History of Murders Committed in Fairbury, Illinois

By Dale Maley

Fairbury is a small town located in Central Illinois. It is 100 miles south of Chicago and 60 miles east of Peoria. It was founded in 1857 when the railroad first crossed Central Illinois.
Fairbury was a rough town in its early years. Three coal mines operated until the last one closed in 1946. Among the city's other features were a Chinese laundry man who eventually moved to Pontiac, nine barbers, 15 painters, 17 doctors in 1878 and 54 registered houses of prostitution in 1896, plus others outside the city limits.
Every town has its fair share of murders. In Fairbury's almost 160 years of existence, there have been eight recorded murders.
One of these murder cases resulted in two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court. Unfortunately, for the accused murderer, neither of these appeals was successful.
This short story reviews the associated history behind each of these murder cases. This associated history includes the family trees of the victims and the murders.
If you are interested in early Fairbury area history, this short story will help you understand the history behind all of Fairbury's murder cases.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dale Maley
• Release date: Jul 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311072351

Dale Maley

Dale C. Maley is the author of the 19999 book Index Mutual Funds: How to Simplify Your Financial Life and Beat the Pros.He is also a contributing author to Chapter 18 Seeking Help from Professionals in the 2009 book The Bogleheads Guide to Retirement Planning.He is a very successful private investor who has been a student of Financial Planning and Investing for over 30 years. He was trained as an engineer at the University of Illinois and has been a practicing engineer for 32 years. His accomplishments as an engineer include the granting of 16 U.S. Patents and authorship of over 500 professional technical papers. He is also a member of the International Society of Automotive Engineers and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.He also has earned an MBA (Masters Degree in Business Administration) degree from Illinois State University. His background in mathematics, engineering, and business provides him with the excellent basis for understanding and teaching investments and financial planning.He is also a very successful investor who has been investing in common stocks and mutual funds since 1980. He has also personally invested in both 401(K) and IRA plans, so he is familiar with participation and management of these types of investments. He has been investing in indexed common stock mutual funds since 1990.Dale became a Registered Financial Advisor in the State of Illinois in 2006 and is currently launching his business as a fee-only financial planner. He is President of Maley Financial Planning LLC.

Book preview

History of Murders committed in Fairbury, Illinois

by

Dale C. Maley

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Artephius Publishing on Smashwords

History of Murders Committed in Fairbury, Illinois

Copyright © 2015 by Dale C. Maley

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system. No part may be transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise). Exceptions to this must be with the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Fairbury

Chapter 2

1896 Murder of Ida Mae Steers

Chapter 3

1898 Murder of Earl Hanna

Chapter 4

1899 Murder of City Marshall William Frederick Baird

Chapter 5

1910 Murder of City Marshall Amos Brown

Chapter 6

1917 Murder of Ernest Reutter

Chapter 7

1928 Murder of James Delos Churchill

Chapter 8

1959 Murder of Lela Colwell

Chapter 9

1996 Murder of Richard Rodriguez

Chapter 10

Conclusion

References

Recommended Reading

Web Sites

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Warning-Disclaimer

This book is designed to provide information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, insurance, or other professional services. If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

It is not the purpose of this manual to reprint all the information that is otherwise available to the author and/or publisher. The purpose is to complement, amplify, and supplement other texts.

Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes both typographical and in content. Therefore, this text should be used only as a general guide and not as the ultimate of investing information. Furthermore, this book contains information accurate only up to the printing date.

The purpose of this book is to educate and entertain. The author and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility with respect to any loss or damage caused by the information contained in this book.

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Foreword

Fairbury is a small town located in Central Illinois. It is 100 miles south of Chicago and 60 miles east of Peoria. It was founded in 1857 when the railroad first crossed Central Illinois.

Fairbury was a rough town in its early years. Three coal mines operated until the last one closed in 1946. Among the city's other features were a Chinese laundry man who eventually moved to Pontiac, nine barbers, 15 painters, 17 doctors in 1878 and 54 registered houses of prostitution in 1896, plus others outside the city limits.

Every town has its fair share of murders. In Fairbury's almost 160 years of existence, there have been eight recorded murders.

One of these murder cases resulted in two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court. Unfortunately, for the accused murderer, neither of these appeals was successful.

This short story reviews the associated history behind each of these murder cases. This associated history includes the family trees of the victims and the murders.

If you are interested in early Fairbury area history, this short story will help you understand the history behind all of Fairbury's murder cases.

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CHAPTER 1

Fairbury

Fairbury is a small town located in Central Illinois. It is 100 miles south of Chicago and 60 miles east of Peoria. It was founded in 1857 when the railroad first crossed Central Illinois.

