The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-01-03
BRO NJ.
Two of the / toriopP h...d Knob
bers, UneNr 'enten 20 of Death,
Efa heir : scape.
History of % Organization II
Missouri Account of the
EcR, 8 Murder.

olal from OzarR 40, u uns HosU1Ole poVoii
says: "John Wiley Matthews, two of
the four condpi ,ued Bald Kuobbers, and
W.P. Halbens. / .ank johnson, Vim. Bed
ford, Thos. Rooney and Vim. Sassen, five
train robbers, escaped from Jail here last
night. Some at present unknown person
or persons from the outside cut through
the brick wall of the prison ,unlopked the
corridor and cells and Released the prisons
ers. Dave Walker, Cadl3, of the Bald
Knobbers, and his SON William, alS9 under
sentence to hang and yong map named
Rucer, refused 10 leave, aud weie found
in their cells. When the discovery was
made there was great excitement among
the people.
The four Bald Kuobbers VITO. wers sem
ed>ts hang for the mgaer Of Charles
N and Wall am Eden on 1h II,
were David Walker, bitter 4 %i"ih'
OhH,tian COUNTY as "Bm CreeL Dave"
ohik of the Onrtstisn equity Bald KNOB I
beri; william Walker, hs son; Job \
Matthews and Wiley Matthew'S, h
ned,ews. None of the cddemned have
re,hhed their fftieth veal ana Villa
W,iker is not ct 10 year, of age. TIE
co Idemned we're to have hslged on May
1S 1888, but on APPEAL to the
an IRENE court they escaped the gallows,
telporarily. L.ast ,Octobs the supreme
oort affirmed thj, decision dt the Christian
oointv circuit court, and txeo December
al "a the day of execution. The sensa-
tioLal story tuE ued attendo NAso the Bald
K1obbers from all quartz RS and The his
tori of the Organization was made public.
I'anev county is noted as thu birth plsce
of Bald Knobberism. At al early dey
lavlessness caused the foundation of q
league for the protection OF R!e and prep
eriy in This Wild county. T DO regulators
Ara. came into Iprominence when the nd
torious Frank and Jubal Taylor entered
tha home of a Mr.. Dickinson, in FOrsythe,
nh. and murdered the inmates. They
wore ca injured by the New Law and Ordtr
leapue and lynched. Captain Nat Kinnty,
who was killed by follower at Ozark nPt
lohp since, stood at the head ofthe orgaliS
EDITION at that time.
christian co NIFTY, which adj oned Tane!t
fiat adopted knobism in 1885 6. Dav'
Walker was the first leader, aud the mem
blrship soon reached between 300 ami
4lO. Each new, conner to the county vas
id vited to join the order, and the majorIty
ala 80. There was fearful ordeal forthe
oIndidste. who. ex pecting to be init teo
Into some frat6rnal society composet OF
uiQhbors, found himself IN the dart re-
clsses of some lonely wood Of lRvineI sp'
rooaded by hundreds of mask dmen, Ylhi
imnosed non him. a blood -c1lrlirg o4Il
uatiou, tie inf. action of whit IhwAs I ip
ishable by death. Once IN be cAld neve
Bet out aud remain in that 81 cpn of tn
0puntry. I
The frat work IF the Bald } 9bbersS
tract attention was the chadwick re-
hadwick is a small town SITUATED at,
,rminuhs of tn st. Louis and SGn Fh
AGO extenssio d from Springfield sea
.st. A saloon was started thste an0 IL
,r demoraIization ensued. After due
erning from the Bald Kaobbe,s, which
,as disregardtod, on bright might IN the
= lmer of 1886 the famous regulators
hered Chadwick and emptSd tue liqnor
se}ouging TO the saloon into the streets.
The visits were repeated and tae traffic
brbken up. here we're numerous Wits
by the band tol petty Offenders bat ndth-
ing occurred ID attract widespread atten-
tion until the Green EdeDs affairs, which
terminated in 1.-THE downfall of Bald Knob
berism.
Inc Gr6eu-Luoub hllihR Iou III
March, 1887, at point eight miles south
east of Ozark, near the Edeus dwelling.
John Evans was whipped by the Bald
Knobbers for misbehavlng in church. Old
man Edens, friend of Evans inter
fered, and received fur blows
with the whip before CHEF Walker
oeu,d interfere. This 81 enrsged
Ndens that he fearlessy con emned the
Tald Kuobbers, and on the niSht of March
D, 1887, the band met to cOnlider Edsns'
fIeise. There were twenty1ix present,
ud.lafter brief deliberately they pro-
esdAd to the Edens' residsnci to punish
he hmateA They were 10 " with Re-
isthce and ftGd several vol ys into the
.ou4, killing VIM. Edens lad Chasles
Hren, hislbrothe Flaw, aid seriously
Voulding d m .u Edens. p the nj lee
yong Waller is shot in th leg. J
Tb outl.a O. ought abou a culm a
tionl of = pu &c indigrNon, ld
Zaolk Johhson, sne fearless rhaofltf ht
Ohri stian 5ounty, withsa opir Sed Pops
started after the murderers, hind withn
.forty -eight hours had all save Bill WaiiJr
under arrest. He was captured t1Fe
weeks later in Douglas county, where be
had gone for safety. AT the time tlFe
was no Ill in Ozark, aud thq prisotlrs
we're taken to 8 prirgield, Mo- for Ffe-
keeping. A jail was prompt!!l built, low
ever, and the Bald Koobbers ltranssf ted
to Ozark, from which place tFo of Zee +
number esca ped last night The FIRST
hearing of the Bald Kuobber fses vas iin
August, 1887, but Oniet Wallfr Wes not
tried until APP Fil, 1888.
=, In March, 1887, three of Ne priIoners
confessed, sol the trial of ave "alk4r
was merely formal, he admitting ness
Issult of the Bald Knobbers o. The sdels
home, but pie hiding that he di not irrlte
until after the shooting had oased
Oae of the most prominen feat res #
that organization was the m1orlt! OF W
prominent members of theIban, weP
ldevout church members. fpec My y
this eue of Chief Walker, VIII we an er-
bori a tenn berance advocat ant a geb-
orally devouE man. He cannot see ya
that the Bald Knob regulator We 10 oth r
than champions of the right,shofmadeP
fatal mistake in the Green-Eenf killlnk.
He has asser led confidently d alsng thl
hs tOuld not bs hanged.