The Meridian Tribune (Meridian, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, February 27, 1942 Page: 2 of 4
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PAGE TWO
THE MERIDIAN TRIBUNE
My Flag!
Your Flag!
Long May It WaveI
The Meridian Tribune
DUNLAP PRINTING CO., PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
Entered at the postoffice in Meridian, Texas,
as second-class mail matter.
Any erroneous reflection upon the char-
acter or standing of any person or firm
appearing in these columns will be gladly
and promptly corrected upon calling the
attention of the management to the article
in question.
SUBSCRIPTION RATE $1.50 PER YEAR
who did not believe Stull had been
murdered by Babb and his gang,
but no one spoke a word. The
reign of terror was as complete
and abject as it ever could have
been during the terrible, blood-
curdling days of the French Revol-
ution.
No immediate arrests were made
in connection with the Stull mur-
der. The populace was stunned.
They did not know which way to
turn. None of us knew whether
Babb would be able to control the
courts and officers. Every man
kept his own counsel in order that
he might preserve his life. Men
went armed to the teeth. There
was premonition of terror and dan-
ger in the very atmosphere.
Father felt it and so did I, but I
was a newspaper reporter, and I
did my duty. I sent the account
in full to the Waco Telephone, and
that publication gave to the world
the first news of the Stull tragedy.
News Sped to Nation.
The report which I sent to the
Waco Telephone was telegraphed
from Waco to all the great dailies
of the United States. In many of
its features the Stull murder was
the most remarkable ever known
in the Southwest. In Waco there
were enterprising news gatherer's
and correspondents of the metro-
politan dailies who were intimately
familiar with the Vaughan murder,
Stull’s arrest of the Babbs and
with the sentiment in the Turners-
ville country to the effect that the
Babbs were connected with the
Stull affair. These correspon-
dents adapted my report of the de-
tails of the crime, and when they
sent their stories to the metropoli-
tan dailies, the names of Babb and
his lieutenants were published,
along with the grim recital of the
tragedy.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1942
Bloody Days of 1878
By Dr. J. B. Cranfill
In Dallas Morning News
Dec. 8, 1878, fell on Sunday.
The day was clear, cold and crisp.
Sunday night was distinctly chilly.
Before sunup Monday a messenger
came to our home and told us a
terrible murder had been commit-
ted. Father and I galloped to the
home of John Stull, one and a half
miles below Turnersville. When
we reached there a ghastly sight
confronted us. Lying in the front
yard was the body of John Stull,
stark and cold in death, and near
him lay the body of a man named
Smith, who had been Stull’s guest
overnight, and who had met with
him a common fate. The murder
of Stull and Smith was diabolical.
In the improvement of his place,
Stull had piled up in front of his
gate a large stack of cedar posts.
In the commission of the murder,
a contingent of the assassins had
concealed themselves behind these
posts, while another contingent,
apparently two in number, had
slipped around behind the Stull
home, had saturated the rear
walls with coal oil and had set the
house on fire. Stull apparently
had no idea whatsoever that he
was to be assassinated. He likely
thought that his house was on fire.
A water bucket lay near his body.
He had evidently jumped out of
bed, run for a water bucket and
then to the front to see where the
blaze was strongest. As he had
emerged from his front door he
had been shot to death by the pos-
se of men concealed behind the
cedar posts. The assassins had
not calculated upon an extra man
and family there. The Stull fam-
ily consisted of Stull, his wife and
a young stepdaughter of Stull’s
who afterward married a dear
riend of mine, David Morgan,
irl Misses Death by Hair
One of the strangest features of
is assassination was that, while
mith was shot to death, being al-
ost riddled with bullets, neither
f his little children, who were in
his_ arms, "was touched. Mrs.
Smith, who followed her husband
out from the shed room, was shot
in one of the lower limbs. She
afterward recovered. Mrs. Stull
and her little girl were unharmed,
but it was evident from the sur-
roundings that this band of assas-
sins meant to kill Stull, his wife
and daughter and burn their dead
bodies in the house. When they
found they had a large contract
on hand, they refrained from car- ,
rying out their original plan. As the. murder of Stull, and
an evidence that they meant to kill ^hlIe not yet burst UP-
all of the Stull family, one of the on us„in,. 11 bloom, the day was
mob took dead aim at the little girl
as she crouched under the kitchen
table and sped a bullet through her
hair. It cut off one of her raven
ring-lets, which was afterward
picked up on the shed room floor.
