In the Family
Family
Murder,
Mayhem &
Mystery
LOFTIN
Family
Earl
Loftin
"The Stat Prison
Claims Early Loftin"
SETZER
Family
GOBLE
Family
Christopher
Goble
"Wife Charged in the
Murder of
Christopher Goble"
Daniel
Goble
"Murders of
Indian Women
& Children"
JOHNSON
Family
Oren
Fink
"Two Arrested
Following
Automobile Crash"
John/Jonathan
Lewis
"The Murder of
Omie Wise"
Stephen
Lewis
"The Rape of
Lydia Allred"
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About Me:
Curtis Dean
LOFTIN
The
LOFTIN
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The
SETZER
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The
GOBLE
Family
Tree
The
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LOFTIN:
Beatty
Corzine
Cranford
Fisher
Givens
Harwell
Johnson
Kaiser
Lanier
Lomax
McCorkle
Rudisill
Sherrill
Upright
Washington
Work
SETZER:
Aderholdt
Barringer
Bovey
Bushart
Deal
Heavner
Herman
Ikert
Miller
Motz
Rankin
Witherspoon
GOBLE:
Babst/Bobst
Douglas
Faber
Fink
Fulbright
Hefner
Meinhert
Miller
Muller
Pabst/Bobst
Robinson
JOHNSON:
Corzine
Fink
Hamilton
Kaiser
Leslie
Lewis
Moore
Sherrill
Upright
Wilkinson
Family Mysteries
Looking Back
A look at the disreputable side of names connected to our family history
Loftin Family FAMILY NAMES: Beatty, Corzine, Cranford, Fisher, Givens, Harwell, Johnson, Kaiser, Lanier, Lomax, McCorkle, Rudisill, Sherrill, Upright, Washington, Work
1927 January 6, Thursday
The State Prison Claims Earl Loftin
Man Captured Here Returned to Raleigh to Finish Term in Penitentiary Before Answering Other Charges Earl Loftin, escaped convict from the state prison, Raleigh, also escaped convict from the chain gang of Bennettsville, S.S., and successful check flasher in Statesville, Mount Airy, Hamlet, Salisbury, and other North Carolina towns, who had been in the Iredell County Jail for several days, was taken back to Raleigh Tuesday morning to take up his duties in the state prison.
Loftin is wanted in Bennettsville, S.C. to finish out a four-year term on the chain gang, but he will not be turned over to the South Carolina authorities until after he completes the term in Raleigh, according to information given out by George Ross Pou, Superintendent of the State Prison.
The young offender's journey back to Raleigh began about 4 o'clock Tuesday morning, when Policemen Gilbert and Mills and "Red" Alexander called him out of his berth in the county jail and started on the trip by automobile.
Setzer Family FAMILY NAMES: Aderholdt, Barringer, Bovey, Bushart, Deal, Heavner, Herman, Ikert, Miller, Motz, Rankin, Witherspoon
Goble Family FAMILY NAMES: Babst, Bobst, Douglas, Faber, Fink, Fulbright, Hefner, Meinhert, Miller, Muller, Pabst, Robinson
Goble, Christopher b. Oct 1828, Washington Co., VA
d. 1900
Wife Charged in the Murder of Christopher Goble
In the book "Appalachia Crossroads" by Clayton Cox, there is an intriguing story about Christopher Goble. Christopher is in the German Goble tree and was the son of Jacob and Catherine "Kitty" (Ward) Goble. He married Arilla Ellender "Ellen" Sellards (b. Oct. 18, 1834, d Jan 2, 1889, buried Goble Cemetery, Buffalo Creek, Floyd Co., KY) on 15 May 1853 in Floyd County, Kentucky. They owned a farm there and had nine children.
