The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-30
BALD KN0BBERS.
Condemned Murderers Re-
leased by Friends.
History OF the Noted Missouri SccI.
ety Its Members Deveut aud
FanatiSai den.

The four Bald Knob,,efs Who wer,
sentenced 70 hang for the murder o
Charles Green AMI william + ems. or
M&rch IL, is77, we're David Walker
better known in Christian county a,
Ball Greek Dave. William Walker
his san. lehn Matthews afs Nie,
Matthews. None of the sondemne
men hsd reached their seth wear. ana
Mm. Walker Is not vet - wears o.
Sge. The condemned were to hAy,
been executed On May Is, ISIS hur
on an sppe1l io the supreme coart
which ainrmei the decision OF III,
lower court. escaped the eal,ow,
temporarily. Last 0ctoi5er the Su
preme court affirmed tie decision o
the Christian county circuit eourt ant
liked December = a. the tlay OF exc
cution.
The sensational trial turned attsn
tion 10 the Bald knobbers fr,m al
quarters, and the history OF the or
gsnization was made pubic Ianney
county. Mo, l. noted - the birtt
place of the Bad Kuebbers. Tks
early iaeie>suess SaGscd the formn-
ton oj leagucs for the protection oi
life aud prop riy In this wila country.
The regulators hrst came into
prominence when the natari
ouS Frank ANA Tebal Tavlor
we're lynehed for the murder Of Dick.
inson IN Forsythe. Ne, and Chri-iian
county, which aiioins Laauey, iifst
adopted the Bald huobhers in iSS5-,6.
Dave Walker was tie first l-aGer.
aud the membership scoa reached be-
tween 30 and 400 The FIRST
work of the Raid k0oabers 10 attract
attention was the CHADWICK raid. A
saloon was started there and democrat
Zation eusued. After due warning
from the Bald knobbers. which wa,
regarded, the regulators entered
Chadwick aud emp,iei the liquors be
longing 70 the saloon into The streets.
Later on this was rcpeAtci aud the
traffic broken up. There were numer-
Gus visits by the band OF
petty offenders, but nothing oc-
Cured t. attract widespreal
a teation until the Green-Edens affair.
which terminated in the downfall
OF Bald hnobberism. The Green
Edens crime occurred in March 1857,
al point eight miles southeast uf
Ozark, near Edens' dwelling. John
Evans was whipped by Bald Knob
bers for misbehaviug in church Old
man Edens, friend OF Evans, inter
iered and received four blows with
whip. This so enraged Edens that he
fear.essly condemned the Bald
knobbers, and on the night OF
March 10, 1857, band
proceeded 10 Elens' residence u pun
ish the inmates. They were met with
resistance and fred several voileys
into the house, killing VIM. Edens and
Chas. Green, his bFother-in-law. and
seriously wounding old man Edens.
In the melee young Walker was shot
in the leg.
The outrage brought about the cul-
of public indignation aud a
vigilance committee and sheriif's
posse ran all the murderers down.
The sub, eguent events are fresh in the
public mind.
ALL WE'RE DEyoUr AEN.
One OF the most peculiar feature OF
Bald knobberisin Is that majority oi
the members OF the band are deyout
church members. Especially j.
this true OF Chief Walker, who
vas advocate and general devont
man. lie cannot see vet that the Bald
Knob regulators were other than the
OF right. who made
fatal hut unavoidable mistake
in the Green Etens killing. lie has
stated confidently all along that he
would never he hanged. lie said this
evening that the reason he woald not
go with the re,cuera was because ne
expects communication of sentence,
and, anyway. prefers TO hang rather
than be hunted and bounded by OIL
Cer-.
ozARK, Mo, Dec, 2a.-John and
Willie Matthews, two of the four con
demued Bald knobbers, and y. II
Halbensen. Frank johnson, William
Redheld, Thomas Rooney and William
SAsseu, i've train robbers, csc ped from
ian last night by the assistance of
friends outside Dave Walker, leader
OF the Bad kn1hhers, his son William,
also under sentence 70 hang. and
young man named Racer. refused to
leave and were found iu their cells
when the discovery wa made.