The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-03-26
IN TANEY COUNT.

Tho killing of Deputy Sheriff Williams
and the Lynching OF WIFE Murderer
Bright May Cause Another Baid-knob-
Der Outbresk-1he Governor Takes .
Hand
ST. LOUIS. March 1I.-Taney county
is again the sea. of war, and there
seems to he general impression that
the lynching of the wife murderer,
Jim W. Bright, and the killing by the
mob of Deputy Sheriff Williams, who
was intervening to defend Bright will
bring on hostilities between the differ
ent factions interested. Gov. Francis
has taken a hand in the matter, and
says that he is determined, if possible,
to bring the slayers of the deputy-sher-
i'll to justice, and that If necessary he
will send the militia to Taney county
10 maintain order. On the 18th Gov.
Francis sent the following to the sher-
i'll of Taney county:
,. Z. Good, Sher;f, Tancy County, Forsyth, Mo-:
Nevsrapers report that Williams, deputy
sherin of fancy county. was murdered by
mob while guarding prisoner at Forsyth II
true, arrest all persons implicated in the muir
der. Summon posse sufficient to hold prisoners
and see the law enforced. II you can not secure
enough law abiding citizens in your county to
10 so advise me and shall send you aid.
DAVID R. FRANCIS, Governor.
Some think that this outbreak will
revive that slumbering feud between
the Bald Knobbers and militia factions
whose deadly enmity a few years ago
gave the country such wild romance
of crime. There is no word in the En-
glish language more hateful to the
Bald Knobber element around For
syth, the county seat than the term
militia" in its local sense on the Mis-
souri, border. The militia faction in
Taney county originated in 1886,
just after the lynching Of the
Taylor boys, when Gov. Marina
luke authorized the anti-Knobbers to
organize for the enforcement OF the
law, agreeing to send arms for the
citizen-soldiery thus called out. A COM
mittee of Bald Knobbers went to JEFF
ferson City, held a conference with the
governor and prevented the shipment
Of arms, thus averting, as they claimed,
oioouy "dl oh " "hitC
Soon after this event Adjt Gen. Jami-
son went to Forsyth, negotiated treaty
of peace with Capt Nat Kinney and
his Bald Knobber lieutenants, and wit
messed, as he supposed, the formal dis
banding of the followers of the famous
border chieftain. The militia compa-
MES, though never armed by the state,
stood together to n man through all the
subsequent bloody strife in Taney
county. Hence the odium attached by
the Knobber contingent to the name
militia"
The death of Deputy Sheriff Williams
is deeply regretted. The common feel
ing, however, is that his conduct was
very rash. He should have known that
the mob would not be thwarted. Con-
flicting reports about the number of
shots fired at the Jail are now current
Some say that the deputy fired at the
mob and missed the crowd, and that
one only taking effect in the body of
the officer. Another report says that
Williams was unarmed, and made no
resistance to the demands of the mob
except to run between them and the
Jail, put his hand on the door and say:
"You can't have this prisoner till you
pass over my dead body"
Sheriff Cook did not go to the Jail.
though he was with Williams when
the latter ran to the defense of the
prisoner. Sheriff Cook was elected to
fill n vacancy in the office caused by
the shooting of Sheriff Bronson by Bill
Miles, at Kirbyville, on the 4th of July,
tective Funk at the same time. The
Miles boys when they killed Sheriff
Bronson and Detective Funk were
under bond for the murder of
the Bold Knobber chieftain, Capt.
Nat n. Kinney, whose career in Taley
county is so conspicuously connected
with the history of that lawlessp period,
from the hanging of the Taylor boys
at Forsyth, in April. 1856, down to Au-
gust, 1888, when the founder of tho
vigilance organization met his death.
Sheriff Cook was Bald Knobber, and
found little opposition at the special
election called to fill the vacancy re-
sulting from the shooting of his prede-
cessor, Bronson.
A dispatch from Ozark, Christian conn
ty, says that Mrs. Bright, the murdered
woman, was of a Christian county
family of great numerical strength,
and her brother. Bert Gideon, was i'm
Forsyth all duy preceding the night
of the lynching, consulting with small
squads of men that had assembled
there.
Friends of Deputy Sheriff Williams.
claim that the mob killed him unnec-
essarily; that they were induced to do
so by some of his personal enemies ut
Forsyth, and the mob was composed of
Christian county men principally. with
a few Taney county citizens, who were
there to kill Williams The situation
is alarming. The Bald Knobbcr and
militia factions are taking up the fight.
The people are dividing into hostile
parties and more trouble is sure to fol-
low.