In the December 31, 1880, issue of the Houston Herald, a brief news item appeared announcing the formation of a new town in Texas County to be known as Success. George H. Bender, owner of the land, had platted a town of forty acres to be located along a proposed route of the Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad through western Texas County. As far as I've been able to ascertain, the railroad project was diverted or never completed, but the town came into being nevertheless.
Actually, there was a community in the general vicinity of Success prior to 1880. It was first called Ebbing Spring. The name was changed to Hastings, after the principal storeowner. Later, Bender and Hastings became business partners and proposed to make a resort of the springs. They changed the name to Success as an apparent advertising ploy, but if the name was an effort to attract visitors, it didn't work, and Bender moved the town to the proposed railroad location in 1880. Success was a flourishing little community for a while during the late 1800s and early 1900s. It got a post office in 1883, and, at one time or another, it had a public square, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a hotel, a drugstore, a telephone office, and other businesses.
About 1939, the town was moved again, this time a mile or so south to the junction of Highways 17 and 32. The new place was named Wye Junction because of the shape of the intersection, but the name didn't stick, and it became known once again as Success, while the town site to the north became known as Old Success.
Today, Success still has a post office. It also has a convenience store but not much else. The community's main asset is its school district, although the school is actually located a mile and half or so south of town on Highway 17. The district formed in 1959 when Success and the schools of a number of other small communities in the area consolidated into one larger elementary school district. High school students living in the Success district attend either Houston, Licking, or Plato.
Old Success is now little more than a ghost town. One of its remaining landmarks is a cemetery, where, by the way, one of my great great grandmothers is buried. I visited the place one time, about 30 years ago when my genealogy activity was at its peak.
Saturday, May 15, 2021
Saturday, May 8, 2021
The Withers-Max Feud of Southeast Missouri
In the late 1890s, a series of contentious and ultimately deadly events in the Piedmont (MO) area, involving a local banker and two brothers, came to be known, at least in newspaper headlines, as the Withers-Max feud. When all was said and done, the banker, a fifty-six-year-old man named George A. Withers, was dead; one of the brothers, Kirk Max, had been shot and killed from ambush, allegedly by friends of Withers; and the other brother, Henry Max, had been tried for Withers's murder and found not guilty.
The whole thing started in the fall of 1896 when Henry Max was accused of raping a thirteen-year-old girl named Lizzie Harness. Max was married and had three daughters, but his family was still in Ohio, where he had previously lived. He was currently living alone in a house in Piedmont and had more room than he needed. So, he rented out part of the house to another family, who had taken in Lizzie, an orphan girl. It was suggested that Lizzie could help earn her keep by doing housework for Max, and he finally agreed. In exchange for her work, Max bought the girl some clothes and other items for her personal use.
In late November, just a few weeks after Lizzie had started working for Max, she accused him of "having carnal knowledge" with her. She said he had "accomplished his purpose" through "persuasion and force" and had afterward threatened her if she told anyone. But she broke down and told anyway just a week or two after the incident.
Max was promptly arrested, and at his preliminary hearing in early December, he was bound over to the circuit court without bail on a charge of rape. It appears Withers actively aided the prosecution of the case against Max and lobbied for his conviction. Despite these efforts, the jury could not agree on Max's guilt, and his trial in the spring of 1897 ended in a mistrial. Max was then released on $6,000 bond. Withers, however, continued to advocate for the prosecution, earning Max's ire. At one point, Max even threatened to kill Withers if he didn't mind his own business.
On the early morning of September 8, 1897, Withers's dead body was found lying face-down beside the railroad tracks in Piedmont with the back of his head bashed in. Withers had been to Ironton on the 7th and had returned to Piedmont in the wee hours of the 8th. A few people thought he had fallen or jumped from the train and crushed his head in that manner, but most thought he had been murdered and his body positioned by the track for effect.
Circumstantial evidence pointed to the involvement of Henry Max and his brother Kirk, and they were arrested on suspicion of murder on the evening of September 9. Supporting the idea that the scene had been staged, investigators found buggy tracks leading to the railroad tracks from elsewhere in town and away from the tracks toward a nearby river. It was, therefore, theorized that Withers had been killed elsewhere, his body hauled to the tracks and dumped, and the buggy driven to the river to wash off the bloodstains. One of the wheels on Henry Max's buggy was found to have blood on it, and the wheels also made a unusual track matching the track made by the buggy that had been driven away from Withers's body. In addition, a couple of witnesses turned up who claimed to have seen the Max buggy in the vicinity of the railroad tracks on the night in question. Also, Kirk Max and George Withers had supposedly had some strained business relations of late. After their arrest Henry and Kirk made no statement except to declare their innocence.
In mid-September, a coroner's jury found that the Max brothers were responsible for Withers's death, and they were officially charged with murder. In December, a grand jury brought a true bill against the brothers, and they were bound over for trial in the circuit court.
