The 5K bullies sneak into Richfield

Another 4th of July in Richfield! Each year I tell myself that it will be the last and we need to move on to new adventures. But its a great place and we love it there. Kristen, Emily, and Nathan all ran in the 5K race and by the looks of this pre-race stretching picture, the stress just wasn't there. Nate had no "nemesis" to compete with and his relaxed attitude was contagious to the other two.
He took the gold by a comfortable margin and the biggest problem was that he kept running into the back of the police car escort. He may have set a course record but they forgot to turn on the timer. Kristen took 1st in the women's division and Emily 3rd. They may have to give out more than little sweat towels to get us back next year. On second thought... maybe they don't want us back!

Just to help separate from any personal blog stuff from the family history stories and events, I have created a separate blog for the Ogden/Anderson history.
Here is the link:
Ogden / Anderson family history

My Brother, My Plumber

My younger brother Patrick Floyd, is a true renaissance man. DaVinci would be proud of him. It has been said by those familiar with such things that he knows more about school budgets and financing than any other person in the state. I have no doubt that he probably knows even more than they realize. It is a lesson in humility to even be related to him.
I am one of the few that realize that his secret desire is to really be a plumber. He is constantly finding new challenges to learn from and plumb. During a recent experience he shared with us some important lessons on what to do (or not do) when you attack a common household water issue:

Ben, Bear, and I made a quick trip to Richfield to fix the sprinklers. I wanted this to be a bonding experience -- one where I could pass along my extensive plumbing knowledge and hopefully make Ben a little proud of his old man. So, knowing that we have sprinkler problem, we dig up the sprinklers, right?

Lesson #1 how to dig a hole.
After digging a very nice hole, we took apart the sprinklers.

Lesson #2 how to use monkey wrenches. We identified a likely malfunctioning valve and took it two plumbing parts stores to get a replacement.

Lesson #3 sometimes trying the new place in town is a waste of time. Better to start with the old reliables. At Peterson’s plumbing we learned our replacement part cost $95.00. That was the bad the news. The good news was that Donny was pretty sure that part wasn’t our problem.

Lessons #4 consult the professionals. So, instead of buying the part, we asked Donny what our problem was most likely to be. He just thought the whole thing weird and could only come up with a possible rock in the system.

Lesson #5 professionals don’t always have a good answer.

We went back home and tested our old part. It seemed to work just fine. Also checked for rocks, couldn’t find any. We puzzled and puzzled until our puzzlers were sore. Finally decided that maybe the whole system (outside and in) was suffering from low pressure. Decided to call the city and have them check the water pressure.

Lesson #6 when the chips are down, it’s ok to ask for help from the government and, to paraphrase Sherlock Holmes, when you’ve eliminated all other possibilities, the remaining possibility, no matter how improbable, must be the right one. In less than an hour, Ken Blackett (or, at least that who Charlie told me it was) came to check the water pressure. Instead, he took one look and said that he thought he knew what our problem was. He said that someone a couple of blocks away had the same problem just a few days ago. He took out our pressure reducer and, instead of replacing it, (said we really didn’t need it) merely bridged the gap with some PVC pipe he had in his truck. And, it worked. Pressure increased significantly. Ken told us not to mention what he did since technically we should have paid a plumber to do the work.

Lesson #7 sometimes the government does help.

Next, we had to reassemble the sprinklers that really didn’t need to be disassembled in the first place. Of course, we broke a pipe trying get things put back together.

Lesson #8 when you mess with something long enough, you’ll eventually break it. While I went to buy parts, Ben mowed the lawn. Once we got the parts, we managed to reassembly the sprinklers without too much more fuss.

Lesson #9 PVC pipe is one of the greatest inventions of 20^th century! I filled in the hole (the one that didn’t need to be dug in the first place) while Ben showered, packed our bags and cleaned the house.

Lesson#10
teamwork makes the jobs go faster. We left Richfield at 6:00 which tickled Ben since he thought we wouldn’t be leaving until much later. All in all, we had a productive trip. I couldn’t have done the job without Ben’s help and Bear’s supervision.

Thanks Pat. Anybody want to buy a house?? Strategic porch viewing area for all funeral processions to City Cemetery!

