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David James Atteberry

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David James Atteberry Veteran

Birth
Kentucky, USA
Death
23 Nov 1891 (aged 60–61)
Macon County, Illinois, USA
Burial
Decatur, Macon County, Illinois, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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David was a farmer and he served in Co. H, 62 Ill. Infantry. He was married to Cynthia (Syntha) Jane Wilson on 12 Sep 1852 in Shelby County, Illinois. Cynthia's dates: born 5 May 1830 in Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky; died 14 Feb 1891. Her obituary says she was buried in Locust Grove; another record says Long Grove. I haven't found her in either cemetery. She was paralyzed for many years before she died.

David was murdered by his sons, Grant and Ed.

The David J Atteberry Murder Case
from the Moweaqua Call-Mail, 2 November 1893

The case was called for trial last week and is now progressing fairly well, considering the large number of witnesses to be examined. A vast amount of evidence of a very damaging character was elicited by the prosecution. As we go to press, the defense are pleading their cause. It is impossible at this time to give even a summary of the evidence as testified thus far, for the final result of the trial is yet many days distant.

On Monday afternoon, 29 Nov 1891, David J. Atteberry was shot and instantly killed while on his way home, in a road cart, from Moweaqua. When returning home from town, he went somewhat out of his way to visit a lady, Mrs. Nancy Denton, to whom, it is said, he was engaged to be married, and the wedding was to take place within a week or so.
It was while driving south on the lane about a mile south of his house that he was killed. Of course, definite sad irrefutable evidence as to the guiilty parties not known, but sufficient evidence of a circumstantial nature was obtained at the time, to cause the arrest of his two sons, Grant and Edward, as guilty parties.

The body was first discovered by George McClelland who resided near. He heard the gun shot, but paid no particular attention to it, until he noticed a road cart dashing furiously up the road without a driver. He started toward the vicinity from whence the shot came, and found the body of the murdered man. His brains were oozing out of a ghastly wound at the top of his head, showing that the gun had evidently been held within a foot of his head, as the skull was cracked and broken into small pieces.
Hurriedly, calling assistance, the proper authorities were notified, a coroner's jury empanelled, and the verdict was "killed by unknown parties." The States Attorney and the Sheriff were notified, came over from Shelbyville, and took charge of the case. Upon investigation they instituted the arrest of Grand and Ed Atteberry as the murderers of their father. While the evidence is wholly circumstantial, it is undoubtedly very strong.

The Atteberry boys were seen just before the murder in a narrow tread wagon. It was the only narrow tread wagon in that section of the country. Mr. G.B. McClelland, the principal witness, saw the boys in the wagon, heard the shot, and found the corpse. It had rained during the day, and the traces of the road cart and the narrow tread were within 20 inches of each other, and freshly made. The track of the narrow tread wagon was followed to a round-a-bout way to Ed Atteberry's residence.

Acting upon the evidence produced, the Atteberry boys were bound over to await the action of the grand jury on the charge of murder. A fact that will place the accused in a bad light is that there was a bad feeling between the old man and the boys. They were not pleased with their father's intention of getting married again, and they had many quarrels over the matter and many threats were made. The feeling is in that locality at the time of the murder that the guilty party had been captured. Shortly after the boys were put to jail, Ed became violently insane and was placed in the Asylum at Kankakee, while for two years Grant has languished in jail at Shelbyville, the trial from term to term being continued.

MOWEAQUA CALL-MAIL EXTRA!
Moweaqua, Illinois, 27 Oct. 1893
"NOT GUILTY'
Shelbyville, Illinois, October 27, 1893, Publisher Call-Mail: The jury in the Atterberry murder trial brought in a verdict of NOT GUILTY at 9:10 o'clock this morning. Verdict was a great surprise

Dan Krogh sent me the end of the story, found in the DECATUR HERALD, 17 Mar 1903: Escaped From Asylum.

"Deputy Sheriff E. W. Livingstone of Popular Bluff, MO, has written to Sheriff Wright for information concerning an insane man he has in custody. The man is going under the name of Chas. Haverstack and other aliases and according to the Missouri officer is unable to give an intelligible account of himself. Enough was learned, however, to give Sheriff Wright a pointer as to his identity, which is that of Ed Atterberry.

"Ed and Grant Atterberry were suspected of murdering their father in Shelby county about 20 years ago. They were acquitted, but later Ed became insane and was confined in the asylum at Anna, IL. Grant located in Sullivan and was lynched about six years ago by a mob. At the time of the lynching Grant Atteberry was under arrest charged with attempting to rape his sister-in-law, Mrs. Ed Atterberry.
"It is supposed that Ed has escaped from the asylum and has wandered into Missouri. --- Lovington Reporter."