That Sunday night the moon was
full. The assassins worked in a
light almost as bright as day.
They waited until all of the Stull
family were sound asleep and then
this terrible crime was perpetrated.
The house was never really on fire.
The coal oil made a big, quick
blaze, but the wall of the house
was not ignited.
Reign of Terror Follows.
A reign of terror began with the
murder of Stull such as I never
witnessed before or since. Every
man in that vicinity who heard
noise around his home at night
feared that the same fate was to
be visited upon him and his that
had befallen Stull and his family.
No one burned lights after dark
unless they had impenetrable win-
dow shades. That entire section
of Texas, including practically all
of Coryell County, felt the terrible
blight of this calamity. There
was not a man in Coryell County
uiiiifimitmiimiiuiminiiiimmMinTTrniuiHuiitrrniniiiuiinmiinyniiMk
IREDELL ITEMS
BY STELLA JONES
minim.............. iimiiiimiimiiimiiiimiliiiit
Mrs. Dorothy Clepper, of Dal-
las, visited her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. C. L. Tidwell this week.
Mr. and Mrs. Joel Hudson were
in Clifton and Meridian this week.
Misses Dorothy and Dorris Gills,
of Farmersville, are visiting their
aunt, Mrs. Maude Holland.
Mr. and Mrs. Ranee Phillips
were in Dallas, Thursday.
Theo Wilkerson is visiting his
grandparents, Mr and Mrs. Krae-
mer.
Mr. and Mrs. Lelan Neighbors and
son, of Deleon, spent the week-end
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.
E. Laurence.
Mrs. Laswell entertained the W.
M. Y. ladies at her home Thursday
afternoon. Mrs. Cundieff assist-
ed her. The games and contests
were in keeping with Abraham
Lincoln’s birthday. The dining
table was decorated with small
United States flags. Sandwiches
and tomato juice were served and
all had a fine time.
Peggy June Tidwell spent Sat-
urday with her cousin, Georgella
Harris with Mr. and Mrs. Joel
Hudson.
Miss Cathryn Hands, who works
in San Antonio, spent the week-
end with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Hugh Harris.
James Porter has returned to his
work at Consolidated Aircraft
Corp. in San Diego, he has been at
home two months recuperating
from an operation.
Mrs. Maude Seals has returned
to her home in Ft. Worth after a
visit to her brother, Mr. Joel Hud-
son.
Harris Tidwell, who enlisted in
mi,„: . ., , . , liwins liawen, wno enlisted m
That precipitated upon the the United States coast guard left
Western correspondent of the Wa- Thursday for New Orlefns where
co Telenhnnp nnrl nnn Mo 1 leans, wnere
he will be for the present.
co Telephone and one of his good
friends, P. R. Hobin, a very seri-
ous situation. The news quickly
reached Babb that I had sent the
report of the Stull killing to all of
these papers, and that I had been
aided by Bob Hobin, who, until
quite recently, had been the trust-
ed manager of Babb’s big store at
Babbville. A slight misunder-
standing had ensued, with the re-
sult that Hobin had resigned, and
at the time of the Stull killing, he
was clerking and bookkeeping at
Turnersville in the store of Uncle
Johnnie Henderson, Babb’s chief
competitor. Hobin and I heard
that this piece of malicious news
had reached Babb.
He and I held a council of war.
I was reporter for the Waco Tele-
phone and the village doctor. I
took thd course that always has
been mine when confronted with
a crisis, I told Hobin that the only
safe procedure was to go to Bill
Babb and tell him all the facts.
Hobin was averse to making the
visit. He was an Irishman, hav-
ing received his training in Ireland
and England. He was an accom-
plished businessman of high char-
acter, but although he had been in
the West even then for several
years, he had not become accus-
tomed to wild Western ways.
However, upon my earnest insist-
ance he agreed that on the follow-
ing day he and I would visit the
home of Babb and tell him our
story.
I Visit the Babbs.
It was a beautiful spring day.
It had been now some two months
since the murder
Political
Announcements
The Tribune is authorized to announce the
following candidacies, subject to the action
of the Democratic Primary, July 25, 1942:
For Representative, 98th Flotorial
District:
ALBERT M. JONES.
For Tax Assessor and Collector:
EARL (BITSY) TIMMS.
For County Clerk:
ALFRED HARDWICK.
ANGUS McNEILL.
For District Clerk:
MAGGIE B. LITTLE.