In early 1898, the brothers were granted a severance, and E. K. "Kirk" Max was tried first. It came out at trial that some of the evidence against him and his brother was dubious. For instance, at least one of the witnesses who claimed to have seen Henry's buggy in the vicinity of the tracks where the victim's body turned out to be "an irresponsible tramp." The blood on Henry Max's buggy was shown to be that of an animal rather than a human. Still, when Kirk's trial ended on April 1 with an acquittal, many people were reportedly surprised. The so-called tramp later went before a justice of the peace and swore out an affidavit that the testimony he'd given against the Max brothers was false, that he'd been bribed to give the testimony, but that he'd never received the promised payment.
On the night of September 9, the one-year anniversary of George Withers's death, Kirk Max was shot in the back from ambush on a street in Piedmont, Riddled with buckshot, he was taken by train to St. Louis, where he died on the morning of the 11th.
Henry Max's trial for the murder of Withers finally came up in August 1899. After hearing the case, the jury deliberated for only a short while before acquitting him of the charge.
After the verdict, Henry Max removed to Ohio, from where he wrote a detailed account of his side of the story, which was published in a St. Louis newspaper in mid-September. He said he had returned to Ohio because of death threats he had received in southeast Missouri. He claimed he was totally innocent of the charges against him, both the charge of raping Lizzie Harness and the charge of killing George Withers. Max said that Lizzie, like the tramp who'd implicated him in the Withers case, had later recanted her story, saying she had been bribed to falsely accuse Max. Henry said he'd only taken Lizzie as a housekeeper at the insistence of her foster parents, who could not afford to send her to school or buy her personal items. He finally agreed and soon came to see the girl almost as one of his daughters, until she turned against him. Henry said the girl had apologized to him for her betrayal after recanting her story.
Max said the only real evidence against him was his threat to kill Withers. He readily admitted to making such a threat but said he'd done so in anger with no intention whatsoever of carrying through with it. In fact, Max claimed that he and Withers had somewhat settled their differences prior to Withers's death and that he had even done business with Withers at the bank during the weeks leading up to his death. Max said he was as shocked as anyone else when he heard of the banker's death.
The whole thing started in the fall of 1896 when Henry Max was accused of raping a thirteen-year-old girl named Lizzie Harness. Max was married and had three daughters, but his family was still in Ohio, where he had previously lived. He was currently living alone in a house in Piedmont and had more room than he needed. So, he rented out part of the house to another family, who had taken in Lizzie, an orphan girl. It was suggested that Lizzie could help earn her keep by doing housework for Max, and he finally agreed. In exchange for her work, Max bought the girl some clothes and other items for her personal use.
In late November, just a few weeks after Lizzie had started working for Max, she accused him of "having carnal knowledge" with her. She said he had "accomplished his purpose" through "persuasion and force" and had afterward threatened her if she told anyone. But she broke down and told anyway just a week or two after the incident.
Max was promptly arrested, and at his preliminary hearing in early December, he was bound over to the circuit court without bail on a charge of rape. It appears Withers actively aided the prosecution of the case against Max and lobbied for his conviction. Despite these efforts, the jury could not agree on Max's guilt, and his trial in the spring of 1897 ended in a mistrial. Max was then released on $6,000 bond. Withers, however, continued to advocate for the prosecution, earning Max's ire. At one point, Max even threatened to kill Withers if he didn't mind his own business.
On the early morning of September 8, 1897, Withers's dead body was found lying face-down beside the railroad tracks in Piedmont with the back of his head bashed in. Withers had been to Ironton on the 7th and had returned to Piedmont in the wee hours of the 8th. A few people thought he had fallen or jumped from the train and crushed his head in that manner, but most thought he had been murdered and his body positioned by the track for effect.
Circumstantial evidence pointed to the involvement of Henry Max and his brother Kirk, and they were arrested on suspicion of murder on the evening of September 9. Supporting the idea that the scene had been staged, investigators found buggy tracks leading to the railroad tracks from elsewhere in town and away from the tracks toward a nearby river. It was, therefore, theorized that Withers had been killed elsewhere, his body hauled to the tracks and dumped, and the buggy driven to the river to wash off the bloodstains. One of the wheels on Henry Max's buggy was found to have blood on it, and the wheels also made a unusual track matching the track made by the buggy that had been driven away from Withers's body. In addition, a couple of witnesses turned up who claimed to have seen the Max buggy in the vicinity of the railroad tracks on the night in question. Also, Kirk Max and George Withers had supposedly had some strained business relations of late. After their arrest Henry and Kirk made no statement except to declare their innocence.
In mid-September, a coroner's jury found that the Max brothers were responsible for Withers's death, and they were officially charged with murder. In December, a grand jury brought a true bill against the brothers, and they were bound over for trial in the circuit court.
