This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Prewitt, Pruitt, Livingston, Bloomheart, Taylor, Finley, Lester, Forsha Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Fm.2ADI/247 Message Board Post: I have been researching the Pruitt family in Neosho Co KS. The head of this particular family was Harrison Pruitt who settled in there around 1870. Harrison's sister Epsy Pruitt Livingston's murder has been written in the Neosho Co KS history with several versions as well as stories being passed down by Neosho Co KS residents. Some of these stories agree with the written county histories and some disagree. After finding some additional information regarding Epsy and her husband Clay Livingston, it has been found that the story of Epsy's murder needs to be rewritten at this time with the correct facts and possible facts. First, I am going to give the information that has been printed and that passed on to me by someone who is recalling the tale related in their family. Then I will make my own observations and comments with what has been found. Published/Related Stories 1) "History of Neosho and Wilson Counties Kansas", p 99-100, sent to me some years ago by Terry Finley of Chanute Clay Livingston, his wife and two boys, staying with them, aged respectively 13 adn 8 years, lived in Big Creek township near the stream of that name. Livingston was about fifty years old and his wife about twenty four. On the night of the 27th day of February, 1868, Livingston locked the doors also taking precaution to nail up one door, brought the boys' bed down from from up-stairs and placed it against a door and after sending the boys to bed he and his wife sat by the fire and talked awhile and then went up stairs. He then shut down the trap door and moved the bed, occupied by himself and wife upon it. The older boy afterward stated that he heard them quarreling for some time after they went to bed. Sometime in thenight he heard the woman cry for help and begging someone not to kill her. The boy tried to get to the room where they were, but could not. After awhile the cries ceased but the boys became terrified and finding a key upon the floor, managed to get out and hurring to a neighbor's, gave the alarm. Upon the arrival of a justice of the peace with a constable and a number of citizens, the woman was found lying upon the bed dead. An examination showed that she had been strangled. A coroner's inquest was had which fixed guilt of her murder upon Livingston. That night or evening, the indignant and infuriated mob took Livingston out to a tree and hung him. (Note: A handwritten statement by Terry Finley indicated that a land transaction record dated 1871 with Clay Livingston as the purchaser had been located.) 2) From Lois Lester, Neosho Co KS volunteer, in Jul 2003 Mrs. Livingston wanted to go East to visit relatives. Mr Livingston objected, he become abusive. Her young nephews were living then- Dan and Charles Bloomheart. Dan ran to the neighbors to get help, the neighbors being Rumsey Taylor. When help arrived Mrs Livingston had been murdered with a hammer or mallett. The neighbors then caught Mr Livingston and hung him, dug a grave out in the pasture and buried him. His grave was unmarked in Section 33. Lewis E (Tim) Taylor gave this info. 3) Another contact (name forgotten) said that one of the boys was Epsy's 8-year-old son Harrison. 4) "Jersey County Democrat" (Jerseyville, Illinois), 20 January 1871 issue MURDER AND RETRIBUTION: We are informed of a horrible case of murder and retribution which transpired lately in Kansas, which will be of interest to our readers. A few years ago a daughter of Major Solomon Prewitt, of Bethalto, was married to a man named Livingston. This man had been in the army with the sons of Major Prewitt, and his character was not such as to predispose the lady's family in his favor. However, the marriage took place and the couple soon after removed to Kansas, where they have since resided. This week the terrible tidings reached the relatives of Mrs. Livingstone, at Bethalto, that she had been murdered by her husband, without provocation, as far as is known; and that a mob of citizens took vengeance upon the guilty wretch by hanging him as soon as the awful deed was discovered. We have no further particulars of this fearful tragedy, in which murder was so quickly followed by retribution, and can assign no reason for the husband's great crime. Major Prewitt and lady, the relatives of the murdered family, are among the oldest and most respected residents of Madison county, and their large circle of friends will sympathize sincerely with them in their affliction. (From