News Stories Sedgwick County Genealogy Trails Kansas

The Wichita Tragedy - Confession of the Murderer

Kanas City, Mo., Feb. 24, - McNutt, who, with Winner, murdered and burned a painter named Saviers, at Wichita, Kansas, in December last, has confessed his crime. He says Winner persuaded him long ago, in Kansas City, to enter upon a course of crime and planned the whole affair.

McNutt was to have his life insured for five thousand dollars, and then kill and burn some victim and palm off the body for his, so that the money could be collected. At first they intended to commit the crime in Kansas City, but finally concluded to go to Wichita, thinking their escape would be easier there. Being painters, the man started business, and soon built up a fine trade.

They were delayed, however, from carrying out their plans for want of a victim, but Winner at last came to Kansas City and engaged Saviers to work for them, and sent him down. They met him at the depot on his arrival at Wichita, and took him to the shop, no one knowing anything about it. They made him drunk, and then gave him ether until unconscious. They then put his face over the fire and burned it until it could be recognized, and laid him on a bed saturated with coal oil.

McNutt then cut a gash in Winner's arms with a pair of scissors, and, opening a vein in Saviers' arm, took out a quart of blood and sprinkled it over Winner to make it appear that he bled a good deal. McNutt then left his vest and empty pocket-book back of the house, where it would appear that robbers had dropped it, and took a train via Atchison for Missouri. Winner than set fire to the building, which was burned, and reported that he had been robbed, and McNutt killed and burned. (The Philadelphia Inquirer; February 25, 1874)

A KANSAS TRAGEDY

Wichita, KS., August 28 - T. W. McClure and Henry Bedford, contestants of a land claim in Barbour County, had a quarrel on Wednesday about cutting timber on some of the land in dispute. Bedford, with some companions went to Medicine Lodge Postoffice after the difficulty. McClure following on in an hour or two, was shot with a revolver by Bedford just as the former entered the door, one ball severing the jugular vein of the neck, and the other inflicting a mortal wound in the side and a third shot missing its mark. Bedford has been arrested. (Wheeling Register, August 25, 1879)

FOUND MURDERED, FOUR MOVERS KILLED AND ROBBED IN KANSAS

Wichita, Kas., Feb. 9 - (Special) - Four bodies were found thirty miles southeast of Purcell by two cowboys, James Horner and Thomas Hemps. Near by was a mover's wagon and hardness, the horses having been taken away. The corpses were those of a man apparently 50 years old with four bullet holes, a woman apparently about the same age with two bullet holes, a young woman about 20 years old, shot through the head, and a boy of 15, shot in the forehead. The find was made last evening and reported to Purcell today, when a deputy marshal started to investigate. The cowboys report that the killing probably occurred ten days ago. (Omaha Daily World - Herald, February 10, 1890)

MRS. MARY A. LEASE; WICHITA

The Farmers' Alliance in Kansas has enrolled 130,000 members. The greatest political power within its ranks, its ablest organizer and most powerful speaker is a woman, Mrs. Mary A. Lease, a lawyer of Wichita. Mrs. Lease is possessed of oratorical powers and a comprehension of the political situation which are, for a woman, wonderful. She has made up to date 160 speeches, each, it is said differing materially from the other, averaging an hour and a half in length, and dealing with every phase of the situation. At Troy she delivered a speech of three hours and seventeen minutes in length to a crowded hall, and only two people left during the entire time. She is a woman of 36 years of age, married, and has two children. She was comparatively unknown until the opening of the present campaign. In Kansas and in Kansas alone does a possibility exist for a woman arising from obscurity and springing forth in three months as a moulder of public opnion, a leader in public action, a power in the public government. (The Charlotte News, October 18, 1890)

FOUND DEAD, IN THE FLINTHILLS OF KANSAS - PROBABLY MURDERED BY HORSE THIEVES

Wichita, Kan. - December 6, In a ravine in the Flinthills of Greenwood county, a party of hunters discovered yesterday the bodies of an unknown man, woman and child. On the forehead of the man was an ugly bruise, beneath which the skull was found to be crushed. The bodies were poorly clad. In the pockets of the dead man was found two letters, one from Palmer, Illinois, addressed to Thos. Potter, Englewood, Kan., and the second from some one in Englewood, signing himself "Abe," to Thomas Potter, Reece, Greenwood County. An investigation at Reece showed that about a week ago, a prairie schooner containing a man, woman and child passed through the town. While the movers intimated that they were leaving Western, Kansas to return East, it is supposed that the Flinthills which presents a dreary waste for miles in all directions the movers encountered some of the horse thieves who make their haunts in these regions and that in resisting an attempt to steal his wagon, was shot. (Wheeling Sunday Register, December 7, 1890)

