Chapter 11: 1915, An Oklahoma gunfight

So much had happened since the dawn of the new century. John Cannon remembered the stab of pain that he had felt when news reached him of his mother’s death. He could still feel the jolt of the wagon as it rolled over the rocks and ruts of Indian Territory on his way to Oklahoma Territory. A change of scenery would be just what his grieving father needed.

2 This southwestern corner of Oklahoma was all Greer County then. There was no Beckham or Harmon County in those days. In fact, there wasn’t a lot of anything in those days except prairie. A man could easily get swallowed up in all of that vastness.

3 Nevertheless, the hardy few who had settled here had worked hard and accomplished much in the years since then. John had presided as judge in the little town of Erick and was loved and respected by his neighbors. Oklahoma became a state in 1907. Harmon County was created in 1909, and the railroad came to Gould in 1910.

4 There had, however, also been loss and heartache. John’s wife had died giving birth to their only daughter in 1909. Martha’s parents had helped with little Mattie, but they couldn’t fill the hole that their daughter’s death had left in his life. Whiskey had helped a little, but it only provided some temporary respite from the loneliness that haunted him now.

5 His friend, William Hamilton, had recently been sworn in as the new deputy in Gould. He was eighteen years younger than John, but he was a solid family man.

6 “Congratulations Will!” John had roared as he slapped his friend on the back that day. “Thanks John, I appreciate that,” he replied. The very serious and thoughtful new deputy even permitted himself a brief smile as he shook John’s hand.

7 William and Etta Hamilton had eight children together. Lettie and Velma were a handful sometimes, but the couple clearly knew that Almighty God had blessed them in just about every way. William gently placed his hand on young Edgar’s head as he walked out the door and finished buckling the belt that held his holster around his waist.

8 It had been a fine December day – cold and windy, but clear and sunny. John had been in the saloon for several hours by that time. He hadn’t eaten very much that evening, but he had downed a lot of whiskey.

9 Although the alcohol had numbed the pain, it had not improved John’s mood that evening. The loneliness and sense of loss were biting hard tonight, and John was waving off all attempts to console him.

10 Tom, the bartender, had seen his friend in this condition on a couple of occasions before tonight. This wasn’t good.

11 “Why don’t you go on home John and get a little rest?” his friend suggested. “I think I’ll sit right here and drink a little bit, thank you very much!” John shot back with a snarl. “And you can tell those two loud mouths over there to shut the hell up!” he added.

12 Tom nodded to his wife and headed for the door. He hated to disturb the new deputy at such an hour. He knew that Will and his household would be relaxing and getting ready for bed, but he also knew that John could be very difficult to deal with when he was like this.

13 He was already back in the saloon when Will arrived. John was even more annoyed when he saw the deputy enter the room, and he gave Tom an angry look.

14 “How’s it going John?” Will asked as he approached John’s table. “Why just fine, Will. Why are you out so late?” John asked as he downed the shot glass in front of him.

15 “Don’t you think you’ve had enough for this evening?” asked the deputy ignoring John’s question. “Not just yet,” John replied. “Well, I’m afraid you have,” Will said without blinking.

16 The two stared at each other for a moment, and the saloon was quiet. “Well, I don’t need this shit!” roared John as he staggered to his feet and grabbed the bottle in front of him.

17 “You go to hell, Tom!” the judge offered as he headed for the door with Will following close behind.

18 John Cannon walked slowly down the dusty Main Street of Gould toward the town’s only drug store where he paused and took another swig from the bottle of whiskey he had grabbed when he left the saloon. Will calmly walked around him and faced him on the street. His piercing blue eyes looked at his old friend with disgust and cold determination.

19 It was a little after 7 p.m. and the street was dark and deserted. The only light spilled from the windows of the saloon they had both just exited.

20 “John this is embarrassing. How can you shame yourself like this in public?” the deputy demanded. “I haven’t done a damn thing to shame myself. What in the hell are you talking about Will?” John retorted.

21 “Look at what a state you’re in. I’d be embarrassed to be in such a state in a public place,” Will insisted. “Nobody wants to see you like this,” he pressed.

22 “I haven’t done anything, and I’m not done drinking,” the old judge protested. “You’re acting like a drunken fool!” the deputy retorted. “You take that back God dammit, or I’ll kill your ass!” John demanded.

23 At that instant, both men drew their guns and fired several times. The deputy collapsed on top of the judge as Tom and the others rushed into the street. The saloon keeper could see that John was dead as soon as he reached the men. Then he knelt down and cradled Will’s head against his stomach.

24 “Quick, get the doc!” Tom shouted to his wife. “Is John dead?” Will asked. “Yes,” he answered matter-of-factly. “That’s too bad,” the deputy offered seemingly oblivious to his own wounds. “Dead, dead, dead…” he trailed off as he stared blankly into the night sky.

Chapter 10: 1914, Childbirth

She had turned forty years old earlier that month. This would be Lilly’s last baby. Her belly was gigantic. She had never been this big with any of her previous five pregnancies, and she was miserable.

2 When she wasn’t pregnant, Lilly Reynolds was a small person. She was barely five feet tall (if she wore thick-soled shoes). Even so, what she lacked in height, she made up for in personality. Lilly had opinions about everything, and she wasn’t afraid of sharing them with anyone who would listen. Her husband, Will, was more than a little henpecked; but he loved her dearly.

3 They had just returned from a bumpy ride into town when the labor started. The pain was sharp, and Lilly was sweating profusely. “I’ve got to lay down, Will,” she declared before going to bed.

4 “Wick, run and fetch the doctor,” William shouted at his son. “Lizzie, get your mother a cold cloth for her forehead.”

5 Then he reached down and scooped little Myrtle up out of the floor. “Now you be a good girl for daddy and don’t bother your mama,” he cooed as he kissed her on the forehead and gently set her back down on the ground.

6 The labor was long and hard. In fact, the doctor had begun to despair of being able to deliver the baby vaginally. When it was finally over, mother, baby and doctor were all exhausted.

7 Fortunately, the baby slept a lot. She was too tired to fuss and cry. “Eunice Mae - that’s her name,” Lilly declared.

8 “Can I see her?” Myrtle asked as she tugged on her daddy’s pant leg. “Why sure you can!” Will exclaimed with delight and amusement.

9 As he led the little girl into the room to see her sister, he held his index finger over his lips to make sure that she didn’t wake the baby. “She sure is pretty,” Myrtle declared as she peered down into the face of her chubby little sister for the first time. They would be close friends for the rest of their lives. 

Chapter 9: 1911, Child labor and cotton mills

Virgil and Ann left Brindlee Mountain in 1911. They crossed the Tennessee River on the Ferry at Whitesburg and moved their family to West Huntsville that year.

2 A few days later, Virgil went to work in a cotton mill. The work was hard, but the income was more reliable than the one he had derived from farming his father’s land.

3 The Lowe Mill was an enormous brick building with many windows, but all of that glass never seemed to make much of a difference to the air inside of the factory. It was usually stiflingly hot and very humid throughout the mill, but it was only one of several workplaces in the Huntsville area with a similarly hellish environment.

4 In fact, the city was home to four large textile factories. In addition to Lowe Mill, there was Merrimack (also in West Huntsville) and the Dallas and Lincoln Mills on the other side of town.

5 “Were not going to make it on what I’m bringing home,” Virgil stated flatly. He stared at the coffee cup sitting before him on the kitchen table.

6 “The boys are going to have to go to work in the mill.” “But they’re so young,” Ann pleaded. “And what about their schooling?” “Do you want to eat?” Virgil persisted. “Besides, Mother, have you forgotten that they worked in the fields back on the farm?”

7 Of course, he would have to lie about their ages. They had to be 12 years old to work in the mill. On the affidavits he signed that December, Virgil added three years to the age of each of his sons. Hayden, the youngest, was only nine years old when he started to work there.

8 Sam and Henry worked as doffers, and Hayden started out as a sweeper. Sweepers floated between the cavernous and noisy rooms of the mill keeping the floors clean for the other workers.

9 Doffers had to have quick eyes, feet and hands. They were expected to simultaneously tend to a long row of machines – each one with thread being wrapped around a spool. When the bobbins filled up with thread, they would remove them from the spinning frames and replace them with empty ones. And, as the boys quickly learned, you didn’t want to get tangled up in that thread.

10 As they walked through the big double doors at the front of the factory, it seemed to the boys as if they were entering the gates of hell itself. Dust and lint filled the air in which they worked. It was cold in the winter and hot in the summer, but it was mostly the heat that they would remember in later years.

11 Henry often imagined the foreman as sporting a tail and pitchfork. The work was monotonous and often dangerous. Cuts and bruises were not uncommon. And, at the end of it all, their father received all of their money on payday.

12 “This shit isn’t fair,” Henry proclaimed. “I want to go to school!” Hayden agreed. “We’ve got to do our part,” Sam halfheartedly interjected. “What’s our part?” Henry shot back. “Ain’t it Mama and Daddy’s part to provide for us?”

13 “You boys better get back to work in a hurry,” the foreman bellowed. “You’re not getting paid to stand around and visit! You can do that at home.”

14 “When do we have time to do that?” Henry grumbled under his breath. “What was that?” The foreman asked.

15 “Am I goin to have to go get your daddy, boys?” “No, Sir,” Sam quickly responded.

16 As they walked home that evening with their empty lunch pails dangling at their sides, Sam couldn’t stop thinking about what his brothers had said. Then, as they approached the house, he could see his little sisters playing on the front porch and resentment welled up inside of him.

17 “They are allowed to be children, but we’re not,” he thought. Sam, however, quickly suppressed the thought. He was ashamed. How could he have begrudged those sweet little girls their playtime?

Chapter 8: 1910-1915, Another Arkansas Physician

The women were seated in the parlor of the doctor’s home. “His wife is much older than him,” Mrs. Barnes whispered. “And they were never able to have any children,” Mrs. Dossey added.

2 “Haven’t you old hens got anything better to talk about?” Eli Cannon demanded as he entered the room. “We were just talking about what a hard life your brother has had to endure, Mr. Cannon!” Mrs. Dossey protested. “I’ll bet you were,” Eli mumbled as he walked back out of the room into the main hallway.

3 He glanced toward the stairway and then further down the hall and called, “Toad, are you there?” There was no answer, but he could hear people talking quietly somewhere toward the back of the house. He moved further down the hall and called after his brother again.

4 The doctor emerged from one of the rooms at the back of the hallway wiping his hands on a towel. “I’m sorry, Eli, I was busy,” he said as he finally looked up at his brother.

5 “Young Myrtle Fricks is bad off and needs tendin,” Eli volunteered without waiting to exchange pleasantries. “I’m sure she does,” the doctor calmly replied. “I don’t look for her to recover.”

6 “Toad, I don’t see how you can put up with these cacklin hens sometimes – they’d drive me to distraction,” Eli said as he pointed toward the parlor. “Oh, they’re harmless, brother” he replied with a smile.

7 “Bettie and I are going to ride into town together,” his sister-in-law interjected as she approached the two men. “That’s fine – I’ve got to go to the Fricks’ house anyway,” he sighed.

8 “Can you drive me over there?” he asked Eli. “Well, I don’t see why not,” Eli grinned. “Then, you ladies can take the buggy if you like,” the doctor told Mary. “Just don’t keep her out in the sun too long,” he gently reminded his sister-in-law. “You know how she burns!”

9 Doctor William Henry Cannon (his family called him “Toad”) had graduated from the University of Tennessee’s medical school at Memphis in 1890. Since then, he had practiced medicine in and around the small community of Saratoga, Arkansas.

10 The good doctor had also commissioned a nice two-story frame house to be built for his wife and several outbuildings so that he could be a gentleman farmer in his spare time. And, because of his prominent position within the community, he had caused a large shed to be built in his yard to house the town’s bell.

11 The bell was used to alert the community, summon them to meetings and signal the workers in the fields surrounding the town when to begin, break, resume and end their toils. “That damn bell has become a nuisance!” he was heard to exclaim on more than one occasion. “But they hauled it all the way here from Memphis on a wagon!” his wife often reminded him.

12 “I know, Bettie, I just wish it wasn’t so loud,” he persisted on one occasion. His wife looked down at the floor and sighed. “I imagine sometimes that it’s summoning a whole flock of children home to their dear mama and papa,” she said. William quickly turned away and tried to swallow the knot in his throat. He had given her so much, but he hadn’t been able to give her what she wanted most.

13 When he arrived at the Fricks residence, he was immediately ushered into Myrtle’s bedroom. She was only fifteen years old, but the doctor knew that she would never see her sixteenth birthday as soon as he saw her. She was pale and grey and completely still. He opened his bag and took out his stethoscope, placed it on her chest and listened for several minutes.

14 He returned the instrument to his bag and slowly turned to face the family. “She’s gone,” he told them. “I’m so sorry for your loss, but she’s with the Lord now,” he reassured them.

15 Mr. Fricks approached the doctor and pulled a dollar bill out of his shirt pocket. “Put that away,” the doctor told him. “You’ll need that for the arrangements.”

16 The man looked down at the floor and shook his head. “Thanks, doc,” he mouthed without actually speaking. William patted him on the shoulder and left the room.

17 “Brother, can you take me back home?” he asked. “Let’s go,” Eli replied.

18 As they drove back to the doctor’s house, William was very quiet. “I don’t know how you do it,” his brother finally told him. “I couldn’t do what you do.” “It’s very hard,” William admitted, “especially when they are so young.”

19 That evening, Doctor Cannon ate his meal with his wife and sister-in-law in silence. William stared at his plate, and the two women only looked up from theirs every few minutes as if to make sure that the other was still there. Finally, William looked up from his plate, and his eyes darted around the table at the empty chairs.

20 “Does it hurt worse to lose a child or to never have one to lose?” he wondered. “I think I’m going to turn in early tonight,” he announced as he pushed his chair away from the table.

21 “Good night, dear,” he smiled as he leaned over and kissed his wife’s forehead. She patted his hand and squeezed it as he pulled away.

22 “What will I do when she’s gone?” he mused as he mounted the stairs. He shook off the thought and went to bed.

23 As the year 1915 dawned, Doctor Cannon was dealt the blow which he had long dreaded. Bettie died in February, and that old house seemed even more empty than it had before. Fortunately, his nieces and nephews sensed the old man’s loneliness and visited regularly.

