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Mid-Missouri History Associates, Boonville, MO (2026)

03/21/2026

Part V – The Coroner’s Inquest (November 4, 1904 – November 7, 1904)

Official testimony in the investigation of the murder of Rosa Butts began at 9:00 in the morning on Saturday, November 5, 1904 in the Saline County Court House. The opening day lasted until roughly 1:30 p.m. The most important testimony taken was from the older sister of Rosa, a local domestic servant at the county jail named Myrtle. It was crucial for establishing the beginning strike of the clock for the tragic events of that evening. Myrtle said that she and her sister parted ways at 10:00 that evening. We are not certain the exact order in which individuals spoke, but Myrtle stated the night before that she could identify at least one of the victims. Local newspapers, reporting on the inquest nearly a week after it began, reported that she stated under oath that she saw Russell Lynch and Neal Ballew in the Prosecuting Attorney’s office, and that they were the same boys she saw walking after her sister.

While no records indicate how many other witnesses were called, it is known that the testimony of John V.L. Davis was taken. Readers will recall that he was a prominent coal dealer who lived within hailing distance of the location in which Rosa’s body was found. He was adamant that he heard the series of cries, swears, and screams between 10:20 and 10:30 p.m. He had been going to turn out his horses and looked at the clock as he exited his home. He further would testify that he believed there were more than two sets of voices. As the scream faded he contemplated going to investigate, but realized he had nothing with which to protect himself. His wife concurred and insisted that he not go.

Towards the end of the inquest, the two boys identified by Myrtle Butts appeared on the stand. They testified that they had indeed been with Rosa on the night of November 2nd around the time of their death, but insisted that they did not know who had killed her and that they had left her around 11:00 p.m. in front of the Andrew Olson residence on Yerby Street – the house in which she was employed.

The inquest adjourned at 1:30 p.m. with that testimony – which in one part matched the time given by Myrtle, but contrasted with Davis’s testimony of a 10:30 time of the screams.

Who were these boys – and why did the newspapers describe them as prominent?

We will begin with Russell Lynch, who was described as a prominent member of the community – but curiously also as an 18-year old employed by the Marshall Weekly Democrat Newspaper who was from (some sources say lived), in Springfield. Genealogical records detail that he was born John Russell Lynch in July 1886 in southwest Missouri, by several accounts – close to the Wilson’s Creek Battlefield. His parents were Walter Cleveland Lynch and Russella Lynch (nee Russell). Many will look at the name of the prosecuting attorney, William G. Lynch and assume that this is where the prominence came from, but in truth – the records show that their shared last name is a strange coincidence and nothing else. They are not connected.

The connection comes, rather, from his mother Russella Russell. In 1896, her sister Paulina married a prominent Saline County man named John Gains Miller, Prominent might be an understatement – he went on that November to become the mayor-elect of Marshall. Over his life he would serve as Mayor of Marshall twice, a justice of the peace for 14 years, a state representative twice elected in 1906 and 1908. In 1904 he was no longer the mayor, but he was part owner of the Weekly Democrat. It wasn’t a prominent name. It was one of the biggest names and, curiously, this connection found very scarce mention in either the local or regional papers.

His companion on that night was a 16 year old who the papers identified as Neal Ballew, the son of prominent hardware merchant John W. Ballew. Born July 1, 1888 to John and his wife Martha, the family was relatively new to the Marshall and Saline County area. Local newspapers stated that the family arrived in Saline County from Centreville, Iowa, in June 1904 after purchasing the B.F. Naylor Hardware and Furniture Stores in Marshall and Malta Bend. While new to the area, the purchase of a hardware store that was located in two communities in the county signaled that the family landed on two feet and their son, whose full name was Theodore Neal Ballew, appeared to quickly make friends. The family soon moved into a house located in the Highland Place neighborhood addition at 677 English Street. The home was located at the corner of English and Yerby Streets. The southeast point of the neighborhood touched the northwest corner of the Odell pasture, where the body of Rosa Butts was found.

There can be little doubt that the appearance of these two boys to give testimony was surprising to the community.