CUNNINGHAM DEPOSITIONS

Abilene, Taylor Co., Tex., - May 11 - Conly of Wichita, Kan., assistant county attorney of Sedgwick county, is here to represent the state of Kansas in the taking of depositions to be used in the trial of Congressman Cockrell and perhaps other parties will be taken as to Cunninghams reputation as a man and officer, and of the depositions of Steve Purdy, over who's arrest the fatal shooting occurred. The depositions are being taken by the defense and Conly is here for the purpose of cross examining the witnesses. (Dallas Morning News, May 12, 1897)

LEDFORD OF KANSAS AND HIS DARING DEEDS OF LAWLESSNESS IN EARLY DAYS, BAD MAN WHO WAS A TERROR

Wichita, Kan., June 22 - Jack Ledford, the noted cowboy and desperado, who flourished here in early days, is to have a monument in West Wichita. Ledford's friends have raised $300 with which to build the shaft over the spot where he died fighting a whole company of regular soldiers.

No man on the Kansas frontier could shoot so straight as Jack Ledford, but when a whole company attacked him in Wichita one day in the summer of 1871, he died with his boots on. From a small window in the village hotel his wife watched the soldiers shoot her husband - the man she had reformed and later married - to death. She loved the man, but she was sensible. After having reformed him, she did not deem it necessary to die with him.

There is a rank even in banditti, and Slade, the Rocky Mountain terror, stood first, with Ledford a close second. Even Wild Bill, the once noted man-killer, would stop off at Wichita and pay homage to Ledford, so great a character was he among the bad men. Young cowboys first entering the school of banditti would seek to please Ledford by taking the life of an innocent man, for the more recklessness the higher he stands in line. Whereever he went he was followed by a crowd of admirers, but it fell to his lot that a former comrade whom he had defeated in love betrayed him to officers and was the cause of his untimely end.

During the civil war Ledford was a scout under Gen. Phil Sheridan. At Springfield, Mo., he got into a fight with some of the opposing side, and killed six without stopping to reload his revolver. Then he made for the Missouri River and under a heavy fire swam to the Kansas side. After that he quit scouting, and turned outlaw. His headquarters were in the Arkansas river bottoms, near Wichita, and his field of operation along the line of the Southern stage coach route, running from Fort Sill to Wichita. Once he held up a forty-wagon government train alone, and rifled the mail bags of thousands of dollars. He ws the original lone bandit who has in late years thrived in the wilds of Arizona.

Handy Man With Pistols

Ledford always carried two revolvers with him, and could hit the mark every time. One of his tricks was to take a revolver in each hand, and twirling them around, snap the hammer between the cartridges all the while pointing the muzzle in the face of a friend. It was great sport for him, but a single slip of the finger would put a bullet in his friend's head. Luckily he was sure of the trigger. Another feat was to shoot the nails out of the walls of saloons and allow the costly paintings to fall crashing on the floor. Shooting up the mirrors or smashing lights were beneath his dignity.

South of Wichita in an unexplored region was the rendezvous of the Ledford bandits. After robbing stage coaches until they almost quit carrying money Jack Ledford organized a band of horse thieves and acted as leader. The man who owned a valuable horse could not keep it long after Ledford's band learned where he stabled. The gang rode fine Kentucky bred thoroughbred horses and lived on the fat of the land, as it were. The surround country was then in such a wild state that the gang felt perfectly safe in coming to Wichita whenever they chose. Horse stealing was not considered much of a crime in those days.

Now in Wichita a German doctor named Vigus owned the leading hotel. He was also the father of a pretty girl named Agnes. She was a buxom lass, with a wealth of long brown hair, a full face, and sunny blue eyes. She fell in love with Ledford, "the bandit king," as he was pleased to style himself.

The Hotel Vigus was the scene of many gay revelries, the dancing lasting until daylight. Ledford was a star figure at these dances, and he made no attempt to conceal his love for the little German girl. Her father was furious, but it could not be stopped. One day the girl was by the pre-arrangedment standing in front of her father's hotel, when Ledford came riding down Douglas avenue like the wind. He drew near the platform but did not stop. As he reached the girl he swung partially from his saddle, caught her around the waist and raised her into the saddle. For half an hour they galloped about town she sitting on the great Kentucky horse in front of her sweetheart, the picture of contentment and happiness. After they had enjoyed them to their own notion he rode by again and set her lightly on the platform. This was what he called buggy riding.