In early 1898, the brothers were granted a severance, and E. K. "Kirk" Max was tried first. It came out at trial that some of the evidence against him and his brother was dubious. For instance, at least one of the witnesses who claimed to have seen Henry's buggy in the vicinity of the tracks where the victim's body turned out to be "an irresponsible tramp." The blood on Henry Max's buggy was shown to be that of an animal rather than a human. Still, when Kirk's trial ended on April 1 with an acquittal, many people were reportedly surprised. The so-called tramp later went before a justice of the peace and swore out an affidavit that the testimony he'd given against the Max brothers was false, that he'd been bribed to give the testimony, but that he'd never received the promised payment.
On the night of September 9, the one-year anniversary of George Withers's death, Kirk Max was shot in the back from ambush on a street in Piedmont, Riddled with buckshot, he was taken by train to St. Louis, where he died on the morning of the 11th.
Henry Max's trial for the murder of Withers finally came up in August 1899. After hearing the case, the jury deliberated for only a short while before acquitting him of the charge.
After the verdict, Henry Max removed to Ohio, from where he wrote a detailed account of his side of the story, which was published in a St. Louis newspaper in mid-September. He said he had returned to Ohio because of death threats he had received in southeast Missouri. He claimed he was totally innocent of the charges against him, both the charge of raping Lizzie Harness and the charge of killing George Withers. Max said that Lizzie, like the tramp who'd implicated him in the Withers case, had later recanted her story, saying she had been bribed to falsely accuse Max. Henry said he'd only taken Lizzie as a housekeeper at the insistence of her foster parents, who could not afford to send her to school or buy her personal items. He finally agreed and soon came to see the girl almost as one of his daughters, until she turned against him. Henry said the girl had apologized to him for her betrayal after recanting her story.
Max said the only real evidence against him was his threat to kill Withers. He readily admitted to making such a threat but said he'd done so in anger with no intention whatsoever of carrying through with it. In fact, Max claimed that he and Withers had somewhat settled their differences prior to Withers's death and that he had even done business with Withers at the bank during the weeks leading up to his death. Max said he was as shocked as anyone else when he heard of the banker's death.
Saturday, May 1, 2021
Rolla During the Civil War
The folks around Rolla (MO) were decidedly Southern in sentiment when the Civil War broke out in the spring of 1861. Southern sympathizers held several mass meetings and demonstrations in Rolla. In April, an outfit calling itself the "Phelps County Minutemen" was organized, and in early May a group of women presented the citizens of Rolla a Confederate flag, which was hoisted over the town to great hurrahing.
The Confederate reign in Rolla, however, was short-lived. In mid-June, over a thousand Federal troops from St. Louis under Colonel Franz Sigel arrived to take over the town. Rolla's would-be Confederates quietly vanished into the background, as the Union soldiers took down the Rebel flag and replaced it with the Stars and Stripes. Sigel soon marched to Springfield, but an occupying Federal force remained in Rolla. More troops soon arrived, and the town was held by the Union throughout the remainder of the war. As the western terminus of the railroad and situated in central Missouri, it was a strategic site.
At least one Union battalion was organized at Rolla, and numerous area residents joined other Federal units. No doubt at least a few of these men had previously been wanna-be Confederates, but a large number of local men did, indeed, join the Confederate-allied Missouri State Guard, while others took to the bush as guerrillas. The town of Rolla itself, however, was never seriously threatened by Confederate forces, as it was always heavily garrisoned. A post-war report in a Rolla newspaper estimated that between five thousand and fifty thousand troops were camped in and around Rolla during most of the war, although the fifty thousand figure seems a little high. Two forts were constructed, one called Fort Detty on the north side of town on what is now the campus of the University of Missouri-Rolla and the other called Fort Wyman located just south of town along present-day US Highway 63. In addition, a network of earthworks and trenches surrounded the town, the courthouse was fortified with rifle pits, and a strong headquarters encampment was located west of town.
Although Rolla was never seriously threatened by Rebel forces during the war, it was a fairly busy place because of its strategic location. Notably, after the Federal defeat at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in mid-August 1861, thousands of Union soldiers evacuated to Rolla, and the Federal forces at Pilot Knob also retreated to Rolla after blowing up the magazine at Fort Davidson in the face of a threat from General Sterling Price's Confederate forces in the fall of 1864. In addition, thousands of Union refugees made their way to Rolla during the Civil War, fleeing from privation and depredations in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.
The Confederate reign in Rolla, however, was short-lived. In mid-June, over a thousand Federal troops from St. Louis under Colonel Franz Sigel arrived to take over the town. Rolla's would-be Confederates quietly vanished into the background, as the Union soldiers took down the Rebel flag and replaced it with the Stars and Stripes. Sigel soon marched to Springfield, but an occupying Federal force remained in Rolla. More troops soon arrived, and the town was held by the Union throughout the remainder of the war. As the western terminus of the railroad and situated in central Missouri, it was a strategic site.
