My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Florence Wiley
Florence Wiley (b. 1884, d. April 15, 1899)
Notes for Florence Wiley:
This is the family story:
Florence was murdered while doing laundry at home with her sister (Ada or Maude) The men in the family were off hunting.The man who killed her, Bryon Whitlatch, was about 33 years old.He had a wife and children, but still pursued Florence.Florence did go to the authorities and stated that Bryon threatened to Kill her if she did not give into his advances.She refused him and he finally killed her.She was only 15 years old.There is a marker headstone on a hillside by a stream that simply says:Florence Wiley 1884-1899 murdered by Byron Whitlatch.Florence was buried near the Wiley homestead at "Wiley's Bluff" the river was too high to cross the day of the funeral so she was buried on the homestead in lieu of the Shady Cemetery.
4/11/1900
WILEY SUPPOSED KIDNAPPING CASE A.A. WHITLATCH ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO FORCE A GIRL TO ELOPE
A.A. Whitlatch, living six miles west of Shady, was arrested Thursday by Deputy Sheriff E.T. Avants, upon a warrant, which was sworn out by a girl 14 years old, who charges him with trying to force her by threats, to elope with him.Deputy Avants turned his prisoner over to Deputy R.A. Duncan, who brought him on to Mean Friday morning.The trial came up before Esquire Cherry Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock, at which Florence Wiley, the prosecuting witness, swore that Whitlatch made several attempts trying to force her to elope with him, in some cases keeping a pistol on her, and was continually hiding around the house, with the supposed purpose of shooting her if she did not go with him.
She also stated that he threatened to shoot her if she ever mentioned the affair to her parents, and about ten days ago he told her that if she did not go by the 4th of April, he would shoot her, and becoming alarmed went to R.B. Carter, Justice of Faulkner township, and made a complaint against him.
Miss Florence was the only one examined because the warrant charged Whitlatch with kidnapping and the evidence of the prosecuting witness disclosed no attempt on the part of Whitlatch to forcibly carry her off, which was necessary to substantiate the charge.Accordingly Justice Cherry dismissed the case, admitting that it was a deplorable state of affairs but could not possibly be taken under the charge of kidnapping.
The defendant has a family and is about 37 years of age owning 160 acres of land about five miles east of William Wiley, the father of the girl he tried to force to elope, as alleged, who was only 14 years of age.
4/25/1901
BOUND OVER WITHOUT BAIL CORONER FRY AND PARTY, WITH WHITLATCH, RETURNED THURSDAY EVENING
Corner W.G. Fry, Deputies Cole and Anderson, having (?) Bine Whitlatch in charge, and attorney W. Prickett returned Thursday evening from the scene of the killing of Florence Wiley.They were gone over two days, but the delay was occasioned by the high waters preventing some of the witnesses from appearing before the coroner's jury on time.
Corner Fry summoned a jury as soon as possible after getting on the grounds, proceeded to hold an inquest and after two days session rendered the following verdict:State of Arkansas County of PolkThat the said Florence Wiley came to her death at Baby Ruth, county and state aforesaid on the 15th day of April, 1901 by a gunshot wound in the left breast in the region of the heart administered by or at the instigation of Bine Whitlatch.
From the evidence submitted and the finding of the jury, Corner Fry ordered Bine Whitlatch bound over to the grand jury without bail.
The report that the dying girl made two conflicting statements was shown to be an error.She stated to her sister, it is reported, in answer to a question as to who shot her, "if it was Bin Whitlatch he was disguised."And then she afterwards told her Father it was Bine.
the bullet, or any mark around the room, where it might have hit after passing through the girls body, was not found by the jury, and it is a mystery as to where it went.
No witnesses were introduced for the defendant, as they did not desire it, and the coroner had the witness which Whitlatch had summoned, his sister-in-law, put on the stand and questioned in regard to when Whitlatch was at her house.She stated that he was there about 10:30 a.m. and left and then returned about 12:15.
McPhetrige and Prickett, attorneys for Whitlatch are considering the advisability of taking out habeas corpus proceedings with a view of having him admitted to bail.
later-----
D.T. and W.F. Whitlatch, brothers of Bine Whitlatch, who came here to look after their brother's interest, he being charged with the murder of Florence Wiley, left for Hatfield to spend a few days with Bine's family.
2/2/1901
FURNISHED THE BOND
The $1,000 bond, which was the required amount for the release of Bine Whitlatch, was made Thursday afternoon by his two brothers, and the prisoner was allowed to go home to await the trial in September.W.T. Whitlatch, one of his brothers, returned to his home in Durrant, I.T. Thursday night, and the other one, D.T. will probably remain her and accept a position on the Kansas City Southern to await the trial before circuit court.
ADMITTED TO BAIL
Bine Whitlatch, charged with the killing of Florence Wiley, and held without bail by Coroner Fry, was after a hearing Thursday before Chancery Judge J.D. Shaver, under habeas corpus proceedings, admitted to bail.The amount being placed at $1,000.Whitlatch's attorneys, McPhetrige & Prickett, say the bail bond will be made and their client permitted to return home.His brothers, one from the Indian Territory and one from Kansas City are still here.
MENA STAR NEWSPAPER ARTICLE DATED MAY 02, 1902 AND A PHOTOGRAPH OF MARKER AND WILLIAM M. WILEY:
Bryon did go to trial for the murder of Florence.There are several family stories.Mike Wiley says his father William hunted Bryon down and killed him and no one said anything about it.Another theory is Florence was pregnant by Byron and William killed both of them!No one really knows for sure what really happened.
Mena Star:April 25, 1901
That the said Florence Wiley came to her death on the 15th day of April, 1901 by gunshot wound in the left breast in the region of the heart administered by or at the instigation of Bine Whitlatch.The report that the dying girl made two conflicting statements, was shown to be an error.She stated to her sister, it is reported, in answer to a question as to who shot her, "if it was Bin Whitlatch, he was disguised." And then she afterwards told her father, William Wiley, it was Bine.
April 11, 1900
A.A. Whitlatch arrested for trying to persuade a girl to elope with him.A.A. Whitlatch lives six miles west of Shady, owns 160 acres of land and lives five miles east of William Wiley, father of Florence.Whitlatch is married, has children and is 37 years old.Whitlatch threatened 14 year old girl, if she did not elope with him he would shoot her.Not enough evidence for him to be held in jail, he was set free and a year later, did in fact, kill her.
Sources: Shirley Ann Manning, editor of The Mountain Signal, Mena Arkansas
More About Florence Wiley:
Burial: April 1899, Wiley Homestead, Shady, Ar.