At 9:00 a.m. Monday morning, testimony resumed. New witnesses appeared before the coroner and were instructed to remain outside the courtroom where the inquest was being held. The courtroom itself was densely packed, with people standing on benches to see and being unable to force their way into the room. Numerous people were called as the questioning lasted late into the evening.
The most important testimony was received from the following individuals: Andrew Olson and Emma Olson, Frank Chandler, and Charles T. Griffith. Additionally, Lynch and Ballew were put on the stand again.

The Testimony of Andrew and Emma Olson recounted the final day of Rosa’s life. The last time Emma had seen the girl was a short time before 7:00 p.m. After her work was done, she came to the door of the sitting room and was telling Mrs. Olson of a tramp that had come to the kitchen door that morning. Mrs. Olson inquired if Rosa had given him anything to which the girl replied that she did not – saying he appeared too well dressed and looked too well able to work. The girl went back to the kitchen, and that was the last she was seen. Mrs. Olson recalled that the girl usually went out at night, but would say, when questioned about it, that she had been to the home of her parents on West Summit. The following morning, when Rosa did not appear, she contacted the girls family who instigated their own search. The Olson’s went to Rosa’s room, which was accessed by an exterior door. The room was locked. According to Mrs. Olson, Rosa always kept the key on her. No entry could be made.

Andrew Olson’s testimony matched that of his wife, except for one startling new detail. On Saturday morning, the day after the discovery of Rosa’s body, the key was found inserted into Rosa’s room door – and the door itself was unlocked. Nearby was a cap, presumably worn by the girl that evening, as well as one of her gloves – the other had been still on one of her hands when she was found. The Olson’s suspected that someone had placed the key and the items in the night while everyone was asleep. Myrtle Butts was called to examine the hat and the gloves. She confirmed that they were indeed what was worn by the girl that night.

Frank Chandler was a laborer who came forward, along with his wife. He gave testimony that supported John V.L. Davis in that he, between the hours of 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. had also heard groans and screams. This testimony appeared to cement the time of the girls death, and began to cast further suspicion on Russell Lynch and Neal Ballew.

An additional witnessed provided more damning testimony. Charles T. Griffith, who delivered newspapers for The Star, followed the trio down Odell Street. He identified Lynch and Ballew, describing their clothing just as Myrtle Butts had on Saturday. He stated that they walked arm and arm with the girl and that the conversation was “chipper.” Nothing malicious appeared to have occurred. He turned east on Vest Street, losing site of the couple while they were still heading south on Odell.

The final testimony of the day once again came from the two suspects. Their statements nearly mirrored each other. Ballew stated that the boys had been playing cards and drinking at the newspaper office of the Weekly Democrat when they exited the office and went down on the square to Sleuter’s Confectionery Store. Then, he and Lynch went on to Odell Avenue towards the jail where they caught sight of the two girls at the jail. Ballew described that neither of them were personally acquainted with Rosa, but knew her by sight and reputation. They caught up with her, walked down Odell together arm-in-arm. According to Ballew, they turned east onto Yerby Street to go with her to the Olson residence. Instead of stopping there, they went further and stopped in a vacant lot one block away near the entrance to the cemetery. According to Ballew, the three were there roughly half an hour together before they took the girl back to the Olson home and left her there. He closed that he and Lynch walked back up Odell Street and said good night, Lynch going to his home and Ballew returning to Sleuter’s, where other companions testify they saw him at 11:15 p.m.

The story Lynch gave was nearly identical. Each boy was taken separately to the lot and indicated precisely the same spot that they had been with the girl. The difference in his story was that he initially had stated that he returned to the newspaper office. When the prosecuting attorney questioned him as to the discrepancy he stated that the difference was because he was rattled. The prosecuting attorney and coroner asked both the boys if they knew who had killed Rosa Butts. They said no. He asked if they had anything to do with the murder of Rosa Butts. The boys both admitted to being with her, but neither admitted to committing the assault and murder.

The information was overwhelming and caused murmurs in courtroom. There was more than a hint of scandal – two boys with prominent community connections spending half an hour with a servant girl in a vacant lot was shocking, and it was only the beginning. The direct contradiction of the time of the screams accounted against the story of the boys leaving her at 11:00 p.m. insured that more questions and witnesses would be needed. The night ended with no arrests.

