Camden County MO Archives Deaths.....Kirtz, Mary; Lyne, David and Jack Webster 1885
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Penny Eisenbarger Harrell Incog3678@aol.com May 2002

From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.


Webster-Lyne Tragedy - One of the most shocking murders ever committed
in Camden county was the following:  In the fall of 1885 Jack Webster,
a person alleged to have been of unsound mind, staid over night at the
house of David Lyne, near Lyne's Mill.  In the morning, Mrs. Lyne, 
after having breakfast nearly prepared, told her step son to bring in
some wood to replenish the fire.  The boy went out, followed by Webster
and from a rail or other piece of wood cut a few pieces and carried 
them into the house.  Webster remained at the wood pile and cut a 
little more wood, then returned into the house with the ax in hand, and
at once attacked Mary Kirtz, a young woman then stopping there, and
with the ax he inflicted two wounds upon her head, which caused her
death a few hours later.  At the juncture David Lyne, a cripple, having
the use of one arm only, sprang from his bed (having not yet risen), 
and at once received a blow by the ax wielded by Webster, the cut being
made in his left side.  This blow was followed by another, made with 
the pole of the ax, on the right side of the head, crushing the skull.
Mrs. Lyne and the step son escaped and ran for help.  Webster then 
broke the door from its hinges and laid it out in the yard, and dragged
the dead body of Lyne out and placed it thereon.  He also dragged Miss
Kirtz out and left her lying in the yard.  The alarm being given Dr.
M. L. Lyne and George H. Vinson were soon at the scene of action.  On
nearing the house they shot and killed Webster, alleging that they did
it in self defense, as Webster was about to attack them with the ax.
A coroner's inquest was held over the bodies of the slain, and from the
evidence (the appearance of the table) it seemed that Webster, after
committing his dreadful acts, sat down at the table and ate some break-
fast before Dr. Lyne and Vinson arrived.  The latter parties were 
exonerated by the coroner's jury for the killing of Webster.




File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/camden/vitals/deaths/kurtzlynewebster.txt