Elk County Forum

    William McCoy of Longton, Shoots His Wife and Makes an Unsuccessful Attempt on His Own Life



          

     A telephone message was received by the county attorney and sheriff yesterday morning shortly after nine o'clock, from officers at Longton, that William McCoy had shot and killed his wife.  County Attorney Ayres and Sheriff Maddox immediately started for that place.
     The shooting occurred at the home of Mrs. B.F. Palmer, mother of the murdered girl, at her home in Longton, at about nine o'clock Tuesday morning.  McCoy called at the Palmer home to see his wife who was upstairs with her mother.  McCoy went upstairs and told Mrs. Palmer the desire to have a talk with his wife.  The young woman at first refused to meet her husband but finally changed her mind and went into the room, where he was and to her death.  A few moments later pistol shots were heard and Mrs. Palmer on entering the room found McCoy and his wife lying on the floor, blood streaming from bullet holes in their heads and apparently dead.  She gave an alarm and Mr. Mathias, a near neighbor, who was the first to arrive, got there in time to prevent McCoy, who had regained consciousness from grabbing the revolver, which had fallen to the floor when he shot himself.  The bullet had entered Mrs. McCoy's temple and death occurred almost immediately.  McCoy shot himself in the forehead, the bullet passing through the skin, striking the skull and glancing and lodged just under the skin near the back of his head, he soon recovered his faculties and was able to be moved up town.
     After investigating the affair County Attorney Ayres decided that an inquest would be unnecessary, and the murderer was at once brought to Howard and lodged in jail after his arrival.  After his arrival the sheriff called Dr. Hays, county physician, who removed the ball from McCoy's head.
     McCoy is a grandson of Mrs. Wm. Cartmell of Longton.  He was born and raised in Kansas City where his parents now live.  He was in the habit of visiting his grandparents at Longton, and last fall he and Miss Cora Palmer eloped and were married in Kansas City, and it is said their married life has been one continual quarrel.  They had not been living together for some time.  McCoy is just past 26 years of age and his wife was was 17.
     Mrs. McCoy was a daughter of B.F. Palmer of Longton, who died a few months ago.  Palmer was one of the wealthiest residents of the county and willed Mrs. McCoy between $9,000 and $10,000, which was to have been paid her, one-half when she should arrive at the age of twenty years and the other half at the age of twenty-five years.   The executors were to invest her portion of the estate and pay her the income therefrom.
     The feeling at Longton against McCoy is said to be very bitter and Sheriff Maddox lost no time in removing him to a place of safety.
     McCoy will be given a preliminary hearing next Tuesday, April 19

what year did this murder take place?

     That's what happens when I get in a hurry.  As the old adage goes..........the hurrier I go, the behinder I get.
     The date on that article is April 13, 1904.  Newspaper- Elk County Citizen.

Thank you.  Have you research about what happen to the husband, whether he was commited to an mental hospital or was he convicted of his wife murder and sentence to life or executed.

I am really enjoying these "articles from the past."  In those days, they truly did "tell it like it was!"

     OnMay 4, 1904, the Elk County Citizen states:

      DISTRICT  COURT

     Court met with all the officers present.  The cases were assigned and adjournment was taken till 1:30.

     The first case on the docket is State vs. Wm McCoy, the young man who killed his wife at Longton.  The most of yesterday afternoon was consumed in an effort by the defense to have the case postponed until the next term of court, on the grounds that he had not had time to procure his witnesses.  The motion was overruled, and when court adjourned at 6 p.m. the jury had been secured.  This forenoon was occupied by the state, and this afternoon defendants witnesses are being examined.  The defense is putting up a plea of insanity.  T.J. Hudson of Fredonia, is attorney for defendant and County Attorney Ayres is assisted by S. P. Kirkpatrick, of Fredonia.

     taken from May 11, 1904, Elk County Citizen:

     DISTRICT COURT

     The McCoy murder case went to the jury Wednesday evening and after being out only about thirty minutes, a verdict of murder in the first degree was returned.  The case was very ably handled.  County Attorney Ayres and S. F. Kirkpatrick prosecuting  and T. J. Hudson defending.  The plea of insanity was made the most of by Mr. Hudson, but he had very slim grounds to build a case on. This is said to have been the first case in the history of Elk county where a man was convicted of murder in the first degree, though there has been some diabolical murders committed.

what was his sentence??????
??? ??? ??? ???

Anyone else care enough to look for the answers??  All you would need to do is go to the library, select the appropriate microfilm reel (Elk County Citizen, that covers the year of 1904, ), turn on microfilm machine, insert and thread the microfilm in the machine, and start looking for articles after May 11, 1904............it's that easy. Go ahead...........don't be afraid to try...you might learn something!!   ;D ;D

I didn't know that the library has microfilm reels on the Elk County Citizens.  Thank you for the information.

     Just thought it would be much easier and more convenient, if some local person could do the looking, as I am not a resident of Howard.

  I just ordered that reel. I'll try to find the answer.  I was getting ready to order another one anyway, The Moline Republican 1890.  I had never heard of that paper.  My grandmother Roma was born in 1890 and I want to see if I can find a birth announcement for her.   I found the most beautiful, old fashioned looking, photo album.  I am going to make into an album of her life.  She died at age 35.

Roma, that is nice of you to do that.  If I were there, I would have done it, but I live about 75 miles away.  Thank you for your kindness.

Myrna

  If you ever want to look at the microfilm of an old paper, you can contact your local library and tell them the paper and the years you are interested in.  They will order the microfilm from the Kansas Historical Society and keep it at the library for you.  I believe I get to keep them for two weeks.  It costs $2 0r $3 is all.  Our big Library Center here has a coffee shop, etc.  When I get a microfilm in, I go out there in the morning with my laptop and hunker down in the quiet corner where the microfilm machines are.  Then I go to lunch in the coffee shop and hit it again.  I have been know to spend 6 or 7 hours at the library center.  I always tell them that to me, the most peaceful place in Springfield, is the geneology section of the Library Center.

Roma, we do that when we go to the Kansas Historical Museum in Topeka.  There is so much information there.  If you go, though, you might want to take a sweater, as it is always quite chilly.  I have only been in the summer, so don't know how they keep the temperature in the winter.  We really enjoy going up there.

mlw

I' would love to go there.  There just isn't any clear cut, easy way to get there from here.  I believe it is about 4-5 hours.  I would like to go through the capital again, etc.  Need to plan about a 4 day trip and I don't know anyone there to stay with, so that means, motel bills.  Anyway, that is why I haven't made that trip yet. 

  Just an update. I really haven't forgotten this project.  I just found out that the lady at the library who orders the microfilm has been ill and my order got overlooked.  So they expect it in around the 10th and I will then set out to find Mr. McCoy's fate.

  The Elk Co Citizen    May 18, 1904

McCoy the wife murderer, was sentenced to the penitentiary for one year and then to be hanged.  The latter part of the sentence, however, is never carried out in Kansas and virtually means a life sentence.  Sherriff Maddox took McCoy to Lansing, Saturday morning.

Thank you for the information, right now I am very busy getting all my books unpacked.  I believe that the total count is 2,000.