Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-30
HISTORY OF THEIR TRIAL.

The four Bald knobbers who were SEN
Fenced to hang for the murder of Chas
Green and VIM. Edens, March 10, 1887,
were David Walker, better known in
Christian county as Bull Creek Dave"
chief of the Christian county Bald Knob
bers; William Walker, his son; John
Matthews and Wiley Matthews, his
nephew None of the condemned have
reached their fiftieth year and William
Walker is not yet 10 years of age.
The condemned were to have been exc
cuted on May Is, 1883, but on an appeal to
the supreme court escaped the gallowS
temporarily. In October the supreme
court affirmed the decision of the Chris
tian county circuit court and fixed Deem
Der % as the day OF execution. The sensa-
tional trial turned attention to the Bald
Knobbers from all quarters and the story
of the organization was made public.
THE RISE OF BALD KNOBBERISM.
Henry county, Missouri. is noted as the
birth place of Bald knobberism. Early
day lawlessness caused the formation of
leagues for the protection of life and prop
srty in this wild country. The regulators
first came into prominence when the no.
iorious Frank and Tubal Taylor entered
The home of Mr. Dickinson, in Forsythe
Mo, and murdered the inmates. They
were captured by the new law and order
league and lynched. Captain Nat Kin
hey, who was killed by follower at
Ozark not long since, stood at the head
of the organization at the time. Christian
county. which adjoins fancy, first adopted
Bald Knobism in 1SS5-1SSG Dave Walker
was the leader and the membership soon
reached between 300 and 400. Each new
romer to the county was invited to join
the order and the majority did so. There
was a fearful ordeal for the candidate
who, expecting to be indicted in some
fraternal society composed of neighbor
found himself in the dark recesses Of some
lonely wood or raving surrounded by
hundreds Of masked men who imposed
upon him blood-curdling obligation, the
infraction of which was punishable by
death. Once in he could never get out
and remain in that section of the country.
The first work of the Bald knobbers to at
tract attention was the Chadwick rail
Chadwick is a small town situated at the
terminus of the st. Louis 81 San Fran
cisco extension from Springfield southeast.
A saloon was started there and
utter Generalization ensued After due
warning from Bald knobbers which was
disregarded, one bright night in the
summer of 1856 the famous regulators
entered Chadwick and emptied the liquors
belonging to the saloon into the streets.
Later on this was repeated and the traffic
broken up. There were numerous visits
of the band 70 petty offenders bul nothing
occurred to attract wide spread attention
until the Edens affair, which cul-
minated in the downfall of Bald Knobism.
THE GREEN-EDENs MURDER.
The Green-Edens killing occurred in
March, 1857, at point eight mile south
east of Ozark, near the Edens dwelling.
John Evans was horsewhipped by the Bald
Knobbers for misbehaving in church Old
man Edens. friend of Evans. interfered
end received four blows with the whip be-
fore Chief Walker could interfere This
so enraged Edens that he fearleSsly con-
demned the Bald knobbers and on the
the night of March 10, 1857 the band met
TO consider EdenS' offenses There were
twenty-siX present. After brief elaboration
they proceeded to Edens' residence to pun
ish the inmates. They were met with re-
sistance and fired several volleys into the
house, killing William Edens aud Charles
Green, his brother-in-law, and seriously
wounding old man Eden. In the melee
young Walker WAS shot in the leg The
outrage brought about q elimination of
public indignation, and Geek johnson,
sheriff of Christian county. with picked
posse had started after the murderers
all save Bill Walker under arrest
lie was captured three weeks later in
Douglas county, where he had gone for
safety At that tine there was no iail in
Ozark and the prisoners were taken to
Springfield for safe keeping. A Jail was
promptly built, however, and the Bald
knobbers transferred to OZARK rom which
place two of their number escaped last
night
The first hearing of Bald knobber's
cases was in August, 1897, but Chief
Walker was not tried until
April. 1855. In March. 1SS7, three of the
prisoners confessed, so the trial of Dave
Walker was merely formal, he admitting
the assault of Bald Knobbers on the Edens
home but plead he did not arrive until
after shooting had ceased. One of the
most peculiar features of Bald knobblsm
is that the majority of the prominent men,
bers of this band are devout church
members. Especially is this true of Chief
Walker, who was an exhorter. a temper
ance advocate and generally devout map