Children of Christopher Goble Sr. and Arilla Ellender "Ellen" Sellards
Name Birth Date Death Date Spouse Garrett S. Goble b. 1854 Jacob Goble b. 1856 Lydia Rebecca Goble b. 1857 Peter Bell McCoy Greenville Goble b. 1862 Christopher Goble, Jr. b. 1863 Susan Goble b. 1866 John Endicott Catherine Goble b. 1870 Eleander/Alexander Goble b. 1874 Joseph D. Goble b. 1879 After Arilla's death, Christopher married Eliza Thompson in 1892. At that same time, Will Skeens was a boarder with Christopher and Eliza Goble but Christopher died unexpectedly around 1900. Eliza later married Will Skeens who raised the Goble children, Mary, Wahnetta, Roland and John Wesley.
Children of Christopher Goble Sr. and Eliza Thompson
Name Birth Date Death Date Spouse Mary Goble May 1893
Floyd Co, KYWaeta Goble 26 May 1901 Apr 1986 Roland Lee Goble 8 Feb 1896 May 1976 John Wesley Goble 3 Mar 1898
Floyd Co, KY12 Jun 1988 According to Clayton Cox, at one point Eliza and Will Skeens were charged in court for the murder of Christopher by poisoning. It has been verified that William Skeen lived in Floyd County, Kentucky in 1880. He was listed a 63-year-old widower with 7 children. There is also a marriage record in Floyd County for William Skeans and Eliza Goble dated 02 May 1903. 2011 Update from Kathryn Sanders
I received a great email from Kathryn Sanders who descends from Christopher Goble in Feb 2011. Thanks Kathryn for the additional information.
"My grandfather was Roland Lee Goebel. Grandpa seldom said anything about his family. The only thing he ever said to me was that his father had keeled over dead after lunch one day and some people thought his mother had poisoned him. He was shaking his head as if he couldn't believe anybody could believe that." "He also told us that he had run away from home. According to him, as a child his stepfather beat him and when Grandpa got old enough he fought back and must have knocked his stepfather out. Thinking he'd killed his stepfather, he ran away from home across the river into Mingo County, WV. He changed the spelling of his name to Goebel on the advise of someone. After some time had passed, Grandpa went to answer a knock at the door one day and found his stepfather on the porch. Surprise! He was probably pretty happy about that because influenced by my Grandma Goebel, Grandpa had become a preacher." "Aunt Waeta's name wasn't Wanetta. Other places have it spelled Walta but that's flat out wrong. Depending on who was doing the talking it was pronounced 'Wha-eat-ah' or sometimes Grandpa pronounced it 'Wha-etta' and my mother called her 'Aunt Wha-eat' for short." "It was my understanding that Grandpa was around 8-years-old when his father died and Grandpa was born in either 1896 or 1898. Waeta was born in 1902." "Eliza Thompson was born in Jan 1873 in KY. She married Christopher Goebel Sr. in 1892."
Goble, Daniel (1641 - 1676) Murders of Indian Women and Children
Daniel Goble (son of Thomas Goble and Alice Brookman), his brother Thomas and his nephew Stephen Goble (son of Thomas), were in King Philip's War, which began in 1671. This was the first and only major Indian war in the 17th century and it decided the fate of New England's Indians.
Daniel Goble fought against the Indians in Captain Manning's company; his brother Thomas Goble fought in Captain Prentice's company; and Stephen Goble fought in Captain Wheeler's company. Captain Manning commanded a contingent in the Battle of Great Swamp Fort on December 19, 1675. It was the most massive military action initiated by the colonists during the war.
Villages were burned and many people were captured or scalped. As the battles continued, great losses were accounted for by the English and the Indians.
After the war ended, the colonists feared the killing of Indians would throw them back into fierce fighting. The court records of 1676 state: Daniel Goble, Stephen Goble, Nathaniel Wilde, and Daniel Hoare were indicted, tried and found guilty for the "wanton" murders of three Indian women and three Indian children - all of whom were Christian. The killings took place on or about August 7, 1676. This was just five days before King Philip's war ended.
Daniel pleaded "not guilty", but the Goble men were yeomen (farmers) and both received the prescribed punishment. Daniel Hoare and Nathaniel Wilde, being from more affluent families and having connections with the clergy, presented a petition to the court begging pardon for their lives, which the court granted. The court fined them and they were discharged.
Daniel Goble (age 35) and Stephen Goble were hanged.
Johnson Family FAMILY NAMES: Corzine, Fink, Hamilton, Kaiser, Leslie, Lewis, Moore, Sherrill, Upright, Wilkinson Fink, Oren
1929 October 28, Monday
Two Arrested Following Automobile Crash
Oren Fink, of North Iredell, and June Huffman, of Statesville, who had a wreck Sunday morning about 2 o'clock, on the Turnersburg Road, five miles from Statesville, were apprehended by Deputy Sheriff R. G. Watts for being intoxicated. The officer was called in immediately after the car crashed into a car standing near a filling station, just off the hard surface road.
Fink appeared before Squire George Anderson this morning and paid a fine of $5 and the costs.
Huffman, charged with driving the car while intoxicated, was bound to Recorder's Court under a $150 bond.
Born: 23 Apr 1783
Died: 25 Apr 1817The Murder of Omie (Naomi) Wise
There are several males named John in the Lewis family, but one particular Jonathan Lewis is remembered because he was accused of murdering Omie (Naomi) Wise. Jonathan was born 23 Apr 1783 in Randolph County, NC, the second child of Richard Lewis and Lydia Field.
Little is know about the real Omie Wise, but records indicate that she was an orphan girl who was taken in by William Adams and his wife Mary in Randolph County, NC. Omie met Jonathan Lewis and the two quickly became lovers. Jonathan was advised by his mother to pursue another girl whose family was "in good standing" both socially and financially. Omie found out about Jonathan's courtship, and although jilted, she did not stop their affair.
The day itself can not be determined, but it is said that in April 1808 Omie went missing. Mr. Adams gathered a search party and followed the horse tracks to Asheboro, NC, where they found her body in the river. Mrs. Ann Davis, a resident close to the water, confirmed that she had heard a woman screaming the night before. The coroner from Asheboro examined the drowned and battered body of Naomi and found that she was pregnant.
Jonathan Lewis was found and brought to jail, where he escaped a month later. Several men, including the Sheriff (Isaac Lane) were arrested for aiding Jonathan's escape. The sheriff was cleared of guilt because he was instrumental in returning Jonathan to jail in the fall of 1811.
Jonathan remained in jail from his recapture in the fall of 1811 until 20 Nov 1813. Records show that he was in the custody of the Orange County Jailer and eventually transferred to Randolph County.
A year later on 04 Oct 1813, Jonathan Lewis finally went to trial - for escaping jail - not the murder of Naomi Wise. The jury delivered a verdict against ; it found "The Defendant guilty of breaking jail and rescuing himself as charged in the bill of Indictment, but not guilty as to the rescuing of Moses Smith (a fellow prisoner) from legal confinement. Judgment of the Court that the Defendant pay a fine of Ten Pounds and costs and be imprisoned thirty days."
Jonathan actually spent 47 days in jail because he was unable to pay the fine and court costs. On 20 Nov 1813 he was issued the Oath of an Insolvent Debtor, relieved of his debt and set free.
Jonathan Lewis married Sarah McCain in Clark County, Indiana, on 30 Mar 1811. They had two children: Priscilla, born 04 Mar 1812, and Thomas Willis, born Sep 1816. Jonathan died of unknown causes on 25 Apr 1817 at the age of 34.
Lyrics to the original version of the song were written shortly after the murder of Omie. The first recorded version of the song was performed by G. B. Grayson, who recorded the song in 1927 in Atlanta, GA.
Omie Wise's death became the subject of a traditional American Ballad. One version opens: "Oh, listen to my story, I'll tell you no lies,
How John Lewis did murder poor little Omie Wise."The song was also performed by Bob Dylan as well as Doc Watson. Doc Watson learned the song from his mother.
YouTube Video of Doc Watson singing "Omie Wise"
Omie Wise
Sung by Doc Watson
Oh, listen to my story, I'll tell you no lies,
How John Lewis did murder poor little Omie Wise.