Gophers Beware

An Open Letter to all Gophers in my Backyard

Today I worked in the backyard and much to my horror discovered the recent evidence of your occupation. Please note that you are not welcome here and should vacate said premises immediately. You are welcome to inhabit any of my neighbor’s lawns as far as I am concerned. But I take great pride in my yard. Because you cannot seem to reside in a place without doing unsightly damage with many holes and mounds of dirt, you cannot stay here! You are a PEST! (and I mean that literally).

Here is a sampling of what I currently have stockpiled:

Maccabee spring loaded traps (not the catch and release kind!)
Spring loaded dagger traps
Adapters to attach hose from burrow to auto exhaust
Huge rat traps
16 gauge shotgun and lots of patience
Poison gopher gas bombs
A Propane gadget, that fills tunnels with gas, ignites the gas, and blows your toothy little carcass to "kingdom come”.
Satellite imagery

And let me close with a final warning. I have uncles who are ferocious hunters who will drop everything at my request to travel here and join the fray. We stick together like Tell, Tyrell, and Orin Sackett of the old west fame. Consider yourself warned of my wrath!

Technology and antiques

Another series of projects to come out of Patrick's tech lab are video clips of Mom describing various pieces of antique furniture that she aquired throughout many years. Patrick had the foresight to interview her several+ years ago and record her answers and item descriptions. We miss her greatly, but it is such a joy to hear her speak in such a clear confident voice and bring back many memories. I am amazed at her lack of hesitation in negotiating with old farmers, cranky neighbors, etc., and then transforming what we called junk into real heirloom treasures. Thanks Mom for all that you did and all that you taught us. And thanks Pat for putting wonderful memories in a permanent form.

Renee and her antiques

Miss Bailey makes Lemon Bars

Recently my younger brother Patrick has found some extra time on his hands. Fortunately for us he has used those moments for some creative endeavors. One particular incredible project is a recent video of his daughter Bailey (7) performing in her own cooking show. Its a real hoot and here is where you can find it on Youtube: Bailey cooking lemon bars

Another project has been to work with with me as a co-publisher on a family history web-site (still in production and almost ready for "prime time.") He handles the task of webmaster, Chief Executive, technical detail guy, etc. I act as, uhmm....... key grip operator. The website is called "Family Chaos - Sorting the Nuts on Our Family Tree". (rest assured that you are probably not one of the "nuts"!) It you want a peek it can be accessed at http://www.familychaos.net/. You will also need a user name and password. If you want a unique user user name, contact me. Otherwise you can log in using "guest" and the password "password". We are putting pictures, stories, headstone pics, as well as names, dates, and relationships. It's fun as well as useful and we will continue to add and refine as we can. We really want some feedback so please send any comments.

And finally the wonderful OTHER section and some odds and ends. I have posted a large selection of pictures (93) that we recently scanned and uploaded to a Picassa website. Most deal with Anderson's, the mountain, or the fifties and sixties. There are others that I can likewise post if anyone shows interest. If you want to get printed pictures you can copy and send via download to Costco, Walgreen's Photo, even Office Depot, and pick them up in a matter of hours. If you live in Sigurd however you are tough out of luck! Here is the Picassa link: Anderson photos

And the last good news is that the conclusion to the Murder in Zion Mystery has now been finished and posted at this site: Murder part 2.

If you didn't read the first it is at Murder part 1

Send me any ideas for something else you want to see. I am especially interested in collecting digital copies of family pictures. Send them or tell me what you might have.

Regards,
Brad

Postlude to Murder

This the second part of the story regarding the murder of Mary Steavens and what happens to Alvin Heaton. See the following for the beginning of the story: Murder in Zion part 1

Murder Part II



So when we last left our murder mystery story, young Alvin Heaton Jr. had just heard the guilty verdict and was led “impassively” from the courtroom to begin his sentence at the Utah State Prison. The jaws of the penitentiary yawned wide and now they were about to slam shut on Alvins' future. The jury had heard the tale of how young Mary Stevens was waiting for her boyfriend Alvin to arrive, hopeful that he would do the honorable thing and marry her. But rather than a proposal, she got three slugs in the back and then a fourth to make sure she was indeed dead. It was without a doubt, premeditated, cold blooded murder. But as heinous as the crime was, a life sentence in the “big house” for a young teenage boy is a gut wrenching picture.