For County Superintendent
Public Instruction:
W. C. GRISSOM.
For County Commissioner, Pre.
A. E. (ALLEN) OGDEN.
D. E. (DERRY) CAVNESS.
RAYMOND BLUE.
E. A. (BVD) JACKSON.
- -------VV CIO
one of those rare February visita-
tions when the birds were singing
and the trees and flowers were
seeking to burgeon into bloom. I
carried with me a copy of the Daily
Telephone containing the only ac-
count of which I was the author.
Hobin had sent out absolutely
nothing to any paper whatsoever,
so he carried no journalistic liter-
ature in his baggage. We were
both armed with Colt revolvers.
We knew that Babb was surround-
ed by his confederates and we
would stand no show whatever if
a battle were precipitated, but we
held to the traditional habit and
were prepared for either peace of
war.
As we approached Babb’s spa-
cious grounds, he was out in the
front yard wrestling with a large
pet bear. He was a man of un-
usual appearance in every way,
was then in the prime of life and
a most impressive figure. He was
5 feet 10 inches tall, a veritable
athlete and wore a black beard.
His eyes were keen and piercing
and as black as a raven’s wing.
And there was a devil-may-care
atmosphere with which Babb was
perennially surrounded.
Babb knew us quite well and
welcomed us most kindly. Very
soon Dave Ware came up and we
all sat, cowboy fashion, out on the
grass on the front lawn. We
made no concealment of the pur-
pose of our visit. I was the spok-
esman. I told Babb without cir-
cumlocution all the facts. If he
had felt that Hobin and I were the
authors of the stories involving
him in the Stull killing, he would
have been vindicative, but after
my i ecital he showed a very
friendly attitude. I never shall
forget the kind expression on his
face as he extended his hand to
both of us and said:
Boys, don’t be uneasy. I now
know all the facts. I believe
every word you have told me, and
you need never fear any harm
from me.”
We knew what that meant com-
ing from Bill Babb. It was his
declaration of friendship. There
was no compulsion to bind him to
his word, but whatever his faults,
no one ever charged Babb with be-
traying a friend.
Later Babb, his son, Bill Ike,
Dave Ware, Jasper Whitley and
some others of the Babb clan were
arrested, charged with the Stull
murder. Babb and his crowd, on
being taken to Gatesville, the
Mrs. W. E. Carter has returned
from a visit to Waco.
Mrs. Olive Bozark, of Delrio, is
visiting here with friends.
Miss Wanda Lee Hanshew
Miss Wanda Lee Hanshew was
born to Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Han-
shew, Nov. 14, 1922 at Duffau and
departed this life in Meridian hos-
pital, Feb. 15 at 11:30 p.m. being
19 years, 3 months and one day
old.
She attended high school here,
on account of bad health she had
Tex. with his parents and settled
at Iredell when 17 years of age.
He has resided here ever since.
On October, 19, *1885, he was
married to Miss Ida Belle Shields
to this union six children were
born three of whom proceeded
their father in death. Surviving
with the widow is one daughter,
Mrs. Lottie Sadler and sons, Tom
and Odie, also five brothers, R. M.
C. W. Bob, Wade and Earl, three
sisters, Mrs. Laura Oneal, Mrs.
Mattie Howell and Mrs. Ruth
Jackson.
After a lengthy illness he de-
parted this life Feb. 12, 1942, be-
ing 73 years, 6 months and 18 days
old.
He was converted at an early
age and united with the Baptist
church, later uniting with the
Methodist church in which he held
membership at death.
He was a good man, was for
everything that was good. Was
Justice of the peace of this pre-
cinct for the last 14 years and
he was a good one it will be hard
for his plaec to be filled here.
The funeral was held in the
Methodist church on Friday after-
noon at 2:30. Brister of Walnut
had charge of the funeral. Rev.
Cundieff, the Baptist pastor preac-
hed the funeral, paid a glowing
tribute to him, he visited him most
every day.
The church was well filled with
relatives and friends. Some of
the stoi'es closed out of respect to
him.
The following were pallbearers:
Homer Gosdin; B. L. Mitchell; R.
O. Burns; Wick Simpson; Henry
Newson and L. J. Simpson.
The floral offerings were very
large and beautiful. The follow-
ing were floral bearers: Mrs.
Homer Gosdin, Misses Peggy June
Tidwell; Helen Stephens; Faye
Hensley; Mary Beth Bryan and
Faye Fallis.
