Deaths in Crawford County
The following articles were transcribed and
donated by Fran Warren
May 28, 1878
DIED
MARTIN- At Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 13th inst., Mrs. Hannah MARTIN,
aged 75
years. She was the mother of the late Mrs. John AUSTIN and Mr.
Sam MARTIN,
of Van Buren.
A Memphis dispatch of the 21st, says: Col. Jesse R. GRIDER, Sheriff
of
Crittenden County, Ark., died at Marion, last night, after a brief
illness,
and after suffering terribly from convulsions. His friends, believing
he had
been poisoned, brought the body here for a post mortem examination,
which
was made by Dr. ROGERS, the results of which has not been made
public. A
large number of GRIDERS' friends reached here this evening, and
are much
excited over his sudden and mysterious death.
Van Buren Press
Van Buren, Arkansas- Crawford County
August 9, 1879
Harrison Times: Mr. John WRIGHT, a soldier of the War of 1812,
who lived on
Long Creek, in this county, died on the 9th ult., and was buried
on the
following day, which was his one hundredth birthday. A few days
before his
death, he rode a distance of eight miles on Horseback to Mr. J
S O'NEAL's in
Carroll county, to make out the papers for his pension. Gradually
our
soldiers are being gathered to their fathers.
Van Buren Press
Van Buren, Arkansas
Crawford County
October 18, 1879
Cherokee Advocate: Died-At his residence in Flint District, on
Saturday, the
26th of September, 1879, Mr. George H. STARR, in his seventy second
year.
Mr. STARR was born in East Tennessee, in the year 1807, and came
to Arkansas
in 1839. His father, Caleb STARR, was from Pennsylvania, and the
son of
Quaker parents. He came to the old Nation, nearly one hundred
years ago, and
married a niece of the well-known Nancy WARD. Mr. George STARR
was an honest
man, skillful and prompt in business, and was probably the wealthiest
Cherokee living. A large concourse of people attended his funeral.
Rest in
peace, until the morning of resurrection.
January 12, 1889 Van Buren Press
Thomas H. BAYLISS, postmaster at Hope, Ark., killed himself last
week. A
collector presented a bill to him, and saying he would pay all
his debts in
a few minutes, stepped in the rear of the office and shot himself.
Van Buren Press
Van Buren, Arkansas -Crawford County
July 27, 1889
Willie FRENCH, who lived on the Knox farm east of Fort Smith,
was killed by
lightening last Friday while stooping over a skillet, where he
was cooking
in the kitchen. The boy had just returned from school and was
cooking his
supper. His clothing was fired but no damage done to the house.
His brother
who stood in the doorway was not hurt.
Van Buren Press
Van Buren, Arkansas (Crawford County)
October 19, 1889
CAPT. ROGERS' WILL
The will of the late Capt. W. H. ROGERS was filed at Fort Smith
Monday. His
wealth is estimated at $100,000 and is nearly all given to his
widow whom he
married only a few weeks ago at Muskogee, I. T. His sister and
other
relatives living in Fort Smith will contest the will on the ground
that her
brother was not in a sane condition at the time of his marriage
on account
of a severe stroke of paralysis from which he had suffered for
some months
previous to his death. His funeral took place Sunday, and his
brain was
taken out and examined before the funeral cortege started for
the cemetery.
He was the son of Col. J. ROGERS, the founder of the city of Fort
Smith, who
died in 1860.
October 26, 1889
One John HOWARD, convicted in the Circuit Court at Ft. Smith and
sentenced
to 16 years for assault made an attempt to escape Tuesday when
the verdict
was read by jumping through a window. He struck his head and suffered
a
fracture of the skull, from which he died.
October 26, 1889
$50 REWARD
Is offered for information of the whereabouts of Wm. D. SEELEY
by his mother
Mrs. R. A. BROWN, at Van Buren, Ark., who wants him to come home.
Will send
money to bear expenses. He is 27 years old, 5 feet 8 in. tall,
light hair,
light blue eyes, small scar on side of nose, two upper teeth missing,
weighs
150 pounds. Exchanges please copy.
Van Buren Press
Crawford County, Arkansas
June 8, 1907
AGED MAN DEAD
Calvern OWENSBY, a pioneer of Arkansas, died at his home at Big
Fork
recently at the age of 87. His funeral was attended by one hundred
descendants.
DIED ON TRAIN
Mrs. John DAVIS of Greenwood, who has been under treatment in
the State
Hospital for Nervous Diseases for some time, died while being
removed from
the train, to her home. She was perfectly restored in mind, but
physically
very weak, and the exertion of taking her back to her home was
too much for
her frail condition.