More Background

As you recall the jury wanted to impose life imprisonment with a recommendation to mercy. The judge mentioned that no such thing existed and sent them back to reconsider. When they eventually returned the verdict was announced as life imprisonment with hard labor. Alvin was unmoved at hearing the verdict and the next morning he was brought before the court and asked if he anything to say before the penalty was imposed. The newspaper reporter stated that young Heaton “evidenced no sign of emotion” and that although a “scene of drawn out emotion was expected between the parents and the boy, nothing of the kind happened”. All seemed matter-of-fact and stoic.

It was the morning of January 30th 1909, a Saturday, when Alvin Heaton Jr. left town by train. He was in chains, accompanied by guards, and bound for the Utah State Penitentiary to begin his life-long confinement.

Actually there may have been good reason why no one seemed overly concerned, but before we get into that story we should learn more of the supporting cast.

Alvin Heaton Sr.
From Utah State death records we learn that Alvin’s father died of cancer only a few months later on Aug 10, 1910. According to probate records his estate was valued at $30,000, which would be equivalent to about just under $800,000 in today’s dollars. His son Jonathon was appointed as administrator of the estate. See report.

Ezra Stephens
We know little about Ezra Stevens, father of the victim Mary Stevens. But some reports show that he may have been a bit “difficult”. Whether his disposition changed to mean and bitter after his daughters death, or was always that way, is a matter we can only guess. He ran afoul of the law and was later convicted of murder (his own brother in law!) His prison term began on or about Sept 7, 1922. It is interesting to note that while being escorted to the Penitentiary he and the sheriff, while traveling north to the state penitentiary, stopped in Richfield for a bit of social chatting and a brief news conference. Check out the report HERE.

Mary Steavens

Marys last name is variously spelled either "Steavens" or "Stevens" and I am unable to determine which is correct. Some insights into her nature and character are found in the the journal of David Rust, who was a teacher at Orderville during the tragic events. See journal excert Here. According to Rust, Mary was the best of the class academically. Sometime after the murder he asked the Board to send to Mr. and Mrs. Steavens Mary's grades which reflected that she was the top student in all subjects. See request.

A class paper written by Mary shortly before her untimely death was published in the newspaper. It offers glimpses into the thoughts of this young girl and how she viewed life and those around her. See Mary Steavens Class Paper.

Back to Alvin Jr…..
Seven years elapsed before Heaton made his first appeal for a pardon in 1916. Here is his 1916 1916 application. And what would a good appeal be if there weren’t a supporting cast of other documents? When the appeal didn’t fly, the next round was fired, I mean filed, in 1917.
Addl documents
more addl documents

Just to complete some thorough research, see Ezra’s opinion of the whole deal.

The second appeal was apparently successful, although the written pardon document seems to have been misplaced for no record of it can be found. Alvin Heaton walked quietly out of the “jaws of the penitentiary” into mainstream life sometime in 1917. He had served nine years total for a brutal murder. No newspaper can be found that even makes a slight mention of the pardon.

Life on the Outside

As required of all men of appropriate age, Alvin registered for the draft on May 17, 1917, and listed his mother as a dependent, his occupation as farmer, and his address in Provo Utah.

Alvin jumped back into life with his new freedom. He married Berniece Hindmarsh on October 5, 1917 in Salt Lake City. She had just turned 18 one week previously. They had a son born on 19 Dec 1918, but he died the same day. The US Census of 1920 showed them living next to (or with) her parents in Provo, Utah. His occupation had now been updated to waiter. He was 29 and Bernice was 21. A second son was born to them in February 1921 and named Gerald.

The written records were silent from that time until July 2, 1924. On that day Alvin Heaton Jr. died in an odd car accident just north of Orderville. He was traveling back to town along with a brother and two friends, when the car ran off the road on the steep switchback north of town. According to the newspaper he was accompanied by his brother and his two friends Joseph and Howard Chamberlain. These three companions walked away unscathed. STORY of ACCIDENT. The switchbacks north of Orderville on highway 89 were narrow and treacherous. Addl Article No death certificate was found for Alvin.


