VIGILANTES Ep. 1 | “Baldknobbers: Frontier Justice”

Summary

Legends of the Old West: Episode 1 - “Baldknobbers: Frontier Justice”

Release Date: November 13, 2024
Host: Chris Wimmer | Black Barrel Media

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Introduction: The Rise of Vigilantism in Taney County

In the inaugural episode of "Legends of the Old West", host Chris Wimmer delves into the tumultuous era of vigilantism that plagued Taney County, Missouri, in the late 19th century. This episode, titled “Baldknobbers: Frontier Justice”, explores how a group initially formed to combat rising crime devolved into a reign of terror, significantly impacting the social and political landscape of the American West.

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The Lynching of the Taylor Brothers

The episode opens with a harrowing account of the Taylor brothers, Frank and Tubal, whose criminal activities made them prime targets for frontier justice.

"On April 15, 1885, a horse and rider delivered a message to Sheriff James McAfee of Taney County, Missouri. The message told him two fugitives wanted to surrender."
— Chris Wimmer [01:08]

Despite promising to surrender peacefully, the Taylor brothers were brutally lynched by a mob of 75 to 100 armed vigilantes on the night of their capture. Their bodies were discovered the next morning, hanging from a scrub oak tree with a placard ominously declaring, "Beware, these are the first victims to the wrath of outraged citizens. More will follow."

— Narrator [02:25]

This act marked the first violent atrocity by the Bald Knobbers, setting a precedent for their future actions.

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Formation of the Bald Knobbers: From Justice to Tyranny

Initially, the Bald Knobbers emerged as a response to the staggering debt and rampant crime in post-Civil War Taney County. Led by Nathaniel Kinney, a formidable figure with a military background, the group sought to restore law and order.

"They wanted to tamp down the crime... But along the way they became a law unto themselves, threatening and attacking anyone they deemed immoral or an enemy."
— Chris Wimmer [02:53]

The group's first major recruitment meeting on April 5, 1885, solidified their structure and mission. Kinney addressed a crowd of approximately 100 men, galvanizing them with a fear-mongering speech about the chaos plaguing the county.

"When the crowd was whipped up and cheering, it collectively voted to form a vigilance committee with Kenny as its chief."
— Narrator [12:35]

Each member swore a strict oath of secrecy and loyalty, adopting a semi-military hierarchy to enforce their rule.

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Vigilante Actions and Escalation of Violence

The Bald Knobbers' first notable act of violence was the public lynching of the Taylor brothers, which effectively left law enforcement powerless to challenge their authority.

"With that support, the vigilante group was emboldened to begin purging Taney county of people they deemed undesirable."
— Narrator [27:23]

Following the lynching, the Bald Knobbers employed a tactic known as "warning out", where they would intimidate residents into leaving the county by firing shots and leaving hickory switches as a symbolic threat.

"If they didn't leave, the vigilantes would pay a return visit and it would not be pleasant."
— Chris Wimmer [28:12]

This method resulted in the exodus of hundreds of families, including the parents of the Taylor brothers, and extended their influence beyond Taney County.

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Internal Conflicts and Community Backlash

As their power grew, the Bald Knobbers began to overstep their original mission. They targeted not only criminals but also individuals based on personal vendettas and moral judgments.

A significant turning point was the killing of Henry Mercer, a member of the Mercer family, which highlighted the group's descent into unrestrained violence.

"Deputy Kissy spun around and met Henry Mercer at the back door. Kissy shot Mercer in the chest and killed him instantly."
— Chris Wimmer [33:22]

This incident, among others, led to widespread fear and resentment within the community, sowing the seeds for resistance against the Bald Knobbers.

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Leadership Challenges and Rivalries

Nathaniel Kinney, despite his initial role as the group's leader, faced direct threats from opposing factions within the county. A notable rivalry developed between Kinney and the Cogburn family, culminating in violent confrontations and escalating tensions.

Additionally, Kinney's involvement in local religious activities became a target, as evidenced by the ominous warnings posted at his church.

"He used them to reveal the people who had placed them there. When the Cogburn family arrived at church, Kinney studied their reactions and was convinced they were the culprits."
— Narrator [31:25]

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The Climax: The Final Assault on the Taylor Brothers

The episode culminates with the Bald Knobbers executing their final assault on the Taylor brothers. Despite the brothers' attempts to surrender peacefully, unaware of Sheriff McAfee's allegiance with the vigilantes, they were brutally murdered.

