In getting the information on the grandparents from Grandma Nichols, (Ina Rosamond) when we got to Noniamus Nathaniel Rosamond she told me he was murdered. Then started telling me the story. I grabbed some more paper to write it down exactly as she told it. When I started getting confused with all the Grandpa’s and Grandma’s I stopped her to ask questions. This is the story she told…
Yates Standridge, he was a wildcat whiskey maker, had a still out in the woods. The law had caught him 2 to 3 times. Late in the evening, there were no cars at that time, the law was on horseback, the county seat jail was 27 miles and they couldn’t make it back before dark. They stayed with a family their name was Hamm (George Hamm). The law asks if they could stay all night in Lurton.
Sometime during the night, Yates got up and climbed out the window, went home in his nightclothes. The next morning he sent his wife Divinah to get his clothes and told her if she didn’t bring them back he would kill her. She knew that he would because he was a mean man. Divinah went to the Rosamond Home, she asks for a place to stay. They told her she could stay at their house. When his wife didn’t come back with his clothes the next morning he sent an old lady (Old Lady Savage) to see where his wife was. Old Lady Savage went to Mr. Hamm’s house and went all through the house looking for Yates’ wife. When she couldn’t find her there she stopped at Grandpa and Grandma Rosamond’s house and ask if Yates’ wife Divinah was there. Old Lady Savage asks her to come out and talk to her. Old lady Savage asks Divinah to home with her but she wouldn’t.
Old Lady Savage went back and told Yates that Grandpa and Grandma Rosamond had his wife handcuffed and chained to the floor.
The next morning was New Years Morning 1908. Yates came to Grandpa and Grandma Rosamond’s and hid behind the smokehouse until the kids went to school. Grandpa and Grandma Rosamond had bought the house from Grandma Overturf, she hadn’t moved out yet, was still staying with them. Mom didn’t go to school that morning. She was staying with her Grandma. Mom went to the spring for a bucket of water. Yates followed her to the spring and ask her who all was at the house. He then told her not to follow him back or he would kill her. There was a rail fence that ran from the spring to the back of the house. When Yates got out of her sight she climbed over the fence and went to the house.
Grandpa Rosamond had owned and ran a sawmill in Lurton. That morning he was sick and didn’t go to work. Yates hollowerd Hello, Grandpa thinking it was someone to see about some lumber opened the door and stepped one foot outside. Yates shot him through the leg it cut the main artery. Mom went in the back door at the same time Grandpa Rosamond was shot. He turned and shut the door and said, “He’s killed me” and fell to the floor and bled to death.
The women folks were trying to see who it was. Yates could see them through some cracks in the door. When he started shooting, Divinah took her baby and hid behind a bed. He shot one shot and killed Grandma Overturf, then he shot two more shots and hit Grandma Rosamond at the elbow leaving just a little piece of skin on both sides holding her arm on. He tried busting down the door, but couldn’t, he wanted in but they wouldn’t let him in. So he tried to set fire to the back of the house, but it wouldn’t burn. Then he tried to set fire to the roof, it was covered with shingles that were real dry and they wouldn’t burn. So he went back and tried busting down the door again, he did bust down the door and went in. Grandpa was lying there with his eyes open, they hadn’t had time to close them yet. Yates drawled up his gun to shot him again. Grandma Rosamond grabbed the gun. He jerked her up and down on her knees out into the yard. He told someone if she would of held on a minute longer she would of taken it away from him. So he left, the law caught up with him and he was sent to prison for possibly 20 years.
I ask Grandma why were the Rosamond’s and Grandma Overturf living together? Figuring out that Flora was only 12 years old at that time, I did not think her and Fred were married yet…Martha Overturf had sold the house to the Rosamonds, she had not found a place to live yet. Flora was staying with her Grandma until her Grandma found a new house.
Arewine Yates Standridge died August 8, 1940 in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, killed in ambush by George Ellis. On January 1, 1908 Yates shot through a door and killed N N Rosamond and also Martha T. Overturf, wife of F M Overturf (parents of Rachel Overturf Taylor in Newton Co. Arkansas). He was in Jackson County Arkansas prison on the 1910 census for this killing. Searching for the facts, I did find a lot of mistakes. In almost every story that I have found on the Rosamond – Overturf murders, it states that Martha T. Overturf was Flora’s Mother. Flora’s mother was M. Viola Slape; Flora’s father was Eli Overturf. I have found their marriage in Newton County, Arkansas. They are both buried in the Sexton Cemetery in Tarlton, Eli is right next to Viola, but the stone is crumbled. Uncle Roy and Uncle Alvin Rosamond both told me that M. Viola had died in a fire. Eli remarried Annabell Cox (name of Flora’s Step mother provided by Virl Rosamond). Flora was 2 years old when her mother died. Uncle Alvin said that his mother did not get along with her step mother that is why she was staying with Grandma Overturf. I researched further and found Martha T. Overturf and found her maiden name was Blessing. I also found her husband Francis M. Overturf, they were married in Franklin County, Il., Francis M. and Martha T. are buried in the Sexton Cemetery, F M Overturf’s grave must be unmarked, it is not listed but Uncle Virl told me he is also buried there. I found 2 children born in Franklin County Il., and a birth date for Rachel listed in the story above. I was not able to find a birth date for Eli.