Here is some bonus information to help you appear erudite when dicussing the story:
Pictured above is a 1917 Model T Ford. It could easily have been the same model of car that the four men were riding in when the accident happened. In the year of the accident, 1924, nearly 9 out of 10 cars on the road were Fords. The Model T had a top speed of 45 miles an hour under ideal conditions. It was built with a crude suspension system, wooden spoke wheels, and mounted with the simplest of tires. Going downhill on a switchback road at night would have tested the driver and car severely.

AFTERMATH

The brutal death of Mary Steavens remained an issue with many of the folks of southern Utah for quite some time. Read this haunting ballad that is part of the local forklore, written by an unknown author. POEM Also note that some facts are sacrificed in favor of a better rhyme.

More than a few folks felt that justice was not done right by the legal system, and it was because Alvin came from a prominent family and Mary did not. They argue a classic case of favoritism towards a privileged class. I suppose one would have to know more about the social structure of the town to pass judgement on that theory. Then there are others that propose that true justice was simply delayed and had to wait for divine intervention in the form of an auto accident. The odd circumstances of the accident and that three companions walked away, might cause one to believe that God had some earthly help. That is a possibility that haunts me.

CLOSING REMARKS

This has been an interesting bit of research and I have enjoyed it all. But I also grieve for two young people and the tragic decision to cover up a mistake by taking a life. I think also of the untold lives that have been hurt and severely damaged by that action. There is probably no end to the sorrow that that spilled forth from Orderville in that fateful month of May 1908. We should remember and learn, for those that forget history are doomed to repeat it.

But this is where I leave off and assign any additional research to the reader. Please post your theories, thoughts, and ideas in the comments section. Good luck!

Emily and Tanner off to the Prom!

Emily at Prom....and Happy Birthday Em!

More Precious than Gold

It has been a few weeks since I promised the update on the hit series "Murder in Zion". It's coming along fine (if you happen to be worried) but I have been slowed somewhat by life. Take heart, those of you that wait patiently, my batteries are charging and the final touches are coming together in a way that will startle you. You can't rush creativity, but I sense something being posted this weekend.

I have a truly wonderful wife. She balances me in so many ways and I can't say enough good things about her. And talk about patience! We celebrated our 30 year anniversary last week and I love her more now than ever before. I can't wait until we celebrate our 60th!! (well...yes I can). She surprised me by buying me a plane ticket to Utah for a bit of R and R doing whatever I want. That was a notable act of unselfishness! I spent most of the time with my brother Patrick working on scanning slides and researching. He teaches me many things from simple keyboard shortcuts to patience with life. He also helped provide me (somewhat unwittingly) with material for my Stake Conference talk the following week. I can't wait for him to visit us in Chico someday.

The highlight of the trip was finding a journal of my Great grandfather Nephi Anderson. I have only seen 2 or three pictures of him in my life, so to actually see his handwriting and read his notes was an indescribable feeling. There are forty or so pages of notes, chronicling facts, figures, dates, and other stuff that a man of his situation would record. Nothing that I can see about his particular views, opinions, or (heaven forbid) feelings. But it is his record and I am delighted to have something from his hand.

The journal came to me through a new found "relative", Bruce Cowley of Orem, Utah. Bruce is married to my mother's cousin Karen (daughter of William "K" Anderson) and they have been great to provide information and insight that was completely new to me. Thank you Bruce and Karen.

Here is a picture of the six sons of Nephi and Violet Anderson. My grandfather is Floyd in the upper left hand corner. I was puzzled about why I knew so little about the other five families until I realized the social dynamic that was at work. These are men of Scandinavian descent who were raised on a farm and learned early how to work hard. Do any of these guys look like social butterflies?? My guess is that were all similar to my own grandfather who was restrained in his comments and social "chit chat" was an unknown trait. Yep, nope, and "recon' so", were vocab mainstays. When they reached adulthood they each went their ways and lived their lives. This picture was taken on one of the few occasions they got together for a family event. Probably if they had been blessed with a few sisters in the group it may have helped bind the generations with more closeness. I want to better connect with these families and fill some gaps in history with pictures and stories that the record may be more complete. Any help from anyone would be most appreciated.