"While the Taylor brothers cowered in their jail cell, someone began battering the lock of the outer door. Supposedly it was Kinney who delivered the final sledgehammer blow that split the metal and allowed the Bald Knobbers to pour into the cell."
— Chris Wimmer [26:24]

Their deaths were publicly displayed as a warning to others, reinforcing the group's ruthless control over the region.

"A coroner's inquest was held to determine the fate of the Taylor brothers... the coroner's jury returned a neutral verdict. It said death was by hanging by 100 unknown persons."
— Chris Wimmer [27:32]

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Conclusion: A County in Turmoil

By the end of the episode, Taney County had been transformed into a battleground between the Bald Knobbers and those who opposed their tyrannical rule. The unchecked power of the vigilante group led to widespread chaos, loss of life, and the deterioration of community trust.

"By the summer of 1885, it was clear to many people in Taney county that the vigilante gang had gone way beyond its original purpose of trying to punish obvious wrongdoers."
— Chris Wimmer [30:16]

As the county spiraled deeper into violence and disorder, the stage was set for further confrontations and the eventual emergence of opposition groups aimed at dismantling the Bald Knobbers' grip on the region.

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Looking Ahead

The episode concludes by hinting at the continued expansion of the Bald Knobbers and the introduction of a second vigilante group to counteract their influence. This escalating conflict promises a dramatic continuation in the following episodes.

"Next time on Legends of the Old West... Members of our Black Barrel plus program don't have to wait week to week to receive new episodes."
— Narrator [35:22]

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Notable Quotes

• Chris Wimmer [01:08]:
  "On April 15, 1885, a horse and rider delivered a message to Sheriff James McAfee of Taney County, Missouri. The message told him two fugitives wanted to surrender."

• Narrator [02:25]:
  "It was signed the Bald Knobbers. It was the first violent and public atrocity committed by a terrifying group of marauders in a little county that was carved out of Missouri's Ozark Wilderness."

• Chris Wimmer [02:53]:
  "But along the way they became a law unto themselves, threatening and attacking anyone they deemed immoral or an enemy."

• Narrator [12:35]:
  "Vigilance committee with Kenny as its chief."

• Chris Wimmer [27:32]:
  "But the coroner's jury returned a neutral verdict. It said death was by hanging by 100 unknown persons."

• Chris Wimmer [30:16]:
  "They were taking land and stealing livestock. Under the guise of upholding the law."

---

Conclusion

Episode 1 of "Legends of the Old West" masterfully recounts the rise and fall of the Bald Knobbers, illustrating how noble intentions can devolve into unchecked power and tyranny. Through meticulous storytelling and vivid narratives, Chris Wimmer sheds light on a dark chapter of American history, setting the stage for future explorations into the legends that shaped the Wild West.

Transcript

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[Chris Wimmer]

On April 15, 1885, a horse and rider delivered a message to Sheriff James McAfee of Taney County, Missouri. The message told him two fugitives wanted to surrender. The fugitives, brothers Frank and Tubal Taylor, had been hiding in the woods nearby. In return for turning themselves in, The Taylors wanted McAfee to promise to protect them from vigilantes who were hunting them. After receiving assurances, the Taylors allowed deputies to take them into custody, and Sheriff McAfee locked them up in the county jail. At about 10 o'clock that night, between 75 and 100 armed vigilantes rode into the city of Forsyth, where the jail was located. Using sledgehammers, the men battered down the door to the jail and broke into the cell that was holding the tailors. The brothers begged for their lives as the vigilantes dragged them away. The next morning, roughly two and a half miles outside of town, a deputy and a friend discovered the bodies of the Taylor brothers. They were hanging from the limb of a scrub oak tree. A sign was pinned to Two Ball's shirt. It warned that the hanged men were the first, but not the last to.

[Narrator]

Get justice at the hands of a new vigilante group.

[Chris Wimmer]

It was signed the Bald Knobbers. It was the first violent and public atrocity committed by a terrifying group of marauders in a little county that was carved out of Missouri's Ozark Wilderness. The leaders of the group that called itself the Bald Knobbers started out with relatively good intentions. They wanted to tamp down the crime.

