Northwest Arkansas Times from Fayetteville, Arkansas • Page 7

Graduate Student Recounts Events Grisly Murder Of Cane Hill Family In 1839 Is Recalled Editor's Note: The author is graduate student at the University of Arkansas. The following account of a grisly murder which occurred in 1839 near Cane Hill are excerpts from a research project he carried on while a graduate student in history. The account is based chiefly upon contemporary newspaper accounts of the event. There were residents of Cane Hill who believed the wrong men were punished, but the author, despite the hearsay evidence and unorthodox method of meting out justice, is convinced they were guilty. He is currently serving an internship with the educational administration department at the University of Arkansas and is part time assistant principal at Woodland Junior i School.

CHARLES G. WILLIAMS Special (o the TIMES Along the Indian frontier in an isolated two room cabin, located along a creek bed several miles from the community of Hillsboro (now Cane i one of the siate's most infamous crimes occurred. The family of William Carter Wright was brutally attacked in the dead of night by a gang of outlaws. The murder of Wright and four of his children has been remembered as the Cane Hill Murders of 1839. The slaying if five members of the family of 11 led to the lynching of four men by a committee of citizens of Cane Hill.

The incident shows life on the American frontier in the early 19th century in its rawest form. It was Saturday night, June 15, 1839 around 9 p.m. when Mrs. Frances Wright, awoke to the sound of men and horses outside the cabin. Her fear, which she expressed to her husband after awakening him, was that hostile Indians were coming to their cabin.

The riders had tied their horses outside the fence, which was ten steps from the cabin's two front doors. As Mrs. Wright watched the three men standing in the frontyard through a crack (in the log cabin), one of these three hailed the house. Wright, who was'in the other room standing by one of Front doors, asked what they wanted. The men replied they desired to spend the night at the cabin.

Wright, complaining about -he lateness of the hour opened door to admit the men. He was seized and killed by three men in the doorway so swiftly that he did not struggle. Only a moan escaped his dying lips as he sank to the earth outside the cabin door. Mrs. Wright immediately upon seeing her husband stabbed, fled the cabin.

The eldest daughter also fled running past the killers and her dying father into the dark woods that surrounded the cabin. Mrs. Wright reached Charles M. McClellan's cabin, about one mile away, and spread news of the attack. McClellan's reaction to the crime a 'shock" when he viewed the Direct-Mail Appeal Works For Democrats WASHINGTON (AP) The money-hungry Democratic party says the national direct mail appeal for funds it launched last month is bringing in an average of $10,000 a day.

It's expected to garner around $400.000 by Nov. 3 election day. said Olga Gechas, who is keeping track of the campaign for the Democratic National Committee. Thn money is not going directly to the candidates but is being used by the committee to provide them technical assistance and send out such stump campaigners as national chairman Lawrence F. O'Brien.

The campaign is geared to those irked by Vice President Spiro T. Agnew's blasts at Democrats. O'Brien sets the theme: "Remember. Nixon is depending on Spiro Agnew. And I'm depending on you." The direct mail effort grew out of a desporate effort by the committee, faced with a million deficit after the losing presidential effort in 1968.

The Democrats are soliciting only those who tho committee's files showed had contributed previously. The requests started going out on Sept. 23. O'Brien's letter, before asking for money, says: "The Republican blitz is on "Spiro Agnew is stepping up personal attacks on Democrats and the smears are flying "The Republican strategy is to win control of the Congress by discrediting and even challenging the patriotism of all who disagree with the Nixon policies." Miss Gechas says the contributions range generally from $1 to $100. with one of $1,000, but the average is $10 to $11.

Open Doors DAVIDSON, N.C. (AP) The Davidson College board of trustees has told the 12 chapters of nationally affiliated fraternities on the campus to open their doors to all applicants or leave houses. Fraternity members have traditionally voted to admit applicants they consider the best among the incoming freshmen. remains of cabin and bodies the next morning. The killers, having murdered the father then killed four small children.

They were an infant, whose skull was crushed, and one boy and two girls who were cut up with knives. Another son was struck in the head by a knife. The blow removed part of his scalp a caused brain damage, but he survived. Three other children were not discovered by the killers. After the men found the money they had come for, they set fire to the cabin and fled.

Wright was a prosperous supplier of for the Cherokee Nation, and a known to have money in i cabin. After the killers fled the three children escaped the fire and pulled the bodies of all the Wrights out except two children. The father and two children were close enough to the fire to have their clothing burnt and their bodies scorched by the fire. When the fire burned itself out, the bones of the two children inside the cabin were visible to the crowd which gathered the next day. The site of the Wright cabin is on the Robert L.

Kidd farm near Lincoln. The next morning the community assembled at the site of the grisly murder. The smell of burnt wood and flesh filled the air. Although the first order of business was to take care of the dead and wounded, the citizens, soon began an in- EXTENSION Homemakers Clubs SCHEDULE Extension Homemaker Clubs in Washington County will meet at the following times and places during the week of Oct. 19-23: Tuesday: Bethel Grove, hospitality room, Ozarks Electric Cooperative Corp.

(OECC), 11 a.m.; Winslow, Mrs. I a Reed, 7:30 p.m.; Nature Study Group, Mrs. Delores Barnett, 2 p.m. Wednesday: Growing 59ers, First State Bank. 1 p.m.; Rhea, community building, 1:30 p.m.: Salem, community building.

11 a.m.: Zion-Oakland, Mrs. Roy Howard, 1:30 p.m. Thursday: Washington County Council, hospitality room OECC. 10 a.m. Friday: Buckner, Mrs.

Hughes. 1:30 p.m. MEADOW VALLEY Eight members of Lincoln Club were entertained Wednesday at the Ozarks Electric Cooperative Corp. There were 19 members of the host club present and guests. Mrs.

