The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-01-03
stOry Of the Bald KuObberl

OZARK, Mo-, Dec. 29.-John and Wiley
Matthews, two of the conviced Bald
Knobbers, escaped from jail last night.
The four Bald Knobbers who. were SEN
fenced to hang for the murder of Chas.
Green and William Edens, March IL,
1887, were David Walker, better known
in Christian comfy as Bull Creek
Dave,'' chief of the Christian county
Bald Knobbers, William Walker, his
son; John Matthews and Wiley Mat
theWs his nephew. None of the con-
demned have reached their tiftieth year
and William Walker rs not yet nine
teen years of age.
GhS coz 5e1nrssd were TO have leer
executed on May IS, 1888, but on an
appeal to the supreme court escaped
the gallows temporarily. Last October
the supreme court affirmed the decision
OF the Christian county circuit court
and fixed December 18th, as the day of
execution. The sensational trial turned
attention to the Bald KnobberS from
all quarters and he story of the organ
iZation was made public. Henry county.
Missouri. is note d as the birthplace of
Bald KnobDism. In the early days
aWlessneSs caused the formation of
leagues for the protection of life and
property in this wild country; the reg
I'll atOrs first came into prominence when
the notorious Frank and Jubal Taylor
entered the home of MIR. Dickinson,
in Forsythe, Missouri, and murdered
the inmates. They were captured by
the new law and order league and
lynched. Captain Nat Kinney, who
was killed by follower at Ozark not
long since, stood at the head of the
organization at that time. Christian
county, which adjoins fancy. first
adopted Bald Knobbism in 1885 and
1886, Dave Walker was the leader and
tie membership soon reached between
300 and 400. Each new conner to the
county was invited 10 join the order,
and the majority did so, and there was
a fearful ordeal for the candi-
indicted into some fraternal
society composed Of neighhers, found
himself in the dark recesses OF some
! lonely wood or rayine surrounded by
hundreds Of masked men who imposed
upon him blOod-curdiing 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 attract attention, was the Chadwick
raid Chadwick is a small town situa-
| ted at the terminus of the st. Louis Il
San Francisco extension from Spring
| field. southeast A saloon was started
there and utter decentralization ensned,
and after due warnig from the Bald
| Knobbers, which was diSregarded, one
bright night in the summer of 1885, the
! famous regulators entered Chad
wick and emptied the liquors
belonging to the saloon into The
streets. Later on this was repeated
and the traffic was broken up. There
were numerous visits by the band to
petty offenders, but nothing occurred to
attract widespread attention until the
1 Green Edens affair, which terminated
| in the downfall of Bald Knobbism. The
Green Edens killing occurred in March
1887, at point eight miles southeast Of
! Ozark, near the Edens dwelling, when
John Evans was horSewhiL jed by the
Bald Knobbers for misbehaviDg in
church. Old man Edens, friend of
Evans inIerfered and received four
blows with the whip before Chief
| Walker could interfer. This so en-
ragged Edens that he fearleSsly con-
DENIED the Bald Knobbers and on the
night of March 10, 1887, the band met
to consider Edens' offenses. There
were twenty-six present and
after brief deliberation, they
proceeded to the Edens residence to
punish the inmates, they were met
| with resistance and fired several vol
! leyS into the mouse. Killing Wllilam
Edens and Charles Green his brother
| in-law, and seriously wounding old
man Edens. In the melee young Wal
ker was shot in the leg. The outrage
brought about a elimination of public
| indignation and Zach johnson, the
| fearless sheriff of Christian county,
with picked posse started after the
muTderers and within forty eight
hours had all save Bill Walker under
arrest. He was captured three weeks
later in Douglas county. where he had
gone for safety. At that time there
was no Jail In Ozark and the pris 'ners
were taken to Springfield for safe keep
4 ing. A Jail was promptly built how
1 ever and the Bald Knobbefs trans
fered to Ozark. from which two OF
their number escaped last night.
i The first hearing of the Bald Knobbel
cases was in August, 1887, blit Chief
/ Walker was not tried until April, 1888
In March, 1887, three of the prisoners
Il confessed, 80 the trial of Dave Walker
i was merely formal. he admitting the
Il assault of the Bald Knobbers on thf
Edens home. but pleading he did mol
arrive until after the shooting haC
eeased
DE Of tbs most peculiar features 81
s nobbl8m Is that the majority q.
folainent mem ssrs Of the band 81