[Narrator]

That had been rising since the Civil War.

[Chris Wimmer]

But along the way they became a.

[Narrator]

Law unto themselves, threatening and attacking anyone they deemed immoral or an enemy. Over time, it began to feel like the vigilante group that had formed to fight crime was more dangerous than the criminals. Then an anti vigilance group emerged to fight the vigilante group. And the violence in Taney county and the surrounding area grew worse than ever.

[Chris Wimmer]

At the height of their influence, their.

[Narrator]

Membership spread to adjacent counties. Neighbor turned against neighbor and sometimes family member turned against family member. At least 13 people and maybe more were murdered. Dozens more lost their homes or were chased out of the area.

[Chris Wimmer]

And it all started with a mountain.

[Narrator]

Of a man named Nathaniel Kinney and the murder of his friend James Everett. From Black Barrel Media, this is Legends of the Old West.

[Chris Wimmer]

I'm your host, Chris Wimmer. In this season, we're telling the story of Missouri's vigilante wars, which were instigated by a terrifying group called the Bald Knobbers.

[Narrator]

This is episode one Frontier Justice.

[Chris Wimmer]

@ the time of the Taylor brothers lynching, Nathaniel Kinney was 40 years old. He was born in New York, lived in Virginia, and fought for the Union in the Civil War. He never rose above the rank of private. Though he sometimes told people he'd been a captain, they believed him because he was an imposing, confident man. He stood at least 6ft, 2 inches tall, maybe more, and weighed about 300 pounds. Kenny had a colorful past. Before coming to Taney county in Kansas, he'd been a teamster and had joined militias in Topeka and Springfield. And he'd been a saloon keeper. But nothing lasted long, and in early 1883, he decided to move his family to southwest Missouri. He bought a farm a few miles from the town of Kirbyville in Taney County. Soon, Kinney noticed the corruption, crime, and the county's staggering debt. It seemed to Kinney that the problems in Taney county rose out of nowhere. But in reality, they had been building for 20 years, since the Civil War on the southern edge of Missouri, along the border with Arkansas. The war devastated Taney County. The county desperately needed money to rebuild, and that opened the door to problems. The situation was political and complicated, but in essence, taxes went up and small.

[Narrator]

Farmers like Nathaniel Kenney were understandably angry. To add insult to injury, crime seemed to be rampant. Even though the legendary James Gang was gone. Outlaws and troublemakers were everywhere.

[Chris Wimmer]

Money from taxes wasn't enough to pay for more than two or three lawmen at a time. And the lawmen weren't enough to expel all the bandits who roamed the county. The bandits robbed citizens, stole horses and cattle, and started fights in saloons. Nathaniel Kinney itched for a reason to Start his own militia and bring his own brand of justice to Taney County. He got his wish on October 22, 1884, when a roughneck named Al Layton was acquitted for murdering a saloon owner.

[Narrator]

Who was Kinney's friend. One year earlier, Layton had gone to the bar of James Everett in Forsyth.

[Chris Wimmer]

Looking for a good time. Layton had a bad reputation for starting fights, and sure enough, he and a friend started to argue. After several rounds of drinks and billiards, the argument turned into a fight. Both men threw punches. In the heat of the moment, Layton tried to draw his revolver. James Everett, the saloon owner, intervened and wrestled Layton outside onto the porch. Everett told Layton he didn't want to.

[Narrator]

Hurt him, but he didn't want any more trouble either.

[Chris Wimmer]

Spectators warned Everett to take Layton's weapon before letting him go, but Everett didn't heed the warning. Everett let go of Layton. Layton stood up, dusted off his clothes.

[Narrator]

And fired two shots at Everett.

[Chris Wimmer]

James Everett died instantly. Next, Layton turned to Everett's brother and shot him in the shoulder. Before anyone had time to react, Layton galloped away on his horse. It's not clear where he went or for how long, but soon after the altercation, he surrendered to Sheriff John Moseley. A judge set a Trial date for October 22, 1884. One year after the shooting, Layton posted bond and was free to go about his business until the trial. But just days before the court session, another killing took place that caused the residents of Taney county to place even more importance on the outcome of Al Layton's trial. On October 7, 1884, three weeks before the trial of Al Layton, a young.

