TRANSCRIPTIONS
(Some surnames appear more than once in the year)
07 Aug 1872 In Macon, Sunday morning 4 Aug 1872, Nancy Maud, daughter of Frank
and Sarah Bourk, age 4 months and 4 days.
14 Aug 1872 Daniel Galvin drown at Hannibal Wed. night 7 Aug 1872.
Geo B. Turner died Thur 8 Aug 1872. Buried Oakwood Cem.
Theodore Saunders died in La Plata Fri morning 9 Aug 1872
Viola Wooldridge, Macon, died Thur night 8 Aug 1872
29 Aug 1872 John W. Gibson died Sun. evening 25 Aug 1872. Age 57.
David McCann killed Thur. evening 22 Aug 1872. Walking on tracks
and hit by Train No. 1.
04 Sep 1872 Peter Gilstrap killed by Isaac Summers. Gun shot to head on Mon.
2 Sep 1872.
Argument.
HOMICIDE
Peter Gilstrap killed by James Summers and Isaac Summers.
Fatal Termination of a Feud.
The Summers under arrest.
Our community was startled Monday noon, by the announcement along the
streets that a murder had been committed in one of our saloons. This
report was found to be true upon investigation, and upon further
inquiry, it was determined that one Peter Gilstrap, a citizen of Macon
County, was the victim.
It seems the bitter feeling had existed between the decedent, Peter
Gilstrap, and the family of Isaac Summers, two members of which Isaac
Summers and James Summers are under arrest charged with the killing
of Peter Gilstrap. The feeling dates back some three years or more,
to the time when this Peter Gilstrap, who is now the victim, killed one
John Penton, who was a nephew of Isaac Summers. At which time
Mr. Isaac Summers expressed his opinion as to the criminality of Peter
Gilstrap, which seems to have offended him, and that since that, this
Peter Gilstrap has, we learn, at numerous times, made threats of taking
the life of Isaac Summers. As near as we can learn, Peter Gilstrap was
a man of very vindictive spirit, and had threatened the lives of several
citizens, who were witnesses for the State at the time of his trial.
This feeling culminated in a bloody encounter Monday noon. We give below
the testimony of witnesses at the coroner's inquest.
John Church being duly sworn, deposes and says: Pot Claybrook and Peter
Gilstrap came together into my saloon, they called for a drink. I think
had not yet drank it, when Isaac and James Summers came in. James
Summers in a loud voice spoke to Peter Gilstrap and called him an old
son of a b-h, momentarily after this, James Summers drew a revolver and
shot at Gilstrap. I am not able to say if the first shot hit him. After
the first shot, Gilstrap fell on his hands and knees on the floor, with
a knife in his hands. After falling, Isaac Summers hit him several
times with a stick. After this James Summers advanced within two or
three feet of him, holding his revolver near Gilstrap's head, shooting
him in the head, instantly killing him. I do not know when Peter
Gilstrap drew his knife - the knife was open when I saw it. It was in
the hands of Gilstrap as he fell -- Gilstrap did not seem excited when
he came into the saloon. The Summers were excited when they came in.
S.P. Claybrook's testimony is substantially the same as that of John
Church.
Dr. E.C. Still being duly sworn, deposes and says: I made the post
mortem examination upon the body of Peter Gilstrap. I found a wound
in front of the right ear about one inch in front. It looked like it
had been made by a pistol shot. I probed and cut it and found it
ranging down, passing through the bones of the neck, cutting through
the blood vessels, and muscles and spinal marrow, ranging down the left
side, lodging back of the clavicle, on the upper edge of the first rib.
There were three wounds on the top and back portion of the head, the
scalp being raised in each wound from the skull. The three wounds look
like they might have been inflicted by a club, or some hard substance
having angles or sharp edges. The First described wound I think was
sufficient to cause instant death. The three last described wounds
upon the head, I think, would not be sufficient to cause death.
The coroner's jury returned the following verdict: That the said Peter
Gilstrap came to his death from a pistol ball fired by James Summers
and Isaac Summers accessory.
George Brown W.F. Williams
S.D. Rogers T.C. Wamsley
R.B. Bronson Martin Curry
Notes courtesy of Calista Dunham: This is what the indictment said:
That James Summers and Isaac Summers both of the county of Macon on
the 2nd day of September A.D. 1872 with force and arms in and upon
one Peter Gilstrap in the peace of said state then there being,
feloniously, willfully, deliberately, premeditatedly and of their
malice aforethought did shoot Peter in the head with a pistol which
said James Summers had in this right hand and with a leaden bullet.
The case was sent to trial and the State called 24 witnesses and so
did the defendants. The jury gave a verdict found them not guilty.
18 Sep 1872 Mrs. John Landree (living near Bloomington) died Fri. 13 Sep 1872 age
74. One of the oldest residents of Macon County.
09 Oct 1872 Mary S. Phillips, typhoid, 29 Sep 1872, age 9 and a few months, daughter
of Joseph and Mary Phillips.
30 Oct 1872 Obituary. Judge J.R. Alderman, died Thur. 24 Oct 1872 age 60 years and
6 months.
20 Nov 1872 Suicide. Young man "disappointed in love" Gus Tibbits, at Callao, Mon.
18 Nov 1872. Gunshot.
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Ernie Miles