Clark County Clipper, November 20, 1884
Slain In Cold Blood
A Defenseless
Clark County Citizen Killed by the City Marshall of Belle Plaine
WHISKEY THE CAUSE
The Wichita Eagle of the 16, contains the following dispatch:
Belle Plains, Nov. 16, 1884.
A Democratic jubilee here last night wound up with the shooting of John C.
Crouch by John Wallen, and the hanging of the latter by the excited population.
The innocent victim of this affair, John C. Crouch, had a claim about four miles
southwest of this place, on which he settled about the first of July. From the
Eagle and Shirley Reitz of Sand Creek, who received a letter from Belle
Plaine, we glean the following: Wallen was city Marshall. His reputation was
not of the best and he had gone so far as to boast of having killed a man in
Kentucky. The excuse for his appointment was that some "work" was to be done,
characters to look after. It was thought he could do it better than any one
else, and as an experiment he was recently appointed as a sort of detective.
About 10:30 Saturday night, while in a billiard hall, he became an element of
disturbance to such an extent that the proprietor remonstrated against his
action, whereupon he left. The first man to met on going out was Crouch, and
without saying a word drew his pistol and shot the unsuspecting man. The weapon
was a 45 caliber. The ball struck Crouch under the chin and passed out above
the right shoulder. Death ensued almost instantly. Wallen, instead of
attempting to escape boasted of what he had done. He was soon in the hands of
authorities, and by 11 o'clock he was incarcerated in the calaboose, but not to
remain. In an hour about a hundred of the excited crowd proceeded to the
Mayor's residence and demanded the key to the jail. Seeing it was useless to
resist, the key was surrendered. The prisoner was at once taken from the jail
and marched to where his lifeless victim lay. He was told that his time had
come and given a chance to say what he desired if anything. He did not pretend
to deny his crime and only asked for a trial, and a drink of water. The latter
was given him and he was immediately marched to a post and hung with wonderful
dispatch, where he remained till 9 o'clock Sunday.
Mr. Crouch was about thirty five years of age, unmarried. He formerly lived
near Belle Plaine, and had been called from here by the illness of a brother.
He was well known on Sand Creek, being one of the first settlers there, and well
liked by all who knew him.
Submitted by ~Shirley Brier~ in September 27, 2005.
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