Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
HIsToRYoFT THE MEEKs MURDER
Foul Crime for Which the TaylOrs were
Convicted.

Foul Crime for Which the TayIors were
Convicted.
The crime charged against the Tay-
lors was committed near Browning, Linn
county, Mo-, Friday, May 10, 1894. On
that day Gus Meeks, his wife and two
children were murdered and their bodies
concealed in a strawstack on the farm
of George Taylor, about three miles
southeast of Browning. A third child,
Nellie Meeks, aged about years, was
left for dead in the StraWStack. The
blows that had been repeatedly ralned
upon her proved not to be fatal, and in
the course of few hours she recovered
consciousness and sufficient strength to
crawl over her dead parents and make
public the details of the terrible tragedy.
Meeks had been pardoned from the
penitentiary by Gov. Stone in order to
testify against the Taylors, over whose
heads indictments were hanging. Both
the defendants were men of wealth and
influence, desperate to a degree, and it
was freely predicted that they would
stop at nothing to prevent their conylc-
ton. On leaving the penitentiary Meeks
and his family went to live with Meeks'
mother in Milan. Here he was visited
by William Taylor, who arranged for
him to leave the country and not to be
present at the court which was about
to convene, Taylor agreeing to give
The Taylors arrived at midnight one
night and the entire Meeks family were
soon journeying through a lonely section
of Linn county Near what is known
as the Jenkins schoolhouse the slaughter
began. Gus Meeks was first shot, and
Mrs Meeks jumped out and she, too,
was killed. The murderers then took
stones and beat out the brains of two
Of the children and left the other for
dead. The murderers then loaded the
whole family back into the wagon and
hauled them nearly two miles to the
Taylor straWstack and covered them
with straw.
to consciousness and went to a house
near by, in which MIR. Carter lived.
She told the story of the tragedy, and
her own bloody appearance was sufficient
to confirm the truth of her story. Off
GERS at once started in pursuit of the
Taylors, but the latter were well mount
ed and familiar with every foot of the
territory in the country and found it an
easy matter to elude their pursuers.
Posses were sent out on the hunt, slim
ulated by the reward that had been Of
fered for the capture of the TaylorS.
For several days the Taylors, as was aft
erward learned, lay i'll hiding almost
within gunshot of the officers, ferocious
bloodhounds amusing themselves by hunt
ing rabbits in the woods where the Tay-
lors were concealed When the chase
became too hot the Taylors left Mis-
souri, and made their way to Arkansas
There, in the course of a few weeks,
they were captured and returned to Linn
county.
In due course of time tne Taylors
were brought to trial, but the jury disa-
greed, in spite Of the overwhelming evil
dence against the prisoners. a second
trial resulted in their conviction, and
after the delays common in such cases,
they were sentenced to be hanged. While
confined in the Carrolton jail awaiting
the day of their execution, the brothers
sawed their way out. "BilP' was re-
captured but George is still at liberty.