Not long ago, I checked in on Ancestry and found a shaky leaf on Benjamin Merritt's profile. I took a moment to click on it and I was speechless!
For many years I've thought about the circumstances surrounding Benjamin's death. It was all very curious. The family lore passed down was that Benjamin was running for Sheriff and someone didn't like him, so shot him.
As I dug into this story, I learned that it wasn't exactly accurate. I collected many details from a variety of regional newspapers. Each account gave new insights. Actually, he was running for state legislature. And the accounts varied in how he actually met his demise.
What I learned was that he had left his family in Nebraska the day before the November election to travel by train to Iowa to check in on his brother's family. His brother Josiah, had passed away 2 years earlier, leaving a wife and several young children. Benjamin was named one of the guardians to some of the children.
He rented a horse and buggy at the local livery and headed out. It is unclear if he ever made it to his destination in Lewis or if he was returning when this occurred. One account suggested that it may have been suicide. Others painted a picture of a highway robbery. At any rate, he was found shot in the head in the buggy.
I've looked and thought about this for a very long time. Were there court records? Coroner's inquest records? Other details that might lead me to the real truth of the 100+ year old mystery.
So back to the shaky leaf. . . I never imagined that I'd get my answers through a shaky leaf!! Here's the clipping that had been attached to Benjamin's profile on another person's tree.
It answers some questions, but certainly raises more. Thank you shaky leaf! And to the "cousin" who posted this clip on her tree!
Time to dig deeper!
