Kinney and some of his companions were hanging around Forsyth on 2 Mar 1886, swearing they knew all about the meeting of the ABK the day before, and its purpose. They made open threats against them, stating they knew all involved and that "revenge is ours." Judge REYNOLDS alone traveled to Jeff City, for BURDETTE and Pastor Jurd HAWORTH decided not to go. On 5 Mar, REYNOLDS presented the petition to Gov. MARMADUKE, and told him what was going on in Taney County. He said that the citizens who'd signed the petition were in hopes of avoiding open warfare, and begged for the gov. to send the state militia to Taney County. The gov. declined, but said he would send a representative to investigate matters by accumulating facts from both sides and analyzing the situation. Lingering at the state capital a few more days, Reynolds told a reporter for the Jefferson City Tribune that he knew the people of Taney would organize their own militia, at least those who weren't involved with the BK. He claimed they did not want to fight "mob-to-mob", for they opposed taking the law into their own hands. He also said the BK knew of his involvement, but that he could protect himself. Marmaduke being a Democrat, the ABK had assumed he would jump right in the mess, being glad to get rid of the Republican BK. Investigation of the cabins that farmers had claimed were shot at during the night after Coggburn's death showed that at least one didn't have any bullet holes in it. But John HAWORTH found spent ammo in one of children's beds, and this prompted another meeting, this time of ABK who were more extreme in their beliefs and actions. No petition, but action. It was suggested that BK names be put into a hat, and drawn out one at a time, in order of killing. Then a list was made of BK leaders, and they discussed going straight down the list. According to an article in the Kansas City Journal printed in April 1886, Lewis Robinson told a reporter the order of men, the first one, of course, being Kinney. "Deputy Sheriff [Galba] BRANSON, William P. HENSLEY, next; then Rube ISAACS, West BROOKS, Alexander C. KISSEE, John T. Dickenson, and Colonel PRATHER (Alonzo--vks). Then Deputy [Arter] KISSEE, and Sheriff McHaffie were to be corralled, the former to by lynched and the latter to be the first one given any clemency, provided he agreed to hunt down the Bald Knobbers." Robert SNAPP, brother to the hunted Sam, disagreed. He told the others that to do murder was to bring themselves down to the level of the BK. He wasn't saying that the BK didn't need to be dealt with, but he did think there had to be a better way. Other counties under "BK protection" learned of Taney's petition to the gov. and citizens submitted their own. Kinney and his minions heard about this, and by 10 Mar, met and signed resolutions claiming their commitment to bringing justice to their county, and sent their own deputation to Jeff City to tell Gov. Marmaduke that they didn't need the state to "help" them. During the meeting with the Gov (who had already begun assembling troops of the state militia), the deputation, consisting of Sheriff McHaffie, T. W. PHILLIPS and B. B. PRICE, assured the gov that bringing the militia in to knock out the BK would assuredly result in open warfare. That would lay the entire county to waste. They then produced a copy of the county's tax rolls, allegedly comprised of ABK in entirety, and allegedly proved the ABK members either didn't own property or owed back taxes. The gov was convinced to stay out of Taney county, and disbanded his troops. Of course, Reynolds was right, and several groups of ABK militia were in training when he returned to Taney county. The gov. had ordered them to disband, but they bought uniforms and continued enlisting and training. Anonymous letters, penned by ABK, appeared in newspapers outside the county, especially in Springfield. Most letters detailed crimes and terrors perpetrated by the BK. Public calls for the governor to intervene became nation-wide. The TAYLOR family, whose members Frank and Jubal had been the first "victims" of the BK--they were hung in retaliation for attempting to murder John T. DICKENSON--had moved to Lawrence County, MO since the hanging. Shortly before Andrew COGGBURN's death, Frank and Jubal's brother Wm. hired a slightly retarded young man by the name of DIMMOCK to "carry" him to Taney County for a visit. Dimmock owned a horse and buggy for hire, and left with TAYLOR from Marionville. Five days later, Taylor returned alone, with the horse, buggy, and Dimmock's overcoat; he proffered a bill of sale for the horse and buggy, plus assorted other goods for $120, claiming to have paid half to Dimmock, and signed a promissory on the other half. He also claimed Dimmock had left him at Camp Spring (?-vks) to walk to Springfield to catch a train to IL, where his mother lived. At the end of March, a detective found Dimmock's body in a ravine, and returned to Marionville to charge William Taylor with murder. Since the murder took place in Taney County, it was expected to jail Taylor in Forsyth, but Taylor supposedly begged officials not to take him to Taney County. He claimed he wouldn't be alive any longer than it took to put a noose around his neck. Word of this got out, and apparently both the ABK and BK became obsessed with the idea. The ABK threatened to "deal out death and destruction if the BK interfered" with Taylor's stay in the Taney Co. Jail. The BK wanted to be sure Taylor received a fair trial, and that Taney County would deal out a legal execution if Taylor was convicted. 