Highway 13 and 50 Highway (Business 50 Today) Where Taco Bell is Today. |
SAM BURGE SHOT TWICE IN RESISTING BANDIT.
Former Fire Chief Identifies Harry Mason As His Assailant When Latter is Taken Into Hospital Room Friday Afternoon
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Officers From Three Counties in Posse
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A.E. Wakeman, Odessa Police Chief, Makes Arrest in Filling Station On Highway No. 40
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Prisoner Denies Any Connection With Holdup
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Henry Mason (Jack Mann), who was arrested Friday morning at a filling station on Highway No. 40, five miles west of Highway No. 13 by A.E. Wakeman, chief of police at Odessa, was positively identified by Sam Burge at Oak Hill Sanitarium Friday afternoon as the man who shot him twice Thursday night in an attempt to rob him. Mason, who told officers that his home was in Kansas City, was taken into the hospital room by Deputy Sheriffs Bob Mosby and Ernest Austin. Burge immediately said, "Bob, that's the guy." a denial was made by Mason that he is the man. Burge was fully conscious at the time of the identification and was said by those at the sanitarium to be holding his own. The chances for recovery are against him, according to physicians.
Mason was taken to the hospital room shortly before 1:30 o'clock and returned to the county jail. Prosecuting Attorney Harry J. Salsbury stated Friday afternoon that he was preparing a warrant charging Mason with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, merely to hold Mason in jail, but that if Burge should die he will be charged with murder. Sam Burge, recently resigned chief of the Warrensburg, fire department, is in Oak Hill Sanitarium in critical condition as the result of being shot twice in a tussle with a bandit who attempted to rob him as he was closing the Tip-Top filling station at the intersection of Highways 50 and 13 shortly after 11, o'clock Thursday night. Doctors hold little hope for his recovery Friday morning. It was the first night he had worked at the station since leaving the fire station Wednesday morning. Officers of Johnson, Lafayette, and Pettis Counties and State Highway Trooper Ralph Cox were joined in an effort to trail the escaped bandit by citizens of Warrensburg, and George Eaton's bloodhounds of Kansas City.
Arrest Man on Highway 40. A.E. Wakeman, Chief of police at Odessa and deputy sheriff, arrested a man in the Fortyville filing station five miles west of Highway 13 on highway No. 40, during the morning and brought him to Warrensburg, for questioning. He was placed in the county jail for further investigation when he changed his story a few times. Thirty-five #32 caliber bullets were taken from his pockets which were similar to those with which Burge was shot. Burge, succeeded in wrestling the gun from the bandit after he was shot and fired once at him as he was fleeing. It was believed at first that the bandit was wounded as he hesitated when the shot was fired. Mr. and Mrs. (Bessie Katherine Burge) Lonnie Rice, who operate the Tip-Top Cafe near the filling station, heard Burge shout for help and as they looked out of the cafe saw the former fire chief wrestling with a man in the station driveway. They saw the man start running and Burge shoot at him. They ran to Burge's aid and the wounded man told them the bandit had gone North. Mr. and Mrs. Rice did not hear the three shots fired at the station, two of which hit Burge and the third puncturing a five-gallon can full of oil.
Undergoes Operation. A physician was summoned for Burge who after the bandit fled walked into the station, took off his jacket and coveralls and sat down on a desk then officers were summoned. Burge was removed to Oak Hill and Dr. John F. Mackey of Kansas City was called to perform an operation. It was found that his intestines were punctured twenty-two times by the two bullets. The report on the shooting soon spread over the city and friends of the wounded man and citizens, quickly gathered at the station armed with guns and the search was commenced. Sheriff J. R. Black telephoned officers in nearby towns and called for Eaton's bloodhounds. The dogs were given the bandit's hat which was left in the station and quickly struck out towards the north, followed by a large group. The hounds followed the highway mostly, occasionally taking short trips into fields. The trail was lost at a house on the Highway North of 50, about seven miles North.
Wrestle for Gun. Burge was closing the station for the night about 11 o'clock according to the story told to officers when a car drove by the driveway and the driver asked that the gasoline tank be filled. When this had been done the man offered to pay for the gas with a ten dollar bill. Burge stated he did not have change for the bill and asked the man if he had anything smaller. He said he didn't and Burge went into the station to get change for it. As he was reaching into the money sack, the driver of the car said "I'll take that money." Burge replied. "I guess you won't" as he turned around. The car driver reached for his pocket and Burge tried to stop him from getting the gun, jumped for him.
Burge Wounded Gets Gun. They wrestled there in the office and the bandit succeeded in getting the gun, a small .32 caliber revolver, out of his pocket. The first shot entered a five-gallon can of oil near the bottom. It did not go through he can on the opposite side. The next two shots hit Burge in the stomach. The filling station attendant continued to fight for possession of the gun and they worked out into the driveway where Burge's shouts for help were heard.
He gained possession of the gun and fired at the fleeing bandit who ran north from the Station. Roy Burge, a brother, was given the bullet taken from inside the oil can. It was copper-tipped as were those taken from the pockets of the man held for questioning.
Stole Car in Sedalia. The hat belonging to the bandit and lost in the station during the scuffle was tan and bore the name of Ed Switzer clothing store of Chillicothe. It was size 7 1/2. It was learned that the car which the bandit abandoned in the driveway of the station had been stolen from L. J. Brown, manager of the Kroger store in Sedalia. Sedalia officers who came to Warrensburg, upon the report that the car was here, stated that Brown was entering the car in front of the post office at Sedalia about 9:30 o'clock Thursday night when a man opened a door of the machine and at the point of a gun forced Brown to drive through the city and a half mile north on Highway No. 65. Brown was robbed of eighty cents and was forced to get out of the car and the bandit drove away.
Odessa Chief Makes Arrest. The car was a 1932 Chevrolet coach and had been driven a little over 2,000 miles. It was reported stolen to the Sedalia police soon after it was taken. All cars were stopped on Highways 50 and 13 and at the junction of Highways 40 and 13 during the night and searched. Cars patrolled Highway No. 13 throughout the night. The bloodhounds arrived about 4:30 am and immediately set on the trail. They returned to the filling station in about two hours. Burge's coveralls showed two bullet holes near the waistline, one on each side of the buttons down the center. Chief Wakeman was attracted to the man he took into custody when he was told that a man on foot ate breakfast at a farmhouse early Friday morning and that his right hand was injured. When found in the filling station on Highway No. 40, the man said he had walked from Holden during the night and was on his way to Kansas City where he lived. He was nursing a cut on right hand between his thumb and first finger which he said was hurt when he fell while walking along a dark road during the night. He gave his name as Henry Mason and denied any knowledge of the shooting.
Wearing Roommate's Suit. In explaining the thirty-five bullets found in his pockets, he said he was, wearing his roommates suit and that the bullets were in the suit when he put it on. He said he became lost when questioned as to what he was doing about seven miles east of Odessa. Allen Isaac, who has served on the fire department with Burge for many years, was at the station about 10 o'clock and ran an errand for him. He told of a stranger being in the station at that time, apparently loafing. The man left when he saw that Isaac was going to remain for a time. Isaac viewed the man taken into custody and said it was not the stranger, who was in the station about an hour before the shooting. Mrs. Burge, who is taking a course in beauty culture in Kansas City, was telephoned of the shooting and arrived in Warrensburg, within a short time after being told of what happened. Threats and talk of lynching Mason were heard from the crowd that filled the sheriff's office where he was being questioned by officers after his arrest by Chief Wakeman.