1 The remains were laid to rest in
the new cemetery and a large
crowd followed the remains to the
city of the dead. Jle is gone from
our midst but not forgotten.
The out of town relatives who
attended the funeral were: Mr.
R. M. Bryan, McKinney; Mr. and
Mrs. Johnie Bryan and family;
Mr. and Mi's. Tom Bryan and fam-
ily; Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Sadler
and son, of Dallas; Mr. and Mrs.
Ben Shields, of Dublin; Mr. and
iiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirimiiiiintwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini
Kopperf News Items
'iiiiiiiiimiimiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiii
iiimimimiiiinmmmiumiiii
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Smith and
family spent the week-end with
relatives at Merkel.
Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Carlisle spent
Sunday in Denton with their
daughter, Martha.
The annual cemetery association
party will be Tuesday, March 3rd
at the home of Mrs. J. F. Benson.
Dr. K. L. Jackson and wife, of
Ft. Worth, visited his mother, Mrs.
G. R. Jackson here Sunday.
Mrs. M. J. Holmes left Tuesday
for her home in Baird.
Mrs. M. C. Carlisle and son spent
last week-end here in the home of
Mrs. T. S. Carlisle.
Miss Luna Carlisle spent last
week with relatives in Waco.
Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Stuart and
son, of Meridian, spent Sunday
here with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Aaron Johnson.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith, of Nacado-
ches, is spending the week here
with their son, Jack and family.
The W.S.C.S. met Monday in
the home of Mrs. G. C. Lain with
eleven members present.
Kopperl Basket Ball girls went
to Hubbard Thursday night to
play in the tournament.
Rev. C. K. Roberts and family
spent the week-end at Big Valley,
where his other church is located,
he has resigned there and at Kop-
perl and accepted a full time
church at Mason. Regret very
much to lose their good family
and wish them the best success in
their new field.
Homer Day and family, of Free-
port, spent the week-end* here with
relatives.
Mrs. Roy Hill spent the week-
end in Prairie Valley.
Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Jackson and
son, of Alvarado, visited relatives
here Sunday.
Floyd Hill made a business trip
to Cleburne Monday.
St. Olaf Lutheran Church
Cranfills Gap, Texas.
Sunday, March 1.
10:15 a.m. Sunday School.
11:15 a.m. Morning Worship—
Second Sunday In Lent.
8:00 p.m. Junior League.
Tuesday, March 3.
8 p.m. Pastors Adult Class.
Wednesday, March 4.
3:00 p.m. North Aid—Hostess-
es, Mrs. Otto Johnson and Mrs.
Sanders Tergerson, at the Terger-
son home.
—Slap the Japs—But Defense Stamps—
— FOR —
TRUCKING
PHONE 9017-F-2
FRED WRIGHT
MERIDIAN
» • cvx i/ii oiiy I let LI i uuuiiu j HU • dHU.
to give up her school duties. She Mrs. Annie Wintz, of Meridian;
was of a sunny disposition, beauti-
ful in character and was a beauti-
ful looking girl, in spite of her af-
fliction she was a sweet good girl
and had many friends, she yielded
an influence for good, she was an
industrious girl, always very busy.
She professed faith in Christ
and lived a Christian life never did
unite with-any church, but said a
number of times that she was
ready to go when the Lord called
her. Her mission here was ful-
filled, it is very hard indeed to give
up a young person but may the
pai ents and other relatives say as
David of old, “We can not brin°*
her back, but go to her.”
_ The funeral was held in the
Baptist church, Monday afternoon
at 4 p.m. with Mr. Brister of Wal-
nut in charge. Rev. Cundieff
pi eached the funeral to a very
large crowd of relatives and
fi lends. Wanda Lee looked very
natural and pretty as if she were
only asleep and she is a sleep in
J esus.
r/,hmi.fIo?J, offerings were beau-
tiful, the following were pallbear-
ers: Auther Hendrix, Roy Clark,
Ivis Hanshew, J. D. Craig, W. M.
Grant and Luke Koonsman.
• ^ jSi^es ber parents she is sur-
vived by her grandmother, Mrs. J.
C Hanshew, two sisters, Mrs. Al-
pha Burks and Mrs. Dorothy
Stroud, two brothers, J. C. and
Roy one brother proceeded her in
death.
The interment. was in the new
cemetery, east of town. The par-
ents and other relatives have the
sympathy of their friends in their
gieat sorrow. Wanda Lee is gone
from us but not forgotten.
