck’s nickname was “Koon” due to his love of hunting & trapping. This is the photo he used in his 1912 reelection campaign for Reno County sheriff. Hutchinson Gazette, October 23, 1912

It’s Thursday, October 20, 1927 in Hutchinson, Kansas. Julia and Houston Whiteside are making plans to attend a Saturday show on the south end at Riverside Park. The Wallace Bruce Players will be performing on stage.

*

“As much as I enjoyed Buster Keaton’s masterful performance in the 1916 movie, The Bell Boy,” said Julia, “years earlier, before his silent movie, the musical-comedy stage production at Riverside Park was tops.”

“We saw that production in 1910,” remembered Houston. “Those were the days. The crowds were immense, the streetcars overflowing, but that was before everyone had an automobile. Once people purchased a motor car, they drove it night and day and didn’t want to get out of it.” Holdeman Motor Car Company 1910 Advertisement

“Koon Beck is still a showman and a live wire,” said Julia. “I remember him telling me how he quit school when he was 14 years old so he could go hunting and trapping. He was passionate about learning, but he needed a hands-on approach. He’s become a respected zoologist and conservationist without a college degree.

“Beck’s traveled all over the United States, South and Central America, collecting water fowl, becoming one of the most widely recognized authorities in the world on the habit and habitats of these creatures.”

“And it paid off,” said Houston. “After several years he had such a collection of animals, especially water fowl, that he was visiting numerous county fairs every summer. They paid him because his educational exhibits attracted the public.

“Eventually, because of Koon’s success, he was invited to move his headquarters from outside Nickerson to Riverside Park in Hutchinson. He brought all his wild animals along to exhibit and to winter here.”

The postcard caption states: “Entrance to Riverside Park and Arkansas River Bridge, Hutchinson, Kansas.” The park was at the south end of Main Street. The roller coaster & searchlight tower were destroyed by a twister the night of Nov. 10, 1915. A larger, longer, and stronger roller coaster was built in time for Riverside’s 1916 summer park season. Collection of Morgan Williams, morganw1957@gmail.com

“He made a success of it,” said Julia. “‘The Coney Island of the Midwest’ had a roller coaster,  swimming pool, skating rink, carousel, and a miniature train. The vaudeville shows and musicals, exotic animals, open-air dancing pavilion, and the Canals of Venice, drew people to Hutchinson from all over the country, including Wichita. Things were constantly in motion at Riverside.” Riverside Park 1912 advertisement

“I can still see those colorful painted horses, hear the music of the carousel, and watch the world spin by,” said Houston.

“Since the amusement park was only open during the summer season, it gave Koon more time for importing animals, especially birds, from all over the world,” said Julia. “He’s supplied animals to the Bronx Zoo (New York) and the Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago), and he’s one of a handful of wild animal dealers in the United States permitted to import and export animals.

“The waterfowl preserve that Koon established at the park held over a thousand birds. Some of the zoo animals were lions, chimpanzees, elephants, dwarf kangaroos, and Tasmanian devils. The ostriches were allowed to roam the park and beg for popcorn.”

“I marvel how Koon and his brother John were even-keeled about being arrested for working their employees on Sundays,” said Houston.

“Remember City Commissioner Oswald?” asked Julia. “He battled with Mayor Martin who tried to pass a Sabbath ordinance after a delegation of ministers visited him. The ministers complained that the Sunday shows were hurting their church attendance. Oswald argued that citizens had a right to enjoy a day off with recreation and entertainment.”

Postcard caption: “Birdseye view of Riverside Park Roller Coaster,” published by The Rorabaugh-Wiley Dry Goods Co., Hutchinson, Kans.” South (top) of the roller coaster, the park’s water fowl lagoon is visible. To the west (right) is the Arkansas River. Collection of Morgan Williams, morganw1957@gmail.com

“And Konrad was sheriff at the time,” recalled Houston. K C Beck for Sheriff “It’s a wonder he was reelected, the way the local ministers riled up their congregations about Riverside’s girlie shows.”

“A majority of people viewed his shows as clean entertainment, which they were,” said Julia. “Beck was a showman; he enjoyed publicity. He soon learned that music, girls, and comedians were what the pubic wanted.”

“After all these years, Koon’s still in the fight,” said Houston. “Just a couple of years ago he was again charged with breaking the Sunday labor laws. At the jury trial every prosecuting witness was cross-examined. One by one they admitted that on one or more occasions they had their employees work on a Sunday.”

“The business manager of the Hutchinson Herald, a witness, agreed that his employees had to work past midnight on Saturday’s in order to get Sunday’s paper out.”

“Sheriff Beck threatened to arrest all men who employed anyone on Sunday, including the witnesses,” said Julia.

*

In 1908 Konrad C. Beck leased Riverside Park and brought his birds to town, creating a waterfowl preserve. “Koon” Beck and his brother, John, managed the park which they expanded into a thriving amusement park. Photographer Marion W. Bailey. Collection of Morgan Williams, morganw1957@gmail.com Missing Swan, The Hutchinson News, October 26, 1927

“One of the biggest mistakes a man ever made with Beck was to interfere with the health and well-being of his animals,” continued Julia. “I remember when the state game warden confiscated a shipment of 60 Chinese ducks that were being sent by mail to Pennsylvania. The warden said it was a violation of state law.

“Koon called the Kansas attorney general and explained how the delay was illogical and illegal. Beck said that if he was violating the law then proceed against him anytime, but don’t hold up the shipment of his ducks. He said, ‘if you’re going to do anything, do it to me, don’t take it out on my ducks.’

“The AG told him to go ahead and ship the birds.”

 

*

“Tom Fowler was murdered in December of 1910 while he was waiting for criminals to return to their stash of hidden burglar tools,” said Houston. “Sheriff Duckworth’s second term of office was almost complete when Fowler was shot and killed during the arrest.”

“It was a sad day for Tom’s family,” said Julia.

“The Anti-Horse Thief Association (AHTA) got busy and helped bring the murderer to justice,” said Houston. “Henry Bowers, who was known as ‘Hiney’ Bowers, was captured in Ottawa, Kansas, and brought back to Hutchinson by Sheriff K. C. Beck and members of the Association. I recall Hiney claiming his profession was a bank robber.

“In all the years I’ve lived here, since 1872, I don’t recall an arrest, confession, and sentencing to occur so quickly. Bowers was in fear of being lynched by a potential mob and told the judge he’d prefer life in prison. Sheriff Beck was soon on his way to the penitentiary with the convicted murderer.”

*

President Taft gave a speech when the cornerstone of Convention Hall, 101 South Walnut, was laid on September 26, 1911. Potter Collection

“The year 1911, our state’s golden anniversary, was also memorable because President Taft, a Mason brother, visited Hutchinson,” said Houston.

“It was nice meeting him,” said Julia. “He wasn’t here long, but he seemed to enjoy his visit.”

“People remember the president as giving a speech at the dedication ceremonies of the Convention Hall,” said Houston, “but he was mostly busy at the state fairgrounds or at the Bisonte Hotel before his train departed for Topeka.”

*

“As we remember 1911, two judges stand out to me,” said Julia. “Judge Banta, of Stafford, convicted a 17-year-old girl for stealing, and then sentenced her to be placed in the custody of Alta Barnes Beck, Mrs. Sheriff. I remember Alta giving girls the proper care they needed while she found each of them a good home. Whenever possible, she wanted to keep the girls out of the bastille.

“But Police Judge Hoagland takes the cake,” continued Julia. “He was what a Christian judge should look like. I remember that a man was caught red-handed stealing coal from the Rock Mill and Elevator Company. The judge had no alternative but to find him guilty. He gave the man the smallest fine possible allowed by the law, $5 and costs.

“The prisoner only had $1, which he put up. The judge, learning of the man’s financial condition, his wife and children being cold with no coats, returned the $1 to the man’s wife and had the county supervisor take a load of provisions to the house.”

*

In 1905 there was one automobile agent in Hutchinson. In 1915 there were 16 automobile agencies. J. H. Holdeman was the owner of Holdeman Motor Car Company, 101 Sherman East, Hutchinson, KS. Photographer: Marion W. Bailey. Collection of Morgan Williams, morganw1957@gmail.com

“Do you recall which Reno County sheriff was the last to be arrested while in office?” asked Julia of Houston.

“Let’s see,” said Houston, “Sheriff Hooper was arrested for intent to kill, but a jury found him not guilty of shooting Al Olson. Beck was arrested while in office and again a couple of years ago for Sunday labor law violations.”

“Neither of them,” declared Julia as her grin widened. “Fay Brown was arrested Tuesday night by a city patrolman on the Hutchinson police force. Sheriff Brown was charged with failing to stop at a stop sign. He admitted to the violation and paid his $2 bond at the police station.”

“I hadn’t heard about that,” said Houston. “Most likely Fay was set back a few bucks in court yesterday. Unlike Koon Beck, he wouldn’t hire an attorney to fight it, and he doesn’t need the publicity.”

