Bart’S Island

By Lola E. Neeley

Bart Sloan and his family left Spain to journey to the U.S.A. in early 1930. He brought only himself, his children and his wife Carlotta, along with his talent for house construction.
Times were hard and he could find little work to feed and clothe his five children. Winters were extremely hard.
With little work to be had Bart went into bootlegging to supplement what little money he could earn. The sheriff raided him many times but could never catch him at anything.
Bart had to leave town to work leaving his family at home. Returning from a finished job he locates his wife Carlotta in a motel with a laborer that had once worked for him building houses. His Spanish blood erupted and Bart killed both his wife and her lover after which he went directly to the sheriffs office and turned himself into the law. He was saved from punishment by the unwritten law of the times, saying a man finding his wife in bed with another man had a right to kill one or both of them. The perpetrator was usually given a suspended sentence of about five years.
Bart fled from his in-laws venganza, (revenge for a relatives death.) He needed to be free to work and send money to help his children.
As soon as all his children became of age he returned to Spain with newspapers to show his in-laws proof of infidelity. The venganza was called off.
On an extended world trip, Bart and his second wife Lilly were stranded on a deserted island along with twenty one others for fourteen months.
Bart taught the castaways how to survive on the island, weathering the elements and the fear of never being rescued.
Meanwhile in the U.S. a vicious child murderer reigned, leaving innocent children hacked to death over several decades, escaping capture time after time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 3, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453571668

Lola E. Neeley

Lola E. Neeley, 84 years of age was married at age 15 to get away from home. Fifteen months later she became a mother. By age 19 she had 3 daughters and bore a son when was 23.She never once went home to her parents and never asked for nor accepted help from any source. She is still a voracious reader, self educated and STUBBORN!

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

It was winter, cold and rainy. The sheriff and his deputies were tracking back and forth through the one room rock building, tearing everything apart looking for evidence of whiskey, bootlegging, bottles, whatever they could find to take Janey’s father to jail.

She was so scared she trembled and hung onto her mother’s hand, hiding her face from everyone from under her mother’s arm.

This wasn’t the first time the sheriff had raided the Sloan’s home.

Bart Sloan was a house builder. Mostly houses of sand stone rock. He was very good at his trade, but in 1930 there was little work for anyone and he had five children, his wife and himself to feed.

The one room, 18’x36’ rock building was to be the basement of a house he had started to build for himself and his family. He had never been able to build any more onto it. When times got too bad, like in the winter when he couldn’t work because of the freezing temperatures, he turned to bootlegging to feed his brood.

He never kept any whiskey in the house. He tied a cord around the bottle necks and tethered them just below the water line in Bank Creek, about 25 feet past his property line on either side.

After making certain the buyers were legit, he would use a dog whistle to alert his partner to take the amount of pints the buyer wanted to a different place each day. His partner’s dog raised up and perked his ears up at the sound of the silent whistle that only he could hear. After a short wait, if there was no other responses, as to a second or third whistle, the man knew to deliver one pint to the arranged upon place. Bart collected the money and the customer left to pick up the whiskey.

No matter how many times they raided, Bart was never arrested. The sheriff knew he was selling booze, Bart knew they knew, but they could never catch him.

Janey was always afraid they were going to take her daddy away and she would never see him again. She had nightmares about it and here they were again. She hated the sheriffs. She wished a tornado would come and blow every one of them to hell!

Bart Sloan, immigrated from his own country of Spain, to Farley City Missouri in 1921. He soon found he would never get a job unless he changed his name from Airis to something sounding more American, like Smith or Jones. He chose the name Sloan from a bottle on liniment he had purchased for sore muscles.

He had a light complexion, freckles and black curly hair and approximately 6’2" tall. He didn’t like American women because they had no respect for their husbands. They always wanted to talk while other males were around. Women should talk to women and men talked to men. If the husbands wished to imbibe, the women also wanted to drink and dance—No, he did not like American women. No one drank in public, but at gatherings in the home the women refused to adjourn to the kitchen to discuss women concerns such as baking, quilting, children, teaching etc. Los Estados Unidos, was truly a barbaric country.

Bart had been 25 when his family migrated to America. There had been trouble for his family in Spain. His father had been in a serious confrontation over another man’s wife.

Small-minded men deserved to be cuckolded. Bart scorned a man who could not keep his wife satisfied and honorable. If a woman strayed to another’s arms, the man should lock her up in their home, allow her no contact with another human being and stop speaking to her. The man should take himself a mistress, or several mistresses if he can keep them all happy and content. The man is Lord and master of his home and all those in it. Enforce your will!!!

