Daviess County MO Archives History .....KILLING OF BUD WILSON IN DAVIESS COUNTY 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 4, 2008, 4:44 pm

KILLING OF BUD WILSON IN DAVIESS COUNTY
	Narrator:  Mrs. Sarah Wonsettler, 87, Kidder

     This happened in the community near Mrs. Wonsettler's father's home.
     The following tragedy is used because it was somewhat typical of what 
might happen at a county dance in this section in the seventies.  They did not 
all end in this manner, but often real trouble of some sort might ensue.
     It took place in Monroe township Daviess county, 8 miles north east of 
Hamilton in the early winter of 1878.  The trouble arose between F.M. Wilson 
(Bud) and Charley Downing, both young bloods of the neighborhood about a young 
lady whom both boys liked.  Some say that Bud Wilson, prior to this fight had 
been in quarrels at other country dances, in fact had obtained a bad 
reputation for getting into trouble at such places.  But he was not the only 
fellow who had this fault.  Two deaths at country dances within a year in the 
same county before his death shows how rough such affairs could get to be.
     This particular dance fight arose between Bud and Downing when Downing 
took hold of the girl with whom Bud was dancing and led her away.  Such tricks 
those days (however common now) were insulting and hard words arose, Wilson 
hitting Downing on the head with his pistol.  He fired twice and missed.  
Downing fired four times and hit twice, one shot killed Bud.  The girl stood 
by Downing when he shot till it was settled.  He was acquitted at the 
inquest.  It was a case of self defense.
     Bud Wilson then was twenty years old.  He was the son of Mc and A.F. 
Wilson according to his grave stone which lies in the Lick Fork cemetery in 
Daviess county, just over the line to the north of Caldwell county.
     Interview  1934.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/daviess/history/other/killingo270gms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mofiles/

File size: 2.3 Kb