Margaret Brownfield. Mrs. Rose Mrs. Barbara White and Mrs. Porter.

A short business session was held before the luncheon and Mrs. Brownfield reported on the upcoming county council meeting. Mrs. A. D.

Wood gave devotions. Mrs. C. F. Allen and Mrs.

Ben Porter will be hostesses for the November meeting. Elkins Roll call was answered by 18 members at the October meeting held at Elkins Community Church. The upcoming council meeting was discussed and a program on happiness of leisure was presented by Mrs. E. Gorham.

The Nov. 11 meeting will be held at the home of Mrs. Willie Stokenbury at Farmington. Mrs. Richard Wendt FARMINGTON Plans were completed for a cooperative luncheon in November when eight members convened at the club rooms last week.

The luncheon will be held Nov. 19. Mrs. Frances Williams gave the devotions and the program on happiness of leisure. Mrs.

Helen Hill vestigation to find the murderers. At first the citizens thought Indians had "broken but soon they decided the killers were The Cane Hill 'ndependent Regulating Company, a "citizens" vigilante was in charge of the in- 'estigation. The company, already in ex- stance, was comprised of 30 rominent men in that part of Vashington County. They were policemen, and judge as, they rounded up iuspects and witnesses and hold mpromotu trials. Soon arrested was a 3arnes, his brother.

Taylor, iam Bailey, Jackson Turner and three brothers, John, Alexander and Asbury Richmond. They all furnished alibis and vere released. This investiga- ion took place on a bluff direct- across from the present Lawrence Bullington home in Cane 'fill. About 10 or 15 days after the 'irst suspects had been released Asbury Richmond got drunk and began to talk at Ambrose larnage's store about Wright murders. Harnage reported to the com- nittee that Asbury has stated his brother, (which one he did not make clear) had "helped nurder that family in Cane iill." A committee of eight persons re-interrogated Richmond about his knowledge of the crime.

Based on the information rom the interrogation the committee arrested Asbury's brother, John. James Barnes and Jackson Turner and began a search for William Bailey who lad disappeared. John Richmond was advised of i brother's testimony against him. but denied all that lis brother had sworn to before the committee. The committee then began trial.

The witnesses called the committee gave hearsay i on the murder. Sight Restored To Michigan Beauty Queen WYANDOTTE, Mich. (AP) -Ann Marstnn, the slender blonde former Miss Michigan and archery prodigy who lost her sight more than a year ago, can see again. "It's one of those things where you don't realize what you've been missing. Wow!" said Miss Marston, who has been outfitted with binocular- type "goggles" by a New York physician after other doctors had given up on her sight returning.

"I was partially blind before. I could see forms but not features. It was like looking through a steamed bathroom." The glasses, fitted this week, help correct a detached retina condition. Miss Marston Injured her spine when trampled by an escaped bull during a rodeo in 1962. She went blind in February 1969.

As Miss Michigan, she won a Miss America talent contest in I960 with an archery exhibition, which included firing an arrow over the heads of a startled audience. Released NEEDHAM. Mass. (AP) -Former U.S. Sen.

Leverett Sal tonstall has been released from Glover Memorial Hospital after being held overnight for observation following a two-car auto accident. The 77-year-old Republican suffered slight head cuts when the car he was driving collided with another Thursday at an in tersection here. Evidence that would not have been acceptable in a regular court of law. The committee accepted these second-hand accounts and allowed them to stand as evidence against the suspects. It appears that none of the suspects had a chance to confront their accusers.

After the committee had convinced themselves, of the guilt of Richmond, Barnes, Bailey and Turner, lohn Richmond a a a i brought before the committee and charged with the crime. Again Richmond proclaimed lis innocence and was ordered taken away. While being lead away, he attempted to escape. However, tied up as he was, he only made a few yards he-fore he fell entangled by his bonds. As he was dragged back before the committee, he agreed to confess the crime.

John Richmond stated before the i that Jack Nicholson, who lived a Sylvia Post Office, was leader of the gang. He (John Richmond) talked twice to Nicholson on June 14 about committing robbery; and on Saturday night June 15, he Nicholson. James Barnes. William Bailey, Jackson Turner and another man called Jack, or Jim. They rode through the woods to the Wright cabin.

Near the cabin, out of earshot, Nicholson told Richmond, Bailey a Turner to proceed to the cabin while he, Barnes, and the fifth member of the gang waited in the woods. Barnes feared would be recognized by Wrights because he had been at their cabin several days before. It appears that Barnes was the one that found out that Wright had money in his home and told the other members of the gang. With this knowledge, the plot was hatched to rob and murder the Wright family. Richmond's account of the killing of Wright and his four children fits Mrs.

Wright's des.crption. After the deed the money was given to Nicholson to hold until things calmed down around Cane Hill. The gang then split up i each man being responsible for hiis own alibi. Nicholson, and the man called Jack or Jim, were caught. It was believed a Nicholson and he escaped into the Indian territory.

Barnes and Turner denied Richmond's story and claimed they were innocent, Richmond tried to get them ot hut they would not admit to their part in the crime. The three men were hanged at 10 a.m. on Monday July 29, 183!) in Hillsboro. The site of the hanging was on Thomas Pogue's land, which today is occupied by Jenkin's Grocery in a Hill. John Richmond had promised to make further disclosures from the scaffold about the murder, but he refused to do so.

He was. read his confession, he signed it, and asserted that DEMOCRATIC BREAKFAST FOR DR. BOB RILEY KELLY BRYANT LUBY'S CAFETERIA FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1970 7:30 A.M. $5.00 Ad Paid By Preston Woodruff, Jr. "those were hit tfyinf Ml the matter." William Bailey, who hid flfi) Cane Hill to South was found, brought back to Cane Hill and hanged in December 1839.

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