46 years, 2 months and 17 days.
TRIPLE TRAGEDY
On last Sunday night, about 12 o'clock, a sudden alarm was given at the police headquarters in this city, that two well known citizens of Walnut township, in Atchison county, about one and a half miles north of the county line of Leavenworth county, had been murdered by a young man named Robert Scruggs, son of Simeon Scruggs, who lives near Oak Mills, on the Missouri Pacific road, about thirteen miles north from here.
Word was left with the police to look out for the murderer and apprehend him if seen. Early yesterday morning, however, the news was rapidly conveyed to the city that not only the trouble of the double murder was being the subject of talk, but that the murderer had given himself over to the authorities, and was in danger of being LYNCHED by a posse of citizens, composed of prominent farmers from Walnut township and Kickapoo township, in Leavenworth county...
THE BEGINNING
...Robert Scruggs wooed the affections of Miss Mary Oliphant, daughter of Mr. Jasper Oliphant...and finally married her. For a while they lived happily, but he being to a nature given to dissipation, she after their child, a little girl, was born, left him and went to live again with her father...He left Kickapoo in a drunken condition...and made a call at Mr. Oliphants house...armed with a small seven shooter...
...seeing that the visitor was intoxicated, he refused to let him enter the house and told him to leave the premises, when some words ensued during which Mr. Oliphant told him if he did not go away he would break a chair over his head, whereupon Scruggs suddenly presented his pistol...at the breast of his father-in- law and fired.
[The posse] saw the figure of a man in the moonlight, and one of the party hailed him, saying, "Is that you Scruggs?" They received no reply in words, but within a second they saw a flash, heard a short, sharp, quick report, three of them saw their companion Mr. JOHN GROFF stagger off to the right, into the dry bed of the little creek...
...[Robert Scruggs] was led to the fatal tree ...and the loop placed over the doomed man's head and around his neck...
...until the life had left the murderer.
Mr. Jasper Oliphant, the first of the murdered men, was in his fiftieth year, a well known and respected citizen, foremost among his people and prominent in the work of benefitting and improving the State when ever his voice could be heard or his influence felt. He leaves a family consisting of a wife and nine children to mourn his loss. His remains will be interred this morning at Round Prairie cemetery.
Mr. John Groff, the second victim, was a large property holder, and was known as the head of one of the best families in Walnut township. He was in his forty-second year, and leaves a family of eight children. His funeral took place yesterday evening at Branchcomb's cemetery, near his late residence.
(From the newspaper "The Leavenworth Weekly Times", dated August 23, 1877)
TRIPLE TRAGEDY
On last Sunday night, about 12 o'clock, a sudden alarm was given at the police headquarters in this city, that two well known citizens of Walnut township, in Atchison county, about one and a half miles north of the county line of Leavenworth county, had been murdered by a young man named Robert Scruggs, son of Simeon Scruggs, who lives near Oak Mills, on the Missouri Pacific road, about thirteen miles north from here.
Word was left with the police to look out for the murderer and apprehend him if seen. Early yesterday morning, however, the news was rapidly conveyed to the city that not only the trouble of the double murder was being the subject of talk, but that the murderer had given himself over to the authorities, and was in danger of being LYNCHED by a posse of citizens, composed of prominent farmers from Walnut township and Kickapoo township, in Leavenworth county...
THE BEGINNING
...Robert Scruggs wooed the affections of Miss Mary Oliphant, daughter of Mr. Jasper Oliphant...and finally married her. For a while they lived happily, but he being to a nature given to dissipation, she after their child, a little girl, was born, left him and went to live again with her father...He left Kickapoo in a drunken condition...and made a call at Mr. Oliphants house...armed with a small seven shooter...
...seeing that the visitor was intoxicated, he refused to let him enter the house and told him to leave the premises, when some words ensued during which Mr. Oliphant told him if he did not go away he would break a chair over his head, whereupon Scruggs suddenly presented his pistol...at the breast of his father-in- law and fired.
[The posse] saw the figure of a man in the moonlight, and one of the party hailed him, saying, "Is that you Scruggs?" They received no reply in words, but within a second they saw a flash, heard a short, sharp, quick report, three of them saw their companion Mr. JOHN GROFF stagger off to the right, into the dry bed of the little creek...
...[Robert Scruggs] was led to the fatal tree ...and the loop placed over the doomed man's head and around his neck...
...until the life had left the murderer.
Mr. Jasper Oliphant, the first of the murdered men, was in his fiftieth year, a well known and respected citizen, foremost among his people and prominent in the work of benefitting and improving the State when ever his voice could be heard or his influence felt. He leaves a family consisting of a wife and nine children to mourn his loss. His remains will be interred this morning at Round Prairie cemetery.
Mr. John Groff, the second victim, was a large property holder, and was known as the head of one of the best families in Walnut township. He was in his forty-second year, and leaves a family of eight children. His funeral took place yesterday evening at Branchcomb's cemetery, near his late residence.
(From the newspaper "The Leavenworth Weekly Times", dated August 23, 1877)
46 years, 2 months and 17 days.
