The record-union., 1897-02-14
Had Been Unconscious Since Early
Monday Morning.
Was a Conspicuous Figure in the
Civil War-Fought Throughout the
Rebellion in the Cause of the
South, Then Went to Mexico and
rendered the Services of Himself
and a Thousand Men to Save Max
milian's Empire.

KANSAS CITY (Mo), Feb. 13.-Gen-
eral Joseph 0. Shelby died at his country
home, eight miles from Adrian, Mo-,
at O'Clock this morning. The end came
peacefully. The patient had been un-
conscious since early Monday morning.
AT consultation of physicians last
night it was given out that death must
come before morning, and the family re-
manned constant watchers at the bed
side.
General Shelby was taken seriously
i'll ten days ago with pneumonia, and
gradually grew worse. His vitality was
great, however, and half dozen times
since then, when given up to die, the
patients remarkable recuperative power
asserted itself, and he each time revived
During all last Sunday night and the
most of Monday the patient talked con-
tlnually in an irrational way. At times
he recognized those about him but only
for a moment, when he would again
lapse into a cornatOSe or delirious state.
He began to sink rapidly Tuesday
morning. and in a few moments his
pulse was almost imperceptible. Until
that moment Mrs. Shelby, who had
been constantly at the Generals bed
side, believed he would survive She
then gave way, Frustrated by the ply
sical and mental strain.
Later the General revived somewhat,
but remained unconscious till death,
and practically took no medicine or
nourishment.
Definite arrangements for the funeral
have not been made, but it is believed
that General Shelby viii be buried in
Kansas City, where the family reside.
General Joseph Orville Shelby was
born in Lexington, KY, in 1881. AT 10
years of age he came with his parents
to Missouri. Hemp was the great sta
PIE of Missouri in those days, and when
his parents settled on a form 30" Sc
cured employment on a rope walk at
Waverly. He ultimately became owner
of the works and of a big plantation
in Lafayette County, and as conse-
quence he became a slave owner. When
the Kansas dispute came on Mr. Shelby
naturally sympathized with the pro-
slavery element, and in the border
troubles" which followed Shelby was a
leader in several raids into Kansas.
When actual hoStilities began he was
known among his neighbors as Captain
Shelby He raised company of Con-
federate cavalry and entered the field,
starting south to join General Price.
A few weeks later Captain Shelby
was commissioned as Colonel of cavalry
and ordered back to Missouri to recruit
a regiment. Returning with his band
of 100 men, who had numerous skir-
mishes with Federal bands, Colonel
Shelby quickly organized a regiment
to which was Joined the three Missouri
regiments in a cavalry organization
known as "Shelbys Brigade" This bri-
gade, under General Shelby, saw much
hard service in Missouri, Arkansas,
Louisiana and Texas.
When the news of Lees surrender
came to the Confederate army in the
West, General Shelby found himself at
the head of a well-equipped and thor
oughly disciplined body of men, a great
many of whom would not admit that
their cause had been lost Shelby, how
ever. succeeded in convincing his fol-
lowers that further fighting against the
Government would be useless, and
when, as an alternative, he proposed
march to Mexico, there to espouse the
cause of Maximilan, 1000 of his fol-
lowing readily Joined him.
AT Corsicana an election was held
and Shelby was elected commander,
receiving every vote
The column then moved on to Hous-
ton. and then on to Austin, the capital
of Texas, where the Confederate Gov
had a sub-treasury in which
was stored $300,00O in gold and silver
General Shelby's regiment arrived at
Austin barely in time to save this trea-
sure from a marauding band of glAarril-
las under Captain Rabb, who captured
the treasury building and started in to
loot it. Shelby's men surrounded the
ber of marauders drove them Oft Cen
eral Shelby's men guarded the treasure
until the following day.
On the next morning the Mayor of
Austin proposed to General Shelby that
inasmuch as his men We're the last or
ganized body of the Confederacy in
Texas, they take this Confederate
money. Shelby positively refused, say
ing, Il went into the war with clean
hands, and by Gods blessing 1 will go
out of war with clean hands,
From Austin Shelby's band marched
to San Antonio and to Eagle Pass,
where they crossed into Mexico and re-
sumed their march. When they reached
the City of Mexico Maximilian had
been reigning for a year. Shelby of
fered to take immediate service with
his band, and to recruit an army of
5000 Americans to supersede the ma
tive troops. but Maximilian was suspi-
cious, and Shelby's company was forced
to disband. Many of them settled in
others went on to the Pacific
Coast and shipped for California, while
some returned to their former homes
General Shelby became a freight con-
tractor in Mexico, but in 1861 he re-
turned to his farm in Missouri. where
he lived retired life until 1893, when
President Cleveland appointed him
United States Marshal for the Western
District of Missouri. During the great
railroad strike in 1894, when Marshal
Shelby was active in suppressing the
strikers, he became involved in a con-
troversy with Governor Stone who
contended that United States officers