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Stillman P. GROAT - the murderer???

Stillman P. GROAT - the murderer???

Posted: 30 Nov 2005 3:06AM GMT
Classification: Biography
Surnames: GROAT, BRISBIN, MARSH, TIMLECK, BRADLEY
I came across this (prompted to dig a bit more on Stillman P.). Apparently he confessed to a murder on his deathbed in NE:

from Meet Mr. Swingle, Arnold High School Science Dept.
The Fullhart Murder
http://teachers.esu10.k12.ne.us/gswingle/stories/storyReader...

.... He (William H. Fullhart) also ran about 50 head of cattle and many horses, which were often out in the adjoining pasture belonging to William Groat. Mr. Fullhart and the Groat family had carried on a feud for years because Mr. Fullhart would let his animals roam and graze on the Groats land.
.....

Blame for the murder was directed toward Mr. Fullharts hired hand, William Oxley, a 32-year-old, handsome man who had suspiciously disappeared at the time of the murder. Oxley was apprehended in Springfield, Missouri where his family lived. He was returned to Broken Bow, Nebraska to stand trial. Mr. Oxley was known in Arnold, Nebraska as a kind, honest, trustworthy man with a very good reputation. Many people believed him to have been set up by the real murderer. Nevertheless, the trial came to an end in February of 1901 with William Oxley sentenced to 26 years in the state penitentiary.

Oxley always proclaimed his innocence and the fact that he was unjustly charged, tried, and convicted. It turned out that Oxley really was innocent; he served less than 2 years in the Nebraska State Prison at Lincoln, because the real murderer confessed to the murder on his deathbed. This mans name was Stillman P. Groat, the father of William Groat, and Mr. Fullharts neighbor Further information on Stillman Groat is sketchy, but some very real motives for the murder are the long-standing feud between the two neighbors, money, or possibly they got into a new argument.

Re: Stillman P. GROAT - the murderer???

Mary Perison (View posts)
Posted: 8 Jan 2006 7:50PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Andrew,
My husband is related to the Groats and we have a lot of history on them.

I don't know what to make of that" Fullhart Murder" article.There is something amiss here. The dates don't jive.The article says Stillman Groat made a confession on his death bed in 1902.
My husband and I went to Monte Vista and area last spring. Did a lot of research re Stillman Preston Groat.We spent a lot of time in their local library and Historical Society.Took pictures at the Monte Vista Cemetary.
We have photo copies of local newspapers and books written of the time regarding the movement of Stillman Preston Groat.

Quote from local history.."Stillman P Groat went to Monte Vista in 1909 from Broken Bow, with his family. He acquired a section of land just west of the Stoeber Lane and lived in a house near the Stoeber bridge, over the Rio Grand. He lived there for several years before returning to Nebraska.
While here he arranged for a trade for his son, William D Groat. A farm he bought from Elbert Morse"...end of quote.
(We have a photo of William D Groat at a meeting, regarding water rights to the Rio Grand)

His death was not in 1902 as referred in the article.
Partial quote from local newspaper (Monte Vista Journal) in their library archive...."Stillman P Groat and his wife went to Houston Texas on March 17,1915, hoping that the warm weather would help his health. He died 11 days later, on March 28, 1915 in Houston Texas"...end of quote.

Another quote..." He was a Canadian by birth and devoted a large part of his life to educational persuits in Ontario ."..end of quote.

If I remember correctley his body was brought back to Nebraska for burial. He is not buried in Monte Vista...We spent 4 hrs in that cemetary and have photos of all the Groat Headsones.His name does not appear on their cemetary records .
Maybe the person that put that article on line can give us more documentation on the Stillman P Groat he is referring to.
Regards ,
Mary Perison.


Re: Stillman P. GROAT - the murderer???

Andrew Timleck (View posts)
Posted: 10 Jan 2006 11:55AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: GROAT GROWT
Hi Mary,

Yes, Since i posted the note I too found he died later (I believe it was Amanda that also followed him to CO? Going from memory here...). There "research" was done by a class in science working on GPS as I recall and they were to do something interesting - but they weren't "researchers" capital "R" - I believe they were highschool science students - so what they may have got was interesting "lore" and nothing else. But it does make for intriguing reading and a "twist" in the "He was a farmer she was keeping house" monotony (as you probably know most the Groats were less than fabulously wealthy : ( ! ).

I'd be **really** interested in pics of the stones if it's possible to share them. Been working very hard on the main lines of Henry GROAT and his sons, of which one of those is Stillman P. (Preston it is I found out). Perhaps we could share more "directly". The midwest Groats get to be a bit of a "mess" as the name morphs and they meet up with the lines coming from the New York clans - any help in disentangling them would be most helpful. I have a couple pics I can send of some ancestors too.

Best,
Andrew

Stillman Preston Groat

Posted: 2 Jan 2010 6:31PM GMT
Classification: Query
I have information from the "Sarnia Observer" out of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. In 1858 S.P. Groat was heavily involved with the Arkona Literary and Debating Society of which he was secretary. He evidently lived in Arkona (a small village east of Sarnia in Lambton County). He was probably attending school in Arkona. Would be happy to share this information.


Greg Stott

Re: Stillman Preston Groat

Posted: 23 Jan 2010 12:21AM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Greg,

Little tidbits like that would be great to add - they give "personhood" to these people. Can you share electronically? Scans etc. Please feel free to contact me directly and we can see what we can arrange. Cheers!

Andrew

Re: Stillman Preston Groat

Posted: 23 Jan 2010 1:43AM GMT
Classification: Query
I would be happy to send you the material, but I think transcripts might be the only thing possible. The articles appear in the Sarnia Observer and the microfilming job was often poorly done and some of the articles are very difficult to decipher. I was able to transcribe them from variously 'hued' copies and fill in the blanks.

Greg

Re: Stillman Preston Groat

Posted: 23 Jan 2010 2:32AM GMT
Classification: Query
Transcripts would be great! Much thanks for the offer and I'll be sure to share it with my fellow GROAT researchers - very kind of you. BTW, are you a "GROAT" yourself?

Thx
Andrew

Re: Stillman P. GROAT - the murderer???

Posted: 26 Oct 2012 2:18AM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Mary!

My wife and I just purchased the house in Broken Bow that Stillman build in 1908. As you may know it is a grand house built like a castle and still is one of the most prominent houses in town. We are in the process of restoring it as close to it's original interior. Fortunately over the last 100 years it hasn't been modernized much but we can not find out much about it's original interior or construction.

Can you help out or give some direction??

Don Cain

Re: Stillman P. GROAT - the murderer???

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 7:25PM GMT
Classification: Query
these people are all from Middlesex county Ontario

Re: Stillman P. GROAT - the murderer???

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 9:38PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Don,

I'm Mary P.'s cousin ... one of the brother's to Stillman's father's line... Just curious, any hidden secrets that came about while reno-ing the old Stillman Groat house?

Cheers,
Andrew
Baltimore
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