Sad News -

 

Yesterday I decided I wanted to know more about Claude McCart; my grandma's younger brother. 

As I mentioned in my last post, I was coming up with information that was not sourced - about him being killed in 1918 on an Indian Reservation, by an Indian. Ancestry just didn't have the information I needed, so I used Newspapers.com and punched in, his name and the year 1918. 

To my surprise, a list of newspaper articles from newspapers in the Kansas area popped up - This was BIG and I read every single article -

Claude McCart was highlighted in yellow - among pages of articles on the crime, the trials, and sentencing.   I discovered he was a Provost (Military) Guard at the federal military prison, Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas.  He was 23 years old and the date of his death was Sunday, Jan 7, 1917. (the newspaper articles listed other dates but from that first article, I do believe I got it right) 

 I admit, while oral history bugs me because many in my family believe it's all the gods honest truth - there can be a smidgen of truth. The first person told the story, hopefully as truth, and then it evolves from there - given people's memories. 

I had grown an attachment to this young man - and to find out he really was murdered really upset me; In a way, I was mildly grieving.

Isn't that just like researching our Family Trees? It's not like we're finding royalty and famous Scientists and Educators? You never know what you will uncover and that is why I find Genealogy so much fun. You have to have a strong stomach for the bizarre things you may find. 

The arrests continued - 3 men and 3 women and a lot of witnesses. 

The 2 men got 2nd-degree murder - 5 years in prison. 

Even newspapers back then made mistakes. Little did they know, it would totally confuse future genealogists. 

Thankfully they did correct the spelling of his name - but when they said they were sending him home to Crawley County, Tennessee - I looked it up - there is no such county in Tennessee named that. ANOTHER MYSTERY. 

And yes, Claude had married 20 yr old Dolly Jordon. Just before the murder, she had filed for divorce. 

I found out way more than I intended. I still don't know what he did for the military from 1910-1914. I suspect he re-enlisted because I did find this pension file.