Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Innocent As The Angels: The Spencer Family Murder, #1
Innocent As The Angels: The Spencer Family Murder, #1
Innocent As The Angels: The Spencer Family Murder, #1
Ebook667 pages10 hours

Innocent As The Angels: The Spencer Family Murder, #1

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Innocent as the Angels is the only comprehensive retelling of the unsolved ax murders of the entire Spencer family, including children, in rural Missouri in 1877. Completely researched and extensively documented, Innocent as the Angels recounts the true story of these heinous murders and the interlocking narratives that played out over three years, two murder trials, and featured an almost unbelievable cast of characters. This book highlights the following:

--The Spencer murders represent the most neglected unsolved mass murder in American domestic history.
--The book includes the only detailed, in-depth portrait of a bounty hunter/ con man in post-Civil-War America.
--Among its characters is a promiscuous country girl willing to do anything to snag a rich husband and who takes desperate vengeance when thwarted.
--It features a boastful, arrogant, and widely hated farmer who worked to make money as fast as possible and who was lynched by a mob only three days following his acquittal for the original murders.
--It includes a wide-ranging conspiracy of locals willing to commit perjury and manufacture evidence to frame an innocent man for the Spencer murders.
--It features a lynch-mob of desperadoes and bad men recruited from three states.
--It recounts four separate judicial proceedings which feature a county prosecutor who would later sit as a circuit judge, Howard Hughes, Jr's grandfather, a future and former state attorney general and a future state governor on the defense team, and Missouri's supreme court.
--It features the seduction and faked marriage of a 17-year-old girl by an unscrupulous con man in search of clues to the real murderer.
--It includes the bounty hunter's flight to the West, his capture, his return in chains, and his temporary jailing before being released by the Missouri supreme court on a technicality.
--It plausibly suggests who the real murderer was.

Few true crime books open such a huge illuminating window into 19th-century rural America and its amazing cast of n'er-do-wells while recounting a truly epic saga.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 5, 2023
ISBN9798215539293
Innocent As The Angels: The Spencer Family Murder, #1

Related to Innocent As The Angels

Titles in the series (2)

View More

Related ebooks

Murder For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Innocent As The Angels

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Innocent As The Angels - Duane Taylor

