Research Papers

Research Papers

Today is:

                         Left from last month’s Pre-Christmas Entertainment

1890 – Boom Period variety of events
            4. Surprise party at the home of Mr. &Mrs. Mowry in East Lawn as the result of a comment by Mrs. Mowry
                that friends would always find a welcome

                One evening 35 friends showed up at the door.
                A special street car brought them and came back to take them home.
                Spent the evening dancing, listening to music, playing cards.

And Also – Saturday, Jan. 13, 1917 - --- There is to be an Old Maids convention at the Christian church next Tuesday evening, at eight o’clock. Everyone is invited.

Jail Break – Thursday, December 21, 1905

Three men, Gillette, Warner, & Engelbrecht, escaped from the County jail about 4 p.m.

Some people living in the southeast part of town saw them running east.

Sheriff Sammons and Deputy Sammon & others searched south and east of the jail.

Men were posted to watch the wagon bridge across the Platte south of Kearney and the Burlington Railroad bridge through most of the night.

The escapees had gone southeast until they reached the brush along the river where they hid until dark.

Then they headed northeast, crossing the Burlington railroad about half a mile from the bridge.

One man wanted to cross the river there but was out voted by the other two. Otherwise they would have been captured by the deputy who was watching that bridge.

Instead they continued around the east edge of town.

About 11 p.m. a man came to the Eagle Brothers residence at Glenwood asking for something to eat. He said his partner was out on the road.
A description of the man fit Warner, said to be the most desperate and nervy of the three.

They hid in the Riverdale area for the remainder of Thursday night.

Then they went west and south until reaching the old school house south of Odessa where they spent Friday night and Saturday morning.

Saturday afternoon Sheriff Sammons received information by phone that the men were seen leaving the school house and that one of them had bought supplies at an Odessa store.

Three officers chartered an automobile and got to Odessa in record time.

They found the stove at the school still warm but the men were gone.

A search of the surrounding woods found no trace of the fugitives.

It now being dark they went on to Elm Creek and telephoned for two more men who joined them. They continued their search along the river.
A farmer living near the Elm Creek bridge was called to watch the bridge since he knew Engelbrecht. By the time the officers got there the farmer reported the 3 men had crossed 20 minutes earlier.

The officers found footprints in the sand and followed them south for several miles before losing the trail. So they drove on into Holdrege where one of the springs on their auto broke.

It was now early Sunday morning [Christmas Eve] and would take several hours to repair the car.

All of the farmers in Phelps & Kearney Counties who had a phone were called and warned to be on the lookout for the fugitives, that they may try to steal horses. All officers in both counties were also on the lookout. All trains were being watched.

The Phelps Co. sheriff & his deputy, in a buggy, were northeast of Holdrege when they saw dust raised by a chase.

Some young men had discovered the fugitives hiding in a straw stack.

When they approached, the fugitives waved revolvers, forcing the boys back, and started to run away. This was the dust that attracted the sheriff who took up the chase.

Being in a buggy, the sheriff had to stay on the road while the fugitives were taking off across the field.

Finally the fence wire was cut and they could get in to the field.

When they got close enough they started shooting and the fugitives stopped, raised their hands and surrendered. They were handcuffed and taken to the Holdrege County jail.

The Buffalo County sheriff and his deputy took the train to Holdrege Sunday evening but the return train did not run until Monday afternoon. [Christmas Day]

When they reached Kearney about 800 people were at the station to greet them. About 100 accompanied them to the jail.

Left-over from program about the first Courthouse

Third Judicial District Court

Third District included all of state north of Platte except Douglas & Sarpy Co. and those parts of Dawson & Lincoln south of the Platte.

March 4, 1873 – First session of District Court in Buffalo County

            (Held in the newly completed first county courthouse in Gibbon)

            No judge – Adjourned to next day

Mar 5 - No judge – Adjourned to next day

Mar 6 - No judge but order received from Judge Maxwell (in Plattsmouth) to adjourn until Apr. 3.

Apr. 3 - First District Court session – Grand and petit juries had been selected

            Grand jury called – first case plaintiff filed a stipulation, case settled, no trial was needed

            4 men presented certificates from other states and were accepted to practice law here.

            Petit jury was not called

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Revised: 02/04/2018