Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-10
A HORRIBLE BUTCHERY.
Bungling at the Execution Of the Bald
Knobbers.


Knobbers.
THE ROPES BREAK AND THE THREE MEN FALL
TO THE GROUND STRUGGLING, THEY ARE
TAKEN UP; AGAIN STRUNG Up AND FINALLY
JUDIcIALLY srRANGLED.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, May 10.-The Bald Knobbers
are executed. The drop fell at 9:5S am. The
ropes broke and the three men fell to the
ground struggling.
The execution was a horribly bungled
butchery. The men were carried to the scaffold
again at 1910. Bill Walker struggling,
foaming and almost insensible. They were
then strung up again. and Dave Walker died in
Is minutes, John Matthew in 13 and Bill Wal
ker in IA minutes.
THEIR LAST NIGHT.
A special from Ozark, Mo-, to the Post-Dis-
patch says, the carpenters gave the scaffold its
finishing touches last evening. VIM. Walker
was baptized at p. m, by immersion in a bath
basin carried in the jail. The scene was very
affecting. Jno Matthews made a long prayer
which could be distinctly heard in the street
The prisoners ate their supper with as much
relish usual, and appeared very
quiet. except Matthews, who is taking his fate
at short intervals, asking the Lord to give him
strength to go through the ordeal, and claiming
he was a martyr. He did not not sleep over
two hours during the night.
The two Walkers retired about IL o'clock
went to sleep, and did not wake until after
o'clock. They stated that they rested well
They were up early and ate their breakfast al
the usual hour.
THE JAIL YARD WAS FULL OF GUARDS,
armed with Winchesters, shot-guns and re-
volvers, and were in charge of Capt G. W
Taylor, who was foreman of the grand jury
which indicted the Bald Knobbers.
Matthews wife and mother came in last even
ing and several other Of his relatives are here
Divine services were opened in the Jail al
7:30 o'clock, conducted by Revs. Thomas Hanks
d. E. Grayston and I. b. Horn. assisted by q
few Christian ladies. Matthews took part in
the exercises and delivered an earnest prayer in
a loud voice. VIM. Walker also lead in prayer
once.
At S:53 o'clock the sheriff entered the Jail
and read the death warrant to the doomed
men, after which Thomas Delaney, one of their
attorneys, was admitted to have an interview
and bid them farewell
JOHN MATTHEWS CAME TO THE WINDOW
and had a conversation with the Post Despatch
correspondent He said Il have to die, but thank
God l can say / am innocent and have
tOiu tue trutH All dlOHS ABOUT tnls matter
l have nothing to regretf l went out
through the hole, not because / was
guilty, but to escape a shameful death
But it was the will of God that / should die
and 1 ought to be proud of it. / was a soldier
in the federal army, and am proud of my rec.
ord. am willing for the people who have
known me all my life to say what kind of a
man have been"
PREPARING FOR THE scAFFoLD.
At 9:15 a. m. the prisoners commenced dress
ing themselves for the scaffold They were
dressed with white shirts, linen collars, blacl
cravats, low slippers, and black coat, vest ant
pants.
Story of the Bald Knobbers.
Christian county first adopted Bald Knob
bism in 1885. Dave Walker was the first leade
and the membership soon reached between 30
and 400. Each newcomer was invited to Join
and the majority did so There was a fearfu
ordeal for the candidate, who found himself il
a dark and lonely wood or ravine surrounded
by masked men who imposed a blood curdlinI
obligation, the infraction of which
WAS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH.
Once in, he could never get out and remair
in the country. Thsre were numerous visit
by the band to petty offenders. but nothing
occurred to attract widespread attention unit
the Green-Eden affair, which terminated in th,
overthrow of Bald Knobbism.
The knobbers first came into prominence
when the notorious Frank and Jubal Taylor
entered the Dickinson home in Forsythe
Taney county. and murdered the inmates
They were captured and lynched by the Law
and Order league. Capt. Nat. kinneys. whC
was himself killed by one of the band at Ozarl
not long since, stood at the head of the BalC
Knobbers at that time.
THE GREEN-EDEN KILLING
occurred on March IL, 1887. friend of th,
Edens had been whipped by the regulators ant
the Edens had condemned the Bald Knobber
for the act. On the night of March 10. 1887
the band met to consider Eden's offences
There were twenty-six present. of whom nine
teen, after a brief deliberation. proceeded Il
Edens' house to punish the inmates. Thel
were met with resistance and fired severa
volleys into the house, killing VIM. Edens anC
Chas. Green his brother-in law and seriousl,
wounding old man Edens. The outrage aroused
the people and the sheriff of Christian county
with posse, pursued and captured the entire
gang.
The prisoners were taken to Springfield
for safe keeping. afterward were transferred
to a new Jail building at Ozark from whence
Der. John Matthews returned later and sur
FOUR BALD KNoBBERs WERE SENTENCED Tc
for the killing of Green and Edens. They
were David Walker and his son Bill. Johr
Matthews and Wiley, his nephew. None of the
condemned men had reached their fiftiett
year. and Bill Walker is not vet twenty