I do not have any ghostly family tales to tell, nor do I know of anyone in the family who made spirits or drank them to excess. (I have no doubt these tales/people exist, but I've yet to hear about them.) I do, however, have a family member who was killed in a saloon - where spirits are served. And so I present the story of one Charles D. Arter.
Charles D. Arter is my 4th great granduncle via the following line: George William Pearson married Emma Katherine Green (they are my great great grandparents). Emma Katherine was the daughter of Thomas Green and Ann Elizabeth Echols. Ann Echols was the daughter of Benjamin F. Echols and Sarah Rebecca Arter. Charles D. Arter was Sarah's half-brother; their father was Dr. Daniel Arter.
Charles Arter was an ex-Chief of Police in Cairo, Illinois, when he was shot and killed by County Constable, John Hogan. Hogan had served under Arter during Arter's time as Chief of Police; the two were even described as close friends. The crime was committed on July 30, 1879, at the saloon belonging to one Mr. John Gates. The story runs thus. Charles Arter was sitting in the saloon reading the newspaper when John Hogan and Patsy Mahoney entered. The two gentlemen passed Arter on their way to the bar where Hogan ordered a drink. Mahoney left the saloon not long after, but Hogan walked up behind Arter, pressed a pistol into his back, and fired. Arter sprang up and hid himself behind a stairway door. Hogan attempted to open the door so he could shoot a second time, but his weapon misfired, after which he was restrained by bystanders until he could be handed over to the authorities. Arter lived for 5-10 minutes after the attack, but his right lung and liver had been damaged by the bullet, and one witness stated that Arter exclaimed, "I am killed! He has killed me!" before collapsing to the floor.
The motive? Details are much less clear. One article decried Arter's "moral weakness" and seemed to suggest that he and Hogan's wife had been involved in some inappropriate and clandestine behavior. Another article noted that several people knowingly cited jealousy as the cause. However, the only evidence to substantiate this was that Hogan and his wife had recently separated. Other accounts noted this estrangement and simply indicated that he had been despondent and his mind unsettled. Whatever the motive, Hogan maintained that his actions were justifiable.
Charles seemed to be well-liked by the people of Cairo, but his father, Dr. Daniel Arter, was even more popular. Unfortunately, his already uncertain health rapidly deteriorated after the unexpected death of his son, and the beloved Dr. Arter passed away just 7 days later on August 6th, 1879.
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