tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034998384799920884.post1540742432657157458..comments2024-03-26T12:01:39.690-07:00Comments on A Family Tapestry: A "Charming Family"Jacqi Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03471698670217119444noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034998384799920884.post-38027135917129821322020-09-06T22:23:33.691-07:002020-09-06T22:23:33.691-07:00A belated thanks for your comments. In answer to y...A belated thanks for your comments. In answer to your questions, I did post some additional findings in the next two days' articles which may be of help in clearing things out.<br /><br />As you can imagine, there was a rush to publish information in the local--and national--newspapers following this horrific incident, and some of it was incorrect. Best I can tell, Ina and Caleb were not twins, but I base that only on the ages given for Ina and Clint in the newspaper accounts. Caleb, having not survived the ordeal, was in that window of time between census records, and thus any verification for his dates is now lost to me--other than, likely, any on-site research.<br /><br />Though the newspapers identified Ina in error as an Onstott, they did indicate that, at first, she suffered so many cuts and injuries that townspeople presumed she would not survive the ordeal, so that indicates she was right there in the home when the tragedy unfolded.<br /><br />As for David's first wife, Orpha, she died in 1891, according to her headstone (shown on Find A Grave). While I can't yet find any record stating cause of death, because of her age, I presume she died from something related to childbirth or pregnancy, especially considering it was about two years after Caleb (the next oldest of her children) would have been born--just about time for another baby.<br /><br />I did see an entry for a Kathryn in Clint Onstott's household in the census enumerations for 1920 through 1940, which likely would have been your Aunt Kitty. Jacqi Stevenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03471698670217119444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034998384799920884.post-63415224450160571122020-08-16T00:28:45.239-07:002020-08-16T00:28:45.239-07:00I have come across this info while looking for my ...I have come across this info while looking for my maternal grandfather's half-sister. I recently found her and her husband in an excerpt on Google books. We always new Aunt Kitty married a Clint Onstott and then I found several newspaper articles. I have questions still but if you go by confirmed dates, this is what I have deduced: Ina Lee Spragg and Caleb Spragg were born to Orpha B Rush, David's first wife. Dora Onstott and Clinton Burrell Onstott, were in fact David's stepchildren. Albert Spragg was the son of David and Lucinda Wells Onstott Spragg. Clinton and Dora lived long lives. Clinton went and lived with his mother's family; Ina lived with her father's parents (she never married); Caleb and Albert were each buried with a parent (supposedly). My main question(s) is...where was Ina Lee during this horrific ordeal? Were Ina and Caleb twins? Did Orpha pass shortly after their births? Just a thought...thanks for listening to my rambling.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13922747560366417119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034998384799920884.post-71521960415648903832016-07-19T22:17:05.331-07:002016-07-19T22:17:05.331-07:00Depending on how much you want to know the details...Depending on how much you want to know the details, it may or may not be helpful to pursue the search. Of course, that depends on whether it really happened, or was simply spiteful hearsay. And then, whether it was ever reported--and printed in the news. Of course, that's also depending on whether they got the report <i>right</i> in the first place...Jacqi Stevenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03471698670217119444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034998384799920884.post-19843726704416705372016-07-19T18:03:43.200-07:002016-07-19T18:03:43.200-07:00ah such a sad bit of family history. It is said t...ah such a sad bit of family history. It is said that my Great Grandfather pushed my Great Grandmother down the stairs and she died...I wish I could find a newspaper article that talks about it...but I think it was all hush hush:(Far Side of Fiftyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07995757632158408442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034998384799920884.post-76833119745488031952016-07-18T21:23:28.825-07:002016-07-18T21:23:28.825-07:00Yes, agreed. It seemed news stories of that time p...Yes, agreed. It seemed news stories of that time period vacillated from the understated to the "TMI" of over-exposure.<br /><br />One thing my law-enforcement husband noticed right away was that your link included not only the Spragg story, but several others in which a person turned murderous on their own family members. Not sure whether it was a difficult era, or just a newspaper which prided itself on collecting odd stories from across the country.<br /><br />Thanks for the link, by the way. Good resource!Jacqi Stevenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03471698670217119444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034998384799920884.post-62523540400301776242016-07-18T21:19:11.781-07:002016-07-18T21:19:11.781-07:00It was hard to read all that, Wendy! Gruesome! And...It <i>was</i> hard to read all that, Wendy! Gruesome! And there may have been more reasons than that, as I've realized in the last couple days.<br /><br />I guess I'm coming at it from my own point of view. Any time I've heard an awful news story, I always want to know what the <i>conclusion</i> of the matter was. Not knowing is like being left in limbo, wondering, "So, can this happen again?" Perhaps I'm too much of a problem-solver, but I need conclusions in my life, even in remote news stories.Jacqi Stevenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03471698670217119444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034998384799920884.post-23970618890595703552016-07-18T05:02:19.891-07:002016-07-18T05:02:19.891-07:00http://idnc.library.illinois.edu/cgi-bin/illinois?...http://idnc.library.illinois.edu/cgi-bin/illinois?a=d&d=STR18941219.2.3<br /><br />I found the understate assessment in the item, odd.Intense Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08441598926026727682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5034998384799920884.post-3436362466315519552016-07-18T03:42:24.545-07:002016-07-18T03:42:24.545-07:00I can see why family didn't talk about that ho...I can see why family didn't talk about that horrible event. Reading what happened is hard enough. I suppose an autopsy might have uncovered a brain tumor that untreated might have caused "instant insanity." I doubt that would have been much comfort to anyone though, but they would have had an answer.Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17863357756727783017noreply@blogger.com