At least one Union battalion was organized at Rolla, and numerous area residents joined other Federal units. No doubt at least a few of these men had previously been wanna-be Confederates, but a large number of local men did, indeed, join the Confederate-allied Missouri State Guard, while others took to the bush as guerrillas. The town of Rolla itself, however, was never seriously threatened by Confederate forces, as it was always heavily garrisoned. A post-war report in a Rolla newspaper estimated that between five thousand and fifty thousand troops were camped in and around Rolla during most of the war, although the fifty thousand figure seems a little high. Two forts were constructed, one called Fort Detty on the north side of town on what is now the campus of the University of Missouri-Rolla and the other called Fort Wyman located just south of town along present-day US Highway 63. In addition, a network of earthworks and trenches surrounded the town, the courthouse was fortified with rifle pits, and a strong headquarters encampment was located west of town.
Although Rolla was never seriously threatened by Rebel forces during the war, it was a fairly busy place because of its strategic location. Notably, after the Federal defeat at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in mid-August 1861, thousands of Union soldiers evacuated to Rolla, and the Federal forces at Pilot Knob also retreated to Rolla after blowing up the magazine at Fort Davidson in the face of a threat from General Sterling Price's Confederate forces in the fall of 1864. In addition, thousands of Union refugees made their way to Rolla during the Civil War, fleeing from privation and depredations in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Construction of Battlefield Mall
Last time I wrote about construction of the Shrine Mosque in Springfield. This time I decided to write about another major building project in Springfield history: construction of Battlefield Mall.
Plans for construction of Battlefield Mall first came to public attention in early January 1966, when it was announced that Dr. Francis McClernon was getting ready to sign a 75-year lease on his property at the northwest corner of Glenstone and Battlefield Road with Hermel, Inc., an Indianapolis development firm. At the time, Battlefield Road did not actually extend all the way to Glenstone, and approval of that road project was part of the contingency plan. The area was still relatively rural and undeveloped at the time. Other than McClernon's home site, about the only other things on the 65-acre farm were a few billboards along Glenstone. Initial plans called for development of 35 of those acres with an option to develop the other 30 acres to the north, which would extend the mall all the way to Sunset Street. Montgomery Ward had already signed a lease agreement with Hermel, and its proposed store, consisting of almost 119,000 square feet of floor space, would anchor the mall. It was reported later in the year that a second major department store had also signed a lease agreement. Identity of the store was not revealed at first, but speculation centered around J. C. Penney.
In early 1967, rumors swirled that the whole project had been scrapped, but Hermel denied the rumors, and McClernon confirmed that the company had been making regular payments on its lease agreement with him. In mid-1967, it was confirmed that J. C. Penney was, indeed, the second major retailer to sign a lease agreement to locate in Battlefield Mall. The store would occupy approximately 144,000 square feet of floor space, and it was announced at the same time that Montgomery Ward had also upped the amount of floor space its store would require to about the same figure.
Preliminary construction work finally got under way in September 1968 with a projected completion date for the mall of early 1970. The work had been delayed in part because of the uncertainty of the Battlefield Road extension project. In January 1969, a building permit for the almost $6.5-million mall project was issued by the City of Springfield. It was the largest building permit ever issued in Springfield history. Construction on the project began in earnest immediately after the permit was issued.
Despite a couple of labor disputes that temporarily delayed work, the mall project was completed in July 1970. A ribbon cutting and other opening-day ceremonies were held on the morning of July 23, with at least 54 of the mall's 62 stores set to open for business later that day.
Construction of the mall spurred the commercial development of surrounding properties. For instance, work on a Venture store just south of the mall site was begun even before the mall opened. Soon the whole area was a retail hub and definitely no longer rural.
Plans for construction of Battlefield Mall first came to public attention in early January 1966, when it was announced that Dr. Francis McClernon was getting ready to sign a 75-year lease on his property at the northwest corner of Glenstone and Battlefield Road with Hermel, Inc., an Indianapolis development firm. At the time, Battlefield Road did not actually extend all the way to Glenstone, and approval of that road project was part of the contingency plan. The area was still relatively rural and undeveloped at the time. Other than McClernon's home site, about the only other things on the 65-acre farm were a few billboards along Glenstone. Initial plans called for development of 35 of those acres with an option to develop the other 30 acres to the north, which would extend the mall all the way to Sunset Street. Montgomery Ward had already signed a lease agreement with Hermel, and its proposed store, consisting of almost 119,000 square feet of floor space, would anchor the mall. It was reported later in the year that a second major department store had also signed a lease agreement. Identity of the store was not revealed at first, but speculation centered around J. C. Penney.
