Judge Joseph W. FarrisJoseph W. Farris was born in Johnson County, Illinois where he lived and attended school until the age of 18 when he became a school teacher and studied law on his own. In February 1889 he moved to Bloomfield, Missouri. He was prosecuting attorney for two terms, mayor of Bloomfield, President of the Bloomfield School Board, and was a state senator. He was a former state representative having carried more votes from his district than anyone ever had. In 1910 he was running for a position as circuit court judge.
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Senator Harry S. Truman in Bloomfield in the 1930s.
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Marshal George Greer
Murder of Marshal Greer by Jim Jones On April 26, 1904, a very drunk Jim Jones was raising cane on the streets of Bloomfield, Missouri. He sought Ezra Boyles, a relative of his girlfriend, for some unknown reason and openly threatened to whip him if he found him. Boyles heard the commotion while he was in the Indian Restaurant and went outside to see what had Jones in such a fuss. Jones went at Boyles but Boyles managed to get the upper hand and won the fight. Hearing the commotion, town marshal George Greer and night watchman, Henry Bolin, took Jones to the city jail. Jones was soon released on bond, but refused to leave the marshal, instead choosing to pick a fight with him. Eventually Marshal Greer convinced Jones to go home and sleep it off. Jones went to a friends house and retrieved a shotgun and walked uptown to challenge the marshal. When he began to take aim (Greer was speaking with friends in an alleyway entrance some distance from Jones), the shotgun accidentally discharged missing Greer. Jones took off for his home under fire from the marshal and night watchman. When Greer and Bolin approached Jones' residence, old man Wash Jones (father to Jim), answered the door. Wash made the marshal promise that he wouldn’t shoot his son, which he did. Greer called for Jim to come out and when he didn’t answer Greer entered the front door and was met by Jim who raised his pistol and shot Greer on the left side of the chest. The marshal stumbled backward and into the front yard, “He has killed me,” Greer said, before dropping dead. Bolin forced his way in the house and fired his first shot, but he missed because the old man had shoved him off balance. The second shot grazed Jones’s left arm. At that point, Jones threw up his hands and surrendered. Bolin took him to jail.
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Marshal George Greer was buried in Walker Cemetery. His widow, Lizzie, moved in with family in Des Moines, Iowa. It took her twenty-three years to get up enough courage to return to Bloomfield and visit his grave. In May, 1904, Jones was sentenced to 20 years in jail for the murder of Marshal Greer, but never served a day of that sentence when the case was throw out during an appeal on a technicality.
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More on the murderer Jim Jones
In 1905, Jones was sentenced to three years in the state penitentiary for assault. After an evening of drinking, he went to see his girlfriend, Nettie Boyles at the Barret Hotel in Bloomfield where she worked as a cook. The manager asked him to leave since the girls were busy, which Jones appeared to do at first, only to return a short time later where he tried to get the attention of Nettie through an open window. Nettie threw hot water on him which angered Jones and he hurled a brick at her striking her in the hip. He served six months for assault and was released on good behavior.
In June 1907, Jones was again arrested in Bloomfield, this time for grand larceny, he plead guilty and was sentenced to two years in the state pen, but only served 6 months.
In January of 1916, Jones again went on a drinking binge and intended to cause trouble. He walked into the Miller Hardware store where he bought a .32 caliber Colt DA revolver. He grabbed a box of shells on his way out, which much to his later surprise, turned out to be rimfire cartridges, not the centerfire cartridges required to fire the Colt. Jones then walked to Maupin’s Restaurant next to the Bank, this is where he was when City Marshal McAlister witnessed the drunken state of Jones and escorted him outside and told Jones to go home. The two men traveled about twenty feet and were directly in front of the bank when Jones pulled his revolver and attempted to shoot the marshal. When the cartridges didn’t go off, Marshal McAlister pulled his own revolver and shot Jones twice, killing him.
Jones was buried in the Bloomfield Cemetery, he was 38 years old. “Jim Jones when sober was an honest, upright citizen, of a most worthy family. His parents were well thought of in this city where everyone knows them. Not a word could be spoken against the family or Jim personally when sober, but when intoxicated he was quarrelsome and pugnacious.” Bloomfield Vindicator, January 21, 1916.
In June 1907, Jones was again arrested in Bloomfield, this time for grand larceny, he plead guilty and was sentenced to two years in the state pen, but only served 6 months.
In January of 1916, Jones again went on a drinking binge and intended to cause trouble. He walked into the Miller Hardware store where he bought a .32 caliber Colt DA revolver. He grabbed a box of shells on his way out, which much to his later surprise, turned out to be rimfire cartridges, not the centerfire cartridges required to fire the Colt. Jones then walked to Maupin’s Restaurant next to the Bank, this is where he was when City Marshal McAlister witnessed the drunken state of Jones and escorted him outside and told Jones to go home. The two men traveled about twenty feet and were directly in front of the bank when Jones pulled his revolver and attempted to shoot the marshal. When the cartridges didn’t go off, Marshal McAlister pulled his own revolver and shot Jones twice, killing him.
Jones was buried in the Bloomfield Cemetery, he was 38 years old. “Jim Jones when sober was an honest, upright citizen, of a most worthy family. His parents were well thought of in this city where everyone knows them. Not a word could be spoken against the family or Jim personally when sober, but when intoxicated he was quarrelsome and pugnacious.” Bloomfield Vindicator, January 21, 1916.