The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


The 1915 Graphic

Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1915

Stronghurst Graphic, Sept.16, 1915

SHOT HIM DEAD! A fatal tragedy occurred at about 8pm Monday evening on the George Dewain farm 3 1/2 miles north of Carman where Ed McBride and Albert Akers were engaged in a tiling contract.

The men were "batching" in a shack on the farm while the work was in progress and on the day in mention the men had taken a day off and gone to Burlington. Here they imbibed rather freely in intoxicating liquor.

McBride had returned to the shack later that evening while Akers went to Dallas City to visit three daughters who lived there expecting to return to camp on Tuesday morning.

For some reason he changed his mind after reaching Dallas and returned to Carman on the train which arrived at 6:30 pm. He walked out to the camp and is supposed to have reached it about 8 pm. McBride had gone to bed and was aroused from his sleep by the sound of someone prowling about the shack. He claims that he called out to the man to make himself known, but got no response. A little later the man on the outside pounded on the door and when again asked to reveal his identity responded with a vile epithet.

McBride then grabbed up a 16-gauge shot gun standing in the shack and fired through the screen door. The charge struck the intruder in the chest close to the neck, making a hole the size of a silver dollar and severing the jugular vein. As the man fell, McBride stepped outside and discovered that he had killed his own partner.

He at once went to the house of Chas. Sharp about a half mile distant and told his story. The sheriff and coroner were notified by telephone and were on the scene in a short time. A jury was empaneled consisting of Wm. Stewart, Fred Pence, A.C.Babcook, Clyde Meade, Wm. Brown and Clarence Dixon.

After listening to the evidence, the jury brought in a verdict in accordance with the facts as stated.

McBride was taken to Oquawka by the sheriff and placed in jail to await the action of the grand jury. He is a man about 68 years of age and but little is known concerning him. Akers was a man of over sixty and has lived at Dallas City for several years and was known as a man of dissolute habits.

His wife and three of the children had left him on this account only about a week previous and gone to their old home in Virginia. Three older daughters live in Dallas City.

LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Frank Nelson left for Kansas City where he expects to buy some cattle. O.W.Beckett is in Kankakee attending the conference of the M.E.Church. Chas. Wax accompanied his son Carrol to Mexico, Mo. where the latter will attend a military school. The two Sunday Schools of the M.E.Church consist of 24 officers and teachers, 302 scholars, 17 in the Home department and 17 on the cradle roll, in all 360 enrolled. The church membership is as follows: 3 probationers, 12 non-residents and 274 members in full connection making a total of 289.

Cline Stine leaves for Illinois State University where he will be a student. Roland Davidson, Geo. Peasley and Eugene Baxter left for Evanston where they will enroll in Northwestern University. Chauncey Hollingsworth has received a scholarship at the University of Illinois. Cranston Doak will attend there also as well as Lorenzo Foote who will continue his agricultural studies at the state university.

Rev. Sam McKeown arrived at Biggsville from the mission field from Liberia, Africa. His coming was a surprise to relatives who did not think that he would risk an ocean voyage during these times of danger from submarine attacks by German war crafts.

LOMAX LINGERINGS: Mr. J.V.Vaughn of Lomax area is sojourning in Moorhouse, Minn. Where he is looking after his farm interests. Fred Nixon and Miss Hazel Waterman, both of Lomax, were married in Burlington on Sept. 8th. The new bungalow being built by S.F.Tannus is well under construction. The Christian church is undergoing a general repairing including frescoing inside, new roof and painting outside.

NOBLE LIFE ENDED: A well-rounded life both in respect to the length of time it covered and the scope of its activities; a life which has left its impress upon this community as well as upon the individual lives which it touched; a successful life not only from a material prosperity viewpoint but also in the larger and truer sense closed last Saturday morning when John Marshall passed away at this home northwest of Stronghurst. Although nearing the century mark, Mr. Marshall retained his bodily and mental vigor up to within a few hours of his death and was present at the Sabbath school and preaching services at the Stronghurst U.P.Church the Sabbath morning preceding his death.

Sometime during the night of the 8th or the early hours of the 9th the silent messenger of death lightly touched him as he slept peacefully in his bed and the next morning he was found unconscious by members of the household who attempted to awaken him. He lingered in an unconscious condition until Saturday morning, Sept.11 when he quietly passed away.