[Narrator]

Man named Newton Harrell went to speak to his mother, who was living just outside Forsyth. Harold was upset. His mother had a common law husband named Amos Ring, who was a notorious horse thief. It's not clear what Ring did that particular time to anger Newton Harrell, but when Harrell arrived at his mother's house, he gave Ring a piece of his mind. The argument escalated quickly. Ring took a piece of wood from the stove and advanced on Harrell. It's hard to know if Ring meant to hurt his de facto stepson or just scare him, but either way, Harold quickly seized the opportunity to settle the score. He drew his revolver and shot the older man dead. The murders of James Everett and Amos Ring infuriated many of the residents of Taney county, and they started to view.

[Chris Wimmer]

The upcoming trial of Al Layton as a test case. They were anxious to see if the courts would uphold the law and punish Layton, and then later punish Newton Harrell. As the son of a bald knobber later recalled, the community's feeling was crimes like murder, robbery, arson and horse theft had been going unpunished for long enough. Law abiding citizens needed to organize and dole out punishment themselves. When the Layton murder trial ended with a verdict of not guilty on October 22, 1884, three weeks after the murder of Amos Ring, a fuse was lit. Charges of corruption and bribery on both sides flew back and forth. There were two major reactions to Layton's acquittal. First, it galvanized the opposition to the Democratic group who ran the local government at the time. As a result, in November, Republicans swept the elections. Second, Nathaniel Kinney called for a secret meeting in Forsyth. Kinney's meeting was held at the bar that used to belong to James Everett and now belonged to Everett's brother. The exact date of the meeting isn't known, but sources place it no later than January 1885. Kinney chaired the meeting and he and 12 others discussed what they should do if Newton Harrell was found not guilty. Like Al Layton, then they started drawing up resolutions for a vigilance committee. The 13 men did not have a name for their vigilance committee yet, but they did each wear a small badge. The badges were made of red silk.

[Narrator]

Approximately 5 inches by 2 inches.

[Chris Wimmer]

Stitched onto the badges was the motto, Stand up for Taney county and Law and Order. Each member had to swear a long oath that demanded the utmost in secrecy and loyalty to the order. Any deviation was subject to punishment by the other members, even if their decision was to have a member hanged.

[Narrator]

The group probably earned its nickname the Bald Knobbers after its first large scale recruitment meeting on April 5, 1885.

[Chris Wimmer]

The meeting was held on a treeless ridge near Kenny's little town of Kirbyville. The ridge with no trees was known in local parlance as a bald knob. The vigilantes selected the location because it gave them a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. It would be tough for anyone to spy on them or ambush them. The morning of the big recruitment meeting, Kinney went to the ridge alone to double check the security of the location. Soon a handful of men cautiously approached the meeting place. They kept their guard up against being led into some kind of trap until they saw Kenny, who stood at the top of the hill and greeted the men as they arrived. When the assembly reached about 100 men, Kenny stood up to address the crowd. There's no direct record of his words, but newspaper accounts tell of a fear mongering speech about the bloody shirt of James Everett and fears of losing life, liberty and property. When the crowd was whipped up and cheering, it collectively voted to form a.

[Narrator]

Vigilance committee with Kenny as its chief. In truth, the committee had already been.

[Chris Wimmer]

Formed by the original 13 men, and now one of those members read the.

[Narrator]

Oath to the new inductees. The 100 swore to abide, and Kinney.

[Chris Wimmer]

Imposed a rule that forbade the use of written records of any kind so their activities would be secret. They also adopted a semi military structure.

[Narrator]

They organized themselves into companies which they called legions.

[Chris Wimmer]

Each legion had a captain as a commander and they decided their first order.

[Narrator]

Of business was to make sure Newton Harrell faced justice for killing Amos Ring.

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[Chris Wimmer]

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[Narrator]

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[Chris Wimmer]

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[Narrator]

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[Narrator]

Late at night on April 7, 1885, two days after the first official meeting of the Bald Knobbers, a company of 70 to 100 armed men rode into Forsyth for the first of two times in as many weeks. They surrounded the county jail where Newton Harrell was awaiting trial for killing Amos Ring seven months earlier. Harrell heard the commotion outside and knew.