The old German objected to it, but his daughter insisted on standing near the sidewalk on certain days. Once when Ledford came riding down to get his sweetheart he found her on the walk, but back of her was the father with a shot gun drawn and ready for action.

"If you take her, I shoot," he yelled.

"Well, old man, you'll have to shoot," Ledford reached down and grabbed the girl from the arms of her father, as it were, and they took their usual ride as though nothing had occurred.

In a fight between a stage-coach driver and Ledford in 1870 the latter was injured. He was taken to the rendezvous, and a doctor was kidnapped from Wichita, blindfolded and taken in a roundabout way to the outlaw camp. There he was commanded to attend to Ledford's wounds.

When it was thought the man killer was going to die he sent for his sweetheart. She came, and Dr. Holland of the regular army corps, who witnessed the scene, describes it as follows:

Reformed by A Girl

Jack wanted her to marry him, but she refused. She cried a great deal of the time, and told Jack that she loved him, but that she had promised her mother never to marry as long as he was an outlaw. He remained silent a while and then announced that he would give up the outlaw business if she would marry him. The girl seemed pleased, and kissed him. He wanted her to marry him then, but she insisted that time be given in which to prove that he was speaking the truth. It went hard with the outlaw, I could see that, to have his power overruled by a woman, but he was madly in love. She he agreed, and after a hard tussle he recovered and reformed."

It was quite a surprise to the community when Jack announced himself a candidate for sheriff of Sedwick county at the election in the fall of 1870. To every man from whom he sought a vote he said: "If I am elected sheriff of this county there will be no more horses stolen around these parts."

Of that the citizens were well aware and they elected him. Shortly after his election the governor ruled that the election had not been conducted properly, and appointed the officers then in to fill the next term. Jack was chagrined, but he did not back to robbing.

Later he married the Vigus girl and the wedding was a matter of much importance in Wichita. The bandit, under the gentle ruling of his wife, completely reformed, even to drinking. Their life would have went on very smoothly, perhaps had it not been for the coming of Sam Lee, a former sweetheart of Agnes. He found that a big reward was offered for Ledford, but the officers at Fort Harker did not know of his whereabouts. Lee informed them and secured $2,000.

The Killing of Ledford

Captain Harger of Company B, Sixth United States infantry, with a full quota of men, came to Wichita one morning in July, 1871. They found Jack in a room playing billiards. He was ordered to come out, but this he refused. Finally one soldier slipped in the rear of the room and shot him in the back. This enraged the fighter, and he ran out in the street, fighting with two pistols. He killed four of them before he was disabled. When removed to the hotel, he inquired how many he had killed. In a few days Ledford died. On his revolver butts were found 52 tacks, which his intimate friends said, indicated that he had killed that number of men. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, June 25, 1901)

KANSAS DESPERADOES CAPTURED

Wichita, Kan., April 26 - Homer Lanham, a ranchman, went to the city of Meade, in Southwest Kansas, and became disorderly. He threatened to kill the Marshal, and when he met the officer, fired four shots at him. He hit a young man named Ed Krgah, who will probably die. The Marshal grappled with Lanham, took his gun from him and aimed a bullet at his heart. His life was saved by a book in his breast pocket. He was arrested and put in jail. Jesse Lanham, a brother of the prisoner, came to town with a revolver and defied the authorities. A public meeting was held and R. W. Griggs ordered Lanham to surrender. Instead, he fired his revolver recklessly, and the first bullet grazed the cheek of Mrs. C. B. Campbell, who sat in the hotel parlor nearby. He was finally disarmed and is in jail with his brother. (The Morning Herald, April 27, 1902)

KANSAS WOMAN WHO WORKED HARD ON THE FARM WITH HUSBAND INHERITS $250,000 FORTUNE

WiCHITA, Kan., May 28 - When Harvey S. McIntosh and his wife, Nora, came to Sedgwick County from Indiana in 1885 a year after they were married they found their worldly possessions to be four willing hands and plenty of landscape. Today they are worth $250,000 besides owning 520 acres of rich Ninnescah bottom land south of Garden Plain.