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

The post Sheriffs of Reno County: Konrad C. Beck appeared first on Sandhenge Publications.

Sheriffs of Reno County: George M. Duckworth

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· George M. Duckworth (1867-1954)
Sheriff 1907-1911
·
Reno County Sheriff George McCamey “Came” Duckworth. Photo from Hutchinson: The Salt City (1910).

It’s Tuesday, October 18, 1927, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Hutchinson Chief of Police George “Came” Duckworth, 60, and Mrs. Anna Kelly, 46, police matron, are at the police station, talking.

*

“If the citizenry knew we worked 15-hour days with hardly a day off, do you think they would recommend we receive more support from the city?” asked Anna.

“Hard to tell,” replied Chief Duckworth. “There are some who think we’re already overpaid. They would be quick to remind us that if we don’t like our job, we should quit.”

“Our greatest need is a detention home,” said Anna. “Most of my cases are not the result of depravity, but too often the wrong environment. If the girl or woman had a better environment, they could be brought back to a more normal way of living that fits within moral and civil law.”

“I appreciate you speaking to the clubs in the city, keeping them informed about why women and children need shelter,” said the chief. “People listen to you because you tell them of real experiences—young women arriving in Hutchinson without a job or a place to stay who have been hurt.”

“The Salvation Army home is always filled,” said Anna. “I had to take another helpless girl home two nights ago rather than put her in a cell and lock her up.

“Jail is not the place for girls in temporary trouble at home or out of work. They deserve better; they haven’t committed a crime.”

“I know you’re busy visiting the picture shows, looking for girls who should be in school, and watching the dance halls for immoral behavior,” said the chief. “You’ve already made a difference in many young lives.”

“When Mrs. Mettlen had this job, I didn’t realize how dedicated she was,” said Anna.

“Because of you placing girls in safe homes, they can go on with their schooling and get the education they need,” concluded Duckworth.

*

The Bisonte Hotel opened in Hutchinson, KS, in 1908 on the northeast corner of Second & Walnut. The name “Bisonte” was chosen as a reminder of the immense piles of buffalo bones that were stacked next to the Santa Fe tracks, awaiting shipment to the east. Photographer: Marion W. Bailey. Potter Postcard Collection

“Automobiles have changed everything for lawmen,” said Chief Duckworth. “Before the horseless carriage, we were chasing horse thieves, not crooks stealing automobiles. (Click to view 1908 Reward Postcard Reno County Sheriff George Duckworth)

“Before the auto, it was easier to solve crimes and catch criminals. The public needs to understand that things are not the same. Nowadays, sometimes, we aren’t as likely to locate stolen property within a day or two. A thief can travel a hundred miles in any direction before the crime is even reported.

“This increased mobility means our cooperation with other departments around the country is more important today than ever before.” 

 

*

“Have you ever considered why some people follow the law while others choose to break it?” asked Anna of the chief.

“During my four years as sheriff from 1907 to 1911, I worked eight murder cases and we captured all but one,” said Duckworth. “Each time we made an arrest, and after each conviction, I asked myself that same question. I concluded that there is not one answer, but many possible reasons why people turn to crime. Certainly, a violent home environment is one reason, insanity another.

“In 1908 in Kiowa County, Samuel Bitler, 24, was convicted and sentenced to serve a life term in the state prison for raping and murdering Mrs. Susan Rosenberger, 47, a pioneer woman who lived outside Belvidere. He shot her three times in the head so she wouldn’t talk.

“To prevent mob violence during the court process, Bitler was housed here in Reno County at our jail.

“Sam had a bad reputation prior to the murder even though he had a stable family with both parents. His father was a banker at Eureka.

Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Passenger Depot, Hutchinson, KS. Like other early-day county sheriffs, Sheriff Duckworth almost exclusively used the rails to transport prisoners. Photographer: Marion W. Bailey. Potter Collection

“Unfortunately, Sam Bitler escaped by sawing through three jail bars. We suspected that his wife, Kittie Josephine Dempsey, had given him jail-breaking tools the afternoon before his escape. She had been allowed into his cell to visit. Later, we were told by a prisoner that she had secreted a hand saw, a saw made from a knife, and a file, under her dress, next to the belt.”

“Isn’t Bitler the man who left a note behind, warning you not to hunt him, or one of you would come home in a box?” asked Anna.

“That’s right,” the chief replied as he laughed. “I figured he’d be caught sooner rather than later. He was six feet seven inches tall, 180 pounds, walked slouchy and somewhat stooped, and was a cigarette fiend. We sent out 1,000 reward postcards around the country for his capture.

“Eventually, I caught him in Memphis, Tennessee. After reading letters that were sent to his wife here in Hutchinson, I went and found him when he let his guard down. Bitler came out of hiding in order to buy cigarettes. He gave me no trouble once I threw down on him.

“I had Sam handcuffed to me the entire train ride to Hutchinson. He was his typically quiet self, but it was during our return trip that I heard him laugh for the first time in the many months he was in our bastille.

“A native of Missouri got on the train at a small town. The only vacant seat was directly across from Sam and myself. This ‘hill-billy’ came in, seated himself, and began glancing around. His eyes rested for a moment on the handcuffs, one attached to Bitler’s right wrist and the other to my left wrist.

“He looked quickly around in all directions, ‘What they got you fer, boys?’ he asked. “I explained that they had me for murder and Sam for grand larceny.

“‘Well, where’s the guy that’s guardin’ you?’ was his next question. I replied that he was in a rear coach. I gave a description which would have fit a good many men. The mountaineer, without a word, slunk back thru the several coaches to the rear. ‘Yep, he’s back there. Now if you boys want to beat it, you better jump now!’

“It was then that Sam laughed.”

*

State Penitentiary, Lansing, Kansas, postcard. Published by A. F. Wood. Potter Collection

“I took Sam to the state penitentiary in 1909. He escaped from there in 1919.

“Regrettably, eight months later, in Missouri, Bitler killed again. This time it was a man, Frank Elliott. Bitler was developed as a suspect after a number of Elliott’s checks were forged. When the lawmen arrived at Bitler’s home to investigate, Bitler was working on a plot of soft earth near his home. He said he was preparing a garden.

“Elliott’s body was found buried 15 inches under the ground. Just like Mrs. Rosenberger, 12 years earlier, the victim had been shot . . . three times in the head.”

*

“Anna,” said Duckworth, “on occasion, in my long career, I’ve met bad men who have had no moral compass to give them direction. I don’t know what caused them to become diabolic, but they used their power to manipulate others to help them escape accountability for their evil-minded actions. Bitler’s wife helped him escape from our jail; Bitler’s mother assisted him in staying hidden after escaping jail and prison. In my way of thinking, both of these women were accessories to the Missouri murder of Mr. Elliott.

“Fay Brown and I were both orphans—he at age six, me at 13. But our unfortunate circumstances didn’t cause us to turn bad. Some people, like Bitler, have it easy growing up, but they make selfish and ruinous choices. Sooner or later, most of them end up dead or in prison.

“Chief, the community appreciates both you and Sheriff Brown for choosing to wear the star,” said Anna.” 

Chief Duckworth concluded, “Fay and I have both tried to do our best, to keep the bad from hurting the good.”

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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Sheriffs of Reno County: John W. Hooper

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· John W. Hooper (1855-1936)
Sheriff 1903-1907
·
Beginning May 30th, the “Flood of 1903” came down Cow Creek and surprised the residents of Hutchinson, Kansas. 1st & Main view. Parker photograph: Mr. & Mrs. Bert & Annie Parker, business & home address, 7 N. Main, was less than a block from this flooded location. Photo credit to Reno County Historical Society

*

It’s Monday, October 17, 1927, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Reno County Sheriff Fay Brown is parked in his new—actually, the county’s new–1927 Standard Six Dictator automobile. He’s parked near the northeast corner of 1st Avenue and Main Street, in the shadow of Hutchinson’s tallest skyscraper, the Wiley-Rorabaugh building, which opened in 1913. Sitting next to Fay, 35, is Houston Whiteside, 81, a friend and retired attorney.

*

Looking south on Main Street, Hutchinson, KS, during 1903 flood. The tall building with its spire, visible above the trolley cars, is the Reno County Courthouse on the SE corner of Ave. B & Main St. Photo credit to Reno County Historical Society

“The disastrous flood of 1903 came down Cow Creek on Saturday night, May 30th,” said Houston. “More than a thousand people were driven from their homes. From Main Street to the river, it was practically all under water. The flood poured with a speed of a mill race through the avenues east and west.

“Stores on Main Street, from third to the south were flooded; from one to three feet of water covered their floors. But, the only building that collapsed was a portion of the Home Theater.”

“Some old timers say 1877 was the worst flood,” said Fay. “What’s your view?”

