The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-05-16

county, Missouri, was the birth place /
Of the order Of masked regulators. 1t /
Is in the widest section of the state |
and early day Iawlessness caused the |
formation of leagues for the protection |
Of life and property. The regulators |
first came into prominence when the |
notorious Frank and Tubal, entered |
the home Of Mr.. Dickinson in Forsyth,
Missouri, and murdered an entire fam
lily. The outlaws were captured by
the new law and order league and
promptly lynched. Captain Nat Kin
neY, physical giant, was then the
leader of the regulators and was shot
and killed by one of his old followers at
Ozark not many years since Christian
county, which adjoins Taney county.
first adopted Bald Knobberism in
1856. Dave Walker was the first
leader and the order soon numbered be-
tween 800 and 400 members. All new
corners were invited to join the order
and the majority did so. The candi-
date for Bald Knobber honors was
compelled to pass through trying or
deal. Instead of being Indicted into
some fraternal order composed of his
neighbors, as he anticipated, he found
himself at midnight in the dark recess
ses Of lonely wood or ravine surround
ed by hundreds of hideously masked
men. who impose upon the candidate
blood curdling obligation, the infrac-
ton OF which was punishable by death.
Once a member, he could never desert
the organization and remain in that
section of the country alive. The Chad
wick raid was the first work of
the Christian county Bald Knobbers
which attracted attention. Chadwick
is a small station located at the ter
minns of the st. Loue & San Francisco
railway extension from Springfield
southeast. The opening of saloon at
Chadwick was followed by the utter
decentralization of the residents of the
of the place, and the Bald Knobbers
| ordered that the saloon be closed. The
warning was disTegarded and one
! bright night along in the summer OF
] 1886 the famous regulators entered
Chadwick, destroyed the saloon and
poured the liquors into the street. The
| saloon at Chadwick required one more
visit from the regulators, then ceased
| to exist. There were numerous visits
by the Bald Knobbers to petty offend
ers, but nothing occurred to attract
especial attention until the Green
/ Edens affair, which terminated in the
downfall of Bald Knobberism. The
Green-Edens killing was on the night
| of March 18th, 1887. At point eight
miles east of Ozark and near the Edens
| dwelling one John Evans was whipped
by the Bald KnObbers for misbehaving
in church. Old man Edens, who was
| a friend of Evans, interferred and re-
ceIved four blows with the whip before
Chief Walker could interfere. Edens
afterwards fearlessly denounced Bald
Knobberism, and on the night Of
March IL the band met to consider
what punishment should be melted out
to the old man who dared to character
iZe the regulators. There were twenty
six Bald Knobbers present at the meet
ing, and after very brief deliberations
they proceeded to the EdenS residence
to punish the inmates. They first
went to the home of VIM. Edens, but
finding no one there proceeded to the
house of James Edens, William 8 faith
er. There were in the house at the
time father, mother, son. daugh-
ter-in-law, daughter, son-in-laW
and two grand children. The
Bald Knobbers fired prumiscuously
into the house. without regard to sex
or age, killing young William Edens
and Charles Green, his brother-ln-laW,
and leaving old man EdenS on the tlooI
for dead. The daughter barely es-
capped with her life. During the melee
Bill Walker was shot in the leg, and
l this afterWard aided in completing the
chain of evidence against the offend
ers. This outrage brought about the
elimination of public Indignation, ano
: Zach Johnson the fearless sheriff o.
l Christian county, with a picked posse
9 had the murderers, save Bill walker
! in custody within fOrty-eight hours
time. Bill Walker was captured thre'
g weeks later in Douglass county, WHERE
he had fled to nurse his wound ant
l avoid detection. The capture of Bill
1 Walker was a very clever piece O
:. work. The sheriff knew that Bill haC
i sweetheart in Ozark, and came Il
90 n
Q later Bill would send for her
n which he did, and when sh'
o arrived in Douglass county t.
o meet her young outlaw lover, a detec
Y tive was shadowlng her, and in tel
J. minutes after the meeting of the lover
!, Bill Walkers wrists were decorate'
: with hand cuffs. At that time Their
q was no Jail in Ozark and the prisoner
e were taken to Springfield, Missouri TO
70 safe keeping until one could be built
Z. which was promptly done, and tn
70 Bald Knobbers transferred to Ozark
d where they paid the penalty of thei
n crimes to-day. The trials of the me
+ were attended with many scenes OF a
It exciting character but thre
is of the prisoners finally con
Is fessed to secure immunit
1t the assault of the Bald Knobbers o
ID the ES.ens home, but pleaded that b
d did not arrive until after the shootin
n had ceased. A very peculiar feature {
ID Bald Knobberism, now dead, is that
le majority of the most prominent men
'p beers of the band of regulators were d.
NJ vout church members. Chief Wake
a was an exhorter, a temperance adv,
cate and a generally devout maj
re The Bald KnObber chief chung to I'll
N belief that the regulators were chan
Of pions of the right. claiming that IL
N Edens- Green killing was an unfortI
re nate but unavoidable mistake.