Annie's Song: A True Story About A Bad Robbery

Following are excerpts from stories written by my Great-Grandmother, Annie Biggs Adcock as they were written to her daughter Clara.  They were compiled in a book entitled No More The Wild Country by my cousin John R. Coles.   He graciously gave me permission to use these in hopes that future generations of our family will know a little bit of our history. 

A True Story About A Bad Robbery

"This is the story of a bad robbery.  In 1919, little Maurice was born.   Later on that year, we had gone down to the blacksmith shop.  My husband's brother Dave came in and said their father had had a stroke and couldn't move.   We sent Myrtle and Clara to the nearest house and got their father inside where he died.  I couldn't stay because of little Maurice.  My husband and his brother were there, and two men also.   Grandpa Adcock had always carried quite a sum of money on him and never expected to be bothered.  They took the money out of his pocket and ashed and dressed him as there was no funeral home in those days.  My husband told them to stick the money in the toe of an old shoe and throw it up in the closet.  They did. 

Dave was an old bachelor.   He had several lady friends, but, somehow he decided he didn't want a life-time partner.  It was at least a half a mile to anyone's home from where he lived.  And it was talked far and near that he was loaded with money since his daddy died. 

About two months later, one Friday night about nine, he was all closed up in his three-room house.  He had the windows nailed up half way.  It was hard to see inside.  He heard someone call him from outside.   He finally answered the call, and they told him they wanted to go hunting with him.  He told them he did not want to go hunting, so they went on.  Sunday afternoon they caught him away from the house, coming in.  He stopped by the end of the house to feed an old rooster he had in a coop.   He had his gun in his hand, but when he raised up he saw two pistols pointed in his face.  They told him to throw up his hands or take his medicine.  Of course, he had no other choice.  They marched him inside the house, made him lay down on the bed, where they tied him with bed sheets.  One stood guard over him, while the other raided the house.  The first place that they looked was in the closet.  The old shoe was the first thing they looked for and they got it.  They also raided the whole house.  When they started to leave they told him if he got loose before twelve o'clock they would still be around and they'd shoot him.  So, he lay there most of the night.  He came up to the house the next morning and told us, but told us not to tell no one or they'd come back again.   I told him that's what the law is for is to catch thieves.  So, I went and called the law. They came and they laid it on two boys done the bad deed.  

There was two men who everybody knew.  Some had seen them come back this road that leads to Dave Adcock's house.  I am perfectly satisfied it was them and not the two boys who should have taken the blame and put up the time.  I wouldn't even go to the trial because I didn't think it was them.  

After a good many years the father of one of those boys came to see my husband and his brother Dave.  He asked them to sign a paper to let his boys out.   My husband brought the paper to the house and asked me if I was in his place would I sign it?  I told him I would since I never believed it was them to start with.  So, he did.  And, one day I met one of those boys on the Market.  He told me he had been dirty, but he did not rob Dave Adcock."