Editor of “Greenback Standard” Murdered

Dr. Perry H. Talbott, editor of the Greenback Standard, published at Maryville, Mo., was assassinated last Saturday evening at nine o’clock, while at home surrounded by his family. We have seen no intelligent opinion expressed as to who did the shooting; Talbott before he died said he thought it must have been a paid assassin of the national banks, “some enemy of the great cause which I represent.” We regard this as ridiculous, and regret that a gentleman of the profession should leave such a foolish statement behind him.

Globe, The (Atchison, Kansas) Sep 21, 1880

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Capt. Lafe Dawson, attorney for the Talbott boys, visited them at St. Joe yesterday. It is understood that he is working up a confession by which they are to be released. The plan is supposed to be to have Wyatt, the alleged insane participant in the murder of Dr. Talbott, confess that he did the shooting. This si expected to procure the release of the Talbott boys, and then Wyatt is to get off on the old insanity dodge.

Globe, The (Atchison, Kansas) Jul 2, 1881

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IT was stated in one of the afternoon’s Greenback speeches that the Democrat and Republican parties were now each represented in attempts at assassination, but that the Greenbacks had escaped the odium. The speaker is evidently not familiar with the assassination of old Dr. Talbott, editor of a Greenback paper at Maryville, by his two sons, who were stalwart Greenbackers.

Globe, The (Atchison, Kansas) Jul 16, 1881

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A more fiendish murder than that of Dr. Talbott was never perpetrated, yet there is increasing indignation — particularly in the office of the St. Joe Gazette — that his murdering sons will probably hang for the crime.

Globe, The (Atchison, Kansas) Jul 18, 1881

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The Talbott boys have made another confession, which is to the effect that neither one of them had anything to do with the killing of their father, but that Will Mitchell, Mrs. Talbott’s sister’s husband, is probably the real culprit. A few weeks ago one of them confessed that he did the killing while Dr. Talbott was beating his mother, but as that did not satisfy the Governor, another statement had been made. This is the third story of it they have told, and Governor Crittenden will not be blamed for accepting the verdict of the court in preference to either one of them. They will be hanged at Maryvill to-morrow.

The gist of the confession consists of a conversation that Albert heard between Mitchell and Wyatt, and in which Wyatt tells the manner in which they accomplished the shooting, and the events that follow are given in long detail. There is another conversation given before the date of the murder between Wyatt and Mitchell, in which the latter consents to do the killing for a consideration. Mitchell is considered a leading spirit of the murder, partly out of revenge for the death of his wife who caught cold after having been ordered by Dr. Talbott from his home and died; and, second, because the doctor refused to let him marry his oldest daughter.

Globe, The (Atchison, Kansas) Jul 21, 1881

ST. LOUIS, July 22. — The [Post-Dispatch’s] Maryville, Mo., special says: Albert, Rand and Chas. E. Talbott, convicted of murdering their father, Dr. Perry H. Talbott, on the  18th of September last, and respited once, were hanged this afternoon in the presence of from 8,000 to 10,000 people. Up to a late hour last night they expected gubernatorial interference, but at midnight went to bed after a lengthy interview with their mother and sisters, and Miss Lewis, to whom Albert was betrothed. Mrs. Talbott was very bitter against the Governor for not commuting the sentence of her boys.

The prisoners received the last sacraments of the Catholic church this morning. It was an exceedingly affecting scene between the prisoners and their relatives.

About noon, Charles, the youngest one, broke down completely and begged that something might be done. This unnerved the women and made a terrible scene. The women were removed. Mrs. Talbott frantically resisted, but the guards led her away crying, “I hope you will be satisfied when you have killed my boys.” The brothers were taken to the gallows in an omnibus, being strongly shackeled. The women and the crowd followed. The scene when the trap fell was very solemn, the whole crowd uttering groans.

Helena Independent, The (Helena, Montana) Jul 24, 1881

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Although it is notorious that the Talbott boys quarreled incessantly with their father, and finally killed him, one of them said a few hours before the execution that “We will soon be seated with our dear father on the Great White Throne.” It is probable that the old man, when he saw his two sons alight on the Great White Throne beside him, knocked them off with a harp, spades and neck yokes not being used in that country, and therefore not available to throw at members of his family, as was his custom here. Old Dr. Talbott was the Elder Mitchell of Missouri, and his last words were that he had undoubtedly been murdered by National bank presidents, although one story of the murder told by his sons is that when they fired the fatal shot, he had their mother on the floor and was jumping upon her. The idea of such fiends roosting lovingly on the Great White Throne is supremely disgusting.

