HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
By Benjamin H. Crowley in 1906
11th INSTALLMENT
Story of the Murder of
Moses Cox at Gainesville
Race For a Great Criminal Lawyer
Life of H.W. Glasscock
MORE
ABOUT OLD TIMES IN GREENE COUNTY
Story of the Murder of Moses Cox at Gainesville
by William Lindley just after the war.
RACE FOR
A GREAT CIMINAL LAWYER
Notes about the Jacksons
and other Old Timers
of the Country.
LIFE OF
H.W. GLASSCOCK
Bob Halley's Celebrated Bear Dog
for which He refused a Horse.
Just after the war, Gainesville was the scene of another shocking murder, in which William Lindley was one of the proncipal actors. He was a drinking man, and one day while he was seated in front of a saloon, somewhat under the influence of strong drink, Moses Cox came up and spoke to, and started to engage in conversation with Lindley.There had been some bad feeling between the men for along time, but Cox was not drinking at the time, and it was claimed that he used no offensive language towards Lindley who drew a large dirk or bowie knife, sprang upon Cox and cut him to death on the spot.
Moses Cox was the father of George Cox of Paragould, Mrs. Ann Steele of this city, of the late A.P. Cox also of Paragould, of John Cox, and of Bud Cox of Malden. Lindley was tried for the murder of Moses Cox but came clear. There was then a noted criminal lawyer at Pocahontas, by the name of E.Y. Mitchhell, who was the father-in-law of the great Missouri commoner, Silver Dick Bland, and both parties to the Gainesville tragedy dispatched runners to Pocahontas after the great criminal lawyer. It was over thirty miles across the the country to Pocahontas, and the race for the noted attorney was a famous one. Lindley's runner reached the goal first, and the brillant attorney was employed to defend the accused as was also T.J. Ratcliff, who was prosecuting attorney, but resigned to accept a fee from Lindley. Both Mitchell and Ratcliff were given $1000 each for defending Lindley, and both being very fine lawyers, they succeeded in saving him from the gallows. He never seemed like the same man again, his health began to fail and he began to go down financially and in every other way until his death.
The wife of Moses Cox was a McFarland, a daughter of Dr. McFarland, and her only brother, John W. McFarland, was county clerk of Greene County for a long time, and was prosecuting attorney at Gainesville at the time of his death. He was a cripple, but was a good lawyer, and fine business man. Mrs. Cox was a member of the Methodist church, and a lady of rare Christian virtues.
The H.W. Glasscock home, taken in 1892 which stood at 503 W. Highland Street, the present location of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Brown. At the very highest point on Highland street,it was a commanding site for a home and was a fine and spacious resident, built in the prevailing style of that decade. From the stumps in the yard, a grove of trees must have originally stood on the hill. The man at the far left has an axe on his shoulder, and a pile of branches is seen. Undoubtedly some of the enormously tall oak and hickory trees that still shade the the homes in the vicinity were growing in1892 and actually may be shown in the photo. From the foliage left on the trees, the season appears to have been autumn. The many small children shows that it is a family gathering. In the rear at the right is a sheet and a group of chairs, possibly there was a picture taking session and other pictures recording the activities of the day were made.
Henry W.Glasscock was a native of Randolph county , but grew up and lived all his life in Greene County . For a man reared in a thinly settled country with little or no educational advantages , Henry Glasscock became a good business man ,and was one of the best informed citizens in the county. To the disadvantages above mentioned , he had to give almost five years of his life to defending the southland , and then read medicine a while under Dr. J.F. Davis , of Gainesville. About the time he obtained the appointment of deputy county clerk and the duties of this station demanding all of his time, he abandoned the study of medicine. After serving for some time as deputy clerk for several consecutive terms. At the out-break of the war he raised a company of soldiers and joined Col. S.G. Kitchen's regiment of calvary , where he rendered effective service to the Confedrate cause. He was with Price on his famous raid into Missouri , and won the name of being a gallant and daring soldier . The horse he rode all during this raid beautiful sorrel called Boston , and he kept the animal as long as he lived, and often said that nothing but death could separate him from old "Boston". This animal was treated as one of the family and the children would divide their food any time with him.
Captain Glasscock was married three times . His first wife was Amanda Copeland , a sister of Ben and Joe Copeland of Clay County the latter now being sheriff of the county. Amanda was a beautiful young lady and her father was a successful stock raiser. He was drowned in the St.Francis river at Chalk Bluff while getting some of his cattle across the river ,by his first marriage he had two children , Frank and Sadie. Frank died about two years ago in St. Louis and Sadie was married to Joe W. Crawford and now lives in Little Rock . His second wife was the widow Williamson, who was the mother of Dr. Williamson of Garland county. By this marriage he had four children two sons and two daughters , one of these daughters was married to Ray Hayes of this city, but is dead, not living long after the marriage, died after becoming a young man only a few years ago.
Albert the youngest son lives in Paragould , and is in the grocery business on north Pruett street. Their mother died several years ago and Captain Glasscock married the widow Hunter , the widow of Dr. Hunter and the mother of Mrs. Will Trice , of this city . Dr. Hunter was a brave Confederate soldier and got a leg shot off in the war . He was brother of H.C. Hunter , of near Marmaduke . This Mrs. Glasscock is still living and makes her home with her daughter , Mrs. Will Trice , on Depot Street.
Henry Glasscock was a very stout active young man and it was for a long time disputed the championship of the county with John Phelps . Captain Glasscock was for several terms major of Paragould and often served as a justice-of-peace for his township. In both of these capacities he was one of the most efficient officers the writer ever appeared before. He was a strict member of the Methodist church and probally did more to erect the handsome First Methodist church in this city than any one man in or out of the church . He was a temperance man and always advocated the banishment of whiskey from the county . At the time of his death he was the largest land owner in the county and had he lived till now, the rapid advance in the value of land alone would have made him a wealthy man. The writer was in company with Capt. Glasscock . Col. V.Y. Cook and other genlemen at the Gleason Hotel in Little Rock during the Spanish-American War , when have a drink off him as a ranking officer . Henry Glasscock declined to join the crowd until someone proposed that he take a glass of lemonade. He remarked to the writer as were all leaving the place , that he hoped all the prominent men of the state and county did not indulge in liquor drinking as the scene in that place would seem to indicate.
Capt. Henry Glasscock and the author of this sketch went together almost as much as brothers, and as we were both orphan boys we felt an attachment for each other. He was a little older than the writer , and went somewhat in the lead , but it gives me satisfaction to bear record to the fact that he never led me wrong. I never knew Henry Glasscock to do an immoral act in his whole life. He was ever ready to help the deserving when in need of assistance and he had a kind heart that never failed to respond liberally to the calls of charity. He died at his home in the city several years ago and was buried in his family section in Linwood cemetery, adjoining the city of Paragould.
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