It Happenedin Barry County Back in In the 1888 bound edition of Goodspeed's History of Barry County on Page 71 there appears under the title of "Civil and Military Murders/' a single obscure sentence. stating that in 1853 "Dudley H. Snyder murdered ·Charles Wolfger." In a 1978 edition of "The Cowboys" from the current Old West series of Time-Life books, on page 58 appears a photograph of one Dudley H. Snyder with a short commentary which noted that Snyder after the Civil War was considered one of the leading cattle barons of the west with, Jarge ranch holdings in Texas, Colorado and Wyoming. The brief article says Snyder was of puritanical mein when it came to observing the Sabbath as a day of rest. Also, his employees were forbidden to drink, gamble or swear. Could this be one and the same person? Dusty records in the Barry and Newton County Court Houses and records kept by three Texas universities in their archives prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is the same man. Barry County's brief encounter so long ago with a man destined to become famous and wealthy making history in the cattle industry of- the west occurred in the decade preceding the Civil War. Dudley Hiram Snyder, the eldest son of Charles W. Snyder (a native of Pennsylvania) and Susan Ha'il Snyder, was born in Yazoo County, MisSissippi, in 1833 and died in Georgetown, Texas, September 12, 1921. He had two younger brothers, John W. and Tom, along with a younger sister ,Lizzie.The parents continued to live in Mississippi until the death of the

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next, ChaIres W.; after him, Mary Jane; then Sarah E.; and finally Albert, on September 20, 1850. Shortly after the birth of the last child the family; consisting of the father and mother, the four Snyder children and the 5 Wulfjen children, moved to Barry County. They settled south of Cassville in what is now !be Pasley Community. On July 11, 1853, John E. Wulfjen bought, for $100.00, an 80-acre ,tract described as the East Half of the Southwest Quarter of Section 18, Township 22, Range 'Z7 (located one-half mile south of the Corinth C';metery). , The eleven members of the family lived in a small log bouse on the property. ' Lilte in the fall, probably abOut the fIrst of November, John E. Wulfjen was murdered. The old court records have long since been lost and the exact date and circumstances are unknown, bqt 'the list of witnesses (who were all close neighbors) would indicate that the death occurred at or near the home. The 2O-yearold step-son, Dudley "Hiram Snyder, was indicted for the murder of his step-father by a Barry County grand jury. He was held in the jail at Cassville until November 18, 1853, when,. after his attorney took a

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Some two years thereafter, in March of 1842, the young widow married John Wulfjen (Goodspeed's History is incorrect in referring to him as "Charles Wolfger") in Mississippi and the newlywed couple and her four children moved to Arkansas. Her father, Dr. Thomas Hale, a medical doctor, some ten years later moved from MissiSsippi to Round Rock, Williamson County, Texas. , After the Wulfjens moved to Arkansas, their first child. J. Durham WuJfjen, was born in 1845 in Johnson County; the

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Shown above are the three Snyder brothers who grew to adults in the Pasley community south BOB ALLEN t='® of Cassville. Left to right are Dudley H. Snyder, the principal in the accompanying story; Thomas, and Utili John W"J his younger brothers. The family came to Barry County ffom Arkansas about 1850 and remained here for some eight.!:========:======== years before moving on to Texas where tbe three sons achieved fame and fortune in the cattle industry, Sample Notice For School Districts This photograph appears to have been made shortly after the Civil War. It is reprinted herel-_ _ _,.;._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ courtesy of the University of Texas at Aust~.

CassVl·IIe, MO.

