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Murders, Suicide & Odd Accidents in Wichita Falls

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Contributed by: Jeff and Julie Coley on 7/13/2007

As many of you know, Jeff and I have surveyed many of the cemeteries in Wichita County as well as some in Archer and Clay counties. While doing this, we became very intrigued by some of the epitaphs on the headstones, such as drowned, accidently shot, shot in the back by a coward, etc. I am always wanting to learn more about Wichita history and being a genealogist, not to mention my sense of morbid curiousity and the fact that I come from a long line of law enforcement, I decided to start searching the old Wichita Times for different articles. I have been collecting these articles for a couple of years.
Just recently, I have been pouring over the items that I have collected and started researching different murders in the area, reports of suicides, and odd accidents, not just in Wichita Falls, but anything that was reported in the Times. I have spent a lot of time, along with the help of Jeff who also was in law enforcement in the Air Force, following the trials, convictions, appeals and final outcomes of many trials through the early part of the 1900's.
After seeing the story that Pamela Dixon wrote about people rubber necking on I-44 to look at the flooding, including herself, I have decided that I am not the only one who might be interested in these things. So, I have decided to write a book. Never in my wildest dream would I think about writing a book, but after posting stories to Yourhub.com, I found that I enjoy doing it! So, I have started writing about different murders that I find, telling the story from the act all the way to the final outcome that I can find. And since I am a genealogist first, I am also researching the parties involved and writing a mini genealogy of each. On several, I have headstone photos where I am able to find them.
I really don't know what I am going to do with it when I get it done. I don't know anything about printing it, or cost, or even if it will be worth it to do all this, or if anyone would even be interested in buying it, but if nothing else, I am enjoying working on it and I am learning about Wichita County in the process.
I would like others opinions about this and I hope that you will leave me a message and let me know what you think.

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Showing 1-10 of 16 comments

Submitted By: Nikki Gipson

posted on 4/6/2009 @ 8:10:40 AM

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I think it is a great idea! i love to read about murders especially if they happened in my hometown. thanks and i hope to read some of your great stories... Nikki W.F Tx

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Submitted By: Jeff and Julie Coley

posted on 10/18/2008 @ 6:51:24 PM

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Cynthia, the statue that you are referring to is Flora Kemp the daughter of one of our founding fathers, Joseph A. Kemp. There are lots of "ghost" stories that go along with Flora and her very pretty statue but in reality, she died of typhoid fever while on vacation. She was not married, she was not getting married and she wasn't at her coming out party. The Kemp's would leave the city ever summer to go to a cooler climate, or at least the Kemp women would and she just died of an illness while away for the summer. I do have her headstone photo and if you would e mail me at neatstuffgifts@aol.com, I will send it to you. Julie

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Submitted By: Cynthia Escalante

posted on 10/14/2008 @ 7:54:45 AM

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Hello. I am Cynthia Escalante Owen, living in Mexico City. My mother's family plot is the Owen plot at Riverside Cemetery. There is a lovely tomb of a young girl standing at the top of a staircase - the legend is that she died as she took her first step coming down the stairs at her coming out party. do you have the name and a photo? I'd love to have it. thanks so much. cynthia

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Submitted By: Brenda Denton

posted on 12/20/2007 @ 9:53:52 AM

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I think it is awesome that you show an interest in the history here & want to write about it! My sister was murdered back in 1999 & I like to now read about true murders to see that the killers got what they deserved. Unfortunatly some of them dont have to serve much time. Keep up the great work!!!

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Submitted By: Jeff and Julie Coley

posted on 7/29/2007 @ 6:27:08 AM

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Shelley, thanks for the support. It has been so much fun researching the stories so far and then following the genealogy of the people. It's a long slow process. One murder might go on for a year or more and I have to follow the whole story from beginning to end. I have enough material for about 25 murders so far from 1907-1925 and then I might do a story at the beginning about the bank robbers because I have a twist to that story and then I might add the Bobby and Abbie Burns murder/suicide at the end. Now as to your Spanish Fort cemetery - I found it online but I didn't see any multiple death dates. But I know that at the Alvord Cemetery, in Wise Co. there are stones like that. The Collin's family, 5 in all, all died in 1931 when their car was hit by a train. These were my 3rd cousins. I saw the headstones and my morbid curiousty made me find out more so I ended up with the newspaper article, their wills, everything about them! Julie

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Submitted By: Shelley Bernal

posted on 7/26/2007 @ 12:42:48 PM

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PS~ My Dad (also a history buff) and I once visited the old Spanish Fort cemetery. We found a marker for multiple children of various ages, and I remember them having the same death date. I took my husband there a few years later and could not find that marker for the life of me! I always wanted to research it to see what horible incident befell this bunch of kids,(indian attack, fire?) but without the marker don't know where to start. Does this ring a bell with you, or is my memory playing tricks with me?

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Submitted By: Shelley Bernal

posted on 7/26/2007 @ 12:42:38 PM

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I think your book would be a hit! There's a similar compilation book out there called, "Wisconsin Death Trip," that was written in the 70's I believe, which would account for it's hippy-ish name and psychedelic photo format. If you look beyond the name and freaky photos of deceased people, the book is a great sociological snapshot of people's lives in a certain area of Wisconsin during a certain era. (I want to say it was around the turn of the century, but it's been a while since I read it.) It's mostly excerpts from area newspapers recounting murders, suicides, people having mental breakdowns in very public ways...ANYWAY... I love local history, (especially the juicy, gossipy kind,) and would buy the book for sure. And if you couldn't get enough buyers locally to cover the costs of printing, there's always eBay!

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Submitted By: Jeff and Julie Coley

posted on 7/25/2007 @ 7:42:54 AM

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Mark, I apologize for calling you John in my last post. Sorry!

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Submitted By: Jeff and Julie Coley

posted on 7/25/2007 @ 7:42:17 AM

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John, yes, I have found one. A young man was hit by a car while walking his girlfriend home. A man who had gone out with the girl was arrested and tried for his murder but was acquitted because 6 or 7 witnesses stated that they saw him in Oklahoma at the time of the murder. They weren't just friends or relatives but were store owners and people who passed by them in their wagon. As far as I can find, no one else was ever arrested for the man's murder. And in answer to your last post, I am not wanting to step on any toes of people who might still be alive so that is why I am stopping at 1925 on my murder stories. Victims and suspects children might still be alive but if I go any further then 1925, it makes it possible for a spouse or the suspect to still be alive and I don't want to offend anyone.

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Submitted By: Mark Clopton

posted on 7/24/2007 @ 4:21:42 PM

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Julie, have you found 'unresolved' murders in the time period you are investigating?

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Showing 1-10 of 16 comments

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