Carlotta Sloan was a pretty red haired, green-eyed Spanish beauty that had, had to comply with her husband’s wishes as long as they had lived in Spain. Now however, she had slowly, laboriously, come out from under Bart’s thumb. She had learned that in Los Estados Unidos, women had almost as many rights as a man. A woman didn’t have to accept her husband’s instructions if she chose not to.

She did not raise her voice to Bart, but neither did she acquiesce. If she wanted to go to town, she did so. If she wanted to dress in a way Bart did not approve of, she did so. When she needed money, she told Bart, I need cash for groceries or bills. He gave it to her when he had it.

Bart ordered Carlotta to stop certain behaviours he didn’t agree with. She just smiled and did as she pleased telling Bart, This is the Estados Unidos. You cannot order me to do anything.

They had days, sometimes weeks of silence between them. Carlotta knew Bart would give in first, wanting to make love to her.

February 1930, found the Sloan’s barely getting by. Often they had only brown beans and a flat cornmeal bread substitute called tortillas for breakfast, lunch and supper. Sometimes they ate only twice a day and often only beans without the tortillas.

Bart had to keep on his toes to stay a step ahead of the law. Janey was always afraid she might inadvertently say something that would cause her dad to be put into jail. She was always so nervous. She had nightmares and awoke crying so often Carlotta was worried that Janey was going to need mental care. There were three boys older than Janey, Jose’, Jesus and Ramon and one younger brother called Angel. None of them seemed to be in the least concerned for their Papa. All of them took their turn with the dog and delivered the whiskey to the pickup place. Janey absolutely would never stay where the dog was.

Winter finally turned into spring and things were better.

*     *     *

CHAPTER 2

Bart hired a robust Irishman named Conan to mix cement and carry it to the rock layers. He was a handsome devil may care sort of a guy. From the very first, he had eyes for Carlotta and she for him.

Bart never seemed to notice. Never in a hundred years could he ever have a thought that his wife could even think of another man.

Bart had four houses going at once. He divided his time overseeing each of them. When three of them were completed, he left the crew to finish the last house and he went to Texas to bid on one of the new 12 unit motel jobs. He did get the job and decided to scout around for other building jobs, getting two houses and a large garage

All of his crew followed him to Texas with the exception of Conan. He said he didn’t want to work out of town and had found a job in a warehouse as foreman.

Carlotta ran into Conan at a filling station, flirting a little as she drove away.

Say, I think that lady was flirting with you, stated the service station attendant.

Yeah, well I’d sure like to fill her tank for her, Conan said.

Conan made it a practice to run into Carlotta as often as possible. He kept her involved in conversation for hours at a time.

How about taking a little ride? he suggested one day.

That is how it started. Soon they weren’t even trying to hide. They were crazy for each other. Carlotta knew Bart’s cultural background would never let him step aside.

There was going to be big trouble. She tried to warn Conan away, but he would not stop coming around. He wanted her to divorce Bart and marry him.

I’m Catholic, I can never divorce. I am married forever, she explained to Conan.

When he asked her to run away with him, she cried, But Conan, my children. I cannot leave my children.

Bring them, Conan stated.

I could never do that to my children even if my husband would allow it and he never would, she explained.

Bart came home for a weekend after being gone for a month. He thought people were looking at him strangely at the filling station and at the grocery store where he stopped on his way home. He had no idea what might be the cause of the covert glances.

When he entered the house the children ran to him, happy to have him home. He handed out small presents to each of them. Where is Carlotta? he asked.

We don’t know. She just said for us to be in bed by 9:00 p.m. We haven’t seen her since about 6:00 p.m. they stated.

Is this the first time she has left you by yourselves? he asked.

No. She goes out almost every evening, Jose’ offered.

Do you know where she goes, or with whom? he asked

Well, my friend Frank says his mother told his dad that Mommy was getting herself into a mess with someone named Conan.

A rage like a volcano rushed through Bart’s head. His body was stiff, his arms held at his sides, fists clenched. He stalked into their bedroom taking his snub nosed pistol from it’s hiding place and stuck it under his belt, in the back, under his coat.

Do as your mommy said and get into bed by nine. I’ll be back later but do not wait up for me, or Carlotta.

Bart had a woman in Texas that stayed with him at the motel, but that was very different. Men needed a mistress. Spanish wives were not allowed lovers.

Bart had no idea where they might be, where they would go, nothing, but he looked for her car.

About an hour later he found the car at the Rainbow Cabins. He approached the door of the cabin directly in front of the parked car, knocking softly.

Yes? he heard Conan’s voice. He had heard it often enough to know it. He knocked again.

When the door opened, Conan smiled. Hello Bart. Can I help you? he asked.

Yes, I believe you can. I’m looking for my wife. Have you seen her?

