The following article comes from the research done by Tracey Matthews and written for a class at Emporia State University while a student in 1997. The class was titled Flint Hills Folklife and the instructor was Dr. Jim Hoy.
“After the hearing ended, Dobbs was taken to jail and was held without bail pending the January term of court. Amelia returned to Wichita for safekeeping and was overheard saying that she was a victim of a conspiracy. She also claimed her cell mate was a detective hired to obtain incriminating evidence.
“In January, both returned to court for the trial. The newspaper mentioned that Dobbs was in poor health and occupied a rocking chair while in the courtroom. The crowd was once again large and only about half of those wishing to go inside could do so. The opinion seemed to be split as to the guilt of the accused, although the evidence was strong and there was speculation about a hung jury. Shortly after the case went to the jury, it was reported that Amelia had confessed. She had been taken back to the sheriff’s house and was in the company of Mrs. Emma Murphy, a longtime friend who had come to wish her good-bye. Mrs. Murphy offered her sympathy to Amelia and in return, Amelia acknowledged her guilt. Exactly what she said was not known but it was definitely a confession. Mrs. Murphy fainted and was carried away. Five minutes later, Amelia adamantly denied ever making such a statement. Sheriff Knox, who was guarding the room, overheard the confession and said it did not contain more than a dozen words. That was enough apparently to convince the public of their guilt. After the alleged confession, there was concern over the jury’s decision. If the pair were found not guilty, they would forever be free, even if a post-verdict confession was made. The jury returned to court at 4:30 Sunday morning the 9th of January, 1898, after eleven hours of deliberation, with a verdict of guilty of murder in the second degree. Neither defendant showed any concern during the reading of the verdict or the polling of the jury afterwards. Also, no effort would be made to secure a new trial as both defendants felt that their counsel had done well and thought they were tried fairly. Now that they were convicted, they had to await sentencing. When they returned to court, both of them were asked if there was any reason that sentencing should not be passed on them for the crime of which they were convicted. Dobbs protested his innocence and offered his farm as a reward for the arrest and conviction of the real murderer. He thanked the court and asked that, on his death, he be buried in Otter Creek Township next to one of his children, or sent to Missouri to be by his wife. Amelia made no statement and remained composed.
“Talk of Dobbs’ insanity spread throughout the community. Some said it was a ruse to try to get a lighter sentence or perhaps be sent elsewhere. Others thought, however, that “death may soon commute his sentence.” In the January 21st, 1898, edition of The Herald, a front-page headline asked the question: “Is Dobbs Insane?” This not only indicates the familiarity to all of the trial and the people involved, but also the community gossip of Dobbs’ questionable sanity. The article reports that he was talking irrationally and initially showed no signs of violence. That later changed as he was reported saying that he would rather die than go to the penitentiary and shortly thereafter, he attempted suicide. He tried to sever the artery in his left wrist by biting at it with his teeth and was “making fair headway when the other prisoners frustrated his efforts.” Afterwards, he was guarded closely. It was noted that he had been suffering from stomach troubles for a while and imagines that he will die soon.
“Two weeks after the trial, both were sentenced to “hard labor in the state penitentiary for the balance of their natural lives.” Those expecting a confession were disappointed and many thought the sentence was heavier than it should have been. Most took it with blind faith that justice was served. Dobbs and Amelia were taken to the penitentiary at Lansing. Dobbs was reportedly in very poor health and was taken directly to the prison’s hospital.
“No mention is made of either Dobbs or Amelia until May of 1898. A peculiar item in the neighborhood news section of the paper mentions that Dobbs recently died in Lansing. Where the paper got the information is just as questionable as is the truthfulness of the statement. Dobbs, indeed dies in prison, but not in 1898.
“A normal tale of a love triangle gone bad would end with the protagonists imprisoned. Just as there is nothing normal with the Flint Hills, such is the case with Dobbs and Amelia. Shortly after her interment, her land passed into the hands of J.A. Smith. Amelia deeded the land to the wife of her lawyer, Mrs. J. Schultz, who sold it, after Amelia’s conviction, to Smith. Amelia was not happy with this sale and would have none of it. She immediately took legal action by way of her brother Charles. In March of 1900, the case of Charles Becker et al vs J.A. Smith was brought to trial and her brother was the victor. Smith asked for a new trial, was refused, then appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court, which reversed the decision. The case was sent back to Greenwood County. In April of that year, Amelia sues Smith to recover $1,400, presumably payment for her farm, to no avail.
