The Portland daily press., 1889-05-11
BALD KNOBBERS AND THEIR GRIMES.
A Secret Organization Which Re-
spected Neither Age Nor Sex.
Uncanny Ceremonies Held lat Night
In Woods and Ravines.
Three OF the Members Of the De-
funct Organization Hanged.

OZARK, NO., May 10.-The Bald Knob
bers are executed. The drop fell at 9.53 a.
m. The ropes broke and the three men fell
to the ground struggling. 1t was horribly
bunged butchery. The men were carried
to the scaffold again at 1910. Bill Walker
was struggling, groaning and almost insensl-
BILE. Dave Walker died in 10 minutes, John
Matthews in 10 minutes and Bill Walker In
IA minutes
The three Bald Knobbers, Dave Walker,
better known in Christian county as "Bull
Creek Dave" Chief Of the Bald Knobbers
his son, William Walker, and John Matthew,
were hanged for the murder Of Charles
Green and William Edens, on March IL, 1887,
Neither Of the trio had yet reached his Goth
year. and William Walker was barely 10
years of age. Taney county. NO.. was the
birthplace of the order Of masked regula-
tors. Christian county, which adjoins Ia
ney county. first adopted Bald Knobberism In
1856. Dave Walker was the first leader.
and the order soon numbered between 800
and 400 members. All new comers were in
vited to join the order, and the majority did
so. The candidate for Bald Knobber honors
was compelled to pass through
trying ordeal. Instead Of being inducted
into some fraternal order, composed Of his
neighbors, as he had anticipated, he found
himself at midnight In the dark recesses Of
lonely wood or rayine, surrounded by hun
dreds OF hideousy masked men, who i'm
posed upon the candidate bl00d-curdling
obligation, the infraction of which was pun
ishable by death. Once a member he could
never desert the organization and remain in
that section Of the country alive. After hav-
ing committed many atr0ci0us crimes with
impunity, the Bald Knobbers performed
their last overt act on the night Of March IL,
1887. At point eight miles east of Ozark.
one John Evans was whipped by them for
misbehaving In church. An old man named
Edens, who was friend Of Evans, inter-
fered and received four blows with the whip
before Chief Walker could interfere.
Edens afterward fearlessly denounced Bald
Knobberism, and on the night Of March 11th
the band met to consider what punishment
should be given the old man who dared to
criticise the regulators. There were 26 Bald
Knobbers present at the meeting, and after
very brief deliberations they proceeded to
the Edens' residences TO punish the inmates.
They first went to the home of VIM. Edens,
but finding no one there went to the house
OF James Edens, Williams father. There
were in the house at the time, father,
mother, son, daughteT-in-law, daughter and
son-ln-law and two grandchildren. The
Knobbers fired pr0miscu0usly into the house
without regard to sex or age, killing young
VIM. Edens and Charles Green. his brother
in-law, and leaving old man Edens on the
floor for dead. The daughter barely escaped
with her life. During the melee Bill Walker
was shot in the leg, and this afterwsrd aided
in completing the chain Of evidence against
the offenders. This outrage brought about
a elimination of public indignation, and
Zach johnson. the fearless Sheriff Of Chris
tian county with a picked posse, had the
murderers, save Bill Walker, in custody
within AS hours time. Bill Walker was
captured three weeks later in Douglas
county, where he had fled to nurse his wound
and avoid detection. The trials Of the men
were attended with many scenes of an ex-
citing character. A very peculiar feature Of
Bald Knobberism now dead, Is that major
ity Of the most prominent members OF the
band Of regulators were devout church
nannharc