Dr. Orear adjourned the inquest until 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Tuesday was election day, and no hearings would be held them. More subpoenas were issued. On Wednesday friends and acquaintances with Rosa Butts would be called to testify. The town was restless and hurt. Rosa Butts had been buried on Saturday morning, November 5th. Because the family was so impoverished, no minister had been present for the burial at Salem Church, east of Marshall and no flowers on the grave. Her family was taken to the church yard in two surreys, donated by a local liveryman and a hearse had been donated by Sappington’s undertaking establishment for transporting the body. As November 7th came to a close, many looked at Lynch and Ballew with suspicion. Some maybe looked at them as the guilty perpetrators. But Dr. Orear and Prosecuting Attorney Lynch did not announce any arrests. To the law of Saline County, her case was still unsolved.

03/21/2026

As I work on writing and editing Part V of my story, I thought I would share something. Sometimes old papers are rich in detail - sometimes they are not. Often times so many papers will print the same version of the story that it gets tedious to continue looking through all of them...and easy to skip them. Many times, you aren't missing anything.

But sometimes you do. This evening, I came upon a Moberly newspaper that carried a highly detailed account of the crime scene, including the only description of what Rosa Butts wore that I've ever come across.

I used a grainy image from a St. Louis newspaper to try and generate her image. Then I i used the description of what she was said to have been wearing when they discovered her body. It's a bit sobering to see...but here is how Rosa may have looked on the last night of her life.

03/19/2026

Throughout the morning of November 4, Dr. William Catlett Orear, coroner of Saline County, worked to complete his preliminary examination of the body of Rosa Butts. Assisted by Dr. Guthrie Scrutchfield, the work was thorough and competent. It was also deeply ironic. On the very day the pair investigated the macabre crime, Scrutchfield was supposed to be celebrating his birthday.

That the girl had been murdered was obvious. Dr. Orear was now tasked with impaneling a coroner’s jury to investigate the crime and help bring whoever had committed the foul deed to justice. Working with Sheriff Ham and Deputy Bacon, he set about selecting a group of citizens for the investigation.

This process looked very different from criminal investigations today. In 1904, a coroner’s jury was typically composed of local residents—men who could be gathered quickly and who were already known to county officials. They were expected to be adult males of respectable standing, men considered reliable, sober, and fair-minded. Orear and Ham selected six individuals from the community and surrounding countryside. Together they represented a cross-section of Marshall and Saline County life: businessmen, farmers, church members, and civic-minded citizens.

Alphonso Piper was among those summoned. A 54-year-old respected resident of Marshall, he had been reared in Orearville, northeast of town. In his youth he suffered a horrific accident in a mill that resulted in the amputation of one of his legs. In spite of this, he became a successful farmer, going about his daily routine with an artificial limb. By 1904 he had retired and moved to Marshall. A member of the Christian Church, he was unmarried but widely respected.

Another of those summoned was Robert B. Taylor, aged 59. A native of Shelbyville, Missouri, he and his family had resided in Marshall for a number of years. He was closely associated with the town’s growth and community life, as his business involved real estate and insurance. He was also a deeply religious man who served on the Board of Stewards at the Methodist Church. According to the 1900 census, he lived at 353 South Odell Avenue, within sight of the county jail. Rosa Butts would have walked past his house on the evening she was murdered.

A veteran of the American Civil War also made up the panel of the summoned. Jeffries Polk Corder was a 61-year-old Virginia native. During the war he had fought in the Army of Northern Virginia. As a 17-year-old, he fought at First Manassas and helped bury the dead there. He later saw action at Seven Pines, Wi******er, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor, where he was wounded. He returned in time for the final months of the Siege of Petersburg and the surrender at Appomattox. After the war he relocated to Saline County, where he married and raised a family. By 1904 he owned a farm south of town and also a small parcel of land less than a mile from where Rosa Butts was murdered. Undoubtedly, his wartime service and long presence in the community made him a highly respected figure.

