Bald Knobbers

Chronicles of Vigilante Justice

Vincent S. Anderson

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781626192010
• eBook ISBN: 9781625846709
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: Social Sciences

This account of nineteenth-century Missouri vigilantes is "a first rate adventure story [and] an extremely valuable study of the roots of violence in America" (Gary Paulsen, Newbery Medal–winning author of Hatchet).

In the 1880s, the Ozark hills around Taney County, Missouri, echoed with the sound of Winchester rifles. Men were lynched from tree limbs by masked night riders. Bundles of switches were tossed on the porches of "loose" men and women as a grim warning to reform or leave the area.

This action-filled saga of the notorious eight-year career of the vigilantes is the most comprehensive account of the Bald Knobber era. It traces the roots of the group in the region's border struggles during the Civil War, and examines the organization of anti-Bald Knobbers which sprang up to oppose them.

Giant Nat Kinney founded the Bald Knobbers, and led them in their violent campaign for law and order. Andrew Coggburn wrote satirical songs to infuriate Kinney and the others. Seventeen-year-old Billy Walker murdered an innocent family and was hanged by the beleaguered authorities. Five opponents of the Bald Knobbers vowed to kill Nat Kinney, and played cards to decide who would do the deed. This book, with photos and illustrations, provides "the most accurate accounting to date of this vigilante group" ( Springfield (MO) News-Leader).

"Has the sweep and drama of a major novel, with the power and authority of historical truth." —Loren D. Estleman, Shamus Award-winning author of Monkey in the Middle

"Meticulously detailed and carefully constructed . . . fills a gap in the recorded history of Missouri." — The Kansas City Star

Part I

TANEY COUNTY

Galbraith’s Railway Mail Service Maps, Taney County, Missouri, 1898. Library of Congress.

1

THE ORIGIN OF THE BALD KNOBBER IDEA

The Bald Knob Society originated in Taney [pronounced Tawney] county. In the language of Parson Dennison, an opponent, it was “a beam-eyed society for the eradication of notes.” The man who conceived the idea and became the Grand Chief of the order was Capt. N.N. Kinney. He lived on a ranch near Forsyth, the county seat. Kinney was a remarkable man in several respects. He was 6 feet 6 inches tall, but was so well proportioned that no one would have thought him so tall unless he were standing by an ordinary six-footer.

He weighed 290 pounds ordinarily. He had a big head with plenty of active brains. He was black haired and black eyed, and as handsome as [he] was big. He had been a Captain in the Union army and a special frontier agent of the Post Office Department, where he is said to have killed several men who at one time [or] another resisted arrest for holding up stages. Finally he came to Springfield where he opened a saloon. It is said to have been a very popular saloon. With the money he made in selling liquor he bought a square mile of land down in Taney county and stocked it with cattle, sheep, and hogs, and there lived the life of a ranchman. He was about 48 years old when he went to Taney county. He had two children, a boy and a girl, both young, and a stepson, J.A. DeLong, who is now editor of the TANEY COUNTY NEWS and Prosecuting Attorney of the county. Capt. Kinney did not find society in Taney county exactly to his liking.

In a formal statement concerning the origin of the Bald Knobbers made a short time before he was shot to death Kinney said:

So far as I could learn, the history of Taney county had been a record of lawlessness and disregard of social proprieties. When I came here some four years ago [1883] it was common for men to live with women to whom they had never been married. Why, one old Mormon-like neighbor kept six women. Then the county was $42,000 in debt and had not even a plank to show for it. The money had simply vanished, over thirty men had been shot to death in the county since the war, and not one of the murderers had been punished by the civil authorities. Well, I had come here to lead a retired and quiet life, but I could not refrain from expressing my opinions of such things, and I cannot refrain now. The consequence was that men came to me and said: “Kinney, you had better look out. These people don’t like your talk, and you better go slow or you will get it in the neck.”

Well, I have had some experience in this line myself, and I say these things should be condemned, and I propose to condemn them. The best men in the county gradually drifted to my side, and it became a war between civilization and barbarism.

That people were grossly immoral, that the county had been robbed, and that many deliberate murders—the number is estimated all the way from thirty-two to forty-two—had been committed and no one punished for them even by imprisonment, are undisputed facts. It is a matter of record that when in 1883 two professional burglars from St. Louis drilled down through Taney county and robbed the county treasury at Forsyth of $3,000 [they] were afterward convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary for two years each. No man had been sentenced to the penitentiary from Taney county in twenty years before on any account. When Capt. Kinney talked in public about those things the county officials retorted that he was not, as an ex-saloon keeper from the slums of Springfield, a proper censor of Taney county morals. People gradually took sides with either Kinney or the officials. Among these officials were Thomas A. Layton, County Clerk; Sampson Barker, County Clerk; John Moseley, Sheriff; and T.C. Spellings, Prosecuting Attorney. The Bald Knobbers of Taney county say that Spellings was simply weak, and permitted criminals to go unpunished because the gang that elected him and held the other offices made him do it.