The out of town relatives, who
attended the funeral were* Mr
and Mrs. Oscar Thompson and
daughter, Ila; Mr. and Mrs. L. D.
Duckworth, of Kopperl; Mr. and
Mrs. R. M. Hanshew, and Mr. and
j' 3' U< Hanshew, of Hico; Mr.
and Mrs, Roy Clark and son and
Miss Patsy Flanary, Meridian; Mr.
and Mrs. Randal Flanary, Clifton;
Mr. and Mrs. H. N. Burks and
family; Mr. and Mrs. Grant and
family. Fairy; Mr. and Mrs. Author
Hendricks, of Hico; a number of
friends from out of town, also
were there.
Mr. William Eugene Bryan.
Mr. William Eugene Bryan was
born July 25; 1868 in Lapine, La.,
the son of Mr. and Mrs. H. M.
Bryan. He moved to Bosque Co.,
Mrs. Paul Jackson, Meridian; Mr.
and Mrs. W. W. Jackson and fam-
ily, Walunt Springs; Mrs. Imogene
Epps, Glen Rose and several
friends from Meridian.
Card of Thanks.
We wish to express our thanks
to our many friends for the many
expressions of sympathy during
our recent sorrow at the .loss of
our husband and father and for
the nice dinners that was brought
in and the beautiful flowers.
Should death come to your homes
may each one be sur-*ou*idied by
kind friends as we were. Mrs. W.
E. Bryan, Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Sad-
ler and son, Mr. and Mrs. Tom
Bryan and family and other rel-
atives.
. Seed Corn For Sale
We have some very fine large
yellow dent corn, first year from
original seed. Labor shortage
prevents shelling and hauling.
Will sell crib run at $1.50 per
bushel. Rogers Nursery, Kopperl,
Texas. 4ic
KOPPERL BASKETBALL TEAM
WINS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
The Kopperl High School’s girls
basketball team, County Champ-
ions for the third consecutive year,
goes to Hubbard Thursday night,
February 26th, to jplay in the dis-
trict meet of the Girl’s Basketball
League of Texas. There it meets
the strong Ennis team, State
Champions of 1941. Kopperl fans
confidently look for a close score,
because last year in the district
meet at Ennis the Kopperl girls
defeated for third place, the Itasca
team by 20 points, while Ennis was
able to eliminate on its home floor
the Itasca team by only 1 point in
the same tournament.
The Kopperl girls have had a
most successful yea^ having won
every game in the County League.
They have lost only three games,
one each to Jonesboro*, Gatesville,
and Brock. They have defeated
the following out-of-county teams:
Frost, Jonesboro, Gatesville, Hico,
Morgan Mills, and Huckaby.
They have scored consistently,
amassing the amazing total of 1023
points to their opponents 417
points.
Will trade “Model A Ford” with
good tires, for a milch cow. See
Floyd Arthur, Morgan, Texas.—
42p.
SPEED...
at a telephone job
that is vital
Telephone construction crews
everywhere have been breaking
records month after month.
Within the space of a year,
Southwestern Bell crews completed
extensive telephone systems at
scores of military or military sup-
ply locations in Texas, Missouri,
Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma,
finishing each job on time ... or
ahead of time.
In some exchanges where the in-
rush of workers in armament plants
created an extraordinary demand,
these crews have helped to double
the number of telephones in service.
All told, 30,000 Bell Telephone
folks in the Southwest march ahead
these days, doing their best with
such materials as are available to
give you . . . and the nation ... all
the telephone service possible in
time of war.
SOUTHWESTERN BILL TELEPHONE CO.
county seat, were bound over to
the grand jury.
Arrest Proves Sensation.
The arrest of the Babbs created
await the action of the grand jury,
great excitement throughout Cor-
yell and Hamilton Counties, and
there was a suppressed feeling of
uneasiness, even as far as the edge
of McLennan County. Stull had a
brother, Hi Stull, who lived some
distance from the John Stull home
down toward Waco. Beyond a
doubt, he had instigated the com-
plaint against the Babbs for the
murder of his brother. A little
later Hi Stull was waylaid and
killed, no one ever know by whom.
This completed the extermination
of the Stulls.
To relievo
Misery of
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The Meridian Tribune (Meridian, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, February 27, 1942, newspaper, February 27, 1942; Meridian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth799196/m1/2/: accessed June 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Meridian Public Library.