Home Theater, SW corner of Ave. B & Main, Hutchinson, Kansas, had part of the west wall collapse during the 1903 flood. Photo by Marion W. Bailey. Collection of Morgan Williams, morganw1957@gmail.com

“In 1877 the water wasn’t as high, maybe two feet less,” said Houston. “Back then, on Main Street, there were wooden, not stone sidewalks. I remember the sidewalks at First and Main being washed away, even though they were staked down.

“There was so much rain that I bought a pair of brogan boots and cut holes in the toes so that I could empty the water out. It was the cleanest and most convenient way of keeping my feet comfortable.”

“In 1913, I was in town for the grand opening of the Wiley-Rorabaugh building. What a night!” said Fay. “Do you remember what business was on this corner before the department store?”

1903 flood at 1st & Main. Horse-drawn trolley is headed north. The H. King Furniture & Carpet store is on the NE corner. Conard-Harmon Collection

“For many years the H. King Furniture and Carpet store was here,” said Houston. “Horatio and Jennie, his wife, were the owners. They had a son named Hayden, who, when he was a young man, would have run you in circles.”

“What kind of trouble did he get into?” asked Fay.

“Hayden was a smooth-talker who began as a clerk at his family’s King Furniture, so he knew the business routine,” said Houston. “He and some others robbed the place which started a long journey through the courts for Hayden and his parents.

“After Hayden was arrested in Chicago for the robbery, and returned to Hutchinson, he broke out of jail by sawing a bar in the cell and another bar on a window. That was during John Hooper’s first term of office.”

Advertisement in the 1906 Hutchinson City Directory

“Jail escapes are part of the job,” said Fay. “I take each one personally. We do our best, but we must do better.”

“When Hayden King broke out, it really made headlines,” said Houston. “He didn’t just escape and disappear quietly into the night, he left a note behind in his cell addressed to Sheriff Hooper. The message was printed in the local papers.”

*

It said:

“Pardon my abrupt departure, but I find the state’s guardianship too confining for one of my roving disposition. Thanking you for your kind hospitality, while your guest, I am,

Yours respectfully,

HAYDEN KING.

“P.S.—I will do my best to avoid a future meeting. Au revoir.”

–The Saturday Bee (Hutchinson, Kansas) July 23, 1904

 *

The Kansas State Reformatory started housing prisoners in 1895. Photographed by Samuel Hirst, 23 North Main Street, Hutchinson, KS. Potter Collection

“While Hayden was on the lamb, he visited some women friends, and even took in the St. Louis World’s Fair,” said Houston. “But, within a few months after his abrupt departure from the bastille, Hayden was captured in Memphis, Tennessee. There, he was charged with an attempt at highway robbery. Sheriff Hooper went and collected King and returned him to his cage to await trial.

“It was a lengthy legal process. Once the Kansas Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Reno County District Court, the sheriff gave the young King a ride to the reformatory. He was but 23 years old.”

*

“Fay,” said Houston, “I hope you never have to deal with a man like Alfred Olson. He held a grudge against John Hooper that didn’t end when Hooper completed his second term of office. Of course, if someone shot me, I’d never forget it.”

“I hadn’t arrived in Reno County yet, but I remember hearing about Sheriff Hooper shooting Olson,” said Fay.

“It started in 1906 when Sheriff Hooper arrested Olson for allegedly stealing three horses from the Black barn,” said Houston. “The sheriff made the arrest because of the description of witnesses to the theft, but after they saw Olson, they reversed their statements and the case was dropped. However, Olson felt he was wronged by Hooper and sought ways to ruin the man.

“Three months after the arrest, Olson tried to blackmail Hooper and made public threats to kill him. Finally, there was a confrontation at the court house. Outside, after the horse trader again made threats, he reached to pull a gun from his back pocket. The sheriff shot Olson once, hitting him in the shoulder. Minutes later, on the interior court house stairs, Hooper shot at Olson when the man again feinted to pull a gun, charged the sheriff, and attempted to grab his gun.

“People in the court house said the gunfire sounded like a cannon going off.

Stewart Hospital, 722 N. Main St., was Hutchinson’s first hospital. Photographer: Marion W. Bailey. Collection of Morgan Williams, morganw1957@gmail.com

“After Olson ran outside, bleeding profusely, a sales agent in an early-day automobile was pressed into service to take Olson to Stewart Hospital.

“Olson hired a Wichita attorney and a complaint for assault with intent to kill was filed against Sheriff Hooper. The sheriff gave himself up, was arrested, and released on a $500 bond.

“Until the case was decided, Hooper couldn’t work as sheriff, so Deputy Al Jones was temporarily put in charge. The criminal case was later dismissed, but Olson wasn’t ready to give up his revenge campaign. A year after the incident, Olson sued the sheriff, asking for $10,000 in damages. But, the jury handed a verdict in favor of Hooper, which was considered a vindication of the ex-sheriff. That decision ended the legal maneuverings.”

*

The Hoisington Dispatch (Hoisington, Kansas) September 28, 1916

“I’ve known John since we worked on the Hutchinson police force,” said Fay, referring to the ex-sheriff. “He was desk sergeant for a few years and chief of the Kansas State Fair Police. From Hutch, he was hired as Hoisington’s city marshal. I know he enjoyed the freedom to enforce law in a smaller town, except that it was difficult being away from his family so much.

“John’s wife, Sally, visited him regularly for a year or so until he hung up his star,” Fay recalled.

“I remember one of his boys, Harry,” said Houston. “He was deputy sheriff for his father for a while and helped run the jail. He was also quite the ball player on Hutchinson teams, and became a driver for the city fire department.”

“Both Sally and John were born, bred, and married in Kentucky before they settled in Kansas,” said Fay. “Did you know that John’s father died when John was only eight years old?”

“No, I would have remembered that if he had mentioned it,” replied Houston.

“In 1864, his father, Samuel Hooper, who served in a Kentucky Calvary company, died in the infamous Confederate prisoner of war camp at Andersonville.”

“That’s compelling,” said Houston, “it’s a wonder I didn’t know about his deep personal loss.”

“One night on a slow shift at the police station, John and I were talking about our parents,” said Fay. “I mentioned becoming an orphan when I was six years old. After I told him, he seemed to open up. John shared about his devastating loss when his father died at the hands of inhumane treatment by the Confederates, but he was also thankful for a strong and loving family.”

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

The post Sheriffs of Reno County: John W. Hooper appeared first on Sandhenge Publications.

Sheriffs of Reno County: William E. Long

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· William E. “Bill” Long (1862-1940)
Sheriff 1898-1903*
·
Reno County Courthouse, SE corner of Main St. & Ave. B, Hutchinson, KS., opened in May 1901. Offices of the sheriff, county attorney, and district court (plus court room) were on the 2nd floor. The building to the immediate left (east) in the photo is the Reno County Jail & jailer’s/sheriff’s residence. Postcard published by Marion W. Bailey, Hutchinson photographer. No copyright date, message, or postmark.

*

It’s Saturday, October 15th, 1927, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Houston Whiteside, 81, and Bill Long, 65, are talking about the olden days in Reno County.

*

“Fortunately, I didn’t have to view the bodies of the five murdered children,” said Houston Whiteside. “The trial was enough, and I was only an observer in the courtroom.”

“In March of 1899, prior to the gruesome murders, I’d been sheriff for over a year. I distinctly remember thinking things were going pretty well,” recalled William E. Long, Hutchinson chief of police. “Boy, was I wrong.”

“It’s unnatural for parents to kill their children,” said Whiteside. “What could anyone have done to prevent such a tragedy? Should Emporia have put John Moore in an insane asylum?”

“Years before the crime, while a tenant farmer in Lyon County, he had been treated for epileptic insanity,” said Long, “but setting the house on fire after the murders, showed an attempt to hide his gruesome acts from discovery. That helped influence the jury from accepting the defense of insanity.”

*

Neither man—Long or Whiteside—said out loud what both men could never forget.  With a hatchet, while they slept, John A. Moore, 35, had crushed the skulls of his children—Carl, 12; Mary, 9; Pearl, 7; Charlie, 6; and Lee, 3—and slit their throats.

The Hutchinson News (March 23, 1899) described John Moore, the father of the dead children, as “a tall, straight, stalwart, sallow man with jet black straight hair and a short stubbed black beard, black eyes and somewhat forbidding countenance . . .”

Moore was described by people who new him as: “always non-communicative, morose and melancholy . . . but affectionate to his children and ambitious of their future . . .” (Hutchinson Democrat, March 25, 1899)

The Hutchinson News (March 23, 1899) described Moore as: “extremely ignorant and cannot read or write . . . character woefully warped and his mind badly balanced . . .”

“The children are said, by their teachers and those who knew them, to have been bright, pretty children, clean, neat and tidy.”

“In his statement he says that for several years he has been subject to severe epileptic fits and during these spells he knows nothing of what he does or what is going on around him. He claims to have felt great anxiety about the future of his children and worried greatly over his inability to find work. He declares that he often thought that he would rather have his little ones dead than grow up worthless.”

