New Douglas Newspaper Articles
WESLEY REAVES DRY GOODS ROBBED
Source: Alton Weekly Telegraph, September 17, 1874
Edwardsville News - Last Thursday night the store of Wesley Reaves
in New Douglas was entered by burglars, and about five or six
hundred dollars’ worth of goods stolen. An entrance was effected by
boring augur holes through the back door and removing the bolt with
which it was fastened. Suspicion at once rested upon a man who had
arrived in town late in the evening previous, and who had departed
during the night. He was traveling in a one-horse buggy, and owing
to some peculiarity in the shoes with which his horse was shod, but
little difficulty was experienced in tracking him. He returned
through Alhambra, where it was ascertained he had taken dinner the
day before, and thence by Hamel's corner to Balser Heinemann's, a
saloon
and tavern on the Hillsboro Road, two miles from this city
[Edwardsville]. It was previously discovered that he had left the
road in a circuitous manner in Silver Creek timber, and packed and
tied up such of the goods as suited him best, and destroyed a
quantity of others by burning them, a few remnants of which
partially burned, and some paper boxes with Mr. Reaves' mark upon
them being found there. He was arrested at Heinemann's by Charles
Borman, constable, living at Hamel, and taken back to New Douglas
before Martin Jones, a Justice of the Peace, who upon hearing the
testimony, committed him to the county jail in default of seven
hundred dollars bail. He gave his name as R. R. Johnston, and had a
good horse and buggy and a small carpet sack containing several
dozen patent glass cutters, which he had been peddling, using in
payment of traveling expenses, &c., and also a revolver. The goods
recovered from him and identified by Mr. Reaves were valued at about
four hundred dollars, and are sufficient to send him up, but as his
bail is small, he may have friends able to assist him. He says his
mother lives at Rocksprings, St. Louis County, Missouri. The horse
and buggy have been attached by Mr. Reaves with a view of partial
compensation for expenses and unrecovered goods.
NOTES:
Tobias Reaves, a native of North Carolina, came to Madison County in
1828, and bought property from a man named Ringo. The Methodists
held their early meeting in the Reaves home. He died at his son’s
(Wesley Reaves) home in New Douglas, in October 1876, and is buried
in the Reaves Burial Ground in Alhambra, Illinois. Tobias’ wife,
Nancy Monroe Reaves (December 17-1791 – August 21, 1861), died
preceded him. By 1882, Wesley Reaves was the only one of the family
residing in the county.
Other children of Tobias and Nancy Reaves include: Thomas Reaves
(1818-1835); Wiley Green Reaves (1822-1863); Martha Ann Reaves
Cornelison (1822-1901); Randall Reaves (1823-?); Louisa Jane Reaves
Hammer (1830-1895); Nancy E. Reaves (1833-1838); and Tobias Reaves
Jr. (1839-?).
Wesley Reaves opened a dry goods store and hotel in New Douglas. He
died in 1903 while visiting his son in Kansas City, at the age of
76, leaving a widow and nine children.
A VISIT TO NEW DOUGLAS
Source: Alton Telegraph, May 10, 1883
From Edwardsville – Your correspondent availed himself of the
opportunity afforded by a special train over the Narrow Gauge
Railroad last Sunday, and visited the thriving and prosperous
village of New Douglas. It was not a day for business, although it
was clear and beautiful, but we met several of the prominent
citizens of that place, among whom were Wesley Reaves, the veteran
hotel keeper of the village; Abram Allen, ex-Supervisor and
proprietor of one of the new additions to the village, who occupies
an elegant two-story brick house opposite the park; Supervisor Long
and his late opponent for the office, Mr. Thomas Reaves; also, Mr.
Foster, an old resident; Dr. Dusenbury; Mr. Prenger, the proprietor
of the fine new mill; and many others. From conversation with some
of these gentlemen, and from what was visible to the eye, we learned
that real estate was on a “boom” there. Prices for eligible lots in
the south part of town, towards the railroad, rule high.
We failed to see Mr. Brewer, publisher of the New Douglas News, but
were fortunate in meeting his right bower, Charlie Kienlein,
formerly of the Intelligencer office in Edwardsville, who does the
principal part of the press work. Mr. Ed Crane, another Edwardsville
artist, is also there, helping to beautify New Douglas, in the
capacity of a house and sign painter.
BURGLARY AT NEW DOUGLAS
Source: Alton Telegraph, February 01, 1900
Tuesday night Olive's store at New Douglas was burglarized. This
morning two men entered Edwardsville and raised a disturbance, and
when City Marshal Barnsback attempted to arrest them, they whipped
out two brand new Colt's revolvers and struck the marshal on the
head. They then started in the direction of Glen Carbon. At that
place they were headed off by a crowd of people. One succeeded in
getting away. The other was captured by Night Policeman Moriarty,
and he placed the prisoner in the keeping of a man named Webber.
While Webber was holding the desperado, a blast of wind blew the
policeman's hat off, and in an effort to catch his hat, his hold was
loosened on the prisoner, when the latter suddenly pulled a Colt's
revolver from his pocket and brandished it in the faces of the men
surrounding him, and made a dash for liberty, escaping from his
captors. Chase was immediately given. The country was being scoured
in all directions for the men. It is believed that these two
desperados were the men who burglarized Olive's store at New
Douglas, and that the weapons were taken from the store. They were
too heavily armed for their captors to hold. At the time City
Marshal Barnsback arrested the two men in that town, he had not
heard of the burglary at New Douglas, but made the arrest for a
disturbance in the county seat.