7 Apr 1886, MO Adjutant General James Carson JAMISON left Jeff City at the behest of Gov. Marmaduke, to conduct an investigation into Taney County's troubles. On 9 Apr, his first meeting was with Kinney and a large number of prominent citizens, both BK and ABK. While the session was going on, all the argument resulted in nothing, since, as John HAWORTH claimed, Kinney "butted in all the time." Jamison was a "forty-niner", having panned for gold in CA. He served in Nicaragua (according to Ingenthron and Hartman) under General William Walker. And he fought for the Confederacy under Sterling Price. He'd been a POW, and afterwards, a newspaper editor. After hearing from both sides, including hearing the BK Oath from Joe McGILL, who'd brought 27 men from his company, Jamison stated that he believed the people of Taney county to be good citizens with good motives. He also stated that any organization without state charter was unlawful, and that he found 2 unlawful organizations (referring to the ABK which was then known as militia). He told both sides that if they would disband and go home, the state wouldn't get further involved. But if they didn't, the state militia would come in, and bring peace and order at COUNTY expense. Neither group wanted that. Kinney was given 48 hours to disband. Jamison felt that if Kinney did follow through, the militia would have no further reason to be active, and would also disband. Within a short time after the meeting was over, Jamison arranged to see Kinney alone, for he felt Kinney wouldn't even bother calling his followers in. He assured Kinney that the state militia was already assembled, and only awaited his word to mobilize. If that was to happen, he told Kinney that Kinney would be imprisoned in less than 48 hours. The threat worked. Supposedly. 10 Apr 1886, Kinney called a meeting. Counts of over 300 men showed up in Forsyth, assembling without their masks on the courthouse lawn. Jamison reminded the men, who represented all occupations and classes within the county, that they owned property and that their families lived in Taney County. He didn't find it likely that they wished for the violence to continue, and if it did, it would be setting a terrible example for their children. After Jamison's short speech, Kinney then reiterated the BK Oath and purpose, claiming victory since Taney County was now peaceful. He counseled his shocked men to disband, and stepped down as chieftain. He also appointed a committee to draw up resolutions of dissolution, naming Alonzo PRATHER in charge. Jamison then returned to Jeff City. The document was unanimously approved on 11 Apr 1886 by the BK, and was sent to the governor on 12 Apr. He also sent copies to many of the newspapers which had been reporting the trouble in Taney. From Ingenthron and Hartman--(caps mine--vks) "The committee signing the document included Alonzo PRATHER, chairman; J. B. RICE, T.W. PHILLIPS, J. R. VAN ZANDT, and P. F. FICKLE. The only signer from the initial committee appointed by Kinney on Saturday was Prather. The original committee consisted of W. H. POLLARD, Elverton C. CLAFLIN, W. G. CONNOR, T. W. PRICE, and Kinney's stepson, James DELONG. We can only speculate why this change took place. Perhaps all the appointees but Prather refused to accept the obligation because one, they detested the idea of disbanding the Bald Knobbers; or, two, their signatures would constitute perjury since they knew Kinney had no intention of calling a halt to Taney County's vigilante activity." For the floggings, shootings, and threats continued. Some of the BK apparently did disband. Those that did believed that the later acts of violence were done by the ABK or other enemies, never by any of their former companions. Many of the acts of violence during the open BK reign were also attributed to enemies, in later years, by these men. Kinney himself never openly acted as chieftain after the meeting in front of Jamison, and never called another open meeting. Despite being "disbanded", enrollment continued; it was said that Kinney enlisted more men of questionable character in an effort to get himself voted sheriff. Charter members, including George BRAZEAL, dropped out when they realized Kinney's plans, not wanting to associate with the newer members. Again from Ingenthron and Hartman-- "Disaffected Taney Countians lost all hope for peace and prosperity, and several well-to-do families shipped their children away to school so they needn't associate with the "Sunday school crowd"--an ironic euphemism for Kinney and his friends. Other settlers tried to sell their properties and move away, never to return. But publicity about the strife in Taney County made it almost impossible to find buyers... Those who didn't sell took extended trips to other counties and states, planning to saty away until the hatreds and vengeances died down... Joe MCGILL left after arsonists destroyed the gristmill he'd built south of the White River. Assuming that an ABK had lit the torch, the embittered Taney County pioneer moved to Oklahoma Territory.... Judge REYNOLDS sold his interest in the family's water-powered mill and cotton gin located up Swan Creek from Forsyth....afraid that the BK would burn down his mill to avenge MCGILL's, the anti-vigilante moved his family to Washington Territory." The Prather family also moved away, going to St. Clair Co. MO for a couple of years after Alonzo and Kinney almost came to blows in an argument in Prather's front yard. Prather's daughter, Mary Elizabeth Mahnkey, a well-known newspaper columnist and writer (and mother of Douglas Mahnkey, an early 1900s lawyer who has written several books on Taney County and its family) in adulthood, recalled watching the argument. Both men, although big, were aging, and Mary Elizabeth's mother, Ada Maria, supposedly stepped between them despite her petite size, and called them "two old gray-headed fools." No fight, but the Prathers moved. A group of businessmen offered to buy Kinney's land if he would leave Taney County forever. He refused. Prayer meetings were held in which God was requested to strike Kinney dead with a bolt of lightning. Kinney grew less adventurous as his awareness increased of a price on his head amongst certain individuals. Then, George Washington MIDDLETON volunteered to become his body guard.