Carlotta, your husband wishes to speak to you. That was Conan’s last words. Bart shot him right between the eyes.

My God Bart! What have you done? Carlotta screamed.

Adios, esposa mia, Bart said as he shot her dead right on the spot. Turning he unloaded the remaining bullets in the gun, got into his car and drove directly to the sheriff’s office.

I just found my wife and one of my employees together in one of the Rainbow Cabins. I shot them both. Here is my gun. Will you make arrangements to get my children to their grandparents? They will give you the address.

Husband catches wife with lover, kills them both. All the papers gave details of the affair and how Bart had killed in a fit of anger. The citizenry was crying for justifiable homicide. After all, a man had a right to kill an unfaithful wife and her lover.

The trial didn’t take long. Bart admitted he had killed them both. He was sentenced to life, suspended. He would spend no time but was put on five years probation, thanks to the so-called unwritten law of that era regarding adulterous wives.

To say Bart and many others were surprised is mild. Bart had expected to spend the rest of his life in prison, or worse. He really didn’t understand what had happened, but he was very relieved. Maybe Los Estados Unidos wasn’t such a barbaric country after all.

Bart’s father and mother were very afraid. They knew Carlotta’s family would seek revenge on Bart and his family. Not the children of course. After all they were Carlotta’s blood kin, but Bart’s family was at risk. It would make no difference what the law was here in the states. Their only hope was to leave Missouri, take on new identities and never contact their children or grandchildren again.

The children all went to live with Carlotta’s parents. Bart would get money to them through friends. The eldest boy continued to work in the building trade. Janey and Angel stayed in school and helped their Abuelos with everything they could.

*     *     *

CHAPTER 3

Five years passed with no one hearing from Bart or his parents. This time had allowed Janey and the boys to heal. None of them spoke of their father and seldom thought of him.

Janey had grown into a beautiful, self-possessed young woman. She had graduated with a high, grade average and had landed a good job in a large company where she had already received two promotions. Janey was not interested in romance right now. She had her sights set much higher than being just a housewife and she darn sure would never be interested in a Spaniard or any Hispanic. No man was ever going to rule her.

Janey had always loved her father until he killed her mother. She knew her father had always had women on the side, yet he had killed Carlotta for doing the exact same thing.

From going to school in the Estados Unidos and seeing how her friends lived and how the mothers had the same rights as the fathers did, well, she just wasn’t having any of the male rulers in her life.

Two of the elder boys had moved into homes of their own. Each married and had children. Neither boy married women of Latin extraction. Their wives were not submissive, nor were they overly demanding of their husbands.

Jesus married Edith Heartly, a professor’s daughter. She was not only beautiful but was also very competent in varied fields.

Jose’ also married a fine young woman, who taught school, the 6th grade. She was somewhat more timid than Edith but would hold her own when the need arose. Her family was in the retail business of groceries and hardware.

The Sloan boys had made a success of the building business their dad had started. It had grown to where they now had 26 employees plus another half dozen men they employed part time. The Sloan’s were journeymen carpenters, electricians and plumbers.

Ramon was every bit as capable as Jesus and Jose’ but was not married and didn’t know if he ever would be. His parent’s unfortunate saga had left him a little wary of the marriage scene, besides which, he had plenty of time.

Ramon lived in a two-bedroom rock house on a tree-lined street in a good part of town. The company had, had to foreclose on a contract buyer that just didn’t keep his payments up thus causing them to re-possess and Ramon bought out his brother’s shares of the property. He had chosen his furnishings carefully, good, sturdy and beautifully made. He chose light colors on the walls and solid hi-lo carpets of light shades of green.

The bathroom was large with tile from Italy. The vanity filled one wall covered in the same tile. Mirrors from ceiling to floor, above and at the end made the room look twice as large.

The living room sported a rugged rock fireplace, cushioned divans and large overstuffed chairs. There were lamp tables and brightly colored statuettes along with vases of bright colors. There were no ashtrays. He did not smoke.

Both bedrooms had fine walnut veneer pieces. There was a large dresser of three large drawers and two smaller ones. Shiny brass bail fixtures on a huge beveled mirror were mounted to the chest part of the dresser. Shiny veneered bedside two drawer stands, stood on either side of the bed, which sat in the center of the room with the veneered headboard against the north wall.

The kitchen cabinets were glass fronted. Ramon chose brightly colored china with lots of turquoise, reds, yellow and blue. The curtains were of the cottage curtain variety, with the top valance of white and the bottoms of red yellow and blue stripes. He couldn’t see himself surrounded by ruffles of yellow or white. A huge new refrigerator stood along side his four burner, plus a grill in the middle of the stove. He had fashioned wrought iron chairs and a glass topped dining table that took up one end of the room. He loved working iron and making all kinds of things.

