“Jealousy, Gangs & Contract Killing” at Rock Club

Submitted by Mary Kocz, SRGMC

        Joseph Hutchison, Ozark Academic Historian, will present “Jealousy, Gangs and Contract Killing” at the Spring River Gem & Mineral Club 10am, August 2, Thunderbird Center, 62 N. Lakeshore Rd, Cherokee Village, AR.

Dateline:  October 1887:  Robert Inness  stood trial at the Sharp County Courthouse for crimes committed in Williford, AR.

         Inness lived in Williford.  He was not alone in his crimes but was assisted by eight other people.   What was his crime? His motive?  This is more complicated than a Whodunnit.  Why..how..did those eight  people help him.  Were these acts of vigilantism, mob violence, or something more undefined?   An interesting case for sure, but as it unfolds it becomes more and more fascinating, spinning off into multiple legal case

        To hear the rest of the story….. come to the meeting.

         Hutchison is a native of Evening Shade.”Growing up, my family instilled in me a love, a passion, for history, specifically local history. I’m attending University Missouri at Columbia, pursuing a Masters in History, and plan to work toward my PhD in History. I want to shed light on the complicated history of the Ozarks, which is one of the most misunderstood regions  and people groups in the country.”   Even as a student, Hutchison is making his name known:  He was awarded the 2024  NEARA Award for Archival Research at the Arkansas Historical Association Conference.  He has already presented at the Ozark Studies Symposium in West Plains, MO, the Ozark Studies Association Conference in Tahlequah, OK, and the Missouri Conference on History in Columbia, MO

        Spring River Gem & Mineral Club meets monthly, with power point presentations given by experts in their fields.  September 6  SRGMC meeting will feature historian Freda Cruse Hardison in a presentation “Birth of the Ozarks.”   Who were the first settlers?  Why did they choose Arkansas?   What impact did they have on Arkansas?

        Please be advised that there is a road closing in Cherokee Village. So check your GPS for directions.  There are many routes available no matter where you’re coming from.

        Visitors are always welcome at meetings.  The meeting is free.  For those who are interested in  supporting SRGMC by joining,  dues for a single person are $15,  $25 for a family.  For further info 870.847.3109.