He told her to meet him at Adams' Springs.
He promised her money and other fine things.
So, fool-like she met him at Adams' Springs.
No money he brought her nor other fine things.
"Go with me, little Omie, and away we will go.
We'll go and get married and no one will know."
She climbed up behind him and away they did go,
But off to the river where deep waters flow.
"John Lewis, John Lewis, will you tell me your mind?
Do you intend to marry me or leave me behind?"
"Little Omie, little Omie, I'll tell you my mind.
My mind is to drown you and leave you behind."
"Have mercy on my baby and spare me my life,
I'll go home as a beggar and never be your wife."
He kissed her and hugged her and turned her around,
Then pushed her in deep waters where he knew that she would drown.
He got on his pony and away he did ride,
As the screams of little Omie went down by his side.
T'was on a Thursday morning, the rain was pouring down,
When the people searched for Omie but she could not be found.
Two boys went a-fishin' one fine summer day,
And saw little Omie's body go floating away.
They threw their net around her and drew her to the bank.
Her clothes all wet and muddy, they laid her on a plank.
Then sent for John Lewis to come to that place --
And brought her out before him so that he might see her face.
He made no confession but they carried him to jail,
No friends or relations would go on his bailAdditional Facts: Mothers of illegitimate children had no expectation of marriage. They would, however, conniving agree to name a man responsible for a pregnancy in court as required by the laws governing bastardy bonds. A gift of money and/or other "fine things" (as promised by John Lewis according to the song) was expected.
Naomi Wise was buried at Providence Friends Meeting Cemetery, Randolph Co, NC
The first written account of the murder story was by Braxton Craven, under the pen name of Charlie Vernon. It first appeared in two installments of the January and February, 1851, editions of the Evergreen Newspaper in North Carolina. It was reprinted several times until 1962. Folks came from miles around to visit Naomi's grad and the city of Randleman which named streets, churches, mills and manufacturing plants after Naomi Wise. In recent years an early 19th century document has been discovered in the Special Collections of the UCLA Library which is the only contemporary account of the event. Entitled “A true account of Nayomy Wise,” it is a lengthy poem found in a penmanship copybook belonging to Mary Woody and her brother Robert Woody. Local historian Calvin Hinshaw says that he was told back in the 1950s by New Salem resident George Newman Hinshaw that the narrative poem first printed by Braxton Craven was written by Levi Beeson and his mother soon after the event. "To Such as here (hear) and Wants to know
A Woman Came Some years ago
Then from a Cuntry named by hid (Hyde Co, NC)
In Randolph after did reside
And by Some person was defil'd
As So brought forth a bastard Child
She Told her name Neomy Wise
Her carnal Conduct Some did despise
It was not long till She'd another
That might be Call'd a basturd's Brother"The actual story appears to be that unmarried Naomi Wise was in 1807 already the mother of Nancy (b. 1799) and Henry Wise (b. 1804) and was probably pregnant by Jonathan Lewis, a well-to-do store clerk employed by Benjamin Elliott, the Clerk of Superior Court and future owner of the Cedar Falls Cotton Factory. The "Bastardy Bonds" for Nancy and Henry can be found in the Randolph County papers at the NC State Archives (for years they were hidden by local historian Laura Worth, who disapproved of the facts). Following the child support law of the time, Naomi charged each father with "begetting a child on her body;" each man then posted a bond publicly insuring that the county would never have to pay to support their children. Apparently the argument between Naomi Wise and Jonathan Lewis arose when she revealed her pregnancy, but demanded that Lewis marry her rather than post a Bastardy Bond. Lewis was in fact charged with her murder, jailed after the inquest, but escaped before trial. He fled to Elk Creek, Indiana, where he was eventually re-arrested and extradited back to Randolph County, NC. Jonathan Lewis was tried and acquitted for the murder of Naomi Wise in 1811 (all of these records are in the State Archives). For more information about John Lewis & Omie Wise:
http://allredfamily.com/naomiwise.htm
and
https://randolphhistory.wordpress.com/tag/jonathan-lewis
Born: 04 Jun 1757
Died: 1792The Rape of Lydia Allred
by Linda Allred Cooper
Stephen Lewis was the fifth child of John Lewis & Priscilla Brooke. Whenever we think of the "good ole days" we tend to forget that some of the horrors we associate with today’s world sometimes happened back then too. The story of Lydia Allred is one such case.