Alton Telegraph) 5) "Jersey County Democrat", 21 January 1871 issue FURTHER PARTICULARS. We yesterday gave an account of the murder, in Kansas, of Mrs. Livingstone, formerly of Bethalto, by her husband, and of the hanging of the latter by a party of citizens. We have since learned that Livingstone enlisted at this place in Captain John Seaton's Company, "B" 22nd Illinois, in 1861. He went out as Sergeant, but proved to be a worthless character, and was reduced to the ranks for neglect of duty. He proved to be an incorrigible "shirk," and became a nuisance to the company. Finally he was transferred to a cavalry regiment, and the boys of company "B" lost sight of him until the occurrance which we narrated yesterday. (From Alton Telegraph) Now as you can see the published stories about this murder raise some questions: 1) If the murder occurred in 1868 and Clay Livingston was immediately hung, then how could he buy land in 1871? 2) As a researcher of the Pruitt family for 22 plus years and a 5th great-granddaughter of Martin Pruitt who was Solomon Prewitt's father, I know that the Pruitt family was a very close knit family and when something happened word was immediately sent by the fastest means of communications regardless of the time period. So if the murder occurred in 1868, why did it take over two years for Epsy's family to get the news about her death? 3) Who really were the boys in the house? These questions were haunting me for a few days and finally I found some answers. I wasn't wanting to search the 1870 census page by page, line by line, at Ancestry so I put that idea aside figuring that I could look at a few pages each day for several weeks. Then I discovered that our county library has made possible home access to Heritage Quest's census records via the library's home page. I decided to try it and got lucky. I found Clay and Epsy still living in Neosho Co KS in 1870 - 2 years after the said event. I also found the Bloomheart brothers. Here are the listings: Big Creek Township, Neosho Co KS Page 5 house 30 family 31 Peter Bloomheart - 44 - b IN - farmer - 0/900 Daniel Bloomheart - 14 - b IN Charles Bloomheart - 12 - b IN Mary M Bloomheart - 11 - b IN William Bloomheart - 8 - b IL Page 6 house 36 family 38 Clay Livingston - 50 - b NY - farmer - 1200/350 Epsy Livingston - 35 - b IL - keeping house Scott H Forsha - 7 - b OH - apprentice farmer (Note - House 39 family 41 was the Benj Bloomheart family. House 27 family 29 was the Melvin Taylor family.) The facts proven by the 1870 census are: 1) Epsy did not have a son named Harrison. In fact the truth was that she did have a brother named Harrison who was about 24 years of age at the time of her death. He is on record in the probate records as being the administrator of the Livingston estate. 2) The Bloomheart brothers Dan and Charles were no relation to Epsy. If they were nephews then they were Clay's sister's children. Epsy was the only girl of 7 siblings born to Isaac Pruitt and his first wife Susan Breden. 3) The child living with them was not their son. 4) The articles in the Jersey County Democrat, courtesy of the Alton Telegraph, were most likely written within a few days of the murder. 5) Most likely it was Scott Forsha who went help. There is one false statement in the IL newspaper article. Solomon Prewitt was Epsy's grandfather. (Solomon spelled his surname as Preuitt and some of his children went with the more common use in the family Pruitt.) The rest of the information on the Pruitt family is true. I'm not sure about Clay's actions in the Civil War, but do know that he was a member of the unit mentioned and that he did mustered out as a sergeant. Clay and Epsy married on 14 Oct 1864 in Madison Co IL. I don't know if Clay's age was right in the census but do know that Epsy's age is correct based on earlier census records. So in closing the most likely turn of events were as follows: Clay and Epsy got into a discussion which led to an argument. It could have been about her visiting relatives in Illinois and knowing how the Pruitt family disliked him, Clay had the idea that if she went back alone she would not return. Another possible reason could be that she requested a divorce and that sent him up the wall. The struggle was overheard by Scott who in turn went to the Peter Bloomheart place. Mr Bloomheart upon hearing the story sent his two oldest boys to get help, one going to Melvin Taylor's house and the other for the appropriate law official(s). Being that Clay bought land in 1870 or 1871 and the relatives were notified in mid-January 1871, the event most likely occurred in early to mid-January 1871.