    odbook_preview_excerpt.htmlYrI-~BPdL' &ɩ (W(aaᄇF}~zZI96x̺D$t֑ |/nqlۓnWeG>]\km`^yִ\o>慧2U/:Owզ9H.thn(+yu3s/w]2(xe͛ew7?aӌi}aun[7[څob%/%fޕ~U>6zW[Vu;eY[ߕ nxQvPz(6Aۿo3YAqᯗ|j7+.^O>y~vǽ[Unt#>۸v>;)۶Ol,vju +\ʭNbM.>6⻮t9D@d~&a[!Mmj˸oOᕛWHɔʩQ~k}~uø°Nuoo[;. 3gvb&gg翞;g.|<go|\\zBǛO_w?)~沸;~xwގ~و^tXE %[Bƅ9ώBPs\˻UWJM&S8.?ˏ݇g.Ί2v=(.?v;w{߿AgVoo˳t*aSE‡58;fIQbg p\~*geˁڞYtʙnvSsuJrVl2na>_curK|qNΕC'.{<5Oq.m ć ,⩕}% -9 t:|U~)$z97jNa_qૺTɺGj# qMf_Y`Xx_bxP-e+u~tK݅V_Ŀ\taw|jR3Bo1Un[5o2yFX{Ք}hNf04-_C52al5E x2-<,Uיrf`2%؅喇WMt)@xg'yADG|G+22&(X|,tUi*CV~ř~=;d0kU#DZߠG>1~\,.{ j!ą";FZAe"T_VWO\Jt(b٬טY԰XAU\M &RbeOU3S_KRJHo. 1L2)޼G{`!w>'_x֬i:C:*S3h\jvuZuU巚 C8;jkZȫhL2[^:cxt•e,;(C/w,8O Wq%nV#v%y-[ #睨`4\cJnra+4+HjpyG Z1)wS}+ب>ex NEWeAz{22r6W÷^AC[U^~^&Y1ILs;ux M'8Wx/r//93I~WɇX j@b$F5 R'#QҰo}+xfib]فy>|d 4A?%JKe ɆD|-͵7mc_%ҷ%);-1(37lA(R/XH 3GwNs@wAxCDubՀЫ:5!Ep{9(WO8(C45|g[ ,~xQ9jw[w.% >4ͪ}ע:$>VDA5UȖy-[ J]a.j8iJ?0)!t3y t䂁Tcr1~YuhD֡Џz.z4$6P,GkG\?BQk,?FrйWMfRG)92ɥi8 㕟*7MuJhƣoQ3K&ksUFY9CZʳ$iJfaLjt@h2UMb%;G! +o%̯F[YQJ ji:(2QVE/1uA4x M]5QU%8\:`GvFkm)ʗ:hX-uq?n'D 3qnJ.fG*T{ѪrL.YroAT1v䶿#qk&1 9nŧ9h>dizq}q[}{u,*:qQC)^۪K OX! Y+^NE}*Ȗt2 Dގ bMzW4.v0>k, ikxF?c6 ԊQ;i[JsJe:]>#2[5(B<&*'8tp> uD8Rg/n#0X-Tӆ5K@hP1dvڏ44M- 7^ܹYW=R󢢮QIZ>*a#k(SM)fN$aow"aP⍯K+_}a:@Y>O\! ϼ Dop%}7Vª7w/SqkЍuAVo%AP}RIr[jt:,I@qZCՂ9׵.u/-wmɕmi-ʣ&) }EGBn]n2[ԁfll_}uLs-LaIm!+Sej{I0S-'Jt m cx iDΨ1ְGD!njmi ] X^huΉС2⣂":398g0pB[#B;VlqW.݌>/~A彫̣͒ |_Ab_{gjkuqbGݫ BG9]Bf,ӊFog~+fh3ܿ }.IwО\ӱyW{e2pGShPhXϐp}-PPlFQܨV3諰kq!_iǀS1/jqq%o00XM,G=s=Q ʣEieY_AߎƸbsXW<ZWxd"ɾqPrb/DҀ5c?so}»ESA0ӳ(l]Fчh!H`_ċ+B޸ں !X^X zgAod-v>+8t.!e^$%{"}4co;Xf Ļ~@r1vJ5@vDo1>6SK NByOw8M3Ͽ'ђuȪ"/3Gs5q'j*;v~ # [| C+c_;80k/K1PaP\fngB .b&LvTa$4}d.,3lzK's_of_^CQ8AvJ+(F{'PpQWh 8N[oQԗ "+[ȅNޣ!: ៱2= N.d` m041`QA "cXEQ@WQ.2tSbaCr Gk zCplؿЫPN=GT#F\-]$}V20AғA.N"J)N{"dEؑ,B!vKǵCB\هZƄ Tc)s@܁H,-%jt?m9Jl~"4%%1} `0M Wb6M}pP8řAeˮ]LS)ӧ]Rw%+b0_.y/Ї"9ť&RsmnKWCvlk .jJ#xҌ~k9xBVӰM%AP)L*!