Edward Everett Barnum was a 51-year-old and nearly thirty-year resident of Marshall. A native of Indiana, he worked as a businessman, primarily in the dry goods trade. Newspaper accounts in the years leading up to 1904 place him as a central committeeman of Marshall’s Second Ward, locating his residence in the vicinity of the Odell Pasture where Rosa Butts was found. His service to the community, along with previous service on juries, no doubt made him a fitting addition to the panel.

Henry Brown Irvine, 61, was a lifelong Saline County resident and a member of one of the county’s pioneer families. Like J. P. Corder, he had seen service in the Civil War, mustering into Robertson’s short-lived regiment, which was captured en masse in December 1861. After brief postwar adventures in California, he settled once more in his home county. He married, raised a family, and worked diligently on his farm outside town. In the years prior to the Butts murder, he had also served as a deputy. The 1900 census lists him as a deputy constable, and numerous newspaper references place him alongside Sheriff Robert Ham, making him a valuable member of the group. His residence at 414 West Vest Street also placed him in the general area of the incident.

Rounding out the group of six was Lyman Peters, 52, a longtime Marshall resident and Ohio native. He had settled in Marshall in the 1870s and was active in business and city life. The 1900 census records him as a laborer and janitor, though his obituary states that he was active in business, worked as a baker, and at one time owned a grocery store. Though the obituary and census seem to present a somewhat contradictory picture, he was obviously trusted enough to join the five other members of the jury.

It was likely during the afternoon of November 4 that the jury convened at Sappington’s undertaking establishment to view the body alongside Drs. Orear and Scrutchfield. Undoubtedly, some discussion also took place with Myrtle Butts that evening. What she said would greatly affect an already outraged community.

Newspapers across the state carried details of her story: that she and Rosa had gone to their mother’s home at 169 West Summit Street on the evening of November 2 and had remained there until about 9:00 p.m. At that point, she said, they departed and walked north toward the jail, where they parted company at around 10:00. Myrtle stated that she saw two boys going down the street behind Rosa and heard them whistle for her to stop. They caught up with her and continued south a little after 10:00 p.m. Myrtle further stated that she believed she could identify one of them.

No doubt this information spread like a whirlwind throughout the community, and almost immediately threats of lynching began to surface should the perpetrators be discovered.

Another key point was established through the testimony of Jacob VanLear Davis, a prominent coal dealer. Davis stated that he had exited his home at 10:20 p.m. to turn out his horses when he heard commotion in the Odell Pasture. What began as faint cries culminated in a scream that faded by 10:30 p.m. Stating that he had looked at the clock before leaving his house, Davis’s testimony suggests that Rosa Butts met her end less than half an hour after parting from her sister.

With the jury impaneled and nothing more to be done as night fell, Dr. Orear dismissed the men and instructed them to be ready to reconvene the next day at 9:00 a.m. It is important to step back and examine the newspaper chronology at this point. No daily paper carried a detailed story of the murder in Marshall on November 4. The papers that mentioned described the discovery of the body and the condition, but nothing else. The first detailed local reporting appears in Saline County newspapers on November 11, by that time the inquest was nearly a week old.

It is likely that a basic timeline was established by law enforcement on the evening of November 4, but that the formal testimony of Myrtle Butts and Jacob Davis took place on Saturday morning, November 5, 1904. It therefore becomes apparent that some individuals were likely called upon more than once over the next several days to recount the details of that terrible night.

One important point should be noted: only one newspaper in Missouri carried a particular detail on November 5—that two boys, both approximately 17 years of age, had come forward and admitted they had been with the murdered girl for a short time on Wednesday night. The fact that this detail appeared in no other November 5 paper except the Kansas City Star suggests that the boys may have come forward later in the day.

Both told a consistent story. They admitted that they had caught up with Rosa after she parted from her sister Wednesday night. They said they walked with her from near the Andrew Olson house on Yerby Street—where Rosa was employed—to a vacant lot in a direction opposite from where her body was later found, and that they then returned her to her place of employment and left her there. Though their accounts were consistent with one another, the Star reported that they gave the time for these events as around 9:30 that night. That story would change, although whether it was a change in their story - or a change in reporting is up for debate.

What prompted these boys to come forward? Was it fear of being identified as the last persons seen with Rosa? Fear stirred by open talk of lynching? Again, no November 5 paper named them, but papers on November 6 would provide a clearer indication of who they were and would create no shortage of scandal and speculation in the weeks that followed.