[Chris Wimmer]

Something really bad was about to happen.

[Narrator]

Harrell shouted for help. The armed riders demanded the sheriff give them the keys to the jail. The sheriff was no longer John Moseley. He had been replaced by James McAfee, which was significant because McAfee was a charter member of the Bald knobbers. But even McAfee thought this was going too far. He refused to give his fellow vigilantes the keys to the jail. The riders backed down this time, but before riding away, they entered the courthouse next to the jail.

[Chris Wimmer]

On the judge's bench, they put a length of rope that was tied into a noose. It was a clear and obvious warning. If the court didn't punish Harrell appropriately, the vigilantes would do it themselves.

[Narrator]

In response to the threat, a circuit judge had the good sense to grant Newton Harrell a continuance of his trial and transfer him to another county for safekeeping. Several months later, and still terrified of the Bald Knobbers, Harrell escaped from the jail. He eventually faced trial elsewhere in Missouri. But in the near time, a member of the Bald Knobbers, who owned a newspaper in Taney county, wrote an editorial in which he justified the vigilantes actions with Harrell and warned that the county could expect more. Before long, the group found its chance. On the same day, Bald Knobbers tried to get Newton Harrell. A criminal named Frank Taylor harassed a store owner and set off a chain of events that led to the first.

[Chris Wimmer]

Acts of violence by the vigilantes.

[Narrator]

The Taylors were a big family, and.

[Chris Wimmer]

Brothers Frank and Tubal lived about five miles outside Forsyth. They led a gang of young men who specialized in petty crimes.

[Narrator]

The crimes were mostly brawling, stealing livestock or chickens and burglarizing homes.

[Chris Wimmer]

But they were not above robbing children and old women, and over time, they graduated from burglary to armed robbery. And as they became more brazen, the brothers loved to show off. On several occasions, they rode into town and invited everyone to drink at their expense. To pay for the drinks, they flaunted the cash they had stolen from around the county. The tailors were also cruel. When a man named Alexander Kissy criticized them in public, they mutilated three of his cows.

[Narrator]

The gruesome act committed against innocent animals placed the Taylor brothers squarely in the sights of the Bald Knobbers. After the perceived lack of justice in the Al Layton case and the Newton Herrell case, the vigilantes were not going.

[Chris Wimmer]

To let the Taylor brothers slip through their fingers.

[Narrator]

The events of the next 48 hours unfolded quickly.

[Chris Wimmer]

On April 7, 1885, the same day.

[Narrator]

Newton Harrell narrowly escaped vigilante justice, Frank Taylor sauntered into John Dickinson's general store.

[Chris Wimmer]

About five miles northeast of Forsyth. Taylor wanted to buy a pair of.

[Narrator]

Boots on credit, but Dickinson refused. He had previously extended credit to Frank, and Frank had never paid him. Frank became furious. He cussed out. Dickinson wrecked the store and left broken merchandise scattered all over the floor. He also threatened to kill Dickinson if the store owner charged him with vandalism.

[Chris Wimmer]

Frank stormed out and rode back to Forsythe. In town, he went to find his brother. Tubal Taylor had just surrendered to authorities.

[Narrator]

For the crimes against Alexander Kissy's cattle.

[Chris Wimmer]

It's likely that Tubal thought he'd get off with a slap on the wrist or maybe not even have to go to trial at all. When Frank found his brother, it certainly appeared as though the law was going easy on him. Tubal wasn't being held in jail. Instead, Sheriff McAfee had placed him in the care of a deputy whose only job was to keep an eye on Tubal for the time being. At that moment, the deputy was standing with Tubal on the veranda of the Everett Saloon. Frank dismounted in front of the saloon, and as soon as he did, Two Ball jumped from the veranda. He leapt into Frank's saddle, and with a yell, he rode away. Frank was arrested for aiding the escape of a prisoner, but he posted bail and rode away as well. The Taylor brothers were free, and based on what they did next, they seemed to be more cocky than ever.

[Narrator]

When they returned to John Dickinson's store.

[Chris Wimmer]

They made the last mistake of their lives.

[Narrator]

After Frank Taylor had vandalized John Dickinson's store, Dickinson had filed a complaint against Frank.