24 Later that year, he had his lawyer draw up a new will. When he was gone, his estate would be divided among his siblings.

25 In December, he received the news that his brother (John) had died in Oklahoma. Now, as Christmas approached, the man who had seen so many people die was feeling his own mortality most acutely. “It is appointed unto men once to die,” he reminded himself as he picked up his bag and headed out the door to deliver another baby.

26 Now, William Henry Cannon was the son of Riley Cannon and his wife, Nancy Carter of Lincoln County, Tennessee. They were also the parents of Samuel, Eli, Emma, Jane, John (the judge), Thomas, Lucy and Mary (who married William Preston Miller).

Chapter 7: 1906, Morality and religion

When Frances Favors opened the front door, she was certainly not expecting to see her eldest married daughter standing in front of her. “Well, Mittie, this is a surprise. Come on in,” she offered.

2 Mittie staggered in with an old suitcase in one hand and a large cloth bag in the other. “Where’s Will?” her mother asked.

3 “He didn’t come,” Mittie said flatly. I’ve left him!” she blurted out before breaking down into tears. Frances rushed to her daughter’s side and embraced her.

4 “What happened?” she asked as she patted her daughter on the back and comforted her. “I found out he was married before me,” Mittie sobbed.

5 “Mittie!” her Mama cried as she broke her embrace. “A good many men have remarried after the death of their first wife. There’s nothing wrong with that!”

6 “You don’t understand, Mama. She’s still alive.” Frances looked like someone had struck her in the face when she heard that.

7 They were silent for what seemed like an eternity. They just stood there in the middle of the floor staring at each other. Finally, Frances broke the silence.

8 “I would have never thought William McMullen could have done such a thing! Is he a Mormon?” “No, Mama. They were divorced, but she’s still alive,” Mittie explained.

9 “How is it that he never saw fit to tell you about this before?” Frances demanded. “I don’t know, Mama. I don’t know.”

10 After another extended period of silence, Mittie asked the most important question on her mind at that moment. “Do you think Papa will mind me staying here?”

11 “Of course not!” Frances reassured her, though she wasn’t at all sure how her husband would react to this news. In fact, the relationship between Frances and Albert was strained at the moment.

12 Since their move to Rogersville, Albert’s interest in his Church of Christ roots had been reignited. In Rogersville, the Church of Christ was preeminent, and most of the folks who attended there loved to point out just how wrong everyone else was about religion. Such talk, however, only served to irritate Frances and arouse her own sense of independence and compassion for others.

13 As Albert became more dogmatic, Frances grew more determined to maintain her own beliefs and values. Although she wasn’t exactly sure of what she believed, she knew she didn’t believe that the Church of Christ had all of the answers.

14 In that spirit, she had attended Brother Bill Hartley’s Baptist service the Sunday before Mittie’s arrival. She liked his emphasis on grace, and she loved having a piano to accompany their singing (the Church of Christ didn’t believe in using musical instruments as part of their worship service).

15 “That’s not in the Bible!” Albert had declared when she told him about the service. “What about the trumpets, harps and lyres that David used to worship God?” Frances asked. “That’s Old Testament!” Albert snorted before storming out of the house. Over the days that followed, the two had avoided the subject of religion, but the matter clearly was not settled.

16 Unaware of this new twist in the relationship between her mother and father, Mittie had unwittingly jumped from one frying pan into another. Nevertheless, for the time being, she was home.

17 She was away from the man and the situation which had caused her so much distress over the last week. She would attempt to rebuild her life and start over here in the safety of her parents’ nest.

18 Albert had not been happy when he came in from visiting that evening, but most of his anger seemed to be directed at William McMullen. “This is a shameful thing in the sight of God and man,” he had declared. He had, however, smiled when Mittie kissed him on the forehead that evening before retiring to bed.

19 She had been home for about three weeks when the sickness started. Mittie had been feeling a little under the weather for several days, but she always seemed to rally and feel better as the day wore on. Then, one morning, she felt sick at her stomach as soon as she opened her eyes. She had to hold on to the walls as she navigated the stairs down to the kitchen to help her mother prepare breakfast.

20 When she entered the kitchen that morning, the smells and sounds seemed so intense and harsh. Her stomach was really churning now, and she barely made it to the back door before losing what little remained in her stomach from the day before.

21 Frances had stopped working and was standing in the middle of the room when Mittie regained her composure. “Has nature called this month?” she asked. “No,” Mittie answered flushed with embarrassment.

22 “I was afraid of that,” Frances sighed. “What is it, Mama?” “You’re with child,” she answered matter-of-factly.

23 “No, Mama. That can’t be!” Mittie cried. “I’m afraid it can be and is,” her mother calmly replied.

24 “What am I going to do?” Mittie asked in bewilderment. “You’re going to have a baby,” Frances answered as she slid the biscuits into the waiting oven.

25 Herman Arthur McMullen was born that September. Mittie was now a divorced single woman with a small child, and she was living with her parents. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was somehow damaged goods, and she wondered what kind of a life she and her son could expect to have under such circumstances.

Chapter 6: 1904-1911, The Republicans in control

Washington D.C. was a long way from Byhalia, Ohio in both distance and character. For Milton Bruce Haines, it felt as if he had traveled from the waist places of the earth to the center of the universe.

2 His party, the Republican Party, was preeminent there. They controlled both houses of Congress, and Theodore Roosevelt was president. Milton had been working on the staff of Sen. Joseph Benson Foraker’s Ohio office, and the work had made him feel like he was a part of something important for the first time in his life.

3 Even more exciting, one of his old friends from college had just been elected to the House of Representatives from Ohio. “I want you to serve as my personal secretary, Miltie,” he told him. How could Milton say no to an offer like that?

4 Ralph Dayton Cole was handsome, smart and about to join the ranks of the powerful. He was a little younger than Milton, but that didn’t matter one iota to either of them. “This is going to be divine,” Milton thought. “I must have died and gone to heaven!”

5 To say that Milton Haines admired and respected his new boss would not begin to do justice to the feelings he harbored for him. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that he came close to worshiping the congressman.

6 “I would do just about anything for him,” Milton thought. “We are kindred souls, and I love him with my whole heart.” Those feelings, however, could never be expressed in words.

7 Ralph appreciated the adoration and loyalty, but it was inevitable that he would have to disappoint his admirer from time to time. After all, there would be many events, conferences and parties where Milton simply could not expect to join him in attendance.

8 This fact was brought home to Milton at the very beginning of his new adventure. Ralph would be seated with the other congressmen for President Roosevelt’s inauguration. Milton would be standing in front of the capital with the other staffers and throngs of the great unwashed to witness the events of the day.

9 Still, his physical separation from the congressman did not dampen his spirits too much. He had never witnessed such a spectacle in his entire life. The sun was shining, and the wind seemed to be echoing the energy of the man at the center of the event. The Stars & Stripes were draped everywhere across the façade of the building and flapping violently back and forth.

10 The President’s address was brief, and Milton only heard a sentence here and there. Even so, he was awestruck by Roosevelt and almost everything that was a part of his inauguration.

11 In the months that followed, things settled down into a fairly predictable daily routine. He was responsible for the Congressman’s schedule, keeping track of his correspondence, coordinating appointments and regulating the flow of visitors in and out of his office. More importantly, however, Milton became one of Cole’s closest and most trusted confidants and advisers. In fact, his friend’s handling of those responsibilities would prove to be of critical importance to the Congressman in navigating and surviving the 59^th Congress.

