Cassville Republican, Thursday, September 14, 1893

A. D. Withers Indicated

The grand jury of Stone County has returned an indictment against A. D. Withers, charging him with murder in the first degree. Motion for bail has been denied and the prisoner taken to the county jail.

History of the Murder

Withers and Wilson were farmers living near Flat Creek, and not far from the Lawrence and Stone County line. One morning about the middle of last May, Wilson was in the timber near Carney on Flat Creek, hunting for some of his hogs, carrying several ears of corn in his hands, when he met Withers. What passed between the two men is known only to the survivor of the terrible tragedy. Some parties riding along the road in the neighborhood heard the report of a pistol, and soon after met Withers coming towards them, who stopped and informed them that he had shot Wilson, but he had done it in self defense. After that the murdered made his way to Galena, where he gave himself in to the custody of the sheriff and was locked up.

When Wilson was found, the body was lying upon its back, one arm underneath, the hand grasping a couple of ears of corn, while an ear lay not far from the other hand, as thou dropped while falling after being shot. There was nothing to indicate that he had made any resistance, but on the other hand the evidence appeared to point to one of the most heartless, cold-blooded murders that has ever been committed in the history of the southwest. The only provocation so far as know was that Wilson's son set a dog upon some stock belonging to Withers. Aurora Advertiser

State Historical Society of MO Microfilm