Scandals
Man Files for Divorce –
June 1899
Married in December, 1898
He said he was faithful and dutiful husband
She was guilty of extreme cruelty because shortly after
their marriage she wantonly, maliciously, and cruelly gave
him a hateful and odious disease.
He had suffered great bodily pain and his health had been
permanently injured.
Divorce granted and she had to pay court costs plus $40
Jealous Husband
Kills Wife & Wounds her Lover
Shooting happened March 28, 1888, trial in late August
Husband and wife lived on farm in Buffalo County
Lived in a three room frame house – two bedrooms and
kitchen/living area room.
Husband hired young man to help with the farm work, he was
gone frequently “insuring”
Husband, described as insanely jealous, suspected wife and
hired man of having affair.
Arranged for hired man to take wife to Kearney. Gave him an
errand; she to shop
Arranged to be gone for two days, left horses at brother’s
place
Sneaked back to house, hid in attic, made a small opening in
floor to spy
Became VERY angry.
When wife and hired man were in kitchen he came down, went
from bedroom to kitchen
Fired at hired man first, hit in thigh, scrambled around &
under stove to get away
Wife standing on the other side of the stove, or was
pleading with him not to shoot again
Fired second shot at wife, killed her
Fired at hired man again but apparently missed.
Last two cartridges in revolver would not fire.
Trial – details published including hired man’s testimony
that “she would come to my room after I had retired and get
in bed with me.”
Husband convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to four
years hard labor in Lincoln penitentiary.
A Kearney newspaper, when reporting the shooting in April 5,
said –
“The [competing newspaper] this morning very correctly said
that if a man may shoot down his wife, for infidelity, that
a wife has the same right to shoot down her husband for the
same reason. If this theory of justice were followed out,
the coffin trade would be lively in Kearney.”
Son Kills Father,
Assisted by Mother
Cemetery record – Father died Apr. 1889 at age 69 of
gunshot, plot purchased by youngest daughter
Possible causes of gunshot: a. accident
b. suicide c. murder
Which was it? Here is the story
Father and Mother homesteaded in Buffalo County. Father has
accumulated more land
Grown family - Son has own farm nearby
Daughter married to farmer in neighborhood
Second son also farming nearby
Third son also farming nearby
Youngest daughter recently married
Youngest son, single, lived at home and worked the family
farm
Youngest son comes in from field, plans to put horses in
barn
Father in barn will not let son enter, argument follows
Apparently Mother hears and comes out to barn.
Youngest son has shotgun, for shooting prairie dogs in field
- Shoots father
Trial – exact events not clear but son convicted of
manslaughter
Mother charged as accessory but have not found any
information on a trial
She filed for widow’s pension following year (Father was
Civil War vet)
Probate record:
Youngest daughter was named executrix.
Will, handwritten, dated two days before shooting
Each child gets $1
Wife gets $5
Youngest daughter gets all real and personal property
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