2. Newspaper Clippings
FUNERAL SERVICES MONDAY AFTERNOON BANDIT'S BULLET PROVES FATAL TO SAM BURGE. ----- Former Fire Chief Dies Saturday Morning of Wounds in Abdomen. ---- Pallbearers Will Be Members of Fire Department Who Served Under Him. -----
Samuel J. Burge, 33, until recently chief of the Warrensburg Fire Department, died at 9:30 o'clock Saturday morning as the result of being shot twice in the abdomen in a tussle with a bandit for the possession of a revolver in an attempted holdup about 11 o'clock Thursday night at the Tip-Top filling station at the junction of highways 50 and 13. Burge made a gallant fight to live but was given only an outside chance by physicians from the first. His intestines were punctured twenty-two times by the two bullets and rarely does a person injured that badly survive, according to Dr. John Mackey of Kansas City, who performed an operation on Mr. Burge, within a few hours after the shooting. Rites at Christian Church. Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon at the Christian church, conducted by the Rev. J.C. Hollyman, pastor of the Presbyterian church, assisted by the Rev. V.T. Wood, pastor of the Christian church. The pallbearers will be Harry Staley, Allen Isaac, Russell J. Jacobs, Louis Anderson, Buster Collins and Elbert Stump, all members of the fire department. Honorary pallbearers will be L.F. Hutches, Theodore Shock, Mayor H.R. Garrison, James French, C.L. Johnson and F.J. Rogers. The flowers girls will be Mrs. Allen Staley, Mrs. Russel Jacobs, Mrs. Harry Staley, Mrs. Russell Jacobs, Mrs Allen Issac, Mrs Buster Collins, and Miss Fern McMillard.
Spent Life in County. There was considerable feelings against Burge's killer Saturday morning when word gradually spread of Burge's death. He was well and favorably known here, having spent his entire life north of town where he was born and in the city.
Mason was taken to the hospital room shortly before 1:30 o'clock and returned to the county jail. Prosecuting Attorney Harry J. Salsbury stated Friday afternoon that he was preparing a warrant charging Mason with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, merely to hold Mason in jail, but that if Burge should die he will be charged with murder. Sam Burge, recently resigned chief of the Warrensburg, fire department, is in Oak Hill Sanitarium in critical condition as the result of being shot twice in a tussle with a bandit who attempted to rob him as he was closing the Tip-Top filling station at the intersection of Highways 50 and 13 shortly after 11, o'clock Thursday night. Doctors hold little hope for his recovery Friday morning. It was the first night he had worked at the station since leaving the fire station Wednesday morning. Officers of Johnson, Lafayette, and Pettis Counties and State Highway Trooper Ralph Cox were joined in an effort to trail the escaped bandit by citizens of Warrensburg, and George Eaton's bloodhounds of Kansas City.
TipTop Gas Station Top Left 1940 Warrensburg, Missouri |
Undergoes Operation. A physician was summoned for Burge who after the bandit fled walked into the station, took off his jacket and coveralls and sat down on a desk then officers were summoned. Burge was removed to Oak Hill and Dr. John F. Mackey of Kansas City was called to perform an operation. It was found that his intestines were punctured twenty-two times by the two bullets. The report on the shooting soon spread over the city and friends of the wounded man and citizens, quickly gathered at the station armed with guns and the search was commenced. Sheriff J. R. Black telephoned officers in nearby towns and called for Eaton's bloodhounds. The dogs were given the bandit's hat which was left in the station and quickly struck out towards the north, followed by a large group. The hounds followed the highway mostly, occasionally taking short trips into fields. The trail was lost at a house on the Highway North of 50, about seven miles North.
Wrestle for Gun. Burge was closing the station for the night about 11 o'clock according to the story told to officers when a car drove by the driveway and the driver asked that the gasoline tank be filled. When this had been done the man offered to pay for the gas with a ten dollar bill. Burge stated he did not have change for the bill and asked the man if he had anything smaller. He said he didn't and Burge went into the station to get change for it. As he was reaching into the money sack, the driver of the car said "I'll take that money." Burge replied. "I guess you won't" as he turned around. The car driver reached for his pocket and Burge tried to stop him from getting the gun, jumped for him.
Burge Wounded Gets Gun. They wrestled there in the office and the bandit succeeded in getting the gun, a small .32 caliber revolver, out of his pocket. The first shot entered a five-gallon can of oil near the bottom. It did not go through he can on the opposite side. The next two shots hit Burge in the stomach. The filling station attendant continued to fight for possession of the gun and they worked out into the driveway where Burge's shouts for help were heard.
Tip-Top Service Station, Warrensburg, MO Site of 1932 Murder of Fire Chief Sam Burge |
Stole Car in Sedalia. The hat belonging to the bandit and lost in the station during the scuffle was tan and bore the name of Ed Switzer clothing store of Chillicothe. It was size 7 1/2. It was learned that the car which the bandit abandoned in the driveway of the station had been stolen from L. J. Brown, manager of the Kroger store in Sedalia. Sedalia officers who came to Warrensburg, upon the report that the car was here, stated that Brown was entering the car in front of the post office at Sedalia about 9:30 o'clock Thursday night when a man opened a door of the machine and at the point of a gun forced Brown to drive through the city and a half mile north on Highway No. 65. Brown was robbed of eighty cents and was forced to get out of the car and the bandit drove away.
A 1932 Chevrolet, similar to the one stolen and used in the robbery/murder. |
Wearing Roommate's Suit. In explaining the thirty-five bullets found in his pockets, he said he was, wearing his roommates suit and that the bullets were in the suit when he put it on. He said he became lost when questioned as to what he was doing about seven miles east of Odessa. Allen Isaac, who has served on the fire department with Burge for many years, was at the station about 10 o'clock and ran an errand for him. He told of a stranger being in the station at that time, apparently loafing. The man left when he saw that Isaac was going to remain for a time. Isaac viewed the man taken into custody and said it was not the stranger, who was in the station about an hour before the shooting. Mrs. Burge, who is taking a course in beauty culture in Kansas City, was telephoned of the shooting and arrived in Warrensburg, within a short time after being told of what happened. Threats and talk of lynching Mason were heard from the crowd that filled the sheriff's office where he was being questioned by officers after his arrest by Chief Wakeman.
