In 1836 or
'7, in the village of Greenfield, Jerry Moles and his
brother engaged in a quarrel and fight with Richard Ore
and Roley Simmons. This Roley Simmons
was a son of William Simmons, who was better known as
"Old Billy" Simmons. Richard Ore
was a son-in-law of Wm. Simmons.
After the
fight they separated, but the Moles brothers were not
satisfied. About this time John Sheffield had
come to town and was in the store, trading. As he went
to pass out at the store door, one of the Moles brothers
hit him on the head with a stone. Moles was
mistaken in his man; he thought it was
Richard Ore.
Mr. Sheffield
was taken to his home; he then resided in a cabin a short
distance of "Nigger" creek on lot 10, section 16.
John C. Bond and Thomas Moulton with their wives
waded through deep snow from Moulton's house to
Sheffield's cabin.
They found that
Sheffield was badly injured. They washed the blood
from his head and did what they could for him. In the
meantime a doctor was called. Sheffield died a
few days afterwards. It is alleged that he was buried
in what is called the lost graveyard across the creek a
short distance west of the Greenbush graveyard.
Jerry Moles
was arrested on a warrant issued by Moses T. Hand,
justice of the peace. At his preliminary trial,
Cyrus Walker appeared for the prosecution. He was
bound over and sent to Monmouth jail. The Moles
brothers looked very much alike and it was difficult
for the witnesses to tell which one threw the stone that
killed Sheffield. Moles was finally
acquitted.
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