Newspaper Items from DeWitt County Vital Records Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Copyright 1999 Earliene Kaelin Following is the list of births, marriages, and deaths reported to the County Clerk of DeWitt County for the month of September 1879: Births Aug. 26, in Wapella, a son to Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Halsey Sept. 9, in Tunbridge Township, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Keterson Sept. 1, in Tunbridge Township, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Weaver Aug. 5, , in Barnett Township, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. John C. Wright Aug. 13, in Tunbridge Township, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Weaver Aug. 21, in Wilson Township, a son to Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Bell Sept. 9, in Clinton, a son to Mr. and Mrs. John Hart Sept. 5, in Clinton, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Jaquies Bryant Aug. 4, in Tunbridge Township, a son to Mr. and Mrs. James Fruit Sept. 1, in Barnett Township, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Maddox July 13, in Barnett Township, a son to Mr. and Mrs. John Garrett Aug. 11, in Dewitt Township, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Myers Sept. 12, in Dewitt Township, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Warren M. Haggard Sept. 8, in Texas Township, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Marcus E. Jones Sept. 18, in Wilson Township, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Avery Ramert Deaths Aug. 12, in Barnett Township, of Cholera infantum, Nettie Pollock, aged 1 year Aug.12, In Dewitt Township, of Ulceration of colon in dysentery, Hulburt Barnes, aged 9 months Aug. 20, in Waynesville Township, of paralysis of the heart, William P. Bean, aged 69 years Aug. 22, in Kenney, of typhoid pneumonitis, I. Frederickson, aged 20 years Sept. 10, in Wapella, of typho - malarial fever, William J. Hoit, aged 54 years Marriages P.W. Mitchell and Maggie A. Diebert George Chambers and Lizzie Colwell Samuel I. Waldeb and Mary E. Best Joseph R. Williams and Vandalia Wilson James Stanspher and Addie Jeffrey Albert M. Phares and Zilphy Arthur John T. Lane and Mary McMan Frank J. Gay and Martha McMurmay Peter M. Conklin and Elizabeth A. Payne Scott Miller and Fora A. (Johnson) Paper damaged 3 Articles in the Clinton Paper 11-21-1879 The Kenney Tragedy - Last week we published a notice stating that Ed and Robt. Wills, farmers living near Kenney had shot and fatally wounded one Thom. Cooley. The facts of the case as near as we can learn, are as follows: As Cooley was coming from Kenney where he had been on business, he rode up to the Wills farm, and into the barn yard. No one seems to know what his intention on doing this, but it was generally supposed that he went there to have a ditch question settled. But falling in this, he used some rough language expressing his opinion of Ed. and Robt. Wills, and then wheeled his horse and started for the gate, but one of the boys saying some thing to cause him to turn his horse and angrily start towards them, where upon one of the boys fired at him, hitting him in the face, the ball coming out from behind his ear. This was supposed to be the first shot fired. In all there was five or six wounds found on Cooley's body. The boys themselves do not seem to know what shots hit him. The brothers immediately started for the city, and placed themselves in the hands of the sheriff. The father of the boys, immediately after the tragedy sent a younger son, for one of the neighbors, Andrew Humphrey, who in the company with another neighbor, Lewis Town, procured a light and found Cooley lying between the cribs, which are located between a short lane and the house, where it is supposed he fell off of his horse. Town and Humphrey assisted Cooley to his home, which is about a half of mile west of Wills, the farmer being in Logan and later Dewitt County. Mr. Cooley lived about four hours after he was shot. His dying statement is to the effect that Ed. and Robt. Wills shot him without provocation; and that he was totally unarmed. Coroner Ewing was summoned from Lincoln on Thursday, the morning after the tragedy. The jury impaneled by him returned a verdict of "murder in the first degree." The Boys have waived an examination, and their trial come off at the December of the Circuit Court. The feeling in the vicinity where the shooting occurred is mostly against the boys. The funeral took place Friday, about 300 people attending. Death of an Old Resident On Saturday of last week, a few hours before noon, Mr. Joseph Moore, an old resident of this city, was attacked with an apoplectic stroke, which terminated fatally on Tuesday morning about one o'clock. When found Saturday, shortly after he had taken ill, his head was lying on the hot stove, his hat having taken fire burning his hair and face. Mr. Moore was an old citizen of this city, having emigrated here about 1864-5. He was an unmarried man, his sister keeping house for him. Shooting Match There will be a shooting match on the farm of P. H. Mills one mile west of Clinton, on Wednesday, Nov. 26, a fine lot of turkeys will be shot for. Go and get a Thanksgiving Turkey and have a good time. Clinton Paper 1-3-1879 An Escapade The people of this city were greatly surprised, on Saturday, to learn that J. W. Stiles, the jeweler had abandoned his family and business and left for parts unknown. He left on the Chicago train, Saturday Morning, and before leaving left word with some person, that he did not intend returning and did not know where he should go. Mr. Stiles has been in Business in this city for some seven years and was generally regarded as a straight forwarded business man. While it was known that he has been financially embarrassed for the past year, there was no necessity for his leaving on that account, as the exemption law fully covered his property, he having only about $400 worth of stock. It is rumored that he left on the account of the extravagance of his wife, but how much truth there is to the rumor we do not know. He leaves a wife and child, to whom his sudden departure was a heavy blow. His stock was attached by J. D. Rogers for rent due, but we learn that Mrs. Stiles claims the property, and it is a question under the law, and it is under question under the law if she cannot hold it. Whether the reports be true or not as to the cause of him leaving, it is a hard case both for him and for those he left behind him. Clinton Paper dated 12-29-1854 Railroad Accident --- One Man Killed ---- Several Wounded--- Six Cars in Fragments!! The following particulars of the railroad accident on the Great Western railroad, we take from the Decatur Gazette extra, of 22nd at: "Last evening about 3 o'clock , a dreadful accident occurred two miles east of Mechanicsburg, on the Great Western railroad, by explosion of the boiler. The engineer, Henry BITTERMAN, was instantly killed, and the fireman so badly scaled he is not expected to live. Several persons were also slightly injured. The engine was thrown eighty feet from the track; nine cars are torn to atoms. The track, for a considerable distance, was torn up. The deceased and wounded were taken to Springfield. The engineer leaves a wife and three children." 1-Jan-1879 Sleighing Accident Sunday night Albert Rundle and Ernest Field concluded to sleigh their girls, and they nearly succeeded, for when coming home, between Wapella and this City, the horses became frightened, and Field who was driving, was thrown out of the sleigh. Rundle jumped out and attempted to catch the lines, but failed. One of the girls jumped out, and the sleigh then partially upset, throwing Miss Sarah Wade out, striking on her head, injuring her spine so severely that she has been confined to her bed since the accident. Miss Wade was taken into a farm house until the boys got to the farm when she was removed to this city. ------------------------------------------------------------------ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organiza- tions or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contri- butor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ----------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Earliene Kaelin