2. Newspaper Clippings
FUNERAL SERVICES MONDAY AFTERNOON BANDIT'S BULLET PROVES FATAL TO SAM BURGE. ----- Former Fire Chief Dies Saturday Morning of Wounds in Abdomen. ---- Pallbearers Will Be Members of Fire Department Who Served Under Him. -----
Samuel J. Burge, 33, until recently chief of the Warrensburg Fire Department, died at 9:30 o'clock Saturday morning as the result of being shot twice in the abdomen in a tussle with a bandit for the possession of a revolver in an attempted holdup about 11 o'clock Thursday night at the Tip-Top filling station at the junction of highways 50 and 13. Burge made a gallant fight to live but was given only an outside chance by physicians from the first. His intestines were punctured twenty-two times by the two bullets and rarely does a person injured that badly survive, according to Dr. John Mackey of Kansas City, who performed an operation on Mr. Burge, within a few hours after the shooting. Rites at Christian Church. Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon at the Christian church, conducted by the Rev. J.C. Hollyman, pastor of the Presbyterian church, assisted by the Rev. V.T. Wood, pastor of the Christian church. The pallbearers will be Harry Staley, Allen Isaac, Russell J. Jacobs, Louis Anderson, Buster Collins and Elbert Stump, all members of the fire department. Honorary pallbearers will be L.F. Hutches, Theodore Shock, Mayor H.R. Garrison, James French, C.L. Johnson and F.J. Rogers. The flowers girls will be Mrs. Allen Staley, Mrs. Russel Jacobs, Mrs. Harry Staley, Mrs. Russell Jacobs, Mrs Allen Issac, Mrs Buster Collins, and Miss Fern McMillard.
Spent Life in County. There was considerable feelings against Burge's killer Saturday morning when word gradually spread of Burge's death. He was well and favorably known here, having spent his entire life north of town where he was born and in the city.
He resigned Tuesday night as chief of the fire department after having served in that capacity for the past nineteen months. He was a member of the department, however, for approximately four years and had requested that he be reinstated as a part-time fireman when the first vacancy occurred. Burge was born September 8, 1899, the son of S.A. and Mary E. Burge, about ten miles north of Warrensburg. He was married to miss Annabelle Smith of Montserrat on October 14, 1929 in Warrensburg. He worked for the Warrensburg Oil Company operated by L.E. Hutchens for eight years and spent one year with the Phillips Petroleum Company driving the bulk truck after that company purchased the Warrensburg Oil Company. He resigned that position to become fire chief.
Shot First Night on New Job. Burge returned to his old job on the oil truck Wednesday morning and Thursday night, the night of the shooting was the first he had worked at night. Fishing and hunting had been greatly enjoyed during the past summer and fall by Burge. He was proficient at both sports and games and fishing, which were had by him frequently. He is survived by his widow and the following brothers and sisters: E.N. of Pittsville; W.R., and E.B., of the north of Warrensburg; Mrs. C.N. Iseminger of Holden; Aaron of Ree Heights, S.D., and Mrs. Joe Claunch and Mrs. Ward Hathaway of Warrensburg. Burge regained consciousness at intervals, according to Dr. Parker. An autopsy was performed Friday and one of the bullets was removed.
Shot First Night on New Job. Burge returned to his old job on the oil truck Wednesday morning and Thursday night, the night of the shooting was the first he had worked at night. Fishing and hunting had been greatly enjoyed during the past summer and fall by Burge. He was proficient at both sports and games and fishing, which were had by him frequently. He is survived by his widow and the following brothers and sisters: E.N. of Pittsville; W.R., and E.B., of the north of Warrensburg; Mrs. C.N. Iseminger of Holden; Aaron of Ree Heights, S.D., and Mrs. Joe Claunch and Mrs. Ward Hathaway of Warrensburg. Burge regained consciousness at intervals, according to Dr. Parker. An autopsy was performed Friday and one of the bullets was removed.
FILE MURDER CHARGE AGAINST JACK MANN
---- Man Identified by BURGE Taken to Kansas City Jail for Safe Keeping Friday Evening by Officers.----- CONDUCTING INQUEST AT COURTHOUSE TODAY.
A coroner's inquest into the death of Samuel J. BURGE, was being conducted this afternoon by Dr. Edward Andruss, county corner, at the County Courthouse, Dr. Andruss is being assisted by Prosecuting Attorney Harry J. Salsbury and Nick M. Bradley, who has been retained by friends of BURGE to aid in the prosecution. The coroner's jury is composed of Allen Isaac, George Hanna, L.F. Hutchens, Harry Staley, B.V. Asbinhurst and Harry Iseminger. A recess in the hearing was necessitated during the afternoon so that Harry Stanley, fire chief, might answer an alarm. -----
A charge of murder in the first degree was filed against Jack Mann. alias Henry Mason. In connection with the fatal shooting of Sam BURGE Thursday night, following the latter's death Saturday Morning. The information was prepared by Prosecuting Attorney Henry J. Salsbury and signed and sworn to before Justice C.A. Harrison by Sheriff J. R. Black soon after word reached the courthouse of BURGE's death. Mann was taken to the Jackson County Jail in Kansas City by Deputy Sheriff's Bob Mosby and Ernest Austin for safe keeping when talk of lynching him was being hard about the streets. He maintained his innocence on the trip to Kansas City and said his name was Henry Mason. A check of address named Henry C. Mason, 4705 Belleview, Kansas City, was reported in the Kansas City Star Friday night. That name and address was given by Mann when brought to the sheriff's office here Friday morning, according to officers. Registered as Jack Mann. Mrs. Florence Shaffer, proprietor of the Lafayette Hotel in Odessa viewed the man Friday afternoon and identified him as the person who registered at the hotel on November 4, under the name of Jack Mann and gave Clinton as his home. Information charging Mann with an assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill was prepared Friday by Prosecutor Salsbury merely to hold him in jail pending BURGE's condition. This was dismissed Saturday in favor of the more serious charges.
Officer Tells of Capture. W.A. Wakeman Warrensburg --related the events leading to Mann's arrest at a filling station on Highway 14. Sheriff J.R. Black after being called to the scene of the attempted holdup Thursday night immediately telephoned offices in all surrounding towns to be on the watch for the bandit and talked to Chief Wakeman in Odessa about 1 o'clock Friday morning. The chief informed the night watchman of the shooting and at 8 o'clock that morning went to the telephone office and spread the alarm throughout the countryside near Odessa. When he called one party line, he was answered by Mrs. Henry Hook who lives about seventeen miles northwest of Warrensburg, in Lafayette County. She related about a young man with an injured hand stopping at the Hook farm about daylight for breakfast. The man inquired of Mrs. Hook of the direction to Highway No. 14, saying that he wanted to go to Kansas City. he was given a ride to the Fortyville Filling station on the highway by Earl Wagner, according to Chief Wakeman. Arrested in the filling Station. The station is about seven miles east of Odessa and about four miles north of the Hook farm. Chief Wakeman in the company of two other men went immediately to the station and as the Odessa officer walked into the place, he readily recognized Mann from the description given him by Mrs. Hook. Mann has his right hand the one injured in his right-hand pocket. After inquiring of the proprietor of the station about Mann, Chief Wakeman
BANDIT'S BULLET PROVES FATAL TO SAM BURGE ----- Former Fire Chief Dies Saturday Morning of Wounds in Abdomen ----- FUNERAL SERVICES MONDAY AFTERNOON ----- Pallbearers Will Be Members of Fire Department Who Served Under Him. Samuel J. BURGE, 33, until recently chief of Warrensburg, , Fire Department, died at 9:30 o'clock Saturday morning as the result of being shot twice in the abdomen in a tussle with a bandit for the possession of a revolver in an attempted holdup about 11 o'clock Thursday night at the Tip-Top filling station at the junction of highways 50 and 13. BURGE made a gallant fight to live but was given only an outside chance by physicians from the first. His intestines were punctured twenty-two times by the two bullets and rarely does a person injured that badly survive, according to Dr. John Mackey of Kansas City, who performed an operation on Mr. BURGE, within a few hours after the shooting. Rites at Christian Church. Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon at the Christian church, conducted by the Rev. J.C. Hollyman, pastor of the Presbyterian church, assisted by the Rev. V.T. Wood, pastor of the Christian church. The pallbearers will be Harry Staley, Allen Isaac, Russell J. Jacobs, Louis Anderson, Buster Collins and Elbert Stump, all members of the fire department. Honorary pallbearers will be L.F. Hutches, Theodore Shock, Mayor H.R. Garrison, James French, C.L. Johnson and F.J. Rogers. The flower girls will be Mrs. Allen Staley, Mrs. Russel Jacobs, Mrs. Harry Staley, Mrs. Russell Jacobs, Mrs. Allen Issac, Mrs. Buster Collins, and Miss Fern McMillard.
