3 Articles in the Clinton Paper 11-21-1879 The Kenney Tragedy - Last week we published a notice stating that Ed and Robt. Wills, farmers living near Kenney had shot and fatally wounded one Thom. Cooley. The facts of the case as near as we can learn, are as follows: As Cooley was coming from Kenney where he had been on business, he rode up to the Wills farm, and into the bar yard. No one seems to know what his intention on doing this, but it was generally supposed that he went there to have a ditch question settled. But falling in this, he used some rough language expressing his opinion of Ed. and Robt. Wills, and then wheeled his horse and started for the gate, but one of the boys saying some thing to cause him to turn his horse and angrily start towards them, where upon one of the boys fired at him, hitting him in the face, the ball coming out from behind his ear. This was supposed to be the first shot fired. In all there was five or six wounds found on Cooley's body. The boys them selves do not seem to know what shots hit him. The brothers immediately started for the city, and placed themselves in the hands of the sheriff. The father of the boys, immediately after the tragedy sent a younger son, for one of the neighbors, Andrew Humphrey, who in the company with another neighbor, Lewis Town, procured a light and found Cooley lying between the cribs, which are located between a short lane and the house, where it is supposed he fell off of his horse. Town and Humphrey assisted Cooley to his home, which is about a half of mile west of Wills, the farmer being in Logan and later Dewitt County. Mr. Cooley lived about four hours after he was shot. His dying statement is to the effect that Ed. and Robt. Wills shot him without provocation; and that he was totally unarmed. Coroner Ewing was summoned from Lincoln on Thursday, the morning after the tragedy. The jury impaneled by him returned a verdict of "murder in the first degree." The Boys have waived an examination, and their trial come off at the December of the Circuit Court. The feeling in the vicinity where the shooting occurred is mostly against the boys. The funeral took place Friday, about 300 people attending. Death of an Old Resident - On Saturday of last week, a few hours before noon, Mr. Joseph Moore, an old resident of this city, was attacked with an apoplectic stroke, which terminated fatally on Tuesday morning about one o'clock. When found Saturday, shortly after he had taken ill, his head was lying on the hot stove, his hat having taken fire burning his hair and face. Mr. Moore was an old citizen of this city, having emigrated here about 1864-5. He was an unmarried man, his sister keeping house for him. Shooting Match - There will be a shooting match on the farm of P.H. Mills one mile west of Clinton, on Wednesday, Nov. 26, a fine lot of turkeys will be shot for. Go and get a Thanksgiving Turkey and have a good time. Have a Great Day :-) Lacinda [email protected] Page me on ICQ # 9870890 Family Tree Project http://www.geocities.com/~lacinda2 Join the Illinois Roots, Beckham, or Roth Mailing Lists http://www.geocities.com/~lacinda2/maillist.htm Post a Message in The Forum http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi?acct=mb220110