But do not think that there was not an abundance of love. Here is some proof:

Does Uncle Tim love his nephew? Without a doubt! But why is he carrying all that rope and why is Grandma Leda watching him so very closely???

Additional information: When my father was stationed in Okinawa during the post Korean war era, my mother went to live with her parents in Richfield. It was there that I was born and lived for 9 or 10 months until Dad returned to the states and was discharged. It was also a great time to became pals with my Uncle Tim, who was thirteen and no doubt delighted to have a young toddler invade his turf!

Faster than a speeding bullet!

Saturday was the big race day for Nathan at the Utah State University track meet at Logan. He was running unattached (because he is red-shirting) but was bristling to compete, thus we were in the City of Logan to turn him loose on an unsuspecting 5K race of about a dozen harriers.

Schools from USU, UofU, Idaho State, and others were there for the Aggies only home meet of the season. It was a might cool and the wind was a beast, but the Irish Peanut blazed ahead and never looked back. Kristen was there to coach and advise, Patrick was the photographer, and I came along to keep the lot of them out of trouble. All in all a great day. Nate's time was 15:31... so we rewarded him with a Wendys chicken sandwich and hustled back to SLC for dinner with family.

The was the Sevier County Courthouse as it appeared in 1909. It was January when the Heaton trial began, but justice can be had in any season, even the dead of a Utah winter. Note the hitching poles in front of the fence. Also you can see the several chimneys along the side, very important since the only form of heat were the fireplaces in the building. The courthouse was located on Main street near the corner where US 89 comes into town and connects with Main street. The City park is just to the north. The presnt day ultra modern courthouse stands where this old beaut once was.

Editorial Over-ride

We interrupt our tale with an important announcement.

My editor and I sat down with a few bananas and talked about how best to handle the explosive disclosures that will come in the next two installments. I say just tell it like it happened and let the pieces fall where they may. He has a very contrary opinion and jumped around and screeched for a good quarter hour before I gave in. Basically he acted like a real baboon about it all, and as always, got his own way, and the rest of the bananas as well.

So here's the way it will play out. Part two of this story won't be found on this same blog. We will set something up on some other site. Then anyone interested in following the story will just send us an email and we will respond to them with a site address and perhaps a password. That way only folks who are really interested get drawn in and the others can keep working on their income taxes or whatever. Also the story won't get ruined for those who may log on later and accidentally read the conclusion before the introduction. He insists we want to keep our reader base happy. When I pointed out that a generous count of our "reader base" showed five people at the most, he went ape again. It was then I finally realized that simians have no numerical concepts. Which explains my haphazard paycheck and all the random deductions.

So send us a note, tell us how you like the story, and we will share with you the next site. Just like a treasure hunt, huh?

b2.bradford@gmail.com

Murder in Zion

This is a true story about a brutal, premeditated, murder committed in a peaceful Southern Utah community a century ago. The story is told through archival links to various newspaper reports throughout the area. It is a story that I have pieced together over the last few weeks and it will take another two entries to fully tell the tale.  Be patient. Just click on each hyperlink (red text) and read the original newspaper account. If the text that opens is too large, adjust the text size control down to 100% or less. Have a great time... but save some energy for next weeks followup.

View Larger Map


The tale begins.....

April 20, 2008 will mark the 100^th anniversary of tragic death in the peaceful farmlands of southern Utah. It was just outside of Orderville Utah on that day in 1908 that a young girl, age 19, was murdered in cold blood and a small Mormon community went into shock. The Washington County News in St. George reported the event as follows:

Breaking News Story!!!

Being a weekly newspaper it was probably hard to keep up with the gossip and the word of mouth rumor mill before a new edition came out. But the following week the News shocks the community with more news:

Quick Arrest!!!!


May 14, 1908

This whole thing is moving along so nicely. Does it seem like its going to be a little too easy??

A Confession!!!