Spent Life in County. There were (considerable feelings against Burge's killer Saturday morning when word gradually spread of BURGE's death. He was well and favorably known here, having spent his entire life north of town where he was born and in the city. He resigned Tuesday night as chief of the fire department after having served in that capacity for the past nineteen months. He was a member of the department, however, for approximately four years and had requested that he be reinstated as part-time fireman when the first vacancy occurred. BURGE was born September 8, 1899, the son of S.A. and Mary E. BURGE, about ten miles north of Warrensburg. He was married to miss Annabelle Smith of Montserrat on October 14, 1929 in Warrensburg. He worked for the Warrensburg, Oil Company operated by L.E. Hutchens for eight years and spent one year with the Phillips Petroleum Company driving the bulk truck after that company purchased the Warrensburg, , Oil Company. He resigned that position to become fire chief.
Shot First Night on New Job. BURGE returned to hid old job on the oil truck Wednesday morning and Thursday night, the night of the shooting was the first he had worked at night. Fishing and hunting had been greatly enjoyed during the past summer and fall by BURGE. . He is survived by his widow and the following brothers and sisters: E.N. of Pittsville; W.R., and E.B., of north of Warrensburg; Mrs. C.N. Iseminger of Holden; Aaron of Ree Heights, S.D., and Mrs. Joe Claunch and Mrs. Ward Hathaway of Warrensburg. BURGE regained consciousness at intervals, according to Dr. Parker. An autopsy was performed Friday and one of the bullets removed.
Name Mann as BURGE's Slayer
---- Corner's Jury Connects Man Under arrest with Shooting in Attempted Holdup. ----- JURORS REACH DECISION WITHIN A SHORT TIME --- Bullet Taken From Body Similar to Those Found in Pocket of Prisoner. Jack Mann, alias Henry Mason, was named as the slayer of Samuel J. BURGE in the verdict returned by a coroner's jury at the courthouse late Saturday, afternoon. The six men required by seven and one-half minutes to make a decision after hearing several witnesses tell of various incidents in the shooting of BURGE when he resisted a bandit in an attempted holdup in the Tip-Top filling station about 11:00 o'clock Thursday night. The verdict as read by Leslie Hutchens, foreman of the jury, was: "We the jury, find that Sam J. BURGE came to his death by gunshot wounds inflicted by pistol shots in the hands of Jack Mann, alias Henry Mason, on the night of December 8th." It was signed by Hutchens, George Hanna, B.V. Ashinhurst, Allen Isaac, Harry Staley, and H.L. Iseminger. Dr. Edward Andruss, county corner, conducted the inquest, assisted by Prosecuting Attorney Harry J. Salsbury and Nick M. Bradley, who has been retained by friends of BURGE to assist in the prosecution.
No Date for Preliminary. The date for Mann's preliminary hearing has not been set but will probably be held sometime this week. Mann will be kept in the Jackson County jail where he was removed Friday night for safekeeping, according to Sheriff J.R. Black. Dr. H.F. Parker, the first witness called, told of being summoned to attend BURGE, and gave details of the explanation of the crime as explained to him by BURGE. He further told of an emergency operation in an effort to save the injured man and he gave specific details of the injuries caused by the two shots fired into BURGE's abdomen. Dr. Parker explained the two shots had caused twenty-two perforations of the intestines and in some places, the intestines were almost severed. The witness explained his patient rallied from the anesthetic at about 8 o'clock Friday morning and at times throughout that day he was rational. During one of these rational periods Dr. Parker testified the prisoner was brought before BURGE and without any hesitation, BURGE declared, "Bob that is the guy." The prisoner, the Witness testified, said "you are sending an innocent man to the penitentiary" to which BURGE replied, "you can't fool me." Dr. Parker testified BURGE was conscious at the time and thoroughly capable of making an identification.
Bullet Removed From Body. Dr. Parker testified that an autopsy had been conducted by himself after BURGE died and one of the bullets, resting near his spine was removed. The bullet, in the possession of the coroner, was identified as the one taken from the body of BURGE. It compares favorably, the witness stated with those bullets found on Mann when he was arrested. A.E. Wakeman, chief of police of Odessa, who arrested Mann, was the next witness called. He told of receiving word about 1 o'clock, Friday morning of the shooting and information that the bandit probably was headed in the general direction of Odessa. He told of notifying the operators at Odessa to be on the lookout for any information which might be of value in locating the fleeing man. He further told of broadcasting over the country lines a description of the man wanted, also the fact he was likely to be in the general vicinity of Odessa. When he was engaged in this broadcast Mrs. Henry Hook, who resides southeast of Odessa, informed him a man answering this description had eaten breakfast at her home that morning, and following breakfast the stranger had been taken by truck to Fortyville on Highway 40.
Arrest Made in Station. Wakeman immediately went to Fortyville station and found Mann seated near a stove, waiting to catch a ride to Kansas City. The man was placed under arrest and Wakeman started to Warrensburg with the prisoner after the officer had determined Mann was unarmed. En route to Warrensburg, according to Wakeman, the prisoner denied any connection with the crime but several times asked if the man, who had been shot, was in a serious condition. Wakeman told he thought he was not. Wakeman further testified that he questioned Mann, who stated he had walked from Holden to the place of his arrest since 11 o'clock the night before. When questioned why he was east of Odessa, when trying to go to Kansas City, the prisoner replied he had become lost. The prisoner stated he was attempting to get to Odessa, where he knew a Mr. and Mrs. Shafer and a Mrs. Elmer Abbott, who run a hotel there. Wakeman testified he questions Mann about the injury to his hand and the prisoner stated he had fallen and hurt his hand in the dark.
Identify Him as Jack Mann. Wakeman told of returning to the Odessa Hotel after leaving the prisoner there and investigating the statement by Mann that he knew the people who run the hotel. Mr. and Mrs. Shafer and Mrs. Abbott stated they did not know a "Henry Mason." the name given by Mann following his arrest, and Mrs. Abbott came to Warrensburg, and viewed the prisoner in jail. She immediately stated "why that is Jack R. Mann." An investigation of the register by Wakeman, proved that Mann had registered at the hotel on two occasions as J.R. Mann. F.F. Robinson, Odessa, who accompanied Wakeman to Fortyville and later to this city, next took the stand and testified in general to details as given by Wakeman. He added a further statement, which officers consider important, when he stated the prisoner asked him "do you think the filling stations attendant can identify anyone." Also at another time he asked if the injured man was conscious.
