I'm researching a murder

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Deckman
Date: 30 Oct 13 - 12:15 PM

I thought this thread might generate some interest. Very good advice from everyone ... thank you all. I may or may not attempt the ballad, I dunno' yet. I usually write ballads in the middle of the night when they just leap out of me.

Those folks down in Skidmore taught me a valuable lesson in the summer of 1955. I was 18 and thought I knew EVERYTHING. I was invited to sing some songs at a Saturday night Grange Hall dance. I made the mistake of singing the popular version of Jesse James. The entire audience turned their backs on me and shunned me.

I remember it clearly. bob

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 30 Oct 13 - 12:02 PM

Sounds like a case of:
Sheriff:"Okay, Who shot this man?"
(voice in crowd): "Spatacus!"
Sheriff: "Okay, who's Spatacus?" ...

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 30 Oct 13 - 10:29 AM

If the Wiki is accurate, it was a collective murder. The whole company would be guilty at least of accompliceship (with mitigating circumstances), morally and presumably legally.

Stuff for novels ("novelle") and films, as Wiki tells us. If I understand you correctly, you want to write an epic poem, much longer than a modern song. Not the most fashionable of all genres, but if you can fill it with a contemporary message - why not?

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Mr Red
Date: 30 Oct 13 - 09:12 AM

If there is a good song aching to come out, try locating the scene in (say) a New York enclave and change the names.
Now here is the clever part - try perusing thesauri (etc) and find names and locations that leave an audit trail, an obscure one maybe but it would hopefully satisfy the documentarian in you.

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 30 Oct 13 - 08:38 AM

A word of caution on local sensitivities.
We live in a rural one-street town on the west coast of Ireland; we are what is termed here 'blow-ins' ie outsiders (not a hostile term, just an acknowledgement of the act that we weren't born and brought up here)
Our interest in folklore and oral history drew us to a local murder that occurred some time in the late 19th century when a local landlord was thrown off a high bridge by two relatives who were after his money and property.
The situation of the murder is noted by a local legend which claims that the bridge 'bleeds' every year on the anniversary of his death.
Over a century and a quarter after the events, local people are still reluctant to talk about the murder, not necessarily for fear of offending surviving members of the family, but with a view to how outsiders might judge the area, even after so long.
The most information we got on the events came from an old singer and dancer we recorded in London who left the area in 1947 and never returned - his information dated to local knowledge he had gleaned in his youth and was far more complete and forthcoming that anything else we have been to discover.
Good luck - but watch out for local sensitivities, (not suggesting that you might wake up with a horse's head on your pillow, but.....!
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Deckman
Date: 30 Oct 13 - 05:44 AM

I'm not much of a song writer. IN fact, the last song I wrote, people beg me NEVER to sing it again!

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Amos
Date: 30 Oct 13 - 05:19 AM

Fascinating story. I think you should write the song.

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Oct 13 - 04:36 AM

Hmmm. Could be an interesting challenge. Go for it, Bob!

-Joe-

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 30 Oct 13 - 01:27 AM

As they say Bob, it's all in the telling of the tale. For myself, there is so much story there that I wouldn't even know where to start.

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Deckman
Date: 29 Oct 13 - 09:46 PM

You know, this murder hapenned 32 years ago (if i did my math right). I'm quite sure that the Feds know everything I know about the murder. This was a clear case of vigilante justice. Never pretty, never neat, but always effect. Kinda reminds me of Tom Paxton's song: "What Did You Learn In School Today"

... "Murderes always die for their crimes,
       even if we make a mistake sometimes ..."

If the Feds wanna' knock on my door, again, my coffee pot is always on.

There can be a unique quality, ability, within the "folk song genre" that can sometimes tell a story in a way that cuts through a lot of modern communication and goes to the heart of the matter. Historians love folk ballads not for their accuracy, but for the ambience of what happened and why it happened.

bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Oct 13 - 08:43 PM

I never heard of this guy but it seems that there's a great song in the retelling of the story...

Of course, I might not want to go back to Missouri to perform it...

B~

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Oct 13 - 08:26 PM

I remember TV programs based on that incident. I can't help... but it is sure the case that no one much liked him, and it is a 'bit' chancy to 'admit' on the WWW that you have knowledge.

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Deckman
Date: 29 Oct 13 - 06:34 PM

GEEZE LOUISE STEW ... that sure took you a long time. Let's see now, what was that ... maybe 45 mintes?   bob (I thought the bass was a little heavy ... but what do I know?)

Subject: RE: I'm researching a murder
From: Stewart
Date: 29 Oct 13 - 06:14 PM

Ken McElroy

Country Justice

Cheers, S in Seattle

Subject: I'm researching a murder
From: Deckman
Date: 29 Oct 13 - 05:22 PM

Bob Nelson (deckman) here in the Seattle, Washington USA, area.

My maternal roots go back to the small town of Skidmore, Missouri. I spent some time there in 1955 with my great Uncle Allen. He gave me much history of my mother's family roots, as well as one incredible ballad.

There was a well documented murder that happened on the main street in downtown Skidmore on July 10th, 1981. Just got to Wikopedia (sp?) and plug in "Skidmore, Missouri, Ken McElroy" to read about it.

For many years I've been pondering about whether or not to write a ballad about this killing. Because of family connections, I know the identity of the murderer. Even though the U.S. Justice department held the town siege twice, no one squealed on the murderer. To this day, the murder is "unsolved."

Here's my question to my fellow catters: Has anyone else out there been curious about this event? And more importantly, has anyone else already written this murder ballad?

I look forward to your feedback ... bob(deckman)nelson