As the broach widened, Capt. Kinney, from his experience on the frontier, saw the necessity of organization if he was to live in the county in security. His friends say that he wanted an organization to preserve order and enforce the civil law. His enemies say that he wanted a gang under him for his own aggrandizement, and incidentally for his own safety. Every man owned arms of some sort, and carried them always in those days and everyone does now for that matter, while the arms of today are much better than any carried then.

The “Old Blue Gobbler,” Captain Nathaniel N. Kinney. Courtesy of Christian County Library.

Having concluded that an organization was necessary Capt. Kinney talked the matter over with several of his friends. Among them were Ben Price, Lawyer J.J. Brown (now of Ozark), J.M. Everett, and Yell Everett. “Yell” is only a nickname, his initials being B.Y., but he is known to everybody in Taney only as “Yell.” His name is significant of one of the most prominent habits. Editor Patterson of the HOME AND FARM, the county paper of Forsyth, was also consulted, and he approved the idea. The consultations were held at private houses during social visits, and for a time nothing more than an agreement among friends to use their influence as citizens and property owners to have criminals punished when the evidence warranted it was contemplated. But within a month after the agreement was made, a crime was committed which convinced these men, so they now say, that there was no hope of convicting a criminal of any influence in the county by the ordinary means adopted by good citizens in ordinary law-abiding ways. The opponents of the Bald Knobbers in Taney county say that the quasi-organization was turned into a secret society to avenge the death of one of the organization’s members, who, they say, was shot in a fair fight.

2

THE MURDER OF J.M. EVERETT

Among Capt. Kinney’s best friends in Forsyth was J.M. Everett. He is now spoken of among the Knobbers as a prominent merchant of the town, in the liquor business. The friends of the man who killed him say he was running a gin mill—like Capt. Kinney’s in Springfield had been, and that the two men were toughs together. Everett’s saloon was on the east side of the public square in Forsyth. It was a deep one-story building that had been built for a country store. There were two rooms fronting the street, the side room under the low shed root being occupied by a billiard table. The bar was in the main part of the building.

On Sept. 22, 1883, Al Layton and Sam Hull were playing billiards in Everett’s place for the drinks. At the end of each game they took whiskey straight. It is asserted that the whiskey was homemade and duty free. The Bald Knobbers deny this. No one denies that the quality of the whiskey was of the sort called forty-rod.

After three or four games, Hull “got it on to Layton in a way that he despised” as his friends say, and Layton started in to teach him that no cheating would be tolerated among gentlemen. Both men were good fighters, but Hull began to take the part of the instructor, rather than that of the pupil. Then Layton “drew his gun,” which here means that he drew his revolver.

Then Saloon Keeper Everett jumped on him and threw him down. In fighting, the men had come from the billiard room, through the bar room, and out on the veranda, it was here that Layton was downed. As Everett pinioned Layton down on the floor of the porch, he said, “I don’t ’low to hurt ye. I aim to keep ye out o’ trouble. I hain’t got any weapon about me, Al, and ye know I wouldn’t use it ef I hed.”

An 1888 newspaper illustration of Everett’s Saloon. Library of Congress.

There was a gang of interested spectators looking on at the time. Three or four advised Layton to give up his revolver, as he lay on the floor, and promised that he should not be molested further if he did so, but this he steadily refused to do. Finally one of the spectators said to Everett, “Let him up, Jim.”

Everett made the mistake of doing this at once and without taking any precautions for his own safety. Layton got up, knocked the dust partly off his clothes, and then, with a wicked smile on his face, raised his pistol and shot Everett through the heart. Everett fell over against the double doors of the billiard room so violently that they were broken in. As the doors gave way, Layton fired a second shot into Everett, and then, whirling partly around, shot Yell Everett through the right shoulder, making him yell louder than he had ever done before, the witnesses say, and that was pretty loud.

Shoving his revolver into a holster, Layton leaped from the veranda into the saddle on a horse that was standing before it, and clapping spurs to the horse, he galloped out of town. A spectator said: “He didn’t have no call to shoot, as I knows of. But, it was done damned slick.”

At the next session of the Grand Jury, Layton was indicted in due form. Capt. Kinney was one of the Grand Jury. Layton came in and surrendered, and was admitted to bail, as is usual in this part of Missouri in such cases. At the October term of the Circuit Court he was tried.

He pleaded that he was “one in peril”; that he believed the Everetts and Hull were trying to kill him. It is charged that County Clerk Thomas Layton, who was the murderer’s cousin, and Sheriff John Moseley, who was a close friend, bribed the Prosecuting Attorney to be easy with the murderer, and that they then plied the jurors with an unusually good quality of whiskey and made them drunk, and that while in this condition they brought in a verdict of not guilty on Oct. 18, 1884. There is no proof of bribery. It is admitted that the jury got drunk.

The Bald Knobbers say the acquittal of Al Layton made a tremendous sensation throughout the county. The rest say the sensation was confined to the friends of the dead saloon keeper, and that Everett’s whiskey caused the whole trouble anyhow. The sensation, however big or small, was the inciting cause of the organization of the Bald Knobbers as a secret society.