Hat and Tie Marks Similar. Sheriff Rube Black was the next witness called. He gave details of being called to the scene of the shooting, immediately after it happened what he saw there, also the description of the crime and bandit as given him by BURGE. Sheriff Black further testified about the work of the bloodhounds in following a trail north to Highway No. 13 to a point about eight miles, where the trail was lost. The point where the trail was lost is only a few cross-country miles from the Hook farm. Sheriff Black identified a hat that had been left by the fleeing bandit and then identified a tie that had been taken of Mann following his arrest. In both, the hat and the tie were trademarks showing both articles had been bought from Ed Switzer, Chillicothe, Mo. The witness testified the shoes worn by Mann when he was arrested also bore a Chillicothe trademark. Sheriff Black stated he had asked Mann about these articles and Mann disclaimed ownership of the hat and stated the tie he was wearing had been purchased in a pawn shop in Kansas City.
Rice to Aid of BURGE. Lonnie Rice, who operates the Tip-Top Cafe, near the filling station where the shooting took place, told of a visit to the station just shortly before, the attempted robbery was made. Rice testified he saw the man, who is alleged to have done the shooting standing near the stove while he was in the station, but when asked if he could identify Mann he stated he could not. He said, however, Mann talks like the bandit, is about the same size and the clothing resembles that worn by the man he saw in the station. Rice further testified he and his wife saw a part of the tussle after BURGE and the bandit got outside the station. They viewed the fight thought a window in their cafe. Rice said he took his gun and rushed out of the back door of his place to aid BURGE. By the time he reached the station BURGE was staggering into the station and was told by BURGE the bandit had headed north on Highway 13. Rice called the telephone operator and told her to get the sheriff and a doctor and then he went outside and removed the keys from the bandit's car and from BURGE's car. He did this, the witness testified so the bandit could not come back and get one of the cars to make his get away. Rice state the hat found after the bandit disappeared was lying between a front light and the hood of the bandit's car, where it had been apparently knocked off during the scuffle. The last two witnesses at the hearing were Deputy Sheriffs Bob Mosby and Ernest Austin. They told of being called by Dr. Parker, who stated BURGE was conscious and able to view the prisoner. Mosby said he had known BURGE all the latter's life and that he believed him to be in his right mind while viewing Mann. Mosby led the procession into BURGE's room at the hospital Friday afternoon, flowed by Mann with Austin behind. Mosby testified that BURGE looked at them and said "Bob, that's the man."
Preliminary for Mann Thursday: Man Charged With Fatal Shooting to be Arraigned Before Judge Harrison at 2 P.M. ---- KEEP HIS RETURN TO CITY A SECRET. Lafayette and Pettis Counties Want Mann on Different Charges --- The preliminary hearing for Jack, Mann, alias Henry Mason, held in jail in Kansas City on first degree murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Sam Burge December 8 in an attempted holdup, will be held here Thursday after noon before Justice C. A. Harrison, it was announced by Prosecuting Attorney Harry J. Salsbury. When Mann will be brought to Warrensburg will not be known but Perry Jones, who will assume the duties of sheriff at midnight tonight, will likely bring him here sometime during the forepart of next week, possibly just before the hearing. Mann could avoid the hearing here by waiving it and it would be then the duty of Justice Harrison to bind him over for trial in the Circuit Court. His case would not come up then before the February term, which begins February 13. On the other hand it is possible Mann will take an effort to gain his freedom at the hearing at any rate the state will be called upon to present at least a portion of its evidence against him at the preliminary hearing. When talk of mob violence was heard on the streets here December 9, the day Mann was captured in a filing station on Highway No. 40, seven miles east of Odessa and brought to Warrensburg, Deputy Sheriffs Mosby and Austin took the prisoner to the Jackson County Jail in Kansas City where he has been held since.
Identified as Bank Robber. Numerous request have been received at the courthouse for pictures and information on Mann and it is planned to have him photographed when he is brought here. Since being held in the jail in Kansas City Mann has been positively identified by the cashier and bookkeeper of a bank at Napoleon, Mo, in Lafayette County, as the person who held up the bank on November 5 and escaped with $583. Pettis County officials also have a claim against Mann. He is wanted in Sedalia on a charge of stealing an automobile. The person who attempted to rob Burge in the Tip-Top filling station at the Intersection of Highways 50 and 13, abandoned the car, which was stolen in Sedalia only a few hours before the robbery, and fled on foot after wounding Burge in the abdomen twice and losing the gun in a tussle.
Identified as Bank Robber. Numerous request have been received at the courthouse for pictures and information on Mann and it is planned to have him photographed when he is brought here. Since being held in the jail in Kansas City Mann has been positively identified by the cashier and bookkeeper of a bank at Napoleon, Mo, in Lafayette County, as the person who held up the bank on November 5 and escaped with $583. Pettis County officials also have a claim against Mann. He is wanted in Sedalia on a charge of stealing an automobile. The person who attempted to rob Burge in the Tip-Top filling station at the Intersection of Highways 50 and 13, abandoned the car, which was stolen in Sedalia only a few hours before the robbery, and fled on foot after wounding Burge in the abdomen twice and losing the gun in a tussle.
ESCAPE FROM JAIL AT Warrensburg, ENDS IN DEATH FOR MURDERER Jack Mann, alias Henry Mason (insert) escaped from the Johnson County Jail at Warrensburg, Mo. by sawing a bar in a jail window, indicated by the arrow, allowing him to reach the roof of a kitchen adjoining the jail. He tied two sheets together and fastened them to another window, as shown in the picture, and slid to the ground. Mann was shot to death later by two members of a posse at Centerview, Mo, six miles from Warrensburg. He was held on first-degree murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Samuel J. BURGE in an attempted holdup of a filling station, near Warrensburg, the night of December 8, He also had been identified as the man who robbed the Bank of Napoleon, Mo 4/15/32.
An Escaped Slayer Killed
------ Posse Overtakes Jack Mann.,
Who Sawed Out of Warrensburg Jail ----
(By The Star's Own Service) Warrensburg, Mo. March 14 - (Tuesday) --- About two hours after Jack Mann, alias Henry Mason, who had been held in jail here on a first-degree murder charges, had sawed his way to freedom from a second-floor window, he was killed by three members of a posse at Centerview, six miles west of here. Mann was accused of the slaying on December 8 of Samuel J. Burge, a filling station attendant, in an attempted holdup. Mann was arrested after an all-night chase, and was identified at a hospital by the dying Burge as his assailant. About 10 o'clock last night, Mann climbed down a rope made of bedclothes after he had sawed away bars in his cell window. A posse of citizens was organized immediately by Perry Jones and remained here to direct the hunt, offering $200 dead or alive for the return of the slayer. Shortly after midnight, Albert Bail, Everett Wade and William Bryant, each carrying a shotgun, saw a man apparently hiding in the stockyards at Centerview. They called to him to halt as he started to run. When he did not stop, all fired. The man fell and when they asked him who he was, he said: "I'm just a tramp." They put him into their motor car and returned here.