Mrs. McIntosh who is now at Danville, Ill., has been made one of seven heirs to a $1,000,000 estate left by her uncle, J. H. Barclay, who dropped dead at his Danville home. Mrs. McIntosh's share of the estate is one-fourth, according to a copy of the will and codicil which has reached her husband.

Good fortunate came to the Sedgwick county family unexpectedly. When the news of the death of Mr. Barclay reached the McIntosh home they were shocked. Mrs. McInthosh had made her home with her uncle and aunt and it was here Mr. McIntosh met, courted and won the heart and hand of Nora Prebble, his wife's name before their marriage. She immediately went east to be with her aged and invalid aunt, not knowing what the will contained.

When the will was read it was learned that her uncle had left his estate valued at $1,000,000 to six half sisters and the daughters of his half brother, Barned Prebble. Mrs. McIntosh is the only surviving daughter of Mr. Prebble, her sister dying years ago. That gave her two-eights of the $1,000,000 estate.

The McIntosh family is one of the best known in Western Sedgwick county. Mr. McIntosh first settled in the extreme southwestern part of the county, near Norwich. Later he moved to a farm at the junction of the Ninnescah rivers. He was a tenant for years and has known what it means to be poor. He stated that for weeks at a time his family had not known the taste of meat, and that many winters they had burned cow chips and cornstalks, being too low in finances to purchase coal.

It seems mighty good after all these years of struggle to think that my wife will wind out her days in ease and comfort, he said. (The Evening News, May 28, 1915)

A KANSAS CITY NEGRO SHOT IN WICHITA

Wichita, Kansas, July 2, - Benjamin Tines, a Negro from Kansas City, who was shot early yesterday morning by Policeman Dennis, died in the Wichita hospital today. Tines was dragging a trunk from the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe depot platform to a nearby alley when arrested by Dennis. The two started to the police station, Dennis says, when Tines quickly took a backward step and struck him. Tines then started to run and Dennis shot him. The trunk Tines was dragging away was checked to Kansas City and bore the name of B. L. Tines. (The Kansas City Star, July 2, 1906)

CHAMBERLAIN REFERRED TO DEATH OF KANSAS YOUTH

Wichita, Kan., Jan. 25, - The soldier who died in camp under alleged distressing conditions', cited by Senator Chamberlain in the Senate yesterday, was Albert Hestwood, son of the Rev. C. D. Hestwood, pastor of the First Methodist Church, of Liberal, Kan., who formerly resided in Wichita, it became known here today.

The Rev. Mr. Hestwood told all the facts to Henry Allen of this city, who is now on his way to France for the Red Cross. Mr. Allen today telegraphed from Pittsburgh, Pa., that the case mentioned by Chamberlain was the Hestwood case.

"I do not feel a spirit of bitter vengefulness toward the authorities responsible for conditions at Camp Doniphan, where my son died," said the Rev. Mr. Hestwood, in relating the facts of the case some time ago. "My whole desire now is that my son will not have died in vain and other soldiers may be spared the things that he went through." (Dallas Morning News, January 26, 1918)

DESPERATE MOTHER ROBS KANSAS BANK

Wichita, Kan. (AP) - With three nights of Red Cross paid lodging used up and a request for welfare assistance turned down, Phyllis Mundy relinquished her four children to a juvenile court and then, police said, robbed a bank.

The 25-year-old Richmond, Va., woman was being held in Sedgwick County jail pending a warrant charging her with bank robbery, police said.

Mrs. Mundy's four children - George, 10, Phillip, 6, Tuson 3, and Thomas 1 - were in the temporary custody of the state Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

Police said Mrs. Mundy told them her husband was killed in Vietnam. She apparently has been traveling across the country with her children and checked into the McClellan Hotel last week.

The Wichita Red Cross paid for three nights but she was without shelter after that. She tried to get welfare but was refused, she told Dist. Court Judge Robert Morrison, head of juvenile court.

She said she didn't have any money to feed the children and couldn't get any financial assistance from anybody, Morrison said.

She told our investigators she wanted the children placed somewhere where they could receive the proper care and nutrition, the judge said.

Morrison ordered the children be provided foster care.

After Mrs. Mundy left the courthouse, police said, she walked across the street into the Union National Bank and stood in a line with other customers.

A teller said when a woman in line got to the counter, she said. This is a holdup, give me your money in small bills, and asked that the money be put into her purse. The woman was given $1,392 police said.

An off-duty police officer working at the bank arrested her outside the building and all money was recovered Police said the woman was not armed.

