Baxter Coffey, 1856-1901

Purported to be Baxter Coffey

Not much is known of Baxter's life.  From news articles about his death in 1902, he appears to have been mentally abnormal.  He was born in May 1856 to Joel Coffey and his second wife, Mary Ann Mann and appeared in the 1860 census with them in Russell Co., KY.  He was with them in 1870 but in 1880 and 1900 he lived with his brother James, first in Russell Co. then in Green Co.  He is not known to have married.

The following is courtesy of Camila Coffey Lafaver and was found by her in The Green County Record:

"Last Friday Braxton Coffee [sic], of Camp Knox, came to town and started home with a barrell of coal oil and a barrell of salt on the wagon.  His wagon and one horse were found near Haskinsville with his shoes and coat in the wagon.  The other horse was found between the Christie's farm and Coburg, but no trace of him has yet been found up to Thursday night.  It is believed that he is mentally unbalanced."  [1]

 "Braxton Coffee [sic], the man who reported as leaving his wagon and one horse near Kaskinsville last week, was found Wednesday, frozen to death, in George Lee's field close to Griffin Springs, near Tampico, about four miles from where he left the wagon and horse.  The horse he took from the wagon was found Saturday morning near Coburg.

He has been slightly unbalanced for some time and what ever acted upon his disordered mind to induce him to commit the [act] which led to his death from exposure will never be known.  He was about 40 years of age and had never been married."[2] 

"The remains of Braxter Coffee [sic], who was found dead near Coburg last Wednesday, was interred at the family burial grounds near N. B. Loveall's last Thursday." [Source not given]

There are some reported "facts" in the articles that seem to me to be somewhat questionable:

The report that he drove a wagon alone, some 80 miles one way from Camp Knox to Coburg in Adair Co., seems unlikely. 

He was known to have been living with his brother James in Gresham, Green Co., KY in June of 1900 and to have been "slightly unbalanced."  It seems odd that his brother would have sent him traveling alone over such a distance from their home, requiring several days for the round trip.  I think it doubtful they were then living near present day Fort Knox, which is just south of Louisville.

Neither a town nor village of Kaskinsville is found near Coburg today.  Haskinsvills is not found either but county road 1913, known today as the Haskinsville Road, leads nearly due east out of Coburg. Gresham, KY is about 8 miles east of Coburg and CR1913 would have been a route that Baxter might be expected to take if he was returning to Gresham. This trip was one that Baxter might have made alone numerous times. 

Unless there existed at the time another "Camp Knox" near Coburg, the reference to that place seems to be in error. Not discounting typographical errors during transcription, the misspelling of Haskinsville and Baxter's given name give me reason to suspect the author of the articles did not investigate the facts more thoroughly before publication.

He is said to have been buried at the "Coffey Family burial ground" at Coburg.  A cemetery by that name has not been found.

Comments and corrections appreciated!

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[1] Green County Death Records, Vol. 1, 1899-1905 & The Green County Record, Dec. 20, 1901

[2] The Green County Record, Dec. 27, 1901

Murder in Andrew County Missouri

Savannah, an historically small town and seat of Andrew County, MO near the Nebraska line was the scene of some excitement from mid-1914 until early 1915.  Some accounts report the county as "...thoroughly stirred up over the mysterious murder of Mrs. D. Boone Fancher, 27 years old. wife of a wealthy retired farmer..."[1]

It seems that Mrs. Fancher, divorced wife of Harvey Elliott and mother of a small child, was found murdered outside her home with "deep finger prints on the throat after she had taken a motor ride to St. Joseph" with two men and another woman.  Mr. Fancher told the authorities that his wife was frequently away from home until late at night and that they often slept apart,

Within an hour of authorities learning of her death, they were actively questioning R. B. Coffey, a married man and merchant in Stanberry, MO, W. S. Sommers, a car salesman and Mrs. Jane Mann, a widow, about the death of Mrs. Fancher.  The information gathered from the trio was that the four had gone to St. Joseph in Coffey's car to see a movie. They had lunch there and on the way back to Savannah had stopped for "refreshments at wine gardens." They said they had dropped Mrs. Fancher off at home sometime around midnight and knew nothing of her death.

Coffey told the authorities that he had not previously known Mrs. Fancher and did not know that she was married.  He reportedly let her out of the car a block from her home and that was the last time he had seen her.[1]

The next day Coffey was arrested and charged with her murder.  The coroner's jury decided not to charge any person with the crime but recommended that Coffey, Sommers and Jane Mann "be investigated."[2] Coffey went to trial on Feb. 8, 1915. With a jury made up mostly of farmers[3]

On Feb. 10, the jury returned a "not guilty" verdict in the trial of Richard B. Coffey for the death of Mrs. Myrtle Fancher.[4]

Richard Bell Coffey was born Dec. 2, 1860 in Alanthus Grove, Gentry Co., MO to Lawson Howard and Eliza Ann Campbell Coffey. He was married to Ella Ross on Aug., 28, 1895 in Stanberry, Gentry Co., MO.  Ella was born in 1873 Missouri to John A. Ross and Margaret Howell.

Lawson Coffey was a native of Owen Co., IN while Eliza was a native of Missouri.  Before his marriage to Miss Campbell, Lawson had been married to Mary Adeline "Polly" Litton in 1850 Indiana. Polly died in Alanthus Grove in 1857. He descended from Edward through his son John, his son Reuben and his son Benjamin who married Exie Sapronia Stell.  Eliza was a daughter of William Campbell and Artie Roundtree.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to find any further information about who may have been ultimately found guilty of her death but, I suspect either the ex-husband or, her new husband. 

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[1]1914, Aug 18, Joy Ride Death a Mystery, Kansas City Star, http://tinyurl.com/hhvjahe

[2]1914, Aug 18 Arrest in Fancher Murder, Kansas City Star, http://tinyurl.com/zyv9rng

[3]Ibid, 1915, Feb. 8 Accused of Joyride Killing, Kansas City Star, http://tinyurl.com/gtgg5bx

[4]1915. Feb. 11 Coffey Freed By Jury, The Arkansas Gazette, Little Rich, AR, http://tinyurl.com/zr5lejl, p12