Langston Page 4

It has been said that genealogy is fun until you come across the murder and horse thieves in your family - here is the synopsis of a book about a Langston murderer. Worse yet, a matricidal Langston.

'The Langston Tragedy - A History of the Fiendish Murder of Mrs. Nancy Langston and Miss Mary A. Easter on the Night of March 4, 1873' was published in 1873 by the authors H.M. Tremble and F.A. Allison. It details the grisly murders of these two women and the subsequent trial of her son William S. Langston, daughter-in-law Sarah Francis Langston - aka Frank, and several others.

William S. Langston, born January 1842, was the second of two children of Nathan and Nancy Langston; the eldest child, John Langston, was born in 1840. Both were born in Wabash Point, IL.

Their parents, Nathan and Nancy, were early settlers of Morgan County, IL. Their grandparents were William and Mary (Yarbrough) Langston.

The elder William was the son of Nathan and Catherine (Smith) Langston; William's grandparents were Absolom and Christian (Bennett) Langston. Alsolom was the eldest son of John III Langston and first wife Ann Agness Mangham (Mangrum).

Nathan passed away in 1857 which left William S. to manage the family's 120 acre farm and care for his elder brother John. John was noted as being 'idiotic' and not right in the head, and could not be left with his mother as he was prone to violent outbursts directed at her. William S. ably managed the farm and the care of his brother until John's death 11 years later in 1868.

By all accounts William S. was neither bright nor polished, but was regarded as a kind, warm, and well-liked man by the community. At his trial he was described as having a dark complexion, blue eyes with a sleepy look to them, a short nose, and was slow in movement and speech.

He was well loved by his mother towards whom he showed affection -- until he married Sarah Francis Drake in 1870; the family dynamics changed with the inclusion of Frank.

Frank and Nancy had a falling out shortly after the wedding and Frank's intolerance of Nancy quickly escalated into blind-hatred. She schemed on how to rid Nancy from her life - forever - as she wanted the entire farm to William S. and herself, and foresaw Nancy as a unwelcomed burden in her advancing age.

Not wanting to come between her son and new wife, Nancy moved into a small cabin near the main house.

Frank's first attempt on Nancy's life was to poison the cabin's well with a package of lye. Nancy noticed the water had an odd color to it and fished out the lye package before she used the water. In fear of her life, she made arrangements to move in with a neighbor's family.

Frank's second poisoning occurred shortly before Nancy moved. She enlisted the aid of her brother-in-law, John Cassady, who laced her butter stock and flour barrel with arsenic. Nancy discovered the poisonous butter, but noticed not the flour barrel. Shortly after moving, the matron of the lodgings used the flour for bread. The entire family fell severely ill, but all recovered.

Nancy went public with her suspicions. William S. tried in vain to have her declared legally insane and put in an asylum.

Nancy sold her 50 acre interest in the farm and used the profits to purchase a small house several miles from the family farm. Frank, livid that the old woman had outsmarted them yet again and, threw down the gauntlet; 'either you get rid of that woman, for good, or I'll leave you '.

Frank and her brother-in-law, the poisoner, traveled to Ohio to visit family. Shortly therafter, David Drake, a cousin to Frank, knocked on William S.'s door. He informed William S. that he had been contracted by Frank - for $500 - to kill his mother. Frank had also instructed him that William S. was to aid him.

They arrived at Nancy's new house after dark. She let them in. They talked for a few minutes and she retired to her bedroom. Several weeks earlier, Nancy had taken in a neighbor's 12 year old daughter, Mary Easter, as a roommate who shared the bedroom with her.

William S. and Drake agreed that Drake would do the killing with his knife and that the girl would be spared if she remained asleep during the killing.

After Nancy had fallen asleep they entered the bedroom. By Drake's account, William S. held his mother's head as he slit her throat. Mary awoke and William S. held her head as Drake butchered the 12 year old girl. At his trial William S. claimed he was in the room during the murders, but stood in a corner and turned his back to the blood-bath.

Several days later, to divert suspicion from himself, he publicly hired two detectives to find his mother's killer. The detectives quickly uncovered the identity of the killers and blackmailed William S.. He ponied up $700 in cash and promissory notes to buy their silence. They double-crossed him and turned their evidence over to the local Sheriff. The Sheriff arrested William S. shortly before a lynch mob arrived at William S.'s doorstep.

During the ensuing trial, Frank Langston and John Cassady were found innocent of the murders. William S. Langston was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. As of the publication of the book, Drake's trial had not taken place.

WIlliam S. and Frank Langston never had children. We can all breath a sigh of relief that this line of Langstons ended here.

(Last Update 3/14/99)

All Rights Reserved By Chip Langston

The Murder of Mrs. Nancy Langston