Globe, The (Atchison, Kansas) Aug 9, 1881

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*ANOTHER MURDER AND A MENTION OF THE TALBOTT MURDER*

A worthless whelp named Birch wanted to marry Anna Lanaham, one of the daughters of an old farmer near Rock Rapids, Iowa. The old man objected, and drove Birch from his house. The consequence was that Birch and Anna, assisted by Maggie, another daughter, and Mrs. Lanaham, wife of the farmer, devised a scheme for getting rid of him. One day, after he had returned from a farmers’ meeting, Maggie slipped up behind him and put a bullet through his brain. Her sister Anna then broke out a window pane, so as to make it appear that he had been fired upon and killed from the outside by some unknown party. The murder was planned some time in November, but it could not be carried out until a few days ago. It was a terrible affair, and every one of the fiends who were engaged in it ought to be hung, but we suppose every exertion will be put forth by maudlin sentimentalists to save them even from the penitentiary.

Old man Lanaham may have been a disagreeable old fellow: he may have bored his family to death by eternally talking about the iron heel of monopoly that was crushing the life out of the farmer; he may, to the neglect of his family, have spent his time in talking over public wrongs; but he had a right to live until he worried himself to death.

The telegraph informs us that he was killed just after returning from a farmers’ meeting.

We infer from this that he was a reformer, like Dr. Talbott — that he was one of those men who try to reform the world before they endeavor to reform their families. Talbott was always hurling thunderbolts at the red-handed monopolists who were choking the life out of the farmer and laboring man, but while he was doing this a plan for his murder was being concocted in his own family.

We do not believe there ever was a kind, indulgent and provident father murdered by his own children. The man who thinks of his family first and the public weal later is in no danger of his life at home.

The manner of Mr. Lanaham’s taking off probably furnishes a pretty accurate key to his character. By neglect and abuse he inspired hate into the hearts of his wife and children to such an extent that they desired to get rid of him at all hazards. He was doubtless popular with the world, as all men are who devote the greater part of their time to it, and we are not surprised that the community in which he resided is now crying aloud for vengeance.

Globe, The (Atchison, Kansas) > 1882 > February > 17

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A private detective named Brighton, who was interested in ferreting out the murderers of Dr. Talbott, the editor of a Greenback paper in Maryville, Mo., has been arrested in Illinois, and brought back to Kansas City to answer a charge of crookedness.

Atchison Globe, The (Atchison, Kansas) Dec 22, 1882

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* TALBOTT’s DAUGHTER AND THE CRIMINAL, CHARLES NORRIS *

CHARLES E. NORRIS.
A St. Joseph Clerk in the Role of Forger and Lover — A Curious Agreement.

ST. JOSEPH, May 3. — The man who was arrested here Wednesday for attempting to obtain money on a forged draft of Heller & Hoffman, of St. Louis, turns out to be Charles E. Norris, formerly in the employ of Heller & Hoffman, and he is wanted by that firm for forgery.

It now transpires that he combined the business of love making with forgery as he had since his arrival in the city formed the acquaintance of Miss Jennie Talbott, daughter of Mrs. Belle Talbott living at 607 South Eleventh street, in this city, and a sister of the Talbott brothers, who were hanged at Maryville for the murder of their father, Dr. Talbott, who had made a written contract with Norris, which was signed by both, dated April 29, agreeing to live together as man and wife.

The Talbott girl had taken several meals with him at the Pacific House and he took her to Bailey’s dry goods store and she bought goods to the amount of $70 and attempted to pay for them with a forged draft, of Hiller & Hoffman, but Bailey being suspicious, took the draft to Hax’s which had been indorsed by Hax’s clerk, who by this time had become frightened, and it was determined to arrest him then, which was accordingly done.

Norris was arraigned before Recorder Oliver, waived examination and was sent back to jail to await the arrival of Heller with a warrant for his arrest.

Atchison Globe, The (Atchison, Kansas) May 3, 1884

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For more information about Perry Talbott and his family, “Our Family Gallery” has genealogical information, more newspaper accounts and other information about this family. [I am not related or connected to the site, just ran across it looking for information about the Greenback Standard newspaper, edited by Mr. Talbott.]

Tags: 1880, 1881, 1882, 1884, Capt. Lafe Dawson, Charles E. Norris, Greenback Standard, Lanaham, Missouri, Murder, Perry H. Talbott, Talbott