23 Dec 1898--FOUND WITH A BROKEN NECK--The Dead Body of Ryle Payne, Colored, Found on the Farm of Fred Walker Monday--Had Been Dead a Week. The dead body of Ryle Payne, a Negro boy aged 18 years, was found in the woods on the farm of Fred Walker south of town Monday. Payne had been engaged with others in cutting ice for N. N. Dysart on the Rennolds farm Monday of last week. To keep from "taking cold" he drank freely of forty-rod during the day and quit work about an hour earlier than the rest, refusing to work any longer. Mr. Dysart told him that if he couldn't work as long as the rest he needn't come back at all. The Negro started in the direction of his home, leaving his overcoat upon the pond bank. That was the last seen of him alive. While he lay dead in the woods all week his parents supposed he was in town and his relatives in town thought him at home. When he was missed a search was instituted. The search began Sunday evening and continued until midnight. Monday morning the search was renewed and about 10 o'clock his body was found in a small ravine. Upon examination it appeared that he had stumbled over a brush pile and fallen into the ravine and had frozen to death. Constable Elgin was notified, who had the body brought to town, when a jury was impaneled by Justice D. L. Barron, and in inquest held. Upon a close examination of the body it was found that the neck had been broken. The evidence showed that he was under the influence of liquor when he started home, and it is supposes he stumbled over the pile of brush and fell into the ravine and broke his neck. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death. 23 Dec 1898--TIRED OF LIFE--Steve Pitney Attemps Suicide by Taking Enough Morphine to Kill an Elephant--It Was a Failure. David Pitney, of near Burton, attempted suicide here Tuesday night. He was in Martin's barber shop just before midnight and exhibited a bottle containing 60 grains of morphine which, he said, he had purchased at Fayette for the purpose of killing himself. Soon after he started home with City Marshal Frank Cain to spend the remainder of the night, on the way took forty grains of the deadly drug. As soon as Mr. Cain discovered that Pitney had taken the poison he called in Drs. G. M. Nichols and Ly. Dysart who worked with him until nine o'clock Wednesday morning before they pronounced him out of danger. The only reason he gives for his rash act is that he is tired of living and wants to die. He was thought to be under the influence of liquor at the time he took the poison. 23 Dec 1898--Lewis Smith, formerly of Elliott, died last Wednesday at the home of his daughter in St. David, Ill. Mr. Smith was an old miner, having spent over sixty years of his life in the mines, twenty of which were at the Elliott mine. His remains will be brought to this state and will be laid to rest in Oakland Cemetery at Moberly, by the side of his wife who preceded him about four years ago. He was 77 years old and leaves three daughters to mourn his loss, one of whom is the wife of Robert Milnes, of near Elliott. 23 Dec 1898--Born, on the 17th, to John Allen and wife, a daughter. 23 Dec 1898--Born, on the 17th, to Wm. Young and wife, a daughter. 23 Dec 1898--Chas. Hendrix, son of Jno. Hendrix, died at the residence of his father near Renick on the 16th, of consumption, aged about twenty years. 23 Dec 1898--Higbee, Missouri, Dec 11, 1898--Dear Santa Claus:--I want you to bring me a ring and a doll buggy to ride my dolly in, and bring my little brother, Ollie, some horses and a drum. I hope you will bring them to us. We lived close to the new shaft. Your little friend, Bertha Reynolds. 23 Dec 1898--Higbee, MO, Dec 15, 1898--Dear Santa:--Please bring me a watch, (one that will run when I do.) Furs and muffs, sure enough, Doll buggy (not too buggy) Doll cradle (with cradler), coal bucket and shovel (not the real thing), set of China dishes, (made by a chinaman), rocking chair, if you don't care. Please bring Opal Lee, my sister, a doll that closes its eyes, and also opens them. Yours lovingly, Iola Adams. 23 Dec 1898--Dear Old Santa Claus: I thought as Xmas is coming I would write and tell you what I want you to bring me: Candy peanuts, bananas, chewing-gum, China doll, raisins, popcorn, oranges, lemons, apples, little safe and dishes, cook stove, gold ring, slate and pencil trimmer. I will be a nice little girl if you will bring me my Christmas treat. Your friend, Susie Sanders. 23 Dec 1898--Higbee, MO, Dec 10, 1898--Dear Santa Claus:--I am a little girl 8 years old and I live at Higbee, Mo. Will you bring me a Christmas present? I want a doll and a set of dishes. I have a little sister. She is 6, and she wants a doll and piano. I have another little sister. She is a year and six months old. She wants a little rubber doll. So good-bye Santa Claus, and don't disappoint us. We are all good children, and you treated us very nice last Christmas, and we thank you very much, and hope you will do as well this year. I am writing this in time for you to look round for good things, and before you will be annoyed by other children. We have moved, but you will find me at grandpa and grandma Evans'. Good-bye Santa. Willie M. Johnson. 23 Dec 1898--Higbee, MO, Dec 13, 1898--Dear Santa:--I thought that I would tell you what I want for Christmas. I want a doll and a store and a story book and some candy and some oranges, and my brother wants a jack in the box and a rocking horse and a wagon and some candy and some oranges and my sister wants a doll wagon and a big doll and a sack of candy and some oranges, and brother Clyde wants a train and a horse and a wagon and a pistol and some candy and some oranges. I hope you will not forget me. Mina Williams. 23 Dec 1898--Dear Santa: I am a little girl 8 years old. I go to school and try to be a good girl and obey Miss Gertrude. Santa, I want a work box, a little lamp, a drawing set a big doll that will go to sleep. Little brother wants a little red wagon and we want some candy and oranges and I want a pair of kid gloves, so I will close for this time. Good-bye, Dear Santa, I am your little girl, Lena Smith. 23 Dec 1898--Higbee, MO, Dec 14, 1898--Dear Santa Claus:--I want a doll and a set of dishes and a shell box and a piano and some candy and some peanuts. My brother wants a rocking horse and a wagon and a horn. Nalah Rice. 23 Dec 1898--Dear Santa:--I am a little girl too small to write, and so I shall get Aunt Lissie to write for me. I want a sleeping doll and a little doll buggy, a set of dishes, a little lamp, a little coffee mill and stove and a little wash set and some candy, oranges and bananas. Aunt Lissie wants an Opal ring and a bracelet. Now, I will close. So good-bye, Santa. Your little friend. Florence Smith. 23 Dec 1898--Higbee, MO, Dec 9, 1898--Dear Santa Claus:--You ought not to forget me this year. I have tried real hard to be a good girl and I want you to bring me a doll and a doll buggy and a story book and nuts and rocking chair and do not forget my sister. She wants a big thick book and a bottle of perfumery. And please don't forget my uncle that's so far away. Yours truly, Eugiena Coleman. 23 Dec 1898--Higbee, MO, Dec 5--Dear Old Santa Claus--Our mamma has told us that you are a jolly old fellow and that you dearly love good little girls. We try to be good and mind, but sometimes we forget and act naughty. We want you to bring us a doll, a little rocking chair, a set of dishes and a book. We want some candy and nuts and fruit. We have a little baby sister. She can't talk but we expect she wants a dollie, too. And she likes candy and bananas. Hoping that you will bring us what we ask for, we are yours, May and Frankie Bottoms. 23 Dec 1898--Higbee, MO, Dec 18--Dear Santa Claus--Please come to see us this Xmas. Papa and mamma say you will not come unless we are good. Please bring us a doll a piece, some bananas and candy, and if it suits you, a little set of dishes. Ora, Naomi and Ruth Robb. 23 Dec 1898--Higbee, MO, Dec 19--Dear Santa Claus--I wish you would come in the bank the first time you are in Higbee. I want to see you about your Christmas goods. I will try and tell you what I want: I want to insure your toys, firecrackers, candy, dolls, etc, and all the other property you possess. I represent the Home, Continental, Concordia. Now, Santa, you know how good and strong they are. Your loving friend. J. P. Wayne. 23 Dec 1898--F. M. King and family of near Yates left Wednesday for Texas, their future home. 23 Dec 1898--Married, in Higbee, on Dec 21, 1898, at the residence of the bride's father, Mr. Joseph Sole, Mr. Jas. McGill and Miss Teresa Sole, Justice John Rankin, officiating. The News joins other friends in wishing for them a long and happy life. 23 Dec 1898--If reports be true, some of Higbee's married men have been in the habit of leaving their wives at home by themselves while they spent the greater part of the night down town playing cards. The good wives became tired of such doings and held a council of war. Saturday night they came down town and marched their hubbies home. Man, poor man! 23 Dec 1898--Mr. Old Santa Claus--I don't want you to forget me on Xmas. I want you to bring me something nice. Don't forget the house. We live in the north end of town. You come down the south chimney and you won't get burnt, for we keep no fire in it. I will hand up my stocking by it, but watch, as one of my stockings has a hole in it at the heel and the goodies would drop out. We have a little tiny baby at our house and it has got no stockings but if you would put some more in mine I would give it some. You might bring Mollie and Maggie some, too. Jessie Blee. 23 Dec 1898--Higbee, MO, Dec 18--Dear Santa Claus--I seat myself to write you a letter, as I hear you are such a good man to a good girl. I am only eight years old. I want a piano, doll cradle, dishes, stove, table, chair, safe, sideboard filled with candy, bananas, oranges and nuts and fruit of all kind. Well, Santa, I don't want much this time but I will be thankful if I get this lot, but I will feel bad if I don't get this lot as this is my first letter to you. So good-bye. Come soon to Edna Burns. 23 Dec 1898--Dear Santa Claus--Please bring me some candy and nuts, a muff, a wagon, a tablet, and a box with a whole lot of pretty things in it. That's all I think. Willie Joe Ryle. 23 Dec 1898--John A Lloyd will read the News for a year. 23 Dec 1898--John A. Lloyd is talking of moving to California in the spring. Kathy Bowlin, Additions, corrections, comments welcome.