One of the boys was 16-year-old Neal Ballew, the son of a hardware merchant who had relocated to Saline County that very year and taken over a prominent hardware store. The other was Russell Lynch, an 18-year-old from Springfield who was working for the Weekly Democrat newspaper. That paper was partly owned by his uncle, John Gaines Miller, the former mayor of Marshall.

-------------------------

Stay tuned for Part V which will cover the inquest, the suspects, witnesses and the ultimate decision reached by the jury. Part VI will then conclude the story - detailing the final story of the people involved and my analysis of the case.

03/16/2026

The Odell Pasture was typically a peaceful and serene hillside, but a commotion disturbed the north side of its sloping ground on the morning of November 4, 1904. Four young boys, out chasing rabbits, stumbled upon a badly beaten body roughly one hundred yards east of Odell Street. Horrified, they ran back to the road and flagged down an unnamed passerby, who quickly hurried toward the town square to spread the alarm.

Before long, two men in particular made their way to the pasture. One was Sheriff Robert Thompson Ham. Forty-five years old and usually a resident of Slater, Ham had relocated to Marshall after his election as sheriff in November 1900. Election Day was only days away, and Ham was preparing to leave office. His deputy, Charles Bacon, was on the ballot and would go on to assume the office of sheriff in January 1905.

Accompanying Ham was Dr. William Catlett Orear, a near lifelong resident of Saline County. As county coroner, Orear was responsible for examining the body and overseeing the inquest that would follow. He was sixty-five years old and, beyond his official duties, was an active and respected member of the community. Orear had graduated from the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery in 1860.

As the sheriff and coroner approached the scene, something began to unfold that feels jarring to modern sensibilities. News of the grisly discovery spread quickly, and a crowd soon began to gather. Some newspapers reported that the number of onlookers swelled into the hundreds. Today, such behavior would be unthinkable because of the danger of contaminating a crime scene. But in 1904, forensic science was still in its infancy. Crowds like this were not uncommon and would continue to gather at the scenes of shocking crimes for decades afterward, as seen as well in the Johnson Family Murders in Chariton County. (See my posts from last summer)

As Sheriff Ham and Dr. Orear approached the body itself, the brutality of the crime quickly became apparent. The girl lay on her right side with her head toward the east. Her face was nearly unrecognizable beneath the blood that covered it.

The ground surrounding the body had been badly trampled. Deep impressions of a man’s shoes were pressed into the soil, suggesting that the girl had fought desperately for her life. Her left ear had been severely damaged—nearly torn from her head. Blood covered her face, and the right side of it was battered almost beyond recognition, that ear mangled as well.

Her hands were clenched tightly. Within them were blades of grass and strands of her own hair—silent evidence of the struggle that had taken place on the lonely hillside. In her agony she had bitten her lips until they bled.

As Sheriff Ham and Dr. Orear examined the scene, they were soon joined by another physician, Dr. Guthrie E. Scrutchfield. A native of Macon, Missouri, Scrutchfield had settled in Marshall and likely worked alongside Orear in matters relating to the coroner’s office. He was a graduate of the University of Missouri and had also studied at the College of Medicine of Washington University in St. Louis.

The investigators carefully noted the deep footprint impressions believed to belong to a man. Blood was scattered throughout the grass around the body. Nearby they discovered a discarded cigarette and a pair of black gloves.

Newspaper accounts also described the discovery of two additional objects that may have been connected to the crime. One was a plumber’s swab—an iron rod with a small concrete mold on the end—which was reportedly covered with blood and hair. The other was a heavy yellow pine stick or post found near the scene. Contemporary reports differ on the details; some newspapers mention only one of these items while others describe both, leaving it uncertain whether one or both were actually recovered.

Upon completion of their examination at the scene, the body was removed to James Sappington’s Undertaking Establishment where Dr. Orear, assisted by Dr. Scrutchfield, performed the autopsy and began the process of impaneling a jury for the coroner’s inquest.

