In the late 1850s and early 1860s, William spent his time in the Nevada Gold and Silver mines. He married Barbara Mattison in 1858 and she died giving birth to their daughter, Mary Jane, in 1859. William next married Lavina Burnette in Carson City, Nevada on Sep. 21, 1864. Their son Ralph was born, June 26, 1865, in Virginia City, Nevada. Lavina died shortly after his birth.
William took his two orphaned children back to Minnesota and hired a lady to look after them, by the name of Mary E. Maynard. On Dec. 30, 1870, he married Mary and she became the mother of four more children. Richard, Frances, William, Jr., and Herbert who was born after his death.
CONDON-CHURCHILL MURDER.
About nine o'clock, on the night of the sixth of April, 1875, William Y. Churchill, of Cherry Grove township, was shot and killed while sitting in his own house. The neighbors were immediately alarmed, and arriving at the scene of the tragedy, sundry circumstances were developed which directed suspicion against Thomas Condon, a neighbor, with whom Churchill had had a quarrel during the day.
Condon was arrested and taken before Justice Fletcher Hagler for a preliminary hearing. His wife testified that Condon was at home and in bed when the murder was committed, and her testimony was corroborated by their daughter. Nevertheless, the circumstances were so strong against Condon that he was held to the higher court and committed to jail.
An adjourned term of the district court, Judge F. M. Crosby presiding, was held in July of that year. An indictment had been found against Condon, and on the 13th of that month the case was called for trial.In preparing Mr. Churchill's body for burial, a gun wad or two were found. One of the wads was found against his person by one of the attendants. On opening it out, it proved to be made from a piece of paper torn from an Indianapolis surgical institute circular. This fact was established on the trial, as also the fact that Congdon had, a short time before the murder, got some powder from one man, and some shot from another one in the neighborhood, and that he had wrapped each parcel in a circular, or piece of a circular, of that kind. This fact, taken together with threats that Condon had made against the life of Churchill and other corroborative circumstances, formed so strong a chain of evidence against Condon, that he was found guilty and sentenced for life.
The following named citizens comprised the jury before whom he was tried: A. Seeback, J. B. Dorman, H. B. Powers, G. G. McCoy, John Heath, W. 8. Grow, Justin Chamberlin, August Peterson, Dudley C. Dow, Eric Ericson, Tilton Howard, John Bronson. John C. McClure prosecuted, and Pierce and Larry defended.
William took his two orphaned children back to Minnesota and hired a lady to look after them, by the name of Mary E. Maynard. On Dec. 30, 1870, he married Mary and she became the mother of four more children. Richard, Frances, William, Jr., and Herbert who was born after his death.
CONDON-CHURCHILL MURDER.
About nine o'clock, on the night of the sixth of April, 1875, William Y. Churchill, of Cherry Grove township, was shot and killed while sitting in his own house. The neighbors were immediately alarmed, and arriving at the scene of the tragedy, sundry circumstances were developed which directed suspicion against Thomas Condon, a neighbor, with whom Churchill had had a quarrel during the day.
Condon was arrested and taken before Justice Fletcher Hagler for a preliminary hearing. His wife testified that Condon was at home and in bed when the murder was committed, and her testimony was corroborated by their daughter. Nevertheless, the circumstances were so strong against Condon that he was held to the higher court and committed to jail.
An adjourned term of the district court, Judge F. M. Crosby presiding, was held in July of that year. An indictment had been found against Condon, and on the 13th of that month the case was called for trial.In preparing Mr. Churchill's body for burial, a gun wad or two were found. One of the wads was found against his person by one of the attendants. On opening it out, it proved to be made from a piece of paper torn from an Indianapolis surgical institute circular. This fact was established on the trial, as also the fact that Congdon had, a short time before the murder, got some powder from one man, and some shot from another one in the neighborhood, and that he had wrapped each parcel in a circular, or piece of a circular, of that kind. This fact, taken together with threats that Condon had made against the life of Churchill and other corroborative circumstances, formed so strong a chain of evidence against Condon, that he was found guilty and sentenced for life.
The following named citizens comprised the jury before whom he was tried: A. Seeback, J. B. Dorman, H. B. Powers, G. G. McCoy, John Heath, W. 8. Grow, Justin Chamberlin, August Peterson, Dudley C. Dow, Eric Ericson, Tilton Howard, John Bronson. John C. McClure prosecuted, and Pierce and Larry defended.
In the late 1850s and early 1860s, William spent his time in the Nevada Gold and Silver mines. He married Barbara Mattison in 1858 and she died giving birth to their daughter, Mary Jane, in 1859. William next married Lavina Burnette in Carson City, Nevada on Sep. 21, 1864. Their son Ralph was born, June 26, 1865, in Virginia City, Nevada. Lavina died shortly after his birth.