> jm-=׆we}-O"6Z 6(T-u*jAKqX88%VuA(Mr5V菘,ħvWjbYBTE# mL8huS hS[}AAug@2H[D؄*><*V]u"ϰ wD+OlkJzykѹJ QGiP7mT2eЖUInC?O8&yy4 wWY@U1M><{՘^t%ӷTT~IvAeq>9BtNb.mޠ%ZB- Юa,i|w:+OV+ 5ΘikFZmeWF;/QqV*˷[;}MH uj>N~#~kx̪M9 SBkQ;e!^W9~6ϰ|ÀJ@'!ijg7@C! 0-M/Kn&*r*&⿙/; $6D2پ 3z93/_4M_ #;Ŧ憐Y$!UinfKفŒ w]vΠy3pEJCR 2f\3_Mh$%,c6lUФ'jOD>Cv]#2؅> >Z8ԗ>4{J [)AԅDdÚhuy;L H;wt4yv#Rnt5Cw̘e:0Yе$'=\k@&;M&5I]?:;̖Vu"$Ysv.5;Kk?EaYb@+4}DIy -`^v N|> )l,Paԍ`T4(s !06Lq4}tPI%j<3o|wcO/>Vun͂_xm:˧[wNqas/2iNMtXm퍭EbS3*!6̑eHbgrwgƐ^ezD.}[ BGК\>Vg.0ة<4]iMs`TOc=L `e5VQ n:Ǧ:zk4Ob8w{ p3uuN_^5(#!f 'an*(D~-P- ۯ'6s\gkv㈙.C9s'f9LWYj$,,LoB4i##厊D80xtdj+6fr*:`2nLΰ9 aG{>E wZ BED G@@cMiH /_;-1^qmDlu`b%ŇkmahR^쓼O\HF~#Xr~ F dʅCuGZt|-a44t Zx8P&],!5Eo~> |좡[kǖJ/A$1 M%&sK#%|mфq)Oߘb`ScPX Tt2_0gJ `2pWf4IQi~YeԈ@DY݌E&N:e{vI D4z5Z8Ѝ"rKD2vYL?h>V,26xV*'+ nv<qU(nΣ;gʣmEḰs@!9%=feѯ ҋ7ir}|dN<ݛ,wi3\̥4vSpUZW~*RP&+5T1 U<)mNct ~FΨ9Xp[6gޢN?$Ǻ"'g@DCߏrA9TX&ƏHQ=xku^KcZD x{yj*WRCON;Fەe_5˵.sD Yl Z-hw͂@sfq'PZ'jP \9ܵ•Zk' K vŇ5 /^E[5Kk L4u+`f oXNke0#9.[ 洚9we. ,%y#mg gʏ4M9*zװǪa!7:/'6 Y9Z)؅e4L@<X /LY'-.뚖|$Su/K!L6"c-盃*豵?Ѣ3 ?۞ ZH1 67  p0q"?G,TLRQքl0O߆zPOd)R`ht8n9 ťlJMMcI$w=@:t>!sLӃWg9W@M.Iu3JLuT[;teE.f&C"y5u/i%9&(#Z¼K"']wiP'Aiy6Pڡqw2 Yxs"[Q~P*|u+%[RkDRUâ&Wi嚁U{pqdߨ7J&(D']yz4KX7'4st[j:G7®f\ SΪ1|VaNnG# "ermo{53@ 5^pfb oQG-*y!kA%R AOթ ubt5&AS .W05 Ŋ J[5 aqȸ $C˘hIZ]pq^̖5'DYKω;爀i, n:^jt;E1ʋMfBRvNHqLJo'!%3ʾ:^Q".$c%°vB}J$.rDf XczPC?K&Y>F,S?n'~>ۃ88[` QBJh{(9c>WߎA mUU1cx 'z( m#MSdsʻ ]gJ#ACe ȚPRY@ww]GdYYbwYâ" hrhitppUARȸuSEwA=!V@VYLRvv 3qj)uV XdUmK$RL: )iB㎈:9yAA $JZ B9 :N{w!X~s:@cXA=ǰ"#=fSfPi k8.4k8c^~YvvR!W_ԙT #&##!