Effie McMillin's child, Carl was such a special boy. He was the twin brother of Charlie but, although only 3 years of age, the differences between the two were obvious to everyone. Both were good boys, but Charlie was somewhat cautious and reserved while Carl was the adventuresome one. Both boys were precious children but Carl's effervescent temperament more often than not garnered him most of the attention, at least until Carl was murdered.
Effie McMillin's cousin, Claude Drake, passed away and the mother of two 3-year-old boys needed to attend the funeral which was to be held in Coy, Mo. The rural, and what some might call backwoods area of Southwest Missouri, was sparsely populated in January of 1903. It seemed like everyone in McDonald County was somehow related to one another and relatives and friends of those dearly departed were expected to attend the final services for the deceased. However, the trek to Coy would be a long and arduous one for Effie's two boys.
Back then, it was customary for friends and relatives to help out with child care when needed. The idea of employing a paid babysitter was unheard of. So it was that, when Effie needed someone to watch over, and only for a day, Carl and Charlie, she turned to someone she knew, Mr. and Mrs. Batson.
The Batson's rented a room in a house belonging to George Conner and his wife. The Conner's also lived in the house which was located just on the outskirts of Anderson. Anderson wouldn't incorporate into a city until 1909 but folks there considered it a town; anyway, it was home. The Batson's and Conner's were acquaintances of Effie McMillin and she was sure the children would be well cared for during her brief absence.
There were times during the night of Effie's absence when George Conner was alone in a room with the two children. Mrs. Conner and Mrs. Batson heard the children screaming and crying while alone with Conner but, when questioned about the ungodly sounds, Conner simply brushed off their concerns stating that the children were being unruly.
Monday morning came and it was then that the Batson's noticed that something was wrong. Carl was crying and seemed to be in a great deal of pain. While examining the child, the Batson's observed numerous bruises about Carl's body, bruises that had not been there the evening before.
Mrs. Conner was asked to take a look at the injured child and she immediately suggested that a doctor be summoned. George refused to fetch a doctor, saying that one was not needed; however, he did leave, stating that he was going to the neighboring town of Pineville.
The day passed and the battered child continued to cry and whimper in pain. It wasn't until later that evening that George Conner returned and the news of Carl's death was given to him. It was said that he didn't seem at all concerned about the death but, at the insistence of Mrs. Conner, he agreed to go to Coy and inform Effie of the death of her child.
George and Effie returned to the Conner's house where the distraught Effie held the lifeless body of her child. George had no words of remorse for the child's mother but rather left the house for an unstated destination. Conner traveled to Anderson and there asked that Ed Foster provide him with a coffin so the deceased child might be buried early the following morning.
Conner's request, notwithstanding, was dismissed by Foster who stated that he would provide the coffin the following morning. By all accounts, this reluctance to accommodate Conner's request was met with obvious disapproval and annoyance. George wanted the child buried before anyone else could view the corpse, but that scheme soon went afoul.
The following day, the poor child's body was viewed by Mrs. Foster as well as others. No attempts had been made to camouflage or conceal the bruises and all onlookers gasped at the condition of the body. Although concerns regarding the cause of death were openly expressed, Carl was buried later that afternoon. George Conner, for one, seemed more than somewhat relieved.
As one might expect, when several people are privy to details meant to be kept secret, there will be talk, and talk there was. In fact, there was so much talk and speculation about the cause of little Carl's death that, the following Saturday, McDonald County Coroner Snell exhumed the body.
The degree of physical abuse found on the body of Carl was horrific. In fact, an examination of Carl's brother, Charlie was conducted and he was found to have a broken leg, a broken arm and several other obvious signs of trauma.
A complete report was prepared by Snell and the paper sickened those who read it. Carl had been kicked in the stomach, beaten about the neck and face and there were bite marks on his small body. The ensuing investigation could come to one, and only one, conclusion. Charlie had been beaten and Carl murdered by George Conner. An inquest, conducted at a cost of $41.48 to the county, found that there was little doubt that Carl was murdered and Charlie had been savagely beaten.
Constable Caldwell found and arrested Conner, after which the accused child murderer was remanded to the custody of McDonald County Sheriff Edwards. "Please shoot me," Conner asked of Edwards. To the chagrin of many, the sheriff did not accommodate him. Conner would remain behind bars in the Neosho, Mo., jail until March when the posting of a $10,000 bail by Doctor St. John and others secured his release. He would remain free on bail until the day when he would stand trial for murder.
The possibility that others were in some way complicit in the murder of poor Carl existed and a lengthy investigation ensued. However, after all the interviews were conducted, written statements reviewed and physical evidence examined, the case against anyone else was just too flimsy to justify any additional arrests. George Conner would be held solely responsible for the murder of Carl McMillin.
George Conner made no claim that rage, a fit of anger or even an accident caused the death of the boy. He didn't express sadness or remorse for his reprehensible deed nor did he ask for forgiveness. What kind of person was this who could without any outward sign of shame continue to embrace life?
A reporter for the Pineville Herald penned his opinion regarding the possible punishment which might be given to Conner. "Pen cannot point or tongue describe the physical pain and bodily torture these two helpless infants have been subjected to, and George Conner will positively never get his just deserts until the demons of hell roast his infernal carcass in the bottomless pit." There were few, if any, dissenting opinions among the newspaper's readers.
Some time passed and the horrible murder, at least for many living in the county, became no more than a bad memory. However, for Sheriff Edwards, the feelings of sadness and disbelief lingered.
"Sometimes, I think I've gotten used to people dying; you know accidents and even those poor folks who were murdered but I will never get used to the death of a harmless child. By God, that murdered child was just three years old. Well, he was so innocent and pure."
George Conner was tried for the murder of little Carl McMillin. The verdict? Well, he was found not guilty.
Stan Fine is a retired police officer and Verizon Security Department investigator who, after retiring in 2006, moved from Tampa, Fla., to Noel. Stan's connection to Noel can be traced back to his grandparents who lived most of their lives there. Stan began writing after the passing of his wife Robin in 2013. Opinions expressed are those of the author.