William took his two orphaned children back to Minnesota and hired a lady to look after them, by the name of Mary E. Maynard. On Dec. 30, 1870, he married Mary and she became the mother of four more children. Richard, Frances, William, Jr., and Herbert who was born after his death.
CONDON-CHURCHILL MURDER.
About nine o'clock, on the night of the sixth of April, 1875, William Y. Churchill, of Cherry Grove township, was shot and killed while sitting in his own house. The neighbors were immediately alarmed, and arriving at the scene of the tragedy, sundry circumstances were developed which directed suspicion against Thomas Condon, a neighbor, with whom Churchill had had a quarrel during the day.
Condon was arrested and taken before Justice Fletcher Hagler for a preliminary hearing. His wife testified that Condon was at home and in bed when the murder was committed, and her testimony was corroborated by their daughter. Nevertheless, the circumstances were so strong against Condon that he was held to the higher court and committed to jail.
An adjourned term of the district court, Judge F. M. Crosby presiding, was held in July of that year. An indictment had been found against Condon, and on the 13th of that month the case was called for trial.In preparing Mr. Churchill's body for burial, a gun wad or two were found. One of the wads was found against his person by one of the attendants. On opening it out, it proved to be made from a piece of paper torn from an Indianapolis surgical institute circular. This fact was established on the trial, as also the fact that Congdon had, a short time before the murder, got some powder from one man, and some shot from another one in the neighborhood, and that he had wrapped each parcel in a circular, or piece of a circular, of that kind. This fact, taken together with threats that Condon had made against the life of Churchill and other corroborative circumstances, formed so strong a chain of evidence against Condon, that he was found guilty and sentenced for life.
The following named citizens comprised the jury before whom he was tried: A. Seeback, J. B. Dorman, H. B. Powers, G. G. McCoy, John Heath, W. 8. Grow, Justin Chamberlin, August Peterson, Dudley C. Dow, Eric Ericson, Tilton Howard, John Bronson. John C. McClure prosecuted, and Pierce and Larry defended.
William took his two orphaned children back to Minnesota and hired a lady to look after them, by the name of Mary E. Maynard. On Dec. 30, 1870, he married Mary and she became the mother of four more children. Richard, Frances, William, Jr., and Herbert who was born after his death.
CONDON-CHURCHILL MURDER.
About nine o'clock, on the night of the sixth of April, 1875, William Y. Churchill, of Cherry Grove township, was shot and killed while sitting in his own house. The neighbors were immediately alarmed, and arriving at the scene of the tragedy, sundry circumstances were developed which directed suspicion against Thomas Condon, a neighbor, with whom Churchill had had a quarrel during the day.
Condon was arrested and taken before Justice Fletcher Hagler for a preliminary hearing. His wife testified that Condon was at home and in bed when the murder was committed, and her testimony was corroborated by their daughter. Nevertheless, the circumstances were so strong against Condon that he was held to the higher court and committed to jail.
An adjourned term of the district court, Judge F. M. Crosby presiding, was held in July of that year. An indictment had been found against Condon, and on the 13th of that month the case was called for trial.In preparing Mr. Churchill's body for burial, a gun wad or two were found. One of the wads was found against his person by one of the attendants. On opening it out, it proved to be made from a piece of paper torn from an Indianapolis surgical institute circular. This fact was established on the trial, as also the fact that Congdon had, a short time before the murder, got some powder from one man, and some shot from another one in the neighborhood, and that he had wrapped each parcel in a circular, or piece of a circular, of that kind. This fact, taken together with threats that Condon had made against the life of Churchill and other corroborative circumstances, formed so strong a chain of evidence against Condon, that he was found guilty and sentenced for life.
The following named citizens comprised the jury before whom he was tried: A. Seeback, J. B. Dorman, H. B. Powers, G. G. McCoy, John Heath, W. 8. Grow, Justin Chamberlin, August Peterson, Dudley C. Dow, Eric Ericson, Tilton Howard, John Bronson. John C. McClure prosecuted, and Pierce and Larry defended.
Family Members
Siblings
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Martha Mandana Churchill Goodrich
1833–1903
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Isaiah Ezekial Churchill
1834–1873
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Eliza Ursula Churchill Linn Fracher
1837–1900
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Irena Churchill Marvin
1839–1923
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Julia Clarinda Churchill Warner
1840–1922
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Sylvester Churchill
1844–1925
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George Edward Churchill
1846–1884
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Frances Alceta Churchill McEwen
1849–1917
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Arminda Isabel Churchill
1850–1851
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