{O[uXJlY,5PQJpM2JԽbLq 2 `,фշtBM]Y9m!E;מcl\lLr~A.I2 56w9|-cF +j(JMImtHW?(b@54 7V[֐p@51{D.~ϿR3D D0*eqQ E?\]"8J+ ?CYIjh;V\<- y]&mG&3#XzGOhaFx|wQ/u,Q>oB}"v&7Nwi H֘L + qbnt^xQ?k1'ymxAB*P0V0z̔04i<_xv$@ Q7VD/p&Dd"VWHM3-ϽU yᑧqtYRt?rGB q<]@vN[~PDm@)z70I, iM%/djoSZ-k#MxcAG~ы4)1e ]L8x^" 5E(ѾXH#~cidQ,Ӷc;6Hae89w1`>b J9 Yۇ[4pڽswLAЀbs'Ě֊2'Ohzd/ PPX_P2Gz)~\lJDŞ 0snTZb;/8|Z 'YKTG:[qǩ2Y`-}%SnsZ Ɲ6yp}Y6.'\qY!\NZ}Z<# }EV DXX`8f\3$}!Eaz/16NJoXU@l:D$NU}`9W)cτJRJc_$ٲlY<5߳68wR'xHa z2kLBͪ"7X:kG2*NSx.W6 J%:",oF2efB*|7_šh&yH!xN1p[0;/q]z{x(>tF ӄSQ23e ,3u` ²Z'gb88[(E]#:7sITR+v"Kc_ F6^7^jI5;0Wxoc M9i1K$KHߔH@bK~;$!GeܰZQ' ?82P\RZXIkҌ8'F =:)\M[Ү KCe.U8%3HHBfpX6*J\1K(7b™2dE$R;?\Z+QEӢ' A4l[Q%:DS Ck=t>Z,6_dTxa _`IPW=Sy3A2tWX׈Q7庤.}JYyJwPHLÚb)xdƦ! d&r6 H1fXm=*CK>MNؙ7t{Gݪj)̪R60Y(&Wq.H3uN>gXeʱp=YDkJf"rHAXˋMWVCߦZ HC3pA,Zv+)M&8zPB"08t6~:"ӛ׀ga>d,xjkţwak5i88 !b|b9쬫Sk}x)hBgh 4*U8GWԙ i2qဃ5 s#ELJm#I8_)#h!BI͡8(o27P*=xR?b)⹮I}E6Ӆ:ؐbD."|JEkL2֪rA#k ?&zf^IYΦGTrWr\驊ʷA^,+'] Yab^' pH?ā#s "U֘Y*N,+Lp{=]W x`5Ykp&9(Xrh3h,EjhT 9 ń0<0uL.nzSv$T\λp Y4ʪAzӍu>fZS̶Uж]EJWIjR3Qxab߂h񱅹9@f̓D@ vS0N\QޣX g%2%y|B 0*VV{95s2{>gq@lQFao( >| evh.#iсEs[M<-x\rWll.J6~_6()2޼u3QGQ@XO_rlG[Π 5Ӈ&<+Q78l t.i'Okө?!N**Af TkMXa- B;rm; dXg!(OBY3#H.{)+Ю1k ǥ) Ic&SFUȝqFVRnWɅ3XTe*jS[de&aw'.m{-Dzk %;|Ɗ+fӈ#FW,BY?M79d%d5jsDkp;"N8pJC˩jɔؤ~8c"HMT Ԧ5)I}KIYKMJ|ɝ8wM JY%=d@ЕK̪ \َz}?dI!tzg9/G`fR+ P4v=mڢ3Lg 'ӳE#pZS8K<-ĢI}>ędmZa~Bk%/R'!P`\9Sl}8PV5_%OcZ5b1 KӟO? ?{Yx8{2\l/_cC+l=+WY;]$ģ+ldH}Fr["'ۺgG^1*1&*=gvp:F-'Lf"m秲r AxbF%6T6Tps9p^T桾7JHFVdgH6p"@-gr8b[⍏Oim)[)z[@V]?<^[ /C–t,P?0n}nrgZcʟ=j69Z1O+C̫DQbz‰?