Lydia was born in Orange County, North Carolina in 1770. She was one of the younger children of John Allred who settled in North Carolina in the 1750’s. Lydia was raised on the family farm located near today’s Patterson Grove community just north of Franklinville, NC. In 1779 this same land became part of the newly formed Randolph County.
Most of the time Lydia’s neighbors were law abiding. Court documents from that time period show that there were occasional visits to court to complain about a missing cow or hog and a few accusations of theft of farm equipment, but, for the most part, life was peaceful. One important exception to that rule was the Lewis family.
John and Priscilla Lewis raised a large family on their land located just north of today’s Franklinville. This family, especially the boys and men, were well known as mean, tough, belligerent bullies. They made their own rules, followed no laws but their own and beat or killed anyone who made them mad. One account taken from the book "The Randolph Story" on file in the Randolph Room, Asheboro Public Library states:
The Lewises were tall, broad, muscular and very powerful men. The family were the lions of the country. Their character was eminently pugnacious. Nearly all of them drank to intoxication; aware of power, they insulted whom they listed; they sought occasions of quarrel as a Yankee does gold in California. They rode through plantations; killed their neighbor’s cattle; took fish from other men’s traps; said what they pleased; all more for contention than gain. Though the opposed had power, they were afraid to prosecute them, they knew these human hydras had no mercy; they dreaded their retaliating vengeance. Anything, man or beast, that crossed their path periled it’s life. The neither sheltered themselves under the strong arm of the law nor permitted others to do so, they neither gave nor asked mercy. Their pledge was sure as anything human could be. If they threatened death or torture, those threatened always thought it prudent to retire to the very uttermost part of the earth. Stephen Lewis, the fifth child of John and Priscilla, was born June 4, 1757. (1) Per Lewis family documents, he fought and bullied his way into adulthood. In the 1770’s he began appearing in court, charged with a variety of theft, assaults and battery. More times, than not, the court found him not-guilty, no doubt fearing retaliation from him or his family. On the few occasions he was found guilty, he was usually fined some small amount which was never collected.
This pattern continued on into the mid 1780’s. Between March and October 1786, Stephen and his brother, John, had been in court 11 different times (2) answering a variety of charges. One of those charges was brought by Lydia’s father, John, who accused John Lewis of assault in June 1786. (3) John Lewis was found innocent and John Allred became the target of some vicious retaliation.
The Allred family found themselves confronted by the Lewis family over the next few months. Farm equipment disappeared. Farm animals were slaughtered. When the family members went to visit neighbors, they were followed and taunted. Finally, on a sunny afternoon in October, it all came "to a head".
October 30th no doubt began as a normal day on the farm. Chores were performed, meals were cooked and served by the women while the men worked in the fields. The colorful fall leaves were falling and the weather had a slight "nip in the air". When her chores were finished, Lydia decided to walk the well worn wagon path to her sister and brother-in-law’s home, Barbara and William York. Barbara was 17, only one year older than Lydia and a newly wed. The sisters were close and no doubt missing each other’s daily company. A visit would be welcome.
The court document filed November 6, 1786 tells the story in chilling detail. Lydia was walking along the path when Stephen Lewis rode up on his horse. He, no doubt, recognized her as one of John Allred’s daughters. Lewis got off of his horse and grabbed Lydia, pulling her to him roughly and forcing her onto his lap as he sat down on a log. Holding her tightly, he asked her to have "carnal knowledge" with him. She refused, telling him she would rather die and tried to fight her way free of his clutches. Angered, he forced his hand under her skirt and "placed his hand on her privates and forced his fingers into her body". She fought valiantly, but he was bigger and stronger than the frightened 16 year old girl. He pushed her to the ground and violently beat and raped her.