Thus, when Mattie Franklin Moore told her husband she would seek a divorce and live with her parents, he said he could not bear to think of leaving his children to live like her family.

*

“I recall you housed Moore in the McPherson County jail just in case there was a demand for a lynching,” said Whiteside.

The Hutchinson Democrat (Hutchinson, KS), May 25, 1899

“It was precautionary,” replied Long, “and my wife, Cassie, was glad to have him from under our roof.”

“I recall Moore bolting after he was found guilty,” said Whiteside. “He got as far as his father-in-law’s house, isn’t that right?”

Weekly Interior Herald (Hutchinson, Kansas) May 20, 1899

“Moore didn’t have much use for any of the Franklin’s except for Mattie, his love,” said Long. “With no good result, Under Sheriff Metz emptied his gun at the fleeing Moore. If Ed had been a better shot, the two of us would have never had to take him to the penitentiary at Lansing.”

*

Edmund Metz, born Oct. 31, 1839, Columbus, Ohio. Died, Jan. 7, 1901. He was a member of the Joe Hooker Post No. 17, GAR of Kan., Lieut. of Co. C, 38 Regt., O.V.I. in the Civil War. Eastside Cemetery, Hutchinson, KS

“Two years after the Moore murders, during my second term as sheriff, I had my world turned upside down again,” said Long. “When Ed Metz, my under sheriff and my friend, died in the train accident at the new Missouri Pacific passenger station, we were aghast. He was a really good man, and to the end cared deeply about his family.

“Captain Metz wanted to serve people in the community. After he failed to get enough Republican primary votes for sheriff, he enthusiastically supported the Republican ticket. When I took office, Ed agreed to be my under. He was the one who showed me the ropes.

“Until the day I die, I will always remember responding to word of that awful accident on Monday night, January 7, 1901. While trying to catch a train at the Missouri Pacific depot after it had started, Ed was thrown under the wheels when he lost hold of a rail. Both his legs were severed. An hour later he was dead.”

“I’ve seen how you and Ed, Jr. work together for the city,” said Whiteside. “There’s a feeling of respect and family.”

“Ed’s a competent city clerk,” replied Long. “At the time of his father’s death, Ed was working for the pensions department in Washington, D.C. He returned here for the funeral, and basically, has never left, caring for his mother, Flora.”

“She’s a dear,” said Whiteside, “and he’s a loving, bachelor son.”

*

“How are Bill and Arie?” asked Julia of her husband, Houston, who had just returned home.

“Bill didn’t say,” answered Houston. “But being chief seems to agree with him. It can be a challenging job. Bill’s worked for a couple of mayors and each one is different. It’s not the same as being an elected sheriff. Mayors have the final say.”

“When I think of Bill after Cassie’s death in 1913, I’m glad he finally found someone else to spend his life with, but Cassie died too young,” said Julia. “Ari and Bill married in Wichita in 1921.”

Sarah Cassandra “Cassie” Baker Long was born in Benton, Tennessee (1871), and grew up in Arlington, KS. She became a school teacher after attending the Normal school in Nickerson, and married William E. Long in Pawnee City, Nebraska (1897). Cassie died at age 47 (1913) in Hutchinson, KS and was buried in Eastside Cemetery. William Elbert Long was born in 1862 in Athens, Tennessee, moving with his parents to Reno County in 1877. They homesteaded in southern Reno County. At age 16, “Bill” “located.” He took out a homestead on 160 acres of government land adjoining his father’s farm.

“Today, Bill was open to talking about his first years in office, so we discussed the dark days,” said Houston.

“Let me guess, you talked about John Moore and Edmund Metz.”

“You have amazing clairvoyant powers!” exclaimed Houston.

“I’ll bet you wasted your time on John Moore, when you could have discussed Mattie Moore,” said Julia.

“Moore was the murderer,” said Houston.

“Mattie was the survivor,” said Julia. “Remember how she couldn’t be convinced that her husband had killed their children? Remember her misplaced loyalty? Even after he was convicted, Mattie couldn’t take her eyes–or her hands–off her husband.”

“Yes,” said Houston, “she even followed him to Lansing so she could have occasional visits at the penitentiary.”

“She couldn’t believe he had killed the children because she knew how much he loved them,” said Julia. “Finally, he admitted they had died at his hands. That broke her free. She hurried back to Hutchinson, divorced him, and swore she never wanted to hear his name again.”

“She was true to her word,” agreed Houston. “The following year she married, became Mattie Blanchard, and worked on a ranch in Colorado, far from Hutchinson.”

“Eventually, Mattie was strong enough to return,” said Julia. “Now, whenever she wants, she can visit her children . . . at Eastside Cemetery.”

*

*In 1901 the State of Kansas voted to begin biennial elections so that federal, state, and counties would hold their elections every two years, rather than annually. This saved money and made it more convenient for voters. In order to establish conformity, the sheriffs and county treasurers were held over a year in 1902 by appointment of the governor.  Therefore, Reno County Sheriff W. E. Long, who had been re-elected in November 1899 to serve until January 1902, held over until January 1903.  As a result, he served five years even though he was elected to serve four. The biennial state law also limited sheriff’s to serving two terms.

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

The post Sheriffs of Reno County: William E. Long appeared first on Sandhenge Publications.

Sheriffs of Reno County: John Q. Patten

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sheriffs-of-Reno-County-9-John-Q.-Patten.mp3
· John Quincy Patten (1855-1922)
Sheriff 1894-1898
·
Gravestone of Julia Maria Bacon Patten, 1855-1926, & John Quincy Patten, 1855-1922. Fairlawn Cemetery, Hutchinson, KS

*

It’s Friday, October 14, 1927, in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Julia Whiteside, 59, enters Carey Cold Storage, Main Street at C, carrying an empty gallon bottle, when she recognizes a lady who has just filled a jug with delicious apple cider made at Willowbrook.

“Ophelia Cornelia, how are you?” asks Julia.

“Why, Julia, I’m fine, how are you and Houston?”

“We’re doing well,” responds Julia.

“I just received a letter from my sister, Irene. She’s still in Arizona, but I’m trying to get her to return to Hutchinson.”

“That would be nice,” said Julia, “if she hasn’t been spoiled by the weather. Irene made a huge difference while she was here. She was certainly dedicated to assisting all girls who needed help.”

“That was her mission in life,” replied Ophelia, 78. “People remember her as the city’s first police matron, but she helped women and children for years. It was progressive of the city to have her move her office to the Women’s Public Rest Room” (a shelter for women and children).

*

“Houston,” said Julia, “I visited with Ophelia Cornelia today while I was purchasing apple cider.”

“Ophelia Jackson?” asked Houston.

Julia stared at him for a few seconds before answering. “How many Ophelia Cornelia’s do you know?”

Houston laughed. “Guilty as charged,” said the retired attorney and former pro tem judge for Reno County.

“I remember Irene Fallis becoming the first police matron for the city,” said Houston. “This was after John, her husband, died. She looked after girls in trouble and female prisoners.

“She was a prominent member of the First Avenue Baptist Church and a devoted member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. She was always interested in improving the lives of girls and women.

“Between Irene and Chief John Patten, the city worked hard to enforce their ordinances. Irene was relentless.  She visited dance halls and movie theaters to be sure young women weren’t going too far, or spooning with the men. She helped unemployed and desperate women find housing and jobs.

“Irene was so small and frail looking,” said Julia. “But she got the job done. I recall her walking some masculine offenders to the jail.”

“Chief Patten wasn’t idle in his pursuit to make Hutchinson a safe place,” said Houston. “I remember him having his men arrest jay drivers for making unsafe turns at corners, and owners of horses were held accountable when they allowed their animals to stand for hours in the hot sun.”

“Yes, the chief believed the little things could cause bigger problems,” said Julia. “He even enforced ordinances about keeping the sidewalks clear after a snow, and for cracking down on citizens when guns were fired to celebrate the New Year.”

“And cyclists riding their wheels on the sidewalks, and residents who didn’t keep their chickens put up,” added Houston. “Of course, he also made arrests for possession of illegal whiskey, property crimes, and crimes against people,” added Houston.

“I think the city took advantage of Irene,” said Julia. “She was working all the time, but they wouldn’t even buy an automobile for her use. Streetcars didn’t give her enough flexibility to respond to emergencies. When John Patten was police chief, didn’t he have a car?”

“Remember, when John Quincy was sheriff he had a horse, but he was reimbursed for prisoner trips and the like,” said Houston. “That was back in the 1890s. More recently, I think the last sheriff, Jesse Langford, convinced the county commissioners that they could save money by purchasing some automobiles for the officers to use, rather than be reimbursed for mileage.”

*

Julia Maria Bacon and John Quincy Patten were both born and raised in Indiana. Bacon Patten marriage certificate They married in 1880, moved to Iowa for four years, before settling in Reno County in 1884 to farm. The Patten’s improved their 240 acres in the Arkansas River Valley east of Hutchinson.

