The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-11-03
THE FIRST HANGING
Pettis County Ever Had and il
Was by q Mob April 6, 1867.


The execution of Thos. A. William.
son yesterday brings to mind q terri
bic tragedy thar was enacted in this
city in lS67-nearly q quarter of a
century ago
At that time Selalis and Central
Missouri had a gang of toughs who
terrorized the people and they hung
around for several years. but thanks
to the good citizenship of the commu.
nifty the roughs have either" bitten the
dust" or gone hence not 10 return.
KILLING OF JOE GEIMER.
Joe wood was a local desperate.
He was a son of Watson Wood an old
and respected citizen. Joe Wood was
Q drinking man and when in his cups
vas a tiger. He was a man Of great
physical strength, and his favorite wea-
pons were the knife and pistol. 1t was
on Saturday morning, April 6. 1867,
Joe Wood was d. mixing and he went
into the store of Rod Gallie on West
Main street and deposited his pistol
with Mr.. Gallie for safe keeping.
Joe Geimer kept q saloon on West
Main street in q small wooden build.
ing which stood where T. B. Brickeps
grocery now stands. He was q peace
able, inoffensive German, very popu-
lar with his cOuntryDen and with all
Sedalia.
USED A KNIFE.
After depositing his pstol with
Rod Gallie, Joe Wood wen. into Gel
mer's saloon when the proprietor was
out and iuxuriated in drinking and
while there provoked a quarrel with
some of the frequenters of the
place, and a general fight
ensued in which the bar keeper took
part endeavoring to quell the disturb
ance. In the course Of the trouble
Joe Wood out with a knife and
slashed
AL FORBES
across the back of the neck and then
ran, it being his favorite pasiime to
cut or shoot his victim from behind,
and then run to place of safety.
Subs squently, during the same
mo Jing, G>imer met Wood on the
street and exp, .ula,ed with him in a
K I'D way regarding the difficulty in
tue saloon and told Wood that he was
/. wing to keep an orderly place.
Wood took great umbrage at what
Geimer told him and left very angry.
SHOOTS JOE GEDER.
An hour later Joe Wood secured
his pistol, and while Geimer was
standing in front Of his
saloon, in his shirt sleeves
and with his hands in his pocket,
facing east, Joe Wood walked to
within few feet of his victim ard
shot him in the back. This occurred
about IL o'clock a. m. April 6, 1867.
Wood Immediately fled to the hotel
kept by Judge D. NJ. Leet then on
the corner where S. P. Johns lumber
yard now stands Wood went through
the hotel into the back yard and
secre,ed himself in an out house. Jim
Turley, George Moses and Mote
Cantwell, then policemen went to ar
rest Joe. He defed them, but after
persuasion had been used, he finally
tod Turley he would surrender to
him, with the understanding tina. he
should be protec. ed. He was lodged
in the old log Jail that stood on the
corner of The alley on the east side of
Usage street, between Main
and Second streets, the latter known
then as Lyon street. As the
officers were proceeding east on
Main street Toward the Jail, with the
prisoner in their custody, the crowds
along the street shouting "Hang him!
Hang him !" Excitement was at
fever heat.
GUARDED In JAIL.
Adulph and A. w. Winzenburg
and Jim Kinsey were secured as
guards to watch the Jail and keep
the prisoner secure. This was done by
the authority of Sheriff John Hub