@@D"׻agjHX!m@>$ ecK22qkf901xuvN&NwRi o2}6G5}XmT<zqSd_Ϊb/pAb8'Rfdۮ؉4Y14/r{3CD2M(WY6G ]$6'˴ʝP*'Qg0&!͔Wg & _9~>|[qE^uԝHo6Bn)V;BDd_ x@13JDM.djt[*0׺tS@!'Uc OiyY2Ba'(a}l:wJiJG, 2wo]Pfh $lLKe|Rhwp"_SϷM<64@>3VlDve ĚsfHJ.Zq7&+fs0ԙA7|HJ3 f;aKk^v{=ZDd>6B\Z8vK㡳|+Z@qڌ*1Ƀ, ,z7nXt}b8.  9:&.2 }/sxn۰ IW!G eteOGKH,  zJ +~<@8t~z7md&S8)4 HTfY_ \a fBǫ"8D]8*` O~+^[].yjraJ*7YJ.GRbG24à43j 5`UL+ZS;D1(eLl+31$8wܦQd ӂ/\M7})֜ AWVK:1Q[aE~˔"ai 27*ƆLJ =6䊧3C>&J&fҩ{Ain (c5Bd r`;;<aH\.Bp_85'&Wv`Dbt7G88WXZ]ĕvQ&ZW2hԝJBMKs\1ӤjF{ncO3vhpז)0Z*Ygװ0+]dB>(aF>AGm[n5y:Ėl\#"y/*^"u/nc\ Gά,h4zbNf*4cN٩ܪԏRzg:&EΉhP9S+ >::6f Ʊi t dZ :KwP 4Y?oGWr~նҡ%x nƑPa(G񹙓@ʰc~?XM⿱l7)157H>N:Ji+^23x/+Kq E!؜8xV-V Na]T9_X$E2eDernnJVoU:u v? b[pJI,,E!)^:RGL15Mp_OT@N=8C[yS~o ya,i2P" \?K&AO@%1)gP?vB^c $2((_KD}69~wv˿|aTF !X ݤ]>crɫu?),s3KB.½h %[Z^d([ot"NG))ff8Qǥ]tqѵ7O)Fp40tb7[ygj܉J~$>„ hɱaN@"5\]j7X~xlq7UFpZɊLWHD2^ :QSeZ tE. '|mR|ӓV#}l g rVntzթ+lF¹ z 2)k`i Deu zKp` IȨ$6aBf kՍkV~Yp #3/Rxܚ271nmq!Aku}} ;s".Qdl$u|J-5h*1:umKM/Z`uv <(;)5C,^Q Z!QOሤTPʎFA ]i993G8D 8(8({"-f[DƗIBucf{)1mj=1 bਰ~B9$Y!][;0 S~ƺss~j^S#xj J9( ؄iԱ?R ^tyR.ЀO+AsR_}*#.R/m]MfwB+0Ax+݁T$_ʹA<9Vy"z+d8S+Nůo`FQ1+/66 ylX9KoXQ>yh[BkQ'nwPC("tG)63߀dzsP\@ <3#Em s{o:Ռsonۙ%X:еDj TvM"NSr"Ee&#~c4|@ws޲muۡI@L`79i!U-hHh܁A,t%"]Mx/?\8x8x雳>5o7!JT[D&1hא3:wn.5-z#dD;3~FvtdRƎ/ckG`t[=&r2Vfevf}#yo=32A[_SǍ)C3Nbs'$`PlLت2L/?Ćx&wfU6y UY ~SN ZR;*p9mLQ't;EtYh˨7!ꙧqDzFsZ9Jg#]y?F83B{Ѿ h3Q?/0gPHTz&a>ƲUύɚ6z2pj j44}%(q0 ݚwl߷]"2LDܳc,3؏t6FT?. f "CdoD׽]&l/ PFEƳ&ʹ; =S2H鸡JQNFdzgVah+:R9 ]dy56xy_?j[\!Ƀ\q[yKaܡ&iZO؆&uz eSRf'"0JTlW67uEcÚj;(B\$ ?.YR؃v.C';>xaU\zT`DAT y <̬{"RZD 5نXm9j @bc=jSv<$?u>fT \YN(W5IuvFs){S:5<^H/} ᱙$jƁ$܆Sɹ42uƓ'CaGwbh f<DnIO/2Z)oz#=Qo3F%cJq) [$$#$X
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1