A FATAL QUARREL

Charles Mooberry Strikes Charles Hinshaw a Blow on the Head with Fatal Results


The Blade
Fairbury, Illinois
January 12, 1895


(Contributed by Dennis Heironymus)
Cropsey Correspondent

The two young men have not been on good terms for years, having had trouble since going to school together, both living in the same school district. Hinshaw was seven years older than Mooberry. Their fathers land joins, only a road between them, and the houses only a short distance apart. For some time the boys have had trouble and have warned each other not to hunt on each others� land. As Mooberry was going up to Cropsey to the home of his sister, Mrs. J.L. Ward, he crossed the old man Hinshaw�s land, the land that Charles rents from his father and farms. It lies north of the Hinshaw place. Before Mooberry got to the forbidden land he got over into the other land belonging to the elder Hinshaw, but this time, while he was on the elder Hinshaw�s land he heard some one call him. At first, he could see no one. Soon he heard the call again and saw Chas. Hinshaw close by on the other side of the fence. He had not been at all on the land worked by Chas. Hinshaw. Hinshaw asked him if he knew whose land he was on and said he had orders to keep him off the land and Mooberry says he carried a club in his hand. Each one walked along the fence (a wire fence) one on one side and the other on the other side, and quarreling, Mooberry with a double barreled gun and Hinshaw with a club, both wanting to fight. Mooberry said for Hinshaw to put down his club and he would fight him if he would fight fair, and took the shells out of his gun and laid it on the ground. He took off his coat and was going to get over the fence when Hinshaw said, �No you don�t,� and struck at him, and he, Mooberry picked up a willow and struck Hinshaw on the head and knocked him down. Mooberry says he thought to go and tell Hinshaw�s folks and started to go that way, but soon Hinshaw sat up, and he thought he was not much hurt and started for home. While going home he told some grain haulers that he hit Hinshaw and asked them to go and see if he needed any help, but Hinshaw soon started for home and they did not go over. When Hinshaw got home he told his wife he was sick and laid down on the lounge and vomited. She asked him what was the matter. He said he would be better soon and would tell her all about it. He kept saying, �My head, my head,� and it was an hour before he told that Mooberry hit him with a club or a gun. Then she sent to Anchor for a doctor as they live nearer Anchor than Cropsey. When they found out he had been hit (the blow did not break the skin or draw blood) they sent over to see what Mooberry said about it, and he told the story above as he had the grain haulers some time before.

Hinshaw came to the house at three o�clock and died at ten the same night only being conscious a portion of the time. Mooberry gave himself up to the constable and was taken to Bloomington jail on the morning train Saturday.

A coroner�s inquest was held commencing at nine o�clock Saturday night and adjourned at three the next morning, recommending that Mooberry be held to the grand jury for manslaughter. E.W. Crum, of Cropsey, was foreman.

The funeral of Hinshaw was held in the Christian church at Anchor at one o�clock on Monday. The house was full and as many more outside. Hinshaw was a member of the M.E. church, and had many friends. He leaves a wife and child six months old. His wife is an only daughter of Elijah Worley, of Anchor. Rev. Forman, of Cropsey, preached the funeral sermon.

This is a sad thing for the people of Cropsey and Anchor, as both Mooberry and Hinshaw have many friends and to have such a thing happen seems to be more than they can bear. Mooberry�s father and mother are nearly crazy, as well as Hinshaw�s wife and his father. We hope never to have another such a quarrel in Cropsey.

Mooberry will be out on bail soon until his trial. He has engaged Ex-Governor Joseph Fifer to defend him and there will be a big legal fight.

The writer of this has known both parties since they were small boys and aside from their own quarrel they had no trouble with any one. We think had it been any one else hunting on the same ground, even if he had been shooting, there would have been no trouble. It is evident that Hinshaw was not afraid of being hurt or he would not have quarreled with a man with a gun, and it is evident that Mooberry did not intend to kill Hinshaw. If he had he would have shot him. It is a sad case, and is a warning to others. Let all those wishing to fight put it off a few days.

In the County Jail (Bloomington Pantagraph, Jan 8)

Charles Mooberry, the boy charged with the death of Charles Hinshaw, passed a very quiet day in the county jail yesterday. He had lost some of his lively appearance but is still as polite and as gentlemanly as ever. He seems to feel his position more keenly than he did Sunday and has a weary look that is foreign to him. He spent the day reading and lying down and did not partake in the game of cards that seem to afford so much consolation to the other prisoners.

He said yesterday that he felt fairly well or as well as anyone in his position could, butt hat it was very different from the way he felt a week ago. He is a model prisoner and all the jail officials speak well of him.

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