W R JONES DEAD
W R JONES, aged 70 years, died recently form the effects of burns
received
in a fire at Corning.
Dock BRIGHT, a young man employed in a sawmill near Prattsville,
was crushed
to death recently by a log which rolled over him.
Grover FRAZIER, a young man 21 years old, shot himself at
his home in Bald
Knob because Miss Elsie EDENS, the girl with whom he was in love,
accompanied another young man to a prayer meeting. The ball passed
through
his head, coming out below the ear. It is considered a miracle
that he did not
die instantly; but at the present time there is strong hope of
his recovery.
NEGRO RUN OVER BY TRAIN
Frank ARMSTRONG, a Negro, was run over by a train while on his
way to
Jacksonport. He was riding on the side of the car, when in some
way he was
jarred from his seat and fell beneath the train. The wheels crushing
his
left leg from the ankle to a place six inches above the knee.
After being
hurt he lay in a pool of water for two hours before he was discovered.
TWO KILLED IN WRECK
Fireman Jack PEPPER and the baggage checker, whose name cannot
be learned,
were killed in a railroad wreck near Siloam Springs recently.
It is supposed
that the wreck was caused by a rock lodging on the track in such
a manner
that the engine was derailed.
KILLED BY LIGHTENING
Mrs. A SHIRLEY, an aged lady who lived at Oil Trough, Independence
County,
was struck by lightening and instantly killed during the progress
of a
severe storm recently.
BUILDING NEW MILL
A new mill is being built near Cane Hill, Washington County, on
the bank of
the Little Jordan. The power selected to operate the mill is a
mammoth steel
overshot waterwheel 36 feet in diameter by 3 feet wide, which
will probably
be the largest of the kind in the state. In addition to the waterwheel,
steam power will be installed to prevent a shutdown in case of
an accident.
Van Buren Press
Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas
ARKANSAS BRIEFS (not sure of the date)
William L WILSON, a prominent citizen of Texarkana, died at
Carlsbad, N M
several days ago.
Mrs. S W OGDEN of Springtown was accidentally burned to death
at her home a
few days ago.
Mrs. Thomas HAYWOOD, of Big Springs, Izard County, had one
of her legs
broken in two places by a kick from a horse recently.
Professor James L RANDELL, aged 90 years, died at Conway recently.
the
deceased was one of the best known educators of the state.
Harvey ECHOLS, a switchman employed by the Iron Mountain,
was run over and
killed by an engine in the yards at Texarkana last week.
Mrs. Eliza THOMAS, widow of William THOMAS of Prairie Grove,
has been
granted a pension under the general law for herself and three
children.
Captain U S SMELTZER has been appointed Chief of Police of
Fayetteville, as
that city is now a city of first class and entitled to a "chief
of cops".
Mrs. ARNOLD had Albert ARNOLD, her son, arrested at Paragould
recently. The
mother accused her son of stealing $1,500 from her trunk while
she was
absent.
Ord, son of J G MORGAN, who lives two and one-half miles east
of
Clarksville, while working in the rock quarry at Lamar, by some
means was
struck with a pole, breaking his back. At last account the young
man is not
expected to live.
James P MARTIN was killed in a railroad wreck on the Isthmus
of Panama a
short time ago. Mr. MARTIN was formerly in the clothing business
at Hot
Springs and had only recently left that city to become a purchasing
agent
for the government.
Two children of Mr. and Mrs. L WEHUNT, of Magazine were bitten
by a mad cat
a few days ago. Madstones were applied to the wounds and the children
are
expected to recover.
Last week Deputy United States Marshal Henry HOLMAN took a
Chinaman from El
Dorado, to Fort Smith. He was captured by Chinese Inspector A
C RIGWAY. The
Chinaman has no credentials of any kind and in all probability
was smuggled
into the United States. If such is the case he will be sent back
to China.
The man had $2,000 when arrested and can talk very little English.
Ashley WOOD was severely injured by being caught in a shingle,
which he was
operating near Hot Springs last week.
Van Buren Press Sat.
August 8, 1896
Submitted by: Judy
Died on Friday July 31,
1896 of typhoid fever, Addie May HANSON, aged nineteen
years. The deceased was the daughter of James and Mary HANSON
of Logtown, and was a most estimable and lovable young lady.
Died in Van Buren on monday
morning, August 3, 1896, Mrs. Melvina RAY aged 65 years.She
leaves three children. The funeral services were attended Monday
afternoon from the residence of her sister, Mrs. W. L. TAYLOR.