The man died on the way. Sheriff Jones identified the body of that of Mann. When Mann was identified by Burge, threats of lynching were heard on the streets here and the prisoner was taken to the Jackson County Jail in Kansas City and kept there until the feeling died down. After he was returned here, he underwent an appendicitis operation. The bandages were still on him this morning. Burge was slain his first night on duty at the filling station. He had resigned the same week as chief of the city fire department.
JACK MANN KILLED AFTER SAWING WAY OUT OF JAIL
---- William Bryant and Albert Ball Fire Fatal Shots When Accused Slayer of Sam Burge Fails to Stop at Stockyards Near Centerview ---- ESCAPE DISCOVERED WITHIN SHORT TIME ----- Officers Puzzled On How Alleged Murderer Came in Possession of Saw --- Slid Down Rope Made by Tying Two Sheets Together Monday Night. -----Jack Mann, alias Henry Mason, was shot to death near the stockyards at Centerview about midnight Monday as he was fleeing after sawing his way out of the Johnson County jail here. The fatal shots were fired from shotguns in the hands of William Bryant and Albert Ball, who had been deputized by Sheriff Perry A. Jones to aid in the search for the escaped prisoner. Mann's freedom lasted about two hours, he having made his escape about 10 o'clock Monday night by sawing one bar on a window on the second floor of the new part of the jail. He reached the ground by tying two sheets together and fastening them to a bar on the window just south of the one through which he made his escape. More than 200 buckshot struck Mann in the six or seven shots fired by the two members of the posse. He died shortly after being shot, having been pronounced dead by Dr. W. R. Patterson, upon his being brought to Warrensburg by the posse who fired at him and Everett Wade. Wade had taken Bryant and Ball to Centerview and was to pick them up later at one of the crossings between Warrensburg and Centerview. He had left them only a few minutes and was having gasoline put in his car in Centerview when he heard the shooting and joined his companions. The front of Mann's body between the neck and stomach was sprinkled with shot. He was also struck in the left arm and hand and the left leg about the knee on the outer side. Mann was being held here on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Samuel J. Burge in an attempted holdup of the Tip-Top filling station on the night of December 8. He was granted a change of venue recently and was to have been tried in Warsaw during the next term of court. Had not Sheriff Perry A. Jones had gone to the second floor of the jail to turn two prisoners into the large cell room shortly after 10:15 o'clock Monday night after he returned from a liquor raid, Mann's escape would probably never have been discovered until breakfast time Tuesday morning and would have been successful.
Prisoner Tell of Escape. As Sheriff Jones turned in his two prisoners, Bert Hastings, a federal prisoner from Springfield serving a short sentence on a liquor charge said, "I'm glad you've come Mr. Jones, Jack Mann just sawed out." Hastings said that Mann threatened to kill all of them if they said anything about his escape. There were six other prisoners in the large room but they did not try to follow Mann. Five of the group were serving sentences on various charges and the sixth was Rowland Burgan, who is being held on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the fatal beating administered to Emmet Howard. All six were marched to the large cell room on the lower floor of the jail and Sheriff Jones immediately telephoned all surrounding towns and sheriffs in adjoining counties. He and his deputy, W.N. Burks, quickly organized possess and sent them in directions Mann was likely to have taken. Sheriff Jones remained at the jail to direct the activities of the search. Before the searching parties left the jail that he would pay a reward of $100 for the return of Jack Mann dead or alive. Prosecuting Attorney Harry J. Salsbury said he would add another $100 to the amount.
Saw Mann walking. Bryant, Ball, and Wade were directed to go to Centerview in Wade's roadster and upon reaching there, walk east along the Missouri Pacific railroad tracks. Bryant and Ball left the car at the Centerview crossing and Wade was to pick them up at a crossing between Warrensburg and Centerview. Upon leaving Wade, Bryant and Ball walked along the tracks to the stockyards, about 125 yards from the crossing. Bryant circled the yards thinking Mann might be hiding there while waiting for a train, while Ball looked in box cars. As Bryant was finishing his tour of the yards he saw a man walking west along the tracks, fitting the description given by Sheriff Jones. It was moonlight and Bryant said he could make out that the person was wearing a sweater under his coat and that he was bareheaded. Bryant crouched down out of sight and as Mann reached a point in front of him about fifty feet away, he shouted halt and when Mann commenced running he shouted halt again and then fired. Ball was west of Mann about thirty yards on the tracks and heard Bryant shout. He saw Mann running toward him and opened fire with his .20 gauge automatic shotgun after Bryant first shot. Ball says he fired two or three times. Mann feel to the ground and both Bryant and Ball rushed to his side. They asked who he was and Mann replied, "Just a tramp."
Asked for a doctor. Mann then asked, "Who are you." When the two replied they were from Warrensburg, Mann said, "Oh, get a doctor." Those were the only words he uttered. In the meantime, Wade, who was getting gas in his car in Centerview, heard the shots and immediately drove his car down the railroad tracks to the spot where Mann was lying. They placed Mann in the rumble seat with one sitting with him and returned to the jail here. Dr. Patterson examined him upon his arrival and pronounced him dead. It was likely that he died shortly after being placed in the car. Bryant believes his first shot struck Mann in the left leg at the knee as he aimed low. He then raised his sight as Mann continued running. He was using a .12 gauge automatic shotgun and fired at Mann four times. Officers are unable to account for how Mann secured the saw that he used to escape from jail. They have been unable to find the saw and believe it is a good one from the manner in which the iron was sawed. The prisoners' incoming and outgoing mail has been carefully scrutinized since Sheriff Jones took office, on January 1 and he had no visitors except attorneys.
Letter from mother. Both Sheriff Jones and his chief deputy, W.N. Burks have been suspicious of Mann since a letter arrived for him Friday which evidently had been written by his mother. Ever since his arrest on the morning of December 9, following the fatal shooting of Sam Burge, Mann has maintained he has no relatives. It had been assumed by officers that Mann was attempting to shield his parents from the knowledge of his arrest and the trouble he was in and that he had given a name other than his own. When he was arrested he said he was Henry Mason and maintained that was his name throughout his imprisonment here. He was identified by persons from Odessa, however, as having registered in a hotel there as Jack Mann. The letter which he received while not signed. Is thought by officers to have been from his mother. It was postmarked Superior, Wis. Evidently Mann had appeal for money to help finance his defense of the murder charge for the letter state that no aid would be forthcoming and they were glad he had changed his name. Unable to account for the letter mailed to his folks, officers were puzzled and on Saturday Sheriff Jones had Mann photographed and finger-printed.
Recuperating from Operation. Ordinarily Mann would have been locked in an individual cell each night but since his operation February 2 for appendicitis, he had been kept in the large room on the second floor so that he could get as much sunlight and fresh air as possible. The window through which he escaped was at the head of his bed. His threats to the other prisoners evidently scared them. They were under the impression he was armed but such was not the case when he was shot. In his pockets were three $1 bills, a small round coin.
BURGE'S FRIENDS SURE OF JACK MANN'S GUILT ---- Fatal Shooting of Former Fire Chief on December 8 Brought Threats of lynching After Arrest --- The shooting an killing of Jack Mann Monday night closes a case that stirred Warrensburg such as no other had done in many years.