In early 1967, rumors swirled that the whole project had been scrapped, but Hermel denied the rumors, and McClernon confirmed that the company had been making regular payments on its lease agreement with him. In mid-1967, it was confirmed that J. C. Penney was, indeed, the second major retailer to sign a lease agreement to locate in Battlefield Mall. The store would occupy approximately 144,000 square feet of floor space, and it was announced at the same time that Montgomery Ward had also upped the amount of floor space its store would require to about the same figure.
Preliminary construction work finally got under way in September 1968 with a projected completion date for the mall of early 1970. The work had been delayed in part because of the uncertainty of the Battlefield Road extension project. In January 1969, a building permit for the almost $6.5-million mall project was issued by the City of Springfield. It was the largest building permit ever issued in Springfield history. Construction on the project began in earnest immediately after the permit was issued.
Despite a couple of labor disputes that temporarily delayed work, the mall project was completed in July 1970. A ribbon cutting and other opening-day ceremonies were held on the morning of July 23, with at least 54 of the mall's 62 stores set to open for business later that day.
Construction of the mall spurred the commercial development of surrounding properties. For instance, work on a Venture store just south of the mall site was begun even before the mall opened. Soon the whole area was a retail hub and definitely no longer rural.
Saturday, April 17, 2021
Construction of the Shrine Mosque
In 1920, the Abou Ben Adhem temple of Shriners in Springfield, Missouri, announced its intention to build a new temple, and a lot for the proposed structure was acquired at the northeast corner of Kimbrough and St. Louis streets at a cost of $20,000 in November of the same year. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 4, 1921, and Imperial Potentate Ernest A. Cutts came to Springfield as the guest of honor to turn over the first shovelful of dirt. Contract for the project was awarded to Springfield construction contractor J. M. Olsen, whose low bid was $257,500, not including heating and lighting.
Plans called for the mosque to house a large auditorium with a seating capacity of about 5,000 people. About 3,700 permanent seats would surround the stage in a horseshoe shape, and approximately another 1,300 temporary seats could be set up on the floor. Construction of the Shrine Mosque, as it was called, would be the costliest building project in Springfield history, and the auditorium would be one of the biggest and best in the Midwest.
Plans called for the mosque to house a large auditorium with a seating capacity of about 5,000 people. About 3,700 permanent seats would surround the stage in a horseshoe shape, and approximately another 1,300 temporary seats could be set up on the floor. Construction of the Shrine Mosque, as it was called, would be the costliest building project in Springfield history, and the auditorium would be one of the biggest and best in the Midwest.
As often happens with large construction projects, the initial deadline could not be met, and the projected costs also rose. When the mosque was finally completed in the fall of 1923, it was at a total cost of over half a million dollars (about twice the initial estimate, but this final cost included heating and lighting)
A dedication ceremony for the new building was held on November 3, 1923, with Shriner dignitaries from all all over the country in attendance, including Imperial Potentate Conrad V. Dykeman. About 8,000 Shriners in all attended the event, and an estimated 25,000 people witnessed the parade through downtown Springfield.
The Shrine Mosque auditorium was put into almost immediate use, attracting various well-known shows and performers to Springfield. One of the first events at the mosque was a musical production entitled "The Clinging Vine" featuring renowned actress and prima donna Peggy Wood on November 5, two days after the dedication.
The Shrine Mosque was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The Shrine Mosque Preservation Association was formed in 1986, and the organization is currently raising funds to make needed repairs on the building in time for its centennial observation in 2023.
On a personal note, I went to a number of concerts at the Shrine Mosque in my younger years, but it has probably been close to forty years now since I've been inside the place.
A dedication ceremony for the new building was held on November 3, 1923, with Shriner dignitaries from all all over the country in attendance, including Imperial Potentate Conrad V. Dykeman. About 8,000 Shriners in all attended the event, and an estimated 25,000 people witnessed the parade through downtown Springfield.
The Shrine Mosque auditorium was put into almost immediate use, attracting various well-known shows and performers to Springfield. One of the first events at the mosque was a musical production entitled "The Clinging Vine" featuring renowned actress and prima donna Peggy Wood on November 5, two days after the dedication.
The Shrine Mosque was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The Shrine Mosque Preservation Association was formed in 1986, and the organization is currently raising funds to make needed repairs on the building in time for its centennial observation in 2023.
On a personal note, I went to a number of concerts at the Shrine Mosque in my younger years, but it has probably been close to forty years now since I've been inside the place.
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Things to Do in Joplin 1953
It's not unusual to hear people, especially younger people, complain about not having anything to do in their town or region. I've never given much credence to such complaints, because most of the time, when you hear such complaints, there's actually quite a bit to do in the designated region. I think what people are really saying when they say there's nothing to do is that they want something new and different to do.
