Alice Louisa Lyman

Daily Huronite newspaper; Huron, South Dakota
June 21, 1887; Page Three

The Lyman-Shaw Funerals.

The Geauga, Ohio, Republican of June 15 has the following account of the funerals of Mrs. Flora E. Shaw, Corwin B. Shaw and Alice Lyman:

A most appalling and heart rendering affair, one that has stirred to the very foundation of sympathy the people of Chester and vicinity, as they never have been before, was the shooting of the Shaw and Lyman family in Dakota.

It was known that their remains would arrive at Willoughby on the 9:28 express on Thursday, and the hearse with two other suitable carriages, accompanied by many sympathizing friends, met them and they were transferred to the vault at
Chester, where the caskets, three in number, were profusely showered with flowers.

On Friday, at 11 o'clock, the people assembled at the Congregational church to pay their last tribute of love and respect to the departed ones. The services were in charge of Walter Johnston. Eighteen pall-bearers were selected from their many school-mates and friends, they being seated in a body upon the rostrum, while the many relatives upon both sides filled the body of the house.

The remaining seats and standing room was densely packed, while many could not gain entrance to the church. It was without doubt the largest funeral ever held in Chester. The pulpit, organ and stand were covered in black, and festooned with braided flowers of myrtle and syringas(lilacs). A pillow of flowers containing the names - Flora, Corwin and Alice decked the stand. The services were conducted by Rev. Wab, of Willoughby, assisted by Revs. Dumm and Wells.

The singing was conducted by W. Johnston, Miss Ada Jones, Mrs. R. King, W.E. Parr, W.S. Gilmore as organist, and as had been remarked by many, it was the best music for such an occasion that Chester has listened to for many years.

After the services at the church, the procession was formed in front, the eighteen bearers bearing the flowers which were inside, then the choir and clergy, followed by the relatives, after which every one who wished followed in
the procession until it extended from the church to the cemetery gate, in which form all arrived at the place where the remains were lowered into one grave, side by side, to their last resting place. Thus they had lived, died and were buried together. The choir sang the hymn, "They sleep beneath their native earth, And near the spot that gave them birth."

And, as they sang, it seemed as though grief knew no bounds. The stout hearted man, that under ordinary circumstances could not shed a tear, bowed his head and
wept, and thus ended one of the most fearful tragedies upon record.

Kindly contributed by Find A Grave member dm wms #47395868

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Great Falls Tribune newspaper, Semi-Weekly, Montana Territory
Wednesday 15 June 1887; Front Page, Column 1

AWFUL BUTCHERY

A Disputed Land Claim Causes A Fearful Tragedy

Huron, Dak(ota), June 6 - A quadruple murder and suicide occurred in Lake Byron to-day, as a result of a land dispute of long standing. Simon S. Neilson who had used threatening language against the Shaw family, went to a field where were Mrs. Shaw, her sister Miss Lyman, her brother E. S. Lyman and J. A. Kelsey a neighbor. Mrs. Shaw's son Corwin was also there ploughing.(sic)

When Corwin had plowed across the field with Lyman just behind him, and turned to make another furrow, Neilson came out with a Winchester rifle and shot at Lyman, who dashed behind his horses and was not hit. Lyman called to all: "Run for your lives!" Corwin ran, but he fell dead, shot through the heart, the ball entering his back at a distance of thirty yards. Neilson fired at Kelsey, who fell shot through the right lung and Neilson supposed him dead. By that time the murderer had got up to the two women, who stopped and faced him. When they saw that Corwin had fallen they ran no further. Mr. Lyman said that Neilson came up to the women, talked to them, reloaded his gun and then deliberately shot each of them to death. When Miss Lyman was shot she was seen by her brother to be kneeling before the tiger-like monster piteously pleading for her life, but he knew no mercy. He put the muzzle of the Winchester close to her face and shot her in the left temple. Neilson then pulled out his knife, and stabbed her in the right breast, and his appetite for others' blood was satiated.

He walked back past the three he had killed, and onward toward home, which he soon reached. Then Neilson went into the house and said to his wife, "There's three less of them." Then he went outside where his horse was saddled as though he would ride away, but in a moment a report of a gun was heard, and as Mrs. Neilson went to the door she saw him fall dead to the ground, a bullet in his right temple.

Kelsey died soon after being shot. The parents of the ladies who were killed lived in Chester, Geauga County, Ohio. They have been advised of the affair. Mr. Kelsey was the superintendent, and Miss Layman the assistant, of a Sunday School in their neighborhood. Both were in their places yesterday. Mr. Kelsey belonged to the Baptist, and the two ladies to the Methodist.

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St. Paul Daily Globe, St. Paul, Minnesota
Tuesday 7 June 1887; Front Page, Column 1

AN AWFUL DEED
Horrible Quadruple Murder in South Dakota
The Fiend Slays Two Men and Two Women
The Latter Piteously Beg For Their Lives
He Essays to Kill His Wife and Child,
But Fails and Then Commits Suicide

Special to the Globe
Huron, Dak(ota), June 6 - The most terrible tragedy known to this locality occurred on the Shaw farm, eight miles northeast of Huron, this morning. Sime Neilson and Mrs. Flora Shaw had contested one of the notorious Cameron claims. Both parties were living on the land, their houses being only forty rods apart. Mrs. Shaw was the first settler and had made a bona fide filing on the tract, while Neilson had only built a house, remained there a short time and did not make a filing. The contest was decided in favor of Mrs. Shaw. Neilson, who during the term of contest, had proved up on another claim, removed his family into the house near Mrs. Shaw's, and would not vacate. The courts were appealed to, but Neilson disregarded their order. Mrs. Shaw's family consisted of herself, her son Corwin, twenty-one years old, and a sister, Miss Alice Lyman. Last Friday Corwin attempted to do some plowing, but

WAS DRIVEN OFF

by Neilson with a Winchester rifle. This morning E. C. Lyman, a brother to Mrs. Shaw, Corwin Shaw and his mother, Miss Lyman and G. A. Kelsey went to the field to work. Lyman and Shaw began plowing when Neilson came from the house and without a word fired a shot from a Winchester at Lyman, but missed him. He then shot Corwin as he was running from the field, the ball entering the back and striking the heart. Kelsey was the next, the ball passing through the left side and lung. Mrs. Shaw and her sister stopped and beseeched him to spare their lives, but he refused. Mrs. Shaw was shot through the head, spine and side, and has a bullet wound on one arm. Miss Lyman was

SHOT THROUGH THE HEAD.

The ball entering her left temple, her face and neck being severely burned with powder. He also cut a deep gash in her breast with a knife. Going back to the house, he said to his wife: "I've killed three of them, now I'll shoot you and the child, kill myself, and end the trouble." Mrs. Neilson ran from the house and took refuge behind the barn. The child, only a few moments before had been sent to a neighbor on an errand. Seeing that his wife had fled, Neilson put the gun to his left temple and blew out his brains, falling only a short distance from the door. Huron is much agitated over the affair. Hundreds of people visited the scene this afternoon. Kelsey died this evening.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 29 2022, 10:52:53 UTC