“While trying to get her land back, Amelia also pursued an appeal. Several attempts were made, some going as far as the United States Supreme Court. Somewhere between initial sentencing in 1898 and July of 1901, Amelia’s sentence was commuted to 40 years by then Governor Leedy. A suit in “coram nobis” (before the king) began and the venue changed from Greenwood to Woodson County. The opposition to Amelia’s petition was upheld by Judge Stillwell, whose decision was supported later by the Kansas Supreme Court. The United States Supreme Court followed suit in March of 1902 and the general consensus of the community was that this was the last chapter of this case. The newspaper reported that the case, thus far, cost nearly $1,000, the most expensive in Greenwood County’s history to date.
“Early in 1903, the Dobbs-New case once again found itself in court, as well as the paper. In February, the newspaper reported that the pair had been before nearly every court in the land seeking a new trial and Governors Leedy and Stanley both overruled their application for a pardon. In May of that year, the case was to go before then Governor Baily, and again, they were refused.
“On July 4th, 1904, a street fair was put on in Seneca, Kansas in Nemaha County. The connection to the Dobbs-New case would be their attorney John Stowell and partner County Attorney Nold, both of Seneca. Mr. Stowell had business in Eureka at the time of the initial trial and became interested in the case. After they were convicted and sentenced, he visited them in Lansing. He believes their story of innocence and has since, together with his partner, been at work for their cause. Stowell and Nold built a stand on Main Street and painted around it the words “To Right a Wrong,” “Justice,” and “Liberty Day.” They displayed on the stand 6000 acorns turned by Dobbs in Lansing, one of which now makes it home at the Greenwood County Historical Society. The attorneys intended to sell the acorns, at twenty cents apiece, to help raise funds to print a book that would prove Dobbs and Amelia innocent. Both attorneys made speeches to encourage community members to buy the acorns. Inside each acorn was a handwritten note from Dobbs pleading for help.
“Unfortunately for Dobbs, the book was never written. Dobbs died in 1904, while still in the penitentiary. A cause of death was not mentioned and Dobbs never saw the justice he thought he deserved. This was not the case for Amelia. Tuesday the 26th of November, 1907, Amelia New was granted a full pardon by Governor Hoch, effective immediately. This took all concerned by complete surprise as it was not known that the governor was considering clemency in her case. Eight of the jurors who listened to the original case signed the governor’s petition, the only two who refused were County Attorney Johnson, who tried her, and Judge Shinn, who heard her case. The governor visited Amelia in Lansing and although she was 48 years old, he said she looked as if she were 60. Prison life must have been difficult for her. Governor Hoch made the comment that even though she was a free woman, he was doubtful she could make a living for herself. In reply, her lawyer, John Stowell, claimed that “she shall not suffer.” It is now apparent that Amelia’s persistence was not in vain.
“Perhaps this would be the happy ending to a tale like this deserves, but once again, such is not the case with this affair. Ever since her conviction and subsequent sale of her 240 acres by the woman she deeded it to, Amelia tried to get back what she felt was her rightful property. In 1913, a trial was held and the jury returned in her favor stating that “Mrs. Emilie (sic) New was owner of and entitled to the land in controversy at the beginning of the action and that the land should be deeded to her.” J.A. Smith, who also claimed rightful ownership appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court. Although she was the victor, she could not claim the land. It wasn’t until three years and five appeals to the Kansas Supreme Court later that the land was given back to Amelia. The court claimed the lawsuit had become a “public nuisance” and made the order giving the land back to Amelia “free of all encumbrances except onehalf the costs of the long litigation. What those costs were, I don’t know, and it hardly matters. Amelia New at last had her farm back.
“It is difficult to ascertain what happened with Amelia after this because there are no further mentions of her in The Eureka Herald. Mrs. Carol (Dan) Slead is a relative of Amelia New. She said that after Amelia was released from prison, she sold the farm she had recovered, and moved to Arizona. She married John Taylor of the Bisbee-Douglas area of Arizona. She is buried there with Mr. Taylor. In a short article in 1914, she was referred to as Amelia Taylor.
“Maybe it isn’t important that we know what happened to Amelia after her release. Some things should be left to speculation. What is important, however, is the mark she left in Greenwood County, the Flint Hills and the State of Kansas. At a time when women did not have many rights, her efforts deserve a place in our cumulative history. As Helen Bradford, (who worked for the historical society for years), said in her research of Amelia, “Few doubted her guilt, but everyone had to believe in her persistence.”
“In 1996 the Greenwood County Museum received one of the polished acorns that was mentioned in the article. This acorn was purchased by C.J. Armstrong from Charlie Dobbs and donated by Mrs. Hazel Moss. The acorn and contents of the small note inside are on display at the Greenwood County Museum for visitors to see.”
