D. A. Chadwick - Deer Creek: The Murders of William H. Gibson and John S. Frazer

Characters Involved in the Frazer and Gibson Murder Investigations

1. William Harrison Gibson
   Born; 1840 Pope County Illinois Died: May 22, 1890 at the Central Hotel, Moline, KS
   Height 510, eyes blue, hair light, fair complexion. Farmer.
   Wife: Harriet Jackson Born: 1850 Died: 1947
   Civil War veteran. 13th Illinois Calvary, Company M. Enlisted December 21, 1863 as sergeant at Wool, Illinois (Camp Butler) and discharged at Pilot Knob, Missouri August 31, 1865 as 2nd Lt. Joined by Capt. Norris.
   Director of The First National Bank in Howard in 1890.
   Children:
   Joseph F. Gibson -1869 to 1953 married Rose E. James 1890 to 1982.
   MahalaMary Gibson: Was with her father at hotel when he died. Married Ahrburg
   Richard (Dick) Gibson Born: July 14, 1874 in Moline, KS Died: February 13, 1960 Fort Gibson, OK
   Samuel H. Gibson
   Harriet Ellen Gibson Gibson
   Major Charley Gibson,
   Lillie May Gibson Died at eight months old
   William Walter Gibson,
   Edward Ernest Gibson
   James Gibson
   Occupation: Banker/cattleman. Would have been head cashier at Farmers and Drovers Bank in Eureka. Came to Howard in April 1871.
2. John Samuel Frazer
   Born: 10/24/1858 Richmond (Grape Grove, Ray County, Missouri. Died June 28, 1890 in Chautauqua County, Kansas
   Parents: William Triplett and Sarah A. (Owen, Bellis) Frazer Occupation: Businessman/cattleman. Single
   *Invested heavily in real estate in Moline, Kansas-Frazers Addition and bought up farm land at sheriffs auctions. Also stockholder in Howard State Bank. Owned 8000 acres with Gibson.
   *Established a market for all grades of stock. Several hundred thousand dollars invested.
   * 10/28/1889 withdrew from some partnerships to focus on cattle.
   *Early spring 1890 bought first Texas herd and imported them to Kansas. Fenced off large plots of land that had been open for free grazing.
   Siblings: Rebecca Jane Frazer (1853-1877) married Alonzo Penniston (1846-1931), Thomas Stephen Frazer (1860-1856), William Triplett Frazer Jr. (1867-1932) and Sarah Elizabeth Frazer (1855-1940) Married Henry Woodruff (1849-1930) in Ute Creek, Costilla, Colorado 12/31/1882. From Polk Township, Dekalb County, Missouri.
   Sarah Ann Sally Owen Frazer
   Born:August 6, 1823
   Clark County, Kentucky, USA
   Died: February 22, 1905 (aged 81)
   Ray County, Missouri, USA
   Sarah Ann Owen Bellis Frazer was the daughter of Sarah Ann Gordon and John Owen, both of Goochland County, VA. Her parents were married in Clark Co, Kentucky. Sarah's siblings were: David, Elizabeth (White), Jackson, John, James, Margaret (Ware), Katherine, Mary (Rout), Robert, Rebecca (LeFever) and Clarissa (Baber?).
   She married Samuel Bellis (1815-1847) on Oct 14, 1841 (Ray County, MO) and had the following Bellis children: Isabelle Margaret (Leake), Mary Charlotte (Parrott), William McCrosky and James Jackson.
   On Nov. 18, 1851, after the death of Samuel Bellis, she married William Triplett Frazer (1808-1891) and had the following Frazer children: Rebecca Jane (Penniston), Sarah Elizabeth (Woodruff), John Samuel, Thomas Stephen and William, Jr.
   Isabelle Margaret Bellis Leake
   Born:November 16, 1842
   Orrick, Ray County, Missouri, USA
   Died:May 12, 1919 (aged 76)
   Margaret Isabell Bellis Leake was the daughter of Sarah Ann Owen and Samuel Bellis. Her siblings with the Bellis surname were: Mary Charlotte (Parrott), William McCrosky and James Jackson.
   After her father died, her mother remarried Triplett Frazer. Margaret's half siblings were Frazers: Rebecca Jane, Sarah (Sally), John Samuel, Thomas Stephen and William Triplett, Jr.
   Margaret married Walter Scott Leake in Ray County, Missouri on Sept. 25, 1858 when she was 15 years old. They had the following nine children: George Washington, Albert Adolphus, Samuel Walter (worked for Frazer in Kansas-moved after murder), Gustavus Leonadus, Minnie Cordelia (Farris, Miller), Mary Jane ("Mollie" Penniston), Florence Emma, Rufus Emmet and Otha Monroe.
   Margaret spent her life in Ray County, Missouri. She and her husband are associated with the New Hope Primitive Baptist Church, the oldest church in Ray County, MO, as members and donating the land. She died of shock from a fractured hip.
3. William Riley Best
   Born: 10/15/1839 Died: 05/12/1897 Blount County, TN.
   Wife: Thersa Malissa Keen Born 05/25/1854. Died 12/21/1923. Filed widows pension July 7, 1897.
   Occupation: Carpenter
   Civil War veteran. 5th Tennessee Infantry. Filed disability pension August 4, 1890. Had relatives in Moline area they visited at time of murders. Left right afterwards. Connection to local Best family not certain.
4. William Riley Jones
   Born: unknown Died: 1930 in Wichita, Sedgwick County
   Owned pasture where Frazers body was found. Rode bank fixing fence and saw body in waist high pool floating face downing a cramped position. Sent a boy to tell men searching the pasture.
5. Grissom brothers
   John Grissom Born: 1867 in Kentucky. Died: Unknown
   Thomas Abraham Grissom Born: August 23, 1869 in Hopkins County, Kentucky. Died: July 3, 1947 in Oklahoma City.
   Two of the alleged assassins that lived with their parents, Solomon and Emily Grissom in Chautauqua County, Kansas near murder scene.
6. Roscoe Greer
   Saw man on horseback around 9 am on Old Trail. Was at the Grissom place 9 am to noon that Saturday returning a hoe and planter.
7. James Richard Burgess
   Born: September 7, 1857 in Saganon, Illinois. Died: September 17, 1945 Missoula, Montana
   Wife Sarah Burgess, testified at 1896 hearing.
   Rested at Binns cabin Saturday around 10 am. Lived in Binn House when working for Frazer and Gibson. Arrested in 1896 and tried for Frazer murder with Olney, Leckliter, New and Cox.
   Married. Wife related to Jerry Hutton. Frank Kimsey (Both arrested for murder) was Burgess cousin. Charged for murder 1896.
8. Lena C. Goodell
   Born: March 27, 1863 in Edinboro, Erie County, Pennsylvania. Died: October 7, 1937 in Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas