05/31/2026
100 Years Ago This Week (Last Week) in Ray County:
S.L. Bay has made his first public remarks through his lawyer, George Crowley, about the closing of the Trust Bank. He blames the closing of the bank of rumors that caused a run on the bank he helped form in 1914 and on bad loans that were approved by the banks Board of Directors. Mr. Bay wishes for the people of Richmond to remember the over 50 years of his residence here and the relationships they've built together. He also claimed that everyone who did business with the bank, will not lose one cent, and that he never profited off the bank, as he is currently the poorest he has ever been. He says he is 75 years old and has a mortgage on his home that he can't pay.
A grand jury then returned 5 separate indictments against S.L. Bay. The 5 forged signatures and notes were of Albert S. Jacobs, Joel Douglas, C.C. Lillard, M.M. Keel, and the firm of Shirkey, Lavelock, & Stapp. The total amount of money forged on these documents was over $16,000. His bond was set at $25,000, and over 10 Richmond businessmen signed and he was released. His son and daughter sat behind him in the courtroom.
Mattie Taylor, the woman who abandoned her baby in Richmond was sentenced to 6 months in the County Jail. Judge Hughes had her infant child sent to the orphanage in Carrollton and be considered a "neglected child". Mrs. Taylor wept when the judge made this ruling and pled to be able to name the child, which he granted. The abandoned child was named Donald Eugene Taylor.
Mr. & Mrs. Evan Daniel had been raising the child for over a month since it was abandoned, and requested to adopt it, but Judge Hughes refused, stating "the child had a better chance at life if the circumstances concerning its origin were hidden in some institution".
The Daughters of 1812 organization in Kansas City is planning an event before placing a marker over the grave of James Mason in the Richmond "City" Cemetery, a veteran of the War of 1812. The event will be held at the Women's Club building on North Thornton with speeches given from the local chapters of the D.A.R. and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Mrs. David Long of Richmond is a great-granddaughter of Mr. Mason. Sarah Mason will unveil the marker.
A.B. Powell, who lives on water tower hill in Richmond, celebrated his 82nd birthday. He is a veteran of the Civil War and says his health is still good. He was from Wisconsin, moving to Richmond in 1859, and served in the Union Army for 4 years.
Robert Sportsman, a 50-year-old employee at the Hardin Post Office, hung his mail sack on the post at the Hardin Depot. The west bound train passed, picking up the mail, and reportedly one of his sacks had flown across the tracks. It is believed that because of the dust from the west bound train, Sportsman did not see that there was an east bound train coming and stepped across the tracks to get his sack and was hit head on and killed instantly, with his skull crushed and all limbs broken. The only witness was a boy Richard Hilton, who ran home to tell his parents what he saw.
William Gaines, aged 43, reportedly committed su***de at the Andy Wall farm, 3 miles northwest of Orrick. His body was found by Allen Hall. Though he was financially fine, his brother's reported that he had become very moody about the financial condition of the country and the fact that some were able to buy luxuries. It was also reported that he had become wrapped up in a religious movement.
Phebe Teegarden & Julia Holman lost their case in court trying to set aside the Will of their deceased father Thomas Shelton. He had left each of them only $5, saying that they were "disobedient and married men without my consent, and with whom I had personal objection". They women are now suing their siblings for interest in the lands of their father.
Charles Thacker pled guilty to violating prohibition and was sentenced to 3 months in jail.
Prosecuting Attorney Moody Mansur got guilty pleas from two black brothers, Henry & Estes Douglas, for bootlegging. Henry was sentenced to 2 years in prison and Estes 3 months in jail. Mansur explained the harsher sentence for Henry was because of his bad reputation.
George N. Robertson announces he is running for County Recorder of Deeds. He has resided in the County for over 50 years, and has operated a mercantile store at Vibbard and Rayville. He was previously Mayor of Richmond, during which he oversaw setting up meters for the waterworks system, for determining what citizens would pay.
The County Court determined that William P. Smith, a black man that lives on N. Camden Street, is insane and was sent to the insane asylum in St. Joe.
Luther "Do-ya-know-me" Branstetter was found to be of unsound mind and his brother Frank Branstetter was appointed to be his guardian.
For the 2nd time in at least 11 years, the Circuit Court, County Court, Probate Court, and grand jury is all in session at the same time at the courthouse.