Weekly Interior Herald (Hutchinson, Kansas), Saturday, August 26, 1893

The year 1893 was a memorable one for the Patten’s. A boy, Hiram, was born in August, about the time John Quincy was being selected as Reno County’s Republican candidate for sheriff. Patten was voted sheriff in the general election in 1893, and re-elected by a wide margin in 1895. For both terms, Patten’s popular undersheriff was Ed Metz.

The Hutchinson News, March 11, 1895

Our Union newspaper Patten move to jail Hiram was raised for his first four years in the sheriff’s residence which was attached to the county jail at 15 Avenue B east. In 1908 the Patten family moved to Hutchinson to give Hiram better educational opportunities where he attended Hutchinson High School. In 1912 he attended the College of Emporia where he met Grace M. Brown of Coldwater, Kansas. They married in 1916.

*

“Our memories are strange things,” said Houston to his wife, Julia. “I still remember the day back in 1911 when Chief of Police Patten shaved off his mustache, and the reaction he received at work.”

“It’s interesting how people still think of the military mustache as being a required accoutrement of a police officer,” said Julia.

“When the chief showed up to work clean shaven, the officers pretended they didn’t recognize him,” said Houston. “They kept a close eye on him, accusing him of being a tramp. Later in the day, when the chief was at the fire station, Walter Jones, the city attorney, prepared an arrest warrant for the alleged criminal.

“Detective Duckworth arrested the chief.” At this point Houston chuckled at what was next. Sounding like a county attorney, Houston spoke as though he had memorized the warrant:

“Whereas J. Q. Patten did then and there unlawfully and willingly deface, injure and destroy certain public property of the city of Hutchinson, contrary to the form or the ordinance in such cases made and against the peace and dignity of the City of Hutchinson.”

“Did he plead guilty?” asked Julia.

“At first he refused to, but Duckworth warned him that if he didn’t cooperate, the costs would get heavier. At that point, Patten plead guilty.

“After some deliberation, Judge Hoagland said: ‘I wish to make an example of you and I hope all men with mustaches will hereby take notice that unless their friends have sufficient notice, they must continue to wear their lip adornment. Therefore I fine you one box of the best apples to be found in the city by noon tomorrow.’”

“Did the chief pay his fine?” asked Julia.

“Yes, he paid up. I still remember the crisp, delicious taste, and the fun of it all. Unlike some high officials, John Quincy could take a joke.”

The Hutchinson Gazette, December 20, 1911

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

The post Sheriffs of Reno County: John Q. Patten appeared first on Sandhenge Publications.

Sheriffs of Reno County: John W. Jones

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sheriffs-of-Reno-County-8-John-W.-Jones.mp3
· John Wesley Jones (1856-1926)
Sheriff 1890-1894
·
Reno County Jail, 15 Ave B east, Hutchinson. 1892, photographer unknown. The front porch (to the right in this photo, facing north) is the sheriff’s/jailer’s residence. Connected, to the south, is the jail (a sharp photo shows the steel bars on both the middle and south portion). On the first step to the jail, Mrs. Eliza “Jennie” Johnson Jones, 34, holds 2-year-old Roscoe Jones. To the viewer’s right, standing, is Victor Jones, 11; Sheriff John Wesley Jones, 36; John Jones, Jr., aka “Bud,” 13. On the jail’s porch are Mabel Jones, 14; Ethel Jones, 10; and “the help.” Copy of original photo from Dorothy Miller Foster, (granddaughter of Sheriff J. W. Jones), South Hutchinson, KS, in 1985.

*

It’s October 13, 1927 in Hutchinson, Kansas. Julia Whiteside, 59, meets her husband, Houston, 81, at the door.

“The radio just announced that Ruth Elder is safe!” said Julia. “They were rescued from the ocean off the coast of the Azores. The American Girl had a broken oil line.”

“Is George Haldeman well?” asks Houston.

“Yes, they were both picked up by a Dutch steamship.”

“All of McPherson will be glad to hear that,” remarked Houston, thinking of the Jasper Joseph Haldeman family who used to live north of Reno County before George went off to war and became an aviator.

*

John Wesley Jones, 1893.  Photographer, Hirst, 21 North Main St., Hutchinson, KS

“Where have you been?” asked Julia.

“I ran into Ethel Jones Miller of Langdon, she’s a daughter of John Wesley Jones who died last year.”

“The minister?” asked Julia.

“Yes, and ex-sheriff,” said Houston. “Without a formal education, he accomplished a great deal. He came to Reno County in 1875 with very little, searching for a place to homestead.”

“He was remarkable,” agreed Julia Whiteside, “but so was his wife, Eliza ‘Jennie’ Johnson.”

“I had a law degree,” said Houston; “he had five months of schooling.”  

Eliza “Jennie” Johnson Jones, 1892. Photographer, Samuel Hirst, Hutchinson, KS

“But he married the right woman, a former school teacher,” said Julia. “She taught him reading, spelling, grammar, and arithmetic.”

“John W. Jones settled west of Langdon in Grove Township,” said Houston. “Back then, twenty-eight miles was a considerable distance to travel to our county seat. J. W. used to recall how as a laborer he would work all day gathering bison bones from the prairie and haul them to Hutchinson or Sun City to trade for fence posts and other supplies.”

“What a way to make a living,” Julia commented, “collecting bison bones with a horse and wagon.”

“Since he wasn’t 21 yet and still single, he didn’t qualify for a homestead claim, but he established a homestead anyway,” said Houston. “He was better off than many in his community. I believe, to get started, he had some financial support from family back in Illinois.

“That support helped him purchase a steam thresher and custom cut for farmers in the area. It also meant that J. W. was able to build a four-room, framed, two-story house, when many of his neighbors lived in dugouts or sod houses.”

“It’s a wonder people weren’t jealous of him,” said Julia.

“He certainly had perseverance,” said Houston. “There were many pioneers that couldn’t make it work, who returned to God’s country—the place they had called home before coming to Kansas.”

“He was a lucky man,” said Julia. “When he met Jennie Johnson, he was anxious to learn. She helped change his life.”

*

J. W. Jones was the first Reno County sheriff who lived in the western portion of the county,” said Houston. “It was smart of the Republican party to select him—a “west end” man—because there was a growing alarm by residents outside of Hutchinson, who believed county government was wasting the hard-earned money they paid in taxes.”

“There’s still that opinion,” said Julia. “The taxes take care of those who live in Hutchinson and ignore those living in the country.”

“Speaking of taxes,” Julia continued, “Deprived of schooling, J. W. had a passionate desire that his children might be educated. They were among the first from the neighborhood to go off to high school and college. Unable to attend school himself, he was a leader in boosting for good schools. He served for four years on the school board.”

“I wonder if the county residents appreciated that their taxes were helping pay the sheriff’s salary,” said Houston. “They sure weren’t happy about the second bond issue it took to complete the earlier courthouse and jail in the 1870s.

“Jones won the election because he was a solid Republican, but he also won because of his reputation. He was capable, a clean-cut gentleman, industrious, and trustworthy. By hard work, energy, and good management, he improved his farm, and acquired good stock.

“After two successful elections for sheriff, I’m glad that John and Jennie  were able to move to Hutchinson for four years,” said Julia, “Their move to Hutch was a huge change for the entire family. At least they got to live in the sheriff’s residence when it was practically new, not like Cora and Fay who have problems with the upkeep, especially the unsecure jail cells.

“Cora and Fay Brown don’t have any children to raise; Jenny had five children growing up at the jail. That’s counting Roscoe, who was born in 1890 about a week after J. W. took office for his first term.

*  

Reverend John Wesley Jones, 1911

“John Wesley Jones was baptized into Christ at the age of 16,” said Houston. “Later in life, he served fifteen years as pastor at Pratt, Fowler, and Lewis, and was remembered for the good work he accomplished.

“I wonder if the death of Roscoe in 1906, the youngest child of Jennie and John, led him to the ministry,” asked Houston.

“I know there were ministers in their family,” said Julia. “Roscoe was sixteen, going off to Manhattan to attend the State Agricultural College, when he got sick with a bad cold and sore throat. He returned home to Langdon, where he died of diphtheria.

Eliza “Jennie” Johnson Jones gravestone, 1858-1911. Maple Hill-Langdon Cemetery

“Five years later, Jennie was also at home, where she died after a ten-day struggle with pneumonia.

“I’ve read about John Wesley, the famous Englishman, who organized the Methodist Church. On his death bed in 1791, as he lay dying, his friends gathered around him, Wesley grasped their hands and said repeatedly, ‘Farewell, farewell.’ At the end, he said: ‘The best of all is, God is with us.’

Maple Hill-Langdon Cemetery, 1 mile southeast of Langdon. Jones family plot marker. John Wesley Jones gravestone, 1856-1926. Maple Hill-Langdon Cemetery

“Late in life, Reverend John Wesley Jones, former Reno County sheriff, said he found his greatest joy and usefulness in his fifteen years in the Christian ministry.”

