Samuel's Saga, Continued

On 25 Jun 2015, I blogged the story of my great great uncle Samuel Tapscott’s first, and as far as we know most serious, misadventure - his murder of Alexander Thompson in 1871. But his crimes did not stop there.

On Wednesday, 7 Nov 1877, the following article appeared in the Edwardsville Intelligencer.

Samuel Tapscott some ten days ago knocked down and robbed a man named Munday at Marshall. On the evening of the 28th, Tapscott was found by Sheriff Flood and City Marshall Nolan in the woods near that place, but attempted to escape by running. The officers immediately fired upon him, two shots taking effect, one in the head and another in the shoulder. At last accounts he was dying.

Four days earlier, the Terre Haute Saturday Evening Mail had gone so far as to state that Samuel had been "fatally shot" by Flood. A longer article appeared in the 31 Oct 1877 edition of the Clark County Herald:

On Sunday last [28 Oct], Sheriff Flood, Flem Neal, and John Mundy attempted to arrest Sam. Tapscott, near Auburn, for robbing the latter named person on the streets, a few weeks ago, but Sam, not liking the looks of things, broke and ran. The officers after called on him to halt, commended firing on him, two balls taking effect before he was brought down. One shot took effect near the left ear, and the other struck him while in a stooping attitude entering just before the shoulder blade, and lodging above the right nipple. All three of the parties in pursuit fired at him, and all having the same king of revolver it is not known which one inflicted the wounds. Tapscott is now lying at his own house, the chances being that he will never leave it alive. Whether or not the officers were justifiable in using such measures to capture their prisoner, we do not at this time pretend to say, but the facts will undoubtedly develop in a few days. The amount he was charged with stealing was $0.25. Later.-We learn from parties who were present that the officers were perfectly justified in taking the steps they did. Tapscott, had made threats against Sheriff Flood, sweating that he would never be taken, &c. He was halted a half dozen times before a shot was fired, and, even after he was hit the first time in the side of his head and knocked down, he jumped to his feet and again started, and was again halted several times, but he took to the brush, and the course the officers adopted was the only one to secure him. Tapscott is reported to be a very dangerous man. He was arrested in Terre Haute some time ago for killing a man, named Thompson, with a spade, and was once arrested for horse stealing in this county. The night he robbed Mundy, he knocked him down and rifled his pockets. Tapscott was still living at noon yesterday.

John Mundy was the brother-in-law of James Byron Tapscott, Samuel's nephew.

Samuel was confined at Southern Illinois Penitentiary,
now Menard Correction Center), Chester, Illinois (2010).

Samuel survived and in Apr 1878 was tried and acquitted. He lived another quarter century, providing him time to rack up new violations. In an 1881 court in Marshall he was charged with malicious mischief (quashed), assault (guilty plea for a $10 fine plus costs), and an unstated charge that included one Jacob Hill, costing the two defendants a total of $41.65 plus costs. From 28 Mar 1898 to 4 Sep 1900 he was incarcerated for burglary at the Southern Illinois Penitentiary in Randolph County, Illinois.

Registry of prisoners incarcerated at Southern Illinois Penitentiary, Vol. 1, p. 165 ( State of Illinois Digital Archives).

Samuel died under mysterious circumstances. On 15 Jun 1903, he was found near death in a barn belonging to the husband of his niece Lydia (Siverly) Moore. He died shortly afterwards of "concussion of brain" and was buried the next day in an unmarked grave in Auburn Cemetery. The following story was contained in the Herald:

Sam Tapscott died at the home of Aden Moore in Clark Center Sunday evening. He had been to Marshall on Saturday and went to Mr. Moore's that night. The next day just after dinner he started to go to see his daughter Mrs. [unclear], but only got as far as the barn, where he fell and was not discovered till several hours later. He found he was able to arise but could not talk. He died that evening at 7 o'clock.

All genealogical data reported in these blogs are based on primary and/or reputable secondary sources, or transcriptions thereof, and never on online trees. Contact the author to request sources, which have been omitted here to improve readability.