[Chris Wimmer]

A grand jury had indicted Frank on a charge of disturbing the peace. Frank had posted a bond and was free to go until he faced a court hearing. And while all those things played out.

[Narrator]

John Dickinson had secretly joined the Bald Knobbers. If Frank Taylor was stupid enough or cocky enough to show up again, he.

[Chris Wimmer]

Would unknowingly deliver himself into a very bad situation.

[Narrator]

Three days after Frank ransacked Dickinson's store.

[Chris Wimmer]

He showed up again on April 10, 1885. Frank walked in with his brother Tubal and a friend named Elijah Sublet. The three roughnecks supposedly exchanged curt pleasantries with Dickinson, and then Frank grabbed John.

[Narrator]

Dickinson by the throat. The two men struggled until Frank pulled out a.32 caliber revolver and shot the.

[Chris Wimmer]

Older man in the mouth.

[Narrator]

The bullet knocked out several of Dickinson's teeth and took off part of his.

[Chris Wimmer]

Jawbone, but the wounds were not life threatening. The tailors and Sublets started for the door. On the way out, Frank fired at Dickinson two or three more times. One bullet hit him and lodged in Dickinson's shoulder. The gunfire drew Dickinson's wife out of the back of the store.

[Narrator]

The intruders had no idea she was.

[Chris Wimmer]

There, and when she ran out to.

[Narrator]

Help her husband, she was hit with.

[Chris Wimmer]

One of Frank's bullets.

[Narrator]

Frank and the others fled and left the Dickinsons bleeding on the floor. Luckily, John Dickinson and his wife survived.

[Chris Wimmer]

And they could certainly identify the gunmen. Their words reached John Dickinson's new vigilante friends, the Bald Knobbers.

[Narrator]

As soon as the news of the attempted murder of the Dickinsons reached Forsyth, a messenger rode to Nathaniel Kinney. A few hours after the attack, more than 100 vigilantes were in the saddle.

[Chris Wimmer]

And on the hunt for the Taylor brothers and Elijah Sublette. Residents who were not sworn Baldnammers joined the hunt, too. According to the memory of one of.

[Narrator]

The Bald Knobbers, they spread out in smaller groups to search for Frank and Tubal. They'd heard the Taylors and Sublette were heading south to Arkansas, and some raced ahead as fast as they could to try to find the fugitives on popular trails.

[Chris Wimmer]

Others went more slowly to scour mountains, ravines and dense brush.

[Narrator]

It was a daunting task to search for three men who could be hiding.

[Chris Wimmer]

Just about anywhere in the vast lands.

[Narrator]

Of the Ozark wilderness. The vigilantes searched for five days, then.

[Chris Wimmer]

The Taylor brothers saved them the trouble of continuing. Somehow, they doubled back to Forsyth without encountering any of the hunters and hid at the home of either friends or family. Elijah Sublette managed to flee to parts unknown and hide for several weeks.

[Narrator]

There are different accounts of why the brothers turned themselves into the sheriff, but one says the pair were so afraid.

[Chris Wimmer]

Of the Bald Knobbers that they decided.

[Narrator]

To take their chances with the law.

[Chris Wimmer]

Presumably without knowing that the sheriff was a member of the vigilante group.

[Narrator]

Another version suggests that when the tailors heard about the reward for their capture, they devised a plan to get some.

[Chris Wimmer]

Of it for themselves. They would enlist some of their friends to hand them over to Sheriff McAfee. Then when they posted bond, the friends would split the reward money with the brothers.

[Narrator]

Whatever the Taylors were thinking, they almost certainly thought they could win an acquittal.

[Chris Wimmer]

Like Al Layton, especially since the Dickinsons weren't dead. So on April 15, they sent a message to the sheriff that said they wanted to surrender in return for a promise of protection. Two sheriff's deputies took the brothers into custody and locked them up in the county jail. That night at about 10 o'clock, 75 to 100 armed men rode to within 10 yards or so of the jail. Nathaniel Kinney started to give orders. The jail was made of several layers of logs and oak planks, so the tailors couldn't hear what was being said, but they could definitely hear the commotion and they were rightfully terrified.

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[Chris Wimmer]

While the Taylor brothers cowered in their.

[Narrator]

Jail cell, someone began battering the lock of the outer door. Supposedly it was Kinney who delivered the.