*

At the Langdon Cemetery (Maple Grove), the Jones family marker proclaims “Blessed are they that die in the Lord.”

“Yes, they are blessed indeed,” Julia quotes from the Book of Revelation, “for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”

“Blessed Are They That Die In The Lord,” inscription on Jones family grave marker

*

Note: My script-writing style of historical non-fiction requires a lot of research. For this week’s blog, I read and studied many Hutchinson newspapers, the Langdon Leader, the U. S. Census, and a dissertation titled, “Langdon, Kansas: The Aging of a Rural Town,” (1978) by James E. Sherow.  

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

The post Sheriffs of Reno County: John W. Jones appeared first on Sandhenge Publications.

Sheriffs of Reno County: Daniel E. Miller

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sheriffs-of-Reno-County-7-Ed-Miller-1.mp3
· Dan E. Miller (1839-1916)
Sheriff 1888-1890
·
Reno County Jail, 15 Avenue B east, Hutchinson, Kansas, opened May 1888, ca. 1889. Photographer: W. B. Glines. Reno County Museum Collection

It’s Wednesday, October 12, 1927. Houston Whiteside, 81, and Julia, 59, his wife, are at the corner of Main Street and Avenue B east, Hutchinson, Kansas. The condemned, but still standing, Reno County courthouse is on the southeast corner. The building just east of the courthouse is the aging, but open, Reno County Jail. It includes the sheriff’s residence.

*

“I still think the commissioners could fix the courthouse,” said Houston. “It’s no longer sinking.”

“They should just tear it down,” remarked Julia, “and send the bill to Emerson Carey.”

“No one has proven the damage is due to the Carey salt mine. At least the county kept the jail open,” said Houston, as he pulled the car up in front of the limestone building’s Queen Tudor architecture, then turned off the motor.”

“What are you doing?” asked Julia.

“Remembering,” he said.

*

“This is more than a jail. This is a home,” said Houston. “Fay and Cora Brown are making memories today, just like sheriffs and their families have done since 1888. In August that year, my sister and I attended a wedding on a Saturday night in the parlors of the newly opened sheriff’s residence.”

Edward Riley (1865-1920) & Odelia Bach Miller (1865-1943) headstone at Eastside Cemetery, Hutchinson, KS

“Dan Miller was the sheriff. He had hired a deputy he could trust—one of his son’s—Ed. The young man was getting married to Odelia (or Delia) Bach. They were both 22 years old.

“I don’t remember everything about the wedding, but there were young couples attending who would be married within months, whether they knew it or not.”

“You and I met that fall when I visited Aunt Jennie,” said Julia. “It was after my father’s death in March. I must have been in Cleveland while you and Annie were here at the sheriff’s residence.”

“If you’d been at the wedding, you could have performed Mozart’s Non Mi Dir from Don Giovanni,” offered Houston.

“Honey,” said Julia, “that’s not appropriate for a wedding. Even though Donna Anna still loves Don Ottavio, she asks him to cease talking about marriage until she has had time to get over the tragedy of her father’s death.”

“Well, if you had been singing at the wedding, with your compelling voice, it would have been magnificent,” said Houston.

*

“Remember how the local Excelsior Club gave young adults the opportunity to meet and mix?” asked Houston. “The youth would gather at socials, have a meal, dance, and play games.  

“Reverend James McAllister was the pastor who officiated at the wedding. He was from South Hutchinson’s M. E. (Methodist Episcopal) church.”

“Why are you thinking about him?” asked Julia.

“He had been the first pastor of their church and was well respected, but a traveling evangelist threw the church’s congregation and trustees into controversy. This man, F. C. Fegley, evangelized at Salvation Army meetings, and was discovered to have prayed on young women. There were a flood of charges circulating through the country regarding his immorality and total unfitness to preach the gospel and make conversions. Exposés called him the ‘saintly sinner’, ‘a peddler of religion,’ a ‘hypocrite,’ and ‘unworthy of the trust of Christians.’

“Was Reverend McAllister blamed for what Fegley did?” asked Julia.

“Not publicly, but he decided to leave his post to take a special course in theology at the Garrett Biblical Institute at Evanston, Illinois.”

*

“I also remember a boy who was transferred from the city to the county jail that festive Saturday night,” said Houston. “Clearly, the officer had brought the boy to the wrong door. Makes me wonder what he was thinking, interrupting a wedding. Earlier, the boy had been placed in the city jail for breaking into the Silver Moon restaurant, but due to family circumstances he was being held until he could be sent to the reform school.”

*

Daniel Edward Miller and Cecelia C. Edmunds were married in Clinton, Illinois, in 1863, where she was born. By the time they set off for Kansas, they had six children. After settling in Rush County, Dan was elected as county sheriff at least twice, serving in the years 1878-1879 and 1882-1883. The following year the Miller family relocated to Reno County.

*

As with sheriffs before him, Dan Miller spent a good bit of his time crisscrossing the county and country capturing criminals and transporting prisoners. He had the reputation in Reno County for being an effective detective and shrewd sheriff, but failed to capture enough votes to remain in office for a second two-year term.

*

“This jail was a busy place for holding prisoners, but the sheriff didn’t shy from entertaining,” said Houston. “Most of the time, the jailer, sheriff, and his wife, would be caring for ten to twenty prisoners. But Mr. and Mrs. Sheriff—Dan and Cecelia—would have dances for couples, too. I’m sure that Edward, and his fiancé, Odelia, had entertained together in the sheriff’s residence prior to their wedding.”

*

Lee P. Miller (1871-1898) headstone at Eastside Cemetery

“I wasn’t at the wedding,” said Julia, “but you remember how bad I took it when Lee Miller died. He was only 27, died of typhoid fever. That boy was a universal favorite with all who knew him, especially his fellow workers at the News, where he began as a carrier boy and worked himself up to pressman. He was no ordinary pilgrim. He was honest, manly, and absolutely unselfish.”

“He was remarkable,” agreed Houston, “loyal to his friends.”

“Lee wasn’t the type of person to take credit for anything, even when he deserved praise,” said Julia. “He was the kind of man the world could ill afford to spare. He was quiet, jovial, and faithful, and would do anyone a favor.

Dan E. Miller, 1839-1916; Celia C., 1847-1915; Matilda Burge, 1825-1909. Eastside Cemetery

“I don’t know this for sure, but I suspect that when Lee died, a big chunk of Cecilia’s heart died as well. It seemed like the loss of that favorite son split Cecelia and Dan apart. It wasn’t long before she was back in Kansas while he remained in Galveston, Texas. I’m not sure when they divorced, but within a year or so Cecelia had moved to Abilene (Kansas) and was living with her mother, Matilda Burge.

“Lee died in Hutchinson in 1898,” said Julia.

“Cecelia died in Topeka in 1915,” added Houston.

“Daniel died in Junction City in 1916, at the home of one of his boys,” said Julia, “Separated in life, they were all buried in the same family plot at Eastside Cemetery.”

*

Note: The 1880 U.S. Census figures Dan E. Miller’s year of birth as approximately 1843; his gravestone proclaims 1839.

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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Sheriffs of Reno County: John LaFayette “Fay” Smith

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sheriffs-of-Reno-County-6-Fay-Smith.mp3
· John LaFayette “Fay” Smith (1852-1926)
Sheriff 1844-1888
·
John LaFayette “Fay” Smith & Alice B. Lewis Smith with Susie Louise & Harry Lewis

Julia Whiteside, 59, is at Smith’s Flower Shop, 414 North Main Street, Hutchinson, Kansas. She strikes up a conversation with Harry “says it with flowers” Smith, son of the late Fay Smith, a well-known city and county leader. It’s Tuesday, October 11, 1927.

*

“I saw your gorgeous window display and just had to come in to smell the fragrances,” said Julia Whiteside to Harry and Hilda Smith, local florists and owner-operators of Smith’s Flower Shop.

Harry, with a freshly cut red rose on display in his suitcoat’s button-hole, asked, “How are you, Mrs. Whiteside?”

“Worn out from Houston’s 81st birthday celebrations,” replied Julia, “but these flowers will rejuvenate me.”

“I hope Ada and Houston, Jr. are well,” commented Hilda.

“Yes, they’re fine,” answered Julia, “thanks for asking.”

Julia studied the colorful chrysanthemums, leaned over, closed her eyes, and inhaled the tantalizing aroma. “You sure look like your father,” she said. “Has it been a year now, since his passing?”

“Lost him a year ago last month,” said Harry. “Miss him every day.”

“Fay was a remarkable man,” said Julia. “Reno County was lucky to have him. He was a man of strong purpose and untiring energy.”

“Thank you, Julia,” said Harry.