While never convicted of fatally wounding Samuel J. Burge in an attempted holdup of the Tip-Top filing station at the junction of highways 50 and 13 on the night of December 8, late there was enough circumstantial evidence that many in Warrensburg were convinced that Mann was guilty. Burge was a popular young man, having been employed with an oil company for eight years before taking over the duties of fire chief, which post he served for near two years. He was working his first night at the station after resigning from the fire department and was preparing to close the station about 11 o'clock when a car stopped in the driveway and its driver asked that the gasoline tank be filled. Wrestled for Gun. The driver proffered a $10 bill in payment of the gas but Burge stated he was unable to make the change and asked if the motorist had anything smaller. He said he didn't and Burge went into the station where he had the money sack hidden to make change. As Burge was reaching for the money sack, the driver of the car entered the office and said, "I'll take that money." Burge replied. "I guess you won't," as he turned around. The motorist reached for his pocket and Burge thinking he could stop him from getting the gun, jumped for him. They wrestled in the station for possession of the gun and in there it was discharged once, the bullet lodging in the 5-gallon can of oil. Two other shots were fired both striking Burge in the stomach. Despite his critical condition Burge continued his fight and the two worked out into the driveway of the station where the filling station attendant secured the gun and fired at the fleeting bandit.
Lost Hat in Scuffle. During the fight the bandit's hat was left on the fender of the car. This was one of the many links of circumstantial evidence connecting Mann with the shooting. Mann after his arrest wore a tie and shoes bearing the mark of a Chillicothe merchant. The hat also bore the name of a Chillicothe merchant. Posses' were quickly formed as news of the shooting spread over the city despite the intense cold, men scoured the surrounding county and patrolled the highways throughout the night without success. Bloodhounds were called from Kansas City but lost the trail north of town. A.E. Wakeman, chief of police at Odessa, was one of the officers informed of the incident by the then Sheriff J.R. Black and he spread the alarm over the countryside in Lafayette County.
In answer to a call. Mr. Wakeman was told by Mrs. Henry Hook, who lives 17 miles northwest of Warrensburg, that a young man with an injured hand had stopped at her farm home early the morning of December 9 for breakfast. He was then given a ride to highway No. 40 after he had said he wanted to get to Kansas City. Chief Wakeman recognized Mann sitting in a filling station on highway No. 40 seven miles east of Odessa and brought him to Warrensburg. A search of his clothes at the courthouse revealed thirty-five .32 caliber cartridges, similar to those used in the gun with which Burge was shot. He also had an injured right hand which was believed hurt in the scuffle with Burge over possession of the gun. Mann was taken to Burge's room at the hospital just before the latter died and was positively identified by Burge as the man who shot him. When first brought to Warrensburg he said his name was Henry Mason but he was later identified as Jack Mann by Mrs. Elmer Abbott of Odessa. When feelings became tense in the city and threats of lynching were heard, Mann was taken to the Jackson County Jail in Kansas City for safe keeping. He was later returned to Warrensburg just before Sheriff Perry A. Jones took office January 1. While in Kansas City he was identified as the man who held up the bank at Napoleon, Mo. Mann when arraigned waived his preliminary hearing and was bound over t o circuit court. Judge Leslie A. Bruce appointed Wallace Cooper, Herbert McClure and Walter Chaney as attorneys for Mann when he stated he was unable to hire counsel and a change of venue was granted. The case was sent to Warsaw for trial and Mann was held in jail here pending his transfer to the Benton County Jail. He suffered an attack of appendicitis the later part of January and an operation was performed at the Clinic on February 2. Mann was to remain in the hospital only a few days and then taken to the jail to recuperate.
REWARD PAID TO MANN'S CAPTORS: --- Judge Leslie A. Bruce Rules $200 Belongs to Bryant, Ball and Wade --- The $200 reward offered by the Phillips Petroleum Company for the caption and conviction of the slayer of Sam Burge, attendant at Tip-Top service station, was ordered paid to Everett Wage, William Bryant and Albert Ball by Circuit Judge Leslie A. Bruce Friday Morning. The Phillips Petroleum Company had filed a petition in circuit court to include which of eighteen persons named were entitled to the reward. Burge was shot, December 8, 1932 while resisting a bandit who attempted to hold up the service station. He died December 10 in the Oak Hill Sanitarium, after having identified Jack Mann, captured the morning after the shooting, as the person who shot him. Mann later sawed his way out of the Johnson County Jail and was killed by posse members at Centerview. In the Petition, the Company stated that it was not legally bound to pay the reward, but was willing to pay the $200 to the person or persons who apprehended Mann after his escape from Jail. Those who were listed as having possible claims were: J.R. Black, R.L. Mosby, Ernest Austin, Frank Bieman, Karl F. Hammer, Bee C. Fizer, O.T. Helmann, H.M. Strobel, M.H. Hook, Mrs H.F. Hook, William Bryant, A.E. Wakeman, Albert Ball, Perry A. Jones, W.N. Burkes, Everett Wade, Harry J. Salsbury and Paul Robertson. Bryant, Ball and Wade members of the party that met Mann at Centerview, received the reward, less the costs of the action, which amounted to $12.50.
Samuel Julian Burge, Warrensburg, MO |
Born 8 Sept 1899
Died 8 Dec 1932.
Married 14 August 1918 to Gladys Coats.
Married 14 Oct 1929 to Annabelle Smith).
The 10th and youngest child of Samuel Alexander Burge and Mary (Molly) Elizabeth Phillips was born at their farm home near Columbus, Missouri on September 8, 1899. He married the first time Warrensburg, Missouri on August 14, 1918 to Gladys Coats and later divorced. No children
He married the second time on October 14, 1929 to Annabelle Smith of Montserrat, Missouri.
Died at 9:30 Saturday morning as a result of being shot twice in an attempted robbery of a filling station. He died December 8, 1932 and burial was in Sunset Hill Cemetery.
He had been Chief of the Warrensburg Fire Department for 19 months but a member of the department for four years. He enjoyed fishing and hunting. He was killed in an attempted robbery of a filling station on his first day of work there. The murder escaped from jail and was killed by the posse.
Link to the story on Ancestry
Harry F. Parker, M.D 1972 |
Harry Field Parker, MD
Biographical Sketch of Harry F. Parker, M.D., Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg Township From "History of Johnson County,
Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918.
********************************************
Harry F. Parker, M.
D., the founder of the "Oak Hill Sanatorium" in Warrensburg, has not only pre-eminently succeeded in the practice of medicine in Johnson county but
he has made a name for himself that is widely known and he is now only thirty-three years of age. Doctor Parker was born January 8, 1884 in Johnson
county, the son of Col. J. H. and Elizabeth Ann (Field) Parker, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Missouri. Col. J. H. Parker was the son of
William W. and Elizabeth A. (Higgins) Parker. The father of William W. Parker, Solomon Parker, was of Scotch descent and a lineal descendant of one of the
three brothers who emigrated from Scotland and settled in Jamestown, Virginia, during the earliest Colonial days. William W. Parker came from Virginia to Missouri
with his maternal grandfather, Mr. Higgins, and his son, J. H., and settled in Lafayette county in 1842, on tracts of land they had purchased and entered from
the government. Their route to Missouri led over the Allegheny mountains and along the national road from Cumberland to Wheeling, West Virginia. Mr. Higgins died
in Lexington, Missouri, in 1843 and in the same year his daughter, Elizabeth A. (Higgins) Parker, the mother of Col. J. H. Parker, also died. William W. Parker
and his son, J. H., were engaged in the pursuits of agriculture in Lafayette county, as were also the family of Fields, prominent pioneers of Missouri. J.
