Thriller Thursday - The Murder of David F. Taylor in Oklahoma Indian Territory Part 3

Here are transcriptions of the final four articles I found about the murder.  I have been unable to find out anything more.

Beaver Herald

Thursday, 29 June, 1899

“Murder by Unknown Robbers”

Page 2 Column 6

Transcribed by Betty Robbins Fowler

A Shawnee special to Wichita Eagle says: The home of David Taylor two miles east of Belmont was entered by two bloodthirsty villians [sic] presumably for the purpose of robbery.  One of the villians [sic] after gaining and entrance leveled a gun at Mrs. Dr. Wallace who was present when Mr. Taylor grabbed the gun and commenced struggling for its possession.  During the scuffle they reached the door and as they got out upon the porch two shots were fired by the other murderer, both of which took effect in Mr. Taylor’s body killing him almost instantly.  He died without uttering a word.  Dr. Wallace who was in bed in the house got to the door just in time to see the villians [sic] escaping.  After committing the dastardly crime the perpetrators made good their escape and are still at large.  One of the men wore a mask and concealed his identity.

Keokuk Kall

1 July 1899

Page 1 Column 3

Microfilm at Oklahoma Historical Society

Transcribed by Betty Robbins Fowler

Sheriff Carter, of Lincoln Co., and a detective from Missouri were in the city this week.  They were in search of the murderers of Mr. Taylor.  Jim Harrison, J. P. Brewer, G. R. Davis and Ed Tomlinson accompanied the sheriff to the Creek nation and stayed out 2 days and nights.  They were in hot pursuit of the parties but could not succeed in capturing them.

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Edmond Sun Democrat

28 July 1899

“Governor Offers Reward”

Page 2 Column 1

Microfilm at Oklahoma Historical Society

Transcribed by Betty Robbins Fowler

Governor Barnes has offered a reward for the apprehension of the murderers of David S. Taylor who was shot to death in his hone last June in his home in Lincoln county.  The Lincoln county grand jury found … (three words are too dim to read) Jesse Avery and Joe Kelly charging them with the murder of Mr. Taylor.  They are supposed to be hiding in the Creek nation and they are described as dangerous characters.

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The Publicist

Chandler Oklahoma Territory

Volume VI Number 6

July 28, 1899

“Reward for Taylor’s Murderers”

Page 1 Column 5

Microfilm at Oklahoma Historical Society

Transcribed by Betty Robbins Fowler

Governor Barnes has offered a reward for the arrest and conviction of the murderers of David S. Taylor who was murdered by two robbers at his home in the south part of the county near Bellemont, June 11.  The parties suspected of the murder are Jesse Avery and Joe O’Kelley who are now in hiding in the Creek country.  Avery is an escaped convict from Texas penitentiary and is a desperado.

Fearless Females Blog Post: March 12 - Working Girls

Did your mother or grandmother work outside the home? What did she do? Describe her occupation.
Mother worked some with Daddy in Abilene, Texas at what I think was called Chronicle Printing when we moved there in 1954.  He worked as a printer with or for James Walter Nichols and Leon Ramsey who published The Christian Chronicle.  When my father and his partners, Leon Ramsey and Fred Cawyer, started Quality Printing, my mother worked there part-time while I attended kindergarten in the morning and stayed across the street with Mrs. Luna in the afternoon.  I was able to work part-time for Mr. Ramsey in a different location for four years, beginning my senior year in high school.  
After Daddy sold his share of the business to Mr. Ramsey around 1960, Mother worked at J. C. Penney doing alterations.  She, like her mother, was an incredible seamstress.  There wasn't anything she couldn't make or alter.  She made almost everything I wore (coats, dresses, pajamas) until she started working outside the home.  She didn't stay at Penney's long before going to work for Thornton's 4th & Oak which was a fairly high-end, locally owned department store.  She worked there doing ladies' alterations until 1983, the same year she died.

