News Articles
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Letter to The Editor World Herald
Valentine, Neb - Jan 3
To the editor of the World Herald:
In reply to yours of December 28, 1895, I think I can safely say that not more than twenty-five families have left this county for other states during the last year, and for each family which has left the county two others have moved in. This statement can be verified from the election returns, which show a larger vote than any year since 1891.
Of the families which left the county during the year 1895, I can recollect the names of only the following who have returned to the county: Conrad Becker, Martin Becker, William Wade and Jerome Broad.
The two Beckers went to Wisconsin after selling off everything they had here, but returned this fall, giving as their reasons for coming back that a poor man could make an easier living here than he could where they had been.
William Wade returned from Kansas saying he could make a better living here than he could in Kansas, where he had to work for 50 cents per day, when he could get work at all.
Jerome Broad and family took a wagon trip down through parts of Missouri, Arkansas and Indian Territory; could not find any place where he thought a poor man could make a living as easily as he could here, and so he returned without locating anywhere.
About a dozen families went to Arkansas
from the northeast corner of this county and settled in Lonoke
Money is scarce and it takes all they manage to get of it to buy quinine. I don’t think there will be any further emigration to speak of, although like many of the western counties where crops were poor last year there are many grumblers, but the experience of those who emigrated during 1895 will deter them from committing the same folly.
The condition of the ground since the late snows has made the crop prospects for this year much better than at this time in 1895 and the farmers talk encouragingly of the future.
Signed: George Elliott, County Clerk.
Omaha World Herald - January 5, 1896 Transcribed and Contributed by: Debbie Personette
Faces Trial for Murder
Valentine, Neb - Oct 15
Cherry County is stirred from end to end over the Sellers “lynching” case which was called for trial here today.
There are five defendants to stand trial for first degree murder, but public interest centers almost wholly in the case of but one of them – Miss Eunice Murphy; a typical frontier woman, who is charged with inciting to murder, a capital offense in Nebraska.
The four other defendants are Kenneth Murphy; the 18 year old brother of Eunice; George B Weed and his brother, Alma Weed, two strapping cowboys and Harry Heath, a cousin of Eunice Murphy and an expert “roper”.
The four young men admit that one night last spring they rode to the ranch house of “Hutch Jack” with whom Charley Sellers kept bachellor’s hall, dragged Sellers from his bed at the point of revolvers and hanged him to a telephone pole nearby. Sellers had been an ardent wooer of Miss Murphy and the dependants claim that her failure to reciprocate his affection had maddened Sellers and he had threatened to wipe out the entire Murphy family and all their connections.
The prosecution, on the other hand, proposes to prove that the facts in the case were entirely different.
The prosecuting attorney alleges that he has evidence to show that Miss Murphy had encouraged Sellers in his attentions, had accepted numerous presents from him, and had deliberately plotted with the four young men to bring about Seller’s death in the belief that he had an Insurance policy of $7,000 and had made a will in her favor.
Grand Forks Herald - October 17, 1911 Transcribed and Contributed by: Debbie Personette
Sentence Cut Down
Special Dispatch to the World Herald, Lincoln Neb – March 2.
Soney Ford Cherry County, sentenced to imprisonment for seven years for the killing of Allen Rothchilds near Valentine, had received a reduction of sentence to three years and will serve four years in the penitentiary.
The judgment for the trial court as modified is affirmed by the Supreme Court.
Omaha World Herald - March 3, 1904 Transcribed and Contributed by: Debbie Personette
For Cattle Stealing. An Ex-Sheriff of a Nebraska County Arrested at Rapid City, S. D
Rapid City, SD – April 26
Deputy United States Marshal Mathieson has arrested John G Little, for four terms Sheriff of Cherry County, Neb., on a charge of cattle stealing.
Little, it is claimed by the officials, has been the leader of the worst gang of cattle thieves operatingbetween the Indian reservations and the Northern Nebraska towns.
It is asserted that they have stolen and shipped hundreds of cattle to Chicago, but it has heretofore been impossible to fasten a case upon or arrest Little.
The particular charge on which he was arrested is stealing seventy-two head from the herd of the Rosebud reservation belonging to Slaven, of Kansas City, the agency beef contractor.
They were driven into Nebraska and shipped to Chicago. Deputy United States marshals and Indian police are now in pursuit of other members of the gang.
Little’s arrest was only accomplished after much planning and considerable stratagem, but bloodshed is expected before all are captured.
United States District Attorney Sterling will return in a few days to personally attend to these cases.
Aberdeen Daily News - April 26, 1892 Transcribed and Contributed by: Debbie Personette
Off To Defend Miss Murphy
Nebraska Girl is Accused of Inciting the Hanging of an Admirer
W. R. Kelly, an independence attorney, will leave today for Valentine, Nebraska, where he will assist in the defense of Miss Eunice Murphy, a young woman who is charged with having incited the murder of her lover, Charles Sellers, a young ranchman at Cody, Nebraska, on June 17 last.
He will also assist in defending the four men who are said to have hanged Sellers at the instigation of Miss Murphy.
District Judge Westover of Cherry County, Nebraska, has called a special term of court to try these cases. It will be October 16. The panel of jurors has been drawn and the witnesses are being subpoenaed. The five defendants will be tried separately, and it is expected that two or three of the cases will be disposed of at this term.
The four men who are charged with doing the work are George B. Weed, Alma Weed, Harry Heath and Kenneth Murphy. The latter is a brother of the accused young woman. They are charged with going at night to the home of Sellers, taking him from his bed and hanging him to a telephone pole.
The theory of the prosecution is that Miss Murphy believed that Sellers would make her the beneficiary of his estate of about $10,000 and that she gave her brother and the other three men to understand that he was annoying her with his attentions and that she would like to get rid of him.
Miss Murphy is 23 years old and owns property in Cody, Nebraska, and elsewhere. She spent a part of the summer in seclusion in Independence, but when the authorities of Cherry County demanded it she went back to Nebraska and gave herself up.
At her preliminary examination, September 10, she was held without bail.
Kansas City Star – October 8, 1922
Woman Elected Treasurer of Cherry County
Miss Gertrude Johnson was recently elected treasurer of Cherry County, Nebraska.
She had made a good deputy for several years, but when she was nominated for treasurer the question whether a woman was eligible was raised.
It was referred to Attorney General Thompson, who decided that there was nothing in the constitution to prevent a woman from holding the office.
Duluth News-Tribune – December 19, 1909
Wild Man Foreman Bowman of Metz Ranch Discovers Queer Specimen
Special Dispatch to the World Herald
Valentine, Nebraska, January 27. -- A crazy wild man found living in an old deserted claim shack, living entirely upon baked potatoes, is the latest mystery for Valentine.
The man was discovered by Frank Dowman, foreman of Metz brothers ranch about six miles north of Cody, Nebraska. No one knows how long he has been living there, who he is, or where he came from.
Sheriff Rosseter brought the man here this morning and lodged him in jail.
He is a wild specimen of humanity, as he is unshaven and with long hair braided down his back. He has not uttered a word since he was found.
Absolutely demented, he will be examined today by the board of insanity and no doubt will be sent to some state institution for the insane.
Morning World Herald: Omaha, Thursday, January 28, 1909
New Partnership
Mr. Falkenhagen arrived in town Tuesday evening with two car loads of stock from North Dakota and Minnesota for the Indian contract. Mr. Anderson is driving 540 head from Chamberlain to the Agency.
We wish the new partner success in his business, and hope he will conclude to move his family here this summer.
The Valentine Democrat (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) May 27, 1897 - KT - Sub by FoFG
Recovered From His Injury
Paul J. Falkenhagen
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