BIOGRAPHIES: ROWSEY Brothers - Lincoln County, Kentucky

Date: 9 August 2003
Submitted by Shari Horton, Email Registry ID#
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00007.html#0001533

This article appeared in the Stanford, KY paper, written by Joe F. Waters.
The date is unknown, but at the time, Governor Bradley was Governor of 
the state. (Governor Bradley served from 10 Dec 1895-12 Dec 1899.)

I have often asked what was the cause of the bad feeling against the Rowseys
in years agone, and while I was in the Millegeville section I found a man
who was conversant with the facts. As a child, some years ago, I asked why
Jasper Rowsey, the only white man ever hung in Lincoln, was taken from the
jail here and hung in what is now Buffalo Cemetery. "Because he had killed
seven or eight men," I was told. This is a mistake. None of the Rowseys
ever killed anybody. The bad feeling was engendered against them and their
bad name obtained in this wise: A dashing woman from a Northern state
dropped into Milledgeville and purchased a residence. She was a fine talker
and in every way very attractive and the men folks didn't let her get
lonesome. In fact, they would call and forget to gone home till next
morning. Among her admirers was Jasper Rowsey, who was himself a handsome
follow - in fact the eight Rowsey brothers were above the average in good
looks. One day Jasper Rowsey was on the top of a knob overlooking
Milledgeville, a half mile away and seeing a man by the name of Hughes going
to this woman's house, mistook him for another rival who had threatened his
life and taking aim, Jasper fired at that long range; the bullett stricking
a half dollar in Hughes' pocket, which saved his life. This mistake of
Rowsey caused everything that followed - caused the people to become afraid
of the Rowseys, Jasper was hunted in the woods for some months. A reward of
$100 was offered later, Jasper in the meantime having gone to
Bradfordsville, where a fellow named Jeff slipped up behind him one day,
knocked hism senseless, tied him hand and foot while in that condition and
lodged him in jail at Stanford. Rowsey, I am told, wanted a trial at once,
but it was put off by the prosecution a time or two, and the night arrived
finally when a mob took him from the jail and hung him to a tree in Buffalo
Cemetery. From the several old men I have talked to about this hanging and
who know all about this case, I have formed the opinion that Jasper Rowsey
was more sinned against than sinning. He had not killed anybody, though he
had been in a few shooting scrapes and showed on every such occasion that he
was as brave as a lion - as all the Rowseys were.

The hanging of Jasper by this mob made the other seven brothers desperate.
Up to that time they were quiet, peaceable citizens, as was their father,
Jordan Rowsey. Let me repeat that none of them ever killed anybody, I am
reliably informed, though they wounded some men every once in a while. Six
of them died with their boots on.

Cage Rowsey was killed at Junction City by Frank Ellis; Smith Rowsey was
killed on Isaac Shelby's farm, near Shelby City, by Blue Kennet's men, "home
guards," who thought he was protecting the notorious Bill Wilson; Smith
fought the whole regiment, till a bullet laid him low; Tom Rowsey was shot
down while returning from Sunday School in company with his sister, some of
the Bridgewater gang doing the bloody work; Arch Rowsey was killed in
Hustonville by Sam WIlliams, Clay Powell, James McCormack and others; Cam
Rowsey was killed over a woman by Bill Gresham and John Reid in
Milledgeville. Thus six brothers are beneath the sod, victims of foul
murder in some instances.

Of the two men who killed Cam Rowsey, only one is living, Gresham being
killed afterward by Reid over a game of cards, and Gresham died on the
identical spot where he helped to kill Cam.

The father of the Rowseys went crazy over the hanging of Jasper. The other
two sons, who are living, are now residents of Missouri; Jasper Rowsey, who
was hung here, left three children, two girls and a boy, the latter now a
wealthy citizen of Eureka, Nevada, and the picture of him and his
interesting family that I saw the other day, shows him to be a very handsome
and intelligent looking gentleman. The history of the daring Rowseys would
fill volumes.

In connection with them I will state that old "Uncle Martin" Russell is a
cousin of theirs, and as the feeling wa strong against the Rowseys, it was
concluded by a few men to put Mr. Russell out of the way. His house was
visited and shot into one day in his absence, his daughter being slightly
wounded. When the same parties, five in number, visited his house the next
day to kill him, they got fooled, as he had several friends ready to help
and three of the fiver were shot down as they approached his residence and
opened fire. The other two were only too glad to have an opportunity to
beat a hasty retreat. Every bit of the past has been cured by time, in the
way of bad feelings, however, and so far as I could ascertain the past deeds
of all parties concerned have been forgiven. Thus the curtain falls upon a
family who were different from any other ever in Lincoln, and possibly in
Kentucky -- six brothers who at different intervals died with their boots
on. Let charity be over the veil of the misty and checkered past and let it
be understood that thile the Rowseys were not exemplary men, they were not
as bad by a long shot as they have always been represented to be by those
not conversant with the facts in the case.

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