12 President Roosevelt had an ambitious legislative agenda, and his Progressive admirers in Congress were anxious to see that he got everything he wanted. Speaker Cannon, however, did not share the enthusiasm of his younger colleagues for the President’s agenda.

13 Milton had just placed some important papers regarding pending legislation on his boss’s desk in the House chamber when he spotted Mr. Cannon approaching from the podium at the front. Cole was busily discussing the proposed Hepburn Act with a group of congressmen who shared his progressive proclivities.

14 “We’ve secured passage of the Antiquities Act. Now we must devote all of our energy to the Hepburn Act. It is absolutely essential to the continued growth of this country that the railroads be prevented from charging exorbitant rates,” Cole said. “Don’t forget the legislation before us that would regulate the purity of our food and drugs and provide for the inspection of those horrid slaughter houses,” another added.

15 The speaker had stopped just short of the group and was listening to the exchange. He had stopped chewing the tobacco in his mouth, and Milton could see his face was getting flushed. It was obvious that he was on the verge of exploding, and the secretary desperately wanted to somehow signal the Congressman and his friends; but it was too late.

16 “I am so sick and tired of all this goddamn talk of reform!” The speaker blurted out. “America appears to be doing just fine to me,” he finished before turning around and heading back to the podium.

17 Milton and the congressmen were stunned, but Ralph smiled and then began to chuckle. “He’s old school,” the Congressman reassured his colleagues. “He’d rather have everything stay just the way it is, but he’ll make sure it all gets done. Joe Cannon is no idiot. He sees the way the wind is blowing.”

18 As it turned out, Representative Cole was right. All of the pending legislation was signed into law by the President that very summer.

19 However, Milton’s satisfaction and happiness with the way things had worked out was short-lived. “I hope you’ll be happy for me, Miltie,” Ralph began. “I’m going to be married soon.”

20 Milton swallowed hard and tried to conceal his disappointment. “I’ve asked Blanche Davis to marry me, and she’s consented to have me. Don’t look so surprised. It had to happen sooner or later. A man in my position needs a wife.”

21 “Congratulations,” Milton almost whispered as he forced a smile and shook his friend’s hand. “I hope that you will be very happy together,” he lied.

22 Wishing to change the subject, Milton grasped at another topic that had been on his mind of late. His old boss, Sen. Foraker, was in the midst of a serious disagreement with the President over his handling of the dishonorable discharge of some black soldiers in Brownsville Texas.

23 “Have you heard about Sen. Foraker’s remarks regarding the Negro troops in Texas?” He asked. “Yes, a very unfortunate affair,” the congressman replied. “It is very unfortunate that most people automatically assume the worst about Negroes, but that is simply the way things are old boy. We can’t change that, can we?”

24 “I agree with the senator that the President shouldn’t have dismissed the troops,” Milton pressed. “Oh, well, there’s nothing anybody can do about it now, is there?” Ralph snapped back in irritation. Milton excused himself and retired to his own desk with a lump in his throat the size of an apple.

25 The following year, President Roosevelt made plain to everyone that he wanted his Secretary of War, William Howard Taft, to follow him in the White House. The President seemed convinced that Taft was the man to continue and protect his progressive agenda and secure his legacy, but Congressman Cole wasn’t so sure.

26 Moreover, after Taft assumed the office, it became clear to everyone (including the former president) that he did not intend to pursue the same program as his predecessor. This threw the Republican Party into turmoil and contributed to the fact that Congressman Cole failed to be nominated for a fourth term.

27 After leaving Washington, the Congressman graciously “pulled a few strings” as he phrased it and helped Milton to become a lawyer in his own right. A few years later, Milton would be elected to office himself as prosecutor for Union County, Ohio. Nevertheless, he would always remember his time with the Congressman as being one of the happiest periods in his life.

Chapter 5: 1904, A lynching at the courthouse

“They got that nigger they arrested for killin Elias Waldrop at the jail,” Will told his friend. “I heard that he had been peddlin his wares all day in Huntsville and was jumped and robbed on his way home, and that nobody knew who’d done it,” Ed Jones replied.

2 “They’re pretty certain it was this nigger named Horace Maples,” Will insisted. “Well, if he did it, I guess they’ll hang him,” Ed finished.

3 “Yeah, the way Silas Worley and Jim Mitchell tells it, they’re gonna hang him tonight!” Will continued. “How can they have a trial that quick?” Ed asked.

4 “I didn’t say nothin bout no damn trial,” Will grinned. “Everybody’s gatherin up at the courthouse now,” Will explained. “Don’t you wanna go?” he demanded.

5 Ed cleared his throat but couldn’t bring himself to say anything. He wanted to see the murderer of the peddler brought to justice, but he was very uncomfortable with the thought of a mob taking the matter into their own hands.

6 “I’ve got a lot of work to do around here today,” he finally said. “Are you scared, Ed?” Will asked with an air of incredulity. “A nigger has killed a White man, and the whole town’s in an uproar, and you’re just gonna stay at home and tend to your chores?” he demanded.

7 “Well, I guess it won’t hurt to go down there and see what’s goin on,” Ed reluctantly agreed. “Well, let’s go before we miss all the fun,” Will encouraged.

8 It was early September, but it was still hotter than a firecracker in Alabama. The sweat was dripping down Ed’s back, but he wasn’t sure whether it was the heat or the nervous energy that this affair had generated that was responsible for it.

9 When they finally reached the courthouse square, there were hundreds of people milling about. “I think that just about everybody in town is here!” Ed exclaimed. “And you’d ‘ve missed it, if I hadn’t insisted on us coming!” Will smiled.

10 “What is Silas doing with that torch?” Ed pointed. “They’re gonna smoke that son of a bitch out!” someone shouted.

11 Sure enough, within a few minutes, black smoke was billowing into the air from the place in the courthouse where the jail was located. Ed pushed through the crowd, so that he could get a closer look at what was happening. As he got closer, he could see the soldiers of the National Guard surrounding the courthouse; but most of them appeared to be more interested in eating, drinking and cleaning their weapons than in what was going on around them.

12 “If’n you release that nigger to us, we’ll let you put out that fire!” Ed heard someone shout at Sheriff Rodgers. Ed saw the sheriff duck inside of the building, and then Horace Maples emerged a few minutes later. Ed could see the look of terror on the Black man’s face.

13 Then the crowd surged forward, Horace disappeared from his view. He could see that there was a commotion where the man had been standing a few minutes before, but he didn’t see Horace again until he saw Jim Mitchell and Jim Armstrong hoisting him into the air with a rope around his neck.

14 They tossed the rope over the low-lying branch of a large oak tree and pulled until Horace was dangling in the air. He had obviously suffered a pretty severe beating at the hands of the mob, because he was covered in dirt and blood. Ed watched in horror as he kicked a couple of times and then went limp.

15 “I told you they was gonna hang that son of a bitch!” Will proclaimed when he finally caught up with his friend. Ed nodded and swallowed hard. “They sure did,” was all he could manage.

16 It was a sight that Ed Jones would never forget. Indeed, he would recount the story of the lynching to his great grandnephew in vivid detail seventy-five years later.