Trying to prove that Rosalie Augusta Bennett was married prior to N N Rosamond. I was completely unable to find any facts on Rosalie beyond her father’s name E. T. Bennett (provided by Jimmy Dale Rosamond.) Rose Cotner supplied me with a marriage date and location for N N Rosamond and Rosalie Bennett. It was a family story that Rosalie worked as a maid in a hotel in Chicago at the time of the Great Chicago fire 1871. I was able to verify the marriage of Rosalie A. Bennett and Nonimus N. Rosamond in the Chicago, Illinois marriage records 1850 to 1900. Rose told me that Rosalie was born in Indiana. The amount of Bennetts is Indiana is tremendous. I was not able to find a link. It is really hard when you don’t have any actual names. (E. T. Bennett)
Dixon being the surname in question…Divinah’s father was Rev. John Dixon. Yates Standridge was born in 1881; Rosalie had her 2nd child in 1881 with N N Rosamond. N N Rosamond and Rosalie had been married 3 years prior to his birth. By the time Yates was old enough to marry, they had all of their children. With these facts and searching several states for marriages for Rosalie Bennett. I was only able to locate the one marriage. This part of the story was just that, a story.
Court records on Yates Strandridge:
In 1906, Yates was indited for assault with intent to kill John Halley. Two witnesses were Marion Savage and W G Ketcherside. There were other witnesses. I do not have all the names. Filed the state of Arkansas, circuit court 10th July, 1906.
Between 1906 and 1908, there were other assault charges and gambling charges for Yates Standridge. I have also been told a story of how Yates was setting in the front yard of his father’s house shooting at his father. When someone ask what he was doing he said he was going kill him. As for the Rosamond son shooting General Standridge, I have also been told it was Yates that shot General Standridge in his field. If it was one of the Rosamond boys that shot at Yates, I have not been able to confirm that. Uncle Frank went to Oklahoma to work in the oil fields, Uncle Ed and family soon followed him. Uncle Jim died in 1915, in a train wreck while working for the railroad. Grandpa Fred and Uncle Sam stayed in Newton County all of their lives. I don’t know of any of them that left the country.
Three indictments were filed July 1908 term of the Circuit Court, Newton County, Arkansas. Murder 1st degree with malice, forethought, premeditation and deliberation of N N Rosamond – Murder 1st degree with malice, forethought, premeditation and deliberation of Martha T. Overturf – Assault with intent to kill of Rosalie Rosamond. Witnesses in all three were Flora Overturf, Elizabeth Stacey, Mrs. N N Rosamond, Dr. George Yates, Dr. T T Fowley and Dr. J. E. Blackwood…
note from Colleen Haynes Rongey:
Witness W. Ketcherside was my Grandma Woodard’s brother, Will Ketcherside. Dr. James Blackwood’s grandsons, Leon and Harold Blackwood lived around Harrison, AR…they may have heard the story in the early days. I heard Uncle Will talk about the Rosamond murder when I was a child but do not remember details…
Thanks goes to Ina Rosamond’s Grandaughter, Cindy Fluri, for the above…
http://www.arfamilies.info/afamnewtonlurrosmur.htm
YATES STANDRIDGE, AN ESCAPE ARTIST
There has been much publicity given to Yates Standridge as an escape artist and all of his trouble with the law for various offences. How much time was actually spent in jail is not known. Various county records seem to indicate that some of his earlier problems were entirely his fault. Many people tell that Yates was as good as neighbor as you could ask for, but just did not put up with any foolishness.
N. N. Rosmond was a Justice of the Peace, when the law was after Yates on one of his charges. Some of the law took Yates’ wife and children to the Rosmond’s house, either for safekeeping or to draw Yates out of hiding. Yates found out where they were and went to get them. When Mr. Rosmond wouldn’t let him have his wife and children, Yates started shooting through the door and killed Mr. Rosmond and wounded his wife.