TRIPLE TRAGEDY
On last Sunday night, about 12 o'clock, a sudden alarm was given at the police headquarters in this city, that two well known citizens of Walnut township, in Atchison county, about one and a half miles north of the county line of Leavenworth county, had been murdered by a young man named Robert Scruggs, son of Simeon Scruggs, who lives near Oak Mills, on the Missouri Pacific road, about thirteen miles north from here.
Word was left with the police to look out for the murderer and apprehend him if seen. Early yesterday morning, however, the news was rapidly conveyed to the city that not only the trouble of the double murder was being the subject of talk, but that the murderer had given himself over to the authorities, and was in danger of being LYNCHED by a posse of citizens, composed of prominent farmers from Walnut township and Kickapoo township, in Leavenworth county...
THE BEGINNING
...Robert Scruggs wooed the affections of Miss Mary Oliphant, daughter of Mr. Jasper Oliphant...and finally married her. For a while they lived happily, but he being to a nature given to dissipation, she after their child, a little girl, was born, left him and went to live again with her father...He left Kickapoo in a drunken condition...and made a call at Mr. Oliphants house...armed with a small seven shooter...
...seeing that the visitor was intoxicated, he refused to let him enter the house and told him to leave the premises, when some words ensued during which Mr. Oliphant told him if he did not go away he would break a chair over his head, whereupon Scruggs suddenly presented his pistol...at the breast of his father-in- law and fired.
[The posse] saw the figure of a man in the moonlight, and one of the party hailed him, saying, "Is that you Scruggs?" They received no reply in words, but within a second they saw a flash, heard a short, sharp, quick report, three of them saw their companion Mr. JOHN GROFF stagger off to the right, into the dry bed of the little creek...
...[Robert Scruggs] was led to the fatal tree ...and the loop placed over the doomed man's head and around his neck...
...until the life had left the murderer.
Mr. Jasper Oliphant, the first of the murdered men, was in his fiftieth year, a well known and respected citizen, foremost among his people and prominent in the work of benefitting and improving the State when ever his voice could be heard or his influence felt. He leaves a family consisting of a wife and nine children to mourn his loss. His remains will be interred this morning at Round Prairie cemetery.
Mr. John Groff, the second victim, was a large property holder, and was known as the head of one of the best families in Walnut township. He was in his forty-second year, and leaves a family of eight children. His funeral took place yesterday evening at Branchcomb's cemetery, near his late residence.
(From the newspaper "The Leavenworth Weekly Times", dated August 23, 1877)
TRIPLE TRAGEDY
On last Sunday night, about 12 o'clock, a sudden alarm was given at the police headquarters in this city, that two well known citizens of Walnut township, in Atchison county, about one and a half miles north of the county line of Leavenworth county, had been murdered by a young man named Robert Scruggs, son of Simeon Scruggs, who lives near Oak Mills, on the Missouri Pacific road, about thirteen miles north from here.
Word was left with the police to look out for the murderer and apprehend him if seen. Early yesterday morning, however, the news was rapidly conveyed to the city that not only the trouble of the double murder was being the subject of talk, but that the murderer had given himself over to the authorities, and was in danger of being LYNCHED by a posse of citizens, composed of prominent farmers from Walnut township and Kickapoo township, in Leavenworth county...
THE BEGINNING
...Robert Scruggs wooed the affections of Miss Mary Oliphant, daughter of Mr. Jasper Oliphant...and finally married her. For a while they lived happily, but he being to a nature given to dissipation, she after their child, a little girl, was born, left him and went to live again with her father...He left Kickapoo in a drunken condition...and made a call at Mr. Oliphants house...armed with a small seven shooter...
...seeing that the visitor was intoxicated, he refused to let him enter the house and told him to leave the premises, when some words ensued during which Mr. Oliphant told him if he did not go away he would break a chair over his head, whereupon Scruggs suddenly presented his pistol...at the breast of his father-in- law and fired.
[The posse] saw the figure of a man in the moonlight, and one of the party hailed him, saying, "Is that you Scruggs?" They received no reply in words, but within a second they saw a flash, heard a short, sharp, quick report, three of them saw their companion Mr. JOHN GROFF stagger off to the right, into the dry bed of the little creek...
...[Robert Scruggs] was led to the fatal tree ...and the loop placed over the doomed man's head and around his neck...
...until the life had left the murderer.
Mr. Jasper Oliphant, the first of the murdered men, was in his fiftieth year, a well known and respected citizen, foremost among his people and prominent in the work of benefitting and improving the State when ever his voice could be heard or his influence felt. He leaves a family consisting of a wife and nine children to mourn his loss. His remains will be interred this morning at Round Prairie cemetery.
Mr. John Groff, the second victim, was a large property holder, and was known as the head of one of the best families in Walnut township. He was in his forty-second year, and leaves a family of eight children. His funeral took place yesterday evening at Branchcomb's cemetery, near his late residence.
(From the newspaper "The Leavenworth Weekly Times", dated August 23, 1877)
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