17 And, although the deed and its perpetrators were largely whitewashed at the time, a federal grand jury reported that something should be done to stop this form of vigilante “justice” from being carried out on a regular basis in the South. They also went on to signal their willingness for mob leaders to be punished for their part in what had happened.

18 In an ironic twist, the report was delivered to one Thomas Goode Jones, a federal judge who had been appointed to the bench by Republican President Theodore Roosevelt. Jones was a former Confederate soldier and governor of Alabama, and he ruled that those who had participated in the lynching had violated federal law.

19 Even so, the wheels of change turned slowly in the South and racial prejudice ran deep there. Unfortunately, what had happened to Horace would happen to other Blacks across the region, and Thomas Goode Jones’ ruling would be ignored for several more generations.

20 Now Edward was the brother of John Deemer Jones.

21 Deemer married Ticie Bynum, and they had children: Elsie, Clayton, Ruby, Vicie and Jasper Eli (known as J.E.).

 

Chapter 4: 1902-1904, Mending a broken heart

 She came nine months after they had married, but she never drew a breath. Now her mother was lying in the next room fighting for her life.

2 Clarence Westlake paced back and forth in the hallway outside of her bedroom. “This can’t be happening,” he thought. But it was. He had been happily anticipating the birth of his first child with his young bride one day and staring oblivion in the face the next.

3 Sarah was holding her daughter’s hand and praying to herself. Hank stood at the foot of the bed watching her breathing become shallower with each passing minute. Then, suddenly, she wasn’t breathing anymore.

4 “Oh no, Emma, my sweet girl!” Sarah cried out. Clarence burst into the room and rushed to the bedside. He stood there for a moment, staring at the still form on the bed before him. “She’s gone,” Hank said flatly. “She’s gone,” he repeated.

5 “I’m so sorry, Mr. Westlake,” the funeral director began. Clarence, however, was unresponsive. His and Emma’s parents had to make all of the arrangements for the funeral and burial.

6 Months passed. Henry and Providence Westlake were beginning to worry about their son. He hadn’t cried yet, and he’d barely spoken to anyone in the days following the tragedy. Clarence was never one for displaying much emotion, but this was unusual even for him.

7 Months turned into years, and Clarence acted as if nothing had happened. It was as if Emma and the baby had never existed. He returned to work and never talked about it again. Even so, his father and mother were determined to try to help mend their son’s broken heart.

8 Their friends, Caleb and Margaret Haines, had a kind and beautiful young daughter who was raising a small son by herself. Josephine’s husband had treated her horribly and had finally abandoned her and Leland altogether.

9 Although divorce was rare and frowned upon by almost everyone, Caleb and Margaret had supported her through all of it. “You have nothing to be ashamed of,” they told her. Even so, like the Westlakes, they wanted to see their child find some happiness.

10 The matchmaking commenced at a dinner at the Westlake’s home in Marysville. “Hello, Clarence,” Josephine began with a smile and a polite handshake. “This is my son, Leland,” she continued with her hand resting gently on the shy little boy’s head. Leland waved at Clarence. And, for the first time in forever, Clarence cracked a brief smile and waved back.

11 When they were seated around the large dining room table, the conversation was dominated by their parents at first. “I understand that you work with cattle,” Josephine said as she turned toward Clarence. “That’s right,” he said as he looked up from his plate a little startled.

12 “Are you interested in cattle?” He asked. “Not particularly,” she smiled. “But my family has always had a few head.”

13 That broke the ice and led to an extensive conversation about bovine husbandry for the next hour, with Clarence doing most of the talking. Providence was hopeful. She hadn’t seen her son so animated about anything for a long time. It was like someone had turned on a water faucet.

14 “I suppose I’m boring you to tears, Miss Haines,” Clarence finally stopped. “Not at all,” she responded with a smile.

15 It had worked. The unlikely pair began dating and were married in June of 1904. Moreover, Clarence decided to share his name with Leland as well. The little boy who had waved at him before dinner would be his son.

16 A little less than five months later, Clarence’s father died of cancer. “I want Leland to have the Westlake name,” he told Josephine. “I think that my father would be pleased to have him bear the name of his family,” he explained. “I think you’re right,” his wife agreed.

17 Now these are the generations of Clarence Otto Westlake:

18 Clarence married Josephine Haines, and they had children: Leland, Caleb Otto, Donald and Clarice.

19 Caleb Otto Westlake married Eunice Reynolds, and they had children: Robert, Linda and Lois.

Chapter 3: 1899, Visiting and travel

As Press secured the wagon and horses for the crossing, Daniel leaned over the rail of the ferryboat and watched the Elk River hurry by. It was hard to believe that twenty years had passed since he had floated down this river into Alabama from Tennessee. He was still strong and able then, but he was old and arthritic now.

2 “Were almost ready, Daddy,” Press shouted from the other side of the boat. “You probably ought to sit down somewhere,” he advised. Daniel slowly turned away from the rail and readjusted the crutches under his arm. When he was seated, the ferry began to pull out into the water.

3 Daniel allowed himself a smile as they headed for the opposite bank of the river. It was, after all, a beautiful day; and he was going to see his “Limestone County grandchildren,” as he described them to his friends. There was John, Jess, Lou and George; and Press’ wife was expecting another. “They are like this sunshine,” he thought. “They make me feel better.”

4 John, the oldest, was his favorite. He was nine years old now, but Daniel had started calling him “Clip” when he was two years old. “He’s a little clip of a feller,” he had said at the time, and it had stuck to the child like glue. Clip was more outgoing and affectionate than the other children, but Daniel could honestly say that he loved them all.

5 As soon as the ferry reached the opposite shore, Press jumped up and got the wagon and horses ready. “Be careful of those barrels,” his father instructed him. “Those may be the last ones I’m able to make.”

6 “Oh Daddy, you shouldn’t say stuff like that. I’m sure you’ve got at least a few more barrels in you,” Press smiled. “Maybe so,” Daniel admitted. “But we never know, do we?” he asked without expecting a response.

7 Press spread out a quilt for the old man in the back of the wagon and helped him up into the bed for the ride to the house. “Try to take it easy on me today, Son,” the old man smiled. “I’ll try to avoid the ruts,” Press promised.

8 Nevertheless, the roads which they traveled were unpaved, and the ride was bumpy despite his son’s best efforts. The old man grimaced in pain at several of the jolts, but he kept telling himself that they only had a few more miles to go.

9 As they pulled into the yard, the children squealed and ran toward the wagon. By the time it had rolled to a complete stop, they had surrounded it.

10 “Where’d all these children come from?” Daniel asked in mock disbelief. “We live here,” the little girl volunteered. “Well, I guess you do,” Daniel smiled again.

11 He slowly climbed out of the wagon. The ride had made him more than a little stiff and sore, but that didn’t prevent him from patting each one of the children on the head and giving them a piece of hard candy. “Thanks, Granddaddy,” John was the first to exclaim.

12 “Hello, Mary,” Daniel waved as he entered the house. “Where do you want me?” “I got you in the front bedroom, Pa,” she replied. “That’ll be good. I think I’ll take a quick nap before supper.”