David was a farmer and he served in Co. H, 62 Ill. Infantry. He was married to Cynthia (Syntha) Jane Wilson on 12 Sep 1852 in Shelby County, Illinois. Cynthia's dates: born 5 May 1830 in Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky; died 14 Feb 1891. Her obituary says she was buried in Locust Grove; another record says Long Grove. I haven't found her in either cemetery. She was paralyzed for many years before she died.

David was murdered by his sons, Grant and Ed.

The David J Atteberry Murder Case
from the Moweaqua Call-Mail, 2 November 1893

The case was called for trial last week and is now progressing fairly well, considering the large number of witnesses to be examined. A vast amount of evidence of a very damaging character was elicited by the prosecution. As we go to press, the defense are pleading their cause. It is impossible at this time to give even a summary of the evidence as testified thus far, for the final result of the trial is yet many days distant.

On Monday afternoon, 29 Nov 1891, David J. Atteberry was shot and instantly killed while on his way home, in a road cart, from Moweaqua. When returning home from town, he went somewhat out of his way to visit a lady, Mrs. Nancy Denton, to whom, it is said, he was engaged to be married, and the wedding was to take place within a week or so.
It was while driving south on the lane about a mile south of his house that he was killed. Of course, definite sad irrefutable evidence as to the guiilty parties not known, but sufficient evidence of a circumstantial nature was obtained at the time, to cause the arrest of his two sons, Grant and Edward, as guilty parties.

The body was first discovered by George McClelland who resided near. He heard the gun shot, but paid no particular attention to it, until he noticed a road cart dashing furiously up the road without a driver. He started toward the vicinity from whence the shot came, and found the body of the murdered man. His brains were oozing out of a ghastly wound at the top of his head, showing that the gun had evidently been held within a foot of his head, as the skull was cracked and broken into small pieces.
Hurriedly, calling assistance, the proper authorities were notified, a coroner's jury empanelled, and the verdict was "killed by unknown parties." The States Attorney and the Sheriff were notified, came over from Shelbyville, and took charge of the case. Upon investigation they instituted the arrest of Grand and Ed Atteberry as the murderers of their father. While the evidence is wholly circumstantial, it is undoubtedly very strong.

The Atteberry boys were seen just before the murder in a narrow tread wagon. It was the only narrow tread wagon in that section of the country. Mr. G.B. McClelland, the principal witness, saw the boys in the wagon, heard the shot, and found the corpse. It had rained during the day, and the traces of the road cart and the narrow tread were within 20 inches of each other, and freshly made. The track of the narrow tread wagon was followed to a round-a-bout way to Ed Atteberry's residence.

Acting upon the evidence produced, the Atteberry boys were bound over to await the action of the grand jury on the charge of murder. A fact that will place the accused in a bad light is that there was a bad feeling between the old man and the boys. They were not pleased with their father's intention of getting married again, and they had many quarrels over the matter and many threats were made. The feeling is in that locality at the time of the murder that the guilty party had been captured. Shortly after the boys were put to jail, Ed became violently insane and was placed in the Asylum at Kankakee, while for two years Grant has languished in jail at Shelbyville, the trial from term to term being continued.

MOWEAQUA CALL-MAIL EXTRA!
Moweaqua, Illinois, 27 Oct. 1893
"NOT GUILTY'
Shelbyville, Illinois, October 27, 1893, Publisher Call-Mail: The jury in the Atterberry murder trial brought in a verdict of NOT GUILTY at 9:10 o'clock this morning. Verdict was a great surprise

Dan Krogh sent me the end of the story, found in the DECATUR HERALD, 17 Mar 1903: Escaped From Asylum.

"Deputy Sheriff E. W. Livingstone of Popular Bluff, MO, has written to Sheriff Wright for information concerning an insane man he has in custody. The man is going under the name of Chas. Haverstack and other aliases and according to the Missouri officer is unable to give an intelligible account of himself. Enough was learned, however, to give Sheriff Wright a pointer as to his identity, which is that of Ed Atterberry.

"Ed and Grant Atterberry were suspected of murdering their father in Shelby county about 20 years ago. They were acquitted, but later Ed became insane and was confined in the asylum at Anna, IL. Grant located in Sullivan and was lynched about six years ago by a mob. At the time of the lynching Grant Atteberry was under arrest charged with attempting to rape his sister-in-law, Mrs. Ed Atterberry.
"It is supposed that Ed has escaped from the asylum and has wandered into Missouri. --- Lovington Reporter."



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