H. Parker and Elizabeth Ann Field were united in marriage in 1860 and to them were born the following children: William, a well-known farmer and stockman;
John, deceased; Frank, deceased; Joseph, deceased; Sallie, deceased; James H., who is engaged in the real estate and stock business in Julesburg, Colorado;
Bettie, deceased; and H. F., the subject of this review. Col. J. H. Parker has been prominently connected with the early history of Johnson County.
Politically, he is affiliated with the Democratic party and he represented Johnson county in the state Legislature. Col. Parker has also filled a number
of appointive offices. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. While residing in Johnson county, Col. Parker erected a
church near his home and contributed generously toward its support. A sketch of Col. and Mrs. Parker appears in the Biographical History of Missouri in the
edition of 1915. Harry Field Parker was one of the youngest students who have attended the Warrensburg High School, graduating at the age of sixteen years. He entered
the University of Missouri and was in attendance at that institution for two years when he matriculated in the Medical School of Washington University, St.
Louis, Missouri, graduating with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in the class of 1906. For one-year Dr. Parker was interned in the City Hospital of St.
Louis, which was then under the direction of the board of health. Dr. Parker had charge of the Hearne Hospital in San Diego, California, for one year. In 1908
he returned to Warrensburg, Missouri, opened his office, and began at once an extensive practice. Three years after locating in Warrensburg, Doctor Parker
founded the "Oak Hill Sanatorium," located at 519 South Holden street, which he still owns and maintains at a high standard. The hospital has
the best and most modern equipment and is always fill- ed to its capacity. The patients who have been taken there are among Doctor Parker's warmest friends
and admirers upon leaving the sanatorium. It has proven of great value and has filled a long-felt need of the citizens of Warrensburg and adjoining counties.
Doctor Parker devotes his time exclusively to his large practice. His practice is of a general nature and he has proven equally efficient as physician and
surgeon. "Oak Hill Sanatorium" is open to all the physicians of Johnson County, who send many of their patients there. It is under the official
management of Mrs. Maude M. Irwin, a trained nurse who has been connected with the institution since its founding. November 25, 1908, Dr. Harry Field Parker
was united in marriage with Martha Sousley of Nebraska City, Nebraska. She is the daughter of Capt. J. R. and Martha (Cheatham) Sousley, both of whom are now
deceased. At the time of her marriage, Mrs. Parker resided in Lowville, New York. Doctor and Mrs. Parker reside in their home at 118 West Gay street in
Warrensburg. Besides his city residence, Doctor Parker is the owner of the "Meadow Lawn Stock Farm," comprising 400 acres of the best farm land
in Hazel Hill township, and it is devoted to the breeding of Shorthorn cattle.
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Burge Family of Warrensburg and Johnson County, Missouri
The move from Kentucky to Missouri: There was great excitement when the people of Kentucky heard good reports of land in Missouri, also of the 1862 Homestead Act, promising free lands to settlers in the West. The news came at a time when restless pioneers were already looking of new land. In 1857, a caravan of covered wagons were formed in Hardin County, Kentucky and creaked over the Kentucky trails toward the Mississippi River. The cracking of whips could be hard urging the animals on, but travel was slow, covering only a few miles a day. Several men, carrying rifles for protection against Indians and to keep them supplied with game, headed the procession. The men who led the way Westward were drawn from ever background. They had only one thing in common, a bold faith in their own ability to conquer the wilderness and find what they were seeking. Among the eager adventures were William (Billy) Alexander Burge and his wife Teresa Funk Burge and two small sons, Samuel Alexander Burge (the g-grandfather of Warren Lee Burge) and James Burge, several members of the Funk family, and a brother of William (Billy) Alexander Burge, probably Louis (probably George Lewis Burge WLB) by name. While crossing one of the two rivers, the Mississippi or Ohio, a quarrelsome member of the boat's res started teasing and tormenting little James. The incident made his father very angry. William (Billy) Alexander Burge took his knife with intentions of killing the man, but was stopped by his brother. The wagon train made its final crossing to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. They continued their journey by walking, riding horseback and taking turns riding in the wagons. Mary Funk - Married to W.T. Shivel, sister of Teresa Funk Burge wife of William (Billy) Alexander Funk Burge road a horse side-saddle the whole trip. NOTE: I have the complete history of Shivel from a 1896 narrative written and typed by W.T. Shivel. The Burge and Funk families decided to settle in Pettis County, Missouri, near Green Ridge, Missouri. From the marriage of William (Billy) Alexander Burge and Mary Funk Burge, were nine children: Samuel Burge, James Burge, Jacob Burge, Elbert Burge, Newton Burge, Harney Burge, Robert Burge and a daughter that died at birth and one child who probably died in Kentucky. Samuel Burge was born 7 April 1851 in Hardin County, Kentucky. Samuel Alexander Burge: First child of William Alexander Burge and Teresa Funk: Born April 7, 1851 in Hardin County, Kentucky. The oldest son of William Alexander Burge and Teresa Burge, born April 7, 1815. A native of Hardin Count, Kentucky, he moved with his family by covered wagon to Green Ridge, Pettis County. Missouri, where he grew to manhood. He married Mary (Mollie) Elizabeth Phillips, born November 29, 1858. Married: Mary Elizabeth (Mollie) Phillips - Oct. 11, 1877 when Samuel and Mollie rode horses to Fayetteville, Missouri to be married. They set up housekeeping in Columbus Community in Johnson County, Missouri, where they farmed. Samuel Burge heard of good land that could be obtained in St. Clair Missouri. In 1882 he moved his wife, Mollie and two small sons, Newt and Ray to a farm near Vista. While living there, two children were born, Mary Catherine and Aaron Theodore. In 1888 the family moved back to their community in Johnson County, Missouri. They were the parents of 10 children(1) Elbert Newton "Newt" Burge, born Febuary 27, 1897 - died Sept. 1966; (2) William Ray Burge born 1881- died 1958; (3) Mary Catherine Burge Iseminger: (4) Aaron Theodore Burge born December 5, 1887 - died February 28, 1965; (5) Emery Blake "EM" or "E.B." Burge Sept. 10, 1889- d August 27, 1968; (6) Ora Pearl Burge: (7) Stella Isa Belle Burge Claunch, born November 28, 1892 - died October 30, 1968; (8) Roy Thomas Burge, born 1895 - died 1936; (9) Florence Ethyl Burge; (10) Samuel Julian Burge, born 1899 - murdered December 8, 1932. Samuel Julian was killed in an attempted Robbery in Warrensburg, in 1932.
Elbert Newton Burge ran a gas station called Burge's Place in Warrensburg, for 20 years. I have available the high school year books for 1919 and 1921 for Farmer's High School in Johnson County. Looking for any additional information. Warren Burge WrnBrg@aol.com
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