13 That evening, while they were eating supper, it began to rain (and it wouldn’t stop for three days). “Mary, this is the best fried chicken I’ve had in years!” Daniel exclaimed. “Oh, Pa, you said that on your last visit,” his daughter-in-law laughed.

14 After supper, the children insisted that their grandfather tell them one of his stories. Daniel sat in a rocking chair by the fireplace, and the children gathered around him on the floor.

15 He told them about his father, and how he had fought in the Revolutionary war. “He helped get this country started,” he finished.

16 “All right children, that’s enough. You’ve worn your granddaddy out today. Tell him good night and let’s get ready for bed,” Mary commanded. At that, each one of the children got up off the floor and hugged the old man before hurrying to the back of the house.

17 “I made that little walnut table for you,” the old man pointed as his daughter-in-law returned from tucking in the children. “Oh, thank you, Pa! You didn’t have to go and do that.” “I wanted to. I hope you like it.” “I absolutely love it,” Mary assured him.

18 “Well, daddy, we’d better get some rest before we go visitin in the mornin,” Press interjected. “I guess you’re right about that,” Daniel agreed. “I am feeling really tired tonight,” he admitted.

19 The next morning, Mary had biscuits in the oven, and she was frying up some fatback on the stove top. “Go and get your daddy up. Breakfast is almost ready,” she declared without turning to her husband.

20 When Press returned to the room a few minutes later, he was as white as a sheet. “What’s wrong?” Mary asked as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Daddy’s gone,” Press said flatly as he sat down in one of the chairs surrounding the table.

21 “He’s cold and stiff. He must’ve died sometime in the night,” he explained. As tears welled up in her eyes, Mary rushed over to her husband and threw her arms around his neck.

22 “My brothers will be expecting him to be buried on that side of the river in the family plot, but the river will be so swollen there won’t be any gettin him back across that for days and days,” Press sighed. “Your brothers will be disappointed, but there’s no helpin it,” Mary comforted.

23 “That little cemetery on that rise a mile or two from the river – what’s it called?” He struggled to recall. “Dement?” Mary offered. “That’s the one,” Press affirmed. “I guess we can bury him there. Anyway, there’s a lot of things to do before we can do any of that.”

24 “I’d better go and tell the children,” Press sighed again. “We’ll tell them together,” his wife offered as she took his hand in hers. They looked at each other through the tears in their eyes and turned toward the unpleasant task before them.

25 It would be hard for everyone to acknowledge that Daniel Miller had crossed the river for the last time, but it would be especially hard on Jess. It was, after all, his birthday today. Nevertheless, the couple slowly got up and moved toward the door to the back bedroom.

26 Now Press and Mary Miller were the parents of eight children: Clip, Jess, Lou, George, Gladys, Tollie, Loyd and Pansy.

27 John “Clip” Miller married Mittie Favors, and they had nine children together. Their names were: Ermonie, Raymond, Luke, Dick, Pearl, Doodle (Edna), Bowser, Buck and Sis. 

Chapter 2: 1898-1904, The poorhouse

The Union County infirmary was an imposing and handsome red brick building. There were three upper stories (including the attic) with a full basement beneath the whole. The middle of the structure was dominated by a tower with a round window that Caleb Haines always thought to have the appearance of an all-seeing eye. This edifice was surrounded by one hundred fifty acres of farmland on the outskirts of Marysville Ohio which was used to help support the inmates.

2 Some folks still called it “The Poorhouse,” but it had also been designed to house the county’s physically and mentally ill residents. In short, the infirmary was the centerpiece of the state’s efforts to help the disadvantaged living within its borders. Most people thought of it as a place of last resort – the place for folks who had no other means of support.

3 However, it was never regarded by the people who were charged with running it as a free ride or permanent home for most of its residents. Indeed, those who were able-bodied were expected to work in the home and the fields which surrounded it.

4 Caleb Haines had served on the Board of Directors in 1894, and he had seen many changes over the last four years. Even so, 1898 was shaping up to be a momentous year for the infirmary. The Ohio state legislature had decided to end the confinement of “lunatics” and epileptics. Moreover, the board had decided to purchase an additional fifty acres for the farm.

5 “Thank you, Mr. Westlake. I can assure you that this land will be put to good use,” Caleb told him. “If it will help these poor and unfortunate people, I am happy to sell you the land,” Henry responded. The two men shook hands and agreed to get together for dinner with their wives the following week.

6 With two hundred acres under cultivation, Caleb hoped that the home would move closer to its goal of self-sufficiency. Although they were currently producing hundreds of bushels of wheat, corn and potatoes, Caleb and the other directors were convinced that they could do better. He especially looked forward to an increase in the farm’s hog production and the area under cultivation for garden vegetables.

7 Over the next year and a half, the directors worked with the infirmary superintendent, John Southard, to make sure that happened. “My health is not going to permit me to finish this project, Caleb,” John had announced one day. “I’m sorry to hear that, John,” Caleb answered in genuine surprise.

8 “I’m going to recommend to the board that you replace me,” he continued. “I don’t know what to say,” Caleb responded.

9 Of course, everyone thought that John’s suggestion was a good one. Who else was more familiar with the day-to-day operation of the infirmary, and what they had been attempting to do with the expansion of the farm’s operation? Thus, Caleb assumed the office of superintendent without much disruption to the daily operation of the facility.

10 “We’re all glad that you took over from Mr. Southard,” Mrs. Gray told him the following day. She and her adult daughters had been inmates of the infirmary for the last three months.

11 “I hope I’ll do as good a job for all of you as he did,” Caleb smiled. “God bless you in that effort, Mr. Haines!” she returned.

12 The years that followed were not easy, but Caleb worked hard to do right by the infirmary’s inmates. And he earned not only the respect and admiration of his wards, but that of his employees, colleagues and other county officials as well.

13 Margaret was proud of her husband too. They had endured the worst thing that could happen to any couple – the loss of two children. They had survived and thrived, and now they were one of the most respected families in the county.

14 “Milton is going to work for Congressman Cole,” Margaret announced one evening. “I thought he was working in Sen. Foraker’s office?” Caleb said as he looked up from his plate. “He’ll be going to Washington,” she finished.

15 “Well, maybe it will do him some good,” Caleb finally said after a moment of contemplation. “Anyway, I’m not going to have much time to worry about that. The infirmary will keep me busy!”

Enemies (1896-1928)

 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. (Leviticus 26:7)

Chapter 1: 1896-1901, The Ketchum Gang

Samuel Ketchum and his younger brother Tom had been working as cowboys for the Bell Ranch in New Mexico Territory that spring. Tom, however, had argued with the wagon master and was determined to leave.

2 “Give me my pay, you son of a bitch!” he hollered. The man counted out the money and shoved it at Tom. “Take it and git the hell outta here.” Tom grabbed the money and shoved it in his saddle bag, mounted his horse and rode off. “Wait for me!” Sam shouted after him.

3 When they finally stopped, Tom was still livid. “Those bastards ain’t gonna get away with this!” he declared. “Whataya wanna do?” Sam asked his brother.

4 “We’re gonna need some supplies from that storehouse of theirs,” Tom answered. Sam looked puzzled. “We’ll do it tonight – when it gits dark,” Tom explained. That night, they took what they needed from the storehouse. Three days later, they robbed the post office/store at nearby Liberty.