John Marshall was the son of Alexander and Mary (McMillan) Marshall and was born near Winsboro, Fairfield District, South Carolina, Oct. 23, 1821 and died at his home five miles northwest of Stronghurst Sept.11th, aged 93 years, 10 months and 18 days. Alexander Marshall was one of the honored pioneers of Henderson County who came here from South Carolina in 1836, making the trip on horseback. He bought the southeast quarter of Sec. 16,

Township 9N5W and then returned to his native state for his family. This family made the long journey in covered wagons, the trip occupying all the time from April 3 to June 3, 1837. John Marshall was educated in the public schools and reared to a knowledge of farming.

After reaching his majority, he worked for himself farming and teaching school. He taught one term of school in his own house after his marriage while a school building was being erected in the district. (Pleasant Hill District) He was married Oct. 6, 1848 to Ann Maria Richey, daughter of Richard W. and Helen Richey from Washington County, N.Y. To this union were born 9 children, six of whom survive: William Thomas of Red Oak, Ia.; Mrs. Ella M. Coppage of Emerson, Ia.; Mrs. Annie M.Fort, Richard, Alexander and Emma R. Marshall all of Stronghurst Township. Jane E., a daughter who married Charles Jamison of Pasadena, California, is dead and two sons, Charles and John W. died in their childhood. In addition to the children mentioned, Mr. Marshall is survived by 20 grand children and 7 great grand children. Mrs. Marshall died March17, 1901.

Their entire married life was spent on the farm lying in the northeast corner of Sec.20 and the northwest corner of Sec.21 in Township 9N5W and here the aged husband chose to remain after the death of his wife and up until the day of his death.

The deceased was the last surviving member of the family of seven children reared by Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Marshall, all of whom became well known and influential citizens of Henderson and Warren Counties. The other six were Robert Marshall who died in 1902; Jane T., wife of Isaiah Brook; Daniel who was for 25 years a physician in Henderson County; James A. who lived on the farm now occupied by his son Thomas R. and who died in 1896; Hugh who was a member of the medical profession of Warren County, and William who at the time of his death was a resident of Stronghurst...Mr. Marshall was chosen president of the Stronghurst State Bank when it was organized and continued to hold that position during the corporate life of that institution covered by its 20 year charter. When the bank was re-organized in 1909 as the State Bank of Stronghurst, he was urged to accept the presidency, but felt obliged to decline because of his advanced age. On Oct.26, 1898 Mr. and Mrs. Marshall celebrated their golden wedding anniversary(an account of this affairs follows for several paragraphs).

Mr. and Mrs. Marshall were charter members of the Olena United Presbyterian Church transferring their membership from the Walnut Grove Church at the time the Olena church was organized. Mr. Marshall remained a member of that congregation until his death and was the last surviving charter member. Funeral services were held there on Sept.13th. The building proved inadequate to accommodate the large assemblage of relatives, neighbors, friends and business associates who came to pay a last tribute of respect to the departed. Following the service, the remains were born to their lasting resting place in the family lot in the beautiful cemetery north of the village of Olena. Six grandsons served as pall bearers: Elbridge and Delbert Coppage, Will and Walter Marshall and Charles and John B. Fort.

KAISER-KEANE WEDDING: Albert F. Kaiser of Stronghurst and Miss Frances Keane of Raritan were quietly wed at Monmouth in the parish house of Rev. Father Owens. Miss Erma Kaiser, a sister of the groom, and Mr. John Keane, a brother of the bride, wee witnesses to the marriage. Following the ceremony, the couple left on a honeymoon through some of the Eastern states.

The groom is the only son of Mr. and Mrs. C.R.Kaiser and has for the past few years been the bookkeeper in the State Bank of Stronghurst. The bride is the daughter of Mrs. Mary Keane who lives on the J.D.Lynch farm one and a half miles north of Raritan. She has for a number of years been engaged in teaching and is an accomplished lady... Misses Grace and Effie Pendarvis gave a towel shower at their home southeast of Media in honor of Miss Frances Keane with 25 ladies present.

NEW INVENTION: Lyman Taylor has been devoting some of his spare moments in devising an adjustable swinging scaffold to be used instead of ladders painting the outside of buildings. He has perfected a model which seems to answer all the requirements and has taken the preliminary steps toward securing a patent on the invention.