[Chris Wimmer]

Final sledgehammer blow that split the metal and allowed the bald knobbers to pour into the cell. Dozens more surrounded the building. No one interfered with their work and.

[Narrator]

The sheriff was nowhere to be seen. The tailors screamed and cried and tried.

[Chris Wimmer]

To hide under their wooden beds.

[Narrator]

They begged for mercy, but the vigilantes hauled them out. Once outside, the bald knobbers tied the two with rope and threw them onto.

[Chris Wimmer]

Waiting horses like they were sacks of flour.

[Narrator]

The next morning, a deputy and a carpenter discovered the bodies of the Taylor.

[Chris Wimmer]

Brothers hanging from the limb of an.

[Narrator]

Oak tree on the outskirts of Forsyth. Attached to Two Ball Taylor's shirt, they.

[Chris Wimmer]

Found a placard that said, beware, these.

[Narrator]

Are the first victims to the wrath of outraged citizens.

[Chris Wimmer]

More will follow the Bald Knobbers.

[Narrator]

A coroner's inquest was held to determine the fate of the Taylor brothers.

[Chris Wimmer]

Everyone knew what had happened and who had done it. But the coroner's jury returned a neutral verdict. It said death was by hanging by 100 unknown persons. In other words, the Bald Knobbers had the support of their community. And with that support, the vigilante group.

[Narrator]

Was emboldened to begin purging Taney county.

[Chris Wimmer]

Of people they deemed undesirable. After hanging the tailors and getting away with it, the Bald Knobbers started a method of scaring away residents that they called warning out. Warning out involved a group of Bald.

[Narrator]

Knobbers riding out to a victim's house after dark. They would fire a few shots into the air until they were sure the residents were listening. They'd yell a stern warning to leave.

[Chris Wimmer]

After that, they would leave a bunch of hickory switches on the doorstep.

[Narrator]

The number of switches represented the number of days the victim had to leave the county.

[Chris Wimmer]

If they didn't leave, the vigilantes would pay a return visit and it would not be pleasant. Among the first people to leave Taney county were, not surprisingly, the parents of Frank and Tubal Taylor. Then dozens of other families followed their example. No one knows exactly how many people left the county, but some historians estimate that in the months following the Taylor's hangings, hundreds of people moved away. Soon it was evident that it wasn't just criminals or troublemakers who were worn out. Some were pushed out because of their political beliefs. Some had simply annoyed members of the vigilante group. One young man, who was a friend of the Taylor's received a note to leave because he talked too much.

[Narrator]

One citizen received a warning that a fence he'd built near a public road needed to be moved back. The fence inconvenienced some of his Bald Knobber neighbors, and they ordered him to adjust it. He refused, and the next day the.

[Chris Wimmer]

Entire fence was torn down. Another man was in a legal dispute over some land that was owned by a widow. The woman was in danger of losing the land to foreclosure, and the Bald Knobbers wanted her to keep it.

[Narrator]

The man received a letter that made it clear that if he continued haggling with the widow. He would regret it. Besides enforcing what they interpreted as the correct application of the law, Bald Knobbers felt that their authority extended to matters of private morality.

[Chris Wimmer]

If a man was proven to or rumored to abuse his wife or children.

[Narrator]

He could expect a visit from the vigilantes.

[Chris Wimmer]

By the summer of 1885, it was clear to many people in Taney county that the vigilante gang had gone way beyond its original purpose of trying to punish obvious wrongdoers. Members of the group were drunk on their own power. They were taking land and stealing livestock.

[Narrator]

Under the guise of upholding the law.

[Chris Wimmer]

Their first official act, the hanging of the Taylor brothers, had happened just a couple months earlier.

[Narrator]

But the Bald Knobbers were already harassing.

[Chris Wimmer]

People all over the county and making plenty of enemies along the way. In the summer of 1885, some of the more bold residents of Taney county chose an unusual venue to express their displeasure with the sanctimonious and dangerous behavior of the Bald Knobbers. Nathaniel Kinney was a prominent figure at a local church. It's a little hard to understand, but it looks like he led regular Bible study lessons and may have been the leader of the church's Sunday school program.

[Narrator]

Even though he didn't conduct actual church services, it seems like his Bible study.

