The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-01
BILL TAYLOR HANGED.
Murderer Dies on the GaIIows at
CarrolIton, Mo.
BIG CROWD SEES THE EXECUTION.

One OF the Spectators Is Old Mrs. Meeks,
who Nearly Faints as Taylor Makes His
fiunge to Death-story of the Killing Of
the Meeks Family, the Head of Which
was Principal Witness Against Taylor
In Cattle Stealing Case.
CARRoLLToN, Mo-, May l.-willlam
Taylor, who with his brother George,
murdered the Meeks family, was hanged
IN the Jail here few minutes before IL
O'Clock Thursday morning Sheriff STAN
ley began reading the death warrant at
lO:i6, and minute later the march to
the gallows was begun Taylor walked
between Stanley and Deputy Sheriff AL
len. Father Kennedy followed chanting.
taylor walked firmly, carryinga crucifix.
Ills eyes were set straight to the front and
nc remained stolid to the last. As he APP
pearod before the 80 spectators who had
been admitted TO the stockade a few min.
utes before, an audible expression OF graft
llcation arose from the avenged Carroll
tonitcs. Sheriff Stanley pulled the
trap at lO;i7 and Taylor shot through to
death. Not muscle quivered In eleven
minutes he was pr, n lunced dead. Old
Mrs. Meeks. who stood near the scaffold,
almost tainted
Meeks Family Murder.
The murder of the Meeks family was
the most revolving crime ever perpetratcd
In this state. The tragedy occurred on
the night of May IL, 1894. Bill Taylor
was lawyer and banker in Linn county,
Mo-, being at the time mentioned cashier
of the bank at Browning, that county.
For four or five years he had borne a
rather evil reputation, although suffered
to hold his place in society by reason of
his wealth. He had been arrested on sew
eral charges, the latest being for
stealing u herd of cattle and driv-
ing it TO Pardin Mo-, to be shipped
TO Chicago. Gus Mceks was an accom-
plice In this crime, and was tried and SEN
fenced to tho penitentiary. He subse-
quently confessed, was pardoned, re-
turned home and was the principal wit
ness against Bill Taylor George Taylor,
Bill's brother, was prosperous farmer
living three miles from Browning On
the night of the murder the two brothers
drove to Milan, distance of twelve
miles, in "a buggy. They drove to the
uOllit VI htthS anu oubSiNN
the house Meeks went back into the
house and told his family he was going to
leave the country and that the Taylors
would assist him.
The Lutte Girl Not Dead.
His wife said: Il and the children will
go on with you, Gus" The Meeks fam
lily started away with their belongings in
a wagon that night. They did not go
far, however, for the next morning the
stiff and bloody bodies of four members
OF the family were found under hay
stack on George Taylor's farm, and one
little member, little girl years old,
crawled out from the same CORY bed with
n great cash in her foremead and stum-
bled to the nearest house, which, fortu-
nately did not happen to be Taylor's,
where she told her pitful story. The
little girl did not remember much, ex-
ccpt that she was struck on the head after
seeing her parents killed, and then went
10 sleep" There Is no doubt from the
facts subsequently, developed that the
Taylors thought they had killed the en-
tire Meeks family, as they intended do
ing. The charred embers of bed tick
and some clothing, the only earthly pos
sessions of the Meeks family, were found
on the Taylor farm Two wagons be-
ing TO George Taylor had fresh blood
stains upon them, as several witnesses
tostinpd