Another working girl in my family was my Daddy's sister, my Aunt Lou, Josiephene Elouise Robbins Harris. She was a nurse at Shannon Hospital in San Angelo and was there when I was born.  It was there her name was shortened  from Elouise to "Lou".  She later worked at Baylor Hospital in Dallas until she retired.
The photo below is of the 1939 graduating class at Shannon.  She is second from the right, a little behind the second row from the bottom and is wearing glasses.

Here is a list of the members of the class from a list entitled "ALUMNI MEMBERS" from Homecoming June, 11-12, 1965 that was in my Aunt's box of genealogy notes she left me.
Alexander, Mildred Jeanette (Jean) - Mrs. R.M. Arledge - San Angelo
Barrows, Josie - Mrs. Josie Ramsdall - San Angelo
Buman, Irene Ellen - Mrs. A. E. Newman - San Angelo
Duprer, Stella - Mrs. Sherman Lively - San Angelo
Hass, Mary Alice - Mrs. W.L. Foster, Jr. - Ft. Worth
Lapp, Margaret Annie - Mrs. Lawrence A. Ford - Ft. Worth
Little, Allie Ann - Mrs. F. B. Abbott -- Oct. 18, 1951
Patterson, Thelma Cordelia - Mrs. Roy O. Evans - Houston
Robbins, Elouise - Mrs. Elouise Harris - Dallas
Reiser, Evadean Ella - Mrs. Ralph Byrd - Searcy
Rice, Faye - Mrs. Faye McKenstry [no place of residence listed]
Tucker, Kathleen - Mrs. Ross Bartlett - Garland

Amanuensis Monday - Charles Taylor and Elizabeth Potts Marriage Bond

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts.
Marriage Bond of my maternal 4th great grandparents

State of North Carolina

      Know all men by these presents that we

Chas Tailer                                           all of

the County of Rutherford & State Aforesaid Are

held & firmly Bound to the Governor & his successors

in Office in the sum of five Hundred pound, to

which payment, well & Truly to be made & done

We Bind Ourselves Our Heirs Executors or Administration

Jointly & Severally firmly by these presents Sealed

With Our Seal & Dated the 4th Day of May 1788.

      The Condition of the above obligation

is such that whereas the above Bound in Hath

this day Obtained Marriage License to be 

between him & Elizabeth Potts of Said County

Now if their Shall not appear Hereafter Any lawful

Reasons to Obstruct Said Marriage then this Obligation

to be Void Otherways to Remain In full force &

Virtue

Witness Present                       Charles Taylor

                                                      SEAL

Proving my Taylor line for DAR Membership

After years of saying all of my ancestors must have used a tree branch to wipe out their tracks behind them as they came to Texas, I may finally have found a maternal line that meets the requirements that would allow me to become a member of Daughters of the American Revolution.  I had actually given up until recently.
 
Last year I was able to connect with Dean Moore in Alabama since I knew my great grandmother, Emily Elizabeth Moore married David F. Taylor in Fayette County, Alabama before they came to Texas.  I also found Phillip Taylor had information on our Moore/Taylor line on Ancestry.com and that he and Dean had shared information.  Based on documentation of one of Phillip's sources, I also contacted Josephine Sparks who generously scanned and emailed me dozens of documents she has accumulated about our Taylor line.
 
The DAR website states: "Any woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence is eligible to join the DAR. She must provide documentation for each statement of birth, marriage and death, as well as of the Revolutionary War service of her Patriot ancestor."  Arthur Taylor is the Pariot I'm researching.  No one has become a member of DAR through him, but several have through his brother, Joshua.  Here is what I have and don't have so far:

