The Daily Register - Saturday, January 24, 1914

John SPROUSE, charged with an assault to murder the family 
of Frances RIGHTNOWER by dynamiting their home, was found 
guilty of the charge by the jury that had his case.  The jury
was out only a short time and it is reported that a conviction 
of the charge was reached on the first ballot.

The evidence showed that the home of Frances RIGHTNOWAR, in 
McClellan Township, was blown up by dynamite on August 28, 1913.  
It was also brought out that the defendant had on numerous occasions 
made threats against the RIGHTNOWER family. Frances RIGHTNOWER was 
the father-in-law to SPROUSE, and because his daughter got a 
divorce from the defendant he seemed to be very much put out 
over the affair.

When the jury brought in their verdict the defendant sat 
unmoved when he learned what it was and he was absolutely emotionless.  
The evidence upon which a conclusion was reached was circumstantial.  
His attorney made a motion for a new trial which will be disposed of later.



The Daily Register - Wednesday, January 28, 1914

PUBLICATION NOTICE - State of Illinois, Jefferson County, as, County 
Court of Jefferson County to the March Term A.D. 1914.

B. W. G. ELKINS, Administrator of the estate of Martha CALDWELL Deceased, 
vs. John PUFFER, Wallace PUFFER, Samuel PUFFER, Mary PUFFER RILEY, Eddie 
PUFFER, Jane WATTS, J. Leaton BATES, Mary Rose NEWBY, Laura J. JACKSON, 
Rachael M. HARGRAVE, Francis M. BATES, Sarah HART, John W. BATES, Sidney 
CROZIER, Elizabeth FAULKNER, Geneva KIMMEL, Charles E. CURRY, Hazel MOONEY, 
Goodman CALDWELL, Emon M. STOVER, Kindred STORMENT, Edna ROUPE, Sumner STORMENT, 
Walter LAIRD, S. F. LAIRD, Ross SHELL, Pearl I. GLASS et al - Petition to 
sell Real Estate to pay debts.

Affidavit of the non-residence of Ross SHELL one of the defendants above 
named having been filed in the Office of the Clerk of the County Court of 
Jefferson County, notice is hereby given to the said Ross SHELL that the 
said Plaintiff B. W. G. Elkins administrator of the estate of Martha CALDWELL 
Deceased has filed his petition in the said County Court of Jefferson County 
for an order to sell the premises belonging to the Estate of the said deceased, 
or so much of it as may be needed to pay the debts of said deceased and described 
as follows, to wit: North half lot No. 3, and the South half of lot No. 4 in 
Block No. 4 in the village of Rome, in the County of Jefferson and State of 
Illinois and that a summons has been issued out of said Court against you, 
returnable at the March term A.D. 1914 of said Court to be holden on the 2nd 
day of March A.D. 1914, at the Court House in Mt. Vernon in Jefferson County 
Illinois.

Now, unless you, the said Ross SHELL shall personally be and appear before 
said County Court of Jefferson County, on the first day of a term thereof, 
to be holden at Mt. Vernon in said county, on the 2nd day of March 1914, and 
complainant's petition filed therein, the same and the matters and things 
therein charged and stated will be taken as confessed, and a decree entered 
against you according to the prayer of said bill.

Dated at Mt. Vernon, Illinois, January 27th, 1914

John G. YOUNG, Clerk.




The Daily Register - Wednesday, January 28, 1914

P. K. CROSNO of Arthur, visited his son Ed CROSNO and family a part 
of last week.  G. G. DALBY Jr., is building a new addition to his house.  
Wm. JUMPER is building a new barn. Mrs. Henry LEONARD is finishing winter 
term of school in the Dareville District. Valentine ALLEN has been writing 
for the court this past week. Wm. DALBY is doing the carpenter work on 
his brother Gabe's home. Harl HILL has moved his saw mill on the WILBANKS 
land and is sawing lumber for them.  W. K. DALBY, tax collector, has the tax 
books and is now ready to gather in the taxes. The DOBBS brothers have been 
threshing peas here the past week. Eld. Marion BOWLES preached at the Oak 
Grove School-house Sunday.

Mr. and Mrs. Louis MILES are here from South Dakota where they have been 
working in the asylum since their marriage a few months ago.  Mrs. MILES 
was formerly Mable MANEECE daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George MANEECE.

Chas. WINN and wife who he shot and killed and then committed suicide in 
East St. Louis last week were brought here last Saturday and buried in the 
Old Baptist Cemetery near Winfield in Horse Prairie.  Mrs. WINN was formerly 
Miss Lizzie DUDLEY and was raised near Sheller where her parents still live 
but she has lived in East St. Louis since her marriage.

I notice in last weeks Register that people had forgotten the name of the 
man that was condemned to be hung and the scaffold built in Mt. Vernon so 
long ago and a kindred rode to the capitol and got a pardon for him.  Your 
correspondent having lived all her life in less than a mile of the place 
where the murder was committed can give you the names. The man that was 
to hang was named BRADLEY and the man he killed was named King BRADLEY.  
He rode up in front of King's home and called him to the door and shot 
him as there was no cemetery near, KING  was buried in the woods on the 
William ABNEY farm.  He was the first person buried in what is now the 
beautiful Abner Cemetery which is a large well kept burying ground with 
a neat steel fence around it and many nice monuments placed over graves.  
The forest has all been cleared away. Just on the north side stands the 
Elk Prairie town house.



The Daily Register - April 1, 1914

LOGANSVILLE - Antonio ANTONOVINSKY, Michael MOR___NEISKI, Josef JAYJENJAWJIMSKI, 
Martin ___AJAMBOLINSKY and several others who have unspellable and unpronounceable 
names are becoming alarmed over the immigration bill.

SHILOH - Mr. and Mrs. Edward HOLMES, who have been visiting here for two weeks, 
left Monday and will visit in Mt. Vernon, Benton and Bluford till April 15 when 
they will go to Quincy, where they will enter the Soldier's Home for an indefinite 
period.  Miss Amy CATES, of Keens, is the guest of her uncle, D. P. EGBERT.

BLUFORD - Helen BARTON spent Saturday with her grandparents, Mt. and Mrs. 
W. H. BARTON.  Mrs. R. C. CRAWFORD, of Champaign, is visiting her sister, 
Mrs. J. W. BARTON.  



The Daily Register - April 24, 1914

GOOD HOMES FOUND FOR JACKSON CHILDREN

Through the aid of the newspapers of the city, P. W. WHITE, administrator 
of the Oliver JACKSON children, good homes have been found for the five children.  
The 4 year old girl and the 6 year old boy were taken to Mr. and Mrs. M. M. STANLEY 
in Dodds Township; and the 9 year old boy was taken by Ben ADAMS in the same neighborhood.

Mr. and Mrs. H. W. RICE, of this city, have taken the 9 year old girl; and the 
14 year old boy is living with Frank AYERS of Iuka.  The children seem to be well 
satisfied and if everything is satisfactory they will be legally adopted by the people 
who have taken them.