The Washington times., 1894-06-04
LONG AND PRUITLESS CHASE
The TAYLOR Brothers Have Fled from
the Country.
STORY OF AN AWFUL CRIME
Short Sketch Of the Inhuman Murderers Who
Killed the Meeks Family in Missouri.
Narration Of Their Terrible Crime as Told
by the Only Surviving Child.
ESPECIAL TO THE rrMEs.l

MILAN, Mo-, June 3.-For three weeks every
detective officer and nearly every citizen in
this country have been looking for the two
most heartless murderers that ever lived In
the West-George and W. F. Taylor. Dozens
of men have been arrested in various towns
surrounding Milan suspected Of being the
Taylor brothers, only to be released again.
The officers have about given up active pur-
suit, and the chances are now that the slayers
of the Meek family will never be heard Of
again in Missouri. 1t is the general opinion
that they have taken passage on one OF the
fruit vessels plying between Galveston, Tex.
and Nicarauga. They carried away about
s75, 900, and thus equipped they may never
stop until they get as far away from the scene
of their terrible crime as sail and steam will
permit them.
In 1888 William P Taylor was elected rep
resentative from Sullivan county on the Dem
ocratic ticket by handsome majority. In
1890. while acting in the capacity OF cashier
OF the Browning savings bank, he and his
brother George succeeded in getting cashed
a check which they had raised from 50 to
81, ,000 by the Kirkville bank. For this crime
they were tried, convicted, and sentenced to
the penitentary for five years. which sentence
still stands, pending a new trial. In this case
B. F. Pierce was their attorney, and he says
they have often told him il the Supreme
Court sustained the decision Of the lower
court, the first intimation they would know
of it would be when the sheriff came after
them, and they would kill him and so to the
Charlton river brakes, and could live there
ten years, as they would never go the peni-
tentiary.
In 1891 William P. burned the lumber yard
md Of RrDthars nf
Browning. entailing to them total loss of
$40, 900. In connection with this was burned
a photograph gallery belonging to Taylor,
and it aiterward developed IN the trial at
Linneus that he had sent the instruments to a
wholesale house in ST. Louis and sold them.
For these he secured the insurance by swear
ing falsely His trial at Linneus for the burn
ing was had last December, and resulted in
hung jury, standing eleven for conviction and
one for acquitral. Since this Aivah II. Ross,
his photographer has been arrested as an ac-
complice At the trial of the burning case
b. +. Pierce, prosecuting attorney OF Sullivan
county, made one OF the best pleas in behalf
OF the state that has been made III any GRIM
inal case in Sullivan or Linn county in twenty
years.
On the 10th day OF September, 1898, VIM.
P. Taylor and three accomplices, stole thirty
one head of fat cattle from Warren Nc
Cullough president of the First national bank
of this city. and attempted to ship them to
Chicago by securing car at Browning,
under an assumed name. For TINS crime
Meeks the now murdered man. plead guilty,
and was sentenced to the penitentiary but
was pardoned only few days ago by Gov.
W. J. Stone upon application from the pro-
scouting attorney of Sullivan and Linn, that
he might be used against the Taylors. Abner
Page, another of the accompiices, turned
state evidence and was given his freedom.
4. 1t
clear. but has since been arrested in Linn
county on charge OF having received stolen
cattle.
Realizing that the people believed them
guilty of all they were charged, they deter
mined to add TO their criminal career one Of
the most brutal murders ever committed
within the borders of the state. The night OF
Thursday. May 10. 1894. will be remembered
il the criminal history of Missouri a. the
date on which occurred one of the blackest
and most heartless murders ever committed
in the state of Missouri.
The victims were Augustus Meeks, his wife,
babe of IS months, and daughter years
Of age. A daughter OF Z survives, lived
through the awful ordeal. and by her, in her
childish language, the news of the brutal
crime reached the ears of the public.
Little Nellie. the only survivor OF the Meeks
family, can only narrate in her childish way
the heartrending scenes of the night on
which she witnessed the slaughtering OF her
father and mother and two younger sisters
By some it is believed that murder was not
at first contemplated. that the incentive to
take life was an inspiration born OF tine fear
that Meess might at some future time re-
turn and further harrass the men who reared
him.
Whether these the ories are entirely faultless
matters not, but on the night of May 10 the
Meeks family packed a few OF their household
goods into light wagon and left their hum
bic cottage in Milan ior an unknown land.
The breaking up must have been particu-
larry sad one. The wife and dear little ores.
the only comfort Of IL home. had only been
enjoying husband and fathers return Il few
days, when they were compelled to move to Il
strange and unknown land. away from friends
and kindred. The little babes awakened from
their sweet midnight slumbers. wondering at
the strangeness of Il ride in the dead hours of
the night but with father and mother to pro-
tect them, they borrowed no fear When they
were slowly proceeding along the almost un-
civilized country mile and half east OF
Browning. they were met by two midnight as
sassins, who at once seized the team by the
brides. while George Taylor who was driv-
ing. placeda pistol to the temple Of Gus
Meeks and blew ont his brains.
The Mortified mother fell on her knees and
begged tor her life and that OF her dear little
babies, but she was instantly shot. The little
baby was then dispatched along with her sis
ter. then the survivor was given what was
supposed to be death blow
Fate was against the murderers. This
crime appealed to Heaven for retributiOn.
and in that straw stack was entombed living
body. who arose from the dead to bring to
justice the monsters who had tried to kill it.
Six years ago W. P. Taylor was one of the
most promising young men OF Sullivan
county. the climax of his good fortune hav-
ing been reached when he married the hand
some and accomplished daughter of Morgan
Leonard. owner OF the Browning bank and
ono of the wealthest men in this section of
country. w. p. Taylor is supposed to be
worth $4,000. The aggregate Of the reward
now offered reaches $4,000.
a nj