1. I am the daughter of Richard Aaron Robbins and Iva Mildred Conley Robbins.
2. Iva Mildred Conley Robbins was the daughter of John Franklin Conley and Nora Littie Inman Conley.
3. John Franklin Conley was the son of Charles Conley and Amanda Ella Taylor.
4. Amanda Ella Taylor was the daughter of David F. Taylor and Emily Elizabeth Moore.
5. David F. Taylor was the son of Littleberry Grissom/Grisham Taylor and Frances T. Steele.
6. Littleberry G. Taylor was the son of Charles Taylor and Elizabeth Potts.
7. Charles Taylor was the son of Arthur Taylor and Celia.
8. Arthur Taylor's Revolutionary War Service

 Although I checked with Lampasas County and Hamilton County (in Texas) I have not found a marriage record for Charles Conley and Amanda Ella Taylor.  Family records have the date as 4 Apr 1886.  Perhaps I can go to the Coryell County Courthouse and check there, but hopefully the information on the 1900 census will be sufficient proof. 

When there are no birth, death, and marriage records, other sources must be used.  The greater challenges will be finding documents to prove David was the son of Littleberry, and Littleberry was the son of Charles since census records before 1880 do not state the relationship to the head of the household and census records before 1850 do not list names of anyone except the head of the household. 

I plan to post some related documents in future blog entries.

Happy Birthday to Katrina

My beautiful niece Katrina was born on this day in 1968 at 1:11 PM in Abilene, Texas. 

Since then she became a Marine, a mother, a coach, a teacher, and a grandmother.

 

The picture below was one of her Grandpa's favorites.  He loved seeing her peek around the corner at him and hearing her call him, "Pa!"  He said it made him a little sad when she got old enough to call him Grandpa like her older sister and brother.

My daughter was also born on this day in 1979. I've posted about her birthday on my other blog, Ancestral Times.

Katrina, Grandma, and Robin

Thriller Thursday - The Murder of David F. Taylor in Oklahoma Indian Territory Part 2

On January 12th I blogged about the murder of David F. Taylor and thought I had the transcription of these newspaper articles scheduled to be posted the following Thursday.  Here are the first three.  More will follow next Thursday.

The Wichita Daily Eagle

Wichita, Kansas

Volume XXXI Number 24

Thursday Morning, June 15, 1899

“Murdered by Unknown Robbers”

Page 2 Column 2

Microfilm at Oklahoma Historical Society

Transcribed by Betty Robbins Fowler

David Taylor Killed While Bravely Defending His Home

Shawnee, O. T., June 14. – (Special.) – Last night about 10 o’clock the home of David Taylor, two miles east of Belmont, was entered by two bloodthirsty villains, presumably for the purpose of robbery.  One of the villains, after gaining an entrance to the house, leveled a gun at Mrs. Dr. Wallace, who was present, when Mr. Taylor grabbed the gun and commenced struggling for its possession.  During the scuffle they reached the door and as they got out upon the porch two shots were fired by the other murderer, both of which took effect in Mr. Taylor’s body, killing him almost instantly.  He died without uttering a word.  Dr. Wallace, who was in bed in the house, got to the door just in time to see the villains escaping.  After committing the dastardly crime the perpetrators made good their escape and are still at large.  One of the men wore a mask and concealed his identity.

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The Publicist

Chandler Oklahoma Territory

Volume VI Number 6

Friday, June 16, 1899

“Murdered by Masked Robbers”

Page 1 Column 3

Microfilm at Oklahoma Historical Society

Transcribed by Betty Robbins Fowler

Last Saturday night a man named Taylor was murdered by unknown robbers at his home in this county, four miles east of Bellemonte post office.  Two men rode up to the house on horseback about ten o’clock at night; one of them being masked and dismounting, came to the door and demanded money.  Taylor went out of the house and in a few moments was shot and killed.  The robbers remained around about five minutes threatening to shoot Mrs. Taylor if she made any out cry [sic] and then rode off.  An inquest has been held and two parties who were suspected and arrested were discharged.  No clues have yet been obtained as to the identity of the murderers.