“Houston knew him better than me,” said Julia. “He still tells me about Fay’s parents—your grandparents—dying when Fay was fourteen years old, about Fay living with an older brother for a time, and then, when he was twenty, following his pioneer spirit to go west.”

“I used to get tired of hearing dad tell the same stories over and over again,” said Harry, “but if he was alive now, I’d welcome him reliving his trip from Independence to Reno County with a newly purchased yoke of oxen.”

“How’s your mother and Susie getting along in sunny California?” asked Julia.

“They relish the weather,” said Harry.

“Mom was more than a wife and mother. She still recalls her work renting out rooms, and especially her time helping people with their aches and pains by offering them cure baths.

Advertisement in the Hutchinson News, July 28, 1897

“Do you remember her involvement in the late 1890s of promoting and giving baths for health? I was about ten years old. The compound vapor fuming and liniment bathing was advertised as a cure for rheumatism, asthma, eczema, and nervous troubles. Mom would ask people, ‘Why go to Hot Springs for your rheumatism? Why go to Colorado for your asthma? You can save money right here in Hutchinson. It’s cheaper than a physician.’”

*

As Julia arranged her fresh chrysanthemums on the dining room table, she said to Houston, “Harry says his mother and sister are doing well in California.”

“Will Alice and Susie be visiting anytime soon?” asked Houston.

“Harry didn’t say,” replied Julia. “Hilda was awfully quiet, but she asked about you.”

“Fay was a change from the earlier sheriffs,” began Houston. “The others; Collins, Hartford, Hedrick, and Jordan; they were all Civil War veterans, members of the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic), but by the end of the war, Fay was still too young to even be a patrol guard.

“Another thing about Fay, back in Iowa, he had gone to college at Clinton. He and I had that in common, a formal education.

“But, like the others who served as sheriff, he was a pioneer. At Independence, Kansas, he purchased a yoke of oxen which he drove over the prairie until he arrived here and decided to locate, taking up a claim.”

Julia considered telling her husband that she had already heard that story many, many times. Then she remembered her mother’s advice. ‘If you find a man that talks, don’t discourage him, for that way you’ll know what he’s thinking.’

“The country was sparsely settled, there being no railroad nearer than Newton,” continued Houston, “and the buffaloes were so abundant they could always be seen in droves on the prairie, and their meat was very plentiful.

“After Fay built a sod house, he began the task of breaking the open prairie with his team of oxen and planting some corn, but his main source of revenue was derived from buffalo hides and bones.

“After losing his crops of corn and wheat in 1874 and 1876, he welcomed the invitation by Sheriff John Hedrick to become his deputy sheriff. Fay moved to town and rented out his land. This allowed him to become engaged in political circles, being elected sheriff twice, first taking office in 1884.

Reno County courthouse, South Main, Hutchinson. Built between1872 and 1874 by W. E. Hutchinson. Kansas State Historical Society photo.

“I believe Fay was the first and only sheriff to be elected as a bachelor but who got married once he was sheriff. He must have taken the advice of another top lawman, ‘If you want to run a jail right, get a wife.’ Now, I’m not saying that was his priority when he and Alice Lewis of Troy Township were wed.”

“I understand, Houston,” replied Julia. “If you want to be successful in life, find the right woman.” Then she winked and grinned.

Houston smiled at his wife and nodded. “Thanks for all your support for so many years. How long has it been?”

“Thirty-eight years,” replied Julia, “but who’s counting?”

“Where was I?” asked Houston. “But Fay was more than a constable and sheriff. His honorable career as a public servant continued while serving as clerk of the district court for four years and as a county commissioner for eight years.

“Knowing Fay was once a sheriff of our county, I heard a boy ask him one time if he’d ever been shot. Fay replied that he’d never been shot, but he could sure recall the most unbearable pain he had ever felt in his life. It was then that Fay recalled the morning he slipped on some ice on his way to the Popular Café. He and his family were living in rooms over the Star clothing store. He had just reached the sidewalk when the accident occurred.

“Fay said the pain he felt was unimaginable and he welcomed the chloroform the doctor gave him during the examination. The doctor concluded that Fay had broken his hip.”

“Houston,” said Julia, “Would you help me in the kitchen? You can tell me all about Fay while you peel potatoes for dinner.

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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Sheriffs of Reno County: Allen P. Jordan

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Sheriffs-of-Reno-County-4-Allen-P.-Jordan.mp3
· Allen P. Jordan (1843-1888)
Sheriff 1880-1882
·
A. P. Jordan, Company K, 12th Regiment Michigan Infantry, Civil War. Lakeside Cemetery, Decatur, Van Buren, MI

Julia and Houston Whiteside are recovering from a house full of family and guests at 504 East Sherman. Their son, Houston Latimer, 37, is eating the last piece of leftover birthday cake. It’s Monday, October 10, 1927, in Hutchinson, Kansas.

*

Dr. Karl Menninger and his brothers are sure doing wonderful things in Topeka,” said Houston, 81. “Now they have a sanatorium, not just a clinic.”

“Too bad that Jordan, the former Reno County sheriff, who died years ago in Kalamazoo at the Michigan Asylum for the Insane, wasn’t able to get help,” stated Julia, 59.

“He was before your time in Hutchinson,” said Houston. “We hadn’t even met.”

“He was sheriff while I was still living in Cleveland,” replied Julia, “but I met his wife, Florence, upon her return to Kansas. Her husband was in his mid-40s when he passed.”

“A. P. Jordan,” replied Houston. “His first name was Allen. He had a rough time of it.”

“What a tragedy for him and his family,” said Julia. “I remember how Florence was so strong. It’s difficult to imagine what that family went through.”

“Times have changed,” said Houston, “but on its best day a private asylum would have been unbearable, a state asylum much worse. If I’d been sent to Topeka or Kalamazoo as a sane man, I’d have died a lunatic.”

“Today, some psychiatrists use psychoanalysis,” said Julia. “Back then, there wouldn’t have been therapeutic intervention.”

“Allen P. Jordan was the fourth sheriff of Reno County,” said Houston. “Like the men before him, he was a Union Civil War Veteran who migrated west to Kansas with a pioneer spirit.  

*

Like a lot of veterans, after returning home from the war, it wasn’t too long before he found himself a wife and followed a deep-seeded urge to move west and stake out a homestead claim. A. P. and Florence Field, both born and raised in Michigan, landed in Lincoln Township where Captain John Hedrick, the future third sheriff, was also settling.

*

“It’s odd what a person remembers,” said Julia, “but when I think of Allen today I recall how Florence told me the Hutchinson Lodge #77 of the A.O.U.W. had saved her family. The lodge kept her husband in good standing for four years while he was in the asylum. Members were pained to know of his unfortunate affliction. They stepped up and paid his assessments when he and his family were struggling.”

*

The Ancient Order of United Workmen, or A.O.U.W., was a fraternal organization after the Civil War. It was the first of the “fraternal benefit societies,” organizations that would offer insurance as well as sickness, accident, death, and burial policies. It became quite popular as a means of providing financial protection to working class people at an affordable price.

Each new member paid a $1 initiation fee to the insurance fund and was granted a $2,000 death benefit. When a member died, the fund would be replenished by a new assessment of $1 on each member (but never more than $2 per month). This post-mortem plan required members to make every payment or be dropped from the coverage.

*

Michigan Asylum for the Insane, Kalamazoo, MI

“Florence told me that after her family returned to Michigan, Allen was diagnosed with general paresis, a fatal disease,” said Julia. “His physical and mental condition continued to deteriorate until he died of exhaustion from his paralysis.”

“Sad,” said Houston. “He was in a mental institution for a physical problem that couldn’t be cured. Makes me recall a saying that’s been around for centuries, ‘One night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury.’ In the war, it was a cautionary reminder to our troops that a single sexual encounter could lead to a lifetime of disease and treatment with mercury.

“Dad,” said Houston, Jr., “I’ve read that the treatments were as bad as the disease.”

“Exactly,” said Houston, “in many cases, people died from significant mercury poisoning.”

“In 1884, when the Jordan’s returned to Michigan, the hope was that Allen would make a recovery in his old surroundings,” continued the senior Houston, “but it wasn’t long before he was sent to the asylum.”

“Florence and the children had to endure his decline,” said Julia, “generally, children were not allowed to visit the institutions, and even spouses had limited access. That’s the way asylums worked. Some administrators thought a family visit would hurt, not help the affected individual.”

“Remember,” said Houston, “she gave birth to a child about two months before Allen’s death, so I expect she had at least one intimate visitation with him, unless she was having an affair.”

“Houston Whiteside!” declared Julia, raising her voice. “Granted, it’s difficult to imagine Florence consenting to make love with Allen while visiting him in a crowded insane asylum, especially in his late stages of the disease, but there may have been opportunities for conjugal visitation.

“If I’d been Florence, I’d have preferred to keep my distance,” Julia continued. “The odds are that Allen caught his disease while being sexually promiscuous. It could have occurred when he was a young man, before their marriage, twenty or more years prior to his death.”