5 As soon as the brothers had absconded with their loot, the postmaster and owner of the business (Levi Herstein) gathered together a group of his friends and decided to pursue the bandits. When they finally caught up with the brothers, a gunfight ensued. Levi and one of his men were killed, and the rest of the vigilante posse headed back to Liberty. Then Sam and Tom slipped into Arizona Territory and spent the winter there.

6 The following May, Tom hooked up with Will Carver and Dave Atkins to rob a train. “Will and I will take the engine while Dave rides ahead and sets up down track,” Tom explained. “Make sure you cut the telegraph wires, and that you got enough dynamite to blow that safe,” he told Atkins.

7 When everything was ready, they rode off together toward the depot and watering stop at Lozier. As planned, Dave split away from his companions before they reached the depot and headed to the spot where they had agreed to rob the train.

8 Tom and Will continued on to Lozier and slipped into the coal car of a west bound train and made their way to the engine. With guns drawn, they slipped up behind the engineer and fireman.

9 “Turn around real slow like,” Tom demanded. The very surprised and frightened crew complied with the demand and slowly faced the bandits. “We’re gonna take a little ride, boys, and nobody needs to get hurt if you do what your told to do,” Will grinned.

10 They made them stop the train at the place where Atkins was waiting for them. Then, together, they made their way back to the express car and used the engine crew as hostages to force their way into the interior.

11 They pushed the expressman aside and tied some dynamite to the safe and lit the fuse. However, when they emerged from their cover, the safe was still intact and its contents remained shielded from their grasp. They tried again without success. Finally, on the third try, the safe was blown open.

12 It was worth the wait. Each one of the trio carried a sack full of cash away from the train that day. When they got back to their hideout and had a chance to count the money, they discovered that they had taken almost thirty thousand dollars in cash! Now, however, they were being pursued by marshals, deputies and Texas Rangers.

13 In the meantime, Sam returned from visiting their older brother in Texas and was impressed with his “little” brother’s haul from the train robbery. “You wanna git in on the next one?” Tom asked him.

14 “What have y’all got planned?” Sam asked. “We’re gonna hit the Union Pacific in New Mexico,” Will replied. “I think I’m in!” Sam grinned.

15 This time, they targeted a southbound train at the Twin Mountains Bend. Once more, they succeeded in opening the safe on the third try. “We’re gonna have to git better at figurin out this dynamite!” Dave exclaimed. Adding to their frustration, they only managed to garner three thousand five hundred dollars in cash and some jewelry from the heist.

16 They headed for Turkey Creek Canyon and then for Arizona Territory again. The gang, however, was restless in their new hideout, and they were still dissatisfied with their latest haul.

17 So they decided to rob yet another train. The plan was similar to the one which they had employed in the Lozier heist.

18 Dave and Sam kidnapped the railroad station agent at Stein, and Will and Tom road ahead and kindled a bonfire on each side of the tracks. As the train approached, Sam ordered the agent to display the red light and stop the train.

19 When the train came to a complete stop, Dave and Sam climbed onto the engine. “You’re gonna ease this train on down the tracks and stop when you see two big fires,” Dave explained to the engineer.

20 The engineer complied, but this time the gang was in store for a little surprise of their own. The marshals had somehow found out about their plans and were ready for them.

21 When the gang approached the express car, the agents inside were waiting for them. They opened fire on the would-be thieves and forced them to scurry for cover. The bandits gathered together their wounded comrades and barely managed to escape the scene of the crime and make it back to their hideout.

22 After that failure, the gang’s attention turned eastward. The year 1898 saw two train robberies by the Ketchum Gang in western Texas. And, although they easily alluded the men who had been dispatched to capture them, they argued all the way back to New Mexico.

23 “I’m gittin damn sick and tired of y’all bellyachin all the damn time!” Tom told them. “You cantankerous bastard!” Sam shouted back. “Yeah, we don’t need to hear no more a your fuckin mouth,” Will agreed. “Both of you can kiss my ass!” Tom replied.

24 “I’ve had enough of this shit!” Sam declared. “I’m right there with ya,” Will chimed in. “Go on, then, get the hell out!” Tom screamed. “That’s just what we’re gonna do,” Sam told him; and they both left.

25 The following year, Sam and Will convinced Ellsworth Lay to join them in staging another train robbery near Twin Mountain. Ellsworth (or Elzie as his friends called him) was a good friend of Robert Leroy Parker (better known as Butch Cassidy). Together, they made off with over forty thousand dollars in cash.

26 Luck, however, was not with the new trio. A seven-man posse overtook the thieves and quietly surrounded their campfire. Lay was hit first.

27 “Come on down here, and I’ll shoot your ass off!” Sam shouted. At almost the same moment, a bullet ripped through his left arm. Even so, Will never missed a beat. He was able to hold off the posse until nightfall.

28 He helped Sam to mount his horse, but his wound was too severe. Will had to abandon him on the trail. He died in custody a few days later.

29 In the meantime, Tom had decided to settle an old score with a store owner in central Arizona. He ended up killing the man and his bookkeeper (who had heard the commotion in the room below him and had unwisely decided to investigate it). This prompted the formation of yet another posse and another narrow escape into New Mexico Territory.

30 Unaware of what had happened to his brother, Tom then attempted to rob a train a few miles south of Folsom by himself. Like his brother before him, Tom’s luck had abandoned him that day. The conductor fired his shotgun in Tom’s direction and filled his right arm with buckshot. Tom’s career as an outlaw was over.

31 He was taken into custody, and his arm was amputated a few days later. A year later he was convicted for his train robberies in New Mexico Territory and sentenced to death.

32 On April 26, 1901, he was finally led out onto the scaffold and hanged. Unfortunately, the rope was too long; and he was decapitated when his body fell through the trap door.

33 As for the other members of the gang, Elzie Lay went to prison immediately. Dave Atkins followed a few years later. Will Carver, the only member of the gang who was not dead or facing prison time, eventually joined forces with Butch Cassidy and his friend Harry Longabaugh (better known as the Sundance Kid).

Chapter 10: 1885-1895, Brindlee Mountain

 The decision to leave their homes in eastern Alabama was a collective one. In fact, one could almost characterize what happened as the mass exodus of a whole tribe of people.

2 The lure of cheap land in the southern reaches of Marshall County proved to be too powerful to ignore for most of the Hendrix-Camp families and their kinfolks. As a consequence, a small wagon train formed and headed out for Brindlee Mountain.

3 For ten-year-old Virgil, this was a great adventure. He was constantly pestering Henry, who was six years his senior. “Can I help you feed and water the stock?” he asked. “I guess; but I’m gonna wallop you if you get in my way!” Henry warned. “I’ll tell Mama and Daddy,” the little boy threatened.

4 “Just do what I tell ya to do, and we won’t have no problems,” Henry told him as he swatted the back of his head. “I want to water the horses,” the little boy insisted without missing a beat. “Well, go ahead then – there’s the creek,” Henry pointed.

5 “Are you boys takin care of them animals?” William hollered. “Yes, Daddy,” they shouted in unison and smiled at each other.

6 A few minutes later, their mother appeared. “Have you boys seen Teenie?” she asked. “No, mam,” Henry answered. “She ain’t been this way, Mama.” With that, Mary turned and walked back in the direction of the wagons.