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Keokuk Kall

Saturday, June 17, 1899

Page 1 Column 3

Microfilm at Oklahoma Historical Society

Transcribed by Betty Robbins Fowler

Quite an excitement was raised Wednesday when the report came in that old man Taylor of Dent had been murdered.  About fifty armed horsemen were on the track of the parties and a goodly number of our citizens joined the posse.  It seems that the intentions of the murderers was to rob Mr. Taylor as the report had got out that there was considerable money at the house.  The men entered house and told the old man and a young lady to throw up [their hands] but the old man made an attack on one of his assailents [sic] and they scuffled around the room for a few moments and finally got out on the porch and fell off.  The murderer got loose and shot Mr. Taylor who died instantly.  They succeeding in getting no money, however, but the life of a good husband and father is dearer to the family than all the money.  The parties who did the work are known and it is believed they will be captured.

Fearless Females Blog Post: March 5 - How My Parents Met

My daddy, Richard Aaron Robbins, told me he would never forget the first time he saw my mother, Iva Mildred Conley.  She was standing in a field of cotton and he remembered her big, brown eyes looking at him from under her sun bonnet as he went by.  I don't know how old they were.  It seems my blog entries often raise more questions, but that's one of the things I like about writing in my genealogy blogs. 
I know my mother's family lived in Lampasas County before moving to San Saba County, Texas and Daddy was born in San Saba County.  He was a year older than Mother, but Cherokee, Texas was a small place, so they knew each other all through school.  I wish I knew when they started dating.  I know after his graduation from high school in May 1928, Daddy went to Kerrville to work.  I also know Mother went to Draughan's Business College and did secretarial work at a granite company after she graduated in May 1929.  They married April 19, 1930.

Fearless Females Blog Post: March 3 - Names

Many years ago I asked if I was named for my paternal great grandmother, Elizabeth "Bettie" Burke, and learned I was not.  Instead I was named after a little girl, Betty Ruth, who went to church where my Daddy preached.  I can only assume this might have been in Eden, Texas since that is where we lived when I was born, but it could have been elsewhere.  Daddy told me she was a cute little girl and they thought her name was cute as well.  I've sometimes wondered if she knew I was named after her.  If only I knew her surname, it would be interesting to try to find her. 
It seems I was called Betty Ruth for the first year or so, and then it was shortened to Betty.  I could always tell if someone had known my parents "back when" because they still called me by both names.  Many of my relatives continued to call me Betty Ruth as well.

Fearless Females Blog Post: March 2 - Photograph

In honor of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.

 Josiephene Elouise Robbins Harris

On March 2nd, I posted about it being Texas Independence Day and my Aunt Lou's birthday.  I chose this picture of her today because it shows the fun side of her.  I've always loved pictures of women wearing hats.  This photo hangs on a wall with other family photos.  I do not know when or where it was taken.

Today is Texas Independence Day and Texas Flag Day and Sam Houston's Birthday

The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed on March 2, 1836.  We also observe it as Texas Flag Day because the Lone Star flag represents our pride in our history as Texans.  Sam Houston was born on this day in 1793 in Virginia.  He became a Governor of Tennessee, but later was a hero of the Texas Revolution, served two separate times as President of the Republic of Texas, and became a U. S. Senator in 1846 when Texas became a state and the Republic was no more.
I feel so fortunate I was able to prove I had ancestors here even before Texas became a Republic in 1836.  This was accomplished with the help of two relatives who worked with me on our Robbins family history.  One was Lelah Mae Robbins Horton who so generously shared everything she had done when I showed an interest in genealogy somewhere around 1970.  Back in the days before email, home computers, and printer/copiers, we sent many letters and documents to each other via the mail and I typed some of her handwritten notes for her. 

Lelah's previous research was an invaluable part, but later my Aunt Lou, Josiephene Elouise Robbins Harris, was my main partner in our quest to prove our lineage to become members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.  She was born on this day in 1913, so I remember and celebrate these events each year.