People nowadays probably have more activities to choose from than ever before when it comes to being entertained, but in glancing at the entertainment page of the May 12, 1953, edition of the Joplin Globe, I have to conclude that people had plenty to do to amuse themselves even sixty-eight years ago.
Joplin boasted over a half dozen walk-in theaters at the time. These included the Orpheum Theatre at 528 S. Main Street, where The Naked Spur was playing; the Glen at 1413 S. Main, where The Girls of Pleasure Island was showing; the Fox, at 415 S. Main, where you could watch Bwana Devil; the Electric Theater at 1514 S. Main, featuring The Iron Mistress; the Lux at 308 S. Main, where No Holds Barred was on the screen; the Paramount, at 515 S. Main, which featured Down Among the Sheltered Palms; and the Rex, at 1425 S. Main, which was showing Canyon Passage. In addition, Trouble Along the Way was playing at the Civic in nearby Webb City, and Cattle Town was showing at the Larsen (also in Webb City, where the Route 66 Theater is currently located). The area also had at least four drive-in theaters, including the Crest (near the present-day intersection of Range Line and 32nd) and the Tri-State (just off West 7th Street) in Joplin, the 66 Drive In near Carthage, and the Edgewood just south of Neosho. Admission prices for these movies varied from a dime to 75 cents, depending on the movie house and the time of day.
If you weren't in the mood for a movie, there were other things to do. For sports fans, there was professional baseball. The Class D Joplin Miners played at Miners Park (renamed Joe Becker in 1954), where general admission was 65 cents, bleacher seats were 35 cents, and kids could get in for a quarter. Also, the Greentop Speedway, located on North Main near Stone's Corner, was getting ready to open for the season the next night, May 13. The speedway was a dirt track that hosted modified stock car races, and admission was 75 cents.
The Rock City Tavern, located a couple of miles south of Joplin where Richardson's Candy House later did business, was just one of a number of nightclubs where those of age could drink and dance the night away. If you just wanted to go out to eat, you also had a variety of places to choose from. For instance, Wilder's Restaurant, at 1216 S. Main was in its heyday, offering "fine food" and "excellent service."
And all this was from just one page of the Globe.
People nowadays probably have more activities to choose from than ever before when it comes to being entertained, but in glancing at the entertainment page of the May 12, 1953, edition of the Joplin Globe, I have to conclude that people had plenty to do to amuse themselves even sixty-eight years ago.
Joplin boasted over a half dozen walk-in theaters at the time. These included the Orpheum Theatre at 528 S. Main Street, where The Naked Spur was playing; the Glen at 1413 S. Main, where The Girls of Pleasure Island was showing; the Fox, at 415 S. Main, where you could watch Bwana Devil; the Electric Theater at 1514 S. Main, featuring The Iron Mistress; the Lux at 308 S. Main, where No Holds Barred was on the screen; the Paramount, at 515 S. Main, which featured Down Among the Sheltered Palms; and the Rex, at 1425 S. Main, which was showing Canyon Passage. In addition, Trouble Along the Way was playing at the Civic in nearby Webb City, and Cattle Town was showing at the Larsen (also in Webb City, where the Route 66 Theater is currently located). The area also had at least four drive-in theaters, including the Crest (near the present-day intersection of Range Line and 32nd) and the Tri-State (just off West 7th Street) in Joplin, the 66 Drive In near Carthage, and the Edgewood just south of Neosho. Admission prices for these movies varied from a dime to 75 cents, depending on the movie house and the time of day.
If you weren't in the mood for a movie, there were other things to do. For sports fans, there was professional baseball. The Class D Joplin Miners played at Miners Park (renamed Joe Becker in 1954), where general admission was 65 cents, bleacher seats were 35 cents, and kids could get in for a quarter. Also, the Greentop Speedway, located on North Main near Stone's Corner, was getting ready to open for the season the next night, May 13. The speedway was a dirt track that hosted modified stock car races, and admission was 75 cents.
The Rock City Tavern, located a couple of miles south of Joplin where Richardson's Candy House later did business, was just one of a number of nightclubs where those of age could drink and dance the night away. If you just wanted to go out to eat, you also had a variety of places to choose from. For instance, Wilder's Restaurant, at 1216 S. Main was in its heyday, offering "fine food" and "excellent service."
And all this was from just one page of the Globe.
Saturday, April 3, 2021
Leonard Short and the O'Malley Gang
A brother of US Congressman Dewey Short, Stone County (MO) native Leonard Short was a feed and produce merchant in Galena in the late 1920s. He also had a title and abstract company. In early 1930, he sold the feed and produce company. While still running the abstract company, he started promoting boxers on the side, and then in 1931 he became a wrestling and boxing promoter in Springfield, renting the Shrine Mosque to stage the events.