“Mom, Dad,” said Houston Jr., “I think you’re both assuming the worst about this former sheriff and his wife, and I don’t think it’s fair. In the 1880s, forty years ago, science was still primitive compared to today. Just because Jordan died of general paralysis, doesn’t mean it was caused from a venereal disease. Does it?”

“Houston,” said his mother, “we weren’t saying he definitely had syphilis, only that the symptoms were similar to someone in the final stages of the disease.”

“Okay, then,” Jr. responded, “It sounded like the man needed someone to come to his defense for character assassination.”

“Statements of opinion are not considered false, because they are subjective to the speaker,” said Houston, Sr., a retired attorney-at-law. Then the former owner-editor of the Hutchinson News, added, “Besides, we’re just having a private conversation, not publishing an article in the newspaper while he was alive. The dead cannot raise a libel action.”

“Florence told me that while in Michigan, she had to find homes for their children due to the family being destitute,” said Julia. “Different parties cared for the Jordan children. But, after Hutchinson’s A.O.U.W. lodge sent her the $2,000 beneficiary fund, she was able to gather her children and return to Hutchinson.

“Fortunately,” continued Julia, “Florence has apparently been healthy all this time. She must be 80 years old by now. Last I heard, she’s living with a daughter in Chattanooga, Tennessee.”

Reno County courthouse, South Main, Hutchinson. Built between 1872 and 1874 by W. E. Hutchinson. Kansas State Historical Society photo.

“I think Florence, a pioneer woman, liked living in town—on South Main—during the time Allen was sheriff,” said Houston. “The Jordan children were old enough to walk to school from the jail.”

“The wives of early sheriffs I’ve known were given little credit for their work, feeding, and caring for the prisoners who were imprisoned in the basement of the old courthouse,” said Julia.

“Early on, the sheriff was the only one paid,” said Houston, “but it took the whole family to to make it work; it was a group effort. I heard that a newly elected sheriff from another county, a bachelor, asked the outgoing sheriff if he had any advice on running the jail. The experienced sheriff answered, ‘Yes, get married as soon as possible.’”

“Gradually, things have changed,” continued Houston. “Today, Fay and Cora Brown—Mr. and Mrs. Sheriff––make a good team. Cora is the paid matron and cook, and goes on prisoner trips with Fay when they need to transport a woman. I saw in the News today that they’re taking prisoners to Lansing tomorrow.

“Cora is a gifted woman,” said Julia. “I’m glad she gets paid something. That’s better than nothing.”

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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Sheriffs of Reno County: John M. Hedrick

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· John M. Hedrick (1840-1938)
Sheriff 1876-1880 and 1882-1884
·
John M. Hedrick, photo from the Hutchinson News

It’s Sunday, October 10, 1927, in Hutchinson, Kansas. At 504 East Sherman Avenue, Houston and Julia Whiteside are hosting a family dinner and reception to celebrate Houston’s 81st birthday.

Meanwhile, at 22 East 17th Street, the home of John and Mary Hedrick, a friend, Bertie Colson, is preparing to give Mary a sightseeing tour around town. It’s a special day when Mary, wheelchair bound, is able to leave the house.

That leaves John, her husband, 87, home with a curious grandnephew, Hedrick Alixopulos, age 9, who is visiting from Denver, Colorado. They are on the front porch, in rocking chairs, and can watch—and hear—the large American flag float from the pole in the lawn.

*

“When you were growing up, did you want to be a writer or an editor of a newspaper?” asked a visitor at the Whitesides?

“It never crossed my mind,” said Houston. “I was trained in law. In 1872, when I was headed west to the frontier, I became acquainted with Leslie J. Perry, of Paola. He offered me a job to write for a newspaper he was starting in this fledgling town. The first edition was July 4th that year.

“The same year, I was elected as the County Attorney and had my law office at the Hutchinson News, a small one-story frame shack on Main Street. I had one office, two jobs.”

*

“That’s a handsome little boy you have visiting,” said Bertie Colson, 37, to Mary Hedrick, 76. “He’s your husband’s brother’s grandson?”

“That’s right,” Mary said. “He’s Laura’s boy, daughter of Joseph. His first name is Hedrick, last name Alixopulos. His father was born in Greece. Hedrick is a nine-year-old, only child. We’re so glad to have him here for a couple of days. I thought about postponing our drive, but I wanted to give John and Hedrick a chance to talk privately.”

*

“Uncle John, did your parents really have 22 children?” asked Hedrick.

“That’s right, enough for two baseball teams and a crew of umpires,” answered John Hedrick, 87.

“Could you remember their names?” asked Hedrick, his grandnephew.

“When we were together, I remembered everyone’s name,” answered John.

“I’m an only child,” said Hedrick. “I can barely play cards by myself.”

*

“I was County Attorney for two, two-year terms,” said Whiteside, “sold the News in 1875, so I could devote my time to my extensive law practice. I served Reno County by working with the first county commissioners, and the first two sheriffs; Charles Collins and Henry Hartford.”

*

“With better farm machinery, families don’t need as many children to help like they used to,” said Mary. “Did you know that John is one of 22 children?”

“Heaven help his mother!” exclaimed Bertie.

“One mother and one step-mother,” replied Mary. “His father had seven children by a first marriage, and ten by a second marriage, while the second wife had five of her own, by a previous marriage. Just thinking about the constant task of cooking meals and cleaning clothes about makes me ill. Did you say Rorabaugh-Wiley’s has a new window display?”

*

“Uncle John, do you remember the Civil War?” asked Hedrick.

Charles W. Hedrick, Co. E, 1st Ohio Calvary, Civil War. Died September 8, 1863, at Cumberland, Nashville, TN, from concussion. Nashville National Cemetery. (Photo from Find-A-Grave)

“I remember most of it, four years worth,” said John. “My father was an Ohio Squirrel Hunter. Me and my seven brothers enlisted in the Army when there was a call for arms. We were known as a fighting family, very patriotic. Unfortunately, two of my brothers died during the war.

Hedrick was silent for a moment. Finally, he said, “I’m sorry they died . . . Your father was a squirrel hunter? Did he help feed the soldiers?”

John laughed. In 1862, when Confederate forces threatened Cincinnati, Ohio, the Governor called for civilian volunteers to assist the federal government in preparing against a Confederate attack. John’s father, Isaac Hedrick, answered the call as part of the home guard. He was 56 years old, too old to be marching all over the country.

“They were called squirrel hunters because many of the men showed up armed with weapons more suited to hunt small game than to fight in combat,” said John. “They were also called squirrel hunters because most of them were farm boys who never had to shoot at the same squirrel twice.”

“Were you ever wounded?” asked Hedrick.

“Yes, on my 24th birthday, near Atlanta, Georgia. Spent a bit of time in the hospital. I was with the Fourth Ohio Volunteers Calvary.”

“Mom said you were one of the first pioneers that settled in Reno County,” said Hedrick. “It’s hard for me to imagine no houses here.”

“There wasn’t much to look at back then, that’s for sure,” said John.

“After the war, I returned home to Ohio and got married. After brief stops in Illinois and Missouri, we homesteaded a claim in Lincoln Township, south of Hutchinson, in 1872.

Eastside Cemetery, Hutchinson, KS

“My wife, the one you know as Aunt Mary, is my second wife. We were married in 1901. My first wife, Catherine Ann, died in 1897.”

“You’ve had a lot of people die in your life,” said Hedrick,” surprising his uncle at his willingness to talk about death.

“If you live as long as me, most of your friends your age will be gone, but I’m glad to be talking to you,” said John.

“Did you nearly drown a claim jumper?” asked Hedrick.

John laughed as loud as ever. “Who told you that?”

“Mom said it was a good thing, not a bad thing,” answered Hedrick. “She said you were a good neighbor and a peaceable citizen.”

“A bunch of our neighbors gathered together and persuaded a claim jumper that it would be in his best interest to leave the county before drowning in our creek,” summarized John. “Our close neighbor, Fay Smith, was the one who could have lost his property. Fay became a deputy for me when I was sheriff.

“How long were you sheriff?” asked Hedrick, “and did you have a jail?”

“Fay became sheriff after my last two-year term, which was my third successful election. I served four years, lost an election, then I won one. Yes, we had a jail.”

“Did you arrest a lot of bad men?” asked Hedrick.

“For a county that was founded as a temperance town, with liquor not allowed, I arrested my share of people under the influence.

“Hedrick, now I have some questions for you,” said John. “First off, what do you know about your grandparents on your mother’s side? Secondly, what do you think about the New York Yankees winning the World Series in four games? And finally, can you teach me how to say your full name in Greek?”

*

While Houston and Julia Whiteside were serving a large white birthday cake in a setting of vases of red roses and candlelight to a house full of prominent people, and Mary Hedrick was thrilled being out of the house and mobile with a young friend, Hedrick and his great-uncle John were enjoying apple cider, ice cream, and stories.

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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