Mary, Page 241 The first man executed in Pike county was Bartholomew Barnes, at Pittsfield on December 29, 1872 Page 330 Bartholomew Barnes The only execution ever taking place in Pike county was that of Bartholomew Barnes, December 29, 1871 (this is what the book says - is not a typo) in Pittsfield jail-yard, for the murder of John Gresham in Calhoun county. The suit was first instituted in that county, and a change of venue being taken to this county, the case was called at the session of the Pike county Circuit Court Nov. 27, 1871; and after a thorough trial the traverse jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree, and that he should suffer death by hanging. The particulars of the murder are well condensed in Judge Higbee's sentence given Dec. 6, as below. The court house was crowded to overflowing with ladies and gentlemen to hear the sentence of death pronounced upon the young convict. At 10 1/2 A.M. he was brought in to receive his sentence. Death-like stillness reigned within the room, as the Judge, in a solemn and impressive manner, addressed him, broken only by the prisoner, who, standing with brazen effrontery, gave vent occasionally to-protests of innocence. The Judge said: 'In discharging the unpleasant duty required of me by the law, it seems proper that I should place on the files of this Court a brief statement of the facts and proofs which render it the duty of the Court to pronounce a judgment which is to deprive a human being of his life. By the record in this case it appears that you were indicted at the May term of the Calhoun Circuit Court, 1871, for the murder of John Gresham, and the case was brought here on a change of venue for trial; that there is no prejudice in this county which would injuriously affect your rights in sufficiently minifest by the fact that the crime for which you have been tried was committed in another county; and of the twelve jurors selected for your trial every one has stated under oath that he never heard of the case until called into the jury box. >From the evidence it appears that somewhere about the time of February last, for some cause (which is not apparent) you became very much enraged against the deceased in the town of Pleasant Hill and threatened to whip him. When told by the town constable that that would not be permitted and that he would arrest you if you did not keep quiet, you said that you would see the deceased at some other time and tear his heart out. On the 27th day of February the deceased, his son (15 years of age) and yourself, were in Clarksville, MO., and crossed the river on your return in the afternoon in the same boat, the deceased and his son within a wagon; and after the boat landed, as they were leaving the river for home, you asked the privilege of riding with them, to which the boy objected, his father begin quite drunk at the time. You then said to them that if they would let you ride you would be quiet and peaceable; whereupon the deceased consented, and you got into the wagon and seated yourself on a board beside the deceased, the boy standing in front driving. You had gone but a short distance when some words passed, but no blows or attempts to strike ensued, and you jumped out, saying, 'You d----d old son of a bitch!' At the time you jumped out the board on which the deceased was sitting tipped up and he fell out on the other side on his back near the wagon and near to a fence. You ran back to the wagon and to where the deceased lay, and turning your back to the fence, you seized the rails with which to steady yourself, and with the deceased sill lying on his back immediately in front of you, with the heel of your boot you stamped his face, head and breast until you killed him. The evidence shows that in this brutal manner, and when the deceased was lying on his back perfectly helpless, in the presence of his son and another witness who was near by, you stamped from eight to ten times, breaking his nose, cheek-bone and jaw, and crushing out one eye, and forced the heel of your boot through his skull into his brain more than an inch in depth, and so crushed and disfigured his face that it could not be recognized by Dr. Thomas, who had lived a near neighbor to deceased for 20 years. While engaged in this work of death, Mr. Oiler, who was a short distance off and saw it all, hallooed and started to run to you. On seeing him you jumped over the fence and started to run. You were pursued and captured in a few minutes, and blood was found all over the heel of your boot, with hair and whiskers still adhering to it. Soon afterward you declared that you had not seen deceased on that day. There is a lot more to this, and as I type it now, I really think I already did this - you might check the Pike County archives. If not let me know and I will finish it. Page 667 But one execution has taken place in the Pittsfield jail, Bart Barnes having been hanged December 28, 1871, for the murder of Mr. Gresham near Pleasant Hill. The execution was private within the walls of the prison, but so great was the public curiosity over the event that hundreds of persons from the surrounding country crowded the streets around the jail. Page 258 David W. Barnes, O.M. Ross and Daniel Sweetland were appointed trustees of the school section, tp 5 north, R. 3 east, which is Lewistown township, Fullton CO. These gentlemen lived in Lewistown and were its first settlers. Page 754 - Derry Township Settled in section 20 - James and Nineveh Barnes Page 337 John Barnes a cousin of Bart. was indicted Nov. 29, 1871 for the murder of McLaughlin, in Detroit, on the sixteenth of that month. The name of the murdered man was ascertained only by its being marked on his arm with India ink. Both the men had been in a saloon drinking and had had a quarrel about a red ball. McLaughlin shook his fist in Barnes' face and told him not to open his face again about it. He turned around, and when his eyes were averted Barnes jumped to his feet having a knife in his hand which he swung with great force, the blade striking McLaughlin face and neck, severing the jugular vein and windpipe and completely cutting his throat. Barnes then made a back stroke which missed McLaughlin who then staggered into a back room and fell dead. Barnes was immediately arrested and committed ot the Pittsfield jail where sometime after his indictment, he gradually wasted away with pulmonary consumption and died. Mommy2kota@aol.com wrote: > Hi, > When you have extra time could you please look up the following: > > Barnes, Bartholemew 241, {330}-332, 335, 336, 667 > ~David W. 258 > ~James 754 > ~John {337} > ~Ninevah 754 > > Thank you, > Mary (Barnes) Schaefer > Mommy2Kota@aol.com > Always looking for: Barnes, Sapp, Rowson, Cummings, Hardwick, Thomae, > Hightower, Scoggins, Schaefer, Kronenberger, Karban & Zulauf