She was not a bad looking lady and she kept her kids real clean while she was taking them in and out of te hotel, a clerk at the hotel said. "I really can't believe that she robbed a bank because she just didn't seem to be that type of person. (Dallas Morning News, November 20, 1977)

WICHITA COUPLE GET MARRIED IN A CEMETERY
By: Bob Getz

Some people get married in bowling alleys. Some people get married on horseback. Some people get married in pizza joints. Some people get married on roller coasters. Some people get married in some pretty strange places and ways.

Take Cate and Bert Steeves of Wichita.

They got married in a graveyard.

When the item appeared deep in the paper June 18 along with 17 other wedding announcements, a couple of perhaps alarmingly alert readers noticed and got in touch with me.

Some people just don't miss anything in the paper.

I located the wedding notice in the Neighbors section:

"Cathy S. 'Cate' Malmom and Bert G. Steeves, both of Wichita," it said, "were married at 6:12 a.m. May 25, 1992, in the sunrise ceremony in Greenwood Cemetery, Oatville. District Judge Montie Deer and the Rev. Charles Greenfeather officiated."

I figured there was a very good reason a couple would be united in matrimony at a cemetery, so I didn't want to make light of it.

Maybe the ministers had thought the couple wanted to be buried, not married.

Or maybe the newlyweds were big fans of the Adams Family.

Before interviewing Bert, I reminded myself to be tactful. When you're a veteran journalist, you've learned how sensitive some people can be about things like their weddings, so you don't start right out making jokes or saying something like, "Are you sure you're all there, choosing to be married in a cemetery"?

Right away, Bert Steeves (rhymes with leaves) made it clear he's well aware how strange some people think this was.

"You can't believe how many phone calls we're getting about this," he said.

Somehow, I could. But I didn't let on.

"What was most people's reaction?" I asked.

"I guess they were mainly wondering if we're all there," he said.

I was sure there was a perfectly understandable, even wonderful reason why they were married in a cemetery.

I was right.

Bert said he'd had this "vision."

See? I told you there'd be a reasonable explanation.

One night, Bert said, "kind of in a dream, or, if you will, a vision, I dreamed we got married in a cemetery."

Bert, chief executive officer for the Hunter Health Clinic, has worked with Native Americans for 14 years. Soo...

"I called a Native American friend the next day," he went on. "I said, 'What do you think this dream means?'"

The friend told Bert it meant that his marriage could be held in honor of some friends who had been close to him and had died.

So Bert, 44, and Cate, 41, chose the memorial area at small, beautiful, pastoral Greenwood Cemetery southwest of Wichita, where a Native American elder Bert had worked with had been buried.

Did Cate have any misgivings"

"No. I said to her, 'It is different, with a doubt.' And she said, "I think it's great.'

"The genesis of the whole deal is I have worked with the Native American cultures for the past 14 years, and a number of my close neighbors and mentors have been Native Americans.

"The significance of it was to honor the Indian deceased and the veterans and other souls and spirits in that particular setting.

"It was a very traditional Native American and Christian marriage. The serenity and the sunrise out there---rabbits and wild turkeys were running around---were just incredible.

"So," Bert said, "there was more to it than just being weird."

Sounds beautiful.

And Cate should just be glad Bert worked all those years with Indians, and not, say, skydivers.

(Wichita Eagle Newspaper ~ Monday; 29 June 1992)

KISSES SONS GOODBY YEAR AGO, RETURNS AS STATE PRISONER

Sam O. Logan, who kissed his boys, aged 8 and 13 years old, goodbye a year ago and told them that he would be back soon, will return to Wichita next Thursday, but it will be as a prisoner charged with child desertion and with passing a bad check. Frank Crow, deputy city marshal, will go to the Oklahoma state prison next Wednesday to get Logan and bring him back, for during Logan's year of absence from his children he has been serving time in the Oklahoma prison for grand larceny and his term of prison sentence expires Wednesday.

The boys are in the children's home at Atchison, where they were taken after their parents had failed to care for them.

According to information in the county attorney's office, Logan brought the boys to Wichita from Enid and said that their mother had left them.

He boarded with Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Martindale at 1012 Indiana until one year ago when he told Mrs. Martindale that he had a position offered him in Oklahoma. He paid board for the boys for one month and promised to send for them soon. Before departing from the city he passed a bogus check for $20 on Fred Wheeler, according to the charges, and then went to Oklahoma where he got into trouble with the authorities.
(The Wichita Sunday Beacon ~ 15 Feb 1925)