3

ORGANIZED AS A SECRET SOCIETY

It is commonly believed throughout the Ozarks country that the first meeting of the Bald Knobbers as a secret organization was held on the big bald peak that eventually gave its name to the Society. The fact is that thirteen men met in Forsyth, MO, first at the saloon formerly owned by J.M. Everett, but which was then run by his brother Yell. Those who are superstitious will see in the number who were present a portent of what was to come. Among the charter members were Capt. N.N. Kinney, Col. A.S. Prather, Yell Everett, J.B. Rice, T.W. Phillips, Capt. J.R. VanZandt, Capt. P.F. Fickle, Lawyer J.J. Brown, G.E. Branson, J.K. McHaffie, and J.A. DeLong. Editor Patterson says he was notified to attend, but having been told that it was to be made an oath-bound secret society, he declined to do so. This meeting was held in January, 1885. It was there formally voted, Capt. Kinney being in the chair, to make the order secret. Lawyer J.J. Brown was appointed a committee to draw up the form of an oath for members, and Capt. Kinney to prepare the constitutional by-laws.

J.A. DeLong, who was Captain of a company of forty-four Bald Knobbers afterward, says the next meeting was held on the great bald peak, the bald knob of the county, which is situated about eight miles west of Forsyth. It was held in April, but he declined to give the day, which was April 5, 1885. Capt. Kinney went there alone very early in the morning.

This peak was chosen because it commanded a view of the country for miles around, and no one could get within half a mile of the summit from any direction without being seen by any one there. The members were thus enabled to say that they meet openly where any one could see them, but the fact is that no one who had not been invited was allowed to approach, and three farmers who came uninvited were told that if they wanted to come in they must wait until the next meeting. In Mr. DeLong’s paper of Sept. 27, 1888, is an article describing the first meeting. He says, as a charter member, that it is accurate.

With fear and trembling a few of the most venturesome approached the spot in horror lest they should be [led] into a trap. As they approached cautiously at the edge of the opening, they found a man who was typical of the cause in which they were expected to enlist. This was Capt. N.N. Kinney, a man who was [as] fearless as he was active, a giant in stature and as straight as an arrow. He had been a pioneer all his life, and was the owner of a large cattle ranch and had been a sufferer of the desperations of the lawless men who infected the section until forbearance ceased to be a virtue. With only a half dozen of the best citizens of the country around him, he then and there planted the seed which grew into what is to-day known as the organization of Bald Knobbers.

The reference to half a dozen men going there in fear and trembling makes the opponents of the Bald Knobbers snort with disgust. They say that the men rode up to the peak on horseback, and that each one was greeted by Capt. Kinney in person half way down the peak. All whom had been invited were present; the throng numbered nearly a hundred. Capt. Kinney made them a speech to brace them up. This speech, as near as those who heard it can recollect, was a blood-stirring oration over the bloody shirt of J.M. Everett and the crimes and immorality that had been allowed to go unpunished. It ended thus:

What will become of our sons and daughters! Our lives, our property, and our liberty are at stake. I appeal to you, as citizens of Taney county, to say what we shall do. Shall we organize ourselves into a vigilant committee and see that when crimes are committed the laws are enforced or shall we sit down and fold our arms and quietly submit?

There was a motion in due form that a “vigilant committee” be organized. Chairman Kinney said, “Are you ready for the question?”

“Boys, she pops,” said a facetious member of the crowd. The saying is common enough among the mountaineers, but it struck the fancy of the crowd at this time, and “Boys, she pops” was thereafter adopted as the “Aye” of the members. This was the second time they had agreed to organize.

Lawyer Brown then brought out the oath he had prepared and read it over aloud. It was approved by all. Then the men joined hands in groups of thirteen and each repeated it as follows:

Do you, in the presence of God and these witnesses, solemnly swear that you will never reveal any of the secrets of this order, nor communicate any part of it to any person or persons in the known world, unless you are satisfied by a strict test or in some legal way, that they are lawfully entitled to receive them: that you will conform and abide by these rules and regulations of this order, and obey all orders of your superior officers or any brother officer under whose jurisdiction you may be at the time attached nor will you propose for membership or sanction the admission of any one whom you have reason to believe is not worthy of being a member, nor will you oppose the admission of any one solely on a personal matter.

You shall report all theft that is made known to you, and not leave any unreported on account of his being a blood relation of yours, nor will you willfully report any one through personal enmity.

You shall recognize and answer all signs made by lawful brothers, and render them such assistance as they may be in need of, so far as you are able or the interest of your family will permit; nor will you willfully wrong or defraud a brother, or permit it if in your power to prevent it.

Should you willfully and knowingly violate this oath in any way, you subject yourself to the jurisdiction of twelve members of this order, even if their decision should be to hang you by the neck until you are dead, dead, dead.

So help me God.

Although these charter members took the oath while clasping hands, those subsequently initiated had a different sort of ceremony. Charles Graves, a member of the Christian county branch of the order, testified under oath that when he was initiated he was told, before taking the oath, that once in the order there were but two ways to get out of it. Mr. Graves said:

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Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Dedication
• Introduction
• Part I: Taney County
• Part II: Christian County
• Part III: Life in the Ozarks
• Conclusion: I’d Been Born Again
• Appendix: The Ballad of the Bald Knobbers
• Bibliography
• About the Author