[Chris Wimmer]

Lessons were well attended.

[Narrator]

One day, as people started to arrive at the church for one of Kenny's lessons, they discovered two ominous displays that seemed to be warnings for Kenny. On the front door of the church, a miniature coffin was tacked to the wood. Inside the coffin was a buckshot ball.

[Chris Wimmer]

And a note that read, to old Kenny, pissing and death is his favorite role. Then inside the church, there was a second display. A coat had been placed on a chair or a pew. Near the coat, there was a sign on which someone had drawn a skull and crossbones and written the words Captain Kinney's. The two displays appeared to say that Kenny was marked for death. But if they were warnings or promises of violence, Kenny wasn't concerned. He left them up for everyone to see, and he used them to reveal the people who had placed them there. When the Cogburn family arrived at church, Kinney studied their reactions when they saw the displays, and he was convinced they were the culprits. A tense rivalry was developing between Nathaniel Kenney and the Cogburn family, and it would explode the following year. But months before that happened, the Bald.

[Narrator]

Knobbers went after other targets who were accused of disturbing Kenny's religious activities.

[Chris Wimmer]

In September 1885, local authorities issued a.

[Narrator]

Warrant for the arrest of two brothers named Mercer on the charge of disturbing public worship. On September 29, Deputy Sheriff Arder Kissy prepared a warrant. Kissy was a bald knobber and a brother of Alexander Kissey, whose cattle had been killed by the Taylor brothers. Deputy Kissey took the warrant to the Mercer family cabin. Kissey entered the cabin through the back door.

[Chris Wimmer]

Inside, he found Henry Mercer, one of.

[Narrator]

The two brothers named in the war warrant.

[Chris Wimmer]

When Henry saw the deputy coming, he grabbed his shotgun and ducked out the front door. But he immediately discovered the shotgun was unloaded. Henry ran around the back of the house so he could grab his other gun, which he had left leaning against the rear wall of the cabin. Deputy Kissy spun around and met Henry Mercer at the back door. Kissy shot Mercer in the chest and killed him instantly. As for the other Mercer brother, whose name was probably Ephraim, very little is known. Vague references in sources say he was under heavy guard in Forsyth, but there's no further explanation. Presumably they meant he was being protected by anti Bald Knobber citizens. If so, it appears as though he stayed safe. But the killing of Henry Mercer, who was better known known as Buck Mercer, made three killings that could be attributed to the Bald Knobbers. Even though Deputy Kissy was technically legally acting in his official capacity as a lawman by serving a warrant, the warrant was far more of a complaint by the vigilante group than a genuine criminal problem. And that concept would only grow worse over the next few years. By the end of 1885, it was clear the Bald Knobbers no longer had any criteria for harassing people. Neither political affiliation nor a person's job nor their social standing could protect them. The group's initial purpose of serving extralegal justice to unpunished criminals was gone. From now on, a citizen was either one of them or not. The justice of the peace in a town in Taney county simply packed up.

[Narrator]

And left because he couldn't dispense any real justice. While the Bald Knobbers were terrorizing the county, the situation in and around Taney.

[Chris Wimmer]

County was in a downward spiral. There would be a huge and suspicious fire and two more killings. And the vigilantes would expand their membership to neighboring counties. As the situation grew more desperate, a second vigilante group would form to battle the Bald Knob. In the process, southern Missouri returned to something like a war zone. Next time on Legends of the Old West. The Bald Knobbers add new members in new counties. Their strength and power grows, and they're responsible for two more killings. The governor of Missouri tries to intervene with mixed results, and then infuriated citizens form a second vigilance committee to fight the first Vigilance Committee Total chaos descends on Taney county next week on Legends of the Old West. Members of our Black Barrel plus program don't have to wait week to week to receive new episodes. They receive the entire season to binge all at once with no commercials, and they also receive exclusive bonus episodes. Sign up now through the link in the Show Notes or on our website blackberrymedia.com this series was researched and written by Julia Bricklin. Original music by Rob Valliere. I'm your host and producer Chris Wimmer. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening. Check out our website blackbarrowmedia.com for more details and join us on social media or Old West Podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And all of our episodes are on YouTube. Just search for Legends of the Old West Podcast. Thanks for listening.

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