There are three history books that cover the founding of Fairbury and its early residents.

The first published history book on Livingston County, Illinois, was The History of Livingston County, Illinois by W.M. LeBaron published in 1878.

The second published history book on Livingston County, Illinois, was Portrait and Biographical Album of Livingston County, Illinois by Chapman Bros. published in 1888.

The third published history book on Livingston County, Illinois, was Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Livingston County Volume II. It was published by Bateman and Selby published in 1909.

By 1890, Fairbury was a thriving town. Its population, including the farming areas of Avoca, Indian Grove, and Belle Prairie townships was probably between 5,000 and 10,000 people.

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CHAPTER 2

1896 Murder of Ida Mae Steers

The Steers, Darnall, and Travis families were among the early pioneers to settle in the Fairbury area. They primarily settled on the farm land south of Fairbury.

John G. Steers married Mary Ann Travis. They had 11 children. Their youngest child was Ida Mae Steers.

In early May of 1896, Ida Mae Steers was 17 years old. She would turn 18 years old in a couple weeks on her birthday, May 31st. Her father had died three years before, in 1893.

During March and April of 1896, a 26 year-old local boy, Charles Burrell, had tried to court Ida Mae Steers.

As expected, the Fairbury Blade newspaper gave front-page coverage to this murder story. Their May 16th, 1896, front-page story was over 1,300 words long. It took up one and a quarter full vertical columns. The micro-film copy of this Blade at the Dominy Memorial Library is very dark yellow and difficult to read. The author transcribed the entire article from the micro-film to the text below:

A LOVER'S DOUBLE CRIME

A Rejected Suitor Shoots Miss Ida May Steers and Then Commits Suicide

MISS STEERS MAY RECOVER

The Deed Appears to Have Been Deliberate and Premeditated. The Coroner's Jury Think the Act Done in a Fit of Insanity

At latest accounts the condition of Miss Steers remains about the same. The physicians say she has a chance of life, but the wound is a very serious one. She suffers greatly and her life hangs on a very slender thread.

The probably fatal wounding of Miss Ida Steers at the house of John Masterson, in Belle Prairie township, last Wednesday morning by a bullet from a revolver in the hands of Charles Burrell, a rejected lover, and the immediate suicide of the assailant, was a tragedy so startling in its suddenness, so bloody in its details, and so deplorable in all its features, that it could not but occasion the deepest sadness among all who had even the smallest acquaintance with the parties, and the greatest excitement throughout this portion of the state. The act was worthy a mad-man, but was apparently planned and carried out with a deliberation that does not seem consistent with the supposition of insanity, except so far as the desperate acts of an unrestrained and violent temper may be so termed. It was at best a dark and bloody deed and without reason or excuse.

Miss Ida Mae Steers is eighteen years old and lived with her brother, Bert Steers, in Belle Prairie township, at the head of Indian Grove, about seven miles south of Fairbury. She was young in appearance for her age. Charles Burrell was a young man 26 years old and was employed by Mr. Steers on the farm. He had lived in this vicinity all his life, being born, as it is said, in the Arcade block of Fairbury.

His father and mother are living, but divorced. The father is named John Burrell and lives in Missouri, and the mother is Mrs. Edward Rowell, of Fort Madison, Iowa.

These two young people have been keeping company since last March. When Burrell first came into the family in December they had not been acquainted. They went into company a few times together but Miss Steers does not appear to have at any time as a serious one. Burrell's passion appears to have grown rapidly but does not appear to have been encouraged. His attentions finally became distasteful, probably because Miss Steers thought the affair had gone far enough, and last Sunday when he invited her to take a drive with him, she declined. This appears to have excited him considerably. The next day about noon he obtained another interview with her and proposing marriage earnestly sought to obtain a favorable answer. He urged her to elope with him for that purpose but she resolutely declined his proposals declaring, as one account says, that her people had always been kind to her and she would not treat them so disrespectfully now. He became very much excited and made threats that he would make trouble for her and her family. Monday evening he asked Mr. Steers to get another hand giving as a reason that he had expected to marry Ida, but that she had refused him, and that under the circumstances, he could not stay. After Mr. Steers had gone to Fairbury Tuesday in search of a hand, Burrell said he would rather stay but Mr. Steers told him that as matters stood, he had better quit as he had first desired to and settled with him. The next morning, Wednesday, Burrell helped do the chores and then went to his room and put on his best clothes. He left his trunk and when requested to take it, he said he would not as he never expected to work anymore. He then got in his buggy and drove away.