7 Virgil could tell that she was worried. After all, Teenie couldn’t take care of herself, and their mother had always kept a close watch over their “half-witted” sister.

8 “I’m gonna go help Mama find Teenie,” he told Henry. “She’s probably just wanderin around the wagons,” his older brother replied. “She might need me,” Virgil told him as he ran back toward the wagons.

9 However, by the time he had caught up with her, his older (and now married) sister was leading Teenie by the hand back to their mother. “She came over to visit with me and John and look at the baby,” Mary Elizabeth Thrower explained to her mother. “Baby!” Teenie said with a wide grin. “Thank you, Lizzie, I was so worried,” she told her as she took her youngest daughter by the hand.

10 “Virgil, lead your sister back over to our wagon and stay with her until I get back,” Mary Hendrix told her son. At that, Virgil quickly stepped forward and reached for Teenie’s hand. She pulled away. “Come on sissy,” he prodded.

11 “Baby!” Teenie insisted. “We’ll see the baby again later,” Mary assured her. Having secured her mother’s promise that she would see the baby again soon, she finally took her little brother by the hand and led him back to their wagon.

12 When they finally reached Brindlee Mountain, William opened a little shoe shop and began making and repairing the footwear that the community would need to build a new life there.

13 “Welcome to Arab,” the new postmaster said as he shook William’s hand. “We’ve needed a good cobbler around here for a long time.” “Thank you,” William nodded. “I hope that we will all be happy here.”

14 Mary’s mother, Leah Daniel Camp, had also made the long trek to Arab and had moved in with one of her other daughters and her husband. Lida and Pickens Butler had five children together, and Leah looked after them while their parents took care of the house and worked in the fields.

15 “Annie Ophelia, you help me look after Sarah and Will,” Leah told her granddaughter. “I will, Granmaw,” the little girl promised. Leah couldn’t help herself – Annie was her favorite.

16 When Leah died in September of 1889, the now fifteen-year-old girl stood at the end of her grave weeping. They buried their beloved matriarch right in the heart of the little village in what would one day be known as the Old Arab Cemetery.

17 A little over two years later and much to the consternation of his little brother, Henry married his cousin Annie Butler. Virgil was just ten months younger than Annie, and he couldn’t imagine himself getting married.

18 “I don’t understand it,” he had told his mother before the ceremony. He felt like he was losing his best friend. “You’ll understand your brother’s feelins when you’re a little older,” she told him.

19 Over the years that followed, William could see that his youngest son was getting restless. He knew that Virgil wasn’t interested in being a cobbler, and the community was only big enough to support one of those anyway.

20 To solve the problem, William purchased one hundred and eight acres of land in December of 1895. “I need you to help me farm it,” he told Virgil. “The boy needs to start makin his own way,” he explained to his wife. Mary nodded her assent and went back to cooing to Henry and Annie’s baby boy.

21 This was the couple’s second child. They had had a little girl two years after they got married, and little Fred had been born in January. Annie, however, had still not fully recovered from his birth and was weak and listless.

22 “I’m worried about Annie,” Mary confided to her husband. “Yeah, she just ain’t herself since the baby came,” William admitted.

23 The following year, Annie would be dead, and Henry would disappear a few years later. They would bury her next to her beloved grandmother, and others would eventually be left to raise their children.

24 In the meantime, Virgil was struggling to become a farmer. He didn’t want to let his father down – especially after he had invested most of his money in a farm just to help him out. Nevertheless, in the pit of his stomach, he knew that he was not cut out to be a farmer.

25 “I’d rather live in the city,” Virgil thought to himself. Thereafter, he began plotting his escape from Brindlee Mountain.

 

Chapter 9: 1886, An argument turns deadly

 “We are having a little gathering at our home this evening and would very much like to have you and Edward joins us,” Lucy Merriweather told Polly Powers. “Eddie always enjoys visiting at your house – I’m sure that he will want to come,” Polly responded. “Good, then Herbert and I will be expecting you,” Mrs. Merriweather smiled.

2 When Polly returned home, she found her husband working in the barn. “Did you get everything you needed in town?” he asked. “Yes, and we were invited to a gathering at Herbert’s and Lucy’s this evening,” she informed him. “Well, that is something to look forward to,” Edward smiled.

3 That evening, Edward brushed down the horses and hitched them to the wagon and parked them in front of the house. Then he went in, cleaned up and got dressed. Polly was waiting for him in the parlor.

4 “You look handsome tonight,” she told him. “And you look beautiful as ever!” he blushed. “We’d better be going or will be late,” she prodded. “Let’s go,” he agreed.

5 When they pulled up to the Merriweather’s home, however, Edward’s demeanor changed. “What is it, dear?” Polly asked. “Tom Smith is here,” he pointed. “I don’t know why they had to invite that old reprobate!” he exclaimed. “I know that he can be difficult, but try to remember our hosts,” she cautioned.

6 As they were shown into the parlor of their friend’s home, Edward walked up to their host and shook his hand. “It’s good to see you, Ed!” Mr. Merriweather exclaimed with obvious delight. And the two men immediately fell into a discussion about the latest happenings in the world of agriculture.

7 “There’s that Masonic Republican!” Tom Smith growled through clenched teeth to everyone and no one in particular. At first, Edward ignored the remark, but Tom was having none of that. He walked over to where Edward was standing and began to talk.

8 “I’ve heard that the Masons are working to take control of the Republican Party,” he began. “That is pure nonsense Tom,” Edward calmly responded. “Then why all of the secrecy?” Tom demanded.

9 Edward could smell the alcohol on Tom’s breath, but there was no escaping him now. “Our rituals and symbols are known only to our members,” Edward explained.

10 “Pagan rituals and symbols,” Thomas roared. “You Masons don’t even acknowledge Christ or the Bible!” he continued.

11 “You’re talking about things which you don’t know anything about,” Edward assured him. “In fact, everything we do is based on God and Scripture,” he finished. “Not any Scriptures I’ve ever read,” Tom insisted.

12 “What do you think of that Old Democrat in Washington marrying that young girl?” he asked trying to change the subject. “I don’t see anything wrong with the President taking a wife,” Tom replied. “But it doesn’t surprise me that you people would try to make something out of it,” he added with a snarl.

13 “I don’t think that I want to discuss this with you any further,” Edward said. “What have you been doing with all of that money you’re always bragging about making off of your furs and sheep?” Tom demanded. “That is none of your business, and this conversation is over!” Edward announced in a loud voice and turned to walk away.

14 “Why, you smug son of a bitch, I’ll show you!” Tom declared. Then he picked up the nearest chair and swung it over his head before bringing it down on top of Edward as he walked away.

15 Polly screamed. There was blood everywhere. “Tom, what have you done?” Herbert demanded. Edward lay unconscious and bleeding on the floor. “Hurry, someone get a doctor!” he shouted.

16 Two other men that were standing nearby grabbed Tom and restrained him. “And someone get the police,” Lucy added.

17 Polly was now crouched down over her husband crying. A few days later, Edward died without ever regaining consciousness.

18 As news spread around the county about what had happened in Marysville, everyone was shocked. “That man murdered Mr. Powers,” many of them whispered in hushed tones. “What about his wife and children?” was another common comment. Even so, whatever happened next, there was no bringing Edward Powers back – his now lifeless body was interred at Oakdale Cemetery.