When finished, Lewis left Lydia lying on the path and rode off. She pulled herself together and somehow managed to get to her sister’s home. As you can imagine, the family reacted in horror and demanded justice. On November 6, Lydia’s father, brothers and brother-in-laws came to court to file charges (4) against Stephen Lewis.
Unfortunately, as in the past, the court continued to be reluctant to indict or convict anyone in the Lewis family of anything - even something as horrible as rape. Court records show that although the Allred family presented overwhelming evidence and Lydia herself was forced to testify in detail about the rape, little was done to Stephen Lewis. Finally, in December, the court agrees to indict Lewis (5 & 6) and hold a trial. However, the intimidated jurors and court officials, fearing reprisals from the Lewis family, vote to post-pone the trial until Spring 1787. They were probably hoping that, with the new court session, they would not be chosen as jurors and would escape the Lewis family wrath.
On February 1, 1787, Stephen Lewis was back in court (7) accused of threatening the life of Lydia’s father, John. He had already beat John, breaking his nose, and continued to harass the family every chance he got. John asked the court for protection. It wasn’t awarded until another week passed. In response, Stephen and his family increased their campaign of harassment and terror.
Finally, in March 1787, the court imposes a 100 pound bond on Lewis (8) to guarantee his appearance in court for trial. But, the trial is postponed once again as the Lewis family’s threats scare the jurors. By June, Lydia’s father had reached his limit and begins fighting back. However, he accomplishes nothing except getting himself arrested (9) for "profane swearing in public". The humiliation must have been unbearable as John is arrested for "swearing" while his daughter’s rapist still roamed free. While in court facing the original "swearing" charge, John loses his temper again and swears at the court officials. Again he is charged and fined.
The rape trial is postponed again and again as the jurors and court officials were harassed by the Lewis family. Court documents also show that the Lewis brothers were in court many times (10) over the next 4 years as they continued to wreak havoc in Randolph County. But, as we’ve all heard, "you reap what you sow" and eventually everyone pays for the evil they do. When Stephen raped Lydia, he was married. Lewis family records show that he beat his wife on a regular basis, treating her no better than he did his neighbors. Finally, in 1791, Stephen’s brother, Richard, helped Stephen’s wife escape and hid her outside of the county at the home of a friend. Richard was no better than Stephen, so this unusual act of kindness was rare. Stephen and Richard argued violently about the beatings, and finally Richard agreed to return Stephen’s wife if he would promise to quit beating her. Stephen refused. Eventually he found his wife and dragged her back home, beating her severally. Stephen then went to his brother’s home intending to kill him. Richard, seeing Stephen approach, grabbed his shot gun and ran upstairs. As Stephen climbed the stairs looking for Richard, Richard shot and wounded him. The family gathered around and soon Stephen was sent back home patched up, but very angry. As Stephen laid at home recovering from the gun-shot wound, he swore to everyone in hearing distance that he would kill his brother as soon as he was healed. Richard, knowing Stephen fully intended to carry out this threat, finally decided to end the feud once and for all. He rode to Stephen’s house, crept quietly to the back of the house where he knew Stephen was recovering. As he looked through a crack in the wall, he could see Stephen sitting up in bed having his wound dressed. Richard stuck the barrel of the gun through the crack in the wall and shot his brother through the heart, killing him instantly. Lydia, in the meantime, never recovered emotionally from the rape. She became a recluse, painfully shy, never wanting to go out in public or leave the confines of home. Her father, John, died in 1792 knowing that his daughter’s rapist had finally paid for his crimes. After John died, Lydia moved in with her sister, Barbara, and her family where she lived until her death.
SOURCES:
Documents http://allredfamily.com/LydiaReportDocuments.htm Transcribed Court Documents http://allredfamily.com/1lydiadocumenttranscription.htm#lydia10 The Rape of Lydia Allred http://allredfamily.com/LydiaReportDocuments.htm Naomi Wise Story http://allredfamily.com/naomiwise.htm
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