After this incident, one of Mr. Rosmond’s sons was passing by a field where General Standridge was plowing. He thought that General was Yates and shot him through the shoulder. Yates assured General that it would not happen again, but General carried a pistol for the rest of his life. I understand that Mr. Rosmond son left the country shortly after this.
Yates was a prisoner and was part of the convict labor that helped build the waterworks dam at Russellville. One day, one of the guards went to sleep and Yates was starting to sneak up on him, when another guard stopped him. He yelled, “What do you think you are doing?” Yates just grinned and said “If that peckerwood is going to sleep on the job, I’m going to trade jobs with him and hold his gun while he sleeps.” Yates did escape from there later and walked to Price Grove, where he had a man the he knew, to take a chisel and cut off the ball and chain the he dragged from Russellville.
I have been told that NN Rosmond’s wife was Yates mother in law from a previous marriage to Mr. Dixon. Others say that she wasn’t, but it does give credence to the next story.
After Yates shot Mr. and Mrs. Rosmond, word was received at Marshall, that Yates had been in Searcy County, so the sheriff started gathering a posse to try and arrest Yates.
One old timer, who was asked to join the posse, wanted to know what Yates had done this time?
Upon being told that Yates had shot his mother in law, the old timer replied “Aw hell, any feller ought to be able to shoot his ole mammy in law without the law giving him a hard time over it. I ain’t going.”
Sheriff John Hatley is Lina’s Great Uncle…So, My Cousin wounded My Wife’s Uncle…
And from The Mountain Wave, August 25, 1916, p.2, c.4., Searcy County, Arkansas:
Yates Standridge Is In Oklahoma
Is Said to Have Left After Two Weeks Stay in Newton County
Jasper, Ark., Aug 22–Yates Standridge, who recently escaped from the state convict farm, where he was serving what practically amounts to a life sentence for murder, declared that he never will return to the penitentiary, according to residents of the sparsley settled hills of Newton county, where Standridge makes his home.
These hill people say that Standridge recently spent two weeks in that section and left, saying that he was going to Oklahoma. There is no way of verifying the truth of this.
These people, who know Standridge intimately, and some whom sympathize with him, say there is no doubt that the fugitive means what he says and that the man who goes in pursuit of him will take his life in his-hands. Standridge has the reputation of being a crack shot, he knows every foot of the Newton county hills and those who talked with him while he was home declare he is in desperate mood, ready to kill on sight anyone whom he suspects has designs of recapturing him.
Those who are familiar with the situation are not disposed to criticize the Newton county officers for not attempting to capture Standridge. They say it would require a large posse and many days to run down the fugitive, for he knows a hundred hiding places in the hills. Also he has many friends in the country where he lived before he was sent to the penitentiary. Many of them honestly believe that Standridge received too severe a sentence and that he has been ill-treated at the penitentiary. They would not hesitate to help him.
“If those people in charge of the penitentiary haven’t sense enough to keep Standridge after they get him, I don’t know why I should go out and get killed trying to get him back for them again,” is the way one officer sizes up the situation.
Arewine Yates Standridge was in Prison at Jackson County, Arkansas, for shoting through a door killing N.N. Rosamondand Martha T. Rosamond Overturf, wifeof F. M. Overturf, on January 1, 1908, in Newton County, Arkansas.
Yates was shotand killed from ambush by George Ellis. Yatesand his niece Ada Johnson were returning to Vian, Oklahoma from a shopping trip to Sallisaw. This was shortly after noon on August 8, 1940. (A news paper clipping says that Yates was killed outright while his cousin, Mrs Ada Johnson, 29, who was with him died enroute to a Ft. Smith Hospital.) Yates is buried at Hartman, Arkansas inthe same cemetery as his mother. Yates Standridgeand Mrs. Ada Johnsonthe woman who was killed with him are buried in a cemetery on a hill in Hartman, Arkansas, inthe cornerof the junctionof two roads.There are no markers.the spot was verified bythe town marshall when Yates livedthere, Lee Morrow, who had helped to digthese two graves as well asthe graveof Yates’ mother Jane (Yates) Taylor Cavin Standridge).
Yates married 1st. to Divena ‘Diomy’ Dixonof Quincy (Moore, Newton County)and they had four childrenand divorced. He was married second to Anna Mae Kuykiendall, a daughterof Henryand Rohoda Harris Resse Kuykendall. After Yates was killed, Anna remarried to Tilmon Siscoand moved to California .
Rosamond Press 
Leave a comment