Prologue: A few years ago one of the county Commissioners contacted me with a question. He stated the Commissioners were considering putting up a memorial to the two Sheriffs killed in the line of duty. He wanted to know if I thought the memorial should go on their graves or on the courthouse lawn. I immediately said the courthouse lawn so it could more easily be seen and read. Up until that conversation I had only known about Louie Miesner that the paper wrote about a few weeks back. I had never even heard of Sheriff Joe Groomer.
1924 didn’t begin well for Sheriff Garrett Joe Groomer. In early February the Prosecuting Attorney, Richard (Dick) Brunjes, brought suit against Groomer, charging him with malfeasance in office. The purpose of the suit was to disqualify and through Court proceedings, remove him from office. Eight charges in total had been filed by Brunjes. An ongoing conflict between the pair had finally resulted in this court room showdown. It should be noted that on March 20, 1924, F.M. Brady announced his Candidacy for Brunjes’ job of Prosecuting Attorney.
A special session of the court was called on a Monday, early in May, to settle the matter. Presiding over the proceedings was Judge Robert Reynolds of Marshall. Henry Lay, J.T. Montgomery and A.L. Shortridge represented Sheriff Groomer. The summoning of a jury was waived by both Brunjes and Groomer.
On a motion of the defendant’s attorneys, five of the eight charges were immediately dismissed. By Tuesday morning Prosecuting Attorney Brunjes had dismissed the other charges. The Editor reported the whole proceeding to be a fiasco and a complete ridiculous failure on Mr. Brunjes’ part.
Four months later on September 21, Sheriff Groomer was fatally shot on a Sunday night, around eleven p.m. He was attempting to capture, singlehanded, thieves robbing the Lutman store. Mr. Lutman who slept on the second floor of the store had been to church and while unlocking the door of his business, to retire for the night, heard noise and voices inside the store building. He retreated to the telephone office where he called the Sheriff who responded quickly. The Sheriff gave Lutman a revolver and asked him to guard the front door while he went to the rear of the building to investigate. He told Lutman if he found anything he would fire two shots in the air as a signal. Shortly after, Lutman heard the two shots which were quickly followed by seven or eight more. Four was presumed fired by the Sheriff as his revolver was found emptied. The gun fire awakened the townspeople and the Sheriff’s body lay behind the store, shot through the heart. He had died instantly.
The thieves were gone and tracking dogs were called in from Kansas City and Sedalia. In the meantime several posses headed out in different directions to discern which route the burglars had taken.
Interestingly enough, Sheriff Groomer's wife was appointed sheriff the day after he was killed.
The following Monday morning it was discovered the gang had broken into the railroad depot and then the Beiler Wholesale grocery house. Nothing was found missing at either location. It was believed the thieves intended to break into Lutman’s safe as they had left an eight pound sledge hammer, a wrecking ball, a cold chisel and two punches inside the store.
The posse trio of Paul Ryan, Irvin Bennett and Verl Webster found the burglar’s trail as it led south and then east. The telephone line had been cut about two miles south of town and men’s caps were found lying along the roadway. They had inquired at several houses as how to find the road to Stover. It was learned they had crossed the Sagrada Bridge and had eaten breakfast in Stover on Monday morning. They were wearing ten gallon style cowboy hats taken from Lutman’s store. They had work done to their Ford car, bearing an Illinois license plate, and then inquired as how to get to Sedalia. They were then traced from Sedalia to Jefferson City as they headed toward St. Louis. A reward totaling $1,300.00 was offered for the apprehension and conviction of the gang.
Two days after Sheriff Groomer was killed, his funeral was held in the Methodist Church and five suspects were arrested in Collinsville, Illinois. All were armed and one was carrying a 38 special like the weapon that proved fatal for the Sheriff. The five were all dressed like movie cowboys in boots, sombrero styled hats and velvet shirts.
On October 13, 1924 all five men were brought into the Benton County court and arraigned before Judge Calvird. Three of the suspects, Harry and Arthur Defenbaugh and Roy Blair were brought from the Henry County jail while Charles Bringman and Charles Harris were brought from Jefferson City where they were being housed for their own protection. Feelings in Benton County were still running high. Court dates were set for the December term. The public sentiment was they wanted action and swift justice. Blair and the Defenbaugh brothers were returned to Clinton while Bringman and Harris were taken to Independence until they came to trial.
The October 30 issue of the paper headlined the story: “Three Murder Suspects break jail at Clinton.” On Saturday, October 25, about 4 p.m., the Defenbaugh brothers and Blair were discovered missing. They were usually housed in a steel cage but had been allowed out into a large room for the purpose of doing some washing and taking a bath. The trio had dug a hole through the wall and had hopped a freight train which they abandoned at Appleton City, according to witnesses.
The trio was soon recaptured. Roy Blair was found in Emporia, Kansas and the Defenbaugh brothers were located in Arkansas. All appeared before Judge Calvird in court Monday, December 8, 1924. Also present was Charles Harris and Charles Ross Bringman. Harris and the Defenbaugh brothers, Harry and Arthur, pled guilty to murder in the first degree and were sentenced to life imprisonment in the state penitentiary. They were taken to Jefferson City that evening to begin their sentences.
Charles Ross Bringman pled not guilty and requested a change of venue. His request was granted and the case was moved to Henry County in Clinton. According to the accounts from the four other men involved, it was firmly believed that Bringman had fired the fatal shot at Groomer. Bringman was held in Jackson County until his trial on January 20, 1925. While three had pled guilty, a fourth, a youthful Roy Blair, was held in Benton County and had agreed to testify for the prosecution of Bringman. Claude Wilkerson of Sedalia defended Bringman and Henry Lay of Warsaw assisted the newly elected county attorney, F.M. Brady in the prosecution of Bringman.
A change of venue proved to be of no benefit to Charles Ross Bringman, as the jury after hearing all the testimony, deliberated only three hours. They brought in a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree and Bringman was sentenced to life in prison. The trial was the shortest on record in Henry County for a case of such importance. The entire trial occupied only two days, the first by making the jury selection, the second with the offering of evidence, hearing the pleas of the lawyers and awaiting the jury’s verdict. Bringman’s attorney, Claude Wilkerson informed the public that no appeal would be made and no new trial requested.
Sheriff Garrett Groomer was killed in the line of duty on September 21, 1924. On January 21, 1925, exactly four month later, his killer was brought to justice.
Epilogue: Hundreds and Hundreds attended the Sheriff’s funeral held at the Methodist Church. The business houses closed out of respect for him. He had grown up in Davies County and had married Eva Hoskins. They had a son Alvin but his wife died in 1904. He later married Dossie Walthall of Warsaw and they had three children, Glen, Marie and Margaret.
Perhaps it is time to erect a marker on the courthouse lawn so no one forgets these men’s sacrifice.
But if they do, they should also add the name of Sheriff Clay Jeans who died in a gunfight on Main Street in April of 1885.
More on Jeans later.
