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•HL*HS*' ** •id,reas-y of const ra-end-'eign :y of i. is-sec-itrik-nade Leon Of il of sting de ’em Key 1953 roh keep emir of Ility . N. fairs priu-port, eco-rsity Tient f the e.. \V. alif.. f of noon Tient tery.A Letter From Famed Missouri Bandit—-Boone County Woman's Letter From Frank James to Her Fatheri The letter, turning yellow with I ago. ends. ’1 am. Yours Sincerely. Frank James Writes Ftd! .Mel'lyr.ionds. in rei-em issue of iho Columbia Missourian.Miss C.ussie Klynt. who lives un a farm about five miles southeast of Ilallsviile. has preserved this letter from Frank James for more titan 37 years, just as she has kept the late 19th century appearance of her home.In May. 191*1. Miss Flynfs father, who was in charge of tin* grave register at the Ml. Zion Church cemetery near the FJynt home, asked her to write a letter to James asking him the name of one of QuantriH's guerrillas killed in the Centralia Massacre on Sept. 27. 1SG-I. and buried at Mt. Zion.Miss Flynt says that site didn't know where James was living then, but one of the young men in the neighborhood obtained his address in Kearney. Mo.I wrote the letter for my father ami signed his name,” she recalls. In about five days we got an answer.”The letter is addressed to It. M. Flynt and is penned in large, clear handwriting. Retaining the mistakes in grammar, it reads:Two of my company, commanded by Cnpt. George Todd.' were killed at Centralia. Mo. Frank Shepard during the on-gagment was killed and buried lhc same night south of Centralia. Do not think it was so far as 12 mi. However you can learn from one of your citizens If living.Mr. Poole, think lie was publishing a paper in Centralia at the time several years ago. he. Hon. Walter Williams and myself visited the battlefield either ofOn Steel's Sidethem can tell you distance where Siieparti was buried from Centralia. Richard Kenny who was • At this point tiic page was turned o\cr and repeated who was was i wounded died the same tug lit after the fight with lock jaw . . .Ilis knee was shattered, more | than likely he is the one buried 12 m South of Centralia. Sincerely hope you may find out. as no gallanter knight than he ever •lied in any. or for any creed in all the world.Miss Flynt. who will bo 81 Aug. 7. thinks James got his story mixed up concerning tflc time of Kenny’s death and be-livos Kenny didn't die until two or three days after receiving his wound at Centralia.“A neighbor. Joe Bob Points, told me his grandfather was a doctor in Centralia at the time of the massacre and that he said he treated Kenny at his hideout for two or three days after the incident, Miss Flynt says.She says she can remember the old folks reviewing the story of Kenny's burial when she was young.Just before the burial ceremony at the Mt. Zion cemetery. she remembers their saying, a group of seven or eight heavily armed riders came thundering into the churchyard. They stood by silently until Kenny was lowered into the grave and then mounted their horses and disappeared as quickly and mysteriously as they came.The riders were believed to be members of Quantrill's band.Miss Flynt qualifies her statements with. All this I'm saying was told to me by my family and neighbors. I don’t know what the history books have to say about it.Miss Flynt. born in 1370. vividly remembers the war stories spun in the Flynt home.She was born on the farm and has lived there all her life. The farm was deeded to her father by Andrew Jackson in 1835 and has remained in the Flynt home since.In those days. she points out. patents were issued instead of deeds to show ownership of land. She still has the original patents.Miss Flynt. whose agility and quick sense of humor belle her age. explained why she spells her name with a y” rather than an i as some people do.The Flynt homestead today has the appearance of a home of 75 years ago. Few pieces of furniture in the house are not handmade, .and they are still in dally use.-. Stored in some of the out buildings on the farm arc old spinning wheels, reels, handwoven baskets, gourd jugs, and innumerable items that would make the average antique shop look like a modern furniture store. .I don't keep all these old things because they’re antiques. Miss Flynt says, but I just hate to throw things away.The RIT WAS JUSTOne of the we ever heard ul or enough tu go sutlers on Kojt say vawse.” o look this up in fives are reach word was at onHERE'S buyizH. Clay (Mthe following at JANUARY — they won’t b FEBRUAR too early for Sp MARCH—3 tax time you kn APRIL—Tc MAY—Wet time out for bu JUNE—If: are going on va JULY—In AUGUST-won't be anythi SEPTEMBi now—this warn OCTOBER-they’re waitingNOV.EMBEfor people to fi DECEMBE finished — and much doing tillMusical “Ad— Con
Newspaper Details
Mexico Evening Ledger
Mexico, Missouri, US
Tue, May 13, 1952
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Earline M.
IA, USA 30 Aug 2017
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Mexico School News Roundup
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