The girl’s face was badly discolored, as though from repeated blows of a fist. The right side of her face showed heavy damage and fractures. Three wounds were discovered on the scalp: one behind and slightly below the left ear extending roughly two and a half inches, another on the scalp extending down toward the neck, and a third on the left side of the head which had mashed the ear into a pulp. None of the wounds appeared to have been inflicted with a sharp instrument.

There was also a wound on her shoulder, and her hands and arms were bruised. No evidence of r**e was documented, and the girl was not pregnant.

Perhaps most disturbing was the doctors’ conclusion regarding the timing of her death. They believed she had likely been rendered unconscious by the blows. Had she been discovered sooner, she might have survived. Instead, she appears to have lain in the pasture through the night and into the following day, bleeding slowly. It is likely that she did not expire until the afternoon or evening of November 3rd, many hours before her body was discovered.

There could be little doubt—this was murder.

Even before the autopsy was completed, investigators had begun to suspect the identity of the victim. At the pasture, someone had cleared a portion of blood from the girl’s face, and a member of the crowd reportedly gasped that it was Rosa Butts.

That Rosa was missing had already been noted by both her employers and her family. She worked in the household of Andrew Olson, and when she failed to appear for her duties on the morning of November 3, concern quickly arose. Mrs. Olson telephoned Rosa’s sister Myrtle, who worked as a domestic servant at the sheriff’s residence and jail, to see if she knew where Rosa might be.

Myrtle in turn telephoned her mother, Nannie Butts, but Rosa had not returned home the previous night. Realizing that something was wrong, Myrtle began searching on her own. Wondering if Rosa had perhaps taken a sudden notion to travel to Kansas City, she went to the train station to inquire if the girl had boarded a train. No one there had seen her.

As the hours passed and no trace of Rosa could be found, panic seized the family. Every effort was made to uncover some clue that might explain her disappearance. Yet the day of November 3rd passed without any discovery.

Now, as the morning of November 4 drew toward its close, Deputy Charles Bacon—who had assisted in the investigation at Odell’s Pasture and would soon take the lead in solving the crime—quietly informed his wife that the body discovered that morning was Rosa Butts, Myrtle’s sister.

Those in the house lacked the courage to tell Myrtle directly. She was preparing breakfast at the time. Instead, she was gently urged to return to her mother’s home, being told only that there was news concerning Rosa. It was presumably there that Myrtle learned the terrible truth.

Newspapers later reported that Nannie Butts was prostrated with grief upon learning of her daughter’s death.

For Myrtle, the remainder of the day must have passed in a blur. She was almost certainly required to confirm that the body at Sappington’s establishment was indeed her missing sister—a sight that must have been profoundly traumatic. Sheriff Ham questioned her about the last time she had seen Rosa. Myrtle recounted their walk the previous evening and described the two boys she had noticed following her sister. She believed she could identify at least one of them.

As Dr. William Orear prepared to summon the coroner’s jury, suspicion was already beginning to fall upon two individuals in connection with the murder of the girl.

The town of Marshall was stunned by the violence of the crime. Indeed, before the end of the day, newspapers around the state carried the story about the murder of Rosa Butts.

In the weeks that followed, newspapers across Missouri would not only report the details of the investigation—but also reveal a scandal that would grip the community.

03/15/2026

Tinkered with some new ideas this morning.

03/13/2026

Posts like this will be slowing down. I'm glad I'm not driving an hour to work anymore, but it's going to get difficult on my personal cost/benefit analysis to spend gas money on things not in my back yard.

Fortunately, this one is. It's long been a fascination point for me. I grew up in Clarks Fork, and I hope at some point to maybe be there again some day. It used to be a significant area. It had a school and general store. Jewett's Mill was more or less the heart of the area financially. Robert McCulloch and the Windsors were prominent families during the 1870s (time of this map is circa 1877).

The house is still standing. I would love to get permission to investigate and document the grounds and structure for at least digital preservation. This was the best picture I've been able to get of the building in quite some time - all from a quarter to half a mile away. History is all around us, if you know where to look.

I'll bring content like this when I can - but gas prices will prevent random travel unless extremely localized. Who knows. Maybe mapping will make its way back into the content as an adjustment.

Mid-Missouri History Associates

03/21/2026

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