Died in Van Buren on Wednesday
evening, Mrs. Will STEELE, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard
O"BRIAN. She was an exemplary wife and a devoted daughter.(cut
short)
Died in Van Buren, on Wednesday
night,Mr. James HENDERSON. He was a clerk in Murta &
Co.'s store for a number of years and was highly esteemed by all
who knew him. He leaves a broken hearted mother and a father to
mourn him.
Mrs. J. A. BUCHANAN
died at the residence of her husband near Viney Grove, on the
27th ult. She was an estimable lady and beloved by all who knew
her.
Van Buren Argus
Crawford County, Arkansas
July 13, 1898
THREE DEATHS
The Result of One Bullet at Stillwell Yesterday Morning
Stillwell, Indian Territory July 12.- Three deaths caused
by one pistol bullet is an incident without parallel, but such
is the record made here this afternoon, when Joe MORRIS, ex-city
marshal of this place, shot and killed Wm ALLISON.
There had been an ill feeling between the two men for some
time, growing out of the successful attempt of Allison and others
to remove MORRIS from the office of city marshal a few weeks ago.
This afternoon alighted from a west bound train, carrying
a valise, and the first man he met was MORRIS Allison, whom he
tried to knock down with his valise. In the fight Allison drew
a knife and cut MORRIS in the neck, without serious results.
Going to his home, MORRIS secured a 45 caliber revolver, and
hunting ALLISON up, fired on him at close range, killing him dead
at the first shot.
John SELLERS, a middle aged man who had been afflicted slightly
with heart disease, witnessed the shooting, and as ALLISON fell
back dead, SELLERS fell to the sidewalk and expired almost instantly.
Mrs. ALLISON, the aged grandmother of MORRIS' victim, lived
near, and after ALLISON's body had been carried indoors, some
one went to break the sad news to his grandmother. Hardly had
they told her of the bare fact of her grandson's death, when she
made an effort to arise from her chair, but before she could take
a step forward, fell backward into her chair and died without
uttering a word.
The trio of deaths resulting under such peculiar circumstance
caused considerable excitement, and until after MORRIS was put
under arrest great indignation was expressed on all sides.
Van Buren Argus
March 25, 1906
Crawford County, Arkansas
DEAD IN A TENT
About 1 o’clock Sunday afternoon Mr. Dick HENNESSEY,
living on Lee’s Creek, reached Van Buren in search of Sheriff
MOORE, to whom he reported the finding of a dead body of a man
in a tent about a quarter of a mile below the Water Company’s
pump station on Lee’s Creek.
Justice J H MILLER summoned a jury of 12 men, and loading
them in covered vehicles drove out there, accompanied by Hunt
& Ayers’ Undertaking wagon. Arriving at the tent they
proceeded to investigate and quickly found that the dead man was
David C CLARK, aged 65 years, and that his death was due to natural
causes, although it was developed that the dead man was addicted
to the morphine habit and this it is thought was largely the cause
of his death. It appears that the deceased with a married son
and another family were occupying the small tent in which CLARK
died. The entire party were insufficiently clad, the smaller children,
3 or 4 in number, being barefooted and stood about an open fire
shivering with cold, and those composing of the coroner’s
jury stated that it was the worst case of destitution they had
ever witnessed.
The body was brought to Van Buren and take to Hunt and Ayers’s
Undertaking rooms and later will be buried in the cemetery.
Van Buren Argus,
February 26, 1915
Frank JAMES of outlaw fame, died at his home near Excelsior Springs,
Mo., yesterday afternoon, aged 70 years. JAMES had been in ill
health for the past four or five years, but his death was due
to apoplexy. Cole YOUNGER, who now resides at Lees Summit, Mo.,
is the only member of the famous James-Younger band of outlaws
that is left.
Frank JAMES, shortly after his brother, Jesse, was shot and
killed by Bob FORD in his home in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1882, walked
into the office of Governor Marmaduke at Jefferson City, Mo.,
handed the governor his two pistols and surrendered, thus ending
the 18 years' chase the Pinkerton detectives, federal marshals
and civil officers had indulged in after these noted and well
known band robbers and murderer.
Frank JAMES, after his surrender, was taken to Kearney, Mo.,
where he was held in jail for fully a year, charged with bank
robbery and murder. he was finally acquitted and then began his
successful fight against being extradited to Michigan, where the
Younger brothers had been convicted of murder and were serving
life sentences.
After the last charge against Frank JAMES had been dismissed
in the Missouri courts, he, with his family, located in Nevada,
Mo., where Colonel Bronaugh, of Henry County, Missouri, had purchased
and furnished a handsome five room cottage and deed it to Frank
JAMES. After a few years residence there, JAMES moved to Texas,
later to Oklahoma and finally to St. Louis, where for years he
was employed as ticket taker in a cheap theater.