The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-04-06
THE LAST EARENELL.
Heartrending Scenes Witnessed
at Ozark, Missouri.
PARTING WITH LOVED ONES.
The Condemned Bald Knobbcrs Bid
Their Families Good-byo-A MUIR
der that Wrecked Homcs-A
Mothers Terrible Grief

ozARx, NO., April 5.-one Of the sad
dest scenes connected with the Bald
Knobber trouble was the parting of the
condemned men and their families.
oldAIrs. Matthews, the blindmothero Of
John Matthews and the grandmother Of
Wiley and Jimmy, came up from home
on Bull Creek to see her convicted son.
She had to be carried up the stairway to
the law office OF the senior counsel for
the Bald Knobbers.
There were present in the law office,
besides the aged mother and the three
prisoners, John Matthews wife and nine
children and stanlcy's wife and six chill
dren. Each OF the Knobbers' wives had
pair OF twin babies, and several OF the
children were barefooted and all were
poorly clothed, Notwithstanding the cold
March winds.
TOUCHING SCENES.
AS soon us the two Matthews prisoners
entered the room and the blind mother
heard the voice of her son there came a
wall OF woe from the grief.stricken
woman. John Matthews threw his
arms around his helpless mother and
wept like child, and the women and
children took up the cry OF agony.
When the wretched mother and her
convicted son had relieved their bur-
dened hearts OF the first bitter pangs OF
anguish, john Matthews said: "Let us
all pray" The entire groJp, down to
the little children, fell on their knees,
while the doomed Knobber, whose exc
Cution is fixed for May Is, poured out a
fervent prayer. Alter the prayer was
finished the old mother talked freely
about her trouble and the wholesale ruin
brought on the Bull Creek country by
the Bald Knobber Organization.
"To think l have lived eighty-two
years" said the unhappy mother, "and
now must see my youngest boy hanged.
| am now old and helpless. / can't
walk step, aud must | now see my
youngest boy die on the gallows? oh
why has this trouble come on me? John
was always good boy and loved his
mother. l can't believe he is guilty.
Poor fellow, he was led off into this thing
by big men. The big men that got
these poor fellows into this trouble are
out OF jail and free, while my boy must
die. My only consolation is that John
says he will meet me in heaven. But
how will his poor wife and children live
when he is gone"
HEARTDRoKEN FAMILIES.
John Matthews was permitted to go
and bid his mother final goodbye be-
fore she was carried to the wagon that
stood ready to take her back to Bull
Greek. 1t was to be the last farewell
on earth, as the aged mother never ex-
pected to leave home again. Matthews
also bade adieu to his wife and children,
who were to accompany the old woman
back to her cheerless home. William
Stanley went with Matthews and like
wise bade farewell TO his wife and chill
dren, who were also going back to their
cabin home near Chadwick. When the
prisoners had again and again kissed
LllS uSCuJ blSuLlGso LuULIlGI anu LuelT
wives and each of the children they
were taken back to jail. The oldwoman
was then taken up in the arms OF two
strong men and carried to the wagon,
which was drawn by pair Of poor
horses, the only property that John Mat
thews had not surrendered to his law
yers in his hopeless struggle for life. AS
the sorrowing party drove by the jail
the little boys shouted last goodbye to
their fathers within.
Never did a crime OF the same magni-
tude involve more women and children
in sorrow and want than the Edens-
Green murder. Every family affected
by that fatal Knobber raid was already
poor before the ruinous consequences Of
the tragedy were felt. In order to Sc
cure the most moderate fees to their ut
torneys, Walker and his entire band had
to give up their little homes on Swan
and Bull creeks. In addition to this
many OF the relatives OF the imprisoned
Knobbers sure ldered nearly all their
property TO the attorneys in the hope OF
saving their friends.
GREAT HARDSHIP.
Such hardship as the impoverished
Knobber families have endured for the
past twelve months could scarcely be
paralleled in the United States outside
OF the great cities The women have had
to do the hardest OF mems work, cutting
cord-wood and railroad ties and plough-
ing in corn fields, and then only able to
furnish their children in many instances
with bread and water. The children OF
the Knobbers indicted for the Edens-
Green murder number eighty-six, and
many OF these have gone without shoes
through the entire winter. Little boys
s and 10 years old have been cutting
cord wood and ties with their mothers
and sisters during the past winter when
the thermometer registered below zero.
Throughout all this privation and suffer
ing the Knobber women and children
have shown the strongest devotion to
their imprisoned husbands, fathers and
brothers, and no sacrifice seemed too
great when it would shed n ray OF COM
tort on the dear ones confined in the
York jail.