A traveling salesman was side-swiped by the Richmond fire truck, which hit his back tire. He made a scene yelling about suing the city, until he learned that all of the city's funds were tied up in the Trust Bank closure, and he left town.
Eugene Clay, 15-year-old driver of a horse & buggy for the Richmond milkman Charles Derstler, was driving the milk wagon near the Flint Florist Shop, when a young boy on a bicycle scared his horse, who broke loose and ran way, leaving the milk stranded.
School Superintendent Otis Chandler received word from Kansas City that his stolen Ford Coupe was found on the streets of that town and was returned to him. He had been without a car for over a month.
The H.M. Brockman home on West Main Street caught fire and was put out by neighbors. The only damage is a hole in the roof.
Dan C. Hamilton announces he is running for County Clerk. He has 5 children and resides between Dockery & Millville. He graduated from rural schools and attended Chillicothe Business College. He has never ran for public office before.
Officials are still investigating the death of Carl Lindblad, whose body was found in the Camden Cut-off last week. Though su***de was the first guess, many do not believe it was su***de. There have been reports of a car full of men from Kansas City passing through that could've been the culprit, also that he had received a threatening letter from a Lexington woman about his upcoming marriage.
Forrest Haynes has dropped his divorce suit against his wife, Mary.
3 Richmond businesses, the Bottling Works, Hamacher's Mill, & Lillard's Creamery, will be making a tour together to every Ray County town, stopping to show off all the home-grown items that they could purchase from them.
In the Probate Court, Arthur Wholf has been appointed guardian of his niece Dorothy Woods. Dorothy's siblings, Elsie, Grace, & Orville Woods were put under the guardianship of Alfred Woods.
Georgia Morris is requesting old photo of Ray County to be placed in the Stone Mountain Memorial Hall in Atlanta, Georgia.
Pearl Elliott has filed a lawsuit to take away the divorce that was obtained against her from her husband John Elliott of the Regal community, in October 1925. She claims that he lied in his divorce filing and that it should be considered fraud and she should get back her rights as a married woman.
Mr. Elliott filed for divorce in July 1925, saying that his wife had deserted him in June 1924, leaving for Oklahoma, and he had not seen or heard from her in over a year. Mrs. Elliott is claiming that she received general indignities from her husband, and that when her health became poor, he had sent her to Oklahoma to stay with her sister until she got better.
Frank Sater has returned to town after serving 1 year of a 2-year prison sentence for violating prohibition. He is out early for good behavior.
Walter Pence & Eugene Reyburn have purchased the Day & Night Lunch Stand on West Main Street from Elkin Thompson.
There are calls for everyone to celebrate the upcoming holiday, Decoration Day (what would become Memorial Day), as currently only local banks plan to close. Since the 1878 Cyclone that hit Richmond happened near Decoration Day, some are calling to merge these two together and everyone should go to the local cemeteries and remember those that were lost in the cyclone and place flowers over the graves of pioneers that haven't had flowers in over a generation because all their relatives have died or moved away.
The Sheriff's office maid another raid in the Lakeview community in eastern Ray County, this time finding a still on the property of Alex Leach.
James "Bo" Carter of the Weber brothers in Richmond has purchased the Nu-Way Cleaners store in Hardin.
William L. Pigg, on his 210 acres of bottom land 3 miles west of Orrick, has planted 20 acres of oats, 90 acres of corn, 35 acres of Irish potatoes, and has 20 acres of pasture.
Nearby Randolph County has announced a new stipulation put into the contracts of all female teachers that if they get married, they will lose their job immediately and not be paid. They are hoping this will cut down on teachers getting married during the school year resigning to start a family. Ray County officials are considering something similar.
William Hall of northwest of Orrick celebrated his 85th birthday.
Grant Grove of northeast of Hardin celebrated his 60th birthday with a surprise gathering of his family.
Mattie Layman has purchased the 100-acre farm of the late Henry Hawkins in the Central community.
Obituaries:
- Robert Sportsman
- Hugh Hamilton
- Washington Binford*
- William Gaines
- Seaborn James Cox
- W.J. Teegarden
- Robert Kice
- Anna Izena Brown
- Howard Hamon *former slave*
- Sarah (Stratton) Shores
- Kate McIntyre
- Jesse Clevenger
- Susan A. (Snoddy) Morrow
- Ona Ryan
