Memorials › George Sherman Hunter

George Sherman Hunter

22 Aug 1865 – 25 May 1901

Birth	22 Aug 1865
Death	25 May 1901
Cemetery	Mount Zion Cemetery Mount Zion , Henry County , Missouri , USA
Added by	LaDon Brennan on 21 Aug 2009
FaG	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34914770

Bio

son of George Henry Hunter and Elizabeth Cathey. m1: Effie M. Gonser ch: Clyde, infants Gladys and Henry. m2: Josephine Staley 1880 census, Osage Henry Co: HUNTER, Hunter/66, Catherine/45, George S/15, John/13, Laura/11, Dora/10, Rosetta/7, Harden E/4, SUTTON Margaret/20 (dau), Charles H./5/gson. On Saturday night, May 24, 1901, about nine o'clock, John H. Eyerly and wife, well-known farmer living seven miles north of Warsaw and five miles south of Lincoln, came to Warsaw and surrendered to Sheriff McDade, giving as his reason that he had killed George Hunter, his brother-in-law. Both men had married daughters of an estimable old citizen, J. M. Staley, living five miles northwest of Warsaw. Reports substantiated by a coroner's inquest before Justice Spicer of Lincoln showed that: George Hunter and his wife were temporarily separated and efforts were being made by relatives and friends to get them to "make up." George, with the assistance of his half-brother, Mack Hunter, had recently bought the principal part of the livery business at Warsaw and had prospects of doing well. He went to Eyerly's on Saturday to see his wife. Also there were Rev. Palmer, a Presbyterian minister, Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Stratton and Mr. and Mrs. Staley, invited to the Eyerly farm in the hopes of bringing the couple together again. All except Mr. Hunter reached the residence at noon and Mr. Hunter arrived between one and two o'clock. A general conference was held but nothing came of it and at 4 p.m., Mr. Stratton and his wife and Mr. Staley and his wife departed for their respective homes. Mr. Hunter and Mr. Eyerly had words, and Mr. Eyerly and the minister went out on the porch. Then, according to Rev. Palmer, they heard Hunter, who was in an adjoining room with his wife and Mrs. Eyerly, exclaim: "How dare you say that!" Rev. Palmer walked a few feet distant and was picking at a vine when he was horrified to hear the discharge of a gun and at the same time he heard Mrs. Hunter ask: "Who is shot? Am I shot?" The minister entered the room at once and found Hunter, sitting down, with his right hand on his hip, mortally wounded. Twelve buckshot had entered his right side, producing a frightful wound. Hunter fell to the floor, his right hand falling upon some coals in the fireplace, and it was then that he requested Rev. Palmer pray for him. Instead of praying, Rev. Palmer called on those present to assist him in carrying Hunter upon the porch. He and Mr. Eyerly moved the body from the room. Messengers were dispatched after Judge Autrieth and Porter Allen, neighboring farmers, while a third went after a doctor. However, Hunter died before he arrived. Eyerly then mounted his horse and rode to Warsaw, where he surrendered and was committed to jail. Enroute, he was alleged to have told two neighbors that he had killed Hunter but that he had been forced to do so. Preliminary hearing for Mr. Eyerly was held a few days later at the courthouse before Justice J. R. Jones and a tremendous crowd was on hand, large numbers arriving in town as early as 7 a.m. And the streets of Warsaw, with so many present, had an unusual appearance for such an early hour. It was excessively hot in the courtroom and Justice Jones had to request people to stop obstructing the windows. Mr. Eyerly was represented by G. W. Barnett of Sedalia, W. S. Jackson and W. L. P. Burney of Warsaw. Prosecuting was represented by D. Brunjes and Henry Lamm of Sedalia. Many friends of Mr. Eyerly were present. He was known as a quiet, moral, industrious and successful farmer and was, The Enterprise said, "one of the last men in the county whom it would ever have been predicted would be a principal in such a tragedy." George Hunter also had numerous friends. He was 36, born and raised near Mt. Zion, where he was buried alongside his first wife and two children. He also had another son by his first marriage. He was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Lincoln, had lately had a general merchandise store at Schuyler, had taught school and was engaged to teach another the next winter. Trial was held in April of 1902. And on April 18, the jury returned a verdict of "not guilty." Henry R. Salley was forman."

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