Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 November 1888 — A MISSOURI MURDER. [ARTICLE]

A MISSOURI MURDER.

Recalling tlie Whitechapel Horrors—The Crime Almost Forgotten. [Et. Louis Globe-Democrat,J The V hitechapel murder mysteries which have appalled the civilized world and baffled the London polico and detectives have brought out numerous recitals of revolting homicides iu both the old aud new worlds. Strange to say,'one of the most mysterious ana horrible wholesale murders in the history of crime, where the murderer has never been apprehended, has dropped out of sight, and all efforts to feriet out the guilty party or parties long since ceased. That crime was the butchery-of the S| oncer family, near Luray, in Clark County, Mo., ten years ago. The Spencer family, consisting of father, two daughters, aud a sou—the father on the shady side of 50, the daughters full-grown, and the son 16 years of age—weie classed among the be t people of the county. Old man Spencer was frugal, and was supposed to have considerable money at all times. He owned a valuable farm and some property in the town of Luray. The murder was discovered by neighbors, who noticed th.it the house had not been opened, nnd as this had never happened before it created suspicion, and finally a distant relative, accompanied by his farm hand, broke into the unpretentious little farmhouse, and found ou the first floor, iu the rear room, the horribly mutilated remains of old man Spencer. The house was a story and a half structure. Tho men prbceeded to the attic floor, where the two girls were foun t in bed dead, and also terribly mutilated. The relative, who is still a resident of Clark County, knew that the son slept in the barn, and tho horrified men continued their investigation in that direction, where young Spencer was found with his skull crushed and a pitchfork driven into his abdomen.

The alarm was given and never had such excitement prevailed in that section of the State. The relative was suspected of having committed the murder in order to secure control of the property and was promptly arrested for the crime. Detectives wore imported, among them one Frank Lane from Louisville, Ky., who after a few days announced that the man under arrest w r as innocent, and pointed out as the murderer one Bill Young, who evened a large farm in the neighborhood, and who was regarded as a dangerous man, though never convicted of any crime. Young was arrested and narrowly escaped lynching, meanwhile protesting his innocence and claiming he could show his movements and whereabouts during the entire week of the murder. When his case came to trial one Laura Sprouse, a dressmaker, testified that she was in Young’s company during the time he was accused of having committed the quadruple murder, and brought in a host of witnesses to show her own whereabouts night and day. The trial lasted several days, and attracted wide attention. The jury brought in a verdict of “not guilty,” and Young was released. The people were not pleased with the result of the trial, and made strong threats of taking justice into their own hands. Laura Sprouse came in for her share of censure, and it w'as intimated that she knew' more about the murder than she would tell. Two weeks afterthe trial Bill Young married Laura Sprouse and the couple went to Keokuk, lowa, on their bridal trip. Young was a widower and had several small children. He had been defended in his trial by a Kentucky lawyer named Coffman, who fought for his client like a tiger, and did much to save his neck, with the aid of the woman Sprouse. Frank Lane, the Kentucky detective, chagrined at the release of Young, remained in Clark County endeavoring to secure new evidence against the acquitted man. and finally succeeded in arousing the neighbors of the murdered Spencers to frenzy and a desire to lynch Bill Young. Coffman, the attorney, telegraphed Young while at Keokuk to remain away until the intense feeling had subsided. Young, with his bride, w'as at the dinner table at the Stanleigh House, Keokuk, when he received the message of warning. He laughed aloud, threw the messaee on

the floor, and when asked what course ho would pursue, said: “I shall return home at once." He was as pood as his word, and did return to his farm in Clark County the following day. A mob of over 200 men arrived at the Young farm a few hours after its owner’s return. Coffman, the lawyer, beat the mob to the farm and gave the alarm, and Young barricaded doors and windows, brought out a rifle, double-barreled shotgun and two revolvers, and prepared to defend himself. When the mob arrived they found the mnzzles of a shotgun and a rifle protruding from apertures in the house and halted at a sale distance. A parley was held and it was decided to surround the house. This was attempted, but Young was on the alert and met his assailants at every turn. After several of the mob had been wounded and Young had been shot in the arm, the latter s ammunition gave out, and the mob with a rush battered in the doors and poured into the house. Young was game, and had mounted a pair of stairs, where he stood, covered with blood, one arm hanging by his side, and in bis right hand a rusty saber with which he held his bloodthirsty pursuers at bay for several minutes. He was finally overpowered and dragged from ihe bouse, and, despite the pleadings of bis wife aud children, placed in his own wagon, which was run under the arched gale way, when ie rope was quickly adjusted around Young’s neck, fastened to the cross-piece above, and the wagon then hauled from under Young’s feet. He was game to the end, and did not appeal for mercy. Alter waiting long enough to be assured that their work had been accomplished the mob departed, leaving Young’s bodydangling from the gate. The wife, nee Laura Sprouse, cut the body down as quickly as possible, and efforts were made to resuscitate Young, but without avail. Coffman, the attorney, pale with terror, was found by the members of the mob in the corncrib, and g.ven five minutes to leive the country, ou pain of death. They shot his plug fiat full of holes to emphasize the order. Laura Sprouse-Young was notified that she could not remain in Clark County, and she removed to Keokuk, lowa, where, about a year after the tragic events above narrated, she committed suicide by taking morphine. It was always believed that she knew more about the Spencer murder than anyone else, and a newspaper coirespondent worked untiringly to glean some information from her, but signally failed. “When i am on my death-bed ” she would respond, .“come to me and I will tell you all I kr.ow. Not before.” Ween the correspond nt was informed by the city physiciau that Laura Sprouse, as she was always called, was dying, he hurried to her bedside at midnight, bnt she was too far goue to answer his eager inquiries, responding once to the query: “Did Bill Young kill the Spencers?” “No.”

And there the awful mystery rested. Young could have had no motive for the murder save robbery or the gratification of a homicidal mania. He was in good circumstances, and the theory of robbery was not regarded as a good one. Though lynched after having been declared innocent by twelve of his fellow-citizens, and no evidence against him save the wo ikest kind of circumstantial testimony and an unsavory record, his violeut death seemed to satisfy the people, and the Clark County butchery is almost forgotten., The murderer may yet be alive and in their midst, but the citizens of Clark County have long since given up all efforts to unravel the mystery surrounding the butchery of the Spencer family.