Short was reputed to be Stone County's biggest bootlegger, but until 1933, about the worse trouble he'd ever been in was an unproven charge of selling illegal whiskey in the late 1920s. After the Bank of Galena was held up by three men on August 28, 1933, though, Short was arrested and charged with being an accessory for allegedly having met with the perpetrators. Promptly released on bail, Short swore there was nothing to the charges against him, and he went on promoting an upcoming boxing match. The charges against him were subsequently dropped when it was determined there was insufficient evidence against him to warrant a trial.
Short was soon in trouble again, though. In January 1934, he was re-arrested and charged with being an accessory to an October 1933 robbery of the Model Bakery in Springfield. It was alleged that Short was the "brains" of the stickup job. At his trial in March 1934, Short was convicted of conspiracy in the robbery and sentenced to ten years in prison. He was released on bond while he appealed the conviction, and while still out on bail he was implicated in yet another robbery--the holdup of the Bank of Billings in December of 1933. It was about this same time, the spring of 1934, that it was first alleged that Short was part of an organized gang of thieves and robbers. Although certain other members of the gang, such as Dewey Gilmore, were also tentatively identified, neither Short nor Gilmore had yet come to be associated with the Irish O'Malley gang, as they later would be. In fact, the O'Malley gang did not come to public attention until late May of 1935.
Meanwhile, Short was arraigned in Christian County in connection with the Billings bank robbery and was released on $25,000 bond. One justice declined to bind Short over to the circuit court on the charge because of the dubious character of the primary witness against him, who was an ex-convict. However, the charge was refiled with another justice, who did bind the defendant over for trial in the circuit court. When the case came up at Ozark in late May, Short was granted a change of venue to Douglas County.
As Short's legal troubles mounted, he discontinued his promotion of boxing and wrestling matches at the Shrine Mosque and returned to his title business in Galena. At his September trial in Ava on the Billings bank robbery charge, several members of Short's family testified that he was with them at the time he was supposedly meeting with the holdup men, and the jurors acquitted Short after just fifteen minutes of deliberation.
In November 1934, Short and a couple of other men were arrested as "suspicious characters" because they were "parading the business district of Monett in a motor car," as if they were casing the town. Although the car was found to have a "large arsenal" of weapons in it, Short was released after questioning.
Then on January 3, 1935, Short and several other men were arrested when Bob Johnson, fleeing from a shootout at Picher, Oklahoma, was captured in Stone County. He led authorities to a stash of stolen goods and implicated the other men in a series of gunfights and robberies in southwest Missouri and northeast Oklahoma in recent months. Short was charged, in particular, with complicity in a recent diamond robbery in Jasper County, and he was taken to the lockup in Carthage. The next day, he was also implicated as an actual participant in the robbery of the Bank of Crane on January 1.
As usual, Short was released on bond pending trial, and while out on bond he was arrested for allegedly participating in the burglary of a Nixa filling station on the night of February 16. A week later, the charge was dropped after the complaining witness dropped his complaint, saying he was not sure of his identification of the suspect. Somewhere about this time, Short closed his title business in Galena, apparently to concentrate on outlawry.
In late May, Short was tied to the Irish O'Malley gang after Dewey Gilmore was arrested in Texas and Walter Holland, alias Irish O'Malley, was arrested for an alleged kidnapping in Illinois the previous August. Short was among other gang members rounded up, and he was implicated, along with Gilmore and others, in the double robbery of two Okemah, Oklahoma, banks on December 22, 1934. The same gang was suspected in several other bank robberies as well, including one at Fort Smith less than a month before the arrests and one at Neosho two months before that. One officer remarked that the arrest of the O'Malley gang members cleared up virtually every bank robbery throughout the Midwest over the previous couple of years.
After his arrest, Short was also linked to the Six Daring Bandits, another gang that was broken up near the same time as the O'Malley gang. For instance, the Crane bank robbery was generally attributed to the Six Daring Bandits.
Short was transported to Oklahoma and jailed at Muscogee to await trial on the Okemah robberies. While he was still awaiting trial, he lost his appeal in the Springfield bakery holdup case and was ordered to serve his ten-year sentence. Authorities in Oklahoma would not release Short to Missouri, however, until after his trial on the Okemah bank jobs. In late November, he was found guilty in federal court of complicity in the Okemah crimes. On December 3, however, before he could be sentenced, he and three of his comrades in the O'Malley gang, including Dewey Gilmore, broke out of the Muscogee jail where they were being held, seriously wounding a lawman in the process. Three days later, they were trailed to a farmhouse near Claremore, where lawmen engaged them in a shootout when they refused to surrender. One outlaw was killed outright, Short was mortally wounded and died within hours, Gilmore was also wounded, and the fourth man surrendered.
Short's body was brought back to Galena for burial.
