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Copyright 1999-2002
Janine M. Bork
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Elgin, Funeral services for Andrew Phillips were held Monday at 1 o'clock at the Christian Church. Rev Judson Brown preached the sermon and burial took place in the family plot in the Highland Cemtery.
OBITUARY
With the passing of Andrew Phillips last Friday, Elgin lost another one of the pioneer residents, and the west lost another sturdy old builder.
Mr Phillips was born at Libertyville, Illinois on October 10, 1848. At the age of 20 he went by wagon to the virgin prairies of Kansas. In his pioneer Kansas home he spent the first few years breaking the wild buffalo grass sod. With three yoke of oxen and a sturdy breaking plow, he plowed the tough native sod for home-steaders for 75 cents an acre. Day after day and week after week he followed his cattle and plow back and forth across the prairie fields, amid rain, wind, and hot Kansas sunshine. Hundreds of rattlesnakes were driven from their grassy haunts by his plow, and tramped beneth his heavy cow hide boots. Thus Mr Phillips plowed much of the land where Pittsburg, Kansas now stands.
During these days he had another plowman friend by the name of Webb. One day while plowing, just over the line in Missouri, Mr Webb stopped to rest and remove some dirt from his boot. The dirt contained strange looking rocks. They proved to be lead ore. Mining soon followed, and Webb City, Missouri was soon built, as was Pittsburg, Kansas.
Mr Phillips left his plow for the lead mines, and with his industry and thoroughness, before long he was an expert miner. However, his new occupation cost him dearly. He became lead poisoned, and for an entire year was unable to leave his bed. For another year he could not move about without the aid of crutches. He never regained his former strength and suffered from this illness thoughout the remainder of his life.
When able to move about he secured a horse cart and drove about the Kansas prairie selling nursery stock. Thus he was able to pay his doctor bills and support his family. As his strength increased he hauled freight to Topeka, Kansas and later procured work in the coal mines.
In 1871 he married Miss Hannah Hunsaker, and while making their home in Kansas, six children were born to them. One died in infancy; Mrs Elizabeth "Lizzie" (Sam) Thompson died at her home in Elgin a few years ago; Mrs Leota Green, Mrs Verda Zweifel, and Earl live at Elgin; Clifton lives at Ontario, Oregon. In 1885 Mr and Mrs Phillips united with the Christian Church at Pittsburg, Kansas, Mr Phillips being a charter member and a deacon in the church when first organized at that place. The scene and characters of Harold Bell Wright's first great novel "That Printer of Udell's" was taken from actual life in and around Pittsburg, Kansas. Mr Phillips was aquainted with all of the important characters of the story; the church about which the story centers was his own church at Pittsburg, and the preacher who baptised him was one of the main characters of the story.
In 1891 the family moved to Elgin, Oregon, and engaged in farming on the old Phillips place on Cricket Flatt. Going wages were one dollar a day and wheat sold at 22 cents, but Mr Phillips was a pioneer who had seen adversity before. The family weathered the financial storm, but money was never his ideal.
His neigbors were all his friends. He was never too busy to help a fellow man. Patient and unassuming, he was loved and respected by all who came in contact with him. It is doubtful if anyone ever saw him angry, yet he stood fairly and squarely for right and honesty, and lived a consistent Christian life. He was active in the responsibilities of his school district and neighborhood affairs. Much of the success of the Sunday School and community religious gatherings at the old Evergreen School house on the flat, in years past, was due to the efforts of Mr Phillips. For years he has been an elder in the local Christian Church.
Since the death of his wife in 1925 he has made his home with his children. Although suffering at times from poor health, he was always cheerful. Lately he resided with his daughter, Mrs Zweifel, of Elgin. He enjoyed his walks up town to visit his friends. Only the deep snow kept him at home the last few days, where he talked somewhat more of childhood days and his mother, and expressed a seemingly uncalled for regret that he was not going to be able to live until spring for the convenience of his funeral. He retired happy and joking the night before his death and was sick only a few hours.
Members of the Eastern Star and Masons provided a potluck supper after the funeral.
Donated by:
Daniel Carpenter
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Only Manslaughter
Michaels, the Boy Murderer, Luckily
Escapes Deserved Punishment
The trial of William Michael, charged with the murder of Francina Phillips, a six year old daughter of Kimer and Celia Phillips consumed the time of the circuit court on Tuesday. The court room was crowded with spectators, many ladies present, watching with evident interest the process of the trial. The murder was committed in June last at the residence of Mr. Phillips near Lyon's hill and the only witness to the foul deed being a four year old brother of the murderer's victim, the parents being absent from home at the time. The circumstances still remaining so fresh in the minds of the people here, it is hardly necessary to republish in detail the story of the crime.
Young Michaels, the murderer was up to within a few days ago, without any attorney to defend him, his stepfather and mother not showing any disposition to come to the rescue of the boy and it appeared as though he would be abandoned to his fate else to the ignorance of some petty lawyer, when Mr. Baker, took pity on the forlorn condition of the prisoner and hastily arranged to defend him and secure to him at least the benefit of such legal rights as are allowed by any criminal. District Attorney J.L. Rand conducted the prosection of the case in behalf of the state and was well asisted by Messrs. Wilson and Hackett both young attorney of Union. The principal witness against the prisoner was little Johnny Phillips, the only witness to the crime and his introduction to the witness stand was a signal to the defense to protest against his being allowed to testify on the ground of his tender age and incompetency to realize the duties of a witness. The argument was spirited in both sides, the little one was subjected to all manner of tests and was so badly frightened at the fusilade of words and conundrums huried at him that he failed at times to satisfactorily answer some. Judge Fee finally ruled that the lad should be allowed to tell what he knew concerning the murder and the boy gave a plain statement of the occurrence. But a few witnesses were examined on the part of the state and when the district attorney announced to the court the prosection "rested", the attorneys for the defense after a short consultation stated that they would not introduce any evidence. The argument before the defense seeking only to discredit the testimony of little Johnny. (Unable to read this portion)
The jury after being out for several hours, returned a verdict of manslaughter, which was evidently a compromise. While the result of the trial will not be entirely satisfactory - In all he is far better to have the young fiend in the penitentiary for a number of years than to have seen him turned loose in the community to kill someone else at the first opportunity.
Sylvester Phillips Dead
Sylvester Phillips died Wednesday morning at his home six miles north of Medical springs. He was born in Indiana, 80 years ago, and had lived near Medical Springs for the past 15 years. He is survived by a son, W.E. Phillips who lives in the Medical Springs district. The body was taken to the West parlors in Baker and the funeral will be held Friday afternoon.