Meantime, Miss Steers had become uneasy on account of Burrell's threats and had gone to stay with her sister, Mrs. John Masterson, who lives on a farm belonging to M.M. Travis about a mile southeast. She had decided to go on Monday, but the persuasiveness of Mrs. Steers kept her until Tuesday noon. She was evidently afraid of Burrell but her fears were not apparently shared by the family.

Upon leaving the Steers farm, Burrell went east to Henry Darnall's where he was acquainted. He went in and bade the family good-bye, saying he was going away. He said he had some money in the hands of Mapel Bros. at Fairbury and he wished Mr. Darnall to get it after he got settled and send it to him. He probably went from there to Masterson's where he arrived about six o'clock. Ida saw him coming and did not wish to see him.

The house in which the Mastersons live has a north door which enters the parlor and a west door which enters the sitting room. The sitting room occupies the middle of the house. There is a door on the east side of the sitting room and near this is a door leading from the sitting room into the parlor, which occupies the east side of the north end. The west side of the north end is occupied by two bed rooms. When Miss Steers saw Burrell driving up, she told Mrs. Masterson that she did not wish to see him. She went into the parlor which Mr. Masterson was sitting and told him that Burrell was coming and that she did not want to see him.

Mr. Masterson however advised her that it would be better to see him and have a quiet talk with him and maybe he would not bother him anymore. He then stepped out into the sitting room.

Burrell knocked at the west door and was admitted into the sitting room by Mr. Masterson. He said good morning and asked if Ida was in the house. Being told she was, he asked to see her. Mrs. Masterson said she was in the parlor and Burrell opened the door and walked in, leaving the door open. Burrell immediately walked to where Ida was standing at the north end of the room. He placed his left hand on her shoulder and asked if she would go with him. She answered no sir with considerable emphasis.

He immediately drew a revolver and placing it almost against her left breast, fired. The ball entered above the heart fracturing the fourth rib. It's further course and where it is lodged is unknown.

Burrell immediately stepped back a few feet, and turning the weapon on himself, pulled the trigger. The ball entered his breast, and he fell to the floor and died in a few minutes. Mrs. Masterson, who was in the sitting room, facing the east door, saw the flash of the first shot indistinctly. Both Mr. and Mrs. Masterson saw the second shot and rushed into the room. Miss Steers screamed and held up both hands, but did not fall, and was supported by Mr. Masterson outside the house, where she was laid on a couch in the open air.

As soon as possible, Dr. Parsons was summoned from Fairbury, to take charge of Miss Steers' care. He has attended constantly every since, Drs. Barnes and Manwaren having also been called to counsel.

Coroner Zimmerman held an inquest during Wednesday forenoon over the body of Burrell. The jury was N.S. Parsons, foreman, M.N. Jones, J.O. Davis, C.H. Westervelt, Phillip Fisher, W.H. Hieronymus. The verdict was that, deceased came to his death by a pistol shot in his own hands in a fit of insanity. The body was removed to the residence of his aunt Mrs. Jarvil While, three and one-half miles south of town where the funeral was held Thursday, Rev. E.S. Wilson conducted the services.

Burrell's property, a horse and buggy and about $60 in money, have been turned over to Supervisor Cox.

In the next week's Blade, there were two follow-up stories about this murder.

Fairbury Blade May 23, 1896

Death of Ida Mae Steers

Miss Ida M. Steers died Saturday, May 16, after nearly four days of suffering. The funeral services were held at the Union Church, Monday 11 o'clock being conducted by Elder W.A. Thompson, Springfield, of the Baptist Church. Besides her mother, two brothers, and four sisters, she leaves a host of other relatives and friends to mourn her tragic and untimely death. She was 17 years and 11 months old.

Card of Thanks

We desire to express our most sincere thanks to friends and neighbors for their kind assistance and sympathy in our sad bereavement which is a manifestation of a true Christian spirit.

Mary A. Steers and Family

Ida suffered for a couple of days after Burrell shot her. The bullet shattered her fourth rib, which is close to the heart:

Given the lack of medical knowledge and drugs, there was probably not much the doctors could do for her.

This shocking murder case was covered by many other newspapers. This story was printed on page 3 of the May 21, 1896, Wyoming Post Herald newspaper:

Miss Ida Steers, daughter of Mrs. M. A.; Steers, was shot and mortally wounded, by Charles Burrell, aged 20, who after he had committed the act turned the same weapon towards his breast and killed himself Wednesday morning.

The affair occurred in the farm residence of John Masterson, brother-in-law to Miss Steers, who is 18 years old, in Belle Prairie