The Ogden Standard Examiner tells the story with sympathies for the poor broken down boy.   Read what they have to say in the lead paragraph of Salt Lake and State News:
Sophisticated News from the North

Wait a minute, you had better read this now before going any further

Retraction

First a confession and then a retraction.    You can sure tell when the defense counsel arrives.   It was probably a “frontier justice”  confession anyway, so let’s get on with the trial.

June 25th brings news that the suspect will be bound over until the District Court convenes it's rotating venue in August.          So until then it’s off to the State Pen for the young suspect.   Just where is the Child Protective Services anyway???

Waiting for Justice

But Kane County proves too hot and biased for the young man to receive a fair trial.        The decision is made to change the venue to Richfield, Utah and start the trial in January. This is a great decision for many reasons; including the fact that Reaper has a much more poetic newsman!

View Larger Map

So a strange character shows up in town to do a little checking on the state of the defendant.


The Alienist comes to Richfield


January 7, 1909

In order to have a fair trial you must also come up with enough jurors to hear the case. And any murder case is going to have some major sifting of potential jurors before the two sides can agree on the 12 they want. In this case the net is thrown wide and 70 are called to report. Among the 70 please note the names of A.M. Anderson of Vermillion, August Kotter of Elsinore, Guy Lewis, W.T. Ogden, Gottlieb Ence, of Richfield.

Cast of Characters

Here is the blow by blow choice of the jurors. It’s interesting that nobody from Richfield wants to be part of it.  And they also read the paper.

The big day arrives

Monday morning the show starts in full force. The courtroom is described as being “crowded to the point of suffocation” and the first item of business is to excuse the jury and do some legal "housekeeping" which mostly includes the important decision of whether to admit as evidence the purported confession.  Read about it here in the January 14th edition:

1.  Heaton Now on Trial
2.  Tribune reports the Courtroom is overflowing

What spices things up is the Church confession issue and the late night “in confidence” visit by the member of the Stake Presidency who was just helping out.   The waters are getting murkier. The prosecution wants the confession admitted but the judge thinks a late night confession to a church leader should probably be sealed as privileged and inadmissible.

The State opens its Case

The State of Utah (the presecution) opens its case and the action gets hotter.  Blood stained shoes and coat and the revealing autopsy report.   Some random thoughts before you read:

Just where is the CSI lab when you really need it?

Chicken blood vs. human blood, could you tell the difference?

“I just wanted a gun for a month to practice with”

What’s a Miranda warning anyway???

Exactly what was it? A six shooter or a five shooter??

With no admissible confession, the state plays its next card; some Kane County jailhouse snitches.  They claim that Heaton told them all about the murder as they rotted together in the county slammer.  Credibility notwithstanding, the jury listens intently.

The Case Continues...

The Prosecution builds their case but the defendant seems totally unconcerned with his fate.     Finally, after all these months, here comes the verdict. The verdict is read by the jury foreman while the packed courtroom waits in suspense. The verdict is read by the foreman and then the judge says something like

What??

The jury is then sent back for a new verdict, while the “gates of the penitentiary yawn wide”. Read about it and weep:   The big wrap-up and Verdict

An addendum to the same paper. Just what did young Heaton say in his confession?

Confession revealed or maybe this is the confession: confession #2

That’s it for today. I rest my case.

(but stay tuned…there are some very interesting postscripts and thoughts coming next week that will turn this upside down!)

The next installment entitled "Prelude to Murder" can be found at here: PART The State opens it's Case

Here is Kristen on our recent adventure in Sevier County "huntin' headstones. Ain't she chic???




I am forever wondering about what it is that makes us what we are. We know that we can control our own destiny, right?? But it is indeed difficult to dismiss the strong currents that are created through the power of genetics. Perhaps the twin powers of nature and nurture combine in a way that God has designed to make life a challenging adventure. I think that the subject needs much more contemplation and serious pondering. And a of course a healthy does of inspiration.

But that only explains a part of my fascination with family history. It is also like hunting treasure, doing crosswords, and creative expression. Maybe it is also like taking matter unorganized and stories untold and bringing them together in a way that takes on new meaning and understanding. And mostly it is just plain fun, which is a great reason in itself!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!

Wow Dad, you haven't changed a bit in the past 54 years:) Have a great day!