Short was reputed to be Stone County's biggest bootlegger, but until 1933, about the worse trouble he'd ever been in was an unproven charge of selling illegal whiskey in the late 1920s. After the Bank of Galena was held up by three men on August 28, 1933, though, Short was arrested and charged with being an accessory for allegedly having met with the perpetrators. Promptly released on bail, Short swore there was nothing to the charges against him, and he went on promoting an upcoming boxing match. The charges against him were subsequently dropped when it was determined there was insufficient evidence against him to warrant a trial.
Short was soon in trouble again, though. In January 1934, he was re-arrested and charged with being an accessory to an October 1933 robbery of the Model Bakery in Springfield. It was alleged that Short was the "brains" of the stickup job. At his trial in March 1934, Short was convicted of conspiracy in the robbery and sentenced to ten years in prison. He was released on bond while he appealed the conviction, and while still out on bail he was implicated in yet another robbery--the holdup of the Bank of Billings in December of 1933. It was about this same time, the spring of 1934, that it was first alleged that Short was part of an organized gang of thieves and robbers. Although certain other members of the gang, such as Dewey Gilmore, were also tentatively identified, neither Short nor Gilmore had yet come to be associated with the Irish O'Malley gang, as they later would be. In fact, the O'Malley gang did not come to public attention until late May of 1935.
Meanwhile, Short was arraigned in Christian County in connection with the Billings bank robbery and was released on $25,000 bond. One justice declined to bind Short over to the circuit court on the charge because of the dubious character of the primary witness against him, who was an ex-convict. However, the charge was refiled with another justice, who did bind the defendant over for trial in the circuit court. When the case came up at Ozark in late May, Short was granted a change of venue to Douglas County.
As Short's legal troubles mounted, he discontinued his promotion of boxing and wrestling matches at the Shrine Mosque and returned to his title business in Galena. At his September trial in Ava on the Billings bank robbery charge, several members of Short's family testified that he was with them at the time he was supposedly meeting with the holdup men, and the jurors acquitted Short after just fifteen minutes of deliberation.
In November 1934, Short and a couple of other men were arrested as "suspicious characters" because they were "parading the business district of Monett in a motor car," as if they were casing the town. Although the car was found to have a "large arsenal" of weapons in it, Short was released after questioning.
Then on January 3, 1935, Short and several other men were arrested when Bob Johnson, fleeing from a shootout at Picher, Oklahoma, was captured in Stone County. He led authorities to a stash of stolen goods and implicated the other men in a series of gunfights and robberies in southwest Missouri and northeast Oklahoma in recent months. Short was charged, in particular, with complicity in a recent diamond robbery in Jasper County, and he was taken to the lockup in Carthage. The next day, he was also implicated as an actual participant in the robbery of the Bank of Crane on January 1.
As usual, Short was released on bond pending trial, and while out on bond he was arrested for allegedly participating in the burglary of a Nixa filling station on the night of February 16. A week later, the charge was dropped after the complaining witness dropped his complaint, saying he was not sure of his identification of the suspect. Somewhere about this time, Short closed his title business in Galena, apparently to concentrate on outlawry.
In late May, Short was tied to the Irish O'Malley gang after Dewey Gilmore was arrested in Texas and Walter Holland, alias Irish O'Malley, was arrested for an alleged kidnapping in Illinois the previous August. Short was among other gang members rounded up, and he was implicated, along with Gilmore and others, in the double robbery of two Okemah, Oklahoma, banks on December 22, 1934. The same gang was suspected in several other bank robberies as well, including one at Fort Smith less than a month before the arrests and one at Neosho two months before that. One officer remarked that the arrest of the O'Malley gang members cleared up virtually every bank robbery throughout the Midwest over the previous couple of years.
After his arrest, Short was also linked to the Six Daring Bandits, another gang that was broken up near the same time as the O'Malley gang. For instance, the Crane bank robbery was generally attributed to the Six Daring Bandits.
Short was transported to Oklahoma and jailed at Muscogee to await trial on the Okemah robberies. While he was still awaiting trial, he lost his appeal in the Springfield bakery holdup case and was ordered to serve his ten-year sentence. Authorities in Oklahoma would not release Short to Missouri, however, until after his trial on the Okemah bank jobs. In late November, he was found guilty in federal court of complicity in the Okemah crimes. On December 3, however, before he could be sentenced, he and three of his comrades in the O'Malley gang, including Dewey Gilmore, broke out of the Muscogee jail where they were being held, seriously wounding a lawman in the process. Three days later, they were trailed to a farmhouse near Claremore, where lawmen engaged them in a shootout when they refused to surrender. One outlaw was killed outright, Short was mortally wounded and died within hours, Gilmore was also wounded, and the fourth man surrendered.
Short's body was brought back to Galena for burial.
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