847-2179

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change of venue to Newton So far as the records are County, the circuit judge or- concerned, the cause of death dered the sheriff, accom- is unknown, whether by gun, panied by two guards, to take knife, beating or other means. him to Neosho. There are indications that The witnesses, John Per- Dudley Snyder was acguitied kins, Elizabeth Perkins, by reason of self-defense. Robert B. Perkins, William The story CDuId very easily Perkins, Amanda Cornielson, end at this point except for the Henry McCary and A.B. illustrious career that Dudley Thomason, all of whom were Snyder later made for himnearneighbors, gave bond at self. t:assviHe to appear at the Probate court records here Circuit Court in Neosho on show that Susan Wulfjen, the "the first Monday after the mother, asked .the court to sell fourth Monday in April, 1854" her land in 1856 on the grounds for the trial. that she was leaving the state, The first entry in the court and in l.859 the 80 acres was records at Neosho by Circuit sold to Josepi) G. 'Peevey, who Judge C.G. Yancey is under was then sheriff of Barry date of June 7, 1854. County. After reciting the charge, , After his acquittal in Newthe court l'ntered the name of ton County, Dudley Snyder the jurors · and the record ' returned briefly to the family reads as follpws: . home, arid in late summer "Wm. H. Hatcher, Hugh p\lrc!>ased apples here which .C arter, Allen Wells, Abner be hailjed by wagon to Austin, Moore, Nathan J, Phillips, . ;I'exas, a"d sold for a good Jno. Saltsll\l\Il, Joel McCarty, , propt. O"er the next two or William DJln!)gan', RoberI' ;thr"" years 'he repeated these Wbea,ding, John Marcus, .t.C. trips. Murray and Miller Grase." WIth his grandfather, Dr. 8a.m. ' . ' June 8, 1854 Hale, already in Texas and the "George F. Ra9 replaces allure of the young and growWm. H. Hatcher as a juror. ing southweStern part of the Trial could not be completed country beckoning, Dudley lbis day." was joinl'd by his two 8a.m. June 9, 1854 brothers, John W. and Thomas "Trial still not fi)lished." S., for a permanent settlement June 10, 1854 in that area. 7 a.m. . "We, the jury, find the deThe Civil War came on and fendant not guilty in manner all three of the brothers beand form as he stands charged came captains in the Conin the bili of indictment. N.J. federate Army. During most Phillips, foreman." of War, ,Captain Dudley

Notice of Public Hearing Snyder trailed herds from ' Texas to the Confederate Afinies at Natchez, Mississippi, delivering them after . 1919 I:t.t swimming the cattle across A hearins ",·iIl be held .8..:...0.0...' p.m., JuJ y , 6 the Mississippi River. Ac- Adm; n. BJ dg. Hocation) at which citizens may be hurd on the pruperty tax 4'~el prlll'ut,t'd to beset by Cp 5S"; 1 1 e School die· cording to a letter written trict. The tax rates are sella produce the revenues which the budgfl. Eor tbt! back in 1938 by one of his sons,' fiacal year beginnin& July 1. 1979 shows to be. required (rom \he property be was acting both as a citizen tax. Each tall rate is determined by dividing amolmt of revenue n.ede4 by furnishing beef to the Army the current ll8flelult'd valualiun. The t('$ult ill multiplied by 100 110 the tall and also as a soldier. rat. will be expre!laed in ('cnts pl"r $100 valuatillll . After the war, tlte three Current T.a. Prior Tal:l brothers decided to . make YeaI' A• •lled V.haalion Year Texas their permanent head1878 tBy Cate.oriel) 1l1'l1I quarters and to build their s 7.567,686 $ 7,958,319 Real fo:state homes in Georgetown, the seat .2,572,723 ~7,940 of the Southwestern Univer32,765 sity. In the beginning they en- M",h.nto and Uti1. 44 868 gaged in the cattle business in 2tl),590 329:952 Manufacturere; a small way but they were so Total , . successful that in 1888 they were rated in the million dollar <,lass with probably the largest individual ranging .interests in Texas. The ,FolIowlngTe" Rates Are Propoeed in 1868, Dudley SJlyder drove the first herd from "-ouat of · Texas to the Norlbwest, sellProperty ~ ing part of these cattle at Fort T •• Rat. T •• fte-venu.. "Union, New Mexico, and the (Per'UM)) 8ud.eted balance of them he drove on in Fund S ,95 to the State of Colorado. This Teachers s _ ...1~0"'4'+•.:t4...1-':5~.2",:5~_ was the first herd that safely Incidenlal J 81, 352.81 1.65 crossed the Indian country for ..LillL_ 109 ,91Q .79 BuildIng . just .a few weeks ahead of 43,9 64 .3 2 .-..!&them John Chisum's herds lk>htSi'fVI\'.. s _",4-,3;<.9+"6"'4L.3.........1""6__ • 4,00 were all captured and taken Tolal away from Chisum by the Indians. In the spring of 1869, he Board or EdUl' allOn of _ _ __ drove a herd to Abilene, Cas sville R-4 _School District Kansas. This herd was attackBy LaVQntle Craig, Sec. ed in the Indian country by the Indians. Most of them were stolen, for which many years 1~:32~c;._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. . later he was paid'by the U.s.

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