Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-05-16
END OF BALD KNOBBERS.
Three Pious Missouri Regulators
Meet Their Doom.

AT Ozark, Mo-, May 10th, the three
Bald Knobbers, tho chief Of the clan,
Dave Walker, his son William Walker,
and John Matthews were hanged for
the murder of Charles Green and VIM.
Edens, March nth, 1887.
No ono of the trio had yet reached
his fiftieth year, and VIM, Walker was
barely nineteen years Of age. For the
past two weeks powerful pleas had been
made to the Governor for oommuta-
ton Of the sentences for the three men,
and Wednesday last, after reviewing
the case ut length, the Governor do
clinod to interfere, and tho condemned
mon were notified they must die.
The arrest, trial and conviction Of the
Bald Knobber leaders attracted wido-
spread attention, and for the first time
the history of the Bald Knobbers'
organization was made public, fancy
county, Missouri, was the birthplace
Of this order Of masked regulators. IL
is In tho widest section of tho State,
and in tho early days Of lawlcssness
caused the formation OF leagues for the
protection OF life and property. At u
point eight miles east OF Ozark, aud
near the Edcns dwelling, one John
Evans was whipped by tho Bald Knob
bers for misbehaying in church. Old
man Edens, who was u friend OF Evans,
intorfered and received several blows
with IA whip. Edons afterwards fear
lessly denounced the Bald Knobbers,
and on tho night of March IL, n band
Of twenty-six Of thom proceeded to
Edens' residence to punish theiumates
They first went TO the home Of William
Edens, but finding no one there pro-
cecded to tho house OF James Edons,
Williams father. There were In the
house at the time, father, mother, son,
daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law
and two grand children. The Bald
Knobbers fired promiscuously into the
house, killing young William Edons
and Charlesssireen, his brother-in-law,
and leaving the old man Edens on the
floor for dead. During tho melee Bill
Walker was shot in the leg, and this
afterwards aided In completing the
chain OF evidence against the offenders.
A peculiar feature of Baldknobism,
now dead, n that u majority OF the
most prominent members Of tho band
Of regulators were devout church
members. Chief Walker was an OK
horter, temperance advocate and gem
orally devout man. The Bald Knob
Der chief chung to tho belief that tho
regulators were champions OF right,
asserting that the Edens-Green killing
was an unfortunate but unavoidable
mistake.
''Bull Creek Dave" Walker, the Bald
Knobber chief according TO his own
story, was born in Christian county,
Missouri. When he was four years
old he settled near Spart. THE section
they settled on was at that time part
OF Green county. They had hard
life up to tho war. Dave enlisted in
Company M, Sixth Missouri Volun-
teers, In 1862, but after -four months'
service was discharged, ms no was
under age. He went back home but
had n stronger inclination for tho
war than ever, and enlisted In Com
pany ii OF the Sixteenth Missouri.
His age was not found out and he
went through the war. After the war
he returned TO Bull Creek and entered
forty acres OF government land This
was his homestead. Ho joined the
Bald Knobbers three years ago, when
the first company formed In Christian
county (then Bull county, and was made
chief. He claimed that beside pouring
out OF liquor ut Chadwick saloon and
whipping John Evans for "cutting up
in church." his company had not done
any regulating. II was the whipping
OF Evans which excited the hostility OF
the Edens.
William Walker is the Oldest son of
the Bald Knobbcr. He was born on
March 8, 1870. He lived on farm
with his father and joined the Bald
Knobbers at same time. Hewas wound
cd in the right groin In the Green-Edens
killing and that night was taken TO his
uncle's house in Douglas county. He
was captured later by the Sheriff, with
the assistance of ID. Newton, broth
or Of Walkers sweetheart.
John Matthews was born In Bull
Creek, Christian county, Missouri. five
miles from Chadwick, April 80, l848.
He was In the Union army during the
war, having enlisted in the Forty
Sixth Missouri. He took part in sew
eral engagements incident TO General
Pryor's raid. He had nine children.
He was member OF the Baptist church
and had been Bald Knobber but two
months when the shooting occurred.
His son Jimmie, ii years old, was at
the Eden house on the night OF the
killing, and was indicted with his
father, but was released by the Court
after furnishing bond in 81 900, on ac-
count OF his youth.
Young viii Walker has "a sweet
heart named Louie Newton. II is un-
| derstood that they were engaged, but
she has not been TO see him lately.
Her brother, Bill Newton, was one OF
the indicted ones. All the sixteen
Knobbers indicted who did not plead
guilty and were convicted had their
cases nollieG. Newton was among tho
number. Miss Newton is n blonde.
She is not very pretty. She was used
by the prosecution to catch Will Walk
err, who was one OF the last TO be cap
tured.
The Bald Knobbers' organization
had its origin in n bonding together OF
men for mutual protection and the en-
forccment OF the law. IL was an
organization similar to the White Caps
OF Indiana. Perhaps it was the same,
though not known in Missouri by that
name.