Jesus and Jose’ teased Ramon, telling him he had furnished and decorated his home as a woman would.

I have missed a woman’s touch since Mommy died. I may find a wife and she will have nice things in this home, he told them.

Janey, now 23, heads up a manufacturing concern that puts out parts for airplanes and makes bicycles, shipping to all parts of the civilized world. She was now involved with an inventor she had met at a meeting of the investors connected with Zeal, Volt and Kerney manufacturers.

Jess Smith was a talented inventor with a dozen or more patents on valuable inventions. He was definitely on his way.

Jess had been in Farley Missouri for ten years but had been born in Wyoming some 29 years ago to Jim and Wanda Otens. They lived on 640 acres of mostly rock and scrub brush, with little grass or water. They could barely raise a garden and enough corn and hay to feed their two milk cows and a team of workhorses. They also had two brood hogs and fifty or so chickens.

Jess was the eldest of three boys and one girl, Naomi. As a kid, Jess spent most of his time building things from old pieces of board he dragged from a slew where people dumped their garbage. He made toys from tin cans and inner tubes. Any kind of metal or rubber found gave him many hours of happiness. He pulled nails from boards, straightened them and used them to make chairs, bed headboards, legs for tables and tabletops. When he was 17, he left his home to go to school in the city where he pursued his dream, graduating and immediately starting work at Zeal, Volt and Kerney.

After a while, Jess was ready to strike out on his own. There was no future working for any company. Anything he might dream up while employed by anyone else, became the property of the employer.

He had saved most of his salary using a cot for sleeping at the job and a one, burner hot plate for cooking and making coffee.

Jess and Janey knew it would be years before they could afford to get married. Neither of them was in a hurry to start a family so marriage could wait.

*     *     *

CHAPTER 4

Bart and his parents had settled in Pittsbu-rgh after spending a few months here and there not finding a way to get into the building trade. They changed their names four times in the first year. Now they were known as the Spencer’s and were well entrenched in the building trade once again. Where once they had built mostly stone houses, they now constructed wood and brick ones.

The six men Bart now employed were multitalented. Four of them could erect a building from the ground up. This included the plumbing, electrical, framing foundation, roofing and finishing work. The other two were good laborers, but still had a lot to learn.

Bart had sent money to Carlotta’s parents for the children for years. Finally they were all of age except Angel and next year he would be out of high school, allowing Bart to invest in his business, if he lived.

Bart had not remarried, but he had a dozen or so mistresses. His ego still quivered and he still felt he had, had every right to kill his wife and her lover.

Carlotta’s brother had almost intercepted them while they were in Chicago. Bart wasn’t afraid, but he didn’t want to kill or be killed, so they had left town on a weekend and had started back up in Kentucky under a new name. Bart had decided that as soon as all the children were educated and settled, he was going back to Spain and put an end to it all. He was no coward. He had just needed to provide for his children and their grandparents. Now his life was his own and he would bring honor back to his name. Bart’s padres could not return to Spain, so he would leave his father in charge of the business. If he didn’t make it back, Papa could do as he wished with it. He could keep it, sell it divide it amongst the children, whatever he pleased.

Ten years after leaving Farley City, Missouri, Bart returned. His children could not recognize him nor he them. After a short while everything eased up and all of them were able to relax and enjoy the family get-together.

Janey still felt anger toward him for depriving her and the boys of a family. She still remembered her father killing her mother for doing what he himself had always done. If the boys felt any kind of anger for their father, they didn’t show it.

Bart explained he was going back to Spain and why.

Everyone said, No! You cannot do that. You know you will be killed!!

"Mis adorables, mis hijos, I cannot live like a coward any longer. I have waited until now for all of you to be grown and able to care for yourselves. I’ve wanted to do this from the beginning but I had a responsibility to care for my family. If I had died, I could not have provided for you . . . . Now . . . . Well now, it is different and I must go. All of you have done well and I am very proud of each of you.

In January of 1940, Bart left for his homeland in Spain. He might never see his children again but he had to settle this venganza against him by the family of Carlotta. He would probably die, but not as a coward in flight or hiding.

Bart took along the newspaper clippings explaining how he had come upon his wife and an employee. It told how he had shot them both then turned himself in to the Sheriff in his adopted country. The paper explained how the courts had found him not guilty of murder and had set him free.

When Bart arrived at his suegro’s home, everyone gasped in disbelief. Anger flew, words of hate spewed from their lips. Bart held up his hand, speaking quietly, showing the clippings. He explained what they said, telling what had happened and of